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.

Whom might Michigan recruit before National Signing Day?

Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice wide receiver Grant Perry (image via 247Sports.com)

Michigan has several spots remaining in the 2015 class, and time is running short to fill out the class. At this juncture options are generally limited to guys from the region (Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, etc.) who may have visited Michigan on their own dime previously. Also, players committed to powerhouse schools generally won't flip their commitment, so Michigan's coaching staff has to consider players who have pledged to lower tier schools. All that being considered, here is at least one name from each position group to consider for a Michigan offer in the less than 48 hours before National Signing Day.

Quarterback: Michigan already has two quarterbacks in the 2015 class, but Muskegon (MI) Mona Shores' Tyree Jackson is probably the next best option in the state behind Alex Malzone. Jackson is 6'4", 210 lbs., has a fairly strong arm, and runs pretty well for his size. He's a 247 Composite 3-star and #24 in the state.

Running back: Auburn Hills (MI) Avondale's Joshuwa Holloman is a speedster, albeit one without a whole lot of wiggle. The 5'11", 180 lb. back has reported a 40 time in the 4.3's and is currently committed to Cincinnati. He's a 247 Composite 3-star and #13 in the state.

Fullback: Michigan was able to get Detroit (MI) Cass Tech linebacker/fullback Michael Oliver on campus this past weekend, even though he's a Central Michigan commit. While an offer has not yet been extended, he was Mike Weber's fullback in high school and could play on either side of the ball or special teams. He's a 247 Composite 3-star and #48 in the state.

Wide receiver: Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice wideout Grant Perry had been yearning for a Michigan offer, partly so he could play with the guy who threw him so many passes in high school, Alex Malzone. The former coaching regime had been keeping a close eye on him, but the new staff seemed to have put him on the back burner. A Northwestern commit, the 247 Composite 3-star and #12 in-state prospect stands 6'0", 185 lbs. and could be a reliable possession receiver.

Hit the jump for the rest of the positions.

In-state Preview of 2015 Recruiting

Saginaw (MI) Heritage wide receiver/defensive back Brian Cole is generally considered to be the top prospect in the state

Now a yearly tradition (see my 2014 list), here's my preview of in-state recruiting for the class of 2015. I have done my best to track prospects over the past year or two, and this is a list of nearly 70 rising seniors who have the potential to play Division I football. That number has jumped from 23 in 2013 to 44 in 2014 to its current number. As you can imagine, this was a pretty exhausting exercise, so I hope you enjoying reading/scanning the list, watching some of these guys play, and perhaps seeing some people you know or some kids who go to your alma mater. The state may not have the "star power" of guys like Drake Harris, Malik McDowell, and Damon Webb from the 2014 class, but I think this is a deeper group of players than the past couple seasons.

One note: I started compiling offer lists and such in mid-January, so some new offers may have come rolling in over the past couple weeks that are not noted for guys in the first quarter of the alphabet. Enjoy!

Joshua Alabi - DT - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: Alabi is a 6'5", 270 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, and Wisconsin. He's a 247 Composite 4-star, the #37 offensive tackle, #293 overall, and the #4 player in the state. For such a big-time prospect, there's not much film on Alabi from beyond his sophomore year. I have read that he wants to play defense, but some people around him are trying to convince him that he has a higher ceiling as an offensive lineman. Personally, I agree with those who think he fits better on offense. Cass Tech has generally been a Michigan pipeline, but Michigan State and Tennessee are the two front-runners.

The 2012 In-State Recruiting Battle

Mario Ojemudia is Michigan's top prospect, according to
the Detroit News

Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio has claimed in recent years that he cares more about in-state recruiting than Michigan, and that might have been true in the years when Rich Rodriguez was the head man at Michigan.  But the arrival of Brady Hoke might have swayed the favor in-state toward Ann Arbor.  Let's take a look at the top recruits in the state of Michigan, based on the Detroit News' blue-chip list:

1. Mario Ojemudia - DE - Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6'3", 225 lb. end - who also played a lot of defensive tackle - had 104 tackles and 14 sacks.  He considered Michigan State early, but committed to Michigan on May 7, 2011, and stuck with Michigan to the end.

2. Terry Richardson - CB - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 5'9", 160 lb. cornerback made 5 interceptions during his senior season.  He was a little later in committing than his in-state friends James Ross and Royce Jenkins-Stone, but he hopped on board on May 19, 2011.  He entertained taking visits to other schools, but mostly he was considering heading to SEC country rather than East Lansing.  However, Michigan's coaches told him that if he visited elsewhere, they wouldn't necessarily reserve a spot for him in the recruiting class.  He did not visit elsewhere and signed with Michigan.

