It has been a while, but it’s game week, and it’s a big one. So for those of you who didn’t read last year, the way the previews work is that we go over the game, and then I give my score prediction. So starting with what I expect to see from Michigan, well for starters, a whole lot of Charbonnet and Haskins. I think that Michigan will try to get the ground game going early and often to ease Milton into the game. Now this doesn’t necessarily mean that we won’t see Milton’s massive arm, but more that Minnesota had suspect run defense last year, especially against teams with a good ground game. I do expect to see some things we didn’t see last year; Minnesota is VERY inexperienced on Defense, losing 5 of 6 leading tacklers and being ULTRA thin at Linebacker. Now, that probably won’t have a massive effect on the game, but I heard something today that I really agree with on a college football show . If Alabama or Ohio State were to lose 5 of 6 leading tacklers, their leading receiver, their leading secondary member, and 1,600 of 2,300 rushing yards, even then there would be some questions – but Minnesota? Minnesota has some major questions. Now here’s what I expect from the defense, a lot of press man. Minnesota runs a heavy RPO offense, where the pass options are generally slants and short over the middle passes. If Michigan were to run zone they would die a slow painful death of 10 yd passes. But good news is that Michigan’s signature defense is a press man, which is set up perfectly to defend a heavy RPO offense. The only problem is Minnesota has a new OC. I read that he is supposed to run similar stuff, but you never know. I expect Michigan’s duo of Hutchinson and Paye to dominate this game; Minnesota is missing there two best offensive linemen in Faalee (RT) and Dunlap (RG) for non-injury reasons, so expect Hutchinson especially to get some pressure. Another name to watch is Michael Barrett, as the VIPER position had a lot of success in Don Brown’s defense. One of the keys to the game is how well Michigan can keep in check Minnesota’s star receiver Rashod Bateman. The player who is mainly tasked with this is Vincent Gray. Gray was fine in coverage last year, but this is his first true test. He was great against Alabama last year, which gives confidence that he will be fine. Especially because I think that he will get plenty of safety help from Hawkins and Hill. Some quick keys to the game:

Keeping Bateman in check: explained above

Playing good defense: I expect them to, but we don’t want to have Milton to be having to trade points the whole game

Milton making good decisions: One of the biggest knocks on Milton coming out of High school was poor decisions leading to turnovers. He’s made improvements but that will be inetresting.

Line Play: Michigan controlling the trenches could swing this game massively in Michigan’s favor

Minnesota’s COVID troubles: Minnesota has had a lot of COVID troubles lately, with rumblings that they could be missing 6 starters (just a rumor – Fleck isn’t releasing an official number) along with Faalele and Dunlap out. We truly will not know who is on the field for Minnesota until they start.

Score prediction.

I believe that it will be a somewhat boring first half like maybe a score of 14-10, 14-7, 10-3, etc. But I believe the second half opens up a bit and becomes more exciting, leading to a final of somewhere in the 31-24, 28-21, 31-21 range. But for my official score prediction I’m going with 28-17 Michigan: our defense plays well, and the offense doesn’t put up gaudy stats or anything, but does enough to get the job done. Minnesota play’s an OK game, but all the uncertainty regarding COVID, opt outs, and inexperience is too much for them to handle.

I have missed sports, and now that they are coming back, let me tell you a few of the reasons why I was so sad that they have been gone these past few months. Sports mean a lot to me so there are many reasons that I have missed them. First, I missed competing with my teammates. I enjoy trying to prove something out on the field and working together with my teammates. I have also missed sports on TV. The excitement of cheering for my favorite team is something that I enjoy. I love talking with my friends about a big game or writing about it on here. I’m excited to get back the excitement of a win and even the pain of a loss. We started some outdoor soccer practices recently and I loved the proud feeling after a hard practice. The tired feeling after a practice or a run is a proud feeling of an accomplishment- even though your body is tired and broken down. I also miss the life lessons that you learn playing and watching sports. Lessons like hard work, commitment and even how to control your temper. 🙂

Sports mean a lot of things to me! Things like: fun, hard work, teamwork, sportsmanship, and many other life lessons. One of the main reasons you would play a sport is to have fun, and I love playing, talking about and writing about sports. I just absolutely think it is the best and that sports are so fun. I enjoy the work you have to put in too like the early mornings and going to practice even when I’m tired and I don’t want to. I like the commitment in sports too. I would never let a teammate down. I have made so many great friends through sports and I know they would never let me down. Like those 8 am games that are an hour a way that you get out of bed for because you made a commitment to a team!

I even have little personal expieriences that have made me miss sports even more. Like making it to the state cup semifinals; even though we lost that game that run in that tournament was really fun and something I’ll never forget. Even just broader thinngs like fooling around after practice. I don’t want sports to ever go away again.

