Sunday 3 July 2011

Quick Hitters

Jarrod Wilson's announcement will be the main event this week, but here's a couple other quick bits of news to think about:

- Jordan Payton, a longtime USC commit, has decommitted from the Trojans and will likely visit Michigan this fall for an official. Oklahoma, Arkansas and Florida are also still in the mix. These are very early stages right now, but it's encouraging to know that Michigan has more WR options than just Stanford and Burbridge.

- Defensive tackle Ondre Pipkins named a top six that is apparently in order via Twitter yesterday. Michigan, Tennessee, Alabama, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Florida are the lucky schools and it's obviously great to see the Wolverines at the front of the pack. He'll probably visit Michigan towards the end of the summer, but right now he plans to take his officials in the fall, so no summer commitment.

101 comments:

  1. I don't know anything about Payton. I'll have to dig a little.

    Anyone know if he has a long rrealtinship with Hoke and Co. from their SDSU years?

    It would be nice if this was a kid like Wile, who loved Hoke, but could do much better than SDSU.....

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  2. http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_18396293

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  3. Junior year highlight video:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rp_-YY_2B0

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  4. I see some very good things:

    Size, hands, reacts well to ball in the air, maintains good position, seems to have good vision and instincts after the catch.

    But, I kept getting distracted. They had OL that made them look like a MAC team playing a high school team. After reading about Oak Christian a bit, I can see that has been a long standing complaint. Interesting institution and program.

    I also like the fact that Payton has been working against a 4 star CB recruit every day in practice. That tends to help the learning curve....

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  5. Payton also has some speed. Rivals has him at a 4.49 40, thats pretty fast for 6'2 200lbs.

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  6. Talking about Payton, he had a little interesting comment from this weekend:

    "“I'm going to tell you this, it's going to be interesting the next couple of weeks for in recruiting,” Payton said. “You're going to see a lot of changes. Just think Fab Five.”

    Knowing how the comment would sound, Payton was quick to clarify “like” the Fab Five and that it didn't mean they were for sure headed to Michigan."

    story can be found here:

    http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/26895818/30409860

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  7. Which five is he talking about? Can anybody let us know?

    Benji, I do not follow many people on twitter but Aziz Shittu caught mt attention.At first he sounded like he liked UM alot but he is now all over the place. What kind of chance does UM have of landing him?

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  8. Maybe the five west coast Michigan targets. Aziz Shittu, Erik Mangson, Banner, Garret, and himself.

    And I wouldn't read too much into shittu's tweets, he is just having fun with his new account.

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  9. I am reading to much into him just tryin to get a feel for what he thinks of UM. And I would take those guys any day of the week.

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  10. @jer89
    you can google it to find out who the 5 were, I can only remember Chris weber. But Michigan basketball had the "fab 5" that pretty much dominated, but I do believe they got in trouble for payin them to come in one way or the other. Hurt them in b-ball pretty much till now. Lol. Hope that helped.

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  11. the fab 5 was chris webber, jalen rose, jimmy king, juwuan howard and ray jackson. they did one of those espn 30 for 30 movies its really good you guys should watch it

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  12. The ESPN piece was 8/10. It would have been 10/10 had it been complete. If only they could ave gotten Jalen Rose to cooperate... I've seen much less interesting TV movies and HBO series.

    The fact that the kid mentioned the Fab Five is more than just interesting. I know he is quoted to have quickly added the "like."

    But, what did he really mean then? To whom was he referring, if not Michigan?

    I also found his very short time line interesting.

    VVVVeeerrrryy iiinnnnteresssting!! (Right pinky on corner of mouth).

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  13. I think you meant if they could have gotten Chris Webber to co-operate.

    What I think is that there are not necessarily 5 people in particular but perhaps a bunch of highly rated recruits that have gotten together and decided to go to Michigan thus creating a "super" class much like the Fab Five was considered a "super" class. The communication amongst the current recruits and potential recruits in this class seems to be happening on a very regular basis which can only mean good things. Go Blue!

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  14. GBC-

    Quite right. (Your entire post.) I've been thinking about JR because of his recent spate of publicity. He actually had a big hand in putting it all together, as you probably already know. I would not be surprised if he parlays it into a TV movie.

    With regard to the rest of your comment:

    Texting and social network sites have taken recruit-recruit recruiting to a new level, as have all of the camps, 7 on 7's, the internet in general, etc.

    I wonder if Shane Morris has been in Payton's ear. You can bet the Morris commit got Payton's attention!

    Go Blue!