3. James Ross - LB - Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary's
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6'0", 210 lb. linebacker made 173 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks as a senior.  He had committed to Michigan back on May 2, 2011, and remained committed throughout the process.

4. Royce Jenkins-Stone - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6'2", 215 lb. middle linebacker made 115 unassisted tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 2 interceptions as a senior.  He had committed to Michigan on April 16, 2011, and remained committed until National Signing Day.

5. Aaron Burbridge - WR - Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6'2", 185 lb. wideout reportedly wanted to commit to Michigan along with teammates Ojemudia and Devin Funchess, but he didn't have the grades to get into Michigan(that sentiment was confirmed by Michigan running backs coach Fred Jackson).  He committed to Michigan State on July 28, 2011, and signed with the Spartans on National Signing Day.

6. Matt Godin - DE - Novi (MI) Catholic Central
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6'6", 270 lb. defensive end/tackle made 70 tackles and 9 sacks as a senior.  He committed to Michigan on May 12, 2011, and signed with Michigan.

7. Devin Funchess - TE - Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6'4", 215 lb. tight end committed to Michigan on April 22, 2011, and signed with Michigan in February.

8. Danny O'Brien - DT - Flint (MI) Powers Catholic
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6'2", 293 lb. defensive tackle considered both in-state schools heavily, but committed to Tennessee on October 6, 2011, and signed with the Volunteers in February.

9. Ron Thompson - TE - Southfield (MI) Southfield
Offered by: Michigan only
The 6'4", 230 lb. tight end made 57 receptions for 729 yards and 9 touchdowns as a senior.  He was offered by Michigan early in the process but the Wolverines reportedly backed off due to some classroom issues.  He committed to Syracuse on November 7, 2011, and signed with the Orangemen in February.

10. Ben Braden - OT - Rockford (MI) Rockford
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6'7", 320 lb. offensive tackle committed to Michigan on March 24, 2011.  He signed with the Wolverines in February.

11. Evan Winston - DE - Muskegon (MI) Muskegon
Offered by: Neither in-state school
The 6'4", 255 lb. defensive end committed to Missouri on July 23, 2011, and signed with the Tigers in February.

12. Jamal Lyles - LB - Southfield (MI) Lathrup
Offered by: Michigan State only
The 6'3", 215 lb. linebacker made 135 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, and 4 interceptions.  He committed to Michigan State on June 23, 2011, and signed with the Spartans in February.

13. Drake Johnson - RB - Ann Arbor (MI) Pioneer
Offered by: Michigan only
The 6'1", 215 lb. running back ran for 2,805 yards and 38 touchdowns as a senior.  He committed to Michigan on November 10, 2011, almost immediately after receiving an offer, and signed with Michigan in February.

14. Dennis Norfleet - RB - Detroit (MI) King
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 5'6", 180 lb. had 2,033 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior.  He was committed to Cincinnati for several months, but he switched his commitment to Michigan on the eve of National Signing Day.

15. Ruben Lile - LB - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
Offered by: Neither in-state school
Lile committed to Iowa on August 27, 2011, and signed with the Hawkeyes in February.

NOT RANKED:
Riley Bullough - LB - Traverse City (MI) St. Francis
Offered by: Michigan State only
Bullough committed to Michigan State on April 30, 2011.

Kodi Kieler - OT - Gibraltar (MI) Carlson
Offered by: Michigan State only
Kieler committed to Michigan State on August 8, 2011.

SUMMARY
Ten players were offered by both Michigan and Michigan State.  Eight of them picked Michigan, including six of the top seven.  One picked Michigan State (although, as mentioned above, it sounded like Michigan wouldn't accept his commitment so he went with Plan B).  The other picked Tennessee.

Michigan went after two players who were not offered by MSU.  One picked Michigan.  The other picked Syracuse.

Michigan State went after three players who were not offered by Michigan.  All three picked MSU.

I think it's fair to say that Michigan kicked Michigan State's tail when it comes to recruiting in the state.  Brady Hoke 8, Mark Dantonio 1.  I look forward to seeing what 2013 brings.  It's already 1-0 in Michigan's favor with Warren (MI) De La Salle quarterback Shane Morris pledging to be a Wolverine.