Mon AM TJBlog: Tally Ho
First a final look back at the Gang of Three
These were out-or-area kids - two of whom we always saw as uphill battles - Garnett and Reeves
---- in both cases it was 'family apron-strings' that were insurmountable ... so be it.
---- we did briefly go "over 50-50" for Reeves as we were following his decision process, day by day, as best as we could -- after the Mattison visit there was a period where Michigan made-sense to him ... but then the "ties" came back in, and we tracked that for you. U-M did make up a lot of ground here (going back to spring, when Reeves and Williams visited but weren't offered, creating hard feelings {remember, the kids were even saying at the time that they WERE offered when thy weren't ... so there was that ground to make up as well ...}.
Kozan -- we, as Michigan reporters, never got a feel on that one (but, BTW, the Iowa folks DID have somewhat of a feel with the kid all-along), so we never put him over 50-50.
*For those now saying: " Hoke can't close" -- those are just haters waiting to pop out of their dark, dark holes -- ignore them. Every case, every recruitment is different, with different factors involved. And Hoke IS a natural recruiter, always has been.
*However, I for one will not say, "these kids aren't that good, no big loss" because (i) U-M wanted them badly, and (ii) it's not true anyway.
So ... it's been a rough 3 days - U-M wanted these kids, they didn't get them - simple as that.
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Looking forward
*Recruiting BTW, IS a numbers game ... my usual caveat is "except for the Supers" - but in this case there have been TWO super-OLs on the hook, and IMO both weren't gonna come -- so this time "It's been a numbers game - period."
-- St. Eds TE Sam Grant. For me, the fact that this didn't end yesterday is a little worrisome - OU has made it tough for him. He's a case that should be Blue: closer-in kid, his "teammate-tie" is at Michigan. The complicator still goes back to spring-summer where he though he had an offer and had to be told - nope, you don't.
*We still think this is over 50-50, 51-49 ... however it could go either way (even tho, I know, some of you will blame ME if he doesn't pick U-M ... that's the weirdest part of my job BTW, makes me sometimes want to walk away from it ... we're not prognosticators but reporters)
-- IL Super OL Jordan Diamond. We think he's over 50-50 - and, in fact, IMO it'da have to have been the Wisconsin visit that changed his thinking - and so far there are no indications of this. However -- it's not in-stone either.
-- Glenville DL Willie Henry (6-2+/280+). We see this one panning out, simple as that. And ... we've always hoped there'd be another DT in this class - U-M is severely short of those.
(-- will U-M go back in on Chris Muller? Or will they decide to go All-In on Diamond ... we'll see ... point being, however - Muller has shown interest)