The latest edition of INSIDE THE FORT, including several football, basketball and recruiting notes …
Starting with football, and some interesting news on redshirt sophomore Bryan Mone. At the beginning of the week (Monday), folks closest to it said “no way” Mone would play against Wisconsin, noting he was rusty and would ease himself back into the lineup this week. He was back in pads Tuesday and Wednesday, at which point several said he would likely dress, but not play Saturday against the Badgers.
Today? We learned he was full-go yesterday and wants to give it a shot Saturday.
Now, that probably doesn’t mean he’ll be out there the entire game, and it’s largely dependent on how he feels today and tomorrow. But to go from a definite no to a solid possibility in a matter of days is a positive, no matter how you look at it.
He should be close to 100 percent by the end of the month.
Michigan’s practices were crackling with electricity this week, the players and coaches knowing full well what’s at stake on Saturday. Aggressive contact early in the week, with plenty of animated chatter, marked those high-energy workouts.
The Wolverines prepped to get it done against a strong Wisconsin front. There’s been much made of Michigan’s run game – how good is it, what will it do against a stauncher defense? The answers may not lie in the conventional, pound-it-from-the-I-formation look out of the pro style offense.
Michigan possesses playmakers with speed, and has used them to supplement the straightforward attack. It’s safe to say they’ll be used generously, in creative ways, to attack a Wisconsin defense that is very solid, but out-runnable in certain areas. Think playmakers in space.
The quarterback situation remains firmly in the control of redshirt sophomore Wilton Speight, like it should, given his performance thus far. That doesn’t mean he can’t get better, and that includes not short-arming passes, and executing with better footwork and timing, giving particular attention to cadence and rhythm. We’re guessing all are being emphasized with him.
Michigan continues seeing more separation in the backups. Redshirt junior QB John O’Korn got more work than usual this week, we believe, and redshirt junior Shane Morris less.
Everyone saw redshirt sophomore linebacker Jabrill Peppers get a taste on offense in the Big Ten opener against Penn State. It’s a good bet the Badgers will see him on that side of the football as well, perhaps more, depending on the game situation.
Senior Jake Butt and true freshman Devin Asiasi represent the 1-2 punch at tight end, with redshirt freshman Tyrone Wheatley, Jr., increasing his status with his blocking efforts. Redshirt sophomore Ian Bunting hasn’t gone away, but he’s been slowed a bit and is working things out.
Senior tailback De’Veon Smith isn’t getting the most reps in practice, but that has nothing to do with a change of status. It appears Michigan is trying to keep Smith as fresh as possible for game days. Not surprisingly, sophomore Karan Higdon has seen his practice snaps increasing, surpassing those of freshman Chris Evans, but Evans figures to factor into the aforementioned creativity.
Fifth-year senior Ben Braden and true freshman Ben Bredeson continue rotating at left guard. Freshman wideout Eddie McDoom retains a prominent role, which could soon expand, and fellow frosh Kekoa Crawford appears to be ahead of redshirt sophomore Drake Harris.
Redshirt junior defensive tackle Maurice Hurst, Jr., remains a destructive force on the defensive line, blowing up plays in preparation for doing it in earnest on Saturday. The term “unblockable” applies here, although Wisconsin will have something to say about that.
Michigan’s staff will leave nothing to chance. We expect the defensive line and secondary to change depending on field position after kickoffs and punts. They know exactly what they want to do, and when.
In the absence of the injured Jeremy Clark, our hunch says junior cornerback Brandon Watson is getting more snaps because of his experience, but freshman David Long will play as well. Sophomore safety Tyree Kinnel (and it’s KI-null, not Ki-NELL, he emphasized this week) continues to push hard at the safety spots, and figures to see more time soon.
Technique remains king, in terms of advancement. Those who are still working on it – whether a freshman defensive end or a fourth-year running back – will get pushed for a higher level of consistency.
Everyone now knows that Wisconsin’s regular kicker is out of action. Meanwhile, Michigan fifth-year senior Kenny Allen missed a pair of field goals two weeks ago against Colorado, and didn’t have occasion to attempt one last week.
Let’s just say, for now, he’s one to keep an eye on. He’s been carrying the load in all three phases of the kicking game, and that is always subject to change.
