The first question comes from RJ, who you may remember from the last edition of Mailbag:

The University has been fairly consistent about being against night games. With Rich Rod as coach might that change?

The University has indeed had a pretty consistent aversion to playing games under the lights. Lloyd Carr’s Wolverines never played a home game with a start later than 4:30, whereas Rich Rodriguez’s Mountaineers played night games regularly. This may give the impression that it was Carr preventing the team from taking the field at 7 or 8 PM. However, I think it was the athletic administration, rather than the football staff, that was preventing this.

AD Bill Martin has stated several reasons for wanting to not play a night game, and the retirement of Lloyd Carr didn’t really change any of them. Some of the reasons include:

• Alumni pressure. A lot of the older alums really want to be able to get in bed by 8, rather than sitting down in the Big House. Luxury boxes and indoor club seating might make night games a little more appealing to elderly fans.
• Curbing all-day drinking. If people wake up at 7 to tailgate for a noon football game, they get very drunk. If they wake up at 7 to tailgate for a football game that is more than 12 hours away, they get very very drunk. This is a public safety issue, and the administration doesn’t really want to get involved with that.
• Wanting to allow Michigan fans to drive home while it is still light out. Afternoon starts don’t really avoid this, and a lot of people live far enough away that they may end up driving in the dark anyway (especially with post-game traffic).
• No permanent lighting in Michigan Stadium. The portable lighting that has to be brought in for later games (which is paid for by the networks, not the school, in case you were interested) is both a hassle and a poor solution that doesn’t adequately light to playing field. With the stadium renovations, there will be footings for lights, but according to Dave Ablauf, still no permanent fixtures. However, the footings will allow for better lighting in the future.

In the first year, there is almost no chance of a night game, especially with the stadium renovations ongoing. However, with an enthusiastic young coach, and ever-increasing money to be made from TV, night games are something that it may be possible to see down the road.

The next question comes from an anonymous commenter who asks:

tim, i apppreciate the work you put into this blog. it is very well done. do you think that msu will keep both of their backs. i have to believe that one of them will bail.

Well, a lot of the players that are currently committed to the Spartans are not that highly regarded. I doubt State would lose Maxwell, Spencer, or Treadwell to a less prestigious program. That leaves the following three prospects:

Edwin Baker RB 5*, 5-11, 200, 4.40
Baker’s recruitment had been pretty quiet until he committed to State. Michigan has offered him, though the offer didn’t come until he was already a Spartan. It does not seem like he is probably going to stick with State, though I would be VERY surprised if he is the #2 running back in the country come February (I’ll even be mildly surprised if he ends up with all 5 of those stars).

Chris Norman LB 4* 6-2, 200, 4.60
Norman had seemed pretty open, and perhaps even leaning towards Michigan. Then State offered, and he committed abruptly. If you had asked this question a while back, I would have said he was a strong candidate for decommitment. However, with each day that passes by, it seems less and less likely that the Spartans lose his pledge.

Larry Caper RB 4* 5-11, 210, 4.41
Caper seems like the most likely of Michigan State’s verbals to leave the recruiting class. He committed to the Spartans before Baker (a more highly-ranked player) did, and though he says all the right things about not being scared off, the dread spectre of sitting on the bench has to be at least somewhat disheartening. However, State did do a god job splitting time between many guys last year (Jevon Ringer and Jehuu Caulcrick each had more than 220 carries), though they probably should have run it more, i.e. when it could have won them the Champs Sports Bowl. Caper’s favorites prior to his commitment had been Michigan State, Notre Dame, and Michigan, and with Charlie Weis’s cupboard currently bare, he might pursue Caper pretty heavily.

As always, thanks for the questions guys. Keep sending them in and I’ll keep answering to the best of my ability.

Etc.: Texas quarterback GJ Kinne has announced that he will transfer. No word yet on whether this will affect the decision of Sherrod Harris, another ‘Horns backup who was considering a transfer (with Michigan as a potential destination).

Posted under Analysis, Mail Bag, Recruiting

Since Scout and Rivals have yet to unveil their class rankings for 2009, here’s a quick rundown of where all the Big Ten schools stand:

As of right now, the rankings are pretty much in order by number of commits. Ohio State leads the way, and their only unranked player, Adam Homan, plays a position that usually doesn’t get more than 3 stars, and never more than 4.

