The latest edition of INSIDE THE FORT, including plenty of spring football, basketball and recruiting information.
Starting with football this week …
Michigan’s spring session ended with a scrimmage Saturday, one that’s been well-documented (those who missed it, we had separate reports here and here from folks in attendance). A number of others close to it have since weighed in, and here’s what else we’ve picked up:
First off, there’s a commitment to doing everything right, not just football. From being on time to making the bed, classwork, there’s been an emphasis on accountability and a competition that’s been ongoing throughout the spring with points allotted to those who do the right thing.
Your top three leaders — freshman center Greg Crippen, junior DE/OLB Aidan Hutchinson and freshman running back Blake Corum.
Only Crippen would surprise of this trio, and that’s because he’s a true freshman early enrollee. But these are the kinds of guys they’re looking for, and it’s probably not a coincidence that Crippen has made an early move to No. 2 on the depth chart (though to be fair, second-year frosh Reece Atteberry, who made a similar impression last year, was sick at times this spring, and second-year frosh right guard Zak Zinter might be the second-best option here behind sixth-year senior Andrew Vastardis).
But we’ve talked plenty about Hutchinson and Corum’s “want to” over the last few years, incredible desire and work ethic. Crippen seems to share it, too, and that gives him a shot.
We asked a few as close to the program as anyone for their takes on the spring game and the possibilities for next season. One said, ‘this team can win eight games … if it gets great quarterback play.’ Redshirt frosh Cade McNamara had some nice moments in the spring game and was ‘solid’ according to another source.
“Cade played okay” he said. “He made a couple of nice throws, but he also struggled with some passes.”
Frosh J.J. McCarthy is still learning the playbook, but this kid is the definition of “all in.” He met with some future Wolverines and talked about weekly Zoom calls, etc., to go over the playbook while indicating just how intricate it is. There are several little technicalities in every drop — “like five things to check off for each one” — and it’s not easy.
That said … he’s got “the look” about him, and he didn’t get much help in front of him during the spring game in terms of protection.
“He’s just got ‘it’” one recruit’s dad said. “Kids gravitate to him.”
He made some plays with his feet and had a touchdown pass dropped, but the best is yet to come here. He’s a great leader.
We still strongly believe Texas Tech transfer Alan Bowman will get his shot.
“If the quarterbacks don’t improve from what we saw Saturday, this is a. 500 team,” the source commenting on McNamara said.
The good news — there are three of them that all want to play and will work their butts off, and that should make them all better.
More football …
The running backs have been the most impressive group on offense this spring, and that continued in the Saturday contest.
“Blake Corum and [redshirt sophomore] Hassan Haskins looked really good running the ball. Donovan Edwards is going to be good,” our source said. “It didn’t show Saturday, but he hasn’t had a break since his high school season ended.”
The O-line had some guys play well, though they were split up so there was no consistency. Frosh guard Zak Zinter was mauling people.
“He’ll be a first-round pick in a few years,” yet another source said.
The tight ends “all looked good. [Sophomore tight end] Erick All - it was nice to see him catch about everything that went his way,” the source said.
They are doing their best to keep him happy, telling him he figures to be a big part of the offense this fall.
The receivers outside of sophomore wideout Cornelius Johnson and frosh Cristian Dixon didn’t do a lot, other than a nice grab or two by frosh Andrel Anthony.
On defense, expect a few more departures, probably one at cornerback and one at linebacker. One was on the rise while the other was third on the depth chart. Redshirt freshmen Jalen Perry and DJ Turner have continued to improve at corner, and they’ll need to. Redshirt sophomore Vince Gray struggled and redshirt sophomore Gemon Green is still somewhat inconsistent.
Turner was banged up, but fortunately it proved to not be serious.
The defense as a whole has a lot of work to do.
“They really struggled up front. Outside of [redshirt freshman OLB] Mike Morris’ play, the D-line wasn’t good,” our source said. “[Redshirt junior linebacker] Josh Ross played well at linebacker, and the rest of the guys really struggled.”
Sophomore safety Dax Hill “played like a freak,” and he, Morris and fifth-year senior safety Brad Hawkins would probably be the three spring standouts based on their play.
