Review of 2007 Recruiting: Linebackers

Brandon Herron was the star of the class! (here being chased by former Michigan tackle Dann O'Neill, #68)

THE ROSTER
Shawn Crable, RS Sr.
Chris Graham, Sr.
John Thompson, Sr.
Brandon Logan, Jr.
Obi Ezeh, So.
Jonas Mouton, So.

THE RECRUITS
Marell Evans
High school: Richmond (VA) Varina
Ratings: Rivals 2-star outside linebacker
College: Michigan Hampton Michigan
Other notable offer: Temple
Scoop: Evans had quite the circuitous journey through college football. A high school teammate of Brandon Minor (who would end up as Michigan's starter at running back), Evans was a very under-the-radar recruit. He played sparingly in five games on special teams as a freshman in 2007, and then he made one start under Rich Rodriguez in 2008, finishing his sophomore year with 4 tackles, .5 tackles for loss, and .5 sacks. He left Michigan in 2009 and transferred to Hampton in 2010, but he sat out that season due to injury. He then returned to Michigan in 2011 and was purported to be starter-level material on a team with questionable linebackers, but apparently his academic situation left him unable to compete in games; he remained on the team and played as a scout linebacker. He participated in Michigan's pro day, but he never got a shot in the NFL.

Brandon Herron
High school: Sugar Land (TX) Dulles
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #25 outside linebacker
College: Michigan
Other notable offers: Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech
Scoop: Herron (a high school teammate of defensive back Troy Woolfolk) redshirted as a freshman in 2007. He made 7 tackles as a special-teamer in 2008. He saw more time on defense in 2009, when he made 20 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 fumble recovery. As a redshirt junior in 2010, he made 7 tackles and 1 pass breakup. He broke out in a big way as a fifth year senior in 2011 when he earned his first start against Western Michigan; Herron responded with 8 tackles, 1 fumble recovery (returned 29 yards for a touchdown), and 1 interception (returned 94 yards for a touchdown). Interestingly, he was barely heard from again, as he played just five more games that year and never started again; a nagging leg injury after week one may have contributed to that. He was not drafted in the 2012 NFL Draft, and his career ended despite a solid showing at Michigan's pro day (4.59 forty, 26 bench press reps, a 37.5" vertical, etc.).

Austin Panter
High school: El Dorado (KS) Butler County Community College
Ratings: Rivals 4-star inside linebacker
College: Michigan
Other notable offers: Minnesota
Scoop: A rare foray into the junior college transfer ranks for Michigan, Panter played immediately with junior eligibility in 2007. He made 7 tackles and 1 tackle for loss that year. Then in 2008 he made 8 tackles, .5 tackles for loss, .5 sacks, and 1 fumble recovery. An ineffective Big Ten player, he was not drafted in the 2009 NFL Draft and his career never got off the ground.

Hit the jump for the guys that Michigan took a swing at and missed.

Brandon Herron Answers Your Questions

You may remember this.
 (Image via the Toledo Blade.)

Brandon Herron started only one game in his college career, yet few Michigan faithful will ever forget his name.  Herron put on an electric performance in Brady Hoke's Michigan head coaching debut by becoming the only player in program history to record two touchdowns on defensive returns in a single game.  He also set the record for the longest interception return for a touchdown in Michigan history in the contest with his 94-yard bolt up the sideline in addition to recording eight tackles.  Now that's a hell of a game.

However, with a career total of 42 tackles, 37 game appearances, two fumble recoveries, and an interception over a five year career, it's obvious that Herron's contributions to the football program extend far beyond those magical three quarters of football.  Brandon was recently kind enough to take a few minutes out of his weekend to talk very candidly about his Michigan memories and answer several reader questions.

The WMU game:  "It was an exciting point in my career; I never thought something like that would happen to me.  But as they say, hard work pays off, and I worked my tail off that summer and played a role to become a starter. . . .  A lot of people didn't realize I had the speed to take it 94 yards, so that was a play that really showcased my speed."

The injury:  "I can't blame anyone but myself, but obviously during the game I was holding the ball wrong, and my coach actually had me hold the ball while we were running the next day.  And I was a little sore, but in my mind, I was trying to get better, and I ran a little hard, harder than expected, and I ended up tearing my hip flexor. . . . It happened the day after the Western Michigan game, and it took me awhile [to heal]. . . .

