The latest edition of INSIDE THE FORT, including plenty of football, basketball and recruiting information.
Starting with football, and the latest on Chase Winovich …
As we’ve said all week, we fully expect fifth-year senior end Winovich to play and to be healthier than he was heading into the Indiana game. He was not 100 percent and was a bit weak even going into the game, but he’s going to be good to go for the Buckeyes. He was back in the building and fired up for film Monday.
Do NOT listen to message board chatter on this, or friends of girlfriends’ cousins. He does not have a shoulder injury (that includes collarbone), nor is he in concussion protocol. Expect No. 15 to be out there and starting.
We do expect the Wolverines to be down an interior linemen in this one, however.
Ohio State is relatively healthy heading into The Game tomorrow, but Kevin Noon of BuckeyeGrove.com gave a rundown of which key OSU players could potentially miss the contest with injury.
“Ohio State is pretty healthy, and I would not see any significant injuries taking anyone out of the lineup that we did not already know about,” he said. “Sure, Ohio State would love to have Nick Bosa walk through that door, but that is not going to happen. [Redshirt junior running back] Mike Weber was held out of the game against Maryland but has been cleared to go this week. [Sophomore linebacker] Baron Browning has missed two games at linebacker, but is probable for this week.
“If there is one injury that we are uncertain about, it is the status of [sophomore] left tackle Thayer Munford, who had to leave the game against Maryland. While the belief is that he will be back, nobody is quite sure. That means that either [redshirt junior] Josh Alabi or [redshirt junior] Branden Bowen could step into that role if Munford is unable to go. Alabi was the next man up against Maryland and had a strong game, but the stakes get significantly higher against a Michigan front.”
Rumors have swirled over the last few weeks surrounding Urban Meyer’s health and his future in Columbus, and whether or not this could actually be his last year.
Many have noted how he appears to be in physical pain on the sidelines, and Noon gave his take on the matter.
“I don't think the rumors can be wholly discounted because this season has taken a lot out of Meyer, and despite what sarcastic critics may want to say about him, the cyst issue is a real one,” he explained. “While it is not something that is more than serious discomfort at this point, there could be risks down the line, and obviously stress is something that impacts Meyer's general health, which is not a good mix for a head coach at a major college program.
“I think the winds on this one blow in a different direction each day as to 'will he' or 'will he not' in terms of his status for next year. I am sure that Meyer has good days and not-so-good days when it comes to all of this. The point being, I don't think any sort of definitive answer has been made on his part, but to say that there is no chance this could be his final season would be foolish. Conversely, I don't think that anyone should leap to any conclusions quite yet.”
There hasn’t been much trash talking on either side so far this week, unless you want to count Karan Higdon’s ‘guarantee.’
It’s obvious the U-M players are confident heading into Columbus, and Noon explained what the mindset is of the Buckeye players at this point.
“It is Michigan week, but they aren’t saying much,” he admitted. “Practice hard, be ready, play hard and the most prepared team will win — that and more from the big book of sports clichés. Nobody is going to pop off the way Terry Glenn did many years ago in advance of this game. They are not letting underclassmen speak to the media, and the message has been carefully relayed to the few faces that are allowed to speak.
“Urban Meyer and some of the players are saying they don't pay attention to odds or lines in terms of favorites or underdogs, and while that might make for a good story, I believe they are well aware and are going to use that as a little more ammo to really play up the underdog role. He’ll get the team to come out and play with a fire trying to protect their home field and their dominance as of late in this series.”
As for tomorrow’s game, there’s not much more to be said on the Michigan end that hasn’t already been said. The speeches have been made (one was epic – we’ll have more on that after the game) and the team has left for Columbus.
The importance of this game isn’t lost on anyone in that building, especially Jim Harbaugh. We remember riding the elevator up to the OSU press box in 2002 — the elevator operator was literally shaking knowing what was on the line for the Buckeyes, repeatedly saying, ‘we’ve got to have this one.’
Those in the building aren’t shaking or shivering, but they know it’s past time to get this rivalry back to where it should be, and they’ve prepared as such. Without giving away secrets, we expect to see the best game plan of the year, which it has been in this game the last two seasons.
****
To football recruiting …
Michigan already has a commitment from West Bloomfield (Mich.) High three-star inside linebacker Cornell Wheeler and may be the favorite to land another junior Laker in Makari Paige. The four-star safety is a big time talent at 6-3, 185 pounds and has been to Michigan quite a few times in the past. He’s quiet and doesn’t give much away but people close to his recruitment see his future in Ann Arbor as a very real possibility.
“He’s really close with Cornell and that’s going to be a bit of a factor but the bigger deal is going to be his parents. They want him at Michigan,” our source said. “Makari is going to do his own thing and he’s going to look at a lot of schools but Michigan is going to be really tough for him to ignore.”
