Interesting Recruiting Class Comes Together for 2018
Michigan Head Coach Jim Harbaugh is getting knocked by fans and media for a "dud" of a recruiting class in 2018. Most of it has been unwarranted and way off base though, as many fans have shown that they truly lack perspective when it comes to building and maintaining a football program like Michigan's.
First of all, the class itself is nothing to scoff at. Since when was getting a Top 25 class a bad thing? Secondly, it was never really expected to be a big one. The previous two classes have combined to put 56 players on the roster. Most of those players were 4-Star prospects and at least 19 starters are returning for 2018, so there really wasn't a ton of 'need' for immediate impact players to be brought into the fold. Instead, the coaches used their time to research and scout players that were flying under the radar. As a result, the most recent class of signings is an interesting one that includes six of the top recruits from Michigan, nine players from either Florida, Georgia, or Texas, and one prospect from Europe. At it's core it is a midwestern class, with eight prospects coming from within 700 miles of Ann Arbor, but it is adding a lot of southern flare to all ends of the roster.
A large chuck of this class is in the under-recruited and under-rated category of players. For whatever reason, they didn't get much, if any, attention for FBS teams. Harbaugh believes he has uncovered some diamonds in the rough. And after doing a bit of research of my own, I tend to believe him.
Here are the top five most underrated Michigan recruits in 2018:
Michael Barrett - RB/ATH 5'11"/215lbs (Valdosta, GA)
Barrett is widely considered a high 3-Star prospect with a an actual grade that teeters on being a four. I have him listed as a 4-Star in my rankings, but the 247 Composite rankings have him as a 3-Star. Many have speculated that the lower ranking is due to him not having a true position going into college. Ok, that might be a negative I guess, but it's hard to overlook the positives that he has in his favor.
To start things off, he was one of the best players in the entire state of Georgia, winning the Georgia 7A Player of the Year Award. He displayed good leadership and versatility throughout his career, playing both quarterback and linebacker at a high level. His highlight reel is full of great plays on both sides of the ball. Honestly, it's one of the best reels of this entire recruiting cycle.
He gets knocked for being "too short" to play quarterback and therefore is seen as a kid without a true position, despite the fact that he has proven himself to be extremely versatile. Why isn't that versatility and experience against good competition seen more as a strength? Was his ability to read the field and diagnose things quickly on both sides of the ball factored into his low ranking on the recruiting sites? No, probably not, because most of that is what scouts refer to as "intangibles". Leadership and instincts are just impossible traits to truly get an accurate, recordable measurement. In an industry obsessed with combine numbers kids like this are always getting overlooked. It's just the way it is. Just don't be shocked if Barrett plays right away and becomes a star in AA the moment he touches the field.
Ask anybody that knows anything about this kid and they will tell you that Harbaugh just improved his football team by adding him to the roster.
Julius Welschof - DE 6'6"/248lbs (Miesbach, Bavaria, Germany)
It's easy to see why Welschof doesn't get a 4-Star ranking. He just hasn't played against anybody yet and the predominant thought is that he will take a while to really learn the game. The coaches think he could contribute right away though, and it's not like defensive end is a position with a truly steep learning curve. Don Brown even said that he doesn't "see him as a project" at all.
Though it's hard to imagine him not needing at least a year to get a feel for the game, one just cannot argue with his raw athletic ability and desire to do something great. He's got all types of workout videos out there of him doing plyometrics by jumping over fences and running makeshift skills-drills in what appears to be a grassy cow pasture somewhere in Bavaria. There's another one of him slack-lining and running drills under a graffiti riddled highway overpass.
He has repeatedly been clocked running a forty in the 4.5's. Hudl has his forty time listed at 4.2 seconds (WTF?!). He appears to have all the speed, balance, agility, strength, and size that one would want in a top DL prospect. He has been working with a trainer for two years and played for the Munich Cowboys, so it's not like he is just falling off the turnip truck either.
