2012 NFL Draft Recap: Michigan Wolverines

The 2012 NFL Draft saw three former Wolverines get drafted over this last weekend. Mike Martin, David Molk and Junior Hemingway were drafted by the Tennessee Titans, San Diego Chargers and the Kansas City Chiefs, respectively. While these were the only three to be drafted, a few others are expected to sign free agent deals with a few other teams. Here is the breakdown for these Wolverines for this years draft:


Mike Martin, DT = Tennessee Titans - Round 3, #19, #82 Overall
David Molk, C = San Diego Chargers - Round 7, #19, #226 Overall
Junior Hemingway, WR = Kansas City Chiefs, Round 7, #31, #238 Overall


Ryan Van Bergen, DE = Carolina Panthers, Undrafted Free Agent
Troy Woolfolk, DB = Dallas Cowboys, Undrafted Free Agent
Michael Shaw, RB = Washington Redskins, Undrafted Free Agent


That is what has transpired so far. Hopefully, Kevin Koger is able to find himself on an NFL roster as well. His achilles surgery is probably what made him drop off of teams' radars, but maybe he will be able to heal from it just fine and wander onto a team. Congrats to these players and good luck in the League. Go Blue!

2012 NFL Draft Recap: Round 6 - 7

Here are the final two rounds from the 2012 NFL Draft:


#1 / #171 - St. Louis Rams - Greg Zuerlein, K, Missouri Western
#2 / #172 - Seattle Seahawks - Jeremy Lane, CB, Northwestern State (LA)
#3 / #173 - Washington Redskins - Alfred Morris, RB, Florida Atlantic
#4 / #174 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Keith Tandy, CB, West Virginia
#5 / #175 - Minnesota Vikings - Blair Walsh, K, Georgia
#6 / #176 - Jacksonville Jaguars - Mike Harris, CB, Florida State
#7 / #177 - Arizona Cardinals - Justin Bethel, CB, Presbyterian
#8 / #178 - Buffalo Bills - Mark Asper, OG, Oregon
#9 / #179 - New Orleans Saints - Andrew Tiller, OG, Syracuse
#10 / #180 - San Francisco 49ers - Trent Robison, FS, Michigan State
#11 / #181 - Seattle Seahawks - Winston Guy, DB, Kentucky
#12 / #182 - Kansas City Chiefs - Cyrus Gray, RB, Texas A&M
#13 / #183 - Miami Dolphins - B.J. Cunningham, WR, Michigan State
#14 / #184 - Chicago Bears - Isaiah Frey, CB, Nevada
#15 / #185 - Arizona Cardinals - Ryan Lindley, QB, San Diego State
#16 / #186 - Dallas Cowboys - James Hanna, TE, Oklahoma
#17 / #187 - New York Jets - Josh Bush, S, Wake Forest
#18 / #188 - Denver Broncos - Danny Trevathan, OLB, Kentucky
#19 / #189 - Oakland Raiders - Christo Bilukidi, DE, Georgia State
#20 / #190 - Tennessee Titans - Markelle Martin, FS, Oklahoma State
#21 / #191 - Cincinnati Bengals - Dan Herron, RB, Ohio State
#22 / #192 - Atlanta Falcons - Charles Mitchell, SS, Mississippi State
#23 / #193 - Washington Redskins - Tom Compton, OT, South Dakota
#24 / #194 - Philadelphia Eagles - Marvin McNutt, WR, Iowa
#25 / #195 - Houston Texans - Nick Mondek, OT, Purdue
#26 / #196 - Detroit Lions - Jonte Green, DB, New Mexico State
#27 / #197 - New England Patriots - Nate Ebner, DB, Ohio State
#28 / #198 - Baltimore Ravens - Tommy Streeter, WR, Miami
#29 / #199 - San Francisco 49ers - Jason Slowey, C, Western Oregon
#30 / #200 - Philadelphia Eagles - Brandon Washington, OG, Miami
#31 / #201 - New York Giants - Matt McCants, OT, UAB
#32 / #202 - New York Jets - Terrance Ganaway, RB, Baylor
#33 / #203 - New York Jets - Robert T. Griffin, OG, Baylor
#34 / #204 - Cleveland Browns - Emmanuel Acho, OLB, Texas
#35 / #205 - Cleveland Browns - Billy Winn, DT, Boise State
#36 / #206 - Indianapolis Colts - LaVon Brazill, WR, Ohio
#37 / #207 - Carolina Panthers - Brad Nortman, P, Wisconsin


#1 / #208 - Indianapolis Colts - Justin Anderson, OT, Georgia
#2 / #209 - St. Louis Rams - Aaron Brown, LB, Hawaii
#3 / #210 - Minnesota Vikings - Audie Cole, ILB, North Carolina State
#4 / #211 - Tennessee Titans - Scott Solomon, DE, Rice
#5 / #212 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Michael Smith, RB, Utah State
#6 / #213 - Washington Redskins - Richard Crawford, DB, SMU
#7 / #214 - Indianapolis Colts - Tim Fugger, DE, Vanderbilt
#8 / #215 - Miami Dolphins - Kheeston Randall, DT, Texas
#9 / #216 - Carolina Panthers - D.J. Campbell, FS, California
#10 / #217 - Washington Redskins - Jordan Bernstine, CB, Iowa
#11 / #218 - Kansas City Chiefs - Jerome Long, DT, San Diego State
#12 / #219 - Minnesota Vikings - Trevor Guyton, DE, California
#13 / #220 - Chicago Bears - Grey McCoy, CB, TCU
#14 / #221 - Arizona Cardinals - Nate Potter, OT, Boise State
#15 / #222 - Dallas Cowboys - Caleb McSurdy, ILB, Montana
#16 / #223 - Detroit Lions - Travis Lewis, OLB, Oklahoma
#17 / #224 - New England Patriots - Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska
#18 / #225 - Seattle Seahawks - J R Sweezy, DE, North Carolina State
#19 / #226 - San Diego Chargers - David Molk, C, Michigan
#20 / #227 - Miami Dolphins - Rishard Matthews, WR, Nevada
#21 / #228 - Jacksonville Jaguars - Jeris Pendleton, DT, Ashland
#22 / #229 - Philadelphia Eagles - Bryce Brown, RB, Kansas State
#23 / #230 - Oakland Raiders - Nathan Stupar, OLB, Penn State
#24 / #231 - Pittsburgh Steelers - Toney Clemons, WR, Colorado
#25 / #232 - Seattle Seahawks - Greg Scruggs, DE, Louisville
#26 / #233 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Drake Dunsmore, TE, Northwestern
#27 / #234 - New Orleans Saints - Marcel Jones, OT, Nebraska
#28 / #235 - New England Patriots - Jeremy Ebert, WR, Northwestern
#29 / #236 - Baltimore Ravens - Deangelo Tyson, DE, Georgia
#30 / #237 - San Francisco 49ers - Cam Johnson, DE, Virginia
#31 / #238 - Kansas City Chiefs - Junior Hemingway, WR, Michigan
#32 / #239 - New York Giants - Markus Kuhn, DT, North Carolina State
#33 / #240 - Pittsburgh Steelers - David Paulson, TE, Oregon
#34 / #241 - Greenbay Packers - Andrew Datko, OT, Florida State
#35 / #242 - New York Jets - Antonio Allen, SS, South Carolina
#36 / #243 - Greenbay Packers - B.J. Coleman, QB, Tennessee-Chattanooga
#37 / #244 - New York Jets - Jordan White, WR, Western Michigan
#38 / #245 - Cleveland Browns - Trevin Wade, CB, Arizona
#39 / #246 - Pittsburgh Steelers - Terrence Frederick, CB, Texas A&M
#40 / #247 - Cleveland Browns - Brad Smelley, TE, Alabama
#41 / #248 - Pittsburgh Steelers - Kelvin Beachum, OT, SMU
#42 / #249 - Atlanta Falcons - Travian Robertson, DT, South Carolina
#43 / #250 - San Diego Chargers - Edwin Baker, RB, Michigan State
#44 / #251 - Buffalo Bills - John Potter, K, Western Michigan
#45 / #252 - St. Louis Rams - Daryl Richardson, RB, Abilene Christian
#46 / #253 - Indianapolis Colts - Chandler Harnish, QB, Northern Illinois

