Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Chad Henne

Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne beat Tom Brady and the New England Patriots on Sunday, 22-21. Henne was 29-for-52 with 335 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception.

Honorable mention: Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley had 8 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, and 3 quarterback hurries. Unfortunately for him, the Steelers lost to the Oakland Raiders, 27-24.

Recruiting Roundup: Tight Ends

Alex Smith wrinkles his nose as he watches Mike Barwis eat an opposing band member whole.

Michigan's coaches aren't particularly intent on getting a tight end in this class. Only three have been offered, and Michigan hasn't put up much of a fight with any of them except Alex Smith. Alex Smith is a bit wishy-washy. He committed to Cincinnati then sorta decommitted but not really and then really decommitted and, inexplicably, when it became clear that Cincinnati was turning into a powerhouse, he committed to North Carolina.

In 2009, many fans had a crazy notion that it would be the "Year of the Tight End" for Michigan. I had a spirited discussion with several Michigan fanatics that insisted Kevin Koger would approximate Missouri's Chase Coffman or Oklahoma's Jemaine Gresham. Instead, Koger ended the year with 16 catches for 220 yards and 2 touchdowns. Those numbers aren't chump change, but they're certainly not indicative of Rich Rodriguez becoming enthralled with the tight end position.

Koger will be a junior in 2010 and his backup, Martell Webb, will be a senior. The only other tight end on the roster will be redshirt sophomore Brandon Moore, so I think the coaching staff will recruit tight ends more heavily in 2011.

Recruiting Roundup: Wide Receivers and Slot Receivers

Kenny Shaw

So far the most successfully recruited position group for the 2010 class has been wide receivers and slot receivers. In total, Michigan's coaches have secured six commitments from that group. Four of them are wideouts (Ricardo Miller, Jeremy Jackson, D.J. Williamson, and Jerald Robinson); the other two are slots (Drew Dileo and Tony Drake).

Five of those commitments came very early on in the process, and I have maintained since then that not all of these wide receivers would end up signing with Michigan in February. Whether someone is slow-played into decommitting, doesn't qualify, or chooses another school instead, not all six of these kids will end up wearing a Michigan uniform. Fitting with that theory, recent rumors suggest that slot receiver Tony Drake has yet to qualify for admission to the University of Michigan. Although cornerback Adrian Witty from the Class of 2009 did eventually qualify, he had to sit out the 2009 season; the coaches will surely try to avoid a similar situation in 2010.

The only two uncommitted receivers who have Michigan offers are Kenny Shaw (Orlando, FL) and Chris Dunkley (Pahokee, FL). Dunkley received an early offer from Michigan, but he never had much interest in coming to Ann Arbor. Shaw, on the other hand, is still being actively recruited by the Wolverines. His former teammate is none other than Ricardo Miller, who has perhaps been Michigan's best recruiter. I expect that Shaw will end up staying down south, but there's a possibility that he could take the spot of Drake (if the latter fails to qualify) or another wide receiver who might decommit.

2010 Offer Board (181 total)

Players listed in order of likeliness to commit.

Most recent updates:

Jeff Luc (LB) committed to Florida State.

Ray Vinopal (S) committed to Michigan.

Mike Harris (CB) committed to Florida State.

Added Jonathan Hankins (DT).

Cullen Christian (CB) committed to Michigan.

Alex Smith (TE) committed to North Carolina.

Nick Jones (CB) committed to South Carolina.

Skyler Schofner (OL) committed to Michigan State.

Trovon Reed (WR) committed to Auburn.

