After a slow week or so the Wolverine news train seems to be running at high speeds the last 10 hours or so.
News Maker #1: Brady Hoke Gets His FB
Surprise Utah FB Sione Houma become Michigan's 20th commit to the 2012 class yesterday. Houma is a 6'0 211 pound FB who ran for 1,211 yards and 9 touchdowns last year. To say he is under the radar would be putting it lightly, he is not rated on Rivals,ESPN or 24/7 and is 2 stars to Scouts.
His offer list included Utah, Utah State and Washington.
My take: The coaches wanted a FB in this class and now they got one. I will trust the coaches with this one but with now only 6 spots left at max, I sure hope have room for the impact guys Michigan is still in on. I would have felt much better about this commitment last Spring. Either way it's another player the coaching staff targeted and got.
#2: Jones, Jones and Pace are officially off the roster.
The Michigan Athletic Department confirmed that Kellen Jones is no longer enrolled at Michigan and both Teric Jones and Christian Pace careers are over due to injury.
My take: Losing Kellen and Christian are the biggest blows to future playing time. Christian was the only offensive lineman in the 2010 class and there was high hopes for Kellen to maybe even play this year. Look for Poole to take advantage of Kellen's departure. Side Note: With Christian Pace is now gone, Cullen Christan left a few months ago for Pitt, should freshman basketball player Colton Christian be concerned? :)
#3: Michigan 2012 class ranks #2 on Rivals.
What a compliment to Brady Hoke and Staff. To be able to recruit this well after being on the job for 7 months is pretty incredible.
#4 Kyle Kalis and his OSU recruitment
Some people have speculated that with recent news from the NCAA that OSU won't face the "failure to monitor" penalty that Kyle would head back to Columbus. Kyle said this: Despite all the speculation about the limited sanctions that Ohio State will receive, I've grown to love Michigan too much to ever consider going back. I'm excited to get up there next season and to start what I know is going to be a new chapter in Michigan history, and with the amazing class that my head coach Brady Hoke is putting together.
My take: Love this kid! If you want to worry about a kid, I think our chances with Dunn probably dropped a few points, but if we can still get him up for the BBQ, I think we have a punchers chance at landing him.
Also don't forget that OSU could be found guilty of being a double offender which carries a big penalty as well.
Update: It seems DT Terry Talbott career might also be over due to a back problem. Terry is the brother of DB Terrance. If you remeber Terry all most went to North Carolina on signing day but stayed with Michigan.
If you wondered how Michigan had 26 spots in the 2012 class, these injuries are the reason.
Showing posts with label Michigan's recruiting class 2010. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michigan's recruiting class 2010. Show all posts
Michigan Thursday: This Defense is Who We Thought They Were! (which is bad)
Every Michigan fan that watched Saturday's game wondered the same thing, how in the hell did the defense get this bad? I have spent the past 4 days reading Michigan blogs and other media and have come to this startling conclusion: this defense doesn't know what hell it's doing. (brilliant I know!)
Here are two good examples from two well respected Michigan Blogs.
Mgoblog: Michigan's deployment of the 3-3-5 isn't really a 3-3-5. I don't know what it is, but that whole attacking from everywhere, making different fronts, blitzing, getting guys through the line unblocked thing is something you can see on a fairly typical WVU play
I have no idea what Greg Robinson is trying to accomplish. This puts me in the same situation as Greg Robinson. (what a great line!)
Burgeoning Wolverine Star: Looks at Michigan trying to defend a 2nd and 21 against a guy that is "paying his own way" at Penn State. These pictures are not for the faint of heart and you probably don't want to look at them while at work, due to the expletives that will soon come out of your mouth.
At this point, Kovacs realizes how poorly he's executed this play and has turned his head away from the quarterback to try and catch up with the outside receiver. Michigan's linebackers are literally running into each other and covering no one (What's happening here?). Michigan's underneath defenders are all still essentially inside the hash marks and none of them are deeper than five yards beyond the line of scrimmage. McGloin has all day to throw because, well, seven blockers against three rushers won't ever get to the quarterback.
Can you believe this guy is that wide open on a 2nd and 21! How can that happen? After this play, Greg Robinson should of laid down his headset and walked in to the Happy Valley of Darkness.
The linebackers tackled themselves and the Penn State WR skipped to an open spot 25 yards down field where he was wide open. He caught the ball and the Penn State fans cheered.
How do you fix this mess? I wish I knew. But the scheme that Robinson is trying to run is either not working or his players don't understand it. The lack of pressure on the QB has been troubling all year long. To recap: Michigan's D can't stop the run, can't cover WR's, gives up a lot of yards and points, and doesn't pressure the QB, but Greg Robinson has Super Bowl Rings.
How RR watches this tape and doesn't fire Robinson is beyond me. I'm guessing he feels he has no other choice but to keep him until the end of the year. (I wouldn't be betting my career on him, that is for sure).
My suggestion is to just play man defense for the rest of the year with safety help deep. Each CB plays the receiver in front of them, each LB picks a running back or Tight End to cover, and the safeties pick a player to help on deep. Yes, that means the Michigan CB's could get beat deep and yes, it could mean Michigan gives up bigger running plays when Michigan doesn't expect it. But how is that any different to what is happening now? At least the CB's would know what to do and stick with their guy. When a pass is thrown at least the Michigan defender would be (hopefully) within 10 yards of the wide out. More importantly the freshman in the secondary wouldn't have to "think" what to do, they could just play football and cover the guy in front of them. As RR said, when players "think" on the field they play slow.
If the opposing offense goes 4 wide, take most of the LB's off the field (they aren't doing anything anyways) and put corners in to cover the WR's. Yes, I understand that opens the defense up to RB and QB draws.
The last change is to put Craig Roh just as a DE or Rush LB. Have you even heard his name mentioned since the UConn game? He should be rushing the QB and not in coverage.
I'm sure there are a million reasons not to do what I suggest above, but I can tell you one thing: This defense can't get any worse.
Here are two good examples from two well respected Michigan Blogs.
Mgoblog: Michigan's deployment of the 3-3-5 isn't really a 3-3-5. I don't know what it is, but that whole attacking from everywhere, making different fronts, blitzing, getting guys through the line unblocked thing is something you can see on a fairly typical WVU play
I have no idea what Greg Robinson is trying to accomplish. This puts me in the same situation as Greg Robinson. (what a great line!)
Burgeoning Wolverine Star: Looks at Michigan trying to defend a 2nd and 21 against a guy that is "paying his own way" at Penn State. These pictures are not for the faint of heart and you probably don't want to look at them while at work, due to the expletives that will soon come out of your mouth.
At this point, Kovacs realizes how poorly he's executed this play and has turned his head away from the quarterback to try and catch up with the outside receiver. Michigan's linebackers are literally running into each other and covering no one (What's happening here?). Michigan's underneath defenders are all still essentially inside the hash marks and none of them are deeper than five yards beyond the line of scrimmage. McGloin has all day to throw because, well, seven blockers against three rushers won't ever get to the quarterback.
