Showing posts with label Josh Furman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Josh Furman. Show all posts

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Josh Furman (right) became a seventh round draft pick at Oklahoma State
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The NFL Draft is over and guys are signing undrafted free agent contracts, so it's time for another ex-Wolverine update. I'm also including the fates of a few coaches, in case you're wondering what some of those guys up to these days.

Former offensive coordinator Al Borges: Borges has been hired as San Jose State's offensive coordinator (LINK). He joins former Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Robinson, who is SJSU's defensive coordinator.

Former offensive line coach Darrell Funk: Funk has been hired as Akron's offensive line coach (LINK).

Former safety Josh Furman: Furman, who spent his fifth year senior season playing linebacker at Oklahoma State, was drafted in the seventh round by the Denver Broncos (LINK).

Hit the jump for more ex-Wolverines, including a list of the fates of all 27 players from the 2010 class.

Saturday, May 2, 2015

2015 NFL Draft Results: Big Ten

Brandon Scherff was the first Big Ten player taken. He went #5 to the Washington Redskins.
For those of you interested in how the Big Ten is doing in the NFL Draft, here's a rundown of all the Big Ten prospects taken. Ohio State led the conference with five draft selections, while Michigan State and Minnesota had four each.

ILLINOIS

INDIANA
3rd: Tevin Coleman - RB - Indiana

IOWA
1st: Brandon Scherff - OG - Redskins
3rd: Carl Davis - DT - Ravens
4th: Andrew Donnal - OT - Rams*

MARYLAND
5th: Stefon Diggs - WR - Vikings*
6th: Darius Kilgo - DT - Broncos

MICHIGAN
2nd: Devin Funchess - WR - Panthers*
2nd: Frank Clark - DE - Seahawks*
4th: Jake Ryan - LB - Packers*
7th: Josh Furman - LB - Broncos*#

MICHIGAN STATE
1st: Trae Waynes - CB - Vikings
4th: Jeremy Langford - RB - Bears
5th: Tony Lippett - WR - Dolphins
5th: Keith Mumphery - WR - Texans

MINNESOTA
2nd: Maxx Williams - TE - Ravens
4th: Damien Wilson - LB - Cowboys
5th: David Cobb - RB - Titans
5th: Cedric Thompson - FS - Dolphins

NEBRASKA
2nd: Ameer Abdullah - RB - Lions*
2nd: Randy Gregory - OLB - Cowboys
5th: Kenny Bell - WR - Buccaneers

NORTHWESTERN
4th: Ibraheim Campbell - SS - Browns
7th: Trevor Siemian - QB - Broncos

OHIO STATE
2nd: Devin Smith - WR - Jets*
3rd: Jeff Heuerman - TE - Broncos*
4th: Doran Grant - CB - Steelers*
6th: Michael Bennett - DT - Jaguars*
6th: Evan Spencer - WR - Redskins

PENN STATE
2nd: Donovan Smith - OT - Buccaneers
5th: Adrian Amos - FS - Bears
5th: Jesse James - TE - Steelers

PURDUE
5th: Ryan Russell - DE - Cowboys

RUTGERS
3rd: Tyler Kroft - TE - Bengals
5th: Michael Burton - FB - Lions

WISCONSIN
1st: Melvin Gordon - RB - Chargers*
2nd: Rob Havenstein - OT - Rams

#Played his fifth year at Oklahoma State
*Offered by Michigan

Monday, January 5, 2015

Ex-Wolverine Updates: Post-Bowl Edition

Oregon offensive tackle Jake Fisher was first team all-conference
The national championship game still remains for Gareon Conley at Ohio State and Jake Fisher at Oregon, but otherwise, the former Wolverines are finished with their college seasons. Here's a look at what former players, commits, and coaches accomplished during the 2014 season.

Former DT Richard Ash: Ash's Western Michigan Broncos lost to Air Force in the Idaho Potato Bowl by a score of 38-24. Ash made 2 tackles in the game, finishing the year with 42 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 2 pass breakups, and 2 blocked kicks. The Broncos went 8-5 on the year.

Former TE commit Pharaoh Brown: Brown suffered a nasty knee injury in game ten, so he has missed a chunk of Oregon's run to the national championship game. He still put up pretty darn good numbers with 25 catches, 420 yards (16.8 yards/catch), and 6 touchdowns, and those were good enough to earn him First Team All-Pac 12 honors. He played too much of this season to get a medical redshirt, so he will presumably return to playing as a true senior in 2015 as long as his knee heals well.

Former CB Cullen Christian: Christian was declared academically ineligible for West Virginia's Liberty Bowl appearance against Texas A&M, which the Aggies won by a score of 45-37. The Mountaineers went 7-6 this season and didn't get much help from Christian, who made 5 total tackles on the year as a backup safety.

Hit the jump for the rest of the rundown.

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Jay Hopson
Former DT Richard Ash: Ash's Western Michigan Broncos will play the Air Force Falcons in the Idaho Potato Bowl on December 20th. Ash has 40 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and 2 blocked kicks so far this season.

