Free Style Friday

• Can Michigan pick up some big time recruits from the Southern States in last few days before signing day? There are two big time targets: DE Sam Montgomery (pictuired above) and OL Quinton Washington (pictured below). Both men list Michigan as one of their finalist with other Southern schools. Yesterday, Sam hosted at home Butch Davis from North Carolina, Monte Kiffin new DC at Tennessee, and Les Miles from LSU. Sam will visit Tennessee this weekend and had also has USC and Clemson on his list. It seems the leader in the clubhouse, might be UNC for Sam. I think Butch Davis is trying to sign 40 guys this winter. As for Quinton, he recently cut his list down by removing Clemson and Tennessee, he is visiting Miami this weekend but most believe South Carolina and Michigan are in his final 2.

• As you can see from the poll on the right side, the BHB readers feel that Denard Robinson is Michigan's most important recruit still pending. Denard would give Michigan another dual threat QB and some much needed depth at the position. Most believe Denard, will pass on his Florida offer so he can play with his good friend Adrian Witty (DB). The two schools that have offered both players are Kanas State and Michigan. The betting money, is on both players to be Blue next Wednesday.
  
  
  
• This from the Ann Arbor News, regarding the father of the Michigan Hockey player who was slashed on the ice and then ran into the MSU locker room to confront the players: Bruce Kampfer, the father accused of physically confronting Michigan State hockey player Corey Tropp in the Spartans' locker room at Yost Ice Arena last Saturday, is banned from most buildings on the University of Michigan's campus, a police spokesperson said Thursday. Bruce Kampfer, has been given an official tresspass order and is not allowed to enter any building on the University of Michigan's campus, except the university hospital as necessary. This is a sad ending to a terrible incident. This father will never be able to see his son play at Yost Arena again.
  
  
• Michigan will start it's spring football practice on March 14.
  


• Michigan Basketball plays again on the road on Saturday as they visit Purdue. We all know how the Wolverines have been playing lately and I don't give them much of a chance in West Lafayette. The game is on at 1:00 on CBS. Don't expect to see Zack Novak in this game, who will most likely will be sitting out due to a suspension for his elbow in the Ohio State game. I think Purdue will be favored to win this game easily. If you are looking to place a bet on this game or to bet on other sports try the guys at BetUS.com, they are good guys and a very professional site (don't forget there is a pretty large football game this weekend as well). With the recent poor play, Michigan is now looking at an NIT bid which is a disappointment after the pre-season wins against UCLA and Duke. Don't forget Michigan still has a road date with "soon to be #1" UConn as well. Nothing but bad news from the Wolverine Basketball program at the moment.

Rapid Fire Thursday

• Travante Stallworth confirmed his commitment to Auburn late on Monday. From what I've heard, this is a good kid with a good head on his shoulders. I wish him good luck at Auburn. He would have been a nice fit at Michigan and maybe even a good backup QB but Michigan really didn't need another Slot WR in this class.


• Allen Wallace has an interesting stat on Michigan's recruiting classes. Over the past 14 years the Wolverines have averaged the 6th ranked class over that period. That is the highest average of any program. Florida and USC are tied for second with the 8th ranked classes over the same time period. Michigan has some work to do in the last week to get their ranking up on Scouts which is currently 17th. Which seems a little low with commitments from the highest ranked players from the state of Michigan and Ohio.


• Rich Rod Flight Stalking had him in Tulsa last night to presumably visit Pearlie Graves. I hope the visit was short and sweet because they were only there for about 80 minutes.


• Michigan Basketball is struggling right now and really doesn't have a chance on the road. Last night was another example, in a 72-54 loss to Ohio State.


• Steve Spurrier is all over Michigan targets in this last week of the 2009 recruiting season. He first visited Sam Montgomery and yesterday was at the school of OL Quinton Washington along with 4 of his assistants. Quinton is heading to Miami this weekend and then will make his announcement. He is considering Tennessee, Miami, Michigan, USC, and Clemson.
• Funny Quotes from Wolverines at the Super Bowl: Larry Foote: "This Super Bowl, we've got seven Michigan guys playing. Tell Michigan State to take that!' " joked Steelers linebacker Larry Foote, a former U-M All-American who's always happy to stoke the in-state rivalry fires. "Seven of 'em. Does Michigan State have anybody here? Nope. Not a soul." Remember yesterday, when I joked about Woodley lighting up Breaston as he came over the middle? Well, I guess they have spoke about it as well: Here is Wood: "We went out to dinner last night, and I told Steve, 'Man, you might have to crack-back (block) me, and I might have to hit you,' " Woodley said Tuesday. "But that's just something we gotta do. At the end of the day, somebody's gonna have bragging rights, and somebody's not. But we're gonna continue to be friends."

Week Until Signing Day and The Wolverines Super Bowl Shuffle?

• How would you like to be a 4 Star Defensive End with offers from many of the top programs in the country? Well, Sam Montgomery is that young man these days and he is having to make some difficult decisions. Late on Monday he cut his list down. "Even though Oregon has a lot to offer, he felt that it was not the place for him," Mrs. Montgomery said. He will visit Tennessee this weekend. Sam was planning a mid-week visit to The Ducks/NikeTown this week. She said more cuts are coming. "We're going to do some serious soul searching," Mrs. Montgomery said. "It just hard to say good bye. You get to like them as a person." Sam will also be hosting coaches from Tennessee, North Carolina, and LSU this week.

• Don't forget the Wolverine Basketball team is playing OSU tonight in C-Bus. The game is an early tip at 6:30 and the Buckeyes are favored by 4.5. If you are looking to place a bet on sports or any other game try the guys at BetUS.com, they are good guys and a very professional site.
  The Georgia Bulldogs are making a late charge for Je'Ron Stokes and are trying to get him to campus for an official this weekend. Tony Ball the Bulldogs WR coach is recruiting Stokes and is working with OC Mike Bobo to see if they can get Je'ron an offer/visit for this weekend. On a funny side note: On Tuesday, he (Stokes) couldn’t call UGA until very late because Michigan coach Rich Rodriquez was at his Pennsylvania house for most of the evening.

• With 2009 Recruiting Closing Down, it's time to focus on 2010 recruiting efforts. 2010 looks to be a good class for QB talent in the State of Michigan. Devin Gardner, 6"4 195 lbs QB from Inkster already has offers from Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Nebraska, and many others. Just yesterday, Michigan offered Orchard Lake St. Mary's QB Robert Bolden, who also stands 6"4 and weighs 195. Robert isn't a secret either, he is sporting offers from Vandy, CMU, Nebraska, MSU, Northwestern, and Wisconsin.
  
  
• Are you into Flight Stalking? Per the Mgoblog message board it seems Coach Rod's plane last night went from Philadelphia to visit Je'Ron Stokes to Cleveland to maybe visit Marcus Hall. Check this link out and picture below.

• MSU has thrown Conboy completely off the team and he has left school. Tropp is done for the year and might not be asked back. Both kids were involved in the ugly incident at Yost Arena this past weekend.
  
  
• Wolverine SuperBowl Shuffle: Alan Branch former Wolverine DT and now a member of the Arizona Cardinals won the a rumba dancing contest at Super Bowl Media Day. The contest was organized by ET's Kevin Frazier and Warren Sapp was a celebrity judge. "It means a lot," Branch was quoted as saying in Tampa Bay Online, regarding his dancing victory. "I came here with a good game plan." With Alan's big win, your probably ready for the game on Sunday and remember no mater if your favorite team isn't in the game watching it with a few bucks down makes it much more interesting. The place I would recommend is Super Bowl Betting, check it out before Sunday. There are plenty of Wolverines to root for no matter if your a Steelers or a Cardinals fan. I just hope Woodley doesn't take Breaston out when his route calls for a short pass over the middle!
  
  
  

Alan is holding the hardware, Former Wolverine Gabe Watson is pictured above during the competition.

Quick Update on Recruiting: Signing Day Good or Terrible

• Steve Spurrier visited Sam Montgomery at school and then went to his mom's office for a talk. "That was my first opportunity to meet coach Spurrier," Mrs. Montgomery said. "He was telling me about himself and his position with Carolina football. I had never gotten his take on everything." Still Sam doesn't plan on visiting South Carolina. Sam plans to reveal his choice on ESPN on National Signing Day around 10:00 or 10:30 in the morning.
• It seems many of Michigan's non-committed recruits are going to come down to the last day to decide what schools they want to attend. Besides Sam above, the other Michigan recruits that are announcing a week from tomorrow are: Florida team mates: Denard Robinson and Adrian Witty, four-star wide receiver Je’Ron Stokes, offensive guard Quinton Washington, and wide receiver/slot Travante Stallworth.
• If those guys don't go Blue, what happens then? Look for wide receiver Terrell Mitchell and Tallahassee, Fla., quarterback Austin Dantin to get signing day offers.

Where in the World is Robert Perryman?

