Damien Harris Sets a Commitment Date
Time to start saving dates.
Former Michigan Wolverines commit and 2015 five-star running back Damien Harris (Berea, KY) announced on Monday that he will be releasing his top five schools on Aug. 1 and choosing his program on Dec. 13. The announcement came via his Twitter account.
Top 5 coming August 1st, decision coming December 13th!
— Damien Harris (@Damien_D1Harris) July 22, 2014
Even though he decommited from the program earlier this year, Michigan fans need not fret. The Wolverines should and will likely be included on this list, and the timetable for a decision actually works out in their favor.
While a reason outside of just opening things up and exploring all options for Harris was never really given, it's no secret that the lack of success for the Michigan football program over the last few seasons, coupled with coaching staff uncertainty, played a part in Harris' decommitment.
With a December announcement date now set in stone, this gives Michigan a chance to get back in his good graces by performing on the field and proving that the last two seasons were bumps in the road for this program going forward. The Wolverines have a ton to prove on the field in 2014.
It also works out perfectly for them in regard to four-star running back Mike Weber (Detroit, MI), who seems more and more like the guy that Michigan takes in the 2015 cycle. In a perfect world, it's Harris, but Weber is a very, very good consolation prize.
Weber wants to make his choice in January, so if Michigan does end up whiffing on Harris, they will be able to officially make Weber their guy going forward, which he may very well be already.
The favorite to land Harris seems to be Ohio State, so we'll see what happens with that. After previously stating he would be at OSU's Friday Night Lights and Michigan's BBQ, Harris will no longer be attending either of those events, so there's not much we're able to take out of that, either.
Lucier-South's Top Five Coming Soon
In related news, five-star 2015 defensive end Keisean Lucier-South (Orange, CA) announced Tuesday evening that his top five list of schools will be coming on Aug. 8, per his Twitter account.
Releasing my Top 5 On August 8th #JustWaitOnIt
— Keisean South1⃣6⃣ (@KLSouth16) July 23, 2014
Michigan, barring an unforseen development, will be included in this grouping it appears, along with schools like UCLA and Notre Dame, who round out a list of three schools that I think are most likely to land Lucier-South.
A concrete date has not been given, but Lucier-South has stated that he wants to decide on or around National Signing Day 2015 in February, so a commitment is not around the corner by any means and a lot can change before that happens.
As I've stated before, I think he is the most important player that Michigan has recruited in the last couple of seasons, perhaps even more so than 2014's stud prospect Jabrill Peppers.
The Wolverines have missed out on some of their top pass rushers in the last few cycles, most notable five-star Da'Shawn Hand to Alabama. Lucier-South is in my opinion the best pure pass rushing prospect in the 2015 class, so adding him to the mix would be so huge for Michigan, and I think they have the goods to get it done.
We'll have to wait awhile to see what happens, but even though it will be difficult to bring him to the Midwest, Michigan has as good a shot as anyone on that list.
No BBQ for Josh McMillon
Many of the nation's most talented prospects will be on campus at Michigan this weekend for the annual BBQ at the Big House, but it appears that one of their top 2015 targets at linebacker will not be attending.
Four-star linebacker Josh McMillon (Memphis, TN) tweeted out on Monday that he will not be attending the event in Ann Arbor, citing that it is a long drive and tough trip to make.
I would not read too terribly much into this, as Memphis to Ann Arbor is not just some Sunday stroll through the park. If it was a place he was truly in love with, maybe he comes, but at the end of the day, you have to think of it as you would if you had a trip to make.
Just Because I'm Not Going To Michigan Doesn't Mean They Are Out Of It. It's 12 Hours Away. Can't Make That Trip Often
— Joshua McMillon (@Joshua_McMillon) July 22, 2014
Is it really worth the 12 hour drive? Maybe, but apparently not for McMillon.
With that being said, I'm not really sure what Michigan's chances with him are anyways. He seems like a safe bet to end up at Alabama, but many insiders think that the Wolverines still have a chance. He won't be in Ann Arbor this weekend and it doesn't look like he has any visits planned any time soon, so we'll have to keep an eye on this one.
Michigan Offers Lavert Hill
In 2016 news, the Wolverines extended a scholarship offer today to four-star defensive back Lavert Hill (Detroit, MI), who many view as a rising star among prospects in that class.
Hill is from Cass Tech High School, which has traditionally been a strong Michigan pipeline over the years. With this offer, the Wolverines may be the team to beat, but of course it's still way early in the process.
He still has a ton of growing to do as a player, so we'll see how much higher he rises up boards by the time National Signing Day 2016 rolls around.
That's it for Wednesday. Come back Friday for the latest news and notes on Michigan football recruiting.
Be sure to follow Maize N Brew's Anthony Broome on Twitter, @anthonytbroome.