The latest edition of INSIDE THE FORT, including plenty of football and recruiting information …
Starting with football recruiting …
Things continue to trend well for Michigan in its pursuit of Tulsa (Okla.) Booker T. Washington five-star safety Daxton Hill. He still claims a top six, but everyone following along with his recruitment seems to agree that it’s down to Alabama and Michigan.
The 6-1, 190-pounder is very independent and seems set on going to school out of state. That obviously bodes well for the Tide and Wolverines.
None of that is exactly news but what is, is that even people around Alabama recruiting seem to think that Michigan is pacing the pack at this point. Usually programs can’t go toe to toe with Alabama for kids like Hill. He’s the No. 1 safety in the country and the No. 21 overall prospect nationally. ‘Bama usually hand picks guys like that, but Hill and his family are very extremely serious about education, and Hill’s mother in particular has really grown fond of the Michigan staffers and what a U-M degree would do for her son after football.
Hill announced on July 4 that he would be making a decision soon, but that obviously doesn’t seem to be the case a month later. He’s already scheduled to be at Michigan for an official visit on Sep. 15, and that could really be a big, big moment in his recruitment. He’s already taken an official visit to Alabama, so getting to Ann Arbor for two to three days could be monumental.
Michigan’s most recent commitment came from Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward two-star wide receiver Quintel Kent and, of course, Michigan fans didn’t act too thrilled. However, a recent performance at a scrimmage and a bit of a breakdown here has quelled the masses, at least here at TheWolverine.
At 6-0, 170 pounds, Kent isn’t the biggest receiver in the world, but he’s muscular and wiry strong and the Michigan staff loves him. He really grabbed their attention at a camp on U-M’s campus in June, and the staff offered him almost immediately. Someone very close to this recruitment explained what the coaches like about Kent and how they intend to use him.
“They definitely like him in the slot,” our source said. “They describe him as an explosive route runner with decent speed. He’s in the 4.4-4.5 range so he can run with anybody. He also has solid hands and tracks and catches the ball well. He showed all of that in person in front of the coaches, and they were sold.”
Kent outperformed several other receivers who were in attendance that day, and the coaches felt very, very comfortable offering him and accepting his commitment.
Boca Raton (Fla.) American Heritage four-star weakside defensive end Michael Morris is still publicly committed to Florida State, but that’s expected to change in the not-so-distant future. Keep an eye out for the first handful of days in September.
The 6-5, 240-pounder fell in love with Michigan during his most recent visit despite being committed to the ‘Noles since February of 2016. As the No. 25 weakside defensive end in the country, Morris is a bigger version of Stephen Herron with a similar skill set. He’s not ranked as highly but he’s actually more suited for the weakside position size and build wise.
Herron has more burst and athleticism, but finds himself as a bit of a
‘tweener because of his frame. Morris is definitely on track to be big enough to play on the line for his entire college career.
****
To football now …
Former Michigan offensive lineman Jon Jansen created a stir recently with his comments about the U-M line and its apparent improvement in the early going.
https://michigan.rivals.com/news/mi...ice-report-phenomenal-change-on-offensive-lin
It’s understandable that people would be apprehensive about offensive line play. It’s been a decade since we’ve seen the Michigan lines of old (dominant in the fourth quarter, etc.), and last year was beyond disappointing.
But there is zero disputing the physical changes in this group, and the effect Ben Herbert has had. That alone should lead to some improvement up front, especially with many of the same players coming back.
As for the makeup of the line … anything is still possible, and what we see on day one (the Sept. 1 opener against Notre Dame) might not be what we see during Big Ten season, for example. They have trotted out several different combinations in the early going, and one of the more interesting ones included redshirt junior Jon Runyan Jr. at left tackle.
Two sources believe Runyan Jr. ultimately wins that job at left tackle, but the same two are also very, very high on redshirt freshman James Hudson and his improvement. One of the two, however, believes that the best combination so far includes Hudson at left tackle, junior Ben Bredeson at left guard, sophomore Cesar Ruiz at center, redshirt sophomore Stephen Spanellis at right guard and true freshman Jalen Mayfield at right tackle.