There are 3 upcoming commitments for Michigan: wide receiver- Xavier Worthy, defensive end- Quintin Somerville, and the last is 4 star tackle- Garrett Dellinger. I’m going to give you the “scoop” on each recruitment.

Xavier Worthy (Wide Receiver)

Commitment Date: June 27th

Prediction: Oregon

I still believe Oregon is the team to beat, but I did some fact checking and he has never been to Oregon. So if Michigan can get him on campus, I actually do think there is a chance that Michigan flips him from Oregon.

Quintin Somerville (Defensive End)

Commitment Date: June 20th

Prediction: Michigan

I really like where Michigan stands here; I believe he is actually silently committed. I see him as a 3-4 year contributor at Michigan. He was ranked really high last year, but he spent a lot of time at tackle so he fell a lot. He is still a top 150 prospect because there is a lot of raw potential with him. The only real concern is his height; I would call him a generous 6-3.

Garrett Dellinger (Tackle)

Commitment date: June 24th

Prediction:LSU

I think that Michigan was actually gaining ground here, but the early commitment day hurt them. I don’t expect them to stop recruiting him, but I don’t expect them to go all out and flip him as O Line numbers are getting tight.

Michigan has about only 10-12 top remaining big targets. In this article, I’ll go over the chances, in my opinion, that Michigan will actually land these players.

1. Donovan Edwards

Michigan’s Chances: 70%

(37th Nationally, Running Back)

Now this may seem high, but let me explain. Last week, I talked about the crystal balls and as I explained last week Harbaugh and Edwards are growing a strong bond. He is looking for a strong bond at the college level, and he seems to have that with Harbaugh. Also, if the dead period continues that tremendously helps Michigan as he has been on campus several times. Not to mention, we were the first to offer him a scholarship, and his really strong bond with JJ McCarthy that he doesn’t seem to have elsewhere.

2. Rocco Spindler

Michigan’s Chances: 60%

(44th nationally, offensive guard, but will probably play defense at Michigan)

If I did this article a week earlier I would have it put at 50-50 shot, but he released a graphic that was all about his family, now it wasn’t a commitment but it got my wheels turning. Marc Spindler (his dad) said, “It has always been my dream, even since he was born, that he play offensive line at Michigan.” The post was all about his dad and his grandfather. Now we might be looking into this too much, but regardless these comments are still pro Michigan. I would compare his recruitment to Braiden McGregor’s. In the sense that all social media is very pro Notre Dame (except the post) and all of the Notre Dame guy’s thought he was coming. I think with both Michigan’s big in-state prospects will remain home.

3.Dallas Turner

Michigan’s Chances: 20%

(46th nationally, Wide side defensive end)

I think that Turner is a long shot to Michigan, but I think some people are really undervaluing Michigan’s chances. The Turner’s are really close with the Devin Bush family, and they have said they were impressed with Bush’s development and then how high he went in the draft. He also idolizes Josh Uche as he is a another Miami native and the pitch to Turner is the Uche role. I don’t think changes anything as KeChaun Bennett just bulks up and plays a standard defensive end. A few other things about Turner, his best friend is Michigan commit Ja’den McBurrows and several reports have indicated that they have discussed playing together on the next level. He has also taken a visit, he went to the 2018 Penn State game. Last but not least, Turner is a very high academic kid. His dad is a very successful businessman with a degree from Northwestern, and I know he is looking to go into business and Michigan has a great business school. He is planning for a July commitment and I don’t expect it to be the Wolverines, but I don’t see this recruitment being over until he signs pen to paper.

4. Rayshaun Benny

Michigan’s Chances: 60%

(194th Nationally, Defensive Tackle)

This may seem strange that I have him this high, but he fills a major need and could cure some ill will towardsMichigan in southeastern Michigan area. Some people are worried about this one, but like some people have shaky confidence, I actually love where Michigan stands here. Michigan’s biggest threat has appeared to have dropped out of the race. Iowa was easily Michigan’s biggest threat and the rumor (for a lack of a better word) out of Iowa City is that Iowa isn’t taking anymore Defensive linemen, which is huge because Iowa was far and away Michigan’s biggest threat. Now I would say the biggest threat is Ohio State. Ohio State wants him to play his natural position at Offensive Tackle, but he actually wants to play defensive tackle in college. There is still a long way to go here, Another team to watch for is Kentucky as they have recruited Oak Park so well over the last few years.

