The latest edition of INSIDE THE FORT, including plenty of pre-MSU chatter, lots of football recruiting and some hoops.
Starting with football recruiting …
Michigan’s biggest remaining target is Lewis Center (Ohio) Olentangy Orange five-star strongside defensive end Zach Harrison and last weekend the 6-5, 245-pounder was on campus and really had a good time. He was able to spend a ton of time with the coaches and also palled around with friend and Michigan commit Joey Velazquez.
As the No. 1 strongside defensive end and No. 17 overall prospect nationally, he’s wanted by everyone but seems to be down to Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State. The order of those schools varies depending on who you talk to but one thing is clear — he’s high on Michigan, has been to campus several times on his own dime and has not committed to Ohio State even though that would be the easiest move by far.
After talking to a source very close to Harrison’s recruitment there’s definitely reason to be optimistic about him ending up in Ann Arbor.
“I would say Michigan is looking really good. I think he’s going to be a Wolverine,” our source said. “Everyone seems to think that Zach’s mom wants him at Ohio State, but that’s not the case at all.
“They are from Chicago. His mom just wants him to be thorough throughout the process. She wanted to take all the time necessary and make sure that Zach made the right choice for him. She’s really paying attention to the coaching staffs and wants him to pick whichever schools wants Zach — not just the football player.”
That certainly seems to bode best for Michigan. In covering recruiting all we ever hear about is the family feel created at U-M. The coaches, their wives, their children, Jack and Jackie Harbaugh, support staffers and especially the academic folks are all involved in the recruiting visits.
When you compare that to the things that Urban Meyer has recently been involved with and James Franklin’s slightly checkered past, the U-M staff shines.
“All things they have definitely noticed,” our source reiterated.
It’s also worth noting that even though Harrison wasn’t on an official visit last weekend, he was essentially treated as if he was. The staff rolled out the red carpet for him and kind of had him doing his own thing rather than being mixed in with the entire massive group. He was right up front with official visitor Trevor Keegan out of Crystal Lake (Ill.) Crystal Lake South. The four-star tackle quickly realized that he and Harrison were VIPs, and that resonated with both.
We’re still not saying that Harrison is a lock to Michigan but we’re feeling more and more confident about him picking the Wolverines. If he did, U-M would then have the No. 1 and No. 2 strongside defensive ends committed in Harrison and Norcross (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian five-star Christopher Hinton in the fold.
Not too shabby.
Speaking of Keegan, he obviously received a lot of attention last week, as well. Loganville (Ga.) Grayson three-star offensive tackle and Michigan commit Trente Jones got a chance to spend quite a bit of time with Keegan and feels good about playing on the same line as him in the future.
“Me, Jack [Stewart] and Karsen [Barnhart] definitely spent time with Keegan,” Jones said. “I think he likes Michigan. He just seemed to be excited about everything. It’s only my assumption but it really seemed as if he wants to be here.”
Jones has a great personality and seems to be in tune with what people are thinking and feeling. He’s a cerebral kid and should be believed when he said he felt a little something from Keegan.
Keegan and Harrison are in similar situations. They both have top groups and both seem to be pretty torn — Keegan more so than Harrison. Even though both of them have a loaded list of finalists, I might call Michigan the favorite to land both. Keegan will make his decision in early December and Harrison may be deciding at about the same time. That gives every program involved a chance to keep working but U-M is in a great spot with both as the finish line gets closer.
More football recruiting …
Michigan hosted several elite prospects during last week’s blowout of Wisconsin, and one of the top recruits in attendance was Dacula (Ga.) High four-star cornerback Jalen Perry.
He is rated No. 115 overall, and de-committed from Georgia two weeks ago.
Perry spoke about his trip to Ann Arbor, and provided an update as to where the Maize and Blue stand with him following the visit.
“It was a great experience,” he exclaimed. “I got up there on Friday and met with the coaches that day. I talked with Coach Harbaugh, Coach Zordich, Coach Partridge and Coach Brown — I like all four of them, and had great talks with each of them. You can tell Coach Brown knows defense just by being around him — he’s been around football forever. Zordich really knows how to coach corners as well, and I think Harbaugh is a great guy for that team and for their system.
“We went out to dinner after that, and hung out with the players and recruits during that time. On Saturday morning, I went to College GameDay and that was a fun experience. I actually got to meet Desmond Howard, and he gave me some good advice. I obviously went to the game on Saturday night against Wisconsin, and Michigan got the big win — it was good to see them play well. On Sunday, I got breakfast with the coaches and met with them one more time before flying back home.
