A little while back, there was a good post on Burnt Orange Nation about Texas Tech, and how a “gimmicky offense” doesn’t inherently lead to a team having poor defenses. Of course, the reason I bring this up is because of the perception that Rich Rodriguez run a gimmick offense himself, and the fear that this wouldn’t work at a high level.

Essentially, the theory goes: (1) offenses can be enginnered[sic] to take advantage of inferior athletes much more easily than defenses. (2) defenses require great athletes to be great. (3) it’s very hard to recruit great athletes to Lubbock, Texas. (4) therefore, Leach’s offenses have outpaced his defenses. Look around college football at the mid-level programs that have over-achieved in the past 10 years. What do they all have in common? Explosive offense; spotty defense.

This holds true for West Virginia to a certain extent as well. While Rodriguez’s recent success enabled him to recruit better players to Morgantown, WV, it was the Mountaineer offenses that became known around the nation, not the defenses. Recently, the defensive was able to improve based on the success of the team overall. Obviously, Michigan has been a national power, and will not have the same recruiting difficulties as Texas Tech or West Virginia.

If any of you have read the Blind Side by Michael Lewis, you’ll recall his discussion of Bill Walsh’s innovative West Coast offense. Well, NOW it’s called innovative. Back when it was introduced, it was thought of as gimmicky and voodoo. Sound familiar? Then Walsh (who himself said that defensive prowess depends primarily on having great athletes and smart football players, not a scheme) and his 49ers got a defense and won a few Super Bowls and now teams freely use the West Coast Offense as a viable system.

Of course, Michigan’s defense is expected to carry the torch in year one while the offense plays catch-up, so will the Rodriguez spread simply considered “innovative” rather than “gimmicky” in no time flat?

Leach could have been content with Tech being a mediocre team that loses to good teams with better players and beats the teams it’s supposed to. But he instead created a system that allowed his inferior players to beat the best on any given Saturday. Unfortunately for Leach, however, if his offensive system isn’t working, Tech can lose to teams that have even more inferior talent than it. Why? In short, no damn defense.

Of course, a lack of offense explained the WVU loss to Pitt, but it wasn’t because they had “no damn defense” (Pitt only put up 14 points). The lack of the system working and special teams blunders (due to Pat White’s injury and missing three field goals, respectively) were to blame here. With ability to recruit better backups and, presumably, special teams players than West Virginia, hopefully Michigan can avoid upsets of this nature.

In the end, it comes down to Michigan having a “decided schematic advantage” over the opponents (note: actual advantage, not Weis-labeled advantage) on offense, without the defensive difficulties that a team like Texas Tech or West Virginia may encounter. With an effective offensive system and the ability to recruit high-caliber defensive recruits, the sky is the limit for the Wolverines.

Posted under Coaching

For the first time in a while, the sports media are somewhat abuzz with talk of the Michigan Wolverines. Of course, I’d prefer them to discuss anything other than the potential punishment of a player, but such is life.

So why is everyone talking about how stiffly Kevin Grady is going to be punished? Because nobody knows exactly how severe the potential punishment will be. Grady is the first player to have a (public) misstep since Rodriguez took the helm in Schembechler Hall, and with such model citizens as Adam Jones and Chris Henry on his resume under the “former players” heading, there is a certain curiosity about what he will do to Grady, morbid though it may be.

The proposals range from doing nothing (as Ohio State fans think will happen, for some reason), to kicking Grady off the team. Jeff Chaney, a columnist for the Grand Rapids Press, said today on the radio that he thinks the latter is the most appropriate and likely outcome. Naturally, I disagree.

The logic Chaney followed was this: Grady is a third-teamer, and therefore must serve as an example to the rest of the team. Of course, this doesn’t take into account that making an example is widely thought of as a terrible idea. Nor does Chaney realize the modus operandi of the Rich Rodriguez staff. Just as upperclassmen and projected starters were not cut any slack in the training room, why should Grady’s status as a non-starter (which Chaney infers, rather than actually knowing) mean that he has less leeway with the coaches?

