Wolverine Wednesday: Michigan Goes 2 for Tuesday with New 2011 Recruits

On Monday of this week, Michigan needed one QB and 3-4 offensive lineman.  On Wednesday morning, they sewed up their QB and finally got the ball rolling with a offensive line commit.

Lets talk about the QB first:

Lake Nona (outside of Orlando) QB Kevin "don't call me Sammy" Sousa made his verbal commitment to the Wolverines.  (For you golf fans Lake Nona has a country club where a number of PGA stars live) Kevin is 6'3 215 pound  3 star QB that has only been playing football for two years.  He was a soccer player before playing QB.  With only two years on the grid iron, his QB skills are a bit raw.   Which is exactly what Michigan needed in the 2011 class.  As you might imagine, Tate Forcier had a QB coach as soon as he could walk, so he is pretty close to his ceiling.  Kevin on the other had has the physical skills, now he just needs to learn to read defenses and work on his passing and foot work skills.

Kevin is doing the right things to improve those skills, he is attending a number of camps/combines and continues to get better each time the recruiting guru's see him.  Tom Luginbill from ESPN weighs in on Kevin:  Once again Kevin Sousa (Lake Nona, Fla./Lake Nona) shows up to an Elite 11 regional camp and each time he gets better. In fact, this was by far his best outing and he is starting to really iron out some kinks in his delivery and become more smooth and fluid as a passer. Athletically he is ultra impressive, but there were times on Friday when he got his feet, timing and delivery to sync up and for that moment, was the best guy in the camp. He can do some things that are very impressive and with a redshirt year, some program is going to get a nice little gem.
 
Here is an ESPN video interview with Kevin from a camp this spring.

With Tate, Denard, and Devin.  Kevin is the perfect QB for this system and perfect to redshirt, work on this QB skills, and be ready in a few years.  Kevin had offers from Illinois, West Virgina, Texas Tech, Vandy, FIU, Louisville, Wake, and many others.

Tim from Mgoblog has his regular high quality write up on Kevin. 




Here are some Spring Game Highlights. Yes, Florida schools have Spring Games!




Now on to the new offensive line recruit:

Jack Miller is a offensive line recruit from Toledo, Ohio who made his commitment to Wolverines yesterday as well.  Jack is 6'4 270 pounds and is rated a 3 star defensive lineman by all the recruiting services.   Wait a second!  A defensive lineman?  Michigan offered him and his preference to play at the next level is on the offensive line.   So the recruiting services are going to have to switch his position.  Which some believe he might be a better fit on defense.  Either way, Jack had an impressive list of offers including the likes of Stanford, WVU, North Carolina, Pitt, MSU, Illinois, BC and many more.   With Michigan needs on both lines, he is a good pick up for whichever position he plays in Ann Arbor. 

Jack is a good local pickup and obviously a Michigan fan.  He fills a position of need but like Kevin might need some time to learn his new role on the offensive line as a guard or center.  You can find another well written piece on Jack from Tim at Mgoblog.

What's next for the Wolverines?

Michigan still needs to fill a couple more skills positions.  Look for one more WR and a RB (D. Hart we hope it's you!).  The rest of the spots will go to defense with an emphasis on defensive line and at linebacker.


Clearly Michigan can thank me for the 2 new recruits, since just yesterday I started listing the 2011 verbals commitments on the left hand tool bar!  :-)

Michigan Tuesday: News and Notes

• Demar Dorsey is now at Louisville and the first transfer from USC after the NCAA brought the hammer, linebacker Jordan Campbell is also transferring to Charlie Strong's ball club. 

• Adam Rittenberg at ESPN wonders out loud where Michigan's 2010 recruiting class now ranks?  It's a fair question on a slow news day but this is life on the recruiting trail.  Not all students you sign make it to campus, it seems to happen every year.   Don't blame RR for Michigan admissions department or kids not being able to get the work done in the classroom or with the SAT or ACT.

•  3 star Safety from Columbus, Ron Tanner is expected to pick Ohio State on Friday. 

• Jon Bills a Michigan Football Player is doing well after a serious car accident.

• Anthony Zettel's top 6 are Cincinnati, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State and UCLA.  Michigan is still his leader and best.

• Mvictors shares some new photos of the stadium. 

Another Example of Brain Damage in Football

As you know if your a regular follower of this blog that I am very interested in the study and prevention of concussions in football.   No matter what level of football you have played, I am sure there was a time when your coach said; "you got your bell rung" or you felt a little foggy.   It used to be a sign of how tough you were to be able to continue playing.  I remember Troy Aikman saying he doesn't remember throwing a touchdown pass in the NFC Championship game after suffering a concussion on the play before. 

Concussions in football have been the sports "dirty little secret" for many years.  The NFL for years completely ignored the importance of concussions or brain damage.  That time is over and now we are learning more everyday on what a life of football can do to your brain.

The latest example comes from the late Chris Henry (former RR player at West Virgina) who died last year trying to jump in the back of pick up truck driven by his finance.   He feel to the ground as the truck was moving and died from multiple head injuries.  During a recent a autopsy, Chris was found to be suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) -- a form of degenerative brain damage caused by multiple hits to the head.  CTE is also know as "punch drunk syndrome" and is found in many boxers.  Basically the disease is an early onset of dementia.  The best way to describe CTE is a 40-50 year old man suffering from CTE will have the brain of an 80-90 year old man. 

CTE can be pinpointed only by autopsy, and even under regular post-mortem analysis, its effects are invisible. But using cell-staining techniques discovered and developed by Bennet Omalu, a neuropathologist who is co-director of BIRI, scientists can see the dangerous tau proteins and telltale tangles that characterize CTE. After staining, normal brain cells are blue and uncluttered under a microscope, while Henry's brain cells were discolored, clumpy and filled with threads, according to the researchers.


You know have to wonder, if some of Chris's unique behavior as an NFL player was caused by this brain damage?  Over 50 NFL players have been found to had this type of brain damage.   There are many studies going on currently on the effects of concussions.   One study currently at North Carolina is studying the effects of regular hits (non concussions) on the brain.  Some researches believe it's not just the concussions that are causing damage but the regular impact taken in practice and during games. 

I have voiced my concern here a number of times for former Michigan running back Sam McGuffie who suffered 3 concussions during his first year of college football.  After taking a year off, Sam resumes his college football career at Rice in the fall.   As one of Rice's most talented players, I expect Sam to get a lot of carries and I hope not a 4th concussion.   I think players like Sam who have had a number of concussions are at greater risk to receive more. 

As you know, I love football.  I think college football is one of the greatest games on earth.  I'm just not sure I want my son playing it.

Breaking News: Michigan loses its 3rd player in the 2010 Class

Grandma always said, "trouble comes in 3's"

When it rains it pours on Michigan's 2010 class.  First the biggest loss was Demar Dorsey who is now at Louisville, then came the news of Antonio Kinard not being able to make it to Ann Arbor academically and now we have a third player.  QB Conelius Jones from South Carolina didn't get the SAT score he needed:  "Conelius got his test score back, and he came up 20 points short on the SAT ...he needed an 810 but didn't make it. Academically (GPA-wise) he wound up fine ... his core is 2.53-2.55. He will go to Fork Union Military Academy in the fall and try to enroll at U-M in December. So we plan on him being up there (in Ann Arbor), just a semester later."

Not a huge loss for the Wolverines for a guy that would probably would redshirt anyway.  He will be able to work on his QB skills at Fork Union and hopefully join the Wolverines in December.  The only problem is, he will lose a year being in the system and it's difficult transferring from prep schools and JUCO's to Ann Arbor.


