The latest edition of INSIDE THE FORT, including plenty on the Michigan – Michigan State game, much more.
Starting, though, with a tidbit on football recruiting …
Windso (Ontario, Canada) four-star tight end Theo Johnson (6-5, 245, Rivals.com’s No. 155 senior overall) was going to pledge to Penn State Monday, but he’s delayed his decision … and that’s obviously good news for Iowa, Georgia and Michigan, his other finalists. Johnson has been one of the top offensive players on U-M’s board for a while now, and a long discussion with his family has opened the door for Michigan.
Tight ends coach Sherrone Moore has put in the work here. If Johnson does end up at U-M, Moore will be a big reason why.
“From what he told me, the reason he’s delaying is because as he thought through it more, he’s less sure about his decision than he was a week ago,” Rivals.com Midwest analyst Josh Helmholdt said. “My interpretation of that is it’s not good news for Penn State because I felt for a long time that Penn State is the team to beat here.”
What we’ve picked up to add to Helmholdt’s intel — not only is Johnson not sure, he is in fact wide open and “completely undecided and very open to choosing Michigan.” He’ll be on campus this weekend yet again, and the Wolverines’ coaches have it all set up for pledge Braiden McGregor (Port Huron, Mich. four-star end coming off knee surgery) to hang with him this weekend, plant the bug in his ear.
There’s no better choice given how committed McGregor is to the program and his willingness to recruit. He’s an outstanding ambassador for the program.
On the injury front, Michigan is quite healthy, having had a bye week to nurse their bumps and bruises. One to watch going forward is redshirt sophomore Dylan McCaffrey. There were some rumblings elsewhere that he “may be done for the year” or “maybe even be done with football” after his big hit suffered at Wisconsin.
That, obviously, hasn’t been the case. The blow to the head, though — and yes, it was a dirty hit — prompted those close to him send McCaffrey to a number of different specialists, as has been reported. He loves the game, but concussions are serious business (at least on this side of the state).
He’s still considered U-M’s quarterback of the future, but they are going to proceed with extra caution here … and that’s all parties involved. This kid has a very bright future in all areas.
This weekend’s opponent, Michigan State, is banged up heading into tomorrow’s matchup at Michigan and will likely be missing several of its key players. Paul Konyndyk of SpartanMag.com provided the latest on the Spartans’ injury situation and revealed which players he expects to sit and which he expects to play.
“The biggest injury to keep an eye on is [junior cornerback] Josiah Scott,” he began. “He is without question Michigan State’s best defensive back and he did not play for a long stretch in the second half of last weekend’s game after leaving the game with an injury. Michigan State was up 31-10 when Scott went to the locker room with an undisclosed injury. With Scott out the game, Illinois was able to attack with the deep ball. Scott was listed as the starter on the Michigan State depth chart, and that is a pretty good indication that he is expected to practice and play this week.
“Starting [junior] tight end Matt Dotson is done for the year after suffering an Achilles tear during the first quarter of last weekend’s game. Although Dotson has been the primary starter at tight end for Michigan State this season, [fifth-year] senior Matt Seybert has been the most effective tight end as a pass catcher. Seybert ranks third on the team in receptions (19) and receiving yards (222), and second in receiving touchdowns (three).
“Dotson’s absence makes an already thin tight end group even thinner. With Dotson out, Seybert and redshirt freshman Trenton Gillison are the only tight ends with appreciable experience. Converted [redshirt freshman] d-end Parks Gissinger could see playing time at tight end. The Spartans could potentially consider playing with third tackle.
“Leading [fifth-year senior] receiver Darrell Stewart will not play in this game. The Spartans managed without Stewart last weekend, but this is a game where Michigan State really needs two veteran receivers. Michigan plays physical in coverage and it’s tough to adjust to the clutching and grabbing that will take place out there if you haven’t experienced it before. [Junior] Cody White needs to step up in this game. His chances of doing so are marginal without a reliable tag-team partner like Stewart.
