San Diego State Post Game

John T. Greilick / The Detroit News

I didn't expect this game to be boring.  I thought it would be a back and forth battle between two high powered offenses.   It turned out one offense was high powered in the first half and the other struggled the entire game.  The Michigan defense played well, maybe their best game since the opening win against UConn a year ago. 

Their counterpart on offense was a bit confusing all day.  Just like everyone wanted, the Michigan offense started fast and scored a quick 14 points in the 1st quarter and added one more touchdown in the second.  A 21-0 halftime lead seemed comfortable to the fans and maybe even comfortable to the players as the Wolverines slept through most of the third quarter.  They lost that quarter to SDSU and didn't put the game away until they won the 4th quarter 7-0. 

So Michigan started fast and started to fade late but found enough to win the game comfortably.  I'm not sure I understand the game plan on Offense.  I agree that it would be nice if Denard doesn't carry the ball 21 times a game and that Michigan gets some yards out of the RB position.  But where the hell is the short passing game?   Where are the screens?  Where are short routes?   I understand Denard is struggling throwing the ball but Michigan can't just rely on him running the ball and beating teams.  A good defense will take Denard away and what does that leave us?  Right now not much. 

Maybe Big Al isn't showing us everything? Maybe he is keeping things tight for Big Ten play.  Either way it looked like Michigan ran the same 3 plays most of the second half.  Those plays should be called Denard Go, because this offense is him and not much else.  Michigan had a total of 413 yards on offense and Denard had 293 of them.

On the other side of the ball, I thought the Michigan defense played one of their best games in recent memory.  They continued to stop Lindley (253 yards) and Hillman (109 yards on 21 carries) when Michigan would turn the ball over and give the Aztecs great field position.   This type of effort will go a long way in winning conference games, which start next week with the Little Brown Jug game.

Cheers and Jeers

Cheers:

• Holding SDSU to 7 points after losing the turnover margin 3 to 2.
• Craig Roh and Mike Martin putting pressure on Lindley all day.
• Welcome Blake "The Count" Countess! He had a very nice game for a true freshman.

• Denard and his running ability
• I thought the entire DL played well

Jeers:

• One dimensional/person on offense
• Troy Woolfolk and his ankle, hand, and other injuries.
• The 3rd quarter
• Turnovers
• Missed field goal
• The Passing Game
• 2nd half play calling on offense

If you had told me, Michigan would lose the turnover battle against SDSU I might have thought we had lost the game.  Instead, Michigan gave up just 7 points and 376 net yards.   Which is a testament to either a SDSU offense that had an off day or an improved Michigan defense.   I think the answer is somewhere in the middle between the two.   

Michigan's turnovers were not pretty, I feel bad for Stephen Hopkins because his last two carries have been fumbles and I expect his new role will include being a blocking FB for the rest of the year.  Denard also made some poor decisions on his two interceptions and missed some wide open guys. 

So Michigan is sitting here at 4-0 with still lots of work to be done.  The key is to get better each week and I clearly see improvement from the defense, now can the offense make the leap to be more balanced?  The schedule will only will get tougher as Big 10 play starts next week and the Wolverines will eventually have to go on the road at some point.

San Diego State Preview

Time: 12:00
Location: Big House
TV: BTN
Weather: High of 66 and 70% chance of rain
Line: Michigan -10.5

Welcome to the Brady Bowl (Hoke not Tom).  Remember back in 2006 when Michigan was undefeated and they had a late scheduled game against Ball State. The game was November 5th right before Michigan headed on the road to face Indiana and the #1 vs #2 match up against Ohio State. Michigan struggled the entire game and won 34-26. That game went a long way in Brady Hoke getting his current gig.

Between Ball State (his Alma Mater) and Michigan (his dream job) he spent two years at SDSU. He turned that program around and won a bowl game with Aztecs last December. They have been able to continue that momentum under new head coach Rocky Long who was the DC under Coach Hoke with a 3-0 record. This is the best start SDSU has had in 30 years and will have plenty of "intangibles" to play for on Saturday when they met their former coaches team.

The Aztecs are similar to Michigan in the fact they roll up a lot of yards on offense and also give up a bunch of yards on defense. How many yards? 419 total yards to Washington State and 446 to Army.
On offense the two NFL worthy guys are QB Ryan Lindley and RB Ronnie Hillman. It will be both of their jobs to keep scoring up and Denard off the field.

