The latest edition of INSIDE THE FORT, including plenty of football and basketball recruiting to help fill the summer slate …
Starting with Football Recruiting …
Reno (Nev.) Damonte Ranch four-star pro-style quarterback and Michigan commit Cade McNamara is considered the No. 10 pro-style quarterback in the country, but a powerhouse program had him at No. 1 on their recruiting board. A source who used to work for the Alabama football program didn’t pull any punches when it came to discussing just how much Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide wanted the 6-1, 202-pounder.
Our source indicated that McNamara has everything that it takes to be a championship quarterback, and that’s why Alabama wanted him so badly. They see him as having very few weaknesses and the kind of work ethic and learning ability to command a team and stack wins at the highest level.
McNamara was obviously committed to Notre Dame before he flipped to Michigan and, even though people who cover the program in South Bend tried to spin things in such a way to lessen the blow, it’s clear to everyone that the Irish wanted McNamara badly.
On the line, Cincinnati St. Xavier four-star Paris Johnson is one of the best looking offensive tackle prospects in the country at 6-7, 260 pounds. He’s considered the No. 1 player in Ohio, No. 2 offensive tackle and No. 14 overall player nationally in the 2020 class. He’s ranked extremely high and has an offer list that reflects that.
He’s as coveted as they come, and he has been on quite a tour this spring and summer. He’s reportedly checking out Stanford later today and has already been to UCLA, USC, Ohio State, Clemson, Georgia, Florida State, Auburn, Alabama, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Penn State and Michigan over the last couple of months. Everyone wants him and has an angle they’re trying to work, including Michigan.
Johnson used to be teammates with Cincinnati Moeller three-star guard and Michigan pledge Zach Carpenter, and the two remain very close. They used to play on the same offensive line at Milford before they transferred to their respective Ohio powerhouses.
Recently, we published a story about Carpenter’s commitment and it caught Johnson’s attention. He asked if he could read Zach’s story because he wanted to see what he had to say about Michigan. The two have talked about Michigan in the past, and Johnson is definitely going to give the Wolverines a serious look as he moves through the recruiting process.
Ohio State is probably the team to beat for Johnson, but Michigan is definitely the team to beat for another four-star rising junior. Aurora (Ill.) West Aurora defensive tackle Denver Warren took a visit to Michigan last week and was absolutely blown away. He left Ann Arbor calling Michigan is leader and may be very, very close to a decision. The 6-3, 300-pounder didn’t mince words when talking about the Wolverines.
“I might be going there,” he said with a laugh. “I need to think a little bit more, but this is where I belong.”
The No. 15 defensive tackle and No. 213 overall player nationally may even be getting ready to pull the trigger soon. There’s definitely some momentum building there, and other Michigan commits seem to think it’s only a matter of time before Warren is a Wolverine.
The Michigan coaches offered several prospects after Monday’s Big Man and All-Positions Camp, and Belleville (Mich.) High outside linebacker Tyrece Woods was one of them. The 6-2, 240-pounder has been waiting for an offer from Michigan and may also be close to pulling the trigger. He’s saying that he wants to wait until the fall, but those close to the situation think it may happen at the BBQ on July 28.
Woods is listed as an outside linebacker, but he’s been told that he would be used all over the defense if he were to commit to Michigan. Don Brown and Greg Mattison see Woods as a defensive end and inside linebacker and even a three-technique interior defensive lineman at some point. Woods likes the idea of being used in a multitude of ways and has Michigan at the top right now.
The Michigan staff is hosting a large group of talented visitors this weekend, and two of the more coveted are Kansas City Rockhurst four-star offensive tackle Danielson Ike and Crystal Lake (Ill.) Crystal Lake South four-star offensive tackle Trevor Keegan. The two were on campus early today and began receiving the star treatment from the jump.
The two recruits spent considerable time with current Wolverines linemen Cesar Ruiz and Andrew Stueber along with graduate assistant Patrick Kugler and of course, offensive line coach Ed Warinner. It’s clear that both Ike and Keegan are being treated as top priorities.
