The latest edition of INSIDE THE FORT, including plenty of football, basketball and recruiting information.
Starting this week’s edition with football …
There’s been plenty of angst about offensive line coach Ed Warinner and whether or not he’ll still be around next year. We can tell you right now we strongly believe he’s not going anywhere and will be back as Michigan’s offensive line coach (and yes, helping out with other aspects of the offense, including play calling) next season.
We also strongly suspect he’ll get a nice bump in pay, and it would be well deserved.
Warinner does have a son playing at Michigan State, but he’s not going to give up a gig at U-M for one in East Lansing. His wife has family nearby, as he’s said a number of times, and he loves everything about Michigan and what it has to offer … and has already given him.
He wasn’t blowing smoke the other day when he said Michigan is the best of the best when you think not only college football, but what a university and an athletic department should be.
That’s good news, of course. Warinner has proven again he’s one of the best line coaches out there, and cohesiveness on a staff is huge. There were guys so frustrated last year that they considered bowing out if things didn’t change. Warinner’s hire proved huge in turning that group around, building confidence and making everyone happy.
Another aspect that’s really helped turn the program around, according to those closest to it — the players have really taken ownership of the team, and the leadership has been outstanding, especially at key positions. It’s not just Shea Patterson, but also backup Dylan McCaffrey providing a lot of it on the offense (along with the captains, running back Karan Higdon and Ben Bredeson, of course).
Michigan head coach John Beilein once said there’s only so much he could do as a leader. At some point his players needed to start leaning on each other more than the coaches, and we’ve seen that happen with the basketball program and now the football program.
These guys are holding each other accountable the way Michigan teams of the past have, and that’s huge. They’re starting to build that culture again of winning for Michigan … some have scoffed at that, but the transition from an environment they called “stale” under Lloyd Carr to what we saw the last 10 years brings us back to that quote a former staffer gave us when Rodriguez fired almost all of Carr’s assistants.
“It will be five years of [failure], and it will take us five years to fix it,” he said.
Again, continuity and cohesiveness are huge. Michigan loses some pieces next year, but we certainly wouldn’t expect a huge step backward. The personnel is only going to get better, too … they are confident the ceiling is a few notches higher.
As for Patterson, conflicting information on which way he’s leaning, and it’s all from great sources. Last week we told you we expected him to stay one more year, and that was from someone extremely close to it. Others just as close are saying he could very well go, especially if the Wolverines finish really strong.
We’ll have to continue to watch this one, but we’re not guessing here. There’s a very real possibility he goes.
Finally, Indiana is pretty healthy as a team heading into Saturday’s matchup with Michigan, but could potentially be without two of its better players on each side of the ball.
TheHoosier.com’s Stu Jackson gave the latest on the injury front.
“Indiana doesn’t offer a lot of details on its injured players, but one of the significant injuries is to [sophomore] slot receiver Whop Philyor, who is the team’s top deep threat,” Jackson explained. “He has been bothered by a nagging high ankle sprain since the Michigan State game in late September. He posted a picture from a hospital bed, suggesting he underwent some sort of procedure recently, so I wouldn’t expect him to play.
“The other one is [redshirt junior linebacker] Reakwon Jones — Indiana’s starter at the stinger linebacker position, which is primarily responsible for stopping the run. Jones is day-to-day, and Tom Allen said they won’t know more about his status until later in the week.”
Philyor has 23 catches for 235 yards, while Jones has 36 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss (fourth most on the team).
****
To football recruiting now …
We’ll start off with the not-so breaking news surrounding Memphis (Tenn.) Lausanne three-star all-purpose back Eric Gray.
The 5-10, 185-pounder has been committed to Michigan since July 1, but he’s never really been solid. He may have verbally committed to the Wolverines on that day, but he’s been flirting with other schools ever since. People in Memphis and closer to his recruitment have been saying since day one that he likely wouldn’t sign with Michigan.
After this weekend’s developments, it’s becoming clearer and clearer.
