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

Sam McGuffie, he of the perpetually-delayed announcement, is set to announce at his school this Friday. McGuffie will not be announcing on television, so as to avoid the same sort of good-natured (or maybe not-so-good) that Darryl Stonum was subjected to when he announced.

UPDATE: Or maybe he doesn’t mind being harassed on TV. He’s announcing on Sunday.

Obligatory Video Action

Posted under Recruiting

My work will never be as extensive as MGoBlog’s, so just take it for what it is.

Current Commits: 12

Projected Scholarships: 17

Stonum and Koger have been moved to committed, and Middleton was dropped from TE recruiting (he will be pursued as a DE). Christian Wilson moved to presumed lean. Hale and Saddler moved to presumed leans (UM and WVU in top 2). With the addition of Threet to QB commits (though he is an ’07 recruit), all other prospects removed from the board, as Michigan is done at the position. Fred Smith moved to presumed lean.

McGuffie, a presumed lean, keeps having his announcement pushed back. Most recently, it was to be this coming Sunday night, but it has been pushed back again.

Posted under Recruiting

More commits! Hooray!

Kevin Koger, the first legitimate 50-50 battle between UM and OSU, has committed to the Wolverines. Koger is a 4-star TE/DE from Toledo Whitmer. He is, like, good. Enjoy some happy fun video, courtesy of Scouting Ohio.

Also, just an fyi, I’ll be out of town this weekend, with dubious internet connectivity. I’ll tell Paul to pick up the slack I leave, but my apologies if he doesn’t post with the same frequency that I do (1+ times per day).

Posted under Recruiting

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

Is it September yet?

Tier 1
Michigan 12-0 (8-0)
Wisconsin 11-1 (7-1)
Penn State 10-2 (6-2)
Tier 1a
Ohio State 9-3 (5-3)
Tier 2
Illinois 7-5 (4-4)
Iowa 7-5 (4-4)
Purdue 6-6 (4-4)
Michigan State 6-6 (3-5)
Tier 3
Minnesota 6-6 (2-6)
Indiana 4-8 (1-7)
Northwestern 3-9 (0-8)

These are based on first look at the schedule, and things can still change over the summer, especially when we get a more clear idea of lineups.

Non-conference teams with more than one Big Ten opponent:
Syracuse (0-2)
Ball State (0-2)
Bowling Green (0-2)
Eastern Michigan (0-2)
Northern Illinois (0-2)
Western Michigan (1-1)
Notre Dame (1-3)

Posted under Analysis

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

Originally, the announcement of the new Michigan apparel deal with Adidas rubbed me the wrong way. The tradition of Michigan being one of the original Nike schools, and the affinity I gained for Nike by virtue of their officially licensed UM gear really made me wish that Michigan would have stayed with the swoosh.

However, upon further reflection, I realized that these reasons weren’t good enough. If anything, they are actually criticisms of the athletic department by many Michigan fans: doing things the way they’ve always been done because that’s the way they’ve always been done, or because tradition mandates it. So in the end, while I’m sad to see something that has become somewhat of a tradition (being one of the original Nike schools) come to an end, it’s time.

There are also definite advantages of switching from Nike to Adidas as well. As mentioned by Brian, Nike has lately seen itself as the spectacle on display in sporting events, rather than just clothes worn during said events. The ugly Nike jerseys are no longer a threat to the aesthetics of the Michigan football team (for the record, I do not hate the piping on the away jerseys, though I’m apparently the only one). The Adidas deal also allows for slight redesigns to uniforms that may not have been possible staying with the same outfitter, allowing the Michigan look to maintain tradition without getting stale. And finally, the money factor. Michigan is making much more money out of the Adidas deal than they ever did from Nike, and the new contract has a clause guaranteeing Michigan preferred treatment from the clothier.

In the end, it’s sad to see one tradition end, but it opens the door for a new (and quote possibly better) one to begin.

Posted under Misc.

Carson Butler and Chris Richards, dismissed from the football team for being monumentally stupid, have completed their trials in the St. Patrick’s Day assault case. Butler was found not guilty, whereas Richards was guilty of aggravated assault and assault and battery.

Though found not guilty in the court of law, Butler was still deemed a troublemaker by the Michigan football program, so don’t get your hopes up about a return to the Wolverines.

Coming Soon: My thoughts on the Nike/Adidas situation, though it’s nothing more than my opinion, and even that isn’t anything particularly original.

Posted under Personnel