2014 Michigan vs. Ohio Border Classic

Noah Furbush

The State of Michigan used to have an all-star football game. Ohio used to have the "Big 33" game that pitted Ohio all-stars against those from Pennsylvania. Now Pennsylvania has been booted out, and Michigan will play Ohio today in the inaugural Michigan vs. Ohio Border Classic. The game will be played at the University of Findlay in Ohio at 1:00 p.m. Some notable players on the rosters are:

MICHIGAN
Jason Alessi - S - Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice: Yale
Byron Bullough - LB - Traverse City (MI) St. Francis: Michigan State
Jalen Embry - CB - Detroit (MI) King: Iowa
Kenny Finley - DT - Muskegon (MI) Muskegon: Western Michigan
Corey Lacanaria - WR - Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice: Ball State
Avonte Maddox - CB - Detroit (MI) King: Pitt
Lawrence Marshall - DE - Southfield (MI) Southfield: Michigan
Chukwuma Okorafor - OT - Southfield (MI) Southfield: Western Michigan
Kyle Rachwal - LB - Lapeer (MI) East: Eastern Michigan
Giovanni Rescigno - QB - Warren (MI) De La Salle: Rutgers
Dylan Roney - LB - Novi (MI) Catholic Central: Navy
Travis Smith - QB - Ithaca (MI) Ithaca: Wake Forest
Jared Wangler - LB - Warren (MI) De La Salle: Michigan
Jalen Watts-Jackson - CB - Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary's: Michigan State

OHIO
Michael Barwick - DT - Cincinnati (OH) Country Day: Indiana
Noah Furbush - LB - Kenton (OH) Kenton: Michigan
Marshon Lattimore - WR - Cleveland (OH) Glenville: Ohio State
Erick Smith - S - Cleveland (OH) Glenville: Ohio State

Final TTB Ratings for 2014

Michael Ferns, Wilton Speight, Jabrill Peppers, Juwann Bushell-Beatty, Bryan Mone, and Jared Wangler

Drum roll, please.

It's that time of year, time for the final TTB Ratings of the 2014 recruiting cycle. Everyone signed his National Letter of Intent back in February, you say? Pshaw. Not Malik McDowell. Nope. McDowell is still holding out and likely to be attending Michigan State in the fall. I was waiting to see if he would compromise with his parents and sign a NLI to Michigan, but that window passed on April 1st.

So here they are. Check out the rating scale (LINK) if you're unfamiliar or just want a refresher. Keep in mind that these ratings take into account the other players on the roster. So for example, the second-best middle linebacker on the roster might find himself sitting on the bench for several years not because he's terrible but because the other guy is really good.

The 2015 TTB Ratings will be coming soon, now that the 2014 cycle is finished.

CB Jabrill Peppers - Paramus (NJ) Catholic: 100
I'm keeping Peppers right where I ranked him initially. He still looks like the best player at his position in the class, and his versatility (he could play safety, return punts and kicks, and perhaps play some offense) makes him an even more valuable commodity. (Commitment post.)

WR Drake Harris - Grand Rapids (MI) Christian: 93
I have no reason to downgrade Harris from where I ranked him after his junior year, except for the fact that he missed his entire senior season with a hamstring injury. The injury concerns me and is still nagging him this spring, but it's impossible for me to say whether that will affect him going forward in his career. Considering injuries can derail anyone's career, I'm going to leave Harris at this rating and hope that he recovers and develops fully. (Commitment post.)

DT Bryan Mone - Salt Lake City (UT) Highland: 79 88
Watching Mone from his junior to his senior year, he looked to have added some weight and lost a step. When he played in the Under Armour All-America Game, I thought he looked slow and a little lethargic, but that was roughly two months after his season ended, so maybe he was just out of shape. Either way, I see a guy on film who can stay low and who uses a violent hand strike to disengage from blockers. While he can probably be whipped into shape a little bit, he's not a nose tackle who will amaze people with his athleticism, but he should be an active clogger up the middle. (Commitment post.)

OG Mason Cole - Tarpon Springs (FL) East Lake: 87
Another guy who has already received some practice hype as an early enrollee, I like the way Cole bends and I like his lateral quickness. He has been playing some tackle this spring, but I'm not sure if that's his long-term position because he's not the longest guy around. Wherever he ends up, I think he'll be a good player down the road. (Commitment post.)

LB Michael Ferns - St. Clairsville (OH) St. Clairsville: 83 85
Ferns can be slightly hesitant to diagnose plays, but otherwise, I think he has almost everything the coaches would want in a linebacker. He could be more physical when shedding blocks, but I think that's something that can be taught for him. Otherwise, he runs well, does a good job in space, and is a forceful tackler. (Commitment post.)

WR Freddy Canteen - Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian Academy: N/A 83
Film on Canteen is scarce, and what I saw of him early basically came from his quarterback's (David Sills') highlight tape. I can't say whether spring practice hype has altered my viewpoint on him, but it has been positive. Regardless, I commented on his quickness and route-running ability when he committed, and that seems to be giving Michigan defensive backs problems so far, too. He reminds me of Wes Welker with his quick feet and could be effective in the slot like Roy Roundtree was back in 2010. (Commitment post.)

WR Maurice Ways - Detroit (MI) Country Day: 77 81
I might be a little higher on Ways than the recruiting services, but I really like all three wide receiver recruits in the 2014 class. Ways has reportedly had problems with his hands at certain points, but he didn't concentrate solely on football until his junior year. His hands improved as a senior, and he reminds me of a Marquise Walker type who has good enough speed and size to threaten deep but won't be a big-play machine. (Commitment post.)

LB Chase Winovich - Clairton (PA) Thomas Jefferson: 79
The more I've seen of Winovich, the more I've become convinced that he'll be a solid player. I really see him as a SAM in an Under defense, so I'm not sure exactly how he fits if Michigan goes to an Over look semi-permanently. He definitely needs to get stronger, because he's a willing hitter but ball carriers just don't go down with the ease they should when he hits them. (Commitment post.)

QB Wilton Speight - Richmond (VA) Benedictine: 77
I feel comfortable with this rating. I still don't see "star" written all over Speight, but he should have a couple years under offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier (who will probably be a head coach somewhere by the time Speight graduates), sit behind Devin Gardner and Shane Morris, and then have a couple years to compete for the starting position. He has good arm strength and has improved his mechanics over the past year, and he has already shown good leadership skills with the way he helped recruit in the 2014 class. (Commitment post.)

TE Ian Bunting - Hinsdale (IL) Central: 78 75
Bunting played more tight end as a senior than he did as a junior, when he was exclusively a wideout. He still has a lot to learn about blocking, so it would probably behoove him to redshirt, add some weight, and learn blocking techniques. He doesn't have the physical mentality that I saw out of Butt, so I have some questions about whether he can break tackles and block like a Big Ten Y tight end would need to do. He doesn't have the speed to split out like Devin Funchess has done. (Commitment post.)

DE Lawrence Marshall - Southfield (MI) Southfield: 72 74
Marshall's highlights are a series of plays on which he is unblocked or has to fend off terrible attempts at chop blocks. He does have good speed and leaping ability, but disengaging from blockers is a question mark. For that reason, he reminds me a bit of Mario Ojemudia coming out of high school. I rated Ojemudia as a 78, and he's still looking like he'll be a backup to Frank Clark with two years of eligibility left. I liked Marshall's senior film better than his junior year, but not by a ton. (Commitment post.)

DT Brady Pallante - Naples (FL) Barron Collier: 70 69
I've said before that Pallante reminds me of a slower Mike Martin. He's got the leverage, the hand violence, and the knack for shedding blocks. He won't be the biggest guy, and his lack of explosiveness will prevent him from being the TFL machine that was Martin. I don't see Pallante as a star, but I do see him as a solid rotation player down the road. I'm knocking him down just one peg because I don't see him having much NFL draft potential with his size. (Commitment post.)

OT Juwann Bushell-Beatty - Paramus (NJ) Catholic: 68
After watching his senior highlights and seeing him in the Under Armour All-America Game, Bushell-Beatty looks like a guy who might be more suited to playing inside at guard. I would have concerns about him being quick enough to play on the edge, and he's more of a waist bender than a knee bender. With the other talent surrounding him, I think he might get pushed to the back of the pack, although he could be one of those guys who emerges as an upperclassmen to fill a void. (Commitment post.)

LB Noah Furbush - Kenton (OH) Kenton: 64
Furbush reminds me an awful lot of Brennen Beyer, who has played linebacker and defensive end at Michigan. I was fairly high on Beyer coming out of high school, but his play in college has been somewhat forgettable. Furbush was recruited as MIKE, but he looks like a future defensive end or maybe a SAM linebacker if Michigan runs the Under front. (Commitment post.)

LB Jared Wangler - Warren (MI) De La Salle: 59
Wangler, who played defense mostly as a safety in high school, lacks the foot speed to be a safety in college. He will probably bulk up a little bit and play linebacker. Initially, I thought that he played like a SAM linebacker in a WILL's body, but with Michigan's supposed move to the Over front, I think Wangler fits well as a SAM, period. I think he is limited athletically and doesn't have the biggest frame, but he has a chance because he's a heady, aggressive player. Regardless, the Wolverines have brought in some good talent at linebacker over the past couple years, so it may be tough for Wangler to move past them. (Commitment post.)

