A Step Ahead: Jim Stefani's Underclassmen Football Recruiting Blog

University of Michigan Recruiting Universe: Part I-Offense

Today I am going to post the first of my two part series of the University of Michigan's recruiting season. I'll start with an overview of the current verbal commitments, then go on to a listing of those offered prospects who have committed elsewhere. I will then provide a position-by-position overview broken down into four sections: Best Guess, Offered but Longshots, Others to Watch and Sleepers Off the Radar. Within each section the prospects are listed in order of ability, not based on likelihood to commit.


Commitments

After receiving two high-quality verbals this past week, Michigan now has five verbal commitments. The Wolverines still rank behind both Ohio State and Notre Dame in recruiting due to fewer numbers, but the quality of Michigan verbals is pretty high. Cissiko could be the top pure cover corner in the nation. Moore ranks with the very best tight ends. O'Neill isn't an elite top 5-8 national lineman like the three prospects who verballed to Ohio State, but he isn't far behind and his ceiling could be just as high. Mealer and Wermers are solid OL prospects who won't be national top 100 types but are probably in the top 300.

Of interest is that all five Michigan verbals are from the Midwest, Michigan's core recruiting area and one that they did not recruit too successfully last year.

Cissiko and O'Neill are probably the top two prospects in Michigan and landing them helps erase the sour taste that was left with Wolverines' fans after losing out on such in-state stars as Ronald Johnson, Dionte Allen and Joseph Barksdale last year.

Moore and Mealer are from Ohio, a state that has sent many stars to the Wolverines in years past (especially under Bo), but where Michigan was surprisingly shut out this past year. It's good to get a foothold back in that state, but those optimists who are claiming that Tressel's wall around Ohio is crumbling need to get real. Mealer was a huge Buckeye fan but fell Michigan's only after Ohio State landed three blue-chip offensive linemen and did not offer him. Moore is a special talent, but he's a tight end and it is a remarkable year indeed for tight ends in Ohio, with three legit blue-chippers choosing to go their separate ways to the three Midwestern superpowers: Moore to Michigan, Kyle Rudolph to Notre Dame and Jake Stoneburner to Ohio State. It would have been unrealistic to think that Ohio State could have landed two of the three.

Wermers is an athletic OG prospect and one of the top three players in Indiana (The top three are all pretty evenly rated and all top 300 types). He helps fill a position of need for Michigan.

The verbals are ranked by me in order of ability.


1 Boubacar Cissoko DB/WR 5'9 175 4.40 Detroit Cass Tech Michigan

Cissiko is the top prospect in Michigan’s Class of 2008 and arguably the top pure cover corner in the nation………….First exploded onto the national scene with an outstanding performance at the 2006 Columbus Nike, outshining highly touted rising senior DBs……..Followed that up by being named the overall combine MVP at the 2007 U.S. Army Combine in San Antonio, showing off his tremendous coverage ability and sticking like glue to every one of the combine’s top receivers………..Exceptionally quick, very aggressive and second to none in the prep ranks when it comes to press coverage. Is really outstanding in the bump-and-run. Has outstanding recovery speed. Is also a real hard hitter. He has that confidence and swagger needed to excel out there on that island known as cornerback. The only trait he lacks is ideal height…….Returned 2 kicks for TDs and had 52 tackles, 3 forced fumbles and 3 INTs as a junior in earning Detroit Free Press First Team All-Detroit honors…..As a sophomore, he registered 29 tackles…..Plays for a program that is among the Detroit PSL’s best, having produced the likes of Class of 2007 star Joseph Barksdale……..2.9 GPA….As of the end of 2006 he had offers from schools such as Michigan, Tennessee, Michigan State, Penn State and Iowa.........He committed to Michigan in February.


2 Brandon Moore TE 6'6 221 4.61 Trotwood-Madison Ohio

Trotwood-Madison is the most talent-laden program in the Dayton area and Moore is the best of several Division I prospects in its Class of 2008………..One of the better TE prospects in the nation…… As a junior he had 19 receptions for 286 yards and a score despite missing a couple of games with an ankle sprain………Was already starting as a freshman……He has an excellent frame and catches the ball very well…….Solid blocker and runs well (ran a 4.61 forty after his freshman year at the Ohio State camp)……A three-sport athlete who was also a sophomore letterman in basketball and put the shot and ran the 4 x 400 relay in track……An outstanding student: 3.9+ GPA and 22 ACT……As of April he had over 30 offers, including such schools as Michigan, Florida, Notre Dame, Georgia, Mississippi, Nebraska, Illinois, LSU, Stanford, Oklahoma, Colorado, Florida State, Miami, Michiagn State and Clemson.

3 Dan O'Neill OL/DL 6'7 295 Grand Haven Michigan

O’Neill is the top-rated OL in Michigan and among the best in the nation…….As a junior, he was named First Team Junior All-State by MichiganPreps.com and Muskegon Chronicle First Team All-Area………..Has the height colleges are looking for in a tackle…….Junior season was his first year playing varsity ball…….Won a lineman award at the Michigan camp after his freshman year and also looked very good at the 2006 camp……All-around athlete who throws the discus and puts the shot in track and also wrestles, which help his explosive strength and use of leverage…….Plays RT and DT in high school but is being recruited as an OT…….Has excellent upper body strength and good feet…….275 bench, 465 squat, 260 power clean……Very effective run blocker who uses his strength to overpower defenders and finish them off. Needs to work on his pass blocking and in setting up his feet and using his hands more effectively…….Has a bit of a mean streak and good work ethic……As of March he had offers from the likes of Michigan, Florida State, Nebraska, UCLA and Purdue........He committed to Michigan in March.

4 Kurt Wermers OL/DL 6'5 260 5.10 Crown Point Indiana

Wermers is one of the top two OL prospects in Indiana and among the top offensive linemen in the midwest...........An Honorable Mention Class 5A All-State selection and Second Team Underclass All-Stater..........Junior starter at guard after starting at tackle as a sophomore. With his frame and quick feet, he could play either position in college. Needs to get stronger but could easily add 30-40 pounds to his frame. Has great technique....... Athletic, he starts in basketball......Fine 3.7 GPA and has passed the ACT.....As of April he had offers from the likes of Michigan, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Iowa, UCLA, Purdue, Indiana, Northwestern, Northern Illinois, Central Michigan, Bowling Green and Cincinnati.........He committed to Michigan in May.

5 Elliott Mealer OL/DL/TE 6'6 280 5.20 Wauseon Ohio

Mealer is one of the top OL prospects in a deep Ohio class of linemen and has really moved up the charts.............Started as a sophomore at TE and as a junior at TE and DE. Projects as an OL in college..........Has a great frame and quick feet.........305 bench, 465 squat............3.1 GPA..........As of April he had offers from the likes of Michigan, Michigan State, Indiana, Duke, Northwestern Purdue, Miami (Ohio), Bowling Green, Maryland, Cincinnati and Eastern Michigan.........He committed to Michigan in April.



Offered But Committed Elsewhere

These prospects all reportedly had offers from Michigan. They all decided to attend school elsewhere.

Of these prospects, Michigan probably was closest to landing Lane Clelland and Bryce Givens, two very good offensive linemen who are national top 250 types.

Torrence took a close look at Michigan, but decided to join his brother at Ohio Satte only after the Buckeyes promised that he could play RB.

Goodman and Cave chose Notre Dame over Michigan. Cave's verbal was no surprise as he lives in the vicinity of South Bend. Goodman is a solid receiver and should fit in nicely at Notre Dame, but Michigan does have some bigger fish to fry at that position.

Adams, the top prospect in Ohio, took a look at Michigan but was always an Ohio State lock.

There are conflicting reports as to whether Golden actually received a Michigan offer.


The players are listed by position:


1 Dayne Crist QB/LB 6'5 228 4.66 Sherman Oaks Notre Dame California Notre Dame

Crist is possibly the nation’s top pure QB prospect......His junior season was his first year as a starter as he backed up USC freshman Garrett Green as a sophomore……He plays for a program that has regularly produced Division I talent in recent years (Justin Fargas, Travis Johnson, etc…)…..As a junior, despite missing four games due to an injury he completed 63 of 119 passes (52.9%) for 1,270 yards, 17 TDs and just 3 INTs. He also rushed for 230 yards and 4 TDs on 48 carries (4.79 average)……He earned First Team Junior All-State honors and Honorable Mention Los Angeles Daily News All-Area honors as a junior…..As a sophomore, he completed 25 of 50 passes for 386 yards, 3 TDs and no INTs. He rushed for 168 yards on 28 carries (6.0 average)…..Has the ideal frame for a drop-back QB but also has surprising mobility and escapability from the pocket. Is a threat carrying the ball as well as throwing it……Has a very strong and accurate arm and can make all the throws. He just needs to get more game experience and shorten his delivery……A tough kid who isn’t afraid to mix it up……Reminds some of Brady Quinn and Tom Brady........Looked pretty good at the 2007 U.S Army Combine after getting off to a slow start........265 bench, 415 squat, 31-inch vertical.....3.6 core GPA and 1710 SAT.......As of April he had offers from the likes of USC, Michigan, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Iowa, Arizona, Stanford, Oregon, Duke, Minnesota and LSU......He committed to Nore Dame in April.


2 Devoe Torrence RB/LB 6'2 215 4.50 Massillon Washington Ohio Ohio State

Torrence is one of the nation's elite prospects at both LB & RB and among the top overall prospects in Ohio...........He transferred from Canton South to Massillon Washington for his senior year.........As a junior he was named First Team All-Ohio and Divison III All-State as a two-way star for Canton South. On offense, rushed for 981 yards, had 645 yards receiving and scored 17 TDs. On defense, he had 127 tackles, 1 INT, three fumbles recovered and six sacks ........He played in just eight games as a sophomore due to a concussion that kept him out of two games. Torrence still recorded 135 tackles and had 5 INTs. He also played fullback and rushed for 576 yards and scored 14 times............Projects as an OLB in college although some schools (e.g. Michigan) were recruiting him as a RB.........His older brother, Devon, signed with Ohio State in February. His coach claims that Devoe is bigger, tougher and just as fast as Devon. He can go from sideline-to-sideline and has a real mean streak on the field. A hard-nosed, quuick and athletic 'backer......... At one time he was borderline academically but he has really picked up his grades as a junor............As of March he had over 20 offers, including such schools as Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska, Purdue, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Illinois and Mississippi..........He committed to Ohio State in March.


3 John Goodman WR/QB/ATH 6'3 187 4.71 Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger Indiana Notre Dame

Goodman is among the top receivers in the Midwest and top overall prospects in Indiana……….As a junior he was named to the Bloomington Herald Top 33 All-State team after catching 36 passes for 719 yards (19.9 avg.) and 9 TDs, carried 22 times for 141 yards (6.4), returned 4 kickoffs for 251 yards (62.7) and 2 TDs and returned 13 punts for 215 yards (16.5) and 2 TDs…….As a sophomore he was an Honorable Mention Class 4A All-State selection. He caught 24 passes for 660 yards (27.5 avg.) and 12 TDs and had 2 fumble recoveries and 1 interception. Rushed for 3 TDs and passed for 1 TD. Returned 11 kick-offs for a 22.7 average and 1 TD. Blocked 2 field goals and returned 1 for a TD. He blocked 1 punt.…….He’s a tall and rangy WR who can really go up and catch the ball and shows surprising speed and quickness. Capable of making circus catches and not afraid to go across the middle. He has outstanding football instincts. Needs to fill out a bit.……Ran a 4.54 forty at the 2006 Michigan camp........Was very impressive at the 2006 U.S. army Combine……As of late February he had offers from Notre Dame, Indiana, Kentucky, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ball State, Bowling Green and Purdue..........He committed to Notre Dame in March.


4 Kyle Rudolph TE 6'7 220 4.70 Cincinnati Elder Ohio Notre Dame

Rudolph leads a strong contingent of Ohio tight ends and ranks among the nation’s best………..As a junior, he was named Second Team All-Southwest District for Division I in his first year as a starter, hauling in over 40 passes and scoring 8 TDs………His best football is ahead of him as he has great height and a frame with lots and lots of room to fill out. He also has great hops, so he’s especially effective in going up and grabbing lob passes over outmatched DBs……….Very athletic with solid speed……Once he focuses just on football and hits the weight room he should add the additional strength needed to effectively block at the college level…..Runs solid routes and has nice hands………. Stars on the basketball team and was already starting as a freshman in the playoffs. He’s receiving Division I interest in that sport as well…..3.2 GPA…….By March he had over 20 offerfs, including such pograms as Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Boston College, Virginia, Oklahom, Tennessee and Miami........He committed to Notre Dame in March.


5 Jake Stoneburner TE/WR 6'5 218 4.54 Dublin Coffman Ohio Ohio State

Stoneburner is one of the top skill prospects in Ohio and among the nations elite TE prospects……..He plays WR in high school but has the size and frame to play TE in college…..As a junior he was named First Team All-Area by the Columbus Dispatch and was a First Team Central District-Division I selection after hauling in 63 passes for 946 yards (15.0 avg.) and 8 TDs. He also excelled as a punter and kickoff specialist…….As a sophomore he had 31 receptions for 538 yards and 5 scores……Plays for one of the top talent-producers in the Columbus area (think Brady Quinn)……Was impressive at the 2007 U.S. Army Combine, earning Second Team All-Combine honors after running a 4.53 forty and 4.37 shuttle……Has the athleticism (a very fine hurdler in track), speed and quicks to be a possession WR and the frame that could easily fill out to be a TE……Has very soft hands and ball skills……..3.5 GPA........As of early March he had offers from the likes of USC, Ohio State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, West Virginis, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Michigan, Florida, Iowa and Clemson..........He committed to Ohio State in March.


6 Mario Carter TE 6'4 240 4.72 Charlotte Independence North Carolina North Carolina State

Carter is one of the nation’s top TE prospects…..He plays for a team that has won several consecutive state titles and has the nation’s longest current unbeaten streak. They also produce loads of D-I talent, such as graduating Florida QB Chris Leak……..As a junior he had 32 catches for 309 yards and 6 scores.........Carter was a rare sophomore starter for Independence and his coach believes that he could be really special…..As a sophomore he was named Second Team All-Mecklenburg by the Charlotte Observer……..He has a great frame, is well-proportioned and has quick feet……One of two talented Class of 2008 tight ends at Independence…..Very high ceiling……Being recruited by the area’s top programs.........As of April he had offers from the likes of Michigan, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Virginia, Marshall and N.C. State......He committed to North Carolina State in April.

7 Michael Brewster OL 6'5 294 5.25 Orlando Edgewater Florida Ohio State

Many feel that Mike is the top offensive lineman in Florida. He is definitely one of the elite linemen in the nation……An Orlando Sentinel First Team All-Central Florida selection as a junior…..From a program that has produced some outstanding talent in recent years, including Michigan WR Greg Matthews and Florida pledge Lorenzo Edwards………..Helped lead the way for an outstanding running game in 2006 after transferring into Edgewater from a small private school……..Very impressive at the 2006 Ohio State ad Michigan camps…..Looked very good as a center prospect at the U.S. Army Combine, although many also project him as an outstanding college guard…..He’s very quick off the ball and really plays low and gets effective leverage when blocking defensive linemen….Very athletic, he also plays basketball and lives in the weight room…..Looks very impressive on film. He has a great body with powerful calves, long and powerful arms and very little body fat. Moves very well and is effective getting to the second line of defense. His motor is always running. Nice technique……A great student who is on schedule to graduate from high school in December 2007…..As of mid-January 2007 he had double digit offers, including such programs as Ohio State, Miami, Michigan, Florida , Florida State and Tennessee.......He committed to Ohio State in April.

8 Mike Adams OL 6'7 300 5.47 Dublin Coffman Ohio Ohio State

After a down year for OLs in Ohio in the Class of 2007, Adams leads a very strong Class of 2008 crop and is among the best linemen in the nation………..Some feel he ranks right up there with Korey Stringer and just a shade below Orlando Pace when compared to the top OLs to recently emerge from Ohio...........First Team Ohio News Network All-State selection (tend to focus on college potential), but the traditional media only gave him honorable mention all-area recognition as a junior….Very tall, so he has a very high ceiling both literally and figuratively………Has the lean frame to easily add another 30-40 pounds……….Still growing into his body, so his best football is definitely ahead of him………Still relatively raw when compared to other national elite linemen, but his ceiling is as high as any………Impressed at the 2007 U.S. Army Combine and 2006 Ohio State camp.…..Projects as a LT…..2.9 GPA…..Very athletic for a big man, bends his knees and plays low...........Needs to develop a mean streak and be more aggressive on the field.....His school regularly produces D-1 talent over the years (think Brady Quinn)……Received early offers from Ohio State and Michigan in 2006………..One of the nation’s very best......He committed to Ohio State in March.

9 J.B. Shugarts OL/DL 6'8 290 5.12 Klein Texas Ohio State

Shugarts is one of the nation’s elite offensive linemen…..He was very impressive at the 2007 U.S. Army Combine in San Antonio, where his father was a coach for the OL drills……..An exceptional athlete. He has nice height and really quick feet and agility for a big man, but needs to improve his strength….…Plays basketball……….His team mostly runs the ball so he is still a bit raw when it comes to pass blocking, but he has the frame and athleticism to excel as LT. As a run blocker he has a very strong surge and is an exceptional finisher…… Impressed onlookers during 2006 camping stops at Texas, Texas A&M, Michigan, Ohio State, and Florida…………He was named First Team All-District as a sophomore OT, but only Second Team All-District as a junior TE as he missed all or part of 3 of 6 district games due to a Staph Infection. However, he was named First Team All-Greater Houston for his performance in the non district games and 3 district games he played in. …..His school has recently sent offensive linemen to Michigan and Notre Dame, but J.B will be the best of the bunch…..Wants to attend a college with a stable head coaching situation and a chance to win a national title……..As of April he had over 25 offers.......He committed to Ohio State in April.

