Name: Jeremy Clark Height: 6'4" Weight: 205 lbs. High school: Madisonville (KY) North Hopkins Position: Safety Class: Redshirt junior Jersey number: #34 Last year:I ranked Clark #49 and said he would be a backup safety and special teamer. He started six games, making 18 tackles and 1 pass breakup.
Clark played a bigger role in 2014 than most expected, including me. He started six games at safety, which was a huge step forward from 2013, when he played in only one game the whole year. The defense as a whole was solid, and Clark was not exposed often; however, Clark did take some poor angles and is pretty limited in coverage.
Some people thought that Clark would grow into a linebacker, but after playing last season at 206 lbs., he's now listed at 205 and is pretty thin. I don't think linebacker is in his future, and I don't think he'll play a ton of safety this season, either. With Jarrod Wilson and Jabrill Peppers looking almost like locks to start at safety, Clark is fighting to be the third safety with junior Delano Hill. My guess is that Hill will win that battle and see some significant time in nickel situations. Clark's best chance to play will be on special teams unless Jarrod Wilson gets hit by the injury bug once again.
Jarrod Wilson (#22) broke up this dangerous pass (image via College Football)
Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Da'Mario Jones. Jones is reportedly one of the faster players on the team, and Michigan is lacking a deep threat. Devin Funchess is being bracketed, Amara Darboh doesn't have great speed, and Dennis Norfleet doesn't know how to catch a ball that's thrown at him. It doesn't necessarily have to be Jones - it could be Freddy Canteen or Maurice Ways - but Michigan needs to find someone else to stretch the field besides a hobbled Funchess.
Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . A.J. Williams. He is slow and does not have good hands. Devin Gardner threw a quick out to him on Saturday night, and the results were sad. The tight ends running those routes should be Jake Butt or Khalid Hill. We know Butt is good, but Hill is a guy who seems to be improving steadily.
Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Jarrod Wilson at free safety. I guess I don't see the rationale behind playing the more inexperienced Jeremy Clark back there in loads of open space, while the more experienced Wilson is covering the flats or stopping the run. Those roles should be flipped. Clark has size and speed, but he lacks field awareness. Meanwhile, Wilson's jarring hit on Leonte Carroo was the first of its kind for Michigan this season, and - surprise! - it came when Wilson was playing deep.
Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . tentative Joe Bolden and Frank Clark. On separate occasions, these guys seemed afraid to hit Rutgers quarterback Gary Nova. Bolden lacked his improving aggressive nature on a scramble up the middle, and Clark seemed to pull up on a pass rush that allowed Nova to side-step him and throw a touchdown to a diving John Tsimis. Were they tentative because of the week-long discussion about quarterback safety after the Shane Morris hit? Was it a coincidence? I don't know. Maybe Gary is just a super Nova. (Sad people make sad jokes.)
Play of the game . . . unlike last week, there are a couple choices. The highlight reel choice was obviously the one-handed snag by tight end Jake Butt. The more meaningful play was Devin Gardner's 19-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. On a bootleg, he juked the outside contain guy and outran the Rutgers defense to the pylon, all along gliding like only he and a few other quarterbacks can do. He really is fun to watch when he gets in open space. Not many 6'4", 216 lb. guys can move like he does.
MVP of the game . . . Gardner. He didn't have a great game, but nobody really stood out for Michigan. Gardner finished the game 13/22 for 178 yards, and 1 interception; he also ran the ball 10 times for 40 yards and 2 touchdowns. For the most part, he managed the game well, especially once he got comfortable in the second half. I also thought Joe Bolden played pretty well - he made 10 tackles, including 9 solo stops, several of which stopped Scarlet Knights in their tracks.
The referees were kind of terrible. The best (or worst) example of this was late in the fourth quarter. Michigan finally used a half-roll - which I've been calling for all year - to get quarterback Devin Gardner away from pressure, and he hit Amara Darboh near the sideline. Darboh took two steps with the ball in his possession, turned forward to stretch the ball across the first down marker, dove, lost control of the ball just before he hit the ground, and the pass was called incomplete. A review didn't come from the booth, so Michigan finally called a timeout. It was challenged, they went back to look at it, and the officials didn't even say the play "stands" - they said the call was "confirmed." Add to that a clear pass interference call they missed on a key third down when Jehu Chesson was hip-checked to the ground, plus a non-call against Jake Ryan, and a couple other iffy calls, and the refs were just bad. They were bad both ways, but at the most critical time, on a reviewable play, they botched the call terribly.
Jeremy Clark is not an answer. I've been wanting to say this for a few weeks, but for whatever reason, I've held off. Clark's lack of field awareness has hurt Michigan numerous times this season, and this time he cost Michigan an 80-yard touchdown pass. I don't really understand why the coaching staff makes him the deep safety because he's not a guy who makes plays in space. I will grant that he has decent speed, but it doesn't matter much if he's often out of position. The more experienced player, Jarrod Wilson, should be back there. The plays Clark has made this year have been tackling in the run game and pass coverage in the flats. He has not made a single impressive play from the deep safety position. He takes poor angles, gets caught flat-footed, doesn't properly recognize route combinations, etc. It's extremely frustrating that the coaches appear not to have a better answer yet.