In rodriguez’s world, that isn’t how it happens. The most likely scenario is that Grady is punished during the summer, and possibly suspended for a game or two in the fall.

Posted under Coaching

Illinois Offense:
QBs
Juice Williams was expected to make a huge leap between 2006 and last year, and while his stats increased considerably, he was still the second least efficient passer in the Big Ten. The redshirt junior has the added benefit of being a runner first, passer second, which should open up more passing lanes, but this didn’t seem to help him enough. Backup Eddie McGee logged significant playing time last year, and the redshirt sophomore is faster than Juice (if not as electrifying).

Statistics:

Analysis:
Unless Williams or McGee manages to make huge strides towards being a better passer, the Illini will continue to rely on their veer-option attack, only going to the air when necessary. Without a talented back like Rashard Mendenhall to take off some of the heat, they will be relied upon to carry more of the load. If they can’t do it, the quarterback position could be a big liability for Illinois in 2008.

RBs
Last year’s leading rusher was team leader Rashard Mendenhall. He left early for the pros, and has since said some unkind things about Ron Zook (likely because of Rashard’s older brother, Walter, not getting any playing time with the Illini). Junior Daniel Dufrene, who was a junior college transfer, will start in the backfield this year. Redshirt freshman Troy Pollard, who was injured last year, is the tiny (5-8, 180) speedy type. True freshman Mikel LaShoure, who participated in spring ball, will likely be the third stringer. Paving the way will be redshirt freshman Darius Purcell, as the Illini lost fullback Russ Weil as well.

Statistics:

Analysis:
Losing Mendenhall is a huge blow. The Illini have tons of production to replace, and very little proven talent to do it. They have a couple of different style of back to give it a try, though I think that they wouldn’t excel even in tandem. Fortunately, Illinois’s unique scheme allows for other players to get a lot of offensive touches, which will help the RBs produce. Pollard was more effective before the injury last eyar, but he lacks the size to be a feature back.

Receivers:
Sophomore Arrelious Benn was Illinois’s go-to target last year, and his lack of touchdowns is more a product of Illinois’s passing ineptitude than any receiving deficiency by him. He broke several tackles to find the endzone against Penn State, and only Rashard Mendenhall was within 20 receptions of his production. True junior Jeff Cumberland is a TE/WR hybrid who typically plays away from the line. The other starting wideout is senior Kyle Hudson. he stands only 5-11, and actually had less receptions last year than DB Brian Gamble. The important departing player here is Jacob Willis. Marques Wilson and Chris James add depth. At tight end, ridiculously-named Michael Hoomanawanui is the starter. Fellow junior Tom Sullivan (my dad lolol) is the primary backup.

Statistics:

Analysis:
Gamble will probably move to offense full-time now, though I think throwing the ball to a couple DBs shows a lack of WR depth. Benn is clearly the star here, and he is electrifying on punt returns as well. If he is healthier than he was last year, it could be a special year, and his mentions on all-conference lists are warranted. The Illini didn’t lose many peple with a lot of receptions, but that’s because they didn’t have any receivers with a lot of receptions other than Benn. Look for Juice to try to spread the ball around a bit more this year.

Line:
At left tackle, senior Xavier Fulton returns. He started out his career as a defensive lineman, and after redshirting in 2006, he started every game at LT last year. At left guard, there is a battle between redshirt sophomores Brandon Jones and Randall Hunt. Each got a pair of starts last year. At center, senior Ryan McDonald returns. He has started every game at the position for the last two years. Last year he was second team all-conference. The right guard will be true junior John Asamoah, who started there last year as well. At right tackle, redshirt sophomore Ryan Palmer is projected to start. He gained some playing time last year as the second-stringer. The Illini have little depth behind the starters, which will be aided by early enrollments from three incoming offensive linemen.

