The latest edition of Inside The Fort, including plenty of football, basketball and recruiting news (with EJ Holland’s INTO THE BLUE football recruiting version of ITF to come Monday).
Starting with football …
For those who missed it, our John Borton supplied an extensive injury update here this morning:
ITF EXTRA: PRE-ARMY INJURY UPDATES
Now for the rest of the story …
As of mid-week, redshirt freshman Ryan Hayes was still working extensively at left tackle, and even if fifth-year senior Jon Runyan Jr. plays (and we aren’t certain he will), Hayes should see extensive action. After that he’ll be in the mix at right tackle, putting pressure on fellow redshirt frosh Jalen Mayfield to really up his game. He played well last Saturday, but not as well as Hayes.
The question with him — how will he hold up against the bigger defensive linemen he’ll see in the Big Ten? Hayes handled all of his assignments nearly flawlessly and was sharp in the mental aspects, but there have been times his need for added strength has been evident. He’ll get there, though, and they are extremely excited to see where he is in a year or two.
As for the rest of last week’s performance … too sloppy, and they knew it. It was fun to win, of course, but it was made known shortly after victory that putting the ball on the ground, dropping balls, etc. would not be tolerated. They are all well aware.
Senior quarterback Shea Patterson took a shot early in the game and continued to get worse throughout (his ribs were wrapped up), probably one of the reasons they barely threw in the second half. But we told you they wanted to make a statement in the first half with the new offense — three downfield scores (first time in forever, it seems), 26 passes in the first half, 200 yards and three scores is that, regardless how it’s spun.
Some folks were down on Patterson, and yes he has to take better care of the ball. But his checks at the line and his knowledge of the offense were a big reason for the mismatches that led to scores. He did a lot of good things.
On defense, a former All-American linebacker we spoke with said it was a very good start for a unit that will only improve.
“I’m not sure what people are looking for,” he said. “Perfection? [Middle Tennessee] had a great game plan, but that’s a fast defense. They more than held their own up front. There were some missed assignments on the perimeter, but they’ll clean that up.
“It was the first week.”
Finally, Army is very healthy as a whole heading into tomorrow’s Michigan game, with only one potential contributor labeled as questionable, per GoBlackKnights.com’s Charles Grevious. Senior fullback Connor Slomka — who rushed for five touchdowns on 74 carries last year — missed the season opener last week against Rice and remains a question mark, though he practiced on Tuesday.
****
To basketball and recruiting now, and a big weekend on tap for coach Juwan Howard. Michigan’s new head coach will host four-star forward Lance Ware of Camden (N.J.), five-star shooting guard Nimari Burnett of Napa (Calif.) Prolific Prep and four-star center Hunter Dickinson of Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha.
Michigan seems to be even with Kentucky on Ware, trailing for Burnett and right in the mix for Dickinson at this point.
“Michigan is solid with Burnett, but I’d put Oregon and Alabama up there ahead of them,” one of our more trusted national sources said. “This visit weekend will be big for them. Alabama is in really strong with him.”
A disappointment here — three-star Jace Howard, Juwan’s son, had planned to make the trip to Ann Arbor for a visit of his own, but Hurricane Dorian canceled his plans. The Florida native is a good friend of Burnett’s and every little bit helps, but he’ll be watching Saturday’s home football game with Army from home.
Ware might be the one to watch most closely going forward. He’s risen dramatically in the rankings and could move even higher, to top 25 status, by the time the next rankings arrive.
“Corey [Evans] and I were wondering why more schools weren’t on him,” Rivals.com analyst Eric Bossi said of his fellow Rivals analyst. “I think it’s Kentucky and Michigan right now.”
The interesting part — Ware has a few other visits set up, but not one to Kentucky (yet). The Wildcats are hosting several others first.
“John Calipari has great ties in Camden,” Evans said. “But this one’s close. I’m not sure why he hasn’t scheduled his visit yet.”
Some have surmised Kentucky has targets they want more and that the offer was put out to help Ware earn the notice he deserved. He’s good, though … really good.
