Mike Weber Commits to Michigan
Well, this was certainly a surprise.
On Wednesday night, the Michigan Wolverines received a verbal commitment from four-star 2015 running back Mike Weber (Detroit, MI) after a visit to the school. The announcement was made via his Twitter account.
I have officially commited to the University of Michigan #GoBlue 〽️ pic.twitter.com/rinFDcVZHP
— Uncle Mike (@mikeweber25) August 7, 2014
With Weber's commitment, the Wolverines have finally filled the much-speculated about spot at running back during this cycle. At one point, two players seemed likely, then Ty Isaac transferred in, leaving a lone spot for a player at this position.
After one-time commit Damien Harris (Berea, KY) dropped the Michigan from his list, Weber became the guy. The coaching staff and other recruits made it very clear how much they wanted Weber to be a part of this cycle, and social media and fans were abuzz after it went down.
The timeline for the decision is a bit surprising, considering he had stated in the past he wanted to decide after the season, but after it became clear that Michigan and Weber were a perfect fit for each other, the waiting game was no longer necessary.
What he does bring is yet another highly-skilled prospect on the offensive side of the ball, which some have criticized Michigan for not being able to bring in the past. With four-stars in quarterback Alex Malzone (Bloomfield Hills, MI) and athlete Brian Cole (Saginaw, MI), Weber joins a group of recruits that could propel Michigan's offense to new levels down the road.
I did a scouting report of Weber's talents for my website, The Big House Report. You can check that out here. (FREE)
This could also be a big commitment in terms of restoring the balance of power back Michigan's way in regards to in-state recruiting, especially for Cass Tech kids. In the past, it had been a nice pipeline for the Wolverines, but it has been one that has benefited their rivals more in recent years.
Weber's pledge to the school could help Michigan land some of his teammates, like 2016 defensive back LaVert Hill and 2017 wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones.
Spartans Get Commitment from Tyriq Thompson
The Wolverines were 50/50 on the day for a few of their 2015 in-state targets, as they lost out on three-star linebacker Tyriq Thompson (Detroit, MI) to their rivals, the Michigan State Spartans.
This is a very big get for MSU, as Thompson was a legacy recruit that had some big ties to Michigan, as his father Clarence Thompson played defensive back for the Wolverines.
So, where does Michigan go at linebacker from here?
Depending on how numbers shake out, they will take probably one or two more linebackers to put alongside Darrin Kirkland Jr. (Indianapolis, IN).
Guys in the mix are four-stars Asmar Bilal (Indianapolis, IN), Osa Masina (Salt Lake City, UT), Joshua McMillon (Memphis, TN) or perhaps someone not even on the radar yet. For what it's worth, I believe their best chances are with Bilal.
2016 Running Back Visits Michigan
Michigan has been cranking out the offers to 2016 running backs recently, but there is one in-state prospect that has not yet received one that they are keeping their eyes on closely.
Four-star prospect Matt Falcon (Southfield, MI) reportedly visited the University of Michigan on Thursday. He attends the same high school that produced 2014'ers Lawrence Marshall and Malik McDowell.
Falcon made the varsity team his freshman year, but missed all of his sophomore year due to a knee injury. Michigan will be following his progress this year as he enters his junior season, hence why an offer has yet to go out yet.
If Falcon is healthy, he should be able to land an offer from Michigan. He has received national attention and should be one of the higher ranked players at his position when it is all said and done in the recruiting process.
Michigan Football Recruiting Class Predictions: 2015, Part Three
As some of you may know, I started a content series on TBHR a few months back where I filled out my predictions on who would be a part of the 2015 haul of prospects for the Wolverines.
The last one I did came just before a dead period, so not much recruiting news went down after that, but after two commits, a BBQ and other numerous updates, I decided it was an appropriate time to release version three of this series.
My latest 2015 recruiting class predictions can be found here. (FREE)
There are definite changes, some solidification and some omissions. Feel free to sound off in the comments below or holler at me on social media.
That's it for the Friday roundup. Enjoy your weekend and join us again Monday for the latest news and notes on Michigan football recruiting.
Be sure to follow Maize n Brew's Anthony Broome on Twitter, @anthonytbroome.