Coaching Thoughts: Post-Notre Dame

I find myself lacking the time to do "snapshot" breakdowns of particular plays, so while I would like to go into greater detail, please bear with me as I simply write about some of the technical breakdowns I saw in Saturday night's game. To point out these plays, I'm using the Notre Dame highlight video below:


Cover zero: The touchdown pass with 3:58 left before halftime was a result of a man-beater route combination called by Notre Dame, plus a physically outmatched slot corner in Delonte Hollowell. Hollowell correctly had inside leverage on the quick out, but he was aligned a little far off for my liking and did not have the makeup speed to undercut the route or challenge the catch. On the goal line, there's no need to play off the receiver. If the opponent tries to throw over the top, they have to complete the pass in front of the end line, which is tough unless you've got a good jump ball guy.

Seam routes: On the interception thrown with 12:34 remaining in the third quarter, it looks like Gardner simply didn't see safety Max Redfield in the deep middle. Gardner likely felt a little rushed because Notre Dame was getting a bit of a push. All the routes were covered, so I would like to see Gardner tuck the ball and run or throw it away. If he's going to make that throw to Khalid Hill, he needs to put some air under it with Hill being the only guy who could catch it. Hill would have had a chance to make the reception if it turned into a jump ball because Redfield was not in great position to defend a deep ball, but even then, a safety vs. a mediocre tight end is probably going to go the defense's way.

Free safety play: On the botched cover zero play involving Hollowell (above), blitzing safety Jeremy Clark gets chopped to the ground by running back Tarean Folston. Part of blitz technique is using your hands to stay on your feet when someone goes for a cut block, but Clark's eyes were in the backfield and he was caught completely off guard. If he had stayed on his feet, he would have been in Golson's face and potentially altering the throw. On the tunnel screen touchdown with 3:02 remaining in the third, it's well executed by Notre Dame. The guy who should be saving that play is deep safety Jeremy Clark. He reacted by trying to get over the top of the screen, but those plays are designed to come back inside. Because of his overpursuit, Clark took a bad angle. He should have been coming downhill, right up the tunnel. That would have given other defenders more of a chance to converge even if he didn't make the tackle. It turned out to be a pretty easy catch-and-run score. That's the inexperience of a redshirt sophomore safety project.

Scramble drill: Late in the third quarter, Devin Gardner dropped back to pass. With a decent pocket forming and several downfield routes - plus a well covered outlet option in De'Veon Smith - Gardner hung in the pocket looking for a receiver. At the 1:00 mark, he began to scramble - first to the right, then back, then to the left, and finally forward across the line of scrimmage. In the four seconds before he crossed the line of scrimmage, not one receiver re-entered the screen to save his quarterback. When a quarterback is scrambling, deep receivers are supposed to work their way short, and short receivers are supposed to work deeper. Instead, Gardner scrambled, spun, got blindsided, and ultimately fumbled.

Amara Darboh's route running: Darboh is big and strong, and he has decent speed. What Darboh lacks is precision in his route running. When Michigan got the ball back after Gardner's aforementioned fumble, the first play involved what looks like a 7-yard hitch route. Darboh does not provided the illusion of running deep, either with his footwork or his head. He simply hits 7 yards, whips his head around, and drifts. A receiver is supposed to come back down the chute to the ball, which prevents the corner from jumping the route. Sure enough, cornerback Cody Riggs jumps the route and beats Darboh to the spot. The pass may have been broken up anyway, but a good route there probably has Darboh catching the ball and getting tackled immediately for a decent 7-yard gain.