Background:

• Michigan Running back 1982-1986
• During his Senior year finished second on the team in rushing yards; was not tackled for a loss the entire year. The Wolverines went 11-2 and won the Big Ten that year.
• Drafted by the Patriots in the 3rd round #79 in 1987
• Played 6 years in the NFL: 4 with New England and 2 with Denver.
• Family: Robert and his wife Sonya have two children Krista and Robert Jr. (a freshman who plays football at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn)

What is he doing now?: Perryman is a probation officer in Gloucester, MA and also officiates high school games. He is also working as an assistant coach with the Boston Militia of the Independent Women’s Football League. Former Patriots cornerback Derrick Beasley (and Robert's Brother-in-law) is the head coach.

On his NFL eye opening moment: “I remember it was a game against the Giants,” said the former New England Patriots running back, “and we were in the tunnel before the game. I knew their guys – Harry Carson’s number 53, Carl Banks 54, Pepper Johnson 52 – all that stuff, and then I saw all of them in the tunnel. I said to myself ‘Wow these guys are huge. I have to go block these guys?’ And I’m usually not fazed by anything."

Any injuries in the NFL?: “I tore both my knees up out there"

On why he choose Michigan?: “I thought I was going to Penn State,” said Perryman, who had narrowed his choices to Michigan, Penn State, Notre Dame, Syracuse and Miami. “Penn State and Syracuse seemed to be the most interested. Joe Paterno came to visit and that’s where I thought I’d end up. When I went to visit Michigan, I just fell in love with it."

Other jobs outside the NFL?: “I worked in marketing for Staples and I worked for the United Way,” said Perryman, “but I was doing so much traveling. I was home more when I was playing football"

MSU Players Done for the Year

Per the Freep: MSU's head hockey coach: “What happened near the end of the game this weekend is not the way in which we want our hockey program represented,” Comley said in a statement. “We cannot condone their actions. We felt that we had to send a strong message that this behavior will not be tolerated."

CCHA Commissioners thought: "We feel that the measures taken by Michigan State are appropriate and consistent with the parameters of the sanctions that were being contemplated by the league," league commissioner Tom Anastos said in a news release.

Is it enough? Maybe, maybe not. I lean towards the side that it's not enough. But that is more of an emotional decision after watching this video too many times. Either way, this incident will not help the Michigan - Michigan State rivalry on or off the field. Thank God, Kampfer is ok.

Recruiting Crunch Time

• Travante Stallworth a Slot and QB prospect and "soft" Auburn commit is down to his final 3, Michigan, Auburn, and South Carolina. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Stallworth told News staff writer Enea Zhonga he would talk things over with his parents. Stallworth said Mississippi State requested he make an official visit. But the receiver said he's likely finished with visits. Spurrier is planning an in home visit this week.


• DeQuinta Jones, DT is a Michigan "soft" commit and was in town this past weekend. Reports are that DQJ enjoyed his visit and was impressed with the University. Some recruiting services are saying DQJ re-confirmed his commitment to Michigan. Which is good news for a position of need for the Wolverines. I will be more comfortable with his commitment when the ink is dry and it's on a fax machine headed to a 734 area code.


• A common question that is floating around the Michigan recruiting message boards is: Would Michigan take Travante Stallworth, Je'Ron Stokes, and Willie Haulstead if they all want to come ot Michigan? I believe the answer is Yes! Stallworth is more of a slot then a WR and Michigan needs tall WR's in Stokes and Haulstead. Michigan also has room under their scholarship count, so I believe it's a no brainer.


• Quinton Washington, OL made an official visit to Tennessee over the weekend. Coach Rod visited Quinton at home last week.


• Sam Montgomery, DE is a busy man! He visited LSU over the weekend and will take a mid-week visit to Oregon followed by a weekend visit to Tennessee. Michigan coaches paid Sam an in home visit last week. Michigan's new DC Greg Robinson is planning to visit Sam soon as well.


• 2010 Dual Threat QB Prospect out of Michigan, Devin Gardner made two visits this past weekend to Ann Arbor and Columbus.
• Bennie Logan, DE former January visitor to Ann Arbor, got the LSU offer he was looking for a committed on the spot. Bennie was a backup plan if Michigan lost both Graves and Jones (both are DT's). Michigan's first choice at another DE is Sam Montgomery.

Rivalries Make People Do Dangerous Things

I have written on this blog a number of times that people go to the extremes when it comes to rivalries. I have seen this way too many times when it comes to the Michigan - Ohio State game. I know both sides have their "extreme" fans but I truly believe some Ohio State fans take this football game way past the edge of sanity.

If you don't believe me and you happened to be an OSU fan, take your young son or daughter to Columbus in two years for the game and dress them in Wolverine gear. See how far you get. I would bet most of you wouldn't do that.

This post's intent is not showcase the Ohio State - Michigan rivalry. It's to showcase that some people forget it's a football, basketball, or hockey game and not life and death. Fans and players are both included in this generalization.

An example of that happened on Saturday Night at Yost arena in the hockey game between Michigan and Michigan State. Per the Freep:

In the final minute, Michigan State freshman forward Andrew Conboy came up behind Kampfer, grabbed him by the neck and slammed him to the ice. With Kampfer defenseless on the ice, Michigan State sophomore forward Corey Tropp — who had been knocked down by a clean open-ice hit moments earlier by Kampfer — slashed him in the neck area with his stick. Tropp received a double disqualification, and Conboy received two roughing penalties.

Michigan State coach Rick Comley said after the game that Tropp would miss two games and Conboy “will probably stay home” next weekend when the Spartans visit Lake Superior State.

Kampfer was playing his 10th game of the season after suffering a fractured neck and cracked skull in an on-campus incident in October.

This is a sick example of players taking a hockey game and rivalry to extreme. Witnesses at the game said Kampfer's family members were enraged and it was reported that his father might have even stormed into the Spartans locker room looking for Tropp and Conboy.

What Tropp did is borderline criminal and hopefully charges will be filled against him. As for the Michigan State coach, "he will probably stay home" next weekend? Are you kidding me? How about thrown off the team?, suspended for the rest of the season?, lose his scholarship?

The good news is Kampfer is ok:

“I have a strained neck right now,” Kampfer said in a phone interview with the Free Press on Sunday. “I had no relapse of what happened earlier. Hopefully, I’ll be back this weekend.”

“It’s something that shouldn’t have happened,” Kampfer said. “It just shows the lack of sense that people have. I don’t think two-handing someone over the neck when someone has had previous injuries is right or necessary.”

This is another sad example of extreme behaviour in a rivalry game. I am all for supporting your team, playing hard, and even wanting to beat your rival. Just don't cross the line. Troop and Conboy crushed that line on Saturday.

The Calm Before the Storm

This weekend seems to be very light on recruiting news with a week an half left before signing day (2/4). Kids are taking visits to schools on their lists and even hosting coaches at home before they have to make their final decisions.

Visiting Ann Arbor this weekend are DeQuinta Jones, DT ("very soft" commit to Michigan), a two star QB from Florida, Austin Dantin and a surprise visitor TE/WR Terrell Mitchell. Terrell is 6"6 220 and is rated 3 stars from Rivals. He has offers from Clemson, WVU, Miss. State, Louisville, Kentucky, and South Carolina. Terrell said recently, Michigan is in his top 2.

A goal for this weekend would be to get Jones commitment solid, decide if Austin is at all a candidate at QB and see if Terrell can fill a need for a taller WR for the Wolverines.

• Je'Ron Stokes cancelled his visit to Happy Valley and instead is visiting Ron Zook and Illinois this weekend.


• Appartenly, Florida will not be offering DB Adrian Witty. Which means if Denard Robinson and Adrian want to go to the same school it's between Kansas State and Michigan. Florida has an offer on the table for Denard.


• Marcus Hall who announced Michigan has his leader a few weeks ago after visiting Ann Arbor, now doesn't have Michigan in his top 2. Marcus is considered an Ohio State lock.


• Coach Rod was in the home of SC DE Sam Montgomery on Friday.


• FL WR Willie Haulstead who has been very interested in Michigan and also happens to be pretty tight with Tate Forcier is taking his official to FSU this weekend. Willie is a verbal commit to FSU.


• Michigan has a basketball game tonight against Northwestern which just upset State in East Lansing. The Wolverines are desperate for a win and will be running into a hot team. Let's hope the Wildcats are a little tired from being on the road and go cold. 8:00 tip, BTN.
• Update: It seems Craig Roh is taking an un-official visit to Ann Arbor this weekend as well. Hopefully, he is just getting one last tour before he signs on the 4th.

Louisville Football is losing more then games

As Wolverine fans, we have shared the pain of losing lots of things over the past 14 months or so. We have lost a 5 star QB, an offensive lineman that didn't like to run, a number of recruits, and 9 football games.

It seems if there was bad news in college football it was somehow related to Ann Arbor and our historic Michigan program. Well, hold your heads up high Wolverine fans. There is another program that is going through similar struggles and seem to be losing people and games at a higher rate.

