Category: Recruiting

2021 4-star CB building strong relationship with Michigan, Mike Zordich

Wolverines DB coach Mike Zordich is making strong in-roads with the rising, versatile 4-star defensive back.

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Despite the state of the country at the moment due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, Michigan football recruiting is in full swing.

One area that has been recently been overshadowed by the various offensive linemen and offensive skill players being pursued is Mike Zordich’s efforts with the defensive backs. And that’s an area where the Wolverines are making in-roads with some top flight prospects.

Among them is 2021 Camden (NJ) four-star Darian “Duce” Chestnut, rated as the No. 131 player overall by Rivals, regardless of position. Michigan has had success recruiting the Philadelphia suburb with former Camden natives Cesar Ruiz and Brad Hawkins joining the maize and blue, albeit both finished their high school careers elsewhere.

Though he’s quite highly-rated, Chestnut is a player that hasn’t been mentioned often in conjunction with Michigan, though Zordich and the Wolverines are recruiting him as hard as anyone, along with Syracuse, Michigan State, West Virginia, Louisville, Old Dominion, NC State and East Carolina.

As far as his game is concerned, Chestnut told WolverinesWire what he brings to the table and why teams are increasingly after him so hard.

“I’m a true shutdown corner,” Chestnut said. “I’m a versatile player. I can play safety, nickel, corner, I can play it all. I’m a playmaker on the field whenever a play’s needed. I make the answer.”

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Given his versatility, Chestnut isn’t seeking out a particular scheme as much as he’s just looking for a team that recognizes his inherent value.

That said, he brings a little something to the table no matter what a defense runs in the defensive backfield.

“That’s what’s good about my game,” Chestnut said. “I can play cover 2 base corner, I can play in man-to-man, press corner. I can do whatever you need me to do, so it doesn’t really matter the scheme of the defense.”

At the moment, Chestnut and Zordich are continuing to build upon a solid foundation, relationship-wise.

As they continue to bond, Chestnut is learning more and more about what he can bring to Ann Arbor and vice versa. He hasn’t visited yet, but he told WolverinesWire that he’s looking to once the coronavirus ‘stay at home’ measures are lifted.

“We’ve got a great relationship,” Chestnut said. “He’s just been telling me the ins and outs about Michigan, how I fit in the scheme and how I fit with everything together. It’s a big opportunity for me to go to Michigan. He’s been telling me good things about Michigan.”

So what’s the most important things that Chestnut is looking for at the next level?

Well, he’s hoping to find a home that will help him get to the next level yet, and one that truly feels like they could have a mutually beneficial relationship.

“The best opportunity to be a player or the best opportunity to help me get to the next level, which is get to the league,” Chestnut said. “Just a school that wants me, that really wants me and gives me an opportunity to play.”

According to Rivals, Chestnut is rated as the No. 8 cornerback in the country and fourth-best player hailing from the state of New Jersey.

Watch his junior film below:

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Notre Dame: Biggest Rival’s Quarterback to Transfer

Now Daniels has entered the transfer-portal, the result of an unfortunate injury last fall.  That led to the emergence of Kedon Solvis who looked great as a freshman in 2019 and certainly played a role in Daniels announcing his decision to enter the portal on Thursday.

JT Daniels was a big-time USC pick-up a few years back as the five-star quarterback chose the Trojans over the rest of the litter which included offers from Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame, Stanford and plenty of others.  He made an unofficial visit to South Bend before committing to USC.

Now Daniels has entered the transfer-portal, the result of an unfortunate injury last fall.  That led to the emergence of Kedon Solvis who looked great as a freshman in 2019 and certainly played a role in Daniels announcing his decision to enter the portal on Thursday.

Just because Daniels has entered the transfer portal doesn’t mean that he is 100% out at USC.  He could exit the portal and stay with the program, but I’d bet against that.  For reference, Daniels threw for

Does Notre Dame make sense for Daniels?

Daniels will have three years of eligibility remaining, having used a year of eligibility only in 2018 at USC.  I’m always for competition for starting spots and that steel sharpens steel, but with Tyler Buchner already committed and Drew Pyne in the 2020 class it’s hard for me to imagine Notre Dame pushing too hard.  Stranger things have happened but I’d be very surprised to see the Irish pursue this former rival, even if I don’t have a problem with more competition at the most important position.

Where does he go then?