Let's go to the Tale of the Tape:

Running Game: Push (Denard vs Ronnie)
Passing Game: Lindley
Defense Talent: Push
Defense Coaching: Mattison, Hoke and Borges (It was Al's offense he should know how to stop it)
Scouting Report Edge: Hoke and Borges
Intangibles:  SDSU (Our coach broke up with us via text)
Kick off Time: Michigan (it will be 9:00 AM on the West Coast)

This is the best game in the Big Ten this week and somehow ESPN/ABC looked past it.  SDSU likes to get out quickly and has scored at least 14 points in the first quarter the last 7 games.  Michigan has yet to score in quarter number 1 this year.   That could mean the Aztecs could get out to a quick lead and Michigan might be playing from behind again. 

If you haven't blocked out the Rich Rod years, you might remember the tenancy of his teams to get out and score early and then fade late.  The 2011 Wolverines seem just to be the opposite.

Sing Hail to the Victors if................

• SDSU sleep walks through the first half
• Michigan doesn't sleep walk through the first half
• Denard can find his wide receivers and tight ends
• 1 Michigan Running Back gets over 100 yards
• Hoke and Mattison come up with a secret formula to stop Hillman & Lindley
• TWolf is 100% healthy - No casts or limps

Think to yourself, Damn Hoke must be a good coach if they are doing this to us.........

• SDSU gets out to a two score lead in the first half
• They have formula to stop Denard
• Aztecs keep Michigan under 400 total yards
• The Michigan defense is dazed and confused
• Hillman over a 100 yards and Lindley over 300 passing

If I was a betting man, I would assume the SDSU kids want this game more then the Wolverines.   Brady Hoke was their coach and now he is on the Michigan sideline.   On the other hand, if there is anyone in the nation that could "read SDSU mail" it would be Coach Hoke and Big Al.   So I'm guessing that will even it self out during the game. 

This maybe the best offense the Michigan defense has seen but ND was pretty close.  I know San Diego State hasn't seen a Denard Robinson yet but he has struggled early in games by throwing picks and over throwing receivers.   Don't sleep on the Aztecs and it wasn't a joke when Coach Hoke wanted to buy out this contract.  He knows how good they are.  If you need something to reference when thinking about this game, think Notre Dame.    I see lots of points and not much defense.  If Michigan can continue to get turnovers on defense (while not giving them up on offense) that might be the difference.   Brady Old vs Brady New

Michigan 38 SDSU 28


GO BLUE!

Michigan Monday: The Mysterious Case of Kellen Jones

Kellen Jones was the 12th ranked LB in the country to Scouts and a 4 star recruit in the 2011 class out of Houston, Texas.   Obliviously LB was a "position of need" for the Wolverines in this class.  Kellen knew it and seemed to be true blue from the moment Michigan started recruiting him.   He was all in for the Rich Rod coaching staff and after Brady Hoke and Greg Mattison took over he was re-sold on the program.  Here is an interview by Ann Arbor.com after Mattison was hired this past winter and if he was sticking with Michigan:

“Yes sir, it makes me feel very good that the defense will get back to the way it used to be,” Jones said. “Back to being a top defense in the country.”

He also got a chance to meet Ray Lewis through Charlie Ward who is a coach in Houston: 
“It was great to meet (Lewis). I was going nuts,” Jones said. “It was an honor to meet him. It was all thanks to Mr. Ward.”

“I got a chance to talk with him and he was telling me how he studies and how to get ahead. So if I get confused by something coach Mattison is teaching us, maybe I can get a hold of Mr. Lewis and he can help me,” Jones said with a laugh.

I also remember recounting a message board post about a Michigan fan that ran into Kellen at DTW after his official visit.  Kellen was very committed to Michigan and couldn't wait to get to Ann Arbor.  The message board fan said he was very well spoken and a very nice young man. 

The hype was very strong for Kellen to come in a play right away, even as a true freshman.  The Sporting News Preview of Michigan had Kellen on the two deep.  

So when the official roster was released before the first day of practice about a week ago fans were shocked that Kellen wasn't on the roster after signing with Michigan in February.

Coach Hoke confirmed he was not enrolled at Michigan but didn't give any details as why.   We have seen these situations in the past.  Kids might fall a few credits short or not get a qualifying score on the SAT/ACT tests.   Kids have to pass the NCAA Clearing House before they can enroll at school they signed with.  Every year there are kids with many programs that might fall short of that clearance. 

So wer grades the issue?  That seems to be most viable option.

Then comes the next shocking news regarding Kellen.  He enrolled at Oklahoma last week.   Yes, the #1 team in the nation now has the linebacker that Michigan signed.  TomVH from Mgoblog reached out to Kellen's father who confirmed the enrollment and he believed Kellen would be able to play right away if needed (though the plan was to red shirt).   

ESPN and other services have confirmed that Kellen enrolled at Oklahoma.   Which leaves Michigan fans wondering what happened here?  How can a guy not get into Michigan but can get into #1 Oklahoma?