The No. 6 all-purpose back in the country was thinking about a visit to Michigan this weekend but decided to check out Tennessee — again. If you’ve been paying attention around here, it shouldn’t really be surprising that things are playing out this way. The people in his circle have been all about Tennessee, and to a lesser extent Ole Miss and Alabama, ever since he got close to making his decision. There are reasons he picked Michigan when he did, but those likely won’t matter in the end.
Barring some huge change of heart from a couple of different parties, Gray won’t be a Wolverine. It’s unclear right now if U-M would search for a Gray-like replacement, but the staff has been enamored with Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian four-star running back Zach Charbonnet ,and he looks like a day one contributor as a senior.
Oakley (Calif.) Freedom three-star Giles Jackson is listed as an all-purpose back Giles Jackson and is built similarly to Gray at 5-9, 183 pounds, but he won’t take a snap as a back at U-M. The coaching staff views him 100 percent as a receiver and someone who can be a weapon in the return game.
However it all ends up playing out, Michigan’s 2019 class is going to be stacked with talent and hole fillers and won’t miss Gray all that much.
Earlier this week Crystal Lake (Ill.) Crystal Lake South four-star offensive tackle Trevor Keegan visited Michigan and brought along his parents and coach. The group spent a ton of time with offensive line coach Ed Warinner and those relationships couldn’t be stronger. The 6-6, 310-pounder isn’t talking to the media much these days, but someone very close to Keegan’s recruitment gave some insight as to how things are going with Warinner and Michigan.
“The visit went great,” our source said. “His dad, mom and coach were very pleased. His head coach is coming back for the Indiana game this weekend. He’s been extremely chatty with Coach Warinner since his visit. Those two have gotten really close.”
Keegan’s list of finalists is absolutely loaded with Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State and Penn State on it, but Michigan is positioning itself very, very well for Keegan’s December decision. It feels like Michigan leads right now, but it’s been very tight for a long time and Keegan does seem genuinely torn about where he wants to spend his college years.
If Keegan doesn’t end up at Michigan, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world with U-M’s haul at offensive line solidly covered with the five current commits. Still, Warinner has made it pretty clear that he’d like to reel in one more prospect that’s all tackle.
Lakeville (Minn.) Lakeville North three-star offensive tackle Bryce Benhart was on U-M’s short list, but he committed to Nebraska a couple of weeks ago. Kansas City (Mo.) Rockhurst four-star offensive tackle Danielson Ike is expected to take an official visit to Michigan sometime in December, but the Wolverines are likely behind a couple of schools like Oklahoma, Iowa State and Missouri. Michigan is going to get another shot but Ike definitely doesn’t seem like a U-M lean at this point.
But keep an eye on Indianapolis Ben Davis offensive tackle Dawand Jones this weekend. The 6-8, 350-pounder is visiting Michigan this weekend and could be in line for an offer. He’s been talking to the coaching staff about that being a possibility. If it happens, it could be a game changer.
“I hope I get one,” Jones said of an offer. “It would affect me a lot. A top-four team in the country? That kind of an offer would mean a lot to me.“
Jones hails from the same high school as Michigan running back Chris Evans and knows all about how Evans’s experience has gone in Ann Arbor. The two aren’t necessarily close, but Jones has heard about how much Evans loves it at U-M and that gives him some comfort if Michigan were to become an option for him.
Jones currently holds offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, Mississippi State and USC among a few other smaller schools, so an offer from the Wolverines would look nice on his list. If it comes through this weekend he’d immediately become a potential addition were Keegan to pick one of his other finalist.
More recruiting …
Michigan’s list of recruiting visitors for this weekend’s game is very small, but one visitor fans will want to keep an eye on is Overland Park (Kan.) Blue Valley North three-star athlete Amauri Pesek-Hickson.
He gave a rundown of what he expects to do during his visit this weekend, which includes catching up with a current Wolverine he was basically a neighbor with growing up.
“I’m leaving right after my game on Friday, and then driving up there because I can’t afford a plane ticket,” Pesek-Hickson said. “This is an unofficial visit, and my official is set for Dec. 8. I’ll probably do a photo shoot once I get there, meet with some coaches, talk to my old friend Ronnie Bell, and then go to the game and check out the campus and facilities.