2012 NFL Draft Recap: Round 4 - 5

In continuation of my 2012 NFL Draft Recap, here are rounds 4 and 5:


#1 / #96 - St. Louis Rams - Chris Givens, WR, Wake Forest
#2 / #97 - Miami Dolphins - Lamar Miller, RB, Miami
#3 / #98 - Baltimore Ravens - Gino Gradkowski, OG, Delaware
#4 / #99 - Houston Texans - Ben Jones, C, Georgia
#5 / #100 - Cleveland Browns - Travis Benjamin, WR, Miami
#6 / #101 - Denver Broncos - Omar Bolden, CB, Arizona State
#7 / #102 - Washington Redskins - Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan State
#8 / #103 - Carolina Panthers - Frank Alexander, DE, Oklahoma
#9 / #104 - Carolina Panthers - Joe Adams, WR, Arkansas
#10 / #105 - Buffalo Bills - Nigel Bradham, OLB, Florida State
#11 / #106 - Seattle Seahawks - Robert Turbin, RB, Utah State
#12 / #107 - Kansas City Chiefs - Devon Wylie, WR, Fresno State
#13 / #108 - Denver Broncos - Philip Blake, C, Baylor
#14 / #109 - Pittsburgh Steelers - Alameda Ta'amu, DT, Washington
#15 / #110 - San Diego Chargers - Ladarius Green, TE, Louisiana-Lafayette
#16 / #111 - Chicago Bears - Evan Rodriguez, TE, Temple
#17 / #112 - Arizona Cardinals - Bobby Massie, OT, Mississippi
#18 / #113 - Dallas Cowboys - Kyle Wilber, OLB, Wake Forest
#19 / #114 - Seattle Seahawks - Jaye Howard, DT, Florida
#20 / #115 - Tennessee Titans - Coty Sensabaugh, CB, Clemson
#21 / #116 - Cincinnati Bengals - Orson Charles, TE, Georgia
#22 / #117 - San Francisco 49ers - Joe Looney, OG, Wake Forest
#23 / #118 - Minnesota Vikings - Jarius Wright, WR, Arkansas
#24 / #119 - Washington Redskins - Keenan Robinson, OLB, Texas
#25 / #120 - Cleveland Browns - James-Michael Johnson, ILB, Nevada
#26 / #121 - Houston Texans - Keshawn Martin, WR, Michigan State
#27 / #122 - New Orleans Saints - Nick Toon, WR, Wisconsin
#28 / #123 - Philadelphia Eagles - Brandon Boykin, CB, Georgia
#29 / #124 - Buffalo Bills - Ron Brooks, CB, LSU
#30 / #125 - Detroit Lions - Ronnell Lewis, OLB, Oklahoma
#31 / #126 - Houston Texans - Jared Crick, DT, Nebraska
#32 / #127 - New York Giants - Adrien Robinson, TE, Cincinnati
#33 / #128 - Minnesota Vikings - Rhett Ellison, FB, USC
#34 / #129 - Oakland Raiders - Miles Burris, OLB, San Diego State
#35 / #130 - Baltimore Ravens - Christian Thompson, FS, South Carolina State
#36 / #131 - New York Giants - Brandon Mosley, OT, Auburn
#37 / #132 - Greenbay Packers - Mike Daniels, DT, Iowa
#38 / #133 - Greenbay Packers - Jerron McMillian, SS, Maine
#39 / #134 - Minnesota Vikings - Greg Childs, WR, Arkansas
#40 / #135 - Dallas Cowboys - Matt Johnson, SS, Eastern Washington


#1 / #136 - Indianapolis Colts - Josh Chapman, DT, Alabama
#2 / #137 - Denver Broncos - Malik Jackson, DT, Tennessee
#3 / #138 - Detroit Lions - Tahir Whitehead, OLB, Temple
#4 / #139 - Minnesota Vikings - Robert Blanton, CB, Notre Dame
#5 / #140 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Najee Goode, ILB, West Virginia
#6 / #141 - Washington Redskins - Adam Gettis, OG, Iowa
#7 / #142 - Jacksonville Jaguars - Brandon Marshall, OLB, Nevada
#8 / #143 - Carolina Panthers - Josh Norman, CB, Coastal Carolina
#9 / #144 - Buffalo Bills - Zebrie Sanders, OT, Florida State
#10 / #145 - Tennessee Titans - Taylor Thompson, TE, SMU
#11 / #146 - Kansas City Chiefs - DeQuan Menzie, CB, Alabama
#12 / #147 - Buffalo Bills - Tank Carder, ILB, TCU
#13 / #148 - Detroit Lions - Chris Greenwood, CB, Albion
#14 / #149 - San Diego Chargers - Johnnie Troutman, OG, Penn State
#15 / #150 - St. Louis Rams - Rokevious Watkins, OT, South Carolina
#16 / #151 - Arizona Cardinals - Senio Kelemete, OT, Washington
#17 / #152 - Dallas Cowboys - Danny Coale, WR, Virginia Tech
#18 / #153 - Philadelphia Eagles - Dennis Kelly, OT, Purdue
#19 / #154 - Seattle Seahawks - Korey Toomer, ILB, Idaho
#20 / #155 - Miami Dolphins - Josh Kaddu, LB, Oregon
#21 / #156 - Cincinnati Bengals - Shaun Prater, CB, Iowa
#22 / #157 - Atlanta Falcons - Bradie Ewing, FB, Wisconsin
#23 / #158 - Oakland Raiders - Jack Crawford, DE, Penn State
#24 / #159 - Pittsburgh Steelers - Chris Rainey, RB, Florida
#25 / #160 - Cleveland Browns - Ryan Miller, OG, Colorado
#26 / #161 - Houston Texans - Randy Bullock, K, Texas A&M
#27 / #162 - New Orleans Saints - Corey White, SS, Samford
#28 / #163 - Greenbay Packers - Terrell Manning, OLB, North Carolina State
#29 / #164 - Atlanta Falcons - Jonathan Massaquoi, DE, Troy
#30 / #165 - San Francisco 49ers - Darius Fleming, OLB, Notre Dame
#31 / #166 - Cincinnati Bengals - Marvin Jones, WR, California
#32 / #167 - Cincinnati Bengals - George Iloka, FS, Boise State
#33 / #168 - Oakland Raiders - Juron Criner, WR, Arizona
#34 / #169 - Baltimore Ravens - Asa Jackson, CB, Cal Poly
#35 / #170 - Indianapolis Colts - Vick Ballard, RB, Mississippi State