****
Finally, the final word on signee Xavier Worthy …
We were going to wait until today to tell you we thought Texas was eventually going to land him, but when a third source chimed in earlier this week, we had to run it in an ITF EXTRA. So instead, we’ll tell you what we’ve heard went down …
When it became clear Worthy was seriously interested in being an early enrollee, the recruiting department started planning for his arrival. There were a lot of kids who wanted to come early, however, and only so many spots.
Rest assured, Worthy had one of them. But then he started wavering, taking visits, taking pics in Alabama gear, etc., and it became a concern. They still thought they had enough spots as they filled up the early enrollee quota — but from what we’ve heard, someone made a mistake, and they really didn’t.
They did their best to make him happy, and Worthy was absolutely in town when E.J. Holland said he was (we confirmed with a number of sources) taking in Ann Arbor, getting to know the campus. Those close to it said he never felt “completely in,” however, and when Giles Jackson — the player who really worked on him to get him to Michigan — left, that was probably all she wrote.
We’ve said for a while now Texas feels very confident here, and while others will clamor for him, he’ll likely end up a Longhorn.
That’s all we’ve got to say about that.
****
To basketball now …
Again, we’re still working on the 2022s and starting to do the heavy lifting there — we’ll have more on that when we can (and soon) – but the big news, of course, was Eli Brooks’ return. He was the one they really wanted back.
But it has not stopped them from pursuing options in the portal. We told you about Rutgers’ Jacob Young, but Siena’s Jalen Pickett is on the table. He’s a big guard, can play three positions and averaged 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists last year while shooting 40.3 percent, 35 from long range.
Gonzaga and Baylor are thought to be the biggest competition here.
On the current team, as we’ve said ever since the questions started coming early on last season, freshman center Hunter Dickinson is expected to stay in school. He has a lot to work on before he’s a bona fide NBA talent, and he knows it. One close to him recently explained to us just how much they’re looking forward to a full offseason of strength coach Jon Sanderson and making more improvements on his game.
Bleacher Report NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Wasserman loves watching Dickinson in the college game and agrees that he needs to add some more tools before he’s ready for the next level.
“He’s on track to become national player of the year in college, if he sticks around,” Wasserman opined. “It’s tough for guys like him in today’s league. Everything is so different now, and the skills that he has are just not as valued as much, and the questions that he has are magnified — it’s going to be, can he protect the rim, can he switch? Those are going to be the biggest question marks NBA teams have, and nothing’s really changed from what we saw in high school to what we saw in the beginning of the season until the end.
“I haven’t really heard any scout talk about him as a legitimate pro prospect, but if he keeps dominating the way he has — [former Iowa center] Luka Garza wasn’t either, but all of the sudden he added a jump shot, now he’s at least being talked about as a potential second-round pick.
“So, he’s going to have to evolve, really. He’s going to have to change his game a little bit over the next year or two if he really wants a chance at the NBA. But in the meantime, he’s going to crush college basketball, and he’s going to be a first-team All-American, and all of those accolades are coming his way if he sticks. But he’s just a little too heavy-footed, and those inside guys, they gotta develop some type of touch outside if they really want to be valued by NBA teams.”
Down the line — whenever that is — Dickinson is going to have a great chance at being picked. He has the capability to knock down the three, and it’ll come in games with more reps and confidence. He’s also an underrated athlete and should be able to get even better while working with Sanderson.
So, we know Dickinson could potentially leave early after next year. And the question has come up, ‘What about signee Caleb Houstan? Moussa Diabate?’
There’s so much time between now and when those decisions will be made, but Wasserman believes Houstan has what it takes to be a one-and-done, if he so chooses.
“Caleb, to me, is one and done,” he said. “Caleb looks like a pro right now. He’s got a pretty simple skill set, but NBA guys eat it up, and every year we see a three-and-d guy go high in the draft.
“He’ll be like a [Arkansas guard] Moses Moody from this year, where he’s maybe not the most creative player off the dribble, but 6-7, money shooter, slashes on drives, has great defensive tools, he’s played with great players, he’s won a lot of games, the culture is there. To me, expect Caleb for one year.