“Michigan State has a bunch of injuries on the o-line, which is why freshmen Nick Samac (center) and JD Duplain (left guard) started against Illinois. Those young guys did surprisingly well as first-time starters last weekend, but it will be tougher this weekend against a Michigan team that has a better d-line than Illinois. Michigan State will probably have to play one freshman in starting role this weekend, but could get some help if [redshirt junior] Luke Campbell is able to return. Whether Campbell plays or not could be a game-time decision.”
The question has been asked throughout the week what MSU needs to do to pull off the upset Saturday, and Konyndyk gave his take as to what needs to happen on both sides of the ball if the Spartans hope to come out with a win.
“On defense, Michigan State needs to get off the field on third down,” he explained. “There have been far too many instances of putting opposing offenses in third-and-long and in some instances fourth-and-long and failing to get off the field. Some of that has to do struggling to play the deep ball effectively at the corner position opposite Josiah Scott, and in other instances there have been issues with poor tackling in space. Michigan State isn’t going to come away from this game with a victory if the defense allows Michigan to convert third-and-longs on a regular basis.
“On offense, Michigan State needs to avoid turnovers, and I think the key to achieving that objective is being able to run the ball effectively. Michigan State did some good things on the ground last weekend and [redshirt freshman] tailback Elijah Collins had his best game as a Spartan. That hast to continue this weekend.
“I’d be surprised if Michigan State rushes for 200 yards plus this weekend against Michigan, which has a better defense than Illinois. But the Spartans need to run the ball well enough in this game to avoid being one-dimensional. With Darrell Stewart out of the rotation, Michigan State and the Spartans relying on unproven youngster like [redshirt sophomore] CJ Hayes, and freshmen] Tre Mosley and Julian Barnett, the chances of winning a one-dimensional football game are minimal.”
Vegas currently has Michigan tabbed as a 13.5-point favorite, though MSU has come into this game as the underdog before under Mark Dantonio and pulled out the win (2015, 2017, etc.).
The Spartans are riding a four-game losing streak, however, and many have wondered where their mindset is at following last Saturday’s demoralizing 37-34 loss to Illinois.
“It has been really difficult to gauge the mood the Michigan State team this week because we haven’t had typical access to players aside from the guys that were available following Dantonio’s press conference on Tuesday,” Konyndyk noted. “Those players – [fifth-year senior defensive tackle] Raequan Williams, Cody White, and [junior linebacker] Antjuan Simmons – are energetic, upbeat guys, and their message was what you’d expect to hear. Rivalries are great for college football and this is a game that we point to every year.
“Losing a game is never easy, but losing a game the way Michigan State did against Illinois is gut-wrenching and typically creates a whole bunch of negative energy. This Michigan State team has been pretty good about staying positive and continuing to work, but I’d be surprised if this team wasn’t damaged by last weekend’s loss. It’s one thing to lose to a team that’s better than you are, which Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Penn State most certainly are, but throwing away a game where you had a big lead and intended to make a statement in is demoralizing.
“It’s easy to assume that playing Michigan would make it easier for Michigan State to turn the page on a terrible loss. In this instance, however, I’m not so certain. The thing that I’ll be looking for on Saturday is how Michigan State responds to its first taste of adversity. At the start of the season, Michigan State’s defense relished fighting their way out of a jam. At this juncture in the season, there are indications of a confidence problem on defense.”
From the Michigan side, according to one close to it, last year’s pregame shenanigans were the best thing that could have happened. To that point, U-M head coach Jim Harbaugh had been very kind and respectful of head coach Mark Dantonio and the rivalry, and — frankly — it was a bit frustrating given Dantonio’s history of disrespect.
Harbaugh is still saying and doing the right things, of course, and while he called out Dantonio last year, he hasn’t said a word about him since other than to call him a “good coach” at the press conference and note that MSU was fined $10,000 for its part in provoking the U-M players before the game — yes, with Dantonio marching behind them with a smirk on his face.
The overall opinion — this was quite the backfire for Dantonio, and the days of any intimidation from the green and white sideline are long gone.
****
To basketball and recruiting now …
One of the big questions in the early going is about the stamina, and specifically the big guys.
“How can Jon Teske keep up this pace? He looks like he’s out of shape,” has been the overwhelming sentiment.
