Michigan Monday: 100 Offers Hit the Street for 2012

Recruiting still remains a hot topic at Schembechler Hall these days as it's being reported that Michigan has 100 2012 offers on the street.  These offer are all verbal at this point and fit well into Michigan's "green" initiative since written offers can't go out until 9/1/11.  

I ripped this from UMhero on Mgoblog:

The 100 includes:
7 QBs
9 RBs
13 WRs
7 TEs
21 OL
12 DEs
12 DTs
9 LBs
5 CBs
5 Ss

Among the 100, 66 are on the Rivals 250 Watch list and 37 are either 4 or 5 Star player on Scout.  57 on Offense and 43 on Defense.  Do you think the coaches are a little worried about the offensive line with 21 offers out right now?

Here is a list of all 100 offers.

• Schilling does well at the Combine.

• Cass Tech CB Terry Richardson got an OSU offer on Sunday.  Michigan has some work to do in this recruitment.

• Thought for the day: MSU will have played two games since Michigan beat Minnesota before their in-state match up next Saturday.  Will the Spartans be a bit fatigued after their 20 point loss on Sunday and their game on Wednesday against Iowa?

Novak = Heart

I have been a big fan of Zack Novak since he stepped on campus.  He wasn't highly recruited out of Indiana with his only other scholarship offer coming from Valparaiso.  He was a diamond in the rough that John Beilein found and added late to the 2008 class, which happened to be Beilein's first ever recruiting class in Ann Arbor.  The Rivals site didn't even have a photo of him up. (The photo to the right was from mgoblue.com when Zack was new on campus as a freshman) Zack was a 3 star player with only one offer and Beilein gave him an opportunity to play at a Big Ten school.  IU and Purdue had looked at Zack and both took a pass.

Since day 1 Zack has left everything on the floor in every game.  How many games have you watched where an announcer says, "I'm betting Indiana and Purdue wishes they kept Zack home" or "this kid is nails!".   Zack is why Michigan Basketball is starting to be special again.  This team with no seniors and who most expected to be lucky to make the NIT is now on ESPN's last 4 in bubble list.  

Zack hasn't been very "offensive" lately missing his last 14 shots in two games (before Minn. game) while still playing well on defense.  Agent 0 as we like to call him around here was 0-14 but missing open 3's he would normally hit and even bricking a few layups didn't seem to bother him much.   On Saturday he hit an early three and a late three to help Michigan get a much needed victory in the Barn against a team playing for their tournament life as well. 

I wasn't sure how the Wolverines would come out in this game after the devastating loss against Wisconsin on Wednesday.   I hinted in other posts that they couldn't let one shot beat them twice, they didn't and showed early they had come to play.  TH2 was "hot" early hitting five 3 pointers in the first half and then in the second "the Butterfly" took over by beating his man and driving to the bucket.  Both of those guys are exciting to watch and if they stay together could be one of the best tandems in the country in a few years.  But my game ball would have gone to Zack yesterday.  Hitting a long 3 when Michigan had 1 second on the shot clock and guarding the 7 foot Ralph Sampson, Jr. most of the game.   I don't know too many coaches in college basketball that would send their 6'4 shooting guard/small forward down low to guard a 7 foot son of a legend.  Zack did and did it pretty well, even getting a late steal and outlet pass to Morris to seal the victory. 

Zack played 33 minutes and scored 6 points on his 2 made three pointers.  If you just saw the box score, you probably wouldn't be too impressed.  If you watched the entire game, you would have.

Michigan hasn't accomplished anything yet and still needs wins against rival MSU on Saturday and a couple Big Ten Tournament wins, but there is one thing for sure.  The excitement is back in Crisler Arena which is worth smiling about, no matter what happens the next two weeks.

This is the Job David Brandon Signed Up For

(Editors Note:  This was bumped up from the comments on the quality of the content )

Post Authored by BigHouse Reader Voice of Reason:


Dave Brandon has got to do whatever it takes to turn this program around. Football is the bread and butter of this institution. Forget about the highly rated academics,... Harvard, California, MIT, etc., are all highly rated academics and they are not football powerhouses and they don't have the brand name that brings in the big bucks that Michigan has. [No offense]

If Michigan becomes an also-ran in football, it will fall back into the ranks of good academic teams but with no other special athletic or name appeal. Michigan makes big bucks because they can sell all sorts of items with their name on them to alumni who are proud of their team that shows up on tv on Saturdays and wins football games. If that stops then so does the discretionary funds that fans spend on "all things Michigan."

Michigan along with OSU was instrumental in helping the Big Ten in getting those big tv contracts that makes everyone money. Not because of their academics, but because of winning football games. Of course now we have Nebraska that helps but it may have the same initial effect that PSU had when they came into the Big Ten. It's the Michigan vs. OSU rivalry that is the heart and soul of the Big Ten. That is what the BT is selling, that is what people think of when they hear the Big Ten, not Nebraska or PSU.

If they don't turn this thing around soon, soon they'll be a new generation of players who won't remember when Michigan was a good football team. There would be more difficulty in recruiting younger top notch players, then the revenue would potentially be compromised, and not only would it effect Michigan but other things financially connected with Michigan and I will include the conference.

Brandon's got to give us and the Big Ten a winner, and this is his last shot at it, or Mary Sue Coleman and the Regents will be evaluating him at the end of the season just like RR if this doesn't work out. So he's got to bring in the best available coaches. PERIOD!!! And that means paying them. Cha-ching!!!

Michigan Friday: Show Me the Money and I will Show You a Defense

With Brady Hoke on board now many of us wondered who he would pick to turn around the Michigan defense.  Would he be fishing in the $250K pond for Greg Robinson types or would he be fishing in the $1M a year pond for Randy Shannon types.  Brady ended up getting Greg Mattison the DC for the Baltimore Ravens, so we all expected it was close to the Shannon pond.   We found out yesterday we were right. 

Most notable was defensive coordinator Greg Mattison's contract. He will be paid $750,000 annually with a chance for a bonus of up to $150,000 if the Wolverines win the Big Ten. Mattison, 61, who spent the last two seasons as defensive coordinator for the NFL's Ravens, is the Big Ten's highest-paid assistant.



"We're not messing around," Brandon told The News when asked about Mattison's contract. "I am sure he's the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the Big Ten, and I have to believe he is also one of the highest-paid in the country.

Mattison will net $900,000 if Michigan wins a Big Ten Championship.  That's pretty good money for the #2 guy and in my opinion worth every cent if he can turn the defense around.  On a side note, Mattison is now making more then Brady Hoke was making at San Diego State before his extension (Hoke made $675,000 in base pay last year).
 
The other assistants won't be staving either, Offensive coordinator Al Borges will make $350,000 a year, receivers coach Jeff Hecklinski will make $225,000 and the other assistants will make $200,000 apiece.   Calvin Magee was RR's highest paid assistant at $285K a year.  A thought to ponder:  Did RR keep all the salary for himself and was not able to get the top defensive staff that he needed?  Or is David Brandon breaking the bank on Hoke's staff because Michigan hasn't been competitive in the Big Ten for 3 years?
 
Speaking of Brady Hoke it seems it didn't take long for him to re-print the weight room walls with a quote from Mark Dantonio about beating Michigan every year.   Mark, I know you would never listen to a piece of advice from a know nothing blogger, but here it goes anyways: When you win, act like you have been there before.  Do it with some grace and don't poke the grizzly bear when it's sleeping.  Be happy what you got and be quiet about it.  Karma can be cruel the next time around.   Is it me or does Dantonio have a couple screws loose? You wouldn't see his mentor Jim Tressel act like this.  
 

• The Michigan coaches just offered Ohio OL Kyle Kalis (6'5", 300 lbs) who is already a OSU commit but Kyle's high school teammates: TE Sam Grant, DT Greg Kuhar, and OL Tyler Orlosky all have Michigan offers.  Could the Wolverines be looking to sign the entire St. Edwards team?

• Michigan's basketball season could hinge on how they play against Minnesota in the Barn on Saturday afternoon.  If the Wolverines let the "Harlem Globe Trotter Shot" beat them twice they are for sure heading for the NIT.  If they can pull a win out in the Barn and then a home win against MSU, they have a fighting chance entering the Big Ten Tournament to get to the big dance.

• If your tuned into the NFL Network this weekend, Michigan has two players at the NFL Combine in Indy.  Steve Schilling and Jonas Mouton.  Good luck to you both!  

Steven Threet to Call it a Career and Why It Should Make You Think

If you have followed the Big House Blog for a few years you know one of the topics I take very seriously are head injuries in football.  If you missed those past articles, I will re-set my stance on the topic (do a search if your interested in the past posts on this topic):

Football is changing, It used to be that if you played High School, College, and maybe even made it to the NFL you knew you might be giving up a couple of knees, probably have back problems, and maybe a shoulder or two.  Now it seems the injuries and penalties can be much worse and even devastating. 