QUARTERBACK (10)
Devin Gardner - Inkster, MI (Rivals #189, Scout #77)
Cornelius Jones - Spartanburg, SC
Jeffrey Godfrey - Miami, FL
Christian Green - Tampa, FL
Munchie Legaux - New Orleans, LA (Colorado commit)
A.J. Derby - Iowa City, IA (Iowa commit)
Robert Bolden - Orchard Lake, MI (Penn State commit)
Jeremy Johnson - Silsbee, TX (West Virginia commit)
Blake Sims - Gainesville, GA (Alabama commit)
Demarco Cobbs - Tulsa, OK (Tennessee commit)

RUNNING BACK (23)
Stephen Hopkins - Flower Mound, TX
Austin White - Livonia, MI
Cassius McDowell - Deerfield Park, FL
Corvin Lamb - Miami, FL
Jamaal Jackson - Newark, DE
Marcus Coker - Hyattsville, MD
Dietrich Riley - La Canada, CA (Rivals #152, Scout #70)
Tony Jones - Ramsey, NJ
Brandon Gainer - Miami, FL (Rivals #160)
Lache Seastrunk - Temple, TX (Rivals #2, Scout #7)
Marcus Lattimore - Duncan, SC (Rivals #4, Scout #2)
Dillon Baxter - San Diego, CA (USC commit)
Corey Brown - Springfield, PA (Ohio State commit)
Eduardo Clements - Miami, FL (Miami commit)
Spencer Ware - Cincinnati, OH (LSU commit)
Mack Brown - Lithonia, GA (Florida commit)
Andre Givens - Hubbard, OH (Pitt commit)
Nickell Robey - Frostproof, FL (Georgia commit)
Kendrun Malcome - Decatur, GA (Georgia commit)
Roderick Smith - Fort Wayne, IN (Ohio State commit)
Roy Finch - Niceville, FL (Oklahoma commit)
Darion Hall - Naples, FL (Miami commit)
Brennan Clay - San Diego, CA (Oklahoma commit)

WIDE RECEIVER (16)
Jeremy Jackson - Ann Arbor, MI
Ricardo Miller - Orlando, FL (Rivals #139)
Jerald Robinson - Canton, OH (Scout #149)
D.J. Williamson - Warren, OH
Tony Drake - Dallas, TX
Drew Dileo - Greenwell Springs, LA
Kenny Shaw - Orlando, FL (Scout #283)
Chris Dunkley - Royal Palm Beach, FL (Rivals #68, Scout #93)
Trovon Reed - Thibodaux, LA (Auburn commit)
O.J. Ross - Daytona Beach, FL (Purdue commit)
Kyle Prater - Hillside, IL (USC commit)
Adrian Coxson - Baltimore, MD (Penn State commit)
Andrew Carswell - McKees Rocks, PA (Pitt commit)
De'Joshua Johnson - Pahokee, FL (Florida State commit)
Quinton Dunbar - Miami, FL (Florida commit)
Tai-ler Jones - Gainesville, GA (Notre Dame commit)

TIGHT END (3)
Alex Smith - Cincinnati, OH (North Carolina commit)
Alex Welch - Cincinnati, OH (Notre Dame commit)
Randall Telfer - Rancho Cucamonga, CA (USC commit)

OFFENSIVE LINE (15)
Christian Pace - Avon Lake, OH
Seantrel Henderson - Saint Paul, MN (Rivals #1, Scout #1)
Chaz Green - Tampa, FL (Rivals #176, Scout #127)
Matt James - Cincinnati, OH (Rivals #103)
Arie Kouandjio - Hyattsville, MD
Jake Kaufman - Jersey City, NJ
James Stone - Nashville, TN (Rivals #36)
Skyler Schofner - Johnstown, OH (Michigan State commit)
Torrian Wilson - Tampa, FL (Stanford commit)
Eric Mack - St. Matthews, SC (South Carolina commit)
Andrew Donnal - Whitehouse, OH (Rivals #127)
Robert Crisp - Chapel Hill, NC (NC State commit)
Christian Lombard - Palatine, IL (Notre Dame commit)
James Hurst - Indianapolis, IN (UNC commit)
Brent Benedict - Jacksonville, FL (Georgia commit)

