U.S. Army All-American Bowl Participants: Michigan

2012 U.S. Army Bowl participants: Ondre Pipkins, Royce Jenkins-Stone, James Ross, Kyle Kalis, Erik Magnuson
(left to right; image via TheWolverine.com)

For your viewing pleasure, here's a comprehensive list of Michigan's past commitments who were selected for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

2016
Michael Onwenu - Detroit, MI

2015
None

2014
Mason Cole, OG - Tarpon Springs, FL

2013
Jake Butt, TE - Pickerington, OH
Chris Fox, OT - Parker, CO#
Derrick Green, RB - Richmond, VA
Jourdan Lewis, CB - Detroit, MI
Dymonte Thomas, S - Alliance, OH

2012
Kyle Kalis, OL - Lakewood, OH
Royce Jenkins-Stone, LB - Detroit, MI
Erik Magnuson, OL - Carlsbad, CA
Ondre Pipkins, DT - Kansas City, MO
James Ross, LB - Orchard Lake, MI

2011
Blake Countess, CB - Olney, MD
Wayne Lyons, CB - Fort Lauderdale, FL*
Matt Wile, K - San Diego, CA

2010
Cullen Christian, CB - Pittsburgh, PA
Will Hagerup, P - Whitefish Bay, WI

2009
William Campbell, DT - Detroit, MI
Jeremy Gallon, WR - Apopka, FL
Brendan Gibbons, K - West Palm Beach, FL
Anthony Lalota, DE - Princeton, NJ
Je'Ron Stokes, WR - Pittsburgh, PA
Justin Turner, CB - Massillon, OH

2008
Boubacar Cissoko, CB - Detroit, MI
Sam McGuffie, RB - Houston, TX
Brandon Smith, S - New Brunswick, NJ

2007
Donovan Warren, CB - Long Beach, CA
Michael Williams, S - St. Bonaventure, CA

2006
Justin Boren, OG - Pickerington, OH
Steve Brown, S - Columbus, IN
Brandon Graham, DE - Detroit, MI
Jonas Mouton, LB - Venice, CA
Steve Schilling, OT - Bellevue, WA

2005
James McKinney, DT - Louisville, KY
Zoltan Mesko, P - Twinsburg, OH
Marques Slocum, DT - Philadelphia, PA

2004
Adrian Arrington, WR - Cedar Rapids, IA
Alan Branch, DT - Albuquerque, NM
Jeremy Ciulla, OG - Kennesaw, GA
Doug Dutch, WR/CB - Washington, DC
Chad Henne, QB - West Lawn, PA
Tim Jamison, DE - Harvey, IL
Max Martin, RB - Madison, AL

2003
Prescott Burgess, LB - Warren, OH
Anton Campbell, S - O'Fallon, MO
Shawn Crable, LB - Massillon, OH
Leon Hall, CB - Vista, CA
Ryan Mundy, S - Pittsburgh, PA
Will Paul, FB - St. Louis, MO
Clayton Richard, QB - Lafayette, IN
Garrett Rivas, K - Tampa, FL

2002
Jason Avant, WR - Chicago, IL
Mike Kolodziej, OT - Joliet, IL

2001
Marlin Jackson, CB - Sharon, PA
Pierre Woods, DE - Cleveland, OH

*Transferred to Michigan
#Will not/did not play due to injury

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 Countdown: #4 Erik Magnuson

Erik Magnuson

Name: Erik Magnuson
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 294 lbs.
High school: San Diego (CA) La Costa Canyon
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #78
Last year: I ranked Magnuson #76 and said he would be a backup offensive tackle. He started seven games at offensive guard.

I woefully underranked Magnuson last season, and I even got caught up in the whole "Ben Braden started the spring game so the coaches must like him" wave. Alas, Braden played as a backup in just a couple games, and Magnuson eventually earned his way onto the field as one of the five people to start games at left guard. Magnuson was not what I would call "good" but he was solid playing next to Taylor Lewan. (Personally, I was extremely frustrated when Michigan put Magnuson in at left guard for an unbalanced quarterback sneak against UConn, because I would think Lewan should be nearest to the quarterback and plowing forward for yardage. The attempt failed.)

Magnuson returns to his left guard position this fall after missing much of the spring due to shoulder surgery. The depth chart released on Monday says that he will start at left guard while left tackle will be manned by freshman Mason Cole. I am not a fan of starting a freshman on the offensive line, but that's the way it goes with so much uncertainty, a lack of much experience, and some terrible play fresh in everyone's mind. Magnuson's recruiting profile and play last year suggest that he could play left tackle, and he would probably bump out to that spot if anything were to happen to Cole. But in the meantime, this will give the team a solid interior blocker. Nobody on the line will be approaching all-conference status, but I look for him to be Michigan's best or second-best lineman this year, right up there with Graham Glasgow.

Prediction: Starting left guard

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

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

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Preview: Offensive Line

Kansas State center B.J. Finney is the Big 12
conference's top player at his position.

MICHIGAN
Starters: Fifth year senior left tackle Taylor Lewan (6'8", 315 lbs.) has been an All-American and First Team All-Big Ten in 2012 and 2013, and he's projected as a first round pick in next year's NFL Draft. Redshirt freshman Erik Magnuson (6'6", 295 lbs.) has played left guard, right guard, and right tackle this year, but none of them particularly well. He has decent feet but struggles at the point of attack. Redshirt sophomore Graham Glasgow (6'6", 303 lbs.) was the starting left guard early in the year, took over the center position against Minnesota, and will likely start his thirteenth game of the season on Saturday night. Glasgow had several bad snaps in his first weeks as the center, but the snapping issues have largely been eliminated in the last couple games. Redshirt freshman Kyle Kalis (6'5", 302 lbs.) lost his job after his early-season performance, but now he's back at right guard. He lacks the foot speed to be effective on zone stretches, and the offense evolved at the end of the year toward more of an inside zone running system to accommodate the likes of Kalis. Fifth year senior right tackle Michael Schofield (6'7", 304 lbs.) is a three-year starter and was named Honorable Mention all-conference this year, and some draft projections have him going as high as in the second round this coming April.
Backups: True freshman Kyle Bosch (6'5", 302 lbs.) started three games late in the year after redshirt junior Joe Burzynski tore his ACL. Bosch showed some promise but looked overwhelmed and eventually gave his job back to Kalis, who had been benched in favor of Magnuson. Redshirt sophomore Jack Miller started the first four games of the season at center and has not been heard from since getting benched for Glasgow. Redshirt sophomore Chris Bryant (6'4", 316 lbs.) made two starts at at left guard before getting benched in the middle of the Penn State game.

KANSAS STATE
Starters: Fifth year senior Cornelius Lucas (6'9", 328 lbs.) was a First Team All-Big 12 selection in 2012, but this year he was just Honorable Mention. Redshirt sophomore Cody Whitehair (6'4", 309 lbs.) was Second Team All-Big 12 this season. Redshirt junior B.J. Finney (6'4", 303 lbs.) was named the best center in the conference. Redshirt sophomore Boston Stiverson (6'4", 312 lbs.) started a couple games as a redshirt freshman and is the team's top backup lineman this year, and he's been filling in for an injured Keenan Taylor at right guard. Senior Tavon Rooks (6'5", 280 lbs.) has been the starting right tackle for the past two seasons, earning Honorable Mention all-conference in both his years on campus.
Key backup: Fifth year senior Keenan Taylor (6'4", 290 lbs.) is questionable for the bowl game due to a knee injury, but he started all 13 games last year at right guard. Stiverson has been starting in his stead for the past few weeks, but Taylor should be in there if healthy.

