Michigan Tuesday: A Huge Win on The Recruiting Trail

The state of Michigan has two very high profile recruits in the 2020 class and pretty much every service has them 1 or 2 in the state.  5 star OG Justin Rogers picked UK last week and on Friday 4 star DE Braiden McGregor from Port Huron picked the Wolverines.

McGregor is considered the top player on the Wolverines board.   He is rated the #27th player in the nation on 24/7 and #3 DE in the nation.   He had offers from all the big time programs including Alabama, Clemson, Florida, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Ohio State and Oregon.  With all those offers, still many considered it a Michigan - ND battle.  Even the insiders were considering it close to a 50/50 decision on Friday when he announced.

Well, the joke was on the insiders as Braiden had already committed to the Wolverines on a recent trip to Ann Arbor and Friday's announcement was just a formality.  This is a huge win for new D-line coach Shaun Nua and Sherrone Moore who has been recruiting Braiden for over a year.  Mostly with the loss of Greg Mattison who was expected to be his coach in Ann Arbor.  

This is the 9th player in the 2020 class and Michigan is really starting to find some momentum in this class.  Hill-Green and Zak Zinter recently committed and now Braiden McGregor.   The next guy to keep an eye on is WR AJ Henning who seems to be favoring the Wolverines.  

• Michigan Baseball lost in the Big Ten final but did make the NCAA Baseball Tournament as a 3 seed. 

• I still don't see a time for Juwan Howard's introductory press conference.  Its expected early this week.  Speaking of Juwan, Cole Bajema has reconfirmed his (2019) commitment and S&C Coach Jon Sanderson is staying on. 

Michigan Friday: Jim Leavitt Leaves Oregon

If your a Michigan fan, you might wonder why I would start a post with the former DC from Oregon who just left his role.   Jim and Jimmy are buddies and have coached together.  There was a strong possibility Jim Leavitt could have been Michigan DC's before Don Brown was hired.   At that time he was doing a really good well as the DC at Colorado and Willie Taggart hired him at Oregon.  As we know, Willie is part of Harbaugh's coaching tree.

The rumor mill is that Leavitt was not getting along with new Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal and both sides decided to move on.   To make this even stranger, Oregon just signed the #1 recruit in the nation five-star defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux.  Don't be surprised if Jim gets offered a analyst job on Jimmy's staff.  Leavitt has a $2.5M buyout and finding another job this late is going to be difficult.  (if this happens bring Kayvon with you!)

• Michigan Basketball looks to move forward from a bad loss to Penn State on Saturday against Maryland.   Noon on Fox. 

• Jimmy reports on the podcast the new enrollees are doing well, hitting the weight room and going to class. 

• ESPN's 2019 College Football Power Rankings has Michigan at #5

Michigan Thursday: Final 2019 Class Rankings

The 2019 class is now complete and here are Michigan's final rankings:

24/7:

#8 Michigan
#13 PSU
#14 Ohio State
#15 ND
#30 MSU

Rivals:

#10 Michigan
#11 PSU
#14 Ohio State
#21 ND
#32 MSU

ESPN:

#8 Michigan
#13 PSU
#14 ND
#16 Ohio State
#28 MSU

Michigan was clearly the top Big Ten team in the rankings.  PSU was a close second but Ohio State had a uncommon year being ranked outside the top 10.   MSU around 30 is about what they regularly do.  They took a hit when Dobbs got downgraded from a 5 star to a 4.

• Nik Stauskas got traded again, this time to Houston.  Worried about his minutes on the Rockets. 

• Like we mentioned Greg Mattison left Michigan because he wanted to be a Coordinator and Al Washington wanted to be closer to family. 

Wolverine Wednesday: Lots of News and NSD Isn't One

Hey Pep Your Up Next! 

Pep Hamilton was not able to find a coaching job in the NFL so he has decided to join the famous musical that shares his last name.  I'm just kidding.  Pep was given the Drevno treatment and left the program with 2 years on his contract at over a $1M a year.

Michigan didn't take long to announce Ben McDaniel's as the new QB coach.  Which is a better fit for Ben who was a former QB.  It's expected Gattis will coach the WR's.

Darn it Chris! 

