2013 Michigan Wolverines Football: Strugglin'

[sachmoney]

With the college football season officially over last night, we can start fresh. I'm not sure there are many schools or fanbases, who are relishing the chance to start fresh as much as us. Facing one of the toughest schedules in the nation, the Wolverines disappointed time and time again. With a new year, there is new hope, a renewed sense of optimism, and new opportunities.

While Michigan loses one of the most dynamic players in school history in Denard Robinson, the team doesn't lose much in this senior class. Robinson is obviously the headliner, but the team seems to be in safe hands with Devin Gardner at the reins. On offense, Michigan loses Patrick Omameh, Elliot Mealer, and Ricky Barnum on the line, wide receiver Roy Roundtree, and running back Vincent Smith. With a talented redshirt freshman class on the line, Michigan should be able to absorb those departures. The O-Line was one of the greatest weaknesses of this team, and while the new guys will lack experience, they all come highly touted. Roundtree was a big play receiver at the end of the season, but Michigan has two guys in Jehu Chesson and Amara Darboh who can fill that gap. I'm not sure Michigan will ever have a back like Smith again, unless Norfleet moves back to the offensive side of the field.

The big loss on offense, of course, could/should/will be Taylor Lewan. All signs point to Lewan leaving, but the big offensive tackle has yet to announce his decision. Quite frankly, as a top 10-15 pick, I don't blame him for not passing on such an incredible opportunity. He's going to make big money in the pros, and I'm not sure he has much to gain from staying in college.

On defense, Michigan loses Craig Roh, Will Campbell, JT Floyd, Kenny Demens, and Jordan Kovacs. Besides possibly Kovacs, I'm not sure any of these are really big. Roh has multiple guys in the redshirt class as well as in this freshman class (Strobel, Wormley, Godin, Poggi) who can step in. Campbell has Pipkins and Maurice Hurst Jr. Losing Floyd should be okay because we will get Countess back from injury. Raymon Taylor struggled this year, but I think that the experience will help him overall. Getting those two guys back, Courtney Avery at nickel, and Terry Richardson possibly stepping into some sort of role should make us okay for next year. Our defensive backfield is probably 1-2 years from being where it should be. We will miss Demens's coverage on pass plays, but I think Bolden can step into that role. We've already seen him and James Ross contribute, so I'm excited to see what they can do. Kovacs will be the toughest guy to replace because we have guys who have been injured or guys who have never played.

Michigan has a really exciting freshman class, but I'm not sure how much some of these guys will play. Offensively, I expect Shane Morris to redshirt. He'll be on the two or three-deep, but he is far away from being a college starter. At this time, none of the wide receivers should see the field. The only guys, at this moment, that I see getting time are TE Jake Butt and C Patrick Kugler. Both of these guys are early enrolling, so they'll have a shot to go through spring practice to develop physically and learn the playbook. I know Borges wants to move to more 2 TE sets and Butt has some impressive pass catching ability. Kugler is the son of a NFL offensive line coach (Sean Kugler who is now the HC at UTEP), so he is said to have advanced technique. I expect Jack Miller to be the starting center, but I expect Kugler to push him and be in the two-deep.

Defensively, Michigan might have something. Dymonte Thomas is probably the freshman I am personally most excited about. He was one of the best players at the Army All-American game and he is early enrolling. I don't expect him to start this season, but I expect him to get some quality playing time. The other guys I expect to contribute are DLs Henry Poggi and Maurice Hurst Jr. Poggi is also a son of a coach and while he's not really explosive, he does display good technique and pass rushing abilities. Hurst Jr is very explosive for a guy his size and I'd expect him to play the type of role that Pipkins did this season. I can see some of the guys in the defensive secondary getting some looks if things get thin, particularly Jourdan Lewis.

Overall, next year's team will trade experience for talent. The schedule is very favorable as well:

8/31: Central Michigan
9/7: Notre Dame
9/14: Akron
9/21: at Connecticut
10/5: Minnesota
10/12 at Penn State
10/19: Indiana
11/2: at Michigan State
11/9: Nebraska
11/16: at Northwestern
11/23: at Iowa
11/30: Ohio State
12/7: Big Ten Championship Game

By my count, we have 235 days until kickoff. Let's go Blue!
 
 

 

[Dgilpin]

Great write up Sach, thanks for taking the time to do this. Looking at the schedule you have to think 10-2/11-1 will definitely be in the mix.

 

[repole]

Really hope we don't have to burn a year and play Morris if/when Gardner goes down, but hard to think that Bellomy is going to be of any more use next year than he was this year.

The RB situation should also be of interest next year, especially if Green commits as is presently expected. Unless Fitz returns to form, have to think Green would take over that spot pretty quickly.

 

[sachmoney]

Great write up Sach, thanks for taking the time to do this. Looking at the schedule you have to think 10-2/11-1 will definitely be in the mix.

Yeah, I share a similar outlook on next season, but I'm not ready to make a prediction yet. I'll add another write up when we get to signing day. I'm not sure there's much to talk about for the next couple of months beyond that (unless something bad happens, of course).

Really hope we don't have to burn a year and play Morris if/when Gardner goes down, but hard to think that Bellomy is going to be of any more use next year than he was this year.

The RB situation should also be of interest next year, especially if Green commits as is presently expected. Unless Fitz returns to form, have to think Green would take over that spot pretty quickly.

