Recruiting Update: March 9, 2015

Concord (CA) De La Salle center/defensive tackle
Boss Tagaloa (image via Maxpreps.com)

One note before we get started is that Jim Harbaugh is littering the country with offers in the 2016 cycle. It's unclear if/when the offers will slow down, but so far there are over 160 offers out for this cycle. By comparison, even after he tried to salvage the 2015 class, the Wolverines only offered 149 prospects. In fact, the last time Michigan offered this many prospects was during the 2012 cycle (LINK), when Brady Hoke offered 193 players. It would be surprising if Harbaugh did not obliterate that mark, considering the fact that we're still about 11 months away from National Signing Day. One reason may be that Michigan is recruiting loads of players from California, Florida, and Texas. As we saw in the Rich Rodriguez days, that strategy can sometimes pay off but without the geographical connections, the hit rate is going to be much, much lower.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Mineola (TX) Mineola center Austin Anderson was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'4", 285 lb. prospect with offers from Illinois, Kansas State, and TCU, among others. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #67 offensive tackle, and #820 overall. Anderson is a punishing blocker with a good motor who does not have great length or athleticism, so despite being ranked as an offensive tackle, he is probably going to become an interior lineman at the next level. His father played for Southern Mississippi.

Mineola (TX) Mineola offensive guard Riley Anderson was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'5", 285 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona State, Illinois, Kansas State, and TCU, among others. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #69 offensive tackle, and #849 overall. You may have guessed by now that Austin and Riley are twins, and their rankings are pretty darn close, too. However, Riley has a little more length than Austin, and if he can't stay on the edge, Riley might be able to play guard.

Lawrence (KS) Lawrence defensive end Amani "Moose" Bledsoe was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'5", 270 lb. prospect with offers from Florida State, Kansas, Kansas State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Oklahoma, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #15 strongside end, and #226 overall. Bledsoe plays pretty high and looks pretty awkward when making tackles, so he looks raw but obviously has some size and athleticism.

Hit the jump for numerous other 2016 offers, a commitment elsewhere, and some random tidbits.



Trophy Club (TX) Byron Nelson defensive end Brandon Bowen was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'4", 220 lb. prospect with offers from Baylor, Oklahoma, TCU, and Texas, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #18 weakside end, and #272 overall. He claims a 4.58 forty. Bowen also plays receiver for his high school team, although he looks much better on the defensive side of the ball. However, he also looks pretty raw but shows some good athleticism.

Houston (TX) Stratford running back Rakeem Boyd was offered by Michigan. He's a 5'11", 200 lb. prospect with offers from Houston, Missour, and West Virginia, among others. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #24 running back, and #366 overall. As a junior in 2014, he ran 194 times for 1,996 yards and 24 touchdowns. Boyd is a bit of a power runner who shows excellent vision but just average speed. The school he attends is the alma mater of Andrew Luck, so Jim Harbaugh's staff has previously developed relationship with the coaches there.

Fort Lauderdale (FL) American Heritage tight end Nick Eubanks was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'6", 205 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Oregon, South Carolina, and USC, among others. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #13 tight end, and #362 overall. As a junior in 2014, he caught 26 passes for 408 yards and 4 touchdowns. He plays wide receiver for his high school team and is very thin at this point, so the transition to tight end could be a process.

Salt Lake City (UT) Brighton wide receiver Simi Fehoko was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'3", 195 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Stanford, Utah, and Washington, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #43 wide receiver, and #239 overall. Fehoko's film shows a lot of blown coverages allowing him to score some long touchdowns, but he does show nice deep speed and reminds me of Drake Harris a little bit in the way he moves. Michigan has brought in fullback Sione Houma and defensive tackle Bryan Mone in recent years, both of whom went to Highland in Salt Lake City; but Michigan has also recruited Brighton, which produced 2015 linebacker Osa Masina (USC) and 2014 offensive tackle Jackson Barton (Utah).

Niceville (FL) Niceville safety Romeo Finley was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'1", 183 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Florida, Miami, and South Carolina, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #10 safety, and #250 overall. He claims a 4.62 forty. As a junior in 2014, he made 50 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception, and 10 pass breakups. Finley is a big-hitting strong safety type. He is also a teammate of wide receiver Elijah Stove, whom Michigan has also offered.

