1. Long Journey
This has been one of the longest weeks in my entire career covering recruiting. Last weekend, I woke up at 4:30 a.m.k drove from Chicago to Belleville to see a thrilling double overtime West Bloomfield win and drove straight back to Chicago. I couldn't even feel my feet on the way back because of the freezing temperatures. I did the same exact thing on Monday when again, I woke up at the crack of dawn, drove to Wixom for the Sound Mind Sound Body camp and drove straight back to Chicago. That same day we had the Xavier Worthy situation. Then Maurice Linguist was hired, and recruiting went from 0-100. Then we had more staff shakeups. And oh yeah, I had a 5 a.m. flight to Orlando on Saturday to cover the Pylon tournament and am writing this piece from the airport right now. Wait, and we had more Xavier Worthy news too. Just absolutely nuts.
2. Xavier Worthy Pt. 1
This is by far the most bizarre situation I've ever covered. From the secrecy to the misinformation and everything in between, I can honestly say that this is the most taxing story I've been on. Not Bru McCoy. Not Jordan Elliott. Not the time the school I covered had an in-home at a hotel with a high profile recruit. Not all the craziness that came with southern recruitments. None of that. This one has worn on me so much. Let's just go back where this started. I was the first to report that there was an issue with Worthy enrolling early. When I reached out to his mother, she said she was unaware of an issue. As days passed, it became abundantly clear that there was in fact an issue. During my time in Dallas for the Pylon All-American Game, things especially looked bleak. Worthy was supposed to play in the game and opted not to, and a person close to him told me Xavier definitely wouldn't be enrolling early.
3. Xavier Worthy Pt. 2
The fact that I reported there was an issue to begin with was an especially difficult thing for me to do. But as I stated last night, my loyalty is to you the reader, above anyone. I felt like it was my job to report the issue while also being vague enough to not completely burn Michigan or the relationship I built with the Worthy family. Remember, I flew out to Cali this offseason to meet with Xavier and did a big profile on him at his home. I think that relationship is probably dead, which sucks. Despite all of this, I still really like Xavier the kid. I'm sure we would all love for the social media games to go away, but at the end of the day, he's a kid. And I still feel like he's going to be an early impact player in Ann Arbor. He's a perfect fit for this offense and has game changing speed.
4. Xavier Worthy Pt. 3
On my drive back from the Sound Mind Sound Body camp on Monday, I was alerted that Xavier was set to arrive in Ann Arbor on Tuesday. In the days prior to that, there appeared to be growing optimism that Worthy would in fact enroll early. Let me make this abundantly clear. Worthy did nothing wrong here. I believe he was the first signee to graduate, and he finished high school with a 3.5 GPA. In all honesty, I'm not sure what the paperwork issue is, but it's on the Michigan side. Anyway, I was on the road and posted what I posted from a gas station. Obviously, Worthy contradicted my report with a tweet, and everything went to hell from there. I don't apologize for reporting the story, but I do for not 100 percent confirming that Xavier would be an early enrollee. I've been doing this too long to make that mistake, so I'm sorry. And trust me, nobody was harder on me than me. I was legit depressed until Michigan hired Maurice Linguist, which got me rolling again.
5. Xavier Worthy Pt. 4
However, I actually wasn't wrong with the exception of the paperwork debacle not getting resolved. Worthy DID make his way to Ann Arbor and was still there as of last night. As I mentioned on Tuesday, he Snapchatted himself at an airport and obviously flew into Detroit. I had an idea that Worthy was in Ann Arbor all week, but started getting more leaks on Friday. I had Balas look into it because the story was really consuming me, and obviously, he confirmed it. Again, I'm not sure why there was so much secrecy behind it, but here we are. The bottom line is Xavier is in AA, but Michigan has not resolved the issue that's preventing him from enrolling early. It's an odd situation, and I think getting him to EE is now doubtful. I'm not sure what Worthy's plan is, but I do think it's a positive that despite all of the drama around this situation, he still made it to Michigan. He wants to be a Wolverine. I can't believe Michigan hasn't/didn't figure this out.