10 David Snow OL 6'4 280 5.10 Gilmer Texas Texas

Snow is one of the very best offensive line prospects in the nation and is one of a handful of very talented Class of 2008 prospects at Gilmer……….Projects as a guard in college….He was already a First Team All-District selection as a sophomore and a starter as a freshman for a 16-0 3A Division II state championship team………Nasty on-field demeanor. Enjoys hitting people…..A very hard worker, he has a desire to become great……Great understanding of the game and exceptional technique. Effective both in run and pass blocking…..Wants to play for a top offensive line coach….Benches 315, squats 485…..Impressed at the 2006 Texas summer mini-camp…..A of mid-February 2007 he had early offers from such programs as Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Michigan and Texas A&M...........He committed to Texas in February at their Junior Day.

11 Trevor Robinson OL/DL 6'5 300 5.53 Elkhorn Nebraska Nebraska

Robinson is a small-school (Class B) star who challenges Baker Steinkuhler for honors as the top lineman, and perhaps overall prospect, in the state of Nebraska. He lacks Steinkuhler’s pedigree, but he sure isn’t lacking in talent………..A two-way star in the prep ranks, he projects on the offensive side of the ball in college…….A consensus First Team All-State (for all classes) selection as a junior on the OL……….As a junior DL, he registered 103 tackles, 6 sacks and 3 fumble recoveries……..A tough lineman who played in the state finals loss to Crete with a broken thumb…..Looked solid at the 2007 U.S. Army combine once he got used to the higher level of competition in one-on-ones……..Competes in power lifting meets and can bench 325, squat 500 and dead lift about 425 pounds……..Has fine agility and quickness for his size…….Especially effective as a run blocker as he plays low and is effective in getting to the second level of the defense. He needs to work on his pass blocking technique as his team primarily ran the ball……Wants to stay close to home……Great student: 3.9 GPA and a 28 on the ACT…….As of mid-January he had offers from the likes of Nebraska, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Boston College and Kansas..........He committed to Nebraska in April.


12 Bryce Givens OL 6'6 240 5.20 Denver Mullen Colorado Nebraska

Givens is one of the top prospects in Colorado and better OL prospects in the nation…….Looked very good at the 2007 U.S. Army Combine, earning Second Team All-Combine honors after impressing in one-on-one drills…….Combine marks include a 5.2 forty, 4.7 shuttle and 28-inch vertical…….Has a great frame and should be more effective once he fills out at around 300 pounds…….Very good feet and technique. He needs to get stronger. Very physical and quick off the ball. Plays low and is effective in getting to the second level of defense. Especially effective in pass blocking but needs to get stronger to run block more effectively……..Givens plays for a powerful program that regularly produces Division I talent…….3.6 core GPA.......April offers include Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, UCLA, Kansas State, Washington, Nebraska, Arizona State, Utah, Colorado State, Louisville, Vanderbilt and Colorado...........He committed to Nebraska in April.


13 Lane Clelland OL/DL 6'5 270 4.90 Owings Mills McDonogh Maryland Notre Dame

Clelland is the top OL prospect in Maryland and among the nation's better offensive linemen.........As a junior, he as named First Team All-Baltimore County after recording 30 tackles and four sacks.............Good bloodlines, as his older brother, Lance, was a starting lineman at Northwestern........A well-schooled linemen who has quick feet, uses leverage well, plays low and finishes blocks.............Very strong: Can squat 525 and do 13 reps of the pro weights of 225 pounds..........Placed second in the state private schools wrestling championships.........2.8 GPA at a strong prep school......... As of April he had offers from the likes of Notre Dame, Michigan, Nebraska, Florida, Virginia, Wake Forest, Northwestern, Boston College and Maryland......He committed to Notre Dame in May.


14 Braxston Cave OL 6'3 292 5.38 Mishawaka Penn Indiana Notre Dame

One of the nation's top center prospects and top overall prospects in Indiana.........Plays for possibly the top program in Northern Indiana, one that regularly produces D-I talent (Mike Rosenthal, Scott Dreisbach)............First Team Class 5A All-State and Junior All-State as a junior...........A real road-grader who is especially effective as a run-blocker. A real drive-blocker who has excellent leg strength, is quick off the line, plays low, aggresseively and is a real finisher....... Could play eigher center or guard in college........3.0 GPA........As of March he had offers from Notre Dame, Michigan and Indiana......He committed to Notre Dame in March.


15 Jarvis Humphrey DL 6'2 290 5.00 Cedar Hill Texas Texas

Humphrey is the top DT in Texas and among the nation's best............Plays for a Cedar Hill program that has been churning out quite a bit of D-I talent in recent years and won the 5A state title in 2006............As a junior he recorded 39 tackles, 20 assists, 20 TFL and six sacks........Very strong: benches over 350, squats over 600..........Moves very well laterally for his size, but with his strength and height he is especially effective at stopping the run and plugging up the middle...........As of March he had offers from the likes of Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Miami, Michigan, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Kansas, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Baylor, Tulsa, Texas Tech, Wisconsin and Mississippi............ He committed to Texas in March.

16 Nigel Bradham LB 6'2 220 4.60 Crawfordville Wakulla Florida Florida State

Considered by many to be among the top three linerbackers in the nation and top overall prospect in Florida…………….Junior First Team Class 3A All-State selection and 3A Player of the Year who also earned First Team All-Big Bend honors from the Tallahassee Democrat after recording 128 tackles (66 solo, 62 assists); 2 INTs (one returned for a TD) and 4 fumble recoveries (one returned for a TD);…….Registered 139 tackles (98 solo), 8 sacks and 2 INTs as a sophomore………..On tape, he shows an innate ability to get to the ball and exceptional strength, speed and athleticism. Has the ability to just dominate a game from the defensive side of the ball. Has the speed to go from sideline-to-sideline and drop back and be very effective in pass coverage. Has the power to fill in running lanes and break through the line of scrimmage to regularly nail ball carriers behind the line of scrimmage. Has a real nasty demeanor on the field………Projects as a MLB in college……Avid weightlifter……..3.2 GPA......By early 2006 he already had offers from such programs as Florida and Florida State…….A special, special talent.......As of March he had over 35 offers, including USC, Michigan, Miami, Florida, Florida State, Alabama, Auburn, Texas and many more......He committed to Florida State in April.

17 Darius Fleming LB/DL 6'2 220 4.57 Chicago St. Rita Illinois Notre Dame

Fleming is one of the top overall prospects in Illinois and among the nation's elite OLB/DE prospects............As a junior, he recorded 105 tackles, 15 TFL and nine sacks in earning Special Mention All-State honors.............Saw limited playing time on the varsity as a sophomore in a strong program.........Part of a strong rising senior class at St. Rita, one that has several D-I prospects. His coach calls him the team's best athlete. He's very quick off the ball and explosive off the edge. Very athletic and packs a punch when meeting the ball carrier. A real hitter and playmaker who has a nose for the ball.............4.32 shuttle............Talented and eclectic athlete who has played basketball, has a 220 average in bowling and ridden horses in rodeos..........3.3 GPA......As of April he had offers from the likes of USC, Notre Dame, Michigan, Oklahoma, Iowa, Purdue, Illinois, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Minnesota, Kansas State, Wisconsin and Boston College.......He committed to Notre Dame in April.

18 Sam Maresh LB/DL/TE 6'3 257 4.70 Champlin Park Minnesota Minnesota

Maresh is one of the top three propsects in Minnesota and among the better linebackers in the nation........A consensus First Team All-Stater after recording 61 tackles, two interceptions and two sacks as a junior. Also punted and ran the ball some........As a sophomore starter on a 7-2 team (MLB/P) he had 107 tackles, 2 sacks for 24 yards lost and 2 TDs.......A rare freshman starter for an 11-1 team ranked 2 overall in the state and had 1 reception for 27 yards and had 62 tackles, 1 sack and 1 fumble recovery......Projects as an ILB in college or could bulk up and play on the DL.......State Class 3A wrestling champion at 215 pounds as a sophomore and was 34-0 as a junior heading into tournament play. Considred to be one of the top wrestlers in the nation......Tough, intelligent and instinctive on the field......315 bench.......As of April he had offers from Michigan, Minnesota, Miami, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Iowa State and Kansas State........He committed to Minnesota in April.

19 Robert Golden DB 5'11 182 4.53 Fresno Edison California Arizona

Ranks behind only Rahim Moore among DBs in California...........Few schools have done a better job of turning out talented D-I DBs in recent history than Fresno Edison and Golden, together with classmate Brandon Leslie, are the lastest blue-chippers to play for Tim McDonald's (former USC all-american safety) crew.........First Team All-Combine at the 2007 U.S. Army Combine..............Not a blazing cover corner in the traditional sense of the word, but more of a physcial and tenacious press corner who really lays the wood. More quick than fast. Is really aggressive on the line of scrimmage. A real competitor who has better football speed than forty speed as he gets such a quick break on the ball. He has good tackling technique. Great work ethic and a vocal leader on the field.........Ran a 4.52 forty at 2007 L.A. Scout combine.......First Team 2007 Scout.com Los Angeles Combine..........3.3 core GPA.........As of April he had offers from the likes of Michigan, Arizona, Arizona State, Minnesota, Washington, Washington State, Oregon State, Nevada and San Diego State.......He committed to Arizona in May.




Remaining Michigan Prospects


Quarterbacks

Michigan absolutely needs to land at least one quality quarterback this year as Chad Henne will be graduating, Jason Forcier has transferred to Stanford and Ryan Mallett will not redshirt as a true freshman. That leaves just Mallett and the lightly recruited David Cone as scholarship quarterbacks in 2008.

With Mallett playing as a true frosh, an incoming freshman would have the opportunity to start at least two and possibly three years should Mallett leave school early after his junior season. The freshman would also have the opportunity to immediately be on the two-deep.

The problem with quarterback recruiting this year is three-fold:

1. It's a down year for talent at the position.
2. Eight of my top twenty QBs in the class have already committed.
3. Michigan has been slow in evaluating and offering quarterbacks. Only three have been offered (Crist, who committed to ND, Pryor, who is a long shot, and Glennon)

The "Best Guess" list is very thin at this point. Glennon heads up the list but he's on it simply because U-M has offered and he has no early declared leader. Kearney, Britt (Brandon Moore's teammate) and the in-state QBs will need to be evaluated during the summer. I wouldn't be surprised to see one of them reecive an offer.

The "Sleepers Off the Radar" list is especially relevant at this position as U-M is still evaluating QBs and these are the best of the bunch who I feel Michigan may have a chance of landing should they offer.


Best Guess

1 Mike Glennon QB 6'6 188 Chantilly Westfield Virginia

Glennon is the second best QB in Virginia after E.J. Manuel and among the nation’s top QBs…….As a junior he was named Honorable Mention All-Metro by the Washington Post after passing for 1,800 yards and 18 TDs in leading his team to an unbeaten regular season…….As a sophomore he split-time with a junior (who later moved to WR) at QB……Glennon has nice height but will need to add weight to take college poundings. He throws a nice spiral and gets good velocity on his throws. A traditional drop-back style QB…….Has good leadership skills…….His older brother Sean is the starting QB at Virginia Tech and Mike will be a more heavily recruited prospect….....Very impressive at the 2007 Penn State Nike Camp and received some major offers after his performance there........Camped at Virginia, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame and Maryland in 2006……3.65 GPA.........As of May he had offers from the likes of Michigan, Florida State, Purdue, Rutgers, Miami, Virginia Tech, Duke, Maryland and Virginia.

2 Domonick Britt QB 6'4 169 4.79 Trotwood-Madison Ohio

Britt is considered by many to be the top QB prospect in Ohio............He plays for a program loaded with Division I talent in his class........... A tall and lean dual-threat QB who still needs to fill out but with his great height, athleticism (4.31 shuttle, 34-inch vertical) and nimble feet should be highly recruited..........As a junior, he passed for 2,889 yards and 21 TDs and rushed for 1,046 yards and 9 scores...............As a sophomore, he passed for 930 yards and 10 TDs and also rushed for 4 TDs...........Very effective in running the spread offense............Needs to work on reading coverages and staying in the pocket........Also plays baseball......Has about a 2.5 core GPA................As of May he had offers from the likes of Kansas, Illinois, West Virginia, Minnesota, Miami (Ohio), Eastern Michigan, Toledo, Cincinnati, Akron, Kent and Buffalo.

3 Nolan Kearney QB 6'4 225 4.70 Downingtown West Pennsylvania

Kearney is arguably the top QB in Pennsylvania and among thebest on the East Coast…….Has excellent size, a very strong arm and outstanding athletic ability…….Also stars in basketball and as a pitcher in baseball……..On film, in running the spread offense this left-hander shows excellent velocity on his throws, stands tall in the pocket and can move around pretty well, even running the option. Has a quick release………..As a junior, he completed 99 of 148 passes for 1,526 yards and 14 TDs in leading his team to a 10-2 record. He also rushed for 447 yards on 68 carries..........Impressive stats for a team that ran much more than it threw the ball……Passed for 1,194 yards as a sophomore….Outstanding character and a real leader......No offers as of mid-April.

4 Brendon Kay QB/ATH 6'4 218 4.77 Marine City Michigan

Kay is a big, strong-armed QB who is considered to be the top quarterback in Michigan................He has a great frame, a rifle for an arm, good mobility and fine athleticism..........As a junior, he passed for 1,182 yards (81 of 145 passing) and 18 TDs while tossing just 2 INTs. He also rushed for 340 yards and 7 TDs and registered 75 tackles on defense........... Throws well on the run and also stands tall in the pocket. Needs to work on his delivery and mechanics a bit as he is still raw........Also a fine basketball player........Has a chance to be the best athlete to ever emerge out of Marine City High per his coach, who played Big Ten football...........255 bench, 400 squat..........First emerged during the 2006 combine circuit.......As of April he had an offer from Eastern Michigan.

5 Adam Follett QB 6'6 210 4.78 Alma Michigan

Follett is one of the top sleepers at the QB position in the nation...........He transferred from Caledonia to Alma for his senior year...........The past two years he has completed 67% of his passes while throwing only 5 INTs.......Led Caledonia to the Division 3 state title as a sophomore........Has a great frame that is just starting to fill out, gets good zip on his passes and has excellent accuracy.......Looked very good at the 2007 Purdue Nike Camp........Tested very well on the 2007 combine circuit (4.78 40, 4.33 shuttle, 31-inch vertical)..........250 bench..........3.3 GPA.......No offers as of May, but that will change soon.

6 Chris Lum QB 6'3 205 Lake Orion Michigan

Lum is one of the top QBs in Michigan, ranking right behind Brendan Kay as a college prospect........As a junior, Lum was 99-for-144 for 1,717 yards, 25 TDs and four INTs in earning First Team Class A All-State honors.........He is a very fine athlete who understands the game and plays with poise.....A dual-threat QB who has the ablity to flush out of the pcoket and pick up yards.....His team has sent several players to D-1 schools in recent years....... ... An all-around athlete who is a starting forward in basketball and plays first and third base in baseball..... A very fine student.


Offered But Longshots


1 Terrelle Pryor QB/TE/ATH 6'6 215 4.50 Jeannette Pennsylvania

Pryor is a special, special prospect and one of the nation’s truly elite athletes. He started as a junior at QB and safety, and wants to play QB in college. He’s talented enough to excel at the position, just as he could also excel at OLB, DE, WR or TE. He’s that sort of athlete. I initially ranked him as a TE, and the nation’s best at that, but he is probably also the nations top QB based on his athleticism...........Earned First Team All-State as an all-purpose offensive threat as a junior after earning Second Team honors on the other side of the ball after his sophomore season………..Talk about being a dual-threat QB. As a junior, he led his team to the PIAA Class AA title game by passing for 1,720 yards and 15 TDs and running for another 1,703 yards and 23 TDs. As a safety, he had 5 INTs and quite a few sacks heading into the PIAA playoffs…....As a sophomore QB, he completed 53-of-106 passes for 719 yards and 6 TDs, and rushed for 663 yards and 10 TDs. On defense, he started at DE and OLB………Pryor has unusual quickness and speed for a big man (he runs the sprints in track) and possesses a strong arm (can throw the ball 70 yards in the air). His coach compares him to Vince Young with his great size, rocket arm and superb athleticism……As a quarterback, he’s still a bit raw but made tremendous strides between his sophomore and junior years and would be ranked among the nation’s very best (albeit it in a down year for the position)…….I like him best as a receiver due to his great frame, speed, athleticism, hands and ability to go vertical and get the ball……..Also stars in hoops and is one of the nation’s better prospects in that sport as well. He projects as a wing man. He has early offers to play basketball from the likes of Connecticut, Michigan, Clemson, Penn State and Pitt……….As of early January he had offers for football from such programs as Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Florida, Pittsburgh, Clemson, West Virginia and Nebraska…….Wants to play both sports in college, and he’s unique enough to be able to do it…….Had initially committed to play basketball at Pittsburgh back in January 2006, but he recanted a couple of months later…….3.5 GPA through his sophomore year……Will be remembered as one of the best athletes ever produced by Pennsylvania and will be rolling in money sooner rather than later.

