The Question:
Ace: Recruit still on the board you’d most like Michigan to land, not named Rashan Gary?
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The Responses:
Ace: I’ll go with four-star KS DE Xavier Kelly. Michigan could use an edge-rushing terror, and while the film (http://www.hudl.com/v/Br2Pb) reveals Kelly will need to develop—he gets by largely on athleticism—it also shows a really impressive athlete; within the first couple minutes, you see a reverse dunk on the hardwood and a downfield catch as a receiver. Scout’s evaluation calls him “a prototype pass-rushing defensive end” and “a freakish athlete with high upside.”
Michigan and Alabama are reportedly the two programs that appear to have the best shot at him right now; several other top programs, including Florida State, Clemson, Oregon, and TCU, are in hot pursuit. While I like commit Ron Johnson’s potential quite a bit, I think he ends up as a strongside DE; Kelly gives Michigan their best shot at landing an elite weakside end, and those two could develop into a pair of very disruptive bookends.
[Jump for ballists]
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Brian: This may be a bit of a foregone conclusion but I'm still going with Ahmir Mitchell, the top-100 New Jersey wide receiver. Michigan's wide receiver corps is rough right now and needs a talent infusion more than any spot on the roster, certainly when you take the current recruiting class into account.
In Mitchell you get a guy who has excellent size at 6'3" and the kind of explosiveness that could make him a downfield threat that takes a safety away from the rest of your offense. His highlight film has a lot of jukes and stiffarms on dink passes, and then he runs away from guys deep. He's a ballist.
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Seth: When is the last time Michigan landed an elite linebacker prospect? Bolden (75th overall on the 247 composite) and Ross (115th) were in the heart of four-star territory, and J.B. Fitzgerald was around there. But unless you're counting guys ranked as safeties (Mouton, Burgess) or guys we expected to end up on the DL (Brandon Graham) the last 5-star linebacker to come to Michigan was Lamarr Woodley.
Caleb Kelly is ranked about where Woodley was, and at 219 pounds with excess athleticism Kelly could end up anywhere from a 3-4 OLB to hybrid spacebacker. Oklahoma seems the most likely destination right now, Michigan has a shot. If we get him it probably means we just had the kind of season that makes 5-stars from California believe Harbaugh's championship years aren't very far off.
And guys we need linebackers. Gedeon's non-redshirt means we're two years away from McCray plus legacies and guys they were trying at tight end. Last year demonstrated how important coverage is for an LB, and Alabama annually demonstrates what you can do with that kind of speed and physicality on the outside. And more to the point, Florida under Durkin showed what kind of defense you can play with long and lithe guys who won't stay blocked.
Maybe it's a bit obvious since he's the highest rated guy on the board after Gary, but that's not really a bad thing.
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Dave: I would say that getting either Kelly (Caleb or Xavier) would be hugely ideal for M. An absolute stud…
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Everyone: eeeuuuuh.
Dave: ?
Seth: That word. Horse-sex metaphor. Gross.
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Dave: …star at LB or a premier pass rusher are both luxuries that haven't resided in Ann Arbor in quite some time (maybe Ryan at LB, but we never really got to see what his ceiling truly was; Brandon Graham was 6 years ago...wow).
But for the purposes of this exercise, I think I would also like TE Nasier Upshur.
Upshur is a 4* out of Philadelphia, PA. Obviously, I don't need to go into the whole Harbaugh/Tight End love-fest. While I stated earlier that either Kelly would greatly help an area of need, I don't think that the Tight End position is too far behind. By the time that he would potentially arrive on campus, AJ Williams will have graduated, Jake Butt will be a senior, and Khalid Hill is still projected more of an "H-Back" version of a tight end.
In terms of prospects who haven't played for M, yet, Ian Bunting still looks like he might follow the Funchess route and step outside, accenting his slimmer build and 6'6" leapy-ness. TJ Wheatley ideally would take a redshirt this year, but that's still too hard to project...and he could also switch positions. A guy like Upshur, who is already known as a quality blocker -and pass-catcher, for that matter- would have a solid opportunity to contribute in his first year on campus.
Upshur has also mentioned growing up watching Arizona State, calls Temple his second home...and this gem: http://mgoblog.com/content/four-seconds-streets-ann-arbor