The latest edition of INSIDE THE FORT, including the latest on Braiden McGregor, Franz Wagner and much, much more …
Starting with basketball and recruiting today …
Losing William & Mary grad transfer Justin Pierce to North Carolina was disappointing, especially after the outstanding visit Pierce had at Michigan the previous week. Our source could not have been stronger when we released the post-visit update, and if you’ll recall, we said the one thing that could have swayed Pierce was the North Carolina mystique.
Well … it worked. Pierce had a photo shoot in the Michael Jordan jersey, etc., and was blown away. He was extremely torn following the UNC visit — yes, 50/50 — and knew that night he was going to be a Tar Heel.
He was the priority along with German Franz Wagner, and the Wolverines still have some work to do there. Wagner is genuinely torn, however. Our German source told us a few days ago that Wagner’s pro team, Alba Berlin, has made it really tough for those thinking about leaving, and not due to pressure, etc. They’re sweetening the pot much more than they did for Franz’ brother Mortiz, who played three years at Michigan before going to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round … financially and with guarantees.
As we’ve mentioned, the younger Wagner is more introverted than his brother, so that also plays against him leaving home. But there are some questions about the direction of the Alba Berlin program going forward (nothing sinister) that play into Michigan’s favor.
We won’t predict Wagner, a 2019 recruit, will be here in the fall, but we certainly aren’t saying he won’t.
So the Michigan coaches will continue to recruit, and that includes potential 2019 late bloomers and grad transfers. We mentioned Javien Cumberland yesterday – he’s an Oakland University grad transfer shooting guard who shot nearly 40 percent from three-point range last year and recently visited Oakland. Texas Corpus Christi’s Kareem South has also been contacted. He was solid against high major opponents last year, including 18 points (four of five triples) with six rebounds, five assists and four steals and scored 18 with four triples the previous year against Georgia.
U-M coaches will continue to recruit Ignas Brazdeikis to stay, of course, though a decent NBA Combine would all but seal the deal. Michigan can (and, strong opinion, will) try to sell him on the fact that he can be the featured shooting guard in the offense and, given past history of Beilein recruits, all but assure himself a mid-first round pick at worst next year if all goes according to plan.
As of now, however, they are operating as though he won’t be here next season.
The coaches continue to recruit the classes of 2020 and 2021, as well, in search of talent to go with Zeb Jackson (2020 point guard pledge out of Toledo, Ohio). Jackson is the kind of guy who could get the ball from the get-go similar to Trey Burke, and there are several candidates to join him.
We heard recently that Benton Harbor (Mich.) standout wing Scooby Johnson might be leaning toward Butler over Michigan and Michigan State. He loves Butler head coach (and Michigan assistant) LaVall Jordan.
Butler, however, has not been recruiting Johnson as hard — in fact, hardly at all — since the four-star prospect picked up offers from Michigan and Michigan State. It’s as though they’ve conceded, so as of now it’s a U-M vs. MSU in-state battle.
Johnson is off to a solid start in the spring AAU season with The Family, including a 29-point game against the Oakland Soldiers April 27. He’s only 5-for-18 from three in four games, but that will improve.
Pennsylvanian Ethan Morton told us he was thrilled to have Beilein stop in to his school after the Germany trip … the coach has made a great impression and has the Wolverines very high on Morton’s list.
U-M was also in to see five-star Georgian Walker Kessler ( who has decided to stay in the 2020 class) recently, but the Wolverines have some work to do to convince him to go that far from home.
****
To football now …
Spring football is over, and the coaches are extremely pleased with the guys who participated. The implementation of the new offense went about as well as could be expected, and the quarterbacks — especially Shea Patterson and Dylan McCaffrey — were really running it well by the end of spring ball.
Redshirt frosh Joe Milton has had his ups and downs and was feeling a bit down about things for a bit. Some were worried he might consider a transfer, but he’s good to go and continues to battle.
Now the team is off to South Africa for 10 days. This one was so popular that many staffers had to be left behind … in other words, almost everyone on the team is going.
Expect next year’s trip to be domestic, but outstanding with a military theme. The plan is to have them do/see things not many Americans get to do/see. Stay tuned for details.
