Thomas Rawls Moves Announcement to Tuesday

Due to a winter storm approaching Michigan, Thomas Rawls has decided to switch his announcement time from National Signing Day to Tuesday at 1:30. 

He will choose between Michigan and Central Michigan.

Michigan Monday: Updates Weekend Visitors

Good Morning Michigan Fans!  It's NSD week! 

The first thing on most Wolverines fans minds today is:  What type of reaction did the weekend visitors have regarding the trip and the Michigan program?

Weekend Visitors to Ann Arbor were:  In-state RB Thomas Rawls, DT Darin Cooper, and TE Chris Barnett.  Also visiting were commits Keith Heitzman and Antiono Poole.

TomVH from Mgoblog has interviews with Cooper and Barnett after their trips.   Thomas Rawls also got his Michigan offer this weekend as well.  Which should mean he got his qualifying test score.  

My feeling is Mr. Rawls is 100% Blue and we will find out for sure on signing day.  Sam Webb from the Detroit News and Scouts believes Thomas is one of the best RB's in the Midwest.  I also think Chris Barnett has a good chance of being in this class  Most believe it's down to Arkansas and Michigan as the final 2 for this 4 star TE.  Some of the guys that were on the visit with him believe Michigan has a great shot.

As for Darin Cooper, I think Michigan is back in his recruitment but there are only a couple of days before signing day.  I personally don't understand why Michigan can't recruit defensive tackles.  This has been a need for at least 3 years and Michigan continues to whiff on this position since Big Will Campbell signed his LOI.    Back to Mr. Cooper, Michigan has been up and down in his recruitment so it's hard to say if he will sign with Michigan or not.  Clearly, Michigan gives him a great path to playing time so we will see.   Having him take his last visit to Michigan and Iowa's overworking investigation has to play somewhat into Michigan's favor. 

• Another visitor that Michigan fans are interested in is Jake Fisher.  As you know, Michigan was in on Jake early and he committed.  Then RR and staff was let go and he opened up his recruitment and took trips to Florida and Oregon.   The Florida trip went well and he was offered, but the new Gators head coached didn't do a in home with Jake.   He just got back from Oregon and the Michigan fans are very worried about that trip. (there were rumors he was close to committing to the Ducks on the trip).   If I had to guess it's down to the Wolverines and the Ducks.   Is distance a factor?  Both schools have a new relationship with Jake.  Michigan has been home twice and he just got off a plane from Eugene.   This one might come down to the wire.  New:  Everyone is fair game right now. I'm going to sit down with my parents and talk everything over. I'm either going to announce the day before signing day, or on signing day.
  
  
  

• Trayion Durham, FB did not visit Ann Arbor this weekend and picked Kent State.  It sounds like there were some academic issues for Trayion and the reason he picked Kent State over places like Michigan and Wisconsin.

So to recap as of Monday Morning: Updated with announcement times

Michigan looks good for:  RB Thomas Rawls (9:30 AM NSD), TE/LB Frank Clark (10-11AM NSD), LB Leilon Willingham (7:00 PM MT NSD)

Michigan is still in the hunt for:  DT Darin Cooper (NSD), OL Jake Fisher (8:00PM NSD), and TE Chris Barnett (Saturday). 

OL Chris Bryant committed to the Wolverines on Friday.   Which gives Michigan 17 commitments with 5 spots left.   Would Michigan take all 6 names above on NSD?  The answer is YES!

Should be a fun week, sit back and enjoy the ride!

Big Bryant is Big Blue

Chris Bryant a 4 star OL to Rivals picked the Wolverines tonight over Pitt, Illinois, Arizona and Stanford.  There was also Ohio State interest and some question if he was ever offered by the Buckeyes or not.  Chris is a mountain of a young man at 6'5 330 pounds as a high school senior.

TomVH from Mgoblog catches up with the big guy tonight:  "It was a tough choice, I put a lot of thought into it. I went through each school, and when I said that name I knew it was the school for me. I'm comfortable there, and I have a good relationship with the coaches. I want to compete and work towards a championship. I'll be down there in June and I'll be ready to play football."


Chris has been to Michigan a number of times and seemed to be on the edge of a commitment for some time now.  The coaching change made him wait a couple of weeks as he got to know Brady Hoke and staff.  The new Michigan offense would seem to be a better fit for Chris who is expected to redshirt as he learns his position on the line (guard or tackle) and does some conditioning. 

Michigan needed another offensive line in this class and Chris is the guy.  Michigan would also like to round off the week with Jake Fisher who is visiting The University of Nike this weekend.   Let's hope he wants to stay close to home and be a Wolverine next year.   Chris, Jake, and Tony Posada would be a nice offense line class in 2011.




Chris Bryant Junior "HighLight" Video (Football - OL & DT)
Uploaded by ericrapier. - Basketball, baseball, pro wrestling and more sports videos.

Michigan Friday: Thinks Out Loud

From time to time, I like to post some of my random thoughts on things related to Michigan football.  I usually don't have answers to these thoughts or questions, I just like to share them with the BHB cell mates. 

• Hoke really can recruit.  He has done a tremendous job in two weeks.  I wonder what he will do when he has years to build relationships with these kids.  I wonder what this class would look like if he was hired on 1/2 or even in December. 

• So Michigan got 3 years NCAA probation for not tracking stretching properly before practice and Iowa can send 12 kids to the hospital for overworking their players in off season work outs?  So RR gets thrown under the bus for maybe putting kids in danger (and it was proved he wasn't) and Coach Ferentz gets a free pass?  It seems Kirk Ferentz program really is putting kids in danger and he doesn't even come back from a recruiting trip.  Coach Ferentz has had all types of off season problems almost every year.  He continues to have a good reputation and is one of the highest paid coaches in the country.   Does this make sense to anyone? 

• Why can't Michigan recruit defensive tackles?  They have needed DT's for the past 3 years.

• Yes, $3M does come with access.  No you should haven't a say in which coach is hired, but you probably want to take his email or phone call about the head coach.   If I invest $3M in a pubic company, I get vote not the final say.   Al Glick gave Michigan millions for the new field house and he was watching tape with RR during the week.  I'm betting Nike founder Phil Knight has something to say about Oregon's coaches.  In fact, I know he does.  Millions = Access

• Tate Forcier did not transfer from Michigan - he was thrown out of the program.  Big difference.

• Was RR the last big name NCAA football coach to change jobs in college?  It seems everyone goes away from the big names these days. 

• I know hindsight is 20/20 but as we sit today, I am so much happier with the hire of Hoke over Miles. 

• What is the deal with West Virgina coaches that come to Michigan and do well against non-conference opponents but stink up the Big Ten season?  Edit: So the win over MSU last night helped this a little bit.  A little bit.

• How awkward is it going to be when SDSU plays at the Big House next season?  What if WVU was on the schedule to play Michigan the year after RR was hired?

• I sure hope some of the DB's in the 2011 class turn into a safeties and not linebackers.  That was a disturbing trend under RR.

• Two guys I expect to see more playing time from next year are Big Will Campbell and RB Mike Cox.  

Thursday Night Recruiting Updates

2 - Hoke Shuffle:  Brady Hoke visited with Chris Bryant this afternoon and now heading up to TC to meet with Jake Fisher and his family.  Chris will announce at 7:30 PM Central Time on Friday at his HS.  TomVH has a interview with Chris from today.

Arizona OL Ryan Nowicki will not visit A2 this weekend and is sticking with Penn State.  Which means Michigan needs to land both Bryant and Fisher in this class.

Glenville LB/TE Frank Clark and LB Leilon Willingham are both announcing on Signing Day next week.  Leilon is taking a visit to Central Florida this weekend. 

Michigan Thursday: Updates Recruiting

• The Chris Bryant race is on, both Pitt and Michigan head coaches will be visiting Chris today.   He is announcing on Friday.  Here is a Detroit News write up on Chris from Sam Webb today.

• A couple of changes to this weekends visitors.  DB Floyd Raven won't be coming and DT Darin Cooper will be.  This is a very important visit for the Wolverines, they need a DT in this class and Darin seems to be the only DT they have a shot at.  Darin had recently dropped the Wolverines and visited Iowa last weekend.  The Hawkeyes over training problem this week might have an effect on the young man.  A strong visit to Ann Arbor this weekend could put Michigan in the drivers seat for his signature on signing day.  Arizona OL Ryan Nowicki is still considering visiting this weekend.

• Stefan McClure picked CAL today.  This was not a surprise.  In return, I would like CAL to send Avery Walls to Michigan.  I think it's only fair. 

