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Martavious Odoms Commits to Michigan
Posted by Tim on February 10, 2008

Martavious “Tay” Odoms, a 5-8, 170 slot receiver from Florida, has committed to Michigan. Odoms was expected to sign with the Hurricanes of Miami on a track scholarship. His 40 time is reported at 4.45, but he is a track athlete, and is likely speedier than that. He will also run track at Michigan.

Odoms is an inside (slot) receiver, and a little one at that. He is Michigan’s 24th signed player in 2008. As promised, I see his floor as 2 (he is very short, and his track speed might not translate well to the football field in college), and ceiling as 4 (he is speedy, but his height will always be something of a limitation).

For video on Odoms, check out Sunshine Preps.

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Rich Rodriguez interview on SportsCenter
Posted by Tim on February 10, 2008

In case any of you missed it over the weekend, here is a clip from Rich Rod’s SportsCenter interview:

I wouldn’t be surprised if (at least parts of) it appeared on SC again sometime soon, or when football season rolls around (so… far… away).

Posted under Coaching, Video

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Recruiting Board Updated
Posted by Tim on February 10, 2008

Check the board HERE.

Added Kansas Linebacker Jaydan Bird and Texas Safety Craig Loston, a likely 5-star and the cousin of top QB target Russell Shepard.

In formatting changes, I highlighted prospects who are committed to other schools (that I still see as viable targets) in red, and current Michigan commits in Blue.

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Pryor Eliminates Michigan
Posted by Tim on February 9, 2008

…and it’s over. On to ’09.

The author also goes on to snidely (attempt to) rip Rodriguez for his recruiting tactics (covered here) and the document shredding incident, which mysteriously disappeared when it became painfully obvious to everyone except WVU and OSU fans that Rodriguez did nothing wrong.

Worse still, Rodriguez’ recruiting antics over the past few weeks have offended the entire conference. There is considerable speculation that what he has done may be working against him.
Recruiting ethics, plus missing documents at West Virginia, have raised red flags across the country.

Note: Not sure on the credibility of this, because it’s not sourced at all, and the Post-Gazette website has no mention of it. Plus, the guy who wrote the article seems to be really dumb.

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Hockey?
Posted by Tim on February 8, 2008

Highlight.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkQihjmvExI&rel=1]
Big games against Miami this weekend. Tonight’s is on CSTV, and tomorrow’s contest will be covered by FSN Detroit.

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2009 Recruiting Board
Posted by Tim on February 8, 2008

Class of ’09 Dual-Threat QBs
Name Measurables Rating Hometown School Offer? Timetable Player Notes Recruiting Notes
Kevin Newsome 6-3, 215, 4.40 ***** Chesapeake, VA Western Branch Committed He has been described as Tebow-like, but I’d think he probably has more speed, as he is an indoor track all-american in 60m hurdles. More track. Penn relays. Michigan’s 6th commit, on 4-24-08. He plans to enroll early.
Shavodrick Beaver 6-4, 200, 4.5 **** Wichita Falls, TX Rider Springs Committed His team may play on ESPN2 this fall. Speedy, shifty guy who has good mechanics. Might make the Elite 11 camp. Michigan’s 7th commit, on 4-29-08.
Donavan Tate 6-3, 195 **** Cartersville, GA Cartersville Offer HS QB/DB. His Michigan offer is actually as a QB. He is a baseball prospect as well, who wants to do both in college. All of his other schools have offered him at safety. Michigan among the schools giving him the opportunity to play two sports.
Stephon Gilmore 6-0, 175, 4.5 *** Rock Hill, SC South Pointe Offer A guy that may come to Michigan for the opportunity to play QB (but would probably end up switching to S and not scare off other guys. Most of his other offers are at S. Tennessee is his favorite. Is there any more mutual interest with Michigan?
Everett Proctor 6-2, 200 *** Fayetteville, NC Jack Britt Defensive back/backup QB type. HS (same as Xavier Nixon) runs the spread. Michigan might offer him the chance to compete at QB (without risking scaring anyone else off), to get him in the fold and help recruit Xavier Nixon. He will likely end up at DB though.
Thomas Gordon 6-0, 170 *** Detroit, MI Cass Tech Could be a depth player if Michigan wants a 3rd QB who won’t scare of ’10 recruits (or he can switch positions) A couple of his teammates will be heading to Ann Arbor. He is probably Michigan’s if they want him.

