Ex-Wolverine Updates

Safety Marvin Robinson had 17 tackles for Ferris State

LB Isaiah Bell: Bell had 1 tackle and 1 pass breakup in Lake Erie's 55-50 loss to Malone.

CB Dallas Crawford: Crawford had a great game on Thursday night with 33 carries for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns, including the game-winner against North Carolina on Thursday night. He also caught 2 passes for 17 yards in the 27-24 victory.

S Vladimir Emilien: Emilien had 2 tackles in Toledo's 45-44 win over Navy.

Defensive coordinator Ron English: English is now the head coach at Eastern Michigan, and the Screaming Eagles suffered a tragedy last week when junior wide receiver Demarius Reed was murdered. The Eagles lost 56-28 to Ohio. Former Detroit Tiger Mickey Tettleton's son Tyler had 375 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, and 1 interception for the Bobcats.

K Matt Goudis: Goudis was 2/3 on field goals (made from 20 and 22, missed from 43) and 3/3 on extra points in Miami's 27-24 victory over UNC.

S Carvin Johnson: Johnson had 11 tackles and 1 interception returned for 18 yards in Hampton's 27-17 win over Norfolk State.

WR/TE Ricardo Miller: Miller had 2 catches for 24 yards in UMass's 32-3 loss to Buffalo.

WR Jerald Robinson: Robinson had 2 catches for 36 yards in Walsh University's 14-6 loss to Ashland.

S Marvin Robinson: Robinson had 17 tackles and .5 tackles for loss in Ferris State's 45-38 loss to Hillsdale. He leads the team with 60 tackles and has 1 tackles for loss, 1 interception, and 5 pass breakups.

Head coach Rich Rodriguez: Rodriguez's Arizona Wildcats beat Utah by a score of 35-24. Running back Ka'Deem Carey had 40 carries for 236 yards and 1 touchdown. Arizona is now 4-2 and got their first win in the Pac-12.

Defensive coordinator Scott Shafer: Shafer's Syracuse Orangemen got waxed by the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets, 56-0. Georgia Tech had 394 rushing yards, while Syracuse had just 208 total yards. Shafer is now 3-4 as their head coach.

CB Anthony Standifer: Standifer was dismissed from the Ole Miss football team for undisclosed reasons.

WR Je'Ron Stokes: Stokes had 1 punt return for 9 yards but did not catch a pass in Norfolk State's 27-17 loss to Hampton.

Defensive line coach Steve Stripling: Stripling, now at Tennessee, helped the Volunteers upset South Carolina in a 23-21 game.

S Ray Vinopal: Vinopal led the Pitt Panthers with 7 tackles and had 1 pass breakup and 1 interception returned for 20 yards in a 35-24 win over Old Dominion.

CB Adrian Witty: Witty started at free safety for Cincinnati and had 6 tackles and 1 pass breakup in their 41-16 win over UConn.

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

S/LB Isaiah Bell: Bell is a 6'2", 252 lb. linebacker at Lake Erie College, which opens its season this coming Saturday against Gannon. Last year he had 7 tackles as a backup linebacker and special teamer.

CB Cullen Christian: Christian, who transferred to Pitt after his 2010 freshman season, had 1 tackle as a backup free safety in the Panthers' 41-13 loss to Florida State.

CB Dallas Crawford: Crawford, now a running back for the Miami Hurricanes, had 2 carries for 6 yards and 1 touchdown in a 34-6 victory over Florida Atlantic.

S Vladimir Emilien: Emilien had 2 tackles in Toledo's 24-6 loss to Florida.

WR/TE Ricardo Miller: Miller graduated from Michigan and transferred to UMass, where he started Saturday's game against Wisconsin after the player ahead of him got injured prior to the season. Miller has 2 catches for 22 yards in the 45-0 loss.

QB Kevin Newsome: Newsome, who de-committed in favor of Penn State during his recruitment, ended up as a wide receiver, then H-back, then running back at Temple. He chose to quit football after graduating this summer and is no longer on the Owls' roster.

WR Dewayne Peace: Peace was declared academically ineligible at Houston for the 2013 season and entered the NFL's supplemental draft, where he went undrafted (along with every other prospect who was available). Now he will presumably attempt to continue his professional football career in some fashion.

WR Je'Ron Stokes: Stokes, now at Norfolk State, had 2 catches for 24 yards in a 23-6 loss to Maine. In kind of a neat story, the second pass he caught was from his younger brother Malik.

S Ray Vinopal: Now Pitt's starting free safety, Vinopal had 9 tackles in the loss to FSU.

