Brian Cole is the jewel of Michigan's currently wee recruiting class.
Michigan has a lot of recruiting to do in the next month, and if you're like me you stopped paying attention to it about six seconds before the end of the first half in South Bend. Each decommitment spurred wonderment that there were any recruits left to do that, all updates were guys saying LOL NO politely, focus turned to firing all the things. Now that we've acquired a Harbaugh, that promises to change.
Let's re-orient on Michigan's 2015 recruiting class.
IN THE FOLD
Michigan only has six commitments but at least they're quality ones. They are:
- MI WR Brian Cole, a consensus top 100 kid and the top player in the state. Cole may be a safety and is listed as an ATH a couple places.
- OH S Tyree Kinnel, a consensus four star.
- NJ OT Grant Newsome, also a consensus four star.
- MI QB Alex Malzone is a six-foot-ish QB in the Drew Tate mode.
- PA OG Jon Runyan Jr. Legacy kid, obviously. Generic three star.
- OH K Andrew David, who's a kicker. A good one, and a needed one.
ROSTER STATUS
Michigan has five open slots right now and a number coming. A few months ago the number on the class was supposed to be 16. Not sure if that included Ferns's surprising transfer. For some reason I thought Hoke mentioned that two unnamed offensive linemen are going to go on medical hardship scholarships, but I can't find anything of the sort in the presser transcripts.
Whether he said it out loud or not, some attrition at OL is inevitable. Michigan returns their entire starting five plus Erik Magnuson, and there are a couple of guys who have struggled with injuries for a long time. Some will light out for greener pastures or take medical hardships.
Other attrition might come at DT and at CB, where there's enough returning experience to squeeze out guys who are now staring down the likelihood they'll never play.
REMAINING NEEDS
Assuming 16 guys, which may be conservative:
TIGHT END: 1. If Harbaugh's Stanford tenure is any indication we're in for a buttload of TEs. Michigan does not have one in this class, but with CT TE Chris Clark still considering the Wolverines after his decommitment and tweeting out Harbaugh-related exclamations that might not last long($).
RUNNING BACK: 1. Michigan has a glut in the junior class; Ty Isaac's redshirt means that they effectively do have a back from the last class. Still, Michigan needs a guy. It doesn't sound like MI RB Mike Weber is going to come back into the fold, so they'll have to range afield. KY RB Damien Harris is not reconsidering M either.
OFFENSIVE LINE: 2. Michigan only took two in the last class and with Mason Cole starting from day one their 2014 class is effectively one dude: Juwann Bushell-Beatty. Michigan hasn't taken an interior linemen since Kugler, Dawson, and Samuelson two years ago—it's time to fill out the numbers there, especially if they lose a couple of current members of the roster.
DEFENSIVE END: 2. Michigan has just four on the roster. Edge rusher is a huge priority.
DEFENSIVE TACKLE: 1. Nose is probably set with Hurst, Mone, and Pallante all underclassmen and Glasgow emerging into a quality option. Three-tech has plenty of options right now but they'll all be redshirt juniors and Michigan has no one behind them.
LINEBACKER: 1. Still not a huge need even after Ferns's departure; should get one guy to prevent a big gap.
CORNERBACK: 1. See linebacker. Not a huge priority but good to have a guy in.
SAFETY: 1. Numbers are still thin even with Kinnel sticking.
If Michigan ends up with more space than the above assumes, WR, QB, and DT are candidates for additional reinforcements.
THE RADAR
Ace will keep you apprised of the names that might emerge to fill those holes in the regular recruitin' posts. It's a little early yet to have a set of names.