Name: Kyle Kalis
Location: Lakewood, OH
Ratings: ESPN – 4* (80), Scout – 5*, 247 Sports - 4*
Recruitment: Kyle Kalis grew up in Ohio, supported the Buckeyes, and committed to them early in the process. You'd think his recruitment would be shut down completely. Well once again that little scandal down in Columbus has benefited Michigan on the recruiting trail. Kalis reopened his commitment after Tressel resigned and fully decommitted a few weeks later. After visiting Michigan twice in the space of a couple weeks, he committed to the Wolverines. UM has a lot of Ohio commits that know Kalis well, this may have played a big factor.
Offers: Michigan, Alabama, Auburn, Ohio State, Florida, LSU, Notre Dame, Clemson, Penn State, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Iowa, Arizona State and many more.
ESPN Analysis: Kalis is a tough run blocker capable of controlling defenders with his upper body playing strength. Has the size with enough athleticism for the offensive tackle position at the major level of competition. If edge speed becomes a factor this prospect could end up inside at the offensive guard spot.
A powerful blocker who gets off the ball low and pushes defenders back with his great leg drive, also possesses the agility and athleticism needed to get onto those 2nd level defenders. The term 'nasty streak' is thrown around a lot for OL, but this guy really has it. He should be a dominant run blocker at the next level, and with a bit of tweaking, should be sound in pass protection.
Scout Analysis: Kalis is a tough, strong lineman who dominates consistently. He plays the game hard and is an excellent run blocker and drive blocker. He plays with good leverage and finishes his blocks strong. He shows the ability to pull and lead, and is coordinated and athletic in the open field. He has good feet all around, which is also evident in pass pro. If there's a knock, it's that he may not be long enough for left tackle.
Improvements: Get longer arms! Needs to polish his initial location and arm extension in pass protection.
Final Thoughts: Offensive line was a major need at the start of this recruiting class, and now we can really say that the need has been met. Kalis is a consensus four star, and even earned himself a 5th star on scout.com. The fact that he was a former Buckeye commit just makes the deal even sweeter.
That said, Michigan will probably still take one more OL in this class, and that will probably be Jordan Diamond. Hopefully Kalis' decision will accelerate Diamond's timeline and force him to decide earlier.
As for Kalis' playing time, the general thought is optimistic. He's got great size already, and won't need that much coaching up in terms of pass protection. Plus, Michigan's depth on the line is very weak, so there's certainly a great opportunity there for Kalis, as well as some of the other UM OL commits.
Welcome aboard Mr. Kalis!
ReplyDeleteGlad to have you. May you share in the success of the long line of Michigan offensive lineman. May your name one day be mentioned among the likes of Long, Jansen, Hutchinson, Elliott, Paris and Dierdorf.
And may you have pity on any fool who chooses to harass you for your decision!
Kyle Kalis is the next Jake Long.
ReplyDeleteKalis will play Guard, but he'll be the Jake Long of Guards. He's a killer run blocker who's team does not pass at all, and he's only 6'5" with a shorter wingspan.
ReplyDelete7 spots left, we're guaranteed 1 more OL, one more DE, and one more DT. How many of the other 4 spots remaining will probably have to play themselves out. The coaches would like to take 1 of each, but if Kiel magically goes Blue with our strong OLine class then we skip someone at this point. If Garnett pulls before Diamond and Banner wishes to follow him on NSD then we maybe skip a qb. If Wormley and Washington/Stanford all want in first then maybe then we might skip a position. If Shittu wants to drop at the end or Peat, or an extra top WR then who knows. It'll play itself out past 1 OL, 1 DT, and 1 DE at this point.
ReplyDeletePersonally I'd prefer a true LT but that can come next year. If we're taking extra guys and skipping others then the guys we take from now on need to be of a starting quality.
Benji, what do you make of this
ReplyDeletehttp://www.chatsports.com/michigan-wolverines/a/Kyle-Kalis-commits-to-Michigan-10-2-303
Assuming Diamond comes on board, I very much doubt they would take Peat/Banner/Garnett. Seven OL is a bit much, even if the seventh is very talented.
ReplyDeleteAlso, would you want to be the 7th O-lineman in a class? No matter how good you are, you gotta be worried about playing time.
Kind of off topic, but as I was looking at Kalis on Rivals, I saw that five star athlete (and number nine in the country), Nelson Agholor, has us listed as his top choice right now. I know Rivals doesn't often update players College choices, but i've never even heard of this kid. Does anyone know his primary position? Does anyone have any info or links to info on him? Oh yeah, and YAY KALIS!!!!! Screw OSU!!!! Welcome to the good guys. The dark side of the force is very tempting, but it's good to see he didn't pull an Anakin, and came to the um, non dark side...
ReplyDeleteBenji,
ReplyDeleteThe post on chatsports speculates that Jordan Diamond's spot no longer exists now that UM has 5 OL on board. UM will hold a spot for Peat but not Diamond, if the info is accurate. The info from the source states that the staff told Jordan that his spot might become filled should he decide to draw out his recruitment. It will be interesting to see if that is the case.
It mean no Diamond.If Diamond wanted to go to UM like he said he did he would have committed by now.
ReplyDeletewe're probably looking at nelson at receiver, just a guess; but since he's a 5 star I'm going to just assume he drags out his recruiting so I wouldn't worry about it
ReplyDeleteOff topic question...Does Espnu update their 150 rankings? If so do you guys think Wormley could end up in it, if he has a great senior season?
ReplyDeleteAll of the kids who have verbal offers are being told the same thing:
ReplyDeleteYou have an offer until the spots are filled.
Wait as long as you like.
Just don't expect a spot if you wait too Long....
Yes they do, and they probably are updating soon. Tom Luginbill tweeter recently that after watching the opening he wants to update the 150. And yes I do think he can, he currently is 177 in their rankings. Joe bolden and Erik M. are both higher rated non 150 players right now.