Can you believe this guy is that wide open on a 2nd and 21! How can that happen? After this play, Greg Robinson should of laid down his headset and walked in to the Happy Valley of Darkness.
The linebackers tackled themselves and the Penn State WR skipped to an open spot 25 yards down field where he was wide open. He caught the ball and the Penn State fans cheered.
How do you fix this mess? I wish I knew. But the scheme that Robinson is trying to run is either not working or his players don't understand it. The lack of pressure on the QB has been troubling all year long. To recap: Michigan's D can't stop the run, can't cover WR's, gives up a lot of yards and points, and doesn't pressure the QB, but Greg Robinson has Super Bowl Rings.
How RR watches this tape and doesn't fire Robinson is beyond me. I'm guessing he feels he has no other choice but to keep him until the end of the year. (I wouldn't be betting my career on him, that is for sure).
My suggestion is to just play man defense for the rest of the year with safety help deep. Each CB plays the receiver in front of them, each LB picks a running back or Tight End to cover, and the safeties pick a player to help on deep. Yes, that means the Michigan CB's could get beat deep and yes, it could mean Michigan gives up bigger running plays when Michigan doesn't expect it. But how is that any different to what is happening now? At least the CB's would know what to do and stick with their guy. When a pass is thrown at least the Michigan defender would be (hopefully) within 10 yards of the wide out. More importantly the freshman in the secondary wouldn't have to "think" what to do, they could just play football and cover the guy in front of them. As RR said, when players "think" on the field they play slow.
If the opposing offense goes 4 wide, take most of the LB's off the field (they aren't doing anything anyways) and put corners in to cover the WR's. Yes, I understand that opens the defense up to RB and QB draws.
The last change is to put Craig Roh just as a DE or Rush LB. Have you even heard his name mentioned since the UConn game? He should be rushing the QB and not in coverage.
I'm sure there are a million reasons not to do what I suggest above, but I can tell you one thing: This defense can't get any worse.
Wolverine Wednesday: Trying to Win with Freshman
Being a freshman is hard. Your away from home for the first time, you have to figure out where your classes are, you have to meet a bunch of new people, your classes are much more difficult then high school, and by the way you have a new full time job - Michigan football. That is a lot to take on for an 18 year old kid.
That is why if coaches had the option they would hardly ever play a freshman. They need time to get used to college life, the Michigan football program, the weight room, their position, the schemes and the plays. It's like getting to college and starting a job where millions of fans are counting on you. That is a lot to put on anyone, mostly a kid that just got to campus in July or August. Kids that enrolled in January do have an advantage because they can join the program at a much less hectic time before spring ball starts.
I get that, but why are some freshman more successful then others?
Sure some kids are just naturally talented and make a "better on the field" transition then others. The best example this year is Marcus Lattimore from South Carolina. He was clearly one of the best football players in the country last year in the class of 2010. A Michigan example is Chad Henne. Chad came to Ann Arbor in Early August as the QB of the future but was pretty much going to be second string as a freshman. The week of the first game, Michigan's starter hurts his throwing shoulder and Chad is now the starter on opening day. With a veteran WR core and a good running game, Chad leads the Wolverines to the Rose Bowl and never gives up the starting gig for 4 years.
Those are great stories but I wouldn't consider them the norm. Running Back is probably one of the quickest ways to get on to the field right away. You just need to teach them the plays and then let their natural talent take over. The biggest things freshman running backs struggle with is blocking assignments and blitz pick ups.
Justin Turner is another example of a talented kid out of high school (5 star recruit). Who struggled with the transition to college football on and off the field. He didn't play his freshman year and only made it through two days of fall practice in his sophomore year before he left the team The rumors were he was having some programs in his personal life and couldn't focus on football at Michigan.
Most kids that are recruited to Michigan are the best athletes on their high school team, the best athlete in the county, or maybe even the best player in the entire state where they grew up. High school coaches aren't dumb and when you have a special player on your team you put them at a position where they can touch the ball a lot, like QB Which is exactly the example I want to use.
Courtney Avery is a talented smart athlete. He played QB for Lexington High School in Mansfield, OH and broke a number of records, passing and running with the ball. He had offers from a number of programs including Stanford and Florida but picked the Wolverines last year. The key is that Courtney's ticket to Michigan or any other top programs was as a defensive back not as a QB. His 5'11 167 pound frame just wasn't what these programs were looking for in a QB. Courtney knew the value of a Stanford or Michigan education and decided that DB was the place for him.
In Courtney's case it would have been prefect if Michigan could have him 3rd or 4th on the depth chart so he could learn the position, learn the defensive schemes, understand the different WR routes he was going to see and make the proper transition from quarterback to cornerback. As we know, something happened on the way to redshirtville and Courtney finds himself in the below situation.
This was a miss tackle on one of the drives where Michigan was starting to muster up a comeback attempt late in the 4th quarter. When all of sudden Michigan's CB depth goes "Boom" due to injuries, transfers, non-enrollments and crime/prison. You have a freshman/former QB trying to make a tackle on a running back to save a game.
Anyway you slice it that is not a good position for Michigan or the Michigan coaches to be in.
Who's to blame? Everyone.
Lloyd Carr is on the list for not recruiting defense for a number of years.
Rich Rodriguez is on the list for recruiting kids that were borderline in getting in to Michigan.
Michigan's 3 defensive coordinators over the past 4 years.
It's everyone.
Every D1 prospect in the 2011 class wants to start as soon as they get to college. A better approach would be to take a redshirt or work you way up the depth chart and get some spot play. This "trial by fire" is causing way too many burns in the Wolverine family right now.
That is why if coaches had the option they would hardly ever play a freshman. They need time to get used to college life, the Michigan football program, the weight room, their position, the schemes and the plays. It's like getting to college and starting a job where millions of fans are counting on you. That is a lot to put on anyone, mostly a kid that just got to campus in July or August. Kids that enrolled in January do have an advantage because they can join the program at a much less hectic time before spring ball starts.
I get that, but why are some freshman more successful then others?
Sure some kids are just naturally talented and make a "better on the field" transition then others. The best example this year is Marcus Lattimore from South Carolina. He was clearly one of the best football players in the country last year in the class of 2010. A Michigan example is Chad Henne. Chad came to Ann Arbor in Early August as the QB of the future but was pretty much going to be second string as a freshman. The week of the first game, Michigan's starter hurts his throwing shoulder and Chad is now the starter on opening day. With a veteran WR core and a good running game, Chad leads the Wolverines to the Rose Bowl and never gives up the starting gig for 4 years.
Those are great stories but I wouldn't consider them the norm. Running Back is probably one of the quickest ways to get on to the field right away. You just need to teach them the plays and then let their natural talent take over. The biggest things freshman running backs struggle with is blocking assignments and blitz pick ups.
Justin Turner is another example of a talented kid out of high school (5 star recruit). Who struggled with the transition to college football on and off the field. He didn't play his freshman year and only made it through two days of fall practice in his sophomore year before he left the team The rumors were he was having some programs in his personal life and couldn't focus on football at Michigan.
