The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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2012 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE RECRUITING NOTES Michigan Lands Two Late Commits I a few days prior to Feb. 1. The Wol- verines had struck out on Puyallup, Wash., lineman Joshua Garnett, who picked Stanford; Lakewood, Ohio, tight end Sam Grant, who chose Okla- homa; and West Roxbury, Mass., cor- nerback Armani Reeves, who signed with Ohio State. Potential signees were limited in t looked like Michigan was on pace for a ho-hum recruiting finish just number, and it seemed the Wolverines might finish with just their 23 existing commitments. Head coach Brady Hoke and com- pany, however, had a couple aces up their sleeves. Cleveland Glenville three-star defensive tackle Willie Henry visited Ann Arbor the week- end of Jan. 27 and committed to Mich- igan shortly after returning home. The 6-3, 275-pounder is the No. 59 pros- pect in the state of Ohio according to Rivals.com. Then on the eve of National Signing saw several players in each recruit- ing class decommit from Michigan, Brady Hoke's 2012 class witnessed the decommitments of three players. Even the 2011 class, which marked the transition between the Rodriguez and Hoke eras, saw only five players decommit from Michigan. Lyndhurst (Ohio) Brush tight end/ After the Rich Rodriguez tenure THREE PROSPECTS CHANGE THEIR MIND defensive end Pharaoh Brown was the first player to decommit from Michigan. The four-star recruit, who is ranked as the No. 3 tight end na- tionally and the No. 8 player in Ohio by Rivals.com, officially visited Or- egon in November, at which time Michigan's coaches told him that they would no longer consider him a com- mitment. Brown eventually signed with the Ducks. The second player to decommit Day, Detroit Martin Luther King run- ning back Dennis Norfleet received an offer and chose to switch his commit- ment from Cincinnati to Michigan. He is not as large as a traditional running back, standing just 5-7 and 170 pounds, but his quickness led Rivals.com to rate him as a four-star prospect, the No. 5 all-purpose back in the country and the No. 236 overall player nationally. He is also considered the No. 6 senior in Michigan. Those two became commitments No. 24 and No. 25 for Michigan, and recruiting may not be completely Recruit Running back Dennis Norfleet, who rushed for 2,033 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior for Detroit Martin Luther King, switched his commitment from Cincinnati to Michigan on National Signing Day. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM wrapped up, either. Castle Rock (Colo.) Valor Christian offensive line- man Alex Kozan committed to Iowa in the hours before National Signing Day, but has not signed a national let- ter of intent, and may be wavering on the Hawkeyes. Michigan and Auburn are the other schools in contention for a late addition to their classes. OL Ben Braden LB Kaleb Ringer Commitment Timeline Commitment Date LB Royce Jenkins-Stone TE A.J. Williams TE Devin Funchess LB Joe Bolden LB James Ross DE Mario Ojemudia DT Matthew Godin DB Terry Richardson DB Allen Gant OL Erik Magnuson DE Tom Strobel March 24, 2011 April 12, 2011 April 16, 2011 April 22, 2011 April 22, 2011 April 29, 2011 May 2, 2011 May 7, 2011 May 12, 2011 May 19, 2011 May 31, 2011 June 10, 2011 June 10, 2011 Recruit DB Jeremy Clark OL Blake Bars DB Jarrod Wilson OL Kyle Kalis FB Sione Houma DE Christopher Wormley DT Ondre Pipkins RB Drake Johnson WR Amara Darboh WR Jehu Chesson DT Willie Henry RB Dennis Norfleet from Michigan was Crete (Ill.) Monee cornerback Anthony Standifer. Michi- gan and Standifer mutually parted ways in late November. Although the three-star cornerback is no longer headed for Michigan, he bears no ill will toward the Wolverines, and his decommitment won't hurt U-M in its quest to land his junior teammate, wide receiver Laquon Treadwell. Standifer had not signed with any school as of mid-February. Cincinnati Oak Hills offensive lineman Caleb Stacey decommitted from Michigan in January, and chose to pledge to the hometown Bearcats Commitment Date June 24, 2011 June 26, 2011 July 7, 2011 July 10, 2011 July 25, 2011 July 31, 2011 Aug. 8, 2011 Nov. 10, 2011 Dec. 4, 2011 Dec. 21, 2011 Jan. 31, 2012 Feb. 1, 2012 MARCH 2012 THE WOLVERINE 33