Into The Blue: Father of On300 EDGE Marco Jones talks Michigan visit; intel on summer OVs
The latest on Michigan recruiting…
Father of Marco Jones talks Michigan visit
Michigan cemented itself as a major player in the recruitment of On300 Danville (Calif.) San Roman Valley EDGE Marco Jones thanks to a strong weekend unofficial visit.
Jones and his father, AJ, who played linebacker at both Northwestern and Colorado, enjoyed their time in Ann Arbor and were impressed with everything U-M had to offer on and off the field.
“Overall, the visit was outstanding,” AJ said. “I didn’t know what to expect. Obviously, we all know Michigan is steep in tradition and just won the national championship. We had high expectations, and we weren’t disappointed at all. They exceeded our expectations. They have a very simple approach to success. I thought that was really refreshing… We felt like we were at home. My wife and I were walking around the facility as if we’d been there for years. It felt comfortable. There were some superstars walking through the hall. Everybody is down to earth. The familial atmosphere in the building and the calmness of the coaches leads me to believe they are prepared for whatever is in front of them. That’s really appealing to me.”
A lot changed at Michigan this offseason, including the departure of former head coach Jim Harbaugh. However, new Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore has hit the ground running and made a strong impression on the Jones family.
“He’s really down to earth,” AJ said. “That’s probably the answer most people give you. If I had to suspect what people’s first description of him would be, it would be down to earth. He’s the head coach at Michigan and coming off a national championship, but he’s very, very approachable. You can tell he understands what the goal is and the formula it takes to get there. He’s preaching that while understanding what it means to be a Michigan Man. He’s promoted that school better than I could have ever expected. It wasn’t a surprise that he was charismatic. But it was refreshing to see how consistent he was with what he was saying and the things he was doing on the field.”
Marco is a top overall priority on the EDGE board this cycle, which means he’s a massive target for new Michigan defensive line coach Lou Esposito.
While Esposito did not have a preexisting relationship with Marco and AJ, he impressed both of them throughout the weekend.
“Coach Espo is an interesting, dynamic person,” AJ said. “He’s unique in so many regards. That’s probably a good way to describe him. He’s a really good fit. He’s knowledgeable. He just got in the building, but he already understands schemes and the stuff Coach Wink (Martindale) is putting out there. I gauge how good a coach is on more than X’s and O’s. Would I leave my kid with him to help raise him as part of his journey? The answer, based on my brief experience with Coach Espo, is absolutely.”
Marco is listed at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds on On3. However, he measured in at 6-5, 240 pounds during the visit. Simply put, Marco is an impressive physical specimen with a terrific athletic background — he also doubles as a high-end baseball player.
While Marco spends a lot of time at middle linebacker for his high school team, he has the potential to be another great U-M pass rusher in Wink Martindale’s defensive scheme.
“The scheme is fantastic,” AJ said. “We had an opportunity to talk X’s and O’s with them, which is what Marco and I love to do. It’s an NFL scheme. It’s the Baltimore Ravens scheme. Coach Wink invented it. Who better to teach it to you than the person who helped develop it? With that, I think Marco would fit in really well in that scheme because of the amount of things they ask their EDGEs to do. He can be an edge rusher, he can line up in the A gap and he can drop into coverage. All the things he does as a middle linebacker in high school would be similar to the things that he would be doing in college with the exception of really being on that edge rushing the passer. It’s a really good scheme for him and one that is built for success.”
Overall, Michigan’s elite blend of athletics and academics has the Wolverines squarely in the mix in this recruitment going into official visit season.
“The on the field product is pretty obvious,” AJ said. “It’s top-tier, elite level. It’s consistent. The coolest part about that is the young men they are recruiting to come to Michigan and the values they uphold and the work ethic. Michigan doesn’t skim on that. They make sure that every recruit fits that bill and checks those boxes and then some. I like that part of it.
“I also think it’s underrated, at least to the world, with academics. It’s a global degree. The athletic and academic department work hand in hand, and their goal is to get you graduated as quickly as possible by throwing all the resources they have at you. The academic portion is hugely important. A lot of people might not know that the alumni base and networking is as deep as it is.”
More OVs being planned
Several top targets have already scheduled Michigan official visits, and more are in the final stages of being finalized.
The aforementioned Jones is expected to release his official visit schedule soon. I would expect him to come in for the first summer official visit weekend (May 31-June 2). As I’ve mentioned on the site throughout the week, I feel like Michigan took a big step forward in that recruitment. It’s easy to see that from his father’s interview.
The June 21 official visit weekend is ‘Victors Weekend,’ which means a ton of commits and top targets will be on campus. One name that I’ve heard is likely to be in attendance for that is Top 100 La Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman offensive lineman Douglas Utu. Michigan is being very selective with its offensive line takes this cycle, but Utu is clearly at the top of the board.
Another name that has been mentioned to me is Top 100 Elkhart (Ind.) Central EDGE Mariyon Dye, who already has an OV scheduled with Tennessee for that weekend. It’s unclear if Dye will come in on a mid-week or if Michigan will convince him to make his way to Ann Arbor instead. Either way, Dye is a top target on the EDGE board but will be a tough pull.
Remember, On300 Michigan quarterback commit Carter Smith is already locked in for Victors Weekend. He told me that Dye and Utu are both at the top of his list to help Michigan recruit, and he’s already taking steps to get on the phone with them.
Insight On Marshall
Michigan picked up a massive win on the recruiting trail this week, landing Top 100 Oak Park (Ill.) Fenwick EDGE Nathaniel Marshall.
So what are the Wolverines getting in the talented Chicagoland prospect? On3 Rankings Director Charles Power shared some insight on his game.
“Nate Marshall projects as a mismatch nightmare on the interior,” Power said. “For starters, the thing that jumps out to me the most in watching his film is the first step quickness. He is a problem for interior offensive linemen when he’s slid inside. You can see the burst and play speed really create issues for opposing offensive linemen. He is able to fire off the ball so quickly. He has great instincts and overall quickness with his outstanding first step. You have to be encouraged by his hand usage. You see him quickly disengage when offensive linemen get their hands on him. He has a swim move and uses his quick hands to get off of blocks and dart to the backfield.
“I also like the play speed and his ability to close, whether it’s making plays behind the line of scrimmage or running sideline-to-sideline in pursuit. We also see his athleticism when he’s split out wide on offense. He comes down with some impressive jump balls. He’s an intriguing prospect and has been considered a national prospect for us for some time.”
Marshall, who is ranked as the No. 6 defensive lineman and No. 71 overall recruit nationally, per On3, was recruited as more of an EDGE by Michigan. However, he has a compact frame and could end up with his hand in the dirt at the next level.
Either way, Power is excited about his potential as a pass rusher or 4i/three-technique.
“He has continued room for physical development,” Power said. “He was 6-foot-4, 265 pounds going into his junior season. He’s a guy that could hold more weight once he gets in Michigan’s strength and conditioning program. He has the characteristics the Wolverines like along the defensive front. Given his athleticism he shows on Friday nights, he could play different spots. It will be interesting to see where his body ends up. That will determine where he’s at positionally. When you are just evaluating the prospect, you have to like the burst and quickness he shows. Of course, he has great bloodlines with his family’s athletic history. That doesn’t hurt either. It’s just a really nice pickup for Michigan out of the Midwest.”
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