The Impact of Shaun Crawford's Decommitment
Four-star 2015 cornerback Shaun Crawford (Lakewood, OH) made it official late Friday night when it was reported that he had decommitted from the University of Michigan.
Crawford had committed to Michigan back in August, along with four-star safety Tyree Kinnel, also from the state of Ohio. The two of them were the first two pieces of a secondary class that was looking to be one of the more athletic in the Big Ten, and still should be, but now will move on without Crawford.
Crawford was no longer viewed as a #Michigan commit the minute he visited ND. Phone call to Hoke just a formality.
— Steve Lorenz (@TremendousUM) May 24, 2014
As soon as it was announced that Crawford was going to visit Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Miami (FL), it was pretty apparent that a decommitment from him was going to be imminent. Whether or not he decides to re-up with Brady Hoke and the Wolverines remains to be seen, but I would say it is unlikely.
Crawford had also coveted an offer from the Fighting Irish, and when he visited them the first time, he had not received one yet. He got his offer from Notre Dame in February, and if I had to make a prediction, this will be his landing spot sooner rather than later.
As far as Michigan goes, they will be just fine after this decommitment. During spring practices, it had become apparent that Greg Mattison was going to change some things up in the secondary and bring in taller, more physical corners. Crawford is a nice player, but does not really fit that description. Their most recent cornerback commit, Garrett Taylor, does.
Now that the Wolverines have a spot open in the secondary, expect them to make a more dedicated run at four-star athlete Brian Cole (Saginaw, MI), who can play both corner and wide receiver. Cole is another tall, athletic prospect that would fit what Mattison wants to do on defense perfectly. I guess we will have to wait and see what happens.
Michigan Named in Hilliard's Top Five Schools
Five-star 2015 linebacker Justin Hilliard (Cincinnati, OH) narrowed down his list of schools to five on Friday morning, and the Michigan Wolverines made the cut, along with Alabama, Iowa, Notre Dame and Ohio State.
TOP 5 pic.twitter.com/wsBgxa8DUM
— Justin Hilliard (@JHilliard47) May 23, 2014
Hilliard would be a great fit in Michigan's defense. He is an outside linebacker who is great in pursuit and has a nose for the football. He is very skilled and well-rounded as a prospect coming out of high school.
You look at the other schools in his top five, though, and you can't help but wonder if Michigan has the firepower to stay in the hunt for Hilliard's services. Anytime you go toe-to-toe with the likes of Nick Saban and Urban Meyer, you're facing an uphill battle, especially on a coaching staff where everyone's seat is red hot right now.
In the end, I do believe it comes down to Michigan and OSU in another one of those classic border recruiting battles. As much as it may pain the fans of the maize and blue, I give the edge to the Buckeyes in this race. The 247 Crystal Ball agrees, with over 58 percent choosing OSU for Hilliard.
Scout's Dave Berk spoke to Hilliard about his top five during a podcast over the weekend. You can listen to that here. ($)
Hentges Commits to Alabama
A 2015 tight end target came off the board on Sunday as four-star prospect Hale Hentges (Jefferson City, MO) committed to play for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Hentges was being recruited by many of the major players in college football, including the Wolverines. He boasted an impressive list of offers from schools ranging from Alabama all the way to Oregon.
In the here and now of college football, it seems that if you're being looked at by everyone, Alabama is the logical landing spot because of their success each season and the NFL prospect factory they have down there in Tuscaloosa.
Michigan never really seemed that realistic of a spot for Hentges, but they will still be fine when it comes to recruiting tight ends.
The Wolverines are still sitting well with four-stars Chris Clark and Tyrone Wheatley Jr., who I believe will both be joining them during this recruiting class.
Michigan Targets Have Good Showing at Midwest Elite 7-on-7 Tournament
This past weekend, pool play for the Midwest Elite 7-on-7 Football Tournament was held at Avondale High School in Auburn Hills, MI and featured some high-profile recruits that are linked to Michigan in the 2015 class.
Rivals' Josh Hemholdt was in attendance and gave a list of twelve players that stood out the most during the weekend's event, along with interviews with prospects form the camp. The list can be found here. ($)
Players included in the camp were quarterback commit Alex Malzone, athlete Brian Cole, and wide receiver Miles Boykin.
That's it for Monday's roundup. Have a fantastic Memorial Day, and be sure to come back Wednesday for the latest news and notes regarding Michigan football recruiting.
You can follow Maize N Brew's Anthony Broome on Twitter, @anthonytbroome.