    Enjoy the holiday everyone, and remember why most of us have today off, to enjoy in freedom! (No offense, Benji ;)

    Unfortunately, I'm off to work.

    This is an interesting read:

    http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/07/04/10-things-might-not-know-about-our-independence/

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  15. Just for the record I know who the Michigan basketball fab five are I grew up in Michigan. So I do know that fab five. I thought Payton was talking about a different five.

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  16. I would hope and think the majority of people who comment here have a pretty good idea who THE Fab Five were.

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  17. Jordan Payton

    6'2", 199 lbs. Wide Receiver Westlake Village, California

    I recently reported that Payton had decommitted from USC this past week. He had been feeling uncomfortable with his commitment for awhile, so this wasn't anything that was surprising. He has a lot of interest in Michigan and plans on taking an official visit if things go as planned.

    My coach wants me to make a decision relatively soon, but no matter what I want to take an official out to Michigan. We can take official visits during our season as long as we don't miss any Oaks time, miss any class or anything with our teams.

    There was recently a CBS Sports article published that quoted Payton as saying, "I'm going to tell you this, it's going to be interesting the next couple of weeks in recruiting…You're going to see a lot of changes. Just think Fab Five." Naturally people began to tie that to Michigan. He clarified what he meant there.

    When I said that the reporter, he was just like oh so you're going to Michigan? I told him that I just meant I've been talking to some other recruits and trying to get a fab five group to go to the same school, not necessarily Michigan.

    Interesting comments to say the least. The article did clarify what he meant as well, I just thought I'd get him in his own words. If you look at what he said though it sounds like his decision could come soon. We'll see.

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  18. I know this is discussed alot, but I have a question for you guys. Most experts are saying we will take 26 players. That leaves us with nine spots. One will go to a safety (Wilson), probably two will go to offensive linemen (Kalis and Diamond) three will go to defensive linemen (Wormley, Pipkins, Washington) and so we have three spots left. With those last three spots we could pursue any of these players: Garret, Banner, Stanford, Burbridge, Peyton, Dunn, Fuller, Shittu, O'brien, or Mauk. Which three would you like us to pursue?

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  19. I would take Shittu, Payton, and Fuller.We could take another lineman but its not really a big need since we will probably have six.Don't need a runningback and since I doubt we will be getting Dunn then I don't want one. Also if we get Washington then we might get stanford.So Stanford might be a given.

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  20. Aziz Shittu

    6'3", 275 lbs. Defensive Tackle Atwater, California

    The five star defensive tackle has been making noise ever since he decommitted from Stanford. Rivals ranks him as the number three best defensive tackle overall in the country, and he told me he has list down to ten.

    I don't think I'll be taking any other summer visits. I'm focused on my team more than recruiting right now. I have it narrowed to ten schools though with Arizona, Stanford, Auburn, Cal, Washington, USC, Michigan, UCLA, Florida, and Nebraska.

    Shittu is another prospect that has maintained he would like to take an official visit to Michigan. He too will be at The Opening this weekend, and as mentioned will be with Michigan recruits and commitments.

    I haven't figured out a specific date yet, but it could possibly be for the Notre Dame night game. I'll be at The Opening this week and I talk recruiting everywhere I go, but I'm mostly going there to have a good time. It's cool to hang out with the committed players to see if your personalities match up.

    Defensive tackle is another position that will most likely start to fill up soon. The coaching staff have told recruits that they will likely take one interior linemen, but I have to imagine that they will take two at the end of the day. Either way, Shittu says that doesn't bother him.

    It's 50% that I'll sign on signing day and 50% that I'll do it at the Army game. Nothing sooner, and if their class fills up then it fills up. I'm making my decision on one of those dates.

    The scenario could get interesting with Ondre Pipkins' visit coming up, and instate DT Danny O'Brien saying that he would like to take official visits. If Pipkins decides to make an early decision and the coaches decide to take two defensive tackles it looks like it could be down to Shittu and O'Brien for the last spot. A lot of ifs, but they're sitting in a good spot.

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  21. Joshua Garnett

    6'5", 290 lbs. Offensive Lineman Puyallup, Washington

    Garnett has been expressing strong interest in Michigan for some time now. He has stated that he would like to take an official visit, and recently included Michigan in his top list.

    I cut my list to eleven. They're Michigan, Notre Dame, USC, Oregon, Washington, UCLA, Auburn, Nebraska, Stanford, Oklahoma, and Cal. I thought it would be easier just to focus on a top eleven rather than all the schools involved.