Fayetteville (NC) Sanford cornerback Mark Gilbert was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'2", 170 lb. prospect with offers from Duke, North Carolina State, Pitt, and West Virginia, among others. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #45 cornerback, and #514 overall. As a junior in 2014, he made 34 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 8 pass breakups. Gilbert is a long, lanky corner who looks like he might fit best as a zone coverage guy. I think he might struggle in man coverage and does not have great speed or fluidity.

Torrance (NC) North linebacker Mique Juarez, a USC commit, was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'2", 210 lb. prospect who also holds offers from BYU, Cal, and Notre Dame, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #12 outside linebacker, and #132 overall. He claims a 4.67 forty. Juarez is an athletic, aggressive, hard-hitting kid who also plays quarterback, but he will almost certainly play defense at the next level. He looks to me like a weakside outside linebacker who can play coverage, hold the edge, and support the run.

Wichita (KS) East defensive end Xavier Kelly, a Kansas State commit, was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'5", 225 lb. prospect with offers from Arkansas, Nebraska, and Texas Tech. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #28 weakside end, and #460 overall. He claims a 4.7 forty. Kelly shows some good aggression and athleticism. There have been indications that he will not end up signing with Kansas State, although Michigan is not necessarily a front-runner to flip him.

Ellenwood (GA) Cedar Grove linebacker Elysee Mbem-Bosse was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'3", 232 lb. prospect with offers from Duke, Iowa, North Carolina State, Ole Miss, and Tennessee, among others. He is currently unranked. Mbem-Bosse looks like a 3-4 inside linebacker. Mbem-Bosse said upon his offer that he would like to visit Michigan this offseason.

La Puente (CA) Bishop Amat cornerback Trevon Sidney was offered by Michigan. He's a 5'11", 160 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Miami, UCLA, and USC, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #10 wide receiver, and #74 overall. Sidney could probably play wide receiver or corner at the next level, but he probably looks like a more natural corner. Regardless, he's a guy who might be able to contribute on both sides, as well as at kick returner, during his college career.

Concord (CA) De La Salle center Boss Tagaloa was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'3", 295 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Missouri, Ole Miss, Stanford, and UCLA, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #11 defensive tackle, and #64 overall. Tagaloa is rather compact, but he has good foot quickness and is very powerful. Some schools are recruiting him as a defensive tackle, but Michigan has pitched to him the chance to play center with a little defensive tackle on the side. That is something I don't know that I've seen at the college level in modern football. Tagaloa is a teammate of tight end Devin Asiasi, whom Michigan has also offered.

Portland (OR) Central Catholic linebacker LaMar Winston was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'4", 200 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona State, Cal, Oregon, and Washington, among others. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #27 outside linebacker, and #352 overall. Winston also plays wide receiver and could potentially be a tight end at the next level, but he looks more comfortable on defense. He's a highly athletic player who could be a dynamic 3-4 outside linebacker.

OFF THE BOARD
Washington (DC) Gonzaga defensive end Terrell Hall committed to Ohio State.

MISCELLANEOUS
Kentwood (LA) Kentwood cornerback Shyheim Carter, an Alabama commit, received an offer from Michigan a couple weeks ago and said he intends to take an official visit to Michigan this coming fall.

Egg Harbor City (NJ) Cedar Creek wide receiver Ahmir Mitchell announced that Michigan is in his top six schools. Normally I don't talk about top lists because they're generally not newsworthy to me; however, Mitchell also said that the new staff is recruiting him for wideout, whereas Brady Hoke wanted Mitchell to play safety. Mitchell is a 247 Composite 4-star, the #5 athlete, and #89 overall for 2016.

Over on Recruiting Season, I added/updated several profiles:

• Novi (MI) Catholic Central offensive tackle Tom Kowalkoski committed to Western Michigan
• Detroit (MI) East English Village defensive end Cedrick Lattimore
• Farmington (MI) Farmington linebacker David Reese committed to Louisville