Instate QB Mike Schaaf (6-7, 225) from Saginaw Arthur Hill is not a dual-threat guy, but he is a better baseball prospect than football. It’s always possible that a prospect like this comes to Michigan for the baseball, and participates in scout-team football as well.

Class of ’09 Running Backs
Name Measurables Rating Hometown School Offer? Timetable Player Notes Recruiting Notes
Fitzgerald Toussaint 5-10, 185 *** Youngstown, OH Liberty Committed RB/Slot. Teammate of Julius Ferrell and Isaiah Bell. Michigan’s fifth commit, 4-18-08.
Teric Jones 5-10, 190, 4.39 **** Detroit, MI Cass Tech Committed Ran a fast 40 at Army junior combine, and was considered top-10 there. Could fit in the slot or backfield in the RichRod Offense. Michigan’s 3rd commit, on 3-29-08
David Oku 5-9, 174 ***** Oklahoma City, OK Albert Offer October 10th (his birthday) or sometime in November. Is he an RB or slot WR in college? He is Devine-like. Down to a top 6 of Michigan, OSU, USC, FSU, Tennessee, and Illinois. Webb recruiting fluff in the News. Won’t get to Michigan until his official.
Jaamal Berry 5-10, 184, 4.31 ***** Miami, FL Palmetto Offer A top prospect, though Michigan might like Oku a little more. Rumored to like OSU a lot.
Tavon Austin 5-9, 170, 4.49 **** Baltimore, MD Dunbar Offer Short, speedy guy. Sounds familiar, no? You want video? You got video. Maryland wants him. They are his co-leader with UVa. He is interested in playing the slot (at Georgia).
Caleb Porzel 5-8, 180, 4.29 **** Wheaton, MD Good Counsel Super-speedy, and speed is at a premium for RR and Co. Michigan isn’t on him yet, but he is a teammate of Jelani Jenkins.
David Wilson 5-9, 170 *** Danville, Va George Washington Offer The news of his offer came (oddly) from a message board post by his coach. His measurables are very Rodriguez-y Still considering Michigan.
Vincent Smith 5-9, 170 *** Pahokee, FL Pahokee Offer HS teammate of Wolverine Martavious Odoms.
Darrell Mason 6-0, 209 **** Youngstown, OH Ursuline RB/Athlete. Rich Rodriguez visited his school in January ’08 on the way back from Pennsylvania. Ohio State is pretty big favorite.
Hersey Jackson 6-1, 215, 4.6 *** Allendale, MI Allendale A bigger, bruising back. Interesting to see if he might be receptive to adding weight to become an MX back in the Rodriguez offense. He is unlikely to have feature-back speed at a high-BCS level. Attended Michigan’s junior day.
Malek Redd 5-6, 160, 4.4 *** Clarksville, MD River Hill He impressed at Michigan camp. Could be a backup plan down the road. Camped in AA.

Really good in-state year for RB talent. Michigan could let a guy (or even two) get away to State or an out-of-state school and not be hurting too bad.