Most kids that are recruited to Michigan are the best athletes on their high school team, the best athlete in the county, or maybe even the best player in the entire state where they grew up. High school coaches aren't dumb and when you have a special player on your team you put them at a position where they can touch the ball a lot, like QB Which is exactly the example I want to use.
Courtney Avery is a talented smart athlete. He played QB for Lexington High School in Mansfield, OH and broke a number of records, passing and running with the ball. He had offers from a number of programs including Stanford and Florida but picked the Wolverines last year. The key is that Courtney's ticket to Michigan or any other top programs was as a defensive back not as a QB. His 5'11 167 pound frame just wasn't what these programs were looking for in a QB. Courtney knew the value of a Stanford or Michigan education and decided that DB was the place for him.
In Courtney's case it would have been prefect if Michigan could have him 3rd or 4th on the depth chart so he could learn the position, learn the defensive schemes, understand the different WR routes he was going to see and make the proper transition from quarterback to cornerback. As we know, something happened on the way to redshirtville and Courtney finds himself in the below situation.
This was a miss tackle on one of the drives where Michigan was starting to muster up a comeback attempt late in the 4th quarter. When all of sudden Michigan's CB depth goes "Boom" due to injuries, transfers, non-enrollments and crime/prison. You have a freshman/former QB trying to make a tackle on a running back to save a game.
Anyway you slice it that is not a good position for Michigan or the Michigan coaches to be in.
Who's to blame? Everyone.
Lloyd Carr is on the list for not recruiting defense for a number of years.
Rich Rodriguez is on the list for recruiting kids that were borderline in getting in to Michigan.
Michigan's 3 defensive coordinators over the past 4 years.
It's everyone.
Every D1 prospect in the 2011 class wants to start as soon as they get to college. A better approach would be to take a redshirt or work you way up the depth chart and get some spot play. This "trial by fire" is causing way too many burns in the Wolverine family right now.
Michigan ClearingHouse issue: Another Player Gone
I have never seen a team go 2-0 and get so much hype and positive publicity lose so many players. Today, Michigan loses another defensive player from the 2010 class: Davion Rogers. Davion was late getting to camp due to an NCAA Clearinghouse issue and it seems that issue did not go away.
Davion is no longer on the team and not expected to return. This is the 5th player from the 2010 class that either didn't make it to campus or has quickly exited the program. That list includes: Austin White, Demar Dorsey, Conelius Jones, Antonio Kinard, and now Davion Rogers.
This has to stop and RR and staff have to do a better job of finding suitable recruits that have a better academic standing. 4 out of the 5 above didn't make it to campus due to academic issues.
To be fair, Conelius and Antonio are trying to enroll in January.
Davion is no longer on the team and not expected to return. This is the 5th player from the 2010 class that either didn't make it to campus or has quickly exited the program. That list includes: Austin White, Demar Dorsey, Conelius Jones, Antonio Kinard, and now Davion Rogers.
This has to stop and RR and staff have to do a better job of finding suitable recruits that have a better academic standing. 4 out of the 5 above didn't make it to campus due to academic issues.
To be fair, Conelius and Antonio are trying to enroll in January.
Michigan Tuesday: Former Michigan RB Recruit Lied to USC
After and during the Army All American game last year, there was a number of rumors that running back Dillon Baxter was showing some new interest in attending Michigan. Those rumors lasted only a few weeks as Dillon picked Lane Kiffin and USC.
When the NCAA dropped the penalties on USC another report came out that 5 schools had illegally contacted Dillon while enrolled at USC. Those schools were Florida, Alabama, Washington, Oregon and Fresno State. Those allegations turned out to be false and USC had to write a letter apologizing to those 5 programs.
So what happened? In a letter to USC here is what Dillon had to say:
In the short letter, Baxter explains that he talked to friends at Florida, Michigan, Alabama and Fresno State on the day the sanctions were announced.
"We discussed what I wanted to do and how I felt about the sanctions," Baxter wrote. "From that point, the situation got blown out of proportion."
"The fact are not such. I was not contacted by other schools but it was me talking to my friends about what I was going to do," Baxter wrote.
He added: "I am truly sorry for all of the chaos I have caused and it was not my intention to implicate other schools and their coaching staffs. I realize my actions do not represent how I was raised and the type of person I am. I would like everyone to know that I will do a better job thinking before I act."
I can only guess who the player was at Michigan that he contacted but it seems likely its Tate Forcier.
When the NCAA dropped the penalties on USC another report came out that 5 schools had illegally contacted Dillon while enrolled at USC. Those schools were Florida, Alabama, Washington, Oregon and Fresno State. Those allegations turned out to be false and USC had to write a letter apologizing to those 5 programs.
So what happened? In a letter to USC here is what Dillon had to say:
In the short letter, Baxter explains that he talked to friends at Florida, Michigan, Alabama and Fresno State on the day the sanctions were announced.
"We discussed what I wanted to do and how I felt about the sanctions," Baxter wrote. "From that point, the situation got blown out of proportion."
"The fact are not such. I was not contacted by other schools but it was me talking to my friends about what I was going to do," Baxter wrote.
He added: "I am truly sorry for all of the chaos I have caused and it was not my intention to implicate other schools and their coaching staffs. I realize my actions do not represent how I was raised and the type of person I am. I would like everyone to know that I will do a better job thinking before I act."
I can only guess who the player was at Michigan that he contacted but it seems likely its Tate Forcier.
- Steven Threet will know if he is the starter for ASU on Monday. Here is a quote from the article about the scrimmage which Michigan fans can relate: Threet had a chance to throw a touchdown on his last drive, but missed an open Taylor in the end zone.
- With depth issues in the defensive backfield we know Jordon Kovacs will see more time this year with the #1 unit.
- Valdez Showers a 2011 Michigan CB is expected to announce his decision this week. My best guess is: Florida Gators.
- The Michigan Basketball team is 0-2 so far in Europe. Youth, poor shooting and turnovers seem to be the issue.
- More news from Toledo: A top 2012 recruit Chris Wormley attended Michigan's fan day. No it wasn't an official visit, he is just a fan of the Wolverines. Chris is a 6'5 DE and could be one of the best players in Ohio in the 2012 class and predicted to be a 4 to 5 star prospect. "Ohio State has shown me the most love so far, so they lead," Wormley told the site. "Anything can happen in two years though. I'm probably going to wait until signing day, so I still have a long time to go. I still root for Michigan on Saturdays, and I'm a fan of them, so we'll see."
Wolverine Weekend: Another Player Bites the Dust
Michigan signed 27 players to their 2010 recruiting class. 3 were not able to enroll due to admissions/academic issues and now one who enrolled early is gone as well. It seems Austin White might have been kicked off the team. Here is RR's statement: "Austin White is no longer in the program. So, we wish him well, we'll help him in that regard, but we're - he's no longer part of the Michigan football family."
A couple of thoughts; this does happen at a lot of programs. Guys are high school stars and going to college and being a D1 athlete means you need to be committed to more then 40+ hours a week of school and preparation. Some 18 year old kids are not ready for that.
