Cell Block News and Notes: Less Arties more Farties

• Local Michigan artist paints a salute to Michigan football.
• Vance Bedford finds a job with Urban Myer at Florida.
  
• After a terrible 08 recruiting class, MSU 2009 Class is starting off strong. With three instate verbal’s already. Oak Park junior running back Edwin Baker, Detroit Renaissance junior linebacker Christian Norman, and Ypsilanti junior receiver Donald Spencer. As we all know a lot can change in a year, let's just see if all these guys stay committed to the Green and White.
  
• Jim Carty, NFL Insider (not!) says Long and Crable are on the rise in the NFL Draft. The other Wolverines are dropping. If I'm Adrian Arrington, I'm a little concerned about the decision I made to leave school a year early. He is being projected in the 5th or 6th rounds. I'm not sure you leave school early to become a late round draft pick. I don't care who the QB is next year, your upside would have been much higher if you had stayed in school. It can't get any lower then a late round pick anyway. I believe Henne has impressed scouts at the Senior Bowl and the Combine, I think he is a solid second round pick. I have seen some experts rate Chad higher then Brian Brohm from Louisville.
• Fox picks the top 41 non conference games. Yes, OSU vs USC is the top non-conference game. Michigan has two on the board:

  #18. Utah at Michigan, Aug. 30 If you thought Appalachian State was a rough home opener for the Wolverines, wait until they have to deal with Brian Johnson, Darrell Mack and a Utah team that's more than good enough to get the RichRod era off to a resounding thud. It took everything in the bag for Michigan to win 10-7 in 2002 in the only meeting between the two teams. #14. Michigan at Notre Dame, Sept. 13 The Irish have lost the last two to the Wolverines by a combined score of 85-21, but Charlie Weis can quickly start to erase memories of last year's disaster with a big win. Rich Rodriguez can't start off his introduction to this series with a loss, even if his program will need a year or so to get the pieces in place.

Spring Practice Begins March 13th!

Alabama coach Nick Saban said his team's offseason workouts are leaps and bounds ahead of where it was a year ago. The Crimson Tide is currently undergoing its "Fourth Quarter Program" in the weight room while a number of players recover from offseason surgery in preparation for spring practice in two weeks.

"We've set a strong pace for our team to improve and most of the players have bought into it and worked very hard," Saban said. "Consistency in performance will determine our future success and that starts with a lot of hard work."

Saban said one of the goals for the team is to play with more consistency. not to play up and down with the competition." He added that a higher level of play "is not something that happens in a day. This is like climbing a mountain. We're going to work hard and we're probably somewhere around base camp right now and we need to keep working at it."

Alabama will practice March 13 and 14 before taking a week off for spring break. The Crimson Tide will resume with practices on March 24, 26, 28 and 31 and April 2, 4, 7, 9, 10 and 14. The team will hold scrimmages on March 29 and April 5.

The annual A-Day game will be held at Bryant-Denny Stadium on April 12.

Full Story @ montgomeryadvertiser.com

Cell Block News and Notes: Animal Edition

• Catching up with George the Animal Steele.


• Here is Rivals Big Ten Preview. Same old stuff, different article.
  

  Biggest Postion Battle: Michigan: Mike Hart made tailback a position of strength, but he's gone and several guys are vying for the job. Kevin Grady(who is returning from injury), Brandon Minor (once a four-star prospect) and Carlos Brown (who reportedly is also taking snaps at quarterback) are the most likely candidates to replace Hart, at least until the freshmen arrive in August. 5 players that could emerge: Michigan WR Greg Mathews: Though not a speed demon, he has tremendous hands. He caught 39 passes in 2007, and his production should increase dramatically as he elevates to starter status as a junior. 5 Newcomers: Michigan QB Steven Threet: A former four-star prospect, the strong-armed redshirt freshman is the odds-on favorite to emerge as the Wolverines' starting quarterback. Threet signed with Georgia Tech in 2007 and enrolled early, but he left after spring ball. Incoming freshman quarterback Justin Feagin is a rushing threat who may be a better fit in Rodriguez's offense, but Feagin won't arrive until August.



• WVU wants to get the RR suit completed by this summer.
• Mike Hart not concerned about his time in the 40. He also has some feedback on RR from Ryan Mundy.

Cell Block News and Notes: Wednesday Edition

• Michigan Baseball plays the Mets even
• Michigan loses to the Wildcats in Basketball. Nice job guys, way to keep building on your recent momentum.
• Chris Carter is replacing Sean Salisbury as an ESPN NFL analyst. Too bad, I liked Sean's style.
• Tom Izzo calls the Big Ten Network a "PR nightmare"
• The Spartans get a verbal from a highly rated RB from Oak Park. Edwin Baker had offers from Michigan and some other SEC schools.
• Mallet's waiver filed, no timetable for an answer. Good Luck with that one Bobby
• Want to know why Alabama signed like 40 kids to this years class? This is why:

  Two players were arrested in a span of six days, one player has been dismissed and linebacker Prince Hall has been indefinitely suspended. "It's a problem. It is a problem," Saban said Tuesday at a news conference. "Our team needs to have better discipline, judgment. We cannot tolerate poor judgment."

Wolverines in the AAFL

Have you heard of the All American Football League? No, me either. Not until I ran across it on the Internet. This is a new professional football league with 6 teams in Texas, Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, and yes Michigan. Games start in mid April. Team Michigan will play at Ford Field and be coached by a Fontes (John Fontes).


This league has a very interesting qualification: League teams will employ only those players who have both completed their college football eligibility and earned a four-year degree. This policy is expected to have a very positive impact on universities' NCAA Graduation Success Rate and their Academic Progress Rate. To the extent practical, graduates of host universities will play for the team hosted by their alma mater.