Weight:  "I've struggled with weight my entire life, and I really wasn't an eater.  I didn't have to worry about it in high school; it's just when I got to college that it was like, 'Okay, you need to put on a certain weight.'  And with the training staff, if you didn't make weight, you couldn't work out.  That was the only punishment.  Well, it wasn't really a punishment - if you wanted to get better, you'd make the weight."

Humor:  "When you're on the sidelines, everyone's pretty much in the zone.  I don't think I have any funny moments on the sideline, but I can tell Purdue probably has some funny fans.  They know a lot about you.  It surprises you because they know your girlfriend's name and everything else.  I don't know how they know that stuff; they'll say some nasty things, but it's really funny. . . . I looked forward to Purdue because I looked forward to hearing what they had to say. . . . Kelvin Grady probably had the best humor [on the team]."

Special teams:  "Well, I didn't come to Michigan to be a special teams player.  I came to Michigan to become that player, that starter.  But due to a lot of injuries, that became my role, and I had to accept that role.  I had to use the special teams to step up and become a starter because that's how it's usually done.  You prove to the coaches that you want to play when you get it done on special teams."

Differences between the coaching staffs:  "Coach Hoke and Coach Carr, they were both - and even Coach Rod is a wonderful coach.  But Coach Rod went about doing things different, which is okay, but going from a Big East school to a Big Ten school where it's all about tradition, it's just one of those things.  Michigan is one of those schools that lives off of tradition, and if you try to break it and players know that, then sometimes players can go against the grain. . . . The thing people fail to realize is when we get going with the game, there are certain ways how to approach kids, and if you're coming at them from the wrong way, then they're going to respond differently.  It's one of those things that happened to where Coach Rod approached us the wrong way, and it kind of divided up the team, and players began playing for themselves rather than playing for the team. . . . Coach Hoke and Coach Carr were likable coaches that people want to be around them.  They are very warmhearted and just want to help others out.  I'm not saying that Coach Rod didn't want to help anybody, but there are certain people that you can be around where they don't have to say anything, but you can read them, and you know that they want to help you."

Three and Out:  "No, I haven't had a chance to read it, but I know he [John U. Bacon] isn't welcome in the building anymore.  I'm sure he said something about Coach Carr, and he didn't like it or took it the wrong way, so he's not allowed in Schembechler hall. . . . People are interested and want to know what we do, which is fine, but just being under Coach Carr and Coach Hoke - and after a while Coach Hoke put locks on the doors and codes for us because he doesn't want everyone in the building knowing our business. . . . The more people that know your business, the more trouble you'll have."

Free Press Report:  "Oh, are you talking about the 20-hour rule?  Well, honestly, everybody breaks the 20-hour rule.  It's okay to break the 20-hour rule.  But in my opinion, there're times when things become a little too much, and players and our bodies are starting to break down and everything else.  Former players that went under Michigan and were able to speak - they were looking out for us.  And they're the ones that went to the NCAA and told them that our bodies were going through some things.   And not to knock anybody down, but I'm not going to lie.  Even though it was tremendously hard and football is hard in general, but just during that time in my career, I went through a ride, and it made me a better person and a better man, and it made me appreciate things a lot more in life.  So when those allegations happened, I can say that maybe it was a sigh of relief that we were going to change some things up a little bit, or we were forced to change things up.  But actually it was better for us; it was better for the health of players."

Ask a Question: Brandon Herron

Linebacker Brandon Herron picks up a fumble and returns it 29 yards for a touchdown as
former Wolverine Dann O'Neill (#68) chases from behind

Bronco buster Brandon Herron has volunteered his time for an interview.  If you have any questions for him, leave them in the comments section and I'll try to get to them when we talk.

2011 Highlights: Brandon Herron

Wolverine Nation: Brandon Herron interview

Dannie Riel

I know these interviews are for ESPN Insiders, but it's cheap, so hopefully lots of readers have a subscription.  Here's another good exit interview of Michigan linebacker Brandon Herron, who had a bit of glory this season before being relegated to the injury list/bench.

