Board.

I reranked the players in accordance with the latest set of Scout rankings, and moved a couple of guys’ positions. There is new information on most prospects. I also added new fields for offer status and decision/enrollment timetables. Player/personal and recruiting information have been separated. Most of the new players come on the recommendation of Jim Stefani, who I owe big time.

Changed position:
OH S Justin Turner had been at CB
MS CB David Conner had been at LB
AZ DE Corey Adams had been at DT
TX DT Jamarcus McFarland had been at DE

Added:
FL WR Andre Debose
MA OL Brennan Williams
AZ DE Devon Kennard
MD LB Jelani Jenkins
OH LB Julius Ferrell
GA S Donavan Tate
MI S Shamari Benton
PA CB Corey Brown
GA CB Ryan Campbell

Posted under Recruiting

Chesterton Indiana shooting guard Zach Novak (6-4, 215) has committed to Coach John Beilein of the Michigan basketball program. He is the third player committed to the Wolverines.

His local paper does not like to spellcheck. Like, even for the name of the person the article is about. He was an Indiana All-Star as a junior. Novak is a three point shooter who will fit in well with the Michigan team, other than the fact that he is actually capable of making the occasional shot.

Posted under Basketball

Mike Martin will be joining the Michigan football team in the fall, but he ended his high school days at Detroit Catholic Central with his other favorite sport: wrestling.

Martin was the 2007 state champion in the heavyweight division, and defended his crown successfully, winning a 7-3 decision over DJ Charneski of Hartland. Martin finished the year with a record of 42-1.

Free Press Link.

Posted under Personnel

This will be the first in a series detailing team information as it as I see it before spring practice.

Prior to spring practice, nobody outside the Michigan coaching staff has a concrete idea of ANYTHING that will happen with the team. Several players on Michigan’s squad will undergo position changes, either because their bodies have developed differently, or their skill set is compatible with a different position under the Rich Rodriguez system than it was under Coach Carr. Positions that are essentially the same, but with different terminology (i.e. FB and MX) won’t be covered. As a side note, the eiligibility chart has been updated to correct a few mistakes.

Previously undefined positions
Players who hadn’t established themselves at any given position (usually freshmen or other young players) or had bounced around during the course of their Michigan careers so far (usually Andre Criswell).

• Doug Dutch played a couple years at WR, then was a backup CB last year. He may switch back, or stay at CB as a depth player, or even move to safety.
• Andre Criswell has been a fullback, tight end thingy, and various other things. He doesn’t really have a natural position. The staff will try him out a couple different places in the spring.
• Zion Babb recruited as a wide receiver, but he has played both WR and DB in his first year. He will probably be solidified at one of those positions.
• Marell Evans came out of high school as a defensive end, then played linebacker and special teams in his first year. He could either learn the LB position better, or be Barwised into a true defensive end, where there isn’t much depth.
• Quinton Patilla is another guy who has bounced around, with stops at fullback (where players without a position go to die). He’ll need to have his position defined in the spring.
• James Rogers was a high school running back, who committed as a wide receiver. Then, he spent most of last year learning to play safety. He might stay there, but it’s too soon to consider it set in stone.
• Avery Horn played running back in high school. He is a speedy guy who will play slot receiver with some RB mixed in. I’d also be very surprised if he didn’t get a chance at returning kicks.
• Ryan Van Bergen is a defensive end who redshirted last year. He has the frame to switch to offensive tackle if he has interest in making the move.

Position moves
Guys who have been playing a particular position that may see a change to something else.

• Kevin Grady was a running back in his first couple year, then sat out last year with an ACL injury. With the seeming abundance of bodies, he might become an MX, with some major speed at the position.
• Adam Patterson had been playing on the interior of the OL. With improved strength and conditioning, he might be able to move outside to defensive end.
• Carlos Brown has been a running back, but he might switch to quarterback, and will likely take snaps at the position in the spring, even there is no plan for a permanent change.

Posted under Personnel, Spring Coverage

For the rest of the Stadium Atmosphere series, see the sidebar.

With a new headman roaming the sidelines in Ann Arbor, and a facility in transition, 2008 will likely see several changes in the overall atmosphere at The Big House.

