Vincent Smith Starting At Rb? Not Quite...

Over the past several days, I have witnessed the running back speculation from preseason reappear. However, instead of a battle between Michael Shaw and Fitz Toussaint, it has centered around #2, Vincent Smith.

In fact, in an article posted by the Michigan Daily, they claim that, "Smith emerges as lead back." Although Smith certainly impressed last Saturday with his 112 rushing yards and 13.1 average per attempt, nothing has ever confirmed him as the "lead back" for Michigan.

In fact, Brady Hoke himself simply stated that "Vince has earned [the] right" to be Michigan's lead back. NEVER did he state that Vincent Smith was starting. In fact, in the article by the Michigan Daily, they admitted that the depth chart still had Shaw or Toussaint listed as the starter.

To me, this is just overblown hype from the media attempting to get hits. A story stating that Vincent Smith is in the mix to be Michigan's lead back is much less exciting than a story claiming he is the starting running back. If speculation is correct, it is very likely that Fitz Toussaint will still walk out to start the game on Saturday.

The depth chart could still certainly change, but I think the media and fans are getting a little bit ahead of themselves at this point. Remember, the last game was against Eastern Michigan. Yes, the same Eastern Michigan that was ranked as one of the worst offenses and defenses in 2010. Putting up a lot of rushing yards on the Eastern Michigan defense isn't likely to change too many aspects of the team.

Although I think Vincent Smith has a lot of talent, and may end up as the #2 running back (he already is the featured 3rd down back), I can't see him passing Toussaint anytime soon. I expect Toussaint to have a reasonable game on Saturday and remain as the starter for the foreseeable future.

Let's hope that even if Smith is chosen as the starter, which has not been done at this point, the running backs pick it up over the next several weeks.

Brandon Herron Named B1G Ten Defensive Player of the Week

The Detroit Free Press just reported that Brandon Herron was announced as the B1G Ten Defensive Player of the week. This comes after Herron returned an interception 94 yards for a touchdown and recovered a fumble and returned it 29 yards for another touchdown.

In fact, Herron's performance was so great that he ended up scoring more points himself than the entire Western team. Though Herron's touchdowns was largely due to help from other players (the interception was tipped and the fumble was caused by Jordan Kovacs) he still did a great job in his touchdown returns.

Herron will become the first Michigan player to win this honor since Brandon Graham earned it almost 3 years ago in September 2008. Though having a great performance in Western does not always show great things for the season, there has obviously been some change in the "feel" of this defense, as they've already scored more defensive touchdowns than all of last season and Herron received a reward that was not awarded to any Michigan player last season.

Hopefully this is a sign of the future and Greg Mattison's new defense.

We Have A Starter....Maybe...

In the past few days, Brady Hoke and the Michigan staff have revealed almost all of the depth chart. Some of the positions had already been solidified weeks ago, but others remained a mystery, such as corner back (Troy Woolfolk already was confirmed as a starter), the defensive line, place-kicker and most notably, running back.

With Ann Arbor.com's newest depth chart, everyone thought that almost everything had been set. However, reports have surfaced today from both the Detroit Free Press and tweeter mspeedkills that Fitz Toussaint has been receiving the first snaps during practice. This comes as a surprise since just days ago Michael Shaw seemed to have the starting running back position locked up.

This seems to show that media predictions don't always show the real events of training camp and practice. Shaw may appear to be the most capable back, but Hoke and Borges have obviously not settled on one guy and Toussaint must be doing some impressive things for them to keep him in the running for the starting position.

The Detroit Free Press has also reported, much to the shock of the public, that J.T. Floyd may actually start at cornerback. Many from the media and other groups had made it seem as if Avery was a sure lock for the position, but obviously this has not been confirmed either.

The positions that do appear "locked up" at this point seem to be the defensive line and place-kicker. From the statements from the coaching staff and media reports, it appears that Roh, Black, Martin, and Van Bergen will be on the line. This is discouraging for Will Campbell, a former 5 star recruit who is a junior at Michigan.

Matt Wile appears to be locked in for punting and kickoff duties, but it looks like Brendan Gibbons will be attempting any place kicks. Though I am not excited for Gibbons to return as the starting kicker for Michigan, you can clearly see in our exclusive kicking practice video that Gibbons has become much better.

