Ex-Wolverines Update: Post-Season Edition

Ray Vinopal had arguably the best season of any former Michigan player.

S/LB Isaiah Bell: Bell played for Lake Erie College and ended the year with 14 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble return for a 97-yard touchdown. His college career is complete.

TE Pharaoh Brown: Brown missed the early part of the season due to injury, and he finished the year with 10 catches for 123 yards (12.3 yards/catch) and 2 touchdowns. His two touchdowns came in the only two losses Oregon suffered, so I bet Ducks fans hope he goes scoreless next year. He will be a junior and likely full-time starter in 2014.

CB Cullen Christian: Christian made just 2 tackles as a backup defensive back at Pitt this year. He will be a fifth year senior in the fall.

CB Gareon Conley: Conley redshirted as a freshman at Ohio State. He will be a redshirt freshman in the fall.

CB Dallas Crawford: Crawford became Miami's starter after Duke Johnson got hurt. Crawford finished the season with 137 carries for 558 yards (4.1 yards/carry) and 12 touchdowns, caught 20 passes for 171 yards (8.6 yards/catch) and 1 touchdown, and returned 4 punts for 27 yards (6.8 yards/return). He will be a redshirt junior in the fall and will likely return to backup duty behind Johnson.

S Vladimir Emilien: As a backup outside linebacker for the Toledo Rockets, Emilien ended the year with 15 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 fumble recovery. His college career is finished.

K Anthony Fera: Texas's starting placekicker and punter was 20/22 (90.9%) on field goals and 45/46 (97.8%) on extra points. He also averaged 40.7 yards on 75 punts. His college career is complete.

K Matt Goudis: Goudis was 13/17 on field goals (76.5%) and 57/57 on extra points for Miami. He also averaged 64.3 yards/kickoff on 4 attempts.

OT Jake Fisher: Fisher started ten games at right tackle for Oregon. He will be a senior in the fall and presumably return to his starting right tackle spot.

S Carvin Johnson: Johnson ended the year second on Hampton's team with 122 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions for 59 yards, 6 pass breakups, and 2 fumble recoveries. His college career is done.

LB Mike Jones: Jones was third on his Western Michigan team with 92 tackles, adding 5 tackles for loss, .5 sacks, 1 pass breakup, and 1 fumble recovery. His college career is finished.

WR/TE Ricardo Miller: Miller started two games and played in a total of six, finishing with 5 receptions for 52 yards (10.4 yards/catch) for UMass. His college playing career is complete.

LB Kaleb Ringer: Ringer played linebacker in six games for Ferris State and made 14 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss. He will be a redshirt sophomore in the fall.

WR Jerald Robinson: Robinson led his Walsh University team in all categories with 38 catches for 499 yards and 7 touchdowns. He will be a fifth year senior in the fall.

S Marvin Robinson: Robinson led Ferris State in tackle with 89, adding 1 tackle for loss, 1 interception, and 1 pass breakup. His college playing career is over.

DE Chris Rock: Rock played in one game for Ohio State against Florida A&M but did not record any statistics. He will be a redshirt junior in the fall.

WR Je'Ron Stokes: Stokes was part of a meager passing game at Norfolk State, where he caught 15 passes for 158 yards (10.5 yards/catch) and 1 touchdown. He also had 1 carry for 2 yards and returned 7 punts for 43 yards (6.1 yards/return). His college playing career is over.

S Ray Vinopal: Vinopal started at free safety for the Pitt Panthers and ended up second on the team with 83 tackles, adding 3 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 3 interceptions returned for 60 yards, 6 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery. He has one year remaining at Pitt, where he will presumably start once more.

CB Adrian Witty: Witty started most of the year at free safety for Cincinnati, ending the year with 46 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 interception for a 41-yard touchdown, and 4 pass breakups. He has one year remaining at Cincinnati, where he will presumably return as a starter.

Ex-Wolverine Updates: Post-Bowl Edition

Ray Vinopal

CB Dallas Crawford: In the Russell Athletic Bowl, Crawford had 11 carries for 35 yards and 3 catches for 22 yards in 36-9 loss to Louisville.

K/P Anthony Fera: Fera was 1/1 on extra points and averaged 42.1 yards on 7 punts, including landing 4 inside the 20-yard line, in the 30-7 loss to Oregon in the Alamo Bowl.

K Matt Goudis: Goudis was 1/1 on extra points in Miami's loss to Louisville.

Head coach Rich Rodriguez: Rodriguez and his Arizona Wildcats finished the season with a 42-19 win over Boston College in the AdvoCare V100 Bowl. Running back Ka'Deem Carey finished with 27 carries for 169 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Ken Griffey, Jr.'s son Trey had 3 catches for 41 yards and 2 touchdowns. Rodriguez finishes at 8-5 for the second year in a row, making him 16-10 during his time in Tucson.

