The Blue Board

What are you hearing with Reeves? Do you feel that PSU is still the leader after his recent visit to ND?

Good info man. Well we are being told on our end that Bars could wind up with us and you are being told PSU lean. Such is recruiting, LOL, have to wait and see who the young man pulls the trigger for. Good Luck.

TomVH: Kyle Kalis Update

As everyone knows former Ohio State commit Kyle Kalis is visiting Michigan this weekend. He told me that he's very excited for the trip, however I wouldn't expect a commitment this weekend from him. He does have a lot of interest in Michigan, but he decided that he also wants to visit Alabama and Miami first. That isn't 100%, but that's the plan going into the visit. I always say that visits can change things, but this is the plan as of now.

Why do some M fans really think Noah Spence is a viable option? I thought he was signed, sealed and delivered to PSU

We're in good shape, but this is definitely going to be a marathon.

Awesome article about arguably the # 1 player in the state of Ohio in 2013- Dymonte Thomas

http://www.detnews.com/article/20110623/OPINION03/106230457/Ohio-athlete-Dymonte-Thomas-likes-MSU--but-U-M-is-No.-1-now

In a year where Ohio's senior football class is being cited as one of the best in recent memory, one of that state's top juniors is stealing some of the recruiting spotlight.

In two short months, Alliance (Ohio) Marlington athlete Dymonte Thomas has emerged as one of the Buckeye State's hottest prospects and one of the most heavily-recruited players in the 2013 class. A standout on both sides of the ball, the 6-1, 185-pounder amassed 1,488 yards and 18 touchdowns from his tailback post while splitting carries. Meanwhile, as a defensive back, he racked up 116 tackles, six sacks and two interceptions.

"The thing about Dymonte is that he has two more seasons of high school left," Marlington head coach Ed Miley told Scout.com. "If he keeps on going the way he has so far, he could end up as both the leading rusher and tackler in Stark County history. Dymonte does great in the classroom and is very popular with his teammates. I see him as a safety at the next level, but he could do about anything really. (During the spring) he ran a 4.57 electronic 40-yard dash at the Nike Combine in Pittsburgh, so that tells you about his speed. He is a very physical player and a leader on this team."

Numerous college coaches agree. So far Michigan, Michigan State, West Virginia, Illinois, Tennessee, Pittsburgh, Iowa, Notre Dame, Louisville and UCLA have extended scholarships. The Spartans, however, hold the distinction of being the first of that group to step forward with an offer.

"Michigan State was really nice," Thomas said of an April 1 visit to East Lansing. "I liked it up there. I thought it was a nice campus. I liked the weight room, the coaches are pretty nice, and the stadium was pretty nice."

Adding to appeal of the Green and White is the late April commitment of his high school teammate Zach Higgins. The big lineman's addition helped bolster Michigan State's status as a prime contender, but it didn't move them to the top of Thomas' list. Michigan has sat atop that perch since Thomas' memorable stop in Ann Arbor on April 2.

"Michigan was lovely, he said. "The stadium was really big, their whole locker room area was nice, and education-wise it is pretty good. Michigan seemed like a really nice fit for me. I got along with the coaches and some of the players and everything seemed right. Michigan rolled out the red carpet when I came. They showed me everything."

In subsequent weeks, Thomas' list of suitors has changed significantly, but he insists that his favorite has not.

"(The Wolverines) are still my No. 1 (because of) their education and their stadium," he explained. "People are getting on me about it, but they said if you like the college you just go there."
Michigan? 'Really?'

Thomas' father made it a point from the onset of recruiting to encourage his son to be his own man and make his own decision. But not even he was expecting Ohio State's arch rival to be the beneficiary of that advice.

"When he said (Michigan is No. 1) I was just shocked," the elder Thomas admitted. "When he was a kid we had always talked about Ohio State. He has been down there with other kids and seen Ohio State. I was like, 'Really?' A couple days after that, me and him talked and I said, 'What are you thinking now?' He said, 'Being from Ohio, everyone expects you to go (to Ohio State). I want to be different.'"

