Michigan Monday: Wonders if there are any left over commits from the BBQ?

We now know that Chris Wormely thought the hot dogs and burgers at the Big House BBQ were too good to pass up and committed to the Wolverines on Sunday.   Michigan fans have wanted Chris to commit for some time now, so it was a good feeling to have him in this class. 

The big question is who is next?  Michigan has 5 spots left in this class and still with some needs.   The largest outstanding need is DT.  The coaches keep saying they will only take 1, I believe they will take 2.   Those two are Ondre Pipkins and Danny O'Brien.  

Ondre's father lives in Michigan (Ondre lives in Missouri) and from what I have heard Ondre is still in the Great Lake State and might make it back to Ann Arbor for another visit real soon.   Sunday was his first visit and some insiders that spoke to him feel like he might have been a bit over whelmed with the day and was just trying to take everything in.   The Michigan fans were hoping for a BBQ commit from Ondre which didn't happen.  Will it happen this week?  We have to wait and see.   I would like Ondre to do what Kalis did, visit take a few days to think about it and discuss with his family.   Come back to Ann Arbor spend some 1 on 1 time with the coaches and then make his decision.

Danny O is his nickname and he had another good visit to A2 for the BBQ.  I'm going to think about my comfort level this week and where I'm at with everything. I have a top six of Michigan, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, Michigan State, and Iowa right now. I'm going to cut that down to three and then take official visits to those schools. I know Michigan said they're only taking one defensive tackle, but if they want to take two I will still consider them if someone commits before me.

I believe if both Ondre and Danny want to become Wolverines, the coaches will take both.

WR is the other need in this class and there wasn't much movement on that recruitment on Sunday with Cincinnati Madris not making it to the BBQ.   St. Louis WR Jehu Chesson visited Ann Arbor this week and so did Iowa WR Amara Darboh.  Michigan seems to be in pretty good shape with all these guys and it will be a race to who commits first.   If I had to predict a winner in this race, I think the quickest commit could come from Monty Madris.

Bri'onte Dunn enjoyed his visit up for the BBQ but I think there still needs to be some thinking for him to leave Columbus.  Having the NCAA hit them hard this Fall after their meeting in August would be huge.

Michigan also made up some ground with  some 2013 recruits at the BBQ including; OL Steve Elmer, LB Jonny Reschke, RB Ty Isaac, DE Wyatt Shallman and athlete RB/DB Dymonte Thomas.

Fall camp opens in a week, so the coaches really only have this week to spend quality time with the recruits.  After that some recruits might want to attend practice to see what how the coaches really coach.  

With only 5 spots left, I would assume many players feel like they need to make a decision sooner rather then later.

• BTW:  Jordan Diamond is visiting Iowa today. 

Michigan Friday: Talking Heads

Brady Hoke spoke yesterday and people took notes. It was pretty much of what we expected, no news on Stonum and Kellen Jones is not enrolled. He expects everyone to be in shape and ready to compete at the start of practice on 8/8. He is all about Michigan and showing some swagger. Maybe Brady should be the next Old Spice Guy. Look at Me, Look at my Defense, now back at Me.

• Danny O'Brien had a online chat on Rivals last night and will announce his top 6 schools on Friday. He pretty much said he liked all the schools he is considering (Alabama, Tenn, Michigan, Florida, Iowa, MSU, Ark and others) and will visit them all and make a decision during the season or after. He did say he would like to play college ball with his best friend Matt Godin.
  
• Aaron Burbridge committed to MSU yesterday. He was planning to be at the BBQ at the Big House on Sunday so the timing was unexpected the result wasn't. Good luck to him in East Lansing.  

• Allen Trieu of Scouts tweeted that Ondre Pipkins might commit somewhere sooner rather the later "if he feels it". He is visiting Ann Arbor this weekend. Let's hope he feels it!

• Former Michigan QB commit Shavodrick Beaver is leaving Tulsa for Midwestern State University.  He was planning to be an academic redshirt this year for Tulsa.   Out of the 4 QB's that verballed to Michigan in that class it seems the last one was the best.  If you wondering who was the last one was, see the below video.

Your moment of Zen with Denard and that Million Dollar Smile....................