The rumor mill has been spinning for a week or so that Chris Evans has some academic issues and maybe thrown off the team. Michigan confirmed yesterday that he has been suspended.  Being suspended leaves the door open for Chris to take care of his business in the classroom and maybe join the team for fall camp.   Chris tweeted out he has some academic issues he is working through but wants to stay at U of M.

Chris is a good kid and a guy I feel that has been under-utilized in Harbaugh's offense.  He runs a kids football team and seems like a guy with good intentions.  With that said, he needs to focus on the classroom and get eligible.  We will see if he can do it.   RB depth continues to be a major concern for the Wolverines.

NSD 

National Signing Day is today and Michigan is only expected to add one player in Safety Quinten Johnson from DC.  The news is expected to hit when his school has its signing ceremony today at 2:30.


Michigan Basketball Gets on Track: 

I actually didn't see the game but from reports it looks like the Wolverines found its mojo on offense  and continued to play the rest of the game with a lead.   As we saw from MSU last night, any road win in the Big Ten is a good win.  Michigan is now in first place in the Big Ten alone.

Brady Hoke is Back With His Old Team! 

Reports are Brady Hoke is being hired as the DL coach at SDSU.

• Alabama 5 star DE Eyabi Anoma has entered the portal.  He was a 2018 recruit and Michigan finished #2 in his recruitment.  Could he be an option for the Wolverines?  He would have to sit out a year if he did come to Ann Arbor.  He did not redshirt last year and got some snaps for Bama. 
• Like predicted Amauri Pesek-Hickson signs with Kansas.  One former Wolverine head coach to another. 

Michigan Tuesday: A New Grad Transfer DE Name

Mike Danna #57 - Zimbo.com

NSD is tomorrow and Michigan's class seems to be getting smaller than larger.   With the loss of Hickson in the class to grades, room, or because the Wolverines want to sign a DT/DE transfer.   BTW, there is hope that Les Miles at Kansas will sign Amauri Pesek-Hickson.   We will see what happens with that player.  Michigan is now expected just to sign S Quinton Johnson who might have signed in December but at the request of his High School kept it quiet so he could sign with his teammates in a ceremony on Wednesday.  

Another funny thing (like not signing any players on NSD) is that Michigan seems to lose a lot of transfers to Central Michigan.  This year, Michigan even lost their WR coach who become the head coach.  Now it might be time to reverse the trend with a DE prospect named Mike Danna.  Mike is 6-2, and 257-pounds, he made 65 tackles, 14 TFL's, 8.5 sacks, four fumbles and even scored two touchdowns last season.  Mike was a member of the All-MAC First Team defense.

Mike is also a PFF All American.  Here is what that service had to say about the talented DE:

Edge Defender – Mike Danna, Central Michigan
Danna may not be as flashy as others on this list, or even in his conference, but he constantly changed games for the Chippewas this season. He recorded 54 total QB pressures and 53 total tackles while missing only four attempts this year.
Another PFF All American two seasons ago was Mo Hurst.  I don't like the AP-H situation but Michigan needs a player like Danna more then slot WR.

• It's open season on PWO's:   Evan Brunning OL/DL 6'5 275 Oxford Michigan, Alec Ward DB/WR5'11 170 4.50 Bloomfield Hills Michigan, Leon Franklin RB/DB 5'10 185 4.59 Southfield Arts & Tech Michigan.  All these players are heading to Michigan.  

Michigan Monday: The Legend/Curse of Tom Brady

For the life of me I have been trying to figure out, What the hell is wrong with Michigan Football?   In my mind, it started with App. State and continues today.   Michigan can't beat Ohio State and has never played in the Big Ten Championship game.   The Wolverines have 4 and 5 star talent and a very strong coaching staff and still can't get over the hump.  We know the situation all too well.  

Then something hit me as Tom Brady was walking off the field as a Super Bowl Champion for the 6th time in 9 tries.  Michigan won't get back to being Michigan until Tom Brady retires.   Why?  Because we had the greatest football champion as our QB and all we wanted was Mr. High School All American Drew Henson to play.  We are being punished by the Football Gods,

Yes folks, you have heard about the curse of the Bambino now we have the curse of Mr. America Tom Brady.   It's a bit of strange curse, because Tom doesn't hold any ill will towards U of M and the Michigan fan base is very proud of what he has accomplished in the NFL.   So how do we reverse the curse?