Defensive coordinator Scott Shafer: Shafer and his Syracuse Orangemen achieved a 21-17 victory over Minnesota in the Texas Bowl. Shafer finishes at 7-6 in his first season as a head coach.

S Ray Vinopal: In the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Vinopal led his Pitt team his tackles with 11, adding 1 sack. The Panthers beat Bowling Green by a score of 30-27.

CB Adrian Witty: Witty had 4 tackles and 1 pass breakup as his Cincinnati Bearcats lost to North Carolina by a score of 39-17.

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Vladimir Emilien

TE Pharaoh Brown: Brown was targeted twice but did not record a reception in Oregon's 36-35 win over Oregon State in the Civil War. The game was won on a touchdown pass from Marcus Mariota to Josh Huff with 29 seconds remaining.

CB Dallas Crawford: Crawford was bottled up for 14 carries and just 22 yards, plus 1 catch for 3 yards, in Miami's 41-31 win over Pitt.

S Vladimir Emilien: Emilien had 2 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 fumble recovery in Toledo's 31-29 loss to Akron.

K Anthony Fera: Fera was 5/5 on extra points and 2/2 on field goals (from 49 and 37 yards) in Texas's 41-16 win over Texas Tech.

K Matt Goudis: Goudis was 5/5 on extra points and 2/2 on field goals (from 39 and 29 yards) in Miami's 41-31 win over Pitt.

LB Mike Jones: Jones had 6 tackles in Western Michigan's 33-14 loss to Northern Illinois.

Defensive coordinator Greg Robinson: Robinson's defense tallied a whopping 9 sacks in Texas's 41-16 win over Texas Tech.

Head coach Rich Rodriguez: Arizona ended its regular season on a downer with a 58-21 loss to Arizona State. Ka'Deem Carey finished the game with 32 carries for 157 yards and 1 touchdown, but quarterback B.J. Denker threw 3 interceptions. Arizona ends the year at 7-5.

S Ray Vinopal: Vinopal had 4 tackles and 1 pass breakup in Pitt's 41-31 loss to Miami.

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Dallas Crawford (#4)

S/LB Isaiah Bell: Bell, now a defensive end, had 3 tackles and 1 sack in Lake Erie's 50-32 win over Tiffin. Lake Erie ends the year with a record of 4-7. Bell ends the year with 14 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery returned 97 yards for a touchdown.

TE Pharaoh Brown: Brown had 2 catches for 42 yards and 1 kickoff return for 5 yards in Oregon's 44-21 win over Utah.

Head coach Rich Rodriguez: Rodriguez and his Arizona Wildcats suffered a 24-17 loss to Washington State and fell to 6-4 on the year. Running back Ka'Deem Carey had 26 rushes for 132 yards and 1 touchdown.

CB Dallas Crawford: Crawford had a great individual performance with 19 carries for 115 yards and 3 catches for 48 yards, but Miami was upset by the Duke Blue Devils in a 48-30 game.

S Vladimir Emilien: Emilien had 3 tackles in Toledo's 51-41 win over Buffalo.

K Anthony Fera: Fera was 1/1 on extra points and 2/2 on field goals (from 39 and 27 yards), but Texas lost to Oklahoma State by a score of 38-13.

K Matt Goudis: Goudis was 3/3 on extra points and 3/3 on field goals (from 32, 32, and 31 yards), but Miami lost to Duke by a score of 48-30.

S Carvin Johnson: Johnson had 16 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in Hampton's 42-12 loss to Bethune-Cookman.

WR Jerald Robinson: Robinson had 2 catches for 22 yards and 1 touchdown in Walsh University's 49-28 loss to Findlay. Walsh ends the year with a record of 3-8. On the season, Robinson led the team in all categories with 38 catches for 499 yards and 7 touchdowns.

S Marvin Robinson: Robinson had 5 tackles and 3 pass breakups in Ferris State's 35-22 victory over Northern Michigan.

WR Je'Ron Stokes: Stokes had 3 catches for 27 yards in Norfolk State's 24-13 loss to North Carolina Central.

S Ray Vinopal: Vinopal had 7 tackles, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery in Pitt's 34-27 loss to North Carolina.

Ex-Wolverine Encyclopedia

Mike Jones (#27) had a solid game for Western Michigan

TE Pharaoh Brown: Brown had 1 catch for 24 yards, made 1 tackle, and ran in a 2-point conversion for Oregon as they handled the Colorado Buffaloes by a score of 57-16.

