Lemming's 100

Recruiting analyst Tom Lemming has released his list of the top 100 high school recruits for the class of 2011. Tampa Plant's James Wilder (RB/LB) tops the list, followed by Jadaveon Clowney, a defensive end who currently tops the scout.com rankings.

Players of interest:

- Tim Jernigan - has UM in his top 7, he places at #2 on scout.com, but only #45 with Lemming

- Sammy Watkins - recently visited UM, he's just behind Jernigan at #47

- NC QB Marquis Williams - bit of a surprise at #25, very high on UM right now

- Trey Depriest - #57

- Justice Hayes - the in-state RB lands at #59

- DeAnthony Arnett - #77, a bit harsh, I would have placed him above Hayes.

- Doran Grant - scout.com's #2 CB only comes in at #89

Theres a few others I've missed out, so make sure you check out the full list here. Unfortunately no UM commits made the top 100, but its still very early days yet. Last year Lemming had both Devin Gardner (#9) and Marvin Robinson (#36) on the list.

Weekend Notes

A few updates from the weekend's news:

- Despite several internet rumors that offensive guard Errin Joe had committed to Miami-FL, he remains on the market. Michigan recently offered the three star recruit, and he does have a connection to the Wolverines through his former teammate Ricky Barnum, a left guard for UM. There is a possibility of a visit to Ann Arbor, but only as an official in the fall. Miami and FSU are said to be leaders at this point.

- Michigan has apparently cut the number of players its recruiting in half! Approximately 150 prospects have UM offers, but now only half of those will be recruited by Wolverine staff. From annarbor.com; "Rodriguez said coaches met last week to pare down their list from 150 or so targets to around 70 prospects. Michigan expects to sign a class of 15 or 16 this winter." 

- Kent Turene continues to add offers, this time from Florida, a school he's been waiting on, as well as Georgia and USC. As far as I know Michigan still hasn't offered, which seems like madness right about now, they must be waiting on something (speculation: off field issue??). Turene is of course the teammate of 2010 commit Demar Dorsey.

Commit No.5!

Chris Rock has become the 5th commitment for Michigan's class of 2011. A defensive end from Columbus Ohio, Rock had visited Michigan a couple of times, including the recent Big House BBQ. He chose Michigan today over offers from virtually every Big Ten school, as well as big time programs like Notre Dame and Oregon. 

Rock is currently a three star prospect as well as Ohio's #39 prospect on scout.com after racking up 15 sacks in his junior campaign. Scout's take: "Rock had another fine season at DeSales. He plays defensive end and tight end currently, but could possibly be a defensive tackle at the next level. Needs to continue to add strength, but has good size and plays with intensity."

Michigan always seemed to be out in front for Rock, ever since his junior day visit earlier in the year. Notre Dame was probably the main competition as he visited South Bend for their junior day, but in the end Michigan prevails! 

This is a good commit for Michigan, Rock has a lot of potential and could certainly wind up a four star prospect in fall. 

Marquise Williams Update

QB Marquise Williams has outlined his decision timetable, the North Carolina prospect will make up his mind in mid/late October after official visits to both Michigan and Virginia Tech. He'll be in Ann Arbor on Oct 9th to see the Wolverines beat MSU (never too early for predictions), and then he'll be at VT on Oct 16th to see the Hokies play Wake Forest.

Williams is a big fan of Rich Rodriguez, who has apparently been scouting him since his days at West Virginia. Another dual threat QB, he racked up 2400 yards passing and over 1000 yards on the ground in his junior campaign. A four star prospect on scout.com and an ESPNU150 watch lister, he clearly has talent, but so does Denard Robinson/Tate Forcier/Devin Gardner...

I'm not saying we don't need him, QB competition is good for the team, but if I were a good QB, would I go to a school where the starters are in place for the next three years? Maybe I'd ask Jarrett Brown first?

Michigan is in his top group right now, along with North Carolina, Notre Dame, LSU and Virginia Tech, there is no clear favorite as of yet.

Scouting the WR's

DetNews' Sam Webb takes a look at some of the major WR's Michigan are after right now, including Sammy Watkins, DeAnthony Arnett and A.J Jordan. Check out the article here.

