Wolverines vs Fighting Irish coverage
Michigan targets-a-plenty heading to South Bend this weekend
The conclusion (for now) to one of college football's biggest rivalries takes place Saturday when the Michigan Wolverines and Notre Dame Fighting Irish face off in South Bend, Indiana to close out (again, for now) the storied series between the two programs.
I posted a fanshot the other day on three in-state prospects tied to the Wolverines that will be taking unofficial visits to Notre Dame this weekend, but now we've got a better idea of the big picture in terms of who will be at the game Saturday.
SB Nation's One Foot Down posted a list of prospects that will be in attendance and many of them have ties to Michigan.
Here's a list of players scheduled to attend. Notre Dame commits are italicized:
* = Michigan offers
2015
WR/TE Miles Boykin*
S Prentice McKinney*
2016
OL Ben Bredeson*
WR Desmond Fitzpatrick
CB Lavert Hill*
DE Josh King*
OT Tommy Kraemer
WR Austin Mack*
NT Michael Onwenu*
QB Shea Patterson*
LB David Reese
DL Prince Sammons
LB Ethan Tucky
2017
DE Corey Malone-Hatcher
OL Josh Myers*
WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
Just like the Under the Lights game have been big for Michigan in recruiting the last few years, Notre Dame is also using a night game against their rival as a change to impress some of their top prospects. Even though it is not their visit to shine, the Wolverines could impress the guys in attendance with their play on the field, so we'll see what happens.
Florida State commit Auden Tate still on Michigan's radar
2015 wide receiver Auden Tate (Wharton, Florida) committed to Florida State back on Aug. 5, but that's not going to stop schools from trying to flip him. One of those schools, at least according to some of its other commits, appears to be Michigan.
Even with Tate's commitment early last month, he was still planning to take official visits this fall. His visit to Michigan will reportedly be on Oct. 11 for the Under the Lights III game vs. Penn State. Quarterback commit Alex Malzone (Bloomfield Hills, Michigan) hasn't forgotten about him, according to his Twitter account.
October 11th coming up quick with @itstate_18. Need him to Go Blue, show some love #Team136
— Alex Malzone (@AlexMalzone) September 5, 2014
I don't think Michigan's chances of flipping Tate are very high, but Malzone and company have proven to be quite persuasive when it comes to guys they have targeted in this cycle. Malzone's persistence on the recruiting trail has helped the Wolverines land players like Mike Weber, Chris Clark, and Brian Cole.
With the visit just over a month away, we will have to wait to find out the kind of impression Michigan makes on him during that weekend.
Michigan offers 2016's top athlete
Michigan extended a scholarship offer to 2016 athlete Demetris Robertson on Wednesday, who is currently committed to Alabama. North Carolina and Miami (FL) also sent offers his way.
Robertson is a five-star prospect and the top overall athlete in the class of 2016, according to the 247 Composite rankings.
Legacy commit Jon Runyan Jr. creating his own identity
Anyone who is familiar with the Wolverines and the talent they have produced on the offensive line over the years is familiar with the name Jon Runyan, who was one of the greats in the trenches, but the son of the original is a breed of his own.
Offensive line commit Jon Runyan Jr. (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) agreed to join the Michigan football's class of 2015 back in June of last year and looks like a player that is constantly getting bigger and improving as a player.
MaxPreps.com's Joseph Santoliquito wrote a feature on him, where he talks about how he has stepped out of his father's shadow and created his own. (FREE)
Runyan is a three-star prospect and the 115th ranked offensive tackle in the class of 2015, according to the 247 Composite.
Holyfield starts 2014 with a bang
Speaking of familiar names, does "Holyfield" ring any bells?
Elijah Holyfield (Atlanta, Georgia), son of famous boxer Evander Holyfield, had a big start to his 2014 campaign last week when he scored seven total touchdowns in a 45-13 victory for Atlanta Woodward Academy. The 2016 running back prospect scored on an 84-yard kickoff return to open the game and rushed for 147 yards and six more touchdowns on the ground.
Holyfield is a four-star recruit and the 20th ranked running back in the class of 2016. Early on, he is considered one of Michigan's top targets at the position.
Andrew David kicks career-long field goal for second consecutive week
Kicker commit Andrew David (Massilon, Ohio) might have the best leg in the 2015 class, and he showed it off yet again on Thursday night, nailing a field goal from 50 yards out, topping his career-long of 49 yards from last week.
Potential starter next season. RT @GerdOzone: Massillon kicker Andrew David — a Michigan commit — just drilled a 50-yard field goal.
— Joshua Henschke (@JoshuaHenschke) September 5, 2014
David did miss a 25-yarder, but Massilon came away with a 17-10 victory over GlenOak High.
A recap of the game can be found here, courtesy of Friday Night Ohio.
That's it for Friday. Enjoy the weekend and check back in Monday for the latest in Michigan football recruiting news.
Anthony Broome is the Recruiting Reporter for Maize n Brew. You can follow him on Twitter @anthonytbroome.