Ex-Wolverine Updates: The Class of 2010

Former Michigan signee Demar Dorsey played for Grand Rapids
Community College during the 2011 season
(image via MLive)

Former Michigan cornerback Cullen Christian redshirted at Pitt this past season due to NCAA transfer rules.  He transferred to Pitt in order to follow former Michigan defensive backs coach Tony Gibson, who has since been hired for the same role at Arizona.  Christian made several negative comments on Twitter about Gibson and Pitt head coach Todd Graham for leaving Pitt so soon.  Christian will presumably remain at Pitt with new head coach Paul Chryst, since he's already transferred once and he's near home.

Former Michigan signee Demar Dorsey spent this past season at Grand Rapids Community College in Michigan.  He played in just seven games and ended the season with 10.5 tackles, 1 interception (for 51 yards), 4 pass breakups, and 2 kickoff returns for 51 yards.  He's going to need a new place to play, though, because GRCC disbanded its football program this past week.

Former Michigan commit Tony Drake spent 2010 as a wide receiver/running back at Colorado State, but was declared academically ineligible for the 2011 season.  It's unclear if he will return to the program.

Former Michigan safety Carvin Johnson left the football program in the middle of the 2011 season.  He was enrolled at Michigan throughout the fall semester.  Prior to his departure, he played in eight games for the Wolverines and made 14 tackles, 1 pass breakup, and 1 fumble recovery.

Former Michigan signee Conelius Jones was academically ineligible to play at Marshall this past season.  Since graduating in 2010, he has yet to appear on a college roster.  His current status is unknown.

Former Michigan signee Antonio Kinard attended Hargrave Military Academy in 2010, then signed with Miami in 2011 . . . and was declared academically ineligible at Miami, too.  He is headed to Arizona Western to play football in fall 2012.

Former Michigan center Christian Pace injured his shoulder during practice in 2010 and left the team this past off-season on a medical scholarship.  He is still enrolled at the University of Michigan.

Former Michigan linebacker Davion Rogers spent the 2011 season as a 6'6", 215 lb. linebacker at Youngstown State.  He played in 11 games and made 45 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 5 pass breakups, and 1 interception (which was returned 27 yards for a touchdown).  He also blocked 2 kicks.

Former Michigan safety Ray Vinopal sat out the 2011 season at Pitt due to NCAA transfer rules.  In much the same situation as Cullen Christian (minus the childish Twitter rant), he will be a redshirt sophomore in fall 2012.

Former Michigan running back Austin White sat out the 2011 season at Central Michigan due to NCAA transfer rules.  He will be a redshirt sophomore at CMU in fall 2012.

The current whereabouts of former Michigan defensive tackle Terry Talbott and wide receiver D.J. Williamson are unknown.

Class of 2011 Bonus: Former Michigan offensive lineman Tony Posada is no longer playing football.  Thanks for yet another wasted scholarship, Rich Rodriguez!

For further updates on ex-Wolverines and former commits, check out the Ex-Wolverine Encyclopedia.

Ex-Wolverine Updates

I couldn't find any pictures of the players from this week's games,
so you get Ashley Nicole Arthur instead.

Former Michigan WR Toney Clemons had 2 receptions for 18 yards in Colorado's 52-24 loss to Washington.

Former Michigan RB Sam McGuffie had his most productive day of the year with 10 carries for 70 yards and 1 touchdown.  Unfortunately, it came in Rice's 24-20 loss to Marshall.

Former Michigan RB Austin White, now at Central Michigan, was suspended indefinitely for breaking team rules.  White has not yet played for the Chippewas.

More information can be found in the Ex-Wolverine Encyclopedia.

Ex-Wolverine Encyclopedia Update

Vladimir Emilien intends to play for Toledo in 2012

Former Michigan safety Vladimir Emilien still remains at Toledo, contrary to what I reported previously.  In an exchange with TTB Andrew, he said, "I'm still on the team. This is just my sit out year NCAA rule for transferring. But since I have to sit out this year, I am more focused on school rather than worrying about games every Saturday. But I still have to practice and workout with the team.  Until I'm eligible my main focus is focusing on my grades and making this football program successful with my help."

Former kicker/punter commit Anthony Fera is having a solid season at Penn State.  He's averaging 44.6 yards on eight punts and 64.4 yards on five kickoffs.  Essentially, he's Will Hagerup.  Except Fera's not suspended right now.

