Detroit News Annual Recruiting Q&A with the Recruits
This is something that I always look forward to reading. They ask each of their "Blue Chip" athletes about their best and worst experience on the recruiting trail.
Interesting read. Question for the recruiting folks here on the board, is this a weak class, or did we just not do a good job in the state this year?
February 3rd, 2015 at 7:39 AM ^
February 3rd, 2015 at 7:44 AM ^
in fact, but when players like Moorman the #5 on the list is not offered, and players like Dior Johnson going to Minnesota, I wonder things like maybe the state had an off year. That is all...
February 3rd, 2015 at 8:24 AM ^
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February 3rd, 2015 at 7:42 AM ^
We just did not do a good job in the state this year.
The state of football.
February 3rd, 2015 at 7:47 AM ^
I remember hearing early in the 2015 cycle that the in-state talent this year was having a down year. Not sure if that proved to be the case or not.
February 3rd, 2015 at 7:47 AM ^
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February 3rd, 2015 at 8:57 AM ^
February 3rd, 2015 at 10:25 AM ^
Since we got Harbaugh! I would not be happy with a 7-5 or 8-4 Hoke returning next season with his full 15 member recruiting class.
You would have to be nuts if you did not want coach Harbaugh!
February 3rd, 2015 at 8:14 AM ^
Were you paying attention to the David Brandon-Brady Hoke clusterfuck/soap opera that decimated this recruiting class?
February 3rd, 2015 at 10:29 AM ^
I think the point is that Michigan didn't even bother offering guys like David Moorman and Dior Johnson (or even Grant Perry until just recently) for whatever reasons. But it's often been said by many on MGoBlog that if Wisco is offering an OL, then it's a good bet that he's a pretty good player.
February 3rd, 2015 at 8:17 AM ^
These recruits seem a lot more honest this year. I feel that in the past if one of these players weren't offered by MSU or Michigan they would give some bullshit reason about why they didn't like the school and that is the reason why they weren't going there, when in reality they never got offered and never were going to get offered.
February 3rd, 2015 at 8:50 AM ^
OK, whoever writes these, please do a little research and if a kid was not offered by Michigan and Michigan State, don't make them have to embarrass tthemselves and say that they did not even get an offer. Ask them why not CMU or WMU or some place they were actually offered.
What's so hard about that? If you are too lazy, throw Ace a few bucks and he'll tell you were they were offered.
February 3rd, 2015 at 8:57 AM ^
And great idea about asking "why not EMU, CMU or WMU" (other schools where they had offers)
Angelique lurks on this board...I hope she reads this...(your post)
February 3rd, 2015 at 8:21 AM ^
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February 3rd, 2015 at 8:29 AM ^
According to the crack recruitniks at the Detroit News, Brian Cole was not a top-15 player in the state of Michigan.
February 3rd, 2015 at 8:59 AM ^
That's embarrassing...you're right, they completely missed him.
He should be #2 behind Weber.
February 3rd, 2015 at 9:04 AM ^
I see they talked to Malzone, but I know there have been issues with talking to freshmen who are enrolled early in the past. If a freshman is enrolled early, sometimes he is barred from speaking to the media.
February 3rd, 2015 at 9:11 AM ^
It would be weird to allow Malzone to talk but not Cole. And if Brian didn't want to be interviewed, that shouldn't preclude him from being on the list.
February 3rd, 2015 at 9:39 AM ^
Or maybe they only listed players who they were able to interview, since it is a Q&A session after all...
February 3rd, 2015 at 11:14 AM ^
"The top 15 players on The Detroit News Blue Chip list talk about their best and worst recruiting experiences and more in this question-and-answer with David Goricki"
I know it's semantics, but if you're going to put together a list and call it the "Blue Chip List" then it seems you should be listing everyone on that list, regardless of whether they did a Q&A session with you. Also seems to me in the past they have listed recruits who wished to not be interviewed or were precluded from doing so by their school (I am nearly certain Michigan has enforced this before).
Unless this isn't the true "Blue Chip List" and only the top-15 who agreed to be interviewed, in which case it's not a very useful list.
Aaaand I'm spent.
February 3rd, 2015 at 9:07 AM ^
http://247sports.com/Season/2015-Football/CompositeRecruitRankings?Inst…
Tops on that list? Someone named Brian Cole.
February 3rd, 2015 at 9:17 AM ^
3 are commited or were commited at some point (Weber), i'd stil say that the best players in Michigan go to Michigan.
February 3rd, 2015 at 9:51 AM ^
February 3rd, 2015 at 8:22 AM ^
February 3rd, 2015 at 8:25 AM ^
Based on his answer for Why not Michigan State, it appears the questions went out last week, or earlier. So his answer to Why not Michigan was no longer true.
February 3rd, 2015 at 8:22 AM ^
February 3rd, 2015 at 8:30 AM ^
There aren't a lot of high-quality prospects this year, and a couple of the high-quality prospects come with character concerns. However, I do think there are a few "lower tier" prospects within the state who could end up being pretty good.