BTW: Today is a rare 3 post day - so please continue to see below.

Michigan Monday: 2011 Recruiting Hits and Misses

When you are the University of Michigan you will get your fair share of 4 Star recruits mixed in with one or two 5 stars and a number of 3 stars.  You will have your wins and losses on the recruiting trail, which is the business of recruiting. 

With less then 20 scholarships available this year for the Wolverines, they need to be a bit extra picky on who they offer scholarships to in the 2011 class.  The other thing we have been expecting from the Wolverines is a strong offensive line class.  As of today, Michigan has 5 verbal commits in this class which includes: 2 DB's, 2 DE's, and 1 WR.  No offensive lineman.

That effort took a hit yesterday when Scottdale Chaparral offensive lineman Andre Yruretagoyena committed to Oregon.  Andre Y had Michigan very high on his list for his entire recruitment because he was former teammates with Taylor Lewan and Craig Roh.   Andre visited Oregon and was blown away by the Nike Experience.  That is all he needed to seal the deal and he won't be visiting Ann Arbor.

Michigan is not done by a long shot with their offensive line recruiting and the big time recruit they continue to chase is West Branch's Anthony Zettel.  Bryce covers the remaining targets for Michigan on the offensive line. 

I'm not ready to push the panic button on offensive line recruiting for 2011 but I would like to see a couple of guys commit sooner then later.   Michigan also needs to find some defensive tackles, linebackers, and a 1 QB in this class. (Kevin Sousa a QB from Florida is expected to visit A2 on Tuesday)

• There is a rumor that Muskegon High DE Damon Knox might have a new Michigan offer. 

• Ryan Kelly a highly rated offensive lineman from Cincinnati is still considering Michigan.  "At first when I went up to junior day they really liked me a lot,” Kelly recalled for GoBlueWolverine. “Then after that it kind of died down a little bit and I didn’t really hear anything from them. Then I got in touch with Coach Dews and he said that they wanted me but we had to wait on the offensive coordinator. At this time I was already getting offers from Florida and Alabama and things, so I got on the phone with Coach Rodriguez and he said they had staff meetings every week and they talked about me all the time. He told me I was getting my offer but it wasn’t because all of the other schools.” 

• TomVH from Mgoblog catches up with Kellen Jones a 6'1 200 pound LB from Houston: "I’ve already visited Arkansas, Missouri, and Colorado. I plan on visiting Michigan in late July, too. I’m definitely coming this summer. I’m interested in Stanford and Purdue, too. Purdue because of their engineering program. I plan on majoring in engineering, so I like that. Michigan is high on my list, because of their academics and history, too."

• Manny being Manny or LeBron? Manny Harris signs a free agent contract with the Cavs.

Michigan Friday: The Detroit Duo Goes 0-2 in the NBA Draft

Sometimes kids make decisions to transfer or leave early for the professional draft and it works out for the best.  An example of that is Ekpe Udoh who was a role player at Michigan and after transferring to Baylor was the #6 draft pick in the NBA draft last night. 

For the past two weeks we were hearing that Manny Harris was rising up teams draft boards.   Some analysts were even talking he might be an early second round draft pick.  Well, that didn't happen for Manny on Thursday and he went un-drafted.   Now it looks like his options are to land on a summer league team or head to Europe.  I think staying for his senior year would have been the right choice. 

At the start of the year many people were comparing the games of Evan Turner from OSU and Manny from Michigan.  Evan went #2 in the draft last night.   Comparison over. 

DeShawn Sims signed with Celtics and Raymar Morgan from MSU with the Wizards.  Both are signed to summer contracts. 

• MDen Back at the Big House!  Sure the MDen was at the Big House Blog now they are back as the official University of Michigan retailer after losing the contract over a year ago.  Congrats to David Brandon for making the decision to give back the contract to a local Ann Arbor company.  Congratulations to the MDEN!  To celebrate, hit the link on the right hand side and buy yourself a new Michigan hat or jersey! 

• TomVH from Mgoblog gives us his weekly recruiting update.  The highlights are Michigan might have found a 2011 QB in Florida's Kevin Sousa who will be visiting next week and it seems the Wolverines are losing ground in Andre Y's recruitment after his visit to NikeTown  Oregon. 

Michigan Thursday: Should Seantrel Henderson Reconsider Michigan?

As many of you know, Seantrel Henderson regarded as the #1 recruit in the nation by some recruiting services waited to sign to his LOI to USC.  The reason for the delay was to find out if USC had an idea what the NCAA penalties might look like.  After waiting a number of weeks after signing day the USC coaching staff convinced the young man to sign on the dotted line.  The USC coaches clearly "under sold" the severity of the charges and penalties that they were facing as the NCAA came down hard on the program just a few weeks ago. 

To update this story this week, Seantrel was a no show for the first day for freshman recruits to report.  Lane Kiffin and staff even flew out to Minneapolis this week to try to convince him to stick with USC.  At this point, we really don't know what Seantrel is thinking.  His father won't even go on the record.  But it seems pretty clear he is having second and third thoughts about USC. 

So there are a number of things to consider with the headline I wrote.  Let's try to consider all the angles.

Should USC let him out of his LOI?  Yes, probably but they don't have to.  Which could cause him to go to a JUCO or Prep School.   He could also redhshirt at another BCS School.

He could stay with USC and maybe have the chance to go to one or two bowl games.   The thinking is that USC will appeal which could push the penalties out a year.

Michigan wasn't even in his top group when he picked USC?  True.  But Seantrel did visit Ann Arbor last summer and had a great time and Michigan was near the top of his list most of the summer 2009.   Michigan has a need for Offensive Lineman and with the loss of two 2010 recruits due to academics they have a scholarship for him.   Michigan is also a short plane ride from his home town. 

Why would Seantrel go to another school that hasn't heard back from the NCAA yet?  Valid point and probably will hurt Michigan's chances.  Even though "Stretching Gate" in nowhere near as serious as "Reggie Gate" with Michigan expected to only have some loss of practice time and the loss of some administration duties, I am sure Seantrel's camp would be concerned they are walking into a similar situation if they decided to come to Michigan.

So who knows what the young man is thinking.  He could be headed to Miami or even Ohio State.  Anywhere is going to find a way to fit this young man in.   Good luck to him with a difficult decision.

• How many times have we seen highlights of Boubacar getting beat by Golden Tate at the Big House last year.  I must have seen that 50 times during the NFL draft and the weeks leading up to it.  I'm sure now he wishes that was his biggest program.  He was thrown off the team during the 2009 season and has continued to find  his way into a lot of trouble since then.  Boubacar Cissoko is now facing up to 45 years in prison after pleading guilty to a number of robbery charges.  What a sad story for a former 5 star prospect out of Cass Tech in Detroit. 

• Doran Grant and Anthony Zettell both are planning to be in Ann Arbor on U of M's Campus today.

Wolverine Wednesday: My Pick for Big Ten Divisions (with a little recruiting tossed in)

Everyone and their brother has been writing about how they see the Big Ten divisions playing out after Nebraska comes to the Big Ten.  So I thought I would give you my $.02.  

The best division format I have seen yet comes from Stewart Mandel at SI.com:

East Division with: Michigan, Ohio State, Purdue, Michigan State, Northwestern, and Indiana
West Division is: Nebraska, Penn State, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota

I would change the name of the divisions, Penn State is not West.  Stewart also calls for an annual cross over between Michigan and Nebraska.   My thought is Michigan would play two year series with each team in the "other" division a home and home.  Michigan needs to play Penn State, Wisconsin, Iowa, and don't forget the "little brown jug" on a regular basis as well. 

