U.S. Army All-American Bowl Participants: Michigan

2012 U.S. Army Bowl participants: Ondre Pipkins, Royce Jenkins-Stone, James Ross, Kyle Kalis, Erik Magnuson
(left to right; image via TheWolverine.com)

For your viewing pleasure, here's a comprehensive list of Michigan's past commitments who were selected for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

2016
Michael Onwenu - Detroit, MI

2015
None

2014
Mason Cole, OG - Tarpon Springs, FL

2013
Jake Butt, TE - Pickerington, OH
Chris Fox, OT - Parker, CO#
Derrick Green, RB - Richmond, VA
Jourdan Lewis, CB - Detroit, MI
Dymonte Thomas, S - Alliance, OH

2012
Kyle Kalis, OL - Lakewood, OH
Royce Jenkins-Stone, LB - Detroit, MI
Erik Magnuson, OL - Carlsbad, CA
Ondre Pipkins, DT - Kansas City, MO
James Ross, LB - Orchard Lake, MI

2011
Blake Countess, CB - Olney, MD
Wayne Lyons, CB - Fort Lauderdale, FL*
Matt Wile, K - San Diego, CA

2010
Cullen Christian, CB - Pittsburgh, PA
Will Hagerup, P - Whitefish Bay, WI

2009
William Campbell, DT - Detroit, MI
Jeremy Gallon, WR - Apopka, FL
Brendan Gibbons, K - West Palm Beach, FL
Anthony Lalota, DE - Princeton, NJ
Je'Ron Stokes, WR - Pittsburgh, PA
Justin Turner, CB - Massillon, OH

2008
Boubacar Cissoko, CB - Detroit, MI
Sam McGuffie, RB - Houston, TX
Brandon Smith, S - New Brunswick, NJ

2007
Donovan Warren, CB - Long Beach, CA
Michael Williams, S - St. Bonaventure, CA

2006
Justin Boren, OG - Pickerington, OH
Steve Brown, S - Columbus, IN
Brandon Graham, DE - Detroit, MI
Jonas Mouton, LB - Venice, CA
Steve Schilling, OT - Bellevue, WA

2005
James McKinney, DT - Louisville, KY
Zoltan Mesko, P - Twinsburg, OH
Marques Slocum, DT - Philadelphia, PA

2004
Adrian Arrington, WR - Cedar Rapids, IA
Alan Branch, DT - Albuquerque, NM
Jeremy Ciulla, OG - Kennesaw, GA
Doug Dutch, WR/CB - Washington, DC
Chad Henne, QB - West Lawn, PA
Tim Jamison, DE - Harvey, IL
Max Martin, RB - Madison, AL

2003
Prescott Burgess, LB - Warren, OH
Anton Campbell, S - O'Fallon, MO
Shawn Crable, LB - Massillon, OH
Leon Hall, CB - Vista, CA
Ryan Mundy, S - Pittsburgh, PA
Will Paul, FB - St. Louis, MO
Clayton Richard, QB - Lafayette, IN
Garrett Rivas, K - Tampa, FL

2002
Jason Avant, WR - Chicago, IL
Mike Kolodziej, OT - Joliet, IL

2001
Marlin Jackson, CB - Sharon, PA
Pierre Woods, DE - Cleveland, OH

*Transferred to Michigan
#Will not/did not play due to injury

Michigan's NFL Draft History

Jake Long

Probably like many of you, I occasionally have a hankering for some Michigan NFL Draft history. Below you will find (as far as I'm aware) every pro draft pick in the history of Michigan's football program going all the way back to 1937. The plan is to update this list after this year's draft and keep updating it when appropriate.

Michigan's only two #1 overall NFL Draft picks are Jake Long in 2008 and Tom Harmon in 1941.

2015
2nd round: Devin Funchess - WR - Carolina Panthers (#41 overall)
2nd round: Frank Clark - DE - Seattle Seahawks (#63 overall)
4th round: Jake Ryan - LB - Green Bay Packers (#129 overall)

2014
1st round: Taylor Lewan - OT - Tennessee Titans (#11 overall)
3rd round: Michael Schofield - OT - Denver Broncos (#95 overall)
7th round: Jeremy Gallon - WR - New England Patriots (#244 overall)

2013
5th round: Denard Robinson - RB - Jacksonville Jaguars (#135)
6th round: William Campbell - DT - New York Jets (#178)

Hit the jump for the remainder of Michigan's historical draft picks.