Some are saying that Austin had broken a few team rules and was given a second chance to "shape up" and didn't. You saw the signs of that during the BTN Michigan Preview when Austin didn't have his helmet wings.
Depth is not an issue at RB so it won't effect this years team. What is a bit concerning is the loss of 4 players who signed LOI's in February. That means RR and staff need to change their policy of offering players who are not 100% expected to make it academically. Michigan now has to consider passing on borderline kids. Not all borderline kids, but a class should not have more then one or two.
This is also the second loss of a player in Fall Camp. Justin Turner quit after Day 1 and now Austin White (we believe) has been kicked off the team. 9/4 can't come soon enough or we are going to need to hire Mary J. to sign "No More Drama" for this Wolverine Program.
Maybe next week will be a quiet week.
A couple of thoughts; this does happen at a lot of programs. Guys are high school stars and going to college and being a D1 athlete means you need to be committed to more then 40+ hours a week of school and preparation. Some 18 year old kids are not ready for that.
Some are saying that Austin had broken a few team rules and was given a second chance to "shape up" and didn't. You saw the signs of that during the BTN Michigan Preview when Austin didn't have his helmet wings.
Depth is not an issue at RB so it won't effect this years team. What is a bit concerning is the loss of 4 players who signed LOI's in February. That means RR and staff need to change their policy of offering players who are not 100% expected to make it academically. Michigan now has to consider passing on borderline kids. Not all borderline kids, but a class should not have more then one or two.
This is also the second loss of a player in Fall Camp. Justin Turner quit after Day 1 and now Austin White (we believe) has been kicked off the team. 9/4 can't come soon enough or we are going to need to hire Mary J. to sign "No More Drama" for this Wolverine Program.
Maybe next week will be a quiet week.
Wolverine Knee Issues, 2010 Football Offers, and IU picks up a recruit
Incoming Freshman Jordan Morgan will be out the next 4-5 months for the Michigan Basketball Team due to a surgery to his left knee to repair articular cartilage. This will be the second year in a row that an incoming freshman forward/center has lost time due to an injury. Last year, center Ben Cronin missed the entire year with a hip injury that required surgery. "The timing of Jordan's injury is very unfortunate," U-M coach John Beilein said in a statement. "We are very confident, however, that with the great medical staff at the University of Michigan, Jordan will make a full and speedy recovery."
- Michigan Football Offers on the street include: Nick Jones (5-10, 165) WR a teammate of very highly rated running back Marcus Lattimore. I think RR and staff were looking to do a teammate offer thing, but Marcus does not have Michigan in his top 5. So I'm wondering if they would even take a verbal from Nick at this point. Nick's other offers are from Northern Illinois and Georgia Southern. Michigan is pretty full at WR, unless you bring a 5 star RB with you.
- Defensive end/OL Henry Anderson (6-6, 245) of College Park, Ga may visit Ann Arbor this summer.
- DB Keion Payne (6-0, 165), has 19 offers and Michigan is one of them. Keion does not currently have a leader.
- DE Jordan Allen (6-6, 258) of West Monroe, La has a Michigan offer.
- Cincinnati DE Jibreel Black decided against Michigan, MSU, and Cincinnati to play with his brother at Indiana. “I want to make a splash,” Jibreel said. “It’s a good fit for me." “(The IU coaching staff) was very excited,” Black said about his decision. “They said I could be the one to make the difference.” Michigan doesn't loose too many recruits to IU, but I guess Blood is thicker then Maize and Blue.
- A great answer from RR from an interview with Angelique S. Chengelis from the Detroit News. (Background: Some people have suggested that MSU has dominated the State of Michigan in recruiting the last two years. The fact is only a few players have gone to MSU that had Michigan offers). Now on to the Q&A: Q . But there seems to be the perception that Michigan State is taking over the state in recruiting A . Last I checked, Mike Martin and Will Campbell were playing for Michigan. Case Closed. Great Answer.
Michigan Monday: Barwis Chews on a Kicker
We all know that Michigan's S&C coach Mike Barwis doesn't mess around when it comes to working out. So when Freshmen come in for the first time, it's a shock. But when your a kicker who really hasn't worked out much, it's a real shock. This is what Brendan Gibbons, a Freshman Kicker who just got on campus had to say about Mr. Barwis: "The workouts are real hard, I've just got to get used to it," said Gibbons, a 6-foot, 200-pounder from West Palm Beach (Fla.) Cardinal Newman. "I never worked out like this before."Punter Zoltan Mesko has been an early mentor to Gibbons and offered him the best advice so far. "Just work hard and don't give up because if you give up, Barwis goes crazy," Gibbons recalled Mesko telling him.
Barwis works everyone hard, here is what Taylor Lewan a Freshman Offensive Lineman had to say when he got on campus a few weeks ago: "Yesterday I had my first Barwis workout," said Lewan on Saturday afternoon. "We lifted and then we did plyos (plyometrics) and ran. During plyos, my legs were so shaky I could barely walk. My legs were cramping up and everything. It's a huge program. This is going to make us all athletes. Twice as much the athletes that we all are."
Barwis has already had an impact on future QB starter Tate Forcier. Per Coach Rod: "Tate was so proud, he came by and saw us yesterday at a whopping 190 pounds. He came in at 175 wearing a long sleeve shirt, now he's wearing a t-shirt and eventually he'll be wearing a muscle shirt. He's had a great spring, carried it over to the summer. He and a couple of those other young guys are going to have an opportunity, so we'll see what happens."
- Were #46! Were #46!: In Rivals pre-season rankings
- Michigan finishes 3rd again in the Directors Cup: Behind Stanford and USC.
- What type of Wood won't cover receivers in Ann Arbor? Lo Wood, a 3 star CB from Florida and one time strong Michigan lean with his friends Ricardo Miller and Marvin Robinson heading to Ann Arbor in the class of 2010 picked Notre Dame over the Wolverines on Friday.
- Michigan really needs to focus on the CB position and currently only has one verbally committed (Avery) to the 2010 class.
- On an interesting side note: Roy Finch a 4 star running back verbally committed to Oklahoma over the weekend. If you remember, Brennan Clay of San Diego and former teammate of Tate Forcier surprisingly committed to Oklahoma about a month ago. Will the commitment of Finch make Clay re-think his commitment? Tate believes Michigan still has a chance with Clay, if that is true the commitment of Finch only helps Michigan's chances of landing Clay on signing day.
Urban Meyer and Rich Rodriguez Don't Collaborate Anymore
As we all know, Rich Rodriguez has made it a point to recruit Florida pretty hard these past couple of years. We also know that the State of Florida is coach Meyer's backyard and that Michigan has gotten a couple of recruits that other wise were probably headed to Gainesville.With Michigan in the Big Ten and Florida in the SEC, I'm sure that doesn't bother Urban too much, right? Well... this is what Urban had to say in an interview with the Orlando Sentinel. Urban is speaking about coaches that he collaborates with regularly: I could go on and on and on. [California's] Jeff Tedford. He's one of my great friends. We always do it. Rich Rodriguez? We used to do it all the time [when he was at West Virginia], but now he's at Michigan and a competitor in recruiting so we don't anymore. [Rutgers'] Greg Schiano. I could go on and on. Mike Leach at Texas Tech. We often have conversation. [Utah's] Kyle Willingham and I talk twice a week."