Michigan needs to go "Major League" on Schembechler Hall, hire Jobu and cleanse the entire building including the Big House.   Pray to the football gods to share the Championship Glory that Tom Brady has rightfully owned since he left Ann Arbor.   There has to be room in there for his college team!

On a side note, during the Jobu cleanse it wouldn't hurt if everyone was wearing the TB12 Recovery Sleepwear and Uggs. :-)

Congratulations to the GOAT for his 6th Super Bowl! 

• In what seems like not so great news, Rivals is reporting that Michigan has told Amauri Pesek-Hickson not to sign on Wednesday. That the team will be looking for defensive line grad transfers instead.   I don't like the timing of that decision and hope he was aware of what was going on for a couple of months.   When kids don't sign in December, I think there is big risk on both sides.  

• So Ty Law had a good weekend!  Saturday named to the Hall of Fame, Sunday his team wins the Super Bowl

• More PWO News: Matt Harrison, Samih Beydoun, and Zonterio Weekley!  Welcome! 

Michigan Monday: A Good Week For Walk-On's

The final signing day for the 2019 class is 10 days away and it seems Jimmy and staff could care less.  They took a shot at some DT's late in the early signing period but didn't get them and there was some rumors about flipping an Alabama commit at RB, which doesn't look to be happening either.

Michigan has been hosting a ton of players but all of them are in the 2020 class.  So a week from Wednesday will be about 2 players:  Safety Quinton Johnson (who many have said signed in the early period but asked the coaches to keep it quiet so he could sign with his teammates on NSD) and Slot WR Amauri Pesek-Hickson, the latest sleeper find out of St. Louis.   I usually ask you to take work off to have fun as the commits come flowing in.  Not this year, go to work and read the BHB at your regular time.  😃

In somewhat of a surprise move, Jimmy gave 3 scholarships last week to walk-on's.  Which seems the final sign to set sail on the 2019 class and any potential graduate transfers.

Congratulations to the following:

-Senior WR Brendan White
-Senior DB Louis Grodman
-Sophomore DB Hunter Reynolds 

• Michigan Basketball had an impressive win in Assembly Hall on Friday night.  The Wolverines started to game on fire and where able to blow out the lifeless Hoosiers.    Michigan plays twice in the next 5 days, a late 9:00 tip at Crisler against Ohio State on Tuesday and 6:30 at Iowa on Friday. 

• ND seems to be moving forward with Stanford's RB coach, which means Mike Hart is probably staying at IU. 

• Higdon ran 5 times for 18 yards in the Senior Bowl on Saturday.  Winovich sat out with a foot injury. 
• OL Nolan Ulizio is doing his grad transfer year at Pitt. 

Michigan Thursday: Mike Hart Interviewing For ND RB Job

This tweet text is from Pete Sampson but I'm thinking Mark Dantonio really wrote it: "Indiana running backs coach Mike Hart is a candidate on Notre Dame’s short list of replacements for Autry Denson. Notre Dame will interview for the vacant position this week. Hart is Michigan’s all-time leading rusher. 

Good Luck to Mike, but I wish other top programs wanted him like Oklahoma or something.

• 2020 WR Marvin Harrison, Jr. got a Michigan offer.  His dad is in the Hall of Fame but has had some questionable actions off the field.  

• Fred Jackson's son Josh who is the starting QB at VT is transferring (he broke his leg this past season):  Per Freddie, he has Brady's brain, Rodgers arm, runs like Vick, and has the likability of Manning.   Josh played his HS ball at Saline. 

• Sam Webb now believes Pep Hamilton is going to be on staff this year.  Yes, folks Michigan will have a $1.4M QB/WR coach. 

• Chris Hinton got his 5th star back on the 24/7 composite.  Which is nice!  

• Here are 24/7's final rankings (not composite):  HT to Fishaw Twitter 

23. S Daxton Hill
38. RB Zach Charbonnet
47. DT Chris Hinton
109. OT Trente Jones
160. WR Cornelius Johnson
161. OT Karsen Barnhart
170. DT Mazi Smith
179. OG Nolan Rumler
184. OT Trevor Keegan
220. DE David Ojabo
233. WR Giles Jackson

Amauri Pesek-Hickson isn't a top recruit but he moved up 372 spots!

