GoBlueWolverine is reporting that PA DE/LB Jordan Paskorz has pledged his word to become a Michigan Wolverine. Paskorz stands 6-4, 225 pounds, and hails from Hampton High School in Alliison Park, Pennsylvania. He is the 11th commitment in Michigan’s class of 2010.

Recruiting Notes
Paskorz has always been a slightly under-the-radar type, but Sam Webb reported on WTKA a few weeks ago that the Wolverines had offered, and Jordan was favoring Michigan. Paskorz’s older brother, Steve, is a linebacker for Notre Dame, but that didn’t prevent Jordan from making the right choice and picking Michigan. He made the official commitment today in Ann Arbor, where he was unofficially visiting. He had always planned to commit before his senior season, but most Michigan fans were surprised that he committed to the Wolverines this early. He picked the Maize-and-Blue over West Virginia and Pittsburgh.

Player Notes
Paskorz is something of a tweener, and he could likely play either defensive end or linebacker in college, though a reported 40-yard dash time of 4.9 might mean he’s destined for the defensive line. Both Scout and Rivals list him as a 3-star defensive end prospect,though Rivals does point out that he’s a weakside – or pass-rushing – DE. In order to play defensive end in college, he’ll almost certainly have to add some weight by the time he eventually hits the field. Despite not that much mass, he is indeed a strong football player, excelling in the shotput in high school track and field. With Michigan adding a pair of defensive ends in the class of 2009, Jordan will hopefully be able top redshirt to add strength and technique to his game. Recruiting guru Jim Stefani actually has Paskorz ranked the #2 tight end in the class of 2010, behind only IL TE CJ Fiedorowicz.

Posted under Football, Recruiting

More than any other 2009 opponent, Eastern Michigan might be super-difficult to preview. This is due to a variety of reasons: a new coaching staff, poor resources about the Eagles, various position switches in the past couple years. As always, this super-early preview is to give a first glimpse of Eastern, but also for readers to help me get the correct information for more in-depth previews later this year. If you know anything about EMU’s team this upcoming year, please comment and help me out! Highlighted players return in ’09.

Eastern Michigan Offense

Quarterbacks

Andy Schmitt seems like he’s been around forever, probably because he’ll be entering his 4th year as a starter for the Eagles (he split with Tyler Jones his first couple years, though Jones was a wideout last year). Kyle McMahon will be Schmitt’s main backup. Williams was granted a medical redshirt last year, though he played in 3 games.

Eastern Michigan QBs Passing 2008
Name	Comp	Att	%	Yds	TD	Int	Yds/Att
Andy Schmitt	261	417	62.59	2644	15	8	6.34
Kyle McMahon	45	73	61.64	574	2	4	7.86
Jason Williams	1	3	33.33	4	0	1	1.33

Eastern Michigan QBs Rushing 2008
Name	Rush	Yds	TD	Yds/Rush
Andy Schmitt	57	171	5	3.00
Kyle McMahon	32	138	0	4.31
Jason Williams	4	23	1	5.75

Analysis

Despite his vast experience, Schmitt isn’t particularly successful at the QB position. He’ll probably retain his position by virtue of that experience, but it seems that, as McMahon and Williams gain some experience, they might be better QBs in the future for the Eagles. Early in 2009, however, it’ll probably be Schmitt once more.

Running Backs

Terrence Blevins returns to Eastern Michigan for his senior season, and he brings all of his backups from last year with him. Priest and Welch will probably get slightly fewer carries than they did last year, as Dominique Sherer, who missed all but the first game last year with an injury, returns to the crowded EMU backfield.

Eastern Michigan RBs 2008
Name	Rush	Yds	TD	Yds/Rush
Terrence Blevins	133	575	12	4.32
Dwayne Priest	99	474	5	4.79
Corey Welch	25	154	0	6.16
Dominique Sherer	3	6	0	2.00

Eastern Michigan RBs Receiving 2008
Name	Rec	Yds	TD	Yds/Rec
Dwayne Priest	14	125	1	8.93
Terrence Blevins	13	76	0	5.85
Corey Welch	2	3	0	1.50

Analysis

Blevins is something of a bruiser, running 6-1+ and more than 240 pounds. Priest and Welch are more of scatback-types, around 5-9 and 180 pounds each. The coaching staff will probably figure out ways to utilize their differing talents, and Blevins will get the majority of the up-the-middle beating. Of course, Michigan’s DL amnd LBs are somewhat raw, so there may be yards available in the middle of the field.

Receivers

Finally, we find a position at which the Eagles lost seom talent from 2008. Jacory Stone, the team’s leading receiver, is back, but the next two receiving options, converted QB Tyler Jones and TE Jeff DeLuc, are both gone. Marvon Sanders will continue to play a slot role for the Eagles, and Dontayo Gage will man the other outside starting position in his senior year.

Eastern Michigan Receiving 2008
Name	Rec	Yds	TD	Yds/Rec
Jacory Stone	88	943	3	10.72
Tyler Jones	75	760	6	10.13
Jeff DeLuc (TE)	32	446	4	13.94
Marvon Sanders	28	253	1	9.04
Dontayo Gage	22	211	1	9.59
DeAnthony White (DB)	15	156	1	10.40
Ben Thayer (TE)	6	113	0	18.83
John Bonner (TE)	7	109	0	15.57
Tyrone Burke	4	31	0	7.75
Reggie Brown	1	6	0	6.00
Spenser Smith (DB)	1	4	0	4.00

Eastern Michigan Receivers Rushing 2008
Name	Rec	Yds	TD	YPC
Tyler Jones	34	145	0	4.26
Marvon Sanders	10	80	0	8.00
DeAnthony White (DB)	4	53	0	13.25
Tyrone Burke	1	5	0	5.00
Ryan Downard (DB)	1	3	0	3.00
Donatyo Gage	4	0	0	0.00
John Bonner (TE)	1	-3	0	-3.00

Analysis

The Eagles aren’t particularly deep at the wide receiver position, as they lost 2 of their top 3 performers from last year. However, there is plenty of room for new contributors to step up. Lots of players got at least a bit of playing time last year, and they’ll play bigger roles in ’09. The Eagles don’t have prototypical size on the outside (Stone and Gage are under 6-0), and so they probably will focus more on getting players in space than trying to go deep.