CB Dallas Crawford: Crawford had 5 carries for 31 yards and 2 touchdowns, plus a 6-yard reception and 1 tackle, in Miami's 45-30 win over Georgia Tech.

K Matt Goudis: Goudis was 6/6 on extra points and 1/1 from 24 yards on a field goal. Miami beat Georgia Tech, 45-30.

LB Mike Jones: Jones had 7 tackles and 1 tackle for loss in Western Michigan's 47-20 loss to Toledo.

TE Ricardo Miller: Miller started at tight end and caught 1 pass for 6 yards in UMass's 28-7 loss to Bowling Green.

WR Jerald Robinson: Robinson had 3 catches for 87 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown. Unfortunately for him, Walsh lost to Ohio Dominican by a score of 33-20.

S Marvin Robinson: Robinson had 4 tackles and 1 pass breakup as Ferris State lost a 31-28 decision to Saginaw Valley State.

Defensive coordinator Scott Shafer: Shafer's Syracuse Orangemen fell to 2-3 after a 49-14 home loss to Clemson. Former Michigan target Sammy Watkins had 4 catches for 126 yards, including a 91-yard touchdown, in the game.

WR Je'Ron Stokes: Stokes had 2 catches for 19 yards and 1 carry for 2 yards in Norfolk State's 26-24 win over Savannah State.

CB Adrian Witty: Witty had 2 tackles in Cincinnati's 26-20 loss to South Florida.

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Dallas Crawford (#4)

DE Isaiah Bell: Bell had 1 tackle in Lake Erie's 51-41 loss to Saginaw Valley State.

CB Dallas Crawford: Crawford had 13 carries for 34 yards and 2 touchdowns, along with 1 catch for 6 yards and 1 tackle in Miami's 49-21 victory over South Florida. Former Michigan target Chris Dunkley had 2 catches for 37 yards for USF.

K Matt Goudis: Goudis was 7/7 on extra points but 0/1 on field goals in Miami's 59-21 win over South Florida.

S Carvin Johnson: Johnson had 15 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 interception in Hampton's 30-6 loss to South Carolina State.

WR Jerald Robinson: Robinson had 3 catches for 30 yards in Walsh University's 59-16 loss to Ferris State. Both Kaleb Ringer and Marvin Robinson played for Ferris State, but neither recorded a statistic.

Head coach Rich Rodriguez: Rodriguez and his Arizona Wildcats suffered their first loss of the season, a 31-13 setback, to the Washington Huskies.

WR Je'Ron Stokes: Stokes had 2 catches for 14 yards and 1 punt return for -4 yards in a 27-21 victory over Morgan State.

S Ray Vinopal: Vinopal had 2 tackles and 2 pass breakups in Pitt's 14-3 victory over Virginia.

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Isaiah Bell (left, with Fitzgerald Toussaint in high school) had the best game of his college career.

DE Isaiah Bell: Bell, who started at defensive end for Lake Erie College, had a big game for the Storm. He had 2 tackles, 1 sack, forced 1 fumble, and returned it 97 yards for a touchdown. Lake Erie beat Wayne State by a score of 35-17.

CB Dallas Crawford: Crawford, now a running back for the Miami Hurricanes, had a big game this week. He had 5 carries for 48 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground, along with 1 catch for a 5-yard touchdown. And that wasn't even against the backups - Crawford scored the first, fourth, and sixth touchdowns of the day. Miami beat Bethune Cookman by a score of 77-0.

S Vladimir Emilien: Emilien had 2 tackles as a backup safety in Toledo's 38-17 victory over Central Michigan.

K Matt Goudis: Goudis was 11/11 on extra points in Miami's 77-0 victory over Bethune Cookman.

S Carvin Johnson: Johnson had 9 tackles and 1 pass breakup, but Hampton lost to Coastal Carolina by a score of 50-17.

LB Mike Jones: Jones had 7 tackles in Western Michigan's 59-3 loss to Iowa.

LB Kaleb Ringer: Ringer had 5 tackles in Ferris State's 34-7 victory over Ashland.

WR Jerald Robinson: Robinson had 5 catches for 38 yards in Walsh University's 29-7 loss to Michigan Tech.

S Marvin Robinson: Robinson had 9 tackles in Ferris State's 34-7 victory over Ashland. Robinson leads the team in tackles with 25.

WR Je'Ron Stokes: Stokes had 3 catches for 48 yards and 1 touchdown in Norfolk State's 20-12 loss to Charleston Southern.

S Ray Vinopal: Vinopal started at free safety and had 9 tackles in Pitt's 58-55 victory over Duke.

CB Adrian Witty: Witty had 3 tackles in Cincinnati's 14-0 shutout over the Miami RedHawks.

