Now that the 2019 season is underway, I took a look back at the 2015 recruiting class. This will be the final season for the members of that class with remaining eligibility.
The 2015 class was the smallest class in our history with only 14 commits. Clearly the transition from Hoke to Harbaugh impacted the recruiting efforts. Harbaugh was announced 12/31/2014 and it took a month to get his first commitment….Rueben Jones.
Overall, the class was ranked 49th however when ranked on an average rating, we came in 18th. Not bad for what was going on at the time regarding the program.
Of the original 14 commits, only 1 player remains on the roster as 5th year Senior:
- Jon Runyon – early in his career, many folks were down on him but I think we’re all really glad he’s still with the team! He collected several honors last season including:
o All-Big Ten honoree (first team, coaches; second team, media, 2018
o All-Big Ten Selection by the Associated Press (first team, 2018)
o Three-time Letterman (2016-17-18)
o Recipient of the 2018 Hugh H. Rader Memorial Award given to the team's best lineman, joining his father, Jon Runyan (1994), as U-M's only father-son duo to win the award
o Has appeared in 23 games, with 15 career starts (14 at left tackle, one at right tackle), and also contributing on special teams
There were 3 members of the class that exhausted their eligibility last season:
- Karan Higdon – UDFA Texans. Higdon flipped from Iowa on Signing Day, which famously sent Detroit Cass Tech’s Mike Weber to Ohio State. He was the leading rusher in 2017 and during the 2018 season, he became the 1st 1,000 yard rusher since Fitz Toussaint. Higdon had 13 100-yard games, tying him with Gordon Bell, Billy Taylor and Tim Biakabutuka for the eighth-most 100-yard rushing games during a career in Michigan program history. Higdon finished the 2018 season with 1,178 yards on 224 carries, with 10 touchdowns. He was named to the All-Big Ten offensive first-team by both the coaches and media. He decided not to play in Michigan's bowl game, the Peach Bowl, in order to prepare for the 2019 NFL Draft. He went undrafted…signed with Texans…was waived and now appears to be on their practice squad.
- Tyree Kinnel – UDFA Cincinnati Bengals. Tyree was rated the #1 Safety in Ohio and committed to UM. He’s a former captain and a 2-time all Big 10 honorable mention. He went undrafted…signed with the Bengals…was waived and now appears to be on their practice squad.
- Grant Perry - Like Higdon, the Wolverines flipped Perry from a Big Ten foe, this time Northwestern. That happened just days before National Signing Day. Perry has appeared in 34 games at Michigan, catching 52 passes for 618 yards and three touchdowns
This leaves 10 players who left the program early for a variety of reasons:
· Medical retirement (1)
- Grant Newsome – Currently a graduate coach with UM. His promising career was cut short during a game with Wisconsin on October 1, 2016. Newsome took a hit to his right knee that brought on what would become life-threatening damage. He dislocated his right knee, fractured his tibia, tore three ligaments, damaged three nerves and destroyed his popliteal artery. He then underwent emergency surgery as doctors feared he may lose the leg, and potentially his life, due to the severity of the damage. Ultimately, he spent a week in the intensive care unit and 38 days in the hospital, with six more surgeries to follow. Unfortunately, despite two years of rehab, he had to medically retire from football. He was an assistant with the program last year while working on his Master’s degree. Newsome won several academic honors during his time at UM.
· Dismissed from program (2)
We had two guys who got moved out of the program after some “issues”:
- Brian Cole – Currently at Mississippi State. A former top-100 recruit, Cole played three games at wide receiver and on special teams for the Wolverines. That was it. Then, Cole’s tenure with the Wolverines ended. He was “released” from the program in January 2016. Cole explained it by saying he was hanging with the wrong people and too often; “not necessarily in trouble,” and “was just moving too fast.” Maybe it was too much too quick, he said in hindsight, for a 17-year-old who graduated high school as an early enrollee for college. He initially went the JUCO route after UM and is now at Mississippi State and plays Safety. Started 4 games last year before getting hurt.
- Shelton Johnson - He did not appear in any games for two seasons, was suspended in 2016. Shelton appears to be out of football. A cursory search came up empty.
· Transfers (6)
There were another 6 guys who transferred out including:
- Andrew David – Currently at Northwestern. David was the #10 rated kicker coming out of high school. Did not see action his first year and then transferred to TCU. Last season he did not attempt a field goal and appears to be their primary punter. Apparently, he didn’t like the depth chart at TCU so he transferred again…this time to Northwestern where he’ll finish his career.
- Alex Malzone – Out of football. Alex was one of two QBs taken in the class (Gentry being the other one). Alex redshirted his first year and graduated after only 3 years. He transferred to Miami of Ohio and only attempted 4 passes last year. He entered the transfer portal in April 2019 but did not land anywhere and it appears he’s out of football. His LinkedIn profile says he’s an Investment Sales Broker. From all reports, he was a great teammate and an awesome student. Looks like he’s putting his degree to work. I bet he’ll do just fine.
