2009 Offer Board

In order to alleviate some of the clutter at the top of the page, I'm moving the 2009 Offer Board to a blog post. Below you will find the 120 offers Michigan sent out in the 2009 class.

120 total offers

QUARTERBACK (10)
Tate Forcier - San Diego, CA (Michigan)
Denard Robinson - Deerfield Park, FL (Michigan)
Brandon Mitchell - Amite, LA (Arkansas)
Christian Matthews - Arlington, TX (Kansas)
Russell Shepard - Houston, TX (LSU)
Kevin Newsome - Chatham, VA (Penn State)
Tom Savage - Springfield, PA (Rutgers)
Casey Pachall - Brownwood, TX (TCU)
Shavodrick Beaver - Wichita Falls, TX (Tulsa)
Eugene Smith - Miramar, FL (West Virginia)

RUNNING BACK (14)
Teric Jones - Detroit, MI (Michigan)
Vincent Smith - Pahokee, FL (Michigan)
Fitzgerald Toussaint - Youngstown, OH (Michigan)
Mike Gillislee - Deland, FL (Florida)
David Sims - St. Matthews, SC (Georgia Tech)
Edwin Baker - Oak Park, MI (Michigan State)
Larry Caper - Battle Creek, MI (Michigan State)
Rex Burkhead - Plano, TX (Nebraska)
Jaamal Berry - Miami, FL (Ohio State)
Jordan Hall - Jeannette, PA (Ohio State)
Jeremy Smith - Tulsa, OK (Oklahoma State)
Lindsey Lamar - Tampa, FL (South Florida)
David Wilson - Danville, VA (Virginia Tech)
Tavon Austin - Baltimore, MD (West Virginia)

WIDE RECEIVER (15)
Jeremy Gallon - Apopka, FL (Michigan)
Cameron Gordon - Inkster, MI (Michigan)
Je'Ron Stokes - Philadelphia, PA (Michigan)
Kenny Bell - Rayville, LA (Alabama)
Dewayne Peace - Grand Prairie, TX (Arizona)
Travante Stallworth - Leesburg, LA (Auburn)
Willie Haulstead - Titusville, FL (Florida State)
Rantavious Wooten - Belle Glade, FL (Georgia)
Bryan Underwood - Cleveland Heights, OH (North Carolina State)
Shaquelle Evans - Inglewood, CA (Notre Dame)
Braxton Lane - Tyrone, GA (Oregon)
Todd Thomas - Beaver Falls, PA (Pittsburgh)
Lamar Scruggs - Jacksonville, FL (South Carolina)
Jamal-Rashad Patterson - McDonough, GA (Stanford)
Nu'keese Richardson - Pahokee, FL (Tennessee)

TIGHT END (2)
Terrell Mitchell - Powder Springs, GA
Dion Sims - Orchard Lake, MI (Michigan State)

OFFENSIVE TACKLE (10)
Taylor Lewan - Scottsdale, AZ (Michigan)
Michael Schofield - Orland Park, IL (Michigan)
Austin Long - Memphis, TN (Georgia)
Chris Faulk - Slidell, LA (LSU)
Chris Freeman - Trotwood, OH (Missouri)
Travis Bond - Windsor, NC (North Carolina)
Brennan Williams - West Roxbury, MA (North Carolina)
Zack Martin - Indianapolis, IN (Notre Dame)
Marcus Hall - Cleveland, OH (Ohio State)
Adam Gress - West Mifflin, PA (Penn State)

OFFENSIVE GUARD (3)
Quinton Washington - St. Stephen, SC (Michigan)
Andrew Carter - Tallahassee, FL (Illinois)
Stanley Hasiak - Kapolei, HI (UCLA)

DEFENSIVE END (11)
Anthony Lalota - Princeton, NJ (Michigan)
Craig Roh - Scottsdale, AZ (Michigan)
William Ming - Athens, AL (Alabama)
Kedric Johnson - Palmetto, FL (Florida)
Cornelius "Tank" Carradine - Cincinnati, OH (Junior college)
Bennie Logan - Coushatta, LA (LSU)
Sam Montgomery - Greenwood, SC (LSU)
Pernell McPhee - Fulton, MS (Mississippi State)
Jason Ankrah - Gaithersburg, MD (Nebraska)
Melvin Fellows - Garfield Heights, OH (Ohio State)
Will Hill - Williamsburg, VA (Virginia)

