The recruiting roundup returns to cover... the dead period. Oh well.
While You Wait For The Others
I'm back from a vacation totally not spent playing an unhealthy amount of FIFA in my pajamas, but recruiting is still in a holding pattern—the holiday dead period continues through Thursday. It's the week for All-American games, however, so recruiting reporters have descended upon San Antonio and St. Petersburg to catch up with the nation's top prospects.
The latest on FL S Leon McQuay III does not sound promising. ESPN's Derek Tyson reports he'll announce his decision on Friday from three as-yet-unnamed schools, and the Wolverines may be on the outside looking in ($):
The four-star athlete has a top five of USC, Michigan, Oregon, Vanderbilt and FSU, but McQuay said he won't have all five hats for his selection on Friday.
"Yeah ... I don't know [if Michigan still in consideration]. I don't know how many hats I'll have up there," he said. "My dad said he wasn't paying for five hats. I'll probably only have three hats up there.
McQuay, who will enroll in January, said Florida State is the only school that has accepted him for admittance so far, but he is working with other schools to gain acceptance.
Sam Webb confirms he'll visit a Michigan bowl practice, so the coaches will get one last shot to sway McQuay, though with mere hours remaining until the Outback Bowl their priorities likely lie elsewhere. Insider rumblings haven't been particularly positive regarding McQuay and a choice for the Wolverines would surprise.
VA RB Derrick Green reiterated to Mike Farrell that Michigan is his favorite, with the rest of the picture murky—Florida State recently offered and could get an unofficial visit, while Oregon is now out of the picture ($). If a school is going to pass the Wolverines, it will have to be soon, as Green said "I definitely know [a decision is] going to be in January."
Let's just say there's more reason for optimism surrounding Green than McQuay.
One new 2013 name emerged in the last couple weeks: PA OT Jaryd Jones-Smith, a three-star lineman who could take an official visit on January 18th ($). He doesn't hold an offer yet, and it seems like he could be a backup plan for guys like Dan Samuelson and Cameron Hunt.
[Hit THE JUMP for an important hair-related bulletin, All-American week primer, and more.]
HAIR
All-American Primer, Non-Hair Edition
It's the week for All-American games, and Michigan will be well-represented by their commits. The action kicks off in earnest on Friday with the Under Armour game, which airs at 5 pm on ESPN; Shane Morris, Henry Poggi, David Dawson, Patrick Kugler, and Logan Tuley-Tillman will all suit up for the white team. Mike McCray will miss the game due to a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
Kicking off an hour after the Under Armour game is the Semper Fi All-American Bowl, where Maurice Hurst Jr. will play for the East squad.
Finally, the Army All-American Bowl is at noon on Saturday. Jake Butt and Dymonte Thomas will represent the Wolverines on the East team; Chris Fox was slated to play for the West but will sit out with a torn ACL suffered in his final high school game. Fox will almost assuredly redshirt next year thanks to that injury (and, let's hope, offensive line depth).
Etc.
Two recent underclass offers to report: 2014 MD OL Sam Mustipher, a four-star prospect hailing from the powerhouse Good Counsel program, picked one up two Fridays ago ($). 2015 FL ATH George Campbell, a likely wide receiver at the next level, became Michigan's second offer in his class, joining KY RB Damien Harris.