Tuesday, 21 June 2011

Quick Hitters

Firstly, Ohio State commit Kyle Kalis will be visiting Michigan this weekend, which is great news. Hoke would simply love to land Diamond and Kalis as the 4th and 5th OL in this class. If this happens then they can decide to wait it out for a guy like Zach Banner if they want a sixth OL.

Also visiting this weekend is DE Chris Wormley. I think we should definitely be on commitment watch here, as he's a big UM lean.

Lastly, Dan O'Brien will be camping today and there are rumors about a possible commitment on the cards. I'm not too sold on this, I thought he'd at least take more visits south to Tenn, Florida and Bama first. Plus he recently told TomVH that he'll releaae a top five soon, which doesn't sound like he's near a decision.

135 comments:

  1. We have a great shot at Andrus Peat.

    I no longer consider him a long shot. I think we are in his top 5, and maybe top 3.

    He will take an official for a game this fall, hopefully the ND game.

    If that does not convince him, he is simply looking for something MI does not offer.

    I'm very hopeful he will be the cornerstone of this class.

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  2. I was just reading about Onaje Miller being released from his LOI from MSU. Any chance he will become part of UofM's class of 2011?

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  3. O'Brien can take all the time he wants to make his decision. By then he will realize no further DT's may be needed. Hopefully Pipkins & another DT prospect will be onboard. He can keep all that drama to himself.

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  4. Kyle Kalis is visiting this weekend with his father. He talks about being good friends with Strobel and potentially being roommates. Kyle also said "a big part of me liking Michigan is being able to come in with guys like Tom (Strobel), maybe Chris [Wormley], being able to know that I'll practice with guys that are going to make me better."

    I know that we've all bounced this around before, about holding out for rock stars. I wonder, now that we have so many potential rock stars on deck in the coming weeks if any of you guys saying first come, first served, are reconsidering. Not debating the issue again. Just wondering if you still feel the same???

    It's an enviable position to be in!!!

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  5. I think at this point you have to hold out for the top players. There are enough top players showing interest that we should be turning down players for the top recruits. With already having 16 commints that is a luxury that we can do now. I believe Michigan could fill the rest of their roster with 4 and 5 star players at this point with all the players showing interest.

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  6. I know.....I've always been torn. A little less on stars and more on trusting the coaches to pick up a good 3 star that they believe in. Now we're getting to where we might be slowing on some 4 stars to hold out for some great national prospects. I'm not sure that there's a right answer.
    I think we take pretty much all 4 star (and maybe a 5) players for the OL and DL from here out. Skill positions are going to be a little tougher to fill with elite talent but we should still fair pretty well.

    I think the coaches know what schemes they want to run and hopefully they're encouraging those kids that fit their master plan to get their commits in sooner than later.

    No matter what any of us un Benji's World believe, I think we can all agree that it's a great time to be a Wolverine.

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  7. With only nine spots left I think the coaching staff can be a little pickier but not much. We can't sit back and be toyed with. There are so many great prospects out there that I still think we should still have the first come, first serve approach. If these are the top prospects still interested, who do you kick off? Once a position fills up, it will be so hard to tell the remaining prospect(s), "Sorry, but we are full." If we "save" a spot and turn down one of these guys to hold a spot for a better prospect we may get burned and get no one. Talent-wise I don't think we are at the point where we can do that yet.

    QB - Kiel (I say about a 30% of a commitment)
    RB - Dunn/Garmon (30% on either)
    WR - Stanford (60%)
    WR/TE - Thompson (60%)
    OL - Kalis (30%)
    OL - Peat (30%)
    OL - Banner (40%)
    OL - Diamond (75%)
    OL - Thurston (50%)
    OL - Bars (50%)
    OL - Olson (40%)
    OL - Simmons (40%)
    DE - Wormley (75%)
    DE - Washington (60%)
    DE - Spence (30%)
    DT - Pipkins (60%)
    DT - O'Brien (40%)
    DT - Day (40%)
    FS - Wilson (60%)
    DB - D. Bush (30%)

    So, who do we tell "Thanks, but no thanks" out of this group if they want to be Wolverines? The only guy I would consider "waiting" for would be an elite game changer like Dorial Green-Beckham if we had a realistic shot.

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  8. I would be very happy with any of those guys on the list. I would be most excited to get Stanford. I think its important to get a big time WR in this class because we didnt get any WR in last years class. Also by getting him we would be getting Washington which is a guy that will be a game changer in college football. If we get those two guys you will hear me yelling through my computer with excitement.

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  9. The staff have decided on guys they like, and have extended far more offers than they can accept.

    Every desired recruit is probably being told the same thing:

    We would love to have you, and you have an offer. Right up until the point you do not. That point is unpredictable, but may come at any time.

    Of course, a few guys are probably also being told: "We can't imagine the scenario where we could not make room for a guy like you, but...."

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  10. Coaching psychology 101. The coaches don't know what this class will look like in the end but they've hinted at a safe, reassuring class to not scare off any recruits for any reason. They haven't offered a new qb because they don't want to scare away Kiel who may be considering us, they don't want to scare away DE's so kids like Godin, and Ojemudia can move around, they don't want to tell kids there's no room for them so instead of saying "we're taking exactly 5 linemen this year" they took our typical maximum class number of 25 and Hoke said "we could take 26." IMO I don't think he meant we could take 26, I think he said there that there will be room. Realistically I can see up to 8 underclassmen transfers and 3 upperclassmen not renewing just because half of the kids RR brought in left while he was still here. It's not out of the question for this class to grow past 25, and if Shittu or Kalis wants to commit and the class is at 26 it's not certain they wouldn't be able to accommodate them still. The numbers game we're all playing (me included) is more fluid than just 25 or 26. It's more about who and less about how many at this point, even though the class is getting nearer the absolute limit of 28.