2 E.J. Manuel QB 6'6 205 4.50 Virginia Beach Bayside Virginia

Manuel is considered to be the top QB in Virginia and among very, very best in the nation......................He has great height and a frame that can still add quite a bit of weight........A dual-threat QB who is very athletic with fine foot speed........As a junior, he accumulated over 2,400 all-purpose yards and 21 TDs in earning First Team All-Beach, Second Team All-Tidewater, and Second Team All Eastern Region honors. He passed for 1,973 yards (58%) and 16 touchdowns, along with seven interceptions. He also had 480 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns..................Showed dramatic improvement as a junior, showing off a fine arm and an ability to make all the throws ...............Has solid grades, possessing a 3.0 GPA and 1050 SAT...........As sophomore he completed 117 of 223 passes for 1,322 yards and eight touchdowns............ As of April he had over 20 offers from such schools as Miami, Florida State, LSU, North Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Alabama, Penn State, Oregon, Duke, Colorado, Kansas State, Northern Illinois and Maryland.


Others to Watch


1 Andrew Luck QB/P 6'3 205 4.80 Houston Stratford Texas

Probably the top QB in Texas…….As a junior, he completed 140 of 220 passes (63.6%) for 2,269 yards, 19 TDs and just 4 INTs during the regular season. He also carried the ball 81 times for 537 yards (6.6 ypc) and another 7n TDs. He was named Second Team Class 2A All-State………As a sophomore starter, he completed 116 of 229 passes for 1,529 yards and 7 TDs and also rushed for about 700 yards……..Played some varsity ball as a freshman before breaking his collarbone……A pocket-passer who can run the ball… He has great arm strength and excellent footwork, showing great technique in his dropbacks. Can make any throw…..Impressive at the 2006 Texas A&M summer camp and at the 2006 state 7-on-7 tournament…….Looked good at the 2007 Fort Worth Elite 11........Plays basketball and runs the hurdles in track……..Outstanding student, he was the junior class valedictorian…………Looking for a quality education and possibly majoring in civil engineering……….Received offers after his sophomore year, including an early offer from Nebraska………..Great QB smarts, leadership skills and bloodlines. His father, Oliver Luck, was a star QB at West Virginia before playing in the NFL. He is a long-time NFL executive, including serving a stint as the president of NFL Europe......6.5 GPA on a 6.5 scale and 1700 SAT.........As of May he had offers from the likes of Texas, Florida State, Alabama, Stanford, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Baylor, California, Rice, Oklahoma State, LSU, UCLA and Virginia.

2 Jacob Charest QB 6'3 178 4.97 Charlotte Butler North Carolina

Charest is part of a talkented rising senior class at Butler and ranks right up there with Braden Hanson as one of the top 2 QBs in the state............As a junior he led Butler to the state Class 4A semifinals and passed for 2,485 yards and 20 touchdowns during on his way to earning Second Team All-Mecklenburg County honors...........As a sophomore he passed for 1,716 yards with 13 TDs...........As a freshman he passed for over 300 yards as a back-up...........A state qualifyer in wrestling............A tough and competitive QB who has good size, a strong arm, is effective in the pocket and makes good decisions in distributing the ball and flushing out of the pocket. Needs to work on his accuracy and correct a throwing hitch...........3.0 GPA...........As of April he had offers from the likes of Maryland, California, Illinois, Louisville and N.C. State.

3 Bart Tanski QB 6'2 190 4.90 Mentor Ohio

Tanski earned First Team Division I All-State honors as a junior and was also named the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Area Player of the Year. He's one of the top QBs in Ohio and the only thing keeping him from being a top national recruit is a lack of ideal height..............Tanski led Mentor to a 9-1 regular season, an undefeated record in the Lake Erie League Lake Division, and to a Division I state runner-up finish. As the season progressed against many of Ohio's best teams, Tanski got better and better. He completed 60 percent of his passes (112-of-186) for 1,524 yards and 11 touchdowns, and ran for 501 yards and five touchdowns in the regular season. He added another 1,126 passing yards and nine touchdowns in five playoff games................An excellent decsion-maker who is very accurate with his throws. He's not the fastest QB, but he shows some shiftiness when carrying the ball.................225 bench, 27-inch vertical..........3.8 GPA.

4 Luther Leonard QB 6'2 185 Burien Evergreen Washington

Washington is always loaded with talented signal callers and this year Leonard ranks near the top...............As a junior, he completed 85 of 163 passes (52%) for 1,535 yards and 8 INTs in earning Second Team All-Seamount honors.......Passed for 1,110 yards and 11 TDs as a sophomore.......Getting serious D-1 looks due to his fine size, speed, athleticism and cannon for an arm (can throw the ball over 75 yards in the air)........Can also beat you with his feet.......Still a bit raw and he needs some work on his mechanics, including his dropbacks and delivery (often releases the ball too high)........High-ceiling if he puts it all together.

5 DeRon Furr QB/ATH 6'3 217 4.66 Columbus Pacelli Catholic Georgia

Furr is being looked at as both a QB and "athlete" and is among the better skill prospects in Georgia..............As a junior, he passed for 1,300 yards and 15 TDs and rushed for 760 yards and 12 scores......As a freshman, he had 35 carries for 750 yards.....Could play QB, RB, WR, TE or LB at th next level. Has fine athleticism with good quickness (4.47 shuttle as a soph) adn leaping ability (32-inch vertical as a soph)........Did 9 bench reps as a soph......As of April he had offes from South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Duke, Tulane and Kentucky.

6 Anthony Mifsud QB 6'4 184 Dearborn Michigan

7 Craig Sacha QB/P 6'2 186 4.90 Farmington Hills Harrison Michigan


Sleepers Off The Radar


1 Conner Kempe QB 6'4 215 4.90 North Palm Beach Benjamin Florida

Kempe is considered to be one of the top QBs in the South but he will have to recover from a serious kite-surfing accident that he suffered in November 2006. He is recovering from serious head and facial injuries and a collapsed lung (so serious that he was even read his last rites by a priest)……..As a junior he passed for 1,920 yards and 13 TDs…….A hard-nosed athlete who played as a sophomore with a separated shoulder but still managed to throw for 1,653 yards and 17 TDs while completing 103 of 224 passes. He earned Second Team All-Palm Beach County honors for small schools……….A very accurate passer who can spread the ball around and gets fine zip on his throws……..Has a nice frame and is working to improve his footwork……3.3 GPA…..Won the accuracy award as a sophomore at the Miamio Elite 11 camp…..As of April he had offers from the likes of Virginia, Auburn, Iowa, Western Michigan, Miami (Ohio) and Stanford.

2 Drew McAllister QB/ATH 6'1 188 4.52 Danville Monte Vista California

The top QB in northern California and among the nation’s best…..As a junior, he completed 165 of 250 passes (66%) for 2,118 yards, 21 TDs and 11 INTs. He added another 3 TDs rushing……..As a sophomore, he completed 147 of 225 passes for 1,943 yards, 19 TDs and 8 INTs…….Very athletic. Would be starting at WR if he wasn’t such a great QB…….Ran a 4.52 forty at the 2007 U.S. Army Combine.......Named First Team Junior All-State in 2006 and First Team Sophomore All-State in 2005…….His coaches believe he could be a better prospect than former Monte Vista QB Kyle Wright (now at Miami), who was the top-rated prep QB in the nation a few years back….On film he shows excellent movement in the pocket and is very effective in running a no-huddle offense and taking command of the offense. He gets nice spin on his throws and is very accurate…..2006 combine marks of 4.75 in the forty, 4.62 shuttle, 10 bench reps and a 31-inch vertical.....3.5 GPA

3 Braden Hanson QB 6'6 200 Charlotte Latin North Carolina

Hanson is the top QB in North Carolina and among the best on the Atlantic Coast........He's a tall, left-handed pro-style quarterback who possesses a strong arm but also has fine accuracy and a soft touch.....Has fine mechanics and does a good job of spreading the ball around. He is a pure pocket passer who lacks mobility.............As a junior he earned First Team All-Charlotte are honors after completing 172 of 245 passes (70 %) for 2,682 yards, just 12 INTs and 39 touchdowns. He led his team to the private-school state title............ As of April he had offers from Missouri, Duke, Colorado, Wisconsin and North Carolina.

4 Ryan Griffin QB 6'4 206 4.85 West Hills Chaminade California

One of the better pro-style QBs on the west coast.......A Second Team L.A. Daily News All-Area selection as a junior, Griffin is one of the top QBs in California..................As a junior, he passed for 3,358 yards (225-380-59.2%), 32 TDs and just 8 INTs.......Ha can make all the throws, has great velocity and spin on his balls and nice touch on his short balls. Very accurate.......Solid mechanics and well-schooled at playing QB. Solid team leader...........Transferred from Los Angeles Loyola to Chaminade for his junior year........Considered to be a better prospect than former Chaminade QB Chris Turner, who went on to Maryland.......Second Team 2007 Scout.com Los Angeles Combine..........220 bench, 320 squat.......Solid 3.8 GPA and 3.7 core GPA taking honors classes.

5 Tim Rommel QB 6'1 194 4.90 Syracuse Henninger New York

Rommel enjoyed a very productive junior campaign and emerged as one of the top QBs on the East Coast…….As a junior he was named Third Team Class AA All-State and beat out touted senior Mike Paulus in earning First Team All-Central New York honors from the Syracuse Post Standard…….Also stars in lacrosse……Passed for 2,245 yards and 22 TDs as a junior…….Passed for 1,469 as a sophomore……Passed for 678 yards as a freshman….Shows good poise and confidence in the pocket and has a very strong arm. Especially impressive in the short passing game, showing excellent touch and accuracy…….Not very mobile and lacks great height, but he can really zip it and is very accurate with his throws……2006 combine marks include a 5.00 forty, 4.75 shuttle and 27-inch vertical……Honor student........Older brother Greg was a star QB at Henninger before Tim…..Being heavily recruited by the top schools in the East.......He had no offers as of mid-April.




Running Backs

Michigan absolutely needs to bring in at least one big-time back this year and most are guessing that McGuffie will be the man.

There are some other outstanding backs who are serious considering Michigan with Gray and Deboskie leading the way.

I'm a bit surprised that U-M hasn't been more aggressive in their recruitment of Darrell Scott, be far the nation's top back.

Of interest is Carlos Brown's teammate Dontavius Jackson. I would have put him on the best guess list earlier this year, but with Brown supposedly being pushed by someone on his high school coaching staff to transfer I doubt that Jackson will head Michigan's way.

A super sleeper to watch out for is Mike Hart's cousin, Anton Harris, who is off of the radar as he plays for a DOD school in Bitburg, Germany.

A sleeper to watch out for is Michael Shaw, another teammate of Brandon Moore. He could be this year's Avery Horn.

Also keep an eye on fullback Jeremiah Schwartz out of Greg Matthews' old school.


Best Guess

1 Sam McGuffie RB 5'11 191 4.32 Houston Cy-Fair Texas

Sam enjoyed a superlative junior season and is now being mentioned among the nation’s very elite running backs………As a junior, he was named First Team Class 5A All-State after rushing for an impressive 3,121 yards and averaging 8.6 yards per carry……..One of the nation’s most improved players between his sophomore and junior seasons……As a sophomore, he earned Second Team All-District honors at RB after rushing for 853 yards (7.4 ypc) and 11 TDs………Speed and quickness are the name of his game, he’ as good as anyone in the prep ranks when in the open field…….At the college level could excel at TB, slotback and as a return man……..Very, very impressive on film, showing the power to easily break arm tackles at the prep level and the athleticism to leap over an opposing defender on a TD run (a popular video on U-Tube)………..He has been growing rapidly and his father is 6-5, 270…….Really wowed onlookers at a 2006 combine in Houston, earning MVP honors as a sophomore with the following marks: a 4.32 and a 4.35 in the forty, a 3.83 shuttle, a 41.8 vertical and 15 reps on the bench.……….Reportedly ran a sub 4.3 forty at the 2006 UTEP summer camp…..As of April he had over 20 offers including such programs as USC, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Florida State, Boston College, Florida, Alabama, Minnesota, Baylor, Kansas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, California, Iowa State, Kansas State, Georgia Tech and Texas A&M.

2 Jonas Gray RB 5'10 214 4.53 Birmingham Detroit Country Day Michigan

Gray is among the nation’s elite RBs and could be the top overall back in the Midwest………As a junior, he rushed for 1,252 yards and 19 TDs………As a sophomore, he started both at RB and NG, rushing for 797 yards and 15 TDs……Was a freshman starter at LB…….He was very impressive at the 2007 U.S. Army Combine and was named to the All-Combine team………..MVP of the 2007 Indianapolis Nike Camp........Like Eric Smith and Richard Watson, he’s another powerful back who runs with surprising speed (4.58 forty on a slow track at the Michigan camp, 4.40 at a 2007 combine, runs track and claims a 10.55 100-meters!) and quickness……..On film, he does a great job of getting quickly to the line of scrimmage and pushing through to the second line of defense……..Was impressive at the 2006 Columbus Nike camp and also at the Michigan and Michigan State summer camps………Needs to improve on his pass-catching skills……4.28 shuttle, 36-inch vertical and has good strength......Plays for a private school that has produced a lot of talent both in football and hoops (Chris Webber, Shane Battier) and is arguably the top academic school in the state (has sent several recent football prospects to Northwestern)…….Has a 3.2 GPA…..As of May he had offers from Michigan State, Florida, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Colorado, Purdue, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Louisville and Cincinnati.

3 Covaughn Deboskie RB 5'11 190 4.38 Chandler Hamilton Arizona

It's a strong year for running backs in Arizona and Deboskie has emerged as the best of the bunch along with being one of the nation's elite backs...........As a junior, he was named First Team Class 5A All-State in leading his team to the state title. He averaged about 8 yards per carry, carrying the ball 150 times for 1,220 yards and 22 TDs. He also caught more than 20 passes for about 300 yards and 2 scores........He was one of 2 sophomores on a 13-1 team and he had 76 carries for 477 yards rushing (6.28 avg) and 2 TDs, 7 kick returns for 154 yards and 2 fumble recoveries.........Has been very, very impressive on the 2007 combine circuit, catapulting himself into the ranks of the nation's top RB prospects........Excellent speed (10.79 100-meters, 4.43 shuttle), outstanding vision and cutting ability, he hits the hole hard and runs with good power. Also catches the ball well out of the backfield. Has a 37.5-inch vertical. What really stands out, to me, is his vision.........Needs to get stronger in the upper body (235 bench, 375 squat, 11 bench reps).......Named the overall MVP at the 2007 L.A. Scout Combine...........4.16 core GPA and 1380 SAT...........As of April he had offers from the likes of Florida, Michigan, Nebraska, UCLA, Illinois, Stanford, Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, Navy, Clemson, Oregon State, Georgia Tech, Washington State, California, Mississippi State and TCU.

4 Josh Haden RB/DB/LB 5'8 190 4.38 Fort Washington Friendly Maryland

Probably the top RB in Maryland and among the better RBs in the nation……..Haden is a versatile, powerful, fast and very athletic football player who could play either RB or DB in college………..The younger brother of Florida signee Joe Haden…….The most impressive combine tester in the Class of 2008, putting up monster numbers as a sophomore (45 bench reps, 37-inch vertical, 4.10 shuttle, 4.38 forty)…….Remarkable strength for his size (405 bench, 600 squat). His father, Joe Sr., is a former bodybuilder who trains both Joe Jr. and Josh……His team was loaded with D-1 skill talent so he didn’t get the touches to put up huge numbers as a junior, rushing for almost 1,000 yards and 12 TDs and averaging almost 9 yards per carry…….3.0 core GPA and 16 ACT.......As of April he had offers from the likes of Illinois, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio State, Michigan, Rutgers, Virginia, Minnesota, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Illinois, Tennesse, Maryland, Syracuse and Boston College.

5 Darius Ashley RB 5'8 169 4.44 Cincinnati St. Xavier Ohio

Ashley is one of the top running backs in the Midwest.......As a junior, he was a First Team Division I All-State selection after rushing for over 1,500 ayrds and 20 scores despite playing much of the season with turf toe....... As a sophomore, Ashley rushed for 1,633 yards and 28 TDs on his way to Second Team Divison I All-State honors............Not the biggest back, but he is very quick, athletic and productive. A scatback who can really get through the hole and shows great elusiveness and surprising power when running the ball. Has excellent running instincts and visionb. He leads a strong rising senior class for one of the strongest teams in Ohio.......As a sophomore he tested well, running a 4.12 shuttle, benching 16 reps and posting a 33.4-inch vertical......310 bench, 400+ squat.......Runs the sprints (10.8 100-meters) and long jumps in track......3.0 GPA...... As of April he had offers from the likes of Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Louisville, Northwestern, Indiana, Illinois, Air Force, EMU, Cincinnati, Miami (Ohio) and Akron.

