Agnes Morrison: January 2017

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Michigan Tuesday: Fishin and Wishin on NSD Eve

Image result for cartoon fisherman in boat with fish

hdimagelib.com

Tomorrow is one of my favorite days of the year. It's also the busiest day on the blog, so get here early and often. Like every year, I will update the LOI's as they roll off the fax machine. We will also update all the news with any surprises. I'm 100% committed to the Blog all day! With that said, it has already started, so lets get to some recent news:

Jumped in the Boat

Oliver Martin is now part of Michigan's 2017 class as he and Jimmy actually jumped into the pool with his commitment. He committed to the Wolverines over the weekend and announced it on Monday night. This is a great pick up and just another piece of the pie for a high powered offense that Jimmy has been dreaming of. If Nico picks the Wolverines on Wednesday, this will be the best WR class ever heading to Michigan.

Martin is an Army All American 4 star WR across the board and jumped out of Iowa into the national rankings during Nike's Opening this past summer. Michigan quickly offered and Oliver was very interested. Oliver visited for the BBQ at the Big House and many thought a commitment would soon follow. It didn't and Michigan started to pull back interest after it looked like Brad Hawkins was back in the class. Oliver stayed the course and it looked like maybe he would end up at MSU, ND or even Iowa.

Pep Hamilton got hired and made Oliver his #1 priority and it worked. They got him on campus last weekend and closed the deal. Martin is 6'1 and 185 pounds and can play either the slot or outside WR at Michigan. His game will get compared to any New England Patriots WR not named Randy Moss. He has great hands, good speed and a very good route runner. He also plays baseball and is on the swim team in high school. The kid is a good athlete!

His offer list included the likes of: Florida, ND, MSU, Iowa, Ohio State, BYU, Oregon, Wisconsin, Auburn and others.

I'm sure you might be thinking, this question: Does this effect the recruitment of Nico Collins to Michigan? The answer is no. Nico is a 6'5 outside WR and Jimmy is looking at him for a completely different role. The slot at Michigan also has some folks in front of Oliver including the likes of: McDoom, Crawford, Johnson and maybe Perry. Nico with his size and the lack of outside WR's on the roster could see the field very early.

Swimming in another direction

Ifeatu Melifonwu has confirmed his commitment to Syracuse. His offer from Michigan never came and I'm guessing Syracuse was asking for him to re-confirm. Michigan of course likes this DB a ton but might not have room if they land a number of guys tomorrow. Will this change if Michigan does end up having a spot? Hard to tell at this point. This could be good news for Wednesday or bad news if you are a fan of Ifeatu Melifonwu.

To further answer the above Nico Collins question, this non-offer could also mean they want Brad Hawkins to play Safety.

Fishes still swimming

Aubrey Solomon - many still believe he will end up in the class. BHB Prediction: Nervously Blue

Nico Collins - still trending towards A2 - BHB: Maize and Blue on Wednesday!

Willie Gay - still up in the air - BHB: Mississippi State

Mekhi Becton - between Va. Tech and Michigan - BHB: Hokies

If the above truly happens, I believe Michigan would still have a spot for Ifeatu, so I wonder if he will hold his LOI for a few minutes on Wednesday?

Buckle up boys, its going to be fun ride!

from The BIG HOUSE Blog http://mbighouse.blogspot.com/2017/01/michigan-tuesday-fishin-and-wishin-on.html

Monday, January 30, 2017

Celebrating Company Milestones in Maryland

Michigan Monday: Updates Recruits Trends and Welcomes PWO's

We are two days away from National Signing Day and Michigan is still in it for a number of high profile recruits. Jimmy also welcomed a number of preferred Walk-On's prospects this weekend and there were a couple of commits.   Let's take a look at where thing are trending for Michigan's top prospects first.

Aubrey Solomon - Many of the Michigan insiders still feel Michigan is the choice.   I'm not sure anyone has let Aubrey know.   He continues to say that Alabama leads, which could be a fake out or maybe he loves that hurricane simulator like DeShawn Hand.   Sam Webb still thinks he ends up in Ann Arbor.   This could be a Mike Weber situation, so we need to keep a close eye on this one.   He will commit at 10:00 on ESPNU.