2012 NFL Draft Recap: Round 2 - 3

Here is just a quick recap of the 2012 NFL Draft for rounds 2 and 3:

#1 / #33 - St. Louis Rams - Brian Quick, WR, Appalachian State

#2 / #34 - Indianapolis Colts - Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford

#3 / #35 - Baltimore Ravens - Courtney Upshaw, DE, Alabama

#4 / #36 - Denver Broncos - Derek Wolfe, DT, Cincinnati

#5 / #37 - Cleveland Browns - Mitchell Schwartz, OT, California

#6 / #38 - Jacksonville Jaguars - Andre Branch, DE, Clemson

#7 / #39 - St. Louis Rams - Janoris Jenkins, CB, Northern Alabama

#8 / #40 - Carolina Panthers - Amini Silatolu, OG, Midwest State

#9 / #41 - Buffalo Bills - Cordy Glenn, OT, Georgia

#10 / #42 - Miami Dolphins - Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

#11 / #43 - New York Jets - Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech

#12 / #44 - Kansas City Chiefs - Jeff Allen, OG, Illinois

#13 / #45 - Chicago Bears - Alshon Jeffery, WR, South Carolina

#14 / #46 - Philadelphia Eagles - Mychal Kendricks, ILB, California

#15 / #47 - Seattle Seahawks - Bobby Wagner, ILB, Utah State

#16 / #48 - New England Patriots - Tavon Wilson, FS, Illinois

#17 / #49 - San Diego Chargers - Kendall Reyes, DT, Connecticut

#18 / #50 - St. Louis Rams - Isaiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati

#19 / #51 - Greenbay Packers - Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State

#20 / #52 - Tennessee Titans - Zach Brown, OLB, North Carolina

#21 / #53 - Cincinnati Bengals - Devon Still, DT, Penn State

#22 / #54 - Detroit Lions - Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma

#23 / #55 - Atlanta Falcons - Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin

#24 / #56 - Pittsburgh Steelers - Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State

#25 / #57 - Denver Broncos - Brock Osweiler, QB, Arizona State

#26 / #58 - Tamba Bay Buccaneers - Lavonte David, OLB, Nebraska

#27 / #59 - Philadelphia Eagles - Vinny Curry, DE, Marshall

#28 / #60 - Baltimore Ravens - Kelechi Osemele, OT, Iowa State

#29 / #61 - San Francisco 49ers - LaMichael James, RB, Oregon

#30 / #62 - Greenbay Packers - Casey Hayward, DB, Vanderbilt

#31 / #63 - New York Giants - Rueben Randle, WR, LSU

#1 / #64 - Indianapolis Colts - Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson

#2 / #65 - St. Louis Rams - Trumaine Johnson, CB, Montana

#3 / #66 - Minnesota Vikings - Josh Robinson, CB, Central Florida

#4 / #67 - Denver Broncos - Ronnie Hillman, RB, San Diego State

#5 / #68 - Houston Texans - DeVier Posey, WR, Ohio State

#6 / #69 - Buffalo Bills - T.J. Graham, WR, North Carolina State

#7 / #70 - Jacksonville Jaguars - Bryan Anger, P, California

#8 / #71 - Washington Redskins - Josh LeRibeus, G, SMU

#9 / #72 - Miami Dolphins - Olivier Vernon, DE, Miami

#10 / #73 - San Diego Chargers - Brandon Taylor, SS, LSU

#11 / #74 - Kansas City Chiefs - Donald Stephenson, OT, Oklahoma

#12 / #75 - Seattle Seahawks - Russell Wilson, QB, Wisconsin

#13 / #76 - Houston Texans - Brandon Brooks, OG, Miami (Ohio)

#14 / #77 - New York Jets - Demario Davis, OLB, Arkansas State

#15 / #78 - Miami Dolphins - Michael Egnew, TE, Missouri

#16 / #79 - Chicago Bears - Brandon Hardin, FS, Oregon State

#17 / #80 - Arizona Cardinals - Jamell Fleming, CB, Oklahoma

#18 / #81 - Dallas Cowboys - Tyrone Crawford, DE, Boise State

#19 / #82 - Tennessee Titans - Mike Martin, DT, Michigan

#20 / #83 - Cincinnati Bengals - Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers

#21 / #84 - Baltimore Ravens - Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple

#22 / #85 - Detroit Lions - Dwight Bentley, CB, Louisiana-Lafayette

#23 / #86 - Pittsburgh Steelers - Sean Spence, LB, Miami

#24 / #87 - Cleveland Browns - John Hughes, DT, Cincinnati

#25 / #88 - Philadelphia Eagles - Nick Foles, QB, Arizona

#26 / #89 - New Orleans Saints - Akiem Hicks, DE, Regina

#27 / #90 - New England Patriots - Jake Bequette, DE, Arkansas

#28 / #91 - Atlanta Falcons - Lamar Holmes, OT, Southern Mississippi

#29 / #92 - Indianapolis Colts - T.Y. Hilton, WR, Florida International

#30 / #93 - Cincinnati Bengals - Brandon Thompson, DT, Clemson

#31 / #94 - New York Giants - Jayron Hosley, CB, Virginia Tech

#32 / #95 - Oakland Raiders - Tony Bergstrom, OT, Utah

2012 NFL Draft Recap: Round 1

While no Michigan players were chosen during Day 1 of the draft, expect at least one to be selected during Day 2 (rounds 2 and 3). Quite a few trades were made last night for teams to move up. Most surprisingly were my New England Patriots moving up for both of their picks in Round 1. There were a few reaches in my opinion, but yesterday went pretty much as planned by the scouts and draft gurus. Here is just a basic recap of the 2012 NFL Draft Round 1:


#1 - Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
#2 - Washington Redskins - Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
#3 - Cleveland Browns - Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
#4 - Minnesota Vikings - Matt Kalil, OT, USC
#5 - Jacksonville Jaguars - Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
#6 - Dallas Cowboys - Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
#7 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Mark Barron, S, Alabama
#8 - Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
#9 - Carolina Panthers - Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College
#10 - Buffalo Bills - Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina
#11 - Kansas City Chiefs - Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis
#12 - Philadelphia Eagles - Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State
#13 - Arizona Cardinals - Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
#14 - St. Louis Rams - Michael Brockers, DT, LSU
#15 - Seattle Seahawks - Bruce Irvin, OLB, West Virginia
#16 - New York Jets - Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
#17 - Cincinnati Bengals - Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
#18 - San Diego Chargers - Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina
#19 - Chicago Bears - Shea McClellin, OLB, Boise State
#20 - Tennessee Titans - Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor
#21 - New England Patriots - Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse
#22 - Cleveland Browns - Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State
#23 - Detroit Lions - Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
#24 - Pittsburgh Steelers - David DeCastro, OG, Stanford
#25 - New England Patriots - Dont'a Hightower, ILB, Alabama
#26 - Houston Texans - Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois
#27 - Cincinnati Bengals - Kevin Zeitler, OG, Wisconsin
#28 - Green Bay Packers - Nick Perry, DE, USC
#29 - Minnesota Vikings - Harrison Smith, S, Notre Dame
#30 - San Francisco 49ers - A.J. Jenkins, WR, Illinois
#31 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Doug Martin, RB, Boise State
#32 - New York Giants - David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech

Beer: Bell's Brewery - Oberon Ale

Brewery: Bell's Brewery, Inc. (Kalamazoo, MI)

Beer: Oberon Ale

ABV: 5.8%

Score: 6

Date: 04.14.12

Last Saturday I tried Oberon Ale from Bell's Brewery for the first time. It is an unfiltered ale that has a citrusy taste. While drinking Oberon I have to say that I was not all that impressed. It's not that it tastes bad or anything but it just tasted like several other summer time brews I have had in the past. Maybe if I were outside during the summer it would have tasted better than sitting inside during a cool spring day, but I'm not sure. This may be a beer that I try again later this year to see if my thoughts change, but if not I will not be heartbroken. Oberon is my least favorite beer from Bell's, with Hopslam being number one and with Two Hearted Ale and Cherry Stout being up there as well. 

2012 Spring Game Aftermath Thoughts and E-pinions: Defense

The following is the conclusion on my thoughts and e-pinions on the football team following spring practice. This time I will be focusing on the defense. While the offense was mostly a bore in my e-pinion, the defense looked pretty good. We learned more about the defense than the offense from the spring game this last Saturday. 
Here are some bullets:

• Craig Roh and Jibreel Black fit pretty well in their new positions. Both of them look bigger and maybe even more comfortable at strong-side defensive end and three-tech defensive tackle, respectively. Roh seemed to be around the ball quite a bit and Black was busting through the line on many plays. I tend to take observations like this with a grain of salt, but it is encouraging none the less. As long as Roh is able to contain the edge and Black is able to make good stands on run defense, we should be in decent shape.
• William Campbell in my e-pinion looks better, but is still a bit inconsistent. Some plays he is taking on double teams (his main job) and plugging holes and others he is getting pushed aside. Campbell is going to be a big part of the defensive line this season and we knew that, but he is going to need to be able to consistently take on double teams and dominate the line of scrimmage. The signs are there, but hopefully this summer he can continue to work on his technique. He also looks quite a bit more in shape than in the past.
• Brennen Beyer is the starting weak-side defensive end currently and I think between him and Frank Clark we can't really go wrong. Both are extremely athletic and will be terrors off the edge. Beyer looks bigger as well compared to last season. Clark has the speed to chase down ball carriers from behind, as we seen him run down one this past weekend. Both guys will provide a nice rotation of pass rushers this season.
• Backups on the defensive line include: Keith Heitzman, Richard Ash, Quinton Washington, Ken Wilkins and Chris Rock. At least those are the ones that stuck out to me the most. Heitzman will be a nice backup to Craig Roh at SDE. He was an underrated guy coming out of high school but he appears to have added the necessary weight and was solid during the spring game. Ash was decent in backing up Campbell at nose guard and could get some playing time depending on how incoming freshman Ondre Pipkins shows up in the fall. Washington and Wilkins were underwhelming during the spring in my e-pinion but they could add some decent depth at the defensive tackle positions. Rock on the other hand was bursting into the backfield quite a bit on Saturday. He also looks much bigger and within the next couple years could find some time at the three-tech spot or maybe at strong-side defensive end.
• The linebacker spot looked pretty normal from last year with Desmond Morgan, Kenny Demens and Jake Ryan getting the starts. 
• Morgan is the starting WLB with Antonio Poole and Brandin Hawthorne getting time behind him. Morgan looked good all spring long until he got chopped and hurt during the game. Poole didn't do much to stand out, whether that's good or bad depends on what you think. Hawthorne, on the other hand, tore it up during the game with a couple big tackles for loss and a one handed interception. Hawthorne is the number two WLB in my mind with Poole and freshman Kaleb Ringer there behind him.
• MLB is being patrolled by Kenny Demens. There was talk that freshman Joe Bolden could be pushing Demens for the starting job, but I don't see it. Demens has a few years experience as the starting MLB and is pretty good on the field as well. His coverage abilities are above par and he is a solid tackler. Bolden is going to be a monster in the future and should get some playing time this season, but I think that him and Morgan could be Demens's (spelling?) backup this year. Morgan may slide inside sometime and that will either push Bolden to WLB, where he is a little quicker than Morgan, or he may be a third guy. Time will tell at who plays second team MLB. 
• Finally, SLB is manned by Jake Ryan with Cameron Gordon backing him up. Ryan has the starting experience but Gordon may be a bit more athletic. Both players are great ones and either one that starts in the fall will have a more than capable backup behind him. This is the one linebacking position that has almost no ifs, ans, or buts. 
• Now off to the secondary. Cornerback is pretty much down to Blake Countess and J.T. Floyd as the starters and Courtney Avery and Terrence Talbott as the backups. You could probably throw in Raymon Taylor as well, but I think he is still a year or so away from contributing as a starter. This is arguably the deepest position on the team. Countess is a future star and Floyd is a solid corner with a ton of game experience. Countess made a nice interception in the game, so hopefully that is a sign of things to come for him this season. Avery is a decent corner that will get a lot of time at nickelback and Talbott has looked much better this off season than any other time in his career. 
• At strong safety it is the ever reliant Jordan Kovacs and then Marvin Robinson as his backup. Kovacs is going to be sorely missed after this season. He just simply makes plays, no matter the situation. Robinson has come in and looked solid as his backup and can come up with some big hits as seen during the spring practices.
• Free safety is controlled by Thomas Gordon and, in my mind, is being backed up by freshman Jarrod Wilson. Gordon is a good free safety that has some speed and covers fairly well. He is also solid in run support. Wilson is still learning but may have the biggest upside of any safety we have had on the team in a while.

As you can see from the lengthy writeup we are pretty deep on defense for the most part. Defensive line is the biggest question mark and we knew it since the end of last season. If the guys on the line can pick up the slack that Ryan Van Bergen, Mike Martin and Will Heininger left behind, we will be in good shape. 

2012 Spring Game Aftermath Thoughts and E-pinions: Offense

The 2012 Spring Game was this last Saturday at the Big House. Along with others, I thought this spring game was blah. Nothing good, or bad for that matter, happened last Saturday. In my e-pinion, it was boring to watch on BTN (Big Ten Network) and slow. Maybe it was different at the Big House in person, but I doubt it. 
Below are my thoughts and e-pinions on what we saw this past weekend (and during spring practice in general). I also added a new tab with the unofficial 2-Deep for the Wolverines Football team. The 2-Deep is mostly based on what we witnessed during spring practice, as well as, what I believe the 2-Deep will be going into fall practice. 