ReplyDeleteMark
ReplyDeleteDo they have a 250 list? Thanks for the info!
No, but if you look at the list of recruits they have them listed in order and then some serious counting is involved. Here is the link to the list (the top guy is number 151) http://espn.go.com/college-football/recruiting/prospects/_/class/2012/set/5.
ReplyDeleteFWIW Joe Bolden is 152 and Erik M. is 169 and I except him to be moved up to the 150 after his strong opening performance.
The Jake Long comparison might have been a little premature, but I love that everybody says he's nasty. That is exactly the kind of lineman we need, punishers.
ReplyDelete@ brent hart. the team logos up top by the players name randomize. so if we wer the first it dosent mean anything.
ReplyDeletehttp://fans.fanappz.com/fanappz/publicPoll/result?id=29536
ReplyDeleteRemember to vote for the banner, were making a comeback!
7 OL is a TON of OL, but we took 6 in '05 and none of them were 5 star kids and the depth wasn't as bad as it is right now. 2011 we lose 3, 2012 we could lose both starting Guards, our starting Center again, and Lewan if his draft stock takes off. After the 2012 season we could be left with Schofield, Pace, and Miller, and our 2011-2012 classes. I wouldn't put money on OLine attrition, but I would bet on a backup Guard moving to DT. We could get 2013 kids to play right away, but getting us to the point where our OLine recruits can all redshirt again would be nice. WE could have as many as 15 kids ready for 2013, but we could have as few as 10-11. A 7th guy is usually overkill, but this is a special circumstance. I wouldn't rule out a 7th OL or a 6th DE this year.
ReplyDeleteI guess what I mean is if Diamond(OT) were the next OLine commit they'd likely stop there, but if Garnett (OG) (who we likely lead for) is the next commit they'd be open to getting a sure LT still and Banner (sure LT) might follow Garnett. If we got Diamond I can't see them taking another tackle even if he is Andrus Peat.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure others are in agreement when I say that this class can be even better, ratings-wise at least. I don't think many put much stock in ESPN's ratings, but looking at UM's list on their site: Strobel, Bars, Ringer and Brown I have all seen as 4* on other sites and from what I've heard Standifer has the potential to get upgraded as well. Assuming impressive senior years and no decommitments, I see no way we don't finish with 1/2 our class as 4*'s and consensus Top 5? Too optomistic?
ReplyDeleteWhat do you guys think are the chances of O'brien and Pipkins both commiting to Tennessee? They both seem to be pretty high on them.
ReplyDeleteRight now we have 14 commitments that are rated 4 stars by at least one of the four major recruiting sites and I see all but two (Pipkins or O'brien and a running back) of our next commitments not being consensus four of five stars. So at least half of our class being four stars is a good possibility. And I believe we will have a consensus top five class.
ReplyDelete@ Jer89
ReplyDeleteJust cause he hasnt commited yet doesnt mean anything ... Like Wormley everyyone knows he has been a Michigan lean for a very long time why hasnt he commited ?? I think his spot needs to be gave up to someone who wants to commit now
With so many lineman signing on, and the possibility of more, does this mean AJ Williams is going to be a definate TE??
ReplyDeleteAs good as this years class is, we may even have a better one next year.With a 5-star QB in Morris, a 5-star lineman in Elemer and a 5-star athlete in Dymonte Thomas.
ReplyDeleteI've been saying it all along, get in where you fit in! They shouldn't wait for anybody unless there a silent commit. All the recruits we look at are talented and if their coached well, will perform well. The faster we take them the faster future recruits will realize they need to commit, if they wanna play for Michigan. Coaches arn't recruiting anything but 4*'s plus now....we realy can't loose now once we get a good DT!!
ReplyDelete@smokey420 I agree 100%. The coaching is what is going to set this staff apart. RichRod knows the spread and his offense VERY well, but that was about it. Defense was TERRIBLE as was special teams. Hoke has assembled a great staff with great credibility and who knows, maybe part of the fast recruiting strategy is so in-season they can focus a higher percentage of their time to coaching and less on recruiting than they normally would. There is so much need on this roster from top to bottom I would still go first come, first serve! Go Blue!
ReplyDeleteI guess Ace Williams' early prediction is finally starting to come true! Perhaps this guy does have an inside track! That just leaves Wormley...
ReplyDelete"As we reported 16 days ago. Now that 2 of the 3 silent commitments (Wilson, Kalis and Wormley) have made it public, we are now just waiting on Chris Wormley to make his commitment public. Given that we have been told that he was waiting for Kyle Kalis to commit in order to do so himself, expect Wormley to make his decision to attend Michigan public VERY soon."
I'm generally repulsed at the idea of Ace Williams ever being right unless he predicts us to win multiple NC's with top recruit classes, even then I still begrudge him any real insight. :o)
ReplyDeleteMy faulty insight (listening to the grapevine) leads me to believe that when Kalis committed things changed for all our other prospects. For a while I thought that Diamond was just stalling his commitment, but now that Kalis is a Wolverine I think the coaches might hold him off like the way they backed off of Jaleel Johnson and Sheldon Day to target the better fits in OBrien and Pipkins, or with Pittman and Odenigbo at the hybrid End spot, and how they slow played the DT situation by saying they'll only take 1 more, even though by ALL accounts they're likely to take 2. My other feeling is that Washington won't commit to us on his own either, and it'll take convincing by Kalis, Stanford, Dunn and the others to get him to actually visit and become a Michigan lean before the coaches take Wormley. Furthermore I think the better this class gets, the better this class will get. With each new top commit the bar for the remaining commits gets raised another notch and top 100 kids who might not have considered us strongly before would more seriously consider us now. While a month ago we might not have had a real shot at a kid like Kiel or DGB if they're the last kids available Michigan might have a renewed standing with the last top kids on NSD.