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy commonly referred to as CTE is a degenerative brain disease that has been showing up in football players as young as 18.  In Boxing, they commonly refer to this disease as being "punch drunk".   CTE is now showing up in the pre-mature deaths of many football players who struggle with depression and having a brain that is more like a 90 year old then a 50 year old.  One of the higher profile cases was the recent death of Cincinnati Bengals WR Chris Henry who had CTE at the age of 26.  There are also studies that are showing former football players and European soccer players are also suffering a higher rate of "Lou Gehrig's " disease or ALS.  Why soccer players?  They are taking head shots from a ball traveling at a rate of 80 mph. 

Many researchers had linked CTE to concussions which is accurate but the more alarming trend is evidence of CTE in players that never had a history of concussions.  Chris Henry is an example of that theory.  Chris never had any reported concussions and clearly had CTE after his death from jumping on a moving vehicle.

This week there have been two alarming cases for football fans and football players.  The first sign was the suicide of former Chicago Bears defensive back Dave Duerson.   Dave sent a text to his family moments before his death that asked for his brain to be tested and the results sent to the NFL.  Dave was suffering from depression and was filing for bankruptcy.  

Then today we learn of the apparent retirement of former Michigan QB Steven Threet who has one more year of eligibility left at Arizona State.  Steven has had 4 concussions and suffered 2 just last year, Oct. 23 at California and Nov. 26 against UCLA . Threet told the Arizona Republic on Wednesday that he's still experiencing symptoms from the last concussion and still has headaches and has trouble sleeping.  A source told ESPN that "Doctors have told him a fifth concussion could be debilitating," a source told ESPN. "You don't want to be 35 years old and can't hold up a cup of coffee."

If you need more proof, read the story about the University of Pennsylvania offensive lineman Owen Thomas who also committed suicide in college. Owen was the first college football player to have CTE and here are the chilling words from his mother: “I knew there was a missing piece,” says Thomas’ mother, the Rev. Katherine Brearley, of Allentown, Pa. “No one has given me even a hint of an explanation why Owen, at the drop of a hat, would kill himself. It’s out of all proportion and totally out of his character.”

Below is an example of the damage on the brain from CTE:

Top row: Brain sections showing dense tau protein deposition in multiple areas of frontal cortex (boxes).Bottom row: Microscopic images showing large numbers of tau-containing neurofibrillary tangles (dark brown spots) in the areas of damage.  (photo from BU.edu)

If things don't change these type of head injuries will effect the long term viability of the sport we love.  The NFL is starting to take this seriously now after years of not believing the evidence.  It's now clearly starting to effect high school and college football as well.   Question, do you want someone you love playing football?  Steven you are making a great decision.  Good luck to you outside of football.

Welcome to Heart Break Hotel

I have no words for that game last night.   What a difficult loss.  

Memo to coach Belein:  If Michigan is down by 2 with less then 10 seconds left.  Please replace Stu Douglass with someone else. The man he is guarding seems to hit wild 3's at the buzzer to win big games. 

I hope the Wolverines don't let that lucky shot beat them twice (vs. Minnesota) or three times against MSU.

Wolverine Wednesday: Hosts a Mid-Week 2012 Visitor and Other Michigan News

Matt Godin is an instate DT/DE prospect for 2012.  He was being recruited by RR and Staff and had made it to Ann Arbor for a couple of games in 2010.  He was clearly excitied about playing for his home town team and wanted a scholarship offer.  Well, when the new staff took over at Michiga offers starting flying out of Schembechler Hall to other prospects but not Matt.  He clearly got frustrated as MSU had offered and coaches like Chip Kelly were calling him.  

Matt finally got his offer last weekend and it didn't take long for Matt to take his un-offical visit to his dream school yesterday.  TomVH from Mgoblog has an interview with him up.    I absolutely loved it, a lot of it was more of what the coaches were saying and how they want to bring Michigan back. Also, at some schools you don't really see the players that much, but I walked in there and all the players were in the locker room joking around. It was a good experience, especially for my dad to be there. He's a season ticket holder for 30 years, and for him to see his son get a scholarship from the University he loves is great.

Let's hope we have some good news out of the Godin camp real soon.  Michigan is still looking for it's first verbal commit for the 2012 class.   Written offers can't go out to 2012 prospects until August. 

• Looks like a couple of teams might find themselves in hot water with the NCAA:  Tennessee is expected to release the NCAA's finding on a number of their athletic programs today (including baseketball and football) and Oklahoma seems to have reported some violations that are similar in nature to Michigan's with making off season workouts mandatory instead of voluntary.  Oklahoma self correction is to take a week off from conditioning.   Also Alabama, has been a hot topic in the media lately.  First a crazy fan kills Auburn's 100+ year old tree and then calls a radio station and brags about it, Nick Saban continues to be the example of what's wrong in college recruiting by over signing players, then Nick is shown on the big screen at an Alabama basketball game with Barry Sanders and his son who Nick is recruiting.  Alabama said they didn't commit a violation and it was just an honest mistake.  That mistake must be similar to the one Dee Hart kept making when he forgot that book in his locker at his high school over winter break and just happened to wathc Alabama's bowl practices a number of times.  

• Former Wolverine QB Ryan Mallett has been dropping down draft boards lately and it seems it could have to do with lack of leadership skills and rumored drug use.  I have to admit I heard similar rumors at Michigan, again they were just rumors.   Let's hope they aren't true and Ryan answers the right questions and passes the right tests.  As your remember, Mario Manningham admitted to doing a little "pot" before the NFL Draft as well.

• The Michigan Basketball Team plays Wisconsin tonight at Crisler Arena.  As you know, Michigan is still not considered a "bubble" team but could change that with the next 3 games which include; Wisky tonight, Minnesota this weekend, and then MSU at home.  Michigan needs a signature win and Wisconsin could fit the bill if the Wolverines were able to get a win tonight.  Michigan needs a .500 record in the Big Ten and one win in the Big Ten tournament to make it's case for the Big Dance.  Let's hope the Wolverines can get a win tonight and at least one more over MSU and/or Minnesota.

• Michigan QB Recruit Zeke Pike now is up over 40 offers.

• New Jersey DB Yuri Wright (6'2", 180 lbs) has been offered by Michigan and Coach Mallory has been in discussions with NY DB Wayne Morgan (5'11", 180 lbs) and an offer soon may follow.

Michigan Tuesday: Did I Mention New 2012 Offers?

• Donovan Roberts (6'0 195 lbs.) a RB from Oklahoma got a Michigan offer last night.
• Both Michigan and Ohio State offered Jaquay Williams on Monday.  JW is a 6'4 185 pound WR.
• California DT Aziz Shittu (6'2", 280 lbs):  I'm pumped. I just talked to Coach Mattison and he said I'm what they need at Michigan. He likes the way I play, and they offered. [Mattison] has coached at the highest level, so he knows what he's talking about.
• Missouri DT Ondre Pipkins (6'3 320 lbs.): This is a big offer, most definitely. They were telling me that they want me up there bad. I'll try to get up there in the summer if not mid March. It's great to have the offer, with the new defensive coordinator it means they'll have a tough hard nose defense. Michigan is definitely in my top five.
• Michigan also offered Maryland Athlete Ronald Darby (5'11 172 lbs).  Ron's offer list is a who's who of college football.  He isn't ranked yet but his offer list looks 5 star worthy. 
• Dallas OLB Peter Jinkens (6'1 208 lbs.) has a Michigan offer.  He plays at Sam McGuffie's high school.
• MA OLB Carmen Williams (6'2 200 lbs) also was offered this weekend.
• TomVH from Mgoblog has a interview with OL prospect Dan Voltz  (6'5 289 lbs.) up.

Two players that stood out in the Midwest Camp at U of M on Sunday were TE prospects Devin Funchess and Ron Thompson.   Michigan is in early on both players and some insiders think Ron might be Michigan's first verbal for the 2012 class.  We will see but both are big kids and very good TE prospects.

Kentucky's Zeke Pike will be one of the nation's top recruited QB's.  Zeke has a Michigan offer and one of his friends, Chris Barnett will be a freshman at Michigan next year.  Chris was Michigan's last commitment for the 2011 class.   Having Chris on the team gives Michigan a good shot at landing Zeke.  Hopefully, with Zeke in driving distance from Ann Arbor he will make a visit to the Big House this spring or summer. 

Michigan Monday: Updates the 2012 Offer Train

The offers keep coming:

• Royce Jenkins-Stone visited A2 this weekend and met with Coach Hoke.  RJS tweeted that the coaches said he could be the next Ray Lewis. 

• James Ross was also in Ann Arbor this weekend for a un-official to Michigan.

• OL Kyle Dodson (6'6 315 lbs.) from Cleveland was offered this weekend as well.

