Rancho Santa Margarita (CA) Santa Margarita Catholic defensive end Collins Acheampong flipped from Michigan to Miami on Tuesday.
Acheampong is listed at 6'7", 254 lbs. and is a 247 Composite 4-star, the #9 athlete, and #165 overall. He committed to Michigan back in July. That commitment came on the heels of it looking like he might commit to Miami, so this dalliance has been going on a long time. Acheampong also recently took visits to UCLA and USC.
Acheampong was the highest rated player in Michigan's class, but the Wolverines have other edge players in the fold, including Enow Etta, Aymeric Koumba, and fresh commit Jason Hewlett. Etta may turn into an interior player and Hewlett has some versatility at 6'4" and 220 lbs., but there are at least some solid pieces to work with.
This is the fourth decommit in the class of 2023, where Acheampong joins DT Joel Starlings (North Carolina), TE Andrew Rappleyea (Penn State), and LB Raylen Wilson (Georgia).
Youngstown (OH) Chaney linebacker Jason Hewlett (#5, image via The Vindicator)
Youngstown (OH) Chaney linebacker Jason Hewlett committed to Michigan on Monday afternoon. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Kentucky, North Carolina State, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia, and he was committed to Cincinnati until recently.
Avon (OH) Avon offensive guard Luke Hamilton, a class of 2024 prospect, committed to Michigan after the win over Ohio State. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Cincinnati, Kentucky, Maryland, Penn State, and Tennessee, among others.
Hamilton is listed at 6'5" and 290 lbs. He's the son of Steve Hamilton, who played for the Toledo Rockets.
Michigan quarterback Cade McNamara has entered the transfer portal. The class of 2019 signee won the starting job from Joe Milton in 2020 and held it through 2021, leading the Wolverines to a 12-1 record, a Big Ten championship, and the College Football Playoff.
Unfortunately for McNamara, his 2022 season started by losing his starting job to J.J. McCarthy in week two. As a backup in week three, he hurt his knee, which was followed up by knee surgery and ultimately an entry into the portal.
McNamara completed 267/431 passes (63.1%) during his career at Michigan for 3,181 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. He ranks #14 all-time at Michigan in passing yardage despite starting for just over one season.
I gave McNamara a TTB Rating of 65 and assumed he would probably transfer after being stuck behind Dylan McCaffrey and/or Joe Milton. Obviously, I was wrong about the circumstances - and he deserved a higher TTB Rating - but it turns out he is transferring after being knocked down the depth chart, just not in favor of McCaffrey or Milton. The 2021 season was a pretty magical year and McNamara had some great performances, including against Rutgers in 2020, Penn State in 2021, and even Michigan State in 2021, despite the latter being a loss.
It's hard to blame McNamara for looking for a new opportunity. He had the job and lost it, and his replacement is going to be around for another year or two. McNamara has two seasons of eligibility remaining, and with his resume, he could potentially go elsewhere and earn a starting job for the next two years. He could even end up still playing in the Big Ten; Iowa (Spencer Petras) and Purdue (Aidan O'Connell) both have quarterbacks graduating after this season.
Michigan is now down to McCarthy, walk-on Davis Warren, and redshirt freshmen Alex Orji and Jayden Denegal. The Wolverines appear not to be interested in taking a quarterback in the class of 2023. Unless they go after a player in the transfer portal, the depth will be rather thin in 2023 and, in my opinion, not very talented outside of McCarthy and Warren. However, some Michigan people seem to believe that it opens the door for an early contribution from Charlotte (NC) Providence Day quarterback Jadyn Davis, who is thought to be a Michigan lean.
Cincinnati (OH) Winton Woods cornerback Cameron Calhoun committed to Michigan on Saturday. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Cincinnati and West Virginia (he was committed to both at different times), as well as Kentucky, Maryland, and Michigan State.
I was wrong. I predicted a 35-24 Ohio State victory, and it went almost exactly the opposite way. I didn't expect Michigan's offense to be able to keep up with Ohio State's, especially if Blake Corum was unable to play. Oops.