CB Adrian Witty: Witty, who starts at free safety for Cincinnati, had 2 tackles and 1 interception returned 41 yards for a touchdown in a 42-7 win over Purdue. You can see that pick and return starting at about 2:59 in the video at the top.

Ex-Wolverine updates: Pre-Season Edition

This used to be Cullen Christian.

TE Chris Barnett: Barnett left Michigan shortly after arriving in 2011, and I have been unable to find any hard updates on him. He supposedly showed interest in playing for UMass this past winter, but he never enrolled there. He also talked about having interest in playing Division II as a middle linebacker.

CB Greg Brown: Brown had transferred to Findlay, but never played a game there in 2012. He has since left the football program and his whereabouts are unknown to me.

TE Pharaoh Brown: Brown is listed as a 6'6", 241 lb. tight end on Oregon's roster. He had 2 receptions for 42 yards in twelve games last season. Oregon has been talking about using more formations with two tight ends to get Brown on the field with Colt Lyerla.

CB Cullen Christian: After having 16 tackles and 2 pass breakups as a corner in 2012, Christian is now listed as a 6'0", 195 lb. backup free safety for the Pitt Panthers. The starter? Former Michigan free safety Ray Vinopal.

CB Gareon Conley: Conley is listed as a 6'2", 170 lb. cornerback on Ohio State's roster. He has been practice some with the starting unit while Bradley Roby has been demoted to a backup for his off-the-field transgressions.

CB Dallas Crawford: Crawford is listed as a 5'10", 196 lb. redshirt sophomore running back on Miami's roster. Last year he had an interception on a fake punt; offensively, he had 6 carries for 23 yards and was 1/2 passing for 29 yards. He will likely be the backup running back to starter Duke Johnson.

S Vladimir Emilien: Emilien is listed as a 6'1", 204 lb. safety for the Toledo Rockets. Last year he had 33 tackles and 1 interception for the Rockets. He will likely start this year at their strong safety/outside linebacker hybrid position.

OT Jake Fisher: Fisher is a 6'6", 291 lb. offensive tackle for Oregon. Last year he was the starter at right tackle, and he even scored a touchdown when De'Anthony Thomas fumbled into the endzone, where Fisher jumped on it.

K Matt Goudis: Goudis is listed as a 6'0", 172 lb. redshirt sophomore kicker for the Miami Hurricanes. Last year he had a 37-yard punt and two kickoffs that averaged 55.0 yards.

S Carvin Johnson: Johnson is listed as a 6'2", 205 lb. safety for Hampton University. Last year he had 57 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 10 pass breakups, and 3 fumble recoveries. He will likely start this fall.

LB Kellen Jones: Jones is listed as a 6'1", 225 lb. linebacker for Clemson. After leaving Michigan before his freshman season even began, he transferred to Oklahoma for the 2011 season, then sat out the 2012 year after transferring to Clemson, and will now be a backup inside linebacker for the Tigers.

WR Ricardo Miller: Miller is listed as a 6'4", 226 lb. tight end/wide receiver for UMass. With the starting tight end injured to begin the year, Miller will start at TE for the Minutemen.

DE Chris Rock: Rock is listed as a 6'4", 272 lb. defensive lineman for Ohio State after enrolling there in August 2012. Listed as a redshirt sophomore, he is not expected to be a heavy contributor this fall.

QB Kevin Sousa: Sousa is listed as a 6'3", 230 lb. redshirt sophomore quarterback for Wake Forest, but he not listed as one of the top three quarterbacks on the Demon Deacons' depth chart.

OG Caleb Stacey: Stacey transferred to the College of Mount St. Joseph during winter semester and intended to play football this fall. Their roster has not been released, so it's unclear if he's still on the team.

CB Anthony Standifer: Standifer is listed as a 6'1", 175 lb. cornerback on the Ole Miss roster. A blogger for the Rebels ranked him as the #57 most important player for the upcoming season. He had 3 tackles last year.

WR Je'Ron Stokes: Stokes is listed as a 6'0", 200 lb. wideout for Norfolk State, an FCS program. He joins younger brother Malik, a quarterback. Stokes played the last couple seasons at Bowling Green State University.

S Ray Vinopal: Vinopal is a 5'10", 200 lb. starting free safety for the Pitt Panthers. He had 14 tackles and 1.5 sacks as a redshirt sophomore in 2012.

CB Adrian Witty: Witty is listed as a 5'10", 187 lb. cornerback for the Cincinnati Bearcats. He had 25 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 4 pass breakups, and a forced fumble last year. It appears he's the front-runner for the starting free safety job this fall.

