Second 2015 QB In Play?
Even with Alex Malzone already on campus, quarterback is a major question mark for Michigan not just for 2015, but moving forward, and it appears Jim Harbaugh is going the extra mile to make sure he gives the program as many options as possible at the position:
Jim Harbaugh coming to Gilmer to see McLane Carter. He has a pretty good eye for qb's. Florida and Texas Tech just called as well.#Winner
— Jeff Traylor (@CoachTraylor) January 11, 2015
Carter has a very interesting profile, in part because he doesn't really have one; he's unranked on Rivals and Scout, while ESPN and 247 don't even have pages for him. Carter is picking up major school interest, however, after a senior year in which he led Gilmer to an undefeated state title season in Texas' 4A Division 2 (a medium-sized classification) while posting this stat line: 220-297 (74.1%), 3969 yards (13.4 YPA), 47 TDs, 2 INTs. Pretty good stats, I say.
There are a couple reasons Carter may have flown under the radar. He transferred back to Gilmer this season after spending his junior year at Salado, where he put up less impressive stats for a worse program. It also doesn't look like he hit the camp circuit much at all; the only camp eval I can find is, oddly, from last spring's RCS Detroit camp, per Rivals' Josh Helmholdt ($):
It was a long trip up to Michigan from northeast Texas for Carter, and he made the trip worthwhile by having a solid showing. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound left-handed passer spun the ball very well on Sunday. His tight spirals cut through the wind when it was blowing hard later in the day. Overall Carter showed good arm strength and decent accuracy on his passes.
There's also a free scouting report from Scout after one of his playoff games:
Carter has a good frame (6-2 1/2, 190) and very smooth, left-handed delivery. His delivery isn't completely overhead, but it's close. He has a deceptively strong arm. That's probably because his southpaw delivery looks so smooth and effortless. He awaits his first FBS offer, but should start getting more attention as signing day approaches.
His senior tape, embedded at the top of the post, is pretty impressive; while his arm strength doesn't jump off the page, his accuracy sure does, especially on his deep throws. He also displays decent mobility, and based on both the film and his stats, his decision-making is excellent. He may not be a five-star talent, but he certainly looks like a guy who should at least have some sort of recruiting profile; with interest from the likes of BYU, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and now Michigan and Florida of late, that should happen soon.
Whether or not Michigan makes a serious run at Carter (something I now hope they do given the length of this section), it's encouraging that Harbaugh might take a run at another quarterback in this class. That's no knock on Malzone, who I believe is a quality prospect; it'd just be nice to add some depth to the position, especially after what we've witnessed the last couple seasons. Any attrition at that position in the next couple years, given the current construction of the roster, could be really tough to handle.
[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the roundup.]
The Wheatley Effect
Michigan landing Tyrone Wheatley as running backs coach has one obvious ramification on recruiting trail: the Wolverines are now, based on insider chatter, almost certainly the favorite to land Tyrone Wheatley Jr., who could fill a major need at either TE or DE in the 2015 class.
That won't be the full extent of his recruiting impact, however. 247's Steve Wiltfong caught up with a few Cass Tech coaches and another area coach to discuss four-star 2015 RB Mike Weber, and they got to talking Wheatley ($):
247Sports asked about Tyrone Wheatley being hired, and we were told Wheatley gets who he wants at Cass Tech. We'll see if that holds true with Weber.
Another high school coach in town said that Wheatley's hiring will have a huge impact for Michigan in Detroit in the years moving forward. That same coach said his gut feel is that Weber will end up at Michigan, despite Weber telling him that he's solid to OSU.
Whether or not Michigan reels in Weber, Wheatley should play a big part in in-state recruiting on this staff. He was born in Inkster and played high school ball at Dearborn Heights, and while at Syracuse, he was the primary recruiter for Southfield 2011 four-star TE/DE Ronald Thompson, who chose the Orange over Michigan. Given Wheatley's stint at Syracuse, it also wouldn't surprise if he had a role in recruiting in the northeast, as well.
O-Line Options Emerging
As mentioned previously in this space, Michigan is going to have to go after a couple offensive linemen to round out this class unless they want to risk running into the same depth/youth issues in a couple years that plagued the O-line recently. Lorenz mentioned a couple prospects in his recent Inside Michigan Recruiting article, one a reemerging name and the other a surprise ($).
The one you're probably familiar with is four-star MD OL Patrick Allen, who had plenty of contact with the previous staff before committing to Georgia in August. He backed off that pledge a couple weeks ago, and while Tennessee is considered the favorite, he took an official visit to Michigan even after his Georgia commitment; the Wolverines could be a factor if the new staff makes a push.
The new—and spectacular—name is GA OT Chidi Valentine-Okeke, who sits just outside the top 100 on the 247 Composite, and 247 themselves actually consider him a five-star and the second-best tackle prospect in the country. He told Wolverine247 that if Michigan came through with an offer, he'd use his final official visit to check out Ann Arbor. That seems like a good idea, to say the least, even though the usual SEC powers are all in hot pursuit.
Another O-line prospect who's been mentioned as a distinct possibility is Northville (MI) three-star David Moorman, a Wisconsin commit who may be looking around after Gary Anderson—and his O-line coach, TJ Woods—moved on to Oregon State. In talking to Sam Webb, Moorman said that change "shocked" him, and he's open to hearing what Michigan has to say:
"I'm still 100-percent committed to Wisconsin, but I'm keeping all options open until Signing Day," said Moorman, ranked a four-star recruit by Scout.com and a three-star prospect by Rivals.com. "If Michigan comes calling I'll definitely listen. (Michigan incoming recruit) Alex Malzone keeps calling and texting me, saying I need to come to Michigan.
