I had originally planned to include this information as part of a regular recruiting post, but there was just too much to fit it all in one place.

The rosters for the annual Big 33 All-Star game (Ohio v. Pennsylvania) have been announced. Your players of interest:

Pennsylvania:
LB Dan Mason

Ohio:
WR/Ath Micah Hyde
RB Commit Fitzgerald Toussaint
OL Marcus Hall
CB Mike Edwards
CB/S Commit Justin Turner
S/LB Commit Isaiah Bell

The game will be played June 20th in Hershey, PA. Last year’s game had highlights (most notably of Michigan freshman Michael Shaw) available on the internet, so keep an eye out.

While we’re on the topic of All-stars, the first 10 players for the Army All-American Bowl in 2010 were announced at the combine, and they are:

Markeith Ambles of Henry County (McDonough, Ga.); Dillon Baxter of Mission Bay (San Diego); Robert Crisp of Chapel Hill (N.C.); Michael Dyer of Little Rock Christian; Jake Heaps of Skyline (Sammamish, Wash.); Malcolm Jones of Oaks Christian (Westlake, Calif.); Marcus Lattimore of Byrnes (Duncan, S.C.); Christian Lombard of Fremd (Palatine, Ill.); Chris Martin of Bishop O’Dowd (Oakland); and Lache Seastrunk of Temple (Texas).

Baxter is committed to USC, Lombard is committed to Notre Dame (has nobody shown him their track record for destroying the careers of talented offensive linemen over the past four years?). All of the other prospects are included on the recruiting board already, except Ambles, who has now been added as a wide receiver (slot). Ambles, Crisp, Dyer, Lattimore, and Seastrunk are probably going to be very serious Michigan targets. Jones may be a USC commit, though I believe that article is simply mistaken.

Posted under Football, Recruiting

Recruiting boards are in the top box on the left sidebar.

Added to the Board:
2010 OH CB/Ath Braylon Heard. He says Penn State and USC are his favorites, and though he doesn’t mention Michigan in the article, I’m sure the Wolverines are interested. He has a good first name for Michigan, and a fairly rad highlight video, as well as an equally good one from his sophomore year.
2010 NJ OL Bill Bilo. Interested in Michigan (info in header/obvious from posting on GBW front page).
2010 HI LB VJ Fehoko. Michigan is corresponding with him, and he seems like a good one – other schools of interest are Alabama, Oklahoma, and Notre Dame. Texas Tech is his current favorite.

Michigan so impressed OH OL Marcus Hall on his visit that he has a new leader (info in header). I wonder who that could be? OSU insiders think Michigan’s lead is ephemeral, but a Glenville product even naming the Wolverines his favorite this late in the process is a huge leap forward for recruiting from that Buckeye pipeline.

FL CB Adrian Witty was similarly impressed on his Michigan visit, but GBW doesn’t even try to play it coy this time, and the info is blatantly in the header. Michigan is by far his biggest offer (only others, to my knowledge, are FIU and KSU), and if HS teammate QB Denard Robinson wants to play with his friend in college, Michigan is their only option.

Tennessee is the favorite for 2009 OH CB Mike Edwards from Cleveland Glenville. The Vols are giving him the full-court press, solidifying their #1 status. He apparently has his Michigan visit this weekend, however, giving the Wolverines a chance to catch up.

Miami of Florida has entered the fray for 2009 SC OL Quinton Washington. Likely the top OL prospect left on Michigan’s board, Q looks to take all of his visits before reaching a decision.

Tennessee coaches (including Kiffin the elder and DaCoachO) were in Louisiana last week to visit 2009 DT Commit DeQuinta Jones and his teammate, WR Rueben Randle. I would assume (and, obviously, hope) that their visit was more targeted towards Randle than Jones.

You can all-but cross 2009 FL CB Jayron Hosley off the board. Following a USF visit, the USF Scout affiliate publishes an article entitled “Jayron Knows Where He’s Going.” Hmm, I wonder where that could be. He still takes his Michigan visit this weekend, though he’s bound to hate the weather.

2009 PA LB Dan Mason say’s he’s “pretty much narrowed things down to Pitt and West Virginia.” Michigan isnt even mentioned as one of the schools that just didn’t make the cut. He’ll stay on the board for now, as I assume a Michigan offer would put the Wolverines right into the conversation.

SC DE Sam Montgomery enjoyed his Michigan visit:

“I’m high on Michigan right now. They are two steps ahead of everybody. But I’ll wait and make my decision after all the visits.”