Ex-Wolverine Update: Ricardo Miller to UMass

From Florida to Michigan to Massachusetts, it's been a winding road for Ricardo Miller.

Former Michigan tight end/wide receiver Ricardo Miller has chosen to attend UMass.  He left Michigan's football program during the middle of the 2012 season after playing a little bit of special teams during his career, but he never caught a pass.  After sitting out a year due to transfer rules, he should be eligible to play as a fifth year senior in 2014.

Ricardo Miller, Ex-Wolverine

Junior tight end Ricardo Miller has left the football program.  He played in 14 games as a special teams guy, but just two as a tight end.

As you can tell from my first real post about Ricardo Miller in July of 2010, I was never a huge fan of Miller's abilities.  He peaked early at Orlando (FL) Dr. Phillips and earned some rave reviews as an underclassman, but it was painfully obvious once he transferred to Ann Arbor (MI) Pioneer for his senior year that he lacked any kind of deep speed or smooth athletic ability.  You can see in this video that he just lacks explosiveness and athleticism.  He seemed like a pure blocking wide receiver for Rich Rodriguez, and he even temporarily moved to tight end for Brady Hoke when he got up to around 234 lbs.  Unfortunately, he was always destined to be a "tweener" - too slow to play wide receiver, too slightly built to be a tight end.  Perhaps Rodriguez would have found a way to use him, but he doesn't have a role for Hoke.

Regarding the future of the football team, this won't really affect Michigan other than freeing up a scholarship.  I didn't expect to see Miller in any meaningful role for the remainder of his career, and Michigan's coaches were already recruiting tight ends as if they didn't expect Miller to step up, either.  However, it's somewhat sad to see a kid's career end so early, especially when that player was so devoted to Michigan that he moved from Florida a year early and was heading up the recruiting for that 2010 class much like quarterback Shane Morris is doing for the class of 2013.  By all accounts, Miller is a likable guy who just doesn't have the athleticism to get on the field in the Big Ten.  And he's on pace to graduate from Michigan this spring, so he's getting the job done in the classroom well enough to graduate after just three years.

Miller's departure leaves just 14 players on the roster from the 27-man class of 2010.  For information on other ex-Wolverines, check out the Ex-Wolverine Encyclopedia.

2012 Season Countdown: #63 Ricardo Miller

Ricardo Miller

Name: Ricardo Miller
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 234 lbs.
High school: Ann Arbor (MI) Pioneer
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #80
Last year: I ranked Miller #48 and said he would be a backup tight end.  He played in eight games as a special teamer and backup tight end but did not accrue any statistics.

Miller has led a bit of a wandering path to this point in his career.  He started off as a highly touted wide receiver recruit, but when he arrived in Ann Arbor for his senior year of high school, it looked to me like he wouldn't be able to hack it at wide receiver.  He tried to play at wideout as a freshman, moved to tight end as a sophomore, and now finds himself back at the wide receiver position after the spring didn't go so well.

Now headed into his junior year, Miller doesn't look much closer to seeing the field with any consistency.  He's too slow to stretch the field, not sudden enough to get open on short routes, too small to be an in-line blocker at tight end, and was never considered a "jump ball" type of receiver in high school.  He seems to be a man without a true position.  However, the need for contributors at wide receiver (and tight end) is pretty dire.  The starters are average, and the backups are very young and unproven.  It remains to be seen how Al Borges will use him in the offense, if at all.

Prediction: Backup wide receiver or tight end

2011 Countdown: #48 Ricardo Miller

Ricardo Miller

Name: Ricardo Miller
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 215 lbs.
High school: Pioneer High Schoo in Ann Arbor, MI (via Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, FL)
Position: U-back
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #80
Last year: I ranked Miller #60 and said he would get minimal offensive reps.  He redshirted.

Miller looked like the freshman receiver who was most physically ready to play in 2010, but the lone freshman wideout to play in 2010 was Jeremy Jackson.  Miller did technically play special teams against UMass, but never saw action again for the rest of the season and therefore redshirted.  I wasn't terribly excited about his potential as a wide receiver, so I'm glad he's switched positions to U-back, which is Al Borges' version of a fullback/tight end hybrid (known elsewhere as an H-back).

Miller is a willing blocker and I expect him to be bigger than 215 lbs. when fall practice comes around, maybe in the range of 225.  He still probably won't be big enough (or technically sound enough) to be an in-line blocker, but he's likely the best suited of the "tight ends" to play the old Aaron Shea hybrid position.  That ought to get him on the field with some regularity, especially since fullback John McColgan isn't particularly skilled.