The All-Hoke Team: Offense

Denard Robinson

You may or may not remember when I put together an all-star team for Rich Rodriguez's tenure (OFFENSE, DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS). Well, here's the Brady Hoke version. I patched together a pretty good team from the four seasons that Hoke was the head man in Ann Arbor.

QB: Devin Gardner (2013)
208-for-345 passing, 60.3%, 2960 yards, 21 touchdowns, 11 interceptions
165 carries for 483 yards, 2.9 yards/carry, 11 touchdowns
This may be an unpopular choice, but Gardner had some brilliant games (Notre Dame, Indiana, Ohio State) during the 2013 campaign. He ended the year as Michigan's second-leading rusher and showed some great potential. The Notre Dame victory was exhilarating, he threw for 503 yards (a Michigan record) against Indiana, and played great against Ohio State despite a broken foot for part of the game.

RB: Denard Robinson (2012)
177 carries, 1266 yards, 7.2 yards/carry, 7 touchdowns
I'm cheating a bit here by putting Robinson at running back, but he did start a few games at the position after he returned from the elbow injury suffered against Nebraska. He broke 100 yards twice in his three games at running back. Even so, he showed enough running skills at the quarterback position to make this essentially a no-brainer. Imagine the running ability of a team with Gardner at QB and Robinson lined up behind him or next to him.

FB: Joe Kerridge (2014)
3 carries, 56 yards, 18.7 yards/carry
6 catches, 53 yards, 8.8 yards/catch
Hoke employed a fullback quite a bit, but his fullbacks didn't touch the ball a lot. Kerridge set a record for the Hoke era by getting 9 touches, including some critical first downs and a 52-yard run on a fake punt against Maryland.

WR: Jeremy Gallon (2013)
89 catches, 1373 yards, 15.4 yards/catch, 9 touchdowns
Gallon and Gardner had a symbiotic relationship. Gallon didn't produce a ton before Gardner became the quarterback, and Gardner was unproductive once Gallon graduated. Regardless, Gallon was a record-setter at Michigan with 1,373 yards that season and had 369 yards in a game against Indiana, the highest Big Ten total in history.

WR: Junior Hemingway (2011)
34 catches, 699 yards, 20.6 yards/catch, 4 touchdowns
Hemingway may not have had higher catch or yardage totals than other candidates for this spot, but he made lots of clutch plays and was Denard Robinson's go-to guy like Gallon was Gardner's. Hemingway had some huge catches in wins against Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Virginia Tech

TE: Kevin Koger (2011)
23 catches, 244 yards, 10.6 yards/catch, 4 touchdowns
Jake Butt might have more upside, but Koger had better production in 2011 and had the best combination of skills that Hoke had available at the tight end position. Koger could block, catch, and run a little bit. Plus he was named a captain and liked well enough to be asked to be a graduate assistant on the staff.

LT: Taylor Lewan (2012)
13 starts, 1 touchdown
Lewan peaked in 2012 when he was a First Team All-American and dominant all year, including a great showing against eventual #1 pick Jadeveon Clowney of South Carolina in the Outback Bowl. He also fell on a fumble in the endzone, notching a touchdown against UMass.

LG: Michael Schofield (2011)
10 starts
Schofield, a tackle by trade, earned the starting left guard job when Ricky Barnum was injured. Somewhat surprisingly, he performed very well for a young guy playing an unfamiliar position. He would eventually turn into a 3rd round pick by the Denver Broncos.

C: David Molk (2011)
12 starts
Molk started the first twelve games of the year and sat out the first series of the Sugar Bowl against Virginia Tech with an injury he suffered in pre-game warmups. When backup Rocko Khoury struggled with two bad snaps on three plays, Molk entered the game and helped lead the team to a victory. Molk was a First Team All-American and won the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation's best center.

RG: Patrick Omameh (2011)
13 starts
Omameh seemed to have a better season in 2011 than 2012, even though he was named First Team All-Big Ten by the coaches in the latter season and not the former. The offensive line protected quarterback Denard Robinson pretty well in 2011 (#34 in sacks allowed), and Omameh helped pave the way for two 1,000-yard rushers (Robinson, running back Fitzgerald Toussaint).

RT: Mark Huyge (2011)
13 starts
With Schofield slotted at left guard, Huyge is really the only choice here. He wasn't spectacular, but he was solid and never stood out as being a weakness. He, too, was part of the unit that protected the quarterback and helped Toussaint and Robinson run for 1,000 yards each.