****
To football recruiting now ...
Michigan currently has three (four if you count Chase Lasater at fullback) running back commits in the 2017 class with Los Lunas (N.M.) four-star O’maury Samuels, Groton (Mass.) Lawrence Acadmey four-star AJ Dillon, and Loganville (Ga.) Grayson three-star Kurt Taylor. That being said, the staff is still aggressively recruiting three other backs.
The U-M coaching staff is actively and vigorously pursuing Antioch (Calif.) five-star Najee Harris, Clinton (Miss.) five-star Cam Akers, and Fontana (Calif.) Summit four-star Stephen Carr. Harris, an Alabama commit, is the No. 1 running back, and overall player, in the country, while Akers, comes in at No. 2 for the position and No. 12 overall nationally. Carr, a USC pledge, is the No. 1 APB in America and occupies the No. 31 overall spot.
Harris at 6-2, 222 pounds and Akers at 5-11, 211 pounds are both elite blends of size, speed, and strength. Carr is smaller at 6-0, 180 pounds but his abilities in space and out of the backfield as a receiver make him special.
At this point both Carr and Harris are expected to take official visits to Michigan. Akers hasn’t committed to one yet but he is a major priority and is in constant contact with the staff about setting up an official visit to Ann Arbor as well.
Germantown (Tenn.) St. George four-star all-purpose back Chase Hayden is a fringe, fourth target but after cancelling his Michigan official visit earlier today, he’s likely out of the picture.
There are nine prospects taking official visits to Michigan this weekend but it’s an unofficial visitor that might grab headlines if he chooses to commit. Iowa City (Iowa) West three-star wide receiver Oliver Martin will be in Ann Arbor this weekend and some close to the situation think he may pop for the Wolverines.
Martin was planning to be in Ann Arbor last weekend but changed his mind and headed to South Bend instead. All he saw there was an Irish loss to Duke. That’s not necessarily a deal breaker for a smart, big-picture kid like Martin but it led to some firings on the staff and some negative talk about Brian Kelly. Those are much bigger issues than losing one game to the Blue Devils.
The 6-1, 190-pounder is considered the No. 1 player in Iowa and while the Hawkeyes, Spartans, and Irish were looked at as teams at the top of his recruitment early on, Michigan has charged up the list. His fast-formed friendship with Michigan commit Dylan McCaffrey started building out in Oregon for Nike’s The Opening, ultimately led to his offer, and may eventually lead to a commitment as well. Several close to the situation think that Martin might pull the trigger this weekend while in Ann Arbor. A big Michigan win over Wisconsin would make for a memorable experience and give a much better feel than what Notre Dame provided.
Top target Donovan Peoples-Jones was in Ann Arbor last weekend for the Penn State game, and even though he arrived late he had a fantastic experience. It’s been thought that the five-star talent out of Detroit Cass Tech may be leaning toward Michigan, but we now have even more reason to believe that sentiment.
The top player in Michigan was the most popular recruit in attendance and he thoroughly enjoyed the love he received. He couldn’t take a step without fans yelling ‘Go Blue’ and it seemed everyone in the stadium knew who he was. That resonated well with him. Someone very close to the situation was with Peoples-Jones during the visit and said, “You don’t have to hide it, you know you’re going to come here and play with your boys,” and Peoples-Jones responded with, “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
That’s obviously not etched in stone, and should NOT be viewed as a silent commitment by any stretch, but it certainly is a reason for Michigan fans to be excited about his eventual decision.
It’s believed that the only teams with a legitimate shot are Michigan, USC, Florida, Florida State, and Ohio State. People with knowledge of his entire recruitment feel strongly that Michigan is in front and will remain there. Peoples-Jones hasn’t verbalized his feelings to anyone in power at Michigan but things are trending in a very positive direction between the Detroit star and U-M.
The Michigan basketball program will unveil its new Jordan uniforms tonight and pop-culture icon DJ Khaled and former Wolverine star Jalen Rose will run the show. A few Michigan football official visitors will be in town in time to attend the event and should make for a special visit before the Wisconsin game even starts tomorrow.
Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy is on a bye this week so four-star teammates Jordan Anthony and Cesar Ruiz will both be in the house. A couple of others might be able to make it to the event as well depending on arrival times.
Anthony is the No. 3 inside linebacker and No. 70 overall prospect in the country. He’s originally from Maryland but has been high on the Wolverines throughout his entire process. There’s a belief that Michigan is the far-and-away leader and that a commitment isn’t completely out of the realm of possibilities this weekend.
Ruiz, the nation’s top center and No. 118 prospect overall, is also believed to be favoring the Maize and Blue but he’s going to take more time before committing to a school. The New Jersey native said earlier in the week that he couldn’t wait to see Michigan freshmen Ron Johnson, Rashan Gary, and Kareem Walker who are also all from Jersey. There are a lot of things that could potentially make this visit weekend special and kicking it off tonight with Jordan brand basketball apparel and DJ Khaled is a great start.
One to keep an eye on who we haven’t heard much about recently … Richmond, Va., four-star inside linebacker Ellis Brooks. A writer at one of our other school’s Rivals.com sites recently interviewed the former Duke commitment, and he told them U-M was picking it up with him … he had plenty of great things to say about the Wolverines … in fact, more than the school about which he was being asked.
Brooks, Rivals.com’s No. 230 player nationally, is having a very good year and holds offers from Notre Dame and others. He appears to be a take at this time, if it comes to that, but we will follow up and do some more digging.
Also, five-star Texas linebacker Baron Browning ... there's growing sentiment on the Michigan side that there's a real shot here, and of course he's visiting this weekend. That, obviously, would be a coup.
****
Finishing with basketball and recruiting now …
Michigan is in very good shape for a number of recruits in the 2018 and 2019 classes, as we’ve continued to note, but at this point we expect the coaching staff to go hard after one more 2017 recruit. Five-star Mohammed Bamba of Westtown, Pa., School would be the grand prize, of course … for all the talk that he is now “feeling Kentucky,” etc., the 6-11 standout, Rivals.com’s No. 4 senior nationally, is very much in play for the Wolverines.
We spoke with Michigan pledge Isaiah Livers (6-8, Rivals.com No. 114 out of Kalamazoo (Mich.) Central) this week and he said Bamba was very impressed with the school and the program. He could definitely see himself in Ann Arbor.
There’s a long way to go, however. A few things going for Michigan to this point – the kid isn’t interested in playing “the recruiting game,” and many who might be trying to through him have been cut from his recruitment. His mother and father are salt of the earth people, and if there are others close to him who might realize the kid is a walking franchise, they haven’t tried to steer him anywhere.
Even if they did, Bamba comes across as someone twice his age – he’s that mature – and some very tight with him say it will be entirely his decision. He won’t decide until spring, so there’s a long way to go here.
We like where Michigan stands with Mars (Penn.) four-star Robby Carmody, and at No. 90 nationally he might be one of the more underrated players on the board. He’s got a Zack Novak type chip on his shoulder and is skilled, and U-M wants him badly.
Just when it seems he’s leaning somewhere, he takes a visit to another of his favorites and likes it at least as much. This appears to be a Michigan, Purdue, ND battle, and he’s not going to decide until the end of next summer, most likely. The Boilers did appear to be his leader at one time, and they might be the favorite.
Milton (Mass.) Academy’s Cormac Ryan will be in with family for the Illinois game, and it’s only a matter of time before he’s a national recruit. He’s that good. The concern, of course, is that if Duke and others get involved with Rivals.com’s No. 62 player, it will be hard to compete, and that’s often been the case.
Ryan is grounded, however, and is looking for the right fit. There are people in Michigan’s corner, as well, so we’ll see how it plays out.
Finally, in 2019, we mentioned big man Taylor Currie of Worthington (Ohio) Christian as one to watch closely. His folks are Michigan fans, he grew up a Michigan fan and he was at the Wolverines’ camps his entire life – and now the 6-9 standout is on the verge of becoming a national recruit.
The postscript – Currie is moving back to Michigan and will attend Clarkston (Mich.) High. His parents are relocating, and this can only be viewed as a positive for the Wolverines, who have all the momentum in this recruitment.
It wouldn’t surprise at all to see him offered – and accept – next June, when U-M offers rising juniors.