5. Xavier Worthy

Michigan’s Chances:15%

(209th Nationally, Wide Receiver)

A lot has changed since I have last mentioned Worthy. He has released a top 6, which Michigan was in, and he set a commitment date for June 27th. In that time, a flood of crystal ball picks came in for Oregon, and at the moment I agree. Oregon is cooking with gas at the WR position and if he was even thinking about commiting to Oregon he should do it now. That being said, I do think there is a chance that Michigan flips him, now that chance isn’t very high hence 15%. Michigan seems to do very well with kids that are committed else where and then getting them on campus. I think this could be like Anthony Solomon’s recruitment in the sense they got him onto campus after he commited somewhere else and two days later got him to flip. Like Dallas Turner, I expect them to keep pushing until he signs pen to paper.

6.Quintin Somerville

(152nd Nationally, Defensive End)

Michigan’s Chances:99%

I really think Michigan has this one in the bag unless something extraordinary were to happen. My only real concern was Georgia and then they stopped pushing for him and didn’t make his top 4. There is no team in the top 4 that scares me: Washington, Vanderbilt, and Florida State. Somerville is set to announce on June 20th and I fully expect it to be Michigan.

7.Drew Kendall

(106th Nationally, Offensive Guard)

Michigan’s Chances: 70%

It might seem crazy that I have the same chance level for Drew Kendall as I do for Donovan Edwards, but let me explain. Numbers are getting extremely tight at O Line and apparently Michigan is going all out on Thomas Cole. Now, Kendall doesn’t see his recruitment lasting longer than Mid July and if he were to commit now I believe it would be to Michigan. I think this recruiitment all depends on the previously mentioned Cole’s timeline.

8.Cristian Dixon

(166th Nationally, Wide Receiver)

Michigan Chances: 90%

Michigan doesn’t really need to do much more to get Dixon on board. He has said that he wants to slow it down because the Dixon to Michigan lock headlines kind of bugged him. I actually think he is close to a commitment; he is asking for recruiting edits, which generally means he is close to a commitment or is commited. I really like where Michigan stands in this one, Dixon has come out and said that his strongest relationship with a coach is actually Gattis. The staff has done a nice job of selling his parents on the idea of Cristian playing 2,000 miles away. He said he put out a commitment at anytime, but when he does I expect that to be Michigan.

9.George Rooks

(202nd Nationally, Defensive Tackle)

Michigan’s Chances:70%

After all of the worry at Defensive Tackle, I think Michigan will come out fine. George actually want to play Defensive End, but he is already 6-4 and 260 so he will probably slide inside at Michigan, after all that is his natural position. The only team I am a little scared of is Syracuse, where his Dad played. But,overall, I think Michigan will win this recruitment.

10. Garrett Dellinger

(76nd Nationally, Offensive Tackle)

Michigan’s Chances:10%

I think he is a strong LSU lean and is set to commit on June 24th. I fully believe that he will commit to LSU. I think the only question is will Michigan continue it’s pursuit of Dellinger,which I think they will. Recruiting is wacky so you never know.

One last name to watch –> Jayden Thomas, WR, 184th Nationally, Michigan’s Chances:50%

Thomas is a quiet kid and it is hard to get a true read on his recruitment, but I would argue that Michigan is the team to beat right now. I think what makes Michigan the leader is the academics and the rare opportunity to play baseball at U of M as well. There is no team on his top list that really scares me besides Notre Dame, but I think if came down to them I think it would be Michigan just because of the baseball. There is still a long way to go, but I like where Michigan stands.

Michigan landed two 4 star linebackers this weekend, filling up their scholarship limit. So I’m going to talk about them; I’m then going to spin that into my weekly recruiting update and talk about the best shooting guards of all time.

1. Michael Jordan-Bulls

The only real debate is whether to put him at shooting guard or small forward. He is technically a shooting guard, so I put him on this list. He is obviously the GOAT: he won 6 championships, was a 14 time all-star, won multiple MVPs, among many other accolades. I’ll end it at that.

2. Kobe Bryant-Lakers

Kobe was one of the best to ever play the game. He would easily be number 1 on this list if I put Jordan on the SF list. He won 5 titles, winning 2 without Shaq to really solidify his place with the greats. He had 18 all star appearances and won the 2008 MVP. He was truly one of the all time greats.

3. Dwayne Wade-Heat

One of the best attributes a shooting guard can have is being able to play the “number 2” role. Shooting guards mostly play off the ball, hence the number two role. Dwayne Wade is the second best “number two” of all time (behind Scottie Pippen). He won 2 championships, a scoring title, and was a 13 time all star.

4. Clyde Drexler-Trail Blazers/Rockets

One often forgotten fact is that many great players in the Jordan era were overlooked, including Clyde Drexler. Just imagine this 5 year stretch in any other time period: 24.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.0 assists. He was a great player and is largely overlooked in the grander scheme of things, not to mention his 10 all star appearance, Dream Team gold medal, and his championship with the Rockets.

