The latest edition of INSIDE THE FORT, including plenty of behind the scenes football, basketball and recruiting scuttlebutt.
Starting this segment with football recruiting …
The Michigan staff is looking really hard for a second quarterback in the 2019 class and U-M passing game coordinator Pep Hamilton recently dropped in on a couple that could be in line for an offer.
Greenville (S.C.) High three-star pro-style quarterback Davis Beville holds offers from schools like Cincinnati, Colorado State, Northwestern, Pittsburgh and Western Kentucky along with a few smaller schools and Ivy League programs. The 6-6, 205-pounder looks good on tape and moves really well for a pro-style kid of his size.
Hamilton also checked in on Calera (Ala.) High three-star pro-style quarterback Cornelious Brown IV. The 6-5, 180-pounder had been in communication with one of U-M's offensive analysts but Hamilton was at his school watching him throw on Wednesday. Someone very close to Brown’s recruitment gave his thoughts on how things went.
“Pep came out yesterday and watched him and loved him,” our source said. “If he gets offered Michigan would go straight to the top of the list. It would be an LSU, Duke, Michigan race. If I had to guess, he’d end up in Ann Arbor.”
Obviously Michigan’s involvement with Brown is new, but it seems to be a great fit for everyone.
“Its a good fit all around,” our source said. “He wants to commit this summer too so he can focus on his senior season. Once he commits to something its over. He's just that kind of kid. He’s a different cat. He is the most articulate, intelligent, mentally grounded, pure leader I have ever met at his age. He has the things that can't be coached.”
On the surface it seems like a good situation for Brown but an offer from Michigan would definitely open up a new tier for the 6-5, 180-pounder. Brown's offer list currently consists of Bowling Green, Eastern Kentucky, Troy and UAB but schools like Auburn, Duke, LSU and Mississippi State also know about him. If Michigan offered, obviously they’d be the biggest by a large margin. It’ll be interesting to see how things develop from here on out.
Four-star safety Lewis Cine is one of Michigan’s top overall targets on defense and U-M is still heavily involved despite his move from Everett, Mass. to Cedar Hill, Texas. The No. 4 safety and No. 68 overall player nationally is taking an official visit to Michigan on June 22 indicating that his interest in U-M is still very real.
Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown is running point on Cine’s recruitment and even though the 6-1, 180-pounder is no longer living in Brown’s old stomping grounds, the two remain close and communicate often.
“He has a great character,” Cine said of Brown. “He can crack some jokes and make some laughs but he knows when to get down to business. That’s what I like about him.”
Cine says that Brown is “his guy” and is looking very forward to his official visit in Ann Arbor because of Dr. Blitz.
More recruiting …
Defensive coordinator Don Brown has made a living grabbing recruits out of the New England part of the country during his time at Michigan — Sean McKeon, Tarik Black, Ben Mason, etc. — and those East Coast connections paid off once again with New Canaan (Conn.) High two-star offensive tackle Jack Stewart’s commitment.
Stewart pledged to Michigan on April 16, and was basically an unknown — as are the majority of the kids in the Northeast — to Michigan fans when he did so.
Brown’s reputation and status in that part of the country can’t be undersold, though, and Stewart’s head coach, Lou Marinelli, helped put his impact in perspective.
“A lot of high school coaches have really good relationships with Donnie Brown around these parts,” Marinelli said. “I’ve known him for a long time. Jack’s dad actually played for Donnie while he was at Yale, so that family connection was a big factor for Jack.
“Once he got on Michigan’s campus and met the coaches, he said it just felt like home. Jack was actually planning on waiting, but explained how he had seen a lot of great schools and just wanted to get the process over with. At that point, he knew Michigan was the place for him.”
Marinelli also explained how his past connections with Brown helped land Stewart on U-M’s radar long before he committed.
“I talked with Donnie a lot throughout the process — I’ve known him since his days at UMass, UConn, BC and Maryland, so my relationship with him goes back a long time,” Marinelli explained.
