Recruiting Update: May 18, 2015

Chris Singletary (image via MLive.com)

RECRUITING STAFF NEWS
Over the last couple weeks, news has come out about Michigan's recruiting staff. Most significantly, director of player personnel Chris Singletary is out. The former Michigan linebacker reportedly created a bit of a rift in recruiting circles around the state of Michigan. The story goes that he only had strong relationships with a few schools - the ones that would have perennial FBS prospects - and largely ignored a lot of the other coaching staffs in the state, except when they would have a blue-chip prospect. Now that he's gone, some of those traditionally talent-laden schools are miffed. There are rumors floating about that Singletary burned some bridges to Michigan on the way out, too. Contrary to that rumor, Scout's Sam Webb says that Singletary is being considered for an administrative job within the athletic department, which would be an odd move for a guy who allegedly bad-mouthed the program toward the end. Webb is typically a trusted source, but he is also friendly with Singletary, so the truth might lie somewhere in the middle.

Meanwhile, former Paramus (NJ) Catholic head coach Chris Partridge, who was hired a few months ago, is now the lead man in the recruiting office. He and Matt Doherty are handling the majority of recruiting info, but Jim Harbaugh has also pulled out the ace he had up his sleeve: Erik Campbell. Campbell, who played and coached at Michigan, spent time with Iowa and the Montreal Alouettes in recent years. He was hired to work in the football program this offseason, and now it looks like he will have the task of maintaining and/or mending relationships in the state. Campbell, who grew up in Indiana, was an associate head coach under Lloyd Carr and has a very good reputation. I expect Campbell to return to coaching before too long (whether on Michigan's staff or elsewhere), but in the meantime, I think it's an excellent move by Harbaugh to put him on the recruiting trail.

Now hit the jump for some new 2016 and 2018 offers, plus some guys who committed elsewhere and some random bits.

In-State Preview of 2016 Recruiting

Detroit (MI) King wide receiver Donnie Corley

In past years I've listed the upcoming class's prospects in alphabetical order, but this year I'm going to try something different. Based on their junior film, I'm going to rank the prospects in order of their talent level. Things can always changed based on spring/summer camps, fall performance, body maturation, etc., but this is how I see these guys here in the winter of 2015. Note that I ranked these players before compiling their recruiting rankings from other services, although I am aware of rankings peripherally since I cover recruiting quite a bit. There is also a dearth of linemen on the list, partly because linemen take a little longer to mature and pop up on the radar.

1. Donnie Corley - WR - Detroit (MI) King: King is 6'2", 180 lbs. and a 247 Composite 4-star, the #24 wide receiver, and #111 overall. As a junior in 2014, he had 47 receptions for 1,087 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also made 9 picks on defense. So far he has offers from LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Wisconsin, among others. I do think he could play corner at the next level, but I think he's such a strong north-south runner and a natural pass catcher that he would be best served playing offense.

2. Lavert Hill - CB - Detroit (MI) King: Hill is a 5'11", 170 lb. prospect who committed to Penn State recently; he also holds offers from Miami, Michigan, and Ohio State, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #21 cornerback, and #218 overall. He claims a 4.4 forty. He's also the younger brother of Michigan sophomore safety Delano Hill. Lavert himself played at Detroit (MI) Cass Tech through his junior season, but he will be playing for King this coming fall. Lavert is an aggressive corner - perhaps too aggressive, since he gets called or should get called for lots of pass interference - who shows good speed, nice hips, and smooth ball skills.

3. Matt Falcon - RB - Southfield (MI) Southfield: Falcon is a 6'1", 215 lb. prospect with offers from Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio State, and Tennessee, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #15 running back, and #219 overall. He also claims a 4.41 forty. Maybe I'm imagining things, but as a junior, it still appeared that he a bit of a hitch in his giddyap after an ACL tear suffered as a sophomore. Falcon runs with good body lean, some violence, and good speed despite the knee injury.

Hit the jump for 35 more prospects from within the state.