Pound the rock. Ohio State held up very well against the run for much of the game. In the first half, Michigan rushed for just 20 total yards, including just 6 yards on 2 carries for Blake Corum. They also used C.J. Stokes on 2 carries for just 5 yards. The second half turned into a completely different story. An injured Donovan Edwards, wearing a cast on his right hand, took over the game, carrying the ball in his non-dominant hand. He finished with 22 carries for 216 yards and 2 touchdowns. One was a 75-yarder where he outraced safety Lathan Ransom, and the other was a patient attempt where he waited for a crease and then gashed the Buckeyes for 85 yards. Even though Michigan wasn't successful in the first half, they seemed to wear down Ohio State's front.
Cincinnati (OH) Princeton LB Breeon Ishmail (image via 247 Sports)
Cincinnati (OH) Princeton linebacker Breeon Ishmail committed to Michigan on Black Friday. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Cincinnati, Kentucky, Pitt, Purdue, and Tennessee, among others.
Ishmail is listed at 6'4" and 220 lbs. As a senior in 2022, he made 64 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks.
Ohio State players recruited by Michigan are too numerous to list. A huge chunk of the Buckeyes' roster was targeted by Michigan.
Ohio State players from the State of Michigan include: S Cameron Martinez (Muskegon), LS Bradley Robinson (Troy Athens), RB Cayden Saunders (Northville), WR Kai Saunders (Northville), OT Grant Toutant (Warren De La Salle)
LAST TIME THEY PLAYED...
On November 27, 2021, Michigan beat Ohio State 42-27 at Michigan Stadium
Michigan established a 59-51-6 lead in the rivalry
Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud completed 34/49 passes for 394 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions
RB Hassan Haskins ran 28 times for 169 yards and 5 touchdowns
RB Blake Corum had 6 carries for 87 yards, including a 55-yarder
QB J.J. McCarthy completed his only pass for 31 yards and had 2 carries for 12 yards
In case you missed it, I previewed Michigan's offense vs. OSU's defense here (LINK).
RUSH DEFENSE vs. OHIO STATE RUSH OFFENSE Michigan is #2 in rush defense (79.6 yards allowed/game) and #2 in yards allowed per carry (2.79). Last week was a "season worst" effort when they gave up 148 rushing yards to Illinois on 4.35 yards per carry. Of course, that was without defensive end Mike Morris, one of Michigan's best run defenders, who suffered an ankle injury two weeks ago. The leading tackler is inside linebacker Junior Colson (73 stops), followed by linebacker Michael Barrett (46) and defensive end Kris Jenkins (43). Despite the outstanding overall defense, Michigan is tied for #76 in tackles for loss per game (5.46), and the leader is the dinged up Morris with 11 so far this year. Offensively, Ohio State is hurting - literally - in the backfield. Sophomore TreVeyon Henderson (571 yards, 6 TD) may not play, and junior Miyan Williams (783 yards, 13 TD) will probably be slowed up. A large chunk of the carries may go to freshman Dallan Hayden (5'10", 195), who has 46 carries for 248 yards and 4 touchdowns over the past two games. Quarterback C.J. Stroud (6'3", 218) is athletic but has just 77 yards rushing and 0 touchdowns so far this season. Up front the offensive line is bookended by left tackle Paris Johnson, Jr. (6'6", 310) and right tackle Dawand Jones (6'8", 359), both of whom are outstanding players. The interior line is not quite as impressive, but the line is solid and more athletic than last year. Advantage: Michigan
PASS DEFENSE vs. OHIO STATE PASS OFFENSE Michigan is #5 in pass defense (161.7 yards allowed/game) and #2 in passing efficiency defense, still just behind Illinois. They have given up just 7 touchdowns through the air, which is tied with Georgia at #1 nationally. They're #22 in sacks with 2.82 per game. The pass rush was hurting last week without Morris (7.5 sacks) being available, so it will be important for the defense to get him back on the field. Michigan essentially has four starter-quality cornerbacks in D.J. Turner II, Gemon Green, Will Johnson, and Mike Sainristil, and Green should be back closer to full strength after getting a concussion a few weeks back. Safety Rod