Former defensive tackle commit DeQuinta Jones has 7 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 2 quarterback hurries on the season for Arkansas.

Former wide receiver commit Marquis Maze has 15 catches for 186 yards and 1 touchdown on the season for Alabama.

Former quarterback commit Kevin Sousa is currently redshirting for Wake Forest.

Former Michigan running back Austin White is currently redshirting for Central Michigan.  Because he began the fall semester in 2010 at Michigan, he must sit out for the 2011 season.

What Could Have Been . . . Austin White

Former Michigan running back Austin White has enrolled at Central Michigan University and joined the football program there.  White was a part of the Class of 2010 and enrolled at Michigan in January 2010, but he clashed with the coaches and got into some trouble over the summer.  White was one of the players who had to "earn his wings" in fall camp, and the two parties decided to go their separate ways prior to the season.

Visit the Ex-Wolverine Encyclopedia page to find updates on former Michigan commits/players like Dewayne Peace, Sam McGuffie, Ryan Mallett, Shavodrick Beaver, Pearlie Graves, DeQuinta Jones, Dann O'Neill, Bryce McNeal, Kevin Newsome, Toney Clemons, Cobrani Mixon, and Quintin Woods.

Austin White, ex-Wolverine

Okay, this is getting old. A couple weeks after cornerback Justin Turner transferred (reportedly to WVU), now freshman running back Austin White has left the team as well. White was a 3-star recruit and the #10 all-purpose back in the Class of 2010, according to Rivals; Scout.com ranked him the #15 overall running back and a 4-star recruit. The reasons for his departure have not been explicitly stated by the University, but it seems as though his departure was more the program's decision than White's. Rumors have sprouted up that there were several violations of team rules that occurred, even after White was given a second chance.

If you read my comments on White over the last year and a half, you'll see that I was not impressed. That's four separate posts where I was largely indifferent to White's commitment and talent. Despite the fairly impressive rankings from Scout and Rivals, I have never been enamored with his abilities. I even suggested that he would be a candidate to change positions within a couple years, once he and the coaches realized that he would only be an afterthought to the other running backs on the roster. White has adequate talent to play at the Big Ten level, but the only thing that really stood out about him was his ability to catch the ball.

This leaves Michigan with five running backs on the roster: Michael Cox, Michael Shaw, Vincent Smith, Fitzgerald Toussaint, and Stephen Hopkins. White was almost surely headed for a redshirt in 2010, and both Toussaint and Hopkins (both with higher ceilings, in my opinion) have freshman eligibility as well. So Michigan won't feel this loss on the field. There's plenty of other talent at the position.

However, the Wolverines might feel it in their APR score. Michigan is already hovering dangerously close to the lower end of the spectrum due to all of the post-Carr-era transfers (incomplete list here). The recent departures of Turner and White will further drive that APR score into the ground, and Michigan could be facing scholarship limitations in upcoming years for their failure to graduate a sufficient number of scholarship athletes. This is a problem.

I'm also somewhat frustrated with the recruiting of White in the first place. As I have mentioned, I have never been excited about his talent. Furthermore, rumors circulated even prior to his commitment that he had caused some problems when in high school at Livonia Stevenson. Words like "prima donna" and "cocky" were thrown about, and there was allegedly a bit of a spat with the coaching staff. One can never be sure how much weight to give rumors like that, but in my experience, "where there's smoke there's fire" seems to be a decent rule.

Rodriguez recruited him despite those rumors, and now he's essentially been banned from the team prior to his freshman season. This is the fourth wasted scholarship from the Class of 2010 (following the failures to qualify by Antonio Kinard, Conelius Jones, and Demar Dorsey). Furthermore, there were other, more talented backs in the Class of 2010 who were considering Michigan, such as Dillon Baxter (USC), Dietrich Riley (UCLA), Corvin Lamb (Louisville), and Eduardo Clements (Miami-FL). Even Cassius McDowell (Toledo) and Brandon Gainer (Kentucky) would have been better fits if they actually, you know, had the ability to remain on the team. It's hard to tell how running back recruiting would have played out if a spot hadn't been taken by White, but it's conceivable that one of those kids could have been wooed to Ann Arbor in his stead.

In a positive light (I guess), much of what I said in yesterday's post about Troy Woolfolk's injury can be amended. Woolfolk's return in 2011 would have lowered the number of scholarships available to 16, but White's official departure puts that number back at 17. This now allows Michigan to add at least seven more players to the Class of 2011, perhaps including a linebacker (which will make some of yesterday's posters happy).