S Brandon Watson - Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian Academy: Incomplete
I still have not seen enough of Watson to offer an opinion here. He has been playing safety this spring and reports have been positive, but practice reports are to be taken with a grain of salt. (Commitment post.)

Recruiting Update: February 10, 2014

McKinney (TX) North running back Ronald Jones II

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Merrillville (IN) Andrean linebacker Josh Barajas was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'3", 210 lb. prospect with offers from Illinois and Purdue. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #12 inside linebacker, and #366 overall. As a junior in 2013, he had 92 tackles, 5 sacks, and 2 interceptions. He's a thick kid and would likely be a MIKE linebacker at the next level.

McKinney (TX) North running back Ronald Jones II was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'0", 185 lb. prospect with offers from Arkansas, Baylor, Clemson, Iowa, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State, among others. He claims a 4.45 forty and is a 247 Composite 4-star, the #14 running back, and #169 overall. As a junior in 2013, he had 244 carries for 2,406 yards and 39 touchdowns. Jones is an explosive runner and has some deceptive power in a fairly thin frame.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Allen (TX) Allen offensive tackle Gregory Little was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'6", 280 lb. prospect with offers from Baylor, Clemson, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech, among others. Early buzz suggests that he'll be a 5-star prospect and one of the top few players in the country for 2016.

OFF THE BOARD
Norcross (GA) Norcross defensive end Lorenzo Carter committed to Georgia. The Bulldogs were the favorite with Florida and Florida State trailing behind.

New Orleans (LA) John Curtis wide receiver Malachi Dupre committed to LSU. Dupre was considered a heavy LSU lean throughout his recruitment, and he ended up with the Tigers despite UCLA making a hard run at him.

Norfolk (VA) Lake Taylor defensive tackle Nyquan Harris committed to Marshall. There was some question about whether Harris ever held a Michigan offer, but he was listed on one of the recruiting sites as having one, so here he is.

Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra cornerback Adoree' Jackson committed to USC. This was somewhat of a surprise move because a lot of people thought he would head to Florida due to their track program. However, late-in-the-process visits to UCLA and USC seemed to give the Trojans an extra shot to impress (UCLA never seemed like an extremely serious option), and new head coach Steve Sarkisian took advantage.

Florissant (MO) Hazelwood Central offensive tackle Roderick Johnson committed to Florida State. This seemed to be a long time in the making. For what it's worth, Johnson was high on my list of desired players in the 2014 class, so I expect him to turn into a very good player in Tallahassee.

Minneapolis (MN) Washburn running back Jeff Jones solidified his commitment to Minnesota and signed his NLI. Jones blew up a little bit after the Under Armour All-American Game, of which he was MVP, and earned offers from Florida and Michigan. However, there were some reported issues with Jones's academics and some uncertainty of whether he would qualify this year or not, so Michigan stopped recruiting him. He was also considering Iowa State up until the end.

Sarasota (FL) Booker running back Marlon Mack committed to South Florida. Mack earned an offer late in the process when Michigan was looking for a runner. He promptly decommitted from UCLA after earning an offer from the Wolverines, then Michigan stopped recruiting him, he was rumored to have committed to Louisville, and finally settled on USF.

Southfield (MI) Southfield defensive end Malik McDowell committed to Michigan State . . . kind of. The long and difficult story has been well documented, but the gist of it is that he likes MSU, in part because they really know how to party in East Lansing. Dad isn't a fan of Michigan State and said he wants Malik to get out of the state to remove himself from some friendly influences. That's nothing compared to Mom, who didn't attend the signing day press conference and won't sign Malik's National Letter of Intent. Without her signature as the guardian (the parents are separated), McDowell can't fax a binding NLI. So he's verbally committed to MSU right now, but Florida State, Michigan, and Ohio State are all technically options right now. Usually kids get their way in these situations, so he's very likely to end up a Spartan.

New Orleans (LA) John Curtis safety Mattrell McGraw committed to Oregon. He's the teammate of Dupre and linebacker Kenny Young, both of whom had offers from the Wolverines.

Plantation (FL) American Heritage wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie committed to Georgia. McKenzie's recruitment was a roller coaster ride as he was rumored to have committed to Notre Dame a few months ago, then planned to sign with Ole Miss, and finally committed to Georgia after receiving an offer from them just before National Signing Day. Running back teammate Sony Michel - who visited in 2012 when his brother's UMass team played in the Big House - signed with Georgia, too, so they end up being a package deal.

Jenks (OK) Jenks safety Steven Parker committed to Oklahoma. This was long expected, although he flirted with the idea of visiting Ann Arbor even when the coaches had stopped recruiting Monroeville (PA) Gateway's Montae Nicholson, who proceeded to commit to Michigan State.

Forestville (MD) Bishop McNamara offensive tackle Damian Prince committed to Maryland. It was quite a coup for the Terrapins to keep the 5-star player in his home state, but they have done a good job in recent years of keeping guys home (Stefon Diggs, Wes Brown, etc.). Florida State was the other major player near the end.

Jacksonville (FL) Raines cornerback Lamont Simmons committed to USC. Simmons was one of numerous guys to decommit from Rutgers throughout the process. He's a big corner who could also play safety for the Trojans.

Olathe (KS) South offensive guard Braden Smith committed to Auburn. A lot of people thought he would end up at TCU due to the fact that his sister runs track there, and still others thought he would end up at Texas A&M.

Long Beach (CA) Poly safety John Smith committed to USC. Early in the process, I thought Smith might end up at Michigan or Notre Dame. He was not fond of Lane Kiffin as the head coach at USC, and he spoke highly of the Wolverines and the Irish. However, as soon as Kiffin was axed, it seemed like USC jumped to the forefront once again.

Coppell (TX) Coppell defensive end Solomon Thomas committed to Stanford. He had people guessing up until the end with some people guessing Arkansas and others picking UCLA. At one time he was thought to be high on Ohio State, so Michigan dodged a bit of a bullet with a good player staying out west.

Chicago (IL) Simeon offensive tackle Denzel Ward committed to Syracuse. Ward was once committed to Michigan, moved from Chicago to Florida without informing Michigan's coaches, decommitted, committed to Purdue, moved back to Chicago but attended a different school, decommitted from Purdue, and ended up signing with the Orangemen.

McDonough (GA) Eagle's Landing Christian defensive end Andrew Williams committed to Auburn. The only other serious contender seemed to be Clemson.

Memphis (TN) White Station linebacker Petera Wilson committed to Tulsa. I have been to Tulsa, and it's beyond me why someone would choose that school when he has offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, LSU, UCLA, and USC, among others. Luckily for Tulsa, it's not my decision.

Fort Lauderdale (FL) University School defensive end Richard Yeargin III committed to Clemson. He had previously been committed to Notre Dame, where I think he would have been an outside linebacker. But in Clemson's scheme, I believe he will end up as a weakside end.

New Orleans (LA) John Curtis linebacker Kenny Young committed to UCLA. Six players from John Curtis signed National Letters of Intent, and they're headed to six different schools in five different states.

National Signing Day schedule for Michigan commits

Paramus (NJ) Catholic cornerback Jabrill Peppers

Here's a list of approximate signing/faxing times for Michigan's commits. When the National Letters of Intent are confirmed to have been sent/received, I will update the post.

Brady Pallante - DT - Naples (FL) Barron Collier: Signed at 7:39 a.m.

Maurice Ways - WR - Detroit (MI) Country Day: Signed at 8:07 a.m.

Ian Bunting - TE - Hinsdale (IL) Central: Signed at 9:40 a.m.

Noah Furbush - LB - Kenton (OH) Kenton: Signed at 8:01 a.m.

Lawrence Marshall - DE - Southfield (MI) Southfield: Signed at 10:53 a.m.

Jared Wangler - LB - Warren (MI) De La Salle: Signed at 9:00 a.m.

Jabrill Peppers - CB - Paramus (NJ) Catholic: Signed at 8:00 a.m.

Chase Winovich - LB - Clairton (PA) Thomas Jefferson: Signed at 7:03 a.m.

Juwann Bushell-Beatty - OT - Paramus (NJ) Catholic: Signed at 8:27 a.m.

Unless Michigan pulls any surprises late in the day (or after today, which is rare), that wraps it up for the 2014 recruiting class.

Who's left in the 2014 recruiting class?

The Southfield trio of Ray Buford, Lawrence Marshall, and Malik McDowell

This is that crazy (and awkward) time of year when high school seniors get grown men's hearts pumping. There will probably be little fanfare for Michigan on National Signing Day, which is on Wednesday. The thought is that Michigan is trying to get defensive end Malik McDowell, and they'll bank the scholarship for next year if that doesn't work. So the guys on this list won't be picking Michigan, but I'll still be interested to see how they pan out over the next several years.

