Recruiting Update: March 30, 2015

Hallandale (FL) Hallandale wide receiver Joshua Hammond (image via MiamiHerald.com)

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COMMITMENT
Cornerbacks coach Mike Zordich confirmed that Wayne Lyons will be joining the team this season, so I wrote up a commitment post (LINK).

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015(?)
Concord (CA) De La Salle safety Je'Vari Anderson is still a possibility to join Michigan. He's a 6'1", 200 lb. prospect who's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #63 safety, and #902 overall. I talked about him a couple weeks ago as a guy who was talking about joining the Wolverines but needs a qualifying test score. He has listed offers from Cal, Oregon State, and Utah, but his Twitter account still says "THE MISSION IS GOO!! BLUE!!" with a giant picture of the Michigan banner (LINK). I mention him again this week because the deadline to sign a National Letter of Intent is Wednesday, April 1. He could still end up playing for Michigan without the NLI, but he would not be able to practice with the team until the first day of classes. For his sake - and for the team's, since I think he's a better prospect than his rankings/offers indicate - I hope he gets good results and can fax in his NLI before the deadline. It might also help with Michigan's recruitment of two of Anderson's 2016 teammates, tight end Devin Asiasi and center Boss Tagaloa.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Tyrone (GA) Sandy Creek wide receiver Korey Banks, Jr. was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'0", 170 lb. prospect with offers from Arkansas State, Colorado State, and Western Michigan, among others. He visited this past weekend with a couple Lawrenceville (GA) Archer prospects for 2017, Isaiah Pryor and Jamyest Williams, who already held Michigan offers. Banks claims a 4.26 forty and is a track guy. Some teams are looking at him as a corner, but Jedd Fisch was the one to offer him, which implies that Michigan wants him at receiver.

Hit the jump for several more 2016 prospects, some 2017 prospects, an offer for 2018, and some miscellaneous bits.

Recruiting Update: March 23, 2015

Mililani (HI) Mililani running back Vavae Malepeai

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ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Montgomery (AL) Carver defensive end Marlon Davidson was offered by Michigan. Davidson is a 6'4", 260 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, and Georgia, among others. He's a 247 Composite 5-star, the #3 strongside end, and #27 overall. He claims a 4.9 forty. Davidson looks like a 3-4 defensive end or perhaps a defensive tackle at the next level. His technique is inconsistent, but he's a big boy who can run and shows some good aggression. His brother, Kenneth Carter, was a former defensive tackle at Auburn from 2010-2013, and Davidson is widely considered to be a shoo-in for the Tigers.

Camden (NJ) Camden defensive end Ron Johnson, Jr. was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'4", 240 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, and Rutgers, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #17 weakside end, and #270 overall. He claims a 4.6 forty. Johnson is a kid who shows a really good motor and some good athleticism. A teammate of wide receiver Brad Hawkins, who already held a Michigan offer, the two visited Michigan this past weekend, but Johnson got news of the offer a couple days before making the trip.

Wichita (KS) East defensive end Xavier Kelly decommitted from Kansas State. The 6'5", 230 lb. prospect committed to the Wildcats last November, but offers from Arkansas and Michigan in recent weeks have caused him to reopen his recruitment. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #20 weakside end, and #326 overall.

Mililani (HI) Mililani running back Vavae Malepeai was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'0", 195 lb. prospect with offers from Cal, Colorado, Hawaii, and Washington, among others. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #53 running back, and #731 overall. He claims a 4.44 forty. As a junior in 2014, he had 1,337 rushing yards, 205 receiving yards, and 24 total touchdowns. Hawaii doesn't have the best competition in the country, so highlights should be taken with a grain of salt. However, Malepeai does have some impressive vision, an innate ability to slither out of tackles, and decent speed. He does a really good job of following his blockers, staying right on their hip for the added protection. He is the cousin of Michigan offeree Boss Tagaloa and is coached by former NFL special teamer Maa Tanuvasa. Michigan has only had two players from Hawaii in the history of the program (in 1925 and 1945), and the program only makes rare forays into the state for offers. The last time they went after an Aloha State player was in 2013 for defensive tackle Scott Pagano (Clemson).


