Blue By Ninety - BB90 Episode 111: 247 Sports' Brice Marich

Episode Date: August 5, 2022

Brice joins Jack and Justin as a recurring guest of the pod. The boys chat over the BBQ at the big house, predictions for 2022 season, and what to look out for in recruiting. 

This is a presentation of Blue by 90. Find us on Twitter at Blue by 90 and shop the merchandise at Blueby90shop.com. And it goes to the wind! The three-pointer by Jordan Poole! Down the sideline! Peebles Jones! Touchdown, Wolverines! All right, welcome back to Blue by 90. I'm Justin, joined by Jack today.

And we've got Bryce Mar from the Michigan insider two, four, seven sports, Bryce. Thanks for joining us, man. It's good to see you again. I appreciate you guys having me on. I know I was joking before the pod and you guys had me on and stuff like that when you guys were just building up and now you guys are this empire. So it's crazy. It's funny how,

if you go back to that episode because we were just building up i think we had such a small following your your camera could have been basically off you were sitting in the shadows like i don't want to see you guys i don't even want to associate with them yet yeah that was a dark time for me that was clearly a dark time for me so yeah different times now there we go there we go um yeah, it's exciting to have you on. I mean, you and I have talked on and off throughout the whole process here. Now we've got a whole site and stuff, and it's exciting. But, you know, hey, man, you're doing good stuff too still.

You know, don't think that you're like nobody's passing you by right now. That's for sure. You know, I'm trying. You know, I'm not like Jeff Gordon here flying by everyone, but you know, keep a pace, you know, the tracks. So that's all right. I'm doing, I'm doing decent. I would say. There you go. There you go. Yeah, man. I mean, exciting times here going into camp for Michigan football.

I feel like for you guys, does it feel the same as we are? This is where a lot of people start getting into football mode, right? Yeah, no. I mean, for Michigan too, especially with recruiting-wise, they had about six commits for the longest time, and people hit the panic button of what's happening with Michigan football recruiting. And in the past two months, they've picked up seven commitments,

and most of them are their top commits in the class of, you know, the 2023 class. So things are going in the right direction. They're on the outside of the top 25. They're knocking on the door. Eventually, I think they're going to get there. I'm inside the top 25 for sure. We'll see where they eventually land on the door. Eventually, I think they're going to get there. I'm inside the top 25 for sure. We'll see where they eventually land on signing day.

But, yeah, this is the time where I think you're going to see recruitment start to slowly but surely make a move. And we'll see some more decisions coming up. Why do you think it seems to be taking Michigan so long to kind of land these guys? Is it just people are holding out like on large commitments because they're higher ranked recruits? I mean, what do you think is going into it? I think it's a multitude of things. You know, I mean, a lot of people anticipated just a top 10 class

coming off a Big Ten championship and college football appearance. But then you have the open public flirtation jim harbaugh on signing day which is not an optical you know the greatest look to happen on that day too and that's not to say they had a bad signing day class or whatever for that psycho's great you know but it's just not a good look you lose your coordinators both of them mike mcdonald and josh gaddis you're shuffling new hats i think people forget i think honestly people forget about that part a little bit yeah that's a key part and you know i mean josh gaddis won the bros award so he's no slouch you know mike mcdonald is now

coaching one of the you know coordinating one of the top defenses in the nfl so these are two top quality coaches you lost. I would say the other thing, too, is you're shuffling hats. So now you've got new coordinators in. You've got Mike Elston, who's replacing Sean Nua. Jay Harbaugh is now the safeties coach. I think he's worn every hat here. So it's musical chairs for him. But, yeah, it's been really crazy.

And at the same time, too, flat out, they've missed on some guys. There's been some guys they definitely have wanted that they've missed. But in years past, I think it's the opposite role for Michigan this time around where there's been a lot of offseason hype and recruiting offseason wins, opposing fans like to joke. And they're like, well, let's see how Michigan looks on the field. And they kind of stumble, you know, at the very end of the season. Whereas a lot of people going this year are like,

let Michigan win on the field and the recruits will follow afterwards. And I think that's the approach you're kind of seeing Michigan take right now, whereas they know they're going to have a good product on the field and it's going to show. And at the very end, the results are going to have a good product on the field and it's going to show. And at the very end, the results are going to come to fruition. So do you think that's going to kind of hurt them with the 2023 class? And they're just kind of counting it as a wash and they're just looking forward to 2024?

