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

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

Former Michigan cornerback Greg Brown (pictured here from high school) is now at Iowa Central Community College

S/LB Isaiah Bell: Bell had 3 tackles and .5 tackles for loss in Lake Erie's 48-27 loss to Findlay.

CB Greg Brown: Brown did not ring up any statistics this past weekend, but for Iowa Central Community College this year, he has 29 tackles, 13 pass breakups, 2 interceptions, and 1 touchdown on a 30-yard INT return.

TE Pharaoh Brown: Brown had 2 catches for 21 yards in Oregon's 42-14 win over UCLA.

CB Dallas Crawford: Crawford had 7 carries for 35 yards in Miami's close 27-24 win over Wake Forest.

S Vladimir Emilien: Emilien had 2 tackles and 1 tackle for loss in Toledo's 28-25 win over Bowling Green.

K Anthony Fera: Fera was 3/3 on field goals (from 36, 37, and 43) and 2/2 on extra points in Texas's 30-7 win over TCU.

K Matt Goudis: Goudis was 3/3 on extra points, made a field goal from 34 yards, and missed one from 40 yards. Miami won 27-24 over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

S Carvin Johnson: Johnson had 4 tackles and 1 pass breakup in Hampton's 30-7 win over the Delaware State Hornets.

LB Mike Jones: Jones had 11 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in Western Michigan's first win of the year, a 31-30 victory over UMass.

LB Kaleb Ringer: Ringer had 1 tackles in Ferris State's 30-27 win over Michigan Tech.

WR Jerald Robinson: Robinson had 3 catches for 44 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown, in Walsh University's 30-29 victory over Tiffin.

S Marvin Robinson: Robinson had 8 tackles in Ferris State's 30-27 win over Michigan Tech.

Head coach Rich Rodriguez: Rodriguez and his Arizona Wildcats beat Colorado by a score of 44-20. Arizona quarterback B.J. Denker ran for 192 yards on 15 carries without scoring a touchdown, but running back Ka'Deem Carey had 4 scores and 119 yards on the ground. Arizona is now 5-2 on the year.

WR Je'Ron Stokes: Stokes had 1 catch for 8 yards in Norfolk State's 27-24 loss to Old Dominion.

S Ray Vinopal: Vinopal had 6 tackles and 2 pass breakups in Pitt's 24-21 loss on a last-second field goal to Navy.

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Defensive coordinator Greg Robinson is helping out a Texas team that was thought to be sliding downward.

TE Pharaoh Brown: Brown had 1 catch for 18 yards in Oregon's 45-24 victory over Washington.

K Anthony Fera: Fera was 3/3 on field goals, including makes of 50, 43, and 31 yards. He was also 3/4 on extra points with the fourth attempt being blocked. His Texas Longhorns beat Oklahoma by a score of 36-20.

Linebackers coach Jay Hopson: Hopson's Alcorn State team moved to 5-2 after a 48-0 destruction of Grambling. The team rushed for 288 yards and passed for another 254

S Carvin Johnson: Johnson had 6 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 pass breakup in Hampton's 31-26 victory over North Carolina A&T. That's Hampton's first win of the year.

LB Mike Jones: Jones had 14 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, .5 sacks, and 1 pass breakup in Western Michigan's 33-0 loss to Buffalo. Western is 0-7 on the season, but Jones is having a decent year with 63 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, and 1 pass breakup.

Defensive coordinator Greg Robinson: Don't look now, but Greg Robinson - recently hired as Texas's defensive coordinator - helped the Longhorns to their 36-20 upset win over Oklahoma. Oklahoma managed just 263 total yards and quarterback Blake Bell got picked off twice, one of which was returned for a touchdown.

WR Jerald Robinson: Robinson had 3 catches for 33 yards and 1 touchdown in Walsh University's 38-28 win over Malone. He now has 24 catches for 306 yards and 5 touchdowns on the year.

S Marvin Robinson: Robinson started at safety and had 5 tackles in Ferris State's 54-44 win over Grand Valley State.

Head coach Rich Rodriguez: Arizona fell to 3-2 after a 38-31 loss to USC. The Wildcats were down 28-3 at one point, but they recovered to make it a one-score game. Quarterback B.J. Denker had a career day with 363 yards and 4 touchdowns through the air.

WR Je'Ron Stokes: Stokes had 1 catch for 8 yards in Norfolk State's 14-7 loss to Delaware State.