2014 NFL Draft results and undrafted free agent news

1st round: Offensive tackle Taylor Lewan to Tennessee Titans (#11 overall)

3rd round: Offensive tackle Michael Schofield to Denver Broncos (#95 overall)

7th round: Wide receiver Jeremy Gallon to New England Patriots (#244 overall)

Undrafted free agents:
Jibreel Black - DT - Pittsburgh Steelers
Cameron Gordon - LB - New England Patriots
Thomas Gordon - S - New York Giants
Marvin Robinson - S - Dallas Cowboys*
Fitzgerald Toussaint - RB - Baltimore Ravens

*Robinson spent the 2013 season at Ferris State after transferring away from Michigan

NFL Draft Preview: Michigan

Taylor Lewan could be the most talented tackle in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Here's a 2014 NFL Draft preview from Michigan's perspective. There should be a few Wolverines selected by NFL teams, and a few guys may latch on as undrafted free agents. If you want a look back, I did a similar post for the 2013 NFL Draft. I whiffed on Denard Robinson (I had him pegged as a 2nd rounder but he fell to the 5th), got pretty close on William Campbell (I had him in the 6th round at #188 overall and he went at #178), and did okay on Jordan Kovacs (I had him going in the 7th round; he went undrafted but caught on with the Dolphins).

The first round will begin at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 8th. The second and third rounds will be on Friday, May 9th, starting at 7:00 p.m. The fourth through seventh rounds will be on Saturday, May 10th, beginning at 12:00 noon.

Players are listed in order of projected likelihood of being drafted.

Taylor Lewan, OT
Lewan measured in at 6'7" and 309 lbs. at the NFL Combine. He ran a 4.87 forty, which was the top time for his position group. He also did 29 reps on the bench press, vertical jumped 30.5", broad jumped 9'9", had a 4.49 shuttle, and did a three-cone drill in 7.39 seconds. Lewan became a starter during his redshirt freshman year and surprised a lot of people when he returned for his fifth year in 2013 when he could have been a top ten draft pick last year. His stock essentially had nowhere to go but down, and he probably hurt his chances a little bit with some off-the-field issues that were revealed or occurred during the 2013-2014 school year. Lewan is a very consistent pass blocker and a powerful run blocker with a nasty disposition. He has taken some bad penalties at times, and he has a pending assault and battery charge stemming from late in the 2013 season during an altercation outside an Ann Arbor bar. If he pleas or is found guilty, the punishment will likely be light, but that's still a bit of a red flag. He's in the discussion for the top offensive tackle in the draft along with Texas A&M's Jake Matthews and Auburn's Greg Robinson.
Best guess: 1st round to Buffalo Bills (#9 overall)

Jeremy Gallon, WR
Michigan's all-time record holder in season receiving yardage, Gallon measured in at the NFL Combine at just 5'7" and 184 lbs. He ran a 4.45 forty, which surprised those of us who watched him for five years at Michigan, showing good acceleration and short speed but getting caught from behind on multiple occasions. However, he does have excellent leaping ability, can outmuscle corners for jump balls, has strong hands, and can break some tackles. He will almost certainly get drafted, but it will have to be by a team with an open mind toward working with small-ish receivers.
Best guess: 5th round to Denver Broncos (#171 overall)

Michael Schofield, OT
Schofield measured in at 6'6", 301 lbs. at the NFL Combine. His arms are 34" in length and a hand width of 9 5/8". He ran a 5.01 forty, which was good for #6 among offensive linemen. He also put in a 4.57 shuttle, a 7.62 three-cone drill, a 24" vertical, and a 93" broad jump. Analysts have pretty consistently pegged as going in the middle rounds, perhaps in the 4th or 5th. Schofield was consistent but not dominant at the college level.
Best guess: 6th round to New York Giants (#187 overall)

Thomas Gordon, S
Gordon, a fifth year senior, played at 5'10" and 210 lbs. last year. He was not invited to the Combine, but he ran a 4.49 at Michigan's pro day, ran a 4.10 shuttle, had a 40.5" vertical, and broad jumped 10'5.5". Gordon was productive in 2011 but has had two mediocre years in 2012 and 2013 - not many busts, but not many big plays, either. He was a box safety under Rich Rodriguez in 2010 and appears to be better playing closer to the line of scrimmage, so some teams may look at him if they play their safeties near the line.
Best guess: Undrafted