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  11. QB (1) - Kiel or nobody
    WR (1) - Stanford (would love one more but the gene pool seems shallow for us)
    RB (1) - Dunn or Garmon (1st come, 1st served)
    OL (4)- Diamond, Banner & Garnett, (Kalis or Seumalo)
    DL (3) - Washington, Wormley and (Day or O'Brien)

    I think we are in good shape, really good shape for 5-7 of the above 13.

    Note: Still no offer for Seumalo who wants to play with Magnuson.....

    I can't wait 2-3 years to see most of these guys out there.


    At this point others need not apply

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  12. I wouldn't mind if we got Devin Fuller as our qb.I know he hasn't visited, but he wants to.He could play qb or some other positions.I think its a win win on both sides of the ball.

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  13. I would take that. He potentially fills multiple needs and with shane morris comming in next year hes not going to have to be pressured into developeing into a colligate level qb just to fill a need.

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  14. I wouldn't mind us skipping an offensive backfield spot completely this year. Our qb 4 deep is essentially where it was last year except 3 of them are now a year older, plus we have 8 scholarship RBs and 11 receivers not including TEs. We have too much depth at WR/RB and not enough depth in both LOS's. Gimmie Tackles!

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  15. but u dont have to get 6 tackles in one class lol.

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  16. Does anyone know if Hoke & Co. have a limit on the number of OL he will take this year? Will he take 6 tackles? Normally I would say no, but looking ahead our depth chart looks weak! My guess is that he is looking two years ahead as well (2013) and sees that we will need some of these guys to start. If the top guys like: Peat, Kalis, Banner, Diamond, Thurston, Simmons, Garnett, Seumalo, Bars and Olson are all legitimately serious about wearing Blue where do we draw the line? I know a few of them will project as guards, but most of them are supposed to be star tackles! In a normal year, six is too many, but I think Hoke wants to build Michigan from the ground up and get our OLine and defensive front 7 back to being a team strength.

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  17. I'd rather have more guards than tackles. Maybe then our smash-mouth running game will be back to the old days.

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  18. Hey Benji, There is a rummor going around on Twitter.According to Eric in dayton on MGOBlog, about Wormley or another Big comitt could happen this weekend? Can anyone confirm this story?

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  19. You don't need 6 DE's in one class either but we're headed there. Right now we only have 9 scholarship linemen dressing (3 of them Centers) and we need at least 15. If we land 2 top OT's then Ben Braden is almost guaranteed to be a backup because he's basically a RT only. Stacey could play first even though hes lower ranked because hes a guard. If we pulled Diamond Magnuson Kalis and Garnett then both Braden and Stacey would be backups. If we take 6 then the top 2 play right away and other 4 redshirt and play in the next class.

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  20. Does anyone know whats going on with Day? At first he seemed like a lock and now I dont ever hear anything about him. With DT a position of need I hope we take more than just one.

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  21. I think were gonna take one d tackle, and maybe convert someone like wormley to the three technique out of this class.

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  22. It's been a busy on the blog today. I hope O'Brien goes not commit to UM now that UT is looking at NCAA trouble he runs back to UM like he was blue all the way. I can only hope that UM lands even half of these O Linemen. Can you imagine all the RBs that would be lining up to play behind them? I think some of these guys are seeing the writing on the wall give us your verbal now or miss out.

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  23. Trey Keenan verbally committed to Texas Tech today.

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  24. I'm glad Trey Keenan committed to Texas Tech. We need to use our O-Line spots for ELITE talent especially since there is legitimate interest from them

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  25. I knew trey keenan would stay in his home state of texas.oh well..Leaves more room for guys like Peat, Banner,Garnett, and Diamond!!!!

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  26. hey did anybody see that interview on rivals with pipkins...hes a really big michigan it looks good that we might get him

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  28. Now that Kalis has decomitted from the Buckeyes, the story from Tom VH is making sense. He is good friends with Strobel and Wormley and stated he wanted to play with players he new and would make him a better player. As of now he is visiting AA this weekend! GO BLUE!

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  29. I am thinking outside the box on this one but is there a chance Diamond may miss out on UM? I am just thinking if he has not made his mind up by now who knows besides he has spent more time on campus then Foricer did. Just wonding whats taking so long on him?

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  30. So Kalis will be our Left Guard at only 6'5" and Jordan Diamond will likely be next to announce but at 6'6" can play anywhere along the line. Joshua Garnett will fall next already having a top 5 and when he goes Blue he'll be our starting Right Guard, and at the end of the year 6'9" Zach Banner and 6'7" Andrus Peat will need to decide which one of them wants to mirror our Right Tackle Erik Magnuson on the other side of the line. Andrus Peat would seem like the bigger lean because his decision will be purely academic and Michigan makes the most sense, but Zach Banner wants to play with his friend Josh Garnett so when Garnett goes he might go as well. I foresee Banner-Kalis-Diamond-Banner-Magnuson with Gunner Kiel playing behind them. My insight amazes even me sometimes. :o)

    For the record I only believe about 1/3 of this, but it's too much fun to not say it after not taking linemen for so long. Last time we took 6 was in '05 and it was awesome!

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  31. Where did you see that Kalis officially decommitted?

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  33. Sidenote

    circulate this and get everyone you know voting!!!

    http://sports.espn.go.com/sportsnation/story?page=ncaatraditionsvote

    Thanks
    Phil

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  34. Jer-
    It's pretty well known that diamond's coaching staff likes to get exposure for all their athletes, primarily by having their top kids not commit early so coaches can continue visiting the school n kids can attend camps with diamond. I believe he knows where he is going, perhaps even told Hoke. I don't see him missing out on this class.