Wolverine Wednesday: Makes Its Way to San Jose

If you haven't heard, former Michigan QB Tate Forcier announced on his twitter account that he will be playing for San Jose State next year.   After he sits out this year he will be eligible to play in the WAC conference against the following teams: Utah State, New Mexico State, University of Nevada-Reno, Fresno State, Hawaii, Idaho and Louisiana Tech.   Lets hope he takes his academics seriously and plays well on the football field.  Sort of ironic that he will be a Spartan now.   Look for him on Friday night ESPN games in 13 months.

Since we are down to the final 6 spots in the 2012 class, I thought I would estimate for you who could be filling out the class.

• Chris Wormley
• Jordan Diamond
• Danny O'Brien
• Ondre Pipkins
• WR from (Payton, Darboh, Powe, Madris)
• Wild card spot

Potential Wild cards will come from a list from the following players:

Bri'onte Dunn:  With the recent misleading news that OSU won't be hit hard by the NCAA, I think will keep him in Columbus.  The outside chance Michigan has is if the NCAA hits OSU hard or he falls in love with the coaches, the University, and players at the BBQ this weekend.  He is also visiting Penn State this week.

Ron Thompson:  Many thought that Ron would be Michigan's first commit of the year, he wasn't and still hasn't committed anywhere.   He played well at the Grid Iron Kings last week and keeps Michigan in his top 3.   This could be his way of getting more offers by keeping Michigan alive when Ann Arbor isn't a option or Michigan could be keeping his recruitment alive to see how this class fills out.

Wayne Morgan:  I have heard a few rumors that Michigan still might take another DB in this class.  Wayne was about to commit to Michigan a few months ago and then got cold feet when his family and friends said to wait and make sure you look at all options.  I think Terry Richardson will stay committed to Michigan but he still wants to take visits which is risky for the Michigan coaches.

Adolphus Washington:  Is a 5 star DE prospect from Cincinnati.   It seems his teammate Dwayne Stanford no longer has Michigan in his top group.   They both could go to the same school but it's looking more and more like that might not happen.   They both have been trying to get to Ann Arbor all summer and haven't yet.   Which is a sign because it's only a 3 1/2 hour drive to Ann Arbor.

With a FB in this class, I think it's Dunn at RB or Michigan is done with RB's in this class.  I also think highly ranked offensive lineman Banner, Gannet and Peat will stay on the West Coast.

There is also some buzz that Michigan might take 2 WR's in this class since they didn't take any in the 2011 class.    With the news of career ending injuries to DT Talbott and OL/C Pace, I now think taking 2 DT's is a must with the last 6 spots.  It sounds like Indy DT Sheldon Day might make it up for the BBQ as well.

Michigan Monday: 4 Star WR Set to Visit Today

The end of the week could be a big deal for the Wolverines with the BBQ at the Big House with a number of current commits, 2012 and 2013 prospects will get to share some burgers and hot dogs and get to know the coaches and the Michigan program a bit better.  Guys like Wormley or Dunn could take a few steps closer to becoming a Wolverine. 

Today and Tuesday a 4 star WR from Iowa,  Amara Darboh will visit Ann Arbor. Darboh holds offers from Florida, Iowa, Iowa State, ND, Nebraska, Wisconsin and others.  I'm going up to Michigan tomorrow [Monday the 25th]. Me and my basketball coach are going. He's a Michigan fan and he was able to give me a ride, so he wanted to go. We're taking off here at 8am on Monday, staying all day Monday, all day Tuesday, and then we might be back for a little bit on Wednesday too. 

I thought I'd have a top list already but I'm not going to have it until my season starts. Hopefully when my season starts I'll have it narrowed down to a top five and then just go from there. If I take an official visit somewhere and I feel comfortable and it feels right then I'll just commit there. Right now everything changes every now and then because I haven't seen everywhere yet. I don't want to name a list until I finalize it, but I think Michigan has a good chance to be in the top five. I'll know more about them after my visit.

With Stanford's interest in Michigan starting to slip, it seems Hoke and Staff will take the first 4 star WR that wants to commit.  With one spot in this class, I expect someone will commit in the next couple of weeks.

Bad News for former Michigan recruits:

• Pryor has had a bad 8 months but now reports are coming out the NFL might not allow him or even have a supplemental draft.
• We knew about Dee Hart blowing out his ACL.
• Now comes word that Kris Frost has a dislocated elbow and needs surgery. 
• Russell Shepard who considered Michigan his leader for about 5 minutes before committing to LSU, might have some eligibility issues.
• Jatashun “Big Tex” Beachum RB/DT who was considering Michigan near signing day for the 2010 class has left Arkansas program.
• If you didn't hear, Hawaii said, thanks but no thanks to Tate Forcier last week.   I think it's fair to assume that he has serious grade issues.  I'm guessing he will end up a Community College for a year.

