2015 Season Countdown: #77 Tom Strobel

Tom Strobel (image via MGoBlog)

Name: Tom Strobel
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 270 lbs.
High school: Mentor (OH) Mentor
Position: Defensive end
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #50
Last year: I ranked Strobel #67 and said he would be a backup strongside end. He played in five games and made 1 tackle.

Strobel has been a difficult player to project throughout his career. He came in as a guy who looked like he could stay at weakside end, but then he became a strongside end. Then he was a severely undersized defensive tackle. Then he moved back to strongside end. He appears to be too slow to play on the edge, and he can't or won't add the bulk necessary to play tackle.

A new coaching staff has been hired, and they look no closer to figuring out where he can actually play. He is listed at defensive end still, but he again appears to be a bench player. With the Wolverines looking like a bit more of a 3-4 team, that would seem to indicate a better chance for him to play because of his size, but it also constricts the pathway to playing time a little bit. Strobel hasn't shown anything yet that resembles a breakout, so he remains in the lower third of the countdown.

Prediction: Backup defensive end

2014 Season Countdown: #67 Tom Strobel

Tom Strobel (image via Scout)

Name: Tom Strobel
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 268 lbs.
High school: Mentor (OH) Mentor
Position: Defensive end
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #50
Last year: I ranked Strobel #64 and said he would be a backup strongside end. He played in one game and made 2 tackles.

Strobel came into the 2013 season as a combo strongside end/defensive tackle, but he has always seemed like a guy who would struggle to put on the weight necessary to play defensive tackle. Last year he played at 262 lbs., and this year he's up to 268. That's still a little bit light for the 5-tech defensive end spot that Michigan employed when their base defense was an Under. He played in one game as a redshirt freshman but made 2 tackles against the Chippewas of Central Michigan, so he acquitted himself fairly well.

Strobel is once again listed as a defensive end going into 2014, and I think that's the position that fits him best. The strongside end in Michigan's new base defense, the 4-3 Over, is more of an edge player who doesn't require as much bulk. Senior Brennen Beyer is entrenched as the starter, and sophomore Taco Charlton looks to be the first man off the bench. Strobel would likely be the third guy in, although redshirt freshman Henry Poggi (who also has bounced between defensive tackle and strongside end) might have something to say about that. Poggi is more of a natural defensive tackle, though, so Strobel will probably see a solid amount of playing time to spell players or play some garbage time minutes.

Prediction: Backup strongside end

2013 Season Countdown: #64 Tom Strobel

Tom Strobel (image via Hokeamaniac)

Name: Tom Strobel
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 262 lbs.
High school: Mentor (OH) Mentor
Position: Defensive end
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #50
Last year: I ranked Strobel #82 and said he would redshirt. He redshirted.

It's hard to say much new about a redshirt freshman that hasn't played meaningful football in two years, but here we are. Strobel has stayed pretty steady with his weight, but he will probably add a few more pounds before the fall. The coaching staff wanted Craig Roh up around 280 lbs. to play the 5-tech position, so Strobel still seems like he'll be a little light for their liking. However, he did earn some practice buzz this past season and in the spring. The coaches seem to like his potential.

As for this coming fall, Strobel could find himself in the rotation, but he probably won't be a heavily used player. Redshirt sophomore Keith Heitzman appears to be the leader for the strongside end position, and redshirt freshman Matt Godin got a lot of run in the spring game. Furthermore, Strobel's classmate Chris Wormley was talked about as a guy who would have played last year if not for his torn ACL, although Wormley might end up as a defensive tackle. I don't think Strobel will be any higher than third on the depth chart, but the he does have potential down the road.

Prediction: Backup 5-tech defensive end

Wolverine Nation: Entrance Interview with Tom Strobel

Brooke Mora

Tom VanHaaren interviews incoming freshman defensive end Tom Strobel.

