Big House Blog Quick Hitters

• Brady Hoke said that Cam Gordon is questionable for Saturday.  His back must still be bothering him.
• TWolf is doing more then expected this week and will be ready to go on Saturday.
• Hopkins will see some time at tailback and fullback.
• The Lions signed Donovan Warren to it's practice squad. 
• Je'Ron Stokes transferred to Bowling Green to play with his brother who is a freshman QB.

Breaking News; Michigan Loses Another True Freshman - Chris Barnett takes the next train back to Texas

TE Chris Barnett just left a message on his Twitter and Facebook account that he is no longer at the University of Michigan.  Chris joined Michigan's 2011 class on signing day and was coming off a knee injury. 

If Chris leaving happens to true, this would be 3 players gone from the 2011 class before a game is played.

It is now official, as U of M has confirmed his departure.  This departure hurts next year due to depth.  Ricardo Miller is now a TE, but he is a pass catching guy not exactly a blocking TE with his transformation from WR.  

Brandon Moore hasn't really ever played at Michigan and will be a 5th year senior.  After that it will be nothing but true freshman.  

This departure confuses me because it seems Chris was trying to recruit other kids to Michigan and he seemed really interested in playing in Ann Arbor.  He did have a strange recruitment when he was committed on and off to Arkansas and was connected to Baron Flenory, co-founder of Dallas-based New Level Athletics and BadgerSport Elite 7-on-7 camps that the NCAA is looking at in the Oregon" pay for recruits" allegations.   Does his departure have anything to do with that?  I don't know.
Chris signed with Michigan on National Signing Day in February. 

This development might open a spot for 2012 recruit Ron Thompson.

  

Breaking News: Another Transfer

Former Army All American WR Je'Ron Stokes has left the Michigan Football program. 

Je'Ron only got a few snaps in his first two years at Michigan under RR and it looks like that wasn't going to change much under Al Borges.  

I had high hopes for this young man, which never panned out.  Good luck to Je'Ron at his next school. 

Wow, that is 2 guys in less then 24 hours.  

How is that WR recruiting going?  See below if you don't know.

*Picture from Touch The Banner

Michigan Tuesday: Another Freshman Heads Home

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

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

Michigan Tuesday: Wonders Why our 5 Star DB's are in Community College?

To follow up on the theme from yesterday, I was thinking about Michigan's Defensive Backfield is 2 of our recent 5 star DB that signed with Michigan either got to Ann Arbor or stayed in Ann Arbor. 

We all know the story of Demar Dorsey after he signed with Michigan didn't get in, tried to go to Louisville and the NCAA said no.   Demar is still in the State of Michigan playing for Grand Rapids CC.  Let's hope he gets his academic situation clear up and makes it back to D1.  (No MSU or Big Ten please).

Then comes the news that former 5 star CB/Safety prospect JT Turner has resurfaced with Scottsdale Community College.   (I would have picked Scottsdale over GR as well!).  If you remember, JT struggled with life on and off the football field at Michigan.  He really never played any quality time during games and even struggled to get time during the Spring Game.  The rumor was JT had some personal issues going on which lead him to leave the Wolverines at the start of fall camp in 2010.

JT bounced around a bit, originally trying to transfer to West Virgina (a reverse RR?) which didn't seem to work out then a small college in Ohio.   He now is at Scottsdale CC, with reports that Hawaii and ASU are interested in having him join their teams.   Good luck to JT!

These guys got me thinking about a Defensive Backfield this year with:  Dorsey at one corner and Woolfork at the other.  With JT Floyd and JT Turner at Safety.  That could have been a great backfield.  I guess it's time to move on.

Camp Buzz......................

•  Jeremy Gallon seems to be having a strong camp at WR.  I hope he can bring some big plays to  the Michigan offense and the return game. 

• Thomas Rawls continues to get praised for his effort.   Maybe he is the guy to set up at RB.  I still think the other guys in front of him will get more carries.  I am a little torn because with no running back in the 2012 class, I was hoping for a redshirt.  On the other hand if he really has Mark Ingram skills, he needs to be playing.