I wish, I had answers but I don't.  I'm in the same boat you are.  Here are a couple of pure speculations on my part:

• He was getting a little home sick and wanted to be closer to home?


• He did have a history of concussions and maybe there was a medical reason he had to sit out? (if that was the case he most likely would have enrolled at Michigan and redshirted).


• Something happened between the time he signed with Michigan and when we was expected to enrolled that made U of M pull his scholarship.


• Grades - He wasn't cleared by the Clearing House.

Any of the above could have happened and right now we have more questions and speculations then answers.  Which leaves the question, if any of the above happened (besides the home sick), would Bob Stoops take him?

Here is a hit from a local OK TV station: Jones is currently with the Oklahoma football team, but is unable to practice until cleared by the NCAA. He is currently regarded as a walk-on, but could earn a scholarship in the future.

Which leads me to believe this has to do with grades then anything else.  Normally, a kid wouldn't give up a scholarship at Michigan to Walk On to Oklahoma and pay his own way.  

If your into conspiracy theories, put on your tin foil hat and think about this one for a minute.  Rich Rod and Bob Stoops are good friends.  Rich spent some time at Oklahoma's Spring Practice last Spring and was doing a special in Norman for his new role with CBS Sports Network this month as well.  Did Rich call Bob regarding Kellen if he had trouble getting past Michigan's admission office?  He might have.  He did it for Denard's high school teammate, CB Adrian Whitty that had issues with U of M's admission office as well.   Rich called his coaching buddy Butch Jones at the University of Cincinnati and Adrian signed with the Bearcats.

Another question Michigan fans might have is: How could Kellen play his freshman year at Oklahoma without having to sit out a year for normal transfer rules?  Kellen never enrolled at Michigan and if the coaches let him out of his LOI he could enroll and play at any college that accepts him without sitting out a year. 

Michigan Tuesday: Practice 1 in the Books

Brady Hoke Day 1 Quotes:

"Will Campbell left spring at 342 pounds and came in at 316, 319," he said. "Just watching him move around and do those things, you can see that. That's a commitment. A commitment is always important - he showed his teammates he's made a commitment.

"Will loves people and he's a tremendous kid. In his defense, you play defense, you play offense, come back to defense - that's hard. You never get your feet planted in the ground. I enjoy him. I remember working camp when he was being recruited and spending time with him. I think he's moving in the right direction."

"[Redshirt sophomore left tackle] Taylor Lewan gained some weight he needed to gain. I could go through the whole roster and there were guys that needed to get bigger, more physical [and did]," he said. "Strength is an important part, and playing with endurance is an important part."

"We're ahead of where we were in the spring. I still think we're spoon-feeding it a little bit," Hoke said. "I always believed as a coach you have to have three things you have to hang your hat on. One of them ? the power play. We've got to hang our hat on the play pass, the power pass off that, and whatever may be in a two-minute situation."
"Defensively you've got to have three calls you think guys are going to execute at a fast level, playing fast and physical. There's no question in their minds what they're supposed to do. We made some strides in what we have in, but we don't have in nearly what we will."

"[Cornerbacks] Troy Woolfolk and J.T. Floyd are full speed," he said. "We're pretty doggone healthy."

Other news and notes:

• Kickers will work a lot at kicking in the Big House, not just in the practice facility.

• Coaches were happy with the energy and how in shape players were  Day 1 and they had a good team meeting. 

• It was obviously a good day with the first day of practice and Ondre Pipkins committing to the 2012 class.

• I have heard this a couple of times that the new Strength and Conditioning guy is really good.  They say that Baris trained guys to be fast but not powerful.  Aaron Wellman is preparing them for Big Ten Play.

Michigan Friday: Talking Heads

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

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

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

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

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

Michigan Sunday: Welcomes Kyle Kalis

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

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

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

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

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

Michigan Thursday: 2012 QB Recruiting

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Michigan Friday: For Whom The Bellomy Tolls

In early January, Michigan's depth at QB took a hit when Tate Forcier was asked to leave the program.   That left only 2 scholarship QB's on the roster, Denard and Devin. 

Fast forward to June and there has been a lot of excitement about the 2013 commitment of Michigan QB Shane Morris and the 2012 recruitments of Gunner Kiel and Zeke Pike (before he verballed to Auburn).   The forgotten man in all this QB hype is Michigan's one and only QB in the 2011 class, Russell Bellomy.

Russell is a 6'3 185 QB out of Texas that decided to make a late switch from the Boilermakers to the Wolverines before signing day.  Some have titled this move a "Roy Roundtree".