Webb says the 2011 class is only likely to have two receivers, although they would probably take three if the right players committed. But let's say UM restricts itself to just two WR's in the class, with Shaun Conway already in, who should be the second? There are some other WR's to consider, like Devin Smith and Shaq Washington, but from the three in the article, who would you want? You can cast your vote on the poll to the right.

Personally I would take DeAnthony Arnett, he has simply dominated events in the offseason, and frankly there isn't a corner in the Midwest that can cover him right now. I even doubt whether 5 Star prospect Doran Grant could get the better of him? It would also be a boost to the in-state recruiting, which has been down a bit lately. Bottom line, I would hate to see him at MSU.

Corey Marshall Update

Four star DT Corey Marshall is one of the top players in Virginia, and last weekend he made the long journey to Ann Arbor MI, for the Big House BBQ. Proximity to home will be a factor for him, and his list of top schools reflect that; Virginia, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.  

Marshall arrived on the Friday, and spent a good deal of time looking at the academic side of things, including talking to current students on his desired major. The following day he got to meet the players and coaches, including a bit of film time with Coach Robinson. 

He got to spend time with Coach Rod too, and it seems like the whole visit went down great. It was an important visit from UM's standpoint, because with a summer decision planned, it could be his last to Ann Arbor before the commitment. He plans to visit WVU and maybe Tennessee before making his final decision. 

Michigan has moved up his list greatly after the visit, and is most likely in his top group along with the Virginia schools and possibly Tennessee. 

Tuesday Notes

A few quick notes:

- Michigan announced their self-imposed penalties today, no scholarship cuts were announced, which is a relief for recruiting. However over the next two years, 130 practice hours will be lost.

- Demar Dorsey's teammate Kent Turene is raking in the offers right now. The reining champs Alabama are the latest to offer. He has expressed some interest in Michigan, but you have to think its only because of Dorsey. So if Demar doesn't make the grade, UM's chances with Turene are very slim.

- Illinois have offered PA LB Ben Kline, joining teams such as Michigan, WVU, Pitt and Rutgers. UM figures to be in a fairly good spot here, Kline has been on campus and enjoyed the visit. He's yet to really narrow things down, is he waiting on Penn State?

- MGoBlog has an interview up with Branden Jackson after his BBQ visit. Check it out here.

BBQ Reactions

Firstly, the list I wrote last week changed slightly, here are the top prospects that made it to the Big House on Saturday for the BBQ:

- Three current commits, Beyer, Conway and Hollowell.

- VA DT Corey Marshall                       -  OH WR AJ Jordan

- DC DL Darian Cooper                         - OH DE Chris Rock

- OL Anthony Zettel                             - PA DE Branden Jackson

The big addition here was four star WR AJ Jordan, who is one of the top receivers in the Midwest. He comes from the same school as Roy Roundtree, and the two players spoke on Saturday. Jordan says he's "real comfortable" with Michigan right now, and even said he'd be back for a summer camp soon. This is good news for UM, even if he said he might not work out.

Darian Cooper definitely enjoyed the event, getting to hang out with the coaches and touring the campus. As usual, Mike Barwis had a big impact on the recruits, he really is a great tool in recruiting, his enthusiasm is unrivaled!  Cooper has now got Michigan as one of his top schools.

Anthony Zettel brought his family along on Saturday, it was his mom's first time on campus, and they all enjoyed themselves. Zettel got to hang out with coaches as well as OL such as Taylor Lewan. Although he still claims to like MSU, Zettel says hes much more comfortable at Michigan, it would certainly be a surprise to see him end up elsewhere.

Michigan is still in a good position for Chris Rock, however he still has some trips to make. Michigan probably leads right now, closely followed by Notre Dame? Visits to Stanford and Oregon will follow now, if they don't match up to UM, could a commit be on the cards? 

Michigan is also the likely leader for Branden Jackson, who was wowed by the Big House on Saturday. He said Michigan lived up to his expectations, however he still denies having a leader. 