6 Anton Harris RB/LB 5'9 200 4.50 Bitburg Germany Possibly the top prospect in Europe this past year as a junior..........He was a First Team All-DODDS (Dept. of Defense Dependent Schools) Europe selection as a RB and LB for Bitburg. He's 5-9, 200 and had 170 carries for 1,325 yards, 20 TDs and a KO ret TD. At LB, he recorded 73 tackles, 5 for loss; 6 knockdowns, 1 FR............He led Bitburg to the Division II (second largest of 3 classifications) European championship over previously unbeaten Naples........He is an intense, hard-working and disciplined player. At RB, he is just like his cousin, Michigan's Mike Hart, as he has an innate ability to gain extra yards after initial contact. Has good speed, but its his toughness, vision and balance that make him a big-timer.


Offered But Longshots


1 Darrell Scott RB/DB/ATH 6'1 203 4.32 Ventura St. Bonaventure California

As of mid-January I have Scott ranked as the nation’s top RB.......He’s just an outstanding talent who has had a very productive prep career that should continue at the college level due to his unique combination of size, power, speed, quickness, toughness, cutting-ability, vision, balance, and running instincts……As one area coach said, he can run through you, around you and by you……Earned many, many honors as a junior and sophomore, to many to name, but the most impressive were being named First Team All-State by CalHiSports, the Los Angeles Daily News’ Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-America by MaxPreps…….. As a junior, he carried the ball 337 times for an amazing 3194 yards (9.48 ypc) and 45 TDs. He was the first L.A.-Area large-school running back - and one of 15 players in state history - to run for 3,000 yards in a season………. As a sophomore, he rushed for 1,988 yards and 19 TDs………….Compared by some to Eddie George.…..Ran a 10.68 100-meters as a sophomore…….A unique talent..............Second Team 2007 Scout.com Los Angeles Combine.......Announced on January 23 that he will be leaving Moorpark and transferring to Ventura St. Bonaventure for his senior year........By mid-January he had well over 20 offers, including from such top programs as USC, UCLA, and Michigan.

2 Ryan Williams RB/DB 5'10 193 4.52 Manassas Stonewall Jackson Virginia

Williams challenges Kevin Whaley as the top RB in Virginia and is among the nation’s better RB prospects…….As a junior he was named AP Second Team Class AAA All-State and Washington Post Honorable Mention All-Metro after carrying the ball 167 times for 1,572 yards and 20 TDs………..His sophomore season was cut short after having surgery for a torn meniscus, however he rushed for over 500 yards and 7 TDs in earning Second Team All-District honors at RB…………As a freshman, Williams rushed for 920 yards in 9 games and scored 7 TDs. He also had 14 receptions for 224 yards and two scores and returned two kickoffs for scores. He started as strong safety in the playoffs……. Has the combination of speed, strength and athleticism to become a top back…..…….Looked good on the 2006 combine circuit (4.50 forty, 4.63 shuttle, 21 bench reps, 36-inch vertical)…….275 bench, 255 power clean as a sophomore…..Ran a 10.94 100-meters as a freshman…..3.0 GPA as a sophomore…..By the end of 2006 there were unconfirmed reports that he had offers from the likes of Clemson, Notre Dame, Maryland, Michigan, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

3 Eric Smith RB 5'10 239 4.68 Seffner Armwood Florida

Eric is among the very best RBs in the nation and probably the best pure power back………He was a Second Team Class 4A All-State RB as a sophomore but didn’t earn many honors his junior season as he was out for several weeks early in the season due to a dislocated elbow. When he returned, he was back to his old amazing self, displaying the power and innate running ability to rank among the nation’s top prospects…………He plays for a powerful program that regularly churns out D-1 talent (most recently, Torrey Davis)………As a junior he carried the ball 75 times for 515 yards and 12 TDs and earned Second Team Hillsborough County honors despite missing much of the season.......As a sophomore, Smith rushed for over 1,600 yards and 23 TDs. He also had 24 receptions and 4 more scores….….Has surprising speed and agility for a power runner. It’s amazing to see how elusive the big guy is in the open field. Also a great blocker who mauls defenders. Has very good hands catching the ball out oif the backfield. Runs low to the ground..........Sort of a young Jerome Bettis in terms of his style…….Runs a 11.2 100-meters and throws the discus in track.........Great bloodlines, as his father, Eric Sr., once held the state one-game rushing record with 502 yards. Younger brother Petey (Class of 2009) could be the best linebacker in the nation in a couple of years………. 2.8 GPA.........As of May he had offers from the likes of Florida, Miami, Auburn, Nebraska, Michigan, Notre Dame, South Florida, Mississippi, Central Florida, Ohio State and Clemson.


Others to Watch

1 Milton Knox RB/DB 5'8 184 4.50 Lake Balboa Birmingham California

It seems as though Knox has been on the recruiting radar forever, but this West Coast star is still just a junior and ranks among the best RBs in the Class of 2008…….Has been named to all the relevant All-Underclass teams in California the past couple of years and was also a consensus First Team All-Los Angeles Area choice in addition to being named the City Player of the Year………As a junior, he carried the ball 328 times for 2374 yards (7.24 ypc) and 29 TDs and had 14 receptions for 96 yards….Dropped some weight before his junior season to become more elusive…… As a sophomore, he rushed 239 times for 1,606 yards and 26 TDs, while also catching 21 passes for another 336 yards and 3 TDs……..As a freshman, he helped lead Birmingham to the City Section championship by rushing for 505 yards and 6 TDs on 79 carries. He also caught 7 passes for 80 yards…….Knox has excellent quickness, vision and cutting ability. He’s a very instinctive back and has outstanding vision. He also runs low to the ground and with excellent lower body strength and power. His legs keep on churning, a lot like Michigan’s Mike Hart. Like Hart, he lacks breakaway speed……….Looked solid at the 2007 U.S. Army Combine……2007 L.A. Nike RB MVP......Following in the steps of Marlon Lucky and C.J. Gable as the City’s next great RB……….Fully qualified…….Good work ethic……..As of May he had offers from then likes of UCLA, Arizona, San Diego State, Florida State and Mississippi.

2 Dontavius Jackson RB 5'11 198 4.44 Franklin Heard County Georgia

Jackson is one of the nation's top RB prospects and is considered by some to be the top RB in Georgia.............Jackson stepped in for the departed Carlos Brown (his cousin, now at Michigan) as Heard County's go-to player in 2006 and the team didn't miss a beat..............Runs with excellent speed (4.44 forty) and pretty good size and power. Very athletic and has posted a 40-inch vertical. Has excellent vision and can catch the ballout of the backfield............As a junior, he rushed for 2,462 yards (averaging over 10 yards per carry) and 29 TDs in earning First Team Class AA All-State honors at RB. On defense, he recorded 73 tackles and 3 interceptions..........As a sophomore, sharing carries with Brown (who was a prep QB), he rushed for 1,375 yards and 16 scores.............3.6 GPA.......As of May he had offers from the likes of Florida, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Clemson, Georgia Tech, South Carolina, Maryland and Kentucky.

3 Jason Ford RB 6'0 215 4.42 Belleville Althoff Catholic Illinois

Ford has been a star on the prep level since his freshman season and is one of the nation’s better RB prospects…….The top prospect in southern Illinois and among the very best in the St. Louis area………Productivity has actually decreased slightly since his freshman season due to injuries holding him out of a few games as a sophomore and junior…..As a junior, he was named Special Mention All-State by the Chicago Tribune and Second Team All-Metro by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, in spite of his injury, after rushing for 1,549 yards and 17 TDs in a little more than 8 games……….As a sophomore, he was a First Team Post-Dispatch All-Metro selection after rushing for 1,391 yards and 20 scores…….As a freshman, he rushed for 1,702 yards and had another 156 yards receiving…….Runs with a nice combination of power and speed (outruns the school’s top sprinters)…..A downhill runner who loves contact and has an extra gear…….Quality character…..2.0 core GPA needs work............At his best against top competition ……As of April he had offers from the likes of Kansas, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Colorado, Boston College, Northern Illinois, Wisconsin and Kansas State.

4 Averin Collier RB/WR/LB 5'11 190 4.50 Churchville-Chili New York

Collier is the top back in New York and among the top prospects on the east coast.........As a junior, he was A First Team Class AA All-Stater and Greater Rochester Player of the Year while starring at both RB and DB. He rushed for 1,547 yards (over 8 ypc) and 20 scores and had 2,200 all-purpose yards..........A versatile performer who can beat teams in many different ways. Fine speed and great lower body strength (can squat 400 pounds six times). Benches 275......Talented athlete who is the leading scorer on the basketball team.....His brother, Kevin, plays for Pittsburgh........3.0 GPA.......Some schools like him as a WR or DB ..........As of April he had offers from the likes of Pittsburgh, Virginia, Syracuse, Boston College, Buffalo, Louisville, Temple, Connecticut, Maryland and Clemson.

5 Mark Ingram RB/WR 5'11 180 4.40 Flint Southwestern Academy Michigan

Ingram ranks right behind Jonas Gray among the toip RBs in Michigan and is one of the top backs in the midwest............Transferred to Southwestern Academy from Grand Blanc after his junior season........First Team All-Flint Area as a junior and sophomore and was already starting as a freshman........ As a junior, he carried the ball 152 times for 1,001 yards and added 270 yards receiving, totalling 22 touchdowns...........As a freshman and sophomore, he carried the ball 227 times for 1,643 yards and 26 touchdowns. As a freshman, he rsuhed for 857 yards and 14 TDs on 134 carries. He was limited to 93 carries as a sophomore due to injuries........A sprinter in track, some like him best as a WR at the next level........Great bloodlines as his father, Mark Sr., was a star WR at Michigan State and played in the NFL with the New York Giants..........As of April he had offers from Michigan State and Tennessee.

6 Jeremiah Schwartz RB 5'11 239 4.85 Orlando Edgewater Florida

Schwartz is a real load of a back and quite possibly the top pure fullback in the nation................He plays for one of the strongest programs in Central Florida, one that has recently produced such blue-chip talent as Lorenzo Edwards (Florida) and Greg Matthews (Michigan)............Honorable Mention Class 6A All-State and Central Florida and Second Team Orange County as a junior after carrying the ball for about 1,400 yards and 23 TDs.......Has tested exceptionally well on the 2007 combine circuit. Not a blazer, but unusually quick, athletic and powerful: Great 4.15 shuttle, 27 bench reps and 30-inch vertical.........An all-around talent. Runs with great power and runs low to the ground. Especially tough between the tackles and his quick feet enable him to quickly change direction and hit the hole. Runs well enough to lug the balkl in a one-back set for top-level BCS teams. Exceptional blocker, in part due to his great strength. Also shows soft hands catching the ball out of the backfield..........Wrestles and participates in track.......Solid student.......As of May he had offers from Virginia and Colorado.

7 Darius Willis RB/LB 6'2 210 Indianapolis Franklin Central Indiana

Willis is the top RB in Indiana and among the best in the Midwest.......Honorable Mention Class 5A All-State selection as a junior after carrying the ball 231 times for 1,277 yards (5.5 ypc) and 15 TDs........Transferred from Indianapolis Howe Acadmey to Franklin Central after his sophomore season..........Honorable Mention Class 3A All-State and First Team All-Indianapolis as a sophomore at Howe Academy after rushing for 1,390 yards...........Started at RB and LB as a freshman.......Has a great combination of size and speed, but his running skills are still raw........Has run a 10.8 100-meters and 21.9 200-meters in track. As a freshman, he finished fifth in the 400 meters in the state track meet......As of May he had offers from Indiana, Purdue, Illinois and Kentucky.

8 Michael Shaw RB/DB/LB 6'0 185 4.40 Trotwood-Madison Ohio

Shaw is one of the fastest-rising RB prospects in the nation and among the best prospects in Ohio..........He transferred from Kettering Alter to Trotwood-Madison in the winter of 2007..........Honorable Mention Dayton Daily News Division III-IV All-Are as a junior after carrying the ball 180 times for 975 yards and 21 TDs. He also caught 10 passes for 200 yards and one score..........Rushed for 475 yards and 3 TDs on 80 carries (5.9 ypc) as a sophomore.......Gets to the line quickly, shows good vision and catches the ball well.......285 bench, 425 squat, 35-inch vertical..........3.4 core GPA and 1550 SAT........As of April he had offers from the likes of Nebraska, Maryland, Vanderbilt, Akron, Miami (Ohio), Toledo, Eastern Michigan, Cincinnati and Iowa.

9 Isaiah Pead RB/DB 5'11 180 4.41 Columbus Eastmoor Academy Ohio

Pead is one of the top backs in Ohio and overall prospects in the Columbus area.........First Team Division IV All-State at RB as a junior after carrying the ball 158 times for 1,696 yards and 24 touchdowns. He also caught 10 passes for 250 yards and two scores. He returned 2 kicks and 1 punt for scores...........Could play either CB or RB in college.....Has excellent speed, good cutting ability, vision and runs with patience.........275 bench, 15 bench reps, 32-inch vertical.......Has looked very good on the 2007 combine circuit........Stars in track (10.7 100-meters)..........2.6 GPA..........As of May he had offers from Cincinnati, Miami (Ohio), Akron and Indiana.

10 Andre Smith RB 5'11 185 4.40 Bakersfield East Bakersfield California

One of the top prospects in Bakersfield and better backs in southern California..............As a junior, he was a second Team Underclass All-Statet selection after carrying the ball 112 times for 1,060 yards (9.46 ypc) and 21 TDs, catching 20 passes for 398 yards and 3 TDs and returning 9 kicks for 398 yards (great 44.22 average).......He has breakaway speed, is quick through the hole and has excellent vision. More fast than shifty, a talented downhill runner....10.6 100-meters sprinter in track...........As of April he had offers from Oregon and Colorado State.

11 Bryan Schroeder RB/DB 5'9 203 4.68 Ramsey North Harrison Indiana

12 Aaron King RB 5'11 195 Carmel Indiana

13 Caulton Ray RB/DB 5'9 195 4.47 Birmingham Brother Rice Michigan

14 Ronnie Lark RB 5'10 180 Flint Powers Catholic Michigan


16 Salvadore Battles RB/QB/DB/ATH 6'0 205 4.60 Youngstown Rayen Ohio

17 Jarred Salubi RB 5'10 182 4.69 Waco Texas

18 Darrin Williams RB/WR/DB 5'6 163 4.34 Detroit Martin Luther King Michigan

19 DeAndre Johnson RB/DB 5'9 180 4.50 Madison Heights Madison Michigan

20 George Winn RB/WR/LB 5'11 190 4.65 Detroit U-D Jesuit Michigan

21 Chris Crockett RB/LB 5'11 190 4.40 Gahanna Columbus Academy Ohio

22 Mario Crawford RB/DB/WR 5'8 157 4.40 Romulus Michigan

23 Ryan Nathan RB 5'8 181 4.69 Lima Ohio

24 Martez Dykes RB 5'8 205 Ypsilanti Michigan

25 Jeff White RB/DB 5'10 190 4.40 Alliance Ohio

26 Jamie Simpson RB/PK 6'1 225 4.58 Dowagiac Michigan

27 Dominique White RB/DB 5'7 171 4.70 Orchard Lake St. Mary's Michigan

28 DeShawn Hayes RB 5'11 190 Saginaw Heritage Michigan

29 Jonathan Grimes RB 5'10 193 4.65 Haddonfield Pope Paul VI New Jersey


Sleepers Off The Radar


1 Chris Harper RB/WR 6'3 215 4.45 Wichita Northwest Kansas

Harper is one of the top overall prospects in Kansas and among the top skill athletes in the Midlands............Earned Honorable Mention Class 6A All-State honors as a junior while playing out-of-position as the team's best athlete at QB..........Transferred from Wichita Collegiate to Northwest in the middle of his sophomore seasonr.........Rushed for over 1,000 yards as a freshman at Collegiate........An outstanding athlete who could play WR, RB, LB or safety in college. He has an excellent combination of size, strength and speed. He has soft hands and can really go up and get the ball. Some coaches just aren't sure where this versatile athlete best projects at the next level .......295 bench, 405 squat, 285 power clean......Also stars as a shooting guard in basketball and was the Class 6A basketball tourney MVP as a sophomore. A college prospect in that sport as well.........3.0 GPA........As of April he had offers from Texas A&M, Missouri, Kansas and Kansas State.

2 Mikel LeShoure RB 6'1 222 4.62 Champaign Centennial Illinois

Some feel that LeShoure is the top RB in Illinois and he is certainly one of the best in the Midwest...............A Firest Team All-State selection and Champaign Area Player of the Year as a junior after rushing for 2,458 yards (7.9 ypc) and 31 TDs for a Class 6A quarterfinalist team. H also caught 12 passes for 192 yards and 2 scores............Rushed for 1,165 yards on a bad ankle as a sophomore.......Didn't play much as a freshman due to an injury.......Fine athlete (38-inch vertical) who runs with great power, good speed and good quickness (4.47 shuttle). Runs strong between the tackles and is tough to bring down..........A good kid who has had a powerful and positive maternal influence as his father, Michael, is incarcerated at the Danville Correctional Center after being convicted on four counts of cocaine possession in 1993...........Fine student. 4.45 GPA on a 5.0 scale.....As of April he had offers from Illinois and Kansas.




Wide Receivers

This is a very deep and talented group of prospects and Michigan is strongly positioned with at least three of them (Baldwin, Stonum and Smith).

Baldwin is truly special and ranks right up there with the best of the best in the nation this year.

There are so many great receivers in the nation this year that most of the top programs will get their fair share. A sleeper I like, should Michigan fall short on some of their top targets, is Nelson Rosario out of California. He has great height, speed, athleticism and is a fine student. I wouldn't be surprised to see U-M get involved.