2012 Season Countdown: #82 Tom Strobel

Tom Strobel (#36)

Name: Tom Strobel
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 260 lbs.
High school: Mentor (OH) Mentor
Position: Strongside defensive end
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Strobel was in high school.  He had 55 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, and 33 quarterback hurries

Final TTB Rating: 85

Strobel had an excellent senior season.  Originally slated for the weakside end position, his added weight and the team needs now see him penciled in as a future strongside end.  Strobel recently told Andrew that he's up to about 260 lbs., which is pretty solid for a true freshman.  The current starting SDE is Craig Roh, and Roh was 235 lbs. coming into college.

Strobel does have an outside shot at playing time this fall, but Roh is the starter.  He'll be backed up by redshirt sophomore walk-on Nathan Brink, who earned a lot of praise last year despite not doing much on the field.  The coaches like to go two-deep but not much further, so if Strobel can't crack the top two and the other guys stay pretty healthy, he'll probably be able to redshirt, bulk up, and work on his technique.

Prediction: Redshirt

Tom Strobel Answers Your Questions

Mentor (OH) Mentor defensive end Tom Strobel (#36)

Defensive lineman Tom Strobel was indoctrinated into Ohio State culture from childhood, received an Ohio State scholarship offer, and even admitted to favoring the Buckeyes in the early stages of his recruitment.  Aside from being raised in Ohio and identified as one of the top prospects in the nation, Tom graduated with a 3.8 GPA, maintains a focus on academics, and talks about a strong commitment to his team and "doing things the right way."

In short, he's just the kind of recruit that Brady Hoke and the coaches love to reel in.

Tom was recently nice enough to volunteer a few minutes of his time to update Michigan fans on several topics and answer a couple reader questions.

Playing 5-tech, playing early:  "As far as right now, the plan is that I'm going to play the 5-technique - not necessarily starting but just getting in the rotation.  That's really what I'm looking to do. . . . The plan is to not redshirt me.  If they chose to, then I'd be more than willing to take it, but I'm ready to play whenever they need me."

Height and weight, greasy food:  "I'm 6'6'' and 255/260 [lbs.], but I'll definitely be putting on weight.  In the off-season I dropped weight because I started to get a little bit fat, so I'm putting on weight the right way now. . . As long as I can still move, I'll get as big as I can.  I've got so much room to put on weight - I'll get bigger right off the bat.  I'm nowhere near my full potential. . . . I try not to eat any greasy or fast food because that just destroys me.  I can tell the difference when I don't eat something right; I feel it in my workouts.  I know my body that well now."

Studying with Matt Godin:  "I'm looking to go into business and finance.  My ultimate goal would be to get into the business school.  That's difficult to do, but I'll buckle down and see if I can get in there because that will be better for my future and help me get a job, hopefully after I go to the NFL.  But I've been working so hard.  My parents have pushed me my whole life to do well in academics. . . . My roommate Matt Godin - who will also be doing business with me - we'll be working hard together."

Respect your enemy:  "There are just a lot of Ohio State fans [in Mentor, Ohio].  They're just everywhere.  You get the closet Michigan fan every once in a while who'll say, 'I'm so excited for you to go [to Michigan],' and then they walk away. . . . So I've adjusted, and my family's adjusted because we grew up Ohio State fans. . . . I think Ohio State is a great place, a great program, and they've done some awesome things, so all respect to them.  But aside from that, when they were recruiting me, the coaches would be around, but it didn't seem like they were truly 100% focused on you.  And that's what I look for, so it was like, 'Do you really want me that bad?  Obviously you don't.'  They stopped by and talked to me and gave me their little tour, but I didn't get that feeling from them or from the coaches that I actually had a future with the team, and they wanted me to do things with them.  They didn't really give me that push, so I didn't really like that about them.  And also, their academics are decent, but when it came to Michigan - I mean, hell, look at their reputation as being the Ivy League school of the Big Ten.  And the coaches at Michigan were so welcoming and helped me.  At first, I was like, 'Is this too good to be true?  Can these guys really be this nice?' And they really are.  And then at Ohio State, who knows where I'd be playing  there.  They wanted to move me down to defensive tackle or something. . . . It just wasn't very clear.  It was an uncertain future.  And that was before Tressel got booted.  I had no idea about that situation before I committed [to Michigan], whatsoever."