Analysis:
Sack and rushing numbers are hard to compare for offensive lines when the quarterback is equal parts runner and passer. He skews rush yards upwards on scrambles, and is able to escape sacks with his feet. However, this is a fairly experienced unit, and Ryan McDonald should be their leader. The Illini’s rushing game will be more dependent on the quality of the backs than that of the offensive line.

Offensive Analysis:
Illinois was able to keep the ball on the ground last year, as Rashard Mendenhall and Juice Williams were able to run over many opponents’ defenses. With Mendenhall gone, the focus of this offense is completely on Juice. If he can pass more efficiently, there shouldn’t be that much of a dropoff in Illinois’s offensive output. However, if he is unable to keep defenses honest, the lack of a top-notch back will allow opposing defenses to shut down the Illini. Either way, he will likely remain a running QB first and foremost.

Illinois Defense:
Defensive Line:
Leading the defensive line for Illinois are returning starters Will Davis at defensive end and David Lindquist at defensive tackle. The seniors are the most experienced players in the Illini’s front 4, and Davis was a second team all-conference performer last year. At the other defensive tackle spot, redshirt freshman D’Angelo McCray is expected to start. He is massive at 6-4 330, and is likely to be a big run-stuffer. At the final position is Doug Pilcher. He has started almost every game over the past two years, and has provided good pressure off the edge. The backups are generally young, but they have experience, all having appeared in several games for the Illini already.

Statistics:

Analysis:
Illinois doesn’t depend on their defensive line to make a ton of tackles, but they di
d manage to get to the QB quite a bit. Their primary purpose is to keep the LBs available to make plays. With a much less certain LB corps this year, it will be interesting to see if that role changes. Illinois lost only a couple linemen, and several of the backups got plenty of playing time last year.

Linebackers:
J Leman, All American in both on-field performance and tie selection, is gone, along with fellow senior Antonio Steele. Both started for multiple years, and their losses will be huge. Brit Miller, the only returning starter, is a senior who will be changing positions to take over Leman’s spot in the middle. At the strongside, true sophomore Martez Wilson will take over. He was a very highly-touted recruit coming out of high school, and got some playing time last year. On the weakside, senior Rodney Pittman will take over. Despite his class standing, he has done very little in his career so far.

Statistics:

Analysis:
Unless the defensive line is beastly this year, the ilnebackers should struggle. There is little proven talent to replace Leman and Pittman, and Wilson is the only truly talented ‘backer who has gotten any significant playing time. Miller is a big boy, and Wilson has speed, so they have a good mix of skill sets to defend different types of plays.

Defensive Backs:
Vontae Davis is a very good corner, and the true junior is back after an all-conference season. At the other side is fellow junior Dere Hicks, who started every game last year. Illinois will be counting on several freshmen to serve as backups, which could mean struggles early in the year. At safety, two multi-year starters are gone, and sophomores Bo Flowers and Nate Bussey will step in. Flowers is more mature than most sophs, having played in the minor leagues for a few years. Both safeties have good size, but their backups are also inexperienced.

Statistics:

Analysis:
Two very important safeties are gone for the Illini (as well as their first backup, Justin Sanders). Davis and Hicks are good corners, but there is little depth behind them. Most of the other cornerbacks will be playing in their fifth college game. The defensive secondary has a good chance of taking a step back this year, and with little depth, they will probably be susceptible to exploitation by teams that strive to spread them out.

Defensive Analysis:
Illinois loses a good portion of their best players, aside from Vontae Davis and some of the guys along the defensive line. With new linebackers and safeties, this unit could be suspect. Their passing defense could struggle, though with strong defensive ends a speedy linebacker like Wilson, they seem particularly well-equipped to handle the read-option. Add in the fact that this is one of the few defenses that sees the option on a regular basis, and they could do well against Michigan, unless Steve Threet can excel as a passer.