Nico Collins: He visited Georgia this past weekend and some Georgia insiders came away with predicting that Nico was heading to Michigan. Seems the latest trend has Nico staying with his favorite and leader for most of his recruitment.   Sounds like Jimmy and Coach Hamilton had a big impact in their last visit. Let's hope he stays with his heart and goes Maize and Blue on Wednesday. He will announce at 2:00 on Wednesday.

Oliver Martin: Was in A2 this weekend and there isn't a ton of visit reaction yet.   Many still expect that Oliver's heart is still in Ann Arbor and that he will end up Maize and Blue over ND on Wednesday.   This could be one of the best WR classes ever in Ann Arbor if Nico and Oliver are both Blue.

Willie Gay: He likes LSU and mom likes Michigan and Miss State.   I'm guessing he will stay close to home and picks Mississippi State.   If he wants to get away from home and mom won't let him go to LSU, then Michigan has a chance.   Don't hold your breathe on this one.

Ifeatu Melifonwu - It seems both sides are considering if they want to move forward.   Michigan hasn't officially offered yet and could be looking at what the numbers are going to be.   I wouldn't be surprised if he got offered and committed on Tuesday or Wednesday.   This might be a situation where he waits to sends in his Syracuse LOI until Wednesday afternoon.

- DT Jay Tufele - unless its a huge surprise, Jay will stay out West.
- OL Mekhi Becton seems to be heading to VA Tech.

Now lets look at some of the Preferred Walk-On's that are most likely heading to Michigan:

Saline linebacker/fullback Tyler Plocki, he will play FB at Michigan. He is 6'1 and 215 pounds.
Mt. Pleasant 6'3 290 pounds OG Sean Fitzgerald committed as well. Sean had a scholarship offer to the Air Force Academy.
Catholic Central WR/S Evan Latham also committed. He is 6'3 and 191 pounds.

Congrats to all the PWO's!

from The BIG HOUSE Blog http://mbighouse.blogspot.com/2017/01/michigan-monday-updates-recruits-trends.html

Friday, January 27, 2017

Michigan Friday: Big Weekend Days Before NSD

There was some interesting news breaking yesterday..........................

Michigan RB's are solid. With the dating and break-up of Najee Harris, Michigan started to loose it's grip on both of it's RB commits: O'Maury Samuels and Kurt Taylor. Samuels was getting strong interest from RR and Arizona and Taylor was looking at MSU and Hawaii. Samuels was in A2 for his official visit last weekend. Both guys reconfirmed their commitment to Michigan and are expected to sign officially on Wednesday. Good news! Let us not forget that Michigan also lost RB AJ Dillon to BC a few months ago.

Jimmy was out to see WR Nico Collins and told him that Michigan will be running some spread next year. I expect this is a way to get the ball down field a bit more and maybe protect a young offense line as well. Nico will be visiting Georgia this weekend, which is not good news. This also gives more context to the Greg Frey and Pep Hamilton hire. Not to mention that Kevin Wilson is now the OC at OSU.

4 Star WR Oliver Martin is expected to take an official visit to Ann Arbor this weekend. Unless Michigan has some surprise names coming in, Martin will be the only prospect in Ann Arbor this weekend and should get the ~~red~~ maize and blue carpet treatment. The Crystal Balls are now 40% to Michigan and ND for this talented WR.

The Greg Frey hire is now official. Tight Ends, Tackles and Run Game Coordinator

Michigan Basketball beat IU by 30 last night 90-60.

Sam Webb believes that Michigan still has a shot at landing Willie Gay because his parents are in Michigan's corner.

from The BIG HOUSE Blog http://mbighouse.blogspot.com/2017/01/michigan-friday-big-weekend-days-before.html

Thursday, January 26, 2017

Michigan Thursday: The Final 2017 Recruiting Board

We are now less then a week away from the busiest day on the Big House Blog, which is National Signing Day. This weekend is important, because recruits rarely sign somewhere without taking a visit. So if there is a mystery guy or two out there they will probably be in Ann Arbor this weekend.

Considering that its a bit unlikely we hear any new names, lets look at the last recruiting board for the Wolverines.