As the No. 12 safety and No. 201 overall prospect nationally, Paige is coveted and that certainly makes his recruitment one to follow. He’s not a U-M lock, especially considering that other schools like Ohio State and Michigan State are recruiting him a little harder than U-M at this time, but the Wolverines are going to be there. Paige hasn’t listed any favorites and keeps his cards close to the vest but he’ll definitely one to keep an eye on as his recruitment progresses.
Numbers certainly seem to be pretty tight for Michigan in the 2019 class and it looks like Belleville (Mich.) High three-star defensive lineman Tyrece Woods de-committed from Michigan yesterday because of it.
We’ll let you draw your own conclusions here, but it’s clear Woods had hoped to be part of the class. With his spot now available for someone else to potentially take, U-M is in really good shape with a couple of other big time defensive linemen.
The Michigan staff has positioned itself extremely well with Lewis Center (Ohio) Olentangy Orange five-star strongside defensive end Zach Harrison and many people, both on the Michigan and Ohio State side of things, now see Harrison as a U-M lean.
Some have gone so far as to say it’s a done deal.
The 6-5, 245-pounder was on campus in Columbus earlier this week but he won’t be at “The Game” this weekend and that’s telling.
Everyone wants the No. 1 strongside defensive end in the country, but it’s down to just Michigan and Ohio State with the Buckeyes fading fast. An Ohio native close to Harrison’s recruitment sees it trending toward Michigan in a big way.
“I think Michigan is in a pretty good spot,” our source said. “I also think he's not putting as much thought into this right now as people think he is. He's talking to coaches like once a week and is ready to sit down and start to really pick this thing apart. Even with some deep thought coming, it’s hard to argue with where Michigan stands right now.
“I would expect he goes through with a round of in-home visits and decides middle of December.”
Harrison will make that decision, sign during the early signing period and then enroll early at his school of choice. If that were all happening today, he’d be a Wolverine and it doesn’t feel like that’s going to change.
Michigan is also still in the mix for West Lafayette (Ind.) High four-star strongside defensive end George Karlaftis but the Purdue commit is still just that — a Purdue commit.
The No. 19 strongside defensive end and No. 197 overall prospect in the country has a ton of family ties to Purdue and lives right in town with a bunch of Boilermakers making his future seem pretty set. However, head coach Jeff Brohm’s future is up in the air right now, and what he does will have an affect on Karlaftis’ future.
Someone very close to Purdue’s recruiting efforts has been following the entire situation closely and shed some light on just what might happen with the 6-4, 260-pounder.
“People underestimate how much his family had to do with him committing in first place,” our source said. “The kid can say whatever he wants, and he’s very impulsive, but even if Brohm leaves, the new coach will have a chance to keep him. Grandpa looms large there and wants him in town.
“Still, if Brohm leaves Purdue, which people are getting way ahead of themselves on, Karlaftis will probably take a look around if not de-commit altogether. Clemson has been the first name out of his mouth regarding other options, but Michigan has always wanted him bad.”
Karlaftis has been committed to Purdue since October of 2017 and it’ll be tough to bring him off of that, but Michigan may just have a chance. Brohm’s decision looms large and many people are interested in what he chooses to do.
****
Finishing with basketball and recruiting now …
Folks in Crisler Arena are thrilled with the way the defense has come together, obviously, but the offense continues to make strides, too. Center Jon Teske is raining threes in practice — so is forward Ignas Brazdeikis — and they think it’s only a matter of time before we see more of that in games, and that it will really help open up the offense.
This is a big reason why head coach John Beilein didn’t panic early in the year when the offense was struggling. We asked him specifically if this was a different challenge for him given his instinct to put an offensive lineup on the floor (given that the offense is his baby) and the fact that a defensive lineup would have a chance to be devastating.
That was days before U-M played Villanova. Beilein told us that no, he trusted this his defensive players would get much better offensively and his offensive players would get better on defense, and he’d put his lineups on the floor based on that.
He has, and with great results, obviously. He continues to insist that it’s only a matter of time before his practice shooters show up in games, too, and we’re starting to see signs of that with Jordan Poole, Brazdeikis and even Teske.
This team is only scratching the surface of its potential.
As for hoops recruiting … not much to report, since Michigan is in such great shape through 2019 and even into 2020 with point guard Zeb Jackson’s commitment. Jackson is still growing and many believe he’ll be a top 40 kid by the end of his senior season.
We feel strongly (and so does everyone) that Charles Matthews will be gone next year. Jalen Wilson, the four-star 2019 out of Denton (Texas) Guyer, will have a chance to fill that role, but he won’t be the only one.
And as of now we strongly suspect Brazdeikis will be back for his sophomore year. Yeah, he wants to be a pro, but he loves it here.