Pass protection: At roughly 2:44 left in the fourth quarterback, Notre Dame runs a six-man pressure with a seventh man playing a hug technique (blitz if the running back stays home) on running back Justice Hayes. It's a man blocking scheme, and everyone is accounted for except the hugger. Right tackle Ben Braden gets off balance and is caught off guard by an inside pass rush. Meanwhile, left guard Erik Magnuson's second step is that of a left tackle who is trying to protect the width of the pocket, instead of a step by a guard trying to protect the depth of the pocket. He opens up his left shoulder, which allows the defensive tackle to that side to get upfield. Despite Jehu Chesson coming open on a short crossing route, Gardner does not have time to throw the ball before getting hit by Braden and Magnuson's men.

2014 Season Predictions

Devin Gardner

Here's a link (LINK) to a review of my 2013 season predictions if you like to look into the past.

As for the future, here we go:

Leading Rusher
I'm backtracking a little bit here. It seemed like De'Veon Smith was getting a little more hype at the beginning of the summer, but now Brady Hoke is saying that Derrick Green would be getting the first carry against Appalachian State. I have always thought that Green had more upside because of his superior speed, so hopefully the line can block well enough to get him to the second or third level.
Prediction: Green, 700 yards

Leading Receiver
The best receiver on the team is clearly Devin Funchess, and I think this is a pretty obvious pick, barring injury. The only real question appears to be whether he'll break the 1,000-yard barrier. Offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier likes to run the ball, and he seems to like to spread out the ball among his receivers.
Prediction: Funchess, 950 yards

Leading Tackler
Michigan rotates linebackers a lot, so I don't think the tackle totals for any one player will be astronomical. It looks like Desmond Morgan will rotate in with both Joe Bolden and Jake Ryan, and the combination of James Ross and Royce Jenkins-Stone looks pretty neck-and-neck right now, too. Throw in a dose of Ben Gedeon, and nobody racks up the tackles. Last year's leading tackler was cornerback Raymon Taylor, but Michigan's tighter coverage will hopefully prevent as many completions in front of the corners.
Prediction: Ryan, 75 tackles

Hit the jump for the rest of the predictions.

2014 Season Countdown: #27 Ben Braden

Ben Braden (image via MWolverine.com)

Name: Ben Braden
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 322 lbs.
High school: Rockford (MI) Rockford
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #71
Last year: I ranked Braden #23 and said he would start at left guard. He played in two games as a backup lineman.

Last year things were looking good for Braden coming out of the spring. He had every chance to play and spent the spring as the starting left guard. Then once the season started . . . nothing. I pegged him coming out of high school as too tall and stiff to be a guard, and maybe he was. That opened the door for Graham Glasgow (who eventually moved to center), Chris Bryant, Erik Magnuson, and Kyle Bosch to all start games at the left guard position. Even through that horrendous rotation, Braden remained on the sideline after the coaches appeared to realize that offensive guard just wasn't the right fit.

Michigan lost two offensive tackles (Taylor Lewan, Michael Schofield) to graduation, and fellow redshirt sophomore Erik Magnuson looks poised to take Lewan's spot at left tackle. That leaves a potential battle at right tackle, where Braden would seem to be the odds-on favorite. However, Glasgow spent some time at right tackle in the spring, and there's a chance that he could supplant Braden at tackle if Jack Miller or Patrick Kugler can provide consistency at center. Recent comments from last year's opponents and scuttlebutt from Schembechler Hall say that Glasgow is probably Michigan's best lineman, so it will be a priority to get him on the field once he returns from a one-game suspension. If Miller or Kugler is the starter at center in week two, then Braden will probably find himself on the sideline yet again. Regardless, Braden should be a valuable player as the #2 or #3 tackle; not only could an injury at tackle put him into the lineup, but an injury on the interior could cause a reshuffling that sends Glasgow back to the middle and Braden onto the field.

Prediction: Starting right tackle

Video: Braden, Morris talk offensive progress

Hit the jump for Shane Morris's interview.

Video: Braden, Magnuson, Kalis, Miller talk spring ball

Hit the jump for the interviews of Erik Magnuson, Kyle Kalis, and Jack Miller.

Poll results: Which three linemen should be starting on the interior?