Lorenzo Carter - DE - Norcross (GA) Norcross: The #18 player nationally, according to the 247 Composite, is leaning toward Georgia with the Bulldogs receiving the final official visit. Unless something crazy happens, I think he ends up a Bulldog.

Malachi Dupre - WR - New Orleans (LA) John Curtis: One spot ahead of Carter in the national rankings, Dupre has had LSU as his leader for a long time. UCLA received the final visit of his recruitment, but the thought is that he will end up in Baton Rouge playing for the Mad Hatter.

Adoree' Jackson - CB - Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra: The #7 player in the land appears to be leaning toward Florida, where he might be able to best pursue dreams of doing the triple jump in the Olympics. USC is the likely second option.

Roderick Johnson - OT - Florissant (MO) Hazelwood Central: The #125 player has been expected to end up at Florida State for a long time, but Ohio State got a visit a couple weeks ago. It would be quite an upset if Johnson committed to the Buckeyes, who may lose offensive lineman Jamarco Jones to Michigan State.

Malik McDowell - DE - Southfield (MI) Southfield: The #32 overall player was a Michigan lean early, but now it seems like he's favoring Michigan State. An uncle wants him to go to Florida State, and Urban Meyer really, really wants him in Columbus. Nobody really knows where he'll pick to go, but chances are dimming for the Wolverines. I think it's a Michigan-MSU battle because either the kid or the parents should win out.

Mattrell McGraw - S - New Orleans (LA) John Curtis: A teammate of Dupre's, the #362 player overall has been rumored to be heading to Oregon for a while. Texas A&M also has a chance.

Steven Parker - S - Jenks (OK) Jenks: The #108 player nationally has been a supposed Oklahoma lock for a long time, despite taking several other visits and expressing interest in others. His final official visit took place this past weekend when he traveled to Auburn.

Damian Prince - OT - District Heights (MD) Bishop McNamara: Prince, a 5-star and the #27 overall player, was thought to be headed to Florida State for a while. However, the Seminoles have fallen off his list, and now it appears to be a two-horse race between Florida and Maryland. His best friend, Jalen Tabor, flipped from Arizona to Florida at the beginning of January, and that may be the push he needs to end up in Gainesville.

Lamont Simmons - CB - Jacksonville (FL) Raines: Simmons is the #970 player overall, but he has an excellent offer list and has taken visits to Auburn, Arkansas, USC, and Penn State over the past two months, with a visit to State College this past weekend. Despite getting the most recent visit, the Trojans will likely get his NLI.

Braden Smith - OG - Olathe (KS) North: Smith is the #63 player overall, and I think he should probably be ranked even higher. Smith doesn't like to talk about recruiting, so he's been difficult to read throughout the process. He visited Michigan last summer and removed the Wolverines from his list immediately. Now the thought is that he'll end up at TCU, which is a somewhat odd choice for such a highly touted recruit. Auburn and Texas A&M also have a shot.

John Smith - S - Long Beach (CA) Poly: The #20 player in the country was looking around when Lane Kiffin was the head coach at USC, despite the fact that he appeared to want to wear a Trojans uniform all along. After Kiffin got fired, USC immediately jumped to the top of his list, according to recruiting gurus. It would be a surprise if he picked Notre Dame, Oregon, or UCLA.

Solomon Thomas - DE - Coppell (TX) Coppell: The country's #25 prospect, Thomas has kind of been all over the place throughout the recruiting process, seeming at times to be headed to Ohio State and Texas. Now he seems likely to end up at Stanford with UCLA having an outside shot.

Denzel Ward - OT - Chicago (IL) Simeon: The #649 player nationally has been all over the place with his recruitment. He has been committed to both Michigan and Purdue, and he moved from Illinois to Florida to a different school in Illinois. The most recent buzz I heard had him likely committing to Syracuse, but he has also visited South Florida and Vanderbilt in recent weeks. I think the coaching change at Vandy will keep him away from Tennessee, so it's the Orangemen vs. the Bulls.

Andrew Williams - DE - McDonough (GA) Eagle's Landing Christian: Williams, the #231 player in the country, has long been considered an Auburn lock, but he has taken visits to Clemson and Georgia in recent weeks. I think it's either Auburn or Georgia.

Richard Yeargin III - DE - Fort Lauderdale (FL) University School: The country's #266 player decommitted from Notre Dame a couple weeks ago, and it was clearly because he was favoring Clemson. Texas offered him a week ago, but he has not visited Austin, so he'll likely be picking the Tigers.

Kenny Young - LB - New Orleans (FL) John Curtis: Ranked #175 nationally, it looks like Young will probably pick UCLA over LSU and Texas A&M. With teammates Dupre and McGraw also making late decisions, it should be an interesting week at Curtis.

January Coach Visits

Southfield (MI) Southfield defensive end Malik McDowell (#67) is Michigan's top target remaining in the 2014 class

Since January is such a popular month for college coaches to hit the road and recruit, here's a list of players who are expecting or have received visits this month.

2014
Ian Bunting - TE - Hinsdale (IL) Central*
Noah Furbush - LB - Kenton (OH) Kenton*
Jeff Jones - RB - Minneapolis (MN) Washburn*
Marlon Mack - RB - Sarasota (FL) Booker*
Malik McDowell - DE - Southfield (MI) Southfield*
Jared Wangler - LB - Warren (MI) De La Salle*
Chase Winovich - LB - Clairton (PA) Thomas Jefferson*

2015
Blake Barnett - QB - Corona (CA) Santiago*
Jake Browning - QB - Folsom (CA) Folsom
Nick Johns - QB - Washington (DC) Gonzaga
Kyle Kearns - QB - Pleasanton (CA) Foothill
Brian Lewerke - QB - Phoenix (AZ) Pinnacle
Alex Malzone - QB - Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice
Josh Rosen - QB - Bellflower (CA) St. John Bosco*
David Sills - QB - Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian Academy*
Jarrett Stidham - QB - Stephenville (TX) Stephenville*
Ricky Town - QB - Ventura (CA) St. Bonaventure
Ryan Willis - QB - Mission (KS) Bishop Miege
Brandon Wimbush - QB - Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter's Prep
Andrew Dowell - RB - Lakewood (OH) St. Edward
Johnny Frasier - RB - Princeton (NC) Princeton*
Damien Harris - RB - Berea (KY) Madison Southern*
Soso Jamabo - RB - Plano (TX) West*
Ronald Jones II - RB - McKinney (TX) North
Kentrail Moran - RB - O'Fallon (KY) O'Fallon
Jacques Patrick - RB - Orlando (FL) Timber Ridge*
Mike Weber - RB - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech*
George Campbell - WR - Tarpon Springs (FL) East Lake*
Irvin Charles - WR - Haddonfield (NJ) Paul VI
Brian Cole - WR - Saginaw (MI) Heritage*
David Dowell - WR - Lakewood (OH) St. Edward
Tyron Johnson - WR - New Orleans (LA) Warren Easton*
Christian Kirk - WR - Scottsdale (AZ) Saguaro*
Kai Locksley - WR - Baltimore (MD) Gilman
Damarkus Lodge - WR - Cedar Hill (TX) Cedar Hill*
Juval Mollette - WR - Randleman (NC) Randleman*
Stanley Norman - WR - Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra
Kemah Siverand - WR - Houston (TX) Cypress Ridge
Bowman Archibald - TE - Dade City (FL) Pasco
Chris Clark - TE - Avon (CT) Old Farms
Austin Ervin - TE - St. Johns (MI) St. Johns
Jackson Harrison - TE - Columbia (TN) Central
Tyler Petite - TE - Moraga (CA) Campolindo
Anthony Rush - TE - Cary (NC) Cary
Jalen Wilkerson - TE - Douglas (GA) Coffee
Matthew Burrell, Jr. - OT - Woodbridge (VA) Hylton
Trevor Elbert - OT - Rockwall (TX) Heath
Jake Fruhmorgen - OT - Tampa (FL) Plant*
Mitch Hyatt - OT - Suwanee (GA) North Gwinnett*
Sterling Jenkins - OT - Pittsburgh (PA) Baldwin*
Harrison Moon - OT - Chattanooga (TN) Signal Mountain
Chuma Edoga - OG - Powder Springs (GA) McEachern
Richie Petitbon - OG - Washington (DC) Gonzaga
Jon Runyan, Jr. - OG - Philadelphia (PA) St. Joseph's Prep*
Jashon Cornell - DE - St. Paul (MN) Cretin-Derham*
Jalen Dalton - DE - Clemmons (NC) West Forsyth
Landis Durham - DE - Plano (TX) East
Clelin Ferrell - DE - Richmond (VA) Benedictine
Keisean Lucier-South - DE - Orange (CA) Lutheran*
Charles Omenihu - DE - Rowlett (TX) Rowlett
Cassius Peat - DE - Tempe (AZ) Corona Del Sol
Darian Roseboro - DE - Lincolnton (NC) Lincolnton*
Darrion Daniels - DT - Dallas (TX) Bishop Dunne
Rasheem Greene - DT - Junipero (CA) Gardena Serra
Daylon Mack - DT - Gladewater (TX) Gladewater
Tim Settle - DT - Manassas (VA) Stonewall Jackson*
Elijah Taylor - DT - Cincinnati (OH) Moeller
Shy Tuttle - DT - Lexington (NC) North Davidson*
Christian Wilkins - DT - Suffield (CT) Suffield Academy
Jerome Baker - LB - Cleveland (OH) Benedictine*
Josh Barajas - LB - Merrillville (IN) Andrean
Asmar Bilal - LB - Indianapolis (IN) Ben Davis
Wyatt Cook - LB - Owings Mills (MD) McDonogh
Jordan Fox - LB - Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter's Prep
Justin Hilliard - LB - Cincinnati (OH) St. Xavier*
Malik Jefferson - LB - Mesquite (TX) Poteet*
John Houston - LB - Junipero (CA) Gardena Serra
Darrin Kirkland, Jr. - LB - Indianapolis (IN) Warren Central
Arthur McGinnis - LB - New Orleans (LA) Warren Easton
Anthony McKee - LB - Columbus (OH) Walnut Ridge
Joshua McMillon - LB - Memphis (TN) Whitehaven*
Cameron Smith - LB - Granite Bay (CA) Granite Bay
Adonis Thomas - LB - Lawrenceville (GA) Central Gwinnett*
Tyriq Thompson - LB - Detroit (MI) King*
Anthony Wheeler - LB - Dallas (TX) Skyline*
Kareem Ali - CB - Sicklerville (NJ) Timber Creek
Kris Boyd - CB - Gilmer (TX) Gilmer
Shaun Crawford - CB - Lakewood (OH) St. Edward*
Minkah Fitzpatrick - CB - Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter's Prep*
Iman Marshall - CB - Long Beach (CA) Poly*
Darrell Miller - CB - Cedar Hill (TX) Cedar Hill
John Reid - CB - Philadelphia (PA) St. Joseph's Prep*
Tyree Kinnel - S - Huber Heights (OH) Wayne*
Marcus Lewis - S - Washington (DC) Gonzaga
Tyler Woodley - S - Powder Springs (GA) McEachern