The first thing I did was check out how many former Wolverines were on each team. Team Michigan has of course the most Wolverines and Team Tennessee has one.

If you’re interested, check out each roster. You will find a number of names you'll recognize from all major programs across the country. You will find names like Heisman Winner Eric Crouch, Woody Dantzler, Ryan Hamby, and many more.

Wolverines on:

Team Michigan:

• Willis Barringer, S


• Jeremy Lesueur, DB


• Dewayne Patmon, DB


• Garrett Rivas, K


• Adam Stenavich, T


• James Whitley, DB

Team Tennesse:

• Darnell Hood, DB

A look ahead at the schedule

As I sit here in late February dreaming of Threet bombs to Darryl Stonum for 3 touchdowns against Utah on August 30th. I started thinking about some of the big non-conference games next year. I found there are a number of interesting match-ups to start off next years college football season. The Blue Text is my guess on ABC's Saturday Night Football Match -Up. Let's take a look, shall we?


August 30th:
Southern Cal @ Virginia
Clemson vs. Alabama
Hawaii @ Florida
Michigan State @ Cal
Utah@Michigan


September 6th:
Auburn @ West Virginia
Tennessee @ UCLA
Miami @ Florida
Cincinnati @ Oklahoma
Oregon State @ Penn State


September 13th:
Ohio State @ Southern Cal
Michigan @ Notre Dame
Arkansas @ Texas
Oregon @ Purdue
Kansas @ South Florida
Oklahoma @ Washington


September 20th:
Georgia @ Arizona State
Iowa @ Pitt
Colorado @ Florida State
Miami @ Texas A&M
Boise State @ Oregon
Notre Dame @ Michigan State


September 27th:
Virginia Tech @ Nebraska
West Virginia @ Colorado

Cell Block News and Notes: Slow Edition

• Jake Long did well this weekend but Mario and Mike ran slow 40's time. Both guys couldn't get under 4.6. I know a fast 40 is a way to climb spots in the draft, but I'm pretty sure Barry Sanders and Emmit Smith didn't have great 40's. Ever heard of Michael Irvin or Jerry Rice? Neither one of them ran a 4.3 in the 40.
  

  Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan: Manningham was considered a vertical receiver at Michigan but that notion has been put to rest. He struggled to get below 4.6 seconds in the forty. Mike Hart, RB, Michigan: Hart looked good during the practice session, yet teams will not be able to overlook his poor forty times. Hart ran 4.65 seconds then 4.75 seconds after weighing in at 206 pounds. Jake Long, OT, Michigan: Long looked every bit the part of a top-five pick. He led all offensive linemen completing 37 repetitions of 225 pounds on the bench press, then ran his 40's in the 5.15 second range. Long went on to display outstanding footwork during the position drills and was head and shoulders above everyone else.



• Big Shocker Here. TP was at an OSU basketball game over the weekend. He's a buckeye, book it.


• Brandon Moore, soon to be Michigan Freshman is up for the Watkins Award, presented each year to an African-American high school athlete who exhibits extraordinary prowess in the classroom and on the field.
• The Falcons like Jake Long. Who doesn't?

Rashad Johnson Arrested!

Alabama safety Rashad Johnson was charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly knocking a security guard down at an off-campus bar early Saturday morning, Tuscaloosa police said.

Story @ foxsports.com

Cell Block News and Notes: Saturday Edition

• A Michigan Man now owns 50% of the Dolphins. And 50% of the Big Tuna! This smells like a #1 Jake Long pick!

  Ross, a 1962 graduate of Michigan's school of business, returned to Ann Arbor
  years later to head its fundraising arm. And in 2004, he donated $100 million to his alma mater, the single largest contribution in the university's history.

• Rival's doesn't think the NCAA will grant Ryan Mallett his waiver. I don't either!
• WVU lawyer says, If Rich is against a $4 Million buyout why did he sign the same deal at Michigan? Pretty sure he hasn't signed his Michigan contract yet.
• Lots of debate at the combine on who the best QB is:

  Henne, who proved his toughness by playing through shoulder and knee injuries, is here to prove he has better mobility than most people think."I train with Brian every day [in Irvine, Calif.]," Henne said. "We're all very similar; it's
  a matter of who they like best."

Friday's update from the Combine

Here is an update from "the game" on the Wolverines at the Combine on Friday: (other then top 5 pick Jake Long who did 37 reps of 225 lbs. bench press today. Tops for any O-Lineman in Indy)

11:45
Quarterback Chad Henne just strolled through the media room. A rather large group of journalists surrounded him for the first few minutes of his press conference before Hawaiian pretty boy Colt Brennan stole the show. Henne talked about his draft stock, acknowledging the fact that the shoulder and knee injuries he sustained this year could lower his pick.
Henne cited the Redskins and Cowboys as teams he’s met with, and said he has a meeting with the Dolphins scheduled for tonight.

During the ten-minute conversation, Henne talked briefly about the surprisingly wide-open offensive scheme the Wolverines attacked Florida with in the Capital One Bowl. He believes his 25-for-39, 373-yard performance will help him with the NFL Draft, because his ability to handle the spread attack showed he can learn quick and make excellent reads.
We’ve got a lot of interesting stuff from him, including his analysis of current Michigan quarterbacks Steve Threet and David Cone, so we’ll post some Henne quotes as soon as we get them transcribed.

1:55
BREAKING NEWS — We just sat down with receiver Adrian Arrington, and he had a few interesting things to say about his decision to leave Michigan early. If either Lloyd Carr or now-Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett had decided to stay, Arrington would be a Wolverine next season, he said.