Offensive Line

Lineup

TJ Lang was the only important starter to graduate, though fellow seniors Chris Larkins and Ross Peterson also got a bit of playing time. Peterson will be back for his 5th year, and hopes to move into a more prominent role after playing in only one game last year. Sophomores Bridger Bouche and Derek Gotham are returning starters as juniors, and now-senior Eric Davis will be a returning starter as well. Darrell Davis-Budanauro and Dan DeMaster will also try to move into the starting rotation.

Analysis

The Eagles lose only one important contributor in TJ Lang, though he was a 4th-round pick (something that is very rare for a program like Eastern). The rest of the linemen return, except for spot contributor Larkins and another player who didn’t get any playing time. The Eagles had middle-of-the-pack rushing offense and sacks allowed last year, though each of those might take a small step back without the rare NFL draftee on the line in Ypsilanti.

Offensive Analysis

The Eagles are pretty experienced on offense, returning the entire backfield from last year, and some important contributors on the line and in the receiving corps. Considering that Eastern was actually in the top-25 in the nation in total offense last year, they should be able to continue improving this year. Of course, that ranking last year was achieved playing a MAC schedule, along with nearly 650 yards against 1-AA Indiana State. Still, the Eagle offense is nothing to sleep on, especially with most offensive linemen returning.

Eastern Michigan Defense

Defensive Line

Brad Ohrman was the star of the Eastern Michigan defensive line last year as a redshirt freshman, and will look to continue rushing the passer in his sophomore season. Javon Reese, the other defensive end for Eastern,  had some success last year and will likely keep his starting job. Redshirt Sophomore Brandon Slater will continue his starting role as a defensive tackle, and Ryan Kuhlman may step into the other starting spot, if Tyler Palsrok can’t do it.

Eastern Michigan Defensive Line 2008
Name	Tack	TFL	Sack
Brad Ohrman	42	11	6
Josh Hunt	33	5	1
Javon Reese	14	1.5	1
Brandon Slater	11	2	0
Ryan Kuhlman	10	0	0
Tyler Palsrok	4	1	1
Drew Serruto	3	0	0
Riley	2	2	0

Analysis

The Eagles have a decent amount of experience on defensive line, despite losing starter Josh Hunt. The one thing that they don’t have is size. If you’re starting a 6-5, 265-pound defensive tackle, and defensive ends who are probably better suited to be linebackers, you might have trouble stopping the run. Fortunately for the Wolverines, with an experienced offensive line and Brandon Minor, there is reason to expect to good power running game . The lighter D-Ends may be better at chasing down Tate Forcier on the QB keepers that he’s likely to run, but pounding up the middle with Minor should be a fairly effective gameplan.

Linebackers

4-year-starter and star Daniel Holtzclaw, who was the heart of the EMU defense for what seem like forever, is gone. Fortunately for Eastern, they return just about everyone else of note, and will have players slide over to cover the gap he leaves. Senior Andre Hatchett will be the anchor of the unit, and he’ll be joined by fellow senior Brandon Downs (unless his spring move to defensive end is permanent) and one of Tim Fort and Herb Waits. If Downs is now a defensive lineman, expect both of those two to start.

Eastern Michigan Linebackers 2008
Name	Tack	TFL	Sack	Int	Fum
Daniel Holtzclaw	107	4.5	1	1	0
Andre Hatchett	51	2.5	0	0	1
Brandon Downs	30	2.5	0	0	0
Tim Fort	22	0.5	0	0	0
Herb Waits	18	0	0	0	0
Steve Brown	3	0	0	0	0
Marcus English	3	0.5	0	0	0
Josh Williams	1	0	0	0	0

Analysis

The loss of Holtzclaw is big, but the fact that the Eagles return everyone of note, and perhaps are strong enough at linebacker to be moving players down to the defensive line, means that this unit shouldn’t be hurting too badly. Fort is a little-ish linebacker, with more of safety size. Of course, that means Waits, at 5-10 and 180 pounds, is more like corner-sized. Like DL, this unit should be susceptible to Michigan’s power run game.

Defensive Backs

The Eagles lose 3 of their top 4 defensive backs, so they’ll be filling some major needs here with unproven players. Taking into account that the lone returning starter, Jermaine Jenkins, may be moving to linebacker, and Eastern is likely looking at a pretty tough year in the defensive secondary. Ryan Downard will man one safety spot, and Kevin Long will probably be the other. Nate Wilson will probably be a starting corner, along with senior Chris May.

Eastern Michigan Defensive Backs 2008
Name	Tack	TFL	Sack	Int
Jacob Wyatt	88	2	0	0
Jermaine Jenkins	64	7	2	2
Dwayne Harrison	57	1	0	1
Spenser Smith	31	8	2	0
Ryan Downard	28	0	0	2
Nate Wilson	26	0	0	0
Kevin Long	25	0	0	1
Chris May	25	3	0	0
Arrington Hicks	17	0	0	1
Lyle Garrison	16	1	0	0
Brandon Pratt	5	0	0	0
Mark Mitchell	2	0	0	0
Keith Dixon	2	0	0	0
Tyrone Burke (WR)	1	0	0	0
Sonny Paluch (TE)	1	0	0	0

Analysis

As Mentioned above, the Eagles have few proven players, and should struggle in the secondary this year. The one thing they have going is that most of their interceptions from last year came from returning players. Of course, interceptions are somewhat random, but there is a playmaking aspect to the secondary.

Defensive Analysis

The EMU defense wasn’t good last year (this should be obvious, considering the top-25 offense and 3-9 season). They were bad against the rush and awful against the pass. Considering the personnel uncertainties at this point in the year, they should be in for another tough year. Michigan should mostly grind this one out on the ground, but take advantage of opportunities through the air and in the short passing game.

Special Teams

Placekicker Joe Carithers, a JuCo transfer last year, will return to kick in ’09. Zach Johnson and Patrick Treppa split punting duties last year. Johnson will be back for his 5th year, and Treppa will be a junior this fall. Lots of kicking options for the Eagles.

