UM Football Recruiting - by WM Wolverine

[Niffla]

So wasn't Benny yesterday just saying on twitter or something how he was still committed and excited to sign with MSU?

Well he flipped to Michigan.

[lineygoblue]

So, the recruiting cycle for 2021 is finished, and Michigan got 3 LOI's today, all from DL's. They flipped Rayshaun Benny away from MSU, added George Rooks from New Jersey, and Ike Iwunnah from Texas. All are about the same size, averaging 6'4" and about 275 each. Michigan is still looking at the transfer portal for additional players that may be able to help out. Of note, Michigan also signed the #2 punter in the nation in Tommy Doman from Orchard Lake St Mary's in Bloomfield Hills MI. He can also handle place kicking. He had a 50-yard FG as a sophomore. As a senior, he averaged 44.8 yards on 17 punts with a long of 53 yards; registered 10 punts inside the 20. It takes care of a need.

Its not a class to stand up and scream about. Alabama and OSU wouldn't trade classes with us, but it is good enough to be considered #2 in the conference, and as high as #10 in the country, depending on which recruiting rag you choose to believe. ESPN has it fairly low, but they've never been generous to Michigan in the past.

I'm interested in seeing how much Donovan Edwards can contribute right away. His performances in the playoffs were outstanding. He has the body to step in and play right now, and he has that extra gear when he gets in the open. I'm also curious to see if JJ McCarthy can come in and challenge for the QB spot. If anyone on Michigan's recruiting haul draws attention besides Edwards, its McCarthy. Most recruiting services are unanimous that he's special.

The real challenge comes between the ears of Harbaugh and his staff. What they do with the talent they have will say everything we need to know. I don't expect Harbaugh to be the coach in 2022. My expectation is that he will once again fail to prepare the talent that he has, to get them to play at their very best. I hope to be very wrong, but I don't think I will be. I've seen nothing, including in this recruiting class, to make me think that this team can win more than 6 games in 2021. Its a shame its being allowed to happen with so little concern.

[WingsFan]

By all accounts Michigan did a hell of a job considering the turmoil last year and JH contract situation. A few days ago, the FREEP had a paywalled article saying that Benny was excited to get to MSU to make a deference. lol Desperately needed the DT's! That would really suggest Brown was the bigger problem than Nua. This might explain the complaints about Nua (including me). You can only do what the DC wanted and likely Brown had last call on certain players to take them or not. He wanted a certain type of player, certain style, and a certain abilities with his scheme. It actually might work better for Brown in Arizona than it did at Michigan because the style of play in the PAC12 vs. B10.

[iam416]

Brown is a terrible recruiter. I was so sad to see him go.

[Jeff Buchanan]

My expectation is that he will once again fail to prepare the talent that he has, to get them to play at their very best. I hope to be very wrong, but I don't think I will be. I've seen nothing, including in this recruiting class, to make me think that this team can win more than 6 games in 2021. Its a shame its being allowed to happen with so little concern.

Mine too.

I'm watching but all things considered, M's recruiting hasn't been the biggest problem afflicting the football program. Under Harbaugh and given the on-field performance his teams delivered, M was never going to compete with the elites for top 100 players. The best HS players in the nation don't want to play for losers. They want to win, showcase their talents and pave a way to a lucrative NFL career. They're not going to be able to do that in whatever mess Harbaugh has created inside Schembechler Hall.

[WM Wolverine]

Insider at 247 have been complaining that Nua's hands were tied in terms of DT's that Brown would approve of. Brown preferred pass rusher types that could grow into DT's, M would miss out on them and be left with nothing.

Don Brown's 'elite' defense in '16, '17 he inherited all those guys and wasn't able to sustain the talent level. I kept mentioning the constant misses at DT, DB in recruiting and that's exactly what caused the defense to fall apart the past season, which was trending downward every season.

[iam416]

Exactly right.

