Michigan Lands Another 4 Star LB

Michigan already has 2 LB's committed to the 2012 and they just received a verbal commitment for the third.  That commitment came from Cincinnati's Joe Bolden, who made a surprise visit to Ann Arbor today.
 
Joe is a 6'2 225 LB who had a total of 18 offers from the like of Arizona, Boston College, Cincinnati, Kentucky, North Carolina, Penn State, Stanford, Tennessee and West Virginia.  As a junior he had 90 tackles, 4 sacks and 2 interceptions.  This kid can play. 

With last years haul of LB's (some for Cincy as well), I would guess Michigan is done at this position for the 2012 class.  James "Biggs" Ross is part of the Michigan 3 and the Wolverines might find room for him if he wants to jump on board.   With a lot of depth at this position now with the last two classes, I'm guessing "Biggs" might look elsewhere.

Joe is the 7th verbal commitment for the 2012 class.




For more on Joe, check out Mgoblog.

Michigan Friday: Wonders if Delany's hindsight is 20/20?

Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany should be applauded for the work he has done with the Big Ten Network and bringing in Nebraska.  Many has criticized his approach with a number of topics including: logos, legends and leaders.  He also hasn't been very aggressive in discipline for players and coaches off field actions.  He usually allows the teams or the NCAA to carry the big stick. 

Now he is sitting with a huge mess with one of his biggest name coaches getting deeper and deeper into more trouble as time goes on.  What should he do?  Nothing or Something like the SEC did to Bruce Pearl?

Here is what he said, yesterday at the BCS conference:  "Based on what we knew, we just spoke on behalf of the kids and the NCAA made the decision it made," Delany said Thursday at the annual Bowl Championship Series meetings in New Orleans. "But I don't think anybody had the knowledge that we have now."

The only new news is that JT knew about it and kept it quiet.  Would that fact made you take action against the players?  Of course it would have regarding Tressel. 

Jim what do think will happen with JT and OSU?

"I'm concerned about it. I think it's a serious situation," Delany said. "The facts are fairly well known and I think the institution will get in front of the infractions committee and then they'll render their opinion in a timely way."

Jim did you stick up for the players last December?

"I spoke on the fact that it wasn't a recruitment issue -- it wasn't an agent issue, it was an extra benefit issue, and it was an extra benefit issue that to our knowledge was isolated and confined," he said. "So it was on that basis that I appealed on behalf of the school. But we didn't have the information we have today."

That makes sense, these guys just picked a tattoo guy in Columbus and struck this one time deal.  I'm sure this never happened before in Columbus.  Great Take, Jim. 

In fact, the Columbus Dispatch is now reporting that there were more items and players involved in the selling of grear and bowl gifts.  I guess that is what Jim is referring to as "new information".

My take is Jim seems to be a very good business man and sells the Big Ten very well.   I'm concerned about the other part of his job and his inability to see the forest through the trees and mostly when it comes to his big name coaches.   His silence or lack of punishment in this matter speaks volumes.   Let the NCAA or the institution handle it, is a pretty weak stance for a serious situation in his own backyard.

Michigan Thursday: Recruiting Blitz

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wolverine Wednesday: Wonders if Tressel is Bigger Then the Program?

That's what it comes down to right?  Is the Vest more important then the Ohio State Football program?

Unless he is fired before August 12th, consider the answer to the above statement as YES.

Let's give some proof why he is:

#1: OSU hired a successful D1A coach that was just coming out of a similar NCAA problem at YSU.   Seems like a very strange hire when you look back at it.  How could a D1A coach handle being head coach at OSU and mostly with a bad track record with the NCAA.   Would Michigan hire Grand Valley's coach if he had issues with the NCAA?  Not a chance.

#2: JT won a National Championship and has only 1 loss against Michigan.   Everyone still remembers John Cooper in Columbus and can't stand the thought of another situation like that happening.

#3: The guy can recruit (maybe with a little help).  He consistently gets a top 10 classes.

#4: The OSU President who seems to consider himself a part time comedian said, "he hopes Jim doesn't fire me".

#5: The NCAA will come down even harder on OSU if they keep him as coach. Coaches don't survive this label from the NCAA.  If they don't fire him, they are willing to take a harder penalty if he continues as head coach. 

This is the decision that OSU is struggling with right now.  It's clear they don't want to let JT go, but do they really have a choice?  If they keep him, it's clear that he is bigger then the program.

(Memo to Urban Meyer: you don't want this head ache, stay retired enjoy your big contract from ESPN and working a couple days a week.  Look how happy Jon Gruden is)

Last point, would a CEO of a Fortune 500 company keep his job if he lied to the DOJ and his board of directors? Not a chance.

• 5 Star RB from Ohio Bri'onte Dunn has re-opened his recruitment (verbal to OSU) and might visit Ann Arbor this weekend.  Even if he doesn't make it up on Saturday, it seems Michigan still has a great shot at getting a visit from him.

