Nike's The Opening participants: Michigan

Jourdan Lewis and Delano Hill were two of Michigan's ten eventual signees to participate in Nike's The Opening

2013
Ian Bunting, TE - Hinsdale, IL
Drake Harris, WR - Grand Rapids, MI

2012
Kyle Bosch, OG - Wheaton, IL
Jake Butt, TE - Pickerington, OH
Taco Charlton, DE - Pickerington, OH
David Dawson, OG - Detroit, MI
Ross Douglas, CB - Avon, OH
Derrick Green, RB - Richmond, VA
Delano Hill, S - Detroit, MI
Jourdan Lewis, CB - Detroit, MI
Mike McCray II, LB - Trotwood, OH
Shane Morris, QB - Warren, MI

Poll results: Who will be the best defensive lineman in the 2013 class?

Taco Charlton (left, with Shane Morris) has Michigan fans excited

Taco Charlton: 55%
The only early enrollee of the group, defensive end Charlton was listed on the spring roster at 6'6" and 265 lbs.  Technique was a bit of an issue in high school, but he used his hands better in the spring game and notched a couple sacks against the offense's backups.  Not bad for a kid who should be dealing with a bout of senioritis.  The physical attributes are present; his success depends on his work ethic and attention to improving his technique.

Henry Poggi: 32%
Poggi is almost the opposite of Charlton, although he's not a bad athlete.  Poggi plays defensive tackle and has great technique for an incoming freshman, but he's only listed at about 6'4" and 265 lbs.  He probably won't ever be a mammoth defensive lineman, but he's athletic enough and stout enough to be a productive player at Michigan.

Maurice Hurst, Jr.: 12%
Hurst is a 6'2", 305-pounder who also played running back in high school.  The lowest rated player of the trio, he played well in the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl and showed some impressive quickness.  He could play nose tackle or 3-tech defensive tackle.

Final TTB Ratings for 2013

Maurice Hurst, Jr. made the biggest leap in
the final TTB Ratings

Here are the finalized TTB Ratings for the class of 2013.  Discuss!

Derrick Green - RB - Richmond (VA) Hermitage: 92 95
The more I think about the offensive line Michigan is building, the more I think Green is going to have a very good career in a winged helmet.  He could very well be the starter by his sophomore year, if not as a freshman.

Dymonte Thomas - S - Alliance (OH) Marlington: 92 89
I'm downgrading Thomas because I don't know that he's an All-American candidate, which is what a 90+ grade entails.  I think he will still be a very good player and turn into an all-conference player as a strong safety.

Kyle Bosch - OG - Wheaton (IL) St. Francis: 88
I'm going to leave Bosch right where he is.  He looks like an excellent guard prospect, and I like his nastiness.

Shane Morris - QB - Warren (MI) De La Salle: 89 87
Morris still has all the physical schools he has ever had - strong arm, decent athleticism - and has shown with his recruiting that he has some leadership skills.  It just seems like he has some limitations on seeing the whole field and making good decisions.

Patrick Kugler - C - Wexford (PA) North Allegheny: 83 86
With a couple years between Jack Miller and Kugler, the latter should have at least a couple seasons as a starter.  I liked what I saw of him at the Under Armour All-American Game.


Chris Fox - OT - Parker (CO) Ponderosa: 90 85
Fox's ACL tear concerns me some. He's still a big body who's pretty athletic, but I fear that this injury might put him behind some of the other linemen to begin..

Jourdan Lewis - CB - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: 86 84
Lewis isn't the biggest, strongest, or fastest recruit out there, but he shows good change of direction and ball skills.  I like him as a college cornerback, but he might be limited beyond that.

Jake Butt - TE - Pickerington (OH) North: 82
I'm leaving Butt right where he is. He's not a "next generation" tight end who can run really fast and jump really high, but he's a very solid prospect.  He should have no problem turning into a good blocker at the very least.

Ben Gedeon - LB - Hudson (OH) Hudson: 82 81
I still like Gedeon, but I have slightly more confidence in Butt as a prospect.  I like turning running backs into linebackers, and he has experience at both positions.

Da'Mario Jones - WR - Westland (MI) John Glenn: 79 81
As Michigan's passing offense improves and they can find more ways to get the ball to receivers, I like Jones's skill set more.  He's not an absolute blazer, but he offers a dimension of speed that some other recent receiver recruits lack.

Henry Poggi - DT - Baltimore (MI) Gilman: 81 79
Watching Poggi in the Under Armour All-American Game, I still think Poggi looks like a good prospect for the college level - he played very well - but I'm not sure he'll have the size or explosion to be a serious NFL prospect down the road.

Maurice Hurst, Jr. - DT - Westwood (MA) Xaverian Brothers: 73 78
I always liked Hurst's athleticism, but I like his energy, too.  After seeing his senior highlights and his performance in the Semper Fi All-American Bowl, I think he has some potential to be a pretty good player down the road.

Csont'e York - WR - Harper Woods (MI) Chandler Park Academy: 79 77
York's rating doesn't change much, but I have less confidence in him than Poggi.  He still has considerable upside because he can go up and get the ball, but he's not a dynamic athlete.

Taco Charlton - DE - Pickerington (OH) Central: 75 76
Charlton has the speed to stick at weakside end, but he keeps growing and growing. I wonder if at some point he might be too heavy to play WDE and end up as a strongside end. Considering some lacking technique, that could be troublesome.

Logan Tuley-Tillman - OT - Peoria (IL) Manual: 79 75
I'm downgrading Tuley-Tillman a little bit because he's so raw.  He's helped by the fact that he's the only left tackle prospect in this class, but it's tough to get a feel for him.  Pass protection is still a huge issue for him as he learns.

Mike McCray II - LB - Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: 74
This seems to be a pretty good spot for McCray. It's unclear whether he'll finally end up at SAM or MIKE. He's a good athlete, but I have questions about his ability to read plays quickly.  I might be in favor of putting him at SAM, where he would be in a position to attack more often than having to read and react.

Channing Stribling - CB - Matthews (NC) Butler: 73
I thought about bumping up Stribling, but I just don't think I can do it.  He showed his ability to make plays in high school, but I just don't think he has the speed to be a dynamic player in college.  Most of Michigan's good corners over the past 15 years or so have been fast or at least quick, but I don't see that in Stribling.

David Dawson - OG - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: 67 71
I'm bumping Dawson up a little bit, because I think he could be a starter later in his career.  Anyone who becomes a starter with the way Michigan is recruiting has to be pretty good player, but I don't see a particularly high ceiling for him.

Delano Hill - CB - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: 71 69
Hill has lots of physical talent, but if he were a great playmaker, he would have been rated higher by the recruiting services.  He seems to be a guy who could be a very good special teamer and earn spot duty in college, but he's a man without a position - is he a corner or a safety? - and there's talent at those spots already.

Wyatt Shallman - RB - Novi (MI) Catholic Central: 65
I think this is a pretty good spot for Shallman.  I don't think he will ever be a starter at running back, although he could be a factor at fullback or U-back in the future.  He also has the ability to contribute on defense, but Shallman and the coaches have been insistent that he'll play offense.

Ross Douglas - CB - Avon (OH) Avon: 63
Douglas was recruited to play slot corner, and when you combine that with his lack of great size, I think he's somewhat limited when projecting him beyond college.  I think he could be a solid slot corner in the same vein as Brandon Harrison.

DeVeon Smith - RB - Warren (OH) Howland: 63
I thought about bumping Smith up because I truly believe that Michigan will be putting together some good rushing seasons in the coming years because of the offensive line, and not totally because of the talent of the running backs.  I do not believe Smith has the speed to be a dynamic running back himself, but he might put up good numbers as a backup and perhaps eventual successor to Green.