The presence of Devin Gardner infuriates me. Granted, he makes at least one bonehead play a week, but he should have been the starter last week against Minnesota in a winnable game. This week's bad decision was a ball he lofted into the middle of the field with nobody but a Rutgers safety anywhere near the ball, except perhaps Devin Funchess, who was running up the left sideline. Otherwise, Gardner was 13/22 overall for 178 yards. His feet were a huge part of keeping drives alive and scoring touchdowns. The national leaders in sacks got him 3 times for -18 yards, but he ran 7 other times for 58 yards, including 2 touchdowns. He has enough arm strength to make all the throws in college, and he has some chemistry with a few Michigan receivers - Devin Funchess, Jake Butt, Amara Darboh, even Dennis Norfleet. Shane Morris, meanwhile, has yet to throw a touchdown pass and has shown no discernible chemistry with even a single receiver. I'm not saying that Michigan would have beaten the Gophers, but he would have given them a chance.
Don't let other "analysts" fool you about Gardner's abilities from under center. I have read numerous times that Gardner should not be taking snaps from under center, that Michigan's waggle is a disaster waiting to happen, that playing from under center takes away his running ability, etc. All of that is bull. First of all, this is Doug Nussmeier's offense. Just like Rich Rodriguez could not be expected to run a pro-style offense, we shouldn't expect Nussmeier to run a shotgun-only offense with all kinds of power reads, inside zone reads, midline reads, etc. Second, Gardner on a waggle or bootleg generally puts him in space with a player who is physically overmatched. I don't see how people watch things like Gardner's two touchdown runs in this game, and then walk away concluding that Gardner can't use his legs in this offense. People who say stuff like that are enamored with shotgun spread offenses, and in my opinion, their comments are being colored by an agenda rather than football knowledge.
Stop holding. I mean, come on, guys. Is this so difficult? Michigan took two holding penalties - by Mason Cole and Kyle Kalis - that put them behind the sticks. Why did they have to hold? They stopped moving their feet. If they keep moving their feet and working their hips around to the playside, then they wouldn't have to grab jersey. The holding call on Kalis was especially egregious on his part. I would think the son of an NFL lineman would know better by now. I don't know if it's coaching, stupidity, laziness, or a combination of all those things. There aren't many teams who can overcome 1st-and-20 or 2nd-and-20.
Has Michigan found a running game? It seemed like things started clicking in the fourth quarter, or maybe it was just Rutgers getting worn down. Either way, the Wolverines started having some consistent success in the running game, especially over the left side. Last week Derrick Green had a poor game, while De'Veon Smith had one good drive. This week it was Green's turn. He carried 12 times for 74 yards (6.2 yards/carry), and while he left some yards on the field by getting ankle-tackled, it was a solid night for him overall. Michigan actually out-rushed Rutgers by a wide margin (158 to 74).
Play action passing game improvements. Michigan had some success with inside zone runs out of the shotgun, and that helped set up some play action. It seems like Michigan has honed its backfield action to include a more believable mesh between quarterback and running back. I think that paid some dividends tonight, and it should going forward as well. That's a small detail, but I think it indicates some growth in the offense. Rutgers doesn't have a great defense, but Michigan looked better than they did against Notre Dame, Utah, or Minnesota. I still have faith in offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier that he can improve this offense. Unfortunately, it appears he may not get a chance to see it all the way through with Brady Hoke likely getting fired by/at the end of the season.
Why was Rutgers able to pass the ball so well? Most importantly to answer this question, Michigan does not have a consistent pass rush. A few times on the evening, they quickly got in the backfield - a Frank Clark rush from middle linebacker, a Willie Henry dismantling of the offensive line, a TE stunt by Taco Charlton, etc. The problem is that when Michigan didn't slice cleanly through the offensive line, they couldn't disengage quickly enough to put pressure on Rutgers quarterback Gary Nova. It's all or nothing. Meanwhile, Jeremy Clark is unfit to play his position, Delano Hill has been injured most of the season, and Jabrill Peppers has mostly been sidelined for one reason or another. Michigan is missing two of its five starters in the defensive backfield (Peppers, Hill), a third starter is very weak (Clark), and a lack of a pass rush hurts. You also have to tip your hat to Nova and company, who made some nice plays on the evening.
Can Michigan beat anyone left on the schedule? Yes. Penn State, Northwestern, and Maryland are all possibilities. I think Michigan State, Ohio State, and Indiana are all looking very unlikely. It's obviously a steep uphill climb to reach bowl eligibility at 2-4.