Rich Rodriguez brings an exciting new style of play, both offensively and defensively. This may mean that fans in the seats are more into the game, but it could also bode poorly. Transitioning to new systems is always difficult, and the radical change expected of Michigan will likely lead to major struggles, at least on the offensive side of the ball. The fans need to understand this, and support the team through tough times early in the 2008 season.

At West Virginia, Rich Rodriguez’s teams consistently played under the lights, and many fans are hoping the concept of a night game will follow the coach to Ann Arbor. However, this may not be as likely as presumed. While Lloyd Carr never was a proponent of late starts, the general issue stems from the administration. Michigan’s athletic department has routinely stood against night games for several reasons, including national exposure (which is no longer the case with primetime network coverage), alumni preference, and preventing all-day drinking. While Rich may be able to cast one more vote for later games, it would take a minor miracle to make a change in year one.

Michigan Stadium will feature a new look in 2008, as it works through phase one of renovations. New concessions, first aid, and bathrooms will be present, along with a metal frame for the luxury boxes. During the season, work will continue on non-gamedays. The stadium won’t be aesthetically pleasing, but the wait will be worth it for the final result.
http://mgoblue.com/football/article.aspx?id=111194
It will be an interesting dynamic to see how players and fans (and visiting recruits) will respond to a stadium in transition.

Posted under Analysis, Coaching

Michigan’s Coaches from 2007.

HC Lloyd Carr is still around the Michigan program, serving an administrative position within the athletic department.
OC Mike Debord has been hired by on the Seattle Seahawks, though his exact title is currently not known.
OL Coach Andy Moeller now serves in the same capacity for the Baltimore Ravens.
WR Coach Erik Campbell coaches the WRs at Iowa.
QB Coach Scot Loeffler is serving in the same capacity for the Detroit Lions.
RB Coach Fred Jackson is still on the staff at Michigan, and still coaching running backs.
DC Ron English is now the defensive coordinator for the Big East’s Louisville Cardinals.
DL Coach Steve Stripling is still unemployed.
LB Coach Steve Szabo is working at Cornell.
DB Coach Vance Bedford now coaches the defensive secondary at Florida.

Posted under Coaching

So… it seems as though people don’t really care for the t-shirt designs. I have to say, no combination really draws me in or inspires me. A lot of people seem to be nostalgic for the ephemeral student design contest (it lasted 3 years, right?). In total disclosure, my favorite student t-shirt in my time at Michigan, the same four years as Hart and Henne, was the ultra-Nike 2006 edition:

The font, the winged attitude, the message were all spot on especially after the rough 2005 season. Part of it also probably has something to do with the amazing season that happened that year (I have blocked out the last two games).

Now, there aren’t really any good choices (you can see them here). I don’t dig front 1 and back 2 because of “The Tradition Continues…” and the overly complicated designs. Back 1 is fine. I actually like it, it’s everything that the back of the football shirt needs to be. Front 1 is way too simple. So… where are we now?

The Man has let us down, so let’s do it ourselves. At least one person has said they could make a better design in an hour, so… lets see them! I’m not quite sure what the endgame will be, but the we’ll probably have a vote on the blog among the submissions (or finalists if there are too many). The winner can either make their shirt and have it pimped here or we’ll make the shirt and sell it on the site.

THE DETAILS
There are a couple ground rules:

1. Shirts must be maize
2. Shirts should be family friendly (unless really funny)
3. Try to keep it around 5 colors

I was thinking there might be two different categories: a mainstream shirt and a inside-blogosphere joke shirt.

To submit your design, leave a link to the design in the comments or e-mail the graphics to panel1382 |at| gmail |dot| com. Please submit them as .png, .gif or .jpg. Other formats may or may not work, but I’ll try to make it work.

Let’s see what you guys have out there. Tim and I know a couple people in the Athletic Department and we may forward the winner onto a couple of them. It obviously won’t make a difference this year, but it may help in the future. Who knows? Please try to get them in the next week or so.

Good luck.

Posted under Misc.