I haven't heard any reactions from Corey Marshall yet, hopefully that will come soon. Don't be alarmed by the lack of attendees at the event, as Michigan is thinking about hosting a second BBQ in the summer. This could attract some of the big names that missed out on Saturday, DeAnthony Arnett, Justice Hayes etc. 

Although there were no commits on the day, the BBQ should be considered a success, as it greatly improved UM's chances with a few top players. The summer camp may have picked up a few extra players because of it. 

BBQ not so hot?

Demetrius Hart isn't the only top prospect missing the Big House BBQ this weekend, as several big names have pulled out of the event. Three top in-state players, Arnett, Hayes and Showers will miss the BBQ due to others events taking place, such as track or even prom!

One time Michigan lock Kris Frost also won't be in attendance, but he should be in Ann Arbor during the summer, so no major worries here yet. But the BBQ would have been a great chance for UM to push forward with top recruits like Arnett and Hayes.

There are still some very talented recruits coming though, including UM lean Anthony Zettel, another probable UM lean in Chris Rock, as well as lineman Darian Cooper, Branden Jackson, Ray Ball and Corey Marshall. PA CB Dondi Kirby will also be there.

Those are the confirmed recruits, and they are still working on a few kids, especially the Ohio guys, Trey DePriest (longshot), Ray Hamilton and Cardale Jones. With Michigan set to announce it's self imposed penalties next week its unlikely to see any commits this weekend, which is kind of disappointing.

The BH BBQ is a great idea, but it just hasn't drawn in as many recruits as hoped.

Tuesday Updates

Busy week for me, so just quick fire news most of the week

- Ohio OT Ray Ball has Michigan in his top three schools along with Wisconsin and Indiana

- Ohio TE Ray Hamilton will be narrowing things down soon, and he mentioned that the Wolverines have a strong chance of making the cut

- Daren Kitchen is REALLY high on the Wolverines right now, even though they haven't offered. He said if Rich Rod were to extend an offer, he would probably take it straight away. I know CB has low depth right now, but with 3/4 coming in the fall, and two committed for 2011 already, UM might be more selective with offers right now. Especially if they still have hope for Doran Grant.

- Speaking of Doran Grant...it turns out he is cousins with fellow Ohio prospect, Devin Smith (WR). Smith is from the same school as J.T Turner and those two stay in touch. Smith and Grant have talked about going to the same school together, but to be honest that is more likely to be OSU than UM right now.

Monday's News

Starts off bad...

- Demetrius Hart will NOT make it up to Ann Arbor for the BBQ, this is due to a scheduling issue with his Dad, who the visit was really for. This is great news for Alabama fans, especially if he does decide to camp there in June, as Ha'sean Clinton-Dix says. Of course, Hart could easily commit to Michigan in the mean time.

- FL defensive back Dallas Crawford added a host of new offers this week, including LSU. He's hoping Florida follows shortly. We know his teammate Sammy Watkins is leaning towards Florida because his brother is there, so if Dallas gets the offer will the two commit to the Gators? 

- NJ DE/OLB Max Issaka is looking hard at Michigan right now, and if the Wolverines offer they would go straight into the top five. Strange considering he grew up an OSU/USC fan!

- PA LB Branden Jackson has a Michigan offer and will be at the BBQ this weekend, there is a slight chance he could pull the trigger on the visit. West Virginia and North Carolina are the other schools to have offered. 

Dee Hart Update

After a great visit to Ann Arbor last month for the spring game, many thought FL RB Demetrius Hart would be a lock for Michigan. Hart's teammate however, Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix, claims Dee will camp with Alabama in June, and he wouldn't be surprised if Hart pulled the trigger for Bama then. 

This is assuming Hart doesn't commit to Michigan at the Big House BBQ, but he's not even 100% to make that visit. If Hart doesn't make the trip up, Alabama will get their chance in June, and Nick Saban doesn't often fail on the recruiting trail.

For the record, Clinton-Dix also said Auburn is out!

Quick Hitters

Mostly bad news?