“I don’t think he’ll be a top-five pick, but I think he’s got a chance to be a lottery pick — and clearly, if that’s the case in year one, he’s gone.”
As for Diabate, not so fast. Wasserman, and others we’ve spoken to, believe he will contribute at a high level right away in college but doesn’t look close to an NBA player yet.
“I’m not in love with his game,” Wasseman said, while adding he will be a “fun” and productive player for Michigan as a freshman.
Regardless, first step for both is to get on campus and start working with their new team.
****
Finally, some NFL Draft intel …
We spoke with two of the top NFL Draft experts in the industry this week — CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso and TheAthletic.com’s Dane Brugler — to get their thoughts on U-M’s prospects in the draft. After providing their initial thoughts on Michigan’s draftable players, we asked them a few more intriguing questions that many fans have wondered about, starting with whether or not cornerback Ambry Thomas hurt his draft stock by opting out of the 2020 season.
“I do [think it hurt him],” Trapasso admitted. “I’m not at all faulting any of these players who opted out, because I understand the times. We know the kind of athleticism and speed he has, so he could have built on what was a good 2019 season. We could have potentially been discussing him in the second or third round as a result. Had he played in 2020, he would be right in there with five or six corners who seem locked into the second day of the draft.”
“I don’t think it hurt him in the sense that he’ll go later than we thought,” Brugler added. “I thought he would’ve had a chance to climb into the top-75 or even top-60 range with senior year tape. I don’t think he’ll fall significantly based on what his film showed in 2019, but not playing in 2020 was a missed opportunity. Each player had their own reasons for opting out and I won’t judge everyone individually for their decisions. From an evaluation standpoint, it’d be nice to have that extra year though.”
Wideout Nico Collins opted out last season as well, after originally spurning the NFL for a year and choosing to return to Ann Arbor immediately following the 2019 campaign. Collins had a productive career as a Wolverine (1,388 yards and 13 touchdowns), but one of the lasting legacies surrounding his tenure has been how underused he was.
The Birmingham, Ala., native was effective whenever the ball was thrown his way, and only dropped five passes his entire career (according to Pro Football Focus).
“I thought he was definitely underused at Michigan,” Trapasso opined. “After 2019, it seemed like Donovan Peoples-Jones was the receiver who should have stayed for his senior year and Nico Collins was the one who was more ready for the NFL. It was a fairly run-heavy offense at Michigan, and Peoples-Jones was one of the most explosive players in combine history last year.
“I think Nico Collins could have been a clear-cut No. 1 option in U-M’s offense — he’s not a crazy separator, but everything else about his game (size, physicality and ability to get off presses at the line) is great. He plays to every inch of his frame in those contested catch situations, and that’s vital. That’s a summary to the way Collins plays to a lot of his strengths.”
Redshirt sophomore Jalen Mayfield played right tackle the entirety of his Michigan career, but may actually be coveted more on the interior by NFL teams. The Grand Rapids, Mich., native potentially moving to guard is a notion that’s gaining more and more traction around the league, with his versatility being one of the primary reasons he’s viewed as a fringe first-round pick.
“I think he could play both spots in the NFL,” Trapasso said. “It wouldn’t shock me if a team picks him who already has their starting tackles or guards, just to see how he would do. He could start at tackle and if things don’t go well initially, he could move to guard. Mayfield is the longest tackle in this draft class and is good as a run blocker, so that’s a good thing.
“In today’s NFL, there are so many quality interior pass rushers, so there’s no shame in being moved to guard. I think he has enough foot quickness and balance, and showed enough in pass protection at Michigan to remain at tackle if he wants to in the NFL.”
Mayfield is generally viewed as Michigan’s second-best prospect in the draft behind defensive end Kwity Paye, who’s unanimously projected to go in the first round. Several mock drafts in the fall and early portions of the winter had Paye as a top-10 pick, but that sentiment has since faded.
“He’s my No. 2 edge rusher this year behind Azeez Ojulari from Georgia,” Brugler revealed. “It wouldn’t be a surprise if Paye is the first pass rusher taken though, because it’s pretty close between those two. Paye will likely come off the board within the first 15 to 20 picks.”