Michigan Tuesday: Pitt Keeps Mowing The Wolverines Lawn

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

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

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


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



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


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

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

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

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

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

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

Bad Day For the Buckeyes

Any day you get a notice of allegations from the NCAA is not a good day.  Being Wolverine fans we know how it feels.  

On Friday, OSU got their letter and today it's becoming public.  The good news for Buckeye fans, the NCAA did not alleged  OSU for "failure to monitor" or "failure of institutional control" violations.  Which actually makes no sense.  Kids were doing the wrong things, the coach gets tipped off, he lies about it and hides it and then is caught red handed.   So I guess the NCAA is saying, OSU did monitor the situation they just hide it or didn't do anything about it.  

There is plenty of bad news in the allegations but maybe the most damning penalty is that OSU could be seen as a repeat offender for Troy Smith taking $500 from a booster and former basketball coach Jim O'Brien who gave a recruit $6000. 

The rest of the allegations  (from the Columbus Dispatch):

• Tressel was guilty of ethical misconduct when he knowingly provided false information to the NCAA in certifying that he knew of no potential violations by his players and failed to inform OSU officials.

• Ohio State fielded ineligible players last season when starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor and others competed despite Tressel's knowledge of their misconduct. NCAA bylaws call for immediate suspensions.

• The NCAA said that Pryor, Dan Herron, DeVier Posey, Mike Adams, Solomon Thomas and Jordan Whiting will not face further punishment. They have been suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season.

• The NCAA letter details what those five current players and one former player did: Improperly sold Big Ten championship rings, "gold pants" charms from Michigan wins, game-worn equipment and other items to tattoo-parlor owner Ed Rife for $9,480.

• Players, whose names were redacted by Ohio State citing a federal privacy law, also received 13 free or discounted tattoos. In addition, one player received a $2,420 discount toward the purchase of a used vehicle from Rife, as well as an $800 loan for vehicle repairs, the NCAA reported.

• Tressel knew that at least two players were selling memorabilia or football awards to Rife. Those transactions made the players ineligible to compete under NCAA rules, the letter states.

The allegation that Tressel lied to the NCAA is significant. Since 2006, the NCAA has sanctioned 28 schools for violating the ethics bylaw that Tressel did. Of the 13 head coaches involved, only one kept her job. The others either resigned or were fired by their schools.  

OSU can kiss the 2010 regular season good bye, it sounds like they will be able to keep the Sugar Bowl win since the players were already under penalty. 

OSU clearly wants to keep Tressel as head coach but that's a mistake.  There should be nothing keeping this guy in his job.  The NCAA hates when people lie to them and Tressel did it twice.  IMO, if Tressel keeps his job the NCAA will come down hard on Ohio State and even harder if they are found to be a repeat offender.  A penalty could be a number of lost scholarships and being banned from the Big Ten Championship game and Bowl Games.

Don't forget Tressel could "personally" found to be a repeat offender as well for the situation at Youngstown State.   The NCAA lately has been trying to penalize coaches who skip to other jobs and leave the entire penalty with the University they just left.   Other examples of this are Kelvin Sampson when he left Oklahoma for Indiana.  There are other guys that have gotten away with it include: Lou Holtz, Pete Carroll, and John Calipari.

Ohio State is in a no win situation with Tressel at the moment.  They don't want to fire him but can't support him either.  He is and will be hung out in the wind.  He should resign since he could be fired with cause today anyway.

OSU will meet with the NCAA on August 12th.  The best they can hope for is that the NCAA accepts the current penalty they have given Tressel.   Don't count on it.

Michigan Has a Double Good Friday in Recruiting

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

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

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




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

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

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

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

Michigan Friday: Loses a Christian and a Morris

I was going with the headline:  Michigan loses a Christian and a Savior but I thought that was a bit too much on a holiday weekend.  :)

Let's get to the basketball news first.  Darius Morris has decided to enter the NBA Draft and not hire an agent.  That means he has until May 8th to pull his name out of the draft.  If he hires an agent before then, he will not be allowed to change his mind and come back to Ann Arbor.

I would now say the odds of Darius coming back as pretty slim.  I'm not an NBA expert but here is what I have been hearing. 

Reasons for Darius to go:  Some have used the words "terrible" to describe this NBA draft.  Many big time players from schools like Baylor, OSU and North Carolina have decided to stay in school.  Which makes this draft pretty light on big names.  If that is the case, Darius might be considered a "better" prospects this year over other years.

Reasons for Darius to stay:  He still needs to work on his game.  He is lacking a perimeter jump shot and could use another year of college basketball.  There is also a strong possibility of an NBA lock out and one  reason some players are electing to stay in school.   Many are predicting this lockout could be worse then the NFL's and continue long into the season.  

That's a difficult decision for Darius and wish him luck either way. 

