Thursday Recruitin' Notes First Off That Babies Sleep For Like 16 Hours A Day

Announced announcements organized

ma'am may i have this hat dance

Your who-is-announcing-when primer:

Sometime Friday: MO TE Chase Allen. Michigan, Nebraska, ISU.
7 PM, February 1st: NJ CB Jordan Fuller. Michigan, OSU, ND.
11 AM, NSD: MI K Quinn Nordin. Michigan, USC.
Noon, NSD: CA TE Devin Asiasi. Michigan, USC, UCLA, UW.
Noon, NSD: CA DT Boss Tagaloa. Michigan, USC, UCLA, UW.
1 PM, NSD: NJ DE Rashan Gary. Michigan, Ole Miss, USC.
2 PM, NSD: AZ DE Connor Murphy. Michigan, USC, Oregon, ASU.
Unknown, NSD: MI CB Lavert Hill. Michigan, PSU, MSU.
Unknown, NSD: FL WR Pie Young. Michigan, Louisville, FSU.
Unknown, NSD: TN WR Nate Johnson. Michigan, Miami.

Murphy's mom in Michigan's corner

AZ DE Connor Murphy got home and gave a couple interviews. He told Brice Marich that his mom was all about Murphy committing right then and there.

“My mom loved the visit,” said Murphy. “My mom wished I would have committed right then and there!”

Brandon Justice also got in touch. Murphy said Ann Arbor impressed:

"Since my brother played in the Pac-12 and I live on the west coast, I've pretty much seen all of the schools I've visited before, but Michigan I was clueless about," he said. "I know it was rated the best college town, and it lived up to the hype."

This is a situation where everything looks good but there's no certainty. He did talk to an Oregon site recently for an article that was vaguely positive. Murphy will announce on Signing Day. He cancelled a planned visit to Alabama this weekend. USC appears to be the main competition.

Fuller tea leaves

NJ CB Jordan Fullerannounced he would announce at 7 PM on February 1st. In-homes with his three finalists were completed yesterday, so word could leak out in the near future. Most say it's Michigan or OSU, with OSU a tentative but universal favorite. Fuller's recruitment is the inverse of Murphy's: expected to not end happily for fuzzy reasons.

In those circumstances a recent OSU offer is interesting. The Buckeyes, along with a couple other Power 5 schools, recently threw their hat in the ring for two-star Cinci commit K'Von Wallace. OSU is tight on numbers and was expected to take one more defensive back recruit. If that's related (and it is not necessarily so) that doesn't mean that OSU thinks they'll lose Fuller; it might mean they want to cover their bases.

Movin' on up with Bossiasi

Ace informs be that I should have made this BAWSEiasi because of rappists

Let's make a sportsmanteau out of CA TE Devin Asiasi and CA DT Boss Tagaloa because this is one package deal that seems likely to come to fruition. Yeah.

Anyway you'll never guess who the Washington 247 mods believe leads for them. Yep: Washington, and they will fight you if you believe otherwise. Interestingly enough, they're under the impression that Michigan is the competition here, and that was before the duo's official to Ann Arbor.

After that official Michigan appears to be picking up steam. Webb posted a slice of promising information late last night:

#Michigan gaining momentum with big time West Coast duo too ($) https://t.co/1JyHVnYZod pic.twitter.com/btKcPhhQiS
— Sam Webb (@SamWebb77) January 28, 2016

A poster on the 247 board has information very similar to Sam's*: word around De La Salle is that Bossiasi is telling people Michigan is the pick. DOTMAN, a mod there, also suggested Asiasi is trending to Michigan. Circumstantial evidence: Tagaloa cancelled a midweek visit to Cal, and Asiasi is not going to Alabama.

But even if Michigan is the favorite of both guys the trick is convincing Tagaloa's family to let him go across the country. A USC visit this weekend also stands in the way. Lotta ins, lotta outs here.

*[He was put under suspicion since he said something right after that Webb article, but he pointed out a week-old post in which he said something similar. Credible? I think so.]

[After THE JUMP: radical reshift of Michigan's WR/TE board, a few visits, best guess list.]

