Mike Cox, a running back from Avon, Connecticut, has reportedly committed to become a Wolverine. Cox is a sleeper who impressed coaches at the Michigan summer camp. When they offered him this weekend, he did not hesitate to pull the trigger for the maize and blue.

Cox picked Michigan over Duke, BC, UConn, and Maryland, though he had been picking up interest from some bigger programs (i.e. Penn State) lately. He is a north-south runner with good size, who is a likely “Mr. Inside” compliment to Sam McGuffie’s “Mr. Outside,” though neither runner is incapable of going the other way. From reports, Cox sounds like a taller, less elusive version of Mike Hart.

With this commitment, Michigan is full at the true RB position for this recruiting class (Say goodbye to your Michael Shaw, Jonas Gray, or Darrell Scott pipe dreams). They will likely pick up an H-Back (Christian Wilson) to polish off the offensive backfield.

9:30 Update: Scout confirms commitment.

Posted under 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

…for 25 years. This is a sort of mixed blessing. If nothing else, it gives us a “name” program on our non-conference schedule in perpetuity, even if Notre Dame isn’t actually as good as their unnecessarily good reputation would imply.

On the other hand, it means we won’t be seeing a variety of non-conference foes who are high in the prestige factor. It will be the same old Notre Dame, over and over again, with the occasional foray into middle-of-the-pack BCS programs, with maybe a power here-and-there.

Used to playing Notre Dam,e always, I call this a net wash.

Posted under Misc.

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

Shocker of the Century!

As expected, Sam McGuffie announced his intention to become a Michigan Wolverine tonight on television. McGuffie is on of the most electrifying players in the class of 2008.

Like fellow Texan Darryl Stonum, there is a chance that McGuffie may enroll for the Winter term at Michigan.

Posted under Recruiting

From my buddy in Houston who I forced to watch the show with the announcemet. His play by play:

A Real Texan: visit fell in love
A Real Texan: coach jackson
A Real Texan: rb staff
A Real Texan: i can come in as freshman and be impact player
A Real Texan: wanna be successful as a unit
A Real Texan: what i do is what i do???
A Real Texan: not tamu b/c:
A Real Texan: wants to experience new things, and to do that, i might as well do it at university of michigan
A Real Texan: and dynamo highlights

I’ll update the recruiting grid, probably make an obligatory YouTube link and try to remember when Michigan has had this good of a recruiting class this early.

Posted under Recruiting

Sam McGuffie announces tonight on Click2Houtson’s High School sports spotlight, at 10 pm central. Stay tuned for the result.

Posted under 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