Former CB Cullen Christian: Christian's West Virginia Mountaineers will play the Texas A&M Aggies in the Liberty Bowl on December 29th. Christian has made 5 tackles this year.

Former CB commit Gareon Conley, former DT Chris Rock: Conley made 1 tackle in Ohio State's 59-0 win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship game. That win propelled the Buckeyes to the #4 spot in the College Football Playoff rankings, and they will play #1 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl on January 1st.

Former CB commit Dallas Crawford, K commit Matt Goudis: Their Miami Hurricanes will play the South Carolina Gamecocks in the Independence Bowl on December 27th. Crawford has 35 tackles, .5 tackles for loss, and 2 pass breakups this year. Goudis was 4/6 on field goals and 6/6 on extra points this year but a back injury forced him to miss the final ten games of the year.

Former S Joshua Furman: Furman's Oklahoma State Cowboys will play the Washington Huskies in the Cactus Bowl on January 2nd. This past weekend Furman helped upset the Oklahoma Sooners in overtime with a 38-35 victory. Furman made 2 tackles in the game. He now has 58 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 4 pass breakups on the year.

Former RB commit Demetrius Hart: Hart's Colorado State Rams will play the Utah Utes in the Las Vegas Bowl on December 20th. Hart has rushed for 1,254 yards (6.7 yards/carry) and 16 touchdowns so far this year.

Former linebackers coach Jay Hopson: Hopson, now the head coach at Alcorn State, won the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championship with a 38-24 victory over Southern. After a 4-7 start to his head coaching career in 2012, he is now 19-6 in the last two seasons.

Former RB Thomas Rawls: Rawls's Central Michigan Chippewas will play the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in the Bahamas Bowl on December 24th. Rawls has rushed for 1,103 yards (5.3 yards/carry) and 10 touchdowns this year.

Former head coach Rich Rodriguez: Rodriguez's Arizona Wildcats were blasted by Oregon in the Pac-12 championship game by a score of 51-13. They are currently 10-3 and will play the Boise State Broncos in the Fiesta Bowl on December 31st.

Former S Ray Vinopal: Vinopal's Pitt Panthers will play the Houston Cougars in the Armed Forces Bowl on January 2nd. Vinopal has 61 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and 5 pass breakups on the year.

Former CB commit Adrian Witty: Witty's Cincinnati Bearcats will play the Virginia Tech Hokies in the Military Bowl on December 27th. Witty has made 3 tackles this year but has not played in the final eleven games, though I cannot find any information on why he has been out.

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Demetrius Hart goes airborne for one of his six scores
Former DT Richard Ash: Ash had 4 tackles and 1 pass knockdown in Western Michigan's 32-20 win over Central Michigan.

Former S Josh Furman: Furman made 2 tackles in Oklahoma State's 49-28 loss to #6 Baylor. After starting off 5-1, the Cowboys have now lost five in a row and will be fighting for bowl eligibility next week against Oklahoma.

Former RB commit Demetrius Hart: Hart carried the ball 20 times for 230 yards and 5 touchdowns in Colorado State's 58-20 win over New Mexico. He also caught 2 passes for 42 yards and 1 touchdown. His receiving touchdown was from 20 yards out, and his rushing scores came from 76, 55, 6, 4, and 2 yards. He's now up to 1,139 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns this year on a 7.0 yard average.

Former RB Thomas Rawls: Rawls had 19 carries for 76 yards and 2 catches for 10 yards in Central Michigan's 32-20 loss to Western Michigan.

Former head coach Rich Rodriguez: Rodriguez and his Arizona Wildcats beat #20 Utah by a score of 42-10. That's the same Utah team that beat Michigan 26-10. I wonder how badly Arizona would beat Michigan right now. Anyway, running back Nick Wilson had 20 carries for 218 yards and 3 touchdowns. The team is 9-2 with a game next week against a pretty good Arizona State team.

Former S Ray Vinopal: In Pitt's 30-7 win over Syracuse, Vinopal had 5 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 pass breakup. Pitt will be fighting for bowl eligibility next week against Miami.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Josh Furman (#14) attempts to tackle Texas's Tyrone Swoopes
Former DT Richard Ash: Ash made 1 tackle in Western Michigan's 51-7 beatdown of Eastern Michigan.

Former CB commit Dallas Crawford: Crawford made 2 tackles in Miami-FL's 30-26 loss to Florida State.

Former S Josh Furman: Furman had 5 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 1 sack in Oklahoma State's 28-7 loss to Texas. Oklahoma State started off 5-1, but they have since lost four in a row to Big 12 opponents. Furman has 54 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 4 pass breakups, and 1 interception on the season.

Former linebackers coach Jay Hopson: Hopson, now the head coach at Alcorn State, moved to 9-2 on the season with a 56-6 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Former RB Thomas Rawls: Rawls had 3 carries for 16 yards in Central Michigan's 34-27 victory over Miami-OH.