So that is my vote. 

Now on to some news and notes on Recruiting:

Of course none of us really know who the top players are on Michigan's board but I expect Kris Frost the #27 rated player in the nation by rivals is one of them.  Kris was in town this weekend with his family for camp and to take an un-official visit.   TomVh from Mgoblog caught up with him last night and here are Kris thoughts on the trip:

"It went fantastic, it really did. I've been up there for camps for the past two seasons, but I've never really gotten to check out the real campus. My family and I went out and looked at everything, it was great. Coach Singletary took us on the tour, and we went out on our own a bit, too. My family and I really loved it. We're all planning on coming back another time before the season starts, this summer."

Tom also caught up with another camp visitor:  Ray Ball from Ohio:

"It was awesome, I really enjoyed myself. I got to look around at the whole campus, and we got to watch some of the camp, and all the players work out. We got a chance to talk with the coaches, which was great. Those coaches are awesome, and really cool to be around; I really liked them. I also got to meet three of the players on the team that will be freshmen this year. I know next time I come up there, we're going to hang out some more, they were really welcoming and nice."

Ray has Michigan in a top group with UCLA, Wisconsin, and Indiana.

Michigan Tuesday: 3 Michigan 2011 Recruits on the Rise

There are three State of Michigan recruits that are starting to make some noise in the camps around the country.   These young man are ranked 3 star prospects by Rivals but their offer lists are starting to grow quickly and could be headed to that coveted 4th star.  

The three prospects are Valdez Showers, Jake Fisher and Ed Davis.

Valdez Showers is a 3 star prospect from Madison Heights at cornerback and is ranked the 8th best player in the state and the 30th cornerback in the nation.  His offer list includes:  Auburn, Michigan, Illinois, CMU, MSU, Cincinnati, Iowa and many more.  Valdez also just received an offer from Florida after his performance at their camp.  TomVH from Mgoblog catches up with Valdez yesterday: 

TOM: Word on the street is that you received an offer from Florida recently?


VALDEZ: Yeah, I went down there on the 16th to visit the school. I camped the next day, and I could tell that the coaches were impressed. When I got home, I talked to one of the coaches, and he offered me a scholarship. They just said that overall I'm a great player, and I would fit well at cornerback for them.

Valdez will be cutting down his list soon:

TOM: There has to be some schools that stick out to you, though, right?


VALDEZ: Yeah, I mean, Florida sticks out because they have great football, and academics. Michigan sticks out, they'll probably be in the top group, too. I have a good connection with the coaches at Michigan, and they're well rounded, too.


Jake Fisher is a 6'7 250 pound Offensive Tackle from Traverse City and is also rated a 3 star prospect and the 18th best player in the state.   Jake has been under the radar due to his preference to play tight end in high school but is clearly a tackle prospect at the next level.   His offer list looks like: MSU, Cincinnati, CMU, Toledo and Western Michigan.  These schools are the ones you would expect for an "under the radar" prospect in the Midwest.   The key is that Jake light up the Michigan camp yesterday and was clearly the top performer on Monday.  He has a great frame and is now expecting a Michigan offer very soon.  Michigan can't offer kids while on campus when they are their for a camp.  Many expect Jake to be a top 10 state prospect when the new rankings come out.  Update: Jake got his maize and blue offer today!

Ed Davis is a 6'4 215 pound outside linebacker from Detroit Southwestern, he is rated a 3 star prospect and the 19th player in the state.  Ed has been interested in Michigan for sometime now but it seems the negative recruiting is starting to take a toll on him and he is now leaning towards his two new offers from MSU and Iowa.   His only other offer outside that group and Michigan is Toledo.   It seems the Michigan offer has given Ed the exposure he needed but it also seems that the ABM Network (anywhere but Michigan) from Detroit South East or West has also come out.  Did I mention that Will Gholston's defensive coordinator from Southeastern is now on Dantonio's staff at MSU?  I'm sure that's just a coincidence.

Michigan Monday: 2 Players Now Gone from the 2010 Class and a Mini Recruiting Blitz

We all know about the Demar Dorsey situation and what did and didn't happen in the admissions office.   Demar this weekend decided he would join Louisville's program.  Which is now coached by former Florida DC Charlie Strong and former Michigan coach Vance Bedford.   Good luck to Demar down in Louisville. 

Next is we are getting word that Ohio LB Antonio Kinard is heading to Junior College or a Prep School. Both Demar and Antonio were the two recruits "in question" on whether they would qualify or not at Michigan.  It seems neither player will make it to Ann Arbor this summer.

The difference is Demar is heading to another BCS school and Antonio is trying to get his grades in shape so he can head up to Michigan.   “T.K. loves the University of Michigan," Whittaker said. "The only goal in his life right now is to get through this and play at the University of Michigan. He’s had other Division I programs, which I’m not going to name, call him and want him to look at their universities. Big-time programs. They wanted to set him up with different schools and what not. His focus has not deviated one bit from the University of Michigan. He truly loves Coach Rodriguez and the University of Michigan."

Mini Recruiting Blitz:

Michigan camp visitors this weekend included:  Ray Ball, Kris Frost, and James Adeyanju.

Adeyanju: really enjoyed his visit and was with his high school head coach.  He is planning to visit MSU next week and might even stop by Ann Arbor with his parents. 

Frost enjoyed his visit and is getting a full court press from Auburn lately.  So this was important visit for Michigan's chances of landing him.  Frost is from North Carolina and Auburn is much closer to his home. 

Ray Ball was blown away with his U of M visit and said it was by far the best visit he has been on.

Avery Walls a 4 star CB from Georgia visited Michigan and MSU this past week.   He spent two days at Michigan.  He visited Ann Arbor for a day, went up to State, and then came back to Ann Arbor.


Sound Mind and Sound Body Camp Highlights:

Chris Bryant from Chicago was the best offense lineman at the camp.   Chris is 6'5, 330 pounds Offensive Tackle and currently doesn't hold a Michigan offer.  It sounds like one might be on the way!

Michigan verbal corner back Delonte Hollowell preformed well, now that track is over he can focus on football.

Update: We are hearing that Madison Heights athlete Valdez Showers now has an offer from the Florida Gators.  Valdez also has a Michigan and Michigan State offer. 

Michigan Friday: QB's in the fold for the 2011 Recruiting Class

It's clear that Michigan wants to take one QB in this years recruiting class.  With the depth at QB right now, one would be enough.   The problem is with a depth chart that reads: Forcier - Sophomore, Robinson -Sophomore, Gardner - Freshman (maybe redshirt), it's hard to convince a top tier 2011 prospect to sign up.

With that in mind, here are some of the QB's in the fold for Michigan in the 2011 class:

• Cardale Jones, Cleveland, Ohio: 6'5 217 pounds but goes to OSU High or Glenville.  He doesn't have an OSU offer and is saying the right things about Michigan but if he gets an OSU offer will most likely jump at it.  He is rated 3 stars by Rivals.

• Marquise Williams, Charlotte, NC: 6'3 218 pounds and his team recently won the Carolina Panthers 7 on 7 Tournament.  He is reportedly down to Michigan and Virgina Tech and will make a decision by the end of the month.   It's good he mentions Michigan first so we will see what happens in a couple of weeks.  Marquise is also rated a 3 star prospect.