Ike is considered the No. 30 offensive tackle in the country at 6-6, 315 pounds and Keegan checks in as the No. 21 offensive tackle and No. 192 overall prospect nationally at 6-6, 310 pounds.
Cedar Hill (Texas) Trinity Christian four-star safety Lewis Cine is another very coveted prospect on campus this weekend. Cine has enjoyed the visit so far and got to see the academic side of things at Michigan in detail. He spent a large amount of time inside the Stephen M. Ross Academic Center in order to see where he’d spend his time as a student athlete at Michigan.
The 6-1, 180-pounder is the No. 7 safety and No. 91 overall prospect nationally making him extremely coveted, and the Michigan staff is definitely making sure that he knows it.
Frankfort (Ky.) Western Hills four-star athlete Wandale Robinson picked up a Michigan offer earlier this spring, but didn’t seem like an immediate take at the time. That has changed and Robinson is now coveted by the staff because of his versatile skill set on the offensive side of the ball.
The 5-9, 175-pounder is very well put together and possesses sub-4.4 speed. He’s being recruited as an offensive weapon and has been told that he’ll be used out of the backfield, from the slot and in the return game should he pick the Wolverines.
The No. 22 athlete in the country is in Ann Arbor with both parents, which obviously includes his father, Dale, who played for Jack Harbaugh at Western Kentucky in the early 90s. The Robinson trio has been getting a lot of attention from the staff, including from graduate assistant and former Wolverine wide receiver Roy Roundtree.
Norcross (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian strongside defensive end and Michigan commit Christopher Hinton is not the only five star on campus this weekend. The 6-5, 265-pounder is actively recruiting Lewis Center (Ohio) Olentangy Orange five-star strongside defensive end Zach Harrison, and the two have been spending a lot of time together. Hinton is also working on recruiting good friend and fellow Georgian DJ Turner II. The three-star cornerback will make his decision on Monday, and many expect him to choose Michigan. Hinton, Harrison and Turner have been hanging around Ann Arbor together and seem to be getting along very well.
The group is also getting a lot of attention from defensive line coach Greg Mattison and cornerbacks coach Mike Zordich for obvious reasons. While the veteran coaches are certainly earning their pay during the visit weekend, linebackers coach Al Washington is killing it with Harrison. The two have been virtually inseparable since Harrison arrived on campus on Thursday and are bonding better than ever.
If Michigan can steal the No. 1 strongside defensive end and No. 17 overall prospect nationally out of the state of Ohio, a huge amount of the credit should go to Washington.
Finally, one of the lesser-known prospects in town this weekend for an official visit is Stuart (Fla.) Martin County three-star athlete George Johnson. The 5-11, 175-pounder plays a multitude of positions in high school, including quarterback, but he’s being recruited like Wandale Robinson is — as weapon who can do a lot on offense and in the return game.
Johnson is on campus with both parents and the group has spent some quality time with Florida native Devin Bush Sr. The former high school coach has also enlisted his son, Devin Bush Jr., to spend time with Johnson and his parents. Florida natives convincing other Florida natives that Ann Arbor is the spot to be is a smart approach and could pay off if Johnson can resist the urge to play at Florida State.
Finally, on special teams recruiting, California prospect Ryan Sanborn picked up a preferred walk-on offer at the U-M camp June 10, and though he’ll likely get more offers, some close to it strongly believe he’ll accept it.
Sanborn, Kornblue Kicking’s No. 4 kicker in his class, visited in 2011 and was hooked on Michigan football. He’s a great student and interested in the Ivy League and others, but the big legged kicker (many 50-plus yard field goals and routine touchbacks) is highly likely to be wearing maize and blue in the future.
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A bit of football news …
Former Illinois redshirt junior quarterback Jeff George Jr.’s recent transfer to Michigan caught many fans by surprise, but has started to make more sense now that some of the details have been uncovered.
We recently wrote that George likely understands he’s not going to see meaningful snaps during his time at Michigan, and that his main intentions in coming here were to focus on academics and be a valuable member of the scout team.