Best Guess

1 Jonathan Baldwin WR/LB/TE 6'5 215 4.40 Aliquippa Pennsylvania

Baldwin is one of two outstanding versatile receiver/athletes in Pennsylvania (the other being Terrelle Pryor) and he ranks up there with the very best receivers in the nation……….I project him as a WR due to his fine athleticism, speed (reportedly clocked a 4.31 forty at the 2006 Pittsburgh summer camp) and soft hands, but he could grow into a TE or play OLB in college. Played TE out of necessity as a junior……….Has an excellent frame combined with fine agility, strength (320 bench), hops (claims a remarkable 43-inch vertical!) and quickness. Really excels in picking up yards after the catch…..As a junior, he was named Second Team AP Class AA All-State as a defensive specialist (although he was nominated as a TE) after catching 21 passes for 370 yards from his TE spot and being a force from his DE position. Also named All-Area by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette…….Stars in basketball and already has an early offer in that sport from Marquette…….Has played varsity hoops and football since his freshman year…….A very hard worker who keeps at it in the off-season……......3.3 core GPA…..Baldwin’s father, Jeffrey, played football for Pitt and his cousin is NFL All-Pro and former Michigan CB Ty Law……As of April he had football offers from the likes of USC, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Florida State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Alabama, Miami, Florida, West Virginia, Maryland, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech.

2 Darryl Stonum WR 6'2 185 4.39 Sugarland Fort Bend Dulles Texas

Stonum is one of the top prospects in Texas and among the top receivers in the nation…….Earned First Tam District 23-5A honors as a junior after catching 47 passes for 1,053 yards and 14 TDs despite missing almost two games with an ankle sprain……..His coach says that he is the most talented receiver he has seen, and he’s been coaching for 30 years. He has nice size, great athleticism, blazing speed and good hands…….He can catch the long ball but is also very dangerous in the short routes and picking up huge yards after the catch……Two Class of 2007 teammates, Brandon Herron and Troy Woolfolk, signed with Michigan, and Stonum is considered to be a superior prospect to both..…….Runs track…….As of April had offers from the likes of LSU, Florida State, Tennessee, Texas Tech, Florida, Kansas State, New Mexico State, Oklahoma State, Kansas, USC and Michigan.

3 Fred Smith WR/DB 6'3 195 4.40 Detroit Southeastern Michigan

Smith is the top receiver in Michigan and one of the nation’s better receivers…..As a junior he was named First Team Junior All-State by MichiganPreps.com and First Team All-Detroit by the Detroit News after catching 37 passes for 595 yards and 6 TDs. He added 6 INTs as a DB………As a sophomore he earned Honorable Mention All-City kudos after catching 12 passes for 399 yards and 5 scores in his first year of football……..Has nice size and strength for a WR and very good speed…..Still a bit raw, but he has a high ceiling…….Stars in basketball……Reports a 10.6 in the 100-meters......2.9 GPA........Being heavily recruited by top Big Ten programs.....As of May he had offers from Michigan, Michigan State, UCLA, Purdue, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Illinois, Toledo and Ball State.

4 DeJuan Miller WR/DB 6'5 205 4.61 Metuchen New Jersey

Miller has emerged as the top WR in New Jersey this year and among the best on the Atlantic Coast........Also a talented safety who earned First Team All-Middlesex County honors at that position after recording 54 tackles and 7 INTs as a junior. On offense, he had 29 catches for 581 yards and 9 touchdowns..........As a sophomore, he had 27 receptions for 231 yards and 5 scores.......Miller has great size, runs fine routes, can overpower smaller defenders and has the size and vertcial to really go up and catch the ball. He shows outstanding body control and catches the ball well in traffic. To top things off, he is very fast. As a sophomore he finished second in the state in the 200 meters and 6th in the 100 meters (11.27 100-meter and a 22.53 200-meter) .........Also a D-I basketball prospect who averaged over 15 points per game as a junior............235 bench, 395 squat, 33-inch vertical.......2.8 core GPA.......As of May he had offers from the likes of Michigan, Penn State, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Maryland, Syracuse, Boston Collrga, Iowa, Oklahoma State, Rutgers and Connecticut.

5 Marcus Sales WR/DB 6'2 185 4.50 Syracuse Christian Brothers Academy New York

Sales is the top WR in New York and among the nations best……As a junior he caught 33 passes from All-American senior Mike Paulus for over 600 yards and 7 TDs despite missing two games. He was named First Team All-Conference at WR and Second Team at CB…….As a sophomore he caught 25 passes for 625 yards and 9 TDs………..Sales is a smooth runner with nice size, fine speed and excellent ball skills……Has picked up the game quickly as his sophomore season was his first year playing the game……Stars in basketball as well, averaging over 20 points per game…….Solid “B” student……As of early February he had offers from Miami, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, North Carolina and Virginia.

6 Sedrick Johnson WR/LB 6'4 190 4.60 Arp Texas

Johnson is one of the top receivers in Texas and top all-around athletes in the state as he also excels in basketball. He is one of the fastest-rising receivers in the nation........As a junior he was named Honorable Mention Class 2A All-State and First Team District 19-2A at WR.......He had 30 catches for 516 yards and 5 TDs as a sophomore.......The state tournament basketball MVP and All-Stater as a sophomore .......Very impressive on the 2007 combine circuit (4.6 forty, 4.48 shuttle, 33-inch vertical)........He has a great frame, good speed and has the hops and ahleticism to go up and make the tough catch........225 bench, 325 squat, 215 power clean.....2.8 GPA......As of April he had offers from the likes of Nebraska, Michigan, Florida, Colorado, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Houston and Tulsa.

7 D.J. Woods WR/DB 6'0 175 4.35 Strongsville Ohio

Woods is one of the top WR prospects in the Midwest asnd could also excel at CB in college. He is one of the fastest-rising prospects in the nation.........A First Team All-Northeast Lakes District-Division I WR as a junior after catching 33 passes for 750 yards and eight touchdowns. He also has 49 tackles and intercepted three passes from his CB spot..........Sophomore starter at CB......Speed and quickness are his greatest attributes (sub-4.4 forty and a 3.94 shuttle)........Hurdler in track......10 bench reps.....Stock really on the rise after outstanding 2007 combine showings....... Could play either WR or DB in college, but with his ball skills, soft hands and ability to go deep I like him as a WR........Offensive MVP at the 2007 Ohio Elite Skills Combine........As of April he had offers from Iowa, Indiana, Ball State, Pittsburgh, Miami (Ohio) and Eastern Michigan.


Offered But Longshots

1 Michael Floyd WR/DB 6'3 190 4.50 St. Paul Cretin-Derham Hall Minnesota

Floyd is the midwest’s candidate when talk turns to the top prep receiver in the talent-laden Class of 2008. After a relatively weak in-state Class of 2007, Floyd leads a very strong group of 2008 in-staters and is the rare blue-chip skill athlete to emerge out of Minnesota…………The best player in Minnesota as a junior……A consensus First Team All-State selection as a junior and also named a Second Team All-American by USA Today………..As a junior, he caught 63 passes for 1,240 yards (19.0 average) and scored 16 TDs. He also carried the ball 12 times for 246 yards and 3 scores….…As a sophomore, he had 22 receptions for 665 yards (30.2 ypc) and 6 TDs.……Has the combination of great size and speed that seems to be a common denominator among most of the nation’s elite receivers this year. Yet another receiver who can make the difficult catch looks easy due to his speed, strength and ability to go vertical to catch the ball. Is exceptional when going up for the ball in traffic……..Very physical and athletic……Plays for one of the state’s top programs……The best receiver to emerge from the state since Larry Fitzgerald (with whom he has drawn comparisons) and will be even more heavily recruited………Also a standout basketball player who averaged just under 11 points per game as a sophomore in leading Cretin Derham Hall to a 26-3 record……… As of April he had offers from the likes of Florida, Miami, Notre Dame, USC, California, Michigan, Ohio State, UCLA, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota and Kansas State.

2 DeAndre Brown WR 6'6 215 4.62 Ocean Springs Mississippi

Brown is the top WR in Mississippi and among the nations very best. He challenges Darius Barksdale for honors as the top overall prospect in the state……..As a junior he was named Second Team All-State by the Jackson Clarion-Ledger after catching 21 passes for 348 yards and 5 TDs. He also rushed for 4 TDs and returned 2 kicks for TDs…….He did not have a very good passing QB throwing him the ball as a junior……..As a sophomore he had 36 catches for 691 yards and 7 TDs…….He has tremendous height and runs a 4.4 forty. He does a good job of going up and catching the ball in traffic (34-inch vertical helps). Has good quickness (4.37 shuttle) and decent strength (15 bench reps as a sophomore). Runs with fine power after making the catch.……Very impressive at the 2006 LSU summer camp.…….Also stars in basketball and runs the 200-meters in track…….Very high ceiling…….Could grow into a TE........As of early March he had offers from the likes of Notre Dame, Michigan, Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, LSU, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Southern Mississippi, Louisville, Georgia Tech, South Carolina, Miami, Florida and Florida State.

3 Kenny Tate WR/DB 6'4 215 4.50 Hyattsville DeMatha Maryland

Talented WRs abound across the nation in the Class of 2008 and Tate ranks right up there among the best.......He was a consensus First Team All-State selection and First Team Washington Post All-Metro choice as a junior…..As a sophomore, he was named First Team Big School All-State by AP………..Playing in a balanced offense for one of area’s most powerful programs, as a junior he had 17 receptions for 365 yards and 6 TDs. He also returned 2 punts and 2 kicks for scores…….As a sophomore, he had 24 receptions for 529 yards and 4 TDs……..Also starts at safety and is a big-timer at that position as well….His coach calls him the best prospect to emerge out of DeMatha in quite a few years (since LB Andre Jones went to Notre Dame in 1986)…….Yet another elite WR in the Class of 2008 who possesses excellent height and a great frame……A real playmaker who is a threat to go the distance every time he touches the ball. Can really go up and get the ball, however what really stands out on tape is his agility and ability to juke out defenders together with pretty good straight-line speed (he runs track)…..His coach said he was already good enough to play Division I college ball as a prep sophomore…..Some have called him a taller Derrick Williams, but to me he lacks the extra-gear that Williams had……..Also a fine basketball player for the tradition-laden DeMatha team and is receiving college interest as a hoopster…..2.5 GPA…..Great character........As of mid-January he had received offers from such programs as Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State, Florida, Maryland and Virginia Tech.

4 Deion Walker WR 6'4 190 4.48 Christchurch Virginia

Walker is one of the nation's elite WR prospects and one of the top overall prospects in Virginia........A First Team Private Schools Division 2 All-State selection at both WR and DB as a junior after hauling in 47 passes for 732 yards and 8 TDs. On defense, he recorded 31 tackles and 8 INTs. A real playmaker who can go up and get the ball.........Starred as a sophomore for Asheville (NC), where as a QB he passed for over 1,800 yards........As a freshman he played at Bishop McGuinness High in North Carolina.....Very impressive on the 206 combine circuit and at the Wake Forest summer camp.......He has a great combination of height, speed, quickness, athleticism and leaping ability. He just needs to get stronger and fill out his great WR frame........ 220 bench, 435 squat, 4.2 shuttle, 37-inch vertical.........Plays basketball and runs track. As a freshman and sophomore he won the North Carolina state title in the triple jump........ Has moved around a lot as his father is in the air force........3.2 core GPA......As of May he had over 35 offers, including the likes of USC, Michigan, Penn State, Alabama, Georgia, Florida State, Virginia, Maryland, Auburn, N.C. State, Clemson, Texas A&M, Pittsburgh, Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisville.

5 Rodriguez Wilks WR/DB 5'11 192 4.78 Smyrna Tennessee

Wilkes is the top receiver in Tennessee and among the nations best……As a junior he helped lead Smyrna to the 5A state championship by hauling in 60 passes for 943 yards and 10 TDs. On defense, he recorded 58 tackles, 6 interceptions and returned 2 punts for TDs. He was named First Team Class 5A All-State and All-Middle Tennessee…… As a sophomore he had 39 receptions forr 791 receiving yards and 9 TDs…….He was very impressive at the 2007 U.S. Army Combine, earning First Team All-Combine honors……Looked very good during the 2006 combine circuit (sophomore marks of 4.53 forty, 4.13 shuttle, 31-inch vertical)…….He has outstanding leaping ability, is very quick off the line of scrimmage, runs polished routes and has very soft hands. Combined with his good height and fine speed he has the entire package to excel at the highest level in college……He really can get separation from the DBs and after the catch he is a threat to go the distance……An outstanding athlete who is also a star guard on the basketball team. His football coach calls him the most gifted athlete that he has coached…..His brother, Marsalous Johnson, is a defensive back for Tennessee........As of mid-February he had received offers from Tennessee, Michigan, Vanderbilt, Mississippi and Alabama.

6 Josh Jarboe WR 6'3 195 4.38 Ellenwood Cedar Grove Georgia

One of the nation's top WRs and ranks alongside of Brice Butler as the top WR prospect in Georgia...........A Second Team All-DeKalb/Rockdale County selection as a junor after recording 48 catches for 947 yards and 10 touchdowns, adding 437 rushing yards and two more scores...........He has a great combination of size, speed and elusiveness. He has outstanding ball skills and shows an innate ability to catch the ball in traffic. He can beat defenders with his speed on the deep ball, outrun them on the short pas and make the tough catch over the middle due to his soft hands, toughness and great size...........2.6 GPA but will need to improve his test score.....As of April he had offers from the likes of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Florida, Tennessee, Ohio State, LSU, Miami, Florida State, Kentucky and Virginia Tech. (


Others to Watch

1 Jameel Owens WR/DB 6'4 200 4.50 Muskogee Oklahoma

Owens is probably the top overall prospect in Oklahoma and ranks among the nation’s elite receivers.......Was named Second Team All-State by the Daily Oklahoman as a junior after grabbing 24 passes for 537 yards and 9 TDs…..As a sophomore, he earned All-Muskogee area honors after recording 40catches for over 900 yards and 10 TDs……Plays for a team with a lot of talent, and he’s the most highly regarded of the bunch…….Has been a varsity starter since his freshman season…..He has excellent height, hands, ball skills, speed and athleticism. He plays centerfield for the baseball team and runs the 110-meter hurdles and high jumps and long jumps in track……Especially a threat on the deep ball........Also a solid safety.......Solid strength (280+ bench, 450+ squat) helps make him an effective blocker as well as difficult to slow down with the bump-and-run……2.5 GPA.......As of May he had offers from the likes of Miami, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Colorado, Missouri, Texas Tech, Kansas and Tulsa.

2 Cordale Scott WR/ATH 6'4 200 4.49 Cleveland Glenville Ohio

Cleveland Glenville is the top producer of talent in the state and most of the top players end up signing with Ohio State. Scott is one of Glenville’s Class of 2008 studs and among the best receivers in the nation………As a junior he was named Second Team All- Northeast Lakes District-Division I aftre hauling in 27 passes for 4 TDs and recording 5 INTs, returning 4 for scores……..Also starts at safety……Very impressive at the 2007 U.S. Army Combine, earning Second Team All-Combine honors……He possesses excellent height, very good speed (the 4.78 forty was run as a sophomore at the 2006 U.S. Army Combine), solid route-running skills, nice hands and is physical………As a sophomore he played QB and DE on the JV team……Overall MVP at the 2007 Ohio Elite Skills Combine........3.2 GPA……As of mid-January he had offers from Wisconsin, Bowling Green and Akron.

3 Martavious Odoms WR 5'8 175 4.35 Pahokee Florida

Florida always produces outstanding WRs and Odoms is one of the very best in the Class of 2008……As a junior he was a First Team Class 2B All-State selection after leading his team to an unbeaten record and the state title. He was also a consensus All-Palm Beach County pick and was named the Sun-Sentinel’s County Small Schools Player of the Year…….Effective at WR, DB and as a return man……..As a junior he had 46 receptions for 941 yards and 14 TDs despite being constantly double-teamed…….As a sophomore he was named Second Team Class 2B All-State and First Team All-Palm Beach County after leading the County with 68 receptions for 1,156 yards and 16 TDs and helping his team to a state title…..…As a freshman he had over 400 yards receiving and 11 TDs……An explosive and dangerous player who lacks great size but has everything else. He’s quicker than a hiccup (4.12 shuttle as a soph), runs great routes, is strong for his size (14 bench reps as a soph), tough, athletic, goes vertical (34-inch vertical), blocks well and is a very hard worker. A real playmaker……15 bench reps......10.6 100-meters.....2.5 core GPA.......As of April he had offers from the likes of Notre Dame, Miami, Auburn, Tennessee, Clemson, Iowa and South Carolina.

4 Laron Byrd WR/DB 6'4 210 4.50 Boutte Hahnville Louisiana

It’s a deep year for wide receivers both nationally and in Louisiana, and Byrd ranks among the bets…….As a junior, he had 20 receptions for 347 yards and 4 TDs.........Has two things you can’t teach-size and speed……Will need to watch his grades……Also starts at CB…..Very athletic. He also stars in basketball……..Really exploded onto the scene as a sophomore……Has explosive leaping ability and does a great job of positioning himself to make the catch. Has the strength to stave off smaller defenders and the speed to run by most of them……Being heavily pursued by most of the SEC.........3.0 GPA.............March offers from the likes of Texas, Arkansas, Tulane, Georgia Tech, Florida, Florida State, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and Tennessee.