Scout 300 for 2016 updated

Detroit (MI) King wide receiver Donnie Corley is the highest rated player in Michigan

Scout updated their top 300 players for the class of 2016 (LINK). Offensive tackle commit Erik Swenson comes in at #100 overall. Here are the rest of Michigan's offerees:

5-stars:
1. Rashan Gary - DT - New Jersey
5. Greg Little - OT - Texas (Texas A&M)
7. Shea Patterson - QB - Louisiana
9. Caleb Kelly - LB - California
13. Kareem Walker - RB - New Jersey (Ohio State)
14. Kendell Jones - DT - Texas
17. Nate Craig - WR - Florida (Auburn)
18. Levonta Taylor - CB - Virginia

4-stars:
19. Ben Bredeson - OT - Wisconsin
20. Ed Oliver - DT - Texas
22. Jacob Eason - QB - Washington (Georgia)
28. Richard Merritt - OG - Washington, DC
29. Dexter Lawrence - DT - North Carolina
32. Malik Henry - QB - California (Florida State)
33. Tommy Kraemer - OT - Ohio (Notre Dame)
36. K.J. Costello - QB - California
38. Willie Allen - OT - Louisiana
39. Brandon Jones - S - Texas
41. Michael Menet - OT - Pennsylvania
46. Ben Cleveland - OT - Georgia (Georgia)
48. Kaden Smith - TE - Texas
49. Ahmir Mitchell - WR - New Jersey
51. Dylan Crawford - WR - California
54. Jaquan Yulee - LB - Virginia
55. Liam Eichenberg - OT - Ohio
61. Collin Johnson - WR - Texas (Texas)
64. Sam Bruce - WR - Florida (Miami)
66. Jeffrey McCulloch - LB - Texas
69. Devin Asiasi - TE - California
70. Deontay Anderson - S - Texas
72. Clark Yarbrough - OT - Virginia
74. Austin Mack - WR - Indiana
77. Janarius Robinson - DE - Florida (Florida State)
79. Antonio Williams - RB - North Carolina (Wisconsin)
82. Mike Williams - DT - Texas
84. Jake Hausmann - TE - Ohio (Ohio State)
86. Binjimen Victor - WR - Florida
88. Auston Robertson - DE - Indiana
89. Theo Howard - WR - California
95. Rahshaun Smith - DE - Florida
98. Miles Sanders - RB - Pennsylvania (Penn State)
100. Erik Swenson - OT - Illinois (Michigan)
103. Josh King - DE - Illinois
105. Trayvon Mullen - CB - Florida
106. Donnie Corley - WR - Michigan
107. Isaac Nauta - TE - Georgia (Florida State)
108. Demetris Robertson - WR - Alabama (Alabama)
112. Scott Bracey - WR - Virginia (Duke)
114. E.J. Price - OT - Georgia
118. Michael Jordan - OT - Michigan
121. Shaquille Quarterman - LB - Florida (Miami)
123. Jordan Fuller - CB - New Jersey
127. Jarrett Guarantano - QB - New Jersey
132. John Broussard - CB - Alabama
135. Camilo Eifler - LB - California
136. Steven Smothers - WR - Maryland
145. Brad Hawkins - WR - New Jersey
146. Jauan Williams - OT - Washington, DC
147. Daelin Hayes - LB - Michigan (USC)
154. Luke Farrell - TE - Ohio
160. Erick Fowler - LB - California
161. Justin Layne - WR - Ohio
166. Michael Onwenu - DT - Michigan
169. Lavert Hill - CB - Michigan (Penn State)
171. Curtis Robinson - LB - California
174. Dontavious Jackson - LB - Texas
181. Kentrail Moran - RB - Illinois
189. Marquel Dismuke - S - California
196. Darrian Franklin - LB - California
203. Tavares Chase - WR - Florida (Clemson)
205. Naseir Upshur - TE - Pennsylvania
209. Levi Onwuzurike - DE - Texas
210. Jordan Woods - DE - Florida
213. Calvin Bundage - LB - Oklahoma
215. Wayne Davis - CB - Virginia
227. Dwayne Haskins, Jr. - QB - Maryland
229. David Long, Jr. - WR - California
237. Robert Washington - RB - North Carolina
247. Khalid Kareem - DE - Michigan
250. Thiyo Lukusa - OT - Michigan
255. Devery Hamilton - OT - Maryland
257. Elijah Holyfield - RB - Georgia
258. Damar Hamlin - CB - Pennsylvania
263. C.J. Pollard - S - California
265. Josh Brown - DE - North Carolina (Florida State)
282. Connor Murphy - DE - Arizona
287. Terrance Davis - OG - Maryland
292. James Valdez - CB - South Carolina (North Carolina State)
293. Craig Watts - S - Florida
297. Eric Cuffee - CB - Texas

Visitors: Michigan vs. Minnesota

Reisterstown (MD) Franklin offensive tackle Patrick Allen is a Georgia commit (image via 247Sports.com)

2015
Patrick Allen - OT - Reisterstown (MD) Franklin: Allen is a 6'5", 286 lb. prospect who committed to Georgia in early August. He also holds offers from Arkansas, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Ohio State, and USC, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #27 offensive tackle, and #277 overall. This is his official visit to Michigan, the school that supposedly finished #2 to the Bulldogs, despite the fact that he has never been to Ann Arbor before.

