Review of 2007 Recruiting: Cornerbacks

Donovan Warren

THE ROSTER
Doug Dutch, RS Jr.
Morgan Trent, RS Jr.
Brandon Harrison, Jr.
Zion Babb, RS Fr.

Hit the jump to see whom Michigan recruited and how they fared in their careers.

James Rogers Answers Your Questions

Former Michigan wide receiver and cornerback James Rogers

During Rogers' time at Michigan, he switched back and forth between offense and defense, learned a lot of different playbooks and schemes, and got to know quite a few coaches. Now, after earning his Michigan degree, James is playing for the KC Command, talking about his ambitions, and reflecting on many of the questions offered by TTB readers.

Recent happenings: "I was substitute teaching back in my home town of Madison Heights, and I also coached football. I was actually going to take the middle school basketball coaching job and track coaching job, too, but I ended up coming down here to play arena football for Kansas City, so I'm going to do that for right now. But I'll probably look into coaching in the future. . . . [Arena football] is a little bit different than the outside game. It's a lot faster pace, a lot shorter field, and it kind of has a disadvantage for the cornerbacks because the wide receivers get to run up to the line of scrimmage, and go in motion. But I'm enjoying it so far, though. All my teammates are pretty cool; I'm having a good time down here."

Favorite Michigan Memory: "I had two picks that Purdue game my senior year; that felt good on an individual level. . . . In 2007, my freshman year, we started off slow but ended up picking our season up and went down there to the Capital One bowl and beat Tim Tebow in the bowl game that year. So that was a great memory about the whole of Michigan football. I think that's one thing I'll never forget."

Switching between offense and defense at Michigan: "It kind of helped me out; it was kind of difficult, too, though. . . I had to learn several play books. And when I was there, we went through two coaching changes and then went through another coaching change at defensive coordinator. There were a lot of different playbooks that I had to learn. I began to study every night; football was like a class in itself. . . . When Rich Rod got there, he asked me to come to the offensive side of the ball, and then at the end of my junior year, Coach Robinson came to me and asked me if I'd mind coming back over and playing [on defense], and I was like, 'yeah, sure, no problem.' . . . I just said to myself that I have to put all those young kids on my back and help lead that whole defensive backfield."

Watching the 2011 Wolverines: "It was definitely tough to sit through those years where Michigan was at its down point because Michigan's one of those schools that's always on top. But what I can say about us and those seniors the two years before me is just that we were never going to give up. We stuck in there and we fought. We knew the main point was, yeah, we're there to play football, but let's make sure we get this education while we're at it. For some of those players like me who stuck around and went through those bad seasons, it was still good enough for us to know that we finished college and got our degrees from one of the most prestigious colleges in the world. But yeah, it would have been great to have been on that Sugar Bowl team. But I'm still happy for those guys; those are our boys, and I feel like we helped prepare them to do that."

Differences between the two coaching staffs: "I'm not going to lie; it was definitely different from Coach Carr to Coach Rod's staff. We had just got real close to Coach Carr's staff, so it's kind of like when you lose someone really important in your life. . . . We were so comfortable with Coach Carr. It was almost like losing a parent or something. That's how we felt when Coach Carr had left. . . . Coach Carr and the whole staff, I really enjoyed his whole staff."

NCAA investigation, Free Press allegations: "The part that hurt the most was it being brought to the media. It kind of made us seem like we were criminals, almost. The University of Michigan is a very big deal, so with people just looking at us like that, it kind of did give us kind of a negative view on the team. We kind of felt like, yeah we're working extra hard, but we didn't feel like we were doing anything too out of the ordinary that a lot of other schools weren't doing. It's something I think that also made us have that little setback, but as a team I think we stuck together, and I think we overcame it."

John U. Bacon's Three and Out: "I have not read the book. . .I couldn't tell you anything about it."

WR or CB? "I think any football player would love to be on the offensive side of the ball. How many young kids at a young age are like, "I want to be a D-lineman or a cornerback?' Everyone wants to be wide receiver, quarterback, or running back . . . but at Michigan and knowing about Charles Woodson, I was happy to play cornerback, too, though. I'm happy I played cornerback, and if I had to do it again, I'd certainly play cornerback."

Ask a Question: James Rogers

While at Michigan, James Rogers switched back and forth between the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, acclimated himself to a new head coach and two new defensive coordinators, and ended his career as a starting cornerback. His is one of the more interesting journeys for a Michigan player in recent memory. I'll be talking with James later in the week, so if you have a question for him, leave it below and I'll try to address it in the interview.