THE TAKEAWAY
Michigan is tied for 111th in the country with 35 sacks allowed, and they're #101 with 131 yards/game given up on the ground. The paltry 3.25 yards/carry average ranks them 114th. Kansas State is #54 nationally with 180 yards/game on the ground, and they're #51 with 4.53 yards/carry. They've also allowed 24 sacks, which is tied for #62 in the country. So while Kansas State is a wee bit above average, they're still a long ways ahead of Michigan in many ways. The Wildcats also have a few guys with all-conference accolades, while Michigan's Taylor Lewan has been pretty lonely when it comes to postseason accolades.

ADVANTAGE: Kansas State

Mailbag: Offensive line and Al Borges

Thunder, As a regular reader of "Touch the Banner," I want to thank you for the continued great effort/product you deliver . . . and today, ask you some questions about the continuing poor performance of the offensive line. 

1. Too often seems to be confusion about blocking assignments, true? 

2. While I appreciate the long readiness curve for offensive lineman (both mentally and physically), shouldn't U-M be able to get by reasonably well with two senior tackles (including an All-American) and some highly touted (albeit young) recruits? The guys who are in their 2nd year should be further along, right? 

3. For young lineman, isn't it easier blocking out/forward than side-to-side? Seems that prevailing offensive philosophy promotes these lineman being on their heals more than being aggressive - is this accurate? 

4. Personally, Borges just doesn't seem to be getting the results . . . and he is responsible for COORDINATING, not just sitting in a box calling plays. He doesn't seem up to the job. Your thoughts? Thanks for any insight you can provide. 

Go Blue! 

Best, 

Jim

 1. Yes, the problems up front are more about mental mistakes than physical ones. Even with the young guys in place, Michigan has good size up front. And while their strength may not be up to par with fourth- or fifth-year guys, the physical disparity should not be that significant if that's all it was. If you're the same size as your opponent but a little bit weaker, you should still not be giving up 7 sacks a game or rushing for -69 yards over a two-game stretch. The mental side of playing offensive line is what's killing Michigan right now.

2. The youth on Michigan's interior is sometimes blown out of proportion on the internet, although perhaps it's not commented on enough by the broadcast crew each Saturday. There should probably be a happy medium in there somewhere. Senior left tackle Taylor Lewan has done a very good job this year from whistle to whistle; the problem for him has been stuff before the play (false starts) or after the play (the MSU nonsense). Senior right tackle Michael Schofield is apparently being looked at as a possible second round pick, but I have a hard time believing that he'll be selected that high; he's so-so in the run and the pass, not dominant at either one.

The biggest problem, obviously, has been from guard to guard. Michigan has a bunch of guys playing out of position. It's a line in disarray. I'm giving Kyle Bosch a free pass because he's a true freshman and shouldn't be playing, anyway. But redshirt sophomore Graham Glasgow is a tackle or a guard playing center, who can't snap the ball, make proper line calls, or block the correct defender on a consistent basis; he's in over his head, and you can tell by the look on his face in the huddle - the game is moving too fast for him. Redshirt freshman Erik Magnuson is a left tackle playing right guard; the scouting report on him coming out of high school was "good pass blocker but needs to be more physical in the run game." You do not take a guy who lacks physicality and put him at right guard if you want to run over teams. That's the type of guy you hear about in year four or five when people say, "He's really improved over the past couple years and become a good run blocker." The other guy worth mentioning here is redshirt sophomore Jack Miller, who was brought in to be a zone-blocking center but tried to become a hybrid zone/power center before getting sent to the bench. Miller seems to be more mentally ready for playing center, calling protections, etc., but he loses ground too often. If you look at the pros and cons of Glasgow vs. Miller, I think Miller gets the nod after seeing both in action this year . . . but neither player is ideal.

Concluding the answer to question #2, I think Michigan has a decently talented crew of linemen who are playing out of place and being asked to do too much. If I were Michigan's coaching staff, I would at least attempt to see what it looks like with Lewan at left tackle, Schofield at left guard, Miller at center, Glasgow at right guard, and Magnuson at right tackle; that way you have a strong side with Lewan/Schofield, a better general at center, and Glasgow/Magnuson playing their more natural positions.

3. Young linemen do a better job of blocking forward/out (gap or man blocking) than zone blocking, because zone blocking requires timing and an understanding of defenses that takes time to develop. Most high school teams don't run zone the way that colleges do, and especially when you have a dominant lineman, you use him to crush down one side of the line while you run right off his butt. Zone blocking became all the rage because it allowed smaller, more athletic, but less dominant blockers to double-team and "just get in the way" to allow runners to pick an alley. But high schools that produce 6'5", 300 lb. linemen don't need that kind of tactical advantage.

I've taught zone blocking to high schoolers, and I've taught gap blocking to high schoolers. The zone concept is easier in theory but ten times more difficult to put into practice because you're taking guys who are normally very aggressive and teaching them to take an angle bucket step, read the defender, and then react appropriately by double-teaming, taking over a block, or going up to the next level. Rather than saying before the play "I've got that guy," now these guys have to say "I've got this guy, this guy, or that guy, depending on what they do when my buddy snaps the ball." Unless you teach zone exclusively or almost exclusively, it's going to be very tough sledding.

4. I was really frustrated with Borges during the Nebraska game because of his insistence on running the ball when it clearly wasn't working for the second week in a row. I mean, Michigan hasn't been able to run the ball consistently all year, but Michigan State stops you with their defense . . . fine, they do that to everyone. When Nebraska's 85th-ranked rushing defense stops you and you still keep slamming your head into the wall, I start to have questions about your willingness to adapt.

All that being said, I think Michigan fans have to accept that what is being put on the field is bound to be unsuccessful much of the time. I suggested a lineup change above that I believe would help, but that won't instantly make Miller, Glasgow, and Magnuson great football players. When three-fifths of your offensive line is overmatched mentally and physically, there's not a whole lot you can do as a play caller to mitigate the problems.

My suggestions for Borges would be to concentrate on one type of run play (zone or power) but not both, develop more play action off your best run play (currently the inverted veer), throw more screens until defenses stop blitzing, roll or half-roll Gardner, throw more quick-hitting passes, and resort to an occasional or full-time no-huddle to prevent defenses from having so much time to key in on formations, personnel, etc. Of course, Al Borges knows a ton more about football than I do, so he probably doesn't need my suggestions. But as an offensive coordinator, that's how I would try to get around my weak offensive line.

2013 Season Countdown: #76 Erik Magnuson

Erik Magnuson and Taylor Lewan

Name: Erik Magnuson
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 286 lbs.
High school: Carlsbad (CA) La Costa Canyon
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #78
Last year: I ranked Magnuson #70 and said he would redshirt. He redshirted.

Magnuson came into last year with significant hype, with some even suggesting that he might play as a backup since the depth was so thin. Part of the reason that didn't happen was that the offensive line stayed pretty healthy, and another - perhaps more significant - part is that he wasn't very good in practice, according to reports. He was thin and young, and he was not a great run blocker coming out of high school; frustration on his end reportedly was evident.

Now he's a year older and more mature, and he's still in the same place on the depth chart. The two incumbent tackles (Taylor Lewan, Michael Schofield) return, and there are a couple adequate walk-ons still remaining (Erik Gunderson, Kristian Mateus). Furthermore, it seems a couple other players have surpassed Magnuson on the "Best Overall" chart, so if there are any injuries to tackles, I would expect to see someone like Ben Braden bump out to tackle before seeing Magnuson on the field. I still think he has considerable upside, but it might be another year or two before he really comes on.