Brady Hoke Releases Depth Charts Details For 2011 Season

Though most teams with the majority of its starters returning would have little controversy on its depth chart, Michigan's 2011 roster remains distinct. Though positions such as quarterback and wide receiver may be solidified, many other positions have no clear leader and several competing athletes.

The Detroit Free Press reported that Brady Hoke released several details regarding the depth chart today. Here are some of the releases:

• Thomas Gordon will start at safety alongside Kovacs
• Woolfolk will start at corner-back, but the other corner-back position is still undetermined
• The WILL LB position is not determined. Mike Jones, Desmond Morgan, and Hawthorne will compete for this spot.
• Matt Wile will play for kickoffs and will punt (at least for the first 4 games as Will Hagerup was suspended, detailed in this post: 2011 Suspensions)
• No set field goal kicker at this point. (See exclusive kicking practice here: 2011 Michigan Kicking Practice)
• Jeremy Gallon and Drew Dileo will return punts
• Jeremy Gallon and Vincent Smith will return kickoffs

Though most of these announcements were expected, several of them are a little surprising, including Gordon starting at safety. Also, the failure to secure a starting placekicker remains a concern for the season opener against Western Michigan.

Let's hope this is settled in the coming week and that the controversy is not due to a lack of good candidates, but too many!

Je'Ron Stokes Leaves Michigan

Sadly, another transfer occurred today. The Detroit Free Press and The Wolverine just reported that junior wide receiver Je'Ron Stokes has opted to transfer from the football program. He clearly was not a starting wide receiver, but the loss of more depth at the wide receiver position could be devastating to the team considering Darryl Stonum's suspension and that two of the current "starters" are seniors.

Stokes only had 1 catch in 2010 for 11 yards and 2 catches in 2009 for 16 yards. This demonstrates that he was far from being the #1 target at Michigan and this could have been a significant portion of his decision.

His stats may not have been great, but he was originally rated as a 4 star recruit by Rivals and seemed to be developing relatively well, but it appears that he did not feel comfortable with the team. Specifics have not been released, but we do know his place on the depth chart was likely a factor.

We can only wish him the best and hope that other players can step up to fill the void.

Michigan Football Preview - Big Ten Network

Tomorrow night, the Big Ten Networks's preseason tour rolls through Ann Arbor and will be analyzing the Wolverines and their chances for the 2011 season. The broadcast will begin @ 8pm and runs a half hour.

The show includes former Big Ten coaches and interviews with Wolverine coaches and players. From a tweet by Gerry DiNardo, or @gerrydinardo, Denard Robinson should be interviewed about how he feels about the new offensive scheme, coaching transition, and the upcoming season.

Though some feel the broadcasters are "mellow" and "bland," there is sure to be some live practice footage and interviews with current players and the coaching staff, so I don't see much to complain about. It isn't often that national television devotes an entire broadcast to Michigan's 2011 season.

So remember to get home to watch the broadcast and hopefully view some interesting commentary, interviews, and practice footage. If nothing else, the broadcast provides a nice transition from summer to football season.

Let's hope they have positive comments!

Ohio State May Face Further NCAA Charges

Today, in a report from ESPN, the broadcasting network posted that Ohio State will be receiving another set of allegations against Ohio State's football program in the coming weeks. This comes as a surprise since just a few days ago the NCAA stated that Ohio State would avoid the most serious rule infractions.

Some of the new information that has surfaced includes things such as thousands of dollars worth of merchandise being sold by players, free games of golf, and special auto deals specifically designed for players.

The NCAA's current allegations against Ohio State are primarily linked to Jim Tressel and the previous coaching staff. If the new allegations contain things such as the infamous "failure to monitor" allegation, Ohio State could face much stiff penalties. This is because the "failure to monitor" allegation implies that the entire athletic department and school is to blame for the rule violation.

Typically, if a school is found guilty of the "failure to monitor" charge, there are stiff penalties for the program and entire athletic department. For example, USC received this rule infraction recently and was forced to accept scholarship reductions, a postseason ban, and the vacation of a NCAA championship. However, USC's violations were linked to the entire athletic department. If new allegations against Ohio State continue to focus solely on Tressel and the coaching staff, Ohio State may get off much lighter on its penalties.