Prediction: Backup tight end

Snapshots: How to Give Up 68-yard Touchdown Runs

With a couple exceptions, the spring game was largely devoid of big plays for the offense.  This was the longest play from the line of scrimmage.  It's the second team offense vs. the second team defense, but it gives us a good look at what the defense will be trying to do in 2011.

ABOVE: Prior to the snap, the defense is in a standard 4-3 under look.  FS Marvin Robinson is shifted over to cover the slot receiver, while SS Josh Furman is about 12 yards directly off the ball.  CB Terrence Talbott is walked off the line of scrimmage with only TE Mike Kwiatkowski on his side.  Meanwhile, H-back Ricardo Miller has motioned across the offensive formation and is now offset between the strongside OG and OT.

ABOVE: Initial action suggests it's a power run.  LG Rocko Khoury is pulling across the formation; Kwiatkowski and RT Erik Gunderson are double-teaming LDE Ken Wilkins, who has stood straight up.  Meanwhile, MLB Brandon Herron reads run and immediately steps up to fill the hole.  NT Will Heininger gets outmuscled and collapsed away from the play.

ABOVE: As RB Michael Cox gets the handoff, LT Kristian Mateus whiffs on DE Jibreel Black, who's totally and completely screwed if this is a rollout pass.  HB Ricardo Miller impacts SAM Jake Ryan with LG Rocko Khoury coming to help, while DE Ken Wilkins gets driven off the ball.  MIKE Brandon Herron steps up into the developing hole and WILL Brandin Hawthorne (?) flows to the ball.  CB Terrence Talbott has started to come up and support while FS Marvin Robinson follows his receiver across the field.

ABOVE: SAM Jake Ryan completely stones both blockers and stands his ground, while MIKE Brandon Herron meets RB Michael Cox about a half yard beyond the line of scrimmage; this should be stopped for a gain of a yard or two.  DE Jibreel Black missed Cox in the backfield and has run himself out of the play.  CB Terrence Talbott has stepped up in run support, and FS Marvin Robinson appears to see the ballcarrier and can presumably fight through a block to help make the tackle.

ABOVE: Oops.  MIKE Brandon Herron tackles like a middle schooler.  WILL Brandin Hawthorne (?) lies prone on the ground from just being in the general vicinity of football player-sized football players.  Meanwhile, FS Marvin Robinson has completely overrun the play and lost his leverage on the ballcarrier.  And because of his careless positioning, he flummoxes SS Josh Furman, who has finally stepped up to support only to be thwarted by a teammate.  RB Michael Cox sees the cutback and engages afterburners.

ABOVE: WR Martavious Odoms (?) has good position on CB Greg Brown (?) and walls him off.  As RB Michael Cox hits the 45-yard line, he's a half step in front of FS Marvin Robinson and a half step behind SS Josh Furman.  Speed has always been a question for Robinson, but Furman is a supposed burner who ran a supposed 4.37 in high school.

ABOVE: As RB Michael Cox crosses the goal line with a 68-yard touchdown run, FS Marvin Robinson has gone from half a yard behind Cox to about 9 yards.  SS Josh Furman has lost about 4 yards on Cox.  Of course, both were chasing Cox at an angle as he veered toward the left sideline, but neither ever seemed in danger of catching Cox once he turned on the jets.

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?

• Well, if nothing else, we know what Michigan's defensive alignment looks like and how the "power play" works.
• Ken Wilkins, who just got outmuscled by a duo of walk-ons, will probably not be ready to play this year.  There's a reason that Jibreel Black was playing some 5-tech DT, and the above type of play might be it.
• I like Michael Cox, but Giant Mistake #1 was Brandon Herron's complete and utter failure to even slow down the running back.  If you're a fifth year senior and can't slow down a guy who runs smack into your chest, hope is all but lost.  I guess I ought to cut Herron some slack because he did get bumped by Khoury, but still.
• Angles and positioning are of utmost importance.  It's one thing if Wilkins lines up in the right spot and gets double-teamed out of the hole.  But Giant Mistake #2 on this play was Marvin Robinson thinking he was in a race with Je'ron Stokes to get to the sideline.  By the time Stokes said, "Aw, I was just foolin', man, I ain't gonna race you," Robinson was the Tie Bomber to Cox's Millennium Falcon.  Robinson must maintain leverage on the runner, because he doesn't have the speed to get caught flat-footed and then make up for it.  There aren't many Big Ten running backs who will be chased down by Robinson if he doesn't take good angles.
• Good linebacker play makes this a 1- or 2-yard gain.  Good safety play makes this an 8-yard gain.  Bad linebacker play combined with bad safety play makes this a 68-yard touchdown run.

