Is It Too Early To Start Looking at Michigan's 2012 Prospects?

Nope.  Recruiting like coaches, never sleeps.  So now is the time to start building your relationships with the prospects for NSD 2012.  There is a new NCAA rules that takes effect for this class that prospects are not able to receive a written offer from schools before 8/1/2011.  The hope is this would slow down the recruiting process but schools are now just doing verbal offers until August 1.   Since Michigan is saving on postage and have a new coaching staff, it will be interesting to see which prospects they recruit in 2012 with a full year to build a class.

The word is that Ohio will be loaded with great players (specifically at DT) and the Buckeyes will have a limited class size. 

With that said, I would like to look at the State of Michigan 2012 prospects that Michigan is on early and hopes to be part of its 2012 class:

Cass Tech Attack:  Michigan has done well at Cass Tech over the years because it's head coach is former Wolverine Thomas Wilcher.  2012 will be no exception to the rule that the Cass Tech program has some of the best prospects in the State.  Names to keep an eye on with Michigan offers are:

• Royce Jenkins-Stone, OLB 
• Terry Richardson, CB

What about DT?  Michigan's #1 need in the 2012 class:

• Danny O'Brien, from Flint.  Is a top prospect at DT.  Michigan is in on him early but so are schools like Tennessee and MSU.
• Matt Godin, from Novi.  Happens to be good friends with Danny above.  I have seen Matt listed as a DE, DT, and OL.  Danny and Matt both visited Michigan games together last season and both hold offers.

The Wolverines could use some good LB play:

• Best instate prospect will be James Ross, ILB from Orchard Lake.  James has already been verbally offered from Michigan and is a 6'0 200 pound prospect.

Best Lineman in the State?

• It's hard sometimes to predict offensive lineman this early for the 2012 class but one prospect is starting to stand out is Battle Creek Guard Kelby Latta who is 6'3 and 295 pounds as a high school junior.  Michigan, MSU, Wisconsin, and Purdue are already on Mr. Latta.

Michigan has started to recruit some out of state prospects at QB but a guy to keep your eye on is 6'6 215 pound Brian Blackburn from Detroit Crokett Vo Tech.  Brian had a big junior year passing for 2234 yards and 20 touchdowns, while running for over a 1000 yards and another 9 TD's.

More instate names should come out as Spring Ball gets started and kids visit for practice and the spring game.    Right now, Terry Richardson, Thomas Ross, Royce Jenkins-Stone and Danny O'Brien are expected to be in or near the top 100 players in the US.