5. Reggie Miller-Pacers

I was deciding between Manu Ginobili and Reggie Miller, but since Miller started I gave him the nod. He is one of the best shooters in NBA history, and he is one of the most efficent scorers in NBA history. He has the numbers to back it up, and on top of that, a killer instinct matched by few ever to play. And that was never more evident then against the Knicks where he had one of the best performances ever in the NBA – 9 points in 8 seconds at the end of the game. He was inducted into the HOF, won an Olympic gold in 1996, and was 5 time all star.

Michigan had a big weekend, specifically at the linebacker position. They took two 4-star linebackers in Junior Colson and Jaydon Hood. I really like these two prospects; one reminds me of a Michigan standout, and the other is a truly unique prospect.

First, the initial commitment, Junior Colson. I think he is more of a unique talent. Michigan is recruiting him to play VIPER, so let me give you some fast facts about the position and tell me what you think. All three VIPERs have been 6 feet and 225, give or take a few pounds. Junior is already 6-2 and 228! He’ll probably add 10-15 lbs or so, and after that he would be 6-2 and roughly 240 lbs. Assuming he keeps the speed and athleticism he has now, he could develop into one of the best defensive weapons in the Big 10. One last thing about Junior is he has an amazing story, probably the best in this class. I’m going to post the link down here. It will take you like 5-10 min to read, but it will be worth it, Michigan fan or not. https://michigan.rivals.com/news/the-haitian-king-junior-colson-s-incredible-journey-from-haiti-to-michigan?ga_source=tm

Jaydon Hood commited on Memorial Day, and since then the Devin Bush comparison has been thrown around a lot. I’m stopping short of saying he’s the next Devin Bush, but I do see where the comparisons come from. He is always in attack mode; in some of his highlights his ability to shed blocks and sprint into the backfield actually do remind me of Devin Bush. He also has great pash rush ability, so another piece of the Devin Bush comparison puzzle. A 4 star linebacker out of St Thomas Aquinas (Fort Laurderdale, Fl), he actually had some surprising offers from Alabama, LSU, and Penn State. So when you have offers like that you know he’s a great prospect. I think he will sit behind someone for a few years and develop, and who knows? Maybe he will be the second coming of Devin Bush.

One player that I forgot to mention in the introduction was KeChaun Bennett, a 4 star defensive end. Michigan earned a commitment from him late last night, which really caught me off guard. I saw a crystal ball last week, but didn’t think much of it. Anyway, most of his game is reliant on speed. So I believe he’ll be a pass rush specialist at linebacker like Josh Uche. He stands at 6-4 and 220 lbs; Uche is 6-3 and 238lbs. I think he’ll be groomed behind Taylor Upshaw and David Ojabo and then released to be a great impact player at Michigan.

With that I’ll transition into the update and keep it to two things. I’ll start with something that is less important. Steve Wiltfong AND Allen Trieu crystal balled Donovan Edwards to Michigan. Now this is “major” for a few reasons, but the biggest one, in my opinion, is the fact these guys are NEVER wrong. Combined their records for crystal balls this year is 312/315. The crystal balls were probably put in because Harbaugh and Edwards have had a growing relationship, and a good relationship is one of the things that Edwards wants in a college. He’s a long way away from a decision, but I think he’ll develop a really strong bond with Harbaugh that will eventually lead him to Ann Arbor. Finishing out, I’m going to talk about Quintin Somerville. A defensive end that will play DE in college. He stands at 6-1 and 230. Here is what Blair Angulo had to say about him:

“Stocky build with broad shoulders and decent length. Smart pass-rusher with array of counter moves. Technically sound and maintains low pad level. Manages to get underneath blocks and uses strong lower half to push forward. Mobile and spry in pass-rush situations. Disengages from blocks and shows flexibility to bend in pursuit. Finishes plays in the backfield. Stays gap conscious in run support. Could improve overall athleticism and quickness off the edge. Potential to be a multi-year Power Five starter and future NFL Draft selection.”

Anyway a flood of crystal ball’s came in yesterday, including ones from Wiltfong and Sam Webb. (A quick note about Webb: I don’t think he puts crystal balls until Michigan tells him that a certain player is commited OR that is absolutely certain thats he’s going to Michigan or elsewhere). Anyway, my gut feeling is that he is silently commited. This is not really uncommon as Junior Colson was silently commited for over a month before he made it public. What silently commited means is that the player told the program that they are coming but hasn’t told the public. Somerville is set to announce on June 20th, so not anytime soon. But when he does, it will almost cetainly be Michigan. That will do it for today!

So with everybody drooling over “The Last Dance” lately, myself included, I thought it would be fun to do a who’s the best at each position blog. I’m going to do 5 at each position and we’ll see how it goes.

1.Magic Johnson-Lakers

There’s really no debate about this one, despite his God awful college choice. He won 5 NBA championships, 3 MVPs, and is the all time leader in assists. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame and remains around the game.