Michigan Friday: Looks at 2012 Running Backs

Michigan has 3 different positions in the 2012 class where they will only take one prospect.  Those positions include QB, RB and WR.  I have previewed options for QB and WR now it's time to look at running back.

#1 option is Ohio running back Bri'onte Dunn who is a 5 star to Scouts and 4 to Rivals.  The catch with Bri'onte is that he is committed to OSU but is concerned about the NCAA situation.  It seems Michigan is his close #2 school who continues to make up ground on OSU as they try to figure out the NCAA situation.  Bri'onte is planning to travel North  for the BBQ at the Big House and he will get a chance to rub elbows with many of Michigan's 2012 commits.  A unique twist in Dunn's recruitment is that his cousin is a one of the top players in Ohio for the 2013 class named Dymonte Thomas.  I have heard that Thomas and Dunn are close and have talked about playing together.  Thomas visited Michigan and loved it and the Wolverines are considered his leader right now. 

The big question between now and the end of football season will be, can the Wolverines sell Bri'onte on Ann Arbor over Columbus?

• Keith Marshall is rated the #1 RB in the country by Scouts and he is planning a Michigan visit.  Many insiders don't expect him to end up a Wolverine from North Carolina but if they get him on campus they have a punchers chance.
• Ejay Fatu is a FB from Texas and could fill the RB spot as well.  FB is sort of like field goal kicker recruiting, you find a lot of guys as walk-ons or take players from other positions.  So FB's normally don't get a ton of offers.  So for Michigan to offer Ejay he must be a strong prospect.

• Wes Brown sort of is similar to Keith Marshall situation.  Wes is a RB from Good Counsel in Maryland which usually has a couple top prospect every year.  Keith is a 4 star guy to both Scouts and Rivals.
• Greg Garmon is a 4 star RB from PA and mention here before is a cancer survivor.  Greg is another guy Michigan needs to get on campus for an official visit. 

You might be wondering where are the State of Michigan prospects?  This year is not great for running backs in the Great Lake State.  The best running back prospect is Dennis Norfleet who is 5'8 175 pounds and doesn't seem to meet the size requirements U of M is looking for.

The fact of the matter is this position recruitment will not be settled in the short term.  It seems Michigan has the best shot at Dunn right now even though he re-confirmed his shaky commitment to OSU a couple of weeks ago.  Attending the BBQ at the Big House is a great sign that he might be re-thinking the Wolverines.  

The thing to consider is if Ejay Fatu were to commit, would they still take a tailback in this class?

Michigan Thursday: Big House Bites

• Congratulations to Brian Griese whose broadcasting career seems to be moving in the right direction, he just landed the prime time spot on ESPNU's SEC Game of the Week for next season.

• Sam Webb does his Thursday thing on Big 2013 Tailback Wyatt Shallman from Detroit Catholic Central.  Wyatt is currently a junior and is 6'3 and 251 pounds and working out with Mike Barwis.  "They envision me as a big tailback like (New York Giants standout) Brandon Jacobs," he said of the Wolverines. "They want me to play tailback. That sounds great. I really want to." ----"My parents are both crazy Michigan fans," Shallman reported. "It is like a dream come true for them. My mom cried (when Brady Hoke extended a scholarship offer back in May). She's loved Michigan for so long. My mom is crazy fanatical. She loves Bo (Schembechler). She loves everything about Michigan. On our outdoor fridge she has an 'Oh, how I hate Ohio State' sign." -----"My dad went to one of the first Michigan camps back with Bo. His whole claim to fame at the camp was he ran a good route and made a one-handed catch. Bo came up to him and said, 'Good catch son!'"

• Kyle Kalis quote from A2.com:  “The thing about Coach Hoke that really sticks out to me is that he’s real,” Kalis texted. “What you see is what you get with Coach, and that’s how it should be. Coach Hoke will be the reason U of M gets back on top. And I’m not the only one who sees it that way, the whole class does and the amount of focus that we all have is incredible, and Coach Hoke instilled that in us.”

• TomVH says that Aaron Burbridge will be the Big House BBQ

Wolverine Wednesday: Waiting on Wormley, Washington and a WR

You can also add Diamond and Pipkins to that list (it just didn't fit the "W" title).

