Catching Up With Taco Charlton

There have been some pretty amazing players that have come through Ann Arbor.  A lot of those players had some pretty unique names.  Immediately I think of Mercury Hayes, Amani Toomer, Tim Biakabutuka, Ian Gold, Rob Swet, Ty Law, and remember Tripp Welbourne? That's right, two p's. Tripp.  Those are the names of players that are imbedded in my brain.  When I heard Keith Jackson say their names, they became unforgettable. We have had a Mercury, a Tripp and even an Elvis. We can now add Taco to the list.

Future Big Ten running backs and quarterbacks wont be too excited to see this guy on the Saturday menu.  At 6-6 and 250, Taco Charlton is already a physical specimen.  He has not had the benefit of a college weight room or the coaching from arguably the best DLine staff in the country. When it comes to his capabilities, the sky is the limit.  Charlton is an exceptional 2 sport athlete, also excelling in basketball. I got to talk to the Michigan commit Tuesday night shortly after his Pickerington Central Soccer team beat cross-town rivals Pickerington North. In what Charlton says will be the beginning of a trend between both schools that will extend over other sports, most importantly football:

Michigan Commits and Targets At The Opening

The much anticipated Nike Camp, The Opening, was this past weekend in Beaverton, Oregon. Loaded with talent, it has been said to be one of the best camps of the year, if not the best. On hand were the best high school players from all over the country, including 7 Michigan Commits and several Michigan targets.  Representing the Maize and Blue were QB Shane Morris, DB Jourdan Lewis, TE Jake Butt, OG David Dawson, DE Taco Charlton, OL Kyle Bosch, LB Mike McCray.  All of these players were there, but Kyle Bosch did leave early due to personal reasons so I won't really have much to say about him, but he did show up the first day so he deserves to be mentioned. 


Two of Team 134's members made the all-tournament team. TE Jake Butt and DB Jourdan Lewis.  Both of these guys showed up big time in 7-on-7 play and were definitely deserving of the honors.  If you pay any attention to the recruiting sites, then you will know that people are saying Jourdan Lewis's rankings should skyrocket.  I said before the tournament that he would prove he's one of the best DB's in the country and he showed it this past weekend.  Making big time plays and even an interception in the finals to gave his team a shot at the championship late in the game.  Jake Butt came up big for his team and he quickly became one of his quarterback's favorite targets.  I watched some video and he made some great plays, including a nice grab on the sideline, where he got both feet in and maintained possession.  

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.

2013 DT Henry Poggi Makes Decision Tomorrow At 8AM

Alright, so there are rumors going around that the Michigan coaching staff has already accepted their 20th commitment for the 2013 recruiting class.  The identity of that commit is still up for debate, but  Henry Poggi could very well be it, as he is making his decision tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. and most already say that he is down to choosing between Alabama and Michigan.  Let's hope this is the first of several victories to come over Alabama this year.

With the recent commitment of 4-star DT Maurice Hurst, Jr., an additional commitment from Poggi would do wonders for what is an already loaded 2013 class.  This would turn what is a relatively small defensive line class into one of the best in the nation.  Michigan has already secured a commitment from 2013 DE Taco Charlton, so the Wolverines would have three defensive linemen if Poggi decides to join.  However, the best part is that Michigan would have two solid interior defensive linemen, which is something that team hasn't had in many of its recent classes.

Poggi is the rated as the #2 DT in the country and 52nd overall.  At 6'4" and 260 pounds, the kid is an animal and absolutely destroys people.  Rated as a 4-star across the board, Poggi would be a great pickup for the Wolverines.  A lot of the "experts" believe he is our next commitment and I hope so as well.  If you aren't familiar with him, which I'm sure many of you are, here is his highlight tape so you can get a glimpse of who what a commitment from Poggi would bring to the table.  I will have a post tomorrow soon after he makes his decision, so stay tuned and hopefully it's more good news on the recruiting front.

EDIT: Henry Poggi Committed to Michigan On June 4th. Read About It Here.

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.