This post is getting long, so hit the jump for 2016 and 2017 prospects:

Poll results: What position does Michigan need to recruit most in 2014?

Southfield (MI) Southfield defensive end Malik McDowell

Last week I asked readers what position they thought Michigan should recruit hardest for the 2014 class. Here are the results:

Defensive line: 57%
The coaches are still recruiting Southfield (MI) Southfield defensive end Malik McDowell, but it appears to be McDowell or bust. The only other uncommitted players are two southern kids who are going to stay down south.

Running back: 16%
Sarasota (FL) Booker's Marlon Mack committed to Louisville yesterday, and the coaches have stopped recruiting Minneapolis (MN) Washburn's Jeff Jones. Jones apparently does not plan to take his qualifying standardized test until March, which makes signing in February questionable. All other options are off the table unless the coaches offer someone new.

Safety: 9%
The program just lost fifth year senior Josh Furman to a transfer, and I wanted Mack in the class partly for his abilities on the defensive side of the ball. However, Michigan has some cornerbacks who can potentially switch positions.

Offensive line: 8%
Michigan is only bringing in two offensive linemen in this class, but with zero linemen scheduled to graduate in 2014 and a 2013 class that included six linemen, this isn't a big spot of need.

Wide receiver: 2%
The Wolverines already have three commitments in this class, and while new offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier might spread it out a little more than Al Borges did, they'll still use tight ends and H-backs, so there's not a big need for more receivers.

Quarterback, tight end, linebacker (tie): 1%
I would have moved quarterback up on this list if I were prioritizing, because I'm not sold on Wilton Speight as a future starter. The Wolverines have recruited a ton of tight ends and linebackers in recent years, so they're fine there.

Cornerback, punter/kicker (tie): 0%
Cornerback is another position that has been recruited a great deal in recent years, and along with scholarship specialists Matt Wile and Will Hagerup, the Wolverines have brought in some quality walk-ons in the form of Kenny Allen and J.J. McGrath.

Recruiting Update: January 27, 2014

Stephenville (TX) Stephenville quarterback Jarrett Stidham

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2014
Fort Lauderdale (FL) University School defensive end Richard Yeargin III decommitted from Notre Dame. He probably would have been an outside linebacker for the Fighting Irish, but he's expected to end up at Clemson now, where I believe he will be a defensive end.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Corona (CA) Santiago quarterback Blake Barnett was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'3", 195 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Cal, and UCLA, among others, and he has been committed to Notre Dame since last November. According to 247's Composite rankings, he's a 4-star, the #6 pro-style QB, and the #135 player overall. As a junior in 2013, he passed for 2,332 yards and 22 touchdowns, and he ran for 695 yards and 13 touchdowns. He runs a spread offense in high school and has a good combination of throwing and running abilities. Following Michigan's offer, he stated that he was solid with Notre Dame but would check into what the policy is on taking other visits, so the offer appears to have stirred at least a little bit of interest.

Princeton (NJ) Princeton running back Johnny Frasier was offered by Michigan. He's a 5'11", 200 lb. prospect with offers from Georgia, North Carolina, and Penn State, among others. According to the 247 Composite, he's a 3-star, the #57 running back, and #651 overall in the class. As a sophomore in 2012, he had 229 carries for 1,792 yards and 21 touchdowns, plus 13 catches for 194 yards and 2 more scores. Frasier has decent speed and vision, but his biggest asset might be his balance; he doesn't run over tacklers, but he bounces off and keeps moving forward.

Berea (KY) Madison Southern running back Damien Harris decommitted from Michigan. Harris had been committed to the Wolverines since summer 2013, but the poor season combined with the departure of offensive coordinator Al Borges has made him rethink some things. His mother went on the record saying that the Wolverines are still #1 on Harris's priority list, but it's rare that kids decommit from a school and then end up signing with that school, the stories of David Dawson and Will Campbell be damned. One school that may benefit is Ohio State, which was high on Harris's list before he chose the Wolverines; however, Michigan was his childhood favorite, so hopefully the 247 Composite #2 running back stays true to his youth.

Cedar Hill (TX) Cedar Hill wide receiver DaMarkus Lodge was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'2", 190 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Baylor, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #3 WR, and the #52 player overall. As a junior in 2013, he had 72 receptions for 1,255 yards and 22 touchdowns. He has very good speed and runs nice routes, but he is also very likely to stay in the state of Texas.

Orange (CA) Lutheran defensive end Keisean Lucier-South was offered by Michigan. I wrote up a scouting report on him last Friday.

Stephenville (TX) Stephenville quarterback Jarrett Stidham was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'3", 190 lb. prospect with offers from Baylor, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Oregon, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #2 dual-threat QB, and #46 overall. As a junior in 2013, he completed 160/268 (60%) of his passes for 2,687 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions; he also ran 143 times for 975 yards (6.8 yards/attempt) and 16 touchdowns. Baylor appears to be the leader for Stidham, which would make some sense because head coach Art Briles was Stephenville's coach before moving on to the college ranks.



Lawrenceville (GA) Central Gwinnett outside linebacker Adonis Thomas was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'4", 215 lb. prospect with offers from Florida, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Texas A&M, among others. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #40 athlete, and the #376 player overall. Thomas is listed as an athlete partly because he plays receiver, but he's too stiff to be an offensive player at the next level. He looks like a SAM linebacker who may be able to grow into a weakside end at some point. Florida and Ohio State are two teams out front right now, and Michigan struggles to pull kids out of Georgia.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Lawrenceville (GA) Central Gwinnett offensive tackle E.J. Price was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'5", 273 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Florida State, Miami, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin, among others. Price moves very well for a kid his size and should be a left tackle prospect going forward. Price is just the third lineman to have been offered for the 2016 class, following Erik Swenson (who is committed to Michigan already) and Thiyo Lukusa.

Flower Mound (TX) Marcus tight end Kaden Smith was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'5", 235 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech. As a sophomore in 2013, he had 40 receptions for 640 yards (16 yards/catch) and 8 touchdowns. It's early, but Smith is expected to be one of the top couple prospects at his position in the 2016 class. He visited Ann Arbor last summer and appears to have more than passing interest, but the general expectation is that he will stay down south. His school is the alma mater of former Michigan running back Stephen Hopkins.

OFF THE BOARD
Houston (TX) Cypress Falls outside linebacker Otaro Alaka flipped from Texas to Texas A&M.

Manalapan (NJ) Manalapan wide receiver Saeed Blacknall flipped from Rutgers to Penn State. Blacknall was the prize recruit remaining in the Rutgers class that has seen a great deal of attrition in the last couple months, including Michigan running back offeree Jonathan Hilliman (Boston College) and Detroit Country Day quarterback Tyler Wiegers (Iowa).

Goodyear (AZ) Desert Edge outside linebacker Ismael Murphy-Richardson committed to Arizona State. He never exhibited interest in his Michigan offer.