    As for summer visits, it doesn't look like any more unofficials will be in the cards for Garnett.

    I don't know if I'm going to take any visits to any other schools. I know I'll take official visits. I've already seen Oregon, USC, UCLA, Washington, Cal, and Stanford. I feel good about Michigan, taking an official out there and seeing the Big House.

    Ganett is one of the 150 elite athletes that will be attending "The Opening" in Oregon this week. The event will be televised on ESPNU and will include a good amount of Michigan recruits and commitments.

    There's going to be a lot of skilled players there. A lot of the guys I've made friendships with are going to be there. I talk to Erik Magnuson and we've talked about schools, where we see each other fitting. It definitely helps to get together with those guys and see who else is being recruiting and who else will be on their team. It makes you feel more comfortable with potential teammates.

    Garnett has been very impressed with what Michigan brings to the table and is excited to learn more.

    It's just the atmosphere around Michigan, the legacy, the fan support, and the great academics. It's a top notch academic program, and all the games are packed. You don't get that feel on the west coast or anywhere in the nation. Michigan is rolling out NFL linemen and they all have great NFL careers. I think I get a bad stigma being from Washington. You don't think nasty guys come from Washington, but I'm 6-foot-5, and 290-pounds right now. I'm very athletic and I know that's the kind of guys Michigan likes.

    It will be interesting to see how offensive line recruiting plays out. Depending on what happens in the near future with other prospects Michigan could be out of spots depending on when Garnett would like to visit.

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  22. Dunn, Shittu, O'Brien

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  23. When is that Elite 150 at Oregon?

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  24. Jeremy,

    You just stole all that information from TomVH at MGoBlog in the weekly update. Thats plagiarism and you should site your sources before you steal your info. Just lettin you know.

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  25. @Will
    I'm new to this so I am not familiar with all of the camps so my answer might sound stupid to the more seasoned people on this board. The only camp that I have heard of in Oregon is the opening and that has 150 people so it might be what you are referring to. It starts tomorrow.

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  26. Jim I think he knows that and I'm glad he shared that info ... Jeremy thanks for sharing that

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  27. Jim,
    calm down there buddy, not everyone is aware of all of the Michigan recruiting sources so that was new to me. Don't be so glad to bust balls. The more people contributing the better!

    Thanks, jeremy!

    Happy birthday usa!

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  28. Dude chill he was just sharin the info. So thanks there Jeremy.

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  29. Bobcat? Is that you? I thought you took your ball and went home. You posted that you would not be posting anymore.

    I don't know which is worse, the fact that you are back, or that now you are suggesting someone else calm down.

    In any event, if you can behave, welcome back.

    I agree with Jim in his literal intent, but not in his rush to judgment. Maybe Jer is just a kid and does not know any better.

    But as I am sure Benji would agree, if anyone does an extensive cut and paste, they should give a hat tip to the source. And if you post "I recently reported" without quotes, or a source, you sound like a thief and plagiarizer. I did a double take on that quote myself.

    I'm sure no one means any harm, and we all obviously have something in common.

    How about we all learn together, get along, and enjoy what we all love: The Leaders and Best*



    *Trademarked expression of the University of Michigan. Used without permission. All rights violated.

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  30. ok, thank you. That's what I meant

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  31. Hey guys I wasn't trying to steal anything from anyone. Some people ask for info they can't find. I thought it was good info to share with you guys. I meant no disrespect to TomVH. I wasn't trying pawn info off as my own. Next time I will not share info with this group. I'm BLUE all the way. Thanks to the ones who apprecaited the info. Benji if I upset you sorry bro. GO BLUE!!!

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  32. "Next time I will not share info with this group."

    Jeremy,

    Don't be a petulant child. No one wants anyone to knowingly not contribute.

    Just cite a source, and/or use quotes.

    That's part of being "BLUE."

    I mean no disrespect, and I welcome your continued contributions.

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  33. It seems like people are getting their feathers ruffled a bit too much. When he was posting those tidbits of info I automatically assumed that he was getting it from any one of the recruiting websites out there. I just enjoy reading the great commentary and usually insightful dialogue from a majority of the "gentle"man in here and don't assume anything illict. GO BLUE!!!