• As we reported, Brady Hoke will be in home with Jake Fisher today as well.  Michigan is really recruiting Jake and Chris Bryant hard these last few days.  Jake is going to visit Oregon this weekend.  The word is, his family and HS coach wants him to stay instate.  We will see.

• Michigan plays MSU tonight at East Lansing.  If you don't look directly into the TV it doesn't hurt as much.

Michigan's 2011 Recruiting Class State of the Union

The recruiting news has been coming fast and furious the last few days and this class is starting to fill up.   I thought this would be a good day to take a quick inventory of where we are at with this class and who might be still left on the board.

The 2011 Class Verbal Commits:

Offense:

QB:  1 -Russell Bellomy

RB: 1 - Justice Hayes

WR: 0

OL: 2 - Tony Posada, Jack Miller

TE: 0

K:  1 - Matt Wile

Defense: 

DB:  5 - Greg Brown, Tamani Carter,  Blake Countess, Delonte Hollowell, and Raymon Taylor.

DE:  3 - Brennen Beyer, Keith Heitzman,  Chris Rock

DT:  0

LB:  3 - Kellen Jones, Desmond Morgan, Antonio Poole

Michigan's class right now is 16 players strong with maybe 4-6 spots still open.  Sometimes it doesn't always make sense to use all your spots so that you can have a scholarship for a walk-on, transfer, or to bank it for next year.   It's clear that Michigan has holes in this class at defensive tackle and could use a couple more offensive linemen.   Keith Heitzman could play TE or DE.  I am hearing they want him at DE right now.

Who is left on Michigan's board?

Guys Michigan has a good shot at:

• Frank Clark, TE
• Thomas Rawls, RB
• Chris Bryant, OL
• Jake Fisher, OL (former commit)
• Leilon Willingham, LB

Guys Michigan is in on and has a fighting chance:

• Darin Cooper, DT - Michigan was at his school and in home with him yesterday.  Trying to get him to visit this weekend.  Need him in this class but Michigan has some ground to make up in a hurry.
• Trayion Durham, FB - a former Wisconsin commit is visiting this weekend.  He is rated as a top 5 FB in the country to every major service.
• Floyd Raven, CB - Might be visiting this weekend.  There has been stories about him committing to Texas A&M on Monday and now Ole' Miss on Tuesday.  I guess we will see if he visits this weekend.   I wouldn't hold my breath on this one.
• Ryan Nowicki (a PSU soft commit), OL is visiting this weekend.
• Chris Barnett, TE also visiting this weekend. 

Any Surprises?
With only a week left before signing day, maybe but I think the final commits will come from the top list. 

I wish Kris Frost would re-consider his Auburn commitment.  I know he loves Michigan, Auburn was a little delayed in taking his commitment, and he could be coached by Ray Lewis's coach Greg Mattison at Michigan.   We also don't have a WR in this class and he wants to try to play there in college.  I know this probably won't happen but damn I wish it would! 

How do you want to see the class finish?

Out of the 5 guys Michigan has a good shot at, I really want Jake Fisher to come back and Chris Bryant to become Blue.  Both are strong 4 star offensive linemen.  I think the other 3 are silent commits.

Clearly a DT is a major need and Darin Cooper has to be near the top of Michigan's list right now. 

The Michigan coaches only had two weeks to recruit and has done an outstanding job in putting this class together.   The only thing I would have done differently is keeping the recruitment of Devin Lucien alive, a 4 star WR from California that was very high on the Wolverines.

Michigan Can Count to 3 Today!

Michigan 2011 verbal commitment and Army All American defensive back Blake Countess who has recently been recruited by Penn State just re-confirmed his commitment to the Wolverines for the 2011 class tonight.   Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Mattison visited Blake and family at home tonight.

This is a huge save by the Wolverines who just got news today that last weekend's visitor Stefan McClure from California prefers to stay close to home and not travel East to play for the Wolverines.  That news about Stefan is not a surprise, so the Countess save was an important one. 

2 commitments tonight and one high profile save by the Michigan coaching staff.  I tell you one thing, Greg Mattison sure can recruit.  That guy is unbelievable.

2 for Tuesday: Michigan Gets a Cincinnati LineBacker in the 2011 Class

Breaking News: Michigan lands another commit tonight in 4 star LB from Winton Woods outside of Cincinnati in Antonio Poole.  He just announced during halftime at the Winton Woods basketball game. 

Poole is 6'1 and 225 pound outside LB and ranked the 13th OLB in the nation to Scouts. He had just been down to Miami, FL last weekend and was considering new offers from Pitt and Michigan.  He decided last night when Greg Mattison visited him at home to become a Wolverine.  Antonio had a nice offer list which include Michigan State, Cincinnati, Minnesota, Louisville, Kansas, Kentucky and others.  Nebraska and Miami were showing interest. 

As we all know, LB play has been a problem for Michigan for the last 3 years and with these new group of athletes lets hope that problem will soon be over.  Antonio is expected to be in A2 this weekend for his official visit.  The former Michigan staff was recruiting him but he didn't receive his Michigan offer until recently.

Tuesday Night Lights: Finds a QB

We all know how Texas loves it's high school football.  Today Michigan got a 6'3 185 pound QB from Arlington, Texas in Russell Bellomy.  Russell is a 3 star prospect (to Scouts) with offers from Purdue, Boise State, Michigan State, Colorado, Minnesota, South Florida and others. 

Russell was on a mid-week visit to Ann Arbor and it seems the Wolverines made a big impression on the young man and he committed to the 2011 class.  With only two scholarship QB's on the roster, Michigan needed a QB in this class and they picked Russell.   He has been committed to Purdue for sometime, so I'm sure Danny Hope "love" for Michigan will continue to grow. 

I had never heard of Russell before this week but I am impressed how athletic he is.  Check out the tape for yourself.  He throws very well on the run outside the pocket.





Stayed tuned I believe I will have information on another commit in an hour or so.

More News and Recruiting Briefs

With Some New Updates as of 4:30  today:

Seems Tate Forcier visited Montana to see if he was a good fit to be their next QB.  If Tate transferred to Montana he could have played next season.  Reports say he is more interested in a Division 1 program where he would have to sit out a year.  More on why Tate was kicked out of Michigan per his dad: Michael Forcier said last week. "Tate didn't flunk out, but he had two incomplete grades. If he was given a chance by at least one professor to make up the work and get a grade, he would be eligible." The schools he is looking at are: Miami, Washington, Baylor, San Diego State, Middle Tennessee State and New Mexico are among the FBS schools he is considering transferring to. Forcier said he is also considering lower-division schools such as Montana, South Carolina State and Florida A&M.


The Michigan coaches seem interested in quarterback Tim Byerly. What's more interesting is what the Michigan coaches told Tim's head coach:  "They really liked him on film. Michigan said they had another quarterback visiting this week who felt like would commit to them. But if that did not happen, then they are going to really look at Timmy.”  I guess it's looking good for Texas QB Russell Bellomy who is on campus right now.

There was some thought that Teryl Austin might come back to Michigan to coach the DB's.  That seems out now, as it looks like he will be coaching the DB's for the Baltimore Ravens.

In the low blow of the week:  It seems Rutgers is blocking freshman QB Tom Savage from talking to Michigan about transferring.   The other schools they blocked are Miami FL, Florida, and Florida State.  This is such a "jerk" move by Schiano, none of those schools are on his schedule.

Brady Hoke will be visiting Jake Fisher on Thursday at his high school.

RR gets a gig with CBS College Sports for Signing Day.

New visitors for this weekend include: RB - Thomas Rawls, OL - Ryan Nowicki (a PSU commit), FB- Trayion Durham, LB- Antonio Poole, TE-Chris Barnett.

Greg Mattison in home with DT, Darin Cooper tonight.  Trying to get him on campus for a visit this weekend.

Michigan Tuesday: More Recruiting Trail Information

In yesterday's post I talked about 2 players in Cincinnati that Michigan was visiting on Monday.  You might remember in 2010, Michigan picked up a late commitment from the Cincinnati area in Jibreel Black.  Mr. Black contributed to Michigan's defense this year and got a number of snaps at DE.  Now it seems Michigan is well positioned to pick up a couple of more Queen City prospects:

• Cincinnati 4 star LB Antonio Poole is set to announce his decision tonight.  He has offers from Cincinnati, Kentucky, Kansas, Purdue, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Michigan State and others.   He also visited Miami of FL last weekend as well.  Things are looking good for the Maize and Blue in this one. 

 

• Cincinnati FB Trayion Durham was offered last night and is expected to visit U of M this weekend.  Trayion is one of the top 5 FB's in the country to both services.

• I was wrong about Texas QB Russell Bellomy visiting Ann Arbor this weekend.  He is on his official visit right now.  I guess a guy with over a 4.0 grade point can afford to miss a few days of schools.