The Louisville Football program hasn't been the same since Bobby Petrino left for his brief visit in the NFL. Louisville has had a similar hard time adjusting to"big change" and their new head man Steve Kragthorpe who is now starting his third year. The wins and losses on the field are one thing, but Louisville is losing coaches and players at a very alarming rate. Let's just take a quick look at the coaches and players that have left the program just this off season.

• Ron English, DC left for the head coaching job at Eastern Michigan (Ron was there for one year)


• Eric Lewis, DB Coach followed Ron to EMU to become the DC


• Bill Miller, was promoted to Louisville DC's and then quickly left for Kansas


• Tony Nelson, Running Backs coach left for Notre Dame


• Mark Nelson, Special Teams Coach was not asked back


• Matt Simms, Son of former NFL QB Phil Simms and brother of NFL QB Chris decided to transfer. Matt would most likely have been the starter heading into Spring Ball.

How can one program suffer so many losses in a matter of a few months? How are these changes going to effect recruiting? How can there be any stability in this program that is trying to rebuild itself back into a Big East power?

I don't have any answers to those questions, but it's easy to see how this program could struggle for years to come. This program has zero consistency right now. A coach can not rebuild his staff from scratch every year and think they will be competitive. Kids won't want to come to Louisville and even the kids in the program wonder if this is the right place for them. We all know recruiting is the lifeline to success in College Football and right now Rivals ranks Louisville's 2009 recruiting class #71 in the country with 18 verbal committed recruits and only 1 four star player.

As Michigan fans we feel Louisville's pain, let's just hope our turnaround is quicker and we don't see similar losses on and off the field.

When Smart People Do Dumb Things

The title of my post sounds like a Fox TV special, but it's really about the the men that run college football.

These men presumably have degrees from the top universities and have a resume full of experience that qualify them to be leaders of the NCAA or the top conferences around the US.

You would think these leaders, can make sound decision and do whats in the best interest of college football and the fans that support the system. Think again! These guys continue to make decisions/mistakes and give zero reasons on why they made that decision.

Case in point: An early signing period (mid December) for College Football recruits: That was just proposed by the coaches: Per the USA Today: But just as quickly as the proposal was sent to Division I conference commissioners, it was shot down.

"It wasn't that close a vote," SEC associate commissioner Greg Sankey, who attended the vote at the NCAA convention, told The Associated Press. "I would say for now an early signing period is done. I wouldn't want to suggest there's not another idea out there. But there's not one that's been identified at this point."

Ok, why was it shot down? "When you start breaking it down and dissecting it, you say, 'That's not going to work. That's not going to work. That's not going to work,' "Mountain West commissioner Craig Thompson said. "I'm not sure our coaches have really thought it through."

That is not an answer Commissioners! Why was it shot down? Give us at least one valid reason! As you might have expected they didn't.

Some of the Con's to an early signing period are:

It's hurts the little schools: "I'm definitely in favor of an early signing period," North Texas safeties coach/recruiting coordinator Chuck Petersen said. "It takes kids and coaches out of the middle of the whole situation after they've been committed for months."It also saves time and money, which is a big deal when you recruit for a school that doesn't have quite the same budget as a (school) in the SEC, Big 12 or Big Ten."

What if kids are still in high school playoffs: In the proposal, recruits who still are playing high school games would have not be eligible to sign early.

What if the head coach gets fired or moves jobs? Most of that activity is done before Mid December and of course if there is a transition, recruits wouldn't have to sign early.

So those are the points, I have heard against an early signing period and none of them seem like deal breakers to me. I also don't understand if the coaches are for it, why would he commissioners care? 73% of FBS (i.e., Division I-A) head coaches and 82% of FCS (i.e., Division I-AA) head coaches backed the plan.

Then there is that whole, playoff system problem. Which ND's Athletic Director said had no momentum last night on ESPN. Really? Which world are these guys living in?

Barwis Buy Out and Wednesday's Pot Luck of Information

Barwis Buyout? Ok, it's one thing to ask for a large buyout when your head coach leaves for Michigan, but now you want money from your former Strength and Conditioning coach? WVU is asking Mike Barwis for $50,000 for a buyout of his contract that he broke at West Virgina when he left for Michigan. They are also asking questions around a missing highlighter and two pencils that were mysteriously lost sometime around December 07. I know a way to settle this? How about a cage match instead, Winner takes all? Stay Classy West Virgina, Stay Classy.

• Cash Money: Michigan graduate and Billionaire Stephen Ross now owns the Miami Dolphins (and Bill Parcells).



• Bowling in Hawaii: Speaking of the Dolphins, Jake Long is heading to the Pro Bowl. Congrats Jake!



• Can I get a DC around here? Between the Wolverines and the Detroit Lions, Detroit Metro Football teams combined for 3 wins last Fall. They also both hired Defensive Coordinators a day apart. The Lions hired Gunther Cunningham as their DC today. I wonder if "Richie and the Fonz" will be moving to Detroit as well.



• RIP Stoney and Wojo: For those of you in the Detroit Metro Area, I am sorry to hear that WDFAN will now only air national radio shows. I very much enjoyed Stoney and Wojo. I guess this is another example of our down economy and the lack of advertising radio and news papers are seeing.



• Does anyone do house calls anymore? Yes, they do and Travante Stallworth is getting one from Coach Rod today. Meaning, they really want Travante to become a Wolverine.



• Coach, where should I go? Denard Robinson coach says Michigan is in his top two but he is not sure he has a leader at this point. The other school in the top two is rumored to be Kansas State. Florida and Georiga are also still being considered.



• He does have game! Courtney Sims, former Wolverine center (who has been tearing up the development league) signed a 10 day contract with the Phoenix Suns. Who knew?



• Surprise Signing Day Commit? Titusville, Fla., four-star receiver Willie Haulstead (6-3, 210) says Michigan is still in the hunt and he could very well sign with them on 2/4. He might be this years Roy Roundtree. Willie is currently committed to FSU.

I thought Michigan was supposed to be better with LLP?

Now, I'm not knocking this kid. I think he will be a very good player for Michigan. I just don't understand what is going on with this team right now. The game last night against Penn State was a complete joke. They were not ready to play at all. I know they are young, but the plan can't be to live and die with the 3, can it?

Laval Lucas Perry is a good player but I'm not sure what he has done to get all his minutes. He missed all 6 of his three point shots last night. It seems the make up of this team has changed since he started. The walk ons are not getting as many minutes and the Michigan basketball team has seemly lost their energy/hustle on the court.

I could be wrong, but what has changed since the start of the Big Ten? You can't say the competition is better, because Michigan beat now #2 Duke and #11 UCLA. I know defenses are now, playing more zone against Michigan and not giving open 3's, but if that is the case then Sims and Gibson should be getting lay ups.

I maybe way off, but something is wrong with this team right now. Maybe they were just hot early and now cold, but something has to change and change fast.

BTW: Jevohn Shepherd finally got some minutes last night. He had 4 points in limited action.

Breaking News: Greg Robinson

We are getting initial reports that Greg Robinson has finalized details on becoming Michigan's next Defensive Coordinator. An official announcement has not been set.

As we know, Greg is the former head coach for Syracuse University and former Defensive Coordinator for the two time Super Bowl Champions Denver Broncos.

More on Greg can be read here from a post from last week.

Update: it's offical. Here are some quotes via Rivals:

"Greg brings a wealth of experience as a defensive coordinator, both at the collegiate and professional level," said Rodriguez. "We are excited to have Greg, Laura and their entire family, join our Michigan family.

I know that Greg will work well with our defensive staff, entire football staff and players.""I'm excited for Greg and Laura to join the great Michigan tradition and happy for Rich, his staff and the Wolverine program because they're getting a super family and one of the best defensive coordinators in the country," current Texas head coach Mack Brown said.

"The first thing I think about when I think of Coach Robinson is his passion for coaching and love of the game," former Longhorns' linebacker Derrick Johnson said. "He's a players coach who is very patient with his players and works well with everyone. He knows how to get his point across about what he expects and has you prepared for everything on game day.

Here is Coach Robinson's resume:

• Head Coach, Syracuse, 2005-2008
• Coordinator/LB coach, Texas, 2004
• Defensive Coordinator, Kansas City Chiefs, 2001-03
• Defensive Coordinator, Denver Broncos, 1995-2000
• Defensive Coordinator, New York Jets, 1994
• Asst. Coach/DL coach, New York Jets, 1990-93
• Offensive Coordinator, UCLA, 1989
• Asst. Coach/DL coach, UCLA, 1982-88
• Asst. Coach, N.C. State, 1980-81
• Asst. Coach, Cal State Fullerton, 1977-79
• Asst. Coach, Pacific, 1975-7

Feel free to start cheering or panicking now...........