Montgomery (AL) Carver linebacker Lyndell Wilson was offered by Michigan. Wilson is a 6'2", 220 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, and Ohio State, among others. He's a 247 Composite 5-star, the #2 outside linebacker, and #8 overall. He claims a 4.64 forty. As a junior in 2014, he made 86 tackles, 9 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, and 2 interceptions (1 returned for a touchdown). Do yourself a favor and watch his highlights, because he has one of the most impressive highlight reels I've seen in the 2016 recruiting class. You'll even see a couple highlights against incoming freshman Keith Washington and 2016 running back offeree Kingston Davis. Unfortunately for Michigan, it looks like an Alabama vs. Auburn battle for Wilson.

Cuyahoga Falls (OH) Walsh Jesuit center Jack Wohlabaugh was offered by Michigan. Wohlabaugh is a 6'3", 280 lb. prospect with offers from Cincinnati, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Purdue, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #15 offensive guard, and #334 overall. He is also the son of Dave Wohlabaugh, who played center for Syracuse before moving on to the NFL to play for the Patriots, Browns, and Rams. Jack plays left guard for his high school team, and he shows quick feet with a good initial punch. However, with his size, pedigree, and quickness, he probably projects to center at the next level.

Hit the jump for lots of miscellaneous bits.

Scouting Report: 2016 Quarterbacks

Shreveport (LA) Calvary Baptist quarterback Shea Patterson (#1)

Every year I put together a list of potential quarterbacks from Michigan and rank their desirability. This year's list includes only players Michigan has offered, since more offers have gone out than in the past. Brady Hoke was very stingy with quarterback offers and generally didn't offer guys until National Signing Day of the preceding class, but he went a little crazy with 2016 guys and offered some of them early. Jim Harbaugh has reaffirmed some of those offers and added one name to the list (Brandon Peters), plus he has gotten in the ear of Georgia commit Jacob Eason, whom I also included. Remember that this is a look at which players fit Michigan's personnel, coaching staff, and system best, not necessarily who will be the best college football player overall.

If additions to the list are needed later, I'll do a separate post at that time. Otherwise, these are the guys Michigan has offered and pursued at one point or another for the 2016 cycle. Enjoy!

1. Jacob Eason - QB - Lake Stevens (WA) Lake Stevens: Eason is a 6'5", 205 lb. quarterback who committed to Georgia last summer; he also holds offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Washington, and Washington State, among others. He's a 247 Composite 5-star, the #1 pro-style quarterback, and #4 overall. As a junior in 2014, he completed 197/287 passes for 2,829 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. Eason is a tall kid who can easily see over the line, and he does a good job of standing in the pocket and finding his man. He keeps his feet active and is always in a position to throw, which is helped out by the fact that he has the arm strength to make all the throws. I believe he has an NFL arm as a high schooler, and he can put the ball on a line even when he's running and can only use his arm. In that way he reminds me a little bit of some throws I saw Jameis Winston make this past year, but overall, I see Sam Bradford when I look at Eason. Eason can put some nice touch on the deep ball, and he can find small windows in the secondary. He also gets rid of the ball quickly and seems in command of the offense, understanding where to go with the football and when. He gets through his reads in a hurry and can scan the whole field, which is impressive for a high schooler. There's not much to criticize, but he is not a dynamic runner, lacking great speed or elusiveness but with enough athleticism right now to keep the chains moving. Also, when he has to hold onto the ball, he starts to drop his throwing arm and he can be a little careless by keeping only one hand on the ball at times, which might lead to turnovers. He also appears to operate exclusively out of a shotgun spread, which means that playing from under center might be a tricky adjustment.

Hit the jump for seven more quarterback breakdowns.

2014 Michigan Summer Camp Attendees

Rancho Santa Margarita (CA) Santa Margarita Catholic
quarterback K.J. Costello

The following players have been reported to be visiting at various times, although these types of plans are hard to nail down. Some of these players might not make it, and numerous others will surely roll into town. This summer camp mostly gives rising juniors, sophomores, and freshmen some exposure to coaches from U of M and other in-state programs; however, the Wolverines' coaches have also discovered rising seniors who made a splash and earned offers, such as Freddy Canteen and Brandon Watson in the class of 2014, 2013 cornerback Channing Stribling, and 2012 safety Jeremy Clark.

NOTE: New additions to the list will be placed at the top of each player's respective class, rather than continuing to place them in alphabetical order.

2015
Tyler Green - S - Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha: Green is a 6'3", 195 lb. prospect who committed to Ohio State in early June; he also has offers from Indiana, Maryland, and North Carolina State. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #31 safety, and #471 overall.

