Buckeye Stock Report

It's been a interesting few weeks, as the Buckeyes have suffered a few minor setbacks on the recruiting front. As we draw closer to the start of the football season, the summer recruiting period is wrapping up. We've got the latest on recent commitments, who is shuffling their top schools, and what to expect in the next few weeks.

QB: Terrelle Pryor (Trend: UP)

Virtually all insider reports have the Buckeyes with a significant lead in the race for the nation's #1 player. OSU will have to withstand the official visits, but confidence is as high as it can be for a out-of-state player of caliber.

RB: None

With high four-star athlete Devoe Torrence already locked up, the Buckeyes appear to be keeping their promise of no other backs. Two backs that they offered early in the process, Richard Watson (FL) and Josh Haden (MD) recently committed to Georgia Tech and Boston College respectively. The Buckeyes could have made a play for Watson but simply stopped recruiting him.

WR: Michael Floyd (Trend: UP); Jeff Fuller (Trend: Even); Cordale Scott (Trend: Even); Josh Jarboe (Trend: Even)

Not a lot of movement on the receiver front. Floyd continues to say positive things about OSU, but nothing to sway my prediction of an eventual Notre Dame verbal. Florida is also a player here, so the Bucks face stiff competition for his services. Another elite receiver the Buckeyes are pursuing is Jeff Fuller (TX). The odds are long that Fuller can be swayed to leave the south, but Fuller consistently mentions OSU in his top 5. An official visit could give the Buckeyes a fighting chance.

Glenville's Cordale Scott continues to play it cool - in some interviews he sounds like he's already part of the Buckeye class, and others acts wide open. Some big time programs like USC and Florida seem leery of offering him, assuming he already locked up for OSU. That seems like a safe bet at this point. As a side note, there has been a lot of chatter about Cordale possibly playing defense in college.

TE: Kevin Koger (Trend: Dead to me); Blake Ayles (Trend: Even+)

Lifelong Michigan fan and recent Buckeye lean Kevin Koger recently committed to the Wolverines. You can read the obit here if you want. The defection of Koger leaves the Buckeyes in an odd position at TE. They already have Jake Stoneburner, but most project him as an H-back/WR. As has been widely discussed, TE isn't the most glamorous position at OSU, so they may not make a push beyond Ayles.

Ayles actually visited in mid-July, but the visit was somwhat overshadowed by the Koger drama. OSU fans assumed that Koger would commit and Ayles would fade away. With Koger off the board, the coaches may redouble their efforts. Though Ayles enjoyed his visit, he also enjoyed his visit to Wisconsin. And with offers from Cal, USC, UCLA and Arizona State, pulling him to the midwest seems like a longshot. Look for him to go elsewhere.

OL: Josh Jenkins (Trend: UP+)

The saga continues for Josh Jenkins, the soft commit to homestate West Virginia. After missing the Buckeyes senior camp in late June and causing a semi-riot among fans over a broken car, Jenkins and his Mom made it to C-Bus last week. The four-star guard had a great time and there were some reports that he was close to de-committing from West Virginia. Should Jenkins eventually become a Buckeye, it would solidify this as the best offensive line class in school history. With many months of annoying reports to come, the Jenkins situation is far from over. Should the Buckeyes miss, they will likely search in-state for a suitable fourth lineman. Jerel Worthy could be the guy if academics are in order.

DE: Keith Wells (Trend: Down); Quinton Coples (Trend: Even); Willie Mobley (Trend: UP)

The dream appears near an end for my man-crush Keith Wells, a lightening fast end with freakish athleticism and a great frame. It looks like he'll end up at either Florida State or Florida, with the Seminoles holding the lead. He continues to mention OSU in his top 5, but hasn't made a visit and appears ready to commit before the season. I will have to throw all of my unrequited recruiting love to Jeff Fuller. At least I'm not posting homoerotic track pictures of high school boys yet.

In regards to Coples, it appears that he will let his recruitment play out during the season. OSU faces both the admissions hurdle, along with trying to bring him north to play. The chances are no better than 20% right now, but the good news is that no other school is pulling ahead.

