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Michigan beat Notre Dame after another pulse-pounding contest, so let's all breathe easy and take in the recruiting news from the weekend.
UTL II Impressive to Recruits; No Commitments
The second installment of Under the Lights in Ann Arbor turned in an impressive list of visitors. The show wasn't enough to land Michigan any commitments, but the recruits who showed up for the game walked away impressed:
Really enjoying my time in Michigan right now
— Jashon Cornell#⃣1⃣6⃣ (@Jay_Rock16) September 8, 2013
No. 1 ranked Jashon Cornell on Michigan: "I felt really good about the visit. They're in there for sure. They're towards the top the list."
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) September 9, 2013
No. 1 ranked Jashon Cornell said George Campbell and Damien Harris were on each side of him at the game on Saturday. He enjoyed his visit
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) September 9, 2013
Me B Cole and his pops and Lawrence Gordon. Had a good time last night.... pic.twitter.com/Zuh1aQUJM6
— Ralph Arnett (@RArnett989) September 8, 2013
It's safe to say that Michigan did everything it could to strengthen its position with Da'Shawn Hand, Jashon Cornell, Justin Hilliard and the many other recruits in attendance. Not much has come out about Hand's big visit other than the usual "I had a great time" type of fluff. Hand is approaching his recruitment like a businessman, so don't fret about the lack of news this weekend.
Cornell also had a great time. Many of the writers over at Wolverine 247 are close to switching their crystal ball predictions to Michigan after the win, and I might join them not long after. Jashon has been to Ann Arbor multiple times and has been in touch with Michigan's commitments for quite some time now. He also made a trip out to Detroit Cass Tech:
Checking out these Cass tech boys at there practice pic.twitter.com/8BYA4hxDAL
— Jashon Cornell#⃣1⃣6⃣ (@Jay_Rock16) September 8, 2013
Don't ask me why he visited the local high school power. Anyway, Michigan will be in it for Cornell until the end, and at this point it wouldn't surprise anyone if he ended up playing next to Da'Shawn Hand.
Hand and Cornell weren't the only huge recruits on campus. Marshon Lattimore made it to the game, as did 2015 five-star Tim Settle. Settle, who didn't receive his offer during the trip, had a great time with four-star offensive lineman Matt Burrell:
I'm not sure why the staff is holding out on Settle, who is a five-star mauler on defense. The Wolverines will be in the race if they do ever come through with the offer.
Overall, everyone was very impressed by the show put on in Ann Arbor. Hell, who wouldn't be impressed by the NCAA's largest crowd, a shout out to Michigan from Beyonce, an interview with Eminem, and oh yea, a win over the ranked Notre Dame Fighting Chickens. Dave Brandon and Brady Hoke are making it hard to say no to Michigan.
Harris, Peppers Dominate.. Again
Damien Harris' insane high school statistics won't ever get old. This week he rushed for 315 yards and 3 touchdowns on 31 carries, giving him 802 yards and 13 touchdowns through only 3 games. You can check out highlights of Harris' latest performance over on Hudl. He really shouldn't be allowed on the field against those poor high school kids.
Speaking of unfair, Jabrill Peppers' Paramus squad absolutely obliterated football powerhouse Gilman, holding them to a mere 17 yards of total offense. NJ.com interviewed a few Paramus players after the game, also showing some highlights in between:
Between Peppers, Bushell-Beatty and the rest of the talent on the team, there's no questioning why Paramus ranks in the top five of the nation in high school football.
General Notes and Multimedia Items
Tom VH of ESPN covers Malik McDowell's timeline in his latest B1G Recruiting Mailbag:
@ssullie71: Has Malik McDowell given a timeline when he will make his decision on colleges?
VanHaaren: He is saying going into this weekend that he plans on waiting to make a decision. This has been a hot topic, because I do believe there is a chance he makes a decision sooner than later.
McDowell (Southfield, Mich./Southfield) has been somewhat quiet about all this and doesn't share much, so he could do anything. It wouldn't surprise me to see him wait things out, but it wouldn't surprise me to see him make a decision soon.
He initially had been saying he was going to wait until the Army All-American game, but I don't think that will happen anymore.
I also don't expect McDowell to wait until hi All-American game. He still appears to be a Michigan lean, although the lack of information available on his recruitment makes it difficult to say anything with certainty.