• Special for Uncle Ron:  A walk on making news on the defensive line is Nathan Brink who seems to be pushing Big Will for playing time.  The knock on Nathan was his weight (being too skinny).  His weight is now up to 263 pounds and is 6'5.  The buzz is he has great effort and has very good DLine skills.   Nathan is from Holland, Michigan and it would be great if he could contribute this year.  

• Highly ranked 5 star Basketball player from the 2012 class Mitch McGary will be visiting Michigan for an official visit in September.  

Weekend Wolverine: What Happened to the Class of 2009 Quarterbacks?

Jump into the time machine with me for a minute. I know it's not a great time so we won't stay there too long.  

Michigan was coming off the disaster that was the 2008 season where we had two quarterbacks that didn't fit RR's offense and it looked like it. Watching Threet trying to run the spread option was tough to watch, so was watching Sheridan trying to hit open receivers.

Michigan could offer the top rated QB's in the country (2009 class) immediate playing time. Which was a strong selling point for them to come to Ann Arbor. 5 star Kevin Newsome attended the Michigan Spring Game at Saline High School and decided he wanted to be a Wolverine. Shortly after that Shavodrick Beaver a 4 star QB said he was coming to Ann Arbor as well.

Both held true to their commitment for a few months and then both jumped to other schools. Newsome picked Penn State and Beaver Tulsa. Which sent the Michigan coaches scrambling to fill the QB void now in the class. Tate Forcier who was very high on the Wolverines jumped on board, which still left one open spot as signing day approached.

Michigan did get a QB commitment on signing day that year and it happened to be Denard Robinson.

Now jump back out of the time machine to current time:

•  Tate Focier was thrown out of school at Michigan due to academics after a long search has settled at San Jose State in the WAC.

• Shavodrick Beaver just left Tulsa for Midwestern State due to academics and playing time.

• Kevin Newsome just announced he is planning to transfer from Penn State after trying to do so after last season.

• Denard Robinson is going into his Junior year after playing two years for the Wolverines (1 as a starter). He was briefly a Heisman Trophy candidate last year and won the Big Ten MVP award in 2010. He also set the 1 year NCAA record for rushing yardage from a QB.

The last guy Michigan picked up that year turns out to be the best all around kid. The guy that most schools wanted to play CB instead of QB. Well Done Denard!

Wolverine Wednesday: Forcier is Confused Again

I bet you guys are getting tired of Tate Foricer news as much as I am.   Here is his latest statement:  "I just didn't feel comfortable and wanted to be closer to home," Forcier said. "Miami is completely on the other side of the country. It would have been fun playing there. But I just wanted to be closer so my parents can afford to come to the games."

Then he says:  "I'm looking into Auburn," Forcier said. "I'm definitely interested in USC, San Diego State, Montana, Kansas State and University of San Diego. I have to lay everything out and figure out my visits."

So Miami is too far but Auburn isn't?  I am willing to bet there is a grade or eligibility issue here.  Can we re-name player transfers from one program to another a Forcier? I wonder how many uniforms that family has in their closet?

• With DJ Williamson out, Michigan now really needs a highly ranked WR in this class.   With Shane Morris in the next class and coming off really good performances in the Elite 11 and Nike Camp earning the QB MVP last weekend along with serious interest from Gunner Kiel, that task shouldn't be too hard.  

• There are a number of rumors that SI is about to blow the roof off the OSU football program.  I believe it when I see it.  Stay tuned. 

• Wayne Morgan is now a 4 star DB on both Rivals and Scouts.

• Cincinnati teammates and Rivals top 100 prospects in the country WR Dwayne Stanford and DE Adolphus Washington are planning a visit to Ann Arbor this weekend.  Both are/were considered big OSU leans but getting them on campus is a great first step for the Wolverines.  It seems Michigan is recruiting both very hard as a package deal.  Stanford could be the WR that is needed in this class and Washington is Ohio's best player and borderline 5 star player.    Go North Gentlemen!

Michigan Tuesday: Updates Wolverines Comings and Goings

Coming

• Varsity Lacrosse is coming to U of M.  They have had a very good club team and now it seems they are officially going to be a varsity sport.  Announcement expected on Wednesday.

