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| Canton (MI) Canton offensive guard Cameron Dillard might be the next in-state prospect to receive an offer from Michigan (image via Scout) |
Bass is a 6'0", 180 lb. quarterback for Lumen Christi, but he's likely to play a different position if he goes to an FBS school. His older brother is Antonio Bass, who had a short but exciting career for the Wolverines before suffering a catastrophic knee injury. The younger Bass had 62 carries for 351 yards (5.7 yards per carry) and 9 touchdowns as a sophomore playing quarterback, also completing 23 passes for 243 yards and 2 touchdowns. As a junior in 2011, Bass moved to running back and carried the ball 175 times for 965 yards (5.5 yards per carry) and 14 touchdowns. He could become a wide receiver, but he's not the gamebreaking running back that Michigan is looking for in 2013.
Jaleel Canty - CB - Lansing (MI) Everett
Canty is a 5'10", 175 lb. corner who had 28 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 9 pass breakups as a sophomore. As a junior in 2011, he had 26 tackles, 4 interceptions, and 11 pass breakups. He lists a 4.4 forty, but he probably doesn't have that extra gear to be a top level prospect. I doubt he'll be an option for Michigan down the road.
Gairus Coleman - WR - Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison
Coleman is a 5'9", 180 lb. slot receiver type who put up good numbers for a Harrison team that featured a lot of FBS-level talent. With the graduation of WR Aaron Burbridge (MSU), TE Devin Funchess (Michigan), and DE Mario Ojemudia (Michigan), among others, the talent level will go down around him. We will see how he does as a senior without those guys around him, but he's probably not the type of guy that Michigan will pursue. With slot receiver types already on the roster, the need for a 5'9"-ish guy is not high.
David Dawson - OG - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
Dawson played his junior year in Houston, but moved back to Detroit this winter. He's 6'5", 305 lbs. and already has offers from Arizona State, Baylor, Florida State, Indiana, and Missouri, among others. He has not yet been offered by Michigan, but considering the Wolverines' needs on the offensive line and the relationship with Cass Tech, he could be a target. He's not an elite prospect in any facet of the game, in my opinion.
Cameron Dillard - OG - Canton (MI) Canton
Dillard is a 6'3", 285 lb. interior lineman at a position of need. He could potentially play center, which Michigan desperately needs in the 2013 class. He already holds offers from Arizona, Indiana, Missouri, and Oregon, and Michigan will probably drop him an offer at some point. Michigan State may play a role in his recruitment, too, although they have yet to offer. Dillard plays in a run-oriented offense that might leave him susceptible to pass protection weaknesses early in his career, but he has a nasty attitude and good enough athleticism to overcome those issues with some work on fundamentals.
Jack Doyle - LB - Gross Pointe (MI) South
Doyle is a 6'2", 215 lb. inside linebacker or possibly a blocking fullback. Doyle had 117 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery as a junior in 2011. He's not particularly fast or athletic, but he's hard-nosed and a heavy hitter. Michigan will likely be selective with who they take as an inside linebacker in 2013, because they got four good ones in 2012. Doyle would be a good catch for someone, but probably not for Michigan.
Berkley Edwards - RB - Chelsea (MI) Chelsea
Edwards is a 5'8", 176 lb. tailback with blazing speed. He doesn't list any offers yet, but they're surely bound to come. As the younger brother of Michigan legend Braylon Edwards, it's hard to imagine that he won't be offered by the Wolverines, but Michigan just took a punt returner/kick returner/third down back type in the form of Dennis Norfleet. Between Norfleet and redshirt freshman Justice Hayes, Michigan's quota of these types of players seems to have been filled. A place for Edwards likely depends on some form of attrition at the running back position. Edwards had 1,520 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior.