NFL Draft Review: Michigan-style

Why do I have a picture of Joe Cocozzo?

2ND ROUND
#61.  Michigan linebacker Jonas Mouton was drafted by the San Diego Chargers.  Mouton was the first Michigan player chosen by the Chargers since offensive guard Joe Cocozzo in 1993, who was selected in the third round (#63 overall).

3RD ROUND
#74.  Arkansas quarterback (and former Wolverine) Ryan Mallett was drafted by the New England Patriots.  He has first round talent but an undrafted free agent level of maturity, so he probably couldn't have asked for a better situation.  Sure, I bet he would have loved first round money, but now he gets to sit behind and learn from Tom Brady for a few years.  If he learns well, he could become a franchise quarterback when Brady moves on or retires.

6TH ROUND
#201.  Michigan offensive lineman Steve Schilling was drafted by the San Diego Chargers.  This is the first time multiple Michigan players have been chosen by one team since . . . 2008, when the Miami Dolphins picked offensive tackle Jake Long in the first round and quarterback Chad Henne in the second.

UNDRAFTED
DT Greg Banks, OG Justin Boren (Ohio State), OT Perry Dorrestein, LB Obi Ezeh, OG John Ferrara, DE Eugene Germany (Central Washington), LB Kevin Leach, LB Cobrani Mixon (Kent State), FB/LB Mark Moundros, DE Adam Patterson, CB James Rogers, DT Renaldo Sagesse, TE Martell Webb

NFL Draft Preview: Michigan-style

Jonas Mouton (#8) should be one of just two Michigan players drafted this weekend

The NFL Draft has always been a fun time for me, because I would always sit around and wait for the next Michigan player's name to get called.  Between watching for a Michigan player to get drafted and waiting for the Lions to pick, one Saturday in April was perhaps the most exciting day of the football off-season.  But Michigan's production of NFL players has waned in recent years.

Ever since six players were taken in the 2008 draft - four in the first three rounds - the Wolverines have only been able to muster five total draft picks in 2009 (4th round: Terrance Taylor; 6th: Morgan Trent) and 2010 (1st: Brandon Graham; 5th: Zoltan Mesko; 7th: Steve Brown).  That's an average draft position of the 4.6th round.

By contrast, 60 players were taken from 1995-2007, an average of 4.62 per year.  On average, those players were drafted in the 3.68th round.  Not only has the number of Michigan draftees been lower in the past couple seasons, but they're getting picked lower, too.

That average draft position might rise slightly this year, but there will probably only be two Wolverines chosen this coming weekend:


Jonas Mouton - Linebacker
Mouton measured in at the NFL Combine at 6'1" and 239 lbs.  I think he could play a couple positions, either as a weak inside linebacker in a 3-4 or as a weakside outside linebacker in a 4-3.  He's pretty solid in coverage and changes direction well (video here, senior profile here).
Projection: 5th round to the Patriots


Steve Schilling - Offensive guard
Schilling measured in at the NFL Combine at 6'5", 304 lbs.  He had a pretty good Combine performance, but nothing stellar.  He played a lot of offensive tackle at Michigan, but I think he's strictly a guard at the next level.  Four years of starting experience should help him (senior profile here).
Projection: 4th round to the Browns


Undrafted: DT Greg Banks, OT Perry Dorrestein, LB Obi Ezeh, OG John Ferrara, LB Kevin Leach, FB/LB Mark Moundros, DE/DT Adam Patterson, CB James Rogers, DT Renaldo Sagesse, TE Martell Webb


I do think there is a remote chance that two other players get drafted late - Obi Ezeh and Martell Webb.  Ezeh was, for all intents and purposes, a four-year starter at middle linebacker.  That might be worth something to a team late in the draft.  And Webb turned into a very good blocker.  If a team is looking for a cheap blocking tight end in the 7th round, they could do worse than picking a 6'4", 268-pounder with decent athleticism.

James Rogers, #18

James Rogers breaks up a pass to Notre Dame's Michael Floyd.

2010 Countdown: #56 James Rogers

HIGH SCHOOL
Coming out of high school in 2007 from Madison Heights, MI, Rogers was a mid-level recruit.  He was a 3-star player, the #68 athlete, and the #27 player in Michigan, according to Rivals.  Scout said he was a 4-star and the #17 safety in the country.  I guess Rivals made the better evaluation here, since Rogers bounced back and forth between cornerback and wide receiver all four years.  At no point did he play safety.