Special Teams:
Jason Reda departs from the kicker position, leaving the spot for Mike Cklamovski, who was a kickoff specialist last year. Punter Anthony Santella returns. Arreilous Benn was electrifying on returns last year.

Statistics:

Analysis:
Losing Reda will hurt. He was big-legged and accurate. Santella is a decent but wholly underwhelming punter. Benn should be at least as effective as he was last year if he can stay healthy.

Overall Analysis:
I am personally of the opinion that Illinois ended up being vastly overrated last year, mostly on account of their upset victory over Ohio State. They were a decent team that largely overachieved. Because if this, people will undoubtedly look at their 2008 depth chart and say “lots of returning starters, including QB. They will be at least as good as last year.” I think this is a major mistake (especially since last year’s team shouldn’t be measured only by the 9 games they won). The Illini lost their best player on each side of the ball, and Juice Williams was bad enough last year that there was a quarterback controversy. I see last year as a Penn State 2005 “lightning in a bottle” type year, and think they will be middle of the pack at best this year.

Posted under Analysis

In case you missed the update from Friday in your holiday stupor, check it out here. As always, the board is here.

Added:
MI DE Justice Akuezue. Interest, etc.
OH DE Tank Carradine. Michigan is one of his favorites.
FL CB Jayron Hosley. Drawing some Michigan interest.
CA WR Shaquelle Evans. Michigan in his top group.
FL CB Mywan Jackson. Visiting Michigan this summer, with offer.
LA LB Jonathan Stewart. Offered.

New Information:
AL CB Dre Kirkpatrick. Will decide on signing day.
OK RB David Oku. Visiting Michigan for the MSU game (official).

Posted under Recruiting

For today’s video offering, there will be no recruiting podcast (and there was much sighing). I humbly request that you accept a repost of the basics of spread offense video:

Posted under Coaching

Action since last rankings:
6-28-08 Indiana gains commitments from Kenny Watkins, Jeremy Gainer, Demetrius Carr, and Ted Bolser. Minnesota gains commitment from Brooks Michel.
6-29-08 Illinois gains commitment from Steve Hull.
6-30-08 Minnesota gains commitment from Dan Orseske.
7-2-08 Indiana gains commitment from Adam Replogle. Penn State gains commitments from Adam Gress and Curtis Dukes.
7-3-08 Indiana gains commitment from Jamonne Chester.
7-4-08 Penn State gains commitment from Christian Kuntz.

New Rankings:

Huge week for the Bucks with tons of commits. Their remaining slots are probably reserved for specific guys they know they’ll get (i.e. Marcus Hall).

Michigan is waiting for more commits.

Adam Gress, Curtis Dukes, and Christian Kuntz commit.

Nothing new for Notre Dame. Is Charlie’s gravity losing its pull?

Wisconsin moves past Michigan State because I give slightly more value (up to a bonus star) to any offensive lineman that Wisconsin deems worthy (and they have 3 so far in this class).

Solid but not spectacular class thus far.

Keise, Rengel, and Michel probably low-3/high-2 guys. Kickers are rarely rated very well.

Steve Hull to the Illini.

Indiana gets a boatload of commits. Keyt will be a 2-star (he is being brought in as a greyshirt long-snapper), Gainer might end up a mid-to-high 3-star, and the rest will be in the low 3-star range.

Northwestern is still in on a couple of big-timers. Will they be able to land one?

Ferentz’s glory days in recruiting seem to be over.

Not sure where Aristide will be ranked, but it has to be a more important commit than a long-snapper. He was on the verge of becoming a big prospect before a junior year injury.

Posted under Recruiting

East Grand Rapids’s own Kevin Grady was arrested last night in Wyoming, MI (which is no where near Ann Arbor (apparently they don’t have such technological innovations as “Google Maps” in Ohio), though I do enjoy the smug/hopeful tone of this post, which was apparently written by a 3rd grader. I have no idea what “Grady had implications [sic] of becoming a starting running back (sharing time with Travis Minor [sic] amongst others) after recovering from an ACL tear last year” is supposed to mean, nor do I know who Travis Minor is).