Taylor Lewan and Kyle Kalis

I posted a poll asking Michigan fans which three linemen should be starting on the interior of the offensive line, and it looks like fans want a change. Voters could pick multiple answers, and here are the responses.

STARTERS
OG Kyle Kalis: 95%
OG Chris Bryant: 82%
OG/C Graham Glasgow: 59%

BACKUPS
OG/OT Ben Braden: 22%
C Jack Miller: 17%
OG/C Joey Burzynski: 9%
Other: 4%

At this point, I would be in support of center Jack Miller being sent to the sideline if Graham Glasgow can handle snapping duties. I think sometimes people underestimate the importance of getting good snaps, so that's a big "if." But Miller struggles with stout nose tackles, and he just flat-out misses some obvious blocks at times.

If redshirt sophomore Chris Bryant is healthy after suffering various leg injuries over the past couple seasons, I think he should get a shot. However, Michigan has to realize the strengths of each of these players. My guess is that Bryant excels at blocking plays like power and iso, but he probably struggles with zone blocking, which requires more agility and lateral movement. If Michigan wants to continue running zone stretches to the left behind Taylor Lewan, then perhaps Kyle Kalis should flip to left guard to make that play more viable. Then the Wolverines could run outside zone, iso, and power to the left, while running power and iso to the right.

2013 Season Countdown: #23 Ben Braden

Ben Braden (image via Twitter)

Name: Ben Braden
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 318 lbs.
High school: Rockford (MI) Rockford
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #71
Last year: I ranked Braden #67 and said he would be a backup right tackle. He redshirted.

When Braden hit campus in 2012, he was a man mountain. Most high school offensive linemen need to add size, but not him. Despite being a good size already, Michigan's linemen remained healthy throughout the year. He redshirted, but by the time spring rolled around, he was perhaps the most talked about replacement lineman entering the season. With both offensive tackles returning from 2013, Braden moved into the left guard spot for the spring and started the spring scrimmage there.

Taylor Lewan stated this summer that Braden is a freak athlete, and we're likely to see his combination of athleticism and size starting at left guard; head coach Brady Hoke recently confirmed that he was the front-runner for that position. Any redshirt freshman lineman is bound to struggle at times, and there are some potentially viable backups, such as redshirt sophomore Chris Bryant. Braden should do okay as a run blocker, because he can stay pretty low for a 6'6" guy, but pass protection is usually where young guys struggle. It will probably be an up-and-down year for the offensive line unit, and I expect Braden to play well against the lesser units and struggle against the Notre Dames and Ohio States of the world.

Prediction: Starting left guard

Spring Practice Preview: Offense

It's time to see what the Inkster product can do leading Michigan's football team.

QUARTERBACK
Redshirt junior Devin Gardner is the clear front-runner for the quarterback job.  After Denard Robinson got hurt against Nebraska, Gardner started the next five games, going 75/126 for 1,219 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions.  Michigan appears to have a "franchise" type quarterback, but what will Michigan's offense look like with him fully entrenched at the position?  Gardner is better from under center than Robinson ever was, so the I-formation stuff should be more prevalent.  He can still run the shotgun passing stuff, but he's not a downhill runner in the same way that allowed Robinson to run for 1,000+ yards the past few seasons.
Others to watch: The only other scholarship quarterback on the roster for the spring is redshirt sophomore Russell Bellomy.

RUNNING BACK
With Fitzgerald Toussaint injured, Vincent Smith off to his post-college career, and Derrick Green not arriving until summer, the pickings will be slim this spring.  This should be Michigan fans' first chance to see redshirt freshman Drake Johnson, who earned some praise from Brady Hoke around bowl time.  He has good size and speed, but that doesn't always translate to success.  Junior Thomas Rawls (57 carries, 242 yards, 4 touchdowns) and redshirt sophomore Justice Hayes (18 carries, 83 yards, 1 touchdown) earned some carries, but neither one did much with his opportunities.
Others to watch: Sophomore Dennis Norfleet has moved back to running back after a short stint at corner for the Outback Bowl.  Sophomore Sione Houma and redshirt sophomore Joey Kerridge will fight for the fullback spot.