Any way you dice it, Welschof is bringing some big-time athleticism and potential to the table. Lots of other schools were sniffing at his door too, including Ohio State, Penn State, and Notre Dame. He was committed to Georgia Tech before he realized how coveted he actually was by the top FBS programs. Michigan was, as we know, the best option in regards to to both school and football, as Welschof plans on being an engineer some day.
Christian Turner - RB 5'10"/187lbs (Buford, GA)
Another very good prospect that is widely regarded as a high 3-Star. ESPN did award him a fourth star in their rankings, and they list him as the 21st rated running back in this cycle, but no other major recruiting site puts him that high. I will tend to lean with the ESPN on this one though, as there is nothing to not like about Turner as a prospect.
He can run and catch as a do-it-all-type of back, but he has has the compact frame to run it between the tackles on a consistent basis.
I've repeatedly stated that he kinda reminds me of Karan Higdon, except that Turner is actually a better high school player than Higdon was at the time. Whether or not he becomes as good of a college player will remain to be seen, but Turner seems willing to do anything to help the team in any way possible. That's the type of attitude this team needs coming in on a yearly basis.
His highleet reel shows a kid that just flat-out abused kids in high school in any position that he was put in to help his team. If he can prove to be a capable pass-blocker then he could get third down duty consideration.
He has been a strong Michigan commit for a long time, he signed early in December, and he will increase the depth of talent on the roster as soon as he gets on campus. But he could prove to be another steal out of Georgia.
Ben VanSumeren - FB/ATH 6'3"/230lbs (Essexville, MI)
Though he didn't play against top competition in his part of Michigan, Ben VanSumeren dominated the field in all phases of the game. That definitely makes for a fun highlight reel, but it still makes him a hard one to judge as well. He did prove to be a superb athlete that can compete with the regional elite prospects on the camp circuit, and actually was MVP of the Nike Regional Opening event in Cleveland last summer.
His forty time is listed at 4.5 and he can bench nearly 400lbs.
He was committed to Iowa but quickly flipped once Harbaugh called on him. Several other FBS programs were interested too.
He can run, catch and block on offense, and is capable of making tackles on defense and special teams units.
VanSumeren actually played a lot of receiver, hauling in 176 passes for 2,888 rec yards and 29 rec touchdowns (46 total TD's) in three seasons at Garber. He also averaged 6.6 yards per carry and gained 4,220 total yards in his prep career.
I see him as being possibly the most talented prospect that Michigan has brought in to the fullback/H-back position since the Lloyd Carr days. I for one would not be shocked to see him play right away. He should at least be the top backup at fullback behind Ben Mason, but we could see him at tight end as well. Look for him to become a fixture in another year or two. Could end up being a running back.
If he can prove to be an effective pass-blocker right away, he could quickly finding himself getting consideration on third downs.
He's a steal right out of the Wolverines' own state. Looking back on it, it's crazy to think of how under-recruited he actually was and how much credit Iowa should get for almost stealing him right out from under Harbaugh.
Ronnie Bell - WR 6'1"/170lbs (Kansas City, MO)
Another kid who flew under the radar, Bell just wasn't actually seen as a football prospect until Michigan offered him in December. He got some interest from a few smaller programs but had committed and eventually signed to play basketball at Missouri State. Why would a football coach recruit a kid that looks like he is pursuing basketball? Because his film is incredible.
His on-field speed and athleticism is exciting. He has raw athletic potential, no doubt, and his is senior year stats (2,347 all-purpose yards) are right up there with all the 4-Stars of the nation.
He can catch on the run, win jump balls, or execute screens while displaying a natural ability to find the seams.
Is widely considered a low 3-Star prospect who would have benefitted from choosing football earlier and participating in the camp circuit.
He was recognized and awarded as Player of the Year in the Kansas City area last season. There is no doubt in my mind that he would've been a lot more highly-touted if he had actually been a football recruit playing at a school like IMG Academy. As it stands now, the scouts and analysts don't have much in terms of combine numbers because he didn't hit the national camp circuit the last two summers. Harbaugh loves him though, and he believes he found another diamond in the rough.