According to Arrington, he met with Rodriguez in the weeks leading up to his decision to leave. The meetings went well, but having to adapt to a new offense so late in his college career and not having a proven option at quarterback left too many questions for next season’s team.
If just one of those questions was never asked — either Carr or Mallett was on board with Michigan next year — Arrington said he would have been donning maize and blue still.
As it is, Arrington’s at the Combine but not working out. During a training session two weeks ago, he pulled a hamstring, so he will not participate in any workouts before the draft. This year’s draft has a lot of receivers, but none of them really stand out above the rest. Arrington’s injury will really hurt his chances of being one of the top wide outs taken this year.

2:30
West Virginia players are making a point to be civil about new Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez’s departure from their team. Both Steve Slaton and Owen Schmitt made a point to be civil when fielding questions about their former coach. Both said they respect his decision and know that it is what’s best financially for Rodriguez’s family.

Slaton said that offensive coordinator Calvin Magee’s decision to leave West Virginia was a major deciding factor in his going pro.

3:30
Lots of news from the last hour.

Michigan wide out Mario Manningham stepped up to the podium, and I immediately thought of his notriously bad press conferences. But he spoke for nearly ten minutes, cracking jokes about his high school coach, Tom Brady (Well, this might have been a joke. He said he didn’t even know Tom Brady went to Michigan until he saw it on ESPN ….) and other things, he was easily the most light-hearted and amusing interview thus far. I was impressed.
He skirted around the tough questions. When asked what skills he needed to improve on most, he said he couldn’t think of any. When asked how he matched up against some of the best corners he played against in college, he simply said good players make him play better (Wisconsin’s Jack Ikegwuonu held him to two catches for 16 yards this season, minus the broken-play, 97-yard touchdown grab in the fourth quarter).

The most interesting part of the interview could have been when Mannigham was asked whether or not he would have stayed if Carr stuck around for another year. He stood with a goofy smile on his face for several seconds before finally saying, “that’s a tough question,” and offering no more of a response.

Mike Hart came on right after Manningham, and he was his usually bubbly self. At least twice, Hart referred to himself as the best running back in the draft, even with Darren McFadden slated to take the podium immediately after him. Hart refused to predict a 40-yard dash time for himself, saying that he’d look bad if he predicted to fast a time. All he said was that it was “really fast.”

Cell Block News and Notes: Friday Edition

• Well the Michigan Basketball team win streak ended in the cold (shooting) of Minnesota as the Wolverines lost 60-69 last night.


• Here's a new SI article on high profile/soon to be Freshmen - "white lighting" Sam McGuffie.


• For those that haven't heard about the tragedy that incoming Freshmen Elliott Mealer has had to live with these past few months. Here is an article from today's Toledo Free Press.


• ESPN Big Ten Spring Power Rankings has Michigan #5 right ahead of Purdue. Yikes! OSU and Wisconsin are 1&2.


• Here is ESPN Spring Primer, with the title being: Big Ten looks to regain credibility among college football's elite. (for those of you that follow this blog - this sentance goes back to a discussion between myself and Buckeye John) Here is the Michigan Preview:

What to watch: It's another ho-hum spring in Ann Arbor, just with a new coach (Rodriguez), a new offense and no quarterback. Georgia Tech transfer Steven Threet, who has yet to throw a pass in college, competes for the starting QB job with David Cone (one collegiate pass attempt) and Nick Sheridan (no pass attempts). Good luck with that.

• Whoever wins the coveted quarterback job needs someone to block for him, and the Wolverines must replace their two top linemen (left tackle Jake Long and center Adam Kraus) and two other veterans (Alex Mitchell and Jeremy Ciulla). Perry Dorrestein backed up Long last year and will get a good look this spring.

• The defense will be in the backdrop, but the Wolverines still must find replacements for their top four tacklers. Obi Ezeh might move from middle linebacker to strongside 'backer, filling Shawn Crable's spot but creating a new opening in the middle.

ESPN Hashmarks gives us a Jake Long Combine update: Jake Long, who was listed at 6-7, 331 on the Michigan roster, was measured at 6-7, 313 pounds this morning. He talked about the fact that he had only two penalties during his four-year career with the Wolverines. He had a holding call his redshirt freshman season and had a false start this past year.

Long only gave up two sacks during his career. He said one came against Michigan State four years ago and one came against Ohio State's Vernon Gholston, who is one of the top players at the combine.

Asked about his penalty-free play, Long basically said he was an effective cheater. He said he always keeps his hands inside so that officials can't see him when he's holding. Since there's a good chance the Raiders will draft him, I'm not sure this is something he should be discussing publicly.

Long played his first two years at right tackle before moving to the left side for his junior and senior seasons. He said the greatest honor he's received was being elected captain his final two seasons.

Where do the Wolverines Rank in the Draft?

USA Today's Top 100 players in the NFL Draft

4. Jake Long, OT, Michigan, 6-7, 315, 5.08, 1: This two-time Big Ten offensive lineman of the year is best known as a mauler who can power a running lane through the toughest defenders. He uses big hands and aggression to move people in any direction. Long does not have the speed or agility to be a consistent pass protector, so NFL scouts are projecting him as a right tackle. He is a take-charge guy who has the look of a future team captain. Long was a key in the Michigan offense, which averaged 373.5 yards a game in 2007; he registered 119 knockdowns with 18 touchdown-resulting blocks. He led Big Ten blockers with an 87.85% grade for blocking consistency based on coaching grades.

30. Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan, 6-0, 185, 4.48, 1-2: Manningham is a big-play threat with good hands who has excellent burst. He returned quickly from knee surgery in 2006 but didn't really play back to form until last season, when he caught 74 passes for 1,174 yards and a dozen TDs.

