Five-Stars Galore
Michigan is already in on its fair share of five-star prospects, and it looks like the Wolverines could get in on two more elite players. The first is defensive tackle Andrew Brown, who recently told 247 Sports' Steve Wiltfong that Michigan is moving up:
The nation's top DT Andrew Brown tells me that his best relationships are with Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Virginia and Virginia Tech. Michigan and Ohio State also moving up.
Will visit schools in the South and Midwest this summer.
Whether or not Michigan can get into his top group and overtake in-state favorite Virginia is still up in the air. Brown was recently at a Nike Football Training Camp, dominating poor offensive lineman like this one:
Brown is probably the best defensive tackle in this class. His combination of size and quickness make him an interior player capable of impacting all facets of opposing offenses, which is rare.
The second player is offensive tackle Casey Tucker. The Arizona product was committed to USC but recently decided to open things back up. Michigan has been on him the last few weeks and the Wolverines are in need of an elite offensive tackle, so we'll see if the staff can jump into his top group.
Visits and Such
Mark Andrews, Ricky DeBerry, Parrker Westphal and others were all in Ann Arbor this weekend. All of the visits seemed to go well, although nothing unusually positive came out of the weekend. Andrews did get to talk to Hoke in person:
Another really amazing visit! Me and coach Hoke hanging out! twitter.com/Mandrews_81/st…
— Mark Andrews (@Mandrews_81) April 19, 2013
I think Andrews ends up at Arizona. The fact that he thinks he's a receiver probably doesn't help Michigan's chances.
Class of 2015 linebacker Ricky DeBerry got to try on some maize and blue gear:
Great time at Michigan #GoBlue twitter.com/D1Dreams22/sta…
— R. DeBerry #⃣2⃣2⃣ (@D1Dreams22) April 20, 2013
A Michigan offer is definitely in his future. Clemson, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Virginia, Wisconsin and a host of other schools have already extended offers his way.
How Young is too Young?
Offering young football prospects seems to be becoming a trend, and many people aren't taking a liking to it:
Something needs to be done, this is ridiculous RT @spiewak Vanderbilt offers Jahlen Jack. 5-6, 125 pounds. 7th grade. Class of 2018
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) April 19, 2013
The question is this: Is that offer really an "offer", or instead just a placeholder for the coach? It's a placeholder. That offer isn't a written offer, or a promise, or anything even relatively binding. It's a cheap way for a coach to get in on a player's recruitment as early as possible while at the same time risking absolutely nothing. If Jack doesn't pan out the Vanderbilt staff will forget that he ever existed.
Is this still wrong? It is in my opinion. First of all, Jahlen Jack is far too young to be thinking about college; he probably can't even tell you what cos(0) is equal to, let alone tell you where he'd like to learn about math or English or whatever he'll study five years down the line. Second, nothing good can come of this in terms of his recruitment. The offer is a false offer that could easily turn into a false sense of security somewhere down the line. Where should coaches draw the line? I say high school, but that argument could go on for days.
General Notes and Multimedia Items
Cornerback prospect Shaun Crawford can pick 'em up and put 'em down:
First open 100 of the season, ran 10.7!! Ready for a great outdoor season with my boys! #edsup
— Shaun Crawford ⚡ (@Crawf_4) April 21, 2013
Keep in mind that Crawford is in the class of 2015, making him a high school sophomore. I mentioned him as a potential receiver in college, but it now seems clearer to me that corner is his future position. A Michigan offer is in his future as well.
Running back Damien Harris already holds a Michigan offer. He got to talk to Al Borges:
Just got off the phone with Coach Borges. Had a productive conversation! Go Blue!
— Damien Harris (@Damien_D1Harris) April 22, 2013
Once again, Harris could be one of Michigan's first 2015 commitments, if not the very first commitment. Brady Pallante is in fact a 2014 commitment so first honors are still there for the taking.
Class of 2015 athlete Jaason Lewis:
I have been invited to the All-American Army Bowl in 2015 !!!
— Lew (@JaasonLewis) April 19, 2013
Being offered a roster spot this early is usually a sign that a player will be up there in his class rankings.
Finally, check out wide receiver Maurice Ways' highlights, if you haven't already:
I believe he didn't start playing football until he was a sophomore in high school, giving him two years of experience. I think he could blow up at the next level given the right coaching.