Michigan State is putting together a pretty decent class so far, though I’d be surprised if they ended the year with the #2 class in the conference. All of their current commits are from Michigan, and they only have 2 guys (Edwin Baker and Chris Norman) that Michigan really wanted. Their unranked players will probably both end up with 3 stars, unless Treadwell garners only 2. When further evaluations come out, I predict that some of their guys (namely the RBs) are more likely to move down than up.

Michigan has but four commits, though it is a good early start to the class. William Campbell is one of the top couple DTs in the nation, and Justin Turner is not far from being a five star. The two unevaluated players, Teric Jones and Isaiah Bell, are prospects with good upside. Jones will be a mid four-star, and Bell will be a high three-star, and potentially a four-star if he has a good senior year.

Having only four-star players committed is never a bad thing (look at Michigan’s 2008 class, with few highly ranked players, but tons of depth), and Illinois is off to a good start. Buckner and Hill both are from Chicago Leo, and have another couple DI prospects on their team. The Illini also lead for a bunch of guys who aren’t yet committed, giving them a lot of room to move up.

None of the Badgers’ players have been evaluated yet, but all three are trench players, which Wisconsin routinely does a good job evaluating and developing. All three are from America’s Dairyland, where there is never a shortage of pretty good linemen.

Minnesota is going through a big scheme change, and needs to recruit players to the new system. After a huge (and pretty good) 2008 recruiting class, Minnesota is not off to a fast start in 2009.

The NIttany Lions have only one player committed so far. Howle has yet to be evaluated. Is Joe Paterno’s ever-questionable status hindering the Lions’ recruiting efforts?

T-8th – Indiana, Iowa, Northwestern, Purdue (0 commits)

Posted under Recruiting

How I’d like to see the recruiting class fill with players currently on the board. 23 commits in this theoretical class, which I expect will be close to the number of scholarships available. For more information, don’t forget to visit the recruiting board.

Current commits:
William Campbell
Justin Turner
Teric Jones
Isaiah Bell

Possible leans:
Fitzgerald Toussaint
Bryce McNeal
James Jackson
Dion Sims
Chris Freeman
Julius Ferrell (no offer)

Other Big needs:
QB:
Kevin Newsome
Tate Forcier
Donavan Tate
DE:
Devon Kennard
Craig Drummond
Craig Roh
Devon Curtis (no offer)
OL:
Eric Shrive
Xavier Sua’filo (no offer)
Chris Watt

Other prospects:
RB:
David Oku
Hersey Jackson
Vincent Smith
WR:
Marlon Brown
Rueben Randle
Nu’Keese Richardson
LB:
Dorian Bell
Jelani Jenkins
S:
Devonte Holloman
CB:
Dre Kirkpatrick
Brandon McGee
Corey Brown
Javanti Sparrow

The guys in the Possible Leans category are those that I think have a very good chance of winding up with Michigan. The big needs are some of the top target prospects at the positions where Michigan absolutely needs someone. Michigan will probably land a handful of these guys based on the wide open depth chart. Finally, the other prospects are those that Michigan is recruiting. They will sign a couple of these guys as well. Of course, there will be other prospects not on this list (or even the recruiting board) that may end up as Wolverines.

Posted under Recruiting

Reader RJ asks an interesting question about Michigan’s quarterback situation into the future:

My uncle seems to think Michigan’s days of getting good qbs and sending them off to the nfl are done with the new Rich Rod Offense. Kevin Newsome said he wants a Pro Style offense. Do you think our offense will be at least balanced unlike the run heavy w virginia offense? Will there still be some pro sets in the offense to provide a legitimate shot at getting recruits that are looking to find a place that they can make a jump to the pros from like Newsome?

Since this contains a bunch of different questions, I’ll answer them all, in order of importance.

Will the offense be more balanced than it was at West Virginia?
Yes, almost definitely. The main reason that West Virginia ran the ball so often was the talent they had was not conducive to passing. Between Chris Henry and Darius Reynaud, there was never a really good wide receiver threat. Michigan will have more talent at the wideout position in year 1 than Rodriguez had in his entire tenure at West Virginia (though probably not at the slot position). Then, of course, there is the issue that Pat White is a far-from-elite thrower. However, he is a very good runner, and Rod used the strengths of his personnel, rather than trying to force them to do something they couldn’t.

