Schools in the News: Washington, USC

Southern California hired Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian away from the Huskies, which opens up recruiting season in the Pac-12. Michigan doesn't typically compete with Washington for recruits, but here's a look at the players and commits for each program that were recruited by Michigan.

WASHINGTON
2014 commits: None
Current players: TE Darrell Daniels, DE Joe Mathis, DT Elijah Qualls, S Sean Parker*, WR John Ross, WR Da'morea Stringfellow, S Shaq Thompson

USC
2014 commits: None
Current players: Hit the link.

USC's coaching/recruiting situation was addressed in the link above, which included a couple guys who thought seriously about Michigan. If they don't like what Sarkisian brings to the table, they could look to transfer. However, Sarkisian's history at USC and his relatively similar style of play to what the Trojans have been running will probably result in very little change of direction for the program.

As for the Huskies, we'll see whom they hire. Parker very nearly signed with Michigan several years ago, but that's water under the bridge. Mathis was very high on Michigan at one point, but he supposedly had some grade issues that scared off some teams, and he was also prone to saying very nice things about every school. Qualls was a part-time high school running back and seemed like another kid with fairly high interest in Michigan, but he never visited. Thompson, a 5-star safety, made some noise about visiting but was never a serious option, and the rest of the guys never showed much interest.

I do not expect this coaching development to have any effect on Michigan, but the guys to look at most closely would be Washington's Mathis and Qualls, plus USC's Ty Isaac and Leon McQuay III.

*Senior in 2013

School in the News: USC

Leon McQuay III may have made a poor choice.

The news came out this morning that Lane Kiffin, head coach of the USC Trojans, is now . . . well . . . the ex-head coach of the USC Trojans. The Trojans lost to Arizona State on Saturday by a score of 62-41 and dropped to 3-2 on the year. It's open season on their recruits, one of whom (2014 linebacker Derik Calhoun) has already opened up his recruitment. They have just six remaining commits in the current class, and none of them had been offered by Michigan. La Jolla (CA) Country Day offensive tackle Jordan Poland talked at one time about being highly interested in Michigan, but the Wolverines haven't reciprocated that interest up to this point. And on a side note, class of 2015 quarterback David Sills - who committed to Lane Kiffin a few years ago - is the teammate of 2014 Michigan commits Freddy Canteen and Brandon Watson, which may be something to watch as the Wolverines search for more quarterback targets in the next class.

Transfers might be unlikely in the future, but here's a list of the current USC non-seniors who held offers from the Wolverines at one point:

WR Nelson Agholor (So.)
S Dion Bailey (RS Jr.)
S Su'a Cravens (Fr.)
RB Justin Davis (Fr.)
LB Lamar Dawson (Jr.)
WR Jordan Farmer (Jr.)
CB Chris Hawkins (Fr.)
C Cyrus Hobbi (RS So.)
LB Michael Hutchings (Fr.)
RB Ty Isaac (Fr.)
WR Marqise Lee (Jr.)
S Leon McQuay III (Fr.)
LB Jabari Ruffin (RS Fr.)
CB Joshua Shaw (RS Jr.)
DT Delvon Simmons (Jr.)
OG Jordan Simmons (RS Fr.)
TE Randall Telfer (RS Jr.)
OT Max Tuerk (So.)
OG Aundrey Walker (Jr.)

Recruiting Update: January 7, 2013

California wide receiver Sebastian LaRue (image via Santa Monica Mirror)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2013
Santa Monica (CA) Santa Monica wide receiver Sebastian LaRue decommitted from USC.  He's the second wide receiver to decommit from the Trojans in recent weeks, joining Eldridge Massington, who subsequently committed to UCLA.  LaRue is also considering Notre Dame and took an official visit to Washington State, likely due to Mike Leach's reputation as a pass-happy coach.  LaRue is considering a visit to Michigan.

Placer (CA) Placer defensive tackle Eddie Vanderdoes decommitted from USC.  Vanderdoes is one of the best defensive tackles in the class, and he appears to be heavily considering Notre Dame, along with LaRue.  Alabama, UCLA, USC, and Washington are also being considered.

OFF THE BOARD
Spotsylvania (VA) Chancellor cornerback Chris Holmes changed his commitment from North Carolina State to Duke.  Holmes was offered as a potential replacement for Gareon Conley, but he never visited the Wolverines.  He could also play safety and wide receiver.