COLLEGE
Rogers was a pretty dynamic offensive player in high school, so many assumed he would be a receiver.  But he first appeared as a cornerback and special teamer, burning his redshirt for a small slice of playing time as a freshman in 2007.  He ended the season with 6 tackles, 1 pass breakup, and 1 fumble recovery.  When Rodriguez showed up and needed an influx of receivers for 2008, Rogers moved to that side of the ball.  He started two games, making 3 receptions for 64 yards in addition to 2 special teams tackles.  Rogers stayed at receiver into 2009, but when attrition took its toll on the cornerback position, he found himself back on defense and special teams, making 7 total tackles.  A shortage of defensive backs continued and injuries mounted, which left Rogers on defense.  So in a somewhat surprising turn of events, the high school running back/wide receiver-turned-cornerback-turned-receiver-turned-cornerback became a 13-game starter as a senior.  He made 40 tackles, 3 interceptions (tied for the team lead), 3 pass breakups, and 2 tackles for loss throughout the year.

CAREER STATS
55 tackles, 4 pass breakups, 3 interceptions, 2 tackles for loss; 3 receptions, 64 yards

AWARDS
None.

SUMMARY
Rogers is a pretty good story.  He's the type of kid who stuck around for four years and never complained, even when it looked like he would never see the field.  If it weren't for the injury to Troy Woolfolk in the preseason, Rogers probably wouldn't have played much this past year, except for spot duty and special teams.  But he persevered and ended up as a 13-game starter.  I always wished Rogers could stay at wide receiver and stop bouncing around, because I thought he had the speed and hands to be a decent wideout.  But obviously he was needed at cornerback this past season, and he made an impact on that side of the ball.

PROJECTION
Rogers was not invited to the NFL Combine but will likely work out at U of M's upcoming pro day.  He has excellent speed (witness his rundown of a Mississippi State running back in the Gator Bowl), but he's not very smooth in the hips, he's somewhat slow at diagnosing routes, and he's not a great tackler.  I would be very surprised if he plays football at the next level.

Preview: Michigan at Ohio State

I hate Ohio State's uniforms, so here's a picture of
Terrelle Pryor from high school.

Earlier in the year, I had designs on going to Columbus for this game.  I never really had the thought that this game would have an impact on the Big Ten Championship from Michigan's side, but I thought it might be competitive for the first time in a few years.  I decided not to get tickets even prior to the Wisconsin game, and after watching Michigan get manhandled by the Badgers, I'm glad I didn't make the purchase.  There will be better years to foray into the heart of Buckeye country.

Rush Offense vs. Ohio State Rush Defense
This will be a battle Michigan must win to have any chance at a victory.  The Wolverines are the #10 rushing offense in the country (257 yards per game), and the Buckeyes are the #3 rush defense (86 yards per game).  Something has to give, and honestly, it will probably be the Ohio State defense.  The best rushing team Ohio State has faced was Wisconsin, who put up 188 yards at 4.37 yards a pop.  Earlier in the year, I railed against Rich Rodriguez's heavy use of Denard Robinson in the running game to keep him fresh for late in the season.  Well, if ever there was a time to use Denard 30, 35, 40 times a game, this is it.  This is the game that matters, maybe for Rodriguez's job, maybe for the perception of the program.  This game right here is why I didn't want Robinson rushing the ball 29 times in a 20-point victory over UConn, but now it's pedal to the medal.  Michigan's running backs have largely been ineffective this season, although Vincent Smith has started to improve in the past couple weeks.  Michigan might also get a boost from the return of Fitzgerald Toussaint, a highly talented running back who has missed most of the season due to various injuries.
Advantage: Michigan

Pass Offense vs. Ohio State Pass Defense
The reason the rushing game will be so important is because the passing game scares me.  Michigan has the #30 pass offense and the #16 pass efficiency, but Ohio State is #5 in pass defense and #7 in pass efficiency D.  Denard Robinson still struggles to read defenses and go through his progressions.  And while Ohio State doesn't make a ton of sacks (only 18 on the year), they have picked off 17 passes; meanwhile, Denard Robinson has thrown 10 picks, with 9 of them coming in Michigan's last six games.  His accuracy and confidence have waned throughout the year.  Michigan might be missing a deep threat in Darryl Stonum, who injured his ankle returning a kick against Wisconsin.  That would leave the Wolverines down its two starting outside receivers from the beginning of the year, including Martavious Odoms, who has missed most of the year.  There will be open receivers because Ohio State is going to commit to stopping the run, but whether Robinson can hit those receivers downfield is a bit of a crapshoot.
Advantage: Ohio State