Reon Dawson - CB - Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: 62
Dawson does have some potential to outperform this ranking, but he's behind some of the other guys in technical prowess.  The speed and size are there.  It just depends on how it all comes together.

Khalid Hill - TE - Detroit (MI) East English Village: 68 60
Hill can fill a role on this team, but he has talent ahead of him and his lack of speed or size sort of limits his upside.

Dan Samuelson - OG - Plymouth (IN) Plymouth: 65 59
I think Samuelson will be a quality backup down the road, who could make a spot start and be fine.  However, I think he's someone who might get lost in the shuffle with the rest of the linemen Michigan is getting.

Jaron Dukes - WR - Columbus (OH) Marion Franklin: 70 58
Dukes didn't have a great senior season, and I already had questions about him going into the 2012 season.  He doesn't have great speed, and he doesn't look like a lithe athlete who can make up for that speed deficiency with acrobatics.

Scott Sypniewski - LS - Ottawa (IL) : Incomplete
I don't know enough about long snappers around the country to offer an opinion here.

2013 Recruiting Awards

Derrick Green is dressed properly for the occasion

You can go ahead and glance back at my 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012 recruiting award posts.

Best Overall Recruit: RB Derrick Green
Green is widely considered to be the top recruit in Michigan's class, and running backs are often fairly easy to scout.  Based on the way Michigan is recruiting the offensive line, I think there's a good chance that Green becomes an All-Big Ten player and perhaps an All-American.  That kind of performance at a place like Michigan would likely set him up for a high NFL Draft pick.

Best Offensive Recruit: RB Derrick Green
Considering the above paragraph, this is obvious.

Best Defensive Recruit: S Dymonte Thomas
Thomas is listed at 6'2", 192 lbs.  He has good speed and shows excellent hitting ability.  I was particularly impressed with him as a hitter/tackler during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.  I think his long-term potential might be somewhat limited because he hasn't spent much time in coverage, and NFL teams love those ball hawks.  But as for playing strong safety in college, Thomas looks like an excellent prospect.  I'm excited about his future.

Recruit Most Likely to Make an Early Impact: RB Derrick Green
Until Green committed a couple weeks ago, I would have chosen tight end Jake Butt.  However, Green enters the program when Michigan is looking for a viable #2 tailback, if not a starter while Fitzgerald Toussaint recovers from his broken leg.  I don't think it's out of the question for Green to be the leading rusher in 2013.

Fastest Recruit: CB Delano Hill
Hill is a workout warrior who puts up good numbers, and while his speed doesn't always show up on the field, he did have a laser-timed 4.44 time in the forty.  There really aren't a whole lot of blazing-fast players in this class.  A couple of the cornerbacks - including Hill - might end up at safety, and a couple of the wide receivers are bigger, slower guys.  None of these guys has speed that jumps out at you, but there are a few guys who can scoot a little bit - Green, Hill, Thomas, Ross Douglas, Reon Dawson, and Da'Mario Jones.

Strongest Recruit: OG Kyle Bosch
Bosch is a big, thick kid who probably doesn't need to add much size before seeing the field.  He enrolled early at Michigan, and insiders are already saying that he might be in line for a little bit of playing time as a true freshman.  While I'm not sure that will be necessary (unless there are injuries), it's still a positive tidbit about his future.

Best Under-the-Radar Recruit: WR Da'Mario Jones
Jones is a 6'2", 185 lb. receiver with good speed.  He needs some polishing, but his speed should allow him to be a deep threat a little more than several other guys on the roster.  When he committed to Michigan, he was sitting on several MAC offers and one from New Mexico.

Most Overrated Recruit: CB Delano Hill
Hill is a 4-star to three of the major recruiting sites (ESPN ranks him as a 3-star), but I think he's closer to a 3-star prospect.  He is a very good athlete, but I'm not sure he has the football instincts and playmaking ability to justify those 4-star rankings.

Most Likely to Redshirt: OT Chris Fox
Fox, who tore his ACL toward the end of his senior season, will miss some developmental time while he recovers.  Additionally, Michigan returns both starting tackles (Taylor Lewan, Michael Schofield) and has a couple decent redshirt freshmen (Ben Braden, Erik Magnuson), so there's not much need for Fox to play this year.

Personal Favorite Recruit: S Dymonte Thomas
Thomas was a two-way star in high school who put up excellent numbers on both sides of the ball.  He also seems to be a heady kid who reportedly improved quickly during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, so I think he'll be fun to watch.  Jordan Kovacs was fun to watch over the past couple seasons, and Thomas should eventually take that strong safety position and play at an even higher level.

Recruiting Update: February 11, 2013

Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra cornerback Adoree' Jackson (image via Maxpreps)

COMMITMENT
Richmond (VA) Collegiate quarterback Wilton Speight committed to Michigan.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2014
Houston (TX) Cypress Falls linebacker Otaro Alaka was offered by Michigan.  Alaka is a 6'3", 205 lb. linebacker with offers from Arkansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, among others.  He claims a 4.65 forty and is an early 4-star to Rivals.

Manalapan (NJ) Manalapan wide receiver Saeed Blacknall was offered by Michigan.  Blacknall is a 6'2", 190 lb. wideout with offers from Georgia Tech, Pitt, and Rutgers, and he claims a 4.5 forty.  As a junior in 2012, he had 40 catches for 473 yards and 11 touchdowns.  He's a speedster with good size, and I'm a little surprised he doesn't have a better offer list.  His numbers aren't extremely impressive, but his highlights are full of big plays.

Aliquippa (PA) Aliquippa safety Dravon Henry was offered by Michigan.  Henry is a 5'11", 185 lb. running back/safety with offers from Ohio State, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, and West Virginia.  As a junior in 2012, he had 116 carries for 1,919 yards and 23 touchdowns, but Michigan wants him as a safety.  Pitt appears to be his leader for now.

Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra cornerback Adoree' Jackson was offered by Michigan.  Jackson is a 5'10", 170 lb. corner with offers from LSU, Miami, Nebraska, UCLA, and USC, among others.  As a junior in 2012, he had 56 tackles and 5 interceptions.  Jackson is electric with the ball in his hands and could by a dynamic corner and return man.  In my opinion, he's a 5-star talent.

Olney (MD) Good Counsel linebacker Melvin Keihn was offered by Michigan.  Keihn is a 6'3", 225 lb. outside linebacker with offers from Maryland, Miami, Rutgers, and West Virginia, among others.  As a junior in 2012, he had 14 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble returned for a touchdown.  He could also end up at weakside defensive end.

Highlands Ranch (CO) Valor Christian running back Christian McCaffrey was offered by Michigan.  McCaffrey is a 6'0", 195 lb. back with offers from Colorado, Colorado State, Oregon, Stanford, Vanderbilt, and Washington, among others.  As a junior in 2012, he had 30 rushing touchdowns and 6 receiving touchdowns.  He's the son of former NFL wide receiver Ed McCaffrey, and he attends the same high school as 2012 offensive line target Alex Kozan (Auburn).  Michigan is recruiting the younger McCaffrey as a slot receiver.

Washington (PA) Washington running back Shai McKenzie was offered by Michigan.  Mckenzie is a 5'11", 210 lb. running back with offers from Arkansas, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, and West Virginia, among others.  As a junior in 2012, he had 2,689 rushing yards and 42 rushing touchdowns.  He's a compact, powerful, downhill runner who claims a 4.42 forty.  He's from the same hometown as redshirt junior defensive tackle Ken Wilkins, but a different school.

El Cerrito (CA) El Cerrito cornerback Adarius Pickett was offered by Michigan.  Pickett is a 5'10", 175 lb. corner with offers from Arizona State, Cal, UCLA, and Utah, among others.  247 Sports ranks him as the #13 cornerback in the class and the #160 overall player in the nation.