DEFENSIVE TACKLE (12)
William Campbell - Detroit, MI (Michigan)
Chris Bonds - Columbia, SC (Alabama)
Darrington Sentimore - Destrehan, LA (Alabama)
Corey Adams - Scottsdale, AZ (Arizona State)
DeQuinta Jones - Bastrop, LA (Arkansas)
Chris Davenport - Mansfield, LA (LSU)
Curtis Porter - Charlotte, NC (Miami)
Adam Bellamy - Aurora, OH (Ohio State)
Tyrone Ezell - Homestead, PA (Pittsburgh)
Antwan Lowery - Miami, FL (Rutgers)
Pearlie Graves - Tulsa, OK (Texas Tech)
DeAntre Rhodes - Richmond, VA (Virginia Tech)

LINEBACKER (14)
Isaiah Bell - Youngstown, OH (Michigan)
Brandin Hawthorne - Pahokee, FL (Michigan)
Mike Jones - Orlando, FL (Michigan)
Petey Smith - Seffner, FL (Alabama)
Jelani Jenkins - Olney, MD (Florida)
Barkevious Mingo - West Monroe, LA (LSU)
Chris Norman - Detroit, MI (Michigan State)
Willie Ferrell - Tallahassee, FL (Mississippi)
Mike Marry - Largo, FL (Mississippi)
Hawatha Bell - Matthews, NC (North Carolina)
Dorian Bell - Monroeville, PA (Ohio State)
Jordan Barnes - Fort Wayne, IN (Oklahoma State)
DeDe Lattimore - Athens, GA (South Florida)
Jonathan Stewart - Shreveport, LA (Texas A&M)

CORNERBACK (13)
Justin Turner - Massillon, OH (Michigan)
Adrian Witty - Deerfield Park, FL (Michigan)
Dre Kirkpatrick - Gadsden, AL (Alabama)
David Gordon - Tulsa, OK (Arkansas)
Darius Winston - West Helena, AR (Arkansas)
Josh Robinson - Lauderhill, FL (Central Florida)
Branden Smith - Atlanta, GA (Georgia)
Travis Hawkins - Gaithersburg, MD (Maryland)
Mywan Jackson - Seffner, FL (North Carolina)
Corey Brown - Monroeville, PA (Ohio State)
Demontre Hurst - Lancaster, TX (Oklahoma)
Mike Edwards - Cleveland, OH (Tennessee)
Jayron Hosley - Delray Beach, FL (Virginia Tech)

SAFETY (14)
Vladimir Emilien - Lauderhill, FL (Michigan)
Thomas Gordon - Detroit, MI (Michigan)
Angelo Hadley - Seffner, FL
Rod Woodson - Olive Branch, MS (Alabama)
Dennis Thames - Louisville, MS (Mississippi State)
Donavan Tate - Cartersville, GA (North Carolina)
Stephon Gilmore - Rock Hill, SC (South Carolina)
Devonte Holloman - Rock Hill, SC (South Carolina)
D.J. Swearinger - Greenwood, SC (South Carolina)
Darren Myles - Atlanta, GA (Tennessee)
Marsalis Teague - Paris, TN (Tennessee)
Patrick Hall - Ventura, CA (USC)
T.J. McDonald - Fresno, CA (USC)
Jonathan Scott - Daytona Beach, FL (West Virginia)

KICKER (2)
Brendan Gibbons - West Palm Beach, FL (Michigan)
Anthony Fera - Houston, TX (Penn State)

Ex-Wolverine Updates: The Class of 2009

Shavodrick Beaver (pictured here in his days at Tulsa) is now at Midwestern State, which is a real place.

Former Michigan quarterback commit Shavodrick Beaver sat out the 2011 season after transferring from Tulsa to Midwestern State, which is in Beaver's hometown of Wichita Falls, Texas.  Midwestern State's starting quarterback, Brandon Kelsey, had 1,951 yards passing and 967 yards rushing.  Beaver will be a redshirt junior at MSU in fall 2012.

Former Michigan safety Vladimir Emilien sat out the 2011 after transferring from Michigan to Toledo.  He does not appear on the Rockets' roster, but has confirmed that he's at Toledo and will be a redshirt junior in fall 2012.

Former Michigan kicker commit Anthony Fera was 14/17 on field goals for Penn State this season with a long of 46 yards.  He also punted 64 times, averaging 42 yards, and handled the kickoff duties.

Former Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier transferred to San Jose State this past season and seemed to be in line for the starting quarterback job next fall.  However, he left SJSU in recent weeks due to "personal and financial reasons" and his career might be over.

Former Michigan defensive tackle commit Pearlie Graves left Texas Tech in late September.  He was reportedly transferring, but has not reappeared elsewhere, as far as I know.

Former Michigan running back and cornerback Teric Jones left the program last offseason due to a knee injury.  He remains a student at the University of Michigan.