I don't think it's a wash. No, I think, I mean, obviously the big elephant in the room too is NIL. You know, they have a very different approach compared to some schools where you're seeing, I'm not going to name them, but you're seeing some schools in the top 10, top 15 even. And you're like, I have never seen you there before. And I'm curious, how did you end up here? But there's other schools, I'm not saying, but like Texas Tech and Northwestern right now are like in the top 15 pretty sure michigan's gonna pass them at the end of the day and stuff like that you know because they have so many commits whereas you look at missions quality of commits they're much higher than them so you have to look at different factors there but i think this class can still i know i think you asked me justin where I think they would finish.

I think in the top 15 to 20 range as of today. Now, could they surpass that? Sure. But as of right now, I think 15 to 20. And if people are freaking out about that 15 to 20, you got to look back at the 2018 class, 18 class which had you know aiden hutchinson and ronnie bell and haskins and key pieces that beat ohio state made them to what they are today so just because you have a class in the 15 to 20 range doesn't mean it's going to be crap fyi to people so yeah yeah and it seems like to, you know, I actually was was about to write something up on this, too, where it kind of seems like Jim Harbaugh is going the beeline route a little bit where it's like he, you know, he wants talent, but he's trying to find the right guys to come into the program. And if that means that they're a three star instead of a four star, he doesn't care. But he cares about culture. He cares about, you know, where do they want to play football or just make money? Like all those things. Does that seem like it's, you know, along the right lines?

Yeah, I think you hit the nail on the head there. You know, when you're looking at why Michigan had so much success last year, A big thing you heard at every press conference, talking to all the guys, was just the culture. They just harped on it, preached it every freaking day. And it was, you know, one of like, we've got to beat Ohio State. We're doing these drills. We're doing all this. But it's just the mentality. Like you're talking about the demeanor, the attitude they had behind everything they did.

And a lot of these guys, and especially you guys have known this, kind of seen the dealings they've had with NIL, many of these athletes on the team, they're not a money-first type of person. You know, they're doing this for the quality of their heart. I mean, JJ, they're giving back. You saw Blake Horne giving turkeys. You know, I mean, it's just – so it's not – they're not there for the money. You know, and they're there So it's not They're not there For the money You know

And they're there To help Michigan Win football games Become successful On and off the field Give that degree And if that leads To the NFL

And more money Great If not They're a winner Here at least And that's That approach though Is not going to work

With every high school Athlete in America And you're seeing that You know So yeah Michigan Is definitely Taking a different Approach of what That approach, though, is not going to work with every high school athlete in America. And you're seeing that, you know. So, yeah, Michigan is definitely taking a different approach of what athletes they're looking at and who's more responsive to that approach as well. At the same time, that's not to say you can't get top talent. And they still should, you know, in my opinion. And this might sound braggish, but you're Michigan.

You know, you should still be able to land these four stars and even some five stars at the end of the day. So, again, I think they have a great shot at a great class, but they do need to close on some guys. And they have missed some right now. And that could change, especially with a great year. Yeah, I mean, the question I have then is that, is, is that strategy is the strategy that Michigan's going with right now? Is it sustainable? Right. I think we all, you know, NIL is going to be, there are, are already talks right now, Tommy Tuberville, you know, the greatest politician of all time is like, you know, they're already talking about congressional stuff with NIL and all that type of

thing. So, you know, NIL is going to change and it might benefit Michigan in the future, but you can't just have shitty classes in the meantime, you know, you do have to play the game a little bit. Right. So is there, you know, a balance there? How do you you how do you think Michigan feels? Because they're, you know, from my perspective in hearing some things that Jim Harbaugh is like ready to pony up and do some some things, because I think he's been pissed off about missing out some of these guys that are being poached by, you know, another school. And because there's an upfront cash thing, do you see Michigan possibly going into that realm at least a little bit, or will they stick to their guns?

I think right now, you know, right now it's the wild, wild west. Anything's legal. Anything's – you can do anything right now. But I think in a couple years, I think the sense maybe even Michigan feels is there are going to be some restrictions. There are going to be some guidelines. I know a big thing for them, too, is how if they did take that approach to that type of NIL, how that would affect the locker room. That's a big thing people are starting to wonder, too, because you're seeing, guys, there's reports of Jordan Addison and USC maybe not getting what he was promised you know

and how's that going to affect the team culture and maybe they're not getting the catches because of whatever reason but in their NIO deal for this guy it says you need to have this many catch I mean there's so many things going to affect locker room and the culture in Michigan like you said that's kind of what brought them to where they were last year. But at the same time, like you said, can they sustain having a class in the 20 range every year? I don't think so. To compete with, like, Ohio State?