Moore leads the team with 3 interceptions. Offensively, Ohio State is extremely dangerous throwing the ball. Stroud completes 66.4% of his passes for 35 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, and he leads the nation in passing efficiency. Altogether, OSU is #17 in passing offense (289.2 yards/game) and #3 in yards per attempt. It's a pick-your-poison type of situation at wide receiver, but sophomore Marvin Harrison, Jr. (6'4", 205) is the cream of the crop with 65 catches for 1,037 yards and 11 scores. Emeka Egbuka (6'1", 205) and Julian Fleming (6'2", 205) have 8 and 6 touchdowns, respectively, and tight end Cade Stover (6'4", 255) has 31 catches for 386 yards and 5 scores. The offensive line gives up just 0.64 sacks per game, which is tied for #2 in the country, so it's going to be difficult for Michigan to get home without an elite pass rusher. Advantage: Ohio State
RUSH OFFENSE vs. OHIO STATE RUSH DEFENSE Michigan is #4 in rushing offense (243.8 yards/game) and #12 in yards per carry (5.51). Starting running back Blake Corum managed to hit the 100-yard mark yet again (18 carries, 108 yards, 1 TD), but he only ran the ball once in the second half after taking a hit to the knee. That compounded the problem of not having backup Donovan Edwards, so Michigan was forced to use freshman C.J. Stokes, walk-on Isaiah Gash, and a small dose of redshirt freshman Tavierre Dunlap. Stokes has potential but needs to develop physically, and Gash is a limited runner and pass catcher. Up front right tackle Trente Jones is rumored to be returning from injury this week, while the status of left guard Trevor Keegan is in question. Defensively, Ohio State is #15 against the run (107.9 yards allowed/game) and they give up the 8th fewest yards per carry (3.08). Senior linebacker Tommy Eichenberg (6'2", 239 lbs.) leads the team with 105 tackles with a distant second place from fellow senior 'backer Steele Chambers (6'1", 232), and third place is junior safety Lathan Ransom (6'1", 205). The Buckeyes are #18 in tackles for loss per game (7.0), and once again, Eichenberg leads the way with 12, followed by defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau (6'4", 270) with 9. This is an advantage for Michigan if everyone's healthy, but if Corum isn't close to 100% and Michigan is forced to use Stokes, Gash, and Dunlap extensively, it's going to be trouble. Advantage: Michigan
PASS OFFENSE vs. OHIO STATE PASS DEFENSE Michigan is #99 in passing offense (208.8 yards/game), tied for #45 in yards per attempt (7.8), and #30 in passing efficiency. Some of those numbers are misleading, because the passing game started off great this season and has tailed off in recent weeks. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy has not completed even 53% of his throws in any of the past three games, and he's averaging 6.3 yards/attempt during that stretch. Reliable Ronnie Bell (48 catches, 651 yards, 2 TD) leads the team in tackles, but the #2 receiving target, tight end Luke Schoonmaker (30 catches, 315 yards, 2 TD) has missed the past two games due to injury. Speedster Roman Wilson has just 3 catches for 19 yards over the past four weeks (one of which he missed due to injury). The Wolverines rank #19 in the country in giving up sacks at just 1.09 per game. Ohio State is tied at #22 in sacks per game (2.82), led by sophomore defensive tackle Michael Hall, Jr. (6'2", 290) and sophomore defensive end Jack Sawyer (6'4", 267) with 4.5. Tuimoloau has really taken off during the second half of the season, notching 6 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, and all 4 of his sacks in the past five games. Overall, the Buckeyes are #11 in pass defense (175.5 yards allowed/game), tied at #24 in yards allowed per attempt (6.4), and #28 in pass efficiency defense. Senior nickel safety Tanner McCalister (5'11", 195) leads the squad with 3 interceptions. Advantage: Ohio State
Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson made 3 tackles, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 interception, which he returned for 20 yards, in a 31-18 win over the New York Giants. It's his second interception of the season. He was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts.