Former Michigan defensive tackle commit DeQuinta Jones finished his junior year at Arkansas.  He played in all 13 games, making 19 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 1 sack.

Former Michigan defensive end Anthony Lalota transferred to Rutgers, but has since quit football altogether.  He practiced at tight end with the Scarlet Knights.

Former Michigan wide receiver commit Bryce McNeal caught 1 pass for 8 yards at Clemson in 2011 before transferring.  He is now at UConn and will be eligible in fall 2012 because he already had his bachelor's degree.

Former Michigan quarterback commit Kevin Newsome left Penn State after being buried on the depth chart behind Matt McGloin and Rob Bolden.  He has not yet announced a transfer destination.

Former Michigan wide receiver commit Dewayne Peace is now at Houston after leaving Arizona because of legal troubles.  He spent 2010 at Blinn Community College (made famous by Cam Newton).  Peace started one game for the Cougars in 2011 and played in 11 total games, making 13 catches for 105 yards (8.1 yards per catch) and 0 touchdowns.

Former Michigan wide receiver Je'Ron Stokes left Michigan this past season and transferred to Bowling Green State University, where his brother Malik will be a redshirt freshman quarterback in 2012.  Je'Ron will be a redshirt junior and eligible to play for the Falcons this coming season.

Former Michigan cornerback Justin Turner left Michigan in 2010 and transferred to Scottsdale (AZ) Community College to play football in 2011.  He played 11 games there and made 47 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 3 interceptions, 17 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries.  Here are his highlights from Scottsdale Community College.  He is committed to play for Hawaii in 2012, where he will be a redshirt junior.

Former Michigan cornerback signee Adrian Witty played in 12 games for Cincinnati in 2011 as a backup cornerback and special teamer.  He made 15 tackles, broke up 1 pass, and forced 1 fumble.  He will be a redshirt sophomore this coming fall.

Mailbag: Does Hoke deserve blame for lack of OL depth?

Do you think Hoke deserves any blame for not going after OL/DL last year? I realize time was short, but he managed to snag a QB, TE, DE and LB - guys that hadn't been targeted before.
Shouldn't he have seen the potential train-wreck coming at OL and tried to address the situation? I'd imagine there were some marginal 3-star types available that could have at least contributed to depth. DT is probably a different story - since competition is so stiff and freshman can contribute right away. But OL...the needs been there for a long time. Besides Rodriguez's class of 6 guys in '08 Michigan has under-recruited the OL position since 2005 (no more than 3 OL in a class). Rodriguez recognized the need and immediately worked to rectify it. Yeah, he had more time, but we didn't even hear of any new names pop up at OL in the 2011 class.

I think that Rodriguez deserves a little less blame for the OL situation. 1st, he was forced by Carr into recruiting a giant OL class in '08. with all the other needs around he couldn't keep taking 5 guys a year. So, the small OL classes in 09 and 10 were somewhat justifiable. 2011 was looking strong but the transition cost UM Fisher and probably some other OL recruit. I don't think it's all on him that the '09 and '10 OL classes now look to be so damaging.

The question above comes from a commenter in Tuesday's recruiting update post.

No, I don't think Brady Hoke deserves blame for not going after offensive linemen and defensive linemen last year.  First of all, he was hired less than a month before National Signing Day.  With that short of a start, I don't think he can really accept any blame whatsoever.  But secondly, he did  go after linemen.  Hoke offered:

• Ohio DE/DT Keith Heitzman (Michigan)
• New Jersey DE Max Issaka (Rutgers)
• Arizona OT Ryan Nowicki (Penn State)
• Florida DT Trevarris Saulsberry (Tennessee)
• Florida DE Jordan Williams (Tennessee)

Furthermore, he continued to recruit former Michigan commit Jake Fisher, who ended up signing with Oregon.  I got the feeling that the new coaches were really pushing for Fisher and wanting to make him believe that he was their priority at the position.  The fact that Fisher chose Oregon was very disappointing to me, because I think Fisher is going to be an excellent lineman and he has already earned solid reviews in Eugene.

Rodriguez offered just 17 linemen in the class of 2010; one committed (center Christian Pace, who has since left the program).  Rodriguez offered just 13 linemen in the class of 2009; three committed (Taylor Lewan, Michael Schofield, and Quinton Washington, who has switched to defensive tackle).  Furthermore, by the time Rodriguez was fired in January 2011, he only had three offensive linemen committed (Fisher, Jack Miller, and Tony Posada).