****
To football recruiting …
When it comes to Michigan’s chances of landing La Grange Park (Ill.) Nazareth Academy 2021 pro-style quarterback J.J. McCarthy, it’s basically when, not if at this point.
The 6-2, 180-pounder was very high on Ohio State after a visit and even thought about pulling the trigger for the Buckeyes. Ryan Day and his staff essentially slow played McCarthy and now have their guy in Philadelphia St. Joseph’s pro-style quarterback Kyle McCord. The Wolverines also offered McCord but have been prioritizing McCarthy for a while now, so it seems like both teams are going to get who they want.
Someone who has observed McCarthy in person sees limitless potential in the young signal caller.
“He is the real deal. Period,” our source said. “He can make every single throw on the field and does so with accuracy that most college quarterbacks don’t have. He’ll stand in there and take it on the chin, he’s tough, he’s smart, he’s a leader — he’s every thing you want in a quarterback and he’s not even done with the tenth grade. It’s pretty remarkable.
“If there was one thing to nitpick it’s that he’s just a tad smaller than some of the other ‘elite’ quarterbacks in the 2021 class but he’s got a great frame and is still very young. He’ll continue to grow and develop and it’ll never be an issue. Frankly it’s not even an issue right now. When you watch his arm strength, how he runs and how he takes hits, you would never think about his size, but when you stand him next to some other guys you see a slightly smaller dude.”
McCarthy just measured in at 6-2, 180 pounds at the Rivals Camp in Cincinnati so he’s definitely not small but is a tad slight. He’ll continue to fill out his frame, which should only add to the whip he already has for an arm and should also give him even more confidence when running the ball and standing in the pocket. That’s a scary idea because when you watch him, you can already tell that he knows he’s good and that he can do anything on the field.
It’s also worth noting that McCarthy won QB MVP honors at that same Rivals Camp. Michigan commit and four-star cornerback Andre Seldon took home DB MVP honors and afterwards, the two posed together for a picture with their awards. That’s obviously noteworthy because commits and targets usually know what’s going down before anyone else. After the picture, Seldon smiled and said, “I’m going to get him,” before heading for the exits.
McCarthy will be back in Ann Arbor the weekend of May 11. Fireworks aren’t guaranteed but they’ll definitely be stocked and loaded.
Michigan offered Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei 2022 safety Domani Jackson a little over a week ago joining 17 other schools who have already done so including some big time programs like Florida State, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon and USC among others.
The 6-1, 180-pounder looks like a special player and could end up in five-star territory when the time comes. That bodes well for Michigan because Jackson calls U-M his dream school.
“Michigan is my dream school since I was young,” he said. “I've always wanted to play in The Big House. Knowing it's possible is a dream come true.”
Both of Jackson’s parents are from Ohio and his father is a huge fan of the Wolverines. That rubbed off on Domani, and now he’s viewing Michigan as a very realistic place to play his college football. He’s young and he’s all the way out in California, but when asked, Jackson did not hesitate to call Michigan his outright leader despite having a lot of big time offers already. He won’t be making a decision for some time but it’s clear that Michigan is going to be a huge factor.
Michigan offensive line coach Ed Warinner has done a phenomenal job recruiting since he’s been at U-M and his best results are likely still ahead of him. He’s been lights out with the 2020 class and Michigan might be leading for several talented players because of it. Someone very close to the situation said that Warinner feels very, very good about four prospects in particular.
“Warinner has been doing a great job bringing guys to campus and making sure wanted guys know they’re wanted,” our source said. “He’s definitely chasing after some long, athletic tackles and four of them are really high on Michigan right now.
“[Gilbert (Ariz.) Williams Field four-star offensive tackle] Noah Nelson, [Boston College High three-star offensive tackle] Ozzy Trapilo, [Mars (Pa.) High four-star offensive tackle] Michael Carmody and [Washington D.C. Gonzaga Prep four-star offensive tackle] Olu Fashanu are all really high on Ed’s board and really high on the Wolverines. I wouldn’t be surprised if they land a couple or a few of these dudes.”