Rush Defense vs. Ohio State Rush Offense
Ummm . . . yeah.  So.  Michigan is bad at stopping the run.  This is well known.  While Wisconsin's offensive line and running backs are more physical than Ohio State's, Michigan's defense effectively refused to stop the run against the Badgers, giving up 6.32 yards a carry.  And when you keep the ball on the ground 56 times in one game, it's not like those yards came on surprise draws or reverses.  Nope, Wisconsin lined it up and simply dominated the line of scrimmage.  Ohio State would be wise to follow Wisconsin's blueprint.  Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor has thrown 10 interceptions himself; so while Michigan's pass rush isn't fearsome and Michigan's secondary is well below average, why take the chance at putting the ball in the air?
Advantage: Ohio State

Pass Defense vs. Ohio State Pass Defense
The Buckeyes are the #17 rushing offense, so they don't need to pass the ball a ton; they average 230 passing yards a game, which is a middling 55th in the country.  But as much as Michigan fans like to make fun of the way Pryor throws the football, he ranks 14th in the country in passing efficiency.  It might be ugly, but it's effective.  Ohio State has two solid receivers in Dane Sanzenbacher and DeVier Posey, and Pryor has the arm strength and touch to deliver deep balls consistently.  On the other hand, Michigan's secondary is a work in progress.  Lacking its top two cornerbacks from the pre-season (Troy Woolfolk, J.T. Floyd) due to injury, it's been mix-and-match since then.  But a strange thing seems to have happened since then - the secondary seems to be improving.  James Rogers has three interceptions in the last two games; true freshman Courtney Avery might already be a better cover corner than the guy he replaced (Floyd); and freshman free safety Ray Vinopal lacks the unfortunate quality of being a linebacker.  None of this is to say that Michigan will be great against the pass, but they should perform better than what we thought several weeks ago.
Advantage: Ohio State

Final Predictions

• Based on the lack of success against Wisconsin, Michigan runs a good deal of 4-man fronts
• Denard Robinson throws a pair of interceptions
• Fitzgerald Toussaint gets a couple carries and then gets injured
• Kelvin Grady leads the team in receiving
• Ohio State 45, Michigan 27

Troy Woolfolk has an Ouchie

I hope this makes you feel better.

Reports and statements after practice today strongly suggest that senior cornerback Troy Woolfolk dislocated an ankle today. If that rumored prognosis is accurate, Woolfolk will most likely miss the entire 2010 season.

Who will take Woolfolk's spot at cornerback?
This practically cements the starting cornerbacks as redshirt sophomore J.T. Floyd and true freshman Cullen Christian. Floyd was probably set to be the #2 cornerback. Christian is the most talented of three incoming freshmen at the position, with more talent and potential than Terrence Talbott and Courtney Avery. Senior cornerback-turned-wideout-turned-cornerback James Rogers will also be in the mix.

Will any position changes occur to fill the void at cornerback?
Michigan doesn't have the talent or depth at other positions to move many guys. Sophomore Teric Jones played cornerback last year but moved to Bandit in the spring. When redshirt freshman J.T. Turner decided to transfer last week, head coach Rich Rodriguez stated that Jones would get practice reps at Bandit and cornerback. I imagine that Jones will make a full-scale move to cornerback now. Another option is true freshman D.J. Williamson, a 6'1", 170 lb. receiver who played a little defense in high school. Longshots to move include true freshman safety Ray Vinopal and redshirt junior safety Michael Williams, who has seemingly been squeezed out of the competition at Spur. None of these players should be considered as challengers for the starting cornerback job, however.

How did the depth at cornerback get so . . . shallow?
From the Class of 2007, wide receiver/cornerback Zion Babb ran off after Rodriguez arrived in Ann Arbor. Five-star cornerback recruit Donovan Warren entered the 2010 NFL Draft early, only to go undrafted. Cornerback/safety recruit Michael Williams suffered a knee injury and moved to safety full-time after Ron English was let go.

From the Class of 2008, Boubacar Cissoko took stupid pills once he arrived on campus and was booted from the team in mid-2009.

