Mid-Week Updates

News has been slow this week, but finally some interesting stuff:

- Michigan has finally offered Trotwood-Madison (OH) WR A.J Jordan, who should be visiting the Wolverines shortly, possibly for the BHBBQ. He's stayed in contact with former teammate Roy Roundtree, which will definitely help UM's cause. He plans a summer decision, and Michigan is in a great spot right now.

- Michigan is still trying to get Trey DePriest back in Ann Arbor. Coach Tony Dews is trying to persuade the 5 Star LB to make it up there for the BBQ.

The UM coaches are out and about making visits to schools, here's some of note:

- DeAnthony Arnett had two UM coaches visit him this week

- RB coach Fred Jackson went to see Justice Hayes yesterday

- 5 Star RB Savon Huggins also got a visit from Michigan this week

Unbelievable!

Here's a self quote from Saturday "I wouldn't be surprised if he named the Buckeyes as his leader soon". Well Jeff Heuerman did more than that, ESPN is reported that he is now committed to the Buckeyes. This one hurts, with his dad being a former UM basketball player, you wouldn't expect him to end up at OSU.

Still, there are a couple other TE's still left on the board for UM, including arguably their top TE prospect, Ray Hamilton from Ohio.

Michigan losing ground with Arnett

ESPN reported over the weekend that DeAnthony Arnett has named a leader and a top five list. Michigan fail to appear in the top five, although they are most likely in his "two more teams" that he will add. 

Michigan State is the slight favorite right now, with USC, Notre Dame, California and Tennessee trailing behind. I really don't get what the appeal is with Tennessee, they aren't going anywhere, no offense! Notre Dame now runs more of a spread offense under Brian Kelly, so you would think that would set them back a bit, as Arnett has stated a preference for pro-style offenses. 

The poll to the right says a majority of you think Arnett will go to Michigan in the end, unfortunately I no longer share your optimism. Its sad to think the top two players in the state may end up at MSU...

Arnett still plans a late decision, so let's hope a good on field performance this fall can change his mind.

update: since I posted this, everyone is voting no on the poll!

Heuerman feels the love at OSU

FL TE Jeff Heuerman was in attendance at the Ohio State spring game, and received yet an another offer to his growing list, which includes top programs such as LSU, WVU and Michigan. Still bemused as to why he is unrated by scout and rivals!

By the sounds of things, Ohio State could well be the leader at this point, he felt comfortable on campus and loved signing autographs for the fans. His dad was a former UM basketball player, so you'd like to think he'd teach his son to hate OSU, but unfortunately for Michigan this isn't the case.

He also took note of the stability Ohio State has under Jim Tressel, which could be a factor in his decision. He also has family in Columbus which is another advantage for OSU.

Still, he was quoted as saying he "loved" Rich Rod, and his dad went to UM, so Michigan should be in this till the death, but I wouldn't be surprised if he named the Buckeyes as his leader soon.

Weekend Notes

- A few Michigan 2010 commits played in the Ohio North-South All Star game this week, and one future Wolverine took home MVP honors. Jibreel Black had three sacks at DE and DT, and was pressuring the QB all day long.

Antonio Kinnard, Courtney Avery, Terrence Talbott and Jake Ryan also played in the game, in which Kinnard had a 45 yd INT return for a TD.

- From future Wolverines to past Wolverines now. UM Punter Zoltan Mesko has been drafted in the 5th round of the NFL draft by the New England Patriots. This is a good result for Mesko, as the Patriots always have a chance of making a SB run with the likes of Tom Brady and Randy Moss.

NFL Draft

Draft Notes:

The big news....

A huge congratulations to Brandon Graham who was chosen by the Philadelphia Eagles at #13. The Eagles had to trade up to get him, so clearly they rate him very highly, which is great. Graham dominated the entire Senior Bowl and earned MVP honors there.

As a senior at Michigan he was the heart and soul of the defense, leading the entire nation in tackles for loss and racking up 10.5 sacks. He truly "bought in" to Rich Rod and reaped the rewards. He never beat Ohio State, but he'll be remembered as one the great Michigan players of the decade. 