Fast forward to :56 to see the above play:

2010 Football Roster Tidbits

This guy is 320 lbs.

The 2010 football roster was released on Monday, and there are several interesting notes. Going down the list numerically . . .

Freshman safety Marvin Robinson is #3 and listed at 6'2", 200 lbs. Not only was Troy Woolfolk impressed with his play at safety during summer 7-on-7s, but for all those people who thought he would bulk up to play linebacker . . . 200 lbs. hardly screams for a position change.

Freshman safety Josh Furman is #6 and listed at 6'2", 207 lbs.

Senior linebacker Jonas Mouton is 240 lbs. now. Last year he was listed at 228. He's not the only linebacker who bulked up, so that's clearly a directive from the coaches and training staff.

Freshman cornerback Courtney Avery is #9 and listed at 5'11", 167 lbs. He has apparently been working hard this summer, but that's not much weight to be spread out across a 5'11" frame.

Freshman safety Carvin Johnson is #13 and listed at 6'0", 195 lbs.

Junior running back Michael Shaw packed on 6 lbs. and is up to 187.

Freshman safety Ray Vinopal is #20 and listed at 5'10", 193 lbs.

Freshman cornerback Terrence Talbott is #22 and listed at 5'11", 171 lbs.

Freshman cornerback Cullen Christian is #24 and listed at 6'0", 187 lbs. That seems like a perfect size to get some playing time this year.

Redshirt sophomore middle linebacker Kenny Demens is 250 lbs. now. And if you've seen any new pictures of him, he's jacked.

Freshman slot receiver Drew Dileo is #26 and listed at 5'10", 171 lbs.

Redshirt freshman middle linebacker Isaiah Bell is 245 lbs. now, up from 237 in the spring. He was a free safety and about 205-210 coming out of high school, so that's some impressive weight gain. Hooray for chocolate milk.

Redshirt freshman kicker Brendan Gibbons is 227 lbs. There were reports that he had been up to about 245.

Freshman linebacker Jake Ryan is #37 and listed at 6'3", 224 lbs.

Freshman linebacker Davion Rogers is #38 and listed at 6'6", 200 lbs. Maybe he can play small forward for our basketball team, too.

Freshman Kenny Wilkins is #41 and listed at 6'3", 262 lbs. Hopefully that's good weight, and I'm assuming it is because he has a reputation for being a gym rat. He's also listed as a defensive end, despite some people's thoughts that he would play Craig Roh's linebacker position.

Freshman punter Will Hagerup is #43 and listed at 6'4", 210 lbs.

Senior Mark Moundros (a permanent captain for this season) is listed as a "FB/LB," the only player on the team with two positions listed.

Senior middle linebacker Obi Ezeh is up to 250 lbs.

Redshirt junior center David Molk is listed at 285 lbs., up fifteen from the 2009 season.

Freshman defensive tackle Richard Ash is #54 and listed at 6'3", 320 lbs. That's a significant weight gain for someone who was 240 lbs. as a junior and listed at 263 lbs. on his recruiting profiles. That much weight gain can't be good weight.

Freshman defensive end Jibreel Black is #55 and listed at 6'2", 258 lbs. Expect to see him on the field this fall.

Redshirt junior defensive tackle Dominique Ware is still short (5'7").

Sophomore defensive tackle William Campbell has gone through quite a transition. He came in at a reported 330 lbs., got all the way down to 318, and is now listed at 333 lbs. It sounds like the training staff had to melt off some of the flab and turn it into muscle . . . hopefully.

The redshirt freshmen offensve linemen have all put on significant weight. Taylor Lewan is 294, Michael Schofield is 293, and Quinton Washington is now 315. That should make them viable options to play this fall.

Senior tight end Martell Webb is up to 255 lbs.

Freshman wide receiver Ricardo Miller is now 6'4", 215 lbs.

Freshman wide receiver D.J. Williamson is #84 and listed at 6'1", 170 lbs.

Junior tight end Kevin Koger is up to 255 lbs.

Redshirt sophomore tight end Brandon Moore is up to 250 lbs.

Freshman Jordan Paskorz is #94 and listed at 6'3", 242 lbs. He's also listed as a defensive end, which is where someone with his hip stiffness belongs.

Freshman Terry Talbott is #96 and listed at 6'3", 248 lbs. He's destined for a redshirt, especially because he's listed at defensive tackle, not defensive end.

Senior Adam Patterson is still listed as a defensive end, despite the fact that he got snaps at nose tackle in the spring.