Like we mentioned yesterday, Cullen Christian has elected to play his football elsewhere.   Here are some quotes from SuperPreps:   "Coach (Brady) Hoke is a great guy and I have no issues with him at all," Christian told Superprep.com. "I had meetings with my other coaches and I just didn't like the direction that they had me going in. I think it is best that I move on and finish my career elsewhere."

"I thought I did pretty well in spring ball and as far as production goes; I did very well," Christian told the website. "I hurt my back and wasn't able to perform in one scrimmage and the spring game, and that set me back a little bit."


"I came here to be a part of something big and it has all fallen apart," he told the website. "Part of you feels like you failed, while another part of you wants to go prove them they were wrong. I need to move on now and do what is best for me."


I personally had high hopes for Cullen at Michigan.  I thought with his skill set he could come in and play right away.  Freshman did play last year but Cullen didn't get a lot of time.  Avery and Talbott got much more playing time at corner over Cullen.  

Michigan is getting back Woolfolk and Floyd starters in defensive backfield this year and true freshman Greg Brown who enrolled early played pretty well in the Spring Game.    Not to mention the guys that will be here this summer which include: Delonte Hollowell, Blake Countness, Tamani Carter and Raymon Taylor.   I also believe Avery is going to be an NFL prospect after his senior year. 

If you add all those things up, it pretty much equals a transfer.  Good Luck CC, I wish you luck at your next school. 

Michigan Thursday: 2012 QB Recruiting

So there are plenty of obvious jokes regarding Zeke Pike picking Auburn:  He took the turn-Pike town south or just another big fish that got away.  Please remember to tip your waiter and waitress.................

Bad jokes aside where are the Wolverines looking for a QB now that 5 star Zeke Pike is heading to play for the National Champs?

#1 Gunner Kiel out of Columbus, IN.  Considered the top QB prospect in the 2012 class.  He has offers from everyone.  Has some ties to ND and that's probably where he will end up. 

#2 Maty Mauk out of Kenton, OH.  Brother played for Brian Kelly at Cincinnati but Maty has been up to Ann Arbor a couple of times and nearing a decision on where he wants to play next year.   He has offers from Cincy, ND, Ill, Missouri, Vandy and Michigan.   This could be Michigan's best shot at a QB commitment in the near future.

#3 Austin Appleby out of North Canton, OH.  Austin continues to be on Michigan's radar as a potential QB offer.  He is 6'5 228 pounds and has mostly MAC offers at this point. 

#4 Bennie Coney out of Plant, Florida.  RR was in on Bennie early and that has seemed to continue into the Hoke era.  Bennie has said he has Michigan in his top 5.  He has offers from Auburn, Louisville, FSU, BC, Texas Tech, VT, MSU and others.  Bennie had some school/team issues so he might have some baggage.

Michigan has also offered: Devin Fuller from NJ and Jake Rodrigues from CA.  Neither has shown a ton of interest in Michigan yet.

Don't forget about 2013 mega instate QB recruit Shane Morris but Michigan will still take a QB in the 2012 class for sure.

Breaking News: Strong Rumors Around Another DB Loss

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

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

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

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

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

Wolverine Wednesday: The Golden Bear Rolls Over on his Buckeyes

Jack Nicklaus is a golfing legend.  He is the best golfer ever, end of story right?  Nope, as many of you know.  He is also a Ohio State Buckeye (for those that have played the U of M golf course, the legend is that from the back tee on #18  (used to be #9) he hit his ball in the water with a three wood (yes it was a real wood).    I don't know how far it is to get to the water from the tips but I'm guessing it's over 300 yards with technology from the late 1950's.

Jack was in C-Bus on Monday to do a charity event for his Memorial Tournament.  He was asked about the Tressel situation and had gave his opinion:  "I don't know what really happened, but I'll promise you that Tressel wasn't the only one that knew what happened," Nicklaus told The Plain Dealer. Nicklaus' theory runs contrary to the facts as the public knows them and contrary to the facts as presented by Ohio State in its self-report to the NCAA.

"I can't imagine that the university didn't know what was going on," Nicklaus said. "Unless Jim, who is a terrific guy, maybe he decided to take it on his own shoulders. That could be, I don't know. I just like him a lot.

"I think he's an honest guy, he's a straight guy and he's a great coach. I think he really cares about his kids. And if I had a kid who was of age to play here, I'd love to have him play under Tressel, because I just think he's a great guy."  (his grandson recently picked Florida State over Ohio State)

Jack was clearly trying to support his coach but basically just accused his University of not having Institutional Control.  Which would be another log on the fire regarding the potential penalty. 
 
Now OSU AD Gene Smith is starting to speak up about this and probably trying to cover his own backside.   Speaking on the cost of this entire case:   “It’ll probably eat up the whole $250 (thousand),” Smith said. “I’m not sure. We haven’t done any projections.”  Evidently, Tressel was supposed to apologize the night the story broke but didn't and Smith had to talk to Tressel about it.  “Then we got with him and he got better at it,” Smith said. “It’s an emotional thing.”   Gene how is the whole process going?  “It’s a nightmare,” he said.