Starting with football, and the latest on Chase Winovich …
As we’ve said all week, we fully expect fifth-year senior end Winovich to play and to be healthier than he was heading into the Indiana game. He was not 100 percent and was a bit weak even going into the game, but he’s going to be good to go for the Buckeyes. He was back in the building and fired up for film Monday.
Do NOT listen to message board chatter on this, or friends of girlfriends’ cousins. He does not have a shoulder injury (that includes collarbone), nor is he in concussion protocol. Expect No. 15 to be out there and starting.
We do expect the Wolverines to be down an interior linemen in this one, however.
Ohio State is relatively healthy heading into The Game tomorrow, but Kevin Noon of BuckeyeGrove.com gave a rundown of which key OSU players could potentially miss the contest with injury.
“Ohio State is pretty healthy, and I would not see any significant injuries taking anyone out of the lineup that we did not already know about,” he said. “Sure, Ohio State would love to have Nick Bosa walk through that door, but that is not going to happen. [Redshirt junior running back] Mike Weber was held out of the game against Maryland but has been cleared to go this week. [Sophomore linebacker] Baron Browning has missed two games at linebacker, but is probable for this week.
“If there is one injury that we are uncertain about, it is the status of [sophomore] left tackle Thayer Munford, who had to leave the game against Maryland. While the belief is that he will be back, nobody is quite sure. That means that either [redshirt junior] Josh Alabi or [redshirt junior] Branden Bowen could step into that role if Munford is unable to go. Alabi was the next man up against Maryland and had a strong game, but the stakes get significantly higher against a Michigan front.”
Rumors have swirled over the last few weeks surrounding Urban Meyer’s health and his future in Columbus, and whether or not this could actually be his last year.
Many have noted how he appears to be in physical pain on the sidelines, and Noon gave his take on the matter.
“I don't think the rumors can be wholly discounted because this season has taken a lot out of Meyer, and despite what sarcastic critics may want to say about him, the cyst issue is a real one,” he explained. “While it is not something that is more than serious discomfort at this point, there could be risks down the line, and obviously stress is something that impacts Meyer's general health, which is not a good mix for a head coach at a major college program.
“I think the winds on this one blow in a different direction each day as to 'will he' or 'will he not' in terms of his status for next year. I am sure that Meyer has good days and not-so-good days when it comes to all of this. The point being, I don't think any sort of definitive answer has been made on his part, but to say that there is no chance this could be his final season would be foolish. Conversely, I don't think that anyone should leap to any conclusions quite yet.”
There hasn’t been much trash talking on either side so far this week, unless you want to count Karan Higdon’s ‘guarantee.’
It’s obvious the U-M players are confident heading into Columbus, and Noon explained what the mindset is of the Buckeye players at this point.
“It is Michigan week, but they aren’t saying much,” he admitted. “Practice hard, be ready, play hard and the most prepared team will win — that and more from the big book of sports clichés. Nobody is going to pop off the way Terry Glenn did many years ago in advance of this game. They are not letting underclassmen speak to the media, and the message has been carefully relayed to the few faces that are allowed to speak.
“Urban Meyer and some of the players are saying they don't pay attention to odds or lines in terms of favorites or underdogs, and while that might make for a good story, I believe they are well aware and are going to use that as a little more ammo to really play up the underdog role. He’ll get the team to come out and play with a fire trying to protect their home field and their dominance as of late in this series.”
As for tomorrow’s game, there’s not much more to be said on the Michigan end that hasn’t already been said. The speeches have been made (one was epic – we’ll have more on that after the game) and the team has left for Columbus.
The importance of this game isn’t lost on anyone in that building, especially Jim Harbaugh. We remember riding the elevator up to the OSU press box in 2002 — the elevator operator was literally shaking knowing what was on the line for the Buckeyes, repeatedly saying, ‘we’ve got to have this one.’
Those in the building aren’t shaking or shivering, but they know it’s past time to get this rivalry back to where it should be, and they’ve prepared as such. Without giving away secrets, we expect to see the best game plan of the year, which it has been in this game the last two seasons.
****
To football recruiting …
Michigan already has a commitment from West Bloomfield (Mich.) High three-star inside linebacker Cornell Wheeler and may be the favorite to land another junior Laker in Makari Paige. The four-star safety is a big time talent at 6-3, 185 pounds and has been to Michigan quite a few times in the past. He’s quiet and doesn’t give much away but people close to his recruitment see his future in Ann Arbor as a very real possibility.
“He’s really close with Cornell and that’s going to be a bit of a factor but the bigger deal is going to be his parents. They want him at Michigan,” our source said. “Makari is going to do his own thing and he’s going to look at a lot of schools but Michigan is going to be really tough for him to ignore.”