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  34. Lol you didn't upset me Jeremy :P

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  35. @Benji cool. My feathers arent ruffled. You guys are cool in my book.GOBLue

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  36. Blue Marrow this isn't your site so no need to welcome me back. Also, there is no need to cite sources. I'm pretty sure jeremy wasn't turning in a term paper so there is no need to attach a bibliography with his sources. Does anyone actually think that jeremy wrote out that novel of a recruiting report on one player? You don't make the rules tough guy. I came back with ball in hand and plan on sticking around for a while. "If you play nicely you can stick around" .........lolzzzzzzzzzzzz

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  37. Woah. All you guys are acting like 1st graders over here. The dude didnt site his source and u r all freaking out about if he should or shouldnt have??? You've got to be kidding me. C'mon guys...

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  38. Hi Guys and Gals,

    I hope everybody on both side of the border had a great holiday weekend. I was tied up with parties on both sides of the river.

    Jeremy thanks for tossing things out there. Not to offend but I don't think any contributor on here is an actual first hand source. We're just a bunch of Crazy Ass Michigan Fans that can't get enough. Whether from mom's basement (maybe because we're 15, going to college, out of work) or in my case when my kids are finally asleep or not home. We all have our lives whatever they might be but the Winged Helmet makes up part of it. As Justin said we're all pretty much Gentlemen (and let's not forget our ladies) who like to share with our friends on here.

    To some of the weekend topics:

    The Fab 5 thing baffles me in this context..... I can't make heads or tails of it but will just believe that it means great things for Michigan...If it's not us, I'm not worried because great things are still happening here.

    I just imagine a Fab 5 West Coast Offenive line that includes Payton, Magnuson, Simmons, Banner and Garnett.

    I've all but given up on trying to figure out the rest of this class. It's like the rest of our commits will be spread out over the coming months with the final few on NSD.

    BlueMarrow.....as for Payton. I can't find a Hoke link anywhere. There's not even any indication that SDSU has even recruited from his high school in recent years. Let's just hope that they are football soul mates destined to both be Wolverines.

    OT - Benji....you may have given this out before so I apologize in advance but what brought you to Maize N Blue from abroad?

    Phil

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  39. Traditions Poll

    I know that I and others (sorry can't remember who) have been encouraging you to vote on the "ESPN Traditions Poll".

    Now that most of the free world has voted (about 18.5 million votes - Thank God for Bots!!!!), Michigan is ahead of Nebraska 58% to 42% for Nebraska. I believe that the poll ends today noon.

    If we hold the lead, Nebraska is closing we'll go into the finals vs. Florida State. It would have been nice to see a clean non-automated vote on this so that we could have clearly been the "Victors"

    Here's the link if you don't have it:

    http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/post/_/id/6711772/11-michigan-vs-15-nebraska


    Phil

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  40. Why do I support Michigan?

    Always wanted to attend UofM the school, so supporting the sports teams is the obvious next step.

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  41. Plus im a huge fan of desmond howard!

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  42. Well said Benji. Well said. Go Blue!

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  43. More specifically....do you originally hail from the U.S. or Canada or do you just have a great eye for great things from abroad. :) My wife is Alum and I am very envious.....she's beginning to think I married her for her season tickets!!!! I just don't know how much of a factor that played in my decision.

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  44. Let me know if you two ever split up because I would like to marry her for her season tickets!

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  45. Don't be too hasty....Here's her picture:

    http://www.michigandaily.com/content/scalping-golden-ticket-osu-michigan-football-seats

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  46. Michigan needs a Tyrone Wheatley or Tim Biakabutuka type running back. I know that is kind of a big order, but this is Michigan!

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  47. LOL. Man hands eh....I might be willing to overlook that.

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  48. The "Opening"

    From ESPN

    Of the 150 prospects invited to and attending this camp, 5 are Michigan commits who I'm sure will be recruiting on our behalf: The Michigan 5 include

    Magnuson, Ojemudia, Richards, Ross and Standifer.

    Some of our stand out offers at the camp include:

    Banner, Bisnowaty, Day, Dunn, O'Brien, Shittu, Simmons and likely others that I've missed.

    Let's hope our boys can snare another commit for us.

    Phil

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  49. GBC

    That was just me holding what I Love most about her!!! Have a great one.

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  50. LOL...my bad. She's a keeper!

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  51. Off topic I know, but what do you guys think of Cam Gordon this year? I was a fan of him coming in from highschool, and he has shown that safety isn't his strong point. Moving him to the hybrid position I think may be a very good move. He's 6'3, I think if he puts on another 10-15 lbs, he'll be a havoc to wrecken with. He'll have size, speed, he can make plays, and they say he's one of the hardest hitters on the team. I'm keeping my fingers crossed, other than Martin, I'm expecting him to have one of the biggest impacts on D this year.