• Denard Robinson only played a handful of plays, but he did look a little crisper in his throwing motion. Throughout the spring practice videos that MGoBlue.com posted I noticed Denard stepping into his throws a little more. Time will tell if he has corrected this on a consistent basis and if not, then his interception rate could be high again this year. He did appear to be a little quicker when running the ball. Not necessarily faster, but quicker to pull down and shoot through the defense if his throwing options we not there. The biggest thing for Denard is his decision making. If he can progress through his reads and make the right decision on who to throw to, he will be much more successful this year. Being in year two of the Borges offense, we should see some decision making improvements. 
• Devin Gardner split the remaining time at quarterback with Russell Bellomy during the Spring Game. Gardner looked excellent running the ball, but his throwing is still something of a concern. We didn't see hardly any long passes from the quarterbacks on Saturday, but the one that sticks in my mind is the one Gardner threw to Blake Countess (yes an interception). He was late on the throw and therefore Countess was able to step in front of the receiver (can't remember who) and pick it off. In my e-pinion Gardner should see some significant time at receiver this fall. He is too athletic to leave off of the field. This leads me to the next point...
• Russell Bellomy looked pretty good on Saturday. He doesn't have the big arm that can throw a ball down the field, but he makes his reads pretty well and has enough athleticism to run away from a defender. Sometimes his throws seem to be slow getting to his receivers, but I think that may be correctable. Bellomy is a decent backup, but I still think that Gardner is the number two quarterback by a mile. If Gardner plays some receiver and Denard gets hurt, Gardner can still step in at quarterback and play. But Bellomy could be a good replacement at times also. 
• Fitz Toussaint is the number one running back and there is no argument. He looks a little more quicker this year as well and his vision is increasing everyday. He also looks a little stronger in breaking tackles. Thomas Rawls is clearly the number two every down running back behind Toussaint. Rawls showed some power and vision bursting into open holes on Saturday. He will be a nice backup for Toussaint, giving him a few breathers here and there.
• Vincent Smith is undoubtedly the third down back again this fall. He has great hands receiving the ball out of the backfield and can block just about anybody. He doesn't have the power to run through guys, but he is shifty and quick enough to evade them. Justice Hayes will probably get a few carries here and there as well since he appears to be Smith's backup.
• Stephen Hopkins is the starting fullback going into the season and he is a pretty good. He blocks pretty well and carries the ball with authority. However, he is fumble prone, so hopefully we rely more on him for blocking than running the ball.
• Wide receiver was not on display much on Saturday. Whether that be because the receivers couldn't get open or because the coverage was tremendous, it remains a major concern. Roundtree had only the one catch that I can remember from Denard right at the beginning. Jeremy Gallon caught a few balls showing that he can be a go to guy, but he is a bit on the short side to be a down field threat. Jeremy Jackson is big but not very fast and Jerald Robinson didn't get much thrown his way (neither did anyone else) to show us anything. Hopefully with Amara Darboh and Jehu Chesson coming in in the fall we get some spark to the receiving corp.
• Offensive line was solid for the most part with walk-on Joey Burzynski being the surprise starter at left guard. This may not mean much since Elliott Mealer and Chris Bryant had been talked about all spring as the front runners. But Mealer did get some time on the second team offensive line at right tackle; maybe just providing some depth at that position. It will be interesting to see where incoming freshman Kyle Kalis plays this fall. 
• Ricky Barnum looked pretty good at center as well. There were a few dropped snaps, but I am not worried since Barnum just switched positions in the offseason. Jack Miller is clearly the backup there and looked decent but needs to add more weight before he will be a big contributor.
• Brandon Moore and Ricardo Miller were the two tight ends that stuck out on Saturday. But that is because they were the only two I really noticed playing. Miller seems to be out of position and Moore isn't a great enough blocker in my e-pinion. Hopefully A.J. Williams and Devin Funchess bring some much needed talent and ability this fall.

The offense looked okay on Saturday. Wide receiver is the most concerning position along with tight end. If the guys at those positions can make an impact this season, the offense will be fun to watch. If not, then it could be scary having to rely heavily on the running game.

ESPN 150 Released

The ESPN 150 List was released today. Here is how Michigan's recruits got ranked:


Shane Morris - 4*, 82 - Scout Grade, #4 Pocket QB, #1 MI, #37 Overall
Wyatt Shallman - 3*, 79 - Scout Grade, #1 Fullback, #8 MI
Dymonte Thomas - 4*, 81 - Scout Grade, #11 Athlete, #5 OH, #98 Overall
DeVeon Smith - 4*, 79 - Scout Grade, #28 RB, #18 OH
Jourdan Lewis - 4*, 81 - Scout Grade, #11 CB, #3 MI, #107 Overall
Jaron Dukes - 4*, 80 - Scout Grade, #29 WR, #10 OH
Khalid Hill - 3*, 79 - Scout Grade, #6 TE-H, #7 MI
Logan Tuley-Tillman - 4*, 81 - Scout Grade, #9 OT, #5 IL, #97 Overall
Chris Fox - 4*, 81 - Scout Grade, #10 OT, #1 CO, #105 Overall
Kyle Bosch - 4*, 81 - Scout Grade, #4 OG, #6 IL, #112 Overall
Patrick Kugler - 4*, 80 - Scout Grade, #5 OG, #6 PA, #121 Overall
David Dawson - 4*, 81 - Scout Grade, #1 OG, #2 MI, #92 Overall
Taco Charlton - 4*, 81 - Scout Grade, #9 DE, #6 OH, #115 Overall
Jake Butt - 4*, 80 - Scout Grade, #4 TE-Y, #13 OH
Mike McCray - 4*, 81 - Scout Grade, #7 OLB, #4 OH, #75 Overall
Ben Gedeon - 4*, 80 - Scout Grade, #32 Athlete, #17 OH
Gareon Conley - 4*, 81 - Scout Grade, #6 CB, #3 OH, #63 Overall


Therefore, the top players in the class according to ESPN looks like this:


Shane Morris - #37 
Gareon Conley - #63
Mike McCray - #75
David Dawson - #92
Logan Tuley-Tillman - #97
Dymonte Thomas - #98
Chris Fox - #105
Jourdan Lewis - #107
Kyle Bosch - #112
Taco Charlton - #115
Patrick Kugler - #121


Michigan has 11 commitments in the top 150 to ESPN. That is pretty incredible realizing that signing day is still about 10 or so months away. I will update each players recruiting rankings on their New Wolverine pages (if they have one). 

New Wolverine: Ben Gedeon

Ben Gedeon, a linebacker from Hudson (OH) Hudson High School, became the 17th commitment to the 2013 class. He is a consensus 4* linebacker / athlete across the board. Gedeon is listed at about 6'3" 215 lbs. or so currently. At that size, he will probably play the WILL linebacker spot when he arrives on campus. However, given the depth at linebacker that the coaches have built over the last few classes, Gedeon should be able to redshirt his freshman season to build up muscle and size. 


Gedeon is a good athlete with pretty good speed. He plays running back and linebacker in high school so you know he is able to cover receivers and tight ends. He also sheds tackles pretty well and tackles the ball carrier well. But I think Gedeon will definitely need that redshirt year to add some mass to become a more effective run stopper. If he adds enough, he could move over to the MIKE linebacker spot.


The following are the current recruiting rankings for Ben Gedeon:
Scout: 4*, #13 OLB, #159 Overall
Rivals: 4*, #8 ILB, #224 Overall
ESPN: 4*, 80 - Scout Grade, #32 Athlete, #17 OH
247: 4*, 90 - 247 Rating, #23 Athlete, #14 OH

Trey Burke is coming back!!!