33. Chad Henne, QB, Michigan, 6-3, 228, 5.18, 1-2: Henne has excellent drop-and-throw mechanics, especially on three- and five-step drops and possesses an excellent release. Henne set school records with 828 completions on 1,387 pass attempts for 9,715 yards and 87 touchdowns. His senior season was marred by a series of leg, ankle and shoulder injuries, but he was still selected as first team All-Big Ten.

84. Mike Hart RB Michigan 5-09 195 4.57 3

91. Jamar Adams SS Michigan 6-2 209 4.52 3

__________________________________

Lying in bed just like Christian Wilson did....... (and why he picked NC over Michigan)

Erik Cambell former Michigan WR coach likes his new gig at Iowa. This seems to be big news in Iowa.

Cell Block News and Notes: Wednesday Edition

• Mike Hart where have you gone? Enclosed is a Florida newspaper article about Mike's preparation for the combine. It also references former Wolverine Ryan Mundy as well.
  


• Western Michigan and Illinois will play at Ford Field next year. WMU beat Iowa last year.
  


• ESPN's Mark Schlabach starts to get excited about Spring Practice. Which starts next week for some teams. What? Next week?
  


• Do you think LSU is getting a little nervous about playing App. State in their first game of the year without suspended Jr. QB Ryan Perrilloux? They might rabbit, they might.
  

My take on the over signing debate that is storming college football blogs all over the internet:

For those that haven't heard, this year Alabama and Miami signed in excess of 30 players with the scholarship limit of 25 each year or 85 for your entire team. We call out Alabama and Miami but this is a common practice for other teams as well. Some of you from the corporate world may recognize something similar in the hotel and airline industries. Those industries know for a fact that they will receive a certain number of cancellations each day and over book on purpose so that they can maximize revenue.

Well, it seems some college football programs have taken up the same approach. Some programs are expecting so much attrition each year that they are signing way too many kids to a recruiting class. See, they are expecting a certain number of players to drop out of school, fail in the classroom, get a DUI, knock over a Jiffy Mart, or get busted for drugs. Is this what our society has come to? Betting that kids will fail and fail often?

So what happens if your program is clean and kids stay healthy, do well in school, stay out of trouble and your over the 85 limit? You have to send kids to Jr. College, gray shirt them (offer a scholarship in next years class), or just cut them. Should we really be treating kids education/future like a full airplane or and over sold hotel? I think not.

One last point, if you feel the kid you are recruiting won't qualify - stop recruiting him and let him play at a school where he would. Case in point, Michigan was recruiting BJ Daniels a dual threat QB out of Florida. Then all of a sudden Michigan stopped recruiting him. Many believed that he would not have qualified academically at Michigan, so he went to South Florida. That was the right thing to do.

____________________

A day in the life at the Combine: Here's how things will break down for each group of players during their four-day stays in Indianapolis:

Day 1

• Arrive and register• Pre-examination and X-rays at hospital• Orientation• NFL team interviews

Day 2

• Physical measurements (height, weight, arm length and hand span)• Injury evaluation• Media interviews• Psychological testing (Wonderlic Test)• NFL team interviews

Day 3

• NFLPA Meeting• Psychological testing (Wonderlic Test)• NFL team interviews

Day 4

• Workout, which will include all or some of the following elements: 40-yard dash, bench press, three-cone drill, broad jump, vertical leap, 20-yard shuttle, 60-yard shuttle, position-specific drills• Departure

The Last word on TP

Well it seems Michigan's long odds off getting Terrelle Pryor to Ann Arbor has become even longer. Enclosed is a rivals article with the following statement:

Pryor admits he was set to sign with Ohio State the day before Feb. 6, but a conversation with his father, Craig, made him think twice. His father wanted him to take another look at Penn State and take an official visit.

It would seem at this point, Michigan is running 4th in a 4 horse race. I think TP is headed to Ohio State or Penn State. Let's hope he goes to Happy Valley where all good High School QB's with dreams of the NFL die.

Jake Long gets prepared for the NFL Combine this week. Jake will be a top 10 ten pick for sure.

Big Ten Network gives up the green but still not enough viewers.

4 years in waiting

To say this basketball team is anything but rebuilding this year is an understatement. Tommy Amaker left this team with little talent and no depth at all. In comes coach Beilein (a real basketball coach) and probably the best X and O's guy that Michigan as ever had. Coach works with the team on fundamentals and his new offense. He has to replace a few guys that just can't hack it on the court or in the classroom. He even has to ask the football team for a big guy just so they can practice 5 on 5.

Michigan was 7-17 going into Sunday's game against arch rival Ohio State. No hopes of the NCAA tournament or even a invite from Tommy's favorite NIT. This is a year where you can only hope to make strides for the future.

The last two games were showing signs that the hard work in practice and game experience against the top 25 teams all year were starting to pay off. Michigan was riding a two game win streak against Penn State and at Iowa. In to Ann Arbor rolls the Buckeyes who the Wolverines hadn't beat in basketball (or anything else) in 4 years. There were close calls but nothing to hang your hat on. As I’m sure you know this isn't the OSU team from the last two years, the NBA made sure of that but this is still a team full of talent and at 17-9 they are hanging on to their NCAA dreams as one of the famous bubble teams.

Even coach Rodriguez rolled out at half time to fire up the troops and introduce his family and new Michigan coaches. The OSU fans in attendance were nothing but "classy" as they continued to interrupt his speech a number of times. (BTW: This type of sh*t needs to stop. This rivalry needs to be about class and respect. I know both sides can be guilty of this and usually its just the actions of a few, but all fans need to check themselves and grow the "F" up)

See this Sunday was different, it was a day where Michigan wouldn't lay down or even give away a lead at the end. It was a day where the Wolverines looked a better team in the eye and came away with a 10 point victory. 3 in a row for those of you counting at home. No this victory won't get Michigan anything in March but it was the first sign that things are changing in Ann Arbor. A day when the two new coaches shared the same floor together and came away with a win over Ohio State. Things are changing in Ann Arbor and with Michigan's two most important programs. All of us have been waiting years for this to happen and folks it's finally here. Mark down the date of 2/17/08, because that is the day where the Wolverines waved goodbye to the past and started to welcome in the new. Things will be different from here on out.