Here’s what I love about Aidan Hutchinson. It’s late in the game his initial rush was stalled but he never stopped moving, tracking the qb or ball. If he isn’t hustling the wr recovers his fumble. Is footwork is elite almost every play. pic.twitter.com/5Fkvd82X5C
Cumming (GA) South Forsyth offensive lineman Nathan Efobi committed to Michigan on Friday, November 18. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Georgia, Miami, and Penn State, among others.
P George Caratan (UConn): Caratan did not have any punt attempts in a 34-17 loss to Army.
C Zach Carpenter (Indiana): Carpenter is Indiana's starting left guard. He had previously started at center, but a hand injury forced him to change positions.
RB Zach Charbonnet (UCLA): Charbonnet ran 19 times for 95 yards and caught 4 passes for 29 yards in a 48-45 loss to USC.
SSammy Faustin (UMass): Faustin made 2 tackles in a 20-3 loss to Texas A&M.
OG Chuck Filiaga (Minnesota): Filiaga is a sixth year senior who starts at right guard for the Gophers.
CB Darion Green-Warren (Nevada): Green-Warren did not record any stats in a 41-14 loss to Fresno State.
RUSH OFFENSE vs. ILLINOIS RUSH DEFENSE Michigan is #4 in rushing offense (251.4 yards/game) and #7 in rushing average (5.62 yards/carry). Heisman contender Blake Corum has 227 carries for 1,349 yards and 17 touchdowns. Backup Donovan Edwards (70 carries, 471 yards, 4 TD) got banged up last week, so his availability is in question, but freshman C.J. Stokes had a good showing last week with 8 carries for 68 yards in relief of Edwards. Michigan's offensive line has been beaten up a little bit with Jeffrey Persi, Giovanni El-Hadi, and Karsen Barnhart all logging big minutes last week in the absence of Ryan Hayes, Trevor Keegan, and Trente Jones, respectively. Illinois is #6 in rushing defense (85.9 yards allowed/game) and #5 in yards allowed per carry (3.02). The Fighting Illini are tied for #4 in rushing touchdowns allowed with just 5 so far this year. Senior LB Isaac Darkangelo (6'1", 230), sophomore DE Jer'zhan Newton (6'2", 295), and senior hybrid S/LB Jartavius Martin (6'0", 195) lead the team with 50, 49, and 48 tackles, respectively. The team is #37 in tackles for loss per game (6.4), led by Newton with 12 and sophomore DE Keith Randolph, Jr. (6'5", 305) with 11. Advantage: Michigan
Kankakee (IL) Kankakee cornerback Jyaire Hill (image via 247 Sports)
2023
Cameron Calhoun - CB - Cincinnati (OH) Winton Woods: Calhoun, a recent Cincinnati decommit, is a 6'0", 170-pounder with offers from Kentucky, Michigan, and West Virginia. He's a 3-star, the #48 cornerback, and #483 overall. Calhoun - who was also committed to WVU at one point - decommitted during an official visit to Kentucky last weekend, so that's the most likely landing spot going into this official visit.
Arion Carter - LB - Smyrna (TN) Smyrna: Carter is a 6'1", 210 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Memphis, Michigan, Ohio State, and Tennessee; he has been committed to Memphis since July. Carter is a 4-star, the #24 linebacker, and #317 overall. Carter has backed out of a couple other official visit dates to Michigan, so my confidence is not very high that he strongly considers the Wolverines, and many people think he will end up at Alabama.
Jyaire Hill - CB - Kankakee (IL) Kankakee: Hill is a 6'1", 170-pounder with offers from a bunch of schools, but Illinois and Michigan are the two primary ones on which to focus. He's a 4-star, the #26 cornerback, and #203 overall. He took officials to Illinois and Michigan over the summer and seems to be going back and forth between the two schools, with Michigan having the lone 247 Sports crystal ball.