Former head coach Rich Rodriguez: Rodriguez's Arizona Wildcats beat Washington by a score of 27-26. The Huskies were ahead 26-24 with three seconds remaining when Arizona kicker Casey Skowron missed a potential game-winning field goal, but Washington head coach Chris Petersen had called a timeout to ice the kicker. Skowron hit the field goal on his second try and Arizona pulled out the win. Arizona is now 8-2 on the year.

Former S Ray Vinopal: Vinopal had 5 tackles in Pitt's 40-35 loss to North Carolina.

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Former Michigan DT Richard Ash (#9) with his cousin, Rontavious Atkins (image via MLive)
Former DT Richard Ash: Ash had 2 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 sack in Western Michigan's 41-10 win over Miami-OH. He now has 29 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 1 pass breakup, and 1 blocked kick on the season. While looking for a picture to post (which is above), I came across this somewhat enlightening story about Ash's childhood in Florida (LINK).

Former TE commit Pharaoh Brown: The Oregon Ducks usually struggle with Stanford, but not this time. The Ducks beat the Cardinal by a score of 45-14. Brown had 2 catches for 36 yards.

Former CB commit Gareon Conley: Conley had 3 tackles in Ohio State's 55-14 victory over Illinois.

Former LB Josh Furman: After a promising 5-1 start to the season, Oklahoma State has lost three in a row. This week they got blown out by Kansas State by a score of 48-14. Furman had 2 tackles in the loss.

Former RB commit Demetrius Hart: Hart had 24 carries for 104 yards and 4 touchdowns in Colorado State's 38-31 win over San Jose State. This seven-game win streak is CSU's longest win streak since 1997. They are now 8-1. San Jose State's defense is coordinated by former Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Robinson.

Former head coach Rich Rodriguez: Arizona scored a touchdown a couple minutes into the game, and then their offense completely sputtered. They lost to UCLA by a score of 17-7. Wildcats quarterback Anu Solomono completed just 18/48 passes for 175 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 pick, and they were held to 80 rushing yards on 31 carries.

Former recruits WR Laquon Treadwell (Ole Miss) and LB Kris Frost (Auburn): Neither one was ever committed to Michigan, but both were really, really close. At the end of Saturday's game, Treadwell caught a screen pass and nearly scored a touchdown before Frost tackled him from behind, falling on Treadwell's leg and breaking it in the process. Meanwhile, Treadwell understandably fumbled the ball just inches from the goal line, so while the play was initially ruled as a potential game-winning touchdown, replay determined that it was a fumble recovered by Auburn. The Tigers won by a score of 35-31. WARNING: Don't watch the video if you're squeamish about seeing broken extremities.

Former S Ray Vinopal: Pitt lost a shootout in double-overtime to Duke by a score of 51-48. Vinopal had 7 tackles in the loss. Pitt piled up 358 rushing yards, including 263 from James Conner - who had ZERO negative-yardage plays.

Monday, October 27, 2014

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Oregon tight end Pharaoh Brown (image via Statesman Journal)
Former DT Richard Ash: Ash had 6 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks in Western Michigan's 42-21 win over Ohio. He helped hold the Bobcats to 88 yards on 36 rushing attempts (2.4 yards/carry).

Former TE commit Pharaoh Brown: Brown caught 2 passes for 30 yards and 2 touchdowns (21 and 9 yards) in Oregon's 59-41 win over Cal on Friday night. Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota finally threw his first interception on the year.

Former CB commit Dallas Crawford: Crawford had 2 tackles and .5 tackles for loss in Miami's 30-6 win over Virginia Tech.

Former S Josh Furman: Furman had 8 tackles and 1 tackle for loss in Oklahoma State's 34-10 loss to West Virginia.

Former RB commit Demetrius Hart: Hart had 13 carries for 87 yards and 1 catch for 21 yards in Colorado State's 45-31 victory over Wyoming.

Former linebackers coach Jay Hopson: Hopson and his Alcorn State Braves improved to 7-2 on the season with a 77-48 win over Prairie View A&M. Alcorn State gained 699 total yards (337 rushing, 362 passing) in a balanced attack, but they also gave up 545.

Former RB Thomas Rawls: Rawls had 3 carries for 4 yards in Central Michigan's 20-14 victory over Ball State.

Former head coach Rich Rodriguez: Rodriguez and his Arizona Wildcats beat Washington State by a score of 59-37. Arizona was outgained (543 to 491) in total yardage, but they returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown and also returned a late WSU onside kick for a touchdown. Meanwhile, quarterback Anu Solomon threw for 294 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions.

Former S Ray Vinopal: Vinopal had 7 tackles and 1 tackle for loss, but Pitt lost to Georgia Tech by a score of 56-28. Five players for Georgia Tech had more than 50 yards rushing, and the Yellowjackets averaged 7.3 yards/carry.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Pharaoh Brown (image via Daily Emerald)
Former DT Richard Ash: Ash made 1 tackle in Western Michigan's 26-14 victory over Bowling Green.

