Who is left for Michigan?

If you haven't seen it already, make sure you check out the rivals.com mailbag this week. The main focus on it being who is left for Michigan to recruit. Jamie Newberg writes the mailbag, and starts off by saying its likely Devin Gardner will leapfrog Barry Brunetti in the Rivals' position rankings...you hear that West Virginia??! That'll give those Mountaineers something else to moan about for a while. 

He also mentions that Barry Every is in charge of the Player Rankings, which is great for Gardner, as Every thought Gardner was the best QB at the Elite 11 camp. 

Note: the article states that Kyle Prater shows interest in Michigan. Don't get your hopes up, im 99.9% sure that he cut his list to six last week, and UM wasn't on it.

Anyways, check out the full article here.

Darius Robinson commits

Darius Robinson from Atlanta (GA) has committed to the Clemson Tigers. The three star cornerback had around 20 offers, including Michigan, however UM never looked in the race for this one.

To be honest, I'm not exactly that dissapointed. Scout has him as a three star, rivals go with four stars. I tend to agree with scout.com most of the time, they were certainly right about Cullen Christian first. 

Robinson runs a 4.4 forty time, which is impressive. With around 20 offers, he clearly has the talent needed to play at the next level, but there are a lot of other corners to be had this year!

Terrance Talbott gets offered

Ohio Cornerback Terrance Talbott visited Michigan yesterday, and picked up an offer whilst he was there. Terrance visited Ann Arbor with his brother Terry, a three star defensive tackle. 

Both now have offers from Michigan, and after the visit Terrance, also a three star prospect on rival.com, stated that Michigan was now in the lead for him. The two brothers might be seen as a package deal, and Michigan badly need a defensive tackle, as Sharrif Floyd is still a long shot right now. 

However Terrance won't be committing anytime soon, his recruiting is likely to go on through most of his senior season. 

Speaking of defensive backs and visits....Brandon Ifill visits Ann Arbor today!! Let's hope that goes well.

In State recruiting

Rich Rod has taken a bit of criticism over a lack of recruits from the state of Michigan, with just 3 of his current 16 verbal committments coming from home-state players. At least those three recruits are some of the best in the state, with Devin Gardner regarded by many to be the #1 player in the state of Michigan.

Anyway, a short article about this topic can be found here, at the Detroit Free Post!

Dior Mathis....lost cause?

I'm pretty much going to throw in the towel for us on this one! A few weeks ago Mathis had us 3rd on his list behind Oregon and Michigan State. However ESPN just posted an update, stating Michigan has fallen down to 5th on his list...behind Tennessee?

Mathis is arguably the best corner in the state of Michigan, and given our need at the position this year, this is dissapointing news to say the least. He is rated a four star prospect by rivals.com, and is likely to gain a 4th star from scout.com after they named him in their "Midwest Elite 8" from the recent ESPN Gridiron 7-on-7 tornament. 

Worst case scenario from here...he goes to Michigan State

Brandon Ifill to visit this Friday

Ifill, who has yet to visit Ann Arbor, will be making the trip from Pittsburgh (PA) with his parents for an unofficial visit. He did state that Maryland is currently on top, but that is mainly because he has been there a lot. 

If the visit goes well, he will likely come back for an official visit later in the fall. Ifill has been recruited hard as of late by Coach Tony Gibson, and his high school teammate Cullen Christian has also been singing Michigan's praises!

Josh Furman Update

Josh Furman (Millersville, MD) is the #12 ranked Safety in the country and rated a four star prospect by scout.com, and recently he's started to narrow down the options.

Furman has said he will definately take an official to Michigan this fall, along with other schools such as Virginia Tech, Pitt and Maryland.

He has officially posted a 4.37 40-yard dash, which is pretty rapid! In his junior season he registered 87 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, eight sacks, and an impressive six forced fumbles.

Michigan commits are 100%

Last year there were seven de-committments in Michigan's recruiting class, understandable I guess, since no-one expected them to go 3-9. But still, its nice to here that some prospects this year have no intention of jumping ship.

Tony Drake and Antonio Kinard have confirmed they are 100% committed to Michigan. This isn't that surprising for Kinard, but some people expected Drake would be a bit shaky, considering he committed before even seeing Ann Arbor. 

The good old Detroit Free press caught up with both players yesterday, full article here.

Cullen Christian Update!!!

I have to say, out of all the top prospects left on Michigan's board, Cullen Christian is the one I really want to get, after all, there must be a reason why rivals.com put him as the #60 ranked player in the country, and why scout.com has him as the 3rd best corner in the land. 

