Michigan Thursday: 2012 QB Recruiting

There is an un-written rule that you take a QB every year, no matter what your depth looks like.  Kids get hurt and transfer and you never want to be left in a situation where you only have a couple QB's on scholarship.  Michigan's roster currently only has 2 QB's on scholarships (Robinson and Gardner). When Texas QB Russell Bellomy gets here this summer it will be 3.  

Michigan has a Junior in Denard Robinson and most likely a red shirt freshman in Devin Gardner with true freshman in Russell Bellomy.  Michigan has also received a verbal commitment from instate QB Shane Morris for the 2013 class who has been lighting up camps and 7 on 7 tournaments this summer.  

So who does that leave for the 2012 class?  Well, I can tell you who it doesn't leave.  4 star QB Zeke Pike picked Auburn over Michigan and others, now recent Michigan camper Austin Appleby committed to Purdue last night.  Austin is 6'5 225 pounds and was hoping to earn an offer at Michigan's camp.  He didn't and committed to Purdue.

That leaves really two more prospects for the Wolverines at QB.  5 Star QB Gunner Kiel who seems to be leaning harder towards Oklahoma or Indiana (his brother is on the team and he is from IN) or Maty Mauk.   Maty was just in Ann Arbor again a couple of weeks ago and has an offer list from the likes of ND, Illinois, Cincy, Missouri and Vandy. 

So where does that leave Michigan for a QB in that class?  Since it seems Michigan has missed out on Zeke and Gunner and back plan Austin is now headed for Purdue.   Is it Maty or Bust? 

Yes and no.  Michigan really doesn't need a QB in this class with Shane coming in 2013.  In fact, many have said that Shane out preformed Zeke and others at the Elite 11 Camp at Ohio State a number of weeks ago.   Gunner was the hands down best QB at that camp but recruiting insiders believed that Gunner started to lose  interest in the Wolverines after Shane's strong performance.

Which I believes leaves the following strategy for the Wolverines at QB:

1. Take a QB in this class.  If Maty doesn't turn Blue, Michigan could snake oil Austin or another 2012 3 star prospect later in the recruiting cycle.

2:  Red shirt Russell Bellomy so he would be a red shirt freshman in 2013 with Gardner a red shirt sophomore and Denard a senior. (Shane would be a true freshman of course).

They have told Russell that he can compete for 3rd string but of course the coaches will want to red shirt him either way.   With Denard and Devin both skilled at running the ball, they will need to have Russell prepared to play either way.

So I will leave you to ponder this:  Would you rather have Michigan take QB in this class or an extra 5 star offensive lineman/4 star DE or DT?  (Diamond, Kalis, Peat - Pipkins, Washington, O'Brien)

I vote for a lineman on either side of the ball!

Wolverine Wednesday: Has Some Quick Camp Updates

Here is some positive information from Allen Trieu, Midwest Manager from Scouts on 3 star Michigan Commit Ben Branden:

When Braden committed to Michigan earlier in the year, he was still somewhat of an unknown. He had a good camp in Ann Arbor last year, and we had seen him twice in the fall, and he had earned offers from Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Syracuse. So we knew he was good, but he has proven to be even better. He dedicated himself in the weight room this offseason, adding good weight and getting up to 319-lbs. Even at that size, he was moving well enough to be considered a left tackle prospect. He's strong, technique is improving and he's more athletic than previously thought. He has a chance to move into the top 7-8 in-state and the four-star range when rankings are updated.


Here is another instate guy, I keep hearing good things about as well:  Dennis Norfleet, RB

He's been a hot name recently, especially on the heels of the IMG 7 on 7. Folks in Florida got to see what folks in the Motor City have seen for three years. Norfleet is a dynamic playmaker with excellent hands and he has great explosion and ability to make defenders miss after the catch. He has proven time and time again that he can overcome his lack of prototypical size. We had him in the top 10 in the state already, but he will be going up a couple spots.

• CBS Sports/Max Preps ranks Michigan's 2012 Class #2 in the nation at this point.

• TomVH updates RB recruiting with Alden Hill.  Tom is not confident in Alden turning Blue at this point.  With 5 star RB Dunn sort of one foot in and one foot out with OSU, maybe the Wolverines should look at Dennis Norfleet for the one RB spot in this class.  Just throwing it out there.

• A Quick Memo to recruiting fans that follow recruits on Facebook and Twitter.   Please use common sense.  There have been a number of reports of badgering recruits on both services for Kyle Kalis and Terry Richardson.  I actually would prefer you didn't follow these kids, but if you elect to, please just read their updates and don't message them back. Mostly if they make a decision you don't agree with.  

Michigan Tuesday: Waiting is the Hardest Part

Michigan seems to be on a 3 commit watch with 3 Ohio prospects. 

First is Chris Wormely from Toledo, the rumor mill is saying he could commit at any time now.  

Second is Kyle Kalis from Cleveland, who just de-committed from OSU and the Buckeye fans are not happy.  I wonder what they are going to think if he goes to Michigan.

Third is Jarrod Wilson from Akron who is scheduled to announce on 7/8.   


Austin Hatch Update:  From Hatch's CaringBridge.org page a recent CT Scan shows no worsening in his condition, and the major objective is to minimize stimulation to allow him to heal. His Care Team is limiting visitors to immediate family only to aid in his healing.



Dr. David Bojrab, a family friend, confirmed Hatch was still in a drug-induced coma Monday. Along with a head injury, Hatch also suffered a punctured lung, a broken collarbone and fractured ribs.


"They're not going to wake him up for a few days," Bojrab, Stephen Hatch's medical practice partner, told the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.

Michigan is working with the NCAA on what they can and can't do.  Since Austin hasn't signed there are NCAA rules regarding his name being mentioned and how many visits he can have from Michigan coaches, etc.  They will make some type of special agreement to allow Michigan to get involved in his care and future well being.

• Great story about Michigan RB recruit Greg Garmon and beating Cancer. 

Michigan Monday: Welcomes the 17th Commit to the 2012 Class

First thing first:  Austin Hatch seems to be doing better and the doctors are expected to pull him out of his doctor induced comma today.   Please continue to keep Austin in your thoughts as I am sure the loss of his family will take longer to heal then his physical injuries.  

Blake Bars joined Michigan's class last night: "Ten minutes ago I committed to Michigan. My family is cheering here, and we're pumped. I was just sitting here and I asked my family why did I not commit to them yet. So I called up Coach Smith and told him. I then called up Coach Hoke and told him. It's been a really exciting night."