6. Linguist
I was so happy when Michigan hired Maurice Linguist for selfish reasons. I'm very familiar with him as a recruiter from his time at Texas A&M and know a lot of the same people he does since we're both Dallas guys at heart. But what I'm about to say isn't personal. It's just the truth. Linguist made my life a nightmare during the 2019 recruiting cycle. He landed three in-state Top 100 defensive backs, two of which were considered early Texas leans. Linguist had me scrambling and changing our coverage approach. While the two don't play on the field, Texas and Texas A&M are still huge recruiting rivals. Linguist turned right around and landed a five-star corner in 2020 in Jaylon Jones, who was also considered a Texas lean early on. Hell, Jones lived right down the street from Texas cornerbacks coach Jason Washington, and Linguist still landed him. The point is Linguist is an elite recruiter and is bringing plenty of swagger to Michigan.
7. Linguist Pt. 2
Michigan does everything the Michigan way. It's very straightforward. Linguist does things the southern way, so I hope he's not handicapped during his time in Ann Arbor. No, I don't mean he's dishing out McDonald's bags. But I do mean he connects with everyone — mentors, 7v7 coaches, etc. Linguist is willing to play in the mud within reason. You have to in the south. And Linguist, as mentioned above, has a track record of closing with some of the country's top defensive backs. If anyone can regain momentum with Will Johnson and make a run at Domani Jackson, it's Linguist. His experience in the south is going to help him tremendously. I mean, it even helps me as a reporter. You guys don't know how much I finesse behind the scenes to fly around the country and get information.
8. More Changes
Let's roll through some of the other coaching changes and how they'll impact recruiting. Retaining Brian-Jean Mary is terrific for recruiting. He and Linguist should form a dynamic duo and help pull some cats from Texas and Florida. The loss of Ed Warinner sucks. He was an awesome talent developer and really connected well with offensive line recruits. I also know how much work he put into his evaluations. I think it's a mistake to give him the boot. I like Sherrone Moore getting a title promotion — not sure about him taking over OL since he's never done it. Jim Harbaugh viewed Moore as a valuable asset and rightfully so. He busted his ass on the trail and is a rising star as a coach. Bringing on Mike Hart is great for obvious reasons. A-plus for his hire and Lingquist. To be honest, I don't know much about George Helow. I'll work to familiarize myself with him this week. Keeping Shaun Nua gets an F from a recruiting standpoint. I would have gone in a different direction. I don't mind Jay Harbaugh staying on staff but not at the expense of Warinner. He is an effective recruiter and does a nice job keeping in contact with all his targets. Lastly, Ron Bellamy is a huge boost for in-state recruiting. Great guy, loves his university and will mend relationships.
9. Donovan Edwards
Apparently Rivals isn't allowed to attend the Michigan state championships. What an atrocious rule from the MHSAA. We are considered a recruiting service instead of a media outlet in their eyes, which is such an antiquated viewpoint. Because of this, I was unable to cover Donovan Edwards' last game. But man, I was rooting for him from Orlando. Of course, he didn't disappoint. Edwards rushed for a trio of touchdowns and led West Bloomfield to its first ever state title. It was a fitting end to his high school career. Edwards could have mailed it in and just foregone his final few games after enrolling at Michigan. Instead, he went out there and played his heart out. I can't say this enough, but Edwards loves his teammates, and his teammates love him. It's hard to describe, but Edwards is a guy others rally around and want to go to war with. He's a terrific leader and one of the most real kids you'll ever meet. Everything about Don is genuine — from his love for the game to the support of his teammates. I'm just sad I didn't get to cover him longer. Yes, I love guys like JJ and Junior, but Don is honestly my favorite in the class. I'll be a lifelong fan.
10. Domani Jackson
Five-star cornerback Domani Jackson is off the board — for now. The five-star Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei cornerback committed to USC this weekend. I delayed making a pick, but I've known this one for a while. Jackson actually gave USC a silent commitment months ago — even before his visit to Michigan — per my source inside the Triojans' building. He even recruited Will Johnson to USC while on his visit this weekend. The only thing that gave me hope and didn't make me completely dismiss Michigan's chances with Jackson was his trip for the big visit weekend. After that visit, I heard Jackson was very close to changing his mind and committing to Michigan. Of course, momentum with Michigan died down after a terrible season and question marks around the staff. And USC once again became the team to beat. Surprisingly, I never heard that Jackson was close to committing to Ohio State despite picks going that way. Still, OSU, like Michigan, will continue to push for him.