Fitzgerald Toussaint, RB
Toussaint is a 5'10", 205 lb. runner who was not invited to the NFL Combine. He had underwhelming redshirt junior and fifth year senior years, suffering a nasty broken leg in the midst of the 2012 season. However, he turned in a solid pro day with a 4.49 forty, 24 reps on the bench, a 4.10 shuttle, and a 6.59 three-cone drill. Tousssaint's lack of production in 2012 and 2013 will hold him back, but he showed flashes of excellence as a redshirt sophomore in 2011. He will almost certainly not get drafted, but I do think he has the potential to be one of those guys who hangs on as a sub for guys who get injured as the season goes along.
Best guess: Undrafted

Cameron Gordon, LB
Gordon stands 6'3", 237 lbs. and has good speed for his size. After starting his career at wide receiver and then moving to free safety, he eventually found a home as an outside linebacker. Unfortunately for him, he was stuck behind someone who appears to be a future NFLer in Jake Ryan. Gordon gained a lot of experience as a redshirt freshman and was mostly a backup for the remainder of his career. He reminds me a lot of some former Michigan players who had fringe NFL careers (Roy Manning, Shantee Orr), so while he likely won't get drafted, I do expect him to get picked up by a team and given a shot to make the roster as a special teams player or backup.
Best guess: Undrafted

Jibreel Black, DT
Black is a 6'2", 278 lb. player who did 29 reps on the bench press at Michigan's pro day, which was tops on the team that day. He did not produce heavily at Michigan, but he did start a fair share of games and played every position on the defensive line at one point or another. Black used his quickness at defensive tackle because he never put on the bulk to become a great run-stopper. He's somewhat of a tweener who lacks the ideal speed and height for defensive end and lacks the ideal size to play inside at the next level.
Best guess: Undrafted

Quinton Washington, DT
Washington measured in at 6'2", 292 lbs. at Michigan's pro day, where he was nursing an ankle injury and could not participate in every phase. He ran a 5.55 forty and did 26 reps on the bench press. He looked larger than 292 during the season, so perhaps he slimmed down in an effort to lower his forty times. Either way, Washington had a mildly productive 2012 season followed by an oddly ineffective 2013 season that saw his playing time reduced. His measurables are not particularly impressive, and when combined with his on-the-field production, he will surely not have his name called in the draft. Washington played offensive guard early in his college career, but he's not physically imposing enough to warrant a William Campbell-like position change in the NFL, in my opinion. If Washington makes it at the next level, it will have to be as a free agent nose tackle.
Best guess: Undrafted

Courtney Avery, CB
Avery is a 5'11", 175 lb. player who played cornerback and some safety in college. After a rough freshman season, he had a solid sophomore year followed by diminishing returns as a junior and senior. Despite being named a captain, he was used only sporadically throughout his senior year. Avery has decent size to play corner in the NFL, but he lacks the speed, hips, and anticipation to play it capably at the next level. If he continues his football career, it will likely be at a lower level. I do not even see him as a practice squad player.
Best guess: Undrafted

Drew Dileo, WR
Dileo is a 5'10", 180 lb. receiver who did a lot of things at Michigan. He played receiver, returned punts, returned kickoffs, and was the holder for extra points and field goals. Dileo did a fine job as a role player at Michigan, but he doesn't have the size to play receiver in the NFL, nor does he have the speed to make up for it.

Jareth Glanda, LS
Glanda measured in at 6'3", 256 lbs. as a senior. He was nearly perfect as a long snapper in college, but the job gets even tougher at the next level. Snappers often double as backup linebackers or tight ends in the NFL who can contribute elsewhere in an emergency, but Glanda has no such experience, so that may make it tougher for him to cut it at the next level.
Best guess: Undrafted

OTHER SENIORS WHO WILL LIKELY GO UNDRAFTED
Joe Reynolds, WR
Jeremy Jackson, WR

2014 Michigan Pro Day Results

Safety Thomas Gordon had perhaps the most impressive Pro Day

DB Courtney Avery: 36.5" vertical

DT Jibreel Black: 29 reps on 225 lb. bench

WR Jeremy Gallon: 39.5" vertical, 10'10" broad jump

LB Cameron Gordon: 4.65 forty, 36" vertical

S Thomas Gordon: 4.49 forty, 40.5" vertical, 10'5.5" broad jump, 4.10 twenty-yard shuttle

OT Taylor Lewan: Only participated in offensive line drills

WR Joe Reynolds: 37.5" vertical, 10'5" broad jump

OT Michael Schofield: 9' broad jump

RB Fitzgerald Toussaint: 4.49 forty, 24 reps on 225 lb. bench, 6.59 three-cone drill, 4.10 twenty-yard shuttle

DT Quinton Washington: 26 reps on 225 lb. bench

Jeremy Gallon, #21

Jeremy Gallon

HIGH SCHOOL
Gallon committed to Rich Rodriguez in June of 2008 and had some pretty good accolades, claiming Player of the Year in Florida during his senior year. He was a single-wing quarterback at Apopka (FL) Apoka, so moving to slot receiver (and eventually outside receiver) was a fairly significant position change. His junior year entailed 1,613 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground, along with 1,071 passing yards and 8 touchdowns. He was a Rivals 4-star, the #11 athlete, and the #151 player overall and participated in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, where he was limited by a groin pull but still grabbed a 34-yard pass from quarterback Tajh Boyd.