Four Michigan Commits Get Invite To "The Opening"

Photo Credit: Nike

Aside from the Elite 11, there was also the NFTC on Saturday, and if you got picked, you earned a spot in the Opening. Michigan was well represented here with 4 getting an invite to "The Opening" later on: Shane Morris, David Dawson, Mike McCray, and Taco Charlton all took part in the events. However, Logan Tulley-Tillman, and Khalid Hill also made the trip to the event.

This was a loaded camp, and all 7 spots to the finals in Oregon were given to Michigan and Ohio commits. 4 to Michigan, 3 to Ohio. David Dawson took home OL MVP Honors, literally dominating all the opposition, including getting the best of touted Ohio commit Billy Price according to TomVH's reports.  There's a reason this kid is the #1 OG in the country and is still being heavily recruited. While some people worry, I think he's going to stay committed here.. David is all Michigan and he's going to be huge for the offensive line along with big man LTT. While Tillman didn't get an invite, he definitely showed his strength and why he's going to be the anchor for the Michigan offensive line. Leading the offense to winning all of the tug of war drills, he showed his size and strength are going to be something difficult for defenders to deal with in the future.

Photo Credit: MGoBlog

Mike McCray definitely balled out as well, taking home Linebacker MVP honors. He showed his great athleticism and versatility, beating out some very stiff competition and earning an invite to the opening as well. Linebacker was a definite need for the coaches looking at the 2013 class and McCray is definitely one of the guys that was big in filling that need. Taco Charlton also got an invite, just bull rushing offensive linemen and everyone knows about his speed off the edge as always giving linemen fits. To me Taco is an elite passrusher and is going to be great at the next level getting in the backfield. Michigan has always been known for having great defense, these two guys definitely fit right in with that tradition and I'm excited to see them in maize and blue.

Coming off his Elite 11 MVP, Shane Morris was also here competing. While he didnt take away MVP honors at QB, he still performed and earned an invite to the Opening. I've said it before and I'll say it again, he's listed the #4 pocket passer on ESPN, but I definitely think that's going to change very soon. He's just going to keep proving people wrong and we will all see his ranking go up. TE Khalid Hill was also there today. To me he's underrated as well, (really all of Michigan's commits are in my opinion). While Khalid didn't earn an invite, he still performed well against some tough competition. Khalid is only rated a 3-Star on ESPN and I definitely think as he keeps on improving he's going to get the love that he deserves from all the experts and we will all see him go up. With the departure of Kevin Koger I like that we have a TE in Hill.  He will be a great addition to this offense in the future.

While all of the guys didn't get invites they did great and if people don't know about these future Michigan men, they better get to know them.  Team 134 is no joke and as this class closes, I believe it will remain the #1 recruiting class in the nation. All of these guys are elite prospects and will do great things for Michigan at the next level. It's a great sign that the class is so talented at the regional and national levels, is staying so close, and developing together.  Many recruiting classes don't unite until they arrive on campus in the fall for their freshmen year.  However, this class is different and is one of the main reasons why they should be a class to remember for Michigan fans.  For more details on the camp that I described above, check out ESPN.

Catching Up With Taco Charlton

Taco Charlton, a 4* DE commit out of Pickerington, OH, who's been blowing up lately thanks to his stellar showing at the recent camp in California, was kind enough to lend me a few minutes of his time for a quick interview. This guy is one of my favorite prospects and is Blue through and through. Check it out. 

Me: I really do think that the camaraderie that Team 134 has established over Twitter and just visiting each other all the time is going to help the team on the field. How do you feel about that?

Taco: The thing about it is, we all already have that chemistry coming in and we all already trust each other. That's what you need in a team so it's just great that we have it...and we're not even at Michigan yet. We have so many great players and just good people that are commited.

Me: I know that your stock has been steadily rising, and I really think the camp you attended in California also helped. How do you feel you've been playing lately?

Taco: Well nothing has really changed, now I just got the chance to show people what I can do when you unleash me and let me play. And it's just the beginning, I'm still working hard to get even better.

Me: Does Team 134 have any plans for the Spring Game?

Taco: Team 134, we had a great time at the Spring Game, and a lot [of us] even hung out that night and had fun with some of the players there already, just building that chemistry even more. We just all love being at Michigan.

