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University of Michigan Football

Unofficial Recruiting Page

News, Rumors, and Commentary

12/30/95

Well, a disappointing end to a strange season. "Forget the Alamo" was an appropriate headline in the Detroit newspaper. I thought that, as usual, the defense played very well. They were faced with a short field repeatedly due to the offense's inability to move the ball, and only gave up one touchdown - and A&M started that drive on the Michigan 5 yard line. The "D" should be excellent again next year, as it is a young unit except for Horn and Zenkewicz. The offense, however, was horrible. I've been critical of the offensive coordinator's play calling all year. Michigan either ran the ball for minimal gain, or threw the ball deep - nothing intermediate. How about a 3 step drop and inside slants against the blitz? I can only recall one ball being thrown over the middle the entire game - and it was a big gain to Toomer. Also, I can't remember Griese changing a single play to account for the blitz. Well, anyway, enough complaining. It will be interesting (and possibly disappointing) to see how Michigan fares with Texas recruits after their lackluster performance.
Michigan lost out on an excellent fullback, Daniel Alexander of Wentzville, MO, who has committed to Nebraska. Another RB, Dion Grubbs from Detroit, supposedly would come to Michigan if offered a scholarship, but he has not qualified academically, and to my knowledge, hasn't scheduled any official visits.

12/28/95
Not much new information, with the exception of one piece of bad news: Damione Lewis has suddenly removed Michigan from his list of schools. Apparently, Ann Arbor is too far from home. This is unfortunate, as Lewis is regarded by some as the top DL in the nation, and by most as the top DL in Texas. It sounds as if he intends to stay in the South (Texas or Florida, most likely).
Lewis' decision to drop Michigan may affect the choice of Kwaesi Palmer as well. As mentioned previously, they may be a package deal.
12/27/95
Mike Gandy, a TE from Texas, is going to visit Michigan on Jan 12th. He is also visiting Notre Dame and OSU, with Notre Dame the overall leader.
Jerry Dioron, a WR from Louisiana, will also be visiting on January 12th. He will visit LSU on Jan. 19th. He has several other visits, but is primarily interested in LSU and Michigan. He is ranked among the top 20 receivers in the nation.
Nick Goings will not be visiting Michigan. This may be bad news because Gary Berry and Goings are rumored to be a package deal. They both will likely stay home to play for Ohio State.
12/26/95
No surprise Christmas presents for Michigan. However, rumors abound...
Plexico Burress, a 6-6 WR from Virginia Beach, is apparently trying to schedule a visit to Michigan. As I mentioned earlier, Burress had Michigan leading a couple of months ago, but then was rumored to have committed to Florida. His committment is not firm, and Michigan seems to still have a decent shot at this All-American. I haven't heard that he has formally scheduled a visit yet.
Last week, I mentioned that Travis Claredge, the top offensive lineman in the country, verbally committed to USC. This is true, but apparently this committment isn't completely solid either. I heard that he cancelled his visit to Washington, but he is still planning on visiting Michigan over the weekend of Jan. 12th. His mother is a Michigan graduate, still lives in Michigan, and reportedly wants Claridge to attend Michigan. The recruiting wars aren't over until the letters of intent are signed, and there's still over a month until signing day. It may be a tumultuous month if the early recruiting period is any indication.
12/23/95
The latest I've heard on George Guidry is that he actually may be leaning to Michigan. I've also heard that he had a not (sorry about the typo earlier) so great visit to Nebraska. Frankly, I'm not really sure what his favorite school is at this point. We'll see what happens over the next couple of weeks.
According to Bill Kurelic of Super Blue Recruiting, Damione Lewis, the top rated DL from Texas, says that Michigan is his favorite. However, according to some sources, Lewis lists Miami as his favorite. He and his teammate (and cousin) Kwaesi Palmer (LB), who both play for Sulphur Springs, TX, may be a package deal. They are both ranked in the top 100 prospects in the country. This could be a major recruiting coup for Michigan...or a major loss. It's early yet, though, as neither has made official visits to U of M. As usual, the Alamo Bowl (a recurrent theme) may help Michigan tremendously.
The visits list has been updated to include everyone that I could remember. Let me know if I have forgotten somebody.
I probably won't update this page again until after Christmas. Happy Holidays!

