5 Stars
None. The one 5-star recruit that Harbaugh had a shot at landing was CB Iman Marshall, who was wavering between going to Michigan or USC. He picked USC, and how can you blame him? It's 10 times warmer there than it is in Ann Arbor right now.
4 Stars
QB Zach Gentry, Eldorado HS, NM - Ranked #9 as a Pocket QB, 118th/ESPN300
6'7", 237 lbs, 40-time: 4.68 sec
I wrote a little about this guy earlier when I had heard Harbaugh flipped him from his commitment to Texas. He's got all the physical tools, but he needs to get consistent in his mechanics, both in footwork & in throwing motion. He'll most likely redshirt the 2015 season.
ATH Brian Cole, Saginaw Heritage HS, MI - #11 Athlete, #148/ESPN300
6'2", 199 lbs, 40-time: 4.50 sec
Doesn't really have a position yet. He could be a RB, WR, CB or S. My guess is he makes it as a WR, maybe even playing his freshman season. I expect them to redshirt him though, work on his route-running, and eventually start Cole as a WR.
Doesn't really have a position yet. He could be a RB, WR, CB or S. My guess is he makes it as a WR, maybe even playing his freshman season. I expect them to redshirt him though, work on his route-running, and eventually start Cole as a WR.
S Tyree Kinnel, Wayne HS, OH - #12 Safety, #196/ESPN300
5'11", 200 lbs, 40-time: 4.40 sec (dubious)
With Jabrill Peppers most likely moving to play strong safety in the 46 defense, Kinnel will almost certainly redshirt in 2015 and eventually play FS in 2016 or '17. He'll need to bulk up a bit & work on coverage skills. Can't embed his more recent highlights, but here's the link.
OT Grant Newsome, The Lawrenceville School, VA - #27 OT, #253/ESPN300
6'7", 290 lbs, 40-time: N/A
Michigan's offensive line was the biggest weak spot last year. Newsome probably could use a redshirt year to bulk up (probably needs to add 30 lbs of muscle, to tell the truth) and work on technique, but all bets are off when it comes to this offensive line. Once again, no embed.
QB Alex Malzone, Brother Rice, MI - #16 Pocket QB, #236/Scout, #353/247Comp
6'1", 203 lbs, 40-time: 5.13 sec
Malzone's star controversially bumped up from a 3 to a 4. He's probably somewhere in between, call it a 3.5. Anyway, not as highly touted as Gentry but Malzone is the favorite to start in 2015. Harbaugh called the ensuing QB battle a "meritocracy", which is about what you'd expect, but experts give Malzone the edge due to his early enrollment & readiness to fit in with Harbaugh's system. He'll also have to beat out Shane Morris, Speight, and a handful of other QBs already on the roster. Reminds me a bit of Aaron Rodgers in terms of throwing a catchable ball & movement in the pocket.
3 Stars
DE Shelton Johnson, Atlantic Community HS, FL - #36 DE, #291/Scout, #364/247Comp
6'5", 225 lbs, 40-time: N/A
Like almost every recruit, he needs to bulk up (20-40 lbs in his case) and work on technique, but given Michigan's lack of depth on the edge, he might see the field in 2015. Like Malzone, he's more of a 3.5 star player and was a big get for Harbaugh, as Johnson had offers from FSU and Miami. Highlight clip from Jr season.
TE T.J. Wheatley Jr., Canisius HS, NY - #12 TE, #279/Scout, #312/247Comp
6'6", 250 lbs, 40-time: N/A
The name should be a little familiar, although he goes by "TJ" instead of "Tyrone". He had offers from some big-time schools, but ultimately picked his dad's alma mater over the rest. There are a couple of TEs ahead of him on the depth chart, but he's a beast and may leapfrog one of them.
DE Reuben Jones, Lake Gibson HS, FL - #58 DE, #786/247Comp
6'3", 223 lbs, 40-time: 4.89 sec
Harbaugh flipped him from Nebraska, so that's doubly good. Here's where I need to have autotext insert needs to add bulk, improve technique, but Jones, like Shelton, might be able to beat out a weak edge rushing field for some playing time in 2015. Out-played most of his contemporaries in the Rivals camp, so his overall rating might be lower than he deserves, possibly VERY low.
RB Karan Higdon, Riverview HS, FL - #78 RB, #478/247Comp
5'10", 190 lbs, 40-time: 4.5 sec
Fast north & south runner, has good vision and always seems to make the right cut. They'll redshirt him in 2015. Harbaugh flipped him from Iowa (doubly good), but waffling 4-star RB Mike Weber listed the Higdon signing as his main reason for signing with OSU. More on him later.