Cell Block News and Notes Weekend Edition: Open Tryouts

Are you looking for examples on how things are changing with the Michigan Football Program? Well, look no further to last Friday's Open Try Outs. What? Open try outs for a team that just finished with a top 5 recruiting class with 25 players and has the most wins in NCAA history?

Yes, open try outs. See, Rich was a walk on at WVU and will continue to bring that policy to Ann Arbor. Now, I'm sure the coaches weren't expecting to find a rocket armed Chemist or a Dental student with 4.3 speed but it's a great example of how this program is changing. Things are fresh and new in Ann Arbor and it hasn't been like that since 1969. Yes, 1969.

Need another example: Mike Barwis the new S&C coach is already making a difference.

"We're all going to be in really good shape, and definitely there's a change with his program," defensive tackle John Ferrara said, patting his chest. "I can already see it on myself. In four weeks, the change my body's gone through is amazing. It's a credit to this new workout system he has, a couple new things we had never done before."

Even tryout candidate Andy Reid says:

"Mike Barwis's raspy cannon of a voice will haunt me for weeks"

It seems Mike might have been the most important hire RR made from his staff at WVU. I 100% expect the Wolverines to be quicker, faster, and stronger next year.

Cell Block News and Notes: Friday Edition

• Impact of Pryor's delay: I've been reading articles all over the country regarding TP delaying his decision. I have no problem with an 18 year old kid taking some time to make a decision where he wants to go to college. The problem as I see it is the number or scholarships that are being held for him that other athletes can't take. Michigan, PSU, OSU, and Oregon are all holding a "ship" for Pryor. Those are 4 spots with major programs that some poor kicker from Iowa didn't get? Or a 6"3 310 Guard from Indiana with a ton of upside that just wants a shot with a major program. Ok, I made up those examples but there will be 3 spots that won't be filled by the #1 recruit in the nation. On the ironic side, those spots will most likely be filled, with long snappers, punters, kickers, or special team’s players (since all of the top prospects have signed at this point). What a gamble: the possibility of a program changing QB or a punter.
  



• The Michigan Basketball team is in full rebuilding mode after Tommy left the cupboards bare in Ann Arbor. With that said, the Wolverines had their highlight win of the year last night over Iowa on the road. Iowa has beaten both MSU and OSU on their floor this year. Hopefully, this is the groundwork for years to come as this program tries to rebuild itself.
  



• West Virginia police are finally starting to investigate the death threats against RR's family. There is also an update on the trial if you’re interested.



• I'm starting to like the idea of the Gun and Run QB combo of Steven Threet and Justin Feagin next year. Reports from my backyard are that Steven looked impressive in the Georgia Tech Spring game last year. If TP doesn't come to Ann Arbor, I think the combo of Steve and Justin will be interesting at least. Steve will have all Spring and Summer to learn RR's offense (he ran something similar at Adrian HS in Michigan).

VDay News and Notes

Not much going on these days from a Michigan Football perspective. I thought I would give you some quick updates, so you can focus on your "sweetie" today and only think about Michigan football for only 21 hours today (instead of 24 of course).

• Coach Rod on WDFN talking about a lot of stuff you already know. He does mention that Joe Tiller is a great coach but you have to keep recruiting to the final day.
• Former Michigan WR coach Erik Campbell gets a job with Iowa.
• A good article on the TP recruitment process.
• If your wondering, Michigan has already gotten one verbal commit for 2009. It's a 5 star DL from Detroit named William Campbell. Per Varsity Blue: William Campbell 6-6, 300 Detroit, MI Cass Tech Surprisingly explosive for his girth. He was a big success at the Junior Army combine. He'll be one of the top 2-3 DTs in 2009. Michigan's first commit of the 2009 class, on 6-1-07.
  
• John Beilein says first recruit class important. You think?
• Forbes says that Michigan is the #1 Champion Factory in the nation with 68 professional athletes in the 4 major professional sports leagues. (OSU is #2 if you were wondering)

Wolverines at the Combine

Seven Wolverines will make the trip to Indy for the NFL Draft Combine. For those not fimilar with the process, these NFL prospects will go through everything from testing your speed and vertical leap to your overall intellegence.

Here are the Wolverines that will attend:

ADAMS, JAMAR MICHIGAN SS

ARRINGTON, ADRIAN MICHIGAN WR

CRABLE, SHAWN MICHIGAN DE

HART, MIKE MICHIGAN RB

HENNE, CHAD MICHIGAN QB

LONG, JAKE MICHIGAN OT

MANNINGHAM, MARIO MICHIGAN WR

Will TP visit PSU or Oregon?

This web site wants RR to pay up and can't believe Wolverines fans support him. What he doesn't understand is Wolverines fans don't care. We want RR to focus on football and recruiting and let his lawyers handle this business. This is another example of West Virgina fans taking this way too personal. In fact, this guy is asking for $50 for a sign and T Shirt. I guess he wants to earn money or a better job as well. WVU fans, let it go!

Recruiting 2009 Update: What? 2009?

Russell Shepard 5* QB Class of 2009

So it's that time of year where Michigan's recruiting is finished and the 2008 class is set, I still hear there is a struggle for one last scholarship between Long Snapper George Morales and a Dual Threat QB named Pryor. I wonder who will win that last spot?