S Ray Vinopal: Vinopal had 6 tackles in Pitt's 19-9 loss to Virginia Tech.

CB Adrian Witty: Witty had 6 tackles and 1 tackle for loss in Cincinnati's 38-20 win over 0-6 Temple.

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

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.

Mike Jones, ex-Wolverine

Mike Jones (#27)

Rising fifth year senior linebacker Mike Jones has left the football program.  Already with his undergraduate degree, Jones would be eligible to play at another FBS school in 2013 if they offer a graduate program that Michigan does not offer.

Jones committed to Michigan on August 1, 2008, as a part of the 2009 class; he picked Michigan over offers from Auburn, Central Florida, North Carolina, and South Florida.  He came from Orlando (FL) Edgewater as part of Rich Rodriguez's attempted raid on the state of Florida, a few years after Lloyd Carr landed wide receiver Greg Mathews from the same school.

As purely a special teamer in 2009, Jones made 3 tackles in seven games.  He played in just two games as a sophomore before succumbing to injury, totaling just 1 tackle; he received a medical redshirt (which preserved his eligibility for 2013).  As a redshirt sophomore in 2011, Jones made 4 tackles.  He followed that up by playing in all thirteen games as a redshirt junior in 2012, but he failed to accrue any statistics.  Altogether, Jones made 8 total tackles in 29 games.

Jones, who claimed a 4.5 forty coming out of high school and was noted for his speed, never seemed physically capable of keeping up with Big Ten athletes.  He always seemed a step or two slow, and he didn't have the bulk to be a serious option at middle linebacker - a position where speed isn't required for success. Jones added weight consistently, going from 203 lbs. as a freshman to 226 lbs. this past season, but small-ish linebackers need to be faster than he was.  For the past couple off-seasons, I have had a feeling that Jones might not return because I wondered if he would ever find a role; that time finally came.

Since Jones was going to run out of eligibility after the coming year, his departure does not affect the 2014 recruiting class.  He was also not expected to be on Michigan's two-deep in the fall, having dropped behind younger players at MIKE (junior Desmond Morgan, sophomore Joe Bolden) and WILL (sophomores James Ross and Royce Jenkins-Stone).  Jones was also not particularly productive on special teams, so the team likely won't feel much of an impact on the field.

For stories on other former Wolverines, check out the Ex-Wolverine Encyclopedia.

Ohio State 26, Michigan 21

Here's some Kate Upton to make you feel better.

I told you so but I wish I didn't.  Last week I railed against the usage of Denard Robinson, saying that using Denard so much last week a) set him up to get injured, b) might limit his effectiveness against OSU, and c) took away the element of surprise of using him in the backfield and at receiver.  People responded by saying that they were glad Michigan used him because it would give Urban Meyer trouble preparing for this week's game.  How did that go for you?  Denard tweaked his elbow injury last week and didn't throw even once this game.  Michigan also ran very few plays with Robinson and Devin Gardner on the field, running a very vanilla and predictable offense.  I guess all that stuff last week was just for fun.

WTF.  There's really no excuse for the play calling in the second half, and that falls on both Brady Hoke and Al Borges.  People want to fire Al Borges, but the head coach has to step in and call shenanigans on the crappy play calling.  Now I'm not suggesting that either one get fired, but you can't separate the two entities. As the head guy, Hoke is responsible for the calls that are made by his coordinators.  Michigan tried running the ball up the middle with Vincent Smith - which has been a terrible idea for years - and generally went into a shell on offense.  There was no element of surprise, and all the plays and counter plays that were opened up last week by Robinson's utility were apparently erased from this week's playbook.

Derrick Green, come on down.  Outside of Fitzgerald Toussaint, Michigan's running backs are terrible.  Thomas Rawls has no vision, lacks speed, and isn't as powerful as a short yardage back should be.  Vincent Smith is gone anyway, and while I always liked him as a third down-type back, plugging him in for short-yardage plays against OSU was a poor decision.  You simply cannot expect him to gain yardage when Michigan's interior offensive line is this bad.  He did okay running outside on the inverted veer plays, but good grief, Borges has to put him in a position to be successful.  Even fullback Stephen Hopkins comes in for some criticism here, because he missed two key blocks and generally looked like he didn't understand his job.  Michigan needs running backs in a bad way, and I don't see game-breaking ability in either DeVeon Smith or Wyatt Shallman.  The coaches need to bring in a bunch of backs and let them improve through competition.