Blake is 4 stars to Rivals but 3 stars to Scouts, ESPN and 24/7.  Which is a little odd since it's usually just the opposite with Rivals giving 3 stars and other services being 4.   Blake is 6'5 and 275 pounds and had a four star type offer list which included: Florida, LSU, Kentucky, Penn State, Miss. State, Clemson, South Carolina, Louisville and others. 

Here is Blake's pancake special:



He is another offensive line commit that will shrink the class just to the notable recruits that Michigan is after.   Michigan is expected to sign a full class of 25 players which would leave only 8 spots left here at the end of June.   It seems only like a month ago, many Michigan fans were worried about this class because it didn't have any commits, now it's all most full. 

Michigan's offensive line recruiting will focus on two guys, Kyle Kalis and Jordan Diamond.  Both who happened to be in Ann Arbor the last two weeks.  Jordan has been to Ann Arbor many of times and Kyle made his first visit this weekend after he de-committed from OSU last week.  Even though Jordan has had Michigan #1 for what seems like a year, his high school seems to prefer to have it's players commit later in the recruiting period.   There were plenty of rumors floating around that Kyle may commit to the Wolverines this past weekend but didn't. 

Michigan might also hold a spot for the likes of mega recruits: Andrus Peat, Joshua Garnett or Zach Banner.   Michigan will have 2 spots for those 5 commits.  First come first serve.

Defense:

Michigan is looking for 1 safety and a number of defensive line/end prospects to fill out this class. 

• Ohio Safety Jarrod Wilson is announcing Friday 7/8.   Michigan is expected to be in good shape.  His final 3 are Michigan, Penn State and ND. 

• Michigan DT Danny O'Brien camped at Michigan last week and doesn't have a leader right now.  It seems his recruitment is going to play out over the football season.

• Missouri DT Ondre Pipkins has had Michigan high on his list all year.  He is planning a visit to Ann Arbor in July or August. 

• Ohio's DE Chris Wormley recruitment reminds me of Jordan's Diamonds.  He was in Ann Arbor this weekend and many wonder when he is going to commit.   

Top Guys Michigan has a chance with but still has some work to do:

• Ohio DE Adolphus Washington is trying to schedule a visit to Ann Arbor with is teammate WR Dwayne Stanford.

• Ohio RB Bri'onte Dunn is still committed to OSU but there are several rumors he is about to de-commit.  If that happens many believe Michigan is in good shape to land him. 

• PA Running Back Greg Garmon, who was just offered by OSU this weekend.

Bob, get your crystal ball out and tell me what is going to happen?

I think Michigan will get Wilson, Wormely, Pipkins, Diamond and Kalis.   Which will leave 3 spots that Michigan might keep open for the likes of Dunn, Washington, Stanford and O'Brien.  I just hope Diamond doesn't wait too long and miss his window. 

I now believe Michigan won't take a QB or FB in this class.

Michigan Adds Commit #17

More to come in the Michigan Monday Post but Tennessee OL Blake Bars has committed to the Wolverines for the 2012 class.  Blake is a 4 star prospect to Rivals and is Michigan's 17th commitment to the 2012 class.   

This class is getting full and I will go in depth on what that means for Michigan's high profile recruits in the next post. 

Welcome Blake!

Big House Prayers Out to Austin Hatch

Austin Hatch a Michigan 2013 basketball recruit is in critical condition after a plane that his father was piloting crashed in Northern Michigan. The crash took the lives of Austin's father and step mother. Tragically, this isn't the first plane crash the Hatch family has had to deal with. In 2003, Austin lost his mother, sister, brother and family dog when a plane Austin's father was piloting hit an electrical pole in Indiana.

The Hatch family had a summer home in Northern Michigan and would travel by private plane from Ft. Wayne to Boyne. Both of Austin's parents graduated from U of M.

The latest updates on Austin's condition from mgoblog is that he is in a medically induced coma.  He suffered a broken clavicle, ribs and a fractured leg.  Along with that, both of his lungs were punctured and his skull was fractured.  There is minor swelling in his brain, but doctors claim to have it under control.  He is in critical condition, but doctors do believe they have control over the situation.  

This is time for the Michigan nation to come together and take care of one of it's own. I don't care if Austin ever plays a minute of basketball in Crisler Arena, he has lost his entire family. He is now part of the Michigan family and has a million family members looking out for him. Keep your prayers and thoughts for this young man to heal his body and mind after two un-thinkable tragedies.

Michigan Friday: Gray Shirts and Big Visits

Michigan added a "Gray Shirt" commitment from Jeremy Clark a 6'4 185 pound safety from Kentucky.   Jeremy was at Michigan's camp this week and impressed the coaches as a lock down safety.    Jeremy had a number of MAC offers and 1 BCS offer from NC State. 

Some of you might be wondering what a "gray shirt" means?:  It means that Jeremy will join the 2012 class but he will pay his own way until January or maybe even the next school year.  After that they will give him a scholarship or earlier if one becomes available.  

This is a nice find for the Wolverines.  "Yes, I'm a Wolverine," he reported. "After talking with my dad last night, we kind of knew where we were going."



Clark says after camping at Michigan, he knew it was the right school regardless of when the scholarship would be there.

"I felt at home at Michigan. The coaching staff was good and I fell in love with it there."


As far as what the plan would be for next year and beyond, Clark simply stated, "We haven't talked about that yet."

• OL Eric Olson that visited Ann Arbor recently, committed to Northwestern today.

• It seems that Kalis had a good visit to Ann Arbor today but did not commit.  He is headed back to home now.  No word on Wormley yet.

• There are rumors flying around that Michigan could get commitments this weekend from Kalis, Wormley and Jarrod Wilson.  Now that would be a recruiting "Hat Trick"!  Update:  Jarrod Wilson has set his announcement for July 8th at 2:30 at his high school.

• Walk on News:  Michigan has accepted 2012 walk on from Lake Forest (Ill.) WR Bo Dever.  Bo was named after Bo Schembechler and his dad played at Michigan. 

Congratulations to Darius Morris on getting drafted.  I know he was upset that he was drafted in the second round but he has a great opportunity to go home and play for the Lakers that need a point guard.  I wonder if Darius will get advice on an agent from Kobe and hire former Wolverine Basketball Player now agent Rob Pelinka.

Michigan Thursday: Will The Worm Turn Blue This Weekend?

One of the names that Michigan fans have been tracking this year is Chris Wormely a 4 star DE from Toledo.   Chris was offered by RR and Staff and that continued with Hoke and Mattison as well. 