As the No. 12 safety and No. 201 overall prospect nationally, Paige is coveted and that certainly makes his recruitment one to follow. He’s not a U-M lock, especially considering that other schools like Ohio State and Michigan State are recruiting him a little harder than U-M at this time, but the Wolverines are going to be there. Paige hasn’t listed any favorites and keeps his cards close to the vest but he’ll definitely one to keep an eye on as his recruitment progresses.
Numbers certainly seem to be pretty tight for Michigan in the 2019 class and it looks like Belleville (Mich.) High three-star defensive lineman Tyrece Woods de-committed from Michigan yesterday because of it.
We’ll let you draw your own conclusions here, but it’s clear Woods had hoped to be part of the class. With his spot now available for someone else to potentially take, U-M is in really good shape with a couple of other big time defensive linemen.
The Michigan staff has positioned itself extremely well with Lewis Center (Ohio) Olentangy Orange five-star strongside defensive end Zach Harrison and many people, both on the Michigan and Ohio State side of things, now see Harrison as a U-M lean.
Some have gone so far as to say it’s a done deal.
The 6-5, 245-pounder was on campus in Columbus earlier this week but he won’t be at “The Game” this weekend and that’s telling.
Everyone wants the No. 1 strongside defensive end in the country, but it’s down to just Michigan and Ohio State with the Buckeyes fading fast. An Ohio native close to Harrison’s recruitment sees it trending toward Michigan in a big way.
“I think Michigan is in a pretty good spot,” our source said. “I also think he's not putting as much thought into this right now as people think he is. He's talking to coaches like once a week and is ready to sit down and start to really pick this thing apart. Even with some deep thought coming, it’s hard to argue with where Michigan stands right now.
“I would expect he goes through with a round of in-home visits and decides middle of December.”
Harrison will make that decision, sign during the early signing period and then enroll early at his school of choice. If that were all happening today, he’d be a Wolverine and it doesn’t feel like that’s going to change.
Michigan is also still in the mix for West Lafayette (Ind.) High four-star strongside defensive end George Karlaftis but the Purdue commit is still just that — a Purdue commit.
The No. 19 strongside defensive end and No. 197 overall prospect in the country has a ton of family ties to Purdue and lives right in town with a bunch of Boilermakers making his future seem pretty set. However, head coach Jeff Brohm’s future is up in the air right now, and what he does will have an affect on Karlaftis’ future.
Someone very close to Purdue’s recruiting efforts has been following the entire situation closely and shed some light on just what might happen with the 6-4, 260-pounder.
“People underestimate how much his family had to do with him committing in first place,” our source said. “The kid can say whatever he wants, and he’s very impulsive, but even if Brohm leaves, the new coach will have a chance to keep him. Grandpa looms large there and wants him in town.
“Still, if Brohm leaves Purdue, which people are getting way ahead of themselves on, Karlaftis will probably take a look around if not de-commit altogether. Clemson has been the first name out of his mouth regarding other options, but Michigan has always wanted him bad.”
Karlaftis has been committed to Purdue since October of 2017 and it’ll be tough to bring him off of that, but Michigan may just have a chance. Brohm’s decision looms large and many people are interested in what he chooses to do.
****
Finishing with basketball and recruiting now …
Folks in Crisler Arena are thrilled with the way the defense has come together, obviously, but the offense continues to make strides, too. Center Jon Teske is raining threes in practice — so is forward Ignas Brazdeikis — and they think it’s only a matter of time before we see more of that in games, and that it will really help open up the offense.
This is a big reason why head coach John Beilein didn’t panic early in the year when the offense was struggling. We asked him specifically if this was a different challenge for him given his instinct to put an offensive lineup on the floor (given that the offense is his baby) and the fact that a defensive lineup would have a chance to be devastating.
That was days before U-M played Villanova. Beilein told us that no, he trusted this his defensive players would get much better offensively and his offensive players would get better on defense, and he’d put his lineups on the floor based on that.
He has, and with great results, obviously. He continues to insist that it’s only a matter of time before his practice shooters show up in games, too, and we’re starting to see signs of that with Jordan Poole, Brazdeikis and even Teske.
This team is only scratching the surface of its potential.
As for hoops recruiting … not much to report, since Michigan is in such great shape through 2019 and even into 2020 with point guard Zeb Jackson’s commitment. Jackson is still growing and many believe he’ll be a top 40 kid by the end of his senior season.
We feel strongly (and so does everyone) that Charles Matthews will be gone next year. Jalen Wilson, the four-star 2019 out of Denton (Texas) Guyer, will have a chance to fill that role, but he won’t be the only one.
And as of now we strongly suspect Brazdeikis will be back for his sophomore year. Yeah, he wants to be a pro, but he loves it here.
