The latest edition of INSIDE THE FORT, including football recruiting, basketball and recruiting …
Starting with football recruiting …
When asked what they like most about Michigan, one of the first things that recruits have been saying lately is how close and how bonded the team appears to be. High schoolers are taking note of how much fun the Wolverines are having off the field, and they want to be a part of it.
The fact that Michigan’s trip to Rome got so much publicity was a major positive – what kid wouldn’t want to take part in the gladiator fights and sightseeing excursions the Michigan players and coaches experienced while in Rome? And more importantly, what other program can offer something like that?
The answer is simple – nobody.
The Wolverines are an extremely confident bunch under Harbaugh, and recruits have noticed that too. In fact, one big-time recruit recently said that his visits to Ohio State and Michigan couldn’t have been any more different in terms of the approach each program took.
The player said that Ohio State was absolutely obsessed with Michigan during his entire visit, constantly downgrading them and reaffirming how much better of a program they were. At Michigan, he said it was the complete opposite. There wasn’t any mention of Ohio State, and the player said there simply didn’t need to be – Michigan knows how great of a program it is, and doesn’t need to put others down to build itself up. The recruit basically insinuated that Ohio State’s approach was childish.
The mid-summer recruiting dead period is now over and contact is going to start picking up in a big way between 2018 prospects and college staffs. Unofficial visits and cemented official visit dates will start popping up more often and official, written offers can start going out on August 1. With that being said, here are a handful of names we think could realistically be part of Michigan’s commitment list before pen meets paper on National Signing Day.
Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco Prep four-star strongside defensive end Tyler Friday
Any time Michigan is chasing a prospect from New Jersey people tend to pay attention. Friday, the No. 4 strongside defensive end and No. 41 overall prospect nationally stays quiet but he’s very high on the Wolverines. The 6-3, 260-pounder put U-M in his top group along with North Carolina, Rutgers, Ohio State, Alabama, Miami, Penn State, Georgia, UCLA, Michigan State, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Nebraska and Boston College which indicates that he may not be all that close to a decision.
He’s a quiet kid, but his May visit to Michigan went very well according to commit Aidan Hutchinson and his father, former U-M All-American, Chris.
Indianapolis Lawrence Central four-star outside linebacker Cameron McGrone
Don’t let the fact that McGrone just picked up his Michigan offer at the end of June fool you — as we told you in the last ITF, he’s a U-M lean. The 6-1, 210-pounder is considered the No. 16 outside linebacker in America and put the Wolverines in his top group along with Indiana, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Wisconsin just a week after picking up a tender from the U-M staff.
He’s close with Michigan sophomore running back Chris Evans, another Indy product, and that could prove fruitful when McGrone gets ready to commit. He’ll be in town for the BBQ July 29 and might just be on commit watch when that weekend rolls around.
Missouri City (Texas) Ridge Point four-star tight end Mustapha Muhammad
The 6-5, 225-pound Muhammad is probably the closest thing to a lock to end up at Michigan in this group. The No. 18 tight end in the country has been quite open about his future plans, which include picking U-M closer to National Signing Day. He even told TheWolverine.com that he’s a bit annoyed at how many people know he plans to commit to Michigan.
Three-star athlete Brian Asamoah even told us that Muhammad has been recruiting him to Michigan harder than any of the commits. It’s always an interesting dynamic when a player isn’t publicly committed but seems to be just as high on the program as anyone who is a verbal pledge.
Concord (N.C.) High four-star defensive tackle Rick Sandidge
Sandidge insists he has a top 11 made up of Ohio State, South Carolina, N.C. State, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Michigan, Florida State, Florida, Georgia, LSU and Miami but a few schools appear to be closer to the top than the rest and U-M is one of them. The 6-5, 263-pounder loved Ann Arbor during a June visit and has been tweeting about the Wolverines ever since.
As the No. 4 defensive tackle and No. 48 overall prospect nationally, Sandidge would fill a position of need within the 2018 class. Michigan recruiting assistant Sam Popper made an extremely solid impression on Sandidge and, more specifically, Sandidge’s mother, Keshia. Ms. Sandidge took to Twitter after their June visit to Ann Arbor and said that Popper was now an honorary member of the Sandidge family.
