Wolverines Make Top Five for Masina
Linebacker recruiting for the class of 2015 is starting to take shape for the Wolverines, as they have already brought in four-star Darrin Kirkland Jr. (Indianapolis, IN) and still have a few more spots up for grabs.
One of their candidates to fill one of these open spots is Osa Masina (Salt Lake City, UT), who is a four-star prospect and a guy that Michigan really likes.
On Thursday afternoon, Masina took to Twitter to announce his top five schools and shed some light on where he is at in the decision making process.
MY TOP 5 NO ORDER #Ucla #Michigan #Wisconsin #USC #Arizona State Thank you to every other school. Blessed for the opportunity.
— OSA (@OS_tertag) July 10, 2014
The notable omission from this list is Utah, who seemed to be in the mix for the talented in-state kid prior to this revelation. With that being said, it is not surprising that the Utes were not able to make it into a group of schools with the cache of Michigan, Wisconsin, UCLA, Arizona State and USC.
It will be tough to pull Masina from the West Coast, but I think that the Wolverines have as good a shot as anyone. UCLA seems like the favorite based on fit and mutual interest, but we will have to wait and see.
Michigan's Chances at Landing Mike Weber Increased?
The Wolverines still have a spot to fill in their 2015 class at running back, and their chances at landing arguably their top target at the position increased a bit on Thursday night when rival Michigan State picked up a commitment from four-star prospect Larry Scott (Hubbard, OH).
The Spartans will likely take two running backs in their group, so what does this mean for Michigan? Well, it ups the chances that they can continue to make a hard push for four-star in-state kid Mike Weber (Detroit, MI).
We are all aware of Weber's process and how his mind is constantly changing between his top schools, but the fact that MSU just brought in probably their lead dog at the position means that it could be one less school for the Wolverines to battle it out with for.
I am not sure how exactly this will effect Weber, as I believe that Michigan already holds the edge of them anyways, but we will see what happens. He is still considered an MSU lean by the 247 Crystal Ball predictions. Over 70 percent of the picks have him headed to East Lansing.
Personally, I feel as if the biggest competition for Weber's services is Ohio State. They were all over him at the Sound Mind Sound Body camp in Detroit and look to be planting the seeds with him to be their guy if they aren't able to land five-star prospect and former Michigan commit Damien Harris (Berea, KY).
Tell me if that sounds familiar.
Auden Tate Update
Michigan has yet to add a wide receiver to their 2015 class and one of their top targets at the position has come out and stated that they are still definitely in contention for his services, likely until the end.
Three-star wide receiver Auden Tate (Tampa, FL) spoke with 247's Luke Stampini at The Opening, where he discussed the Wolverines and possible visit dates to the campus. ($)
Tate fits exactly what Michigan is looking for in their wide receivers going forward. He is a perfect match in a pro-style offense, as he has the size at 6-4 to be a big target for the quarterbacks with solid speed. He is also a good route runner.
I think that Michigan has positioned itself to be in it for Tate until the end, as it looks like he may use of his official visits to the school, according to reports.
The Wolverines appear to be taking one player at the position, but I could easily see them taking a second one depending on who is still on the board. Getting a commitment from tight end Chris Clark kind of lessens the need for a wide out in the class after taking three last year.
Top Michigan Targets Shine at The Opening
Nike's The Opening event in Oregon is a great gathering of the best high school football players in all of the nation, so it's no surprise that a school like Michigan has a ton of prospects they are linked to in attendance, either formerly or currently.
Maize N Brew's Adam Biggers took a look at what some of the big names guys linked to the school have done at the event, including running backs Jacques Patrick and Damien Harris, wide receiver George Campbell and offensive tackle Matt Burrell. That piece can be found here. (FREE)
That's it for Friday. Enjoy the weekend and be back with us on Monday for the latest regarding Michigan football recruiting.
Be sure to follow Maize N Brew's Anthony Broome on Twitter, @anthonytbroome.