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  36. I feel like Michigan needs to push hard for a big time, big height receiver. Maybe this years class isn't the class for it, but if not this year, next year. Our tallest receiver on roster is 6'3, Jeremy Jackson. I don't see him being one of the best receivers in the league. We had a commit in our 2011 class, shawn conway at 6'4 but hes going to junior college. I think we need to attack for DGB so we can have that big time big frame receiver who could be the next #1 jersey. Obviously the other option is stanford, but how tall is he really? ESPN has him at 6'3 and rivals has him at 6'5

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  37. Michael.....genuis, sheer genuis. I love everything you had to say and want desperately to see something like that unfold. I can really see some of this happening but have trouble believing that we get all of it. I think we get enough of it to have a great class and OL in the next two to three years. I rather fear that Olson may commit sooner than later and yes I would rather have your "A" list. I think the coaches will accept his offer. I would prefer things as you laid them out but if Olson happens, he's no slouch and the coaches seem to really like him.

    all of the lights

    Just on the Diamond argument. I see what his coaches are doing but here's a fact of life about Simeon HS:

    Scout has one 5 star, one 3 star, one 2 star and one unranked player from Simeon

    Rivals has one 5 star, one 3 star and one unranked player

    ESPN has one 4 star/80, one 3 star/78 and an unranked 45 and an uneanked 40

    While I appreciate that your trying to get exposure for your program and kids.....right now the coaches are really only checking out Simeon for the benefit of 2 or 3.

    I really hope that there's been a little ear whispering on this one!!!

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  39. I believe that Stanford is 6'9" if he comes with Washington.

    The 2013 class is shaping up something like this for WR

    Scout
    There are currently 6 in-state prospects, the tallest being 6"3"
    There are about one bizillion in Ohio, many with interest in Michigan and alot of those who could not have been extras in the Emerald City

    Rivals
    5 in state prospects only one over 6 foot tall
    18 prospects from Ohio....they grow them big down there

    We have one offer out there so far 2013 at WR:
    Jake Olicer 6"3" or 6"4" depends where you look out of Dallas.......already has 8 verbal offers including all the Texas schools.

    We may have to throw out a national net to get you a Biggun

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  41. Stealing!!!

    To date, we have taken more commits offered by our three rival than they have from us.

    MSU we took 10 they took 1
    OSU we took 3 they took 1
    ND we took 5 they took 2

    MSU are CHAMPIONS so why are we out recruiting them

    OSU also CHAMPIONS.....But I get that one

    ND....both good schools/recruiters and they have Kelly

    Whatever Hoke is doing.....just keep doing it and BTW.....you don't build a class like this just by promising early playing time...it's more than that!!!

    I can't believe that Benji chose Frauleins and Beer over us!!!!

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  42. The information by Benji and all the rest of you is great to read. I wish I could be on top of it as the rest of you. Keep it up. I just cannot belive how all this recruiting is going. Hoke sure knows how to recuit.

    GO BLUE!!

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  43. Mr. Mattison is doing the recruitment & selling also, never leave this fellow michigan man out. Hoke is the HC, that does not mean he is doing all the magic. It's the entire staff.

    It will be a short lived tense moment, I expect Kalis to commit by next week if not the weekend. If Strobel makes it back to campus he & Wormley will wrap this up.

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  45. Cesar,

    I agree.....we throw Hoke's name around probably because it's the easier thing to do. He's who we see at the helm. He has several good coaches/recruiters out there and they're all doing a great job. Part of Hoke's and as much as I hate to use the word greatness at this point but I think you'll understand are the following traits:

    -He gets the whole Michigan tradition, the winged helmet, tOSU, ND, MSU, all of it

    -He wants to turn these kids into good young men, students and athletes

    -He hired coaches that 1) he believes can get the job done on and off the field and 2) can recruit

    -He will accept responsibility for what happens in this program on and off the field and on both sides of the ball......he will make no excuses and he won't accept them from his coaches. He is a leader.

    So many say that Coach Hoke is unproven at this level and while I agree that he his, he has certainly earned a shot at this level.

    I was one of the RR supportes and then one day he made a comment that had me wanting him gone. He was asked about the defence and how badly it was doing. His reply and this is not verbatim was essentially that he was too busy with the offence and play calling to know what was wrong on defence. I actually lead a group of people at work and when something isn't working it's on me......I think this is how Hoke will do this job.

    Things are going great right now Hoke and Company are doing a great job. I hope we aren't expecting things to turn around over night. I'm as excited as all get out about 2013. Anything before that is gravy.

    Does the fact that I've started packing for tailgate mean I have a problem??

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  46. With the allegations going on at UNC/tOSU does it seem more likely we will get Dunn or Garmon. I know Garmon was a UNC lean, but do these NCAA allegations stir the pot a little and get him pointing back to Ann Arbor?

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  47. Hard to say Caleb. We can't get inside these kids heads. While UNC's violations on the surface were greater. They did a better job of getting ahead of it, suspending, firing, self reporting, etc.

    The transgressions by tOSU players, Tats, Signing for $$$, Loaner cars, Golf.....all relatively minor violation....The problem at tOSU is that coaches withheld and lied and in my opinion, coaches and administration reaction to coaches trangressions have to be held to a higher standard by the NCAA. Nobody knows how this will play out. What the NCAA should and will do could be different things.

    Now, if I were a parent of one of these kids, this would be my take:

    There are better football programs, with better academics, that don't just teach on the field and in the classroom but they teach you how to be a man, they teach you integrity, they teach right from wrong and accountability and those schools want you too........so if you pick tOSU, UNC, USC or many SEC schools I am going to smack you upside the head.....love Dad!!!