P George Caratan (UConn): Caratan punted 4 times for 176 yards (44.0 yards/attempt) in a 36-33 win over Liberty.
C Zach Carpenter (Indiana): Carpenter is Indiana's starting left guard. He had previously started at center, but a hand injury forced him to change positions.
RB Zach Charbonnet (UCLA): Charbonnet ran 24 times for 181 yards and 3 touchdowns in a 34-28 upset loss to Arizona.
USC must get to Zach Charbonnet before or around the LOS. He makes quick lateral cuts, accelerates, and is then hard to take down 1v1 in space.pic.twitter.com/jltkdpvNza
Walled Lake (MI) Western RB Darius Taylor (image via MLive)
It's been a while since I've done much with recruiting updates, so here's a look at what's been happening recently. Now that my football season is done, I can hopefully dip back into recruiting more frequently.
ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2023
Cameron Calhoun - CB - Cincinnati (OH) Winton Woods: Calhoun is a 6'0", 170 lb. cornerback who was recently offered by Michigan. He decommitted from Cincinnati over the weekend while visiting Kentucky; he had also previously been committed to West Virginia. The fact that he decommitted while at Kentucky looks promising for the Wildcats, but a potential visit to Michigan in the next few weeks could give the Wolverines a chance. Calhoun is a 3-star, the #48 cornerback, and #483 overall in the 247 Composite.
Chance Fitzgerald - WR - Nolensville (TN) Nolensville: Fitzgerald is a 6'3", 184-pounder with offers from Auburn, Louisville, Minnesota, and Virginia Tech, among others. He's a 3-star, the #67 wide receiver, and #504 overall. He visited Michigan a couple weeks ago but it remains to be seen how much Michigan will push for his commitment.
Jermaine Mathews - CB - Cincinnati (OH) Winton Woods: Mathews has been committed to Ohio State since July 1, and there's no real reason to expect a decommitment at this point. A teammate of Calhoun's (see above), Mathews was offered by Michigan in late October. He's a 4-star, the #27 cornerback, and #214 overall.
Nebraska sucks! Yes. Yes, they do. Nebraska is a 3-7 football team with an interim head coach, no defensive playmakers except outside linebacker Garrett Nelson, and no quality FBS quarterback right now. Nebraska's best play on Saturday was to call a pass and then let the quarterback scramble up the middle and hope he doesn't hurt himself. Unfortunately, that play ended one too many times with the quarterback hurting himself. Meanwhile, the two quarterbacks, Chubba Purdy and Logan Smothers, combined for 9 rushing attempts and 40 total yards. The team ended up with 146 total yards, or exactly 106 yards that didn't come on QB scrambles.
RUSH OFFENSE vs. NEBRASKA RUSH DEFENSE Michigan is #4 in rushing with 250 yards per game. They're slightly lower at #8 with 5.65 yards per carry. Running back Blake Corum has 1,187 yards on 199 attempts and has scored 16 total touchdowns. Backup Donovan Edwards has 41 carries for 324 yards over the past three weeks, including two 100-yard games. Last week's performance was particularly impressive considering left tackle Ryan Hayes missed the game, left guard Trevor Keegan was hurt for part of the contest, and right tackle Trente Jones has been out for the past several weeks. Michigan's dominance of Rutgers took place minus three starters up front. Nebraska, meanwhile, is #107 in rushing defense (182.9 yards allowed/game) and allows 4.51 yards per carry, which is #99. They have done better in recent weeks by tamping down explosive running games of Illinois and Minnesota (neither team has topped 4.0 yards/carry), but Minnesota was missing its starting quarterback, which allowed the Cornhuskers to focus on running back Mo Ibrahim. Junior middle linebacker Luke Reimer (6'1", 225) leads the team with 67 tackles, but the second leading tackler, safety Myles Farmer, will miss the game due to disciplinary issues. Sophomore safety Marques Buford, Jr. (5'11", 190) has 62 tackles and sophomore nickel Isaac Gifford (6'1", 200) has 52, meaning three of the top four tacklers are in the secondary. Junior edge Garrett Nelson (6'4", 245) is the most dangerous edge defender on the team with 45 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks. Advantage: Michigan
I previously posted the all-time career yardage leaders (LINK). Now it's time to reminisce about the best rushing seasons ever in a Michigan uniform. I set out to post the top 25, but going to 35 allowed me to include all 1,000-yard gainers, so I extended the list a bit.
Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson made 2 tackles in a 15-9 win over the Green Bay Packers, but his biggest play was an interception of Aaron Rodgers at the goal line, preventing a touchdown pass to eligible tackle David Bakhtiari.
Tom Brady, QB (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): Brady completed 36/58 passes for 280 yards and 1 touchdown in a 16-13 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Hassan Haskins, RB (Tennessee Titans): Haskins had 1 carry for 5 yards, 1 catch for 2 yards, 4 kickoff returns for 72 yards, and 4 tackles on special teams in a 20-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Kwity Paye, DE (Indianapolis Colts): Paye made 8 tackles, 1 sack, and 5 quarterback hurries in a 26-3 loss to the New England Patriots.
Josh Uche, OLB (New England Patriots): Uche made 6 tackles, 3 sacks, and 2 quarterback hurries in a 26-3 win over the Colts.
Josh Uche’s 3-sack game yesterday came as no surprise. High-end rush talent has always been there. Cool seeing him get more game reps. Matthew Judon said after game that Uche is Pats’ best pass rusher. @Uche35 could be huge factor second half of season.pic.twitter.com/PBPRfK52RThttps://t.co/Y2C1j3wXbK
Green Bay Packers OLB Rashan Gary tore his ACL against the Lions and will miss the remainder of the season. He made 32 tackles and 6 sacks this season before the injury.
I would just like to take a moment to thank all of you for sticking around through the thick and thin - particularly thin - content so far this season. My high school football team's season disappointingly ended this past weekend, but on a personal and professional level, this was one of the most time-consuming seasons I've experienced.
I won't go into all the reasons that it was difficult, but I feel like I learned a lot and grew as both a person and coach. I encountered things this season that I've never come across as a coach, and I value new experiences greatly.
My game plan going back years and years is to post new content on a daily basis, and unfortunately, I was not able to live up to that standard throughout this season. There have been days/nights where I haven't had time to write and still only got four or five hours of sleep. But again, I'm a better person for what has happened this fall. Going forward into our off-season - and the remainder of Michigan's season - I hope to once again get back to more frequent and consistent content.
P George Caratan (UConn): Caratan punted 5 times for 197 yards (39.4 yards/attempt) in a 27-10 win over UMass.
C Zach Carpenter (Indiana): Carpenter is Indiana's starting left guard. He had previously started at center, but a hand injury forced him to change positions.
RB Zach Charbonnet (UCLA): Charbonnet did not play in a 50-36 win over Arizona State.
SSammy Faustin (UMass): Faustin made 1 tackle in a 27-10 loss to UConn.
OG Chuck Filiaga (Minnesota): Filiaga is a sixth year senior who starts at right guard for the Gophers.
CB Darion Green-Warren (Nevada): Nevada (2-7) had a bye. Green-Warren has made 5 tackles and 1 pass breakup.
That was more difficult than it should have been. Michigan should have blown out MSU by more than 22 points. Offensively, the Spartans couldn't do anything more than toss prayer balls up to 6'4", 215 lb. wide receiver Keon Coleman, who had a great game with 5 catches for 155 yards and 1 touchdown. MSU averaged 4.75 yards per offensive player, a lower average than any game except when Ohio State held them to 4.21. But somehow a team ranked in the 100s in most pass defense categories held J.J. McCarthy to 15/25 completions, 167 yards, and 1 touchdown. The lack of a passing game forced Michigan to call on kicker Jake Moody 5 times, and he kicked 5 field goals, including a 54-yarder. It was a beating, but not as decisive as I wanted.