Borderline 3 Stars (ESPN lists as 3-star recruits, most other services list as 2-star or lower)
OT Nolan Ulizio, Lakota West HS, MI - #68 OT, #2,324/247Comp (really?)
6'5", 295 lbs, 40-time: N/A
Ulizio was also covered in an earlier post. He's a middlin' 2-to-3 star prospect who projects as a RT/OG down the road. Harbaugh flipped him from UConn. He'll definitely redshirt, probably won't see the field until his Jr/Sr season.
WR Grant Perry, Brother Rice, MI - #128 WR, #867/247Comp
5'11", 180 lbs, 40-time: N/A
His dad played at Ann Arbor Pioneer with Jim Harbaugh, so Perry flipping from Northwestern to Michigan wasn't entirely unforeseen. Perry fits the classic profile of a shifty, possession receiver, usually lining up in the slot. Think Wes Welker, but with less top-end speed & better hands. He'll definitely redshirt to start out. Check the Alex Malzone highlight clip above. Grant Perry is the #1 guy catching all those passes.
OT John Runyan Jr., St. Joseph's Prep, PA - #96 OT, Overall unknown
6'4", 276 lbs, 40-time: 5.26 sec
Another legacy case, might be a better pass blocker than run blocker right now. Redshirts in 2015, could develop into a solid starter in 2-3 years or so.
K Andrew David, Washington HS, OH - #10 Kicker, Overall unknown
5'8", 165 lbs, 40-time: who cares, he's a kicker
ESPN's evaluation is confusing. First they say "has explosive leg power" but "missed more FG than someone with his talent should". Then they say "accuracy looks good, but lacks a bit of distance and power". Ok. I'll put that down as a needs to add bulk, improve technique. He hit a 55-yarder in the Sailer competition, for what it's worth.
ATH Keith Washington, Pratville HS, AL - #117 Athlete, #954/247Comp
6'1", 161 lbs, 40-time: 4.30 sec
He flipped from Cal to Michigan, a bit of a surprise. Mainly played as a wildcat QB in HS, but will most likely suit up in college as a WR or DB. REALLY needs to bulk up, at least adding 20 lbs, and they need to figure out where he plays (DB is most likely).
Michigan ended signing day with 14 players signed, very much on the low side (by way of comparision, OSU had 16 4-star recruits). Their overall recruitment ranking is 40th, per ESPN. They missed out on most of their top targets, including Weber, TE Chris Clark, and the #4 overall prospect CB Iman Marshall (this was CLOSE and could've vaulted Michigan's class into the top 20. Oh well.). 4-star LB Roquan Smith might be in, or he might stick with UCLA. Weber, after decommitting from Michigan, committing to OSU, then waffling, ultimately decided to stay with Ohio State.
Weber did not impress me with how he handled the signing process. He was the #1 prospect coming out of the state of Michigan (coming out of Cass Tech), and the #14 RB in the country. He sounded like he was 50-50 on going to U of M or OSU, and ultimately made his decision on signing day. Take a look at a couple Mike Weber quotes from this article:
"I thought I was really the only back to get recruited in that class and when I heard (Higdon) was committed, it was like, 'Oh, well then there you go.'" Weber said. "That was the answer. That's what it was."
"I don't know how long would it take for Michigan to be back on top," he said. "I really don't know. But I know Ohio State. They proved they can do it."
First, he dinked around so Michigan grabbed a 3-star RB to fill that need. If he isn't sure he can beat out Higdon, I'd rather have Higdon. Secondly, he's going to a team that already has 8 RBs on the roster! Dontre Wilson is a Soph, rated #5 RB coming out of high school in Texas. Curtis Samuel is a Fr, rated #8 RB out of HS. Ezekiel Elliott is a BEAST and going into his Jr year, no guarantee he goes pro. Jalin Marshall is a Fr and was the #1 RB in HS. There are 3 more Sophs on the roster, and all these guys are like 4 or 5-star recruits. If he's worried about playing time, OSU is not the school to sign with.
His second comment was pretty typical, but it demonstrated a lack of mental toughness. You know what OSU? Go ahead, keep Mike Weber. We'll stick with who we got, and we'll knock 2016 out of the park.
**Update - What's that Mike Weber? You're hurt because the guy who recruited you didn't keep his commitment? How ironic...
**Update - What's that Mike Weber? You're hurt because the guy who recruited you didn't keep his commitment? How ironic...
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