Class of ’09 Wide Receivers
Name Measurables Rating Hometown School Offer? Timetable Player Notes Recruiting Notes
Bryce McNeal 6-1, 180, 4.46 **** Minneapolis, MN Breck Committed A top performer at the Army Junior Combine. GopherHole interview. Some Fluff. Girlfriend Tayler Hill is a top hoops prospect. Michigan’s 8th commit, on 5-16-08.
Jeremy Gallon 5-9, 175, 4.5 *** Apopka, FL Apopka Committed HS QB who runs the single-wing. He will likely end up at the slot position. Michigan’s 9th commit, on 6-5-08.
DeWayne Peace 6-0, 178, 4.68 *** Grand Prairie, TX South Committed Michigan coaches liked him at camp. Michigan’s 12th commit.
Marlon Brown 6-5, 200 ***** Memphis, TN Harding Academy Offer After signing day 2009. Big outside WR prospect. He has a good off-the-field reputation. USC is strong after him. Michigan is in his top group. Basketball may play a role in his decision. Top 15 schools includes Michigan.
Rueben Randle 6-3, 195, 4.5 ***** Bastrop, LA Bastrop Offer Outside prospect. Everyone who’s anyone is on Randle. LSU has the momentum and in-state status. However, the Canes lead.
Jheranie Boyd 6-3, 185, 4.45 **** Gastonia, NC Ashbrook Offer Signing Day. Outside prospect. Michigan has visited him. Michigan makes his top 15.
Braxton Lane 5-11, 190, 4.31 **** Tyrone, GA Sandy Creek Offer Perfect fit at the slot position. Also a baseball prospect who may play in college. He won’t rush it, but he won’t hold out until Signing Day either.
Kraig Appleton 6-2, 190, 4.4 **** St. Louis, IL East St. Louis Offer. Tall and fast, he is also a track athlete. Michigan has visited him recently.
Dennis Thames 6-0, 195 *** Louisville, MS Louisville Offer His uncle is Marcus Thames of the Detroit Tigers. He was a first team all state selection in 2007 according to the Clarion Ledger. Not sure if he wants to play WR or safety in college.
Andre Debose 5-11, 176, 4.4 **** Sanford, FL Seminole A really fast guy who is optimal for slot. The sort of guy who could fill in at QB if necessary. Track results. Has a couple teammates that he might like to go to school with, and Florida State is the favorite for the three of them. Or is Miami?
Todd Thomas 6-4, 180, 4.55 **** Beaver Falls, PA Beaver Falls Beaver Falls Michigan coaches have been in his school. Outside receiver prospect with his size. Michigan is in his top 5.
Keenan Davis 6-3, 190 **** Cedar Rapids, IA Washington Former Michigan WR Adrian Arrington’s alma mater. Going to Kansas spring game.
Josh Gordon 6-4, 210, 4.5 *** Houston, TX Lamar A definite outside receiver with his size, but he has speed as well. He grew up a Michigan fan (his family is from Michigan). They are his favorite, despite no offer. He is practically begging to be offered.
Fritz Rock 6-0, 188, 4.55 *** Plymouth, MN Wyzata A top performer at the Army Junior Combine. Life story. Football story. Likes Notre Dame early (2-24 junior day). Has he had his Minnesota offer pulled?
Cameron Gordon 6-3, 190 *** Melvindale, MI Melvindale post-visits decision Jump-ball kind of guy. Was impressive at 2007 UM camp. Transferring to Inkster for 2008 season (and they have a ’10 dual-threat QB). Flufftastic. Mutual Notre Dame, MSU, OSU interest. Wants to stay in the midwest.

We’ll have to wait for more WR prospects to emerge. James Jackson is high on Michigan fans’ wishlists. New-UM will be recruiting lots of wideouts, particularly speedy slot guys.

Class of ’09 Tight Ends
Name Measurables Rating Hometown School Offer? Timetable Player Notes Recruiting Notes
Orson Charles 6-3, 215, 4.50 **** Tampa, FL Plant Offer Among the top TEs in the country. Many consider him a Gator lock.
Dion Sims 6-5, 240 **** Orchard Lake, MI Saint Mary’s Offer Many I’ve spoken to like him more as a DE (he plays rush LB in HS). FB or BB? His dad apparently works for UM in some capacity.
Terrell Mitchell 6-5, 210 *** Powder Springs, GA McEachern Offer He claims that he has a couple of SEC offers, so he is no slouch. Probably a TE or DE in college. Something tells me we don’t need any more TEs, so his offer is probably as a big WR or DE. Michigan is his favorite, over South Carolina.
Jim Teknipp 6-6, 230 ** McDonough, GA Henry County Apparently doesn’t exist in Scout database. Unrated on Rivals. Wants to visit Michigan.

Michigan doesn’t have a pressing need for TEs in this class with a lot in the previous two classes, and a decreased importance in the spread offense. They might take one, but I see some of these TE prospects switching positions if they want to go Blue.