The next big recruiting event for the Wolverines is the BBQ at the Big House.   This is an event that Rich Rod created and a chance for current commits to meet each other, 2013 commits to visit and a few 2012 recruits to visit as well.  TomVH gives us an update on who is attending and who is tentative at this point. 

The guys that are planning on attending the event that are important prospects are Chris Wormley and Danny O'Brien.  Ondre Pipkins is expected to be on campus in that time frame as well but we are not sure if it will be for the BBQ or another weekend.  Jordan Diamond is also tentative. 

This is purely speculation but I am wondering if the commitments of Kalis and Magnuson have made Jordan soften a bit on the Wolverines?  I hope not since Jordan is a great prospect (5 stars to Scouts) but you have to wonder. 

The Cincinnati teammates of Washington and Stanford are not expected to take any visits until AAU Basketball is over.  Which probably means not until football season starts.  I would guess they would like to make it up for a game, the problem is will there still be spots.   Michigan continues to offer WR's and they already have a boat load of DE's and a strong possibility that Wormley will join the class in the short term. 

Michigan seems very interested in taking a FB in this class as well and their target seems to be Texas F EJ Fatu who is a 3 star prospect to Rivals and has an offer list of Arizona State, Utah, Arkansas and Syracuse.   If it comes down to a guy like Washington/O'Brien or a FB, I'm guessing the Michigan coaches will lean towards defense but I also think it's first come first serve.

Look for Michigan to get one or maybe two commitments from the BBQ.   BTW, the set up is that Michigan charges the family members and recruits to attend the event, because it would be an NCAA violation if they didn't.  The charge in the past was a few dollars and this seems to be a invitation only event.

Michigan Monday: OSU Finds Winning and Taking a Blind Eye Acceptable

A report from ESPN over the weekend made me laugh.  The highlight of the article is that back in 2005-06 former OSU AD called Tressel reporting of violations as "unacceptable".

In an evaluation of Tressel's job performance from 2005-06, then-athletic director Andy Geiger rated Tressel "unacceptable" in terms of self-reporting rules violations in a timely manner. The coach was also warned in a separate letter that he and his staff needed to do a better job of monitoring the cars the players were driving -- an issue that would arise again this spring.

What is interesting is this is following the Maurice Clarett situation and I had heard some whispers that former AD Andy Geiger and Jim Tressel were going to resign following this scandal.  The evaluation of Tressel's job performance was clearly an attempt by Geiger to protect himself.   Which didn't work because Geiger was asked to resign, Clarett was made out to be crazy and Tressel went on winning Big Ten Championships.  

This also proves my point that Ohio State knew they were "dancing with the devil" when they hired Tressel from Youngstown State.  The second point which the NCAA will use next month, is that Ohio State knew for a long time that Tressel "over looked' compliance issues and will get hit much harder then vacating their 2010 season. 

Ohio State fans find it hard to believe that Tressel was dirty and are putting the entire blame on Pryor.   As more of these stories come out, they more they are going to have proof that "the Vest" was protraying one thing and doing another. 

• Michigan has offered 2012 WR from Cincinnati Monty Madaris (6-2, 190) who is 3 stars to Rivals and 4 stars from Scouts.  He has offers from Nebraska, MSU, Florida State,Cincy, BC and others.  This is a clear sign that Michigan is concerned about Stanford's timeline and Burbridge's grades. 

• Speaking of WR's in 2012 class, mega recruit Jordan Payton will visit Ann Arbor for the ND game. 

• RJS has decided not to take any other visits and he reconfirmed his strong commitment to Michigan.  Great decision!

• 5 star RB from Ohio Bri'onte Dunn is considering making up for the BBQ at the Big House later this month.

Michigan Monday: Bookends the Weekend with 2 Big Commits

Friday started it off with the commitment of 4 star safety Jarrod Wilson and ended on Sunday with the commitment of 5 star offensive tackle Kyle Kalis.   That's 2 highly rated Ohio prospects in one weekend with a combined total of 9 stars from Scouts.  

For those keeping score at home, out of the 19 commits for the 2012 class so far, 9 are from Ohio and 7 from the State of Michigan.  Brady Hoke and Staff are taking care of home turf while OSU works out their situation with the NCAA. 