The Michigan softball team has raged out to a 17-2 start to begin the 2008 campaign. A Kickoff Classic loss to Maryland and an upset by Drake in the UCF tournament, both by scores of 0-2, account for the lone Wolverine losses so far this season. 10th-ranked Michigan is once again expected to achieve success in the Big Ten as well, projected to finish in the top two, along with the Wildcats of Northwestern.

So what has been the key to Michigan’s success this early in the season? “We have very strong pitching,” said head coach Carol Hutchins, “We have 2 great pitchers that are a true 1-2 punch.” Those two pitchers, Sophomore Nikki Nemitz and Freshman Jordan Taylor, have indeed excelled this early in the season. Combined, they sport a .57 Earned Run Average, and each only losing one game in which she has appeared.

The offense is not lacking, either. Samantha Findlay, known best for her 3-run game winning homer in the 2004 college World Series as a Freshman, has developed into one of Michigan’s most prolific hitters, and looks forward to her final season being the best. Findlay’s 6 home runs on the season has been enough to give her sole possession of #1 on Michigan’s all-time
chart, with a career total of 47.

Despite all of Michigan’s early-season successes, home fans have been unable to see the team in action this season. That will all change on April 5-7, as Michigan will host conference foes Iowa and Illinois. The Friday contest, one of two against Iowa, will also mark the unveiling of the $5.5 million renovation to Alumni Field. “We went from the 5th or 6th best facilities in the conference, to one of the best in the nation,” boasted Hutchins. Students are encouraged to support their classmates, as it will be student weekend at the Wilpon complex.

In the meantime, the Wolverines will travel to tournaments in Louisville, Kentucky and Fullerton, California for a pair of tournaments, prior to kicking of the Big Ten schedule in Bloomington, Indiana.

Posted under Baseball

Board.

A lot of removals on this week’s board. In the next week or so, I’ll roll out a new version of the board with decision/enrollment timeframes, offer status, and maybe another couple things.

Added:
TN WR Marlon Brown. He has a Michigan offer, and will likely end up a top-25 national player.
LA WR Rueben Randle. He also has a UM offer.
OH OT Marcus Hall. Not sure we have a great chance with this guy, considering his school (Cleveland Glenville). He has been offered.
AZ DE Devon Kennard. He has reportedly been offered.
FL DB/QB Brandon McGee. He has an offer now as well. Interesting to see which position he wants to play in college.
VA CB Javanti Sparrow. Teammate of QB Kevin Newsome.

Removed:
TX QB Russell Shepard. A single tear is still on my cheek.
TX RB Hasan Lipscomb. He was really only included because I thought he might commit to LSU, convincing Shepard to go to Baton Rouge. Hey, I had it backwards!
MI RB Larry Caper. He is now somewhat committed to THE Michigan State University.

New Information:
VA QB Tajh Boyd. MVP of the Air7QBU quarterbacks camp.

A few new articles about prospects receiving offers, so lots of new prospects added to the board. Larry Caper to MSU hurts a bit, because he’ll be one of the top couple in-state prospects, but he had gotten too big to be a fit for the RR spread. Craig Loston is tenuously still included on the board, because I feel he may follow Shepard to LSU, for their dream class.

Posted under Blog News, Recruiting

Of course, I made a very sad and/or angry post about Russell Shepard committing to LSU last night. A couple of commenters noted that this was an overreaction, which may or may not be true. My response, however, is that following recruiting in and of itself is an overreaction to following college football, is it not? Besides, for anyone who knows me, dropping the F-bomb 1,004 times and the S-word once is really no big deal. This is what Michigan is missing out on, in case you don’t know.

Why I’m mad about (at?) Shepard
From the beginning of my following 2009 recruiting, it appeared as though Michigan was going to be in it for Shepard until the end. From the beginning, it appeared as though we were a close second, behind in-state favorite Texas. When Texas offered him only as a WR on his junior day visit, Michigan was presumed to be the leader. He said all the right things, including that he planned to camp at Michigan over the summer.

“I would say Texas is still up there, but Michigan is really at the top of my list, especially if they don’t get (2008 top recruit) Terrelle Pryor,” he said. “I feel like I could go there and play right away.”

