With 4 of the greatest Wolverines on the offensive side of the ball leaving Michigan to ply their trade in the NFL, and a couple decent defensive prospects, this should be a fairly good draft for Michigan. The Draft can be seen on the sports network of your choosing starting tomorrow at

Jake Long, OT
Long has already signed with the Miami Dolphins and will be the #1 overall pick in the draft. This makes him the 2nd Wolverine taken #1 overall (Tom Harmon in ’41), and the highest Michigan player picked since Braylon Edwards in 2004. He will anchor the Dolphins’ line from one of the tackle positions. Some experts have said his limited athleticism may make him a better fit at right tackle. His 1 sack allowed and 1 penalty committed in 2007 would be inclined to disagree with that.

Chad Henne, QB
Henne leaves Ann Arbor as one of the most productive QBs in Michigan history. He has been listed as a potential pick anywhere from the mid-to-late first round to the mid-second round. Most analysts peg him as the second or third QB in the draft, behind the massively overrated Matt Ryan. Henne’s injuries during the senior campaign may be troubling to some teams, but both were of a freak nature, and he was able to stay injury-free in the previous three years. Latest scuttlebutt is that the Ravens like him at pick #20, though there are also rumors of teams drafting earlier than that who would like to trade to take him with a first-round pick. Either way, it is seeming likely that Henne will end up being taken in the first.

Mike Hart, RB
Hart, for being the alltime leading rusher at a school with plenty of famous running backs (Harmon, Morris, Biakabutuka), is not looked at as a particularly enticing NFL prospect. This is mostly due to his small size and lack of breakaway speed, in addition to some injury trouble during his sophomore and senior years. However, with very good strength, vision, and moves, he will likely end up a contributor on an NFL team, if never a feature back. Who knows? the last guy whose college production wasn’t expected to carry into the NFL because of size and speed – Emmitt Smith – ended up as a Hall of Famer. Still, Hart would be a risky pick early, and will probably end up with a late second to early fourth round selection. The team that picks him will not count on Hart to be their feature back, so he would be a less risky pick for them.

Mario Manningham, WR
Manningham had one of the greatest two-year-stretches for a Michigan wideout, despite injury problems his sophomore year and Ryan Mallett his junior year. Manningham opted to try for his money now, before he has to spend another year with a first-time college QB tossing him the rock. In terms of strict talent, Manningham is the best receiver in the draft, though his size is a little on the smallish end. However, the intangibles may hold him back, as he was suspended from Michigan for a game, was seen fighting with quarterbacks on the sidelines, at times looked like he wasn’t giving a full effort, and has admitted that he lied to NFL GMs in his interviews, stating that he never tested positive for banned substances (marijuana). Still, Manningham hasn’t had as troubled a college career as someone like Chris Henry or Randy Moss. He still grades out very well, and will probably be taken in the second round, with a potential slip into the first if a team is willing to take a chance on a fine physical specimen.

Adrian Arrington, WR
The second half of the alliteratively-named Michigan WR duo didn’t leave college because he thought he’d be a great NFL pick, but rather for a few other reasons: 1) His friend Mario was leaving as well, 2) He didn’t want to risk habing a bad QB throw him the ball in a potentially WR-unfriendly offense, and 3) He was a fourth-year junior, and presumably had already gained his degree. Arrington’s draft stock has plummeted since his declaration, mostly due to poor combines (which he accounts for with injury). Still, Arrington will be an insanely good value pick for a team in the later rounds (6th-7th, most likely, if he doesn’t slip to free agency). I stil believe that had he stuck around for one more year, he could have become a Braylon-like receiver for Michigan (if not quite as physically gifted). His size, hands, and ups are absolutely unquestioned, it’s just a speed matter that has teams worried.

Adam Kraus, OC
Kraus wasn’t even invited to the combine after being all-Big Ten. He is an indication of how far Michigan’s Strength program and offensive line coaching had fallen (though a physical specimen like Jake Long was still able to succeed). He will probably be given a shot in fee agency, and try to make a team’s camp roster.

