Ace is on vacation! This post is already long! I'm posting it today!
On the Solomon commitment
Solomon and Reese [Sam Webb]
These days, the flood of "he won't stick" assertions in the aftermath of an unexpected commit from a far-flung high school prospect is inevitable. They certainly rolled in for GA DT Aubrey Solomon, both from the Michigan and SEC ends. Just like "offers" and OFFERS there are "commitments" and COMMITMENTS. The concern with Solomon is that he's issued the former.
Despite the fact that there's no evidence behind this assertion, people thinking this are not crazy. Michigan's already seen a GA commit peace out once the big local teams came in. But outright pessimism is unwarranted. Reasons Solomon will stick:
- Solomon already has big time offers and just visited Alabama and Georgia, who were previously thought to be the main contenders. He's seen what his leaders have to offer already and it's not like a bigger school than Bama or UGA can throw their hat in the ring.
- Michigan also picked up a commit from 2018 LB/S Otis Reese, a teammate. Reese had Michigan way out in front; he'll be there until Signing Day.
- Michigan's depth chart is attractive for a nose tackle. They have three-star Michael Dwumfour in the class ahead of him and not much else. Meanwhile the prospect of playing with Rashan Gary, even for just a couple years, is appealing.
Reasons it won't:
- The glow of the visit might not last.
- Parents might not be such a big fan of the decision.
Michigan's benefited from the latter a few times—Lawrence Marshall was an OSU commit for ten seconds before his parents put the brakes on—and suffered from it a few times. Solomon did talk to his mom on the phone before pulling the trigger:
“At first she was a little shocked because she’s never heard me trying to commit somewhere just like that,” Solomon said. “So she said I must be in love with the school and I told her that academically I would be good there."
Rusty Mansell, a reporter at the Georgia 247 site, has a skeptical take after talking to mom:
Solomon's mother was in Louisiana for a business trip at the time and told Dawgs247 the commitment caught her off-guard. She twice deemed the decision a "soft commitment," and mentioned that it is pending research. Again, her thoughts on the Georgia program were very high, and she said she is waiting to see what the outcome is in his recruitment.
Trying to figure out what Solomon will do through two separate lenses, one of them extremely red-tinted, is difficult. That doesn't sound great on the mom front.
FWIW, doesn't seem like Michigan put on a full court press. TomVH caught up with Lee County assistant coach Kevin Pych:
“The Michigan coaches are professionals,” Pych said. “They’re not sitting here blowing these kids’ phones up and they’re not pressuring them. That’s what sold these guys, that they care about making them into men.”
FL OL Kai-Leon Herbert reiterated that: Michigan coaches are amongst the lower-pressure ones out there. Sam Webb has an extensive article in the News about both Georgia commits in which Solomon tells it from his perspective:
"I was just thinking, ‘They want what's best for me, so let me call my mom.’ I'm a big momma's boy (so) I called her and talked to her about it. She was like, 'Is this really what you want to do?' and I told her, ‘Yeah, I can see myself playing here.’ Then she was like, 'Well, do what you've got do, baby. I love you,' and I said, 'I love you,' and went in there and said, 'I will commit here.'"
Whether that's good or bad is in the eye of the beholder. Hopefully mom can get on campus when Solomon takes his official.
What about Reese? While he is in a somewhat similar situation in his case a brother at Central Michigan and the fact that his commit was not off the cuff but something he'd been seriously thinking about should mean he's 90%+ to stick.
[After THE JUMP: more visit weekend fallout, new names dropping in via helicopter, Ace gets angry about KJ Hamler again despite being on vacation]
Yet more visit weekend fallout
Michigan's huge visit weekend was not complete as of Monday's update, with a handful of high-profile guys still on campus and others on the way home.
wingspaaaaaan
AL WR Nico Collins took his second unofficial in little more than a month, spurring a Michigan crystal ball pick from this here site. It's one thing for Collins to say Michigan leads after his first trip; it's a much more promising thing when he takes another one so quickly. Collins continues to say encouraging things to reporters, as well:
"I can imagine it just packed out on game day," he said. "There's a vibe here that's different than any other college, really.
"Just the vibe they have here, there's something different about it from any other school."