Anyway, I'm sure your up at night wondering what might happen in Year 2 of the RR era as far as recruiting goes. If you remember Boubacar committed to U of M last January. Well a fellow blogger has exactly what you need, no it's not $19.95 or three easy payments of $14.99, it's free here on Big house blog or on the authors site Varsity Blue. Below is the link

Here is the 2009 Recruiting Board from Varsity Blue.

I'm sure most of you by now have heard the story about Kevin Hart a Nevada HS Offensive Lineman who wanted to play college football so much that he set up a news conference to announce he was going to CAL over Oregon. The problem was neither school had ever heard of Kevin and he had basically made the whole thing up. Update: ESPN last night reported that Portland State where Jerry Granville (former HC in the NFL for the Oilers and Falcons) is the head coach might offer Kevin a spot on his team. Jerry loves the spotlight and probably could use a couple 6"5 290 lbs. lineman. 6"5 290 pound guard? Why wasn't this guy recruited more?

Did anyone notice that Michigan with its late pick up's now ranks #5 nationally on Scouts for its 2008 recruiting class. That's higher then Ohio State and LSU. That's pretty good since many believed Michigan couldn't touch OSU's class.

Others of note: Illinois #19, Wisconsin #26, PSU # 41, Iowa #42, Purdue #47, Michigan State #56.

Another Recruit Signs!

• Just when you thought our 2008 class was set (yes, I know there is still one high profile recruit still left out there). Michigan received it's 24th commitment from 4 Star WR (3 Star from Rivals) from Florida Martavious Odoms. MOD as I like to call him, is another WR under 6" that runs like the wind. If there is one word to classify this class it would be Speed. Michigan's got a ton of speed on both sides of the ball, notably at LB, RB, and WR. Look for these players to make a big impact on next years team.

• I wonder if TP notices all the speed he is going to have at RB and WR if he decides A2 is the place for him?

• Next year's 5 star QB Russell Shepard has Michigan high on his list.
• A PA newspaper calls PSU signing day: "Bloody Wednesday" for all the recruits that they got away. Including, Michael Shaw to the Wolverines.

PSU is mad and MSU is bad

Yes, I finally have solid internet access again. Posting from my smart phone isn't real fun.

• Penn State fans are mad that Michigan "mowed their lawn" and took Michael Shaw from them on signing day.
  
• MSU recruiting class ranks right up there with Northwestern. Nice job guys, at least you were able to get the MSU's former stars son's. Mark Ingram signed with State, oops sorry he went to Alabama to play for a former State coach and Lorenzo White's son signed with MSU, nope! The DB from Florida went to Central Michigan. That little brother joke was funny!
  
• So is there anyone out there besides Pryor that still could become a Wolverine next year? The answer is yes: Martavious Odoms is still on the board and was an official visitor to Ann Arbor. I wouldn't say we are a leader but you never know. We always need fast Slot Wide Receivers. But were looking pretty good with Shaw and Robinson coming in late.
  
• The reason we have one or two spots still open is for the flexibility of long snapper George Morales. George is a 2 star guy out of Vegas that might be a gray shirt (meaning he will go on scholarship next year). George was offered by Lloyd and is still planning to come to Michigan. He is just waiting to hear from RR on whether he gets a full ride this year or not. Yes, a full ride for a long snapper!
  
• Joe Tiller loves Michigan. He was always a big Carr fan. During this year’s blow out he did 2 onside kicks down 30 points against the 3rd team with a minute to go in the game. Then Joe loses Ohio WR Roy Roundtree on signing day and fires off this blast:
  

  "If we had an early signing date, you wouldn’t have another outfit with a guy in
  a wizard hat selling snake oil get a guy at the last minute, but that’s what
  happened.”

  
  Good thing this is your last year Joe, I'm sure your planning to retire in Ann Arbor. I know how much you love it there!
  
• Quick Memo to the USA Today. Michigan stopped recruiting BJ Daniels a few weeks ago. So when you put Michigan lost him on the front page of your sports page on Thursday, you were wrong! Nice work multi-colored fish wrap!
  
• Michigan is still planning on having it's spring game and maybe at Ford Field. This might be the most important Spring Game in say 38 years?
  
• Here's some information on McGuffie's drama on Wednesday.

Sam I Am

Both Scout and Rivals are reporting that Sam McGuffie's LOI arrived in Ann Arbor last night. It's been reported that RR made Fred Jackson eat nothing but Green Eggs and Ham until that LOI hit the fax machine. :)

This is a good class and now top 10 worthy.

Special shout out to BJ for breaking the news!

'Bama wins the Recruting SuperBowl

Alabama is rated has having the best class according to both rivals.com and scout.com.

Now that signing day has come and gone and the speculation over whether these players will sign, the Tide now looks to 2008 and beyond.

The immediate impact of this class will no doubt be felt on August 30 when the Tide face off against the Clemson Tigers in the Georgia Dome. However, Tide fans and the new recruits are looking not only to the start of the season, but at a national championship in the next few years.

“This class will win a national championship before I get out of school,” Star Jackson said. “And you can quote me on that.”

Full Story @ bleacherreport.com

Signing Day Update

6:00 update: RR says he still wants to sign 3 more guys. Which equals Pryor, McGuffie, and LB Kenny D. The grapevine is saying Kenny is at a funeral today, so no worries. We all watch the new show "as the TP turns".

The Sam McGuffie rumors seem to be accurate, he is now considering CAL and Texas AM. He must not be happy with the Shaw and Robinson pick ups. I hope Sammy sleeps on it tonight and signs on Thursday with Michigan. Make a call Fred Jackson!
----------------------------------------

-Michael Shaw confirmed his Michigan commitment at 1:00 today.