Of course, people will always ask why, if Rod is going to conform to his players’ strength, a four-star Elite-11 QB is battling a walk-on for the starting position. First, recruiting rankings are imperfect. Threet may not have been the talent that evaluators thought he was coming out of high school, and maybe Sheridan was overlooked by recruiters in his time at Saline. Also, while Rodriguez will conform to his talent somewhat, the system is dependent on ability to run (this includes rollouts and bootlegs, which are still passes but require mobility). “Adapting to his talent” does not mean completely changing the system, but rather adjusting run/pass ratio from something like 70/30 to more like 50/50 (though Rod has stated his target is 60/40).

Will there still be some pro-sets in the offense?
Yes, there will still be some pro sets, but not that many. Rodriguez teams are typically under center as a change of pace, rather than a regular part of the offense. However, this doesn’t mean that they won’t use pro-sets at all. One famous example is Noel Devine’s touchdown run in the Fiesta Bowl, which was out of an I-formation. You will see the I-formation mainly in goal line sets, and the QB will be under center occasionally, but it will be more of a rare occurrence than the norm.

Will Michigan be able to send QBs to the pros anymore?
If a player has the talent to make it to the NFL, as long as he doesn’t lay a complete egg in college, and have next-to-zero production, he will be able to make the NFL. Even Pat White will probably make it to The League, albeit as a safety. Running a pro-style offense isn’t necessary to making it to the pros. The best example is, of course, Vince Young. He had all the measurables of an NFL quarterback, but didn’t run anything remotely resembling an NFL offense in his time with the Longhorns.

Vince Young, despite taking almost no snaps from under center in college, and despite running an offensive system based on the one that Rich Rodriguez developed and will run at Michigan, was the third pick in the NFL draft, rookie of the year, and is known as Tennessee’s franchise player. While not all Michigan quarterbacks will go to the league as QBs, there is still a very good chance that they will make it if they have the skills.

As a side note that may be relevant, how often did the New England Patriots’ record-shattering offense operate from under center? Probably more than 5-7 times a game, but certainly far less than what would have been considered a “pro-style offense” a few years ago. The Indianapolis Colts are another example of this.

Kevin Newsome wants to run a pro-style offense. Does this mean we won’t get him?
Newsome hasn’t seemed adamant about running a pro-style offense, which leads me to believe that Kevin Newsome could care less what system he runs, as long as he makes it to the league. If Rich Rodriguez and staff do a good job selling Michigan to the kid, they will pull up examples of Vince Young (same system, different school), Woody Dantzler (ran Rod’s offense, made it to the league at a different position), and Shaun King (Rod’s offense, played in the NFL), all of whom show that Michigan’s offense will not keep you out of the NFL.

Newsome has to realize that his skill set and physical abilities are perfect for this offense, and a quarterback who produces in college will at least get looks from NFL scouts, even if he doesn’t run the prototypical offensive style. Worrying about future recruits who just want to make it to the NFL is a little premature, until we see what Rodriguez can do with the advantages of coaching at Michigan instead of WVU.

So what does it all mean?
For now, RJ, tell your uncle not to worry about it. If the results are poor after a couple of years, it can become a concern. In the end, I think Michigan ends up with either Kevin Newsome or Tate Forcier (who is actually more suited to a pro-style offense) in this class.

Thanks also to commenter Justin for asking a similar question about Newsome, regarding a recent Rivals article.

Posted under Coaching, Mail Bag, Recruiting

The Board. Sometime in the coming days MGoBlog’s Brian and I are going to come up with a collaborative effort on the recruiting board. More info when we hash out some definite plans.

Added:
SC OL Quinton Washington. He seems mostly interested in southern schools, but Michigan has offerred.
AZ DE Craig Roh. Jim Stefani has noted that he was someone Michigan should offer – and now they have.

New Information:
TX QB Kolby Gray. Once included on the board as something of an afterthought, he is starting to become kind of a big deal.
NV DE Justin Chaisson. He plans to make a decision after his senior season.
VA CB Damien Thigpen. He recently visited a couple Big East schools.
MD LB Jelani Jenkins fluff.
IL OL Chris Watt <3 ND. :(
PA OL Eric Shrive is going on a midwest visit or two. Michigan not on the itinerary.

Removed:
TX DT Jamarcus McFarland. He is down to a top 3 of LSU, Texas, and Oklahoma.

Posted under Recruiting

I really really don’t plan on doing this every day, but the recruiting board must be updated as the commits roll in. Note: I’ve received some information on Justin Turner that leads me to believe he could start as a corner at Michigan. If anything solidifies from it, he’ll be moved accordingly.

Added:
OH S Isaiah Bell. Also, moved to committed. News article.