Michigan Monday: Tom In the Super Bowl Again

Raise your hand, if you knew Tom Brady would be the greatest QB in NFL history when he was at Michigan?  I assume many of you (like myself), had no idea.   He was always a smart QB and seemed to make the right reads at Michigan, but I was concerned about the next level.  I thought maybe he would have a Todd Collins type of career, being a solid back-up.  

I sure was wrong, Tom is the greatest QB and again proved it last night for anyone that might have forgotten.   A fun fact, Tom was on Michigan's 1997 National Championship team as a freshman.  He passed 15 times, completed 12, for 103 yards that season.

Congrats to the GOAT!

• Michigan Basketball suffered its first loss of the season.  It was only a matter of time as winning Big Ten games on the road is no easy task.  11:00 AM local start, a slippery surface, and Iggy/Mathews combine for 5 points is recipe for an L. 

• I wonder if that guy that missed that call in the Saints/Rams game ever was a referee in the Big Ten? Because it sure did look like it.  

• If you think the news regarding Michigan closing the 2019 class has been quiet, you are exactly right.  Michigan had two 2019 visitors his weekend:  Collin Duncan is a 3 star WR without an offer and FL CB Josh Sanguinetti a 4 Star CB with a ton of offers.    The WOTS is that Michigan is trying to set up a big recruiting weekend for this weekend.    As the focus has clearly turned to 2020 and future classes.  For the 2019 class, I think the Wolverines would love to close with a DT, RB, and either a WR or CB.  

• Speaking of DT's, Jimmy and new DT coach Shaun Tua were in Houston this weekend to recruit, Rice Graduate Transfer Zach Abercrumbia. Pretty much every school is trying to recruit Zach to their program as a rent-a-DT for next season. 

Michigan Thursday: You Nua I was Right!

As I mentioned in yesterdays post, all signs point to Shaun Nua from ASU taking the Defensive line coaching job at Michigan.   All the services are reporting that its a done deal but Michigan has yet to officially announce the hire.   Shaun sounds like a good young players coach and I'm looking forward to seeing him develop some serious talent at Michigan.   Some of the media that covers ASU says that Shaun really connects with his players and they play hard for him.   He will also bring some serious ties to recruiting out West.  If you need a backgrounder on Shaun, please check out Wednesday's post.

Welcome Big Man! 

Now officially official. 



This should end Michigan's staff changes this year if you consider the following:  Pep is still expected to find a new gig and McDaniels is also expected to named WR coach as soon as Pep does.

• Jalen Hurts is going to Oklahoma.
• Texas QB Shane Buechele is in the portal.
• One of Alabama's top recruiters Tosh Lupoi is leaving for the Browns DL coach role. Nick Sabin has some hiring to do. 

• Michigan 2019 Signed WR Giles Jackson will play in Hawaii this weekend at the Polynesian Bowl.  Its on at midnight on Saturday on CBS Sports network.   Hopefully, we see some highlights of the young man in space on Sunday.  

• Remember when Devonte Dobbs a 2019 Belleville recruit that was rated as a 5 star OT and the Michigan coaches weren't giving him a ton of attention?  Dobbs of course committed and signed with Sparty.   Many Michigan fans that saw him play in high school, didn't believe he was a 5 star talent and was confused on his ranking.   Dobbs goes to the UA All American Game and preforms the same way.  Rivals latest/final rankings has dropped him out of the 5 star range.  The highest Dobbs was rated on Rivals was the #25th player in the nation, in their final rankings he is rated at #122.

Wolverine Wednesday: Nua Rumors and Tate Transfers To South Beach

There seems to be some pretty strong rumors that Jimmy and Don Brown have offered the DL coaching position to Arizona State's DL coach Shaun Nua.   We could get confirmation either way in the next day or two.

Here is a bit of a backgrounder:

• 1 year at ASU, prior was 6 years as the Dline coach at Navy
• Played and Graduated from BYU, he was also a GA there
• Drafted in 7th round and played 3 years for the Steelers and 1 year for Bills
• Born in 81 and is a native of Pago Pago, American Samoa

I don't know a ton about Shaun but I like he has some recruiting ties to the West Coast, a younger  coach, and has NFL playing experience.  He also has a Super Bowl Ring for being a rookie on the Steelers 2006 team.  