And yet nothing could be further from the truth. Ideally, Colin Castleton will continue to blossom and take some of Teske’s minutes (the senior is over 30 per game to the sophomore’s 10 or so), but Howard will continue to ride Teske. He and his teammates not only passed every conditioning test heading into the season, they shattered them.
Strength coach Jon Sanderson, one of the best in the business, has this team at another level, and they’ll need to be to continue the pace. We said earlier in the year we expected freshman Cole Bajema to redshirt, and that’s still very possible. That and the rest of the rotation will depend on the team’s health and how some, like sophomore shooting guard Adrien Nunez, continue to emerge.
On recruiting and the 2020 class …
Michigan coaches were expecting two letters of intent from their pledges in the early period, but they’re only getting one — from Montverde Academy standout guard Zeb Jackson (6-3, Rivals.com’s No. 56 senior nationally). Five-star Isaiah Todd of Raleigh (N.C.) Word of God Academy will not sign in the early period, and he hasn’t given a reason why.
The U-M staff still expects (hopes) to get him signed in the late period, but we continue to hear that Todd will likely end up overseas. If not, he’s also left himself open to change his mind and continue to be recruited by other schools.
No matter how it’s spun, this isn’t good news for those expecting and hoping to see him in Ann Arbor next year. Howard said he was “forging ahead” in recruiting, and that should mean casting a wider net with some Plan B recruits.
There’s better news on four-star big man Hunter Dickinson. The Hyattsville (Md.) De Matha seven-footer seems to have been leaning U-M for a while, and folks have been trying to get him to pull the trigger. Some close to other schools (and there is a heavy Notre Dame influence at his school, where Irish head coach Mike Brey went and others who played for him coach) to be patient and see how things unfold with Howard before he signs.
The belief right now is it would obviously be best for U-M if Dickinson signed in the early period. If he does, most believe it will be Michigan … and those in the know strongly believe it happens this week.
Finally, Chicago Morgan park guard Adam Miller was going to visit … that’s been canceled. As we said earlier this week, this was a long shot, at best. He’s likely going to Illinois.
Five-star California shooting guard Josh Christopher will be in next week, but he’s a long shot despite what’s being reported. Arizona State, Missouri and others are high on his list and have ties with him.
Starting, though, with a tidbit on football recruiting …
Windso (Ontario, Canada) four-star tight end Theo Johnson (6-5, 245, Rivals.com’s No. 155 senior overall) was going to pledge to Penn State Monday, but he’s delayed his decision … and that’s obviously good news for Iowa, Georgia and Michigan, his other finalists. Johnson has been one of the top offensive players on U-M’s board for a while now, and a long discussion with his family has opened the door for Michigan.
Tight ends coach Sherrone Moore has put in the work here. If Johnson does end up at U-M, Moore will be a big reason why.
“From what he told me, the reason he’s delaying is because as he thought through it more, he’s less sure about his decision than he was a week ago,” Rivals.com Midwest analyst Josh Helmholdt said. “My interpretation of that is it’s not good news for Penn State because I felt for a long time that Penn State is the team to beat here.”
What we’ve picked up to add to Helmholdt’s intel — not only is Johnson not sure, he is in fact wide open and “completely undecided and very open to choosing Michigan.” He’ll be on campus this weekend yet again, and the Wolverines’ coaches have it all set up for pledge Braiden McGregor (Port Huron, Mich. four-star end coming off knee surgery) to hang with him this weekend, plant the bug in his ear.
There’s no better choice given how committed McGregor is to the program and his willingness to recruit. He’s an outstanding ambassador for the program.
On the injury front, Michigan is quite healthy, having had a bye week to nurse their bumps and bruises. One to watch going forward is redshirt sophomore Dylan McCaffrey. There were some rumblings elsewhere that he “may be done for the year” or “maybe even be done with football” after his big hit suffered at Wisconsin.
That, obviously, hasn’t been the case. The blow to the head, though — and yes, it was a dirty hit — prompted those close to him send McCaffrey to a number of different specialists, as has been reported. He loves the game, but concussions are serious business (at least on this side of the state).
He’s still considered U-M’s quarterback of the future, but they are going to proceed with extra caution here … and that’s all parties involved. This kid has a very bright future in all areas.
