Elite offensive lineman Josh Garnett scorns Michigan, goes with Stanford
Not this one.
Another?
The Michigan football team, in great need of offensive lineman, was one of two frontrunners to land premier guard recruit Josh Garnett. But, the Puyallup, Wash., native announced Thursday evening he has elected to stay on the West Coast.
He is headed to Stanford.
Garnett is a five-star prospect according to Scout, and the 13th-best undecided recruit. He is No. 3 overall at guard.
He is Rivals' top four-star recruit.
In other words, he was the best remaining guard on the board. And he's gone.
Michigan was expected by some to be a slight leader for Garnett, in part because of his close relationship with others in the class. That includes offensive lineman Erik Magnuson and defensive lineman Ondre Pipkins.
Pipkins seemed particularly vexed by the commitment.
"I hate being #Lied to woww this is crazy," he tweeted, shortly after asking where Garnett had committed. "Can't trust people but I wouldn't want it around me or #Michigan"
Magnuson later added: "Just got out of practice and heard all the news. I'm sorry Michigan fans I tried my best to get Garnett. Sorry to let y'all down."
Related: Get to know the Wolverines' 2012 class
The Wolverines have attracted a consensus top 10 recruiting class in the country, but still have a major need at offensive line. They played last season with only eight scholarship players at the position -- two of whom are lost to graduation -- and guard Caleb Stacey decommitted from the program last weekend.
So, Garnett was a key recruit, and Michigan lost out.
But it's still in good shape.
The Wolverines remain stockpiled in top-end offensive line recruits, with verbal commitments already in from five-star Kyle Kalis; four-stars Blake Bars and Magnuson; and three-star Ben Braden. Three-star tight end pledge A.J. Williams also could play the position, and many project him to do so.
That's considered to be one of the top offensive line classes in the country, rivaled perhaps only by Ohio State. But, they need at least one and probably two more recruits to round out the group with adequate depth.
The Wolverines are a finalist for two other high-profile offensive linemen in Jordan Diamond of Chicago and Alex Kozan of Castle Rock, Colo. Both are four-star recruits.
Michigan also already has contacted Rutgers commit Chris Muller after former coach Greg Schiano left for the NFL on Thursday, according to multiple reports, and could become a player for the four-star tackle from Pennsylvania.
The Wolverines' 2012 class, which has lost three pledges, currently stands at 23. They are expected to have room for up to 28, although it's becoming more likely they will not max out this class. That would leave more room for the 2013 cycle.
Verbal commitments are nonbinding. National signing day is Wednesday.
The Wolverines have scheduled a 2 p.m. news conference that day to introduce their newest crop of players.
Kyle Meinke covers Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2588, by email at kylemeinke@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @kmeinke.
Comments
Albee Macaw
Mon, Jan 30, 2012 : 4:39 a.m.
ARMANI REEVES commits to THE OSU. I think the last tome michigan landed a recruit was summer of 2011. The Urbanator is on a seek and kill. GO BUCKS. Another blue chippers dumps michigan for the Buckeyes. Geez I know TOSU has landed at least 5 major recruits over the past 2 months and michigan has not landed one since 2011. You people are going to wish The Vest was still there after Urb,
Jeff LaMay
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 4:56 p.m.
I understand that Garnett may have wanted to be closer to home or what not but, I'm going to have to defend Kyle on this one. If the Erik Magnuson and Ondre Pipkins Tweets are accurate. Then Garnett must have told them he's was going to attend Michigan but, then turned around and committed to Stanford. A lie is a lie and that's what Garnett did to our guys. So with that said. Go Blue! It's good to be a Michigan Wolverine and there's nothing better. Team 124 gonna be knocking down some doors.
Jeff LaMay
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 4:58 p.m.
Oops! TEAM 133 WILL BE THE BEST YOU'LL EVER SEE!
gr82bamichwlvrine
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 2:10 p.m.
Well bud, enjoy pickin and a grinnin on "The Farm". I know Stanford is an elite educational institution but their flash in the pan success on the football field is about to burn out, rapidly, with the departure of Harbaugh and now Andrew Luck. Stanford will be mired in mediocrity for the foreseeable future. Does anyone really think David Shaw will take the Cardinal to the promised land? Not with USC coming out of their timeout chair and Oregon retaining Chip Kelly. They will return to being bottom feeders and duking it out with Cal for bragging rights......that's about it. Looking forward to seeing Coach Hoke's new additions to Team 133. Go Blue.
genetracy
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 5:39 a.m.