“I would say the game itself was my favorite part of the trip, because it was the first time I’d ever been to The Big House. The way they played against Wisconsin was incredible, and it exceeded my expectations, especially on the defensive side of the ball. As a defensive guy, you always want to see the defense dominate and Michigan did that the entire game. I’m a corner, and it was a cool to see them play well as a group and hardly allow any passing yards.”
Lewis Center (Ohio) Olentangy Orange five-star defensive end Zach Harrison was the top recruit in attendance that night, and although Perry said he never got a chance to speak with him, he did talk with some of U-M’s primary targets and commits.
“I talked with [Oakley (Calif.) Freedom three-star running back] Giles Jackson,” Perry said. “I also spoke with some of the other commits and players, and just got a sense of why they chose Michigan. All the recruits there seemed to have U-M as one of their top choices.
“They’re toward the top for me too. I’ve got a list of schools I’m focusing on, and Michigan is in that group. That’s all I can say as of now — I can’t really say who the others are in my top group, but Michigan is up there.”
When asked to rate his interest in the Wolverines on a scale of 1-10, Perry placed it at a nine.
On four-star linebacker Tommy Eichenberg of Cleveland St. Ignatius … some close to it believe the Boston College pledge could flip his commitment, and while some believe Liam’s (OL at Notre Dame) brother would choose Ohio State, Michigan is right there.
Eichenberg is extremely tight with Caden Kolesar, son of former Michigan wide receiver John Kolesar. There’s been talk that Kolesar could come as a preferred walk-on -- though he’s picking up more and more offers, his heart is with U-M – and that wouldn't hurt the Wolverines’ chances.
Michigan has several alums from St. Ignatius, and this is one they’d like to see go U-M’s way. There are a lot of ties there, and it appears the Wolverines are picking up steam for one of the Midwest’s fastest risers (per Rivals.com).
“Eichenberg was certainly not unknown coming into his senior season. Quite the contrary, as he has been ranked in the Rivals250 since debuting as a four-star following junior season,” they wrote. “Eichenberg’s offer list, however, was not quite as strong as other prospects ranked around him.
“While Boston College and Duke had offered, his recruitment was mostly regional, but lacked some of the traditional powers from the Midwest. After concluding the first half of his season, however, Eichenberg popped new offers from both Michigan and Ohio State. Now the question becomes, will Boston College be able to hold onto his commitment? It will be interesting to see which other schools join the pursuit.”
****
To football …
Michigan has a few players nursing boo-boos this week, but we expect most of them to play. Aubrey Solomon and Michael Dwumfour are ready for more action, and Tyree Kinnel and David Long are fine after getting nicked up.
The two major concerns right now … junior defensive end Rashan Gary and sophomore fullback Ben Mason. As of this minute, we don’t know if Gary will play against the Spartans. He is nursing a shoulder injury and has practiced some this week, but his status has gone back and forth (and right now might be leaning toward him not playing).
Mason has an undisclosed injury, and his physical presence is imperative. The good news there — fifth-year Jared Wangler will see more snaps, and he’s really ramped up his play. He gets this rivalry as well as anyone and has had a great week of practice.
But this is Ben Mason we’re talking about. Latest word … he’s playing.
We also know redshirt freshman Tarik Black was working with the twos in practice and will dress. He’ll be a game-time decision.
The entire team has had a good, focused week of practice, and they understand everything that’s at stake here. We’ll see if they can translate it to the field against an opponent that hates their very existence. But we like what we’ve heard about the game plan and the intensity.
This wasn’t a great Michigan State team even before the injuries, and is a game the Wolverines should win, rivalry or not. The speeches before they left were epic and included some fiery words from defensive coordinator Don Brown and some of the Detroit kids. They seem ready to prove they can match MSU’s toughness and intensity. They are playing with confidence and have the mindset that there are six teams in their way of one of their ultimate goals, which is making the playoff.
As for injuries, MSU has several key players banged up for Saturday’s game, and Matt Charboneau — who covers the Spartans for The Detroit News — provided an update on who Michigan should expect to see, and which players will be out.
“This has become the main storyline for Michigan State, as the injury list has grown each week,” he said. “We’ll start with who won’t play – [sophomore wideout Cody] White, [sophomore cornerback Josiah] Scott, [fifth-year senior left guard David] Beedle and [fifth-year senior] punter Jake Hartbarger are out, while [sophomore right guard Kevin] Jarvis seems likely to miss another game.
