Seaholm Highlander: Shawn Conway's Untold Story

Heidi Klum

If you ever wondered what happened to Birmingham (MI) Seaholm wide receiver Shawn Conway, the 2011 Michigan commit who disappeared from Michigan's radar . . . well, he's in Chico, California, at the old stomping grounds of Aaron Rodgers.

Shawn Conway, ex-Wolverine . . . sort of

Michigan fans won't be seeing these hops on the football field anytime soon.

I received a message from a reputable source a couple weeks ago that this would happen, but it was being kept on the down-low.  Now it has become public.  Class of 2011 wide receiver recruit Shawn Conway will not qualify by NCAA Clearinghouse standards.  He still plans to play football at Michigan in the future, but he'll have to attend junior college before doing so.

I am not counting on Conway playing at Michigan anytime in the future.  I am certainly a fan of his abilities, but junior college players rarely are recruited or accepted to Michigan.  Conway would have to earn his associate's degree at said junior college before even having a shot to transfer to the Ann Arbor campus.  Michigan is historically a difficult school into which to transfer, which is why not many JUCO recruits are pursued by the coaching staffs.  The last JUCO transfer to get into Michigan was linebacker Austin Panter in 2007, but he was the first since the early '90s.  It is possible, however, that since Conway knows he wants to attend Michigan, he can find a JUCO academic program whose credits will transfer to U of M.  I'm not holding my breath, though.

This leaves Michigan with zero outside wide receivers in the 2011 recruiting class.  It has been apparent that the coaches wanted at least two receivers in the class, and the news about Conway was probably the reason that Michigan offered California wide receiver Devin Lucien in recent weeks.  It might also be why Justice Hayes was welcomed into the fold with such open arms when he decommitted from Notre Dame a couple weeks ago; Hayes is more of a slot receiver, but has the size and ability to play outside, too.

Conway is the second subtraction from the 2011 class within a week.  Over this past weekend, quarterback Kevin Sousa changed his verbal pledge from Michigan to Wake Forest.  This also continues a disturbing trend of Rich Rodriguez recruiting academic question marks.  Class of 2009 cornerback Adrian Witty failed to qualify, and four players disappeared from the Class of 2010 due to grade issues (Demar Dorsey, Antonio Kinard, Conelius Jones, and Davion Rogers).

I expect that Michigan will continue to recruit Lucien and North Carolinian Kris Frost, who doubles as a linebacker prospect.  Florida slot receiver Prince Holloway is also a potential option.

2011 Offer Board Update

Fort Myers, FL cornerback Dallas Crawford (#4)

The 2011 Offer Board has been updated.

David Andrews (OC) committed to Georgia.

Added Kiehl Frazier (QB) and Mike Bellamy (RB).

Added AJ Jordan (WR).

Added Sammy Watkins (WR), Avery Walls (SS), Prince Holloway (WR), Marquise Williams (QB), Trai Turner (OG), Jonah Austin (OT), Renaldo Thomas (FS), Dallas Crawford (CB), and Kevin McReynolds (DT).

Added Shawn Conway (WR), who committed to Michigan.

Added Armstead Williams (ILB).

Karlos Williams (FS) committed to Florida State.

Image via http://www.naplesnews.com/

Shawn Conway, Wolverine

Shawn Conway's best asset

Wide receiver Shawn Conway, from Seaholm High School in Birmingham, MI, committed to the Wolverines on Saturday. He visited for Michigan's Junior Day without any offers, but left the event as a commit. The internets are angry. To the internets I say . . . shush.

Conway was definitely under the radar. Michigan discovered him at the 7-on-7 camp in Ann Arbor last summer. He had sat out his sophomore year after transferring from Cass Tech in Detroit, and during his junior year, had as a quarterback the kid you see in the video below. (I don't want to bag on a sophomore quarterback who was supposed to be a backup going into the year, but not many sophomores are great quarterbacks, so it's nothing about which to be ashamed.) Rich Rodriguez definitely was not cowed by the internet reactions to commits from kids like DJ Williamson, Antonio Kinard, Ray Vinopal, and Carvin Johnson last year. Williamson and Kinard didn't have any other FBS offers at the time of their commitments, either. Fans were angry. If you didn't believe it before, believe it now - Rodriguez doesn't care about message boards.

As for Conway's talents, make no mistake - he has significant physical skills. According to an interview with TomVH from MGoBlog, Conway claims to be 6'4", have run a 4.49 forty, and have a 38" vertical jump. While I always assume that measurables are fudged a bit by players and recruiting services, I would not be surprised if he's actually 6'3" with a 37" vertical and a forty in the 4.6 range. This kid is the real deal.

I am not inclined to question Rodriguez's decision to offer Conway. The highlight video below shows a kid who made highlight-reel catch after highlight-reel catch despite the fact that he only had 11 total receptions in 2009, according to a poster on MGoBlog (EDIT: Rivals reports that Conway had 76 catches for nearly 900 yards and 10 touchdowns, plus another 500 yards on punt and kick returns). His speed has been questioned, but he's close to 6'4". How many 6'4" receivers have truly elite speed? He's fast enough to threaten defensive backs, and his height and leaping ability make him a deep threat, regardless of his speed. Furthermore, some of his highlights are against teams like Farmington Hills Harrison (Drew Stanton, Agim Shabaj) and Detroit Country Day (Jonas Gray, Kenny Demens), schools that possess significant athletic talent.

I have also seen suggestions that Conway will become a cornerback or tight end. I am quite confident that neither will happen. First of all, he looks too stiff to play cornerback, and even if he's not quite 6'4", he's probably too tall - there aren't many guys like Lenny Walls out there. Second, he's too slight to play tight end; he would have to bulk up way too much. This guy is a receiver.

In a way, Conway reminds me of Marquise Walker. Walker was unlike Conway in that he was a highly touted recruit (although, for all we know, Conway could blow up in the recruiting world), but he was tall, had great hands, and wasn't blazingly fast. I see some of these same qualities in Michigan's newest commit. I also think that any Michigan fans who criticize Conway's offer but look favorably on Jeremy Jackson should rethink their positions. Jackson has good size and hands as well, but he's slower than Conway. Conway has 4-star talent but probably won't be a 4-star to the recruiting services unless his quarterback talent improves.

Welcome to Michigan, Shawn.