It's great to see a UM player go in the first round, as its good to prove to HS recruits that Michigan can send players to the NFL in the early rounds. 

Graham is the first Big Ten player taken in the draft, despite many mocks having Brian Bulaga going in the top 10. Donovan Warren is the next UM player likely to be drafted, probably in rounds 3-4. Zoltan Mesko was also included in a recent mock draft by Walterfootball.com. 

Best of luck to Brandon in the NFL. 

Dallas Crawford and Sammy Watkins

Just a quick note, Sam Webb has an article up on DetNews covering the recruitment of the two Florida players, Dallas Crawford and Sammy Watkins, that made it up for the spring game. Link here.

It's mostly positive, however there are certain factors that could halt UM's progress. Firstly Crawford grew up a Miami fan, which gives them a bit of an edge. Watkins has a brother playing for the Florida Gators this year. So both players have things to keep them close to home. 

The key step for Michigan is securing one of the five official visits!

Jeff Heuerman gets offer

FL TE Jeff Heuerman made it up to Ann Arbor for the Spring game last weekend, and came back to Florida with an offer from the Wolverines. Heuerman's father, Paul, played basketball for UM so there is a great connection to build off.

Jeff was blown away by the visit and it wouldn't surprise me if he named Michigan as his leader. He was impressed with the all the coaches, but especially Rich Rodriguez who he got some one on one time with. 

Jeff plays in run heavy offense in high school, so he didn't put up great numbers in the passing game, however he's a great blocker, using all of his 6'5 240lb frame to his advantage. Heuerman is not currently rated by scout or rivals, which is strange because he has thirteen scholarship offers, the latest from UM. 

Justice Hayes Update

MI RB Justice Hayes has cut his list down to six, and Michigan is among the chosen schools. In no particular order, the schools are Iowa, Michigan, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Michigan State, And Northwestern.

Hard to say who the favorite is right now, I would expect UM to be there until the end though, along with MSU. He was pretty impressed by Notre Dame as well.

Valdez Showers Update

MI CB Valdez Showers has finally received his Michigan offer, which should put UM well in the race. He claims to be hearing a lot from Auburn at the moment, and could be looking to visit the Tigers shortly. 

As mentioned in the previous post, he'll be at the MSU spring game on Saturday, but the good news is that he plans to attend the Big House BBQ on May 22nd. 

Wednesday Updates

Few quick notes over the last two days:

- PA DE Deion Barnes called his experience in the Big House "legendary" on Saturday, and with his new offer from the Wolverines, UM are right up on his list. He went to the same school as Michigan WR Je'ron Stokes, so he has a UM connection as well. He doesn't claim any favorites right now, but did say he wanted to hear from Ohio State...

- Dee Hart is virtually committed to Michigan...key note: virtually. He told GBW that he might not even take anymore visits apart from the Big House BBQ on the 22nd of May, where most people are certain he will commit to UM.

- Antoine Pozniak, a LB from NC also enjoyed his spring game visit, and he'll be back in the summer for camp, trying to earn the scholarship offer!

- Valdez Showers seems to be leaning towards MSU,  maybe because they've offered and Michigan hasn't? He'll be at MSU's spring game on Saturday along with a host of other in-state talents.

Kevin Williams....

Pff...Ohio DT Kevin Williams has committed to Nebraska after visiting them for their annual spring game on Saturday. One can only wonder what their sales pitch was? I'm going to guess a giant poster of Ndamukong Suh with a caption of "you could be next".

It's frustrating to see a kid commit so early after their first visit to a school, a school they probably only looked at because of a coaching connection. UM was in a pretty good position here, and hopefully they will stay on him and try to get him back to Ann Arbor for a visit this fall. 

Side Note: The ESPN article covering this says "As a junior, Williams was credited with 157 tackles, 15 for loss, and 15 sacks". That's outrageous, 157 tackles at DT? No wonder UM wanted him....

surely a typo.

Weekend News

Many UM fans were hoping for a commitment from FL RB Demetrius Hart this weekend, however it looks like he'll take a few more visits before picking a school. Anyway, on with the news....

