The OFFICIAL MICHIGAN TEAM 136 THREAD: THE CONQUERING HEROES

[HNIC973]

Detroit (Mich.) King Top247 receiver Donnie Corley told 247Sports on Monday that he and teammate, Top100 cornerback Lavert Hill are planning to announce their college decisions together.

They are not a package deal, but Hill and Corley could certainly end up at the same school.

247Sports has learned that decision could come at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. The commitment date will likely be ironed out by the end of the week according to Corley.

What isn't ironed out is the school.

Donnie Corley Detroit Martin Luther King

Where will Donnie Corley commit to?

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  85%
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  8%
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  4%
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  4%

All Crystal Ball Predictions


Michigan State remains the 247Sports Crystal Ball favorite for Corley with Ohio State one of the biggest challengers. Michigan, Notre Dame and Tennessee round out his top five. He was planning to announce on Dec. 8, but he is obviously pushing that back. Corley is eyeing official visits to Notre Dame or Ohio State this weekend.

Regarding Hill, this looked like a slam dunk for the Wolverines for quite some time. Hill has been to Ann Arbor many times since Jim Harbaugh and the new staff were hired, coming to town regularly to see his older brother Delano Hill. In the last week however, things have really changed with Hill, who is a former Penn State commit.

When Hill decommitted from the Nittany Lions in late November, there was some buzz from King sources a verbal to Michigan could soon follow. Since then, defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin, who was one of the Wolverines' top recruiters has left to take the head job at Maryland. With that nugget along with several others, now the buzz says Michigan State is really making a push. Regarding the Spartans, Hill told 247Sports earlier in the fall that MSU was no longer in the picture, but no question things have picked up.

Lavert Hill Detroit Martin Luther King

Where will Lavert Hill commit to?

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  81%
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  19%

All Crystal Ball Predictions


247Sports is told Hill had a great visit to Michigan State last week for a football practice followed by the basketball game against Louisville. Hill was seen really enjoying himself and he had a great conversation with the staff. One source believes Hill's personality better fits in East Lansing than it does in Ann Arbor.

Michigan State assistant Harlon Barnett has visited with Hill since as things continue to develop.

Long story short, while Hill could certainly still end up at Michigan, 247Sports is told that Michigan State is definitely in it.

Hill himself lists other schools including the Nittany Lions, Ohio State and Tennessee.

247Sports ranks Corley as the nation's No. 16 receiver, and Hill as the country's No. 6 cornerback.

 

[HNIC973]

Michigan coach John Baxter will see top 2016 wide receiver target Dylan Crawford (Santa Margarita, CA/ Santa Margarita) again today at his school.

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh saw Crawford last week for an in-home visit and the Wolverines continue to put the full court press on him.

The info I've gathered on Crawford is that Michigan feels like they are still have a really good shot to land Crawford and Oregon is the other main competitor. The in-home visit with Crawford and Harbaugh couldn't have gone any better from what I've heard and he likes the oppurtunity Michigan will give him to play right away.

Dylan Crawford
WR | 6-1 | 175

Santa Margarita Catholic (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA)

Class of 16

247Sports Composite
0.9513
Natl 94 Pos 13 State15

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Full Profile
Hope we get this kid

 

[HNIC973]

Wolverine247 spoke with a source that is directly involved with four-star athlete Victor Viramontes (Norco, CA/Norco) who de-committed from Michigan late Sunday night.

Victor Viramontes
ATH | 6-2 | 220

Norco (Norco, CA)

Class of 16

247Sports Composite
0.8740
Natl 427 Pos 25 State50

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First off, Michigan absolutely wants Viramontes to play quarterback and that's where he wants to play at the next level. Jim Harbaugh loves what he’s seen from Viramontes as a quarterback and he has told him that he would start out at quarterback when he got to Ann Arbor.

The de-commitment came as a huge surprise to Michigan as coach John Baxter just saw Viramontes and reported back to Harbaugh that the visit went extremely well.

We have been told that Viramontes was given bad information from a member of his camp that Michigan wouldn’t give him a shot at quarterback and he would immediately be a fullback or linebacker, which is completely false. Jim Harbaugh see's Viramontes as a high ceiling prospect at quarterback that has a lot of similar qualities to Colin Kaepernick.

Harbaugh got word of what transpired yesterday and he and the Michigan staff are trying to squash the false rumors and get him back on board. They think that there is a chance they can patch things back together and get him back on board but it will be tough.