5 Star DT Aubrey Solomon - We know this story and what happened at the Army game. He plays at huge position of need and his Crystal Balls prediction on 24/7 is 50% to Michigan, 31% to Alabama. He has said as late as last week, that Bama leads.
4 Star WR Nico Collins - Michigan has seemed to have lead for Nico, since this past summer, Georgia has been coming on really strong and many feel Michigan might have lost their lead. The Crystals say 50% Michigan, 37% Georgia. Reports are that Bama is not being considered.
4 Star WR Oliver Martin - He was very high on Michigan early and then Michigan backed off a bit due to numbers. Michigan now has been putting on a full court press on the young man. This seems like a really wildcard recruitment at this point, His Crystal Balls are 65% to ND and 30% to Michigan. If he comes to A2 this weekend, I think Michigan might be the pick.
2/3 Star S Ifeatu Melifonwu is a Syracuse commit and has been on campus since Tuesday and is expected to leave today. Don't worry about his star rating, his brother was a 2 star that Don Brown recruited to UConn and now is heading to the NFL after starting for 4 years. I think Michigan has a great shot to flip him.

Here are my assumptions with the final board.

4 Star LB Willie Gay - He has had Michigan his leader for most of his recruitment, LSU has been making a huge leap and Miss State is also making a play. Many believe now that Michigan is trailing and there could still be admission issues. There is also some noise that Willie doesn't like that Michigan got a number of other LB recruits in this class. The Crystal Balls are 48% to LSU, 40% to Miss State, 8% to Ole Miss, 4% to Michigan.

OL Mekhi Becton will head to VA Tech. Here is a photo from Jimmy's visit earlier this week. That is not exactly an excited face. Crystal Balls are 75% to VA Tech, 17% to Michigan.

DT Jay Tufele will go to Utah. CB's 75% to Utah. None for Michigan.
VA LB Ellis Brooks - Michigan didn't make it in home this week and he will not be visiting A2.

None of the guys on the board are Michigan locks and many can go either direction and change their minds on Wednesday. This is going to be a wild finish and Michigan could get many or none.

------------

Remember OL Erik Swenson? He de-committed from Michigan late in the recruiting cycle last year and said that Michigan no longer wanted him. Well, a writer from Chicago, thought it would be fun to bring it back up again after Erik signed with Oklahoma. This time Jimmy went on the record. Per Jimmy, Erik was asked to come to Michigan's camp (because he committed to Hoke) so the coaches could evaluate him - he declined. Then Jimmy asked if he could come out to the Indy camp - he declined again. Erik told him to evaluate this senior year tape, which was poor and Jimmy and Coach Drevno asked him to look around. It seems the communication wasn't clear and that Erik, his family and HS coach were surprised in December when Coach told them there probably wouldn't be a scholarship for him. Jimmy agrees that there was miss communication and that is on him. Hat tip to coach for answering the questions like a man and not running from a poor situation. If your wondering, this happens at many schools. Of course we don't want it to happen at Michigan but with the coaching change it did.

NBA News- GR3 will be in the dunk contest and LeVert had a highlight cross over dribble last night that is making the rounds.

from The BIG HOUSE Blog http://mbighouse.blogspot.com/2017/01/michigan-thursday-final-2017-recruiting.html

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

FeBREWary Returns to Maryland

In celebration of Maryland Craft Beer Lovers Month in February, Governor Larry Hogan will once again issue a proclamation and offer an official toast on February 3 to kick off FeBREWary.

Breweries across Maryland are joining together to host special love-themed events, launch new beers, and offer unique culinary pairings. FeBREWary is held annually as a partnership between the Brewers Association of Maryland and the Maryland Office of Tourism, a division of the Maryland Department of Commerce.

“FeBREWary is the perfect time to plan a getaway in Maryland and sample the best of our state’s craft beers,” said Governor Hogan. “All month long, breweries from Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore will be open for business so that residents and visitors alike can fall in love with a new brewery or style of beer, or enjoy an old local favorite.”

A new addition this year will include several Maryland breweries participating in the Cupid’s Curse Challenge – a unique secret beer release. In addition to events, beer launches and food pairings, several hotel packages are being offered with amenities including transportation to and from breweries, pint glasses, and six-packs of local craft beer. The month-long celebration will help fuel Maryland’s economy by attracting visitors, which leads to increased hotel bookings and spending at restaurants and breweries throughout the state.

