There are some things you just don’t do when you are in the home of a prospective recruit and one of those things is to insult the recruit or their family. Michigan is playing from behind on a lot of recruits after making a coaching change so they need to be saying all the right things when they sit down with recruits and their families. They did everything, but that when they visited Nebraska commit Daishon Neal.
Michigan made one last ditch effort this past week in an attempt to change the loyalties of three-star strong-side defensive end, Daishon Neal. Neal’s the best player from the state of the Nebraska this recruiting cycle, and accordingly an important commit for the Huskers, whom he’d pledged his loyalty to since this past April.
UM’s recruiting brain trust, apparently led by former defensive coordinator-turned-defensive line coach Greg Mattison gave it the ol’ college try one last time Monday night, with the results expected to come to light Tuesday as Neal announced his final decision on a local Omaha radio station:
Neal's father says Michigan's coaching staff made one mistake, said his son probably wouldn't be able to get into school w/out football
— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) January 27, 2015
At that point, Neal's father told U-M's coaching staff to leave the house — he was leaning toward U-M, then threw them out of the house
— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) January 27, 2015
To be clear … Neal's father said comment was that player wouldn't be able to get into Michigan without football, not anywhere.
— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) January 27, 2015
Greg Mattison was in Daishon Neal's home last night.
— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) January 27, 2015
That’s a pretty wild story. We won’t get to hear Michigan’s side of the story until after National Signing Day since schools are unable to comment on recruits until they have signed on the dotted line. I don’t think the Michigan coach was intentionally trying to insult the kid or his family, but you can’t allow your words to get interpreted in that fashion. It will be very interesting to see what Michigan has to say about this incident when they are allowed to finally clear the air.