Long Beach (CA) Poly wide receiver John "Juju" Smith was offered by Michigan.  Smith is a 6'1", 185 lb. wideout with offers from Arizona, UCLA, USC, and Washington, among others.  He attends the alma mater of former Michigan cornerback Donovan Warren.

McDonough (GA) Eagle's Landing Christian defensive end Andrew Williams was offered by Michigan.  Williams is a 6'4", 231 lb. weakside end with offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and USC, among others.  Eagle's Landing Christian is the alma mater of a couple other Michigan targets in recent years, including Isaac Rochell (Notre Dame) and Avery Walls (Cal).

Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra linebacker Dwight Williams was offered by Michigan.  Williams is a 6'0", 190 lb. weakside linebacker prospect with offers from Cal, Nebraska, Tennessee, UCLA, and Washington, among others.  As a junior in 2012, he had 158 tackles, 1 sack, 3 interceptions, and 4 forced fumbles.  He attends the same high school as elite corner Adoree' Jackson, who also holds a Michigan offer.

Memphis (TN) White Station defensive end Petera Wilson was offered by Michigan.  Wilson is a 6'3", 220 lb. end with offers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, and USC, among others.  He's an early 4-star to Rivals.

Englewood (NJ) Dwight Morrow wide receiver Juwann Winfree was offered by Michigan.  Winfree is a 6'2", 180 lb. receiver with offers from Maryland, Pitt, and Rutgers, among others.  He has good size with pretty good speed and an ability to run after the catch.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Salt Lake City (UT) Brighton linebacker Osa Masina was offered by Michigan.  Masina is a 6'4", 190 lb. prospect with offers from BYU, Utah, and Wisconsin.  His older brother plays for the Utes, but Masina isn't tied into playing for Utah.  He's an aggressive, athletic linebacker who would likely play SAM in Michigan's defense

Orlando (FL) Timber Creek running back Jacques Patrick was offered by Michigan.  Patrick is a 6'1", 200 lb. tailback with offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Ohio State, and USC, among others.  As a sophomore in 2012, he had 231 carries for 2,032 yards and 29 touchdowns, along with 2 catches for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns.  He's a downhill runner who runs with good body lean, has a little bit of shiftiness to him, and has very good speed.  He looks like a future 5-star or at least a high 4-star prospect.

OFF THE BOARD
Vienna (GA) Dooly County defensive tackle Montravius Adams committed to Auburn.  Clemson was considered to be his leader up until a few days before National Signing Day.  He's an explosive defensive tackle who should set up shop in opposing SEC backfields soon.

Westerville (OH) South linebacker Marcus Ball flipped from Wisconsin to Arizona State.  His older brother Ray is an offensive lineman at Wisconsin.  Michigan impressed Marcus on an official visit in December, and rumors suggested he almost  flipped to the Wolverines.

Port Saint Lucie (FL) Saint Lucie West Centennial defensive tackle Jay-nard Bostwick committed to Florida.  Bostwick was originally scheduled to visit Michigan the weekend of January 18th, but he canceled that trip, so Michigan never really had a chance to woo him.

Somerville (NJ) Immaculata defensive end Tashawn Bower flipped from Auburn to LSU.  Bower was a long-time Auburn commitment, so this was a bit hit to their class.

Dadeville (AL) Dadeville defensive tackle Rod Crayton committed to Southern Mississippi.

Fort Lauderdale (FL) University School wide receiver Jordan Cunningham committed to Vanderbilt.  The Commodores almost came out of nowhere, because most experts thought he would end up at either Miami or Stanford.

Louisville (KY) Trinity defensive end Jason Hatcher committed to Kentucky at the last minute.  His recruitment was a wild one that involved two de-commitments from USC in recent weeks.

Corona (CA) Centennial offensive guard Cameron Hunt flipped from Cal to Oregon.  For a long time, Hunt was looking for a way out of Cal's class.  If Dan Samuelson had not committed to Michigan, I think there's a very good chance that Hunt would have taken that final offensive line spot in the Wolverines' class.  Here's the scouting report I had written up on Hunt.

Southfield (MI) Southfield defensive end Lawrence Marshall committed to Ohio State.  This came as a little bit if a surprise to me because I had heard that Michigan was slightly ahead in the recruiting process, but he and several other prospects visited Columbus this weekend, and I guess he was impressed.

Washington (DC) Friendship Collegiate Academy linebacker Yannick Ngakoue committed to Maryland.  He had previously been committed to the Terps, but he de-committed to consider Florida State, among others.

Charlotte (NC) Mallard Creek wide receiver Marquez North committed to Tennessee.  It was a North Carolina vs. Tennessee battle up until the end, but the Volunteers won out.

Lake City (FL) Columbia offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil committed to Ole Miss.  Tunsil had long been considered a Georgia lean, so this commitment - along with a few others - has raised some eyebrows for people who are wondering how a mediocre SEC team is pulling in such good talent.

Placer (CA) Placer defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes committed to Notre Dame.  Vanderdoes is one of the top few defensive tackles in the nation, in my opinion, so he will be a force to deal with for Michigan over the next couple seasons.  Here's the scouting report I wrote up on Vanderdoes.

Cordova (TN) St. Benedict running back Jordan Wilkins committed to Ole Miss.  Wilkins had been committed to Auburn for several months, but the coaching changes for the Tigers caused a bit of an issue with some of the recruits.  Here's the scouting report I had written up on Wilkins.

Video: Brady Hoke on 2013 Recruiting Class

Video: Inside Michigan Football Signing Day Special

Video: Brady Hoke Signing Day press conference

Pro Athletes and Their Spawn: 2013 Edition

David Robinson (#50, posterizing Gerald Wilkins) was always one of my favorite basketball
players, and now his son is going to play for Notre Dame

It's always interesting to me to see the kids of pro athletes and celebrities grow up (see last year's edition).  What do the children of the privileged choose to do with their lives?  Well, at least for these few athletes, they have chosen to pursue college football careers:

Keith Byars II - RB - Boca Raton (FL) Boca Raton: Byars is a 5'10", 205 lb. running back who picked Purdue over offers from Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Rutgers, and Vanderbilt, among others.  The elder Byars was an Ohio State Buckeye who went on to a successful career as a running back/fullback/tight end - now commonly referred to as an H-back - with the Philadelphia Eagles, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and New York Jets.  He ended his career with 3,109 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns, but his bigger impact was in the passing game, where he had 610 catches for 5,661 yards and 31 touchdowns.  He won a Super Bowl with the Patriots after the 1997 season and then spent a year with the Jets before retiring.

Berkley Edwards - RB - Chelsea (MI) Chelsea: Edwards is a 5'9", 185 lb. running back who picked Minnesota over offers from Cal and numerous Mid-American Conference teams.  As a senior this past season, he had 234 carries for 1,394 yards and 21 touchdowns.  His father Stan played running back at Michigan before continuing his career with the NFL's Detroit Lions and Houston Oilers.  He ended his career after the 1987 season with a total of 149 carries for 533 yards and 2 touchdowns, along with 52 catches for 436 yards and 1 touchdown.  Berkley's older brother is former Michigan wide receiver Braylon Edwards, who has played for the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, and Seattle Seahawks.