• Instate DE/DT Matt Godin got his Michigan offer this weekend.  As you know, Matt had been concerned about not getting an offer from Ann Arbor and he finally got the good news this weekend:  I just got offered by Michigan. I called Coach Montgomery, and then talked to Coach Mattison. He said they reviewed my film and I have an offer from the University of Michigan. This is definitely a dream offer, I'm pretty excited. I'm going to wait and think things through before I make my decision, I'm going to visit up there this week and talk to the coaches more.

• Matt is good friends with Danny O'Brien who was at the Midwest Best of the Best camp on Michigan's campus on Sunday.  Matt currently has Tennessee as his leader but Michigan is in the running and now having Matt having a scholarship offer to Ann Arbor could effect his decision.   He is planning a decision sometime during the football season.  Matt is a high priority recruit for Michigan this year.

• Jordan Diamond was again up to Ann Arbor this weekend with future freshman Chris Bryant.  Jordan didn't participate in the camp but did get a chance to catch up with the new coaching staff and players:   We went up there yesterday; I met just about everybody. We talked to Coach Hoke, Coach Heck(linski), Funk, so it was cool. Coach Funk was telling me that they're light on the offensive line, they only have around 11 scholarship guys so I would have a good chance to play early. I was trying to build some comfort with them, get to know them, so it was good. The one thing I did get to see that was new was I got to see the players working out. That was good for me to see how they work out, and what they do.

• Texas OLB Jeremiah Tshimanga (6'3 226 lbs) got a Michigan offer on Saturday.  Could be a candidate for the all name team!

• Want to know the list of all the 2012 offers? Check this out.

Michigan Friday: U of M Hosts Best in the Midwest Camp This Weekend

The University of Michigan is not affiliated with this combine they are only providing the facilities.  Which gives Michigan a nice advantage in recruiting.  Why?  Because it allows some of the best talent in Michigan, Ohio, and other states a chance to look at Michigan's facilities like the Al Glick Field House.   (On a side note, Michigan has two indoor football practice facilities and The Cincinnati Bengals have zero)

Jordan Diamond who participated last year will be in attendance but won't be participating in the event.  Jordan is using this event as a un-official visit to Ann Arbor.  It is still a bit unclear on who is attending and who isn't at this point.  Many players don't register until later this weekend (the event is on Sunday), the cost is $75 for high school participates and $150 if you want a 3 minute highlight tape.

Some high profile names attending for Michigan fans include: Royce Jenkins-Stone, Ohio WR Corey Smith, Detroit Mumford OL/DL Daron Brown and Detroit RB Dennis Norfleet.  They are expecting around 400 kids so maybe some new names for the 2012 class might jump out.

• Is he back?  There was some twitter activity that suggests former Michigan LB Marell Evans is back with the Wolverines.  Marell transferred from Michigan in August 2009 and ended up at Hampton.  He was listed as a Junior last year on the Hampton's roster.

• Matt Godin Information:  TomVH caught up with Matt yesterday.  Matt is disappointed that he hasn't got a Michigan offer yet.   Matt is clearly frustrated but let's hope he connects with the Michigan coaches soon and a offer comes his way.  Oregon is interested in Matt and MSU has already offered.   Let's hope this is just a situation with the Michigan coaches being on the job only a few weeks and not getting to every one's film yet.   It's clear this young man has a love for U of M.   

• Looks like Michigan has a couple new offers out to OL Jordan Simmons (6'5", 295 lbs) and WR Jordan Payton who is a USC commit. 

Mott Spring Game Details

The game scheduled for April 16th will start at 12:00 and be covered live by the Big Ten Network.

"This is a great opportunity to showcase our team and help a worthy cause at the University," said head coach Brady Hoke. "I was fortunate to be involved with Mott during my first stay in Ann Arbor, and this partnership with the athletic department has grown over the years. Laura and I look forward to working with Mott and to continuing the football program's involvement with the children's hospital"

Michigan Thursday: 2012 Recruiting Offer Blitz

Michigan continues to hit the 2012 recruiting trail hard.  Which is good because they probably have a year to 6 months to make up in relationships with these kids.   Michigan does have an ace in the hole and that guy is Greg Mattison.  Urban Meyer recently called Greg the best recruiter in the business and running the Baltimore Ravens Defense doesn't hurt either.  Stewart Madel from SI.com also believes that Greg is one of the new coordinators in college football that could make a major impact..

• Royce Jenkins-Stone was offered by Oklahoma this week and he called it his most impressive offer so far but that he is still open.  This obviously is not the greatest news for Michigan fans.  He is not expected to make an early decision so there is a lot of time for him to drink the maize and blue kool-aide.
• Jordan Diamond was expected to participate in the Best of Midwest combine this weekend on Michigan's campus.   He has decided not to participate but will be coming up to Ann Arbor with his teammate and future Wolverine Chris Bryant for an un-official visit.  The buzz around Jordan is that he is a high 4 star or 5 star recruit.  
• Michigan has offered one of the best RB's in the country in North Carolina Keith Marshall. 
• Canton RB Bri'onte Dunn is verbally committed to OSU already but Michigan has high interest and might have offered him yesterday.  Update: It has been confirmed that he was offered by Michigan. 
• Ohio State has now offered DE Ifeadi Odenigb from Centerville and DE Sevon Pittman from Canton McKinley, both have Michigan offers as well.
• Florida DB Deon Bush another Big Time prospect was offered by Michigan this week:  I just got off the phone with the defensive coordinator, Greg Mattison, a few minutes ago. He said he liked my film, and they liked me so they offered me. This is a real big offer for me. Michigan, that's a great school. They have the Big House, a great fan base every year that's there no matter win or lose.
• Canton Safety prospect Jarrod Wilson was offered by the Wolverines yesterday as well.  Jarrod is ranked in the top 20 players in the State of Ohio and a number of recruiting insiders love his game.  As you know, Michigan need more "true safety" prospects.
• TomVH from Mgoblog has interviews up with WR Corey Smith and OL Kyle Murphy. 
• The expected Michigan 2012 Class is estimated to be around 17-20 players.

Other Michigan News:

• Michigan Basketball lost a close one at Illinois last night.  They got two shots up at the buzzer but neither dropped.  Iowa is now a must win if they are going to make a bid to make the NCAA tournament.

• Devin Gardner tweets that there isn't any new news about his medical redshirt status. 

I'm not Hoking: The Big Ten Doesn't hire Big Name Coaches

I will be the first to admit that in early January, I made statements like: "You don't fire Rich Rodriguez to hire Brady Hoke".   At the time, that hire didn't make much sense to me.  Why would you bring in a guy that had limited success at Ball State and San Diego State to replace a guy that has lead his team to BCS Bowls and was one win/a QB's hand a way from the National Championship game?  Brady's name wasn't in the same class as a Jim Harbaugh, Les Miles, Urban Meyer, etc.

I will also have to admit that I was wrong and that Brady has impressed me so far in building his staff, keeping players (mostly Denard), and recruiting hard to finish the 2011 class and the momentum he has built for the 2012 class.  The proof will be on the field but so far so good.

That got me thinking about the Big Ten and hiring Big Name coaches.   I also thought back to when Minnesota fired Tim Brewster during the 2010 Season.  The Minnesota AD stood up in front of reporters and said he wanted to make a Tubby Smith type hire for his football program.   Which means he wanted a big name coach to run his football program.  They hired Jerry Kill from Northern Illinois.   Not exactly Vince Lombardi was it? 

So what about other Big Ten Programs?  Let's start with that school down south.

Ohio State:  Jim Tressel was hired in 2001 to replace John Copper.  Jim had spent a couple of years in the 80's coaching Ohio State's QB's and WR's but in 2001 was the head coach of Youngstown State for 14 years.   Jim was very successful at his current job but was he ready to lead the Buckeyes?  I think we all now know the answer to that question but could you imagine Michigan hiring the Grand Valley's Head Coach?  At the time that was a pretty risky hire that worked out well for the Buckeyes.

Purdue:  Back in 1997 Purdue needed a new coach after they had let go Jim Colletto and hired Joe Tiller from Wyoming.  Joe had spent 6 years at Wyoming with a 39-30 record and was coming off a good year where they finished 10-2 and #22 in the both polls.  Joe ended up at Purdue for 12 years and retired after the 2008 season and was replaced by Danny Hope who was on staff.   Danny had been on staff at Purdue for 1 year as the Assistant HC and OL coach.  Danny had spent 5 years as Eastern Kentucky's head coach before joining Purdue, he was 35-22 at EKU.

Indiana has tried to find lighting in a bottle with their head coaches.  Back in the day they had coaches with the names you might recognize like Lee Corso (41-68-2), Sam Wyche (1 year 3-8), and  Gerry DiNardo (8-27).  This year they have hired Oklahoma OC for the past 8 years Kevin Wilson, who doesn't have any D1 head coaching experience and has struggled to keep his staff together only being on the job for a few weeks.  Can any coach win at IU?  That is the big question. 