“Any time Donnie comes through our way, we give him a list of prospects to keep an eye on. He had actually bumped into Jack before, so they knew each other a little bit. The Michigan guys then took a look at Jack’s film and were impressed — what really sold them, though, was when he got on their campus and they saw how big he was.”
Rivals lists Stewart as a tackle, but at 6-5, 285, Marinelli thinks he could be better suited on the interior in college.
“I’m actually not sure what Michigan sees him as,” the New Canaan head man said. “Judging by my past experiences with kids who have gone on to play in college, though, I would think he’ll be a center or guard.
“He’s very physical, and is just a physically tough kid — that’s why I see him on the interior. He’s athletic enough to play tackle, though, if they need him to.”
Finally, an ITF wouldn’t be complete without some mention of Louisville (Ky.) Trinity four-star weakside defensive end and Michigan commit Stephen Herron. The 6-4, 225-pounder has been mentioned a lot in recent weeks about a potential flip to Stanford. Some people in the industry seem to think a flip is imminent but Herron continues to shoot that notion down.
Herron was recently asked about the team’s trip to Paris and he talked about how amazing the trip looked and referenced his opportunity to go on trips in the future.
“I’m definitely going to be a part of that,” he said. “Nothing has changed for me at all. Stanford just shows a lot of interest in me.”
Herron keeps saying the right things but people close to him seem to think he’s looking hard at Stanford. The Michigan coaches are still communicating regularly with Herron and for now, he’s all Blue.
****
To basketball and recruiting now …
We’ve maintained that Michigan redshirt sophomore wing Charles Matthews would likely flirt with the NBA before returning to U-M. We’re hearing more and more that will be the case, especially since Matthews didn’t get the camp invite he was hoping for.
It would be a stunner at this point if he didn’t announce he’d be coming back for his second year in a Michigan uniform, and we expect that to come out soon.
The incoming freshman class, meanwhile, is expected to do incredible things. Even some of the assistants marveled at their good fortune in putting it together, and it was truly a team effort. Saddi Washington has been outstanding on the recruiting trail since his arrival in Ann Arbor. He was instrumental in landing Brandon Johns, and kids really relate to him. Luke Yaklich didn’t give up on Colin Castleton once Castleton became too big for Illinois State — he continued to touch base with him, and that was huge when he came to U-M.
Illinois had moved into a lead at that point, but Castleton’s relationship with Yaklich helped the Wolverines surge ahead quickly.
Castleton — a 6-11 two-way center — is expected to move to Ann Arbor on or around June 20th. He’s ecstatic about his decision, saying he still talks to friends and family about how happy he is and that he knows he isn’t one of the kids that made a decision he’ll regret. Again, Yaklich played a large role in his recruitment, making Castleton his first recruiting call after taking the U-M job.
Coaches have compared Castleton (a 40 percent three-point shooter) to Moe Wagner, saying with time he can be a similar player that’s better on defense. Wagner has been the player Castleton has watched most in a Michigan uniform and says he’s trying to mimic his game. He added that he believes John Beilien is the best coach in the country right now and that U-M is headed for great things.
“My mindset is to get back to the national championship again next year and win it,” Castleton said. "I don’t want to sell ourselves short and say anything less. With who we have coming in and what they had last year, just meshing it together, I really firmly believe we can go all the way again and win it. That’s our main goal.”
As for Yaklich, some believe this could be his last year as an assistant coach for a while. There’s already been some interest, and his reputation as a workhorse and a defensive guru is starting to pique more.
Washington, too, has earned some looks, but he told us in San Antonio (site of the Final Four) that he’s going to be selective. He wouldn’t leave Michigan for just any job ¬— it would have to be the right one.
We’d guess it’s only a matter of time, too, before assistant DeAndre Haynes gets to that level. John Beilein’s assistants learn quickly, and he’s respected for developing coaches almost as much as he is players.