2. Isaiah Thomas-Pistons

You can disagree with me, but this came straight from the mouth of Michael Jordan, “Magic is 1, Isaiah is 2.” That’s pretty powerful coming from a bitter rival, and I agree. You can call me a Detroit homer, but the guy won 2 NBA championships and he had 10 all stars, and was snubbed of the Dream Team because Michael Jordan didn’t like him. Like Magic, he too was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

3. Oscar Robertson-Bucks/Kings

Labled the Triple-Double King, Oscar Robertson is only 1 of 2 players to average a triple double (Russel Westbrook). He was a 12 time all star, 11 time first team all NBA, Member of the Hall of Fame, and won the MVP. He might not be a household name, but he certainly is a top 5 point guard.

4. John Stockton-Jazz

Easily one of the best point guards to ever play the game. John Stockton was an assist machine, forming a powerhouse duo with Karl Malone that almost carried them to a NBA title. He was a member of the famed dream team, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, and was a 10 time all star.

5. Steph Curry-Warriors

I know this will be a questionable choice in some of your guy’s eyes, but let me explain. First, Curry has a shooting range that is rivaled by few ever to play the game. Curry has already won an MVP, and he has 6 all stars already and will probably have double digits by the time he’s done. He already has 3 championships and I don’t think he’s done.

Now it’s time for the weekly recruiting roundup. I’ll try to keep it on the shorter end because of the Point Guard thing and I don’t want to keep you here all night. Tonight we’re really going to focus on Junior Colson. Colson is a top 150 prospect by any ranking you choose. But by 247 composite (my personal favorite), he is ranked 116th, and even higher by the other main company, Rivals, at 83. He will be deciding this weekend essentially between Michigan and Tennesee, but he has some major offers like Oregon, LSU, and Penn State. I fully expect him to choose Michigan for a variety of reasons, but I got a major boost of confidence when Steve Wiltfong put in a crystal ball for Michigan with a confidence level of 8. Now before you blast me for just a crystal ball, Wiltfong has a 99.53% accuracy rate and talks to basically every recruit. Anyway, before I give you my thoughts here is what Barton Simmons, the director of scouting at 247, had to say about him:

“Slender, athletic build with length. Needs to add some mass at the next level and frame suggests the bulk will come. Former wide receiver that brings that kind of athleticism to the linebacker position. Loose hips and a natural in coverage. Good ball skills. Attractive as a nickel linebacker. Comfortable operating in space as a perimeter tackler. Good athlete that checks the combine testing box. Extremely productive on a one of the best teams in Tennessee. Sure tackler but not ferocious. Nothing jarring about point of attack physicality. More equipped to be an uncovered run and chase defender than a downhill box defender. Has flashed pass rush ability as a blitzer. Athletic traits and physical development points to an eventual Power Five impact starter with the potential to be a mid-to-late round NFL Draft talent.”

He said that Michigan is recruiting him to be a viper, which I think is a perfect fit for him as Barton said he could be a solid blitzer, a big part of a VIPER’s job. He also has some DB skills:https://twitter.com/EJHolland_TW/status/1262856579965124608

I think he plays really fast, some of his highlights (link below not above) almost remind me of Devin Bush. As you can see he is pretty athletic and could probably play safety as it is. He is an ideal fit for VIPER. I embeded some of Junior’s highlights below. I really like Junior as a player, and would be a great pickup on Sunday. That’s is all for today!

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/2823591/5d8029706e81590f5848ecae

It’s time for the weekly recruiting roundup! We’re going to start with the commitments that Michigan picked up over the weekend in Tyler McLaurin and Rod Moore. They are both high 3 star prospects, but before you roll your eyes at two 3 star takes, you need a bit of background. I think that Coronavirus did a diservice to both of these players as both of them are on the cusp of being a 4 star. Let me explain, there’s only so much evaluating you can do off of tape. You eventually need to get to a camp to get bumped up in the rankings. If they can get to a camp circut over the summer, they could both easily reach a 4 star. Also, Michigan is trending with a 4 star defensive tackle, George Rooks, which is great news because the nerdy Michigan fan knows that DT is a big position of need in this 2021 recruiting class. So George would be a nice grab for the class. Another piece of news is about Donovan Edwards. Him and Harbaugh had a facetime call that went really well. Here is a quote from an article by the Michigan Insider:

“I’m told the talented youngster stated plainly that he wanted to be a part of a class with some ballers in it. Because if I do decide to come to Michigan, I’m coming here to win a national championship and put Michigan back on the map. I hear that one fired Harbaugh up.”

