Wolverine Wednesday: Recruiting and Team Position Updates

Two Michigan commits got two real honors on Tuesday.  Mr. Ondre Pipkins probably one of the most important recruits in the 2012 class was awarded with a Army All American invite on Tuesday.  It was one of his goals and he made it.  If Ondre matches his camp/summer performances on the field this fall, expect him to add a 5th star.

Speaking of 5 stars, Michigan already has one in the bank for 2013 with the verbal of QB Shane Morris.  Shane was given 5 stars from Scouts in their first 2013 ranking. 

The new Rivals 250 ranking is out and there has been some Michigan Verbals movement:

Kyle Kalis (22), Eric Magnuson (44), Ondre Pipkins (53), and Royce Jenkins-Stone (97), James Ross (158), Joe Bolden (184), and Terry Richardson (214).

Others to keep an eye on:  Stefon Diggs (8), Andrus Peat (18), Aziz Shittu (21), Zach Banner (38), Yuri Wright (51), Adolphus Washington (74), Bri'onte Dunn (141), Danny O'Brein (154), Dwayne Stanford (163), Jordan Payton (118),  Amara Darboh (211), Jordan Diamond (226), Darius Powe (246)


The Team, The Team, The Team............ 

Sometimes as a fan you wonder why guys play over other guys?  The back up could be a 4 star guy that runs a 4.4 but for some reason can't get on the field.   The reason is coaches look for commitment on and off the field.  Two guys that look like have put in the time in the off season and during fall camp are Mike Jones and Thomas Gordon.

Here a quote from Coach Mattison on MJ:  "He has consistently come out everyday trying to do what he's supposed to do. I got a feeling Mike Jones came from a program where he probably either blitzed all the time or played 'sic'em' football. Now all of a sudden he's getting coached every single second. Some guys can't do it. He is one that I've been really excited about. It looks like everyday he's looking to get better and he's listening. I see signs of him -- now you did it right, you stayed back, you didn't run past the hole -- that kind of thing. And hes' a sophomore, that's what should happen."

Thomas Gordon on why he is starting: 
What did you do to earn the start? "I think it's more outside of football, just being more dedicated to football and being a team player. Coming along as an individual off the field has really helped me on the field."

How hard did you work this summer? "This summer, (I worked hard) with the new weight staff and Coach Wellman. They're a really dedicated staff, and they put their work in with me and all the other players, and it helped me tremendously on the field as far as size and speed. I hope it transitions to the field, and I'm waiting to see what the effects are going to be during the season."

If you want to play at Michigan it doesn't matter if you are a 5 star guy or a walk on.  If you follow the model from TG and MJ above you are going to play in the Big House.

I don't know why the below picture made me laugh, but Al Borgus reminds me of that 6 grade gym teacher we all had that wore his shorts and sweatpants way too high.  This year is already a success if we have more pictures of Big AL!   Thanks to Rivals for the photo.

Michigan Monday: Welcomes You To Game Week

Can't wait for Saturday.  The last time I saw the Michigan Football Program play a game, I was walking off the field at the Gator Bowl and it was clear Rich Rod has coached his last game at Michigan.  Today is a brand new day with a new staff at Michigan.    The talk is not about re-building it's about Championships.   I'm not sure the Wolverines are ready to make the leap to Big Ten Champs and BCS Bowls but I love the expectations that it is.  I have heard predictions from 5-10 wins this year.  That is a big gap and I will give you my rundown of the season later in the week.

I will break today's post into a few sections:

Redshirt years I wish we still had:

1. Denard Robinson:  I know Tate got beat up a few times during their freshman year (The Iowa game sticks out), but for only completing 14 passes (he did run 69 times), I wish we had another year in the bank with this special talent. 


2. Big Will Campbell:  This was a huge mistake by RR and staff to play Big Will a few snaps his freshman year.   It was clear that Will needed a year to learn how to play the DL and the Michigan coaching staff played him in some meaningless downs.   Big Will's high school coach Thomas Wilcher said last week that Will was a much better offensive lineman (then defensive) in high school.


3. WR's: Dileo, Stokes and Jackson:  I know Stokes left the team but he caught 1 pass last year for 11 yards and was a true Sophomore meaning he played his Freshman year as well.  Drew Dileo caught 1 pass for 3 yards but did contribute in the return game.  Jeremy Jackson had 4 catches for 55 yards.  It would be nice if both Dileo and Jackson were redshirt freshman this year.    I'm not sure their limited playing time last year was worth blowing their redshirt year.  If they had handled Stokes differently maybe he would still be on the team and had a better chance to reach his potential. 


4. Devin Gardner?  If RR has messed this up, playing him against BGSU and others, he owes us some of his buy out back.   I guess we won't know whether DG got his medical redshirt or not until his 5th year. 

In my mind DG's (if he doesn't get it) and Big Will's lost redshirt years are complete failures by RR and staff.  (I know, add it to the list of failures)

Recruiting News:

• 4 Star WR Amara Darboh that was expected to visit this weekend is said to be re-scheduling. 