WIDE RECEIVER
In the five games that Gardner started at quarterback, fifth year senior Jeremy Gallon had 31 receptions for 511 yards and 3 touchdowns.  He looks to be the top receiver in 2013, but there's plenty of room for others to emerge.  Two other seniors return in Drew Dileo (22 catches, 331 yards, 2 touchdowns) and Jeremy Jackson (4 catches, 31 yards), the former of which is a jack-of-all-trades, the latter a lumbering possession receiver.  Then there's sophomore Amara Darboh, who played but was never targeted, and redshirt freshman Jehu Chesson.  Since Dileo appears to be nothing more than a complementary receiver, it would be good for Gardner and the Michigan offense to find another reliable target between Darboh and Chesson.
Others to watch: Fifth year senior walk-on Joe Reynolds (3 catches, 22 yards) worked his way into the rotation last season and has decent quickness.

TIGHT END
Sophomore Devin Funchess (15 catches, 234 yards, 5 touchdowns) should have playing time locked up at the U-back position.  Fellow sophomore A.J. Williams is a mammoth tight end who's more of a blocker.  The wild card in the mix is freshman Jake Butt, who enrolled early and is physically developed enough to play as a freshman.  Williams isn't much of a target downfield, so if Gardner can work out some chemistry with Butt in the spring (and summer), Michigan should have a nice 1-2 punch of receiving tight ends between Funchess and Butt.
Others to watch: Redshirt junior Jordan Paskorz has played in just one game (on special teams against UMass) during his three seasons, and the rest of the guys on the roster are young-ish walk-ons with little experience; the best of those is redshirt junior Dylan Esterline.

OFFENSIVE LINE
The two sure starters are the bookend, fifth-year senior tackles Taylor Lewan and Michael Schofield.  Between those two will be any combination of about a dozen other players, because the three interior starters graduated.  Redshirt freshman all-everything guard Kyle Kalis will probably step in at one guard spot.  That leaves the other two spots up for grabs between redshirt sophomore Jack Miller, redshirt junior walk-on Joey Burzynski, redshirt sophomore Chris Bryant, and redshirt freshman Ben Braden; the former two will probably vie for the center spot, while the latter two will fight for the right guard position.  None of them have played extensively, and if either Bryant or Braden starts the season, it will be his first ever game experience.  In the long term, Braden will probably end up at right tackle, so you could see Schofield and Braden flip if the coaches aren't confident in Braden's ability to pull.
Others to watch: Redshirt freshman Erik Magnuson will have every chance to succeed Lewan at left tackle, and classmate Blake Bars has practiced at both center and guard.  Both appear to be at least a year away from playing significant time.  True freshman Kyle Bosch has apparently impressed people with his size and work in the weight room as an early enrollee, but he's very young; if the coaches wouldn't play Kalis as a freshman, they probably won't play Bosch, either, unless injuries occur.  But it will still be interesting to see how Bosch fares in the glorified practice.

2012 Season Countdown: #67 Ben Braden

Ben Braden

Name: Ben Braden
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 325 lbs.
High school: Rockford (MI) Rockford
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Braden was in high school.  No stats are available.

Final TTB Rating: 71

Braden is a mammoth offensive lineman for being an incoming freshman.  At least in my memory, he's the largest scholarship offensive lineman to come to Michigan if those measurements prove accurate.  Despite excellent size, Braden was mostly regarded by the recruiting services as a mediocre recruit.  He's not the most technical or the most athletic lineman around.