- OL Trai Turner has committed to LSU, as many expected. Turner has two teammates with Michigan offers, and one of them, S Renaldo Thomas, is expected to join Trai at LSU. The other, OL Jonah Austin doesn't have the LSU offer yet, and may attend a Michigan camp in the summer.

- Andre Yruretagoyena has picked up an offer from the Oregon Ducks, a team he supported growing up. Andre was reportedly thrilled with the offer and the Ducks are pretty much a lock for an official visit. If he were to name a top three right now, it would probably be Oregon, Michigan and USC (no particular order).

- Lamar Dawson, the LB MVP of the OSU nike camp has named a top five, which unfortunately doesn't include Michigan. Florida, Alabama, USC, Notre Dame and Kentucky made the list, Michigan will need to get him on campus for an unofficial soon if they want to be in the race here.

- The Big House BBQ is set up to be a huge weekend for UM recruiting, as several prospects could commit on the day. Anthony Zettel will be there, and he recently confirmed that Michigan is still his leader, with MSU trailing closely behind. 

Dwight Trammer Update

Inkster (MI) LB Dwight Trammer has named a top two, which includes Ole Miss and Michigan. UM has a few Inkster players on the roster already, most notably Devin Gardner and Cam Gordon, which should be a strong advantage for the Wolverines.

There's just one problem...neither have offered. However! Coaches from multiple schools including Michigan and three other Big Ten schools have popped into his school for a visit, so eventually the offers will come in.

If Michigan were to offer, they would probably jump into the lead, or even get another commitment.

Kris Frost Update

DetNews' Sam Webb talks with (NC) LB/WR Kris Frost this week, discussing recruiting and the switch from WR to outside LB. Check out the full article here.

Frost wants to be a WR in college, and some schools say they will give him a chance at receiver, but even his coach admits some colleges are just saying that to get him to commit. While Frost is a good WR, his true potential lies on defense.

As for recruiting, UM was always out in front, but the down years but RR's job security have let other schools catch up. There's a chance he'll be up for the BBQ, if not he'll definitely be in Ann Arbor for summer camp.

Kyshoen Jarrett Update

Four star CB Kyshoen Jarrett had a  good showing at the Penn State Nike Camp and his stock is definitely on the rise. Stanford, UConn and Syracuse offered him recently, to go along with offers from a host of Big Ten and ACC schools. 

Michigan has offered, and he stays in contact with the coaches. Jarrett is looking to get up to Michigan eventually, most likely during the summer. No leaders have been named, but if Penn State were to offer, I'd guess they would be at the top of the list.

Check out his impressive highlight reel here.

Quarterback Recruiting

Quarterback might not seem like a need right now with three talented players already on campus, and the highly underrated Cornelius Jones joining the group this summer, but UM continues to pursue signal callers in the 2011 class.

Cardale Jones is probably the #2 QB in Ohio, behind the #4 player in the nation, Braxton Miller. Both have offers from UM, but both strongly favor Ohio State, despite Jones not even having an offer from the Buckeyes. Eventually Jones' patience with OSU will run out if they fail to offer over the next few months, and then he'll be up for grabs. He's visited UM, but also has offers from Penn State, MSU and West Virginia.

Marquise Williams (Charlotte, NC) turned in a stellar performance at the recent Virginia Tech Nike Camp, and he too has a Michigan offer. Williams currently favors UM, Notre Dame and North Carolina, saying all three will get official visits. LSU and Virginia Tech are also possibilities.

Christian LeMay, Teddy Bridgewater and Kiehl Frazier have also been offered, although interest is minimal from these. Williams is the most likely candidate right now, but Jones could open up his recruitment if that OSU offer doesn't come soon. 

Weekend Updates

- OT Anthony Zettel has a top six of Michigan, MSU, UCLA, Iowa, PSU and Cincinnati. Michigan is the favorite right now, and he plans to be at the Big House BBQ, so there could be another commit on that day. He plans to make a decision before his senior season.

- DT Vincent Croce also has Michigan in his top group, along with MSU and Virginia. He'll also check out Stanford for their academics, and Wisconsin because he has a former teammate on the squad.