    I have 4 duaghters so if they ever date a football player, I'll smack him upside the head!!

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  48. What do you guys think about Alden hill. He just got an offer from michigan and he is rated very low. He is a 74 on espn and the #76 running back, a not rated 3 star on scout, and rivals has him as a three star and the #54 running back. His film looks pretty good, and he is 220 pounds so he could be a fullback. Would u rather have him or a guy like ej fatu

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  49. Torn, I think this says alot about the depth out there for multi use backs this year. Comparing the two.....

    Hill has a fairly impressive 13 offers including Iowa, Northwestern and Illinois.

    His HS numbers are prety impressive too.

    Fatu is #3 ranked FB in the country but it's a deceiving number because there are so few.

    I think I lean toward hill on this one

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  50. I have a good feeling about this weekend so lets play over\under?

    Over or Under 2 Verbal commits this weekend? I am going over I believe 3 will give there VC.1 Wormley.2 O'Brien hope he goes somewhere else.3 Kalis I believe a couple of guys are all in his ears. Let me know what you think Go Blue nation?

    Does anyone know why Seumalo has not received a offer yet?

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  51. @ Jer89
    Why would you want the top instate DT go some place else. The way the coaches are recruiting it's obvious that MI and OH are there focus. If he commits and Pipkin wants in I'm sure the coaches will find room for both.

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  52. I just don't think he want to go to UM from the start. But now that UT may end up in trouble he wants UM to show him some love and I would rather have Pipkin and more O linemen.

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  53. OBrien has a timetable around the end of July and plays like a 3tech. Godin has much better technique and made quite a few much bigger guys guys (Evan Boehm included) fall down trying to keep up with him. Godin plus 15 lbs is better than OBrien at the 3 tech. Pipkins is a true NT and can swallow up double teams or take on a Guard with one arm. It's more a question of Pipkins/Valentine and OBrien/Godin for positions. We've already got Godin, and Pipkins is having a publicized slobbering lovce affair with Michigan, our Helmets, and Lamarr Woodley, and grew up in Michigan. It'll be Pipkins-Godin in the middle of our Dline.

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  54. Of course they could take OBrien too, but they've said they only wanted 1 more interior lineman which makes me wonder if an OG will make the switch because our DT depth is bad.

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  55. Where did you hear Dunn Decommited?

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  56. David-
    Where did you officially see that Dunn decommitted? Good news for us. You have to believe that Michigan is at the top or near the top of his list. I love the fact that OSU is not only not bringing in new recruits but also losing the ones they have.

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  57. For Dunns sake I hope he doesn't officially decommit until NSD. Kalis did it openly but he's stronger than everyone in the state combined.

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  58. Bucknuts.com. Is reporting it

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  59. So does anybody think that the car situation with OSU checked out legit because the OSU players were given the money to purchase them.. lol just a thought.

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  60. Jer89 - it's funny you asked about Seumalo because I did the same on here the other day. I don't get it either???

    Blue in GB, Jer89 and Michael - As for the O'Brien talk........He's solid and I would take him but there are others that I would take ahead of him including Pipkins, Day and Johnson. He's one of those ones where first come first serves works. As for taking him because he's in-state. Michigan currently has 7 of the top 10 in-state players. The only thing missing in the collection is Burbridge, O'Brien and Thompson....so we've taken our share. As for competeing with MSU, we've taken 10 that they had offers out to compared to their having only taken one that we had offered.

    The Dunn news is great too and he was obviously okay with an early commit to begin with so maybe he and Kalis commit quickly......especially in light of the way OSU fans now think they are douches and trash talk them. Anybody that thinks these kids don't read these blogs is a fool which in part is why class and respect go a long way when we discuss them. These kids have to think of the Big Picture when they're all of 17 years old and some may not have the luxury of parental guidance in doing so or may be influenced by self serving HS coaches. Their decision is not an easy one, especially when you add to the fact that if you want the school of your choice you may not have alot of time to think about it.

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  61. the car situation is garbage. What's on a bill of sale means nothing.....$13,500 for a car can mean $12,750 and a signed jersey, a couple of tickets and a signed football.

    The question of the loaners is still unanswered.

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  62. Checked Bucknuts but not seeing anything confirmed on Dunn.....looks like spec that he might decommit this weekend.

    If I was an OSU commit I would never decommit.....my family would have to leave the state and enter the Decommiment Protection Program under new names

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  63. Hey, here is a nice read on Michigan:
    http://www.chatsports.com/michigan-wolverines/a/Latest-Michigan-Football-Rumors-10-2-151

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  64. Guys....I know I've sent this out but we are losing ground in this poll....vote if you haven't and spread the news.

    http://sports.espn.go.com/sportsnation/story?page=ncaatraditionsvote

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  65. Blake Bars is close to a decision and we could be front runners for another OT.....deciding in the next week. We may be close to filling another spot. Mixed feelings on this with everything going on with the OL situation right now. I really think the coaches need to start cooling their jets just a little bit, we have plenty of time to get to 25 or 26.

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  66. Here is what Dave Biddle is saying on Bucknuts (or should I say numbnuts)

    Hoke is negatively recruiting the hell out of OSU. He's telling these guys that OSU will get hit harder than USC and they "shouldn't fall for the same (stuff) Lane Kiffen sold all those SC recruits."

    The national media blitz hurt because it's making it very easy for Hoke (and Bielema and everyone else) to negatively recruit. And these are 17-year-old kids who of course are going to buy what they're being sold.

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  67. I just love osu fans playing the morality card as they are getting caught cheating.

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  68. Here is the link to Numbnuts:

    http://ohiostate.247sports.com/Board/120/Source-OSU-has-no-chance-at-Dunn-or-Kalis-2789820

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  69. What a crock!!!