Despite some shortcomings, Braden ranks fairly high on the list for a freshman lineman because of a lack of depth.  Technically, Michigan's only two non-freshman offensive tackles are their starters, Taylor Lewan and Michael Schofield.  Outside of those two, options are limited to freshmen, walk-ons, or guys who are expected to play guard like Elliott Mealer and Patrick Omameh.  Braden might not be any better than those walk-ons as a true freshman, but because of his size, he is perhaps the second-most likely rookie lineman to see the field.  If he plays at all, expect to see him limited to the right tackle position.

Prediction: Backup right tackle

Ben Braden Answers Your Questions

Ben Braden

In a matter of months, class of 2012 offensive lineman Ben Braden has grown over an inch and gained 40 pounds of mostly muscle. Now standing at 6'7'' 325 pounds, Braden is ready to get on campus and make an immediate impact on the football field - which is good news because Michigan needs game-ready linemen now. Ben was kind enough to take a few minutes out of his Sunday afternoon to speak with me about those topics and address the many inquiries posed by TTB readers.

Physical development: Really it was because of strength and conditioning every day and pretty much just eating everything in sight. I try my best to avoid junk food and eat a lot of high protein and high carbs - burgers, chicken, steak, pasta, salad. I pretty much eat everything; I just try to stay away from really sweet stuff like chocolate and stuff like that. I'll eat a lot during the day, but it'll be in smaller portions. I don't do any supplementary thing and don't have a certain amount of calories I try to eat every day, either. I just eat.

Early playing time: Right now, the plan is that I will not be redshirting. I think I'll be a second stringer, and then just go from there. But right now that's the plan between me and the coaches. . . . [I'll be playing] right tackle.

Representing Rockford: I live not necessarily out in the country, but I'm about 20 minutes from the town. So going to Ann Arbor will be a little bit of a change, but it won't be like going to New York City or anything. Rockford isn't one of those places where everyone knows everyone, but it's a quiet place. . . . Coach Hoke and Coach Munger [Rockford's HS coach] have a lot in common as far as coaching personality goes, so that will be nice that I won't feel like I'm going from one thing to the complete opposite. . . . The last time I went to a University of Michigan camp, he [Coach Munger] was there, and I'm pretty sure he plans on going back.

Coming to Michigan: To prepare I just keep exercising every day, trying to stay in shape, and I'm just really looking forward to going. I'm really happy and truly blessed. I'm a little nervous, too, but who wouldn't be? . . . I'm just focused on getting there and getting used to the system, and once you're used to that everything will just fall in place. . . . When I came to Michigan [as a recruit], my host was Russell Bellomy, so I'm looking forward to seeing him again.

Managing critical scouting evaluations/recruiting rankings: The ratings are just ratings to me. They don't determine how well I play, and they don't determine how I am as a person. Basically my goal when I get there is just to do my best at everything and try to play as much as possible, and whatever I get is just going to be what I get. The ratings are going to be what they are. They're not huge to me, I guess.

Breakin' Furniture: When I was little - it was when the Hercules movie came out and I thought Hercules was the coolest - my great-grandmother gave me a rocking chair. So I took that and said, "Mom, look what I can do," and I threw it against the wall and completely shattered it. . . . but no not recently; I've learned to be pretty gentle [with furniture].

Being the first recruit of the Brady Hoke era: No, I don't feel any pressure from it, but it's definitely an honor. I mean, Brady Hoke's just an amazing person all around. Aside from being the coach, he's just a great person. I think it's a great honor to be the first to commit to him. I'm excited. It'll be fun.

To learn more about Ben, you can check out a video interview with Tom VanHaaren and an Mlive article about his history playing hockey.

Ask a Question: Ben Braden

Ben Braden is a large man.

It's only been eleven months since Ben Braden became the first verbal commitment of the 2012 class, but a lot has happened since then. For one, Michigan gained an additional 35 commitments. For another, Ben grew an inch or two and added about 40 pounds of mostly muscle, putting him at 6'7'' 325 pounds as of November 1. I'll be talking with Ben this Sunday, so feel free to leave a question for him in the "comments" section if you have any Ben Braden related catching up to do.

