Monday Recruiting Roundup Is Looking For Commitment

Commitments, Prospects Still Playing

The usual link.

I'm having trouble gathering statistics this week, but just be happy that QB Shane Morris was back on the field this week. His team rolled to a 39-12 win over Detroit Jesuit.

General Notes

Scout has released new 2013 rankings. Michigan commitments on the move include Patrick Kugler (up 2 spots), DeVeon Smith (up 4 spots), and Gareon Conley (up 4 spots). Running back target Derrick Green moved up into the top 20 and is now a five-star prospect.

The Michigan State game should bring in the most impressive visitor list of the season. Tremendous has all of the visitors listed by class and commitment status.

2013 prospects Laquon Treadwell and Derrick Green will be there, along with a plethora of 2014 prospects.

The Illinois game brought a decent amount of prospects as well, and Tremendous got reactions from 2014 prospects Ramroth Finnegan (QB), Lawrence Marshall (DE), Mikale Wilbon (RB), Gelen Robinson (DE), Kyle Rachwal (TE) and David Cornwell (QB). To the surprise of no one the visits all went well. This is usually the case when they witness a blowout.

Mike Farrell, national recruiting analyst for Rivals, recently named Channing Stribling as a rising sleeper:

Matthews (N.C.) Butler defensive back Channing Stribling was a bit of a reach when Michigan took him, but he has played very well this season and his stock is rising. He was outstanding at Michigan's summer camp, which is why he earned his offer, and he has carried that play over to this season.

Stribling really has been playing lights out, scoring touchdowns on offense and defense. It looks like the coaching staff found themselves a keeper.

Michigan commitments Taco Charlton and Wyatt Shallman have both been added to the Semper Fi All American bowl roster. I'm not sure what the exact number is but there are very few Michigan commitments who aren't on one of the AA game rosters.

Finally, here are mid-season highlights of Laquon Treadwell to go with a clip of Malik McDowell throwing high schoolers around like rag dolls:

A Decommitment and a Debate Over Visits

As you probably already know, Michigan lost the commitment of interior offensive lineman David Dawson this week. The Wolverines have recruited extremely well up front, but the loss of Dawson hurts because of his specific skill set. He possess one of the strongest power bases in the country, has a ridiculous punch and could play everything from center to tackle if need be, although most projected him to guard.

It's unclear if the staff will pursue another offensive lineman in the 2013 class or hold onto the offer for another elite player in general. The offensive line is thin and will remain an area of need in 2014, so it might be a matter of offering one more 2014 bruiser who is already on the staff's radar, or putting out a late offer to another big man in the 2013 class.

Why did Dawson step away from Michigan? Brady Hoke has had a no-visit policy in place for commitments and Dawson doesn't seem to agree with it. As long as a player is considered a Michigan commitment the coaches fully expect that player to honor that commitment by only visiting Michigan from that point on. Most players have taken enough visits to know that they're making the right decision. Dawson, on the other hand, has wanted to visit Florida for quite some time. He'll be there this weekend and knows the rule, so the two parties naturally parted ways. Dawson is a good kid and anyone caught giving him a tough time on Twitter should be slapped immediately. Michigan just isn't for him.

Some people question Hoke's no-visit policy, and although I've covered it before I'll express my opinion on it again. The coaching staff is looking for players who want to go to Michigan and are fully committed. Some coaching staffs around the country will accept commitments and allow players to visit other schools, and those schools often see shuffling of players late in the process. There are pluses and minuses to both approaches, but in my opinion Brady Hoke's approach is what's best for Michigan. He has sold commitment and unity as a program from day one, so the no-visit policy is only placing the expectation of unity onto these high school players before they step onto campus.

I don't expect this to set off a trend among the Michigan commitments and prospects, as the staff is and has been up front with every player they recruit. If you commit to Michigan, you commit to visiting Ann Arbor for the remainder of your recruitment.