I find myself lacking the time to do "snapshot" breakdowns of particular plays, so while I would like to go into greater detail, please bear with me as I simply write about some of the technical breakdowns I saw in Saturday night's game. To point out these plays, I'm using the Notre Dame highlight video below:
Cover zero: The touchdown pass with 3:58 left before halftime was a result of a man-beater route combination called by Notre Dame, plus a physically outmatched slot corner in Delonte Hollowell. Hollowell correctly had inside leverage on the quick out, but he was aligned a little far off for my liking and did not have the makeup speed to undercut the route or challenge the catch. On the goal line, there's no need to play off the receiver. If the opponent tries to throw over the top, they have to complete the pass in front of the end line, which is tough unless you've got a good jump ball guy.
Seam routes: On the interception thrown with 12:34 remaining in the third quarter, it looks like Gardner simply didn't see safety Max Redfield in the deep middle. Gardner likely felt a little rushed because Notre Dame was getting a bit of a push. All the routes were covered, so I would like to see Gardner tuck the ball and run or throw it away. If he's going to make that throw to Khalid Hill, he needs to put some air under it with Hill being the only guy who could catch it. Hill would have had a chance to make the reception if it turned into a jump ball because Redfield was not in great position to defend a deep ball, but even then, a safety vs. a mediocre tight end is probably going to go the defense's way.
Free safety play: On the botched cover zero play involving Hollowell (above), blitzing safety Jeremy Clark gets chopped to the ground by running back Tarean Folston. Part of blitz technique is using your hands to stay on your feet when someone goes for a cut block, but Clark's eyes were in the backfield and he was caught completely off guard. If he had stayed on his feet, he would have been in Golson's face and potentially altering the throw. On the tunnel screen touchdown with 3:02 remaining in the third, it's well executed by Notre Dame. The guy who should be saving that play is deep safety Jeremy Clark. He reacted by trying to get over the top of the screen, but those plays are designed to come back inside. Because of his overpursuit, Clark took a bad angle. He should have been coming downhill, right up the tunnel. That would have given other defenders more of a chance to converge even if he didn't make the tackle. It turned out to be a pretty easy catch-and-run score. That's the inexperience of a redshirt sophomore safety project.
Scramble drill: Late in the third quarter, Devin Gardner dropped back to pass. With a decent pocket forming and several downfield routes - plus a well covered outlet option in De'Veon Smith - Gardner hung in the pocket looking for a receiver. At the 1:00 mark, he began to scramble - first to the right, then back, then to the left, and finally forward across the line of scrimmage. In the four seconds before he crossed the line of scrimmage, not one receiver re-entered the screen to save his quarterback. When a quarterback is scrambling, deep receivers are supposed to work their way short, and short receivers are supposed to work deeper. Instead, Gardner scrambled, spun, got blindsided, and ultimately fumbled.
Amara Darboh's route running: Darboh is big and strong, and he has decent speed. What Darboh lacks is precision in his route running. When Michigan got the ball back after Gardner's aforementioned fumble, the first play involved what looks like a 7-yard hitch route. Darboh does not provided the illusion of running deep, either with his footwork or his head. He simply hits 7 yards, whips his head around, and drifts. A receiver is supposed to come back down the chute to the ball, which prevents the corner from jumping the route. Sure enough, cornerback Cody Riggs jumps the route and beats Darboh to the spot. The pass may have been broken up anyway, but a good route there probably has Darboh catching the ball and getting tackled immediately for a decent 7-yard gain.
Pass protection: At roughly 2:44 left in the fourth quarterback, Notre Dame runs a six-man pressure with a seventh man playing a hug technique (blitz if the running back stays home) on running back Justice Hayes. It's a man blocking scheme, and everyone is accounted for except the hugger. Right tackle Ben Braden gets off balance and is caught off guard by an inside pass rush. Meanwhile, left guard Erik Magnuson's second step is that of a left tackle who is trying to protect the width of the pocket, instead of a step by a guard trying to protect the depth of the pocket. He opens up his left shoulder, which allows the defensive tackle to that side to get upfield. Despite Jehu Chesson coming open on a short crossing route, Gardner does not have time to throw the ball before getting hit by Braden and Magnuson's men.
Name: Jeremy Clark Height: 6'4" Weight: 206 lbs. High school: Madisonville (KY) North Hopkins Position: Safety Class: Redshirt sophomore Jersey number: #34 Last year:I ranked Clark #50 and said he would be a backup strong safety and special teams player. He played on special teams coverage and played one game as a backup safety, but he did not accrue any statistics.
Michigan went into 2013 with some experience at safety, but not much depth. Now Michigan is in the same boat, minus the experience. The only returning player with significant playing time is junior Jarrod Wilson; full-time safety Thomas Gordon graduated, part-time safety Courtney Avery graduated, and primary backup Josh Furman transferred. Clark didn't play much, and the safety position is a very large question mark going into 2014.