Is it me or is anyone else feeling that Tressel is not the clean cut guy that he portrays himself to be?  I think Jimmy might be playing under a different set of rules and I'm betting many at OSU know it. 
 

• 5 Star QB Zeke Pike announces his decision today.  It's down to Auburn, Michigan, and Purdue.  No pun intended, but the smart money is on Auburn.  It's going down at 2:15.

Michigan Tuesday: Old Faces New Places

We all knew that Kaleb Ringer is releated to former MSU star Javon Ringer.  Here is what Javon had to say about Kaleb committing to the Wolverines:  I tried (to get him to MSU). I definitely wanted him to do what was best for Kaleb. I wanted to make sure that he took all his visits and went to all the different schools so he could find the best fit for him and to go to a place that he could get some playing time right away.


I do not like that it is Michigan and I don’t have a problem saying that. I’m not a big fan of Michigan with me going to Michigan State. I have a lot of respect for Michigan. No matter how much you dislike them, they’re a great team.


I still know some of the players who played there. I will support my nephew. I hope that he does great. I pray that I left a good enough legacy at Michigan State and I’m pretty sure that Kaleb will do that same thing at Michigan.


Whatever happened to Michigan's Walk-on QB from Pioneer Nader Furrha?  Well, he didn't last long at Michigan.  He was a back up at Riverside City College last year and now has accepted a scholarship offer to play at Morgan State next season. “I thought I was going to get more opportunity (at Michigan), it didn’t work out so I moved on,” Furrha said. “It was hard leaving, but it was a move I had to make for myself.”

UMass rode the wave of their good performance at the Big House to a invitation to the MAC Conference.   The official announcement is expected tomorrow at 5:00.

We knew Michigan's Basketball's 2011/2012 incoming recruiting class is strong but is it really this good?  MaxPreps did their top 100 and look how Michigan did:  #62 Carlton Brundidge - PG,   #82 Trey Burke - PG, and #100 Max Bielfeldt, PF/C.  Carlton and Trey are not big surprises but Max wasn't even rated by Rivals or Scouts - zero stars and he is a top 100 player on MaxPreps!  Sounds good to me! 

Michigan Monday: Likes the Recruiting Weekend Michigan Just Had

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Could be a fun week, stayed tuned!

Michigan's Spring Game Deep Thoughts

photo by John T. Greilick / The Detroit News

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


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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

*Winners of the Tressel T Shirts:

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

 

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

Wolverine Weekend Update: Springs 2 LB Commits!

Today Michigan played it's Spring Game and I will get to that post Sunday morning.   So tune in then. 

The Big News from today is that Michigan has landed 2 four star linebackers in 2 days. 

The first one on Friday night was not a surprise with the commitment of Kaleb Ringer, cousin of former MSU Spartan Javon Ringer.   Kaleb will come to Ann Arbor as a 6'1 225 pound linebacker looking to make a difference on the Wolverine defense.  Kaleb is a 4 star prospect to Scouts but not yet rated by Rivals or ESPN.  

Kaleb's offer list includes Cincinnati, Syracuse, West Virgina, MAC Schools, Iowa and Illinois.  Not a bad offer list for early in the recruiting process but some people might point out that he didn't have offers from Ohio State or Michigan State.  OSU has a very limited scholarships this year and a bunch of other trouble to worry about and who knows why MSU didn't offer. 

The book on this kid is he plays sideline to sideline as a run stopper.  Maybe a guy that the Wolverines would take out on 3rd downs or traditional passing situations.  Which I could care less, We could use a guy around Ann Arbor that can stuff the run! 

Welcome to Ann Arbor Kaleb! 



LineBacker #2 is RJS!  Royce Jenkins-Stone.

RJS is part of the Instate 3, a group of  highly touted prospects with James Ross and Terry Richardson.  Royce decided today that Michigan was the place for him. (No decisions yet for Ross or Richardson)  RJS is still growing into his frame but right now is at 6'2 and 215 pounds.  His offer list is an impressive one:  Oklahoma, Florida, Alabama, Tenn, ASU, MSU, Miami, and so on.  This guy is a big time prospect and a future Wolverine! 

He comes from the Division 1 talent machine which is Cass Tech in Detroit coached by former Wolverine Thomas Wilcher.  RJS had 90 tackles, 3 sacks and 5 picks last year as a junior.  He also rushed for 10 touchdowns as a full back. 

Royce is the first 2012 verbal commit that makes Wolverine fans that follow this stuff to say: Wow!