He also acknowledges it’s more likely Runyan Jr. starts at left tackle and junior Michael Onwenu eventually steps up to claim the right guard job. However, it’s encouraging to know that several — not just the starters — stepped up this summer to put themselves in the mix. There’s more depth than some may have anticipated, and again, offensive line coach Ed Warinner has been a fantastic addition as a teacher.
He hasn’t done it alone. They all acknowledge the job new strength coach Ben Herbert has done preparing these guys. Between him, Warinner and receivers coach Jim McElwain, the additions have helped bring the staff up where it should be.
One more note — fifth-year senior Juwann Bushell-Beatty is still firmly in the mix, as well, and his improvement has been evident (his body makeup is much different). It’s not out of the realm of possibility that he starts and the freshmen redshirt. Much of it depends on how healthy they remain.
To be clear, we aren’t predicting this will be an outstanding line. One we trust as much as anyone, for example, remains in wait and see mode. At the same time, the offense is looking much, much better against a defense that’s been as fast as advertised, “the fastest we’ve ever seen at Michigan.”
The receivers have been a big part of that. Sophomores Tarik Black and Donovan Peoples-Jones have been dominant against a very good secondary, and their added strength has shown up in a big way. Peoples-Jones has been a standout as a blocker, and it’s evident in the Oklahoma drill (lining up against a defensive back and going head up with a DB).
Redshirt junior tight end Zach Gentry is “a beast,” and junior quarterback Shea Patterson has done a great job getting them the ball. Brandon Peters and Dylan McCaffrey are also playing well in vying for backup duties.
Frosh Joe Milton hasn’t looked as good as he did in spring much of the time, but he’s been working with backups on the line and at receiver, so that’s expected.
Sophomore corner Ambry Thomas is ‘the fastest guy on the team’ and is pushing the starters at corner, quite the feat given what Lavert Hill and David Long accomplished last year.
All in all … they’re off to a great start.
****
To basketball and recruiting …
Lynden (Wash.) Christian three-star small forward Cole Bajema didn’t appear on Michigan fans’ radar until just a few weeks before he committed to the Wolverines, and his recruitment has essentially ended 2019 recruiting … in the short term. It’s entirely possible they’ll pick it up again in the spring if more than Charles Matthews (who we expect to go to the NBA) leave.
The 6-7 Bajema still remains a bit of a mystery at this point, having played at an incredibly small school — Lynden Christian — in Northwest Washington. Several coaches who faced Bajema’s team last season gave their take on the talented youngster.
“My son could actually guard Bajema pretty well,” said one coach, whose team fell to Lynden Christian last December. “But one of their kids was a heck of a shooter and really hurt us with consecutive late threes.
“I rolled the dice a bit and decided to focus on a few of their other guys, and Bajema got some shots in the lane as a result — he’s so long at 6-7, and we were only about 6-1, 6-2. He was no more skilled than a couple of the kids I had, but my guys weren’t 6-7, which was the difference.”
Many have also wondered what attracted him to the Wolverines. The same opposing coach revealed that he is good friends with Bajema’s coach, and shed some light into his recruitment.
“Bajema comes from a vibrant family — I believe his older sister got a full ride soccer scholarship to South Carolina, and his other sister got a full ride volleyball scholarship to Washington,” he revealed. “So he’s the third child and all three have gotten D1 scholarships.
“[Virginia head coach] Tony Bennett offered him a ride too, and I was told he turned him down. Bennett is a devout Christian and I believe John Beilein is too, so I think that played a factor.
“If you want to play for Bennett, you have to play his pace, and I think Bajema looked at it and figured he wants to play a faster pace. He probably wants to be in a system that puts it up quicker than Bennett’s boys do.
“So why did he pick Michigan? I think he did his homework and was told that having a coach who is a Christian believer is important to him.”
