Recruiting Update: July 20, 2011

COMMITMENT

Lakewood (OH) St. Edward OG Kyle Kalis committed to Michigan last Sunday (Touch the Banner profile here). Even though he's rated as one of the top offensive tackles in the country, he looks like a guard to me, which is why I didn't include him in last week's roundup of offensive tackle recruiting. But it was a pretty good clue that Kalis was going to commit to Michigan when he scheduled another visit to Ann Arbor so soon after the last one. Kalis is 6'5", 302 lbs. and the son of a former NFL offensive lineman. The apple didn't fall far from the tree.

ADDED TO THE BOARD

Cincinnati (OH) Moeller WR Monty Madaris received his Michigan offer this past week, as suggested should happen in a recent recruiting update.  He's a 6'2", 190-pounder who reportedly ran a 4.4 forty yard dash at a recent camp.  His other suitors include the likes of Florida State and Nebraska.

Wimberley (TX) Wimberley FB Dennis Smith was offered by Michigan last week.  This might speak to Michigan's hopes of getting a player like Ohio's Alden Hill or Utah's Sione Houma.  Smith is similar to both, a 6'1", 212 lb. combo back with the ability to block and run a little bit.  E.J. Fatu remains a possibility at the position, but he hasn't visited Ann Arbor.  I have a lot of confidence in Greg Mattison as a recruiter, but Michigan is a long way from Texas.

OFF THE BOARD

Tennessee WR Drae Bowles committed to Tennessee.  This is a terrible development because Michigan needs wide receivers, and Bowles is pretty durn good.  

Louisiana OT Derek Edinburgh committed to LSU.  Surprise!

Ohio RB/FB Alden Hill committed to Tennessee, too.  He attends Marlington High School in Alliance, OH, which is the same school that 2013 safety target Dymonte Thomas attends.  The Volunteers have also offered Thomas . . . and the plot thickens . . .

Florida SS Marcus Maye committed to Florida.  He was never expected to escape the gravitational pull of the three big-time Florida schools, so this was not a surprise.

Florida OT John Theus committed to Georgia.  This was also predicted in a recent recruiting update.

California WR Bryce Treggs committed to Cal.  He had long been considered a lean to the Golden Bears, and there's some talk that fellow Californian wideout Jordan Payton might join him in Berkeley.

OFFENSIVE GUARD RECRUITING

Last week I covered the uncommitted offensive tackles, and the commitment of Kalis to Michigan might change how Michigan recruits along the offensive line going forward. Regardless, here are the uncommitted guards Michigan has pursued:

Puyallup (WA) Puyallup OG Joshua Garnett received an offer from Michigan a while ago, and he recently named a top 11 that includes the Wolverines. He's a 6'5", 275-pounder who could play guard or tackle. Since he's from the northwest, it's not surprising that his top 11 would include six teams from the Pac-12 (California, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, and Washington). Auburn, Nebraska, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma are also in the mix. He hasn't given out many hints, but he has said that he wants to visit Michigan in the fall. Erik Magnuson, a Michigan commit and fellow west coast resident, has been getting in Garnett's ear.

Weston (FL) Cypress Bay OG Daniel Isidora is one of the more lightly regarded recruits according to the scouting services, but he has a decent offer list that includes Illinois, Miami, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Somehow I think he'll end up at a school like UCF or West Virginia, despite those offers from bigger programs.

Euless (TX) Trinity OG Hiva Lutui only has a few offers, and it seems like every Polynesian player ends up on the west coast or at Utah. He was born in southern California and wants to play close to him which, combined with those few offers, seems to point directly to UCLA.

Encino (CA) Crespi OG Jordan Simmons was thought by many to have a good chance of ending up in Ann Arbor because he's being mentored by former Michigan offensive lineman Courtney Morgan. However, Simmons's comments about Michigan have always been lukewarm, and most analysts seem to realize that Simmons isn't going to wear the winged helmet. He's a 6'5", 333 lb. bulldozer who's regarded as the #1 offensive guard in the country by Rivals. Miami, Oregon, USC, and Washington are potential destinations.

MagnusThunder is the author of Touch the Banner, a Michigan football blog.