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  52. @lalondtm
    I think with the emergence of Jake Ryan that Cam Gordon will move from being a projected SLB to another spot, maybe WLB. With our depth so mediocre at LB they'll likely just play the best 3 and Ryan, Demens, Gordon look to be the best. Maybe they play Fitzgerald, though. He could've just been undercoached last year for all I know.

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  53. @michael.
    I agree, ryan looks like he could make a name for himself early. I just am hyped for what Gordons potential is with that frame and athletic ability. He came as a WR so we know he can make plays on the ball and has speed, I mean, he did outrun Rob Henry on the fumble recovery against Purdue.

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  54. http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/post/_/id/6738691/4-florida-st-vs-11-michigan

    Reminder! Were in the finals, GO BLUE

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  55. bobcat-

    I never posted or implied this is my site, I was merely welcoming you back after you cried your way home a few weeks ago, posting that you would never "contribute" again.

    And, I agree with you. No need to cite sources or use quotes, as long as you don't mind being accused of ripping off the writing of someone else. Not that I think Jeremy really cared what Jim posted. He sounds like he has a thick skin. Maybe you can learn something from him.

    Welcome back, again! At least until you storm off again. BBBBAAAAAWAAAAAAAAAAAA!

    Lal-

    LOVE Gordon! That guy lays some wood! It was all the more impressive, given the epidemic of missed tackles and glancing blows by most of the rest of the D.

    I was lucky enough to be on the sideline for a game last year, and I saw his work up close. Tenacious. Nasty. Ultimate motor. He's the kind of guy that makes those around him play better, because they feed off his energy.

    I'm psyched to see him after another off season of hitting the weights hard. I'm hoping for a real break out year for him. I hear he is one of the many guys still working with Barwis at his new center. I hope Barwis sticks around town. It's an extra bonus having two S and C guys with experience around the team.

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  56. Benji or anybody,

    I know this is going to sound strange but say UM gets there 26 verbal commits what if a guys decides to send in his LOI on NSD before some of the verbals do? In other words can a player be bumped out if another player say a higher star player sends in his LOI first or if UM receives more LOI then they have spots for can they reject another player and keep them?

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  57. Lalond

    Like BlueMarrow I like Gordon as a RS Soph. He's actually fun to watch and his numbers were decent. He grabbed 2 interceptions and 2 (3 one in bowl game) fumble's one of which he ran back 58 yds. for a TD. He was third in tackles behind only Kovacs and Mouton. He was also the only guy to block a kick last year. He also had a pick in our lacklustre bowl game.

    Here's is last season as a RS Freshman (couretsy MGoBlue):

    Sophomore/Freshman (2010) ... earned first varsity letter ... Academic All-Big Ten ... named to the CollegeFootballNews.com Freshman All-America Second Team ... started all 13 games -- seven at free safety and six at hybrid linebacker ... registered 77 tackles, 3.5 TFLs, three interceptions, four PBUs, two fumble recoveries, one blocked kick and a defensive touchdown ... tied for the team lead in interceptions, PBUs and fumble recoveries ... made collegiate debut as team's starting free safety vs. Connecticut (Sept. 4), recording five tackles and one pass breakup ... stopped a UConn scoring chance by blocking a first quarter field goal attempt ... had seven tackles in start at free safety against Notre Dame (Sept. 11) ... made six tackles and returned his first career interception 16 yards in start at free safety vs. Massachusetts (Sept. 18) ... tallied six stops in start vs. Bowling Green (Sept. 25) ... amassed a career- and game-high 15 tackles, including one for a loss, an interception and a pass breakup in start at Indiana (Oct. 2) ... pickedoff a Hoosier pass in his own end zone and returned it 19 yards to prevent an IU scoring chance ... tallied seven tackles in start vs. Michigan State (Oct. 9) ... accumulated five tackles in start vs. Iowa (Oct. 16) ... recorded three tackles and a PBU as the starting hybrid linebacker at Penn State (Oct. 30) ... registered nine tackles and a pass breakup in start at hybrid linebacker vs. Illinois (Nov. 6) ... recovered two fumbles, including one returned 58 yards for Michigan's first touchdown, in start at hybrid linebacker against Purdue (Nov. 13) ... posted five tackles in start at hybrid linebacker vs. Wisconsin (Nov. 20) ... recorded five tackles, including one for a loss of two yards, in start at hybrid linebacker against Ohio State (Nov. 27) ... notched four tackles, a career-high 1.5 tackles for loss and an interception vs. Mississippi State (Jan. 1) in the Gator Bowl

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  58. @Go BlueNorth

    Yep, I think he'll have a breakout year. He's going to be the defensive back (hybrid LB) that Michigan needs and hasn't seen in years. His size, speed, hitting power and ability to make plays on/with the ball, are going to give UM that dominate defensive player we need (besides martin)

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  59. I want to start by saying I live the Big Ten. But it may be time for a name change. I think it's ironic that the Big Ten has 12 member and the Big 12 has 10 members. Maybe it's time to get rid of the number portion of the confrences.

