*** Just after out staff meetings on Friday afternoon, I made my way over to The Big House to see rising 2024 Saline (Mich.) High quarterback CJ Carr. First of all, it was super cool to walk through the tunnel onto the field and just be in Michigan Stadium. I had only been there once before — for the Middle Tennessee State game — so it was a really neat experience. Even though I'm not a Michigan Man, it still meant something to me. Michigan really is a special place. I can't wait to go back and take in a big game for the first time in a few weeks — yes, I'm planning to be at the Washington game.
*** Let's dive into Carr's performance. The first half was one of the weirdest roller coaster rides I've seen out of any quarterback recruit that I've covered. Late in the first quarter, Carr threw an ugly interception that eventually resulted in a Hudsonville (Mich.) High touchdown. I'm not sure what Carr was looking at, but he threw it straight to the defender. Carr was shaky on the next drive, throwing a couple of bad balls. His own student section booed and some even chanted 'take his ass out and put in Larry (Army commit Larry Robinson). I felt bad for Carr. And who are these students? lol. Future Sparty fans? After spending some time on the bench, Carr reentered the game and threw two touchdowns in a span of one minute. The first one was a quick slant to the aforementioned Robinson, who turned on the jets for the score. The second one was a great touch pass to a wide open receiver that got behind the defense on a post. However, Carr ended the half with his second interception of the day.
*** Carr had a much more impressive and consistent second half while he rotated with Robinson. The grandson of ex-Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr threw a 40-yard touchdown, where he placed the ball perfectly over a defender and hit his man in the end zone. Carr flashed his athleticism in the fourth quarter as he avoided pressure in the pocket, rolled out and found a receiver. Both were key plays on third and longs and reminded me of some of the things JJ McCarthy used to do. It's no surprise Carr spent the offseason working with McCarthy's private quarterback trainer. The two worked a lot on off-platform throws, and it translated to the field this weekend. Overall, once Carr got settled down, he showed why he's already a top recruit in 2024. He has the arm strength, mechanics and deceptive athleticism to turn into an elite prospect at the position. And he has the mental part down. To overcome jeering fans, two picks and a brief benching with the pressure of playing in The Big House as a sophomore shows his moxie.
*** After taking in Carr's game, I hopped in the car (laughs to myself) and drove over to West Bloomfield (Mich.) High to see a handful of underclassmen targets. As soon as I pulled into the parking lot, I saw 2023 Rivals250 wide receiver Semaj Morgan score on a dig to tie up the game late in the first quarter. Morgan would prove to be West Bloomfield's biggest playmaker throughout the rest of the contest. With West Bloomfield trailing to Rochester (Mich.) Adams at the half, the Lakers went to Morgan — not senior leader Dillon Tatum — early and often. Morgan turned a quick out into a 40-yard play to open up the second half. He also made a tough grab near the sideline to sett up a field goal on the same drive. On the next drive, Morgan ran a silky smooth comeback route to get West Bloomfield over midfield. On the very next play, Morgan showed off his top end speed by getting vertical down the hash for a 45-yard touchdown. It was exactly what West Bloomfield needed.
*** Unfortunately for Morgan and West Bloomfield, Adams dominated time of possession and pulled off the upset. Opportunities for Morgan were extremely limited the rest of the game, but I saw what I needed to see out of Morgan. While he's on the shorter side, Morgan has a thick, compact build and is an explosive route runner. That's the way to describe it. He runs angry routes that leave defenders standing still on digs, comebacks and outs — he made plays on all three. He also has excellent speed and can take the top off a defense. He's the ideal slot receiver for Michigan's speed in space offense. West Bloomfield should get more creative in utilizing Morgan's skillset. It's clear he's their most valuable weapon.
*** Despite the loss, 2023 Rivals250 West Bloomfield (Mich.) High offensive lineman Amir Herring also had a really good game. I actually think Herring is a bit underrated by Rivals. He's as safe of a take as an interior offensive lineman as there is in the country. Herring did play left tackle out of necessity but didn't look uncomfortable. He was a bully in the run game. He plays aggressively and wants to bury defenders in the ground. While he's not long, Herring kept edge rushers at bay in pass pro and even served up a super impressive pancake, where he tossed a dude to the ground and jumped on top of him. Herring is the nicest kid off the field, but the light comes on when he's on it. He's technically sound, plays with a mean streak and is extremely coachable.
*** Very quickly, Michigan has an early offer out to 2024 West Bloomfield defensive lineman Brandon Davis-Swain. He's definitely a big kid with a really good frame. However, he's still learning and coming along from a technical standpoint. He flashed but was up and down throughout the night as Adams pounded West Bloomfield upfront. Michigan is still evaluating 2022 athlete Michael Williams. He's undersized for a defensive lineman and not really athletic enough to play linebacker in U-M's scheme. But damn it, he's a gamer. Williams played an edge rusher/defensive end role for West Bloomfield and was the team's standout on defense. Williams has a great motor and just makes plays. Michigan will continue to evaluate.
