Spring Game Fallout, Part I
In addition to landing four Spring Game weekend commits—Hello: Chase Lasater, Leonard Taylor, Phil Paea, and O'Maury Samuels—Michigan made significant impressions on several other visitors.
The nation's top-ranked center, IMG-by-way-of-NJ four-star Cesar Ruiz, released an ordered top 12 following his visit that features Michigan in a tie at the top with Alabama and UNC. He gave his thoughts on M to TomVH:
“They have done a great job making me feel welcome every time I visit. Every time I’m there I feel home and they make me feel like a part of the family. I have a lot of old friends and old teammates that are going there and I would have an opportunity to play with them. Brad Hawkins and Ron Johnson were teammates and old friends like Rashan Gary, Ahmir Mitchell and Kareem Walker.”
A trip to Alabama is next on the docket. While Ruiz won't be an easy pull with his impressive offer sheet, Michigan has a lot of connections in their favor.
When we were put on commit watch notice over the weekend, many thought that three-star NJ ATH Markquese Bell would be one to drop. While that didn't come to fruition, it sounds like Michigan is ahead of the pack; Bell raved about his visit to Scout's Brian Dohn:
"Everything was great," said Bell, who plays at south Jersey's Bridgeton (N.J.) High. "It was my first time there. I just liked everything about the school. The spring game was awesome. The fans are electric. I wanted to put pads on and go play."
Michigan made a similarly strong first impression on four-star CA C Brett Neilon, who told TMI's Brice Marich he's looking to make a return trip:
Said Neilon, “it’s a place I could see myself at and will be a place I research and look at hard. Yeah, I will try to visit again.”
It'll be tough to pull Neilon out of California, but if a school manages to do it, Michigan looks like the one.
They may be in similar position with four-star NV CB Alex Perry, who told Marich his visit went "great," and Michigan will make his top list whenever he releases one. He plans to return for an official.
[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the roundup.]
Interlude: DT Musical Chairs
Entering the weekend, four-star NJ DTs Fred Hansard and Corey Bolds looked like the best bets to join Phil Paea in the class. That doesn't look like the case any longer.
For Bolds, Clemson may still be out in front, and while Michigan is right up there with the Tigers, 247's Steve Wiltfong posted that Bolds has "got some work to do" if he's going to end up in the class.
Michigan went from seemingly being out of Hansard's recruitment to a potential favorite with a May decision looming, but after the visit he told Rivals' Adam Friedman he's essentially starting from scratch:
"I moved back decision date," he said. "I felt like I rushed a little too much because I want to get the process over with. My mom said I need to think about all the schools. My parents want me to visit a lot of schools to make sure I make the right decision. I’m wiping out my list of top schools."
Friedman oddly interpreted this to be good news for Michigan, but both logic and other intel suggests the coaches have cooled on Hansard. In the same thread as the Bolds tidbit, Wiltfong stated flat-out that he doesn't expect Hansard to be in the class.
Adding to that sense is the visit reaction from fast-rising three-star OK DT Deontre Thomas, who's gone from zero to 13 offers—including ones from Michigan, Arkansas, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M—in the last two months. Thomas told Marich that he could make a decision soon; if he does, it looks like Michigan will be the choice:
“The visit was something unforgettable,” Thomas told The Michigan Insider’s Brice Marich. “It doesn’t get better than Michigan. I hung out with some of the players at the mall and went to a few different places on campus. Spending great quality time with the coaches and seeing the facilities was the highlight of my visit.”
Hopefully Michigan struck early enough; Thomas will visit Oklahoma for their spring game, and more big-time offers could change the outlook.
Spring Game Fallout, Part II
Michigan also hosted a large group of 2018 recruits. If we're going by NOTY potential, the headliner is clearly FL TE Judge Culpepper, who told Scout's Corey Bender the stadium experience stood out to him:
"Gosh, that was incredible," Culpepper said. "That field is massive and I loved it. It would be a cool place to play in one day, you know?"
M has already offered, but Culpepper is a Florida legacy and he holds an offer from the Gators.
While several Cass Tech prospects were touring SEC schools, 2018 four-star CB Kalon Gervin stayed local, and he continued to develop a rapport with the coaches, per TMI's Josh Newkirk:
“I’m starting to get real comfortable with the coaches,” Gervin said. “They are real cool with me and are starting to get to know me more. I think its starting to workout.”
Gervin said five schools are sticking out to him: Michigan, MSU, Pitt, Tennessee, and Nebraska. He's a good bet to stay in the state.
The Ademilola twins, four-stars Justin and Jayson, took in the game as part of a Midwest swing that included stops in East Lansing and Columbus. Both St. Peter's Prep (NJ) standouts told 247's Alex Gleitman that Michigan's New Jersey connection is a selling point:
"It was my second time at Michigan," Jayson said. "It was very good. There were other New Jersey recruits there so we got to hang out with them. We got a tour of campus, saw the facilities, met with the coaches and sat in some meetings. The coaches were just saying they want to continue to build a bigger relationship. They were saying they wanted me to be a part of the family and to keep the pipeline of Jersey to Ann Arbor going. It's definitely a welcoming factor that other New Jersey guys are there. I'll feel more comfortable because of all those guys up there and the coaches, too."
Neither has a top list right now, but Michigan should be in it until the end.
Safety Duo Soon Complete?
Michigan already has a four-star safety in the class in J'Marick Woods. He could soon be joined by Cass Tech's Jaylen Kelly-Powell, who's been a consistent presence on campus, struck up a friendship with Woods on the recruiting trail, and according to his dad may accelerate his commitment timeline:
Sam Webb: What does Jaylen’s decision timeline look like?
Mr. Powell: "He'll be an early enrollee so this decision is probably going to come in the summer. Wherever he decides we're looking to find the right place for him and lock him in."
Ohio State is M's primary competition, but an early decision should go the way of the good guys.
Top Lists, New Offers, Etc.
Michigan made the top ten for five-star TX OLB Baron Browning. While pulling a Texas five-star away from the local powers is a daunting task, Burnt Orange Nation's Wescott Eberts suggests he could be looking to go out of state:
Only in-state competition for Texas w/ Baron Browning is TCU. If the 5-star LB stays in state, #Horns look like the favorite. Big if, though
— Wescott Eberts (@SBN_Wescott) April 7, 2016
That said, he's still a longshot, at least until he makes his way to campus.
M is fourth in the newly released top fives for two other top linebackers in IMG four-star Will Ignont and AL three-star Kenney Britt, per Steve Lorenz. That came as a surprise; I'd put them in the same category as Browning—Georgia and Auburn are heavily involved in both prospects.
Michigan offered three-star 2017 NC S Brelin Faison-Walden, who also holds offers from the likes of Alabama and Florida State.
Tim Sullivan caught up with the #1 quarterback in the 2018 class, GA five-star Trevor Lawrence, who said he's interested in visiting Ann Arbor. Even getting him to campus might be tough; Georgia, Tennessee, and Clemson are his current leaders, and Michigan hasn't been mentioned when he's not talking to guys who cover Michigan.
Local news article on 2017 commit Benjamin St-Juste, who comes from the same program that produced one Tim Biakabutuka.
Kurt Taylor's nickname is apparently"Baby Gorilla," which is quite a moniker.
Happy trails to four-star WI OT Tyler Beach, who committed to Wisconsin.