Let's Pray Josh Turel Goes Elsewhere

Go Blue Wolverine, the Michigan Scout site, is the not-infrequent target of sarcasm and ridicule in this space for general unprofessionalism, but this takes the cake:

JoshTurel3 Hall of Fame Posts: 4076 (8/3/06 2:42:10 pm ) Reply

Re: Wahington...to Michigan?!?!?!?!? Let us pray Washington goes elsewhere. Will never start here... doesn't affect Allen. He isn't that good.

It was bad enough when GBW hired a punk kid with only a vague idea of a comma's purpose to inflict his mechanics upon Michigan fandom at large, but now he's trashing uncommitted recruits on a public message board. This is an employee of GBW with the temerity to call out not only his own guru service but the coaching staffs of Michigan and Ohio State all in order to rip a kid who may end up committing! On a site with scruples that's a firing offense; on GBW it's just more license to butcher the English language.

Something to consider if you want to dip your toe into the fetid pool of recruting subscription sites. Sure, it's all creepy, but there's guy-with-70s-mustache creepy and guy-with-70s-mustache -and-windowless-van creepy. GBW is the latter.

In other recruiting news: Bad news on the DT front from one of those Fox Sports roundup articles. First, Joseph Barksdale is still favoring Texas and OSU:

I go back and forth between Texas and Ohio State. It used to be just those two schools, but I talked to my parents about three and a half weeks ago, and we decided I should be serious about more schools.

Michigan and Notre Dame are "more schools," but things are grim. At the very least that rumor Michigan had gone insane and attempted to recruit Barksdale for the offensive line is dispelled:

"None of these schools want me for offensive line," said the 6-5, 315 pounder who claims 4.9 forty yard dash speed. "No schools have recruited me for offensive line, period."

Second, DT Josh Brent favors Illinois(!) and Ohio State over Michigan and Wisconsin:

"I'm glad I waited to narrow down schools until I'd seen all the campuses. At the moment, Illinois and Ohio State are my favorites with a slight to solid lead over the others," said the 6-3, 300 pounder. ...

"The edge for Illinois is my closeness with the coaching staff," he said. "I go down there and everybody knows who I am, even the players. The track and field coaches were recruiting me at first, but then they let the football coaches do their thing because football is going to be my focus in college. Still, I would definitely be able to do track and field alongside if I go to Illinois.

Josh, please keep in mind that you'll be on the receiving end of 800-point beatings for the next four years if you go to Illinois. You'll also have to wear those garish orange clown suits. (OMG negative recruiting!)

It's probably moot, anyway:

"I went to Michigan's camp in late June to work out for them. I do like defensive line coach, (Steve) Stripling, because of his intensity and passion for what he does. Also, the classes are all in walking proximity for such a big campus."

This may be reading too much into a random quote, but when you are quizzed about the things you like about Michigan and the second one is "I don't have to walk too far to go to class," you probably aren't in a rush to commit.

The only other item of note: Cal has offered OT Mitchell Schwartz.