This weekend’s opponent, Michigan State, is banged up heading into tomorrow’s matchup at Michigan and will likely be missing several of its key players. Paul Konyndyk of SpartanMag.com provided the latest on the Spartans’ injury situation and revealed which players he expects to sit and which he expects to play.
“The biggest injury to keep an eye on is [junior cornerback] Josiah Scott,” he began. “He is without question Michigan State’s best defensive back and he did not play for a long stretch in the second half of last weekend’s game after leaving the game with an injury. Michigan State was up 31-10 when Scott went to the locker room with an undisclosed injury. With Scott out the game, Illinois was able to attack with the deep ball. Scott was listed as the starter on the Michigan State depth chart, and that is a pretty good indication that he is expected to practice and play this week.
“Starting [junior] tight end Matt Dotson is done for the year after suffering an Achilles tear during the first quarter of last weekend’s game. Although Dotson has been the primary starter at tight end for Michigan State this season, [fifth-year] senior Matt Seybert has been the most effective tight end as a pass catcher. Seybert ranks third on the team in receptions (19) and receiving yards (222), and second in receiving touchdowns (three).
“Dotson’s absence makes an already thin tight end group even thinner. With Dotson out, Seybert and redshirt freshman Trenton Gillison are the only tight ends with appreciable experience. Converted [redshirt freshman] d-end Parks Gissinger could see playing time at tight end. The Spartans could potentially consider playing with third tackle.
“Leading [fifth-year senior] receiver Darrell Stewart will not play in this game. The Spartans managed without Stewart last weekend, but this is a game where Michigan State really needs two veteran receivers. Michigan plays physical in coverage and it’s tough to adjust to the clutching and grabbing that will take place out there if you haven’t experienced it before. [Junior] Cody White needs to step up in this game. His chances of doing so are marginal without a reliable tag-team partner like Stewart.
“Michigan State has a bunch of injuries on the o-line, which is why freshmen Nick Samac (center) and JD Duplain (left guard) started against Illinois. Those young guys did surprisingly well as first-time starters last weekend, but it will be tougher this weekend against a Michigan team that has a better d-line than Illinois. Michigan State will probably have to play one freshman in starting role this weekend, but could get some help if [redshirt junior] Luke Campbell is able to return. Whether Campbell plays or not could be a game-time decision.”
The question has been asked throughout the week what MSU needs to do to pull off the upset Saturday, and Konyndyk gave his take as to what needs to happen on both sides of the ball if the Spartans hope to come out with a win.
“On defense, Michigan State needs to get off the field on third down,” he explained. “There have been far too many instances of putting opposing offenses in third-and-long and in some instances fourth-and-long and failing to get off the field. Some of that has to do struggling to play the deep ball effectively at the corner position opposite Josiah Scott, and in other instances there have been issues with poor tackling in space. Michigan State isn’t going to come away from this game with a victory if the defense allows Michigan to convert third-and-longs on a regular basis.
“On offense, Michigan State needs to avoid turnovers, and I think the key to achieving that objective is being able to run the ball effectively. Michigan State did some good things on the ground last weekend and [redshirt freshman] tailback Elijah Collins had his best game as a Spartan. That hast to continue this weekend.
“I’d be surprised if Michigan State rushes for 200 yards plus this weekend against Michigan, which has a better defense than Illinois. But the Spartans need to run the ball well enough in this game to avoid being one-dimensional. With Darrell Stewart out of the rotation, Michigan State and the Spartans relying on unproven youngster like [redshirt sophomore] CJ Hayes, and freshmen] Tre Mosley and Julian Barnett, the chances of winning a one-dimensional football game are minimal.”
Vegas currently has Michigan tabbed as a 13.5-point favorite, though MSU has come into this game as the underdog before under Mark Dantonio and pulled out the win (2015, 2017, etc.).
The Spartans are riding a four-game losing streak, however, and many have wondered where their mindset is at following last Saturday’s demoralizing 37-34 loss to Illinois.
“It has been really difficult to gauge the mood the Michigan State team this week because we haven’t had typical access to players aside from the guys that were available following Dantonio’s press conference on Tuesday,” Konyndyk noted. “Those players – [fifth-year senior defensive tackle] Raequan Williams, Cody White, and [junior linebacker] Antjuan Simmons – are energetic, upbeat guys, and their message was what you’d expect to hear. Rivalries are great for college football and this is a game that we point to every year.
