2015 Recruiting Wrap-Up

2015 Recruiting Class:

Grading System:

• 91-100 points - True "five-star", once in a generation-type of player with elite physical tools and brings a big-boy's game. These guys have a higher chance of contributing right away for most programs.
• 81-90 points - The top of the four-star athletes, these guys are generally highly coveted by most big-time programs and can usually find a role on a team very quickly.
• 71-80 points - This range of prospects consists of some of the four star prospects and upper echelon of the threes. These recruits have a high chance of being a contributing factor for most programs but may need a few years to develop. Believe it or not, most of the NFL is made up of guys in this range. Often, the guys that get these rankings are simply late-bloomers that need a little more time to grow.
• 61-70 points - This range of prospects are players that will most-definitely need some time to work on their game and hit the weight room, but they can often develop into great players too. Many NFL players were once two-star recruits of this caliber.
• 51-60 points - Predominantly not FBS level talent. Recruits that receive a ranking in this range are lacking physical maturity and elite skills, but might have just enough raw talent to be worthy of a scholarship somewhere. 
• 50 or less - Division II and Juco prospects mostly. These guys typically lack the physical maturity to compete at the FCS or FBS levels.

Alex Malzone

• Alex Malzone  4-Star 6'1" 203 lbs (Bloomfield Hills, MI) Grade: 80 - Continues to be an underrated player, especially after a shaky spring game performance. He is also being over-shadowed a bit by the transfer of Jake Rudock and the signing of Zach Gentry. That is okay though, as Malzone is the type of kid that is going to keep working hard regardless of the situation around him in order to improve himself, and by all accounts he is a program kid. Remember, he was one of the most vocal commits that stayed true to the program during the coaching change. Some day he will be rewarded for that. He looks like he will at least provide a lot of help in improving the immediate depth at the position. He kinda reminds me of a Brian Griese-type player that can do just about everything well enough but excels more due to his work ethic and leadership ability. He is not going to really wow you with his athleticism but he will probably never really disappoint you either.



Zach Gentry

• Zach Gentry 4-Star  6'7" 230 lbs (Albuquerque, NM) Grade: 80 - Getting two passers in this class was a must in regards to building for the future. Harbaugh wants as much talent in the hopper to develop as he begins implementing his system into the program. While Malzone is more of a traditional pocket-passer, Gentry is more of a dual-threat X-factor, even though he is widely regarded as a "pro-style" passer. His measurables jump off the page (6'7", 4.6 forty). His ability to slip out of the backfield to pick up yardage with his feet is as intriguing as anything in this year's class. It's easy to see a resemblance to a guy like Mike Glennon or even a Colin Kaepernick, but it's hard to say how he will develop over the next two or three years. Some have compared him to Ryan Mallet but I think Gentry actually has the athletic edge coming out of high school. He might need to learn to be more comfortable and patient in the pocket and his technique will get some refinement from Harbaugh, but the sky is the limit for this kid. It is also possible that he could play TE or WR down the road if needed too, but he will be given every opportunity to develop his game at QB. Getting him to flip from Texas was a huge win in the recruiting battle over another Power Five team. 

• Bonus: John O'Korn  3-Star  6'3" 210 lbs (Fort Lauderdale, FL) - O'Korn transferred from Houston to Michigan. He started as a freshman and sophomore and will have two years of eligibility remaining after sitting out the 2015 season. He carried a 77 grade (decent) and 3-Star ranking coming out of high school and will help bring more depth and competition to the position. At the very least he would be a big improvement over Russell "Where's my helmet?" Bellomy.

WR - Receiver wasn't a huge need this year even with Devin Funchess leaving for the NFL, but getting a couple more guys to develop for the future was a nice bonus. There should be a decent haul of 

• Brian Cole  4-Star  6'2" 198 lbs (Saginaw, MI) Grade: 84 - Was the top athlete out of the state of Michigan this year and was productive on both sides of the ball (RB/WR/FS) in high school. Cole appears to play with good instincts and was able to stick a lot of guys on either a block or a tackle as well as making big plays with the ball in his hands. His catching radius appears to be quite large and his hands seem solid enough for him to work out wide. It seems he will be given a chance to compete in the slot first though. Don't be surprised if he garners playing time as a true freshman but redshirting him would be a nice luxury. Enrolling early this past winter is a major plus in his development. The word out of spring is that Cole is indeed an elite athlete but he has a lot of learning to do in regards to the position before he can really think about competing. 