And you're seeing teams like now Michigan State in the top 15, top 20. You know, the Big Ten is getting better. They've got, like, multiple more four stars at this point, right? Yeah, they got nine, and Michigan's got six. Yeah. Yeah. And, I mean, honestly, with – I mean, this isn't football, but, like, if you've seen Michigan State's basketball recruiting

in the last few days, too, like, it's gone crazy. Yeah. And I think it's because of their NIL approach. Matt Ishby is like, you know, what, what, let me know what the amount is and I'll sign that check, you know? So it's definitely something that you got to think about and keep up with, even though you can have your strategy, right? Yeah. I think the other big thing too, and I'm curious with, I don't know if they'll ever go all in on that approach. They maybe will one day, but I think a big thing going forward

is also the new president in place. I know a lot of people are excited about that and him being more open to just athletics because I think, again, these are rumors I heard, but Mark Schlissel never made a heard of practice, let alone made a game, you know, whereas this guy's first day in, he's tweeting about you know the

football team and coach hutch and everything like that so you can tell he's very in tune with the university as a whole and not just you know that you know the theater program and that's it you know it's everyone so i think him being on board with n IL approach with Michigan, if they want to play that game, would help. That's not to say they will. But like at the end of the day, I feel like they might have to make that push if they really want to compete with the big boys, especially if there are going to be no guidelines, you know, in a couple of years. So can you can you tell us a little bit about, you know, you've talked to a lot of these Michigan recruits that are coming on campus, coming to the barbecue and that type of thing. What do you, what have you heard in terms of what Michigan's pitch is like right now?

You know, is it that you're coming to a championship team? Is it that you can make money while you're, you know, once you get on campus? Are they still going you know what does that look like uh in terms of how michigan's approach is in terms of you know for hey what here's what you can get once you come on or you know if you become a wolverine and how does that compare to what other schools pitches seem to be like well they've always stressed this and this has never changed academics. You know, and they stress academics first.

And like the great Hannah Montana said, you get the best bowl for Ozan in Michigan. You know, you get great athletics. Yeah, you get great athletics, but you get, you know, great academics here as well. And that's the thing that Michigan has stressed um here at the end of the day especially with jim harbaugh and when it comes to nil it's listen you know maybe you won't see the money up front per se but if you succeed and you thrive here you're going to get paid no question about that you know and i but at the same time like we've been talking about, some kids just don't come from much. The other thing I was talking about on our recruiting podcast was, let's say you get injured.

You're not going to get that money if you can't show what you can do. But you know at other schools, you are going to get that money just from being on campus. So they're fighting a lot of inner demons and either you know vows there but um that definitely the approach is like i said the best of both worlds you're going to get that athletics and academics here it's a great campus you're going to love ann arbor it's one of the top college towns in america got all these amazing programs and majors here. And at the end of the day, being a student athlete is what you're here to do. You know? So I think it is resonating with certain guys and certain guys you see in this

class fit the hardball mold to a tee, especially. So it's interesting though. It's one thing where you're like should we play that game can we play that game do they even want to play that game and that's where we're at right now well it's it's so tough too i think when you want to play the you know good kid the good academics those types of cards all the time which is obviously michigan strong suit but then you look at the recruiting board you see ohio state with uh you know as many five stars or more than alabama and everybody else and it's like okay maybe these five stars don't give a shit about

academics you know that type of not that ohio state's like terrible in academics but it's not michigan right so um there's obviously a different approach coming from Ohio State. So, you know, you've got to keep up with that. That's the standard. That was the talk every single year up until, you know, Michigan beat them this year. It was like Ohio State's the standard, right? Yeah.

I mean, I would even go above them and say alabama i mean those guys they literally wake up every morning to send a top one class in the country you know i mean it's incredible what they do but the biggest thing in my eyes is coming off all that success i just thought michigan was going to have a top 10 class like no problemo and there's been a lot of hurdles that they've had to overcome but some of them have been self-inflicted you know like i said the hardball interview and being it's so public and i'm not saying that's a bad thing he didn't lie to recruits because he didn't he was up front with everyone about what he was doing but it's just not a good look you know and you lose your two top coordinators and coaches are shuffling and it's just at the same time you just can't have that in the offseason where you

just won the big 10 title you finally beat ohio state and you make the college football playoffs and then all of a sudden that all happens so i'm not again everyone thinks this class could be crap it's not going to be good but it's going to be as good as i thought it was going to be i don't think so could that change sure but as of right now i don't see that happening i mean i kind of going back to what you said you know as far as like as losing both your offensive, defensive coordinator, uncertainty with Harbaugh. Given all the shit that they're going through, they're in a pretty good spot right now.

Yeah. I agree with you. I agree with you. At one point, they were ranked number 55. People were just losing it. I had the dummy response of putting a screenshot where Michigan was, and there's a couple schools schools above them and a couple of schools below them. And people like SMU and who are these schools?

