Top football recruits in Michigan for 2010

By Sam Webb
Special to The Detroit Free Press

The state of Michigan is poised to produce one of its best gridiron classes in recent seasons. Colleges from across the country are already setting up shop in the Great Lakes State to try to harvest some of that class of 2010 talent. Meanwhile, Michigan and Michigan State are working feverishly to keep much of it home.

Here is an early look at the 12 best players on Scout.com's "State of Michigan Top 125." According to Scout.com Midwest analyst Allen Trieu, the battle for No. 1 on this list will last well into the season.

1. QB Devin Gardner, Inkster (6-4, 196, 4.6): Gardner has emerged as one of the mostly heavily-recruited signal callers in the country. The genesis of his climb up the charts coincided with his transfer to Inkster last year.

Spring and summer work with his new coaches and teammates laid the groundwork for strong camp performances at schools like Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, and a host of others. Those showings preceded a trip to the prestigious Elite 11 camp in Eugene, Ore.

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When fall finally rolled around, Gardner was primed to have a breakout season. He did just that, amassing 1,886 yards, 26 touchdowns and only seven interceptions in the air while also totaling 1,401 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground. His efforts paced Inkster's run to the state title game.

His offer sheet stands at 13 and includes Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Iowa, Purdue, Wisconsin, Notre Dame and LSU. Noticeably missing, however, is childhood favorite Ohio State. The Buckeyes were eliminated from contention earlier this week after they made Gardner aware of their intent to focus all of their early recruiting attention on Nick Montana, son of former NFL great Joe Montana.

Trieu: "Devin showed as a junior that he could hang in the pocket and win with the pass. Of course, he is still at his best when plays break down and he ad-libs. But he is adding polish to his game with each passing day and that bodes well for his college future."

2. LB/DE William Gholston, Detroit Southeastern (6-7, 245, 4.6): This cousin of former Cass Tech and Ohio State standout Vernon Gholston has displayed similar freakish ability during his three-year high school career. Gholston first came to the attention of gridiron observers around the city while at Mumford, where he registered an impressive 19 sacks as a sophomore. However, his star went to another level when he transferred to Southeastern last season. Gholston finished the year with 101 tackles, including 22 for loss and 15 sacks to go along with two fumble recoveries and four forced fumbles.

Now he is understandably being courted by programs from across the country. At last check he held offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Iowa, Purdue, Florida, Miami (Fla.), Illinois and Central Michigan.

Trieu: It would be a challenge to find many kids more physically gifted than Will. It is surprising how well he runs and moves for his size, and he never quits on a play. I still think he will have to transition into being a true defensive end in college, but he has a lot of talent."

3. RB Austin White, Livonia Stevenson (6-0, 180, 4.4): White bested his stellar sophomore performance last year by showing he could drive Stevenson's ship without help from his brothers Myles and Mitchell, both of whom had headed off to Michigan State. The talented youngster rushed 228 times for 1,610 yards and 28 touchdowns, and also hauled in 21 receptions for 310 yards and four more TDs.

A number of programs covet that versatility. Some have even expressed the belief that he could excel as a defensive back. White already holds offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa, Wisconsin and Purdue. His Green and White ties run deep, as both his parents are alums and both his brothers are students, but he insisted from the beginning that that will not be the defining factor in his recruitment. His approach thus far definitely backs that up. He has made numerous visits to Michigan and MSU, and he also has traveled to Notre Dame, Iowa and Wisconsin. Apparently that is just the beginning of a very busy itinerary. He is also interested in dropping in on schools that are showing interest from outside the region, like Florida State.

Trieu: "I love the versatility Austin brings. He is excellent in the open field, he can run from an I-formation, from a shotgun, he can split out, he can play in the slot, and he blocks. I don't know that he'll be a workhorse type back in college, but he can help a team in a variety of ways."

4. LB Max Bullough, Traverse City St. Francis (6-3, 220, 4.6, committed to Michigan State): The name says it all. The Bullough family legacy at MSU made this an extremely tough recruitment for every other program. His father Shane, uncle Chuck, and grandfather Hank all played for the Spartans. Hank also coached in East Lansing.

UCLA, Iowa, and Notre Dame tried to make things interesting, but Bullough announced his allegiance to the Spartans in early October. He then turned his athletic attention back to the football field, where he helped lead his team to the Division 7 state title.

Trieu: "Max is simply a kid you can count on. He won't necessarily make eye-popping highlight-reel plays, but I'll take double-digit tackles every game over that any day. He has a feel for the game and a nose for the ball. You'll be hard-pressed to find many missed tackles from this kid."