Former TE commit Pharaoh Brown: Brown had 3 receptions for a career-high 99 yards in Oregon's 45-20 victory over Washington. He has 18 catches for 314 yards (17.4 yards/catch) and 3 touchdowns on the season.

Former CB commit Gareon Conley: Conley made 2 tackles and 1 pass breakup in Ohio State's 56-17 dismantling of Rutgers.

Former S Josh Furman: Oklahoma State suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of TCU, 42-9. Furman made 5 tackles and 1 tackle for loss in the defeat. He now has 39 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 1 interception, 3 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble.

Former RB commit Demetrius Hart: Hart's Colorado State team beat Utah State by a score of 16-13. Hart ran the ball 12 times for 60 yards (5.0 yards/carry) and 1 touchdown, and he caught 1 pass for 9 yards.

Former linebackers coach Jay Hopson: Hopson, now the head coach at Alcorn State, went to 6-2 with a 40-25 win over Texas Southern. The two losses came against Southern Mississippi in week two and Grambling State on October 11th. Hopson is 19-12 as a head coach in two-plus seasons.

Former RB Thomas Rawls: Rawls nearly continued his streak of 200+ yard rushing games, but alas, he ended this week's contest with 37 carries for 181 yards (4.9 yards/carry) and 1 touchdown. He also caught 1 pass for 6 yards, but Central Michigan lost to Ball State by a score of 32-29. Rawls passed the 1,000-yard barrier for the season and now has 1,007 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.

Former S Ray Vinopal: Vinopal had 3 tackles and 2 pass breakups in Pitt's 21-16 victory over Virginia Tech.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Thomas Rawls (#34, image via NW Herald)
Former DT Richard Ash: Ash made 6 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 pass breakup in Western Michigan's 42-38 victory over Ball State.

Former TE commit Pharaoh Brown: Brown caught 5 passes for 84 yards and 1 touchdown in Oregon's 42-30 victory over UCLA. That's a season high in receptions and yards, and it's his third touchdown reception of the season.

Former CB commit Dallas Crawford: Crawford made 4 tackles in Miami's 55-34 win over Cincinnati.

Former S Josh Furman: Furman made 4 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, and the game-clinching interception (returned for 35 yards) in Oklahoma State's 27-20 victory over Kansas.

Former RB commit Demetrius Hart: Hart carried the ball 23 times for 90 yards and 1 touchdown in Colorado State's 31-24 win over Nevada.

Former RB Thomas Rawls: Rawls had a second straight 200-yard game on Saturday when Central Michigan beat Northern Illinois by a score of 34-17. Rawls carried the ball 40 times for 275 yards (6.75 yards/carry) and 2 touchdowns. On the season he has 153 carries for 842 yards (5.5 yards/carry) and 9 touchdowns.

Former head coach Rich Rodriguez: Arizona ascended to #10 in the rankings before getting knocked off by USC by a score of 28-26 on Saturday night. The team managed just 77 yards on 29 carries, so Rodriguez resorted to calling 72 passes. Quarterback Anu Solomon was 43/72 for 395 yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Kicker Casey Skowron was just 2/5 on field goals. Arizona is now 5-1.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Demetrius Hart (#10)
Former DT Richard Ash: Ash made 2 tackles and blocked an extra point in Western Michigan's 35-17 loss to the Virginia Tech Hokies.

Former S Josh Furman: Furman made 4 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 pass breakup in Oklahoma State's 45-35 victory over Texas Tech. He now has 20 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 3 pass breakups in four games for the Cowboys.

Former RB commit Demetrius Hart: Hart carried the ball 10 times for 117 yards in Colorado State's 24-21 victory over Boston College. He also caught 2 passes for 17 yards, returned 2 punts for 17 yards, and returned 2 kickoffs for 56 yards. Altogether this year, he has 310 yards rushing, averages 6.2 yards/carry, and has scored 2 touchdowns.

Former RB Thomas Rawls: Rawls was reinstated to Central Michigan's team after some legal trouble and played in CMU's 42-28 loss to Toledo. He had 17 carries for 65 yards and 2 touchdowns, plus 1 catch for 4 yards. He now has 343 yards rushing, averages 4.7 yards/carry, and has 5 rushing touchdowns on the season.

Former S Ray Vinopal: In an upset 21-10 loss to Akron, Pitt safety Vinopal made 5 tackles, 1 interception, and 1 pass breakup.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Josh Furman (#14) had 2 sacks this week
Former DT Richard Ash: Ash had 2 tackles in Western Michigan's 45-33 win over Idaho.

Former TE commit Pharaoh Brown: Brown had 4 catches for 46 yards in Oregon's 48-14 victory over Wyoming.

Former CB commit Gareon Conley: Conley had 1 tackle as Ohio State beat Kent State by a score of 66-0.

Former CB commit Dallas Crawford: In Miami's 41-20 win over Arkansas State, Crawford had 5 tackles from his safety position.