Michigan Recruiting: Needs vs Recruits

Signing day is two weeks from tomorrow so it's time to start looking at the final needs vs recruits for the remaining 2009 class. One side note, we all know a "full" class is 25 kids. Michigan had a very unique thing happen this month, they had 7 kids enroll early (Campbell, Emilien, Forcier, Hawthorne, Jones, LaLota, and Smith). That is the largest class of early enrollees in Michigan history. If you have kids enroll early, you can use a scholarship from the current class (2009) or last seasons class (2008) if you had extra. Michigan does have extra spots due to the departure of two linebackers in fall practice and Sam McGuffie.

So from a numbers standpoint, Michigan currently has 7 kids locked in and 13 others verbally committed. Standard procedure would be to sign 5 more kids, but Michigan could easily sign as many as 8 more recruits on February 4th.

Now on to the needs vs recruits and how this class may shape up over the next two weeks:

Wide Reciever: Michigan has made it clear it still wants one more WR in this class. They are looking at two guys to fill that need. First is Je'Ron Stokes a 4 star WR and "soft" commit to Tennesse. Je'ron was in Ann Arbor last weekend and enjoyed his visit. Second, is more of a slot WR Travante Stallworth who coach Rod and staff are high on. Michigan really doesn't need another slot in this class but Travante has skills as a QB as well. Travante, is a "soft" commit to Auburn but Coach Rod and Coach Jackson are paying him an in home visit this week. Four star receiver Willie Haulstead currently a Florida State commit is also still on Michigan's radar and happens to be close to Tate Forcier. With that said, many believe Willie will stay in Florida. Look for Michigan to take Je'Ron and Travante if they want to become Wolverines. (they even could take Willie as well if he wanted to come North). Don't forget Michigan has two high profile WR's coming in 2010 as well.

QuarterBack: Why did Coach Rod go to the bank? He needed his Quarter Back. I know that is an old joke, but it happens to be true for the Wolverines. Michigan who once had 3 different highly ranked QB's committed to this class, currently only has one (who has already enrolled!). Which means Michigan needs to quickly find one more QB in this class for depth at the position. Michigan is recruiting this position hard and really only has two options at this point: One is 4 Star Athlete Denard Robinson out of Florida and basically a 2 star long shot Austin Dantin who is planning a visit to Ann Arbor. Michigan very much wants Denard and is also recruiting his teammate Adrian Witty who is a DB. If Denard goes Blue, Rich Rod and staff will also take Witty, if Denard stays in Florida look for Austin to get a offer. If neither work out, Michigan will look to preferred walk-ons to play a role as back up QB's.

Defensive Line: How could this be a need? Michigan has two highly ranked Defensive Ends in this class, One 5 star DT and two 4 star DT's. How can this still be a need you ask? Well, the two 4 star guys (Jones and Graves) are still taking visits to other schools and are considered "soft" commits until they sign their LOI at Michigan or another school. So Michigan keeps recruiting that position with out a Defensive Coordinator. The "word" on the street is Michigan will probably keep Jones or Graves but not both. Meaning, Bennie Logan a visitor to Ann Arbor last weekend is still in play as well as 4 star DE Sam Montgomery a visitor on January 9th. If Jones and Graves stay Blue, then Michigan would only take Montgomery but if conventional thinking prevails, it's most likely Jones and Logan on signing day. I would love to see, Jones, Graves, and Montgomery all sign Blue on the 4th.

DB: Michigan would love another cover corner but there really just isn't too many guys
available. It's most likely Witty as a package with Denard Robinson or bust.

LB: Is another area of need, but Michigan isn't really involved with two many prospects. Michigan has a deep class in Safeties and may look to covert some of those guys. Barkevious Mingo who visited Ann Arbor two weeks ago is not expected to become a Wolverine.

If I had to rate the positions of need 1-5, with 5 being a high need and 1 being low:

QB: 4
WR: 3
OL: 2
DL:3
DB: 3
LB: 3

Here is who I would love to see become Blue in two weeks. These guys are either high on Michigan or have stated Michigan is leading:

• Marcus Hall, OT from Ohio (most likely heading to OSU but still likes Michigan)
• Denard Robinson, QB
• Adrian Witty, DB
• Je'Ron Stokes, WR
• Sam Montgomery, DE
• Pearlie Graves, DT
• DeQuinta Jones, DT
• Travante Stallworth, Slot/QB

Michigan would take all these guys in a heart beat.

New Photo of Inside the Big House and Super Bowl

Above is a new photo of the East Side of the Big House. Seems they are coming along on the construction.

The new Basketball Practice Facility was proposed to the Michigan Regents today at a tune of $23M. It seems like they could get a new Crisler Arena for that cost. The new facility would attach to the east side of Crisler Arena and be built into the current hill and parking lot.

Would you be surprised to learn that the Wolverines have 9 former players or coaches in this years Super Bowl?

Steelers: Starting linebackers Larry Foote and LaMarr Woodley and Harold Goodwin, assistant offensive line coach is a former Wolverine player and graduate assistant.

Cardinals: Wide receiver Steve Breaston, defensive tackle Gabe Watson, defensive end Alan Branch, tight end Jerame Tuman, linebacker Victor Hobson and defensive backs coach Teryl Austin.

Side Notes: Teryl Austin is rumored to be a Defensive Coordinator candidate at Michigan. Nick Sheridan's dad Bill was named Defensive Coordinator for the New York Giants.

The Cardinals did not have a comment when asked: Which round would they be selecting Michigan Senior Defensive Lineman Terrance Taylor in? :-)

Michigan Recruiting Blizzard

• Je'Ron Stokes a 4 star WR visited Ann Arbor this weekend and the initial reports are that the visit went very well.
• Michigan commitment DeQuinta Jones DT, of Bastrop, La., had a good visit with Auburn this past weekend. Also in the mix are Arkansas and Oklahoma.
• Travante Stallworth visited South Carolina this weekend. “I am still committed to Auburn, but they (USC) are up there in the mix,” Stallworth said. “My top three are Michigan, Auburn and South Carolina.” Coach Rod is going to visit Travante at home this week. Michigan would like Travante at Slot WR and maybe even at QB.
• Sam Montgomery DE who visited Ann Arbor last weekend visited North Carolina this past weekend.
• Barkevious Mingo LB visited LSU this weekend and is getting a little tired of the recruiting process: “To be honest, I am getting a little tired of it all, mostly all of the attention that comes with it. It’s tiring,” Mingo said. But “I’m not going to commit this weekend. I have come this far. I might as well wait it out. I am ruling out a commitment this weekend.”
• Chris Bond a 6-foot-7, 323-pound offensive tackle has Michigan in his top 5 and will announce today. Expect Chris to go North Carolina.
• FL QB Denard Robinson is getting recruited by Michigan, Florida, and Georgia. Most guess that Denard's decision will come down to Michigan and Florida. One potential positive for the Wolverines is they have space in this class and a need for Denard's teammate, DB Adrian Witty. It's unknown if the Gators will give Adrian an offer. On a side note from Varsity Blue: (many schools are recruiting Denard at DB and not as a QB) Photographer Tim Casey and I visited him at practice for the Dade-Broward All-Star Game this weekend, he certainly has a big-time arm. While his size isn’t the greatest (even 6-0 might be a little generous), Robinson is an incredible athlete and deserves every opportunity to play the position on the next level.
• Michigan is also planning on getting a visit from Austin Dantin a QB from Florida. Austin is 6'2", 185 lbs., runs a 4.5 in the 40. He is rated a 2 star QB from Rivals and has an offer list from teams like Air Force, App. State, Army, and Central Michigan.

There are only two more weekends left before signing day on 2/4.

Things I don't get about Michigan Basketball

Ok, so the #24 ranked Wolverines have dropped two games this week. One to Illinois on the road and the second to Ohio State last night. In both games, Michigan had a lead but failed to build on it and lost the game in the second half. I know John Beilein is a basketball genius and I'm just a blogger, but here are a couple of things I just don't get about the current squad.

• I thought Laval Lucas-Perry was going to play point guard? I haven't seen him play point once this year.


• If Grady isn't' going to use his speed to penetrate then he is useless in the half court sets. He shoots way too many threes.


• When the other team goes big, why isn't Sims and Gibson on the floor at the same time? Michigan needs size to better match up.


• Where in the world is Senior Jevohn Shepherd? He played a very nice roll in Michigan's pre Big Ten season. He is very athletic and can drive to the hoop. He is getting zero time.


• What is the plan for our half court sets against a zone? It looks like we throw the ball around the three point line until someone throws up a desperation 3. We need more drives and kick outs for open 3's. (Calling Jevohn Shepherd? Grady?)


• Manny played very well, last night. But sometimes the rest of the team goes "Chicago Bulls" on us and just waits for Many to make a basket. Someone cut to the basket.


• I really like Zack Novak and Stu Douglass, but they are sort of the same player. Stu is better running the point and Zack does the little things to get loose balls. At times we need more of an athletic player on defense and someone to drive to the hoop. (Shepherd anyone?)