5. CB Dior Mathis, Detroit Cass Tech (5-8, 170, 4.3): Prior to last season, Mathis was considered by many to be a track guy playing football. An offseason of strength work, plus seeking out one-on-one challenges at every summer camp he could get to, was the start of proving otherwise. Mathis added 22 pounds of muscle, but maintained his 10.47 100-meter speed.

The more physically prepared Mathis was an impact player for Cass Tech in 2008. He grabbed eight interceptions and flashed big-play ability on offense en route to helping the Technicians get back to the playoffs. On the recruiting front he was seemingly signed, sealed and delivered for Miami last September, but eventually decided against offering an early verbal pledge. Mathis wants to go through the entire recruiting process and has no shortage of suitors to explore. He holds offers from Michigan, Miami, Iowa, Oregon and Tennessee, but maintains a top four of Florida, Miami, Michigan and Ohio State.

Trieu: "Dior's cover skills are fantastic. His feet, hips and makeup speed are uncanny. He likes to play in your face, even despite his size. I've noticed him getting bigger and stronger, which should help the part of his game that needs the most improvement -- run support. Ultimately, true cover corners are hard to find and Dior has those skills."

6. DE/TE C.J. Olaniyan, Warren Mott (6-5, 225, 4.7): This jumbo athlete had a breakout season for Warren Mott. He led his team to the playoffs, where it was eliminated by Cass Tech. Along the way, he established himself as a high major prospect. Olaniyan finished the year with 77 tackles from his defensive end spot, including 14 for loss and nine sacks. On offense he hauled in 33 passes for 536 yards and three touchdowns.

He prefers defense on the next level and college coaches seem to agree that that is his optimal position. Olaniyan currently holds offers from Michigan State, Kentucky and Indiana. He is also receiving heavy interest from Michigan, Maryland, Penn State and Iowa.

Trieu: "It is clear that Olaniyan is starting to blow up now, but he has been one of the state's best athletes for the last two seasons. He could play tight end in college, but his pass-rush ability and long frame seem to be best suited for defense. He is still raw, but that is actually scary for opponents."

7. RB Nick Hill, Chelsea (5-7, 180, 4.5): Hill looks like Mike Hart, is built like Hart and runs like Hart. On the stat sheet, Hill fills things up like Hart. Need proof? Check out his 2008 stats: 2,260 yards and 27 TDs rushing, 19 receptions for 242 yards, and seven kickoff returns for 252 yards and two TDs.

If credentials were all that were needed to get scholarship offers, Hart would've had a ton by the time his senior year began. But like Hart, Hill will have to clear the hurdle in the minds of many college coaches about his size. No one can predict whether the Chelsea star will come close to Hart's enormous dynamism, but he has already proven that he is a book that definitely can't be judged by its cover. Stanford, Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan have seen enough to convince them to offer scholarships. Notre Dame, Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa and Wisconsin are among those currently showing a great deal of interest.

Trieu: "Hill's measureables may not be prototype, but the rest of his game is. He has great vision and runs with determination. His speed is an underrated part of his repertoire, and he showed as a junior that he had home-run ability. His size may scare some schools off, but he will make them wish it hadn't in a few years."

8. QB Joe Boisture, Saline (6-6, 200, N/A): Boisture emerged from relative obscurity last year after being knocked out for his entire sophomore campaign. Former Hemlock standout and future Wisconsin Badger Zac Mathias muted the buzz about the 6-6 gunslinger with a hit to his non-throwing elbow during a scrimmage.

The hype began building again when camp season rolled during the spring and summer. During impressive showings at the Purdue quarterback camp and the Elite 11 camp, Boisture was able to demonstrate why so many Flint-area observers were touting him so heavily before he ever took one varsity snap. He carried that strong offseason showing into his junior campaign, where he passed for 1,700 yards and 13 touchdowns while leading Goodrich to an undefeated regular season. He recently transferred to Saline and is the favorite to win that job next year. It's very likely that all of his athletic attention will be focused on that task since his college decision stands a good chance of already being out of the way.

"I plan to make an early decision," Boisture told Scout.com earlier this week. He's visited Pittsburgh and Boston College, and has a trip to Cincinnati scheduled. "So, those are the three schools I'm considering. Hopefully, I can then sit down with my parents and make a decision. I just want to get it out of the way. I mean, this whole recruiting process is long and takes a lot of you."

Trieu: "It will be interesting to see what Boisture does this year. He had a great junior season and showed his talent, but at a smaller level. Watching him on tape though, it is clear he has a great arm and he has the height you want in a quarterback, so he has the requisite tools for the job."