I don't want them to burn Morris's redshirt, but at the end of the day, you've got to try to win games. I'm not sure what to expect from Morris if he plays next year, but I don't think he's going to be anywhere close to being ready. He has a terrific arm and can make all the throws, but that's not all of quarterbacking. He's going to have to work on his footwork and progressions. At the same time, Bellomy has inspired no confidence, so it's tough to say. I'd really like to see them take 2 QBs in the 2014 class, but I'm not sure there's room.

Don't sleep on Deveon Smith. He's a tough runner too. He isn't as physically robust as Green, but I think that he can be a really good back as well. I think both of those guys are probably going to be better than what we have, though I'm discounting Toussaint's return at the moment (pretty serious injury). That's assuming Green commits, and all signs are pointing to him doing so.

 

[sachmoney]

Lewan is holding a press conference at 6PM to announce whether he is staying or going. All signs point to him leaving for the NFL. We'll find out for sure tonight.

 

[sachmoney]

Lewan is staying!!!

 

[bowiac]

Bizarre. I was wondering why he was drawing this process out since nobody would think twice of him leaving, but I'm still pretty stunned.

Well, they better not fuck this season up now. I wonder how this changes the recruiting outlook. One year only, but it's still an extra scholarship.

 

[Granite Sox]

Bizarre. I was wondering why he was drawing this process out since nobody would think twice of him leaving, but I'm still pretty stunned.

Well, they better not fuck this season up now. I wonder how this changes the recruiting outlook. One year only, but it's still an extra scholarship.

They've been circling around a couple of guys who recently de-committed (Reuben Foster and Sebastian LaRue) to see if they can make a strong enough push. Additionally, there are a couple of OL in play (Hunt, Skipper) that have been offered. If they can land Green, either of Foster or LaRue would be gravy. The OLs would be nice to have, but not critical. Speed and skill positions still a need.

 

[sachmoney]

They've been circling around those guys, but I'm not sure they'll be able to make a strong push. It's been said that Foster, who has a daughter, has been told by his mother that he doesn't want him to leave the South. However, he is visiting Washington, though, with Tosh Lupoi, Washington seems to be recruiting like a SEC school. LaRue is the guy you should be keeping more of an eye on. He has spoken with the Michigan coaches. If he visits, then I'd say we can have a decent shot at him. He's decommitted from USC, he's not going to A&M, so I think there are only a few schools that he's looking at and Michigan might be one of them. I'd say our chances at LaRue are still low at this point.

As far as offensive lineman, there were rumblings that we might go up to 6-7 considering the Lewan situation and Chris Fox's ACL. The depth is still not quite where we need it to be, so I can see us taking one more with Hunt visiting this weekend (there are rumors of him committing) and Skipper announcing next week (he's between Michigan and Nebraska).

As much as Lewan's return rules, we have to keep in mind that we need improvement everywhere else. The OL was key to many of the team's struggles this season. I hope guys like Kalis and Braden can really step up and make a strong impact.

 

[redinchicago]

Kugler didn't enroll early. He is visiting this weekend. The early enroll list is this:

http://michigan.247sports.com/Season/2013-Football/Commits

 

[twibnotes]

Does anyone know when we'll find out if Gardner gets another year of eligibility? I'm in the camp that thinks Morris needs more development. Having two more years with Gardner at Q could be huge for the program.

 

[bowiac]

This process turns out to be shrouded in mystery/when Brady Hoke bothers to submit the paperwork.

 

[sachmoney]

Michigan picked up the commitment of five star running back, Derrick Green. Green is rated the number one running back on Rivals and Scout and he's amongst the top on the other recruiting sites, but you probably already knew that. There's a lot of reasons to get excited about this commitment, not just because he's highly rated, but also because he's a terrific fit. Brady has said many times that he wants to transition to a prostyle offense predicated on a power running game. While Smith and Shallman should be expected to be contributors down the line, Green is a kid that can make an immediate impact. He's pretty much a bowling ball of power. He can bench 330 and squat 600. He's a high work rate kid, spending a lot of time in the gym and a lot of time watching film. Obviously, we're going to need the offensive line to step up to give this kid a chance, but Green can be the feature back for the next three or four years. 

 

[Granite Sox]

Agree. I actually think Smith will feature along with Green next year. (I don't know if Fitz will be ready and the other RBs are garbage.)

Green was 260 at one point and dropped 30lbs. when he committed to the RB position.

Defense should be good next year with returning players. If the defense can hold the fort until a re-modeled OL gels, we may have something.

Hoke and company have brought in a lot of talent the last two years.

 

[sachmoney]

Recruiting class primer:
Shane Morris: The Warren De LA Salle QB has been committed to the Wolverines since May 2011. He is known for his cannon of an arm and made a great impression on the Summer Camp circuit as well as the 7 on 7 circuit last Summer. Despite the promise, he missed half of his senior year due to mono and never really seemed to get back to full strength. He's got a great arm, but the question is can he get over that. Because he has a great arm, he has a tendency of wanting to show how strong his arm is. He'll have to learn to take some heat off of his throws as well as better develop his progressions (he has a tendency to lock in on receivers) to make a huge impact at Michigan.
 
