Michigan Friday: News and Notes Prior to the Spring Game

For those attending the Spring Game enjoy! 

News and Notes 

• Michigan seems to be active in the portal for another RB.  How does that pitch go?   Would you like to be the 3rd string back up? CJ Hester from UMass will make a visit for the Spring Game.  He played very well against UGA after they let go Don Brown. 

• Bryce buys a car for a high school security guard that meant a lot to him.  Class act! 

• Former Michigan Basketball player who now been at 3 schools in 3 years Sam Walters picks Mississippi State for his next stop.  He needs to stay healthy and work on his defense. 

• Oregon's Putter is in the portal, he punted 9 total times last year.  

Happy Easter to all that celebrate! 

Michigan Thursday: Starting To Take Shape

Michigan plays its embargoed Spring Game this weekend.  It will not be shown live on TV as Michigan is trying to protect its player from being shopped like AI expert at a job fair. 

Sounds like:

- Both QB's can spin it and showing great accuracy.

- Keene is back throwing from his mystery injury 

- Andrew Babalola was the first pick of the Spring Game (could be a freak Freshman starter on the OL!)

- New OC Chip Lindsey likes RB screens.  What?  I might be in love if that is the case! Not throwing more screens to the Don is maybe one of the worst mismanagement of a players potential/skill set ever! 

- WR's are better and the IU transfer is really good. 

- TE room is talented 

- RB 1 and 2 are locked down.  #3 is a question with Ben Hall gone.

-Expectations is the defense should be ahead of the offense.  

-Dline and Edge could be scary good.  Look out! 

-LB seems really solid but the GA transfer is hurt and recovering from an expected surgery

-CB needs depth and probably needs +2 in the portal 

-Safety will be fine when Rod Moore is back 100%. 

-Need someone to grab the Nickel position

Punter?

Kicker = best in the country 

• Wolf as expected is heading to the NBA Draft.  Wish we had him for 2 years but best of luck to him! 

• The real Wink Martindale (game show host) has passed away.  

• Remember former commit Edge Elias Rudolph who was committed for about a month and then decommitted and went to Miami?  He just jumped into the portal after redshirting last season. 

• Lee Corso is retiring from Gameday and will do one more in Week 1. 

Wolverine Wednesday: The Curious Case of Ben Hall

I'm a big fan of Mike Hart. I loved the way he ran the ball at Michigan.  He is a Michigan legend and the Wolverines all time leading rusher.  As a coach, he was a great developer of talent at Michigan but many questioned his recruiting skill and will. 

That statement pretty much encapsulates the Michigan career of Ben Hall.   Ben had a decent junior year in high school in Georgia with the expectation for a big senior year.  Mike thought he found something in the 24/7 2023 class ranked 73rd RB and 106th ranked player in Georgia.   This is what Mike did when he was at IU, he found diamonds in the rough and developed them into Big Ten quality RB's.  

Ben did not have a good senior year and many thought he was not deserving of a Michigan scholarship.  Mike kept his word and Ben came to Ann Arbor.  Ben then surprised many of us by jumping up the depth chart as a power runner and showed he ran mad late in games when he got playing time.  

With Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mulling heading to the NFL, Ben must have thought now was his time.  Then Jordan Marshall explodes in the Outback against Alabama and Michigan picks up Justice Haynes in the portal.  Ben was expected to be #3 but must not have loved that spot and is now hitting the portal. 

Ben had 29 carries for 72 yards last season.   We wish him good luck.  

• The football portal is offically open and former TN QB Nico I has entered it with a "do not contact" tag, which means he knows where he is going.   Keep at eye on Chapel Bill and UNC. 

• Western Michigan's National Championship in Hockey was one of the quietest Championships I've ever seen.  Congrats to the Broncos! 

• RIP Mike DeBord form Michigan OC and CMU Head Coach. 

Michigan Tuesday: More Guys Leaving Via The Portal

As we get deeper and deeper into Spring Practice, some players are seeing the writing on the wall that they are not going to see the field and maybe never will in Ann Arbor.   So they set their sites on the Spring Portal and hope to find a landing spot. 

DE Aymeric Koumba - Has a really cool name, came from France has a high upside but that upside won't be realized in Ann Arbor.  Good Luck to him. 

CB Ja'Den McBurrows - Has been in the program along time.  He has battled injuries good players in front of him and of course the tunnel incident.  Michigan needs depth at CB so the young guys must be really impressing in camp.  Rumors are Berry, Curtis, Metcalf and Lowe are all competing at Nickel right now. 

LB Jason Hewlett - Was an Ohio based recruit in the 23 class that must not have seen a path to the field. 

I 100% understand McBurrows but the other two guys probably needed more time in the program.   Michigan could use 1 or 2 more experienced CB's in the portal. 

• Mason Graham and Will Johnson will attend the NFL Draft in person.  There has been some buzz that Will Johnson might drop because he hasn't run the 40 due to his injury. 

• Also over the weekend, Michigan Basketball had its own portal trade if you will.  Dusty brought in 7'3 Aday Mara from UCLA and lost Phat Phat Brooks to the portal.  Phat Phat clearly didn't want to spend a few years on the bench while he waited for the path to clear to the court. 

• What happened at Tennessee over the weekend is just crazy.  I wonder which program is going to risk that situation with Nico at their most important position. 

• RIP to former LSU WR Lacy, he seemed troubled and would've gotten drafted with out his recent issues. 

• JT Vance broke Ohio State's National Championship Trophy.  I love that OSU is putting out statements like, the best run in college football history.  There isn't a Ohio State fan alive that doesn't think that run isn't tainted after the loss to Michigan. 

• Michigan is off the list for #1 recruit in the 2026 class OT Jackson Cantwell.  I guess the bag wasn't big enough. 

• Max Crosby will continue to be an NFL DE and also the GM of Eastern Michigan Football.