One of the first recruits Greg Mattison met with was Chris Wormley after he was hired and that resonated with him.  Chris has been pretty quiet in his recruitment during track season with just letting folks know that Michigan and OSU are his top two.  With all the turmoil in Columbus, Michigan has seemed to have cemented their position as Chris's #1 school. 

Even 5 star offensive linemen Kyle Kalis thinks Chris is headed to Ann Arbor:  "The biggest thing about going to Michigan would be going against Tom (Strobel) and Chris Wormley every day (in practice)," Kalis told Bill Kurelic of Bucknuts.com. "I've pretty much come to the conclusion that Wormley is going to Michigan."


Will it be this weekend?  Not sure, but I think the Wolverines chances for a commitment sooner rather then later are pretty high.

• 2013 recruiting is starting to heat up.  Mega recruit QB Shane Morris has already jumped on board and now he needs some guys to block for him.   The two latest prospects to be offered are instate recruit Steve Elmer and Colorado's Chris Fox who was just offered yesterday.  Chris was at Michigan's camp this week and must of impressed the coaches.

• 4 star offensive lineman Blake Bars is planning a decision in the next week or so.  He visited Ann Arbor last weekend and Michigan seems to be one of this top schools.  (I personally like when they list their top schools and mention Michigan first) I'm really evaluating a top five of Michigan, Penn State, Florida, LSU, and Vanderbilt. We'll just lay out all those schools and what they have to offer. --- Yeah, I'm going to make my decision within the next week. We're going to sit down and evaluate each school on a different number of levels. Talk about how I would fit in, the level of football, and what it would do for me after football. We'll just go from there and then say where I want to go. We might be taking one more visit this weekend to either Boston College or Florida, but that's if my mom can find a good flight. After that we'll be done with visits.

• Former Wolverines Maurice Williams, Amani Toomer and Drew Henson are participating in the NFL's Broadcast Boot Camp in hopes of becoming NFL or College color TV announcers. 

• Steve Breaston comes strong with his lock out poetry work.  Another clear example of a Michigan Man!  Well done Steve.

Good luck tonight Darius!  I hope you go in Round 1.

Wolverine Wednesday: Hot Month - Hot Recruiting

Michigan's Camp as a couple more days left but the recruiting trial continues to be "hot" for the Wolverines. 
Here is some more news to keep an eye on:

• 5 Star OL Kyle Kalis has de-committed form OSU and will be in Ann Arbor this weekend, there are also rumors floating around that 5 star RB Bri'Onte Dunn might also pull this verbal from the Buckeyes.  Michigan seems well positioned for both guys if they want to stay close to home and play Big 10 Football.

• Michigan has offered OH RB Alden Hill who preformed well at camp this week. They want me as an all purpose back, a full back and running back. Someone they don't have to change personnel if they switch plays out of the two back system. I'm definitely good with that role, it's good for competition. I actually just got an offer from Iowa too, so the Big Ten is starting to come in now.

• Ondre Pipkins is a player Michigan has very high on their board.  He seems to be very interested in the Wolverines as well. The process might end a little sooner than I expected. I can't wait to get up to Michigan to visit.

• 
  I don't think we should expect it, but it would be nice if Chris Wormley pulled the trigger on a Michigan verbal this weekend. 
• TomVH catches up with Danny O'Brien after his camp performance and clarifies his Michigan recruitment:  There was basically some confusion during the spring on how they wanted things to go and they told me they wanted me to come to camp and prove myself. They told me that there's basically only a couple defensive tackles with offers and they will probably only take one interior guy. They're going to recruit me really hard now and they gave me the pitch and everything. Danny doesn't have a leader but would be a nice addition to the class.  I think it's really important to lock down the instate guys.  I believe they would take both Danny and Ondre if you are keeping score at home. 

Michigan Tuesday: Big House Bites

• Update 3:15: Out of left field, Ann Arbor visitor last weekend Trey Keenan committed to Texas Tech today.

• OSU verbal commit OL Kyle Kalis is going to be in Ann Arbor this weekend to visit U of M.  Some might remember that Kyle called OSU after the Tressel fall out to de-commit and was talked out of it by the OSU coaches.  Kyle is friends with Tom Strobel and Chris Wormley and wants to see Ann Arbor.   Kyle is a 5 star prospect from Scouts but is still committed to the Buckeyes right now.

• It seems Ohio DE Chris Wormley will be joining Kyle on his visit to Ann Arbor this weekend.

• Jordan Diamond didn't commit to the Wolverines last weekend and it seems he wants to continue the recruiting process.

• Danny O'Brien is at Michigan's camp and there has been some buzz that Tennessee is no longer his leader.  We will see how these next days go.

• Ohio Safety Jarrod Wilson continues to talk to his high school coaches about his college choice.  Don't expect an announcement this week (may this weekend at the earliest).

• Ohio RB Alden Hill spent some time at camp this week with Coach Jackson and really enjoyed it.  He is interested to see if he earned an offer.

• Michigan TE Ron Thompson is expected in Ann Arbor today, I don't know anyway he could be part of Michigan's 2012 class?

Michigan Monday: Busy Time at Schembechler Hall

Michigan's football camp is underway and there are a number of guys looking for offers and other guys looking to standout.  The names that interest Michigan fans the most are:

• Danny O'Brein is an instate 4 star DT that Michigan fans have been interested in for sometime now.  Danny has been pretty quiet about his recruitment but ranks Tennessee as his top school.  Danny is friends with Michigan commit Matt Godin and they have discussed playing together.  The Michigan hype around Danny has been a bit quiet as both sides might have back off each other a bit.  This camp will give Danny the feel of how he would be coached at Michigan and might light the maize and blue flame under his recruitment or blow it out.

• OH QB Austin Appleby will be in Ann Arbor this week and trying to earn a Michigan offer.  Austin is considered to be an option if Gunner Kiel and Maty Mauk pick other schools.   

• Instate 2013 OL prospect who made big splash at the Sound Mind and Sound Body Camp last week is 6'6 297 pound Steven Elmer.   Steven just received a Michigan offer on Saturday and will be one of the top players in Michigan for the 2013 class.   Steven made news a the Sound Mind/Body by holding his own against Matt Godin in drills.

• 2013 DE Matt Miller who is the brother of soon to be Wolverine Jack Miller.  

TomVH caught up with 5 star visitor Andrus Peat:  For sure, I was really impressed with everything. I could definitely see myself playing there. I don't know when I'll make my decision, just whenever I feel right. I will probably take official visits and then decide after my senior season.