Me: Fill in Wolverine Nation on which prospects you're working on to get them to join Team 134.

Taco: I'm still working on my man Jojo, as you know him as Joe Mathis, but I just think a great player like that would help our team out so much. 

Me: I heard that you might try and enroll early to Michigan. Do you think that will help your development as a player?

Taco: Yeah, right now I'm planning to enroll early to help me develop faster and just learn and get a chance to be coached by great coaches, even though my high school coaches are good too. 

Me: Any last words?

Taco: Go Blue and that I love the Michigan fans, ya'll are crazy! But I just [want to] thank all of the fans for the support even if I didn't get the chance to meet some of the fans that wanted to meet me, we still have 4 more years [laughing].

(I love the comment about just plain good people committed to the 2013 class. It really shows the high-character players our coaching staff likes to go after. )

Brady Hoke Doesn’t Let Records Stand in His Way

Brady Hoke must have known the Michigan basketball team would get the win tonight against Ohio, because he had a surprise for us at the end of this game. Commit #5 and #6, ladies and gentlemen. This is crazy. Six TOP commitments in one day. I have no words. Wait, yes I do...

Hoke’s Mad Magicians would like to welcome 4* OL Chris Fox and 4* DE Taco Charlton to the Wolverines class of 2013. That’s right, 2 more 4-stars, and one of them another offensive lineman. For those keeping track, that’s 3 offensive linemen in one day. All 4-stars. 

That makes 6 commitments today. That makes a record number of commitments in one day. That makes Coach Brady Hoke the absolute man. Dear Wolverine targets: this class is filling up FAST. Hop on the train. We’re literally almost halfway full. 

Fox, the 46th ranked player in the nation according to Rivals, is a huge offensive lineman standing at 6’6” and 297 pounds. I’m pretty sure that this is Hoke’s favorite position to recruit. A top-5 2012 O-line haul and now this? A-maize-ing! Fox holds a few offers, including one from Ohio State. He is from Parker, Colorado and has shown the ability to play on both sides of the ball. Fox is also a top-100 player on ESPN’s 2013 Watch List. Fox was not one of the prospects on campus this weekend. He had originally wanted to take his time with his recruiting, as he was hearing from a ton of top schools, but let’s be serious -- our class is filling up quickly. Fox is a special addition to the 2013 class, as he’s one of the top lineman in the country. His coach tells us, “The thing that most people have told me that stands out the most is how physical he is.” Precisely what Coach Hoke wants in an offensive lineman. Fox himself says, “I like to embarrass people.” Well come on down, Mr. Fox. Did I mention Chris Fox is the #1 football recruit in the state of Colorado? Apparently, he's known for a while now that he wants to be a Wolverine. 

“Honestly, it’s been Michigan pretty much the whole way,” said Fox. “I saw that [Michigan’s recruiting haul today] and I was like, ‘Dang. I’ve known that’s where I wanted to go.’ I thought, ‘why not?’ I’ve known I wanted to go there since I went to their summer camp last year and there’s nothing better than Michigan,” Fox admitted. “I’ve just known in my mind that that’s where it’s at. It has everything...the coaches, facilities, and location...I’ve got tons of family out there. It’s the best.” 

Yes. Yes, it is. 


Like I’ve said over and over again...no one is going to be able to touch Shane Morris. 


On to the next...

Charlton, a 4* DE from Pickerington, OH is the 183rd ranked player in the nation according to Rivals. You can find an in-depth post on Taco Charlton that I posted the other day here. I love this kid and could not be happier he’s part of our 2013 class. Huge addition. 

Mr. Shane Morris pulled through on his promise and got us another commitment for the great and memorable February 18, 2012. 

That makes 6 top-200 (according to Rivals) commits in one day. We had 6 in our whole 2012 class. That makes 9 total commits for 2013 thus far, 7 of which are in the top-200. Talk about being on a roll...