COLLEGE
I expected Gallon to play as a freshman, but I guess the position change was a little much for him initially. There were problems catching the ball and holding onto the ball, and Michigan had the likes of Martavious Odoms, Roy Roundtree, and Kelvin Grady that season. As a redshirt freshman in 2010, Gallon played a little as a slot (4 catches, 49 yards, 1 touchdown) but contributed more as a punt returner (10 punt returns for 43 yards; 27 kickoff returns for 589 yards). In the unforgettable 2011 version of Under the Lights against Notre Dame, he grabbed 2 passes for 78 yards, including a leaping touchdown and a 64-yard catch-and-run to set up the winning touchdown; he finished the season as the second-leading receiver, behind Junior Hemingway, totaling 31 catches for 453 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also had his best year as a punt returner with 19 returns for 192 yards. Gallon had a mediocre beginning of the 2012 season, but he really took off once Devin Gardner took over for the injured Denard Robinson at quarterback; Gallon made 49 catches for 829 yards and 4 touchdowns as a redshirt junior. Gallon, who wore #3 to begin his career and switched to #10 before the 2011 season, was awarded the Desmond Howard #21 Legends jersey prior to the 2013 season and responded with 89 receptions for 1,373 yards and 9 touchdowns. His 89 receptions rank #2 all-time at Michigan (behind Braylon Edwards's 97 in 2004) and his yardage total ranks #1 in school history. He had three magnificent games during his senior year. The best was a 14-catch, 369-yard, 2-touchdown, record-setting performance against Indiana; another was an 8-catch, 184-yard, 3-touchdown game against Notre Dame; the final one was a 9-catch, 175-yard, 1-touchdown outing against Ohio State, which included an 84-yard catch-and-run at the beginning of the game.

CAREER STATISTICS
173 receptions, 2704 yards, 15.4 yards/catch, 17 touchdowns
17 carries, 97 yards, 5.7 yards/carry
0/1 passing
32 kickoff returns, 658 yards, 20.6 yards/return
47 punt returns, 333 yards, 7.1 yards/return
8 tackles

AWARDS
Second Team All-Big Ten, 2013
Honorable Mention All-Big Ten, 2012
#21 Legends jersey

SUMMARY
Gallon's career spanned two coaching staff with significantly different offenses and visions for him. Listed at 5'8" throughout his college career, he measured in at the NFL Combine a shade over 5'7". Viewed exclusively as a slot receiver and returner by Rich Rodriguez, he turned into an extremely productive, record-setting split end and flanker for Brady Hoke. I think one of the most surprising things about Gallon was the way he developed as a receiver and turned into a jump ball hero despite being smaller than virtually every cornerback he faced. I liked him as a recruit because of his strength and running ability, but once Rodriguez was fired, I wondered how Michigan was going to get him the ball without using bubble screens. They found a way, though. I found myself at times thinking, "Just get the ball to Gallon" because he was more productive than the running backs and less prone to turnovers than Devin Gardner. I ranked Gallon #3 in the 2013 Season Countdown and said he would end up with 75 catches, 1,200 yards, and 10 touchdowns. At the time some people thought I was overestimating his production, but I actually undervalued him in receptions and yards, and I arguably could have ranked him #2 (behind Taylor Lewan and ahead of Devin Gardner). He now has the school record for yardage in a season, set a Big Ten record with his 369 yards against Indiana, and is #2 in Division I history with that yardage performance, behind only Louisiana Tech's Troy Edwards and his 405 yards.

PROJECTION
Gallon has good acceleration but questionable long speed, evidenced by his 4.45 time in the forty at the NFL Combine. As we have seen numerous times throughout his career, he can get run down from behind. Furthermore, his size will limit him from catching on with some teams, although he plays bigger than his 5'7", 184 lb. frame would indicate. He also proved to have very large hands at the Combine. I think Gallon will get drafted somewhere around the 5th round in May's NFL Draft, but I have a hard time comparing him to anyone who has had a great deal of success recently in the NFL. Tavon Austin is small but faster than Gallon. I also think Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers has better long speed, but that might be the best comparison I can derive. I think Gallon will stick around in the league for several years, but he probably won't be more than a #3 guy and perhaps a contributor on returns.