Class of ’09 Offensive Linemen
Name Measurables Rating Hometown School Offer? Timetable Player Notes Recruiting Notes
Michael Schofield 6-6, 270 *** Orland Park, IL Sandburg Committed Inside/outside prospect. Could be a tackle down the road. Michigan is among the most prestigious schools recruiting him.
Marcus Hall 6-5, 295, 5.35 ***** Cleveland, OH Glenville Offer Decision after all 5 officials. From Ted Ginn Sr.’s Glenville High Ginn had a beef with the Carr administration, will he send prospects to new-UM? Top 3 of OSU, USC, Illinois (with Michigan, Florida, FSU rounding out the top 6) would imply otherwise.
Chris Watt 6-4, 270 **** Glen Ellyn, IL Glenbard Offer pre-season decision Vicious interior prospect. Came to UM junior day. Just like everyone else in the country, he has been offered by Notre Dame (they may be the favorite) (like, seriously). He wants to stay within the midwest. Is Michigan fading in his recruitment?
Quinton Washington 6-4, 320 **** Saint Stephen, SC Timberland Offer Post senior season decision. Currently listed at OT, though his measurables could project him on the interior.
He is really strong.		 It’s likely he goes to one of the SC schools. Michigan is his #6 out of 5.
Chris Freeman 6-8, 315 **** Trotwood, OH Madison Offer He is also a PF prospect for basketball? I guess that means he is ridiculously athletic for his size, but… what? Fluff. Michigan has the Trotwood-Madison connection in their favor for this huge OT prospect, though he is the cousin of OSU LB Marcus Freeman. He claims to be wide open and will unofficially visit the reigning champs. Dangerously close to being dropped.
Zach Martin 6-5, 260, 5.10 *** Indianapolis, IN Bishop Chatard Offer Right around tackle size.
Adam Gress 6-7, 290, 5.2 *** West Mifflin, PA West Mifflin Offer Offensive tackle. Big size, but still nimble. Michigan, Penn State, Pitt the presumptive leaders.
Xavier Sua’filo 6-5, 275 **** Provo, UT Timpview Being recruited by a lot of top schools. ESPNU Under Armour game. He wants to take an unofficial to Michigan.
Khalil Wilkes 6-4, 285 **** Jersey City, NJ St. Peter’s Likes playing in spread offenses. Seems to be more interested in Michigan than they are in him. His dad played at Rutgers, and they can be considered the current favorite.
Brennan Williams 6-6, 260, 5.2 *** West Roxbury, MA Catholic Memorial Jim Stefani noted that his dad is from Michigan and played at Toledo.
Tahir Basil 6-2, 250, 4.88 *** Philadelphia, PA Roman Catholic Good student, maybe not an elite OL prospect (but S&C could mold him into one).
Ricky Clemons 6-5, 305 *** Flint, MI Carman Ainsworth A little short to be a true OT. Could move inside in college. He’s already got the mass, it will likely need to be converted into muscle. Grew up a State fan, but went to his first CFB game for The Horror.
Henry Conway 6-6, 295 *** Shaker Heights, OH Shaker Heights Not a big-time prospect, but he has good size. Tackle project. Michigan Spring Game visitor

Obviously, there will be a lot more OL prospects added, likely including some instate sleepers. Michigan’s 2008 OL class was huge, but with attrition, they are still a guy short, even before graduation.

Class of ’09 Defensive Tackles
Name Measurables Rating Hometown School Offer? Timetable Player Notes Recruiting Notes
William Campbell 6-6, 300 ***** Detroit, MI Cass Tech Committed Surprisingly explosive for his girth. He was a big success at the Junior Army combine. He’ll be one of the top 2-3 DTs in 2009. Army game. Michigan’s first commit, on 6-21-07
Antwan Lowery 6-3, 300 **** Miami, FL Columbus Offer Has some big names after him, and comes from a good area for talent. May be a Rutgers lean. Or is it a Miami/Florida battle?
Josh Boyd 6-4, 280 **** Philadelphia, MS Philadelphia Offer Signing day decision 2nd team all-state per Clarion Ledger. Planned to camp at Michigan, and stayed all week.
Levi Brown 6-2, 320, 5.1 *** Bethlehem, PA Liberty A 1-tech tackle (Will Campbell is a likely 3-tech). HS teammate of DE prospect Braxton Isaac. Michigan may have need for one 1-tech in this class.