“Losing a game is never easy, but losing a game the way Michigan State did against Illinois is gut-wrenching and typically creates a whole bunch of negative energy. This Michigan State team has been pretty good about staying positive and continuing to work, but I’d be surprised if this team wasn’t damaged by last weekend’s loss. It’s one thing to lose to a team that’s better than you are, which Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Penn State most certainly are, but throwing away a game where you had a big lead and intended to make a statement in is demoralizing.
“It’s easy to assume that playing Michigan would make it easier for Michigan State to turn the page on a terrible loss. In this instance, however, I’m not so certain. The thing that I’ll be looking for on Saturday is how Michigan State responds to its first taste of adversity. At the start of the season, Michigan State’s defense relished fighting their way out of a jam. At this juncture in the season, there are indications of a confidence problem on defense.”
From the Michigan side, according to one close to it, last year’s pregame shenanigans were the best thing that could have happened. To that point, U-M head coach Jim Harbaugh had been very kind and respectful of head coach Mark Dantonio and the rivalry, and — frankly — it was a bit frustrating given Dantonio’s history of disrespect.
Harbaugh is still saying and doing the right things, of course, and while he called out Dantonio last year, he hasn’t said a word about him since other than to call him a “good coach” at the press conference and note that MSU was fined $10,000 for its part in provoking the U-M players before the game — yes, with Dantonio marching behind them with a smirk on his face.
The overall opinion — this was quite the backfire for Dantonio, and the days of any intimidation from the green and white sideline are long gone.
****
To basketball and recruiting now …
One of the big questions in the early going is about the stamina, and specifically the big guys.
“How can Jon Teske keep up this pace? He looks like he’s out of shape,” has been the overwhelming sentiment.
And yet nothing could be further from the truth. Ideally, Colin Castleton will continue to blossom and take some of Teske’s minutes (the senior is over 30 per game to the sophomore’s 10 or so), but Howard will continue to ride Teske. He and his teammates not only passed every conditioning test heading into the season, they shattered them.
Strength coach Jon Sanderson, one of the best in the business, has this team at another level, and they’ll need to be to continue the pace. We said earlier in the year we expected freshman Cole Bajema to redshirt, and that’s still very possible. That and the rest of the rotation will depend on the team’s health and how some, like sophomore shooting guard Adrien Nunez, continue to emerge.
On recruiting and the 2020 class …
Michigan coaches were expecting two letters of intent from their pledges in the early period, but they’re only getting one — from Montverde Academy standout guard Zeb Jackson (6-3, Rivals.com’s No. 56 senior nationally). Five-star Isaiah Todd of Raleigh (N.C.) Word of God Academy will not sign in the early period, and he hasn’t given a reason why.
The U-M staff still expects (hopes) to get him signed in the late period, but we continue to hear that Todd will likely end up overseas. If not, he’s also left himself open to change his mind and continue to be recruited by other schools.
No matter how it’s spun, this isn’t good news for those expecting and hoping to see him in Ann Arbor next year. Howard said he was “forging ahead” in recruiting, and that should mean casting a wider net with some Plan B recruits.
There’s better news on four-star big man Hunter Dickinson. The Hyattsville (Md.) De Matha seven-footer seems to have been leaning U-M for a while, and folks have been trying to get him to pull the trigger. Some close to other schools (and there is a heavy Notre Dame influence at his school, where Irish head coach Mike Brey went and others who played for him coach) to be patient and see how things unfold with Howard before he signs.
The belief right now is it would obviously be best for U-M if Dickinson signed in the early period. If he does, most believe it will be Michigan … and those in the know strongly believe it happens this week.
Finally, Chicago Morgan park guard Adam Miller was going to visit … that’s been canceled. As we said earlier this week, this was a long shot, at best. He’s likely going to Illinois.
Five-star California shooting guard Josh Christopher will be in next week, but he’s a long shot despite what’s being reported. Arizona State, Missouri and others are high on his list and have ties with him.