Eastern Michigan Kicking 2008
Name	XPM	XPA	%	FGM	FGA	Long	%
Joe Carithers	38	38	100.00	10	14	48	71.43
Zach Johnson	1	1	100.00	0	0	–	–

Eastern Michigan Punting 2008
Name	Punt	Yds	Yds/Punt
Zach Johnson	24	868	36.17
Patrick Treppa	23	774	33.65
Joe Carithers	7	260	37.14

Analysis

The kicking game and punting game were both around average last year, with the punts not being quite as good. Returning all three kicking specialists, the Eagles should be able to improve in all respects this year.

Overall Analysis

Eastern was pretty good on offense last year, and awful on defense. That trend should continue this year, as they return most key offensive contributors, and lose some important pieces on defense. Eastern should be one of the weaker oponents all around that Michigan plays this fall.

Posted under Analysis, Football

Pushed back a day because I didn’t have internet available over Memorial Day weekend. I’ve also fallen behind in actually updating the board, so look for that to be rectified in the coming days.

2010 Michigan Recruiting Board.

TN QB Barry Brunetti is focused on Penn State, West Virginia, and Mississippi State. He’s a little further down Michigan’s QB board, as the Wolverines haven’t offered yet. However, if Michigan’s other options start falling through, he could be an option down the road – if he doesn’t make a decision before that point.

FL QB Jeffrey Godfrey is taking an extra courseload so he can enroll early at the school of his choice.

OK QB/WR DeMarco Cobbs has a top 10 list, and Michigan is not on it. He says it’s not firm quite yet, so I won’t remove him from the board, but he’s teetering pretty close to removal. He has stated he wants to play WR in college, so Michigan’s opportunity at QB is probably not a huge draw for him.

Absolutely non-informative recruiting fluff about AR RB Michael Dyer. When the entire article is simply asking questions like “What are the chances this five-star recruit will be lined up behind Tyler Wilson or Ryan Mallet for the Arkansas Razorbacks?,” you just don’t have enough material to write an article, dude. The least you can do is include a scouting report or an interview with the kid.

LA Slot Trovon Reed is starting to plan out his summer visits – and Michigan isn’t on the list at this point (Florida, USC, LSU, and Oregon are). With Drew Dileo and Tony Drake already committed, have the Wolverines missed out on their opportunity to land a top-flight slot like Reed? I’ve discussed this recruiting method recently, and though there’s no indication the Wolverines would have been a major player for Trovon, it certainly doesn’t help that there’s apparently no room for him. Reed is part of the planned mega-package including TX RB Lache Seastrunk, and not having any spots available for superstar prospects may be a troubling sign for this class. Speaking of Seastrunk, he performed well in his high school’s spring game.

Speaking of top-flight running backs, SC RB Marcus Lattimore has definitely backed off his claim that Michigan was definitely in his top 5. His current top five consists of Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, North Carolina, and Penn State (in order). No word on whether he still plans to take an official visit to Michigan for the Ohio State game in November.

Tennessee-tilted fluff on FL OL Torrian Wilson. It’s odd that they mention Michigan as “among his top schools” when he’s said in no uncertain terms to national recruiting reporters that Michigan is certainly his #1 school, but whatever. Wilson plans to visit some of the schools he’s interested in this summer (he already visited Michigan for the spring game), and he might be making an early decision.

Michigan has been in contact with FL OL Perry Meiklejohn, according to Phil Kornblut. Though the Wolverines haven’t offered yet, he may be somebody to watch down the road. Also interesting from that article: read from the top, regarding how coaches can affect the star rankings of certain prospects. I wouldn’t say it’s evidence to completely ignore star ratings, but it’s definitely enough (alon gwith other factors) to prompt me to take them with a grain of salt.

PA DT Sharrif Floyd is now hearing from the SEC. He’s tied for 4th among defensive tackles to Rivals. In a down year for talent at the position, and a year of major need for the Wolverines at said position, Floyd is probably one of their top targets along the defensive line.

Speaking of needs at DT, there’s a decent in-state prospect in Jonathan Hankins. This fluff article is (understandably) State-slanted, and it sounds as though both Michigan and Michigan State are planning to offer if he has good performances at their respective summer camps. one thing to keep in mind: he’s a teammate of 5-star OLB prospect William Gholston, and according to the article, the two are pretty good friends. Gholston will attend the Big House BBQ (info in header).

Fluff with video on FL DE/DT Corey Lemonier. His current top-4-ish substance does not include Michigan, and it seems that they aren’t heavily pursuing Corey at all. He does list early playing time as one of the key factors in his decision.

Quick scouting report on NY DE Dominique Easley, who holds a Michigan offer.

FL LB Christian Jones continues to assert that he is not a Florida State lock (though that may be lip service to some of the other schools recruiting him). What I hadn’t previously realized about him: his team last year was terrible. It’s certainly not a reason to not recruit a talented kid, but there is certainly a school of thought out there that recruiting players from programs that are successful year after year (Muskegon, Massillon Washington, Pahokee, Miami Northwestern) brings in players who are ready to win, and used to winning. It also means it’s more likely that there are players from the school in future classes for establishing pipelines.

OH LB/S Kurtis Drummond, a high school teammate of RB prospect Andre Givens, is planning to make a visit to Michigan for the Big House BBQ (info in header). I’ve added him to the board.

FL S/CB Lamarcus Joyner hasn’t mentioned Michigan at all lately, and it seems as though he’s narrowed down his list of possibilities to Ohio State, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Tennessee, and USC. One more article indicating a narrowed focus should be enough to completely remove him from the board.

Springtime means track updates!

OH WR/DB commit DJ Williamson excels on the track, not that the Youngstown Vindicator finds us worthy of knowing the actual times:

Deaver Williamson topped the field in both the 100 and 200…

The Raiders’ 4×100 and 4×200 (meet record) relays had the top times and featured Logan, Seawood, Threats and Williamson — the same group that competed at the prestigious Penn Relays earlier this season.

“We did what we expected to do today,” said Williamson. “The heat and the wind and having the back-to-back races made it tough, but we just kept our minds straight and had a good attitude for our races.