Torii Hunter, Jr. - WR - Prosper (TX) Prosper: Hunter is a 6'0", 172 lb. receiver who chose Notre Dame over offers from Arizona, Arkansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, and West Virginia, among others.  As a senior this past season, he had 71 catches for 1,235 yards and 14 touchdowns.  Unfortunately, he broke his femur during practices for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.  The elder Hunter was a first round pick by the Minnesota Twins in 1993.  He has played 16 seasons in the major leagues, first with the Twins and then with the Los Angeles Angels; this off-season he was acquired by the Detroit Tigers.  His lifetime numbers include 1,986 hits, 297 homeruns, 1,143 runs batted in, 186 stolen bases, and a career batting average of .277.  He's a five-time all-star and a nine-time Gold Glove winner.

Ray Lewis III - RB - Lake Mary (FL) Lake Mary Prep: Lewis is a 5'10", 192 lb. back who committed to Miami last March.  As a junior in 2011, he had 177 carries for 2,312 yards and 29 touchdowns.  Lewis played in the Semper Fi All-American Bowl.  His father Ray was a first round draft pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 1996 and is likely Hall of Fame-bound as a middle linebacker.  He ended his career on Sunday night by winning a second Super Bowl; his career statistics include 1,336 total tackles, 41.5 sacks, 31 interceptions, and 3 touchdowns.

Jonathan McCrary - QB - Ellenwood (GA) Cedar Grove: McCrary is a 6'4", 200 lb. quarterback who picked Vanderbilt over offers from Florida State, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio State, and Tennessee, among others.  As a senior in 2012, he completed 203/270 passes for 2,927 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions; he also ran 45 times for 317 yards and 7 touchdowns.  His father Greg McCrary was a backup tight end for the Atlanta Falcons, Washington Redskins, and San Diego Chargers from 1975 to 1981, totaling 22 catches for 228 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Corey Robinson - WR - San Antonio (TX) Christian: Robinson is a 6'4", 195 lb. receiver who picked Notre Dame over offers from Iowa and Kansas, among others.  As a senior in 2012, he had 67 catches for 1,414 yards and 20 touchdowns.  His father David Robinson was a 7'1", 235 lb. basketball player who was the #1 overall pick out of Navy in 1987.  He played his entire career for the San Antonio Spurs and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009.  The elder Robinson's career accomplishments include 20,790 points (21.1 per game), 10,497 rebounds (10.6 per game), and a career field goal percentage of .518.  He won NBA Championships in 1999 and 2003, his final year in the league.

Shane Tripucka - P - Allen (TX) Allen: Tripucka is a 6'3", 210 lb. prospect with a lone offer from Sam Houston State.  However, Rutgers has shown recent interest, as offers to specialists frequently come late in the process.  Tripucka was selected for the Under Armour All-America Game.  His father Kelly was a #12 overall pick by the Detroit Pistons out of Notre Dame in 1981; he led Notre Dame in scoring during each of his four seasons.  In a ten-year career with the Pistons, Utah Jazz, and Charlotte Hornets, he averaged 17.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists; Kelly was a two-time NBA all-star.  Shane's brother Travis was recently signed by the New York Jets as a long snapper after playing college football at UMass.

Recruiting Update: February 4, 2013

Falcon (CO) Falcon running back Kalen Ballage (image via Denver Post)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2014
Lewisville (TX) Hebron safety Jamal Adams was offered by Michigan.  The 6'0", 189 lb. prospect claims a 4.4 forty and is an early 4-star to Rivals and 247 Sports.  He also has offers from Florida, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Texas, among others.  As a sophomore in 2011, he had 60 tackles and 4 interceptions.  He's a big hitter with good ball skills who looks like a strong safety prospect.


Falcon (CO) Falcon running back Kalen Ballage was offered by Michigan.  Ballage is a 6'2", 215 lb. running back, slot receiver, and outside linebacker, but he looks like a future college running back.  His season stats are incomplete on Maxpreps, but he had at least 245 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground; 13 catches for 193 yards and 5 touchdowns; 32 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 1 sack; 3 punt returns for 79 yards; and 1 kickoff return for a 92-yard touchdown run.  Ballage also has offers from Boise State, Colorado, Colorado State, and Utah, among others.

Norcross (GA) Norcross defensive end Lorenzo Carter was offered by Michigan.  Carter is a 6'6", 232 lb. weakside end with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame, and Ohio State, and many others.  247 Sports has him ranked as the #1 weakside end in the nation and the #3 player overall.  While the early leader appears to be the Crimson Tide, former Michigan offensive tackle Jeff Backus came from the same high school.  Michigan has also pursued wide receiver Jason Croom (Tennessee) and center David Andrews (Georgia) in recent years.

Coppell (TX) Coppell defensive end Solomon Thomas was offered by Michigan.  Thomas is a 6'3", 263 lb. defensive lineman with offers from Clemson, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas A&M, among others.  He looks like a strongside defensive end prospect or perhaps a 3-tech defensive tackle down the road.

OFF THE BOARD
Louisville (KY) Trinity defensive end Jason Hatcher re-committed to USC.  For a split second, he de-committed to consider home state schools Kentucky and Louisville.

Charlotte (NC) Mallard Creek wide receiver Marquez North committed to Tennessee.  Michigan was never really in the running, but this is the third year in a row that the Wolverines have offered a Mallard Creek product, following offensive tackle D.J. Humphries (Florida) in 2012 and quarterback Marquise Williams (North Carolina) in 2011.

Arvada (CO) Ralston Valley offensive tackle Dan Skipper changed his commitment from Tennessee to Arkansas.  The 6'10", 295-pounder was seriously considering Michigan at one point, but the commitment of Dan Samuelson ended Michigan's search for offensive linemen.  Skipper is particularly tall and struggles to stay low, so I think Michigan's other linemen are superior prospects.

Cordova (TN) St. Benedict running back Jordan Wilkins committed to Ole Miss.  Wilkins had previously been committed to Auburn.

COACHES ON THE ROAD
Here's a partial list of whom the coaches have visited in the past week:

Ty Barrett - OT - Dallas (TX) Skyline
Jalen Brady - QB - Southfield (MI) Southfield
Ray Buford - WR - Southfield (MI) Southfield**
Shaun Crawford - CB - Lakewood (OH) St. Edward's
Garrett Dickerson - TE - Oradell (NJ) Bergen Catholic
Tommy Doles - C - Grand Rapids (MI) Christian
Drew Dowding - LB - Michigan Center (MI) Michigan Center
Jalen Embry - CB - Detroit (MI) King
Carl Fuller - LB - Detroit (MI) King
Damien Harris - RB - Berea (KY) Madison Southern**
Drake Harris - WR - Grand Rapids (MI) Christian
Dewayne Hendrix - DE - O'Fallon (IL) O'Fallon
Dravon Henry - S - Aliquippa (PA) Aliquippa
Elijah Hood - RB - Charlotte (NC) Catholic
Tifonte Hunt - CB - Harvey (IL) Thornton
Jon Vea Johnson - WR - Gary (IN) West Side
Lonnie Johnson - WR - Gary (IN) West Side
Ronnie Larue - S - Dallas (TX) Bishop Dunne
Tyler Luatua - TE - La Mirada (CA) La Mirada
Lawrence Marshall - DE - Southfield (MI) Southfield
Quenton Nelson - OT - Red Bank (NJ) Catholic
Montae Nicholson - S - Monroeville (PA) Gateway
Edward Paris - S - Mansfield (TX) Timberview
Henry Poggi - DT - Baltimore (MD) Gilman*
Jovan Pruitt - OG - Dallas (TX) Bishop Dunne
Gelen Robinson - DE - St. John (IN) Lake Central
Brandon Simmons - S - Mansfield (TX) Timberview
Wilton Speight - QB - Richmond (VA) Collegiate
Dionte Sykes - WR - Chandler (AZ) Chandler
Dallis Todd - WR - La Mirada (CA) La Mirada
Nick Watkins - CB - Dallas (TX) Bishop Dunne
Kyron Watson - LB - East St. Louis (IL) East St. Louis
Jauan Wesley - WR - Harvey (IL) Thornton
Darius West - S - Lima (OH) Central Catholic
Parrker Westphal - CB - Bolingbrook (IL) Bolingbrook
Dwight Williams - LB - Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra

*2013 prospect
**2015 prospect

Scout: Class of 2013 Ohio Final State Rankings

Dymonte Thomas is the #2 player in the state of Ohio for the class of 2013

Scout finalized its state of Ohio rankings for the class of 2013.  Here are some notes for Michigan fans:

2. Dymonte Thomas - S - Alliance (OH) Marlington: Offered, committed to Michigan.
3. DeVeon Smith - RB - Warren (OH) Howland: Offered, committed to Michigan.
4. Evan Lisle - OT - Centerville (OH) Centerville: Offered, committed to Ohio State.
5. Cameron Burrows - CB - Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: Offered, committed to Ohio State.
6. Gareon Conley - CB - Massillon (OH) Washington: Offered, committed to Ohio State.
7. Jake Butt - TE - Pickerington (OH) North: Offered, committed to Michigan.
9. Ben Gedeon - LB - Hudson (OH) Hudson: Offered, committed to Michigan.
11. Taco Charlton - DE - Pickerington (OH) Central: Offered, committed to Michigan.
12. Billy Price - DT - Youngstown (OH) Fitch: Offered, committed to Ohio State.
14. Shane Jones - LB - Cincinnati (OH) Moeller: Offered, committed to Michigan State.
16. Rob Wheelwright - WR - Columbus (OH) Walnut Ridge: Offered, committed to Wisconsin.
19. Jayme Thompson - S - Toledo (OH) Central Catholic: Offered, committed to Ohio State.
20. Godwin Igwebuike - RB - Pickerington (OH) North: Teammate of TE commit Jake Butt.
22. Jacob Matuska - DE - Columbus (OH) Bishop Hartley: Offered, committed to Notre Dame.
24. Michael McCray II - LB - Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: Offered, committed to Michigan.
32. Jarrod Clements - DT - Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: Teammate of LB commit Michael McCray II, committed to Illinois.
37. Reon Dawson - CB - Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: Offered, committed to Michigan.
38. Ross Douglas - CB - Avon (OH) Avon: Offered, committed to Michigan.
39. Matt Miller - OG - Toledo (OH) St. John's: Brother of Michigan center Jack Miller, committed to Wisconsin.
40. Marcus Ball - S - Westerville (OH) South: Offered.
47. Jaron Dukes - WR - Columbus (OH) Walnut Ridge: Offered, committed to Michigan.
52. Kevin Gladney - WR - Akron (OH) Firestone: Offered, committed to Nebraska.
58. Dan Monteroso - WR - St. Clairsville (OH) St. Clairsville: Teammate of 2014 LB commit Michael Ferns.

Scout: Class of 2013 Michigan Final State Rankings

Warren (MI) De La Salle quarterback Shane Morris is the top player in the state

Scout finalized its 2013 in-state rankings.  Here are some notes on a few players of Michigan interest:

1. Shane Morris - QB - Warren (MI) De La Salle: Offered, committed to Michigan.
2. Steven Elmer - OT - Midland (MI) Midland: Offered, committed to Notre Dame.
3. Jourdan Lewis - CB - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Offered, committed to Michigan.
4. Jon Reschke - LB - Bloomfield (MI) Brother Rice: Offered, committed to Michigan State.
5. David Dawson - OG - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Offered, committed to Michigan.
6. Dennis Finley - OT - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Offered, committed to Michigan State.
7. Delano Hill - S - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Offered, committed to Michigan.
8. Wyatt Shallman - FB - Novi (MI) Catholic Central: Offered, committed to Michigan.
9. Khalid Hill - TE - Detroit (MI) East English Village: Offered, committed to Michigan.
13. Da'Mario Jones - WR - Westland (MI) John Glenn: Offered, committed to Michigan.
23. Berkley Edwards - RB - Chelsea (MI) Chelsea: Brother of former Michigan WR Braylon Edwards, committed to Minnesota.
26. Andre Turner - DE - Harper Woods (MI) Chandler Park: Teammate of WR commit Csont'e York, committed to Western Michigan.
28. DeJuan Rogers - CB - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Teammate of commits Lewis, Dawson, and D. Hill; committed to Toledo.
37. Josh Cox - S - Warren (MI) De La Salle: Teammate of QB commit Shane Morris; committed to Central Michigan.
64. Matt Linehan - QB - Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary's: Son of Detroit Lions OC Scott Linehan, committed to Idaho.

Recruiting Update: January 28, 2013

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech running back Mikey Weber (image via Michigan Citizen)

COMMITMENT
Richmond (VA) Hermitage running back Derrick Green committed to Michigan.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2013
Louisville (KY) Trinity defensive end Jason Hatcher decommitted from USC.  Hatcher is not considering Michigan, but he is now open to Louisville (where his teammate James Quick is committed) or Kentucky, the new head coaching home of former Florida State defensive coordinator Mark Stoops.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2014
Cleveland (OH) Glenville safety Erick Smith was offered by Michigan.  Smith is a 6'1", 185 lb. prospect with offers from Georgia Tech, Louisville, Ohio State, and West Virginia, among others.  Michigan has also offered his teammate, wide receiver Marshon Lattimore.  Like a lot of Glenville products, Ohio State seems to be the leader.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Detroit (MI) Cass Tech defensive tackle Joshua Alabi was offered by Michigan.  The 6'5", 245-pounder doesn't hold any other offers.  He doesn't get off the ball very well defensively, but the athleticism is apparent.  He moves like a future left tackle, but I'm not sure he'll have the height and length to play that position; if he can get more aggressive, he's the type of athlete you would want at strongside end or 3-tech defensive tackle.  Alabi has visited Michigan a couple times, including for last season's Michigan State game.  He played defensive end, defensive tackle, and offensive tackle for Cass Tech, and is the teammate of 2013 commits David Dawson, Delano Hill, and Jourdan Lewis.


Detroit (MI) Cass Tech running back Mikey Weber was offered by Michigan.  The 5'10", 195 lb. running back also has offers from Illinois and Syracuse.  As a sophomore in 2012, he had 1,700 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns.  Weber's body type looks a lot like Fitzgerald Toussaint's, but Weber's more of a slasher and doesn't show the same kind of lateral movement.


OFF THE BOARD
Phoenix (AZ) Brophy Prep wide receiver Devon Allen committed to Oregon.  Allen flirted with lots of teams out west, and even seriously considered Michigan and Notre Dame for a while.  But he always coveted an Oregon offer, which came recently, and the choice seemed to be pretty easy at that point.

Avon (IN) Avon defensive end Elijah Daniel committed to Ole Miss.  Daniel had previously been committed to Clemson along with the consensus #1 defensive end nationally, Robert Nkemdiche.  Now that Nkemdiche appears to be headed for Oxford sooner or later, Daniel seems destined to be a Rebel, too.

Hamilton (GA) Harris County defensive tackle Jay Ellison committed to Georgia Southern.  That's an odd development for a player who listed offers from Auburn, Georgia Tech, Michigan State, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Santa Monica (CA) Santa Monica wide receiver Sebastian Larue committed to Texas A&M.  After decommitting from USC in recent weeks, Larue flirted with the idea of visiting Michigan.  He is now one of about eight wide receivers committed to the Aggies.

Belton (TX) Belton tight end Durham Smythe committed to Notre Dame.  Smythe had previously been committed to Texas, but since he decommitted, it has mostly been a race between the Fighting Irish and Stanford.  He was originally scheduled to take a visit to Michigan this past weekend, but he rescheduled in order to visit South Bend with a bunch of other visitors.  Now it looks like next weekend's visit to Ann Arbor won't happen after all.

