More Drama With The 2013 Class?

Well as I'm sitting here in southern Maryland weathering hurricane Sandy, I figured I would talk about what seems to be an impending storm in recruiting for the 2013 class for Michigan.  I won't speak much about it, but there is some more drama with David Dawson.  If you haven't heard by now (you must live under a rock), but Michigan and Dawson decided to part ways a short time ago.  It seemed to be that Florida was in the driver's seat, but now that's not the case, or at least according to Dawson. 

Mr. Dawson has recently named a top-3 of Michigan State, Ohio State, and Wisconsin.  What many disgruntled Michigan fans see as a slap in the face, it seems Dawson seems to favor schools in the B1G.  Given his family situation, it seems fitting that he wants to stay close to home.  I believe the ribbing from a few "bad apples" in the Michigan fan base has kind of left a salt in his mouth and I believe he may be sticking it to the Michigan fans.  We will see how it plays out, but looks like he could be lining up for one of Michigan's bitter rivals.  He has said he is taking visits and look for him to make a decision at the All-American game, if not sooner.

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.

Commitment #15: CB Gareon Conley

Can you guys believe our 2013 class now has 15 commits?

4* Gareon Conley, a 6’2” and 170-pound cornerback from Massillon, OH has committed to Michigan.  I believe he fits the frame of the kind of cornerback we were going after: tall. He held offers from Michigan, Northwestern, and Toledo. 

Scout just came out with their top-300 players in the nation, and Conley debut with a 4* ranking and was also named 20th at this position. I believe, according to his offer list, that he is vastly underrated. Scout also recently came out with a list of the top 2013 prospects from Ohio and Conley ranks 16th, ahead of Jaron Dukes, Jacob Matuska, Kevin Gladney, Shane Jones, and Taco Charlton...just to name a few names you may be more familiar with. As a junior, Conley had 26 tackles, 4 interceptions, 1 of which was returned for a touchdown, and 1 sack. He also led the team with 9 pass break-ups. His 40-time? 4.38. Incredible. Tom Greene of Scout calls Conley “one of the top sleeper prospects in Ohio for the class of 2013.” Clearly, Hoke knows what he’s doing. 

Conley was an interesting prospect because he had Michigan as his #1 before he ever visited campus. Today’s visit was his first time on campus, and clearly he liked what he saw, since he made it official. 

Per Conley’s Twitter account (@xx_WellDone_3), last night he said that he was planning on verbally committing today. Being that he was going to be on campus today, it was pretty clear where he was going to commit. I believe Conley is an excellent pickup for this Michigan squad. The coaching staff has been looking for a taller cornerback, which frankly is harder to find, and they found their guy. To put things in perspective, Conley is the tallest cornerback that Michigan has offered in the 2013 class. Like I said, hard to find. Conley received his Michigan offer a while ago, so the coaches knew exactly what they were looking for all along.

Conley’s addition leaves room for possibly one more cornerback in this class. If the coaching staff decides to go after another cornerback, they will probably put all their eggs in 5* Kendall Fuller’s basket. He plans on visiting Michigan next month during the Spring Game. 

March 10th Visitors

Remember, as always, this list can (and probably will) change. I'll update as fast as I can. 

3* WR Zach Bradshaw

Bradshaw is a 6’3” and 210-pound prospect who 247 ranks the 30th overall athlete in the nation. He holds offers from multiple Big Ten and ACC schools. Interestingly enough, Michigan State is not one of the Big Ten schools that offered Bradshaw. I say this is interesting because Bradshaw’s father attended Michigan State and Bradshaw, in turn, grew up a State fan. Bradshaw is taking his time visiting multiple schools. He is a big wide receiver, which is exactly the kind Michigan is looking for. He would be an ideal red zone target. A timeline for his decision has not been set, but Bradshaw says he is very interested in Michigan. 

3* CB Gareon Conley

Conley stands 6’2” and 170 pounds. I believe he fits the frame of the kind of cornerback we’re going after: tall. He holds offers from Michigan and Northwestern although I’m sure he’s going to be getting more offers soon. He is unranked on Rivals but a 3* on 247 Sports so we’ll see where he ends up in a few months. Scout recently came out with a list of the top 2013 prospects from Ohio and Conley ranks 16th, ahead of Jaron Dukes, Jacob Matuska, Kevin Gladney, Shane Jones, and Taco Charlton...just to name a few names you may be more familiar with. Impressive considering the talent coming out of Ohio this year. As a junior, Conley had 4 interceptions, 1 of which was returned for a touchdown. He also led the team with 9 pass break-ups. Tom Greene of Scout calls Conley “one of the top sleeper prospects in Ohio for the class of 2013.” Clearly, Hoke knows what he’s doing.