“We really want to win state in the 4×100 this year. It was really crazy at Penn, running against the Jamaicans and I think we surprised ourselves a little bit [fourth in the big school division]. We’ll have some good competition next week, so we need to keep our No. 1 spot.”

PA Slot Receiver Alex Kenney logs a 10.67 100m time. He also plans to commit before his senior season – and embraces rastafari ideals… uh… maybe he’ll fit in well at Penn State?

CA S/WR Robert Woods runs a 47.31 and 21.43 in the 400 and 200m, respectively.

2009 OH RB Commit Fitzgerald Toussaint wins the 100m and 4×100, and comes in second in the 200m – all on a hurt wheel. The 100m time was a 10.96, despite the injured hamstring.

The Wolverines have added another class of 2009 walkon, Joe Reynolds from Rochester Adams. Reynolds will attend Michigan on track scholarship, but has also been invited to participate as a wide receiver for the football team. He caught passes for 700 yards and 9 touchdowns as a senior at Adams.

Removals…

OH TE Alex Welch commits to Notre Dame.

CA OL Matthew Jakubiec commits to Arizona.

FL CB Derek Owens has reiterated that he will be a package deal with his teammate and friend, WR Marquel Wade. Considering Michigan is in pretty good shape with a number of DBs (including fellow Floridian Rashad Knight), and they are certainly not in the market for more WRs except for maybe top-flight guys who can play multiple positions, I’ve made the executive decision that both Owens and Wade are removed from the board.

Posted under Football, Recruiting

Apologies for the lack of posting over Memorial Day weekend. Let’s get back into it with some recruiting class rankings. Compare to the previous edition of the recruiting class rankings.

No changes since last rankings.

#1 Michigan – 10 commits
Name	Pos	Rivals	Scout	ESPN
Ricardo Miller	WR	****	****	150*
Devin Gardner	QB	****	****	150*
Marvin Robinson	S	****	****	150*
Jerald Robinson	WR	****	****	77
Jeremy Jackson	WR	***	***	150*
Stephen Hopkins	RB	***	***	77
Antonio Kinard	LB	***	***	77
Tony Drake	RB	***	NR	77
Drew Dileo	WR	***	NR	75
DJ Williamson	WR	NR	NR	NR

Nothing new for Michigan. I’m still surprised a guy with Williamson’s speed and size doesn’t get at least 3-star status. ESPN still lists Travis Williams as committed to Michigan because their recruiting coverage is incompetent.

#2 Ohio State – 5 commits
Name	Pos	Rivals	Scout	ESPN
Andrew Norwell	OL	****	*****	150*
Jamel Turner	DE	****	*****	150*
JT Moore	DE	****	***	78
Scott McVey	LB	***	***	77
David Durham	LB	***	NR	150*

David Durham picks up a 3-star rating from Rivals.

#3 Penn State – 5 commits
Name	Pos	Rivals	Scout	ESPN
Paul Jones	QB	****	*****	150*
Adrian Coxson	WR	****	****	150*
Silas Redd	RB	****	****	79
Mike Hull	LB	****	****	77
Luke Graham	OL	NR	***	NR

Penn State passes Notre Dame, as their commit list is far more impressive overall at this time.

#4 Notre Dame – 3 commits
Name	Pos	Rivals	Scout	ESPN
Chris Martin	DE	*****	*****	150*
Christian Lombard	OL	***	****	150*
Daniel Smith	WR	***	****	78

Notre Dame has been stagnating with these three commits for quite some time.

#5 Minnesota – 4 commits
Name	Pos	Rivals	Scout	ESPN
Jimmy Gjere	OL	****	****	79
Lamonte Edwards	Ath	****	***	76
Antoine Lewis	WR	***	***	76
Tom Parish	QB	***	NR	73

Antoine Lewis gets 3-star ranking from Rivals.

#6 Illinois – 3 commits
Name	Pos.	Rivals	Scout	ESPN
Corey Cooper	CB	****	****	150*
Chandler Whitmer	QB	***	***	150*
Shawn Afryl	OL	***	***	69

Nothing new for the Illini.

#7 Michigan State – 2 commits
Name	Pos.	Rivals	Scout	ESPN
Max Bullough	LB	****	****	150*
Tony Lippett	WR	NR	NR	78

Lippett still unrated. ESPN ranks him higher than most of Michigan’s commits, which like, wow, you’re dumb.

#8 Iowa – 3 commits
Name	Pos.	Rivals	Scout	ESPN
Austin Gray	LB	***	***	77
James Morris	LB	***	***	74
Jim Poggi	LB	NR	NR	NR

Gray and Morris each get 3-star ratings from Rivals.

#9 Wisconsin – 2 commits
Name	Pos.	Rivals	Scout	ESPN
Konrad Zagzebski	LB	***	***	76
Marquis Mason	WR	***	NR	NR

Zagzebski and Mason still the only Badgers holding it down.

#10 Indiana – 1 commit
Name	Pos.	Rivals	Scout	ESPN
Andre Kates	CB	NR	NR	NR

Indiana grabs JuCo Andre Kates to get on board.

Northwestern, Purdue – 0 commits.

Posted under Football, Recruiting

Josh Helmholdt fluff in the Free Press about MI QB Commit Devin Gardner‘s recent performance at the Midwest Elite Camp. The article masterfully spews a couple hundred words without actually talking about performance at the camp. The biggest conclusion you can draw is “Devin Gardner is a dual-threat quarterback, and was present,” which, like, duh. There’s also a rather brief mention that his mechanics need work before he’s able to contribute at the next level, which anyone who follows Michigan recruiting in any capacity already knew. MI QB Robert Bolden was also there, but the boilerplate discussion doesn’t give much of a scouting report or recruiting vibe on him, either.

IS QB AJ Derby is back from an Elite 11 camp and campus tour on the west coast, and is talking a little recruiting. He’ll narrow down to a top 8 or top 5 sometime over the summer, and make all of his official visits. Michigan offered him as a QB a couple weeks ago, and is likely to make at least his first cut.

CA RB Malcolm Jones has a top three of Stanford, UCLA, and Oklahoma (info in header). Michigan doesn’t seem to be particularly interested in him, so his presence on the board may be starting to head towards an end.