Someone close to the Illinois program recently confirmed that sentiment.
“[George is never going to play there], barring mass injuries,” the insider said. “He’s going to be a backup and a scout team quarterback during his time there. Unless he’s a totally different guy than the one we saw at Illinois, I don’t see him ever making much of an impact. Michigan just has too much talent at quarterback with the guys they’ve recruited, along with the transfer coming in [junior Shea Patterson].”
The Illini insider did admit that George improved during his time in Champaign, though, but still wasn’t anywhere near Big Ten caliber.
“His decision making was never great, but it did get better during his time at Illinois,” he said. “He wasn’t a turnover waiting to happen anymore [in 2017] like he had been before. It still wasn’t good enough to be a starter in the Big Ten though — he wasn’t really a play maker and his decision making was always iffy.”
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Finishing with Basketball Recruiting now …
Elite basketball recruits who are truly “recruitable” have become more and more rare nowadays, but Michigan head coach John Beilein appears to have hit the jackpot with Denton (Tex.) Guyer four-star small forward Jalen Wilson.
It’s been well-documented how Beilein won’t go after a recruit who won’t be a good fit at Michigan, but Vonzell Thomas — Wilson’s AAU coach — explained that the youngster checks all the boxes that Beilein is looking for.
“Jalen is just amazing off the court,” Thomas said. “He’s outstanding and is a high character kid. He also speaks very well and is comfortable in front of the cameras.
“He’s bright too, and is someone you never have to worry about — you don’t have to tell him what not to do and where not to be, because he never puts himself in bad situations.”
Wilson’s May 30 commitment to Michigan may have come as a bit of a surprise to some fans, but Thomas explained what led him to ultimately choose U-M.
“He just had that gut feeling while he had been paying attention to them before the commitment,” Thomas said. “He felt like he could fit in there when he looked at their roster situation, and thought it was a perfect fit for him.
“His relationship with Coach Yak[lich] was a big part of it too, and so was his growing relationship with Coach Beilein. Coach Yak is a very good guy — I’ve actually known him for a while, since his days at Illinois State.
“I didn’t have many interactions with the U-M coaches throughout Jalen’s process, but I really didn’t need to. Coach Yak recruited some of my former players, so I already knew his character and what kind of guy he was. We didn’t have as many communications this time around because the trust was already there.”
The question now becomes who is going to join him in Ann Arbor in the 2019 class? D.J. Carton, a four-star Iowan (now Rivals.com’s No. 30 prospect nationally), has U-M at the top of his list with Ohio State and others, but he isn’t in any rush. He’ll take this one to September or October, though there’s hope (of course) that maybe he’s so blown away on a June 28 visit that he decides to end it and pledge to U-M.
Iowa sources say Carton’s girlfriend is Iowa bound, and that could give him something to think about when it comes to potentially staying closer to home (Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo once supposedly had a theory about that, which would work in the Hawkeyes’ favor).
However, we still believe Ohio State is the main competition here, and the Buckeyes have been recruiting well.
Four-star shooting guard Joe Girard of Glens Falls, N.Y. (6-1, Rivals.com’s No. 79 rising senior nationally) released a final six of Duke, Michigan, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Boston College and Penn State last week, though most believe this is a Michigan – Duke – Syracuse battle.
One great source tells us Girard’s dad, who played for head coach John Beilein at LeMoyne, prefers U-M, mom likes Syracuse and Girard himself is enamored with Duke.
We’ll see how this one plays out, but it’s certainly not going to be an easy decision.
The coaches continue to host others, too, in case they miss on both of these targets. Saxtons River (VT) Vermont Academy’s Tyler Bertram visited recently, and though the 6-4, 170-pounder is not highly rated, the three-star is picking up offers. Kansas State, Stanford, Syracuse, UConn, Vanderbilt, Villanova and Washington are among those who have watched him, though his only offers are mid-major plus at this point.
One of our scouts believes Bertram is just that — a mid-major plus player — and said he would be surprised if the Wolverines offered. As of now he seems to be a backup plan, though that could change if he plays really well this summer.