California offered Viramontes shortly after his de-commitment and he could soon make a visit to Berkley we are told.
So instead of calling the coach and directly asking him your first thought is decommit?Whatever

 

[dh86]

I don't want Viramontes back. The correct mentality would be "fukk what Harbaugh thinks, I'm gonna come in and beat out Peters, O'Korn and whoever." If he wants to be a QB.

 

[HNIC973]

I don't want Viramontes back. The correct mentality would be "fukk what Harbaugh thinks, I'm gonna come in and beat out Peters, O'Korn and whoever." If he wants to be a QB.

apparently there's one person in his camp that influenced that decision its whatever another spot open

 

[HNIC973]

Schafer is the new DC at Maryland so everybody can relax on that

 

[HNIC973]

91% of our receiving yards return next year great situation for a new QB to get settled into

 

[HNIC973]

Notes
Nauta/TE: Michigan continues to push incredibly hard for 2016 five-star tight end Isaac Nauta, who will host Jim Harbaugh on Sunday for an in-home visit. It will be the third visit of the period by the Wolverines, with tight ends coach Jay Harbaugh making the first two. The consensus for now remains the same; Michigan or Georgia, with a slight edge to the Bulldogs despite their coaching change. Kirby Smart goes in-home with Nauta tonight to begin their push with him under a new staff.

Michigan's tight end board continues to be relatively complicated once you get past Nauta, so bear with me on this one.

The Wolverines are pessimistic on their current chances with Tampa (FL) Berkeley Prep's Jacob Mathis. While we originally thought Florida would be his destination, we're told that he may not be a take for the Gators. Adding to the confusion, sources on the Ole Miss side (the other believed-to-be contender) don't feel optimistic about their chances with Mathis right now either.

Florida's situation with Mathis is directly related to their confidence regarding Fort Lauderdale (FL) American Heritage four-star Nick Eubanks, who was visited by Jedd Fisch (not Jay Harbaugh) this week. There's a sense that the Gators will eventually receive a commitment from Eubanks, who ironically enough may visit Michigan officially this weekend (still unclear).

The other interesting development for the staff revolves around USC commitment Cary Angeline, who Michigan is expecting to host at some point in the process as of today (this may change depending on Nauta's situation). Angeline is visiting Florida State this weekend officially which may actually end up ruffling feathers with current Seminoles commitment Naseir Upshur. There have been longstanding rumors that the two Pennsylvania products don't get along very well, and Upshur's reaction to a Florida State push for Angeline could be worth watching (re-stressing the word "could"). We don't expect Michigan to get back involved with Upshur unless he indicates he will open things back up.

Michigan and Jay Harbaugh have also opened up communication with Lansing (MI) Catholic three-star athlete (tight end) Tony Poljan, a player I am personally high on and believe will be a good college football player. Michigan State has also been sniffing around, and they may have already offered him a scholarship. It's unclear right now if Michigan will do the same, but there has been consistent communication between the two parties. Among the others Michigan have communicated with are Ole Miss commit Octavious Cooley (TE/WR type) and Darel Middleton, who we've written about before. Both are extreme longshot prospects and haven't even been offered yet.

Bush Jr.: One week today, the four-star linebacker target and one of Michigan's top overall targets in the 2016 cycle will make his college decision, as Devin Bush Jr. will choose between the Wolverines and Florida State, the school his father played for in the early 90s.

Devin Bush Jr. Charles W Flanagan

Where will Devin Bush Jr. commit to?

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  69%
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  28%
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  3%

All Crystal Ball Predictions


Our confidence in Bush Jr. picking the Wolverines is rooted almost 100% in the confidence coming from those in Ann Arbor. Bush Jr. hasn't said anything of value publicly in months and his camp is keeping things relatively tight as far as where he may be leaning.

Look for the Wolverines to make their final pitch early next week before he makes his decision final. One thing we can confirm for sure; Michigan has done everything but promise him that he will see the field early and often next season if he commits to the Wolverines.

Michigan Making Moves in Texas: Michigan defensive line coach Greg Mattison has practically been living in Texas the last two weeks, spearheading an effort for the Wolverines to close strong and add others to the Lone Star State fold alongside Jordan Elliott.

The Wolverines continue to feel optimistic about their chances with Alief Elsik teammates Dontavious Jackson and defensive back Chris Brown, both of whom were on campus for the Ohio State game. Chris Daniels remains a potential option with Keyshon Camp reaffirming to USC, but we still expect Daniels to choose the Sooners next week. Levi Onwuzurike remains a ninja, but there is more relative optimism than there was before, at least in terms of continuing to make a potential cut for him.

Running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley also had an in-home visit last week with Texas A&M running back commitment Rakeem Boyd per our Brian Perroni, a player the staff was high on before he pledged to the Aggies. Current expectations are that Boyd may officially visit Ann Arbor in January, but that's something that could change if Kareem Walker pledges to the staff before-hand.