2010 Countdown: #60 Ricardo Miller

Name: Ricardo Miller
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 212 lbs.
High school: Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, MI
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #82
Prediction for 2010: Minimal offensive reps

Early in the recruiting process, Michigan fans were hyped up about Ricardo Miller. Originally from Orlando, he and his family decided to move to Michigan so he could enroll early at Michigan. So he played ball this past season at Pioneer High School, in the shadow of Michigan Stadium. Not only was Miller seemingly a highly rated wide receiver, but he was clearly 100% committed to the Wolverines and exercised that enthusiasm by pushing hard for other kids to commit.

So as much as I like the kid's character, it pains me to say this - but I don't see the vast amount of potential that many other Michigan fans do. Some have already been clamoring for him to be given the #1 jersey, which is reserved only for the most special receivers at U of M. Miller doesn't seem to have great speed or leaping ability, and he had some problems with dropping passes at Pioneer. In my opinion, the best thing Miller has to offer at this point is his size and blocking ability - at 6'4" and 212 lbs., he should be able to dominate opposing cornerbacks in the running game. That might be enough to get him on the field in the fall, especially because outside wide receivers are in short supply on this team.

2010 Countdown: #74 Jeremy Jackson

Name: Jeremy Jackson
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 196 lbs.
High school: Huron High School in Ann Arbor, MI
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #17
Prediction for 2010: Redshirt

I struggled with where to put Jackson on the list. There's no question in my mind that at least one of the freshman receivers will play this season (Jackson, Ricardo Miller, or Jerald Robinson), perhaps more. Darryl Stonum and Junior Hemingway are the likely starters, but there's not much after that.

But I've never been a fan of Jackson's playmaking ability. As the son of running backs coach Fred Jackson, he's probably learning the offense quickly and is technically sound. He's tall and can probably grab some jump balls. But golly gee, he looks super slow in every video I've ever seen of him - game film, spring practice video, etc. Not only might that be a problem for getting downfield, but I even doubt whether he can be an effective blocker at this point. I feel like Big Ten cornerbacks would just dance around him to make a tackle. So out of the three freshman wideouts, I think Jackson is the least likely to play this season.

2010 Recruiting Grades: Wide Receiver

Jerald Robinson. #4. The red, white, and silver #4. Uhhh...the guy catching the ball. Yeah, him.

The Wolverines picked up three wide receivers in the class of 2010 (slot receivers will be a separate category). At one point in the process, Michigan had six commitments from guys who were recruited to play either wide receiver or slot, so Rich Rodriguez obviously thought the team was lacking at the position. This despite the fact that Michigan only lost Greg Mathews and Laterryal Savoy in 2009, and they shouldn't lose anyone in 2010.

The first commitment came from Ricardo Miller, a 6'2", 208 lb. wideout from Dr. Phillips in Orlando, FL. So intent to play at Michigan, he and his family moved to Ann Arbor to attend Pioneer High School. Miller was considered by many Michigan fans to be at least a 4-star prospect, with the chance to be a 5-star. Unfortunately, many of them hadn't seen him play at that point. Miller is a big receiver with a magnetic personality; he was even credited by Rodriguez as an ace recruiter. What he lacks is elite speed. He might even lack above average speed.

A couple days later, running backs coach Fred Jackson's son, Jeremy Jackson, announced his commitment to Michigan. Jackson stands 6'3" and 194 and attended Huron High School in Ann Arbor. In a slightly alarming trend, Jackson also lacks great speed, perhaps even more so than Miller. In fact, both Miller and Jackson are so big and so . . . not fast that there has been much discussion that they could move to tight end.

Jerald Robinson, from Canton South in Ohio, waited until February 2010 to commit. He's a 6'2", 175 lb. receiver, although when I first evaluated him, I really thought he would be a candidate to play safety in college. He's not exactly a blazer, although he's faster than Miller and Jackson. Like Jackson, though, he's decent at going into traffic.

Projections: At this point, I think all three of these players will stick at wide receiver - no tight end for Jackson or Miller, and no safety for Robinson. That being said, I do not think any of the three will be assuming the crown of Michigan's Next Great Receiver. At least one will almost surely play in the fall, and I wouldn't be surprised to see two of them on the field; Rodriguez isn't shy about burning redshirts, for the most part. Robinson is the most likely to be an impact player in the passing game. He possesses the best speed and big play ability. The other two will have to prove their worth early on by blocking in the running game.

Grade: C. I'm not a big fan of this class of receivers. All three players have good qualities, but they also lack elite physical talent. In an offense that revolves around getting its players in space, Rodriguez took several early commitments from guys who might struggle to get open. And if they do get open, they might not be able to do much with the ball. Laterryal Savoy earned a starting job in 2008 by being the best blocking receiver on the team, but it's somewhat disturbing to think that perhaps the best thing that comes out of this class is . . . a couple Laterryal Savoys.