I don't believe any of this with a strong conviction, it's just the impression I get.
MAXPREPS JUST PUSHED OJEMUDIA AND STANDIFER INTO THEIR TOP100 TODAY! "The new phone book is here! The new phone book is here!"
ReplyDeletePlz someone tell me osu will not walk from the NCAA with their self imposed penalties?
ReplyDeleteDefinitely glad to have Kalis aboard and for those wondering what took him so long to commit after rumors over the last couple of weeks just need to check out the article posted on espn.com. If you look at the comments from suckeye fans you can see why he was hesitant or maybe was a silent commit or why he wanted to wait a couple of weeks. The amount of classless comments directed at this kid, who probably isn't even of legal age to vote yet is horrifying. This is how they treat someone who was the former crown jewel of their recruiting class. Way to stay classy suckeye fans...
ReplyDeleteHere's the article:
http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/6757559/ohio-state-buckeyes-2012-recruit-kyle-kalis-now-headed-michigan-wolverines
These are strong words from Kyle Kalis. This is from Kalis on ESPN.
ReplyDelete"I can't go there (Ohio State) and take penalties for something I never did," Kalis told ESPN.com on Monday. "Ohio State is a great program. I'm just not sure how long it will take them to recover. I want a solid, grounded coaching staff with a safe environment. Where there aren't such tough questions."
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteUmFAN323,
ReplyDeleteI know Diamond has been a UM lean for a long time and thats the problem its been to long. In the last to weeks Kyle Kalis has decommitted from his beloved childhood school took 2 visits to UM and commits on the spot to the school he has rooted againist his whole life.Diamond has taken what at least 6 trips to A2 in the last couple of months. If you can't make up your mind by know how serious are you about attending that school. Diamond is a very good O linemen and I do hope he attends UM I just don't think UM fans should hold there breathe thinking he is going to commit.
@ Michael....Someone really hates these cans.
ReplyDeleteMichael and CP,
ReplyDeleteVery FUNNY and a great movie.
@ Michael - LOL, I hear ya about Ace Williams! As long as he predicts great things for Michigan, it's all good!
ReplyDeleteKalis is a big boy, TVH says Caleb Stacey put up 20 pounds more since his Scout profile was made. He's at 295 now and could easily be past 300 this season.
ReplyDeleteRivals has an article about Garnett and Banner. Says the two will likely pick the same school, and Michigan is one of the schools they are considering, what do you guys think our chances are?
ReplyDeleteUM has to do what ever it takes to get Banner and Garnett except pull a SEC scam.
ReplyDeleteHell fellow Mich Fans. First time long time. (Hell yeah!) I think it is finally at that point where we need to let Diamond go. For all the reasons stated above and the fact the Banner and Garnett would be a much better package deal than getting Diamond filling a limited OL position. Both Banner and Garnett are ranked above our Erik Magnuson which would possibly give us the 4th kalis 5th Banner 7th Garnett 8th Magnuson offensive lineman in the country.
ReplyDeleteJHOLO,
ReplyDeleteThank you for backing me up with Diamond.
How would we fit Banner and Garnett in this class?It would be awesome if both stanford/washington and banner/garnett package deals worked out.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm more of a fan of the Stanford/Washington package because we NEED a big receiver, and stanford stands at 6'5, vs Hemingway at 6'1 and Roundtree at 6'. But I wouldn't argue with Banner/Garnett, especially if we got both packages haha, maybe payton as well, thats 5 right? "fab five"?
ReplyDelete@davon
ReplyDeleteThis would be the best way to finish the class (7 spots left)
Garret
Banner
Dunn
Stanford
Washington
Pipkins
Wormley
I think its time to stop getting our hope up for Washington. My quess for them is Kentucky.Stanford who knows just depends on who the leader is on those two.We should start looking for another D linemen to replace him.
ReplyDelete@mark
ReplyDeleteAgreed. I think DT and OL are on a first come first serve mentality. My only concern is WR. I'd rather take Payton or Burbridge than Dunn at this point.
Two package deals perhaps? That would give us 2 OL, 1 DE, 2 WR (including Peyton?!) And then Brionte Dunn and Ondre Pipkins. I would be happy with that resulting class but we would have to pass on Wormley..
ReplyDeleteBut I also heard that on the radio that Kyle Kalis said that him committing "opened up the flood gates" for more Ohio State commits to come to Michigan. So who knows what will happen come February.
@jer89
ReplyDeleteI guess we have to wait and see how the Stanford & Washington visits go (if they ever make it up). And I don't feel like it is horrible if we can't get them, as long as we could get Payton and Obrien (or shittu if we get lucky). I feel if we don't get washington, then wewon't pursue any other DEs unless it's Noah spense.
@Davon
I wouldn't have a problem with that, but I just don't see us taking 2 WRs and no runningbacks. We should be able to get top talent at WR net year with Shane Morris and it seems like the coaches are interested in getting a runningback and Dunn is our best option.
@Todd
I actually think Wormley will be good this year and prove that last years problems were just a coincednce, but I would be fine with not taking him if I knew we could get Washington. I just think that he will commit in the next couple weeks and the coaches will accept his commitment(first come first serve)
People what about WR's of Payton and Chesson. I read that he is visiting soon so that could happen. and then Tom VH is reporting that Dunn is starting to realize that he should start looking at other schools, so we could still have a shot
ReplyDelete@Logan
ReplyDeleteIs chesson even interested? Rivals doesn't show UM offering him anything, or him showing them interest
Isn't chesson the guy that said he was staying in the SEC.
ReplyDeleteWe have a good shot at Garnett and Banner. Garnett seems to feel very good about Michigan, the coaches, where we're headed, and the ability to find playtime right away. Banner also likes Michigan, maybe not as much as Garnett, but he wants to play football and basketball in college and Michigan is one of the few top programs that have offered him in both and they want to play together.