Oh well, hopefully we will see the Gators in a BCS Bowl in a couple of years.
Ever wonder what would happen if Phil Knight was a Michigan Grad? Maybe this:
Just kidding. These are U of M Flint's new club team jersey designs.
- 2010 North Carolina QB Christian LeMay received a Michigan offer last week. He will be headed to the elite 11 QB camp in California in July.
- 4 Star DE from NY Dominique Easley (who has a Michigan offer) is going to take his time to make a decision: A decision on a school is not imminent, but over the summer Easley and Gambardella are planning on narrowing the list of likely destinations to five or six so that the distractions don't get out of hand when the fall contact period arrives.
Wolverine Wednesday: Ellerbee is back in coaching
- After being out of coaching for 8 years Brian Ellerbee is back coaching again. You might remember Brian as the former Michigan Basketball coach that took over for Steve Fisher and (along with the probation) helped turned back the Michigan basketball program 20 years. I think it's safe to say that Brian was the worst hire in Michigan (basketball or football) history. He was not qualified for a job at this level and it showed. With that said, he deserved to be an assistant somewhere and glad he is back doing what he loves as an assistant for George Washington. He has been a VP of a construction company in Las Vegas for the last 5 years.
- Jonathan Mincy a three star CB that Michigan had an offer out to, committed to Auburn on Monday night. The only reason I wanted Mincy in Wolverine gear, was his name just sounds like a good cover corner. "Mincy with the pick and returns it to 40 yard line"
- Ohio State worried about the QB position in the 2010 class, picks up a commitment from another second generation QB. With no QB commitments in the 2010 class and with Joe Montana's son choosing Washington and Cincinnati Moeller's Andrew Hendrix expected to announce a commitment to ND, Ohio State turned to Taylor Graham, son of former Buckeye QB Kent Graham. Taylor isn't highly rated but did have some nice offers from UCLA, Wisconsin, and Michigan State.
- "No names" made a big splash at Michigan's Camp last week. What I find interesting is that players that came to Michigan's camp last week can get offers from Central or Eastern Michigan. Butch Jones, Central's head coach (and former RR assistant at WVU) worked the camp and handed out a number of offers. Daniel Lindsey (5-11, 191 pounds) and his twin brother Nathan (6-0, 190) worked out at both running back and safety and looked good at each position. Wide receiver Johnathan Taylor (6-2, 180) was running with the first team wide receivers on Tuesday. All three players received offers from Butch and CMU. One guy that wasn't on the radar but impressed the Central and Michigan coaches was Lansing Waverly defensive end Andy Phillips (6"2 259 lbs.). Andy showed hustle and good conditioning after running 5 straight one-on-one drills and wining 4 out of the 5 the battles. Melvindale cornerback Wayne Pettus showed some serious skills as a cover corner at camp, but his offer list is lacking due to his size of 5"7 155 pounds. Wayne was also named the MVP at the Nike Camp in Illinois earlier this month.
Michigan Off to a Quick Start with 15 Commitments for 2010
Whether you think Rich Rodriguez is a master recruiter and can see things other coaches can't (Pat White) or a Snake Oil Salesman (blast from former Purdue headman Joe Tiller after Roy Roundtree selected Michigan instead of Purdue on signing day) you have to applaud the way he and his staff has recruited since he has gotten to Michigan. I'm not sure how they find time to even coach the team.
Michigan has received 15 verbal commitments to the 2010 class and have roughly 10 more spots to fill with somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 offers still on the street.
A few things have popped up to me this year that seem out of the norm from past recruiting years. For example:
Michigan has received 15 verbal commitments to the 2010 class and have roughly 10 more spots to fill with somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 offers still on the street.
A few things have popped up to me this year that seem out of the norm from past recruiting years. For example:
- Kids are making decisions much earlier. It seems like yesterday that Terrelle Pryor waited a month after signing day to make his decision.
- There seems to be a lot of quality football players that are not rated by the either Scout or Rivals yet.
- Coaches could seem to care less about star ranking and more about a fit for their program.
- Some schools have a ton of commitments (Texas 19) and some only a few (Michigan State 4).
- How hard does it have to be to rate the effectiveness of a player on just their junior year? It's almost like their Senior year isn't that important.
- There really needs to be an early signing period in football.
If your interested, Rivals has done a chart on top programs and the number of commitments vs star ranking. Looking at the chart, you can see that there are still a ton of 5 star players out there that haven't made a decision yet but there are a ton of 3 stars and many not rated players already committed.
To me this is a reflection on the recruiting services and getting caught with the classes coming together. It has to be hard for them in February/March when it's getting close to signing day for 2009 and there are already 2010 commitments flooding in. I'm sure glad, I'm not the guy having to review all those tapes of the thousands of players looking to get ranked.
Either way, RR and Staff have been on planes, trains, and automobiles looking for the best talent to fit their system. Let's hope all this hard work pays off with some "crystal" hardware in a year or two!Michigan Monday: Recruiting Tidbits
- One of the mysteries this recruiting season is 6"3 325 pound defensive tackle Jonathan Hankins from Detroit Southeastern. As we all know, DT is a major need for the Wolverines in the 2010 class and Jonathan is right in their backyard. Did I also mention that Jonathan is holding offers from Oklahoma, Ohio State, and Wisconsin as well? Recruiting insiders has questioned Jonathan's conditioning and wondered if he could keep up with Greg Robinson's high tempo defense. Jonathan attended camps at both Michigan and Michigan State this past week (State hasn't offered either). Some folks that attended Michigan's camp said that Jonathan got "gassed" after 5 quick plays in a row. So it's pretty clear that the Michigan coaches are worried about his size and lack of conditioning, but why isn't that a concern for Oklahoma and Ohio State, two big time programs? I think the jury is still out on Hankins and if he loses some weight he still could get a Michigan offer, maybe late this Summer or Fall.
- JD Pride, Minnesota QB was at Michigan's camp late last week. Why is this news? JD is Seantrel Henderson (#1 recruit in the nation) best friend. I don't expect JD to get a Michigan offer (maybe an invite to walk on), but he could end up somewhere like Eastern Michigan. Ron English, former Michigan DC and now Eastern's head coach attended Michigan's camp during the week.
- There has been some rumors that Will Gholston's commit to the Spartans last week was a "soft" one and that he still plans to take some visits. He may take visits but I expect Will to keep his commitment to Michigan State.
- Incoming Freshman Fitzgerald Toussaint scores two touchdowns in the Big 33 Football Classic (Ohio vs Pennsylvania). The most impressive one was a short pass that he took 54 yards for the touchdown. Thanks to Mgoblog here is a video of the touchdowns at 1:20 and 4:30.