• Michigan Football's new APR Score is 946.  Which means no penalty.

• 4 Star CB/S Wayne Morgan is announcing his college decision on 6/1.  He was reportedly down to Michigan and Rutgers and his coach said he isn't staying close to home.  Wayne lives in New York.

 

• 5 Star DT Aziz Shittu is considering taking an official to Michigan this season.  He is a Stanford commit right now.

Going

• DJ Williamson's rumored transfer became official today.  He was a 3 star recruit two years ago and really doesn't fit Michigan's new offense.  Not a surprise and I wish DJ luck at his new school.

Michigan Friday: Big House Briefs

• Thanks to reader Richard:   Mike Barwis has opened a new training facality in Michigan.  Here is a link to his new blog.

• Gus Johnson seems to be leaving CBS and maybe headed to Fox/Big Ten Network.  That would be a huge win for the Big Ten.  Gus has made it known he is a Michigan fan and I would love to hear him do some Michigan Football games.

• TomVH reports that Michigan has offered 2012 Illinois DT Jaleel Johnson.

• Michigan's incoming freshman Trey Burke went from the future point guard to potenital starting point guard and he hasn't even tried on his Michigan jersey yet.   

• Mallet's dad said that Lloyd Carr told Ryan and family to look at other options once RR got the job at Michigan.  I find that hard to believe.   

• Threet is still suffering from his concussions he suffered last year.  He is helping the team as a student assistant for ASU. 

• 5 star RB and soft verbal to OSU Bri'onte Dunn is expected to be in Ann Arbor today for a vist. 

Michigan Tuesday: Pitt Keeps Mowing The Wolverines Lawn

Michigan fired Rich Rodriguez and staff in early January after 3 years of embarrassing football.  The Bowl Game on January 1 was the final straw.   RR seems to be spending some time with CBS College Sports TV and Web and a number of coaches from his staff went to Pitt.   No big deal right?  Right. 

Then Ray Vinopal transferred before spring practice so he could get back home for some family issues.  Home is an hour away from Pitt so no big deal he decided to transfer there.   Then Cullen Christian who couldn't get time on the worst defensive backfield in the Big Ten decides after spring ball to transfer away from Ann Arbor.  Guess where he ends up?  You got it:

"I'm coming home and I am going to be a Pittsburgh Panther," Christian said. "Pittsburgh got my release and all that is left for me to do is to give them my transcripts and fill out paperwork. I'm leaving here on Tuesday after finals, so I might stop down this week, but I am supposed to go down May 9th and meet with the staff and do all the paperwork."


"It feels real good to get a fresh start," Christian continued. "I'm just happy to be coming home. Coach (Tony) Gibson is at Pitt and he was the main reason why I chose Michigan. I just feel like I will enjoy it being home. I wasn't enjoying myself here at Michigan."



"I was thinking about WVU," he said when asked about what other schools he considered. "I wanted to be closer to home and being back with Coach Gibby is too much to pass up. I know what he expects from his players and I know how he coaches. I am also familiar with Tony Dews and Calvin Magee."


I'm not accusing anyone of tampering, but where there's smoke..................

(BTW: I am not saying that RR's former coaches don't have a right to make a living, they do.  I'm also not saying that Cullen and Ray don't have a similar right to transfer.  I'm just saying there seems to be a lot of coincidences with Michigan's 2 transfers going to the same school)

• With Zeke Pike lost to Auburn, Michigan is now looking at a couple of new names at QB.  Chad Kelly who is related Jim Kelly is one and  another name to keep an eye on is Tyler O'Connor.

• There have been a number of questions on rather Michigan would still recruit TE Ron Thompson after they got verbals from two TE's on Friday.  Reports were that Fred Jackson was out to meet with Ron at his school yesterday.  So it looks like they still want Ron to join the 2012 class.

• TomVH reports Pennsylvania RB Greg Garmon is planing a visit to Ann Arbor in the next couple of weeks.

• Instate DE Matt Godin is planning to make his announcement on May 12th.  Michigan seems to be in good shape in his recruitment.

