Charlie Weis fired!

Notre Dame have officially fired Head Coach Charlie Weis today after a 6-6 season with the Irish. Weis had ND's offense clicking all year, but like Michigan, defense was the problem for most of the season.

Anyway, the reason I'm posting this is because a change in Head Coach at a program like Notre Dame has a huge impact on recruiting. Recruits who had built a relationship with Weis now find that worthless, as he'll probably be somewhere in the NFL, rather than at ND. 

The main recruit this involves for Michigan is four star safety Sean Parker, who has ND and UM in his top four schools. He should be visiting Michigan this winter. Parker has stated he will have to get to know the new coaches, "It would have to start all over, because I would have to get to know the coaching staff like I did with the staff they have now."

Michigan offer Hankins

Johnathan Hankins (Detroit, MI) has received an offer from Michigan, but is it too late for UM to secure the 3 star defensive tackle. Hankins already has offers from the likes of Florida and Ohio State and Oklahoma. He visited Florida this weekend, and will soon make the trip to Ohio State.

Hankins is rumored to have been a Michigan fan growing up, but have UM waited too long to offer him. I'm guessing Rich Rod was expecting a commitment from Jatashun Beachum, and since they haven't got that, they are trying to cover all bases by offering Hankins.

One of his coaches has said he'll probably visit Ann Arbor in the next few weeks.

Jefferson decommits, USC and Oklahoma left?

Four star prospect Tony Jefferson has de-committed from UCLA, however Michigan hasn't made the final cut. Jefferson told ESPN that he will decide between USC and Oklahoma. He visited USC this weekend for their game against UCLA.

"The UCLA players really disrespected me before the game," Jefferson said. "When they saw me, they were all cussing at me, telling me to never come around Westwood again and things like that. These were guys that I had hung out with before and it was a lot of the team. I guess I kind of see it since I was committed there and was wearing USC gear before their big game but I still didn't appreciate it."

Jefferson would have been a great get for the Wolverines, he's rated very highly by all recruiting analysts. He visited Michigan for the Ohio State game, and reports from that seemed positive for Michigan.

Update: Scout.com says Jefferson will decide between USC, Oklahoma AND Michigan. This makes more sense, since everyone seemed to think Jefferson was really into UM after the visit. But we'll wait and see, he will announce his decision in December.

Spartanburg falls in semi-final

Spartanburg's Cornelius Jones (Michigan QB commit) has had a storybook run in the playoffs this year, turning in several great performances against some of the top teams in South Carolina. Sadly the run came to an end in the state semi-finals against James Byrnes High School. 

Byrnes is lead by scout.com's #2 overall prospect, Marcus Lattimore. He had 186 yards and four scores on 19 carries (9.7 average). 

Inkster falls at the last hurdle

Inkster High School has lost its state title match-up for the 2nd straight year, this time losing to Lowell 27-6. Inkster QB and Michigan commit Devin Gardner could only manage 9-17 passes and his running game never got started. He ended up with minus 26 yards rushing!

It's unfortunate for Devin, who was looking to avenge last year's loss to East Grand Rapids, but Lowell proved to be strong opponents, which is reflected by their 13-1 record.

Josh Furman Update

Josh Furman caught up with scout.com's Sam Webb this week, and announced that he has already decided on a college for next year. Furman will declare his choice at the December 19th Crab Bowl.

Michigan and Virginia Tech are the only schools left in the race, and Furman has visited both officially. When talking of the chosen school he said location factored into it, and since Furman is from Maryland, Virginia Tech is the closest school, which would lead me to think that he chose the Hokies? But we'll wait and see!

Cullen Christian is a Wolverine!!!!

Everyone expected it for months, but its still a great feeling to know Cullen Christian will be playing for the Maize and Blue next year - and I mean playing, not just sitting on the sidelines.

Scout.com's #3 rated cornerback chose Michigan over offers from Ohio State, UCLA, West Virginia and Pittsburgh amongst others. He's a physical corner, but has good speed and coverage skills.

Rich Rod was the first one to offer him a scholarship, and that probably means a lot to a recruit. Great job to the recruiting team on this one, Michigan was always in the lead but never let up, and they have a great player to show for it.