Jon Runyan - OG - Philadelphia (PA) St. Joseph's: Runyan committed to Michigan in June 2013 (LINK).

Leeward Brown - OG - Hollywood (FL) Miramar: Brown is a 6'3", 338 lb. prospect who committed to Miami in February; he also has offers from East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, South Florida, and Temple. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #41 offensive guard, and #575 overall. He's lining up several visits to score more offers, so it does not appear he's 100% solid to Miami.

Cole Chewins - TE - Clarkston (MI) Clarkston: Chewins is a 6'7", 225 lb. prospect with offers from Ball State, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, and Miami-OH. He's currently unranked.

Cory Contini - WR - Dover (OH) Dover: Contini is a 6'1", 175 lb. prospect with an offer from Air Force. As a junior in 2013, he caught 88 passes for 1,468 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Cario Davison - S - Galion (OH) Galion: Davison is a 6'2", 190 lb. prospect with no offers at this time. He's the younger brother of 2014 athlete Dareian Watkins, who was on Michigan's radar but was never offered and ended up signing with Wisconsin. Davison is not the same level of a prospect as Watkins was, but he could earn some offers with a good summer camp circuit.

Austin Dorris - TE - Shadyside (OH) Shadyside: Dorris is a 6'5", 220 lb. prospect with offers from Kent State, Marshall, Ohio, Toledo, and Western Michigan. He is currently unranked. He plays quarterback and outside linebacker for his high school team, but he will likely become a tight end at the next level. He also visited Michigan back in March.

Jack Dunaway - DE - Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice: Dunaway is a 6'3", 212 lb. prospect with no offers at this time. He's the son of former Michigan tight end Craig Dunaway. He claims a 4.68 forty. As a junior in 2013, he made 67 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 19 quarterback hurries.

Wesley French - OG - St. Joseph (MI) St. Joseph: French is a 6'4", 300 lb. prospect with offers from Ball State, Buffalo, Central Michigan, and Western Michigan.

James Hill - RB - Livonia (MI) Clarenceville: Hill is a 6'1", 215 lb. prospect with no offers at this time.

Alex Malzone - QB - Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice: Malzone committed to Michigan last mont (LINK).

Grant Perry - WR - Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice: Perry is a 5'11", 170 lb. prospect with offers from Ball State, Central Michigan, and Eastern Michigan. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #140 wide receiver, and #1151 overall. He is 2015 Michigan quarterback commit Alex Malzone's top target.

John Reid - CB - Philadelphia (PA) St. Joseph's: Reid is a 5'10", 180 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, and Rutgers, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #11 cornerback, and #109 overall. He claims a 4.43 forty. Reid is also the teammate of 2015 Michigan offensive guard commit Jon Runyan, Jr.

Justin Tranquill - S - Fort Wayne (IN) Carroll: Tranquill is a 5'11", 175 lb. prospect with offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, and Indiana, among others. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #20 safety, and #329 overall. As a junior running back, he ran the ball 178 times for 1,475 yards and 18 touchdowns, caught 26 passes for 312 yards and 1 touchdown, and made 17 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 11 pass breakups. His brother Drue will be a freshman safety/linebacker at Notre Dame this fall.

Hit the jump for 2016 and 2017 prospects.

Visitors: June 13-15, 2014

St. Paul (MN) Cretin-Derham defensive end Jashon Cornell
(image via 247 Sports)

Several of these players will be in Detroit for the Sound Mind Sound Body camp, but these ones in particular are planning trips up I-94 to see Michigan's football facilities and meet with the coaching staff.

2015
Jashon Cornell - DE - St. Paul (MN) Cretin-Derham: Cornell is a 6'4", 260 lb. prospect with a top five of Alabama, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, and Ohio State. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #3 weakside end, and #37 overall. As a junior in 2013, he had 70 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 15 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 3 fumble recoveries (1 returned for a touchdown). Cornell recently named Michigan State his #1, but Michigan has consistently been in his top few schools.

Javaris Davis - CB - Jacksonville (FL) Ed White: Davis is a 5'9", 173 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, UCLA, USC, and Wisconsin, among others. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #45 running back, and #611 overall. He also claims a 4.47 forty. His brother Bryan was a safety at Georgia.