“It’ll be my first time ever in Michigan. I think I’m most looking forward to seeing the atmosphere there and how everything is on game day. It’ll be exciting for me to see the surroundings, since it’s the biggest stadium in college football.”
Pesek-Hickson gave a little more background info on his relationship with current U-M freshman wideout Bell, who grew up in Kansas City and just 18 minutes away from Overland North.
“We played on the same AAU team the summer before this past one, so he’s a really good friend of mine,” Pesek-Hickson said. “I actually talk to him every day — we’ve been talking more since I got my Michigan offer. He said going to Michigan has been the best decision he’s ever made. Ronnie tells me everything about it there — how much love people show toward the football program, and how much the coaches push everyone to hard work. That’s exactly what I want — to work hard and do what I’m told.”
Though his recruitment with Michigan has only picked up as of late, Pesek-Hickson said he grew up a huge Wolverines fan.
“It doesn’t take much to be interested in Michigan — they’re the winningest program in the history of college football,” he exclaimed. “Coach Harbaugh is also a great coach with a really good background. I grew up watching Desmond Howard highlights, so I’ve always liked Michigan and have been a big fan my whole life.
“I love how Coach Harbaugh is so passionate about the football program and about Michigan as a whole. You can really feel Coach Brown’s intensity too when you talk to him, and the passion they both have for the game and for the school.
“Those two are the two I talk to the most, but they haven’t solidified which position they see me as. They said they’d like to see where I fit best once I get on campus. They’ve talked to me about playing safety, wide receiver and running back — I feel like I can play anywhere on the field, and I believe they think so too. I play running back for my high school team, but I’m also moved out to the slot to catch the ball. I actually have more receiving yards than rushing yards this year.”
Pesek-Hickson admitted Michigan is “up there at the top” of his list. When asked if a commitment could potentially be in store this weekend, this is what he said:
“I don’t know — we’ll just have to see what happens.”
Finally, on five-star Quavaris Crouch …
We know he enjoyed his Michigan visit immensely. He also liked his trip to Tennessee, and very much. Those near Clemson are expecting him to pick the Tigers, and the rumblings down there from those close to him are that proximity to home and the weather (something he’s mentioned a number of times) are much bigger factors than he’s let on.
Crouch is bringing his entire family with him on the visit to Clemson this weekend. U-M is still in it, of course, but more sources seem to feel he’s going to be a Tiger in the end.
****
To basketball and recruiting now …
Michigan is in great shape with future rosters, having signed four-star forward Jalen Wilson and four-star guard/wing Cole Bajema for next year and getting a pledge from four-star 2020 point guard Zeb Jackson. A 2020 big man is now a priority, and Georgian Walker Kessler is their top target.
As we said last week, his visit couldn’t have gone any better. He picked up an offer, and though his family ties at Georgia included his dad, an uncle and more, those close to it now believe U-M has as good a shot as anyone, with one caveat … if Duke or North Carolina make him a priority, that throws a monkey in the wrench. He’s enamored with the big time ACC programs, and that’s something he’d look at seriously.
There’s not much more to report at this point given how well stocked U-M is for the next few years, but we’ll continue 2020 updates shortly after football season ends. Both Wilson and Bajema signed their letters last week – both told us they celebrated with their families while watching the Wolverines dismantle Villanova.
They loved what they saw (more on that soon).
On the hoops front, they’re going to continue to look for ways to get freshman point guard David DeJulius and Brandon Johns on the floor. When we talked to head coach John Beilein for our sit down in the spring, he told us they were tinkering with the idea of playing Johns at the five, but not forward Isaiah Livers. Johns has progressed slowly (though he is progressing), so Livers is now getting those minutes at the five.
At the same time, they’d also like Livers to continue to get more aggressive on the wing and get Johns some more time as it’s warranted.
In short — this is far from a finished product, and it’s only going to get better. That’s what makes the 73-46 drubbing of ‘Nova even more exciting.