Play action bulls***. Here's the part that perhaps irked me most about the play calling in the second half.  Borges kept calling play action passes when there was clearly no threat of running the ball.  That doesn't work against teams who aren't stupid, and the Buckeyes are a lot of things - cheaters, ugly, arrogant, etc. - but their defense is always well coached.  When Devin Gardner turns around to give play action fakes, he's diverting his attention from the coverage and sometimes he's limiting himself to throwing to half the field.  The linebackers and safeties weren't biting on play action fakes to Vincent Smith because Smith gets tackled by a stiff breeze, so there's no tactical advantage.  But again and again, Gardner wasted time by running around with his back to the defense and pretending like the Buckeyes gave a s*** about the 5'7", 175 lb. running back.  Just drop Gardner straight back or roll him out.

Carlos Hyde played well.  I actually thought Michigan's interior defense would hold Hyde down pretty well, but Michigan's defensive ends and play calls seemed so concerned with Braxton Miller that they unclogged the middle a little bit.  Hyde got downhill and broke a few tackles, but there were several occasions where he got to the second and third levels without being touched.  Greg Mattison seemed to call more 4-3 Over defensive fronts than normal.

Freshman frustration.  I do not like seeing guys like James Ross and Joe Bolden out there in games like this.  It was somewhat inevitable, I guess, because of a lack of depth, but today is an example of why you need depth at linebacker.  Bolden in particular got out of position a couple times and allowed some key gains, and Ross got caught inside on a Braxton Miller run.  Both of those guys have high upsides, but freshmen are freshmen.  Next year the Wolverines should be able to go two-deep with experienced guys at every linebacker position, so we should see even more improvement in the linebacker group.

Mike Jones and Brandin Hawthorne exist in bad ways.  I was not a fan when Rich Rodriguez recruited Jones and Hawthorne, and they have worked their ways down the depth chart.  Jones incurred a 15-yard penalty for a late hit in this game, and Hawthorne has made similarly poor plays this season on special teams.  It's not a coincidence that Ross and Bolden passed those guys for playing time.  Hawthorne will graduate after this season, and I would not be surprised to see redshirt junior Jones depart with a year of eligibility remaining.

This was Gardner's worst game.  Gardner was visibly frustrated at a couple points, and it showed in his play.  Especially in the second half, it looked like he was trying to throw pinpoint passes instead if letting it fly.  He's always had a slightly awkward throwing motion, but he just didn't seem to be following through with his normal verve.  That's somewhat understandable for a kid playing quarterback in such a big game for the first time, which is why it would have been helpful to have Robinson ready to throw the ball.  Robinson had his best quarterbacking performance against these Buckeyes last season, so limiting him to 10 touches seems like a bad idea.  Gardner finished 11/20 for 171 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception, and he took 4 sacks despite the absence of John Simon, OSU's best defensive lineman.  There was nobody to take the pressure off of Gardner - Robinson out of the backfield, Toussaint, Borges - and thus it was left on his shoulders to try to make plays when there none to make.

The better team won.  I argued with people all week who said that Michigan was the better team but that the Wolverines played a tougher schedule.  The bottom line is that any of us would rather be 11-0 than 8-3 coming into the game, regardless of who was on the schedule.  The Buckeyes ran the ball well, threw the ball well, and played pretty solid defense except for a couple huge plays (Robinson's 67-yard touchdown, Roundtree's 75-yard TD reception).  The bottom line is that Michigan replaced David Molk, Mike Martin, and Ryan Van Bergen with Elliott Mealer, Quinton Washington, and Craig Roh, respectively, all of which are steps backward.  I fully believe that an influx of talent is coming with Hoke's recruiting classes, but right now Michigan has a deficit that will take some time to fix.

2012 Season Countdown: #68 Mike Jones

Mike Jones (#27)

Name: Mike Jones
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 224 lbs.
High school: Orlando (FL) Edgewater
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #27
Last year: I ranked Jones #33 and said he would be the backup WILL.  He was a backup WILL, but he was mostly buried on the bench and made 4 total tackles.