• Kevin Sousa, Lake Nona, Florida: is 6'2 213 pounds and TomVH from Mgoblog caught up with him yesterday:  I called coach (Rod) Smith today, and they are going to recruit me. He is meeting with coach Rodriguez tomorrow as to a possible offer. He said that the guys they were recruiting are no longer interested in Michigan, and they have opened it up again as far as looking for a QB.  Kevin is a 3 star prospect as well. 

Other News and Notes:

• A 2010 Michigan prospect leaves Maryland - Javarie Johnson is having some personal and academic issues at Maryland and has decided to leave the program.

• RR catches up with the media at the Sound Mind and Body Camp:  Highlights - He thought Demar Dorsey was eligible to play (when he recruited him) at Michigan and would have done well in Ann Arbor,  He should know by 6/26 if there other any other admission or academic issues with the rest of the 2010 class, he hasn't talked to any USC players about transferring to U of M. 

• The Michigan athletic department believes it will reach 100 million in revenue in 2011.

• Lou Holtz doesn't drink water but thinks ND should join the Big Ten.  This story from the Star Tribune in Minneapolis which includes this statement:  Holtz, 73, is a great commentator on college football for ESPN. He coached the Gophers in 1984 and '85 before leaving for the Irish.  The bold is mine.  A great commentator?  Use the word great for his coaching success and maybe motivational speaking, but I'm not sure too many people would use the word "great" for what he does for ESPN. 

Michigan Thursday: Judging Rich Rodriguez as a Man

I know there are many Wolverines fans in the For or Against camp regarding Coach Rodriguez.  He has had success at every stop before reaching Ann Arbor, but he hasn't been able to put up wins as the Wolverines head coach.  I understand that and with a losing record it makes sense you might question if he is the right fit in Ann Arbor.

As long time Michigan fans, we knew what type of man Bo was and of course what type of man Lloyd was.   Since we don't know Rich personally it's been hard to figure out, what type of man he is?  We know about: Stretching Gate, Boren blasts as he heads out the door to become a Buckeye, recruiting Demar Dorsey, and a losing record on the field.   But do we really know if he is a good guy and cares about his players, family and the University of Michigan?

Today we know a little more about Rich Rod as a man.  There is a touching and sad story in today's Detroit News about a small act by "coach" that made a huge difference in one families life.   I 100% recommend that you read this story, it will touch you and even make you cry as you think about your family, your kids, and how special Michigan Saturdays really are. 

I would give you a brief overview of the story, if I thought I could do it justice, but I can't.   What it did do was give me a glimpse into Rich Rodriguez as a man.  Something you don't hear about on ESPN or talk radio very much. 

So the next time, you think RR is a terrible guy, think about this story or the story of Elliot Mealer and his family.   You might think twice about the man you thought you knew.

Judge RR as a coach by his wins and losses on the field.  Judge him as a man on a higher standard.

Wolverine Wedneday: Time for the 2011 Recruits to Go Camping

When your a kid, camping usually means; tents, camp fires, and s'mores.  Well in big time college football recruiting it means something much different.  It could mean college offers, learning about a coaching staff, visiting a new campus, or getting a taste of what it's like to be a Wolverine for a day.

The top two reasons kids go to these camps are to 1) earn a scholarship offer from a coaching staff that can get a first hand look at a player skill set and 2) for some of the top recruits to earn a 4th or 5th star from a recruiting service.

There are two camps going on this weekend that have a direct impact on the Wolverines 2011 or 2012 recruiting classes. The first one will be hosted at Wayne State University in Detroit, called Sound Mind Sound Body.   This camp will kick off this Thursday and will give these young man a first hand experience of what it's like to start their college career.  They will live in the dorms for a couple of days, eat together, and learn the physical and mental skills they need to be successful at the next level.   The camp is sold out and there will be 70 kids enrolled.  The top names include: DeAnthony Arnett, Aundrey Walker, Remound Wright, Raymon Taylor, Michigan verbals:  Delonte Hollowell and Shawn Conway, and Michigan State verbals Taiwan Jones and Onaje Miller.

 The second camp is Michigan's own football camp that kicks off this weekend in Ann Arbor.  There will be a number of prospects looking for a offer in attendance.   Here are some of the guys expected in this weekend:
 
Maika Polamalu: you might recognize his last name.  Yes, this is Troy's cousin. Maika is a 5'11 190 pound safety and you have to love his blood line.  He currently doesn't have an offer from Michigan but with that blood line, if this kid can play, I saw offer him up.   This is his second trip to A2 so he is serious about becoming a Wolverine. 
 
Antonio Poole is a linebacker from Cincinnati that has shown a lot of interest in the Wolverines.  He hasn't been offered yet but was invited to camp by the coaches.  If he preforms well, expect an offer for Mr. Poole.   (note that Michigan is really recruiting Cincinnati hard these days with Poole and Duggan)
 
Kris Frost is most likely the highest rated player at Michigan's camp.  Kris is using this camp as an un-official visit and bring his family with him.  Kris is an athlete from North Carolina and seems to be very high of the Wolverines.  Many U of M fans would love to see him commit to the Big Blue this month. 
 
Tony Posada  is an offensive lineman from Tampa.  He was recently offered by Michigan and will be camping this weekend to get a good sense of the Michigan program and overall University experience.  
 
Ed Davis is a linebacker from Detroit that just got a Michigan offer and is starting to get a lot of attention from some other schools.  Many thought Ed would commit to Michigan right away but now it seems he is going to hold out for a couple of weeks as schools like Central Michigan and Iowa come calling.

Michigan Tuesday: Recruiting Blitz

The Michigan Football staff is starting to really focus on Offensive Line recruiting with a number of prospects getting a lot of attention.  Case in point is a new Michigan offer for Toledo's Jack Miller a 6"5 280 pound defensive end prospect with a nice offer list with 20+ schools.   Your first reaction might be: What?  Michigan already has 2 verbals at DE, why would they offer another?  They have offered Jack as an offensive lineman.   

Other offensive lineman making noise is Andre Yruretagoyena who has cut his list to 7, with Michigan near the top.  The overall feeling for Andre Y is that it's between Michigan and Oregon.   Michigan is expecting Andre to visit Ann Arbor this summer. As most of you know, Andre Y is a former teammate of Taylor Lewan and Craig Roh.   Speaking of Andre's, Glenville's Aundrey Walker will be in Detroit this weekend for the Sound Mind and Sound Body Camp.   Aundrey is 6'5 355 and goes to Tedd Ginn's Sr. school and is pretty much tagged for OSU but he is still keeping Michigan in his recruitment. 

Another recent Michigan offer is James Elliott a 6'4, 285 lbs. offensive tackle from Pensacola, Florida.  Elliott's HS line coach is friends with Michigan coach Greg Fry.


Michigan's top offensive line recruit is still Anthony Zettel from West Branch.  Many recruiting insiders expect Anthony to give his verbal to the Wolverines sometime in the next 6 weeks or so. 

• Shawn Conway and DeAnthony Arnett will be at the Sound Mind and Body camp this weekend as well.

• Oops! A recent verbal for Syracuse, Tyree Smallwood said he had a Michigan offer, along with teams like Central Michigan and Cincinnati.   That might have been wishful thinking but I'm pretty sure Tyree didn't hold an offer from U of M. 

• Kris Frost is a very highly rated "athlete" on Michigan's board and happens to be coming to Ann Arbor this weekend with his family for camp.  Kris is high on the Wolverines and I hope he and his family is impressed with his visit to U of M.