Euless (TX) Trinity defensive end Gaius Vaenuku committed to Utah.  The 6'6", 260-pounder pickes the Utes over offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Missouri, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas Tech, and UCLA.

Tempe (AZ) Marcos De Niza cornerback Priest Willis committed to UCLA.  Michigan was never strongly in the running.  The Wolverines were recruiting him as a cornerback, but most teams project him to safety.

MISCELLANEOUS
There were some rumors that Saginaw (MI) Heritage wide receiver Brian Cole, a 2015 prospect, was offered by Michigan.  However, that is not a solid offer, and he was apparently told he'll have to wait until his junior year for an offer.

Derrick Green, Wolverine

Richmond (VA) Hermitage running back
Derrick Green at his announcement
(image via 247 Sports)

Richmond (VA) Hermitage running back Derrick Green committed to Michigan on Saturday.  He chose the Wolverines over offers from just about everyone in the country, and the other two finalists were Auburn and Tennessee.

Green is 6'0" and 220 lbs.  As a senior in 2012, he had 185 carries for 1,285 yards and 20 touchdowns.  As a junior, he had 1,493 yards and 20 touchdowns.  In his sophomore season, he had 800 yards and 10 touchdowns.  He claims a 4.58 forty.

RATINGS
ESPN: 4-star RB, 85 grade, #5 RB, #38 overall
Rivals: 5-star RB, #1 RB, #8 overall
Scout: 5-star RB, #1 RB, #6 overall
247 Sports: 4-star RB, 95 grade, #8 RB, #84 overall

Green was offered last February when Michigan went on a spree of offering running backs.  At the beginning of his recruitment, Michigan did not seem to be a serious option.  He was considering a long list of places, most of them down south; other than Ohio State in the north, he was looking at Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, and a few other places.  The longer Green's recruitment lasted, however, things started to fall into place for Michigan.  He always maintained a desire to play in a pro-style offense, and the hiring of Gus Malzahn at Auburn and Butch Jones at Tennessee didn't really align with Green's desires.  He also wanted a chance to play early, and with no established starter at Michigan (incumbent Fitzgerald Toussaint is coming off a nasty leg injury and has just one year left), the opportunity will be there immediately.

I have had my eye on Green for a long time.  Aside from watching his highlights, I had a chance to see him in person last May in a 7-on-7 tournament.  I put together a scouting report on him prior to his senior season, and that interpretation largely holds true still, but I will say that his senior highlights showed significant improvement.  One of the things that I may have underestimated was the fact that Green was 260-270 lbs. early in high school and decided to shed the weight in order to play running back.  I think losing that weight and increasing his agility may have been - or may be - a long process that wasn't completed by his junior year.  He's a lot shiftier in his senior highlights and seems to have a better understanding of how to make people miss.  Green is still a north-south runner and won't ever be Barry Sanders, but there's a little more lightning to his thunder now.

While I don't think Derrick Green is the best running back in the country like Rivals and Scout do, I think he's one of the top three to five backs in the nation.  With the offensive line Michigan is building in the 2012 and 2013 classes, he should have plenty of room to run.  A 6'0", 220 lb. running back with his acceleration should be able to wear down second- and third-level defenders, making it quite a grind for opposing defenses.  Depending on how quickly Toussaint heals from his leg injury, Green could very well be the starting running back for the Wolverines on opening day 2013.  In my opinion, he is already better than the other running backs on the roster, save perhaps a healthy Toussaint; and I also think Green is superior to fellow 2013 commits Deveon Smith and Wyatt Shallman.

Green is Michigan's 27th commitment in the 2013 class and the third running back.  The Wolverines may be done recruiting in this class, but I expect that we'll see another scholarship offer or two here in the last couple weeks to try to sway a player already committed elsewhere, somewhat like what happened with Dennis Norfleet last year.

TTB Rating: 92

Mini Recruiting Update: January 25, 2013

Future teammates? Jourdan Lewis, Dymonte Thomas, Derrick Green, Jake Butt, and Chris Fox pose together

There aren't many visitors coming to Michigan this weekend, so here's a mini update on the week's news:

VISITORS
Grand Rapids (MI) Christian offensive lineman Tommy Doles will be visiting Michigan tomorrow.  The 6'5", 255 lb. lineman holds two offers, one from Michigan and one from Iowa State.  Doles would likely play center or perhaps guard at the next level.  His teammate is wide receiver Drake Harris, a highly touted recruit who has pulled in offers from Alabama and Ohio State recently; however, there's been no indication that Harris will join Doles on this trip.

Southfield (MI) Southfield defensive end Lawrence Marshall visited Ann Arbor for the basketball game against Purdue last night.  Along with a Michigan offer, the 6'4", 205-pounder has offers from Michigan State, Ohio State, Pitt, San Diego State, and Syracuse.  He hasn't talked about his recruitment a ton, but Michigan is presumed to be his leader.

ANNOUNCEMENT
Richmond (VA) Hermitage running back Derrick Green will be announcing his college decision at 4:00 p.m. tomorrow.  Michigan has been his stated leader, and it sounds like Tennessee is running second with Auburn third.  Green appears to be looking for a stable coaching staff; with Brady Hoke appearing to be in it for the long haul and running backs coach Fred Jackson entering his 22nd year with the program, Michigan looks pretty stable.  Both Auburn and Tennessee replaced their coaches this offseason.  Green has also stated that he wants to play in a pro-style offense, which neither of those schools offer.  However, the major hangup for Green seems to be that he thinks the SEC will prepare him better for the NFL.  The Big Ten has not produced elite running backs in recent years, and Green has always maintained that he wants to play at the next level.  If he chooses Michigan, he'll be choosing a school that hasn't churned out a productive NFL back since Anthony Thomas, whose last college season was 2000.  In approximately that same span, Tennessee has produced Travis Henry, Jamal Lewis, and Arian Foster; Auburn has the success stories of Ronnie Brown, Cadillac Williams, and even Ben Tate, who rushed for 942 yards as Foster's backup in 2011.  I have no reason to think that Michigan won't be the choice, since that's his recently stated leader, but there are factors working against the Wolverines.

COACHES ON THE ROAD
Here are the names I've gathered of whom the Michigan staff has visited this week (all prospects are 2014 guys unless otherwise noted):

Joshua Alabi - DT - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech**
Dominique Booth - WR - Indianapolis (IN) Pike
Shane Evans - OG - Crystal Lake (IL) Prairie Ridge
Derrick Green - RB - Richmond (VA) Hermitage*
Damien Harris - RB - Berea (KY) Madison Southern**
Johnathan Hilliman - RB - Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter's Prep
Elijah Hood - RB - Charlotte (NC) Catholic
Jamarco Jones - OG - Chicago (IL) De La Salle
Derek Kief - WR - Cincinnati (OH) La Salle
Brandon Lee - LB - Indianapolis (IN) Lawrence Central
Lawrence Marshall - DE - Southfield (MI) Southfield
Mike McCray II - LB - Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison*
Malik McDowell - DE - Detroit (MI) Loyola
Peyton Newell - DE - Hiawatha (KS) Hiawatha
Austin Roberts - TE - Carmel (IN) Carmel
Enoch Smith, Jr. - DE - Chicago (IL) Mt. Carmel
Durham Smythe - TE - Belton (TX) Belton*
Mikey Weber - RB - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech**
Parrker Westphal - CB - Bolingbrook (IL) Bolingbrook
Mikale Wilbon - RB - Chicago (IL) De La Salle

*2013 prospect
**2015 prospect

Rivals 250 for 2013 finalized

Jourdan Lewis (left, pictured with once and future teammate Delano Hill) jumped up to the #131 player in the nation

Rivals released its final top 250 players for the class of 2013.  The top 100 was released yesterday:  Here's what the top 250 looked like on December 4.