-TP tells ESPN that he just hasn't had enough time to make a decision. All D1 programs are now being considered. :)

- The loss of Perry to USC hurts since he was a local product. Perry said he picked USC because the lack of depth at DE. (in the best line of the day, thanks to Varsity Blue) "In related news, Perry has never seen a USC depth chart" (there are nothing but 4 and 5 star players in front of him). Opps!

- Rivals is spreading the word that Sam McGuffie hasn't sent in his letter yet and maybe considering CAL. Let's hope this is just speculation and that his letter is on a fax machine in Texas somewhere heading to A2.

-It looks like Michigan's class is now set. The new staff has had a good day with a few surpries and one local loss with Perry. I expect this class to be ranked right around 10th nationally.

A Fast Start.......Really Fast

I see you all did your jobs last night dreaming about Michigan's new recruits. Enclosed is a list of the new Wolverines that have signed this morning:

- FL QB Justin Feagin (makes it offical)
- FL OL Ricky Barnum (a Florida verbal and late steal)
- OH RB Michael Shaw (a PSU verbal)
- and teammate WR Roy Roundtree (a Purdue verbal)

Ricky, Mike, and Roy are all 4 Star players that had commited to other programs. Surprise! Roy's HS coach said he was solid with Purdue just on Tuesday.

Update: Michael Shaw is having second thoughts and moved his press conference to 1:00. Scout still has him commited to UofM, so who knows at this point.

Nick Perry announces USC is his choice.

No Pryor decision today.

More updates to come..............................

Sleep on this tonight

Tonight is like the eve of the NFL Draft where programs can change over night and for the next 3-4 years. Who is the next Mike Hart, Tim Tebow, or Charles Woodson? Tonight I want you all to dream on your pillows about the following happening on Wednesday:

The following gentlemen wearing Michigan hats:
-TP
-Nick Perry
-JB Fitzgerald: Update: 12:00AM JB is staying Blue!
-Michael Shaw
-Domonick Britt
-Ricky Barnum
-Sam McGuffie and the rest of the 21 other verbals

That would be a heck of a class and a great way to start the RR Era!

Editors note: I think Michigan only has 25 spots, but since were dreaming, lets take them all!

The Commits are Coming.......

Michigan's newest commit is a 3 star C-Bus O-lineman Patrick Omameh. This guy is 6"5 240 with a lot of growing to do. This is a solid pick up and most likely a red shirt next year as he adds weight and goes to work on getting stronger.

My count is 21 commits so far. Come on in TP, Perry, and others, the water is warm!

Yes, the internet still is down here and this post is brought to you via my Microsoft SmartPhone.

24 Hours..............................

• Roy Roundtree's coach says he is sticking with Purdue. What there can't be two RR's on one team?
  
• On a funny note, Arkansas is asking the NCAA to make Ryan eligible for the 2008 season. Good Luck with that one!
  
• There is nothing but TP stories on the internet right now. He will announce on Wednesday, he won't. He is going to OSU, He is going to Michigan, he might be going to Penn State. He might wait and visit the Ducks. Ok, enough is enough. Pick a damn school and let’s get on with this.
  
• Perry will announce his decision on Wednesday, the powers that be are not calling a leader at this point. Stay home big fella! (and that doesn't mean State)
  
• No word on the other players we have offers out to.
  
• Also not sure what JB Fitzgerald is going to do, hopefully he will stay with his verbal to Michigan. We will know soon.
  
• The internet access at this resort sucks! I will try to post as soon as possible.
• There is some internet chatter that Sam McGuffie might have visited CAL last weeekend and is having second thoughts about U of M. I don't think so, I think Sam and family are still 100% commited to the Wolverines.

Recruiting #1? Bama's on a ROLL!

Here are the top 25 Team Recruiting Capsules, with a breakdown of each including headliners, analysis and the big fish that got away.

1. Alabama
Headliners: Star Jackson (QB), Mark Barron (LB)

What is there not to love about this class? Alabama signed a slew of versatile athletes and top notch prospects at just about every conceivable position. They wanted an athletic quarterback and got Star Jackson. They needed big time play makers at wide receiver and got Melvin Ray, Chris Jackson and Destin Hood. Burton Scott could star on either side of the ball at receiver or cornerback. Mark Barron could star at receiver, safety or grow into a linebacker. Devonta Bolton could play either receiver or linebacker.

The Tide did well in the trenches with a great one in Tyler Love (OT). On the other side of the ball they have committed seven defensive linemen, including 385 pounds tackle Junior College transfer Terrance Cody as well as some athletic ends in Courtney Upshaw, Michael Williams and Dont'a Hightower. Damien Square has a chance to be an outstanding outside linebacker and Alonzo Lawrence and Robby Green are two gems at cornerback. Incredibly, Alabama is still waiting on signing day decisions from Julio Jones (WR), Jerrell Harris (LB), T.J. Bryant (CB), Robert Quinn (DE), Mark Ingram (RB), and Marcel Dareus (DT).

Story @ foxsports.com

Afternoon Recruiting Update

• TP says he will make a decision on Wednesday. The Ducks are out; it's down to Michigan, OSU, and PSU. So TP will be in the Big Ten either way. I think OSU is still the leader in the club house with RR trying to Birdie the last few holes for the win. JoPa can't figure out how to stop his golf cart from going in reverse.
  


• Christian Wilson is officially Gonzo. Not sure what happened here. Too bad.
  


• A surprise visitor this weekend was Florida commit Offensive Lineman Ricky Barnum. Could he be heading north?
  


• My wish list for the next two days include: Pryor, Perry, Shaw, Roundtree or McCalebb, OL Patrick Omameh or Ricky Barnum and QB Dominick Britt.
  