As you can see from last year's post, I am not a fan of Jones's abilities.  Because of the lack of depth at linebacker, I assumed he would be in the mix for playing time, but he was beaten out by Brandin Hawthorne, Brandon Herron, and freshman Desmond Morgan, each of whom started at least one game at WILL.  Jones always seems to be a step slow, which is especially a problem when you're a 224 lb. inside linebacker who's not a particularly big hitter.

I've seen enough of Jones getting passed up to assume that he will once again be an end-of-the-bench guy.  Herron graduated, but Morgan and Hawthorne are still around, along with redshirt freshman Antonio Poole; now freshmen Kaleb Ringer and James Ross join the fray.  Middle linebacker is also a possibility for Jones, but Kenny Demens is the starter there and freshman Joe Bolden might be his primary backup.  No matter where Jones gets the most reps in practice, he's likely to have a true freshman or redshirt freshman blocking his path.  Special teams coverage and mop-up duty seem to be his best bets for playing time.

Prediction: Special teamer

2011 Countdown: #33 Mike Jones

Mike Jones (#27) tries to tackle Mark Moundros

Name: Mike Jones
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 208 lbs.
High school: Edgewater High School in Orlando, FL
Position: Weakside linebacker
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #27
Last year: I ranked Jones #55 and said he would be a special teams regular.  He made 1 tackle before breaking his lower leg in the second game of the season.

Jones has been mostly a special teamer thus far in his career, playing linebacker in only one game.  He seemed to be Jonas Mouton's primary backup at weakside linebacker going into 2010, but the broken leg put a stop to that in Week 2.  He's been stuck at less than 210 lbs. for a couple years now, and while that's not a huge issue at weakside linebacker, you can't be much lighter and still be effective at tackling and taking on blockers.

Lots of people think Jones will be the starting WILL when Michigan takes the field in September.  I am not one of those people.  He was running with the first team in the spring game, but that was partly because Marell Evans bumped over to MIKE in the absence of Kenny Demens.  If Demens is healthy by the fall (which he should be after shoulder surgery), then that opens the door for Evans to fight for a starting spot on the weak side.  I don't foresee Jones beating out Evans.  Even though we haven't seen much of Jones, he was tentative in the spring game and didn't make reads very quickly.  He bit hard on play action fakes and generally tried to run around blocks rather than taking them on.  Whoever starts at WILL, I would attack that position as an opposing coach until those guys prove they can play.

Prediction: Special teams contributor and backup WILL

Five Questions for the Spring Game

Michigan fans should keep a close eye on sophomore safety
Carvin Johnson (#13) this Saturday

Everybody else is doing it, so I might as well join.  These are the five things I'm most interested to see on Saturday.

1. Who will play free safety?  And will they be any good at it?
I am on the record as thinking Ray Vinopal should be the starting free safety in 2011.  Of course, Vinopal transferred to Pitt a few weeks ago, and now there will be another brand new starter at FS this year.  Nobody appears to want the starting job; the punishment for earning the job is a broken ankle (Troy Woolfolk), transferring to a Big East school (Vinopal, Ryan Mundy), or public embarrassment and a forced position change to linebacker (Cam Gordon, Steve Brown).

Sophomore Carvin Johnson will be the likely starter at FS on Saturday.  He hasn't quite earned the hype that Gordon earned in spring last year, but that didn't turn out so well for Michigan, so maybe practice observers are showing some restraint when evaluating the safety position this year.  I have some questions about Johnson's long-term viability at the FS position - he's more of a strong safety, in my opinion - because of his speed.  But Brandent Englemon wasn't particularly fast, either, and I would be ecstatic if Johnson played as well as Englemon did in 2007.

2. Which of the running backs emerges from the pile?
I'm also on the Michael Cox bandwagon, which you probably know if you've ever visited the site before.  Last year Cox was the most impressive runner in the spring game (unofficially, he had 6 carries, 38 yards, and a 22-yard TD run).  For some reason unbeknownst to me, the number of carries he got in the spring game matched his entire 2010 regular season total, too (6 carries, 56 yards).  In competitive situations, that gives Cox approximately 25 carries, 207 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 3 rushes of 20+ yards (I don't have stats for the 2009 spring game).

But I've been touting Cox as the team's best runner since late 2009, so my opinion clearly doesn't carry much weight with the coaching staff.  Other options include Stephen Hopkins, who has reportedly shared first team duties this spring with Cox; Michael Shaw, who's really fast and not much else; and Vincent Smith, who's average at everything except height.  I don't really know which one will come out of the spring looking the best, and the coaches have essentially stated that nobody has separated himself from the pack.  For now I'm expecting to see Cox have the most impressive day, but I'm trying to have an open mind.