5 Jeffrey Fuller WR 6'5 200 4.50 McKinney Boyd Texas

Fuller is one of the top overall prospects in Texas.............A Second Team All-District 9-4A WR as a junior after catching 26 passes for 400 yards and 3 scores for an 0-10 team playing its first year of varsity football.............Started at McKinney High as a sophomore in both football and basketball.......He has a great frame but also runs pretty well and is a very hard worker........A fine athlete who stars on the basketball team and triple jumped 45-feet 4-inches and qualified for the regionals in the event as a freshman in addition to running in the 200 and 400-meter events........33.5-inch vertical.....Very impressive at the 2007 Fort Worth Nike Camp and Dallas Scout Combine........His father Jeff Sr. played at A&M in the 1980s and on several Super Bowl teams with the San Francisco 49ers.........Fine 3.6 core GPA........As of May he had offers from the likes of Oklahoma, LSU, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Boston College, Baylor, Duke, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Wisconsin, Colorado and TCU.

6 Wes Kemp WR/TE 6'4 226 4.60 St. Louis DeSmet Missouri

Kemp is the top receiver in Missouri and among the better receivers in the nation. He has been an impressive performer for a solid DeSmet program since his freshman season…………As a junior he was a First Team Class 6A All-State selection and St. Louis Post-Dispatch Third Team All-Metro honoree after catching 39 passes for 769 yards and 7 TDs………As a sophomore he was a Second Team All-Metro St. Louis selection and Second Team Class 6A All-State aftr leading his team to the 6A state title by hauling in a team-leading 46 balls for 1,062 yards (23.09 avg.) and 7 TDs…………A long-strider with good height who can really go up (34-inch vertical at a combine) and catch the ball. Has the size and strength (18 bench reps as a soph) to overpower overmatched DBs. Not as effective in gaining yardage after the catch. Lacks jets (4.70 soph combine forty, but was injured) and great quickness (4.62 shuttle) but should make a very fine possession receiver in college……… As of Aprily he had offers from such programs as Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State, Mississippi, Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan State.

7 Brandon Green WR/DB 6'0 167 4.50 Chicago Robeson Illinois

Green is an exceptional two-way talent at WR and FS/CB who I really like as a WR in college. He is one of the nation’s better WR prospects…….Enjoyed an outstanding junior season and was named Second Team All-American as a DB by MaxPreps and First Team All-State at DB by the Chicago Tribune. The two-way star recorded 8 INTs, 3 of which were returned for scores, and caught 62 passes for 1,461 yards and 21 TDs.…….As a sophomore he was a First Team All-Public League selection by the Chicago Sun-Times after catching 57 passes for 1,250 yards and 15 TDs………As a freshman, he had 47 receptions for 797 yards and 9 TDs.…….He is an outstanding athlete and will be the top prospect in the Chicago Public League as a senior……He has decent size and speed, but it’s his athleticism and ball skills that really stand out……A real playmer who knows how to get separation from the defender.........His coach claims that he is the best player he has coached in 17 years…….Solid student…..As of March he had received offers from the likes of Colorado, Illinois, Purdue, Kansas State, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Northwestern, Cincinnati, Eastern Michigan, Minnesota and Iowa.

8 Darius Morgan WR 6'5 188 4.60 Citra North Marion Florida

Morgan is a tall and rangy WR prospect who is among the nation’s top possession receivers…….Played JV ball as a sophomore (his first year of playing football) until coming up to varsity at the end of the year and scoring 6 TDs. He really exploded onto the scene as a junior, pulling in 42 receptions for over 700 yards and 9 TDs…….Has excellent leaping ability and hands. His foremost asset is his ability to focus on the ball and go up in traffic and make the catch. He’s very physical in going up for the ball, blocking and breaking tackles after the catch. Has decent quickness for his height (4.37 shuttle as a soph)……..Needs to improve his upper body strength .…….As of early February he claimed offers from the likes of Florida, Florida State, Auburn and Tennessee.

9 Timothy Molton WR/DB/P 6'3 176 4.53 Destrehan Louisiana

Molton is one of a deep crop of talented receivers in Louisiana this year and is considered to be one of the top overall prospects in the state….As a junior he caught 32 passes for 540 yards and 6 TDs but earned First Team District 5-5A honors as a punter after averaging 42 yards per boot…….Very impressive at the 2007 U.S. Army Combine, earning Second Team All-Combine honors and showing off spectacular catch after catch in drills……Very impressive at the 2006 LSU summer camp, catching the attention of Les Miles……Has a nice combination of size and speed…..Great hops…..Plays basketball……Had the advantage of going up against LSU freshman CB Jai Eugene in practices his first two years in high school…….Needs to keep his grades up…….One of the most heavily recruited prospects in Louisiana..... As of April Mississippi had offered.

10 Aaron Boyd WR/DB 6'5 205 4.59 Lexington Henry Clay Kentucky

Boyd is one of the top overall prospects in Kentucky and among the bets receivers in the South..............Second Team All-Lexington Area at WR as a junior after catching 39 passes for 730 yards. 5 TDs and 2 INTs.......Sophomore starter at WR on a 12-2 4A team..........2007 Kentucky High School Coaches Association Tremendous 26 selection........Tall and fast. Can really go up and get the ball........The younger brother of Arizona Cardinal and former Kentucky QB Shane Boyd........2.5 GPA..........As of April he had offers from Miami, Tennessee, Virginia, N.C. State, Kentucky, Louisville and Cincinnati.

11 Joseph Adams WR/DB 6'1 180 4.40 North Little Rock Central Arkansas Christian Arkansas

Adams is one of the top overall prospects in Arkansas and among the top receivers in the South.......A First Team Class 4A All-State selection as a junior after catching 29 passes for 633 yards (21.8 avg.) and 9 TDs and rushing for 857 yards (11.4 avg.) and 14 TDsl................Transferred from Little Rock Parkview to CAC for his junior season.......Started as a sophomore at Parkview at WR and safety........Tremendous speed and quickness, is effective in finding open space and then dominating that space. Gets great separation from DBs and has soft hands. Also a great return man on both kicks and punts......... 225 bench, 7 bench reps, 315 squat, 38-inch vertical, 4.19 shuttle..........3.2 GPA............Great 2007 combine performances, including being named the top WR at the Fort Worth Nike Camp..........Very impressive at the 2006 Arkansas summer camp..... As of May he had offers from the likes of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Tuldsa, Arkansas, Texas Tech, Minnesota, Georgia, Kansas and Air Force.

12 Corey Johnson WR/DB 6'1 180 4.60 Muskegon Michigan

Johnson is one of the top overall prospects in Michigan and top WRs in the Midwest.............Honorable Mention All-Muskegon Area as a junior in helping to lead his team to the state title........Not quite the prospect that his older brother, USC signee Ron Johnson, is since he lacks Ron's great speed, but he is still very, very good........Dominated at the 2007 Purdue Nike Camp, earning WR MVP honors after showing off his soft hands, agility, ability to get separation from DBs and explosivenes in open space. Runs excellent routes........As of May he had offers from the likes of Michigan State, Florida, Wisconsin, Virginia, Minnesota,Nebraska and Kansas State........He initially committed to Michigan State back in September of 2006, but since the coaching change he is wide open.

13 Chris Owusu WR/DB 6'1 177 4.50 Westlake Village Oaks Christian California

Owusu is one of the top receivers in California and also has the skills to excel at DB in college.......Plays for a program that produced a class for the ages last year (e.g Jimmy Clausen, Marc Tyler, Marshall Jones). This year's group of prospects isn't nearly as strong, but Owusu is arguably the best of the bunch......As a junior, he caught 33 passes for 747 yards and nine touchdowns........As a sophomore, he had 9 receptions for 133 yards and 1 TD, 12 tackles, 5 assists and 1 INT.....Sam some varsity mop-up time as a freshman, carrying the ball 6 times for 20 yards.......Should see a lot more touches as a senior. Has nice height and excellent speed. Is still raw, but has a high ceiling. A speedy and graceful receiver.........His father was a 400-meter Olympics runner for Ghana.......4.2 core GPA as he is taking accelerated coures.........As of April he had offers from Stanford, Duke, BYU, Mississippi and Nevada.

14 Ben Barber WR/DB 5'10 193 4.50 Alexandria Edison Virginia

Barber is a talented two-way athlete who could play either WR or DB in college. He is one of the top overall prospects in Virginia.........As a junior, he was named First Team Class AAA All-State and Honorable Mention All-Metro Washington after hauling in 54 passes for 1,034 yards and 12 scores despite missing thre games with a broken toe. He also tallied 3 INTs on defense.........As a sophomore, he had 10 receptions for 215 yards and one score and had 5 INTs on defense........Not the tallest receiver, but runs very well, is tough, has soft hands and great concentration, has a great vertical and is solidly built.......Needs to work on his grades.......As of April, he had offers from Virginia Tech, Virginia and Maryland.

15 Raevon Samuel WR 6'5 190 4.50 North Las Vegas Canyon Springs Nevada

One of the top receivers out West and considered to be one of the top two prospects in Nevada. Emerged from relative obscurity as he was only a basketball player until his junior year.........As a junior, he caught 57 passes for 937 yards and 13 touchdowns............Very tall, with a great frame that can easily add more weight. Great vertical, hand-eye coordination and athleticism. Runs very well.......Couples with Juron Criner to form one of the best receiving tandems in the nation.......Also a basketball star.......Improving his grades and now has a core GPA of over 3.0.......As of May he had offers from Arizona, Arizona State, West Virginia, Utah and UNLV.

16 DeAndre Preaster WR/DB 6'3 195 4.55 Utica Proctor New York

Preaster is one of the top overall prospects in New York and among the better receivers on the east coast……He’s a talented prep WR and safety who projects as a WR in college due to his fine playmaking ability and ball skills…..As a junior he had 33 receptions for 640 yards (19.4 avg.) and 6 TDs, carried the ball 19 times for 206 yards and had 18 tackles and 3 INTs…………As a sophomore he had 22 receptions for 538 yards (24.5 avg.) and 5 TDs……..Outstanding vertical jumper and fine quickness……..Outstanding athlete…..An All-Central New York performer in basketball as a sophomore........As of March he had an offer from Syracuse.

17 Cruz Williams WR 6'4 205 4.64 Little Rock Pulaski Academy Arkansas

It's a deep year for wide receivers in Arkansas, and Williams is up there near he top of the list in addition to being among the better overall prospects in the state.........Put up huge numbers in earning All-State honors as a junior.......As a sophomore, he had 21 receptions for 308 yards and 5 TDs..........Has a nice frame, runs good routes, has soft hands and has decent speed.........Plays for a strong program.........Also plays basketball........As of April he had offers from Arkansas, Tulsa, Georgia Tech, Mississippi, Mississippi State and Oklahoma State.

18 Roy Roundtree WR/DB 6'1 185 4.50 Trotwood-Madison Ohio

Roundtree is one of the top receivers in Ohio..............Second Team All-Southwest District-Division II and Honorable Mention All-Dayton Area at WR as a junior after catching 48 passes for 851 yards and 7 touchdowns........Transferred from Dayton Bellmont to Trotwood-Madison for his junior year........As a freshman starter at Bellmont he caught 12 passes and posted 4 INTs.......Has a nice frame that can easily add more weight........Looked solid on the 2007 combine circuit, showing off his fine quickness and soft hands.........Plays basketball and runs track.......Great work ethic.......2.8 core GPA, 3.3 GPA........As of May he had offers from Toledo, Eastern Michigan, Miami (Ohio) and Nebraska.

19 Teddy Robb WR 6'0 187 4.54 Canal Fulton Northwest Ohio

Robb is one of the top WR prospects in Ohio.............He plays for a solid program........Second Team All-Northeast Inland District-Division III at WR as a junior after catching 49 passes for 682 yards (13.9 ypc) and 7 TDs........As a sophomore, he caught 37 passes for 604 yards and four TDs............He has excellent speed, soft hands and the toughness and strength to make catches over the middle.......Has tested very well on the 2007 combine circuit (4.49 forty, 4.34 shuttle, 14 bench reps, 32-inch vertical).....285 bench, 405 squat......Solid student.......No offers as of March.

20 Houston Tuminello WR 6'1 180 4.60 Gilmer Texas

Tumninello is one of the better receivers in Texas after putting up monster numbers playing TAPPS ball as a junior. He has since transferred to talent-laden Gilmer High......As a junior he earned First Team TAPPS All-State honors after catching an amazing 98 passes for 2,069 yards and 22 TDs..........Played as a sophomore at 15-3A Canton and had 90 reception for 1,225 yards and 18 scores...........Solid quicks (4.37 shuttle) and decent, but not great, speed. Great at running routes and has an excellent pair of hands.......Looked good at the 2006 Oklahoma summer camp......He reportedly transferred to Mesquite for his junior year but wound up at Colleyville Covenant Christian Academy instead. He left Covenant Christian for Gilmer after his junior season...................As of April he had an offer from Baylor.

21 Allante Battle WR/DB 5'10 170 4.40 Phoenix Desert Vista Arizona

22 Samuel Gaymon WR/DB 6'3 182 4.60 Detroit Renaissance Michigan

23 Marcus Thurmond WR 6'2 185 4.40 North Augusta South Carolina

24 DeMarcus Tidwell WR 6'3 195 Grenada Mississippi

25 Eric Magnacca WR/RB/DB 5'11 186 4.37 Massillon Perry Ohio

26 Stephon Ball WR 6'4 217 4.61 Cincinnati St. Xavier Ohio

27 James Saros WR/DB 6'3 180 4.55 Grosse Pointe South Michigan

28 Trumaine Johnson WR 6'3 180 4.55 Stockton Edison California

29 Daryl Gooden WR/DB 6'1 180 4.60 Ann Arbor Huron Michigan

30 Elias Kos WR 6'6 195 4.70 Holland Christian Michigan

31 Anthony Anchrum WR/DB/QB 6'0 161 Detroit Cass Tech Michigan

32 Marvon Sanders WR 5'8 170 4.40 Ypsilanti Michigan


Sleepers Off The Radar


1 Nelson Rosario WR 6'6 218 4.43 Oceanside El Camino California

Rosario is one of the top receivers on the West Coast and overall prospects in southern California........Second Team All-San Diego Section and Honorable Mention Underclass All-State WR as a junior after catching 55 passes for 1,006 yards and 10 TDs.......As a sophomore, he was a Second Team All-Avocado League pick after catching 39 passes for 634 yards, a 16.2-yard average, and six TDs.......Has a great frame with excellent height and length, but is also surprisingly athletic. An oustanding athlete in track, he long jumps 23-4, high jumps 6-8 and triple jumps 48-4. With his height and speed he will have his choice of schools......Does a great job of catching the ball with his hands........ Also plays basketball........Great work ethic.....As of early May 2007 he had one of the top 5 long jumps in the nation as a junior......3.4 core GPA..........As of April he had offers from UCLA, Oregon, N.C. State, San Diego State, Stanford, Arizona, UNLV and Duke.





Tight Ends

Michigan is off to a great start having landed Moore, but the Wolverines are heavily involved with some other talented tight ends as well.

Of the "Best Guess" kids, Ladner is a big U-M fan and Hoover is an in-stater from near Ann Arbor. They are also kids who could project at other positions with their great height and wingspan. Jordan is a real athlete who reminds me a bit of a more advanced Martell Webb.

Quentin Williams is a sleeper should we fall short on some of our top targets. He has been quietleyputting together a nice offer list and is from western Pennsylania, an area that has been kind to Michigan in recent years.


Best Guess

1 Dion Jordan TE/WR/LB 6'6 210 4.60 Chandler Arizona

Jordan will challenge cross-town rival Gerell Robinson, another big and athletic receiver, for honors as the top overall prospect in Arizona. It’s amazing that a town the size of Chandler has two such outstanding talents……..As a junior, Jordan was named First Team Class 5A All-State by the Arizona Republic after hauling in 54 passes for 804 yards and 13 TDs…..He plays WR in high school but could project as a TE in college if he continues to fill out, and he could easily add another 30-40 pounds. With added size he could also play DE in college (as a junior he recorded 30 tackles and 3 sacks playing DE)………A long-strider with soft hands and fine speed, he is one of the top 300-meter hurdles runners in the state, having run an impressive 38.28 as a sophomore. Also very tough and physical, showing an excellent ability to engage the defender when blocking..…Great bloodlines as his father is former NFL TE Steve Jordan and older brother Cameron is one of the state’s better prospect sin the Class of 2007…..Has a very high ceiling……As of April he had received offers from Michigan, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, San Diego State, Colorado, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, San Jose State, Utah State, Boise State and Hawaii.

2 Hubie Graham TE/DL 6'4 225 4.70 Scranton West Scranton Pennsylvania

Graham is one of the better TE prospects in the nation.............Earned Second Team Class AAA All-State honors as a DL his junior year, but most schools are recruiting him as a TE..........On defense, he is a strong pass rusher and very good against the run. A two-year starter he led a defense that gave up 167.5 rushing yards per game in the postseason. During that span, he has recorded 161 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 10 TFL, 10 pass breakups, 19 QB hurries, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.........As a junior, he caught 35 catches for 615 yards and seven touchdowns.........Has a nice frame, plays tough and has soft hands. Great blocker..........335 bench, 500 squat..........As of April he had offers from the likes of Florida, Michigan, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Florida State, Buffalo, Syracuse, Clemson, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Georgia Tech, N.C. State, Michigan State, Connecticut and Vanderbilt.