Jeffery Holland - LB - Jacksonville (FL) Trinity Christian: Holland is a 6'2", 230 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas, UCLA, and USC, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #4 outside linebacker, and #40 overall. He's committed to play in the Under Armour All-American Game. Holland traveled to Michigan with Davis (above).

Darrin Kirkland, Jr. - LB - Indianapolis (IN) Lawrence Central: Kirkland committed to Michigan in May (LINK).

Jacques Patrick - RB - Orlando (FL) Timber Creek: Patrick is a 6'3", 233 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Tennessee, and USC, along with many others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #2 running back, and #44 overall. As a junior in 2013, he ran the ball 231 times for 2,153 yards and 30 touchdowns. Patrick's cousin is a coach for Detroit (MI) King whom Jacques visits fairly regularly. The 247 Sports Crystal Ball is 97% in favor of Florida State at this time, and chances are slim that Patrick comes up north to play football.

John Reid - CB - Philadelphia (PA) St. Joseph's: Reid is a 5'10", 180 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, and Rutgers, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #11 cornerback, and #109 overall. He claims a 4.43 forty. Reid is also the teammate of 2015 Michigan offensive guard commit Jon Runyan, Jr.

Auden Tate - WR - Tampa (FL) Wharton: Tate is a 6'4", 195 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, and South Carolina, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #38 wide receiver, and #302 overall. As a junior in 2013, he had 49 receptions for 815 yards and 5 touchdowns. He recently released a top group "in no particular order" that had Michigan as the team listed first, which may or may not mean anything. Either way, the Wolverines are in the thick of it, and the 247 Sports Crystal Ball has Michigan with a plurality of votes.

D'Andre Walker - DE - Fairburn (GA) Langston Hughes: Walker is a 6'2", 218 lb. defensive end with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, Florida State, LSU, Ohio State, USC, and numerous others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #12 weakside end, and #161 overall.

2016
Kjetil Cline - WR - St. Paul (MN) East Ridge: Cline is a 6'0", 193 lb. prospect with offers from Pitt and Western Michigan. He claims a 4.45 forty. As a sophomore in 2013, he had 630 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns.

K.J. Costello - QB - Rancho Santa Margarita (CA) Catholic: Costello is a 6'4", 213 lb. prospect with offers from Florida State, Miami, Michigan, and Tennessee, among others. He's a 247 Sports 4-star, the #5 pro-style quarterback, and #139 overall. Costello is one of five quarterbacks Michigan has offered so far in the 2016 class, and he seems the most likely to choose Michigan at this early juncture.

Dylan Crawford - WR - La Canada Flintridge (CA) St. Francis: Crawford is a 6'1", 175 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona State, Oregon State, Tennessee, UCLA, and USC, among others. He is good friends and will be traveling with Costello, but seems less enthused about Michigan than some west coast schools.

Jovanny Garcia - DT - St. Paul (MN) East Ridge: Garcia is a 6'3", 270 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan State and Minnesota. He's a 247 Sports 4-star, the #16 defensive tackle, and #118 overall. He's a teammate of Cline (above) and plays in the same league with Jashon Cornell.

Patrice Rene - S - Ottawa (Ontario) St. Peter: Rene is a 6'1", 180 lb. prospect with offers from Indiana, Ohio State, Rutgers, and Syracuse, among others. He is reportedly moving from Canada to Virginia before his junior year to attend Alexandria (VA) Episcopal. Rene camped at Michigan in 2013.

Naseir Upshur - TE - Philadelphia (PA) Imhotep: Upshur is a 6'3", 232 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Michigan, Michigan State, Pitt, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, among others. He's a 247 Sports 4-star, the #5 tight end, and #166 overall. As a sophomore in 2013, he had 8 receptions for 240 yards and 4 touchdowns, along with 40 tackles and 12 sacks as a defensive end.

2017
Jonathan Sutherland - WR - Ottowa (Ontario) Pearson: Sutherland is a 5'10", 175 lb. prospect with an offer from Rutgers.

Luiji Villian - DE - Ottowa (Ontario) Pearson: Villian is a 6'3", 230 lb. prospect with offers from Minnesota and Rutgers. He attended the Sound Mind Sound Body football camp with teammate Sutherland (above).