A separate coach — whose squad was blown out by Lynden Christian last December — also gave his take on why Bajema chose Michigan.
“I actually talked to their coach a few months ago and he said Michigan had contacted him back then,” he recalled. “I thought there was some connection — whether it was an alum in the family or something — but I was surprised they had called him.
“He has the talent and the ability, but Michigan is just so far away. As far as I know, they don’t have any kind of pipeline out here. I don’t know if they’ll redshirt him once he gets there, but it would make a lot of sense to do so.”
He’ll be a guard at Michigan, playing with the ball in his hands in the mold of Nik Stauskas. He’s got work to do in order to get to that level, but there’s a lot to work with.
On this year’s team, nothing but positives in the early going, and we saw a lot of them on display in yesterday’s practice. Junior big man Jon Teske is playing with a different level of confidence and at a different speed. He understands that he’s one of the keys to a successful season, and he’s put in the work this summer.
“It’s been good for him to have a guy like Jaaron Faulds (Columbia transfer, via Holt, Mich.) to body up to him. Faulds is bigger,” one source noted.
He appears to have grown a couple inches since we saw him at Holt playing against Brandon Johns (East Lansing, now a 6-8 Michigan freshman) a few years ago. The preferred walk-on has to sit out, but he’s got some skills and a lot of length.
Redshirt sophomore big man Austin Davis … “Austin’s Austin,” our guy said. In other words, he’s still looking for that extra gear and trying to figure things out defensively.
That’s one area in which Teske has been outstanding.
But this is Zavier Simpson’s team, and he has become one hell of a leader. He’s got that Zack Novak “we’re not here to lose” quality, and his teams rarely do.
As we mentioned in our write-up today, Johns has really helped sophomore Isaiah Livers find another gear. There are a lot of similarities in their games, but Livers seems to have turned a corner.
And freshman Ignas Brazdeikis will be too good to keep off the floor. He’s playing shooting guard in addition to power forward, and he’s going to get a lot of touches on offense as the year goes on.
The depth on this team is real, and it’s spectacular.
Starting with football recruiting …
Things continue to trend well for Michigan in its pursuit of Tulsa (Okla.) Booker T. Washington five-star safety Daxton Hill. He still claims a top six, but everyone following along with his recruitment seems to agree that it’s down to Alabama and Michigan.
The 6-1, 190-pounder is very independent and seems set on going to school out of state. That obviously bodes well for the Tide and Wolverines.
None of that is exactly news but what is, is that even people around Alabama recruiting seem to think that Michigan is pacing the pack at this point. Usually programs can’t go toe to toe with Alabama for kids like Hill. He’s the No. 1 safety in the country and the No. 21 overall prospect nationally. ‘Bama usually hand picks guys like that, but Hill and his family are very extremely serious about education, and Hill’s mother in particular has really grown fond of the Michigan staffers and what a U-M degree would do for her son after football.
Hill announced on July 4 that he would be making a decision soon, but that obviously doesn’t seem to be the case a month later. He’s already scheduled to be at Michigan for an official visit on Sep. 15, and that could really be a big, big moment in his recruitment. He’s already taken an official visit to Alabama, so getting to Ann Arbor for two to three days could be monumental.
Michigan’s most recent commitment came from Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward two-star wide receiver Quintel Kent and, of course, Michigan fans didn’t act too thrilled. However, a recent performance at a scrimmage and a bit of a breakdown here has quelled the masses, at least here at TheWolverine.
At 6-0, 170 pounds, Kent isn’t the biggest receiver in the world, but he’s muscular and wiry strong and the Michigan staff loves him. He really grabbed their attention at a camp on U-M’s campus in June, and the staff offered him almost immediately. Someone very close to this recruitment explained what the coaches like about Kent and how they intend to use him.
“They definitely like him in the slot,” our source said. “They describe him as an explosive route runner with decent speed. He’s in the 4.4-4.5 range so he can run with anybody. He also has solid hands and tracks and catches the ball well. He showed all of that in person in front of the coaches, and they were sold.”