Within a day or two, Michigan’s graphic artist, Aaron Bills, created a graphic depicting Sandidge family photos hanging on a wall and Popper was indeed part of the crew. It was a humorous spin on how the visit went but indicates that Michigan is doing very well in its pursuit of the big-time defensive lineman.
Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter’s Prep four-star outside linebacker Shayne Simon
It’s a Notre Dame vs. Michigan battle for the 6-2, 210-pound Simon, and both programs think they’re in the lead. As the No. 9 outside linebacker and No. 138 overall prospect in the country, Simon is a perfect fit for the VIPER position in Don Brown’s defense, and that appeals to the New Jersey native.
The staff at Michigan is quite confident that they’re in good shape for Simon. In fact, TheWolverine.com was speaking with someone close his recruitment and the conversation went like this:
TheWolverine: “How are things looking with Shayne Simon? I know the Notre Dame staff is really confident that they’re going to get him.”
Source: “That’s what they said about Christian Turner, too.”
ZING!
To basketball and hoops recruiting now …
The search for new assistants continues, and we continue to hear what we reported early in the search — Director of Ops Chris Hunter appears to be a very likely candidate to fill one of them. Hunter has impressed since he joined the staff, and many believe he’s a natural to coach the big men.
Head coach John Beilein wanted to figure out one position first (‘this guy will coach guards,’ or ‘this guy will coach bigs’), and it’s looking like Hunter could be the first domino to fall.
We reported last week that Preston Henry of Creighton (and Saginaw, Mich.) was interviewed and a candidate to replace Billy Donlon and Jeff Meyer. Several have since confirmed he was offered more money to remain with his current program, some insinuating the Wolverines couldn’t (or wouldn’t) match it.
Beilein still wants both coaches in by August, so he’ll be busy the next few weeks. We’ll have more on the progress in a few days.
On the recruiting front, U-M is in great shape for 2018 with big man Taylor Currie of Clarkston (Mich.) High having reclassified. Currie can play the five and he’s not opposed to redshirting, if it comes to that. The Wolverines will still have big men Austin Davis and Jon Teske at center in 2018, and the coaches are pleased with their development and think both will be solid contributors.
Davis, of course, has received most of the praise recently, but Teske is quietly improving. He’s putting in the time and has made significant gains both in the weight room and to his arsenal.
U-M is looking for a wing and a shooting guard yet in the 2018 class, and there are still great options. Two, four-stars Ignas Brazdeikis (Ontario, Canada) and Jerome Hunter of Pickerington (Ohio), remain priorities, and there was hope that Hunter might drop on last week’s official.
It didn’t happen, of course, and he still has visits in the works. Indiana is making a push, as is Ohio State. Xavier has always been right there. He is done talking to people, however, so it’s hard to get a gauge on where things stand from his point of view.
Our opinion … U-M is not optimistic here. Now, it could come back around, but Hunter is aware of the dwindling spots and remains in no hurry.
Brazdeikis, too, has gone a bit quiet. He is still planning on taking some visits, but at this point Michigan, Florida, Vanderbilt and UConn appear to be in the best shape. As we’ve often said, keep an eye on Oregon … the Ducks have done very well with players from his AAU program.
We like the Wolverines’ chances with North Carolina three-star Hunter Tyson, who continues to emerge as one to watch in his class. Tyson is earning his stripes as one of the more underrated recruits in this class, and he plays with an edge, something the Michigan coaches have liked about him for some time.
Tyson has talked about a September pledge, but it could come earlier. He has the look as one of those ‘steals’ Beilein tends to grab, only 16 years old with his best days ahead of him.
On this year’s team … they really like the freshman class. All three players could see time, and there’s no fear in any of them. Jordan Poole’s shot is as good as advertised, and Beilein believes Eli Brooks is everything he’s looking for in a point guard. There’s going to be great competition there.