Former S Joshua Furman: Furman had 6 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 1 pass breakup in Oklahoma State's 43-13 victory over the University of Texas-San Antonio. He's been impressing as a starting outside linebacker for the Cowboys.

Former RB commit Demetrius Hart: Hart's Colorado State team beat UC-Davis by a score of 49-21. Hart had 8 carries for 38 yards, 3 catches for 34 yards, and 2 punt returns for 4 yards.

Former RB Thomas Rawls: For undisclosed reasons, Rawls did not play in Central Michigan's 40-3 loss to Syracuse. UPDATE: Rawls allegedly was involved in stealing a purse at a casino and subsequently using the stolen credit card to buy gasoline and sub sandwiches.

Former head coach Rich Rodriguez: Arizona eked out a 35-28 win over Nevada, which moves the Wildcats to 3-0. Anu Solomon completed 22/26 passes for 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. Running back Nick Wilson had his second straight performance of 170+ rushing yards, with 28 carries for 174 yards and 2 scores.

Former S Ray Vinopal: In Pitt's 42-25 win over Florida International, Vinopal had 3 tackles and 1 quarterback hurry.

Former CB commit Adrian Witty: Witty had 3 tackles in Cincinnati's 58-34 win over Toledo.

Former WR Csont'e York: York has enrolled as a student at Toledo, but he is not yet a part of the football program. I imagine he will play football at some point unless the court throws the book at him for the assault that got him kicked out of Michigan.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Thomas Rawls (#34) had 155 yards and 2 touchdowns this week
Former CB Cullen Christian: Christian had 2 tackles in West Virginia's 54-0 demolishing of Towson.

Former CB commit Gareon Conley: Conley had 2 tackles as #8 Ohio State lost to unranked Virginia Tech by a score of 35-21.

Former CB commit Dallas Crawford: In Miami's 41-7 win over Florida A&M, Crawford - now a safety - had 2 tackles.

Former S Joshua Furman: Furman had 5 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 1 pass breakup in Oklahoma State's 40-23 win over Southwest Missouri State.

Former K commit Matt Goudis: Goudis was 2/4 on field goals and 5/5 on extra points in Miami's 41-7 win over Florida A&M.

Former RB commit Demetrius Hart: Hart's Colorado State team lost to Boise State by a score of 37-24. Hart had 10 carries for 16 yards and 2 catches for 17 yards.

Former RB Thomas Rawls: Rawls, a Central Michigan Chippewa now, had 31 carries for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns (from 2 and 16 yards), plus 3 catches for 50 yards. Central Michigan beat Purdue by a score of 38-17.

Former head coach Rich Rodriguez: Arizona barely pulled out a 26-23 victory over the University of Texas-San Antonio, which would have been an embarrassing loss for the Wildcats. UTSA pulled within a field goal with over seven minutes remaining in the game, but they couldn't finish off the comeback. Running back Nick Wilson ran for 174 yards and 1 touchdown, while wideout Cayleb Jones caught 4 balls for 143 yards, including an 85-yard touchdown on the first play of the game.

Former S Ray Vinopal: Vinopal had 5 tackles and 1 interception, which he returned for 13 yards, in Pitt's 30-20 win over Boston College.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Josh Furman puts pressure on Jameis Winston in the Cowboy's 37-31 loss (image via KansasCity)
Former DT Richard Ash: Ash started at defensive tackle and made 7 tackles and 3 tackles for loss in Western Michigan's 43-34 loss to Purdue.

Former TE commit Pharaoh Brown: Brown caught 2 passes for 32 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown, in Oregon's 62-13 win over South Dakota.

Former CB commit Gareon Conley: Conley played but did not record any statistics in Ohio State's 34-17 win over Navy.

Former CB commit Dallas Crawford: Crawford - who played well as a running back last season - is now a starting safety for Miami. He made 7 tackles and 1 pass breakup in Miami's 31-13 loss to Louisville.

Former S Joshua Furman: Furman started at linebacker for Oklahoma State and made 5 tackles. The Cowboys played well against defending national champion Florida State, but ultimately lost by a score of 37-31.

Former K commit Matt Goudis: Goudis was 2/2 on field goals and 1/1 on extra points, but Miami lost to Louisville by a score of 31-13.

Former RB commit Demetrius Hart: Hart had 22 carries for 139 yards and 2 touchdowns, plus 3 catches for 35 yards, in Colorado State's 31-17 win over Colorado.

Former RB Thomas Rawls: Rawls carried the ball 25 times for 121 yards and 1 touchdown in Central Michigan's 20-16 win over Chattanooga. He also caught 2 passes for 7 yards.

Former head coach Rich Rodriguez: Arizona beat UNLV by a score of 58-13. New quarterback Anu Solomon went 25/44 for 425 yards and 4 touchdowns, and two running backs - senior Terris Jones-Grigsby and freshman Nick Wilson - rushed for over 100 yards.

Former CB commit Anthony Standifer: Standifer had 1 tackle in Eastern Illinois' 42-20 loss to Minnesota.

