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2009 Recruiting Update 10-23-08

Board.

Moved from Committed:
TX K Anthony Fera. He’s headed to Penn State now.

Added:
OH CB Mike Edwards. He now has an offer (info in header).
FL K Brendan Gibbons. Probably Michigan’s #1 kicking target now.

New Information:
GA QB/S Donavan Tate. He now say’s he’ll go to college regardless of where he gets drafted by the MLB. Southern Cal, UNC, Bama, Michigan, and Georgia comprise his current top 5.
MI DT William Campbell. Michigan’s top remaining target for 2009.
SC S Devonte Holloman. His teammate (and former UM target) Stephon Gilmore has now committed to South Carolina. Might that help convince Holloman to commit there?
NC OL Travis Bond. He’ll be in this weekend (info in header).
FL CB Angelo Hadley. Michigan is in his top 4 (info in header).

Removed:
OK CB Gabe Lynn. Down to a final 5 that does not include Michigan.
TX K Anthony Fera. Penn State commit.
IL DE Craig Drummond. He’ll pick between Illinois and Wisconsin.

Etc.:
FL WR Willie Haulstead is not on the board because he’s a Florida State commit, but he will be in for the MSU game this weekend.
The Freep weighs in on many of the guys who will be around. Sam Webb does the same in the Detroit News.

Analysis:
Fera’s loss is sad, and I would love to have him, but it appears as though he has moved on, and Brendan Gibbons is now the kicker du jour for Michigan.
Columbus Dispatch article in which MI TE Reid Fragel disses Michigan’s instate recruiting effort. Gee, an OSU commit trying to badmouth Michigan, I’m so surprised. Much ado about nothing.

Posted under Football

2009 Recruiting Update 10-10-08

The Board lives here. Going against the requests of commenters, I’m going to split up 2009 and 2010 updates for now. I think the main fear was that I would be giving less information as a result, but I think it will allow me to give more information on each class.

New Information:
MD RB Tavon Austin. Sets the state rushing record.
MN WR Commit Bryce McNeal. Planning to take visits elsewhere. This includes Florida (info in headers). His commitment appears to be soft, so keep an eye on him.
OH OL Marcus Hall. Selected for the Army Game. Michigan is likely on the outside looking in at his recruitment, however.
MD DE Jason Ankrah. Enjoyed Michigan visit.
MD LB Jelani Jenkins. Fluff relating to the ESPN2 game last week.
GA S/QB Donavan Tate. Plans on officially visiting Michigan. Odds of his choosing football over baseball are still pretty slim.
MD CB Travis Hawkins. Standard post-visit positivity towards Michigan (info in header). Similar vibes here (link same as above).
FL CB Angelo Hadley. Michigan is in his final four.

Removed:
VA DE Will Hill. He is down to a final group that does not include Michigan, after canceling a UM visit last weekend.

Etc.:
Is that a potential walk-on I’m sensing?

Analysis:
Very Maryland-centric update today. Hawkins and Ankrah both seemed to really dig the Ann Arbor experience. Bryce McNeal’s softening of commit status is somewhat troubling, though I still expect that he ends up in blue.

Posted under Recruiting

Recruiting Update 9-7-08

Moved from Committed:

MI DT William Campbell. If he doesn’t end up back with Michigan, it will hurt. I think his status hasn’t changed too much. Wasn’t he always planning on taking 5 visits? Sounds like a little sensationalism from Rivals.

Added:

OK RB David Oku. After being removed a few weeks ago, David Oku is going to consider Michigan once more, and no longer is looking at at Florida State.

New Information:

NC OL Travis Bond. Some recruiting, but mostly fluff.
OH OL Chris Freeman. His recruitment has gone completely underground. He also sat out Trotwood Madison’s game this weekend.
SC DE Sam Montgomery. Sam Webb in the Detroit News fluff. He will definitely take a UM visit.
VA DE Will Hill. Now holds an offer.
MS S Dennis Thames. He’s suffered a slight knee injury. It’s not severe enough to require surgery.
GA S/QB Donavan Tate. He changed his mind, and will play football this year. I’m still doubtful he hits the gridiron in college, and he teeters on the brink of removal.

Removed:

IL OL Patrick Ward. Will decide next week, and Michigan is not in his final group.
AR CB Darius Winston. Recommits to the Hogs. It was expected, so it doesn’t really hurt that much. It’s more like a shrug and “on to the next guy.”

Etc.:
TX S Craig Loston. Will he visit UM? When these questions are in the header, the answer is almost always yes. For now, the VB policy of not including elsewhere-committed prospects on the board will be upheld.