Steve Elmer - OT - Midland (MI) Midland (offered, committed to Notre Dame)
Elmer stands 6'6" and 305 lbs. An early 5-star to 24/7 Sports, he might be in line for a drop in the rankings. He has great size and good athleticism, but his mentality is a bit in question. Regardless, he was offered by Michigan, but it has been rumored that Michigan State was his #2 school, so expecting him to flip to Michigan at any point might be a longshot.
Kenton Gibbs - DT - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
Gibbs has a 6'2", 290 lb. frame, which suggests a future at the nose tackle position. There are always a limited number of nose tackle prospects, so if Michigan whiffs on some high profile kids from other parts of the country, Gibbs might have an outside shot to get an offer. He's a step or two down from the level of Ondre Pipkins, but could be a nice developmental prospect.
Khalid Hill - DE - Detroit (MI) Crockett
Hill is a 6'2", 230-pounder with offers from Central Michigan and Western Michigan. He had 55 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, and 6 sacks as a junior in 2011. Hill runs well, but lacks polish and should be a more explosive hitter and tackler for his size. He appears to be a MAC-level prospect who might get some looks from some Big Ten teams later.
Gerald Holmes - RB - Flint (MI) Carman Ainsworth
Holmes is a 6'0", 205 lb. powerback with offers from Central Michigan and Michigan State. He fancies himself as "an Adrian Peterson, almost" which means he has no idea how good Adrian Peterson is. Michigan has had success in Flint before (most recently getting Thomas Rawls in 2011) and running backs coach Fred Jackson's son coaches in Flint, so the area is well scouted. Holmes visited Michigan this past fall and would presumably be interested, but like the other in-state backs this year, he's probably not the game-changer Michigan wants. [EDIT: Holmes committed to Michigan State late this afternoon.]
Nate Jeppesen - OG - Portage (MI) Portage Central
The 6'4", 260 lb. guard has offers from Central Michigan and Western Michigan. He's a little too lean to expect him to become a high-level prospect from within the state. Michigan State might be the team to beat if they offer, and I doubt Michigan will go after him.
Jourdan Lewis - CB - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech (offered)
Lewis is a 5'11", 170 lb. cornerback who has said previously that Michigan would jump to the top of the heap if they offered. Well, Michigan offered, and the only other school to do so is Toledo. He might let his recruitment play out a little longer while he finishes basketball season, but you might expect his commitment by the time spring gets here.
Luke Maclean - LB/DE - Grand Blanc (MI) Grand Blanc
Maclean is a 6'4", 235 lb. kid who had 108 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 7 sacks as a junior in 2011. He also attends the alma mater of Michigan running back Justice Hayes. His only offer so far comes from Buffalo. Maclean is a little too stiff to play linebacker at Michigan, and he's not aggressive enough, either. He will earn some more offers, but one from Michigan would be a bit of a surprise.
Brandon Moore - WR - Montague (MI) Montague
Moore is a 6'3", 189 lb. wideout with good length and leaping ability. He does not have great speed, but he has enough speed and length to stretch the field. He also does not change direction well and is a bit of a big fish in a small pond at Montague. He had 49 receptions for 867 yards and 10 touchdowns as a junior. Michigan is going after elite national prospects to pair with Devin Gardner and Shane Morris, and Moore does not fit in that category.
Shane Morris - QB - Warren (MI) De La Salle (offered, committed to Michigan)
Morris committed to Michigan last year, and he's already recruiting hard for the Wolverines. He showed up at some national camps in the summer and has earned rave reviews for his maturity, arm strength, and accuracy.
Riley Norman - OT - Cadillac (MI) Cadillac
Norman is a massive 6'7", 315 lbs. and plays in a run-oriented offense at Cadillac. He only holds one offer - from Michigan State - and is likely to be a Spartan in the future. Despite a desire to move to the power running game, Brady Hoke has actually stayed away from offering behemoth offensive linemen, preferring to go for the kids who are in the 285 lb. range or so. I'm not sure if Hoke is doing so on purpose, but that has been the trend so far. Based on that trend and a general lack of agility on Norman's part, I somewhat expect him not to get an offer from the Wolverines until late in the process, if at all.