Iowa: Hyden Fry was a Big Ten legend when he retired.  He had been at Iowa from 1979 -1998 with a overall record of 143-98-6.   So in 1999 who did the Hawkeyes turn to?  Baltimore Raven's offensive line coach Kirk Ferentz.  Kirk's only head coaching experience at the time was two years as Maine's head coach.   Before hired at Iowa Kirk had spent 5 years as an OL coach in the NFL.   I would say this Risk = Reward as Kirk is one of the highest paid coaches in college football and has been rumored to been a candidate for a number of NFL jobs and Michigan's last two openings.  Recently, Kirk has had a number of off field issues with his players. 

Wisconsin:  Does any of these names ring a bell?  1986 - Jim Hilles, 1987-1989 - Don Morton?  Those were the two coaches before Barry Alvarez was hired.  Barry was Notre Dame's DC for 2 years before taking the Wisconsin job.  Barry had spent 7 years as Iowa's LB coach before moving to ND to coach the LB's for 1 year and then 2 as the DC.   Barry moved to Wisconsin's AD position in 2006 and Brett Bielema took over.  Brett was on Barry's staff for 2 years has his DC coming over from Kansas State where he was the DC for 2 years as well.  I guess Wisconsin likes those 2 year DC's.

Penn State: Does not hire new head coaches.  They have had the same head coach for 44 years.

Michigan State:  We all know that Nick Saban spent 5 years in East Lansing but his coaching success came after he left the Spartans.  Since Nick left the program in 1999 the Spartans have struggled to find it's next head coach.  Bobby Williams was there for 3 years, then John L. Smith for 4 and now Mark Dantonio.  Mark came to State from the University of Cincinnati where he spent two years has head coach with a 18-17 record.  Before UC Mark was the DC at OSU for 2 years and before that 5 years as MSU's DB coach.

Illinois has probably the closest "Big Name Hire" outside of Rich Rodriguez when they hired Ron Zook who was just fired as Florida's head man in 2007.   Illinois must like Ron's because Zook replaced Turner.  Ron Zook has had an up and down stint at Illinois with an overall record of 28-45 (really?) with one Rose Bowl appearance which was a 49-17 loss to USC.   Before Ron took over at Florida he was the New Orleans Saints Defensive Coordinator for 2 years.

Northwestern:  Sadly, Randy Walker (former head coach of Miami of Ohio) died unexpectedly in June 2006 of a heart attack.  At the time, Northwestern hired LB coach and recruiting coordinator Pat Fitzgerald as it's head coach.  We all know Pat was a famous LB for Northwestern but his coaching experience before joining NW included 1 year as Maryland's LB coach, 1 year as Colorado's LB coach, and 1 year as Idaho's LB coach.   Pat was NW's LB coach for 5 years before took the head coaching job.

Minnesota:  Had some famous named coaches that didn't stay very long.  Names all Michigan fans will remember like: Fitz Crisler 1930-31 he had a 10-7 record and  Lou Holtz for another 2 year stint from 84-85.  Lou went 10-12 in two years.  Recently, Glen Mason was the Golden Gophers coach for 10 years and a 64-57 record.  I guess Glen's record wasn't good enough and they hired Tim Brewster in 2007.  Before Minnesota Tim was the TE coach for the Denver Broncos, before that he was the TE coach for the Chargers.  His college experience came in 1998-2001 as Texas's TE coach and 87-89 as North Carolina's TE coach.  I'm not a coaching expert but it seems to be this guy is a good TE coach.   After Minnesota fired their good TE coach, they hired Jerry Kill from Northern Illinois who was 10-3 in MAC last year.  Jerry has been the head coach of Saginaw Valley State, Emporia State, Southern Illinois, Northern Illinois and now Minnesota.

So to net it out, it seems Big Ten coaches who are successful and who are not successful usually don't come from other Big Time programs as head coaches.   It also seems some of the more successful hires were assistant coaches (at some point) at the programs they now run.

We all know Bo was from Miami of Ohio and the rest of Michigan's hires were internal before RR.   So maybe the Brady Hoke hire was the perfect fit for Michigan now and long term (the proof will be in his win loss record) and maybe the reason Rodriguez didn't do well at Michigan was because a Big Name + Big Program + Big Ten = Big Problems.

Michigan Tuesday: 2012 Offers Continue

Michigan continues to recruit the 2012 hard and heavy now that the 2011 class is complete.  Here is some new information.

• Check out this 2012 Michigan offer map from a Mgoblog reader. 

• Michigan offered another Ohio DE this time; Se'von Pittman.  Se'von is 6'4 and 225 pounds.  He has an Alabama and Ohio State offer already.  The Buckeyes are looking good for him right now.

• Michigan offers highly rated Arizona OL Andrus Peat who is 6'6 and 270 pounds.  He is a big time prospect with 25 offers right now.

Other Football News:

• ND QB Nate Montana has transferred to Montana.  We will always have early September 2010 Nate.  Thank you, so much. 

• Urban Meyer basically calls out college football and how bad it's gotten the last 5 years:  “What I’ve seen the last five years is a complete turn in the integrity of the college coaching profession. It’s completely turned the other way. Right now, it’s not good because the risk-reward is ‘have at it, do what you’ve got to do get the great player, go win games and at the end of the day we’ll find out what happens down the road …  We always knew that NCAA Basketball recruiting was a very dirty business and now it seems College Football might be just as dirty.   I can tell you there were thousands of rumors about USC back under Pete Carroll.  The Reggie Bush stuff was just a small sample of what went on there.   Let's hope that Brady Hoke and staff plays by the rules. 

• Speaking of Cam Newton, he just signed a $1M a year deal with Under Armour.  No word if the deal was done "under the table".

• Former Rutgers QB, Tom Savage will visit Arizona today, which is his first visit since he decided to transfer.  There was some Internet buzz that Michigan might be interested in Tom but that was before Michigan locked up Texas QB Russell Bellomy. 

• John Beilein is recruiting another former NBA players son specifically 6'7 forward Larry Nance, Jr.  He is averaging 18 points and 10 boards a game.  Larry has really picked up his game and has grown nearly 6 inches in the last two years.   He is a 2011 recruit. 

Michigan Monday: Thinks About Michigan Basketball

This season for the Michigan Basketball Team can be summed up in one word: Streaks.  Michigan went on a 7 game win streak from late November to late December.  Then the Wolverines went on a 6 game losing streak for most of January. 

Now, Michigan has turned the corner and currently won 5 out 6 games with their only loss to #1 Ohio State in Columbus.  During the 6 game losing streak there were articles written about Coach Beilein being on the bubble, now his program could be on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament.  If Coach Beilein gets this team to the NCAA tournament he might he a solid Big Ten Coach of the Year candidate. 

What has me worried is Michigan's next 5 games.  Michigan goes on the road for back to back games to Illinois and Iowa.   Then back home for Wisconsin (who just beat the #1 team in the nation), then out to play a ranked Minnesota team and home for Michigan State.   I have to tell you, I don't feel good about any of these games for the young Wolverines.  Michigan hasn't played well on the road in winnable games; they got blown out in back to back games at Indiana and at Northwestern in January.    Michigan then has home games against talented veteran teams in Wisconsin and MSU.   State will be fighting for their tournament lives in Ann Arbor on March 5th. 

What has me excited is that the Wolverines are clearly getting better as the year goes on.  They are scoring inside and working a nice balance between shooting 3's and the pick and roll.   They also had a strong road win at Penn State two weeks ago.  Michigan's biggest week of the year is this week.  Both are winnable games in a trip to Illinois and Iowa (probably a must win).   Then try to take 1 out of 2 between Wisconsin and MSU then take your chances with the Golden Gophers.

I understand that MSU is struggling but I think they will turn it around and finish strong.  Either way, I think the NIT would be a successful year for the Wolverines.  As we say in the business world, the stretch goal is a nice run in the Big 10 Tournament and a bid to the Big Dance.   I like the team chemistry right now and I hope they can continue to play well.  Even if they lose to Illinois, I hope they play well and keep it close so they can have confidence going into Iowa.

I'm also excited about next year.  The future looks bright with Darius, Jordan and TH2.

Michigan Friday: Updates Rumor Mill and A Few More Offers

The rumor mill is spinning that Devin Gardner might have had his medical redshirt application approved.  This rumor started at an alumni event in Florida.  So it has not been confirmed by anyone at the Michigan program yet. 

This would be big because Denard is a junior now and this approval would make Devin a redshirt freshman.  This could also give Bellomy (incoming freshman for 2011) a redshirt year to learn the offense.   Either way, I would expect Devin to get a number of snaps next season.  With Tate gone to South Beach, Devin is now firmly in the #2 role and will spell Denard if he gets nicked up running the ball.

Devin played in two games in 2010 (UConn and Bowling Green) and was 7-10 for 85 yards.  He also ran 6 times for 25 yards and 1 TD.