Snapshots: Brandon Herron's 94-yard Interception Return

I'm not sure if you Michigan fans (or Western Michigan fans, if any Broncos have stumbled upon this site) remember this play from Saturday's 34-10 victory, but it's the one that went a long way toward earning linebacker Brandon Herron the Walter Camp Defensive Player of the Week honors.  It was also the longest interception return in Michigan football history at 94 yards.  It was kind of a big deal.

To set up the play, WMU has driven down to the Michigan 4.5 yard line with the score tied 7-7 and just over seven minutes remaining in the first half.  It's 2nd-and-goal.  The Broncos come out with an Ace package (two tight ends, two wide receivers, one running back).  Despite the proximity to the goal line, defensive coordinator Greg Mattison knows that the Broncos like to throw the ball and counters with his basic nickel package: an Okie front with three down linemen, three linebackers, two cornerbacks, and three safeties.

SAM linebacker Jake Ryan has bumped down inside over WMU's right guard.  On one side of him is Mike Martin in a 0-tech (nose tackle) and on the other is Craig Roh in a 5-tech (outside shoulder of offensive tackle).  Herron is aligned in a 3-off (outside the left guard's shoulder and off the ball). 

As WMU quarterback Alex Carder hits the first step of a three-step drop, he sees that Michigan is running the exact same coverage that he probably saw in his pre-snap read - Man Free.  Each of the cornerbacks is locked up on a wideout, strong safety Jordan Kovacs and nickel corner Thomas Gordon each have a tight end, and free safety Carvin Johnson patrols the middle of the field; Herron is tasked with picking up the running back out of the backfield, and middle linebacker Kenny Demens is coming up to blitz.  With the left tight end releasing and the right tight end staying in to block, WMU's offensive line correctly slides its protection to the left; therefore, each offensive lineman is responsible for the gap immediately to his left.  In theory this should work, unless the defense sends multiple defenders to one gap.  They don't.

As Carder hits his third step, his options are limited.  Cornerback Courtney Avery has blanketed the receiver to the bottom of the screen while the releasing tight end is running straight into the juggernaut known as Jordan Kovacs.  At the top of the screen, cornerback J.T. Floyd awaits the backside receiver.  Nickel corner Thomas Gordon waits at the line of scrimmage for the running back to release, which the RB never does; instead he steps up to block the 250 lb. Demens.  The LT successfully single blocks DE Ryan Van Bergen, the LG and C struggle to hold off NT Mike Martin, and the remaining TE single blocks DE Craig Roh.

The problem is that everybody forgot about Jake Ryan, who rushed at the snap.  The RG blocked him initially, but when Ryan stepped back to the RG's other side, the RG correctly left him to RT Dann O'Neill.  O'Neill has nobody else to block and stands still so everyone can admire his long blonde hair.  Carder just hit his back foot and might want to release the ball soon, since a 230 lb. man is two yards away and approaching fast.

As Carder releases the ball, Ryan does his best impression of Dikembe Mutombo and swats the pass, which looks to be intended as a back shoulder throw to CB Avery's wideout.  The pass is probably a bad idea no matter what, since nobody's open except FS Johnson and LB Herron.  In retrospect, Carder's thinking he should have eaten it and taken the sack.  At the time, Carder was probably thinking, "Maybe if I throw it, the bad man won't hit me anymore."  He was wrong.

Herron intercepts the deflected ball at the 5-yard line while Carder lies on his back.

Herron, who was planning to step out of bounds and enjoy raucous cheers and pats on the butt from the cheerleaders, hears a screeching voice coming from the vicinity of my couch yelling "Stay inbounds!"  Spurred on by the urgency of my screams, he eludes the WMU left tackle and runs as fast as he can.

O'Neill, who at this point feels monumentally guilty for leaving Michigan and for growing hair like Kyle Turley's, pretends to trip over Kenny Demens' foot so he won't have to run anymore.  Meanwhile, Herron's convoy includes the 300 lb. Mike Martin and the 290 lb. Ryan Van Bergen, neither of whom are needed but both of whom make the effort anyway; the 230 lb. Ryan, who batted the pass to Herron and the quarterback to the ground, also runs interference downfield.  (Watch this full speed and take a gander at Van Bergen, who puts his head down and sprints his ass off despite knowing that he's a brontosaurus chasing . . . some other type of faster -saurus.)