Wolverine Wednesday: Hires Greg Frey

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Sam Webb is reporting that Greg Frey will re-join the Wolverines as the Tight Ends and Tackles coach/Run Game Coordinator.   He is replacing the slot left by Coach Wheat leaving for the NFL Jacksonville Jaguars.  Greg was at Michigan previously and was known as a very good recruiter in Florida and per Sam Webb has a very good eye for recruiting the offensive line. He was known as the best assistant on RR's staff while at Michigan.   As soon as RR was fired, Greg was hired by IU.

This is another "Harbaugh" unique position (like Passing Coordinator) where Greg will be focusing on Tackles and Tight Ends (which sounds more like a reality show).   Your first thought might be how are those positions similar? They are actually and both positions have similar blocking schemes and skills.   Michigan is going to have very young tackles next year and having a coach focusing on them will help their development.

Jay Harbaugh will now become the full time RB coach.

I believe this hire gives us a little insight into Jimmy's mind and where the Wolverines lacked last year.   It was clear that the difference in Michigan being undefeated in the regular season and two losses was the offensive line.   Greg comes back to Michigan from being the Indiana offensive line coach, he also coached that same position group at Michigan when he was here.

Jay Harbaugh in his new role visited O'Maury Samuels at home yesterday.

Don Brown was also in Utah to visit DT Jay Tufele. Would love to land this guy but most expect him to stay out west.

Jimmy will be in home with Oliver Martin on Wednesday. The goal is to get Oliver to do an official visit this weekend to Ann Arbor. It seems everyone and their brother is after Oliver right now including OSU, ND, Florida, and MSU is trying to get that last official. Where he goes will be an big indicator.

from The BIG HOUSE Blog http://mbighouse.blogspot.com/2017/01/wolverine-wednesday-hires-greg-frey.html

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

The Holmes Report named JMRConnect a 2017 In2 SABRE Awards Finalist for: Best Agency Disruption; Corporate/B2B; Employee Engagement; and Marketing Technology.

The Holmes Report has named JMRConnect a 2017 North American Innovation & Insights SABRE Awards finalist in four categories: Best Agency Disruption; Corporate/B2B; Employee Engagement; and Marketing Technology.

Influencer marketing is no longer up and coming: it’s here, and it seems as though it’s here to stay. Agencies that promote and encourage the use of influencer marketing have seen a rise in success rates recently, further reinforcing the idea that this concept is worth a second look by companies that may have questioned the tactic before.

Further legitimizing the importance of influencer marketing is JMRConnect, a multinational public relations, corporate and influencer communications agency. The company announced today that it was just recognized in a big way by The Holmes Report. The Holmes Report has named JMRConnect a 2017 North American Innovation & Insights SABRE Awards finalist in four categories: Best Agency Disruption; Corporate/B2B; Employee Engagement; and Marketing Technology.

These nominations are a direct result of the company’s JMRConnect CEI solution as well as the results achieved by JMRConnect’s client, Yorktel. CEI—which stands for connect, engage, influence—is the agency’s social engagement, employee advocacy and content marketing platform which empowers companies to get the most out of influencer…(continue reading)

The post The Holmes Report named JMRConnect a 2017 In2 SABRE Awards Finalist for: Best Agency Disruption; Corporate/B2B; Employee Engagement; and Marketing Technology. appeared first on Baltimore Tech.

from http://baltimoretech.org/news/the-holmes-report-named-jmrconnect-a-2017-in2-sabre-awards-finalist-for-best-agency-disruption-corporateb2b-employee-engagement-and-marketing-technology/

Maryland stadiums rank #1 in the nation

There’s no place like home, especially when it comes to sports.

That’s why it comes as no surprise that Oriole Park at Camden Yards (OPACY) has taken top honors in Stadium Journey’s best experience rankings for the third year in a row. Camden Yards – located blocks away from Babe Ruth’s birthplace – opened in 1992 and is considered a trendsetter in the baseball community.

Stadium Journey credits OPACY with paving the way for new fan-friendly baseball stadium designs, saying, “If Baltimore had built a standard, boring facility, baseball may not look and feel the way it does now.”