Let's hope there are more of those coming.   Michigan is now in a strange position with two other LB's and probably only has 1 spot left.  Both are 4 star guys as well.  Joe Bolden from Cincinnati (who was up to Ann Arbor this week with his parents) and Detroit's James "Biggs" Ross.   Would Michigan say no to one of them?  Or would they take both?  I say bring both to Ann Arbor if they want to be Wolverines!

Michigan Friday: Spring Game Wish List

I like the Michigan Spring Game, just because I really enjoy seeing the Maize and Blue on the field for another Saturday and know it's my last chance until September.   I don't really love it because it's a glorified practice which can give us some insight on who and where your favorite players might be next year. 

So if I was 6 years old and really wanted my wish list to come true on Saturday, here it is:

• No major injuries of any sort
• Denard looks comfortable under center
• Denard has some nice completions
• No fumbled snaps from anyone
• The recruits are impressed and want to commit on the spot
• The defense looks improved since the nightmare I had on 1/1/11
• A couple of running backs look like good options this fall
• Linebacker play is much improved with new players
• Another starting safety whose name doesn't rhyme with "throwbacks"
• WR's and TE's that catch the ball consistently (don't forget Michigan struggled with that last year)
• A couple made field goals
• A couple young DB's who show they can play
• A Big Day for Big Will!  I want a QB pressure and a ton of stops of RB's for no gain or -2 yards.
• Devin to play with confidence and throw the ball well
• A 3rd String QB to stand out - Mr. President?  The Pioneer kid? 
• #1 wish: That the right building blocks are in place to make this a championship team in the next couple of year.

Enjoy the game and I will do my MVP on Sunday Morning.   We just have 6 shirts so the first 6 with the right prediction will get them.   I have received hundreds of emails.

Don't forget, Michigan should get a 4 star LB recruit tonight at 6:00 PM!

Go Blue!

Wolverine Thursday: Spring Game Information

Coach Hoke sat down with the media yesterday and gave us some thoughts on the Spring Game on Saturday. 

First off, the weather is supposed to be cold and rainy which is too bad because that probably will keep people way and donations for Mott's down.  If your wondering, the game is still free but if do $5 and up donation to Mott's you will walk away with some cool Fat Head stuff or special access to game day activities next season.

Players that are out:  JT Floyd, Troy Woolfolk, Taylor Lewan, and Kenny Demens.  Those are all starters and each one is expected to be ready for Fall practice. 

Match Ups:  #1 Offense vs #2 Defense.   #1 Defense vs #2 Offense.  Winners get Steak for dinner - Losers get Hot Dogs. 

"We're heading down the home stretch of spring, obviously. We've got two days left to keep evaluating." Mindset, mentality, etc. will still be evaluated in the final two days. "We've made some progress in some of those areas but we're a long way from being the football team we want to be in the fall."

I have heard there has been a ton of "coaching" going on for each player.  Much more working on fundamentals then under the last staff.  Which is exactly what this team needs.  I am not expecting a ton out of the Spring Game, my hope is the players can work on what they learned in Spring over the summer months and really turn it up during Fall Practice.

If your wondering, I still hear the kicking game still sucks.  I sure hope that freshman coming in can kick field goals. 

• Here is some visit reaction from Joe Bolden's who was in town on Tuesady for his second visit to Ann Arbor with is Mom and Dad:  I didn't see as much as I wanted to last time. This time we got to drive through campus, see the classrooms, and we just got to see a lot more than last time. We go the grand tour of everything. I didn't get to see a dorm because there weren't any vacant, but I got to see the building that I would be living in.----Timeline: I still haven't gotten the chance to sit down with my mother, father, and uncle and weigh out the pro's and con's of everything. My uncle wasn't at school today, but we'll probably sit down in the next couple days. I really don't have a timeline, it could happen tomorrow or it could happen in February. I'm not sure yet.

Wolverine Wednesday: Big Recruiting Week on Tap

The Spring Game is one of those yearly events that brings out a number of prospects to Ann Arbor to get a chance to see the Big House and what the new Michigan coaching staff might have in store for us next Fall. 

• TomVH gives us a list of attendees that are planning to make it to the game.

- Commit Caleb Stacey (6'4", 275 lbs)
- 2013 Michigan QB Shane Morris (6'3", 189 lbs)
- Instate TE Devin Funchess (6'5", 205 lbs)
- Illinois DT Vontrell Williams (6'2", 263 lbs)
- Instate LB Royce Jenkins-Stone (6'2", 215 lbs):
- Instate TE Ron Thompson (6'4", 210 lbs)
- Illinois OL Jordan Diamond (6'7", 289 lbs):Could be coming with his teammate QB Robert Gregory.
- Instate LB James Ross (6'0", 209 lbs)
- Indana TE Pierre Aka (6'4", 250 lbs)

Look for more additions to this list.  If RJS and James "Biggs" Ross make it to Ann Arbor expect that Terry Richardson to be with them.

