So yesterday I covered the outlook for offensive recruiting for the remainder of this year's class. Link is here.
Time for the defense now. There was a pressing need for defensive linemen at the start, and Rodriguez and company have addressed it wonderfully, picking up defensive tackles Campbell, Graves and Jones, and defensive ends Roh and LaLota. Because Ryan Van Bergen was the only defensive end in the two classes previous to the current one, a third one would be nice. This is where losing Nick Perry really hurts. Perry would've probably played as a freshman and been poised to start as a sophomore in 2009. But alas, we've got Brandon Graham for one more year, Van Bergen, and a bunch of other guys and freshmen. So the need for another end is there. Tackle is bit better. Mike Martin will be the man on there, and while the depth is shaky, Campbell should jump into the rotation immediately. Both DeQuinta Jones and Pearlie Graves are shaky commits at best, but the latest updates on both are positive: as of now, Graves does not plan to take other visits, and the latest word on Jones is that he will stick with Michigan as long as Jay Hopson is around. If they both stick, we're set at DT, and even if one (or diastrously, both) bolts, there really isn't anybody else on the board.
The linebacker situation is more dire. Half of Michigan's solid 4-star haul is gone, as Marcus Witherspoon failed to qualify and Taylor Hill left before the season started. Both Mike Jones and Isaiah Bell are coming in in this year's class. Bell is essentially a lock to play linebacker, while Jones could go either way between LB and safety. Brandin Hawthorne is coming in from Pahokee as well, but he is essentially corner-sized, and won't see the field for a couple years. Cameron Gordon could become a linebacker, but will start at wideout. The need for another solid linebacker is pressing, and there are precious few quality prospects out there. Dorian Bell was lukewarm on Michigan before committing to Ohio State. MSU took advantage of the coaching transistion and pounced on Chris Norman from Detroit Renaissance. Jelani Jenkins was planning a Michigan visit, but it's not happening. Let me repeat that in bold: Jelani Jenkins is not coming to Michigan.
In the secondary, Michigan is set at safety, bringing in Jones, Thomas Gordon and Vlad Emilien. They have a solid corner in Justin Turner, but the depth is shaky, with Donovan Warren, Boubacar Cissoko, Troy Woolfolk, Turner and possibly J.T. Floyd (who could go either way at CB or safety) as the only corners. Michigan was the "leader" for 4-star Corey Brown in May, but everybody knew that was just until he visited Ohio State in June, where he committed. They were the "leader" for 5-star Darius Winston in June, but when he set an announcement date without visiting, it was clear he wasn't coming. Michigan did their best to impress 4-star Travis Hawkins on his official visit in October, but it wasn't good enough. So there have been some swings and misses with CB recruiting this year, but there are still some prospects out there to make pushes for.
Defensive End
Sam Montgomery 6'4, 230 Greenwood (SC) Greenwood Rivals: 4*, #3 WDE, #53 OVR Scout: 4*, #7 DE, #59 OVR ESPN: 84, #2 DE, #23 OVR
Montgomery is a character. You listen to any of his interviews, and he sounds like William Campbell. He's charismatic and humorous. And for some reason, he has a bizarre love for the city of Detroit. By his own admission, he's never been there, there's just something about it - and that's the only reason Michigan is on his list.
Montgomery openly says Michigan is 5th on his list out of 5, with LSU leading. Nevertheless, he's visiting this coming weekend. He would be the perfect cherry on top for Michigan's already stellar defensive line class, but this one isn't gonna happen, folks.
Bennie Logan 6'3, 235 Coushatta (LA) Red River Rivals: 3*, NR Scout: 3*, #64 DE ESPN: 76, #74 DE
Logan is probably Michigan's best bet at adding a 3rd DE to the class. He's visited Nebraska, and at the moment they seem to be Michigan's biggest challenger. Logan has been holding out for an LSU offer, and despite what his Rivals profile says, it hasn't come, and he's starting to give up hope that it ever will. FWIW, a couple LSU posters on the Rivals Main board say that Logan is better than his mediocre recruiting rankings, and they had hoped that LSU would offer.
He's visiting UM on January 16th. If LSU doesn't offer, Michigan should battle Nebraska for him.
Linebacker
Barkevious Mingo 6'5, 209 West Monroe (LA) West Monroe Rivals: 4*, #10 OLB, #174 OVR Scout: 4*, #11 SLB, #206 OVR ESPN: 78, #38 OLB
Barkevious Mingo has an amazing name. Maybe that could be a recruiting pitch - "You KNOW you want to join Pearlie Graves, Boubacar Cissoko, Fitzgerald Toussaint and Vladimir Emilien at Michigan." When you look at Mingo, you think of Shawn Crable - he's tall, lanky, and very fast. He could very well end up going the way of Crable, too - stand up at linebacker a lot, and then put a hand on the ground and pass rush on 3rd down.