It turns out Cullen gave a verbal commitment to Michigan back in May, but chose to officially announce it after taking some visits. It's great to have him at Michigan! GO BLUE!

Smith picks UNC

Tight End Alex Smith has chosen to play for North Carolina next year over offers from Michigan, Wisconsin and Kentucky. In a normal year Smith would have been a good addition to UM, but with so few scholarship spaces left, defensive players are the priority.

Smith originally committed to Cincinnati, who are now ranked #5 in the BCS! Why didn't he stay with them??? Oh well, good luck to Alex! 

Decision Day

Long time Michigan lean Cullen Christian will announce his college decision today at 6.30pm at the Comfort Inn, Penn Hills. Cullen is the top DB Michigan has gone for this year, and everyone expects him to be at Michigan next year.  

Ohio TE Alex Smith will also announce his decision today as well, with Michigan said to be the "Wild Card" in the race. Wisconsin, Kentucky and North Carolina are said to be the other options for the four star recruit. 

Smith's main concern with Michigan is the limited use of the Tight End in RR's offense, although Kevin Koger has had a pretty good year at the position. I think we'll definitely get Cullen, but I'll be surprised if Smith chooses UM, I reckon he'll choose....umm...Wisconsin?

Cullen Christian Update

Scout.com's #3 CB Cullen Christian caught up with Sam Webb this week, following his official visit to Michigan on the weekend. Cullen said the visit was his best yet, he loved the atmosphere and got plenty of time with the coaches and other recruits there.

All signs point to him committing to Michigan, I'll be shocked if he ends up elsewhere!

Donovan Warren Update

Michigan's top CB, Junior Donovan Warren is likely to be back for the Maize and Blue next year, giving a huge boost to the Michigan secondary. Warren has been a standout player in a below average defense, picking up four interceptions this season. He is one of the top corners in the Big Ten and could make the conference 1st team.

Warren could enter the NFL draft this year, and would go in the first couple of rounds. When speaking to scout.com, Warren gave the impression he would be back next year, however nothing is decided for good just yet.

If Warren were to come back, the secondary next year would actually look quite promising. Warren and Woolfolk would be two experienced players with lots of speed, and there would be young talent with players like Vlad Emillen, Brandon Smith, J.T Turner and then the recruits from the 2010 class. 

Warren has to do whats best for him and his family though, and being rated so highly by the top draft analysts, no one could blame him for wanting to go to the NFL. However...Brandon Graham was in a similar position last year, he came back for his final year of college and improved his draft stock even further.

Tony Grimes and Clarence Murphy Update

Four Star CB Tony Grimes and three star DE Clarence Murphy officially visited Michigan this weekend, and both came away with Michigan as their favorite school. (Check out an interview with Tony Grimes on MGoBlog here.)

So Michigan leads for the Florida teammates, but there is a catch. They don't want to commit until signing day in February, but that might be too late. Michigan only has around 5 scholarships left in this class, one of which they have reserved for Cullen Christian - I think? So if Michigan picks up a few commitments between now and signing day, which is very likely, then there might not be room for Grimes and Murphy. 

The question is, how badly does Rich Rod want these two players, and will he find room for them no matter what? We'll have to wait until signing day to find out.

Tony Jefferson Update

I honestly can't remember the last time it was this busy in recruiting, I love it!

Tony Jefferson, arguably the top player left on Michigan's board now has the Wolverines well and truly in the mix. Jefferson is a very soft UCLA commit, and he will take two more visits this fall.

He said the atmosphere was crazy in Ann Arbor and at one time, he did feel like committing, but he won't make his decision until mid December. Tate Forcier was his host for the trip, which could have been good since they are both from San Diego, although you would imagine Tate was in a pretty bad mood after the game! 

Jefferson will visit UCLA again and maybe one more school before deciding.

Note: The news will be flowing today, so scroll down, you might have missed a post!

Sunday's News

The regular season is over, and since there is no bowl game for Michigan, the focus now switches to recruiting...which is great for me! Anyway, on with the news.