3. Who's going to play WILL?
Maybe I'm the only one, but I'm pretty nervous about the weakside linebacker position going into the 2011 season.  For all the criticism of Jonas Mouton the past couple seasons, I think he would have been perfect as an inside linebacker in this defense.  Unfortunately, he's graduating just as a suitable defense and coaching staff gets installed.  Meanwhile, his potential replacements include converted safeties, a transfer, and a guy poking his head out of the doghouse.

The starting WILL seems to be redshirt sophomore Mike Jones, a 208-pounder who looks like a safety walked up to the line of scrimmage.  But no, really, he's a linebacker.  In case you're wondering, that's approximately seven pounds lighter than Steve Brown was back in 2009 when he was an undersized outside linebacker.  Brandin Hawthorne, another converted safety, has seen some time at WILL but is even smaller at 203 lbs.  Marell Evans transferred back to Michigan from Hampton and has one year of eligibility left.  And finally, redshirt sophomore Isaiah Bell has seen a bit of playing time on the weakside, but he doesn't seem to be like a viable option.

Evans might be your starting WILL in September, but with incumbent MIKE starter Kenny Demens out this spring with a shoulder injury, the Hampton transfer has reportedly been the #1 middle 'backer.  I'll be curious to see how Jones and the others stand up to linemen and fullbacks, but hopefully they can channel some Ian Gold and Larry Foote action.

4. Will we see any positive signs from William Campbell?
In all honesty, Campbell ought to have been a redshirt freshman in 2010.  If that were the case, it wouldn't be quite so concerning that he hadn't done much on the field yet.  But now he's going to be a junior, and he had better start producing soon if it's going to happen.  I really can't think of a better staff in college football to get the most out of Campbell, so if it's going to happen for the big guy, this is his chance.  I'm not that familiar with defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery, but head coach Brady Hoke and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison both have outstanding track records with defensive linemen.

I mean no offense to Ricky Barnum - or whoever's lined up opposite of Campbell - but if there's anyone I hope to see get destroyed on Saturday, it's him.  If Campbell can turn into a playmaker at the 3-tech DT position, that takes some of the pressure off Michigan's rush ends and undersized weakside linebackers.  I have a hard time seeing someone with Campbell's outsized body and personality fade into obscurity, so let's hope his play matches his gusto.

5. Will Denard tie his shoelaces?  How close will the quarterback competition be?
I have no doubts that Denard Robinson will be the starting quarterback on Saturday.  You don't bench a Heisman candidate that quickly, no matter how good the backup plays.  I didn't believe the Devin Gardner hype in spring 2010 because true freshmen simply aren't very good, but now . . . I might put some stock in it. Gardner has always seemed to be a better fit in a pro-style offense than the spread, so I think this offense suits him more than Robinson.  Denard's decision-making and accuracy scare me a little bit, although I admit his improvement from 2009 to 2010 was pretty incredible.  There's a possibility that he will make a similar leap in 2011, but last year's spring practice reports about Denard were glowing.  This year's . . . not so much.

Gardner has the stature, the arm, and the poise to be a franchise quarterback.  In the long run, I fully expect him to be a better signal caller than Robinson.  Whether that happens in 2011, 2012, or beyond, I think #7 will carry on the tradition of great Michigan quarterbacks.  The problem with the QB situation is that even if Gardner proves to be the best quarterback on Saturday (and in August practices), Michigan doesn't have the depth at the position to move Robinson to running back or wide receiver.  Perhaps the two best athletes on the team are Michigan's only two quarterbacks.  I can think of worse problems.

2010 Countdown: #55 Mike Jones

Name: Mike Jones
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 207 lbs.
High school: Edgewater High School in Orlando, FL
Position: Weakside linebacker
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #27
Last year: I ranked Jones #49 and said he'd be a backup SAM. He played special teams in 7 games and made 3 tackles.

Jones was an early enrollee in 2009 who I expected to contribute in a more meaningful way due to the shortage of scholarship players. Instead, he was exclusively a special teamer. For some odd reason, the coaching staff burned his redshirt so he could play about half a season on coverage units and make 3 tackles. That seems like a waste of a year of eligibility, but obviously I'm just a guy on the internet.