First of all, the class itself is nothing to scoff at. Since when was getting a Top 25 class a bad thing? Secondly, it was never really expected to be a big one. The previous two classes have combined to put 56 players on the roster. Most of those players were 4-Star prospects and at least 19 starters are returning for 2018, so there really wasn't a ton of 'need' for immediate impact players to be brought into the fold. Instead, the coaches used their time to research and scout players that were flying under the radar. As a result, the most recent class of signings is an interesting one that includes six of the top recruits from Michigan, nine players from either Florida, Georgia, or Texas, and one prospect from Europe. At it's core it is a midwestern class, with eight prospects coming from within 700 miles of Ann Arbor, but it is adding a lot of southern flare to all ends of the roster.
A large chuck of this class is in the under-recruited and under-rated category of players. For whatever reason, they didn't get much, if any, attention for FBS teams. Harbaugh believes he has uncovered some diamonds in the rough. And after doing a bit of research of my own, I tend to believe him.
Here are the top five most underrated Michigan recruits in 2018:
Michael Barrett - RB/ATH 5'11"/215lbs (Valdosta, GA)
Barrett is widely considered a high 3-Star prospect with a an actual grade that teeters on being a four. I have him listed as a 4-Star in my rankings, but the 247 Composite rankings have him as a 3-Star. Many have speculated that the lower ranking is due to him not having a true position going into college. Ok, that might be a negative I guess, but it's hard to overlook the positives that he has in his favor.
To start things off, he was one of the best players in the entire state of Georgia, winning the Georgia 7A Player of the Year Award. He displayed good leadership and versatility throughout his career, playing both quarterback and linebacker at a high level. His highlight reel is full of great plays on both sides of the ball. Honestly, it's one of the best reels of this entire recruiting cycle.
He gets knocked for being "too short" to play quarterback and therefore is seen as a kid without a true position, despite the fact that he has proven himself to be extremely versatile. Why isn't that versatility and experience against good competition seen more as a strength? Was his ability to read the field and diagnose things quickly on both sides of the ball factored into his low ranking on the recruiting sites? No, probably not, because most of that is what scouts refer to as "intangibles". Leadership and instincts are just impossible traits to truly get an accurate, recordable measurement. In an industry obsessed with combine numbers kids like this are always getting overlooked. It's just the way it is. Just don't be shocked if Barrett plays right away and becomes a star in AA the moment he touches the field.
Ask anybody that knows anything about this kid and they will tell you that Harbaugh just improved his football team by adding him to the roster.
Julius Welschof - DE 6'6"/248lbs (Miesbach, Bavaria, Germany)
It's easy to see why Welschof doesn't get a 4-Star ranking. He just hasn't played against anybody yet and the predominant thought is that he will take a while to really learn the game. The coaches think he could contribute right away though, and it's not like defensive end is a position with a truly steep learning curve. Don Brown even said that he doesn't "see him as a project" at all.
Though it's hard to imagine him not needing at least a year to get a feel for the game, one just cannot argue with his raw athletic ability and desire to do something great. He's got all types of workout videos out there of him doing plyometrics by jumping over fences and running makeshift skills-drills in what appears to be a grassy cow pasture somewhere in Bavaria. There's another one of him slack-lining and running drills under a graffiti riddled highway overpass.
He has repeatedly been clocked running a forty in the 4.5's. Hudl has his forty time listed at 4.2 seconds (WTF?!). He appears to have all the speed, balance, agility, strength, and size that one would want in a top DL prospect. He has been working with a trainer for two years and played for the Munich Cowboys, so it's not like he is just falling off the turnip truck either.
