Michigan offers 2016 wide receiver
With a bye week following their win over Penn State, the Michigan coaching staff has been busy the last couple of days on the recruiting trail, visiting many 2016 prospects and checking out high school practices.
Earlier this week, offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier stopped by the practice of Detroit King HS to check out 2016 wide receiver Donnie Corley (Wyandotte, Michigan), who is one of the state of Michigan's top prospects in the class.
With schools like Michigan State and Notre Dame already extending scholarship offers to him recently, it seemed as if it would only be a matter of time before the Wolverines jumped into the race and offered themselves, and that finally happened on Wednesday morning, according to Corley's Twitter account.
Just been offered by Michigan #GoBlue 〽️ pic.twitter.com/cTQ1yP7u4K
— FMOI: King_Donnie9 (@DonnieCorley) October 15, 2014
The Wolverines, Spartans and Fighting Irish now look like the three teams to beat in the process for Corley. He is a four-star prospect and a rising star in the region. His stock has risen this season after transferring from Wyandotte Roosevelt HS to Detroit King, where he is teammates with a few of MSU's 2015 commits in Tyriq Thompson and Kyonta Stallworth.
MSU looks like the favorite, but Michigan is now a factor since they have offered.
KLS and Bredeson talk U-M visit
As we've touched on recently in this roundup, five-star defensive end/linebacker Keisean Lucier-South (Orange, California) appears to have enjoyed his official visit to Michigan over the weekend, which was his first up close look at the campus and what the program has to offer.
Lucier-South seems pretty fired up over the visit, and he spoke to 247's Steve Lorenz and gave a full reaction of the things he saw while on campus. ($)
Here is a bit of what he had to say to Lorenz:
"I'd say the visit was a lot better than I even thought it was going to be," he said. "I loved it. My parents loved it a lot. They were as excited about it as I was. The stadium atmosphere was unbelievable. I couldn't believe all the fans there that knew my name and knew who I was. It was just a really great feeling. The game experience was awesome too and I'm glad I decided to make my visit for that game."
Another prospect that visited over the weekend was 2016 offensive lineman Ben Bredeson (Hartland, Wisconsin), who is one of Michigan's top targets in the class. He also spoke with Lorenz about his visit and more. ($)
He gives an interesting answer when asked if Michigan's on-field struggles affect his recruitment at all:
"I don't think people really realize how young the team is," he said. "There are hardly any seniors on the team, and there are more sophomores and redshirt sophomores than any other class on the team. The only way for them to go is up. My freshman year in high school, we had what people say is the best high school team in Wisconsin history. We destroyed everybody. Two years later, we lost three games and two in conference, which never happens at our school, and we didn't win the state championship. These things go in cycles, and Michigan is going to be back on their way once the young players they have get more experience. To be honest, I thought it would affect my thinking of them more than it has. It's not a concern for me."
Who can't Michigan afford to lose from their 2015 class?
The above question pops up often on social media and in emails, so I figured I would take the time to address it in today's roundup: Who are Michigan's most important committed players in 2015?
To start, if Brady Hoke loses his job, this class could very well end up looking much different by National Signing Day, but there are a few guys that would hurt to lose.
On offense, four-star tight end Chris Clark (Avon, Connecticut) is the guy to keep an eye on. He looks like a game-changer at the position and could be in a spot to earn himself some early playing time at Michigan if he sticks around. Think what Jake Butt brings to the table with a higher ceiling.
Clark is taking official visits to other schools in the wake of the questions surrounding the future of Michigan's staff, but he is a player that can really make a difference if he does end up in Ann Arbor when it is all said and done.
Defensively, linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. (Indianapolis, Indiana) is someone that is a very important part of this class. He has a nose for the football and is a natural leader. Even with the linebacker position arguably being the deepest on the team, this is a player that fits the mold of what you want at the position.
So those are my two picks. Sound off with yours on social media or in the comments below!
That's it for Wednesday. Check back in with us Friday for the latest in Michigan football recruiting.
Be sure to follow MnB Recruiting Reporter Anthony Broome on Twitter, @anthonytbroome.