    I listen to the way Hoke talks and I don't see him dropping negative bombs....I'm not a slappy but I just don't see it. He is a positive speaker. Nobody needs to reruit negatively....Tressel and the media have taken care of the negative side of things for us. Over there on the tOSU blog everybody is throwing this statement out without any factual basis. Yes, the same fans who still believe that nothing really happened and that he NCAA sanctions shouldn't be that bad now that the BMV cleared OSU students of any illegal activity. You guys all know my posts on here are generally positive and that I don't take to trash talk but I gotta tell you.....there's alot of stupid people in OHIO. True story: My ex is a Canada Customs officer....guy pulls up to her booth.

    she - "citizenship?"
    dummy - "Ohio"
    she - "No, citizenship?"
    dummy - "Ohio"
    she - "what country were you born in"
    dummy - "Ohio"

    and this went on for several minutes.....tOSU Alum? You decide

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  70. Blake Bars is a legit recruit, no slouch. His top 5 is UM, Penn st, LSU, UF, and Vandy. I see nothing wrong in accepting his commitment.

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  71. Predictions for the rest of the class. With 16 commits I can see Hoke taking 9 more commits to equal out at 25.
    1.WR - Stanford
    2.WR/TE - Thompson
    3.OL - Kalis
    4.OL - Diamond
    5.OL - Thurston
    6.DE - Wormley
    7.DE - Washington
    8.DT - Pipkins
    9.FS - Wilson
    Who would you add in or out on the list?

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  72. I agree LT, I'll take 3 Star #38 Bars but I would gladly take #6 Kalis, #9 Diamond or #11 Banner (all 5 Star) that we're in very good shape for. I'm not even being sarcastic, he's a good ball player but in the coming weeks we may have a chance to land a couple of rock stars.

    I would just slow on him a little bit. Is there anybody out there that doesn't believe that we can land two of the other three I mentioned.

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  73. Olson an Bars are supposed to be dropping this week so I hope everybody's read up on them in case they go Blue!

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  74. I would take out Thurston and Thompson and replace with Dunn and Peat.

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  75. nothing against you guys... but I miss Benji.

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  76. I wonder if the coaches don't feel that we're as in as we do with Kalis, Diamond, Banner, Peat....and several others.

    They would know better than us. We find out that we're in somebody's top 5 and we get excited. The coaches talk to these kids and maybe guys like some of the ones on our wishlist are leaning as heavily as we hope they are.

    Otherwise I'd start holding out on some spots where "we" think we're in with these kids.

    As I've said before.....an enviable position to be in.

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  77. Jut,

    That cuts like a knife....

    I couldn't agree more but he's drinking beer and bouncing some fraulein on his knee.

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  78. Based on Cummulative rankings on Rivals, Scouts, ESPN and 247 this is how our prospects rank. The ranking are up to date but levels of interest or whether we still stand a chance are not:

    1)Stefon Diggs
    2)Andrus Peat
    3)Gunner Kiel
    4)Josh Garnett
    5)Aziz Shittu
    6)Kyle Kalis
    7)Jordan Simmons
    8)Adolphus Washington
    9)Jordan Diamond
    10)Zach Banner
    11)Isaac Seumalo
    12)Bri'onte Dunn
    13)Sheldon Day
    14)Jaleel Johnson
    15)Chris Wormley
    16)Dwayne Stanford
    17)Aaron Burbridge
    18)Ondre Pipkins
    19)Danny O'Brien
    20)Jarrod Wilson
    21)Blake Bars
    22)Eric Olson
    23)Jehu Chesson

    Just ranked where they stood on each and then did a cummulative.....no science and no doctorate in math....We have a good chance of landing 7 of the top 15!!

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  80. ankings mean the least when it comes to OL. If the coaches have Bars high on their board and want him, I won't fault the coaches for that as the kid appears to be a quality recruit. Having 6 OL of Braden, Stacey, Magnus, Diamond, Bars, and Kalis, I don't think anyone would frown on that. And who knows, if Peat wants in, perhaps the coaches take him and scrap getting a QB or FB. The coaches have slowed down, with only Strobel and Magnus dropping in 2 weeks. I'm not going to knock the process because up til now we have been doing quite well.

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  81. LT,

    I like Bars....I'll take him and I agree in part that rankings for OL mean the least, but they still mean a little something. The dilemma is if Bars and Olson both commit soon

    That gives us
    one 4 star - Magnuson
    four 3 star (consensus) - Braden, Stacey, Olson and Bars

    and one, maybe two openings for Diamond (209), Kalis (18), Banner (31), Garnett (22) and Peat (15)

    (brackets) indicate overall national ranking on Rivals.....very high rankings in four of these cases to just brush off.

    We may not get the beast of an offensive line that we could take. We are in shape for one of the best nationally recruited offensive lines.....what's the rush

    BTW, the coaches haven't really slowed things down, the recruits have. The coaches are still throwing out offers like singles at a strip bar and they're really working camps. I love their enthusiasm and it has worked very well and let these kids bang on our doors but watch who we let in first and second.

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  82. Coaches say they want a QB(1)[kiel, appleby, fuller, mauk] why do we keep neglecting this fact.
    And from the tomvh report with Alden hill... sounds as if we will take both a a FB (2)[fatu, hill]and a RB(3)[dunn, garmon, marshall... lulz].
    WE NEED(!) A safety ala Wilson(4). HE'S high on us and we are hella high on him.

    WR(5 & 6)[Thompson, burbridge or least likely Stanford... explain later] we need two I see us taking Thompson to have a tall endzone type like Hemingway and a burner like burbridge or Stanford.