  

• Floyd Raven who is deciding between visiting Alabama and Michigan this weekend and seems to be very interested in Texas A&M.  It was reported yesterday that he committed to A&M but I guess that report was false.  Still no word if he will be visiting Ann Arbor.

• Stefan McClure visited Ann Arbor this past weekend and coach Brady Hoke was in home with his family in California last night.  Stefan is planning to announce later this week.  Michigan has a shot in this one but many expect him to stay closer to home.   It seems Michigan really likes this kid and wants him to come to Michigan.  

Recruiting Briefs

As you might expect, recruiting news is coming in fast.  I will post what I am hearing to keep you up-to-date:

• Michigan coaches are in Cincinnati today to recruit FB Trayion Durham and Winton Woods senior LB Antonio Poole.  Poole visited Miami this past weekend and Michigan is really going hard at this young man.  The Michigan coaches were in town last week to meet with him as well.  I bet they are trying to get him to visit this weekend. 

• A Texas QB is planning to visit A2 this weekend.  It's 6'3 180 pound Russell Bellomy, he is currently a Purdue commit so I'm sure Danny Hope is really excited. 

Michigan Monday: What's Next After a Wild Recruiting Weekend?

Michigan sure did well over the weekend on getting kids in the new Michigan program.  To recap here are the following commits over the weekend:

Thursday: Tamani Carter, DB
Saturday: Keith Heitzman, DE/TE
Saturday: Raymon Taylor, DB
Saturday: Matt Wile, K
Saturday: Re-confirmation from Tony Posada

With one more recruiting weekend before signing day on 2/2, what is Michigan going to do for an encore?

• Stefan McClure a 4 star Army All American DB from California and visitor this past weekend.  Is planning to announce this week.  Michigan is in this race but he might stay closer to home. 
• Leilon Willingham a 4 star LB from Denver and former Texas A&M commit.  He actually met Kellen Jones at Colorado two weeks ago and they have a new friendship.  Ray Lewis is his idol and he really enjoyed his visit this weekend.  He is planning one more official next weekend at Central Florida.  Michigan seems to be the leader right now.
• Frank Clark, LB/TE from Glenville in Cleveland.  Frank enjoyed his visit this weekend and will be making his decision on Friday.   Michigan seems to lead for Frank as well.
• Chris Bryant, OL from Chicago has been a Michigan lean for some time now.  He did an un-offical visit to meet the Michigan coaches las weeekend.  He will make a decision on Friday as well between; Michigan, Pitt, and Arizona.  Go Blue Big Fella!

Next Weekend's Visitors:

This list is still fluid right now:

• Michigan still seems to be making a big run at DT Darin Cooper.  He visited Iowa this weekend and Greg Mattison was on the phone with him on Sunday.  Darin might make a quick visit to Ann Arbor sometime this week to meet the coaches face to face.
• Chris Barnett, 4 star TE is planning to visit next weekend.
• Floyd Raven, 4 star DB is deciding between a visit to Michigan or Alabama next weekend.
• Thomas Rawls, 3 star Michigan RB who was waiting on a test score.  He is planning to announce a week from today.  The rumor is he wants to "surprise" people on Monday.  He is reportedly down to Michigan and Central Michigan.  Some insiders have called Thomas the best RB in Michigan and his test score was keeping him for many more offers. Michigan RB coach Fred Jackson son coaches him in Flint.
• Blake Countness might take an un-official to Michigan this weekend to spend some time with the new coaches.  He seems to love Michigan but Penn State is coming hard after him. 

Flower Power Gone:

• The buzz around Michigan right now is that they are not looking for a WR in this class.   They asked 4 star California WR Devin Lucien to play defense and he dropped the Wolverines. (I personally wish they kept Devin's recruitment alive)   Then they stopped recruiting 3 star WR Hakeem Flowers this weekend who picked NC State.  The rumor was that Hakeem was a silent commit to Rich Rod's staff.   There was also some buzz around some grade issues and that maybe some other programs pulled their offers as well. 

Numbers Game:

Michigan has 14 commits right now for the 2011 class.  The class size was expected to be 20 before Tate left the program.   I'm guessing Michigan has room for 20-21 players in this class.   Michigan seems to lead for 5 guys right now from the list above.  Jake Fisher is taking visits and was down to Florida (they did offer him) this weekend and planning an Oregon trip next weekend.  I think Michigan still has a pretty good shot at landing Jake.   If things go well for Michigan these next two weeks, the Wolverines class could be 17- 19 strong with a couple spots to fill by signing day. 

I'm thinking this class is going to come right down to signing day with a few surprises.

Make It A HatKick - Michigan Gets 3 Commitments Today

Finally a Kicker. 

Michigan has gotten a commitment from Matt Wile a kicker from San Diego.  Matt is an Army All American and a kicker that Brady has been recruiting for a couple of years.  For Michigan fans, Matt will be a 5th generation Wolverine in his family.  Matt was planning a Nebraska visit for next weekend but lets hope he cancels that now.  Matt is rated as a two star prospect but star ranking for kickers really don't matter.

His offer list isn't long but did include Air Force, SDSU, Washington and Michigan.  As you know Kickers are usually not the hottest prospects in the world and some programs prefer to use walk-ons then use a scholarship.   Michigan will now have 2 scholarship kickers on the team and of course a scholarship punter. 

Matt is known to have a strong leg and I feel pretty confident he is a good kicker with Brady recruiting him for a couple of years.  I also believe that Matt's dad was SDSU team doctor. 

Matt also punted in high school which is good if anything happens to Will Hagerup (like the OSU game last year). 

With Michigan's current kicking situation, I would expect that Matt is the leader to be Michigan's kicker next year. 

Raining Commitments: Raymon Taylor in the Big House

Second Commitment of the day per Justice Hayes (who is on a official visit with Raymon right now):

Raymon Taylor is a local Michigan product that grew up loving the Wolverines.  He is a 4 star athlete to Rivals (3 Star to both ESPN and Scouts) that projects as a defensive back at Michigan.   He is 5'10 and 170 pounds and had an offer list that include IU, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, and Cincy.

Raymon was committed to Indiana when it seemed like his Michigan offer would never come.   It seems waiting was the hardest part and while on his official visit this weekend has committed to the Wolverines. 

I think Raymon could project to CB or Safety at Michigan.  U of M needs safeties that can cover in space and Raymon's 4.4 speed might be a good match for either position.  Rivals reports he has 7 picks as a junior.

Raymon was being recruited by RR and Staff and Brady Hoke and staff close the deal.

Hoke Adds Another 3 Star Commitment

I usually don't get too "crazy" about star rankings.  I would rather the Michigan staff find the best players to fit their system and The University of Michigan.   It's also clear that the new Michigan staff have had less then 3 weeks to fill out this class, so there will be clearly more "project" type of players then 4 or 5 star guys that are ready to contribute next year.

Brady Hoke and staff have added 1 more 3 star recruit to the 2011 class by offering TE/DE Keith Heitzman (6'3 230 lbs.) from Ohio.  Keith de-committed from Vanderbilt so you know he is a good fit academically for Michigan.  Most of his offers where from MAC schools with Vandy and Minnesota being his only BSC offers. I am betting that Michigan recruited him more for offense then defense as the Wolverines have been whiffing on many tight end prospects this year.  (I could be wrong - Greg Mattison was recruiting him which could mean defense)

Keith is pretty much guaranteed a redshirt so he can learn from guys like Brandon Moore and Kevin Koger head of him.   He has a good frame and a nice upside but his contribution to the Wolverines is a few years out. 

Tim at Mgoblog has more on Keith.

I don't have a problem with this commit mostly with Michigan needing a TE in this class.  I still would like to see some "impact players" on defense commit to the Wolverines in the next 10 days or so. 

• Hakeem Flowers a 3 star WR with a 4 star offer sheet is announcing at 7:15 on Sunday.   The rumor mill is saying that Michigan's lead might be dwindling as NC State makes a late charge. 

Michigan Friday: Big Recruiting Weekend on Deck

State of the Union

Michigan has 11 verbals commitments in the 2011 class.  I expect the Wolverines would want to sign a class of 20 players, which leaves 9 spots to be filled in 12 days.   Michigan lost it's two highest ranked commits in 5 star Dee Hart and silent commit 5 star Kris Frost. 

This Weekend's Visitors

I went into more detail yesterday on this weekends visitors but Michigan with host:

3 verbal commits:  Posada, Hayes, and new commit Carter.

5 prospects:  Raymon Taylor, Frank Clark, Matt Wile, Stefan McClure, and Leilon Willingham.