12/22/95
I have added a page which lists Michigan's official visits (Go to visits page), along with the commitments received by those players. Thanks to Thomas Zalucki for providing me with the information necessary to compile the page. I will be adding a list of upcoming visits soon.
The most notable thing among the visits is that 9/13, nearly 70%, of the players who have visited have committed. Michigan is leading for LeAundre Brown, and is still in the running for George Guidry despite his dislike of the cold weather. Additionally, Tim Nelson, a DB from Atlanta, has stated that he would commit if he was offered a scholarship, but he hasn't been offered one yet. The coaches are probably waiting on word from Tommy Hendricks III, LeAundre Brown, and (hopefully) a change of heart from Dwayne Goodrich before offering a scholarship to Nelson.
To correct my earlier update, that leaves Michigan with 43 official visits. So far, I can only put together about 15 planned visits, although all are big names. If anyone has information about official visits, please let me know. I will post what I do know sometime this weekend.
Almost all of the Texas players that Michigan is recruiting had to delay their visits due to the state playoffs. Many were scheduled for the weekend of Dec 9-10, the weekend of the Michigan-Duke basketball game (and what a game it was!). I saw a big empty section behind the Michigan bench, and now I know why the best seats in the house were empty.
12/21/95
Before we get to the latest news, I would like to say that I am flattered by the numerous e-mail messages and positive feedback I have received. The information I have received from various sources has been very helpful. If there is something you would like to see added to the page, let me know. Also, any design/layout tips that anyone would like to pass on would be appreciated. I use a beta version of Netscape 2.0, and my pages are designed for Netscape; some browsers may not support all of the features (like tables) that I use. If you can't read a page, let me know, and I'll try to e-mail you any information that you may want (no promises, but I'll do what I can).
Billy Brann, the highly rated offensive lineman from Missouri, has committed to Iowa. The Big Ten is continuing its stellar early recruiting, especially on the OL. This may be because most offensive linemen like to run block, and the Big Ten certainly has a propensity for rushing the ball.
Ohio State has apparently backed off of WR Quinton Spotwood (according to the Ohio State recruiting page). Syracuse may be his current leader, but Michigan was on his short list. It will be interesting to see if Michigan pushes harder for Spotwood now that the once favored Buckeyes are backing down.

12/21/95
Michigan may be in the lead for Cedric Woodard, a defensive lineman from Sweeney, Texas. He is also considering Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Texas, and Florida. He is another prospect whose decision may be impacted by Michigan's performance in the Alamo Bowl.
Stanley Guyness, a top 5 WR prospect from Los Alamitos, CA, has moved his official visit up to January 12th. He has dropped UCLA from consideration after Terry Donahue's resignation, and apparently is considering taking a visit to Oregon. He has visited Washington State, and will be visiting USC in the near future. Expect USC and Michigan to be the prime contenders for this outstanding player.
LeAundre Brown, a DB from Fort Worth, Texas, is strongly considering Michigan. He is a national top 100 player, listed at 5'11', 170 lbs, and 4.4 in the forty. He is also considering Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Nebraska, and Florida State. According to the latest rumor, Michigan is leading, although I believe he has some visits remaining.

12/20/95
Paul Tannous has (finally) given a verbal commitment to Michigan. He had delayed his decision until visiting Missouri, as his parents are both from there, but made his final choice last night.
A new name has cropped up in the hunt for wide receiver talent: Jeremy McDaniel, a WR from Fort Scott Community College in Kansas. He is 6'2", 185 lbs, and runs a 4.5 40. He missed 3 games with a broken finger this year, but still had 64 catches for 964 yards and 12 TD's. He apparently is an excellent blocker. To my recollection, this is the first juco player in which Michigan has ever expressed interest. Of course, the basketball team has its first junior college recruit in years in Brandun Hughes from Barton County Community College, also in Kansas. I don't expect Michigan to go after large numbers of players from the juco ranks; any opinions on why Michigan has started to consider them at all?

12/20/95
Jack Harnedy, an OL from Chicago, has committed to Northwestern. Travis Claridge, the top rated OL in the country, has given a verbal commitment to USC, and has cancelled his other visits. As far as other offensive linemen, Billy Brann has pretty much dropped Michigan from his list.
Tim Burgess, the linebacker from North Carolina who has committed to UNC, is still going to take his visit to Michigan on the weekend of January 12th. He is just one of many recruits who will be visiting Ann Arbor on that weekend. Among others, Jason Ching, a top DL from Hawaii (who is favoring ND and Stanford), and Gary Berry, the RB/DB from Ohio (who is favoring OSU) will be visiting. Apparently, Ching is seriously considering Michigan because he has relatives nearby. He is listed on the BCI dream team as one of the top 25 players in the country.
Michigan still has more than 35 official visits available. This is fairly remarkable considering that Michigan already has 8 verbal commitments. Expect a hectic January as several other national powers (including Notre Dame, Florida, and Florida State) bring in top players from around the country.