Starting this week’s edition with football …
There’s been plenty of angst about offensive line coach Ed Warinner and whether or not he’ll still be around next year. We can tell you right now we strongly believe he’s not going anywhere and will be back as Michigan’s offensive line coach (and yes, helping out with other aspects of the offense, including play calling) next season.
We also strongly suspect he’ll get a nice bump in pay, and it would be well deserved.
Warinner does have a son playing at Michigan State, but he’s not going to give up a gig at U-M for one in East Lansing. His wife has family nearby, as he’s said a number of times, and he loves everything about Michigan and what it has to offer … and has already given him.
He wasn’t blowing smoke the other day when he said Michigan is the best of the best when you think not only college football, but what a university and an athletic department should be.
That’s good news, of course. Warinner has proven again he’s one of the best line coaches out there, and cohesiveness on a staff is huge. There were guys so frustrated last year that they considered bowing out if things didn’t change. Warinner’s hire proved huge in turning that group around, building confidence and making everyone happy.
Another aspect that’s really helped turn the program around, according to those closest to it — the players have really taken ownership of the team, and the leadership has been outstanding, especially at key positions. It’s not just Shea Patterson, but also backup Dylan McCaffrey providing a lot of it on the offense (along with the captains, running back Karan Higdon and Ben Bredeson, of course).
Michigan head coach John Beilein once said there’s only so much he could do as a leader. At some point his players needed to start leaning on each other more than the coaches, and we’ve seen that happen with the basketball program and now the football program.
These guys are holding each other accountable the way Michigan teams of the past have, and that’s huge. They’re starting to build that culture again of winning for Michigan … some have scoffed at that, but the transition from an environment they called “stale” under Lloyd Carr to what we saw the last 10 years brings us back to that quote a former staffer gave us when Rodriguez fired almost all of Carr’s assistants.
“It will be five years of [failure], and it will take us five years to fix it,” he said.
Again, continuity and cohesiveness are huge. Michigan loses some pieces next year, but we certainly wouldn’t expect a huge step backward. The personnel is only going to get better, too … they are confident the ceiling is a few notches higher.
As for Patterson, conflicting information on which way he’s leaning, and it’s all from great sources. Last week we told you we expected him to stay one more year, and that was from someone extremely close to it. Others just as close are saying he could very well go, especially if the Wolverines finish really strong.
We’ll have to continue to watch this one, but we’re not guessing here. There’s a very real possibility he goes.
Finally, Indiana is pretty healthy as a team heading into Saturday’s matchup with Michigan, but could potentially be without two of its better players on each side of the ball.
TheHoosier.com’s Stu Jackson gave the latest on the injury front.
“Indiana doesn’t offer a lot of details on its injured players, but one of the significant injuries is to [sophomore] slot receiver Whop Philyor, who is the team’s top deep threat,” Jackson explained. “He has been bothered by a nagging high ankle sprain since the Michigan State game in late September. He posted a picture from a hospital bed, suggesting he underwent some sort of procedure recently, so I wouldn’t expect him to play.
“The other one is [redshirt junior linebacker] Reakwon Jones — Indiana’s starter at the stinger linebacker position, which is primarily responsible for stopping the run. Jones is day-to-day, and Tom Allen said they won’t know more about his status until later in the week.”
Philyor has 23 catches for 235 yards, while Jones has 36 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss (fourth most on the team).
****
To football recruiting now …
We’ll start off with the not-so breaking news surrounding Memphis (Tenn.) Lausanne three-star all-purpose back Eric Gray.
The 5-10, 185-pounder has been committed to Michigan since July 1, but he’s never really been solid. He may have verbally committed to the Wolverines on that day, but he’s been flirting with other schools ever since. People in Memphis and closer to his recruitment have been saying since day one that he likely wouldn’t sign with Michigan.
After this weekend’s developments, it’s becoming clearer and clearer.
