clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Visitors Attending Michigan vs. Illinois

Michigan isn't playing as many home games this season as they did last season, and there's no night-game or marquee game vs. Notre Dame either. If you want to call the MSU game a marquee game, go ahead, but after their pitiful performance last weekend vs. Indiana, I have no words to describe how I feel about them.

By Sarah Hughes

Since this is the case, any home game is going to be a huge recruiting opportunity and this weekend's game vs. Illinois is no different. There will be lots of commits and recruits visiting this weekend. I don't necessarily think Michigan gets a new commitment, but attending a Homecoming game where Michigan should take care of business should be a good sign for recruits. The 2013 class only has a couple spots remaining, presumably "saved" for the likes of WR Laquon Treadwell and RB Derrick Green. The focus is already on the 2014 class, and with 2014 LB Michael Ferns (the first 2014 Michigan commit) planning on attending the game, I'm sure he will be in some players' ears. Below is a list of players who will be attending the Illinois game. This list is subject to change. This entire list has come from Tremendous, which does a fantastic job of getting in touch with the players to see who will be attending games.

Commits:

  • QB Shane Morris
  • RB Wyatt Shallman
  • TE Khalid Hill
  • LB Mike McCray
  • OL Kyle Bosch
  • OL David Dawson
  • OL Logan Tuley-Tillman
  • DB Dymonte Thoams
  • DB Jourdan Lewis
  • LB Michael Ferns

2014 Recruits:

RB Jaylon Brown (St. Clairsville, OH/St. Clairsville)

  • Info: 5'8" and 160 pounds; teammate of 2014 commit, 4* LB Michael Ferns
  • Ranking: UR
  • Michigan offer? No
  • Other offers: None
  • Michigan's chances? Assuming Michigan eventually offers Brown, I would imagine Ferns would be in his ear until he commits.

TE Kyle Rachwal (Lapeer, MI/Lapeer East)

  • Info: 6'3" and 230 pounds; has already visited Michigan for the Air Force game; attends same high school that Michigan great OL Jake Long attended
  • Ranking: UR
  • Michigan offer? No
  • Other offers: None
  • Michigan's chances? Michigan is looking at a lot of tight ends, but if Rachwal is offered, I would imagine Michigan would be an immediate favorite.

OL Jamarco Jones (Chicago, IL/De La Salle)

  • Info: 6'5" and 290 pounds; Michigan was one of his first offers and he has already visited Michigan
  • Ranking: 4-star, #12 OT in the country, #2 player out of Illinois (247)
  • Michigan offer? Yes
  • Other offers: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Vanderbilt, Wisconsin
  • Michigan's chances? Jones enjoyed his first visit to Michigan but is staying quiet on who his favorites are. Hopefully this upcoming visit will make a bigger impression.

OL Denzel Ward (Chicago, IL/King)

  • Info: 6'9" and 285 pounds
  • Ranking: UR
  • Michigan offer? No
  • Other offers: Purdue
  • Michigan's chances? Not much is known at this time.

DE Zachary Evans (Grand Rapids, MI/Kenowa Hills)

  • Info: 6'2" and 235 pounds
  • Ranking: UR
  • Michigan offer? No
  • Other offers: None
  • Michigan's chances? Not much is known at this time.

DT Michael Barwick (Cincinnati, OH/Summit Country Day)

  • Info: 6'3" and 250 pounds; Michigan's Coach Smith coached Michael's father at Indiana State
  • Ranking: UR
  • Michigan offer? No
  • Other offers: Western Michigan
  • Michigan's chances? This visit will tell us a lot because a lot of analysts believe Barwick is underrated and will eventually end up with a Michigan offer. He has already visited Ohio State and West Virginia.

QB Ramroth Finnegan (Columbus, OH/Whetstone)

  • Info: 6'3" and 205 pounds, pro-style quarterback
  • Ranking: UR
  • Michigan offer? No
  • Other offers: None
  • Michigan's chances? If OSU offers, he'll probably head there, but I doubt that will happen. Sleeper alert.

OL Jeff Rotheram (North Olmsted, OH)

  • Info: 6'6" and 295 pounds; his older brother plays at Pitt
  • Ranking: UR
  • Michigan offer? No
  • Other offers: None
  • Michigan's chances? Not much is known at this time.

TE Jordan VanDort (Zeeland, MI/Zeeland West)

  • Info: 6'5" and 240 pounds
  • Ranking: UR
  • Michigan offer? No
  • Other offers: None
  • Michigan's chances? VanDort grew up a Michigan fan and if offered, I would assume Michigan would be hard to beat.

QB Travis Smith (Ithaca, MI/Ithaca)

  • Info: 6'2" and 200 pounds, pro-style or dual-threat quarterback depending on which website you check
  • Ranking: UR
  • Michigan offer? No
  • Other offers: None
  • Michigan's chances? Not much is known at this time.