There was a rumor last weekend that Se'Von Pittman a highly ranked DE from Ohio wanted to commit to Michigan but the coaching staff asked him to delay his decision awhile.  Michigan has high interest in Chris Wormley and Adolphus Washington.  He didn't wait and committed to MSU on Sunday.

Texas OL Trey Keenan visited Ann Arbor on Saturday and has "short listed" the Wolverines. TomVH interview:  All the places I've been to are southern schools and I've never really been to a place like Michigan. It's flattering to be here and see all the tradition and history in the buildings. They have national championships and all americans so it's pretty cool to be here.

We're going to the morning session of camp tomorrow [Monday]. I'm going to work out with Coach Funk to get a feel for him and how he interacts with his players. We do have a short list right now and Michigan is on that short list. I don't want to say how many are on it yet. We're going to take the next week then talk about everything with my coaches and family. All my planned summer visits are done with so we'll figure out what's going to happen next. This visit did nothing but up Michigan's status though.

Michigan recently offered GA WR Jason Croom and his mom happened to be in Detroit for a wedding and visited with the coaches this weekend.  Jason was playing in a 7 on 7 tournament.

Scouts Allen Trieu updates us on some local 7 on 7 at EMU:  Michigan commit Devin Funchess did not disappoint either. He's long, lean, and runs good routes. We knew he could go up and get it, but what he did here that we hadn't seen as much, was display run after the catch ability. He caught a short out, turned upfield and out ran an entire defense on one touchdown. He'll have weight to add to become an effective tight end, but he's a matchup problem waiting to happen. 

Allen also mentions that wide receiver Aaron Burbridge preformed well.

Michigan Friday: Recruiting Blitz

Brady Hoke and staff has been very busy since "they walked to Ann Arbor" in January to take over the Maize and Blue program.   They had to finish up the 2011 class and start to build relationships for the 2012 class as well. 

Over the past couple of months, the Michigan staff has done a tremendous job getting recruits to Ann Arbor.  Michigan now has 16 verbals in the 2012 class and only about 9 spots left.   Players are excited about Brady Hoke, the direction of Michigan's program, Greg Mattison with his Raven experience and the implosion of the school in Columbus doesn't hurt:

"When I filled out Strobel's evaluation card after talking to him, I wrote down, '95 percent going to Ohio State,'" CBS College Sports recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said. "I thought he was a lock and I thought the Top 10 recruits in Ohio would all end up going to Ohio State.


"But now, with Tressel gone and so much uncertainty hanging over the program, I'm not so sure."

Well, one man's misfortune is another man's opportunity, as the saying goes, and other schools could benefit from Ohio State's dramatic fall.



"Michigan, man," said Doug Plank, a former Ohio State and NFL defensive back now working for NCSA, a recruiting firm that connects athletes and their families with schools. "They are back in the recruiting business in Ohio."

Hoke had a reputation of being a very good recruiter when he was brought on board.  I had my doubts on that statement in January, I no longer do:  "Knowing the coaches so well when they were at San Diego State; knowing the style of offense they were running and where they would take the program at Michigan made me want to stay in touch with them. I called Coach Funk when he was hired to take me on board with them. They stuck with me, and when I committed, they were very excited."
 
"The odds are not very high I would have signed at Michigan, Magnuson said. "I had so many offers, going that far away without Coach Hoke probably wouldn't have happened."

Michigan's focus still remains on both lines with these last nine spots.   The Wolverines will also be looking for a QB, RB, WR and maybe a FB. 

Here is some latest news for guys that could be Wolverines:

• Jordan Diamond who is expected back in Ann Arbor today got a 5th star from Scouts in it's latest rankings.  Jordan has been a Wolverine lean for some time now and it would be great for him to pull the trigger soon.  I heard some 'talk" that Jordan's high school prefers that recruits wait a while to commit so they can build up some extra PR as signing day gets closer.   Chris Bryant commitment to Michigan was an example of that policy.   With the way this class is filling up, I would prefer Jordan to jump on board sooner rather then later.   

• 6'5 Texas Offensive Tackle, Trey Keenan is planning a visit to Ann Arbor.

• Michigan's Football Camp starts on Sunday so there will be a number of guys on campus this weekend.  Here is a list of visitors from TomVH.

• 2013 CB prospect that played well at the Sound Mind and Body camp named Shaq Wiggins got a Michigan offer this week.  He will be in Ann Arbor this weekend at Michigan's camp, coming off an MVP performance at Sound Mind and Body.

• It seems teams are starting to back off Tate Forcier as he sent a packet to the University of Hawaii this week to see if they are interested.   Looks like Tate is trying to sell his services, instead of schools recruiting him.   I hope he figures it out at some point.   

Michigan Thursday: Now The Basketball Team in Doubleing Up

If your in Ann Arbor these days maybe you should buy 2 lottery tickets or maybe 2 ice cream cones (I recommend the Washtenaw Dairy) .  It seems recruiting for Michigan's two major sports continue to happen 2 by 2. 

Wednesday was no exception as John Beilien's squad added two 2013 recruits with the commitments of Austin Hatch a 6'6, 214 pound wing from Canterbury, Indiana and Mark Donnal a 6'9, 200 forward out of Wayne, Ohio.

Austin is your classic John Beilein "sleeper" recruit that is pretty much under the radar on the recruiting sites but a guy with a skill set that Beilein loves.  Mark on the other hand is pretty well known and is ranked in the top 100 by ESPN. 

Both gave their verbal commitment today, which also happened to be the first day they could receive and accept offers.   Look for Michigan to add at least one more player to this class and the smart money is on Flint's Monte Morris.

Monte, Mark and Austin were all at Michigan's elite camp last week. 

• TomVH says that Stanford but not Washington will make it to Ann Arbor this weekend.

• Mass Offensive Lineman, Eric Olsen is near a decision on his future school

• Jordan Diamond was in town for the Sound Mind and Sound Body camp and stopped by A2 for a quick visit with the coaches.  He is planning to be back in Ann Arbor later this week.

• Remember Ron Thompson? The guy that was very high on Michigan before 2 guys took his position.  Well it seems Ron is back on Michigan's radar and he might even visit this weekend.

Wolverine Wednesday: This Weekend Might Be Great For Both Lines

If you ask some coaches they will tell you every good team is strong on both the offensive and defensive lines.  Michigan has been up and down on both over the past 3-4 years.  The offensive line is trending up and the defensive line needs some quality recruits for depth.  