• 4 Star WR Darius Powe from California is going to visit for the ND game.  (This will be the "HUGE" recruiting weekend)

High School News:

• Michigan Recruits faced off this weekend at EMU when Cass Tech faced Farmington Harrison.  It wasn't close as Harrison won in a blow out 43-7.  I wasn't there but here is what I gleamed from a number of accounts:

-RJS and Ross had a quiet night since Cass Tech was clearly out manned.
-Ojemudia and Funchess had very good nights and both very athletic.  There are reports Ojemudia really has improved over the summer from the camps he attended and new work out regime.  Reports from the game was that Cass couldn't block Ojemudia at all.
-The most anticipated match up of the night was Terry Richardson vs Aaron Burbridge.  I heard Terry held his own but Burbridge was one of the best player on the field and won the match up.    As you know, Burbridge is heading to MSU as many recruiting insiders said Michigan had to back off due to some academic issues. 

• Shane Morris lite up Ann Arbor Pioneer this weekend as well.  He was 14-18 for 224 yards in a 43-28 victory.


• Joe Bolden's team played on ESPN yesterday.

Captains:

Michigan voted team captains this weekend and picked seniors center David Molk, tight end Kevin Koger and defensive tackle Mike Martin. Perfect selections.

“The entire senior class has shown great leadership since the spring, and they all are looked up to as leaders of this football team,” Hoke said in a released statement. “Kevin, David and Mike are great representatives for our team and the University of Michigan. I will be honored to be led out of the tunnel by them and the rest of the seniors on the Saturdays ahead.”

Wolverine Wednesday: Hopes The Roster Stays Solid Today

After two straight days of roster attrition, I hope the Wolverines don't lose anyone today.  I am still surprised about Je'Ron Stokes who was on the two deep last year decided to leave.  I guess the Fall Camp buzz on Jeremy Gallon was taking his snaps.

Here is a snapshot quote from Brady Hoke's press conference yesterday that might give us a hint on why the kids left:  "Well, it was, to be honest with you, it was the right thing for them and what they felt," Hoke said. "We wish them the best, and they're great kids, but sometimes kids move on for different reasons - homesick or whatever it might be, and I'm not going to get into that. It usually works out for everybody."

Other important "bites" from his press conference:

• If they had a game today: Mike Shaw would be the starting RB


• Thought the scrimmage was physical


• Troy, JT and Courtney are fighting it out at CB


• Brink would be the starting 5 tech DE if the season started today


• Overall the entire team (both units) needs to improve on consistency

Recruiting News:

• The web site Bucknuts rates Chris Wormley as the #1 prospect in Ohio for the 2012 class.  That is pretty high praise with guys like Stanford, Washington and Kalis in Ohio as well.

• Ace from Mgoblog interviews 2012 verbal Caleb Stacey.

Michigan Tuesday: Another Freshman Heads Home

Michigan Football is like the Hotel California:  "You can check out anytime you want, but you can never leave"

When kids go away to school they sometimes go back home much earlier then expected.  Instead of 4 years and a Michigan degree, sometimes they leave with out even moving into their dorm room. 

That is the case with Tampa Offensive Lineman Tony Poseda who has left the Michigan Football program after a couple weeks of fall camp.   This departure leaves us guessing to why did he leave, similar to Kellen Jones.  

Michigan is now down 2 spots from their freshman class.   Which again validates the 26 players the Michigan coaches are recruiting in the 2012 class. 

Here are some "rumors" that have been floating around:

• Tony showed up at camp at 340 pounds.  Which most likely was "bad weight".


• Another one was that he isn't interested in playing football any longer.  (that is a common stance when players leave a program).

He could also have been homesick, so who knows.  If he doesn't talk we probably will never know.  I hope Tony finds what he is looking for and continues his education.

Where does this leave us?  Tony would have been guaranteed a redshirt this year as he learned how to be a division 1 offensive lineman.   So the immediate impart is zero but it does give Michigan some depth issues down the line.  Taking one more offensive lineman in the 2012 class is now mandatory (probably was already). 

Side note:  I wonder if this departure helps Jordan Diamond and his mom with their concern there are too many top offensive lineman in the 2011 and 2012 class.

Which leads me to a quick update on some potential recruits to fill the last few spots:

• Bri'onte Dunn:  Still verballed to OSU but expected to take in the Michigan - ND game at the Big House.  Look for Dunn to stay committed to OSU until the NCAA finding are back in a couple months.


• Jordan Diamond: Continues his recruitment and doesn't plan to make a decision for awhile.  His high school coach prefers his players don't make an early commitment so the player can see a lot of schools and his high school program gets some more exposure.  That strategy could backfire if Jordan wants to play with his friend and former teammate Chris Bryant at Michigan.


• Yuri Wright seems Michigan's last/best best shot at another CB in this class.  I think Michigan has a great shot at getting a commitment from Yuri.   I hope they get him in for a early season game. 


• Amara Darboh is the 4 star WR from Iowa who is coming back to Ann Arbor for the WMU game.  I think it's not a big jump to think he could verbal on that trip or shortly after.


• Jordan Payton, WR from California is down to Michigan and CAL and he hasn't even visited Ann Arbor yet.   He is also planning to attend the ND game.


• Danny O'Brien recruitment to Ann Arbor has been quiet since the commitment of Ondre Pipkins.  I still think Michigan would take his verbal if he wanted to play in Ann Arbor. 