Mobley could technically be listed under the defensive tackle category, as he could play both inside or at SDE. Though he has a large, eclectic list littered with schools all over the country, the Buckeyes remain a constant near the top of his list. He's made a number of recent statements that paint OSU in a positive light, and OSU is hopeful that he will commit before the season. However, official visits seem likely in his case.

DT: Garrett Goebel (Trend: TBD); Justin Thompson (Trend: Even+)

According to our UM blogger, Goebel is "round two" of the UM-OSU recruiting battle this year. Apparently if great players that Michigan wants commit elsewhere early, they don't count. So tee it up for Goebel, who will likely make a decision in the next couple weeks. OSU fans were very confident of their position with Goebel since June, but they were also confident about Koger. Michigan does hold the advantage of being much closer to his home, and some UM insider believe the Wolverines have closed any gap between the two schools. I've still got to think that opportunity and depth chart will give OSU the edge here, but stranger things have happened.

Thompson gets a slight bump beyond even for the chatter about him de-commiting from Miami (FL). It's still somewhat of a longshot, but it does sound like he will make official visits to at least OSU and LSU. Should OSU somehow grab both Goebel and Mobley, Thompson would probably be out of the picture.

LB: Shayne Hale (Trend: Even-); Steven Filer (Trend: Even-); Etinne Sabino (Trend: Even)

Hale receives a minus based on his mighty mouse cousin's proclamation that they'll go to school together. Though refuted that notion in previous interviews, it's hard to ignore that angle. UM may think they hold some type of edge because they're the best school in common on both lists, but doesn't this have the feel of a both heavyweights missing? How can Saddler want to go to a school where he'd be reduced to waterboy? OSU fans might feel good about their chances in a vacuum, but it's going to be a struggle to get Hale.

As for Filer, rarely will a player get a minus after putting your school in his final two. But that's the case with Filer, who is poised to commit to Notre Dame sometime soon. He may have enjoyed his trip to Columbus, but has complained in many articles about how long the trip is. Look for Filer to be a Domer, and Sabino to stay in the Florida or go to USC. Despite being a top prospect, you likely won't see his name on this list next time if his unofficial visit to OSU doesn't blow him away next weekend.

CB: Brandon Harris (Trend: Down); D.J. Woods (Trend: UP)

Harris seems destined for Coral Gables, though Rutgers continues to put up a fight. He would be a luxury for OSU, but it seems less and less likely that he'll make it to an official visit. Pity, as no one puts more quality corners in the NFL than OSU.

On the other hand, Woods finally received his unconditional offer from OSU. Though the Buckeyes immediately leap to the top, don't rule out an SEC school. The Woods family has southern ties, which could be cause for concern among Buckeye fans. He recently received an Auburn offer, and plans to travel to Florida's Friday Night Lights camp. The quicker a commitment the better.

S: Dan McCarthy (Trend: Dead to me); Terrance Parks (Trend: Out); and Darrell Simmons (Trend: New)

McCarthy shocked no one, save for a few mislead insiders, with his selection of Notre Dame on Monday. Maybe he can teach his brother how to play, or join the ND club of toasted defensive backs. Bitter? Nah :)

Terrance Parks also took himself off the market with a commitment to Florida State. The Buckeye sort of fell of his radar, and it doesn't sound like much of a push was made for his services. Not so quitely, Bobby Bowden is putting together a really nice class.

Simmons is a new name to the Buckeye recruiting scene. He has an impressive offer list, with schools like Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami (FL), Michigan, Oklahoma, Tennessee all vying for his services. Alabama is currently his leader, but OSU hopes to get a visit.

ATH: Lamaar Thomas (Trend: UP)

Thomas continues to have great things to say about OSU, who must be considered his leader at this time. The top 100 athlete will be making trips to Florida and Tennessee soon, and those schools will likely make up his final three. Illinois is a darkhorse, given their past success in DC-area recruiting.

Michigan 2008 Football Recruiting- Targets Update

For a detailed introduction to this list, please review to my 2008 Recruiting Overview.