Grant Perry (#1)

• Grant Perry  3-Star  6'0" 185 lbs (Bloomfield Hills, MI) Grade: 74 - Getting a kid like Perry is a big win for Michigan. He might not possess great top-end speed, but appears to be a tough, hustle-type of kid that works hard to earn everything he gets. He holds the Michigan High School state record for most receptions in a season (105 rec) and won three state championships at Brother Rice. Oh, and the guy who was throwing him all those balls was none other than our own Alex Malzone. Perry is a 'baller and may be versatile enough to play DB or running back if needed as well. I actually feel it was a bit of an embarrassment that he didn't get an offer from Hoke's staff earlier. In my opinion, he deserved one several months ago. Don't think for one second that Harbaugh and his staff are just settling for Perry because they couldn't land somebody else. Even though he will most-likely redshirt this year, he seems to be the type of kid that will always look for a way to contribute heavily to the program, whether it's on the practice squad or in the starting lineup. Playing football at Michigan is something that he has been working towards his entire life. 

RB - Running back was also not a very big need at the moment with several guys at the top of the chart slated to be sophomores and juniors next year. However, getting at least one guy to come in and get acclimated to Harbaugh's style of ball now could prove to be a crucial move in two or three years. 

Karan Higdon

• Karan Higdon  3-Star 5'10" 190 lbs (Sarasota, FL) Grade: 75 - Played in a very good South Florida football program at Sarasota, Riverview (an old rival of mine) that has produced a lot of great players over the years. Higdon went up against a lot of solid competition there and should be a fine addition to the stable of backs already on the roster. He is a down-hill runner that knows how to find the hole and he can make quick, slashing-type moves that left many high school defenders grabbing nothing but air. He doesn't have elite speed to take the top off a college defense but he doesn't appear to be afraid of contact and should get a little bigger, faster, and stronger after a couple years in the weight room. Expect him to redshirt this year and begin working his way up the depth chart two years from now.

  

Tyrone Wheatly Jr.

TE - The team needed to hit on a solid prospect here and they did. However, do not be shocked to see as many as five new recruits come aboard during the next two recruiting cycles.

• Tyrone Wheatley Jr  4-Star TE/DE 6'6" 255 lbs (Buffalo, NY) Grade: 83 - Followed his dad to Ann Arbor and will probably get an opportunity to compete for time at TE. Wheatley is a big-time prospect that had offers from 'Bama, OSU, UCLA, Florida, and Oregon, but his body looks like it still has a lot of room to grow. Some scouts have even mentioned that he could play offensive tackle some day, but I am willing to bet that he ends up on the D-line before that happens. He has played a lot of defensive end and was being recruited by some schools solely as a defender.

OL - Another position that was a big need right now but a program can never have too many blockers up front. Again, getting some young guys in to begin learning the system now could prove to be extremely valuable in a couple years.

John Runyan Jr.

• Grant Newsome  4-Star 6'6" 290 lbs Grade: 82 - Looks capable of playing out at left tackle but could be a mauler on the right side, or even inside, just as easily. Harbaugh paid him a personal visit a couple weeks before National Signing Day in order to make sure he knew he was still wanted in Ann Arbor. Should be a starter someday but may need a few years to develop.
• John Runyan Jr  3-Star 6'4" 275 lbs Grade: 74 - Played left tackle in high school but might project more on the interior of line at the next level. Has good size and seems to be technically sound. Is able to move around well enough to hit moving targets but doesn't possess elite footwork. I don't expect to hear his name much for a few years, but this kid could earn a starting spot some day.
• Nolan Ulizio  3-Star 6'6" 280 lbs Grade: 71 - Didn't get a ton of offers but Michigan came to him late. He may not have played against the top competition in high school but he completely dominated opponents, often driving guys 10 to 20 yards down field. Most of the kids that lined up across from him got pancaked. To me Ulizio looks destined to play at right tackle but might get looks at guard and center as well. He should at least improve the overall depth up front and one day could prove to be a steal.