Shawn Crable, LB/DE
Crable is a fine physical specimen without a true position. He doesn’t have the bottom-end build to play defensive end in a 4-3, and he lacks the ability to play in space consistently, which will preclude him from playing SLB in the NFL. However, in the 3-4, he could be an outside linebacker, a la Lamarr Woodley (who was at a further disadvantage of having played almost exclusively DE in his final years at Michigan). This means teams like the Dolphins, Steelers (who drafted Woodley) and Patriots would be candidates to select Shawn. He will probably be a mid round pick.

Jamar Adams, SS
One of the most underrated players in the time I have been watching Michigan. He was rarely a liability in coverage, and can come up to fill the run very very well. With excellent size in the defensive backfield, his speed may be questionable, though he could bulkl up a bit and become a WLB in the NFL. Jamar is a safe pick with a decently high floor and a limited ceiling as a safety. He will be a mid-to-late round pick.

Chris Graham, LB
Graham was a speedy guy who could lay a hit in college, but he was often lost in coverage. This factor and his less-than-optimal speed could collaborate to drop him very low in the draft. He will be a late-round pick or free agent signing. He is the sort of player who could be a special teams phenom while learning to play linebacker more consistently. I hope he catches on with somebody though, as he could sure as hell use the money.

Brandent Englemon, FS
A guy who played the FS role admirably while at Michigan, but probably doesn’t have what it takes to get to the next level. He may be a free agent signing with someone. It would certainly be nice to see him succeed.

Posted under Personnel

Woooooooooooooo!

VA QB Kevin Newsome has given his word to become a Michigan Wolverine. Newsome is a 6-3, 212-pound player from Chesapeake, Virginia. He becomes the 6th commitment for Michigan’s 2009 class. He is currently a high 4-star (the second rated dual-threat quarterback), and could end up a five-star when all is said and done. He is planning an early enrollment for the winter semester.

Player Notes
Newsome, from Western Branch, is a Tebow-like Quarterback, a physical runner who is more like a linebacker than a safety (a la Pat White). However, he has more top-end speed than Tebow, running (and exceling) in various track events. His teammate, Javanti Sparrow (also a track athlete), is a cornerback who may be in the running for a Michigan offer down the road. Newsome is also a good student, participating in National Honors Society, and having considered other quality academic institutions like Northwestern and Duke.

At this year’s Army Junior Combine, he measured 6-3.5, 205lbs (slightly taller than his listed 6-3, and lighter than 215, but he could have added that weight). He benched 18 reps of 185 pounds, right around the median at the event, and certainly among the strongest for QBs.. As far as speed, he did the agility drill in 4.29, among the fastest times there, and ran a very respectable (especially for a QB) 4.68 40-yard dash, at a slow event where Teric Jone’s 4.47 tied for the fastest time there.

Recruiting Notes
When Russell Shepard committed to LSU, not only did it mean Michigan’s top prospect was off the board, but it also catapulted Newsome to #1 (or 1a, depending on your thoughts about Tate Forcier). Virginia Tech was considere the early favorite for Kevin Newsome, and even more so after another Virginia QB, Tajh Boyd, committed to West Virginia. Newsome received an early Michigan offer, and visited Ann Arbor for the spring game at Saline High school. While he enjoyed the game (in terrible weather), he still visited several other Midwest schools the following weekend – without stopping by Ann Arbor. However, a visit from Michigan coaches on the first day of the spring evaluation period to Western Branch High School solidified Michigan at the top of his list.

Video
Youtube-ness.

Game winning drives? Check.

Et Cetera
Newsome’s younger brother, Keevon, is a 2010 DE prospect, who won MVP honors among D-linemen at a recent underclassman combine. Newsome’s commitment has to put the Wolverines in good position with Newsome the younger as well, though he will probably start out a VT lean.

And of course, Newsome’s teammate Javanti Sparrow is a 2009 CB prospect. It will be interesting to see if Michigan pursues him with Newsome in the fold.

Posted under Recruiting

Arriving in the fall: Kenny Demens, Marcus Witherspoon, J.B. Fitzgerald, Taylor Hill.

With a fair amount of depth here, and not much at DE, someone among the linebackers who played DE in high school may start bulking up and change positions. Michigan loses a few seniors, but only one of them (Johnny Thompson) is a projected starter. In recruiting, Michigan can probably hold out for a top guy or two unless they lose a couple players to defensive end.

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

Posted under Personnel, Recruiting

After this past weekend, many Michigan fans were up in arms over the comparatively festive spring game atmospheres at rival schools (Notre Dame, Ohio State, and even Michigan State) as compared to the less than 5,000 fans who took in Michigan’s final spring scrimmage at a nearby high school. For the future, I would love to see a better spring game.

Why not this year? There were tons of extenuating circumstances (pretty much all out of Rodriguez’s control) that prevented a spring game from happening. Most of them will not be present, at least to their current magnitude, next year.

• Construction in the Big House. Even if they weren’t going to have a legitimate game this year because of other circumstances, they probably would have still invited fans to come to a practice in the Big House had it been available. Next year, the magnitude of construction won’t be as great (there is literally no East Concourse anymore, just steps that lead to a cliff – photo credit to UMGoBlue.com), and they’ll hopefully be able to use the Big House for the game, even though construction won’t be completed.
• Installing a new system. This year, Coach Rodriguez and his coaches were installing completely new offensive and defensive schemes, which is something that they probably won’t be doing again in their time at Michigan. Even upperclassmen are learning something completely new, which won’t be the case in future years.
• Playing catch-up. On top of a completely new system to teach the players, Michigan’s new coaches had other areas in which they were playing catch-up as well. They had to gain back ground on the 2008 recruiting class, start anew for the 2009 class, get to know each other (along with terminology and schemes in some cases), buy houses, and integrate themselves into the community in Ann Arbor. When they don’t have all these things to make up ground, they’ll be able to teach more effectively in the spring, and plan for a spring game.
• Rodriguez had other things to worry about. Including his lawsuit, which he has a stake in, regardless of the fact that his lawyers are doing all the actual legwork.

Is it likely we’ll see one in the future? Yes. Spring games give media exposure which is good in almost every way. It certainly helps with recruiting. Also helping with recruiting is being able to invite tons of top prospects to the game, and show them an exciting atmosphere. Also, Rich Rodriguez has had one in the past at West Virginia. Almost no school this day can sustain a great program without some form of popular spring game.

So what makes a great spring game? Several factors have to come together to make a spring game truly great. The event must be about not only the game, but a carnival-like atmosphere around it.

• First, the game must be entertaining. This means 1st team offense v. 1st team defense, backups v. backups on two teams, with standard timing, scoring, etc. No “offense v. defense” games with complicated and weird scoring systems that nobody can remember (much less decipher in some instances). If you don’t want to do special teams for the sake of avoiding injuries, they can be left out or limited.
• Inviting recruits is also important. Even if many of them can’t come, letting them know that you are thinking about them (a la a Pete Carroll text message) is important to prospects, especially those who won’t get an offer, but still want to feel like BMOCs. This is also big for keeping in-state coaches happy.
• Media coverage. I wouldn’t be surprised if BTN has exclusive rights to all spring coverage of conference schools, which hurts somewhat (it means no GameDay, and no national coverage on basic cable unless the network gets picked up by more carriers), but at least it is something. The game should be on live television, presented exactly as though it is a real game.
• Have other important people there. Invite back every football alum who is or has been in the NFL (photo of Lamarr Woodley, Pierre Woods, and ? thanks to MVictors.com). Invite other prominent Michigan grads (Lucy Liu, Michael Phelps, Steve M. Ross) to come as well, and make the whole thing into an event. The famous people can even come together and coach the teams.
• Band, cheerleaders, alumni cheerleaders, etc. Make it a clone of a real game.
• Have other events around the game, like Ohio State (Lacrosse game in the ‘Shoe) or Florida (sprints between students and players).
• Not sure if this is allowed per NCAA rules, but invite signed recruits to the game, and introduce them to the fans over the loudspeaker. That lets future recruits know how important they are to the program, and also helps fans know who will be on future teams.
• Advertise the game more. Statewide, via direct-mail lists, alumni associations, etc. Get fans in the seats.
• Have the parking lots open for tailgating, just like any other game.

Take a lesson from Don Canham, Mr. Martin (and Mr. Rodriguez) and advertise the event and the program, not just the game itself. Having a big spring game can only help the program achieve long-term success.

Have any other ideas? Drop them in the comments.

Posted under Recruiting, Spring Coverage

Arriving in the fall: Boubacar Cissoko (CB), JT Floyd (Nickel), Brandon Smith (SS).

A ton of safety prospects out there right now.

Michigan will like at least one super.

Posted under Personnel, Recruiting

Justin Boren to OSU.

Also presented without comment:

Posted under Personnel

Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long has been signed to a five-year deal with the Miami Dolphins, guaranteeing that he will be selected first overall in Saturday’s NFL draft. Long is the first Wolverine selected #1 overall since Tom Harmon in 1941(!). Current speculation is that Long’s prowess on Guitar Hero was the deciding factor for the Dolphins.

For analysis of the remaining Wolverines’ draft outlooks, check back here on Friday.

Posted under Personnel

Arriving in the fall:
Dan O’Neill, Rocko Khoury, Kurt Wermers, Ricky Barnum, Elliott Mealer, Patrick Omameh. Redshirts on the way for just about all of them except maybe O’Neill and whichever interior OL is most ready to play.

David Molk was out for most of the spring (with mono), but I think he’ll use summer camp as a springboard into a starting position. Though Michigan doesn’t lose anyone from this group, the departures of a few players mean that they are still a little thin at the position. Rodriguez likes to have around 16 linemen on the roster, and he will have 15 on the roster next year (including a couple who aren’t likely to ever have big contributions).

Not a ton of need here. They will probably be able to hold out for a couple highly-ranked guys (1-2 tackles, 1-2 interior OL).

Posted under Personnel, Recruiting

Article from the Dayton Daily News, in which the general idea is “so what.” The article point out what other outlets (and Joe Tiller) fail to note:

“You know what?” Roundtree said. “It was my decision.”

Roy Roundtree didn’t switch from Purdue because Rich Rodriguez pulled some sort of trick move, he did it because he wanted to. Forcing him to stick to his Purdue commitment would have helped out Purdue somewhat, but at the expense of the kid, whose welfare is far more important in the grand scheme of things than that of a couple million-dollar sports programs. For Joe Tiller to claim that Rich Rodriguez is the only coach who recruits to the end, Kenny Demens and Brandon Moore would disagree with that:

“Michigan State, Tennessee, Boston College, Louisville … it was that stress again,” Demens said. “It was like I was being re-recruited, getting pulled out of classes, talking to coaches.”

and

“Almost all the schools still recruited me after I committed,” Moore said. “If I didn’t call them back, most of them stopped eventually. Some coaches started recruiting me a lot harder, like Tennessee, Miami and Duke. Sometimes you think, ‘Why even commit?'”

Again, if these guys wanted to switch commitments, they easily could have (including Demens to another Big Ten program). Joe Tiller attempted to slam Rich Rodriguez because it would have been impossible to slam himself for not completing his recruiting season.

Since Rodriguez and apparently Jim Tressel have decided to drop this matter, I shall henceforth stop piling on Joe Tiller’s moment of supreme idiocy unless something else comes out.

Posted under Coaching, Recruiting

Not a lot of guys have updates, but some dudes got dropped. Board.

Added:
FL DT Antwan Lowery. He may be leaning towards Rutgers?
TN OG Alex Bullard. He is now reporting a Michigan offer.

New Information:
VA QB Kevin Newsome. A ton of people have e-mailed me with the MySpace thing, so I might as well post it. Apparently, he is blue? I wouldn’t read too much into it. Maybe he just likes 90s pop-techno. Also, interesting ESPN article that VT may redshirt Tyrod Taylor. That would have to make the depth chart here look even more appealing in comparison.
TX QB Shavodrick Beaver. Apparently TCU fans are up in arms over my post making fun of beloved member Zammers. I don’t harbor any resentment towards the guy, he just said a lot of dumb things championing TCU over Michigan. I don’t really care either way. Thanks to “mgoblu,” who apparently registered for the board just to defend my post. Also, TCU fans, all no huddle spread offenses are not the same. Sorry.

Removed:
FL QB Aaron Murray. He will commit on Thursday, picking either Georgia or Florida (probably Georgia over Florida). He never got a Michigan offer.
PA LB Dorian Bell. Lots of internets say he will commit to the Buckeyes today.
VA CB Damien Thigpen. Committed to Tennessee.

Posted under Recruiting