All visitors are serious about Michigan and the Wolverines have a good chance at getting each one of these guys to sign in 12 days.  Next weekend will be huge as well.

Latest news to share with recruits

• Michigan hires Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and Terrell Suggs Defensive Coordinator from the Baltimore Ravens, Greg Mattison.   Leilon Willingham is a huge a Ray Lewis fan and changed his weekend trip from Texas AM to Michigan.  

• HD Video Boards:  The Michigan Regents just approved $20 million in HD video boards for the Big House, Crisler, and Yost Arenas.   With these new boards, The Big House, Schembechler Hall, and the Al Glick Field House Michigan might have the best football facilities in the nation.   

2011 QB?

With Tate now officially gone, it's pretty clear Michigan would like to have a QB in this class but makes one in the 2012 class a top priority.  The rumor mill is saying that Michigan is focusing on a 2011 Boston College commit named Christian Suntrup.   Christian is a 6'3, 205 pound pro style QB from St. Louis.  He is rated 3 stars by Rivals.


Who are some new names that Michigan might be looking at?

- DE Max Issaka (6'3", 240 lbs) from New Jersey.
- TE Jamare Mills (6'5", 244 lbs) from Ohio.
- DE Brandon Alexander (6'6", 230 lbs) from Texas.


Update:  I forgot to mention that Hakeem Flowers a WR with a nice offer list will be picking a school on Sunday.  Insiders expect his decision to be Blue.  We will see.

Hoke Keeps Jumping Over Hurdles, Recruiting Next

When Hoke got hired at Michigan.  There was some pretty clear short term objectives in front of him. 

#1: Keep Denard
#2: Hire a High Profile DC to Turn Around this Defense
#3: Finish this Recruiting class

Current Status:
#1: Completed
#2: Completed
#3: Underway

Yes, Michigan has had some losses on the recruiting trail this month.  Both 5 star guys (yes, they are 5 star now) Dee Hart and Kris Frost to teams in Alabama but the tide is starting to turn.

Michigan has a good list of visitors coming in this weekend and Brady is in more locations then Waldo lately.   He got his first commitment today from a DB in Ohio and it looks like there could be more good news in the next two weeks.

Here are some of the visitors expected this weekend:

Justice Hayes, RB 4 Star and has a strong commitment to Michigan.

Raymon Taylor, DB 4 Star and a soft commitment to Indiana.  Instate guy that loves the Wolverines.  Looks good for a commitment this weekend or next.

Tony Posada, OL 3 Star and a soft commit to Michigan.  He was strong until the coaching change.  Michigan coaches have been down to see him and many think he will go back to "solid" this weekend.

Frank Clark, TE 3 star from Glenville.  Michigan has been on him for awhile and doing a visit with the new coaches this weekend.

Hoke Effect:

Matt Wile, K Army All American from San Diego.  Brady has been recruiting him for some time and his family has a long history with Michigan.  Looks great, here.

Stefan McClure, DB 4 Star guy from California.  Strong relationship with Brady.

Leilon Willingham LB 4 star and is committed to Texas AM.  Was supposed to take his official to A&M this weekend.  He cancelled that trip to come to Ann Arbor. 

On a side note: I wonder if Kris Frost is re-thinking Auburn with the Greg Mattison hire?  His love for Michigan and a guy that coached Ray Lewis should at least give him a second thought about going to Auburn.  I am not counting on it but it would be nice.

Hoke Gets First Verbal for the 2011 Class

More to come on him but here are the particulars:

Tamani Carter, 3 star DB from Ohio.  He is 6'0, 175 pounds.   He had a nice list of offers that included: Stanford, Iowa, Air Force, Arizona, and was a commitment to Minnesota before picking Michigan today.




Tim Mgoblog has more info on Tamani, which seems like a surprise commit.  Either way, Michigan needs as many DB's as they can get in this class.  His highlights seem pretty solid. and he looks a little bit shorter then 6'0 or 5'11 as the video states.  He seems like a good hitter and might be a safety prospect.  Look for him to redshirt in 2011. 

Here are his 2011 stats from Scouts: Tamani Carter finished his senior season (11-1) with 55 tackles and three interceptions. Two of those were returned for touchdowns (one of 96 yards and the other for 34 yards). He also caught 25 balls for over 300 yards

Tate Forcier is no longer a Wolverine

Here is his statement from QB Force:

Immediate Press/Sports Release: January 20, 2011- Robert “Tate” Forcier University Of Michigan Sophomore Quarterback

Why do we all wait until we are at our lowest point to seek God’s help?

I’ve been kicked, pushed, knocked down, publicly berated, belittled, emasculated and more. There are plenty of legitimate reasons to give up or feel the victim. The humility of it all is indescribable and that is exactly my point. I had to reach rock bottom in order to see the light, and for that, I am thankful. It was not until then, I realized that it was my lack of accountability and maturity and not to pass blame.

I do hope all my young fans forgive me and benefit from my lessons that I have learned. Be grateful for what you have and be humble for your successes. Don’t wait to ask God into your life as he will help you see things clearer.


In summary, I believe, I will become a better student and a person of stronger character from these experiences at Michigan. I can proudly state,“I worked hard on the practice field, in the film room and at meetings” after all, football is my passion. I had fun celebrating with the fans. I even competed hard while injured as a true freshman through the last (8) games in 2009, but I always played the game giving it my all.


I am proud to have been part of Michigan Football history and will always cherish the memory. The last few weeks I worked extremely hard to catch back up. I really wanted to stay. I was not giving up on Michigan, but in the end, it was made clear they had given up on me.

With that being said, its time for me to go. I promise the Michigan family and fans I will make you proud again.


Tate Forcier #5 - A Michigan Man Forever - Go Blue

Here is my take:  Tate is a young man full of talent but struggles with maturity.  He had some early success and it clearly went to his head.  Speaking with some of the player and players family at the Gator Bowl, they weren't surprised when he was sent home.  Most speculated that is was grades related but Tate's father said he passed all of his classes. 

Use Denard as your comparison to Tate.  Denard didn't enroll early, Tate did.  Tate clearly was a couple steps ahead of Denard during their Freshman year.   That didn't last long and Denard clearly out worked Tate during the Summer and was the clear starter during the Spring Game and the start of the 2010 season.  Clear example; during one of Brady Hoke's day one videos he is getting a tour of the new Al Glick Field House and who is working on his throwing?  Denard.  Clearly, Tate would not have been that dedicated.

I can only speculate but it seems Tate became a rock star and loved that life.  School and working hard with his teammates became secondary.  He is now no longer part of the Michigan program, so yes he has hit the highest highs of beating ND and now the lowest lows.   We all make mistakes when we start college or as a 20 year old.   We don't understand priorities and would much rather hang with are friends and chase girls, then go to school or to the weight room.  So I feel for Tate today, even though he dug his own grave, I feel for this young man, that had a bright future that now barley has a light.   I wish the best for Tate, I hope he grows up, works hard and does whatever he wants to.   My advice to Tate would be:  Everybody falls down, your judged by how you get up and move forward.  It's time to dust yourself off work hard and see what happens.

Good luck #5.   

Wolverine Wednesday: The New Defensive Boss is the Same as the Old Boss

Well, sort of.  Greg Mattison was the DC for Michigan from 1995-1996 and was U of M's DLine coach from 1992-1995. 
We also know he was the DC at Notre Dame and the last 3 seasons with one of the best defenses in the NFL, the Baltimore Ravens. So why would one of the best DC's in the country leave one of the best defenses in the NFL to coach one of the worst defenses in college football?

"The biggest reason is Brady," Mattison told The News on Tuesday night. "I know he's going to win. Michigan is a special place. The longer you're away from it, even when you're in the NFL, it's still Michigan. Every Saturday when we're in our rooms relaxing before the Sunday games, I always watched Michigan. That doesn't leave you."


"When Brady got the job (at Michigan last Tuesday), I said to myself, 'If I'm going to do this, I'm going to do this with Brady,'" Mattison said. "I wouldn't have gone to any other college team. I wouldn't have changed what I was doing for anybody but Brady.


"When he called and said, 'I want you to be my defensive coordinator,' I told my wife, 'Oh boy, we made this career change and I may not coach 10 more years. It's not like I'm going to coach forever.' But you know what? He's special. What he's going to do at Michigan, my gut feeling is I want to be there with him when he does it. I want to do whatever I can to help him do that."

I have also heard that Greg's daughter lives in Ann Arbor and expecting a child.  Which really worked well in Michigan's favor.  It feels really good to get some positive news.