• Zach Banner and Joshua Garnett are 2 highly ranked offensive lineman from the State of Washington.  Michigan would love to go "Steve Schilling" and land one of these guys.  Garnett is planning a visit for the ND game, hopefully Banner makes it out as well.


• Monty Madris is a wild card WR from Cincinnati.  If he makes it up to Ann Arbor and loves it he should try to commit quickly if he wants to be a Wolverine.  

I think the Michigan coaches would like to have most of the class wrapped up after the ND game.  I think they would like to keep one spot open for a guy like Dunn or Diamond. 

Michigan Tuesday: The Basketball Train Keep Rolling

This time of year, is usually reserved for Football Camp opening (less then a week away) and recruiting making decisions before their senior season starts.   Michigan has 22 players committed (including Clark the gray shirt) and it's the Michigan Basketball team that has gone back to back days with 2 commits to the 2013 class.  

Monday, 6'0 point guard from Harper Woods, Michigan - Chandler Park Academy Derrick Walton picked the Wolverines.  Derrick is obviously at instate product be another top 100 guy in the nation.  Rivals has him 88th.  DW averaged 24 points a game last year.  

Michigan now has 4 commits to the 2013 class which include:  PF Mark Donnal, SG Austin Hatch (who is recovering from a plane crash in Northern Michigan), SF Zak Irvin and now PG Derrick Harper.  

• TomVH catches up with WR Jehu Chesson who enjoyed his visit for the BBQ.  He also confirmed Michigan is looking to take two WR's in this class.

• OSU will wear Nike's new Pro Combat uniforms this year but this time against Wisconsin and not against Michigan.   The new uniforms include things like "thermoregulation" and "Deflex".  Let's hope Michigan's include things like winning and toughness.  

Michigan Friday: Talking Heads

Brady Hoke spoke yesterday and people took notes. It was pretty much of what we expected, no news on Stonum and Kellen Jones is not enrolled. He expects everyone to be in shape and ready to compete at the start of practice on 8/8. He is all about Michigan and showing some swagger. Maybe Brady should be the next Old Spice Guy. Look at Me, Look at my Defense, now back at Me.

• Danny O'Brien had a online chat on Rivals last night and will announce his top 6 schools on Friday. He pretty much said he liked all the schools he is considering (Alabama, Tenn, Michigan, Florida, Iowa, MSU, Ark and others) and will visit them all and make a decision during the season or after. He did say he would like to play college ball with his best friend Matt Godin.
  
• Aaron Burbridge committed to MSU yesterday. He was planning to be at the BBQ at the Big House on Sunday so the timing was unexpected the result wasn't. Good luck to him in East Lansing.  

• Allen Trieu of Scouts tweeted that Ondre Pipkins might commit somewhere sooner rather the later "if he feels it". He is visiting Ann Arbor this weekend. Let's hope he feels it!

• Former Michigan QB commit Shavodrick Beaver is leaving Tulsa for Midwestern State University.  He was planning to be an academic redshirt this year for Tulsa.   Out of the 4 QB's that verballed to Michigan in that class it seems the last one was the best.  If you wondering who was the last one was, see the below video.

Your moment of Zen with Denard and that Million Dollar Smile....................

Michigan Thursday: Drunk Driving is a Serious Offense

There are three Wolverines with recent Drunk Driving offenses; Darryl Stonum is a current Wolverine who is suspended from the team for 2 violations, Jalen Rose who is a member of ESPN and a former Fab 5 member and of course Braylon Edwards former Michigan WR and current NFL Free Agent. 

There are whispers that Darryl is hanging on by a thread to his college career with Michigan and could face being kicked off the team to a 4 game suspension.  Let's hope he has learned his lesson, cleans up his act and gets to re-join the team some time this year. 

Jalen was just sentenced to 20 days in jail for pleading guilty to his DUI this winter.  Which seems to be a pretty harsh penalty but so was his crime.   I like Jalen a lot but what he did was serious and he is paying a high price.

Braylon won't face any jail time but will have his probation from a Cleveland fight extended one year and will serve 100 hours of community service.

I like all 3 guys and hopefully they will all learn from these serious mistakes. 

• TomVH catches up with WR Amara Darboh who visited A2 this week:  I feel a lot better with them. They all seem like really nice guys and they have a great staff there. This visit helped Michigan a lot, and it also helped with my comfort level, so yeah.

• The Big Ten Media Days start today.  Should be lots of coaches talk.  For example; We have a talented team but we also have holes we need to fill.

• New BBQ visitor is 2013 ATH Dymonte Thomas who will be there with his father and his cousin Bri'onte Dunn.   The early returns on Dymonte is he might be one of the best players in Ohio in the 2013 class and has Michigan #1 in his recruitment right now. 

• I know NFL transactions are flying around fast.  To catch you up on some Wolverines:  Mike Hart got cut by Indy,  Jonas Mouton signed his deal with the Chargers, Stevie Breaston is now with Kansas City, Martell Webb signed with the Eagles, James Rogers with Denver and  Perry Dorrestein to the Jets.   Good luck Guys!  (Obi Ezeh, Greg Banks and Adam Patterson are still looking for teams).