From the Class of 2009, athlete recruit Denard Robinson was pegged by some teams as a cornerback; he came to Michigan as a quarterback and has seemingly taken the lead in the race to be behind center in 2010. J.T. Turner arrived on campus out of shape and remained out of shape; he decided he'd had enough of Mike Barwis and his crazy "stay in shape" demands, so he received his transfer papers last week. Robinson's high school teammate Adrian Witty failed to qualify initially, and then once he qualified, Michigan's Admissions department failed to admit him for January 2010.

From the Class of 2010, prized defensive back recruit Demar Dorsey failed to meet Michigan's admissions standards (and apparently Louisville's, too). The late pursuit of Dorsey may have curtailed Michigan's chase for a couple potential mid-level cornerback recruits, particularly Rashad Knight and Tony Grimes. Athlete recruit Conelius Jones failed to qualify.

Overall, that's nine potential cornerbacks who are either playing other positions (Michael Williams, Denard Robinson) or no longer on the team. I can't blame Lloyd Carr or Rodriguez for most of those position changes and such. However, the handling of the cases of Adrian Witty, Demar Dorsey, and Conelius Jones should come into question now. Why were those three allowed to sign Letters of Intent if they weren't qualified? At such an important position - and one in such dire need - Rodriguez couldn't afford to hand out scholarships to kids who would never play a down for Michigan. He did anyway. I hope I'm wrong, but this could be a major failure of the Rodriguez regime at Michigan.

Are there any positives that could come of this?
Well . . . uhhh . . . since Woolfolk played as a true freshman in 2007 (a waste of a redshirt at the time), he's only a fourth year senior this season. He could possibly regain his health enough to play as a redshirt senior in 2011.

How much does this impair Michigan on the field in 2010?
Significantly. The likely starter at free safety is a true freshman who changed positions from wide receiver in the spring. One starting cornerback is a guy who many (including me) believed should be a safety . . . that is, if Michigan had enough depth at cornerback to move him. The other starting cornerback is either James Rogers, a senior who has barely seen the field in three years, or a true freshman. Michigan's defense was going to be bad in 2010, anyway. The loss of Woolfolk not only affects the passing game negatively, but also exchanges a solid tackler for an 18-year-old kid who admittedly needs to improve his tackling (Christian). This injury probably lowers Michigan's win total by one or two games.

2010 Countdown: #56 James Rogers

Name: James Rogers
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 191 lbs.
High school: Lamphere High School in Madison Heights, MI
Position: Cornerback
Class: Senior
Jersey number: #18
Last year: I ranked him #56 (weird!) and said he'd be a backup WR and special teams contributor. He was a backup WR and made 7 special teams tackles but switched to cornerback halfway through the season.

I said this last year, but so far it seems that Rogers has been screwed over at Michigan. I really feel bad for this kid. His first year was wasted by playing cornerback in garbage time, preventing him from redshirting. Then he switched to wide receiver when Rich Rodriguez was hired, started two games, and made 3 catches for 64 yards. Then he switched back to cornerback in mid-2009.

For some reason, Rogers' development has been put on the backburner throughout his 3+ years at Michigan. Rather than keeping him at one position where he might improve, he's seemingly been jerked around despite performing decently at both positions. He'll likely be a backup cornerback and a special teamer in 2010, his senior year. It would be nice to see him make some strides and earn some playing time this year, but I'm not counting on it. If that doesn't happen, I hope he can at least earn some run as a gunner on the punt unit and maybe fall on a muffed punt or two. Kudos to James Rogers for playing wherever the team has needed him.

Prediction for 2010: Backup cornerback and special teams coverage. Probably another position switch or two as well.

2009 Countdown: #56 James Rogers

Name: James Rogers
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 182 lbs.
High School: Lamphere High School in Madison Heights, MI
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Junior
Jersey Number: #18
2008 statistics: 3 catches, 64 yards, 2 tackles on special teams
Prediction for 2009: Backup wide receiver, special teams contributor

Personally, I think Rogers has got a raw deal so far in his Michigan career. Carr's staff allowed him to burn his redshirt in 2007, playing him on special teams and sparingly at cornerback. Then Rodriguez moved him to wide receiver in 2008, where he caught 3 passes for 64 yards (a 21.3 yard average) but could barely get any snaps. Perhaps he has attitude issues I don't know of, but he's performed well when given the opportunity. He's not going to make many people miss, but he does have good speed and seemingly good hands. Hopefully Michigan can take advantage of his talents this season.