The aMAIZEing freshman Trey Burke will come back for his sophomore year at the University of Michigan next season. Amid rumors from everywhere that Burke was going to forgo his eligibility and join the upcoming NBA draft, he has said today that he will be back to finish what he and the others started this past season.

Had Burke decided to leave for the NBA, well let's just say that there was no one behind him on the current roster to take over as point guard. Michigan did receive a commitment from Spike Albrecht, a point guard from the New England area over the weekend. But Albrecht is a under the radar guy that would probably be best served as a backup to Burke for at least a season. Luckily, Albrecht will get the chance to play behind Trey for the upcoming season and give him a breather here and there (something Trey didn't get much of this year). 

Because of Burke coming back next year, the expectations for the team sky-rocket. Michigan is seen as a top-10 team, with the return of Burke and the addition of incoming freshman Mitch McGary, Glenn Robinson III, and Nick Stauskas. While Michigan will be good next year, I am withholding judgement until I see how well McGary and Robinson fit in with the already established cast of Trey Burke, Jordan Morgan, Tim Hardaway Jr. and co.

Either way, this is great news to have Burke coming back. 

Wolverine Basketball: The Departed

Following the disappointedly early exit from the NCAA Tournament by the men's basketball team, there were several departures that are worth mentioning. Of course there was the obvious departure of Stu Douglas and Zack Novak, since both were seniors, but there were a few surprises as well. 


Evan Smotrycz, Carlton Brundidge and Colton Christian all decided to transfer from the University of Michigan last week. Smotrycz was a big contributor who started many games this last season; however, Brundidge had a few minutes here and there backing up Trey Burke and Christian would get a few minutes in mop up duty. So obviously the loss of Smotrycz is what is going to hurt the team the most. But with the class of freshman that are coming in this next season there was a good chance that his minutes were going to dwindle a bit with that added competition. 


The loss of Brundidge could hurt Michigan as well since Burke is looking at his draft potential for the upcoming NBA draft. Hopefully Burke decides to stay at Michigan at least one more year since Coach Beilein has not yet received a commitment from a point guard to even back up Burke if he does stay. While Brundidge did appear to be behind in learning the system, he was the best available backup for Burke on the team.


While these departures hurt the team, at least we have some solid players coming in next season to lessen the impact. The biggest issue though is what happens if Trey Burke decides to also leave (for the NBA)? Time will tell, since we should know in a few weeks, but if he leaves, we could be in some trouble.

New Wolverine: DeVeon Smith

DeVeon Smith, a running back from Warren (OH) Howland High School, became the 16th commitment of the class of 2013 on Saturday. He is currently listed at about 5'11" and 210 lbs., which makes him a good size for a running back. He is the second running back to commit to the class, alongside Wyatt Shallman. Smith is a powerful back that literally does not go down. It takes a defense about three guys to bring him down and that is after he breaks multiple tackles. His highlight film is pretty good showing his ability to drive through would be tacklers on his way to the end zone. 

Smith's speed is my only question. However, while he doesn't have the speed of Ty Isaac, Smith is still able to outrun a few players. Once he gets on campus, he will have every opportunity to compete for the starting position, depending on the status of Fitzgerald Toussaint. I think Smith will come in and be the backup for his freshman season and then come his sophomore year, he could become the starter. 

Plus, if Ty Isaac plans on committing too, that would be one great compliment to DeVeon Smith. Isaac has the speed, but Smith has the pounding ability. We will see what Isaac decides to do, but Smith is definitely a great running back for this class. As you see below, I think DeVeon Smith is a very underrated running back, other than Scout of course.

The following are the current recruiting rankings for DeVeon Smith:

Scout: 4*, #7 RB, #58 Overall

Rivals: 3*, #32 RB

ESPN: 4*, 79 - Scout Grade, #28 RB, #18 OH

247: 3*, 89 - 247 Rating, #32 RB, #18 OH

Depth Chart Update

On Friday afternoon, Coach Hoke had his first press conference of spring practice. Most notably was the announcement of the following players not coming back for their fifth year of football:


Rocko Khoury - Offensive Line
Terrence Robinson - Wide Receiver
Mike Cox - Running Back
George Morales - Long Snapper


According to Coach Hoke, all four are graduating by the time fall football practice starts. The one that hurts depth the most is Rocko Khoury, as he was one that was assumed to be battling for the starting center spot. But with Ricky Barnum getting a shot at center, I think we will be ok at the position as long as no one gets hurt. Terrence Robinson turned into a pretty good gunner on special teams this last fall and Mike Cox always found a way to make a highlight reel run... albeit against MAC level competition. Then George Morales seems to be one that would probably not have contributed much as he is a long snapper, and we have a few on the team that will get the job done.


So far, the only one I know of that is continuing his football career is Mike Cox. He transferred to the University of Massachusetts and oddly enough will play in the Big House one last time, on his new team this fall as UMass travels to Michigan on September 15.


Good luck to all four of these guys on their future endeavors and may Mike Cox not have a big run against Michigan this fall.

March Madness 2012

Hopefully we see a ton of this happening

Congrats to Michigan for being the 4 seed in the Midwest Region for the 2012 NCAA Tournament. They will play the Ohio University Bobcats (yes, the real Ohio, not the other "Ohio") on Friday March 16 at 7:20 pm. It appears that Michigan is a 5 point favorite to win. Hopefully the Wolverines will come to play, unlike they did against Ohio (yes, that Ohio) in the B1G Tournament championship. As long as Tim Hardaway Jr, Jordan Morgan, and the others give Trey Burke some help, this should be a relatively easy victory.


I see the California Golden Bears beating the South Florida Bulls in the "First Round" and then also beating the Temple Owls in the second round. Therefore, this sets up Michigan and California in the third round. I think Michigan will be able to pull out a somewhat close game and then play the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Sweet Sixteen. However, I think that is where Michigan's run ends... and it will possibly end in doom. But maybe the Wolverines prove me wrong. 


Anyways, again congrats to the boys and good luck. GO BLUE!

New Wolverine: Gareon Conley

Gareon Conley, a cornerback from Massillon (OH) Washington High School, committed to the class of 2013 over the weekend and making him the 15th recruit in the class. He is list at about 6'1" 170 lbs., which would mean he will be the tallest corner on the team by the time he reaches Michigan. I really like Conley's skill set and I think he is pretty underrated by the recruiting services. He is not real fast, but his height and length makes him a nice corner prospect for the Wolverines. Being that tall will be really nice because it gives Michigan someone bigger to match up with the tall receivers throughout the B1G. 

I honestly think that Conley could push for playing time his redshirt freshman year. He is pretty light and needs to add some weight and muscle. But his size makes you excited to see him match up with the bigger receivers. His film is fun to watch because he has the length to fly to the ball and knock it away without interfering with the receiver. He also goes up and high points the pass pretty well too.