NFL Combine Results: Michigan

Jeremy Gallon

Only three Michigan players were invited to the NFL Combine this winter, but all three had pretty good showings that seemed to meet or exceed expectations. Here are their results, with the top performer in their position and category listed in parentheses.

WR Jeremy Gallon: Gallon measured in at 5'7" and 185 lbs. with an arm length of 29.5" and a hand size of 9 3/8". He ran an official time of 4.49 in the forty yard dash (Oregon State's Brandin Cooks, 4.33). He also put up 15 reps on the 225 lb. bench, which tied him for 13th (Indiana's Cody Latimer, 23). NFL.com rates Gallon as a 5.02, which means he has "a better than average chance to make an NFL roster."

OT Taylor Lewan: Lewan measured in at 6'7" and 309 lbs. with an arm length of 33 7/8" and a hand size of 9 1/4". He ran an official time of 4.87 in the forty yard dash, which made him the fastest offensive lineman at the Combine, and his broad jump of 117" was #1 in his position group. His 4.49 shuttle time placed him 9th (Oklahoma's Gabe Ikard, 4.37), and his . He did 29 reps on the 225 lb. bench (North Carolina's Russell Bodine, 42). Lewan had a vertical jump of 30.5" (Boston College's Matt Patchan, 33"), which tied him for 3rd. NFL.com rates Lewan as a 6.18, which means that he "should become an instant starter" in the NFL.

OT Michael Schofield: Schofield measured in at 6'6" and 301 lbs. with an arm length of 34" and a hand width of 9 5/8". He was 6th in his position group with a 5.01 time in the forty. He was #11 in the 20-yard shuttle with a 4.57 time, and he was #13 in the three-cone drill with a time of 7.62. He also had a 24" vertical and a 93" broad jump. NFL.com pegs Schofield as a 5.2, which suggests he'll be a backup player.

I think the biggest surprise of the weekend was Gallon, whose time of 4.49 in the forty outstripped what most expected. The thing about Gallon's speed is that he has always had good acceleration, but on long runs, he frequently seemed to tire or at least lose his running form, which allowed defenders to catch up to him. A 4.49 isn't blazing speed, but it's scootin' pretty fast; I would probably be more surprised if he turned in a top-notch time in the 100 meters. Also notable is his hand size, which is nearly as big as 6'6" offensive tackle Schofield and bigger than All-American tackle Lewan.

Lewan's mobility has always been one of his biggest assets (the other being his nasty disposition), and I remember watching film of him at Scottsdale (AZ) Chaparral and being impressed with how well he moved. He put up solid numbers all around, but nothing else was as impressive as that forty time, which looked pretty smooth on video.

The wild card is Schofield, whose time in the forty was pretty solid, but otherwise, he doesn't stick out in regard to measurables or on film. I think all three of these guys will get drafted, with Lewan going in the top 20 picks and Gallon going somewhere around the 4th or 5th round. Schofield, however, could end up anywhere from the tail end of the 2nd round to the 6th, from what I've read.

2014 East-West Shrine Game rosters

Jeremy Gallon will try to impress NFL evaluators in today's East-West Shrine Game

The East-West Shrine Game will be played today at 4:00 p.m. EST and broadcast on the NFL Network. There's just one representative from Michigan, but there are several Big Ten players, guys we've seen play Michigan recently, and a few guys that Michigan recruited four or five years ago.

EAST
Jeremy Gallon - WR - Michigan
John Urschel - OG - Penn State
Bruce Gaston, Jr. - DT - Purdue
Glenn Carson - LB - Penn State
Ricardo Allen - CB - Purdue
Dezmen Southward - S - Wisconsin

WEST
Tommy Rees - QB - Notre Dame
Brennan Clay - RB - Oklahoma
Ted Bolser - TE - Indiana
Quincy Enunwa - WR - Nebraska
T.J. Jones - WR - Notre Dame
Jeremiah Sirles - OT - Nebraska
Ryan Groy - OG - Wisconsin
Beau Allen - DE - Wisconsin
Prince Shembo - LB - Notre Dame
Max Bullough - LB - Michigan State
Bennett Jackson - CB - Notre Dame
Stephen Obeng-Agyapong - S - Penn State
Sean Parker - S - Washington
Brock Vereen - S - Minnesota
Anthony Fera - K - Texas

Video: Jeremy Gallon tribute

Review of 2013 Season Predictions

Jeremy Gallon set several records this season.