This has been one of the longest weeks in my entire career covering recruiting. Last weekend, I woke up at 4:30 a.m.k drove from Chicago to Belleville to see a thrilling double overtime West Bloomfield win and drove straight back to Chicago. I couldn't even feel my feet on the way back because of the freezing temperatures. I did the same exact thing on Monday when again, I woke up at the crack of dawn, drove to Wixom for the Sound Mind Sound Body camp and drove straight back to Chicago. That same day we had the Xavier Worthy situation. Then Maurice Linguist was hired, and recruiting went from 0-100. Then we had more staff shakeups. And oh yeah, I had a 5 a.m. flight to Orlando on Saturday to cover the Pylon tournament and am writing this piece from the airport right now. Wait, and we had more Xavier Worthy news too. Just absolutely nuts.
2. Xavier Worthy Pt. 1
This is by far the most bizarre situation I've ever covered. From the secrecy to the misinformation and everything in between, I can honestly say that this is the most taxing story I've been on. Not Bru McCoy. Not Jordan Elliott. Not the time the school I covered had an in-home at a hotel with a high profile recruit. Not all the craziness that came with southern recruitments. None of that. This one has worn on me so much. Let's just go back where this started. I was the first to report that there was an issue with Worthy enrolling early. When I reached out to his mother, she said she was unaware of an issue. As days passed, it became abundantly clear that there was in fact an issue. During my time in Dallas for the Pylon All-American Game, things especially looked bleak. Worthy was supposed to play in the game and opted not to, and a person close to him told me Xavier definitely wouldn't be enrolling early.
3. Xavier Worthy Pt. 2
The fact that I reported there was an issue to begin with was an especially difficult thing for me to do. But as I stated last night, my loyalty is to you the reader, above anyone. I felt like it was my job to report the issue while also being vague enough to not completely burn Michigan or the relationship I built with the Worthy family. Remember, I flew out to Cali this offseason to meet with Xavier and did a big profile on him at his home. I think that relationship is probably dead, which sucks. Despite all of this, I still really like Xavier the kid. I'm sure we would all love for the social media games to go away, but at the end of the day, he's a kid. And I still feel like he's going to be an early impact player in Ann Arbor. He's a perfect fit for this offense and has game changing speed.
4. Xavier Worthy Pt. 3
On my drive back from the Sound Mind Sound Body camp on Monday, I was alerted that Xavier was set to arrive in Ann Arbor on Tuesday. In the days prior to that, there appeared to be growing optimism that Worthy would in fact enroll early. Let me make this abundantly clear. Worthy did nothing wrong here. I believe he was the first signee to graduate, and he finished high school with a 3.5 GPA. In all honesty, I'm not sure what the paperwork issue is, but it's on the Michigan side. Anyway, I was on the road and posted what I posted from a gas station. Obviously, Worthy contradicted my report with a tweet, and everything went to hell from there. I don't apologize for reporting the story, but I do for not 100 percent confirming that Xavier would be an early enrollee. I've been doing this too long to make that mistake, so I'm sorry. And trust me, nobody was harder on me than me. I was legit depressed until Michigan hired Maurice Linguist, which got me rolling again.
5. Xavier Worthy Pt. 4
However, I actually wasn't wrong with the exception of the paperwork debacle not getting resolved. Worthy DID make his way to Ann Arbor and was still there as of last night. As I mentioned on Tuesday, he Snapchatted himself at an airport and obviously flew into Detroit. I had an idea that Worthy was in Ann Arbor all week, but started getting more leaks on Friday. I had Balas look into it because the story was really consuming me, and obviously, he confirmed it. Again, I'm not sure why there was so much secrecy behind it, but here we are. The bottom line is Xavier is in AA, but Michigan has not resolved the issue that's preventing him from enrolling early. It's an odd situation, and I think getting him to EE is now doubtful. I'm not sure what Worthy's plan is, but I do think it's a positive that despite all of the drama around this situation, he still made it to Michigan. He wants to be a Wolverine. I can't believe Michigan hasn't/didn't figure this out.