Dickinson, meanwhile, seems to be starting over a bit, and he’s tiring of the process. Some feel he’s ready to end it, and with Purdue in a good place with four-star seven-footer Ryan Kalkbrenner (who is in this weekend, and some believe will commit), Dickinson might be the one to watch closely here.
Michigan is getting back to post touches with their bigs, and that’s how Dickinson is being sold. They have been working with senior big man Jon Teske on this — Howard often shows up with his shorts and shoes on for hands-on stuff — and it’s been extremely helpful for him (more on that in a minute).
Five-stars Walker Kessler and Jaden Springer both enjoyed great visits to Ann Arbor last weekend, but it probably wasn’t enough. Kessler is expected to pledge to Duke or Auburn soon and visits the Blue Devils this weekend. According to one observer who was at both the NBA Players Association Camp this summer and close to the scene last weekend, Howard might be the best recruiter Michigan has had as a coach, all things considered.
“He’s a really good person. He cares,” our source said. “He’s offering four- and five-stars and they are responding to him. He’s not afraid to step outside his comfort zone.
“I tracked him at the top 100 camp, watched who he was following. A lot of coaches sit and chat, make it a social event, but he was really focused. He was following the kids he should have been.”
He still has to prove he can close, but he’s made the important first step.
****
Back to basketball …
We’re starting to get a sense for the kind of offense Howard is going to run after speaking to a number of different people close to it. One said it’s going to be more simplified than John Beilein’s system, which makes sense. Beilein’s was one of the most complex out there and required a lot of thought.
In some ways, one close to it said, new assistant coach Phil Martelli’s offense was quite similar, with a focus on tempo and low turnovers.
“It’s more intense, in a way,” one close to it said of practices. “But I think you’ll see these guys be able to take more chances. You’re going to probably see more back to the basket stuff and then kicking it back out and rotating the ball.”
There’s also going to be more freedom to attack the rim and with the fast break, a more up-tempo style. And yes, they’ve been experimenting with playing two big men on the floor at the same time. Sophomore Colin Castleton continues to progress, and even transfer Jaron Faulds has had some really nice moments.
One who has made a big jump, according to those close to it — sophomore Brandon Johns.
“He’s really picked it up,” one observer shared. “I think he has the potential to be this year’s breakout player.”
They’re currently looking for the happy medium between offenses Martelli and Howard are used to, and they’re making progress. The defense, too, will be less about not fouling and more about being aggressive, too … not better or worse, necessarily, but different.
It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.
****
Some football recruiting …
There were rumors that Windsor (Ontario) Holy Names four-star tight end Theo Johnson would be in attendance for last weekend’s game against Middle Tennessee State, but Rivals.com’s Josh Helmholdt revealed last Thursday that the 6-5, 235-pounder would be visiting U-M for the MSU game in mid-November instead. Johnson — who is rated No. 155 overall nationally and is one of U-M’s biggest remaining targets in the 2020 class — explained yesterday why he wasn’t in Ann Arbor for the win over MTSU, and provided an update on his visit plans and top schools moving forward.
“I was considering going, though I had never told anybody I was actually going to be there,” he explained. “My mom went to see my brother play at Buffalo and they stayed the weekend, so there would have been no way for me to go on a visit last week. I’ll be visiting Michigan again though — I was planning on going to the Army game, but my family wants to go watch my brother play at Penn State [Buffalo heads to State College this weekend].
"Everyone is saying all this stuff about the trip, but it’s only me watching my brother and that’s the only reason I’m going. I know I’ll be at the Michigan/Notre Dame game [on Oct. 26] for sure, and I’m also thinking about going to the State game [on Nov. 16]. I might go to an earlier one too, but as of right now, the next time I know I’ll be there for sure is the Notre Dame game. On that trip, I’ll be watching for how Josh Gattis’ offense is running and how their season is going. I’ll also be looking at how the tight ends are integrated into his offense. It was good to see [Sean McKeon’s touchdown last Saturday], but that was just the first week — I’ll continue watching them in the coming weeks.”
Johnson went on to reveal what Gattis’ potential plan is for him in Michigan’s offense, and how he has the versatility to be used in multiple ways.