• Do you remember a QB in the Big Ten with the first name Tate that had a lot of moxie?  Who transferred to Miami after he was concerned another QB was going to beat him out for first team snaps?  It's happened again but this time it's Tate Martell for OSU.   He has decided to go play for the U and will have to sit out a year.   Jalen Hurts is also considering Miami but he will be a graduate transfer and can play next year.   Justin Fields OSU's new transfer QB from Georgia will have to get an NCAA waiver approved to be eligible next season.   If that waiver is not approved, OSU could have some issues next year at QB. 

• Former Michigan player and coach Roy Manning is now a DB coach at Oklahoma.  If you remember, Roy struggled as a CB coach for the Wolverines as his expertise was more as a LB coach.  Roy has gotten more expertise since then and we wish him good luck at Oklahoma.  

• 2019 signed recruit Chris Hinton is now a 5 star on Rivals.

• Former Michigan Basketball Player Ricky Dole had to retire due to health issues.

Michigan Monday: Michigan Assistant Coaching Rumors and National Championship Night

Let's start with the NC game tonight.  Has anyone seen this game before?  Yes, it's the two best teams in college football and its not even close.   I guess the only issue with tonight's game is that its 2000 miles away from each campus and tickets are going for well below face value.  

I expect a fairly close game tonight as this should be a defensive battle.  The wildcard tonight is a true freshman QB for Clemson, who hasn't faced an Alabama defense yet.  I also hear it has been raining hard for the last few days and the field is really a mess.  Better get those helicopters in there!  Alabama 27 Clemson 21

Michigan has some issues on both sides of the football that need to be fixed.

Defense - can't play zone
Offense - is boring and predictable

The way you fix that is through is coaching and both sides of the ball could use some new blood and a some new voices.

Pep -Is expected to move on but nothing on the radar.   The reason is there are so many NFL openings right now and it's expected that Pep will head to the NFL as a position coach.  Lions had some interest and then they fired Jim Bob.

Don Brown - Is still in play for Temple, which opening is expected to be wrapped up this week.   The coaching convention was last week and the rumor mill was saying that Temple would do a number of interviews there.   The latest name is the Northern Illinois head coach, Rod Carey.   Don going to Temple is not a lock.  Rumor is that other programs are also considering Don as well.   Its strange to think Don would be available for other DC jobs, but it seems that might be the case right now.

Greg Mattison - is considering retirement.  My best guess is that he stays at least one more year, but if Don leaves,it could have an effect here.   Greg's contract is also up this month.    Reports are now are that Greg Mattison is now heading to be Ohio State's DC after Day has fired Greg Schanio.   This seems like a strange move for a number of reason.   1 - OSU just put up 62 on Michigan's defense and Greg's unit got zero pressure.  2- Greg is very close to retirement 3- It's Ohio State.   I know his contract is up at Michigan and I guess he really wants to be a DC.

Al Washington - to Ohio State had a lot of legs the last couple of weeks.  Rumor is that Al was offered but turned it down as it would have been a lateral move.  He also has an opportunity to move up at Michigan if some of the above plays out.   A raise is expected here to keep Al happy.

Ed Warinner - was the best coach on staff last year and helped turn around a dreadful offensive line.  He is also inline for a nice pay raise.

John Bonamego - former CMU head coach was/is temporarily on Jimmy's staff for the Peach Bowl.  Michigan would love to keep him as the Special Teams coach, but they don't have an opening at the moment.   He is probably headed to the NFL as well, once all the dust settles with all the head coaching openings.
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Hello Brandon Johns!

Michigan Basketball took its record to 15-0 last night after a nice 74-63 win over top 25 Indiana.   The "rust" over the last month was gone and Michigan played with intensity from the tip.   With Livers still out with a bad back and Michigan's bigs getting in some foul trouble, East Lansing's own Brandon Johns played 13 minutes and got an 8&8 (8 points and 8 rebounds).   That was his first real playing time of the year and he looked very good on defense and getting some boards.  I expect he will be in the 8 man rotation even when Livers comes back.

The Wolverines were led by strong PG play from Simpson and scoring from Poole and Matthews.   I have a theory that Charles Matthews loves playing on CBS.  He played great in the tournament last year and last night first half might have been his best half at Michigan.   There was a number of NBA scouts at the game and Charles played very well.

Michigan travels to Illinois on Thursday.