Then comes his LSU visit, after which the Tigers are considered the leader, and he promptly commits a week and a half later. Of course, Shepard seems to be a kid who has his head squarely on his shoulders, and everything he’s said since the LSU commitment implies that the recruitment is definitely 100% over:

“Right now there is really no other place I want to visit,” Shepard informed. “I know I haven’t visited schools like Michigan or Florida, so this right here should tell them how I feel about LSU.”

After promising to visit Michigan and other schools, we have no chance, and Shepard will head to LSU. This also means, in all likelihood, that Michigan will no longer have the opportunity to land Shepard’s cousin, Craig Loston.

In the end, the reason that I’m mad about Russell Shepard’s commitment to LSU is that he chose them without even giving Michigan a real chance, when it sounded all along like he would be fair to (if not was favoring) Michigan.

The Coach and Recruiting
Another reason I’m upset about Shepard’s commitment is that he’s the first prospect I really wanted since Rich Rodriguez has been the coach that has picked someone else. This applies only to recruits who we had a realistic shot at getting, and that Michigan had a chance to change once they had made their decision. This eliminates Nick Perry last year. While I would have loved to have him, I realized that once he made his decision, he immediately signed his letter of intent to attend USC, and his recruitment was over.

It’s my subconscious hatred for losing, especially when I feel like I can win, that has me really upset. Will my anger help Rich Rodriguez sway Shepard? Definitely not, but conceding Shepard to LSU feels like giving up to me.

Additionally, though it is very early in the recruiting process, it seems like a lot of Michigan’s targets are committing to other schools. Michigan will probably have a chance to snatch one or two back, but not all.

This brings us to my proposed:

Wizard Hat Ethics
Fans may say “well, Rodriguez stole Roy Roundtree from Purdue, and Michael Shaw from Penn State, so he can just steal Shepard from LSU.” First things first, neither PSU nor Purdue is LSU, in terms of prestige, defending-champion-status, weather, etc. Also, there is a line at which I think the wizard hat and snake oil use should be limited.

If Michigan is in on a prospect, and that prospect commit elsewhere, his Michigan recruiter (or Rich Rodriguez himself) should give the recruit one last call. During this call, the recruit is asked whether there is any chance that his commitment could be changed, or if he is taking visits elsewhere. If he answers yes to either of these questions, he is not considered committed, and Michigan should continue recruiting him like usual.

However, if he says he is solidly committed, Michigan’s coaches should tell the recruit that they enjoyed the experience of recruiting him, and to keep the Wolverines in the back of his mind in case anything changes. The high school coach should be informed that Michigan is requesting a call in case there is any wavering in the recruit. Then, Michigan should leave the recruit alone unless contact is made, or he publicly decommits from his school.

If a recruit decommits from a school and commits to another (especially if he claimed that the first commitment was solid), then that recruit should not be committed anywhere again until his Letter of Intent has been signed and sent in on signing day.

Another factor to take int account in this whole thing is whether coaches feel Michigan has been given a fair chance. This includes the prospect at least genuinely listening to recruiting pitches from his area or position recruiter, and the head coach. Another factor in this category is whether the recruit has been on campus, especially if he has previously stated that he would like to at least unofficially visit. Unless the recruit is as solidly committed as they come Michigan should continue recruiting until coaches believe they have been given a fair shot.

Of course, the degree to which coaches will pursue a committed recruit should hinge upon the level of the recruit. If Michigan only sort of wants a guy, and he commits to Indiana, they will probably just drop him. If the nation’s #1 recruit has been flirting with Michigan for a while (even going so far as to unbutton his shirt a little bit and show Michigan his bra – or is that taking the metaphor too far?), and commits elsewhere without giving Michigan a fair shake, then by all means, he should be pursued.

Joe Tiller was obviously ridiculously naive when he claimed that Rich Rodriguez tricked Roy Roundtree into switching his commitment. The long story short is that Roundtree liked Michigan more, and if he was willing to switch, it was because he was not solidly committed to Purdue in the first place, and knew it wasn’t the best place for him in the end. If Roundtree had reaffirmed his Purdue commitment even after being contacted by Michigan, I would hope, per my Wizard Hat Ethics, that RRod would have left him alone.

Posted under Recruiting