Nelson is the highest ranked prospect of the bunch as the No. 27 offensive tackle and No. 232 overall prospect nationally. Fashanu checks in as the No. 28 offensive tackle and No. 246 overall prospect nationally. Carmody is the No. 35 tackle and Trapilo is No. 56 at the position. All of them are true tackles with Trapilo and Nelson going 6-8, 255 and 6-7, 290 respectively. Carmody measures in at 6-6, 280 pounds and Fashanu is the “smallest” at 6-5 but does tip the scales at 290. If Michigan can land any combination of two or more of these guys, Warinner would sleep very well at night and would have to be beyond excited for the future of his offensive lines.
Michigan also appears to be in outstanding early shape with several of the Midwest’s best offensive linemen, including Lititz (Pa.) Warick’s Nolan Rucci. He doesn’t yet have a star rating from Rivals (nobody does in the 2021 class), but already holds offers from the likes of Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State and Texas.
Rucci was on Michigan’s campus last weekend, and strengthened the bond he had already established with Ed Warinner, as well as the family atmosphere he felt in Ann Arbor.
“The way he coaches his players is one of the things I like about him the most,” Rucci said of Warinner. “The interest in mutual, because the coaches seemed very interested in me as well. They said they think I have a really high ceiling from a developmental standpoint, and Coach Warinner and the other coaches on the staff made it clear they’re excited about what I can do. They see me as a tackle, because that’s what all the schools have offered me as.
“Watching the Michigan guys play makes it obvious how much attention to detail Coach Warinner puts in, and it’s also obvious during drills. He makes sure guys are giving it 100 percent on every single rep, and they actually have someone watching every player on every play of practice. They see if anyone takes a play off and are grading each rep, which provides great feedback for when they sit down during team meetings and get an in-depth look at how they did each day.
“I’d actually like to talk to the Michigan players a lot more next time I’m up there. Just from talking to the coaches by themselves though makes it clear how much they care for their guys and for the others on the staff. Even the non-football people — like the academic tutors — are connected and a tight-knit group, which makes it a great family atmosphere.”
U-M is on Rucci’s short list. His dad, Todd, played for Penn State, but we believe (strongly) Wisconsin and others are the primary competition here.
Michigan also hosted another big-time visitor the same weekend Rucci was there — class of 2021 Damascus (Md.) High defensive tackle Ryan Linthicum — and sure enough, the two bonded in a big way.
“I got a chance to meet some of the other recruits there, even though there weren’t many on campus that weekend,” Rucci recalled. “I met Ryan Linthicum, and he was a really cool dude — we’re exchanging social media accounts, and I think we’re going to talk more in the future about our recruitments. I’m excited to develop that relationship.”
So where does Michigan stand now with Rucci after the visit in his words?
“My parents went to Penn State, so I always watched whenever they’d play Michigan growing up,” he said. “I came to realize they’re a great program, and they’re a school I want to keep my eye on moving forward. They’re definitely high on my list right now, although I’m still in the information-gathering process right now.
“I’m still trying to learn as much as I can about the schools who are interested and have offered me. I don’t have any leaders at this point, and I’m still looking at everyone. I haven’t narrowed down my list at all, just because it’s still so early.”
More recruiting…
Michigan recently made the top-10 of Pearland (Tex.) Shadow Creek four-star safety Xavion Alford, but the odd thing about U-M’s inclusion is that he has never even visited campus before.
“The fact that they were one of my earliest offers really meant a lot to me, so they kind of got me going in some ways,” he explained. “I also like the Jordan contract they have. The way they’re wearing a brand like that in college football is crazy, and I’d also love to play in their environment. I don’t have an order among the top 10, but Michigan is up there. I’ll know a lot more after some of my upcoming visits, because I’m going to narrow my list down to five when I know which five officials I’ll be taking. It’s too early to predict whether or not they’ll be in that top-5, but I’ll be interested to see which schools push the hardest to get in there.
“The thing I’ll be looking for the most from that point on is consistency among the coaching staffs, and whether or not they’re honest and loyal people. I want them to tell me what everything is going to be like before I even get there, and what their plan is going to be for me. That’ll allow me to know what I all have to do before I even get there. Honesty, loyalty and being a good football coach are what it’ll all come down to.”
Finally, in-state defensive end Braiden McGregor of Port Huron ...
We like Michigan’s chances here. A lot. Some really close to him strongly favor U-M, and new line coach Shaun Nua has done an incredible job recruiting him.