This can be seen in the NCAA investigation regarding Tennessee. Instead of placing blame on the university, the NCAA opted to blame Lane Kiffin (head coach at the time) and the coaching staff for recruiting violations. Though Tennessee still had to incure some punishments and the tarnishment of its reputation, the penalties would likely have been much worse if the NCAA had accused the university itself of a "failure to monitor."

If ESPN's reports are accurate and the NCAA is primed to add new allegations to Ohio State including a "failure to monitor" charge, there could be serious penalties including scholarship cuts and bowl bans. If these types of penalties surface, the Ohio State football program will take a major step back. Recruiting will take a significant hit (there's already much speculation that a bowl ban will spur several high profile recruits from Ohio State to Michigan), Ohio State will have fewer scholarship players on the field, and be incapable playing in nationally viewed bowl games.

There has been some speculation that this sudden "change of heart" by the NCAA was driven by Terrelle Pryor's testimony, but I'm hesitant to believe these rumors. Pryor may be in tough waters to be eligible for the NFL Supplemental Draft, but assuming he's trying to cough up information that will directly harm his college team may be a little too speculative. Over time we have clearly seen that Pryor has some questionable standards, but as of now, these rumors are, well, just rumors.

What we do know is that the NCAA investigation is continuing and seems very likely to be headed for new allegations against Ohio State. Whether the NCAA will postpone Ohio State's appearance before the Committee On Infractions is also still uncertain, but I think it's safe to assume that whatever allegations will reach fruition by the end of the 2011 season.

Michigan vaults to #1 on Scout

Today with the commitment of Scout's 4 star DT Ondre Pipkins, Michigan vaulted into 1st place for the 2012 recruiting class rankings. Michigan was in 2nd place behind Texas by a slim margin up until today. With today's commitment we are safely in 1st place by more then 200 points. This is based on the formula Scout uses to evaluate the prospects. Ondre Pipkins was Michigan's 22nd verbal commit for the 2012 season. With a possible 4 spots left Michigan could pad their lead on other schools and end up with one of the best recruiting classes of 2012. This is a great start for the Hoke staff. And could possibly be the first recruiting victory over ohio in some years.




Rankings

#1 Michigan
#2 Texas
#3 Florida
#4 Texas A&M
#5 Florida State


Please check out Scout.com for the latest recruiting news and more!
http://michigan.scout.com/a.z?s=162&p=9&c=14&yr=2012

Ondre Pipkins Commits To Michigan

Earlier today, The Wolverine and the Detroit Free Press reported that Ondre Pipkins committed to Michigan. This is a key commitment because Michigan will lose a lot of depth at DT over the next two seasons.

Pipkins comes from Kansas City, Missouri and stands at 6'3" and weighs 325 lbs. Rivals has rated him as a 4 star prospect and the 19th best DT in the 2012 class.

This will be the 22nd commitment to Michigan's 2012 recruiting class, which was already ranked as #4 in the nation. Along with this, Pipkin's commitment has risen Michigan's 2012 class to #1 according to Scout and Michigan's 2012 Dt class up to #17 in the nation according to Rivals. If these defensive recruits achieve anything near the hype, Michigan could have one of the elite defenses in the country in a few years, especially with Brady Hoke and Greg Mattison at the helm.

Photo Credit: Rivals

Suspensions for 2011 Football Season

The Detroit Free Press just reported that 3 players have earned suspensions during the 2011 season. Here are the players and lengths:

Darryl Stonum - 2011 season (red shirt)

This suspension was in regards to his DUI arrest in early May. At the time, Hoke and the Michigan staff had not selected a specific length or time of the punishment, but today they released the details.

In a release from the Michigan coaching staff, Hoke stated that, "While it would be great to have Darryl on the field this season, we feel it is in his best interest and the best interest of our program for him to red shirt, Darryl will continue to be an important part of our team and family. He has done everything we have asked him to do, but our number one priority is to help Darryl grow as a person."

Will Hagerup - 4 Games

Will Hagerup also received a lengthy suspension for the 2011 season. This is quite significant since Hagerup was perhaps Michigan's one "sure" player on special teams. Hagerup averaged 43.6 yards in his 33 punts in 2010 and had an extremely long punt of 72 yards.

Hagerup seems to be involved in some activity that his causing him problems with the coaching staff. He was suspended at the end of the 2010 season for a "violation of team rules" in the Ohio State and Mississippi State games.