• With the last two games of 7 footers dominating Michigan, why can't Eric Puls get in for a few minutes? At least foul someone so they can earn the 2 points by going to the line.


• Three point shooting is going to be hot and cold each game and even each drive. We need some type of low post game while Sims works out of his slump.

Is this Michigan's New Defensive Coordinator?

Coach, Can I get you a breath mint?

The rumor train has been slow on Michigan's DC search but today it started to take more of a "real" turn. This New York paper even hints that it's a done deal:

Former Syracuse University head football coach Greg Robinson may be headed to the University of Michigan to serve as defensive coordinator. One source said it's a done deal. Another source said they thought Robinson might be involved with UCLA.

How do I feel about this? Well, I don't know really. He has done good things and done really bad things. His last stint as head coach at Syracuse was a disaster. He had an average D at Texas and some really good defenses for the Denver Bronco's and some very poor ones. What I do find very strange is that Michigan seemly would have traded Scott Shafer their 2008 DC to Syracuse for their 2008 head coach.

Taking a walk around the web, here is what some folks have said:

Brian at Mgoblog: Maybe the abject failure at Syracuse was one of recruiting, motivation, and roster assembly, and not schemes, but since Rodriguez doesn't coach the defense at all he's really hiring someone to be head coach of half his team. In that context, Greg Robinson seems like a horrible choice.

Those who stay: With his hayday coming in 1997 and 1998, does he have anything left after going 3-9 at Syracuse? Who knows… Would I give him the chance? If Rich Rodriguez thinks he can work with him and the retained defensive staff buy into Robinson’s scheme, I see no reason why he cannot turn around the sieve that was Shafer’s 2008 Michigan defensive squad.

Pro's: He's been a Pro and has a lot of NFL experience. Even though he didn't do well as a head coach be probably can game plan and make adjustments as well as anyone. I would expect his knowledge of the game to be pretty high.

Con's: His age is a factor on a pretty young staff, he is also known as a poor recruiter (then again you try to recruit to Syracuse?). Does he have the energy to do this job? This isn't Lloyd Carr's Michigan anymore.

Not sure I'm in love with this choice (if he is the guy) and I'm not sure I hate it. The reason Shafer was shipped to Syracuse was he couldn't get along with RR's staff and his unit struggled all year long. Coach Rod has been around for awhile and knows a ton of coaches and coached against Robinson in the Big East, so he must see something in him. I hope he is right.

Heck how about Gruden? I hear he is available!

Friday "Frost Warning" Edition

• Ron English adds "Wheat" to his coaching staff: Ron English the new head coach at Eastern Michigan and former DC at U of M has hired one of Michigan's famous running backs Tyrone Wheatly. "Wheat" will coach up Eastern's running backs.
• Coach Rod spoke at a coaches clinic in Battle Creek yesterday: here is the link, it's about a 5 minute video.
  
• Curtis Granderson's Celebrity Shootout has some famous names playing/attending: Braylon Edwards, former U-M football coach Lloyd Carr, Drew Henson, David Terrell, U of M swimmer Peter Vanderkaay, and of course Kid Rock! If you want to attend this weekend, please visit http://www.grandkidsfoundation.org/.
• Arkansas really likes "things" from Michigan: former Michigan QB Ryan Mallet and now this? Sources are saying that John L. Smith may join the razorbacks as an assistant coach. Good Luck with that one!
• Visitors this weekend: Je'Ron Stokes WR "soft Tennessee commit", Jeremy Gallon Slot and Brendan Gibbons KR current Michigan commits, and Benny Logan a 3 star DE from LA. Goal for the weekend: keep Gallon and Gibbons committed and get Je'Ron to drink the kool-aide!

Thursday "It's Cold!" Update

• The Wolverine shooting was as cold as the weather last night as Michigan dropped it's game at Illinois 66-51. Simms couldn't get going last night and Michigan got dominated by Mike Tisdale a lanky 7"1 center from Illinois. Mike had a career night scoring 24 points against the Wolverines. In situations like this, I would like to see Michigan have Gibson and Simms on the floor at the same time. I know it would hurt outside shooting but it would give Michigan a better chance at rebounds and provide better low post defense.
  
• Jayron Hosley, a CB from Florida was scheduled to visit both Michigan and Ohio State the next two weekends. Jayron was told by both Michigan and Ohio State that they are now solid at CB and to please cancel his visit. If you read between the lines: Michigan does need CB's and the coaches know that Hosley is a lock to attend South Florida and they don't want to waste his time or Michigan's money on a trip were he wasn't serious about becoming a Wolverine.



• The latest rumor on the DC search is: that Greg Robinson is in Ann Arbor, "looking around". It seems a little strange that Michigan would trade it's DC to Syracuse for their former head coach. At this point, these are only rumors but we will see. IMO, Rich needs to make a decision pretty soon, signing day is 2/4 and these kids want to know who their coach is going to be.



• Michigan has offered a 2010 scholarship to Florida DB Lo Wood. Lorenza Wood is right now rated as a 4 star prospect, 5-11, 163 lbs., runs a 4.56 and is from Apopka, FL.



• New Scout Rankings: Justin Turner gets his 5th star but LaLota loses his.



• Are your ready to become a Wolverine? Are you ready to hit somebody? Do you want to run throught the tunnel and play in front of 110,000 people? Well if you are, Michigan football is holding it's third open try out. Put down the beer and pizza and get over there and run a 4.4 in the 40!

• Remember that un-ranked 6"4 QB from Louisiana that runs a 4.4 and threw for 2400 yards- Brandon Mitchell? Scouts is saying he committed to Arkansas yesterday. The rumor is he was very interested in watching Ryan Mallet fumble snaps for 3 years.



• I know Ohio State has a ton of talent on it's roster, but to think Brain Hartline announced he is entering the NFL draft is a little crazy. I'm not an NFL draft expert but this smells a lot like an Adrian Arrington mistake to me, here are the reasons why: first off, the kid looks like "howdy doody", second: he caught 21 balls for 456 yards last year with 4 touchdowns. That's a good game for Michael Crabtree. I wish Brian good luck, but I don't see him being a high draft pick.

special shout out to the mzone..............

Top Recruits and More Defensive Coordinator Rumors

• Some in the Detroit media have implied that Michigan State has taken a lead on Michigan in recruiting (mostly in-state). MSU has put together a good class, they even got a new commitment from in-state TE Dion Sims today who "Sparty" said could play both basketball and football. (Michigan stopped recruiting Dion this summer) With that said, Michigan is not ready to give up the "Big Brother" of recruiting title. Michigan has landed the top player in-state 5 star DE/OT "Big" William Campbell and the top player in Ohio, DB Justin Turner. Big Will is ranked as the #26 player in the country and Justin is ranked at #35 jumping 28 spots after a very good performance in the Army All American game. Justin is one slot away from receiving his 5th star. “He was in serious consideration for a fifth star,” said Rivals.com national analyst Barry Every. “The only thing that kept him from that was whether he can really be a corner and what is his top speed. He basically can play either safety positions, and someone like that is not limited. If he plays strong safety, he’s not afraid to hit and if he’s going to be a free safety, he’s a ball hawk.”
• Number of Players in Rivals Top 250 Rankings: Michigan 10, Michigan State 4, Ohio State 14.
• Nader Furrha Update: If you remember, Nadar is the local Ann Arbor Pioneer HS QB that was planning on enrolling early and competing for a back up QB role for the Wolverines. Well, it seems Pioneers semester doesn't end until January 23rd which makes it too late for Nader to enroll at Michigan in January. I've still got my mind made up on going to Michigan," Furrha said. "I wanted to get the head start, but there's nothing I can do about it right now. I'm just going to work out and get ready for the upcoming season."
• Two new candidates rumored for Michigan's DC opening that are making waves on message boards are: Greg Robinson (ex DC at Texas and former head man at Syracuse) and Tyrone Nix (Ole Miss DC).
• Michigan plays Illinois tonight at 8:30 on the BTN. If you don't get the BTN check their web site for a live Internet feed of the game. This is the second time in 10 days that these two teams have meant and Illinois will be looking for revenge on their home court. This will be a very good test for the Wolverines.

Big House NightLine Edition

Sorry for the late post today. I was traveling and didn't have time to put up a complete post.

