Shamari Earls, Wolverine

 

Shamari Earls (image via Twitter)

Chester (VA) Thomas Dale cornerback Shamari Earls flipped from Georgia to Michigan. He picked the Wolverines over other offers from Alabama, Miami, Tennessee, and USC, among others.

Earls is listed at 6'2" and 180 pounds on 247 Sports, although I have heard he's closer to 200 pounds now; an article on 247 Sports says he's 203 pounds. As a junior in 2023, he caught 29 passes for 715 yards and 8 touchdowns; he also made 25 tackles and 3 interceptions. He runs a 10.8 in the meters and a 21.78 in the 200 meters, and both his high jump (6'2") and long jump (23'10 3/4") numbers are pretty good.

RANKINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 84 grade, #9 CB, #71 overall
On3: 4-star, 96 grade, #4 CB, #23 overall
Rivals: 3-star, 5.7 grade, #46 CB
247 Sports: 4-star, 94 grade, #9 CB, #67 overall

Hit the jump for more.

Oregon 38, Michigan 17

 

Colston Loveland (image via A to Z Sports)

Well, the coaching stunk. Where do you start? And where do you stop? Michigan lost a possession because Oregon lined up in a funky punt formation, and it's illegal to line up over the snapper. Michigan's best 4th-and-5 call toward the end of the game was an end around pass with Semaj Morgan, and he threw the ball to Alex Orji, who had run out of bounds. The best thing about the entire offense was Davis Warren-to-Colston Loveland, and when it came down to crunch time, Michigan put the ball in Alex Orji's and Semaj Morgan's hands. Coaches always talk about "players, not plays" and Michigan very clearly went for "plays, not players." Gross. Michigan had no answers in the run game, whether on options or RPOs. They challenged a Colston Loveland dropped pass for no reason, which cost them a timeout. I don't want to say coaching cost them the game, because Oregon is clearly a better team. But it probably wouldn't have been a 21-point loss.

Hit the jump for more.

Preview: Michigan vs. Oregon

 

Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel (image via The Score)

RUSH OFFENSE vs. OREGON RUSH DEFENSE
Michigan didn't help itself too much last week, but they rank #52 nationally in rush offense (172.6 yards/game) and #61 in yards per carry (4.67). Both Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards were held under 2.5 yards/carry, but backup QB Alex Orji rotated in with starter Davis Warren to average 10.7 yards/carry on 6 attempts and score 1 touchdown. The offensive line also suffered a loss with new starting RT Andrew Gentry suffering a non-contact injury, which message board rumors suggest is a season-ender. Oregon is #40 in rush defense (123.5 yards allowed/game) and #68 in yards allowed per carry (4.05). They have shut down some of the bad teams on their schedule, but teams like Purdue, Boise State, Ohio State, and Illinois have run the ball decently. Star DT Jordan Burch (6'6", 295) has been out with a knee injury but might return this week; he has 19 tackles and 7 tackles for loss in five games this season. Otherwise, redshirt junior DT Derrick Harmon (6'5", 310) is a Michigan State transfer who has 27 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss. Fifth year senior MLB Bryce Boettcher (6'2", 225) leads the team with 46 tackles, followed by senior Ole Miss transfer Tysheem Johnson (5'10", 200) with 39. Another player to note is sophomore OLB Matayo Uiagalelei (6'5", 270), who has 27 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss. I think Michigan is going to struggle to run the ball against a quick Oregon defense, especially if Burch returns and is in good form.
Advantage: Oregon

Hit the jump for more.