Dai-Zoun Oliver - RB - Melvindale (MI) Melvindale
Oliver is a 5'9", 156 lb. scatback with potential as a slot receiver or return man. Michigan is looking for a big, pro-style back in this class and already has a couple scatbacks on the roster, so Oliver is likely to remain unoffered and go elsewhere.
Jon Reschke - LB - Birmingham (MI) Brother Rice
Reschke is a 6'2", 225 lb. linebacker who would likely play an inside 'backer spot in a defense like Michigan's. He already has offers from Michigan State and Toledo, and more are surely on the way. Michigan had a great linebacker class in 2012 and can afford to be very selective in 2013. Reschke is not an elite national prospect, but he does have some potential. He reminds me a bit of Vince Biegel, the class of 2012 linebacker from Wiscsonsin, although Biegel is a step or two ahead as an overall athlete.
Wyatt Shallman - RB - Novi (MI) Catholic Central (offered)
I put together a scouting report on Shallman a few weeks ago.
Demetrius Stinson - RB - Detroit (MI) Douglass
Stinson is a 5'10", 195 lb. athlete who rushed for 1,471 yards and had 22 total touchdowns to go along with 35 tackles and 5 picks as a junior. He does not have elite speed and is a bit clunky as a runner. He shows some good short-area quickness and can make the occasional defender miss, but again, he lacks the big-play and star ability that Michigan is looking for in the 2013 class.
Poet Thomas - DT - Detroit (MI) Country Day
Thomas is a 6'6", 295 lb. kid who could play offensive tackle or on the defensive side. He hasn't been offered by any FBS programs yet, but those are likely on the way because of his size and overall athleticism. However, in my opinion, he's a little bit soft and I'm not sure that Michigan will pursue him, at least not this early in the process.
Corey Willis - WR/CB - Holland (MI) Holland
Willis is a 5'10", 165 lb. wide receiver/cornerback with early offers from Central Michigan and Western Michigan. He's surprisingly strong for his frame and shows good change-of-direction skills. He's a high school quarterback, but will likely change positions in college. Willis probably isn't early-offer material for a school like Michigan, but I do like high school quarterbacks and he could be worth a late look in similar fashion to 2012 recruit Norfleet.
So it's safe to say the talent in Michigan is down a lot this year from last?
ReplyDeleteI don't know about "a lot." Morris and Elmer are both really good, and then you've got a couple guys like Dillard and Shallman who are both pretty heavily recruited so far. I think it's kind of an average year for Michigan, but we should be careful not to overrate guys like Mario Ojemudia and Matt Godin, both of whom were so-so recruits to the recruiting services. Beyond Burbridge, Ross, Jenkins-Stone, and Richardson, there weren't really any big-time recruits.
DeleteBut even the recruits that weren't highly ranked got Michigan looks, most of the time pretty early on in the process. Based on your projections you don't seem to think many of these guys will get Michigan offers, therefore it would appear to be "down", at least from Michigan's perspective.
DeleteI guess it depends on your definition of "a lot" then. Yes, I think it's down. But a lot? Not really. But like I said, it's subjective, so everyone's going to have their own opinion.
DeleteYa, I agree with that point. I just don't think they'll go for anyone outside of the top 5 this year. It also doesn't help that Ohio and Illinois both seem to be VERY talented in 2013 so I think that plays a major role. It's not that hard for Michigan to get players out of those two states so I think that is swaying their decision on which players they target.
DeleteThanks for this, very informative.
ReplyDeleteCan Dawson not play LT? I watched a utube of him at a camp and I thought he looked like a LT. Granted it was 1 on 1's probably against a kid going d3, but if he is a legit 6'5.
ReplyDeleteI thought I read he didnt do so well at UM's camp last year.