Prediction: Backup offensive tackle

An Interview with Erik Magnuson

When I tried contacting freshman offensive lineman Erik Magnuson about doing a second Touch the Banner  interview, it turned out that he was preoccupied with something else at that exact moment:

Erik calls it "the best gift I've ever been given."  And considering Taylor Lewan's notorious affection for his tandem bike, there is only one logical conclusion: "Left tackles abhor normal bicycles."

Fun, games, and unicycles aside, Erik continues to work hard toward making an impact on Michigan's offensive line.  He was recently nice enough to hop off of his unicycle to give us an update on his status and thoughts on Michigan football.

Choosing Michigan:  "Well, it's pretty simple.  It was coach Hoke.  I wouldn't have much interest in Michigan if it weren't for Coach Hoke going there from San Diego State.  So I had a relationship with him and I was pretty close with him.  He started recruiting me early my sophomore year, and I had a good relationship with him all that year, and then he moved, and then I called and said, 'Get me on board.  I want to play for you.'"

Height, weight, goals:  "I'm 6'6", 295 lbs.  I want to stay right around the 295/300 pound area, but I want to drop fat.  My body fat could stand to drop a little bit, and I want to get stronger.  So that's my goal.  I don't want to gain too much more weight - I just want to make it the right weight."

Moving to Ann Arbor:  "As far as the football team, I hardly know anybody, and I hardly know the city at all besides the football stadium and the football facilities, so everything will be completely new to me.  It's going to be an adventure."

Roommate:  "I'm going to be rooming with Kyle Kalis. . . .a lot of personality in one room."

Playing as a freshman:  "I want to play.  I'm going to get there and work my butt off.  I'll be working out, but I'll also be studying.  I'll learn from the players, watch as much film as I can, learn as much as I can as fast as I can because I don't want to sit out.  I want to make an impact right away. . . . Coach has told me I'll have a chance to do it, so that's what I'm trying to do."

Passion and heart, being well-rounded:  "I think one of the things that gives me an advantage over other people is how much passion and heart I play with.  I take this very seriously because it's what I love to do.  I think a lot of players don't have that like I have.  Physically, I think I'm a good pass blocker; I'm a pretty good run blocker - I'm pretty well-rounded.  But hopefully I can get better at keeping low and that type of thing.  In run blocking I need to stay lower, and that type of thing I'm going to work on."

The next great left tackle:  "Some people have told me that I'm going to play left tackle, but obviously I'm young to play left tackle since Taylor's there right now.  I'm open to playing anything on the offensive line; I don't care if I have to play center, right tackle, anything.  Eventually I'll end up playing left tackle. . . . As far as anything he [Coach Funk] has ever said to me is that I could project to right tackle so I can play early, but eventually he wants me playing left tackle.  That's what they recruited me as, and that's what they want me to play."

NFL, the next goal:  "College is another step in getting to my goal.  When I was in high school my goal was to make varsity, after varsity my goal was to get a division one scholarship, and now that I've done that my big goal is to make it to the NFL.  That's one of the reasons why I picked Michigan - I think they give me a good opportunity to do that."

Sticking with the unicycle:  "I don't know about that [riding Lewan's tandem bike].  I'm more of a unicycle guy. I like my unicycle."

Wolverine Nation: Entrance Interview with Erik Magnuson

Arianny Celeste

Tom VanHaaren interviews incoming freshman offensive lineman Erik Magnuson.

2012 Season Countdown: #70 Erik Magnuson

Erik Magnuson

Name: Erik Magnuson
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 275 lbs.
High school: Carlsbad (CA) La Costa Canyon
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #78
Last year: Magnuson was in high school.  He played well enough to participate in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Final TTB Rating: 87

Magnuson is a highly touted offensive tackle out of California, and some people even made a comparison to Jake Long.  Maybe it's the fact that Magnuson wore #77, but regardless, he is a much hyped recruit.  At the beginning of January, he played left guard in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, and while he wasn't as stellar as classmate Kyle Kalis, he did look adequate with the change of position.

Coming into college, Magnuson needs a fair amount of polish and he needs to get stronger.  In a regular year, he would probably be a lock to redshirt.  However, needs on the offensive line might mandate some playing time.  He looks like a future left tackle, although that's a position with a lot of responsibility for a freshman.  We might see him at right tackle or guard if the situation arises, but hopefully he can spend a year refining technique and adding mass.

Prediction: Redshirt if possible

Final Rivals 100 for 2012

Kansas City (MO) Park Hill DT Ondre Pipkins is now
Michigan's top-rated recruited to Rivals at #14 overall

Rivals released its final Rivals 100 for the 2012 recruiting cycle, and Michigan is pretty well represented.

- Missouri DT Ondre Pipkins moved from #59 all the way up to #14
- Ohio OG Kyle Kalis moved from #21 to #22
- California OT Erik Magnuson dropped from #49 all the way to #78

Here's what the Rivals 100 looked like back in November, then before that in August, and all the way back to May 2011.

5-stars:
1. Dorial Green-Beckham - WR - Missouri
2. D.J. Humphries - OT - North Carolina (Florida)
3. Mario Edwards - DE - Texas (Florida State)
4. Shaq Thompson - S - California (Cal)
7. Eddie Goldman - DT - Washington, D.C.
8. Stefon Diggs - WR - Maryland
9. Noah Spence - DE - Pennsylvania (Ohio State)
11. Darius Hamilton - DE - New Jersey
14. Ondre Pipkins - DT - Missouri (Michigan)
16. Zach Banner - OT - Washington
18. Nelson Agholor - WR - Florida
19. Kyle Murphy - OT - California
20. Gunner Kiel - QB - Indiana (Notre Dame)
21. Ellis McCarthy - DT - California (UCLA)
22. Kyle Kalis - OG - Ohio (Michigan)
23. John Theus - OT - Florida (Georgia)
25. Adolphus Washington - DE - Ohio (Ohio State)
27. Aziz Shittu - DT - California
29. Jordan Simmons - OG - California (USC)
32. Andrus Peat - OT - Arizona

4-stars:
33. Joshua Garnett - OT - Washington
37. Devin Fuller - ATH - New Jersey
39. Kendall Sanders - ATH - Texas (Texas)
40. Jabari Ruffin - LB - California (USC)
44. Zach Kline - QB - California (Cal)
46. Max Tuerk - OT - California (USC)
48. Keith Marshall - RB - North Carolina (Georgia)
50. Eli Harold - DE - Virginia (Virginia)
54. Kent Taylor - TE - Florida (Florida)
56. Jordan Jenkins - DE - Georgia (Georgia)
61. Arik Armstead - DT - California
62. Durron Neal - WR - Missouri (Oklahoma)
64. Tommy Schutt - DT - Illinois (Ohio State)
65. Javonte Magee - DE - Texas (Baylor)
68. Ronald Darby - CB - Maryland
70. Marcus Maye - S - Florida (Florida)
71. D.J. Foster - ATH - Arizona
72. Jonathan Taylor - DT - Georgia (Georgia)
73. Vince Biegel - LB - Wisconsin (Wisconsin)
74. Avery Young - OT - Florida
76. Tee Shepard - CB - California (Notre Dame)
78. Erik Magnuson - OT - California (Michigan)
79. Cyrus Jones - ATH - Maryland (Alabama)
80. Brian Poole - CB - Florida (Florida)
81. Bryce Treggs - WR - California (Cal)
83. Deon Bush - S - Florida (Miami)
85. Yuri Wright - CB - New Jersey
86. LaDarrell McNeil - S - Texas (Tennessee)
88. Geno Smith - CB - Georgia (Alabama)
90. JaQuay Williams - WR - Georgia (Auburn)
92. Tyriq McCord - DE - Florida (Miami)
93. Jordan Payton - WR - California (Cal)
94. Raphael Kirby - LB - Georgia (Miami)
95. Se'von Pittman - DE - Ohio (Ohio State)
99. Ifeadi Odenigbo - DE - Ohio (Northwestern)
100. Chris Muller - OT - Pennsylvania (Rutgers)

Final Scout 300 Released for 2012

Lakewood (OH) St. Edward's Kyle Kalis is Michigan's top-rated player to Scout

The Scout 300 was released on Wednesday.  For a refresher on where kids used to be ranked, check out this post from April.