He'd be a solid addition, but he's another pipe dream, I'm afraid. LSU has a sparkling record of keeping Louisiana kids that they want at home, and Mingo is near the top of their recruiting board. He's visiting Michigan this weekend, so hey, who knows...maybe he'll meet up with Sam Montgomery and Marcus Hall and something special will happen.
Mason is built like a house, but isn't stiff by any means. He would be a very solid addition to the linebacking corps, but his recruitment has been curious. He has recently said he wants to visit Michigan, but he doesn't have an offer yet. He's visiting Pittsburgh this weekend, and they are considered the favorite. He is also talking about Penn State, West Virginia and Toledo, but he apparently has not heard from PSU in some time. There is some speculation that he has some grade issues that need resolving. If they are resolved and he visits, he'll get his Michigan offer.
One thing about Mason: Michigan has already offered WR Brandon Ifill and CB Cullen Christian, a pair of 2010 recruits who are Mason's teammates at Penn Hills.
Hosley is going to have one busy month of January. He's already visited Louisville in September, but he'll be taking all four of his remaining visits this month - South Florida this weekend, Michigan on the 16th, Ohio State on the 23rd, and Virginia Tech on the 30th. His recruiting rankings are a bit varied: Rivals is high on him, Scout is low, and ESPN is in the middle. Based on his offer sheet and the fact that even with all the DBs they have in their class and the limited scholarships they have left, Ohio State is still pushing for him and getting a visit, I tend to side with Rivals and believe that he's a damn good prospect.
Jayron Hosley's lofty ranking on Rivals is boosted (at least in my eyes) due to the fact that Ohio State is pursuing him when they have a player in their own backyard at their premiere pipeline school who is just waiting to commit on an offer. Mike Edwards is teammates with probable Buckeye Marcus Hall, but there is some smoke out there that he may accompany Hall on his visit to Michigan this weekend; that remains unconfirmed though. Either way, it is becoming more and more likely that Ohio State is not going to offer Edwards (right now, anyway). If OSU doesn't land Hosley, logic would suggest that they would offer Edwards, and being a Glenville kid, a commitment would probably follow closely thereafter. Regardless, Edwards came out yesterday saying Tennessee was his favorite, but he plans on visiting Michigan and Illinois (Cordale Scott) too.
Like I said in regards to Marcus Hall yesterday: it's apparent that Rodriguez is doing his best to mend the fences with Ted Ginn, Sr, and it's apparently working, since Hall and possibly Edwards are at least visiting. For a time, Glenville kids did not give Michigan a sniff, let alone a visit. Whether that's a combination of Pierre Woods' senior year, Ted Ginn, Jr. having his heart broken by the old Michigan staff, or his father just being an Ohio State fan, who knows.
Still, Michigan fans should not expect either Hall nor Edwards to be at Michigan next year.
Mywan Jackson 5'11, 169 Seffner (FL) Armwood Rivals: 3*, #53 ATH Scout: 3*, #65 WR ESPN: 74, #140 ATH
Despite Scout classifying him as a receiver, Michigan is recruiting Jackson as a corner because the need is more pressing there. Jackson was originally supposed to visit Michigan in November for the Northwestern game, but had to postpone (thank god, the weather was abysmal). As of now he is tenatively scheduled to be in at Michigan on the weekend of the 16th, which is good, because one of Jackson's patterns in his recruiting is to rave all about the school he recently visited. He visited North Carolina in September. Auburn was involved as well, but not unexpectedly fell out during the coaching change. If Michigan gets the final visit like it appears they will, this one could swing UM's way.
One thing about this one, though: UNC has a commitment from safety Angelo Hadley, former Michigan recruit and teammate of Jackson at Armwood. Like I said when discussing Travis Bond yesterday, Carolina seems to be going the Alabama route this year, in that they will oversign, so there is probably room for Jackson, and it seems obvious that Hadley will be in his ear.
So, Michigan finally got a recruiting drama to go its way. After Ronald Johnson in 2007 and Terrelle Pryor in 2008, we were finally on the good side of things, as William Campbell revealed he was joshing everybody and re-committed to Michigan. This is awesome for everyone: it's pokes a big hole in the Spartan propaganda that Rich Rodriguez is neglecting the in-state talent. After the fiasco-filled 2007 recruiting season where guys like RoJo, Barksdale, Allen and Colasanti split, and 2008 where Nick Perry slipped away, holding onto Campbell gives everybody a warm and fuzzy feeling about finally keeping the in-state star in-state. And perhaps most of all, it gives Michigan an enormous difference maker. The knock on Gabe Watson, Alan Branch and Terrance Taylor was conditioning; those guys were stars for Michigan. Watson and Taylor were All-Big Ten caliber. Branch was perhaps the biggest difference maker I've seen on the defensive side since Woodson. He freed up Woodley on the outside and Harris in the middle. But the thing about all of them was they were bulky space eaters and often a detriment because they weren't bulky with muscle; they were bulky with belly fat. With Barwis in charge of S&C now, Will Campbell isn't going to be scarfing down pizzas and cheeseburgers.