Watch for summer football ITF in the near future …
Starting with football recruiting …
When asked what they like most about Michigan, one of the first things that recruits have been saying lately is how close and how bonded the team appears to be. High schoolers are taking note of how much fun the Wolverines are having off the field, and they want to be a part of it.
The fact that Michigan’s trip to Rome got so much publicity was a major positive – what kid wouldn’t want to take part in the gladiator fights and sightseeing excursions the Michigan players and coaches experienced while in Rome? And more importantly, what other program can offer something like that?
The answer is simple – nobody.
The Wolverines are an extremely confident bunch under Harbaugh, and recruits have noticed that too. In fact, one big-time recruit recently said that his visits to Ohio State and Michigan couldn’t have been any more different in terms of the approach each program took.
The player said that Ohio State was absolutely obsessed with Michigan during his entire visit, constantly downgrading them and reaffirming how much better of a program they were. At Michigan, he said it was the complete opposite. There wasn’t any mention of Ohio State, and the player said there simply didn’t need to be – Michigan knows how great of a program it is, and doesn’t need to put others down to build itself up. The recruit basically insinuated that Ohio State’s approach was childish.
The mid-summer recruiting dead period is now over and contact is going to start picking up in a big way between 2018 prospects and college staffs. Unofficial visits and cemented official visit dates will start popping up more often and official, written offers can start going out on August 1. With that being said, here are a handful of names we think could realistically be part of Michigan’s commitment list before pen meets paper on National Signing Day.
Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco Prep four-star strongside defensive end Tyler Friday
Any time Michigan is chasing a prospect from New Jersey people tend to pay attention. Friday, the No. 4 strongside defensive end and No. 41 overall prospect nationally stays quiet but he’s very high on the Wolverines. The 6-3, 260-pounder put U-M in his top group along with North Carolina, Rutgers, Ohio State, Alabama, Miami, Penn State, Georgia, UCLA, Michigan State, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Nebraska and Boston College which indicates that he may not be all that close to a decision.
He’s a quiet kid, but his May visit to Michigan went very well according to commit Aidan Hutchinson and his father, former U-M All-American, Chris.
Indianapolis Lawrence Central four-star outside linebacker Cameron McGrone
Don’t let the fact that McGrone just picked up his Michigan offer at the end of June fool you — as we told you in the last ITF, he’s a U-M lean. The 6-1, 210-pounder is considered the No. 16 outside linebacker in America and put the Wolverines in his top group along with Indiana, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Wisconsin just a week after picking up a tender from the U-M staff.
He’s close with Michigan sophomore running back Chris Evans, another Indy product, and that could prove fruitful when McGrone gets ready to commit. He’ll be in town for the BBQ July 29 and might just be on commit watch when that weekend rolls around.
Missouri City (Texas) Ridge Point four-star tight end Mustapha Muhammad
The 6-5, 225-pound Muhammad is probably the closest thing to a lock to end up at Michigan in this group. The No. 18 tight end in the country has been quite open about his future plans, which include picking U-M closer to National Signing Day. He even told TheWolverine.com that he’s a bit annoyed at how many people know he plans to commit to Michigan.
Three-star athlete Brian Asamoah even told us that Muhammad has been recruiting him to Michigan harder than any of the commits. It’s always an interesting dynamic when a player isn’t publicly committed but seems to be just as high on the program as anyone who is a verbal pledge.
Concord (N.C.) High four-star defensive tackle Rick Sandidge
Sandidge insists he has a top 11 made up of Ohio State, South Carolina, N.C. State, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Michigan, Florida State, Florida, Georgia, LSU and Miami but a few schools appear to be closer to the top than the rest and U-M is one of them. The 6-5, 263-pounder loved Ann Arbor during a June visit and has been tweeting about the Wolverines ever since.
As the No. 4 defensive tackle and No. 48 overall prospect nationally, Sandidge would fill a position of need within the 2018 class. Michigan recruiting assistant Sam Popper made an extremely solid impression on Sandidge and, more specifically, Sandidge’s mother, Keshia. Ms. Sandidge took to Twitter after their June visit to Ann Arbor and said that Popper was now an honorary member of the Sandidge family.
