Michigan Tuesday: Early Signing Day Eve

Its amazing that the Michigan Football news cycle is pretty much non-stop.  Recruits committing and de-committing, wining and losing games, beating and losing to rivals, coaches coming and going, and players transferring.  

Tomorrow is a big day for Michigan Football as recruiting is any programs life line from good to great.   So today we preview things that might and should happen tomorrow as the early signing period opens.   

Swing for the fence:  These are elite recruits that have a chance of signing with Michigan tomorrow.  

Dax Hill - we have no idea what is going on with this recruitment, is he still solid with Alabama?  Is he going to sign on Wednesday or in February?  Would be a huge win back if somehow his LOI got to Ann Arbor.  

Zach Harrison - will make his twitter public, tweet his choice, and send in his LOI around noon on Wednesday.  Nobody knows anything here.   Finalist are Michigan, OSU, and PSU.   Michigan has been losing CB's and best guess is he stays at home with all the local pressure.     Michigan insiders are now admitting he is heading to Ohio State.  This one is over. 

Looking Good - Kids have high probability to sign with Michigan on Wednesday.

Cornelius Johnson 4 star WR from CT.  Visited last weekend and there is a good chance he is headed for a commit on Wednesday.  Mother attended U of M Medical School and father attended Stanford.  With Stanford and ND classes getting tight, Ann Arbor seems like a good choice. 

Kalen Deloach is a 4 star LB that is expected to stick with his FSU commitment who is coached by a Harbaugh friend.  Seems parents really want Michigan and son likes FSU being closer to home and having a number of friends going there.   I expect he will stay with FSU but there is a chance Michigan gets the LOI.    

Expected to Sign: 

• Zach Charbonnet near 5 star RB 
• Chris Hinton 4 star DT
• Mazi Smith 4 star DT
• Nolan Rumler 4 star OG 
• Trevor Keegan 4 star OT
• Trente Jones 4 star OT
• Anthony Solomon 4 star LB 
• Jalen Perry 4 Star CB
• Cade McNamara 4 star QB
• Giles Jackson 4 star WR
• David Ojabo 4 star DE
• Karsen Barnhart 4 star OG
• Erik All 4 star TE 
• Quinten Johnson 4 star S
• Mike Morris 3 star DE
• DJ Turner 3 star CB
• Charles Thomas 3 star LB 
• Zach Carpenter 3 star OG 
• Jack Stewart 3 star OT
• Mike Sainristil 3 star CB
• Gabe Newburg 3 star DE 
• Amauri Pesek-Hickson 3 star WR
• George Johnson 3 star Athlete
• Quintel Kent 3 star WR
• Joey Velazquez 3 star Viper

Michigan doesn't have the best luck with securing 5 stars at the bell, so lets predict that Dax and Zach make other decisions.   I also think Johnson will sign with Michigan at WR.   

If that happens and Michigan signs all the "expected to sign" guys,  this is still a very good class.  Michigan addressed the offensive line, LB and speed on the outside on offense.   With the loss of Aubrey Solomon, Michigan will need to try to get another DT between now and February.   As depth at DT has now become a concern.   Michigan offering a number of DT's the last few weeks was a clear sign they knew what was happening with Aubrey. 

Michigan is expected to sign 26 players tomorrow. 

Duck Thinkagain

How those famous words caught on video became so real.  

As you know by now, Aubrey Solomon has decided to transfer from Michigan.  I guess the program has a one Solomon limit.  This transfer has been rumored for some time and today became official. 

There are really 3 reasons kids transfer:

1- homesick 

2- academics 

3- playing time 

There of course are other reasons but those 3 usually cover it.  My guess for this transfer would be 1 & 3.   Aubrey barely played this year due to an injury and illness.  Last year he saw spot duty as a freshman.  He of course, was expected to play a huge role next season, which now he will watch from the sideline at Georgia or someplace.  

The rumor mills continues to spin on another big name that might transfer, but I will let you think on that one as this post fades to black.    For the size of the 2019 class Michigan is signing, more departures are expected.  

How excited are you about the Peach Bowl in a couple of weeks?

Michigan has 13,000 tickets and still hasn't sold out their allotment yet. 

Speaking of rumors there seems to be plenty of smoke around a fire that a number of kids will be sitting out.   Including Gary, maybe a total of 5 starters.   

So Michigan is going to play an exhibition game missing over 20% of their starters as healthy scratches.    Yea, that should be a great game:  Florida vs. Michigan's 2nd team.   

Again these are just rumors but there is plenty of smoke as bowl practice has already started.  

Let's hope Wednesday works out better for Michigan then expected.  

and I keep reminding myself, Michigan is a basketball school, Michigan is a basketball school, Michigan is a basketball school! 

Michigan Monday: Recruiting Weekend Re-cap

Michigan landed a very strong piece to its 2019 class on Friday night when 4 star OT Trevor Keegan committed to Michigan over Georgia and others.   As you know, building an offensive line that can  dominate is something we have lacked in Ann Arbor for what seems like 20 years now.