Anyway, Jones made a transtion mid-season from SAM to the weakside linebacker position, at least nominally backing up Jonas Mouton. He'll enter fall camp anywhere between the third- and fifth-string weakside backer. Mouton will start, but J.B. Fitzgerald, Kevin Leach, and perhaps Kenny Demens will figure into the depth chart. Jones is also pretty light at only 207 lbs., so he'll probably need to spend another year or two adding weight.

Prediction for 2010: Regular special teams contributor

2010 Countdown: #65 Isaiah Bell

Name: Isaiah Bell
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 237 lbs.
High school: Liberty High School in Youngstown, OH
Position: Middle linebacker
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #26
Last year: I ranked him #75 and said he would redshirt. Bell redshirted.

Bell is in his second year of the program and making an adjustment from playing high school safety to playing college inside linebacker. Up to this point, he hasn't really made his mark on the team. Obi Ezeh and Jonas Mouton are the presumed starters at the inside linebacker positions, and J.B. Fitzgerald, Kenny Demens, and Mike Jones are scheduled to be the first ones off the bench.

I'm a little surprised that Bell was bumped to inside linebacker rather than Steve Brown's hybrid role, but at 237 lbs., Bell has put on enough weight that the hybrid position would no longer be an option. In the pictures I have seen, Bell still looks a little bit soft, so I think he's still got some work to do with his conditioning and nutrition habits. But I stand by my assessment from last year that Bell will be a good player in college - it just won't be this year. Bell could be a contributor on special teams this year, and we might also see him at linebacker against teams like UMass or Bowling Green. Otherwise, I don't expect to see #26 on the field much this year.

Prediction for 2010: Special teams action; limited linebacker reps

2010 Countdown: #85 Antonio Kinard

Name: Antonio Kinard
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 210 lbs.
High school: Liberty High School in Youngstown, OH
Position: Weakside linebacker
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Prediction for 2010: Junior college

Okay, the reason Antonio looks so sad in the above picture must be that he's not coming to Michigan in the fall. The stupid thing about college is that you have to graduate high school first. Lame. Antonio, being from the Worst State Ever, has an Ohio Graduation Test to pass. This is the same test that prevented cornerback/safety Justin Turner from joining fall camp on time last year.

Kinard was likely looking at a redshirt this fall, anyway. He's too skinny and too raw to have played as a freshman, so it doesn't really hurt Michigan on the field in 2010. It does potentially hurt the Wolverines in 2011-14, though, because there's little to no depth at inside linebacker. Once senior Jonas Mouton graduates, that essentially leaves Mike Jones as the only weakside 'backer on the squad.

I am not optimistic that Kinard ends up at Michigan anytime in the future. If you look at the last few guys who have been non-qualifiers, all or most have taken their talents elsewhere. Demar Dorsey (Louisville), Adrian Witty (Cincinnati), Marcus Witherspoon (Rutgers before being booted), and Quintin Woods (nowhere, as far as I know) never stuck (EDIT: Quintin Woods currently plays for the Kansas Jayhawks). Marques Slocum attended prep school for a year, then came to Michigan only to get kicked off the team. He finished his playing career at Eastern Arizona and is currently fighting for a spot on the Washington Redskins after going undrafted in 2010.

So long, Antonio. We hardly knew ye.

2010 Recruiting Grades: Linebacker

The realization that Michigan could be headed toward a 4-2-5 defense in 2010 makes the recent class's linebacker recruiting a little murky. The Wolverines desperately needed some linebackers in the class, but largely failed to get what Michigan fans - and anlaysts - wanted to see from Rich Rodriguez. Presumably, Michigan's two starting inside linebackers will graduate after 2010 (Obi Ezeh and Jonas Mouton), leaving only J.B. Fitzgerald, Kenny Demens, Isaiah Bell, and Mike Jones to play those two spots; only Fitzgerald has seen significant playing time thus far.

One of Michigan's first commitments of the cycle, Youngstown, OH, linebacker Antonio Kinard arrived on the scene. He played fullback and middle linebacker in high school, but throughout the recruiting process, he and analysts insisted he was being recruited for the Quick end position. Shortly before National Signing Day, Kinard revealed that the coaches would start him off at the weakside linebacker position. So it looks as if Kinard will be groomed to be Mouton's potential replacement. Kinard is 6'4" and only 202 lbs., so he has some filling out to do. He has the speed and athleticism to be an excellent defender, and it's promising that he actually played ILB as a high schooler.