Michigan Monday: 4 Star WR Set to Visit Today

The end of the week could be a big deal for the Wolverines with the BBQ at the Big House with a number of current commits, 2012 and 2013 prospects will get to share some burgers and hot dogs and get to know the coaches and the Michigan program a bit better.  Guys like Wormley or Dunn could take a few steps closer to becoming a Wolverine. 

Today and Tuesday a 4 star WR from Iowa,  Amara Darboh will visit Ann Arbor. Darboh holds offers from Florida, Iowa, Iowa State, ND, Nebraska, Wisconsin and others.  I'm going up to Michigan tomorrow [Monday the 25th]. Me and my basketball coach are going. He's a Michigan fan and he was able to give me a ride, so he wanted to go. We're taking off here at 8am on Monday, staying all day Monday, all day Tuesday, and then we might be back for a little bit on Wednesday too. 

I thought I'd have a top list already but I'm not going to have it until my season starts. Hopefully when my season starts I'll have it narrowed down to a top five and then just go from there. If I take an official visit somewhere and I feel comfortable and it feels right then I'll just commit there. Right now everything changes every now and then because I haven't seen everywhere yet. I don't want to name a list until I finalize it, but I think Michigan has a good chance to be in the top five. I'll know more about them after my visit.

With Stanford's interest in Michigan starting to slip, it seems Hoke and Staff will take the first 4 star WR that wants to commit.  With one spot in this class, I expect someone will commit in the next couple of weeks.

Bad News for former Michigan recruits:

• Pryor has had a bad 8 months but now reports are coming out the NFL might not allow him or even have a supplemental draft.
• We knew about Dee Hart blowing out his ACL.
• Now comes word that Kris Frost has a dislocated elbow and needs surgery. 
• Russell Shepard who considered Michigan his leader for about 5 minutes before committing to LSU, might have some eligibility issues.
• Jatashun “Big Tex” Beachum RB/DT who was considering Michigan near signing day for the 2010 class has left Arkansas program.
• If you didn't hear, Hawaii said, thanks but no thanks to Tate Forcier last week.   I think it's fair to assume that he has serious grade issues.  I'm guessing he will end up a Community College for a year.

Michigan Friday: Looks at 2012 Running Backs

Michigan has 3 different positions in the 2012 class where they will only take one prospect.  Those positions include QB, RB and WR.  I have previewed options for QB and WR now it's time to look at running back.

#1 option is Ohio running back Bri'onte Dunn who is a 5 star to Scouts and 4 to Rivals.  The catch with Bri'onte is that he is committed to OSU but is concerned about the NCAA situation.  It seems Michigan is his close #2 school who continues to make up ground on OSU as they try to figure out the NCAA situation.  Bri'onte is planning to travel North  for the BBQ at the Big House and he will get a chance to rub elbows with many of Michigan's 2012 commits.  A unique twist in Dunn's recruitment is that his cousin is a one of the top players in Ohio for the 2013 class named Dymonte Thomas.  I have heard that Thomas and Dunn are close and have talked about playing together.  Thomas visited Michigan and loved it and the Wolverines are considered his leader right now. 

The big question between now and the end of football season will be, can the Wolverines sell Bri'onte on Ann Arbor over Columbus?

• Keith Marshall is rated the #1 RB in the country by Scouts and he is planning a Michigan visit.  Many insiders don't expect him to end up a Wolverine from North Carolina but if they get him on campus they have a punchers chance.
• Ejay Fatu is a FB from Texas and could fill the RB spot as well.  FB is sort of like field goal kicker recruiting, you find a lot of guys as walk-ons or take players from other positions.  So FB's normally don't get a ton of offers.  So for Michigan to offer Ejay he must be a strong prospect.

• Wes Brown sort of is similar to Keith Marshall situation.  Wes is a RB from Good Counsel in Maryland which usually has a couple top prospect every year.  Keith is a 4 star guy to both Scouts and Rivals.
• Greg Garmon is a 4 star RB from PA and mention here before is a cancer survivor.  Greg is another guy Michigan needs to get on campus for an official visit. 

You might be wondering where are the State of Michigan prospects?  This year is not great for running backs in the Great Lake State.  The best running back prospect is Dennis Norfleet who is 5'8 175 pounds and doesn't seem to meet the size requirements U of M is looking for.

The fact of the matter is this position recruitment will not be settled in the short term.  It seems Michigan has the best shot at Dunn right now even though he re-confirmed his shaky commitment to OSU a couple of weeks ago.  Attending the BBQ at the Big House is a great sign that he might be re-thinking the Wolverines.  

The thing to consider is if Ejay Fatu were to commit, would they still take a tailback in this class?

Wolverine Wednesday: Are Players Really Committed if They Take Other Visits?

Rich Rodriguez answer was no, they are not.  Charlie Weiss had the same policy at ND.  If you take other visits your at best a "soft" commit.  Rich and Charlie considered them not committed at all.

The reason for the post today is that on twitter both Terry Richardson and Royce Jenkins-Stone have said they are going to take a few visits to other schools but they are solid with Michigan. 

Here are my pro's and con's for them or other "committed" players doing the same thing. 