ReplyDeleteStanford likes Michigan, Washington seems to be oblivious to Michigan. We may have made his list but he's practically tried to not visit. Pittman is in his ear, but more to get himself out of MSU (seriously) than to get Washington in. Dunn will most likely decommit and then go Blue so he and Kalis and Strobel and Stanford and the others could convince Washington to visit Michigan, but we don't lead for him (Lord knows why.)
Honestly we don't need a WR this year. As crazy as it sounds we could skip one all together, but I doubt it. The coaches favor power run and TE's. Under Carr we had 1X, 1Y, and 1Z, 2 TE's and then a drastic dropoff in talent almost every single year he coached. Whenever we'd run 5 WR's one of them was a TE (and one was a star ATH like Howard or Woodson.) Next year we'll still have 7 receivers and 3 TE's to meet the 2012 class (I expect some of our attrition to come from the receivers because we have SOOOO many.) The coaches have taken 2 TE's this year, one of them a 4 star 6'5" fast ball-catching kid named Devin Funchess. They may line him up as a TE but he's a 6'5" receiver. If we do take 6 DE's then Pharoah Brown might line up as an occasional TE like he's done in high school and so outstandingly in 7on7's as well.
Chesson is from Missouri, Tom just updated that he will be going to the BBQ. I guess the staff really likes him and from what people say, he has a lot of interest.
ReplyDeleteI personally, cannot wait for this class to start hitting the field. It's so exciting watching such an influx of talent wanting to come to Michigan and such a difference from years past. We will definitely improve this year and I cannot wait to watch these o-line commits start bulldozing people in the future!
ReplyDeleteDunn would be a nice pick up but I don't feel RB is a po
ReplyDeletesition of need. In all this talk I haven't heard one world of last years pick of Justice Hayes. Smart kid great athlete room to grow (like most incoming freshman rbs) and highly ranked and recruited. We need to focus on the trenches and rebuild the team with 300 rocks on both sides of the ball. Enough of the small, fast, guard pulling, richrod OL.
"Prostyle offense" and "This is Michigan!!"
Banner
Garnett
Pipkins
Obrien
Stanford
Wormley
Shittu?
The only thing I don't like about hayes, is his size. He's TINY. He fit great for the spread, but we're not running that anymore, I really don't see him getting many carries, more of a slot guy they can send out on 3rd and 5+ to catch a screen or something over the middle.
ReplyDeleteRawls is the RB to look at from the last Class....he is very underrated. Could have impact early
ReplyDeleteIf Banner/Garnett commit, then I'm willing to beat that one of our o line commitment decommits. My guess would be Blake Bars.
ReplyDeleteSee you guys doubted my knowledge about these recruits. Don't count Hoke and michigan out till they commit somewhere else, without visiting and left them out of their final group. GBOD
ReplyDeleteany word on Stefon diggs?
ReplyDeletePipkins and O'Brien to visit Michigan at the end of this month..
ReplyDeletehttp://bleacherreport.com/articles/763551-michigan-expected-to-get-visits-from-two-4-star-defensive-tackles-soon
JH-
ReplyDeleteI'll take Kalis over Diamond! I agree, time to let Jordan go. MI wants guys who are buying into the whole package. No offense to the kids who choose to shop around, as it's their life altering decision.....
Regarding Dunn-
He would be a HUGE pick up for two reasons:
Fantastic, big, fast, back.
Strengthen MI, and weaken os at the same time.
If you have not had the pleasure:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9flUG0Q8kcY
Benji, or anyone:
ReplyDeleteIf you had to guess, would you guess that MI has any current silent commits?
If so, who?
TomVH: Bri'onte Dunn Update
ReplyDelete"If you read the Weekly update you know that Ohio RB Bri'onte Dunn might visit for the BBQ on the 31st. I spoke with someone I trust today about him and I believe that Bri'onte's situation is starting to change. By that I mean he has seen what decision Kyle Kalis made and it's making him think about what he's going to do. I had said previously that the two year bowl ban would be the key, but it's starting to look like that might not even be the main factor. Playing early and playing in bowl games is what he wants. I'm not saying he's decommitting, but I'm saying he's starting to think about everything a little differently than before. Again I'm on my phone so excuse the formatting."
http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/tomvh-brionte-dunn-update-1
@davon
ReplyDeleteI was thinking the same thing, I am not sure that it would be Bars. I could also see Stacey decommiting because he would be stuck behind arguably the best guards in the country. I am slightly skeptical about our chances with both Banner and Garret. TomVH has said that he doesn't think they will be a package deal because they are looking for different things. I also think the coaches might not have liked our chances with them because they still pursued and accepted Bars commitment. I think we have to wait and see how their visits go.
Regarding Stefon Diggs, the last I heard he wasnt very interested in us.
And if I had to guess a silent commit then I would guess Wormley.
I have a question for anyone knowledgeable about this situation, who out of our o line commits could play center?
@mark
ReplyDeleteI thought about Stacey decommiting ,but out of o line commitments he is the one who will most likely play center. The reason I chose Bars was because we haven't heard anything about him lately.Stacey brought his parents to AA, Magnusson is recruiting for michigan, and Kalis visiting with his parents and ended up committing. After the Garnett/Banner article on rivals (free article) they seem extremely serious about there package deal.
Stefon Diggs will probably choose Florida or Miami.
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=6761036
ReplyDeletegood news
I think the Diamond, Dunn, and Washington ships have sailed. Diamond is just playing games with the coaches now and you know they don't like it. I believe Dunn simply wants to be a Buckeye. And as for Washington, he has pulled every trick in the book for trying to stay away from AA. I have a feeling we are going to pull in Stanford, however, and Payton. I also think we have a GREAT shot at the Garnett/Banner duo which would probably lead to an offensive lineman decommiting (Bars most likely). And we will end with a splash in getting both Pipkins and Shittu!!