Dymonte Thomas: This is the kid I am most excited about in this class. I have no hesitation in saying that. The Marlington High School star early enrolled at Michigan, so I expect him to see the field early, though it'll be difficult to start as a freshman. Dymonte is really strong in run support, and I think playing baseball has helped him a little bit in coverage, though that is an aspect of his game that he'll need to improve. I was impressed with what I saw from him at the Army All-American Game.
 
Khalid Hill: He'll probably be one of the most overlooked members of this class, but he'll provide one of the higher production to hype. Hill will be a full back and I think he'll also get some good opportunities to flash the hands out of the backfield. 
 
Chris Fox: He's a big offensive lineman out of Colorado that early enrolled. However, the big thing will be how he recovers from a torn ACL. I believe this is one of the big reasons that the coaching staff decided to take another OL. Fox was a top 50 prospect coming into this season. 
 
Taco Charlton: Taco, besides being the best name in this class, also might have the highest upside. This kid has loads of athleticism, but he's a bit raw. I'm not sure how long he's been playing, but I know he played basketball in high school too. There's been a lot of talk about Michigan's lack of a pass rush. I'm not sure Taco can get on the field immediately, but if he improves his technique, he can eventually be The Guy at the weakside defensive end position. 
 
Jourdan Lewis: The first kid to commit from Michigan's all too reliable Cass Tech pipeline (ironically, the first kid to commit from next year's class already committed to that school down south). As is the case with most Cass Tech DBs, there are questions about how Lewis's size will translate at the next level. I thought he did okay in the Army game, it's just a matter of getting stronger. He's got the athleticism to play at the college level.
 
Wyatt Shallman: Shallman is another overlooked local kid, but he's someone I would tip to be a future Michigan captain. If you've heard or seen any of his interview, you'll see he is a character. This kid carries a briefcase to class. He's very unique. He's also a kid that loves football, and by that, I mean he loves to hit people, he loves the physicality. His attitude towards football, to me, seems to be the embodiment of what Hoke wants Michigan football to be. That's why I'm excited about Shallman. I'm not sure Shallman has a specified position at the moment. He'll get some carries, he'll hit people.
 
Kyle Bosch: Bosch is another OL prospect out of Illinois. Illinois had a massive OL crop this year and Bosch is one of the best. Bosch early enrolled as well. 
 
Logan Tulley-Tillman: LTT is another early enrollee. He's a bit raw, but he's also a hard worker and very coachable. One of the things you notice is how he seems to improve every time you see him (from camps to AA games). Probably the biggest project of the OL crop, but he has a lot of upside.
 
Jake Butt: This kid is another early enrollee that should see the field as a freshman. He's got great hands and should be in the Devin Funchess role in the offense. Probably my favorite offensive commit behind Green.
 
Jaron Dukes: Dukes is a big wide receiver out of Columbus. I'm really not sure what he's going to be because he's not particularly fast and he's not particularly agile. He's almost certain to redshirt, but I think, more than anything, he needs time to grow into his body. 
 
Patrick Kugler: Kugler is the highest rated offensive lineman in this class. He projects as a center long-term, but could see the field as a guard. His father is an offensive line coach (formerly with the Steelers, now HC at UTEP), so one of the things you'll hear about him is his technique. 
 
Michael McCray Jr: McCray is the son of a former Buckeye. He did not get an Ohio State offer early in the process and committed to Michigan and has been steadfast in that commitment. There are questions as to what he projects to at the next level, but most believe that he might be a SAM (Jake Ryan's current position). If he doesn't have the athleticism, he'll join the logjam at MIKE/WILL. 
 
DeVeon Smith: Another overlooked member of the class, Smith is tough, tough runner. He's physical and he's a fall forward type of guy. He might not be as hyped as Derrick Green, but he's definitely someone that can push Green down the line. He'll probably be the second or third best running back on the roster as a freshman, depending on how Fitz recovers from that injury (said to already be walking without a limp from what I've heard, which is good news). 
 
Ben Gedeon: There really isn't much out there on Gedeon. They call him The Freak. He played pretty much every position for his HS and holds a lot of their records. He is going to be a linebacker at Michigan and should be a damn good one. 
 
Csont'e York: I really don't know much about York to be honest. I watched his tape back in the day, but I don't remember much about him. I'm pretty sure he's another candidate for a redshirt, despite coming in at a position of need.
 
Maurice Hurst Jr: Son of a former Patriot, Hurst is a MA kid that played at Xaverian. Hurst projects as a nose tackle, but played some running back in HS. He moves quite well for a big guy, and I love what he can becomes. He was one of the better players at the Semper Fidelis AA game. 
 
Henry Poggi: A lot was made of Poggi's recent visit to Alabama, but it appears, like during his whole recruitment, he is still 100% Blue. Poggi is the son of a coach and his two older brothers also played at the college level (his brother, Jim, plays at Iowa). Poggi projects to be a 3-technique and is the kid I'm most excited for on defense behind Dymonte.
 
Scott Sypniewski: He's a long snapper. 
 
Channing Stribling: This is a kid that was under the radar that Michigan was fortunate to snag. He probably has the best combination of size and speed of the cornerbacks that Michigan has in this class (mostly because of the former). He could be a guy to watch.
 
Ross Douglas: Douglas is an early enrollee out of Avon, Ohio. He is formerly a Penn State commit that Hoke was able to flip. Another cornerback.
 
Da'Mario Jones: Wide receiver out of Westland, Michigan. This is another potential "steal" for Michigan as he's received some attention from big schools following his commitment to Michigan. He was formerly committed to Central before Hoke flipped him. 
 