The 2012 In-State Recruiting Battle

Mario Ojemudia is Michigan's top prospect, according to
the Detroit News

Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio has claimed in recent years that he cares more about in-state recruiting than Michigan, and that might have been true in the years when Rich Rodriguez was the head man at Michigan.  But the arrival of Brady Hoke might have swayed the favor in-state toward Ann Arbor.  Let's take a look at the top recruits in the state of Michigan, based on the Detroit News' blue-chip list:

1. Mario Ojemudia - DE - Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6'3", 225 lb. end - who also played a lot of defensive tackle - had 104 tackles and 14 sacks.  He considered Michigan State early, but committed to Michigan on May 7, 2011, and stuck with Michigan to the end.

2. Terry Richardson - CB - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 5'9", 160 lb. cornerback made 5 interceptions during his senior season.  He was a little later in committing than his in-state friends James Ross and Royce Jenkins-Stone, but he hopped on board on May 19, 2011.  He entertained taking visits to other schools, but mostly he was considering heading to SEC country rather than East Lansing.  However, Michigan's coaches told him that if he visited elsewhere, they wouldn't necessarily reserve a spot for him in the recruiting class.  He did not visit elsewhere and signed with Michigan.

3. James Ross - LB - Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary's
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6'0", 210 lb. linebacker made 173 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks as a senior.  He had committed to Michigan back on May 2, 2011, and remained committed throughout the process.

4. Royce Jenkins-Stone - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6'2", 215 lb. middle linebacker made 115 unassisted tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 2 interceptions as a senior.  He had committed to Michigan on April 16, 2011, and remained committed until National Signing Day.

5. Aaron Burbridge - WR - Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6'2", 185 lb. wideout reportedly wanted to commit to Michigan along with teammates Ojemudia and Devin Funchess, but he didn't have the grades to get into Michigan(that sentiment was confirmed by Michigan running backs coach Fred Jackson).  He committed to Michigan State on July 28, 2011, and signed with the Spartans on National Signing Day.

6. Matt Godin - DE - Novi (MI) Catholic Central
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6'6", 270 lb. defensive end/tackle made 70 tackles and 9 sacks as a senior.  He committed to Michigan on May 12, 2011, and signed with Michigan.

7. Devin Funchess - TE - Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6'4", 215 lb. tight end committed to Michigan on April 22, 2011, and signed with Michigan in February.

8. Danny O'Brien - DT - Flint (MI) Powers Catholic
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6'2", 293 lb. defensive tackle considered both in-state schools heavily, but committed to Tennessee on October 6, 2011, and signed with the Volunteers in February.

9. Ron Thompson - TE - Southfield (MI) Southfield
Offered by: Michigan only
The 6'4", 230 lb. tight end made 57 receptions for 729 yards and 9 touchdowns as a senior.  He was offered by Michigan early in the process but the Wolverines reportedly backed off due to some classroom issues.  He committed to Syracuse on November 7, 2011, and signed with the Orangemen in February.

10. Ben Braden - OT - Rockford (MI) Rockford
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 6'7", 320 lb. offensive tackle committed to Michigan on March 24, 2011.  He signed with the Wolverines in February.

11. Evan Winston - DE - Muskegon (MI) Muskegon
Offered by: Neither in-state school
The 6'4", 255 lb. defensive end committed to Missouri on July 23, 2011, and signed with the Tigers in February.

12. Jamal Lyles - LB - Southfield (MI) Lathrup
Offered by: Michigan State only
The 6'3", 215 lb. linebacker made 135 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, and 4 interceptions.  He committed to Michigan State on June 23, 2011, and signed with the Spartans in February.

13. Drake Johnson - RB - Ann Arbor (MI) Pioneer
Offered by: Michigan only
The 6'1", 215 lb. running back ran for 2,805 yards and 38 touchdowns as a senior.  He committed to Michigan on November 10, 2011, almost immediately after receiving an offer, and signed with Michigan in February.