Ventura (CA) St. Bonaventure quarterback Ricky Town decommitted from Alabama and then committed to USC shortly afterward. Town is considered to be one of the top few quarterbacks in the 2015 class, and while he does not hold a Michigan offer, he was recruited to the Crimson Tide by offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, who now holds the same position for the Wolverines. Michigan has thrown out a few offers for 2015 quarterbacks but is yet to really ignite a ton of interest, so it's worth watching Town and others. I would not expect Town to have serious interest in the Wolverines even if offered, but this is interesting because Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian Academy quarterback David Sills - who holds a Michigan offer - has been committed to USC for several years.

Chandler (AZ) Hamilton offensive tackle Casey Tucker committed to Stanford. Tucker was committed to USC at one time and briefly flirted with interest in playing at Michigan, but he never visited Ann Arbor.

Final Rivals 250 for 2014 released

Drake Harris is the #115 player in the country, according to Rivals

Rivals released their final list of top 250 players today. They released the top 100 yesterday. Here's what it looked like in December. Movement for Michigan commits:

- Drake Harris drops from #106 to #115
- Michael Ferns drops from #202 to #211
- Bryan Mone dropped from #185 to being off the list

The rest of Michigan's offerees:

103. Bryson Allen-Williams - LB - Georgia (South Carolina)
113. K.C. McDermott - OT - Florida (Miami)
115. Drake Harris - WR - Michigan (Michigan)
120. Daniel Helm - TE - Illinois (Tennessee)
121. Demarre Kitt - WR - Georgia (Clemson)
126. Adarius Pickett - CB - California (UCLA)
133. Kalen Ballage - ATH - Colorado (Arizona State)
134. Marshon Lattimore - ATH - Ohio (Ohio State)
135. Montae Nicholson - S - Pennsylvania (Michigan State)
137. Andy Bauer - OT - Missouri (Missouri)
138. Otaro Alaka - LB - Texas (Texas)
151. Jacory Washington - TE - Louisiana (LSU)
162. Bentley Spain - OT - North Carolina (North Carolina)
167. Dravon Henry - ATH - Pennsylvania (West Virginia)
176. Mark Andrews - WR - Arizona (Oklahoma)
186. Nick Watkins - CB - Texas (Notre Dame)
203. Sam Mustipher - OG - Maryland (Notre Dame)
208. Wesley Green - CB - Georgia
211. Michael Ferns - LB - Ohio (Michigan)
220. Roderick Johnson - OT - Missouri
224. Corey Holmes - WR - Florida (Notre Dame)
226. Melvin Keihn - LB - Maryland (Virginia Tech)
230. D'Andre Payne - CB - Washington, DC (Tennessee)
233. Jay Hayes - DT - New York (Notre Dame)
234. Parrker Westphal - CB - Illinois (Northwestern)
237. Dexter Wideman - DT - South Carolina (South Carolina)
246. K.J. Williams - WR - Pennsylvania (Syracuse)
248. Saeed Blacknall - WR - New Jersey (Rutgers)

Final Rivals 100 for 2014 released

Paramus (NJ) Catholic cornerback Jabrill Peppers is Rivals' #3 player nationally

Rivals released their top 100 players on Monday. Here's what it looked like back in December. Movement for Michigan commits:

- Jabrill Peppers dropped from #2 to #3
- Mason Cole jumped from #129 to #92

5-stars:
1. Da'Shawn Hand - DE - Virginia (Alabama)
2. Myles Garrett - DE - Texas (Texas A&M)
3. Jabrill Peppers - CB - New Jersey (Michigan)
4. Leonard Fournette - RB - Louisiana (LSU)
5. Quin Blanding - S - Virginia (Virginia)
6. Adoree' Jackson - CB - California
8. Joe Mixon - RB - California (Oklahoma)
10. Jalen Tabor - CB - Washington, DC (Florida)
15. Malachi Dupre - WR - Louisiana
16. Bo Scarbrough - ATH - Alabama (Alabama)
17. Cameron Robinson - OT - Louisiana (Alabama)
20. Damian Prince - OT - Maryland
24. John Smith - S - California
26. Malik McDowell - DE - Michigan
27. Josh Malone - WR - Tennessee (Tennessee)
30. Elijah Hood - RB - North Carolina (North Carolina)
32. Andrew Brown - DT - Virginia (Virginia)
33. Jalen Hurd - RB - Tennessee (Tennessee)

4-stars:
36. Lorenzo Carter - DE - Georgia
37. Solomon Thomas - DE - Texas
38. Jamal Adams - S - Texas (LSU)
40. Damon Webb - CB - Michigan (Ohio State)
44. Jeff Jones - RB - Minnesota (Minnesota)
45. Demetrius Knox - OG - Texas (Ohio State)
50. Braden Smith - OG - Kansas
51. Erick Smith - S - Ohio (Ohio State)
53. Steven Parker - S - Oklahoma
57. Edward Paris - S - Texas (LSU)
63. Dante Booker - LB - Ohio (Ohio State)
68. Artavis Scott - WR - Florida (Clemson)
70. Jackson Barton - OT - Utah (Utah)
72. Nyles Morgan - LB - Illinois (Notre Dame)
74. Casey Tucker - OT - Arizona
77. Christian McCaffrey - RB - Colorado (Stanford)
79. Jeb Blazevich - TE - North Carolina (Georgia)
89. Jalen Brown - WR - Arizona (Oregon)
92. Mason Cole - OG - Florida (Michigan)
94. Jamarco Jones - OG - Illinois (Notre Dame)
95. Kenny Young - LB - Louisiana
98. Alex Bars - OT - Tennessee (Notre Dame)

Recruiting Update: January 20, 2014

Tyriq and Clarence Thompson (image via 247 Sports)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2014
Sarasota (FL) Booker running back Marlon Mack (offense, defense) was offered by Michigan. Mack is a 6'0", 195 lb. prospect with offers from Indiana, Louisville, South Florida, and UCLA, among others; he was committed to the Bruins until a few days ago. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #98 athlete, and the #1,117 player overall. Mack claims a 4.5 forty and shows the speed on film, but he's not a polished running back and more of an athlete who runs the ball. The reason I linked his offensive and defensive highlights separately above is that he has a chance to play safety or maybe even corner in college, and I would lean toward him having higher upside at safety. He has good range and is a very physical hitter from the defensive back position. However, he appears to prefer running back, and that's the position where Michigan is recruiting him at this time. The Wolverines are also in hot pursuit of Minneapolis (MN) Washburn running back Jeff Jones, and while signs are positive for Jones to Michigan, Mack decommitted from UCLA as soon as he was offered by Michigan assistant coach Jeff Hecklinski. Both running backs are planning January 31st official visits to Ann Arbor, so it will be a very interesting race to see who commits first. I believe Michigan will get at least one of the two, but Mack's versatility could mean that he has a spot whether Jones commits or not.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Tampa (FL) Plant offensive tackle Jake Fruhmorgen was offered by Michigan. Fruhmorgen is a 6'5", 280 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, South Carolina, and Wisconsin, along with lots of others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #6 offensive tackle, and #75 overall, and he's already committed to playing in the 2015 Under Armour All-American Game. Fruhmorgen has the feet to play tackle at the next level, but really, I think he could play either guard or tackle position. His father John was an offensive tackle at Alabama in the late 1980's and went on to play professionally, most notably for the Miami Dolphins.

Memphis (TN) Whitehaven linebacker Joshua McMillon was offered by Michigan. McMillon is a 6'3", 230 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Ole Miss, and Tennessee, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #13 outside linebacker, and #186 overall. McMillon is being recruited as a SAM linebacker by the Wolverines, but he looks like a guy who might be more likely to end up at weakside end in the future. On the plus side for Michigan, his head coach is a Michigan graduate and he's interested in early playing time, which could work out for him with starter Jake Ryan graduating after 2014 and no heir apparent. On the negative side, McMillon has stated that his "dream school" is Alabama.

Detroit (MI) King linebacker Tyriq Thompson was offered by Michigan on Thursday. Thompson is a 6'2", 210 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan State, North Carolina State, Northwestern, and Wisconsin, among others. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #23 outside linebacker, and the #448 player overall. As a junior in 2013, he had 142 tackles, 10 sacks, 7 pass breakups, and 4 forced fumbles. Thompson moved from Missouri to Michigan prior to the 2013 season. His stature and stance make him look a little like James Ross, but Thompson plays a little slower. Michigan State was presumed to be the leader until Michigan offered, so this new development makes things interesting. Thompson's father Clarence was a safety at Michigan in the mid-'90s, when he made 154 tackles, 7 interceptions, 11 pass breakups, 4 fumble recoveries, and 1 forced fumble from 1993-1995.

OFF THE BOARD
Baltimore (MD) Gilman cornerback Troy Vincent, Jr. flipped from Penn State to North Carolina State. Obviously, he's the son of Troy Vincent, whom you may or may not remember as a Wisconsin Badger, Miami Dolphin, and Philadelphia Eagle. Michigan seems set at cornerback, and there was some question about how heavily the Wolverines pursued him in the first place.