William Campbell is a great start. Michigan might want to snag another good DT (do they have enough depth to only grab one if he’s on a higher level?)

Class of ’09 Defensive Ends
Name Measurables Rating Hometown School Offer? Timetable Player Notes Recruiting Notes
Devon Kennard 6-3, 230, 4.82 ***** Phoenix, AZ Desert Vista Offer Scout’s top defensive end. Army game.
Craig Drummond 6-5.5, 210 ***** Chicago, IL Morgan Park Offer Pre-season decision. Visits after he wraps up ACT. He might have trouble qualifying. Top 5 of M, IL, USC, Kstate, and Tennessee. Illinois is the leader.
Craig Roh 6-5, 230, 4.60 **** Scottsdale, AZ Chaparral Offer Among Jim Stefani’s top DE prospects for Michigan. Has offers from lots of top programs. ESPN game participant. He has family in Michigan, and will visit the Wolverines this summer. Confirmation of visit.
Keenan Graham 6-4, 215 **** Las Vegas, NV Silverado Offer Lightweight DE who will have to put on weight to play in college. West Coast schools are on him. He has visited Ann Arbor.
Ryne Giddins 6-4, 235 **** Seffner, FL Armwood Offer Army Game decision. Is Michigan on his secret list of six favorites?
Anthony LaLota 6-6, 260, 4.65 **** Princeton, NJ The Hun School Offer Ranked as a top OT on Scout. Will have to do firther research to see where he actually belongs. It seems as though Notre Dame is the early favorite.
Sam Montgomery 6-5, 240, 4.65 **** Greenwood, SC Greenwood Offer Near-optimal measurables for the position. Likes mostly teams from the southeast. He has family from Detroit, however.
Corey Adams 6-3, 275, 4.86 **** Scottsdale, AZ Saguaro Offer Decision after 5 officials. Big DE prospect who will have to stay in shape or move to DT. ESPNU game.
Chris Bonds 6-4, 275, 4.8 **** Columbia, SC Richland NE Offer Christmas decision. From DE Adam Patterson’s HS. USCal and USCar top 2, Michigan in top 5 w/ND and Bama. He plans to visit Michigan unofficially. And officially.
Pearlie Graves 6-3, 265 *** Tulsa, OK East Central Offer Friends with Gabe Lynn.
Jack Lippert 6-5, 225, 4.75 *** Harrisburg, PA Central Dauphin Very small for his speed. Will he be able to add more mass without dropping his quicks?
Braxton Isaac 6-4, 240 *** Bethlehem, PA Liberty Interest throughout the midwest and LSU
Trevor Foy 6-7, 235 *** Louisville, KY St. Xavier Went to multiple Michigan FB games in the fall. Also has apparently strong interested in ND, as he went to their 2-24 junior day.
Davon Custis 6-4, 235 *** Columbus, OH St. Francis DeSales A high school teammate of Patrick Omameh. Speedtastic for a DE. Visited Michigan in the spring.

More prospects will need to be added, especially since each of these guys seems to have a leader other than Michigan. Scott Shafer told me there is a big need for DEs in this class.