Top 10 Remaining Targeted positions
as of July 20, 2007



Already Wolverines:

CB- B. Cissoko (Det., MI)
OT- D. O’Neil (MI)
OT/OG- E. Mealer (OH)
OG- K. Wermers (IND)
TE- B. Moore (OH)
LB- M. Witherspoon (NJ)
DT- M. Martin (MI)
OG/OC- R. Khoury (MI)
QB – J. Wienke (Ill)
WR – D. Stonum (TX)
QB – S. Threet (MI) – Actually a ’07 recruit that has transferred to UM from GTU
TE – K. Koger (OH)

* Bolded are the guys to really watch

10. DT- Might take one more (a one-gapper) (already have a very good ’09 commit in William Campbell from Det., MI) - G. Goebel (IL) – Will likely chose OSU but would be a good four-star complement to Martin if he goes Blue. C. Henderson (PA) – Does he still have UM in top 2? R. Ellis (DC) - Would be higher on this list but there is not a great chance of a commit. A. Woods (Det., MI) & S. Barnett (IND) (another Warren Central kid- I think we are backing off that school for now b/c of Finch) are also out there. Not a very high priority.

9. FS/CB- J. Holley (PA) – Not feeling very confident with him. Loves the movie Rudy. R. Moore (CA) – He is a soft UCLA commit and he is being recruited as a CB/S for UM and he was offered after the UCLA commit and Ron English is recruiting him (See Donovan Warren) and he has a summer official to UM. M. Anthony (AZ) – Great camp performance got him his offer. I actually like him. Michigan has a chance. A. Bushell (TX) – Probably visiting. Soon could move up this list. R. Green (LA) – Visiting. Soon could move up this list too. L. Green (PA) – Haven’t heard much from him in a while. R. Butler (TX) – Ditto. May take two more in this category.

8. HB- C. Wilson (PA)/LB – Definitely some mutual interest here. I’m starting to feel it.

7. OG- Z. Schlink (AZ) - (probably a 40/60 chance at best). T. Robinson (NE) – Looks like he decommited from Nebraska but who knows where he’ll end up. I’m not very confident. V. Dotsy (CA) - Needs to get in better shape. He’s from ’07 recruit M. Williams’s school which is also ’08 recruit D. Scott’s new school. K. Page (SC) - Longshot. Might take one more here.

6. WR- J. Baldwin (PA) – Rivals referred to him as the next Calvin Johnson. Originally a leader, Michigan is now dealing with ND and others for his services. F. Smith (Det., MI) – catching fire as of late. It’s between UM and MSU. V. Carraway (PA)/S -The ’07 Z. Babb who is being recruited as an athlete. D. Walker (VA) & M. Floyd (MN) – They are top talents who are unlikely to be wolverines but they’ve been offered and are moderately interested. J. Fuller (TX) & S. Johnson (TX) are both moderate to top talents with moderate interest. Will take at least one more here.

5. OT- Looking to take another tackle (one and mostly a LT) from the following list: Z. Sanders (OH) – UM’s #1 OT tackle left on the board. A LT prospect. He probably is going south. D. Pannell (MI)/OG – Probably the camp’s third best not offered coming in lineman. He’s compared with former wolverine R. Riley. J. Bennett (DC) is a backup plan for Sanders.

4. WSDE - S. Hale (PA)/LB - Camp performances indicates DE is the most likely future for him. He is gaining interest in UM and we offered best pal (and cousin) Saddler. K. Middleton (WA)/SSDE/TE - Very tough to get him off the west coast but he really likes UM and so does his HS coach. I’m worried about whether he is truly a WSDE. N.Perry (Det., MI)/LB - I like him a lot and he’s looking like he’ll be a wolverine. More of a “B” option guy. D. Heyman (KEN.) & K. Lewis-Moore (TX) - Both former high targets without new news or any real buzz for a while. J. Jarrett (CA)/SSDE & D. Square (TX)/SSDE– Other names to know who will make fine SSDEs. May take two DEs here.