After about 5 minutes quick research, I discovered that over the last four recruiting classes, on average the top 4 cornerbacks receive a 5 star rating from scout.com.

So in theory if Cullen stays at #3, he'll be in with a good shot, as might #5 corner Tony Grimes, another possible recruit.

Star ratings don't actually mean much (ask Braylon Edwards or Mike Hart), but it certainly would be nice to see Michigan rake in a top 10 class even after a poor 3-9 season. 

When speaking at the ESPN Gridiron 7-0n-7, he said he would take 3 visits, Michigan, WVU and UCLA. But rest assured, Michigan is still holding onto the top spot of Cullen's list.

At the event unfortunately Cullen was injured in the 2nd to last game, and couldn't get back on the field. However he hinted that he might have to return to Orlando for the Under Armour All Star game in January. 

Will Hagerup to commit soon?

Will Hagerup (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) is one of the top punters in the nation, and he could be close to committing; "I will decide within another month for sure."

Scout.com rates Hagerup as the 3rd best punter, one place behind Mike Sadler from Grand Rapids, MI, who is rumoured to be waiting on an offer from the Wolverines. 

Hagerup's list includes Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Purdue, Indiana, Northwestern, Illinois, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas and Iowa State.

"I'm going to visit Ohio State and Michigan for sure within a couple weeks. I'm going to see practices at both places and take another tour at each school."

With Zoltan Mesko entering his final year with the Wolverines, UM will be looking for a replacement for the 2010 season.

Dominique Easley - outside chance?

Dominique Easley, a four star DE from Staten Island, (NY) planned on committing to the Florida Gators this weekend when he visited for the Friday Night Lights camp. However the trip didn't go to plan and the announcement has been held back. 

The 6-foot-3, 253-pound defensive end from Curtis High School will now be considering other schools again, this includes Michigan. Easley has almost 20 offers, and expects more to come in shortly.

This is still an extremely long shot for Michigan, Easley has not stated if he will even visit Ann Arbor yet, and Florida is still the school to beat. But adding the nation's #14 DE would certainly help boost Michigan's recruiting class.

More Love for Devin Gardner!

The praise just keeps coming for Michigan recruit Devin Gardner, and its music to the ears of Wolverine fans. An article by the Detroit Free Press recently got the views of rivals.com, who loved Gardner's summer performances. 

Elite 11 camp director Greg Biggins said "“We pretty much knew we wanted Devin after watching his junior film, basically, he just needed to come to the Nike camp and not tank it for him to get invited.”

Rivals.com national analyst Barry Every even ranked Gardner as the top overall quarterback in the camp, going on to say “I don’t think there’s any question, after having seen him for four days, how hard he competes and how hard he wants to be the best”.

Gardner is even compared to other great dual-threat QB's, such as Vince Young, Juice Williams and Tim Tebow. 

These rave reviews have also helped Devin earn an invitation from the Under Armour AA game, which he has accepted!

Rivals.com currently has him ranked as the No. 170 prospect in the country, expect him to jump well into the Rivals100 in their next rankings!

Full article found at:

http://www.freep.com/article/20090728/SPORTS06/90727100/1054/Devin-Gardner-s-Elite-11-performance-earns-rave-reviews

Joshua Shaw - offer looming?

Joshua Shaw (Palmdale, CA), scout.com 's #16 cornerback and four star prospect has yet to pick up an offer from Michigan. That might change very soon though, Shaw stated he was in contact with UM coaching staff and would probably get an offer within the next few days. 

He also mentioned that he would like to visit Michigan, either officially or unofficially. Shaw had a very good junior year, raking in 4 interceptions along with over 400 receiving yards.

When asked what he is looking for in a college, Shaw expressed interest in academics, program tradition, atmosphere and a place renowned for helping corners to get to the next level. Sounds like Michigan could be a perfect fit, after Shaw does not consider distance a factor in his recruitment. 

Further updates to follow.

Brandon Ifill Interview

Brandon Ifill checks in with Tom VanHaaren of Mgoblog earlier. Ifill says he will take 3-4 official visits, including Michigan. Coach Tony Gibson has been recruiting Ifill, who is the teammate of Cullen Christian, another big Michigan target. 

Ifill wants to get to know the other coaches on his visit, and get a feel for the wolverines, as he has not yet visited Ann Arbor.

Check out the full interview at;

http://mgoblog.com/content/interview-brandon-ifill

Dietrich Riley Update

Dietrich Riley's recruiting is still wide open at this point, but the La Canada (CA) athlete has listed a few schools that are coming at him strongly. Among that list is the University of Michigan, who have a strong chance of getting an official visit.

