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Posted on Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 4:04 p.m.

Brady Hoke welcomes Urban Meyer to Michigan recruiting ground, says competition will forge forward

By Nick Baumgardner

SOUTHFIELD -- Michigan and Ohio State shared the same recruiting field on Wednesday.

The only hitch?

That field was located in metro Detroit, obviously an extremely fertile prospect area for the Michigan football program.

SigningDay_UrbanMeyer.jpg

First-year Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer, above, and his entire staff made an appearance in Michigan on Wednesday. He shared an embrace with his friend Brady Hoke.

AP Photo

But rather than spit fire or make things awkward, one of the first people Wolverines coach Brady Hoke embraced was his soon-to-be enemy: new Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer.

Keeping your enemies close? Not exactly.

“I’ve known Urban a long time,” Hoke said during the Sound Mind, Sound Body football camp at Southfield High School. “We’ve got a good relationship.

“But we’re going to compete in recruiting, no doubt. And on that last Saturday in November, no doubt about it.”

Hoke was at the event -- which featured high-level Michigan 2013 commits Shane Morris, David Dawson and Logan Tuley-Tillman -- with several members of his staff, including offensive coordinator Al Borges and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison.

Meyer and the Buckeyes were also out in force, perhaps even more than any other school -- Michigan or Michigan State included.

The new OSU boss had his entire coaching staff on hand at the instructional camp, and even had a chance to address the hundreds of potential prospects -- on Michigan soil.

Michigan, especially under Hoke, has developed a reputation of having recruiting success in Ohio over the years. Now, Meyer says, it’s his aim to return the favor.

“I know this area real well," said Meyer, who once coached at nearby Bowling Green State University. "As for Ohio State ... we have some very good players from this area.

“If we have not, we will."

All friendly competition aside, Hoke said the two-day camp has been a special event each summer due to its unique nature.

Because the Sound Mind, Sound Body event is a charitable camp, college coaches are able to attend and provide instruction to the campers -- something that's outlawed at most public camps throughout the country.

At this event, Hoke and his staff are able to monitor commits and future prospects, but they're also able to catch up with friends inside the business.

"It's fun seeing coaches, there's a lot of guys you cross paths with," Hoke said. "(Eastern Michigan coach) Ron English and his staff I've known for a lot of years.

"It's kind of neat to see all those guys."

Toward the middle of Wednesday's schedule, Hoke -- like Meyer before him and like MSU coach Mark Dantonio on Thursday -- was given an opportunity to speak to the roughly 450 campers about the responsibilities and challenges of playing college football.

And, in his case, doing so at Michigan.

"We're all trying to do what's good for the kids," Hoke said. "We talk about the commitment, the accountability, the respect and the trust -- things we talk about with our team every day.

"It's so important if they want to be great leaders, have an influence and be on a great football team. ... It's an opportunity for us to affirm the things that are important about being a student-athlete."

Nick Baumgardner covers Michigan sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2514, by email at nickbaumgardner@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @nickbaumgardner.

Comments

81wolverine

Thu, Jun 14, 2012 : 11:39 a.m.

Meyer bringing his entire staff there was not just to cover the camp better. He was sending a message that if we're going to recruit Ohio heavily, he's going to go after players in this state. So be it. Bring it Urban! He's going to find recruiting the Detroit area challenging with Michigan and Sparty camped out there.

tim

Thu, Jun 14, 2012 : 11:11 a.m.

What else can Hoke say ? We steal so many good players from Ohio.

Hebner

Thu, Jun 14, 2012 : 4:56 a.m.

Urban is good for the Big ten...like it or not. The rivalry is in good shape. I would love to see shades of Woody versus Bo type games (with passing). It will be Ohio versus the team up north all over again. Go Blue!

Blue Marker

Thu, Jun 14, 2012 : 11:20 a.m.

Well said! At a time when the two most famous coaches in the B1G were being fired in comes Meyer. It helps the conference as a whole. I agree that "The Game" is looking more like it used to back in the day. Fans on both sides should be happy that this rivalry seems to be on pace for a return to the glory days!

