Part II of this week's INSIDE THE FORT (Part I here: INSIDE THE FORT, PART ONE).
Starting with football recruiting ...
By now Michigan fans are very familiar with Port Huron (Mich.) Northern four-star strongside defensive end Braiden McGregor and his rating. He’s now a four-star prospect but remains outside of the Rivals250. Regardless, the Michigan staff loves him. They think he has all-world potential and couldn’t care less about how he did during camp season.
Someone close to the situation spoke with McGregor’s dad about what the U-M coaching staff is telling him.
“If Braiden doesn’t make it to the NFL, that’s on Shaun Nua, and Nua knows it,” our source said. “They think that highly of Braiden. They see him as a guy who will explode in college and be high on draft boards by the time he’s ready. They’re just incredibly high on him and think his ceiling is on that level. Harbaugh and Nua certainly know NFL talent, and that’s how they look at McGregor.”
At 6-6, 250 pounds and with extremely long arms and legs, McGregor certainly looks the part. He’s got room to add weight and should stay athletic and fast, which is exactly what U-M wants. He’s expected to be a terror off of the edge.
One of Michigan’s other commits has a lot of potential too. Delran (N.J.) High three-star athlete RJ Moten is coming to Michigan as a safety but it also going to get a chance on the baseball field. The 6-0, 201-pounder is very excited about his opportunities in both sports. Delran head coach Garrett Lucas can’t wait to watch his star player’s careers play out.
“Honestly, that’s going to be great place for him because he’s going to get a chance to play baseball at Michigan,” Lucas said. “Michigan making it to the College World Series was really good timing wise. RJ wants to play both in college. I think he’s in the top 50 for the class of 2020 in terms of outfielders for the entire nation. His speed alone sets him apart.”
Lucas has watched Moten make incredible plays on the gridiron and the diamond. He’s honestly not sure where he’s better.
“In this all-star game this past year, at Citizen’s Bank Park where the Phillies play, he smacked the ball off the wall at the 405 marker,” Lucas described. “He got to third base by the time the ball got to the cutoff. He can really move and he’s just a special talent.
“Coach Harbaugh told him that he’d have the chance to try out both sports so that was another really big factor, especially since the team was so successful last year. Coach Harbaugh’s enthusiasm for RJ and both sports was big too. RJ really noticed that.”
Moten is Jabrill Peppers-eque in terms of his versatility and experience playing multiple positions. He’s not as dynamic or explosive as Peppers, but he’s got some skills that are comparable and that’s why Michigan liked him so much.
One of Michigan’s top 2021 targets is Clarkston (Mich.) High four-star offensive guard Rocco Spindler. The 6-5, 290-pounder is viewed as a grinder in the trenches, but he describes himself as a sneaky athlete. He shined in the 7-on-7 portion of the BBQ and had a great time with Michigan commit JJ McCarthy.
“I hate to brag but I believe I scored 10 touchdowns mostly by JJ throwing to me,” Spindler said with a laugh. “He had some 70-yard bombs to me in the end zone and I was the game MVP as a lineman.”
Spindler also gave his opinion on McCarthy as a talent.
“Man, I’ve never seen such a great quarterback,” Spindler said. “His film doesn’t do him justice. You have to see him in person to believe what he does — it’s incredible what he can do with the ball. We had a great time up there.”
Spindler looks like a potential Michigan lean but it’s early. He likes Notre Dame, Ohio State and Penn State, along with others. It’s going to be a battle, but U-M is in a great spot with him.
More football recruiting …
The top recruit in Michigan’s 2020 class — Frankfort (Ill.) Lincoln Way East four-star running back A.J. Henning, who is rated No. 84 overall nationally — led his club to an 8-3 mark last year, and although that record may not seem all that impressive at first glance, a coach who faced off against him (Lockport’s Daniel Starkey, who is now the running backs coach at North Central College) explained how stiff the competition was, while also providing some background on the position versatility Henning possesses.