3. SS- W. Hill (NJ) – Superstar who would be handed the keys to UM’s strong safety position. Who knows with him? He may want warm weather. S. Adams (NC) – A little less than 50% chance at this athletic freak show. B. Smith (NJ) – Michigan looking good for this top 100 player. J. Barbour (AZ) – UM currently is a solid lead for this four-star. There maybe qualifying problems. K. Staley (OK) - A stud but when does UM get OK studs? K. Cooper (TX) - 33% chance at best for this solid player. B. Leslie (CA) – Haven’t heard anything about him in a while. E. Biakabatuka (CAN) – See Leslie comments. May very well take two here.

2. LB- J.B. Fitzgerald (NJ) - A very important target for UM. Probably a MIKE but maybe a SAM. Either way we really need him. Rutgers is the biggest threat. J. Major (CO) - A bit short (6’4” numbers are wrong & exaggerated) but will probably be a great college MIKE and maybe a SAM. S. Filler (ILL) - Could be a SAM or a MIKE also. It looks like ND or OSU for him. Probably ND. His dad is good friends with B. Graham’s dad. A. Brown (KAN) – Tremendous but likely not to be a wolverine. J. Meyers (CONN) - See Beachum comments below but here there’s some positive new news. L. Murray (NY- M. Hart’s school) – Possibly will get an offer. I kind of like him. He could very possibly play SAM. C. Pantale (NJ) – Michigan is recruiting him as an OLB. B. Beachum (OH) – Witherspoon’s commit basically kills UM/Beachum relations? K. Demens (Det., MI) – Now that Michigan’s offered Gray will they finally offer his (short) 4-star teammate? G. Winston (Det., MI)/RB – A physical marvel. Great athlete/great shape. Detroit combine MVP. He could earn a scholarship offer very soon. Will take at least two more LBs.

1. RB- S. McGuffie (TX) - This year’s Ryan Mallett in UM’s eyes. D. Scott (CA) - The best RB in the county is taking an official visit to UM. J. Grey (Det., MI) – Rivals loves him while Scout does not care much due to McGuffie love. 4.37 40-time got him his offer. M. Shaw (OH) - (RB/ATH). He’s another 4-star to look out for. R. Polk (AZ)/ATH – Offeree is a between the tackles type meant to complement McGuffie. C. Saddler (PA)/ATH - Third down back/Returner who was offered to lure S. Hale. Might take two here.

(Photo of Sam McGuffie's thigh - credit unknown)

The Koger Post Mortem

As noted by our Michigan blogger Bill, Michigan won an important recruiting battle this past week. They secured the commitment of top 250 prospect TE/DE Kevin Koger, who chose the Wolverines over the Buckeyes. The Koger decision was somewhat over-hyped for a few reasons:

(1) Michigan has been smacked around by Notre Dame this year and had yet to secure a commitment of a player also offered by OSU. So their fans were hungry for a head-to-head win;

(2) Koger had become a target of the "Brew Crew", as Mike Adams, DeVier Posey and number verbals had been working to secure his commitment;

(3) Unlike recruits that lean one way most of the process, Koger seemed like he genuinely changed his mind a few times. He grew up a Michigan fan in a UM household and was thought to be a lock early on. But after a few very successful Columbus visits, insiders for both teams conceded that OSU was in the lead. Obviously that would not be enough;

(4) The drawn out decision, days after visits to both schools, was a recruiting site's dream. Psychotic members pounding the refresh button whenever possible to get updates like, "Guys, I've just called the Koger residence for the ninth time today. Kevin was not home, but I can tell you he played some NCAA Football '08 today. His sister couldn't tell me what team he used, but I'm starting to like our chances." Great stuff, eh?

(5) Ohio hates losing Ohio kids, even though Toledo and Cincinnati shouldn't really count. This makes three kids from Ohio to verbal to Michigan, making the victory especially sweet for UM. Did you know Ohio and Michigan actually fought a war over Toledo? True story...but why?

So this soap opera ends with a win for the little boys in blue. A few closing comments...I found it interesting that Koger mentioned in multiple interviews that he would get the ball more often at Michigan. It's not an unfair statement, though OSU has hardly had world class TE talent the past few years. Above average tight end combined with first round talent at wide receiver will certain reduce the balls headed your way. But what interest me is how much harping the UM coaches did on this issue. I have no idea, but it wouldn't be the first time this season that Coach Carr and his staff "highlighted" the UM program by talking about a possible negative at OSU. My blogger buddy disagrees, so perhaps we can get a more robust debate on this topic later this year.

This also qualifies as the first bad week for OSU recruiting efforts this week. On Monday they missed on Mooney S Dan McCarthy, who picked Notre Dame to the surprise of no one. Well, perhaps the surprise of Michigan insiders who thought the Domers were out of it. With the loss of Koger, OSU has no whiffed on an entire class of in-state TE's: Rudolph and Koger (offered), Moore and DiLillo (not offered). It will be interesting to see how they bounce back.

Koger is a Wolverine

TE Kevin Koger chose Michigan over Ohio State today. Koger grew up a Michigan fan and his dad was a maize and blue fan as well. Residing from the border war city of Toledo, Ohio, Koger was rated as a four-star recruit by both Scout and Rivals. Scout currently has him just outside their top 100. A freaky athlete, Koger joins fellow four-star TE Brandon Moore (also from Ohio) in making this year the best TE recruiting season Michigan has had in a long time (if not ever). Koger also can play TE but he has made it known that TE is where he wants to be and Michigan obliged him and recruited him as a TE. Michigan's TE depth chart for the last two recruting years is now as follows:

*Martell Webb- 4 Star

*Steve Watson- 3 Star

*Brandon Moore- 4 Star

*Kevin Koger- 4 Star

Decision Day?

There could be some recruiting fireworks in the next 24 hours, as two top Ohio prospects are poised to make their college choices. Tight End Kevin Koger of Whitmer could make the call at any moment, with Ohio State and Michigan squaring off in a classic recruiting showdown. Koger grew up a Michigan fan in a Wolverine household, but the Buckeyes have made a strong push. Koger has bonded with the incoming OSU class and was impressed by the Buckeye facilities, possibly giving them a slight edge. But Koger visited Michigan last Thursday, and a positive visit seemed to even the playing field. Koger will just be calling the coaches - no press conference or event is scheduled. He indicated that might take place on Sunday, but no news has filtered out. Obviously the longer this goes on, the better it is for Michigan. I still put it at 51/49 for the Buckeyes.

The other announcement set for today is Cardinal Mooney safety Danny McCarthy. McCarthy narrowed his list to Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan and Stanford. There have been conflicting reports from "insiders" - some have him going to Notre Dame, others have it down to OSU and Michigan. I've blogged on many occasions that McCarthy will head to South Bend, and I see no reason to change that predictions. I think the Buckeyes come in a close second here; the McCarthy family loves Jim Tressel and they believe OSU has a better shot at a national title. But in the end, the chance to play with his brother and go to Notre Dame will be too much to pass up. Ohio State could complete whiff on the talented Mooney team that includes McCarthy, Mike Zordich, Beandon Beachum and Taylor Hill. The latter were not offered and not appear to be waiting for an OSU offer. It's not the end of the world, but if OSU missed on Mooney junior DT John Simon, there will be rioting.

Of Ohio State's remaining targets, DT Garrett Goebel could also decide in the next few weeks. Michigan and OSU are his top two, but West Virginia and Illinois are still under consideration. Virtually all of the other recruits will wait until the season starts to give their verbal commitment.

(photo by Bucknuts.com)

Everything's Just Fine With Arrington

Fourth-year junior WR Adrian Arrington was considered by Michigan fans as The Marquise Walker to Mario Manningham's David Terrell. By that I mean he was slightly less talented than Mario but still an all-Big 10 caliber WR who has very good size (6'3" and 190 lbs.), decent speed, good hands, and runs good routs. Also, while he may not be the break away TD threat that Mario is, Adrian is definitely still a long TD threat and he proved that last year (2007 #s = 40 catches for 544 yards and 8 touchdowns). On most downs however, Adrian is the talented "possession" receiver in one of America's best receiving duos. Furthermore, Adrian is a high quality well rounded receiver so if Manningham ever gets hurt Adrian can step into the #1 receiver role without wolverine fans getting very worried. This will definitely be evidenced next year if and when Mario leaves early for the NFL. Remember, David Terrell had the most receiving yards when he and Marquise were juniors (1,130 yrds) but then Terrell went pro and Walker stayed and put up even more yards (1,143 yrds) during his senior campaign. Coming out of high school Adrian was a solid 4 star top 100 recruit.

However, over the winter Adrian received "strike two" for misbehavior and he was suspended from the team for spring ball. He had to be at Michigan stadium every morning 7 days a week at 6:00 a.m.to run the stairs. Now though, Adrian has been cleared to work out with the team throughout the summer (also, he has been at every recent team function such as Lloyd Carr's wash) and he will be fully back with the team for the fall and the '07 season. It looks like he will suffer no further punishment and he will be in the starting line-up for game one. This is provided he keeps up the good behavior and doesn't get "strike three". If that were to happen...

Additionally, Adrian has been a team leader and very focused since the unfortuante incident and as a result of his punishment it is being said that he is in as good of shape as anyone on the team. So maybe this story will have a happy ending.

Michigan 2008 Football Recruiting- Targets Update

* Pictured is Sam McGuffie leaping and flipping over J.B. Shugarts of OSU

MICHIGAN FOOTBALL
2008 RECRUITING

Top 11 Remaining Targeted positions
as of July 15, 2007

Already Wolverines:

CB- B. Cissoko (Det., MI)
OT- D. O’Neil (MI)
OT/OG- E. Mealer (OH)
OG- K. Wermers (IND)
TE- B. Moore (OH)
LB- M. Witherspoon (NJ)
DT- M. Martin (MI)
OG/OC- R. Khoury (MI)
QB – J. Wienke (Ill)
WR – D. Stonum (TX)
QB – S. Threet (MI) – Actually a ’07 recruit that has transferred to UM from GTU

