Commitment on the Way?
This past weekend, 2015 OT Grant Newsome made his way to Ann Arbor for the final unofficial visit of his recruitment.
With Michigan and Penn State as the two finalists for his commitment, Newsome has said that he is unsure of who he will pick when he makes his decision this upcoming weekend. However, this last visit may have sewn things up for the Wolverines as they knocked it out of the park (once again) with both Newsome and his mother. In an interview with 247\’s Steve Lorenz ($), Newsome had this to say about the MPact program:
\”It\’s definitely something I would say will factor into my decision,\” he said. \”Michigan\’s academic support system is really unique for their athletes and it\’s something my mom and I were both really, really impressed with. They gave me a clear cut idea of the types of classes I would be taking and what the life and schedule is like for a student athlete.\”
To go along with the fantastic academic tour, Newsome met up with the 11th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft Taylor Lewan. You can read more about it in the interview with Lorenz.
Rumors are out there that Newsome is leaning towards the Wolverines, but ill go one further and say he WILL be the next Team 136 commitment.
Running Back Roller Coaster Picks Up Speed
If you have been living under a rock aka not on Twitter, you may not have heard about Michigan landing the commitment of USC transfer RB Ty Isaac. It was huge news for the program as he was seen as the top guy in the 2013 class for the staff, even though they landed Derrick Green and Deveon Smith. With his commitment, it gives Michigan a three headed monster in the backfield for the future, which will start this summer or in 2015, depending on the NCAA\’s ruling on his hardship waiver.
Isaac is on board, so the staff will only look to take one running back in the 2015 class and seem to have their top targets, which includes two players who have recently visited multiple times in Mike Weber and Jacques Patrick.
Weber visited twice in four days and even stayed with his former high school teammates to help get a look at the student side of things. The Wolverines were left out of his top 3 but with these visits, the staff is clearly trying to get back into his top three.
As for the other visiting target, Patrick will be spending plenty of time in Ann Arbor and in the state this week, including visits to the campus and camping at the Sound Mind, Sound Body camp in Detroit.
Along with Weber and Patrick, the staff is heavily targeting Florida RB Ray Ray McCloud.
Not Looking Great for Harris
Things look to be trending up for running back roller coaster, besides the one big dip that looks to be Damien Harris. The former commit is rumored to be favoring the Buckeyes, and though he has denied those reports it has been reported by several analysts close to the situation.
He still speaks highly of the Wolverines but if you\’re one of those people that looks into things too deeply, Michigan was near the bottom of his \”no order Top 8\” while O$U, Alabama and Kentucky are near the top.
It may take a home run visit this summer that includes a full court press by the coaching staff, professors, and recruits for the Wolverines to have a shot at landing Harris. Just remember, his mother has admitted her love for Michigan and he has said on multiple occasions that the post-football opportunities are the biggest factors.
If he falls back in love with Ann Arbor and the program, and the chance to be the only back in the class, I think he could still end up a Wolverine.
Who will it be at WR?
One position that seems to be narrowing down dramatically is at wide receiver, as the staff looks to be focused on four players (in order of possibility):
- Miles Boykin
- Auden Tate
- A.D. Miller
- Brian Cole
All four of the targets have high interest in Michigan, but Boykin and Tate seem to have the most interest. Boykin is being recruited as the next Devin Funchess, while Tate grew up a fan of the program and has given off plenty of signals that Michigan just may be his leader.
As for the other two, Miller visited recently and had a great time. He has started to blow up on the recruiting trail with offers from O$U, Miami, Oregon, Notre Dame, Tennessee, and more. But he seems to really have liked his visit to Ann Arbor, which has moved Michigan up his list. He told Scout\’s Josh Newkirk ($) all about it:
“They are pretty high on my list,” Miller said. “They are one of the schools I am really considering. After my visit, they are one of my top schools.”
The last guy on the list is the recruit that every Michigan fan is hoping for the most: Saginaw\’s own Brian Cole. He is one of the best athletes in the country and is right in the staff\’s backyard. However, there is a rumor that he wants to leave the state and O$U could be the possible favorites. Only Cole really knows if that is true but the chances of him ending up in Ann Arbor have gone up a little in the last couple weeks as the class leader, Alex Malzone, has been talking to him as much as possible.
There\’s another thing that could be really help Michigan in Cole\’s recruitment and that is if they recruit him as not only a wide receiver, but as an athlete instead. He has said how much he wants to play safety in college and with the loss of Shaun Crawford and need for more safety depth, it\’s a great fit.
Replacing Crawford
Another player they are looking to fill that last defensive back slot in the class is Virginia Tech commit, CB Mook Reynolds. The physical athlete is a great fit for Michigan\’s defense and according to a report from 247\’s Clint Brewster, the staff will be \”heavily recruiting\” the Virginia product.
The interest is mutual and with the fit, Michigan\’s new found love for the state of Virginia, and the ability to have Garrett Taylor join in on the recruitment, it is very possibly the Wolverines could flip Reynolds if they can get him on campus this summer or fall.
BTW, we figured he was going to be the target last week:
If you\’re wondering who #Michigan will target at CB in 2015, keep an eye on VT commit Mook Reynolds. http://t.co/tetKs93bt1
— MGoFish (@MGoFish) June 4, 2014
Top 3 for Top 100 WR
Michigan is in fantastic shape as far as 2016 wide receivers go thanks to the state and the Midwest being loaded, as well as getting in early with the top targets across the country.
One player that the staff has done a great job with early is Top 100 WR Justin Layne out of Ohio. He visited this past weekend and had a great time. It was good enough for him to say the Wolverines are in his top three along with MSU and O$U. Layne explained how well the visit went in an interview with 247\’s Steve Lorenz ($).
Six Five Stars Visting Ann Arbor
The coaching staff has their calendars full this month as they will be hosting 6 five star targets in the 2015 and 2016 classes, including:
2015 RB Jacques Patrick (The 9th and 10th): Read more about it here.
2015 DL Jashon Cornell (The 14th): Michigan looks to be right around his top three but with his likely move to the inside, it looks like he is not as high on the staff\’s list as other defensive lineman.
2016 OL Liam Eichenburg (The 17th): The Ohio product is one of the top lineman and players in the 2016 class and it looks to be a battle between Michigan, O$U and Notre Dame.
2015 TE Chris Clark (The 19th): After Newsome, Clark looks to be the most likely option for next Team 136 commitment. He participated at the Rivals Five Star Challenge this past weekend along with 2015 commit Tyreel Kinnel. He even tweeted a bit of a teaser to UofM fans.
2016 QB Shea Patterson (The 20th): One of the top quarterbacks in 2016, Patterson is an Arizona commitment that a lot of ties to Michigan. He actually grew up in Michigan, has family and friends in the area, and has fans in his family. However, he now lives in Louisiana. But a visit up to Ann Arbor could be a game changer for the talented signal caller who holds an offer from the Wolverines. Stay tuned to see how that goes.
2016 QB KJ Costello (Between the 15th-19th): My favorite QB in the class, Costello is a big, strong armed, pocket passer that has admitted that the recent Michigan offer was very big. In an interview with Scout\’s Robby Boydstun ($), he admitted that he really likes what the program and school has to offer, as well as his fit in the offense. He even said he could make an early decision, so this visit could be gigantic for the class going forward.
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