Class of ’09 Linebackers
Name Measurables Rating Hometown School Offer? Timetable Player Notes Recruiting Notes
Jordan Barnes 6-0, 225 *** Fort Wayne, IN Homestead Committed. Speedy, but lacks good instincts. Michigan’s 11th commit.
Jelani Jenkins 6-1, 200, 4.45 ***** Wheaton, MD Our Lady of Good Counsel Offer Student-athlete with a 4.0. Washington Post all-Met 1st team as a junior. Virginia wants him like it’s their job. Will he stay closer to home? But takes a west coast swing.
Frankie Telfort 5-11, 195, 4.41 **** Miami, FL Gulliver Offer He is downright tiny for a linebacker. However, he is very fast as well, and can use speed to make up for lack of height and mass. Ranked as the #2 Miami-area recruit. Offers from all over the country.
Jon Bostic 6-2, 225, 4.50 **** Wellington, FL Palm Beach Central Offer Mostly interested in FL schools.
Devekeyan Lattimore 6-1, 215, 4.5 *** Athens, GA Cedar Shoals Offer Fluff.
Brandon Hawthorne 6-0, 185, 4.72 *** Pahokee, FL Pahokee Offer Michigan and USF comprise his top two.
Julius Ferrell 6-1, 230, 4.55 *** Youngstown, OH Liberty Hits like a ton of bricks. Described as David Harris-like. Currently a sleeper because he missed his junior season with injury. Ohio State may not have room for him in their class. His teammates Isaiah Bell and Fitzgerald Toussaint are committed.
Jonathan Pippin 6-1, 210, 4.5 *** River Ridge, LA John Curtis From the program that sent Joe McKnight to USC. He lists a lot of SEC schools and Michigan.
Dan Mason 6-1, 223, 4.59 *** Pittsburgh, PA Penn Hills Pitt is his early leader, and he lists West Virginia, which may translate to new-UM.
John Michael Davis 6-1, 220, 4.59 *** Los Flores, CA Tesoro Dropped from a 5-star after Scout’s first re-evaluation. Grew up a Michigan fan. He is currently listing Michigan, but how well will New-UM recruit California after the departure of Ron English?
Dan Fox 6-3, 215 *** Cleveland, OH St. Ignatius Attended UM junior day.

After a very large 2008 LB class, this isn’t a huge area of priority. Michigan can hold out for higher-level prospects.

Class of ’09 Safeties
Name Measurables Rating Hometown School Offer? Timetable Player Notes Recruiting Notes
Isaiah Bell 6-3, 205 *** Youngstown, OH Liberty Committed Junior Film. Michigan’s fourth commit, on 3-31-08
Damario Jeffery 6-3, 211, 4.5 **** Columbia, SC Columbia Offer Big SS prospect. Michigan is not in his top 6. Or are they?
Jonathan Scott 6-3, 190, 4.6 *** Daytona Beach, FL Seabreeze Offer Strong safety prospect. He has family at both Georgia Tech and Ohio State. Michigan in his top 5, though he doesn’t like the cold.
Vladimir Emilien 6-0, 187, 4.6 *** Plantation, FL Plantation Offer A smaller guy. Does he have the speed to play free safety, or the frame to move to LB? Ohio State fans are very confident (with apparently good reason) on this one.
Darren Myles 6-2, 190 *** Atlanta, GA Carver Offer Free safety prospect. Lots of top suitors. Hasn’t yet begun to prune down his list, but Michigan will make the next cut. Michigan has visited him. And he wants to return the favor.
DJ Swearinger 6-0, 190, 4.69 *** Greenwood, SC Greenwood Offer Seems slow for a FS, no? Maybe the time is off. Same high school as DE prospect Sam Montgomery. Michigan is in his top 5.
Mike Jones 6-2, 195 *** Orlando, FL Edgewater Greg Mathews HS. Michigan and ND may be favorites.
Dorian Berry 6-3, 2
00		 *** Baldwyn, MS Baldwyn A big dude who projects as a SS. He may have trouble qualifying for college. Hopson-Mississippi connection.
Rod Woodson 6-1, 200 **** Olive Branch, MS Olive Branch Jay Hopson gives Michigan the ability to recruit Mississippi.
Shamari Benton 5-11, 175 *** Birmingham, MI Brother Rice Early decision Plays OLB and standup DE in HS. He’ll need to add tons of weight to be on LB, or show faster 40 times to be a safety. Favors Michigan State over Michigan.
Brock Reynolds 5-11, 175 *** Battle Creek, MI BC Central Thin safety prospect. He’ll need to add more weight to get high-DI offers. With a teammate committed to MSU, he seems like a Spartan-type player.

A ton of safety prospects out there right now.