The offensive line recruiting at this point has nothing to do with Lloyd Carr.  Carr left behind a mediocre group (Justin Boren, David Molk, and Steve Schilling along with a bunch of journeyman types), but Rodriguez had a few years to fix it.  And while Rodriguez did a decent job of bringing in talent, he clearly didn't bring in enough of it.  This roster is full of Rodriguez recruits, Mark Huyge, David Molk, Rocko Khoury, and Elliott Mealer; Lloyd Carr hasn't coached a game since January 1, 2008, yet two starters and two key backups remain from his regime.  Here's a breakdown of who's responsible for the expected 2012 offensive line:

• Carr: Rocko Khoury, Elliott Mealer
• Rodriguez: Ricky Barnum, Chris Bryant, Taylor Lewan, Jack Miller, Patrick Omameh, Michael Schofield
• Hoke: Blake Bars, Ben Braden, Kyle Kalis, Erik Magnuson, Caleb Stacey (plus a presumed sixth commit)

In other words, the guy responsible for two full recruiting classes and parts of two others will have six guys on the roster . . . and the guys who are responsible for one full recruiting class and parts of two others will have seven or possibly eight guys on the roster.  And keep in mind that, unlike Carr's classes, none of Rodriguez's recruits on the line will have graduated by the beginning of next year.

Lastly, you state that Rodriguez had so many other needs that he couldn't commit more scholarships to linemen.  I think that's a farce.  Every team has 85 scholarships to use.  Every team needs roughly the same number of cornerbacks, receivers, quarterbacks, etc.  Rodriguez had five slot receivers on the roster by the time he started recruiting for 2011 (Martavious Odoms, Jeremy Gallon, Terrence Robinson, Drew Dileo, and D.J. Williamson), yet he still offered five more slot receivers for the 2011 class.  Virtually every coach - except perhaps Rodriguez - would tell you that offensive linemen are more important than slot receivers, but Rodriguez whiffed on too many offensive linemen in the class of 2011.  After taking only one in 2010, he was on his way to taking only three in 2011.  The position group was going to continue to be thin under Rodriguez.  We're talking about a difference of one guy (Fisher) between the current team and the team Rodriguez would have had.

With all that out of the way, take a look at what Hoke is doing now.  He threw out a late offer to Nowicki and didn't get him.  Rather than poaching 3-star linemen from places like Vanderbilt and Purdue, he decided to throw himself into grabbing 4- and 5-star linemen for the class of 2012.  The Wolverines have enough depth for the 2011 season, so we're talking about 2012 (and beyond).  Is a 3-star redshirt freshman loads better than a true freshman Kyle Kalis or Erik Magnuson?  Yes, it's ideal that every lineman redshirts, but that doesn't mean you necessarily take age over talent.

The 2012 offensive line looks to be:

LT: Taylor Lewan
LG: Ricky Barnum
C: Rocko Khoury
RG: Patrick Omameh
RT: Michael Schofield

The backups will be Elliott Mealer, Jack Miller, and Chris Bryant, plus a bunch of freshmen.  It looks like a pretty good starting offensive line, but whether the next guy in is a 3-star redshirt freshman or a 4-star true freshman, there's bound to be a significant drop-off.

I don't blame Hoke for any of the 2011 recruiting class, but I give him credit for Russell Bellomy, Tamani Carter, Keith Heitzman, Antonio Poole, and Matt Wile.  I also don't blame Rodriguez for not getting a viable quarterback in 2008, but I do give him credit for pulling in Ricky Barnum, Justin Feagin, J.T. Floyd, Taylor Hill, Martavious Odoms, Patrick Omameh, Terrence Robinson, Roy Roundtree, and Brandon Smith.  But I will hold Hoke responsible if any of those five players wash out, just like I blame Rodriguez for wasting scholarships on Feagin, Hill, and Smith.

2009 Offer Board Update

Stephon Gilmore

Yep, this is a 2009 Offer Board update.

2009?

2009.

I went back and gathered the information I could about 2009 offerees to go along with the offer boards for 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013.

The 2009 kids who went elsewhere include Stephon Gilmore (pictured above), who was an All-SEC performer at cornerback in 2010 with South Carolina.  He had 79 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 1 fumble recovery while starting all 14 games.

Compare that to Michigan's 2009 defensive back haul:

• Vladimir Emilien: 1 tackle in two seasons; transferred to Toledo
• Thomas Gordon: 23 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks in 2010 after redshirting
• Justin Turner: never played a down for Michigan; transferred in 2010
• Adrian Witty: did not qualify academically for Michigan and posted 1 tackle for Cincinnati in 2010

Justin Turner, ex-Wolverine

Redshirt freshman cornerback Justin Turner has apparently decided to transfer. He has been granted his release by the University of Michigan, although Sam Webb of Scout/WTKA/Detroit News fame has stated that his parents are going to try to talk Turner out of leaving Ann Arbor. We'll see how that goes.