A singer and thespian:  "I love to sing.  I sing whenever I can. . . . I was in choir in ninth grade, and I was in a musical this year.  They were begging me for years to do some sort of play or musical with the school.  So I did the musical the Titanic this year, and I won the lead role.

Ask a Question: Tom Strobel

Image via the News Herald (serving Northern Ohio)

Tom was indoctrinated into Ohio State culture at a young age and admits to having a bias toward the Buckeyes in the early stages of his recruitment.  Playing for the Mentor, OH Cardinals, Strobel developed into a top-flight recruit and garnered over twenty D-1 offers.  He also excelled in the classroom, earning academic honors and a 3.9 GPA.

In short, he's just the kind of recruit that Brady Hoke and the coaches love to reel in.

I should be talking with Tom in the near future, so leave a question for him in the comments section if you have any Tom Strobel related catching up to do.

Final Scout 300 Released for 2012

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

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

Michigan commits are in the following slots:

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

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

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

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

Recruit Tracker: The Remaining Few

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2012 Recruiting: Senior Year Statistics

Ann Arbor (MI) Pioneer got a statistically dominant season out of Drake Johnson (#2 in white and purple)

Blake Bars - OT - Nashville (TN) Montgomery Bell
54 pancake blocks

Joe Bolden - LB - Cincinnati (OH) Colerain
86 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 interception returned for a touchdown; 1 receiving touchdown, 1 rushing touchdown, and a 39.0 yard average on 25 punts

Ben Braden - OT - Rockford (MI) Rockford
No stats available.

Pharaoh Brown - TE/DE - Lyndhurst (OH) Brush**
31 receptions, 499 yards (16.1 yards per catch), 7 touchdowns; 33 tackles, 9 sacks, 1 pass breakup, 1 forced fumble

Jehu Chesson - WR - St. Louis (MO) Ladue Horton Watkins
53 receptions, 757 yards, 6 touchdowns; 57 tackles, 2 interceptions

Jeremy Clark - S - Madisonville (KY) North Hopkins
70 tackles, 15 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, 3 interceptions (3 touchdowns), and 1 fumble recovery (1 touchdown)

Devin Funchess - TE/LB - Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison
21 receptions, 452 yards (21.5 yards per catch), 5 touchdowns; 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 interception, 3 pass breakups

Allen Gant - S/WR - Sylvania (OH) Southview
79 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 3 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles; 12 carries, 106 yards (8.8 yards per rush); 24 receptions, 419 yards (17.5 yards per catch), 4 touchdowns

Matt Godin - DE - Novi (MI) Catholic Central
90 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 16.5 tackles for loss

Willie Henry - DT - Cleveland (OH) GlenvilleNo stats available.

Sione Houma - FB - Salt Lake City (UT) Highland
93 carries, 790 yards (8.8 yards per carry), 8 touchdowns; 1 kickoff return touchdown

Royce Jenkins-Stone - LB/FB - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
84 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries; 309 yards rushing, 5 touchdowns; 4 receptions, 43 yards, 1 touchdown

Drake Johnson - RB - Ann Arbor (MI) Pioneer
343 carries, 2,805 yards (8.2 yards per carry), 37 touchdowns; 5 receptions, 83 yards (16.6 yards per catch), 1 touchdown; 5-for-9 passing, 90 yards

Kyle Kalis - OL - Lakewood (OH) St. Edward's
No stats available.

Erik Magnuson - OL/DE - Carlsbad (CA) La Costa Canyon
69 pancake blocks

Dennis Norfleet - RB - Detroit (MI) King2,033 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns

Mario Ojemudia - DE - Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison
80 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 blocked punt

Ondre Pipkins - DT - Kansas City (MO) Park Hill
60 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, 3 pass breakups

Terry Richardson - CB/WR - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
49 tackles, 7 pass breakups; 24 receptions, 425 yards (17.7 yards per catch), 2 touchdowns; 1 kickoff return touchdown

Kaleb Ringer - LB - Clayton (OH) Northmont
59 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery, 1 pass breakup

James Ross - LB - Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary's
138 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery; 1 touchdown reception

Caleb Stacey - OL - Cincinnati (OH)**
38 pancake blocks, 0 sacks allowed

Anthony Standifer - CB - Crete (IL) Crete-Monee**
46 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 4 interceptions (1 touchdown), 2 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery

Tom Strobel - DE - Mentor (OH) Mentor
55 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 33 quarterback hurries

A.J. Williams - TE - Cincinnati (OH) Sycamore
No stats available.

