The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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football recruiting miss in the hole. He also has a knack for the game that belies his three-star ranking. Rivals.com ranks him as the No. 50 running back nationally. Mack made a commitment to UCLA in November, but considered other schools throughout the duration of his pledge. He scheduled visits to South Florida and UCLA, but decided to visit Louisville instead of Tampa just days before the visit. He also decommitted from the Bruins Jan. 15. Michigan's coaches, sensing an opening, offered Mack the following day, and he tentatively scheduled a trip to Ann Arbor for Jan. 31 — the same date Jones will be in town. While UCLA is still on the table, it looks increasingly likely that Mack's eventual destination is either Michigan or Louisville. Other uncommitted prospects that hold Michigan offers are unlikely to pick the Wolverines. The country's top receiver, five-star Louisiana native Malachi Dupre, picked up a Michigan offer in spring 2013, but never took a hard look at the Wolverines. Same with Arizona offensive lineman Casey Tucker and Georgia defensive end Lorenzo Carter. When Michigan shut down offensive line recruiting, a number of highly rated prospects were still on the table, but have since eliminated Michigan. The story is the same at the safety position, though the Wolverines didn't completely end recruiting at that position, narrowing their focus to some players they ultimately did not land. Michigan's 2014 class may not up being the dream team that once looked possible — Hand was considered a Michigan lean up until the day he surprised with an Alabama commitment, and Fournette, five-star defensive back Adoree' Jackson and five-star safety John "Juju" Smith all once looked like realistic options for Michigan — but U-M still has the chance to finish strong. McDowell would bring the group to the cusp of the top 15, and either running back could push it back into that group. This class, due to sheer numbers, will remain ranked lower than Michigan fans are accustomed to seeing, but that's nothing to fret about. When U-M announces about 18 signatures Feb. 5, several schools will sign many more. Tennessee has 33 pledges already, while Florida State, Arizona and North Carolina State are closing in on 30 apiece. While the Rivals.com team rankings formula counts only the top 20 players in each class, those schools have more room for error at the bottom of the ledger (with 13 future Volunteers below the cutoff line, for example). Michigan's class is more important for filling needs with the likes of five-star cornerback Peppers and a trio of talented wide receivers. The rankings may be low — as will be the case with an even smaller group in the 2015 class — but the fit for Brady Hoke's program is just right. ❑ On The Web For regular reports on Michigan football recruiting plus videos of U-M commitments and targets visit TheWolverine.com.