Starting with football, and some interesting news on redshirt sophomore Bryan Mone. At the beginning of the week (Monday), folks closest to it said “no way” Mone would play against Wisconsin, noting he was rusty and would ease himself back into the lineup this week. He was back in pads Tuesday and Wednesday, at which point several said he would likely dress, but not play Saturday against the Badgers.
Today? We learned he was full-go yesterday and wants to give it a shot Saturday.
Now, that probably doesn’t mean he’ll be out there the entire game, and it’s largely dependent on how he feels today and tomorrow. But to go from a definite no to a solid possibility in a matter of days is a positive, no matter how you look at it.
He should be close to 100 percent by the end of the month.
Michigan’s practices were crackling with electricity this week, the players and coaches knowing full well what’s at stake on Saturday. Aggressive contact early in the week, with plenty of animated chatter, marked those high-energy workouts.
The Wolverines prepped to get it done against a strong Wisconsin front. There’s been much made of Michigan’s run game – how good is it, what will it do against a stauncher defense? The answers may not lie in the conventional, pound-it-from-the-I-formation look out of the pro style offense.
Michigan possesses playmakers with speed, and has used them to supplement the straightforward attack. It’s safe to say they’ll be used generously, in creative ways, to attack a Wisconsin defense that is very solid, but out-runnable in certain areas. Think playmakers in space.
The quarterback situation remains firmly in the control of redshirt sophomore Wilton Speight, like it should, given his performance thus far. That doesn’t mean he can’t get better, and that includes not short-arming passes, and executing with better footwork and timing, giving particular attention to cadence and rhythm. We’re guessing all are being emphasized with him.
Michigan continues seeing more separation in the backups. Redshirt junior QB John O’Korn got more work than usual this week, we believe, and redshirt junior Shane Morris less.
Everyone saw redshirt sophomore linebacker Jabrill Peppers get a taste on offense in the Big Ten opener against Penn State. It’s a good bet the Badgers will see him on that side of the football as well, perhaps more, depending on the game situation.
Senior Jake Butt and true freshman Devin Asiasi represent the 1-2 punch at tight end, with redshirt freshman Tyrone Wheatley, Jr., increasing his status with his blocking efforts. Redshirt sophomore Ian Bunting hasn’t gone away, but he’s been slowed a bit and is working things out.
Senior tailback De’Veon Smith isn’t getting the most reps in practice, but that has nothing to do with a change of status. It appears Michigan is trying to keep Smith as fresh as possible for game days. Not surprisingly, sophomore Karan Higdon has seen his practice snaps increasing, surpassing those of freshman Chris Evans, but Evans figures to factor into the aforementioned creativity.
Fifth-year senior Ben Braden and true freshman Ben Bredeson continue rotating at left guard. Freshman wideout Eddie McDoom retains a prominent role, which could soon expand, and fellow frosh Kekoa Crawford appears to be ahead of redshirt sophomore Drake Harris.
Redshirt junior defensive tackle Maurice Hurst, Jr., remains a destructive force on the defensive line, blowing up plays in preparation for doing it in earnest on Saturday. The term “unblockable” applies here, although Wisconsin will have something to say about that.
Michigan’s staff will leave nothing to chance. We expect the defensive line and secondary to change depending on field position after kickoffs and punts. They know exactly what they want to do, and when.
In the absence of the injured Jeremy Clark, our hunch says junior cornerback Brandon Watson is getting more snaps because of his experience, but freshman David Long will play as well. Sophomore safety Tyree Kinnel (and it’s KI-null, not Ki-NELL, he emphasized this week) continues to push hard at the safety spots, and figures to see more time soon.
Technique remains king, in terms of advancement. Those who are still working on it – whether a freshman defensive end or a fourth-year running back – will get pushed for a higher level of consistency.
Everyone now knows that Wisconsin’s regular kicker is out of action. Meanwhile, Michigan fifth-year senior Kenny Allen missed a pair of field goals two weeks ago against Colorado, and didn’t have occasion to attempt one last week.
Let’s just say, for now, he’s one to keep an eye on. He’s been carrying the load in all three phases of the kicking game, and that is always subject to change.