• Michigan signed WR commit Cornelius Johnson had two TD's catches in the All American Game All Star game on Saturday.   Dax Hill actually had a couple rough missed tackles but enjoyed himself during the week.  Hilton also had a fumble recovery.  

• Lynn Swann to block Kliff Kingsbury from interviewing with the Jets and the Cardinals is just petty and stupid.   I could see him not allowing other college programs from interviewing him but blocking the NFL is just petty.  

• As expected 5 star QB Justin Fields is transferring to Ohio State.  Tate Martell is probably pretty upset and maybe considering his options.  Haskins is still expected to announce he is entering the NFL Draft but hasn't done it yet.  Justin will apply for a waiver for immediate playing time.  He did have an issue with a Georgia baseball player and that might be the basis for immediate playing time. 

• Michigan Hockey also beat ND in ND Stadium on Saturday.   Having a Michigan win in that building is nice! 

Michigan Thursday: Long Gone

David Long yesterday decided to jump to the NFL instead of playing his senior year in Ann Arbor.   Mel Kiper has him rated as the 8th CB in the draft.   Long was a good player and many times you didn't even notice him on the field as opposing QB's would throw away from the talented CB.  Long joins Gary, Bush, and Gentry as early entries to the draft.

Michigan is doing well at CB depth with the likes of Ambry Thomas, Myles Sims,  Vincent Gray, and the forgotten Ben St-Juste.  Vincent got a ton of positive press in bowl practice and Ben is coming off an injury where he didn't play all year but did get time as a true freshman a season ago.   The Green twins are also in the mix for a CB/Safety role.

Funny fact, the day before David Long declared for the NFL Draft, David Long declared for the NFL Draft.   The second David Long is a LB from West Virginia.   Which should confuse NFL's GM's and Draft boards.

Good luck David!

• Michigan opens the true Big Ten season tonight at Crisler at 7:00 against PSU.   The game is on ESPN.  Let's hope the rest will be a positive as the Wolverines get into the meat of their schedule.  

• Michigan will also have a number of players in the Under Armour All American Game from Orlando tonight at 6:00.  Keep an eye out from Trente Jones, Anthony Solomon, Mazi Smith, Nolan Rumler, and Quinten Johnson. 

• RIP Mean Gene Okerlund

Michigan Thursday: Higdon Out For Peach and Michigan's Class Rank

This was the worst kept secret in the program.  Higdon hasn't been practicing and reports are he id home in Florida.  This morning he announced he won't be playing in the Peach Bowl.   There has also been some rumors flying around that Higdon's family was not happy about how he was used in the OSU game and wasn't recognized at the football banquet.

For those keeping score at home, Michigan will be without their starting RB - Higdon, DE- Gary, and LB - Bush for the Peach Bowl.   Luckily, Michigan's talented CB's Hill and Long are practicing and expected to play.  Both where rumored to also be considering sitting out.
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Michigan by all services had the top recruiting class in the Big Ten.  Yes, we know the recruiting cycle is not over until the February timeframe, but Michigan is really only looking to sign their two committed prospects and maybe a RB and another DT.

Here is how Michigan ranked on the major services, along with their top rivals:

24/7
#8 Michigan
#10 Penn State
#12 OSU
#13 ND
28 MSU

ESPN
#4 Michigan
#10 ND
#11 OSU
#12 PSU
#28 MSU

Rivals
#9 Michigan
#10 PSU
#11 ND
#20 OSU
#33 MSU

ESPN was much higher on Michigan's class and 24/7 and Rivals were very close.   Rivals is significantly lower on OSU and MSU.   The Buckeyes lost two 4 star guys on Wednesday but did pick up Zach Harrison.  MSU's class was highlighted by the Belleville kids and rest of the class was 3 stars.

Saying James Franklin is the most over rated coach in college football maybe accurate, but the man can recruit.

Even though ESPN is considerd the lowest quality of all the recruiting services, they do have the largest platform which didn't hurt the Wolverines yesterday.   I don't have an ESPN insider subscription to know which players are higher ranked, but I do know they are very high on DT Mazi Smith.  So are we!

Some of you might be wondering which recruits from yesterday, will be enrolling early and be on campus in a couple of weeks.   Here is the list as we know it right now:

Cade McNamara

Zach Charbonnet

Erick All

Jack Stewart

Mazi Smith

David Ojabo

Gabe Newburg

Jalen Perry

Mike Sainristil

Who are the DT's Michigan might be looking to sign?