Terrance Robinson - 1 Game

Terrance was also suspended for a "violation of team rules". Though the details were not detailed in either his or Hagerup's suspension. Hoke stated that, "In order to build a championship-caliber culture, you have to be accountable to each other on and off the field, there are expectations at the University of Michigan you must live up to."

These suspensions are quite unfortunate and cast the entire team under a dark shadow, but hopefully they will allow internal development that will prepare these players to truly be the Leaders and the Best.

"You Looked Fantastic For Five Games Against Nobody"

Part III

Well, this is the final piece of my epic (or just extremely long) analysis of Denard Robinson and his quarterback play. Part I focused on his throwing ability, Part II focused on his ability to score in the red zone, and Part III is an analysis of Denard's success against "good" teams.

Before I get into my analysis of Denard against "good" teams, I'd like to briefly address why I've went into such depth about one player . Though his popularity with the fan base may seem to validate the length of my post, I chose to analyze Denard's performance in such length because he is perhaps the most important player on the current roster. Not only because of his talents and success last season, but because of the key role he plays in the transition from Rich Rodriguez to Brady Hoke.

As we all know, Rodriguez ran a unique spread-based offense while Brady Hoke and Al Borges operate primarily out of west coast schemes (for those of you not familiar with football schemes, imagine going from the English to the Metric system). This means the offense will be going through some big changes before next season and that there is a tremendous amount of pressure on Denard Robinson to perform well because of his large role on the team (led the team in yards last season).

So now that there is at least a little understanding of my analysis, let's go right into Part III; Denard's performance against "good" teams. If any of you have been following the off season football news, or lack thereof, you likely noticed a quote from Desmond Howard speaking about Denard's performance and relevance to Michigan's football program. Though his statement was not meant to tear down Denard, but to address issues in the NCAA, I felt that his quote was an accurate representation of much of the public sentiment about Denard's alleged failure against "good" teams.

In order to address these allegations, one first has to determine the content of the allegations. So, who are the "good" teams? As the quotation marks signal, this is always debateable. Technically, you could consider almost any team to be "good" in some aspect, but this is hardly the approach I'd like to use for my analysis. Instead, I'm using a statistic developed that attempts to avoid simple win - loss records or raw yardage stats. Football Outsiders using a stat called FEI, which takes many things into account such as schedule difficulty, field position, special teams play, and other game factors that win - loss records and raw yardage stats don't include. I went through their ranking list of the 2010 season in hopes to determine who were the "good" teams.

I decided that I would call any teams ranked higher than Michigan to be considered "good" under my criteria. Though some may not call Michigan a "good" team last season, they were at least average, so any team above them has to be at least average or above-average. The rankings listed eight teams on Michigan's 2010 schedule that were above Michigan.

2010 Teams Ranked Above Michigan by Football Outsiders:

Ohio State #8

Wisconsin #12

Iowa #21

Notre Dame #23

Mississippi State #27

Illinois #35

Michigan State #39

Connecticut #49

Though these rankings may seem odd since Michigan actually beat three teams above them in the rankings, it is a guideline for how the teams performed over the entire season taking circumstances into account, not on one specific Saturday. For instance, Michigan State was ranked below several teams it defeated on the 2010 schedule as well, but this is because they relied upon a more forgiving schedule, close games, and trick plays to have success in 2010, which takes away from their ranking because their performance was not as convincing.

So now that we have a rough analysis of the "good" teams Michigan faced in 2010, let's look at how Denard fared against these teams. Though Denard had his "ups and downs" against these teams, if you take a full analysis of all eight games, Denard was actually a pretty competent quarterback. Here are the stats:

Denard Robinson Through Eight Games Against "Good" Teams:

62.9% completition percentage

203.25 passing yards per game

1.38 passing touchdowns per game

1 interception per game

124.13 rushing yards per game

.88 rushing touchdowns per game

The first interesting thing is his production as a passer. Though many question his passing abilities, Denard was actually a pretty competent passer (See Part I for a more in-depth analysis of Denard's passing). He is far from perfect, but when you have a positive turnover ratio, make over 60% of your passes and also add significantly as a runner, it seems to be a stretch to claim Denard can do nothing against quality competition.