• The search for Michigan's new Defensive Coordinator has been very quiet since Scott Shafer left his post. In fact, Scott has even found a new job as Syracuse's new DC. So what's the deal? Coach Rod keeps saying things; like he wanted to wait for the bowls to be over (they are!) and wants to take his time to get the right fit for his staff and Michigan. Mgoblog is reporting two potential candidates names are making rounds at this weeks coaching convention. One is former Michigan DC Jim Herrmann who is currently the Linebacker coach for the NY Jets and the other is DB coach for Florida, Chuck Heater. As Mgoblog puts it, the Michigan faithful almost ran Jim Herrmann out of town back in 2005 and would not be a popular choice to say the least. Chuck on the other hand is a former Wolverine player and has been known as a great recruiter but only has one year DC experience in a short stint at Toledo. More to come on this story.............
• Two big names are visiting Ann Arbor this weekend; Je'Ron Stokes a 4 star WR and "soft" Tennesse commit and Jayron Hosley a defensive back. The word is that Je'Ron is seriously considering Michigan and has become friends with 2010 Michigan commit FL WR Ricardo Miller. Jayron is a long shot at this point with some pretty good evidence that he will stay in Florida.
• Remember when Michigan had a ton of QB depth for 2009 with the likes of Kevin Newsome, The Beaver, and Tate Forcier? With the loses of Newsome and Beaver this position still needs some much needed depth from this recruiting class. Michigan took a preferred walk on status from local HS QB Nader Furrha and Florida 4 star athlete Denard Robinson visited last weekend. Michigan is now reportedly looking at a "not rated" 2009 QB from Louisiana named Brandon Mitchell. Brandon is a dual threat QB who also plays some basketball. He is 6"4, 220 lbs and runs a 4.5 40. Last year he rushed 116 times for 876 yards and scored 3 TD's, he passed for 2400 yards and 28 TD's with 5 picks. This kid could have some real potential! Brandon is also visiting Ann Arbor this weekend.
• At halftime of this weekends basketball game against OSU. Michigan will honor the 20 year reunion of Michigan's National Championship Team from 1989. It's been 20 years? Yikes! Let some of these names wash over you: Demetrius Calip (#13, Guard), Joe Czupek (Student Manager), Michael Griffin (#20, Forward), Sean Higgins (#24, Forward), Mark Hughes (#55, Center, Captain), Marc Koenig (#30, Guard), Terry Mills (#52, Forward), Dan Minert (Athletic Trainer), Glen Rice (#41, Forward, Captain, jersey honored, All-American), Eric Riley (#42, Center), Rumeal Robinson (#21, Guard, All-American), Greg Taylor (Student Manager) and Loy Vaught (#35, Center).

Good Night Now!

Weekend Results: Recruiting, Basketball, and Hockey

This past weekend was a big weekend for recruiting for the Wolverine Football. They had a number of guys come in that they hope to sign to a LOI on February 4th. Let's break down who was in (that isn't a current commit) and their probability that they will join Big Blue:

• Sam Montgomery, 4 star DE, his impression of the visit: "It went pretty good, I can't complain," Montgomery said Sunday night. "I was impressed by the bond of the players. They were all family. I loved them to death. There's no selfishness. They are all on the same page. They are ready to win some games. And playing opportunity is there. I'm high on Michigan right now. They are two steps ahead of everybody. But I'll wait and make my decision after all the visits." This is good news, but I would still rank his probability of being a Wolverine at MEDIUM - I believe he will head to LSU.
• Marcus Hall, 5 Star OT from Ohio, his impression of the visit: both recruiting services are saying that Hall enjoyed his visit to Ann Arbor and Scout's is even saying that Hall has Michigan has his #1 now. I would rate his probability of becoming a Wolverine as LOW, as I believe he will end up at OSU. Marcus is Ohio State's Big Will Campbell.
• Denard Robinson, 4 star athlete, his impressions of the visit: I believe Denard like his visit to Ann Arbor and Michigan is also recruiting one of his teammates Adrian Witty (a two star CB). As you have seen, Coach Rod and staff like to recruit teammates and it's been a successful recruiting tactic these past two seasons. I would rate both Denard and Adrian's chances at becoming a Wolverine as HIGH. Both of these positions are big needs for the Wolverines. If the snow didn't scare the Florida boys I think they will choose Michigan.
• Travante Stallworth, 4 star WR and current Auburn commit: Travante really enjoyed his visit to the Wolverines and Terrence Robinson was his host. He really enjoyed the coaches, the players, and the other recruits on the visit. They had dinner at RR's house and he was very impressed. He is taking visits to South Carolina, Auburn, and Mississippi State before he makes a decision. If the pressure isn't too great to stay South, I think Travante becomes Blue. I rank the probability as Medium with a high upside!
• Barkevious Mingo, 4 star LB: I haven't heard a thing on his visit, which is usually bad news. Mingo didn't have Michigan in his top 3 before he came to Ann Arbor and I'm not getting any word that has changed. Probability is very LOW.

__________

• The Michigan Basketball team took care of business on Sunday by beating Iowa soundly at home 64-49. The game wasn't even that close. Manny lead the Wolverines with 18 and Simms had 16. Michigan next plays Illinois on the road on Wednesday. They will need to play better then they did against IU on the road this past week. Highlights here!
• For those of you that follow Hockey, Michigan had a very nice weekend on the rink by beating Miami of Ohio 5-1 on Saturday and 4-0 on Sunday.

Big Recruiting Weekend - Big Snow

So one of the downsides of recruiting the speed of "the South" is having recruits come to Ann Arbor in January when it's cold and snowing. They don't get to see how nice the weather can be in Ann Arbor in April through September. So Michigan's biggest hope is that the tradition, coaches, facilities, eduction and of course Mike Barwis are so impressive they don't even think twice about the white stuff and the 20 degree weather.

This weekend is the first weekend since the silent period where players can go back on the road and do official visits. Michigan currently has 20 committed players with 5 spots still open. There are a number of important prospects coming in this weekend and to say the least, Michigan would take commitments from all of them.

Coming in this weekend are the following recruits:

Sam Montgomery, DE

Denard Robinson, QB

Adrian Witty, CB

Travante Stallworth, WR

Marcus Hall, OT

Barkevious Mingo, LB

Michael Schofield and Cameron Gordon (current commitments)

Wolverine NightLine Updates

• Beanie Wells and PJ Hill head to the NFL. That is some serious NFL poundage!
• Sophomore wide receiver Junior Hemingway was granted a medical redshirt after getting mono and other injuries.
• MSC points out that Michigan seems to be having trouble getting to 22 recruits for the 2009 class. Michigan has been at 21 recruits 3 times when someone has de-committed.
• Dennis Thames will make an official visit to Michigan during the last weekend of January and the last weekend before signing day on 2/4. Dennis came to Ann Arbor this summer and was very impressed. His recruitment has been very quiet since. Dennis is a 4 star Safety/TE.
• From the Weekly Ex-MSU Spartans Legal Blotter: Dixon Edwards III, former Michigan State linebacker admitted in court outside of Cincinnati that he hasn't paid over $70,000 in child support payments.

Quick Hit Thursday

• There is some game on tonight? Is Ohio State playing in it?
• Michigan doesn't like playing in Indiana and hasn't won there since 1995. Well, they came back from being down 20 points in the second half to beat the worst team in the Big Ten. Don't be fooled by this team, they are still young, and will need to scrap for every win the get. Any road win in the Big Ten is a good win. Just don't expect this team to "go Duke game" every time they hit the floor.
• Peace Out: Dwayne Peace at 3 star WR from Texas says he is out and wants to look at other schools. Michigan wants him to play corner and he wants to catch the ball on offense.
• per Sam Web from the Scouts and Detroit News: It sounds like Michigan is still leading for Quinton Washington a 305 pound Offensive Lineman. With that said, Quinton is taking visits this weekend to schools closer to home like Clemson and soon South Carolina. He doesn't plan to announce his school for a few weeks or on signing day 2/4.
• On a day where the Michigan Basketball team played like they did under Tommy Amaker, Tommy had the biggest win in Harvard history by beating ranked Boston College. BC just beat some team named North Carolina.

Ann Arbor Pioneer QB to Michigan

As a proud former graduate of Ann Arbor's Pioneer High School (the first public high school in Michigan), I am happy to report that Nader Furrha, Pioneer's QB from this past fall has decided to turn down scholarship offers from Grand Valley State and Saginaw Valley to be a recruited walk on to the Michigan Football program. There were also some interest from MAC schools, but Nader couldn't turn down the chance to be a Wolverine.

"It was a tough decision, but I just felt comfortable with the coaches,'' Furrha said. "I think I can go in there, work hard and earn a spot. "The coaches told me I'd get the same shots as everyone else. I'll be treated the same as everyone else.''