The talented youngster's stark change in allegiance can be further explained by Ohio State's recent NCAA troubles. The turmoil in Columbus has caused many prospects to think long and hard about the potential sanctions facing the storied program. Thomas is no exception.

"I like (the Buckeyes)," he said. "They're pretty good, but they are about to get into a lot of trouble and I don't want to be involved in any of that."

Going forward, Thomas plans to scrutinize all of the schools under consideration for any evidence of transgressions similar to those that occurred at Ohio State.

"I want to see how the team is looking for the next year and make sure they are not getting in any trouble or anything," he said. "I want to make sure they have kids that I'm comfortable being around. Before I decide to go anywhere, I want to talk to some of the players and see how they like the coaches and everything."
Brionte Dunn factor

One way that comfort could be enhanced is if Thomas' cousin, Canton Glen Oak five-star senior tailback Brionte Dunn, winds up at the school he picks.

"We talk about it a lot — going to the same school," said Thomas. "We thought it would be pretty cool to go to the same school and play with each other like we used to when we were young."

There's currently a major obstruction in the way of that plan, and its colors are Scarlet and Gray. Dunn is committed to Ohio State, and despite their troubles, has chosen remain steadfast in his pledge. However, Thomas believes that his cousin's commitment status could be impacted by the severity of the penalties the NCAA decides to dole out.

"Brionte doesn't know if (the Buckeyes) are going to be stripped of their bowl games," he explained. "He said he might decommit if they get stripped of any bowl games, but I can't tell anybody where he is going to go (should that happen). He told me to keep that a secret."

Michigan could be the primary option for the duo if Dunn does opt to veer away from the Buckeyes. He gave the Wolverines glowing reviews after a visit to Ann Arbor in early May. Still, he remains committed Ohio State, and there is no definite timeline in place for reaching a final verdict. The same isn't true for Thomas, who knows exactly when he would like to commit.

"I'm thinking about getting it done right after my last game of my junior year," he said.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110623/OPINION03/106230457/Ohio-athlete-Dymonte-Thomas-likes-MSU--but-U-M-is-No.-1-now#ixzz1Q7TLhv3W

I think we have to issue a commitment watch for Chris Wormley this weekend, since Chris is scheduled to visit Ann Arbor.
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mspeedkills Speed Kills
If 4-star Safety Jarrod Wilson doesn´t pick #Michigan, look for Safety Jeremy Clark 6´4 205 lbs. to get offered. Coaches really like him.
18 hours ago

mspeedkills Speed Kills
As mentioned yesterday, KY Safety Jeremy Clark 6'4 200 lbs. really impressed the coaches at camp. Big time sleeper. Expect offer. #ballhawk
22 Jun

I found this interesting because even if we do lose out on Wilson, there are still some larger-profile safeties with interest in Michigan than Clark including De'van Bogard, who is completely undecided at this point. I do like Clark's film though.

I still don't understand why we backed off of Wayne Morgan. I think he would be a great fit at FS if we lose out on Wilson.

Don't think anyone has posted this yet but we just picked up a 2012 walk-on. His name is Bo Dever, a WR from Lake Forest, IL. 6'2, 195. And was named after Bo Schembechler.
http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/michigan-lands-2012-walk-wr-bo-dever

Because he decided on Michigan, told the coaches, reconsidered, then told the coaches he was back on board, then reconsidered again. The coaches probably were worried about his maturity, and felt there was no reason to waste a scholarship (and gamble hurting the APR with a transfer) because someone wasn't sure if they wanted to be a Wolverine.

Edit: Mattison really likes the group of safeties we have right now, so it's entirely possible that the coaches scrap the plan for an additional safety if Wilson doesn't commit to us.

Well, the second part about the coaches was speculation. It's a rules violation for them to talk about recruits before they sign their LOIs.

Edit: Also, a lot of the indecision originated from Wayne's parents and coach, who were in his ear. Wayne's coach allegedly thought he'd be happier being "a big fish in a small pond at Rutgers." His parents wanted him close to home and were more familiar with the coaches at Rutgers, so they also preferred that Wayne go to Rutgers.