- We all know that Michigan has an open date in 2010 and that AD Bill Martin wants a "BCS game" to open the new Big House. There is one program that has an open date on that day and is looking to get paid. That program is Boise State. Here is what BSU's AD had to say: "Right now, I'd go where I can make the most money," Boise State athletic director Gene Bleymaier said. "If I can play at home and make that much money, then I'm going to play at home. But it's difficult to make that much money in our stadium size. ... I've tried to avoid those [guarantee games]. Now they're much more of a reality going forward."If Bill Martin comes with a good guarantee, I think Boise State would jump at the opportunity. In fact, I don't think Bill really has too many options left on the table for that date.
Michigan Picks up its 15th Commitment to the 2010 Class and it's a CB!
Reported here on Friday, Michigan had offered Courtney Avery a CB from Ohio. On Saturday, he decided the offer was too good to pass up and verbally gave his pledge to become a Wolverine in 2010. Avery is rated a 3 star CB from Scout and the #23 CB in the country. He mainly plays QB for his high school, but his size 5"10 165 pounds is better suited for CB in college. The Michigan coaches got a good look at him at camp last week and liked what they saw and offered quickly.
Avery had committed to Stanford but decided to stay closer to home and attend Michigan.
On a side note, this kid carries a 3.7 grade point and would like to be in the pre-med program at Michigan.
Here is the write up from Varsity Blue:
Player Notes
As mentioned above, Avery is a quarterback for his high school team, in addition to his duties in the defensive backfield. In fact, he is a rather excellent high school signal-caller, and was named his conference’s Offensive Player of the Year as a junior. However, when he gets to Michigan, he will play strictly defensive back, where he tried out in summer camp. He has good hip fluidity and agility, which help him make up for a slight lack in top-end speed. One of the biggest knocks on Avery is his size: he’s listed anywhere from 5-8 to 5-10, which is small even for a cornerback. However, he is rumored to be up to nearly 5-11 now, which not only indicates that’s he’s made up some of the height disparity, but also that he may continue growing. By the time he hits campus, he could be as tall as 6-1. Camp offers are typically a time to say “throw out the rankings” (NR on Rivals, 3* to Scout), since the coaches have been able to evaluate a prospect in the flesh.
Avery had committed to Stanford but decided to stay closer to home and attend Michigan.
On a side note, this kid carries a 3.7 grade point and would like to be in the pre-med program at Michigan.
Here is the write up from Varsity Blue:
Player Notes
As mentioned above, Avery is a quarterback for his high school team, in addition to his duties in the defensive backfield. In fact, he is a rather excellent high school signal-caller, and was named his conference’s Offensive Player of the Year as a junior. However, when he gets to Michigan, he will play strictly defensive back, where he tried out in summer camp. He has good hip fluidity and agility, which help him make up for a slight lack in top-end speed. One of the biggest knocks on Avery is his size: he’s listed anywhere from 5-8 to 5-10, which is small even for a cornerback. However, he is rumored to be up to nearly 5-11 now, which not only indicates that’s he’s made up some of the height disparity, but also that he may continue growing. By the time he hits campus, he could be as tall as 6-1. Camp offers are typically a time to say “throw out the rankings” (NR on Rivals, 3* to Scout), since the coaches have been able to evaluate a prospect in the flesh.
Michigan Offers New CB at Camp
Courtney Avery played so well at Michigan's camp this week Rich Rod called him at home to let him know that the Wolverines were ready to make him an offer. Courtney is 5-foot-11, 175 pounds and named to the Division II first-team All-Ohio defensive back last fall. Courtney has committed to former Michigan QB Jim Harbaugh and Stanford but the Michigan offer has him thinking a bit. "Michigan has great tradition. It's one of the best programs in the country and, academically, it ranks among the best in the country," said Avery, who carries a 3.7 grade point average and plans to study medicine. "Stanford has the best academics in the country and the football program is on the rise." Courtney's coach thought he played well at Michigan's camp: "He had a phenomenal workout at Michigan, which is exactly what we expected of him," Payne said. "He was the top defensive back there and he performed as such."
- Quarterback Kofi Hughes (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) plans to visit Ann Arbor on Saturday. He currently does not hold a Michigan offer.
- Chris Perry gets drafted by Orlando in the new UFL which plans to start play in October. Grant Mason, DB from Michigan is also on Orlando's roster.
- Clarett asks to be released from prison early so he can resume his football career. UFL, Canada, Arena maybe but I'm pretty sure the ship has sailed on the NFL.
- QB Munchie LeGaux (6'4-180) who had listed Michigan as his leader is now listing the Oregon Ducks. Which is no surprise after Michigan got it's second verbal QB commitment for 2010 this week. Michigan should be finished at QB if both Devin Gardner and Cornelius Jones stay committed.
- Thank goodness Woodson picked Ryan Leaf off in the Rose Bowl to secure Michigan's national championship. Ryan has just become such an outstanding member of society after his NFL career flamed out. He recently tried to hide in Canada to beat drug and robbery charges in Texas. Nice work Ryan, you have gotten so much out of your talent.
- Latwan Anderson, from Cleveland dominated the 7-7 camp in Ann Arbor on Thursday. Latwan is a 4 star safety recruit that has just transferred to Ted Ginn Sr.'s high school, Glenville which is a feeder school to Ohio State. OSU hasn't offered yet, but I expect one very soon. Right now LA has 13 offers.
Michigan's Next Star QB: Does well at Detroit Camp
As we all know, Devin Gardner is Michigan's top recruit at the quarterback position for 2010. He is a perfect fit for Rich Rod's offense and has comparable size and stats to another former "high profile" QB that decided to go to Ohio State a couple of years ago.Devin stands at 6"4 and just under 200 pounds. As a high school junior he ran for 1,400 yards with 22 touchdowns and threw for 1,886 yards with 26 touchdowns. If your keeping score at home Devin accounted for 48 touchdowns as a junior, which is pretty amazing.
So what's not to like about this 4 star QB? Some recruiting services (similar to Terrelle Pryor's high school analysis) has questioned Gardner's throwing motion and accuracy. It seems Devin has taken that to heart and has attend just about every major football camp so far this Spring and Summer.
The latest was the Sound Mind/Sound Body Football Academy in Detroit. This camp is a showcase for the athletes in the Detroit area. Devin put on a show and the recruiting analysts took note:
The event was dotted with standout moments by numerous players, but none was more consistently dominant than Inkster's Gardner. He has staked his claim as the state's top player with outright dominance in camps and combines throughout the spring and summer. His Sound Mind/Sound Body performance was more of the same.
"We all know he's a great athlete and he showed that by doing very well at receiver in addition to quarterback," said Scout.com Midwest analyst Allen Trieu. "What has impressed me the most recently, though, is how much he has improved as a passer. His mechanics are like night and day from this time last year and his passes have much more zip. The work he has put in as a passer has paid off."
All that time spent honing his passing skills makes what he was able to do as a wideout all the more impressive. After each throw, Gardner stepped into the receiving line so he could take on the best defensive backs. One by one he called them out -- most notably Detroit Cass Tech's Dior Mathis and Detroit Renaissance's Hicks. By day's end, Gardner was viewed by most as both the top quarterback and top receiver in attendance.