Within a day or two, Michigan’s graphic artist, Aaron Bills, created a graphic depicting Sandidge family photos hanging on a wall and Popper was indeed part of the crew. It was a humorous spin on how the visit went but indicates that Michigan is doing very well in its pursuit of the big-time defensive lineman.
Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter’s Prep four-star outside linebacker Shayne Simon
It’s a Notre Dame vs. Michigan battle for the 6-2, 210-pound Simon, and both programs think they’re in the lead. As the No. 9 outside linebacker and No. 138 overall prospect in the country, Simon is a perfect fit for the VIPER position in Don Brown’s defense, and that appeals to the New Jersey native.
The staff at Michigan is quite confident that they’re in good shape for Simon. In fact, TheWolverine.com was speaking with someone close his recruitment and the conversation went like this:
TheWolverine: “How are things looking with Shayne Simon? I know the Notre Dame staff is really confident that they’re going to get him.”
Source: “That’s what they said about Christian Turner, too.”
ZING!
To basketball and hoops recruiting now …
The search for new assistants continues, and we continue to hear what we reported early in the search — Director of Ops Chris Hunter appears to be a very likely candidate to fill one of them. Hunter has impressed since he joined the staff, and many believe he’s a natural to coach the big men.
Head coach John Beilein wanted to figure out one position first (‘this guy will coach guards,’ or ‘this guy will coach bigs’), and it’s looking like Hunter could be the first domino to fall.
We reported last week that Preston Henry of Creighton (and Saginaw, Mich.) was interviewed and a candidate to replace Billy Donlon and Jeff Meyer. Several have since confirmed he was offered more money to remain with his current program, some insinuating the Wolverines couldn’t (or wouldn’t) match it.
Beilein still wants both coaches in by August, so he’ll be busy the next few weeks. We’ll have more on the progress in a few days.
On the recruiting front, U-M is in great shape for 2018 with big man Taylor Currie of Clarkston (Mich.) High having reclassified. Currie can play the five and he’s not opposed to redshirting, if it comes to that. The Wolverines will still have big men Austin Davis and Jon Teske at center in 2018, and the coaches are pleased with their development and think both will be solid contributors.
Davis, of course, has received most of the praise recently, but Teske is quietly improving. He’s putting in the time and has made significant gains both in the weight room and to his arsenal.
U-M is looking for a wing and a shooting guard yet in the 2018 class, and there are still great options. Two, four-stars Ignas Brazdeikis (Ontario, Canada) and Jerome Hunter of Pickerington (Ohio), remain priorities, and there was hope that Hunter might drop on last week’s official.
It didn’t happen, of course, and he still has visits in the works. Indiana is making a push, as is Ohio State. Xavier has always been right there. He is done talking to people, however, so it’s hard to get a gauge on where things stand from his point of view.
Our opinion … U-M is not optimistic here. Now, it could come back around, but Hunter is aware of the dwindling spots and remains in no hurry.
Brazdeikis, too, has gone a bit quiet. He is still planning on taking some visits, but at this point Michigan, Florida, Vanderbilt and UConn appear to be in the best shape. As we’ve often said, keep an eye on Oregon … the Ducks have done very well with players from his AAU program.
We like the Wolverines’ chances with North Carolina three-star Hunter Tyson, who continues to emerge as one to watch in his class. Tyson is earning his stripes as one of the more underrated recruits in this class, and he plays with an edge, something the Michigan coaches have liked about him for some time.
Tyson has talked about a September pledge, but it could come earlier. He has the look as one of those ‘steals’ Beilein tends to grab, only 16 years old with his best days ahead of him.
On this year’s team … they really like the freshman class. All three players could see time, and there’s no fear in any of them. Jordan Poole’s shot is as good as advertised, and Beilein believes Eli Brooks is everything he’s looking for in a point guard. There’s going to be great competition there.
Watch for summer football ITF in the near future …
