Grant Newsome, Wolverine

Grant Newsome (image via 247 Sports)

Lawrenceville (NJ) Lawrenceville School offensive tackle Grant Newsome committed to Michigan this morning. His other top choice was Penn State, and he also held offers from Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Ohio State, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, among others.

Newsome is listed at 6'6" or 6'7" and 280-290 lbs.

RATINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 81 grade, #25 OT, #235 overall
Rivals: 4-star, #21 OT, #199 overall
Scout: 4-star, #20 OT, #215 overall
247 Sports: 4-star, 92 grade, #22, #192 overall

Newsome, who is originally from McLean, VA, attends private school in New Jersey. He was offered just before National Signing Day 2014, which immediately catapulted the Wolverines up near the top of his list. In the meantime, he took visits to some east coast and midwest schools, including a couple to Ann Arbor and a couple to Penn State. His most recent visit to Penn State allegedly included a message from head coach James Franklin that Brady Hoke would not be Michigan's coach by 2015, which rubbed Newsome the wrong way a little bit. He went ahead and publicly committed to Michigan via Twitter, where he posted a letter thanking various family members and coaches.

I wrote up an in-depth scouting report on Newsome back in March (LINK), so there's not much to add regarding his playing style.

As for how he fits at Michigan, the Wolverines are somewhat low on tackles. Redshirt sophomore Erik Magnuson will presumably hold the job for the remainder of his career, which takes us through 2016. After him on the left tackle depth chart is redshirt freshman Logan Tuley-Tillman or true freshmen Juwann Bushell-Beatty and Mason Cole. I believe Bushell-Beatty and Cole will be best suited playing guard or right tackle, but they are possibilities to succeed Magnuson. Tuley-Tillman could also play right tackle. Out of that group, Newsome fits the blind-side tackle prototype best, and he could be starting by his redshirt sophomore year in 2017.

Newsome gives Michigan seven commits in the class of 2015, which is currently scheduled to consist of twelve players. He is also the second lineman, joining guard/center prospect Jon Runyan, Jr. The Wolverines have been handing out several offers along the offensive line over the past couple months, so I would expect them to continue recruiting the line.

TTB Rating: 84 (ratings explanation)

Highlights are available on Hudl.

2014 Season Countdown: #68 Kenny Allen

Kenny Allen

Name: Kenny Allen
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 230 lbs.
High school: Fenton (MI) Fenton
Position: Punter
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #91
Last year: I ranked Allen #79 and said he would be the backup punter. He punted 1 times for 51 yards.

Michigan has been in somewhat of an odd position for the past few years with three scholarship kickers on the roster, although it has paid off at times since at least two of them are knuckleheads. Punter Will Hagerup got himself suspended for the entire 2013 season and parts of every other year during his college career. Placekicker Brendan Gibbons got himself booted out of school for an alleged rape. The only one to keep his nose clean has been the backup to both positions, Matt Wile, who is reportedly a very good kid. Allen has been waiting in the wings for a position (and a scholarship), and his lone appearance in 2013 suggests he'll be ready whenever the opportunity arises - he had a 51-yard punt against Central Michigan in the opener.

Now that Gibbons is off the roster, Wile will be the full-time placekicker, so that leaves the punting position to Hagerup, a former All-Big Ten punter. With Hagerup's history of stupidity and suspension, there's a good chance that Allen will be needed at some point - or at all points - to be Michigan's punter. Whenever Hagerup finds himself moving on to the next stage of his life, Allen appears poised to become the next starter at the position.

Prediction: Backup punter until Hagerup does another stupid thing

MLive: Taylor Lewan speaks out on the team

Taylor Lewan talked to Bill King about the team, Derrick Green, Devin Gardner, etc. Take his comments about "leadership" with a grain of salt.

Hit the jump for Adrianne Palicki, who looked pretty great in G.I. Joe: Retaliation  when I was bored the other day and scouring Netflix.