Jack Dunaway - DE - Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice: Dunaway is a 6'3", 212 lb. prospect who committed to Michigan as a preferred walk-on. His father, Craig, is a former Michigan tight end.

Alex Malzone - QB - Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice: Malzone committed to Michigan back in May (LINK).

Tyrone Miller - S - Saline (MI) Saline: Miller is a 6'0", 178 lb. prospect with offers from Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, and Western Michigan, among others. He camped at Michigan back in June.

Grant Perry - WR - Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice: Perry is a 6'0", 185 lb. prospect with offers from several MAC schools. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #130 wide receiver, and #1054 overall. He would almost certainly commit to Michigan if an offer comes, but the Wolverines have a small projected class and a pretty good stable of receivers at this point. Statistically, he's currently the state's top receiver.

Mike Weber - RB - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Weber committed to Michigan in August (LINK).

Hit the jump for 2016 and 2017 prospects.

Visitors: February 21-23, 2014

Traverse City (MI) West offensive
lineman Thiyo Lukusa

Asmar Bilal - LB - Indianapolis (IN) Ben Davis: Bilal is a 6'3", 201 lb. prospect with offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Northwestern, among others. As a junior in 2013, he had 106 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 1 fumble recovery. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #7 inside linebacker, and the #208 player overall.

Brian Cole - WR - Saginaw (MI) Heritage: Cole is a 6'2", 190 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State, along with several others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #5 athlete, the #57 player overall, and the top in-state player for 2015.

Donnie Corley - WR - Wyandotte (MI) Roosevelt: Corley is a 6'2", 160 lb. prospect for 2016. He recently won a Best of the Midwest camp MVP and looks like a promising prospect going forward. He also visited Michigan last weekend.

Shaun Crawford - CB - Lakewood (OH) St. Edward: Crawford committed to Michigan in August 2013.

Andrew David - K - Massillon (OH) Washington: David committed to Michigan in June 2013.

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. I profiled him in the In-State Preview of 2015 Recruiting.

David Edwards - QB/TE - Downers Grove (IL) North: Edwards is a 6'6", 225 lb. prospect with offers from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Vanderbilt, and Wisconsin, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #34 athlete, and the #303 player overall. Despite being ranked in some circles as a quarterback, I think his best chance of earning a Michigan offer would be as a tight end.

Desmond Fitzpatrick - WR - Farmington (MI) Farmington: Fitzpatrick is a 6'1", 165 lb. prospect for 2016 with a lone offer from Indiana. He may visit this weekend, and that would be the second weekend in a row for him to be on campus.

Kevin Givens - LB - Altoona (PA) Altoona: Givens is a 6'3", 230 lb. prospect with offers from Pitt, Temple, UMass, and Western Michigan. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #30 weakside end, and #727 overall for the 2015 class. Givens looks like a 'tweener OLB/WDE. He also stopped by Ann Arbor in late January, so his interest in the Wolverines appears to be pretty legitimate. UPDATE: Givens committed to Pitt on Tuesday, so he is probably not planning to visit.

Damien Harris - RB - Berea (KY) Madison Southern: Harris, one of the top running backs in the 2015 class, decommitted from Michigan in January. A number of other schools have swooped in on him now that he's a "free agent" but Michigan and Ohio State still seem to be the leaders.

Daelin Hayes - LB - Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary's: Hayes is a 6'2", 210 lb. prospect for 2016 with an offer from Michigan State. He also plays running back, but I think he lacks the suddenness to be a runner at the next level. He's the cousin of Michigan running back Justice Hayes.

Troy Henderson, Jr. - LB - Lakewood (OH) St. Edward: Henderson is a 6'1", 215 lb. prospect with offers from Cincinnati and Toledo. He claims a 4.6 forty, a 4.2 shuttle, a 33" vertical, a 330 lb. bench, and a 425 lb. squat. As a junior in 2013, he had over 100 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 8 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles. He's a teammate of Michigan cornerback commit Shaun Crawford.

Darrin Kirkland, Jr. - LB - Indianapolis (IN) Lawrence Central: Kirkland is a 6'2", 228 lb. prospect with offers from Illinois, Indiana, Louisville, Ole Miss, Penn State, Purdue, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #5 inside linebacker, and #199 overall. As a junior in 2013, he had 110 tackles and 8 sacks. He has visited Michigan multiple times, and while Michigan does not appear to be going hard after inside linebackers at the moment, Kirkland may be in line for an offer sooner or later.