Con's:

• Let's be honest, some schools don't play by the rules (yes, we assume Michigan does).  One of these kids could end up with a new car for their family or a $5000 hand shake.  There is a risk that could happen and that player de-commits and goes to another school. 

• The Miami sun or Oregon's Nike Money is a pretty nice draw for some players.

Anytime a player is on another schools campus there is a chance they will fall in love with the place, coaching staff or another student.  These are 17-18 year old kids and if they find the girl of their dreams, don't think they won't leave the Wolverines in a second to chase a young lady.  

Pro's:

• Many of these kids have not seen the United States and they have a chance to take an all expenses paid weekend trip with a parent to see a Miami or a Los Angeles.  They can really get out and see some parts of the United States they have never seen before.  Should we really take that away from them?

• They will have a chance to compare other schools to the Facilities and Tradition of Michigan.  It could make their commitment even stronger? Maybe even help stay off any  transfer thoughts if they don't play right away.

• If this was your son, wouldn't you want him to weigh his options?

As you can tell, I am sort of torn on the topic.  I don't like that Michigan's 2012 committed players taking other visits, but on the other hand they have every right to take them.  Let's just hope they are doing this to see the country instead of looking at other options.  Michigan lost a very good safety prospect in Sean Parker on signing day last year due to one of those type of visits to Washington.   Sean got a lot of playing time as a freshman and would of probably started for the Wolverines last year.  That is the risk you take when a player visits another school.

Michigan Monday: Bookends the Weekend with 2 Big Commits

Friday started it off with the commitment of 4 star safety Jarrod Wilson and ended on Sunday with the commitment of 5 star offensive tackle Kyle Kalis.   That's 2 highly rated Ohio prospects in one weekend with a combined total of 9 stars from Scouts.  

For those keeping score at home, out of the 19 commits for the 2012 class so far, 9 are from Ohio and 7 from the State of Michigan.  Brady Hoke and Staff are taking care of home turf while OSU works out their situation with the NCAA. 

With 19 guys locked in (20 if count the Jeremy Clark a Gray Shirt commit), the big question is who will fill out the last 6-7 spots left?  The coaches are telling recruits they will take 26 guys even though a full class is 25 and many believe there only to be 20 or so spots open.  Which means there are a few guys expected not to get a 5th year or need a medical scholarship.   I expect the 26 spots could include Jeremy Clark.

If I were in the Hoke Recruiting Room, here is my best guess on how they would like to finish off this class!

• 2 Defensive Tackles:  Best Guess:  Pipkins and O'Brien
• 1 RB:  TBD
• 1 WR: Best Guess: Stanford or Burbridge
• 2 DE: Best Guess: Washington and Wormley
• 1 OL: Best Guess: Diamond

I listed 7 players for 6 spots, which means timing on commitments are very important.   The coaches are telling players they will only take one DT, but I believe they will take 2.  They also want Washington and Wormley, even though they have plenty of defensive ends in this class.  The odd position out, could be running back as Bri'onte Dunn seems to be strong with Ohio State if their self imposed penalty is not increased by the NCAA. 

Either way it seems Michigan might have most of its class wrapped before the season starts.  Max Preps now lists Michigan with the #1 class in the country. 

The BBQ at the Big House is scheduled for July 31st and many commits will be on hand to get to know each other.  Some 2013 guys will also be there. TomVH list the guys scheduled to be there.

Michigan Sunday: Welcomes Kyle Kalis

Kyle Kalis just did a reverse Justin Boren.  The 5 star (Scouts) offensive lineman from Cleveland who originally had given his pledge to Ohio State then de-committed after Tattoo Gate has committed to the Wolverines as thier 19th verbal commitment for the 2012 class.

This is a huge pick up for the Wolverines.  Kyle is 5 stars to Scouts and 4 stars to Rivals as their #4 offensive tackle and #18th prospect overall nationally.   Kyle comes in at 6'5 300 pounds and is considered one of the best prospects in Ohio/Midwest.  Kyle has offers from pretty much every major school in the Midwest and South including Alabama, Florida, LSU, Wisconsin, Penn State, ND, Miami and others.

Kyle joins an impressive group of commits on the offensive line for the Wolverines for the 2012 class including;  4 star Blake Bars, 3 star Ben Braden, 3 star guard/center Caleb Stacey and 4 star Erik Magnuson.

Now the big question is who will fill the last offensive line spot in this class?   5 star Jordan Diamond seems to be the likely choice, but could guys like Zach Banner, Joshua Garnett, or Andrus Peat beat Jordan to the commit?  Peat has been to Ann Arbor already but Banner and Garnett are not expected to visit until Michigan starts their season. 

Either way this class if filling up fast with two high profile guys committing this weekend.  I sure hope Jordan Diamond and Chris Wormley don't wait too long. 

Wolverine Weekend Update: 5 Star O Linemen to Visit A2 on Sunday

The rumor mill is swirling that 5 star Offensive Lineman Kyle Kailis is expected to make a return visit to Ann Arbor with his mom on Sunday.  Could he commit after his visit?

That remains an open question, but it's a very good sign he is back in Ann Arbor after his first trip a couple weeks ago.  This former OSU commit would be a huge recruiting win for the Wolverines. 