Upland (CA) Upland defensive end Joe Mathis committed to Washington during the Army All-American Bowl.  Michigan was high on Mathis's list at one point last summer, but the Wolverines stopped recruiting him several months ago.  There have been questions about his academic standing and suggestion that he might need to spend a year at prep school to qualify.

Seffner (FL) Armwood safety Leon McQuay III committed to USC during the Army All-American Bowl.  He had officially visited Michigan and was seriously considering the Wolverines along with Florida State and Vanderbilt, but perhaps the biggest thing on his mind was finding a school that could foster his development as a music producer.  It's tough to argue with USC due to its location, and they do a pretty good job of pumping out NFL talent, too.

Ramsey (NJ) Don Bosco Prep defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad committed to Miami at the Army All-American Bowl.  The most persistent rumor was that he would be committing to Notre Dame, and there was actually some scuttlebutt that he was a silent commit to the Fighting Irish; however, there were also rumors that he didn't meet the academic requirements.  And judging from the past actions of Miami players, I doubt there are many academic hoops to jump through for admissions there.

Brooklyn (NY) Thomas Jefferson defensive end Ebenezer Ogundeko committed to Clemson during the Under Armour All-America Game.  At one time the Tigers had verbals from the top defensive end in the country, Robert Nkemdiche, and Elijah Daniel, both of whom have decommitted since then.

Louisville (KY) Trinity wide receiver James Quick committed to Louisville during the Army All-American Bowl.  It was a neck-and-neck race between the Cardinals and Ohio State, but Louisville got the verbal.  There's still time for that to change, though.  Quick's teammate Jason Hatcher is committed to USC, but he has visits scheduled to Florida, Kentucky, and Louisville.  Another teammate, cornerback Ryan White, also holds an offer from Louisville but is committed to Vanderbilt.

Long Beach (CA) Jordan cornerback John Ross committed to Washington during the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl.  Ross was being pursued by Michigan as a cornerback, but he will likely play wide receiver for the Huskies.

MISCELLANEOUS
Here's my analysis of the Michigan commits at the Under Armour All-America Game.  Posts on the Semper Fidelis and U.S. Army games will be coming soon.

2013 Under Armour game rosters

Leon McQuay III will announce his college destination during the game

The 2013 Under Armour game rosters were released.  The game will be played on January 4, 2013, at 5:00 p.m. and broadcast on ESPN.  Michigan commits David Dawson, Patrick Kugler, and Henry Poggi have been named starters, and Kugler has been voted a captain.  Other Michigan offerees include:

TEAM NITRO (WHITE)
Sebastian LaRue - WR - California
Priest Willis - S - Arizona
LaQuon Treadwell - WR - Illinois
Keith Ford - RB - Texas (Oklahoma)
Cam Burrows - CB - Ohio (Ohio State)
Gareon Conley - CB - Ohio (Ohio State)
Mike McCray II - LB - Ohio (Michigan)*
Matt Rolin - LB - Virginia (Florida)*
Henry Poggi - DT - Maryland (Michigan)
Kevin Olsen - QB - New Jersey (Miami)
Shane Morris - QB - Michigan (Michigan)
Shaq Wiggins - CB - Georgia (Georgia)
Ty Isaac - RB - Illinois (USC)
Yannick Ngakoue - LB - Washington, D.C.
Na'Ty Rodgers - OT - Maryland
Montravius Adams - DT - Georgia
David Dawson - OG - Michigan (Michigan)
Patrick Kugler - OG - Pennsylvania (Michigan)
Logan Tuley-Tillman - OT - Illinois (Michigan)
Cameron Hunt - OG - California (Cal)
Joey Bosa - DE - Florida (Ohio State)

TEAM HIGHLIGHT (BLACK)
Alvin Bailey - WR - Florida (Florida)
Robert Foster - WR - Pennsylvania (Alabama)
Demore'ea Stringfellow - WR - California (Washington)
Jordan Cunningham - WR - Florida
Maurice Smith - CB - Texas (Alabama)
Leon McQuay III - S - Florida**
Vernon Hargreaves III - CB - Florida (Florida)
Alex Anzalone - LB - Pennsylvania (Notre Dame)
Maquedius Bain - DT - Florida
Ebenezer Ogundeko - DE - New York**
Colin McGovern - OT - Illinois (Notre Dame)
Hunter Bivin - OT - Kentucky (Notre Dame)
Ethan Pocic - OT - Illinois (LSU)
Adam Breneman - TE - Pennsylvania (Penn State)
Elijah Daniel - DE - Indiana