Michigan can't. I recruit Wake Forest. And you're like, OK, buddy, relax. They got six commits. Like they got six commits. They're not going to sign six commits on signing day. Let's just slow your roll, you know. But, yeah, I mean, where they're at right now and everything they've overcome there's like i said there's a great shot and a lot of people

scoffed at me that they could they could still sign a top 10 class now a lot would have to go right obviously but they've always had the potential our director of recruiting at 24-7 sports steve wolf long has always said michigan's been that one school where they knock it out of the park when they get a kid on campus. He's like, when the coaches, they just seem to just excel with the presentation, academic presentation, athletic presentation. Everything, the cards always fall into place when they get these kids on campus. It's just a matter of getting these kids actually on campus, you know, and then seeing the deal. And that's kind of what Michigan's doing right now. And a big step for that was the Barbecue at the Big House.

They got a lot of those guys up there. They really impressed a lot of them. Get them up back for a game in the fall Show how it looks To have instead of an empty stadium 110,000 screaming You know on your team hopefully winning By who knows what 30 points I mean it's not Sexy if they're beating UConn by 30

But it's still An experience Football stadium when you're used to Maybe a thousand people at your games And now you're walking in through the tunnel You're seeing 110 you're at a football stadium, when you're used to maybe a thousand people at your games, and now you're walking in through the tunnel and you're seeing 110, you're like, okay. You envision that. You're like, this is surreal.

This is something I could see myself at. And like I said, NIL, looking around, like, maybe I can make a lot of money here, too, if I do well. There's a lot of people here. A lot of people, right? A lot of viewers, a lot of all that stuff. A lot of jerky stuff, all that. There you go. So let's talk about the barbecue. So it sounded like it was a great event. They had a lot of guys on campus, a couple no shows, which wasn't, you know, I mean, I'm sure that happens all the time.

Every year, every year, year you know things come up uh i think there were a couple big ones um who was a michael gardner uh that you know flipped and went to oregon um which was a you know a tough one but ultimately it sounded like that the whole thing was a success and um so yeah tell us about it yeah so this is an event that actually was started back from Rich Rod Rodriguez. So if he gave us anything at Michigan, this is something we can thank him for. The barbecue at the Big House. This is his baby, and it's been carried on through Brady Hoke and obviously Jim Harbaugh. Fun fact, real quick, fun fact.

Rich Rod is invited to my brother's wedding coming up here because his fian fiance is like best friends with his daughter so i maybe we get in a you know a real-time interview with rich rod at the wedding wait a rose wedding my brother yeah yeah i wasn't sure if you said brother or cousin i was like i'd like to see craig yeah that's that's impressive get him wasted and get him uh get a get a couple quotes from him yeah i'm gonna bring him up during my best man speech yeah hey rich come over here join me for this yeah sorry go ahead no man that's that's some good stuff that That's the hint, though.

I'm never going to have to convert you guys. You guys bring the hard-hitting stuff. I don't have any of that kind of stuff. But yeah, the barbecue, the big house, was a really good event. I would say they had close to about 50 visitors. So, I mean, it was packed with guys. A lot of 2024s. Not as much 2023s but a big thing they had were a lot of the commits in the 2023 class were there and that's key because all

these guys had never met each other they're in a big group text you know they're on snapchat together in a group whatever thing and they connect through there but it's it's one thing like you guys when you guys first met up the boys you're like it's a different it's different being up in person you know getting beers and stuff like that compared to just doing a little zoom call like this or whatever so it was good for them to meet up but yeah michigan had some top guys obviously the biggest was five-star quarterback jane dav from Providence, um, day in North Carolina. He's a guy that Michigan now has the top of their board after missing out CJ Carr and Dante Moore. He's in the class of 2024 though,

but he's the guy that Matt Wise has identified. Jim Harbaugh has identified as a perfect program fit, culture fit, everything they're looking for and they made it clear that he's not a want he's in need and his father stressed it out his father even told us that michigan didn't roll out the red carpet they rolled out the red carpet on top of the red carpet i mean it was wow there you go they definitely looked to impress that group um he came with some teammates channing goodwin who's a four-star wide receiver. His dad, Jonathan Goodwin, played at Michigan years ago.