The following are the current recruiting rankings for Gareon Conley:

Scout: 4*, #22 CB, #227 Overall

Rivals: 3*, NR Athlete

ESPN: 4*, 81 - Scout Grade, #6 CB, #63 Overall, #3 OH

247: 3*, 88 - 247 Rating, #43 CB, #27 OH

Isaiah Bell Leaves the Program

Just last night it was reported that Isaiah Bell, a redshirt junior, has left the football program. Bell was a linebacker / defensive end that never saw the field in actual playing time. I heard some rumors that he showed up his freshman season a bit overweight (and not good weight) after being recruited as a safety / linebacker tweener. He was buried on the depth chart at linebacker and it was assumed he would probably not get his fifth year on the team. 


I want to wish Isaiah Bell good luck in life and hope that he lands on his feet. He had some promise coming out of high school, especially according to ESPN, but unfortunately just fell behind.


This does technically open a scholarship for the 2013 class, which will now be up to about 20 right now.

Current Recruiting Rankings for the Class of 2013

The following are the current recruiting rankings for each commitment to the class of 2013. They should be current up to the last week or so. With the Scout 300 coming out yesterday, we now have an idea on where each commit is ranked across the four major recruiting services. 


Shane Morris - QB
   Scout: 5*, #3 QB, #28 Overall
   Rivals: 4*, #16 Overall
   ESPN: 5*, ESPNU 150 Watch List
   247: 4*, 97 - 247 Rating, #2 Pro QB, #14 Overall, #1 MI


Wyatt Shallman - RB
   Scout: 4*, #1 FB, #179 Overall
   Rivals: 4*, #160 Overall
   ESPN: ESPNU 150 Watch List
   247: 4*, 92 - 247 Rating, #9 SDE, #187 Overall, #4 MI


Dymonte Thomas - S
   Scout: 5*, #5 S, #35 Overall
   Rivals: 4*, #77 Overall
   ESPN: 4*, ESPNU 150 Watch List
   247: 4*, 95 - 247 Rating, #6 S, #40 Overall, #3 OH


Jourdan Lewis - CB
   Scout: 3*, #24 CB, #251 Overall
   Rivals: 4*, #167 Overall
   ESPN: NR CB
   247: 4*, 90 - 247 Rating, #22 CB, #7 MI


Jaron Dukes - WR
   Scout: 3*, #38 WR, #287 Overall
   Rivals: NR WR
   ESPN: NR WR
   247: 3*, 87 - 247 Rating, #63 WR, #28 OH


Khalid Hill - TE
   Scout: 3*, #14 TE
   Rivals: NR TE
   ESPN: NR TE
   247: 3*, 86 - 247 Rating, #21 TE, #9 MI


Logan Tuley-Tillman - OT
   Scout: 4*, #14 OT, #153 Overall
   Rivals: 4*, #109 Overall
   ESPN: ESPNU 150 Watch List
   247: 4*, 94 - 247 Rating, #13 OT, #89 Overall, #6 IL


Chris Fox - OT, OG
   Scout: 4*, #4 OG, #137 Overall
   Rivals: 4*, #46 Overall
   ESPN: 4*, ESPNU 150 Watch List
   247: 4*, 95 - 247 Rating, #7 OT, #47 Overall, #1 CO


Kyle Bosch - OT
   Scout: 4*, #4 OT, #49 Overall
   Rivals: 4*, #60 Overall
   ESPN: 4*, ESPNU 150 Watch List
   247: 4*, 95 - 247 Rating, #5 OT, #42 Overall, #2 IL


Patrick Kugler - OG, C
   Scout: 5*, #1 OG, #25 Overall
   Rivals: 4*, #54 Overall
   ESPN: 4*, ESPNU 150 Watch List
   247: 4*, 92 - 247 Rating, #7 OG, #190 Overall, #4 PA


David Dawson - OG
   Scout: 3*, #9 OG, #264 Overall
   Rivals: 4*, #199 Overall
   ESPN: ESPNU 150 Watch List
   247: 4*, 92 - 247 Rating, #8 OG, #196 Overall, #5 MI


Taco Charlton - DE
   Scout: 3*, #35 DE
   Rivals: 4*, #183 Overall
   ESPN: ESPNU 150 Watch List
   247: 4*, 92 - 247 Rating, #5 OLB, #99 Overall, #5 OH


Jake Butt - TE
   Scout: 4*, #6 TE, #147 Overall
   Rivals: 4*, #96 Overall
   ESPN: ESPNU 150 Watch List
   247: 4*, 90 - 247 Rating, #9 TE, #15 OH


Mike McCray - OLB
   Scout: 4*, #20 OLB, #202 Overall
   Rivals: 4*, #44 Overall
   ESPN: ESPNU 150 Watch List
   247: 4*, 92 - 247 Rating, #10 Athlete, #168 Overall, #8 OH


Here is the breakdown per recruiting service:
   Scout: 5* = 3 (Shane Morris, Dymonte Thomas, Patrick Kugler)
              4* = 6 (Wyatt Shallman, Logan Tuley-Tillman, Chris Fox, Kyle Bosch, Jake Butt, Mike
                   McCray)
              3* = 5 (Jourdan Lewis, Jaron Dukes, Khalid Hill, David Dawson, Taco Charlton)


   Rivals: 5* = 0
              4* = 12 (Shane Morris, Wyatt Shallman, Dymonte Thomas, Jourdan Lewis, Logan Tuley-
                    Tillman, Chris Fox, Kyle Bosch, Patrick Kugler, David Dawson, Taco Charlton, Jake  
                    Butt, Mike McCray)
              NR = 2 (Jaron Dukes, Khalid Hill)


   ESPN: 5* = 1 (Shane Morris)
              4* = 4 (Dymonte Thomas, Chris Fox, Kyle Bosch, Patrick Kugler)
              ESPNU 150 Watch List = 11 (Shane Morris, Wyatt Shallman, Dymonte Thomas, Logan
                     Tuley-Tillman, Chris Fox, Kyle Bosch, Patrick Kugler, David Dawson, Taco Charlton, 
                     Jake Butt, Mike McCray)


   247: 5* = 0 
           4* = 12 (Shane Morris, Wyatt Shallman, Dymonte Thomas, Jourdan Lewis, Logan Tuley-
                 Tillman, Chris Fox, Kyle Bosch, Patrick Kugler, David Dawson, Taco Charlton, Jake 
                 Butt, Mike McCray)
           3* = 2 (Jaron Dukes, Khalid Hill)


So far, Michigan has a pretty solid class for 2013. Hopefully they can close this class out with some more good prospects to add to these above. I will update this post throughout the year until National Signing Day in February 2013.

Scout 300 for Class of 2013

The Scout 300 has just been released. I will be updating the Michigan 2013 Offer List over the next couple days to reflect the changes. I will also probably make a post with the current Michigan commitments and their current recruiting rankings soon.

New Wolverine: Mike McCray II

Mike McCray II just became the 14th commitment to the class of 2013 and the first linebacker. He is from Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison and is listed at about 6'4" and 220 lbs. or so. McCray is slated for the sam linebacker position and could even move down to the weak-side defensive end position. He has good size for SLB and has pretty good coverage skills. McCray also seems to have decent speed as well for his size. 

There have been some rumblings that McCray could switch to the Buckeyes if they were to offer, since his dad is a former captain for them. I don't know if that will / would happen and I hope not since McCray has nice upside. He could come in and compete for a backup spot to Jake Ryan. If not, McCray will take that redshirt year to refine his skills and be ready to play come his redshirt freshman season. 