• Local LB prospect Ed Davis received a Michigan offer this past weekend.  Things look very good for the Wolverines in his recruitment.  Ed is 6'4 215 and plays outside linebacker.

• USC gets it's first transfer from redshirt junior linebacker Jordan Campbell.  Jordan was not a regular on the field for the Trojans and expects to look at Boise State for a possible transfer. 

Texas Stays on the Ranch

Texas liked the proposal that the Big 12 commissioner made and will stay in the Big 12 -2.  In the software business, we call proposals like the Big 12 put on the table: vapor ware.  It could be a great deal or bad business, but I think $25 million is aggressive.  I don't see how the Big 12 could be talking money when they haven't done it's own TV contract yet.

With that said,  it was clear that Texas didn't want to be just another member in a league, they wanted to be the member in the league.   So the Big 12 commissioner sold the Texas President and we will see if his magical wishes come true or was it just a trip to fantasy land?

Now, I expect ND to stay independent because they have the same "condition" that Texas has.   So, the Big Ten +2 seems to be done for now.   I don't expect them to grab Maryland or Rutgers now.   I expect them to stay with 12 teams and play a championship game. 

So the Big 12 has 10 teams and the Big 10 has 12 teams?  That makes sense. 

Michigan Monday: What Will the Big Ten Do Next?

There are a lot of Men at Work in the Big 10, Big 12, SEC and PAC 10 right now.

Who can it be knocking at my door?

Go 'way, don't come 'round here no more.
Can't you see that it's late at night?
I'm very tired, and I'm not feeling right.
All I wish is to be alone;
Stay away, don't you invade my home.
Best off if you hang outside,
Don't come in - I'll only run and hide.

Who can it be now?


All I really care about is the Big 10 and what's next.  It's pretty obvious that the big fish for the Big Ten are Texas and ND.  Let's talk about what I'm hearing............

There are a number of people at Texas that aren't real happy the Big Ten, since they consider the Big 10 to be the reason the Big 12 is dying (by taking Nebraska).   It seems to me the PAC 10 took Colorado first, but OK, I sort of see their thinking.  It seems Texas is open and negotiating with all 3 big divisions, SEC, PAC 10, and the Big 10.  Texas will have an internal vote on Tuesday.  It will be interesting to see what happens this week.  By the end of the week, it should be clear where Texas lands.

A team that has been pretty quiet in all this is Notre Dame.  What are they going to do?  It seems they will have 3 choices.  Stay independent, go the Big East full time, or go to the Big Ten.    You could say these have always been their options.  Which is true, but the world is different now.  It seems the Big 10, PAC 10 and maybe the SEC could be getting bigger and stronger.   I don't see ND jumping to the Big East 100% (though Brian Kelly is pretty successful in that league!), so that leaves the Big 10 or keeping the things the same. 

This is a difficult decision for ND.  If it's about money, it seems The Big 10 is paying their members very handsomely.  If its about academics, then ND is a good fit with the Big 10.

So whats the hold up?  The hold up is that ND likes to be a bachelor and wants to stay that way.  They don't like any league telling them what to do in football.   The problem is if the Big 10, PAC 10, and SEC are mega conferences, then ND could be left out in the cold for scheduling and bowl games. 

If ND and Texas wants to come to the Big 10, look for the Big Ten to fill in remaining spots with Missouri and maybe a Big East team.  Texas A&M is an option but reports this morning are saying they have one foot out the door for the SEC.  Which also may give us some insights into what Texas is thinking.

If neither ND or Texas come to the Big 10? Then I think they stay at 12 and call it a conference. 

So Big 10, Texas and Notre Dame - What's Next?

• Yahoo's Dr. Saturday considers who should host the Big 10 Championship game?  They could go out doors in Chicago or Cleveland but I'm guessing it would be in a dome in Indy, Detroit, or Minneapolis.  A dome is more fan friendly for a $150 ticket.  My vote is Indy.  Not as cold and a great town to host an event like that.  Ford Field would be #2 in my book.

• Do you ever stop to ponder why USC hired Lane Kiffin?  A guy who was knee deep in the Reggie Bush foolishness?  (BTW:  Don't be fooled that it's just Reggie. - there are a number of "rumors" flying around for years that shopping trips are/were common practices for official visits for prospective 4-5 star HS football players).  It's clear their top guy in the athletic department, just doesn't get it.  Either he has drank too much USC Kool-Aide or has a screw loose.  Here is what Mike Garrett (USC AD) said after he read the penalties from the NCAA:  "As I read the decision by the NCAA … I read between the lines and there was nothing but a lot of envy,'' Garrett said. "They wish they all were Trojans."  Later he said: "Today I got a purpose for really wanting to dominate for another 10 years." He also said he felt "invigorated by all this stuff," and "with the penalty we got today I know we're bigger than life."  After reading those quotes, every Michigan fan should be very happy with the recent hire of David Brandon.

• It seems Wisconsin wants an end of the year rival and they hope it's Nebraska.   Maybe this one will have all the success of the Penn State - Michigan State showdown has had.  Well, maybe they will try to set the bar a bit higher. 

Michigan Friday: A Crazy Week in Review

What a crazy week.  Let me give you a quick update on the top 10 stories! 

1. Nebraska is a new member of the Big Ten.  Please See Below!
2. Demar Dorsey is not coming to Michigan and it seems the Life Skills program (instead of regular high school) grades were the issue.   This again is an example of the poor process in the athletic/admissions department.  This should have been known before they offered the young man and not in June!
3. Michigan Basketball loses an assistant coach to Purdue and replaces him with a guy from Western Michigan.  Mike Jackson Out - Lavell Jordan in. 
4. Red Berenson will coach the Michigan Hockey team for 3 more years. 
5. Texas to meet internally next week to decide if they want to go to the Big Ten or PAC 10.  ND what are your plans?
6. USC gets hit in the mouth by the NCAA.  The real killer could be the rule that allows juniors and seniors to leave for other programs without having to sit out a year.  Michigan could use a corner or two! 
7. Izzo doesn't know what he wants to do.  Stay in college or go grab the cash in the NBA? 
8. Cincinnati LB Sean Duggan had a great visit to Ann Arbor this week.  
9. D. Hart is now saying he is planning to announce in January (which is not a good sign for the Wolverines).
10. Curtis Grant a 2011 LB is one of the top prospects in the country  is planning a Michigan visit this summer.  

Michigan Friday: Welcomes Nebraska to the Big 10

It's Official, Done, lock it.  Nebraska is moving to the Big Ten and accepted the invite today. 

Michigan has some recent history with Nebraska.  The two that come to mind is the joint National Championship in 1997 (the year Nebraska won a game on a kicked ball) and the 2005 Alamo Bowl where Michigan and Nebraska played a game where neither teams defense showed up and Nebraska won after Michigan tried a crazy kick off return pitch play.

Michigan did beat Nebraska in the 1986 Fiesta Bowl 27-23

Welcome Nebraska, please know the Big Ten only knows one Bo! 

Is the Big 10 the new Big 12?

Michigan Thursday: A Title Wave of Information

So June is usually a pretty slow month for college football.  Not this year!! 

Where should we start?

Expand Baby!

Media reports are that Nebraska is heading to the Big 10 and Colorado has already joined the PAC 10.  The reports of the Big 12's demise has been grossly understated.  Stick a fork in that conference, they are done! 