CB Jaleel Hytchye


Hytche is a late add, but he's a good cornerback from Cincinnati, OH. He stands 5'11" and 165 pounds. He does not hold an offer from Michigan (yet) and only has offers from Kent State, Kentucky, and Western Kentucky. His junior season, he had 3 tackles, 4 interceptions, 14 pass break-ups, and 1 forced fumble. 

4* RB Ty Isaac

Isaac is a name we’ve all heard. He’s Michigan’s #1 prospect at RB. Read all about him here. 

4* OL Colin McGovern

I’m surprised and excited about McGovern’s visit. Considering we already have 5 offensive line commits and the coaches have said they’re (most likely) only taking 5, it’s interesting that McGovern is visiting. He is a top talent though, and if he wanted to commit, the coaches would be hard-pressed to deny him. I’m going to go ahead and assume he has great interest in Michigan. McGovern is a 4* offensive tackle from New Lenox, IL who has offers from schools like Michigan, Alabama, Notre Dame, and Ohio State. He stands 6’7” and 280 pounds. It’s been said that McGovern is a very humble kid who has a good head on his shoulders. Just the kind of Michigan Man I assume Coach Hoke is looking for. If the coaching staff decides to take another offensive lineman, it will be either McGovern or Ethan Pocic. 




Commits that will be on campus:

5* QB Shane Morris

I really have nothing to say except Shane Morris. 

3* WR Jaron Dukes

Dukes, another UM commit, will also make his way to Ann Arbor this weekend. Read all about him here. 

We will also be hosting a 2014 (!) visitor, DE Dylan Roney. Our friend at Tremendous blog broke him down here. 

Looks like this could be another good weekend for Michigan. 

Which Prospects Have Michigan in Their Top-3?

The Wolverine coaching staff has already secured 13 verbal commits from top prospects. But the class isn’t finished, and there’s many more players who are very interested in playing at Michigan. There are 11 prospects who have Michigan in their top-3. Three of them are visiting Michigan next weekend. Let’s get to know them...

1. 4* RB Ty Isaac

We all know who Ty Isaac is. He’s Michigan’s #1 prospect for the remaining spot at running back. And he’s a beast. Click here to check out an in-depth post I wrote on Isaac.

Isaac is visiting Michigan next weekend (March 10th). 

2. 3* RB DeVeon Smith

Smith is a 3* running back out of Warren, OH who 247 ranks 31st in the nation at his position. He holds offers from Michigan, Indiana, Ohio State, and Penn State. Smith is 5’11” and 195 pounds. Michigan was actually the first to offer Smith, and he grew up a Michigan fan. He is known for being talented enough to run over defenders as well as around them -- a good fit for our pro-style offense. He has also been heralded for his ball security, rarely fumbling even with such a heavy workload. As a junior, he earned Division 2 All-Ohio second-team honors. He racked up nearly 2,200 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns. To steal an OSU recruit and life-long Michigan fan would be great. Smith has plenty of potential. 

3. 4* WR Laquon Treadwell 

Treadwell is another player we’re all familiar with. That’s because he’s the #1 WR on Michigan’s board. Check out the in-depth post I wrote on him here. 

4. 3* WR James Onwualu

Onwualu is a 3* wide receiver out of St. Paul, MN who 247 ranks 50th in the nation at his position. He holds double digit offers from schools like Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, and Stanford. Onwualu is 6’1” and 205 pounds and is the #1 prospect out of Minnesota. One of the reasons I’m sure Onwualu interests the Michigan coaching staff is his athleticism. He carries the ball from the backfield, catches passes split as a wide receiver, and even lines up on defense on occasion. There’s even been talk of him playing corner or safety at the next level. Multi-positional athletes have been a recurring them this year. Onwualu would be an excellent slot receiver, considering his size and athleticism. I believe Onwualu is vastly underrated and that Michigan would be lucky to get him. 

Onwualu is visiting Michigan next weekend (March 10th). 

5. 3* CB Gareon Conley

Conley is someone I wrote about yesterday when I wrote about Michigan’s options at the cornerback position. 