Don’t get your hopes too high though, as he has something of a reputation for aying great things about whichever school he’s heard from or visited most recently. If he’s still making such positive comments after his LSU visit, that will be notable. And here’s a little more on his upcoming timetable:

In the next month, Montgomery will take official visits to LSU, Tennessee, Oregon and North Carolina. While Montgomery won’t take official visits to South Carolina and Clemson, he said the in-state schools are still in the mix.

Montgomery said he plans not to announce a commitment. Rather, he said he will announce where he’ll attend college when he signs his national letter of intent.

2009 FL WR Nu’Keese Richardson said Michigan was among his favorites before he committed to Florida in the summer. Is he opening up his recruitment? If so, he has a chance to be re-added to the board later. Keep an eye on ‘Keese for now.

Mgoblog is obviously very awesome, and if you visit this site, you’re undoubtedly a regular reader over there as well. For that reason, I typically won’t link directly to Brian’s info, as it stands on its own. However, in TomVH’s Tate Forcier interview earlier this week, there was some pertinent info on 2010 CA RB Brennan Clay, a high school teammate of Forcier.

TOM: Your teammate, Brennan Clay, is a Michigan target for next year. Is there anything you’ve said to him about joining you, or is there anything you’ll do in the future?

TATE: I’ve been working on him since day one. He’s getting a lot of attention, he just got offered by USC last week. I want what’s best for him, but I have a good feeling if he was going to come back east, this would be a school he could choose. He’s going to come out for spring ball, so hopefully I can convince him. I know he loves Coach Smith and Rodriguez, and he likes Michigan. Talking with those guys is like extended family, they’re just really cool guys, which helps.

Brennan is far from a lock to Michigan, especially with early offers from schools like USC. Michigan certainly has help in the recruitment, though, and it seems (as evidenced by said USC offer) that Clay will be a top prospect in next year’s class. For the rest of the Forcier interview, head to Mgoblog.

2010 MI RB Austin White has been the subject of some transfer rumors lately. However, his dad says he is staying at Livonia Stevenson instead of transferring to Inkster High School.

“As far as we’re concerned, Austin, honestly, is at Livonia Stevenson,” he said. “If we felt there was an academic program strong enough for Austin and he may benefit from being in a quality program, then we will do what’s best for him. But there’s no issue as to why we would be looking or searching outside.”

“They have a good education program. Obviously, the only other place I would like to see Austin is where I’m at, and that would be Pioneer, and I know they have outstanding academics and a strong football program.

“But I can almost guarantee you that Austin would go in the total opposite direction of his dad.”

Mr. White is the principal at Pioneer. The Inskter transfer rumors started because Stevenson’s coach has resigned, and Austin would likely seek a good football program with a good, strict coach (the as-yet-unconfirmed rumor has it that he participated in the MSU Football/Hockey fight that got one of his older twin brothers kicked of MSU’s football team). Inkster’s head coach has a reputation for being a so-called “molder of men.” Obviously, either transfer situation (Inkster or AA Pioneer) would be positive for Michigan.

Posted under Football, Recruiting

Recruiting Boards:
2009 & 2010

Moved to Committed: MI QB Nader Furrha. The Ann Arbor Pioneer product will be a preferred walkon for the Wolverines. He has already enrolled in school, and will take part in spring practice. Furrha will add depth, but Michigan is still seeking a viable quarterback candidate in this class.

Moved from Committed: TX CB/WR DeWayne Peace. He decommitted yesterday, citing a desire to play WR. Michigan coaches told him they liked him primarily as a CB, and that would be his position once he got to Ann Arbor. The stubborn stance by Michigan coaches certainly implies that he won’t be sorely missed from the recruiting class (and I think most fans felt he and Jordan Barnes were the most expendable members of said class). Classy move by the coaches to not lead a kid on just to get his signature, then change his position without his consent once he arrived on campus. It seems more likely now that Michigan feels good about a CB prospect or two, and probably an outside WR as well. Peace will remain on the board – for now – but his player page has been removed from the committed player HQ.

It should come as no surprise that a high school powerhouse like Pahokee gets all sorts of individual honors for its players, but it is certainly notable that the small school offensive AND defensive Players of the Year go to the same high school – and now will remain teammates in college. Vincent Smith took home the offensive honor for the area, and Brandin Hawthorne earned the defensive distinction. In the photo (courtesy of The Palm Beach Post’s Ray Graham), Smith is second from the left, and appears to be sporting a gold grill. Hawthorne is on the far right. The other two gentlemen are FSU commit Lonnie Pryor and 2010 Florida commit Matt Elam.