“It’s an elite conference in the Southwest suburbs of Chicago,” Starkey said. “Bolingbrook is in there and produces a lot of Division 1 talent, and Lincoln Way East and Homewood-Flossmoor are outstanding as well. Lockport also won a few state championships in the early 2000s.
“Henning mainly played receiver against us last year [a 48-6 Lincoln Way East win], and his elusiveness really stood out. When I think of him, I think of someone who’s super quick and hard to tackle. We certainly struggled with that last season when we tried to defend him.
“A couple plays of his popped back into my head from last year’s game, and the first one was a 50-yard catch he made that either went for a touchdown or took them down to the 1-yard line. He went up over his defender and turned his body in the air to attack the ball in a way you usually don’t see from high schoolers. Henning didn’t play against us in 2017 because he was hurt, so last season was my first time coaching against him.
“The other play that really caught my eye was when he got the ball on the perimeter and cut back against the grain and made a few guys miss, before kicking it back outside and beating a third defender to get in the end zone. His elusiveness and ability to change directions were the main things that stood out to me.”
So is Henning deserving of his top 100 national ranking? The four-star had resided outside of the country’s top 100 prior to the most recent Rivals rankings update, but received a significant boost following the latest revision.
“Oh yes [he’s deserving],” Starkey exclaimed. “I’ve been a head coach for 15 years and have coached high school football for 29, and his best football days are ahead of him. He has battled some injuries but has shown flashes of what he can be — heck, he could even be a corner and return kicks and punts if he wanted to.
“He’ll fit right in at Michigan and continue to do well against Big Ten competition. His speed is something you can’t coach — he’s done extremely well in track and field in the state of Illinois as well. I know he placed a few times in the 100-meter dash, and Illinois is a very strong state for track.
“Henning will be a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten. I think the way Lincoln Way East uses him now is similar to how he’ll be used at Michigan — they have a wide open offense, but they also run the ball well. He can run it on jet sweeps and is good in the screen game, and is outstanding in gaining yards after the catch.”
***
Finishing with basketball recruiting …
As most have heard by now, the first two football weekends in Ann Arbor are shaping up to be epic basketball recruiting weekends, as well. Five-star guard Nimari Burnett of Napa (Calif.) Prolific Prep via Chicago will be in Sept. 5, as will Lance Ware of Camden (N.J.) Big Picture Learning Academy. Ware is Rivals.com’s No. 52 senior but rising, a 6-9, 205-pound power forward, and Burnett is a five-star combo guard (No. 23 nationally).
Burnett is more of a shooting guard than point, but the team that lands him will preach that he can play both and handle the ball.
“I’m very versatile and can play on and off the ball," he said recently. "But … I definitely would like to play on the ball.”
He told us he is really feeling Michigan right now and is excited about the visit. He is a good friend of Jace Howard, Juwan’s son and a three-star prospect out of Miami, and it’s possible Howard will visit at the same time. The younger Howard is in Ann Arbor now for a visit and will take an official in September … we’d strongly guess it will be the 5th.
Howard will likely be in this class, but Brown and St. Louis are two others he’ll be visiting. Though he’s still progressing as a player, Howard is a glue guy with improving skills and could be a solid addition to the roster. It’s not going to be a team filled with five stars.
Five-star big man Hunter Dickinson is still working on a visit date and was thinking about later fall, but don’t be surprised if he’s on campus in September, too. The Maryland product likes the thought of being taught by Juwan Howard, and though Purdue and Notre Dame have head starts here, U-M has a shot.
Finally, pledge Zeb Jackson, a four-star now at Montverde Academy in Florida via Toledo, Ohio, is working on four-star Jaemyn Brakefield of Huntington (W.V.) Prep. Brakefield told us today he’s working on visit dates, and it’s highly likely he and Jackson will be in on the same weekend.
Bottom line — Howard and Co. have done a great job being in position to be in position, as Beilein always liked to say, and if they can close on even a couple they’re going to be in good shape heading into 2021 recruiting.