If #2 does indeed follow through with his intentions to leave Michigan, he would be the first member of the 21-person Class of 2009 to leave. (Cornerback Adrian Witty never arrived at Michigan after Michigan's Admissions office failed to grant him entry.) To Rivals he was a 4-star safety, the #35 recruit in the country, and the #3 player at his position; to Scout he was a 5-star cornerback, the #3 player in the country, and the #1 player at his position. To the University of Michigan's football team, he was the #3 or perhaps #4 cornerback for the 2010 season.

The 2009 version of the Wolverines had horrible defenses and very little cornerback depth, especially after then-sophomore Boubacar Cissoko was booted off the team for skipping classes and generally being an idiot. But Turner still couldn't get on the field and redshirted, giving way to fellow freshman Teric Jones, who entered college hoping and expecting to play running back or slot receiver. With Donovan Warren leaving school early to enter the 2010 NFL Draft, many Michigan fans assumed that Turner would assume the starting cornerback role. However, redshirt sophomore JT Floyd took the lead in the battle for the open cornerback position.

There were reports that Turner had ballooned to an unfathomable 197 pounds and got too big to play cornerback, a regular Violet Beauregarde. (Set your sarcasm detectors to ON.) The fall roster even listed him at 198 pounds. However, cornerbacks coach Tony Gibson has spoken highly of Turner in the past, and his disenchantment likely has more to do with playing second fiddle to JT Floyd than anything else. He was 186 lbs. coming out of high school, so adding 11 or 12 pounds in college really isn't that big of a deal. He still could have played corner, although he would have been fighting incoming freshman Cullen Christian - a highly touted corner in his own right, and ranked higher than Turner in my 2010 Season Countdown - for playing time.

Turner was ranked as a safety by Rivals, and I think most Michigan fans were waiting for a time when cornerback depth would allow him to switch positions to free safety or Bandit. If his absence is felt at all, though, it will likely be a year or two down the road if Michigan's 17 safeties can't cobble together a decent starter or three. I'm not going to sit here and say that Michigan is better off without him. But the Wolverines are headed for 7 or 8 wins in 2010 whether Turner's in Ann Arbor or not.

Devin Gardner to announce commitment on Monday

Reports on Scout and Rivals have stated that Devin Gardner will announce his commitment on this coming Monday. The overwhelming sentiment on these sites and other message boards is that Gardner will be a Wolverine.

UPDATE: Ah, the fickle minds of youth. According to Rivals.com, Gardner will not hold a press conference on Monday to announce his decision, but he will decide on Saturday. Since he is scheduled to attend Michigan's spring practice on that day, that bodes well for the Wolverines.

2009 Recruiting Awards

Best overall recruit: Craig Roh
Best offensive recruit: Fitzgerald Toussaint
Best defensive recruit: Craig Roh
Recruit most likely to make an early impact: Tate Forcier
Fastest recruit: Denard Robinson
Strongest recruit: William Campbell
Best under-the-radar recruit: Adrian Witty
Most overrated recruit: Michael Schofield
Most likely to redshirt: Cameron Gordon

2009 Recruiting update

Here's a list of players still on Michigan's radar. They are listed in the order of their likelihood to pledge their allegiance to Michigan.

QUARTERBACK
Tate Forcier (Michigan commit, enrolled early) - Scripps Ranch, CA
Nader Furrha (enrolled early, preferred walk-on) - Ann Arbor, MI
Austin Dantin - Tallahassee, FL
Denard Robinson - Deerfield Beach, FL
Micah Hyde - Fostoria, OH

RUNNING BACK
Fitzgerald Toussaint (Michigan commit) - Trotwood, OH
Vincent Smith (Michigan commit, enrolled early) - Pahokee, FL

WIDE RECEIVER
Cameron Gordon (Michigan commit) - Inkster, MI
Teric Jones (Michigan commit) - Detroit, MI
Jeremy Gallon (Michigan commit) - Apopka, FL
Travante Stallworth (Auburn commit) - Leesville, LA
Je'Ron Stokes (Tennessee commit) - Philadelphia, PA
Terrell Mitchell - Powder Springs, GA
Terence Davis - Fremont, OH
Willie Haulstead (Florida State commit) - Titusville, FL

TIGHT END
None

OFFENSIVE LINE
Taylor Lewan (Michigan commit) - Scottsdale, AZ
Michael Schofield (Michigan commit) - Orland Park, IL
Marcus Hall - Cleveland, OH
Quinton Washington - St. Stephen, SC
Travis Bond - Windsor, NC
Henry Conway - Cleveland, OH