Breaking News: Strong Rumors Around Another DB Loss

Mgoblog is reporting sources that Cullen Christian a soon to be sophomore and former Army All American CB will be asking for his release from the Michigan Football Program today.  Cullen struggled last year at DB and the rumors were he had a back problem and that is why he didn't play in the Spring Game. 

This would be a big loss for the Wolverines in a few years.  Not so much this year with Woolfolk and Floyd coming back from injury.  CC should re-think his transfer and take a redshirt year if he needs it.  He won't find a better opportunity at playing time then he currently has at Michigan.   If you put together the losses of CC and Ray both this Spring, there really could be a big hole in the depth chart in the next few years.

Another one gone?   RR sort of took a flier scholarship offer a couple years ago on a track star more then a football player from Ohio named DJ Williamson.  There are also strong rumors that DJ might look to spin his records at another school next season.  I would consider his loss a minor one for contribution now and in the future.   

At this point both are rumors and things can change quickly.  Greg Brown earlier this year was rumored to had gone home for good and ended up playing pretty well in the Spring Game.  So you never know how these things will play out.  Carlos Brown was always rumored to have a foot out the door as well. 

Transfers after the Spring Game are not uncommon and in fact very common after a new coaching staff takes over.   Clear example, I wonder if Mike Cox would have been listed as a transfer candidate if RR was still the head coach.

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.

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. 

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. 

Wolverine Wednesday: Quick Recruiting Blitz

• Dee Hart is one of 8 finalist for Florida's Mr. Football Award.

• California kicker Connor Loftus now has a Michigan offer.

• Michigan is no longer in Darian Cooper's final 4 schools.  DT has become an urgent need for the Wolverines in this class.  Which you can add to the list with cornerbacks and safeties.  Side Note: The Michigan coaches are just trying to get to the "quiet period" with out losing too many more players on the recruiting trail.  They will resume recruiting visits in January when hopefully the entire coaching drama is past us.   

• If you enjoy pain, here's an article on the Avery Walls decision. 

• More Bad News for Vlad at Colorado:  Embree also informed potential transfer Vlad Emilien, who last played at Michigan, that the CU depth chart was already full at the safety position and needs more cornerbacks. Emilien is now considering Maryland and Southern Mississippi.
  Emilien was hoping former secondary coach Ashley Ambrose would be retained. When he learned that didn't happen, Ambrose told him he should still consider CU because Greg Brown was returning to the program and had served as Ambrose's position coach in the NFL and coaching mentor at the college level. But then Emilien said Embree called to tell him the bad news. "They need corners so I'm looking at other options," Emilien said.  Good luck to Vlad and I hope his knee continues to heal.

Speaking of Darian Cooper, JoPa told him he plans to coach maybe 4-5 more years.  If you haven't heard it yet,  below is JoPa's radio interview that didn't go so well.

Michigan Thursday: Catching Up with 3 Michigan Transfers

Editors Note: Today is a little light on actual Michigan Football news.  (The basketball team plays Bowling Green tonight!) 

At 7:00 tonight this weeks Michigan's injury report will come out and expect to see Martin and Mouton probable and Taylor Lewan and Mike Shaw questionable.   Hopefully Fitz Toussaint didn't hurt himself in practice and can go if needed. 

With that said, here is a look at how a few Michigan transfers are doing at their new schools....

As a Michigan fan we can hardly believe why anyone would ever want to leave Ann Arbor and the most storied college football program ever.  Sadly, some guys just don't "buy in" or think they will get more playing time at another institution.  There are players every year that make the decision to leave but rarely do they become successful like Justin Fargas or Ryan Mallett.    We know Ryan is doing well Arkansas and Boren is starting for Ohio State, but let's catch up on guys not on SportsCenter too often:

photo by Michael DeMocker, The Times-Picayune

Sam McGuffie, RB Rice Owls:  Sam had the best game of his career two weeks ago against Tulsa.   Where he ran for 178 yards on 22 carries and scored a touchdown.   In 2010 he has had 149 attempts and 642 yards with 3 touchdowns.  He also has had 32 catches for 275 yards and 1 TD.  Sam seems to be getting better as the year goes on, but you can't say that for the Rice Owls who have only won 2 games this year.

Let's hope Sam hasn't received any concussion this year and still has a successful college career in front of him.