12/19/95

Bad news last night (sorry I didn't get a chance to update this sooner): Dwayne Goodrich, the #1 CB prospect in the country, verbally committed to Tennessee (this is according to a Tennessee newspaper and Lemming's recruiting service). This is a major surprise; less than 2 weeks ago, he had narrowed his choices to Notre Dame and Michigan, and possibly Northwestern. He made a last minute decision to visit Tennessee, went, and committed. A ray of hope: his mother went with him on his visits to ND and U of M, and had good things to say about Michigan. I heard that some Michigan representatives are going to Goodrich's house today to talk to him (and his mom, more importantly) about his sudden change of heart. Don't ever underestimate the power of mom in the recruiting wars.
According to BCI, Michigan's recruiting class is currently ranked #3 in the country (even without Paul Tannous). OSU is #2, and surprsingly (at least to me), Florida St. is #1. They have a lot of people interested, but not many signings so far. Check out the list and some news at ESPN
Shadrick Washington, a wide receiver from Wisconsin, has committed to Wisconsin. There are still plenty of WR prospects interested, and U of M needs help at this position next year.
Expect things to slow down for the holidays. Most official visits are on hold until early January, after finals, etc. Also, Michigan is recruiting hard in Texas, and the Alamo Bowl may be a big bonus to recruiting if Michigan plays well; many Texas players are waiting for the game before narrowing their choices further. Incidentally, Leeland McElroy re-sprained his ankle today. His prognosis for the game is uncertain, but if he doesn't play, kiss what little offense A&M has goodbye.

12/18/95
Mike Burden, a SS/LB from Illinois, has committed to Ohio State. He is rated as the top safety prospect by some services. He was interested in Michigan, but his academics are questionable, and he may not qualify.
Ohio State is putting together a remarkable recruiting class. They have 20 verbal commitments by most reports, and have landed a number of blue chip recruits. Currently, they easily have the top class in the country. Michigan is on pace for a top 10 class, and has a good shot at the top 5. Catching OSU will be difficult unless most of the remaining commitments are top recruits; always possible, as Michigan is in on many top players, but don't count on it. Also, OSU figures to give out about 5 more scholarships than Michigan this year. It will be interesting to see if they have to start dropping some of their commitments; this happened to Notre Dame last year, although 2 or 3 of their recruits ended up not qualifying academically. Seems like this might have a negative effect on future recruiting classes, but then again, at 18 years old, who remembers what happened last year?
12/18/95
A note to clarify the situation with Paul Tannous: There have been many reports that he has committed to Michigan. However, as I noted in the commitments section, he is still taking visits, and apparently has not made his final decision. He is (supposedly) leaning towards Michigan, and may announce officially this week.
There have been reports that Nathaniel Webster, one of the top 2-3 LB's in the country, has committed to Miami. I have not heard confirmation, but he had been rumored to be strongly leaning towards Miami, so it wouldn't be a surprise.
According to the National Recruiting Center, Plaxico Burress, a top 5 WR from Virginia Beach, has not committed to Florida. This is interesting because 2-3 months ago, Michigan was listed (in some publications) as being in the lead for his services. You gotta love recruiting before letters are signed - you never know what's going to happen. Speculation is always fun, though.
12/17/95
Tim Burgess, a speed linebacker from North Carolina, has committed to UNC. Michigan was recruiting two LB's from NC - Brandon Spoon and Burgess, both of whom are going to UNC.
The Big 10 is doing very well in early recruiting. Take a look at the top 100 list at the national recruiting center (See Top 100). I count 9 Big Ten commitments among the top 100; the other conferences have at most 2. However, with the amount of talent in Florida, Texas, and California, expect these numbers to even out as some of the big names from the South make their college choices. The Big Ten's early success was commented on by Chris Fowler of ESPN, who thinks that the Big 10 is taking a page from Penn State's history of going after players early. Interestingly, last year, Michigan signed a lot of local players early, and took some criticism nationally because they could have landed several national blue-chip recruits if they hadn't given away all of their scholarships.
12/16/95

Welcome to the new Unofficial Michigan Recruiting Site. I will be updating this page as frequently as I hear new information. Keep in mind that everyone out there is a potential source, so if you hear something, I will post it - as news if you have a reliable source, but otherwise as a rumor. Also, I will periodically be updating these pages with new formats as I slowly gather new HTML sources. I just learned HTML yesterday; luckily, it's not particularly difficult. In any case, not much news has come my way today, so a few rumors I've heard/read:

Michigan and Notre Dame are in a fight for two of the top rated DB's in the country: Dwayne Goodrich and Tommy Hendricks III. Rumor has it that Michigan is slightly ahead for Goodrich, and ND ahead for Hendricks. However, Hendricks father (guess what his name is!) lettered in football at Michigan, so let's hope his father has a little pull.
Michigan is supposedly the top choice of Seneca Knight, from Alabama, who is rated the No. 1 DT prospect by PFR, and was a member of the USA Hooray (sorry, that's USA Today) dream team. However, his grades are a concern - as of last report, he needed both a test score and a higher core GPA to qualify. Also was considering Notre Dame, Auburn, and Alabama, and possibly Florida or FSU. He was scheduled to visit Michigan the first weekend of December, but I'm not sure if this happened - let me know if you've heard.
Rumor has it that George Guidry, a linebacker from Louisiana, hated the cold weather in Michigan during his visit. Not a good sign, but it's hard to blame him - I'm not used to the weather, and I've lived in Michigan my whole life.

Updated: 12/30/95

Feel free (and encouraged) to e-mail me with any updated information
svijan@umich.edu

go blue!
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