• Recent Michigan offer Ron Thompson TE from Detroit has a relationship with Devin Gardner and Michigan might be the team to beat in his recruitment.

• Michigan has offered 2012 California WR Derrick Woods. DW is 5'11 180 pounds.

   

• Michigan Basketball team takes on Indiana at 4:00.  Please go to the game and support this team. 

• Do you think it took Michigan a long time to fill their assistant coaching spots? Well we could be Indiana who has lost 4 assistant coaches who had only been the job a couple weeks under the new staff,  UCLA which seems to be a complete mess with  Neuheisel just hiring two position coaches yesterday and they are still without DC,  Maryland is trying to hire Randy Shannon as their DC.

Michigan Thursday: The 2012 Offer Blitz Continues

This has been a snowy and cold winter for Michigan fans.   We got blown out in a bowl game, had our head coach fired in January, got a new coach, got a new high profile DC, and got a brand new 2011 recruiting class in about 2 weeks. 

The cold weather and snow that has hit the Midwest and Eastern states hasn't helped either.  Well, the weather isn't the only thing that is flying around in Michigan right now.  2012 offers are flying out of Ann Arbor fast and furious.  

Here are some of the guys that got their offer yesterday:

• Cass Tech CB Terry Richardson
• Cass Tech OLB Royce Jenkins-Stone
• East Detroit TE Ron Thompson
• Illinois OL Dan Voltz
• Illinois DT Tommy Schutt (probably didn't get it yesterday)
• Wisconsin LB Vince Biegel
• Farmington Hills TE Devin Funchess
• Farmington Hills DE Mario Ojemudia
• Farmington Hills WR Aaron Burbridge

Other Names with Michigan offers:

• IN DT Sheldon Day
• IL DT Vincent Valentine
• WA OL Zach Banner
• FL TE Sean Price
• OH TE Sam Grant
• OH WR Dwayne Stanford
• MO WR Dorial Green-Beckham

-2011 OL "sleeper" Graham Glasgow was in Ann Arbor on Wednesday and he was offered a Preferred Walk-On spot at Michigan.  He has the same offer from Ohio State.

-The rumor mill is spinning that 2011 CB Greg Brown who was Michigan's only early enrollee has left school and back at home in Ohio.  I can only guess this is a case of being home sick since nothing football related has even started yet, with the exception of some S&C training.  This could also explain the Terry Richardson offer yesterday who has a similar stature of Brown. 

- Former Wolverine player and coach Scott Loeffler is the new OC at Temple.

- The Michigan Basketball team had another good home win last night over Northwestern.  Jordan Morgan went for 27 points.

- Sam Webb does his Thursday article on one of Michigan's top 2012 OL recruits, Jordan Diamond.

Tate To Miami

I had a long post written on why Tate was no longer at Michigan. 

I decided this is a young man who just got a second chance and there was no reason to write an entire post on why he isn't on Michigan's roster.

Tate, don't let this second chance pass you bye.   Go to class and work hard on and off the field.   If you do that you will be fine.  

I would have suggested a different school other then Miami but hey, it's your choice.  Good luck!

Side Note: Tate will get a chance to play with Seantrel Henderson and Dallas Crawford.

It wasn't about everyone pulling in the same direction

I have now heard and read a couple of interviews by Rich Rodriguez since he was fired at Michigan.  He pretty much has repeated the same themes in both interviews.  Including an interview from today's ESPN Radio's show The Herd:

#1: He was disappointed that he didn't have more time
#2: The worst was past us and nothing but up side from here
#3: Everyone wasn't pulling in the same direction.

These are exactly why he didn't work out at Michigan.  He didn't get it and I pretty much agree with his 3 points.  Let me first break down why his 3 points are only sort of right:

#1 More Time:  Ok, 3 years might not have been enough but it's what he did in those 3 years.   Year 1 was a complete throw away now looking back.  If you remember, Michigan had a good defense that year and an offense that was lead by two QB's who were off the team the next year.   A complete waste of a year.  His "all in approach" on the recruitment of Pryor was a huge mistake.  His only back up plan was a Slot WR who preferred selling drugs then playing QB.  You can't tell me there wasn't another QB that year that RR and staff could have found in the 6 weeks they had.  Hoke and Company found one in two weeks.

Year 2 should have been Year 1 and son on.  That wasted year hurt his chances in David Brandon's office in early January.

#2 The Worst Was Behind Us?  I get his point.  21 starters coming back.  Guys back from injury on defense and the MVP of the league in his 3rd year.  This was his only real point in trying to save his job.  Having a Heisman Trophy candidate in Denard and those guys back from injury could equal a good 2011 campaign.   The problem I have with this statement is two things.  Defensive Coordinators and The Gator Bowl.   RR if retained would of had his 3rd DC in 4 years.   His clear lack of attention and bad DC hires killed any chance RR had at saving his job.  Defense is important and his bad hires, killed any chances of him saving his job. 

The second part is the Gator Bowl.  Michigan last year got worse as the year went on, not better.  In fact, you could probably make that case for all the Michigan teams under RR.  Having a month to prepare to work on defense fundamentals and everything else and then to get blown out by a fairly one dimensional mid tier SEC schools is un-acceptable.   To quote a reporter who I was sitting next to in the press box.  "all this game did, was make David's Brandon's decision and easy one".   I agreed with him and David's decision now.

#3: Everyone pulling in the same direction:  Sure RR had people against him from the beginning.  I never understood what the Freep had against him but his ride to the Michigan job was messy and full of accidents at every turn.   These events are off the top of my head, I'm sure there are plenty of others that I left out:

• WVU fans up in arms after he left for the Michigan job
• Allegations of shredding documents and lost player records
• The loss of QB Ryan Mallett
• Contesting his buyout from WVU
• Losing Pryor to Ohio State
• 3-9 Year 1
• Freep Allegations
• NCAA Investigation and Penalty
• Getting sued for a bad condo deal
• 5-7 Year 2
• 7-6 Year 3
• Josh Groban Fan Club Meeting
• Blow Out loss in the Bowl Game
• 0-3 vs. OSU and MSU
• Getting sued on the purchase of his home in West Virgina the day he was fired from Michigan.

If just one of the things happened under his watch, it wouldn't of been a big deal.  All of them together is a big deal.   I'm not sure the stance that everyone was not pulling in the same direction with all the history makes a lot of sense.  If RR was 10-2 and beating Michigan rivals he would still be the coach.  He didn't and he isn't.   Bottom line.

So RR take a gig at ESPN or CBS College Sports and save us the Michigan talk.  It's been a month, we have moved on and so should you.   Good luck at your next stop.

Wolverine Wednesday: Recruiting Keeps Rolling

I have to tip my hat to this new Michigan football staff.  Most of them are just arriving to Ann Arbor and had to be on the road non-stop for two weeks in trying to save the 2011 class.  I'm guessing they haven't even found a place to live in A2 yet.

After signing day and before Spring Practice, I thought maybe the guys would take a couple of weeks off to get their lives in order and take a breath.  That's not happening.  This staff is recruiting the 2012 class hard and I mean hard.  Most of the activity is in the Midwest as well.

• Pharaoh Brown is a Ohio 6'6 220 pound DE just received a Michigan offer yesterday. 
• Coach Hoke has been out to see Chris Wormley in Toledo recently.
• Greg Mattison is expected to meet with 2012 CB Terry Richardson today at Cass Tech.
• Mega 2012 Offensive Line recruit Jordan Diamond from Chicago (Chris Bryant's school) is going to be doing a visit to Ann Arbor on 2/19.
• Mentioned here yesterday, 2012 Ohio DE Ifeadi Odenigbo also got an offer from the Wolverines.
• 2011 OL recruit Graham Glasgow from IL is expected to visit Ann Arbor this weekend.

I'm looking forward to a Top 10 class in 2012.

Spring is in the Air!  Not really, but we hope its on the way 

• Michigan will start Spring Practice on 3/19
• Michigan's Spring Game will be on 4/16
• Michigan's Spring Roster has been updated.  No surprises, just a couple of number of changes.  Ricardo Miller is now #80.

-Scout's Michigan 2012 Top Prospects by Allen Trieu.

-Peter King captured Charles Woodson's Super Bowl emotion. 

Michigan Interested in a Late Bloomer for the 2011 Class?

Recruiting is a strange business.  A couple of rules:

#1: Your junior year is the most important. 
#2: Make sure you have a highlight reel on YouTube
#3: Make sure you go to summer combines/7 on 7's and talk to Scouts and Rivals often.

Ok, so what happens to guys that don't do those things and have a great senior year?  Sometimes they fall through the cracks and don't get a scholarship offer.   I have to imagine there are plenty of guys like that.  Most of them walk-on to a program or play in a lower division. 

Graham Glasgow from Aurora, Illinois could be one of those kids that fell through the cracks or was a late bloomer.  Graham is 6'7 295 pounds offensive tackle that didn't start playing football until his senior year.  He played basketball.   Now he is starting to get interest from a number of schools including Minnesota, Ohio State, and Michigan.  He was a starter at tackle for a team that was the runner up for the state championship.