Herron, a 221 lb. linebacker, crosses the goal line five yards ahead of 195 lb. free safety Carvin Johnson.  Momentum has shifted.  The band plays a song.  The people rejoice.  Somewhere, a child is born.  Probably.

Herron caught the ball at 7:09 and crossed the goal line at 6:58, meaning he took roughly 11 seconds to travel 95 yards wearing football pads and dodging offensive linemen.  Remember all those practice reports saying that Herron was a physical freak but lacking in football instincts?  This confirms the former, but the latter might be in question now.  Combine this play with his 29-yard fumble return for a touchdown later in the game, and Herron had 8 tackles, 1 interception, 1 fumble recovery, 123 yards of returns, and 2 touchdowns.  Not bad for a guy who was a late addition to the starting lineup after beginning the week as the #2 weakside linebacker.  I wonder if Herron will start next week . . .

Go Blue!

(The above play begins at 1:53 of the video below.)

Michigan vs. Western Michigan Awards

Linebacker Brandon Herron picks up a fumble and returns it 29 yards for a touchdown as
former Wolverine Dann O'Neill (#68) chases from behind

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Michael Shaw.  Fitzgerald Toussaint looked pretty solid as the starting running back (11 carries, 80 yards, 2 touchdowns), but Shaw (4 carries, 54 yards, 1 touchdown) has the speed to be a gamebreaker.  He also has a little bit of shake to him and can run through a tackle once in awhile.  The knock on Toussaint has been his vision, and his 43-yard run could have been longer if he had made a cutback.  Both performed well and should continue to see time, but hopefully Shaw gets more than 4 carries next week.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . Michael Schofield.  Schofield got the start at left guard because of an injury to Ricky Barnum.  While Schofield didn't play horribly, he's too tall at 6'7" to be a guard and doesn't have the agility that Barnum does.  Big #75 is a capable backup, but hopefully he can get back to being a second string tackle soon.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Brandon Herron.  The fifth year senior linebacker got the start at WILL despite being listed second on the depth chart behind Mike Jones.  Neither player has lit the world on fire - until Herron's performance on Saturday - but #58's outstanding game should warrant another start next week.  He tallied a career high 8 tackles to go along with his 94-yard interception return for a touchdown and a 29-yard fumble return for a touchdown.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . J.T. Floyd.  I've never been a big fan of Floyd's abilities, and he again showed a lack of change-of-direction skills on Saturday.  In a perfect world, Floyd would be playing safety.  It's not a perfect world, obviously, because Boubacar Cissoko (who should be a senior) is in jail, Cullen Christian (who should be a sophomore) is at Pitt, and Justin Turner (who should be a redshirt sophomore) is out of football right now.  It's not Floyd's fault that he isn't very good at football, but I sure would like to see Troy Woolfolk on the field instead.  Floyd's ceiling is very low.

MVP of the Western Michigan game is . . . Brandon Herron.  He accounted for 12 of Michigan's 34 points and put the Wolverines up for good when he returned an interception 94 yards for a touchdown in the middle of the second quarter.  It took the breath out of Herron, but it sucked the life out of the Broncos.  The fumble return for a TD was the icing on the cake, and the combination of those two plays earned him the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week award.

Play of the game . . . Herron's 94-yard interception return for a touchdown.  Not only did linebacker Jake Ryan bust through the line to bat the ball, but Herron stayed inbounds after catching it, and then raced down the sideline with a convoy of blockers that included 290 lb. defensive tackle Ryan Van Bergen and 300 lb. defensive tackle Mike Martin.  It was a total team effort and one of the most exciting plays I've experienced as a Michigan fan.

Postgame Press Conference: Western Michigan

Michigan 34, Western Michigan 10

Jordan Kovacs, form tackler extraordinaire, gives Western Michigan quarterback Alex Carder a tour of his facemask

Well, that was weird.  I've never seen a Michigan game called due to weather.  Maybe that's because it's never happened before this weekend.  Like every other Michigan fan, I wanted to see the game continue.  These games against MAC teams are typically when you see awesome plays and great statistics - witness the 94-yard interception return by Brandon Herron, the 44-yard touchdown run by Michael Shaw, etc.  By the time the game was canceled with 1:16 remaining in the third quarter, Michigan had taken control and was likely bound for a couple more touchdowns and some more big plays on defense.  Safety is the most important thing, and I don't question the decision to cancel the game . . . but if someone ends up just short of 1,000 yards rushing or 1,000 yards receiving or some other significant statistical benchmark, we might look back at September 3 and wonder what could have been.