Conley is a 3* cornerback out of Massilion, OH who stands 6’2” and 170 pounds. I believe he fits the frame of the kind of cornerback we’re going after: tall. He holds offers from Michigan and Northwestern although I’m sure he’s going to be getting many more offers soon. Scout recently came out with a list of the top 2013 prospects from Ohio and Conley ranks 16th, ahead of Jaron Dukes, Jacob Matuska, Kevin Gladney, Shane Jones, and Taco Charlton...just to name a few you may be more familiar with. As a junior, Conley had 4 interceptions, 1 of which was returned for a touchdown. He also led the team with 9 pass break-ups. Tom Greene of Scout calls Conley “one of the top sleeper prospects in Ohio for the class of 2013.” Clearly, Hoke knows what he’s doing.

Conley is visiting Michigan next weekend (March 10th).

6. 4* DL Henry Poggi

Poggi is a 4* tackle out of Baltimore, MD who Rivals ranks as 43rd overall in the nation. He stands 6’3” and 250 pounds. He finished his junior season with 49 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, 10 sacks, and one forced fumble. Poggi is a beast, with about 20 offers from schools like Michigan, Alabama, Auburn, Ohio State, and Stanford. It’s too early to say much about his options, but Poggi is very interested in Michigan. He has already visited Michigan twice, but is planning another visit soon. Poggi plays a position of need for Michigan and he would be an excellent get.

7. 4* LB Mike McCray

McCray is a 4* outside linebacker out of Trotwood, OH. Rivals ranks him 44th overall in the nation. He has more than 20 offers including ones from Michigan, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. I’m surprised he does not have more big-time offers, although I’m also kind of relieved. Hopefully he is impressed with how early on Michigan realized his talent. This kid is a beast. He stands 6’4” and 230 pounds and runs a 4.61 40. McCray came from the same high school as Roy Roundtree, Michael Shaw, and Brandon Moore. His 2013 teammate Cameron Burrows, however, is already committed to Ohio State. Even though McCray doesn’t have an OSU offer yet, I can promise you he will eventually. Luckily for us, I don’t think that will matter. McCray has a large interest in Michigan right now and plans to make a decision on March 7th or 8th. He is good friends with Michigan commits from Ohio, Taco Charlton and Jaron Dukes. He has said that he could see himself at Michigan. It would have been an easy and educated guess to assume Ohio State would land McCray but like I said, they haven’t offered him yet. Not to mention he has said they aren’t recruiting him right now, unlike Michigan who is going after him hard. McCray will choose between Michigan, Illinois, and Tennessee next week.

McCray is visiting Michigan next week (March 6th).

8. 4* LB E.J. Levenberry

Levenberry is an early 4* outside linebacker out of Woodbridge, VA. Rivals ranks him 15th overall in the nation, which means he will probably end up getting a 5th star. He stands 6’3” and 226 pounds. He holds over 20 offers, including ones from Michigan, Alabama, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Oklahoma. An impressive offer sheet, to say the least. E.J. Levenberry is one of my favorite recruits because not only is he one of the top ranked of the bunch, but his top schools are currently Michigan, Florida, and Florida State. Yep, that’s correct. It’s Us vs. The Florida Schools. And ESPN has reported that Michigan is currently on top. Apparently Levenberry loves Hoke. Him and I have that in common. Levenberry has met Shane Morris and Dymonte Thomas, and has heard from both of them how much Michigan impresses them. He is also very impressed with Coach Mattison and how he has coached Ray Lewis. Last but not least, Levenberry’s father went to school with (Michigan sophomore CB) Blake Countess’s father, so they go way back. He said that Blake’s father said great things about Michigan. All in all, I’d say we have a great shot. Granted it will be hard to overcome the Florida schools, but I think Levenberry has made a great connection with Michigan so far. 

Levenberry is visiting Michigan for the Spring Game (April 14th).

9. 4* LB Dorian O’Daniel

O’Daniel is a 4* outside linebacker from Olney, MD (Our Lady of Good Counsel HS). Rivals ranks him 37th overall in the nation. O’Daniel stands 6’1” and 205 pounds. He runs a 4.55 40. He holds more than 20 offers including ones from Michigan, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. The reason I mentioned his high school is because it may sound familiar. Our Lady of Good Counsel is the same high school that sophomore CB Blake Countess came from. This is the second linebacker recruit with a connection to Blake! It’s also the high school where (class of 2013) highly touted 5* cornerback Kendall Fuller comes from. I wrote about him recently here. He is another recruit we are after. Could we get two from Our Lady of Good Counsel HS? Hmm... O’Daniel has Michigan at the top of his list right now. Interestingly enough, during our big 8-recruit weekend haul, Florida also had a big weekend. I mention this because Florida is (was?) one of O’Daniel’s favorites, yet during that weekend, they took 4 linebackers. We’ll see if that plays a part in his decision.