• Michigan coach Darrell Funk was out to see Jake Fisher on Monday and he said the meeting went well.  Jake has talked to coach Hoke and the next step is for Jake to come down to Ann Arbor or Brady will make it up to Traverse City.  Jake visited MSU last weekend and is planning a trips to Oregon and Florida.

• Blake Countess is expected to have the Michigan coaches in home today.  Having Greg Mattison on board has to help him stay committed to the Wolverines, even though he took a visit to PSU last weekend.

• It seems Michigan has a good shot at landing the Kicker in the All American game who Brady has been recruiting for a couple of years.

 

• I stand corrected it seems Michigan has a good shot at landing SC WR Hakeem Flowers on Sunday.

Looks Like Mattison is the New DC

Per NFL.com:

The Baltimore Ravens expect defensive coordinator Greg Mattison to leave the team and take the same position at the University of Michigan, a team source said Tuesday.

This is a very good hire and should carry a ton of weight with recruits.  Can you imagine walking into a high school LB's or Safeties home and telling him he that he coached Ray Lewis and Ed Reed?  That might make an impact.

Update: He is coming to Michigan!

News on the DC Search

Finally something is brewing, per NFL.com..................

Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Greg Mattison is under consideration for the same position at the University of Michigan, the Baltimore Sun reported Tuesday, citing a league source.

Mattison, who has interviewed with Michigan, coached with new Wolverines coach Brady Hoke under Jack Harbaugh at Western Michigan and Lloyd Carr at Michigan.

The Ravens defense has ranked in the 10 in the NFL during both of Mattison's seasons as coordinator after Rex Ryan left to take the New York Jets coaching job.

Video: Michigan Players on Brady Hoke

More Michigan Recruits Going To New Schools

Dallas Crawford, a one time strong Michigan commit is now going to Miami next year.  That makes two recruits Al Golden has taken from Michigan's 2011 class in about 3 days.

Kris Frost, one of the best athletes in this class and rated 5 stars by Rivals changed his mind last minute during the Army All American week and is now heading to Auburn.  Kris was a silent commit to the Wolverines and could have played WR or LB for Michigan. 

I really liked Dallas and thought he would be a good corner, but it seems the new Michigan staff likes taller corners and Michigan is on on some pretty high profile guys.  So his loss can be made up.  Kris Frost loves Michigan, has freaking Michigan posters up in his room.  He picked Auburn right now because Michigan can't seem to get out of it's own way lately.  I think he is a special athlete and would of been a great LB at Michigan.   Big Loss, no question about it.  

Coming Back Home? 

There are some rumors that Marell Evans who left the Michigan program in 2009 might be back with the team soon.  Marell was a Hybrid LB type and was in competition for the starting role when he left due to concerns about playing time.  Here is what he said:    “Me and coach Rod are on good terms,” linebacker Marell Evans told the Free Press tonight. “It was more than playing time or academics or anything like that. It was a lot of things. Coach Rod is a great coach and I wish him plenty of success. I wanted to finish my career a different way.”“He’s a great man and I respect the man,” said Evans, a junior from Richmond, Va. “He wanted me to think about this decision and said I’m a big part of the program. But I respectfully wanted to leave the program.”

I'm not sure what year he will be if and when he re-joins the Wolverines.

Brady Hoke, It's Tuesday 1/18 Do You Know Who Your DC is?

I sure don't and time is ticking away in this 2011 class.   I think someone should check the clocks and calendars in Schembechler Hall.  I think they might be a week or two off.  First, David Brandon decides to fire RR in early January and do a national search.   Which most experts believe to be a month late to find serious candidates.  Since he took him a week to find that out, he hires a coach who he could of had the day he fired RR. 

So Michigan continues to be behind the 8Ball in recruiting with a coach hired in mid-January.  Then Brady Hoke gets the job and brings a couple of assistants with him that were with him at Ball State and SDSU.  Now it's January 18, 2010 and you haven't hired the most important role on your staff - The Defensive Coordinator. 

I was pretty vocal when Brandon fired Rich Rodriguez that you don't fire him to hire Brady Hoke.  I have somewhat changed my mind on that after I saw Brady's love for Michigan.  Now, let me be very clear - a Ball State Staff should not be coaching at Michigan!  Please find some quality guys with a lot of recruiting and coaching experience to fill out this staff.  DC is the most important role on this staff and there needs to be a very high quality coach.  Tick Toc, Tick Toc..................

Rumored candidates?

Greg Mattison: DC Baltimore Ravens: Greg and Brady are very close and I'm sure they have talked since Brady got the job.   Greg is 61 and I don't know if you go from the Ravens to the Wolverines, but maybe he misses the college game.   I don't see this happening.

Jon Hoke, DB coach of the Chicago Bears:  Brother of Brady and said he hasn't talked to Brady about a role at Michigan.  He is also busy with the playoffs.

Teryl Austin, out of work but was the DC of Florida last year.   Austin coached the DB's at Michigan from 99-02.   If he was the guy, they could of had him last week.  Of course, since that seems how Michigan hires coaches, he is probably the guy that will get hired.  Austin only has 1 year experience as a DC.

Vance Bedford, DC at Louisville - Charlie Strong brought Vance with him when he left the job at Florida and took the head coaching job at Louisville.  Urban Meyer wanted Vance to stay and replace Charlie as the DC at Florida.  He declined and went to Louisville.   Urban offered him a boat load of money and Vance said no.  I think he is pretty happy in Louisville. 

Mike Trgovac, DL at Green Bay.  Mike was the DC for the Carolina Panters and there are rumors he might be a candidate to join John Fox at Denver as their new DC.  Mike is my first choice but he may enjoy the pro game (and money) over college.  He is also busy right now.

Ron English, HC at Eastern Michigan.  Ron has won a couple of games at EMU in two years.  He is building a program and I would be surprised if he left to be Michigan's DC.  On the other hand there was a strange message on his facebook page that he spoke to Coach Hoke and that there is good news coming.  Many believe that account is not Ron's and the whole thing is a hoax not a Hoke.

Corwin "Cornflakes" Brown: DB coach for the New England Patriots.  Corwin as you know was a safety at Michigan from 1993-2000 and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 4th round.  He was also the DC at Notre Dame under Charlie Weis.  His season is now over. 

Randy Shannon, former head coach at Miami.  The only people throwing his name around are Michigan bloggers.  I'm pretty sure Michigan isn't going to pay him close to $1M a year to coach defense, but they should.  He is a very good defensive coach and would have a HUGE impact in recruiting Florida. 

So those are the candidates I have been hearing (outside of Randy Shannon).  You might be wondering, what the hell is taking so long?  (Becuase I sure am).  1) The coach they want to hire is still alive in the NFL Playoffs and doesn't want to leave before his team is eliminated.  I understand that but why not do what Charlie Weis did?  Take the job at Florida but work with Kansas City until they were eliminated. 

2) They are in deep negotiation with a college coach.  If they are currently employed they are on the road recruiting and pretty busy.

So we better hear something real soon! Because the time is ticking away and recruits like Kris Frost (whose commitment was accepted by Auburn today) really wants to know who the DC is going to be.  Please hire someone soon, so we can try to salvage this recruiting class. 

Michigan recruitment of Devin Lucien seems to be over.  Michigan called him yesterday and said they wanted the 4 star prospect from California as a DB instead of a WR.  Devin was crushed and really wanted to visit and sign with Michigan.   So I'm guessing Michigan feels pretty good where they are with a couple WR's they have on their board.  (I certainly hope so).

Michigan Monday: Recruiting Blitz

This is the time of the year where young men make decisions on where they want to go to school and play football for the next 4-5 years.  Before Rich Rodriguez was asked to hit the Railroad, Michigan was building a top 15 2011 recruiting class .

Most of the Wolverines fans were concerned with David Brandon's timetable for evaluating the old coach and hiring a new coach and how it might effect recruiting.  Both took too long and now the football program is starting seeing the effects of that process.

Going, Going, Gone?  

Kicker Matt Goudis - If you remember he was committed to Boise State and then changed to Michigan before Christmas.  He visited Miami this weekend and changed his mind again and is now committed to the Hurricanes.  A kicker that has been committed to 3 different schools?  Ok. This is Miami's second kicker in this class, which is also strange.

CB - Dallas Crawford:  Most recruiting insiders are saying that it's over with Michigan and Dallas.  Which is too bad.  Dallas seemed to love the former coaches too much.

OL - Jake Fisher: Has re-opened his recruitment.  He visited MSU last weekend and thinking about trips to Oregon, Florida, or Notre Dame.  Michigan was in early on Jake and he committed right away.  Now he has blown up and with the Michigan staff blowning up, he is going to take some visits.  Not looking good here either.

You put your left foot in you put your left foot out........