Al Borges isn't dumb.  People everywhere were concerned that offensive coordinator Al Borges would try to turn Denard Robinson into a quarterback who takes every snap from under center, but that simply wasn't the case.  It looked as though roughly 75% of the offensive formations were shotgun.  It looks as though Michigan was more likely to pass from the shotgun and run from the "I" but that could change as the season progresses.  Additionally, the offense isn't as high speed as it has been for the past few seasons under Rich Rodriguez, but it was still effective.  Michigan huddles now, which took some time to adjust to since I got used to watching Rodriguez's teams.  But the Wolverines averaged 7.5 yards per play against WMU, whereas they had only 5.7 against UConn in last season's opener.

Hello, Brandon Herron.  I don't know where the hell you came from, but I'm glad you're here.  I really thought Herron would be a backup and special teamer based on his play in the past and his multiple position switches over the past couple seasons, but he was in the right place at the right time and made some plays.  Despite being listed second on the depth chart at weakside linebacker, he started the game at WILL, made 8 tackles, returned a batted pass 94 yards for a touchdown, and picked up an Alex Carder fumble for a 29-yard touchdown.  It was the longest interception return in Michigan program history and the first time any defensive player scored twice in the same game.  All that came from a fifth year senior who previously had 34 career tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 pass breakup, and 1 fumble recovery.  Herron has always been considered a bit of a physical freak who lacks great instincts, but his instincts looked pretty good on Saturday . . . and nobody really came close to catching the 221 lb. linebacker from behind, either.

Special teams still suck.  Apparently it doesn't matter who coaches the special teams, whether it's an offensive or defensive guy, etc.  Some Michigan fans hated that defensive backs coach Tony Gibson was in charge of special teams because he was one of only four defensive coaches under Rodriguez.  Now an offensive guy (tight ends coach Dan Ferrigno) is coaching special teams, and they're still bad.  Kick returner Kelvin Grady doesn't look like anything special and made a bad decision to leave the endzone.  Brendan Gibbons had a low extra point attempt blocked.  Western Michigan averaged 31 yards per kickoff return and consistently had excellent field position.  Of course, special teams would have looked better if the suspended Will Hagerup were punting.  Freshman Matt Wile averaged 41.0 yards per punt but didn't have great hang time, and he averaged over 65 yards per kickoff, which is better than anyone - Hagerup, Seth Broekhuizen, or Gibbons - did last season.  There's potential there for Wile, but overall the special teams were disappointing.

Greg Mattison is awesome.  Does anyone have any doubt that former defensive coordinator Greg Robinson would have allowed Carder to throw for 350 yards and 4 touchdowns?  Anyone?  It looked like it might be a long day when WMU opened the game with a long drive on which Carder didn't throw a single incompletion on the way to a touchdown.  Michigan's players were confused, and at one point near the goal line, safety Carvin Johnson lined up on the wrong side of the field against a five-wide set, leaving cornerback Courtney Avery alone covering two wideouts.  Avery did an excellent job of splitting the two receivers and blasting the guy who caught the ball at the 1-yard line, but it led to a 1-yard touchdown run a couple plays later.  After that initial drive, though, Michigan's defense settled down.  It's clear that the Wolverines don't have a lot of horses on defense, because they weren't beating MAC players in one-on-one matchups often enough.  But they did come up with timely big plays (Jordan Kovacs' two sacks and a forced fumble, Jake Ryan's batted pass, Herron's two TD returns).  This  is what a "bend but don't break" defense looks like.

Oh no, Troy Woolfolk.  Fifth year senior Troy Woolfolk, playing in his first game since November 2009 against Ohio State, went down with another injury.  After sitting out last season with a dislocated ankle, he was carted off the field in the first quarter with another ankle injury.  Luckily, it sounds like it's only a sprain this time and Brady Hoke said that he could have returned if Michigan needed him, but it looked ominous.  Early in the game, he looked like the aggressive, speedy corner that Michigan lacked all of last season.  His replacement, J.T. Floyd, hasn't changed one bit - he's still too slow to be good.