Class of ’09 Corners
Name Measurables Rating Hometown School Offer? Timetable Player Notes Recruiting Notes
Justin Turner 6-2, 200 **** Massilon, OH Washington Committed Junior Film. Michigan’s second commit, on 3-28-08
Darius Winston 6-1, 180, 4.30 ***** West Helena, AR Central Offer A top-top corner. Arkansas decommit has named Michigan as his favorite.
Dre Kirkpatrick 6-1, 180, 4.5 ***** Gadsden, AL Gadsden City Offer Signing day decision Scout’s top defensive back early in the recruiting game. Looking mostly at southern schools. He wants to visit Michigan.
Gabe Lynn 6-1, 180, 4.5 ***** Jenks, OK Jenks Offer A speedy cover corner. Currently a four-star, but could en up with five when all is said and done. Friend of RB prospect David Oku. Michigan would love to take both. Top 5 by the end of summer.
Brandon McGee 6-0, 180, 4.45 **** Plantation, FL Plantation Offer He is a HS QB as well. Grew up an FSU fan, but is also interested in Ohio State.
Travis Hawkins 5-11, 185, 4.42 **** Gaithersburg, MD Quince Orchard Offer Early enroll A lot of big-time offers imply that he will be a very good prospect. Plans to visit Ann Arbor.
Terry Shankle 5-11, 185, 4.44 **** Norwood, NC South Stanly Offer Michigan not in his top 6. May be dropped soon.
Angelo Hadley 5-11, 190, 4.5 *** Seffner, FL Armwood Offer Could play S or CB. Appears to be mostly interested in the south.
DJ Hunter 6-0, 190 **** Middletown, OH Middletown Favors Indiana and Ohio State, along with Miami of Florida. He claims offers from the entire Big Ten except OSU and Michigan.
Tony Graham 5-11, 185, 4.44 *** Trotwood, OH Trotwood-Madison Michigan’s emerging pipeline into T-M can only help with Graham. He plans to attend Michigan’s summer camp.
Javanti Sparrow 6-0, 170, 4.49 *** Chesapeake, VA Western Branch Super-fast track star who is a HS teammate of Kevin Newsome. Interested in attending the same school as teammate Newsome.
Ryan Campbell 6-0, 175, 4.38 *** Columbus, GA Shaw Also a baseball prospect. Jim Stefani notes that he is originally from Michigan.
Varmah Sonie 5-10, 160 *** Apple Valley, MN Apple Valley A friend of WR Bryce McNeal Visited Michigan with McNeal last weekend.

Michigan will like at least one super.

At this phase in the recruiting cycle, the class will probably be about 22 prospects (for the most updated numbers, check out the Eligibility Chart), broken down as such:
2 QBs (Kevin Newsome, Shavodrick Beaver)
1-2 RBs (Teric Jones/Fitzgerald Toussaint, 1 more)
1-3 WRs (Teric Jones/Toussaint maybe 1 more slot, 1-2 outside)
1 TE
3-5 OL (1-2 outside, 2-3 inside)
2 DTs (William Campbell)
2-3 DEs
1-2 LBs (1 inside, 1 outside)
2 CBs (Justin Turner)
2-3 Ss (Isaiah Bell)

Posted under Recruiting

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Signing Day Press Conference
Posted by Tim on February 7, 2008

See the full press conference on MGoBlue now. Afterwards, we had a chance to ask Rich Rodriguez a couple extra questions. He responded thusly:

We also asked new DC Scott Shafer a couple questions about the defensive recruits and defensive schemes. Shafer, by the way, is a REALLY cool guy, and said a couple off-camera remarks about expecting to have a run of success against OSU.

Posted under Coaching, Personnel, Recruiting, Spring Coverage, Video

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Michigan Recruits: Ceilings and floors
Posted by Tim on February 7, 2008

Baseline and potential peak outputs of Michigan’s 2008 recruiting class. Of course, any player could defy expectations, be it positive or negative. These are best guesses based on star ratings, measurables, and perceived intangibles. If Pryor (or any other recruits) commits still, he will be discussed individually.