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  60. Jer

    My understanding is that the school that recruited you sends you the LOI along with the offer for Academic Aid for your first year. Once you return it on NSD, you are locked in with that school and without exception. It sounds to me like the first 26 letters that roll off of the fax or come across via e-mail are the lucky winners.

    My guess would be that although we have 170 plus offers out there, we send far fewer LOIs out.....but I don't know.

    Sucks to get a busy signal

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  61. What's wrong with you Jer!!!! Call it the Big 10.....just get rid of MSU and OSU.

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  62. Looks like UM is no longer in the running for Coney or Mauk per TomVH and Scout.

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  63. GoBlueNorth,

    I live in Florida now and I am reminded yearly on how dumb it is to call your conference the Big Ten with 11 and now 12 teams.

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  64. GoBlueNorth,

    Is it only the verbal commits that get a LOI? Seems like that would be easier.

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  65. I know it makes no sense that's why I say get rid of the two schools that have slappy fans!!

    As for the LOI. I would think that if we still have spots and hold outs, that the hold outs would also get letters. That's where the confusion comes in. If we have 22 commits at that point, do they send those out and get them back and then send to hold outs....I'll try to get the nuts and bolts unless someone else on here has a definitive answer.

    I agree Big 10 no longer makes any sense.....neither does Legends and Leaders BTW.

    Where in Fla.

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  66. I hate the legends and leaders names. And I live just outside of Orlando. Home of the rat.

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  67. @ Jer89
    Thank God for that. I was hoping they'd pass on Michigan. As things stand an average qb that might not ever challenge for a starting spot is a wasted scholarship for the 2012 class. If it's a backup we need then I'm happy with a kid like Fuller who plays as a safety or Brown who'll play as an end but could sub qb during some great catastrophe, or Kiel. I'd be pretty happy if Mauk ended up starting for ND instead of backing up Morris for us.

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  68. Updates from the "Opening". I mentioned earlier that we have 5 commits attending the Opening this week and that it would be nice if they did some recruiting for us.

    Here are a few comments I pulled off of MGoBlog:

    "Some notes coming - Erik Magnuson said he'll be recruiting Zach Banner, the 6-8, 335-pound tackle from Washington, and Kyle Murphy, the 6-7, 270-pound tackle from California, hard this week."

    "Mario (Ojemudia) also said he will be recruiting O'Brien and possibly others."

    Hopefully they work their magic

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  69. Michael

    I agree. I know that the smart thing to do in theory is pick up a QB every year but other than Kiel or a multi position player that can do the job, I didn't love anybody. When Bellomy gets here, we'll have 5 on scolarship and hopefully Gardner gets his RS. We should be okay.....as you said....barring a catastrophe.

    Having said that, next year it makes QB a priority much like many of the skill positions will be.

    Jer......I love that Rat

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  70. At this point I think Dunn is a long shot for an RB. Tom VH has interviewed in state RB Juwan Lewis. Have a look at his tape if you get a chance. The kid is only 5'11" but weighs 208 and has great speed. He reminds me of Mike Hart who was 5'9" and about 205 lbs.

    This from a blogger:

    "You might be surprised at how he compares to Dunn. Juwan is 3 inches shorter but he is still growing. His dad is 6'2 and played at Kansas State. He is a solid 208 lbs and runs the 40 yd dash in 4.42 seconds versus Dunn's time of 4.6 seconds. Juwan bench presses 425 lbs and squats 550 lbs. The Michigan coaches figure they can bulk Juwan easily up to 225 lbs and not lose any of his speed."

    We can't take all 4 and 5 star players and this kid might be a solid alternative. He only has three offers right now and want Michigan.

    Everyone's Thoughts??

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  71. What about this Norfleet kid? I have heard good things about him.

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  72. Lewis looks like 3 yards and a cloud of dust.

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  73. We don't need a runningback.It would be a waste to offer him.

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  74. GBN, Thanks for all the info!

    Posters like you are why I keep coming back!

    I agree with you guys about the QB spot. And Wilson may stick around. As I have posted before, he got snaps in the Spring game for a reason, and did well. Smart kid, too.