DEFENSIVE END
Anthony Lalota (Michigan commit, enrolled early) - Princeton, NJ
Craig Roh (Michigan commit) - Scottsdale, AZ
Sam Montgomery - Greenwood, SC
Bennie Logan - Coushatta, LA

DEFENSIVE TACKLE
William Campbell (Michigan commit, enrolled early) - Detroit, MI
Pearlie Graves (Michigan commit) - Tulsa, OK
DeQuinta Jones (Michigan commit) - Bastrop, LA

LINEBACKER
Brandin Hawthorne (Michigan commit, enrolled early) - Pahokee, FL
Barkevious Mingo - West Monroe, LA
Willie Ferrell - Tallahassee, FL

CORNERBACK
Justin Turner (Michigan commit) - Massillon, OH
Adrian Witty - Deerfield Beach, FL
Dennis Thames - Louisville, MS
Mike Edwards - Cleveland, OH
Dale Peterman - Youngstown, OH

SAFETY
Mike Jones (Michigan commit, enrolled early) - Orlando, FL
Isaiah Bell (Michigan commit) - Youngstown, OH
Thomas Gordon (Michigan commit) - Detroit, MI
Vladimir Emilien (Michigan commit) - Plantation, FL

KICKER
Brendan Gibbons (Michigan commit) - West Palm Beach, FL

Official visit schedule (update)

These are the players confirmed to be visiting Ann Arbor in the weeks leading up to National Signing Day (February 4, 2009):

January 9-11
Cameron Gordon - WR/LB (committed to Michigan)
Barkevious Mingo - OLB/DE
Sam Montgomery - DE
Marcus Hall - OT
Michael Schofield - OT (committed to Michigan)
Denard Robinson - ATH
Adrian Witty - CB
Travante Stallworth - QB/WR

January 16-18
Jeremy Gallon - WR (committed to Michigan)
Bennie Logan - DE
Je'Ron Stokes - WR (soft commit to Tennessee)
Brendan Gibbons - K (committed to Michigan)

January 23-25
Dennis Thames - CB/S
DeQuinta Jones - DT (committed to Michigan)

Army All-American Game analysis

The East team beat the West in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl this afternoon, 30-17. I predicted a West victory, but Tajh Boyd must have been angered by my prediction and threw three touchdowns to prove me wrong.

(I hope you know the meaning of sarcasm.)

Most Impressive Offensive Player
Tie: Tajh Boyd, QB, and Bryce Brown, RB (East team)
Boyd didn't start the game, but he was the best quarterback for either team. He completed 7-of-9 passes for 187 yards and 3 TD's. That's an average of 20+ yards per attempt. One throw was a questionable decision where Boyd threw into double coverage to Corey Brown. Luckily, Corey Brown was wearing his Superman underpants and outleaped both defenders to make an excellent catch in the end zone. Running back Bryce Brown was named co-MVP of the game with Boyd after catching a 60-yard and 41-yard TD passes. Bryce Brown looked like the fastest player on the field and he outran linebackers on both TD catches to get open. He also looked elusive and powerful when running the ball.

Most Impressive Defensive Player
Willie Downs, SS
Downs is an athlete committed to Florida State. He hadn't played defense for his entire senior year before practice this week, but the shortage of defensive backs on the East team necessitated a move from receiver to safety. Downs turned out to be the best defensive player on either team. He intercepted a first quarter pass by AJ McCarron and returned it 49 yards for a touchdown. He also had at least one pass deflection and forced a fumble, along with making several tackles.

Analysis of Michigan Commits

William Campbell, DT
I was thoroughly disappointed in Campbell's performance. He's a better player than what he showed in this game. He started at defensive tackle and played sparingly subbing for Xavier Nixon at left offensive tackle. He consistently stood straight up at defensive tackle and played pattycake with the offensive guard before trying to chase down the play. Campbell might have been able to knock around the average high school lineman with a forearm shiver or two, but you can't do that with elite players. His effort was subpar. It was a meaningless game in the sense that nobody really cares who wins these all-star games; nonetheless, it showed that he didn't take the game seriously, which brings his discipline and competitive drive into question. He seems like a good teammate and a good kid, so I think he'll do fine at Michigan. But it does scare me a little bit because former highly touted, mammoth defensive linemen at Michigan (Alan Branch, Gabe Watson) have been guilty of taking too many plays off.

Jeremy Gallon, WR
Gallon received rave reviews early in the week for his ability to get open and create plays for himself. Unfortunately, he sustained a bit of a groin pull in the middle of the week that hampered him for the remainder of the week's practices. That injury might have prevented him from seeing significant playing time in the game, because Jake Golic and Orson Charles both saw extended time in the slot, and neither of them is a typical slot receiver. Still, Gallon caught a 34-yard pass through a tight window from Tajh Boyd and made an excellent special teams tackle. He will likely be a contributor as a freshman in 2009, returning kicks, working from the slot, or both.