Hey Az. Andrew Luck has a 4.0 GPA in Architectural Design and has graduated. That program must be where the underachieving Stanford football players hide out for easy grades. What degree program is Denard Robinson in? Oh that's right, the aforementioned "Sports Management". After his NFL career fizzles out, he will have that job waiting for him at Vic Tanny's where he can entertain out of shape, middle age men with his war stories. Does UM have a Masters program in Sports Management?
azwolverine
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 4:34 a.m.
gene, What top law school, MBA program, or medical school is Andrew Luck going to? Or did he forego that to become a pro athlete? Either way, he's no Tom Brady.
gr82bamichwlvrine
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 10:26 p.m.
@genetracy - I am not naiive enough to think that a majority of ANY college football team in America possesses Rhodes Scholars at multiple positions. I also don't believe that you could label an entire team as "academically inferior" as you are intimating. Don't fool yourself into thinking Stanford only recruits top academic performers. As with athletics only a very small percentage of students are gifted to excel in academics to the point you are eluding to, let alone by 4-star athletes. Suffice to say both are superior academic institutions and both have proud traditions on the field of play......if I remember correctly, Stanford is the perennial winner or near the top of the Director's Cup annually. But their football prowess is about to regress. I wish the kid the very best.....but he would have done much more for his career athletically if he had come to AA.
genetracy
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 7:07 p.m.
Stanford football players pursue legitimate college degrees and go on to top level law schools, medical schools, and MBA programs. There are no "general studies" and "sports management" degrees there for underachieving athletes like the UM herds their football players to. Tell me, what percentage of UM football players could be accepted to the school on academics alone. 5%, maybe 10%?
heartbreakM
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 5:16 p.m.
MRunner--you trumped me!! That's what I was thinking :)
MRunner73
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 3:53 p.m.
Don't forget Rich Rod's U-AZ in the Pac-12...(LOL)
golfer
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 12:18 p.m.
Come on people! He chose a really good school. He was for education first. They say chose school first then football. You never know how long a coach will be at your school. Brady will be here forever. Still have a few looking in. it is simple. "We want people whom WANT to come to Michigan". You get them and then turn them into football players. High school is a complete different playing field. College is another level. Some make it some do not. Starts really are a number to compare people to. The playing field is the final grade.
Scott
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 6:44 a.m.
I'm more interested in CB's and TE's. With Kalis, Magnuson, Bars, Braden and Williams they have five solid OL in this class already commited. How many does Michigan need? They have 5 scholarship OL guys already on the team for next year. That's ten total. There are also 6 other non scohlarship guys on the team. Now we are up to 16 guys Lewan, Barnum, and Schoefield are solid starters. So you have five freshman and 2 additional scholarship guys and 6 walk ons vying for 2 spots. Can't find 2 guys to play our of 13 guys who can play? I have a hard time seeing how this is a weakness.
Goofus
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 4:31 a.m.
I'm guessing the Sugar doesn't taste all that sweet to the national recruiting prospects.
uferwasawsome
Tue, Jan 31, 2012 : 1:59 a.m.
genetracy...if, if, if, if, but, but,but, but....Please stop! The BCS picked Michigan over us and it's not fair. Recruits pick Michigan over us and it's not fair. Michigan has a better stadium, tradition, more wins, better winning percentage, better fans, better band and it not fair. You and goofus...sad.
genetracy
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 5:54 a.m.
The ACC was a joke this year. Their top team, Clemson, was humliated in their bowl game by West Virginia 70-33, who could have laid a 100 points on them if they wanted. And who humiliated Virgina Tech in their conference championship? Clemson beat them 38-10. Oh yeah, and this qualified VT for the BCS and the Sugar Bowl because afterall, VT's fans travel well. The Sugar Bowl was the worst BCS game this year because it was played by two teams who acted like neither wanted to win. VT had no business in the BCS and should have been relegated to Idaho Potato Bowl.
azwolverine
Sat, Jan 28, 2012 : 4:29 a.m.
Yeah, all of the national recruits are running from Michigan like the plague after our 11-2 season. After all, who would want to play for the only B10 team to win a BCS bowl game? A top 10 recruiting class sure does suck. And genetracy...you're right on the money. Any team that loses three games for the year and loses in it's conference championship game is a fourth-rate team. Again, any team that meets that criteria is completely fourth-rate. Good call!
Hookemhorn
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 5:29 p.m.