Aside from Wilson, who is all but assured a starting position, Clark seems to be battling sophomore Delano Hill for safety. The possibility exists that Michigan will shift a cornerback - where depth is, uh, deep - to safety; in the meantime, it seems Hill will beat out Clark by a nose. Even so, those three players appear to be the main competitors for playing time on the back end, and as we saw last year with Furman, a backup will probably be needed for a stretch of time. Clark is the largest defensive back, reportedly has decent speed, and looks like a solid tackler. I doubt he will turn into a playmaker, but he could play a role as a fill-in and special teamer.
Prediction: Backup strong safety, special teams player
Name: Jeremy Clark Height: 6'4" Weight: 201 lbs. High school: Madisonville (KY) North Hopkins Position: Safety Class: Redshirt freshman Jersey number: #34 Last year:I ranked Clark #76 and said he would redshirt. He redshirted.
Clark entered last year as a long, lanky kid who was told he would get a chance to play cornerback initially. There weren't many 6'4" cornerbacks in the country last year, and there still aren't because he's a safety now. In the spring game, Clark was playing strong safety with the backups. He has filled out a little bit, but there's more room to grow. He also has some developing to do with his coverage and play recognition.
It looks like fifth year senior Thomas Gordon will be the starting strong safety, but one of his backups has moved to SAM linebacker in the form of redshirt freshman Allen Gant. Aside from a couple freshmen, the only other competition for backup strong safety appears to be redshirt junior Josh Furman, who has been unimpressive at every turn. I actually think Clark might be a better option at strong safety despite being two years younger than Furman, but the elder player has been helpful on special teams, which is why Clark sits at #50 and Furman has yet to be profiled. Clark should get his first taste of regular season action, some special teams time, and perhaps be in the mix to start at safety in 2014.
Jeremy Clark shed his grayshirt after a strong senior season.
As a medium-sized city, Ann Arbor can be viewed as either a thriving urban area or a small college town, depending on perspective. In the case of incoming freshman free safety Jeremy Clark, it's clearly the former.
Jeremy is moving to Ann Arbor from Madisonville, Kentucky, a small, isolated town with a population of less than 20,000 people. Daily fishing trips, eating at Long John Silver's and enjoying the outdoors are among his favorite activities, and although Jeremy has seen his fair share of states and cities due to his father being in the army, he recognizes that living in Ann Arbor will be quite a change after spending the past few years in Madisonville. "It's a real small town, like a ghost town almost," he said. "It's different [from Ann Arbor]."
But Jeremy is less concerned with acclimating himself to a new city than he is about making an impact on the football field. He recently took some time out of a summer afternoon to talk football and answer several reader questions.
Choosing Michigan: "I like to win. So out of all of my offers, Michigan was winning the most. I sure didn't want to go to a losing team. . . .When I went on that visit, they made me feel very comfortable, so as soon as I went on that visit I felt like, 'Yeah, I belong here.' I was hearing from Florida, Villanovia, Kentucky, Illinois, Cincinnati and NC State; those were the major ones. Everything else was from - uh, I forget the name of the little conference - oh, the MAC. But once I committed to Michigan a lot of the schools started backing off. . . .The schools that offered me were NC State, Illinois, Cincinnati, Ohio - not Ohio State, just Ohio - Western Michigan, Western Kentucky and I can't really remember the rest of them."
6'4'' and fast: "My height is 6'4'' and my weight is 190. My forty time is a 4.47, and then my bench is 260. . . .They've been working on me getting faster. My junior year, I ran 4.6s and then my senior year, I didn't run anything above a 4.5. . . .I ran track my junior year going into my senior year. I ran the open 400 and then the 4 X 100. Track helped me get a lot faster than what I was." (Side note: This website lists a 11.56 second 100 meter dash for Jeremy.)
Playing safety, maybe wide receiver: "When I went down for there camp, they tried to use me down in the box, and it wasn't really working all that well, so I guess they see me as more of a ballhawking safety. . . .There were other schools that wanted me to play linebacker, but I wanted to stay in the secondary, so Michigan told me I could stay back there, and that's one of the reasons that I committed to them. . . .No, they never talked to me about that [playing wide receiver], but I'd be willing to play there if they needed me there. . . .When I was playing wide receiver in High School, all my routes were basically go routes. I was faster and taller than everybody, so I'd just go straight and the quarterback would just lob it to me. . . .If they wanted to try me out at wide receiver, I wouldn't mind it."
Strengths and weaknesses: "I need to work on flipping my hips and my feet work. But then my strength is that I'm fast, so I have make-up speed. And I'm 6'4''."
Taking off the grayshirt: "When they first offered - like you said they'd have to grayshirt me - I was just happy to be able to go to Michigan. Then I started thinking, 'I want to get out there and play now; I don't want to do the grayshirt.' But then they said that it depends on how good of a senior year I have. And I had a good senior year. I had a good senior year so then they took it away, and that was very, very good."