It ain't over 'til it's over. However ...
Starting with basketball and recruiting today …
Losing William & Mary grad transfer Justin Pierce to North Carolina was disappointing, especially after the outstanding visit Pierce had at Michigan the previous week. Our source could not have been stronger when we released the post-visit update, and if you’ll recall, we said the one thing that could have swayed Pierce was the North Carolina mystique.
Well … it worked. Pierce had a photo shoot in the Michael Jordan jersey, etc., and was blown away. He was extremely torn following the UNC visit — yes, 50/50 — and knew that night he was going to be a Tar Heel.
He was the priority along with German Franz Wagner, and the Wolverines still have some work to do there. Wagner is genuinely torn, however. Our German source told us a few days ago that Wagner’s pro team, Alba Berlin, has made it really tough for those thinking about leaving, and not due to pressure, etc. They’re sweetening the pot much more than they did for Franz’ brother Mortiz, who played three years at Michigan before going to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round … financially and with guarantees.
As we’ve mentioned, the younger Wagner is more introverted than his brother, so that also plays against him leaving home. But there are some questions about the direction of the Alba Berlin program going forward (nothing sinister) that play into Michigan’s favor.
We won’t predict Wagner, a 2019 recruit, will be here in the fall, but we certainly aren’t saying he won’t.
So the Michigan coaches will continue to recruit, and that includes potential 2019 late bloomers and grad transfers. We mentioned Javien Cumberland yesterday – he’s an Oakland University grad transfer shooting guard who shot nearly 40 percent from three-point range last year and recently visited Oakland. Texas Corpus Christi’s Kareem South has also been contacted. He was solid against high major opponents last year, including 18 points (four of five triples) with six rebounds, five assists and four steals and scored 18 with four triples the previous year against Georgia.
U-M coaches will continue to recruit Ignas Brazdeikis to stay, of course, though a decent NBA Combine would all but seal the deal. Michigan can (and, strong opinion, will) try to sell him on the fact that he can be the featured shooting guard in the offense and, given past history of Beilein recruits, all but assure himself a mid-first round pick at worst next year if all goes according to plan.
As of now, however, they are operating as though he won’t be here next season.
The coaches continue to recruit the classes of 2020 and 2021, as well, in search of talent to go with Zeb Jackson (2020 point guard pledge out of Toledo, Ohio). Jackson is the kind of guy who could get the ball from the get-go similar to Trey Burke, and there are several candidates to join him.
We heard recently that Benton Harbor (Mich.) standout wing Scooby Johnson might be leaning toward Butler over Michigan and Michigan State. He loves Butler head coach (and Michigan assistant) LaVall Jordan.
Butler, however, has not been recruiting Johnson as hard — in fact, hardly at all — since the four-star prospect picked up offers from Michigan and Michigan State. It’s as though they’ve conceded, so as of now it’s a U-M vs. MSU in-state battle.
Johnson is off to a solid start in the spring AAU season with The Family, including a 29-point game against the Oakland Soldiers April 27. He’s only 5-for-18 from three in four games, but that will improve.
Pennsylvanian Ethan Morton told us he was thrilled to have Beilein stop in to his school after the Germany trip … the coach has made a great impression and has the Wolverines very high on Morton’s list.
U-M was also in to see five-star Georgian Walker Kessler ( who has decided to stay in the 2020 class) recently, but the Wolverines have some work to do to convince him to go that far from home.
****
To football now …
Spring football is over, and the coaches are extremely pleased with the guys who participated. The implementation of the new offense went about as well as could be expected, and the quarterbacks — especially Shea Patterson and Dylan McCaffrey — were really running it well by the end of spring ball.
Redshirt frosh Joe Milton has had his ups and downs and was feeling a bit down about things for a bit. Some were worried he might consider a transfer, but he’s good to go and continues to battle.
Now the team is off to South Africa for 10 days. This one was so popular that many staffers had to be left behind … in other words, almost everyone on the team is going.
Expect next year’s trip to be domestic, but outstanding with a military theme. The plan is to have them do/see things not many Americans get to do/see. Stay tuned for details.
****
To football recruiting …
When it comes to Michigan’s chances of landing La Grange Park (Ill.) Nazareth Academy 2021 pro-style quarterback J.J. McCarthy, it’s basically when, not if at this point.