“I had a meeting with Coach Gattis and Coach [Sherrone] Moore a while back where we went over film, and they were talking to me about my abilities,” he recalled. “I went to their camp last June and Coach Gattis said they don’t have a third-down guy who they know they can get the ball to while flexed out. He told me at the camp that he sees me turning into somebody who can play any position and be a really big matchup. He said he wants to play me all over — for sure at tight end, but wherever else on the field in red zone and third-down situations.”
So where does U-M stand in the big picture…?
“I have about four or five schools I’m down to, and Michigan is in that group for sure,” Johnson explained. “It’s not hard to figure out who I’m down to — the schools I’m visiting this fall are the ones I’m seriously considering. If I’m giving a program a visit this year, then I’m considering going there.”
While recruits often crave the attention and ‘love’ shown by the schools recruiting them the hardest, Johnson revealed that he has actually appreciated a bit of a different approach that Moore, the U-M tight ends coach, has taken with him.
“I talk to Coach Moore at least once a week,” the four-star began. “We used to talk more, but then he explained that once I’m at Michigan, he’s not going to be talking to me and texting me every day. He hasn’t been hitting me up and bugging me all the time, which I appreciate because there have been a lot of people trying to text me all the time. We talk before games and any time news happens.
"I don’t think people realize how tiring this all gets on a player — it becomes a lot and I never expected it to get to this point. I already know how Coach Moore and the Michigan staff feel about me, so I don’t need them and their GAs texting me every day to tell me. I appreciate him giving me a little space.”
With that being said, the Michigan coaches have made it clear how much of a priority Johnson is on their recruiting board.
“They’ve told me multiple times they have a ‘Theo Johnson spot’ in their recruiting class,” he explained. “They said they have two guys committed [three-stars Nick Patterson and Matt Hibner], but they would take me at any point, no matter what. They’ve said multiple times I’m the guy they want and that they’ll wait as long as they need to. They’ve never come out and actually said I’m their No. 1 target, but it’s been clear I’m a high priority for them and that they’re willing to wait as long as they have to.”
Starting with football …
For those who missed it, our John Borton supplied an extensive injury update here this morning:
ITF EXTRA: PRE-ARMY INJURY UPDATES
Now for the rest of the story …
As of mid-week, redshirt freshman Ryan Hayes was still working extensively at left tackle, and even if fifth-year senior Jon Runyan Jr. plays (and we aren’t certain he will), Hayes should see extensive action. After that he’ll be in the mix at right tackle, putting pressure on fellow redshirt frosh Jalen Mayfield to really up his game. He played well last Saturday, but not as well as Hayes.
The question with him — how will he hold up against the bigger defensive linemen he’ll see in the Big Ten? Hayes handled all of his assignments nearly flawlessly and was sharp in the mental aspects, but there have been times his need for added strength has been evident. He’ll get there, though, and they are extremely excited to see where he is in a year or two.
As for the rest of last week’s performance … too sloppy, and they knew it. It was fun to win, of course, but it was made known shortly after victory that putting the ball on the ground, dropping balls, etc. would not be tolerated. They are all well aware.
Senior quarterback Shea Patterson took a shot early in the game and continued to get worse throughout (his ribs were wrapped up), probably one of the reasons they barely threw in the second half. But we told you they wanted to make a statement in the first half with the new offense — three downfield scores (first time in forever, it seems), 26 passes in the first half, 200 yards and three scores is that, regardless how it’s spun.
Some folks were down on Patterson, and yes he has to take better care of the ball. But his checks at the line and his knowledge of the offense were a big reason for the mismatches that led to scores. He did a lot of good things.
On defense, a former All-American linebacker we spoke with said it was a very good start for a unit that will only improve.
“I’m not sure what people are looking for,” he said. “Perfection? [Middle Tennessee] had a great game plan, but that’s a fast defense. They more than held their own up front. There were some missed assignments on the perimeter, but they’ll clean that up.
“It was the first week.”