Starting with Football Recruiting …
Reno (Nev.) Damonte Ranch four-star pro-style quarterback and Michigan commit Cade McNamara is considered the No. 10 pro-style quarterback in the country, but a powerhouse program had him at No. 1 on their recruiting board. A source who used to work for the Alabama football program didn’t pull any punches when it came to discussing just how much Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide wanted the 6-1, 202-pounder.
Our source indicated that McNamara has everything that it takes to be a championship quarterback, and that’s why Alabama wanted him so badly. They see him as having very few weaknesses and the kind of work ethic and learning ability to command a team and stack wins at the highest level.
McNamara was obviously committed to Notre Dame before he flipped to Michigan and, even though people who cover the program in South Bend tried to spin things in such a way to lessen the blow, it’s clear to everyone that the Irish wanted McNamara badly.
On the line, Cincinnati St. Xavier four-star Paris Johnson is one of the best looking offensive tackle prospects in the country at 6-7, 260 pounds. He’s considered the No. 1 player in Ohio, No. 2 offensive tackle and No. 14 overall player nationally in the 2020 class. He’s ranked extremely high and has an offer list that reflects that.
He’s as coveted as they come, and he has been on quite a tour this spring and summer. He’s reportedly checking out Stanford later today and has already been to UCLA, USC, Ohio State, Clemson, Georgia, Florida State, Auburn, Alabama, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Penn State and Michigan over the last couple of months. Everyone wants him and has an angle they’re trying to work, including Michigan.
Johnson used to be teammates with Cincinnati Moeller three-star guard and Michigan pledge Zach Carpenter, and the two remain very close. They used to play on the same offensive line at Milford before they transferred to their respective Ohio powerhouses.
Recently, we published a story about Carpenter’s commitment and it caught Johnson’s attention. He asked if he could read Zach’s story because he wanted to see what he had to say about Michigan. The two have talked about Michigan in the past, and Johnson is definitely going to give the Wolverines a serious look as he moves through the recruiting process.
Ohio State is probably the team to beat for Johnson, but Michigan is definitely the team to beat for another four-star rising junior. Aurora (Ill.) West Aurora defensive tackle Denver Warren took a visit to Michigan last week and was absolutely blown away. He left Ann Arbor calling Michigan is leader and may be very, very close to a decision. The 6-3, 300-pounder didn’t mince words when talking about the Wolverines.
“I might be going there,” he said with a laugh. “I need to think a little bit more, but this is where I belong.”
The No. 15 defensive tackle and No. 213 overall player nationally may even be getting ready to pull the trigger soon. There’s definitely some momentum building there, and other Michigan commits seem to think it’s only a matter of time before Warren is a Wolverine.
The Michigan coaches offered several prospects after Monday’s Big Man and All-Positions Camp, and Belleville (Mich.) High outside linebacker Tyrece Woods was one of them. The 6-2, 240-pounder has been waiting for an offer from Michigan and may also be close to pulling the trigger. He’s saying that he wants to wait until the fall, but those close to the situation think it may happen at the BBQ on July 28.
Woods is listed as an outside linebacker, but he’s been told that he would be used all over the defense if he were to commit to Michigan. Don Brown and Greg Mattison see Woods as a defensive end and inside linebacker and even a three-technique interior defensive lineman at some point. Woods likes the idea of being used in a multitude of ways and has Michigan at the top right now.
The Michigan staff is hosting a large group of talented visitors this weekend, and two of the more coveted are Kansas City Rockhurst four-star offensive tackle Danielson Ike and Crystal Lake (Ill.) Crystal Lake South four-star offensive tackle Trevor Keegan. The two were on campus early today and began receiving the star treatment from the jump.
The two recruits spent considerable time with current Wolverines linemen Cesar Ruiz and Andrew Stueber along with graduate assistant Patrick Kugler and of course, offensive line coach Ed Warinner. It’s clear that both Ike and Keegan are being treated as top priorities.