M&T Bank Stadium also took home top honors, ranking number one in the NFL and #14 across all sports stadiums. According to the Baltimore Ravens, the franchise has made significant stadium upgrades over the past four years and will spend $120 million more on improvements in the next two years.

To compile the rankings, Stadium Journey staffers visited 761 stadiums across the country in 2016. Read the complete Top 100 list by clicking here.

Start planning your Maryland vacation today by going to VisitMaryland.org.

The post Maryland stadiums rank #1 in the nation appeared first on MDBIZNews.

from https://mdbiznews.commerce.maryland.gov/2017/01/maryland-stadiums-rank-1-nation/

Michigan Tuesday: Loves Private Aviation

When Bill Gates or Warren Buffett offers to buy the Big House Blog for $1.5 Billion, I'm only going to fly private aviation. No more airport madness, long lines and long delays. You also can be many different places on the same day.

For example:

-Jimmy was entertaining recruits this Saturday and also flew out to watch Ifeatu Melifonwu's basketball game.

-Yesterday, Jimmy was finalizing plans to take his team to Rome, reportedly interviewed Greg Frey, and did an in-home with Willie Gay.

-Today Jimmy is likely hosting Ifeatu Melifonwu on his official visit to Ann Arbor and will be at Mekhi Becton's basketball game tonight.

Got to love that private plane Jimmy gets to use!

Michigan has offered Allen Gant's cousin Toledo St. Johns LB Dallas Gant in the 2018 class.

The trip to Rome is now official, how about the 2017 guys that enrolled early? What a huge perk!

Jeremy Gallon got drafted in the new pro football league for the team in DC.

Son of former Detroit Lions and former Nebraska commit (he also took an unofficial to Ann Arbor) Robert Porcher IV committed to Virginia Tech yesterday.

*Please note if any of the BHB inmates would like to offer $1.5 Billion for the Big House Blog, I am negotiable! :)

from The BIG HOUSE Blog http://mbighouse.blogspot.com/2017/01/michigan-tuesday-loves-private-aviation.html

Monday, January 23, 2017

Light City Baltimore bringing in 21 installations, new innovation conferences for second year (Video)

Light City Baltimore is pulling out all the stops for its second year, with more nights, new installations and live music headlined by Biz Markie and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

The Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts kicked off the road to Light City on Monday during a news conference that brought together all the parties involved, including Mayor Catherine Pugh, Visit Baltimore CEO Al Hutchinson and festival director Kathy Hornig.

Tradepoint Atlantic, Sagamore Development support bill to make MTA transit more reliable

As Tradepoint Atlantic continues its search for tenants for the 3,100-acre Sparrows Point redevelopment, one concern has stuck with prospective companies.

How will the site's public transit-dependent workforce get to their jobs without a reliable connection from the city?

That is why the company is supporting a bill to repeal a farebox recovery mandate that requires the Maryland Transit Administration to recover at least 35 percent of the operating costs for bus, light rail, Metro subway and other services using revenue from fares. The company has joined a coalition called Get Maryland Moving, which believes the farebox mandate has forced the MTA to reduce the frequency of maintenance and made service unreliable.

Maryland business groups oppose paid sick leave bill

Business advocacy groups gathered Monday in Annapolis to oppose a mandatory paid leave bill introduced by members of the House of Delegates.

The bill, which is separate from the one Gov. Larry Hogan proposed in December, passed in the House last year and died in the Senate on the last day of the legislative session. If passed, the legislature's bill requires businesses with 15 or more employees provide seven days of paid leave a year, while those with fewer than 15 employees are required to provide unpaid days off.

Michigan Monday: Could This Recruiting Class Have A Big Hole In It?

I'm sure you have heard by now that FL OT Kai-Leon Herbert has de-committed from the Wolverines. This wasn't a surprise as Kai-Leon had been dating other schools for some time now. He is most likely going to stay close to home and attend a Florida school.

That leaves Michigan with the following commits on the offensive line: Chuck Filiaga, JaRaymond Hall, Joel Honigford, and Andrew Stueber. Which in normal years would seem like plenty of recruits. This is a unique year for the offensive line recruiting and Michigan probably needs/prefers to have two more prospects and probably tackle prospects.