14. Dennis Norfleet - RB - Detroit (MI) King
Offered by: Michigan and Michigan State
The 5'6", 180 lb. had 2,033 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior.  He was committed to Cincinnati for several months, but he switched his commitment to Michigan on the eve of National Signing Day.

15. Ruben Lile - LB - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
Offered by: Neither in-state school
Lile committed to Iowa on August 27, 2011, and signed with the Hawkeyes in February.

NOT RANKED:
Riley Bullough - LB - Traverse City (MI) St. Francis
Offered by: Michigan State only
Bullough committed to Michigan State on April 30, 2011.

Kodi Kieler - OT - Gibraltar (MI) Carlson
Offered by: Michigan State only
Kieler committed to Michigan State on August 8, 2011.

SUMMARY
Ten players were offered by both Michigan and Michigan State.  Eight of them picked Michigan, including six of the top seven.  One picked Michigan State (although, as mentioned above, it sounded like Michigan wouldn't accept his commitment so he went with Plan B).  The other picked Tennessee.

Michigan went after two players who were not offered by MSU.  One picked Michigan.  The other picked Syracuse.

Michigan State went after three players who were not offered by Michigan.  All three picked MSU.

I think it's fair to say that Michigan kicked Michigan State's tail when it comes to recruiting in the state.  Brady Hoke 8, Mark Dantonio 1.  I look forward to seeing what 2013 brings.  It's already 1-0 in Michigan's favor with Warren (MI) De La Salle quarterback Shane Morris pledging to be a Wolverine.

Detroit News: Blue Chip List

Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison TE/WR Devin Funchess is the #7 player in the state

The Detroit News gives a rundown of their top 15 in-state players for the class of 2012, and the top four guys are headed to Michigan.  On the list:

1. Mario Ojemudia
2. Terry Richardson
3. James Ross
4. Royce Jenkins-Stone
6. Matt Godin
7. Devin Funchess
10 Ben Braden
13. Drake Johnson

Mailbag: Roster Questions for Next Year

Michael Schofield (#75) celebrates with Devin Gardner

I was going through the could be depth chart for next year and I have a ton of questions for you.

Cox stays or goes?? I'm thinking he doesn't come back

TE is going to be a mess next year. Your thoughts??

Does Schofield move back to OT?

What side will Magnuson, Braden and Williams play?

Is Justice Hayes a WR or RB?

Reading the Jerry Montgomery article scares me about Brink. Can he put on 20 lbs or so and be half effective??

Thanks, love the blog.

Thanks for the e-mail, Randy.  I'll do my best to answer your questions.

My gut tells me that redshirt junior running back Michael Cox will not return in 2012.  He was limited to special teams this season and did not see a single snap on offense.  While I think he has the talent to play at Michigan, he obviously hasn't done what it takes to get on the field more consistently, whether it's in the classroom or on the practice field.  It's somewhat rare that a guy who plays that little as a redshirt junior gets a scholarship for a fifth year.  If Cox gets his degree, though, I would not be surprised to see him transfer to a MAC-level school and play somewhere next season.  The kid has talent, whether people see it or not.

I'm not too worried about Michigan's tight end situation.  An elite tight end can be a great weapon, but you can still have a decent team without a great tight end.  Kevin Koger is not as good as most Michigan fans think he is; he's above average but that's about it.  Michigan will almost surely take a step back at the position, but I don't think it will affect the team greatly.  As a blocker he'll be missed, but he's only caught 21 passes for 235 yards and 4 touchdowns.  That production is roughly par for the course ever since Bennie Joppru suited up in 2002.  With players like Tyler Ecker, Tim Massaquoi, and Carson Butler in between, the performance of Michigan's offense suffered little - and neither Massaquoi or Butler was a great blocker, either.  The combination of fifth year senior Brandon Moore, redshirt sophomore Ricardo Miller, freshman Devin Funchess, and freshman A.J. Williams should be fine.