Trevor joins a strong offensive line class that includes G Nolan Rumler, OT Trente Jones, G Karsen Barnhart, G Zach Carpenter, and OT Jack Stewart.  Danielson Ike who was scheduled to take a 3 day visit this past weekend, had his visit cancelled.   Which is a pretty clear sign, Michigan is done with offensive line recruiting for this class.

Getting Trevor in this class is one of the most important pieces.  Welcome big man!

Michigan also received a public commitment from 4 star LB Anthony Solomon last night.  He decommitted from Miami and now will sign with Michigan on Wednesday.   This was not a shock or surprise as Anthony committed to Michigan weeks ago and was the reason for the "commit watch".

Solomon had offers from the likes of Alabama, BC, Clemson, Auburn, FSU, Georgia, and others.  Solomon took a long visit to Ann Arbor this summer and then picked Miami.  His heart was always in Ann Arbor and now he is a Wolverine.

Welcome home!

That is good news Bob, but what about the rest of the class?

The only one I feel comfortable about right now is 4 star CT WR Cornelius Johnson who just visited this past weekend and will announce on Wednesday.  

The 5 Stars:

Dax Hill:  The buzz is that Dax might now be leaning back towards Ann Arbor after Bama misled him.  He was tentative to be signing on Wednesday to either school, so we will probably have to wait for an update.  The buzz could also be wrong as not many players have done the reverse flip from Alabama.

Zach Harrison:  Nobody knows and most insiders believe he is leaning away from Michigan after OSU housed the Wolverines in Columbus.   That information still has to be 2nd or 3rd hand which could be accurate or not.   So this one is a coin flip.   One thing I would like to point out is all the Ohio guys that are coming to Ann Arbor as Gray Shirts, PWO's, and scholarship players.   Which could have a positive effect on Zach.   There are also reports that recruits are not sold on Ryan Day yet and what OSU will look like in future years.   Coin flip.

Quavaris Crouch is trending to Tennessee.   He is not coming to Ann Arbor.  He is also announcing at an all star game, so he won't be signing in two days.

Anyone else?

4 star Kalen Deloach took his final visit to FSU this weekend.  Reports out of the visit is he is solid with FSU and will sign with the Seminoles on Wednesday.   Sam Webb is not buying those reports and believes there is a chance Kalen will flip to the Wolverines on Wednesday.    So who knows.

I believe the takes are:

1. Any and all 5 stars that want to commit
2. WR Johnson
3. LB Deloach

Some have speculated that when Solomon committed, Michigan didn't have room for Deloach.  Not true, he committed weeks ago and Michigan is still giving the Deloach's the full court press. 

Should be a fun couple of days. 

Michigan Friday: Big Final Recruiting Visit Weekend

Wednesday is the early signing period for high school football players with offers to play college football.  Even though the first Wednesday in February is still National Signing Day, most programs try to get their class cemented in December.  If you don't sign in December, your really not committed, are you?

The final visit weekend prior to signing day is always a big one and this weekend is no exception.  Lets see who is attending:

First off:  Illinois 4 star OT Trever Keegan announces tonight at his high school.   Michigan feels confident this is a pledge for the good guys.  His announcement is at 7:30 EST.

2019 Visitors:

• Gabe Newburg - Commit will take a visit to A2.  

• Danielson Ike - a huge OT at 6'6 300 pounds, he is a 3 star but has a number of high offers from the likes of Alabama, Oklahoma, etc.  This official visit will go a long way of him making a decision for Wednesday. 

• Cornelius Johnson, 4 star WR from CT, a big need for Michigan.  His mom went to Michigan and father went to Stanford.  His final list is Michigan, Stanford, ND, and Alabama.  WOTS is that ND and Stanford have other needs and might not be taking another WR in this class, which opens the door wide open to A2.  

• Sam Snyder FL 3 star TE is an interesting one.  He has offers from the likes of FSU, Baylor, Rutgers, Wake Forest, Maryland and others.  Sam was also formerly a Louisville commit.   He is taking a trip to Ann Arbor without an offer.   Per 24/7 Sam is no longer coming up this weekend, which pretty much removes him from consideration.  This probably also means good news with other prospects.

• Anthony Solomon 4 star LB out of FL.  He is a Miami commit that always had an eye on Ann Arbor even before Manny Diaz leaped to Temple.  He has offers from pretty much the entire SEC and could be on "commit watch" this weekend.  (Miami has got hit with 6 de-commits to the 2019 and 2020 classes this week)

Usually there is also a surprise visitor or two.  Michigan was also trying to get a couple DT's that were offered late. 

BTW Insiders expect instate DE/TE Darius Robinson to pick Missouri.  He is not scheduled to visit A2 this weekend.  

Michigan of course is also recruiting very hard 5 star DE Zach Harrison and 4 star LB Kalen DeLoach who have been on campus a number of times. 

I'm sure you will see a number of recruits at Crisler when #4 Michigan takes on Western on Saturday.