The No. 6 all-purpose back in the country was thinking about a visit to Michigan this weekend but decided to check out Tennessee — again. If you’ve been paying attention around here, it shouldn’t really be surprising that things are playing out this way. The people in his circle have been all about Tennessee, and to a lesser extent Ole Miss and Alabama, ever since he got close to making his decision. There are reasons he picked Michigan when he did, but those likely won’t matter in the end.
Barring some huge change of heart from a couple of different parties, Gray won’t be a Wolverine. It’s unclear right now if U-M would search for a Gray-like replacement, but the staff has been enamored with Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian four-star running back Zach Charbonnet ,and he looks like a day one contributor as a senior.
Oakley (Calif.) Freedom three-star Giles Jackson is listed as an all-purpose back Giles Jackson and is built similarly to Gray at 5-9, 183 pounds, but he won’t take a snap as a back at U-M. The coaching staff views him 100 percent as a receiver and someone who can be a weapon in the return game.
However it all ends up playing out, Michigan’s 2019 class is going to be stacked with talent and hole fillers and won’t miss Gray all that much.
Earlier this week Crystal Lake (Ill.) Crystal Lake South four-star offensive tackle Trevor Keegan visited Michigan and brought along his parents and coach. The group spent a ton of time with offensive line coach Ed Warinner and those relationships couldn’t be stronger. The 6-6, 310-pounder isn’t talking to the media much these days, but someone very close to Keegan’s recruitment gave some insight as to how things are going with Warinner and Michigan.
“The visit went great,” our source said. “His dad, mom and coach were very pleased. His head coach is coming back for the Indiana game this weekend. He’s been extremely chatty with Coach Warinner since his visit. Those two have gotten really close.”
Keegan’s list of finalists is absolutely loaded with Clemson, Georgia, Ohio State and Penn State on it, but Michigan is positioning itself very, very well for Keegan’s December decision. It feels like Michigan leads right now, but it’s been very tight for a long time and Keegan does seem genuinely torn about where he wants to spend his college years.
If Keegan doesn’t end up at Michigan, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world with U-M’s haul at offensive line solidly covered with the five current commits. Still, Warinner has made it pretty clear that he’d like to reel in one more prospect that’s all tackle.
Lakeville (Minn.) Lakeville North three-star offensive tackle Bryce Benhart was on U-M’s short list, but he committed to Nebraska a couple of weeks ago. Kansas City (Mo.) Rockhurst four-star offensive tackle Danielson Ike is expected to take an official visit to Michigan sometime in December, but the Wolverines are likely behind a couple of schools like Oklahoma, Iowa State and Missouri. Michigan is going to get another shot but Ike definitely doesn’t seem like a U-M lean at this point.
But keep an eye on Indianapolis Ben Davis offensive tackle Dawand Jones this weekend. The 6-8, 350-pounder is visiting Michigan this weekend and could be in line for an offer. He’s been talking to the coaching staff about that being a possibility. If it happens, it could be a game changer.
“I hope I get one,” Jones said of an offer. “It would affect me a lot. A top-four team in the country? That kind of an offer would mean a lot to me.“
Jones hails from the same high school as Michigan running back Chris Evans and knows all about how Evans’s experience has gone in Ann Arbor. The two aren’t necessarily close, but Jones has heard about how much Evans loves it at U-M and that gives him some comfort if Michigan were to become an option for him.
Jones currently holds offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, Mississippi State and USC among a few other smaller schools, so an offer from the Wolverines would look nice on his list. If it comes through this weekend he’d immediately become a potential addition were Keegan to pick one of his other finalist.
More recruiting …
Michigan’s list of recruiting visitors for this weekend’s game is very small, but one visitor fans will want to keep an eye on is Overland Park (Kan.) Blue Valley North three-star athlete Amauri Pesek-Hickson.
He gave a rundown of what he expects to do during his visit this weekend, which includes catching up with a current Wolverine he was basically a neighbor with growing up.
“I’m leaving right after my game on Friday, and then driving up there because I can’t afford a plane ticket,” Pesek-Hickson said. “This is an unofficial visit, and my official is set for Dec. 8. I’ll probably do a photo shoot once I get there, meet with some coaches, talk to my old friend Ronnie Bell, and then go to the game and check out the campus and facilities.