- Dee Hart's mom did an interview with Sam Webb early on Sunday, and let's just say Dee probably won't be going to Auburn! She said that she just did not feel Auburn at all.

- Florida prospects Dallas Crawford and Sammy Watkins did make it up for the spring game, and both enjoyed themselves. Word is that Michigan is likely to get an official from both of them in the fall, maybe more so Crawford who "loved" it. 

- Anthony Zettel was in attendance for the game on Saturday, and noticed the improvement in the lineman on show. Zettel will be in East Lansing for MSU's spring game this Saturday. Seems like a true in-state battle here, however Notre Dame and Cincinnati are looking to enter the mix.

- Doran Grant confirmed Ohio State as his leader, no real surprises here. At least he'll be in Ann Arbor over the summer for UM's 7-on-7 tournament.

- DeAnthony Arnett was impressed with the passing game of UM at the Spring Game, he also got a chance to speak with some coaches and commits Shawn Conway and Brennen Beyer. 

- Deion Barnes, a DE from Philadelphia got his offer at the Spring game, UM well in the race along with Penn State.

Demetrius Hart Update

FL RB Demetrius seemed to enjoy himself at the Spring game today, and you have to feel like Michigan is right up there now. A big factor in his recruitment will be the opinion of his Aunt, who today caught up with MGoBlog's Tom VH, link here.

The interview seems very encouraging for UM fans!

Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix picks Bama

Debatable whether this really concerns Michigan now, but I guess at the start of his recruitment there was some hope for UM, but anyway....

Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix has committed to the defending national champions, the Alabama Crimson Tide. Ha'sean is currently the top safety in the nation according to scout.com, and picked the Tide over offers from Florida, FSU, USC, Ohio State, LSU and Michigan. 

Hopefully this won't encourage Ha'sean's teammate Demetrius Hart to choose Alabama also. Speaking of Hart, he was at "The Brown Jug" in Ann Arbor yesterday with Wolverine and good friend Ricardo Miller. Hart was also seen today's Spring Game in all UM gear, nice to see!

I'll probably do a recap on the Spring Game later this weekend, once I get full confirmation on who actually showed!

UM in the top two

Michigan finds themselves as the co-leader for 3 Star RB Malcolm Crockett (Washington, DC), along with the NC State Wolfpack. He grew up a fan of the Wolverines and feels they are a team on the rise!

He has offers from West Virginia and Georgia Tech to go along with ones from UM and the Wolfpack. He's also getting a lot of interest from Notre Dame and the nearby Maryland Terps'. He plans to make his decision after his senior season, so he has plenty of time to plan an official up to Ann Arbor. 

The running back position could be really interesting as recruiting progresses, as Michigan only plans to take two RB's due to the small size of the 2011 class. Michigan is in a pretty good position for three/four RB's at present (Jarrell Oliver, Dee Hart, Justice Hayes and Crockett). Hart plans an early commitment, so if he goes Blue, it leaves the coaches in a difficult spot with the remaining three.

Spring Game

Ahh the Spring game, arguably one of the biggest events on the recruiting calendar, and this year will be no exception. Michigan will welcome some big names in the recruiting world, including a Five-Star receiver from Florida, and a host of in-state talents.

The game itself is a chance for fans to actually judge the team for themselves, rather than reading the ridiculously mixed reports from the 14 practices that have already passed by. As for recruits watching the game, there is a long list of players that are meant to be attending tomorrow, but as always, things come up, and its likely some of the following won't make it.

Here's the list of notables you can expect to be there, [ (O) means they have a UM offer]:

- ATH Miles Shuler (O)             - ATH Jeremy Reynolds (O)  

- RB Demetrius Hart (O)           - WR Deanthony Arnett (O)  

- ATH Valdez Showers              - OLB Kendall Walker

- LB Antoine Pozniak                - LB Percy Johnson                  

- DL Vincent Croce (O)             - OL Anthony Zettel (O)         

- TE Jeff Heuerman                  - OL Kody Woods

- DE Deion Barnes                     - S Dallas Crawford (O)           

- WR Sammy Watkins (5* #3 WR) (O)     - WR Prince Holloway (O)             

- All Four UM commits

Now here's the list of "possible not probable" attendees:

Doran Grant, Trey DePriest, Aundrey Walker, Bryan Baird, Ray Hamilton, Nick Waisome, Matt Frazier, Joe Hale, Justice Hayes, Shaq Washington. 