Ike is considered the No. 30 offensive tackle in the country at 6-6, 315 pounds and Keegan checks in as the No. 21 offensive tackle and No. 192 overall prospect nationally at 6-6, 310 pounds.
Cedar Hill (Texas) Trinity Christian four-star safety Lewis Cine is another very coveted prospect on campus this weekend. Cine has enjoyed the visit so far and got to see the academic side of things at Michigan in detail. He spent a large amount of time inside the Stephen M. Ross Academic Center in order to see where he’d spend his time as a student athlete at Michigan.
The 6-1, 180-pounder is the No. 7 safety and No. 91 overall prospect nationally making him extremely coveted, and the Michigan staff is definitely making sure that he knows it.
Frankfort (Ky.) Western Hills four-star athlete Wandale Robinson picked up a Michigan offer earlier this spring, but didn’t seem like an immediate take at the time. That has changed and Robinson is now coveted by the staff because of his versatile skill set on the offensive side of the ball.
The 5-9, 175-pounder is very well put together and possesses sub-4.4 speed. He’s being recruited as an offensive weapon and has been told that he’ll be used out of the backfield, from the slot and in the return game should he pick the Wolverines.
The No. 22 athlete in the country is in Ann Arbor with both parents, which obviously includes his father, Dale, who played for Jack Harbaugh at Western Kentucky in the early 90s. The Robinson trio has been getting a lot of attention from the staff, including from graduate assistant and former Wolverine wide receiver Roy Roundtree.
Norcross (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian strongside defensive end and Michigan commit Christopher Hinton is not the only five star on campus this weekend. The 6-5, 265-pounder is actively recruiting Lewis Center (Ohio) Olentangy Orange five-star strongside defensive end Zach Harrison, and the two have been spending a lot of time together. Hinton is also working on recruiting good friend and fellow Georgian DJ Turner II. The three-star cornerback will make his decision on Monday, and many expect him to choose Michigan. Hinton, Harrison and Turner have been hanging around Ann Arbor together and seem to be getting along very well.
The group is also getting a lot of attention from defensive line coach Greg Mattison and cornerbacks coach Mike Zordich for obvious reasons. While the veteran coaches are certainly earning their pay during the visit weekend, linebackers coach Al Washington is killing it with Harrison. The two have been virtually inseparable since Harrison arrived on campus on Thursday and are bonding better than ever.
If Michigan can steal the No. 1 strongside defensive end and No. 17 overall prospect nationally out of the state of Ohio, a huge amount of the credit should go to Washington.
Finally, one of the lesser-known prospects in town this weekend for an official visit is Stuart (Fla.) Martin County three-star athlete George Johnson. The 5-11, 175-pounder plays a multitude of positions in high school, including quarterback, but he’s being recruited like Wandale Robinson is — as weapon who can do a lot on offense and in the return game.
Johnson is on campus with both parents and the group has spent some quality time with Florida native Devin Bush Sr. The former high school coach has also enlisted his son, Devin Bush Jr., to spend time with Johnson and his parents. Florida natives convincing other Florida natives that Ann Arbor is the spot to be is a smart approach and could pay off if Johnson can resist the urge to play at Florida State.
Finally, on special teams recruiting, California prospect Ryan Sanborn picked up a preferred walk-on offer at the U-M camp June 10, and though he’ll likely get more offers, some close to it strongly believe he’ll accept it.
Sanborn, Kornblue Kicking’s No. 4 kicker in his class, visited in 2011 and was hooked on Michigan football. He’s a great student and interested in the Ivy League and others, but the big legged kicker (many 50-plus yard field goals and routine touchbacks) is highly likely to be wearing maize and blue in the future.
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A bit of football news …
Former Illinois redshirt junior quarterback Jeff George Jr.’s recent transfer to Michigan caught many fans by surprise, but has started to make more sense now that some of the details have been uncovered.
We recently wrote that George likely understands he’s not going to see meaningful snaps during his time at Michigan, and that his main intentions in coming here were to focus on academics and be a valuable member of the scout team.
Someone close to the Illinois program recently confirmed that sentiment.