So he's a legacy recruit. I think Michigan sits really good with him. He's in the same class and he attends the same school. Jordan Chip, he's a four-star wide out as well. Attends the same school. So they all came as a group. And there's another four-star cornerback but he's in the class of 2023 chris peel who's also up there he's looking at georgia

lsu a couple of the top schools down south but he came up really enjoyed his time and i think right now we talk again before the podcast started about Jane Davis. Everyone wants to know about Jane Davis. And now you saw predictions come in. Mishkin, you know, maybe landing him and maybe he might commit at the barbecue. And I know for a fact that Mishkin definitely would have loved if he committed the barbecue to get that class really rolling. But he's taking his time. He told us he's taking his time. He told us he's taking his time. He's still looking at his options.

And I think he wants to come back for a game. And I think he also likes the approach that Michigan's taking where they're not pushing. They're not pressing him to make any decisions. And he likes that. Biggest start there for him is Georgia. So that can be concerning because we saw what they did with Braylon Wilson, plucking him away from Michigan.

But at the same time, this is the second time up to campus. He really loves Matt Wise. He loves Jim Harbaugh. He loves what he's done developing quarterbacks like Andrew Luck and other guys in the NFL. He likes the NFL, I guess, approach and culture at Michigan. And that's something very appealing. And his mom made it, again, apparent that academics is a big plus in their eyes as well.

So there's a lot going in their direction for Michigan in this recruitment. And if I had to say right now, I think Michigan's in a pole position. They lead. But he's a 2024 guy and a lot can change recruiting is super fluid in what i've always said it's a marathon it's not a sprint you see things change all the time and even guys you think are layups like a cj car they can go the opposite way so i'm not saying that's why i'm not i'm pumping the brakes i'm not to say michigan's not going to get them at the end of the day but for me to put in prediction i gotta be a lot more

certain when i put in a prediction i'm pretty pretty certain that they're gonna land a guy and it's gonna be happening sooner than later too yeah um no i think it makes sense i think that from a michigan perspective though like you want him now because you need to get that momentum right that's what it feels like you want a class leader exactly that's what jj did right and that was so big where it was like all of a sudden when jj was here he became the next recruiting director type guy. That really helped with the class. Does it feel like Michigan will struggle a bit if he holds off his commitment? I think it could. I think

with the Dante Moore recruitment, how they've handled this cycle, they haven't offered any quarterbacks. They put all their eggs in that basket, you know, for Dante Moore. And I think that's interesting to where once he committed to Oregon, I thought, okay, we're not going to offer other quarterbacks, right? That would be the logical approach, right? They haven't offered any more quarterbacks. I think one of the reasons why is for their standing with jane davis ralph and also think they're confident that jj mccarthy is going to be around longer than

maybe they anticipated you know because a lot of these guys if they don't win the starting role what do they do nowadays transfer portal they're out and from i know from you guys have intel and you guys know him pretty well. He's he doesn't seem like the kid that's just going to bounce if he doesn't get that role. You know, he seems pretty happy here. So I think Michigan is kind of in a good spot. Plus, they took two quarterbacks last cycle, more developmental guys. But at the same token, like. I feel like they can wait and you never know dante more i'm not just i'm not saying they're gonna get him but he committed to a school that now is not

really in that conference so there's a lot that could happen and let's say if they struggle and michigan opens up and they throw the ball a bunch and they really impress him. And, you know, but I think they like where they stand with Jane Davis. I think they are happy that JJ McCarthy is going to be here longer than they anticipated. And in their eyes, they think their quarterback room is still very good. You know, I mean, they got Kane, they got JJ, and they got, of course, Davis Warren, who showed out. He showed out, man, at the spring game. Give props to him. So, I think they really like that

quarterback room, and I don't think they're going to be making much moves, and I think that's another big appeal to Jaden that not only are they not really offering guys in the 2023 class, they're kind of putting, they're shifting those eggs from the Dante basket over to him.

And I think that means a lot to him as well. I love it. I think that it's, you know, it's important obviously to get him up because I think, you know, where do they turn that if he goes elsewhere, you know, then they're in real trouble. Yeah. That's a tough thing, too. Yeah. I mean, for you to lose essentially two five stars in your backyard and then somehow potentially now land another five star, that's as lucky or as fortunate as you can get. But if they don't land Jane Davis, davis like you said then where do they turn

obviously there's the transfer portal which harbaugh has shown he's willing to go on you got jake rudak shay patterson john o'corn he's willing to go in there to get guys but at the same time we've seen that doesn't mean instant success you know that doesn't mean you're gonna get a guy that's gonna be amazing at same time. So it's interesting kind of the play there of quarterback recruiting. But I like where they're standing, especially with Jaden. You know, like I said, the family loves Michigan. He loves Michigan. I expect him to come up for a game in the fall.