Ohio State was out to see one of his basketball games and has asked him to visit Columbus.   He visited Minnesota a couple of weeks ago and now he will be visiting Ann Arbor this weekend.  Graham's OL coach is former Wolverine Kurt Becker and Kurt feels that Graham could easily be a starter in the Big Ten.   Ohio State is offering him as a preferred walk-on.  Michigan might as well, but the Wolverines have two scholarships in their back pocket and could offer this young man if they like what they see.

A sleeper?  Graham does not have any offers and is not rated by either Rivals or Scouts.  Chris Pool from ESPN seems very high on the kid.

Michigan Tuesday: The Goal is Indy in 2011

During Hoke's first press conference it was clear that beating Michigan's rivals and winning the Big Ten Championship was the top priority for this program.  But was is the priority for next year?  Rebuilding right?
Nope.

Brady Hoke sat down with Detroit News columnist Bob Wojnowski.   Bob asks a number of questions, like what's his favorite food and book, repairing the Michigan Nation, all the questions you would expect.  The one question (and follow up) that I thought was valuable was: 

Q. You have 18 starters back next year, including the Big Ten offensive player of the year. I'm thinking an 8-4 record, minimum. What do you think?
A. If we don't win the championship, we failed, period.

Q. Have you looked at your roster closely and assessed how good you could or couldn't be?
A. No. If we don't win the championship, we failed.


Q. So I suppose it's possible then?
A. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't.

A question you might be considering is: Do we really think that is possible?  It's possible but not probable.  What I really like to hear is the goal is in the right place.  We are not talking about a winning season or a bowl game.  We are talking about the goal being a Big Ten Championship and playing in Indy in December.

• The worst kept secret is the hiring of Jerry Montgomery to coach the DL and Curt Mallory to coach the DB's was made official on Monday.    Both are good coaches, but I'm the most excited about the hiring of Jerry who is a young guy and can develop guys like Big Will, Richard Ash, and Terry Talbott.   Many coaches will tell you, all good teams start with the offensive and defensive lines.  Michigan is looking great on the O-Line and the D-line (outside of Martin) needs work.

• 2012 Ohio DE Ifeadi Odenigbo got offered by Michigan yesterday.  He is 6'4 and 210 pounds and was ranked #24 on the State of Ohio rankings.   He seems like a good student and has offers from Stanford, BC, Northwestern, and many other Big Ten Schools.  He has not been offered by OSU yet. 

•  Here is another Michigan 2012 defensive hot list.  I am a big fan of the name of Trotwood, Ohio safety Bam Bradley.   Michigan has 3 players currently on the roster from Trotwood.

2012 Watch List is UP

So I have started the 2012 Watch list and will be adding to that list with players I feel are a top priority for the Wolverines in this class. 

As we have talked about before, Ohio always has talented high school football players and this year the pool is very deep.

Here is Rivals first 2012 ranking of the players in Ohio.  Michigan targets:  Chris Wormley is #3 and Allan Gant is #14.   OSU already has 5 verbal from this list of 40 players.

Michigan Monday: Woodson Gets His Ring and Other Wolverine News

Charles Woodson had a up and down day yesterday.  Of course, breaking his collarbone before halftime was "the down" and getting his Super Bowl ring was the big "up".  Like I mentioned on Friday, Chuck has had a very nice career with a Heisman, a National Championship, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award, and now a Super Bowl Ring.   It doesn't get any better then that.    I hope his collarbone heals quickly.

I didn't see the Tom Harmon Icon special on BTN yesterday and hope to catch a replay.  I wonder if Tom knew that he could have won a Championship with the Green Bay Packers back in the day. Michigan's two other Heisman Trophy winners Desmond Howard and now Charles Woodson both won Championships with the Packers.   (Tom was drafted by the Chicago Bears but elected to play in the AFL with the New York Americans).

On a side note, If you get a chance to see the Lombardi documentary on HBO, I highly recommend it. 

• The Michigan Basketball team had a nice win in Happy Valley yesterday.  When Darius Morris plays well, Michigan is a very competitive team.   I also think Tim Hardaway will be a star in a couple of years. 

• Tom Brady wins the NFL MVP award by sweeping all 50 votes. 

• How about the National Anthem last night?  I thought something didn't sound right.

• MSU lost again last night.  Time for Izzo to go?  Just kidding but we haven't seen a swoon like this from the Spartans in a long time.

• Tate Forcier seems to be down to Kansas State, Miami, Montana, Washington, and Arizona.   He is planning to visit these schools in the next two weeks.   If he wants to play next year he would go to Montana.  If he goes to Washington he will be behind Joe Montana's son (Montana or playing behind Montana?).  Arizona would seem to make sense - (a lot of Michigan QB transfers go to that state to play football).   I worry about Tate in Miami. 

• Michigan's 2012 prospect list are coming out fast.  Here are two recent ones.  I will put up a 2012 watch list this week.

• David Harris is about to get paid!  Sounds like the Jets are about to put the Franchise tag on him.  I wonder how that works without a CBA?

• Michigan plans to announce the hiring today of Curt Mallory, DB coach and Jerry Montgomery to coach the D-line.

• Speaking of Desmond Howard it seems Phil Simms isn't a fan as they got into a confrontation this past week in Dallas.  Phil you are now dead to me.   Phil your in the media, you should be able to take a criticism of your son. 

• Maize N Blue Blood:  Here is an article on Michigan's 2011 walk on full back Joe Kerridge.  (Freep link) 

Michigan Friday: Wolverines in the Super Bowl and Other Michigan News

It's hard to believe that this is the last football game of the season.  It seems like Michigan and UConn just kicked off a few weeks ago.  Wow, a lot of things have changed since that game.   It's hard to believe that Denard Robinson was a Heisman leader for a few weeks and then ends up winning the Big Ten MVP award.   Rich Rod is currently un-employed with a $2.5M check and living in Saline and Brady Hoke is now in charge of the Wolverines program.  Yes, things have changed in Wolverine land. 

So on to the game this weekend.  For Wolverines fans, there are 6 players and coaches that have Michigan ties playing in this game.  On Green Bay, of course there is our Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson and DL coach Mike Trgovac (who was my initial pick for DC at Michigan - I am very happy at the Mattison pick up).  On Pittsburgh, there are of course LaMarr Woodley and inside linebacker Larry Foote and safety Ryan Mundy who also played a year for RR at WVU.  Harold Goodwin is also the offensive line coach for the Steelers.


So who do you have?   I am sure some of you are Steelers fans and others are Green Bay fans.  I'm not a fan of either team, but I will be pulling for Green Bay on Sunday and the only reason is Charles Woodson.   Chuck got to a Super Bowl early in his career but this is probably his last shot.   He is one of the greatest Wolverines of all time and donates a ton of money each year to Motts Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor.   I want Charles Woodson to get his ring.  Having a National Championship, a Super Bowl win, a Heisman Trophy, and a NFL Defensive Player of the Year award  is a pretty good career.  In fact, I'm not sure how it could be any better.

Woodley and Foote already have their Super Bowl rings.  It's time for Woodson to get one.

Something to think about:  The last time Green Bay was in the Super Bowl, Who was the MVP of the game?  Michigan's other Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard.  

• I didn't know TE Chris Barnett very well before he visited Michigan last weekend but this kid has made a big impression on me and other Michigan fans.  This kid was recruited by pretty much every major program in the country and picked the Wolverines on signing day.  Here is an article from Dallas:  "You have to really try to be the best at everything," Barnett said. "If you're going to brush your teeth, you have to be the best at brushing your teeth.  "If you're a true athlete, and you really want to go out and push yourself and be the best that you can be as a football player, a student, and as a man and eventually as a family person, they're going to teach you how to be that."    "I don't think I could be any happier right now," he said.

• There has been some buzz that Brady Hoke and Greg Mattison didn't hire Corwin Brown for the DB coaches.  Corwin reportedly petitioned for the job and was turned down.  Some of Michigan's former players felt that Corwin might have been disrespected by Michigan by not discussing the job with him and then hiring Curt Mallory.   I thought Corwin was qualified for the job and would have been a good fit. But, maybe Brady and Greg thought Curt would be better.   Corwin replaced Greg as the DC at ND so maybe there is some history there.   Either way, it's too bad but this shouldn't be played out in the media.

• Attention Grey Shirts in the SEC (specifically Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas, LSU).  If your a linebacker, offensive lineman, or a defensive tackle and your coach is asking you to take a Gray Shirt.  Tell him, no thanks and call Brady Hoke at Michigan.  The Wolverines have 2 available scholarships in this year class and we could use a some good players at the for mentioned positions.  Come to Ann Arbor - our helmets have wings! This also goes for USC or Tennessee players who might be caught in the NCAA wave that is Lane Kiffin.