6. Linguist
I was so happy when Michigan hired Maurice Linguist for selfish reasons. I'm very familiar with him as a recruiter from his time at Texas A&M and know a lot of the same people he does since we're both Dallas guys at heart. But what I'm about to say isn't personal. It's just the truth. Linguist made my life a nightmare during the 2019 recruiting cycle. He landed three in-state Top 100 defensive backs, two of which were considered early Texas leans. Linguist had me scrambling and changing our coverage approach. While the two don't play on the field, Texas and Texas A&M are still huge recruiting rivals. Linguist turned right around and landed a five-star corner in 2020 in Jaylon Jones, who was also considered a Texas lean early on. Hell, Jones lived right down the street from Texas cornerbacks coach Jason Washington, and Linguist still landed him. The point is Linguist is an elite recruiter and is bringing plenty of swagger to Michigan.
7. Linguist Pt. 2
Michigan does everything the Michigan way. It's very straightforward. Linguist does things the southern way, so I hope he's not handicapped during his time in Ann Arbor. No, I don't mean he's dishing out McDonald's bags. But I do mean he connects with everyone — mentors, 7v7 coaches, etc. Linguist is willing to play in the mud within reason. You have to in the south. And Linguist, as mentioned above, has a track record of closing with some of the country's top defensive backs. If anyone can regain momentum with Will Johnson and make a run at Domani Jackson, it's Linguist. His experience in the south is going to help him tremendously. I mean, it even helps me as a reporter. You guys don't know how much I finesse behind the scenes to fly around the country and get information.
8. More Changes
Let's roll through some of the other coaching changes and how they'll impact recruiting. Retaining Brian-Jean Mary is terrific for recruiting. He and Linguist should form a dynamic duo and help pull some cats from Texas and Florida. The loss of Ed Warinner sucks. He was an awesome talent developer and really connected well with offensive line recruits. I also know how much work he put into his evaluations. I think it's a mistake to give him the boot. I like Sherrone Moore getting a title promotion — not sure about him taking over OL since he's never done it. Jim Harbaugh viewed Moore as a valuable asset and rightfully so. He busted his ass on the trail and is a rising star as a coach. Bringing on Mike Hart is great for obvious reasons. A-plus for his hire and Lingquist. To be honest, I don't know much about George Helow. I'll work to familiarize myself with him this week. Keeping Shaun Nua gets an F from a recruiting standpoint. I would have gone in a different direction. I don't mind Jay Harbaugh staying on staff but not at the expense of Warinner. He is an effective recruiter and does a nice job keeping in contact with all his targets. Lastly, Ron Bellamy is a huge boost for in-state recruiting. Great guy, loves his university and will mend relationships.
9. Donovan Edwards
Apparently Rivals isn't allowed to attend the Michigan state championships. What an atrocious rule from the MHSAA. We are considered a recruiting service instead of a media outlet in their eyes, which is such an antiquated viewpoint. Because of this, I was unable to cover Donovan Edwards' last game. But man, I was rooting for him from Orlando. Of course, he didn't disappoint. Edwards rushed for a trio of touchdowns and led West Bloomfield to its first ever state title. It was a fitting end to his high school career. Edwards could have mailed it in and just foregone his final few games after enrolling at Michigan. Instead, he went out there and played his heart out. I can't say this enough, but Edwards loves his teammates, and his teammates love him. It's hard to describe, but Edwards is a guy others rally around and want to go to war with. He's a terrific leader and one of the most real kids you'll ever meet. Everything about Don is genuine — from his love for the game to the support of his teammates. I'm just sad I didn't get to cover him longer. Yes, I love guys like JJ and Junior, but Don is honestly my favorite in the class. I'll be a lifelong fan.
10. Domani Jackson
Five-star cornerback Domani Jackson is off the board — for now. The five-star Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei cornerback committed to USC this weekend. I delayed making a pick, but I've known this one for a while. Jackson actually gave USC a silent commitment months ago — even before his visit to Michigan — per my source inside the Triojans' building. He even recruited Will Johnson to USC while on his visit this weekend. The only thing that gave me hope and didn't make me completely dismiss Michigan's chances with Jackson was his trip for the big visit weekend. After that visit, I heard Jackson was very close to changing his mind and committing to Michigan. Of course, momentum with Michigan died down after a terrible season and question marks around the staff. And USC once again became the team to beat. Surprisingly, I never heard that Jackson was close to committing to Ohio State despite picks going that way. Still, OSU, like Michigan, will continue to push for him.