ReplyDeleteAs for a center, Jack Miller from the 2011 class is a projected center.
Stefon Diggs is too good for the Big Ten... He'll probably take his talents to the SEC or da U.
Also, regarding the Justice Hayes comment...he went to my high school and is a good friend of mine, I know that he will put in the work to gain weight and bulk up. Look out for J Hayes in the future at tailback.
GO BLUE!
@Davon
ReplyDeleteYeah I read that rivals article right after I made my post and groaned and thought "I just made myself look like an idiot". And if Stacey will play center then yes I agree that Bars would probably be the decommit. His reviews were not glowing and from what I have read he seems to lack alot of upside.
hey have any of you guys watched Devin Funchess's highlight tape. its really good and he looks like he could def conert to a big reciever for us. he has the hands size and ball skills, all he needs to do is pick up his speed a bit more which is horrible to begin with and he could be a big time reciever for us.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHXgs6ju0E4
If I had to think of someone to be the center of the future and don't laugh at this just think about Matt Godin. He is big nice feet and can move people.If I wanted to be a starter I would learn how to play center.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ryan with Dunn,Washington and Diamonnd.Dunn it could happen who knows.Diamond is just wiating to pull the rug out from under all of us UM fans.Washigton just does not want to have anything to do with UM he will most likely end up at Kentucky.He seem like a big fish in a little pond type of guy.
Don't be surprised if Stacey decommitts.
And ESPN is suing OSU to get the complete files on Tressell and Pryor.
I am not sure how reliable the source is, but the mgoblog is saying that the Taft duo might be visiting this weekend and the Stanford might actually commit. If anyone has heard anything about it I would love to find out more about this.
ReplyDeleteEspn also updated their rankings, Erik M dropped from and 80 to a 79, but stayed as a four star. I believe TR an RJS did not move in their rankings and Kyle Kalis moved up 2 spots. Joe Bolden is still sitting just outside the top 150.
I definitely see Bars decommitting prior to Stacey. Caleb was our second commit and really was the one that started our tirade in Ohio. I think the coaches like his mind set in committing early as well. Bars does not have the greatest reviews and is from Tennessee..we don't care about our relationship with players in that state nearly as much as our relationship with Ohioans.
ReplyDeleteI hate ESPN's ranking. If you commit to a SEC school your stock soars, anywhere else, it seems to drop.
I hope that news about Stanford is true! That would be huge. Maybe the two commits at one position with catch back on with him and possibly Payton or Chesson. Then Banner/Garnett!!
An edit to my last post, it was the umgoblog not the mgoblog.
ReplyDeleteI hate told hold the unpopular vote here and I know that decommitts are all part of how recruiting plays out. In a perfect world the pieces all fall into place and nobody feels forced out. These kids have committed to us and the coaches have committed to them. If somebody decommits because they don't want to have to go head to head in the depth chart and that they feel their best opportunities lie elsewhere, that's one thing, but to force somebody to decommit because you overstock just sounds to "Sabanish". These kids have all been good to the cause and each in their own way by committing when they did have contributed to the success of this class.
ReplyDeleteIn a perfect world!!!!
I completely agree with you, I have stated this a few times on this blog. Coaches commit to players just like the players commit to the team. But I still do feel like a decommitment is a strong possibility, even players like Jordan Diamond are hesitant about coming to Michigan due to depth. I have to imagine the lower rated commits are even more worried
ReplyDeleteThere's a good chance that we close our class out from the short list below, + or -, one maybe two that are not on the list. I apologize about the accuracy of the rankings but this was, at least as of recently the rankings on Scout in order. How awful would it be if we were forced to pick 7 of these kids on the list.
ReplyDeleteWashington 19
Garnett 24
Dunn 29
Diamond 40
Banner 46
Day 65
Shittu 80
Burbridge 90
O'Brien 99
Stanford 108
Wormley 114
Pipkins 178
Here's the scary part......U of M has a history of turning out guys who are not on this kind of list and making them great players......just sounds like a win/win.
I guess what I'm saying is it's okay if one of these kids moves on because "it's best for them". I just don't want us intentionally forcing kids out....
ReplyDeleteI recently watched highlight videos of Burbridge and Stanford. Although Stanford is huge at 6'5 and Burbridge is closer to 6'1, Burbridge looks like a stud! I know there are academic issues, but he has incredible ball skills and body control. If it came down to one WR (and we knew both were to qualify) I would go with Burbridge!
ReplyDelete@Mark on Rivals, Diamond specifically said he has NO problem with the quantity of OL that UM is taking and that he has NO problem competing. I am curious as to what is taking him so long to get on board though.
And as far as lineman and their respective positons I think Magnuson will be the LT and Braden on the rightside. I do think Diamond will eventually get in this class will be a stud LG and with Bryant at RG. Center will be Kyle Kalis! IF Jack Miller proves solid then Kalis plays over Diamond at LG or Braden atLG or RT, repectively.
Is there a reason why O'brien and Pipkins don't have film? Maybe its just me but I can't find any.
ReplyDeleteWhy is ESPN headlining an article on Kyle Kalis? Poor kid is getting beat up pretty good by osu fans. I mean get over it. Do they like picking on a 17 year old kid?
ReplyDeleteIt is apparent that many of you do not know anything about our offensive coordinator. It's apparent that many you do not have a clue about our coaching staff.
ReplyDelete1. We will run an offense that fits our players. J. Hayes will fit our offense because he is a playmaker and we will make him fit. That simple.