In fact, if we adjusted these stats using MGoBlog's analysis system (discussed in Part I ; judge passes based on quality, not on completion) Denard may actually have better numbers! For instance, Denard had a 64% completion percentage against Wisconsin, but if one usedMGoBlog's rating system, Denard actually improves to a 71% completion rate, which is a great passing day. Though these stats do nothing to improve Michigan's record, but they should be taken into account if people are wrongly criticizing a player.

So, in conclusion, I've had a great time writing these three posts and I've hoped you all enjoyed them. I think after reading them, most of the mindless rambling about Denard's inability to throw, operate in the red zone, and compete against quality competition can be thrown out the window. Sure, he is a far from perfect player, but there's no use mindlessly driving a very nice guy into the ground because he made some mistakes in a football game. The guy is a class act. I mean, imagine replacing him with a player like Terrell Pryor. I think we got very lucky to have a great guy like Denard.

I can't wait for Denard's next epic season and guess what?

I'll have my shoes untied the entire time,

Tom

Big Ten Media Day

Today was the largest summer event for Big Ten Football. All the coaches were allowed to give a speech and held a question and answer session with the media. Some highlights of Brady Hoke's speech and the question & answer session:

Hoke talked about the special rivalry between Michigan and Ohio State and said you're not human if you aren't hyped for that game.

The coaching staff is smart enough to incorporate some spread features into the offense next season to fully maximize the players and specifically Denard Robinson.

He's looking forward to fall camp and sees it as the best place for developing this team.

Hoke talked about how this is and always will be a senior-lead team.

Michigan is not rebuilding. He feels that Michigan has enough pieces in place to be great.

No decision on Stonum at this point and his status with the team.

On recruiting success, he simply stated that, "We're Michigan." He sees the school's reputation doing as much work as him and his staff, but he admits his staff has been very active.

He says team is looking forward to the Under the Lights showdown with Notre Dame on September 10th, but wants to keep the focus on September 3rd game against Western at this point.

For the full video:

Big Ten Media Day

Michigan's 2012 Recruiting Class Ranked #2 by CBS Sports

In the first "official" rankings of the 2012 football recruiting class, Michigan has been ranked #2, even beating Florida, Florida St, and Miami (which have traditionally been considered to be recruiting powerhouses). Texas was #1

Though there is still a long time until signing day and a vast potential of new commitments and de-commitments, this is a great step in the right direction for Michigan. Obviously, Hoke and Mattison's recruiting blitz and stability in the coaching position appears to have lifted the team's ability to recruit, as Michigan was ranked #21 by Rivals for its 2011 recruiting class.

Being ranked #2 is never a guarantee for success, but I think #21 to #2 is a pretty significant step. When all is said and done Michigan may not be #1, but we are pretty likely to remain in the top 5 or top 10, which is great.

If you'd like to see the full rankings, follow this link:

CBS Sports

It's Great to be a Michigan Wolverine and follow me on Twitter here:

Tom

Biggest New Impact Players of 2011

Well, I promised this article a few days back and I'm finally going to deliver. Instead of getting overwhelmed in the excitement of 2012 and some 2013 recruiting, I've decided to focus on the 2011 football season. Obviously, there are a lot of question marks going into next season on both sides of the ball and accurately predicting each player and unit's output is quite difficult this early, but I do think there are a few people on the roster that will likely change the team's dynamic from last season.

Defense

Overall, the entire defense is probably going to go through the most improvement of any unit over the off-season, but the unit that will probably improve the most is the secondary. The return of Troy Woolfolk alone is going to add a lot of depth and experience to a beaten up secondary from 2010. Troy was no Charles Woodson, but his 46 tackles in 2009 would have surely improved what many believe was the worst unit on the football team (though the kicking was pretty horrendous). Woolfolk missed all of last season due to an injury in the pre-season and his experience is going to have a huge impact on the defense.

Another player I expect great things from next season is Craig Roh. Mattison has already moved him to the defensive line instead of in a "hybrid" linebacker position and the Detroit Free Press reported that he is eating up to 5000 calories a day to bulk up for his new position. With Mattison's 4-3 defensive scheme, the defensive line should have much more of an impact next season and I think Craig Roh has the most to gain from these changes.