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  83. DL(7&8&9)[PIPKINS, OBRIEN, WORMELY... Washington] ok so the first three are who I think we will take realistically, Washington and Stanford seem to be looking to exit the B1G country id love for them to actually get up here but read the 5* policy. Get them on campus then we will talk.

    OL(10&11&12)[DIAMOND, KALIS, OLSON, BANNER, PEAT] I say we land the first three. Nut much to say.

    We have ten open spots but 12 spots that need to be filled, my idea either A) take one RB no FB or vise versa and take one WR. B) don't take a QB and sacrifice a RB/FB or WR. I'm much more in favor of B. I do not think we should sacrifice the trenches for a QB that may never see the field. So scratch that idea. But if we were to take both a RB and FB I would like dunn RB and hill FB because they are close with 2013 rb/ safety dymonte.
    So if going by plan B( lulz contraceptive pill ) I'd like to take Thompson. Burbridge may not have the grades and Stanford is iffy. So there you go, ballz in yo court, son!!

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  84. Kalis will visit this weekend, and our other top linemen are watching him to see how things go. If he drops for us it would be very, very good. If he takes his other visits that would be fine, but it'd be a lot cooler if he didn't.

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  85. He knows he has better exposure for the NFL if he stays in the B1G country, especially UofM. Bama and Miami have nothing on us for oline NFL production.

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  86. GBN-
    It's not the recruits slowing down. The coaches are being upfront with the players, letting them know where they stand. Look at Morgan, reeves, pittman. If you don't already, I suggest you follow @tomvh, I .promise you'll gain a little more insight to what the coaches are telling players, and then you'll see the coaches have slowed quite a bit so they take who they prefer first. Starting with kalis

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  87. Go Blue:

    I hope he's bouncing them on more than his knee.

    The Dunn thing is just a rumor. But everyone's expecting it.

    It's like dominoes falling...

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  88. all of the lights-

    The recruits are slowing down. This is in part the reason that the committments have slowed. The coaches cooled on Reeves and Morgan because we filled our needs at that position. As fot Pittman he was slowed for unconfirmed academic concerns.
    BTW.....I read Tom everyday and if you look at his player interviews they generally include a line like:

    Coach Smith to Bars
    "We talked about me potentially going [to Michigan] as a player and he told me I was a priority for them. He was really real with me and he wasn't giving me any BS."

    Coaches to O'Brien
    "They told me that there's basically only a couple defensive tackles with offers and they will probably only take one interior guy. They're going to recruit me really hard now and they gave me the pitch and everything."

    Coach Hoke to Hill
    "I talked to Coach Hoke and he said that I have an offer to Michigan. They want me as an all purpose back, a full back and running back. Someone they don't have to change personnel if they switch plays out of the two back system."

    Coaches to Keenan
    "They only have something like eight scholarship linemen. We've been to places that have said they need linemen, but with Michigan it was major here. There's a chance to play early here and that is something really cool at a place like Michigan. I also really liked the strength coach and how he put everything. He talked about everything and how they individualize certain aspects."

    At least one new offer was extended to Croom this week as well.

    All of the above comments and the offer have taken place in the last week (TomVH's interviews since the 20th of June).

    The Coaches are still recruiting strong. Just because we haven't had a commit since the 10th of June doesn't mean the coaches have slowed....they're still recruiting strong and hard.

    Let's just give kids like Kalis, Diamond, Banner a week or two to make a move.

    We have a ton of time until NSD. Some of this kids who really want to be here will understand if they are held off for a week or two, some will not and will move on.

    BlueMarrow-

    Not at all surprised if Dunn decommits....looks like a sinking ship there and he announced that he was "reopening his recruiting" some time ago. I'm more surprised that these kids are decommitting before shopping around....unless they already know what their intentions are.

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  89. Jer89

    On your over/under......I just don't know. If we get three it might be Bars, Wilson and ???? Maybe Wormley/Olson/O'Brien. All are close to a decision because we're filling up on a first come first served basis..
    Bars announced yesterday that he would decide within a week. Wilson is meeting with his coaches tomorrow and I think Wormley knows what he wants as does Olson if he doesn't go to Stanford.

    My thoughts are that I'd be happy with two....especially if one was Kalis!!!

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  90. BREAKING NEWS ON DUNN

    http://ohiostate.247sports.com/Board/120/Source-OSU-has-no-chance-at-Dunn-or-Kalis-2789820/1

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  91. That's not really breaking news, it was already mentioned earlier on this blog and there was a thread about this yesterday on the mgoblog. Northernmi already posted the link.

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  92. Andrus Peat just named a top two of nebraska and notre dame.We still have a shot at making his top five though.

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  93. Indeed we do. Hoke and Mattison can help anyone make the right choice. The process is all fun and games until Signing Day approacheth and then things start getting interesting.

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  94. Davon
    I admire your enthusiasm but maybe we start thinking about what else we have on deck. With him just visiting us and Notre Dame and only mentioning Notre Dame I'd say it looks like we don't get Peat. By the time he names a top 5 we should be just about full. I don't think we hold a spot for this slim chance. With the likes of Kalis, Diamond, Banner, Garnett and Seumalo still interested the coaches should go after them hard. We feel pretty good about Olson and Bars but really need to lock at least two of the other 5 too.

    We're still in great shape for an awesome O-Line.

    We'll take three, maybe four of the above. My picks would be Kalis, Garnett, Banner and Diamond but that would be a dream class. My guess would be that we get Diamond, Kalis, Olson and Bars. Maybe even some of that this weekend.

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  95. Just a little news:

    Per Allen Trieu, IL WR Bo Dever has committed to walk-on at Michigan. Dever doesn't have any scholarship offers but it sounds like he has D-1 potential. His father is former Wolverine Dave Dever and yes, he is named after Bo Schembechler.