More to come on KK, so stay tuned

Wolverine Thursday: 2012 WR Recruiting

One of the spots that Michigan would like to add some depth in for the 2012 class is Wide Receiver.   Darryl Stonum's status with the team is fuzzy at best, Hemingway is a senior and Roy Roundtree is a junior.  There is room for 1 WR in this class and here are a few names to keep an eye on:

• Instate 4 star WR Aaron Burbridge who plays for Farmington Hills Harrison which historically has been an MSU feeder school but the Wolverines have already gotten verbal commits from Harrison teammates Devin Funchess and Mario Ojemudia in this class.  Could Aaron be the Harrison Hat Trick?  Aaron has visited A2 a number of times and there are some concerns/rumblings about his grades and if he has a commit-able offer from the Wolverines.  Could be one of those deals where if he gets his GPA up and a qualifying test score he will have an offer.

•  Dwayne Stanford from Cincinnati is another 4 star kid that has been rumored to be visiting Ann Arbor with his teammate Aldouphs Washington for a few weekends this summer already.  Neither Stanford or Washington has made it North on 75 yet but they both are keeping Michigan in their top group.  Aldouphs is having a hard time scheduling visits because of his AAU basketball schedule and it seems he and Dwayne would like to visit together.

• The latest name to get Wolverines fans excited is 4 star prospect from California, Jordan Payton who just de-committed from USC a couple of days ago.  Michigan seems to be running for his services and he hopes to make it out to Ann Arbor for a visit this summer.   This would be a great pick up for the Wolverines but we all know the disclaimer on West Coast kids coming to the Big Ten. 

Other names you might have heard of;

-Avery Johnson (no not that Avery Johnson) picked LSU.
-Durron Neal picked Oklahoma.
-5 star WR Dorial Green-Beckham.
-5 star WR Stefon Diggs.

As you can see with just one spot the Wolverine coaches are just focusing on top prospects.   If I had to guess, the best race for this spot maybe between Mr. Burbridge and a few text books.  I think a few names above would like to see first hand how Al Borgus uses WR's in the new Michigan offense.  Which is a pretty fair request.   Having Shane Morris locked up next year and 3 years of Devin Gardner doesn't hurt either.  This recruitment might go right down to signing day.

• Dee Hart just tore his ACL and is out for the season at Alabama. 
• Danny O'Brien says that Tennessee and Michigan will be there to the end in his recruitment.
• Don't forget that Jarrod Wilson has his announcement scheduled for tomorrow.  It's between Michigan, ND and Penn State.  I think Michigan is the favorite but look out for Penn State.  ND already has like 20 safeties in this class already.  

Michigan Thursday: 2012 QB Recruiting

There is an un-written rule that you take a QB every year, no matter what your depth looks like.  Kids get hurt and transfer and you never want to be left in a situation where you only have a couple QB's on scholarship.  Michigan's roster currently only has 2 QB's on scholarships (Robinson and Gardner). When Texas QB Russell Bellomy gets here this summer it will be 3.  

Michigan has a Junior in Denard Robinson and most likely a red shirt freshman in Devin Gardner with true freshman in Russell Bellomy.  Michigan has also received a verbal commitment from instate QB Shane Morris for the 2013 class who has been lighting up camps and 7 on 7 tournaments this summer.  

So who does that leave for the 2012 class?  Well, I can tell you who it doesn't leave.  4 star QB Zeke Pike picked Auburn over Michigan and others, now recent Michigan camper Austin Appleby committed to Purdue last night.  Austin is 6'5 225 pounds and was hoping to earn an offer at Michigan's camp.  He didn't and committed to Purdue.

That leaves really two more prospects for the Wolverines at QB.  5 Star QB Gunner Kiel who seems to be leaning harder towards Oklahoma or Indiana (his brother is on the team and he is from IN) or Maty Mauk.   Maty was just in Ann Arbor again a couple of weeks ago and has an offer list from the likes of ND, Illinois, Cincy, Missouri and Vandy. 

So where does that leave Michigan for a QB in that class?  Since it seems Michigan has missed out on Zeke and Gunner and back plan Austin is now headed for Purdue.   Is it Maty or Bust? 

Yes and no.  Michigan really doesn't need a QB in this class with Shane coming in 2013.  In fact, many have said that Shane out preformed Zeke and others at the Elite 11 Camp at Ohio State a number of weeks ago.   Gunner was the hands down best QB at that camp but recruiting insiders believed that Gunner started to lose  interest in the Wolverines after Shane's strong performance.

Which I believes leaves the following strategy for the Wolverines at QB:

1. Take a QB in this class.  If Maty doesn't turn Blue, Michigan could snake oil Austin or another 2012 3 star prospect later in the recruiting cycle.

2:  Red shirt Russell Bellomy so he would be a red shirt freshman in 2013 with Gardner a red shirt sophomore and Denard a senior. (Shane would be a true freshman of course).

They have told Russell that he can compete for 3rd string but of course the coaches will want to red shirt him either way.   With Denard and Devin both skilled at running the ball, they will need to have Russell prepared to play either way.