Assuming health, which can get you in trouble, he’ll have his pick of plenty of top programs.  One of those top programs just happens to be coming fresh off a national championship and showed what they could pull off with a transfer quarterback who is about to go first overall in the NFL Draft.  Yeah, I’m guessing LSU for Daniels, as unoriginal of thought as it may be.  Figure to be plenty of players here, though.

 

Kelly Using the Notre Dame Education as a Recruiting Tool

Brian Kelly joined Colin Cowherd and spoke on a variety of topics, including finding the right academic and athletic recruiting fits.

There has always been the idea that the academic minded schools can’t compete with others due to the high entrance standards, which holds them back in recruiting. Honestly, that argument doesn’t hold much water at all, as Stanford has won the Directors Cup (awarded to the school who have the most successful overall athletic programs) pretty much every year of its existence.

Today, Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly joined Colin Cowherd on his program “The Herd” and covered a variety of topics, one of them being the difficulty of having to be more academically minded when recruiting high level athletes. Kelly’s response was very telling on how he handles mixing academics with recruiting, the recruit needs to “understand the value of that education and what a Notre Dame degree will do for them 40 years down the road… so, we have to be able to go from Washington state to Washington, DC, to find those young men that understand the 4 for 40, four years in 40 years. In other words, that this degree is going to give you an opportunity to open doors for 40 years. Then also have a chance to be in the playoffs and have a run at a championship.”

Finding the right mix is extremely important for Notre Dame recruits, having them understand the tradition of wearing the Blue and Gold, upholding the high standards, finding recruits that fit the mold is not easy. Kelly has done a remarkable job at it however, as his recruiting classes has been stellar since taking over the Irish program, his lowest national ranking being 17th in 2012 and last year, currently having a Top 5 class for the 2021 cycle. Blending academics and athletics on the recruiting trail has been an area that Kelly has excelled at.

Is the G League a potential route for Texas target Greg Brown?

Greg Brown more than likely will be a one and done prospect. Could he see the positives in foregoing the college experience and turning pro?

College basketball took a major blow on Thursday when five-star combo guard Jalen Green announced he would be turning professional to play in the NBA G-League. The number three overall prospect in the 247Sports Composite chose the professional route instead of heading to either Memphis or Auburn.

According to The Athletic and Stadium’s Shams Charania, the G-League is looking to create a team in Los Angeles to help high school prospects “focus on development and preparation for NBA.”

Shortly after Green made his announcement, it was reported that former Michigan commit Isaiah Todd would be joining the Los Angeles based team as well.

This now has begun a trend where some of the best high school prospects skip out on college basketball to pursuit their dreams of playing in the NBA.

Before Green and Todd, there was RJ Hampton of Little Elm, TX, who also turned professional. Hampton relocated to New Zeland to play in the National Basketball League. The fifth-ranked player in the 2019 class chose professional basketball instead of the likes of Kansas, Duke, and Texas Tech.

Even players who did decide to enroll at a school ended up leaving early in the year to pursue their professional careers. When former No. 1 overall recruit James Wiseman got in some trouble with the NCAA, he left Memphis to prepare himself for the NBA Draft. He appeared in three games.

For Texas, all eyes are now focused on Greg Brown, the five-star small forward. Brown has been rumored to be heading to Texas recently, but with the recent trend of highly-rated prospects going pro, there could be worry for Shaka Smart.

The Austin native more than likely will be a one and done prospect, leaving whichever school he chooses after one season. Could Brown see the positives in spending his one season before the NBA Draft as a professional?

With Green making a reported $500,000 next season, it would be difficult for anyone, let alone an 18-year-old, to turn down a significant paycheck.

At the moment, Brown is scheduled to make his announcement on April 24. 247Sports’ Crystal Ball is 100% towards Texas, mainly due to the Longhorns deciding to keep Smart for at least one more season.

If Brown was to pick the collegiate route and pick Texas, it would be a major bolster to the 2020-2021 team, who looks primed to make a run towards the NCAA Tournament.

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Riley Mahlman selected to play in the 2021 All-American Bowl

The 2021 OT is currently the only Badger recruit to have been named to the All-American Bowl in 2021

2021 Wisconsin commit Riley Mahlman will officially participate in the 2021 All-American Bowl per his Twitter account.

The 6-7 offensive tackle is one of the highest-ranked players in Wisconsin’s class of 2021. According to 247sports, the Minnesota native is the number one ranked player in his home state and a top-20 OT nationally. Mahlman chose the Badgers over a plethora of Big Ten offers that included Iowa, Michigan State, and Minnesota.