3 Tyler Hoover TE/DL/OL 6'7 244 4.57 Novi Michigan

Hoover is one of the top prospects in Michigan and among the better TE prospects in the nation......A First Team All-Metro-North selection at DE by the Detroit Free Press as a junior..............As a junior, he registered 41 solo tackles, 46 assists, 5 TFL and 3 sacks.........As a sophomore, he registered 34 solo tackles, 29 assists, 6 TFL and 5 sacks............Talented DE but many schools also like him at either TE or OT in college due to his great height and frame.............Has tremendous length and reach, a tall and rangy DE/TE. Does a great job of reading and reacting on defense. Has quick feet for his size (4.66 shuttle) and soft hands and will be used more at TE as a senior. Great motor.......... 250 bench, 400 squat, 27-inch vertical, 4.57 forty, 4.39 shuttle..... Talented athlete who is also a D-I talent in hoops........Solid character.......2.9 core GPA........Interested in design engineering and architecture...........As of April he had offers from the likes of Michigan, Purdue, Michigan State, Vanderbilt, Northwestern Duke, Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan.

4 Spencer Ladner TE/WR 6'7 240 4.81 Kansas City Pembroke Hill Missouri

One of the nation's top tight ends and top prospects in the Midlands..........Ladner is a tall prep WR who projects as a TE in college. Has a great frame and is already physically imposing as a prep junior..............He had 620 yards receiving and ten touchdowns as a junior..........Good bloodlines as his older brother Ben plays at Stanford..............Has a great frame and runs very well for his size.......Offensive co-MVP at the 2007 Kansas City Scout.com Combine........Fine student..........As of May he had 15 offers from such school as Michigan, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas State, Clemson, Wisconsin, Washington State and Kansas.


Offered But Longshots

1 Blake Ayles TE/DL 6'4 235 4.70 Orange Lutheran California

Blake is one of the top overall prospects in California and among the nation’s elite tight ends……In consecutive years he has been named First Team Sophomore and Junior All-State by CalHiSports.com and as a junior he was also named First Team All-Area by the Los Angeles Times and First Team All-County by the Orange County Register……..Plays for a strong team loaded with talent and had the advantage of having USC verbal Aaron Corp throwing him the pigskin……..Was hampered a bit by a shoulder injury his junior season, but still managed to snare 43 passes for 617 yards and 3 TD……As a sophomore, he had 36 receptions for 469 yards and 6 TDs………Has a knack for making big plays at crucial moments against the best competition……Has a good frame with long arms, nice, soft hands and runs well……A real physical blocker, his motor is always running…..He has really started to fill out and should b equally effective catching the ball and blocking at the next level.……3.0 GPA.........By May he had over 20 offers, including ones from such programs as USC (Aaron Corp and Michael Reardon are teammates headed there), UCLA, Miami, Michigan, San Diego State, Nebraska, Notre Dame (he’s Catholic), Colorado, California and Arizona State.

2 Tyler Edwards TE 6'3 232 4.71 Monroe Ouachita Louisiana

Edwards is among the top overall prospects in Louisiana and top tight ends in the South……As a junior he earned First Team Class 4A All-State honors after pulling in 22 passes for 328 yards and 4 TDs…….A bit smallish for a TE, but he has a frame that can add weight, has very quick feet and excels as a blocker. He’s a real downfield threat when catching the ball. He runs very good routes and has soft hands…..Really likes to mix it up and get physical….Excellent strength: 330 bench, 450 squat, 300 clean, plus a 309-inch vertical, 4.27 shuttle, 16 bench reps……His older brother is former LSU TE Eric Edwards……Should qualify easily…..As of May he had offers from the likes of Miami, Florida, Florida State, Nebraska, Georgia, West Virginia, LSU, Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas, Michigan, Southern Mississippi, Arizona State, Louisiana Tech, Colorado, Oklahoma and Mississippi.

3 Mark Wedderburn TE/LB 6'6 230 4.72 Philadelphia Cardinal O'Hara Pennsylvania

Wedderburn is among the nation’s better TE prospects…….He is very athletic. He also stars in basketball, averaging 15 points and 10 rebounds per game as a junior…..He’s a tall and rangy athlete who will need to add about 20-30 pounds to play Division I ball…..Didn’t catch many passes as a junior as the team did not have an effective passer……..As a sophomore he had 287 receiving yards and 3 TDs…..Has excellent speed (4.72 combine forty) for a big guy and a 30-inch vertical…….He’s the younger brother of former Penn Stater Floyd Wedderburn……..As of April he had offers from the likes of Michigan, Miami, Penn State, Louisville, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Clemson, Virginia, Temple, Rutgers, Illinois and Boston College.


Others to Watch


1 Tim Bierre TE/DL 6'4 235 4.80 Omaha Westside Nebraska

Biere is the top TE in Nebraska.........As a junior, he caught 29 passes for 456 yards and nine touchdowns. On defense, he recorded 70 tackles, 16 TFL and 6 sacks...........Excellent hands and a nice frame.......Runs good routes......255 bench, 370 squat......A Division I talent ......As of Mayl he had offers from Kansas State and Colorado State.

2 Raphael Washington TE/DL 6'3 267 4.97 Ventura St. Bonaventure California

Talented playmaker on both sides of the ball for the powerful St. Bonnie program......Has been overshadowed by some teammatres but has the size, quickness and athleticism to play for a BCS-caliber program at etiher TE or DE

3 Christian Hanna TE/DL 6'3 235 4.82 Shaker Heights Ohio

It's a deep year for tight ends in Ohio, possibly the best year ever for the postion in the state, and Hanna ranks among the state's better prospects at the position in addition to being one of the top prospects in the Cleveland area........He transferred from Cleveland Benedictine to Shaker Heights after his junior season...........Played in a run-oriented offense as a junior at Benedictine, recording only three receptions for 45 yards, but excelling as a blocker.......Graded out at over 90% as a blocker his sophomore year and caught two passes......Fine strength: 310 bench, 535 squat................Has enough quickness to get off the lin and go downfield to make the catch......Hearing from many Big Ten schools.

4 Joe Collura TE/OL/DL 6'4 250 Hyattsville DeMatha Maryland

Collura is one of the top TE prospects on the atlantic coast and among the top overall prospects in the D.C. Area..........One of several blue-chippers this year at local power De Matha........Especially effective as a blocker at TE, but also has soft hands. Also excels as a DE. Projects at TE in college and even has the frame to possibly grow into an OL.........As of March he had no offers.

5 Zach Cecich TE/LB 6'2 225 Crown Point Indiana

6 Cody Aughney TE 6'6 220 4.90 Henderson Green Valley Nevada

7 Leval Speight TE/DL 6'5 250 4.80 Chicago Hubbard Illinois

8 Jake Wahl TE 6'3 205 Cudahy Wisconsin

9 Jonathon Lamb TE/DL/LB 6'4 215 Southfield Michigan


Sleepers Off The Radar


1 Quentin Williams TE/LB/DL 6'4 230 4.70 Pittsburgh Central Catholic Pennsylvania

It's a deep year for tight ends in Pennsylvania and Williams is among the very best, not just in Pennsylvania, but on the entire East Coast.........As a junior, he was a First Team All-Conference selection after catching 22 passes for 424 yards and 6 touchdowns. On defense, he added 42.5 tackles, 13.5 TFL, 8.5 sacks and two quarterback hurries from his DE spot.........Was already playing varsity ball as a freshman for a strong program that regularly churns out D-I talent.......Has a nice combination of size, strength and athleticism.......As of April he had offers from Oklahoma, Boston College, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Colorado, Minnesota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Rutgers, Georgia Tech, Northwestern, Miami (Ohio) and Illinois.




Offensive Linemen


Michigan is off to a very nice start in OL recruiting (third to only Ohio State and Nebraska) but still needs to land at least two additional linemen, including a left tackle prospect.

Likely future verbaly probakly won't be national top 100 tapes as 11 my top 16 offensive linemen in the nation have already committed. Vinstoin Painter, Matt Patchan and Tyler Love are the only remaining super OL prospects that U-M even has a remote chance of landing.

The remaining signees will likely come from prospects ranked between 19 and 50 among offensive linemen in the nation (the top 5 kids on my "Best Guess" list) and perhaps an in-state sleeper such as Deonte Pannell or Sean Hooey.


Best Guess


1 Vaughn Dotsy OL 6'4 367 5.34 Ventura St. Bonaventure California

I first learned of Dotsy when he was a freshman at St. Bonnie, and he’s been near the top of my list of top Class of 2008 prospects ever since…….He plays for one of the most powerful programs in southern California as St. Bonaventure regularly turns out prep All-Americans (Michael Williams and .Blaine Irby in the Class of 2007, Dotsy and super transfer Darrell Scott in 2008 and watch out for Lorenzo Booker’s cousin, RB Patrick Hall, in 2009!)…………..His coach feels that he could be the nation’s top offensive lineman as a senior……A CalHiSports First Team Underclass and Sophomore selection the past two years and also named First Team All-County by the Ventura County Star both seasons……..A naturally big kid, was already 6-3, 300 as a freshman…..Very, very strong as he put up 31 bench reps as a sophomore at a combine, but he needs to improve a bit on his quickness (5.32 shuttle).……….A real mauler who really moves the pile and is a great finisher…….Will be a guard in college.....Second Team 2007 Scout.com Los Angeles Combine........Will need to watch his weight........An honors student with a 3.5 GPA……Will be one of California’s most heavily recruited prospects........As of April he had offers from the likes of Florida, Michigan, Alabama, Nebraska, Oregon, Arizona, Arizona State, San Diego State and Mississippi.

2 Zebrie Sanders OL 6'6 272 5.69 Clayton Northmont Ohio

Sanders ranks only behind Mike Adams among the linemen in Ohio this year and he is among the nation’s best……..First Team All-Conference as a junior…….Prep LT who moves extremely well with good footwork and excellent agility……Nice-sized and physical, possessing very good athleticism. Runs like a tight end…..Most effective in pass blocking but also run blocks pretty well…….Plays low to the ball, showing good hip movement and knee-bend……305 bench, 500 squat……Still growing and should top out over 300 pounds…...Outplayed Ben Martin as a sophomore……..Camped at Louisville, Ohio State and Georgia in 2006…....2006 and 2007 combine marks include a 4.99 shuttle, 5.4 forty and 25-inch vertical……3.4 core GPA, 23 ACT and 1070 SAT......As of April he had offers from the likes of Miami, Florida State, Georgia, Mississippi, Clemson, Michigan, Indiana, Michigan State, Duke, Northwestern, South Carolina and Florida.

3 Graham Pocic OL 6'7 313 5.62 Lemont Illinois

Pocic could be the top pure OL prospect in Illinois and among the very best offensive linemen in the Midwest............A First Team All-Area selection as a junior.......Plays for a program that has produced D-I talent in recent years (Dave Molk to Michigan and Aaron Nagel to Notre Dame this past year).......Has a great frame with little fat and has gotten much quicker as a junior. He's still working to improve his footwork and play more aggressively.......A thrower (shot put/discus) in track......Very impressive on the 2007 combine circuit, including OL MVP honors at Indianapolis Nike......As of April he had offers from the likes of Florida, Florida State, Tennessee, Michigan, Illinois, Colorado, Boston College, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana, Northwestern, Purdue, Duke, Vanderbilt, Penn State and N.C. State.

4 James Bennett OL 6'9 280 Dumfries West Potomac Virginia

A monster lineman who is overshadowed by fellow Virginians Vinston Painter and Kyle Long but ranks among the better OT prospects in the nation.........First Team All-Southern selection by the Orlando Sentinel, Second Team Group AAA All-State and First Team All-Metro Washington as a junior..........Great frame (looks thin at 280) that can easily add 30-40 pounds, but surprsingly quick feet for his size. Especially effective as a pass blocker, as he has not allowed a sack the past two years. Plays low and uses leverage effectively. Very athletic.........Also stars in basketball. He averaged 10 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks per game as a junior......Excellent 3.7 GPA.....As of May he had offers from the likes of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Michigan, Penn State, Clemson, N.C. State, Michigan State, Maryland, Boston College, Pittsburgh and Connecticut.

5 Zach Schlink OL 6'4 300 5.37 Peoria Centennial Arizona

Schlink is the top OL prospect in Arizona and among the best offensive linemen out West............A consensus First Team Class 5A All-Stater and All-Arizona choice as a junior after helping to lead his team to a perfect 14-0 record and a 5A2 state title............Was the top junior offensive lineman at the 2006 Arizona summer camp...........He has good size and a frame that can add much more weight. He uses his feet and hands well, shows good balance and locks into defenders and dominates. Qucik enough to pull and block at the second level of defense. Both run and pass blocks very well. Needs to be more aggressive and slightly improve his foot speed.............First Team 2007 Scout.com Los Angeles Combine.........As of April he had offers from the likes of Oklahoma, Michigan, Stanford, Nebraska, Illinois, Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, Colorado, Colorado State, Washington State, UCLA, California, Nevada, Oregon State and San Diego State.

6 Deontee Pannell OL/DL 6'6 300 Birmingham Groves Michigan

One of the top overall prospects in Michigan and linemen in the Midwest. A bit of a sleepr on the national scene who should be one of the fastest-rising prospects in the Midwest once his film makes the rounds..........A tweo-way starter at DT and OT, he will move to center as a senior......Has a great frame, good feet and agility and plays physical and aggressively. He is very strong.........Plays for a suburban school with strong academics........As of May he had offers from Michigan State, Purdue, Minnesota, Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan.

7 Carlin Landingham OL 6'2 275 5.69 Muskegon Michigan

Landingahm is one of the top overall prospects in Michigan and top offensive linemen in the midwest.......A First Team Class A All-State selection as a junior and All-Muskegon Area choice his sophomore year......Plays for one of the strongest programs in Michigan, one that has produced such talent as Michigan's Terrance Taylor and USC signee Ron Johnson.........Moves very well and is a state power-lifting champ in his weight class (did 20 bench reps as a sophomore). He really packs a punch. The only negative is a lack of ideal height, but he's tall enough to play guard at the BCS level......As of April he had an offer from Notre Dame.

8 Tyler Sands OL 6'6 292 5.20 Boyertown Pennsylvania

Sands is one of the top OL prospects in Pennsylvania..........As a junior, he was an Honorable Mention AAAA All-State selection after not allowing a sack all season and registering 28 pancake blocks............Great frame and excellent feet. Solid lower body strength but needs to get stronger on top. Especially effective at blocking on an island and getting to the second line of defense. Mean streak...........Played basketball through his sophomore year but now focusing on getting bigger.......Benches 350 pounds, squats 515 pounds, and has a 27-inch vertical.........The top linema at the 2007 New Jersey Nike Camp.....Fine student with a core GPA of 3.7 and an SAT score of 1710........As of May he had offers from Nebraska, Maryland, Duke, Temple, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Boston College, Army, Virginia, Delaware, Akron, Navy, Connecticut, Villanova and Vanderbilt.

9 Matt Lipski OL 6'9 362 5.56 Ashland Oregon

Lipski is one of my top sleeper prospects in the nation and has the potential to emerge as oneof the nation's best OT prospects.............As a junior, he was named First Team All-Southern Sky (5A) Conference..........His sophomore season was his first year of football and his junior season was his first full year of varsity ball, so he's still learning the game............He has a great frame, excellent height and surprising athleticism and footwork. Still growing into his body.......Fine basketball player and plays water polo.......High-ceiling type..........Well-known to such programs as Michigan and Oregon.

10 Rocko Khoury OL/DL 6'6 282 Traverse City West Michigan

Rocco is one of the top overall prospects in Michigan and better OL prospects in the Midwest.....As a junior, he earned First Team All-Traverse City Area, First Class Underclass All-State and Honorable Mention Class A All-State.......Has excellent strength (320 bench, 435 squat, 20 bench reps as a sophomore, and he is now much, much stronger), a nice lean frame and wingspan and is a hard worker. Also very, very quick (a hard to believe 4.16 shuttle at a combine)......... Recorded 69 tackles and 2 sacks as a sophomore........Has been a varsity starter since his freshman year..............He transferred from Traverse City Central to West after his junior season......Projects as a OT or OG in college........Very impressive on the 2007 combine circuit......His older brother is a linebacker at Central Michigan........3.6 GPA..........No offers as of early April.

11 Sean Hooey OL/TE/DL 6'8 245 4.90 Hillsdale Michigan

Tall and rangy line prospect who played through his junior season off the radar at tiny Litchfield High.....Transferred to Hillsdale, a larger school, after his junior season......Excelled at both TE and DE as a junior. He hauled in 14 passes for 120 yards and recorded 72 tackles, 14 TFL, 4 sacks and 3 fumble recoveries......Runs very well for a tall guy (4.5 shuttle) and has a frame that could really fill out.......Needs to get stronger......Excellent long snapper......Hard worker.....One of the top sleepers in Michigan and perhaps the entire nation........As of April he had offers from Purdue, Cincinnati and Central Michigan.