- Inkster high school has advanced to the division 2 state championship game after a 12-3 victory yesterday. Inkster is lead by UM commit Devin Gardner, who rushed for a 12 yard TD to secure the victory in the 4th quarter. #

- On the subject of Devin, he obviously couldn't be in Ann Arbor on Saturday, so instead he turned up to the hoops game on Friday night to greet the recruits there, like Tony Jefferson, Ken Stills etc.

- And on the subject of those Californians, how did they find the visit to Michigan? WR commit Ricardo Miller had his recruiting hat on again this weekend, and spoke a lot to the three prospects, and they all seemed to love the trip. He also got to know Big Tex Beachum, the DT.

- Speaking of Jatashun Beachum (you see how this post is flowing?), Sam Webb of scout.com spoke to the Big man's high school coach who said Big Tex MIGHT be ready to pull the trigger and commit. The visit clearly went great, and Michigan is most likely in the lead for the prospect. He will probably go home first and talk things over with his family etc, but he probably will commit sooner rather than later. 

- Josh Furman had a monster day at running back this week, racking up 414 yards on the ground...check out the highlights here.

- Two star safety Ray Vinopal also came away impressed with the Michigan game, and the Wolverines are probably at the top of his list right now. Clearly RR and the boys see something that the recruiting sites don't, although saying that his stock is definitely on the rise this fall. 

Last note, don't forget Tuesday is the big day, Cullen Christian announcement, Michigan are favorites!

Game Reactions

Michigan finishes the 2009 season with another loss to Ohio State, however the Wolverines were by no means outplayed. Big errors at key points in the game was the difference, along with an Ohio State defense that was all over the running game of 3rd and 4th string Michigan RBs.

Forcier had the offense moving well in the first half, but simply fell apart late in the game, throwing four interceptions in total. The surprising performance of the day came from the Michigan defense, which held its own against Tyrelle Pyror, who always looked a threat on the move. They only conceded 14 points, largely due to the play of senior Brandon Graham, who was relentless throughout. 

The game was fairly entertaining, and if the UM offense had kept it going in the 4th quarter, where they had a few drives starting in great field position, this could have gone down to the wire. Despite the loss I'm sure we'll see some commitments from the recruits at the game.

Weekend Predictions

Michigan vs Ohio State, The Game. You may well hate tMhe Buckeyes, but you cannot deny that they are the better football team at this moment in time. Lead by a very strong defensive line, OSU is going to get a lot of pressure on Tate Forcier, who has had trouble holding onto the football this year.

On offense, the Buckeyes aren't that impressive, but when the play breaks down, Tyrelle Pyror will cause problems with his running ability. Brandon Graham needs to get pressure on him early, and probably knock him out the game! Brandon Minor is very doubtful for the game, which is a shame, because Michigan are a different team on offense with him in the lineup.

Michigan need something very special to happen in this game, they can't rely purely on the offense to put up points, the defense has to force turnovers and maintain Pryor. If its close at the end, Tate Forcier may become the hero of the moment again.

I'm not going to do a prediction for the score, instead I'm going to predict that this game will result in four commitments for Michigan, "Big Tex" Beachum (DT), Tony Grimes (CB), Clarence Murphy (DE) and Cullen Christian (CB).

It's all about California

California has produced some great talent this year in high school football, and Michigan will be hosting three of the best the state has to offer this weekend. Tony Jefferson already knew he wanted to visit Michigan, but two of his friends will be making the trip with him.

USC commit Dillion Baxter will be in Ann Arbor for The Game, as will Kenny Stills. Stills has been hot and cold with Michigan all year, but apparently the three friends have always spoken about going to the same school, and Michigan is an option.

Baxter has had an unbelievable senior season, racking up 58 TD's. He excels in open space, often beating his man in one on ones, which is why he is so keen on the spread offense. Stills is probably the least keen on Michigan at the moment, he favors Florida, Oklahoma and USC. Dillion, despite being a USC commit is by no means out of reach for UM, he likes the system and really just wants to see how the atmosphere compares to USC and how the coaches and players interact. 

The three prospects are all extremely talented, but for Michigan fans I would imagine the defensive player, Jefferson, is the most important target, but securing any of these three would be a great boost to the Michigan class of 2010.

Update: Also, anyone who is going to the UM basketball game tonight might get to see the recruits there, along with DT "Big Tex" and Florida Superman/UM commit Marvin Robinson!