So who is left?

VA OT Mekhi Becton is now trending strongly to Virginia Tech.
FL OG TJ Slaton may have some admission issues and is a HS teammate of Kai-Leon.
PA OL CJ Thorpe who was planning an official to A2 for next weekend, re-confirmed his commitment to Penn State on Sunday. He is a legacy Penn State kid and was a huge long shot of signing with Michigan anyway.
Clemson OT transfer Jake Fruhmorgen is interested in Michigan but would have to sit out a year. He would also take up a scholarship if he did transfer to Ann Arbor.
OH OT Thayer Munford from Massillon, OH is 6'6 325 with a number of big offers including Alabama, Penn State, Louisville, Kentucky, Tennessee, MSU and others. He really wants an OSU offer and doesn't have one yet. There are some reports that Michigan is interested but has not offered yet.

It doesn't look great for any of those guys on the above list outside of Jake.   Thinking these guys probably wouldn't play anyway next year, might help ease your mind on Jake jumping on board and he could be a ready starter in a year.

I wouldn't be surprised if Michigan tried to get a new name 3 star OT on campus this weekend and tried to flip them before a week from Wednesday.    Also Michigan will need to be busy with some raw preferred walk-on's on the offensive line.

If your wondering about any instate guys that Michigan might like to steal, here are a couple names (I'm just pulling these players off the 24/7 top in state players list, I have no information if Michigan is interested in these guys)

-Mustafa Khaleefah from Dearborn, 6'6 282 pounds MSU commit. No Michigan offer and mostly MAC offers outside of State.

-Larry Borom from Brother Rice, 6'5 338 pounds and a Mizzu commit.   Missouri seems to be his only offer, which is strange.

-Emani Mason from Detroit, 6'4 268 pounds has a Louisville and Cincinnati offer, is not committed anywhere and has taken an un-official to Ann Arbor a year ago.

-Robert Hudson from Walled Lake, 6'8 320 pounds committed to Iowa State, mostly MAC offers.

- Kelvin Ateman Jr. from Cass Tech, 6'5 300 pounds, committed to Toledo

All the above guys are 3 stars on 24/7 and probably too long of a shot to get an offer.

WR Oliver Martin was planning a quick visit to Columbus this weekend and then cancelled it. If he comes to Ann Arbor this weekend or week for a quick visit, I think Michigan has a fighting chance.

Jimmy will do an in-home with Nico Collins this week.

RB commit O'Maury Samuels visited A2 this past weekend and seemed to have a good time. Hopefully, he will stick with his commitment and sign on 2/1.

Jimmy is expected to visit VA LB Ellis Brooks on Tuesday.

Jimmy visited with Syracuse S commit Ifeatu Melifonwu at his basketball game on Saturday. He is another guy that might visit and could be on flip watch.

The rumor mill is spinning that Michigan is heading to Rome for a Spring Football trip.

from The BIG HOUSE Blog http://mbighouse.blogspot.com/2017/01/michigan-monday-could-this-recruiting.html

QL2 packs up and moves to Baltimore

QL2 – an internet software company that primarily works in the travel, hospitality, and retail industries – is planning to pack up its Atlanta office and move to Baltimore.

The company’s newly-appointed CEO, Carl Warzack, believes moving QL2 to Baltimore will keep the company moving forward. Warzack joins the company with 25 years of global experience and held previous positions at technology companies in the Maryland region, including Millennial Media.

“Carl has spent the vast majority of his career leading global business lines from Baltimore. Through this experience, he knows that moving our global headquarters enables QL2 to leverage the rich technology talent within the Baltimore and Washington corridor,” said Paul Campbell, Chief Commercial Officer of QL2.

Warzack discussed his past experiences working in Baltimore and plans for his new company with MDBizNews.

What made you decide to move QL2’s global headquarters to Baltimore?
The move to Baltimore was driven by the favorable business community, the dynamic start-up environment and the wealth of data focused tech-talent in the area.

How will your past experience help you expand in Maryland?
I was lucky to be a part of two hugely successful start-ups in Baltimore, Advertising.com and Millennial Media. Those experiences have exposed me to great talent, amazing resources and fun work environments. I plan to leverage those experiences to grow another great tech company in Baltimore.