Texas and ND:  Those are the crown jewels for Jim Delany.  Nebraska is a big time football school, but Texas and/or ND is what Jim really wants.  The problem is Texas comes with a lot of baggage like Texas Tech and A&M.   I don't believe anyone is taking Baylor serious.   ND is that hot girl that just likes to date but doesn't want to go out long term.  She likes here sports car and her daddy's money, she doesn't need you.  But if everyone is going to the dance, she might need to find a dance partner as well.  Ok, that was a little long winded analogy, but you get the idea.  ND might not have a choice is the Pac 10 and Big 10 become super conferences.  They are not going to want to stay in some "water down" Big East. 

Poor Missouri, they seem to be getting stiffed at the moment.  I am sure the Big East schools are on the phone with Jim asking for an invite to the party.   But we have great academics!

It will be interesting to see what happens after the Nebraska announcement becomes official.  Whoever is next to go to the Pac or Big 10's will be very key.

One thing to consider.  The Big 10 already has the Big 10 Network and a $20 Million + payday for these schools.  The Pac 10 is trying to re-create that.    I personally would go with the conference that already has the bugs worked out. 

USC

If Michigan plays it's cards right they might come away with one less Bowl loss after today.  If USC has to forfeit their Win over Michigan in the 2004 Rose Bowl.  USC won that game 28-14.   Nothing like not losing a game 6 years later!

As an FYI, any of those 5 star guys looking for a new football program?  We have a spot for you!!

Here is one 2011 recruits reaction that both Michigan and USC are in on.  Andre Y per TomVH at Mgoblog:  "I want to say it doesn't affect me, but it does. It's two years, which would end after my first year, so I would be there for it. I don't know if there's anything more, but if the NCAA finds more, then who knows what else they'll do. You never know with the NCAA."


Izzo

For goodness sakes, take the job already! It's 6 million dollars a year, double what you make today and maybe a chance to coach LeBron.  Come on, isn't it time?  Really it is.

APR 

Michigan's is down and Mgoblog does a great job of explaining it. 

Dorsey

It's over for him as a Wolverine and maybe we won't know the true reason why.  If he gets into another major BCS University then we know the Michigan admission office was being way too difficult/strict.  Similar to what ND's has been the last 10 years or so.     Here is Michigan's AD David Brandon: 

"This is a decision that is owned by the admissions department, our admissions office," Brandon said. "It's always been owned by the admissions office. It is not unusual for a letter of intent to be signed with a prospective student-athlete where there's far more that needs to be done for the student-athlete to be admitted. It involves course work, it involves test scores, and a variety of criteria some of which is fact-based and where and how they went about improving their test scores."

Did Brandon block DD from enrolling?  "That's ridiculous," Brandon said. "Admissions is not part of my portfolio at this university. I've got plenty else that I'm doing.


"The misinformation is the athletic department is involved and there is some conspiracy involved. In this particular case, and, frankly, other cases, the admissions office concluded and made a judgment.


"I think it's unfortunate this particular young man is being singled out with the sensationalism around this, in light of the fact this has happened before and it will happen again. Not everybody passes the test by the admissions department to come to Michigan. And we are not at liberty to talk about the reasons behind a prospective student not being admitted."

DD's father:

"He signed a letter of intent but basically what happened, I guess he didn't qualify to their standards," Jackson said. "Admissions sent him a letter that they weren't going to admit him to the school and said to disregard the other letter (of intent) and was free again to start looking at other options."

Calvin Magee let him know something was up a couple of weeks ago: 

"Which I respect him for that," Jackson said of Magee. "We always asked for honest. He said things were looking hectic, and it doesn't look like he's getting in. The coaches did everything they possibly can. Everything, I heard, came from admissions.


"My understanding was everything was good with his grades. He was doing his work in school, which he had slacked up on in the beginning. He started doing exactly what he needed to do."


Jackson said he and his family bear no ill will toward Michigan.


"No, none at all," he said. "Things happen for a reason, and that's how I look at everything. That's how I keep my kids' spirits up. I've told (Dorsey) that good always comes from things.


"It's very disappointing, because he looked forward to going there. He's keeping his head up. You live and you learn. Maybe God has a different plan."

This is a sad situation all around and I hope Michigan did everything they could to enroll this kid.  Timing is everything U of M.  Maybe the Athletic and Admissions Department could spend some more time in the Business Schools Marketing Classes.

Rich Rodriguez clearly over worked the Baltimore Ravens

From the Freep: It is clear that Rich Rodriguez has over worked the players of the NFL's Baltimore Ravens.  The head coach of the Ravens John Harbaugh has a brother that played QB at Michigan and under that connection Rich Rod and Staff has compromised the welfare of a number of professional athletes/millionaires in the Ravens organization.

A number of Raven players complained to the NFL and Players association that their OTA practices were too intense.  The NFL responded by taking away the last week of the Ravens OTA practices on June 8-10.   The head coach with Michigan ties responds to what happened:

"I agree with it, I'm accountable for that," Harbaugh said. "As an organization, we want to do things the right way. We want to be within the rules all the time. We want our players to communicate with us when they have an issue and they did. We deserve to lose those last few days."

I expect the NCAA to fully investigate these charges to see exactly how RR and staff overworked those professional millionaires.  I'm betting there is more to this story then extreme stretching, you could even speculate there might have been some Yoga involved.   Also expect an inquiry on why these athletes are being paid!

Please check back later this week or next on how Rich Rodriguez and staff helped Reggie Bush get some improper benefits while at USC.   From this reporter view it's clear that Greg Robinson (Michigan's current DC) and Pete Carroll are close friends and that Greg was clearly involved in getting Reggie some extra benefits to beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl.  More to come on this breaking story.............

Demar Dorsey Video and Interview

Update:  It's over. Dorsey will not be coming to Michigan.  Michigan has released him of his LOI and is free to sign anywhere he likes.   No word from Michigan on why he wasn't allowed to enroll.



Both of these come from the great work at Mgoblog.  They found this video on how DD has turned his life around and TomVH was granted and interview with Demar. 

Memo to Michigan Admissions and Administrators: 

You made a commitment to this young man.  Please keep it.  This young man has turned his life around and deserves a shot to get an education and play football at Michigan.   There is a reason why Michigan is a special place and helping this young man is part of it.  DO THE RIGHT THING.

Enjoy the video and then let me know if your not pulling for this kid to be in the Maize and Blue. 




The new interview is located here.  Below is the most important part of it:

TOM: So, where are you at with Michigan?


DEMAR: Right now, I'm still signed under my letter of intent, so I can't do anything yet until I hear back from them. They told me that they don't think I can get in with admissions about two weeks ago, or a week ago, but they weren't sure. They had been checking on my grades earlier in the year, and I was on top of it. When I got home one day, my parents said that they were sending back my letter of intent. They were sending me a release form. I'm not sure what that means, or if it means I'm officially not in. I think because I signed a letter of intent, if I wanted to open up my recruitment, I would have to send that back to them. If I can't get in from the admissions, then I have to send that back. My mom said we need to do that, so we have to send it out tomorrow, and we'll go from there. I have the ACT score, and I have the core, so we're just waiting to hear what happens. I haven't heard anything from the coaches yet.

 
 
DO THE RIGHT THING MICHIGAN!  This is a much deeper issue, whether you support Rich Rodriguez and the job he is doing.  This goes to the integrity of the Michigan Athletic Department and the entire University.  There is a Michigan difference and you have offered Demar that opportunity.  Don't take it away now.   DO THE RIGHT THING!