- Keith Washington – Currently at WVU. Washington was the first of 3 commits from Prattville and it lead to 2 more in the following class; Dytarious Johnson and Kingston Davis. You may recall the controversial summer camp held in Prattville in June 2015…it’s the one where Jim was photographed playing ball without his shirt. Unfortunately, none of the Prattville “Three” contributed much during their time at UM although Washington has done well at WVU. Washington redshirted his first year and lettered his second year primarily due to his time on special teams. Left Michigan shortly before the start of the 2017 season for Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson, Mississippi. He subsequently transferred to WVU where he earned All Big 12 honorable mention last years as a DB.
- Tyrone Wheatley – Currently at Morgan State. Wheatley transferred just before Fall camp 2018 after three years inside the program to Stony Brook. During his time with the Wolverines he played in 24 games with six receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown. As a result of dropping from the Football Bowl Subdivision to the FCS, Wheatley was eligible to play immediately. During the 2018 season, it appears he had one catch for 6 yards. He transferred again…this time to Morgan State where he’s familiar with the head coach….his Dad! Tyrone Wheatley became their head coach earlier this year.
- Nolan Ulizio – Currently at Pitt and started in his first game there. One of the first members of the class to commit to Harbaugh, Ulizio was the lowest rated player in the class. In January 2019, Ulizio entered the transfer portal and subsequently transferred to Pitt where he was immediately eligible to play.
- Reuben Jones – Currently at WVU. I believe he has the distinction of being Harbaugh’s first commitment at UM. He entered the portal earlier this year and ended up transferring to WVU. He was immediately eligible and played in the opener racking up 2 tackles and 1 sack.
· Enter NFL Draft (1)
The class had one player declare for the NFL draft prior to exhausting his eligibility:
- Zach Gentry – Drafted by the Steelers in the fifth round (141st overall) in the 2019 NFL Draft.... three-year letter winner at Michigan, playing in 33 games with 24 starts at tight end…recorded 49 catches for 817 yards and four touchdowns in his career…earned U-M Athletic Academic Achievement…switched to tight end from quarterback prior to sophomore season.Gentry was committed to Texas but flipped to UM. Michigan brought him in as a second quarterback as Alex Malzone was already committed and enrolled during Harbaugh’s first month as head coach. It appears Gentry made the cut with the Steelers but is listed as 3rd string.
The 2015 class was the smallest class in our history with only 14 commits. Clearly the transition from Hoke to Harbaugh impacted the recruiting efforts. Harbaugh was announced 12/31/2014 and it took a month to get his first commitment….Rueben Jones.
Overall, the class was ranked 49th however when ranked on an average rating, we came in 18th. Not bad for what was going on at the time regarding the program.
Of the original 14 commits, only 1 player remains on the roster as 5th year Senior:
- Jon Runyon – early in his career, many folks were down on him but I think we’re all really glad he’s still with the team! He collected several honors last season including:
o All-Big Ten honoree (first team, coaches; second team, media, 2018
o All-Big Ten Selection by the Associated Press (first team, 2018)
o Three-time Letterman (2016-17-18)
o Recipient of the 2018 Hugh H. Rader Memorial Award given to the team's best lineman, joining his father, Jon Runyan (1994), as U-M's only father-son duo to win the award
o Has appeared in 23 games, with 15 career starts (14 at left tackle, one at right tackle), and also contributing on special teams
There were 3 members of the class that exhausted their eligibility last season:
- Karan Higdon – UDFA Texans. Higdon flipped from Iowa on Signing Day, which famously sent Detroit Cass Tech’s Mike Weber to Ohio State. He was the leading rusher in 2017 and during the 2018 season, he became the 1st 1,000 yard rusher since Fitz Toussaint. Higdon had 13 100-yard games, tying him with Gordon Bell, Billy Taylor and Tim Biakabutuka for the eighth-most 100-yard rushing games during a career in Michigan program history. Higdon finished the 2018 season with 1,178 yards on 224 carries, with 10 touchdowns. He was named to the All-Big Ten offensive first-team by both the coaches and media. He decided not to play in Michigan's bowl game, the Peach Bowl, in order to prepare for the 2019 NFL Draft. He went undrafted…signed with Texans…was waived and now appears to be on their practice squad.
- Tyree Kinnel – UDFA Cincinnati Bengals. Tyree was rated the #1 Safety in Ohio and committed to UM. He’s a former captain and a 2-time all Big 10 honorable mention. He went undrafted…signed with the Bengals…was waived and now appears to be on their practice squad.