“As for [redshirt junior receiver Darrell] Stewart and freshman wideout Jalen Nailor, there’s a decent chance both see the field this week. The biggest mystery for this team has been the status of senior running back L.J. Scott. He’s missed the last four games with what is officially being called an ankle injury. However, the answers to inquiries on Scott’s status have been far from clear, so, who knows if he plays this week?”
“The mood is typical for this team, though, and that’s a credit to what [head coach] Mark Dantonio has built. He’s never shied away from the fact this game is big for the Spartans and his players reflect that. It also means they don’t say much and they put on a business-as-usual front. So, in that sense, things are status quo.
“That said, you know they love the fact they’re being counted out – it’s when they seem to be at their best. It might get tiring for those outside the program, but Dantonio plays the underdog card as well as anyone, and it’s clear they feel that again this week.”
****
To basketball and recruiting …
The 2018-19 squad is going to be a work in progress, and they’re still trying to fit the pieces together offensively. They have plenty, but the shooting isn’t where it needs to be (currently), with only sophomore Jordan Poole consistently bringing that element.
Moritz Wagner, Duncan Robinson and Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman all brought it as shooters last year. There’s hope that Brandon Johns can gain confidence there and bring some shooting to the center position (where he’s starting to work more), but while his stroke is pure, he’s got some work to do on consistency.
Ditto sophomore Isaiah Livers at the four. His issue is confidence, and he’s got to bring it.
Those who believe this team is going to come out gunning and run people off the court are going to be disappointed. The freshmen are coming around — forward Ignas Brazdeikis is a stud and will play serious minutes, and point guard David DeJulius is really improving — but this is a young team that will take time to jell.
It’s different for Beilein because last year, Livers showed he’d probably be able to play while Poole proved he wasn’t ready. Brazdeikis and DeJulius are going to factor into the rotation … it’s just a matter of figuring out what they do well and what they understand.
They’re working a lot on defense in the early going, understanding that’s the area that’s going to help them win some of the tougher games in the early going. The offense will come around and there’s plenty of talent, but again, it takes time to come together. Part of it is going to be how much Poole handles the Abdur-Rahkman role from last year and improves his passing.
Center Jon Teske, though, has taken his game to another level. He’s playing with a lot of confidence right now.
Finally, no commitment likely this weekend from four-star Pennsylvanian Ethan Morton, but he’s going to be in town and is excited about the trip. Morton will very likely pick up an offer, and he told us he loved the way Beilein and his staff have recruited him.
Michigan will have a real shot here.
Starting with football recruiting …
Michigan’s biggest remaining target is Lewis Center (Ohio) Olentangy Orange five-star strongside defensive end Zach Harrison and last weekend the 6-5, 245-pounder was on campus and really had a good time. He was able to spend a ton of time with the coaches and also palled around with friend and Michigan commit Joey Velazquez.
As the No. 1 strongside defensive end and No. 17 overall prospect nationally, he’s wanted by everyone but seems to be down to Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State. The order of those schools varies depending on who you talk to but one thing is clear — he’s high on Michigan, has been to campus several times on his own dime and has not committed to Ohio State even though that would be the easiest move by far.
After talking to a source very close to Harrison’s recruitment there’s definitely reason to be optimistic about him ending up in Ann Arbor.
“I would say Michigan is looking really good. I think he’s going to be a Wolverine,” our source said. “Everyone seems to think that Zach’s mom wants him at Ohio State, but that’s not the case at all.
“They are from Chicago. His mom just wants him to be thorough throughout the process. She wanted to take all the time necessary and make sure that Zach made the right choice for him. She’s really paying attention to the coaching staffs and wants him to pick whichever schools wants Zach — not just the football player.”
That certainly seems to bode best for Michigan. In covering recruiting all we ever hear about is the family feel created at U-M. The coaches, their wives, their children, Jack and Jackie Harbaugh, support staffers and especially the academic folks are all involved in the recruiting visits.
When you compare that to the things that Urban Meyer has recently been involved with and James Franklin’s slightly checkered past, the U-M staff shines.
“All things they have definitely noticed,” our source reiterated.
It’s also worth noting that even though Harrison wasn’t on an official visit last weekend, he was essentially treated as if he was. The staff rolled out the red carpet for him and kind of had him doing his own thing rather than being mixed in with the entire massive group. He was right up front with official visitor Trevor Keegan out of Crystal Lake (Ill.) Crystal Lake South. The four-star tackle quickly realized that he and Harrison were VIPs, and that resonated with both.
We’re still not saying that Harrison is a lock to Michigan but we’re feeling more and more confident about him picking the Wolverines. If he did, U-M would then have the No. 1 and No. 2 strongside defensive ends committed in Harrison and Norcross (Ga.) Greater Atlanta Christian five-star Christopher Hinton in the fold.