Now, there is a hidden but major point of interest that I would like to point out. The sooner we get the Xavier Worthy and Junior Colson’s of the world, the better. Moving on, Michigan is trending big time on a top 150 (nationally) wide receiver, Cristian Dixon. He goes to perrenial football powerhouse Mater Dei in California. His height and weight is almost identical to DPJ coming out of high school, Dixon is just 6 lbs lighter. Now he’s not a 5 star, but a decent 4 star prospect none to less. This is his scouting report:

“Athletic build with length. Highly projectable frame to add size without sacrificing fluidity. Dynamic pass-catcher and down-field threat. Major nuisance on the outside. Physicality to overmatch defensive backs and technical enough to be a weapon over the middle. Short strider who is still refining technique, but has major potential. Decent top-end speed. Needs to get out of breaks quicker to become more consistent. Potential multi-year starter at the Power Five level and upside as NFL Draft Day 2 selection.” (via 247 sports)

Finishing out on a few last trimmings that are coming up. First, Xavier Worthy. I have mentioned him so much that at this point you’re probably like, Bryce shut up. But I think this guy is the real deal. Michigan got on him pretty early as a three star prospect, and I really liked him then. Anyway, as of late, his recruitment has blown up and he’s now a 4 star that’s still not done climbing up the rankings,schools like Bama and Georgia have now entered too. He is set to trim his list on June 6th, and I fully expect for Michigan to be in that top 6. He and Giles Jackson have really bonded, they have been tweeting at each other about his top list and Michigan. They have been playing Madden and things like that a lot together. I really like where Michigan stands in this one. Finally, to close out, top target Rocco Spindler is set to cut his list to 5 on May 22nd. Again, I expect Michigan to be in his top list too. The O-Linemen from Clarkson is, in most experts eyes, really down to Notre Dame and Michigan. I also like where Michigan stands in this one too. Thanks for reading!

I should start of by saying that I was kind of right. Yesterday, I said that Tyler McLaurin was a name to watch out for, and today he commited to the Wolverines. The high 3 star prospect commited to Michigan over Texas Tech, Michigan State, Iowa, and Nebraska. He is a versatile player, he could easily rush the quarterback, play in space, or play in the box. Next, a name that I forgot to mention, but I probably should have, was Rod Moore. Moore is another player that Michigan earned a commitment from on Sunday. The safety, who is teamates with Markus Allen, is literally 10-20 spots away from 4 star status. So getting him was a nice addition to the secondary. Now it’s time for the BGB Big 10 rankings.

14. Rutgers

Coming in at last place to no one’s surprise is Rutgers. They replace their head coach, but Greg Schiano returns to Rutgers after leaving the program (before they entered the Big 10) after almost a decade at Rutgers. Schiano doesn’t get to see what he has until the summer. They did get some significant wins in the transfer portal and surpirsingly have a top 20 2021 recruiting class early. But with not a whole lot of returning talent on the roster and in a division that allows no slip ups, 2020 will most likely be like every year for Rutgers.

13. Maryland

Last year the Mike Locksley era strated off with a bang, including a brief climb into the top 25. After that, though, their only win of the year was Rutgers. But they had a positive offseason with a fairly impressive recruiting class headlined by 5 star receiver Rakim Jarrett. The QB situation isn’t good, however, with most likely 3 quarterbacks getting at least 1 start in the season, not to mention a difficult schedule. This season won’t be a good one for the Terps.

12. Michigan State

2020 is not Michigan State’s year by any means. They had to hire a coach after the coaching carosuel ended. They lost almost all of their defensive production. Their quarterback is also going to have no game expeirience, and only the hardcore Spartan fan would know who he was. I would say the floor for this team is 3-12, and the ceiling is 6-7. Frankly, Year 1 of Mel Tucker won’t be pretty.

11. Illinois

After a flash in the pan last year, I believe that Illinois is back to their old ways of losing, only now with the face of the team being headlined by our old friend, Brandon Peters. They had a surprising 7-6 year last year, but with a probable 1-2 record against their East division opponents (Ohio State, Indiana, and Rutgers) to go along with an already somewhat tough west, I think the goal is to make a bowl game – not to take the next step forward.

10. Purdue

Last year was a bad year for the Boilermakers, but they did hold off Louisville for Jeff Brohm. If star receiver Rondale Moore can stay healthy and EDGE George Karlaftis can take the next step after a promising freshman campaign, Purdue could have a less fustrating year. The defensive side of the ball, however, isn’t great, and their QB has never been great. If their defense was half as good as say Michigan or Wisconsin, then they could come in much higher.

9. Nebraska

At this point I’m not going to believe it until I see it. After 2 wildly disappointing seasons, the Nebraska hype train needs to cool off. We’re entering year 3 with Adrian Martinez at QB, but the offense only ranked 55th last year. Their defense, however, was even worse, though! It ranked 64th last year. Nebraska is a fairly talented team, they just need to turn that talent into production.