February 3rd, 2015 at 8:42 AM ^
February 3rd, 2015 at 8:47 AM ^
Dior Johnson, Eddy Wilson II, Michael Ojemudia, Bryce Witham, Sam Beal, Cameron Lewis, Immanuel Stinson, Rayshawn Wilborn...
February 3rd, 2015 at 8:48 AM ^
And do they have any plans for Wednesday?
February 3rd, 2015 at 8:31 AM ^
February 3rd, 2015 at 8:38 AM ^
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February 3rd, 2015 at 8:45 AM ^
Read Weber's quotes:
Why not Michigan? "I grew up a Michigan fan and it's always been a school I wanted to go to, play for, and that's why I made my decision to go there early. But when it went downhill and they lost Brady Hoke and (I) didn't really know what they would bring in, [Ed: but you certainly do now.] I decided on Ohio State. I wanted to try something different and sometimes that can guide you in the right direction."
Why not Michigan State? "One of the reasons is they're kind of loaded at running back. [Ed: like OSU.] Coach Dantonio is an excellent coach, but we really didn't communicate at the end and it didn't work out, but he did offer."
Bolds and [Ed:] comments are mine. He certainly sounds like a kid that can be flipped back.
He's at Ohio State by default, forced there by circumstances that are no longer true. He does not want the embarrassment of flipping back and forth, but you can tell he'd realy like to come back.
February 3rd, 2015 at 9:02 AM ^
February 3rd, 2015 at 9:09 AM ^
He is likely subtly saying "MSU didn't want me as a RB, they wanted me as a slot; and they already have a commitment from Scott in this class." It's pretty well understood that he wants to be the only RB in his class.
February 3rd, 2015 at 10:42 AM ^
All of UM's RBs are upperclassmen other than Isaac.
Meanwhile MSU has about 5 RBs who are underclassmen incl one of the top recruits in the country in 2015 guy Larry Scott. So he is correct.
Meanwhile OSU has a Heisman candidate in Elliott and a freshmen behind him who many say is better than Elliott. And they signed the #1 RB in 2016 already.
So actually we are less loaded than those 2 squads from a playing spot perspective. Isaac is really the only thing standing in Weber's way at UM right now if you go 2 years out.
February 3rd, 2015 at 9:49 AM ^
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February 3rd, 2015 at 8:48 AM ^
Whether it's due to them being good kids (my guess), or well-advised (probably a bit of that, too), this group of recruits seemed very forthright on the process. In years past, we'd see kids who had no chance of a B1G offer answer the "why not UM/MSU?" question with nonsense. Several talked negatively about schools that they had no realistic chance of attending - whether due to grades or ability - but did not own the fact that they did not get a B1G offer. (Full disclosure - neither did I.)
This year's group was positive and forthright. A lot of honest "well, they (UM/MSU) did not offer" answers. Best of luck to each of these kids as individuals, and to their teams to the extent such teams are not based in E. Lansing or Columbus.
February 3rd, 2015 at 9:14 AM ^
February 3rd, 2015 at 9:25 AM ^
February 3rd, 2015 at 9:33 AM ^
February 3rd, 2015 at 10:58 AM ^
Just because they've been doing something a certain way for a long time doesn't make it right. It's a real dick move to ask kids why not Michigan or MSU when they weren't offered. What are they supposed to say?
February 3rd, 2015 at 9:09 AM ^
Crazy how the responses have changed from just a few years ago. Michigan no longer commands the awe that it once did, that's for sure. I don't think it will take a ton to bring Michigan back, but Harbaugh and Wheatley certainly have their work cut out for them.
February 3rd, 2015 at 9:48 AM ^
You only have to go back one year to hear very different responses about Michigan. This year is an outlier due to the coaching change and also us having a very small class.
February 3rd, 2015 at 10:45 AM ^
I am actually shocked how well UM is recruiting the past 3-4 years (credit to Hoke) relative to the on field product.
You have to realize that to most 16-17 year olds UM has been nothing but bad to mediocre save for 2011 in their entire teenage years. It's a program they see lose to State almost every year, and lose to OSU almost their entire lives.
Most people on this board are 25 or older so they know a different Michigan. Kids growing up today are seeing a bad product. Thankfully they still have their dads around to talk about the good ole days and the brand name is also strong. But just from product on the field they see with their own eyes - its not been something positive for teenagers nowadays once they got past age 10.
February 3rd, 2015 at 11:15 AM ^
February 3rd, 2015 at 9:09 AM ^
"It's a great school, but it didn't have the same family atmosphere I felt at Western. I had a better connection at Western and (MSU) didn't offer, either."
February 3rd, 2015 at 9:18 AM ^
Same reason I'm not dating Kate Upton. I just didn't feel a connection to her.
Oh, and she didn't offer.
February 3rd, 2015 at 12:09 PM ^
Alex Grace closed his recruitment very early. He chose to go to Western to honor a close friend that died in a car accident. His friend and work out partner attended Western yet passed before his sophomore year. His family feel and connection makes more sense if you read the link below.
February 3rd, 2015 at 10:02 AM ^
I forgot about Alabi going to OSU. It sucks that our biggest rival took three kids from our feeder school. Let's hope Harbaugh can change that soon.