Statistical Analysis of 2010 Recruiting: Part III

As I was keeping track of Michigan's recruiting efforts throughout the 2010 cycle, I began to wonder where Michigan has the most success in recruiting. The obvious answers would be "in state" and "near home" and those answers held true, to no one's surprise.

You can see in the above chart (click to enlarge) that Michigan got the best bang for its buck in contiguous states like Wisconsin and Ohio. Pennsylvania is #5 on the list.

Sitting there at #4, though, is Louisiana. Michigan got two of the six prospects who were offered, slot receiver Drew Dileo and safety Carvin Johnson. The other four were WR Trovon Reed (Auburn), QB Munchie Legaux (Cincinnati), DE Jordan Allen (LSU), and CB Ronnie Vinson (LSU). Of those four, only Legaux didn't have an LSU offer. As I said in yesterday's post, kids in the deep south tend to stay in the deep south if a decent local program offers. Reed spurned LSU for a school in neighboring Alabama, but Allen and Vinson jumped at the opportunity to play in the Bayou.

Moving on to Florida, that percentage might be a bit alarming. The Wolverines extended more offers to Florida than any other individual state by far - 46 offers in all, beating Ohio by 16 - but Michigan's success rate in the Sunshine State was just below 7%. With all three commitments from Florida being 4-stars (Demar Dorsey, Marvin Robinson, Richard Ash), the kids Michigan has stolen have been elite talents. But this is something to watch in the coming years. If Rich Rodriguez continues to offer a high volume of kids from Florida, hopefully the commitments he gets remain elite players. I would hate to see the coaching staff spend such significant time and effort on Florida only to get middling recruits from the state. That being said, the coaches have done a good job there over the past couple years. They've established a pipeline from Pahokee (Martavious Odoms, Brandin Hawthorne, Vincent Smith, Richard Ash) and could be in the process of building a pipeline from Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando (Ricardo Miller transferred from Dr. Phillips to Ann Arbor Pioneer after committing, and 2011 prospects Demetrius Hart and Hasean Clinton-Dix have both been offered).

Rodriguez knows what side his bread is buttered on. He'll continue to get a high volume of recruits from Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, and he'll try to pluck a few elite talents out of Florida. Those efforts will be complemented by an occasional commitment from various other states.

Recruiting Roundup: Wide Receivers and Slot Receivers

Kenny Shaw

So far the most successfully recruited position group for the 2010 class has been wide receivers and slot receivers. In total, Michigan's coaches have secured six commitments from that group. Four of them are wideouts (Ricardo Miller, Jeremy Jackson, D.J. Williamson, and Jerald Robinson); the other two are slots (Drew Dileo and Tony Drake).

Five of those commitments came very early on in the process, and I have maintained since then that not all of these wide receivers would end up signing with Michigan in February. Whether someone is slow-played into decommitting, doesn't qualify, or chooses another school instead, not all six of these kids will end up wearing a Michigan uniform. Fitting with that theory, recent rumors suggest that slot receiver Tony Drake has yet to qualify for admission to the University of Michigan. Although cornerback Adrian Witty from the Class of 2009 did eventually qualify, he had to sit out the 2009 season; the coaches will surely try to avoid a similar situation in 2010.

The only two uncommitted receivers who have Michigan offers are Kenny Shaw (Orlando, FL) and Chris Dunkley (Pahokee, FL). Dunkley received an early offer from Michigan, but he never had much interest in coming to Ann Arbor. Shaw, on the other hand, is still being actively recruited by the Wolverines. His former teammate is none other than Ricardo Miller, who has perhaps been Michigan's best recruiter. I expect that Shaw will end up staying down south, but there's a possibility that he could take the spot of Drake (if the latter fails to qualify) or another wide receiver who might decommit.

