Breaking Down Michigan's Spot In Scout 300 List

Over the past few weeks, we have been breaking down the class rankings from the major recruiting services.  We have already done ESPN, Rivals, and 247Sports, so now it's finally time to break down Scout.  I would go into breakdowns of each recruit as we did in our 247Sports post, but it's kind of pointless since we did that post less than a week ago.  If you want to find out more info about each recruit than listed, I suggest either checking out the 247Sports post linked above, or check out our Football Recruiting page.


So let's get into Scout's list of the Top 300 players in the country for the 2013 recruiting class.  As usual, there were a few rankings that made little sense, but there were also some that seemed to fit pretty logically.  Along with this, there were plenty of players that were pretty clearly over or underrated both of Michigan's commits and recruits on other teams or uncommitted.  Regardless, let's just look at the rankings and see how Michigan's commits and targets placed:

Michigan's 2013 Top 247 Comprehensive List

Michigan has already been well represented on the ESPN150 and the Rivals250 and now they're done a great job at getting on the 247Sports list of the Top 247 recruits in the country.  There are certainly some head-scratching rankings on the list, but Michigan did pretty well with a total of 13 commitments and two targets appearing on the list.

COMMITS

21. Shane Morris (QB)

This marks another list where Michigan's only 2013 quarterback commitment finds himself as the highest ranked commit for Michigan.  He has been playing fantastic and actually won MVP honors at the Columbus Elite 11 camp where he earned a bid to play in the National Elite 11 competition.  Another thing to note is that Morris is now the highest rated 4* on 247Sports' list, which means that if he stays where he is right now, the odds are really good that he will be given 5* status soon.At 6'3", 190 pounds, Shane Morris is primarily a pocket passer, although he has shown the ability to move around in the pocket if need be. Most analysts refer to Morris as having the strongest arm in his class. The only major concern I can see at this point is accuracy. Through the Elite 11 process, Morris has shown streaks of brilliance in delivering the ball on a string, but he needs to work on making that a consistent outcome. He has the arm strength to put the ball just about wherever he wants it. 


Other Notable Offers: Alabama, Cincinnati, Michigan State.

Updated ESPN150, Michigan Continues to Dominate

The Wolverines continue to dominate the 2013 recruiting class with players like Shane Morris, David Dawson, and Logan Tuley-Tillman. Michigan has 11 commits in the newest updated ESPN150 list, and now we break them down.

32. Shane Morris (QB)
It's no surprise that Shane Morris is still the top 2013 recruit for the Wolverines. As the first big-time recruit at QB for Brady Hoke, Morris has already made a loud name for himself by winning MVP honors at the Columbus Elite 11 camp. Everyone is very excited to get this kid on campus, and it's easy to see why.

At 6'3", 190 pounds, Shane Morris is primarily a pocket passer, although he has shown the ability to move around in the pocket if need be. Most analysts refer to Morris as having the strongest arm in his class. The only major concern I can see at this point is accuracy. Through the Elite 11 process, Morris has shown streaks of brilliance in delivering the ball on a string, but he needs to work on making that a consistent outcome. He has the arm strength to put the ball just about wherever he wants it.

Other Notable Offers: Alabama, Cincinnati, Michigan State.

Michigan Scores Big In New Rivals Rankings

Alright everybody, first thing's first, I gotta apologize for my "non-existence" as of late. The Navy is crazy demanding and I've been tied up with handling business as far as that goes.  But I'm back and I know I'm late to the party, but as many of you may know the updated Rivals 250 is out! Michigan debuts at #1 in the team rankings for the 2013 recruiting class. But where do the "experts" have our commits at? Well I'll tell you and then I'll let you know what I think about it.

At the tops of the list for Michigan commits is QB Shane Morris at #22. He actually moved down, which confused me.  Max Browne is the only QB commit ranked ahead of him.  I've seen highlight tape from Browne and Morris and I gotta be honest, Shane has a better arm and is more athletic. Now, some could say I'm biased because Shane is commited to Michigan and Browne to USC, but there is a clear difference in the tape. If you watched it, you would feel the same way.  Shane is ranked as a 4 star right now and close to a 5 star (according to Rivals) but in my eyes say he's a 5 star.  This is a recruit that fans should be familiar with and if not, they need to get familiar with him before he arrives on campus.

Next on the list is LB Mike McCray coming in at #55.  Mike is one of many commits that Coach Hoke and co. have "poched" out of ohio haha.  At 6'4" and 230 pounds he will be a beast at LB, and him coming in along with 2012 LB commits he goes along way towards improving a much improved defense from 2011.  Mike was recently in the news when he received an offer from rival "Ohio."  As many of us know, Mike is very close with fellow commit Logan Tulley-Tillman.  We all know about LTT haha.  Some speculated that the Buckeyes were trying to break them up but Mike reassured us all that he is firmly commited to Michigan.  He is ranked as a 4 star as well.  He won MVP honors at the NFTC camp earlier this summer and I believe is very close to a 5 star talent.  Let's see if the experts agree with me as the year goes on.

Chris Fox.  Right behind McCray coming in at #57.  Big time Offensive Tackle out of Colorado coming in at 6'6" 297 pounds.  Brady Hoke is a defensive line coach and we all know how much he believes in winning in the trenches.  Well, Mr. Fox is one of many commits between 2012 and 2013 that is going towards rebuilding the dominance that we are all accustom to Michigan having on the offensive line.  Chris is also a 4 star according to Rivals and is one of many reasons I am excited to see Michigan moving towards what used to be a smashmouth run it down your throat style of offense. I'm sure touted QB commit Shane Morris has no problem with the great talent coming in at offensive line.

#73 is Patrick Kugler.  Monster offensive tackle and son of Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line coach Sean Kugler he defintely knows what he's doing playing offensive line.  Patrick is a 4 star according to Rivals and comes in at 6'5" 280 pounds.  The experts all say he has a mean streak but also is very technically sound.  Well why wouldn't he be his father is the line coach for the Steelers and let's face it for many years they have been the blueprint for how to play line in the NFL.  The amazing technique would be enough for me but when you throw in the fact that he has a mean streak oh man just makes it that much better.  I love the offensive line haul and Kugler just makes it that much better.

Kyle Bosch comes in at #77.  You guessed it he's another awesome offensive line commit for Michigan.  He adds to the plethera of linemen commits for Brady Hoke at 6'5" 285 pounds he's another big guy on this line.  I'm not saying the offensive line has been horrible but definitely been a bit undersized and Kyle helps add to the bulking up of the line and getting back to Michigan football.  Kyle is a 4-star according to Rivals and is another reason why Michigan debuts with the #1 recruiting class for 2013.  I love me some smashmouth in your face football and I am excited to see Kyle in maize and blue.

Dymonte Thomas at #95.  Now he is also a 4-star and he along with Shane Morris is really the foundation for this amazing class.  He and Shane are the first two commits and don't get me wrong I love Morris but Dymonte is my favorite commit in this class.  Personally I love a badass ball hawking safety that makes plays and will flat lay you out.  Dymonte has put in pretty decent work at RB but he really excels at safety.  At 6'1" 175 pounds he's got good size and with the improvement of the secondary from a year go Dymonte will fight right in when he arrives on campus.  He's ranked 9th at the position but to me he is underrated.  He along with many other Michigan commits will show why. 

TE Jake Butt is ranked #118.  I was real excited when Jaked pledged his commitment.  With Kevin Koger leaving we could definitely use another great TE.  These guys are safety blankets for QB's and are great weapons in the red zone.  Jakie is a 4-star and at 6'6" 230 pounds he will be exactly what I said he is going to be and that's a weapon in the red zone.  He can go up and get the ball, also has great speed and hands.  He is incredibly tough to matchup with for defenders because let's face it at 6'6" he's too tall for corners or safeties and he's too quick for linebackers.  I love this kid's game and he is going to prosper very well being on the opposite end of Shane Morris' passes.

CB Jourdan Lewis comes in at #147.  Jourdan has been blowing up lately with his performances at summer camps.  One of many reasons is his speed.  This kid can flat out fly and I love it.   Jourdan is out of Michigan pipeline Detroit Cass Tech and we all know the type of talent that comes out of there.  He's 5'11" and 170 pounds also rated at a 4-star.  He's rated 10th at his position and I believe he could be a Blake Countess type of talent.  Let's face it he's still got his senior year to develop before he even steps on campus.  I'm very excited for another cornberback with good size and speed to arrive in Ann Arbor.

Monster Guard David Dawson is rated at #171.  As David's twitter name is at MrUnderrated, it definitely fits because let's face it...171?  That's insane in my opinion.  He has dominated every camp that he has been to this summer.  He's rated as a 4-star and is another great product of Detroit Cass Tech.  At 6'5" and 305 pounds he's a beast on the line and literally manhandles defensive linemen.  At the NFTC he won MVP honors and dominated everyone he went up against including touted Ohio commit Billy Price.  Mr. Dawson has made quite the commotion on twitter but let's face it this kid has been through alot and I believe has handled himself very well.  Some people have had him on "decommit watch" but I certainly was not one of them.  He has said on many occasions that he is a Michigan man and I believe him.  Great kid and great talent and another amazing addition to a great offensive line.

Taco Charlton is ranked #175.  Along with Mr. Dawson I believe Taco is underrated.  He has been camping alot this summer and everyone raves about his superior speed off the edge and for good reason.  He has been unblockable in one-on-one drills.  He's another ohio guy and at 6'6" 240 pounds, rated as a 4-star he's a speedy defensive end and has amazing speed off the edge.  Guys seem to have a lot of trouble with his speed.  It's been a while since Michigan has had an "elite" pass rusher and I believe Taco may be it.  Rivals has him rated 8th at his position but let's face it, Taco is a great player and will only continue to improve this summer and in his senior year of high school before coming to Ann Arbor.

#182 is versatile player Wyatt Shallman.  Playing DE and RB for Detroit Catholic Central this kid is a monster.   He's rated 8th at his position but at 6'3" 255 pounds have fun tackling him.  Wyatt is a 4-star and is a freakish athlete.  Being able to play both sides of the ball is very important to me.  For one, it shows that he has great endurance and durability, but also has great football smarts having to be knowledgeable in two positions.  Playing RB and DE I believe helps him at both positions.  I'm excited for Wyatt's arrival at Michigan and as good as he is now, he will only be better next year.

#235 Logan Tuley-Tillman and at 6'7" 321 pounds we don't really need to talk about Logan's physical attributes.  I think he's gotten a low rating because of not so good performances at camps this summer, but he has had a bum left shoulder, which has definitely taken its toll on him.  However, I like the fact that he still goes out there and competes and still does a pretty good job, even if he's not 100%.  He's a 4-star and ranked 24th at his position according to Rivals.  If you don't know about Logan on the field, I'm sure many of you do off the field.  There has been a lot of media uproar over his picture on twitter of lighting the Ohio recruiting letter on fire.  Personally, I love what he did, being a Michigan fan myself.  This is the greatest rivalry in sports and he's just adding to it.  He didn't do anything wrong and I think the way many Ohio fans are reacting to him and the things they are saying to him are way inappropriate and uncalled for. Keep doing your thing Logan.  When he gets back to being 100% I belive he will dominate camps and improve on his low ranking.

At #237 is Ben Gedeon.  4-star LB out of you guessed it, Ohio.  Another amazing pick up for Brady Hoke Ben is 6'3" 215 pounds and is another two way player.  Is a pretty darn good RB but Michigan has definitely brought him in for his great skills at LB.  Along with Mike McCray Ben is a great prospect at linebacker and will do wonders for revamping this always improving Michigan defense.

Alright so there's all the Michigan commits in the newly updated Rivals 250.  In my "expert" opinion haha, Michigan has a lot of underrated recruits.  Outsiders looking in could say, oh you're just biased because you love Michigan.  You're right I do love Michigan, but I'm not biased.  Check the tape people.  Michigan has the #1 recruiting class in the nation for a reason.  I definitely think there are people missing such as Deveon Smith the #1 rated running back in Ohio...where is he at?  I would take Morris over Max Browne any day of the week and he even qualified for the Elite 11 finals before Browne did, yet Morris is still rated lower. C'mon man!  Michigan commits have always received low rankings especially on the expert sites.  David Dawson holds offers from every major program in the country  yet he's rated #171.  Something is up.  I'm not questioning the knowledge of the guys at Rivals, but I definitely think the Michigan commits' standings will be changing over the summer and the following year.  Even with the disrespect they are still the #1 class in the country right now and should be for a long time.

Michigan's 2013 Recruiting Class Ranked #1 In The Nation

Photo Credit: iSports

Everybody had been wondering where Michigan's 2013 recruiting class would be ranked when the first set of rankings were released.  Well, Michigan fans got what they wanted.  Two of the four recruiting sites have ranked Michigan's 2013 recruiting class as #1 in the nation.  Scout released their rankings today and had Michigan slotted #1 and closely followed by Texas.  Texas has a great class so far with 14 verbal commitments and 11 of those commits being ranked as a 4* or higher.  The other recruiting service that has released team rankings so far, 247sports, also has Michigan ranked above Texas for the #1 spot in the country.  247 have Texas with a higher average score than Michigan, but because Michigan has already secured 17 verbal commitments, 247 has put Michigan as #1 in the country.

These type of rankings can be very exciting for fans, but it's important to keep it in perspective.  Being ranked as the #1 recruiting class, or extremely high for that matter, doesn't guarantee any on-field results.  It surely builds momentum for the program and increases their odds for winning later on, but teams like Notre Dame and USC have been ranked very high in the rankings for the last 5 or so years and haven't been able to accomplish much.  Obviously, USC has had some unusual circumstances, but that's the reality of college football.  You may do all the right things on the recruiting trail, but it's not going to guarantee success in the long run.

Having said that, this is still a pretty big accomplishment for Michigan.  Obviously, the recruiting classes are not wrapped up and there is a long way to go before the final rankings are released, but this shows the great start Michigan has gotten this year.  With Michigan's 17 commits, it's estimated by most that Michigan will be looking to take 5-7 more recruits in this class.  With Michigan in position to land some big-time recruits like Ty Isaac and Henry Poggi, I don't think there's any doubt that Michigan will finish near the top, if not #1 for the 2013 class.  Especially with some big performances from some of Michigan's recruits like Shane Morris and those invited to the competition in Columbus last weekend.

I bring up last weekend's events because they're just a hint of what this class could become over the next few months.  A lot of players have been underrated and will likely be moved up on the recruiting boards in the near future.  For instance, there's a ton of speculation that Shane Morris, Dymonte Thomas, Chris Fox, and David Dawson could move up to receive 5* status by time the class is finished.  Since many recruiting sites don't give out a lot of 5* ratings until the end of the recruiting year, there are still some recruits on Michigan's roster that could be moved up.

Obviously, some players in Texas or other school's classes could move up as well, but if you look at the number of 5* rankings sites like Rivals and Scout handed out last year and where players like Shane Morris are slotted, I would be very surprised if they didn't move up.  This won't do much to change the quality of the player Michigan will actually be getting on campus, but it does help Michigan in trying to secure the #1 class for 2013.  Like I said, being ranked #1 doesn't guarantee anything on the field, but it does give a lot of momentum to the program and may attractive other potential recruits, which could make the 2013 or 2014 classes even stronger.  With these kind of developments, there's not a lot of doubt that this could be a historic class for the Wolverines.

Get to Know Su'a Cravens

Total. Beast. I could probably end this analysis on him there. Seriously, this kid is amazing.

Cravens is a consensus 5* safety from Murrieta, CA. He stands 6’1” and 205 pounds. Rivals ranks him 5th overall in the nation and he has over 30 offers from all over the country. Offers include Michigan, Florida, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Stanford, and USC. Normally, it’s pretty rare for a California kid to choose Michigan, but with Coach Hoke at the helm, things could be different. Hoke landed 4* offensive tackle Erik Magnuson in 2012 because of their prior relationship when Hoke was at SDSU. Hoke has a connection with California kids, and this could help when pursing a player like Cravens. Of course it’s exceptionally difficult to get West Coast kids to Ann Arbor, but it’s not impossible. 

There a few reasons we would be able to lure someone like Cravens to Ann Arbor. First of all, like I said above, we have the Hoke factor. I would not be surprised if at least one player for the 2013 class is from the West Coast. Coach Hoke realizes that although he made some great connections while coaching in the West Coast, it’s a different story now that he’s at Michigan. All the athletes that were once interested because of him are now doubly interested because he coaches at Michigan. This could be a big help going forward. Another West Coast offer we’ve given out for the 2013 class is 5* LB Michael Hutchings out of Concord, CA, who happens to have a high interest in Michigan. Like I’ve said, Hoke has a West Coast connection. 

Secondly, since Michigan already has their safety of the future in Dymonte Thomas, Cravens is being offered as a running back. This may sound surprising, since he’s such an excellent safety, but Cravens is an excellent athlete in general. Being offered as a running back is something I’m sure intrigues him. It’s something different, it’s new, and it’s a challenge. Granted, I’m not sure if any other school has offered him at another position. However, Dymonte Thomas has been our safety commit for some time now, and it’s quite known the coaches were only planning on taking one safety. Cravens is athletic enough that if he were to bulk up, he could play weakside linebacker too. Honestly, he could probably be listed as an “athlete” on most sites considering the array of positions he is capable of playing. 

The last reason is that Cravens actually has shown some interest in Michigan. Although his “top-3” consisted of USC, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, those were given almost 3 months ago. He’s gotten tons of offer since then. He has also said himself that Michigan intrigues him enough to want to take an official visit. “I’m looking at TV coverage, a school that is a championship contender, and a school with strong academics,” he said. Well, come on down Mr. Cravens. And we know what can happen when a recruit gets on campus...

Get to Know Dymonte Thomas

Most of the talk over the past week has been concerning Michigan’s unprecedented 8-commit haul, and rightly so. However, Wolverine Nation should be very acquainted with the two who started it all. I wrote an article earlier this week on Shane Morris, Michigan’s 1st commit of the 2013 class. You can read that here. Today I’m going to introduce you all to Dymonte Thomas, Michigan’s 2nd commit of the 2013 class and our safety of the future. 

Thomas is a 4* safety out of Alliance, OH. He stands 6’1” and 175 pounds. He runs a 4.5 and is said to be one of the most impressive athletes out of Ohio for the class of 2013. He is also one of the fastest players in his class in the midwest. Rivals ranks Thomas 77th in the nation. Thomas was offered a scholarship by almost every B1G school (including Ohio) and also Notre Dame. Coach Hoke is making sure the trend he began in 2012, trying to get the best recruits out of Ohio to come to Michigan, still continues. In fact, Thomas is one of four commits from the state of Ohio for the class of 2013. He is the only one, however, with an Ohio offer. 

The Michigan coaching staff is so confident in Thomas's ability that there is very little chance they try to get another safety to commit. 

He was kind enough to answer a couple of my questions and I thought I’d share his answers with you all! 

Me: You and Shane were the first to commit to Team 134. How does it feel to know that there are 10 new members to your family, added just in the last few weeks?

Dymonte: It feels great. We were alone at first, and a little worried, but now I feel pretty good about our 2013 class. We picked up a few studs that will help us. 

Me: What are you most excited for when you come to Michigan? Rooming with your QB, learning from Coach Mattison, or something else?

Dymonte: I was pumped to hear that Shane wanted to room with me. I also wanted Coach Mattison to take me under his wing and help me become a better player and eventually reach my goal of [playing in the] NFL. Also the fans make me pretty happy too; they show us so much love.

Me: You are one of 4 commits, thus far, that are from the state of Ohio. The last coaching staff didn’t focus too much on recruiting the state of Ohio, but you can tell it is one of Coach Hoke’s priorities. How do you think this will play out in the future and continue to play out this year? Is the border open again?

Dymonte: Ya, it’s open. It’s because everyone knows that Michigan is back. 

Well, there you have it guys. Short and sweet. Michigan is back.

Michigan Signees and Targets Receive Prestigious Ohio Award

The Buckeye Blue Chip Award is a prestigious award given to 20 of the top Ohio high school seniors and 10 of the top Ohio underclassmen. It is selected by the Touchdown Club of Columbus. The 2011 recipient list includes Michigan 2013 targets and also 2012 commits. Quite an impressive list, actually! 

2012 Signees:

1. OL Kyle Kalis

2. DE Tom Strobel

3. DE Chris Wormley

2013 Commits/Recruits:

1. S Dymonte Thomas (Commit)

2. TE Jake Butt

3. DE Taco Charlton

4. LB Ben Gedeon

5. DT Billy Price

This is a pretty long list and quite impressive as this award is awarded only to Ohio athletes. Michigan has a legitimate shot at all of the 2013 recruits on this list.

Past Michigan athletes who have won this award include DE Jibreel Black, RB Fitzgerald Toussaint, TE Kevin Koger, TE Brandom Moore, and WR Mario Manningham. 

Khalid Hill Commits to Michigan

Coach Hoke and Co. have wasted no time in order to secure another top-10 recruiting class for 2013. The Wolverines’ latest commit, tight end prospect Khalid Hill out of Detroit/Crockett, is the third commit for the class. Hill visited Michigan on Monday, February 6th, quickly received an offer from Coach Hoke and promptly committed about 20 minutes later. Now there’s a Michigan Man. It was a smart decision, in my opinion, as coveted 2013 commit Shane Morris (@S_Morris12) recently tweeted, “If you wanna be a part of the 2013 class...you better hop on soon!” He makes a good point. It seems as though the coaching staff wants to have another strong class committed relatively early, quite like the 2012 class. 

Hill fulfills a great position of need as the coaches have said multiple times that one of their biggest priorities for 2013 will be the tight end position. Luckily for them, 2013 is set to have a group of the most talented tight ends in some time. Offers are also out to tight ends Adam Breneman (Camp Hill, PA/Cedar Cliff), Jacob Matuska (Columbus, OH/Bishop Hartley), and Jake Butt (Pickerington, OH/Pickerington North). Butt, an early 4-star, currently has Michigan firmly as his #1.

Hill claims he had a feeling Michigan would offer, but wasn’t sure what to expect on his visit. 

"I was in a meeting with Brady Hoke, talking about stuff, and he said, ‘you  know you have a full ride scholarship to Michigan.’ I was like, ‘huh, what’d you just say?’ I started smiling. It was great."

The 6-foot-3, 223-pound tight end grew up a Michigan fan, and said he didn’t need much time to mull over his decision. He is a 4.0 student and plans on majoring in Engineering. Like I said, a Michigan Man. He is set to be one of the top prospects out of the state of Michigan for the 2013 class. Hill’s coach, Rod Oden says Hill has great “versatility.” He caught 29 passes for 448 yards and six touchdowns as a junior, and also chipped in 55 tackles and six sacks at DE. Some analysts even project him as a great H-Back. His coach explained Hill’s versatility in some depth. 

"He’s a great pass catcher. He has the blocking ability of a lineman, the athletic ability of a skill guy, and the hands of a wide receiver, so he’s a match-up nightmare. What he brought to the table for us this year was...he created mismatches down seams of the field."

Hill joins quarterback Shane Morris (Warren, MI/De La Salle) and defensive back Dymonte Thomas (Alliance, OH/Marlington) as the third Wolverines commit for the 2013 class. 




Photo Credit: Rivals