Former S Ray Vinopal: Vinopal made 2 tackles in Pitt's 62-0 win over Delaware.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Ex-Wolverine Update: Another Pre-Season Edition

Demetrius Hart (#1) has moved on from Alabama to Colorado State (image via 247 Sports)
Former DT Richard Ash: I already reported that Ash will be playing for Western Michigan this fall. What I didn't know until recently is that he will wear the #9 as a defensive tackle. You have to love single-digit numbers on defensive linemen, especially tackles.

Former S Josh Furman: Furman is listed as a 6'2", 202 lb. linebacker for Oklahoma State. He's #1 on the depth chart at "Star," and you can see why they wanted him - his backup is a 6'2", 190 lb. freshman, and the other four players on the linebacker two-deep are one junior, two sophomores, and another freshman. They open against Florida State on August 30th.

Former RB commit Demetrius Hart: Hart is a grad transfer from Alabama to Colorado State. He struggled to break through at Alabama and had some off-the-field troubles, but former Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Jim McElwain is now at CSU. Now Hart is trying to earn the starting gig for the Rams. They open against Colorado on August 29th.

Former LB Kaleb Ringer: Ringer - and his brother - are not listed on Ferris State's football roster this fall.

Former CB commit Anthony Standifer: Standifer was booted from Ole Miss's program after getting into some trouble, and he now appears on the roster of Eastern Illinois (his home state), which plays in the FCS's Ohio Valley Conference.

Former OT commit Denzel Ward: Ward is listed as a 6'8", 353 lb. freshman offensive tackle for Syracuse.

Former DE/DT Ken Wilkins: Wilkins appears on the California University of Pennsylvania football roster as a junior 6'3", 250 lb. defensive lineman. It is a destination for some former big-time football players, including Jeff Knox (a former Pitt player who was booted for attacking a girl who told him she was pregnant) and Desimon Green (a former Texas Tech commit).

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Ex-Wolverine Updates: Pre-Season 2014

This is Cullen Christian. He used to play for Michigan. Then he played for Pitt.
Now he's a Mountaineer.
DT Richard Ash: After spending his first four years of college at Michigan, Ash became a grad year transfer to Western Michigan, where he is listed as a 6'3", 314 lb. defensive tackle. He had 3 tackles as a redshirt junior in 2013.

Defensive backs coach Vance Bedford: Bedford is the new defensive coordinator at Texas. He spent 2010-2013 as defensive coordinator at Louisville before moving with head coach Charlie Strong to Austin.

Safeties coach Adam Braithwaite: Braithwaite is in his second season as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Tennessee-Chattanooga.

TE Pharaoh Brown: Brown is listed as a 6'6", 241 lb. junior tight end for Oregon. He had 10 receptions for 123 yards and 2 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2013.

Wide receivers coach Erik Campbell: Campbell spent last season as the wide receivers coach for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.

CB Cullen Christian: Christian is listed as a 6'0", 195 lb. safety for West Virginia. He spent the 2010 season at Michigan before transferring to Pitt, where he was from 2011-2013. He played in just two games as a redshirt junior at Pitt due to injury.

CB Gareon Conley: Conley is listed as a 6'0", 190 lb. redshirt freshman for Ohio State.

CB Dallas Crawford: Crawford is listed as a 5'10", 195 lb. defensive back for Miami. That's right - Crawford is going to play safety for Miami after he was the backup and injury fill-in for Duke Johnson in 2013, when Crawford ran 137 times for 558 yards and 12 touchdowns and caught 20 passes for 171 yards and 1 touchdown.

Hit the jump for updates on over 20 more former Wolverines.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Josh Furman, Ex-Wolverine

Josh Furman blocked this punt against Nebraska in 2011
Safety Josh Furman, who would have been a fifth year senior in 2014, has decided to leave the program one year early, joining running back Thomas Rawls and defensive tackle Richard Ash in departing.

Furman committed to Michigan in December 2009 over teams like Oklahoma and Virginia Tech. I did not write a commitment post for him at the time, as the blog was still in its infancy stages. However, I did write a scouting report on him the previous month. At the time, I assumed he would bulk up and turn into a linebacker, and once he signed with the Wolverines, I thought he would play on the weakside. You may notice that I questioned his coverage abilities and said he would be too stiff to play defensive back in college. Players who move back in a defense (from DE to LB, or from LB to S) tend to struggle more, and Furman is no exception. He had the potential to be a quality linebacker for the Wolverines, but he turned into a below average safety.

Furman never added the weight to become a linebacker and finished his Michigan career as a 6'2", 202 lb. safety. With starting safety Thomas Gordon suspended to begin the year, Furman made his first career start in the opener and went on to start three games this past season. Altogether, he finished with 11 tackles and 1 pass breakup on the season. In 30 games played over his career, he totaled 29 tackles and the 1 pass breakup. Most of those tackles came on special teams coverage, which was perhaps the best trait he provided to Michigan during his career.

