Friday Michigan Football Recruiting Roundup Puts Dumb Thoughts To Rest

Losing Doesn't Change Anything

It's sad that recruiting analysts have to address this week-in and week-out, but here goes. Michigan's losses will not have an effect on its current commitments, and little to nothing will change with its remaining class of 2014 and 2015 targets. Drake Harris tries to give Michigan fans some solace:

There is no way that I would change my mind over 1 loss, the future is bright! Go blue 〽

— Drake Harris (@drizzygetbusy01) November 5, 2013

That's a former Spartan commitment saying that he refuses to let go of the Wolverines. Do you need more? I'll give you more. Sam Webb touches on an idea that ties into this article:

My take on UM transfer rumor: garbage play on people's willingness to have zero standards for accuracy/accountability in their news sources

— Sam Webb (@SamWebb77) November 7, 2013

This tweet isn't about recruiting, but the principle of the matter remains the same. The media is lazy and loves to pick low-hanging fruit; fans of struggling schools love to be lazy and assume that their classes will fall apart.

Is Michigan's class going to fall apart because of losses? No, no and no. No. Take that thought, put it in a blender and throw it to the dogs.

Nebraska Game Draws Decent List of Visitors

Michigan's recent performances must not be having that heavy of an effect on its recruiting efforts if high-end recruits still want to see Ann Arbor against another not-so-great B1G opponent. The list of visitors for this weekend isn't extremely long, but it includes a few big names($):

2014 SDE Malik McDowell: The elite defensive end prospect will be in town to watch the presumed favorite take on Nebraska. Michigan State remains the second team on his list, but don't expect their defensive efforts to be enough to sway him.

2015 QB Alex Malzone: Malzone's stock continues to rise in the eyes of both scouts and fans because of his great on-field performances this high school season. He is definitely toward the top of Al Borges' list of QBs capable of earning that coveted offer.

2017 LB Joshua Ross: Josh is the younger brother of Michigan linebacker James and already holds offers from the likes of Oklahoma and Michigan State. Yes, it's extremely early in Ross' recruitment, but expect the Wolverines to be one of the favorites years down the line.

Those are the three names who stick out to me. Michigan can do a lot for its image in the eyes of recruits by pummeling Nebraska.

Latest on Da'Shawn Hand

This has become an obligatory section, hasn't it? Hand will see Florida play lowly Vanderbilt this weekend; don't expect the visit to be groundbreaking and change the landscape of his recruitment. The Gators are the only school in Hand's top three that didn't receive a visit prior to his official, meaning he's seeing the school for the first time only days before deciding, which is a massive red flag in the world of recruiting.

From what I've been hearing, Hand is still very high on Michigan but wants to see the SEC for himself. He's an independent kid who will make a decision based on more than just football and coaching, which is why so many Michigan recruiting analysts remain confident in the Wolverines' chances. Brady Hoke and his staff seem to have weathered the Saban Storm that once had me worried.

Juju Smith Drops Michigan

Here's your chance to troll, if you're into that kind of thing:

JuJu Smith said he thinks Michigan is a great school, but not a fit for him. Cancelled his visit said losses caused them to drop on his list

— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) November 5, 2013

I THOUGHT YOU SAID THE LOSSES DON'T CHANGE ANYTHING, ANTHONY! That's correct, and I stand by what I've been saying for weeks now. Juju Smith was never seen as a recruit who would end up at Michigan, and he took the easy path when it came to cutting the Wolverines from his list: tell the media that he can't visit Michigan because they're losing too much for his liking. This isn't a shot at Smith, but instead a simple example of the tendency we humans have of giving the best excuse possible when we're searching for a way out of a situation.

General Notes and Multimedia Items

Five-star monster DT Tim Settle won't be deciding for quite a while:

I'm commiting oct 18 2014

— Tim Settle (@tim_settle) November 5, 2013

This is good news for Hoke and his staff, who have some catching up to do here. Settle should be back in Ann Arbor some time and is expected to receive an offer.

Four-star cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick would like to receive an offer from Michigan($). Minkah likes Michigan and is pretty wide open.

Finally, pay no attention to any Buckeye claiming that Michigan commitment Bryan Mone is interested in Ohio State. Mone is absolutely going to end up at Michigan.