“It’ll be my first time ever in Michigan. I think I’m most looking forward to seeing the atmosphere there and how everything is on game day. It’ll be exciting for me to see the surroundings, since it’s the biggest stadium in college football.”
Pesek-Hickson gave a little more background info on his relationship with current U-M freshman wideout Bell, who grew up in Kansas City and just 18 minutes away from Overland North.
“We played on the same AAU team the summer before this past one, so he’s a really good friend of mine,” Pesek-Hickson said. “I actually talk to him every day — we’ve been talking more since I got my Michigan offer. He said going to Michigan has been the best decision he’s ever made. Ronnie tells me everything about it there — how much love people show toward the football program, and how much the coaches push everyone to hard work. That’s exactly what I want — to work hard and do what I’m told.”
Though his recruitment with Michigan has only picked up as of late, Pesek-Hickson said he grew up a huge Wolverines fan.
“It doesn’t take much to be interested in Michigan — they’re the winningest program in the history of college football,” he exclaimed. “Coach Harbaugh is also a great coach with a really good background. I grew up watching Desmond Howard highlights, so I’ve always liked Michigan and have been a big fan my whole life.
“I love how Coach Harbaugh is so passionate about the football program and about Michigan as a whole. You can really feel Coach Brown’s intensity too when you talk to him, and the passion they both have for the game and for the school.
“Those two are the two I talk to the most, but they haven’t solidified which position they see me as. They said they’d like to see where I fit best once I get on campus. They’ve talked to me about playing safety, wide receiver and running back — I feel like I can play anywhere on the field, and I believe they think so too. I play running back for my high school team, but I’m also moved out to the slot to catch the ball. I actually have more receiving yards than rushing yards this year.”
Pesek-Hickson admitted Michigan is “up there at the top” of his list. When asked if a commitment could potentially be in store this weekend, this is what he said:
“I don’t know — we’ll just have to see what happens.”
Finally, on five-star Quavaris Crouch …
We know he enjoyed his Michigan visit immensely. He also liked his trip to Tennessee, and very much. Those near Clemson are expecting him to pick the Tigers, and the rumblings down there from those close to him are that proximity to home and the weather (something he’s mentioned a number of times) are much bigger factors than he’s let on.
Crouch is bringing his entire family with him on the visit to Clemson this weekend. U-M is still in it, of course, but more sources seem to feel he’s going to be a Tiger in the end.
****
To basketball and recruiting now …
Michigan is in great shape with future rosters, having signed four-star forward Jalen Wilson and four-star guard/wing Cole Bajema for next year and getting a pledge from four-star 2020 point guard Zeb Jackson. A 2020 big man is now a priority, and Georgian Walker Kessler is their top target.
As we said last week, his visit couldn’t have gone any better. He picked up an offer, and though his family ties at Georgia included his dad, an uncle and more, those close to it now believe U-M has as good a shot as anyone, with one caveat … if Duke or North Carolina make him a priority, that throws a monkey in the wrench. He’s enamored with the big time ACC programs, and that’s something he’d look at seriously.
There’s not much more to report at this point given how well stocked U-M is for the next few years, but we’ll continue 2020 updates shortly after football season ends. Both Wilson and Bajema signed their letters last week – both told us they celebrated with their families while watching the Wolverines dismantle Villanova.
They loved what they saw (more on that soon).
On the hoops front, they’re going to continue to look for ways to get freshman point guard David DeJulius and Brandon Johns on the floor. When we talked to head coach John Beilein for our sit down in the spring, he told us they were tinkering with the idea of playing Johns at the five, but not forward Isaiah Livers. Johns has progressed slowly (though he is progressing), so Livers is now getting those minutes at the five.
At the same time, they’d also like Livers to continue to get more aggressive on the wing and get Johns some more time as it’s warranted.
In short — this is far from a finished product, and it’s only going to get better. That’s what makes the 73-46 drubbing of ‘Nova even more exciting.