It is unclear where Furman will end up, but most players end up transferring closer to home. Perhaps he'll end up at Maryland or Temple, or he might even move down a level to play in the FCS. He's the 19th member of the 27-man 2010 class to depart before running out of eligibility.

Michigan is left rather thin at safety with Furman's departure and the graduations of Thomas Gordon and Courtney Avery. The Wolverines return one starter in the form of junior Jarrod Wilson, but other contributions will have to come from untested players like redshirt sophomore Jeremy Clark, sophomore Dymonte Thomas, sophomore Delano Hill, position switchers, or freshmen. My initial expectation is that Wilson and Thomas will be the starters at safety next season.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Preview: Defensive Backs

Safety Ty Zimmerman is a potential game-changer at safety if he's healthy.
MICHIGAN
Starters:
 The headliner of this group is redshirt sophomore Blake Countess (5'10", 182 lbs.), who's tied for #5 in the country with 6 picks and is #3 in return yards with 169, including a touchdown. He also has 42 tackles and 4 pass breakups to his name. Countess starts on the outside but will slide into the slot when Michigan goes to its nickel packages. The other starter at corner is junior Raymon Taylor (5'10", 183 lbs.), who's tied for the team lead with 81 tackles and has 4 picks and 9 pass breakups of his own. Taylor racks up a lot of tackles because teams attack him instead of Countess, but he's a solid tackler when receivers catch the ball near him. The other sure starter in the defensive backfield is fifth year senior strong safety Thomas Gordon (5'11", 213 lbs.), a guy who lacks speed and isn't a headhunter but who usually seems to be in the right spot; he has 49 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, and 2 pass breakups this year despite missing two games. The likely starter at free safety is sophomore Jarrod Wilson (6'2", 200 lbs.), a potentially violent hitter who sometimes gets caught out of position; he has 45 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, and 2 pass breakups.
Backups: Wilson has lost some playing time to senior Courtney Avery (5'11", 175 lbs.), who has bounced back and forth between corner, slot corner, and safety throughout his career; he has 30 tackles and .5 sacks on the year but looks to have lost a step after an injury over the summer and has been inconsistent. Redshirt junior Josh Furman (6'2", 202 lbs.) is a linebacker in a safety's body, and he has just 11 tackles and 1 pass breakup on the year, despite earning two starts and a variety of backup duty. He can be taken advantage of through the air. At cornerback, when Countess slides into the slot, he's replaced by one of two freshmen: Channing Stribling (6'2", 171 lbs., 15 tackles) or Jourdan Lewis (5'10", 170 lbs., 17 tackles, 2 pass breakups). Whoever has the best week of practice is the one who earns the role that game, so we'll just have to wait and see who gets the nod.

KANSAS STATE
Starters: Fifth year senior safety Ty Zimmerman (6'1", 204 lbs.) is the leader of the group and has been a First Team All-Big 12 selection in both 2012 and 2013; he has 70 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions (2 returned for touchdowns), and 4 pass breakups this season. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, he missed the final two regular season games and is questionable for the bowl game. Sophomore fellow safety Dante Barnett (6'1", 186 lbs.) has 67 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, and 3 pass breakups. The Wildcats spend a lot of time in a nickel package, so the fifth defensive back - a safety/linebacker hybrid - is redshirt junior Randall Evans (6'0", 190 lbs.), who has 59 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 interceptions, and 10 pass breakups. The cornerbacks are solid but did not earn any all-conference accolades. Fifth year senior Kip Daily (5'11", 180 lbs.) has 47 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 4 pass breakups on the year, while fifth year senior Dorrian Roberts (5'10", 168 lbs.) has 37 stops, 2.5 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, and 8 pass breakups. Roberts is rather inexperienced after playing in junior college for two years, redshirting in 2011, and not seeing the field at all in 2012.
Backups: Redshirt junior Dylan Schellenberg (6'0", 189 lbs.) has been starting in Zimmerman's stead, and he has 19 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 interception on the year. Fifth year senior Carl Miles, Jr. (5'11", 190 lbs.) has 6 tackles and 1 pass breakup on the season, but he and the other backups are rarely used. Other than subbing Evans in and out for a linebacker, the Wildcats go with their starting unit almost the whole game.

THE TAKEAWAY
Michigan is #62 in the nation giving up 238 yards/game through the air, but much of that is due to teams throwing instead of running on a stout run defense; they're #32 in passer efficiency rating defense. Kansas State is #24 in the latter category and tied for #47 nationally at 222 yards allowed/game. Two of KSU's worst three games against the pass were in recent games against TCU and Oklahoma before righting the ship against a pathetic Kansas Jayhawks squad. They rank #20 in the country with 16 interceptions on the year. If Zimmerman is unable to go, the Wildcats are without any real playmakers in the defensive backfield, though. Michigan is #17 in interceptions with 17 this year, and the two starting corners are the strength of the backfield with 10 interceptions and 13 pass breakups between them. The safety play leaves a little bit to be desired between a lack of discipline (Wilson) and athleticism (Gordon). Despite having a better defensive unit against the pass, the better group of defensive backs play for . . .