The two guys they offered late in the cycle.  Neither signed yesterday but favoring Penn State. 

• D’Von Ellies
• Jared Harrison-Hunte

Guys like Crouch and Ford also didn't sign but are still considered a reach for the Wolverines.  The other area that could be a concern is RB depth.   TE could also be an add for one of the remaining spots. 

A Good Day in Review

I've been getting real tired of all the bad news and bad things that have happened to this program lately.  Michigan is finally in the top 4 playoff race and gets a 62 burger dropped on them in Columbus.

Then gets a re-run of a bowl game that many fans and players feel is just an exhibition game, one that we have seen two other times.  Gary and Bush are headed to the NFL and Higdon is reportedly home in Florida.

Dax flips to Bama and Zach Harrison gets scared of the 62 burger and starts to pull away.  Aubrey is homesick and looking for a new school.

Michigan has not been great at closing a class and they sky is starting to fall.

Then last weekend happens. Michigan lands a much needed 4 star OT and a 4 star LB.

Today, I expected things to stay pretty much the same.   We would get our committed prospects and call it day.   I started early and the commitments starting rolling in around 8:00.  Then it hits twitter that Dax Hill has signed and was confirmed LOI was in.  I looked at it 3 times to confirm in my own mind it was real.  The entire day changed!

This was big for many reason, yes Dax had back flipped to Michigan but even when he was committed to Michigan originally he was planning on signing in February.   This was a huge win for Harbaugh and Don Brown.   No re-commitment announce, no hats on a table, just a received LOI and new 5 star in the fold.

Then shortly after Michigan gets the 4 Star outside WR it needs.  Michigan closes with getting back a 5 star Safety, a 4 star OT, a 4 star LB and a 4 star WR.   That is a very strong close to the class.

Work to be done?

Yes, there are still two Johnson's without signed LOI's.   They might be doing some signing thing at their school or could be waiting until February.  Quinten tweeted a couple of days ago he was signing today.  No idea what George's plans are.

Update:  from twitter a few minutes ago.  George's LOI is in!



AP-Hickson I guess will sign in February, I don't know if this has something to do with basketball or not.

Michigan also needs a DT.  They might be able to find one between now and February or look for a graduate transfer.

I'm not excited about the Peach Bowl scrimmage, but I am excited about this class and Michigan's future!

Today was a good day!

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. 

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 Thursday: The Emotional Roller Coaster

This has become our life as Michigan fans.  It's a Universal Studios roller coaster of emotions.  There is drama, suspense, success, failure, and even some departures.  

Welcome to the Big House Amusement Park would you like to buy a ticket?

Ride #1 Don Brown 

This is a very fast ride and if blink you might miss it.

Wednesday morning it was reported that Don Brown had not only interviewed for the head coaching job at Temple but was a finalist.   Shortly after that announcement it had become clear that Miami DC Manny Diaz was the favorite in the clubhouse and later that day accepted the job.

Ride #2 Coaches Shuffle 

This ride has a bunch of sudden stops and starts.  Be careful if you have a bad back.

The early signing period is now less then a week away and with all these coaches moving or not moving its really confusing things.   Don could have been gone yesterday, but wasn't.  Miami is struggling in recruiting this year and lost their best coaching asset.   We know about Urban checking out and rumors about DL coach Larry Johnson becoming the DC at Maryland.  Also we know about all the NFL rumors about Jim Harbaugh that he killed last week.

Ride #3 Early Signing Day 12/19

This ride is our most dangerous and can make you sick.  We only recommend it for kids that have graduated high school but will also make a number of older adults sick as well.

Michigan has a number of recruits coming in this weekend and others yet to make a decision.

Zach Harrison doesn't talk to anyone, so your guess is as good as mine.  There was something that happened for Sam Webb to put in his CB prediction, lets hope that continues to stand.

Cornelius Johnson is the outside WR Michigan needs, he will be visiting this weekend.

LB?  Anthony Solomon (no relation to Aubrey) will be visiting this weekend, he is a Miami commit and his recruiter? Manny Diaz.

Kalen DeLoach is visiting FSU this weekend so he can make a final decision on FSU or Michigan.

Ride #4 The Hill 

This ride has some serious highs and lows.  You will feel great, but out of nowhere you will feel sick.