Wheeee, Michigan running backs!  Neither of Michigan's primary running backs looked fantastic, but it looks like the right guys are playing.  Fitzgerald Toussaint had 11 carries for 80 yards and 2 touchdowns, both of which required a little bit of oomph that not all Michigan backs have had; included in those 11 carries was a 43-yarder.  Meanwhile, Shaw had 4 carries for 54 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown run.  He also looked good on a toss play on which he ran through a tackle.  Vincent Smith (2 carries, 11 yards) looked like a solid change-of-pace back, and Denard Robinson (8 carries, 46 yards) had a decent but unspectacular day running the ball.

It was a win.  Despite the mistakes and the scares, it looks like Michigan got out of the game relatively healthy, they allowed only 10 points, the defense probably gained a little bit of confidence, and the offense looked consistent at the least.  After the 2007 Appalachian State game and the 2008 Toledo loss, I appreciate these wins a little more.

Congratulations, Brady Hoke!  Congratulations to Coach Hoke, who got his first win at Michigan.  Hopefully many more will follow.  Go Blue!

Highlights: Michigan 34, Western Michigan 10

Countdown to Kickoff: Day 23

2011 Countdown: #60 Brandon Herron

Brandon Herron

Name: Brandon Herron
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 220 lbs.
High school: Dulles High School in Stafford, TX
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt senior
Jersey number: #58
Last year: I ranked Herron #43 and said he would be a backup OLB.  He had 7 tackles and 1 pass breakup.

Let me start off by saying that when Herron was recruited, not many Michigan fans expected much.  He was a 3-star to the recruiting sites and generally viewed as an undersized project.  With that disclaimer out of the way, he was 199 lbs. as a freshman, 218 lbs. as a sophomore . . . and has been 220 lbs. for the past three years.  At some point it seems a coach would have pulled him aside and said, "You're a linebacker, not a strong safety!"  Herron was the backup OLB to Craig Roh back in 2009 when he played a defensive end-ish position, and last year he was a 3-3-5 OLB.  This spring he was the backup middle linebacker.  And he's still only 220.

Linebackers can be successful in college at 220 lbs. or so, but not very often.  And when you get trucked by Michael Cox (on Cox's 68-yard TD run in the spring game) without even seeming to think about trying to wrap him up and take him down, then maybe you're too small.  I don't think Herron is in any danger of playing much this year, although with his speed and strength, he should be a special teams demon.  We'll see whether the new coaching staff can find a way to use his skills, but the influx of freshman linebackers puts him in a precarious position.

Prediction: Special teams contributor; third string linebacker

Snapshots: How to Give Up 68-yard Touchdown Runs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?

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

Fast forward to :56 to see the above play:

2010 Countdown: #43 Brandon Herron

Name: Brandon Herron
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 220 lbs.
High school: Dulles High School in Stafford, TX
Position: Outside linebacker
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #58
Last year: I ranked Herron #25, assuming he'd beat out freshman Craig Roh for the OLB position. Herron was Roh's backup, making 20 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 fumble recovery.

Reports from spring 2009 indicated that Herron was a physical freak with great speed and strength for his relatively small size for a rush linebacker. Having two years of experience on Roh, Herron was the expected starter. However, Roh beat out the then-redshirt sophomore and held onto the position. Herron played occasionally, but got pushed around in the run game.

Now it's 2010, and Herron's spot as the primary backup at OLB has been relinquished to J.B. Fitzgerald. Spring practice ended without much of a peep from Herron, who's still only 220 lbs. I'm not sure if the coaches have mandated that Herron maintain that weight, but it seems odd that he wouldn't bulk up more to defend the run. Sometimes injuries or illness prevent guys from adding weight, but I haven't heard anything to indicate such a problem for him. While Roh added approximately 15 lbs. and weighs over 250 now, Herron remains somewhat of a lightweight. He could contribute on special teams and is an adequate backup at OLB, but I would not be surprised to see Herron's redshirt junior year be his final season at Michigan.