SC RB/CB Jerrell Priester says he’ll camp at Michigan this summer. He doesn’t have an offer yet, but that might be a good opportunity for him to earn one. Of course, Michigan’s chances for a guy who comes out with a quote like this:

“Notre Dame is at the top of the list, but it’s open,” he said. “I’ve got to go where I’m wanted and do the best for me.”

are probably not superb.

Though it was reported last week that FL WR Fred Pickett had committed to West Virginia, both he and his coach say that is not in fact the case. Though Pickett’s likelihood of landing in Ann Arbor is approximately zero, this is still somewhat relevant to Michigan fans. Pahokee head coach Blaze Thompson says he’s now instructing his players (several of whom Michigan has offered, including WRs De’Joshua Johnson and Chris Dunkley, CB Merrill Noel, and others) to take their time in the recruiting process, and not rush into a decision that they’ll change later. This follows last year’s saga of Nu’Keese Richardson, who committed to Florida, then was snake-oiled away by Lane Kiffin. Speaking of the Pahokee boys, DT Antonio Ford plans to visit Michigan next month. And let the Pahokee fluff keep on coming, as Sam Webb discusses Michigan’s connection to the tiny Florida town in the Detroit News. Included is a scouting report of LB Zachery Allen:

“The thing with Allen is upside,” Vogt said. “More and more schools are intrigued by him. Right now, he’s maybe a little bit undersized for the positions that colleges are recruiting him for, but he has an outstanding frame, he can run, and he’s very physical at the point of attack. He’s one of those players who projects well at the next level because when he gets into a college weight training program they are going to sculpt him. He’s going to be an outside linebacker at 6-2, 230 that can really get after it.”

…and the information that Michigan probably has a good chance with Noel, DT Richard Ash, Allen, and even Dunkley.

General defensive recruiting fluff by Josh Helmholdt in the Free Press. Of note: the Wolverines lead for PA CB Cullen Christian and FL CB Rashad Knight still.

Michigan has offered NC S Keenan Allen. He hails from the same high school as DT prospect Gabe King (though King will not be eligible to participate this fall). They have also offered another teammate, 6-6 LB Chris McCain, according to the article.

Michigan zipped an offer to OH S/Ath Bobby Swigert (info in header). It’s one of his first high-BCS-level offers, along with Pitt and Colorado, and the Wolverines are looking to figure prominently in his recruitment.

Michigan has offered TX S Marquis Flowers (info in header).

MD S Lorenzo Waters plans to make a visit to Ann Arbor this summer (info in header).

FL CB Lorenza Wood has a list of four favorites: Notre Dame, Michigan, Stanford, and Ole Miss. Michigan was his heavy favorite early in the recruiting process, but a visit to South Bend has changed the wind. After chatting with Notre Dame DC (and former Wolverine DB) Corwin Brown, the Irish are now considered to be on top. Wood plans to decide in July.

Re-removed MD CB Louis Young, who reaffirmed his commitment to Stanford. Young had stated that he was interested in other schools earlier this spring, but now says he’ll stick with the Cardinal.

And in class of 2009 news, The Big House Blog brings the scoop on a new walk-on punter who plans to enroll in Ann Arbor this fall. Kristopher Pauloski, from Indianapolis Pike High School was first-team all-area last year.

Posted under Football, Recruiting

My apologies. For the time being, allow me to remind of the NCAA Softball Super REgional taking place at the Wilpon Complex 8PM tonight, and entertain you with a keyboard cat video:

Posted under Football

You have the offseason to thank for these essentially content-free posts.

The Rimington Award, given to the nation’s top center, has released its watch list for the 2009 season. At this point, it’s basically little more than a list of returning starters at teams of note, bu David Molk is on it, so pay attention we will. Molk is one of only 5 sophomores on the list, and if the offensive line makes the huge leap that most Michigan fans are expecting (more on that next week), he could stand a chance to make it through a couple rounds of cuts. (HT: DocSat)

Rivals gives a little fluffery on incoming freshman running back Teric Jones. Jones’s track exploits (10.99 100m) are discussed, along with his efforts to bulk up with past-and-future teammate Thomas Gordon, using workout techniques that they learned from Mike Barwis. Jones will be a slot/RB at Michigan.

As was expected, outgoing WR Toney Clemons will transfer to Colorado, where he is a better fit for the offensive system. Clemons was put in a really tough spot last year, forced to play a slot role that he didn’t really fit in. Best of luck to him in the future, and may he find other white rappers with whom to make dorm room videos.
D.Cone Goin In For Life.

I encourage all who can to make it out to the Softball Super Regional tomorrow at Alumni Field. The game takes place at 8PM, and tickets are available at the Michigan Ticket Office. If you’re unable to make it out, you can watch on ESPN.

Posted under Football, Other Sports, Personnel

In the name of paring down the board a bit, I’m going to put out notices for a few guys, and if I don’t hear anything about them sometime soon, they will be removed as well:
QB Trett Hardman. Listed on Rivals as a pro-style guy without any offers. There’s still news about him every so often, but nothing indicating a Michigan-level prospect (save nomination for the Army Game, along with everyone else in the country).
QB Willie Ballard. There is almost never any news on him, and it doesn’t seem like he’ll be a Michigan prospect at this point. He’ll get the benefit of the doubt as someone who might help keep a pipline (Trotwood-Madison) open.
QB Derek Roback. So far, only holds MAC offers, and doesn’t seem to be a Michigan-level prospect.
QB Detchauz Wray. See above.
QB Santez Emory. Hear verrry little about him, and even less with regards to a Michigan connection.
RB AG Middlebrooks. No rumblings of Michigan interest, and there are already offers out to plenty of other guys.
RB James Gillum. See above.
RB Malcolm Jones. Most consider him a USC lock.
WRs – take your pick. I doubt Michigan needs another in this class, so I’ll start paring them down, on the basis of Michigan interest. Soloman Patton, Ted Meline, Devonte Stamps, Markeith Ambles, Eric Dungy, Tyron Williams, Steven Green, CJ Bostic, Quincy Newson, BJ Chitty, and others are all on notice.
OL Aleon Calhoun. Hear very little about him.
OL Timothy Jones. I’ve heard literally nothing on this kid since he’s been on the board.
OL Dakota Anderson. Haven’t heard of any Michigan connection.
OL Malcolm Bennell. Heard next to no news on him.
OL Clint Shepherd. No news of a Michigan connection.
DT Jeff Lynch. I hear very little news on this kid.
DT Michael Thornton. Never hear of any Michigan connection.
DT Sean Herron. No news at all.
DE Keevon Newsome. Hear surprisingly little recruiting news, and methinks the relationship with Michigan is frosty at best.
DE Martaze Jackson. Don’t hear much news, and he’s expected to stay in Alabama.
DE Ty Cline. No news.
DE Geneo Grissom. After initially expressing a ton of interest in Michigan, he’s been silent for quite some time.
LB Rickey Simpson. Have heard nothing on him.
LB Chase Williams. Hear nothing.
CB Derek Owens. The other day, I postulated I should add his WR pal to the board, since they intend to be a package deal. I probably should have gone the other way, and removed Owens.
CB Torrey Cordell. I hear nothing about him.