Michigan commits are in the following slots:

• 35. Kyle Kalis
• 65. Ondre Pipkins
• 69. Joe Bolden
• 82. Erik Magnuson
• 83. James Ross
• 93. Tom Strobel
• 111. Royce Jenkins-Stone
• 162. Mario Ojemudia
• 164. Chris Wormley
• 183. Terry Richardson
• 205. Amara Darboh
• 221. Devin Funchess
• 225. A.J. Williams
• 249. Jarrod Wilson

Michigan has offered 133 of these 300 players (44.3%).  As is the custom 'round these parts, here's a look at Michigan offerees in Scout's final 300:

5-stars:
1. Dorial Green-Beckham - WR - Missouri
2. Arik Armstead - OT - California
3. Shaq Thompson - S - California (Cal)
4. Mario Edwards - DE - Texas (Florida State)
5. Noah Spence - DE - Pennsylvania (Ohio State)
6. Stefon Diggs - WR - Maryland
7. John Theus - OT - Florida (Georgia)
9. Ronald Darby - CB - Maryland
10. Adolphus Washington - DE - Ohio (Ohio State)
11. D.J. Humphries - OT - Florida (Florida)
12. Keith Marshall - RB - North Carolina (Georgia)
14. Kyle Murphy - OT - California
19. Jordan Jenkins - DE - Georgia (Georgia)
20. Darius Hamilton - DE - New Jersey
23. Ellis McCarthy - DT - California (Cal)
25. Brian Poole - CB - Florida (Florida)
26. Eli Harold - DE - Virginia (Virginia)
27. Avery Young - OT - Florida
31. Eddie Goldman - DT - Washington, D.C.
32. Bri'onte Dunn - RB - Ohio (Ohio State)
35. Kyle Kalis - OT - Ohio (Michigan)
38. Gunner Kiel - QB - Indiana (LSU)
39. Tee Shepard - CB - California (Notre Dame)
42. Joshua Garnett - OG - Washington
43. Bryce Treggs - WR - California (Cal)
45. Cyrus Jones - WR - Maryland (Alabama)
47. Jordan Diamond - OT - Illinois
48. Tommy Schutt - DT - Illinois
50. Sheldon Day - DT - Indiana (Notre Dame)

4-stars:
51. Andrus Peat - OT - Arizona
52. Kwon Alexander - LB - Alabama
55. Elijah Shumate - LB - New Jersey (Notre Dame)
58. Se'von Pittman - DE - Ohio (Ohio State)
61. Nelson Agholor - S - Florida
62. Jordan Simmons - OG - California (USC)
63. Aaron Burbridge - WR - Michigan (Michigan State)
65. Ondre Pipkins - DT - Missouri (Michigan)
68. Michael Starts - OG - Texas (Texas Tech)
69. Joe Bolden - LB - Ohio (Michigan)
72. Zach Banner - OT - Washington
73. Kent Taylor - TE - Florida (Florida)
75. Ifeadi Odenigbo - DE - Ohio (Northwestern)
76. Jonathan Taylor - DT - Georgia (Georgia)
77. Taylor Decker - OT - Ohio (Notre Dame)
78. Javonte Magee - DE - Texas
79. Armani Reeves - CB - Massachusetts (Penn State)
82. Erik Magnuson - OT - California (Michigan)
83. James Ross - LB - Michigan (Michigan)
84. Leonte Carroo - WR - New Jersey (Rutgers)
85. LaDarrell McNeil - S - Texas (Tennessee)
88. Devin Fuller - QB - New Jersey
91. Wes Brown - RB - Maryland (Maryland)
92. Marcus Maye - S - Florida (Florida)
93. Tom Strobel - DE - Ohio (Michigan)
95. Jordan Payton - WR - California (Cal)
96. Max Tuerk - OG - California (USC)
99. Dan Voltz - OG - Illinois (Wisconsin)
100. Jaquay Williams - WR - Georgia (Auburn)
104. D.J. Foster - RB - Arizona
105. Durron Neal - WR - Missouri (Oklahoma)
111. Royce Jenkins-Stone - LB - Michigan (Michigan)
116. Evan Boehm - C - Missouri (Missouri)
119. Devonte Fields - DE - Texas (TCU)
122. Geno Smith - CB - Georgia (Alabama)
123. Zach Kline - QB - California (Cal)
124. Greg Garmon - RB - Pennsylvania (Iowa)
127. J.J. Denman - OT - Pennsylvania (Wisconsin)
128. Ryan Watson - OG - Maryland (Virginia)
129. Brock Stadnik - OT - North Carolina (South Carolina)
130. Paul Thurston - OT - Colorado (Nebraska)
135. Peter Jinkens - LB - Texas (Texas)
137. Matt Jones - RB - Florida (Florida)
139. Jabari Ruffin - LB - California (USC)
145. Scott Starr - LB - California (USC)
146. Yuri Wright - CB - New Jersey
153. Reginald Davis - WR - Texas (Texas Tech)
159. Monty Madaris - WR - Ohio
162. Mario Ojemudia - DE - Michigan (Michigan)
164. Chris Wormley - DE - Ohio (Michigan)
167. John Michael McGee - OG - Texas (Oklahoma)
170. Dillon Lee - LB - Georgia (Alabama)
172. Camren Williams - LB - Massachusetts (Penn State)
173. Jonathan Williams - RB - Texas (Arkansas)
175. Sean Price - TE - Florida
176. Raphael Kirby - LB - Georgia (Miami)
178. Faith Ekakitie - DT - Illinois (Iowa)
181. Kyle Dodson - OT - Ohio (Wisconsin)
182. Dalton Santos - LB - Texas (Tennessee)
183. Terry Richardson - CB - Michigan (Michigan)
185. D.J. Singleton - S - New Jersey (Wisconsin)
188. Troy Hinds - DE - Utah (BYU)
191. Aziz Shittu - DT - California
192. Nick Davidson - OT - Minnesota (Stanford)
193. Deaysean Rippy - LB - Pennsylvania
196. Warren Ball - RB - Ohio (Ohio State)
198. Derrick Woods - S - California (Oklahoma)
199. Martin Aiken - DE - South Carolina (Clemson)
200. Connor Brewer - QB - Arizona (Texas)
202. Ken Ekanem - DE - Virginia
205. Amara Darboh - WR - Iowa (Michigan)
209. Keith Brown - LB - Miami (Louisville)
212. David Perkins - LB - Indiana
214. Jalen Overstreet - S - Texas (Texas)
217. Deontay McManus - WR - Maryland (West Virginia)
219. Kendall Sanders - CB - Texas (Texas)
221. Devin Funchess - TE - Michigan (Michigan)
222. Dominique Wheeler - WR - Texas (Texas Tech)
223. Vince Biegel - LB - Wisconsin (Wisconsin)
225. A.J. Williams - OT - Ohio (Michigan)
229. Jarron Jones - OT - New York (Notre Dame)
231. Deon Bush - S - Florida (Miami)
232. Derek Edinburgh - OT - Louisiana (LSU)
236. Evan Baylis - TE - Colorado (Oregon)
240. Maty Mauk - QB - Ohio (Missouri)
242. Tyler Orlosky - OG - Ohio (West Virginia)
243. J.P. Holtz - TE - Pennsylvania
244. Tyriq McCord - DE - Florida (Miami)
245. Jarrod Wilson - S - Ohio (Michigan)
247. Drew Harris - RB - Pennsylvania
250. Dalvin Tomlinson - DT - Georgia
251. Michael Moore - DE - Maryland (Penn State)
255. Danny O'Brien - DT - Michigan (Tennessee)
264. Ty Darlington - C - Florida (Oklahoma)
270. Avery Johnson - WR - Florida (LSU)
277. Kenny Lawler - CB - Washington, D.C.
278. Jaleel Johnson - DT - Illinois (Iowa)
280. Jason Croom - WR - Georgia (Tennessee)
282. Zeke Pike - QB - Kentucky (Auburn)
285. Jake Rodrigues - QB - California (Oregon)
286. Pharaoh Brown - TE - Ohio (Oregon)
287. Hiva Lutui - C - California
292. Devan Bogard - S - Ohio (Ohio State)
297. Vonte Jackson - RB - Wisconsin (Wisconsin)
298. Ron Thompson - TE - Michigan (Syracuse)
299. Shane Callahan - OT - Colorado (Auburn)