Though it may seem surprising that the best new impact on the defense next season could potentially be a returning player, I think this illustrates many of the problems with Rich Rodriguez's defenses at Michigan; plagued with injuries and coaching mismanagement. The constant changing of schemes and lack of depth (caused by a multitude of factors) made it almost impossible for defensive players to prosper. Mattison's new schemes should help players like Roh have a significant impact every play.

Special Teams

I think the obvious improvement from 2010 could be the pick-up of the kicking recruit from San Diego, Matt Wile. With the horror of the kicking game last season, or lack thereof, even the slight existence of a field goal threat will be an improvement. If this guy turns out to be the real deal and can make some decent kicks, the team is going to experience a significant gain. Instead of being forced to go for a ton of 4th down situations, the team can put some points on the board which could really help them stay close and win games.

Hagerup will probably also become a little more consistent in his punting and tone down his off-field antics, but Wile is probably going to be the biggest improvement from 2010, unless of course the rumors are true and Hagerup attempts to become the kicker as well, then Hagerup could realistically dominate all the kicking on special teams.

On a side-note, Stonum's loss is going to be a big setback for special teams as he was the first returner to have more than 1000 yards in Michigan football history. Granted, he did much less returning in 2010 and yielded fewer yards, his loss will impact special teams.

Offense

Obviously, the biggest question mark for the offense is Denard Robinson. Though I think the negative speculation is overblown and unlikely to come to fruition, Denard's prominence in a pro-style system is still unproven, so this will likely determine the success of the entire offensive unit.

Hoping that Denard can at least run the system with some effectiveness, I think Martavious Odoms is lined up for a improved season. With the new offensive scheme, there should be an increase in the total passing yards in comparison to rushing and with Darryl Stonum likely out for an extended period next year, someone is going to be needed to fill his the gap at wide receiver. Odoms may not pass other players stat-wise, he was actually behind Roundtree, Stonum, Hemingway, and Grady for receptions, but he did have the second-highest yards per reception on the team (excluding Terrance Robinson who only had one reception). To me this signals that he can be a big-time player, especially since he missed a huge portion of a season with a injury. Odoms was ranked as a 3 star recruit by Rivals in 2008, but he will surely have a better season stat-wise if he can finish the year without injury and with Stonum out.

The final player that I think is going to make a big new impact next season is Justice Hayes. He's a running back recruit out of Grand Blanc, Michigan and has some epic highlights. According to Rivals, he's a 4 star recruit and really only lacks in terms of size and strength. To me, if you are forced to have a downside, I'd rather be undersized than missing the speed and other skills. If he's able to bulk up a little over the summer and fall, he could be doing a lot of damage late in the season. The current running backs aren't bad, but none of them have made that leap from average or above-average to great. Until one of them steps up, I think Hayes will able to make a direct impact, unless of course he is talked into red-shirting, which I don't think is likely with the running back situation right now.

So there you have it, not very scientific, but hopefully done with at least a good bit of logic. I think there is going to be improvement almost across the board, but in review, here are my picks for best new impact players in 2011:

Defense:

Troy Woolfolk - S

Craig Roh - DE

Special Teams:

Matt Wile - K

Offense:

Martavious Odoms - WR

Justice Hayes - RB

Look for my next article where I'm going to follow-up on the recent post by Everything Michigan and more regarding the NBA Draft and the Laker's selection of Darius Morris. Most people know LA is Morris' hometown, but I'm sure people are wondering how much they will see Morris play next season (assuming there is a NBA season). As always,

It's Great to Be a Michigan Wolverine and follow me on Twitter here:

Tom

*Credit Jake Fromm and Michigan Daily for Troy Woolfolk picture

The Doldrums of Summer

As Michigan fans and students, many of us look forward to the annual spring game with a bitter sweet feeling. Bitter because we realize that it's the last time we'll see any of the big three sports programs in action until September, but sweet because we are able to dedicate an entire day to our Michigan football team. No outsiders, no trash talking, no opposing teams or bands to worry about. In actuality, the spring game should hold a special place in every fan's heart. It is one of the few times that a fan can view the school and a major athletic event through "maize and blue" glasses without stressing about the result. Everyone can set high hopes, but know that little actually depends on the outcome.

In the same sense, it signals the end of the school year for students. Sure, the horror of final exams proceed and follow the game, but it is the last event that the entire student body has to enjoy together before splitting up for the summer, and in the case of seniors, for life.