I should be speaking with incoming freshman safety Jeremy Clark in the next few days, so leave a question for him in the comments section if you'd like me to address something specific during the interview. To learn more about Jeremy, check out his (somewhat outdated) TTB commitment post or MGoBlog's recent profile post in which Brian has a few Jeremy Clark-related questions of his own.
Name: Jeremy Clark Height: 6'4" Weight: 205 lbs. High school: Madisonville (KY) North Hopkins Position: Safety Class: Freshman Jersey number: #34 Last year: Clark was in high school. He had 70 tackles, 15 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, 3 interceptions (3 touchdown returns), and 1 fumble recovery (for a touchdown).
Final TTB Rating: 59
Clark was a high school superstar last season, a free safety who put up very good numbers and made his opponents look downright silly at times. He hit a growth spurt between his junior and senior seasons, and Michigan's coaches latched on before anyone else could. Clark accepted a grayshirt opportunity at Michigan before a real scholarship opened up, and before too long, Clark was a full-fledged scholarship recipient.
The last time we saw Clark, he was a little bit gangly. For a kid who's 6'3" or 6'4", his ideal weight is probably around 215-220 lbs. Clark is also a kid who looked a little raw in high school, which is somewhat understandable because most of his opponents were completely outmatched by his athleticism; he got by on being bigger and faster than everyone, not necessarily by being more fundamental. Clark could probably use a season to add some bulk, and perhaps more time to refine his technique. But if he shows enough aggression and the desire to hit people, he could find an opportunity to play on kickoff coverage.
Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison DE Mario Ojemudia made a significant jump in the new TTB ratings
Yesterday I posted the new TTB Ratings for Michigan's class of 2012 (which I reserve the right to change until after Michigan's recruiting class is completed), and obviously, there were some significant changes for a few players. A couple kids have moved up or down a few points, but today I'll try to explain the reasons behind the biggest movers.
Ondre Pipkins - NT - Kansas City (MO) Park Hill
Pipkins moved up from an 82 to a 90. I was impressed with Pipkins' performance in the Army All-American Bowl. He looked to me to be a little bit out of shape, but I guess 330-pound defensive tackles rarely look like they're in shape. However, when he had the gas to go 100%, he was a terror. He also showed good athleticism in chasing down quarterback Chad Voytik and wide receiver Stefon Diggs, causing a fumble against the latter. Pipkins dominated the high school competition in Kansas City, but doing it against elite competition suggests that he'll be able to have success in the Big Ten, too.
Joe Bolden - MIKE - Cincinnati (OH) Colerain
Bolden moved up from a 77 to an 88. I was slightly disappointed that Bolden couldn't bring down a few more ballcarriers in the Under Armour All-American Game, but he was the week's best tackler in practice and he was very good at diagnosing plays. I've always liked his decisiveness and intelligence, but he showed throughout the season and the all-star game that he has the speed and athleticism to be a very good Big Ten linebacker. He needs to add weight and he would benefit from a redshirt year so he can improve his upper body strength.
Jehu Chesson - WR - St. Louis (MO) Ladue Horton Watkins
Chesson moved up from a 77 to an 87. As I consider the future of Michigan's offense under Brady Hoke and Al Borges, I realize the value of a jump-ball guy like Chesson. He's excellent at high-pointing the ball and catching it with his hands, and that bodes well for his future for Michigan. He looks like an Adrian Arrington clone, and without another downfield threat on the squad, he could be that guy who can stretch the field as soon as next season.
Mario Ojemudia - WDE - Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison
Ojemudia moved up from a 67 to a 78. Ojemudia played defensive end/outside linebacker in the Marine game, and his performance wasn't very impressive . . . but since he mostly played defensive tackle in high school, I'm going to give him a little bit of a pass. One of his strengths is getting off the ball quickly, and without the ball right under his nose, his reaction time was affected negatively. However, his senior highlight film shows a guy who can use his hands to get off blocks, and he reminds me of the freshman version of Frank Clark. Those two are very similar players, and Ojemudia looks like he'll be able to fill that weakside end position nicely.
Blake Bars - C - Nashville (TN) Montgomery Bell
Bars dropped from a 71 to a 62. I wasn't extremely high on Bars to begin with, because he seems a little slow-footed and doesn't seem like a great athlete. He looks like more of a backup and maybe a late-career starter as a tackle, but now that Caleb Stacey has decommitted in favor of Cincinnati, that might require the 6'5" Bars to play center. Since he lacks experience at the position and because of his lack of quickness, I think he might struggle inside.
Jeremy Clark - FS - Madisonville (KY) North Hopkins
Clark moved up from a 49 to a 59. When I first heard about Clark and saw film on him, I thought he might be a big fish in a small pond. But the more film I saw of him, the more I think he can make an impact at the next level. He's a lanky kid who gets by on athleticism, so I think college is going to be a bit of a wake-up call for him. He probably won't be the type who comes in and lights the world on fire. He'll have to improve his pursuit angles and he'll have to become a more fundamental tackler, but his height (6'4") and flat-out speed should provide a nice athlete on the back end to work with for four or five years down the road.