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  96. Calm down there, Mark. I visit this site once a week or so and didn't read the 95 previous comments. Maybe i need to be more committed and move into your mom's basement with you. We can have our own little recruitment war room and stay logged on to recruiting websites 24/7. zOMG, so much fun! **I wont contribute anything more to the site. Sorry :(

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  97. Aight calm down yourself there oubobcat20. He informed you about it and now your calling him names. Be cool about it next time.

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  98. @GBN
    I wasn't being that enthusiastic about it just giving some news.I would love to have your "dream offensive line" I think we could land garnett, diamond, kalis, but not banner.He barely narrowed his list down, so I think we are a long shot.I don't think we get Bars either..I think he is bound for psu.

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  99. Dousche, we need Benji back to police this shit." Benji(baby) come back"

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  100. Davon, Not a slam my friend....I really wish I still had hope for Peat. Your not alone in thinking that he still names a top five. Many others believe the same. I just am not one of them but we are still in great shape.

    I like your Garnett, Diamond and Kalis call. The only advantage at his point with Banner is that he and Garnett want to play together. As long as we land two of the big names we'll be in great shape.

    Mark.....you are so evil :) I got your point and I agree with Michael. Your both great contributors on here. I hope that your wounds heal quickly!!!

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  101. Kalis opens up so many possibilities for us this summer and fall. Garnett is serious about academics and Michigan is high in that regard, also he and Banner want to play together and Banner wants to play basketball and Michigan has offered him in that regard, also they want playing time at a big program and Michigan has that for both of them. Kalis and Garnett would make an epic rush attack and Banner could be convinced like Kalis is with Strobel and Wormley. Banner is a true LT while Magnuson is more suited for RT. Garnett can sit next to Banner at LG and Kalis works well as a RG in our power rush attack. I think Kalis can help us with Garnett and Garnett helps us with Banner, but all this speculation begins with Kalis this weekend. It's very possible that Diamond ends up pushing his decision back too far like Wayne Morgan who was technically committed.

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  102. Who's playing center? And who is he snapping the ball to?

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  103. Wow oubobcat20, u really get me, it's creepy. I'm in high school, so yes I do live with my mom. You could come over an read the blog with me, but im guessing u r a grown man so that would be pretty creepy. Sorry about my fast reading skills, reading all of the comments didnt really take me very long. And I'm sorry that I am not as obsessed with recruiting as u think I am, I don't belong to any of the recruiting sites, but have fun in the recruiting war rooms without me.

    @michael
    Thanks for having my back. I would love to have all those guys that you just listed, but I think it will be hard to get Garret and Banner. I'm guessing we get Kalis and Diamond, and then either Issac S.(if we ever offer him) or a lower rated lineman like Olson.

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  104. Christian Pace looks to be the center for now. He was undersized, but has perfect technique for a RS Freshman. He's put on enough weight to start in place of Khoury next year if needed, but has had injury problems. If Pace stays unhealthy then Kalis could move to center in an emergency because he's 6'5" and such a strong blocker, but he really is a prototype RG to me, if not a RT on a weaker O-Line. DRob will start for 2 years, Devin Gardener will start for 2013-14 if he gets his medical redshirt (likely,) and Bellomy could be better than Cousins with a solid OLine if he ever needs to be. By then Morris will have already been on campus for 2 years and is a year older than other kids in his class so he'll be a 20-21 year old Junior by the time Gardner graduates.

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  105. Unless Morris redshirts for more time to start, then he'll be a 20-21 year old RSSophomore in 2015. His parents cried when he got the offer, Tom Brady is the qb he models his game after, and he has the same "build a recruit class for Michigan" mentality that Magnuson and others in this class do so he's not even remotely on the fence about his 18 month early commitment. If he doesn't play someday it won't be because he changed his mind or Kiel committed in 2012.

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  106. I read that Dunn had a talk with the parents of Curtis Grant's BFF -- which is solidifying his commitment to the nutBucks (as long as there are not sanctions, OSU people believe now that he will stay committed).

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  107. Though Dunn's cousin, 2013 Alliance HS Dymonte Thomas has Blue at no. 1 right now -- and would love to have his cousin play with him.

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  108. There's going to be sanctions you can bet on that.

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  109. GBN-
    You may not accept commits as a means of "slowing down", but you don't stop recruiting as a coach. you're always evaluating talent and gauging interest level. Diamond, Kalis, and Banner hear from coaches daily. We can only pick up 3 more lineman, they aren't going to foresake 1-2 weeks and not talk to recruits. As a recruit I would think a coach is foolish if he didn't recruit others while I'm contemplating my top 5 or 3. What does that say about the coach as a game planner? Croom is a receiver so based on your logic we shouldn't had offered until Stanford finally decides to set foot on campus, you see how the last two times worked out. C'mon. The coaches have a plan. The recruits can only say so much about the conversation they had with the coach.

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  110. Benji, I hope you are having fun!

    In no particular order:

    1. Seumalo has no offer because, even though he is a 4 star, he was off most radar screens. I think it has more to do with his home location, than anything else. Not exactly the easiest place to get to from most places. Other than Montana and Boise St., he has only PAC 12 offers, although OR is a big one.

    The staff have probably not vetted him yet. They need more than just another recruit vouching for him, some tape, and a few phone calls. They are laying rebar and concrete for the foundation of the future. Quality assurance at this stage is of paramount importance. Give it some time...

    2. OSU sanctions are a given. Repeat offender status, lying to the NCAA and the beating the NCAA took with their ham handed handling of first Auburn, then the Tat-5 translates into a probable make up call. OSU will be in the unenviable position of being on the receiving end of "we really need to make an example of someone because our enforcement and control are turning into a laughingstock."