This is obviously a little dated, as the Army game has come and gone, but here’s a little San Antonio fluff on 2009 K Commit Brendan Gibbons:

East kicker Brendan Gibbons (West Palm Beach, Fla.), who is committed to Michigan, doesn’t fit the stereotypical kicker mold — you know, small and reclusive.

For starters, the talkative 6-foot, 202-pounder is unusually buff for a kicker. On top of that, Gibbons spent the better part of Thursday’s first practice hyping up Michigan to a handful of skeptical teammates.

He at one point noted Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, the MVP of last year’s U.S. Army All-American Bowl who had a drawn-out recruiting process that ultimately came down to the Buckeyes and Wolverines, “should be wearing blue.”

Gibbons isn’t just all show, though. He was consistently booming the ball on field goals and kickoffs during practice.

Clearly Gibbons is a good recruit/recruiter for the Wolverines. He also told GBW that 2009 VA QB Tajh Boyd was now interested in Michigan. However, with Boyd’s final official now scheduled for Clemson, it appears that ship has sailed. Boyd won’t be added to the board unless there is a radical change in the coming days. And to wrap up the kicker talk – not to bag on a kid for not choosing Michigan, but having watched both All-star games, I’m very glad with the way Michigan’s kicking situation ended up for the 2009 recruiting class. Gibbons also earned the Maxwell Award for high school kickers.

2009 DT Commit (albeit a soft one) DeQuinta Jones visits Arkansas this weekend. I would postulate that they are not Michigan’s biggest threat in landing Jones.

Speaking of All-Star fluff, 2009 SC DE Sam Montgomery participated in the Under Armour game, and the Index-Journal ran perhaps one of the fluffiest articles I’ve linked in a recruiting update. Fortunately, there is a little bit of actual information:

Along with playing in the Shrine Bowl on Dec. 17, Montgomery was also an All-Lakelands and Associated Press All-State player on a Greenwood team that bounced back from a 1-4 start to win the Region 1-AAAA title and make the Class AAAA, Division II state playoffs.

Montgomery lined up at defensive end in all but two games for the Eagles and recorded 78 individual tackles, 11 sacks and three forced fumbles. Despite having completed just his second season playing football, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Montgomery has Division I scholarship offers from schools around the country, including Southern California, Miami (Fla.), LSU and Michigan.

So, honors and stats and fluff hooray. By the way, Montgomery’s lead recruiter for LSU, defensive line coach Earl Lane, got the axe yesterday, and that may have an effect on Sam’s recruitment.

2010 AR QB Claude Johnson participated in the Army AA Junior Combine, where he performed well:

“I made some good, accurate and strong throws,” Johnson said. “The receivers helped me out a lot because there’s a lot of good players out here. I do believe I was one of the best out here.

“Some of them do have more height, and that’s an advantage in college football right now, but I have heart and I play hard. I feel like I can play with anyone.”

Johnson ran a 4.78-second 40-yard dash and a 4.35-second pro-shuttle time in the early morning testing.

So he’s certainly far from a blazer, but could definitely still be considered a dual-threat.

And how about a couple removals?
2009 MA OL Brennan Williams committed to UNC at the Army game.
2009 MD RB Tavon Austin commited to West Virginia.
2009 FL CB Mywan Jackson committed to North Carolina, which was something of a foregone conclusion when he set up his announcement between three schools earlier this week, when the ‘Heels were the only team he visited.

For news about this weekend’s visitors, check out the recruiting post from earlier this week. Sam Webb brings the most recent update on who’ll be in town.

Posted under Football, Recruiting

Check out Michigan commits Jeremy Gallon, William Campbell, Justin Turner, and Brendan Gibbons, as well as uncommitted prospect Je’Ron Stokes. The East team (on which all the aformentioned individuals played) defeated West 30-17 in San Antonio Saturday.

 

 Podcast Video: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Posted under Recruiting

Moved to Committed: 2009 MI DT William Campbell. Relief, joy, etc.
Removed: 2009 MN WR Bryce McNeal Clemson commit, 2009 MS DT Pernell McPhee, who signed his LOI with Mississippi State, and 2010 IL OL Christian Lombard, who committed to Notre Dame.