Last year, I remember several of my graduating friends commenting on the fact that this is the last game they would see in the Big House as an undergraduate student. Though they would return in a few weeks for the graduation ceremony, entering for a game and a graduation ceremony is an entirely different experience, and I'd imagine the difference is even more substantial for a graduate.

Now, to get a little back on topic, it has been over two months since we last saw the football team in action. I know I am not alone in saying that it has seemed far longer than simply two months. It seems as if everyday I search the Internet in a vain attempt to receive some detail that will hint at the football season to come, but instead receive little, if any, information pertaining to next season.

Sure, we have the recruiting updates and commitments, but for the most part, it seems as if this is the plague of college football. Fans are absolutely overwhelmed for a five month period, then left to the doldrums for the remainder of the year.

I think what I'm trying to say is don't be frustrated with this time, embrace it because in a few months we'll either be trying to study and go to football games or attempting to switch shifts for work so we can make it home to watch the game. Then of course we have basketball, hockey and the spring game to look forward to as well.

But in an effort to curb the "doldrum effect" of the summer, I'm going to try to break down what I think could be the biggest differences of the 2011 football team in comparison to the 2010. Sure, we all obviously know that Brady Hoke brings a lot of changes to the table, but what players are going to improve the most? Which new recruits will be able to make an impact out of the gate, and finally, what injured players could have changed and will change the team's dynamic. Look for it in the coming days,

It's Great to be a Michigan Wolverine,

Tom

Erik Magnuson spoke with Everything Michigan and More

Erik Magnuson----OT

HT: 6-6 WT: 275

40: 5.12

Bench: 305

Squat: 405

I spoke with Erik briefly on Sunday evening. We could not talk long Erik was working hard in the gym but the first impression I got from this talented young man is his maturity. I was very impressed with his demeanor. Coming from a talent rich state like California and being one of the best prospects at his position, as well as the nation (#34 prospect on Rivals.com), you would expect a bit of "cockiness". None of that was evident at all during our conversation. Instead, you have a kid who, as he put it, "loves the game"

According to Erik, we as fans should credit Brady Hoke for landing him. " I have known coach Hoke for 3 years and it was a big reason why I chose UM". OL coach Funk loves his footwork and quickness, which can be attributed to being a basketball player.

After watching his film it becomes apparent that the UM staff has done an excellent job at evaluating and landing talent. In my humble opinion, Erik can be an All-Big 10 OT by the time he leaves campus. Beating out programs such as Oklahoma, Oregon and Notre Dame for his services is something that should be considered........while we have yet to prove it on the field Hoke is definitely getting it done with recruiting.

We, as fans should be ecstatic! We not only landed a player over the best programs in the country who is highly rated, extremely talented, all the way from California.........but we landed a young man who symbolizes what a UM player should be! It doesn't hurt that he also believes "Hoke is gonna turn it around and we will win titles". The future is bright ladies and gentleman!  GO BLUE!!!!! 


Jim Willey /Recruiting Analyst Everything Michigan and More  


 This was our first contact with Erik and plan on keeping in touch with this talented young star here at Everything Michigan and More. We are planing to do an in depth Interview once time allows....And I think all Michigan fans would love to follow his progress. 

RB Greg Garmon visiting Monday

Class of 2012

I am happy to report a visit will happen this week for RB Greg Garmon. Michigan was in his top five and he is reported to be visiting the University of Michigan Monday. Greg is a HT 6-2 WT200lb RB from McDowell SHS Erie, PA. It seems like the consensus is Dunn is the guy most would want if we take a running back, but this would also be a nice pickup. Greg is a top 100 guy to Scout, and top 200 to Rivals. Greg has legit talent. Some of the other schools he will be visiting this summer include Illinois, Iowa, Purdue, Notre Dame, North Carolina and Florida and says he likes Rutgers as well. Some of his offers include:

Buffalo
Cincinnati
Connecticut
Florida State
Illinois
Iowa
Kansas
Kent State
Michigan
Minnesota
North Carolina
Penn State
Pittsburgh
Purdue
Rutgers
Syracuse
Vanderbilt
West Virginia
Wisconsin

Fellow Wolverine fans!