To keep Michigan's offensive line trending to be one of the best in the Big Ten, Michigan needs quality recruits in this class.  Currently, Michigan has Ben Braden and Caleb Stacey both 3 star prospects.  They also just landed the 34th prospect in the nation (via Rivals) in Erik Magnuson this past weekend. 

That leaves a couple of spots still left on the offensive line for this class.  This weekend Michigan might try to field those spots with visitor Jordan Diamond and 5 star prospect from Arizona Andrus Peat.  I would expect that Jordan is close to a commitment but it would be a surprise is Andrus made a decision that quickly.

Also visiting this weekend is the high profile Cincinnati combo of WR Dwayne Stanford and DE Adolphus Washington who both are 4 star prospect.  I suspect Adolphus could end up being a 5 star recruit when everything is said and done.   The rumor is Michigan might lead for both but Adolphus right now is planning to announce at the Under Armour game in January.

That is 4 very high profile guys on campus at the same time.  3 out of the 4 plays on either the D or O lines.   This weekend could go a long way on how but of those units look in the next 2-3 years. 

• Zach Banner one of the best OT prospects in the country is down to 9 final schools and Michigan is one of them. 

Michigan Tuesday: Thinks There is a 30 - 30 Documentary at WVU

So how is that West Virgina Football Program doing these days?  The Bill Stewart hire after RR left for Michigan has to be considered  a very poor decision after he blew out Oklahoma with RR's players in the Fiesta Bowl.  I remember a prominent booster said something to the effect, "they just hired the JV coach" when Bill took over the program.

Back in December, I predicted the 1 year coach in waiting would not work.  In fact, it was the most bizarre college coaching situation I have ever seen.  The first day of business school they tell you partnerships don't work.  This one didn't even last 6 months before Bill tried to go project "National Enquirer" on Dana Holgorsen.

Well done Bill!  Your first head coaching job you got fired for a racially-insensitive comment.  You get fired from your second head coaching job because you tried to air your coach-in-waiting dirty laundry in the media. 

I see now why the WVU fans were so upset when RR left.   It set the the program back years.    He is available for hire if the Mountaineers current coach goes on another casino bender.

Think about all the drama this program has had the past 3 years. 

• A healthy QB thump (or finger I don't remember) away from the NC game
• RR takes the Michigan Job
• The RR shredding documents thing
• WVU blowing out Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl
• Bill Stewart gets the head coaching job
• RR fights the buy out
• Michigan pays most of the buy out
• NCAA investigates RR practice schedule at Michigan and WVU
• RR fails at Michigan
• Dana Holgorsen is hired to replace Bill Stewart in 2012 and will be coach-in-waiting in 2011
• Bill Stewart releases "dirt" on Holgorsen to the media
• Bill Stewart gets fired  resigns

This has to be a 30/30.

• Pryor signs with Drew Rosenhaus.  Shocker, I guess Rob Pelinka wasn't available?

• Kyle Dodson a 4 Star Offensive Line prospect spurns the Buckeyes and committed to Wisconsin last night.  Michigan was also recruiting Kyle.  Many had thought he was a Columbus lock.

• Love this quote from new Wolverine Erik Magnuson on taking other visits:  “I’m not sure. I will definitely be going to Michigan for an official visit, and if coach is ok with me taking an official visit to place where I have friends at, then I might do that, but if not then it’s not a big deal to me. I’m going to Michigan. I don’t care about any other school.”

Michigan Monday: Recovers From Another Wild Recruiting Weekend

Michigan landed another pair of 4 star recruits this weekend.  It seems the "word is out" on the Wolverines building a really strong recruiting class.  With 16 guys already in this class that leaves anywhere from 6-9 spots left.  Before the recruiting season started most recruiting insiders thought the Wolverines would sign a class of around 20 guys but there have been a couple of transfers and some guys in the 2012 class might be able to enroll early.  (If a recruit enrolls in January the team has the right to use an available scholarship from the 2011 or 2012 class). 

Two positions to keep an eye on are QB and DE recruiting from here on out.  QB is not a huge need for the Wolverines in this class with Devin expecting to receive a medical redshirt (which would make him a redshirt freshman next year) and Shane Morris coming in 2013.  Still Michigan would like one in this class and have been doing some Big Game Hunting with names like Zeke Pike and Gunner Kiel.   Zeke picked Auburn and Gunner is said to be close to a decision.   A rumor got floated around this weekend because Gunner canceled his planned announcement yesterday because he was re-thinking Michigan.  Most believed Gunner was expected to pick Oklahoma on Sunday.

Maty Mauk is still on the board and if Michigan loses out on both of these guys, look for them to take a look at Elite 11 Camp QB Austin Appleby from Ohio.

DE recruiting is starting to get very interesting.  Michigan has three guys already in the fold with the commitments of Tom Strobel, Pharaoh Brown and Mario Ojemudia (I consider Godin a DT).  They also are very strong in the recruitment's of Chris Wormley, Se'Von Pittman and Adolphus Washington.  How many DE's do they really need?  Chris has been a strong Michigan lean and Adolphus is probably Ohio's best player and a 5 star prospect.   There was also another rumor this weekend that Se'Von was close to committing to the Wolverines as well.

Michigan could really use some true DT's and are recruiting Ondre Pipkins and Aziz Shittu very hard.

I am no longer worried about the offensive line recruiting with Magnuson committing this weekend. Michigan seems to be in great position with Jordan Diamond, Eric Olson and Adam Brisnowaty.   There was also word this morning that 5 star tackle Andrus Peat might visit Ann Arbor this weekend as well.

So I guess the big question is:  Can Michigan take 1 QB, 1 WR, 1 RB, 2 more DE's, 2 DT's, and 2 more Offensive Lineman.  (Michigan is also recruiting the FB position)  That's 9 by my count and a I think a pretty good estimate on how the class finishes up.

Michigan Gets Back to Back Commitments Today

Is Brady Hoke building a Ark in Ann Arbor?  Because he seems to be getting recruits 2 by 2.  

Today is no exception as the Michigan Wolverines get two commitments from Erik Magnuson and Tom Strobel.  Both guys are rated 4 stars by Rivals and Scouts. 

Erik is the real deal when it comes to offensive tackles and rated the 34th player in the country by Rivals.   He is just outside their 5 star ranking.  He has had a ton of great press at the camps this Spring.  JC Shurburtt from 24/7 said this:  Magnuson has an excellent frame, good feet and plays with a nasty streak. He was dominant in one-on-ones and looked good athletically moving around in position drills. Combine what he showed Sunday with what he shows on film and there’s a good chance that Magnuson could move up our rankings when they are updated again.