2. C Stacey is probably the most committed recruit we have. He has done a tremendous job promoting Michigan and our staff. It will be a crying shame if he were to de-commit. I do not believe that is something the coaching staff would allow to happen. Plus he is almost up to 300 lbs. He is also taking reps at center. He will not be playing center, but spends xtra time after practice working on it because I am assuming that Hoke and company have told him that it is where they would like him to play when he gets to Michigan.
3. Have faith in our staff and stop looking at the stars and ratings. The Staff has targeted kids who are Michigan men and want to be in AA. Sure talent is a factor, but strong morals and character is more important. We will never force a kid out if he is already committed just get a different kid with more amount of stars.
@gitrdone
ReplyDeleteI there any chance that you are CasBMW on the mgoblog
@Caleb
Yesterday TomVH said that he was worried about the amount of commitments. http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/tomvh-just-fyi
Bars and Stacey are both very highly regarded prospects, with the ability to start. I don't understand the decommitment comments at all, especially if they are premised on Banner and Garnett allegedly committing. If we get Diamond we should be overjoyed with the OL group that we have.
ReplyDeleteAny updates on Sheldon Day? haven't heard much about him recently.
the link I posted earlier backs up what "Aaron" said about the coaches running an offense to the strength of the players. Borges is quoted in it saying they will run shotgun formation probably 50% of the time, and that they'll have the QB (robinson) running more than he has ever had a QB run in his offensive schemes. There are a ton of people out there that think our offense will take steps back because of the "new system" but I think it will take steps forward. Drob will be a better passer, and because of his passing skills, it will increase his running ability. He'll be MORE of a dual threat than he previously was.
ReplyDeleteAaron,
ReplyDeleteNot sure why you are calling a bunch of UM fans clueless.We are just having alittle fun talking about how some kids may fit in if different kids commit.By no means do we think the coaching staff will ask anybody to decommit.We know the coaching staff is doing a great job with recruiting and getting the current player ready for the year to come. And we know the staff will get players to fix there system but don't tell me that you would that Stacey over Banner or Garnett.
Aaron,
ReplyDeleteRelax.....No need to call anybody out. Most of us on here are kind of like friends who don't really know each other. None of us proclaims to be an expert or know anymore that anybody else posting here. We didn't know that you were on the inside with Hoke and Mattison so while we appreciate your insight, relax. There are very few post on here that ever question the knowledge, skills, background or integrity of our coaches but it's okay for guys to throw things out there in the form of a question to generate intellectual dialogue.
You're right, Mattison and the coaches have said since day one that they will use the strengths of the existing roster....That means Denard gets to run. When we play the B1G where that offense failed miserably last year you'll see a different Denard, a dual threat.
We can't wait to see Hayes and Rawls and Countess either....
As for Stacey or anybody else decommitting I posted above that if they choose to because it's best for them, I'm okay with it but that under no circumstances should we force a recruit to decommit by over-recruiting their position. We've committed to each other.
As far as stars and rankings go.....they do count... Not on their own but they do count because they reflect a number of things including their abilities as observed by some very intelligent people. They also are genarally representative of how many other schools are interested in them. Good coaches don't just look at you because you have 4 stars. Sometimes you have 4 stars because good coaches are looking at you. I posted a list a little above this post with 12 highly ranked players that could be fighting for one of our last seven spots. It's a great list to choose from and leaves us in an enviable position. I also noted that we might get one or two guys not on the list.....they might even be a lowly 3 star. That's okay because at this rate if the coaches take a 3 star or unrated player, most of us on here believe that they're doing it for a good reason. It doesn't mean that somebody can't ask why.
I guess I should rephrase. It's that that the people on here are clueless, but sometimes people say things that make them seem clueless.
ReplyDeleteI bring up the star thing because C Stacey's name was brought up simply because him and Bars have the least amount of stars. So If we bring in more OL with more stars than them two, it would somehow make sense for one of those two to de-commit?
Nick Fairly was a three star. The list goes on as to the number of 3-stars who are first rounders in the NFL. Stacey is a prime example of a flawed system. That is all I am saying. Since he signed with Michigan, he has been up to the school nearly a half a dozen times. He has put on nearly 20 lbs of good weight. He is repping at different positions to make himself better.
Also look at some of these sites. ESPN for example. A kid rated 79 is a three or four star. You can't tell me that there is a huge difference between the two.
Then Rivals. 5.8 is 4 stars and 5.7 is 3. Again there is not a lot of difference.
I put more value in the kids work ethic and their physicals. Wiscy and TCU play with a field a 3 stars, but these schools recruit high character kids. I think their results can speak for themselves.
Moral of the story: I'll take a Caleb Stacey over a Will Campbell any day of the week.
@gobluenorth
ReplyDeleteAnother perfectly stated post from you. Whenever the is ever any controversy you always come up with some long ass post that smooths everything out. I have to ask are you some sort of writer or hostage negotiator? Because your posts always have two qualities, they are well written and they always prevent situations from escalating.
@Aaron
You might want to re-read your first paragraph
Guess I'm not in the club. Damn I feel like RR.
ReplyDeleteAaron I brought up Stacey only because he is from Ohio (not saying anything bad about Ohioian my inlaws live in Ohio)it just seem like he has other option avaible to him if he choose to.
ReplyDeleteAaron!!! It's okay...... I liked RR.
ReplyDeleteMark,
Put the gun down......I know that we can work this out. :)
Aaron you are ok keep your comments coming.We all live in the Go Blue Nation.
ReplyDeleteGBN,
ReplyDeleteI like your comment they are all well thought out and well writen.
It seems like every time Benji is away for a few days, things get a little testy. Reminds me of Lord of the Flies!
ReplyDeleteTo me, what will be interesting, is if someone like Diamond commits, and then Andrus Peat wants to sign. ie, running out of spots. Nice problem to have.
I don't think anyone posted, or implied, that someone who has been offered, and given a verbal, would be told "Sorry, no room for you after all" on signing day.