DEFENSIVE END (29)
Jordan Paskorz - Allison Park, PA
Ken Wilkins - Washington, PA
Clarence Murphy - Hollywood Hills, FL
Wayne Dorsey - Perkinston, MS (JUCO)
Alfy Hill - Shallotte, NC (Rivals #64)
David Perry - Fort Lauderdale, FL
Fre'Shad Hunter - Cary, NC (Rivals #84)
Corey Lemonier - Hialeah, FL (Rivals #71)
Gabe King - Greensboro, NC (Rivals #34, Scout #48)
Jackson Jeffcoat - Plano, TX (Rivals #6, Scout #6)
Tobi Okuyemi - Plymouth, MN (Nebraska commit)
Blake Lueders - Zionsville, IN (Notre Dame commit)
Lynden Trail - Miami, FL (Florida commit)
Derrick Bryant - Columbus, OH (UCLA commit)
C.J. Olaniyan - Warren, MI (Penn State commit)
Dominique Easley - Statent Island, NY (Penn State commit)
Brandon Willis - Duncan, SC (Tennessee commit)
Delvin Jones - Miami, FL (Tennessee commit)
Marcus Rush - Cincinnati, OH (Michigan State commit)
Dakota Royer - Manheim, PA (Penn State commit)
T.J. Stripling - Decatur, GA (Georgia commit)
Darryl Baldwin - Solon, OH (Ohio State commit)
Corey Miller - Duncan, SC (Tennessee commit)
Jordan Allen - West Monroe, LA (LSU commit)
Henry Anderson - College Park, GA (Stanford commit)
Jibreel Black - Cincinnati, OH (Cincinnati commit)
William Gholston - Detroit, MI (Michigan State commit)
Kyle Baublitz - York, PA (Penn State commit)
B.J. Butler - Kissimmee, FL (Georgia commit)
Jamel Turner - Youngstown, OH (Ohio State commit)

DEFENSIVE TACKLE (15)
Terry Talbott - Huber Heights, OH
Jonathan Hankins - Detroit, MI
Mike Thornton - Stone Mountain, GA
Beau Allen - Minnetonka, MN
Sharrif Floyd - Philadelphia, PA
Louis Nix - Jacksonville, FL
T.J. Clemmings - Paterson, NJ
Richard Ash - Pahokee, FL
Ricky Heimuli - Salt Lake City, UT (Rivals #128)
Jeffrey Whitaker - Warner Robins, GA (Rivals #136)
Jatashun Beachum - Dallax, TX (Arkansas commit)
Evan Hailes - Chesapeake, VA (Penn State commit)
A.J. Cann - Bamberg, SC (South Carolina commit)
Chase Rome - Columbia, MO (Nebraska commit)
Jay Guy - Aldine, TX (Nebraska commit)

LINEBACKER (27)
Antonio Kinard - Youngstown, OH
Marvin Robinson - Eagle Lake, FL
Josh Furman - Millersville, MD (Scout #105)
Quayshawn Nealy - Lakeland, FL
Travis Williams - Norfolk, VA
Christian Jones - Winter Park, FL (Rivals #75, Scout #134)
Anthony Barr - Torrance, CA (Rivals #20)
Shaun Lewis - Missouri City, TX (Rivals #195, Scout #67)
Chris McCain - Greensboro, NC
Jordan Hicks - West Chester, OH (Rivals #16, Scout #12)
Jeff Luc - Port St. Lucie, FL (Florida State commit)
Aramide Olaniyan - Woodberry Forest, VA (UCLA commit)
Troy Gloster - Olney, MD (West Virginia commit)
Khairi Fortt - Stamford, CT (Penn State commit)
Zach Zwinak - Frederick, MD (Penn State commit)
Tyrone Cornileus - Stone Mountain, GA (Georgia commit)
Holmes Onwukaife - Cedar Park, TX (Florida State commit)
Corey Nelson - Dallas, TX (Texas A&M commit)
Javarie Johnson - Washington, DC (Miami commit)
Zachary Allen - Pahokee, FL (Wake Forest commit)
Justin Maclin - Memphis, TN (LSU commit)
Zach Fogerson - Seattle, WA (Washington commit)
Scott McVey - Cleveland, OH (Ohio State commit)
Luke Muncie - Klein, TX (LSU commit)
Caleb Lavey - Celina, TX (Oklahoma State commit)
Mike Hull - Canonsburg, PA (Penn State commit)