Erik is 6'6 and 275 pounds and had a number of big time offers mostly from PAC 10 schools (all of them except USC), Oklahoma, Notre Dame, and Miami of Florida.   Erik has seemed to have loved Michigan from the start and committed the first day of his visit to Ann Arbor.   Erik will join his future Wolverine teammates in the Army All American game this winter and has some thoughts about enrolling early at U of M.

This commitment gives Michigan a highly ranked offensive tackle in this class with the need for at least one more:  Memo to Jordan Diamond! 

Next up is Tom Strobel a DE from Mentor, Ohio and he will be joining Erik in Texas at the Army All American game as well.  Tom is a 6'6 and 245 pounds (all Michigan prospects now have to be 6'6) and had a Midwest offer list that includes the entire Big Ten, many top Big East schools, and Stanford. 

The recruiting gurus agree and pretty much say the same thing.  He is really 6'6 and could use a few pounds but has a great frame and will be a really good player in a couple of years.    Tom was thought to be an OSU lock but things have changed in C-Bus and Tom headed North.

"I have been very blessed with the opportunity to visit and meet with many elite colleges, but I genuinely feel that Michigan will provide me with both the best academic and athletic college experience possible," Strobel said. "Like most people in Ohio, I was raised with a biased opinion against Michigan. If you would have asked me a year ago if I would go to Michigan, I would have said 'no way'. However, it occurred to me that there was no justification for my prejudice, besides the fact that it was Michigan.



“Despite my apprehension, Michigan still stood out above the rest. When I went there, I fell in love with the place. I am confident that I have made the right decision for my future, and I look forward to beginning my college career as a Wolverine. I think the new coaching staff is great and the program is heading in the right direction. I really think things are going to turn around.”

That quote came from a 17 year old.  Label me impressed!  Michigan seems pretty stocked at DE right now and they still seem very interested in Chris Wormley.   So I'm guessing it's down to Chris and a couple DT's.
 
Erik and Tom are the 15th and 16th commitments to the Wolverines for the 2012 class and we are sitting here on June 10th.   Which means Michigan can be pretty selective for the remaining 6 or 7 spots remaining.
 

Michigan Friday: For Whom The Bellomy Tolls

In early January, Michigan's depth at QB took a hit when Tate Forcier was asked to leave the program.   That left only 2 scholarship QB's on the roster, Denard and Devin. 

Fast forward to June and there has been a lot of excitement about the 2013 commitment of Michigan QB Shane Morris and the 2012 recruitments of Gunner Kiel and Zeke Pike (before he verballed to Auburn).   The forgotten man in all this QB hype is Michigan's one and only QB in the 2011 class, Russell Bellomy.

Russell is a 6'3 185 QB out of Texas that decided to make a late switch from the Boilermakers to the Wolverines before signing day.  Some have titled this move a "Roy Roundtree".

“I have no doubt in my mind that I made the right decision (in decommitting to Michigan), Bellomy told GoBlueWolverine. “It’s always hard doing that to people you’ve been committed to for almost half a year; but it’s a business and I have no regrets now. I’ll shake their hand on the field and hopefully they’ll shake mine back. I just feel 100% sure that I made the right decision and I cannot wait to take advantage of it. It seems to be working out pretty good for him Roundtree (laughing).”


Russell is a talented QB that could use a couple more pounds and some time in the weight room but did have a successful junior and senior year in high school.   During his junior season he threw for 1,546 yards, 13 TD's and 3 picks.  He also ran for 434 more yards and 6 more TD's.  He had a comparable senior year with 1,564 yards through the air, 804 on the ground and 24 total touchdowns (15 passing - 9 running).


Russell expects to compete for a spot behind Denard and Devin when camp opens.  “They told me I’m looking at competing for third string, and that might be a traveling redshirt job, and that it may turn into a regular third string job maybe get some playing time. I’m up for anything, nothing’s promised and I love to compete. If I get some playing time I’ll make the most of it, and if I don’t I’ll make the most of it when I do get some playing time.”

Looks like most of the 2011 class will be on campus in the next two weeks or so.  Russell will be rooming with fellow freshman Desmond Morgan. 

Other News:

• More Traffic Trouble For Darryl Stonum:  Darryl was sentenced this morning to two years probation, one year of a suspended jail term for his second DUI arrest.   Earlier this morning he was ticketed for driving with a suspended license.   Which might be the last straw in his Michigan Football career.   Since he is a senior let him get his degree and move on with his life.  

• Tonight Michigan's ND "throw back" Jerseys will be reveled.  If your not into surprises and want to wonder out loud: what is Adidas thinking? Look below. BTW:  I think those should be re-titled "Throw Aways".   I have seen a lot of photos from past Michigan teams, I don't recall ever seeing anything close to the pajamas below.   

HT: Mgoblog

Michigan Thursday: Likes Some Big 6'6 Offensive Lineman in the 2012 Class

Michigan has done exceptionally well in recruiting for the 2012 class.  They have basically received all the big names from the state of Michigan and now are focusing on the big name guys in Ohio and other states. 

It's clear with QB Shane Morris verbally committed to the 2013 class, Michigan's now top recruiting focus is the offensive line for the 2012 class.  The two big names that the Wolverines are focusing on are Jordan Diamond from Chicago and Erik Magnuson from California.   We have updates on both today.

Erik is visiting Ann Arbor this weekend and it's a huge visit for both the Wolverines and Erik.  If your wondering if Erik is talented, he is rated the 34th player in the country by Rivals and just outside their 5 star ranking.  Erik is 6'6 275 pounds. 

Here is what he told ESPN about this weekend's visit:  "Michigan is definitely my top school right now," Magnuson said. "I really don't know what to expect to be honest but I do want to make an early decision and if things go well, there's a chance I could commit while I'm out there."

TomVH from Mgoblog caught up with Jordan Diamond's mom regarding Jordan's recruitment.  Jordan has been on Michigan's radar for over a year now and now Jordan has become one of the most recruited offensive lineman in the Midwest.    Jordan is also 6'6 and 285 pounds and a 4 star prospect from Rivals.   Jordan's teammate Chris Bryant is heading to Ann Arbor as a Freshman this summer. 