Here's a link to my 2013 Season Predictions, which were posted at the end of August. This might be more fun for me than for you, but it's interesting to me to see how things played out this year.

LEADING RUSHER
Prediction: Fitzgerald Toussaint, 900 yards
Actual: Fitzgerald Toussaint, 658 yards
Thoughts: The offensive line was worse than anyone expected it to be, and Toussaint struggled to average 3.5 yards/carry. The next highest total was Devin Gardner's 483 yards.

LEADING RECEIVER
Prediction: Jeremy Gallon, 1100 yards
Actual: Jeremy Gallon, 1373 yards
Thoughts: Gallon had an outstanding season and goes down in the record books with the top yardage output by any receiver in Michigan history, surpassing Braylon Edwards's 1,330 yards in 2004. I expected him to have a very good season due to the Gardner-Gallon chemistry, but this was more explosive than anyone probably envisioned.

LEADING TACKLER
Prediction: James Ross III, 90 tackles
Actual: Raymon Taylor, 86 tackles
Thoughts: It's bad news when a cornerback leads the team in tackles, especially when that tackle total is so high. Opposing quarterbacks completed a lot of passes in front Taylor. Ross missed the second half of the Iowa game and the entire Ohio State game, so I'm pretty confident that he would have led the team in tackles if he had remained healthy.

LEADING SACKER
Prediction: Frank Clark, 8 sacks
Actual: Frank Clark and Cameron Gordon, 5 sacks (tie)
Thoughts: Clark started off slowly before turning on the jets a little bit in the middle of the season, but his season was somewhat of a disappointment considering all the offseason hype. Gordon started off quickly but lost some playing time once Jake Ryan returned midseason.

ALL-BIG TEN FIRST TEAM
Prediction: Taylor Lewan and Jeremy Gallon
Actual: Taylor Lewan was chosen by the Coaches and the Media. Devin Funchess and Blake Countess were chosen by the Media only.
Thoughts: Lewan was an obvious choice, and Gallon was robbed after conference finishes of #2 in receptions, #2 in yards, and #3 in touchdowns. Funchess earned his accolades as a tight end despite playing mostly at wide receiver, and Countess might be the Comeback Player of the Year in the conference after tearing his ACL in 2012. Nobody else on the team really had an argument to earn First Team honors.

LEADING SCORER (NON-QB, NON-KICKER)
Prediction: Fitzgerald Toussaint, 12 touchdowns
Actual: Fitzgerald Toussaint, 13 touchdowns
Thoughts: Toussaint ended up scoring 78 points on 13 rushing touchdowns, while I thought he would score 10 rushing and 2 receiving touchdowns, leaving him with 72 points. Gallon was next with 54 total points.

BREAKOUT OFFENSIVE PLAYER
Prediction: Jehu Chesson
Actual: Jake Butt
Thoughts: Chesson had an okay year with several devastating blocks, some nice plays on special teams coverage, and 15 catches for 221 yards and 1 touchdown. But I think Butt deserves this award as he improved as a blocker and became a reliable receiving target with 20 catches for 235 yards and 2 touchdowns.

BREAKOUT DEFENSIVE PLAYER
Prediction: James Ross
Actual: I don't even know who to pick here. Perhaps the answer here is Blake Countess, but I don't believe I even thought of him as being in the running since he was a starter as a true freshman in 2011. You could probably make an argument for Ross, Cam Gordon, or Frank Clark, who are the three guys I mentioned considering back in August.
Thoughts: Ross nearly led the team in tackles and might have surpassed 100 if he had been healthy. Gordon and Clark tied for the team lead in sacks. I don't really see any other legitimate options here, although we saw glimpses of what Chris Wormley, Willie Henry, Ben Gedeon, and Jarrod Wilson can do.

MOST DISAPPOINTING OFFENSIVE PLAYER
Prediction: Jack Miller
Actual: Jack Miller?
Thoughts: Again, I'm not sure whom to pick here. Miller started the first several games at center before being benched, never to see the field again. There was lots of disappointment to go around due to the underachieving offense (Devin Gardner, Fitzgerald Toussaint, Taylor Lewan, Kyle Kalis, even Devin Funchess). I guess Miller wins because he was really the only starter to get permanently benched, but I'm open to arguments.

