Visitors: July 17-19, 2015

Gibsonton (FL) East Bay cornerback K.J. Sails

Chris Brown of Smart Football  has put out a new book called The Art of Smart Football. You can find it on Amazon (LINK).
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Tony Butler - CB - Lakewood (OH) St. Edward: Butler is a 6'2", 195 lb. prospect who decommitted from Pitt recently; he also has offers from Arizona State, Maryland, Michigan, Nebraska, and others. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #57 cornerback, and #622 overall. His former head coach, Rick Finotti, was hired to be Michigan's director of football operations this past winter by Jim Harbaugh. Butler is thought to be leaning toward committing to the Wolverines.

Marlon Davidson - DE - Montgomery (AL) Greenville: Davidson is a 6'3", 260 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Michigan, and several others. He's a 247 Composite 5-star, the #3 strongside end, and #22 overall. He attended Michigan's satellite camp in Prattville, AL, and has expressed interest in Michigan. However, he is an Auburn legacy and considered to be a lean to the Tigers. UPDATE: For the second time in two months, a visit from Davidson has been canceled/postponed. He was supposed to visit Michigan in mid-June and mid-July, but instead he is visiting Auburn and Georgia this weekend.

Brad Hawkins, Jr. - WR - Camden (NJ) Camden: Hawkins committed to Michigan earlier this month (LINK). He is also expected to return for Michigan's BBQ at the Big House on August 2.

Ron Johnson, Jr. - DE - Camden (NJ) Camden: Johnson committed to Michigan in June (LINK). He will visit for the BBQ at the Big House, too.

K.J. Sails - S - Gibsonton (FL) East Bay: Sails is a 5'11", 170 lb. prospect with offers from Iowa, Rutgers, and Wisconsin, among others. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #57 cornerback, and #622 overall.

Ron Johnson Jr., Wolverine

Camden (NJ) Camden defensive end Ron Johnson, Jr.

Camden (NJ) Camden defensive end Ron Johnson, Jr. committed to Michigan on Thursday. He chose the Wolverines over offers from Alabama, Miami, Michigan State, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Rutgers, and South Carolina, among others.

Johnson is 6'4", 240 lbs. He claims a 4.6 forty. As a junior in 2014, he made 84 tackles, 60 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks.

RATINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 83 grade, #16 DE, #103 overall
Rivals: 4-star, #6 WDE, #109 overall
Scout: 3-star, #48 DE
247 Sports: 4-star, 92 grade, #17 WDE, #231 overall

Johnson was offered by Michigan's new staff, and the Wolverines immediately jumped to at or near the top of the list. He visited Ann Arbor in late March, and that visit solidified their position along with South Carolina. There were rumors recently that Michigan was concerned about his size and that he would not be a "take" for the Wolverines. Obviously, those rumors were not true, especially after Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison OLB/DE Khalid Kareem committed to Alabama on Wednesday. Johnson and several other players (LINK) arrived on Wednesday evening, and Johnson was committed by Thursday afternoon.

I wrote a scouting report on Johnson back in May, which tells you most of what I think about him (LINK).

I have said several times - including in the comments section of Johnson's scouting report - that I was not too disappointed in Khalid Kareem's commitment to Alabama because Michigan had better options. I think Johnson is a step up. I believe he could play Buck linebacker, weakside end, or even perhaps strongside end in a few years. He is a good physical specimen who can sometimes get a little lackadaisical with his technique, but the potential is there to be a very good player.

Michigan now has 20 commitments for the 2016 class, and Johnson joins Rashad Weaver at defensive end, the latter of whom is more of a strongside guy. The Wolverines have added 14 commits in just the month of June. They now rank #7 in the 247 Composite team rankings.

Johnson's teammate, Brad Hawkins, is a 2016 wide receiver who was supposed to visit with this New Jersey crew, but he had to postpone to mid-July. Hawkins posted on Twitter that he might like to announce on his birthday, which is July 26. His two leaders are also Michigan and South Carolina. Additionally, the Wolverines offered their 2017 teammate, center/guard Cesar Ruiz.

TTB Rating: 83 (ratings explanation)

Visitors: June 26-28, 2015

Egg Harbor City (NJ) Cedar Creek wide receiver Ahmir Mitchell

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With the exception of Gary, the players below will be in town Wednesday through Friday.