"The Game" - Visitors

It really doesn't get any bigger than this. Michigan vs Ohio State is still "The Game" no matter what any analysts may say, and its still The Game for Michigan recruiting as well. The UM will host many of the nations top prospects this weekend, and whatever the result, we're are sure to see a commitment or two. 

Anyway, let's take a look at each of the recruits that SHOULD be in Ann Arbor this weekend for Official visits:

- Cullen Christian (#3 CB)

- Tony Grimes (#10 CB)

- Clarence Murphy (3* DE)

- Jatashun "Big Tex" Beachum (4* DT/DE/QB/RB) (Yeah he can play all those, but most likely DT if he signs with UM, check out this article by Sam Webb on Big Tex here. 

- Rashad Knight (3* CB)

- Kenny Shaw (4* WR)

- Tony Jefferson (4* Safety on scout.com, ESPN top 10 player)

Here are some of the recruits that MIGHT be in Ann Arbor this weekend for Official visits:

- Dillion Baxter (4* RB, USC commit, haven't heard anything about him and Michigan before, but he might be at the game this weekend for an official.

- Kenny Stills (5* WR, quoted as saying he doesn't want to end up in the Midwest....but apparently stills wants to be at the game?)

- Richard Ash (3* DT from Pahokee, FL)

Unofficial Visitors (not guaranteed to show either) 

- Ray Vinopal (2* S)

- Dior Mathis (4* CB)

- Josh Furman (4* S/LB)

There will also be some 2011 prospects on unofficial visits, such as Florida RB Demetrius Hart. Also there for the game will be some current 2010 commits including Ricardo Miller, who always does his best on the recruiting side of things! Despite a lot of great defensive talent on show, there are still some disappointments. Georgia prospects Mike Thornton and Tyrone Cornelius will not be making the trip, and neither will defensive tackle Beau Allen or Safety Sean Parker, these prospects will likely visit UM during December when playoffs etc have finished.

Olaniyan Commits to UCLA

Four Star OLB Aramide Olaniyan has committed to UCLA this week, after visiting the Bruins on the weekend. The visit was described as "perfect" by Olaniyan, who previously had Michigan as his leader after de-committing from Duke earlier in the summer.

He visited UM for the Notre Dame match, and was set to return to Ann Arbor in December for an official visit, however that won't be happening now. This is a big loss for Michigan, as Olaniyan was a real possibility to land a top defensive prospect, you can't help but wonder if this would have happened if Michigan were 7-4 instead of 5-6.

Gameday Predicitons

Away against Wisconsin is never an easy game, no matter what team you are.

"When you come into Camp Randall Stadium to play a game, you better double clutch your chin strap because your gonna be in a smash mouth game" - Bonus points for whoever posts a comment to this post naming the person who said that quote....

Anyway, Michigan is struggling to say the very least, they have lost their last five games against Division 1 schools, admittedly so close ones though. IF the defense finally shows up, then Michigan could stick around for while. Wisconsin is known for their running game, and Michigan isn't too bad against the run, although they do give up the big play every now and then. The badgers will try to pass it as much as possible, but they don't have a great QB at the helm, so expect there to be an INT or two.

The Michigan offense can be lethal at times, when Brandon Minor is on form, he's the best back in the Big Ten. But this one is all about defense, can that secondary finally have a solid game?? It could be close, or it could be a blowout win for the Badgers. Anything more than a 10 point loss and RR will really start to feel the heat, of course as long as he beats Ohio State he'll be safe for a while!

I think Michigan will struggle early, but pick it up towards the end, then Tate "the great" Forcier gets back to his old ways, leading a game winning drive. Although you should expect to see Denard Robinson get a drive or two in this game.

UPDATE: Word is that Tate Forcier violated a team rule this week and won't start against Wisconsin! Denard Robinson may well get the start, lets hope he's ready. Robinson certainly has a lot of potential, given his incredible speed, but it's his throwing that needs to be on form if Michigan expects to win this game. 

Gameday Prediction: Michigan 31, Wisconsin 27

Ohh Jim, Poor Show!

Everyone's favorite High School cornerback Cullen Christian just became even more cool after he dropped the Buckeyes from his list yesterday. Scout.com's #3 rated corner has said he won't visit OSU this weekend as planned, and he won't be rescheduling. 