***Update:  Sam Webb on his radio show said the door for Demar at Michigan is now closed.  It seemed someone from Sam's staff spoke to Demar last night after Mgoblog and that Demar got something in the mail from Michigan that shut the door.  I am speculating it was his release from his LOI.  

The above video might give us a clue to why DD wasn't eligible to enroll at Michigan.  Maybe the program that he enrolled in was not properly accredited and Michigan wouldn't take his grades while he was under that program.  Again, that is just a guess.

Michigan Tuesday: Recruiting Blitz

It seems we are getting a clearer view of the Demar Dorsey situation.  Per his high school head coach, "Demar is an NCAA qualifier with a 2.5 or 2.6 GPA and an 18 score on the ACT," said James. "But he hasn't yet been granted at Michigan."  So it sounds like Demar's past run in's with the law might be affecting his admission to Michigan.   "It's very possible," James added. "I've been talking with the coaches [at Michigan] and they continue to work on it."

So what it sounds like is happening is the Michigan admission office or someone at Michigan is holding up Dorsey's enrollment.   If Michigan offered him a scholarship, he signed his LOI to attend Michigan, then there were academic hurdles that he was required accomplish, which he did and you still don't allow him to admission to Michigan?  Then there is something wrong.  

If you don't feel this young man is a fit at Michigan, then fine.  Don't offer him a scholarship or don't recruit him hard right up until signing day.   Do your research and stick by your word.  This kid got in trouble years ago, not last week.  Michigan has a chance to fix this (if the above statements from his coach are true), lets hope they make the right decision.  (*my above statements are all based on the information we have right now, if something has happened with the law or another situation since he signed, then all bets are off)

• Michigan LB recruit Ben Kline committed to Pitt yesterday.

• TomVH from Mgoblog runs down DeAnthony Arnett's brother and it seems Michigan is now out of the picture.  His top 6 are USC, Cal, Oklahoma, MSU, Tennessee, and Iowa.   He feels the Michigan offense won't get him to the next level.   I expect Arnett will end up at Michigan State.

• OSU lands another recruit Joel Hale a defensive tackle from Indiana.

• Cincinnati LB Sean Duggan will visit Michigan on Thursday with his family. 

• Michigan verbal Shawn Conway is a 3 star prospect on Rivals now.  He has a good chance to move up to 4 stars with a strong senior season.

• Chris Rock is a 3 star as well on Rivals and like Conway could end up as a 4 star after next season.

The Dorsey Debate Continues: Is he In or Out at Michigan?

We have known since signing day that 5 star DB Demar Dorsey was a question mark in qualifying at Michigan.  He got into some trouble as a kid but was never formally charged and the rumors were he had borderline grades.   

Everyday someone asks Sam Webb (Detroit News and Michigan Insider via Scouts) on his radio show, whether Demar is qualified or not.  Each day he gives an answer that sounds something like this.  "At this point, it's not looking good for Michigan, I have nothing official but Demar could end up playing at a JUCO, another school, or Michigan in the Fall".   That is not a direct quote, but that is the party line he has been keeping. 

On today's show Sam hinted that Dorsey maybe could end up at another BCS School like Louisville or FSU.  Here is my take on trying to de-code this situation: 1 - Dorsey might have the grades to get by the NCAA Clearinghouse but not the Michigan admissions office - last year they denied admission to Denard Robinson's teammate Adrian Witty due to a "risky" increase in a test score, after Witty didn't enroll in the Fall and tried to get his grades/test scores up.   Witty is now playing for RR's friend and former assistant Butch Jones at Cincinnati.

2-DD might have the grades but not the test scores?  Dorsey might have qualified via grade point but not have a qualifying SAT or ACT score.

3- This whole thing could work out and he could be at Michigan this summer.  There have been 2 recruits under RR at Michigan that haven't made it to campus after they have signed: Marcus Witherspoon ( a LB from NJ) and for mentioned Witty.  There has also been a guy that was borderline that did make it in and that was 5 star DB from Ohio, JT Turner.

So we continue to speculate, but only DD and RR know the real answers.................

Michigan Monday: Big House Smoke

Michigan announced that in the Fall when the new and improved Big House opens it's doors it won't be allowing any smoking inside the concourse.  No official word if the smoke from Denard Robinson's shoes will also be banned. 

• 5th Michigan Senior Anthony Wright is transferring to Toledo.  AW wasn't asked back for his 5th year and won't have to sit out a year due to the "graduate rule" ( a student doesn't have to sit out a year if Toledo offers a graduate program that Michigan does not).   “I just saw a better opportunity at Toledo,” Wright said. “I got a chance to look at both non-conference schedules. Toledo’s is a lot strong and it’s a transition team.“I really want to impact the team in a positive way. Although it’s a one-year deal, if I impact it in a positive way, then I’ll definitely have my footprint on the program for a lot of years to come.”  My memory of AW will be the Oklahoma game in the NCAA where he caught fire.  Other then that he didn't have much of an impact as a Wolverine, but we wish him luck at Toledo. 
• HS Track News:  Antothy Zettel won the D2 Shot Put and soon to be freshman DJ Williamson won the Ohio 100 and 200.
• There are some rumors that Cleveland Cavs are interested in Tom Izzo as their next head coach.
• An Mgoblog poster is reporting that Mark Moundros & Jon Bills both Michigan Football players were in a serious car injury recently.  It seems that Jon was injured more seriously.  More to come on this story.  The story has been confirmed by the Detroit media.

Michigan Friday: Drawing Comparisons between Randy Shannon and Rich Rodriguez in their first 3 years

Your first reaction might be how can you compare the two?  Randy was the DC at Miami and a first time head coach.  Rich was an accomplished head coach at West Virgina before coming to Michigan.  

Your right on both facts.  But I think there are some similarities here and not because both schools are abbreviated U of M.

Let's look at Randy's record first three years as head coach of Miami:

Year 1: 5-7
Year 2: 7-6
Year 3: 9-4

RR's first two;

Year 1: 3-9
Year 2: 5-7
Year 3: ?

Now let's start drawing some other comparisons between Randy and Rich at Miami and Michigan.

First year 1 Big Win:  Miami beats #20 Texas AM in the third game of the year.  Michigan beats a top 10 Wisconsin team at home in September.  Both teams went on to losing records.

Transfers:  We all know Michigan's long list of transfers: Mallett, Threet, McGuffie to name a few.  Miami had it's own transfer party:  Robert Marve, Jermaine McKenzie, Shawnbrey McNeal, Cannon Smith and Taylor Cook.

Coaching Turnover:  Rich Rod's biggest hiring mistake was defensive coordinator Scott Shafer who was fired after 1 year on RR's staff at Michigan.  He was the former DC at Western Michigan and Stanford and now is the DC at Syracuse.  Miami:  Shannon fired both Patrick Nix his OC (who wanted to run the spread, ironically) and his DC Tim Walton.  As you know, Michigan hired former Syracuse headman and former NFL DC Greg Robinson to run the defense.  Miami hired Mark Whipple as OC from the NFL (asst. with the Eagles and Steelers).  Miami lost it's DC again when Bill Young went to Oklahoma State and replaced him with John Lovett.


Conclusion:  Randy showed big improvement in year 3 of his tenure at Miami.  Both teams had losing records in year 1.  In Year 2, both hovered around .500.   In Year 3, Miami goes 9-4 with a loss to Wisconsin in the Champs Bowl.   What will year 3 bring to RR and Michigan? 

Transfers and Coaching Changes happen a lot under a new head coach.  It's clearly a work in progress for the first 2-3 years.  Both coaches also went to guys with deep NFL experience when they fired key coordinators on their staff.