8. Northwestern

While 2019 was downright awful for the Wildcats, I see a little bit of a bounceback year for them. With former Indiana QB Peyton Ramsey now there along with Hunter Johnson, a former 5 star, the quarteback position should be better this year. This will complement a strong running back room headlined by Isaiah Bowser. The Cats won’t be great, but they won’t be a pushover.

7. Indiana

Indiana had a surprisingly good year last year, but could not cap off the season with a bowl win putting them at 8-5. They had their best year ever since 1993, and now they are looking to take the next step forward. They lost Peyton Ramsey to Northwestern via the transfer portal, but they insert Michael Penix, Jr. Penix is a player to watch for next year; he started 6 games last year before losing his job to injury. They will lose the games they’re supposed to lose – Michigan, Penn State, etc – but I think a repeat of last year’s 8 wins is not out of the picture.

6. Iowa

Iowa is replacing a lot! They lose 3 year starter Nate Stanley, their best tackle, and their best edge rusher. But they do have up and coming star running back Tyler Goodson to go along with a slew of returning receiver, including our old friend Oliver Martin. Iowa also has a decent defense returning. So the Hawkeyes will probably be the stingy team they always seem to be.

5. Minnesota

Minnesota was a breakout team in 2019 thanks to a lot of NFL talent on both sides of the ball. The Gophers upset Penn State and Auburn for headliner wins, but change is coming. They lost their OC to Penn State, and other key assistants elsewhere. Minnesota has a decent amount of players returning, headlined by Reshod Bateman, a probable 2021 first round pick. But they must replace key players like Tyler Johnson and Antoine Winfield Jr., their best defensive player.

4. Wisconsin

Wisconsin will be a good team, but not as good. This pretty much all stems from my faith (or lack there of, to be more clear) in Jack Coan. I believe he relied heavily on Jonathan Taylor and was a primary play action pass quarterback. With Jonathan Taylor and Quintez Cephus gone (Coan’s favorite target), not to mention they losing most of their seasoned defensive starters, I think Coan will have a down year. But Wisconsin always has a way of winning, and they have some returning playmakers, so they won’t be bad. Just not as good as the Rose Bowl team a year ago.

2b. Michigan

I skipped over 3 for a reason – I couldn’t decide between Penn State or Michigan at 3, so I put them at 2a and 2b. Michigan has a running back room oozing with talent to go along with a group of receivers that is either a established player (dare I say a star) like Nico Collins and Ronnie Bell, or an emerging star like Giles Jackson, Mike Sainristil, and Corneilius Johnson. Their defense should be a good unit, too, and possibly fantastic depending on the development of players like Dax Hill, Chris Hinton, Michael Barrett, etc. I think the difference between a 9-4 season and an 11-2 season is the QB position. If Milton develops, he could deliver an extraordinary season, and the same could be said for McCaffrey. So development of the QBs will be a big factor.

2a. Penn State

The reason I gave Penn State the 2a nod is the security at the QB position. Sean Clifford is more established than Milton and McCaffrey, but if Milton and McCaffrey reach their full potential, then they could easily surpass Clifford. Anyway, Penn State also has a fantastic running back room headlined by Journey Brown, who showed flashes of a big time back late in the season. Pat Friermuth also returns as a Jake Butt production-esque tight end. I think the season lies with WRs and the DBs. The loss of Justin Shorter really hurt, and KJ Hamler left for the draft. Their DBs were a big weak spot last year, and while I don’t know much of who’s back there now, I know they lost their best cornerback to the draft. Their front 7 should be solid, though, headlined by Micah Parsons.

1. Ohio State

Frankly, there’s not much hope this year to end the OSU death grip on the Big 10. Justin Fields returns and seems primed for a Heisman run. Ohio State brings back their 2 best receivers and adds 2 five star receivers to their arsenal. However, I don’t think they will be as much of a complete team this year. They lost a lot of defensive talent to the NFL, and with COVID, the defense might not be as great with limited practice time. The running back room also won’t be as great with the loss of JK Dobbins, and I don’t think injury riddled Trey Sermon is the answer. Ohio State might be like LSU, a high flying offense that is 4 and 5 wide most of the time. I don’t think they will be as good as LSU was, though, because of the defense. But unfortunately, they will still probably win the Big 10.

Today I’m going to introduce you to a thing I’m going to do from now on called Bryce’s weekly recruting update. Basically, I’m going to tell you every thing I’ve heard on some of Michigan’s top targets. It could be anything from a new commitment, closing in on a commitment, players cutting their lists, or even just a lousy peice of news. So today I’m going to start of with Andrel Anthony. Today the highly coveted 3 star receiver cut his list to ten schools.