Movement for Michigan players:

- Kyle Bosch fell from #99 to #104
- Dymonte Thomas fell from #107 to #109
- Mike McCray fell from #88 to #115
- Jourdan Lewis jumped from #147 to #131
- Chris Fox fell from #123 to #142
- Jake Butt fell from #141 to #144
- Taco Charlton fell from #231 to #237
- Ross Douglas fell from #238 to #241
- Logan Tuley-Tillman fell out of the top 250

Here are the rest of Michigan's offerees

104. Kyle Bosch - OG - Illinois (Michigan)
106. Dorian O'Daniel - LB - Maryland (Clemson)
107. Elijah Daniel - DE - Indiana (Mississippi)
109. Dymonte Thomas - S - Ohio (Michigan)
110. E.J. Levenberry - LB - Virginia (Florida State)
112. Larenz Bryant - LB - North Carolina (South Carolina)
115. Mike McCray II - LB - Ohio (Michigan)
124. Isaac Rochell - DE - Georgia (Notre Dame)
127. Jake Raulerson - DE - Texas (Texas)
131. Jourdan Lewis - CB - Michigan (Michigan)
133. Cole Luke - CB - Arizona (Notre Dame)
139. Kameron Miles - S - Texas (Texas A&M)
142. Chris Fox - OT - Colorado (Michigan)
143. Maurice Smith - CB - Texas (Alabama)
144. Jake Butt - TE - Ohio (Michigan)
146. Michael Hill - DT - South Carolina (Ohio State)
147. Jake Oliver - WR - Texas (Texas)
149. Jon Reshke - LB - Michigan (Michigan State)
161. Joe Mathis - DE - California (Washington)
162. Hunter Bivin - OT - Kentucky (Notre Dame)
165. David Dawson - OG - Michigan (Michigan)
174. Darren Carrington - WR - California (Oregon)
175. Billy Price - DT - Ohio (Ohio State)
179. Tim Harris - CB - Virginia (Virginia)
181. Na'Ty Rodgers - OT - Maryland (South Carolina)
183. Jordan Cunningham - WR - Florida
186. Devon Allen - WR - Arizona
200. Kevin Olsen - QB - New Jersey (Miami)
202. Nadir Barnwell - ATH - New Jersey (Rutgers)
204. Jayme Thompson - S - Ohio (Ohio State)
209. Ishmael Wilson - OG - Texas (Texas A&M)
210. Sebastian Larue - WR - California
212. Ebenezer Ogundeko - DE - New York (Clemson)
213. Cameron Hunt - OG - California (Cal)
221. Jason Hatcher - DE - Kentucky (USC)
226. Chase Abbington - ATH - Missouri (Missouri)
237. Taco Charlton - DE - Ohio (Michigan)
239. Darius Latham - DT - Indiana (Wisconsin)
241. Ross Douglas - CB - Ohio (Michigan)
245. Darrell Daniels - WR - California (Washington)
249. Eldridge Massington - WR - Texas (UCLA)

Rivals 100 for 2013 finalized

Baltimore (MD) Gilman defensive tackle Henry Poggi is Michigan's highest ranked commit, according to Rivals

Rivals finalized its rankings of the top 100 players for the class of 2013. Here's what it looked like in December.

Movement for Michigan commits:

- Shane Morris fell from #27 to #81 and lost his fifth star
- Henry Poggi fell from #68 to #70
- Patrick Kugler fell from #79 to #82
- Mike McCray II and Kyle Bosch fell out of the top 100

Here are the rest of Michigan's offerees:

5-stars:
2. Vernon Hargreaves III - CB - Florida (Florida)
3. Jaylon Smith - LB - Indiana (Notre Dame)
5. Laquon Treadwell - WR - Illinois (Ole Miss)
8. Derrick Green - RB - Virginia
9. Kendall Fuller - CB - Maryland (Clemson)
11. Jonathan Allen - DE - Virginia (Alabama)
12. Su'a Cravens - S - California (USC)
14. Laremy Tunsil - OT - Florida
21. Eddie Vanderdoes - DT - California
22. Leon McQuay III - S - Florida (USC)
25. Montravius Adams - DT - Georgia
27. Ty Isaac - RB - Illinois (USC)
28. Alex Anzalone - LB - Pennsylvania (Florida)

4-stars:
34. Chris Hawkins - CB - California (USC)
37. Marquez North - WR - North Carolina
39. Cameron Burrows - CB - Ohio (Ohio State)
44. Tray Matthews - S - Georgia (Georgia)
46. Robert Foster - WR - Pennsylvania (Alabama)
47. Joey Bosa - DE - Florida (Ohio State)
48. Keith Ford - RB - Texas (Oklahoma)
49. Al-Quadin Muhammad - DE - New Jersey (Miami)
50. Ethan Pocic - OT - Illinois (LSU)
56. Priest Willis - S - Arizona
58. Brendan Mahon - OG - New Jersey (Penn State)
59. Wyatt Teller - DE - Virginia (Virginia Tech)
60. Steve Elmer - OT - Michigan (Notre Dame)
62. Justin Davis - RB - California (USC)
63. Alvin Bailey - WR - Florida (Florida)
70. Henry Poggi - DT - Maryland (Michigan)
74. John Montelus - OG - Massachusetts (Notre Dame)
76. James Quick - WR - Kentucky (Louisville)
78. Adam Breneman - TE - Pennsylvania (Penn State)
81. Shane Morris - QB - Michigan (Michigan)
82. Patrick Kugler - OG - Pennsylvania (Michigan)
85. Demore'a Stringfellow - WR - California (Washington)
88. Yannick Ngakoue - LB - Washington, D.C.
89. Eli Apple - CB - New Jersey (Ohio State)
90. Evan Lisle - OT - Ohio (Ohio State)
96. Justin Manning - DT - Texas (Texas A&M)
97. Peter Kalambayi - LB - North Carolina (Stanford)
98. Antwuan Davis - CB - Texas (Texas)

Recruiting Update: January 21, 2013

Cleveland (OH) St. Ignatius linebacker Kyle Berger

COMMITMENT
Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison cornerback Reon Dawson committed to Michigan.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2013
Cordova (TN) St. Benedict running back Jordan Wilkins decommitted from Auburn. He is now considering Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Vanderbilt.  While Michigan was on his list early in the process, he has expressed reservations about playing in the cold.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2014
Cleveland (OH) St. Ignatius linebacker Kyle Berger was offered by Michigan. Berger is a 6'3", 205 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, and West Virginia, among others; Ohio State appears to be his current leader.  He current plays outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense, and he looks like a SAM linebacker.  As a junior in 2012, he had 44 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. St. Ignatius is the alma mater of Michigan linebacker Jake Ryan.

Chatham (IL) Glenwood tight end Daniel Helm was offered by Michigan.  He's a 6'5", 220-pounder whose only other offer comes from Illinois.  As a junior in 2012, he had 44 catches for 821 yards and 17 touchdowns.  Based on his film, I'm surprised he doesn't have more offers.  I doubt John Beilein is interested in getting him on the basketball team, though.


OFF THE BOARD
Peoria (IL) Peoria defensive tackle Josh Augusta committed to Missouri.  It's unclear whether Augusta ever held an actual offer from the Wolverines, but one site (Rivals) listed him, so I include him.  He's the cross-town rival of Michigan offensive tackle commit Logan Tuley-Tillman, but it looks like their personal rivalry will end now that Augusta is SEC-bound.