Finally, Army is very healthy as a whole heading into tomorrow’s Michigan game, with only one potential contributor labeled as questionable, per GoBlackKnights.com’s Charles Grevious. Senior fullback Connor Slomka — who rushed for five touchdowns on 74 carries last year — missed the season opener last week against Rice and remains a question mark, though he practiced on Tuesday.
****
To basketball and recruiting now, and a big weekend on tap for coach Juwan Howard. Michigan’s new head coach will host four-star forward Lance Ware of Camden (N.J.), five-star shooting guard Nimari Burnett of Napa (Calif.) Prolific Prep and four-star center Hunter Dickinson of Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha.
Michigan seems to be even with Kentucky on Ware, trailing for Burnett and right in the mix for Dickinson at this point.
“Michigan is solid with Burnett, but I’d put Oregon and Alabama up there ahead of them,” one of our more trusted national sources said. “This visit weekend will be big for them. Alabama is in really strong with him.”
A disappointment here — three-star Jace Howard, Juwan’s son, had planned to make the trip to Ann Arbor for a visit of his own, but Hurricane Dorian canceled his plans. The Florida native is a good friend of Burnett’s and every little bit helps, but he’ll be watching Saturday’s home football game with Army from home.
Ware might be the one to watch most closely going forward. He’s risen dramatically in the rankings and could move even higher, to top 25 status, by the time the next rankings arrive.
“Corey [Evans] and I were wondering why more schools weren’t on him,” Rivals.com analyst Eric Bossi said of his fellow Rivals analyst. “I think it’s Kentucky and Michigan right now.”
The interesting part — Ware has a few other visits set up, but not one to Kentucky (yet). The Wildcats are hosting several others first.
“John Calipari has great ties in Camden,” Evans said. “But this one’s close. I’m not sure why he hasn’t scheduled his visit yet.”
Some have surmised Kentucky has targets they want more and that the offer was put out to help Ware earn the notice he deserved. He’s good, though … really good.
Dickinson, meanwhile, seems to be starting over a bit, and he’s tiring of the process. Some feel he’s ready to end it, and with Purdue in a good place with four-star seven-footer Ryan Kalkbrenner (who is in this weekend, and some believe will commit), Dickinson might be the one to watch closely here.
Michigan is getting back to post touches with their bigs, and that’s how Dickinson is being sold. They have been working with senior big man Jon Teske on this — Howard often shows up with his shorts and shoes on for hands-on stuff — and it’s been extremely helpful for him (more on that in a minute).
Five-stars Walker Kessler and Jaden Springer both enjoyed great visits to Ann Arbor last weekend, but it probably wasn’t enough. Kessler is expected to pledge to Duke or Auburn soon and visits the Blue Devils this weekend. According to one observer who was at both the NBA Players Association Camp this summer and close to the scene last weekend, Howard might be the best recruiter Michigan has had as a coach, all things considered.
“He’s a really good person. He cares,” our source said. “He’s offering four- and five-stars and they are responding to him. He’s not afraid to step outside his comfort zone.
“I tracked him at the top 100 camp, watched who he was following. A lot of coaches sit and chat, make it a social event, but he was really focused. He was following the kids he should have been.”
He still has to prove he can close, but he’s made the important first step.
****
Back to basketball …
We’re starting to get a sense for the kind of offense Howard is going to run after speaking to a number of different people close to it. One said it’s going to be more simplified than John Beilein’s system, which makes sense. Beilein’s was one of the most complex out there and required a lot of thought.
In some ways, one close to it said, new assistant coach Phil Martelli’s offense was quite similar, with a focus on tempo and low turnovers.
“It’s more intense, in a way,” one close to it said of practices. “But I think you’ll see these guys be able to take more chances. You’re going to probably see more back to the basket stuff and then kicking it back out and rotating the ball.”
There’s also going to be more freedom to attack the rim and with the fast break, a more up-tempo style. And yes, they’ve been experimenting with playing two big men on the floor at the same time. Sophomore Colin Castleton continues to progress, and even transfer Jaron Faulds has had some really nice moments.
One who has made a big jump, according to those close to it — sophomore Brandon Johns.