I’ll give most other guys the benefit of the doubt (and am willing to listen if there’s a specific reason you think I should do the same for any of these guys), however, the leash is getting shorter as I get sick of hearing about guys who don’t stand a chance of ending up Blue.

Posted under Football, Recruiting

More extensive previews coming as the season approaches, and this preview is a way to get a first look at the team, and also be corrected on anything I might have wrong. Highlighted players in the charts below are returning for 2009. Notre Dame’s website is poorly designed, plus they’re too good to “redshirt” they “grant 5th-year eligibility” which is the exact same thing under a more pretentious name.

Notre Dame Offense

QBs
It’s unclear whether Evan Sharpley will return for his redshirt senior year, since he’s bigger into the baseball than football, in my recollection. Fear not though, incoming freshman Dayne Crist is expected to be the new 5-year Heisman winner for the Irish, and he might end up being the backup over Sharpley.

Statistics

Notre Dame QBs Passing 2008
Name	Comp	Att	%	Yds	TD	Int	Yds/Att
Jimmy Clausen	268	440	60.91	3172	25	17	7.21
Evan Sharpley	3	5	60.00	18	0	0	3.60

Notre Dame QBs Rushing 2008
Name	Rush	Yds	TD	Yds/Rush
Evan Sharpley	4	1	0	0.25
Jimmy Clausen	54	-73	0	-1.35

Analysis
Clausen took a big leap forward last year (partially a product of a functional-ish offense), and if he continues that, he might finally live up to about a third of the hype he got coming out of high school. If he gets hurt, however, it’ll be either a true freshman (Crist) or a guy who has never participated in spring practice because he’s busy playing baseball (Sharpley) backing his up.

RBs
Like many positions on this team, the Irish return everyone of note at the running back position. Expect Gray to get a little more action this year, as he’ll no longer be a true freshman. Allen and Hughes will likely still carry the load, however.

Statistics

Notre Dame RBs Rushing 2008
Name	Rush	Yds	TD	Yds/Rush
Armando Allen	134	585	3	4.37
Robert Hughes	112	382	4	3.41
James Aldridge	91	357	3	3.92
Jonas Gray	21	90	0	4.23
Asaph Schwapp (FB)	1	2	0	2.00

Notore Dame RBs Receiving 2008
Name	Rec	Yds	TD	Yds/Rec
Armando Allen	50	355	2	7.1
Robert Hughes	14	93	0	6.64
Asaph Schwapp	2	13	0	6.50
James Aldridge	3	1	0	0.33

Analysis
This is a definite position of strength for the Irish – at least as much as it can be, since they’ve run the ball pretty inconsistently ever since Weis has been around, and much more so in the past couple years. How much of that is offensive line play, and how much should be on the backs? We’ll see.

Receivers
Golden Tate was a star-in-the-making last year, and he’ll certainly start all of 2009. His best fit might be at the slot in 3-wide (or 4-wide) sets, giving other players a chance to step up on the outside as well. Floyd is a big reeiver in the Braylon mold, and Rudolph will try to bring some playmaking back to the tight end position, which the Irish haven’t had consistently since Anthony Fasano left.

Statistics

Notre Dame Receivers 2008
Name	Rec	Yds	TD	Yds/Rec
Golden Tate	58	1080	10	18.62
Michael Floyd	48	719	7	14.98
David Grimes	35	321	3	9.17
Kyle Rudolph (TE)	29	340	2	11.72
Duval Kamara	20	206	1	10.30
Robby Parris	9	50	0	5.56
George West	1	6	0	6.00
Will Yeatman (TE)	2	6	0	3.00

Analysis
Tate is a great deep threat, as Michigan fans are all too aware. The other guys were good last year, but not particularly exciting. Caveat: This was a very young unit last year, and with another year of experience under their belts, they should be able to do more in the offense.

Offensive Line

Lineup
Paul Duncan, a fifth-year senior, is expected to start at left tackle, after taking an injury redshirt last year. He should be backed up by highly-touted and very-ugly junior Matt Romine. At left guard, 5th-year senior Eric Olsen will start, with redshirt sophomore Andrew Nuss behind him. At center, redshirt junior Dan Wenger will be backed up by Braxton Cave. Chris Stewart, a redshirt junior, will be right guard, with Mike & Mike spawn Mike GOlic Jr. moving from center to back him up. At right tackle, junior Sam Young, who has been awful in each of his previous campaigns, despite lofty #1-overall-recruit status, will be spelled by Lane Clelland.

Analysis
The Irish offensive line has been crap for the past couple years. They were slightly better last year, and Notre ame has canned the offensive line coach in an attempt to make things at least adequate. They return several starters, and there is no excuse (not that there was last year, and there was only a limited one the previous year) for yet another terrible performance. Paul Duncan struggled at LT before being replaced (an injury expedited this move) last year.

Offensive Analysis
The Notre Dame offense finally has some experience after the past couple years oscillating between terrible and mediocre. Still, you have to wonder exactly how shrewd Weis is, since he’s supposedly an offensive genius, and his teams have mostly been utter crap the past two years. Spare me the “Willingham’s last two classes sucked” mantra as well. Weis’s 3-8 year was with players from HIS recruiting classes that would have been juniors at the time. Sounds like his first 2-3 recruiting classes must not have been all that great either. For someone whose motto is “no excuses,” making excuses seems to be all that Weis does. If Clausen can make another step forward in ’09 (and, sadly, Weis’s track record implies that he will), the Irish offense should be able to move the ball fairly well.

