[Googly Eyes Emoji]
STILL DON'T WATCH THIS
So.
“I’m going to take my five visits, but I just don’t know where,” Harris said. “Let’s say this: My mind isn’t set on Alabama. I’m not 100 percent set on Alabama. I’m trying to see what else is out there for me. I’m using my visits to see. As much attention as I’ve gotten, I feel like I have helped my teammates get some offers, too.”
That is the top-ranked player in the country, CA RB Najee Harris, going on the record about his recruitment for the first time in... months? It feels like months. Meanwhile, the San Francisco Chronicledropped this pertinent bit of news in their ongoing series on Harris that mostly focuses on his life outside the lines:
Next week, when Antioch hosts Liberty, another wrinkle comes into play: Harbaugh, the Michigan head coach, is planning to attend the game, hoping he can persuade Harris to flip his verbal commitment to Alabama and play in Ann Arbor instead.
While 247's Steve Lorenz expects Harris to end up signing with Bama, he continues to believe Michigan is the school with the best chance to change that, and mentions that M's staff in fact thought they either led or were close following Harris's summer unofficial visit.
I'm still skeptical of M's ultimate chances to flip Harris, but going on the record to say his Alabama commitment isn't set in stone is especially noteworthy coming from a recruit who avoids the media and appears to be trying to keep his recruitment as drama-free as possible.
[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the roundup.]
Looking Good, Indeed
From Sam's gut to God's ears.
#Michigan looking REALLY good here... https://t.co/WfPZfNqgfV
— Sam Webb (@SamWebb77) October 6, 2016
That's regarding four-star IA WR Oliver Martin, who was one of the slew of blue-chip recruits in attendance for the Wisconsin game. While Martin has been very guarded in his praise for any school, it's clear he enjoyed his time in Ann Arbor:
"I really liked my Michigan visit," Martin said to Scout. "The big thing for me going in was being able to talk to the coaches more. I talked to Coach Fisch and Coach Harbaugh more, the wide receivers coach and head coach. I really enjoyed talking to them and liked what they had to say. I wanted to see what the game day environment was like and see how the players interact with each other. I thought it was a success. I really liked it and I connected with the staff well."
His dad, talking to Scout's Allen Trieu, was more effusive, in stark contrast to his quotes after their previous visit to Notre Dame:
"It also was another great opportunity to talk with coaches Harbaugh and Fisch. It really meant a lot to Oliver that Coach Harbaugh spent as much time as he did with him before such a huge game. The pregame was awesome. It was great to meet more 2017 commits and of course, the game was awesome."
Martin wants to take visits to Michigan State and Oregon "sometime soon" before coming to a decision.
At this point, it's tough to figure out which of M's top four WR targers is the least likely to end up in the class. I would've answered Martin a month ago; now it's probably Nico Collins, who's paid his way to visit Ann Arbor from Alabama several times.
More Wisconsin Fallout: The Wall & More
Building on what went up last week: Michigan couldn't have done much better with the OL recruits on campus for Wisconsin. 247's Ryan Bartow put in a Crystal Ball pick for four-star TX OT Chuck Filiaga right after interviewing him; it's easy to see why in the quotes:
"What really caught my eye was the game atmosphere," Filiaga told 247Sports National Analyst Ryan Bartow on Tuesday. "Being there with guys like Alex Leatherwood and Jedrick Wills too. I really liked my visit to Michigan a lot. It was amazing."
While for some reason this got posted in a different article, Filiaga also said Michigan "has an edge" after what he called his best trip so far.
Talking to The Wolverine's Brandon Brown, four-star KY OT Jedrick Wills implied the visit put Michigan right up there with Alabama and Kentucky on top of his list:
"Honestly, Michigan has jumped right into the mix with my other favorites," Wills said. "After having such a great weekend with some of my closest homeboys at U-M and spending more time with Coach [Tim] Drevno and Coach [Jim] Harbaugh, I can really see us going there and having the time of our lives while excelling on the field and while getting one of the most prestigious degrees in the country. Michigan is hard to beat."
Wills mentioned that bonding with fellow visitors Cesar Ruiz, Baron Browning, and Alex Leatherwood is what made his trip "the best." Based on the Twitterinteractions between Leatherwood and Wills, that sure seems to be the case.
And, yes, for what it's worth, Leatherwood removed any sign that he's an Alabama commit from his Twitter bio following the visit.
While four-star NY OT Isaiah Wilson wasn't at the Wisconsin game, he was one of the 200-odd visitors hosted by Rutgers last weekend. TMI's Josh Newkirk caught up with him the night prior to the game, and Wilson discussed the potential for a heck of a package deal:
“Basically the ‘Fab 5’ is if we were all to commit there, me, Alex Leatherwood, Cesar Ruiz, Jedrick Wills and (Chuck Filiaga),” Wilson said. “Basically if four or five of us commit a lot of people are predicting it to be one of the best O-lines in the class.”
So, do the five of them talk about coming to Michigan together on a regular basis?
“Yeah, we talk,” Wilson said with a smile, adding more on the possibility of the Fab 5. “It’s very cool knowing that if you were to go somewhere, that you were going somewhere with a bunch of cool recruits and enjoy your time there.
The likelihood of Michigan landing all five is low; even getting three of them would make for a great haul, though, and the Wolverines are still in great shape for the likes of TJ Slaton. It's unclear how the O-line class is going to finish out; it's hard not to see it being really dang good.
Oh, and five-star 2018 IMG DT Taron Vincent told 247's Steve Wiltfong his Wisconsin visit was the best he's ever been on.
Officials Set For Tufele, Others
Four-star UT DT Jay Tufele announced he'll take his official visit to Michigan for the Illinois game. Ohio State and Utah are the primary competition; Steve Lorenz, who's optimistic about M's chances, says Washington has also moved into contention. The presence of Tony Tuioti on staff and several Polynesian players on the roster could make a big difference for M in this one.
Three-star GA FB Tory Carter, an LSU commit, set an official for the Indiana game, and he'll be accompanied by high school teammate Otis Reese, one of M's two 2018 commits. Michigan will also get one last crack at their teammate and one-time commit Aubrey Solomon, who told 247's Ryan Bartow that M is one of four schools he plans to see on an official. Solomon also said Georgia "sticks out"; it'd be a very pleasant surprise if he ended up back in the fold.
Etc.
Donovan Peoples-Jones switch his official visit from Florida to Ohio State because of Hurricane Matthew, and while I'm sure this wasn't the intention, his tweet comes off as a "thanks for playing" type of visit reaction. Even Buckeye partisans don't seem to have much faith in their chances.
Three-star AL S J'Marick Woods, a Michigan commit, took his first official visit to Arkansas and tweeted it was his best visit so far. He told Brandon Brown that he's still committed to Michigan and plans to take an official to Ann Arbor after the season.
Four-star FL WR Daquon Green, a Florida commit, plans to take one of his officials to Michigan, per Scout's Corey Bender.
While NJ WR Brad Hawkins didn't make it in the first time around, Michigan is still in frequent contact with him, and he says he's still committed to the program.