It seems Gardner likes to play a little WR but it's nice to see him putting in a ton of hard work on the QB position this summer. In my opinion, I think it's important in RR's offense that the opposing defense respect the passing ability of the QB, so it can open up running lanes for big gains by the QB or the other running backs.
Most people anticipated that Gardner would redshirt his first year at Michigan but if he continues making strides like he has done this summer (and depending what Tate and Denard do this year) he might have a shot at some playing time in the Fall of 2010. Also look for Devin to pick up a 5th star on both Rivals and Scout this Fall.
Wolverine Wednesday: Is Full at Outside Linebacker
In this real time information age of the Internet and recruiting services that text and call kids non-stop, sometimes information gets out before it should.
As we know, Rich Rod and staff have over a 100 offers on the street for roughly 10-12 more spots in the 2010 class. Kids understand this and if they really want to be Wolverine they will pull the trigger on a commitment. Case in point for the Wolverines and recent verbal commit Holmes Onwukaife.
The unfortunate thing is sometimes kids will try to commit and they will be Michigan's plan B or maybe the position has been filled with other recruits. That is what happened to Holmes Onwukaife when he spoke with Rich Rod this week. With the summer non-contact policy in place, coaches can not call players to let them know they are full at a certain position. Michigan is full at outside linebacker and wanted Holmes to consider playing on the inside. But he declined.
So he is no longer part of Michigan's 2010 commitment class. Which is sad, because this kid is talented and had a number of good offers. One of the things going through your mind might be, "how can Michigan do that to a kid?" Well, Rich Rod and staff are protecting the program against the situation it got into last year. If you remember, Michigan had two solid commitments at QB before they both went "poof" in Fall. It's much better to be honest with a kid and tell him now then try to fit them into a class and then move him to a position he doesn't want to be in.
- Morgan Trent signs with the Bengals: He broke his foot in Rookie mini-camp but signs for $1.85 for 4 years with a $110,000 signing bonus. Nice work Morgan!
Michigan Football: Commitments Everywhere!
What a crazy Tuesday, it's all most like a mini-signing day with all these commitments all over Michigan. We will first start with the good news and then move to the not so great news.Michigan gets its second QB of the 2010 Class with the commitment of Spartanburg, S.C., quarterback Cornelius Jones. Cornelius had offers from Stanford, Wake Forest, and Duke before deciding to go Blue at Michigan's camp. He is 6"2, 195 pounds and carries a 3.5 GPA. Last year Jones had 1756 total yards including 1100 passing yards.
Here is the write up from Varsity Blue:
Recruiting Notes
Aside from the obvious prospects like Devin Gardner, Jones was one of the first players to enter Michigan fans’ collective radar for the class of 2010. Despite not playing football his freshman or sophomore year, apparently due to a disciplinary issue (or problem with the previous coaching staff; it’s never really been cleared up, Jones’s highlight tape from a spring scrimmage found its way into the hands of Michigan’s coaching staff. Rich Rodriguez and company liked what they saw, and extended a verbal offer (which the Detroit media, in full anti-Rodriguez mode at the time, spun to indicate that Rod was clueless or something). As it turned out, the offer did not come through at that time, but Michigan offered him in January, and was still among his first offers. It was that early interest that helped Michigan stay in the forefront of his recruitment, as the Wolverines led wire-to-wire. Jones always maintained that he was trying to work out a visit to Michigan, and that visit eventually ended up taking place for the Wolverines’ 2009 summer camp. At that time, he realized Ann Arbor was the place for him, and he committed to don the maize-and-blue.
Player Notes
Jones is a dual-threat quarterback in the same mold as Devin Gardner, who can really hurt you with his feet, and has some improving to do in the passing game (certainly understandable for a high school junior). Jones isn’t quite the physical specimen that Garnder is, but might be a slightly better passer at this time. That’s an exciting prospect for Michigan fans, as he’s only played football (and quarterback) for one year thus far! With further coaching at both the high school and college levels, he should blossom into a true threat in both phases of the game.
Good News #2: Texas Outside Linebacker/DE Holmes Onwukaife also committed to the Wolverines but has not spoken with Coach Rod yet. The Premium services won't run a verbal commitment until the recruit has officially committed to Coach Rod. Holmes committed to Coach Jackson. Holmes had 17 offers from everywhere from UCLA to Harvard. He is rated as a 3 star prospect from Rivals and is 6"3 220 pounds. He runs a 4.51 40 and has a 3.3 GPA and a 1340 on his SAT. He also is a great addition to the "all 2010 name team". More to come on Holmes when it goes official. Here is a video to wet your appetite:
Now on to the not so good news: Two highly ranked state of Michigan players go to State.
- Mgoblog is reporting that Will Gholston has committed to MSU.
- Mylan Hicks a DB from Detroit Renaissance has also committed to become a Spartan.
Neither one of these are a surprise and Will Gholston is maybe the highest rated player ever recruited by Mark Dantonio to Michigan State. These players are the 3rd and 4th players to commit to MSU for the 2010 class. The above commitments to the Wolverines are number 14 and 15 for the Maize and Blue.
More bad news for a small business in Ann Arbor:
- The MDen loses the Big House contract and will no longer be able to sell Michigan gear at Michigan Stadium.
Michigan Monday: Who's In, Out, and a Maybe?
In?: RR spoke to reporters this weekend at the Women's Football Academy about the status of Kevin Grady: “He’s still working out with the guys,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve gotten the details from him and researched it a little bit . Kevin has taken care of some of (those) responsibilities, and the rest of that is up to him. If he does everything, come Aug. 9, when we start camp, he’ll rejoin us.”
Out: Rodriguez confirmed that offensive lineman Dann O’Neill has left the program, but he wasn’t sure whether O’Neill will transfer to another school. Shame on the Free Press for not giving credit to Mgoblog for breaking the story.
Maybe? He said there’s likely only one incoming freshman who might not qualify academically. He expects to know about all of the first-year player in the next few weeks. So the word on the street is there are/were three potential "bubble" players that might not qualify. One: Fitzgerald Toussaint, but Sam Web from Scouts and WTKA radio said he has qualified. Two: was the recent rumor that mega DB recruit Justin Turner didn't walk in his graduation and might not have passed his Ohio exit exam. Justin is known has a good student and this no longer seems to be an issue. Three: is slot WR recruit Jeremy Gallon from Florida. So the math points to Gallon being the one recruit still on the bubble. Let's hope he does what he needs to do these next couple months and gets to Ann Arbor on time.