This will likely be a minor setback for Grady, who is likely to be punished internally, or suspended with reinstatement by the start of the season, for the offense. His presence in the Utah game would be very helpful, as I believe the inside run game is the Utes’ biggest deficiency on defense.

Posted under Personnel

Wisconsin Offense:
QBs
For the second year in a row, the Badgers must replace their starting QB. Allan Evridge was the backup to Tyler Donovan last year, but got very little game experience. He was originally a Kansas State Wildcat who transferred to Wisconsin after his redshirt freshman year, in which he actually got some pretty significant playing time. Now Evridge is the man, and he will use his fifth year to lead Wisconsin. Backing him up is junior Dustin Shearer, who has gotten almost no playing time in his first two years. Incoming freshman Curt Phillips will add depth, along with a couple guys expected to ride pine.

Statistics:

Analysis:
One of the reasons Donovan was favored to win the job over Evridge last year was his superior mobility. Evridge will not be expected to run the ball like Donovan (sometimes) did, nor will he be as elusive in the pocket. Evridge is essentially an unknown, as he hasn’t played in three years, never in this system. He will likely be the standard Wisconsin caretaker-as-QB that is expected to do little other than throw on third down and not turn it over.

RBs
RS Junior PJ Hill is a fatty, who bulldozes rather than eluding tacklers. He was injured for much of last year, allowing other players to get a chance to shine. Sophomore Zach Brown finished second on the team in yardage, but expect several other players to be in the mix, including redshirt freshman John Clay (a faster bruiser, he was injured last year) and junior Lance Smith, who may be the most talented of the backups.

Statistics:

Analysis:
Wisconsin’s offense will always be based upon the run game (well, maybe I shouldn’t say “always” since the same could be said of Minnesota until the past year), and they have a variety of options in the backfield. From the bowling ball PJ Hill, to a little speedster like Lance Smith, there are distinct styles that bring their own strengths. With a lot of experience (the Badgers didn’t graduate a single RB after last year), this should be a strong group. If Hill can remain healthy, he should be near the top of the Big Ten in rushing yardage.

Receivers:
Official White Guy Luke Swan is gone, as is Paul Hubbard. The wideouts will be led by Kyle Jefferson, a true sophomore who was third on the team in receiving yards last year, and David Gilreath. As a true freshman last year, Gilreath was not particularly involved in the passing game, but he did lead the team in all-purpose returns. He is slightly undersized (especially when compared to the 6-5 Hubbard), but speedy. A host of sophomores will be backing them up, including Nick Toon (OK, he’s actually a redshirt freshman, but seriously, look at this class of receivers), Isaac Anderson, and Daven Jones. Non-sophomores include slight junior Xavier Harris, who had 2 receptions last year. The tight end was featured prominently in the passing game last year, and with the #1 and #4 receivers for the Badgers in ’07 both returning, it should be more of the same this year. Senior Travis Beckum should be 1st-team All-conference, and junior Garrett Graham is a good receiver as well.

Statistics:

Analysis:
The tight ends are a HUGE part of this passing game. There are lots of TE screens and even a couple designed runs for Beckum on end-arounds. With few proven WRs returning, expect Beckum and Graham to be an even larger part of this offense than they were last year (When Beckum got three times as many catches as the top WR). Wisconsin may have trouble stretching the field unless some of the young receivers who didn’t get a ton of catches last year are able to develop into legitimate threats. Still, the passing game here is definitely secondary to the run. If Beckum were to get injured, Wisconsin could be screwed as far as passing.