Anthony Lalota, DE
I am not very impressed by Lalota's skills. He's a recent convert to football, having not played until his junior year of high school. So significant improvement may still be forthcoming. However, he is very raw as a defensive end and usually tries to beat offensive tackles by bull rushing with 100% effort. I love the effort and that hard work could turn him into a very good player, but at 6'6" and 260 lbs., he reminds me of former Michigan player Pat Massey, which is generally not considered to be a good thing by Michigan fans. As far as I saw, he didn't make any plays in the game, and I wouldn't expect him to play significantly at Michigan for at least a couple years.

Justin Turner, CB
Turner already has a college body and college skills. I'm encouraged by what I saw today. He did get beaten for a touchdown by Patrick Patterson, but he had excellent coverage on that play and Patterson made a highlight reel, leaping, one-handed catch. Turner later had an acrobatic interception to go along with a half dozen tackles or so. He'll be ready to contribute in the fall, most likely as a slot corner or a safety.

Brendan Gibbons, K
Gibbons had a mercurial performance today. His first kickoff was short; his second kickoff was excellent. His first extra point squeezed just inside the post; his first field goal attempt split the uprights. A 46-yard field goal attempt was about as wide right as you can get. He also had an extra point attempt blocked. One thing I noticed on the blocked field goal was that he was shuffling his feet when he was waiting for the snap. I'm not sure if that was out of nervousness, a bad habit he has, or something he was coached to do. But it didn't seem like he was ready to be moving when the ball was snapped, which slowed down his approach by a split second. The kick might have still been blocked, but either way, Gibbons has some things to work on. He does have a strong leg, though, which is a great building block.

William Campbell, Wolverine

A collective sigh of relief blew through the internet when William Campbell re-committed to Michigan during the Army All-American Bowl this afternoon. He had committed to Michigan during his junior year but then decommitted in the fall of 2008 in order to take visits elsewhere. One prevailing theory for his decommitment was that he wanted to get free trips to see other parts of the country. His adventures out of the way, he picked a Michigan hat off the table instead of LSU, who had made a late push, and Miami.

Campbell is 6'5" and 317 lbs. and a very good athlete for his size. Several schools were recruiting Campbell to play offensive line, but he will most likely be a defensive tackle for the Wolverines.

RECRUITING RANKINGS
Rivals: *****, #3 defensive tackle, #25 player overall
Scout: *****, #4 defensive tackle, #35 player overall

PROJECTION
Campbell's position might depend on what defensive scheme Rich Rodriguez chooses to use in 2009. If Rodriguez chooses to use a base 3-3-5 defense, Campbell would mostly play nose tackle and split time with Mike Martin as a true freshman. If Rodriguez selects a defensive coordinator with a base 4-3 scheme, I think Campbell will start as a 3-tech defensive tackle. He and Campbell are both ideal nose tackles, but with two such talents on the defensive line - and very little depth behind them, with Renaldo Sagesse and two other incoming freshmen - Campbell is a better fit as a 3-tech than Martin would be. With Brandon Graham returning at one defensive end and two defensive tackles who could command consistent double teams, that could make for a dynamic defensive line. Barring injury, Campbell should be a three- or four-year starter.

Christmas Wish List

With 2009 recruiting in the home stretch, the Wolverines have a little over a month to woo undecided prospects (or, in the case of Eugene Smith, decided prospects). With early enrollees possibly counting toward the 2008 class, possible transfers and early draft entries, etc., it has been suggested that Michigan could accept 28 National Letters of Intent. Considering all the decommits Michigan has suffered this year (Anthony Fera, Bryce McNeal, Kevin Newsome, Jordan Barnes, Shavodrick Beaver, Will Campbell), I doubt we will pull in 28 commits. I'm guessing the current number of 20 commits will jump to about 26 by National Signing Day.

Here is my Christmas wish list. Obviously, if this were totally wishful thinking, I'd wish for Russell Shepard and Jesus. These are eight players still on Michigan's radar who I would like to see fill out the class. In no particular order:

William Campbell, DT
Campbell is a 5-star to Scout and Rivals. He was an early commit to Michigan and then opened up his recruitment. The decommitment was rumored to be merely a chance to get free trips around the country. He was "interested" in USC, but the Trojans stopped recruiting him, possibly because they realized they had no shot at actually garnering a commitment from the 6'4", 317 lb. defensive tackle. Campbell will announce his commitment when he participates in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on January 3, 2009, but rumors have circulated that he has already enrolled for Winter 2009 classes at the University of Michigan.