So I will leave you to ponder this:  Would you rather have Michigan take QB in this class or an extra 5 star offensive lineman/4 star DE or DT?  (Diamond, Kalis, Peat - Pipkins, Washington, O'Brien)

I vote for a lineman on either side of the ball!

Michigan Adds Commit #17

More to come in the Michigan Monday Post but Tennessee OL Blake Bars has committed to the Wolverines for the 2012 class.  Blake is a 4 star prospect to Rivals and is Michigan's 17th commitment to the 2012 class.   

This class is getting full and I will go in depth on what that means for Michigan's high profile recruits in the next post. 

Welcome Blake!

Michigan Thursday: Likes Some Big 6'6 Offensive Lineman in the 2012 Class

Michigan has done exceptionally well in recruiting for the 2012 class.  They have basically received all the big names from the state of Michigan and now are focusing on the big name guys in Ohio and other states. 

It's clear with QB Shane Morris verbally committed to the 2013 class, Michigan's now top recruiting focus is the offensive line for the 2012 class.  The two big names that the Wolverines are focusing on are Jordan Diamond from Chicago and Erik Magnuson from California.   We have updates on both today.

Erik is visiting Ann Arbor this weekend and it's a huge visit for both the Wolverines and Erik.  If your wondering if Erik is talented, he is rated the 34th player in the country by Rivals and just outside their 5 star ranking.  Erik is 6'6 275 pounds. 

Here is what he told ESPN about this weekend's visit:  "Michigan is definitely my top school right now," Magnuson said. "I really don't know what to expect to be honest but I do want to make an early decision and if things go well, there's a chance I could commit while I'm out there."

TomVH from Mgoblog caught up with Jordan Diamond's mom regarding Jordan's recruitment.  Jordan has been on Michigan's radar for over a year now and now Jordan has become one of the most recruited offensive lineman in the Midwest.    Jordan is also 6'6 and 285 pounds and a 4 star prospect from Rivals.   Jordan's teammate Chris Bryant is heading to Ann Arbor as a Freshman this summer. 

Jordan has been on a number of visits and is getting close to a decision.  It seems from the interview that Jordan and his mom have enjoyed each visit to each school.   He has been to Michigan a number of times and is ready to make one more trip.  Here is some experts from the interview with his mom:

MRS. DIAMOND: One thing I can say about Michigan is that they've been there since day one. Even since Coach Rodriguez left they've always been there. I always tell Jordan that he has more fans at Michigan than anywhere else. They like him, they appreciate him, and if there's a Michigan fan wherever we are, they know him. Christian [Bryant] is coming to Michigan too, and my mother lives an hour and a half away, (in Saginaw) so those are the good things.

TOM: It sounds like this has all been pretty overwhelming for you. Are you guys going to take any more visits any time soon?



MRS. DIAMOND: Next weekend, we'll leave here Wednesday morning for Michigan and we'll be back Sunday. He's not participating in any more camps, but he'll be watching some of his teammates at the Sound Mind Sound Body camp. We'll go down for that and then we'll take in the University afterwards, we take that opportunity every time we get it. I don't believe we'll be doing any more traveling far away. He has enough on his plate so I don't think he needs to see anything else. How many schools can you decide to pick from?

PA offensive lineman Adam Bisnowaty visited Ann Arbor and East Lansing yesterday.  Adam is rated 4 stars by Rivals and is 6'6 275 pounds.    He has offers from Florida, Big East schools, Duke, Virgina, Purdue, Michigan and MSU.  The rumor is he is planning an ND visit as well, even though none of the recruiting sites says he has a ND offer.

Eric Olson anonther PA offensive lineman visited Ann Arbor this week and happends to be a 6'6 265 pound prospect.  He is not rated by Rivals but does have a Michigan offer.

• Sam Webb updates the recruitment of some of Ohio's top prospects.

Michigan Monday: Wolverines Have Another Silent Commit

The word on the street is Michigan has another silent commit on the defensive side of the ball for the 2012 class.   Your first thought might be: why would a player commit silently to the Wolverines and not make it public?  Here are my thoughts:

• Players want to tell family and coaches first before it hits the Internet
• Some players want to visit other schools so they can travel to different states (this would be considered a soft commit)
• Players want to announce on the radio or during a press conference which would need to be scheduled
• Some players want to announce on special date like a birthday
• The most important point is that Michigan's 2012 class is filling up fast and if you want to reserve your spot, you better let the coaches know quickly. 

I know many of you are wondering who it might be and I don't know.  My best guess would be a DT from Missouri or a CB/Safety from NY. 

Michigan Players and Prospects due well at the Columbus Nike Camp this weekend

• From CBS Sports:  Another underclassman who caught just about everyone's eye was Warren (Mich.) quarterback Shane Morris. While it probably had something to do with the way he was spinning the ball during the competition, he made sure everybody knew who he was by wearing a bright yellow Michigan shirt and cap. The recent commit to the school has good size and has an accurate arm. He plans on doing a bit of recruiting for the maize-and-blue at Saturday's Nike Camp.
  