Jarrod Wilson - S - Akron (OH) Buchtel
71 tackles, 3 interceptions (1 touchdown), 1 blocked punt

Chris Wormley - DE - Toledo (OH) Whitmer
66 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 pass breakup

**Decommitted from Michigan

Recruit Tracker (updated)

Tom Strobel (#36) had 3.5 sacks on Friday night (image via The Wolverine Blog)

OL Blake Bars and Montgomery Bell (1-3) were defeated by Baylor by a score of 23-16.

LB Joe Bolden and Colerain (2-1) were defeated by St. Xavier in an out of conference contest 17-14, snapping Colerain's 61 game home winning streak.


OL Ben Braden's team the Rockford Rams (2-1) were victorious in their contest against Grand Haven, winning 42-30.


DE Pharaoh Brown's team the Brush Arcs (0-3) were defeated by Kenston 31-27 after holding a 14-0 lead. Brown recorded a 21-yard touchdown reception in the contest.

S Jeremy Clark and North Hopkins (1-3) were defeated by Henderson County 33-21.  Clark had 3 tackles and returned a punt for a touchdown.

TE Devin Funchess caught a 69 yard touchdown pass as Farmington Hills Harrison (3-0) rolled Rochester Hills Stoney Creek following a weather delay by the score of 37-0.  He ended the game with 2 receptions for 78 yards.

S Allen Gant and the Southview Cougars (2-1) were defeated by the Start Spartans 28-22.  Gant had 12 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 1 forced fumble.

DL Matt Godin and Detroit Catholic Central (3-0) defeated Inkster 48-0. Godin recorded 2 tackles and a sack. Ace attended the game and reported via Twitter that Godin was a disruptive force who allowed other lineman to get sacks and make plays. Godin also saw some time on the offensive side of the line.

FB Sione Houma had only 1 carry for 3 yards and a 70-yard kickoff return before exiting the game due to a sprained ankle. His team the Highland Rams (3-1) were defeated by Lone Peak 56-41.

LB Royce Jenkins-Stone and Detroit Cass Tech (2-1) defeated Detroit Southeastern 51-0.  He had 10 tackles, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 forced fumble.  He also carried the ball 15 times for 86 yards and 2 touchdowns.

OL Kyle Kalis and the Lakewood St. Edward's Eagles (3-0) beat Youngstown Cardinal Mooney by a score of 34-17.


OL Erik Magnuson's team the La Costa Canyon Mavericks (1-1) were defeated 28-14 by Poway.

QB Shane Morris threw for 117 yards and a score as his team Warren De La Salle (3-0) won 31-28 over Dearborn Fordson. Morris put his legs on display late in the game on a third down play by taking off and hurdling a defender for a first down, which allowed De La Salle to run off the remaining time on the clock.

DL Mario Ojemudia blocked a punt for a safety during Farmington Hills Harrison's (3-0) 37-0 victory over Rochester Hills Stoney Creek.  He also had 5 tackles and 2 sacks.

DT Ondre Pipkins and his Park Hill Trojans won 13-7 over Park Hill South, improving to 3-0 on the season. For what it's worth (probably not much) this guy thinks Pipkins became tired late in the third quarter.  Pipkins had 9 tackles and 3 tackles for loss.


CB Terry Richardson helped Detroit Cass (2-1) Tech make quick work of Detroit Southeastern 51-0.  He caught 4 passes for 67 yards and made 1 tackle.