This weekend is expected to be a big one for recruiting. The Freep says:

West Monroe, La., defensive end Barkevious Mingo, an Army All-American; Greenwood, S.C., defensive end Sam Montgomery, an UnderArmour All-American; and Denard Robinson of Deerfield Beach, Fla., who Michigan is looking at for the quarterback…

Inkster wide receiver Cameron Gordon and offensive tackle Michael Schofield of Orland Park, Ill., are the only two Michigan commitments scheduled to officially visit for the Jan. 9 weekend. Three-star defensive end Bennie Logan of Coushatta, La., and three-star cornerback Demontre Hurst of Lancaster, Texas, are also scheduled to officially visit at that time…

Leesville, La., wide receiver Travante Stallworth (Auburn) and Lafayette, La., wide receiver Ricky Johnson (Arkansas) have scheduled official visits in Ann Arbor for the Jan. 9 weekend.

According to SoFlaFootball, Adrian Witty will also be in town:

“I’m going to Michigan on the 9th, Kansas State on the 16th, 17th, Florida on the 23rd, Middle Tennessee and FIU the following week,” said Witty.

And Sam Webb filled in a bit more a while back (caution: this is the oldest source, so it may be a bit out of date). He said on WTKA that Je’Ron Stokes will be in town as well, along with maybe Josh Hunter.

And that’s one full recruiting weekend. With no basketball game until Sunday morning, I’m curious as to what the recruits will spend their time doing. I wouldn’t be surprised if they went to a hockey game over the weekend, so if you’re interested in helping with the recruiting effort, get out and support the reigning CCHA champs, as well. Also of note: I’d assume the early-enrolling commits will be on hand for the recruiting visit, and it’s more likely that some of these guys have built up relationships with fellow members of the class of 2009. Will Tate Forcier, Big Will, and the gang be a valuable recruiting force for the rest of this class?

Look for another recruiting update later this week.

Posted under Football, Recruiting

Defensive tackle William Campbell from Detroit Cass Tech has re-committed to the Michigan Wolverines after a tense 4 months of decommitment. The second time around, the 6-5, 330-lber becomes Michigan’s 21st commit in the class of 2009.

Player Notes
Campbell is a physically dominating player who will need to work on his technique to become equally effective on the college level. He has extraordinary size, great brute strength, and surprising quickness. He is a two-way player in high school (even in all-star games), and has both the explosive first step to play tackle in college, and the intelligence and lateral quickness to move primarily to the offensive line. Whichever position he ends up playing, he will have to improve his technique. Campbell is currently in the midst of the Army All-American Bowl, where he has been one of the (few) consistent players.

Recruiting Notes
Campbell originally committed to Lloyd Carr’s Wolverines way back in the summer of 2007, before his junior season. When the coaching staff changed, Campbell reaffirmed his commitment to Rich Rodriguez. Despite that, he maintained all along that he would like to take official visits to other schools, if only to get out and see the world a bit. When other coaches (such as Pete Carroll and Les Miles) told Campbell that he could not visit their campuses if he was firmly committed to Michigan, Big Will rescinded his verbal commitment, and went on trips to Alabama, LSU, and Miami. On his official visit to Ann Arbor, Will rushed the court with Michigan students following basketball’s upset win over the Duke Blue Devils. However, coming into Army All-American week, Campbell told the media that he was eliminating Michigan from consideration. In the end, that was all a smoke screen as Campbell donned the Maize-and-Blue cap in the third quarter of the All-American Bowl.

Etc.
Campbell plans to enroll early, and has already done so, as was implied by a uniquname being created in the Umich directory in his name a week ago.
Campbell is also a teammate of 2010 CB/slot prospect Dior Mathis (along with the other two Cass Tech commits in the class of 2009). Landing Big Will can only help with Dior.

Posted under Football, Recruiting

Let’s start with the odd/potentially important news. 2009 OH CB Dale Peterman didn’t seem to be too high on Michigan’s radar. However, there is this random quote from a basketball article:

Only one player, Ursuline’s Dale Peterman, who is expected to announce early next week that he will be attending the University of Michigan to play football, fouled out.

Take that for what it’s worth (very little, if you ask me). To the best of my knowledge, he hasn’t been offered.

All-League teams from the San Diego Area include a UM commit and a 2010 prospect:

Eastern League

First-team offense–Wesley Cody (Mira Mesa) Sr.; Tyler Gaffney (Cathedral Catholic) Sr.; Dana Barbaro (St. Augustine) Jr.; Allen Aguilar (St. Augustine) Jr.; Duante Jones (Patrick Henry) Jr.; Robert Forcier (Scripps Ranch) Sr.; Brennan Clay (Scripps Ranch) Jr.