QB David Cornwell (Jones, OK)

  • Info: 6'5" and 215 pounds
  • Ranking: UR
  • Michigan offer? No
  • Other offers: Indiana
  • Michigan's chances? The fact that he's making the trip to Michigan from Oklahoma is a good sign, but he claims he has no favorites yet.

DT Jake Khoury (Traverse City, MI/St. Francis)

  • Info: 6'3" and 285 pounds; cousin of Michigan OL Rocko Khoury
  • Ranking: UR
  • Michigan offer? No
  • Other offers: None
  • Michigan's chances? If offered, Michigan's chances would be great. He is also interested in Michigan State and Notre Dame.

WR Kendric Mallory (Dayton, OH/Trotwood-Madison)

  • Info: 6'2" and 175 pounds; same high school as 2013 Michigan commit, 4* LB Michael McCray (and also current/previous players Brandon Moore, Roy Roundtree, and Michael Shaw)
  • Ranking: 3-star, #51 WR in the country, #25 player out of Ohio (247)
  • Michigan offer? No
  • Other offers: Illinois
  • Michigan's chances? Right now, Mallory says he has "medium" interest in Michigan but that if they were to offer, his interest level would be very high.

QB DeShone Kizer (Toledo, OH/Central Catholic)

  • Info: 6'4" and 205 pounds, dual-threat quarterback
  • Ranking: 4-star, #238 overall, #5 dual-threat QB in the country, #15 player out of Ohio (247)
  • Michigan offer? No
  • Other offers: Boston College, Bowling Green, Illinois, Louisville, Nebraska, Syracuse, Toledo
  • Michigan's chances? Kizer grew up a Michigan fan, and if Michigan offers, they would be very high on his list.

DE Ryan Stout (Sylvania, OH/Southview)

  • Info: 6'5" and 245 pounds
  • Ranking: UR
  • Michigan offer? No
  • Other offers: Akron, Bowling Green, Toledo
  • Michigan's chances? Not much is known at this time.

WR Brandon Fritts (Mentor, OH/Mentor)

  • Info: 6'4" and 205 pounds; good friends with Michigan player Tom Strobel
  • Ranking: 3-star, #56 WR in the country, #31 player out of Ohio (247)
  • Michigan offer? No
  • Other offers: None
  • Michigan's chances? Fritts is a Michigan fan and if offered, Michigan would be high on his list.

LB/DE Gelen Robinson (St. John, IN/Lake Central)

  • Info: 6'2" and 230 pounds; younger brother of Michigan basketball player Glenn Robinson III
  • Ranking: 3-star, #14 SDE in the country, #6 player out of Indiana (247)
  • Michigan offer? No
  • Other offers: None
  • Michigan's chances? One has to assume that if Michigan offered, Robinson would be almost a lock considering his brother is currently at Michigan. He says the thought of attending college with his brother is very exciting.

OL Jake Whitley (North Augusta, SC/North Augusta)

  • Info: 6'4" and 295 pounds
  • Ranking: UR
  • Michigan offer? No
  • Other offers: None
  • Michigan's chances? Not much is known at this time.

DE Lawrence Marshall (Southfield, MI/Southfield)

  • Info: 6'4" and 205 pounds
  • Ranking: UR
  • Michigan offer? No
  • Other offers: Bowling Green, San Diego State
  • Michigan's chances? It sounds like Marshall is very interested in Michigan State, but as always, anything can happen if Michigan offers.

OL Connor Hayes (Traverse City, MI/West)

  • Info: 6'4" and 270 pounds
  • Ranking: 3-star, #28 OT in the country, #7 player out of Michigan (247)
  • Michigan offer? No
  • Other offers: Central Michigan, Indiana, Western Michigan
  • Michigan's chances? Hayes claims he has no favorites, but I would not be surprised if Michigan became a favorite if they were to offer.

OL Tommy Doles (Grand Rapids, MI/Grand Rapids Christian)

  • Info: 6'5" and 240 pounds
  • Ranking: 4-star, #219 overall, #23 OT in the country, #6 player out of Michigan (247)
  • Michigan offer? Yes
  • Other offers: Iowa State
  • Michigan's chances? Doles has already visited Michigan and says it is the one school that stands out to him. Michigan was the first school to offer him and this was before his recruiting really started to blow up. Great chance here.

OL Nathaniel Devers (Massillon, OH/Washington)

  • Info: 6'5" and 265 pounds; teammate of 2013 commit, 4* DB Gareon Conley
  • Ranking: 4-star, #156 overall, #17 OT in the country, #9 player out of Ohio (247)
  • Michigan offer? No
  • Other offers: Toledo
  • Michigan's chances? Great. Michigan hasn't even offered yet and they're #1 on Devers's list.

OL Chase Nash (Massillon, OH/Washington)

  • Info: teammate of 2014 recruit, 4* OL Nathaniel Devers and 2013 commit, 4* DB Gareon Conley
  • Ranking: UR
  • Michigan offer? No
  • Other offers: None
  • Michigan's chances? Not much is known at this time.

Next Up In Michigan Football Recruiting