“I have no doubt in my mind that I made the right decision (in decommitting to Michigan), Bellomy told GoBlueWolverine. “It’s always hard doing that to people you’ve been committed to for almost half a year; but it’s a business and I have no regrets now. I’ll shake their hand on the field and hopefully they’ll shake mine back. I just feel 100% sure that I made the right decision and I cannot wait to take advantage of it. It seems to be working out pretty good for him Roundtree (laughing).”


Russell is a talented QB that could use a couple more pounds and some time in the weight room but did have a successful junior and senior year in high school.   During his junior season he threw for 1,546 yards, 13 TD's and 3 picks.  He also ran for 434 more yards and 6 more TD's.  He had a comparable senior year with 1,564 yards through the air, 804 on the ground and 24 total touchdowns (15 passing - 9 running).


Russell expects to compete for a spot behind Denard and Devin when camp opens.  “They told me I’m looking at competing for third string, and that might be a traveling redshirt job, and that it may turn into a regular third string job maybe get some playing time. I’m up for anything, nothing’s promised and I love to compete. If I get some playing time I’ll make the most of it, and if I don’t I’ll make the most of it when I do get some playing time.”

Looks like most of the 2011 class will be on campus in the next two weeks or so.  Russell will be rooming with fellow freshman Desmond Morgan. 

Other News:

• More Traffic Trouble For Darryl Stonum:  Darryl was sentenced this morning to two years probation, one year of a suspended jail term for his second DUI arrest.   Earlier this morning he was ticketed for driving with a suspended license.   Which might be the last straw in his Michigan Football career.   Since he is a senior let him get his degree and move on with his life.  

• Tonight Michigan's ND "throw back" Jerseys will be reveled.  If your not into surprises and want to wonder out loud: what is Adidas thinking? Look below. BTW:  I think those should be re-titled "Throw Aways".   I have seen a lot of photos from past Michigan teams, I don't recall ever seeing anything close to the pajamas below.   

HT: Mgoblog

Michigan Monday: Wolverines Have Another Silent Commit

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

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

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

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

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

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

Michigan Tuesday: Wants a Competitive Advantage

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Michigan Thursday: Today is Going to be a Godin Day!

Lifelong Michigan fan Matt Godin today made his commitment public to the Wolverines 2012 recruiting class.  He had been a silent commit since the Michigan Spring Game. 

Matt is a 6'5 253 pound defensive line player and the position he will play at U of M is still a bit of a mystery.  He could play DE or DT.  My vote would be for DT but I will intrust Greg Mattison with that important decision. 

Matt plays for Michigan HS football power Detroit Catholic Central out of Novi and happens to be close friends with Flint's 2012 defensive lineman Danny O'Brien.  Matt is rated 3 stars by Scouts and 4 stars by 24/7 and had offers from Wisconsin, BC, MSU, Cincy, Duke, Vandy, Missouri and others. 

Why he chose Michigan: "Because they are in my blood. I used to cry over games and I'm never going to get a better opportunity to come in early and contribute."

Love it! 

I would expect Matt to redshirt year 1 while he works on his strength and technique.   The recruiting sites that have seen him play think he is very athletic for a big man and has a great frame. 

I really like this pick up for a number reasons that include; he is an instate kid, he loves Michigan and plays a position of need for the Wolverines.

The wish list for the rest of class includes: couple offensive lineman, a QB (less of a need with one in 2013), a highly rated RB, 1 WR, couple DT's, 1 DE (named Chris Wormley) and a some guys to play in the defensive backfield (CB and Safety).

Michigan Thursday: Today is a Godin Day (Repost)

Repost Due to problems with hosting site

Lifelong Michigan fan Matt Godin today made his commitment public to the Wolverines' 2012 recruiting class. He had been a silent commit since the Michigan spring game.


Matt is a 6'5", 253-pound defensive line player, and the position he will play at U of M is still a bit of a mystery. He could play DE or DT. My vote would be for DT, but I will entrust Greg Mattison with that important decision.

Matt plays for Michigan HS football power Detroit Catholic Central out of Novi and happens to be close friends with Flint's 2012 defensive lineman Danny O'Brien. Matt is rated a 3-star prospect by Scouts and 4-star by 24/7 and had offers from Wisconsin, BC, MSU, Cincy, Duke, Vandy, Missouri and others.

Why he chose Michigan: "Because they are in my blood. I used to cry over games and I'm never going to get a better opportunity to come in early and contribute."

Love it!

I would expect Matt to redshirt year one while he works on his strength and technique. The recruiting sites that have seen him play think he is very athletic for a big man and has a great frame.

I really like this pickup for a number of reasons, including that he is an in-state kid, he loves Michigan and he plays a position of need for the Wolverines.