Not too shabby.
Speaking of Keegan, he obviously received a lot of attention last week, as well. Loganville (Ga.) Grayson three-star offensive tackle and Michigan commit Trente Jones got a chance to spend quite a bit of time with Keegan and feels good about playing on the same line as him in the future.
“Me, Jack [Stewart] and Karsen [Barnhart] definitely spent time with Keegan,” Jones said. “I think he likes Michigan. He just seemed to be excited about everything. It’s only my assumption but it really seemed as if he wants to be here.”
Jones has a great personality and seems to be in tune with what people are thinking and feeling. He’s a cerebral kid and should be believed when he said he felt a little something from Keegan.
Keegan and Harrison are in similar situations. They both have top groups and both seem to be pretty torn — Keegan more so than Harrison. Even though both of them have a loaded list of finalists, I might call Michigan the favorite to land both. Keegan will make his decision in early December and Harrison may be deciding at about the same time. That gives every program involved a chance to keep working but U-M is in a great spot with both as the finish line gets closer.
More football recruiting …
Michigan hosted several elite prospects during last week’s blowout of Wisconsin, and one of the top recruits in attendance was Dacula (Ga.) High four-star cornerback Jalen Perry.
He is rated No. 115 overall, and de-committed from Georgia two weeks ago.
Perry spoke about his trip to Ann Arbor, and provided an update as to where the Maize and Blue stand with him following the visit.
“It was a great experience,” he exclaimed. “I got up there on Friday and met with the coaches that day. I talked with Coach Harbaugh, Coach Zordich, Coach Partridge and Coach Brown — I like all four of them, and had great talks with each of them. You can tell Coach Brown knows defense just by being around him — he’s been around football forever. Zordich really knows how to coach corners as well, and I think Harbaugh is a great guy for that team and for their system.
“We went out to dinner after that, and hung out with the players and recruits during that time. On Saturday morning, I went to College GameDay and that was a fun experience. I actually got to meet Desmond Howard, and he gave me some good advice. I obviously went to the game on Saturday night against Wisconsin, and Michigan got the big win — it was good to see them play well. On Sunday, I got breakfast with the coaches and met with them one more time before flying back home.
“I would say the game itself was my favorite part of the trip, because it was the first time I’d ever been to The Big House. The way they played against Wisconsin was incredible, and it exceeded my expectations, especially on the defensive side of the ball. As a defensive guy, you always want to see the defense dominate and Michigan did that the entire game. I’m a corner, and it was a cool to see them play well as a group and hardly allow any passing yards.”
Lewis Center (Ohio) Olentangy Orange five-star defensive end Zach Harrison was the top recruit in attendance that night, and although Perry said he never got a chance to speak with him, he did talk with some of U-M’s primary targets and commits.
“I talked with [Oakley (Calif.) Freedom three-star running back] Giles Jackson,” Perry said. “I also spoke with some of the other commits and players, and just got a sense of why they chose Michigan. All the recruits there seemed to have U-M as one of their top choices.
“They’re toward the top for me too. I’ve got a list of schools I’m focusing on, and Michigan is in that group. That’s all I can say as of now — I can’t really say who the others are in my top group, but Michigan is up there.”
When asked to rate his interest in the Wolverines on a scale of 1-10, Perry placed it at a nine.
On four-star linebacker Tommy Eichenberg of Cleveland St. Ignatius … some close to it believe the Boston College pledge could flip his commitment, and while some believe Liam’s (OL at Notre Dame) brother would choose Ohio State, Michigan is right there.
Eichenberg is extremely tight with Caden Kolesar, son of former Michigan wide receiver John Kolesar. There’s been talk that Kolesar could come as a preferred walk-on -- though he’s picking up more and more offers, his heart is with U-M – and that wouldn't hurt the Wolverines’ chances.
Michigan has several alums from St. Ignatius, and this is one they’d like to see go U-M’s way. There are a lot of ties there, and it appears the Wolverines are picking up steam for one of the Midwest’s fastest risers (per Rivals.com).
“Eichenberg was certainly not unknown coming into his senior season. Quite the contrary, as he has been ranked in the Rivals250 since debuting as a four-star following junior season,” they wrote. “Eichenberg’s offer list, however, was not quite as strong as other prospects ranked around him.
“While Boston College and Duke had offered, his recruitment was mostly regional, but lacked some of the traditional powers from the Midwest. After concluding the first half of his season, however, Eichenberg popped new offers from both Michigan and Ohio State. Now the question becomes, will Boston College be able to hold onto his commitment? It will be interesting to see which other schools join the pursuit.”