Already in Ann Arbor: Freshman Taylor Lewan is already in Ann Arbor and just met Mr. Barwis: "Yesterday I had my first Barwis workout," said Lewan on Saturday afternoon. "We lifted and then we did plyos (plyometrics) and ran. During plyos, my legs were so shaky I could barely walk. My legs were cramping up and everything. It's a huge program. This is going to make us all athletes. Twice as much the athletes that we all are." Sometimes we forget these are just kids and most of them away from home for the first time: "I'm still 17-years old - I'm not even 18 yet," noted Lewan, who will celebrate his birthday on July 22. "These guys are 20, 21-years old. It's a little intimidating coming in at first. You go from a high school where you're a big stand out and everybody's looking at you the whole time. Coming to something like this, you're just another guy. You have to climb up the totem pole again."
picture via Rivals and thewolverine.com
Camp: Today was the first day of Michigan's Football Summer camp for 2010 and 2011 recruits looking for instruction and possible offers.
Out: Rodriguez confirmed that offensive lineman Dann O’Neill has left the program, but he wasn’t sure whether O’Neill will transfer to another school. Shame on the Free Press for not giving credit to Mgoblog for breaking the story.
Maybe? He said there’s likely only one incoming freshman who might not qualify academically. He expects to know about all of the first-year player in the next few weeks. So the word on the street is there are/were three potential "bubble" players that might not qualify. One: Fitzgerald Toussaint, but Sam Web from Scouts and WTKA radio said he has qualified. Two: was the recent rumor that mega DB recruit Justin Turner didn't walk in his graduation and might not have passed his Ohio exit exam. Justin is known has a good student and this no longer seems to be an issue. Three: is slot WR recruit Jeremy Gallon from Florida. So the math points to Gallon being the one recruit still on the bubble. Let's hope he does what he needs to do these next couple months and gets to Ann Arbor on time.
Already in Ann Arbor: Freshman Taylor Lewan is already in Ann Arbor and just met Mr. Barwis: "Yesterday I had my first Barwis workout," said Lewan on Saturday afternoon. "We lifted and then we did plyos (plyometrics) and ran. During plyos, my legs were so shaky I could barely walk. My legs were cramping up and everything. It's a huge program. This is going to make us all athletes. Twice as much the athletes that we all are." Sometimes we forget these are just kids and most of them away from home for the first time: "I'm still 17-years old - I'm not even 18 yet," noted Lewan, who will celebrate his birthday on July 22. "These guys are 20, 21-years old. It's a little intimidating coming in at first. You go from a high school where you're a big stand out and everybody's looking at you the whole time. Coming to something like this, you're just another guy. You have to climb up the totem pole again."
picture via Rivals and thewolverine.com
Camp: Today was the first day of Michigan's Football Summer camp for 2010 and 2011 recruits looking for instruction and possible offers.
Wolverine Wednesday: A Michigan Man in Congress?
From MLive: Former Zeeland High School and University of Michigan football star Jay Riemersma has filed paperwork to run for the congressional seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra. Publicly, Riemersma, a Republican, remains unannounced. But undated filings with the Federal Elections Commission declare him a candidate for the 2nd Congressional District. I remember Jay as the ultimate teammate when he was at Michigan. He came to Ann Arbor as a QB and left as an NFL tight end! Good Luck Jay!
- June 15th is Michigan Day on the Big Ten Network. Isn't everyday a Michigan day?
- Michigan looking at offering a state of Michigan punter: Mike Sadler from Forest Hill Northern.
- BTW: I saw an interview with former Wolverine Steve Hutchinson and current Minnesota Viking on ESPN about the Brett Farve situation. He was wearing a University of Minnesota golf jacket. I'm assuming Steve was playing in a charity golf outing and has not become a Golden Gophers fan.
- Picture of new Wolverine Ken Wilkins at his announcement via Rivals. He seems happy to be a Michigan Man!
Michigan Football gets it's 13th Commitment to the 2010 Class
Ken Wilkins a 6"4 235 LB/DE from Washington Trinity High School, PA became the 13th verbal commitment to Rich Rod and Staff for the 2010 Class.
As we know both DE and LB are major needs for the Wolverines in this recruiting class, so Ken will fit nicely in either role. Most expect Ken to play LB in college. Wilkins is considered a 3 star prospect from Rivals, but has an impressive offer sheet from the likes of: Rutgers, Illinois, Purdue, Pitt, North Carolina, BC, West Virgina, Wisconsin, and more.
As always, here is the write up from Varsity Blue:
Recruiting Notes:
Ohio State, Penn State, and Notre Dame may have seemed like the early favorites in the race for Wilkins’ services, as each team boasts one of his ex-teammates (Andrew Sweat, Mike Yancich, and now-Cleveland Brown Travis Thomas). However, he grew up liking Michigan, and by the time a Wolverine offer came through, Michigan and Pitt were in his top 2. Other schools, such as Penn State, Ohio State, UVa, and others were all in pursuit, but when Wilkins made it to campus for the Big House BBQ, he saw all that he needed to see in order to confirm what he had been feeling for quite some time: he belonged in Maize and Blue.
Player Notes:
Though recovering turnovers on defense is mostly a luck proposition, Wilkins sure knows what to do with the ball once it’s in his hands: he scored 2 defensive touchdowns last season. He was named first-team all-state at defensive end. One thing that may be holding back his rankings a bit is the fact that he’s something of a tweener: Scout lists Wilkins as a 3-star defensive end, and Rivals has him ranked as a 3-star outside linebacker. It seems as though he’ll play mostly linebacker in college, though at Michigan he’ll have the hybrid role available to him. The low rankings certainly aren’t due to lack of exposure: on top of his all-state selection as a junior, he’s been attending the Pittsburgh Scout combine since his freshman year.
As we know both DE and LB are major needs for the Wolverines in this recruiting class, so Ken will fit nicely in either role. Most expect Ken to play LB in college. Wilkins is considered a 3 star prospect from Rivals, but has an impressive offer sheet from the likes of: Rutgers, Illinois, Purdue, Pitt, North Carolina, BC, West Virgina, Wisconsin, and more.
As always, here is the write up from Varsity Blue:
Recruiting Notes:
Ohio State, Penn State, and Notre Dame may have seemed like the early favorites in the race for Wilkins’ services, as each team boasts one of his ex-teammates (Andrew Sweat, Mike Yancich, and now-Cleveland Brown Travis Thomas). However, he grew up liking Michigan, and by the time a Wolverine offer came through, Michigan and Pitt were in his top 2. Other schools, such as Penn State, Ohio State, UVa, and others were all in pursuit, but when Wilkins made it to campus for the Big House BBQ, he saw all that he needed to see in order to confirm what he had been feeling for quite some time: he belonged in Maize and Blue.
Player Notes:
Though recovering turnovers on defense is mostly a luck proposition, Wilkins sure knows what to do with the ball once it’s in his hands: he scored 2 defensive touchdowns last season. He was named first-team all-state at defensive end. One thing that may be holding back his rankings a bit is the fact that he’s something of a tweener: Scout lists Wilkins as a 3-star defensive end, and Rivals has him ranked as a 3-star outside linebacker. It seems as though he’ll play mostly linebacker in college, though at Michigan he’ll have the hybrid role available to him. The low rankings certainly aren’t due to lack of exposure: on top of his all-state selection as a junior, he’s been attending the Pittsburgh Scout combine since his freshman year.
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