Huron 74

Thu, Jun 14, 2012 : 4:03 a.m.

Hoke, a class act. He has nothing to fear. Yeah, I'll bet it's fun to see all those guys, Brady, now that you're the big dog on the big porch! More power to ya! GOO BLUE!

Bluewolverine

Thu, Jun 14, 2012 : 4 a.m.

I live in the middle of the SEC country surrounded by Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama and it is very difficult to talk Michigan football with any of these folks down here. But they all remember UM as an intense guy that recruited very well. I hope after a few years Brady can hold his ground with this guy and I think he will. This is interesting country when it comes to football. Heck they just had an all star game between Tennessee and Georgia. Football is life down here year around. Maybe Brady ought to take a look at some of these kids.

Matt Patercsak

Thu, Jun 14, 2012 : 12:40 a.m.

its all good, it would be arrogant to be upset by this, Hoke speaks and visits in Ohio all the time for recruiting. I say let him come, it will shut up OSU fans about how dry our state is with recruits

a2roots

Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 11:14 p.m.

Well sec I guess we will never know where or how you got here because everyone that tries to answer the question gets censored. Oh man, I can feel the love.

D21

Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 10:17 p.m.

Essentially, Meyer and Dantonio are fighting over the table scraps left behind by Hoke.

Tom

Mon, Jun 18, 2012 : 4:48 a.m.

With Hoke's zest for overeating there really aren't any table scraps leftover. Lose some weight Hoke!

Bogie

Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 11:52 p.m.

Have you looked at the current recruiting ranking for next season? (not 2013, I'll concede that for now). That is really an ignorant, unfounded statement. You must be a graduate of the harvard of the huron! LOL

D21

Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 11:21 p.m.

Microscopic scraps, microscopic!

7718

Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 10:44 p.m.

It doesn't look like he has left any table scraps behind.

a2roots

Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 9:58 p.m.

Can someone please explain where sec came from and why he is here.

Mick52

Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 11:59 p.m.

Jealousy?

Terry Star21

Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 9:24 p.m.

Dear Mr. Meyer; You are certainly welcome to the student athletes in Michigan that we have not selected and don't fit the Michigan style program. Just like the student athletes in ohio we have selected. Sincerely, Leaders and Best

SEC Fan

Thu, Jun 14, 2012 : 4:21 p.m.

sorry...I'll send some tissues for ya'll.

umgoblue47

Thu, Jun 14, 2012 : 2:57 a.m.

sec fan. . . lets talk sec integrity! i'll quote from an article by chaddscott.com who is an sec alum. the article is to long to re-type all of it, but i'll give you some of the good parts. per chadd. . . the sec has no ethics, no shame, no problem whatsoever using bad guy's to get football glory on saturday's. no conference has lower MORALITY then the sec when it comes to what it allows it's player's to get away with and still compete. it's shady, it's ridiculous, it's scandalous, but it's also life in the sec where football is everything. that's what you have in the sec: a league with great success and no INTEGRITY. a conference that is the envy of the college football world on saturday and the EMBARRASSMENT of the college football world every other day of the year. a conference where winning comes first, nothing comes second, competition is cut-throat and if corner's have to be lopped off to get ahead, so be it. winning championships is great. it's what we've got here, but at some point the ETHICAL debasement of this conference need's to be recognized and reversed at least a littke bit! chadd no college football program is perfect including MICHIGAN, but MICHIGAN has more INTEGRITY then all the sec football program's combined. so please don't come on a MICHIGAN site and slam MICHIGAN'S INTEGRITY, especially when you don't have a clue about what you are talking about! are you hearing that MICHIGAN fight song in your head again? because i am. . . GO BLUE!!!!!!

SEC Fan

Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 9:42 p.m.

Of course...only the maize and stew are allowed to steal recruits. Great integrity!

Terry Star21

Wed, Jun 13, 2012 : 9:27 p.m.

ps....try stealing our commits and you might get burned.....