DE - After losing two starters at end this year it was somewhat necessary to get at least one pass-rusher in this class. Getting two very good prospects was actually a bonus. And getting both of them out of the state of Florida was simply awesome. This year's haul will go a long way towards keeping the front line formidable for years to come and it will surely help develop more recruiting avenues right in the heart of SEC and ACC country. 

• Shelton Johnson  4-Star 6'5" 220 lbs (Delray Beach, FL) Grade: 79 - This kid was another nice grab out of SEC country and he will help make up for missing out on a couple other top prospects at this position the last couple years. Johnson might need a lot of developing but he is a very good prospect in his own right. He had other offers from some big-time programs, including Florida State, Miami (FL), and Virginia Tech. He still needs some development physically and technique-wise but the raw tools are there for him to become a very good strong-side end. I am willing to bet that the coaches are looking to getting him in the weight room and coaching him up for a couple years before getting him too involved. but if he shows an early knack for sealing the edge and getting to the quarterback he could find his way into the two-deep rotation sooner rather than later. 



Rueben Jones (#44)

• Rueben Jones  3-Star 6'3" 225 lbs (Lakeland, FL) - Doesn't have those elite measurables that garner higher rankings as a prospect, but turn on the tape and you see a kid that absolutely hustles and works his way into a lot of big plays. He lived in opponents backfields playing against some solid competition in Florida, and he chased a lot of receivers and running backs down from behind when other defenders had given up on the play. He will get stronger and could play on either the strong or weak side. In a couple years Jones could become an important component to the defense.

DB - Harbaugh targeted several corner prospects and missed on all except one. We truly needed a top recruit at the position to compete, but all is not lost in the guys that did sign up to be a Wolverine.You will see the recruiting staff get after a lot of corner prospects for 2016 , as was shown by the outflow of offers to several athletes/DBs on signing day (19 total as of 5/24). In fact, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see the team take as many as five or six DB prospects next year, considering that at least six of the top seven guys currently at the top of the DB depth chart will be graduating in another year. Also, you might want to consider the idea that if Peppers blows up like we all think he should he could be gone in two years as well.

• Tyree Kinnel S  4-Star 5'11" 195 lbs (Dayton, OH) Grade: 81 - Might still be a bit underrated as a prospect, despite carrying a solid four-star rating. Looks solid and possesses a compact build. His film shows a guy that can hit and take it to the house after an interception or on a kick return. He could play early if he comes into camp in great shape. I expect him to be one of the guys from this class that becomes a starter someday. He was also a long-standing commit that really didn't waver much during the entire coaching search. 

  

Keith Washington

• Keith Washington CB/ATH   3-Star 6'2" 170 lbs (Prattville, AL) Grade: 75 - Washington is a very intriguing prospect from the deep south that mostly played QB for his high school team, leading them to the state finals this past season. He surprised nearly everybody by flipping from Cal to Michigan on National Signing Day. At first I was not happy that a certain more highly-touted recruit that Harbaugh was targeting decided to go elsewhere, but the more I watched Washington's film and listened to him speak in interviews the more I became convinced that he will serve the program well. He looks like he needs to add bulk but he displayed a lot of toughness in high school. Played mostly as a dual-threat QB on his prep team, but Washington has played a lot of corner and the coaches say he will focus on defense first. He has all the speed (4.3 forty!), athleticism, and smarts to be a fine player in college.  Keep an eye on this kid.

Athletes/Specialty Players

Andrew David (#5)
Shelton Johnson (#7)
Tyree Kinnel (#6)

• Andrew David Kicker 3-Star 5'8" 170 lbs (Massillon, OH) Grade: 70 - Booted a 58-yarder in high school and was consistent enough on PAT's and field goals to warrant some excitement about his future as a Wolverine. We could see him in action as early as this year with junior walk-on Kenny Allen the only other returning kicker truly competing for the job. David was the first to commit to the Wolverine's class of 2015 back in June of 2013 and he never wavered from that commitment. He could turn out to be the most underrated of all the recruits brought in this year with most recruiting services giving him a two or three-star rating.