• 4 star LB from Ohio Kaleb Ringer is still planning to announce at 6:00 on Friday.  Things look great for the Maize and Blue.  The Dayton Daily News has already broken the story a couple days early.  Why would they do that to a kid?

• 4 Star TE from Detroit Ron Thompson who many expected to announce his decision this week, has delayed his decision due to transferring to another high school.

•  Cincinnati 4 Star LB Joe Bolden was in town with his parents on Tuesday.   Joe has been saying he wouldn't make an early decision but now an early announcement seems likely.  If Kaleb and Joe jump on board does that fast forward RJS and James Ross timeline?  Michigan could use 4 LB's for sure, but that would be the max.    

Big House Blog Michigan Spring Game Contest

BHB Readers:  Here is your chance to get some free gear while you watch the Spring Game this weekend.  We all love the Spring Game because we get to see the winged helmets back on the football field again.  This will also be interesting because it's Coach Hoke first time in the Big House as the Wolverines head coach.


Here's the deal:

Smack Apparel has been kind enough to give my readers 6 Tressel Tattoo & Pawn T-Shirts.  We have 2 L's, 2 XL's, and 2 XXL.  These shirts are all over the media and even in a Columbus Business Blog.




If you would like to win one of these shirts, please email me the following at thebighouseblog@hotmail.com.

Title: Spring Game Contest

Pick two MVP's for the Spring Game.  1 on Offense and 1 on Defense.  (I will give you a hint, don't go obvious like Denard and Mike Martin.  I'm looking for guys that will make a New impact next year)

I will do a post Sunday Morning on my Spring Game thoughts and will also pick the MVP's.   If we agree - you win!  The first 6 emails with the names or close will win.  I will also need your shirt size and will email you back for your shipping address.

Let me know if you have any questions. 

Thanks! Enjoy the game and Go Blue!

Michigan Monday: Coaches Play Contracts Like a Fiddle

We all know big time college coaches in football and basketball are hired to be fired.  It's the life and profession they picked.  

We also know that coaches when they have even a little bit of success can work the system like no other.  I truly believe when Les Miles retires he should start a Michigan scholarship fund for all the raises and contract extensions he has gotten from LSU due to "conversations" he has had with Michigan about their football openings.  

We all know the Les examples, but let's take a look two other examples that involve coaches at Missouri.   The first one was Purdue's head basketball coach Matt Painter who flirted with the opening at Missouri a couple of weeks ago.   Was Matt really considering leaving Purdue for Mizzu?  Of course not!  He just wanted a raise from Purdue and got one.  He was on vacation when this entire thing went down.  Not too bad to be near the pool, get a couple of calls and end up getting a big raise.   I hope he called the front desk and got his room upgraded. 

The second comes from Gary Pinkel, Missouri's head football coach.  He is quoted in this article (regarding why he didn't interview for the Michigan job) saying, “That was a really difficult situation just because I grew up in Ohio and my whole life I hear about Ohio State and Michigan. To have an opportunity like that is sort of a once-in-a-lifetime thing. For me it still boiled down to I just feel so much a part of Missouri now.”



“The reason I didn’t pursue it was because I feel so much a part of Missouri. I’m so committed personally to continue to build the opportunity I was given. And family, a combination of those things. So, I bowed out of it. I feel really good about it. I thought a lot about it. It got really close. But before I went to the interview, it was a matter of hours before when I decided I wasn’t going to pursue it and I wanted to stay at the University of Missouri. So, that’s kind of the conclusion I came to.”

Gary just signed a two year extension and is now under contract until 2017.   Shocker!  He didn't even talk to Brandon and still got an extension.  We don't know any details of the search but I'm willing to bet Gary's "people" reached out to David Brandon about interviewing for the open position in Ann Arbor.
 
These coaches and agents have some special talent when it comes to getting more money and extensions when they names are linked with any other jobs.   Bob Stoops should have Bill Gates money by now with all the jobs he has been linked to.

Michigan Friday: It's all about the #4!

The two highlight of Thursday were Lion Kim at the Masters and the Michigan Hockey Team winning their Frozen 4 game. 

• Lion shot a decent +4 76 on Thursday.  Playing in your first major and with the likes of Davis Love III and former Master Champion José María Olazábal.  Right now it doesn't look good for him to make the cut unless he goes in red numbers today.  Either way it's a tremendous honor to play in the tournament and think he had done great!

• I will be the first to say that I know very little about Hockey.  What I do know is Michigan beat a great hockey team last night in North Dakota.  ND is said to be full of NHL players and pretty much blew out many of their opponents this year.  Either way, Michigan won a low scoring game last night and I even watched the last few minutes when Michigan scored the open net goal.  

 Other News:

• Michigan has already started on the 2013 class by already offering instate 6'3 187 pound QB Shane Morris who already has 4 BCS offers.   Shane and his family are Michigan fans. 