That'd make his third trip already before his seniors as a senior. So a lot going in their direction and they've checked a lot of boxes it's just a matter of like i said you just gotta close you just gotta close on some of these guys that's what it comes down to you gotta close on some of these guys yeah um so let's talk about the you know matt weiss and the and the coordinators because obviously they're they're new guys you know and um you know gaddis and mcdonald i think we all kind of knew mcdonald's was not big into recruiting he's an nfl guy um you know i have heard some similar things about matt weiss too um you know that that he hasn't you, recruiting is not like his top, top priority, right?

But what are your thoughts on Jesse Minter and Matt Weiss now? I mean, you can throw Cheryl Moore there, too, which Cheryl Moore has made it very clear that recruiting is his top, you know, priority. And it's done really well. But with this new staff, you know, what do you think about them going forward for recruiting for Michigan? Well, with the two corners, let's start with Matt Wise. I know he's been a vocal point. A lot of people on message boards and Twitter have always talked about Matt Wise, especially when you lose the two five-stars. But he's been in contact with those guys essentially daily.

I mean, it wasn't for a lack of effort why Michigan didn't get those guys. But at the same time, he does have a different approach coming from the NFL, whereas, like you said, Mike McDonald, for those guys, that's just not their thing. It's just not their thing. That's not to say they can't do it. It's just different. But I know, again, he has been one of the main guys that Gene Davis has really pointed out as a guy he's really loved

when he's looking at Michigan and considering them. And that's a big telling point. That's one of the reasons why he's looking at Michigan, Matt Wise. So I think maybe it's not as strong as Forte, but that doesn't mean it has

to be a weakness either. And I think that's what we're starting to see with him. As for mentor, he's been in the college game, so he knows how this works. And he coached at Vanderbilt, so he knows SEC recruiting, which can be another animal at the same time. And I know he has a lot of connections down south. He coached at Georgia State, so he has connections in Georgia,

and they have tons of talent there. He coached in Tennessee at Vanderbilt, so he knows a in Georgia, and they have tons of talent there. He coached in Tennessee at Vanderbilt, so he knows a lot. He's got a lot of connections at Rocky Top around the state. So having connections, especially down south, I think is key because if you're going to compete with the big boys, you have to recruit the south, in my opinion. You can't just pluck guys from Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, maybe Pennsylvania and expect to win a national title.

You just can't. Look at what Ohio State does. They go national, and Michigan's a national brand. I think you're seeing Minter kind of dip his toes in the pool right now. He's starting to figure it out a little more, and you're seeing guys really connect with him. I bring him up in articles saying, this is the guy we're connecting with the most when we come up to michigan we're hitting off with him the most so those two guys i definitely feel like i wouldn't say they're a work in progress but they're still they're still adjusted

i would say you know i think they can get there And they're just seeing Positive results But at the same time like I said you gotta close on these guys That's at the end of the day you gotta close And that's where Sharon Morris Really done a good job Where you saw him landing like a guy like a Dax Hill From Oklahoma where a lot of people didn't think

Michigan didn't have a chance And all of a sudden they pull him out With him though That was his forte Recruiting Now when you're the OC You got more on your plate You don't have as much time to be texting

And calling kids And hey what's up That kind of stuff So I'm a little nervous About where he's going to be with recruiting I know he just landed a four-star offensive tackle in Evan Link So he can still, he's still got his recruiting chops there It's not like he forgot how to recruit

But at the same time, he does have more on his plate You know, he's working the offensive game plan now It's not just coaching the offensive line and recruiting It's formulating offensive tack for each and every week. And that's going to take them away from recurring. So you're gonna need other guys to step up. And you are saying that you think Mike Elston can be that guy. Yeah.

Mike Elston. Exactly. So Collins, Acapulco, you know, Etta, two of the guys that were up. Is that the right pronunciation?

That's what I'm going with. You know, I'll say this. I will say this. You sounded confident with it. I think that's all you need. That's all I'm going to say. That's all I'm going to say. Michigan probably has the number one class of the all-name team right now.

They got some incredible names, incredible names in this class. But those are two physical freaks, you know? I mean, Collins is is six foot seven 255 pounds and he came here from overseas but he came here to play basketball you know he didn't know what he was doing and then they're like hey you're a pretty big kid yeah why don't you try the football route and so he played a couple years covet halted his season so then he played a couple of years. COVID halted his season. So then he had a hiatus there, got back into it. And now he looks like a physical freak. He can beat out Miami, LSU, some top schools for him.

And that was a big recruiting win. And, you know, it was a big one over Miami from what I heard. I think Miami put like they were trying to do everything at him. They were trying. They were. Yeah, they were making a like everything at him. They were trying to, they were, yeah, they were making a big push for him.