• Congrats to Amani! (I'm currently in the Patriots Super Bowl Hotel) There are a lot of un-opened cases of champagne lying around.

Early Morning Monday Recruiting

Catching an airplane early this morning so I’m giving you a quick update on a lot of activity over the weekend for Michigan Recruits.

• 4 Star Athlete/WR from Houston Terrance Robinson committed to the Wolverines last night. This was expected but he seems to be a tremedous weapon and a smart kid.
  
• Varsity Blue also is reporting at Dual QB Justin Feagin from Florida committed over the weekend as well. Yes, we finally have a QB that can pass and run! This guy seems like the real deal.
  
• RR and The Vest were at TP's Basketball Game on Saturday. Still no word if he will make his decision on Wednesday.
  
• Michigan maybe recruiting the entire team from Trotwood-Madison in Ohio. We have already received a commitment from TE Brandon Moore, PSU soft commitment RB Michael Shaw was in a week ago and this weekend brought QB Dominick Britt and WR Roy Roundtree (a soft Purdue commit). Throw in the kicker and I think we have a package deal!
  
• Per the Pitt Post-Gazette: It's beginning to look more and more like Montour's Christian Wilson won't be attending Michigan. Wilson, a running back, committed to Michigan in August, but had second thoughts when Rich Rodriguez became coach. In the past month, Wilson has made visits to North Carolina and Boston College."Notre Dame came in [Wednesday], but I don't know if anything will materialize from that," said Montour coach Lou Cerro.
  
• No word on high profile recruit Nick Perry from Detroit or the current status of verbal commit JB Fitzgerald a LB from NJ. JB is looking around but was in A2 this weekend.
  
• Look for a lot of activity on the recruiting front the next 3 days!

Recruting News!

Alabama added another prospect Thursday to its stable of highly rated recruits when defensive end Glenn Harbin of Mobile committed to the Crimson Tide. Harbin is the latest of seven Mobile-area players who have committed to the Tide. He is rated a four-star prospect and the nation's 17th-best strongside defensive end by Rivals.com. "I wanted to be part of something special and that's what this class is," Harbin told BamaOnline.com. "I saw a lot of the Mobile guys going there and I've known those guys for a long time." The 6-foot-6, 250-pound Harbin had 127 tackles and 15 sacks as a junior and senior at McGill-Toolen High.

Full Story @ alabamafootball/huntsvilletimes

Recruiting News!

Lucedale, Miss., cornerback Alonzo Lawrence, ranked No. 8 on the Press-Register's Super Southeast 120, committed to Alabama Friday afternoon at a press conference in the George County High School library. Lawrence, citing his desire to "one day play for a national championship," chose Alabama over Ole Miss, though Miami, LSU and Mississippi State also drew consideration from the 6-foot-1, 187-pounder.

"I decided to commit to the University of Alabama because of my relationship with the coaches and the players," Lawrence said after picking up a crimson Alabama hat. "They started recruiting me very early on and stuck with me throughout this process. When compared to other schools I was considering, the facilities, the coaching staff and the chance to win a national championship were too much to pass up.

Full Story @ alabamafootball/mobileregister

Tom Brady vs Amani Toomer

So who are you rooting for on Sunday? Cover Boy and potentially 19-0 Tom Brady or ultra professional Amani Toomer?

As I'm sure all our readers know, both of these high profile starters on Sunday played their college football at Michigan. What you might not know is the other Michigan players that are on the rosters of the two teams playing on Sunday:

New England:

• Matt Guiterrez, QB #7 (spent 3 years at Michigan before a bad shoulder injury 3 days before his first start opened the door to the Chad Henne era, he transferred and played his final year at Idaho State) Matt was not drafted and signed as a free agent
  
  
• Pierre Woods, LB #58 (Mostly a special teamer) Pierre was also not drafted and signed as a free agent
  

New York:

• Amani is the only former Wolverine on the Giants
  

What? How can that be? What is going on over there?

I know the Patroits are a favorite to win on Sunday but for Giants to have only one Michigan man is just un-thinkable.

I'm afraid the only chance the Giants have is if Butch Woolfolk, John Powers, Ali Haji-Sheikh, Jumbo Elliott, Jarrod Bunch, Tyrone Wheatley, Andre Weathers, Dhani Jones (still playing), and Charles Drake all come out of retirement and suit up for the Giants again. (Each player was drafted by the Giants from 1981 - present)

Afternoon Recruiting Updates:

3 Star SC 6'2 195 WR Jaron Brown picks Clemson. He was deciding between Michigan, USC, and Clemson.


Terrance Robinson is due to announce on Sunday at 10:30pm Central Time on a local Houston TV station. Look for good news for Michgian fans.

BJ and the Bear?

Looks like BJ Daniels a 4 Star QB out of Florida has fallen out of love with the new Wolverines coaching staff. The Detroit News and other media ($$) outlets are reporting that BJ Daniels is no longer being recruited by Michigan. The message boards are speculating on a number of reasons why. If I had to guess, I would say his much rumored academic issues might be the reason Michigan pulled its offer.

So where does that leave U of M for a QB next fall? Well, I'm sure you have heard of one guy of interest. The others? Justin Feagins is planning a visit this weekend. We also hear from the grapevine that RR might have visited 4 Star QB and Oregon commit Chris Harper yesterday.


Looks like Nick Perry isn't any closer to a decision. He is planning a visit to Miami this weekend. The one positive remark from the article is: Take heart U-M and MSU fans: Perry did say distance might be an issue.

Updates:

Jaron Brown is to announce at 2:00 today. (I wouldn't hold my breath for a Michigan commit on this one)


Terrance Robinson is due to announce on Sunday at 10:30 Central Time on a local Houston TV station. This points to a Michigan commit.

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