Good for Tate, and I assume having him on the team will help with the recruitment of Clay, if Michigan wants him.

Not to be outdone, FL RB commit Vincent Smith was named his area’s Player of the Year.

Fluff on Michigan’s Ohio commits that are playing in all-star games this weekend. Justin Turner:

Projected as a defensive back once he gets to Ann Arbor, athlete Justin Turner (6-0, 186) of Massillon Washington is representing both Ohio and Michigan in the Army All-American Bowl. He is rated as the No. 25 athlete prospect in the country by ESPN.

Turner, ranked No. 7 in the state by Ohio High, was a two-way standout for Massillon at running back and at defensive back. He rushed for 1,380 yards and 11 touchdowns on 207 carries on offense. Defensively, he had 29 tackles, three interceptions (two for touchdowns) and a forced fumble for the Tigers (6-5).

Turner was a first team All-Ohio selection on defense in Division I and was also a member of the Ohio High/ONN All-Ohio team.

Isaiah Bell:

Headlining the Ohio contingent in the Under Armour game is Youngstown Liberty safety Isaiah Bell on the Black Team. Ohio High ranks Bell (6-2, 200) as the No. 32 prospect in the Class of 2009 while ESPN has Bell as the No. 9 safety in the country and No. 91 player overall.

…and uncommitted prospect Marcus Hall:

Offensive tackle Marcus Hall (6-5, 290) of Cleveland Glenville was a first team All-Ohio selection this season in Division I and an Ohio High/ONN All-Ohio team selection. Hall is rated as the No. 3 player by Ohio High magazine for the Class of 2009 and ESPN has Hall rated as the No. 11 offensive tackle in the country and No. 78 overall.

Hall is the highest rated player nationally from Ohio participating in the three all-star games.

He is considering scholarship offers from Ohio State, Michigan, Illinois, Miami (Fla.) and Tennessee. While the Army All-American Bowl has evolved into a stage for players to announce their college choices about a month before National Signing Day, Hall does not plan on announcing at the game wanting to take all of his official visits before he decides.

2010 FL RB Eduardo Clements sounds like he may be a Miami of Florida lock:

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound running back with documented 4.45-second speed in the 40-yard dash rushed for about 900 yards this year in the hammer-hard competition of Dade County. His first scholarship offer was from Miami, something he savors.

“I mean, my first scholarship offer was from the Canes,” Clements told SN Today. “I was thinking about how my childhood favorite—that I was so up about—had just offered me a scholarship. It was great that people were looking at me and seeing how hard I work.”

He also sports offers from South Florida, Central Florida, West Virginia, Boston College, Iowa, Oregon, Rutgers, and a few others. He doesn’t plan to commit anywhere until his senior year, but it sounds like Miami certainly has a leg up on the competition.

Removed 2009 MN WR Bryce McNeal, a former commit. He announces his decision (already made) this weekend at the Army All-American Bowl between Oregon, Clemson, Minnesota, and Colorado.

Added 2010 FL OL Torrian Wilson. SoFlaFootball reports he has been hearing from Michigan.

2009 MI QB AJ Westendorp has earned a scholarship offer (info in header). This vastly decreases the likelihood he’ll walk on at Michigan.

It doesn’t sound like FL CB Jayron Hosley will be into the weather when he comes on his official visit:

The Michigan staff better have a hill and a sled for Jayron when he visits Ann Arbor Jan 16. He heard about the snow Michigan received a week or so ago and is not feeling that. “I heard they got a bunch of snow and some people even lost power, I don’t want that [laughing].” Michigan seems to be behind the 8 ball now, but like I always said, sell him early playing time. The early playing time, showing him snow actually can be fun [sledding is fun for all ages], and see where it gets you.

If you want to hear Jim Carty’s take on the William Campbell situation, head over to his site to listen to the audio from his weekly WTKA appearance. For the record, Sam Webb still thinks Michigan gets him.

Posted under Football, Recruiting

Since there is so much recruiting info for me to catch up on, I’ll separate the 2009 and 2010 information this time, in order to fit as much stuff in as I can. The board lives here, and can always be found via the left sidebar.