On the 2019s, there’s a lot to like about the momentum Michigan has going right now, and a lot of that is because of the work Beilein has put in on the recruiting trail. He truly did his striking while the iron was hot after the run to the National Title game, and his interest in players like Jalen Wilson (four-star wing out of Texas) and D.J. Carton (four-star, close to five-star guard out of Iowa) was reciprocated immediately.
Some strongly believe Michigan leads for not one, but both players. We know the Wolverines feel good about their chances, but we’re not ready to say U-M is firmly in the driver’s seat here. Kansas would be a ‘dream school’ for Wilson, according to one expert, and if the Jayhawks were to push for him, they could be tough to beat.
Indiana has a lot of momentum on the recruiting trail right now under Archie Miller, and they’re making a big time push for Carton. Some close to Carton tell us he was planning on taking summer visits, but now it’s all up in the air and he’s backed off that. He’ll be traveling to try out for USA Basketball, going to camps, etc., and just doesn't have the time.
How that affects his timetable remains to be seen. As of now, we still firmly believe it’s either/or with Carton and four-star Joe Girard III, who has Michigan, Duke and Syracuse near the top of his list. He’ll decide within a month or two, we believe, and Michigan seems to be in good shape with him, too.
The next two months should be very interesting.
****
Finally, on the football front, we continue to hear, “this team has the potential to be a playoff team … it all depends on the offensive line.”
The pieces are in place, as long as the guys up front come together. And that’s the big question mark. A few who have been close to the program and recently left, however, say this team ‘is absolutely loaded.’ The schedule is tough, but there’s a ton of potential, and the defense is lights out.
It’s quiet at Schembechler Hall right now, with players on their own for the next three weeks. They have until May to do what they want to do, with the expectation … well, for the position. They’d better not come back fat and out of shape.
Finally, behind enemy lines, expect one of Notre Dame’s key offensive players to miss the Michigan game (and a few more) due to suspension. We don’t have further details at this point, but he was expected to help them.
Starting this segment with football recruiting …
The Michigan staff is looking really hard for a second quarterback in the 2019 class and U-M passing game coordinator Pep Hamilton recently dropped in on a couple that could be in line for an offer.
Greenville (S.C.) High three-star pro-style quarterback Davis Beville holds offers from schools like Cincinnati, Colorado State, Northwestern, Pittsburgh and Western Kentucky along with a few smaller schools and Ivy League programs. The 6-6, 205-pounder looks good on tape and moves really well for a pro-style kid of his size.
Hamilton also checked in on Calera (Ala.) High three-star pro-style quarterback Cornelious Brown IV. The 6-5, 180-pounder had been in communication with one of U-M's offensive analysts but Hamilton was at his school watching him throw on Wednesday. Someone very close to Brown’s recruitment gave his thoughts on how things went.
“Pep came out yesterday and watched him and loved him,” our source said. “If he gets offered Michigan would go straight to the top of the list. It would be an LSU, Duke, Michigan race. If I had to guess, he’d end up in Ann Arbor.”
Obviously Michigan’s involvement with Brown is new, but it seems to be a great fit for everyone.
“Its a good fit all around,” our source said. “He wants to commit this summer too so he can focus on his senior season. Once he commits to something its over. He's just that kind of kid. He’s a different cat. He is the most articulate, intelligent, mentally grounded, pure leader I have ever met at his age. He has the things that can't be coached.”
On the surface it seems like a good situation for Brown but an offer from Michigan would definitely open up a new tier for the 6-5, 180-pounder. Brown's offer list currently consists of Bowling Green, Eastern Kentucky, Troy and UAB but schools like Auburn, Duke, LSU and Mississippi State also know about him. If Michigan offered, obviously they’d be the biggest by a large margin. It’ll be interesting to see how things develop from here on out.