*Will not play in the game due to injury
**Announcing college decision during game

USA Today All-USA Football Team

Michigan commit Henry Poggi is First Team All-USA

USA Today selected its All-USA team, and there are several Michigan commits and targets who are receiving national recognition.  Here's a list of the Michigan targets:

FIRST TEAM
Robert Foster - WR - Pennsylvania (Alabama)
LaQuon Treadwell - WR - Illinois
Evan Lisle - OT - Ohio (Ohio State)
Ethan Pocic - OT - Illinois (LSU)
Laremy Tunsil - OT - Florida
Su'a Cravens - S - California (USC)
Jabrill Peppers - CB - New Jersey*
Vernon Hargreaves III - CB - Florida (Florida)
Peter Kalambayi - LB - North Carolina (Stanford)
Jaylon Smith - LB - Indiana (Notre Dame)
Andrew Brown - DT - Virginia*
Montravius Adams - DT - Georgia
Henry Poggi - DT - Maryland (Michigan)

SECOND TEAM
Derrick Green - RB - Virginia
Leonard Fournette - RB - Louisiana*
Kyle Bosch - OG - Illinois (Michigan)
Cameron Hunt - OG - California (Cal)
Jonathan Allen - DE - Virginia (Alabama)
Da'Shawn Hand - DE - Virginia*
Joey Bosa - DE - Florida (Ohio State)
Eddie Vanderdoes - DT - California (USC)
Michael Hutchings - LB - California (USC)
Leon McQuay III - S - Florida

*2014 prospect

Visitors: Michigan vs. Northwestern

Leon McQuay III is the highest touted uncommitted prospect
headed to town this weekend

Adam Bertke - QB - Marion (OH) Local: Bertke is a 6'5", 190 lb. prospect for 2014.  He threw for about 2,300 yards and 25 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2011.  He has no offers at this time.

Jacob Betschel - TE/LB - Jackson (OH) Jackson: Betschel is a 6'4", 230 lb. kid from the class of 2014.  He has no offers at this point.  As a sophomore in 2011, he had 33 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, and 3 fumble recoveries. (Highlights.)

Ian Bunting - TE - Hinsdale (IL) Central: Bunting is a 6'7", 215 lb. tight end prospect from the class of 2014.  He has good speed and obviously a large frame, and he could be a U-back prospect in the same vein as freshman Devin Funchess.  He has a lone offer from Purdue. (Highlights.)

Daniel Cage - DT - Cincinnati (OH) Winton Woods: Cage is a 6'3", 265 lb. defensive tackle from the class of 2014.  He has offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, and Tennessee, and he attends the alma mater of redshirt freshman linebacker Antonio Poole. (Highlights.)

Jamitreus Crockham - RB - Fishers (IN) Hamilton Southeastern: Crockham is a 6'2", 205 lb. back from the class of 2014.  As a sophomore in 2011, he had 131 carries for 1,009 yards and 16 touchdowns.  His lone offer comes from Toledo. (Highlights.)

Cario Davison - S - Galion (OH) Galion: Davison is a 6'2", 190 lb. safety from the 2015 class.  He is teammates with Dareian Watkins, a junior prospect who could very well be on his way to an offer.

Garrett Dickerson - TE - Oradell (NJ) Bergen Catholic: Dickerson is a 6'4", 240 lb. tight end from the class of 2014 who holds offers from Maryland, Northwestern, Ohio State, Pitt, Stanford, and several others.

Logan Dziak - DT - Delaware (OH) Buckeye Valley: Dziak is a 6'3", 275 lb. defensive tackle from the class of 2014.  He has no offers at this point, and does not appear to be a Michigan-caliber athlete. (Highlights.)

Andrew Ford - QB - Camp Hill (PA) Cedar Cliff: Ford is a 6'3", 190 lb. signal caller from the class of 2014.  He has no offers at this point, but he has visited Michigan previously and is the teammate of 2013 tight end Adam Breneman, who was offered by Michigan but committed to Penn State.  As a sophomore in 2011, Ford had 1,362 yards passing, 12 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, and completed 67.3% of his passes.  (Highlights.)