Adding to the optimism is a relative lack of it from the Alabama camp. An SEC Country podcast about Tide recruiting mentions Collins as a target; Bama folk are no longer confident about him because "people close to Collins believe he wants to leave the state." Georgia is the other threat; a survey of their 247 site doesn't turn up much confidence for UGA.
TX LB Baron Browning came up with his brother, who played for Harbaugh at Stanford. Per Lorenz "Michigan knows it's an uphill battle" for one of the country's most-recruited players. Nobody's been able to get Browning on the record after his visit, which is generally a bad sign.
CA DE and UCLA commit Hunter Echols stopped in; in the aftermath he talked to Brandon Brown. Brown paraphrases their conversation; it sounds like Echols is likely to stay on the West Coast. He does plan to take an official, get 'em on campus, anything can happen etc. etc. With Malone-Hatcher and Vilain committed, another WDE type would be a luxury.
AL OL Toryque Bateman attended the Big Man camp, and he is indeed a Big Man. At 6'8" Bateman has the kind of left tackle frame Michigan doesn't have much of on the roster. It sounds like things went okay:
“The visit went very, very well. … Overall, the visit was an A+ and my expectations were very high and they did exceed them with flying colors.”
Bateman is bros with Collins, which might play a small factor. About six weeks ago he said he didn't have a top list but Tennessee, Mississippi State, and Michigan were standing out. A couple weeks later he named a similar top three in an interview with a Miami site, replacing the Bulldogs with the Hurricanes.
CA OL Wyatt Davis made a Midwest swing through OSU, ND, and Michigan, saying positive things about all three. If you really want you can read between the lines; I don't think there's much value in doing so. That goes double when it's an ND reporter with reputation for… excitability doing all three articles. I seriously doubt Michigan actually told Davis this…
“They said that I would have a great chance of playing right away because they said they’re losing all five of their starters,” said Davis. “They said that there is a chance for early playing time. They also said their degree is something that I should definitely take under consideration.”
…since a cursory glance at any depth chart will tell you Michigan graduates three guys this year. Anyway. Wyatt intends to take officials to all three schools and Alabama—tentatively regarded as the leader—this fall. Cal, UF, USC, and UCLA are trying to get his last visit. He's an LA area kid so he could take unofficials to the latter two.
A new IMG name with implications
Sam Webb has an article on FL S Grant Delpit, who attended Michigan's satellite camp in Houston and is a highly interested alpaca:
"Michigan actually… they were like one of the last offers I had. They offered late, so that shows they're not going to offer because another school offered. They want to evaluate me. I need to get up for a visit there. They're at the top of my list."
This is almost certainly a situation where "at the top of my list" actually means "at the top of my list with a few other schools". LSU is the most prominent of them. Delpit is originally from New Orleans and still has family there.
Even if Michigan does not end up a serious player for Delpit their continued recruitment of him is illuminating. They've already got AL S J'Marick Woods in the boat and are the heavy favorites for MI S Jaylen Kelly-Powell. Delpit's recruitment indicates they're open to a third safety despite the fact that they forestalled a commitment from AL S AJ Harris earlier this year. The safety depth chart is alarmingly thin, and there were just a spate of rumors that it might be thinner yet if one or two of the freshmen WRs capable of playing S aren't on the roster.
Apparently there is room for a slot?
We'd assumed that Michigan was not in the market for a slot receiver this year after taking Chris Evans, Nate Johnson, and Eddie McDoom a year ago. We further assumed that this was why Michigan and MI WR KJ"Speedy Eaglet" Hamler—who's going to IMG—didn't have much mutual interest. So a Michigan crystal ball from Steve Lorenz for FL WR Michael Harley is an oddity.
Michigan saw Harley at a satellite camp in early June, offering shortly thereafter. Harley reciprocated with a visit last weekend. While he doesn't have a big-time recruiting profile yet he is in the top 250 at Rivals and just participated in their Five-Star Challenge, where he got a prestigious award:
FANCY FEET: WR MIKE HARLEY
This goes to the prospect with the best footwork, regardless of position, and wide receiver Mike Harley cuts on a dime and just sets up defensive backs so well. He’s not very big, but try dealing with his change of direction or even his ability to make you miss after the catch even in 7-on-7. He’s a blur.
Sounds all right, even if Ace is weeping for reasons he cannot define right now.
