U-M/MSU Rivalry Week: How rosters compare from the recruiting trail
This weekend, Michigan (3-4) and Michigan State (6-1) will meet on the field in their annual rivalry match-up, which takes place at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing for the second consecutive year.
The old "stars and rankings don't matter" bit is a valid one, but it is interesting to take a look at how the team teams are built, considering they go head-to-head on the recruiting trail often.
Allen Trieu of Scout took a look at both rosters and how their starters were ranked on the recruiting trail, and some may actually be surprised by how close they are in some regards.
MSU's offense vs. U-M's defense
This match-up will be the one to watch on Saturday and could certainly be the key to the game, but it also features the biggest discrepancy on the recruiting trail.
Of MSU's 11 starters on offense, the average number of stars is 2.55, which is crazy to think about considering how good they've been on that side of the ball this year. Quarterback Connor Cook was a two-star recruit, while offensive lineman Jack Conklin and Connor Kruse were unranked. Ironically, Conklin has been one of the best offensive tackles in the nation this year.
Michigan's defense boasts an average of 3.18 stars on their defense. They are made up of five four-stars and five three-stars, respectively, while defensive tackle Ryan Glasgow comes in unranked.
MSU's defense vs. U-M's offense
This is where things get interesting. MSU's defense and U-M's offense are almost similar in terms of the caliber of talent they've brought in on their respective sides of the ball, but have been polar opposites in terms of production. Michigan's offense has an average star ranking of 3.45, while MSU's defense comes in at 3.36.
I don't think I need to go into much detail on what each group has been able to do (or not do) the last few seasons.
Both units boast one five-star recruit each in MSU defensive tackle Lawrence Thomas and Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner. Of MSU's 11 starters on defense, eight were ranked as three-star recruits, while Michigan's offense has six four-stars.
Check out Trieu's article for more of the storylines surrounding this game from the recruiting trail. A lot of big names on both sides of the ball factor in.
Obviously, the Spartans have done a much better job developing the players they have brought in, but there will be a ton of talent on that field Saturday regardless and it is a rivalry game after all. Anything can happen, but MSU enters the game as 15.5 point favorites.
Grant Perry says nothing new to report on U-M interest
Yesterday, I caught up briefly with three-star 2015 wide receiver Grant Perry (Bloomfield Hills, Michigan), who spoke with coaches Brady Hoke and Doug Nussmeier last week, but it does not appear much came from that.
Perry has been a player that has been after an offer from the Wolverines for quite some time, but as of today, that does not exactly seem like mutual interest.
"They just came and said hi and asked how everything was going," Perry told me. "Just the same stuff that has been said before."
He is a teammate of quarterback commit Alex Malzone, so it is hard to miss what he brings to the table when watching film of the Brother Rice HS duo. His recruitment looks primed to spike a bit when the season is over, but right now he does have a pair of schools in mind.
"I’m looking at my offers right now. I am probably going to decide shortly between Central Michigan and Ball State," he said. "Then we’ll see what happens after the season if anything else rolls in.
"I don’t have a timetable. It’s just whenever I find a school I fit in really well with."
For more on Perry and the improvements he's made this year, as well as his thoughts on the development of Malzone, click here.
Quick Hits
- On Monday, Michigan added a walk-on to their 2015 recruiting class in kicker/punter Ryan Tice (Saline, Michigan). He is expected to enroll early and possible compete for the punter job next season.
- Four-star 2015 defensive back commit Tyree Kinnel (Dayton, Ohio) has uploaded his senior season highlights to Hudl. You can check those out here.