Bruce Hall - OT - Leslie (MI) Leslie: Hall is a 6'5", 255 lb. offensive lineman with a preferred walk-on offer. (Highlights.)

Nathan Hall - S - Sylvania (OH) Southview: Hall is a 6'3", 200 lb. prospect for 2014 with offers from Bowling Green and Toledo.  He's the former teammate of freshman safety Allen Gant. (Highlights.)

Jaleel Hytchye - CB - Cincinnati (OH) La Salle: Hytchye is a 5'11", 170 lb. cornerback with offers from Arizona State, Cincinnati, Northwestern, Penn State, Pitt, and several others.  He's the teammate of 2014 wide receiver Derek Kief, who may (or may not) be offered by Michigan.

Jake Johnson - QB - DeWitt (MI) DeWitt: Johnson is a 6'2", 170 lb. prospect for 2015.  He grew up as a Michigan fan and visited back in April, too, so he could be an in-state prospect to watch down the road.

Da'Mario Jones - WR - Westland (MI) John Glenn: Jones committed to Michigan last week.

John Kelly - S - Oak Park (MI) Oak Park: Kelly is a 5'11", 180 lb. prospect for 2015.  He has no offers at this time.

Derek Kief - WR - Cincinnati (OH) La Salle: Kief is a 6'5", 185 lb. receiver with offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana, and Northwestern.  As of a couple weeks ago, he had 856 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns in his junior campaign.  Kief has visited Michigan previously and really seems to be angling for an offer, but he hasn't received one yet. (Highlights.)

Josh Krok - OT - Warren (OH) Harding: Krok is a 6'8", 310 lb. tackle for the class of 2014.  He does not have any scholarship offers at this point, and he looks more like a preferred walk-on type of recruit. (Highlights.)

Jared McCray - OG - Minford (OH) Minford: McCray is a 6'4", 305 lb. guard from the class of 2014.  He has offers from Akron and Kent State, but I don't think he's a Michigan-caliber lineman. (Highlights.)

Leon McQuay III - S - Seffner (FL) Armwood: McQuay is a 6'2", 185 lb. safety/big corner with offers from just about every powerhouse program in the country.  Florida State, Michigan, USC, and Vanderbilt have been mentioned as possibilities recently, with FSU receiving an uptick in optimism lately.  As a junior in 2011, he had 66 tackles, 4 interceptions, and 12 pass breakups.  Here's a scouting report I wrote up on him from July.

Bryan Mone - DT - Salt Lake City (UT) Highland: Mone is a 6'4", 315 lb. tackle for the class of 2014. He put on a bunch of weight between his sophomore and junior seasons, getting up above 300 after being about 260 last year.  Mone was the first class of 2014 prospect to have been offered by the Wolverines, and he's the former teammate of freshman fullback Sione Houma.  As a sophomore in 2011, he had 39 tackles and 3 sacks. (Highlights.)

Brent Morris - WR - Warren (MI) De La Salle: Morris is Shane's class of 2014 brother.  He has no offers at this time, and I would not expect him to receive a Michigan offer.

Shane Morris - QB - Warren (MI) De La Salle: Morris committed to Michigan last year. Here are his junior highlights.

Kyle Rachwal - TE - Lapeer (MI) East: Rachwal has visited Michigan several times periously.  He's a 6'3", 225 lb. tight end for the class of 2014.  He has no offers at this time. (Junior highlights.)

Travis Smith - QB - Ithaca (MI) Ithaca: Smith is a 6'2", 200 lb. prospect for 2014.  As a sophomore in 2011, he had 2,378 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions; he also ran for 969 yards and 25 touchdowns.  He has no offers at this time, but he looks like a kid who will be getting some attention from the MAC schools, if not the higher levels. (Highlights.)

Scott Sypniewski - LS - Ottawa (IL) Marquette: Sypniewski committed to Michigan back in June.

Logan Tuley-Tillman - OT - Peoria (IL) Manual: Tuley-Tillman committed to Michigan back in February.  Here's a look at highlights from his senior season.