Starting with football this week …
Michigan’s spring session ended with a scrimmage Saturday, one that’s been well-documented (those who missed it, we had separate reports here and here from folks in attendance). A number of others close to it have since weighed in, and here’s what else we’ve picked up:
First off, there’s a commitment to doing everything right, not just football. From being on time to making the bed, classwork, there’s been an emphasis on accountability and a competition that’s been ongoing throughout the spring with points allotted to those who do the right thing.
Your top three leaders — freshman center Greg Crippen, junior DE/OLB Aidan Hutchinson and freshman running back Blake Corum.
Only Crippen would surprise of this trio, and that’s because he’s a true freshman early enrollee. But these are the kinds of guys they’re looking for, and it’s probably not a coincidence that Crippen has made an early move to No. 2 on the depth chart (though to be fair, second-year frosh Reece Atteberry, who made a similar impression last year, was sick at times this spring, and second-year frosh right guard Zak Zinter might be the second-best option here behind sixth-year senior Andrew Vastardis).
But we’ve talked plenty about Hutchinson and Corum’s “want to” over the last few years, incredible desire and work ethic. Crippen seems to share it, too, and that gives him a shot.
We asked a few as close to the program as anyone for their takes on the spring game and the possibilities for next season. One said, ‘this team can win eight games … if it gets great quarterback play.’ Redshirt frosh Cade McNamara had some nice moments in the spring game and was ‘solid’ according to another source.
“Cade played okay” he said. “He made a couple of nice throws, but he also struggled with some passes.”
Frosh J.J. McCarthy is still learning the playbook, but this kid is the definition of “all in.” He met with some future Wolverines and talked about weekly Zoom calls, etc., to go over the playbook while indicating just how intricate it is. There are several little technicalities in every drop — “like five things to check off for each one” — and it’s not easy.
That said … he’s got “the look” about him, and he didn’t get much help in front of him during the spring game in terms of protection.
“He’s just got ‘it’” one recruit’s dad said. “Kids gravitate to him.”
He made some plays with his feet and had a touchdown pass dropped, but the best is yet to come here. He’s a great leader.
We still strongly believe Texas Tech transfer Alan Bowman will get his shot.
“If the quarterbacks don’t improve from what we saw Saturday, this is a. 500 team,” the source commenting on McNamara said.
The good news — there are three of them that all want to play and will work their butts off, and that should make them all better.
More football …
The running backs have been the most impressive group on offense this spring, and that continued in the Saturday contest.
“Blake Corum and [redshirt sophomore] Hassan Haskins looked really good running the ball. Donovan Edwards is going to be good,” our source said. “It didn’t show Saturday, but he hasn’t had a break since his high school season ended.”
The O-line had some guys play well, though they were split up so there was no consistency. Frosh guard Zak Zinter was mauling people.
“He’ll be a first-round pick in a few years,” yet another source said.
The tight ends “all looked good. [Sophomore tight end] Erick All - it was nice to see him catch about everything that went his way,” the source said.
They are doing their best to keep him happy, telling him he figures to be a big part of the offense this fall.
The receivers outside of sophomore wideout Cornelius Johnson and frosh Cristian Dixon didn’t do a lot, other than a nice grab or two by frosh Andrel Anthony.
On defense, expect a few more departures, probably one at cornerback and one at linebacker. One was on the rise while the other was third on the depth chart. Redshirt freshmen Jalen Perry and DJ Turner have continued to improve at corner, and they’ll need to. Redshirt sophomore Vince Gray struggled and redshirt sophomore Gemon Green is still somewhat inconsistent.
Turner was banged up, but fortunately it proved to not be serious.
The defense as a whole has a lot of work to do.
“They really struggled up front. Outside of [redshirt freshman OLB] Mike Morris’ play, the D-line wasn’t good,” our source said. “[Redshirt junior linebacker] Josh Ross played well at linebacker, and the rest of the guys really struggled.”
Sophomore safety Dax Hill “played like a freak,” and he, Morris and fifth-year senior safety Brad Hawkins would probably be the three spring standouts based on their play.