• With the new Big Ten Schedule formats - Michigan and Wisconsin will take 6 years off and the Wolverines and Badgers won't play until 2015. 

• ESPN loves Michigan Documentaries.  The Fab 5 was their highest rated 30/30 ever and now they are doing one on former Michigan QB Tom Brady, called the Brady 6. Which references the 6 QB's taken in the NFL draft before Tom.  Does any of these names ring a bell?  Chad Pennington (No. 18, Jets), Giovanni Carmazzi (65, 49ers), Chris Redman (75, Ravens), Tee Martin (163, Steelers), Marc Bulger (168, Saints) and Spergon Wynn (183, Browns). 

Michigan Thursday: A Wolverine at Augusta National

Rarely do we get a chance to cheer for a Wolverine at the Masters.  Even if your not a golf fan, this week you can support Lion Kim a U of M golfer that will be one of six amateurs in the field today at Augusta National.  Lion earned the invite by winning the 85th U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship last summer.  "Obviously, I'm extremely excited," said Kim, who ranks second all time at U-M with a career scoring average of 73.30 strokes per round. "I feel my game is at a good place right now and I'm getting to where I can compete at The Masters. It's exciting but it's also pretty nerve-wracking to know that you're playing on the biggest stage in golf."  Lion is playing with Davis Love and José María Olazábal today.

If your a golf fan you don't need another reason to watch the Masters.  If your not, please tune in and support Lion and maybe you can see why so many of us love this sport.   Augusta National is a special place and I got chance to be at the tournament 3 years ago.  It's a perfect golf course and that pretty much sums it up. 

On a side note:  Maybe this is the guy RR kept talking about when he kept referencing the Lion King movie? :)  Good Luck Lion and Go Blue!

• From a good news to sad news:  The Michigan Men community lost a member yesterday, with the passing of Vada Murray to his fight to cancer.   Vada as you know was a Wolverine Safety from 1988-1990 and then a Ann Arbor Policeman after he graduated.  RIP Michigan Man, RIP.

• The Michigan Hockey Team is in the Frozen 4 Tonight.  Go Blue!

• Michigan Football Walk On News:  Michigan has added a new offensive line recruit for the 2011 class.  Gary Yerden has accepted a invitation to be a preferred walk-on at Michigan.  Gary is a 6'6 330 pound offensive lineman with only one year of football under his belt at Portage Northern.  Gary has a high upside with his lack of football experience but guess what?  The kid is strong!  He is the 3 time State Champion in weightlifting by dead lifting a state record 630 pounds.  Wow! Sounds like a great pick up.

• ESPN is saying Michigan's Basketball preseason ranking should be #16.  I would agree if Darius Morris stays in Ann Arbor.   

• TomVH has an interview up with 2012 TE prospect Evan Baylis.

Michigan Tuesday: How I Hate Ohio State - Except When It Comes to Recruiting

Michigan and Ohio State Universities have a rivalry that only can be matched by Auburn vs Alabama in college football.  (That entire tree killing thing, went way too far.  Way too far).   Rich Rodriguez sort of got it but he really didn't.  Brady Hoke really gets it and won't use the word "State" when referring to that school in Columbus.  This is something the team has adopted as well.  During Spring Drills, "Beat Ohio" can be heard from inside the Glick Field House. 

People in Ohio can't stand Michigan and even though the Wolverines haven't put a team on the field in the last 3 years they can't imagine losing to the Wolverines and having to live with that feeling for an entire year.

So why has Michigan been so good recruiting the State of Ohio? 
The Wolverines last two Heisman Trophy winners, Desmond Howard and Charles Woodson are from Ohio.   I remember a statement from former Michigan DB Markus Ray who visited OSU and saw a sign that said, "Beat Michigan" and thought to himself:  "I want to go there".  Ray was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio.

So how does a state that hates the State of Michigan so much send so much talent to Ann Arbor?  Well it starts with Michigan coaches that were born in Ohio.  You might have heard of Bo Schemblecler who was born in Barberton and Brady Hoke who was born in Dayton, Ohio. 

People from Ohio trusted Bo and they seem to trust Brady Hoke as well.  Even Ted Ginn, Sr. who seems to hate the Wolverines sent a player to Brady last year.  Ted even sent his kids to play for Coach Hoke at Ball State as well.  Michigan signed 7 players from Ohio in the 2011 class and already has one commit in 3 star OL Caleb Stacey from Cincinnati. 

So what about this year?  Who are we looking at from Ohio?

It's well known is recruiting circles that the State of Ohio is loaded with talent for the 2012 class.  It's also known that OSU will have limited number of scholarships and there might be some backlash from Tattoo Gate. 