The 6-2, 180-pounder was very high on Ohio State after a visit and even thought about pulling the trigger for the Buckeyes. Ryan Day and his staff essentially slow played McCarthy and now have their guy in Philadelphia St. Joseph’s pro-style quarterback Kyle McCord. The Wolverines also offered McCord but have been prioritizing McCarthy for a while now, so it seems like both teams are going to get who they want.
Someone who has observed McCarthy in person sees limitless potential in the young signal caller.
“He is the real deal. Period,” our source said. “He can make every single throw on the field and does so with accuracy that most college quarterbacks don’t have. He’ll stand in there and take it on the chin, he’s tough, he’s smart, he’s a leader — he’s every thing you want in a quarterback and he’s not even done with the tenth grade. It’s pretty remarkable.
“If there was one thing to nitpick it’s that he’s just a tad smaller than some of the other ‘elite’ quarterbacks in the 2021 class but he’s got a great frame and is still very young. He’ll continue to grow and develop and it’ll never be an issue. Frankly it’s not even an issue right now. When you watch his arm strength, how he runs and how he takes hits, you would never think about his size, but when you stand him next to some other guys you see a slightly smaller dude.”
McCarthy just measured in at 6-2, 180 pounds at the Rivals Camp in Cincinnati so he’s definitely not small but is a tad slight. He’ll continue to fill out his frame, which should only add to the whip he already has for an arm and should also give him even more confidence when running the ball and standing in the pocket. That’s a scary idea because when you watch him, you can already tell that he knows he’s good and that he can do anything on the field.
It’s also worth noting that McCarthy won QB MVP honors at that same Rivals Camp. Michigan commit and four-star cornerback Andre Seldon took home DB MVP honors and afterwards, the two posed together for a picture with their awards. That’s obviously noteworthy because commits and targets usually know what’s going down before anyone else. After the picture, Seldon smiled and said, “I’m going to get him,” before heading for the exits.
McCarthy will be back in Ann Arbor the weekend of May 11. Fireworks aren’t guaranteed but they’ll definitely be stocked and loaded.
Michigan offered Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei 2022 safety Domani Jackson a little over a week ago joining 17 other schools who have already done so including some big time programs like Florida State, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon and USC among others.
The 6-1, 180-pounder looks like a special player and could end up in five-star territory when the time comes. That bodes well for Michigan because Jackson calls U-M his dream school.
“Michigan is my dream school since I was young,” he said. “I've always wanted to play in The Big House. Knowing it's possible is a dream come true.”
Both of Jackson’s parents are from Ohio and his father is a huge fan of the Wolverines. That rubbed off on Domani, and now he’s viewing Michigan as a very realistic place to play his college football. He’s young and he’s all the way out in California, but when asked, Jackson did not hesitate to call Michigan his outright leader despite having a lot of big time offers already. He won’t be making a decision for some time but it’s clear that Michigan is going to be a huge factor.
Michigan offensive line coach Ed Warinner has done a phenomenal job recruiting since he’s been at U-M and his best results are likely still ahead of him. He’s been lights out with the 2020 class and Michigan might be leading for several talented players because of it. Someone very close to the situation said that Warinner feels very, very good about four prospects in particular.
“Warinner has been doing a great job bringing guys to campus and making sure wanted guys know they’re wanted,” our source said. “He’s definitely chasing after some long, athletic tackles and four of them are really high on Michigan right now.
“[Gilbert (Ariz.) Williams Field four-star offensive tackle] Noah Nelson, [Boston College High three-star offensive tackle] Ozzy Trapilo, [Mars (Pa.) High four-star offensive tackle] Michael Carmody and [Washington D.C. Gonzaga Prep four-star offensive tackle] Olu Fashanu are all really high on Ed’s board and really high on the Wolverines. I wouldn’t be surprised if they land a couple or a few of these dudes.”