O’Daniel is visiting Michigan for the Spring Game (April 14th) along with teammate Kendall Fuller.

10. 4* LB Ben Gedeon

Gedeon is a favorite LB prospect of mine but I hadn’t really considered him an option since he’s from Ohio. Not that Hoke hasn’t been recruiting the hell out of Ohio, but Gedeon has Michigan and Ohio State in his top group. Ugh. That shouldn’t take away from his excellent ball skills though. Rivals ranks Gedeon 224th overall in the nation. He stands 6’3” and 215 pounds and has lots of offers. Offers include Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Stanford, and Tennessee. Gedeon is actually an excellent athlete, but is mainly being offered as a linebacker. He wasn’t planning on taking any more visits until after his basketball season, but the coaches got him to visit this weekend. He should be on campus tomorrow. They know as well as we do how fast this class is filling up. To get Gedeon on campus (other than for a game) would be huge, because it’s basically a forgone conclusion that he would be blown away. To steal another one from under Urban’s nose? Would be oh, so nice...

11. 4* LB Peter Kalambayi

Kalambayi is one prospect I don’t think we hear as much about. He’s an all-star though. Kalambayi is a 4* prospect out of Matthews, NC. Rivals ranks him 62nd in the nation. He holds double digit offers including Michigan, Arkansas, Florida, Ohio State, and Oregon. As a junior, Kalambayi had 79 tackles, 6 sacks, and 13 tackles for loss. He is an excellent pass rusher, which is something we could use. Kalambayi actually had an offer from Rich Rod as a sophomore, but Coach Hoke has visited his school since then and let him know the offer still stands and we want him to join the 2013 class. He is thinking of deciding at the Army All-American game, but we’ll see if that changes anytime soon. 

Michigan's Options at Cornerback

The 2013 class already has 1 cornerback commit in 4* Jourdan Lewis out of Detroit, MI. This means the coaches will probably try to get one more CB commit, if not 2. Michigan has offered more than 15 cornerbacks, with more offers going out. They are very serious about landing at least one more. 

My wish? Priest Willis. He fits the big frame that the Michigan coaches want and he is a top prospect for the class of 2013. Obviously if someone like Fuller wanted to commit, we would take him, but the prospect who I most want to commit who I believe we have a legitimate shot at is Mr. Priest Willis.

Here are the options (who have not yet committed)...

5* Kendall Fuller out of Olney, MD

The next Charles Woodson. Yeah, I said it. Read all about him here. 

Update: It’s just come out that Fuller’s friend and teammate, 4* LB Dorian O’Daniel has Michigan at the top of his list. This could help. Both are confirmed visitors for the Spring Game in April. 

5* Vernon Hargreaves III out of Tampa, FL

Hargreaves is a 5* cornerback who Rivals ranks as 10th overall in the nation. This kid is a playmaker. He stands 5’11” and 181 pounds. He has more than 20 offers from schools such as Michigan, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and USC. Amazing. In his junior season, Hargreaves had 2 interceptions on defense and 11 touchdowns on offense. He says that distance won’t play a factor in his recruitment, although who really knows. The good news is he is eyeing a Michigan visit and has been in consistent contact with Coach Montgomery. One interesting comment from Hargreaves is that he’s looking for a “stable program with a coach that is going to be there.” This tells me the kid is smart. I would also think that takes Notre Dame out of the running, doesn’t it? I kid, I kid. Hargreaves plans on taking his time with his recruitment. 

4* Priest Willis out of Tempe, AZ

Willis is a special prospect. He is a 4* cornerback who Rivals ranks as 84th overall in the nation. He stands 6’2” and 200 pounds. He has a ton of offers including Michigan, Arkansas, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and USC. Willis plans on visiting Michigan (unofficially) in the Spring, which is actually impressive considering how far Arizona is. Hopefully this means his interest in Michigan is legitimate. He would be an amazing get. Willis is my favorite cornerback prospect in the class of 2013. 