What plans does QL2 have for the Baltimore area?
QL2 has largely focused on the travel industry in the past; however, our new headquarters in Baltimore puts us in a prime location to expand into the finance and government sectors. QL2 offers many data products that will be beneficial to financial institutions such as T. Rowe Price and Legg Mason. And, the proximity to Washington, DC will enable QL2 to participate in government contracts for data research.

What tech talent are you looking forward to working with?
I have been fortunate to work with some amazing tech talent over the last 18 years in Baltimore. With QL2, I hope to revive many of those relationships as well as meet talented developers who have had similar dynamic experiences. Baltimore has a robust tech culture fueled by three great universities: University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins and UMBC. Its history of successful tech start-ups – including Advertising.com and Millennial Media – has created an attitude of “aim high and win.”

What types of growth and innovation can QL2 create in Baltimore?
I believe that QL2 can be a fast growing, innovative company from which Baltimore can benefit, including employment growth, diverse experience and expanding the technology culture. It will provide opportunities substantial opportunities for the tech-focused workforce, and it will provide further evidence as to why Baltimore should be considered one of the great tech cities in the U.S.

The post QL2 packs up and moves to Baltimore appeared first on MDBIZNews.

from https://mdbiznews.commerce.maryland.gov/2017/01/ql2-packs-moves-baltimore/

Friday, January 20, 2017

Michigan Friday: Says Good Bye to Wyatt Shallman

Image result for wyatt shallman michigan

Detnews

Wyatt was a local RB that just never could get on the field. He will always be known for his rock and roll hair and his long list of injuries. When Jimmy took over, many thought that Wyatt had found his role in a big powerful backfield at the Tailback or Fullback position. It seems injuries kept him out of that role and now he is leaving A2 with his degree and one more year to play some football. Maybe he will go Thomas Rawls on us or maybe he will play another year and then end up in the business world. Either way, good luck to Wyatt and Rock On!

Taco seems to be climbing up draft boards and might end up in the middle of the first round.

DeVeon Smith has impressed so much in the Shriners practice, he has been invited to the Senior Bowl.

There is some "smoke" that Jimmy might give the RB role to a current member on the staff and hire another assistant. There seems to be plenty of smoke around former Michigan assistant and current Indiana OL coach Greg Frey.

Jimmy and Don Brown were out to see Kwity Paye this week.

Aubrey Solomon will be announcing at his school on NSD at 9:45 AM

from The BIG HOUSE Blog http://mbighouse.blogspot.com/2017/01/michigan-friday-says-good-bye-to-wyatt.html

Thursday, January 19, 2017

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Michigan Thursday: Some Names A Bit Off The Radar

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In Jimmy's two past recruiting classes at Michigan, it seems he always pulls a few names out of a hat late in the process. I will try to give us a few possibilities of guys that could pop in for a late visit and could join the 2017 class.

4 star RB Cordarrian Richardson from Tennessee is getting a visit from Jay Harbaugh. He once was a Clemson commit. Hopefully, O'Maury Samuels will re-confirm his commitment to Michigan this weekend on his official visit.

4 star OG CJ Thorpe is not a surprise name as he has been talked about for a couple of a weeks. He is a PSU commit and his dad played there. He will visit A2 this weekend and Michigan will need to sell him pretty hard to re-consider his commitment. Maybe they can show him a photo of the Michigan - PSU final scoreboard. There is also a concern that Kai-Leon Herbert's commitment to Michigan is as soft as whip cream.

4 star LB Ellis Brooks has really wanted Michigan's attention for some time. Willie Gay continues to be up in the air with his Michigan interest and qualification. It's clear that Willie is the coaches first choice, but if Ellis visits and gets an offer, don't be surprised if he jumps at it.

3 star DB Ifeatu Melifonwu is a Syracuse commit. He is a 6'3 athlete that Michigan would be looking at for a DB role. He played RB, WR and DB in high school and seems like a good athlete. My man has 3 offers from Syracuse, UConn and BC. His brother is a 4 year senior starter at Safety at UConn and might get drafted. We know Don Brown loves tall DB's and he could come in as a CB or most likely a safety. Michigan seems to really want another DB and Brandon Sebastian is now off the board as his visit was cancelled last weekend. There are some thoughts that Brad Hawkins could play DB, but his WR highlights are tremendous. Michigan has also re-started recruiting Oliver Martin, which could mean bad news on Nico (Georgia trending and the loss of Jedd) and Michigan taking an extra WR instead of a DB.