CORNERBACK (24)
Courtney Avery - Lexington, OH
Terrence Talbott - Hubert Heights, OH
Cullen Christian - Pittsburgh, PA
Adrian Witty - Deerfield Beach, FL
Tony Grimes - Hollywood, FL
Dior Mathis - Detroit, MI (Rivals #153, Scout #137)
Travis Williams - Cooper City, FL
John Fulton - Manning, SC (Rivals #183)
Lamarcus Joyner - Fort Lauderdale, FL (Rivals #10, Scout #8)
Mike Harris - Torrance, CA (Florida State commit)
Nick Jones - Duncan, SC (South Carolina commit)
Joshua Shaw - Palmdale, CA (Florida commit)
Keion Payne - Fort Lauderdale, FL (Miami commit)
Ricardo Allen - Daytona Beach, FL (Purdue commit)
Louis Young - Olney, MD (Stanford commit)
Darius Robinson - Atlanta, GA (Clemson commit)
Spencer Boyd - Cape Coral, FL (Notre Dame commit)
Detrick Bonner - Locust Grove, GA (Virginia Tech commit)
Lo Wood - Apopka, FL (Notre Dame commit)
Merrill Noel - Pahokee, FL (Wake Forest commit)
Johnathan Mincy - Decatur, GA (Auburn commit)
Mylan Hicks - Detroit, MI (Michigan State commit)
Ronnie Vinson - New Orleans, LA (LSU commit)
Jaylen Watkins - Cape Coral, FL (Florida commit)

SAFETY (18)
Carvin Johnson - Metairie, LA
Ray Vinopal - Youngstown, OH
Sean Parker - Harbor City, CA (Rivals #54, Scout #24)
Rashad Knight - Jacksonville, FL
Michael Coley - Hyattsville, MD
Lorenzo Waters - Hyattsville, MD
Lucky Radley - Woodland Hills, CA
Marquis Flowers - Goodyear, AZ
Brandon Ifill - Pittsburgh, PA (Scout #154)
Latwan Anderson - Lakewood, OH (Rivals #74, Scout #213)
Bobby Swigert - Lousville, OH (Boston College commit)
Keenan Allen - Greensboro, NC (Alabama commit)
Kurtis Drummond - Hubbard, OH (Michigan State commit)
Dion Bailey - Lakewood, CA (USC commit)
Chad Hagan - Canonsburg, PA (Ohio State commit)
Tony Jefferson - Chula Vista, CA (UCLA commit)
Bashaud Breeland - Allendale, SC (Clemson commit)
Jeff Knox, Jr. - Hyattsville, MD (Pitt commit)

PUNTER (1)
Will Hagerup - Whitefish Bay, WI

Ray Vinopal, Wolverine

Ray Vinopal

Cardinal Mooney (Youngstown, OH) safety Ray Vinopal celebrated today's state championship victory by announcing that he had committed to Michigan. He called the coaches on Wednesday to let them know about the commitment, but it was kept quiet so Vinopal could concentrate on beating DeSales High School (Columbus, OH) in the championship, which he and his teammates did with a 35-7 win.

Vinopal is a 5'10", 178 lb. high school free safety/running back who will most likely play strong safety in Greg Robinson's defense. (Remember, the strong safety for Robinson is usually the deep safety.) Cardinal Mooney is a traditional powerhouse, having produced players like Penn State RB Brandon Beachum, Ohio State DT John Simon, and Notre Dame safeties Dan and Kyle McCarthy in recent years.

I have been lukewarm on Michigan's pursuit of Vinopal since he was offered. He's a 2-star recruit to each of the three recruiting services (Rivals, Scout, ESPN), but more than that, I'm just not that impressed with the film I've seen. Vinopal has some physical limitations. He's listed at 5'10" or 5'11" and anywhere from 170 to 178 lbs., but he looks small on the field. His 40-yard dash time is listed at 4.56, which you know is a lie, considering the fact that Pat White ran a 4.55 at the NFL Combine last year. Vinopal's other scholarship offers came from the likes of Bowling Green, Kent State, and Air Force.

When I read Bruce Feldman's Meat Market last year, I read an interesting quote from former Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron. When he and his coaches were looking at a prospect's film, he said something along the lines of, "You can't knock a kid for technical faults. As a coach, you have to believe you can fix that." From reading that book and using that philosophy, I've taken that advice and applied it, not only to my reviews of recruits, but to my coaching.