****
To football …
Michigan has a few players nursing boo-boos this week, but we expect most of them to play. Aubrey Solomon and Michael Dwumfour are ready for more action, and Tyree Kinnel and David Long are fine after getting nicked up.
The two major concerns right now … junior defensive end Rashan Gary and sophomore fullback Ben Mason. As of this minute, we don’t know if Gary will play against the Spartans. He is nursing a shoulder injury and has practiced some this week, but his status has gone back and forth (and right now might be leaning toward him not playing).
Mason has an undisclosed injury, and his physical presence is imperative. The good news there — fifth-year Jared Wangler will see more snaps, and he’s really ramped up his play. He gets this rivalry as well as anyone and has had a great week of practice.
But this is Ben Mason we’re talking about. Latest word … he’s playing.
We also know redshirt freshman Tarik Black was working with the twos in practice and will dress. He’ll be a game-time decision.
The entire team has had a good, focused week of practice, and they understand everything that’s at stake here. We’ll see if they can translate it to the field against an opponent that hates their very existence. But we like what we’ve heard about the game plan and the intensity.
This wasn’t a great Michigan State team even before the injuries, and is a game the Wolverines should win, rivalry or not. The speeches before they left were epic and included some fiery words from defensive coordinator Don Brown and some of the Detroit kids. They seem ready to prove they can match MSU’s toughness and intensity. They are playing with confidence and have the mindset that there are six teams in their way of one of their ultimate goals, which is making the playoff.
As for injuries, MSU has several key players banged up for Saturday’s game, and Matt Charboneau — who covers the Spartans for The Detroit News — provided an update on who Michigan should expect to see, and which players will be out.
“This has become the main storyline for Michigan State, as the injury list has grown each week,” he said. “We’ll start with who won’t play – [sophomore wideout Cody] White, [sophomore cornerback Josiah] Scott, [fifth-year senior left guard David] Beedle and [fifth-year senior] punter Jake Hartbarger are out, while [sophomore right guard Kevin] Jarvis seems likely to miss another game.
“As for [redshirt junior receiver Darrell] Stewart and freshman wideout Jalen Nailor, there’s a decent chance both see the field this week. The biggest mystery for this team has been the status of senior running back L.J. Scott. He’s missed the last four games with what is officially being called an ankle injury. However, the answers to inquiries on Scott’s status have been far from clear, so, who knows if he plays this week?”
“The mood is typical for this team, though, and that’s a credit to what [head coach] Mark Dantonio has built. He’s never shied away from the fact this game is big for the Spartans and his players reflect that. It also means they don’t say much and they put on a business-as-usual front. So, in that sense, things are status quo.
“That said, you know they love the fact they’re being counted out – it’s when they seem to be at their best. It might get tiring for those outside the program, but Dantonio plays the underdog card as well as anyone, and it’s clear they feel that again this week.”
****
To basketball and recruiting …
The 2018-19 squad is going to be a work in progress, and they’re still trying to fit the pieces together offensively. They have plenty, but the shooting isn’t where it needs to be (currently), with only sophomore Jordan Poole consistently bringing that element.
Moritz Wagner, Duncan Robinson and Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman all brought it as shooters last year. There’s hope that Brandon Johns can gain confidence there and bring some shooting to the center position (where he’s starting to work more), but while his stroke is pure, he’s got some work to do on consistency.
Ditto sophomore Isaiah Livers at the four. His issue is confidence, and he’s got to bring it.
Those who believe this team is going to come out gunning and run people off the court are going to be disappointed. The freshmen are coming around — forward Ignas Brazdeikis is a stud and will play serious minutes, and point guard David DeJulius is really improving — but this is a young team that will take time to jell.
It’s different for Beilein because last year, Livers showed he’d probably be able to play while Poole proved he wasn’t ready. Brazdeikis and DeJulius are going to factor into the rotation … it’s just a matter of figuring out what they do well and what they understand.
They’re working a lot on defense in the early going, understanding that’s the area that’s going to help them win some of the tougher games in the early going. The offense will come around and there’s plenty of talent, but again, it takes time to come together. Part of it is going to be how much Poole handles the Abdur-Rahkman role from last year and improves his passing.
Center Jon Teske, though, has taken his game to another level. He’s playing with a lot of confidence right now.
Finally, no commitment likely this weekend from four-star Pennsylvanian Ethan Morton, but he’s going to be in town and is excited about the trip. Morton will very likely pick up an offer, and he told us he loved the way Beilein and his staff have recruited him.
Michigan will have a real shot here.