    Regarding DG: As a matter of fact/according to the letter of NCAA law, he played in one too many games to get a RS. I looked up the rule, and calculated his case at one point, but I don't remember the exact numbers. So, I'll give anyone who cares the short version:

    If you see action in X percentage of games, you are ineligible for a RS. DG exceeded X, but as I recall, it was either by rounding out the decimal, or close to it. If strictly enforced, he is ineligible.

    GBN-

    Why do you think Dunn is a long shot? I have the opposite opinion based on the usual second hand info.

    Do you think he going SEC?

    I saw on FB last week his birthday cake was an OSU tribute, but the rumors/quotes?

    Thanks!

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  75. I would be very surprised if Dunn commited to Michigan. He is a huge osu fan. If he doesn't stay with osu, my guess he goes to the SEC.

    @Davon - A big RB would be great in this class. I am talking about a 6-2 225lb and fast. Most of Michigan RB are kind of small.

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  76. Oh and by the way, my daughter is going to Purdue this fall. :( sniff.....sniff...

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  77. @north
    I would love to have a big runningback but I'd rather have a DT or a WR.We could probably get a better runningback next year if we don't get Dunn.I also think Kalis is gonna re-commit to ohio state.No evidence just a hunch.

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  78. North-

    Congrats on your daughter going to a great school.

    Condolences on the tuition hit!

    RE: Dunn

    Why do some of you think the way you do? I'm just curious.

    All qoutes and indicators point to UM if os gets a bowl ban, or worse. Not to mention the fact that no one knows who their next coach will be...

    Meanwhile, recruits see SI posts like "college football coaching graveyards" featuring os.....

    I still think that the only way Dunn is not Maize and Blue is if MI runs out of spots....

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  79. I do not think that Kalis will go back to osu, and I think that we have a great chance with him. TomVH has hinted at Kalis's commitment for a while. And with Dunn I really feel that there is no way to judge, his decision will be based on OSU's punishment. I feel that he will not go to the SEC though, they are notorious for being even worse than OSU

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  80. Im just curious about Kalis. He decommited once tressel resigned, then Fickell talked him back into committing, and then he decommited again.I'm not judging him or how he handles his recruitment I would just like to know why he decommited for the second time. He knew about the sanctions when he recommitted. I'm just a little uneasy that he might go back to O state.

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  81. I say take Lewis over Dunn. * ratings aren't everything, and I'd rather take a guy who is all about UM than somebody who may only be leaving our biggest rival because of sanctions.

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  82. My thinking on Dunn is that it sounds like he has been an osu guy for years. And going to Michigan would be like being a traitor. Just like I think a hardcore Michigan commit would have a difficult time going to osu if he decommited Michigan.

    Unless of course his last name was Boren, as in Justin Boren.

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  83. BlueMarrow and the gang:

    I think we get Kalis....Dunn on the other hand is every bit a Buckeye. I'm not sure tOSU gets more than a two year bowl ban which means Dunn would still get three cracks at bowl games. My faith in the NCAA is guarded at best. I just think tOSU takes a sustainable hit for this years recruits. We might have a better chance of last years recruits decommitting.

    On the tOSU thing I can't believe that they haven't received a new notice of allegations and that concerns me.

    Davon......I would love Dunn but if we don't get him, I'll take a strong three star, especially one that reminds me of Mike Hart and want to be a Wolverine. I think is all-state or something for the 200. A small compact but heavy speedster.

    Sad news on Gardner about the RS. We needed the extra year of him. I thought that as long as he didn't play in the second half of the season and was in leass than 30% of the games he was good to go because he's a injury RS.

    That means we have DR in 2011 and 2012
    we have DG for 2011, 2012 and 2013
    Wilson and Kennedy in a jam for 2011 and 2012
    Bellomy for 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014
    Morris for 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015

    So:
    2011 Robinson (jr) and Gardner (soph)
    2012 Robinson (sr) and Gardner (jr)
    2013 Gardner (sr)and Morris (soph) and Bellomy (jr)
    2014 Morris (jr) and Bellomy (sr)

    I think we can make this work..... it's not perfect but it will work

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  84. @gbn
    I am also worried about the notice of allegations, or should I say lack of allegations. I also have one correction Morris is a freshman in 2013 not a sophomore.

    And about the OSU punishment, over this weekend I talked with someone who is the distributor of new cars around ohio. And what he said was that when he talks to people in Columbus the vibe is that they will receive th same punishments at USC. He also said that all of the dealers knew something fishy was going on with the OSU players and cars.