Random smokebomb entrance recruits
This guy isn't even on our recruiting board:
Linebacker Shanon Reid (Fort Myers, Fla./Dunbar,) said Mississippi State and Michigan still lead among his 28 verbal offers following a five school tour last week.
None of those schools were Michigan; one was Mississippi State. Reid is planning a visit to Ann Arbor sometime in July; he's a four-star on 247 and unregarded elsewhere. His relationship with Michigan stems from Michigan's satellite camp at USF. With a couple of guys committed and Singleton on the hook it's unclear how much room Michigan has for a guy like Reid.
Had an amazing time at The University of Michigan! 〽️ Ann Arbor I'll see you soon #GoBluepic.twitter.com/8fX7MKnQ7S
— Reece (@2Dozen__) June 18, 2016
Neither is CA WR Maurice Bell, who visited this weekend and now says Michigan is "high on his list" with a decision forthcoming shortly. He told Rivals that Michigan was his last visit and he would decide in July. Per Garrett Fishaw, Michigan is looking at him as a slot receiver and punt return guy. Have to imagine he and Harley are mutually exclusive.
A missed opportunity to name this guy "Leviticus"
Michigan offered MO LB/DE Anthony Payne after a satellite camp stop. Despite the fact that Payne told 247 he's 263 pounds, he says Michigan's not recruiting him as a DL:
Payne plays the strongside defensive end position, but the Wolverines want him at linebacker if he can stay at his current frame. A player with his build is sure to fit in Don Brown's defense, and he enjoys that potential fit.
"If I plan on staying this same size, I'd love to go Michigan," he said.
That's pretty weird. Generally a 255 pound guy who plays linebacker is in a 3-4. Brown is committed to a 4-3 model where his SAM backer is a hybrid space player. Maybe Payne can hack it given his combine numbers from an Opening regional earlier this year, where he ran a 4.7 and had a 4.25 shuttle at 250 pounds. If he adds the mass most kids do when they get to college there's no way.
Michigan is by far Payne's biggest offer at the moment and he says M leads; per Brice Marich he wants to decide by August. Visit promised, no date yet. He's scheduled to camp at Nebraska this weekend.
[Side note: Payne is another guy like Ben Mason or Chase Lasater: thick head-bashers who don't draw much recruiting attention because they are defensive tweeners or FB/H-backs on offense. Payne is part of a trend.]
Begrudging 2018 items
TX TE Mustafa Muhammad, reputed to be Michigan's top TE target in the 2018 class, was amongst the visitors this weekend. Michigan hit the proverbial home run; Muhammad is nowhere near a decision or even a top list. Michigan thinks they lead, per Lorenz.
Rivals reports on TX WR Joshua Moore, who got an offer and is interested. He's friends with AL ATH Cam Taylor, a Pratville kid who's been on the radar for a bit now. He hasn't been featured in any articles, but apparently he's still big into Michigan:
"It's a possibility we're a package deal," he said. "He is always in my ear about Michigan, so there is that possibility. I'd like to visit Michigan sometime towards the end of the summer, maybe with Cam [Taylor]."
Initial rankings have Taylor in the unranked four-star range.
OH WR L'Christian Smith talked to MLive about his recruitment; he didn't say much to indicate where he might be leaning. MSU, OSU, ND, and Alabama are the other contenders.
A little scouting on AL LB commit Otis Reese from his head coach:
“Otis is a very, very physical defensive back. Kind of like Aubrey has the combination of size, flexibility and natural ability to play with a flat back, Otis is one of the rare players who's got the ability to cover somebody in man coverage but also come down in the box and play like a linebacker. There's not a lot of guys out there that have that kind of ability to have DB skills, but also have the size, strength and physicality to play like a linebacker.”
Michigan plans on deploying him as a SAM for obvious reasons.
Etc.: Don't worry about this Rivals headline on MI OL commit JaRaymond Hall; clickbait. Also don't get hyped about M getting Jeremiah Holloman back in the fold; clickbait. MI CB Ambry Thomas plans to take all his officials. VA CB commit Benjamin St Juste will hit up the opening. FL OL Robert Hainseydown to M, MSU, ND after ND visit. Plans to commit at the Opening. ND is blowing up his crystal ball.
BTW, Reese appears to be the first Otis Michigan has recruited, or even attempted to, since MGoBlog was a thing.