Any way you dice it, Welschof is bringing some big-time athleticism and potential to the table. Lots of other schools were sniffing at his door too, including Ohio State, Penn State, and Notre Dame. He was committed to Georgia Tech before he realized how coveted he actually was by the top FBS programs. Michigan was, as we know, the best option in regards to to both school and football, as Welschof plans on being an engineer some day.
Christian Turner - RB 5'10"/187lbs (Buford, GA)
Another very good prospect that is widely regarded as a high 3-Star. ESPN did award him a fourth star in their rankings, and they list him as the 21st rated running back in this cycle, but no other major recruiting site puts him that high. I will tend to lean with the ESPN on this one though, as there is nothing to not like about Turner as a prospect.
He can run and catch as a do-it-all-type of back, but he has has the compact frame to run it between the tackles on a consistent basis.
I've repeatedly stated that he kinda reminds me of Karan Higdon, except that Turner is actually a better high school player than Higdon was at the time. Whether or not he becomes as good of a college player will remain to be seen, but Turner seems willing to do anything to help the team in any way possible. That's the type of attitude this team needs coming in on a yearly basis.
His highleet reel shows a kid that just flat-out abused kids in high school in any position that he was put in to help his team. If he can prove to be a capable pass-blocker then he could get third down duty consideration.
He has been a strong Michigan commit for a long time, he signed early in December, and he will increase the depth of talent on the roster as soon as he gets on campus. But he could prove to be another steal out of Georgia.
Ben VanSumeren - FB/ATH 6'3"/230lbs (Essexville, MI)
Though he didn't play against top competition in his part of Michigan, Ben VanSumeren dominated the field in all phases of the game. That definitely makes for a fun highlight reel, but it still makes him a hard one to judge as well. He did prove to be a superb athlete that can compete with the regional elite prospects on the camp circuit, and actually was MVP of the Nike Regional Opening event in Cleveland last summer.
His forty time is listed at 4.5 and he can bench nearly 400lbs.
He was committed to Iowa but quickly flipped once Harbaugh called on him. Several other FBS programs were interested too.
He can run, catch and block on offense, and is capable of making tackles on defense and special teams units.
VanSumeren actually played a lot of receiver, hauling in 176 passes for 2,888 rec yards and 29 rec touchdowns (46 total TD's) in three seasons at Garber. He also averaged 6.6 yards per carry and gained 4,220 total yards in his prep career.
I see him as being possibly the most talented prospect that Michigan has brought in to the fullback/H-back position since the Lloyd Carr days. I for one would not be shocked to see him play right away. He should at least be the top backup at fullback behind Ben Mason, but we could see him at tight end as well. Look for him to become a fixture in another year or two. Could end up being a running back.
If he can prove to be an effective pass-blocker right away, he could quickly finding himself getting consideration on third downs.
He's a steal right out of the Wolverines' own state. Looking back on it, it's crazy to think of how under-recruited he actually was and how much credit Iowa should get for almost stealing him right out from under Harbaugh.
Ronnie Bell - WR 6'1"/170lbs (Kansas City, MO)
Another kid who flew under the radar, Bell just wasn't actually seen as a football prospect until Michigan offered him in December. He got some interest from a few smaller programs but had committed and eventually signed to play basketball at Missouri State. Why would a football coach recruit a kid that looks like he is pursuing basketball? Because his film is incredible.
His on-field speed and athleticism is exciting. He has raw athletic potential, no doubt, and his is senior year stats (2,347 all-purpose yards) are right up there with all the 4-Stars of the nation.
He can catch on the run, win jump balls, or execute screens while displaying a natural ability to find the seams.
Is widely considered a low 3-Star prospect who would have benefitted from choosing football earlier and participating in the camp circuit.
He was recognized and awarded as Player of the Year in the Kansas City area last season. There is no doubt in my mind that he would've been a lot more highly-touted if he had actually been a football recruit playing at a school like IMG Academy. As it stands now, the scouts and analysts don't have much in terms of combine numbers because he didn't hit the national camp circuit the last two summers. Harbaugh loves him though, and he believes he found another diamond in the rough.
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