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  85. Thanks Mark.....I screwed up the Morris thing guys so redo his timeline.....it's even better.

    C'mon Mark tOSU didn't do anything wrong with regard to cars. Just ask them

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  86. Oh yeah, I forgot that all of these inner city kids magically had thousands of dollars sitting around to get new cars from the same dealership who just happened to be a huge fan of OSU and how the free tickets to OSU games he received had nothing to do with the car sales.

    On an unrelated note, when do the rivals and scout team rankings come out? And how often does ESPN, rivals, and scout come out with updated player rankings.

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  87. Mark,

    I swear to God.....just read Bucknuts/247 Ohio State. They're clean!!!!

    Don't know the answer to your question......sorry

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  88. From what I've read Dunn will stick with OSU. He camped at Ohio State and bonded with the coaches and some of their commits.

    Michigan will take some type of back no matter what, either a RB or a FB. Or possibly even one of each. I know nobody wants to here that because fullbacks are all three stars and we have so many options at other positions like the D-line. But if we're going to run a pro-style we need fullbacks. If we only take one back it may be a blend between them like a guy we recently offered, Alden Hill. He's 6'2 230 pounds. Another option at fullback is E.J. Fatu the 3rd ranked fullback in the country according to Rivals. Supposedly he has UofM on top but he hasn't visited yet.

    Juwan Lewis seems like a pretty good back-up plan. Seeing as we don't have a ton of options at RB he may be a late offer guy.

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  89. Regarding Devin Gardner he may not qualify for a traditional redshirt, but I believe the coaching staff requested a medical redshirt. I do believe the parameters for these two are different. I could be wrong, but I thought I read @TomVH mention that the likelihood of DG getting his redshirt seemed promising. If he can be a RS Freshmen this year that would greatly help the depth, if not I think Hoke for sure takes a QB.

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  90. Feeny-

    I agree. Dunn seems fed up with U of M talk and although nothing has come out recently about Kalis I think they'll either stick with OSU or go elsewhere. It would be like kicking their home state while its down if they flipped to U of M.

    Caleb-

    I really hope DG can get another year. I have a feeling he's going to dominate the BIG10 in a classier/passier but still Pryor-like manner after Denard leaves.

    I don't really see any reason to take a QB this year, also I don't think too many 2012 recruits want to battle it out with Morris when he gets there. Taking two RB's is the way to go. Fatu or Hill then I would love to bring in Juwan Lewis. He seems like a gym rat and apparently loves Michigan. I'd love to know where Fred Jackson stands on him. If Thomas Rawls is in hunt for the starting job this fall after being a 3 star, maybe Lewis is a diamond in the rough. Not mention "Juwan Lewis" just seems like a pretty cool name for a bad ass wolverine running back.

    I would quickly like to echo what some others have expressed in recent posts. We all read and/or post updates here because we love UM Football. When we have bickering and other pointless things being said we are just making ourselves and our team look bad. I'm not saying we can't have differing opinions and some engaging banter, but let's stay classy, San Diego :)

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  91. Caleb

    That's kind of what I understood. As long he he played in less than 30% of the games (he played in 3 of 13) and he didn't play in the second half of the season which also applies in this case. I guess we'll find out when the NCAA makes their ruling.

    Trouble is when the ruling comes down....I have found this on several sites but will only quote one (SBNation):

    ""That’s so far out there," Michigan coach Brady Hoke said Tuesday.
    No decision on a fifth year will be made by the NCAA until Gardner completes his fourth year of eligibility. In the interim, Michigan will document his ongoing case with the Big Ten."

    Phil

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  92. Jut,

    Kudos on your statement about keeping the class on this blog

    Phil

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  93. Hopefully Wilson goes Blue Friday. This recruiting class has been exciting. Can't wait for this season to begin and the rebirth of Michigan football

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  94. Anyone read t-richs tweets about how he loves Oregon and U of M better go back to Nike over its ov for Michigan and recruits. This is not forbadem . Find his tweets. He's probably having fun but you never know.

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  95. I think he's just saying he likes Nike more Adidas..... I doubt a kid would switch schools over something like that.

    Does sound like he's enjoying Oregon though......who wouldn;t

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  96. Nike gear or a Winged Helmet?... I think he'll make the right choice. He's just lucky he doesn't have to wear a throwback this year!

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  98. I do still remember that Jarrod Wilson's announcement because I read a post on this matter on per head service website and it was so cool to find it out before the rest of my friends

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