And then, you know, Etta, he was essentially a Michigan stay lock from what I saw on Twitter, at least. And according to the Spartan Twitter and Michigan said, no, no,

no. And Mike Elston, I mean, that was his first offer when he got to Ann Arbor was, you know, Etta. So this has been a guy he's been on since day one. And, know and mike elston i mean that was his first offer when he got to ann arbor was he no edda so this has been a guy he's been on since day one and you know i always had you know a fun look at um elston what he could do on and off the field and that's the thing is i think these guys especially with nil you're gonna have to really identify the talent and evaluate the

talent and then develop that talent. So in Michigan, you saw that in the 2022 class. If you don't land those five stars, what are you going to have to do? You got to develop the talent at least. And if you're going to get guys like Collins and Eno that have that super high upside, you got to tap into that potential and make it work for you. And you saw that with David Ojabo. You know, it's possible at Michigan, and then Michigan's selling that. And for me, if there's one spot they couldn't struggle in recruiting, it was Edge.

There's no reason they should struggle there, because the amount of guys they've sent, and you're seeing them not struggle at all. Yeah. All right. Let's end it with this here. We need to get a headline grab from you. Let's, you know, let's –

We've got a couple. Yeah. A couple minutes. Put me in the spot. Put me in the spot. I want to make some splashes here. We'll flip it and then put it out of context and then make you look like you're ridiculous or something.

I'm already on Twitter. That's what Twitter is for. Exactly. Exactly. No, I mean, what's like – what would be your, like, biggest, you know, hot take, seriously, of the 2022 season here? You know, is it that Michigan's gonna repeat or is it that they fall three games short or um you know or even that like you know in recruiting this turns

around and does get them up to a top 10 class or something like that I do a lot of recruiting talk so I'm gonna stay away from that I like I said I think the lot of recruiting talk, so I'm going to stay away from that. Like I said, I think the hottest take I had with recruiting, and people are going to call me crazy, is I think they have the potential to have a top 10 class. Again, I think they're going to be more in the 15 to 20 range. That's not a bold take. I think they have that potential.

Come on, hear it out. My bold take, and this is out there I think we're going to see At the end of the season Three freshmen start on defense Wow I think Mason Graham I think Will Johnson And I think we can see

Like Okay Okay Okay Okay Okay Okay Okay

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Okay Okay Okay Okay Okay Okay Okay Okay Okay Okay Okay Okay Okay Okay Okay Okay Okay Okay Okay Okay Okay like, can't stop. Okay. Kenneth Grant, from the gods, football gods, yeah. He's a potential

guy too. Huge. You talk about a guy that I think will make an impact. When Michigan recruited him, they made it flat out obvious to him in the recruiting process. We don't have anyone like you. Zero on the roster.

There might be a big Will Campbell. Exactly. Gabe Watson, I don't have anyone like you. Zero on the roster. There might be a big Will Campbell. Exactly. Gabe Watson, I don't know if you remember him, but someone like him, he demands double teams. He's a wrecking ball in the middle, and you just have to – he's a space eater, essentially. Michigan doesn't have anyone other than maybe Mozzie Smith, but I think that's three freshmen, maybe four.

Maybe four, start at the end of the day, you know, for the Ohio State game. I mean, the class was that good. People forget, but they signed some top ten talents there. Yeah, right, right. Yeah, I mean, Will Johnson's a lock, in my opinion, to start. You know, that's interesting to hear Keon Saab, though, just because, you know, there are some other more seasoned guys that are trying to, you know, play those positions.

Yeah, I mean, he's in the back end. You have Ron Moore, you know, who really emerged towards the end of last season. But Keon Saab, I think he's got the potential. He was a top 100 guy who's committed to Clemson for the longest time under Brent Venables. And so he's got a good eye for talent in terms of that side of the ball. And I've heard good stuff about Keon early on. I know they just started fall camp.

But the guy I'm very, very confident in, I think, is going to have, if he doesn't start, he will start next year at least, is Mason Graham. I mean, I just saw the recent roster changes that came out. And he's up to 317. And you watch the spring game. If you really watch that spring game he was going against grown men guys that are three or four years older and he was holding his own pretty well so but yeah in terms of also will johnson that might be the lack of the day for sure i think he's definitely

gonna see the field early and often yeah we've actually talked to other players and they they've mentioned the first ones like chris jenkins mentioned mason graham as a guy to like watch out for um so coming from a guy that's going to play right next to him you know that's pretty uh pretty telling i'd say um yeah i i'm excited man for these young guys. You know, the thing that I love about the young guys is like, yes, this is a senior-led group and all that stuff. And now like the JJs and Donovans are sophomores and they've got a season under their belt, Andrew Anthony. But like these young freshmen that are coming in keep pushing this team to be better and better because they're like nobody's coming in like oh i've got a few years till i'm you know till i'm playing they're like coming in right away to get a spot and i think it's it's made some people uncomfortable to the to the