I’ll start with the bombshell-ish info: William Campbell, thought to be heavily leaning to Michigan despite his decommitment, has basically eliminated the Wolverines from contention upon his arrival at the Army All-American game (free Rivals video). I’ll leave him on the board for now, mostly out of hope, rather than any actual fact. From the interview, it sounds like LSU is going to get the hat pulled out by Campbell on Saturday. :(

He won’t be added to the recruiting board, as per VB policy (soon to change for the 2010 board, because it’s tough keeping track of these guys without adding all their info to the board), but LA WR Travante Stallworth, an Auburn commit, is getting some attention from Michigan (info in header). It certainly sounds like he may be swayed, if another school really wants him (info in header again).

SC DE Sam Montgomery is still on the board, though he seems far less enthused about Michigan (we’re near Detroit!) than he did earlier in the recruiting process, and has named LSU his leader. He was involved in the Shrine Bowl (warning: super fluffy), and though the article’s title is “Montgomery stays patient in the recruiting process,” there isn’t one bit of information about recruiting, so it’s just something to read if you want nice quotes about a kid, including his stats:

Montgomery, 6-foot-5, 235 pounds, had 111 tackles including 11 sacks, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery this season while mainly playing linebacker. He played on the varsity team for the past three years.

…and his altruistic side:

“I’m going to keep on battling until I make it to the (NFL), so I can give some of my signing bonus (to the Shriners Hospitals for Children). This will be one of the main organizations I give to.”

Although he took in a South Carolina bowl practice,  they are in the “middle of the pack” with everyone else in his final group, save favorite LSU. Speaking of Montgomery, this article also mentions him, but more interesting are the following two tidbits of information:

DB Dre Kirkpatrick (6-3, 190) of Gadsden, Ala., will visit Alabama, Florida and Texas for sure in January. He’s only planning four visits and for the final trip he’s considering Clemson, Southern California, LSU, Michigan and Auburn… DB Jaron [sic] Hosley  (5-10, 172) of Delray Beach, Fla., will visit Ohio State, Michigan, South Florida and Clemson in January.

After not mentioning Michigan throughout most of the summer, Kirkpatrick has picked up interest in the Wolverines again, it seems. Lord knows we need him. Jayron Hosley‘s Ohio state visit is confirmed by Bucknuts.

JC DE Pernell McPhee was though to be leaning to Michigan following his official visit, and the former Pahokee Blue Devil did not sign with Mississippi State (where he has been softly committed) on JC signing day. However, he has also been to Florida on an official visit recently, and the subheadline “Will Pernell McPhee stay with Mississippi State or will he play for another SEC program?” makes it sound like maybe the Wolverines missed their opportunity with Pernell.

OH OL Henry Conway was at the spring game, but hasn’t really been on the Michigan fan’s radar since. However, he is leaving a date open for an official visit, and will take it if the Wolverines end up offering him (info in header).

UNC CB commit Josh Hunter is still considering a Michigan official, and he’s looking at the January 17th weekend.

LSU insiders don’t exactly seem to be kicking themselves for missing on LA DT commit DeQuinta Jones, but they certainly think he’ll be a good player down the road:

The best defensive lineman in the state that no one ever talks about is Bastrop’s Dequinta Jones (6’3 275), who runs a 4.8 forty and can play the game as well as any in the country. Jones is committed to Michigan, and I predict he will start after one year and play as a true freshman for the Wolverines.

I assume this assertion is not in any way intended to imply that he is not a soft commit (as has been rumored), but rather a compliment of the caliber of player he is. Michigan fans are certainly excited to see DD in maize and Blue.

Next on the list of “I still believe in Michigan” articles of current commits: Fitzgerald Toussaint. It’s not just fluff though. There are three videos in the article, so check it out.

I’ve added LA LB Barkevious Mingo to the board. Sam Webb lets us know he plans to visit January 9th weekend.

And of course, the day I talked only about QBs, I forgot to mention them, but I’ve decided to add A.J. Westendorp and Nader Furrha to the board. Both are likely preferred-walkon candidates, though if the QB recruiting situation becomes extra-dire, one of them might get offered.

Posted under Football, Recruiting

Recruiting Boards, as always, are here:
2009 & 2010
and in the sidebar to the left.

Standard RichRod recruiting fluff from the Freep.

This is a little late, but Shavodrick Beaver has been moved from committed and completely removed from the board in the wake of his bizarre decommitment to Tulsa. His player page has been removed from the 2009 Commit HQ (also available to the left).