Starting with football recruiting ...
By now Michigan fans are very familiar with Port Huron (Mich.) Northern four-star strongside defensive end Braiden McGregor and his rating. He’s now a four-star prospect but remains outside of the Rivals250. Regardless, the Michigan staff loves him. They think he has all-world potential and couldn’t care less about how he did during camp season.
Someone close to the situation spoke with McGregor’s dad about what the U-M coaching staff is telling him.
“If Braiden doesn’t make it to the NFL, that’s on Shaun Nua, and Nua knows it,” our source said. “They think that highly of Braiden. They see him as a guy who will explode in college and be high on draft boards by the time he’s ready. They’re just incredibly high on him and think his ceiling is on that level. Harbaugh and Nua certainly know NFL talent, and that’s how they look at McGregor.”
At 6-6, 250 pounds and with extremely long arms and legs, McGregor certainly looks the part. He’s got room to add weight and should stay athletic and fast, which is exactly what U-M wants. He’s expected to be a terror off of the edge.
One of Michigan’s other commits has a lot of potential too. Delran (N.J.) High three-star athlete RJ Moten is coming to Michigan as a safety but it also going to get a chance on the baseball field. The 6-0, 201-pounder is very excited about his opportunities in both sports. Delran head coach Garrett Lucas can’t wait to watch his star player’s careers play out.
“Honestly, that’s going to be great place for him because he’s going to get a chance to play baseball at Michigan,” Lucas said. “Michigan making it to the College World Series was really good timing wise. RJ wants to play both in college. I think he’s in the top 50 for the class of 2020 in terms of outfielders for the entire nation. His speed alone sets him apart.”
Lucas has watched Moten make incredible plays on the gridiron and the diamond. He’s honestly not sure where he’s better.
“In this all-star game this past year, at Citizen’s Bank Park where the Phillies play, he smacked the ball off the wall at the 405 marker,” Lucas described. “He got to third base by the time the ball got to the cutoff. He can really move and he’s just a special talent.
“Coach Harbaugh told him that he’d have the chance to try out both sports so that was another really big factor, especially since the team was so successful last year. Coach Harbaugh’s enthusiasm for RJ and both sports was big too. RJ really noticed that.”
Moten is Jabrill Peppers-eque in terms of his versatility and experience playing multiple positions. He’s not as dynamic or explosive as Peppers, but he’s got some skills that are comparable and that’s why Michigan liked him so much.
One of Michigan’s top 2021 targets is Clarkston (Mich.) High four-star offensive guard Rocco Spindler. The 6-5, 290-pounder is viewed as a grinder in the trenches, but he describes himself as a sneaky athlete. He shined in the 7-on-7 portion of the BBQ and had a great time with Michigan commit JJ McCarthy.
“I hate to brag but I believe I scored 10 touchdowns mostly by JJ throwing to me,” Spindler said with a laugh. “He had some 70-yard bombs to me in the end zone and I was the game MVP as a lineman.”
Spindler also gave his opinion on McCarthy as a talent.
“Man, I’ve never seen such a great quarterback,” Spindler said. “His film doesn’t do him justice. You have to see him in person to believe what he does — it’s incredible what he can do with the ball. We had a great time up there.”
Spindler looks like a potential Michigan lean but it’s early. He likes Notre Dame, Ohio State and Penn State, along with others. It’s going to be a battle, but U-M is in a great spot with him.
More football recruiting …
The top recruit in Michigan’s 2020 class — Frankfort (Ill.) Lincoln Way East four-star running back A.J. Henning, who is rated No. 84 overall nationally — led his club to an 8-3 mark last year, and although that record may not seem all that impressive at first glance, a coach who faced off against him (Lockport’s Daniel Starkey, who is now the running backs coach at North Central College) explained how stiff the competition was, while also providing some background on the position versatility Henning possesses.