Tony Posada:  Took a visit to Mississippi State this past weekend and will be in Ann Arbor next weekend. 

Blake Countess: Visited Penn State this weekend.

Kellen Jones:  Visited Colorado.

All three guys seem to love Michigan and just need some love from the the current Wolverine coaches.   Let's hope that the current staff can lock them down.  The rumor mill is saying that the coaches will be down to Houston to see Kellen, Blake has already talked to the coaches, and Tony will be in Ann Arbor this weekend.

Ok, with the current class a mess, is there any new guys Michigan can get?

Yes, Michigan has two official visitor weekends left and this class will come down to the last second.  

LB/WR Kris Frost - still hasn't heard from Auburn (which seems like a bad sign for him).  Michigan has been in contact with him with the new staff.  Everybody and their brother is probably knocking down his door.  He will not be enrolling early and will graduate with his senior class this spring.

WR Hakeen Flowers - per TomVH at Mgoblog was planning to talk to Brady Hoke on Sunday.  He is planning to announce next Sunday.  Many believe Michigan has a great shot at landing him.  I'm not in that camp, I think he is leaning towards NC State or UCLA. We will see.

WR Devin Lucien - seems very interested in visiting Ann Arbor but the coaches haven't contacted him yet.  He visited UCLA this past weekend.  This is a 4 star guy and I hope the Michigan coaches call him soon to set up a visit to Ann Arbor. 

OL Chris Bryant - Chris has been on "commitment watch" for months, he really seems to love the school and the Michigan program.  Chris took a visit to Pitt this past weekend (many former Michigan coaches are now at Pitt).  He stopped by Ann Arbor on the way back to Chicago and met with Brady.  Chris and his father stayed the night in Ann Arbor, which we hope is a good sign.   Update from TomVH with an interview with Chris this morning: 

TOM: Did you and your parents come away comfortable with the coaches after the meeting?



CHRIS: My parents are both comfortable, and so am I. They asked their questions and said it was a great conversation overall. I feel comfortable with him too. He was a funny guy, he's a player's coach. He's someone that you would want to coach you.


TOM: Feeling comfortable with the coaching staff now, do you still feel the same way about Michigan overall?


CHRIS: I had a good relationship with the coaches there before, but coaching is a business. It's just an adjustment and you need to go on with it. Michigan is Michigan, and they're not going to just bring anyone in. I still really like Michigan.

DB Floyd Raven- Another 4 star guy and was just offered this weekend.  He might visit Ann Arbor in the next two weeks.  

Coming in this Weekend:

• Frank Clark TE from Glenville.  Michigan needs a TE in this class could it be Frank? 3 Star Prospect
• CB Raymon Taylor, a local Michigan prospect who was committed to Indiana.  Raymon has been a Michigan fan growing up and really has wanted to take a visit for a few weeks now.  He is a 4 star prospect.
• Tony Posada - mentioned above
• DB Stefan McClure is a new offer and will be visiting this week.  McClure is a 4 star DB and Army All American.  Great to see new 4 star guys in the loop.
• A new kicker offered and will visit:  Matt Wile from California.  He is a 2 star prospect like Goudis and another Army All American.

Getting guys on campus and securing all of the current verbals will be very important for Brady and Staff.  Speaking of staff, Michigan needs to really finish off their defensive staff.   A high profile defensive coordinator wouldn't hurt. 

It seems Michigan's recruitment of Zettel and Arnett seem to be a lost cause at this point.  Things also don't look real good for a QB in this class, with the loss of Forcier is now a big need.

Why Denard Stayed

Michigan Friday: Updates Hoke's Staff, Player Status and some Recruiting

Mike Barwis is now officially out as Michigan's S&C coach.  I know SDSU's S&C guy is well respected, but I just wish they could have worked something out so that Mike stayed on staff.  It's too bad and Mike probably has already found another job.

Al Borges will be Michigan's Offensive Coordinator, which hasn't been a big mystery.   Al runs a pro style offense but will do things that takes advantage of Denard's skills: 

"To say we're a spread team, we're not that," Borges said. "But you can't say, we're going to blow up and start all over again, not when you have a talent like (Robinson). We want to get back to some power offense, get down in the stance and knock people off the ball and give our kids a chance to kick butt. Within that scope, we then let our quarterback do what he does well.

"I've been doing this for 24 years. I'm no genius and I do not pretend to be one, but I have a hell of a lot of experience with a lot of different types of quarterbacks."

This is a smart more, running an offense that will allow Denard to run but making him a better QB at the next level. 

Fred Jackson is back as Michigan's RB Coach:  There wasn't much doubt that Freddie would be back.  He had been on staff for 20 years and was the only Michigan coach RR retained after he came to Michigan.   Fred is one of the best recruiters at Michigan and should help keep this class together.

Tate Update:  Tate's father is in town to talk to the Michigan staff about letting his son back in the program.  Tate's father contradicts the rumors that Tate was asked to leave the program due to academics:  "I can tell you this — he didn't fail his classes, Mike Forcier said in the report. "I'm really not sure what's going on. I just flew into Ann Arbor to figure everything out and see how we can get this whole thing resolved."   I hope this can be worked out and Tate gets back into the program but I hope Tate clearly understands what the expectations are for a student athlete at Michigan.

Mike Martin: Is not going pro and staying at Michigan for his senior year.  Which is good news for Michigan's defense next year. 

Former Michigan assistant coach Rod Smith has taken at job at IU as their co-offensive coordinator and Greg Fry will coach the Hooisers offensive line.

RR cleans out his closet and gives his Michigan gear to the Salvation Army so that they can raise some money.

Kyle Turley:  Did the media rounds yesterday and basically threw Brady Hoke under the bus for leaving SDSU after two years (Turley went to SDSU) and the same time he basically said that he heard Dan Marino got high before football games.  So he is a great source for solid information.


Recruiting Tid Bits:

• It seems Dallas Crawford has cut Michigan from his list.  So I guess he will be another coaching change casualty.  I'm surprised he is doing that before he talks to the Michigan coaches.

• Thomas Rawls instate RB continues to be very interested in Michigan now with Fred Jackson back on the staff.  Thomas needs to get a test score up but if that happens he might be the second RB in this class.  Thomas rushed for 1,585 yards, 19 touchdowns on 150 carries in 2010.

• Michigan still seems to be in the Kris Frost race.  Kris picked Auburn during the AA game week but was a silent commit to the Wolverines.  There is some question to whether Auburn has room in this class for Kris.  (they are losing two players to the NFL this week ). I hope Brady is on the phone today with Kris.  Today is the end of the recruiting dead period.

• Is Michigan back in the recruitment's of instate 4 stars Anthony Zettel and DeAthony Arnett?  Both are already committed to other schools (PSU and Tenn).  No proof that they are but If I were Brady and staff I would give them a call. 

BHB: Votes for Mike Trgovac for Michigan's DC Role

I have no inside knowledge on who the next Michigan Defensive Coordinator might be.   I don't see Brady Hoke doing something like hiring a big name guy like former Miami head coach Randy Shannon (even though I wish he would consider it - Randy would bring instant respectability to the role and be a huge asset for recruiting Florida), I see him going with somebody he knows and a coach that is familiar with the University of Michigan.

I believe the best person to fill that role is Green Bay Packers Defensive Line coach, Mike Trgovac.   Mike has been a defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers for 5 years and has been a defensive line coach every other place he has been to.  He played for Bo at Michigan and ironically was also a DL coach for Ball State.   He even has a couple of years coaching at ND.

He was born in Youngstown, Ohio which should bring some credibility on the recruiting trial in Ohio (even though he probably hasn't recruited in some time).  

Having a former defensive line coach as your head coach and your DC might be a bit redundant but I still think it would be a smart hire and certainly would help Mike Martin get ready for the NFL draft next year.  D-Line is also a big area of need for recruiting and skill development for the current Wolverines.
   
From NFL.com:

Mike Trgovac

Defensive line; born February 27, 1959, Youngstown, Ohio. Defensive lineman Michigan 1977-1980. No pro playing experience. College coach: Michigan 1984-85, Ball State 1986-88, Navy 1989, Colorado State 1990-91, Notre Dame 1992-94. Pro coach: Philadelphia Eagles 1995-98, Green Bay Packers 1999, Washington Redskins 2000-01, Carolina Panthers 2002-2008, joined Packers in 2009.

Brady Hoke Day 2: Time to Get to Work!