This is going to be a fun two weeks........................................

PS: Yes, I know that Crystal Balls keep trending to Michigan for Solomon. I will believe this one when I see it.

from The BIG HOUSE Blog http://mbighouse.blogspot.com/2017/01/michigan-thursday-some-names-bit-off.html

Wednesday, January 18, 2017

Amazon plans 700 jobs at new Cecil County facility

Amazon today announced plans to open a 1.2 million-square-foot fulfillment center in North East, Maryland. Amazon currently employs more than 3,000 associates at its fulfillment and sortation centers in Baltimore and plans to create 700 new positions at its third Maryland facility. For employment information, please visit www.amazondelivers.jobs.

“We’re excited to open a new, state-of-the-art fulfillment center in North East, creating hundreds of full-time jobs that offer wages 30 percent higher than traditional retail stores and include comprehensive benefits on day one, bonuses and stock awards,” said Akash Chauhan, Amazon’s vice president of North America operations. “Maryland has an incredible workforce and we are happy to be expanding there to serve customers.”

“Creating jobs and growing Maryland’s economy is a top priority of our administration,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “Amazon’s continued investment in Maryland, which includes thousands of jobs for our citizens, is a prime example of companies that choose to locate and expand their business right here in Maryland – a testament to our state’s thriving economy.”

“Economic development is a major priority of my administration and the attraction of Amazon, the 18th largest company in the US and the 3rd most admired company in the world, is a great example of the type of projects I’d like to see and bring to Cecil County in the future,” said Cecil County Executive Dr. Alan McCarthy.

Wolverine Wednesday: As Aubrey Turns

Aubrey Solomon was once committed to the Wolverines. Then Michigan sent him some mail, thanking him for visiting the Big House BBQ and miss spelled his last name.   He de-committed right after that mail arrived.

Since then he has revisited Ann Arbor and brought his mom.   From all reports his mom loved Michigan and mostly Momma Gwen.   Michigan then started trending again for the 5 star talent.

As it happens with most players, after any visit the player starts trending to that school.   During the recent All American game, Aubrey was telling many of the recruiting services that Alabama had a big lead in his recruitment.    He even was caught on video bashing Michigan with some Georgia commits.   He did apologize for that video.

In a strange turn, that video seemed to give Michigan some momentum in his recruitment as his mother seems strongly in the Wolverines camp and Sam Webb reported that Michigan is very much still in his recruitment.

Then Jimmy brings his daughter on a visit to Aubrey and his family and his mom is quoted as saying "best visit ever".    Then some Georgia insiders start predicting he will end up a Michigan.

So Michigan is trending again for Aubrey? Nope.

Aubrey said this about Alabama last night: "They still lead big, but not by a huge margin," Solomon, a former Michigan commit told 247 Sports. "I like the physicality they bring and their defense."

"It was different," Solomon told 247 Sports of the visit. "There was no football involved. We bowled two games. We took Go-karts around for one lap. We ate and then talked. They said they still want me and have a need at my position. They said there's no hard feelings and I'm still family."

He is either playing everyone or he is really headed to Alabama.   Which wouldn't surprise any of us.

Pep Hamilton was out to see Oliver Martin who Michigan seems to be recruiting again. If your wondering, Nico Collins is trending hard to Georgia now. Martin is more of a slot and Collins is more of an outside guy, so they could take both if it came to that. Keep an eye out to see if Martin takes an official to Ann Arbor before 2/1.

Michigan could still be in play for Clemson OL transfer Jake Fruhmorgen. He would have to sit out a transfer year.

Reports are that Michigan defensive analyst Rick Finotti is leaving for the head coaching role at John Carroll University.

Coach Hamilton was also out to see commit RB O'Maury Samuels yesterday and it seems he will also take his official this weekend as well.

from The BIG HOUSE Blog http://mbighouse.blogspot.com/2017/01/wolverine-wednesday-as-aubrey-turns.html