USC Takes Over Top Spot On Rivals for 2013 Team Rankings

According to Rivals, Michigan has been surpassed in the 2013 Team Rankings.  Picking up their most recent commit today from 4-star DB Jalen Ramsey, the Trojans have passed the Wolverines.  Most say that when new individual player rankings come out in August Ramsey is likely to pick up his 5th Star.  What is incredible is that USC is operating with scholarship reductions for the 2013 class.  


Scout and ESPN have yet to update their team rankings so I'm curious to see what they do with things.  I'll give you a quick breakdown comparing each team's class as they are viewed on Rivals.  You can be the judge regarding whether you agree and I'll give my opinion at the end of which team I think has the best class.

Ty Isaac Chooses USC

Photo Credit: ESPN

The Ty Isaac decision has finally come and gone, and Michigan fans have been left with the short end of the stick.  By all markers, Michigan's 2013 recruiting class has been superb.  They currently have 18 commitments in a class that will likely size up to be around 23 recruits and the class has been ranked #1 by numerous scouting services.  However, Michigan has struck out with several big recruits as of late and many fans are feeling disappointed.

By all marks, Isaac was a special type of recruit that could change the entire dynamic of a team.  Scout has him ranked as the #1 running back in the country and as a 5* player.  Rivals has him a bit lower as the #2 running back in the country and a 4*, but will likely be upgraded to a 5* in the near future.  I don't think I need to explain how impressive it is to be either the #1 or #2 running back in any recruiting class.  He is literally a one in a million type of player.

By all reports, Michigan had been in his consideration for a while, but he ultimately decided to commit to USC today.  There's no doubt that USC is going to be getting a great player.  Did he make the right decision?  I really can't say.  I don't know the future, and we have no idea how Michigan and USC's teams will look like when he arrives on campus and when he leaves USC.  The main question should revolve around the impact on Michigan's recruiting class and for the team's future.  Is this something that's going to hurt this class and the team?

There's no doubt that losing out on the #1 or #2 recruit for any position is not a good thing.  However, I really don't think this is something that's going to do a lot of damage long-term.  Why do I believe this?  Take a look at defending Big Ten Champion Wisconsin.  Montee Ball has had amazing success at the running back position and is one of the major reasons why Wisconsin has been so successful as of late.  However, if you asked an NFL scout about Wisconsin's strengths, he probably wouldn't describe Wisconsin's running backs as their strongest position.  Instead, he would probably describe the offensive linemen.

Wisconsin's high-powered offense has been built on elite offensive linemen that have been able to allow the running backs to have great success.  Of course, Ball and Wisconsin's former running backs are talented, but let's be honest.  If there's a huge gaping hole in the defense, most running backs are probably going to do pretty well.  Running backs can have a big impact on a team, but the most important part of running success is the role of offensive linemen.  No matter how good a running back is individually, they are not likely do well without at least a decent offensive line.

Michigan has been recruiting an elite offensive line for the future.  Just look at the 2012 and 2013 Michigan commitments.  Michigan had 4 offensive line commits in 2012, and currently has 5 offensive line commits for the 2013 class.  However, these aren't just random commits.  Almost every one of these commits are elite linemen that can make an enormous impact for Michigan.  Just take a look at 2012 commit Kyle Kalis and 2013 commit Chris Fox.  Rivals has both of these guys as #4 in the country for their positions.

Unless something dramatic happens, Michigan is going to have a very elite offensive line in the near future.  This is important because of what I described above in the case of Wisconsin.  Having an elite running back like Isaac would have certainly helped Michigan's running game, but with these type of elite linemen headed to campus, I really don't think the running game is going to need too much help. 

Just take a look at Michigan's 2012 and 2013 running back commitments.  Michigan currently has four commitments between the two classes and is still in position to land some other elite recruits in 2013.  Along with this, Michigan should have solid running back depth between Fitz Toussaint and Thomas Rawls for at least the next few years.  That means some of these 2012 and 2013 commits will have some time to bulk up and get adjusted to college play.

As I said earlier, losing out on Ty Isaac is never going to be a positive for Michigan, but this currently isn't something that's going to severely hurt this team's chances long-term.  With Michigan's elite incoming offensive linemen and running back depth, I just don't see this as being something that really impacts this team, even in the future in a very significant way.  It is without a doubt a set-back for Michigan's recruiting, but not something that's going to cripple Michigan by any means.  The team's still in very good shape based on Hoke's incredible recruiting.

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.

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 Next Priority: Ty Isaac

Now that the 2013 class is basically half full, the coaching staff is going to be even more picky than they have been. If you ask me though, 10 of 11 commits all being 4-stars and top-200 players is pretty picky (and impressive) to me. Going forward, the most important positions to recruit are going to be wide receiver, running back, defensive tackle, and linebacker. We are looking to recruit between 2-3 wide receivers, one more running back, 2 defensive tackles, and 2-3 line backers. This is in addition to one more tight end, possibly one more offensive lineman, and one more cornerback. 

