Michigan Recruiting 2012: 7 Things the Wolverines Are Hoping for on NSD

Under Rich Rodriguez, Michigan seemed to always pull in a huge surprise player on or around National Signing Day.

Demar Dorsey was a huge surprise when he picked Michigan. Je'Ron Stokes was a small surprise as well. Michael Shaw and Ricky Barnum were also highly rated players who were looked at as somewhat of a surprise.

Well, this year, it doesn't look like Michigan will pull in any surprise players. The amount of players Michigan is still in contention for is incredibly low.

Here is a look at the remaining players they are hoping to reel in by signing day.

Alex Kozan (Castle Rock, Colorado)

Alex Kozan has narrowed his list to Iowa, Michigan and Auburn.

Even though Michigan obviously still has a shot with him, the general consensus seems to be Iowa.

It would be nice to land Kozan, but Michigan is actually in contention for an even better offensive lineman.

Kozan will be announcing before signing day, so it won't be long before his destination is known.

Sam Grant (North Royalton, Ohio)

Even though Sam Grant isn't necessarily highly rated by most recruiting sites, he seems to be very coveted by Michigan coaches and fans.

Michigan already has two tight ends in this class, but that won't stop it from taking a third.

He is absolutely huge, standing 6"6' and weighing 240 pounds, allowing him to fit perfectly in a future pro-style offense.

His list seems to be down to Michigan and Oklahoma, and it would be a surprise if Michigan didn't land him.

An announcement should be coming any day now.

Jordan Diamond (Chicago, Illinois)

Diamond has been on Michigan's radar for a long time. In fact, Michigan was considered to be his leader a few months back.

Some things changed and it looked like the two were becoming more and more distant, but now Michigan may be looked at as the favorite again.

Since losing out on Josh Garnett, Diamond is now the best offensive lineman Michigan is still in contention for.

He will announce on Feb. 3, choosing between Michigan and Arkansas.

Armani Reeves (West Roxbury, Massachusetts)

Ever since Anthony Standifer and Michigan parted ways, the Wolverines have been looking for another cornerback to go along with Terry Richardson in this class.

They've had a few strong possibilities, but the majority of those fizzled out. The main one was Yuri Wright, but everyone knows that that went downhill in a hurry.

Armani Reeves seems to be the only corner candidate left for Michigan. He is a solid player that had been committed to Penn State for a long time, but recently decommitted.

He lists Michigan and Ohio State as his two finalists, and will announce before signing day.

His good friend and teammate Camren Williams recently committed to Ohio State, and unfortunately, Williams could be the deciding factor in where Reeves ends up.

Surprise Players?

As mentioned earlier, it's hard to see Michigan landing any surprise players.

Even though they seemingly do every year, it's just hard to find any this year.

Someone would have to pull a real shocker for it to happen.

I could throw out some names, but only for the sake of doing so. Zach Banner was considering Michigan at one point, but he now seems destined for Oklahoma or USC.

Nobody can get a read on Dorial Green-Beckham, and it would be amazing to somehow land him.

Maybe Chris Muller will switch over from Rutgers now that Greg Schiano has left.

Devin Fuller was considering Michigan at one point, and could also be affected by Schiano's departure.

Again, this is just wishful thinking, as none of those guys are likely to end up at Michigan.

Poor Finish for Michigan's Rivals

Even though Brady Hoke or any other coach at Michigan will never admit it, it is fun to see schools like Ohio and Notre Dame lose out on their top targets.

Or you can be like Michigan State, and not really be in contention for any top targets. Kenny Lawler seems to be the only solid player they have a realistic shot at, but it will still be hard to pull him away from the West Coast.

Monty Madaris seems likely to end up at State, but you can't really consider him a big-time target.

Notre Dame is putting together a pretty solid class, and is in contention for many more great players. They seem to have the best shot with Arik Armstead, although there's a chance Ronald Darby recommitts as well.

Meanwhile, Ohio has already used up all of their scholarships, but Urban Meyer will likely continue the shady SEC trend of oversigning.

Every Michigan fan wants to see guys like Stefon Diggs, Joel Caleb, Davonte Neal and especially Armani Reeves end up somewhere other than with the Bucks.

A Solid Start on 2013

As soon as the 2012 class is all signed, the coaches will immediately turn their attention to the 2013 kids.

Just as they did with the 2012 group, Michigan is off to a hot start in 2013, as it already have two verbal commitments: Shane Morris, who seems to be one of the best junior quarterbacks in the country, and Dymonte Thomas, a solid safety from Ohio.

A lot of people think they'll land Illinois receiver Laquon Treadwell, who already has offers from schools such as Notre Dame and Nebraska.

They are also a strong contender for Logan Tuley-Tillman, one of the best offensive linemen in the country.

We'll see if the 2013 class ends up being as solid as this 2012 one currently is.