point where like it's good uncomfortableness right where it's like shit i gotta get in the fucking weight room i gotta like you know make sure i'm i'm giving my all in every single rep you know i know blake horham thinks that too he said the exact same thing he's like dude i i simply can't like not work hard every day because dono is right there and like even you know, you know, you know, some of the other guys, it's just even, even the top, top dogs like Cade McNamara, obviously, I think the QB battle starts at all with that.

And it's been really cool to see that. And I think that could be the difference in how, you know, good or great this team can be. Yeah. It's a youth movement, essentially, you know,

guys, I didn't even mention like darius clements who shined in the spring game i mean but i can't say he's gonna start because who do you who do you take out yeah and then derrick moore who's a again a commit to oklahoma flip michigan got him to flip like i mean he i was looking at his way He's put on a bunch of good weight as well. And he starred, I think, in the spring game as well. So there's a lot of young guys. I think they're going to play.

And I think it's not. Amarion Walker, I mean, it's just. If he puts on 25 pounds, he will be really, really good. Right now he's like 150 pounds soaking wet. But still. No, it's 180. He's supposed to be at 180. They wouldn't lie. They would never lie. But yeah, maybe he should

hit Mr. Spots. I'm not sure. But yeah, I think he'll find some good spots in Ann Arbor. They got some good spots there. Zingerman's and the Knights. So many. Absolutely that that's my bold prediction i don't know if it's super bold you know i'm not gonna say the national title or go nine at three but in terms of like it's just how do you keep some of these guys off the field and

like you said from what i'm hearing what you're hearing these guys are really they're pushing other guys especially these upperclassmen And that's what you want in a program You know, at the end of the day You want these guys to say Hey, this isn't my spot anymore Like, we gotta compete Your fall camp right away And you saw that with like

Junior Colson And other guys shine last year Donovan Edwards kind of emerged JJ played some as well So, that's what you want. If you're going to lose talent to the NFL, you need to bring in future talent, and you're seeing that at Michigan. Yeah.

I love it. I love it. Well, Bryce, thank you so much for joining us. We already talked about it, but we're going to grab a beer together soon. It's been too long. I've hung out with Bree. I've hung out with your sister haven't hung out with you much so she's the five star she's the five star i'm just i'm just a little three star i don't blame you you're not you're not gonna you're not gonna recruit the three second one the five star i get it

hey you're the diamond in the rough that jimbaugh is looking for, though. There we go. I'm the international guy, right? Exactly. You're not allowed to film out there up in Michigan, but trust me, I'm good. Trust me. I'm really good. All right. Well, tell the people where they can follow you out here so they can get all your stuff.

Yeah, so I'm on the Michigan Insider on 24-7 Sports. We have a lot of great writers over there. Obviously, Sam Webb, Steve Lorenz, Zach Shaw, Alexandro. All those guys do amazing work on 24-7 Sports. As for me, you can follow me on Twitter. I'm trying my best to be as active as you guys. But give me a follow if you guys want to follow more recruiting and hear about more of what's

going on there in that world. It's with an I, not a Y. Bryce Marich, M-A-R-I-C-H. And hopefully I can compete with you guys and at least try my best in the Twitter game because, man, you guys dominate stuff. Some of the stuff

and the gifs you guys put out, it's good stuff you can you can thank justin for that i i'm okay oh yeah i like to tweet mostly bullshit from my account just like random stuff but uh just a great job with our twitter and getting that going and all the engagement and whatnot but it's funny you said like the competition stuff i saw clayton at the uh tracy smith like media round. And he's like, man, you got some competition now, huh? I was like, dude, no. Don't worry about us, man. Yeah.

I mean, it's impressive, man, what you do, especially with Michigan Football Home, it's on. I mean, I can't ever write a story about home and on. So that's impressive. Hey, I got to get myself into the zone. I get it. I'm going to play a little thunderstruck or something yeah exactly yeah uh well thanks for joining us again man we appreciate you go follow bryce's

stuff um you know getting married soon congrats on the on the uh future wedding fall wedding you guys man you guys already beat me to the punch i said man looks pretty fun over there i want to join that group. I'm being honest. You still got time. Get out. I'm running up that hill. It's all good. It's all good.

Yeah. We appreciate you, man. Thank you. We'll be talking to you again soon. Awesome. Appreciate you guys having me on again.