Recruiting Board Updated

Update 5/7: Linked to Scout header indicating IL OL Graham Pocic has an offer. (This means the gray icon has been replaced with a yellow.) Linked to AJC article on GA DT Omar Hunter, blog post on AZ RB Covaughn Deboskie. Noted assertion on BP that OH RB Darius Ashley has officially snagged a Michigan offer (FWIW. Seems solid to me). Added PA RB Cameron Saddler, TX LB Joseph Ibiloye, NV DT Lawrence Guy, AZ CB Marc Anthony. Removed MD OL Lane Clelland(ND). Linked to articles on MD RB Josh Haden, PA TE Hubie Graham (#2), PA WR Jonathan Baldwin.

Editorial Opinion: Not an enormous amount of news, but an interesting week when it comes to running back offers. Buckeye Planet is reporting an offer to Ohioan Darius Ashley. BP isn't a rock solid source but usually the guys reporting these things are close to the players in question so it's likely. Pennsylvanian Cameron Saddler also picked up an offer after a strong combine performance, though he probably isn't being looked at as an every-down back. (He's tiny, more of a scatback/slot/returner type. As a recruit he's reminiscent of one-time 2007 commit Marquise Maze, who eventually decommitted and went to Alabama or Tennessee or something.) Meanwhile, Jonas Gray still waits despite being an instate kid who just won an overall camp MVP at what I believe is the same combine. So... yeah. Two potential reasons:

• the staff is very confident on either McGuffie or Deboskie (as the above-linked post notes, Deboskie is shooting up the charts and is probably one of the best backs available this year)
• the staff doesn't believe that Gray is a good fit for the zone running game.

Hopefully it's the former and not the latter, as the latter seems kind of presumptuous. (Will we still be running the zone even when our personnel isn't suited to it? The expectation is for the position.... bleah!)

Further evidence that Michigan has started recruiting a certain type of back comes in the form of a reported offer to MD RB Josh Haden. He's presumed a Florida lean (his brother is a cornerback there) but has nice things to say about Michigan:

Although his brother is a Gator, Haden says he always liked Michigan growing up. "I like that they are a running school and I used to like them a lot as a kid," Haden said. "I don't really know a lot about them except for what I see on TV. I'm gonna visit them this summer."

Haden, like Ashley and Saddler (and Mike Hart), is a 5'7"-5'9" lightning bolt of a guy. McGuffie is slightly larger but much the same sort of back. Deboskie is the only offeree at this point who breaks 6'.

Other than that, added a bunch of guys who claim offers but I don't know much about yet, linked another article on Jonathan Baldwin that's encouraging...

Growing up, Baldwin admits that Michigan was his favorite team. "I used to watch them all the time," he said. "They have a nice program and I've been there a few times and love their facilities. Everything looks brand new."

...but not really encouraging. He does name a top four of Pitt, Michigan, ND, and USC. One tidbit of note: his current basketball offers are Marquette, Florida State, and Buffalo. I would think the lingering threat he plays basketball in college is a minor one.