New Information:
VA QB Kevin Newsome is a National Honors Society member. Not necessarily that relevant to football, but he clearly has his head on his shoulders. Expect a visit to Michigan soon.
NC OL Xavier Nixon recently visited Pitt.
IL OL Chris Watt is probably a Notre Dame lean. He has been to both of their junior days this spring.

Removed:
PA S EJ Banks. Michigan may have burned their bridges with him in the Christian Wilson recruitment.

Analysis
Bell’s commitment probably puts Michigan in good position for his teammates Julius Ferrell and Fitzgerald Toussaint. Judging by his video, he’ll end up a low 4-star or high 3-star by the recruiting services. With a couple good DBs in the fold, the recruiting focus is increasingly shifted to QBs, DEs, and OLs.

Posted under Recruiting

Ohio Safety Isaiah Bell has pledged to become a Michigan Wolverine. He is so new on the radar that he hadn’t been added to the recruiting board yet, though he was slated to be added in the next update. He is a high school teammate of LB Julius Ferrell and RB Fitzgerald Toussaint.

Bell is a 6-2, 200lb safety who had been on the rise before his commitment to Michigan. As is the case with most Michigan commitments, this means his ranking will not rise that much more, and he will likely peak at 3 stars.

More coming on Bell later tonight or tomorrow.

Posted under Recruiting

With two commitments and a few prospects down, it was a big weekend of change for the recruiting board.

Removed:
KS LB Jaydan Bird. Committed to Oklahoma. Not a huge loss, as I don’t think there was ever great mutual interest. He seemed like one of those guys who mention Michigan early in the process to make them sound like big-time prospects.
TX OL Mason Walters. Committed to Texas. Not sure anyone but the Horns ever had a really legit shot at him.

New Information:
MI RB Teric Jones. Freep article on his commitment.
VA QB Kevin Newsome. Track video interview.

Etc.: Wisconsin looking to add some spread? Trotwood-Madison track (Michael Shaw and Chris Freeman). AP Indiana all-state basketball selections (Stuart Douglass special mention, Zach Novak 1st team). Mike Hart will be signing autographs at Briarwood MDen on Saturday. Free Press photo gallery from Saturday’s spring practice.

Posted under Basketball

Now updated to account for Teric Jones commitment.

I don’t really intend to update the recruiting board every day, but when something big happens (such as a commitment), it’s kind of necessary. Tom Beaver speaks on Grand Haven radio.

OH DB Justin Turner moved to committed. Free Press article.
MI RB Teric Jones moved to committed.

New Information:
MI WR James Jackson wants to do football and track in college. Have him talk to Morgan Trent.
FL WR Andre Debose Track fluff.
OK RB David Oku plans to decide on his birthday (October 10th), if possible.
IL DE Craig Drummond won’t take visits until after his ACT is done with. Top 5 of M, IL, USC, Kstate, and Tennessee.
NC S Devonte Holloman will decide after official visits, and maybe early.

Etc.: Steve Spurrier apparently thinks the new clock rules will help teams that run a no-huddle offense (hey, that’s us!). My boy John Bacon slams him some Carty.

Posted under Recruiting

Detroit Cass Tech RB Teric Jones (rhymes with Eric) has pledged to become a Michigan Wolverine. He joins his high school teammate, DT William Campbell in the 2009 Michigan recruiting class.

Recruiting Story
Jones finished his junior year with Michigan and Michigan State as the two favorites. After a very good performance at the Army All-American combine, he vaulted into the consciousness of several more prominent schools. When more-highly ranked instaters Larry Caper and Edwin Baker committed to MSU, Michigan became Jones’s favorite.

Jones visited Michigan for a spring practice this morning and received his Michigan offer. He committed to Michigan shortly thereafter.

Player Notes
Jones ran a 4.47 40-yard dash at the 2008 Army junior combine, but has been timed as fast as 4.39. He was considered a top-10 prospect at the combine. Compared to his fellow instate backs Larry Caper and Edwin Baker (both committed to Michigan State), Jones lacks the polish of a multi-year varsity starter, but has the measurables to be the best player of the three.

Jones is a 5-10, 190lb runningback who will probably play a versatile role out in the slot as well. Jones’s exposure to this point has been low, as he played behind Indiana freshman-to-be Cortez Smith as a junior. By the time the final rankings come out, I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up a lowish four-star.

Video

Youtube-age of the Cass Tech team hitting.
A not-particularly-impressive run during Jones’s sophomore year.

Thanks to reader a2matt for making sure that I am on top of my game.

Posted under Recruiting