Wide receiver/TE board shifting dramatically

McDoom is in the boat and it looks like status quo with NJ WR Donald Stewart. Stewart reiterated to Brian Dohn that Michigan is his leader. He was considerably more circumspect in that case, saying he "kind of [has] a slight lean." Still, repeated statements that Michigan leads are good. He had an in-home with Michigan yesterday with Stanford tonight and hopes to decide over the weekend. It should be Michigan;

There's been a shift in expectations with the other two wide receivers Michigan is pursuing. FL WR Pie Young saw a sudden Louisville surge on his Crystal Ball. That comes paired with an article from a 247 Louisville guy in which he says that Michigan is not expected to add more receivers after McDoom's commitment.

Now… that is probaly inaccurate, because even with McDoom, Crawford, Mitchell, and Hawkins committed the looming gap at safety should snatch a couple of those guys away. That means Michigan still has nothing past a two deep in 2017. As it stands this is how I would expect things to shake out:

WR1: Ways, Crawford
WR2: Harris, McDoom
SLOT: Perry, Evans
SAFETIES(?): Mitchell, Hawkins.

I'd guess they add at least one more guy. It is increasingly looking like Stewart has the inside track.

Meanwhile TN WR Nate Johnson, a notional commit, took his visit to Notre Dame. Johnson seemed to be prepared to flip, but "things just didn't work out" according to Tom Loy. What that means is completely uncertain, but with the Irish out of the picture Johnson would seem to be Michigan's for the taking.

There has been chatter that Michigan might move on from him as well but I can't find anyone other than random message board posters suggesting that.

At tight end, Michigan was a prohibitive favorite for MO TE Chase Allen until today, when the two Steves projected him to Iowa State. With Michigan's in-home spent and a commitment coming tomorrow that looks pretty insurmountable. That's a sea change from earlier, when Allen was one of the safest bets on the board. Here's hoping that Bossiaisi-related.

Eubanks out of nowhere

Also potentially related is a llama-out-of-nowhere recruitment. FL TE Nick Eubanks is on campus right now. Who is that? He's a 6'6" tight end on the three/four star bordeline currently in the mold of Devin Funchess. His name came out of nowhere a few days ago with reports that he reached out to Michigan; he's visiting (obviously); he has a final three of Michigan, Florida, and Alabama. Lorenz suggests he actually wants out of the SEC; I have a report that part of his visit involved visiting North Campus for EECS-related purposes(!).

Two players who don't seem likely to shift are NJ WR Brad Hawkins and NJ DE Ron Johnson, who Rivals mentioned could end up out of the class. Hawkins apparently has some work to do to qualify; Johnson's inclusion in these rumors doesn't seem to have a reason. Hawkins tweeted he was 100% to Michigan after that chatter got out; Scout also stronglydebunked that. Neither has taken the visits they were considering a few weeks ago.

Hill trending back towards justice and light

MI CB Lavert Hill cancelled a scheduled Clemson official and announced an announcement for Signing Day. That's good; better is a distinct swing in chatter away from Michigan State. Allen Trieu has been the guy who seems to think MSU had the best shot at Hill. He is pivoting back to M.

More importantly, Josh Newkirk reports that instead of Clemson Hill will yet again head to Ann Arbor this weekend. Actions speak louder than words and if Hill enters his Signing Day decision off consecutive visits to Ann Arbor, anyone other than the Wolverines would be a huge upset.

Visit weekend-type substance

Michigan's having a couple of guys on campus, uh, now-ish.

KS S Isaiah Simmons is on campus right now. Not sure how hard Michigan will go after him but if they've got a slot for Fuller that he doesn't take he could slot in. Conflicting info out there on who leads; Webb says Nebraska is a heavy favorite while Lorenz has heard that the Huskers trail M and Clemson.
FL TE Nick Eubanks is on campus, as discussed above.