LB Kaleb Ringer and his Northmont High School squad (0-3) lost to Cincinnati Moeller by a score of 63-12. Michigan offeree Monty Madaris had 2 touchdown receptions in the blowout.


LB James Ross and Orchard Lake St. Mary's (2-1) defeated Highland Park 44-0.

DB Anthony Standifer and Crete-Monee team (2-1) won at Moline 37-13.  Standifer had 15 tackles, 2 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, and a punt block.

DE Tom Strobel of Mentor (3-0) racked up 3.5 sacks in 20 tackles in a 38-24 victory over St. Ignatius.

S Dymonte Thomas of Marlington (3-0) committed to the 2013 class in the midst of last night's euphoria. Certainly one of the best prospects in Ohio, Thomas helped Marlington to a 41-23 victory over Poland Seminary by scoring a rushing touchdown.

S Jarrod Wilson and his Akron squad Buchtel (0-3) were defeated by Solon by the odd score of 28-2.

Christopher Wormley's team the Toledo Whitmer Panthers (3-0) took care of Brantford Collegiate by the score of 63-0 after leading 56-0 at halftime. Wormley forced a fumble which was returned for a touchdown in the game and had 2 tackles and 1 sack.

Please let us know if you have any updates to stats or anything else interesting/informative.

Recruit Tracker

Matt Godin had 10 tackles and 2 sacks in Friday's victory

Blake Bars and Montgomery Bell Academy (1-2) were defeated by Brentwood Academy 42-13.

Joe Bolden and Colerain (2-0) defeated Ryle by a score of 37-0. Bolden had one fumble recovery in the matchup.

Ben Braden's team the Rockford Rams (1-1) defeated Holt 42-7 to improve their record to .500 on the season.

Pharaoh Brown's team the Brush Arcs (0-2) were defeated by Madison 42-35. Brown had a 21-yard TD reception in the contest.

Jeremy Clark and North Hopkins (2-1) defeated North Hardin 34-21.  Clark had 6 tackles, 1 pass breakup, and 1 interception that was returned for a 58-yard touchdown.

Devin Funchess and Farmington Hills Harrison won a 28-14 contest at Southfield High. Funchess had 2 receptions for 29 yards.

Allen Gant of the Southview Cougars (2-0) helped his team to an 18-0 victory over Rogers.  He had 10 carries for 50 yards, 3 receptions for 42 yards and 1 touchdown, and had 4 tackles and a forced fumble on defense.

Matt Godin experienced nausea and dizziness last week, which led the Detroit Catholic Central training staff to suspect that Godin may have experienced a concussion. When I spoke with Matt mid-last week, however, he said the symptoms were caused by dehydration and illness--not a concussion. At the time of our conversation, Matt was still feeling under the weather and didn't know if he'd be able to perform on Friday. But perform he did--and quite well at that. He recorded 10 tackles and two sacks in a 14-7 victory over Delphos (OH) St. John's.

Sione Houma had 15 carries for 164 yards and 2 touchdowns as his team the Highland Rams (2-0) rolled to a 42-6 victory over Provo.

Royce Jenkins-Stone and Detroit Cass Tech defeated Detroit Central High by a score of 62-6. He had 3 touchdowns in the game, including a blocked punt return.  He also had 8 tackles.

Kyle Kalis of the Lakewood-St. Edward's Eagles (2-0) defeated Penn Hills 47-6; Lakewood is ranked #4 in the USA Today national poll.

Erik Magnuson's team the La Costa Canyon Mavericks (1-0) beat Marina by a score of 48-0.

Shane Morris of Warren De La Salle (2-0) defeated Flint Carman-Ainsworth 34-6. The 5-star 2013 QB commit threw for 178 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 1 touchdown.

Mario Ojemudia and Farmington Hills Harrison beat Southfield by a score of 28-14. Ojemudia recorded 6.5 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks.

Ondre Pipkins and his Park Hill Trojans defeated Ruskin by a score of 23-0 to improve to 2-0 on the season.  Pipkins had 5 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, and 3 batted passes.

Terry Richardson registered a 60-yard kickoff return and two receiving touchdowns in a 62-6 victory over Detroit Central.  In total he caught 5 passes for 124 yards.