Craig Yeast II - WR - Fremont (OH) Ross: Yeast is a 5'11", 160 lb. prospect with offers from Cincinnati and Kentucky. He claims a 4.5 forty, a 36.5" vertical, a 265 lb. bench, and a 415 lb. squat. Yeast is the son of former Kentucky wide receiver Craig Yeast, who at one time was the SEC's all-time leader in receptions (208) and second-leading receiving yardage leader (2,899 yards) after teaming up with future #1 draft pick Tim Couch. Yeast went on to be a 3rd round draft pick by the Cincinnati Bengals and played for the Jets before moving on to the Canadian Football League.

Recruiting Update: June 2, 2014

Lake Stevens (WA) Lake Stevens QB Jacob Eason

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Rancho Santa Margarita (CA) Santa Margarita Catholic quarterback K.J. Costello was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'4", 213 lb. prospect with offers from Cal, Florida State, Miami, Tennessee, and Virginia. 247 Sports ranks him as a 4-star, the #5 pro-style quarterback, and #139 overall in his class. Costello has a bit of a hitch in his throwing motion that slows down his release, but otherwise, he's got a strong arm with good accuracy. Michigan has now offered four quarterbacks in the 2016 class (two more are listed below, plus Dwayne Haskins, Jr. received his two weeks ago), and Costello seems the most enthusiastic about Michigan.

Lake Stevens (WA) Lake Stevens quarterback Jacob Eason was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'5", 205 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, and Tennessee, among others. He's a 247 Sports 5-star, the #1 pro-style quarterback, and #5 overall. As a sophomore in 2013, he completed 209/350 passes for 2,941 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. Eason is a tall, lanky kid with a very strong arm, good accuracy, and a high football IQ. Eason's father is Tony Eason (not that Tony Eason), a former wide receiver for the Fighting Irish.


Thousand Oaks (CA) Westlake quarterback Malik Henry was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'3", 180 lb. prospect with offers from Florida State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, UCLA, USC, and Wisconsin, among others. He's a 247 Sports 4-star, the #1 dual-threat quarterback, and #13 overall. Henry has a strong arm, and while he's listed as a dual-threat guy, he seems like one of those guys who likes to throw first but can move the chains well with his feet. Somewhat like a Devin Gardner, he can make plays from the pocket but his feet are an added bonus.

Panama City (FL) Bay defensive end Janarius Robinson was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'5", 230 lb. prospect with a 4.62 forty. He has offers from Clemson, Florida State, and Tennessee, among others. He's a 247 Sports 4-star, the #5 weakside end, and #65 overall. The front-runner appears to be Florida State, but Robinson is planning a trip to Ann Arbor for later in June.

Reisterstown (MD) Franklin wide receiver Steven Smothers was offered by Michigan. He's a 5'9", 152 lb. prospect with a 4.39 forty. He has offers from Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, Tennessee, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia, among others. He's a 247 Sports 4-star, the #9 wide receiver, and #62 overall. In a recent interview with MGoBlog, Smothers claimed to be from another planet and said he's the most dominant player in the 2016 class, so confidence is not lacking in this one. His teammate is 2015 offensive guard prospect Patrick Allen, who also holds a Michigan offer.

OFF THE BOARD
Merrillville (IN) Andrean linebacker Josh Barajas flipped from Penn State to Notre Dame. Penn State had some significant recruiting momentum, and this is a bit of a blow to what is still a very good recruiting class for the Nittany Lions. New coaches often bring at least a short wave of hype, so we'll see how long at lasts with James Franklin.

Jefferson City (MO) Helias tight end Hale Hentges committed to Alabama. Hentges had visited Michigan, but he has always been at least the third-most likely player at his position to commit to Michigan (behind Chris Clark and Tyrone Wheatley, Jr.), so this isn't a big blow.

MISCELLANEOUS
Here's a list of various kinds of lists:

• Weekend visitors to Michigan (LINK)
• Players attending the upcoming Michigan summer camp (LINK)
• Players attending Sound Mind Sound Body in Detroit (LINK)
• Players visited by Michigan's coaching staff in May (LINK)

Dallas (TX) Bishop Dunne wide receiver A.D. Miller will be visiting Michigan today. He's a 6'4", 175 lb. prospect with offers from Cal, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, and Tennessee, among others. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #130 wide receiver, and #1091 overall. As a junior in 2013, he had 38 catches for 500 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Last week on Recruiting Season, I profiled Saginaw Swan Valley's Alex Grace, Farmington's David Reese, Greenville's Stephen Eipper, and Battle Creek Harper Creek's Brandon Hutson.