*** Let's dive into Carr's performance. The first half was one of the weirdest roller coaster rides I've seen out of any quarterback recruit that I've covered. Late in the first quarter, Carr threw an ugly interception that eventually resulted in a Hudsonville (Mich.) High touchdown. I'm not sure what Carr was looking at, but he threw it straight to the defender. Carr was shaky on the next drive, throwing a couple of bad balls. His own student section booed and some even chanted 'take his ass out and put in Larry (Army commit Larry Robinson). I felt bad for Carr. And who are these students? lol. Future Sparty fans? After spending some time on the bench, Carr reentered the game and threw two touchdowns in a span of one minute. The first one was a quick slant to the aforementioned Robinson, who turned on the jets for the score. The second one was a great touch pass to a wide open receiver that got behind the defense on a post. However, Carr ended the half with his second interception of the day.
*** Carr had a much more impressive and consistent second half while he rotated with Robinson. The grandson of ex-Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr threw a 40-yard touchdown, where he placed the ball perfectly over a defender and hit his man in the end zone. Carr flashed his athleticism in the fourth quarter as he avoided pressure in the pocket, rolled out and found a receiver. Both were key plays on third and longs and reminded me of some of the things JJ McCarthy used to do. It's no surprise Carr spent the offseason working with McCarthy's private quarterback trainer. The two worked a lot on off-platform throws, and it translated to the field this weekend. Overall, once Carr got settled down, he showed why he's already a top recruit in 2024. He has the arm strength, mechanics and deceptive athleticism to turn into an elite prospect at the position. And he has the mental part down. To overcome jeering fans, two picks and a brief benching with the pressure of playing in The Big House as a sophomore shows his moxie.
*** After taking in Carr's game, I hopped in the car (laughs to myself) and drove over to West Bloomfield (Mich.) High to see a handful of underclassmen targets. As soon as I pulled into the parking lot, I saw 2023 Rivals250 wide receiver Semaj Morgan score on a dig to tie up the game late in the first quarter. Morgan would prove to be West Bloomfield's biggest playmaker throughout the rest of the contest. With West Bloomfield trailing to Rochester (Mich.) Adams at the half, the Lakers went to Morgan — not senior leader Dillon Tatum — early and often. Morgan turned a quick out into a 40-yard play to open up the second half. He also made a tough grab near the sideline to sett up a field goal on the same drive. On the next drive, Morgan ran a silky smooth comeback route to get West Bloomfield over midfield. On the very next play, Morgan showed off his top end speed by getting vertical down the hash for a 45-yard touchdown. It was exactly what West Bloomfield needed.
*** Unfortunately for Morgan and West Bloomfield, Adams dominated time of possession and pulled off the upset. Opportunities for Morgan were extremely limited the rest of the game, but I saw what I needed to see out of Morgan. While he's on the shorter side, Morgan has a thick, compact build and is an explosive route runner. That's the way to describe it. He runs angry routes that leave defenders standing still on digs, comebacks and outs — he made plays on all three. He also has excellent speed and can take the top off a defense. He's the ideal slot receiver for Michigan's speed in space offense. West Bloomfield should get more creative in utilizing Morgan's skillset. It's clear he's their most valuable weapon.
*** Despite the loss, 2023 Rivals250 West Bloomfield (Mich.) High offensive lineman Amir Herring also had a really good game. I actually think Herring is a bit underrated by Rivals. He's as safe of a take as an interior offensive lineman as there is in the country. Herring did play left tackle out of necessity but didn't look uncomfortable. He was a bully in the run game. He plays aggressively and wants to bury defenders in the ground. While he's not long, Herring kept edge rushers at bay in pass pro and even served up a super impressive pancake, where he tossed a dude to the ground and jumped on top of him. Herring is the nicest kid off the field, but the light comes on when he's on it. He's technically sound, plays with a mean streak and is extremely coachable.
*** Very quickly, Michigan has an early offer out to 2024 West Bloomfield defensive lineman Brandon Davis-Swain. He's definitely a big kid with a really good frame. However, he's still learning and coming along from a technical standpoint. He flashed but was up and down throughout the night as Adams pounded West Bloomfield upfront. Michigan is still evaluating 2022 athlete Michael Williams. He's undersized for a defensive lineman and not really athletic enough to play linebacker in U-M's scheme. But damn it, he's a gamer. Williams played an edge rusher/defensive end role for West Bloomfield and was the team's standout on defense. Williams has a great motor and just makes plays. Michigan will continue to evaluate.