David Dawson: Dawson is one of the best guard prospects in the country and he was highly sought after by Ohio State, Alabama, and Florida. He committed back in February, but had some personal issues (his father passed), leading him to decommit. Dawson had a talk with Hoke, regaining his offer, and reaffirmed his decision to stay with (return to) Michigan on his official visit. Dawson is most likely to be a guard and one of his most talked about traits is his mean streak. 
 
Delano Hill: Hill is the third member from Cass Tech in this class. Hoke flipped him from Iowa. I hear he's pretty well rounded.
 
Dan Samuelson: Another flip, this time from Nebraska. Samuelson is a three star offensive lineman from Indiana. I think his recruitment precipitated as a result of uncertainty surrounding Chris Fox. Michigan did need the depth though
 
Reon Dawson: Teammate of Michael McCray Jr. Dawson was flipped from Illinois. Good size and athleticism.
 
Derrick Green: Derrick Green is the top rated running back on two services and a top 6 on the other two. He is probably the gem of the class. He is that manball running back that we've all been waiting for. Green has the size, the speed, and the work rate to be a star at the next level.
 
That should be it for Michigan's recruiting class. I really don't expect any surprises on signing day. Michigan will bank one scholarship for next year if things stand.

 

[sachmoney]

In addition to what I have already written above, Kyle Meinke interviewed Allen Trieu of Scout and Tim Sullivan of Rivals to talk about the recruiting class. It's a pretty good run through gauging different categories. There is also this oral history of Desmond Howard's recruitment, which I enjoyed reading. I'm a sucker for stories that involve Bo. He was the freaking Godfather.

 

[Granite Sox]

All the 2013 commits are tucked away safe and sound.  Poggi's LOI the last to come in just before noon.  Six early enrollees and 21 additional commits.
 
No drama.  Great class.
 
As a bonus, they also got a verbal commitment from 2014 QB Wilton Speight.  6'6"/225.  Tall drink o' water.

 

[sachmoney]

As a bonus, they also got a verbal commitment from 2014 QB Wilton Speight.  6'6"/225.  Tall drink o' water.

With the 2013 class wrapped up and a little around a month to Spring Practice, the focus has moved to the 2014 class. Since Speight committed, he and Ferns have been recruiting really hard. Utah DT Bryan Mone committed to Michigan a few days ago, which should be no surprise as it seemed a matter of when, not if. He is a HS teammate of Michigan FB Sione Houma, and he was the first offer of the 2014 class. I've read that he's not super-elite, but he's has great technique and is very versatile. I'm excited for what should be an awesome DL class this year. All three of the Michigan commitments were primarily recruited by Jerry Montgomery. That guy is great.
 
Ferns is the guy you all should love. He's going to be this year's Shane Morris. He is Michigan's first commit and seems to have taken on the role as class recruiter. He has introduced #Project135:

He has already gotten some responses from top recruits, including Florida OL Mason Cole. Cole will be visiting next weekend, which appears to be for the Illinois game, which appears to be a huge recruiting weekend. Cole's 2015 teammate, George Campbell, a likely five star, will also be visiting. There are a ton of other important recruits, and while Michigan may not get commitments, it's a chance for the coaches to make a good impression on the kids. 
 
Looking at the depth chart, I expect Michigan to take (as a baseline) a RB, 3 WR, a TE, 2OL, a SDE, a WDE, another LB, 3 DB, and a kicker. This is before attrition and the kicker is purely based on Gibbons graduating and the uncertainty surrounding Hagerup's future. Who should you  look out for? I'm glad you asked. DGDestroys provides his big board. I asked and got Ace's Big Board. I'm sure some of you are familiar with these kids, but:

• Hand is the #1 ranked recruited and has Michigan in his top 5. He also named Michigan's coaching his favorite staff, though Bud Foster is his favorite coach. I think Virginia Tech is the leader just based of geography and the early recruitment. Derrick Green is supposedly friends with Hand and will be helping recruit him. Another Montgomery, kid I believe.
• McDowell is a SDE out of Detroit-Loyola and the top recruit in Michigan. He appears to have Notre Dame and Michigan out front.
• Drake Harris is currently a Michigan State commit, but originally intended to play both basketball and football. Since his commitment, he has decided to focus only on football, so he's opened up his recruitment and is being pursued by pretty much everyone. 
• Jabrill Peppers is the second rated recruit on Rivals. He said his childhood favorite was Michigan, but it appears that Ohio State is out front (with Stanford right now). Michigan is in his top 5 (6) right now though.
• Adoree Jackson is out of Gardena, California, but originally from Illinois. Of the kids we've offered, this is probably the kid I want most. He has unbelievable athleticism. 
• Kyle Berger is visiting next weekend I believe. He's a four star linebacker out of St Ignatius in Cleveland (Jake Ryan's HS). 
• Mason Cole is a OL out of Florida as I said above. He is supposed to be a package deal with his teammate WR Artavis Scott. Scott might be the harder of the two to convince to come up North, so keep that in mind during Cole's recruitment. 
• Alex Bars is Blake Bars younger brother. He's been up to Michigan several times, so I think we're probably in pretty good standing with him. 
• Tyler Luatua is one of the top tight ends in the country. He is out of California. More tight ends. More tight ends.
• Parrker Westphal is a cornerback out of Illinois. Michigan started recruiting him early and I have to believe Michigan is the leader at this point in time. 
• Joe Mixon is a top running back out of California.
• Corey Holmes is a highly regarded wide receiver out of Florida. I'm not sure where he falls on my board for WRs, but probably behind Harris and Scott for other reasons. Harris is instate, so you gotta have him. A Scott commitment would mean that they get Cole too. It would also put them in the pole position with George Campbell who will be a top 2015 recruit. Seriously, Scott could lead to two other awesome commits.
• Artavis Scott, I've already talked about. He's been told by the coaches that he might see early playing time. 
• Jamarco Jones is probably the top offensive lineman in the midwest at this point. He's from Chicago. I think Ohio State is in the pole position here. 