I have been asked to lend my recruiting knowledge to the blog. I am an avid football fan and for the last seven years, a die hard recruitnik. I have contributed to most big time websites and have had my opinions and evaluations used on many occasions. I watch as much film as possible and evaluate talent as I view it.........not with a conference, hype, or UM slant. I plan to bring you the best information I can gather. I am in the process of setting up interviews with our newest commits and hope to get you the juice you are looking for!

Jim Willey- Recruiting Analyst Everything Michigan and More

Come BOOM at the BIG HOUSE Mr. Pipkins!!

As many of you may know or may not. I started this blog less then 2 weeks ago and to be honest it is getting very popular. Our views are increasing everyday. The Michigan fans and faithful are wonderful. There has been so much positive feedback it's amazing. New recruits and other Michigan athletes not to mention all the die hard sports fans that are starting to follow. I am a huge fan of Twitter..... Some of what I write stems from info I have obtained through my Twitter account. With that being said I will get to the point of this post. Yesterday was a very hectic day here at Everything Michigan and More. We posted Several articles and I hope you all had a chance to read them. Anyways as I was wrapping up my night. I checked up on some of my Favorites on Twitter. One being  OnDre Pipkins

@PeeWee9456

It was rumored that he may be announcing his top 5 choices. So I had to go check it out LOL. This was the tweet for those of you who have not seen it:

PeeWee9456 ondre pipkins

Illinios, minnesota, northern illinois, southern illinois, saginaw valley state university top 5 #BOOM 

Ok My first thought was WHAT THE @#$*. This cant be right LoL!!!! So he got me on that one. But what I seen later caught my eye his final tweet of the night was this:

PeeWee9456 ondre pipkins

TWEET YOU TOMORROW act TOMORROW #goooooBLUE    

 Ok, I have been taught not to read to much into things but the GO BLUE tells me alot. Everyone knows how special that statement is to the faithful. Ondre being friends with Lamarr Woodley knows that all to well. So I am here today to make a prediction that Michigan may have Mr. Boom coming to play at the Big House in 2012. If that was to happen it would make my day and I'm sure alot of Michigan fans. Here is a little bit about Ondre Pipkins:

Ondre Pipkins is a 6-3, 305-pound Defensive Tackle from Kansas City (Missouri) Park Hill. He is ranked No. 149 in the country by 247Sports. Pipkins is the No. 3 recruit in Missouri and is the No. 16 Defensive Tackle in the nation. Pipkins has a 247Sports rating of 94, making him a 4-star prospect. 

• Bench Max:385
• Squat Max:520
• Vertical:29 inches                                                                                                                                 

Pimpkins school offers

Alabama
Illinois
Iowa
Kansas
Kansas State
Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
Missouri
Northern Illinois
Ohio State
Oklahoma
Tennessee

Four star defensive tackle Ondre Pipkins (Kansas City, MO) has named Michigan one of his favorites. This may seem strange for a Missouri prospect to name Michigan as a top but Pipkins actually grew up in Michigan and still has family in the area.

I am hoping that Ondre and Lamarr are talking on a regular basis. If so I am sure they are talking about how well this class is coming together. If everything comes together the way I hope?  We just might be lucky enough to see Mr. Pipkins dropping the Boom at the Big House In the near future!!!

#16 commit Today 2 by 2 back again!!!!

Welcome,

Erik Magnuson!!!!! Eric is the 16th Commit For Michigan...............Erik said

"I just feel comfortable with the coaches, and I know them so well. I feel the program is going in the right direction. I know some of the 2012 commits and I think they're all good players. They're bringing in a good offense, and I want to get out of California. I just feel like Michigan is the right place for me"

GURU RATINGS

Scout	Rivals	ESPN	24/7 Sports
4*, #16 OT, #97 Ovr	4*, 5.9, #8 OL #34 Ovr	4*, #24 OT	4*, 95, #13 OT, #10 Cali, #85 Ovr

“Erik's a very athletic and aggressive player,” “He's a really big kid too and he hits all the benchmarks that you're looking for in a football player, especially at offensive tackle. He's all of 6-foot-5, 290 pounds, but the difference between him and other kids his size is that he can run. He's also a guy that isn't afraid of the weight room and has a little bit of an edge to him, which I think recruiters like as well.”

Erik is in ANN ARBOR today for the unveiling of the throwback jersey. Nice Timing   GO BLUE!!!!!!