****
To football recruiting now ...
Michigan currently has three (four if you count Chase Lasater at fullback) running back commits in the 2017 class with Los Lunas (N.M.) four-star O’maury Samuels, Groton (Mass.) Lawrence Acadmey four-star AJ Dillon, and Loganville (Ga.) Grayson three-star Kurt Taylor. That being said, the staff is still aggressively recruiting three other backs.
The U-M coaching staff is actively and vigorously pursuing Antioch (Calif.) five-star Najee Harris, Clinton (Miss.) five-star Cam Akers, and Fontana (Calif.) Summit four-star Stephen Carr. Harris, an Alabama commit, is the No. 1 running back, and overall player, in the country, while Akers, comes in at No. 2 for the position and No. 12 overall nationally. Carr, a USC pledge, is the No. 1 APB in America and occupies the No. 31 overall spot.
Harris at 6-2, 222 pounds and Akers at 5-11, 211 pounds are both elite blends of size, speed, and strength. Carr is smaller at 6-0, 180 pounds but his abilities in space and out of the backfield as a receiver make him special.
At this point both Carr and Harris are expected to take official visits to Michigan. Akers hasn’t committed to one yet but he is a major priority and is in constant contact with the staff about setting up an official visit to Ann Arbor as well.
Germantown (Tenn.) St. George four-star all-purpose back Chase Hayden is a fringe, fourth target but after cancelling his Michigan official visit earlier today, he’s likely out of the picture.
There are nine prospects taking official visits to Michigan this weekend but it’s an unofficial visitor that might grab headlines if he chooses to commit. Iowa City (Iowa) West three-star wide receiver Oliver Martin will be in Ann Arbor this weekend and some close to the situation think he may pop for the Wolverines.
Martin was planning to be in Ann Arbor last weekend but changed his mind and headed to South Bend instead. All he saw there was an Irish loss to Duke. That’s not necessarily a deal breaker for a smart, big-picture kid like Martin but it led to some firings on the staff and some negative talk about Brian Kelly. Those are much bigger issues than losing one game to the Blue Devils.
The 6-1, 190-pounder is considered the No. 1 player in Iowa and while the Hawkeyes, Spartans, and Irish were looked at as teams at the top of his recruitment early on, Michigan has charged up the list. His fast-formed friendship with Michigan commit Dylan McCaffrey started building out in Oregon for Nike’s The Opening, ultimately led to his offer, and may eventually lead to a commitment as well. Several close to the situation think that Martin might pull the trigger this weekend while in Ann Arbor. A big Michigan win over Wisconsin would make for a memorable experience and give a much better feel than what Notre Dame provided.
Top target Donovan Peoples-Jones was in Ann Arbor last weekend for the Penn State game, and even though he arrived late he had a fantastic experience. It’s been thought that the five-star talent out of Detroit Cass Tech may be leaning toward Michigan, but we now have even more reason to believe that sentiment.
The top player in Michigan was the most popular recruit in attendance and he thoroughly enjoyed the love he received. He couldn’t take a step without fans yelling ‘Go Blue’ and it seemed everyone in the stadium knew who he was. That resonated well with him. Someone very close to the situation was with Peoples-Jones during the visit and said, “You don’t have to hide it, you know you’re going to come here and play with your boys,” and Peoples-Jones responded with, “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
That’s obviously not etched in stone, and should NOT be viewed as a silent commitment by any stretch, but it certainly is a reason for Michigan fans to be excited about his eventual decision.
It’s believed that the only teams with a legitimate shot are Michigan, USC, Florida, Florida State, and Ohio State. People with knowledge of his entire recruitment feel strongly that Michigan is in front and will remain there. Peoples-Jones hasn’t verbalized his feelings to anyone in power at Michigan but things are trending in a very positive direction between the Detroit star and U-M.
The Michigan basketball program will unveil its new Jordan uniforms tonight and pop-culture icon DJ Khaled and former Wolverine star Jalen Rose will run the show. A few Michigan football official visitors will be in town in time to attend the event and should make for a special visit before the Wisconsin game even starts tomorrow.
Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy is on a bye this week so four-star teammates Jordan Anthony and Cesar Ruiz will both be in the house. A couple of others might be able to make it to the event as well depending on arrival times.