Michigan's second linebacker commitment came from Josh Furman, a SAM prospect from Millersville, MD. Originally recruited to play SAM, the potential switch to the 4-2-5 essentially eliminates the SAM linebacker. So it remains to be seen what position Furman will play. However, his physical skills might be the most impressive of any player in the entire class. At 6'3" and 194 lbs., he supposedly ran a 4.37 laser-timed forty (which is surely fake, but still impressive, if only for its audacity). His speed is impressive, but he tends to run upright and could struggle with his agility at the next level. I don't expect the SAM linebacker position to disappear permanently (it might only be a one-year experiment to maximize talent), but Furman has the frame and skills enough to bulk up to weakside linebacker size. As for the 2010 season, I expect Furman to get some reps at strong safety.

Predictions: Kinard will almost surely redshirt in 2010, and I'd expect him to be around 230 pounds by the time he earns some playing time in a couple years. He's a more natural fit at inside linebacker than some of the other linebackers (Bell and Jones, for example), but I don't see him really pushing for playing time until his third year. Furman, on the other hand, could very well play in 2010. I think he could be an excellent special teams player with his speed and size. Furthermore, while I don't see him starting this year, he could very well get some backup minutes in the role of SS (or SAM). I wouldn't trust him in deep zone coverage just yet, but he would be a good matchup in coverage on tight ends.

Grade: C. Michigan really needed a middle linebacker in this class, which the coaches failed to secure. It's possible that Jake Ryan could play MIKE, but so far it seems he was recruited to play Quick end. Kinard has good upside, but he's a couple years away from contributing. That's fine because there are other options at weakside linebacker, but an immediate-impact sort would have been nice. Furman is a good player and could play a variety of roles; he reminds me a bit of recent Wisconsin Badger Jonathan Casillas, but with better pass rushing ability.

What will Michigan's defense look like in 2010?

News this past week has percolated from insiders to Michigan fans that safety Mike Williams will be changing positions from "safety" (he played both strong and free safety last year) to "spur." This has caused some confusion for Michigan fans, some of whom are concerned that Michigan will employ the 3-3-5 stack look that Rich Rodriguez utilized in his time at West Virginia.

Let me assure you that this will not be the case, at least not in my opinion. I expect Michigan's base defensive package in 2010 to be a 4-2-5 defense, and hopefully the remainder of my post will explain what personnel we should see this coming season and why.

DEFENSIVE LINE

First of all, the defensive line will likely be Michigan's strength once again in 2010. Michigan's best player (Brandon Graham) departs, but there are capable components remaining. I expect Ryan Van Bergen to slide over to the strongside defensive end from his old defensive tackle position. Mike Martin should become the 3-tech defensive tackle, who lines up on the guard's outside shoulder; this will give him a chance to penetrate against slower guards and avoid the double-teams he faced at nose tackle. Either sophomore William Campbell or senior Renaldo Sagesse will play nose tackle, and sophomore Craig Roh will play weakside defensive end.

LINEBACKERS
With only two "capable" (and I use that term loosely) linebackers returning, it would behoove Michigan to employ as few linebackers as possible. Jonas Mouton and Obi Ezeh are both fifth-year seniors, and while they both underperformed last season, their backups (Kevin Leach and J.B. Fitzgerald) weren't much better, if at all. Last year's starting SAM Steve Brown has moved on, and his replacements were to be one of two second-year players (Brandin Hawthorne, Mike Jones) or incoming freshman Josh Furman, who won't arrive on campus until June. That's a lot of youth and inexperience. Further evidence that last year's SAM position will disappear lies in the fact that Mike Jones will be competing at the weakside linebacker position in the spring. I sincerely doubt the coaches would stock such an important position as the SAM with only Hawthorne and Furman.

CORNERBACK
Recent reports indicate that Troy Woolfolk, who played deep safety last year, will start spring ball at the cornerback position. While I don't think that Woolfolk will remain at corner through the season, this makes sense for spring ball. Why? Michigan's only returning scholarship cornerbacks are Justin Turner and J.T. Floyd, and Floyd would likely be a safety if the depth weren't so shallow. Reinforcements arrive in the summer in the forms of freshmen Cullen Christian, Demar Dorsey, Courtney Avery, and Terrence Talbott. Unfortunately, no cornerbacks (or defensive players, period) enrolled in January.