Line:
Wisconsin is known for its offensive lines, and their ability to push defenders out of the way. At left tackle, redshirt sophomore Gabe Carimi returns. He started every game last year as a redshirt freshman. Andy Kemp at left guard is a senior who has been starting for two year (though ast year he had to played both guard positions in different games). Center John Moffitt is new to the position, but he did start several games last year as a redshirt freshman at the left guard position. Senior right guard Craig Urbik has started for three years, at right tackle his redshirt freshman year, right guard in 2006, and both last year (though he played primarily at guard). Right tackle Eric VanderHeuvel has also been starting for 2 years at right tackle, though the senior was injured for three games last year. Like usual, Wisconsin manages to play an experienced offensive line.

Analysis:
With four and a half returning starters, three of them seniors, the Wisconsin offensive line is poised to be a strong point in the 2008 team. They will be accustomed to working together, and should be able to pave the way for the Badger run game. They should also do a god job protecting Allan Evridge, which is a plus for Wisconsin as he isn’t as mobile as his predecessor.

Offensive Analysis:
Wisconsin will run the ball a lot and pass when necessary. This can be said for pretty much every year, but especially in 2008, when they have a very strong offensive line, several returning runners (not losing any from 2007), and question marks at quarterback and receiver. When they do pass the ball, the tight ends will be featured prominently. This should be a very good offense based solely on the returning talent.

Wisconsin Defense:
Defensive Line:
Matt Shaughnessy, who has been at Wisconsin since dinosaurs roamed the earth, returns for one last season at defensive end. The senior has been all-conference second team the past two years. Defensive tackles Jason Chapman and Mike Newkirk are both seniors who return as starters. They are both a little undersized, with Newkirk seeming more like a defensive end at 260 pounds. At the final position, the second defensive end is sophomore Kirk DeCremer. The pass-rusher was injured and missed spring practice. Despite not starting for most of last year, he led the team in sacks. The backups are moderately inexperienced, which makes sense when you consider how seasoned most of the starters are. Jason Stehl was the only one to accumulate stats last year, while O’Brien Schofield did start the Outback Bowl last year.

Statistics:

Analysis:
A veteran unit, with not a ton proven behind it. Shaughnessy and DeCremer make a very strong DE tandem, while Newkirk and Chapman are adequate in the middle. Wisconsin should have a pretty good pass rush, and be above average against the run. I question how well they’ll do with their starters out. Those slated for backup duty this year had 9 tackles between them las
t year, all coming from Jeff Stehl.

Linebackers:
The outside linebackers, Jonathan Casillas (weakside) and DeAndre Levy (strongside) are both seniors who have started every game for the past two years. Casillas is speedy, and he also has good size. Levy is a strong, stout player, with decent height, but not the speed of Casillas. In the middle, redshirt junior Elijah Hodge returns after starting last year (though he missed a couple games with an injury). The backups are generally fairly young, except for junior Jaevery McFadden. Culmer St. Jean and Blake Sorensen got some PT last year.

Statistics:

Analysis:
Behind the starters, there is very little proven depth for Wisconsin. The starters are pretty good, though, and with three seniors returning, they should be a very formidable unit. Casillas has the speed to track running plays sideline-to-sideline, and that could be a damper on Michigan’s run game.

Defensive Backs:
Allen Langford is the lone senior in the defensive backfield, and he will be a 4 year starter who took over during his redshirt freshman season, and missed a couple games last year with injury. He will now be the #1 corner with Jack Ikegwuonu leaving a year early for the NFL draft. Starting opposite Langford will be true sophomore Aaron Henry. The backups are Niles Brinkley, Mario Goins, and Josh Nettles. At safety, both Aubrey Pleasant and Shane Carter started every game last year as sophomores. Carter was a big playmaker, leading the conference in picks.

Statistics:

Analysis:
Again, the Badgers are experienced at a position. Ikegwuonu, had he returned, would have made this a very strong secondary, After a great 2006, he went pro after a subpar ’07. The Badgers shouldn’t be severely deficient in any facet. This looks to be another strong group. The one worry I have about this secondary is last year’s performance. Though they were stellar in 2006, it was a poor year (by Bret Bielema standards) in 2007. Minus 1 NFL player, how much can they improve.