Quick Notes: NC LB Kris Frost and Jarrell Oliver were both meant to attend the game, but they will be at the Big House BBQ next month instead. 

Commit #4

(MI) Plymouth's Brennen Beyer has committed to Michigan over offers from Notre Dame, Michigan State, Northwestern, UCLA, Stanford, Louisville and others. Beyer becomes the fourth prospect to commit to UM, and the third from the state of Michigan.

Beyer had hinted at the possibility of dragging his recruitment out over the summer, but many felt it was just a matter of time until he chose to go blue, I thought for sure it was going to be at the Spring Game.

Unfortunately Brennen is not talking to reporters tonight, as he has homework. Good for him! I'll post an update either later today or after the Spring game tomorrow about what he says.

Demetrius Hart Update

Check out this recap/update of the whole Demetrius Hart situation by DetNews' Sam Webb. Link here. If you don't want to read the whole thing, here's a brief summary of whats ahead for Hart:

- Visits UM for the Spring Game

- Goes to Auburn for a visit

- Returns to Alabama, where his teammate "Ha-Ha" Clinton-Dix will probably be committed

Personally I don't think Clinton-Dix at Alabama will be a huge factor, because UM has Ricardo Miller, who is like his "big brother". The real issue is whether his mom is comfortable with UM's coaches and their job security.

Jonah Austin has UM #1

Mammoth offensive guard Jonah Austin (New Orleans, LA) has already received his Michigan offer, and has placed UM at the top of his list. He's already been in contact with fellow Louisiana recruit Carvin Johnson, who will be joining the Wolverines this summer.

Trai Turner, a teammate of Austin's and fellow O-lineman also has a Michigan offer, and the two have often talked of attending the same college. Nothing is confirmed yet, but the they hope be in Ann Arbor sometime this summer to check out Michigan.

As well as Austin and Turner, St. Augustine HS has one more player with a Michigan offer; safety Renaldo Thomas, however he seems to be leaning towards LSU at this point.

Grant announces new top five

Five Star CB Doran Grant visited Michigan over the weekend, and the trip has vaulted UM up his list into the top five. It's no real surprise that Ohio St leads the way in 1st, and I've mentioned before that MSU were right in there, listed at #2 on his list. 

Michigan lies in 3rd, ahead of USC (4th) and Illinois (5th). The Wolverines are definitely in with a shout here, Grant has been in Ann Arbor too many times for Michigan not to be a major player in his recruitment. 

Grant is hoping to be back on campus for the Spring Game, and then he'll definitely be in Ann Arbor for the summer 7-on-7 tournament. When the time comes for his official visits, the top 5 gets the 5 visits, regardless of distance it seems. (Some recruits don't take officials to schools close to them, as it seems like a "waste" if they don't need to stay overnight.)

His recruitment is likely to stretch beyond the fall, and if UM can finally bring it together on the field, they have a good chance of landing Grant.

Monday Updates

- 2012 standout LB James Ross visited both MSU and UM this weekend, checking out both scrimmages. Ross got to talk with Coach Rod and Defensive Coordinator Greg Robinson. Ross will be back in Ann Arbor for the Wolverines' Spring Game

- If you missed this last week, check out Sam Webb's take on Valdez Showers, a talented in-state athlete who can play both corner and running back. Showers is on the verge of a Michigan offer. Full Article here.

- Joining James Ross on his weekend visits was 2012 Cass Tech CB Terry Richardson. Richardson has created a lot of hype this year at showcase events, going up against the likes of DeAnthony Arnett 1 on 1. Richardson and Ross are strongly considering going to the same college together, along with good friend and 2012 Cass Tech LB Royce Jenkins-Stone. With many former Cass Tech players on the Michigan roster, UM have to fancy their chances with Richardson and Jenkins-Stone, which could lead to Ross joining them in Ann Arbor!