SAFETY
I'm going to break this down into three components, since terminology and positioning will likely change for this season. If you remember, last year's "free safety" was an in-the-box player, like Jordan Kovacs. The "strong safety" was the deep safety, which was manned by Troy Woolfolk before he moved to cornerback halfway through the season.

Spur
Spur is the name used to define a traditional strong safety-type player, someone who can play the role of a run-stopping outside linebacker but with better cover skills. However, the spur plays on the weak side of the defensive formation. Therefore, this year's spur will be much like 2009's free safety. As mentioned above, Mike Williams will play spur in the spring, and he could very well be our starter to begin the season. Other players who will likely play spur are redshirt freshmen Thomas Gordon and Brandin Hawthorne. He would usually have outside contain against the run. Both the spur and the boundary safety (see below) could have a deep zone against the pass, depending on the coverage called. In man coverage, he would have the #2 receiver (the second receiver from the sideline).

Deep safety
I hesitate to call this "free safety," but that's basically what it is. This is the safety who has the deep middle in a Cover 3, a deep half in Cover 2, etc. This spot will most likely be filled by Vladimir Emilien in the spring, but it's also where I expect to see Troy Woolfolk in September. I also think Cameron Gordon will get a tryout at deep safety, although eventually he'll likely play closer to the line. This is the safety who has the deep middle in a Cover 3, a deep half in Cover 2, etc. In straight-up man coverage, he could have the #3 receiver (the third receiver from the sideline) against a trips formation, but defensive coordinator Greg Robinson likely won't put him in that kind of call.

Boundary safety
I hesitate to call this "strong safety," but that's basically what it is. Jordan Kovacs, Teric Jones, and others will get a shot at the strong safety position. This player will likely have outside contain against the run and the strongside flat in zone coverage. In man coverage, he would have the #2 receiver (the second receiver from the sideline), whether it's a slot receiver or a tight end.

What does it all mean?
Well, what it all means is that the coaches are trying to get the best players on the field. They think that the team would be better off with someone like redshirt junior Mike Williams on the field than youngsters like Brandin Hawthorne and Josh Furman. And they also realize that there's no point in removing a player from the most talented and experienced unit (the defensive line) to put in an extra defensive back, which they would have to do in a 3-3-5.

If you're looking for further resources on the 4-2-5 defense, check out The Football-Defense Report, which is where I got the diagram above.

2009 Countdown: #37 J.B. Fitzgerald

Name: J.B. Fitzgerald
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 232 lbs.
High School: West Windsor Plainsboro High School in Princeton Junction, NJ
Position: Inside linebacker
Class: Sophomore
Jersey Number: #42
2008 statistics: 8 tackles
Prediction for 2009: Backup inside linebacker

Fitzgerald was a highly touted linebacker coming out of high school in 2008 and currently rests second on the depth chart at inside linebacker. If either Jonas Mouton or Obi Ezeh gets hurt, Fitzgerald would probably be the first guy on the field to replace them.

Unfortunately for Michigan, there's very little competition at linebacker. All the freshmen (Mike Jones, Isaiah Bell, Brandin Hawthorne) seem destined for the SAM linebacker position, and even redshirt freshman Brandon Smith has reportedly been playing SAM at times. The backups at inside linebacker are Fitzgerald, Kenny Demens, and then walk-ons. This is why linebacker recruiting is so important in the class of 2010.

But I digress. Fitzgerald is a classic middle linebacker, a heavy hitter with a nose for the ball. He won't beat out Ezeh while the latter is still playing on Saturdays, but once Ezeh departs, the MIKE position will be in good hands.

2009 Countdown: #49 Mike Jones

Name: Mike Jones
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 203 lbs.
High School: Edgewater High School in Orlando, FL
Position: Linebacker
Class: Freshman
Jersey Number: #27
2008 High School Statistics: 60 tackles, 4 sacks, 2 blocked kicks
Prediction for 2009: Backup SAM linebacker

A recent article about Greg Robinson suggests that the safety/linebacker hybrid doesn't really exist. So instead of calling him a backup "Spinner," I'll just call Jones the backup strongside linebacker (SAM). Jones will battle Brandin Hawthorne to back up Steve Brown at the position, and the lead backup will be your likely SAM in 2010.