These Ohio players are looking good to commit to Michigan:

• 4 Star LB Kaleb Ringer - who is announcing on 4/15
• 4 Star LB Joe Bolden - visited A2 two weeks ago and will be back on 4/12 with his parents

Michigan has a great shot with these guys:

• 4 Star DE Chris Wormley from Toledo
• 4 Star OL Kyle Dodson from Cleveland

Has a Michigan Offer and seems interested in the Maize and Blue:

• 4 Star QB Maty Mauk from Kenton
• 5 Star RB Bri'Onte Dunn who has committed to OSU but seems to be interested in Michigan and is expected to make a visit to Ann Arbor at some point.
• 4 Star WR Dwayne Stanford from Cincinnati
• 3 Star TE Sam Grant, Lakewood
• 3 Star OL Kyle Kalis, Lakewood
• 5 star DE Adolphus Washington, Cincinnati
• 4 Star DE Ifeadi Odenigbo, Centerville
• 4 Star DE Tom Strobel, Concord
• 4 Star DE Se'Von Pittman, Canton
• 4 Star DE Greg McMullen, Akron
• 3 Star DE LaTroy Lewis, Akron
• 3 Star DE Pharaoh Brown, Lyndhurst
• 4 Star S Jarrod Wilson, Arkron

Can you believe the DE talent in Ohio this year?  It's crazy good.  Just with Michigan offers: 1 Five Star, 5 Four Stars and 2 Three Stars.

Recruiting will be a fun ride this year and like I mentioned yesterday Michigan could be set up for a huge year with a ton of talent. 

Michigan Monday: Recruiting Whispers

The Michigan coaching staff got a late start to the 2012 recruiting class.  When they started at Michigan they only had a couple of weeks to put together a 2011 class.  How in the world would they be able to make up ground on the 2012 class when other programs had a 12 month start?

Well, it looks like they are starting to close that gap.  Michigan has two offensive lineman committed already and is looking at some top prospects on both lines, a QB, linebackers, TE's, a FB and depth at the other positions.   As we know, Michigan and Ohio are loaded with talent this year.  Brady Hoke and Staff have already made a big impact on the high school coaches in Michigan and he grew up in Ohio, so he has connections in that State as well. 

Here are some top prospects to keep your eye on:

• Zeke Pike is a 5 star QB from Kentucky that will be able to pick any school he wants.  He was up to Michigan last week and reports are that the Wolverines are in the mix for this young man.  Zeke is friends with incoming freshman Chris Barnett and Zeke has said he will recruit other top guys to the school he picks.  He has been talking up Michigan lately.  Keep an eye on Zeke's and his recruitment.
• Local TE Ron Thompson is now a 4 Star prospect on Scouts.  He is expected to be a strong lean to Michigan. Could announce in the next week or two.
• Ohio MLB Kaleb Ringer who is making his announcement on 4/15 at 6:00 is also a 4 star on Scouts and is expected to put on a Navy Block M hat during his announcement.
• Other Scouts 4 star prospects that Michigan has a good shot at:  Toledo's Chris Wormley, James Ross, Royce Jenkins-Stone, Terry Richardson, Chicago's Jordan Diamond. 
• TomVH has information up on Austin Appleby, Antonio Morrison, and Kelby Latta.

Michigan has a good shot at all the prospects mentioned above.  Could Michigan have a top 10 or top 5 class this year?  Yes, they could.  Look for a couple of commits before the Spring Game and many recruits in attendance.  The Michigan coaches got a late start but I am starting to feel optimistic on a strong finish.

Michigan Friday: Don't Read Any Headlines Today

For all you April Fools Jokesters lets get all the FAKE headlines out of they way first:

• Tressel Resigns
• Tressel suspended for the year
• Denard breaks his ankle
• Zack Novak is entering the NBA Draft

Does that pretty much cover it?

On to more Michigan information:

• Brian Kelly confirms that Michigan will wear "throw back jerseys" for the first night game at the Big House:  But yeah, we're going to have throwback uniforms. As they will. I can tell you what theirs look like: They have a block 'M' on them, and a number, and a number on their helmet. How's that? The adidas people at Michigan are going to be (ticked) at me."

• A Mgoblog poster (and probably a HS coach) attended practice yesterday and has detailed write up here.   There is quite a lot of good information in there about Big Will and Q on the Dline, the secondary, and linebackers.

• Information on recent A2 visitor and Cleveland offensive lineman Kyle Dobson from the Plain Dealer:  During a recent unofficial visit to Michigan, Cleveland Heights coach Jeff Rotsky said Michigan coaches told him they wanted Dodson to be a cornerstone in what they hope will be a revived running game. Rotsky said Ohio State has offered a scholarship, pending Dodson clearing an academic hurdle. Dodson also has visited Alabama and Auburn and has summer trips planned to Penn State and Notre Dame. His other offers include Michigan State, Illinois, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Pittsburgh. Florida has expressed interest.

• TomVH catches up with two recent visitors: Jonah Pirsig and AJ Williams.

• Former Michigan visitor from Wisconsin LB Vince Biegel seems to be down to Wisconsin and BYU.