The 2009 recruiting class was Rich Rodriguez's first full recruiting class in Ann Arbor. Rodriguez envisioned a team of 280-pound offensive linemen and then a group of 5'8" speedsters manning all the skill positions, leaving very little recruiting effort to put into the tight end position.
THE ROSTER
- Martell Webb (Jr.)
- Kevin Koger (So.)
- Brandon Moore (RS Fr.)
THE RECRUITS
None. Michigan didn't land a single tight end in the class of 2009.
Hit the jump for a look at the rest of Michigan's quarterback recruiting efforts in 2009.
THE TARGETS
Terrell Mitchell
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #35 TE
High school: Powder Springs (GA) McEachern
College: Kentucky Fort Scott Community College Kentucky Oklahoma Florida Atlantic
Other notable offers: Clemson, Georgia, Miami
Scoop: Mitchell signed with Kentucky out of high school but ended up at Fort Scott Community College. Then he was committed to Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Florida Atlantic at various times, but I can't find any evidence that he actually played for any of those programs.
Dion Sims
Ratings: 4-star, #10 TE, #321 overall
High school: Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary's
College: Michigan State
Other notable offers: Iowa, Ohio State, Tennessee
Scoop: Sims played immediately in 2009, making 11 catches for 133 yards and 2 touchdowns. He was injured in 2010 and sat out the season. He returned in 2011 to make 12 catches for 99 yards and 3 touchdowns. Then he wrapped up his career with 36 catches for 475 yards and 2 touchdowns in 2012. He was picked in the 4th round (#106 overall) of the 2013 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins and spent six years in the league, totaling 91 catches for 888 yards and 9 touchdowns. He has not played since 2018.
CONCLUSIONS
Biggest miss: Dion Sims. Sims turned into a solid college player and was probably a little underutilized early in his career at Michigan State. Michigan had a little bit of a run of recruiting poorly at St. Mary's, and the Spartans had some momentum at the time with some solid teams. The Wolverines could have used his contributions, but they wouldn't have used him as much as MSU did.
Biggest bust: Terrell Mitchell. Usually I reserve the "bust" category for players who were 4- or 5-stars who didn't do much, but Mitchell is really the only option here.
Best in class: Zach Ertz. Danville (CA) Monte Vista tight end Zach Ertz was a 4-star, the #7 tight end, and #224 overall in the class. Fantasy football players know him well. He committed to Jim Harbaugh at Stanford and had a standout career, making 112 catches for 1,434 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Cardinal. He became a 2nd round pick (#35 overall) of the Eagles in 2013 and has since made 561 catches for 6,078 yards and 36 touchdowns.
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