So what’s the upshot for the rest of the class from the Beaver commitment? Most likely a more intense focus on FL QB Denard Robinson, the only remaining quarterback on the board. The Sun-Sentinel had some kind things to say about his fit in the Michigan offense, and mentions his upcoming visit (more on that in a moment). The header of a Scout article by Allen Wallace is a little more specific:

Denard Robinson still plans to visit Michigan on Jan. 9, Kansas State on Jan. 16 and Central Florida on Jan. 23. “I like Michigan because the old coaches from West Virginia are there,” Robinson said. “Coach Rich Rodriguez is trying to install his system there and I think I’d be a good fit. They need a good dual-threat quarterback like me. I won’t be making a final decision until after my visits.”

…so it certainly sounds like Michigan is much more involved than they were a couple weeks ago, and are back to recruiting Robinson as a QB. Finally, there’s another Scout article, entitled “Is U-M near the top for Robinson?” This is the type of teaser to which the answer is almost always “yes.”

If Michigan doesn’t land Denard Robinson, there’s a good chance that guys like Tajh Boyd, Eugene Smith, and Raymond Cotton come back into play.

…and while we’re up in arms about who will fill the second QB slot, don’t forget about the quarterback still committed in this class. Tate Forcier was recently interviewed on WDFN (audio | transcript). What did he have to say about Beaver?

It didn’t really phase me, I wasn’t worried about him. I knew I was going to have to come in and compete regardless of whether it was against him or against Threet. Him leaving it didn’t phase me.

He’s also ready to go at Michigan, having already enrolled (as detailed here earlier this week), and he’s ready to learn and help Michigan win:

I’m actually heading out there in less than two weeks. Right away right when I get out there, coach Smith and coach Rodriguez both told me I’m going to be spending most of my time with them learning that playbook. And with coach Barwis getting me prepared for next season – that’s the main goal right now, to get ready and hope to lead Michigan to a good season next year.

And how is he going to help Michigan win?

I have everything you want in a quarterback. I’m not the tallest guy, but I know how to get the job done. I have a feel for the game. I feel the pressure. I have a great feel for everything. I have great arm strength. I have good enough speed. Overall it’s just the balance of me as a quarterback. I’m not over the top on anything, but that’s what the Michigan coaches are going to try to get me to do – be the best of the best… My goal is to be a little bit like Colt McCoy. It’s almost nearly the same size and speed. It’s possible I may have a stronger arm than him. That’s kind of a lot to say, but I think if I worked hard I could maybe follow in his footsteps and be the type of quarterback that he is.

And that should be just about everything in regards to 2009. Let’s stick with the quarterbacks theme, however, and move along to 2010.

Sometime early next week, I should (finally) have some video up of 2010 MI QB Devin Gardner‘s performance in theDivision III State Championship game (and of course, some film on his teammate, Michigan commit Cameron Gordon, but that doesn’t really fit with the QB theme, now does it?). Look forward to that somewhere within the next round of updates.

Virginia Tech’s inability to land Kevin Newsome this year may lead them to more heavily pursue another local product next year, in Phillip Sims. Despite his good speed, Sims insists that he wantas to be looked at as a pro-style QB. His current schools of interest (including UVa, BC, and Tennessee) seems to bear that out. Hell remain on the board until he says he’s no longer interested in the Wolverines or a spread offense.

Speaking of other QB prospects Michigan may be a little behind in recruiting, 2010 OH QB Spencer Ware will likely end up at a different position in college, but he’s an electifying athlete either way that Michigan would certainly love to have. The current list for Ware is Ohio State, some SEC schools (including Georgia, his favorite), then a bunch of slightly lesser-tiered schools (including the hometown Bearcats).

…and before I wrap up the QBs-only edition of the Recruiting Update, I may as well take care of a couple things not related to signal-callers:
Removed 2009 MD DE/LB Jason Ankrah. He has committed to Nebraska.
Removed 2009 PA LB Dan Mason, who will choose between Pitt, WVU, and Penn State.

Posted under Football, Recruiting

Obviously I don’t want this to become a recruiting-only site (and there is a recruiting update coming sometime today or tomorrow, though I foresee there being at least one post and likely two about the Oakland basketball game), but when something big happens, I think it’s important to address. This, obviously, is considered a big event.

After assuring everyone who would listen that he was firmly committed to Michigan, and would consider no other schools, Shavodrick Beaver pulled the old bait-and-switch on us all Friday, and decommitted from Michigan, giving his verbal pledge to Tulsa. That is correct, Shavodrick Beaver picked a Conference-USA team over one of the most storied programs in college football history.

Why did he do it?