Jared Wangler - S - Warren (MI) De La Salle: Wangler is the son of former Michigan quarterback John Wangler.  He might be a future walk-on player at Michigan, but he likely doesn't have the talent to be offered a scholarship.

Dareian Watkins - WR - Galion (OH) Galion: Watkins is a 6'2", 192 lb. wide receiver prospect from the 2014 class.  He has offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Northwestern, and Purdue, among others.  As a sophomore playing quarterback in 2011, he had 100 carries for 559 yards and 10 touchdowns, along with 1,256 yards passing, 16 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions.  Watkins isn't a real blazer, but he is a decent runner after the catch and is solidly built; he looks like a guy who could come in and play in the slot for Al Borges.


Parrker Westphal - CB - Bolingbrook (IL) Bolingbrook: Westphal is a 6'0", 180 lb. prospect for the class of 2014.  He has offers from Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and several others.  As a sophomore in 2011, he had 56 tackles, 20 pass breakups, 7 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 2 fumble recoveries.  He's a solidly built corner with decent speed, and it sounds like the coaches want him to play boundary corner and/or slot corner.  Michigan reportedly set the tone for his visit experiences and is generally considered to be his leader.  Former Michigan cornerback Todd Howard is his position coach at Bolingbrook. (Highlights.)

Csont'e York - WR - Harper Woods (MI) Chandler Park: York committed to Michigan back in May.

Scouting Report: Leon McQuay III

Leon McQuay III

Name: Leon McQuay III
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 185 lbs.
Position: Safety
High school: Seffner (FL) Armwood

Notes: Holds offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Boston College, Cal, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Florida, Stanford, Tennessee, UAB, UCF, UCLA, USC, Vanderbilt, Washington, West Virginia . . . Claims a 4.57 time in the forty . . . 4.35 time in the pro agility shuttle . . . 32" vertical . . . ESPN 4-star S, 87 grade, #3 S, #39 overall . . . Rivals 4-star S, #3 S, #33 overall . . . Scout 4-star S, #7 S . . . 247 Sports 4-star S, 95 grade, #5 S, #41 overall . . . As a junior in 2011, had 66 tackles, 12 pass breakups, and 4 interceptions . . . Teammate of fellow Michigan offeree and wide receiver Alvin Bailey

Strengths: Tall and long with a good reach . . . Shows ability to elevate and disrupt passes . . . Very good hitter for his size . . . Should become even more intimidating with added muscle mass . . . Solid open-field tackler . . . Enough speed to track down ball carriers from behind and cover deep . . . High points the ball and shows good hands . . . Decent playmaking ability with ball in hands . . . Very competitive with ball in air . . . Works very hard not to get beat

Weaknesses: Doesn't show particularly fluid hips . . . Occasionally mis-times leaps . . . Good speed but not a true blazer . . . Occasionally lowers head or hits ball carrier's head, which could take some adjusting to avoid penalties at next level

Projection: Free safety.  The coaches have talked to McQuay about getting a shot at playing cornerback, but I don't really see that being his best position.  I see him more as a free safety and he could even play strong safety well.  I would like to see him patrolling the deep middle of the field, because he has good ball skills when the ball is in the air and he can be an enforcer from that spot.  He also has plenty of speed to play sideline to sideline and fill the alley, although he's not in the category of having elite speed.  I really enjoy the way he competes and he seems to take football seriously.  He shows the ability to come in and contribute even as a freshman, but there would be some growing pains along the way; right now he's typically the best athlete on the field, and when big receivers come along who can jump with him, he's going to have to perfect his coverage technique.  He has the athleticism to play in the NFL someday if he continues to add some mass and refine some technique issues.

Reminds me of: Ha'sean Clinton-Dix (Alabama)

Weekend Visitors: May 18-20, 2012

Leon McQuay III

Akron (OH) St. Vincent-St. Mary's LB Dante Booker, Jr.: Booker received a Michigan offer this past week.  Ohio State also recently offered, and Buckeyes cornerback Doran Grant came from St. Vincent-St. Mary's.  Booker's father (Dante, in case you were wondering) played defensive line for the Auburn Tigers.  Many assume that Auburn and Ohio State are the two leaders for the younger Booker's services, but we'll see if Michigan's coaches can create some momentum with the 6'3", 210 lb. linebacker.  He had 157 tackles and 11 sacks as a sophomore last season.