MISCELLANEOUS
The recruiting sites all updated their final rankings for the 2014 class:

• ESPN
• Scout
• 247 Sports

I took a look at the history of #1 rated cornerbacks in the Rivals era.

Final Scout 300 for 2014 released

Grand Rapids (MI) Christian wide receiver Drake Harris moved up two spots in the Scout 300 despite missing his senior season due to injury.

Scout released its final list of top 300 prospects for the class of 2014. Here's what it looked like through last month. Movement for Michigan commits:

- Jabrill Peppers moved up from #4 to #3
- Drake Harris moved up from #54 to #52
- Bryan Mone moved up from #90 to #88
- Lawrence Marshall moved up one spot from #105 to #104
- Freddy Canteen dropped one spot from #171 to #172
- Michael Ferns dropped one spot from #178 to #179
- Mason Cole dropped from #249 to #253
- Chase Winovich dropped from #281 to #291

Here are the rest of Michigan's offerees:

5-stars:
1. Leonard Fournette - RB - Louisiana (LSU)
2. Cameron Robinson - OT - Louisiana (Alabama)
3. Jabrill Peppers - CB - New Jersey (Michigan)
5. Myles Garrett - DE - Texas (Texas A&M)
6. Adoree' Jackson - CB - California
8. Jamal Adams - S - Texas (LSU)
10. John Smith - S - California
12. Da'Shawn Hand - DE - Virginia (Alabama)
15. Quin Blanding - S - Virginia (Virginia)
17. Andrew Brown - DT - Virginia (Virginia)
18. Joe Mixon - RB - California (Oklahoma)
20. Solomon Thomas - DE - Texas
22. Casey Tucker - OT - Arizona
23. Lorenzo Carter - DE - Georgia
25. Bo Scarbrough - RB - Alabama (Alabama)
26. Braden Smith - OG - Kansas
27. Malachi Dupre - WR - Louisiana
29. Sam Hubbard - OLB - Ohio (Ohio State)
31. K.C. McDermott - OT - Florida (Miami)
34. Nyles Morgan - ILB - Illinois (Notre Dame)
36. Malik McDowell - DE - Michigan

4-stars:
41. Jalen Tabor - CB - Washington, DC (Florida)
42. Damon Webb - CB - Michigan (Ohio State)
43. Erick Smith - S - Ohio (Ohio State)
47. Edward Paris - CB - Texas (LSU)
49. Jalen Brown - WR - Arizona (Oregon)
51. Marshon Lattimore - CB - Ohio (Ohio State)
52. Drake Harris - WR - Michigan (Michigan)
55. Elijah Hood - RB - North Carolina (North Carolina)
59. Damian Prince - OT - Maryland
61. Mark Andrews - WR - Arizona (Oklahoma)
63. Jamarco Jones - OT - Illinois (Ohio State)
66. Josh Malone - WR - Tennessee (Tennessee)
67. Kyle Berger - OLB - Ohio (Ohio State)
69. Saeed Blacknall - WR - New Jersey (Rutgers)
75. Jalen Hurd - RB - Tennessee (Tennessee)
76. Dante Booker - OLB - Ohio (Ohio State)
78. Jeff Jones - RB - Minnesota (Minnesota)
81. Christian McCaffrey - RB - Colorado (Stanford)
83. Khairi Clark - DT - Florida (Florida)
86. Roderick Johnson - OT - Missouri
88. Bryan Mone - DT - Utah (Michigan)
102. Artavis Scott - WR - Florida (Clemson)
103. Parrker Westphal - S - Illinois (Northwestern)
104. Lawrence Marshall - DE - Michigan (Michigan)
107. Demetrius Knox - OG - Texas (Ohio State)
112. Steven Parker - S - Oklahoma
134. Sam Mustipher - OG - Maryland (Notre Dame)
138. Bryson Allen-Williams - OLB - Georgia (South Carolina)
143. Adarius Pickett - CB - California (UCLA)
144. Brandon Simmons - S - Texas (Stanford)
150. Kenny Young - MLB - Louisiana
158. Daniel Helm - TE - Illinois (Tennessee)
159. Bentley Spain - OT - North Carolina (North Carolina)
170. Shai McKenzie - RB - Pennsylvania (Virginia Tech)
172. Freddy Canteen - WR - Maryland (Michigan)
177. Dravon Henry - CB - Pennsylvania (West Virginia)
179. Michael Ferns - MLB - Ohio (Michigan)
180. Otaro Alaka - OLB - Texas (Texas)
187. Demarre Kitt - WR - Georgia (Clemson)
191. Jeb Blazevich - TE - North Carolina (Georgia)
195. Richard Yeargin - OLB - Florida (Notre Dame)
200. Corey Holmes - WR - Florida (Notre Dame)
202. Alex Bars - OT - Tennessee (Notre Dame)
204. Montae Nicholson - S - Pennsylvania (Michigan State)
205. Nick Watkins - CB - Texas (Notre Dame)
206. Jacory Washington - TE - Louisiana (LSU)
209. Wesley Green - CB - Georgia
222. Devon Thomas - RB - Oklahoma (Oklahoma State)
227. D'Andre Payne - CB - Washington, DC (Tennessee)
233. Jay Hayes - DT - New York (Notre Dame)
239. Marcus Allen - S - Maryland (Penn State)
247. Ja'Von Harrison - WR - Florida (Virginia Tech)
253. Mason Cole - OT - Florida (Michigan)
258. Malik Hooker - WR - Pennsylvania (Ohio State)
266. Dexter Wideman - DT - South Carolina (South Carolina)
268. Jackson Barton - OT - Utah (Utah)
272. Kiy Hester - S - New Jersey (Miami)
281. Chase Winovich - OLB - Pennsylvania (Michigan)
283. K.J. Williams - WR - Pennsylvania (Syracuse)
296. Juwann Winfree - WR - New Jersey (Maryland)
298. Conor Sheehy - DE - Wisconsin (Wisconsin)

Final ESPN 300 released for 2014

Michael Ferns (#10), Wilton Speight (#19), Jabrill Peppers (#5), Juwann Bushell-Beatty (#73), and Bryan Mone (#52)
all appear in the final ESPN 300 for 2014; Jared Wangler (#2) is not ranked on the list

ESPN made its final update to their list of the top 300 prospects in the nation. Here's what the ESPN 300 looked like in August, and here's the movement for Michigan's commits since then:

- Drake Harris dropped from #72 to #85
- Bryan Mone dropped from #76 to #91
- Lawrence Marshall dropped from #112 to #121
- Michael Ferns dropped from #123 to #129
- Juwann Bushell-Beatty dropped from #122 to #142
- Mason Cole dropped from #146 to #165
- Ian Bunting dropped from #118 to #200
- Wilton Speight dropped from #128 to #257

Here's the rest of Michigan's offerees:

5-stars:
1. Leonard Fournette - RB - Louisiana (LSU)
2. Jabrill Peppers - CB - New Jersey (Michigan)
3. Cameron Robinson - OT - Louisiana (Alabama)
4. Myles Garrett - DE - Texas (Texas A&M)
5. Andrew Brown - DT - Virginia (Virginia)
6. Da'Shawn Hand - DE - Virginia (Alabama)
9. Adoree' Jackson - CB - California
10. Quin Blanding - S - Virginia (Virginia)
11. Jalen Tabor - CB - Washington, DC (Florida)
12. Bo Scarbrough - ATH - Alabama (Alabama)
14. Lorenzo Carter - DE - Georgia