Dietrich is a big fan of the spread offense, a style of play that suits him well. Riley can play both sides of the ball, he amassed over 800 rushing yards in his junior season, along with 48 tackles, a sack and a pick.

Other schools after Riley include Tennessee and Alabama. Riley has family near Tennessee, but he also has relatives in Detroit (MI), which is a bonus for the Wolverines.

Riley is listed as 6'1, 195lb, he is the #13 Safety in the nation and a four star prospect on scout.com.

He certainly would be a great catch for Michigan.

Kyle Prater cuts Michigan

At the recent ESPN Gridiron 7-on-7, Kyle Prater dominated defensive backs in every game and showed us why he is the #1 receiver in the nation. 

Unfortunately for Michigan fans, it appears he won't be visiting Ann Arbor in the fall after he cut his list down to six last week.

Notre Dame, Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee, USC and Illinois are the schools that made the cut, and personally I could see him staying in state with Illinois, after seeing the sucess that Arrelious Benn has had with the Fighting Illini. 

He was always a long shot for Michigan, due to the style of offense that Rich Rodriguez plays; more run orrientated. 

Latwan Anderson Update

Ohio Saftey Latwan Anderson turned some heads this week with an MVP performance at the ESPN Gridiron 7-on-7. Anderson came away with five interceptions, two of which were returned for TD's.

His list of schools constantly changes, but one school; West Virginia, stays on top. However Michigan has made his top 7, and Latwan seems keen to get up to Ann Arbor in the fall.

Other schools in with a good chance are Georgia and MSU. Although with the talent Georgia has already brought in at the Safety position in this class, I would be surprised if Latwan ended up there. 

Kenny Shaw update

Kenny Shaw (Orlando, FL), a 5'11 WR prospect gave us an update on his recruiting after he attending the ESPN Rise Gridiron Kings 7-on-7 tornament. 

When asked where Michigan stands, he said he would firstly need to wait to see how UM's season progresses, however he will be narrowing down his list within the next few weeks. He did state that distance is not a factor in his recruitment, and that he has some family in Illinois and Ohio, which is encouraging for the Wolverines. 

As stated before though...Michigan does already have 5 verbal committments from receivers, (some can play both sides of the ball however) and personally, with so few spaces left in the class, I would like to see the spots given to lineman or defensive backs. 

Perhaps if a 5 star WR wanted to commit, then they should take him, but Shaw is listed as a 3 star prospect on scout.com

Mack Brown commits, Dunkley to follow?

Mack Brown, a 4 star running back from Lithonia, GA has committed to the Florida Gators. Rated the #7 RB in the nation, Brown had offers from some big programs, including UM.

At one point Michigan was in fairly good shape with Brown, but after the committment of Livonia's Austin White to the Wolverines, it was unlikely that they would add another back to the class. 

Speaking of Florida, it looks like FL WR Chris Dunkley could also be heading to the Gators. Speaking after Florida's "Friday Night Lights" camp, where he dominated any corner willing to take up the challenge, Dunkley named the Gators as his leader. Dunkley has an offer from UM on the table, and is listed at a "Medium" interest level.

The 4 star receiver attends Pahokee High School, where Michigan has recently done very well in, securing 2009 prospects Vincent Smith and Brandon Hawthorne as well as Martavious Odoms in 2008. However it looks unlikely that Dunkley will be re-joining his former teammates, since Michigan is pretty loaded with receivers already in the class. 

Elite 11 Awards

The Elite 11 camp is over, and after four days of throwing it seems like Devin Gardner has silenced his critics. The 6'4 200 lb QB from Inkster, MI even managed to pick up two awards from the camp, which were given out by former Missouri star, Chase Daniel. 

Gardner picked up the "best feet" award, and the "best in the classroom" award.

All promising signs for Gardner, who could be making a trip into the Rivals 100 soon if he keeps up this level of performance. 

Holmes Onwukaife commits

Holmes Onwukaife (Cedar Park, TX), a 3 star linebacker has committed to Florida State.

He was originally offered by Michigan as an outside linebacker, and wanted to sign for the Wolverines. However UM had recently filled up on the position and they could only offer Holmes a place at Inside LB, where he didn't want to play. 

I felt sorry for Holmes after this event, so I'm glad he's found his way to another big program :)

Sharrif Floyd Speaks!

Sharrif Floyd (Philadelphia, PA) is one the best defensive tackles in the 2010 class, rated as a 5 star prospect, and the #3 DT in the nation. Michigan has been following him for a long time, but recently we haven't heard much about the Wolverines from him. 

That changed recently, when speaking of his list of schools; “Michigan’s in it,” Floyd said emphatically. “I called the coaches the other day and they let me know they really want me. I’m one of their top recruits. They feel I can make an impact right away.”