Notre Dame Defense

Defensive Line
This all depends on whether the Irish make up their mind with regards to the 4-3 v. 3-4 debate. With Tenuta likely gaining clout within the staff (and with good reason – he’s a bigname coordinator), I would expect the 3-4. Pat Kuntz and Justin Brown are both gone, and Ethan Johnson will step up to fill one of the DE spots full-time. He’s put on a ton of weight (Michigan wanted him as a 4-3 DE coming out of high school , when he weighed around 240), and Irish fans are hoping he’ll be able to occupy a couple gaps. Ian Williams and Morrice Richardson should be the other starters. Behind them, there is scary little depth.

Statistics

Name	Tack	TFL	Sack	Int	Fum
Patrick Kuntz	42	8	3	1	1
Ian Williams	40	2	0	0	0
Justin Brown	24	4.5	0	0	0
Ethan Johnson	17	4	3.5	0	0
Morrice Richardson	11	0.5	0.5	0	0
Emeka Nwankwo	2	0	0	0	0

Analysis
If the starters can’t step up into full-time roles, the Irish DL could be in trouble. This is especially troubling in the 3-4 defense, where the DL is absolutely vital to keeping the playmaking linebackers unblocked. Still, the starters should be adequate, if not better. Johnson excelled at getting to the QB last year, so it’ll be interesting to see how he is utilized in ’09.

Linebackers
Maurice Crum is gone, but the Irish had plenty of linebackers get some experience and playing time last year. Brian Smith and Darius Fleming will play big roles for the defense, along with Kerry Neal. Toryan Smith and Steve Quinn should compete to be the 4th linebacker starting for the Irish. Incoming freshman Manti Te’o is the most exciting player (at least based on guru ratings), so expect him to play as well.

Statistics

Notre Dame Linebackers 2008
Name	Tack	TFL	Sack	Int	Fum
Maurice Crum	65	5.5	3	0	0
Brian Smith	54	4	2	0	1
Darius Fleming	25	2.5	2.5	0	0
Kerry Neal	25	4	2	1	0
Toryan Smith	18	0	0	0	1
Steve Quinn	14	3	3	0	0
Scott Smith	12	1	1	0	0
John Ryan	7	0	0	0	0
Steve Filer	1	0	0	0	0
Kevin Washington	1	0	0	0	0

Analysis
Crum wasn’t so much a star as a guy put in position to make plays and making them. None of the replacement players are flashy either, but they should be able to step in and make the plays that Crum did. That said, they won’t do anything that makes you say “wow,” either. They’ll just be a group getting the job done. Te’o brings the flair some, and he may leave on a Mormon mission, so don’t be surprised if the Irish play him early, to get as much as they can out of the guy.

Defensive Backs
The Irish lose Davis Bruton, who was a pretty good player at one of the safety positions. Harrison Smith will replace him, and Kyle McCarthy will return at the other safety spot. Raeshon McNeil will return at one corner position, and Robert Blanton was a pseudo-starter at the other spot by the end of the year, so he’ll probably man the other position. Terrail Lambert, the player he is replacing, was oft-maligned by Irish fans, so I don’t think they’ll lament his departure, except in terms of depth.

Statistics

Notre Dame Defensive Backs 2008
Name	Tack	TFL	Sack	Int
Kyle McCarthy	110	3.5	0	2
David Bruton	97	1.5	0	4
Harrison Smith	57	8.5	3.5	0
Raeshon McNeil	41	0	0	2
Robert Blanton	33	3	0	2
Terrail Lambert	33	0	0	0
Sergio Brown	28	2	1	0
Mike Anello	23	0	0	0
Ray Herring	17	0	0	0
Gary Gray	15	0	0	2
Leonard Gordon	5	0	0	0
John Leonis	1	0	0	0

Analysis
McCarthy is a safety in the “hey look we have a white safety” Tom Zbikowski mold, and he’s similarly… adequate. Losing Bruton could be a pretty big hit for the Irish, as he was their best ballhawk, in addition to being the guy who made a lot of plays for the Irish. Harrison Smith was more of a designated blitzer than a true safty often last year (think Brandon Harrison), so he might struggle to make a transition to playing deep. The corners should be decent, but the depth there is not great.

Defensive Analysis
The 3-4, assuming the Irish plan to use it as their identity full-time now, really relies on defensive linemen to occupy the offensive line, leaving the linebackers free to make plays. In that light, losing 2 defensive linemen is a pretty huge question mark, especially when the leading tackler at linebacker is gone. Another interesting note is that the linebacking corps didn’t make a ton of plays behind the line of scrimmage, which is one thing that the 3-4 defense is designed to allow them to do. Is that a scheme matter or just a lack of good enough bodies? If they switch back the the 4-3 fulltime, they still are very weak along the defensive line, but the linebackers are less of an issue. The secondary should be pretty good, though without a ton of depth. It seems as though Michigan’s run-game strength should be able to run the ball fairly well against the Irish. Will it be enough?

Special Teams

Punter Eric Maust returns, as does kicker Brandon Walker.

Statistics

Notre Dame Kicking 2008
Name	XPM	XPA	%	FGM	FGA	Long	%
Brandon Walker	39	39	100.00	14	24	48	58.33

Notre Dame Punting 2008
Name	Punt	Yds	Yds/Punt
Ben Armer	50	2032	40.64

Analysis
Walker was money on extra points last year, but boy, is that field goal percentage scary. He doesn’t have a great excuse either, as it was his second year as the starter (he went 6/12 as a freshman). He has the leg, nailing a 48-yarder last year, he’s just frighteningly inconsistent. In fact, that led, in part, to the Irish’s demise against GERG last year, as he missed 3(!) of his 6(!) field goal attempts.