* Bolded are the guys to really watch

11. DT- Might take one more (a one-gapper) (already have a very good ’09 commit in William Campbell from Det., MI) - G. Goebel (IL) – Will likely chose OSU but would be a good four-star complement to Martin if he goes Blue. C. Henderson (PA) – Does he still have UM in top 2? R. Ellis (DC) - Would be higher on this list but there is not a great chance of a commit. A. Woods (Det., MI) & S. Barnett (IND) (another Warren Central kid- I think we are backing off that school for now b/c of Finch) are also out there. Not a very high priority.
10. FS/CB- J. Holley (PA) – Not feeling very confident with him. Loves the movie Rudy. R. Moore (CA) – He is a soft UCLA commit and he is being recruited as a CB/S for UM and he was offered after the UCLA commit and Ron English is recruiting him (See Donovan Warren) and he has a summer official to UM. M. Anthony (AZ) – Great camp performance got him his offer. I actually like him. A. Bushell (TX) – Probably visiting. Soon could move up this list. R. Green (LA) – Visiting. Soon could move up this list too. L. Green (PA) – Haven’t heard much from him in a while. R. Butler (TX) – Ditto. May take two more in this category.
9. HB- C. Wilson (PA)/LB – Definitely some mutual interest here. I’m starting to feel it.
8. TE- K. Koger (OH)/DE – A 50% chance of being a wolverine but trending Buckeye. H. Graham (PA) – UM still in it. No news recently. D. Jordan (AZ)/WR, T. Edwards (LA) & B. Ayles (CA) are not likely to be wolverines but are very good and have been offered and have some interest. UM’s best chance is with Jordan. C. Pantale (NJ) – He is coming on, has interest, and I like him. Will take one more.
7. OG- Z. Schlink (AZ) - (probably a 40/60 chance at best). T. Robinson (NE) – Looks like he decommited from Nebraska but also looks like he’ll now choose ND over UM. V. Dotsy (CA) - Needs to get in better shape. He’s from ’07 recruit M. Williams’s school which is also ’08 recruit D. Scott’s new school. K. Page (SC) - Longshot. Might take one more here.
6. WR- J. Baldwin (PA) – Rivals referred to him as the next Calvin Johnson. Michigan is now trailing ND for his services. Recruiting is opening up. F. Smith (Det., MI) – catching fire as of late. V. Carraway (PA)/S -The ’07 Z. Babb who is being recruited as an athlete. D. Walker (VA) & M. Floyd (MN) – They are top talents who are unlikely to be wolverines but they’ve been offered and are moderately interested. J. Fuller (TX) & S. Johnson (TX) are both moderate to top talents with moderate interest. Will take at least one more here.
5. OT- Looking to take another tackle (one and mostly a LT) from the following list: Z. Sanders (OH) – UM’s #1 OT tackle left on the board. A LT prospect. D. Pannell (MI)/OG – Probably the camp’s third best not offered coming in lineman. Compared with former wolverine R. Riley. M. Lipski (OR) - A fat guy I don’t like. J. Bennett (DC) is a backup plan for Sanders.
4. WSDE - S. Hale (PA)/LB - Camp performances indicates DE is the most likely future for him. He is gaining interest in UM and we offered best pal (and cousin) Saddler. K. Middleton (WA)/SSDE/TE - Very tough to get him off the west coast but he really likes UM and so does his HS coach. I’m worried about whether he is truly a WSDE. N.Perry (Det., MI)/LB - I like him a lot and he’s looking like he’ll definitely be a wolverine. More of a “B” option guy. D. Heyman (KEN.) & K. Lewis-Moore (TX) - Both former high targets without new news or any real buzz for a while. J. Jarrett (CA)/SSDE & D. Square (TX)/SSDE– Other names to know. May take two DEs here.
3. SS- W. Hill (NJ) – Superstar who would be handed the keys to UM’s strong safety position. Who knows with him? May want warm weather. S. Adams (NC) – A little less than 50% chance at this athletic freak show. B. Smith (NJ) – Michigan looking good for this top 100 player. J. Barbour (AZ) – UM currently is a solid lead for this four-star. K. Staley (OK) - A stud but when does UM get OK studs? K. Cooper (TX) - 33% chance at best for this solid player. B. Leslie (CA) – Haven’t heard anything about him in a while. E. Biakabatuka (CAN) – See Leslie comments. May very well take two here.
2. LB- J.B. Fitzgerald (NJ) - Same positions as Filer but probably more likely to be a wolverine. Filler is a bit higher rated nationally. S. Filer (IL) - Could be a SAM or a MIKE. Both are badly needed. It looks like ND or OSU for him. His dad is good friends with B. Graham’s dad. J. Major (CO) - A bit short (6’4” numbers are wrong & exaggerated) but will probably be a great college MIKE and maybe a SAM. A. Brown (KAN) – Tremendous but likely not to be a wolverine. B. Beachum (OH) – Witherspoon’s commit basically kills UM/Beachum relations? K. Demens (Det., MI) – Now that Michigan’s offered Gray will they finally offer his (short) 4-star teammate? J. Meyers (CONN) - See Beachum comments but here there’s some positive new news. L. Murray (NY- M. Hart’s school) – Possibly will get an offer. I kind of like him. Could very possibly play SAM. G. Winston (Det., MI)/RB – A Mike Martin-type. Great athlete/great shape who can earn a scholarship offer very soon. Will take at least two more LBs.
1. RB- S. McGuffie (TX) - This year’s Ryan Mallett in UM’s eyes. D. Scott (CA) - The best RB in the county is taking an official visit to UM. J. Grey (Det., MI) – Rivals loves him while Scout does not care much due to McGuffie love. 4.37 40-time got him his offer. M. Shaw (OH) - (RB/ATH). He’s another 4-star to look out for. R. Polk (AZ)/ATH – Recipient of a recent offer is a between the tackles type meant to complement McGuffie. C. Saddler (PA)/ATH - Third down back/Returner who was offered to lure S. Hale. Might take two here.

* Guys like Anthony Hollis (MI) and D.J. Woods (OH) are all over the map here and are not on the list because big uncertainty of offer + no idea of interest level. They come from many states not just Michigan and Ohio.