Scouting Report: Donovan Peoples-Jones

"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee." ~Muhammad Ali

Rankings

Offers: Alabama, Cincinnati, Florida, Florida State, Louisville, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, N.C. State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Penn State, Stanford, Tennessee, Texas A&M, USC, and Wisconsin.

Scheme fit: DPJ will be an outside receiver at the next level and will also probably start, early on in his career, as a punt returner and kickoff returner.

Strengths: Top-end speed is unbelievable... 0-60 speed is equally impressive... Very quick footwork and developed spatial awareness enable him to make circus catches along the edges of the field of play with ease... Will hustle for his teammates, and fights for extra yards... Very quick decision-maker... Good at engaging as a blocker... Comfortable with hand-fighting to get space... Physical, competitive guy... Great balance... Great center of gravity... Amazing hands... Good vertical... Long arms... Overall, a natural at the position and likely starter on Day 1.

Weaknesses: Can gain a few pounds.

Speed factor: 10 ^(?)

You could go to the movies, or you could watch Donovan Peoples-Jones on a football field. People who like or appreciate sports would get more out of watching Donovan Peoples-Jones. The guy is electric, a future star, and amazing.

DPJ is currently considering the Wolverines, the Buckeyes, the Spartans, and Florida, among other choices. His dad is an alum of Michigan. Other teams could come in and change the dynamics of his recruiting process, and every team that believes it might have a shot at doing so will try. Still, it looks a little more likely than not that Peoples-Jones will stay in the Midwest. Harbaugh will surely make him a priority.

If Michigan wants to close the deal here and land his commitment, they'll need to do a great job at getting good talent, and good people, in the 2017 class. Relationships with other recruits will mean a lot here, and Harbaugh will try to get Donovan on campus as much as possible to hang out with some of the current and future players. Something else in Michigan's favor is Peoples-Jones' close proximity to Ann Arbor, although every single program in the country, from Alabama to USC to Texas to Clemson, will try to find a way to get in the door. Michigan is already in the door - in other words, in a slightly more exclusive club of suitors - and they can gain more momentum by getting other talented, motivated kids on the recruiting trail. But this will be a hard fight to win. It always is when recruiting someone this talented.