The enemy gets cracks at the following recruits this weekend:

CA TE Devin Asiasi and CA DT Boss Tagaloa visit USC.
Simmons goes to Clemson immediately after his Michigan official.
Eubanks goes to Florida.
NJ DE Rashan Gary will go to Clemson this weekend, which a Rivals NJ guy says is pure window-dressing. They may or may not make it to Alabama. Either way Michigan is on lock.

GA OL EJ Pricegot a visit from Drevno and Harbaugh, so I assume they're still trying to get him up before Signing Day. He remains a major long shot, telling Dawg Nation that while Michigan was a contender for his final official Georgia was likely to get it:

He plans to decide between Alabama, Georgia and Michigan for his final official visit.
It sounds like UGA will get that visit.
“I definitely feel like I need to go see Georgia again only because there have been so many changes with the coaching staff,” said Price, who said Mark Richt was the head coach the last time he was at UGA.

Anything going on there would be a shocker indeed.

Post Commit Scouting

Many meaty scouting articles in the aftermath of Michigan's commits. While we take a bit from many of them there's a lot left behind the paywall; often these kind of articles are the best reason to subscribe to a site.

PA S Khaleke Hudson gets his McGuffie on:

OH MY‼️ #AirBorne pic.twitter.com/XQ8EZHBJJC
— Khaleke Hudson2⃣1⃣ (@NeverDone_21) May 25, 2015

Tim Sullivan and Brandon Brown put together a series of excellent articles breaking down guys; the most recent is on Hudson:

“His explosiveness if going to help him blitz. His strength will help him fend off would-be blockers. In coverage, he’s going to be able to keep up with guys. Being that nickel safety, he’s not going to have to guard the biggest players, especially against running backs and underneath routes, he’s ideally suited to cover. He can give big hits coming across the middle.”

Hudson may be a bit shorter than his listed height of 6'0" but against most slot receivers that won't be a problem. Nickel safety/slot LB is made for a guy like him.

FL WR Eddie McDoom is summarized by a couple sites. ESPN, who loves him relative to the rest of the crootin industry:

sleek, wiry prospect with adequate size and lean mass. …plays the game fast. Shows very quick hands and the ability to pluck on the run. Shows a penchant for making the acrobatic grab when covered. Will likely never be considered a significant jump-ball threat, but he will elevate, extend away from his frame and compete in contested matchups. This guy is sneaky good in his ability to create separation and make plays when the ball comes his way.

Scout:

Size is good, not great for a WR. Best when he gets the ball quickly with room to work. Very good acceleration and shifts, changes direction well without losing speed. Great feet, balance. Can go vertical, but not a guy who will win much against the bigger defensive backs. Is not going to run away from top DBs and does not have the size to win one-on-one battles in that setting.

I might think that's an excessively negative take but at least it sounds like an evaluation in line with their ranking.

Rivals on NJ DT commmit Michael Dwumfour:

“He’s a little shorter than his listed 6-2 – maybe more like 6-1.5. He’s got a very strong base, very active hands, and he is pretty athletic for a guy his size. He keeps a low center of gravity. He’s a bit of a project at the next level."

At around 285 with some reshaping to do that is accurate. Long-term he seems like a Terrance Taylor type.

And even a bit more on MD OL Stephen Spanellis from Rivals:

“He’s a real road grader – a tough guy,” Friedman said. “He shines as a run blocker, that’s really his game. He understands blocking schemes and who needs to get to the second level, where the double team is. He holds the point of attack very well.
“He’s a really hard worker off of the field too. He’s a really high-character kid and he has a great understanding for his role. He’s also very smart. He understands some of the things that you need to look for as an offensive lineman.”

The importance of getting the scheme down is one of the main reasons OL evals are unreliable compared to spots more focused on athleticism; hopefully Spanellis ends up underrated because that got overlooked when he was rated.

Happy trails to a couple

Happy trails to OH OL Matt Muterspaw, who got a PWO offer from both M and OSU and went with the Buckeyes. Tuition was always going to be a hurdle. Ditto Texas grad transfer OL Jake Raulerson, who committed to UCLA.