Kaleb Ringer - WILL - Clayton (OH) Northmont
Ringer dropped from a 64 to a 39. As you might be able to tell from his original rating of 64, I wasn't too high on Ringer from the start. However, the more that I have seen and heard of Ringer, the more I'm concerned about him remaining with the program. I do think he has the physical talent to be a backup, but let's face it - guys from every recruiting class get lost in the shuffle, become career backups, transfer, etc. My gut feeling on Ringer is that he'll be one of those guys, especially with all the other talent at linebacker in the 2012 class.
Tom VanHaaren of ESPN's Wolverine Nation, who has been kind of enough to help me out with a couple things here, put up an interview with 2012 safety Jeremy Clark and another with Clark's father.
Fort Wayne (IN) Bishop Luers linebacker Jaylon Smith
ADDED TO THE BOARD (2012, 2013, 2014)
Fort Wayne (IN) Bushop Luers outside linebacker Jaylon Smith, a 2013 prospect, received a Michigan offer on Friday. The 6'3", 202 lb. Smith is the brother of Rod Smith, a running back at Ohio State. Jaylon also holds offers from Indiana, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Purdue, and Tennessee.
OFF THE BOARD
Vandalia (OH) Butler offensive tackle Taylor Decker changed his commitment from Notre Dame to Ohio State. Decker is a 6'8", 288 lb. lineman and a 4-star recruit across the board.
Hamilton (GA) Harris defensive end Jordan Jenkins committed to Georgia on Monday. The 6'3", 245-pounder also visited Alabama, Auburn, Florida, and Tennessee. He played defensive tackle in the Under Armour All-America Game despite being undersized, but he still finished the game with 8 tackles and 2 sacks. However, Georgia plans to use him as an outside linebacker in their 3-4 system.
WEEKEND VISITORS
Madisonville (KY) North Hopkins safety Jeremy Clark was in town this past weekend. He's 6'4", 205 lbs. and could potentially develop into an outside linebacker at the college level. Clark was originally a "greyshirt" commit and wasn't planning to join the program until 2013, but the departure of Carvin Johnson opened a slot for him.
Chicago (IL) Simeon offensive tackle Jordan Diamond visited Ann Arbor this past weekend. The 6'6", 289-pounder is exploring his options with Arkansas, Auburn, Ohio State, and Wisconsin, and the Buckeyes are reportedly feeling quite confident about their chances with him.
Joliet (IL) Joliet Catholic running back Ty Isaac, a 2013 prospect, visited this past weekend. The 6'3", 215 lb. runner had 2,114 yards rushing and 45 touchdowns as a junior last season, and Michigan appears to be tied with Notre Dame at the top of Isaac's list. I have heard unflattering things about Isaac and I'm not a huge fan of his running style, but he is big and fast . . . so there's that.
Woodbridge (VA) C.D. Hylton linebacker E.J. Levenberry, Jr., a 2013 prospect, also visited. The 6'3", 226 lb. linebacker has already been offered by Michigan, along with several other schools.
Warren (MI) De La Salle quarterback Shane Morris, a 2013 commit, visited Ann Arbor. Morris seems to be turning into Michigan's biggest athlete/recruiter, in the same vein as Ricardo Miller and Erik Magnuson in recent classes.
West Roxbury (MA) Catholic Memorial cornerback Armani Reeves visited Ann Arbor again this past weekend. He's committed to Penn State but unsure of new head coach Bill O'Brien. The 5'9", 185 lb. Reeves could play cornerback or receiver at the next level (Michigan wants him for defense), but both Penn State's wide receivers coach and secondary coach have been let go. Reeves's best friend Camren Williams is committed to Penn State, which could weigh heavily into a decision here.
Washington (D.C.) Friendship Collegiate cornerback Jalen Tabor, a 2014 prospect, visited Michigan this past weekend. He's a 6'1", 168 lb. sophomore who hasn't been offered by Michigan yet. However, he does have offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Miami, Ohio State, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, and several others . . . so a Michigan offer will probably be on the way at some point. He attends the same school as 2011 running back Malcolm Crockett, who was recruited by Rich Rodriguez, and 2012 defensive tackle Eddie Goldman.
Alliance (OH) Marlington safety Dymonte Thomas, a 2013 commit, visited Michigan along with Morris. The 6'1", 180-pounder could play either safety position for Michigan and is also a standout running back for Marlington.
RECRUITING NEWS
There wasn't a whole lot of news this past week after last week's monster recruiting update. Most class of 2012 kids who haven't committed yet are going to wait until National Signing Day or thereabouts. So here's a bit of a wrap-up of some developments in the recruiting world last week:
Scout released its final Scout 300 of the recruiting cycle. Posting this recruiting update at the beginning of January prevents people from questioning their integrity if they waited until after National Signing Day. After all, there's virtually no more "scouting" info to come for the class of 2012 now that the all-American games have been played, and posting updates after NSD might make people question if they change their ratings depending on where kids commit.