Tim Drevno continues to lead the charge on Top100 offensive tackle Jean Delance also, who will officially visit Ann Arbor this weekend. Michigan continues to like their eventual chances with Delance, who has been recruited arguably harder than any uncommitted offensive prospect over the last four or so months.

Bits
- There's been no word on whether or not four-star in-state 2017 target Jaylen Kelly-Powell will stick to his original timeline and commit following a junior season that is now over. We expect him to slow it down. Michigan still looks good in this race for now.

- Jedd Fisch's main reason for stopping at Fort Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas this week was to check in on 2017's top wide receiver prospect Trevon Grimes. We're told Michigan is going to try to make a run at him. That being said, everything points towards him eventually committing to rival Ohio State, who has led forever.

- Jim Harbaugh did stop in to see 2017 Top100 quarterback Davis Mills last week, he confirmed with Wolverine247. Kasim Hill has entered the 2017 quarterback sweepstakes, but we still see Dylan McCaffrey and Davis Mills at the top of their board at the position. We're nearly certain Harbaugh saw McCaffrey last week as well, but haven't confirmed with him.

- Shared a couple messages with 2017 Top100 linebacker Nate McBride, who says he would like to visit Michigan during his recruiting process if the coaching staff showed heavier interest in him. The lack of interest has been almost solely due to the fact that he's been reportedly down to two schools in Georgia and Alabama for months. Not expecting anything to happen here, but worth putting in the memory bank.

Gonna be interesting finish@how hard they going after Nauta.Also love G-Matt living in Texas basically for 2 weeks

 

[No1]

Notes
Nauta/TE: Michigan continues to push incredibly hard for 2016 five-star tight end Isaac Nauta, who will host Jim Harbaugh on Sunday for an in-home visit. It will be the third visit of the period by the Wolverines, with tight ends coach Jay Harbaugh making the first two. The consensus for now remains the same; Michigan or Georgia, with a slight edge to the Bulldogs despite their coaching change. Kirby Smart goes in-home with Nauta tonight to begin their push with him under a new staff.

Michigan's tight end board continues to be relatively complicated once you get past Nauta, so bear with me on this one.

The Wolverines are pessimistic on their current chances with Tampa (FL) Berkeley Prep's Jacob Mathis. While we originally thought Florida would be his destination, we're told that he may not be a take for the Gators. Adding to the confusion, sources on the Ole Miss side (the other believed-to-be contender) don't feel optimistic about their chances with Mathis right now either.

Florida's situation with Mathis is directly related to their confidence regarding Fort Lauderdale (FL) American Heritage four-star Nick Eubanks, who was visited by Jedd Fisch (not Jay Harbaugh) this week. There's a sense that the Gators will eventually receive a commitment from Eubanks, who ironically enough may visit Michigan officially this weekend (still unclear).

The other interesting development for the staff revolves around USC commitment Cary Angeline, who Michigan is expecting to host at some point in the process as of today (this may change depending on Nauta's situation). Angeline is visiting Florida State this weekend officially which may actually end up ruffling feathers with current Seminoles commitment Naseir Upshur. There have been longstanding rumors that the two Pennsylvania products don't get along very well, and Upshur's reaction to a Florida State push for Angeline could be worth watching (re-stressing the word "could"). We don't expect Michigan to get back involved with Upshur unless he indicates he will open things back up.

Michigan and Jay Harbaugh have also opened up communication with Lansing (MI) Catholic three-star athlete (tight end) Tony Poljan, a player I am personally high on and believe will be a good college football player. Michigan State has also been sniffing around, and they may have already offered him a scholarship. It's unclear right now if Michigan will do the same, but there has been consistent communication between the two parties. Among the others Michigan have communicated with are Ole Miss commit Octavious Cooley (TE/WR type) and Darel Middleton, who we've written about before. Both are extreme longshot prospects and haven't even been offered yet.

Bush Jr.: One week today, the four-star linebacker target and one of Michigan's top overall targets in the 2016 cycle will make his college decision, as Devin Bush Jr. will choose between the Wolverines and Florida State, the school his father played for in the early 90s.

Devin Bush Jr. Charles W Flanagan

Where will Devin Bush Jr. commit to?

• 
  69%
• 
  28%
• 
  3%

All Crystal Ball Predictions


Our confidence in Bush Jr. picking the Wolverines is rooted almost 100% in the confidence coming from those in Ann Arbor. Bush Jr. hasn't said anything of value publicly in months and his camp is keeping things relatively tight as far as where he may be leaning.