I was surprised by Brady Hoke yesterday.  Like David Brandon (before his search started), I didn't know Brady Hoke.  He wasn't a high profile coach during his time in Ann Arbor and really only knew him as the guy that all most ruined Michigan's undefeated season in 2006, Ball State's 12-1 season, and the guy that coached San Diego State in a Bowl Game.  Never heard him speak or understood his love for Michigan.  Make no mistake, this guy has passion and love for Michigan.  This is the same love or passion that Bo had, Gary had, and Lloyd had.   For all the fans that didn't like RR, I assume this is what you were looking for.  A man that "would have walked to Michigan".

The current players couldn't believe all the former players that came back to the program and were in the building.  They also liked Brady's National Championship ring!

Brady has also made Denard the #1 priority by spending time with him yesterday and meeting again today.  All reports seem to be that Denard is staying at Michigan.  Nothing is official until Denard says it, but the players believe he is staying.  Denard's high school coach is taking a ton of calls from other coaches asking if Denard is available.  Memo to other coaches:  STOP MOWING OUR LAWN!

With that said, Tate is out.  (another reason it's important for Denard to stay).   The rumors at the Gator Bowl were that Tate wasn't going to class at all which if true, probably means he has been thrown out of school.   The reports yesterday were saying that he is planning to enroll at a CC to get back to Michigan.  I wish Tate all the luck and hope he gets his head on straight and gets back to Michigan.  Devin has been clear in saying he is a Wolverine.   So we are good for next year with Denard #1 and Devin #2.

Recruiting doesn't look as dire as we thought:  TomVH reports that recruits just want to make sure their scholarships are good.  Here is a run down of some of our commits and guys still on the market:

• Kellen Jones is still strong with Michigan.  He is going to take a visit to Colorado for fun.  He just wants to talk with BH to make sure they still want him.

• Kris Frost hasn't heard from Auburn yet.  As you might have heard, he picked Auburn at the Army All American game.  The buzz after that was that Auburn was full and didn't have room for him.   If I'm BH, I get on the phone with Kris and family ASAP.   I want Kris at Michigan.

• K Matt Goudis and CB, Dallas Crawford are starting to look around.  They both will visit Miami this weekend.  Both are important to this class and hopefully Brady can sell them on his staff and Michigan.

• Justice Hayes is still strong with Michigan.  (need to make sure Fred Jackson is on the staff)

• Jake Fisher will take some visits but I think he is another guy that needs to hear from coach and will be ok.  Even if he takes a couple visits.

• Blake Countess seems to be strong with Michigan but needs some contact from the coaches and has a few questions.

• California 4 star WR Devin Lucien is being recruited by SDSU and Michigan.  So Brady should know him well.  Devin would like to visit and I think we have a great chance in landing him.

• I'm sure the ship has sailed with Dee Hart.  I guess that is what it is.  Which is too bad.  

• Update: reports are that the "ship as sailed with Michigan" (his words) in Dallas Crawford's recruitment.  I have a hard time believe that when he probably hasn't spoken to BH or a DC or DB hasn't even been hired yet.

Brady has to work pretty much 24/7 over the next 3 weeks to secure this class.  They just can't whiff on this class which needs to be 18-20 strong.  When I say strong a top 20 class.   Sam Webb does his thing in the Detroit News today, talking about what a good recruiter Brady is and that he does a lot of the recruiting himself.  There are a couple of high profile DT that Brady was recruiting to SDSU.  Interesting............

Things I'm not real happy about:  Is the current status of Mike Barwis who is under contract at U of M.  The reports are the Brady is planning on bringing his S&C coach with him.  I understand that but I think keeping Mike Barwis makes a lot of sense on a lot of different levels.  #1 - He seems like one of the best in the nation.  #2 - The players would be comfortable in the off season work outs, #3 - It would help with any player wanting to stay with the program.  #4 - (probably should be #1) Brock Mealer.   I hope they keep Barwis and Brady's S&C guy can stay on the West Coast or will work with Barwis.


Les Miles also falls under this category for me.  I don't know any of the private conversations between Brandon and Miles.  I also don't know if there was or wasn't talks about the job with him.  David Brandon is on record saying he didn't offer the job to him.   There was a 100 reason for Michigan not to hire Les Miles, there was 2 reason to hire him (he played and coached at Michigan). 

He never answers the question about if he was offered the job but he leads everyone to believe at LSU and in the media that Michigan was doing all it could to land him and he works that into contract extension.  Which is now the second time he has done that.   I'm sure you have your opinion of Les Miles but he really seems like a snake in the grass to me.   Any time he wants a raise he should invite the Michigan AD to have dinner with him.   (don't get me wrong, he had legit reason to stay at LSU, I'm just saying what my gut feelings on the situation is).


Enjoy the below videos.  Please note who was working hard when coach got to see the new indoor practice field.

Brady Hoke: "I would have walked to Michigan"

If you feel on the fence about the Brady Hoke hiring.  Watch today's press conference at Mgoblue.com.

It might get you off the fence.

He sounds like Bo Schembechler and acts like him.

Brady talked about:

• it will always be about the team.
• the Michigan players will be about charter, effort, and toughness
• everyone associated with Michigan Football will respect the tradition of the Michigan program
• met with the team today and has spoken with Denard for about 15 minutes today and will talk to him more today as well.
• the Ohio State game is personal to him
• got emotional when talking about all the players that he has worked with.
• going to focus on building a staff, meeting with the players and working on the recruiting class
• there won't be any visits this weekend

David Brandon:

• 5 cities in 6 days
• interviewed several coaches face to face and via the phone
• 6 year term sheet
• Tate is not with the program
• Didn't know Brady before this process started but got to know him through face to face meeting. 
• Brady took this job with out talking about salary.  The only person David knew who had done that was Bo.
• Looking for a guy that loved this program and had a reputation as good coach/players coach.  
• Doesn't need to teach Brady the Victors
• Liked that Brady knows how to coach defense
• this game is about the players and all the Michigan players have noticed Brady's National Championship ring and he also has 5 other Big Ten Championship rings.

There were about 10-20 former players at the press conference supporting Brady. Which is very telling.

Wolverine Wednesday: More News on Michigan's New Coach

I have been surprised to hear from a number of sources that Brady Hoke is a strong recruiter.  Sam Webb even mentioned on the radio today that some high schools that are normally Ohio State feeder schools have a lot of respect for Brady.  So that is good news. 

Here is some information to a source close to the players on the Mgoblog message board:

• Denard was seen smiling when he heard that components of the spread would be used in the new offense. 
• The Michigan players seemed very happy when it was announced.
• Brandon told the players that he interviewed "big names" from every conference and all of them were more concerned about themselves (rather then the players or the program).
• Steve Hutchinson said that Brady was the best coach he ever had.
• The players started "chatting" Nike at the end of the meeting.  DB laughed and said he can't break the contract.
• Many of the people he spoke to recommended Brady Hoke.
• I am really starting to get the feeling that David and Les just spoke this week and that he never offered the job.

There is a 1:00 press conference today and then I expect Brady to be introduced to the Michigan faithful at tonight's Michigan - OSU basketball game. 

Clearly, Brady needs to save this recruiting class, keep the "key" current Wolverines and hire a very good DC, a very good DC. 

The Hoke Factor

This hire is starting to sink in and I'm trying to make the best out of it. 

For example I am trying to figure out how David Brandon just hired a coach with a career record of 47-50.  I guess the only requirement for the Michigan job was to either have coached or played for the Wolverines.

• Brady's OC has a good reputation:   Al Borges, a two-time nominee for Frank Boyles Assistant Coach of the Year, who most recently helped lead Auburn to a 42-9 record and four bowl game appearances from 2004-07.  The SDSU Defensive Coordinator is expected to replace Brady as the head coach.  Al is expected to come to Michigan with Brady.
• Calvin Magee and Tony Gibson have already gotten jobs at Pitt.  So they are out as options for the new Michigan staff.
• RR is expected to take at least a year off. 
• I would expect that Mike Barwis will be retained but that is just my opinion.  Which will help keep the current players happy.
• I would also expect that Fred Jackson will be retained.  Since they both coached together at  Michigan.
• The players seem excited about Brady.
• It seems Tom Brady, Charles Woodson and Steve Hutchinson recommended Hoke.
• Overall former players seem happy at the Hoke hire.  Which clearly was not the case in the RR hire.
• Keeping the recruiting class together is job #1 (maybe job #2 after keeping Denard happy).   Here is what Tom Lemming had to say about Brady:  "Most people don't know that Hoke is a great recruiter," Lemming said. "Hoke has more ties than someone like Les Miles in the Midwest. I would imagine (he) would keep Fred Jackson.
• Brandon said that Miles and Harbaugh weren't offered the head coaching job at Michigan. 