Jeremy Clark (#2) will join the Wolverines sooner than expected.
Madisonville (KY) North Hopkins safety Jeremy Clark will be joining Michigan as part of the 2012 recruiting class. Originally, he had been scheduled to greyshirt in 2012 and begin playing in 2013, but that is no longer the case.
I have heard rumors that at least three players on the current roster will not be returning in 2012, which is quite possibly the reason that Clark's enroll date has been moved up.
Clark's commitment post can be found here, and while I originally gave him a TTB rating of 49, new highlights and his performance as a senior here in 2011 will definitely cause that rating to move upward when I revise them after the season.
Now that he's been added to the 2012 class, you can see him and the rest of 2012's offers and commitments on the 2012 Offer Board.
Devin Funchess had a big game for Farmington Hills Harrison
OL Blake Bars and Montgomery Bell Academy (1-4) were defeated by Battle Ground Academy.
LB Joe Bolden and Colerain (3-1) rolled Mason 56-20.
OL Ben Braden and histeam the Rockford Rams (3-1) won by a score of 41-16 against West Ottawa.
DE Pharaoh Brown and the Brush Arcs (1-3) earned their first win of the season by soundly defeating Valley Forge 42-12.
S Jeremy Clark of North Hopkins (4-1) continued his playmaking this season by catching a 35 yard TD pass as his team stomped Union County 48-0.
TE Devin Funchess of Farmington Hills Harrison (4-0) caught 4 passes for 83 yards as FHH extended their undefeated season with a comfortable 34-7 win over Oxford.
S Allen Gant and the Southview Cougars (3-1) were victorious in their contest against Napoleon, winning 28-13.
DL Matt Godin of Detroit Catholic Central (4-0) continues to impress as he recorded 2.5 sacks in DCC's 42-6 victory over Highland Park. Next week, Godin should temper his enthusiasm for knocking around opposing quarterbacks as his team squares off against Shane Morris and Warren De La Salle. Detroit Catholic Central came in atop the first 2011 Associated Press high school football poll.
FB Sione Houma's Highland Rams (4-1) beat Clearfield by a score of 29-0, although Houma sat out with an ankle injury he suffered last week.
LB Royce Jenkins-Stone and Detroit Cass Tech (3-1) defeated Cody (West Side!) by a score of 36-6.
OL Kyle Kalis and the Lakewood-St. Edward's Eagles (4-0) beat Cincinnati Elder by a score of 30-10.
OL Erik Magnuson and his team the La Costa Canyon Mavericks (1-2) lost to San Clemente by a score of 58-7. Ace reports that Magnuson played on the defensive side of the ball and recorded a sack.
2013 QB Shane Morris and Warren De La Salle took on Al Fracassa, Michigan's most winning HS coach, and Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice on Sunday. De La Salle pulled out a 21-20 victory, but Brother Rice held Morris in check; he went 6-16 for 61 yards with one TD and one INT.
DL Mario Ojemudia and Farmington Hills Harrison (4-0) won over Oxford.
DT Ondre Pipkins and his Park Hill Trojans (3-1) defeated the Truman Patriots 21-3. Pipkins recorded 15 tackles and a sack against the Patriots, yet Truman's center said after the game, "Me and my guard were able to shut (Pipkins) down."
CB Terry Richardson caught a 25 yard touchdown pass as Detroit Cass Tech took care of Cody 36-6
LB Kaleb Ringer and his Northmont High School squad (1-3) earned their first victory of the season, winning 62-5 over Sidney.
LB James Ross and Orchard Lake St. Mary's (3-1) registered their third shut out of the season Friday night by defeating Detroit Jesuit 34-0.
CB Anthony Standifer and hisCrete-Monee team (4-0) defeated Glenbard South 64-19.
DE Tom Strobel and his Mentor team (4-0) routed Mayfield 52-14.
2013 S Dymonte Thomas and Marlington (3-1) were defeated for the first time this season, losing 35-28 to Louisville. Thomas turned on the jets during a 67 yard TD rush that you can watch below.
S Jarrod Wilson and his Akron squad Buchtel (1-3) recorded their first win of the season by shutting out Akron Garfield 26-0.
DL Christopher Wormley and the Toledo Whitmer Panthers (4-0) won over St. Francis De Sales by a score of 34-0.
Jeremy Clark (#2) had a punt return for a touchdown on Friday night.
Blake Bars of Montgomery Bell Academy lost against Trninity High 66-21.
Joe Bolden played this afternoon on ESPN and won by a score of 17-7 over Cocoa. He had 12 tackles and a 38-yard pass on a fake punt. He also averaged 36.8 yards punting the ball.