- Michigan has offered VA CB Demetrious Nicholson, a four star recruit according to Scout.com. Nicholson says he'll be looking into UM a lot over the next few weeks, specifically looking at the style of defense and schemes etc. No offense to other schools, but Michigan is the first MAJOR college program to offer him.

Recruiting Summary: 2011 class so far

The date is the 11th of April 2009, and Michigan has just received a verbal commitment from RB Stephen Hopkins, bringing the class total to 7 commits, which included future 4 and 5 Star prospects like Devin Gardner, Ricardo Miller and Jerald Robinson.

Fast forward one year and Michigan by comparison is off to a slow start, with just 3 commits, and not that many "locks" or near commitments. Brennen Beyer to me is the only player I would expect a commitment from in the next few weeks, hopefully at the Spring game. Demetrius Hart is a possibility too.

In-state recruiting was not strong last year. Michigan lost out on a lot of good players, including the state's top player by Scout.com's rankings, William Gholston. The same thing has already happened this year, with Lawrence Thomas' early commitment to Michigan State. 

Despite this, the in-state recruiting is going pretty well this year, with two solid commitments from Shaun Conway (imo a four star prospect) and Delonte Hollowell. As mentioned above, Brennen Beyer could also be a commit fairly soon, and he is currently the #3 player in the state.

Anthony Zettel is another in-stater who UM are in a good position with, he is currently a four star recruit on scout. However the real test of Rich Rod in this year's recruiting is whether he can lure in DeAnthony Arnett (Saginaw, MI), an extremely talented receiver. Arnett's recruitment went national pretty quick, with teams like USC and Oklahoma quickly offering, but he'll wait to see what UM does on the field this year. Does a 9 win season mean he goes blue? The same could be true for 4 Star RB Justice Hayes, who was quoted as saying he would have already committed if UM won more games last year.

Outside the Great Lakes state, Michigan continues to farm Ohio, picking up an early commitment from Fremont Ross HS 's Greg Brown, a cornerback. I remember once there was another guy who played corner at FR, he went to Michigan too. Ohh yeah and he became the first defensive player to ever win the Heisman trophy! Not saying Brown will repeat that great feat, but its a good omen. 

Also in the Buckeye state, Michigan tries to lure two top players away from Glenville HS, an OSU pipeline school. Aundrey Walker (OL) and Cardale Jones (QB) have both visited UM, and with OSU completely focus on Braxton Miller at the QB spot, Michigan may have a chance with Jones. Walker already has UM in his top four. Ohio DE Chris Rock has the wolverines well up on his list as well, he is visiting a lot of schools in the next few months, but if none compare to UM, he might not delay a commitment. 

Trey DePriest and Doran Grant are two more big name prospects from Ohio, both seem to like Michigan, just not that much. DePriest is leaning towards OSU or Alabama, and Grant also favors the Buckeyes, and possibly Michigan State too.

As for the other key state in recruiting, Florida, not much is really happening concerning UM. Demetrius Hart is the only story that comes to mind, however when all is said and done, I'm sure Rich Rod will have picked up three or four FL kids.

The slow start to this year's recruiting isn't that worrying when you consider the talent that is still on the board, and I guess you would expect most recruits to want to see how Michigan does on the field this year after 2 sub par seasons. However one would hope to see a commit or two at the spring game or the Big House BBQ!

Weekend Updates

Quick fire News:

- Michigan is moving up the list of Glenville stars Aundrey Walker (OL) and Cardale Jones (QB). Walker has put Michigan around 4th on his list.

- Newly crowned 5 Star Cornerback Doran Grant made his visit to Ann Arbor on Friday, he seemed to enjoy the visit. His Facebook status read today "Them Wolverines was hella kool", however the rest of it mentioned his next trip - to East Lansing. 