****
Finally, the final word on signee Xavier Worthy …
We were going to wait until today to tell you we thought Texas was eventually going to land him, but when a third source chimed in earlier this week, we had to run it in an ITF EXTRA. So instead, we’ll tell you what we’ve heard went down …
When it became clear Worthy was seriously interested in being an early enrollee, the recruiting department started planning for his arrival. There were a lot of kids who wanted to come early, however, and only so many spots.
Rest assured, Worthy had one of them. But then he started wavering, taking visits, taking pics in Alabama gear, etc., and it became a concern. They still thought they had enough spots as they filled up the early enrollee quota — but from what we’ve heard, someone made a mistake, and they really didn’t.
They did their best to make him happy, and Worthy was absolutely in town when E.J. Holland said he was (we confirmed with a number of sources) taking in Ann Arbor, getting to know the campus. Those close to it said he never felt “completely in,” however, and when Giles Jackson — the player who really worked on him to get him to Michigan — left, that was probably all she wrote.
We’ve said for a while now Texas feels very confident here, and while others will clamor for him, he’ll likely end up a Longhorn.
That’s all we’ve got to say about that.
****
To basketball now …
Again, we’re still working on the 2022s and starting to do the heavy lifting there — we’ll have more on that when we can (and soon) – but the big news, of course, was Eli Brooks’ return. He was the one they really wanted back.
But it has not stopped them from pursuing options in the portal. We told you about Rutgers’ Jacob Young, but Siena’s Jalen Pickett is on the table. He’s a big guard, can play three positions and averaged 12.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists last year while shooting 40.3 percent, 35 from long range.
Gonzaga and Baylor are thought to be the biggest competition here.
On the current team, as we’ve said ever since the questions started coming early on last season, freshman center Hunter Dickinson is expected to stay in school. He has a lot to work on before he’s a bona fide NBA talent, and he knows it. One close to him recently explained to us just how much they’re looking forward to a full offseason of strength coach Jon Sanderson and making more improvements on his game.
Bleacher Report NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Wasserman loves watching Dickinson in the college game and agrees that he needs to add some more tools before he’s ready for the next level.
“He’s on track to become national player of the year in college, if he sticks around,” Wasserman opined. “It’s tough for guys like him in today’s league. Everything is so different now, and the skills that he has are just not as valued as much, and the questions that he has are magnified — it’s going to be, can he protect the rim, can he switch? Those are going to be the biggest question marks NBA teams have, and nothing’s really changed from what we saw in high school to what we saw in the beginning of the season until the end.
“I haven’t really heard any scout talk about him as a legitimate pro prospect, but if he keeps dominating the way he has — [former Iowa center] Luka Garza wasn’t either, but all of the sudden he added a jump shot, now he’s at least being talked about as a potential second-round pick.
“So, he’s going to have to evolve, really. He’s going to have to change his game a little bit over the next year or two if he really wants a chance at the NBA. But in the meantime, he’s going to crush college basketball, and he’s going to be a first-team All-American, and all of those accolades are coming his way if he sticks. But he’s just a little too heavy-footed, and those inside guys, they gotta develop some type of touch outside if they really want to be valued by NBA teams.”
Down the line — whenever that is — Dickinson is going to have a great chance at being picked. He has the capability to knock down the three, and it’ll come in games with more reps and confidence. He’s also an underrated athlete and should be able to get even better while working with Sanderson.
So, we know Dickinson could potentially leave early after next year. And the question has come up, ‘What about signee Caleb Houstan? Moussa Diabate?’
There’s so much time between now and when those decisions will be made, but Wasserman believes Houstan has what it takes to be a one-and-done, if he so chooses.
“Caleb, to me, is one and done,” he said. “Caleb looks like a pro right now. He’s got a pretty simple skill set, but NBA guys eat it up, and every year we see a three-and-d guy go high in the draft.
“He’ll be like a [Arkansas guard] Moses Moody from this year, where he’s maybe not the most creative player off the dribble, but 6-7, money shooter, slashes on drives, has great defensive tools, he’s played with great players, he’s won a lot of games, the culture is there. To me, expect Caleb for one year.