Four-star safety Lewis Cine is one of Michigan’s top overall targets on defense and U-M is still heavily involved despite his move from Everett, Mass. to Cedar Hill, Texas. The No. 4 safety and No. 68 overall player nationally is taking an official visit to Michigan on June 22 indicating that his interest in U-M is still very real.
Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown is running point on Cine’s recruitment and even though the 6-1, 180-pounder is no longer living in Brown’s old stomping grounds, the two remain close and communicate often.
“He has a great character,” Cine said of Brown. “He can crack some jokes and make some laughs but he knows when to get down to business. That’s what I like about him.”
Cine says that Brown is “his guy” and is looking very forward to his official visit in Ann Arbor because of Dr. Blitz.
More recruiting …
Defensive coordinator Don Brown has made a living grabbing recruits out of the New England part of the country during his time at Michigan — Sean McKeon, Tarik Black, Ben Mason, etc. — and those East Coast connections paid off once again with New Canaan (Conn.) High two-star offensive tackle Jack Stewart’s commitment.
Stewart pledged to Michigan on April 16, and was basically an unknown — as are the majority of the kids in the Northeast — to Michigan fans when he did so.
Brown’s reputation and status in that part of the country can’t be undersold, though, and Stewart’s head coach, Lou Marinelli, helped put his impact in perspective.
“A lot of high school coaches have really good relationships with Donnie Brown around these parts,” Marinelli said. “I’ve known him for a long time. Jack’s dad actually played for Donnie while he was at Yale, so that family connection was a big factor for Jack.
“Once he got on Michigan’s campus and met the coaches, he said it just felt like home. Jack was actually planning on waiting, but explained how he had seen a lot of great schools and just wanted to get the process over with. At that point, he knew Michigan was the place for him.”
Marinelli also explained how his past connections with Brown helped land Stewart on U-M’s radar long before he committed.
“I talked with Donnie a lot throughout the process — I’ve known him since his days at UMass, UConn, BC and Maryland, so my relationship with him goes back a long time,” Marinelli explained.
“Any time Donnie comes through our way, we give him a list of prospects to keep an eye on. He had actually bumped into Jack before, so they knew each other a little bit. The Michigan guys then took a look at Jack’s film and were impressed — what really sold them, though, was when he got on their campus and they saw how big he was.”
Rivals lists Stewart as a tackle, but at 6-5, 285, Marinelli thinks he could be better suited on the interior in college.
“I’m actually not sure what Michigan sees him as,” the New Canaan head man said. “Judging by my past experiences with kids who have gone on to play in college, though, I would think he’ll be a center or guard.
“He’s very physical, and is just a physically tough kid — that’s why I see him on the interior. He’s athletic enough to play tackle, though, if they need him to.”
Finally, an ITF wouldn’t be complete without some mention of Louisville (Ky.) Trinity four-star weakside defensive end and Michigan commit Stephen Herron. The 6-4, 225-pounder has been mentioned a lot in recent weeks about a potential flip to Stanford. Some people in the industry seem to think a flip is imminent but Herron continues to shoot that notion down.
Herron was recently asked about the team’s trip to Paris and he talked about how amazing the trip looked and referenced his opportunity to go on trips in the future.
“I’m definitely going to be a part of that,” he said. “Nothing has changed for me at all. Stanford just shows a lot of interest in me.”
Herron keeps saying the right things but people close to him seem to think he’s looking hard at Stanford. The Michigan coaches are still communicating regularly with Herron and for now, he’s all Blue.
****
To basketball and recruiting now …
We’ve maintained that Michigan redshirt sophomore wing Charles Matthews would likely flirt with the NBA before returning to U-M. We’re hearing more and more that will be the case, especially since Matthews didn’t get the camp invite he was hoping for.
It would be a stunner at this point if he didn’t announce he’d be coming back for his second year in a Michigan uniform, and we expect that to come out soon.