I do think redshirt sophomore Michael Schofield will move back to offensive tackle in 2012.  Michigan has lots of options on the interior between Ricky Barnum, Rocko Khoury, Patrick Omameh, Jack Miller, Chris Bryant, and Elliott Mealer.  At the tackle positions, it's just Taylor Lewan, Schofield, and freshmen, unless the coaches want to shake things up and move Omameh to tackle.

Incoming freshman Erik Magnuson looks like a future right tackle to me, but based on the available talent, he will probably play on the left side at Michigan.  Ben Braden looks like a prototypical right tackle.  A.J. Williams is being recruited as a tight end, so he'll play on whichever side the formation requires.

Freshman Justice Hayes has been playing running back in practice.  Some insiders suggest that he will end up at slot receiver sometime in the future.  Personally, I have never been high on Hayes as a running back.  He's a slightly bigger version of Vincent Smith, someone who can catch passes and do okay when put in open space.

Can Nathan Brink put on 20 lbs.?  Sure.  That's not an unbelievable amount of weight to add in an off-season.  Craig Roh has put on about 20 pounds in each of the past two off-seasons.  Can Brink be effective once he puts on that weight?  I don't know.  He has been manhandled this year, and it's hard to predict good things when he's been pushed backward with consistency.  I hope he can turn into all the good things that Jerry Montgomery and Greg Mattison have predicted for him, but that's a prediction I'm not willing to make.

Maize 'n' Brew: Post-Spring Game Recruiting Update

Yowzers.

Over at Maize 'n' Brew, I put up a post with a summary of where Michigan's recruiting stands at the time being.

Ben Braden, Wolverine

Rockford offensive lineman Ben Braden

Ben Braden, an offensive tackle from Rockford High School in Rockford, MI, committed to Michigan on Thursday during a visit to campus with his head coach.  Braden is a 3-star prospect to Scout, but is so far unranked (along with most prospects) by Scout and ESPN.  He also had offers from Michigan State, Syracuse, and Wisconsin.

Braden is listed at 6'6" and 285 lbs., which doesn't seem like much of a stretch.  He's solidly built in the lower and upper body.  He looks like the Michigan linemen of the '90's and early '00's.  He will certainly need to add weight before he plays at the next level, but physically he's more ready than several of Michigan's recruits over the past couple seasons (Christian Pace, Taylor Lewan, Michael Schofield, etc.).

Athletically, I'm not so sure that Braden will be ready early on.  No public film on Braden is currently posted on the internet, but I did see some of his junior highlights on Scout.  He plays with good body lean.  However, he's not the most gifted athlete and doesn't seem to move well laterally.  Rockford's offense is run-heavy, and therefore, he puts a little too much weight on his hand to give himself forward moment; this is a habit that will likely need to be coached out of him at the next level, giving him a more balanced stance.  I would also like to see Braden finish his blocks a little better.  There are times where he stops blocking and looks back at the play, another habit that will need to be broken.  I don't think it's due to a lack of aggression, but more a lack of maturity as a football player.  Lots of high school linemen are guilty of the same thing.

Given the questions about his athleticism and pass blocking, I think Braden is best suited for right tackle or perhaps even the offensive guard position.  Getting too tall can be problematic at guard, but if he maintains his current height, his thick build should make him a solid run blocker.

I doubt whether Braden would have been recruited by Michigan if Rich Rodriguez were still the coach.  Rodriguez pursued a different sort of lineman, so this represents a change in philosophy.  Whereas Michigan's former coach recruited quicker, more agile linemen, the current one has predictably started searching for road graders to pave the way for his running attack.

This is Michigan's first commitment for the class of 2012.  The coaches have reportedly told recruits that they expect to take six linemen in this class, so expect many more of these monsters to jump on board between now and next February.

TTB Rating: 65