That's just a brief summary of the top targets on Michigan's board. I'm sure we'll see other names appear as the coaches send more offers out. It's also important to note that Lawrence Marshall, a WDE from Detroit, decommitted from Ohio State after visiting Michigan State and Michigan on consecutive days. While Ohio State has gotten Damon Webb, Michigan should be well positioned for Marshall, Harris and McDowell. I thought it'd be nice to do put this up prior to next weekend's big visits.

 

[Granite Sox]

That's a great job, sachmoney. Thanks for doing that.

I love what Ferns is doing. I think the key, IMO, are the 3 DBs and 3 WRs. Recent WR recruits have size (which I like). Hoke et al have done a tremendous job recruiting at the OL, DL, and LB positions, but his three classes have not included any guys with elite speed and/or athleticism (with possible exception of D. Thomas). To beat Ohio, they will need better speed and athleticism at WR and DB. I hope they continue to be successful recruiting.

It should also be pointed out that it appears the recruiting has broadened to a more national scope as well. Hoke cleaned up in the Midwest the past two years, but many/most of the guys you've listed are outside UM's recent hotbeds. Good news with a class that is expected to be a little smaller than the past two.

 

[sachmoney]

We lost our DL coach, Jerry Montgomery, to those hicks in Norman, Oklahoma. I am not too happy about this. I don't know who we replace him with, but I considered Montgomery our best coach/recruiter beyond Hoke/Mattison.

 

[sachmoney]

We lost our DL coach, Jerry Montgomery, to those hicks in Norman, Oklahoma. I am not too happy about this. I don't know who we replace him with, but I considered Montgomery our best coach/recruiter beyond Hoke/Mattison.

Apparently, this didn't matter too much to Mason Cole, a 4 star recruit on Rivals, whose primary recruiter was Montgomery. Cole visited over the weekend and left knowing he was going to commit. He let his coach know today and committed to play for Michigan. As I said before, Cole and Artavis Scott have said they'd be a package deal in the past, but I think that is looking more unlikely. Michigan should still be recruiting Scott heavily, but it's very telling me that when his two teammates were up at Michigan (Campbell was up too), Scott was visiting Louisville. 
 
In other news from the weekend, Michigan hosted Drake Harris, Malik McDowell, and Lawrence Marshall, and I think they helped their position with each of them. I feel good about Harris and Marshall, but McDowell has been pretty good about keeping things close and not giving too much information. I don't really have a read on him. Both Harris and McDowell are planning to visit again for the Indiana game.
 
We also hosted Elijah Hood who also visited Norte Dame and Ohio State. He has the Irish up in front with Michigan sandwiched between them and the Buckeyes. Hood is one of the top running backs in the country. 
 
Also, there are 19 days until spring practice. Yippee!

 

[Granite Sox]

A quick observation on the '14's: one from Ohio, one from Utah, one from Florida, and one from North Carolina. Smaller class, more national footprint (at least early on). I think they'll try and cherry-pick the in-state talent (like Harris), but I like the expanded geographic impact they are having right now.

 

[sachmoney]

A quick observation on the '14's: one from Ohio, one from Utah, one from Florida, and one from North Carolina. Smaller class, more national footprint (at least early on). I think they'll try and cherry-pick the in-state talent (like Harris), but I like the expanded geographic impact they are having right now.

Yeah, I'm really interested to see what happens, particularly with the Ohio kids. Hoke has done a fantastic job of recruiting in Ohio, but so far, it seems like Michigan has taken a very national approach. This is not just from the guys that they have committed. It just seems like they've offered less midwest kids. Of the 91 guys they've offered, only 23 are from the midwest (5 Michigan kids, 6 Ohio, 5 Illinois, 5 Pennsylvania). I'm not sure if this is for a lack of talent or what. They have keyed on certain states and hit them hard. They've offered 5 guys from Virginia and they've already landed Speight and they seemed to be working hard on Da'Shawn Hand. They've offered 6 guys from Georgia and Florida. They've offered 7 guys in New Jersey and 5 guys from California. 
 
They've sort of taken a more Urban Meyer approach of casting a net and drawing guys in rather than focusing on the guys close by. Normally, you'd be a bit put off by this tactic, but Hoke has already gotten results on the guys nearby and he's accrued talent. i feel like if you want to be a national contender, you need to draw talent from all across the country (especially if you're in the midwest). Even if Michigan isn't pulling in these guys, they're making inroads with these schools. Furthermore, it's a small class and Michigan can afford to be a little bit picky. 

 

[sachmoney]

Devin Gardner was granted his medical hardship waiver. He will be eligible to play for two more seasons for the Wolverines. Huge news!