Kent outperformed several other receivers who were in attendance that day, and the coaches felt very, very comfortable offering him and accepting his commitment.
Boca Raton (Fla.) American Heritage four-star weakside defensive end Michael Morris is still publicly committed to Florida State, but that’s expected to change in the not-so-distant future. Keep an eye out for the first handful of days in September.
The 6-5, 240-pounder fell in love with Michigan during his most recent visit despite being committed to the ‘Noles since February of 2016. As the No. 25 weakside defensive end in the country, Morris is a bigger version of Stephen Herron with a similar skill set. He’s not ranked as highly but he’s actually more suited for the weakside position size and build wise.
Herron has more burst and athleticism, but finds himself as a bit of a
‘tweener because of his frame. Morris is definitely on track to be big enough to play on the line for his entire college career.
****
To football now …
Former Michigan offensive lineman Jon Jansen created a stir recently with his comments about the U-M line and its apparent improvement in the early going.
https://michigan.rivals.com/news/mi...ice-report-phenomenal-change-on-offensive-lin
It’s understandable that people would be apprehensive about offensive line play. It’s been a decade since we’ve seen the Michigan lines of old (dominant in the fourth quarter, etc.), and last year was beyond disappointing.
But there is zero disputing the physical changes in this group, and the effect Ben Herbert has had. That alone should lead to some improvement up front, especially with many of the same players coming back.
As for the makeup of the line … anything is still possible, and what we see on day one (the Sept. 1 opener against Notre Dame) might not be what we see during Big Ten season, for example. They have trotted out several different combinations in the early going, and one of the more interesting ones included redshirt junior Jon Runyan Jr. at left tackle.
Two sources believe Runyan Jr. ultimately wins that job at left tackle, but the same two are also very, very high on redshirt freshman James Hudson and his improvement. One of the two, however, believes that the best combination so far includes Hudson at left tackle, junior Ben Bredeson at left guard, sophomore Cesar Ruiz at center, redshirt sophomore Stephen Spanellis at right guard and true freshman Jalen Mayfield at right tackle.
He also acknowledges it’s more likely Runyan Jr. starts at left tackle and junior Michael Onwenu eventually steps up to claim the right guard job. However, it’s encouraging to know that several — not just the starters — stepped up this summer to put themselves in the mix. There’s more depth than some may have anticipated, and again, offensive line coach Ed Warinner has been a fantastic addition as a teacher.
He hasn’t done it alone. They all acknowledge the job new strength coach Ben Herbert has done preparing these guys. Between him, Warinner and receivers coach Jim McElwain, the additions have helped bring the staff up where it should be.
One more note — fifth-year senior Juwann Bushell-Beatty is still firmly in the mix, as well, and his improvement has been evident (his body makeup is much different). It’s not out of the realm of possibility that he starts and the freshmen redshirt. Much of it depends on how healthy they remain.
To be clear, we aren’t predicting this will be an outstanding line. One we trust as much as anyone, for example, remains in wait and see mode. At the same time, the offense is looking much, much better against a defense that’s been as fast as advertised, “the fastest we’ve ever seen at Michigan.”
The receivers have been a big part of that. Sophomores Tarik Black and Donovan Peoples-Jones have been dominant against a very good secondary, and their added strength has shown up in a big way. Peoples-Jones has been a standout as a blocker, and it’s evident in the Oklahoma drill (lining up against a defensive back and going head up with a DB).
Redshirt junior tight end Zach Gentry is “a beast,” and junior quarterback Shea Patterson has done a great job getting them the ball. Brandon Peters and Dylan McCaffrey are also playing well in vying for backup duties.
Frosh Joe Milton hasn’t looked as good as he did in spring much of the time, but he’s been working with backups on the line and at receiver, so that’s expected.
Sophomore corner Ambry Thomas is ‘the fastest guy on the team’ and is pushing the starters at corner, quite the feat given what Lavert Hill and David Long accomplished last year.