9. QB Robert Bolden, Orchard Lake St. Mary's (6-4, 197, 4.5): Last season Bolden completed just 72-of-123 passes for 949 yards, seven touchdowns and four interceptions while adding another 260 yards and three TDs on the ground. Statistically, it's quite obvious that those numbers don't compare favorably with those of Gardner and Boisture.

The reason for the difference? Bolden wasn't asked to pass nearly as much as the others. However, when he was, he came through with big passing games -- 238 yards vs. Warren DeLaSalle, 195 against Davison and 223 against Birmingham Brother Rice. The combination of the upside that is presented by his outstanding athleticism, his impressive showing at camps and combines last summer, and his ability to deliver through the air when called upon has created a compelling case for many schools to extend offers. Michigan State, Central Michigan, Northwestern, Virginia, Duke, Wisconsin, Colorado and most recently Michigan already have. Don't look for a decision anytime soon, though. Bolden plans to carry his recruitment into the fall.

Trieu: "Bolden is as polished a high school quarterback as there is in the Midwest this (class). He has good mechanics and showed improved arm strength as a junior. While he is comfortable in the pocket, he also has good speed and can make throws on the run."

10. LB Austin Gray, Warren Fitzgerald (6-2, 210, 4.6): Back-to-back productive seasons have made Austin Gray a name to remember on the in-state scene. He followed up his 105-tackle, three-sack sophomore campaign with an equally-impressive 97-tackle, nine-sack showing as a junior. His junior film has proven to be a major catalyst in his recruitment. Multiple programs, including Michigan and Michigan State, began showing increased interest. Others -- Central Michigan, Toledo, Purdue, Indiana and Maryland -- stepped up with offers.

Of those that have extended scholarships, Indiana and Purdue might hold the early edge. Gray was born in Columbia City, Ind., and still has a number of relatives there. The Hoosier fans are plentiful in his family and he also has two cousins that currently attend Purdue.

Trieu: "Gray is a tough kid who can take on blocks, shed them, and find the football. He is good at taking plays head-on and getting up the field. He has good speed and shows ability to play sideline-to-sideline, as well as rush the quarterback. He improved a lot as a junior. That earned him a few offers."

11. WR Jeremy Jackson, Ann Arbor Huron (6-4, 186, 4.6, committed to Michigan): The son of Michigan running backs coach Fred Jackson was a marked man in 2008, but acquitted himself well, hauling in 42 receptions for 620 yards and seven touchdowns. His big body and leaping ability have endeared him to coaches searching for a physical pass catcher that is a frequent mismatch in the red zone.

Michigan was among those that offered early, and to some it may have seemed like a foregone conclusion that he would don the Maize and Blue. That, though, was never a certainty in Jackson's mind. Trips to Texas and Florida over the summer -- along with offers from Florida, Iowa, Stanford, and Wisconsin, among others -- proved that he was serious about exploring options. One of the factors that had prevented Jackson from making his decision even sooner was his uncertainty about whether U-M's new offense would put the ball in the air. After learning more about the system and seeing it in action on the field, he is now a believer.

"I know they're going to throw, especially since they've got these good quarterbacks coming," said Jackson. "I'm just really excited about the offense because I know once you get the quarterback for it they're going to be throwing it. So I just wanted to jump on it."

Trieu: "Jeremy has very good size and great hands. As a junior, he showed more ability to out-position defenders and use his body to make tough catches in traffic. His speed is the only question. His game speed looks to be better than his timed speed, so I think he'll find his niche in college."

12. CB/RB Mylan Hicks, Detroit Renaissance (5-11, 175, 4.42): Hicks is another player that went from being a relative unknown to a high major target last season. In his first year as a full-time two-way starter, he turned the heads of numerous programs. That was especially true defensively, where he came up with 15 pass breakups and an interception from his cornerback spot.

Size might not be as much of an issue as it had been since he has reportedly added a couple of inches and currently stands 5-11. Only Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan and Arizona have offered, but Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Michigan and Michigan State (where former teammates Chris Norman and Dana Dixon will be freshmen next year) are showing growing interest.

Trieu: "Hicks has great feet and burst, and that is key for a cornerback. His coverage ability is up there with the best. He will likely climb up the rankings."

Sam Webb is managing editor of GoBlueWolverine magazine and GoBlueWolverine.com, and co-host of the "Michigan Insider" morning show weekdays on Sports Talk 1050 WTKA. His column appears every Thursday.

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