The incoming freshman class, meanwhile, is expected to do incredible things. Even some of the assistants marveled at their good fortune in putting it together, and it was truly a team effort. Saddi Washington has been outstanding on the recruiting trail since his arrival in Ann Arbor. He was instrumental in landing Brandon Johns, and kids really relate to him. Luke Yaklich didn’t give up on Colin Castleton once Castleton became too big for Illinois State — he continued to touch base with him, and that was huge when he came to U-M.
Illinois had moved into a lead at that point, but Castleton’s relationship with Yaklich helped the Wolverines surge ahead quickly.
Castleton — a 6-11 two-way center — is expected to move to Ann Arbor on or around June 20th. He’s ecstatic about his decision, saying he still talks to friends and family about how happy he is and that he knows he isn’t one of the kids that made a decision he’ll regret. Again, Yaklich played a large role in his recruitment, making Castleton his first recruiting call after taking the U-M job.
Coaches have compared Castleton (a 40 percent three-point shooter) to Moe Wagner, saying with time he can be a similar player that’s better on defense. Wagner has been the player Castleton has watched most in a Michigan uniform and says he’s trying to mimic his game. He added that he believes John Beilien is the best coach in the country right now and that U-M is headed for great things.
“My mindset is to get back to the national championship again next year and win it,” Castleton said. "I don’t want to sell ourselves short and say anything less. With who we have coming in and what they had last year, just meshing it together, I really firmly believe we can go all the way again and win it. That’s our main goal.”
As for Yaklich, some believe this could be his last year as an assistant coach for a while. There’s already been some interest, and his reputation as a workhorse and a defensive guru is starting to pique more.
Washington, too, has earned some looks, but he told us in San Antonio (site of the Final Four) that he’s going to be selective. He wouldn’t leave Michigan for just any job ¬— it would have to be the right one.
We’d guess it’s only a matter of time, too, before assistant DeAndre Haynes gets to that level. John Beilein’s assistants learn quickly, and he’s respected for developing coaches almost as much as he is players.
On the 2019s, there’s a lot to like about the momentum Michigan has going right now, and a lot of that is because of the work Beilein has put in on the recruiting trail. He truly did his striking while the iron was hot after the run to the National Title game, and his interest in players like Jalen Wilson (four-star wing out of Texas) and D.J. Carton (four-star, close to five-star guard out of Iowa) was reciprocated immediately.
Some strongly believe Michigan leads for not one, but both players. We know the Wolverines feel good about their chances, but we’re not ready to say U-M is firmly in the driver’s seat here. Kansas would be a ‘dream school’ for Wilson, according to one expert, and if the Jayhawks were to push for him, they could be tough to beat.
Indiana has a lot of momentum on the recruiting trail right now under Archie Miller, and they’re making a big time push for Carton. Some close to Carton tell us he was planning on taking summer visits, but now it’s all up in the air and he’s backed off that. He’ll be traveling to try out for USA Basketball, going to camps, etc., and just doesn't have the time.
How that affects his timetable remains to be seen. As of now, we still firmly believe it’s either/or with Carton and four-star Joe Girard III, who has Michigan, Duke and Syracuse near the top of his list. He’ll decide within a month or two, we believe, and Michigan seems to be in good shape with him, too.
The next two months should be very interesting.
****
Finally, on the football front, we continue to hear, “this team has the potential to be a playoff team … it all depends on the offensive line.”
The pieces are in place, as long as the guys up front come together. And that’s the big question mark. A few who have been close to the program and recently left, however, say this team ‘is absolutely loaded.’ The schedule is tough, but there’s a ton of potential, and the defense is lights out.
It’s quiet at Schembechler Hall right now, with players on their own for the next three weeks. They have until May to do what they want to do, with the expectation … well, for the position. They’d better not come back fat and out of shape.
Finally, behind enemy lines, expect one of Notre Dame’s key offensive players to miss the Michigan game (and a few more) due to suspension. We don’t have further details at this point, but he was expected to help them.
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