All in all … they’re off to a great start.
****
To basketball and recruiting …
Lynden (Wash.) Christian three-star small forward Cole Bajema didn’t appear on Michigan fans’ radar until just a few weeks before he committed to the Wolverines, and his recruitment has essentially ended 2019 recruiting … in the short term. It’s entirely possible they’ll pick it up again in the spring if more than Charles Matthews (who we expect to go to the NBA) leave.
The 6-7 Bajema still remains a bit of a mystery at this point, having played at an incredibly small school — Lynden Christian — in Northwest Washington. Several coaches who faced Bajema’s team last season gave their take on the talented youngster.
“My son could actually guard Bajema pretty well,” said one coach, whose team fell to Lynden Christian last December. “But one of their kids was a heck of a shooter and really hurt us with consecutive late threes.
“I rolled the dice a bit and decided to focus on a few of their other guys, and Bajema got some shots in the lane as a result — he’s so long at 6-7, and we were only about 6-1, 6-2. He was no more skilled than a couple of the kids I had, but my guys weren’t 6-7, which was the difference.”
Many have also wondered what attracted him to the Wolverines. The same opposing coach revealed that he is good friends with Bajema’s coach, and shed some light into his recruitment.
“Bajema comes from a vibrant family — I believe his older sister got a full ride soccer scholarship to South Carolina, and his other sister got a full ride volleyball scholarship to Washington,” he revealed. “So he’s the third child and all three have gotten D1 scholarships.
“[Virginia head coach] Tony Bennett offered him a ride too, and I was told he turned him down. Bennett is a devout Christian and I believe John Beilein is too, so I think that played a factor.
“If you want to play for Bennett, you have to play his pace, and I think Bajema looked at it and figured he wants to play a faster pace. He probably wants to be in a system that puts it up quicker than Bennett’s boys do.
“So why did he pick Michigan? I think he did his homework and was told that having a coach who is a Christian believer is important to him.”
A separate coach — whose squad was blown out by Lynden Christian last December — also gave his take on why Bajema chose Michigan.
“I actually talked to their coach a few months ago and he said Michigan had contacted him back then,” he recalled. “I thought there was some connection — whether it was an alum in the family or something — but I was surprised they had called him.
“He has the talent and the ability, but Michigan is just so far away. As far as I know, they don’t have any kind of pipeline out here. I don’t know if they’ll redshirt him once he gets there, but it would make a lot of sense to do so.”
He’ll be a guard at Michigan, playing with the ball in his hands in the mold of Nik Stauskas. He’s got work to do in order to get to that level, but there’s a lot to work with.
On this year’s team, nothing but positives in the early going, and we saw a lot of them on display in yesterday’s practice. Junior big man Jon Teske is playing with a different level of confidence and at a different speed. He understands that he’s one of the keys to a successful season, and he’s put in the work this summer.
“It’s been good for him to have a guy like Jaaron Faulds (Columbia transfer, via Holt, Mich.) to body up to him. Faulds is bigger,” one source noted.
He appears to have grown a couple inches since we saw him at Holt playing against Brandon Johns (East Lansing, now a 6-8 Michigan freshman) a few years ago. The preferred walk-on has to sit out, but he’s got some skills and a lot of length.
Redshirt sophomore big man Austin Davis … “Austin’s Austin,” our guy said. In other words, he’s still looking for that extra gear and trying to figure things out defensively.
That’s one area in which Teske has been outstanding.
But this is Zavier Simpson’s team, and he has become one hell of a leader. He’s got that Zack Novak “we’re not here to lose” quality, and his teams rarely do.
As we mentioned in our write-up today, Johns has really helped sophomore Isaiah Livers find another gear. There are a lot of similarities in their games, but Livers seems to have turned a corner.
And freshman Ignas Brazdeikis will be too good to keep off the floor. He’s playing shooting guard in addition to power forward, and he’s going to get a lot of touches on offense as the year goes on.
The depth on this team is real, and it’s spectacular.