Bio Blast:

• 6-foot-1-inch, 180-pound dual-threat quarterback


• Has enrolled early


• Twice the first-team quarterback on The Ann Arbor News' All-area team


• He ran for 1,168 yards and 14 touchdowns and threw for 1,100 yards and seven touchdowns


• Highlight video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_EIV5S9vXc&eurl=http://b5.boards2go.com/boards/board.cgi?action=read&id=1231345198&user=mabee

Wolverine Wednesday News and Notes

• Wacky time for the Michigan - IU tip tonight, 6:30 EST on the Big Ten Network. They must think it's still Christmas or New Years Eve.
• Looks like the Spring Game is back at the Big House on April 11th. It was played at Saline High School last year. Darn it, I was hoping it would be played at the Silver Dome on the old astro turf!
• Scout gives their opinion on Wolverine recruits that are trending up or down:
• UP - J.T. Turner, 6-2/185, Defense Back, Massillon, Ohio Michigan Commitment
  Turner is currently rated as a four-star safety, but from what we saw out of him this week makes us believe that he can play cornerback. He deserves to be one of the top fifty players in the nation. At 6-foot-2, 185-pounds, it is rare to see a kid with that kind of size that can open his hips and run with anyone, but yet still physical enough to hit like a safety and squat on the run.
  Down - Anthony LaLota, 6-5/260, Lineman, The Hun School, N.J. Michigan Commitment
  LaLota insisted on being a defensive end and wants to play defensive end in college. He played defensive end in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, and he struggled all week. To me he is a very average defensive player who moves very well. As an offensive lineman, the sky is the limit. Since he wants to be a defensive end and Michigan recruited him as a defensive end we're going to rank him as defensive player.
  Down - Taylor Lewan, 6-7/270, Offensive Lineman, Chaparral, Ariz. Michigan Commitment Physically, he's a freak, but he's got to get a little better in his technique to really make that next level. On Wednesday he played above his head, but as the week went on, he struggled with his technique.
• My thoughts on the above: None of the information concerns me. Anthony has not been playing football long enough to have all the skills needed at this point and Taylor has been on the offensive line for a year. Both recruits have huge upsides and both will contribute in a few years. Looks like Turner might play right away and even earn a 5th star.
• Morgan Trent and Terrance Taylor both will play in the Shrine All Star Game.
• Former Michigan and Detroit Lions QB coach Scot Loeffler has been named the new quarterbacks coach at Florida. Maybe one more year with Tebow!
• I know many fans have been concerned that Coach Rod wants a 3-3-5 defense and is targeting a new defensive coordinator that knows that formation well. Coach Rod addressed that in a radio interview yesterday: "You can't just be a 3-4 guy or a 4-3 guy. At West Virginia we ran a 3-3-5 base, which was a little different. We'll maintain here the 4-3, 3-4 principle," he insisted. "We did a lot of 3-4 stuff in our second- and third-down packages this year, and we'll continue to do more four-man and odd front."
• More from RR on his DC search: "The process is very early right now," said Rodriguez. "I've talked to some guys on the phone, gathering information on things. I've talked to guys on the current staff. I'm going to take time with it, not going to rush into what I want to do defensively. "The coordinator is a concern whether it's in house or out of house, and I also want to make sure to leave all doors open. The national coaches convention is next week, there will be 5,000-plus coaches. I'll see guys there. There are still bowl games and NFL games to be played. I want to leave all options open for the for best fit not only for the University of Michigan, but for what we have our team, recruiting and our current staff."

Michigan's 2009 Recuruting Class: Down the Stretch They Come

So Michigan picked up the "crown jewel" of the 2009 class by getting the commitment/enrollment of "Big Will" Campbell a 5 star DT last weekend at the Army All American Bowl. Big Will was the 21st commitment for the Wolverines for the 2009 class, which leaves them with 4 more spots to fill by signing day February 4th, 2009. There are only 4 official visit weekends left.

Which positions does Michigan need to fill with the remaining spots? Needs in order of importance:

1. Another QB to back fill the Beaver. Really, Michigan has two targets for this spot. One is a huge reach and not likely, the other could happen. The long shot is 5 star QB Tajh Boyd who was recently was the star of the Army Bowl showing quickness in the pocket and a strong arm. Tajh has also mentioned he has been talking to Michigan but does not have an official visit set up yet. The more likely scenario is Denard Robinson who is a 4 star QB from Florida and is visiting this weekend.
2. A big WR to replace Bryce McNeal: Michigan has dusted off the snake oil bottle to look for another tall WR for this class. The two best prospects do have officials set up for the month of January. Je'Ron Stokes is a "soft" Tennessee commit and Travante Stallworth who is a "soft" Auburn commit. Je'Ron showed nice WR skills in the Army game and Travante has said he really likes Michigan's tradition. My feeling is one of the two will commit to the Wolverines.
3. Another DB: Good corner backs are very hard to find because most High School "athletes" play on the offensive side of the ball. So coaches have to either find diamonds in the rough or go "Morgan Trent" (take a fast guy and turn him into a corner). If Michigan can find a solid corner they will definitely use a final 4 spot on them.
4. A LB to replace the Freshman losses from last year. Some will disagree with me on this one but I think Michigan still needs a LB in this class. I know RR likes to take quick Safeties and bulk them up to play LB, but I still believe Michigan needs a true LB in this class. Barkevious Mingo is a very high profile LB that is taking a visit but currently doesn't have Michigan is his top 3. So don't expect a Mingo commitment anytime soon. The other options might be Tana Patrick (but Michigan needs to step it up to beat the Southern schools) and Dan Mason from Pittsburgh. Michigan hasn't offered Mason yet and there have been some rumors about some academic eligibility issues but if he makes the grade he could be a nice fit in this spot. Mingo and Patrick would be the first choices. My gut tells me that Michigan won't get another LB with the final 4 spots.

So your allowed to sign 25 players a year and if Michigan filled the above spots and don't lose any recruits that would equal a full class, but..........................

• Michigan will have an estimated 6 players enrolling in January. Meaning they can use a scholarship from the 2008 or 2009 class.
• Many schools are over signing recruiting classes because they know they will lose guys to injury, grades, transfers, and other bad things.
• Currently there are two "soft" commits on the defensive line in Pearlie Graves and DeQuinta Jones. Both are still taking visits closer to home. If both commits become "solid" Michigan is done at the DT spot.

Ok, so you are hinting Michigan might take more then 25 players in this class? They might rabbit, they might. (for you bugs bunny fans)

Ok, smart a-- where would they go with those extra spots?

• A wild card if Michigan doesn't get another QB in this class is Hollad Michigan QB AJ Westendorp. Michigan would prefer him to be a preferred walk on, but if they don't land Boyd or Robinson they might have to use a scholarship on AJ.
• Michigan always likes to sign a deep class of offensive lineman: They still have a few high profile ones on the board like Marcus Hall, Travis Bond, Quinton Washington, but I feel Michigan might have it's best shot at Chris Freeman a 6"8 315 lbs. kid from Ohio that has only been playing football for a couple of years. He would be a project but could end up with a big upside.
• One More DE: Sam Montgomery has shown interest in Michigan and they are interested in him. Michigan is already solid at DE with the commitment of LaLota and Roh but this position has not been recruited well the last 3 years and Michigan would take one more quality guy.

I Challenge You to a QB Duaaal...........

Even Dora the Explorer would have been proud of the Fiesta last night. An embattled Big Ten Team against the shinny new and explosive Texas Longhorns. It was was scheduled to be a blow out but came out as a last second thriller. Both teams held slim leads in the second half, before Texas's Junior QB threw a touchdown pass with 16 seconds left in the game.

What was the difference? "Running QB's make first downs, throwing QB's throw touchdowns".

First off, let me say that Terrelle Pryor is a "Freak". Being 6"6 and having speed like that is just crazy good. We also have to remember he is a freshmen and most freshmen don't start their college careers with the throwing accuracy and knowledge of Joe Montana. We all remember Colt's first game against OSU. It wasn't pretty either.

The difference is being able to make the throws that you need out of a QB. TP will get there, but he isn't there yet. We sometimes get blinded by "unbelievable" talents like Pryor, who is an amazing athlete but right now is more running back then quarterback. Why is it that some guys come out of high school a more polished passer then others? Are they so good at running the ball, they don't need to pass in High School? If that is true, those coaches are doing a dis-service to the Kevin Newsome's and Russell Shepard's of the world.

Either way, we all want a perfect QB. He has to have a strong arm, make great decisions, throws the ball accurately, and has the ability to make a first down with his feet when there is nobody open. I believe a QB has to be a better passer then runner. I know Pat White and Vince Young would disagree, but if your going to win consistently in today's football environment, your QB has to be a weapon with his arm first.

I think Colt McCoy is a very nice mix of both and you saw that on display in the 4th quarter. When TP gets older and wiser, he might be in the same position.

BTW: What took "the Vest" so long to use both QB's this year? I know it didn't always work well, but when it's third a long, Todd Boeckman gives the Buckeyes the best chance to throw for a first down.

As Michigan fans we are all holding our breath that Tate "the future" Forcier is just like McCoy.

Buckeye Monday: Fiesta Preview

Buckeyes invade Phoenix…..Part IV.

Is it still Bowl Season? Is there a game tonight? I almost forgot. This has been the most forgettable bowl season I can ever remember. I was trying to avoid spending any time doing any in-depth analysis for this game but just when I thought I was out…..Big House Bob pulled me back in.

Going into the BCS games I was pretty comfortable that there were 5 teams that could legitimately claim a spot in the BCS game on Thursday….Texas, Alabama, USC, Oklahoma and Florida. Those 5 teams were head and shoulders better than the next 5 teams in the rankings. Alabama’s poor showing in the Sugar Bowl whittled that number down to 4. I don’t think any of these teams would be too eager to take on the Trojans with the BCS title at stake. The system is flawed…we all know that…so I won’t get in to who should be playing who.