Anthony is the No. 3 inside linebacker and No. 70 overall prospect in the country. He’s originally from Maryland but has been high on the Wolverines throughout his entire process. There’s a belief that Michigan is the far-and-away leader and that a commitment isn’t completely out of the realm of possibilities this weekend.
Ruiz, the nation’s top center and No. 118 prospect overall, is also believed to be favoring the Maize and Blue but he’s going to take more time before committing to a school. The New Jersey native said earlier in the week that he couldn’t wait to see Michigan freshmen Ron Johnson, Rashan Gary, and Kareem Walker who are also all from Jersey. There are a lot of things that could potentially make this visit weekend special and kicking it off tonight with Jordan brand basketball apparel and DJ Khaled is a great start.
One to keep an eye on who we haven’t heard much about recently … Richmond, Va., four-star inside linebacker Ellis Brooks. A writer at one of our other school’s Rivals.com sites recently interviewed the former Duke commitment, and he told them U-M was picking it up with him … he had plenty of great things to say about the Wolverines … in fact, more than the school about which he was being asked.
Brooks, Rivals.com’s No. 230 player nationally, is having a very good year and holds offers from Notre Dame and others. He appears to be a take at this time, if it comes to that, but we will follow up and do some more digging.
Also, five-star Texas linebacker Baron Browning ... there's growing sentiment on the Michigan side that there's a real shot here, and of course he's visiting this weekend. That, obviously, would be a coup.
****
Finishing with basketball and recruiting now …
Michigan is in very good shape for a number of recruits in the 2018 and 2019 classes, as we’ve continued to note, but at this point we expect the coaching staff to go hard after one more 2017 recruit. Five-star Mohammed Bamba of Westtown, Pa., School would be the grand prize, of course … for all the talk that he is now “feeling Kentucky,” etc., the 6-11 standout, Rivals.com’s No. 4 senior nationally, is very much in play for the Wolverines.
We spoke with Michigan pledge Isaiah Livers (6-8, Rivals.com No. 114 out of Kalamazoo (Mich.) Central) this week and he said Bamba was very impressed with the school and the program. He could definitely see himself in Ann Arbor.
There’s a long way to go, however. A few things going for Michigan to this point – the kid isn’t interested in playing “the recruiting game,” and many who might be trying to through him have been cut from his recruitment. His mother and father are salt of the earth people, and if there are others close to him who might realize the kid is a walking franchise, they haven’t tried to steer him anywhere.
Even if they did, Bamba comes across as someone twice his age – he’s that mature – and some very tight with him say it will be entirely his decision. He won’t decide until spring, so there’s a long way to go here.
We like where Michigan stands with Mars (Penn.) four-star Robby Carmody, and at No. 90 nationally he might be one of the more underrated players on the board. He’s got a Zack Novak type chip on his shoulder and is skilled, and U-M wants him badly.
Just when it seems he’s leaning somewhere, he takes a visit to another of his favorites and likes it at least as much. This appears to be a Michigan, Purdue, ND battle, and he’s not going to decide until the end of next summer, most likely. The Boilers did appear to be his leader at one time, and they might be the favorite.
Milton (Mass.) Academy’s Cormac Ryan will be in with family for the Illinois game, and it’s only a matter of time before he’s a national recruit. He’s that good. The concern, of course, is that if Duke and others get involved with Rivals.com’s No. 62 player, it will be hard to compete, and that’s often been the case.
Ryan is grounded, however, and is looking for the right fit. There are people in Michigan’s corner, as well, so we’ll see how it plays out.
Finally, in 2019, we mentioned big man Taylor Currie of Worthington (Ohio) Christian as one to watch closely. His folks are Michigan fans, he grew up a Michigan fan and he was at the Wolverines’ camps his entire life – and now the 6-9 standout is on the verge of becoming a national recruit.
The postscript – Currie is moving back to Michigan and will attend Clarkston (Mich.) High. His parents are relocating, and this can only be viewed as a positive for the Wolverines, who have all the momentum in this recruitment.
It wouldn’t surprise at all to see him offered – and accept – next June, when U-M offers rising juniors.