Washington (OH) Massilon OT Nathan Devers: Devers is a 2014 prospect who does not yet have an offer.

Seffner (FL) Armwood CB Leon McQuay III: McQuay is a 6'2", 185 lb. defensive back with offers from just about everywhere.  While that size would preclude most players from playing cornerback at the next level, that's the position for which Michigan is recruiting him.  It is assumed by most that McQuay will end up staying in SEC country, and his recent fellow Armwood grads haven't ventured farther north than North Carolina or Tennessee except a couple MAC-level recruits who headed to Akron, Penn, Toledo, or Western Michigan.  The big-time recruits who have a choice generally seem to like the warmer weather.


Sturgis (MI) Sturgis QB Chance Stewart: The 6'6", 205 lb. Stewart only has one offer so far (from Western Michigan), but more are surely on the way.  Whether one comes from Michigan or not might be a different question.  He threw for 1,361 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions as a sophomore in 2011.

Recruiting Update: December 11, 2011

Ellie Gonsalves wants to wish you a happy Sunday.

COMMITMENT
West Des Moines (IA) Dowling Catholic wide receiver Amara Darboh committed to Michigan on Monday.  You can read his commitment post here.

ADDED TO THE BOARD
Olney (MD) Good Counsel cornerback Kendall Fuller, a 2013 prospect, was offered by Michigan last week.  He's 6'0", 185 lbs. and has reported 4.5 speed in the forty.  Fuller already has offers from Cal, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, and several others.  Fuller is a speedy corner with excellent ball skills, but he lacks maturity on the field.  He doesn't run his feet when he tackles, he doesn't wrap up, and he's a little DeSean Jackson-ish with the way he jogs into the endzone on breakaways.  These issues are correctable, but they're a bit concerning.

Seffner (FL) Armwood safety Leon McQuay III, a 2013 prospect, was offered by Michigan this past week.  McQuay is a 6'1", 177-pounder with offers from Florida, Florida State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Tennessee, among others.  Michigan has unsuccessfully recruited Armwood before and McQuay is likely to stay in state, so I won't be getting my hopes up.

Olney (MD) Good Counsel linebacker Dorian O'Daniel, a 2013 prospect, received a Michigan offer last week.  He's a 6'1", 205 lb. weakside linebacker prospect with excellent speed.  He holds offers from Cal, Florida, Iowa, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and several others.  O'Daniel attends the alma mater of freshman cornerback Blake Countess and is teammates with a couple of 2012 prospects Michigan has offered, wide receiver Stefon Diggs and running back Wes Brown, neither of whom is expected to commit to the Wolverines.

Warren (OH) Howland running back DeVeon Smith, a 2013 prospect, was offered by Michigan late last week.  The 5'11", 195 lb. Smith ran for approximately 2,200 yards and averaged around 13 yards per carry, according to him.  Michigan is Smith's first offer.  His older brother, Lance Smith, played running back for Wisconsin a few years ago but was kicked off the team for legal issues.

Crete (IL) Crete-Monee cornerback Anthony Standifer decommitted from Michigan late this week.  Rumors swirled that the departure was grade-related, although Standifer's mother has refuted that claim.  Standifer is the second prospect to exit Michigan's class in recent weeks, following Lyndhurst (OH) Brush tight end/defensive end Pharaoh Brown.


OFF THE BOARD
Lake Forest (IL) Lake Forest Academy defensive tackle Faith Ekakitie committed to Iowa on Wednesday.  Ekakitie is a 6'2", 255-pounder who was offered by the Wolverines several months ago but never showed significant interest.  He also held offers from Arizona, Illinois, Nebraska, Oregon, Stanford, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.  He joins Lombard (IL) Montini defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson, who was also offered by Michigan, as part of Iowa's recruiting haul.

Lakewood (CA) Lakewood wide receiver Darius Powe committed to Cal on Friday.  Powe is a 6'2", 186 lb. wideout who held offers from Arizona, Nebraska, Oregon, and Stanford, among others.  He ought to combine with quarterback Zach Kline and fellow wide receiver Bryce Treggs to create a very nice passing attack for the Golden Bears over the next few seasons.  Looking at Cal's recruiting class, they also have a linebacker named Hardy Nickerson, Jr., whose father played for several teams in the NFL, most notably the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.