Tonight’s game will be Ohio State’s 5th trip to the Phoenix area in the past 7 years. While it’s still exciting for some, I’m a little down on the game….for three reasons.

#1 See above listing of schools. Ohio State is not even close to making that list. I think they are appropriately ranked at #10 in the polls. However, the gap between 1-4 and 5-10 is gaping.

#2 Ohio State’s performance in their last two BCS games has been disappointing on many levels. They were over confident and out coached against Florida. They were under confident and out coached against LSU. What combination can we hope for tonight? A clue might be Tressel’s decision to hold Pryor out of media day. I think that was a mistake. His rationale was that TP would be better served spending time in meetings and watching film. I think that’s crazy. He is the leader of the team. He needs to be put in situations on and off the field that demonstrates the coach’s confidence in him. Shielding him from the media just puts more pressure on him. Watching the Rose Bowl last week I was so envious of the environment that Pete Carroll has fostered at USC. His players have soooo much fun playing the game. They just play. There talent level just takes over games. Tressel, on the other hand, creates an entirely different atmosphere. Our players are tight because Tressel is tight. You can’t just change that approach over night and expect different/better results. This leads me to my last reason.

#3 Coaching!!! I have been totally disappointed in the job the coaches have done this year. Yes, the defense has been solid but far too conservative in nature for my liking. I am tired of 2-deep zones and limited blitz packages. Tonight is the night to lock Jenkins up man to man on Quan Cosby and send blitzes at McCoy from all over the field. The same can be said for the offense. Yes, Pryor lead the Big-10 is passing efficiency but heck, that’s not hard to do when you only throw 15 times per game. The lack of imagination in the passing game should be attributed to Bollman and the play of his O-Line. With 4 returning starters I expected more from this group. I said it before and I’ll say it again, Bollman needs to be shown the door.

How will is go?

Not well. Beanie will get 25-30 carries in his last game as a Buckeye. I think he will pick up lots of yards between the 20s but will not see the end zone. We’ve already heard about special plays with Boekman and Pryor in the same formation. Why we heard about it before the game is beyond me. I like the idea but it needs to be pretty special to work against the Texas defense.

I think we keep it close in the first half. Our defense can hang with their offense. Say 17-10. We won’t have any answers for “McCoy to Shipley” in the second half and the final score will be 31-13.

Such is life……

Go Bucks!!!!

Buckeye John

A Wolverine Weekend

There hasn't been a ton of things to smile about around these parts the past 10 months or so. When the Wolverines have a good weekend it's something we should sit back and enjoy.

If you missed it, here are the "good" things that happened over of the weekend:

• The Michigan Basketball team had a nice and needed win on Sunday over Illinois 74-64. Michigan needed this win after dropping their Big Ten season opener against Wisconsin.
  
  
  
  
  
• 5 Star DT (or OT) Big William Campbell became a Wolverine for the second time.
• Justin Turner played well in the Army All American Bowl and even had a nice "Woodson like" interception in the 4th Quarter. "Actually, Charles Woodson is my favorite player," Turner remarked. "It was a great play I made. I played the receiver perfect and just made a great play on the ball."
• Kicker Brendan Gibbons, hit a 35 yard field goal, averaged 61 yards on every kickoff, hit 3 out of 4 extra points (1 was blocked) and did miss a 46 yard field goal. "It was my first time ever kicking off the ground when I kicked it from 35, so I thought I did really well," Gibbons said after the game.
• Wide Receiver Jeremy Gallon was limited in game action due to a minor groin injury. He did have a nice 34 yard reception.
• Craig Roh spent most of the time in the backfield sacking and hurrying the Quarterbacks in the Under Armour Game.
• I like the size and coverage skills of Isaiah Bell while he was playing safety in the UA Game. I really think he should be rated higher then 3 stars.
• Tate "the Future" Forcier is in Ann Arbor studying the play book, meeting Barwis (yikes!), and getting ready for school to start. Tate sounds like a Michigan man, check out an interview with him from TomVH at Mgoblog. He is confident and willing to work at becoming the starter for next fall.
• The Un-official list of early enrollees include: Tate Forcier, Anthony LaLota, Mike Jones, Vladimir Emilien, William Campbell, and Brandin Hawthorne.

Video: Big Will's Commitment Dance

So how many of you, thought "Oh Shi..." when he reached for that LSU hat? :-)

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Big Will goes Big Blue (again!)

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Michigan's first commitment to the 2009 becomes it's 21st. Big William Campbell out of Detroit, committed over a year ago to Lloyd Carr and his staff. Well he kept that commitment until mid season when he decided he wanted to take a few visits. Big Will visited Miami, LSU, and Florida before deciding he was a Wolverine today. Big Will is a 5 star prospect at 6"5 - 330 pounds.

As always, here is the inside scoop from Varsity Blue:

Player Notes:

Campbell is a physically dominating player who will need to work on his technique to become equally effective on the college level. He has extraordinary size, great brute strength, and surprising quickness. He is a two-way player in high school (even in all-star games), and has both the explosive first step to play tackle in college, and the intelligence and lateral quickness to move primarily to the offensive line. Whichever position he ends up playing, he will have to improve his technique. Campbell is currently in the midst of the Army All-American Bowl, where he has been one of the (few) consistent players.

Recruiting Notes:

Campbell originally committed to Lloyd Carr’s Wolverines way back in the summer of 2007, before his junior season. When the coaching staff changed, Campbell reaffirmed his commitment to Rich Rodriguez. Despite that, he maintained all along that he would like to take official visits to other schools, if only to get out and see the world a bit. When other coaches (such as Pete Carroll and Les Miles) told Campbell that he could not visit their campuses if he was firmly committed to Michigan, Big Will rescinded his verbal commitment, and went on trips to Alabama, LSU, and Miami. On his official visit to Ann Arbor, Will rushed the court with Michigan students following basketball’s upset win over the Duke Blue Devils. However, coming into Army All-American week, Campbell told the media that he was eliminating Michigan from consideration. In the end, that was all a smoke screen as Campbell donned the Maize-and-Blue cap in the third quarter of the All-American Bowl.

Etc.

Campbell plans to enroll early, and has already done so, as was implied by a unique name being created in the Umich directory in his name a week ago.Campbell is also a teammate of 2010 CB/slot prospect Dior Mathis (along with the other two Cass Tech commits in the class of 2009). Landing Big Will can only help with Dior.

Army All American Bowl or Big Will Commitment Day

• So the game is at Noon at Big Will announce the school of his choice sometime after 12:00. It seems the two horses in the race are Michigan and LSU, I guess only Big Will knows. 73 % of Big House Blog readers feel "Big Will" will pick Michigan.
• The list of official visitors on January 9th have grown with some notable names: Je'Ron Stokes, Jeremy Gallon, Sam Montgomery, Denard Robinson, Travante Stallworth, Bennie Logan, Marcus Hall, Barkevious Mingo, and Michael Schofield. The ones in Blue are already committed to the Wolverines, the names in Green would be great to have in the Maize and Blue.
• For the record: Michigan 23 Utah 25, Sugar Bowl: Utah 31 Alabama 17

New Year Recruiting Blitz

• Michigan has an impressive list of recruits/verbal commits at the HS All Star games this weekend. Current commits included in the Army All American Bowl include: Jeremy Gallon East WR #88, Brendan Gibbons East #19, Anthony LaLota East DE #90, Justin Turner East DB #21. Other Michigan recruits of interest in the game include: William Campbell East DT #73, Marcus Hall East OT #79, Dre Kirkpatrick East DB #13, Je’Ron Stokes East WR #80, Barkevious Mingo West LB #91. Here are the Michigan commits in the Under Armour Game: Isaiah Bell S, Taylor Lewan OL, Craig Roh DE. Other Michigan recruits: Sam Montgomery DE
• Game Times: Army All American Bowl: 12:00 pm Saturday NBC: Under Armour 8:00 pm Sunday ESPN. In case you didn't know; "Big" Will Campbell is expected to announce his college of choice during the Army Bowl.
• A little birdie told me that Anthony LaLota and Mike Jones are both enrolled at Michigan. LaLota is planning to fly to Ann Arbor right after the Army All American Bowl.
• The rumor mill is saying that Rex Ryan the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens will be named the next DC at Michigan. I wouldn't hold your breath on this one. Of course he is also rumored to be on the candidate list for the Lions head coaching job. I wonder which one is a better job?
• OH 3 star CB Dale Peterman is rumored to be selecting Michigan as his college of choice next year. Some have wondered if Dale has even been offered. More to come on this one.
• Rivals is reporting the Sam McGuffie is leaning toward enrolling at Rice. I wish nothing but the best for Sam and hope he is getting solid medical advice regarding his 3 concussions.