- Doran Grant has Michigan at #3 on his list, behind Ohio State (#1) and MSU (#2). He's been to Michigan seven times, but says UM right now would still get an official visit, which they might need if they want to overtake OSU. 

- Demetrius Hart is not 100% to be at the Big House BBQ, it all depends on whether his dad can make the trip. Right now he's still a UM lock in my opinion. 

What could have been?

Michigan narrowly missed out on Dillon Baxter in the 2010 recruiting class, and with no RB making any real push for the top spot during UM's spring practices, you have to wonder what if. Check out this great highlight of Baxter during a USC scrimmage (note: its the 2nd play shown in the video), link here. 

Admittedly USC's defense isn't what it used to be, but its still a great play. Baxter uses his speed and agility to cut through the holes in the USC defense before embarrassing THREE defenders in open field. 

A glimmer of hope

Recruiting just got a bit more exciting for Michigan fans as the #2 prospect in the nation has put the Wolverines in his top group. Tim Jernigan, an elite defensive tackle out of Lake City (FL) has a list of LSU, Florida, FSU, Alabama, Michigan and USC, with no leader named.

Unfortunately for UM, Tim grew up about an hour away from Gainesville, and admits to being a Gator fan. He's been to a lot of games there, and built a good relationship with the coaches, so to be honest he's probably a Florida lock right now.

However! Prospects usually don't take official visits to schools that they have seen many times before, and by this logic, Michigan and the four other schools could get an official visit. This is absolutely vital if UM has any chance of getting Jernigan, a player that will be a consensus five star recruit when rivals and espn bring out their rankings.

Quick News

Updates from this week:

- Michigan is said to be fighting it out with USC for Arizona OL Andre Yruretagoyena. Andre went to the same school as RS FR Taylor Lewan, who may start this year at left tackle.

- Michigan is still in there with DeAthony Arnett despite not making his top five. 

- NJ speedster Miles Shuler has put UM in his top five along with Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Northwestern.

- Kevin McReynolds still doesn't have a Michigan offer, despite an over 120 being given out so far. McReynolds is reportedly a little confused with UM, as he isn't receiving much attention from them as of late. 

- Glenville OT Aundrey Walker spoke with DetNews' Sam Webb recently, check out the full interview here. Walker basically loves Ohio State but may end up elsewhere if he feels there is a better opportunity. He'll be back in Ann Arbor in the summer for another visit. 

James Adeyanju gets UM offer

Chicago DE James Adeyanju got his Michigan offer this week, and the Wolverines are now the 19th school to extend an offer his way. Despite his enormous list of offers, Adeyanju remains unrated by both scout and rivals, but I'd imagine he'll start as a 3, perhaps 4 star prospect.

The Michigan offer certainly caught him by surprise, but said an offer from them means a lot. Growing up he often found himself rooting against UM, as his older brother played for Indiana! Victor Adeyanju was a 2nd team All Big Ten in 2005 before being drafted in the 4th round by the St Louis Rams. 

With so many schools after him, Adeyanju hasn't named any leaders as of yet, however he will be visiting Wisconsin and Northwestern in May. He hopes to get up to Ann Arbor in June, but he won't be attending the camp. 

Weekend Camps

I was away over the weekend, so couldn't post anything. Here's a quick look at a couple of the Nike Camps that took place over the last couple of days:

Columbus Event:

- DeAnthony Arnett came away with c0-MVP honors for the WR's at the Columbus event, sharing the honor with another UM target, Shaq Washington. 

- UM commit Delonte Hollowell had a pretty good day, and perhaps should have got the MVP for DB's, which went to OH CB Mike Hollins. Ron Tanner also had a solid day in the backfield.

- Lamar Dawson received the MVP award for LB's, and also got his Michigan offer this weekend. The four star MLB is also attracting attention from Florida and USC. 

Penn State Event:

- Doran Grant was meant to attend the OSU camp for his long awaited show down with DeAnthony Arnett, but he ended up at Penn State for the day instead, where he took home the MVP award for DB's.

- Miles Shuler looked great in the WR drills, showing his much hyped speed. He already has a Michigan offer. 

- Deion Barnes also had a good day, along with another UM target, Ben Kline.