But I'm going off on a tangent. Point is, Campbell putting on the M hat is a recruiting victory. So now the question is, what happens with the rest of the class?
Since Shavodrick Beaver bailed for Tulsa, there's been a lot of hand-wringing over Tate Forcier being the only QB in the class. The feeling on the inside has been that the staff will not scramble to fill the void, and if any avenues they do pursue lead nowhere, they feel comfortable going ahead with just Forcier.
After QB, there are needs for another WR, one or two more OL, maybe another DE, a LB, and another CB.
So...lets look at what's out there, starting with offense.
Boyd's recruitment has been a weird one. He was offered by Michigan in the winter but committed to West Virginia in March. He decommitted in October, citing issues with the Mountaineers' offense. He then committed to Tennessee in early November, and then "decommitted" a month later. Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin basically told him to go away since Boyd isn't Kiffin's type of QB. Since then, Boyd has visited Oregon and Ohio State. He was initially expected to commit to one of those schools at the Army All-American Bowl, but decided to hold off. There is battling going on for his 5th and final official visit (he visited WVU in September and Tennessee in October). Boston College and Clemson are in the running, but if BC fires Jeff Jagodzinski like they're threatening to do, you have to figure Boyd won't consider them.
Boyd was the #1 guy people started calling for when Beaver bolted, but there was one problem: the consensus was that he was turned off by West Virginia because he views himself as more of a pocket passer and not a spread option quarterback. This seems to be contradicted by Oregon being close to landing him, since the Ducks are all about the spread and running their QB. And then Michigan kicker commit Brendan Gibbons told GoBlueWolverine this interesting tidbit:
It would seem like as soon as the dead period ends this week, Michigan will call Boyd and make a large push for that final visit. So what's the deal here? Has Boyd loosened his restrictions on playing in a spread? From a biased perspective, it would seem like Boyd postponed committing to Oregon or OSU because as Gibbons says, he's interested in hearing from Michigan. From an unbiased one, it could just be a coincidence.
If the best possible scenario happens - Boyd hears from Michigan, reciprocates interest, visits, and commits - this would be wicked awesome. Not only would Michigan get the second QB they wanted, but it would be a prospect universally regarded as a better player than Beaver and Kevin Newsome. However, until more develops on this front, optimism should be restrained. Boyd was blown away by his visits to both OSU and Oregon. Even if Michigan gets in on him and gets that final visit, everything has to go perfectly to get into the driver's seat.
For the longest time, Robinson was on the back burner for Michigan. UM had either Beaver/Newsome or Beaver/Forcier at QB, and because they didn't need another, Robinson wasn't really interested and throughout the entire process, he was considered Florida's to lose.
After his official visit to Florida on December 12, there was no commitment, which left the door open. Couple that with Beaver's decommitment a few days later, and you have Michigan firmly in the picture, pushing Florida for Robinson and an official visit coming up on January 9th.
Robinson is an electric talent. He'd be Michigan's Pat White - he is dynamic on the run. Rivals lists him as the second fastest "athlete" in the entire class of 09, while Scout lists his 40 time at 4.38. The downside to him being Michigan's Pat White is that he is not a pure quarterback - his passing leaves quite a bit to be desired. While Tate Forcier is a definite QB who can run, Robinson is an athlete playing quarterback. While that is definitely beneficial in that he could become a very good cornerback, Michigan's chances at him hinge on giving him a legitimate shot at quarterback.
Unless something progresses on the Tajh Boyd front, Robinson is probably Michigan's last shot at getting a second quarterback in this class. There are a couple local QBs in the state, but they would be preferred walkons.
With the possibility that Dewayne Peace ends up at corner and Cameron Gordon ends up at linebacker, the need for another wide receiver exists in this class, even with Ricardo Miller and Jeremy Jackson lined up for 2010. The #1 guy on the board (and no folks, Rueben Randle is not on the board. He's not coming here) is Je'Ron Stokes from Philadelphia. Stokes committed to Tennessee in April. When Phil Fulmer stepped down, he began to waver and was originally supposed to visit Michigan on December 5th. Once Lane Kiffin was hired, he seemed to re-solidify his commitment. But then Kiffin turned away Tajh Boyd, and when Stokes arrived in San Antonio for the Army bowl, he said he was "50-50" on his commitment to Tennessee, which might as well be a full decommitment. He has said he definitely plans to visit Michigan and Illinois, and is looking at Oklahoma, Florida and Georgia along with the Vols. As of now he is scheduled to visit Michigan this coming weekend, although it is not set in stone and could be pushed to the 16th.