It appears Jim Tressel and the boys asked Cullen to change his official visit less than 24 hours before he was due on campus, and they also wanted him to postpone his decision date! The news did not go down well with Cullen's father, who stated he was very unhappy with the situation. 

The long time Michigan lean will visit UM for the OSU game, and make his decision three days later at a press conference in Penn Hills. Unfortunately for Cullen his high school team lost their 2nd round playoff match to Gateway, so his senior season is now over.

Josh Furman Update

Maryland Safety/LB Josh Furman has named his top two schools at the moment, and Michigan is one of them. The four star recruit stated Michigan and Virginia Tech lead over Rutgers and Maryland. 

He's visited both Michigan and VT now, enjoying both visits, he'll also try to visit Rugters and Maryland before his decision date of December 21st. 

He picked the best day of the year to visit Ann Arbor, September 12th, the thrilling comeback against rivals Notre Dame, and since then Michigan has been right at the top of the list. He always speaks strongly about the importance of academics, and strength + conditioning programs, I feel he'll end up in Ann Arbor, especially given the lack of depth at safety for UM.

Kenny Shaw update

Florida WR Kenny Shaw is pretty much down to five schools, one of them is Michigan. The four star prospect will visit Michigan for the Ohio State game along with his teammate, 2011 RB Demetrius Hart. 

Shaw is excited about the visit, but he still insists that Florida State are the team to catch. Tennessee, Florida and Georgia are also in the mix, and he'll visit the Bulldogs this weekend.

I might just be drifting off into a fantasy world here, but imagine if Michigan actually beat Ohio State? The atmosphere is always incredible at "The Game", but if Michigan were to snap a 5 game losing streak to the Buckeyes then Ann Arbor would literally erupt, and it could just sway some recruits.

I'll be doing a full rundown of all OSU visitors closer to the date, but it truly is a huge weekend for recruiting.

Quick Hitters

My Internet was down yesterday, so here's a quick catchup of what happened yesterday and this morning.

- Bobby Swigert has committed to Boston College, choosing the Eagles over Michigan and Nebraska. No big loss.

- Munchie Legaux has committed to Colorado over offers from Michigan and Oregon. Scramble QB, wouldn't get  playing time at Michigan. No big loss

- DT Michael Thornton loved his visit to Penn State, despite their loss to the Buckeyes this weekend. If Penn State were to land the Peach State prospect they will have yet another top class defensive recruit for 2010.

- OLB Christian Jones was very impressed with Alabama after seeing them beat LSU on Saturday, and the Crimson Tide "roll" into his top bunch of schools. (Sorry for that terrible joke). 

- WR Kenny Stills has ruled out Michigan, as I predicted a few weeks ago. He said he doesn't want to end up in that part of the country...harsh. So he won't be visiting for the OSU game. 

Floyd decision made

It's Eduardo Clements all over again, except this time we have no chance...

Five star DT Sharrif Floyd has apparently made up his mind as to which college he will be attending next year, but he's not telling anyone just yet. There is a list of about 5-6 schools including Penn State and Ohio State, along with the usual USC and Florida.

He will still take visits, but he already knows where he's going? It doesn't quite make sense to me, why do you need to waste time on visits if you know your going somewhere else? Anyway, bottom line is that Michigan's out!

Gameday Prediction

Its fairly simple, Michigan HAVE to beat Purdue. I've noticed Rich Rod critics have surfaced again on forums, expectedly after 4 losses in 5 games. But still, patience is the key.

Purdue is not a great football team by any stretch of the imagination, and because this game is in Ann Arbor, Michigan should dominate. Both Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown were left off the injury report, which is great news, as the offense badly needs that combo to function properly. 

Brandon Graham will continue his dominance up front, stuffing the run and picking up a sack or two. The defense will look weak at times, but should rally behind Greg Robinson, at least in the second half. 

As far as recruiting goes, I think the only arranged visit is that of safety Bobby Swigert. So its not a huge weekend, but Michigan still needs to show that they are a program on the rise. 

Gameday Prediction: Michigan-38, Purdue 17

Michigan makes final two!