2014 Season Countdown: #69 Ross Douglas

Ross Douglas

Name: Ross Douglas
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 186 lbs.
High school: Avon (OH) Avon
Position: Running back
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #29
Last year: I ranked Douglas #66 and said he would be a backup cornerback and special teamer. He redshirted.

Douglas enrolled early in January of 2013, which should have given him a bit of a leg up on some of the other freshman corners. By the time the season rolled around, however, he was behind fellow freshmen Jourdan Lewis and Channing Stribling. With a couple seasoned players at the position, Douglas sat out the year. After the hiring of offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, the coaches moved Douglas to running back, a position he played successfully in high school. Without an emerging player at the position, they thought he might add an element of speed and provide some competition.

Now going into the 2014 season, it appears Michigan will have a plethora of options at running back going forward. Sophomores Derrick Green and DeVeon Smith return, and sophomore Ty Isaac (who may or may not be eligible this year) just transferred in from USC, which likely pushes Douglas further down the depth chart. He was unlikely to contribute much this year, anyway, but hopes of playing in the long-term may be dimming. In the short term, the scat back role can be filled by redshirt junior Justice Hayes. Douglas's best bet for playing time is probably on special teams coverage, but Michigan has some older guys who are probably more suited to filling those roles. I expect Douglas to watch most of this season from the bench.

Prediction: Backup running back

USA Today: Where the SEC gets its football players

You won't find anything groundbreaking in Dave Bartoo's article about where the Southeastern Conference gets its players (surprise! from the southeast!), but it's interesting to look at the heat maps of where their players went to high school.

Hit the jump for Jessica Cribbon, the poor girl whose tank-top-type thing seems to be falling apart.

2014 Season Countdown: #70 Maurice Ways

Maurice Ways

Name: Maurice Ways
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 195 lbs.
High school: Detroit (MI) Country Day
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Ways was a senior in high school. He finished as a 247 Composite 3-star, the #77 wide receiver, and #494 overall. He had 55 receptions for 1,261 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Final TTB Rating: 77

Ways had a bit of an underwhelming offer list when he committed to Michigan last April (Iowa, Pitt, Rutgers, some MAC schools), but for the life of me, I can't figure out why he wouldn't be a 4-star recruit to the recruiting services. Ways struggled with catching the ball early in his high school career, but that issue improved as he gave up basketball and concentrated on football. A tall guy with good leaping ability and speed makes for a huge catch radius. Either way, he enters a phase of his career where star ratings don't matter anymore.

Ways is perhaps more physically ready to play as a freshman than the other two wide receivers in his class, but Freddy Canteen had the spring to get ready and brings an element of speed that is somewhat lacking in the experienced players. Whether Ways plays or not depends largely upon how deep the coaching staff wants to go with the receivers. At least one receiver seems to play each year with no discernible benefit (Junior Hemingway, Toney Clemons, Drew Dileo, Jeremy Jackson, Da'Mario Jones, Csont'e York, etc.), and Ways could be that guy in 2014. Canteen appears to have a definite role on the team, but the Wolverines replace three senior wide receivers from last year (Jackson, Dileo, Jeremy Gallon). The return of redshirt sophomore Amara Darboh from his foot injury fills one more spot, so Ways will find himself in a battle with the likes of York, Jones, and Jaron Dukes for scraps of playing time. It would make sense to redshirt him, but the most logical thing doesn't always happen.

Prediction: Redshirt

Recruiting Update: June 9, 2014

Warren (OH) Harding center James Daniels (image via 247 Sports)

COMMITMENT
USC transfer Ty Isaac committed to Michigan (LINK). MGoVideo put together a reel of all of Isaac's touches at USC last year (LINK), and it's tough not to be impressed with what Isaac brings to the table. He had a better offensive line at USC last year than what Michigan's backs had in 2013, but he still has a knack for breaking tackles and falling forward.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015
Corona (CA) Santiago quarterback Blake Barnett decommitted from Notre Dame. The 247 Composite #65 player in the nation is likely to choose Oregon sooner or later.