Now, here's the part where I indulge in some completely random and dubious speculation. In one of the interviews he did with Rivals at the Army bowl, he discussed his plans to visit Michigan and his relationship with WR coach Tony Dews and he mentions "Tate". Now, I could just be grasping for straws, but when was the last time you heard a recruit mention another completely random recruit from a place 2500 miles away by his first name? We know Stokes has waivered on Tennessee because of the Boyd situation. Is it possible that he connected with Forcier a bit to learn more about Michigan?
If there is a prime candidate to perpetuate the "snake oil" concept this year, it seems like Stokes would be it.
Travante Stallworth 5'10,180 Leesville (LA) Leesville Rivals: 3*, NR Scout: 3*, #121 WR ESPN: 80, #21 ATH
Rivals does not list Stallworth as having a Michigan offer yet, but he is still scheduled to be visiting on the 9th. He is currently an Auburn commitment, but like basically everybody else in their class, he is looking around in wake of the coaching change. Gene Chizik is putting together a pretty good staff though, and if the rumors of Trooper Taylor joining that staff come to pass, you'd think Stallworth might stick with the Tigers. Taylor is loved by his players and has proven to be an excellent wide receivers coach at both Tennessee and Oklahoma State. He's also got his official visit to Auburn lined up for January 23rd.
This is just...annoying and amusing. Since basically July, Marcus Hall has dropped and added Michigan from his list of schools about five or six times. Entering Army bowl week, he was expected to commit to Ohio State, but during the week he nixed those plans and said he'll be taking four visits in January, starting with Michigan on January 9th.
This one ain't happenin', folks. I'd love to be wrong. I still have my doubts that this visit will even take place, but even if it does, the chances of Marcus Hall committing to Michigan are less than 10%. Yes, Rodriguez is working on rehabbing the relationship between Glenville coach Ted Ginn, Sr. and Michigan. The doors to Glenville are not sealed shut like they were in the latter years of the Carr era. Rodriguez and Ginn are on speaking terms, but that's not going to matter here. I'm not going to speculate as to what's happening behind the scenes. All I know is Hall is an Ohio kid playing for an Ohio coach, and he's going to Ohio State. If it were any other high school and any other coach in Ohio, I might take Hall's comments about being friends with Will Campbell as meaningful. In this case, I don't.
The day will come when Michigan lands a Glenville kid. But it's not gonna be this one.
Quinton Washington 6'3, 315 St. Stephen (SC) Timberland Rivals: 4*, #16 OG Scout: 3*, #19 OG ESPN: 82, #7 OG, #79 OVR
Washington is another one of the perfect type of lineman Rodriguez is looking for for the spread offense. He's athletic and nimble on his feet. With Taylor Lewan and Michael Schofield already in the class and Marcus Hall (lol) still on the board, offensive tackle doesn't seem to be a position of dire need. Washington is a guard though, so he's high on the board.
About a month or so ago, a poster on The Fort, Michigan's premium Rivals message board, posted info about Washington, saying he was close to the situation (friend of a cousin or something). He said that Washington and his dad were all but sold on Michigan, and that they were working on selling his mom. That coupled with the fact that Michigan has still been his only official visit seemed to bode well. Since then, everything has gotten quiet, and in a recruiting article from the Under Armour game a couple days ago, it was said that he is likely staying in state and going to South Carolina. Visits are scheduled to South Carolina on January 16th and Tennessee on January 23rd.
Travis Bond 6'7, 330 Windsor (NC) Bertie Rivals: 3*, #27 OT Scout: 3*, #33 OT ESPN: 80, #18 OT
Bond visited Michigan for the Michigan State game in late October and did not return home complaining about the weather, so that's a plus. He is listed as a tackle by all the recruiting services, and he definitely has the height for it, but at 330 pounds, can he hold up against a speed rush off the edge?
He's visiting North Carolina on January 16th, and says he will decide right after that visit. It's been assumed for a while now that it will be a Michigan/UNC battle. The Tar Heels already have 26 commitments, and will go head to head with Michigan for both Bond and cornerback Mywan Jackson this month. It seems obvious they are willing to and plan to oversign. When you're going up against the home state team for a player who plans on deciding right after his visit to that home state team, you don't really get your hopes up.
Sam Montgomery
Bennie Logan
Barkevious Mingo
Dan Mason
Jayron Hosley
Mike Edwards
Mywan Jackson