Recruiting Update: January 9, 2012

Uriah LeMay (#81) was offered by Michigan late last week
(image via Mint Hill Times)

ADDED TO THE BOARD
Wylie (TX) East wide receiver Marcell Ateman, a 2013 prospect, was offered on Saturday.  Ateman is a 6'5", 180 lb. kid with offers from Arizona, Baylor, and Tennessee.  Last season he caught 67 passes for 1,047 yards and 10 touchdowns.  Ateman isn't a burner, but he's a legitimate jump ball threat with his size

Washington (D.C.) H.D. Woodson cornerback Kenny Crawley de-committed from Tennessee.  Crawley is rumored to be unhappy with the coaching situation for the Volunteers and will likely go elsewhere for college.  His destination probably won't be Michigan, however.

Oxon Hill (MD) Potomac cornerback Ronald Darby de-committed from Notre Dame.  Darby is a 5'11", 172 lb. athlete with elite speed (a reported 4.37 forty).  Darby has never shown much interest in Michigan and instead plans to concentrate on Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, and LSU.

Monaca (PA) Central Valley wide receiver Robert Foster, a 2013 prospect, was offered by Michigan.  Foster is a 6'3", 170 lb. speedster with offers from Florida, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, and USC, among others.  He has been named a 5-star already by Scout.


Matthews (NC) Butler wide receiver Uriah LeMay, a 2013 prospect, received an offer from Michigan.  The 6'2", 188 lb. prospect attends the alma mater of former Michigan safety Jamar Adams and 2011 linebacker Kris Frost, and he's also the younger brother of class of 2011 quarterback Christian LeMay, whom Rich Rodriguez offered and now plays for Georgia.  Uriah has offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Virginia Tech, among others.


Charlotte (NC) Mallard Creek wide receiver Marquez North, a 2013 prospect, received his offer from the Wolverines.  North's former teammate is D.J. Humphries, a class of 2012 offensive tackle who is committed to Florida.  The 6'3", 205 lb. receiver has offers from Clemson, Florida, South Carolina, and many others.


OFF THE BOARD
Miami (FL) Norland linebacker Keith Brown committed to Louisville at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.  Brown had been committed to Illinois at one point, but the firing of Ron Zook sent him southward.

Olney (MD) Good Counsel running back Wes Brown committed to Maryland at the Under Armour All-America Game.  The 6'1", 200-pounder is the former teammate of Michigan cornerback Blake Countess and uncommitted 2012 wide receiver Stefon Diggs.

Miami (FL) Columbus safety Deon Bush committed to Miami at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.  The 6'1", 185-pounder picked a Hurricanes hat over those from Alabama and Auburn.

Baltimore (MD) Gilman cornerback Cyrus Jones committed to Alabama at the Under Armour All-America Game.  Jones is an all-around athlete with the ability to run (948 yards, 13 touchdowns), catch (635 yards, 6 touchdowns), return (4 return touchdowns), and cover (3 interceptions).

Monrovia (CA) Monrovia defensive tackle Ellis McCarthy committed to Cal at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.  McCarthy is listed at 6'5", 311 lbs. but was quick enough to play defensive end for the West Team.

Tampa (FL) Jefferson defensive end Tyriq McCord committed to Miami at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.  The 6'3", 222 lb. edge rusher was praised this week for his speed around the corner and how quickly he got after the quarterbacks.

Centerville (OH) Centerville defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo committed to Northwestern on Saturday.  Odenigbo mentioned repeatedly that he would be choosing his school based largely on academics, and he couldn't really go wrong with become a Wildcat.  Odenigbo did an excellent job of rushing the passer in the Under Armour All-America Game.

Westlake Village (CA) Oaks Christian wide receiver Jordan Payton committed to Cal on Friday.  At one time Payton looked like a lock to Michigan and there were rumors that he had committed to the Wolverines, but as time wore on, he also became enamored with Notre Dame and then Cal.  Payton was committed to USC at one time, too.

Ramsey (NJ) Don Bosco Prep safety Elijah Shumate committed to Notre Dame at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.  Shumate is the teammate of Michigan target Yuri Wright, who also played in the game but did not announce a college destination.

Sacramento (CA) Grant safety Shaq Thompson committed to Cal at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.  Thompson is 6'1", 195 lbs. but played like a man child in Saturday's game.  Thompson was considering an official visit to Michigan at one point, but that seemed to be in connection with Jordan Payton's interest in the Wolverines.  Once Payton's interest waned, Thompson's did, too.

ALL-STAR GAMES
Cincinnati (OH) Colerain linebacker Joe Bolden was named a captain and starter for the Black Team in the Under Armour All-America Game.  Bolden was praised throughout the week of practice for his instincts, intensity, and hitting.  In the game he was once again solid, making 7 total tackles.  Rivals crowned him the best tackler at the game, which  bodes well for his future as a middle linebacker at Michigan.  The 6'2", 225-pounder graduated early and is enrolled at Michigan, where he'll take part in spring practices.  Perhaps more importantly, he will join Jake Ryan in the ranks of dreamy, long-haired linebackers.


Detroit (MI) Cass Tech linebacker Royce Jenkins-Stone started at middle linebacker for the West Team in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.  He made 1 tackle but showed good speed and was hustling on special teams.  The East ran the ball outside most of the time, so he didn't get a ton of chances to make plays in the middle.

Lakewood (OH) St. Edward's offensive guard Kyle Kalis played about half the game at right guard for the East Team and looked quite capable.  He was among the East's top performers on the offensive line throughout the week, and several national observers noted that his technique looks solid.  They also noted that he looked more comfortable at guard than tackle, which Kalis himself acknowledged at one point.  I have always maintained that he looked like a future guard to me, so I'm glad national scouts - and Kalis - seem to agree.

Carlsbad (CA) La Costa Canyon offensive tackle Erik Magnuson started for the West Team in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.  The 6'6", 280 lb. future left tackle played all five positions during West Team practices this past week, but started the game at left guard and held up very well against the East.  He looked a little uncomfortable in his stance, but he kept his feet moving well and made some impressive seal blocks in a game that defensive linemen usually dominate.

Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison defensive end Mario Ojemudia played defensive end for the East Team in the inaugural Semper Fi All-American Game.  He did not get off the ball as well as I expected him to, but that may be because he was playing a new position.  Despite being headed for DE or OLB at Michigan, he mostly played defensive tackle in high school.  Without the ball right under his nose, he seemed to be a little slow off the snap.  However, he was very good at using his hands to get off of blocks.

Kansas City (MO) Park Hill defensive tackle Ondre Pipkins didn't start the game, but was named a captain for the West Team in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.  He was somewhat inconsistent with his pad level and seemed a little out of shape, which is understandable for a 330 lb. kid at the beginning of January.  However, when he decided to hustle, he was very good.  Pipkins chased down East quarterback Chad Voytik on the sideline and crushed him, and he also chased down wide receiving/running back Stefon Diggs and forced a fumble.  Overall, the hype on Pipkins was justified and with a little conditioning, he should be at least backup material next season.

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech cornerback Terry Richardson played defense and also returned kickoffs and punts for the Black Team in the Under Armour All-America Game.  Richardson showed good speed and decent elusiveness in returning a kickoff 32 yards and another 28 yards, but unfortunately he carries the ball a little loosely and fumbled the 28-yard return; his punt returns were iffy with one muff and one poor decision to catch the ball at the 6-yard line.  He also showed the ability to hang with the nation's best receivers, although Richardson didn't have any big plays on defense.  He was beaten for a touchdown in the third quarter, but had pretty good coverage and reached his hand across just a split second too late to deflect the pass.  The 5'9", 165 lb. Richardson needs to get a little bit thicker, because he tends to get pushed around by some of the bigger receivers.

Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary's linebacker James Ross started for the West Team at weakside linebacker in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.  Ross made 3 total tackles and flashed what I think is his biggest strength, which is diagnosing plays.  If it's a run, he knows it's a run.  If it's a pass, he knows it's a pass.  Ross took some poor angles at times, which may be partly due to adjusting to faster competition.  But he does have the speed to make those plays when he takes the proper angles, so I'm not too concerned there.

Overall, it was a very good showing for the Michigan players who participated in the all-star games, especially the guys in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.  This looks to be the best crop of Army Bowl participants Michigan has snagged in years.

U.S. Army All-American Bowl

Kyle Kalis (#67) is one of five Michigan commits playing in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl this afternoon

U.S. Army All-American Bowl
January 7, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. on NBC

Past Michigan commitments to have participated in the USAAB can be found here.

East Team targets:
Drae Bowles - WR - Tennessee (Tennessee)
Keith Brown - LB - Florida (Louisville)*
Deon Bush - CB - Florida (Miami)*
Leonte Carroo - WR - New Jersey (Rutgers)
Ty Darlington - C - Florida (Oklahoma)
Stefon Diggs - WR - Maryland
Kyle Dodson - OT - Ohio (Wisconsin)
Devin Fuller - QB - New Jersey
Darius Hamilton - DE - New Jersey
Eli Harold - DE - Virginia (Virginia)
D.J. Humphries - OT - North Carolina (Florida)
Jarron Jones - DT - New York (Notre Dame)
Kyle Kalis - OG - Ohio (Michigan, commitment post here)
Gunner Kiel - QB - Indiana (LSU)
Raphael Kirby - LB - Georgia (Miami)
Dillon Lee - LB - Georgia (Alabama)
Tyriq McCord - DE - Florida (Miami)*
Chris Muller - OT - Pennsylvania (Rutgers)
Tommy Schutt - DT - Illinois (Ohio State)
Elijah Shumate - S - New Jersey (Notre Dame)*
Geno Smith - CB - Georgia (Alabama)
Dwayne Stanford - WR - Ohio (Oregon)
Kent Taylor - TE - Florida (Florida)
John Theus - OT - Florida (Georgia)
Dan Voltz - OT - Illinois (Wisconsin)
Adolphus Washington - DE - Ohio (Ohio State)
Yuri Wright - CB - New Jersey

West Team targets:
Arik Armstead - DE - California
Zach Banner - OT - Washington
Vince Biegel - LB - Wisconsin (Wisconsin)
Dorial Green-Beckham - WR - Missouri
Royce Jenkins-Stone - LB - Michigan (Michigan, commitment post here)
Javonte Magee - DE - Texas
Erik Magnuson - OT - California (Michigan, commitment post here)
Ellis McCarthy - DT - California (Cal)*
Taylor McNamara - TE - California (Oklahoma)
LaDarrell McNeil - S - Texas (Tennessee)
John Michael McGee - OG - Texas (Oklahoma)
Kyle Murphy - OT - California
Durron Neal - WR - Missouri (Oklahoma)
Jordan Payton - WR - California (Cal)*
Zeke Pike - QB - Kentucky (Auburn)
Ondre Pipkins - DT - Missouri (Michigan, commitment post here)
James Ross - LB - Michigan (Michigan, commitment post here)
Jabari Ruffin - LB - California (USC)
Kendall Sanders - WR - Texas (Texas)
Aziz Shittu - DT - California
Jordan Simmons - OG - California (USC)
Michael Starts - OG - Texas (Texas Tech)
Shaq Thompson - S - California (Cal)*
Max Tuerk - OT - California (USC)
Dominique Wheeler - WR - Texas (Texas Tech)
Derrick Woods - WR - California (Oklahoma)

*Announced commitment during game

Getting to Know . . . Erik Magnuson

Carlsbad (CA) La Costa Canyon OT Erik Magnuson
(image via GoBlueWolverine)

Class of 2012 offensive tackle Erik Magnuson was kind enough to answer a few questions over the holidays.  The 6'6", 280-pounder will be enrolling at Michigan in the summer, but in the meantime, he's enjoying the high school experience.  Magnuson is a high 4-star recruit to all four major recruiting services and widely regarded as one of the ten best tackles in the nation.

La Costa Canyon went 9-3 this season and lost in the 2nd round of the playoffs. That's a pretty good season.  What is your favorite memory of high school football and why?  My favorite memory is probably starting as a sophomore on varsity because it was my first year playing offensive line and we were the number one ranked team in San Diego County. It was my dream to start as a sophomore and I made it come true.

Offensive line is such a technical position. Have you received any private, individual tutoring aside from LCC's coaching staff? If so, what have you worked on? Yes, my neighbor Ralph Perretta played offensive line for the San Diego Chargers [Editor: Perretta went to Purdue before playing for the Chargers and New York Giants from 1975 to 1980] back in the day and got me started on the O-line. Then also just coaches and a bunch of different camps helped me a lot along the way.

That's pretty awesome to have a former NFLer as a neighbor. What was your favorite play to run at LCC? You guys are going to laugh at this but my favorite play that we had in our offense was a screen play to me. I acted like the defensive end beat me, then I looped around behind the QB; then the QB rolls out to the right then tosses it back to me and all the other lineman lead block just like on any other screen. But besides that, any downhill running play we have.  I love run blocking, especially outside where I am one-on-one with a defensive end.

Obviously, every high school lineman needs to get stronger physically, but what kinds of workouts do you do and how often? Have there been any lifts or exercises that have helped you immensely? I have a personal trainer by the name of Brian Killion. He's trained lots of pro athletes and football players. During the season I work out three times a week, and during the off season, I work out between four and six times a week. I'm kind of a gym rat. I love working out. And I have done just about every lift known with my trainer; we try to keep a wide variety so that I hit every muscle group.

What is an average day of eating like for you? Do you eat everything in sight, or do you keep a pretty strict diet? I eat a lot but try to eat healthy. I don't eat junk food. I don't drink soda. I try to stay as healthy as I can but each as much as I can, especially during basketball season or off season training when I'm running and working out a lot.