Steven Threet, QB Arizona State:  Trick or Threet would be a good slogan for the Sun Devils this year.   While leading the ASU offense, Steve is 207-333 with 2530 passing yards with 18 touchdowns.   The problem is, he has thrown 16 picks and been sacked 22 times.  After starting the year 2-0, ASU has gone 2-6 in their last 8 games and will have to beat UCLA and Arizona to get bowl eligible.  Steve is currently sharing first team reps with sophomore quarterback Brock Osweiler during the bye week.

Threet was also named to the PAC 10 All Academic team this week with a  3.82 grade-point average in general studies. 


Toney Clemons, WR Colorado:  Toney has had a nice season for the Buffalo's.  He has had 40 catches for 426 yards and 2 touchdowns.  He is the second leading receiver for Colorado who is just 4-6 on the year and with out a head coach that was just fired two weeks ago.    Clemons had a good game this past Saturday as he had four catches for 55 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown, as Colorado defeated Iowa State, 34-14.

Safety Vlad Emilien who recently transferred from Michigan will be joining Toney next year at Colorado as they enter PAC 12 country.

Michigan Thursday: Says Don't Wait Until Next Week for Heart Surgery

This post is not attended any disrespect to Coach Dantonio, we wish him nothing but good health.  This actually refers to the story that Major Hester, a 69 year old  Detroit native and MSU fan who put off his heart surgery for a pace maker until next week so he could watch his Spartans play the Wolverines on Saturday. 

I am all for "clearing your calendar" to watch a big game but this is completely ridiculous.  Your heart procedure is much more important then a football game.  The worst part is, the procedure was scheduled for today.   Major, I wish you good luck regarding your decision and if I were one of your family members the next appointment I would set up for you is to get your head checked.

I'm guessing he thought there is a risk of dying with the surgery, I also guess he isn't considering that same risk for watching a close high scoring game. 

• RR expects RB Mike Shaw will play this weekend (we will know more tonight when the injury report is released)

• It seems Seth Broekhuizen would kick field goals if Michigan attempts one.  I prefer we don't punt and only use kickers for extra points and kickoffs.

• Michigan vs MSU is one hot ticket!  Some fans are paying $1,400 for a ticket.  Wow, that's not a good deal!

• For the life of me, I don't remember this guy transferring from Michigan after Lloyd retired.   But LB Cobrani Mixon is tearing it up at Kent State.  He is described as a Cobra-quick and blacksmith-strong, Mixon operates behind a defensive line that funnels ball carriers right to him. Mixon has a team-leading 39 tackles, including three for lost yardage and two sacks. Boy we could use a LB like that right now. 

• Here is an article on 2012 DB prospect from Ohio, Allen Gant.  Most Michigan fans will remeber that his dad Tony played at Michigan.  Allen has visited both Michigan and Ohio State but many "insiders" feel that Allen is a Buckeye lean. 

Michigan Monday: Former Wolverine QB's Have a Tough Weekend

After watching Denard Robinson run the Rich Rod offense many of us Michigan fans can't blame Ryan Mallett and Steven Threet for transferring to other schools.  Both transfers have seemed to work out for the young men.  Ryan has become one of the more explosive QB's in the SEC and Steven Threet is well under way for making his imprint on Arizona State. 

Last Saturday both players had a chance to give their teams big wins over highly ranked opponents and for Mallett a chance to grab the lead in the Heisman race.  Both players threw for over 300 yards but both had poor decisions that cost their team wins.   Ryan had 3 interceptions against #1 Alabama and threw two in  the fourth quarter when Arkansas had the lead.   Steven through 4 interceptions on the day against #4 Oregon with 3 of those picks coming in the 4th quarter.  His first interception was returned for a pick 6. 

Those decisions obviously either cost their teams the game or a chance at a comeback.  So we wish these gentlemen luck and hope for better days in the PAC 10 and the SEC.

• Michigan - MSU Game will be 3:30 kickoff on ABC/ESPN.  This will be a lock on ABC if both teams win next weekend.  MSU hosts Wisconsin.