 

[WayBackVazquez]

Devin Gardner was granted his medical hardship waiver. He will be eligible to play for two more seasons for the Wolverines. Huge news!

 
I guess so? 
 
I really don't think I want to see him QBing this team in 2014-15 if Shane looks ready. But I'd love to have him around catching passes.

 

[bowiac]

I don't see much reason to think Morris will be better as a (redshirt) freshman than Gardner as a 5th year senior.

 

[WayBackVazquez]

I don't see much reason to think Morris will be better as a (redshirt) freshman than Gardner as a 5th year senior.

 
And that's based on your long history of QB scouting, or just Gardner's demonstrated success as a passer at the college level? If Morris sits the next two years, he'll be 21 years old before he ever starts a college football game. As a 5-star QB prospect, that's got to be unprecedented in this era. It would be one thing if he were biding his time behind Drew Brees, but not a guy with limited passing skills who wasn't able to secure the starting role until 4 years into his college career, and then only due to injury.
 
And yes, I know it was only 3 years. Point is, I was not impressed with Gardner last year overall, and I expect very inconsistent things from him this year. I'll be happy to be proven wrong, but if I'm not, I really hope he doesn't keep his job two years from now out of inertia.

 

[sachmoney]

I don't know what you saw, but I saw a lot out of Gardner. I'm sure most of the other Michigan guys would agree with me.
 
Now, I was a doubter before because everything we'd seen from him in the previous two years had been...very ugly. However, he was pretty impressive last year and I see him only getting better as a full-time starter. He's got a good arm (his accuracy needs to improve), and he runs the play action bootleg really well. He's also got the ability to scramble and extend plays. Gardner completed 59.5% of his passes, threw for 11 TDs, and ran for another 7 (11-5 TD-INT ratio). He did this all with little to no running game.
 
With Green and the OL improving the run game (and possibly better WR play), I don't see any reason why Gardner can't improve. I understand the case for Shane, but Gardner was a 5-star QB too. We're probably going to have to agree to disagree on this because we just see the players differently. I'm not bullish on Shane in the short-term because I think he has a lot to learn. The kid has a ton of potential, but it's going to take a while for him to fulfill it. I think Gardner's the guy for the next two years though.

 

[bowiac]

And that's based on your long history of QB scouting, or just Gardner's demonstrated success as a passer at the college level? If Morris sits the next two years, he'll be 21 years old before he ever starts a college football game. As a 5-star QB prospect, that's got to be unprecedented in this era. It would be one thing if he were biding his time behind Drew Brees, but not a guy with limited passing skills who wasn't able to secure the starting role until 4 years into his college career, and then only due to injury.
 
And yes, I know it was only 3 years. Point is, I was not impressed with Gardner last year overall, and I expect very inconsistent things from him this year. I'll be happy to be proven wrong, but if I'm not, I really hope he doesn't keep his job two years from now out of inertia.

 
Why weren't you impressed with Gardner last season? Maybe that's the source of our disagreement here - he looked excellent, and put up pretty solid passing numbers.  And not for nothing, but Morris finished as a 4-star prospect on Rivals and on 247. I know he had mono, but lots of guys have excuses. He didn't come into Michigan as a uber prospect - merely a good one.
 
So you could say it's both - I have a lot of hope for Gardner, and some concern that Morris isn't quite a sure thing.

 

[WayBackVazquez]

He played well against Minnesota and Iowa, the bottom dwellers of the division. He looked like crap against OSU and South Carolina, and was mediocre against Northwestern. I have no doubt he'll be able to beat the crappy teams, and probably the mid-level teams at home, but I have serious doubts beyond that.

 

[sachmoney]

I forgot to post that Michigan hired Roy Manning ('04) as the OLB coach (basically putting Hoke and Mattison in charge of DL, Smith in charge of ILBs). Here's his interview with MGoBlue:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7kWm2Ml24M
He should be an asset in recruiting. He's young, energetic, and has a passion for the school. He's well spoken too.

 

[sachmoney]

Denard Robinson is going to be on the NCAA Cover.

 

[sachmoney]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3nfcfckTHRg
Spring Practice officially started today.

 

[sachmoney]

Jake Ryan has torn his ACL. Infinite Sorrow.

 

[WayBackVazquez]

Unbelievable.

 

[sachmoney]

Huge loss. Can't understate it. I know there's been a lot of "oh, but we have Cam Gordon talk," but Jake Ryan was the only playmaker on the defense and he was the only playmaker coming into this season. We're going to need someone to step up big time. We're going to need a lot of guys to step up. At least we have good coaching. Sorry, great coaching on D.

 

[bowiac]

No shot he Welkers this, and comes back in seven months?

 

[twibnotes]

No shot he Welkers this, and comes back in seven months?

I think there will be some uncertainty until the swelling comes down, they know the full damage, etc.

Since Ryan was already redshirted, I assume they would try to get him on the field as soon as he's ready.

 

[sachmoney]

FWIW, several people have pointed out that Will Heininger tore his ACL on March 30th and dressed for the last 6 games, but did not play until November 20th. It's obviously possible with moden medicine and what not.
 
Regardless of whether Ryan comes back this season or not, Michigan needs to find some other playmakers.