Lastly, just for fun, do you have any hidden talents that would surprise people? You know, like juggling, writing poetry, playing an instrument . . . ? Surprisingly, I am a very good surfer. I mean, I live about a quarter of a mile away from the beach and my dad is a big-time surfer, so I learned at a young age. But I always shock people because they don't think a 280 lb. football player could stand up on a board.

Thanks to Erik for taking the time to answer my questions. Aside from highlight videos, Michigan fans can see him in action during NBC's airing of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on January 7 at 12:00 p.m.  

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.

New Rivals 100 Released

Kyle Kalis (#67 above) got his fifth star from Rivals

The new Rivals 100 has been released.  A few Michigan commits have seen their rankings change from the last re-ranking:

- Kyle Kalis got his fifth star and moves from #22 to #21 overall

- Erik Magnuson drops from #44 to #49 overall

- Ondre Pipkins drops from #53 to #59 overall

- Royce Jenkins-Stone drops from #97 to out of the top 100

Below is a list of Michigan offerees who appear on the list:

5-stars:
1. Dorial Green-Beckham - WR - Missouri
2. Eddie Goldman - DT - Washington, DC
3. D.J. Humphries - OT - North Carolina (Florida)
4. Mario Edwards - DE - Texas (Florida State)
5. Darius Hamilton - DE - New Jersey
7. Shaq Thompson - S - California
8. Stefon Diggs - WR - Maryland
9. Noah Spence - DE - Pennsylvania
11. John Theus - OT - Florida (Georgia)
12. Nelson Agholor - WR - Florida
14. Andrus Peat - OT - Arizona
17. Ellis McCarthy - DT - California
18. Gunner Kiel - QB - Indiana
21. Kyle Kalis - OT - Ohio (Michigan)
22. Kyle Murphy - OT - California
25. Jordan Simmons - OG - California (USC)
27. Aziz Shittu - DT - California

4-stars:
28. Joshua Garnett - OG - Washington
29. Arik Armstead - DE - California
31. Keith Marshall - RB - North Carolina
34. Devin Fuller - ATH - New Jersey
36. Adolphus Washington - DE - Ohio (Ohio State)
40. Zach Banner - OT - Washington
44. Eli Harold - DE - Virginia (Virginia)
47. Durron Neal - WR - Missouri (Oklahoma)
49. Erik Magnuson - OT - California (Michigan)
51. Marcus Maye - S - Florida (Florida)
52. Tommy Schutt - DT - Illinois (Penn State)
53. D.J. Foster - ATH - Arizona
55. Jonathan Taylor - DT - Georgia (Georgia)
56. Kent Taylor - TE - Florida (Florida)
57. Yuri Wright - CB - New Jersey
58. Jabari Ruffin - LB - California (USC)
59. Ondre Pipkins - DT - Missouri (Michigan)
60. Avery Young - OT - Florida
61. Geno Smith - CB - Georgia (Alabama)
63. Zach Kline - QB - California (Cal)
64. Kendall Sanders - ATH - Texas (Oklahoma State)
65. Jordan Jenkins - DE - Georgia
68. Deon Bush - CB - Florida
72. Ronald Darby - CB - Maryland (Notre Dame)
73. Bryce Treggs - WR - California (California)
74. Tyriq McCord - DE - Florida
75. Avery Johnson - WR - Florida (LSU)
77. Dominique Wheeler - WR - Texas (Texas Tech)
78. JaQuay Williams - WR - Georgia (Auburn)
79. Chris Muller - OT - Pennsylvania (Rutgers)
81. Se'von Pittman - DE - Ohio (Michigan State)
82. Tee Shepard - CB - California (Notre Dame)
85. Brian Poole - CB - Florida (Florida)
87. Joey O'Connor - OT - Colorado
89. Raphael Kirby - LB - Georgia (Miami)
92. Vince Biegel - LB - Wisconsin (Wisconsin)
97. Taylor McNamara - TE - California
98. Derrick Woods - WR - California
100. Aaron Burbridge - WR - Michigan (Michigan State)

Recruit Tracker: The Remaining Few

Royce Jenkins-Stone carries the ball against Eisenhower
(image via here)

Most Michigan recruits are done for the season, but several remain active deep in the playoffs. Here are a few notes from this weekend's action. Complete senior year statistics for the 2012 class can be found by clicking on this link.

Matt Godin and Detroit Catholic Central defeated Rockford, 23-20, in overtime and advance to the Division 1 championship game against Terry Richardson, Royce Jenkins-Stone and Cass Tech. "It's time to take care of business," Godin said in a text.

Royce Jenkins-Stone scored Cass Tech's only touchdown of the night on a 1-yard run in a 6-3 victory over Eisenhower. He rushed for 84 [edit: 122] yards on 22 carries during the game. Next week, Jenkins-Stone and his team will square off against Matt Godin and DCC at Ford Field, which is less than a mile away from Cass Tech. "Everyone doubted PSL, and here we are going to states," Royce said. "We're about to show them that the PSL is ready to play."

Erik Magnuson and La Costa Canyon will begin playoff action against Westview on Friday.

Terry Richardson and the Cass Tech defense showed Eisenhower "a whole lot of defensive looks," according to Richardson, who also had a 23-yard reception in his team's 6-3 defensive-lead victory.

James Ross recorded a team-high 13 tackles as his team Orchard Lakes St. Mary's defeated Harper Creek, 14-10, to advance to the division 3 state championship game against Mount Pleasant this Saturday at Ford Field.

Tom Strobel and Mentor were defeated by Cleveland St. Ignatius, 23-17, but "walk away proudly." "You know, I think all year long we played hard," Strobel said. "We showed the whole state of Ohio who we are, and I think we made a statement."

Chris Wormley and Toledo Whitmer defeated Wadesworth by a score of 37-0. Wadesworth running back Jack Snowball entered the contest averaging 209 yards per game, but Wormley and Whitmer stopped Snowball's roll (I couldn't resist), slowing him to 90 yards on 30 carries. Whitmer faces Cleveland St. Ignatius in a D1 state semifinal this Saturday.

Mailbag: Does Hoke deserve blame for lack of OL depth?

Do you think Hoke deserves any blame for not going after OL/DL last year? I realize time was short, but he managed to snag a QB, TE, DE and LB - guys that hadn't been targeted before.
Shouldn't he have seen the potential train-wreck coming at OL and tried to address the situation? I'd imagine there were some marginal 3-star types available that could have at least contributed to depth. DT is probably a different story - since competition is so stiff and freshman can contribute right away. But OL...the needs been there for a long time. Besides Rodriguez's class of 6 guys in '08 Michigan has under-recruited the OL position since 2005 (no more than 3 OL in a class). Rodriguez recognized the need and immediately worked to rectify it. Yeah, he had more time, but we didn't even hear of any new names pop up at OL in the 2011 class.

I think that Rodriguez deserves a little less blame for the OL situation. 1st, he was forced by Carr into recruiting a giant OL class in '08. with all the other needs around he couldn't keep taking 5 guys a year. So, the small OL classes in 09 and 10 were somewhat justifiable. 2011 was looking strong but the transition cost UM Fisher and probably some other OL recruit. I don't think it's all on him that the '09 and '10 OL classes now look to be so damaging.

The question above comes from a commenter in Tuesday's recruiting update post.

