Spring Game Visitors: Commit Watch?
Michael Onwenu and Donnie Corley are among this weekend's top visitors. [Fuller]
Let's skip the preamble. You want this weekend's visitors list. Thanks to a primer from Allen Trieu in the Detroit News and a quick overview from 247's Steve Lorenz, here are the top targets who'll be on campus this weekend.
Since they've been discussed so much of late, let's start with the in-state prospects:
- Four-star Detroit King WR Donnie Corley. Michigan seems to have made up a ton of ground on Corley since Harbaugh took over, to the point that they may be out in front along with Tennessee. Michigan State, Notre Dame, and Ohio State are also heavily involved.
- Four-star Southfield RB Matt Falcon. The top back in the state, Falcon has Tennessee as his leader, and while Michigan is gaining they'll have to make a big impression this weekend—Falcon is slated to visit UT at the end of the month and could decide shortly thereafter, per Sam Webb ($).
- Three-star Farmington WR Desmond Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick has stuck with his Louisville commitment so far, even after getting a Michigan offer, but that could change soon, especially if teammate David Reese decides to flip his commitment after a recent offer.
- Four-star Plymouth OT Michael Jordan. The usual Midwest suspects—Michigan, MSU, ND, and OSU—comprise Jordan's top four. He's been a steady presence on campus lately, but there haven't been rumblings of an imminent decision.
- Four-star Farmington Hills Harrison DE Khalid Kareem. After a brief commitment to Michigan State, Kareem has also been in Ann Arbor several times for unofficial visits. Notre Dame is also a factor.
- Four-star Cass Tech OG/DT Michael Onwenu. Onwenu previously favored Ohio State, but backed off that stance after the Mike Weber kerfuffle. Michigan looks to be in very good position to land him.
- Three-star Farmington LB/FB David Reese. Like Fitzpatrick, Reese is a Louisville commit pondering a flip after getting a Michigan offer. He could make the change as early as this weekend, and that could set off a string of in-state commitments—at the very least, Fitzpatrick would be likely to join him.
- 2017 four-star Orchard Lake St. Mary's LB Josh Ross. James Ross's younger brother has made quite a few visits to Ann Arbor.
- 2017 four-star St. Joseph WDE Corey Malone-Hatcher. An offer from Alabama last week shows that Malone-Hatcher won't be an easy pull.
- 2017 four-star Cass Tech WR Donovan Peoples-Jones. A potential five-star, Peoples-Jones has been on campus a lot lately but also is getting major attention from Ohio State.
If there's a commitment this weekend, Reese seems to be the most likely candidate. Now, for the out-of-state visitors:
- Three-star TX OT Austin Anderson and three-star TX OT Riley Anderson. The twin linemen both received offers from Michigan in early March.
- Three-star TX S Chris Brown. A teammate of four-star LB Dontavious Jackson, who'll also be on campus, Brown's best offers so far are from Michigan and Louisville, though local schools could jump into the fray.
- Three-star AL RB Kingston Davis. The big back hails from Prattville, the same Alabama high school that produced 2015 signee Keith Washington; Michigan will hold one of their satellite camps there this summer.
- Four-star MD OG Terrance Davis. Davis is a big-time national recruit, but he appears to have legitimate interest in Michigan.
- Four-star TX ILB Dontavious Jackson. Michigan won't have an easy time prying Jackson away from Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Texas, but offering Brown helps; for now, the Wolverines are very much in it.
- Four-star IN QB Brandon Peters. Outside of the in-state prospects, Peters is the recruit who's had the most commitment speculation. While Michigan looks like the favorite, however, it's reasonable to expect him to take planned visits to Nebraska and Vanderbilt the following two weekends before he comes to a decision.
- 2017 five-star IL SDE AJ Epenesa. An Iowa legacy, Epenesa was offered last month; he's projected as one of the very best 2017 prospects in the country.
- 2017 four-star GA S Isaiah Pryor. In a promising sign, Pryor will be on campus for the second time in two weeks, this time with his family in tow, per 247's Steve Wiltfong ($).
- 2017 OH RB Todd Sibley. Considered an Ohio State lean, Michigan leapt into contention when they offered Sibley a couple weeks ago, though overcoming the childhood favorite Buckeyes will be a difficult task.
That's not quite an exhaustive list—for one, expect a bunch of in-state underclassmen to check in—but it hits the highlights. This is a very impressive visitor list for a spring game.
Meanwhile, Michigan is hosting a visitor today: three-star Lakewood (OH) St. Edward CB Tony Butler, a Pitt commit, is on campus and Lorenz reports he's likely to earn an offer ($). Butler's former head coach at St. Eds, Rick Finotti, is now at Michigan after being hired by Harbaugh as director of football operations. That connection could help, and I'm always open to Narduzzi-approved defensive recruits.
[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the roundup.]
New Offers: Hi, We'd Like To Offer Your Backfield
Michigan offered Brownsburg (IN) teammates Toks Akinribade and Hunter Johnson while they were on their way to visit campus on Tuesday. Akinribade, a three-star 2016 running back, spent much of his time with Tyrone Wheatley, and Michigan will play a major factor in his recruiting going forward, per Rivals's Josh Helmholdt ($):
"I would say if I had to choose five schools right now, they would definitely be in my top five," he said.
Johnson is currently ranked as the top quarterback in the 2017 class; he's the second rising junior QB to get a Michigan offer, after four-star CO QB Dylan McCaffrey. Johnson connected with Jedd Fisch, per Steve Wiltfong ($):
Johnson says he’ll get back to Michigan soon.
“I felt really comfortable talking with Coach Fisch,” Johnson said. “He seemed like a really good guy and seemed like my kind of guy. I liked hanging out with him and talking to him and calling him and building a relationship with him. All the coaches, you could tell there is a good chemistry with the staff and there is energy around Michigan, and they seem excited to be there and about where the program is headed.”
As you'd expect, there'll be plenty of competition for Johnson; Wiltfong listed his current top school as Northwestern(!), Notre Dame, Penn State, and Tennessee. Miami (YTM), UNC, and Stanford are also in the mix.
Another elite 2017 prospect, four-star GA ATH Richard LeCounte, got an offer this week, and he told Steve Lorenz that he's already got a connection to this Michigan staff ($):
"I'm really excited to have received such a big offer like Michigan," LeCounte said. "I talked with Coach Durkin, who offered, and he said his feelings on me hadn't changed a bit since he was at Florida and that he wants me to come up and play for him at Michigan."
Georgia and Ohio State are widely considered the leaders in his recruitment.
The Wolverine's Tim Sullivan reports that Michigan offered 2016 four-star FL DE Patrick Bethel, an early Miami (YTM) lean.
Etc.
Tim Sullivan caught up with Devin Bush Sr., father and high school coach of four-star FL LB Devin Bush Jr., who was on campus last weekend. The presence of Gwendolyn Bush (no relation), former "team mom" of Devin's South Florida Express 7-on-7 team, could provide Michigan with an edge ($):
"Her big thing was both being from Florida," Devin Bush Sr. said. "We talked about her son [Wayne Lyons], and him going to Stanford because Coach Harbaugh recruited him. He's now transferring to Michigan because of him, and how great of a coach he was at Stanford.
"She said it's a great experience working with him too," Bush continued. "She has a close relationship with Harbaugh. She was just giving us insight on him and her. Her son is coming to play for Harbaugh. That tells you a lot about sending your son to another place for the same coach twice."
Bush plans to extend his recruitment all the way until one of the All-American games. For now, Michigan is in good position to be in it until the end.
SEC coach complains about unfair Big Ten recruiting advantage. Excuse me while I grab a box of tissues.