 

[sachmoney]

Some of you might have already read this, but Andy Staples had an article about Borges and Gardner that was pretty interesting: 

 For the first two years of his tenure as Michigan's offensive coordinator, Borges had to sell recruits on the idea of an offense that once existed and could exist again. But the plays Borges called on Saturdays bore little resemblance to the ones in the playbook of the offense he always intended to run. So, when he chased a bruising back or a rangy receiver, Borges had to ask recruits to ignore the actions of the guys in winged helmets and take a leap of faith. To drive home the point, Borges would show video of Ronnie Hillman running between the tackles in Borges' San Diego State offense or Ronnie Brown carrying out a play fake to preface a Jason Campbell pass in Borges' Auburn attack.
 
Now, Borges can shelve the Ronnies and simply call up video of the Outback Bowl. The result of that game wasn't what the Wolverines wanted, but they did gain 426 yards and score 28 points against a South Carolina team that finished 11th nationally in total defense and 13th in scoring defense. (It isn't the offense's fault Michigan's secondary collapsed on multiple occasions.) Most important, the Wolverines achieved that production using a quick-and-dirty version of the offense Borges and head coach Brady Hoke always wanted to run. "What we had to do before was sell what we were going to be without direct evidence of Michigan being that," Borges said. "So we would have to use old tapes of places I've been before just to show them what direction we wanted to go. Otherwise, it was just lip service. ... It's one thing to say it. Coaches will say a lot of stuff to get kids to go there. Now they can see it."

"When we came in here, we decided we had to improve our defense, had to run the football downhill -- do all the things that may seem a little old school and maybe even boring to some fans," Borges said. "But they still win. I think Alabama has proven that. I think LSU has proven that. Most teams that are winning -- and winning big with consistency -- are still doing it the old school way."

 
Borges, who does a forensic study each offseason of the top offenses in the nation in an attempt to discover why those offenses worked, has a much greater understanding of the allure of the spread option after working with Robinson for two years. The offense can always scheme to overload the defense on the play side, overwhelming with superior numbers. Still, it has one major drawback. "There is a case for spread offense. Because it looks so good on the board," Borges said. "There are no runs that look bad. But you pound your quarterback. You're asking your quarterback basically to be Superman. He's got to throw it. He's got to run it. He's got to do it all. ... But you've got to keep him healthy -- which we couldn't do with Denard our second year. It's a tall order for the kid. As a coordinator, I like to distribute more."

 
This spring, Borges and his assistants will install the full version of the offense the coaches always intended to run. "We're just still scratching the surface," Borges said. "We started getting back to our pro-style offense after Denard got hurt. We totally transformed." The 2013 offense's top recruit has faith in Borges to deliver on his promise of a dynamic pro-style offense. Of course, the 6-foot-8, 308-pound Lewan might be the only player on the roster allowed to express that faith in his coordinator with his tongue planted so firmly in his cheek. "He's smarter than he looks," Lewan said.

This sort of confirms speculation about the "Borges isn't comfortable with Denard" thing. It seems like Devin Gardner is a lot more his style and I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do with Gardner. It should help with recruiting because I know one of the big questions has been Michigan's inability to recruit at the skill positions. It will hopefully be a lot easier now that Michigan will better utilize their wide receivers. Interestingly enough, I feel like Michigan is in the conversation mostly for the positions at which they've been strong recruiting wise the last couple years (defensive line, linebackers, defensive backs).

 

[WayBackVazquez]

Very cool, thanks for posting.

 

[Dgilpin]

And another one goes down... Russell Bellomy out with a torn ACL .

https://twitter.com/umichfootball/status/318796375712231424

 

[WayBackVazquez]

And another one goes down... Russell Bellomy out with a torn ACL .

https://twitter.com/umichfootball/status/318796375712231424

 
Wow. That leaves Shane or the walk-on as the backup QB? Not good.

 

[Dgilpin]

 
Wow. That leaves Shane or the walk-on as the backup QB? Not good.

Have a feeling this will end up ruining any chances of red-shirting Morris

 

[sachmoney]

Adam Rittenberg is in Ann Arbor for Spring Practice reports, he talked to Devin Gardner:

He exceeded most expectations in Michigan's final five games, accounting for multiple touchdowns in all five contests and at least three scores in four. But not surprisingly, there were some limitations to his game, like with audibles at the line. 

"I definitely understood when I needed to get out of a play, but I didn't ever really change plays to a better play last year," he said. 

Gardner now has the luxury of advantage audibles, as Borges calls them, which are based more on wants than needs. 

"If I see they're in a defense where the play we have called, it'll be fine, but there's a much better play that will give us a better play, he's let me do that," Gardner said. 

No limitations? 

"Any play in the playbook," he said. 

It took some time this spring for Gardner to get comfortable with his new freedom/responsibility, but he said every check he has made at the line has turned into a "plus play" for the offense. Borges is willing to loosen the reins for his top quarterback as long as there's "good rationale" for making changes. 

Thank God for audibles.

 

[Granite Sox]

Spring Game today.  Will tape and try and provide some observations later.
 
Meanwhile, Coach Hoke provided some good thoughts on the competition at OL, DL, and DB on a WTKA interview yesterday:
 
http://www.stationcaster.com/player_skinned.php?s=901&c=4701&f=1293121

 

[sachmoney]

Few takes from the Spring:
-Devin Gardner has embraced the leadership role. He's also "obsessed with football" and a film freak (not the right word, but he watches A LOT of film). He's a student of the game. I felt confident about his ability to run the offense prior to the Spring and I think the Spring has affirmed this belief. 
 