Overall Analysis

The Irish return enough talented players to take a huge leap forward in 2009 – though we were saying the same thing last year. This is a definite make-or-break year for Weis, and if he can’t win with this team, it just shows that he isn’t cut out to be a head coach at the college level. The Irish will be strong on offense, which should really drive this team. The question remains: which was the real Irish offense, the one we saw against BC or the one we saw against Hawaii? I’d lean more towards BC, since the Warriors had a pitiful defense last year.

Posted under Analysis, Football

I hadn’t heard quite the pessimism on TX QB Jeremy Johnson that Brian apparently had, which was deemed enough to remove him from the recruiting board, but “Michigan Back in it for Johnson” certainly implies that 1) Michigan wasn’t in it recently, and 2) that he’s not someone Michigan fans should forget about quite yet.

SC QB Ker’Sean Wilson is still drawing some Michigan interest. He’s obviously quite far down the list of prospects.

SC RB Marcus Lattimore talks his favorites in a (free) diary on ThebigSpur.com:

Nothing has really changes as far as my leaders, but I am going to North Carolina and I have a feeling I am going to really like it there. Auburn is still at the top, followed by Florida State and Georgia.

After stating in absolute terms that he would be giving Michigan an official visit this season, this is a big step back. However, if Michigan still wants him (and there’s no indication that they wouldn’t), there’s plenty of time to get back in his recruitment, especially if he makes it to campus in November.

You may remember from last year that the coaching staff held a “Barbecue at the Big House” recruiting event in the spring. They plan on holding that event again, and so we’ll hear names trickle in of guys that plan to attend (and we can assume that most players within reasonable driving distance will show up). Add a confirmation from NJ RB/Ath Tony Jones (info in header). I assume that the staff is looking at Jones as an athlete/slot/defensive back rather than a ballcarrier, but that’s my opinion based on numbers and nothing more.

Removed FL WR Fred Pickett. The transfer to Pahokee has given a verbal commitment to West Virginia.

OH TE Alex Welch is adding to his offer list, picking up Oklahoma and Notre Dame recently. Michigan was among the earlier of his bigtime offers, and they didn’t take a tight end in the last recruiting class, so perhaps they’ll have a pretty good shot with him.

MI DT Tremondae Branch is feelin’ Arkansas. He doesn’t report offers from bigtime schools closer to home, but Michigan and MSU are allegedly “showing interest.” A camp appearance is likely the soonest that Branch would see an offer come through.

Entirely non-informative ESPN fluff on MI DE William Gholston. The only potentially relevant snippet is that he still intends to be kept at linebacker in college. Michigan will afford him that opportunity, and State probably wouldn’t, which is a big bonus for the Wolverines. Gholston will participate in the Under Armour All-American game. One bonus bit of fluff:

Tom Lemming of CBS College Sports has rated high school football prospects for 30 years. His magazine, Prep Football Report, is well respected throughout recruiting circles. He said the class of 2010 in Michigan is one of the best he’s seen in this state.

“It’s a very good year,” he said. “I’ll probably have two players from Michigan in my top 10. (Quarterback) Devin Gardner (Inkster) is the real thing. He has an NFL body. William Gholston (Detroit Southeastern) has long arms, quick feet and a good burst. It’s a good year for defensive ends and he’s right there with the best of them.”

His national top 10? That would be crazy, not that I’m complaining.

IN DE Blake Lueders has officially narrowed his list of suitors to a final 5. Michigan is not on the list (Stanford, Wake Forest, Boston College, Notre Dame, and Northwestern are), so he’s been removed from the recruiting board.

As mentioned above, the “Barbecue at the Big House” is going to be a fairly large recruiting event, and per mgoblog’s Tom Van Haaren, PA DE/LB Ken Wilkins plans to attend. Better yet, he may have his mind on committing, if the Wolverines will have him. I’ve added him to the board, though I’ve seen no indication of whether he’s been offered.

WA LB Zach Fogerson received a Michigan offer last week, and it seemed to open his mind to a decommitment (info in header). However, he’s apparently firmed up his commitment to the Huskies since then. Since the offer from Rich rodriguez seemed to mean so much to him, I would be surprised if his recruitment is completely wrapped up. I’ll add him to the board for now, but be wary of him if he continues saying he won’t take other visits.

More fluff on FL LB Christian Jones. HIs work ethic is praised, though there are still the signs that Florida State probably has an insurmountable lead for his services. It appears at this time as thought the Gators might be the only team capable of catching FSU.

MD DBs Jeff Knox and Michael Coley are both holding MIchigan offers, and they both intend to make a visit to Michigan over the summer. The Wolverines have also offered a couple of their teammates, so don’t be surprised if there is a DeMatha contingent on campus something this summer (for summer camp?).

OH S Latwan Anderson runs track:

The Tarblooders were without ailing but almost healed junior sprinter Tony Foster, but were aided by the recent addition of junior Latwan Anderson, a transfer from St. Edward. He was fourth in the 100 (11.4), won the 200 (21.3) and ran on the winning 4×100 and 4×200 relays.

“He asked to come out for the team on Monday,” Glenville coach Tony Overton said. “Latwan is a little out of shape, but he’s working hard.”

Hurray track updates.

Speaking of track updates, OH WR/DB commit DJ Williamson is fairly accomplished himself:

“This title means a lot because it’s the last one,” said junior Deaver Williamson, who tied the league record in the 100 (10.6) and broke the 200 mark (21.40) to tie classmate Marvin Logan for the points title. “We wanted to come out and win both sides, boys and girls, and put our names in history forever.”

I’m still schocked that Rivals and/or Scout haven’t bumped him at least up to three stars on the basis of size and blistering speed.

More track? More track. Dior Mathis is one of Southeast Michigan’s best sprinters, with a new personal best 100m time of 10.71.

I’m not ready to call PA CB Cullen Christian a lock (hell, I’m barely ready to call committed players like Marvin Robinson locks), but he certainly doesn’t seem interested in other offers:

As the far as the Colorado, Christian adds “its very exciting for me to get an offer from the Big 12.”

Can that be interpreted realistically in any other way than “I have no interest in your school, but the situation requires that I say something nice.”? I think not.

Re-removed MD CB Louis Young, who recommitted to Stanford, after decommitting earlier this spring.

Posted under Football, Recruiting