Kaleb Ringer and his Northmont High School squad (0-2) were defeated by Princeton 32-21.  Ringer sat out the game with the broken hand that has kept him on the sideline so far this season.

James Ross and Orchard Lake St. Mary's were defeated by Toledo (OH) St. John Jesuit 34-24.

Anthony Standifer's Crete-Monee team won by a score of 35-0 over Lincoln-Way West Friday night.  Standifer had 1 interception.  Teammate Laquon Treadwell, a 2013 prospect at wide receiver, had 6 receptions for 125 yards and 2 touchdowns to go along with two sacks and six tackles while playing defensive end.

Tom Strobel and his Mentor team beat Ursuline by a score of 38-27. Strobel had 1 solo tackle and 5 assists.

Jarrod Wilson's Akron squad Buchtel (0-2) were defeated by Steubenville by a score of 22-6.

Christopher Wormley's team the Toledo Whitmer Panthers (2-0) beat Lucas by a score of 41-0.

*Here's a video of the FHH contest, and Aaron Burbridge throwing a pretty nice looking TD pass.

Farmington Hills Harrison vs Southfield: MyFoxDETROIT.com

Please let us know if you have any updates to stats or anything else interesting/informative.

New Rivals 250 Released for 2012

James Ross is the #158 prospect in the nation

The new Rivals 250 was released on Tuesday.

Here's what the rankings looked like back in mid-May.

Since then, here's what happened for Michigan recruits:

- James Ross dropped from #143 to #158

- Joe Bolden dropped from #167 to #184

- Terry Richardson dropped from #195 to #214

- Tom Strobel dropped from #231 to outside the top 250

The following players have been offered by Michigan:

101. Keith Brown - LB - Florida (Miami)
103. Dillon Lee - LB - Georgia (Alabama)
104. Zeke Pike - QB - Kentucky (Auburn)
106. Greg McMullen - DE - Ohio (Nebraska)
111. JaQuay Williams - WR - Georgia (Auburn)
113. Vince Biegel - LB - Wisconsin (Wisconsin)
118. Jordan Payton - WR - California
120. Faith Ekakitie - DE - Illinois
121. Peter Jinkens - LB - Texas (Texas)
122. Max Tuerk - OT - California (USC)
125. LaDarrell McNeil - S - Texas (Tennessee)
127. Drae Bowles - WR - Tennessee (Tennessee)
129. Elijah Shumate - S - New Jersey
132. Ty Darlington - C - Florida (Oklahoma)
141. Bri'onte Dunn - RB - Ohio (Ohio State)
143. Raphael Kirby - LB - Georgia (Miami)
145. Dalvin Tomlinson - DT - Georgia
146. Evan Boehm - OG - Missouri (Missouri)
148. Jake Rodrigues - QB - California (Oregon)
149. Aaron Burbridge - WR - Michigan (Michigan State)
151. Paul Thurston - OT - Colorado (Nebraska)
154. Danny O'Brien - DT - Michigan
155. Jaleel Johnson - DT - Illinois (Iowa)
158. James Ross - LB - Michigan (Michigan)
161. Devonte Fields - DE - Texas (TCU)
162. Michael Starts - DE - Texas (Texas Tech)
163. Dwayne Stanford - WR - Ohio
165. Deontay McManus - WR - Maryland (West Virginia)
168. Kyle Dodson - OG - Ohio (Wisconsin)
169. Dan Voltz - OT - Illinois (Wisconsin)
170. Kwon Alexander - LB - Alabama
172. Brent Wilkerson - DE - Maryland (Penn State)
173. Cyrus Jones - CB - Maryland
174. Connor Brewer - QB - Arizona (Texas)
175. Matt Jones - RB - Florida (Florida)
180. Sean Price - TE - Florida (South Florida)
183. Brock Stadnik - OT - North Carolina (South Carolina)
184. Joe Bolden - LB - Ohio (Michigan)
188. Jonathan Williams - RB - Texas (Missouri)
196. Michael Moore - DE - Maryland (Virginia)
197. Derek Edinburgh - OT - Louisiana (LSU)
198. Adam Bisnowaty - OT - Pennsylvania
203. Ken Ekanem - DE - Virginia
204. Armani Reeves - CB - Massachusetts (Penn State)
205. Martin Aiken - DE - South Carolina (Clemson)
206. Shane Callahan - OT - Colorado
207. Ryan Watson - DE - Maryland
209. Jarontay Jones - DE - Georgia (Virginia Tech)
211. Amara Darboh - WR - Iowa
212. Latroy Pittman - WR - Florida (Florida)
214. Terry Richardson - CB - Michigan (Michigan)
226. Jordan Diamond - OT - Illinois
227. Jody Fuller - WR - North Carolina (South Carolina)
229. Leonte Carroo - WR - New Jersey (Rutgers)
230. Warren Ball - RB - Ohio (Ohio State)
233. Reginald Davis - WR - Texas (Texas Tech)
234. Troy Hinds - DE - Utah (BYU)
240. I'Tavius Mathers - RB - Tennessee (Mississippi)
246. Darius Powe - WR - California

