Commence The Race To Print "Harbaugh Is My Homey" Shirts
With Michigan on the road last weekend, there's not too much late-breaking recruiting news to go over, which means we can continue to bask in the positive feels from five-star NJ DT Rashan Gary's official visit. A reader passed along the photo to the right; that is Gary sporting a Michigan towel during his game last weekend. At worst, he thinks the Block 'M' is sharp.
There are also more encouraging quotes coming from his end of the recruitment. Sam Webb caught up with Gary's mom for a two-part recap of the visit. Part one is free. Part two has the money quote ($):
“I think he’s comfortable (with Michigan),” she said. “He knows Jabrill, he knows Juwan, and now he has befriended Tyrone Wheatley and some of the other kids on the team that really embraced him. He is comfortable with them and he is comfortable with Coach Mattison, Coach Durkin and Ms. Gwen (Bush). And I have to be honest… Coach Harbaugh is the most down to earth (guy). He is a like a homey (laughter). He is that dude. He is like a homey. He is not all stuck up. He is kind of quirky-cool… and I like him. And I think Rashan likes him as well.”
Gary's mom said she's seen all she needs to see to be comfortable with her son attending Michigan—and she also mentioned she plans to go to Chop House again (man, what I'd give to be taken on an official visit) on her next trip to Ann Arbor.
Gary himself was quoted talking up the defense by TomVH in a feature on how early-season results have affected recruiting for Michigan, Florida, and Tennessee. Also impressed by Michigan's start to the season is five-star GA TE Isaac Nauta ($):
“When you take a team who hasn’t won a lot of games the past couple years and all of a sudden they come out in their first year with their new leader, that’s definitely something that jumps out at you that they’re going in the right direction,” Nauta said. “It makes a huge impact, because nobody who’s a competitor wants to go play for a losing team. You want to be in a spot that’s competitive and somewhere you can win ball games, where you know they’re doing the right things to win.”
Nauta is coming off his official visit to Georgia, the presumed favorites. TCU is also heavily in the mix, but Michigan should have a fair crack when he takes his official visit for the MSU game.
[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the roundup.]
Commit Updates: Peters Releases Midseason Highlights
According to MaxPreps, Brandon Peters is completing 63% of his passes at 9.4 yards per attempt with 23 TDs against just two interceptions this season; he's also added a pair of rushing touchdowns. As you'd expect, his midseason highlights are impressive.
Peters had another solid effort this week, but as you can see in Maize n Brew's weekend recap, Kingston Davis, Victor Viramontes, and Chris Evans had the most outstanding statistical performances.
Meanwhile, David Reese's situation is one to keep an eye on. He wanted to enroll early, but Sam Webb reports that Jim Harbaugh informed Reese that wouldn't be an option. For now, at least, Reese is taking it in stride, but he's also going to check out other options ($):
“He is firmly committed still to Michigan,” Reese’s father David Sr. told The Michigan Insider. “The (main) reason he was strong about the midyear is he wanted to prove himself as a linebacker. It’s a great opportunity (to earn) playing time early, but we do understand that it is Coach Harbaugh’s decision. We didn’t take offense because of the people he is bringing up it’s a majority offensive guys. And we do understand the big fish he is going after and using the mid-year as a carrot for those big fish. So we didn’t take it as a sign of disrespect with what he is trying to bring up.”
Louisville, Kentucky, and Notre Dame (which hasn't offered yet) are mentioned as possible visit destinations. Reese was originally committed to Louisville before flipping to Michigan.
Corley To Take Official
Although Donnie Corley admitted to 247's Steve Wiltfong that Michigan State has spent the most time at the top of his recruitment—with Ohio State and Notre Dame also standing out at times—there's also been a significant development in Michigan's favor; Corley says he'll take an official visit to Ann Arbor ($):
Corley added Michigan is still in play and that he’ll official to Ann Arbor after the season.
“So I can get around the coaches more,” he said.
Corley plans to enroll early to whichever school he chooses.
Corley has already been to a game this year, so this is more about getting familiar with the coaches. If Michigan gets his last official visit and he sticks to his timeline of enrolling early, things could get interesting as his recruitment comes to a close.
More 2016 Updates
Michigan got an official visit a couple weeks ago from three-star FL DT and USC commit Keyshon Camp, but it doesn't look like that'll amount to much, per Scout's Gerard Martinez ($):
Camp also hopes to take official visits to Oregon, Alabama and Pitt. He is also in the process of scheduling an official visit to USC.
“I talked to Coach (Chris) Wilson and I think I’m going out there Nov. 6 when they play Arizona,” said Camp. “They really showed me everything I needed to see when I came out for the Rising Stars Camp — that’s why I committed.
“Really, that’s the school I’m going to be going to, so I just want to get the feel of how it would be playing at the Coliseum. I can’t wait to see the fans and a game when I go out there.”
Another option at defensive tackle, four-star CA DT Boss Tagaloa, included Michigan in his top five with Arizona, Cal, UCLA, and Washington, per The Wolverine's Brandon Brown ($). Michigan should get an official visit, though prying Tagaloa out of Pac-12 country might be tough.
Tim Sullivan reports two new 2016 offers have gone out recently. Top-100 GA WDE Robert Beal has an offer sheet to match his ranking; given how late they're getting into the mix, it'd be a surprise for Michigan to be a major player. Three-star GA WDE Tomon Fox, a North Carolina commit, looks like a more realistic option; Tim thinks Michigan and NC State are the two programs with the best chance to flip him.