- Scout.com made some changes to their top 300 prospects for the class of 11'. Brennen Beyer checks in at #82, but no Michigan commits made the top 300, however I expect Shaun Conway and Delonte Hollowell to make the final 300.

Antonio Poole Update

Scout.com's #7 outside linebacker Antonio Poole hasn't even spoken to Michigan directly yet, however the Ohio prospect is very high on the Wolverines. Poole is a keen fisherman and often travels to the great lakes state with his father, and as a result he's learned a lot about the UM program.

Poole knows a few people up in Michigan, and described it as a home away from homes. Everything sounds great here for UM, apart from the fact they haven't yet offered the 4 Star prospect, however Poole says Michigan are likely to jump straight to the top of his list when they do.

Michigan have been in contact with Poole's coaches, and with Linebacker being a position of need this year, I'm sure Poole will receive an offer soon. You can check out his highlight reel here.

Mid-week News

Just a few quick notes from this week:

- MI WR DeAnthony Arnett paid a visit to Notre Dame today. The Irish were in his top three schools a few weeks ago, along with USC and MSU.

- One of the top cornerbacks in the country, Doran Grant, may be visiting Ann Arbor this week to check out some spring practices. Grant has seen a couple of games at Michigan last year, however Ohio State are thought to be one of the leaders. He will also visit Michigan State this week.

- UM is still fighting hard to get Trey DePriest on campus. The top OLB currently favors OSU and Alabama, but Coach Rodriguez is really pushing for him. 

- Scout.com's #2 OT Christian Westerman has committed to Texas, he had a Michigan offer but well....you know. 

- Demetrius Hart visited Alabama with his teammate Ha'sean Clinton-Dix, (who I think will pull the trigger for Alabama any second). Hart should be in Ann Arbor this spring, and I wouldn't be that shocked if he decided to commit to UM, after all he was considered a complete lock around September time. However he will take all five officials this fall even if he makes an early commitment. 

Kevin Williams to decide soon

Highly rated Ohio DT Kevin Williams has told ESPN today that he will make his college decision during the first week of May. Michigan is in a pretty strong position with Williams, however so are the Nebraska Cornhuskers. 

Williams has been to Ann Arbor a couple of times to check out the Wolverines, and all visits went great, however he will visit Nebraska mid April. Other schools like Oregon are trying to get into the mix, but it really seems like a two horse race.

Demar Dorsey has backup plan

This story has really been blown out of proportion a bit by the media, its honestly not a big deal at all. Basically Demar Dorsey has signed a letter of intent with a junior college somewhere in Kansas, which he is allowed to do by NCAA rules. 

If Demar doesn't qualify academically for Michigan, he'll go there. When Michigan signed Dorsey, there were questions over his academic status then, so this story is nothing new really, he's just been smart enough to create a backup for himself. 

Everyone at Boyd Anderson High School has expressed how hard Demar is working to get into Michigan, so let's hope the hard work pays off and he makes the grade. 

Trey DePriest Update

Bad news for UM here, as Alabama and Ohio State are rumored to be the top two for Trey DePriest. Alabama's recruiting has obviously started well after winning a national title, and its likely the Crimson Tide could win the battle for a few UM targets, including D Hart (visiting Tide this weekend) and H Clinton-Dix. 

Michigan is still pushing hard for DePriest, trying to get him on campus sometime this spring. He's spoke with Coach Rod recently, as well as new area recruiter Tony Dews.

Brennen Beyer Update

If you haven't already, check out this recent article by DetNews/GBW's Sam Webb. Link here.

Basically Notre Dame is really making a push for Beyer, a four star DE/OLB from the state of Michigan. Beyer has always favored UM, but ND managed to get him down to South Bend for a junior day, and Beyer will be making another visit to ND after that too.

I'd still class UM as the favorite, after all his family loves UM, he's visited the campus plenty of times, and he'll also be at the spring game later this month. With some talented in-state players already committed away from Ann Arbor, it would be good land Beyer, who is rated the #3 player overall in the state, behind Lawrence Thomas (MSU commit), and DeAnthony Arnett (undecided).

A decision should come before his senior season...hopefully at the Spring game!