The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/144506
michigan recruiting Barbecue At The Big House The Rich Rodriguez era was painful for Michigan fans. Very few positives came out of it. One plus, though, is a new tradition started in 2010 that continues into the Brady Hoke tenure: the annual Barbecue at The Big House recruiting event. While BBQ purists point out that it's technically a "cookout" not a "barbecue," the nomenclature hasn't BBQ Expected Visitors prevented Michigan Prospect ClassPos.Hometown from experiencing 2015 DL Detroit Josh Alabi plenty of success 2014 TE Hinsdale, Ill. with the prospects Ian Bunting George Campbell 2015 WR Tarpon Springs, Fla. that attend. Freddy Canteen 2014 WR Elkton, Md. In recent years, the Brian Cole 2015 WR Saginaw, Mich. event's focus has Mason Cole 2014 OL Tarpon Springs, Fla. 2015 CB Lakewood, Ohio shifted slightly, with Shaun Crawford 2015 Ath Downers Grove, Ill. the rising senior David Edwards 2014 LB St. Clairsville, Ohio class mostly full by Michael Ferns late July in all three Desmond Fitzpatrick 2016 WR Farmington, Mich. 2014 LB Kenton, Ohio Noah Furbush recruiting classes un- Sterling Jenkins 2015 OL Pittsburgh der Brady Hoke. The Drake Harris 2014 WR Grand Rapids, Mich. committed prospects Justin Hilliard 2015 LB Cincinnati get a chance to inter- Lawrence Marshall 2014 DE Southfield, Mich. 2014 DT Naples, Fla. act with each other in Brady Pallante* 2016 OL Petoskey, Mich. person (and in many Tommy Roush 2014 QB Richmond, Va. cases, meet for the Wilton Speight 2016 OL Downers Grove, Ill. Erik Swenson first time), while the Brandon Watson 2014 CB Elkton, Md. uncommitted roster Maurice Ways 2014 WR Beverly Hills, Mich. is heavier on under- Mike Weber 2015 RB Detroit classmen. Chase Winovich 2014 LB Jefferson Hills, Pa. There are still some U-M commitments in italics; Pallante is a 2014 greyshirt commitkey rising seniors ment who will join the team in 2015. in attendance. Last year's event included five-star running back Derrick Green, who bonded with the 2013 commitments and eventually joined them in the class Jan. 26, nearly six months later. He's the most highly regarded prospect to commit to Michigan after the barbecue. Last year's event also led to an immediate commitment from St. Clairsville (Ohio) linebacker Michael Ferns. Though he was just entering his junior year, Ferns immediately took over as the ringleader for his class's recruiting effort. This year's expected visitors (see chart) include most of the committed 2014 prospects and both committed 2015 prospects.