The wish list for the rest of class includes a couple of offensive linemen, a QB (less of a need with one in 2013), a highly rated RB, one WR, a couple DTs, one DE (named Chris Wormley) and some guys to play in the defensive backfield (CB and safety).

Wolverine Wednesday: QuarterBack To The Future

One of the positives about Coach Hoke when he got hired was his reputation of being a very good recruiter.  Then he goes and hires Greg Mattison from the Ravens, who Urban Meyer called "the best recruiter in the country".    You would think that is a good match, right?  The answer is YES, a very good match. 

Michigan has seemly gone for 0 to 10 commitments in the 2012 class in just a couple of weeks.  With all the commitments coming from Ohio or Michigan.  Poor MSU is wondering what happened down there in Ann Arbor?

Now comes the news, Michigan has received it's first 2013 commitment from mega instate QB Shane Morris.  Yes, a kid that hasn't even started his junior year of high school and is expected to be the best player in the State in the 2013 class, has said, "Coach, I want to be a Wolverine!".  Unbelievable!  

Shane is a 6'3 around 185 pounds and plays for De La Salle in Warren, Michigan.   He doesn't have any Star Ranking yet due to him being a 2013 prospect.   He does have about 7 Midwest D1 scholarship offers.  

Here is what ESPN has to say about this young man:  QB Shane Morris (Warren, Mich./De La Salle) was in a class of his own. The 6-1, 174-pounder has a sensational arm, great vision, moves his feet well and carries himself like a pro. Talent wise, he is far beyond his age group and already has top-notch abilities.

He seems to be a regular at summer camps/combines which means he will get some great advice on improving his QB skills. 

Michigan Thursday: Predicts the 2012 Recruiting Class

This is the type of year when I like to predict how the Wolverines might finish with it's recruiting class.   After a slow start the Wolverines coaching staff has caught up quickly had has 8 commits in the fold right now.  Those recruits include:

LB:
Royce Jenkins-Stone
Kaleb Ringer
James "Biggs" Ross
Joe Bolden

TE:
Devin Funchess
AJ Williams

OL:
Ben Braden
Caleb Stacey

The needs continue to be on the defensive line (DT and DE), QB, Safety, CB, FB, and maybe 1 WR.

I would estimate class size at 20 players right now which leaves 12 open spots. 

Here is who I think could join the above 8 at Michigan next summer:


OL
Jordan Diamond from Chicago has been to Ann Arbor a number of times and is a teammate of incoming freshman Chris Bryant.

CB
Terry Richardson, part of the Michigan Big 3.  His friends have signed up to play at Michigan, what is holding Terry back? 

QB
Michigan seems to be in the running for some big prospects like Gunner Kiel but they do have back up plans as well.   If Michigan doesn't land a 4 or 5 star guy look for them to hold out and take a guy late in the recruiting cycle.

WR
Michigan has over 18 offers on the street for WR in the 2012 class and I really can't predict any of them becoming Blue at this point.  It's not a huge need for the Wolverines but I think they would like to take one for sure.   I believe instate 4 star WR Aaron Burbridge will end up in East Lansing. 

DT
Matt Godin
Sheldon Day
Ondre Pipkins

Each guy I think has a great chance to be blue.  Matt announces his decision a week from today and Sheldon has been to Ann Arbor twice.  Ondre is the subject of this weeks Sam Webb article from the Detroit News.  I think Flint's Danny O'Brien will end up at Tennessee.

DE 
Ohio has an unbelievable deep class at DE.  I'm surprised that DE hasn't taken off like LB has for the Wolverines.  Once they get the first commit look for a number of guys to jump on board quickly.   These are the guys I think Michigan has a great shot with:

Mario Ojemudia - who is rumored to be making a decision soon.

Chris Wormley - maybe a borderline 5 star guy and Ohio's best player.   He lives in Toledo and it's between Michigan and OSU.

Pharaoh Brown - 3 star guy from Ohio.

Safety
Wayne Morgan from NY seems to be best candidate at this point.  There are rumblings that Wayne might want to stay close to home at Rutgers, UConn or Syracuse.  So distance could be a factor for him.

Michigan only has offered 14 or so players at CB and Safety. Which is a sign they don't believe it's an urgent need. 

TE
Ron Thompson has seemed to be on the verge of committing to the Wolverines for weeks now.  While he waited, Michigan picked up 2.   I'm guessing if Ron wants to be Blue, he better do it quickly. 

I like what Michigan is doing with this class.  They are taking care of their backyard by recruiting Michigan and Ohio hard.  They are going after some highly rated guys at QB, WR, and RB knowing they can pick up guys late if they don't have any luck with the Big Time players.   For example they have only offered two fullbacks in this class, clearly they aren't worried about that position.

Michigan Tuesday: Fun or Foolish?