Seeing that the Wolverines are looking to get one more elite running back, our highest priority will be Ty Isaac going forward. Isaac is a 6’3” and 215 pound back from Joliet, Illinois (yet another Illinois target). He is a freak athlete, one of the most gifted in the nation, and Rivals ranks him 18th in the nation. He is a consensus 4-star (Rivals, Scout, 247, and ESPN). His junior year stats are eye-popping. He has played varsity since his freshman year of high school. His junior year, he rushed for 2,114 yards and 45 touchdowns, including 515 yards and six touchdowns on 26 carries in the 2011 state title game (a record). He also caught 7 touchdowns his junior year. He was named the Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year. Impressive, to say the least. He senior year will presumably only be better. 

Isaac holds over 20 offers, including ones from Michigan, Auburn, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and USC. Isaac has been to Michigan’s campus multiple times, and he was the first running back to receive an offer for the 2013 class. He says he believes the Michigan coaches are straight shooters, something we’ve heard from multiple recruits. He was told exactly how he’d be used in Al Borges’s system, and he appreciates how up-front the coaches have been with him. Of Michigan, Isaac said, “I feel like they are legitimately sincere people at Michigan and I feel like it’s family up there.” Definitely a good sign. Another good sign is Isaac’s relationship with his position coach, Coach Fred Jackson. 

“Man, that’s my guy! We talk on a very regular basis, you know, Facebook, and I’ll call him. We have a good player-recruiting coach relationship, and that’s along with the rest of the coaches too.”

By moving from a spread to a pro-style offense, Isaac would be one of the bigger and most important pieces of that transition, along with quarterback Shane Morris. Isaac doesn’t exactly have a top list, but says when he does decide to make one, Michigan will be up there. He’s also been in contact with Shane Morris, which we all know is a definite plus. Isaac, if he decides to commit, would be our 3rd commit from Illinois, joining 4* offensive linemen Kyle Bosch and Logan Tuley-Tillman. Needless to say, Isaac would fulfill a huge position of need and be a fantastic addition to an already incredible 2013 class. 

Photo Credit: 247 Sports

Michigan’s #1 WR Target: Laquon Treadwell

Laquon Treadwell is a one of the top wide receiver prospects of the 2013 class. He is a 4-star recruit out of Crete-Monee in Crete, Illinois. Rivals ranks him 31st nationally. Treadwell stands 6’3” and 190 pounds and holds double digit offers, most of which are from Big Ten schools. Treadwell has always held Michigan near the top of his list, and he visited for the third time this past weekend. The other two times were during wins vs. Notre Dame and Ohio State this past season. Both, of course, great games to attend. 

This past weekend, however, was the first time his mother was able to visit with him. Treadwell told me that his visit, “was great. It was just laid back, I was kicking it with the coaches. I didn’t have too many questions because I basically know a lot. It was another good visit.” It’s true...I have a feeling that as soon as his basketball season his over, Treadwell will be a regular in Ann Arbor. He also said his mother liked everything she saw. She wants to come back with him when his basketball season ends. Treadwell is strongly considering staying close to home, although he has also said that distance would not be a factor in his decision. His mom, however, will be a big factor. He says that she has to like the school he’ll be attending. Treadwell and his mother said the biggest factors in his decision are going to be education, distance, coaches, and other recruits coming in. All good factors for Michigan.

Treadwell has excellent size, leaping ability, ball skills, and especially speed. He attributes his national attention to his unique athleticism and willingness to make the difficult play. 

“My strengths are just being physical, being able to block well when my coaches need me to, and being able to make people miss after I catch the ball,” Treadwell said. “I feel that I’m a pretty well-rounded receiver.”

Treadwell said that the experiences that stuck out to him most this year were the Michigan night game vs. Notre Dame and his Michigan State visit. Interestingly too, Treadwell says he’s been in touch with Shane Morris. Like I’ve said before, Morris is going to be our best recruiter this year. Treadwell also said he talks to Michigan targets Ty Isaac and Logan Tuley-Tillman. Treadwell and Isaac were talking about possibly visiting USC together, since they both have offers, but decided they liked Michigan so much that they would possibly be visiting Michigan together. 

Treadwell would be a valuable asset to any program, but the Wolverines need a couple of elite wide receivers for the 2013 class. His favorites as of now are Michigan, Michigan State, and Notre Dame. He says he has no leader though, and plans on cutting down his list midway or at the end of his football season. As of now, he wants to decide on Signing Day. 




Photo Credit: Rivals