I would say right now Michigan is the favorite with the biggest threats being Michigan State, Notre Dame, and Penn State. Another thing is 3 star linebacker, Tyler McLaurin, recently cut his list to 5 and has been trending with Michigan; I don’t know how close we are to sealing the deal. I wouldn’t be surprised if he does, in fact, commit some time soon. Another piece of news is that I recently learned that 4 star linebacker Junior Colson will be announcing his decision in the month of may. I learned this through EJ Holland’s podcast where he had talked to Junior. However, he didn’t say the exact date. Next, Corey Kiner might be announcing Monday. The reason I say might is that he posted a tweet that read “Monday is the funday” and someone on 247 or Rivals said that was his decision date. The 4 star running back had Michigan high on his list and as of late he has been trending with LSU, which came out of no where with the 2 front runners being Michigan and Cinncinati. If he does choose to go elsewhere, it would be a shame because he would really compliment Donovan Edwards nicely with his style running, being more of a power back while Edwards being a more explosive and dynamic back. On that note, not much has really changed in Edwards recruitment. With what I can tell, Michigan slighty edges over Georgia for the driver’s seat. However, Georgia is closing in on a commitment from another top 50 running back. Which if they land him, they could involuntary leave Edward’s recruiting, like Ohio State did, which would help Michigan instrumentally. However, that could leave the door open for Oklahoma and/or Penn State to step in, two kind of dark horses so to speak, but all in all that would help Michigan. Lastly, I’m going to give you a list of players to watch that are on commitment watch.

Junior Colson- 126th nationally, LB- Crystal Ball: 100% Michigan

As I mentioned before he will commit this month and Michigan is definitely in the driver seat with the only minor threat being the home state Tennessee.

Drew Kendall-110th nationally, OG- Crystal Ball: 75% Michigan/ 25% Undecided

The pipeline to Massachusetts continues. A Boston College legacy, BC was in the driver’s sear for most of the recruitment processm but the turning point was really when Casey Phinney commited. Phinney is Kendall’s best friend and then Kendall really started liking Michigan. A really high academic kid, his top schools include Duke, Virginia, Boston College, and, of course, Michigan. He is rumored to be commiting in May so watch out for him.

Xavier Worthy- 208th nationally, WR- Crystal Ball: 100% Michigan (there’s only one)

Compared to Desean Jackson, Worthy is a blazer. He has decent size (6-1) to go along with his elite speed. Michigan was on him really early as a low 3 star prospect, but he has recently been flying up national rankings, climbing up all the way to a no-doubt-about-it 4 star. He recently released a top 6 including Michigan, but that has seemed to change a little bit. Michigan is one of his favorites due to the strong relationships that he has built within the program, especially Giles Jackson, a fellow Californian. We would probably need to get him on campus to seal the deal, but they have sealed many commitments withouts visits. So his strong relationship with the program could do it for the Wolverines.

Tell me if you liked this edition of BGB. Send me a text, email, or comment below whether I should keep doing Bryce’s Recruiting Update.

1. We go undefeated at home.

When you think about it, they could easily do this. When you look at the home schedule for the year, it’s not impossible with games against Ball State, Arkansas State, Wisconsin, Penn State, Purdue, Maryland, and Indiana. Wisconsin and Penn State games are the only ones I’m remotely worried about, but that series tends to favor the home team. Not to mention that both teams are losing the player on their roster that primarily killed Michigan last year, with Jonathan Taylor and KJ Hamler.

2. We have a 10 win season.

This is not really a surprise because it basically happens every other year. It’s even possible that they are 11-1 – not likely – but it could happen. They got a very favorable draw in the west with Purdue and Minnesota. I really don’t think Minnesota is that great. If you look at their schedule last year, they played nobody until Penn State, and excluding that game they lost to every good team they played. It is always tough to play on the road, so we’ll see. I already touched on the home schedule, and our road games aren’t backbreaking either with MSU, Rutgers, Washington, Minnesota, and Ohio State. We should easily beat 3 of the 5. I don’t think they beat Ohio State, but I hope I’m wrong. The other possible loss is a slip up at Washington/Minnesota. I think Minnesota is more likely because, I kid you not, Washington replaces a head coach, OC, DC, Quarterback, Tight End, Center, and Running Back. So honestly now thinking about it we should win that game too. My bold prediction is that we go 10-2/11-1 and go to a New Year’s Six.

3. Michigan wins their New Year’s Six bowl game

I think that Michigan could win their bowl game, if they’re not playing a Florida team finally! I wish we could tell “The Committee” that Michigan playing *insert random Florida team here* is fun for no one because it happens every year. For the first time under Harbaugh, Michigan has a 12 win season. I believe that, barring major injuries, Ohio State will make the playoffs, and because we beat Wisconsin and Penn State that Michigan gets the grand daddy of them all. Now this would make a phenomenal season, but remember these are BOLD predictions.