Randy Shannon was rated as the worst BCS coach by the Sporting News in 2008.  In 2009, Rich Rodriguez was ranked the second best coach in the Big Ten only behind Iowa's Kirk Ferentz. (ahead of JoPa and The Sweater Vest).

Both men have also shown to be top notch recruiters, mostly in the State of Florida. 

I know Michigan isn't used to losing but when you make a massive change like they did, it takes time to work things out.  Miami is a good example.  Randy was just awarded a new contract extension.   Year 3 was a make or break year for him.  He finished 9-4 and got extended. 

Year 3 is the same for RR and staff.  It will be exciting to see what happens. 

I am all in for a Champs Bowl game against Miami.  Can we schedule it now?

Michigan Thursday: We are Average!!!

Let's hope the Big Ten grades on a curve.

Dave Birkett did a story for Ann Arbor.com that lists Michigan's Big Ten pre-season ranking in a number of college football publications.  Most have Michigan #6 or #7 in the Big Ten.  Which is not very impressive, in what is expected to be an average Big Ten.

Ohio State is clearly the #1 team in the league after their impressive Rose Bowl win.  After that, I expect Iowa and Wisconsin to be solid but the rest of the teams are very similar.   Some may argue Penn State will be a solid team, but they have a number of questions on offense and mostly at the QB position.   I believe Iowa and OSU will fight it out for the Big Ten title with Wisconsin doing what they do most years and the rest of the Big Ten is up for grabs.

Michigan ceiling is 3rd place and basement would be last.   For RR's sake, I hope he is closer to 3rd then 11th.   If your wondering, 6th or 7th  place with 7 wins would qualify for anywhere from the Champs, Insight, or Pizza Bowls.

• Mgoblog give us a weekly recruiting update

• ESPN  does a story on Michigan running back recruit Justice Hayes

• Det News Sam Webb profiles some WR recruits that Michigan is focusing on

• We may know what the NCAA is going to do to USC as early as Friday

• Ohio QB Braxton Miller is expected to announce he will attend Ohio State this afternoon.

Michigan Wednesday: Michigan Prospects in the 2011 Top 100

Rivals unveiled their top 100 list on Monday.  Below are some of rated Michigan targets for the 2011 Class:

11. Lawrence Thomas: LB, Detroit verbal to MSU
19. Greg Robinson, OL Louisiana.  Could Greg Robinson recruit Greg Robinson?
23. Doran Grant, DB Akron, OH
27. Kris Frost, Athlete/LB Matthews, NC - Michigan lean - summer visit
34. Demetrius Hart, RB Orlando, FL - Michigan is his leader
39. Sammy Watkins, WR Fort Meyers, FL - spring game visitor
49. DeAnthony Arnett, WR Saginaw, MI - State of Michigan #2 player
56. Braxton Miller, QB Huber Heights, OH - most likely OSU guy
58. Anthony Zettel, OL West Branch, MI - Michigan in his top 3
75. Justice Hayes, RB Grand Blanc, MI - Most likely heading to MSU - Michigan likes D. Hart
81. Andre Yruretagoyena, OL Scottsdale, AZ - friend of Taylor Lewan.  Will Visit A2.
93. Trey DePriest LB Springfield, OH  - hasn't made it to A2 yet.  Need to get him on campus.  Seems like a low rating for him.

Update:  Rivals 250 came out today:

187. Brennen Beyer DE Canton, MI - 4 Stars - Michigan Verbal
237. Delonte Hollowell DB Detroit, MI - 4 Stars - Michigan Verbal

Michigan Tuesday: Biggest Headache Avoided: Jerimy Finch or Alex Legion?

Since we are closer to football season, let's start out with Jeremy Finch.  If you follow Michigan closely, Jerimy was once a Michigan verbal commitment for the Wolverines as a 4 star safety that would have filled a much needed role on the Michigan defense. 

Finch was the #1 player in Indiana and the 9th overall Safety prospect in the country in the 2007 recruiting class.  He was out of Warren Central High School in Indy. 

This was a big pick up for the Wolverines at that time but that joy didn't last long as Jerimy decided he wasn't really commited to Michigan and verbally committed to Indiana.  Yes, he left Michigan for the football power IU.  Ok, it was near his hometown,  so it makes some sense.

When signing day approached, Jerimy pulled another rabbit out of the hat and ended up signing an LOI with the Florida Gators.  After playing his first year, he broke his leg on special teams and transferred back to Indiana.  Where he has been, until Friday when he left IU's program.  "We thank Jerimy for his contributions to the program and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors," Indiana head coach Bill Lynch said in a statement.

It seems, IU had high hopes for him this year:  "Jerimy's had a good spring," co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach Joe Palcic told me in April. "We've been a little bit down on him, but he's had a good spring, and I think he'll have a chance to help us. ... It's definitely been a process, and he's finally taking it seriously, too. His biggest problem was just his ability to stay on keys and do the right things in coverage. He's doing a good job of concentrating, and he's finally in position now where he's about ready to step up and play for us."



So the college career of Mr. Finch will continue at a new University. 

Now on to Michigan Basketball:  Alex Legion actually committed to Tommy Amaker then de-committed and ended up signing a LOI to go to Michigan.  Then Bill Martin let Tommy go and brought in John Beilein.  Alex then asked to be let out of his LOI and he signed with Kentucky.  Alex was out of Detroit but played at Oak Hill Academy.  He is a 6'5 guard and was rated the #33 player in the 2007-2008 class.

After his first semester at Kentucky (under Billy Gillispie - Alex was his first recruit) and 6 games, Alex decided he had enough of UK and transferred to Illinois.  Where he played 22 games in the 2008-209 season averaging 3.5 points a game.  In 2009 after 11 games, Alex got the inch again and went home during winter break and never came back to the team.

Now Alex is at Florida International's program where he is being coached by Isiah Thomas. 


It's funny how things work out.  When these players left Michigan many fans couldn't believe it.  Now it seems both players will have been enrolled at 3 different Universities eacg, with a very poor track record of preformance and absolutly zero loyality.

So thank you Mr. Finch and Mr. Legion for not sticking with Michigan.  Leaving was the best thing you could have done for the Wolverines.   

Michigan gets it's 5th Commitment for 2011: Chris Rock

Chris Rock is coming to Ann Arbor!  Get your tickets today!

Hold the phone, it's not the world class comedian.  It's Chris Rock a 6'5 250 pound TE/DE from Columbus, Ohio.  That's right Columbus.  Chris is rated 3 stars by Scouts and on Rivals 250 Watch List (they haven't come out with their star rankings yet).

Does everyone hate Chris?  Not exactly.  Chris has a long offer sheet from some pretty large programs like: BC, Wisconsin, Stanford, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Oregon, Louisville, Nebraska, WVU and many more.  To me this looks like a 4 star offer sheet and clearly one of the top players in Ohio, I would say top 5. 

Chris has been to Ann Arbor a number of times.  I spotted him at the Western Michigan game last year and  he was in town for the Night of Champions and the BBQ at the Big House.  He took his time and clearly picked Michigan over the long list of other offers he had.  Michigan projects him at the DE spot and is probably looking like a redshirt year unless he can make a similar impact as a Craig Roh has on Greg Robinson's defense.  With now 2 DE's in this class, I would think Michigan will have closed that spot out with more focus on DT, LB, and DB's for the rest of this class on defense.

If your interested in a more in depth write up, please see Mgoblog's here .