247 Sports' Top 247: #101-247

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech is the #102 player in the country
(image via detnews.com)

To go along with yesterday's post highlighting 247 Sports' top 100 prospects, here's a look at #101 through #247.  The three players in today's list give the Wolverines 7 total prospects out of the top 247 players in the country.  And with 106 prospects listed overall, that means Michigan has pursued 43% of the top prospects in the nation.

- CB Terry Richardson dropped from #31 to #102 overall.

- DE Tom Strobel dropped from #169 to #181.

- LB Royce Jenkins-Stone dropped from #174 to #190.

The rankings:

101. De'van Bogard - CB - Ohio (Ohio State)
102. Terry Richardson - CB - Michigan (Michigan)
105. Aziz Shittu - DT - California
106. Wayne Morgan - CB - New York
108. Adolphus Washington - DE - Ohio
113. Faith Ekakitie - DT - Illinois
120. Chris Muller - OT - Pennsylvania (Rutgers)
121. Tyriq McCord - DE - Florida
123. Devonte Fields - DE - Texas (TCU)
128. Michael Starts - OT - Texas (Texas Tech)
129. Sean Price - TE - Florida (South Florida)
131. Bri'onte Dunn - RB - Ohio (Ohio State)
134. Troy Hinds - DE - Utah (BYU)
143. Camren Williams - LB - Massachusetts (Penn State)
144. Zach Banner - OT - Washington
147. Greg McMullen - DE - Ohio (Nebraska)
149. Vincent Valentine - DT - Illinois
154. Kendall Sanders - CB - Texas (Oklahoma State)
156. Jason Croom - WR - Georgia
157. Jonah Pirsig - OT - Minnesota (Minnesota)
160. Marcus Maye - S - Florida (Florida)
161. Michael Moore - DE - Maryland (Virginia)
163. Deontay McManus - WR - Maryland
164. Brian Poole - CB - Florida (Florida)
165. Taylor McNamara - TE - California (Arizona)
166. Amara Darboh - WR - Iowa
169. Jody Fuller - WR - North Carolina (South Carolina)
173. Avery Johnson - WR - Florida
175. Matt Jones - RB - Florida (Florida)
179. Ken Ekanem - DE - Virginia
181. Tom Strobel - DE - Ohio (Michigan)
184. Jaquay Williams - WR - Georgia (Auburn)
186. Peter Jinkens - LB - Texas (Texas)
189. Wes Brown - RB - Maryland
190. Royce Jenkins-Stone - LB - Michigan (Michigan)
191. Deon Bush - CB - Florida
192. Drae Bowles - WR - Tennessee (Tennessee)
197. Se'von Pittman - DE - Ohio (Michigan State)
202. J.J. Denman - OT - Pennsylvania (Penn State)
203. Jonathan Williams - RB - Texas (Missouri)
208. Kent Taylor - TE - Florida
209. Kyle Dodson - OT - Ohio (Wisconsin)
210. Danny O'Brien - DT - Michigan
213. Avery Young - OT - Florida
215. Evan Boehm - OG - Missouri (Missouri)
216. Brent Wilkerson - DE - Maryland (Penn State)
217. Adam Bisnowaty - OT - Pennsylvania
226. John Michael McGee - OG - Texas (Oklahoma)
227. Vince Biegel - LB - Wisconsin (Wisconsin)
233. Jordan Payton - WR - California
240. Dalvin Tomlinson - DT - Georgia
244. Paul Thurston - OT - Colorado (Nebraska)
245. Greg Garmon - RB - Pennsylvania