- Grant Perry - Like Higdon, the Wolverines flipped Perry from a Big Ten foe, this time Northwestern. That happened just days before National Signing Day. Perry has appeared in 34 games at Michigan, catching 52 passes for 618 yards and three touchdowns
This leaves 10 players who left the program early for a variety of reasons:
· Medical retirement (1)
- Grant Newsome – Currently a graduate coach with UM. His promising career was cut short during a game with Wisconsin on October 1, 2016. Newsome took a hit to his right knee that brought on what would become life-threatening damage. He dislocated his right knee, fractured his tibia, tore three ligaments, damaged three nerves and destroyed his popliteal artery. He then underwent emergency surgery as doctors feared he may lose the leg, and potentially his life, due to the severity of the damage. Ultimately, he spent a week in the intensive care unit and 38 days in the hospital, with six more surgeries to follow. Unfortunately, despite two years of rehab, he had to medically retire from football. He was an assistant with the program last year while working on his Master’s degree. Newsome won several academic honors during his time at UM.
· Dismissed from program (2)
We had two guys who got moved out of the program after some “issues”:
- Brian Cole – Currently at Mississippi State. A former top-100 recruit, Cole played three games at wide receiver and on special teams for the Wolverines. That was it. Then, Cole’s tenure with the Wolverines ended. He was “released” from the program in January 2016. Cole explained it by saying he was hanging with the wrong people and too often; “not necessarily in trouble,” and “was just moving too fast.” Maybe it was too much too quick, he said in hindsight, for a 17-year-old who graduated high school as an early enrollee for college. He initially went the JUCO route after UM and is now at Mississippi State and plays Safety. Started 4 games last year before getting hurt.
- Shelton Johnson - He did not appear in any games for two seasons, was suspended in 2016. Shelton appears to be out of football. A cursory search came up empty.
· Transfers (6)
There were another 6 guys who transferred out including:
- Andrew David – Currently at Northwestern. David was the #10 rated kicker coming out of high school. Did not see action his first year and then transferred to TCU. Last season he did not attempt a field goal and appears to be their primary punter. Apparently, he didn’t like the depth chart at TCU so he transferred again…this time to Northwestern where he’ll finish his career.
- Alex Malzone – Out of football. Alex was one of two QBs taken in the class (Gentry being the other one). Alex redshirted his first year and graduated after only 3 years. He transferred to Miami of Ohio and only attempted 4 passes last year. He entered the transfer portal in April 2019 but did not land anywhere and it appears he’s out of football. His LinkedIn profile says he’s an Investment Sales Broker. From all reports, he was a great teammate and an awesome student. Looks like he’s putting his degree to work. I bet he’ll do just fine.
- Keith Washington – Currently at WVU. Washington was the first of 3 commits from Prattville and it lead to 2 more in the following class; Dytarious Johnson and Kingston Davis. You may recall the controversial summer camp held in Prattville in June 2015…it’s the one where Jim was photographed playing ball without his shirt. Unfortunately, none of the Prattville “Three” contributed much during their time at UM although Washington has done well at WVU. Washington redshirted his first year and lettered his second year primarily due to his time on special teams. Left Michigan shortly before the start of the 2017 season for Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson, Mississippi. He subsequently transferred to WVU where he earned All Big 12 honorable mention last years as a DB.
- Tyrone Wheatley – Currently at Morgan State. Wheatley transferred just before Fall camp 2018 after three years inside the program to Stony Brook. During his time with the Wolverines he played in 24 games with six receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown. As a result of dropping from the Football Bowl Subdivision to the FCS, Wheatley was eligible to play immediately. During the 2018 season, it appears he had one catch for 6 yards. He transferred again…this time to Morgan State where he’s familiar with the head coach….his Dad! Tyrone Wheatley became their head coach earlier this year.
- Nolan Ulizio – Currently at Pitt and started in his first game there. One of the first members of the class to commit to Harbaugh, Ulizio was the lowest rated player in the class. In January 2019, Ulizio entered the transfer portal and subsequently transferred to Pitt where he was immediately eligible to play.
- Reuben Jones – Currently at WVU. I believe he has the distinction of being Harbaugh’s first commitment at UM. He entered the portal earlier this year and ended up transferring to WVU. He was immediately eligible and played in the opener racking up 2 tackles and 1 sack.
· Enter NFL Draft (1)
The class had one player declare for the NFL draft prior to exhausting his eligibility:
- Zach Gentry – Drafted by the Steelers in the fifth round (141st overall) in the 2019 NFL Draft.... three-year letter winner at Michigan, playing in 33 games with 24 starts at tight end…recorded 49 catches for 817 yards and four touchdowns in his career…earned U-M Athletic Academic Achievement…switched to tight end from quarterback prior to sophomore season.Gentry was committed to Texas but flipped to UM. Michigan brought him in as a second quarterback as Alex Malzone was already committed and enrolled during Harbaugh’s first month as head coach. It appears Gentry made the cut with the Steelers but is listed as 3rd string.