Offered But Longshots


1 Vinston Painter OL/DL 6'5 309 5.22 Norfolk Maury Virginia

It’s a great year for offensive linemen and Vinston (correct spelling) ranks with the very best……..Considered by many to be the top offensive lineman at the 2007 U.S. Army Combine in San Antonio………..First Team AAA All-Stater and First Team Orlando Sentinel All-Southern highlight his many junior honors…….Had 22 pancake blocks on offense and 23 tackles on defense as a junior……….. Tremendous combination of strength and quickness… Great build, decent height and effective both as a pass blocker and run blocker…....As a sophomore he had the following combine numbers: 40-yard dash: 5.56 seconds, Shuttle: 4.87, Bench press: 22 reps, Vertical leap: 21.2"……..3.0 GPA and 980 SAT......Reportedly had over 40 offers by January 2007!.......Destined for greatness

2 Alonzo "A.J." Harmon OL/DL 6'6 328 5.50 Louisville Jefferson County Georgia

Alonzo is a two-way lineman who has the potential to excel at either side of the ball at the next level......College coaches really like him on both sides of the ball............Consensus First Team Class AA All-Stater as a junior and also listed by numerous publications as among the nation’s elite junior prospects…… Regitered 47 tackles and caused 12 fumbles as a junior…...Second Team All-Area selection by the Augusta Chronicle as a junior…..Burst onto the recruiting scene as a freshman at the Athens Nike camp, when he ran a 5.69 forty, 5.31 shuttle and had 16 reps in the bench…..Excellent athlete, also plays basketball. Very quick feet for a big man. Also has a fine work ethic…..Looked exceptional at 2006 Georgia summer camp…..Wants to play either OT or DT in college…..Really jumps out on film. Very quick (4.75 shuttle as a junior) and explosive at DE. Also shows exceptional power. Run blocks with power and authority, showing great finishing ability. Surprisingly agile and adept pass blocker…..320 bench, 550 squat, 26-inch vertical......Plays basketball.........2.6 core GPA.......As of May he had 12 offers, including from such programs as Florida, Georgia, Auburn, Alabama, Michigan, Florida State, North Carolina, N.C. State, Marshall, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and Clemson……One of the nation’s elite linemen

3 Tyler Love OL 6'7 270 5.20 Birmingham Mountain Brook Alabama

Love is the top OL in Alabama and among the nation’s best...........Has the ideal skill set to become a big-time college OT: Great height and frame, quick feet and fine body control, and balance…….Could still add another 30 pounds to his frame…..Uses his hands well and sets up his feet effectively in pass blocking situations……His grandfather played football at Florida…….Looked good at the 2006 LSU camp…………As of mid-February he had offers from the likes of Nebraska, Purdue, UCLA, Clemson, Florida, Oklahoma, LSU, Georgia, Vanderbilt,Virginia, Louisville, Mississippi, Washington and Alabama.

4 Kenneth Page OL 6'4 285 5.41 Columbia A.C. Flora South Carolina

Page is the top OL prospect in South Carolina and among the nation’s better OL prospects………Was one of the more impressive OL prospects at the 2007 U.S. Army Combine……….Has excellent speed and quickness, with the frame to add quite a boit of weight……..As a sophomore he had combine marks of 5.09 in the forty, 4.88 in the shuttle and a 24-inch vertical…….Looked very good at the 2006 Clemson summer camp……Explosive off the line of scrimmage and is very effective at getting to the second line of defense…….Has a lot of pop in his blocks and is a good finisher……Plays both ways in high school but is being recruited exclusively to play on the offensive side of the ball………Doesn't get to pass protect much playing in a veer offense........Versatility to play either OT or OG in college.........4.0 GPA...........As of April he had offers from the likes of Florida State, Notre Dame, Michigan, Alabama, Penn State, Tennessee, Clemson, South Carolina, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Duke, Colorado, Virginia, Maryland and Vanderbilt.

5 Garrett Goebel OL/DL 6'5 264 5.00 Lombard Montini Catholic Illinois

Goebel is one of the top prospects in Illinois and among the top linemen in the nationt……….Named Special Mention All-State by the Chicago Tribune as a junior…….Named the SCC Most Valuable Linemen as a junior over such luminaries as Bryan Bulaga, Colin Armstrong and Sean Cwymar…….Has started since his sophomore year……Among the nations top heavyweight wrestlers, he has had to keep his weight in check for wrestling and should fill out at over 300 pounds in college…….Very mobile and athletic, with fine strength, he is being recruited both ways although many of the bigger schools really like him as a OG prospect………Led the team in tackles as a junior…….Has a motor that never stops, playing whistle-to-whistle …..Plays with great leverage ……Benches over 325 pounds and can do 18 reps at 225 pounds (at combines they test at 185 pounds), Squats 490 pounds…….2.7 core GPA.........As of May he had offers from the likes of Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Tennessee, N.C. State, Illinois, Minnesota, Purdue, Ohio State, Nebraska, Florida State, Indiana, Iowa, Northwestern Wisconsin, Arizona State, Oklahoma State, Michigan State, Virginia and Vanderbilt.

6 Lucas Nix OL/DL 6'6 285 5.10 Jefferson Hills Pittsburgh Thomas Jefferson Pennsylvania

Nix will be one of the most heavily recruited linemen in Pennsylvania as a senior…….As a junior he was named AP First Team Class AAA All-State and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Tribune Review All-Area……As a sophomore he was a Second Team All-WPIAL selection………..Very aggressive and quick with a lean physique and long arms. Has a great wingspan for his size…….Plays both ways in high school. Has been very effective at DT but some feel he would make a fine LT with his wingspan and quickness off the ball. Very effective in getting to the second line of defense……..Athletic. Plays forward on the basketball team……Has the benefit of being coached by a former top college lineman in Bill Cherpak, who starred at Pittsburgh…….His older brother, Nate, plays at Pittsburgh……As of May he had offers from the likes of Florida, Penn State, Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, Miami, Tennessee, Georgia, Wisconsin, Virginia, Purdue, Indiana, Pittsburgh and West Virginia.

7 Antoine McClain OL 6'6 317 5.40 Anniston Alabama

McClain is the second best OL prospect in Alabama after Tyler Love and among the nation's best......Honorable Mention Class 5A All-State as a junior........... Great frame, athletic and can run. Great fet for a big man......320 bench, 415 squat........Silent leader with a great work ethic. Leads by example.....Needs to watch his grades.......As of May he had offers from the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, LSU, Florida, Tennessee, Michigan, Mississippi, Clemson, Kentucky and Minnesota.


Others to Watch


1 Khaled Holmes OL/DL 6'4 301 5.30 Santa Ana Mater Dei California

One of the nation’s elite OL prospects……Khaled is a man-child of a prospect who earned First Team All-Area honors from such publications as the Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register in addition to being named First Team Junior All-State……Plays for a powerful program that regularly produces top-flight talent (only high school school to have two Heisman winners as alumni) and was a rare sophomore starter for Mater Dei……Fine bloodlines, as older brother Alex was a TE at USC and his father, Mike Holmes, was a starting DE for the late Bo Schembechler at Michigan in the mid-1970s. In addition, Pttsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu is married to Holmes' sister………Has great footwork and speed. Also uses his hands very well in pass protection from his LT spot. Tremendous pass blocker and is improving his run blocking. Well coached……..Very intense on the field, showing a nasty streak, and he just loves the game……Also plays some DE…..Already bigger than older brother Alex….3.5 GPA......As of March he already had early offers from such programs as USC, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Stanford, Nebraska and Mississippi

2 Art Forst OL 6'8 288 5.40 Manasquan New Jersey

Forst is a towering OT prospect who is the top OL in New Jersey and among the nation's better offensive line prospects.................As a junior, he was a First Team All-Shore Conference selection after helping Manasquan finish 12-0 and win its second straight state sectional championship as well as the Shore Conference National Division title.............A very effective run blocker but still a bit raw in terms of his technique. His best football is definitely in front of him............300 bench, 455 squat.........3.3 GPA..............As of April he had offers from the likes of Notre Dame, Florida, Boston College, Virginia, Rutgers, Duke, Northwestern, Clemson, Maryland and Syracuse.

3 Joe Schafer OL/DL 6'5 265 5.10 St. Paul Cretin-Derham Hall Minnesota

Schafer is the top OL prospect in Minnesota and among the best in the midwest........He is one of several talented rising seniors at perennial power Cretin-Derham Hall and is being comparted to school alum Ryan Harris (former Notre Dame star)........Honorable Mention All-Suburban East as a sophomore..........He has an excellent frame that can easily add 30+ pounds and quick feet..........Excels in pass protection.....28-inch vertical.....Plays basketball.....Excellent student......As of April he had offers from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Northwestern and Illinois.

4 Andrew Sampson OL/DL 6'4 275 Aurora Overland Colorado

One of the top OL prospects in Colorado and among the better overall prospects in the state............Earned Second Team Class 5A All-State honors as a junior............Missed his sophomore season with a torn ACL..............Second Team All-Conference as a freshman...............Projects as a guard in college. Has a nice frame, quick feet and great, great work ethic. Is a team leader..............Fine strength and has really packed on weight since his sophomore year.......3.6 core GPA..........As of April he had offers from Washington, Arizona State and Colorado State.

5 R.J. Dill OL 6'8 295 5.30 Camp Hill Trinity Pennsylvania

Dill is one of the top OL prospects in Pennsylvania..............He has tremendous height and a great frame that can easily add 30+ pounds. Pretty athletic, but he needs to improve his footwork and lateral movement...........300 bench, 455 squat........Plays basketball........Interested in attending business school......As of April he had offers from Maryland and Connecticut.

6 Neal Dieters OL 6'9 342 Elmhurst York Illinois

Dieters is one of the top OL prospects in Illinois……Has the great height coaches love to see in an OT…………Surprising quickness for such a tall athlete, moving his feet very well and adjusting effectively in space. Fine athlete…..Will need to add some upper body strength……Has a very high ceiling and once he gets in a dedicated weight program he could develop into a monster……….Was already receiving 25-30 letters a day from colleges in the fall of 2006……As of March he had offers from Toledo and Virginia.

7 Chris Groth OL 6'4 295 South Lyon Michigan

One of the top OG prospects in Michigan.......First Team All-Metro Detroit North and First Team Underclass All-State as a junior............Very strong and moves surprisingly well for his size............3.9 GPA.........Getting big-time Big Ten looks.

8 Mohamad Moukdad OL 6'2 315 5.47 Dearborn Fordson Michigan

One of the top OL prospects in Michigan but is for some reason under the radar when it comes to receiving recruiting accolades............A First Team All-Dearborn selection as a junior after recording 45 solo tackles, 15 assists, 12 TFL, six sacks, three PBUs and one fumble recovery .........One of the most powerful OL prospects in the nation. Benches over 415 pounds can do 28 reps at the pro 225lbs and a great 41 reps at 185lbs (already did 25 reps as a soph at the 2006 U.S. Army combine).............Projects as a guard in college. Excels as a run blocker and has the quickness (4.91 shuttle as a soph at U.S. Army Combine) to pull and play well in space....Has been a starter for a strong Fordson program sicne his freshman season..........Receiving interest from numerous Big Ten schools.......No offers as of early April.

9 Chandler Burden OL/DL 6'5 280 4.90 Cincinnati La Salle Ohio

One of the hidden gems in Ohio this year and among the better OL prospects in the state..............Starts on both sides of the ball in high school (OL & NT), but many like him as a guard in college.......Excellent combination of power, speed and agility: 395 bench, 5.04 forty, 4.68 shuttle. Explosive off the line and very effective in open space........Very impressive during the 2007 combine circuit.......As of May he had an offer from Tennessee.

10 Darren Mickell OL 6'2 295 5.10 Miami Booker T. Washington Florida

One of the better prospects in Dade County.......One of several talented prospects at Washington this year...........Projects as a guard in college due to his height, quick feet and strength............Being looked at by all of the top local schools.

11 Jeff Radek OL 6'6 275 Naperville Neuqua Valley Illinois

Radek is a nice-sized OT prospects who is one of the better OL prospects in Illinois.............Fine student...........Has a great frame that could easily add another 30 pounds.........As of April he had an offer from Northwestern.

12 Jake Current OL/DL 6'4 270 5.30 Troy Ohio

One of the better OL prospects in Ohio.....Honorable Mention All-Dayton Area as a junior.........Has started since his freshman season........Talented center/guard prospect who has won the best OL award at the Ohiop State camp a couple of years in a row. Especially effective as a run blocker. Needs to get quicker but has excellent technique...........As of April he had offers from Indiana, Cincinnati and Miami (Ohio).

13 Jimmy Miller OL 6'3 275 5.20 Denver Mullen Colorado

Miller is one of a troika of D-I OL prospects for powerful Denver Mullen this year and he ranks among the top OL prospects in Colorado............Sat out first five games of his sophomore season after transferring from Heritage......Solid test numbers (5.1 forty, 350 bench, 17 bench reps, 475 squat and 250 power clean)........Especially efective as a run blocker, he runs very well and plays low...............Looked solid at the 2006 Nebraska and Colorado State camps..........3.3 core GPA and 3.4 GPA..............As of April he had offers from San Dieo State, Colorado State and Air Force.

14 LeRoi Edwards OL/DL 6'4 288 5.58 Kent Kentridge Washington

A physical player known for finishing blocks by going full-speed until the whistle blows........Nice body and wide frame.......All-South Puget Sound League 4A North Division first team as both a center and defensive lineman ...........A Division I prospect

15 Blaec Walker OL 6'6 317 Middletown Ohio

16 Colin Lyons-Pena OL/DL 6'3 299 5.45 Fairf Oaks Del Campo California

17 Mike McIntyre OL/DL 6'5 278 5.50 Mattawan Michigan

One of the top OL prospects in Michigan and among the top overall prospects in southwestern Michigan.............Has played TE in high school but is filling out quickly and now projects on the OL........Transferred from Portage Northern to Mattawan before his junior year........Runs well and is very athletic. Has a nice frame..........Fine basketball player........3.8 GPA.............Being looked at by most of the local Big Ten schools.

18 Chip Robinson OL 6'6 370 6.41 Middletown Ohio

It's a deep year for OL talent in Ohio and Robinson is among the state's best. Also one of the top overall prospects in the Cincinnati area..............First Team All-Cincinnati Area and Southwest District for Division I as a junior.............A huge OT prospect who has been on my radar since his freshman season, when he was already starting....Second Team All-Conference as a sophomore.........Needs to firm up a bit and redistribute his body weight but is pretty athletic for his size and powerful...........Plays basketbal and participates in track...........His older brother was a OT at Miami (Ohio)........Benches 350, sqauts 415, a 5.6 40..........3.1 GPA.......As of March he had offers from Eastern Michigan and Bowling Green.

19 Anthony Woods OL/DL 6'3 281 5.44 Detroit MacKenzie Michigan

One of the top linemen in Detroit......A two-way talent who already was impressive as a freshman on the combine circuit (5.44 forty and 13 bench reps as a freshman)..............Runs well but needs to work on his technique and stay healthy.........Grades may be a concern.

20 Ryan Benzik OL 6'6 305 Louisville Fern Creek Kentucky

21 Marc Stevens OL/DL 6'5 298 5.59 Lexington Ohio

22 Kyle Burke OL 6'4 285 5.20 Stevensville-Lakeshore

Michigan One of the top linemen in Michigan and best overall prospects in southwestern Michigan............First Team Underclass All-State as a junior..........Projects as a guard in college.........Moves well and has good lower body strength. Plays with a mean streak.....Being looked at by major Big Ten programs.

23 Isaac Anderson OL 6'4 290 5.30 Upper Sandusky Ohio

24 Reggie Comeaux OL 6'4 320 Massillon Washington Ohio

25 Rick Schmeig OL 6'5 310 Cincinnati Oak Hills Ohio

26 Matt Armstrong OL 6'3 290 5.25 Lansing Sexton Michigan

27 Austin Holtz OL 6'5 265 5.20 Holt Michigan

28 Ethan Ruhland OL 6'6 257 5.51 Lake Orion Michigan

29 Donald Mathis OL/DL 6'2 317 5.10 Detroit Crockett Michigan

30 Kyle Pettit OL 6'3 275 Falmouth Pendleton County Kentucky

31 Brent Kryder OL 6'6 317 Linden Michigan

32 Lawrence Young OL/DL 6'3 270 Detroit Renaissance Michigan

33 Chad Stripling OL 6'4 270 Haslett Michigan


Sleepers Off The Radar


1 Peter Konz OL 6'6 290 Neenah Wisconsin

It's not a great year for talent in Wisconsin, but Konz ranks as one of the top 2-3 prospects in the state.............A First Team All-Stater as a junior........First Team Fox Valley Association as a sophomore.........Has played varsity ball since his freshman year and football sicne the fourth grade......A big kid with a nice frame who projects as a tackle in college. Very strong and has good technique. Has a high floor...........Athletic, he also plays basketball,baseball and throws th weights in track.....As of March he had an offer from Wisconsin.

2 Kevin Zeitler OL 6'4 288 Milwaukee Wisconsin Lutheran Wisconsin

Zeitler is one of the top overall prospects in Wisconsin and among the better offensive linemen in the Midwest............Honorable Mention All-Satte and Second Team All-Milwaukee Area as a junior..........Projects as a guard in college. Moves laterally very well for his size and is especialyl effective as a run blocker........Looked very good at the 2007 Purdue Nike Camp.....As of May he had offers from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Purdue, Air Force and Army.

posted by Jim Stefani @ 7:46 PM 3 comments