I have to admit after researching and writing this post, I feel better about the hire.  I would prefer a big name hire as Michigan's Defensive Coordinator someone like Randy Shannon, as an example.  It's also very key that he does a good job at keeping players from transferring, mostly Denard.

The next priority is to work non-stop these next 3 weeks on trying to keep the 2011 recruiting class together while adding some missing pieces as well.

If he can do those things, I think the Michigan faithful will go a long way in accepting him as the new leader of our historic program.  

Breaking News: It's the Hoke Pokey Will He Turn The Program Around?

Michigan Hires a New Coach:

Jan. 11, 2011

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon announced today (Tuesday, Jan. 11) the hiring of Brady Hoke as the 19th coach in the 131-year history of Michigan football. Hoke arrives in Ann Arbor after spending the past eight seasons as a head coach at Ball State (2003-08) and San Diego State (2009-10).

"We are pleased to announce the hiring of Brady," said Brandon. "He is a terrific coach and will be a great ambassador and leader for our football program. We look forward to having him build a championship program on the field and in the classroom."

Hoke spent eight seasons in Ann Arbor before embarking on his head coaching career. He mentored the Wolverines defensive line all eight seasons, a group that helped Michigan rank annually among the nation's best in rushing and total defense. Hoke coached three linemen to All-America honors during his tenure -- William Carr (1996), Glen Steele (1997) and Rob Renes (1999) -- and had five players earn first-team All-Big Ten accolades.

more at the link...........
__________________________________________________________________________________

I don't have words to express where I am with this.  My beloved program is not what it used to be and is not what it should be.   I will support this hire but certainly won't celebrate it.   I'm speechless.

=

Breaking News: Hoke to Meet Brandon in LA

Brady Hoke will be meeting with David Brandon near LA late this afternoon.   Hoke is in the LA area recruiting.

One of the things that was in question was why David would be flying to the LA area when Brady is in San Diego.  That mystery is now solved. 

After David signs Brady, maybe they can take a tour of celebrities homes or spend his new signing bonus on Rodeo Drive.    They should sign the paperwork at the Rose Bowl. 

Well Done, Mr. Brandon.   This is not going to end well.

***Update: The Detroit Media is all over the above report and saying that Brady Hoke is the guy.  Since the Detroit Media hasn't been right for 3+ years about anything related to Michigan football, I'm guessing Michigan must be looking elsewhere.  :-)

THIS IS NOT GOING TO END WELL!

Right now the Pizza business must be looking pretty good.  Fighting Little Caesars or Papa Johns seems like a pretty good gig compared to this cluster.  David, I'm sorry but you have painted yourself into a corner where now it's going to be very difficult to get out of.

Let me be very clear, You don't fire Rich Rodriguez to hire Brady Hoke.  You just don't.  But what options do you have left?  The chips are on the table and it's time to lay down your cards.

I'm now officially concerned that David is not a closer.  Which shouldn't be a big surprise, since a number of executives are groomed from the ground up and never had a real sales job.  Sometimes they did have a sales job but forget what life was life in mahogany row or while they are traveling to their vacation homes on their private jets.

Well, Dave the folks that ride coach are pretty pissed off right now.  You have gone 0-2 with Michigan Men for this opening and your only prospect right now looks like Brady Hoke.   The latest flight tracker has David flying to California but hasn't left yet.   Who is planning to run that players meeting at 4:00 today?  Why the hell isn't David going to Dallas?   Who is your next target Cam Cameron?

Maybe David is heading to California to play some golf?

You know what, I'm starting to give a lot of blame to Bill Martin and David Brandon for the current state of this Michigan program.

Les is Not More For the Wolverines

So Les is not going to be Michigan's next head coach.  He is now staying at LSU and it's official.

Maybe the job was never offered.  So that leaves the question:  What the hell is David doing in Ann Arbor right now? 

I'm personally getting really tired of this.  Is this the Brady Hoke show then?  A candidate they could of signed a week ago?

More to come.

Michigan Coaching Search: Lips are Sealed

So David Brandon and Les Miles met yesterday afternoon.  They might have even shared a BBQ dinner before David jumped on his private jet back to Willow Run.   Neither Les or Dave are talking. 

So the question still remains:  Did they have chicken or ribs for dinner?  Maybe both! 

Was there a Michigan job offer?  Was David there to ask a high profile former Michigan coach what his opinion is on who should be the Wolverines next coach?  We don't know. 

What we do know is that Les has a speaking engagement at the coaching conference today in Dallas.  We also know that David Brandon is home back in Ann Arbor.  If I was the Michigan AD and didn't have a coach signed up and needed to interview a number of candidates to fill my open position.  I sure the hell wouldn't be at home enjoying an Izzy's Meatball sub for lunch, I would be in Dallas at the coaches convention with a card table and a sign that says two things: Our helmet has wings and I'm willing to pay $5M a year if you can coach defense.

So is Les already signed up?  I don't know.  I'm sure LSU will make a run at keeping him.  

But we should know by the end of day.  So keep hitting your refresh button and I will let you know as soon as something breaks.   

A+B+C+D = Les?

A: The Domino's Pizza plane or the one that David Brandon has been using left Dallas this afternoon and landed in Baton Rouge.

B: The LSU message boards are saying that Les has signed a new $5M - 5 year contract with Michigan.

C: There is a players team meeting that was just scheduled for 4:00 on Tuesday.

D: The Pizza plane is scheduled to leave Baton Rouge in a few minutes to Willow Run. 

You be the judge, but that seems like a lot of evidence that Les will only have to travel a few more air "Miles" before he is the new Michigan coach.

Update:  This guy says he reviewed airport video that Les was not on the plane back to Michigan.  Les is scheduled to talk at the coaching conference in Dallas on Tuesday.   So I guess we continue to wait to see what happens.

11:00: Pizza Plane has landed in Willow Run.  It seems that David Brandon was on the flight.

David Brandon Speaks

Via the Brandon Blog:

During the press conference on Wednesday (Jan. 5), I noted we would be conducting a national search for our next football coach. Some would suggest we should complete this national search in a matter of hours, but this is a critical decision for Michigan Athletics and it cannot and will not be made in haste.



Coaches are an interesting, intense group, and although this interviewing process is time-consuming and somewhat demanding, it is an honor to represent Michigan and discuss our football program's needs and opportunities with a variety of impressive candidates and/or people who can offer valuable advice and input. The process is proceeding with careful consideration as to the qualifications, commitment, effectiveness and passion that various candidates would bring to our program.


I am sure all of the news reports are interesting for our fans, but I am too busy to follow the majority of the news except to hear some pretty wild stories about "where I am and who I am talking to." The last week should be a reminder to everyone not to believe everything you read or hear. Some of the so-called "news reports" over the past week have been simply ridiculous.


As it relates to our fans, I have received the "advice and recommendations" to hire just about every football coach in America -- including some who have never coached or haven't coached in years! I am glad our fans are passionate, but we cannot hire your favorite high school coach (as one fan suggested) and we cannot hire several head coaches and have them take turns leading the team during the season (another unique approach that was suggested to me!).

Sometimes, fans who provide more level-headed suggestions do not realize that some of the people they mention are not viable candidates for Michigan for a variety of reasons. This is some of what we learn as we go through this process.


Our Michigan Athletic Department e-mail servers have been very busy! I am trying to answer/acknowledge all e-mails we have been receiving from sincere, thoughtful individuals. The department appreciates the messages from those who are simply trying to help. Those that are not trying to be helpful quickly end up in the delete/block sender file!

I would bet that in the majority of cases, fans have never met and interviewed any of the coaches they are either supporting or trashing, so they really don't have any idea what kind of people they really are! Thankfully, I am given this opportunity.


We are looking for a coach that matches our program's particular needs and objectives, on and off the field.


There will always be a certain number of people who enjoy criticizing others, and there is nothing any of us can do about them! However, for those of you who want to help bring Michigan football back to where we all want it to be, you can help by getting behind our new coach and ignoring those who enjoy creating controversy and resentment. Much of our past success was largely a result of our large number of passionate, united fans around the country supporting our coaches and players in every way. Uniting again behind one singular purpose -- to win Big Ten championships -- is what we need, and now is the time to get on board.

The most important thing everyone can do at this point to help Michigan football is to prepare to greet our new coach with all of the support, encouragement and positive energy that we can muster. Getting our football program turned around quickly is our goal, and having our fans and supporters "jump on board" early with our new coach will help him be successful -- which is what we all want!


It is time for me to get on to the next session. Go Blue!!


BHB:  If I am reading this right, it's not Jon Gruden and probably Brady Hoke and he is pretty sorry for not having a coach hired when he fired RR.  Maybe he is targeting Wayne Fontes at this point.  Who knows.