Philadelphia (PA) West Catholic offensive tackle Jaryd Jones-Smith committed to Pitt.  The 6'7", 300-pounder is considered to be quite a project, but his size and athleticism make him a nice developmental prospect for the Panthers.

Crete (IL) Crete-Monee wide receiver LaQuon Treadwell committed to Ole Miss.  At one time Michigan was his leader, but he kept holding off on committing.  Anytime a player has a stated leader but won't commit for a long time, that's a bit of a red flag.  Treadwell joins former class of 2012 teammate Anthony Standifer, a cornerback who was committed to Michigan at one time; Standifer redshirted this season.

Detroit News Blue Chip list for 2013

Shane Morris is the top player in Michigan, according to the Detroit News

The Detroit News released its "blue chip" list for 2013, and unsurprisingly, there's a handful of future Wolverines on the list.  A quick rundown:

1. Shane Morris - QB - Warren (MI) De La Salle: Committed to Michigan.
2. David Dawson - OG - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Committed to Michigan.
3. Steve Elmer - OT - Midland (MI) Midland: Committed to Notre Dame.
4. Jourdan Lewis - CB - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Committed to Michigan.
5. Jon Reschke - LB - Birmingham (MI) Brother Rice: Committed to Michigan State.
6. Wyatt Shallman - RB - Novi (MI) Catholic Central: Committed to Michigan.
7. Cameron Dillard - OG - Plymouth (MI) Canton: Committed to Florida.
8. Gerald Holmes - RB - Flint (MI) Carman-Ainsworth: Committed to Michigan State.
9. Delano Hill - CB - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Committed to Michigan.
10. Khalid Hill - TE - Detroit (MI) East English Village: Committed to Michigan.
11. Da'Mario Jones - WR - Westland (MI) John Glenn: Committed to Michigan.
12. Dennis Finley - OT - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Committed to Michigan State.
13. Csont'e York - WR - Harper Woods (MI) Chandler Park: Committed to Michigan.
14. Kenton Gibbs - DT - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Uncommitted.
15. Luke Maclean - LB - Grand Blanc (MI) Grand Blanc: Committed to Pitt.

So Michigan has 8 of the top 15 players in the state for the class of 2013, in addition to 8 of the 15 from last year.

247 Sports: Top 247 finalized

David Dawson made a large jump in the new 247 rankings

247 Sports released its final top 247 prospects on Tuesday.  Here's what it looked like back in November 2011 when it was originally released.  The following shows the movement for Michigan recruits since October:

- David Dawson jumped from #109 to #65
- Dymonte Thomas dropped from #67 to #80
- Shane Morris dropped from #19 to #81
- Patrick Kugler jumped from #157 to #97
- Henry Poggi dropped from #118 to #120
- Logan Tuley-Tillman dropped from #107 to #129
- Chris Fox dropped from #114 to #137
- Maurice Hurst, Jr. jumps from off the list to #190
- Mike McCray dropped from #181 to #194
- Ben Gedeon dropped from #179 to #199
- DeVeon Smith remained at #218

Here are Michigan's offerees:

3. Laremy Tunsil - OT - Florida
4. Vernon Hargreaves III - CB - Florida (Florida)
5. Jaylon Smith - LB - Indiana (Notre Dame)
6. Eddie Vanderdoes - DT - California
10. Montravius Adams - DT - Georgia
11. Jonathan Allen - DE - Virginia (Alabama)
16. Su'a Cravens - S - California (USC)
18. Robert Foster - WR - Pennsylvania (Alabama)
27. Elijah Daniel - DE - Indiana
28. Laquon Treadwell - WR - Illinois
31. Kendall Fuller - CB - Maryland (Virginia Tech)
32. Alex Anzalone - LB - Pennsylvania (Florida)
33. Keith Ford - RB - Texas (Oklahoma)
42. Leon McQuay III - S - Florida (USC)
43. Hunter Bivin - OT - Kentucky (Notre Dame)
45. Eli Apple - CB - New Jersey (Ohio State)
47. Priest Willis - CB - Arizona
48. Adam Breneman - TE - Pennsylvania (Penn State)
50. Larenz Bryant - LB - North Carolina (South Carolina)
53. Joey Bosa - DE - Florida (Ohio State)
58. Alquadin Muhammad - DE - New Jersey (Miami)
60. Cameron Burrows - CB - Ohio (Ohio State)
65. David Dawson - OG - Michigan (Michigan)
72. Ethan Pocic - OT - Illinois (LSU)
74. Chris Hawkins - CB - California (USC)
77. Cole Luke - CB - Arizona (Notre Dame)
80. Dymonte Thomas - S - Ohio (Michigan)
81. Shane Morris - QB - Michigan (Michigan)
84. Derrick Green - RB - Virginia
85. Ty Isaac - RB - Illinois (USC)
89. Evan Lisle - OT - Ohio (Ohio State)
94. Kevin Olsen - QB - New Jersey (Miami)
96. Elijah Qualls - DT - California (USC)
97. Patrick Kugler - OG - Pennsylvania (Michigan)
99. Tray Matthews - S - Georgia (Georgia)
103. Kyle Bosch - OG - Illinois (Michigan)
105. Justin Manning - DT - Texas (Texas A&M)
108. Taco Charlton - DE - Ohio (Michigan)
109. James Quick - WR - Kentucky (Louisville)
110. Wyatt Teller - DE - Virginia (Virginia Tech)
116. Demorea Stringfellow - WR - California (Washington)
119. Dajaun Drennon - DE - New Jersey (North Carolina)
120. Henry Poggi - DT - Maryland (Michigan)
121. Maurice Smith - CB - Texas (Alabama)
123. Darrel Daniels - WR - California (Washington)
125. Dorian O'Daniel - LB - Maryland (Clemson)
126. Sebastian Larue - WR - California
127. Isaac Rochell - DE - Georgia (Notre Dame)
129. Logan Tuley-Tillman - OT - Illinois (Michigan)
130. Darren Carrington - WR - California (Oregon)
131. Mike McGlinchey - OT - Pennsylvania (Notre Dame)
136. Steve Elmer - OT - Michigan (Notre Dame)
137. Chris Fox - OT - Colorado (Michigan)
141. Tim Harris - CB - Virginia (Virginia)
148. Gareon Conley - CB - Ohio (Ohio State)
152. Jake Oliver - WR - Texas (Texas)
155. Marquez North - WR - North Carolina
160. Darius Latham - OT - Indiana (Indiana)
162. Matt Rolin - LB - Virginia (Florida)
167. Jordan Wilkins - RB - Tennessee (Auburn)
172. Jake Raulerson - OC - Texas (Texas)
175. Greg Webb - DT - New Jersey (North Carolina)
180. Eldridge Massington - WR - Texas (UCLA)
183. Kameron Miles - S - Texas (Texas A&M)
186. Shaq Wiggins - CB - Georgia (Georgia)
188. Durham Smythe - TE - Texas
189. Devin Butler - CB - Washington, DC (Notre Dame)
190. Maurice Hurst, Jr. - DT - Massachusetts (Michigan)
194. Mike McCray II - LB - Ohio (Michigan)
199. Ben Gedeon - LB - Ohio (Michigan)
202. Justin Davis - RB - California (USC)
206. Josh Augusta - DT - Illinois
208. Nadir Barnwell - ATH - New Jersey (Rutgers)
209. Peter Kalambayi - LB - North Carolina (Stanford)
211. Jayme Thompson - S - Ohio (Ohio State)
216. Billy Price - DT - Ohio (Ohio State)
218. DeVeon Smith - RB - Ohio (Michigan)
221. Alvin Bailey - WR - Florida (Florida)
226. Kyle Hicks - RB - Texas (TCU)
233. Michael Hutchings - LB - California (USC)