• Bob Griese is retiring from broadcasting.  Good luck to him.

• Iowa Football - Can someone explain to me how they didn't lose one recruit and were able to add a couple high profile players?  What are these parents thinking?  High profile players were arrested for running a "Drug House" (some of those charges were dropped) and 12 kids were sent to the hospital for getting overworked by the S&C guy in a program that they have run for years.     

• Speaking of Lane Kiffin, he is something isn't he?  Fanhouse is reporting that the NCAA will be coming down on Tennessee and Lane for past recruiting violations. With that said, let's discuss the first USC NCAA penalties when Lane was on staff.   I guess they are  accepting certain penalties by the NCAA (like not going to a Bowl Game) and not others while they appeal their ruling.  USC signed 25 guys to this years class when they were supposed to be only signing 15 players for 3 years.  The recruiting ban has been "suspended" until a verdict is reached on their appeal.   If the new Tennessee charges are accurate, USC will have a hard time appealing their decision with Kiffin in charge.   This new news should make all the kids that signed with USC and Tennessee on Wednesday feel comfortable that their program is headed in the right direction.  If the NCAA comes down hard on Kiffin personally, I believe new AD Pat Haden will have a hard time keeping him in role.  USC's class ranked #4 by Rivals and Tennessee was ranked #12.  Tennessee wouldn't have held the NCAA letter until after signing day would they? No, I'm sure that didn't happen.

• One thing to consider when you think about Michigan's 2011 recruiting class; is how did Michigan do compared to other teams that made late coaching changes as well.  I will use Scouts Rankings as recruiting service for these rankings (Rivals only ranks the top 50):  #21 Florida,  #22 Stanford, #27 Michigan, #37 Miami, #55 Pitt, #71 Minnesota, #79 UConn .  I know some of these schools don't directly compete against Michigan in recruiting.  For those that didn't make a change: #21 Nebraska, #26 Iowa, #29 MSU, #33 PSU, #34 Illinois and #40 Wisconsin.  If you compare Michigan to these other Big Ten teams, they did pretty well.

Is It Too Early To Start Looking at Michigan's 2012 Prospects?

Nope.  Recruiting like coaches, never sleeps.  So now is the time to start building your relationships with the prospects for NSD 2012.  There is a new NCAA rules that takes effect for this class that prospects are not able to receive a written offer from schools before 8/1/2011.  The hope is this would slow down the recruiting process but schools are now just doing verbal offers until August 1.   Since Michigan is saving on postage and have a new coaching staff, it will be interesting to see which prospects they recruit in 2012 with a full year to build a class.

The word is that Ohio will be loaded with great players (specifically at DT) and the Buckeyes will have a limited class size. 

With that said, I would like to look at the State of Michigan 2012 prospects that Michigan is on early and hopes to be part of its 2012 class:

Cass Tech Attack:  Michigan has done well at Cass Tech over the years because it's head coach is former Wolverine Thomas Wilcher.  2012 will be no exception to the rule that the Cass Tech program has some of the best prospects in the State.  Names to keep an eye on with Michigan offers are:

• Royce Jenkins-Stone, OLB 
• Terry Richardson, CB

What about DT?  Michigan's #1 need in the 2012 class:

• Danny O'Brien, from Flint.  Is a top prospect at DT.  Michigan is in on him early but so are schools like Tennessee and MSU.
• Matt Godin, from Novi.  Happens to be good friends with Danny above.  I have seen Matt listed as a DE, DT, and OL.  Danny and Matt both visited Michigan games together last season and both hold offers.

The Wolverines could use some good LB play:

• Best instate prospect will be James Ross, ILB from Orchard Lake.  James has already been verbally offered from Michigan and is a 6'0 200 pound prospect.

Best Lineman in the State?

• It's hard sometimes to predict offensive lineman this early for the 2012 class but one prospect is starting to stand out is Battle Creek Guard Kelby Latta who is 6'3 and 295 pounds as a high school junior.  Michigan, MSU, Wisconsin, and Purdue are already on Mr. Latta.

Michigan has started to recruit some out of state prospects at QB but a guy to keep your eye on is 6'6 215 pound Brian Blackburn from Detroit Crokett Vo Tech.  Brian had a big junior year passing for 2234 yards and 20 touchdowns, while running for over a 1000 yards and another 9 TD's.

More instate names should come out as Spring Ball gets started and kids visit for practice and the spring game.    Right now, Terry Richardson, Thomas Ross, Royce Jenkins-Stone and Danny O'Brien are expected to be in or near the top 100 players in the US.

Michigan Thursday: Finds the New Michigan Assistant Coaches?

Brady Hoke said during his press conference that the rest of this staff will be completed by Monday. 

The rumor mill has been running with a couple of names, so I will let you know what I'm hearing. 

Potential New DB Coach is Curt Mallory.   Michigan fans are familiar with the Mallory name.  Dad Bill was the head coach at Colorado, Northern Illinois, and Indiana.  Son Mike Mallory was a Michigan LB from 82-85 and currently coaching on the Super Bowl Champions New Orleans Saints.  Curt Mallory is currently the DC for Akron and has a lot of experience coaching DB's at stops at Ball State, CMU, Indiana, and Illinois.  As you can see it seems Curt worked with Brady at Ball State.

Potential new DL Coach is Jerry Montgomery who seems to be a hot young coach and was just hired at Indiana a few weeks ago.   Before joining the staff at IU, Jerry spent two years as the DL coach at Wyoming and a couple years at Northern Iowa in the same role.  Jerry is a former defensive lineman at Iowa and had a cup of coffee in the NFL.  He also played a couple of seasons in the arena league, so he knows how the play the ball off the net! Jerry is just 30 years old and should be a great asset in communicating with players and on the recruiting trail.

On the ironic side, Jerry would have been working for Doug Mallory the new DC at Indiana. 

The Wolverines Stay at 20

As Michigan gets beat out for LB, Leilon Willingham by a Conference USA team.  I guess the weather in Orlando was just too hard to beat for the young man from Denver. 

I guess that "fun" visit to UCF turned out to be a business trip. It's hard to believe a Conference USA team could beat out Michigan for level of competition and education.   Good luck to Leilon

Will Michigan Hit BlackJack With It's 21st Recruit for 2011?

Michigan has 20 recruits signed for the 2011 class and all the guys have their LOI's in.   Michigan still is in play for one more prospect, a 6'2 240 pound LB from Denver named Leilon Willingham that had to delay his announcement until this morning due to the weather in Denver. 

It seems Leilon's recruitment has changed the last couple of days.  He had committed to Texas A&M early in his recruitment and then visited Ann Arbor two weeks ago.  He was so impressed by Ann Arbor and being coached by his idol (Ray Lewis) former coach Greg Mattison, he silently committed to Michigan.  He told the Michigan coaches that he wanted to go to UCF for a visit for "fun" and some warm weather. 

Well, it seems that "fun" trip back fired and Leilon wanted to sign with UCF with his teammate (who committed on the trip).  The rumor mill is saying that Leilon wanted to go to UCF but his parents didn't support that decision at all, that he either should go to Michigan or stay at home and play for University of Colorado. 

So now what?  We should now about 10:00 EST this morning, when he signs his LOI. 

Let's hope this 4 star LB doesn't choose Conference USA or the PAC 12 and comes to Michigan in the Big Ten!

Grading out Michigan's 2011 NSD Class

I tip my hat to Brady Hoke and staff for the hard work the past two weeks.  It has to be really hard to keep and build a recruiting class in a couple weeks when your competition has a 2 year head start on you.   If you consider that liability, this was a pretty strong effort.   Michigan's class right now is ranked #21 in the nation by Rivals.  Many believed this class was going to finish in the 30-40 range.

Michigan addressed needs on defense at LB and in the defensive backfield.   They also whiffed on the DT position with zero signed players.  They did sign 3 DE's in this class and 2 might be able to convert to DT's down the line.

Michigan is very young at DB and they added 5 more freshman in 2011 to add to depth down the line.  Let's hope all these guys get a chance to learn the position before they are thrown on the field.

Hoke's staff elected not recruit the WR position by turning down potential commitments from Hakeen Flowers and Devin Lucien.   I would have taken Devin without thinking twice.   The other need positions were TE, QB, and Kicker.  All targets at those positions were signed.

Offensive line after low numbers in the 2010 class was another high priority and Michigan got 3 guys in center Jack Miller, OG/OT Tony Posada and Chris Bryant.   3 was probably the least amount the Wolverines could have taken in this class and would have preferred at least one more. 

Running back was also a strength of this class with two instate guys in Justice Hayes and Thomas Rawls. 

Anyone left?  Maybe.   Michigan still has a 4 star LB on the fence that expects to announce on Thursday in  Leilon Willingham who was/is a silent commit but getting a ton of pressure from his local University of Colorado. 