Mahlman is currently the only Badger to be named to the game. The 2021 All-American Bowl will take place on January 9th in San Antonio.

Five-star players skipping college basketball helps Wisconsin in the short-term, but what does it mean for college basketball in the long run?

How the recent news about Jalen Green and Isaiah Todd going to the NBA G-League changes the landscape of college basketball

Recently, I wrote about the Wisconsin basketball identity that does not involve one-and-done, five-star players.  The identity of the Badgers is about players who stay, build, and grow with each other as college basketball players. We will hopefully see the positive results of that process play out this season, a year where the Badgers will have serious pre-season hype.

Over the past decade, most high-profile programs have operated differently than UW. There has been the need to adapt within the one-and-done era. The past few days have altered that era forever. This morning, one of the top prospects in college basketball Jalen Green announced his decision to play for the brand new NBA G-League select team according to ESPN. Green is a likely top-3 pick in next year’s NBA draft, and chose the new G-League option over the likes of Memphis and Auburn.

The NBA felt that they needed to compete with the NBL, a league in Australia that has seen top 2020 prospects Lamelo Ball and RJ Hampton choose them over the NCAA or other pro alternatives. This select team was their way of competing. Former NBA player and current NBA G-League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim confirmed that to ESPN in a piece earlier today.  “The NBA is the best development system in the world, and those players shouldn’t have to go somewhere else to develop for a year,” he said to ESPN.

The brand new NBA G-League select team that Green will be a part of is not exactly just another G-League team. The NBA G-League has long been the development league of the NBA, similar to other development leagues around pro sports. This select team would look very different than your average NBA farm squad. While we do not have every detail just yet, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Adrian Wojnarowski provided early details today via Twitter.

Essentially, the NBA wants to be the best development option for young players that also pays them a competitive salary in comparison to the rest of the world. There has already been a shockwave sent through the Big Ten because of this new initiative. Two days ago,  2020 Michigan commit and five-star recruit Isaiah Todd told Sports Illustrated that he was hiring an agent and turning pro. Today, we learned where he would be playing pro.

From a Wisconsin perspective this is a short-term win. Other Big Ten teams and perennial powerhouses around the country lose out on five-star talent that the Badgers would not have likely gone after/landed in the first place. Despite that, this is a scary proposition for the NCAA as a whole in the long-term. Sure, an NBA G-League select team can never have March Madness, thousands of fans screaming at Cameron Indoor Stadium at Duke, or the type of love that comes with playing for your dream school. With that being said, $500,000 and training from actual NBA personnel with consistent, guaranteed looks from NBA teams is hard to pass up. The reality of the situation is that these players have the goal of signing massive NBA contracts, and they should absolutely be encouraged to take the path that best gets them there. Playing overseas in a professional league against grown men in the NBL is a different level of threat to the NCAA than playing with NBA personnel in an environment catered to their growth. Oh, and the half a million dollars does not hurt either.

Yes, this helps the Badgers in the short-term, but the NBA G-League select team should rattle the NCAA to its core. The changes that the NBA is making will push the NCAA in directions that could include serious discussions of player payment. Todd and Green are not unicorns in this situation. They are going to be the new norm for a handful of top college basketball players. The one thing that we know for sure is that if the NBA G-League select team succeeds, which all signs point to, then the NCAA will be forced to make major structural change. The events of this past week could be the catalyst that changes college basketball forever.

Tennessee offers 2022 Florida safety Tre Donaldson

Tennessee offers 2022 Florida safety Tre Donaldson.

Tennessee football has walked into Seminole country, and offered safety Tre Donaldson from Tallahassee, Florida to be a part of the Vols’ 2022 recruiting class.

Donaldson is a 6-foot-2, 185-pound safety at Florida State University School, right in the Seminoles’ backyard.

Although Donaldson is right next door, Florida State has yet to offer the 2022 safety. Rival Florida, however, has extended an offer, along with Georgia Tech and Nebraska.

Donaldson does not yet have a rating on major recruiting services, but is being given high priority in his class as defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley is assigned as his primary recruiter.

UT does not yet have any players committed to the 2022 recruiting class.

Which Notre Dame Commit Does Recruiting Analyst Believe Should be Ranked Higher?

With updated recruiting rankings come some consternation between analysts, one who believes a Notre Dame commit should be ranked higher.