But what may happen, and usually does happen as a sensational class evolves, are commits change of heart. Some guys who gave an early verbal may have never expected to see guys like Kalis or Strobel in their class. They may have seen them at the camps, and know or discover they don't/won't stack up.
Also, don't discount that Michigan's rivals are not done recruiting the verbals. Whispers about playing time, depth of class, etc, are part of the game.
Regarding center: I think it's interesting that Bars new position coach is a former TN Titan center. I have no idea if Bars is suited for the position, but talk about an opportunity!
Can anybody tell me how Clemson is getting top recruits with a coach that is on a hotter seat then RR?
ReplyDeleteOther than my initial thought that they are obviously doing some sort of illegal thing, but other than that they can recruit SEC country but without the grueling SEC schedule.
ReplyDeleteJer89,
ReplyDeleteGive us more information.....I know that we can get them out safely!!
Kidding
I happen to love Ohio..... I even like alot of Buckeye fans but I can't help but think that some of them need professional help.....especially the ones calling for somebody to take Kalis' knees out this season.
There was a post on Bucknuts the other day and I'm just curious about how we would answer it. Essentially the question was what would you do if your son wanted to commit to UofM (they may have called it something else). How would some of you guys/gals feel if your son/daughter wanted to commit to tOSU.
My answer:
I have four daughters.....I wouldn't care as long as it was a good choice for them. If they were on the team, I would cheer for them but not their team. If my team had to lose, I would be proud if my kid played well enough that they contributed to his teams success. Football/School vs. family. It's an easy choice. My girls are Wolverine crazy right now but there are always other variables that are part of their decision making when the time comes. My kids would just have to realize that they would get alot of fun bantering from me. They would also have to know that if they did win......they should just be quiet!!!!
Speaking of Benji where is he? I miss his posts.
ReplyDeleteClemson is very interesting. I have no clue what they are doing. Funny enough, there were some pics going around on twitter with one of Clemson's top recruits in the 2011 class with a hand full of 20's. Wish I could find the pic because it was pretty funny.
ReplyDeleteJer and Mark
ReplyDeleteClem$on is just a really great $chool. Their academic$ are $econd to none and their athletic$ department i$ Sen$ational.
Here you go Aaron
ReplyDeleteLooks innocent enough!!!
http://thewizardofodds.blogspot.com/2008/03/perhaps-it-pays-to-sign-with-clemson.html
GBN, A very good friend on mine is from Ohio and is a hugh OSU fan. We have some spirited fun.If my child was to choose to go to OSU I would completly stand behind him 100% (in my maize and blue gear).
ReplyDeleteI wish we could post pictures, but here is the link to the picture. http://fitsnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/mike-bellamy.jpg
ReplyDeleteIf that pic is evan close to real the NCAA we be intouch.
ReplyDeleteHey guys give me your thoughts on taking 3 DL. We are leading f
ReplyDeleteor pipkins and obrien but wonder if a guy like shittu sees this monster class and wants to jump on board.? In addition, I think we all need to focus on this banner and garnett package much more than we have. I believe banner holds a Mich basketball scholorship offer as well?!? That way we can exclude diamond and have room for a specific skill position. Comments?
Sorry for the format, I'm on my phone
Page wasn't the only Clem$on Clown to have his pic taken with cash. his kid (Bellamy) did so but said it was a joke!!!! THe kind of joke that should end with your coaches foot up your a$$.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.fitsnews.com/2011/06/09/c-r-e-a-m-mike-bellamy/
Wow that's crazy. The funny thing is, the pic I seen was different that those two. I believe it was Bellamy though. He was on the floor looking up. It looked as if he was playing dice.
ReplyDeleteFood for thought. If we take Banner on a basketball schollie does that give us room for another on the football side. NCAA rules say that you can only hold a scholarship in one sport. I don't follow basketball.....can they better afford the scholarship?
ReplyDeleteJholko,
ReplyDelete3 DL I am not sure on that one.I am thinking UM has a good chance for Pipkins and Shittu but not O'Brien I think he is Tenn. bonded.I agree 100% with you on Banner and Garnett sign them up. I have said 2 or 3 times on this post that Diamond is no longer a UM lean. He has been on campus at least 6 times and no commit.So I think he has changed his mind.
The only other pics I've got are of two women rolling around in money but those are my ex-wives.
ReplyDeleteGBN, Good thinking on the BB scholarship
ReplyDeleteIn the past 20 minutes we have come up with three pictures of Clemson recruits holding large amounts of cash, yet the NCAA isn't investigating them. This seems odd.
ReplyDeleteIts SEC and ACC football. I am still wondering how a dad can shop his kid around and get away with it.
ReplyDeleteMSU got a running back commit Macgarrett have not heard of him.
ReplyDeleteThe NCAA might get a cut????
ReplyDeleteFound this for an explanation:
"Clemson signee Mike Bellamy has created a stir by posting this picture on his Facebook page. According to a report by Travis Sawchik Bellamy said the photo was a joke. The Clemson coaching staff reportedly asked him to remove the picture from his page.
It is unlikely Bellamy violated any NCAA rules here (no one is sure if it is even real money) but given the current climate in college football this was a pretty unwise move. Pitcures like this, especially in the social media age, are going to cause a lot of people to talk.
Bellamy has taken the picture down and posted the following apology:
Bellamy said "Shout Out to all my friends and family! The picture that I posted earlier this morning of me holding stacks of cash, was just a case of a kid who never saw that much cash and being excited. That cash belonged to my Aunte’ who allowed me to take a stupid picture. To my family at CHS, in Nocatee, Orlando, and especially my new family at Clemson University, I am sorry for making this mistake. From now on I will let my play on the field, my hard work in the classroom, weight room, and locker room do all my talking! We straight…Speedy.:
This isn’t the first time a Clemson recruit has caused a stir for posing with a pile of cash. Offensive lineman Kenneth Page did the same thing a few years ago. He later explained he was in the car with his uncle, who filled ATM machines for a living, and took the picture with the money."