Thiyo Lukusa - OG - Traverse City (MI) West: Lukusa is a 6'5", 300 lb. prospect for 2016 with offers from Akron, Michigan, Michigan State, and Wisconsin. Several insider types believe Lukusa is leaning toward Michigan.

Harrison Moon - OT - Signal Mountain (TN) Signal Mountain: Moon is a 6'5", 260 lb. prospect with offers from Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt. He plays some tight end in high school, but he will probably be a tackle at the next level. He had 5 receptions for 100 yards as a junior in 2013. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #21 tight end, and the #788 player overall.

Kentrail Moran - RB - O'Fallon (IL) O'Fallon: Moran is a 5'10", 180 lb. prospect for 2016 with offers from Illinois and Northern Illinois. He claims a 4.4 forty, a 30" vertical, and a 10.9 time in the 100 meters. As a sophomore in 2013, he had 1,140 rushing yards and 172 receiving yards to go with 14 total touchdowns. His class of 2014 teammate Dewayne Hendrix, a defensive end, signed with Tennessee earlier this month. UPDATE: Moran was unable to make it to Ann Arbor this weekend.

Jeff Thomas - WR - East St. Louis (IL) East St. Louis: Thomas is a 5'10", 167 lb. prospect for 2017 with offers from Kansas, Michigan, and Syracuse. As a freshman in 2013, he had 54 catches for 944 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was a teammate of 2014 Michigan offeree Kyron Watson (Kansas) and will likely be traveling with Kentrail Moran. UPDATE: Moran was going to be Thomas's ride to Ann Arbor, so he also did not visit.

Tyriq Thompson - LB - Detroit (MI) King: I did a scouting report on Thompson a few weeks ago.

Mike Weber - RB - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Weber is a 5'11", 190 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Michigan State, and Wisconsin, along with several others. Weber had reportedly been leaning toward Michigan State prior to the hiring of offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, but this will be the second weekend in a row he has spent in Ann Arbor and Nussmeier appears to have piqued Weber's interest. UPDATE: Weber was unable to make it to the Michigan basketball game on Sunday afternoon.

Recruiting Update: January 13, 2014

Wayne (NJ) DePaul running back Kareem Walker

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Clemmons (NC) West Forsyth defensive end Jalen Dalton was offered by Michigan. Dalton is a 6'5", 220 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Florida State, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #8 weakside end, and #96 overall. Dalton is a long, athletic kid who makes a lot of plays with his speed, knocking down passes, etc. and I like the enthusiasm and energy I see in his highlights. He could afford to be more physical, and that could happen as his frame fills out, but he looks like a weakside end all the way.

Randleman (NC) Randleman wide receiver Juval Mollette was offered by Michigan. Mollette is a 6'4", 187 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Ohio State, and Tennessee, among others. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #25 wide receiver, and the #209 player overall. Mollette is a tall, long-striding receiver who's in the mold of a physical, jump ball type of guy rather than a burner. He appears to be leaning toward North Carolina at this point in his recruitment, despite a pretty good offer list.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Traverse City (MI) West offensive tackle Thiyo Lukusa was offered by Michigan. Lukusa is a 6'5", 300 lb. prospect with offers from Akron, Michigan State, and Wisconsin; all but the Michigan State offer came on Thursday of last week. While he plays left tackle in high school, he looks to me like a future offensive guard. Lukusa camped at Michigan in June 2013 and was considered to be a Michigan lean if they offered, but the Spartans' early offer had him considering committing to the bad guys. The Wolverines might be playing from behind, but a spate of new offers could slow down the process.

Wayne (NJ) De Paul running back Kareem Walker was offered by Michigan. Walker is a 6'1", 195 lb. prospect with offers from Penn State, Rutgers, and Temple. As a sophomore in 2013, he had 115 carries for 1,164 yards and 12 touchdowns. Not just because of his dreadlocks, but if you watch his highlight film, his acceleration and stride are reminiscent of Denard Robinson. Walker is a different style of runner overall, but watching him burst upfield brings back good memories.

OFF THE BOARD
Washington (DC) Friendship Collegiate cornerback Jalen Tabor stiffed Arizona and former Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez when he flipped from the Wildcats to the Florida Gators. Tabor had just committed to Arizona less than a week before flipping, so they didn't have much time to celebrate the recruiting victory. An early enrollee, Tabor is planning to start classes today, so Rodriguez won't have a chance to sway him back before National Signing Day.

MISCELLANEOUS
This isn't worth putting in its own post, but some of the early enrollees posted on Twitter the jersey numbers they'll wear to start their careers. Quarterback Wilton Speight will wear #19, wide receiver Drake Harris #14, defensive tackle Bryan Mone #90, and linebacker Michael Ferns #46.