Defensive Analysis:
Wisconsin has a very very strong defense. They have returning starters at all but one position in each of the three units, and will be starting 6 seniors. They have quickness, but I wonder whether they will be that strong against a power run game.

Special Teams:
Wisconsin has a new kicker in redshirt freshman Phillip Welch. If he doesn’t pan out, Matt Fischer will handle the duties. At punter, the Badgers are going to count on a kid named Brad. Ken DeBauche’s brother is a redshirt freshman, or incoming freshman Nortman could take the duties.

Analysis:
Wisconsin’s return game should be good in the hands of David Gilreath, but the kicking game will be a huge questino mark going into the season. This may be a key weakness for Wisconsin.

Overall Analysis:
As long as Allan Evridge doesn’t suck to Anthony Morellian proportions, the Badgers should be a damn good team next year. they have strong lines, a ton of returning starters on defense, and a stable of experienced (but young) running backs. Looking at this, I don’t see how they could be considered anything less than second best in the conference – though the three game stretch at Michigan, home to Ohio State and Penn State may have something to do with it.

Posted under Analysis

UPDATE: I just update the podcast feed, so if you subscribe, you might have to tell your software to check the feed again. In the future I’ll try to get it updated over the weekend. Also, I resubmitted it to iTunes, apparently it rejected it last time. If you want to manually add the podcast feed to your iTunes copy this:

http://www.panel-creations.com/varsity_blue/podcast/vblue_podcast.xml

Select Advanced>Subscribe to Podcast and paste the URL. It should then automatically update each week.

Posted under Recruiting, Video

(Tons of) Action since last rankings:
6-21-08 Illinois gains commitment from Greg Fuller.
6-22-08 Ohio State gains commitments from Carlos Hyde and Justin Green. Wisconsin gains commitment from Montee Ball. Northwestern gains commitment from Anthony Battle.
6-23-08 Ohio State gains commitments from Bradley McDougald and Corey Brown. Illinois gains commitment from Joelil Thrash. Northwestern gains commitment from Drew Moulton.
6-24-08 Michigan gains commitment from Jordan Barnes. Michigan gains commitment from DeWayne Peace. Ohio State gains commitment from Jonathan Newsome. Wisconsin gains commitment from Chris Borland.
6-25-08 Michigan State gains commitment from Micajah Reynolds. Wisconsin gains commitment from Brian Wozniak.
6-26-08 Indiana gains commitment from Nick Zachery. Wisconsin gains commitment from Travis Frederick.

New Rankings:

Huge week for the Bucks with tons of commits. Their remaining slots are probably reserved for specific guys they know they’ll get (i.e. Marcus Hall).

A pair of three-stars in Jordan Barnes and DeWayne Peace for Michigan.

Curtis Drake is being brought in as a QB unless the Nittany Lions get a top-notch signal caller in this class (in which case he will likely be a WR). Penn State has a quantity-over-quality class right now.

Nothing new for Notre Dame. Is Charlie’s gravity losing its pull?

Micajah Reynolds commits.

Montee Ball, Brian Wozniak, and Travis Frederick commit to the Badgers.

Keise will probably end up a low 3-star/high 2-star. Same with Rengel.

The Illini pick up two unrated commits.

Two unrated commits for Northwestern.

Ferentz’s glory days in recruiting seem to be over. Barrent drops to 3 stars in Scout update.

Not sure where Aristide will be ranked, but it has to be a more important commit than a long-snapper. He was on the verge of becoming a big prospect before a junior year injury.

Keyt is a long snapper/DE who will greyshirt, according to IUFootball (who deserves props: writing about Indiana football has to be among the most thankless jobs out there). Hoosiers grab Nick Zachery.

Posted under Recruiting