An In-Depth Look at This Weekend’s Visitors

1. OL Kyle Bosch (4* out of Wheaton, IL)

Bosch is an early 4-star prospect out of Illinois who, according to Rivals, is ranked 60th in the nation. He is 6’5” and 285 pounds and holds offers from over 20 schools, including Michigan, Michigan State, Alabama, Notre Dame, and Stanford. He is not only one of the best offensive linemen in the Midwest, but maybe the country. He would be a welcomed addition to the kind of offensive line we’ve seen Coach Hoke recruit. He says that he’s looking for a program where “there’s a good relationship between the staff and the players, and just a bunch of people I’m willing to go to war with. At the Division I level, all the places have fancy locker rooms and facilities. For me, it’s about the people.” He seems like a very intelligent kid. One would think that quote would eventually favor the Wolverines. He does not plan on making a decision any time soon.

2. TE Jake Butt (4* out of Pickerington, OH)

Butt is one recruit I’m really hoping we land. He seems like a very genuine and stand-up student-athlete. We know tight end is a position of need this year. Butt is the 96th player in the nation and he is listed at 6’6” and 230 pounds and can also play DE. He says he has great hands and will catch anything that comes his way. Most importantly, Michigan is currently his leader and no one else is “even close.” He holds almost 20 offers, but says he’s very excited about the possibility of playing with the #1 quarterback in his class, Shane Morris. Shane, of course, will be doing his best to recruit Jake this weekend. Butt has no definite decision date. 

3.DE Taco Charlton (4* out of Pickerington, OH)

I just published an in-depth post on Charlton yesterday, and you can read it here. 

4. DT Rod Crayton (currently unranked out of Dadeville, AL)

This visitor excites me because he comes from the heart of SEC Country. Although he’s currently unranked on Rivals, we all know how easily that can change. Crayton is a huge lineman (6’1” and 285 pounds) who has multiple offers from all over the nation and is one of the top prospects out of Alabama. He had a great junior season with 162 tackles, 10 sacks, and 40 tackles for loss. Crayton says that he wants to take his time and visit a wide variety of schools. He does not have a timeline on his decision, and also says that location is not a factor.

5. OL David Dawson (4* out of Detroit, MI)

Dawson is one of three Cass Tech players that are a late but welcome addition to the visitor list for this weekend. The other two are DT Kenton Gibbs and DB Jourdan Lewis below. Dawson is a big offensive tackle listed at 6’5” and 305 pounds. He is a 4-star prospect that Rivals ranks as 199th in the nation. He holds offers in the double digits, including an offer from Alabama, but does not hold one from Michigan yet. It is expected he will get offered on his visit this weekend. He says he has a lot to think about, but if he knows what school he wants to go to, there is no point in waiting. He also says distance is not a factor. 

6. DT Kenton Gibbs (currently unranked out of Detroit, MI)

Gibbs is another Cass Tech player who will probably receive a Michigan offer when he visits this weekend. Currently, he only holds a few MAC offers, but is starting to hear from multiple BCS schools. Gibbs is 6’2” and 290 pounds, and said to be able to battle with the best. He has the tendency to play high, but is also athletic and light on his feet. At the Best of the Midwest Elite Big Man Camp, Gibbs went head-to-head with 4-star OT Steve Elmer on at least three reps and got the best of him a majority of the time. He has the ideal three-technique defensive tackle build, and seems like someone Mattison would love to coach. 

7. DB Jourdan Lewis (4* out of Detroit, MI)

Lewis is an excellent cornerback also out of Cass Tech. He is listed at 5’11” and 170 pounds, and Rivals ranks him as the 167th player in the nation. He does hold an offer from Michigan and is very high on them. He had Michigan high even before he received an offer. He only holds one more offer from Toledo. It looks like Hoke wants to make sure he gets the best players out of Cass Tech every year, as Lewis’s teammates, LB Royce Jenkins-Stone and CB Terry Richardson are a part of our 2012 class. Lewis wanted to commit immediately after receiving his offer, but his mom wants him to take his time. As soon as his basketball season ends, he will be focusing more on his recruitment, and a commitment seems more likely then. 