Jordan has been on a number of visits and is getting close to a decision.  It seems from the interview that Jordan and his mom have enjoyed each visit to each school.   He has been to Michigan a number of times and is ready to make one more trip.  Here is some experts from the interview with his mom:

MRS. DIAMOND: One thing I can say about Michigan is that they've been there since day one. Even since Coach Rodriguez left they've always been there. I always tell Jordan that he has more fans at Michigan than anywhere else. They like him, they appreciate him, and if there's a Michigan fan wherever we are, they know him. Christian [Bryant] is coming to Michigan too, and my mother lives an hour and a half away, (in Saginaw) so those are the good things.

TOM: It sounds like this has all been pretty overwhelming for you. Are you guys going to take any more visits any time soon?



MRS. DIAMOND: Next weekend, we'll leave here Wednesday morning for Michigan and we'll be back Sunday. He's not participating in any more camps, but he'll be watching some of his teammates at the Sound Mind Sound Body camp. We'll go down for that and then we'll take in the University afterwards, we take that opportunity every time we get it. I don't believe we'll be doing any more traveling far away. He has enough on his plate so I don't think he needs to see anything else. How many schools can you decide to pick from?

PA offensive lineman Adam Bisnowaty visited Ann Arbor and East Lansing yesterday.  Adam is rated 4 stars by Rivals and is 6'6 275 pounds.    He has offers from Florida, Big East schools, Duke, Virgina, Purdue, Michigan and MSU.  The rumor is he is planning an ND visit as well, even though none of the recruiting sites says he has a ND offer.

Eric Olson anonther PA offensive lineman visited Ann Arbor this week and happends to be a 6'6 265 pound prospect.  He is not rated by Rivals but does have a Michigan offer.

• Sam Webb updates the recruitment of some of Ohio's top prospects.

Wolverine Wednesday: The Evil Buckeye Empire is Crumbling

(sorry about yesterday's post, that real life stuff gets in the way sometimes)

When Michigan was going through its stretching and non-coaches coaching issues, I made a statement that if the media and NCAA come snooping around your campus they are going to find something wrong in your program.  A real life example is when your about to sell your home, the prospective buyer hires a Home Inspector for $400 to find things wrong with your house.  For $400 he will find something wrong with your home, no matter how big or small.

OSU now has every major media outlet in their backyard along with the NCAA and their foundation has cracked and water in the basement is starting to get pretty deep. 

The "shell game" that was Tressel reputation continues to unravel.  The Columbus Dispatch reported yesterday that The Vest communicated often with Pryors non-family members:  After Tressel received an April 2, 2010, email from a former player warning him of potential NCAA violations, the coach exchanged 77 calls and text messages with and spent a total of 4 1/2 hours talking on the phone with Ted Sarniak, the hometown mentor of quarterback Terrelle Pryor in Jeannette, Pa.



Their longest phone conversation - 18 minutes - happened on Dec. 21, two days before OSU announced Pryor and five others would be suspended for part of the 2011 season for violations.


The two also spoke for three minutes immediately after the Dec. 23 news conference benching Pryor, Daniel Herron, DeVier Posey, Solomon Thomas and Mike Adams for five games and Jordan Whiting for one game.


Tressel and Sarniak exchanged text messages on March 8, the day OSU announced that Tressel had known about the violations for months.

Tressel also sent 91 text messages to Roy Hall, the current Jeannette football coach and another of Pryor's mentors. Hall previously told The Dispatch that he was not aware of the investigation and had not talked with Tressel about it.
 
Again the man with the clean reputation was anything but.  His cover up for Tattoo-gate went far and wide, which leads me to wonder how many other times did he have similar type of events and covered those up  (successfully) as well.
 
Pryor 
 
Raise your hand if you first thought was "Doom" when Pryor went to Ohio State?  That decision alone basically cost Michigan fans one season with combo QB play of Nick Sheridan and Steven Threet.  
 
Now 3 years later, Michigan has Denard Robinson one of the best kids in College Football and Terrelle Pryor is considering the CFL.   Wow, things sure have changed in 3 short years.  
 
Funny as it may seem Pryor not picking Michigan might have been the turning point for Michigan to retain it's roots and get back to playing Michigan Football.   I will admit, I was not a big fan of the way the Michigan Program was heading in Carr's last year.  He had a talented football team that came out of the tunnel on opening day not ready to play and got beat by App. State.   Lloyd had stayed too long and his program showed it.  
 
RR came in as the new hot shot coach ready to change the world.  His teams didn't play any defense and finally the Michigan faithful had enough.  If Pryor was here would he had got into the same type of trouble?
Who knows and who cares?  We might of had a few more wins and RR still might have a job.  But sitting here on 6/8 I am pretty happy with the direction of the program lead by Coach Hoke, Coach Mattison and on the field by Mr. Robinson.    Thank you Mr. Pryor!
 
The news of Pryor leaving was not really news, the Buckeye Blogs had it a couple of weeks ago.  He just made it official yesterday.   The news from ESPN that he made $20K to $40K in autographs is a new one.
 
So while USC loses it's National Championship and Tennessee's AD quits you start to wonder about Ohio State's NC and Auburn's as well.   Not a great time for College Football as a whole, let's hope Michigan is on steady ground and ready to move in the right direction.

Michigan Monday: Updates Recruiting

The recruiting Evaluation Period is now over, meaning the coaches can call recruits and they can visit campus but coaches are not allowed on the road to visit these young men in their homes or schools.

Trending Blue?

• 4 star offensive lineman Jordan Diamond has been to Michigan a number of times and many expect him to have U of M #1 on his list.  Jordan is expected back in Ann Arbor soon.  Does he want to make a commitment in person?  Let's hope so.

• Reporters caught up with Ohio DE Chris Wormely again this weekend at a track meet.  He again declared Michigan his leader.   Many expect a decision to come this summer.

• Ohio Safety Jarrod Wilson is still high on Michigan after his visit last week.  Jarrod has a top 3 of Michigan, ND and Penn State.   A decision could come soon for Jarrod as well.

Visiting Soon

• One of the top players in the country, California OL Erik Magnuson is visiting Ann Arbor this weekend. Eric is very high on Michigan and if they landed Erik he would be their highest ranked recruit in this class so far.

• Eric Olson a 6'6 265 pound offensive lineman from Mass. has a new offer from Michigan and visiting Ann Arbor tomorrow.

• Defensive tackle Jarron Jones is a soft commit to Penn State and will take visits to Notre Dame and Michigan in June.  He seems to love PSU, so don't hold your breathe on this one.

Sorry it didn't work out

• DB Wayne Morgan wanted to take some visits before he commits and many expect Michigan to be full.

• CB Armani Reeves has dropped Michigan due to space in the class and has ND and PSU at the top of his list. 