I imagine the defense will struggle in 2021 as a residual effect of Don Brown's roster management. But, getting rid of him is a huge step in the right direction. Unfortunately.

[lineygoblue]

Next question is can McDonald coordinate an entire defense? He's never been the guy in charge before. He's only been a position coach.

[Jeff Buchanan]

I did a quick look at the Raven's defense under DC "Wink" Martindale. There was a WolverineWire article in my news feed that I only read the headline for saying something about McDonald worked in a 5-2 defensive scheme that in the traditional jargon of the 4-3 and 3-4 doesn't fit at all. It's not new but the Ravens have one, if not THE best 3 year record on defense in the NFL. That's all Martindale according to reports.

Anyway the gist of the 5-2 is a run stuffing front with selective but few blitzes. The variability that this 5-2 look provides in the back end is the key and it is designed to make the QB's reads hard (what's new?). I do like toning down the blitzing - M's Achilles Heel with as anemic as the pass rush was. Brown got routinely pantsed by less talented teams as DT recruiting cratered.

As Linesman points out, McDonald has never run an entire defense. The question is can he teach M's LBs, Ss and CBs to run his scheme? Can Nua develop the talent up front he's acquiring to fit inot what McDonald wants to do? Big questions.......and then there's Harbaugh fucking things up. So, yeah, not enthused. Particularly troubling is the CB spot. From what I could tell from breezing through some articles on the Raven's D, Martindale puts his corners on an island a lot like Brown did. Whatever.

[hack]

Insider at 247 have been complaining that Nua's hands were tied in terms of DT's that Brown would approve of. Brown preferred pass rusher types that could grow into DT's, M would miss out on them and be left with nothing.

Don Brown's 'elite' defense in '16, '17 he inherited all those guys and wasn't able to sustain the talent level. I kept mentioning the constant misses at DT, DB in recruiting and that's exactly what caused the defense to fall apart the past season, which was trending downward every season.

Brown himself could not put 2 and 2 together here. I wouldn't mind having a job where I clear $1m and get to be obviously wrong and dumb about things.

[Hannibal]

Do any of our new coaches recruit Ohio? Our Ohio recruiting has been utter shit under Harbaugh.

[lineygoblue]

Well, apparently someone in the football program pissed off the Van Sumren family. Yesterday, Alex VanSumren, the #4 rated player in the state, decommitted from Michigan's 2022 class, and then today, Ben VanSumren decided to enter the transfer portal.

https://247sports.com/college/michigan/Article/michigan-wolverines-football-ben-vansumeren-transfer-portal-160818434/?utm_source=247Sports%2520Newsletter&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_campaign=210212_094935_MichiganWolverines&utm_content=Image

[Jeff Buchanan]

I don't think you can take a lot from this ...... like Harbaugh can't retain players.

The elder was a Don Brown guy by body type - light for anything but speed rushing outside LBs. He wasn't going to play in a 3-4 scheme that McDonald is reportedly bringing (caveat what that actually means these days).

The younger's decommitment falls into a category of guys who leave when the coaching staff responsible for recruiting them and the DC running the show gets flushed.

[lineygoblue]

Lloyd Carr's grandson has been offered a scholarship by Michigan. He's a freshman QB at Saline HS.

He's also been offered by MSU. He has not been rated yet by any of the recruiting services.

https://www.mlive.com/highschoolsports/2021/02/michigan-the-first-to-offer-saline-freshman-qb-cj-carr-grandson-of-lloyd-carr.html?fbclid=IwAR0AxjSCaHpimFbXxcnMCzL3bXEeeORZ6m5NGC3etJ6eN9_8z5xrD_TE-CQ

[lineygoblue]

Both McCaffery boys have found new homes. As announced previously, Dylan will play for his Pops at Northern Colorado, and on Monday Luke McCaffery announced that he's headed to Louisville. Both are likely to find the easier road to being a starter that they are looking for.