Prediction for 2010: Backup OLB, special teams contributor

2010 Countdown: #84 Davion Rogers

Name: Davion Rogers
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 210 lbs.
High school: Harding High School in Warren, OH
Position: Outside linebacker/defensive end hybrid
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Prediction for 2010: Redshirt

Rogers has all kinds of athleticism paired with the bulk of a wind sock. That's not a good combination for playing early. Recruited to play the "Quick" outside linebacker/defensive end spot, he'll immediately be behind sophomore starter Craig Roh and redshirt junior Brandon Herron. Along with those two, a big chunk of fellow freshmen were recruited to play Quick, all of whom have more college-ready bodies: Ken Wilkins, Jordan Paskorz, and Jake Ryan.

Rogers' best chance for contributing in 2010 is on special teams. He has the speed and athleticism to get downfield and wreak some havoc on kick coverage teams, but I still expect him to spend his practice hours in Mike Barwis' dungeon: bench press, front squat, chocolate milk, repeat.

Davion Rogers, Wolverine

Davion Rogers shares a story about a fishing trip

Davion Rogers, a linebacker from Harding High School in Warren, OH, committed to Michigan yesterday after an official visit. He just recently procured an offer from the Wolverines after having been committed to West Virginia. Rogers' teammate is D.J. Williamson, a Michigan wide receiver commit.

Rogers is a 3-star linebacker to both Rivals and Scout, ranked as the #26 outside linebacker to Rivals and the #96 player at his position on Scout. Along with being a former Mountaineer commit, Rogers had also been reported to have interest in his Michigan State offer.

Michigan's coaches recruited Rogers for the Quick end position, currently manned by Craig Roh. When Roh arrived in the summer of 2009, he was 238 lbs. Rogers is currently 6'6", 210 lbs. and needs to bulk up before he can expect to contribute. Physically, he's very reminiscent of former Michigan outside linebacker Shawn Crable; Crable was listed at 6'6", 230 lbs. coming out of high school, but he ended up around 245.

Watching film of him, Rogers has incredible physical talent. The most impressive thing about him is his speed. He's able to catch up to skill players from behind. His wingspan also helps him latch onto and wrap up players who might be out of a shorter player's reach. Once he gains strength, that wingspan should also afford him the ability to keep offensive tackles out of his chest.

Unfortunately, one of the reasons that Rogers gets to show off his speed so much is that he tends to take poor pursuit angles. That's typical for many talented athletes, but it's something that will have to be corrected. Hopefully, his speed will result in a similar awesome play to Crable running down Michigan State's A.J. Jimmerson from the opposite side of the field a few years ago. Rogers also tends to reach when tackling. He leaves his feet or stops his feet in order to reach out and tackle, which will be a problem against stronger, faster players.

Rogers is a few years away from contributing. Craig Roh has a similar skill set and his backup, Brandon Herron, offers a different type of skills. It should take a year or two for Rogers to gain enough strength to contribute, and his techniques will have to develop and mature as his strength does. Considering Brandon Herron will be a redshirt junior in 2010, I expect Rogers to redshirt as a freshman and then compete for playing time in 2012 when Roh is a senior and the whole world is wiped off the planet except John Cusack.

Marell Evans, ex-Wolverine

Marell Evans has decided to transfer from Michigan. A former 2-star recruit from Varina High School in Richmond, VA (the same high school as running back Brandon Minor), Evans burned his redshirt as a freshman by playing on special teams. He started last year as Michigan's starting SAM but quickly lost that position to . . . anyone else willing to play it.

With the arrival of Greg Robinson as defensive coordinator, Evans switched from SAM to the Quick position and appeared to be battling Brandon Herron, Craig Roh, and Steve Watson for the starting job. Most reports had Herron leading in that battle, and it seems that Evans is looking for more playing time. A reporter recently asked Rich Rodriguez if Evans transferred too soon (i.e. before the depth chart was finalized) and Rodriguez basically said, "There is a chance that guys could move up in the depth chart, but most of the backups know they'll be backups." In other words, if Evans wanted to play, he'd have to go elsewhere.

This leaves the Quick position three-deep (Herron, Roh, Watson). Herron and Watson are redshirt sophomores who have only played special teams. Roh is a true freshman.

It's unclear where Evans will end up, but most kids who transfer seem to end up closer to home and at a slightly smaller program.