I could find no indication anywhere of any NCAA action/investigation.
I was reading up on the kid earlier today... his last name is Kings. He the 52nd ranked running back in the country.
ReplyDeleteI did not know ATM employee got to drive around with family member playing with the money.
ReplyDeleteHappens all the time in Alabama and South Carolina....
ReplyDeleteI still can't believe that Newton got away with it. Findings there opened up the doors for a real mess. As long as kids say they had no idea, parents, family and friends can act as their agents.
As for BB scholarships, I don't think UM basketball has plenty of them to offer, Im pretty sure they only get a few each year. As for the clemson players flashing cash, don't be surprised if they are next on the NCAA hammer list. They must be doing something to get top recruits to come to a "less privileged" school compared to the big schools in large conferences.
ReplyDeleteAgain about the clemson kids. There is NO WAY that money was from an ATM loader guy. They dont use rubber bands, and they drive armored vehicles, does that look like an armored vehicle to you?
ReplyDeletehttp://thewizardofodds.blogspot.com/2008/03/perhaps-it-pays-to-sign-with-clemson.html
And as for bellamy, you really expect people to believe that your aunt just has 4-5 thousand dollars (in all hundreds) laying around? And that she brought it to the gym for you to take a picture with it? (notice the weight lifting equipment). If I were the NCAA, I'd start digging.
Question about MSU recruiting. With the pick-up on Kings today, they have now taken two RBs. Does that put us in better shape for in-state Norfleet if we are still in need of a RB.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't worry about kings, he doesnt look too impressive, the only good school to offer him a scholarship was wisconsin. As for Norfleet, I would hope we focus on some other recruits before him, he's not to impressive either.
ReplyDeletelalondtm
ReplyDeleteYou're always so skeptical!!!
In South Carolina ATM stands for Athletic Treasury Management....go ahead guys. Start making them up.
thats what I'm here for. To cheer Blue, and try to make everybody else look bad haha
ReplyDeleteI would think that it would put us in a better position for Norfleet, but it doesn't seem likely to me that the coaches would pick up another small back.
ReplyDelete@GBN
ReplyDeleteAny scholarship would be for football..he would then walk on for bball. This is so schools don;t put kids on Academic or lacrosse schollies to get around the 85. If you play football and get money from the university, your counted towards the 85.
Agreed
ReplyDeleteNorfleet wouldn't be my 1st, 2nd, 3rd....... pick just wondering who we do pick up. Would love one Back in this class.
just don't know who we end up with......total mystery
Thanks jfoos.........makes sense but sucks.
ReplyDeleteI would have to say that is a good problem to have!!!
ReplyDeleteArron. Talk about seeming clueless, but 5* recruit will cambell fell victim to bad coaching, and poor recruiting. Not taking OL forced him to move there, where all things considered he did very well. Now he's back on D with Martin next to him with 2 defensive minded coaches, he's going to exel. Cambell is a beast of a man that will have a great career at AA.
ReplyDeleteAs for recruits decommiting, it happens all the time, for whatever reasons, to all teams.
When you recruit your state and surounding states hard (like your supose to), your forced to pick who you want and pass on the other TALENT! Sucks to have to pick and choose only a few but that's how it works. Mac Brown went through this every year. They recruit their state hard and fast, and are not able to take all the 4 & 5*'s that WANT to commit to them! It's always killed me how they have top classes, and damn near all their recruits are from Texas! Every year!! I'm glad we are recruiting with the likes of them.
Bemji must be on holiday.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have much more room in this class.
Thanks for all the informative posts on this class and the state of michigan football. Been following Michigan football for over 30 years and have never seen a class come on like this. Hoke is a miracle worker...
Go Blue!!!
I don't much feel like scrolling up to see who was talking about smaller backs, but I would like to bring Juwan Lewis up again. I believe he's still waiting on an offer but I think he could be a diamond in the rough. He is definately someone who will wait around for U of M and if we have room when all is said and done I think we would take him over norfleet. He's more thunder to go with our current stable of lightning.
ReplyDeleteJut,
ReplyDeleteI know we were talking about him last week and I like that he reminds me of Mike Hart. I agree that we need to look at him if we don't get any of these rock stars jumping on board by NSD.
After watching Lewis's highlight film, he reminds me of Adrian Peterson. The kid breaks tackles with ease and has good acceleration.
ReplyDeleteI know he isn't on our rock star radar but if we don't have what we're looking for closer to NSD.......I like this kid
ReplyDelete@smokey420
ReplyDeleteSmoke another one man. Don't blame Will Campbell on the coaching staff. He came to AA 30lbs overweight and out of football shape. He routinely shows up out of shape after summer.
He is a beast of a man in physical potential but is the definition of laziness. I hope Hoke can figure out a way to light a fire under this kids ass, but blaming RR for his downfalls is not the way to go.
In the spring game, Campbell looked like he was playing in slow motion, and not just because of his size.
ReplyDeleteI was constantly looking for my remote, thinking I was sitting on it, and pressing the slow mo button.
All of the prior comments speak volumes about the kid: "If we can get him to understand the commitment he needs to make".. "We're finally seeing a little more consistent effort".. yada yada.
Goes back to what I've said all along:
Its not how good you are. Its how good you can become. That takes a motor.
To paraphrase Sir Mix a Lot from Baby Got Back:
He aint got no motor in the back of his Honda.
His choice: Get the rear in gear, pronto, or get ready to be a substitute PE teacher in Ypsilanti.
well after reading some background information about Kyle Kellis on this site payperhead I am actually amazed and I gotta say that I am on of his fans now
ReplyDelete