“[George is never going to play there], barring mass injuries,” the insider said. “He’s going to be a backup and a scout team quarterback during his time there. Unless he’s a totally different guy than the one we saw at Illinois, I don’t see him ever making much of an impact. Michigan just has too much talent at quarterback with the guys they’ve recruited, along with the transfer coming in [junior Shea Patterson].”
The Illini insider did admit that George improved during his time in Champaign, though, but still wasn’t anywhere near Big Ten caliber.
“His decision making was never great, but it did get better during his time at Illinois,” he said. “He wasn’t a turnover waiting to happen anymore [in 2017] like he had been before. It still wasn’t good enough to be a starter in the Big Ten though — he wasn’t really a play maker and his decision making was always iffy.”
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Finishing with Basketball Recruiting now …
Elite basketball recruits who are truly “recruitable” have become more and more rare nowadays, but Michigan head coach John Beilein appears to have hit the jackpot with Denton (Tex.) Guyer four-star small forward Jalen Wilson.
It’s been well-documented how Beilein won’t go after a recruit who won’t be a good fit at Michigan, but Vonzell Thomas — Wilson’s AAU coach — explained that the youngster checks all the boxes that Beilein is looking for.
“Jalen is just amazing off the court,” Thomas said. “He’s outstanding and is a high character kid. He also speaks very well and is comfortable in front of the cameras.
“He’s bright too, and is someone you never have to worry about — you don’t have to tell him what not to do and where not to be, because he never puts himself in bad situations.”
Wilson’s May 30 commitment to Michigan may have come as a bit of a surprise to some fans, but Thomas explained what led him to ultimately choose U-M.
“He just had that gut feeling while he had been paying attention to them before the commitment,” Thomas said. “He felt like he could fit in there when he looked at their roster situation, and thought it was a perfect fit for him.
“His relationship with Coach Yak[lich] was a big part of it too, and so was his growing relationship with Coach Beilein. Coach Yak is a very good guy — I’ve actually known him for a while, since his days at Illinois State.
“I didn’t have many interactions with the U-M coaches throughout Jalen’s process, but I really didn’t need to. Coach Yak recruited some of my former players, so I already knew his character and what kind of guy he was. We didn’t have as many communications this time around because the trust was already there.”
The question now becomes who is going to join him in Ann Arbor in the 2019 class? D.J. Carton, a four-star Iowan (now Rivals.com’s No. 30 prospect nationally), has U-M at the top of his list with Ohio State and others, but he isn’t in any rush. He’ll take this one to September or October, though there’s hope (of course) that maybe he’s so blown away on a June 28 visit that he decides to end it and pledge to U-M.
Iowa sources say Carton’s girlfriend is Iowa bound, and that could give him something to think about when it comes to potentially staying closer to home (Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo once supposedly had a theory about that, which would work in the Hawkeyes’ favor).
However, we still believe Ohio State is the main competition here, and the Buckeyes have been recruiting well.
Four-star shooting guard Joe Girard of Glens Falls, N.Y. (6-1, Rivals.com’s No. 79 rising senior nationally) released a final six of Duke, Michigan, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Boston College and Penn State last week, though most believe this is a Michigan – Duke – Syracuse battle.
One great source tells us Girard’s dad, who played for head coach John Beilein at LeMoyne, prefers U-M, mom likes Syracuse and Girard himself is enamored with Duke.
We’ll see how this one plays out, but it’s certainly not going to be an easy decision.
The coaches continue to host others, too, in case they miss on both of these targets. Saxtons River (VT) Vermont Academy’s Tyler Bertram visited recently, and though the 6-4, 170-pounder is not highly rated, the three-star is picking up offers. Kansas State, Stanford, Syracuse, UConn, Vanderbilt, Villanova and Washington are among those who have watched him, though his only offers are mid-major plus at this point.
One of our scouts believes Bertram is just that — a mid-major plus player — and said he would be surprised if the Wolverines offered. As of now he seems to be a backup plan, though that could change if he plays really well this summer.