And that's the problem I have with the Vinopal offer and commitment. When I watch him, I don't see a whole lot to fix. He's pretty technically sound. He reads plays well, he accelerates well, and you can see that he goes full-speed. He goes all out . . . and I'm still not impressed. He's not a great tackler. He's not extremely fast. He's going to get overpowered in the run game, outrun in open space, and outjumped in the passing game. When he gets to full speed, his running form goes completely out of whack, although that's something that may be able to be fixed.

Meanwhile, Michigan still has two somewhat realistic options for 4-star safeties Sean Parker (Narbonne, CA) and Rashad Knight (Jacksonville, FL). They're also recruiting Glenville, OH, safety Latwan Anderson, although he's almost surely ticketed for Ohio State. The Vinopal commitment also puts the Wolverines at 23 commitments for the 2010 class, a class in which Michigan can only take 25 scholarship players. There are still uncommitted players at other positions out there, such as Maryland linebacker Josh Furman, Florida cornerback Tony Grimes, and Grimes's teammate, defensive end Clarence Murphy.

Something has to give. Perhaps Michigan's offer to Vinopal is as a grayshirt player, someone who will pay for his first semester of college until a scholarship opens up. Perhaps Michigan knows that one of their commitments isn't going to qualify; linebacker Antonio Kinard and slot receiver Tony Drake are rumored to be on the verge of not qualifying.

Either way, I'm not excited about Vinopal's commitment. Michigan already has Vinopal's brother on the roster - his name is Jordan Kovacs. Both are short on speed and talent, and both are undersized. I hope Vinopal turns out to be Michigan's version of former Iowa safety Bob Sanders or even former Minnesota safety Tyrone Carter, but I just don't see that happening. Vinopal looks like a career special teamer.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Charles Woodson

Charles Woodson could beat the Lions by himself.

On Thanksgiving Day, Charles Woodson had an excellent day against the Detroit Lions. Woodson had 7 total tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, 2 interceptions, 1 quarterback hurry, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, and 4 pass breakups in a 34-12 victory. If he keeps up his current pace, he could end up being the Defensive MVP of the entire league.

Honorable mention: Lamarr Woodley of the Pittsburgh Steelers had 7 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 quarterback hurry, but the Steelers lost to the Baltimore Ravens, 20-17.

Eligibility Count for 2010: 60

This is a list of all scholarship players for the 2010 season. It does not include the incoming 2010 class, as early enrollees have not enrolled yet and National Signing Day isn't for another couple months. I have also excluded former walk-ons like Jordan Kovacs and Kevin Leach, who are likely to receive scholarships for their significant talent and contributions; Rodriguez does not publicly announce what walk-ons are awarded scholarships.

With 60 scholarships already having been awarded, that means Michigan has room for 25 players in the 2010 class. There is a chance that some players who just finished their redshirt junior years will not be asked back for a fifth year or will choose to get their degree and move on.

REDSHIRT SENIORS = 9 (Final season 2010)
FB Mark Moundros
OT Perry Dorrestein
OG John Ferrara
OG Steve Schilling
DT Greg Banks
DE Adam Patterson
LB Obi Ezeh
LB Jonas Mouton
K Bryan Wright
RB Benjamin Sutton
TE Mike Therman
OT Bryant Nowicki
S Nick Koenigsknecht
P Nick Berry

SENIORS = 5 (Final season 2010)
TE Martell Webb
DT Renaldo Sagesse
CB James Rogers
CB Donovan Warren
FS Troy Woolfolk

REDSHIRT JUNIORS = 8 (Final season 2011)
WR Junior Hemingway
WR Kelvin Grady
OT Mark Huyge
OC David Molk
DT Ryan Van Bergen
OLB Steve Watson
OLB Brandon Herron
FS Michael Williams
FB John McColgan
TE Jon Bills
OG Zac Ciullo
LS Tom Pomarico
DE Will Heininger
DT Dominique Ware
LB Rushdi Furrha
LB Kevin Leach
CB Tony Anderson
S Zach Johnson
S Doug Rogan
S Karl Tech
S Jared Van Slyke
S Jordan Reilly
K Scott Schrimscher