So what could have possibly been Beaver’s motivation for changing his commitment? Rumors (and many of them complete guesses) have been thrown around from all corners of the internet, and nobody really knows which are true and which aren’t. One of the prevailing theories is that he wants to be closer to his mom, or his mom gave him no choice but to go somewhere closer to home. That may be the case, but then why not go somewhere closer? His original runner-up to Michigan was TCU. The Horned Frogs are based in Fort Worth, much closer to Wichita Falls than Tulsa is. Regardless, that factor may have been an issue in his commitment to Michigan sticking.

Another issue may have been the fact that he would have likely started – on account of his shoulder surgery – stuck behind Tate Forcier on the depth chart.Perhaps Beaver didn’t see a situation in which he would ever be able to play, being slotted behind a guy in his own class, with other guys coming in the future. The final theory is related to the first, and holds that he didn’t want the pressure of playing in a bigtime program, choosing instead to head to Conference-USA, where he could be a big-time player without the pressure of being in a program expecting big-time success. The one theory that doesn’t really make much sense is that the Michigan staff cut him loose. Despite his comments that the Tulsa coaches made him feel more like a member of the family (which every recruit has been saying about Michigan, as well), I think the Michigan coaching staff would have had a better contingency plan in place if they had any idea a decommitment was on the way.

As another side note, regardless of what those “in the know” say, almost nobody saw this coming (except perhaps the coaches themselves). Any retroactive “well I knew this was going to happen” is simply revisionist history, since just last week, most recruiting experts were trying to assure everyone that Beaver was still solid, and that the comments on his MySpace page were nothing to worry about. Being blindsided by an event like this is nothing to be ashamed of, and one shouldn’t rewrite history to give the appearance of seeing this sort of event come to fruition.

Short-Term Trouble

The 2009 recruiting class has suddenly gone from greatly shoring up a major position of need, with two 4-star quarterback commits, to still needing another body, much less a great player, to even come close to filling the numbers necessary to field a team at the position. Now, Threet and Sheridan are the only options other than Forcier, and if any of the three goes down, regardless of who was the starter, there is already a depth issue arising. The coaching staff will need to find another quarterback in this class, simply in case one or more of the existing QBs gets injured this year. That said, they will likely go with a player with very good running ability and a passing game that needs some work. That way, there is potential for a move to the defensive backfield or slot receiver if the numbers at QB look better in the future.

Might we see Justin Feagin playing a little bit at the QB position (instead of moving to slot, as had been announced) in 2009? It’s not likely, unless the Wolverines can’t pull in another QB/Ath in the class of ’09. Another bummer from the Beaver situation is that Michigan will now go from two quarterbacks enrolling early to one enrolling early, with another hopefully coming in the fall. The preparedness of the group as a whole will undoubtedly be decreased.

Long-Term Ramifications

Without Beaver in the class of 2009, what are the effects on the Wolverines down the road (that is, further in the future than the 2009 season)? It appears likely that whoever they pick up to fill the other QB slot in the 2009 class will likely move to slot or defensive back down the road, when the numbers get back up to where they should be. That give Michigan much better spacing between classes at the QB position, as there won’t be many in a single class. This means the Wolverines are less likely to graduate all their players at the position in a single year, jeopardizing future years.

That takes us to future recruiting classes. Only having one true QB in the class of 2009 certainly makes Michigan more attractive to signal-callers in the class of 2010, namely one Devin Gardner, an in-state product who has great potential as a run-pass threat in this offensive system. Gardner will likely be rated a high-4 or 5-star prospect, and rated more highly than either Tate Forcier or Shavodrick Beaver (of course, there’s the little issue that he won’t be able to play for Michigan until the 2010 season holding him back from being the current #1 target). Though the Beaver situation is unfortunate, it may help Michigan in the long run, provided the Wolverines aren’t completely screwed short-term.

So What Does It All Mean?

Decommitments are almost never a good thing. They provide ammo for an inexplicably-ruthless local press, and open the door to negative recruiting pitches from other schools. This particular decommitment particularly hurts Michigan, especially in the short term. As an aside, I don’t understand why Beaver had to speak ill of Michigan, considering he didn’t seem to harbor any ill will, he’s just hurting the coaches who have done nothing but good for him. In the long run, Michigan will go on. Might the 2009 season suffer because of a lack of QB depth? Perhaps, but the long-term picture is changed very little, and the Michigan Wolverines will go on without Shavodrick Beaver.

Posted under Football, Recruiting