2012 Class Getting Stronger?

• Mario Ojemudia was named to the Army All American game.  This is the second Michigan commit to be named to the game.

Michigan Friday: Don't Think Too Long About Your Commitment

I love the way Texas recruits.  They invite all the top instate high school juniors to a camp on campus.  Then they hand out offers to the top guys (usually the top guys in the country as well) and give them a short timeline to commit.  Texas gets a ton of recruits right away and they always have a top 10 class.  What a luxury to have your class lineup and then you can cherry pick the rest of your class inside or outside of Texas.

Maybe someday Michigan can recruit like that and it's starting to trend that way.  The examples are how quickly this class if filling up and when one position guy goes the rest follows.  Monday, Michigan landed DB Gant and another followed on Wednesday (see below).   That is 3 DB's in the 2012 class and 5 in the 2011 class.  That is a lot of depth in a position of need, but is 8 enough?

I believe Michigan still wants one more DB in this class and probably a guy that can play safety.  So where does that leave Wayne Morgan and his announcement this week?  It means Wayne still wanted to think it over and now Michigan has gone in another direction.   Wayne was a silent commit to Michigan and was starting to get cold feet this week due to pressure "about rushing a decision"  from his coaches and family.

I feel bad for both parties because I think Wayne is a talented kid but the spots at Michigan are now at a premium in the 2012 class.  I think Ron Thomson and Wayne Morgan waited too long and other guys jumped in their positions.

So what's next at DB?

The word is the Michigan coaches are very high on Jarrod Wilson a safety prospect from Akron, Ohio.  Jarrod is 4 star prospect to Rivals and Scouts and comes in at 6'2 190 pounds.   Jarrod visited Ann Arbor on Monday and was said to be "blown away" with the experience.  His offer list is an impressive one with the likes of Penn State, ND, WVU, Pitt, UCLA, Stanford and many others.   His top 3 are Penn State, Michigan and ND.

I guess I left one thing out.  Jarrod's coach is a guy by the name of Ricky Powers.  Yes, that Ricky Powers.

After the next DB jumps on the Wolverines band wagon the top needs remain on the offensive and defensive lines.

• Speaking of DLine:  DT Aziz Shittu is currently a Stanford commit is considering opening up his recruitment.  Aziz is rated one of the best prospects in the country and rated #12 overall by Rivals and a 5 star prospect.  If Aziz does re-open he is considering a Michigan visit this summer!

Michigan Thursday: 2012 DB Waterfall Hitting Ann Arbor

This years 2012 recruiting has come in waves.  First it was linebacker recruiting, then tight ends, next was defensive ends, and now its defensive backs.   It seems the Michigan coaching staff is making it very clear to 2012 commits that if they want to be Wolverines they need to commit early so they can reserve their spot.

Terry Richardson started the waterfall at DB a couple of weeks ago.  Allen Gant jumped on board on Monday and last night Illinois CB Anthony Standifer visited Ann Arbor and gave his verbal pledge to become the Wolverines 14 verbal for the 2012 class and 3rd DB.

Anthony was bit under the radar early on in his recruitment with only two MAC offers.  Then Michigan saw his film and threw him an offer.  He was immediately interested in becoming a Wolverine.  Once the Michigan offer came in so did other schools like Cincy, Notre Dame, Iowa, Minnesota, Colorado State, Boise State, Purdue and others.

Anthony is rated 3 stars by Scouts and 24/7 and clearly the services don't know much about him.  Rivals doesn't even have a picture up.  What seemed to have caught the Greg Mattison's eye was his size at 6'1 180 pounds which mostly likely would equal a sport at corner or free safety.

Here is what Alan Trieu had to say about AS:

A long, athletic 6'1 cornerback, he has picked up offer after offer of late. This was my first time seeing him in person, and it's easy to see why he has those offers. In addition to his size, he has legitimate speed and athleticism. He's not a 4.3 guy, but he can run with just about anyone, and his ball skills are top notch. He has some technical work to do still, but his anticipation and awareness is good. He did a good job of recognizing and jumping routes.

It is reported on 24/7 that he had 9 picks as a junior, which is a ton obviously.

What's next for the Wolverines at DB?  It seems Michigan now has maybe one spot left in class.  Wayne Morgan was set to announce today but there was some rumblings (before AS committed) that he might wait and take a few more visits.   I disagree with that strategy if he wants to wear a winged helmet in 2012.  Use Ron Thompson has an example, he was on the verge of committing for a long time and two guys jumped into his position while he was thinking.  He is still thinking.

The best canidates for the last spot are Wayne of course and Armani Reeves who recently said PSU has a slight lead over the Wolverines for his services.  Let's hope Wayne jumps on board today or Friday.

Wolverine Wednesday: Kids Don't Go to Ohio State to Study Public Relations

They clearly don't understand PR in Columbus.  They have made one mistake after another trying to manage tattoo-gate. 

Let's take a look at how poorly OSU has handled their Public Relations in this matter:

12/23/2010: AD Gene Smith:  “There are no other NCAA violations around this case,” Smith declared. “We’re very fortunate we do not have a systemic problem in our program. This is isolated to these young men, isolated to this particular incident. There are no other violations that exist.”

Really?  Why would you say "we do not have a systemic problem in our program" if you don't?  He knew they had one. 

3/8/2011: Tressel Press Conference after Yahoo report that he knew the players sold their gear.

• Jim never apologizes and just says he made a minor mistake not letting OSU know about the email.
• The school suspends Tressel two games against two weak MAC teams
• President Gordon Gee drops this line (regarding JT's job status) “No, are you kidding me? I’m just hopeful that the coach doesn’t dismiss me”

3/18/2011: Tressel extends his suspension from 2 games to 5 games under media pressure on 2 games being a joke

4/20/2011: AD Gene Smith calls the Tressel situation a nightmare in a interview


5/18/2011: During the Big Ten Spring Meetings:  AD Gene Smith gives his support to his head coach Jim Tressel

5/30/2011: OSU decided to fire ask Tressel to resign.  On Memorial Day when there was little to no sports activity.  No NBA finals or even the Indy 500.  A day with only a few baseball games.  

The reason for the timing was not for the respect for the Military or anything else you have read or heard.  It was because the SI article was due out the next day and OSU wanted to get in front of the article.  OSU was alerted about the article and potential violations on Friday.  Jim was on vacation and returned on Saturday.  Sunday they discussed the situation and Monday they made it public. 

5/31/2001: NCAA and OSU are investigating Pryor and his 8 cars in 3 years. 

Stay tuned I'm sure it will get worse.