8. OL Ethan Pocic (4* out of Lemont, IL)

Rivals ranks Pocic as 27th in the nation. He is a big tackle at 6’7” and 285 pounds. He holds more than 15 offers, including Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Nebraska, and USC. Pocic is a special recruit because he comes from the same high school David Molk came from. His older brother, however, plays at Illinois. He says he wants to stay in the Midwest, which bodes well for Michigan. He is a very talented tackle with very long arms. What he’s looking for most is whether he “fit[s] in with the players, the coaches, and the schemes.” He has no leader and does not plan on deciding any time soon.

9. OT Logan Tuley-Tillman (4* out of Peoria, IL)

Tuley-Tillman is an excellent offensive tackle who Rivals ranks as 109th in the nation. He has decided to join the long list of visitors this weekend, but he’s a regular at Michigan to be honest. Tuley-Tillman loves Michigan, but he’s a popular prospect with basically every offer one could imagine. He stands 6’7” and 280 pounds and has offers from schools like Alabama, Florida State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and just about any other BCS school. Before everything is said and done, Tuley-Tillman will probably receive a 5th star. He is good friends with Shane Morris and will probably be a help in bringing in other top-notch recruits to round out our 2013 class. 

Photo Credit: Rivals

Commitment Watch: Taco Charlton

Taco is one of my favorite 2013 recruits for many reasons. First of all, his name is Taco. Second of all, he’s a fantastic DE out of Pickerington, OH. Charlton is 6’6” and 240 pounds, perfect DE size, and holds offers in the double digits. He plans on visiting Michigan this coming weekend, and Wolverine Nation may be on commitment watch. 

Charlton also plays basketball, attesting to the athletes Coach Hoke likes to go after. Even though Charlton grew up an Ohio State fan, he quickly became a fan of Michigan after meeting and communicating with the Wolverine staff. He seems open to the idea and appreciates the relationship he has with the staff.

“I got a great foundation and communication with their staff. I like all the coaches there, I talk to them all the time so it’s a great relationship we have. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, but you never know what could happen.”

It’s true. Charlton has lived in Buckeye Country all his life but a college decision is a big one, not always based on the team one favored as a child. Charlton has appreciated the fact that Michigan was one of the first to offer him. The 4-star prospect plans on taking some official visits as soon as his basketball season is over. 

I asked Taco to give me something to quote for the fans, and he told me a great story that happened to him as a child.

“When I was a little kid, this man who was a Michigan grad told me if I go to Michigan, it will become ‘Michi-CAN’ because there’s so much Michigan can do for me. As a kid, I blew him off...but now, with how much love the great fans of UM show me, I can finally see the light, you could say,” he told me, laughing. 

I like this man who spoke to Charlton many years ago. Wolverine Nation is hoping Charlton enjoys his visit this weekend and maybe even a little more. When asked if a commitment might take place, he answered with a smile, “[There] might be a slight chance. We’ll see how things go after the visit, then we’ll talk after that. I definitely want to enjoy the visit first.”

We all know he’s going to enjoy the visit. It’s Michigan fergodssakes!

Photo Credit: Rivals

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. 

February 18: Revenge and Recruits

Next Saturday, February 18, the Buckeyes visit Crisler Arena for a rematch. But that's not the only big thing going on that weekend. Next weekend, Michigan will also host multiple big-time recruits and the list is growing every day. So far...

1. OL Kyle Bosch (4* out of Wheaton, IL)

2. TE Jake Butt (4* out of Pickerington, OH)

3. DE Taco Charlton (4* out of Pickerington, OH)

4. DT Rod Crayton (currently UR out of Dadeville, AL)
5. OL David Dawson (4* out of Detroit, MI)
6. DT Kenton Gibbs (currently UR out of Detroit, MI)
7. DB Jourdan Lewis (4* out of Detroit, MI)

8. OL Ethan Pocic (4* out of Lemont, IL)
9. OT Logan Tuley-Tillman (4* out of Peoria, IL)

I will add more names as I hear, as I'm sure the list will grow. 

And of course, QB commit Shane Morris will also be there. Hopefully the Wolverines can put up a good showing against the Bucks and sway some recruits. Go Blue!

Note: Rankings obtained from Rivals. 

Photo Credit: Rivals