Big Misses?  Yes, plenty.  Clearly, the 5 star loses of Dee Hart and Kris Frost but you also have to include instate prospects Jake Fisher and Anthony Zettel.  Michigan also was not able to land the NSD signature of defensive tackle Darin Cooper.    All these guys could have and should have been blue, even with a coaching change.  (with the exception of Dee Hart)  

Not having a DT in this class is a huge hole and a big need for 2012. 

All in all I grade this class a B+.  Michigan went 2-2 today on NSD signatures with still one pending.  This was not a top 10 -15 type of class which they could have achieved if they were able to sign the 'big miss guys".  Right now, Michigan is two scholarships short of a full class and I hope they land Leilon tomorrow. 

16 Posts Today

If you're just tuning in.  We provided 16 posts today starting at 5:30 this morning.  If you want to see how the day un-folded please hit the "older posts" link at the bottom of the page.

Chris Barnett Newest Wolverine

Rich Rodriguez never used tight ends in his offense until he got to Michigan.  Then he really found an effective way to use the position but had a terrible time recruiting guys to play it.  With only two TE's on the roster getting one in this class was very important. 

Brady Hoke did a good job of getting Chris Barnett a 6'6 245 pound 4 star TE to Rivals and 3 Star to Scout and ESPN on campus and he really enjoyed the visit.   Chris has an amazing list of 24 scholarship offers which included the likes of Notre Dame, USC, Tenn, UCLA, Florida State, Oklahoma, Miami, and many other major programs.  He was also a one time Arkansas verbal commit. 

Chris has a chance to earn some playing time right away but would be better off served using a redshirt year so he could learn from guys like Kevin Koger but his big body which will equal a big target might be hard to keep of the field. 

More on Chris from Tim at Mgoblog.

Brady Hoke NSD Press Conference

Notes:

• Signed 20 kids
• All expected to qualify academically
• Went through each kid, where they were from and HS
• Said OC Al Borges looked at 15 QB's in this class and thought Russell Bellomy was the best.  He and his family took a trip to Ann Arbor and fell in love with the place.
• Chris Bryant is a refrigerator with legs
• Tamani Carter was recruited as a safety
• Frank Clark as a LB
• Kellen Jones plays sideline to sideline
• Jack Miller as center
• Tony Posada is a road grater
• Michigan is a national and a world wide brand.  They will always focus on Michigan first but Ohio and the Midwest are very important as well.
• Recruiting with the M on his chest was awesome!
• Michigan will run a 4-3 defense
• The rest of his staff will be firmed up by Monday

Chris Barnett to Michigan!

Looks like Michigan pulled one out with this 4 Star TE.  The last guy on the board is a Denver Linebacker Leilon Willingham on Thursday.

New LOI and Announcement News

New LOI's Received:  (all 19 received)

• Antonio Poole's
• Keith Heitzman
• Desmond Morgan
• Justice Hayes
• Matt Wile

There is some discussion about Hayes and Wile LOI's.  ESPN is reporting Michigan got all 19 which would include them but there is some question if Justice and Matt's has made it to Ann Arbor yet.

• TE, Chris Barnett is planning to announce in about an hour between Michigan and Arkansas.  That is a change from wanting to wait until Saturday.

LOI's Still Out at 11:00 AM

Nothing to worry about, these guys just need to find a fax machine.

• Antonio Poole 
• Matt Wile
• Justice Hayes
• Desmond Morgan
• Keith Heitzman

Arsenal Everton 2-1 Highlights (February 1, 2011)

A0-1E

Simão | Myspace Video


A1-1E

Simão | Myspace Video


A2-1E

Simão | Myspace Video

Reports are that Darin Cooper is Going to Iowa

Michigan's Signing Day Prospects:

Jake Fisher

Darin Cooper

Chris Barnett - Will let us know on Saturday.

LB Leilon Willingham - Sounding like Colorado and a decision on Thursday.

Frank Clark - Signed his LOI with Michigan.

10:30 AM LOI's

Blake Countess
Kellen Jones

Some kids are having trouble finding fax machines to send them in, due to school being closed today.

9:30 LOI's IN

Chris Rock
Brennan Beyer
Raymon Taylor
Chris Bryant
Thomas Rawls

New LOI's in at 9:00AM

QB Russel Bellomy
OL Jack Miller

Kellen Jones hotel that he is at, doesn't have power.  So he can't fax in his LOI.  He is at the USA football game.

Michigan starting to lose grip on a few recruits

Jake Fisher is going to Oregon.  Most believe Darin Cooper is going to Iowa and now recruiting insiders believe Willingham will go to Colorado (his announcement is not expected until Thursday).

With Frank Clark going Blue.  That means Michigan would be going 1-3 on NSD commits.  Not good! 

LOI's In at 8:30

Frank Clark
Tony Posada
Tamani Carter
Delonte Hollowell

NSD: Frank Clark is Blue!

A question for you:  Does Michigan recruit Cleveland Glenville High School well?  I will also give you a hint that the head coach of that program is Ted Ginn, Sr.   What do you think?  The answer is no, Michigan doesn't.   Things might be changing and today Frank Clark a TE/LB from Glenville is a Michigan Wolverine and his LOI has been sent in.

Frank visited Ann Arbor a couple of weeks ago and was on RR's radar before he was fired.  Brady Hoke who actually has a good relationship with the coaches at Glenville from his time at Ball State and hosted Frank for the first recruiting weekend under Hoke era at Michigan. 

Frank is a 6'3 205 pounded TE/LB that is a three star prospect from both services with an impressive offer list including: MSU, Pitt, North Carolina, Minnesota and California.  It's still unclear if Frank will play TE or LB with the Wolverines next year.

Frank is a good pick up but probably the most exciting thing is the re-opening of the Glenville pipeline to Michigan.    It will be interesting to see where Frank plays and if other Glenville prospect consider and sign with the Wolverines.

DB Delonte Hollowell

Is the first Wolverine to send in his LOI this morning. 

Jake Fisher is OreGone.

The Storm has pushed his announcement out.  He doesn't know when he is going to do it now.

He says he is going to be a DUCK.

Welcome to National Signing Day

For 2011 we might have to re-name today as National Weather day as I expect the weather to play a big role if and when players announce or fax in their LOI's. 

The first causality seems to be Leilon Willingham who has changed his announcement from today till Thursday due to a snow storm hitting Denver.   There is starting to be some concern that he might be wavering a bit from Michigan being his leader.

Frank Clark moved his from Tuesday night back to Wednesday. 

To start off the day, (maybe on a wrong note) Jake Fisher will be announcing at 8:00AM this morning.   Again, most people believe he is already a Duck.

Darin Cooper, who texted TomVH last night said at that point he hadn't made up his mind yet.   He does his thing on ESPN U at high noon. 

As of 5:30AM, I don't have a report of any LOI's in to Michigan yet.

Michigan Recruiting Rumors

Well folks we are just about on the clock for National Signing Day.  Michigan picked up a quality running back this afternoon in Thomas Rawls and now awaits the decisions of 5 other players.  

• TE/LB Frank Clark announces tonight at 7:30 or 8:00.  All Cleveland Glenville players are announcing together.  The answer for Frank is expected Blue.  Update: Due to the weather it looks like he will be moving his announcement to 10:00AM on Wednesday.

• LB Leilon Willingham is expected to announce on Wednesday morning and he is also expected Blue.

Then it starts to get a little dicey. 

• Jake Fisher is expected to announce at 8:00 AM in the morning.  5:00AM out west.  The word on the street is saying that it's Oregon and that he might have already committed.   Yikes, if this is true I hope he changes his mind.  Jake's parents could be at every Michigan home game vs flights to Oregon.  You always have to connect when you leave TC anyways! 

• Darin Cooper is going to announce on ESPN U at Noon.  Some Scouts analysts are saying it's down to Iowa and Michigan State.  Michigan got Darin on campus late and DT is a huge need.   It amazes me how Iowa can pick up any recruits after that entire conditioning situation that last two weeks.  I would not trust my son to that program right now.  

• TE Chris Barnett is expected to choose between Michigan and Arkansas on Saturday.   As an FYI, Arkansas has about 31 commits for this class but it's the SEC.

Could the Wolverines go 1-2 tomorrow?  They could and you would have to say that is a disappointing finish.   Michigan clearly wants and needs both Fisher and Cooper.  I still believe Willingham will announce for Michigan but being in Denver concerns me that other programs are in his ear about staying closer to home.

The Michigan coaches did well these past few weeks in getting some commitments but the potential/probable losses of guys like Frost, Zettel, Fisher, and Cooper are hard to take in my book.  Yes, I would have liked to have had Dee Hart and Dallas Crawford but I thought the Michigan coaches found nice replacements for those two guys.   Zettel and Fisher going out of state are big loses for the Wolverines and you can pretty much point to the coaching change or at least the timing of that change being the reason. 

With that said, lets hope for the best and maybe Michigan can grab some good luck on NSD.