This is encouraging, especially given UM's lack of depth at the defensive tackle position. Having big Will Campbell and Shariff on that defensive line would certainly be a formidable lineup, one that all Michigan fans would love to see!

Floyd went on to discuss his relationship with Le'Ron Stokes, father of Michigan Freshman receiver, Je'Ron Stokes. It looks like Le'Ron is certainly doing his best to keep Michigan on Floyd's mind, keep up the good work Le'Ron!!!!

Quotes sourced from scout.com

Devin Gardner impresses at Elite 11 camp

Devin Gardner (Inkster, MI) has impressed many at the Elite 11 Quarterback's camp in California. Here are a few reviews from scouting analyists:

"He gets depth on his seven step drops very easily as one might expect with his athleticism. His quick drop allows him some extra time to scan the field from a "ready" position, rather than the moment longer it might take another quarterback to reach his seven step drop. After his seven step drop, Gardner threw a rope on a crossing route that was his best throw of the camp." 

"Gardner is quick in his release on the short routes. There is very little time between when he decides where he's throwing and when the ball arrives at its target. His release lengthens considerably when he's loading up to throw the ball downfield, and it gives defenders a split second longer to recover. Once he learns to trust his arm strength, and keep his compact throwing motion, he'll force teams to stay honest and guard the deep third of the defense. "

Tom Lemming rates Gardner extremely highly, top 10 player in the nation if i remember rightly, and I'm sure Devin will have a great season to possibly earn a 5th star from major recruitng services.

Scouting Analysis sourced from scout.com

Michigan trailing on Ohio Safeties

Kurtis Drummond (Hubbard, OH) and Latwan Anderson (Cleveland, OH) both had Michigan previously in their top two schools, but its looking unlikely now that either will sign with the Wolverines. Drummond even had Michigan as his leader, but after a recent visit to Michigan State, the Spartans have the lead. Kurtis had this to say;

"I got a tour of the campus and facilities. I met with the strength coach, the academic advisor and some players. They showed me some film of the things they do. Michigan State is at the top of the list right now. Just talking to some of the coaches and some players gave me more of an understanding of Michigan State. That helped out a lot."

Personally I'm not too bothered about this, Drummond is only a 3 star prospect, however Anderson is a bigger loss. Anderson previously had us tied in the lead with West Virginia, but now it seems UM might not even get a visit. Anderson impressed at the Michigan camp, and is likely to see his stock rise further as his senior season progresses. WVU, UGA and MSU are the schools likely to get a visit.

Defensive Prospects

Here is a list of a few defensive prospects that Michigan are in good shape with:

Cullen Christian, (Pittsburgh, PA) - Rated #3 corner in the nation, 4 star prospect. Has had Michigan as his leader for a while, although unlikely to commit soon, he plans to take some visits.

Brandon Ifill, (Pittsburgh, PA)  - Rated #18 safety in the nation, 4 star prospect. Teammate of Cullen Christian, if one of them commits, lets hope the other follows. Has a top two of Michigan and Maryland, with no outright leader.

Tony Grimes, (Hollywood, FL) - Rated #5 corner in the nation, 4 star prospect. Very physical player, has Michigan as a leader, although he will be visiting some big SEC schools, such as Georgia and Florida. Won't be committing anytime soon. 

Rashad Knight, (Jacksonville, FL) - Rated #71 corner in the nation, 3 star prospect. Very underated here, likely to move up the rankings after his senior season. Has Michigan as his leader.

These are recruits that Michigan has a very strong chance of signing, but I wouldn't expect any of them to commit soon!

Ratings from scout.com

Tony Jefferson ends his recruiting

Despite arranging an official visit with Michigan, Tony Jefferson (Chula Vista (CA) Eastlake), a four star prospect has committed to UCLA. Jefferson was recruited as a safety for UCLA, but has the physique to move to outside linebacker. He might have fitted into the role that current Michigan Safety Stevie Brown occupies in Greg Robinson's new system.

The decision comes as a bit of a shock, I personally thought we had a good shot with Jefferson, who is rated as the # prospect in the nation by rivals.com. Attention in California now switches to Sean Parker (Harbor City (CA) Narbonne), rated 5* and the #3 safety in the nation by scout.com.

Parker is in the process of arranging his visit to Ann Arbor, as well as a trip to Notre Dame.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Michigan Wolverines Football Recruiting blog!

I'll be updating the site daily with news and articles regarding the current 2010 recruiting class, so enjoy, and feel free to send any advice or comments to my email, mgorecruit@live.co.uk