Ex-Wolverine Updates: The Class of 2011

Oklahoma's Kellen Jones (#52) and Tony Jefferson bring down Iowa C.J. Fiedorowicz in the endzone
(image via Greenwich Time)

Former Michigan cornerback Greg Brown left the program mid-season and has transferred to Findlay, a D-II school.

Former Michigan commit and current Miami Hurricane defensive back Dallas Crawford redshirted this past season.

Former Michigan commit and current Oregon Duck offensive tackle Jake Fisher played a backup role in 13 games this season.

Former Michigan commit and current Miami Hurricane kicker Matt Goudis redshirted this past season.

Former Michigan signee and current Oklahoma Sooner linebacker Kellen Jones played as a backup and special teamer in 11 games this past season, making 9 total tackles.

Former Michigan commit and current Wake Forest Demon Deacon quarterback Kevin Sousa redshirted this past season.

The future plans of former Michigan tight end Chris Barnett and former offensive lineman Tony Posada are unknown.  Both decided to leave the program after they were already enrolled at Michigan this past fall.

For recaps of these players and more, check out the Ex-Wolverine Encyclopedia.

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Toney Clemons catches a touchdown pass over
Ohio State cornerbackTravis Howard
(image via the Durango Herald)

Former Michigan wide receiver Toney Clemons had 4 receptions for 31 yards and 1 touchdown in Colorado's 37-17 loss to Ohio State on Saturday.

Former Michigan commit Dallas Crawford has not played for the Miami Hurricanes this year and looks like he's headed for a redshirt, but he's still on the roster.  There were some rumors that he was not on the team.

Former Michigan commit Matt Goudis, a kicker, also has not played for Miami but still remains on the roster.

Former Michigan commit Pearlie Graves, a defensive tackle, has decided to transfer from Texas Tech.  His destination is unknown.

Former Michigan commit Marquis Maze had 5 receptions for 40 yards in Alabama's 38-14 victory over Arkansas.

Former Michigan running back Sam McGuffie, now at Rice, had 9 carries for 24 yards in a 56-31 loss to Baylor.  He also had 2 receptions for 2 yards.

Former Michigan commit Bryce McNeal has decided to leave Clemson.  He'll try to graduate in the spring after only three years of college and then transfer to another school.  He has only 1 reception for 8 yards on the season, which came against Wofford.

Former Michigan commit John Wienke is third on the depth chart at quarterback for the Iowa Hawkeyes.  He's a redshirt junior this season, but I have to believe that he won't get a fifth year of eligibility.

Matt Goudis, Wolverine

Kicker Matt Goudis with ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews.  If you were wondering, Goudis is on the right.

Kicker Matt Goudis flipped his commitment from Boise State to Michigan yesterday.  Goudis is 6'0" and 165 lbs., and he hails from Chaminade High School in West Hills, CA.  He is the #5 kicker in the country according to Scout, #12 to Rivals, and #16 to ESPN.

I'm not going to pretend to know much about kicking, so this post will be fairly brief.  But I have to say that I found the following quote from Goudis to be a tad bit strange:

I’ve also ran three fake punts this year, which is a good reason why Boise State likes me – my athletic ability. I had some trouble with my field goals this year because I’ve been coping with a new snapper and holder, but that just happens sometimes.

Goudis, who at one point this season was 6/10 on field goal attempts, should probably avoid trying to pass the buck like that.  If I were his coach or his teammate, I would be perturbed by that statement.  I've had experiences during my coaching career where the placekicker asked us to find a different holder because, in his mind, the holder was the reason he was shanking chip-shot field goals.  Never mind the fact that the holder didn't botch a single snap all year, had to dig a few snaps out of the grass, and made a spectacular play to grab one that was way over his head and still get it down on the tee.

We didn't replace the holder.  But we did replace the kicker by season's end.

Goudis ought to take responsibility for those misses, whether they're legitimately his fault or not.

Here are some quotes from kicking "expert" Chris Sailer on Goudis:

Matt is an oustanding kicker. He has a good leg and makes kicks consistently with great height. He is the top field goal kicker in the nation in the Class of 2011. Hard working young man with a great attitude. Big time D1 scholarship prospect.

The addition of Goudis would give Michigan three scholarship specialists on the roster (kicker Brendan Gibbons, punter Will Hagerup, and Goudis) - four if you include Drew Dileo, who seems like a return specialist.  But if that's what it takes to get the special teams going, then that's what it takes.  I have no problem with Michigan adding a second scholarship placekicker to the roster.

There is a plethora of Goudis highlight videos on Youtube, but here are a couple of the better vids: