2012 OT Arik Armstead decommits from USC, holds M offer
The title says most of it. He says he's thinking of visiting Michigan, but I have no idea how he stacks up against the other guys. Does this have any effect on our OL recruiting or is he too late?
http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/ncf/story/_/id/7114377/offensive-tackle-…
October 17th, 2011 at 11:07 AM ^
But I think there is zero chance he comes here.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:13 AM ^
Agreed. He would be a more-than-welcome addition to this class, but I wouldn't exactly be betting on it, to say the least. Get him on campus and you never know, however—I would've said the exact same thing about Banner a couple months ago.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:14 AM ^
As Sam Webb always says, you never know what will happen if you get a recruit on campus. However, I do agree that no one should be holding their breath.
October 17th, 2011 at 12:11 PM ^
Is your picture the crooked politician from The Wire?
October 17th, 2011 at 2:01 PM ^
Awesome.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:17 AM ^
Having appointed myself the labeling police, how was this trolling? He's just saying that a recruit isn't going to commit to Michigan. Trolling is "He's not going to commit to scUM 'cause you guys cant beet Sparty and never willl again for yeers, yo HaHA HA."
EDIT: Neoavatara was labeled as "trolling' when I wrote this.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:36 AM ^
Having appointed myself the labeling police, how was this trolling? He's just saying that a recruit isn't going to commit to Michigan. Trolling is "He's not going to commit to scUM 'cause you guys cant beet Sparty and never willl again for yeers, yo HaHA HA."
EDIT: Erik_in_Dayton was labeled as "trolling' when I wrote this.
October 17th, 2011 at 3:10 PM ^
in case the lesson hasn't been learned, this system of moderating sorts itself out through audience participation without anybody making a big deal about individual moderating decisions.
/offtopic
October 17th, 2011 at 1:28 PM ^
Can we have a "winning the internets" label?
October 17th, 2011 at 11:13 AM ^
Scout has him as the #1 OT and call him an OT/DT. http://recruiting.scout.com/a.z?s=73&p=8&c=1&nid=4266803
Rivals has him as the #4 strongside defensive end and compare him to NFLer Richard Seymour. http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/player-Arik-Armstead-99535
Great to get him in for a visit.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:15 AM ^
247 has him as an OT/SDE and ranks him as the top overall player in the class. Heck of an athlete at 6'8", 285.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:12 AM ^
If he takes an official visit, I think that makes our chances better than zero. Unlikely perhaps, but not zero.
You never know what will happen when you get a kid on campus.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:13 AM ^
...for a kid of that caliber. Never.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:13 AM ^
I have no idea what the likelihood of him going to Michigan is, but as Sam Webb says, if you get a visit, you have a chance.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:15 AM ^
Armstead would be a phenomenal addition.
<br>But until something actually happens re: a visit my hopes are at zero.
<br>Couple things that have to be cleared up with him: does he want to play bball as well and does he want to play offense, defense or both. I believe we offered as a DT and he wants to play D but most think he'd be the perfect OT.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:16 AM ^
Encourage a visit and see his interest we still have 4-6 possible spot open depending on enrollment timing.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:17 AM ^
just so we can have Armstead and Lewan double team on Gholston next year!
Go Blue!
October 17th, 2011 at 1:59 PM ^
After giving up 7 sacks & 10 TFL you probably don't want to put your redemption hopes on a true freshman and one of the guys on the losing end of the curb-stomping.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:18 AM ^
I'll take any percent chance to add a player of his caliber. It's also encouraging for Pharaoh Brown to be listed under "Similar Defensive Ends" on Rivals site.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:19 AM ^
btw JJ. denaman decommited from psu to wisconsin. Huge loss for the nitty lions.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:21 AM ^
Armstead isn't coming here.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:29 AM ^
I haven't followed his recruitment. I've just appreciated the awesome spelling of his name.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:40 AM ^
He's taking official visits to Notre Dame and Alabama, so no.
I can never understand how Notre Dame seems to be in every top prospects top group. I never understood what recruits loved about Notre Dame so much...
October 17th, 2011 at 11:43 AM ^
Being a M fan at Notre Dame, I will give ND credit that the place bleeds traditions and does have a great game day atmosphere. Football help build that university and it shows.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:47 AM ^
ND offers a lot. Great tradition (as you say), great academics, great campus, its own TV network.
October 17th, 2011 at 3:19 PM ^
minus the TV network (and maybe the academics--I don't know).
My wife and I drove through Tuscaloosa on our honeymoon. We stopped for a few minutes to look at the stadium, and the monuments to past coaches and all their national championships were much, much more impressive than what Michigan has done to commemorate our past legends and championships.