2016
Rashan Gary - DT - Paramus (NJ) Catholic: I wrote a scouting report on Gary back in May (LINK). His Crystal Ball has 44% of votes in favor of Alabama and 38% for Michigan.

Brad Hawkins - WR - Camden (NJ) Camden: Hawkins is a 6'1", 202 lb. prospect with offers from Auburn, Florida, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Rutgers, and South Carolina, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #38 wide receiver, #203 overall, and #7 in the Garden State. As a junior in 2014, he caught 51 passes for 748 yards and 11 touchdowns while also rushing for 255 yards and 2 scores; on defense, he made 40 tackles and 3 picks, all 3 of which he returned for touchdowns. Michigan and South Carolina seem to be the two front-runners. UPDATE: Hawkins rescheduled his visit for July 18th.

Hit the jump for the rest of the visitors.

Scouting Report: Ron Johnson, Jr.

Name: Ron Johnson
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 240 lbs.
High school: Camden (NJ) Camden
Position: Defensive end
Class: 2016

Notes: Holds offers from Arizona State, Boston College, Kentucky, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Old Dominion, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, South Carolina, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin . . . ESPN 4-star, #11 defensive end, #73 overall . . . Rivals 4-star, #5 weakside end, #96 overall . . . Scout 3-star, #48 defensive end . . . 247 Sports 4-star, #14 weakside end, #220 overall

Strengths: Good frame to stay at defensive end . . . Plenty of room to add weight . . . Long arms . . . Uses hands well to shed blockers . . . Quick, compact swim move . . . Good awareness and nose for football . . . Enough speed and tenacity to chase down plays from backside . . . Violent hitter . . . Runs feet after contact . . . Plays with chip on his shoulder . . . Takes good angles . . . Good straight-line speed and agility . . . Fast enough to threaten the edge with speed rush

Weaknesses: Can play too high on interior . . . Needs to improve explosiveness of first step . . . Needs to diversify pass rush repertoire . . . Sometimes gets lazy with tackling technique

Projection: Defensive end. Depending on how his body develops, Johnson could play either the weakside end or strongside end position. He does not have the speed and suddenness to be a complete terror as a pass rusher, but he has enough speed to be a consistent threat and enough tenacity to finish plays with hustle. Johnson is a high-floor player who, at the very least, should be able to hold his own against the run and make some Brennen Beyer- or Craig Roh-like plays on the quarterback. There are times in his film where he crushes lead blockers, and he has a violent way about his play that makes me think he likes punishing anyone with an opposing jersey.

Reminds me of: Frank Clark. I mentioned Beyer and Roh up above as kind of Johnson's floor, but when Clark was clicking, he was very tough to deal with. Johnson is probably a little taller and his game is more developed at this point, but both guys have good frames, a good wingspan, and a nasty attitude.

Likelihood of committing to Michigan: Johnson recently named a top fifteen that included Michigan, and the Wolverines have even been reported to be in his top two schools (along with South Carolina). Johnson visited Michigan this spring with teammate Brad Hawkins, who also holds a Michigan offer. The Wolverines have as good of a shot as anyone.

Highlights:

Recruiting Update: April 27, 2015

Brooklyn (NY) Poly Prep offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson (image via Scout)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Lakewood (OH) St. Edward cornerback Tony Butler, a Pitt commit, was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'2", 195 lb. prospect who also holds offers from Arizona State, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, and Rutgers, among others. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #56 cornerback, and #600 overall. As a junior in 2014, he made 27 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 10 pass breakups. He's a big corner who might project best to safety. Butler played for Michigan's new director of football operations, Rick Finotti, who was head coach at St. Edward through last season. Despite maintaining a hard commitment to Pitt, Butler is expected to at least put some thought into attending Michigan, a school he visited in early April.

Cranford (NJ) Cranford offensive tackle Will Fries was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'6", 270 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Maryland, Miami, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, and South Carolina, among others. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #38 offensive tackle, and #392 overall. Fries is a big, lean body who's aggressive and bends well, but his footwork needs a lot of refinement. The Nittany Lions appear to be the favorite.

Hit the jump for a new 2017 offer, some guys who committed elsewhere, and some random tidbits.

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.