Yeah as a Michigan fan, I am really sad about this top 10 recruiting class that Michigan has coming in.
genetracy
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 5 a.m.
They saw what a meaningless bowl win it was against a fourth-rate ACC opponent.
azwolverine
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 2:50 a.m.
Would have been nice to get him for sure, but not the end of the world. Hopefully Hoke and Co. will land one or both of the other top O-linemen they're in the running for.
TcFlint
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 2:24 a.m.
Some would prefer playing in front of 40,000 instead of 113,000 every Saturday. Can't fault him for that? Sick of talking about him!!! Kalis and Magnuson still give Michigan one of the top, if not the very top offensive line classes in the country.
Terry Star21
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 2:05 a.m.
Tough loss but not devastating....sometimes the distance from home is a factor, stanford will always be second best to Michigan - mommas boys like the closeness of home I'm sure.
genetracy
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 4:29 a.m.
At least Stanford does have Sport Management and General Studies programs to keep their football players academically eligible. As for toughness, was it not two years ago Michiigan football players whined to their mamas becuase RR made them practice too much?
newe82
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 1:57 a.m.
Michigan is fine. Everybody freaks out about these recruits and the best ones are usually the 3 star guys. Garnett made this decision based on location. He did not make it on the resume of the football programs. UM is on the rise and without Harbaugh and Luck Stanford will be a 6-6 team in no time. I wish the kid the best and hope he has fun playing in anonymity at Stanford.
Mick
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 9:21 a.m.
Truer words have never been spoken, good analysis sir.
ted
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 1:39 a.m.
The big question we are all thinking is.... would this have happened to Urban Myer ? Most likely ...not
RudeJude
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 6:49 p.m.
Terry, how is Urban Meyer 0-3 against Michigan? He wasn't the head coach of Bowling Green when we beat them, nor of Utah when we beat them. I believe Michigan is 1-0 against Meyer in Lloyd's last game.
Scott
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 6:47 a.m.
No in keeping with OSU and Tressel tradition- he would have offered Garnett perks, jobs were you get paid but don' have to work. Memorabilia to sell on ebay. Free tats at a parlor owned by a drug dealer up on charges for murder. Go Blue
Terry Star21
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 2 a.m.
The 0-3 against Michigan meyer would not have gotten consideration, plus meyer will be out of osu in 2-3 yrs. and Garnett knew this.
newe82
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 1:52 a.m.
Your right, this would not have happened to Urban because he was not even considered by Garnett.
Mgoblu87
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 1:29 a.m.
No one jump off a bridge just yet. We're still in on Alex Kolzan and Jordan Diamond !! And depending on what service you're reading, Diamond is a 5star.
goldenblue
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 1:17 a.m.
Kyle how did Garnett scorn Michigan.Maybe he wanted to be closer to home.This headline is what you would expect from the freep.
Arborcomment
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 12:50 a.m.
As there was no quote, rumor of a quote, or any sources that wish to remain unattributed that have Garnett "scorning" Michigan - would you mind changing the title of this article? He simply chose Stanford over Michigan. Seriously, others considering attending Michigan really don't need a view that the hometown "paper" attributes made up words or actions to those in the spotlight.
heartbreakM
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 12:38 a.m.
Ah, bum!!! He wasn't that good anyway!!!! (I am just pre-empting those comments that are sure to follow). Good luck to Garnett. Sorry he didn't come to Michigan, but Stanford University is an excellent university and solid football program. He is choosing among two gems.
Engineer
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 12:28 a.m.
Sad news for sure. I would suspect the young man was worried about cutting it at Michigan. It takes the best and brightest to make it here. Stanford will be a walk in the park compared to the rigors of Michigan.
Wally the Wolverine
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 1:53 a.m.
Really? When was the last time Jim Harbaugh criticized Stanford for funneling its football players into a General Studies curriculum? Don't be bitter, we'll be just fine without him.
Freight Train
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 1:49 a.m.
Really? Oh yeah, I guess sarcasm is a tough read on the internet. There is no way the school with the better academic reputation and better football program (current) should have to sweat over competing with the rigors of Michigan. All opinion aside, just look at the facts. The strength of schedule (football), and entrance requirements/graduation % for players (academic) nods towards the Cardinal. And then there is the weather . . .
zeeba
Fri, Jan 27, 2012 : 1:48 a.m.
You're joking, right? Do you know anything about Stanford? Apparently not. Unless by "the rigors of Michigan" you're referring to the weather. But Stanford is consistently rated well ahead of U-M in terms of academics.