All year long we hear about the lack of depth on the D-line of Michigan, well finally it looks like they have a legitimate shot of landing a great DT prospect. Jatashun "Big Tex" Beachum previously committed to Arkansas, but has since de-committed and named the Hogs and Wolverines as his final two.

He will likely visit Michigan for the Ohio State game, and a commitment could be expected after that visit. Beachum and his whole family were thrilled when the Michigan offer came through, stating he could have committed to UM earlier, but wanted to visit first. It's all sounding very promising for UM, who would get a 280lb DT that says he can run a 4.6 40 yard dash....

He's a four star prospect on scout.com, and things can only get better from here. He has the potential to come into Michigan and contribute right away, even his coach says Michigan has a great chance.

Devin Gardner Update

Make sure you check out Sam Webb's latest article on DetNews, he catches up with Michigan QB commit Devin Gardner on the season so far, his commitment status, and the possibility of early enrollment.

You can find the article here.

Carvin Johnson Commits

Michigan picks up it's 20th commitment of the 2010 class with safety prospect Carvin Johnson. The Louisiana recruit is a true sleeper, he goes unrated by both scout.com and rivals.com, and ESPN haven't even heard about him.

Yet Johnson has great playmaking ability, which is why Michigan have been recruiting him for so long. “I want to come up there and play some football. I make plays. That's what I do. I go for the ball and I hit you if you come down with it.”

Johnson was a visitor for the Penn State game a couple of weeks ago, the trip was a good one, despite a 35-10 loss on the day. Michigan was everything he was looking for in a school, and after a long day of thought he decided to commit.

The commitment of Johnson leaves around 5 scholarships left for the class of 2010, I would think Michigan would want at least two more DB's, and probably a DT as well. 

Eduardo Clements Decision

Four star running back Eduardo Clements has finally gone public with his decision to join the Miami Hurricanes. Clements had announced a couple of months ago that a decision had been made, however he only told the school in question. 

Michigan were in the mix until the end, along with Georgia and Tennessee, however the Canes' strong start to the season including wins over  ranked FSU, GT and Oklahoma, showed Clements that Miami was back to its old self. 

He says he a 100% committed to Miami, although he might visit Tennessee, South Florida  or Michigan.....doesn't sound like 100% to me? But still, he's off the Michigan radar now.

Special Guest Interview!!

Keep checking the blog this week for my interview with a certain recruit Michigan is targeting for the 2010 class! 

Should be fun, first time I've done anything like this!

Sean Parker Update

Four star safety Sean Parker has only taken two official visits this fall (Notre Dame and Cal), and according to his coach, there may only be one more on the cards. Michigan will be the last school that is almost definitely going to get an official visit.

This is great news for Michigan who badly needs a top DB recruit in this class. Greg Robinson has been criticized a lot this year for his defensive scheme, but in truth, he just doesn't have the quality of players needed to run it. Adding Parker, a player will good speed and coverage ability would be a huge boost.  

Quick Notes

Just a few quick hitters for Monday:

- Tony Jefferson loved the visit to Oklahoma, I'm guessing it helped that he spent most of the time with DeMarco Murray and Heisman trophy winner Sam Bradford...

- Defensive Back Rashad Knight is still keen on the Wolverines, confirming to Sam Webb (DetNews and Scout.com Reporter) that he will be there for the Ohio State game.

- Michigan were about a foot away from beating Illinois in my opinion, if only Roundtree could run a bit faster. (I think it was Roundtree that was stopped on the goal-line after a huge gain right?)

There is no need to panic:

- Don't worry about the 5-4 record. Michigan is a young football team, they will develop into winners. They could have beaten MSU (they lost in OT), they could have beaten Iowa (threw an INT on final drive) and they would've beaten Illinois if they got that TD from Roundtree or Minor.

Ok they got smashed by a good Penn State team, but it's not impossible to think Michigan could be 8-1 right now. Football is a game of inches.....*insert rest of Al Pacino Speech here*. If you don't know what I'm talking about, here's the link to a great video taken from the film "Any Given Sunday" (here). Rich Rod is a good coach, if you watched the game on Saturday, you could see at times how dominate the offense could be if it had the playmakers required. Have patience, Michigan will be back.