Quinton Washington, OG
Washington is the #16 offensive guard to Rivals and a 4-star. After he visited Michigan officially on September 26, he made some comments about Michigan being his leader. Since then, our position with him seems to have weakened somewhat. He's been pretty quiet about favorites recently, but he hasn't visited any other schools recently. Hopefully he was so overwhelmed by Michigan that he's not visiting anywhere else and he's just trying to draw out the drama. At 6'3" and 315 pounds, he could be a mauler.

Denard Robinson, QB/ATH
Robinson is being recruited hard by Florida, who is considered the team to beat. But Michigan is probably turning up the heat on him. With the recent decommitment of Shavodrick Beaver, Michigan needs to add another quarterback in this recruiting circuit. Robinson has excellent athleticism and a decent arm, although he lacks some fundamentals. He's the #12 athlete in the country, according to Rivals, and if the whole quarterback thing doesn't work out, Robinson could play cornerback or wide receiver. It's quite possible that Tate Forcier will be the best QB recruit Michigan can get in 2009, and with the lackluster performances of the quarterbacks on the current roster, Forcier might have a clear path to be the starter for several years. It's not a bad idea to bring in a guy who could learn quarterback but play some receiver. And if Michigan gets a good QB in 2010 such as Devin Gardner, Robinson could switch to defense. He has a lot of talent and a lot of versatility.

Dan Mason, MLB
Mason is strictly an inside linebacker prospect. When I first watched film of him, I did not think he would be a significant upgrade over the decommitted Jordan Barnes. They seem like similar players in a lot of respects. But with additional film study, Mason looks more athletic than Barnes. I would like to see Michigan make a habit of turning outside linebackers into middle linebackers, but it's not a bad idea to have at least one pure MIKE on the team. Both other middle linebackers on the current roster (Obi Ezeh and JB Fitzgerald) have more athleticism and could also play SAM. Furthermore, Mason is a solid tackler, which has been a weakness of Michigan teams for the past two seasons.

Chris Freeman, OT
Freeman is a project. He's about 6'7" and 330 lbs. and he never played organized football until his junior year of high school. However, he was a basketball player before that, so he has some athleticism and competition isn't a brand new thing to him. Kids that size don't grow on trees, and the nice thing about Freeman is this - he doesn't have to be Michigan's savior at offensive tackle. Michigan isn't looking for Freeman to come in and start - or even compete - right away. These are the tackles Michigan will have on the roster in 2009: Mark Ortmann (5th year senior), Steve Schilling (RS junior), Perry Dorrestein (RS junior), Dann O'Neill (RS freshman), Patrick Omameh (RS freshman), Michael Schofield (freshman), and Taylor Lewan (freshman). There's a lot of young talent and depth at the position, meaning Freeman would presumably have three or four years to learn and mature before being asked to contribute.

Je'Ron Stokes, WR
Stokes plays a position of..."want." The Wolverines don't necessarily need another outside wide receiver for 2009. Stokes would have several players in front of him, all vying for a limited number of passes. But he's the #13 receiver in the country, according to Rivals, and you can never have too many playmakers on your team, especially when you're trying to fill up a recruiting class. Michigan has plenty of receivers for 2009, although several are of the slot variety, and two outstanding 2010 recruits in Jeremy Jackson and Ricardo Miller. I doubt Michigan will start handing out WR offers in the last month or so. If the coaches can land a good one, they'll take him. If not, they'll be fine with what they have.

Travante Stallworth, slot receiver
Stallworth's recruiting bears watching throughout January and into February. He had been an Auburn commit before things in Tigerland went haywire, so now he's a free agent. Without having visited Michigan, Stallworth has said that he's very interested in the Wolverines. On top of that, Michigan is the only team that has offered Stallworth a shot to play quarterback. Yep. Stallworth is a wispy high school quarterback from the SEC area that many schools are recruiting to play wide receiver. I'm not saying he's the next Pat White. But I'm not saying he's not the next Pat White, either.

Dennis Thames, S/CB
Thames has been hard to read throughout the scouting process. He's changed his mind several times about his leaders, which is understandable. Early in this recruiting cycle, it was thought Michigan would have a good shot with him because his uncle is Marcus Thames, an outfielder for the Detroit Tigers. More recently, it seems like Mississippi State might earn his pledge. Either way, Michigan needs help in the defensive backfield. Thames's ability to play corner would be helpful, since Michigan has several safety/linebacker hybrids who have yet to mature. If players like Isaiah Bell and Mike Jones move to linebacker, Thames could help out at safety; if those other two stay at safety, Thames could be a corner.