2010 Countdown: #77 Austin White

Name: Austin White
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 196 lbs.
School: Stevenson High School in Livonia, MI
Position: Running back
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #23
Prediction for 2010: Redshirt

Austin White is a very interesting prospect to me. Recruited to play running back, he has the skill set to play several positions - running back, slot receiver, wide receiver, or even safety. He also has the pedigree to play receiver, having two brothers who played receiver at Michigan State; older brother Blair was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in May. (EDIT: It has been brought to my attention that Blair is no relation. Mitchell and Myles White are Austin's brothers. To state the obvious, I guess I don't give a damn about MSU athletics or I would have remembered that.)

White enrolled in January, and he's got decent size at 196 lbs. Reports out of spring practice indicate that he was behind fellow early enrollee Stephen Hopkins, and for that reason, I think White will redshirt. The running back position is somewhat clogged, albeit with unproven players. I would not be surprised to see White change positions at some point in his career, but those things usually happen after a year or two of unsuccessful attempts at the original spot.

2010 Recruiting Grades: Running Backs

Brooklyn Decker

Okay, so I realize the above photo isn't Stephen Hopkins or Austin White. However, Hopkins' high school uniforms looked like Ohio State's, and White's high school mascot was the Spartans. So I'm not putting pictures of them up here.

Hopkins is a 6', 235 lb. running back from Flower Mound, Texas. With both Brandon Minor and Kevin Grady graduating after this past season, Michigan was in need of another big back. According to Fred Jackson, Hopkins can play both fullback and superback. As an early enrollee, he might work himself into good enough shape to contribute as a freshman. But his ceiling seems to be somewhat limited due to his lack of speed. He may not be a "fullback" in the truest sense of the word, but I don't think he's headed for feature back territory.

White, on the other hand, is a 6', 186 lb. running back from Sterling Heights, MI. He's probably not the type of running back who will earn Heisman hype like Noel Devine and Steve Slaton did at West Virginia, but he has solid skills. His best asset might be his ability to catch the ball, but Michigan doesn't use its running backs as pass receivers very much. White might be the first running back under Rodriguez to consistently earn playing time both at running back and slot receiver, flip-flopping back and forth between plays. While his skills won't wow anybody, he could be a solid option in a variety of ways.

Predictions: Hopkins will not start, but will earn playing time as a short yardage back or a fullback in the fall. If Vincent Smith can return to decent playing form in 2010 after tearing his ACL against Ohio State, I expect Austin White to redshirt. Hopkins plays a position where there is more immediate need, whereas White would presumably be behind Michael Shaw, Fitzgerald Toussaint, Michael Cox, and potentially Vincent Smith. Teric Jones and Kelvin Grady could also figure into the mix at running back, so there's no need to play both freshmen in 2010.

Grade: B. I'm not extremely impressed with either running back, and I don't think either one has all-conference potential. This is somewhat disappointing, because none of the backs on the current roster have established themselves as big-time players, either. But I think both will be serviceable as spot starters or as role players throughout their careers.

Visitors for Ohio State game

WR DeAnthony Arnett - Saginaw, MI (2011)
DT Richard Ash - Pahokee, FL (official)
CB Courtney Avery - Lexington, OH (commit)
RB Dillon Baxter - San Diego, CA (official)
DT Jatashun Beachum - Dallas, TX (official)
CB Cullen Christian - Pittsburgh, PA (official)
LB Trey DePriest - Springfield, OH (2011)
LB Josh Furman - Millersville, MD
CB Doran Grant - Akron, OH (2011)
CB Ryan Griffin - Ann Arbor, MI (2011)
CB Tony Grimes - Hollywood, FL (official)
P Will Hagerup - Whitefish Bay, WI (commit)
RB Demetrius Hart - Orlando, FL (2011)
CB Delonte Hollowell - Detroit, MI (2011)
WR Jeremy Jackson - Ann Arbor, MI (commit)
S Tony Jefferson - Chula Vista, CA (official)
LB Antonio Kinard - Youngstown, OH (commit)
S Rashad Knight - Jacksonville, FL (official)
WR Ricardo Miller - Ann Arbor, MI (commit)
DE Clarence Murphy - Hollywood, FL (official)
OL Christian Pace - Avon Lake, OH (commit)
DE Jordan Paskorz - Allison Park, PA (commit)
DE Donte Phillips - Mequon, WI (2011)
WR Jerald Robinson - Canton, OH (commit)
LB Marvin Robinson - Eagle Lake, FL (official, commit)
WR Kenny Shaw - Orlando, FL (official)
WR Kenny Stills - Carlsbad, CA (official)
CB Terrence Talbott - Huber Heights, OH (commit)
DT Terry Talbott - Huber Heights, OH (commit)
S Ron Tanner - Columbus, OH (2011)
S Ray Vinopal - Youngstown, OH
RB Austin White - Livonia, MI (commit)
DE Ken Wilkins - Washington, PA (commit)
CB Adrian Witty - Deerfield Beach, FL