• For those that are worried that Fitz Tousaint got caught from behind on his first carry as a Wolverine that went for 60 yards but was caught at the 3 yard line.  He is still nursing a knee injury and had a knee brace on.  I'm sure he doesn't get caught if he is healthy.   He scored on the next play.

• Michigan is ranked #20 in the AP and #19 in the Coaches Poll.

• TomVH from Mgoblog reports that 2012 instate DT Danny O'Brien got a Michigan offer on Saturday.

• Lloyd Carr wants some type of playoffs in college football.

 

• Tim Brewster, Minnesota's head coach is on "unemployment watch" after the Golden Gophers lost to Northern Illinois last weekend.   This week would be a good time for a fresh start with the Big Ten season starting. Maybe they should call Glen Mason again. 

• ESPN's Big Ten Blog is ranking Michigan #4 in the Big Ten Power Rankings behind OSU, Iowa, and Wisconsin.  Which is about right.

• There is a rumor floating around right now that Dee Hart will visit Alabama this weekend and then make his official decision known. 

We know that Denard it talented but this run in the first quarter was ridiculous.  BTW:  He had 189 yards of offense in less then a quarter. 

Michigan Tuesday: Dee Hart Update and More

Dee Hart has been in the news lately, mostly freaking out Michigan fans after his trip to Auburn this weekend.  I have two updates from recruiting insiders: Sam Webb from WTKA/GBW and TomVH from Mgoblog. 

Here is Tom's: 

• Talked to Dee's mom
• Uncle went on the trip and his uncle rated it 7 out 10
• Dee is still planning on taking two more visits this month Alabama and Arkansas
• Not really interested in Arkansas but supporting his teammates on the trip
• Needs to make a decision soon and the process is starting to wear on Dee

Sam:

• Talked to Dee
• Believes that Michigan still leads
• Maybe a decision soon but probably going to take a couple more visits
• Sam's opinion is that Auburn's is aggressively recruiting many of Dee's teammates, which could have an affect on his recruitment. 
• Dee still may come back for the MSU or the Iowa game as an unofficial visit (took his official for UConn)

So let's all take a deep breath on Dee for now and hope that he makes a decision for Michigan.  The longer this plays out the more time others schools can state their case. 

• Craig Roh:  It won't be tough to get up for BGSU. "From our performance this Saturday, this team is definitely going to get up for this game."  Craig doesn't listen to music before games to get pumped up - reads a bit of the Bible.

• The Michigan at IU game will be on ESPNU at 3:30 EST.

• Anthony LaLota "hints" the skem change at Michigan is the reason he left:  Rutgers "plays a different scheme, more of a traditional 4-3. I think it's a great style, very aggressive. I can come off the edge a little bit. I think it suits me well.''  I'm guessing not being on the 3 deep or not making the trip to ND had anything to do with him leaving.

• U of M Flint's first football game draws 400 people. 

• UMass moves up 5 spots to #11 in the FCS poll after losing to Michigan.  (no comment needed here)

• Timmy Jernigan one of the top DT in the country is going to hold off a decision until after the season so he can take some visits.  One of those visits  should be to Ann Arbor.

A thought for the day:  With Michigan in such bad shape from a kicking stand point, why didn't they give Bryan Wright a 5th year?  He is now kicking for Bowling Green and will kick in the Big House again this Saturday.   He transfered to BGSU under that rule getting a 5th year if you graduate and the new school offers a program your old school did not.

Michigan ClearingHouse issue: Another Player Gone

I have never seen a team go 2-0 and get so much hype and positive publicity lose so many players.   Today, Michigan loses another defensive player from the 2010 class: Davion Rogers.  Davion was late getting to camp due to an NCAA Clearinghouse issue and it seems that issue did not go away.

Davion is no longer on the team and not expected to return.  This is the 5th player from the 2010 class that either didn't make it to campus or has quickly exited the program.  That list includes:  Austin White, Demar Dorsey, Conelius Jones, Antonio Kinard, and  now Davion Rogers.

This has to stop and RR and staff have to do a better job of finding suitable recruits that have a better academic standing.   4 out of the 5 above didn't make it to campus due to academic issues.  

To be fair, Conelius and Antonio are trying to enroll in January.