October 17th, 2011 at 1:33 PM ^
Is he a Catholic school kid? I remember people in our high school looking down on people going to Stanford and Penn because they weren't in the group going to ND, it's kind of a groupthink.
October 17th, 2011 at 1:34 PM ^
Despite losing to little brother, seeing USC and OSU's recruiting classes slowly melt down means there is some good karma in this world.
October 17th, 2011 at 2:25 PM ^
Little Brother's recruiting class isn't anything to write home about, either.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:29 AM ^
Unless he does. ; )
October 17th, 2011 at 11:54 AM ^
for clearing that up for us.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:31 AM ^
He'd be a nice pickup for us, but we have a great O Line class coming in, so whatevz.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:36 AM ^
Did anyone else read the Wolverinenation post on this.
It says, "Armstead said he’s still planning to graduate early and enroll in time for spring practice at his school of choice", but then later quotes Armstead as saying, " ' I’ll even delay graduating early if I don’t have total confidence in my decision.' "
I thought this was confusing. Although it could be read as thats the plan but it could change, it didn't seem like he checked his quotes carefully as he wrote it.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:53 AM ^
Doesn't seem confusing to me -- If he is certain by the time early enrollment comes around then he goes the EE route, if still not sure he bides some time and waits until signing day.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:37 AM ^
Scout has him listed as medium interest for USC, Bama and ND and doesn't even have UM listed as one of his offers.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:38 AM ^
Notre Dame (visiting this weekend) and Cal are the big contenders. Would not be surprised if he ended back up as USC though
October 17th, 2011 at 11:54 AM ^
Bama, too. I think he ends up there.
Both ND and Bama want Armstead as a DE. Adding him to either team's DL would be unfair, especially Bama.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:59 AM ^
ND's d-line isn't going to be too bad either. It will be much more than a Weissian failure if Kelly doesn't win big there. That roster is going to be loaded. Aaron Lynch alone makes me envious.
October 17th, 2011 at 2:51 PM ^
Their pull at DE last year was impressive. They also got Stephen Tuitt and Isaq Williams who are both 5 stars.
October 17th, 2011 at 11:58 AM ^
He wants to play DT. He also wants to see if he can play ball also. If he gets on campus we have a shot, but a very long shot!
October 17th, 2011 at 1:14 PM ^
Judging from the game last weekend, both lines could use help. We'd definitely take an athlete of his caliber and sort out the details later.
October 17th, 2011 at 12:10 PM ^
The one thing that stands out to me is why he decommited from USC. In the WolverineNation blog it mentions something about his family being displeased with what has been happening at USC. So that shows that he values his family's opinion and his family cares about where he goes. I know I have read articles in the past that Hoke and some other coaches (Mattison notably) are very good guys and families usually love them.
If we can get him a visit on campus, especially with some family members coming then that could make an impact. Outside of that I don't see how we would have much a shot with him.
October 17th, 2011 at 12:30 PM ^
His family is displeased because his brother is currently enrolled at USC and has been left in limbo by the school's medical staff for months now. The USC doctors have refused to clear him to play yet it remains unclear what exactly the nature of his injury is or how to treat it.
This is actually the third time this has happened recently. USC doctors refused to clear Jarvis Jones to play after a neck injury, he transferred to Georgia and has been a healthy beast for them ever since. They've had another guy whose name slips my mind also transfer and have zero problem getting cleared by another team's doctors.
Very weird situation with some writers speculating there may be differences in liability between a public as opposed to a private school. Still makes zero sense to me what is going on.
October 17th, 2011 at 1:16 PM ^
Medical staff not clearing a player to play, in USC's case is probably done to free up some salary room for incoming 5* freshman
October 17th, 2011 at 2:25 PM ^
October 17th, 2011 at 2:33 PM ^
Do tell
October 17th, 2011 at 3:03 PM ^
Unless the sarcasm meter was also hit by Ghoulston this weekend I belive Irish is reffering to: 1) ND destroying USC this Saturday, and 2) a likelihood of this recruit committing to ND.
October 17th, 2011 at 7:19 PM ^
My gut feeling when he committed then everybody left for the draft and the appeal was denied was he'd get asked to switch positions on a bad team and prefer to go elsewhere. Now USC fans may commence panic.
Edit: He's said from day 1 that he is a D Lineman all the way and USC wants him to be an OT now that they lost so many key linemen in the draft.
October 23rd, 2011 at 11:45 AM ^
on the D-Line but my gut feeling is, he's just way too tall for the position. He would get chopped down like a tree by opposing O-Linemen