Although California QB and Notre Dame commit Tyler Buchner was elevated from a 4-star to a 5-star yesterday, 247Sports recruiting analyst Greg Biggins believes the star signal caller isn’t rated high enough. He thinks that Buchner deserved a higher bump than just moving up one spot in their newly released Top 247.

Biggins said, “If there is a player I think may have deserved a bigger jump, it was probably Notre Dame quarterback commit Tyler Buchner.” The national analyst for 247Sports thinks there was just one question surrounding Buchner’s ranking, the question surrounding how he looks against top level talent, as he missed the majority of his sophomore season due to injury. Last year was a banner one statistically for Buchner, completing 66% of his passes for 4,474 yards with 53 touchdowns and just 6 picks.

The move to La Mesa High School for his senior year is seen as an opportunity to prove himself with the higher competition level. At the camp level Buchner impressed Biggins as he saw him “at the Elite 11 Regional Camp last month and he checked off everything I wanted to see. He has a strong, athletic frame, live arm, tigher release then a year ago and improve accuracy as well.”

Buchner is the highest ranked commit in Brian Kelly’s 2021 class and if Biggins is correct, he could continue his rise nationally in the rankings. We will all be watching how Buchner fares at his new school, as he will have an opportunity to be the starter in his first year on campus as Senior Ian Book moves on. Buchner will have to battle Brendon Clark and Drew Pyne for the starting spot.

Alabama pursuing 2022 4-star CB Tayon Holloway

Four-star cornerback Tayon Holloway out of Virginia Beach (Va.) landed an offer from Alabama on Wednesday.

Four-star cornerback Tayon Holloway joined several other players on Wednesday in announcing that they had landed an offer from the University of Alabama.

The Virginia Beach (Va.) native took to Twitter to share the news:

In addition to Holloway, several other top recruits for the 2022 class, including running back Le’Veon Moss, wide receiver Shazz Preston, Dani Dennis-Sutton and fellow cornerback Laterrance Welch, shared the news of their offers.

Holloway is an interesting prospect. Currently at 5-foot-11, 170-pounds, the need to continue to add some length and overall size is there. But considering he was only a sophomore this past season, there’s no reason to believe that he can’t make that growth.

According to the 247Sports composite rankings, Holloway is rated as the No. 183 overall player, No. 22 cornerback and No. 9 player from the state of Virginia.

Alabama is now the second SEC school to offer the Green Run High School standout, joining Tennessee, who offered him back in March of 2019.

Here is what Brian Dohn with 247Sports had to say about Holloway:

Long, lean frame with good length. Can easily add 15 to 20 pounds without impacting skill set. Loose hips and smooth athlete. Transitions easily from backpedal to running with receiver. Does best work as field corner. Has speed to track on long crossing patterns. Gets out of breaks on receiver’s hip. Possesses closing speed. Good ball skills. Comfortable in backpedal. Has to add strength. Must improve on jam ability to re-route receiver. Must become bigger factor in run game. Multi-year starter at Top 20 program. Day 3 NFL draft potential.

Nick Saban has always preferred his cornerbacks, especially on the perimeter, to have a lot of length, so despite the fact the more mass is needed, Holloway is already looking like he’ll have the body type Alabama looks for at the position.

Stay tuned for more recruiting updates on Holloway and other top Alabama targets from Roll Tide Wire, part of USA TODAY Sports!

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2022 4-star SDE Dani Dennis-Sutton gets Alabama offer

Four-star strong-side defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton was one of the latest to land an offer from the University of Alabama.

Dani Dennis-Sutton is one of the latest top high school prospects to receive an offer from Nick Saban and the University of Alabama.

On Wednesday night, the McDonogh High School stand out, who is part of the 2022 recruiting class, took to Twitter to announce the news:

The 6-foot-5, 250-pound strong-side defensive end out of Owings Mills (Md.) is one of the nation’s top prospects at his position.

According to the 247Sports composite rankings, Dennis-Sutton checks in as a four-star prospect while also being rated as at top 100 player (No. 99 overall). In addition, he is also rated as the No. 10 strong-side defensive and No. 4 player from the state of Maryland.

Rivals.com also has him ranked as a four-star prospect while an impressive 6.0 rating, but they don’t have a numerical ranking for the 2022 class yet.

In addition to his offer from the Crimson Tide, Dennis-Sutton is also being pursued by several other top football programs such as Georgia, Florida, Michigan, Notre Dame and Oklahoma.

Stay tuned for more recruiting updates on Dennis-Sutton and other top prospects from Roll Tide Wire, part of USA TODAY Sports!

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