The following are the current recruiting rankings for Mike McCray II:

Scout: 4*, #20 OLB, #202 Overall

Rivals: 4*, #8 OLB, #44 Overall

ESPN: 4*, 81 - Scout Grade, #7 OLB, #75 Overall, #4 OH

247: 4*, 92 - 247 Rating, #12 Athlete, #173 Overall, #8 OH

Regular Season B1G Champs!

Congrats to the Michigan Wolverines Men's Basketball Team for winning a share of the regular season B1G Championship along with the Michigan State Spartans and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Thanks to the Buckeyes for knocking off the Spartans yesterday, it allowed Michigan to get its first B1G Championship since 1986. Congrats again to the Wolverines and GO BLUE!

New Wolverine: Patrick Kugler

Patrick Kugler, from Wexford (PA) North Allegheny SHS, became the fifth offensive lineman and 13th overall commitment to the class of 2013 over the weekend. He is listed at 6'5" and 280 lbs. and is slated at offensive guard or even center. I haven't watched any film on Kugler but I would have to assume he is pretty good since his dad is the offensive line coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers and his brother will be a redshirt freshman offensive lineman at Purdue (if I remember correctly). Kugler is probably the last offensive lineman that Michigan signs for this class. There is always the possibility that one of them decommits or Michigan picks up a sixth lineman. But unless it is someone like Ethan Pocic or Laremy Tunsil, I don't see anyone else joining the offensive lineman group for this class.

The following are the current recruiting rankings for Patrick Kugler:

Scout: 5*, #1 OG, #25 Overall

Rivals: 4*, #7 OT #54 Overall

ESPN: 4*, 80 - Scout Grade, #5 OG, #121 Overall, #6 PA

247: 4*, 92 - 247 Rating, #8 OG, #192 Overall, #6 PA

Class of 2013 Wish List

Since the class of 2013 is approximately half full already(!)  this "Wish List" will consist of players I hope Michigan is able to end the class with. I originally wanted to do a total wish list, but that was before the avalanche of commitments this past weekend. Needless to say I ran out of time and was caught by surprise (mostly). 


So on to the "Class of 2013 Wish List" for the rest of the class:


Quarterback - Obviously Shane Morris is already committed to the 2013 class, but I believe we need another quarterback for depth reasons. I would love to see a guy like Kevin Olsen. He is another highly rated quarterback out of Wayne (NJ) Wayne Hills. I love the character and ability of Morris, but if something happens to him when it is his time to shine we could be in big trouble. Assuming Morris takes over after Devin Gardner graduates (which could be Morris' sophomore or redshirt freshman season, also depends on Gardner's redshirt status from his freshman season) we have only Russell Bellomy currently on the roster. That is not a good situation. Now at that time we will have a 2014 quarterback, but still that is a freshman as #3. 


Running Back - Ty Isaac is probably my number one choice to go with the already committed Wyatt Shallman. Isaac has a very impressive highlight film and set the record in the championship game with over 500(!) rushing yards... in one game! I have heard from some people about his character and work ethic. If the coaches extended an offer to him, then I have full trust in Coach Hoke and Co. Keith Ford or Derrick Green would probably be my next choices. But they are there purely on recruiting rankings since I have not watched any film on them.


Wide Receiver - Jaron Dukes is already committed to the Wolverines and he is a tall possession type receiver. The coaches need to grab at least one fast, field stretching wide receiver to go with Dukes. LaQuon Treadwell and Robert Foster are atop my list. Both are fast and can make moves in the open field. While Dukes may need a redshirt year, Treadwell and/or Foster would probably be able to come in right away and contribute. 


Tight End - This position is pretty much already taken care of with the commitments of Khalid Hill and Jake Butt. However, it appears that the coaches may want a third tight end in the class. If Michigan does get another guy, it would have to be Adam Breneman or someone of his caliber. Depth is ok at tight end with Michigan grabbing two in the 2012 class as well. But having a guy like Breneman wouldn't hurt.


Offensive Tackle - In my opinion tackle is all set for this class, unless it is a really high caliber type player. With two guys already committed in Logan Tuley-Tillman and Chris Fox and Michigan grabbing three or so last year, depth is pretty decent to stop at two for 2013. Taylor Lewan and Michael Schofield are redshirt juniors this season, so they still have at least this season and maybe next season (unless Lewan leaves early... please no). In order to take a third tackle, I would love to see Laremy Tunsil. He is a highly ranked player and would be another great addition to an already tremendous class.


Offensive Guard - So far Kyle Bosch and David Dawson are the two guards that are committed for the 2013 class. Depth here is kind of scary, with four guys leaving after this season. I don't really have any one here that I would love to see, as anyone with a Michigan offer currently that plays guard will do. 


Offensive Center - Right now David Dawson is the only one that I have heard that may move in and play center from this class. No natural centers have been offered by Michigan so far, and that scares me. Center is another position where depth is extremely thin. After the guys graduate after this year, only Jack Miller remains as a true center / anyone that can play center currently. That is not good. Since we have no offers out to centers right now, I do not have anyone to add to this wish list for this position.


Defensive Tackle - So far no defensive tackles are committed to this class. Atop of my wish list is Henry Poggi and Eddie Vanderdoes. Again, two highly rated guys that seem like they could come in and compete right away. Poggi has said that Michigan is toward the top of his list and I do not know where Michigan stands with Vanderdoes, but these guys would be huge additions to the 2013 class.


Defensive End - Taco Charlton is the only defensive end committed so far. After the haul that Michigan took last year, defensive end is not a big concern for this class. I would say that if we add another guy to the mix, Alquadin Muhammad would be the guy I want. Not only is he a highly ranked guy but he goes to high school at Don Bosco Prep in Ramsey, NJ. Don Bosco is a huge D-1 factory and it would be great to get a guy or two from there every couple years or so.


Linebacker - Just like defensive end, linebacker is not a big concern because of the big class that we get in 2012. But E.J. Levenberry, Jr. and Jaylon Smith are at the top of my list. They are two of the top linebackers in the country and would provide great competition to the linebacker spot. Levenberry has Michigan at the top of his list and sounds like a great kid that would represent Michigan well. Both of them have a knack for the ball and just plain hit guys.


Cornerback - Kendall Fuller and Vernon Hargreaves are definitely the two corners I would love to see added to the class, in addition to the already committed Jourdan Lewis. Big time players that could also compete for playing time right away. The only problem is, both of these guys seem unlikely that they end up at Michigan. Fuller is scheduled to visit with teammate Dorian O'Daniel for the spring game though, so that's a start.


Safety - To go along with Dymonte Thomas I would love to have Su'a Cravens in the class. His highlight film is fun to watch as he is flying around the field making tackles, interceptions and pass breakups. Safety is not a big need either with three guys in the 2012 class and Thomas already for this class but Cravens is a guy that you would make room for if he was to come.


That is the end of my wish list. Again this is not necessarily who Michigan ends the 2013 class with, but these are guys that I would love to see in the Maize and Blue. Does the Wolverines have a chance with all of them? Yes. Each one has at least some interest in Michigan, while some have even said Michigan is at or near the top of their list. If each one of these guys committed, it would be tough to beat this class with any other in the country.