With 19 guys locked in (20 if count the Jeremy Clark a Gray Shirt commit), the big question is who will fill out the last 6-7 spots left?  The coaches are telling recruits they will take 26 guys even though a full class is 25 and many believe there only to be 20 or so spots open.  Which means there are a few guys expected not to get a 5th year or need a medical scholarship.   I expect the 26 spots could include Jeremy Clark.

If I were in the Hoke Recruiting Room, here is my best guess on how they would like to finish off this class!

• 2 Defensive Tackles:  Best Guess:  Pipkins and O'Brien
• 1 RB:  TBD
• 1 WR: Best Guess: Stanford or Burbridge
• 2 DE: Best Guess: Washington and Wormley
• 1 OL: Best Guess: Diamond

I listed 7 players for 6 spots, which means timing on commitments are very important.   The coaches are telling players they will only take one DT, but I believe they will take 2.  They also want Washington and Wormley, even though they have plenty of defensive ends in this class.  The odd position out, could be running back as Bri'onte Dunn seems to be strong with Ohio State if their self imposed penalty is not increased by the NCAA. 

Either way it seems Michigan might have most of its class wrapped before the season starts.  Max Preps now lists Michigan with the #1 class in the country. 

The BBQ at the Big House is scheduled for July 31st and many commits will be on hand to get to know each other.  Some 2013 guys will also be there. TomVH list the guys scheduled to be there.

The Big House BBQ is a Success and U of M BBall Gets Kansas on the Road

As we know, recruiting is a tough business. Kids are getting hundreds of calls and text messages from coaches all over the country. Their Dad wants them to go to a good football program, their Mom wants them to stay close to home, their coach has always been a "Gators fan" and their Uncle wants them to go to where they played football.

Which makes choosing a program a very difficult decision for a young man. One thing you keep hearing over and over on the recruiting trail is, "University XYZ just felt right". Meaning the kids had some type of connection with the coaches, the campus, or academic side of the University.

So if your a head coach, how do you show the special sides of your institution? One way is an "official" visit, but you can only go on a few of those. Another is an unofficial visit to a game, Spring Game, or just a visit anytime.

Coaches have to find new and interesting ways to showcase their programs. Rich Rod and Staff have found that in the second year of the "BBQ at the Big House". This is a rare opportunity for parents, friends, and family of a recruit to come to Ann Arbor for an unofficial visit and interact with the coaches and learn more about the special opportunity to become a Wolverine.

"It's definitely something different and something I haven't done on a recruiting visit,” said Livonia Stevenson running back Austin White. “It's more of a personal, family-type thing and I liked that about it.”

Michigan even had to charge for the event under NCAA rules. No matter if you like Rich Rodriguez or not, these are the kind of changes the Michigan football program has needed for years. It brings fresh ideas into the program and players that would have never considered the Wolverines are now really thinking hard about the Michigan Football Program.

Prospects like Hillside (Ill.) Proviso West wide receiver Kyle Prater, the nation’s No. 19 overall prospect, came away with a more favorable impression of the program. "That was the good thing about having a barbecue,” Prater said. “It lets you know that the coaches are real laid back and not real flashy.”

Michigan has already garnered one commitment from the BBQ (Christian Pace an OL from Ohio) and one more could be on the way with the announcement of Washington (Pa.) Trinity linebacker Ken Wilkins decision coming on June 9th.

• Michigan to play at Kansas on December 19th. One of the ways Tom Izzo gets his team ready for the NCAA tournament and the Big Ten Season each year is by playing difficult opponents at home, on the road, or in tournaments. It seem John Beilein has a similar philosophy. He has scheduled road trips to Utah, Kansas, and the Old Spice Classic in Orlando for next year.



• Kelvin Grady's HS coach likes Kelvin's chances with the Wolverines: “Kelvin on the football field is one of those guys where you kind of hold your breath,” said Stuursma, who also watched Grady change games with explosive kick returns. “He has the opportunity to take it to the house at any time. He’s electrifying and can take over the game with one play, a natural ability you can’t coach.”



• Former Wolverine Ryan Mallett injuries his right hand in a weight room accident. Arkansas expects him to be out only a couple of weeks and the injury should not require surgery. No word if this injury will allow Ryan to hold on to snaps during a game.

• Brennan Clay has U of M in his top 3. Brennan is one of the top RB's in the 2010 class and former HS teammate of Tate Forcier. BC is planning an offical visit to Michigan this September and visited Ann Arbor last season as well.