Recruiting Roundup: Running backs

Just like quarterback, Michigan has two commitments at the running back position. One is Stephen Hopkins (Flower Mound, TX). The other is Austin White (Livonia, MI).

Hopkins is a big bruiser of a running back. His speed has been questioned by many, including me, but his yards per carry have jumped by a full two yards since his sophomore and junior years. He'll probably never be a breakaway threat, but he will be able to get downhill and get tough yards, particularly out of the I-formation.

White is a slasher who runs like Carlos Brown, but without the top-end speed. I've previously compared him to Jerome Jackson. He does make good cuts and can get upfield quickly after running laterally, so he fits this offense, but he's probably not a game-breaking runner like Michigan fans would like to see.

Due to the relative shortage of scholarships remaining, Michigan probably isn't going to take any more commitments from running backs, unless they're absolute studs.

Who fits that category? Lache Seastrunk (Temple, TX), Marcus Lattimore (Duncan, SC), Dietrich Riley (La Canada, CA), and Dillon Baxter (San Diego, CA). The first two have been offered but neither is interested. Riley has mentioned interest in Michigan at various times, but he hasn't visited or made plans to do so.

Baxter is the most interesting case. He says he grew up as a Michigan fan; he knows Tate Forcier and Brennan Clay from their time in San Diego, and he's interested in attending college with them, as well as safety prospect Tony Jefferson. Baxter, Clay, and Jefferson are all taking official visits to Ann Arbor this coming weekend for the Ohio State game. Baxter is a fringe 5-star athlete who's currently committed to USC but is interested in coming to Michigan as a potential . . . quarterback. Yep, he's a high school quarterback, but his future probably lies at running back.

The remaining uncommitted prospects (Cassius McDowell, Corvin Lamb, Jamaal Jackson, Marcus Coker, Tony Jones, and Brandon Gainer) are probably going to be left out in the cold or are just planning to go elsewhere. But keep an eye on McDowell, who could be a late commit if Michigan is trying to fill up their class. Michigan has been his leader all along, but he may have missed his chance to commit.

Scouting Report: Austin White, RB - Livonia, MI

This is the beginning of a series of scouting reports on Michigan targets that will continue throughout the recruiting cycle. The first scouting report will be on Austin White. It has been rumored that he committed to Michigan on Junior Day, but that is unsubstantiated and will be treated as such. That being said, if he does in fact commit, this scouting report will hopefully be informative.

Height: 6'1"
Weight: 186 lbs.
Position: Running back
School: Stevenson High School in Livonia, MI
40 Yard Dash: 4.44 (reported)
Vertical: 33"

Notes: Holds offers from Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, and Wisconsin (among others) . . . Rushed for 1,610 yards and 28 TD's as a junior in 2008 . . . Caught 21 passes for 310 yards and 4 TD's as a junior in 2008 . . . Two older brothers walked on to Michigan State football team . . . #3 player in Michigan, according to Scout.com . . . Wears #23

Scouting report: Catches the ball well out of the backfield and downfield . . . Catches with his hands, not with his body . . . Runs with a natural body lean . . . Has good speed, but not a gamebreaker . . . Stays low in and out of cuts . . . Hops too much in the backfield and needs to refine his footwork . . . Solid runner who falls forward when tackled but doesn't break enough tackles . . . Needs to run with more purpose . . . Does not have the speed or moves to be a finesse runner . . . Above average balance allows him to make solid upfield cuts without wasted steps or motion . . . Has the necessary tools to succeed as a read option back or lined up as a wide receiver in the spread offense . . . Plays in Pro "I" offense in high school . . . Needs to work on reading the fullback's block out of the "I" formation

Projection: White will be a solid but unspectacular back in a BCS-level program.

Reminds me of: Jerome Jackson