2009 Summer Camp visitors

Monday - June 15, 2009
Marcus Beaurem, WR - Sterling Heights, MI
Greg Brown, CB - Fremont, OH (Class of 2011)
Ashton Broyld, QB - Rochester, NY (Class of 2011)
Calvin Caldwell, CB - Greenville, SC (Class of 2011)
De'Shon Dixon, RB - Flint, MI
Chris Frost, WR - Mathews, NC (Class of 2011)
Justice Hayes, RB - Grand Blanc, MI (Class of 2011)
Ronnie Howard, Jr, RB. - Sharon, PA
Bill Ivan, OL - Charlevoix, MI
Jeremy Jackson, WR - Ann Arbor, MI (Michigan commit)
Cornelius Jones, QB - Spartanburg, S.C. (Michigan commit)
Edwin Limmitt, RB - Warren, MI
Andrew Marcotte, OT - Williamsburg, VA
Kyle McAvoy, OL - Bloomington, IL (Class of 2011)
Luke McAvoy, OL - Bloomington, IL (Class of 2011)
Justin Moss, DE - Canton, MI
Drew Phillips, RB - Boaz, AL
Jewone Snow, LB - Canton, OH
Alexander Waters, CB - Hoover, AL
DeVante Woods, RB - Fremont, OH
Matt Zakrzewski, LB - Traverse City, MI
Anthony Zettel, OG - West Branch, MI (Class of 2011)

Bobby Swigert and Kurtis Drummond, Class of 2010 safeties who have been offered, both visited unofficially on Monday.


Tuesday - June 16, 2009
Dakota Anderson, TE – Xenia, OH
DeAnthony Arnett, WR – Saginaw, MI (Class of 2011)
Courtney Avery, DB – Lexington, Ohio (Stanford commit)
Marcus Beaurem, WR – Sterling Heights, MI
Trey Bennett, WR – Alexander City, AL
Tyler Brause, QB – Bucyrus, OH
Eduardo Clements, RB - Miami, OH
Garret Davis, OL – Ypsilanti, MI
Tevon Eatmon, TE – Bucyrus, OH
Kyle Foster, WR – Ann Arbor, MI (Class of 2011)
Kris Frost, WR – Matthews, NC (Class of 2011)
Christopher Gallon, WR – Oviedo, FL (Class of 2011)
Devin Gardner, QB – Inkster,MI (Michigan commit)
Justice Hayes, RB – Grand Blanc, MI (Class of 2011)
Nick Hill, RB – Chelsea, MI
Bill Ivan, OL – Charlevoix, MI
Shaquille Jefferson, DB – Lexington, OH
Percy Johnson, LB – Madison Heights, MI (Class of 2011)
Taiwan Jones, WR – North Branch, MI
Daniel Lindsey, RB – Inkster, MI
Nathan Lindsey, RB – Inkster, MI
Ricardo Miller, WR – Orlando, FL (Class of 2011)
Wayne Pettus, CB – Melvindale, MI
Drew Phillips, RB – Boaz, AL
Jerald Robinson, WR – Canton, OH (Michigan commit)
Terrence Stevens, DB – Inkster, MI
Johnathan Taylor, WR – Inkster, MI
Vorheese Zanders, WR – Inkster, MI
Anthony Zettel, OG - West Branch, MI (Class of 2011)

Drew Dileo, Wolverine

Louisiana slot receiver Drew Dileo has committed to the University of Michigan. I wrote a scouting report on Dileo at the end of March, so I won't rehash what I already said there.

However, in the meantime, Dileo had picked up offers from Stanford, Rice, Tulane, Virginia, and Northwestern.

In regards to the rest of the class, Rich Rodriguez and Co. have to be nearing the end of their wide receiver recruiting. This gives Michigan six potential wide receivers in the class of 2010, which is an astronomical number, especially considering that the class currently should hold only about 19 players. However, Michigan has recently sent out offers to outside wide receivers such as Andrew Carswell and Adrian Coxson, so I wouldn't bet any considerable amount of money that Michigan is done recruiting WRs.

A quick run-through of the six current commits:

1. Jeremy Jackson - At 6'4", he's destined for outside WR . . . or TE. However, he would probably take his talents elsewhere if the coaches put him at TE, so he's either a WR or gone.

2. Ricardo Miller - At 6'2" and 205 lbs., I think Miller is headed for outside WR. There's been some talk that he could move to tight end, but I just don't see it.

3. Jerald Robinson - He's 6'2" and 175 lbs. but could play safety. I honestly think there's a very good chance he'll end up on defense . . . or he'll decommit, much like Dewayne Peace last year.

4. D.J. Williamson - Williamson is 6'1" and 172 lbs. He could play outside or in the slot. He could potentially add depth at CB, too, but he won't make an impact there. I think Williamson is the most likely to decommit of the aforementioned group.

5. Tony Drake - Drake is headed for slot or running back. He reminds me of Odoms, which makes me think he'll be a slot.

6. Drew Dileo - Dileo has good hands and normally I'd say he's headed for slot receiver. However, with the increasing number of wide receivers in this class, maybe the coaching staff is liking his potential at RB more and more. That's pure speculation and I doubt its voracity, but it's possible. I think his biggest contribution will be as a kick/punt returner.