Look for the Wolverines to make their final pitch early next week before he makes his decision final. One thing we can confirm for sure; Michigan has done everything but promise him that he will see the field early and often next season if he commits to the Wolverines.

Michigan Making Moves in Texas: Michigan defensive line coach Greg Mattison has practically been living in Texas the last two weeks, spearheading an effort for the Wolverines to close strong and add others to the Lone Star State fold alongside Jordan Elliott.

The Wolverines continue to feel optimistic about their chances with Alief Elsik teammates Dontavious Jackson and defensive back Chris Brown, both of whom were on campus for the Ohio State game. Chris Daniels remains a potential option with Keyshon Camp reaffirming to USC, but we still expect Daniels to choose the Sooners next week. Levi Onwuzurike remains a ninja, but there is more relative optimism than there was before, at least in terms of continuing to make a potential cut for him.

Running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley also had an in-home visit last week with Texas A&M running back commitment Rakeem Boyd per our Brian Perroni, a player the staff was high on before he pledged to the Aggies. Current expectations are that Boyd may officially visit Ann Arbor in January, but that's something that could change if Kareem Walker pledges to the staff before-hand.

Tim Drevno continues to lead the charge on Top100 offensive tackle Jean Delance also, who will officially visit Ann Arbor this weekend. Michigan continues to like their eventual chances with Delance, who has been recruited arguably harder than any uncommitted offensive prospect over the last four or so months.

Bits
- There's been no word on whether or not four-star in-state 2017 target Jaylen Kelly-Powell will stick to his original timeline and commit following a junior season that is now over. We expect him to slow it down. Michigan still looks good in this race for now.

- Jedd Fisch's main reason for stopping at Fort Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas this week was to check in on 2017's top wide receiver prospect Trevon Grimes. We're told Michigan is going to try to make a run at him. That being said, everything points towards him eventually committing to rival Ohio State, who has led forever.

- Jim Harbaugh did stop in to see 2017 Top100 quarterback Davis Mills last week, he confirmed with Wolverine247. Kasim Hill has entered the 2017 quarterback sweepstakes, but we still see Dylan McCaffrey and Davis Mills at the top of their board at the position. We're nearly certain Harbaugh saw McCaffrey last week as well, but haven't confirmed with him.

- Shared a couple messages with 2017 Top100 linebacker Nate McBride, who says he would like to visit Michigan during his recruiting process if the coaching staff showed heavier interest in him. The lack of interest has been almost solely due to the fact that he's been reportedly down to two schools in Georgia and Alabama for months. Not expecting anything to happen here, but worth putting in the memory bank.

Gonna be interesting finish@how hard they going after Nauta.Also love G-Matt living in Texas basically for 2 weeks

How does it look for Long? I've been out of the loop.

 

[HNIC973]

How does it look for Long? I've been out of the loop.

Looks to be us or Washington Stanford is still there but most don't expect him to end up there.We have a great shot

 

[HNIC973]

Confirming a report from 247Sports affiliate Bama Online from Tuesday night, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh is tentatively scheduled to meet with potential defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, with that meeting possibly coming on Friday.

There are a couple of caveats in this situation, however.

One, most on the inside believe that Pruitt will eventually be hired by Alabama and that a potential deal between the two parties could wrap up before the believed meeting between Michigan and Pruitt.

Two, as Bama Online also reported, Pruitt may be looking for a more stable job at his next stop, as he's moved from Alabama to Florida State and to Georgia within three seasons. Stable also means a spot where he could eventually end up as the head coach somewhere. That is far more likely to be the case at Alabama than it would be Michigan.

We do know this: when Wolverine247 reported last week that Pruitt was interested in the Michigan opening, the process began to vet him as a potential candidate for the job. Whether or not Pruitt would leverage Michigan to stay south remains unclear, but can't be ruled out. We will update as soon as we find out more.

 

[HNIC973]

Michigan Commit Brandon Peters: 'Why Would You Not Want to Play for Harbaugh?'
By Tyler Donohue , National Recruiting Analyst Dec 9, 2015

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Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh entered April searching for his first commitment on the 2016 recruiting trail. Still five months shy of his inaugural season in Ann Arbor, the only high school prospects on board were holdovers from a Brady Hoke era that ended last December.

Then Brandon Peters came to town.

The prized Indiana product visited alongside family for Michigan's first spring game under a new regime. By the time Peters departed, Harbaugh had bagged his blue-chip quarterback target.

Check the rear-view mirror today and it's easy to identify the 4-star recruit as a catalyst.