Warren (OH) Harding center James Daniels was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'2", 282 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Iowa, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, and UCLA, among others. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #9 center, and #584 overall. Daniels is that rare center prospect who actually plays center in high school, and he looks like a good one for Michigan's style of offense. His brother, Leshun Daniels II, is a running back for the Hawkeyes, and James's father played for Iowa, too. Despite Michigan having a good amount of success at Harding (Mario Manningham, Prescott Burgess, Carl Diggs), it looks like James will pick the Buckeyes or Hawkeyes.

Sacramento (CA) Grant Union offensive guard Darrin Paulo was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'5", 344 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Wisconsin, among others. He's a 247 Composite 3-star, the #41 offensive guard, and #593 overall. Paulo plays tackle in high school, but several schools see him as a guard, which is where I also think he fits best. He has stated that he wants to stay close to home, so Michigan's chances are slim.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Shreveport (LA) Calvary Baptist quarterback Shea Patterson was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'1", 180 lb. prospect who committed to Arizona in December 2012; he now has offers from Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, Clemson, Notre Dame, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech, among others. He's a 247 Sports 4-star, the #2 pro-style quarterback, and #57 overall in his class. As a sophomore in 2013, he completed 138/223 passes for 2,655 yards, 34 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions while running 74 times for 241 yards and 3 touchdowns. Patterson plays in a spread offense that emphasizes his passing skills, which include good arm strength and very good accuracy. He's not a great runner, but he's athletic enough to move the chains when necessary. Patterson plans to visit Michigan this summer and seems excited about the offer. Where he ends up is anybody's guess, but I do not believe he will remain committed to Arizona.

Virginia Beach (VA) Ocean Lakes cornerback Levonta Taylor was offered by Michigan. He's a 5'10", 170 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, LSU, Miami, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Tennessee, Virginia, and Virginia Tech, among others. He's a 247 Sports 4-star, the #3 cornerback, and #46 overall. He claims a 4.32 forty, a 40" vertical, a 4.09 shuttle, a 275 lb. bench, a 520 lb. deadlift, a 405 lb. squat, and a 10'6" broad jump, all of which add up to make him quite an impressive athlete if those numbers are close to being true. As a sophomore in 2013, he made 48 tackles, 7 interceptions (1 touchdown), 10 pass breakups, 3 tackles for loss, and 1 forced fumble. On film Taylor is a blazer with good ball skills and hitting ability.

Suffolk (VA) Lakeland linebacker Jaquan Yulee was offered by Michigan. He's a 6'2", 258 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, North Carolina, Virginia, and Virginia Tech. He's a 247 Sports 4-star, the #9 outside linebacker, and #142 overall. He claims a 4.92 forty, a 275 lb. bench, and a 500 lb. squat. Yulee played inside linebacker for his high school team last year, but he looks to me like a LaMarr Woodley or Brandon Graham type of player who will transition to defensive end in college.

OFF THE BOARD
Richmond (VA) Benedictine defensive end Clelin Ferrell committed to Clemson. This is a bit of a blow to Michigan's recruit efforts as they have developed a foothold in Virginia over the past couple years, including guys like Derrick Green, Wilton Speight, and Garrett Taylor. The Wolverines are also in need of weakside end types unless they plan to put Noah Furbush there, because Frank Clark graduates after the upcoming season, leaving just Mario Ojemudia (a senior in 2015) and Lawrence Marshall (sophomore or redshirt freshman) at the position. Ferrell is also a teammate of 2016 wide receiver Scott Bracey, who holds a Michigan offer.

MISCELLANEOUS
Here's a list of visitors from this past week (LINK).

The Rivals 100 Five-Star Challenge took place in Baltimore this past weekend (LINK).

Orlando (FL) Timber Creek running back Jacques Patrick is in town for the week leading up to the Sound Mind Sound Body camp next week. Patrick's cousin is a coach at Detroit (MI) King and perhaps the biggest reason that Michigan might have a shot at Jacques, who is a 247 Composite 4-star, the #2 running back, and #44 overall in the 2015 class. As a junior in 2013, he carried the ball 231 times for 2,153 yards and 30 touchdowns.