4* Tim Harris out of Richmond, VA

Harris is an excellent 4* cornerback with surprisingly few offers. Rivals ranks him 161st in the nation and he has excellent height and weight for a cornerback. He stands 6’2” and 173 pounds and he also runs a 4.48 second 40. He holds 6 offers, Michigan, Ohio State, Rutgers, Tennessee, Virginia, and Virginia Tech. It’s very interesting to me that his only two Big Ten offers come from Michigan and Ohio State. Harris, however, has said multiple times that the school to beat is Virginia. It was his first offer and he is intrigued by the idea of staying close to home. He does not plan on deciding any time soon. We’ll see if that changes if he does indeed visit this weekend.

4* Chris Hawkins out of Rancho Cucamonga, CA

Hawkins is a 4* cornerback who Rivals ranks 159th overall in the nation. He stands 6’0” and 170 pounds. He holds over 20 offers including Michigan, Florida, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, and Stanford. Interestingly enough, Rivals has him highly interested in Cal, Sanford, and UCLA. Scout has him highly interested in Cal and Stanford. That might seem like Michigan isn’t even in the picture, but as of just earlier this week, Hawkins said Michigan, Notre Dame, and Stanford are the schools to beat. He’s looking for a great education and great football tradition, hence his top options. His idol? Charles Woodson. Smart, smart man. 

4* Cole Luke out of Chandler, AZ

Luke is a 4* cornerback who Rivals ranks 198th overall in the nation. He stands 6’0” and 165 pounds. He holds offers from schools such as Michigan, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma. His junior season, Luke made 63 tackles and 6 interceptions, earning all-state honors. Luke is eyeing a Michigan visit along with Notre Dame in the Spring. It will be interesting to see if it’s still easy to pluck top prospects out of Arizona with Rich Rod and Todd Graham at the helm now. Chandler joins Willis as the second cornerback from Arizona we’ve offered. 

4* Antwaun Davis out of Bastrop, TX

Davis is a 4* cornerback who Rivals ranks 171st overall in the nation. Davis stands 6’0” and 180 pounds. He has an impressive offer list with schools such as Michigan, Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma. Surprisingly, Texas hasn’t offered the in-state star yet, but I am assuming they will. Davis has expressed that Michigan would be one school he’d like to visit, but he hasn’t narrowed down his list nor is he planning on making a decision any time soon. Davis was plagued with a back injury throughout his junior season and was only able to play 5 games, but he has since recovered. He also runs track, a tribute to his athleticism. 

4* Cameron Walker out of Los Angeles, CA

Walker has 2 offers: Michigan and San Diego State. Coincidence? I think not. Coach Hoke clearly likes something he sees (and saw) in this player from California. He stands 5’10” and 180 pounds. He is unranked on Rivals but a 4* on 247 Sports so we’ll see where he ends up in a few months. As a junior, Walker had 69 tackles and two pass break-ups. I doubt he would take an unofficial all the way to Michigan, but we’ll see as his recruitment goes on. 

3* Devin Butler out of Washington, DC

Butler stands 6’1” and 170 pounds. He holds double digit offers including ones from Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Penn State, and Wisconsin. He is unranked on Rivals but a 3* on 247 Sports so we’ll see where he ends up too. Considering his offer list, he’s likely to move up in the rankings. He is actually considered one of the top cornerback prospects in the country. The coaching staff seems to really like Butler. He fits the mold of a bigger cornerback, which is what the coaching staff wants. Butler wants to decide before his senior season so he can focus on football. He is planning on deciding whenever it feels right. 

3* Gareon Conley out of Massilion, OH

Conley stands 6’2” and 170 pounds. I believe he fits the frame of the kind of cornerback we’re going after: tall. He holds offers from Michigan and Northwestern although I’m sure he’s going to be getting many more offers soon. He is unranked on Rivals but a 3* on 247 Sports so we’ll see where he ends up too. Scout recently came out with a list of the top 2013 prospects from Ohio and Conley ranks 16th, ahead of Jaron Dukes, Jacob Matuska, Kevin Gladney, Shane Jones, and Taco Charlton...just to name a few names you may be more familiar with. As a junior, Conley had 4 interceptions, 1 of which was returned for a touchdown. He also led the team with 9 pass break-ups. Tom Greene of Scout calls Conley “one of the top sleeper prospects in Ohio for the class of 2013.” Clearly, Hoke knows what he’s doing. Conley will visit campus March 10th.