Peters, who also considered Nebraska, LSU, Indiana and Wisconsin, was the initial domino to fall in an incredible stretch that featured 13 pledges before spring's end.

"It was crazy," he told Bleacher Report. "It felt like really good players were joining our class almost every day for a while there."

The Wolverines' class now features 21 total commitments, rated No. 6 nationally in 2016 composite rankings. Peters, a 6'5", 205-pound senior at Avon High School, believes the motivation behind this group's rapid expansion is rather simple.

“Why would you not want to play for Harbaugh?"

"You’re learning from the best with that entire staff," he added.

The Elite 11 finalist feels that sentiment was solidified this fall when Michigan finished 9-3 and qualified for a Citrus Bowl matchup with Florida. The Wolverines went just 12-13 during the previous two campaigns, slumping to 6-10 against Big Ten Conference opponents.

“They definitely exceeded expectations. They surprised me," Peters said. "I didn’t really know how much talent Michigan had, but it just shows how good of a coach Harbaugh is. He can develop players, he can change their mindset and the way guys think about the game.”

Harbaugh, who led the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance in 2013 and spearheaded Stanford's rise to prominence last decade, starred as a Michigan quarterback in college. Peters understands there's a lot to comprehend for passers in Ann Arbor, and he's attempting to develop early chemistry with the coach.

“We’re still trying to figure out each other. We’re building a good bond," he said.

Evan Habeeb/Getty Images
Harbaugh has Michigan moving in a positive direction after its struggles under past coaches.
Harbaugh traveled to Indiana for an in-home visit with Peters last week. It was another step in the continuation of a relationship that began with plenty of praise.

Harbaugh compared Peters to former pupil Andrew Luck during a conversation that preceded his April pledge. The Indianapolis Colts quarterback signed with Stanford in 2008, developing into an eventual No. 1 overall NFL draft pick.

"It's a similar situation to what he had at Stanford, with Luck being the first quarterback recruit he brought in [with a full cycle]. He thinks I'm a really good fit for him at Michigan like Luck was for him there," Peters said after his commitment.

This comparison places immense expectations on the young quarterback, who recently wrapped up the best season of his high school career.

Peters led Avon to state semifinal action, eliminating two reigning Indiana champions along the way. He completed 60 percent of pass attempts in 2015, resulting in 3,097 yards and 37 touchdowns, per MaxPreps.

His impressive campaign earned Peters recognition as one of six finalists for U.S. Army All-American Player of the Year:

Rated No. 6 among pro-style passers in composite rankings, Peters is prepared to enroll early at Michigan. Wolverines starting quarterback Jake Rudock is a senior, so it's imperative Peters hits the ground running in Ann Arbor if he aims to enter the equation as a potential replacement.

“They have a bunch of other quarterbacks up there right now, but it’s up in the air. It’s anybody’s spot to take," Peters said. "Going in early will help me get the playbook down and put on some muscle before spring practice. Hopefully I can compete for the job, but if that doesn’t happen they’ll probably redshirt me just so I don’t lose a year.”

He'll spend time on campus again this month, visiting with several fellow Wolverines commits just weeks before his enrollment. Peters has noticed life in Ann Arbor becomes quite different after you hop on the Michigan bandwagon.

"Everybody knows you. It’s amazing," he said. "The atmosphere in Ann Arbor is really cool. I can’t wait to play there.”

Peters expects a strong supporting cast to join him.

Aside from current commits, who communicate frequently, he places undecided prospects like Detroit wide receiver Donnie Corley, Georgia tight end Isaac Nauta and New Jersey running back Kareem Walker on his "wish list."

All eyes are also on No. 1 overall recruit Rashan Gary, a New Jersey defensive tackle projected to sign with Michigan by 68 percent of experts' predictions in 247Sports' Crystal Ball. Peters is paying close attention to that pursuit, which could punctuate the strong 2016 class he helped spur.

“If the No. 1 player wants to come to Michigan then we’re going to be on top soon," he said. "Something big is coming."

 

[HNIC973]

247Sports confirmed this morning that Pruitt and Harbaugh have 100% been in contact today. Michigan is definitely interested here.

Should have more on the situation as a whole later today.

Bama site seems 100% he's going back there we'll see

 

[HNIC973]

Adam Friedman ✔ @RivalsFriedman


This #Rivals100 RB to commit on Dec 17. Some of the finalists are #Michigan #ASU #FSU #Auburn http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/player-Kareem-Walker-150875 … @rivalsmike @Rivals

10:39 AM - 10 Dec 2015

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[HNIC973]

Dec.16th Bush Jr.
Kareem Walker Dec.17th
Could be a big 2 days for Michigan both are EE