The Offensive Depth Chart has been updated to reflect my smoke-fire-etc. information that Carson Butler will be reinstated to the team. The Scholarship Count/Eligibility Chart was already modified to take this into account with the departures of McKinney and Schifano, who have also been removed from the Depth Chart. Rumors have it that Steve Schilling is being looked at as RG, also reflected in the Depth Chart, though it may be the Timeless Lloyd Carr Motivational Tactic being employed in the direction of Alex “Lazy” Mitchell.

The Recruiting Board has been updated to reflect McGuffie and Cox, their effects on recruiting the position, Fred Smith’s presumed lean-ness, etc. Starting with the next recruiting class, remind me to make a static recruiting board so as to remove the necessity of all this copy-and=paste crap.

I apologize for the fact that this looks like crap. I’ll have Paul fix it later.

Feed Smith announces Sunday at 6, expected to be Blue.

Posted under Personnel, Recruiting

Per Jim Carty, Lloyd Carr is considering the return of Carson Butler to the Wolverines.

Butler was acquitted of assault charges in the St. Patrick’s Day incident (the other defendant, Chris Richards, was convicted). In light of his legal troubles being cleared, Carr has decided to rethink Butler’s expulsion from the football team.

This will definitely have an effect on the field for Michigan this year, as Butler will be a second option with experience at the TE position to Mike Massey’s perpetually-injured shell of a body. This would allow for both incoming freshmen to likely redshirt.

However, there is a potential negative effect on recruiting, as Michigan recruited two top tight ends to make up for their dearth of bodies at the position. While a bird in hand is worth two in the bush, both Brandon Moore and Kevin Koger are phenomenal athletes, and it would be a shame to lose either of them.

Posted under Personnel, Recruiting

MGoBlue has posted the 2007 football roster.This means we know all the incoming freshman numbers, not just those that were available from the spring game (or able to be guessed).

The freshmen are numbered thusly:

Warren #6
Mallett #15
Clemons #17
Hemmingway #21
Babb #26 (WR)
Woolfork #29
Rogers #30 (DB)
Helmuth #32
Evans #33
Horn #34
Chambers #38
Williams #40
Molk #50
Van Bergen #53
Herron #58
Webb #80
Watson #81
Slocum #91
Sagesse #95

Mallett, Chambers, and Helmuth were already known from the spring game; it had been rumored Warren would be #6 and Clemons #17.

Other item of note: Absent are Schifano, Patilla, and McKinney. Are they off the team? They will remain on the eligibility chart pending further confirmation.

Posted under Personnel

McGuffie’s Myspace page has gone all-out “Go Blue” mode.

Commitment video can be found here:

http://www.click2houston.com/video/index.html
Click “Most popular” in the box on the right, and the video is in there. I’ll see if I can get someone smarter than me to rip it and put it on Youtube.

Don’t forget, McGuffie’s Cy-Fair team takes on rival Cy-Falls October 18th on ESPN2.

Posted under Personnel, Recruiting

Instead of merely regurgitating the watch list announcements from MGoBlue, it’s far more honorable (and worthy a cause) to do a little legwork and come up with them myself.

Though not every postseason award has a watch list (many just start with semifinalist lists, or even just finalists), and some haven’t come out with their watch lists yet, many Michigan players are expected to be great next year. All of the Michigan players on postseason award watch lists are as follows:

Bronko Nagursky Award – Best defensive player – Shawn Crable
Jim Thorpe Award – Best defensive back – Jamar Adams
Ronnie Lott Trophy – Best defensive player/sportsman – Shawn Crable, Jamar Adams
Outland Trophy – Best Offensive Lineman – Jake Long, Adam Kraus
Maxwell Award – Best offensive player – Chad Henne, Michael Hart, Mario Manningham
Chuck Bednarik Award – Best Defensive Player – Shawn Crable, Jamar Adams

Watch lists that have been released with NO Michigan players present:
John Mackey Award – Best Tight End (fair)
Dave Rimington Award – Best Center (Justin Boren may surprise)

Posted under Personnel

Jamar Adams, Michigan safety ordinaire, has been named to the preseason watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the best defensive back in the country.

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Posted under Personnel

Bruce Feldman from ESPN has some impressions from the annual Elite 11 quarterback camp. Going along with consensus, he finds Blaine Gabbert (Neb) the best in attendance, followed closely by ND-bound Dayne Crist.

Michigan’s John Weinke has been stated to be in the next tier of campers, above such players as FSU’s E.J. Manuel (who Tom Beaver of GBW calls vastly overrated by Scout at #5).

The best arm in attendance? Counselor Chad Henne. Feldman says his arm stands out far above such other players as Chase Daniel of Mizzou and Colt Brennan.

Posted under Personnel

For those worried about the transfer of Steven Threet scaring off 2008 QB commit John Wienke, fear not. The Free Press is reporting today that Wienke has no intention to renege on his commitment to Michigan.

The more interesting question is whether or not Michigan will recruit a “super” QB in the 2009 class, as originally expected. Having a suddenly full stable of young talent may mean Michigan does not pursue a top prospect at the QB position unless someone has a particular interest in the Wolverines despite a full depth chart.

Posted under Personnel

Steven Threet has pledged to become a Michigan Wolverine, after attending Georgia Tech for a semester and realizing that Chan Gailey is a mediocre (perpetually 7-5) coach.

Threet would have been a huge Michigan target last year, but with Ryan Mallett on the radar, he was not offered, and Michigan recruiting fans forgot about him. Thuogh Michigan fans paid him little mind, he is probably the best HS QB in the state since Drew Henson. Experts peg him on approximately the same level as this year’s Dayne Crist (ND).

Threet will have to redshirt next year, then have four years to play. An interesting factor in his commitment is the fact that Michigan promised Ryan Mallett they would only take one quarterback in the 2007 class, when they have now taken two.

Depth and Eligibility Charts updated accordingly.

Posted under Personnel, Recruiting

Steven Threet, a 4* quarterback from this past (2007) class, has announced that he intends to transfer from Georgia Tech. He was widely considered to be Michigan’s second choice if they did not land Ryan Mallett. Internetz (and fairly reliable sources, to go along with tons of not-so-reliable sources) say that Michigan is a likely destination.

Threet also considered Michigan State in his recruitment, so it is likely that they may be a factor in his transfer destination, especially since they lost their top recruit, Keith Nichol, to the Oklahoma Sooners after firing John L. Smith.

Whichever school lands Threet, he will have to redshirt the 2007 season, and have four years of eligibility, putting him a year behind Mallett, and a year ahead of Wienke, assuming he redshirts his freshman year. The results of his decision will be known in the next couple days.

Posted under Personnel