John Wienke, Darryl Stonum Commit to Michigan; McGuffie to Follow?

By Sean · Monday, July 2, 2007 · 12:47 AM |  Share | 3 Comments 

Despite Michigan’s recruiting camp taking place a week or so ago there was only one committment that stemmed from it coming into Sunday, and that was from a Class of 2009 player. Things changed yesterday, though, as the Wolverines picked up not one, but two verbals.

The first commitment comes from Tuscola High School (Illinois) quarterback John Wienke. Wienke received an offer after attending the aforementioned recruiting camp, which was an honor since Michigan was really looking for the best QB to extend an offer to at the camp. With Ryan Mallett being on the team, QB isn’t exactly a huge need this year in recruiting, but you do need to add some depth. That’s what the Wolverines did as Wienke committed following another visit to Ann Arbor this past Friday. He will probably redshirt his first season, and then will have the opportunity to start down the road.

As of right now, Wienke is around 3 stars in the recruiting rankings. He is an Elite 11 selection, leading many to believe that he is on the high-end of 3 stars and could possibly reach 4. Regardless, this is a big pick up for Michigan. U-M really doesn’t need to worry about recruiting a QB for the Class of ’08 and can now move on to other positions.

Speaking of that, how about wide receiver. Darryl Stonum, a coveted 4-star WR from the state of Texas, made the announcement that he chose Michigan last night on a Houston TV station (video can be seen here; might need to look for it in the archives). Stonum adds to the growing number of current or future U-M players that hail from Texas (2 of his former high school teammates are on the team already).

What does Stonum bring to the table? He is a receiver that has that coveted play-making ability. The speed factor is also a huge plus as Stonum runs a 4.4 in the 40-yard dash. Some comparisons put him in the same category as Braylon Edwards, especially since he may end up wearing the #1 jersey some day.

Stonum plans to enroll early just as Ryan Mallett did, meaning he will come to Michigan in the winter and be able to participate in spring practice. In the video he was asked if he had any winter coats, and unlike Mallett, Stonum did say he has a few in the back of his closet. It’s always good to be prepared for a Michigan winter, especially when you’re coming from Texas.

With Stonum coming aboard, let’s look down the road a little at what Michigan’s future offense could be. You have Ryan Mallett at quarterback and Darryl Stonum as the speedy go-to receiver. There is only one part missing in this potential Texas trio. That would be running back Sam McGuffie. McGuffie is from Cy-Fair High School in Texas and is probably best known for his leaps over defenders and exciting moves that made their way onto YouTube.

Personally, and I’m sure many others that follow recruiting closely would say the same, McGuffie is the recruit that we most want to see in a Maize and Blue jersey some day. He has drawn titles of being the “White Reggie Bush” due to his exciting style of play and undoubtedly could get the Big House crowd on their feet (the portion that cheers anyways). Well, Sam made his way to Ann Arbor for an unofficial visit last Thursday and is making his way home today. This was the first time he got to see the Michigan campus, so getting a feel for it may be that final step in ending the recruiting process. I won’t get into the specifics of what went on during the visit, but let’s just say, it was all positive. If a decision is made in the near future, then you can bet it will be to attend Michigan. We’ll have to let things play out, but the fireworks on the 4th of July may not only be in the sky, but also in the world of recruiting.