  
  The country's top-ranked quarterback and number two overall player Gunner Kiel showed up and did not disappoint. He had to leave as soon as the camp was over but he was impressive from the first snap to the last. He's got a cannon for an arm and throws a really tight spiral. Kiel was the best looking quarterback at any of the Elite 11 stops and was extremely accurate in all phases.
• Adolphus Washington gives us his top 5 at the camp and will visit A2 this weekend with his teammate Dwayne Stanford:  “I actually have a top five: Ohio State, Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan and Miami in Florida,” Washington said. “I'm not really crossing anybody out but that's my top five that I like right now.”
  
  
  “Me and Dwayne (Stanford) are going to Michigan next week,” Washington said. “We're looking forward to looking at their roster, seeing how the social environment is, graduation rates, how do African-American students do at their school and things like that.”
  
  
  “I'm looking into academics first,” he said. “Do they have the major I'm trying to get my degree in? What's the social life there and see how the team works together and stuff like that.”

• More Good News for Wolverine Fans:  While plenty of parents were wearing Ohio State gear on the sidelines of the camp, there wasn't any being worn on the field. Ironically it was archival Michigan's maize and blue that littered the field. Quarterback Shane Morris, linebacker James Ross and cornerback Terry Richardson were among the top performers and represented their future school well on enemy territory. Richardson was the most recent to commit to going to Ann Arbor for college and discussed his verbal pledge last week.
  
  “I committed to Michigan because I felt comfortable with them,” he said. “I did like Alabama and all the other schools but I felt the best at Michigan and that's why I picked them. I have a lot of friends going there and we'll make it happen up there.”
  
  Richardson injured his hamstring at a track meet the night before running the 200 meters but still managed to lock down opposing receivers. He was one of several players whispering in a few recruits' ears about how good it was to be a Michigan man.
  
  
  Morris took home quarterback MVP. Kansas City (Mo.) Ondre Pipkins was a terror during one-on-ones and was defensive line MVP.
  
  
  Others that impressed along the defensive line were Michigan commit Mario Ojemudia, who should be a very good outside linebacker at the next level, Se'Von Pittman, class of 2013 defensive end Jason Hatcher, tackle Sheldon Day, Pipkins, Alex Pace and Dayrl Goldsmith.
  
  The Michigan coaches are building a top 10 2012 class right now.

Michigan Friday: Hopes They Look Better at Night

Michigan has some "Night" News

Michigan will play Northwestern at 7:00 CDT on the BTN in October.  The game is at Northwestern.

The older news is that Michigan and ND will wear "throw backs" jerseys for the first night game at the Big House.  Per the Freep, here are possible mock ups. 

I'm not so sure about these.  Maybe they will look better on Roy Roundtree at night?  Right now, I think these shirts should be worn at night but as pajamas. :)

• David Molk is on the Rimington Award Watch List.
• RIP Tractor a story on how emotional his service was. 
• The Michigan Regents approve the schematic designs of the new Crisler Arena.  Check out the photos here, it looks really cool!
• Seems 2012 CB Armani Reeves has a top 2 of Michigan and Penn State.   

Michigan Tuesday: Wants a Competitive Advantage

Whether it comes down to Tressel's creative recruiting techniques/players special benefits or Michigan's lengthy stretching before practice.  The NCAA is all about keeping an even playing field and if a program gets a competitive advantage from breaking or tweaking the rules, they will get a penalty.   OSU is and will be getting theirs, Michigan already has their penalty.

Michigan is working on their practice reduction and David Brandon gave us an update yesterday:   "We haven't been releasing it about hour-by-hour," Brandon said. "But we've been recording it hour-by-hour. We're about two-thirds of the way through that. We've accelerated the process of where we need to be at this point."

"We're well ahead, and we will have given back all of those hours well before [2012]," Brandon said.

"Our football team has practiced less than our competitors, and practice is one of the things you rely on to get better," he said. "So to a certain extent, we're at a competitive disadvantage. We had real, tangible penalties to deal with, and we are still dealing with them."

David is correct in saying  Michigan is at a competitive disadvantage.  When you are trying to rebuild the greatest program in college football history you need all the practice you can get.  With that said, it seems Michigan now has a coaching staff that will get the most out of the players in the actual time that they have.

• Is Michigan gunning for Kiel?  The top QB in the nation is reportedly down to a final 4 of Oklahoma, Alabama, Michigan and Missouri.  Gunner keeps his recruiting close to his vest so any of the 4 could be his leader.

• Michigan is in the final 3 for highly regarding Offensive Line prospect Erik Magnuson. "I haven't come out with the top three yet. I'm waiting a little bit to make it public, but I will say that Michigan is one of them," he said. "I'm only taking official visits to schools that I'm really serious about and I will be out to Michigan this fall for an official."  Erik is the 34th rated prospect in the nation by Rivals, not offensive lineman but overall players.

• 4 Star Instate CB prospect Terry Richardson has changed his Press Conference to Thursday at 11:45.

• Michigan Basketball News:  Glen Robinson III is now ranked as a 4 star prospect and rated #50 in Rivals new rankings.  Nick Stauskas is ranked #89.  That is 2 players in Michigan's 2012 recruiting class that are in the top 100. 

• Michigan legacy 2012 CB prospect Allan Gant got a Michigan offer on Monday.  Allan is 6'2 185 pounds and has offers from Cincy, BC, Stanford, WVU and some MAC Schools.