“It’s an elite conference in the Southwest suburbs of Chicago,” Starkey said. “Bolingbrook is in there and produces a lot of Division 1 talent, and Lincoln Way East and Homewood-Flossmoor are outstanding as well. Lockport also won a few state championships in the early 2000s.
“Henning mainly played receiver against us last year [a 48-6 Lincoln Way East win], and his elusiveness really stood out. When I think of him, I think of someone who’s super quick and hard to tackle. We certainly struggled with that last season when we tried to defend him.
“A couple plays of his popped back into my head from last year’s game, and the first one was a 50-yard catch he made that either went for a touchdown or took them down to the 1-yard line. He went up over his defender and turned his body in the air to attack the ball in a way you usually don’t see from high schoolers. Henning didn’t play against us in 2017 because he was hurt, so last season was my first time coaching against him.
“The other play that really caught my eye was when he got the ball on the perimeter and cut back against the grain and made a few guys miss, before kicking it back outside and beating a third defender to get in the end zone. His elusiveness and ability to change directions were the main things that stood out to me.”
So is Henning deserving of his top 100 national ranking? The four-star had resided outside of the country’s top 100 prior to the most recent Rivals rankings update, but received a significant boost following the latest revision.
“Oh yes [he’s deserving],” Starkey exclaimed. “I’ve been a head coach for 15 years and have coached high school football for 29, and his best football days are ahead of him. He has battled some injuries but has shown flashes of what he can be — heck, he could even be a corner and return kicks and punts if he wanted to.
“He’ll fit right in at Michigan and continue to do well against Big Ten competition. His speed is something you can’t coach — he’s done extremely well in track and field in the state of Illinois as well. I know he placed a few times in the 100-meter dash, and Illinois is a very strong state for track.
“Henning will be a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten. I think the way Lincoln Way East uses him now is similar to how he’ll be used at Michigan — they have a wide open offense, but they also run the ball well. He can run it on jet sweeps and is good in the screen game, and is outstanding in gaining yards after the catch.”
***
Finishing with basketball recruiting …
As most have heard by now, the first two football weekends in Ann Arbor are shaping up to be epic basketball recruiting weekends, as well. Five-star guard Nimari Burnett of Napa (Calif.) Prolific Prep via Chicago will be in Sept. 5, as will Lance Ware of Camden (N.J.) Big Picture Learning Academy. Ware is Rivals.com’s No. 52 senior but rising, a 6-9, 205-pound power forward, and Burnett is a five-star combo guard (No. 23 nationally).
Burnett is more of a shooting guard than point, but the team that lands him will preach that he can play both and handle the ball.
“I’m very versatile and can play on and off the ball," he said recently. "But … I definitely would like to play on the ball.”
He told us he is really feeling Michigan right now and is excited about the visit. He is a good friend of Jace Howard, Juwan’s son and a three-star prospect out of Miami, and it’s possible Howard will visit at the same time. The younger Howard is in Ann Arbor now for a visit and will take an official in September … we’d strongly guess it will be the 5th.
Howard will likely be in this class, but Brown and St. Louis are two others he’ll be visiting. Though he’s still progressing as a player, Howard is a glue guy with improving skills and could be a solid addition to the roster. It’s not going to be a team filled with five stars.
Five-star big man Hunter Dickinson is still working on a visit date and was thinking about later fall, but don’t be surprised if he’s on campus in September, too. The Maryland product likes the thought of being taught by Juwan Howard, and though Purdue and Notre Dame have head starts here, U-M has a shot.
Finally, pledge Zeb Jackson, a four-star now at Montverde Academy in Florida via Toledo, Ohio, is working on four-star Jaemyn Brakefield of Huntington (W.V.) Prep. Brakefield told us today he’s working on visit dates, and it’s highly likely he and Jackson will be in on the same weekend.
Bottom line — Howard and Co. have done a great job being in position to be in position, as Beilein always liked to say, and if they can close on even a couple they’re going to be in good shape heading into 2021 recruiting.