No, I don't think Brady Hoke deserves blame for not going after offensive linemen and defensive linemen last year.  First of all, he was hired less than a month before National Signing Day.  With that short of a start, I don't think he can really accept any blame whatsoever.  But secondly, he did  go after linemen.  Hoke offered:

• Ohio DE/DT Keith Heitzman (Michigan)
• New Jersey DE Max Issaka (Rutgers)
• Arizona OT Ryan Nowicki (Penn State)
• Florida DT Trevarris Saulsberry (Tennessee)
• Florida DE Jordan Williams (Tennessee)

Furthermore, he continued to recruit former Michigan commit Jake Fisher, who ended up signing with Oregon.  I got the feeling that the new coaches were really pushing for Fisher and wanting to make him believe that he was their priority at the position.  The fact that Fisher chose Oregon was very disappointing to me, because I think Fisher is going to be an excellent lineman and he has already earned solid reviews in Eugene.

Rodriguez offered just 17 linemen in the class of 2010; one committed (center Christian Pace, who has since left the program).  Rodriguez offered just 13 linemen in the class of 2009; three committed (Taylor Lewan, Michael Schofield, and Quinton Washington, who has switched to defensive tackle).  Furthermore, by the time Rodriguez was fired in January 2011, he only had three offensive linemen committed (Fisher, Jack Miller, and Tony Posada).

The offensive line recruiting at this point has nothing to do with Lloyd Carr.  Carr left behind a mediocre group (Justin Boren, David Molk, and Steve Schilling along with a bunch of journeyman types), but Rodriguez had a few years to fix it.  And while Rodriguez did a decent job of bringing in talent, he clearly didn't bring in enough of it.  This roster is full of Rodriguez recruits, Mark Huyge, David Molk, Rocko Khoury, and Elliott Mealer; Lloyd Carr hasn't coached a game since January 1, 2008, yet two starters and two key backups remain from his regime.  Here's a breakdown of who's responsible for the expected 2012 offensive line:

• Carr: Rocko Khoury, Elliott Mealer
• Rodriguez: Ricky Barnum, Chris Bryant, Taylor Lewan, Jack Miller, Patrick Omameh, Michael Schofield
• Hoke: Blake Bars, Ben Braden, Kyle Kalis, Erik Magnuson, Caleb Stacey (plus a presumed sixth commit)

In other words, the guy responsible for two full recruiting classes and parts of two others will have six guys on the roster . . . and the guys who are responsible for one full recruiting class and parts of two others will have seven or possibly eight guys on the roster.  And keep in mind that, unlike Carr's classes, none of Rodriguez's recruits on the line will have graduated by the beginning of next year.

Lastly, you state that Rodriguez had so many other needs that he couldn't commit more scholarships to linemen.  I think that's a farce.  Every team has 85 scholarships to use.  Every team needs roughly the same number of cornerbacks, receivers, quarterbacks, etc.  Rodriguez had five slot receivers on the roster by the time he started recruiting for 2011 (Martavious Odoms, Jeremy Gallon, Terrence Robinson, Drew Dileo, and D.J. Williamson), yet he still offered five more slot receivers for the 2011 class.  Virtually every coach - except perhaps Rodriguez - would tell you that offensive linemen are more important than slot receivers, but Rodriguez whiffed on too many offensive linemen in the class of 2011.  After taking only one in 2010, he was on his way to taking only three in 2011.  The position group was going to continue to be thin under Rodriguez.  We're talking about a difference of one guy (Fisher) between the current team and the team Rodriguez would have had.

With all that out of the way, take a look at what Hoke is doing now.  He threw out a late offer to Nowicki and didn't get him.  Rather than poaching 3-star linemen from places like Vanderbilt and Purdue, he decided to throw himself into grabbing 4- and 5-star linemen for the class of 2012.  The Wolverines have enough depth for the 2011 season, so we're talking about 2012 (and beyond).  Is a 3-star redshirt freshman loads better than a true freshman Kyle Kalis or Erik Magnuson?  Yes, it's ideal that every lineman redshirts, but that doesn't mean you necessarily take age over talent.

The 2012 offensive line looks to be:

LT: Taylor Lewan
LG: Ricky Barnum
C: Rocko Khoury
RG: Patrick Omameh
RT: Michael Schofield

The backups will be Elliott Mealer, Jack Miller, and Chris Bryant, plus a bunch of freshmen.  It looks like a pretty good starting offensive line, but whether the next guy in is a 3-star redshirt freshman or a 4-star true freshman, there's bound to be a significant drop-off.

I don't blame Hoke for any of the 2011 recruiting class, but I give him credit for Russell Bellomy, Tamani Carter, Keith Heitzman, Antonio Poole, and Matt Wile.  I also don't blame Rodriguez for not getting a viable quarterback in 2008, but I do give him credit for pulling in Ricky Barnum, Justin Feagin, J.T. Floyd, Taylor Hill, Martavious Odoms, Patrick Omameh, Terrence Robinson, Roy Roundtree, and Brandon Smith.  But I will hold Hoke responsible if any of those five players wash out, just like I blame Rodriguez for wasting scholarships on Feagin, Hill, and Smith.

Recruiting Update: October 19, 2011

California WR Jordan Payton

OFF THE BOARD

This guy was already off the board, but Fairless Hills (PA) Pennsbury OT J.J. Denman flipped his commitment from Penn State to Wisconsin.  The 6'6", 305 lb. lineman would appear to fit in well at Wisconsin.  Frankly, I can't think of a single reason for an offensive lineman not to choose to attend Wisconsin right now.  The Badgers have churned out solid offensive linemen over the last several years, including first round picks Joe Thomas (Cleveland Browns) and Gabe Carimi (Chicago Bears); they win all the time and put up all kinds of points; and they get to eat whatever they want.  What's not to like?

POTENTIAL COMMITMENT

Westlake Village (CA) Oaks Christian WR Jordan Payton has set his announcement date for next Tuesday, October 25th.  Payton was formerly committed to USC, and has since been rumored to be a Cal or Michigan lean.  Most recent reports have him leaning toward Michigan.  The 6'2", 199 lb. wideout will be visiting Notre Dame this coming weekend, but the fact that he set his announcement date for immediately following his visit to South Bend suggests that he has already made his decision.  Payton has decent speed, but perhaps more importantly, he knows how to catch the ball and get upfield.  He understands body positioning and body lean and will get every inch that's available to him.  He probably won't be a superstar at the next level, but he could be a very good #2 receiver.

ARMY ALL-AMERICAN BOWL ROSTERS

Since the first waves of offers from the new coaching staff were sent out earlier this year, I noticed that Coach Hoke and Co. seemed to be offering elite players in higher quantities.  That observation has been borne out in numerous ways so far, including the Rivals 250, the Scout 300, the 24/7 Top 247, etc.  To add to the mounting list of evidence, I submit more data for the argument that Michigan is targeting higher quality players than they were under Rich Rodriguez:

Last year 25 of the Army All-American Bowl players sported Michigan offers.  While the 2012 game's rosters have yet to be completed, 50 of the planned participants have offers to play football in Ann Arbor.  Only five of those 50 have committed to Michigan at this point (OG Kyle Kalis, OT Erik Magnuson, LB Royce Jenkins-Stone, LB James Ross, and DT Ondre Pipkins), but if AAB rosters are any indication of elite talent, then Michigan's going after it in spades.

Aside from the four aforementioned players, Michigan still has a good shot at landing the following participants:

• OT Zach Banner
• WR Jordan Payton
• CB Yuri Wright

. . . and an outside shot at grabbing these players:

• ATH Stefon Diggs
• S Elijah Shumate (check out his highlights below)

This is not necessarily meant to be an indictment of Rich Rodriguez, whose recruits are in the midst of having a pretty good season at Michigan right now.  But there are some gaping holes, particularly on the offensive and defensive lines, where the Wolverines are lacking both numbers and talent.  If the Wolverines snatch an additional two of those players listed above, that will make for an incredibly talented first recruiting class for Brady Hoke.