Nelson is the highest ranked prospect of the bunch as the No. 27 offensive tackle and No. 232 overall prospect nationally. Fashanu checks in as the No. 28 offensive tackle and No. 246 overall prospect nationally. Carmody is the No. 35 tackle and Trapilo is No. 56 at the position. All of them are true tackles with Trapilo and Nelson going 6-8, 255 and 6-7, 290 respectively. Carmody measures in at 6-6, 280 pounds and Fashanu is the “smallest” at 6-5 but does tip the scales at 290. If Michigan can land any combination of two or more of these guys, Warinner would sleep very well at night and would have to be beyond excited for the future of his offensive lines.
Michigan also appears to be in outstanding early shape with several of the Midwest’s best offensive linemen, including Lititz (Pa.) Warick’s Nolan Rucci. He doesn’t yet have a star rating from Rivals (nobody does in the 2021 class), but already holds offers from the likes of Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State and Texas.
Rucci was on Michigan’s campus last weekend, and strengthened the bond he had already established with Ed Warinner, as well as the family atmosphere he felt in Ann Arbor.
“The way he coaches his players is one of the things I like about him the most,” Rucci said of Warinner. “The interest in mutual, because the coaches seemed very interested in me as well. They said they think I have a really high ceiling from a developmental standpoint, and Coach Warinner and the other coaches on the staff made it clear they’re excited about what I can do. They see me as a tackle, because that’s what all the schools have offered me as.
“Watching the Michigan guys play makes it obvious how much attention to detail Coach Warinner puts in, and it’s also obvious during drills. He makes sure guys are giving it 100 percent on every single rep, and they actually have someone watching every player on every play of practice. They see if anyone takes a play off and are grading each rep, which provides great feedback for when they sit down during team meetings and get an in-depth look at how they did each day.
“I’d actually like to talk to the Michigan players a lot more next time I’m up there. Just from talking to the coaches by themselves though makes it clear how much they care for their guys and for the others on the staff. Even the non-football people — like the academic tutors — are connected and a tight-knit group, which makes it a great family atmosphere.”
U-M is on Rucci’s short list. His dad, Todd, played for Penn State, but we believe (strongly) Wisconsin and others are the primary competition here.
Michigan also hosted another big-time visitor the same weekend Rucci was there — class of 2021 Damascus (Md.) High defensive tackle Ryan Linthicum — and sure enough, the two bonded in a big way.
“I got a chance to meet some of the other recruits there, even though there weren’t many on campus that weekend,” Rucci recalled. “I met Ryan Linthicum, and he was a really cool dude — we’re exchanging social media accounts, and I think we’re going to talk more in the future about our recruitments. I’m excited to develop that relationship.”
So where does Michigan stand now with Rucci after the visit in his words?
“My parents went to Penn State, so I always watched whenever they’d play Michigan growing up,” he said. “I came to realize they’re a great program, and they’re a school I want to keep my eye on moving forward. They’re definitely high on my list right now, although I’m still in the information-gathering process right now.
“I’m still trying to learn as much as I can about the schools who are interested and have offered me. I don’t have any leaders at this point, and I’m still looking at everyone. I haven’t narrowed down my list at all, just because it’s still so early.”
More recruiting…
Michigan recently made the top-10 of Pearland (Tex.) Shadow Creek four-star safety Xavion Alford, but the odd thing about U-M’s inclusion is that he has never even visited campus before.
“The fact that they were one of my earliest offers really meant a lot to me, so they kind of got me going in some ways,” he explained. “I also like the Jordan contract they have. The way they’re wearing a brand like that in college football is crazy, and I’d also love to play in their environment. I don’t have an order among the top 10, but Michigan is up there. I’ll know a lot more after some of my upcoming visits, because I’m going to narrow my list down to five when I know which five officials I’ll be taking. It’s too early to predict whether or not they’ll be in that top-5, but I’ll be interested to see which schools push the hardest to get in there.
“The thing I’ll be looking for the most from that point on is consistency among the coaching staffs, and whether or not they’re honest and loyal people. I want them to tell me what everything is going to be like before I even get there, and what their plan is going to be for me. That’ll allow me to know what I all have to do before I even get there. Honesty, loyalty and being a good football coach are what it’ll all come down to.”
Finally, in-state defensive end Braiden McGregor of Port Huron ...
We like Michigan’s chances here. A lot. Some really close to him strongly favor U-M, and new line coach Shaun Nua has done an incredible job recruiting him.
It ain't over 'til it's over. However ...
Last edited by a moderator:
