Part 2 in the Pre-spring preview. Today will be the offense.

Obviously Justin Feagin, Mike Cox, and Sam McGuffie are not going to be around until the fall, and will not participate in spring practice. Thus, the positional battles will not be fully settled until the fall. Battles of note: I think Vince Helmuth will become the starter in a system that places a greater emphasis on athleticism. Kevin Grady is listed at tailback on this chart, though it is possible that spring brings a change to the MX position, or at least learning both of the positions. Andre Criswell is more of a classic fullback (and is not even exceptional at that position); I’m not sure if he’s much of a fit at MX. I’m starting to wonder if a player like him will ever find a spot on Rich Rodriguez’s team.

Posted under Analysis, Personnel, Spring Coverage

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

The Michigan Wolverines battled reigning NL East choke artists New York Mets to a 4-4 tie yesterday at the Mets’ spring training facility in Port St. Lucie, FL. The exhibition game may seem like no big deal, considering it was pre-season game, likely against the Mets’ scrubs. However, Jose Reyes, David Wright, and Carlos Delgado took to the plate for New York’s squad.

Perhaps more damaging for a particular Met was the reputation of pitcher Aaron Heilman. Heilman, a Notre Dame grad, made a bet that he could hold Michigan scoreless for an inning. He failed, and now has to sing “The Victors” in the team’s clubhouse.

Posted under Baseball, Spring Coverage

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

Not only will graduating seniors at UM not have the ability to graduate in the Big House, but the construction that is currently underway will also prevent Michigan from hosting a spring game in the nation’s largest football stadium, as well.

Fans of the Wolverines were excited to get their first look at the 2008 squad this spring, with a return to the tradition of hosting a spring game. Rodriguez’s West Virginia teams took part in the yearly tradition, and the Michigan headman was expected to have his new team face off in the Big House.

The unavailability of Michigan Stadium won’t necessarily preclude the Wolverines from having any spring game, however. There is still the possibility that Michigan could have their inaugural spring classic at Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions. For Field will be unavailable on April 19 and 26th, as Team Michigan of the AAFL will be playing home games on those dates, but the field is not in use on April 12th. The Michigan open spring practice (not game) took place April 14th last year.

The possibility of a spring game in Ford Field has both positive and negative aspects for the Michigan football program. In terms of negatives, this makes it significantly more difficult, if not impossible, for many students to attend the game. Additionally, it prevents recruits from being able to experience the Big House for the first time. On the other hand, a spring game in Detroit allows easier access for many (right on I-75), and since the previous spring practices weren’t too well attended, maybe the on-campus location wasn’t such a big deal in the first place. Additionally, those who were concerned about Rich Rodriguez’s ability to recruit Detroit may be comforted by the fact that his squad will be exposed to citizens of Motor City firsthand.

What do you think? Feel encouraged to comment.

Posted under Spring Coverage

This is just a greastest hits post, because there are 200-some photos, many of them redundant. Unfortunately, Paul is retarded and didn’t take many action shots during the scrimmage.

Best pictures: Mario Manningham stares into your soul, and Johnny Sears in closeup (so you can still see is russet-colored dreadfro, made famous by my first ever link from mgoblog. Note – I am still this creepy).

Posted under Photo Album, Spring Coverage

Michigan has 5500 fans show up at its (free) spring game.
Ohio State has 50,000+ pay $5 for theirs
Alabama has to turn people away at the gates.

So why the differences?

It’s obvious at least in the case of Alabama. In a football-crazy state, one of the two big schools gets a new coach with national-championship and NFL credentials. Ohio State, on the other hand, was on the cusp of the national championship, and have similar success in the recent past.

Michigan: the last three year, lose the last two games, one being to their biggest rival and the other being in a bowl game, and with 3 of them (OSU2004, NEB, USC) being upset losses. On top of simply not being as football-crazy as people in Alabama or Ohio State (be honest, Michigan is a basketball state), that can’t fully explain a discrepancy of 10-to-20 times as many people.

Weather is another explanation. The weather for Michigan’s “game” was really shitty. It was not bad for either OSU or Bama. However, would there have been THAT many more peopel with better weather? Doubt it.

The main issue is the publicity and the selling of the program. Most schools other than Michigan have a real spring game, on TV, with a lot of publicity. Michigan does not. Obviously, with injuries this year, it wasn’t really feasible, but that hasn’t been true in the past, still without a spring game. Michigan should move forward, and get its publicity machine going, and move into the 21st century, to generate a buzz about the program.

This helps in every facet of the game, from recruiting, to simply winning over fans in your own state, and so on.

Posted under Spring Coverage

I promise Paul will eventually post the photo gallery (last I spoke to him (last night) he was trying to decide how to post thumbnails in the most aesthetically pleasing manner possible). Depth charts have been updated with the new information from spring practice (click the “important posts” tab on the right).

Some analysis, most of it from the scrimmage:

Offense:
QB: Henne looked pretty good, though he obviously wasn’t giving 100% effort the whole time. His throws to the left (a point of struggling in the past) looked much more accurate. Tacopants was nowhere to be found. Mallett looked very good (see Paul’s video extravaganza below), and certainly appears to be ready to step in as the quarterback of the future. He didn’t have any trouble handling snaps from under center, and there were no shotgun snaps taken. Cone looked like career backup material (which shouldn’t be surprising, because he was recruited as such, and came in knowing the situation). Walk-on Nick Sheridan looked good, but will obviously never play a down.
OL: The run game struggled most of the day, but this was also without a few starters playing, and with a mix-and-match assortment of lineups. The starting line will almost assuredly be Long-Kraus-Boren-Mitchell-?, with ? representing the best of Dorrestein, Schilling, and Zirbel. Boren and Moosman both looked good snapping.
TE: Sucky. Martell Webb and Steve Watson had better be able to come in and play, and Mike Massey should have crafted himself (shoulder especially) out of a material other than glass. Criswell could block for the run and pass pretty well, but couldn’t catch a pass to save his life. McLaurin could do neither.
RB: Minor only played 2 downs in the scrimmage, thrown to twice. No news there, though he certainly looked like an imposing physical specimen. The FBs carried the load in the scrimmage, and looked like FBs doing so. The surprise of the spring was RS Freshman Mark Moundros, a preferred walk-on who has the smart money for being the starter come fall. Vince Helmuth has a little more developing to do, but he looked like a future badass.
WR: Walkon central, as Greg Mathews and LaTerryal Savoy were the only scholarship WRs there. Manningham was in attendance wearing street clothes, and Arrington was not present. Judging by the fact that there are only 2 scholarship WRs right now, hopefully both can come back and contribute. There will definitely be playing time opportunities for multiple freshmen here, as well. Mathews looked good, though he’s definitely not a burner (overthrown a couple time by both Mallett and Henne – on passes Manningham would have easily run under). Unlike last year, Savoy looked like crap, so I hope he just confuses “final spring practice” with “opposite day.” Walk-on David Middleton looked decent, though there’s a reason he’s a walk-on.

Defense:
DL: A ton of guys played here. Brandon Graham looked good, even if his step isn’t as fast as I was expecting from a former LB. Will Johnson looked really fast off the line for his size, which is good. Adam Patterson was solid if unimpressive. Jason Kates looked to be in terrible condition. There is more depth on the DL than I was expecting, which can only be a good thing.
LB: If the season started today, I’d have to think your starting LB lineup would be (weak to strong) Mouton-Ezeh-Crable. Johnny Thompson and Chris Graham both didn’t practice, but Mouton and Ezeh looked good. Mouton especially, as he was the best LB on the field, in terms of speed and big hits. Crable did not scrimmage. Austin Panter was OK, but he got run over in the run game a couple of times. He needs to work on his lower body strength a lot in the off-season if he wants to be a big contributor in the fall.
DB: Stevie Brown is really good at the football. Johnny Sears looked bad, which can’t be a good thing. It’s not even that he didn’t have the skills and mental abilities, it just seemed like he wasn’t even playing attention during the scrimmage. Hopefully it was just a bad practice for him. Brandon Harrison was as expected, Charles Stewart looked like a good backup SS, as did (surprisingly) career special-teamer Anton Campbell. Morgan Trent was beaten more times than I am comfortable with at this time.

ST: Punting will still be handled by Zoltan. He boomed a couple but was inconsistent (I probably could have said that without even attending the practice). The Place kicker battle will be between K.C. Lopata and Bryan Wright. Wright has the bigger leg, but was more inconsistent. Lopata was more accurate, but dinged an extra point of the back of an O-Lineman’s helmet. This one will be settled in the fall, and don’t be surprised if they split duties a bit during the season.

Posted under Personnel, Spring Coverage

Ryan Mallett is one of the most talked about recruits Michigan has had in a while. Luckily for us, he decided to enroll early, which meant we could see him in the Spring. A couple commenters asked for video on Mallett’s throwing mechanics. Well… without further ado:

The final slow motion throw is just the first one. I’m not exactly an expert on mechanics, and this is just warm up throwing, so I can’t really draw a huge amount of conclusions. One thing is that he seems to have a fairly high release point which is something that, despite being about the same height, John Navarre did not.

Next, it has been rumored that Mallett’s arm has been replaced with a rocket launcher a la Grindhouse. To examine this, we have a couple shots of Mallett throwing downfield (there was one that was deeper than both of these, but the snuck it in right after some special teams practice).

During that second throw, all I could think of is replacing Greg Mathews (I’m pretty sure) with Mario Manningham, who, if he stay for his senior year, could be running under a ton of Mallett bombs. He looked like he has good touch on the deep balls, but just like most freshman quarterbacks, a year under an experienced, senior quarterback will help him develop even more.

As brief as it is, we have Ryan Mallett’s Michigan career highlight reel. Look for it up on YouTube with more slow motion than 300 and the most NSFW rap song I can find:

It looks like he is pretty comfortable with the staple DeBord play action waggle to the TE (assuming Michigan has TEs…). Also, I was really hoping that either Mathews or Savoy would have caught the touchdown pass from Mallett, so I could say something cliche like “You’ll be hearing that combo a lot in the future!” The TD pass was caught by David Middleton, who looked good for a walk-on, but probably won’t see the field with Manningham, Arrington (fingers crossed), Matthews, Savoy, Hemingway, Clemons, etc.

Finally, there were those who saw the vitals on Mallett (6’6″, 247lbs) and immediately started complaining about how Michigan always recruits statuesque quarterbacks that can’t escape pressure. In defense of most Michigan fans, most of these people were on the espn.com message boards. Anyway, in response to that, here is Mallett using his legs. Please note the hilarious stiff arm conveniently slow-mo’d for added bad ass-ness (despite my previous snide 300 remark):

What makes the stiff arm so funny is that the defense isn’t allowed to tackle the quarterback, so they just had to touch Mallett for him to be down. So by stiff arming he’s touching which might make him technically down. Ignoring the obvious hold, he showed he’s not slow, although he might be a loper, but he has some moves. Don’t expect Vince Young, but don’t be looking for Mt. Rushmore either.

I have some pictures as well, but I think I will just put those up on flickr and link since this is already fairly heavy from the video.

In the coming days we’ll have interview wrap ups as well as scrimmage footage from people other than Ryan Mallett. I know a lot of people were curious, so I’d love to hear your observations or thoughts on how he looked, so use that comment section.

Posted under Spring Coverage

Yeah, we’re going to try to milk this for all it’s worth.

Guys who weren’t there:
Adrian Arrington
Marques Slocum
Jason Forcier

Guys who were there, but didn’t dress:
Mike Hart
Kevin Grady (crutches)
Jamar Adams
Carlos Brown
Johnny Thompson
Chris Graham
Terrance Taylor

Dressed but only participated in position drills:
Jake Long
Shawn Crable

Recent ex-players in attendance:
David Harris
Steve Breaston
Alan Branch
Rondell Biggs

I think that’s about it, if I missed anyone you saw, drop it in the comments.

Posted under Personnel, Spring Coverage