JUNIORS = 6 (Final season 2011)
RB Michael Shaw
SR Martavious Odoms
WR Darryl Stonum
TE Kevin Koger
DT Mike Martin
LB J.B. Fitzgerald

REDSHIRT SOPHOMORES = 11 (Final season 2012)
RB Mike Cox
SR Roy Roundtree
SR Terrence Robinson
TE Brandon Moore
OG Ricky Barnum
OC Rocko Khoury
OG Elliott Mealer
OT Patrick Omameh
LB Kenny Demens
LB Brandon Smith
CB J.T. Floyd
QB Jack Kennedy
WR Patrick Collins
WR Elias Kos
OC George Morales
LB Paul Gyarmati
S Matt Cavanaugh
S Jordan Kovacs
S Floyd Simmons

SOPHOMORES = 9 (Final season 2012)
QB Tate Forcier
QB Denard Robinson
RB Vincent Smith
WR Je'Ron Stokes
DT William Campbell
OLB Craig Roh
LB Brandin Hawthorne
CB Teric Jones
SS Vladimir Emilien

REDSHIRT FRESHMEN = 12 (Final season 2013)
RB Fitzgerald Toussaint
SR Jeremy Gallon
WR Cameron Gordon
OT Taylor Lewan
OT Michael Schofield
OG Quinton Washington
DE Anthony Lalota
LB Isaiah Bell
LB Mike Jones
CB Justin Turner
FS Thomas Gordon
K Brendan Gibbons
QB Nader Furrha
RB O'Neil Swanson
FB Jonny Childers
SR Jordan Owens
WR Joe Reynolds
OL Adam Barker
OL Christian Brandt
OL Jareth Glanda
OL Erik Gunderson
OL Tom Lindley
DE Nathan Brink
CB Al Backey
LS Kurt Graman
K Seth Broekhuizen
K Eddie Murray
K Kris Pauloski

Poll: What position should Cullen Christian play?

Should Cullen Christian play cornerback or safety? Cornerback Safety Other view results

Cullen Christian, Wolverine

Stop reaching!

Cullen Christian, a highly rated cornerback from Pittsburgh, committed to Michigan on Tuesday night. He had long been considered a Michigan lean, although he was supposedly announcing his choice between Michigan and West Virginia. It turns out that during his press conference, he admitted that he had been a silent Michigan commit since May.

Christian is the #6 or the #3 cornerback in the country, depending on whether you prefer Rivals or Scout. Many observers also think Christian could play safety, and I used to be one of those. Christian did play free safety for Penn Hills High School this year, but that was largely because teams could throw away from him if he was on one side as a cornerback. Free safety allows your best athlete to have an impact all over the field.

But the more I've watched of Christian, the more I feel his attributes are better suited for corner. He's decently physical with jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage, and despite major concerns about his 4.68 40 time that's listed on Rivals, he seems to have decent makeup speed. My biggest reservation about playing him at safety is that he doesn't seem to be a very good tackler. He has decent size at 6' and 180 pounds, but on his highlight films - which are supposed to be his best plays, naturally - his "highlight" tackles are of him diving at the feet of ballcarriers. Even when he has the opportunity for a solid tackle, he goes low. You can see in the above picture that Christian has gone down to his knees and tried (albeit successfully) to tackle the runner.

Christian does have excellent hips and pretty good makeup speed, and he also seems to maintain good awareness of what's going on in the backfield. Some corners are too concerned with what their receiver is doing, and some are too concerned with what the quarterback is doing. He looks like he can process both at the same time, which is important for a good cornerback.

I don't really know what Michigan cornerbacks from recent memory he plays like. When you watch his film, he almost seems to be toying with opposing receivers and quarterbacks. He never seems to be running hard, but he makes the play. As I said, he's not a very physical tackler, and a lot of Michigan corners in recent years have been solid tacklers. As far as finding a good cover corner, Christian is going to be good. But there will be moments where you tear your hair out because he misses tackles in the running game.

Happy Thanksgiving!