UM Football Recruiting - by WM Wolverine

[iam416]

Bell was barely a composite 3*, rated well below the likes of Ray Vinopal and Courtnery Avery!

But, hey, we all know you aren't going to be elite recruiting 2*/3* kids and hoping for the next Dennard or Bell. You're far more likely to get the next Talbott, Vinopal, DJ Williamson, Antonio Kinnard, Ross Douglas, Channing Stribling, Wilson Speight, Will Henry, Kaleb Ringer, Jehu Chesson and so forth.

I think that's more a MSU problem and an M problem in the big picture.

[iam416]

Anyway, are there any big targets in the camps leading up to Fresno? I assume that camp is probably the most important recruiting wise simply because of Kelly.

[Hannibal]

Bell was barely a composite 3*, rated well below the likes of Ray Vinopal and Courtnery Avery!

But, hey, we all know you aren't going to be elite recruiting 2*/3* kids and hoping for the next Dennard or Bell. You're far more likely to get the next Talbott, Vinopal, DJ Williamson, Antonio Kinnard, Ross Douglas, Channing Stribling, Wilson Speight, Will Henry, Kaleb Ringer, Jehu Chesson and so forth.

I think that's more a MSU problem and an M problem in the big picture.

Don't forget about Jeremy Jackson, Greg Brown, and Carvin Johnson!

But Henry looks like he might be one of those rare hits. He has looked pretty good so far. I would be very pleased if this latest guy turns out like him.

[WM Wolverine]

Sometimes those 2-stars were really just as talented as those 4-stars but never were identified as such except by one school who really took the time to evaluate them...

One overlooked aspect that I believe is the X-factor in anyones success is how willing are they to put in the thousands of hours of hard work to become successful, in this case being a B10 caliber on the football field.

[Hannibal]

The mgoblog thread for the "hello" post might be the all-time best.

[froot loops]

Sometimes those 2-stars were really just as talented as those 4-stars but never were identified as such except by one school who really took the time to evaluate them...

Yeah, a lot of it depends on where they are playing. Jack Conklin was a composite 0 star and he was ready to play right away. But if you go to a high high school out in the sticks you can get overlooked.

[UMStan White]

"Everyones time table has been accelerated as every coach is trying to get to these kids earlier and earlier. It used to be kids got attention based upon their performance in summer camps before their senior season.

Oh you mean like
Syracuse giving an offer to a one month old kid?

[Jeff Buchanan]

The mgoblog thread for the "hello" post might be the all-time best.

If you mean the predictable Ace non-sense, and I think you do, we agree.

I have no where near the recruiting acumen of many of the posters here. I just don't know the details like some here do.

But after two decades of being marginally involved with it and believing what the recruiting services say has little to do with what kind of success you achieve on the field I've learned that's just stupid. It does and it matters a lot.

What the recruiting services say is important and objectively predicts on-field success.

So, back to the point. Signing a bunch of 2-3 stars who are not on the radar of the recruiting services is risky given the strong relationship between numbers of stars in a class and on field success in the last decade.

My view is that evidence that the HARBAUGH effect is going to powerfully improve M's recruiting just isn't there. As well, that he is going to produce football teams that will beat M's rivals and compete for championships is nothing more than speculation.

Moreover, that he's not brining in top talent right now compared to the teams he is going to have to beat (MSU and osu who are brining in more talent or in the case of MSU equal talent) AND that there are other teams in the BIG besides those two that have regularly beaten M football teams over the last 5 years, my level of enthusiasm is indeed reduced.

Show me. Then I'll believe.

[Da Geezer]

1,400 kids attend the camp in PA.

What I liked about this most recent recruit, Johnson, was that he was offered, he accepted and Harbaugh welcomed him to the team. I have yet to see a 5* or 4* in the eastern 1/2 of the country that Tennessee has not offered. You just have to wonder how many of these offers are acceptable.

Fruit:

Jack Conklin is a glaring example of what we folks in the western part of the state see all the time. The last kid that UM really came after on this side of the state was a DB named Johnson from Muskegon who went to USC about 10 years ago. Yet this side of the state wins the majority of state championships every year, admittedly in classifications lower than Division 1. Plainwell is really not in the sticks, nor is it "small".
My hope is that these camps give UM a chance to see players like Conklin.

[froot loops]

Conklin is a real glaring one for you guys, his dad played for Bo and his dad is the coach of Plainwell. He couldn't get anyone to look at him.

[Hannibal]

Low 3* DE Terrell Lucas is expected to announce for Michigan soon.

[iam416]

I'm guessing 4* film. Syracuse and Minnesota have offered, too.

[Hannibal]

If you mean the predictable Ace non-sense, and I think you do, we agree.

The Ace nonsense, followed by the predictable stream of posters praising Harbaugh for his excellent recruiting skills, with a small minority of skeptics being silenced by a collective negbanging tempertantrum.

[iam416]

Yeah, it is a funny comment section.

The thing is that the praise should be for talent evaluation, not recruiting. The kid had zero offers of consequence. Beating out South Alabama isn't a great recruiting effort.

Now, if he turns out to be a great player, then the talent evaluation praise is legitimized.

[hack]

We'll see. I wish the recruiting stuff looked different right now but for me, Harbaugh gets the benefit of the doubt at this point. He's got a track record we can refer to and be comforted by.