ADVANTAGE: Michigan

Monday, December 2, 2013

Michigan vs. Ohio State Awards

Devin Funchess had 4 catches for 41 yards and 1 touchdown 
Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Drew Dileo. I wish Dileo (5 catches, 60 yards, 1 touchdown) had another year left in him. I just think he's one of the more dependable peripheral wide receivers at Michigan. He has had a couple balls go through his hands this year, but this passing offense goes a whole lot better when he's in the game, as compared to . . . say . . . Jeremy Jackson.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . Power Al Borges. It's crazy how Michigan's offense started to get going a little bit once Borges realized that Michigan can't overpower teams with a bunch of baby-faced offensive linemen and a 195 lb. tailback. He went from a power team with a finesse running back to a finesse team with power running backs, and now things seem to be clicking a little bit.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Ben Gedeon. Actually, I want James Ross to return to his WILL position as soon as possible, but Gedeon's someone I'm looking forward to watching develop over the next couple years. The coaching staff has done a good job of identifying talent at the inside linebacker positions, and Gedeon (6 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack) has looked solid for a true freshman who got thrown into the fire due to injuries.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Josh Furman. Furman (3 tackles, 1 pass breakup) gets lost out there. He was beaten for a 53-yard touchdown early, was slow to react in the running game, and took some bad angles. Hopefully Jarrod Wilson can return from his injury in time for the bowl game.

Play of the game . . . Devin Funchess's bubble screen. In a play reminiscent of the Indiana game, Funchess took a bubble screen to the right, leaped over cornerback Doran Grant, and sprinted up the right sideline for 22 yards before getting pushed out of bounds. This isn't anything new, but for a 6'5", 235 lb. guy to make these kinds of plays is pretty amazing.

Player of the game . . . Devin Gardner. Gardner had his second-best game ever with a 32/45 effort that resulted in 451 yards and 4 touchdowns, along with 9 carries for 10 yards and 1 touchdown. A chunk of that came with a bum ankle. That's the most passing yards and touchdowns in the history of The Game. He looked beaten up for the past few games, but he looked rejuvenated in this one. Honorable mention goes to Jake Butt (5 catches, 85 yards, 1 touchdown) and Jeremy Gallon (9 catches, 175 yards, 1 touchdown).

Monday, September 2, 2013

Michigan vs. Central Michigan Awards

Devin Gardner's second rushing touchdown against Central Michigan (image via AnnArbor.com)
Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Derrick Green. Green is not a game changer at this point, and he does look a few pounds overweight. If he's the listed 240 lbs. right now, I think he could afford to play at 225-230. But he did look faster than the guy who was #2 on the depth chart, Drake Johnson. Johnson sprained his knee and may have to miss some time, anyway, but Green looked to me like the second-best back on the roster and led the team in rushing yardage with 11 carries for 58 yards and 1 touchdown.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . Graham Glasgow. I thought redshirt sophomore former walk-on left guard Glasgow was the weak link on the offensive line. He had two false starts and didn't seem to get much push. Word was that redshirt sophomore Chris Bryant would have started if not for getting his knee drained last week, but when healthy, I think Bryant should be ahead of Glasgow.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Cameron Gordon. Gordon is the starting SAM linebacker while Jake Ryan is injured, and the former ended this game with 4 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 1 pass breakup. He should continue to start until Ryan returns, but once that happens, Greg Mattison needs to find a way to get both Ryan and Gordon on the field. Gordon is too good of an athlete and a playmaker to keep on the bench. If that means putting Frank Clark at strongside end, Ryan at weakside end, and Gordon at SAM on passing downs, so be it.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Josh Furman. Furman started at strong safety in place of the suspended Thomas Gordon, and while Furman did a fair job of keeping things in front of him, he's just somewhat slow at reading plays. He showed some nice makeup speed on plays to the sideline in Cover 2, and he helped hunt down a running back near the sideline deep in Michigan's territory to prevent a touchdown. But ultimately, Gordon is the better safety at this point, and he needs to be on the field first.

Play of the game . . . the punt block for a touchdown. At the end of Central Michigan's first possession, Michigan overloaded CMU's right side and went for the punt block. True freshman safety Dymonte Thomas exploded off the line, came around the corner, and made a textbook block by laying out for the ball and aiming right for the toe of the punter. Former walk-on wideout Joe Reynolds picked up the ball and took it 22 yards for a touchdown to start the scoring.

MVP of the game . . . Devin Gardner. Gardner finished 10/15 for 162 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions, plus 7 carries for 52 yards and 2 touchdowns. He wasn't entirely focused early, which resulted in those two picks. In the end, though, he accounted for three touchdowns and kept plays alive with his feet. His two rushing touchdowns included some smooth cuts to juke defenders, and he also threw a great deep ball to Joe Reynolds on a play action pass on which he turned his back to the defense for an uncomfortably long time.