4-stars:
17. Malachi Dupre - WR - Louisiana
18. Jamal Adams - S - Texas (LSU)
24. John Smith - S - California
25. Solomon Thomas - DE - Texas
26. Damian Prince - OT - Maryland
33. Lorenzo Featherston - DE - North Carolina (Florida State)
36. K.C. McDermott - OT - Florida (Miami)
39. Casey Tucker - OT - Arizona
43. Josh Malone - WR - Tennessee (Tennessee)
45. Marshon Lattimore - ATH - Ohio (Ohio State)
50. Edward Paris, Jr. - S - Texas (LSU)
53. Joe Mixon - RB - California (Oklahoma)
58. Damon Webb - CB - Michigan (Ohio State)
60. Malik McDowell - DE - Michigan
70. Jalen Hurd - RB - Tennessee (Tennessee)
72. Nyles Morgan - LB - Illinois (Notre Dame)
74. Jamarco Jones - OT - Illinois (Ohio State)
76. Alex Bars - OT - Tennessee (Notre Dame)
80. Elijah Hood - RB - North Carolina (North Carolina)
83. Artavis Scott - WR - Florida (Clemson)
85. Drake Harris - WR - Michigan (Michigan)
91. Bryan Mone - DT - Utah (Michigan)
94. Corey Holmes - WR - Florida (Notre Dame)
95. Parrker Westphal - CB - Illinois (Northwestern)
99. Andy Bauer - OT - Missouri (Missouri)
101. Jeb Blazevich - TE - North Carolina (Georgia)
107. Tyler Luatua - TE - California (Notre Dame)
118. Saeed Blacknall - WR - New Jersey (Rutgers)
120. Wesley Green - CB - Georgia
121. Lawrence Marshall - DE - Michigan (Michigan)
123. Nick Watkins - CB - Texas (Notre Dame)
127. Braden Smith - OG - Kansas
129. Michael Ferns - LB - Ohio (Michigan)
130. Dante Booker, Jr. - LB - Ohio (Ohio State)
136. Kyron Watson - LB - Illinois (Kansas)
137. Jeff Jones - RB - Minnesota (Minnesota)
139. Steven Parker - S - Oklahoma
140. Dravon Henry - ATH - Pennsylvania (West Virginia)
142. Juwann Bushell-Beatty - OT - New Jersey (Michigan)
143. Kevin Crosby - TE - South Carolina (South Carolina)
144. Bentley Spain - OT - North Carolina (North Carolina)
158. Roderick Johnson - OT - Missouri
162. Bryson Allen-Williams - LB - Georgia (South Carolina)
165. Mason Cole - OG - Florida (Michigan)
167. Demarre Kitt - WR - Georgia (Clemson)
169. Jacory Washington - TE - Louisiana (LSU)
172. Demetrius Knox - OG - Texas (Ohio State)
174. Andrew Williams - DE - Georgia
179. Dexter Wideman - DT - South Carolina (South Carolina)
180. Dwight Williams - LB - California (UCLA)
183. Erick Smith - S - Ohio (Ohio State)
184. Adarius Pickett - CB - California (UCLA)
187. Otaro Alaka - LB - Texas (Texas)
194. Mattrell McGraw - S - Louisiana
196. Kiy Hester - ATH - New Jersey (Miami)
200. Ian Bunting - TE - Illinois (Michigan)
204. Devon Thomas - RB - Oklahoma (Oklahoma State)
211. Khairi Clark - DT - Florida (Florida)
218. Christian McCaffrey - ATH - Colorado (Stanford)
244. Montae Nicholson - ATH - Pennsylvania (Michigan State)
246. Darrion Owens - LB - Florida (Miami)
250. Jermaine Roberts - CB - Louisiana (Texas)
257. Wilton Speight - QB - Virginia (Michigan)
262. Brandon Simmons - S - Texas (Stanford)
269. D'Andre Payne - CB - Washington, DC (Tennessee)
270. Garrett Dickerson - TE - New Jersey (Northwestern)
274. Nic Weishar - TE - Illinois (Notre Dame)
278. Jalen Brown - WR - Arizona (Oregon)
282. Jonathan Hilliman - RB - New Jersey (Boston College)
286. Isaiah McKenzie - ATH - Florida
292. Quincy Wilson - S - Florida (Florida)
295. Mark Andrews - WR - Arizona (Oklahoma)

Final Top 247 for 2014 released

Tarpon Springs (FL) East Lake offensive guard Mason Cole jumped 25 spots in the latest Top 247

247 Sports finalized its top 247 players for 2014. Here's what it looked like back in October. Movement for Michigan commits:

- Jabrill Peppers dropped from #3 to #4
- Bryan Mone dropped from #46 to #82
- Mason Cole jumped from #111 to #86
- Drake Harris dropped from #43 to #87
- Michael Ferns dropped from #191 to #197
- Lawrence Marshall jumped from #229 to #220
- Ian Bunting dropped from #224 to #229
- Juwann Bushell-Beatty dropped off the list

5-stars:
1. Myles Garrett - DE - Texas (Texas A&M)
2. Leonard Fournette - RB - Louisiana (LSU)
3. Cameron Robinson - OT - Louisiana (Alabama)
4. Jabrill Peppers - ATH - New Jersey (Michigan)
7. Da'Shawn Hand - DE - Virginia (Alabama)
8. Quin Blanding - S - Virginia (Virginia)
9. Andrew Brown - DT - Virginia (Virginia)
13. Dante Booker - LB - Ohio (Ohio State)
19. Jalen Tabor - CB - Washington, DC (Florida)
20. Lorenzo Carter - DE - Georgia
24. Adoree' Jackson - CB - California
27. Joe Mixon - RB - California (Oklahoma)
30. Malachi Dupre - WR - Louisiana
32. Jalen Hurd - RB - Tennessee (Tennessee)

4-stars:
35. Bo Scarbrough - ATH - Alabama (Alabama)
38. Malik McDowell - DE - Michigan
40. Damian Prince - OT - Maryland
41. Solomon Thomas - DE - Texas
43. Damon Webb - CB - Michigan (Ohio State)
44. Marshon Lattimore - ATH - Ohio (Ohio State)
45. John Smith - ATH - California
49. Josh Malone - WR - Tennessee (Tennessee)
55. Jeff Jones - RB - Minnesota (Minnesota)
59. K.C. McDermott - OT - Florida (Miami)
61. Erick Smith - S - Ohio State (Ohio State)
63. Edward Paris - S - Texas (LSU)
64. Dexter Wideman - DT - South Carolina (South Carolina)
75. Jamarco Jones - OT - Illinois (Ohio State)
77. Elijah Hood - RB - North Carolina (North Carolina)
82. Bryan Mone - DT - Utah (Michigan)
86. Mason Cole - OG - Florida (Michigan)
87. Drake Harris - WR - Michigan (Michigan)
88. Artavis Scott - WR - Florida (Clemson)
95. Bryson Allen-Williams - LB - Georgia (South Carolina)
97. Nyles Morgan - LB - Illinois (Notre Dame)
103. Bentley Spain - OT - North Carolina (North Carolina)
111. Mark Andrews - WR - Arizona (Oklahoma)
121. Braden Smith - OG - Kansas
122. Roderick Johnson - OT - Missouri
123. Sam Hubbard - ATH - Ohio (Ohio State)
124. Lorenzo Featherston - DE - North Carolina (Florida State)
127. Garrett Dickerson - DE - New Jersey (Northwestern)
133. Kyle Berger - LB - Ohio (Ohio State)
142. Jalen Brown - WR - Arizona (Oregon)
150. Isaiah McKenzie - WR - Florida
154. Alex Bars - OT - Tennessee (Notre Dame)
155. Devon Thomas - RB - Oklahoma (Oklahoma State)
159. Demetriux Knox - OG - Texas (Ohio State)
163. Dravon Henry - ATH - Pennsylvania (West Virginia)
174. Adarius Pickett - CB - California (UCLA)
184. Wesley Green - CB - Georgia
190. Parrker Westphal - CB - Illinois (Northwestern)
192. Jay Hayes - DT - New York (Notre Dame)
196. Saeed Blacknall - WR - New Jersey (Rutgers)
197. Michael Ferns - LB - Ohio (Michigan)
199. Darrion Owens - LB - Florida (Miami)
212. Nic Weishar - TE - Illinois (Notre Dame)
220. Lawrence Marshall - DE - Michigan (Michigan)
221. Kenny Young - LB - Louisiana
222. Otaro Alaka - LB - Texas (Texas)
223. Juwann Winfree - WR - New Jersey (Maryland)
229. Ian Bunting - TE - Illinois (Michigan)
230. Khairi Clark - DT - Florida (Florida)
231. Steven Parker - S - Oklahoma
238. Shai McKenzie - RB - Pennsylvania (Virginia Tech)
243. Montae Nicholson - S - Pennsylvania (Michigan State)

Scouting Report: Jeff Jones

Minneapolis (MN) Washburn running back Jeff Jones

Name: Jeff Jones
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 198 lbs.
High school: Minneapolis (MN) Washburn
Position: Running back
Class: 2014

Notes: Holds offers from Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Syracuse, and Wisconsin . . . Committed to Minnesota on February 2, 2013 . . . Claims a 4.69 forty, 275 lb. bench, 350 lb. squat, and a 32" vertical . . . As a sophomore in 2011, had 142 carries for 1,415 yards and 26 touchdowns . . . As a junior in 2012, had 111 carries for 1,002 yards and 9 touchdowns . . . As a senior in 2013, had 167 carries for 1,525 yards and 34 touchdowns, plus 17 catches for 493 yards . . . ESPN 4-star, 83 grade, #14 RB, #181 overall . . . Rivals 4-star, #9 RB, #92 overall . . . Scout 4-star, #14 RB . . . 247 Sports 4-star, 93 grade, #13 RB, #188 overall

Strengths: Low center of gravity . . . Changes direction quickly . . . Jitterbug moves despite lacking great speed . . . Excellent patience and vision . . . Sets up blockers and defenders nicely . . . Uses variety of moves to shake free in open space . . . Deceptive power to go with agility . . . Can run around or through defenders . . . Good pass catcher . . . Adjusts well to ball in the air . . . Very physical runner who enjoys blocking unsuspecting defenders

Weaknesses: Lacks great speed . . . Not much of a home run threat . . . Does a lot of things well, but nothing outstanding in itself . . . Poor route runner, though that can easily be taught at the running back position . . . Appears to be a trash talker and occasionally slows up before end of play

Projection: Running back. At a shade under 200 lbs., Jones will likely want to add some weight to his frame in college, but I don't think he should get above 210-215 lbs. Adding too much weight might slow him down when he's not particularly fast in the first place. He's a good all-purpose back who can run the ball inside or stay on the field for third downs to block or be a pass catcher out of the backfield. He probably won't be able to get the edge on many teams, so he's a between-the-tackles type of runner. With a good offensive line, he has a chance to be a productive college runner, but I think he lacks the burst to be a superstar.