Posted under Recruiting

Recruiting Update 6-16-08

The Board.

Added:
AR CB Darius Winston. He has decommitted from Arkansas, and the Wolverines are considered to be among his top schools.
NV DE Keenan Graham. Michigan and USC appear to be at the top of his list. He recently visited Ann Arbor (info in header).
FL LB Frankie Telfort. Michigan has offered.

New Information:
IL OL Chris Watt. Has he dropped Michigan? Since he has visited a couple times, he’ll remain on the board until more info comes out.
PA WR Todd Thomas. Michigan makes his top 5.
GA S Darren Myles. He plans to visit Michigan this summer.
SC OL Quinton Washington. He will make a decision after his senior season.
SC S Stephon Gilmore. Article with no Michigan mention. The Wolverines were recruiting him as a backup QB-type. Should he be dropped from the board soon?
GA DB Donavan Tate. Michigan is among the schools that has offered to let him be a two-sport athlete.
SC S Damario Jeffery. Michigan outside his top 6.

Removed:

Etc.:
OH RB Commit Fitzgerald Toussaint. He hasn’t been running track because of a lingering injury.
MI DT Commit William Campbell. Sam Webb fluff in the News.
Fluff on Pahokee High.

Posted under Recruiting

Recruiting Update 3-28-08

The Recruiting Board. Lots of stuff this week. As always, if you have any tips, e-mail me or drop them in the comments. I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but Russell Shepard may want to reconsider his commitment. Ryan Perrilloux has returned from suspension, and the Tigers also received a commitment from another QB.

New Information:
MN WR Bryce McNeal plans to decide at the Army All-American game. Lots of information from the Gopher Hole, including a secret top five (which Minnesota and Michigan are both non-secret members of, leading one to believe they are his top 2). Video interview with MichiganVarsity.
PA CB Corey Brown. Video interview with Sam Webb.
PA LB Dorian Bell. Webb interviewed him as well. Random blog post says he’ll verbal to OSU within a month. Credibility? None.
NC OL Xavier Nixon. Fluff from his high school coach.
GA QB Donavan Tate. Baseball fluff.
IN QB Jordan Luallen. Visiting Georgia Tech this weekend (look near the bottom).
IL DE Craig Drummond. He plans to decide before the season, but will not take visits until his academics are sorted out.
TN WR Marlon Brown names a top 15.
AZ DE Corey Adams is committed to the ESPNU All-star game.

Added:
GA WR Braxton Lane. He has been offered by Michigan. He is a blazer (4.31) who seems perfect for the slot. He also likes teh baseballz.
OH RB Fitzgerald Toussaint. He has apparently earned an offer. A high school teammate of linebacker prospect Julius Ferrell, Youngstown Liberty has another player who may be added in the next update. Will the school be this year’s version of the Trotwood trio?
MN CB Varmah Sonie. Friend of WR Bryce McNeal.

Removed:
OH LB Zach Boren. It appears that Michigan’s bridges have been burned with the Borens. Prior to Justin’s sudden departure, the Bucks had all but conceded him to Michigan. He will attend the school that Justin transfers to.

Etc.: Sam Webb talks about the past weekend’s Akron 7-on-7 in the Detroit News. Prospects Todd Thomas and Jordan Hall on Pennsylvania all-state basketball teams. Saline spring game information. Have fun not going, losers.

Posted under Recruiting

Recruiting Update 3-16-08

Removed VA QB Tajh Boyd. He committed to WVU. The most problematic aspect of this is that it means Virginia Tech will go harder after VA QB Kevin Newsome.

Switched GA DB Danavan Tate to QB. His Michigan offer is to play quarterback.

New information on several recruits including:
Added 40 time for Zach Boren (4.7)
Decision timeframe for Marlon Brown (after signing day)

Posted under Recruiting

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Recruiting Board Revamp Complete

Board.

I reranked the players in accordance with the latest set of Scout rankings, and moved a couple of guys’ positions. There is new information on most prospects. I also added new fields for offer status and decision/enrollment timetables. Player/personal and recruiting information have been separated. Most of the new players come on the recommendation of Jim Stefani, who I owe big time.

Changed position:
OH S Justin Turner had been at CB
MS CB David Conner had been at LB
AZ DE Corey Adams had been at DT
TX DT Jamarcus McFarland had been at DE

Added:
FL WR Andre Debose
MA OL Brennan Williams
AZ DE Devon Kennard
MD LB Jelani Jenkins
OH LB Julius Ferrell
GA S Donavan Tate
MI S Shamari Benton
PA CB Corey Brown
GA CB Ryan Campbell

Posted under Recruiting