"There's been nothing official and I haven't heard from anyone on (Michigan's) staff, but if they called I'd seriously listen to what they had to say. I know Jim Harbaugh's a great coach. It would be an honor to get an offer from Michigan.
As a general rule, if Wisconsin wants a guy in your state to play on their O-line, you should probably want that guy, too.
Iman Marshall Sets Officials
Five-star CA CB Iman Marshall is set to hit campus on MLK Day:
Our @EMcKinneyESPN reports No. 7 ranked Iman Marshall visiting FSU 16th, Michigan 19th, LSU 23rd and Ore. 30th.
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) January 9, 2015
While seemingly everyone expects Marshall to end up at USC, he's maintained that he's got a tough choice ahead of him, and he reiterated that to Scout's Greg Biggins after setting his schedule ($):
"I had a great trip to Notre Dame and now I'm excited to take the rest of the visits. I've always liked Florida State and the athletes they bring in. Michigan with Coach Harbaugh is going to do big things for sure. LSU is DBU and I like their style of play and Oregon has really come on strong and showing what a great program they are. USC and UCLA have always been there and I'm close with both coaching staffs so it's going to be a tough decision for me, no doubt."
He added that he has high interest in each of those schools, and the visit process will play a big role in determining which program he chooses on signing day; he may also squeeze in unofficial visits to USC and UCLA, though he's already seen both schools enough times that may not be necessary.
More 2015 Updates
DJ Durkin strikes again. Michigan made a surprise appearance in the top five of four-star DT/OG Kendrick "Big Thick" Norton, which he attributed to the new defensive coordinator hire, per The Wolverine's Tim Sullivan ($):
"Really, with the hire of DJ Durkin, that was the biggest thing," Norton said of his sudden Michigan interest. "I haven't had the chance to talk to him [since he's been up there] as much as I'd like to yet."
Durkin recruited Norton while he was at Florida, and the Gators had been the favorite to land him until they fired the coaching staff. Not by coincidence, Florida no longer shows up among his favorite schools—Miami (YTM), North Carolina, Ole Miss, and UCLA round out his top five, with Auburn lurking just behind the pack. Norton took an unofficial to Ann Arbor over the summer, and he's got an open official visit spot that he's considering using to make it back up to Michigan.
Michigan is right in the mix for three-star SC WDE/OLB Rasool Clemons. Durkin has already discussed the potential to play the hybrid rush end spot with Clemons, and if Michigan decides to put forth an offer, they'd be in his top three, per Sam Webb ($):
“LSU, Virginia, and Michigan… those are my top three if Michigan offers me,” said Clemons. “I’m just waiting until Coach Chris (Singletary) calls my coach and set (a visit) up.”
Clemons added that Jim Harbaugh and Les Miles were both coaches he considered a "my dream coach to play for" growing up.
Three-star LA DE Jalen Bates is also being considered for that hybrid spot, and unlike Clemons he already has a Michigan offer in hand. While Bates told Webb he wasn't totally sure if he wanted to take an official to Michigan—he's committed to Arizona State—it sounds like he could be convinced to do so ($):
“It would take a lot of explaining and kind of selling the place to me for me to go. I’m pretty solid, so I wouldn’t want to start a bunch of controversy. It would have to be something that I couldn’t turn it down and I would have to go see. I’ve been there before. I grew up watching Michigan, so it wouldn’t be impossible and this time would be perfect to go check it out because it is so cold. Going up there and being in the cold and seeing if I can take it would (answer a major question). So right now would be a perfect time to take an official.”
Michigan also entered the fray for a couple four-star receiver prospects, though it may be too late to be a real player in either of their recruitments. Steve Lorenz confirmed that the Wolverines have showed interest in CA four-star Equanimeous St. Brown, but while an offer could earn M an official visit, St. Brown has been considered a strong Notre Dame lean for a while ($).
It's tough to get a read on M's chances with four-star TX WR DaMarkus Lodge. In talking to GBW's Kyle Bogenschutz, Lodge made it clear that he's very intrigued by the Harbaugh hire ($):
“With Michigan getting Harbaugh I have very high interest in Michigan now,” Lodge told Scout. “He’s a successful coach and a successful man.”
Watching Harbaugh’s 49ers team closely over the last four seasons, coaching the likes of Michael Crabtree, Anquan Bolden and others, Lodge called himself a “perfect fit” for the offensive style he could employ in Ann Arbor.
Lodge also mentioned that with official visits to Texas A&M and Ole Miss scheduled the next two weekends, however, Michigan is unlikely to get a visit, and "they're probably out of it now."
Oh, Right, There Are Actual Commits To Monitor
Michigan pledge Grant Newsome took part in the Semper Fi All-American Bowl; Tim Sullivan caught up with his coach at the event, who came away impressed with Newsome's ability ($):
"It's not that I was not expecting it, but I think his pass protection was something that was ahead of his run blocking at this stage of the game," Hansen said. "A lot of times, you get the opposite for a high school kid, where they're more comfortable run blocking. He was more versed in protection part of it.
"You want both, but that doesn't happen very often [at the high school level], and to have a guy who's strong in protection already, that's the way you'd want it. It's tougher for kids to adapt that than run blocking."
The coach also praised Newsome's work ethic and length ("you can't teach 6-7"). Footwork and strength were the main areas he pointed out as needing to improve, the usual suspects for a high school lineman.