-Taylor Lewan returning has been huge for many reasons:
1. It gives the offensive line someone to look up to and someone to lead them. Lewan can give them advice and teach them. His commitment to the team, definitely motivates others.
2. It gives the defense confidence, knowing they're going against one of the best, every day. Frank Clark talked about how much he relishes the challenge about going against Lewan every day.
3. Recruiting, which I'll get into later.
 
-The interior offensive line battle is starting to shape up a little bit. Miller seems to have a handle on the center position and Braden and Kalis seem to have taken a stop forward to lockdown the guards. I expect a Lewan-Braden-Miller-Kalis-Schofield if the season were to start tomorrow. 
 
-We know we have two established wide receivers in Gallon and Dileo, but I think the 2012 class guys, Darboh and Chesson, have taken steps forward. Both guys have made some nice grabs and you hear a lot about them. I'd expect them to step up. I'd temper them to being serviceable to good. We might not have big play makers, but we don't need that if the guys are reliable. 
 
-Funchess has said he's putting more of an effort to get his blocking, which it remains to be seen. He's still light and needs to put the work in the weight room. Jake Butt benefits from getting on campus early as well. I look at both of those guys as players that can contribute catching the football. It'll take some pressure off of the wide receivers and give defenses something else to think about. Funchess can make some big plays with his catching abilities, but Michigan needs reliability from these positions to move the chains. If these guys add weight and work on their blocking, they can get at it.
 
-The running back position is still unresolved, and I'm not sure any of us expected us for it to be. I mean, it sucks that we're going to put our eggs into the basket of freshmen, but I think both Smith and Green (and Wyatt) are more talented players coming in than what we've got. Green'll obviously get the most attention. This is going to be a year where our success running the football will depend on the OL's ability to create holes. 
 
-Defensively, Jake Ryan's injury hurts, but I think everyone else has stepped up. Quinton Washington really stepped up last year, and I expect him to be the most steady player on the line.
 
-I'm hoping that Frank Clark has matured and starts developing into the player we all thought he could be his freshman year. He's gotten some hype, having gained a lot of muscle while still maintaining his freakish athletic abilities. The main thing is that he needs to continue to work and get better. It'd also help if he stays out of the dog house. Just from the impression I got from that interview (up above Lewan #2), I think Mattison is probably an upgrade as the position coach. Not a slight on Montgomery as a big recruiter, but Mattison has loads of experience and a great teacher. I think we'll see that reflected in the DL's play.
 
-The linebackers look good, despite the aforementioned Ryan loss, and James Ross seems like the stand out. Ross was good last year, but he was still undersized. He's put on more weight and it seems to have made a big difference. I expect him to start moving towards stardom. 
 
-The defensive backfield also looks better. Both Avery and Taylor made some plays (Countess didn't play). I think Jeremy Clark could be the x-factor. He's got great length, and I expect him to be a fixture on special teams. If he can step into the D as well, he could make some plays.
 
-The bottom line with the defense is that they're getting faster as a unit. That's great news overall, even without the star player. I think the thing about the Mattison defense is that it's about the moving parts that make the whole more effective. The last couple years, the parts haven't been moving fast enough, or there have been weaknesses. I think the unit as a whole is more well rounded.
 
The big news from yesterday was Hoke not ruling out a mid-October return date for Ryan. That would be beyond HUGE if true and it would allow other guys to step up and find their place in Ryan's absence. 
 
Recruiting:
I feel really good about the potential for this year's class. The basketball run was huge for football recruiting because it made kids realize how much Michigan has to offer. Additionally, Lewan staying has been huge. I think that has brought an added focus to the team, but it also has made kids wonder "why is this kid staying when he could be making millions of dollars in the pros?" There's sort of that allure, mystique that I think was missing that's coming back from a perception perspective. 
 
Michigan has a realistic chance of landing the top recruits in the country (Hand and Peppers). There are no guarantees in recruiting, but Michigan is in the Top 2 for both. Whether they land them, it really shows that the staff is doing a great job. 

 

[sachmoney]

Michigan just landed Drake Harris. He's the 2 recruit in the state, behind Malik McDowell, and a former MSU commit. He originally wanted to play both basketball and football but decided he wanted to focus on football and reopened his recruitment. He's visited Michigan several times since then. Rivals. Scout. 247.
 
This is funny because only a half an hour ago, I jokingly told my friend that Hoke was slacking for only having four commits after the Spring Game. Make that five plus Brady Pallante, the greyshirt. 

 

[Granite Sox]

Hoke presser:

http://bit.ly/114kSU0

 

[sachmoney]

Michigan landed a 3/4 star tight end yesterday named Ian Bunting. He's 6-7 215 lbs and he plays WR/CB for his team. Yeah, you read that right. I think he has the potential to be another Funchess type. He's missed parts of the last two seasons due to injury, which may be the reason he's overlooked by a couple of the recruiting services. 
 
Michigan now has a QB, OG, WR, DT, LB, and TE. There's been heavy speculation that WR Moe Ways will commit soon, it's just a matter of when. There's a lot of talk about CB Parrker Westphal too. Look for Michigan to take another LB, a 2-3 DL, a couple DBs, another WR, a slot, a couple OL, and a RB. As good as the classes have been the last couple of years, this one has the potential to be even better.