    Bad timing for OSU. Poor, poor, pity, them!

    3. Over/under for the weekend: I would keep my chips in my pile, as I think 2 is the answer, and house keeps ties. If I HAVE to bet, I'll take the under. Big time prospects. May want to sleep on it at home, kick it around with entire family, posse, etc, then commit next week.

    4. oubobcat: What a pussy! You come on here with "breaking news" in caps, post a day old, unverified "story" that everyone expects to be true anyway, and then get bent out of shape when Mark succinctly and factually points it out to you?

    "I wont contribute anything more to the site"????

    Got news for you. You never contributed anything. Play nice, man up, or please stay away.

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  111. Professor:

    On MGoBlog they are also quoting him as saying Dunn has told him where he is going if OSU gets a bowl ban, and that he was very impressed during his visit to AA with his dad. He promised not to reveal Dunn's choice.

    That, to me, adds up to Maize and Blue. I don't blame the kid for not wanting to be harassed by OSU trash from now until moving day. He's simply buying himself some time. May even be a silent already.

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  112. Benji I hope you are having fun and I can't wait to give you a handjob when you get back ;) -bluemarrow

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  113. OT Eric Olson to Northwestern,
    OT Chris Muller to Rutgers,
    PG Brandon Knight to Detroit.
    Thank God they all go to great places.
    THANK GOD!!!!!

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  114. With Olson gone UM does not have to worry about the o line spots filling up before the high rated guys make up there mind.

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  115. Benji, and everyone:

    I'm terribly sorry for my previous immature and crass post. You see, the hormone replacement therapy required for my upcoming sex change operation has left me moody, petty, and hypersensitive. I'll try to be a good little boy, err, girl. WHATEVER!

    Sorry. I'll try to do better.....

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  116. Thanks for the updates BlueMarrow and Michael and thanks to both of you for supporting Mark as I do. The beauty of this Blog is that we don't act like they do on others.

    Too bad about Olson.......we know that we probably don't get our dream of Kalis, Diamond, Banner and Garnett and Olson would have been my blue chip pick to throw in with two or three of them. All the best to him at Northwestern. I know he was concerned about academics so it's the next best thing to going Blue in the B1G.

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  117. I think Northwestern was the right choice for Olson and wish him all the best.

    GoBlue, I would still love to sign the rest of the guys on your list.

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  118. Looks like they've offered some kid named Jeremy Clark a greyshirt in the event that we don't land Wilson. Clark is a 6'4", 205lbs safety out of Kentucky. He's not rated but has 7 other offers and is thrilled with the greyshirt offer. Wilson is one that we likely find out about this weekend.

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  119. Is it just me or is anyone else looking forward to the 2013 class? I already have a commitment wish list..for the prospects michigan has offered.

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  120. Davon.....stop that. I'm confused enough. I really do think we'll be in great shape next year, especially if we have a decent season. Throw your wishlist on when you have it together. We already have 15 offers out, one amazing commit and some good leans. I still can't think that far ahead.....Thank God for great coaches.

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  121. Lol I can't stop I'm too excited!! If we win at least 9 games I think we will have a potential top ten class.I will try and put together my wish list as soon as possible.

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  122. Actually we have 24 offers out for 2013.Idk where michigan stands with some of them though.

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  123. TouchtheBanner has a 2013 offer board up that's updated regularly. You cansee by the offers that Hoke is branching out. Most of the offers are in Georgia, but they're everywhere. There isn't a kid out there where Hoke says "he's too big to go after, he's out of our league." He's giving every school a run for their recruiting money.
    I heard somewhere we stand pretty well with a 2013 qb Shane Morris. ;) We're also frontrunners for Brionte Dunns younger cousin a Safety/RB Dymonte Thomas. I can't imagine how the 2012 class would look if he had a full 18 months to recruit like he does for the 2013 class.

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  124. Just saw that MSU has landed two more three star recruits including Jamal Lyles who by my calculations came in at about the 13th/14th ranked in-state player. This gives MSU two in-state commits with Bullough being the other. Bullough was the other half of my 13th/14th ranked. MSU now has 9 commits.

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  125. Ehh michigan state is just picking up Michigan' s leftovers.We already cleaned out the state of michigan except a couple prospects (o'brien, burbridge).

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  126. By my calculations we got #1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8 & 9 in state....Not Bad. Trouble figuring out the National Powerhouse in recruiting.

    MSU 9 commits
    5 from Ohio
    2 from Michigan
    1 from Indiana
    1 from Pennsylvania

    Not bad for a national recruiter :)

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  127. Not to dwell on this MSU stuff, because frankly they don't deserve the attention, but I really don't get why they think they are building some powerhouse over there. They're going to end up with a class of 3 stars at best. Do they really think they can sustain success against guys like Richardson and Ross with guys like Kerrick and O'Connor? They have one 4-star. What a joke.

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  128. Possibly two four stars with the addition of jaleel johnson.But idc about michigan state anyway.This is just a random question but I want your guys opinions.I know chris wormley has michigan no.1 and had a sub par junior season.I would think he would wait until after or during his senior season to improve on his stats so he could possibly get better offers.Not that I want this to happen just thought I'd put it out there.What do you guys think?

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  129. Better offers? Like what? For a D-Lineman, I don't think it gets better than Michigan.

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  130. Well obviously not better than michigan but remotely close in comparison.

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  131. Davon,
    Wormley has made it known from the start that his top 2 are Michigan and osu which I believe has resulted in less offers for him. Check out his Sophomore highlights, they're much better. He was injured his Junior year and it showed.

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