Dax Hill surprised all of us on Saturday by decommitting from Michigan.  We had heard that he was making a 40 year decision, it wasn't all about football, and Ann Abor/U of M was a perfect fit for him.  Then he flipped to Bama on Saturday out of the blue.  

Now its starting to leak that Dax might have been sold by some coaches that Harbaugh was good as gone to the NFL.   Dax was always a risk not to sign next Wednesday as his father is on record as saying Dax wanted to sign with his teammates in February.

How to get thrown out of the park

We also got some troubling news yesterday as RB O'Maury Samuels was dismissed from the team.  He was arrested this past weekend on a domestic abuse and destroying property charge.

I hate to see these situations.


Hope you enjoyed your visit! 

Wolverine Wednesday: Welcomes Caden Kolesar

If you not old enough to remember John Kolesar at Michigan.  He was a very good, tough WR that I have memories of him catching a 77 yard TD against Ohio State.  The QB that threw that pass?  Jim Harbaugh.   I'm not old enough to remember John's father Bill at Michigan but he also wore the Maize and Blue as well.

His son Caden Kolesar decided to play for the Wolverines yesterday.   The first report was he was joining the team as a Gray Shirt and then reports came out as a PWO.  Doesn't matter he is heading to A2 to play for the team he loves.

Caden is a 5'10 195 pound safety that played for St. Edwards in Ohio.   Caden's team won the State title a couple of weeks ago and Caden was named to the All Ohio Team.   24/7 lists Caden as a 3 star Athlete with offers from the BGSU, Akron, Holy Cross, Robert Morris, and Army.  As you might imagine, the Kolesar's are just over the moon with his decision:

“They all cried — my sister cried, my mom cried, my brother cried. Everybody is crying,” John Kolesar said Tuesday. “My brother, Doug, said when he called Mom, ‘I couldn’t keep myself together I was crying on the phone.’ They’re such big Michigan fans. They’re all ecstatic.”

“We are just thrilled,” John Kolesar said. “He’s worked so hard these last four years in high school. He was awarded with a first-team all-state selection, a state championship, and now the opportunity to play football at the University of Michigan is just remarkable.”

The Legacy Continues!

• Reports are that Zach Harrison will tweet out where he is going a week from today and fax in his LOI.  Zach's twitter is private so he will announce just to his friends and family.  Both OSU and Michigan are optimistic he will head their way.  Which probably means he will end up a Penn State.  

• Sam Webb thinks it will be interesting if Dax Hill signs a week from today or not.  If he doesn't sign with Bama, that gives Michigan plenty of time to re-convince him Michigan is the place to be.  

• WOTS is that things are trending in the right direction with CT 4 Star WR Cornelius Johnson.  His mom is a Michigan grad (Medical School) and his grandparents are here locally.  It seems ND and Stanford might be going in a different direction at WR.  CJ visits this weekend. 

Michigan Tuesday: Commitment Dates Announced

Big House Blog inmates we are 8 days away from the early signing period.  If you don't sign your not really committed!   Sam Webb said yesterday that one of his only signs that Hill could be wavering was that his dad said he wasn't going to sign early and wanted to do it with his teammates in February.   My guess is he signs with Bama next Wednesday.

Many prospects are letting people know their announcement dates:

• 4 star OT Trevor Keegan will announce at his HS in Illinois on Friday evening.  He is down to Michigan, Georgia, and Penn State.  

• 3 star TE/DE Darius Robinson will sign and make his announcement on the 19th.   His final list is Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, and Colorado.  

• 4 star CT WR Cornelius Johnson who will visit A2 this weekend will announce on the 19th as well.  His final list includes: Stanford, Alabama, Michigan, Penn State, and ND. 

• Zach Harrison is still unknown and I expect he will just sign a letter and send it in to a school.   As quiet as his recruitment has been, I don't expect a big ceremony.   Any idea where he is going is just a guess at this point. 

• Kansas State has hired North Dakota State’s Chris Klieman which is a great hire.

• Breaking news: John Kolesar's son - Caden a 2019 DB recruit  from St. Edwards in Ohio has taken a Grey Shirt commitment at Michigan.   That means he pays his own way for a year and then is on scholarship for his second season or if/when one becomes available.   I believe Caden can also decide to enroll at a later date if he elects to go that route as well.