Ben Braden's team the Rockford Rams were defeated by the Lowell Red Arrows 28-7.
Pharaoh Brown's team the Brush Arc's were defeated by Eastlake North 51-20. Brown had 2 receptions.
Jeremy Clark and North Hopkins defeated Graves County by a score of 42-13. Clark had an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown to go along with 12 tackles and 1 interception.
Devin Funchess had 3 receptions for 70 yards, plus an interception, in a 43-7 victory over Detroit Cass Tech.
Allen Gant played on both sides of the ball as his team the Southview Cougars won 26-24 over the St. Francis de Sales Knights at The Glassbowl, which is home to the Toledo Rockets. He had 6 tackles, 1 pass breakup, 1 carry for 6 yards, and 1 reception for 5 yards.
Matt Godin of Detroit Catholic Central registered two tackles before sitting out the second half due to a concussion. DCC won 42-0 over Dearborn Fordson.
Sione Houma's team the Highland Rams won 41-7 over the Cedar Reds.
Royce Jenkins-Stone had 4 tackles to go along with 2 receptions for 3 yards and 5 carries for 4 yards in a 43-7 loss to Farmington Hills Harrison.
Kyle Kalis of the 2010 Division 1 state champion Lakewood-St. Edward's Eagles did not play in a 17-14 victory over Cleveland Glenville. He sat out the game with a knee injury suffered in last week's scrimmage.
Erik Magnuson's team the La Costa Canyon Mavericks open next week.
Shane Morris of Warren De La Salle went 12/15 for 233 yards and 1 touchdown. His team beat Ann Arbor Pioneer 43-28.
Mario Ojemudia had 4 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 fumble recovery, 1/2 a sack, and 6 quarterback hurries in a 43-7 win over Detroit Cass Tech.
Ondre Pipkins' of the Park Hill Trojans won 13-7 over Liberty. Pipkins had 8 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 forced fumbles.
Terry Richardson had 1 tackle and 1 pass breakup in a 46-6 loss to Farmington Hills Harrison. He also returned 3 kicks for 70 yards and had 1 reception for 11 yards.
Kaleb Ringer was held out of yesterday's contest against Hamilton due to a broken hand.
James Ross of Orchard Lake St. Mary's reportedly did a lot of stretching, bike riding and warm-ups while his team took care of Grand Rapids West Catholic 35-0. Ross had 7 tackles and 2 tackles for loss.
Anthony Standifer's Crete-Monee team defeated T.F. South by a score of 32-8.
Tom Strobel had 5 tackles and 2 quarterback hurries in a 49-21 victory over Euclid.
Jarrod Wilson had 6.5 tackles in a 31-6 loss to Massillon Washington.
Christopher Wormley's team the Whitmer Panthers defeated the Start Spartans 42-6. Wormley had 2 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 quarterback hurry.
Jeremy Clark, a safety from Madisonville, KY, accepted a greyshirt offer to play football at Michigan. Clark camped at U of M this past week, and the coaches were impressed enough to give him a chance to join the football team. With the 2012 class getting nearer and nearer to completion, there aren't enough scholarships to go around right now if all of Michigan's desired pieces flal into place. In a greyshirt situation, the student-athlete must pay his own tuition for the first semester of college (Fall 2012 in Clark's case), but he will receive scholarship aid beginning in January 2013.
Clark is a 6'4", 205 lb. prospect at North Hopkins High School. He reportedly runs a 4.47-second forty yard dash, which is exceptional for a kid that size . . . and also probably exaggerated. Prior to the opportunity at Michigan, he had full scholarship offers from Akron, Ball State, Central Michigan, Illinois, North Carolina State, Ohio, and Toledo. Clark says that he won't succumb to advances from other schools that want to give him a full ride from the beginning, but if his stock continues to soar (he had zero FBS offers up until a couple weeks ago), I can see that coming into question.
Last season Clark had 75 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 8 pass breakups for North Hopkins, which finished with a record of 5-6.
You can take a look at Clark's highlights below, but there's not a whole lot of excitement on my end right now. His coach stated that Clark has grown three inches in the last year, and apparently not too many college coaches were too enamored with him until he started camping. So there's a very good chance that his body has matured throughout the offseason, and if he's done some work on his own in the film room, he might have improved some of his weaknesses, too. But from what I see here, he's slow to read plays, slow to react at times, takes questionable pursuit angles, doesn't have the greatest of playmaking abilities, doesn't hit hard with consistency (although there are a couple nice blows), and doesn't wrap up when he tackles. Overall, he looks like a good high school player, but not worthy of high-level FBS interest.
From the way it sounds, Clark is in line to receive a full scholarship offer from Michigan if Akron, OH, safety Jarrod Wilson chooses Penn State or Notre Dame. If Wilson commits to the Wolverines, then the greyshirt scenario will take place. So keep an eye out for Wilson's decision, which should be soon.
