First off, I’ll start by saying this year’s camp (formerly Sound Mind Sound Body) was a shell of its old self, in terms of size and who attended. In past years, Jim Harbaugh, Urban Meyer and Mark Dantonio had all been present, but this year none of them were.
Yes, there were several other camps/events going on around the country this weekend (Irish Invasion at Notre Dame, a camp at USC, etc.) that likely prevented some of these guys from being there, but the main reason was because of the NCAA’s ruling regarding these camps. Their new stipulation basically decimated events like Sound Mind Sound Body – it wasn’t even announced until fairly recently that the camp was going to be held at Grand Valley State, obviously making it hard for many to attend on such short notice. But, that’s the NCAA at its finest – always looking out for the “student athletes.”
As for the Michigan targets in attendance, there weren’t many. Grand Rapids (Mich.) Catholic Central three-star offensive tackle Jalen Mayfield (who is committed to Michigan) was the main attraction, and he didn’t disappoint. As has been the narrative from so many others who have watched him, the coaches at the camp praised his footwork and athleticism.
He manhandled his guy on a number of 1-on-1 reps, but did get beat a few times as well. When asked what Michigan fans can expect to see from him once he arrives in Ann Arbor, he said “big things” with a huge smile – the kid is very confident.
It should be noted that Ohio State had two coaches in attendance, and there were a few times where they pulled Mayfield aside to have a word with him. Your guess is as good as mine as to what was said, but it was obvious they want to at least keep Ohio State on the back of his mind. They’ll do anything they can do to get a leg up in the rivalry.
Another player the Buckeye coaches were watching closely was class of 2019 Detroit Cass Tech running back Jaren Mangham. He doesn’t yet have a star rating, but certainly will before too long. He’s listed at 6-1, but is every bit of that and then some, and actually looked out of place working with the running backs. He was the tallest of any of them, and almost looked more like a tight end or big receiver.
He showed extremely impressive hands catching the ball, and seems to be a versatile jack-of-all-trades kind of player. Mangham does not hold a Michigan offer at this time.
Class of 2019 Belleville (Mich.) High four-star offensive tackle Devontae Dobbs stands 6-4, 270, and is somewhat of a gentle giant. He’s a nasty player on the field, but doesn’t say much off it. He does hold a Michigan offer and there’s at least some interest, but the interest level doesn’t seem to be very high on either side.
Dobbs’ teammate at Belleville High, class of 2019 four-star wide receiver Julian Barnett, was also at the camp. He’s a long and lanky kid at 6-2, 180, and could probably play either receiver or corner in college. Perhaps a bit surprising, he said he has received no contact from Michigan.
While most of the kids at GVSU on Saturday were from the state of Michigan, there were a few there from Georgia. Atlanta Carver four-star safety Quindarious Monday was probably the best prospect from outside Michigan who was there, and he looked the part.
He’s 6-3, and extremely long and lanky. However, he needs to add weight badly. Like Barnett, Monday looks like he could play either receiver or defensive back in college. He said that he would be swinging by Ann Arbor to check out Michigan on Sunday, and seemed pretty excited about it. He explained how Leesburg (Ga.) Lee County four-star linebacker Otis Reese and three-star Buford (Ga.) High three-star running back Christian Turner – both Michigan commits – have been in his ear about coming to Michigan, and he admitted it’s having an impact on him.
We’ll try and get a reaction from him on how the visit went, so stay tuned.
Yes, there were several other camps/events going on around the country this weekend (Irish Invasion at Notre Dame, a camp at USC, etc.) that likely prevented some of these guys from being there, but the main reason was because of the NCAA’s ruling regarding these camps. Their new stipulation basically decimated events like Sound Mind Sound Body – it wasn’t even announced until fairly recently that the camp was going to be held at Grand Valley State, obviously making it hard for many to attend on such short notice. But, that’s the NCAA at its finest – always looking out for the “student athletes.”
As for the Michigan targets in attendance, there weren’t many. Grand Rapids (Mich.) Catholic Central three-star offensive tackle Jalen Mayfield (who is committed to Michigan) was the main attraction, and he didn’t disappoint. As has been the narrative from so many others who have watched him, the coaches at the camp praised his footwork and athleticism.
He manhandled his guy on a number of 1-on-1 reps, but did get beat a few times as well. When asked what Michigan fans can expect to see from him once he arrives in Ann Arbor, he said “big things” with a huge smile – the kid is very confident.
It should be noted that Ohio State had two coaches in attendance, and there were a few times where they pulled Mayfield aside to have a word with him. Your guess is as good as mine as to what was said, but it was obvious they want to at least keep Ohio State on the back of his mind. They’ll do anything they can do to get a leg up in the rivalry.
Another player the Buckeye coaches were watching closely was class of 2019 Detroit Cass Tech running back Jaren Mangham. He doesn’t yet have a star rating, but certainly will before too long. He’s listed at 6-1, but is every bit of that and then some, and actually looked out of place working with the running backs. He was the tallest of any of them, and almost looked more like a tight end or big receiver.
He showed extremely impressive hands catching the ball, and seems to be a versatile jack-of-all-trades kind of player. Mangham does not hold a Michigan offer at this time.
Class of 2019 Belleville (Mich.) High four-star offensive tackle Devontae Dobbs stands 6-4, 270, and is somewhat of a gentle giant. He’s a nasty player on the field, but doesn’t say much off it. He does hold a Michigan offer and there’s at least some interest, but the interest level doesn’t seem to be very high on either side.
Dobbs’ teammate at Belleville High, class of 2019 four-star wide receiver Julian Barnett, was also at the camp. He’s a long and lanky kid at 6-2, 180, and could probably play either receiver or corner in college. Perhaps a bit surprising, he said he has received no contact from Michigan.
While most of the kids at GVSU on Saturday were from the state of Michigan, there were a few there from Georgia. Atlanta Carver four-star safety Quindarious Monday was probably the best prospect from outside Michigan who was there, and he looked the part.
He’s 6-3, and extremely long and lanky. However, he needs to add weight badly. Like Barnett, Monday looks like he could play either receiver or defensive back in college. He said that he would be swinging by Ann Arbor to check out Michigan on Sunday, and seemed pretty excited about it. He explained how Leesburg (Ga.) Lee County four-star linebacker Otis Reese and three-star Buford (Ga.) High three-star running back Christian Turner – both Michigan commits – have been in his ear about coming to Michigan, and he admitted it’s having an impact on him.
We’ll try and get a reaction from him on how the visit went, so stay tuned.
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