I bleed maize and blue, I think many of you that read this blog do as well.  I also respect how a Michigan fan (usually) handles themselves in a big win or even in a big loss.   When you have the most victories and arguably the most tradition, youhave  the right to hold your head high as a Michigan fan.  

Michigan fans have had a difficult 3 years with the direction of our beloved program.  We have seen losses against MAC teams and struggling to beat the Indiana's of the world, while being dominated by Ohio and other major programs.  We have been down but Brady Hoke has brought hope back to the Wolverine Nation through strong recruiting and respecting Michigan's tradition.   Former players are back and Wolverines fans feel the comfort of something familiar out of Schembechler Hall.  Even our top rival OSU is in major trouble with the NCAA.   Seems the worm is starting to turn in Ann Arbor, which is good news for Wolverines fans everywhere.

With that said, we can't lose our cool or go to far.   We made fun of MSU the last couple of years when Dantonio installed count down clocks in his locker room for the Michigan game.  Sparty has 3 wins in a row over the Wolverines.  Now similar countdown clocks are in Michigan's locker room for MSU and OSU.  

Now comes a billboard on 94 that says, "Liar Liar Vest on Fire".   Funny, but does it go too far?

Billboards have become a regular occurrences for programs or fans, lately.  They buy billboards when they win a big game or have a Heisman Trophy contender, etc.    Not something I'm a big fan of, I prefer acting like you have been there before.  The Michigan Football Program has been there before.   Charles Woodson didn't need a Billboard for us to know he was the best college football player in 1997.

So where do we draw the line on these things?  OSU is in major trouble and they haven't been playing by the rules for probably many years.  The reason they turned "to the dark side" was due to "the team from up North" dominating them.   Now, I'm not saying we are going to break rules to get an un-fair advantage, I just prefer the Wolverines do their talking on the field and not on a billboard.

There is a Columbus on-line newspaper that has a regular area on their site that lists the number of days since OSU lost to Michigan.  It's a big number but is also low class.  Act like you have been there before!

Stay Classy Wolverine Billboard Guy! (if your looking to spend your money in support of the Wolverines, how about to Charles Woodson's Foundation that helps Mott's Children's hospital).

Michigan Monday: Wolverines Adds 1 More Big LB - Total Now 4!

Wow, I guess Greg Mattison and Brady Hoke wanted to recruit a few Linebackers this year.  This morning the Wolverines got another LB to add to the 3 they already had verballed from in the 2012 class. 

It all started a couple of weeks ago when Ohio 4 Star LB Kaleb Ringer committed to the Wolverines.  As soon as that happened the flood gates opened for the LB and the Wolverines.  Soon after the Spring Game, Instate  4 star LB Royce Jenkins-Stone gave his word to the Wolverines.   Then on Friday, Cincinnati 4 Star LB Joe Bolden jumped on board.   

So with 3 four star LB's, the Wolverines are done right? Nope. 

This morning, James "Biggs" Ross became the 4th LB commit to the Wolverines and 8th player to join the 2012 class.  James is part of the Michigan Big 3 recruits which includes Jenkins-Stone and Terry Richardson.  The Wolverines now have 2 of the 3 in the fold for the 2012 class.

James is a 4 star recruit to Scouts and 24/7.  He is ranked as the #2 MLB in the nation by both Scouts and 24/7.  He is on the top 150 watch list for ESPN and 250 watch list for Rivals.  His offer list as you might expect is a strong one; Penn State, Ohio State, MSU, Nebraska, USC, Notre Dame, Arizona State, Mizzu, and many others.

So Michigan is done now at LB recruiting, right?  Yes, they have to be.  I don't recall this strong if a LB class for the Wolverines, maybe ever.  I know the class with LaMarr Woodley was a pretty good and might be the only class in memory that comes close. 

The priority of the class now is DT, Safety, CB, 1 QB, and Offensive line.

Michigan Thursday: Recruiting Blitz

It's time for Michigan to gain some ground on the recruiting trail.  They now have a stable head coach, they have highly qualified assistants, The Big Ten Player of the Year in Denard, the opportunity for early playing time and OSU is in big trouble with NCAA penalties looming.   Now is the time to put together a top 10 2012 class.

Here we go..........................

• Reports were that Gunner Kiel a 5 star QB from Indiana (considered the top ranked QB in the nation) visited Ann Arbor yesterday.   Reports were he was in town with his mom. From ESPN- Gunner on Michigan:  "They have a new coaching staff and they are bringing a new offense on the table that's going to feature the passing game a lot. It's going to be a good system and they will be successful."

 

• Instate TE Ron Thompson is on commitment watch, looks like it might come in Mid May.