Player Position Scout Rating Floor Ceiling Commentary
Ricky Barnum OG **** 2 4 Good enough to have been a Florida commit at one point, and he has the measurables to be an elite OG or OC down the road.
Boubacar Cissoko CB ***** 3 5 Worst case scenario: his speed and feet can’t compensate for his height. Best case: they can, and he grows a couple of inches.
Mike Cox RB **** 1 4 Limited speed, and if his vision or power ends up being less than expected, he could bust. Otherwise, he could be the more successful version of Kevin Grady.
Kenny Demens LB *** 1 3 He is short and lacks elite speed. He could become a solid contributor (Chris Graham) or a career special teamer
Justin Feagin QB ** 1 4 Could be a good, but never elite passer. His running will help him. He could do nothing or be a Pat White++ player.
J.B. Fitzgerald LB **** 3 5 Will likely contribute, but his measurables could add up to nothing if he doesn’t put it together. On the other hand, he could become an All-American
Taylor Hill LB *** 2 4 Smallish for an elite player, but is certainly capable of contributing.
Rocko Khoury OT *** 1 4 Current staff sees him as a future OC. Offensive linemen are very difficult to predict.
Kevin Koger TE **** 3 5 An athletic TE goes a long way. At worst, he’ll be a very good special teams contributor, and occasional TE.
Mike Martin DT **** 2 5 A little short, but if he grows, he could be ridiculously good. Otherwise, he could be a player who has already peaked.
Sam McGuffie RB **** 2 5 This year’s production shows he is susceptible to injury. Without it, he could be Reggie Bush-like
Elliott Mealer OG **** 1 4 His accident could dim the passion for the game. If he still has it, he could be a multi-year starter and NFL player.
Brandon Moore TE *** 1 4 This year, he was uninjured and still slipped two star ratings. If he steps up in college, he could become a very good contributor, and an athletic TE.
George Morales LS ** 1 2 A long-snapper can either completely fade from conscious existence, or play and not fuck up. It’s hard for them to have a major positive impact.
Dann O’Neill OT **** 2 5 He has the measurables. With hard work and good coaching, he could be the next Jake Long.
Patrick Omameh OT *** 1 5 Very slight, but he has the frame to add more weight, and some very long arms. He could either flame out or become and elite OL player.
Terrence Robinson WR **** 3 5 Will contribute on offense and special teams. With any luck, he could be a shorter, slightly quicker version of Steve Breaston.
Roy Roundtree WR *** 1 3 His measurables doom him to be a possession-type guy. One of the few recruits in this class without a high potential.
Michael Shaw RB **** 3 4 Can play slot or RB in Rodriguez’s offense. His versatility and speed give him a lot of options for the future.
Brandon Smith S **** 4 5 He is very athletic, and could be a difference-maker. At the worst, I see him starting a year.
Darryl Stonum WR **** 2 4 Not likely to be the next Edwards, Avant, or Breaston, but will contribute, questionable if he’s a great fit for the new offense.
Kurt Wermers OG **** 1 3 Offensive linemen are tough to predict. Without great measurables, he could go nowhere or be a future OL contributor.
Marcus Witherspoon LB **** 2 3 Athletic-ish, but could be a very good special-teamer and depth player on defense.

Main thing to notice about this class is that most of the players do not have very high floors, but nearly all of them have great potential to excel in the future, meaning their ceilings very high. With the strength and conditioning program at Michigan, as well as the scheming of the coaching staff, this bodes well for the future of the Wolverines.

Posted under Recruiting

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Michigan receives McGuffie’s LOI
Posted by Tim on February 7, 2008

Sam McGuffie and Kenny Demens have both faxed their National Letters of Intent to Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez. McGuffie was stricken with a case of cold feet, and Demens was occupied with a funeral all day today.

The only other potential recruit remaining is Terrelle Pryor, who is not expected to become a Wolverine. Of course, if he were to sign with Michigan, nobody in Wolverine Nation would be complaining.

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Coming Soon to This Blog Near You…
Posted by Tim on February 7, 2008

Hockey highlights from Saturday.
Recap of Rich Rodriguez press conference, including an exclusive (and brief) interview with new DC Scott Schafer.
Recruiting season recap, once all remaining recruits sign (either here or elsewhere).
A bunch of stuff about the 2008 Football team.
2009 Recruiting kickoff (yes, already).

Posted under Blog News, Hockey

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