Reminds me of: Marshawn Lynch . . . but slower. Jones has the vision and physicality to warrant the Lynch comparison, but Lynch was a home run threat in college. Jones plays mediocre competition in Minneapolis and won't be able to run away from college athletes.

Likelihood of committing to Michigan: Jones is a soft commitment to the Minnesota Gophers and has been committed for nearly a year. He has visited Iowa State and entertained offers from Florida and Michigan. An official visit to Ann Arbor is set for January 24th. Most analysts believe the Wolverines have the best chance of flipping Jones. I believe the recent hire of offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, who has had productive running backs at every stop, might be the thing to get Michigan over the hump.

Highlights: Jones's senior highlights can be found on Hudl.

Recruiting Update: January 13, 2014

Wayne (NJ) DePaul running back Kareem Walker

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Clemmons (NC) West Forsyth defensive end Jalen Dalton was offered by Michigan. Dalton is a 6'5", 220 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #8 weakside end, and #96 overall. Dalton is a long, athletic kid who makes a lot of plays with his speed, knocking down passes, etc. and I like the enthusiasm and energy I see in his highlights. He could afford to be more physical, and that could happen as his frame fills out, but he looks like a weakside end all the way.

Randleman (NC) Randleman wide receiver Juval Mollette was offered by Michigan. Mollette is a 6'4", 187 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Ohio State, and Tennessee, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #25 wide receiver, and the #209 player overall. Mollette is a tall, long-striding receiver who's in the mold of a physical, jump ball type of guy rather than a burner. He appears to be leaning toward North Carolina at this point in his recruitment, despite a pretty good offer list.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Traverse City (MI) West offensive tackle Thiyo Lukusa was offered by Michigan. Lukusa is a 6'5", 300 lb. prospect with offers from Akron, Michigan State, and Wisconsin; all but the Michigan State offer came on Thursday of last week. While he plays left tackle in high school, he looks to me like a future offensive guard. Lukusa camped at Michigan in June 2013 and was considered to be a Michigan lean if they offered, but the Spartans' early offer had him considering committing to the bad guys. The Wolverines might be playing from behind, but a spate of new offers could slow down the process.

Wayne (NJ) De Paul running back Kareem Walker was offered by Michigan. Walker is a 6'1", 195 lb. prospect with offers from Penn State, Rutgers, and Temple. As a sophomore in 2013, he had 115 carries for 1,164 yards and 12 touchdowns. Not just because of his dreadlocks, but if you watch his highlight film, his acceleration and stride are reminiscent of Denard Robinson. Walker is a different style of runner overall, but watching him burst upfield brings back good memories.

OFF THE BOARD
Washington (DC) Friendship Collegiate cornerback Jalen Tabor stiffed Arizona and former Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez when he flipped from the Wildcats to the Florida Gators. Tabor had just committed to Arizona less than a week before flipping, so they didn't have much time to celebrate the recruiting victory. An early enrollee, Tabor is planning to start classes today, so Rodriguez won't have a chance to sway him back before National Signing Day.

MISCELLANEOUS
This isn't worth putting in its own post, but some of the early enrollees posted on Twitter the jersey numbers they'll wear to start their careers. Quarterback Wilton Speight will wear #19, wide receiver Drake Harris #14, defensive tackle Bryan Mone #90, and linebacker Michael Ferns #46.

Highlights: Michigan commits in the Under Armour All-American Game

Hit the jump to see highlights of Wilton Speight, Bryan Mone, and Juwann Bushell-Beatty.

Video: 2014 Under Armour All-American Game

Recruiting Update: January 6, 2013

Minneapolis (MN) Washburn running back Jeff Jones

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2014
Minneapolis (MN) Washburn running back Jeff Jones was offered by Michigan. Jones is a 6'0", 196 lb. prospect who "committed" to Minnesota in March 2013, but he has been looking around almost the entire time and took an official visit to Iowa State a few weeks ago. He also holds offers from Florida, Michigan State, Missouri, and Wisconsin. Jones has set an official visit to Florida, and he's also tentatively planning to visit Ann Arbor and East Lansing. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #9 running back, and the #111 player overall. In the Under Armour All-American Game on Friday, he led Team Nitro with 43 yards rushing, adding 4 catches for 35 yards and 1 touchdown. Against admittedly weak competition in Minneapolis as a senior, he had 167 carries for 1,525 yards and 34 touchdowns, plus 17 catches for 493 yards and 8 touchdowns. He isn't the biggest or the fastest back around, but he has a good combination of quick feet, surprising power, and good vision. I've been thinking Michigan should offer Jones for a while, and although it's late in the process, the Wolverines have a chance. I don't think Jones will end up signing with Minnesota, but I don't have a solid guess on what his final choice will be, either.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Scottsdale (AZ) Saguaro wide receiver Christian Kirk was offered by Michigan. He also has offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Florida State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, USC, and numerous others. Kirk is a 5'10", 180 lb. prospect who is a pretty polished player, along with being very fast and athletic. I have yet to see a better wide receiver in the 2015 class, and that includes former Michigan commit George Campbell. As a sophomore in 2012, he had 43 receptions for 1,003 yards and 12 touchdowns. According to 247's Composite ranking, he's a 5-star, the #1 wide receiver, and the #32 player overall.


OFF THE BOARD
Lewisville (TX) Hebron safety Jamal Adams committed to LSU at the Under Armour All-America Game. Actually, he committed to "the University of LSU," which caused a big uproar on Twitter and message boards. Personally, I think it's silly when people flip out about the language high school football players use when announcing where they're going to play football.

New Orleans (LA) St. Augustine running back Leonard Fournette committed to LSU during the Under Armour All-America Game. Fournette is generally considered to be the top running back in the 2014 class, if not the best overall player. He flirted with Michigan a little bit and even scheduled a visit at one time, but he and his family famously never got on the plane, which caused Michigan's portion of the internet to break.

Cleveland (OH) Glenville defensive backs Marshon Lattimore and Erick Smith committed to Ohio State during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Some smoke came out on Friday that they might be committing to Michigan, far-fetched as that was. Both have long been considered to be OSU locks, but it was thought that the Buckeyes might not have room for both of them. Smith in particular looked good in the all-star game when he led the East team with 6 tackles. However, he announced first and let the cat out of the bag that Lattimore would be joining him in Columbus, which took some of the wind out Lattimore's commitment sails.

Oakley (CA) Freedom running back Joe Mixon committed to Oklahoma as the climactic announcement of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Mixon was also considering Wisconsin, which could have been bad news for the rest of the Big Ten.

Crete (IL) Crete-Monee linebacker Nyles Morgan committed to Notre Dame. After Crete-Monee products Anthony Standifer and Laquon Treadwell stiffed Michigan in the past couple classes, I barely paid attention to Morgan throughout the process. I do think it would have been oddly interesting to have Michigan's current middle linebacker take a breather only to be replaced by this guy.

Olathe (KS) North outside linebacker Jimmie Swain IV committed to Oregon. Swain had been committed to TCU at one point, but he opened up his recruitment only to become a silent commit to the Ducks several weeks ago.

Washington (DC) Friendship cornerback Jalen Tabor committed to Arizona during the Under Armour All-America Game. In a surprise move, Tabor picked the Wildcats over Alabama and Maryland. He's a 247 Composite 5-star, the #4 cornerback, and the #24 player overall. Arizona head coach Rich Rodriguez has had problems with 5-star defensive backs in the past (Demar Dorsey, Justin Turner), so for his sake, hopefully Tabor at least plays a down or two of football.

Gardena (CA) Junipero Serra linebacker Dwight Williams committed to UCLA during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Serra is a powerhouse school, and Williams was considering a visit to Michigan at one point, but it never came through. He was #1 on my wish list for a weakside linebacker in the 2014 class, and I think he'll have a good career for the Bruins. His teammate, highly touted cornerback Adoree' Jackson, tweeted out a top six the other day that did not include Michigan, just in case you were still holding out hope that the Wolverines could pull off a miracle.

MISCELLANEOUS
Here are my thoughts on the play of Michigan's commits in the Under Armour game.

With only Tarpon Springs (FL) East Lake's Mason Cole playing in the Army game, I didn't write up a separate post. Cole started at left guard and played some right tackle in the game, although I read in several places that he looks like a guard through and through for the next level. Cole looked somewhat undersized out there, and I imagine he's somewhere around 275-280 lbs. right now. I did see him have trouble with the huge defensive tackles on the West roster, such as Bijhon Jackson, who's listed at 6'2", 327. But overall, he showed nice footwork, good knee bend, and decent strength, and Rivals named him the #6 overall performer on the East team.

In case you're wondering, here's a link to the relevant roster players for each of the weekend's notable All-America games:

Under Armour
U.S. Army
Semper Fidelis
Offense-Defense