• Instate DT Matt Godin is in the same boat as Ron.

• Cincinnati 4 star LB Joe Bolden is also close to a commitment, some reports have it coming this weekend. Others have him waiting a few more weeks.

• Michigan coaches will be in the high school of 5 star (and OSU soft commit) RB Brionte Dunn today.

• TomVH weighs in with an interview with Missouri DT Ondre Pipkins who is planning to make a visit to Ann Arbor in June.

• Michigan continues to look for a true Safety in this class.  Seems like their #1 target is New York DB Wayne Morgan.

Michigan Has a Double Good Friday in Recruiting

Michigan has been doubling down on recruits lately and today was no exception with 2 new Wolverines soon to be in the fold.

Verbal #1 comes from a 6'4 210ish pound TE from Farmington Hills Harrison, Devin Funchess who has visited Michigan a number of times the last month or so.  Harrison has a number of D1 prospects this year and is known as a MSU feeder school.   Devin is on record saying he will recruit his teammates  (Mario Ojemudia and Aaron Bubridge) to Ann Arbor.   If I had to guess Devin is pretty close guaranteed a redshirt as he gains some weight for a TE in the Big Ten.  This kid is an athlete with a nice frame which equals the high upside label.   He looks more like a WR in the video below.

Devin is a 4 star recruit to Scouts and 24/7 and has a nice offer list that includes Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, Missouri, Nebraska, and Virginia.    If you would like more details on Devin, check out Mgoblog profile here.




Recruit #2 is AJ Williams from Cincinnati, Ohio.  AJ is a big fella at 6'6 260 pounds and could be considered a TE or offensive line prospect.  Coach Hoke likes the idea of a blocking TE so maybe he could fit that role as well. 

AJ is a three star recruit to Scouts and not rated on Rivals or 24/7.  He does have a nice offer sheet that includes WVU, BC, MSU, Vandy, NC State, Arkansas, Louisville, Illinois, and Indiana. 

There is a lot of videos of AJ Williams on You Tube but none (I could find) for this AJ Williams.

This would seem the end of Michigan's TE recruitment for 2012 if (AJ is considered a TE).  Which leaves the question mark about Ron Thompson who has seemed to been on the verge of a commitment to the Wolverines for some time.  Would Michigan take 3? The answer is probably yes if they consider AJ more offensive lineman then TE.  Then again maybe Devin is more WR then TE.

Michigan Monday: Likes the Recruiting Weekend Michigan Just Had

Michigan had it's Spring Game on Saturday and there were some highs and lows.  Those are expected during a Spring Scrimmage.  I think the 15 days of learning a new offense showed and 15 days of working on defensive fundamentals also showed.   What really impressed me was the ground the Michigan coaching staff is starting to make up with the 2012 recruiting class.

Michigan landed two 4 star LB's in Kaleb Ringer and Royce Jenkins-Stone.  Those were huge pick ups.  Michigan is expected to take 3 LB's in this class and the spot light now turns to Cincinnati's Joe Bolden and Detroit's James "Biggs" Ross to fill that last spot.  It seems Joe's timeline might make him the winner for the last spot but don't count out Biggs if he wants to be a Wolverine. 

Jordan Diamond the mega offensive line from Chicago was also in town with his QB.  He has been to Michigan a number of times and many consider the Wolverines to be his leader.  He plans on taking some more visits but the Michigan fans made a nice impression on him:   When we got there we came out on the field and there was a bunch of fans telling me Jordan we need you. To have them recognize an offensive lineman and ask me for autographs was pretty cool. I was getting stopped on the street and people were asking me if I was Jordan Diamond. I was signing autographs for little kids, and to have that happen at a big school was cool. Being with the players is always great too, they're exactly the same on and off the field. The character and attitude they have is always the same.   

Sheldon Day from Indy also made his second trip to Ann Arbor with his family.  If you haven't heard Sheldon is one of the top DT in the 2012 class (9th by Scouts) and this is his second trip to Ann Arbor.  His coaches even asked him to go to another Spring Game since he had been to A2 already and he told them: "No, I'm going up to Michigan this weekend".  

Michigan also made progress with visitors Mario Ojemudia a DE from Farmington and JJ Denman a huge offensive lineman from Pennsylvania.

5 Star QB from Kentucky Zeke Pike is planning to make his college decision on Wednesday.  His final group is Clemson, Michigan, Auburn, Arkansas, Tennessee, Purdue, North Carolina.   Zeke enjoyed his Michigan visit and has been talking about Michigan since his visit.  He has also been a number of other places since then as well.   The rumor mill is saying Auburn but who knows.  Update: TomVH talked to Zeke and says his final 3 are Auburn, Michigan and Purdue.   Michigan and Purdue are with in driving distance for his family.  Auburn is the National Champion, so we will find out in two days. 

