As we've started to see, Michigan's coaches are making their rounds around the country and stopping in to see commits and targets. We've seen tight ends coach Sherrone Moore with four-star tight end Erick All:
We've seen linebackers coach Al Washington with three-star safety Joey Velazquez:
Jim Harbaugh and Greg Mattison were at East Kentwood earlier today to see four-star defensive tackle Mazi Smith:
There wasn't visual confirmation but Indianapolis Ben Davis three-star offensive tackle Dawand Jones spoke of his visit with offensive line coach Ed Warinner and we've also heard of Harbaugh making a couple of stops down in Florida to see four-star defensive end Michael Morris and three-star athlete George Johnson III.
Perhaps one of the biggest stops so far took place earlier today when defensive line coach Greg Mattison and Washington stopped by to see Lewis Center (Ohio) Olentangy Orange five-star strongside defensive end Zach Harrison. Washington has done a phenomenal job with Harrison and Mattison, despite being the oldest coach on staff, has a knack for bonding with young prospects and always does a great job on the trail.
I haven't unearthed many specifics about the visit earlier today but it went well. Harrison feels really comfortable with Washington and he's the single biggest reason that Michigan may be leading for the 6-5, 245-pounder. Word on the street is that Penn State head coach James Franklin was in to see Harrison yesterday and Ohio State's coaches will also put their efforts in. The Nittany Lions are still sniffing around but Harrison's recruitment is down to the Wolverines and Buckeyes.
If Harrison is Michigan's No. 1 target, Crystal Lake (Ill.) Crystal Lake South four-star offensive tackle Trevor Keegan is likely No. 2. The 6-6, 310-pounder will get an in-home visit from Warinner on Thursday. The big tackle is expected to make his announcement somewhere in the Dec. 11-14 range based on when his sister gets home from college.
Finally, Michigan, along with Tennessee, is in the final two for Marietta (Ga.) High four-star pro-style quarterback Harrison Bailey. The junior signal caller is the No. 2 pro-style QB in the country and is sniffing five-star status.
Landing a player like him this early in the cycle would be a very big deal for Michigan because of Bailey's personality and ability to recruit others. So what's he going to do?
No one seems to know.
Bailey has reportedly only told his parents and his brother. The family even decided to keep Bailey's eight year-old brother in the dark so he doesn't spill the beans to anyone of interest. The Michigan staff doesn't know and neither do the coaches in Knoxville but both staffs feel pretty good.
Bailey really likes UT head coach Jeremy Pruitt and might fit in better culture wise in Knoxville as a Georgia boy. That had Tennessee looking like the leader a while back but the Vols have struggled on the field. Michigan passing game coordinator Pep Hamilton won Bailey over immediately during one of his visits to Ann Arbor. Pep broke Bailey's tape down, coached him hard, critiqued his game and made the quarterback better in a simple film session. Bailey loved that.
The junior signal caller checked out Michigan for the Wisconsin game and was supposed to return for the Penn State game but injured his collarbone and decided not to travel all the way to Ann Arbor. He might've committed that weekend had he made the trip. Instead, he remained patient and now it really seems like a toss up.
Rivals.com Georgia analyst Chad Simmons spent more than an hour with Bailey earlier today and left quite torn. Simmons himself said that he knows what Georgia prospects are going to do "nine out of ten times" but does not with Bailey. He's hoping to learn a bit more tomorrow from Bailey's father, but for now he's in the dark like the rest of us and is planning to write two commitment stories for Thursday's decision.
We've seen linebackers coach Al Washington with three-star safety Joey Velazquez:
Jim Harbaugh and Greg Mattison were at East Kentwood earlier today to see four-star defensive tackle Mazi Smith:
There wasn't visual confirmation but Indianapolis Ben Davis three-star offensive tackle Dawand Jones spoke of his visit with offensive line coach Ed Warinner and we've also heard of Harbaugh making a couple of stops down in Florida to see four-star defensive end Michael Morris and three-star athlete George Johnson III.
Perhaps one of the biggest stops so far took place earlier today when defensive line coach Greg Mattison and Washington stopped by to see Lewis Center (Ohio) Olentangy Orange five-star strongside defensive end Zach Harrison. Washington has done a phenomenal job with Harrison and Mattison, despite being the oldest coach on staff, has a knack for bonding with young prospects and always does a great job on the trail.
I haven't unearthed many specifics about the visit earlier today but it went well. Harrison feels really comfortable with Washington and he's the single biggest reason that Michigan may be leading for the 6-5, 245-pounder. Word on the street is that Penn State head coach James Franklin was in to see Harrison yesterday and Ohio State's coaches will also put their efforts in. The Nittany Lions are still sniffing around but Harrison's recruitment is down to the Wolverines and Buckeyes.
If Harrison is Michigan's No. 1 target, Crystal Lake (Ill.) Crystal Lake South four-star offensive tackle Trevor Keegan is likely No. 2. The 6-6, 310-pounder will get an in-home visit from Warinner on Thursday. The big tackle is expected to make his announcement somewhere in the Dec. 11-14 range based on when his sister gets home from college.
Finally, Michigan, along with Tennessee, is in the final two for Marietta (Ga.) High four-star pro-style quarterback Harrison Bailey. The junior signal caller is the No. 2 pro-style QB in the country and is sniffing five-star status.
Landing a player like him this early in the cycle would be a very big deal for Michigan because of Bailey's personality and ability to recruit others. So what's he going to do?
No one seems to know.
Bailey has reportedly only told his parents and his brother. The family even decided to keep Bailey's eight year-old brother in the dark so he doesn't spill the beans to anyone of interest. The Michigan staff doesn't know and neither do the coaches in Knoxville but both staffs feel pretty good.
Bailey really likes UT head coach Jeremy Pruitt and might fit in better culture wise in Knoxville as a Georgia boy. That had Tennessee looking like the leader a while back but the Vols have struggled on the field. Michigan passing game coordinator Pep Hamilton won Bailey over immediately during one of his visits to Ann Arbor. Pep broke Bailey's tape down, coached him hard, critiqued his game and made the quarterback better in a simple film session. Bailey loved that.
The junior signal caller checked out Michigan for the Wisconsin game and was supposed to return for the Penn State game but injured his collarbone and decided not to travel all the way to Ann Arbor. He might've committed that weekend had he made the trip. Instead, he remained patient and now it really seems like a toss up.
Rivals.com Georgia analyst Chad Simmons spent more than an hour with Bailey earlier today and left quite torn. Simmons himself said that he knows what Georgia prospects are going to do "nine out of ten times" but does not with Bailey. He's hoping to learn a bit more tomorrow from Bailey's father, but for now he's in the dark like the rest of us and is planning to write two commitment stories for Thursday's decision.