Tom Strobel, Wolverine

Tom Strobel.

Tom Strobel, a defensive end from Mentor, OH, committed to Michigan on Friday.  He's a 6'6", 245 lb. strongside end who picked the Wolverines over offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Stanford, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, among others.

Is it a coincidence that Strobel plays for the Mentor Cardinals, which just so happens to be the same nickname of Brady Hoke's old team, the Ball State Cardinals . . . ?

Probably.

His current rankings are as follows:

ESPN: 3-star, #56 DE
Rivals: 4-star, #36 DE, #231 overall
Scout: 4-star, #24 DE, #211 overall
24/7 Sports: 4-star, #14 WDE, #169 overall

When three out of four sites agree that he's a top-250 prospect, then I tend to think that ESPN doesn't know what it's talking about (Hint: They don't).  For someone that big who runs a reported 4.8 forty yard dash and has a 28" vertical leap, anything less than a 4-star rating seems a little foolish.  What's even more ridiculous is that the state of Ohio has several defensive ends who are on par or perhaps even better than Strobel, such as Adolphus Washington, Se'von Pittman, Ifeadi Odenigbo, Pharaoh Brown, and Greg McMullen.

While the majority of the sites agree that Strobel is an elite prospect, what they don't seem to agree on is his eventual position.  He has been projected as a strongside end, a weakside end, and a 3-tech defensive tackle by various scouts.  To me he looks like a strongside end all the way.  First of all, he has the bulk to play on the strong side without getting knocked off the ball.  Secondly, he doesn't have the athleticism to be an elite pass rusher and come off the edge from the weakside.  And third, if he's a true 6'6" tall, then I don't want him inside playing tackle.  Anytime tackles get over 6'5", I think their height becomes a disadvantage.

Strobel has a great motor.  There are plays when he gets completely turned around, finds the ball, and makes a beeline toward the ballcarrier.  There's no hesitation or thought of "Maybe I should give up" or "Maybe one of my teammates made the play by now."  He's also thick from head to toe, which means he should have sufficient upper and lower body strength to keep blockers off of him with his arms while also powering through blockers and ballcarriers with his legs.  He uses his hands very well and keeps separation from offensive tackles.

I am slightly concerned about Strobel's production thus far in his high school career, though.  In two seasons of varsity ball, he's only made 84 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and 9 sacks.  He did miss a couple games due to injury as a junior, but for a guy with his tools to only make 37 tackles and 2 sacks as a junior in high school is a little bit curious.  I also have all kinds of issues with Strobel's technique.  While he uses his hands very well, his butt's too low in his stance and his right foot is too far back, which makes him cockeyed.  With his foot back that far, almost every one of his first steps makes him stand straight up.  I'm not too concerned that Michigan's coaches will notice his stance issues and make the necessary corrections.  The more pressing issue is how quickly Strobel will adjust to a new stance, whether he will be comfortable, and whether he can keep his balance once the tweaks are made.

Overall, Strobel seems like a high-floor/medium-ceiling type of player.  As a strongside end, perhaps the most important quality is to be relentlessly active, and he does have that quality.  However, he will get eaten alive if he doesn't play lower.  The track record of his future coaches speaks for itself as far as coaching up defensive linemen, but I can't really expect greatness from a kid who had 37 tackles and 2 sacks as a junior.  I will be interested to see how he does in the upcoming season, so the following number may change, but as for now . . .

TTB Rating: 79 (explanation here)