Decommit tracker

I guess we have to do this to determine just why various people who decommitted did so. Our scorn for the media and sketch recruiting practices must be precisely divided. So FL CB Antwaine Richardson's new recruitment is interesting. He committed to Maryland and enrolled early. He told Rivals that DJ Durkin was "the main reason he committed to Maryland in the first place."

Richardson originally intended to enroll early but was put off from that at Michigan as they waited on Isaac Nauta to decide; Maryland must start really late, allowing him to hit spring practice immediately. As the recruiting sites stated, this looks like a legit decommit from a guy Michigan still wanted.

On the one hand, it would be really nice to get three corners in this class and Durkin snaked a guy out from under M. On the other, at least that one seems clearly not on Michigan's end.

This instant's best guess

Since Monday, PA S Khaleke Hudson and FL WR Eddie McDoom(!) committed. FL DE Rashad Weaver decommitted. He was one of the players we expected to leave the class; just one more potential PR disaster to go! TX DT Jordan Elliottmade his decommit official. That, too, was accounted for last week. We're still not counting TN WR Nate Johnson as a commit.

And yes, EJ Holland, our bad.

@EJHolland247 https://t.co/JIRvsG5oDF
— mgoblog (@mgoblog) January 28, 2016

Anyway. Figure 7-8 slots left since Michigan has 23 recruits we expect to stick and one maybe grayshirt. Best guess right now:

NJ WR Donald Stewart. Just saw everything both schools had to offer and declared Michigan his leader repeatedly.
MI CB Lavert Hill. Rollercoaster swinging back to M; if last weekend is unofficial to Ann Arbor it's over.
NJ DE Rashan Gary. Need to dodge one last bullet.
MI K Quinn Nordin. USC some threat but not likely.
AZ DE Connor Murphy. Nothing concrete but very good circumstantial evidence.
CA TE Devin Asiasi. If he wants to play tight end there's no better place than AA.
CA DT Boss Tagaloa. Package deal could splinter.
NJ CB Jordan Fuller. BPA they have a good shot at.

OUT: FL WR Pie Young, MO TE Chase Allen.

2017 stuff

I mentioned that Michigan offered a QB from Georgia in the last roundup. I did not realize that Michigan offered a whopping 6 guys from his school, Cedar Grove, including two 2019(!) kids.

This comes on the heels of Michigan getting a commit from Elysee Mbem-Bosse and is clearly an attempt to keep Michigan hot at that school. The 2019 kids are clearly "offers" instead of OFFERS but whatever man, it's all in the game. (As long as you don't take their commitments before they can drive.)

Also important: this guy's hair.

That is GA OL Netori Johnson, an Alabama commit who you may remember as one of Ruby Rhod's flunkies from The Fifth Element. He told Lorenz he's "definitely interested" despite being committed to Bama since June.

Other 2017 stuff:

Five-star PA RB D'Andre Swift tells Isaiah Hole that Michigan is a school of interest; Jon Runyan Jr is a former teammate.
AL S AJ Harris tells Lorenz that Michigan is high on his list and should get an unofficial.

Etc.: I'm not getting my hopes up on CA QB Vic Viramontes but Justice does report he's got Michigan in a top four with Arizona, Utah, and Cal, with Oregon sniffing around. Gonna have to see a tweet with Harbaugh standing next to the guy to believe anything's going on there.

GA LB commit Elysee Mbem-Bossetalks to MGoFish about his recruitment. Touch the Banner scouts him. FL LB commit Josh Uche confirms he's coming in at LB.

Newkirk hit up Cass Tech head coach Thomas Wilcher, who reports that MI OL Michael Onwenu is 100% to Michigan. While that's frequently said and not meant, there are a ton of peripherals pointing to M. Oklahoma is a super long shot. Ignore that News article that tries to connect Swenson to any of this.

Michigan continues bringing in all the walk-on tight ends. MI TE Daniel Jokisch (yes that Jokisch) and WI TE Connor Edmonds are the latest. They also added VA OLAndrew Vastardis, a one-time Old Dominion commit who had a window where he could have gone to Northwestern or Air Force.

We don't expect Michigan to get FL LB Jonathan Jones but here is an article on him anyway.