“He’s really picked it up,” one observer shared. “I think he has the potential to be this year’s breakout player.”
They’re currently looking for the happy medium between offenses Martelli and Howard are used to, and they’re making progress. The defense, too, will be less about not fouling and more about being aggressive, too … not better or worse, necessarily, but different.
It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.
****
Some football recruiting …
There were rumors that Windsor (Ontario) Holy Names four-star tight end Theo Johnson would be in attendance for last weekend’s game against Middle Tennessee State, but Rivals.com’s Josh Helmholdt revealed last Thursday that the 6-5, 235-pounder would be visiting U-M for the MSU game in mid-November instead. Johnson — who is rated No. 155 overall nationally and is one of U-M’s biggest remaining targets in the 2020 class — explained yesterday why he wasn’t in Ann Arbor for the win over MTSU, and provided an update on his visit plans and top schools moving forward.
“I was considering going, though I had never told anybody I was actually going to be there,” he explained. “My mom went to see my brother play at Buffalo and they stayed the weekend, so there would have been no way for me to go on a visit last week. I’ll be visiting Michigan again though — I was planning on going to the Army game, but my family wants to go watch my brother play at Penn State [Buffalo heads to State College this weekend].
"Everyone is saying all this stuff about the trip, but it’s only me watching my brother and that’s the only reason I’m going. I know I’ll be at the Michigan/Notre Dame game [on Oct. 26] for sure, and I’m also thinking about going to the State game [on Nov. 16]. I might go to an earlier one too, but as of right now, the next time I know I’ll be there for sure is the Notre Dame game. On that trip, I’ll be watching for how Josh Gattis’ offense is running and how their season is going. I’ll also be looking at how the tight ends are integrated into his offense. It was good to see [Sean McKeon’s touchdown last Saturday], but that was just the first week — I’ll continue watching them in the coming weeks.”
Johnson went on to reveal what Gattis’ potential plan is for him in Michigan’s offense, and how he has the versatility to be used in multiple ways.
“I had a meeting with Coach Gattis and Coach [Sherrone] Moore a while back where we went over film, and they were talking to me about my abilities,” he recalled. “I went to their camp last June and Coach Gattis said they don’t have a third-down guy who they know they can get the ball to while flexed out. He told me at the camp that he sees me turning into somebody who can play any position and be a really big matchup. He said he wants to play me all over — for sure at tight end, but wherever else on the field in red zone and third-down situations.”
So where does U-M stand in the big picture…?
“I have about four or five schools I’m down to, and Michigan is in that group for sure,” Johnson explained. “It’s not hard to figure out who I’m down to — the schools I’m visiting this fall are the ones I’m seriously considering. If I’m giving a program a visit this year, then I’m considering going there.”
While recruits often crave the attention and ‘love’ shown by the schools recruiting them the hardest, Johnson revealed that he has actually appreciated a bit of a different approach that Moore, the U-M tight ends coach, has taken with him.
“I talk to Coach Moore at least once a week,” the four-star began. “We used to talk more, but then he explained that once I’m at Michigan, he’s not going to be talking to me and texting me every day. He hasn’t been hitting me up and bugging me all the time, which I appreciate because there have been a lot of people trying to text me all the time. We talk before games and any time news happens.
"I don’t think people realize how tiring this all gets on a player — it becomes a lot and I never expected it to get to this point. I already know how Coach Moore and the Michigan staff feel about me, so I don’t need them and their GAs texting me every day to tell me. I appreciate him giving me a little space.”
With that being said, the Michigan coaches have made it clear how much of a priority Johnson is on their recruiting board.
“They’ve told me multiple times they have a ‘Theo Johnson spot’ in their recruiting class,” he explained. “They said they have two guys committed [three-stars Nick Patterson and Matt Hibner], but they would take me at any point, no matter what. They’ve said multiple times I’m the guy they want and that they’ll wait as long as they need to. They’ve never come out and actually said I’m their No. 1 target, but it’s been clear I’m a high priority for them and that they’re willing to wait as long as they have to.”
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