I don't think Dawson has the athleticism to be a left tackle in the Big Ten. And 6'5" is not particularly tall. I don't remember the last time Michigan had a LT who was shorter than 6'6", and even Steve Schilling, a 6'5" right tackle, was moved inside for a longer guy.
DeleteNice article - just a quick note that you have a typo on Brandon Moore: you refer to him as "Montague" in the first word of the description.
ReplyDeleteSorry for nitpicking.
No offense taken. Thanks for the correction.
DeleteSo how many of these prospects do you think will pick up a Michigan offer when it's all said and done ?
ReplyDeleteMy guess is 9-10 when all is said and done.
DeleteFor these guys that are getting big offers like Dillard and Dawson Michigan could slowly be dropping out of their top schools.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. Michigan isn't an elite program, and should be scared off by big offers from other schools. Don't look at James Ross, Royce Jenkins-Stone or Terry Richardson's offer lists, because we're not going to be able to sign any of them either.
DeleteI think you need to look at Riley Norman again. You say he lacks agility, I thought I saw a write up awhile ago from TomVH that he returns kickoffs for his high school.
ReplyDeleteRunning kickoffs doesn't mean he is agile. He could just run in a straight line and is effective because it takes so many guys to bring him down.
DeleteIsn't there a OL who just transferred to Cass Tech from out of state who is supposed to have high Div. I talent?
ReplyDeleteThat's David Dawson.
DeleteThanks. I'm not sure how I missed that.
DeleteNorman is actually quite agile for his size. He's a top performer in track and field; shows great balance. He would be a major asset to any recruiting class.
ReplyDeleteMagnus,
ReplyDeleteDo you plan to do something like this for Ohio?
No, I don't. I don't know Ohio as well and, frankly, that would be a beast of a job. There would be tons of players to cover for that kind of preview in Ohio.
DeleteIm not saying michigan isn't elite but they got a lot of OL this year and Dillard and Dawson are too they should pick up but by them playing the waiting game they could be losing the two and others as well. Wouldn't surprise if they went west or down south.
ReplyDeleteNorman will definitely get an offer, especially with our need for elite talent at tackle this year. We need one elite tackle, and we could take one lower rated guy for depth. I think Norman is that type of elite talent we get, but even if we get him we'll still pursue Tuley-Tilman, Raulerson, and others.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing to keep in mind. Hoke really respects our backyard, and will try to pull in good talent here, before pursuing all the great talent elsewhere. I think it's solely to keep them away from ND, OSU, and especially MSU, because if we're pulling all the good talent away from MI, MSU is going to be left with the mediocre talent in MI, and whoever else they can pull from the scraps left in OH, and the rest of the midwest.
Hill is a TE already. The coaches must really see something in him if they offered this early. I was hoping for Breneman, because he said Education is one of his top priorities, and Butt, because of his size. Butt is ours to lose right now too.
End of the day, from MI, I'd like us to pull in Dawson, Dillard, Hill, Lewis, Morris, Norman, Reschke and Shallman. We pulled in 9 this year, so 8 next year is not out of the question. I could see Edwards getting an offer this year as well, solely because of Braylon, but I'm not counting on or hoping for it.
I respectfully disagree about Hoke "trying to pull in good talent here before pursuing all the great talent elsewhere." We know for a fact that he has offered talented kids from around the country, and only a few guys from Michigan have received offers.
DeleteSo we got a MAC Level prospect 12 months before signing day? I'm livid
ReplyDeleteDon't be ignorant. The kid is a very good player who had chemistry with Shane in a camp they went to together. Not to mention, he's rated higher than the beloved Sam Grant who everyone wanted this year. He's a very good prospect.
DeleteI definitely prefer Hill over Grant. I was not a fan of Grant at all.
DeleteDont think Moore will be good enough to play at Michigan? I know he is being scouted heavily By Michigan State. I guess we will see in the future if he goes there and if Michigan is kicking themselves for not going after him.
ReplyDeleteWell, so far nobody has offered him a scholarship, as far as I know...
Delete