There is also speculation that Michigan got a "silent" commitment from a player this weekend as well.  We don't have a name to share but we believe it's a defensive player.   For those that don't know, silent commits are guys who want to make sure their spot is reserved at University X but still wants to take some visits to other places.  We should know who this "masked" defender is in the next 2-3 weeks. 

Could be a fun week, stayed tuned!

Michigan's Spring Game Deep Thoughts

photo by John T. Greilick / The Detroit News

The format of the scrimmage was pretty much what I expected. The coverage and technical problems by the Big Ten Network was far worse then I expected.


The wind was whipping with the cold weather made the play pretty sloppy at times. Neither QB did very well and completions seemed to be far and few in between. The only bad snap was when the center didn't get the ball back on the right count.  I didn't see any injuries which is really good news and Michigan picked up a huge instate commitment from Royce Jenkins-Stone, so Saturday was a successful day.

 

The Michigan defense I thought played well. They gave up a couple of big plays but pretty much played tough most of the game. I enjoyed watching Big Will with the first team and causing problems for the offensive line.

 

Denard started the game with a big run but seemed to struggle after. Devin showed flashes but was pretty inconsistent as well.  Thier play might concern some fans but  I could care less about how they played.  These guys have all summer to work with the WR's on timing and of course Michigan didn't want to show any future opponents anything. I thought Devin's best throw was the touchdown to Stokes.  (loved the way Stokes seemed to pick the ball out of the air)

 

All the running backs played well. Mike Cox found the end zone on a long run (we saw that way too often from the Michigan D last year), Fitz Toussaint ran hard, Smith had a nice run on a short pass and Mike Shaw did well with one hand. I hope one or two of them will really stand out next Fall.

 

I really enjoyed watching the improvements on defense. I thought the D-line held it's own and the Michigan DB's seemed to play pretty well. I think Courtney Avery is going to be a player. I liked the blitz packages and the pressure the Michigan D was putting on both Devin and Denard. I hope they can continue that type of pressure when the season starts.  Michigan didn't have 4 starters on defense available with JT Floyd, Kenny Demens, RVB, and Woolfolk all out with injuries. 

 

Michigan's only hope in field goal kicking is incoming freshman Matt Wile. It seems the two current kickers on the roster are not any better and went 0-2 on Saturday.

 

So we learned a little but not too much.  I saw promise from our defense which seems to be the work of Greg Mattison.  Greg could be the most important hire of Brady Hoke's entire head coaching career.  I also liked how Coach Hoke gathered the entire team at the end and said a few words.   Is it me or does it feel like Brady and staff have been in charge at Michigan for a couple of years?  He just seems like a natural fit for the job. 

 

Now to the news you have been waiting for, who are my MVP's of the game:

 

Offense: Where was #21 or #12? They had a pretty quiet day. The offense had a couple good plays but the drives as a whole mostly fizzled out. So my MVP goes to a guy who has been waiting for his chance to play and busted a 60 yard+ run for a touchdown early in the scrimmage. Congratulations Mike Cox, I hope you can work some similar magic during the year.

 

Defense: I thought there were a number of players I could have picked. The defense seemed to be flying around the field and always near the ball. Carvin Johnson had two interceptions (one was called back) and Big Will was stuffing up the middle. Did anyone happen to see Big Will and Mike Martin drop in coverage a couple of times? Good stuff! My defensive MVP is very clear cut winner in Jake Ryan at LB. He had 1 1/2 sacks a couple QB pressures and a pick 6. It was a no brainer and maybe RR did find a diamond in the rough with Jake. I hope that was just a sneak peak of whats to come.

 

I would like to thank everyone for entering, we had hundreds of entries and I loved reading your kind words and picks. Some picks included Zack Novak and Ray Vinopal. Those made me laugh!

 

Many of you seem very high on Cam Gordon and Big Will. They will be an important part of the defense next year. A couple of you picked Carvin Johnson and he was a very good choice as well. Lots of Fitz, Hopkins and Cox.

 

Nobody hit the daily double of Mike Cox and Jake Ryan. So I had to pick the first entries with Mike and the two guys that picked Jake.

 

Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoyed the contest.

 

*Winners of the Tressel T Shirts:

1. Evan B. (Cox & Avery)
2. Scott P (Cox & Big Will)
3. Cody D (Cox & Gordon)
4. Kai M (Cox & Black)
5. Drew Y (Fitz & Ryan)
6. J Wilson (Fitz & Ryan)

 

*If you are on this list email me your address and your shirt size again and I will send you the shirt. I will do my best on the sizes. I only have L-XXL (2 each).