“I don’t think he’ll be a top-five pick, but I think he’s got a chance to be a lottery pick — and clearly, if that’s the case in year one, he’s gone.”
As for Diabate, not so fast. Wasserman, and others we’ve spoken to, believe he will contribute at a high level right away in college but doesn’t look close to an NBA player yet.
“I’m not in love with his game,” Wasseman said, while adding he will be a “fun” and productive player for Michigan as a freshman.
Regardless, first step for both is to get on campus and start working with their new team.
****
Finally, some NFL Draft intel …
We spoke with two of the top NFL Draft experts in the industry this week — CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso and TheAthletic.com’s Dane Brugler — to get their thoughts on U-M’s prospects in the draft. After providing their initial thoughts on Michigan’s draftable players, we asked them a few more intriguing questions that many fans have wondered about, starting with whether or not cornerback Ambry Thomas hurt his draft stock by opting out of the 2020 season.
“I do [think it hurt him],” Trapasso admitted. “I’m not at all faulting any of these players who opted out, because I understand the times. We know the kind of athleticism and speed he has, so he could have built on what was a good 2019 season. We could have potentially been discussing him in the second or third round as a result. Had he played in 2020, he would be right in there with five or six corners who seem locked into the second day of the draft.”
“I don’t think it hurt him in the sense that he’ll go later than we thought,” Brugler added. “I thought he would’ve had a chance to climb into the top-75 or even top-60 range with senior year tape. I don’t think he’ll fall significantly based on what his film showed in 2019, but not playing in 2020 was a missed opportunity. Each player had their own reasons for opting out and I won’t judge everyone individually for their decisions. From an evaluation standpoint, it’d be nice to have that extra year though.”
Wideout Nico Collins opted out last season as well, after originally spurning the NFL for a year and choosing to return to Ann Arbor immediately following the 2019 campaign. Collins had a productive career as a Wolverine (1,388 yards and 13 touchdowns), but one of the lasting legacies surrounding his tenure has been how underused he was.
The Birmingham, Ala., native was effective whenever the ball was thrown his way, and only dropped five passes his entire career (according to Pro Football Focus).
“I thought he was definitely underused at Michigan,” Trapasso opined. “After 2019, it seemed like Donovan Peoples-Jones was the receiver who should have stayed for his senior year and Nico Collins was the one who was more ready for the NFL. It was a fairly run-heavy offense at Michigan, and Peoples-Jones was one of the most explosive players in combine history last year.
“I think Nico Collins could have been a clear-cut No. 1 option in U-M’s offense — he’s not a crazy separator, but everything else about his game (size, physicality and ability to get off presses at the line) is great. He plays to every inch of his frame in those contested catch situations, and that’s vital. That’s a summary to the way Collins plays to a lot of his strengths.”
Redshirt sophomore Jalen Mayfield played right tackle the entirety of his Michigan career, but may actually be coveted more on the interior by NFL teams. The Grand Rapids, Mich., native potentially moving to guard is a notion that’s gaining more and more traction around the league, with his versatility being one of the primary reasons he’s viewed as a fringe first-round pick.
“I think he could play both spots in the NFL,” Trapasso said. “It wouldn’t shock me if a team picks him who already has their starting tackles or guards, just to see how he would do. He could start at tackle and if things don’t go well initially, he could move to guard. Mayfield is the longest tackle in this draft class and is good as a run blocker, so that’s a good thing.
“In today’s NFL, there are so many quality interior pass rushers, so there’s no shame in being moved to guard. I think he has enough foot quickness and balance, and showed enough in pass protection at Michigan to remain at tackle if he wants to in the NFL.”
Mayfield is generally viewed as Michigan’s second-best prospect in the draft behind defensive end Kwity Paye, who’s unanimously projected to go in the first round. Several mock drafts in the fall and early portions of the winter had Paye as a top-10 pick, but that sentiment has since faded.
“He’s my No. 2 edge rusher this year behind Azeez Ojulari from Georgia,” Brugler revealed. “It wouldn’t be a surprise if Paye is the first pass rusher taken though, because it’s pretty close between those two. Paye will likely come off the board within the first 15 to 20 picks.”