MOST DISAPPOINTING DEFENSIVE PLAYER
Prediction: Jarrod Wilson
Actual: Courtney Avery
Thoughts: This is another tough choice, but Wilson made some nice plays early in the season. Avery proved to be kind of a lost cause at cornerback and safety, where he didn't really make one significant play all season except half of a sack against Michigan State. Otherwise, he was invisible except when guys were running past him. He went from a good nickel corner in 2011 to an okay one in 2012 to a liability at two different positions in 2013.

FINAL RECORD
Central Michigan: Win
Notre Dame: Win
Akron: Win
UConn: Win
Minnesota: Win
Penn State: Win Loss
Indiana: Win
Michigan State: Win Loss
Nebraska: Loss
Northwestern: Win
Iowa: Win Loss
Ohio State: Loss
-----------------------------
Prediction: 10-2
Actual: 7-5 (7-6 after bowl game) 

Kansas State 31, Michigan 14

Quarterback Shane Morris got his first career start and did a solid job.

Shane Morris looked halfway decent. Don't get me wrong - I've always had pretty high hopes for Morris. But I expected him to look a little more high-strung in this game. Offensive coordinator Al Borges did a smart thing by starting Morris off with a bunch of screen passes. Unfortunately, by the time Borges thought about pushing the ball down the field, it was because Michigan was down and Kansas State knew it. One point about screens is that you want to suck the defense up and eventually throw over the top, but Borges wasted the opportunity. Morris finished the game 24/38 for 196 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 1 interception, plus he had 4 carries for 43 yards. You could tell his timing just wasn't there with the receivers and the offense. Some of his throws were late, some screens were slightly off target, and some of his passes were thrown too hard to give his receivers much of a chance to catch them. All in all, he played well enough that Michigan might have been able to eke out a win if they had semblance of a running game.

No semblance of a running game. Oh, yeah. About that. Well, despite what I think is a mediocre group of interior defenders, Michigan couldn't get any push up front. The young offensive linemen weren't whiffing on blocks like they were early in the season, but the Kansas State defensive tackles were controlling the line of scrimmage and letting the linebackers and safeties clean up. Michigan's coaching staff seemed to realize their struggles up front, and despite having a fair amount of success with the fake bubble screen draw in the previous couple games, the play was basically abandoned for a couple straight-up inside zones and a bunch of reverses, sweeps, touch passes, etc.

Rich Rodriguez stopped by to coach the defense. I like defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, and since I'm not an idiot, I don't think Mattison should be fired. But I thought this was a pretty dismal effort for what is actually a solid defense. The players just didn't seem inspired to dominate, and the game plan was poor. The guy you must  stop on Kansas State's offense is Tyler Lockett, and he abused Raymon Taylor time and time again (plus Blake Countess at least once). When he was singled up early in the game, I saw the formation and said "Slant." And there it was. When he was singled up later on the same drive, I saw the formation with Raymon Taylor lined up inside and said "Slant and out." Sure enough, Lockett beat Taylor by faking the slant and then beating Taylor with an out route. Lockett needed to be bracketed, and the corners needed safety help over the top. Elsewhere, guys like Cam Gordon were losing contain on the passing quarterback, as if they didn't know he could run a little bit. When I was watching film leading up to the bowl game, I saw Kansas State as a mediocre power running team with one good receiver, and they were still able to impose their will on Michigan.

Tyler Lockett is good. After seeing Lockett's highlights from the other twelve games and then watching him in this one, I think Lockett (10 catches, 116 yards, 3 touchdowns; 2 kickoff returns for 74 yards) could play for any team in the country. It was frustrating to watch him beat a fairly good duo of corners in Taylor and Countess, but you have to tip your cap to a player like that. Lockett's going to get his yards, but you can't let the other players beat you. Unfortunately, running back John Hubert (15 carries, 80 yards, 1 touchdown), quarterback Jake Waters (21/27 for 271 yards and 3 touchdowns through the air, plus 12 carries for 42 yards), and the defense beat Michigan, too.

Ryan Mueller is just a guy. I mentioned this before the game, but I was not impressed with what I saw from Mueller on film. The Big 12's Defensive Lineman of the Year had just 1 tackle against Michigan despite playing against the Wolverines' second-best offensive tackle and chasing a freshman quarterback.

The running back situation. Redshirt sophomore Justice Hayes earned the nod at running back and turned in a nondescript performance. He caught 3 passes for 22 yards and had 1 carry for -1 yard, the latter of which seemed to be him just tripping and falling to the turf of his own volition. I believe Michigan's game plan involved trying to get the edge against a team that the coaching staff felt was too stout up the middle for the interior offensive line to handle. Unfortunately, Michigan has mainly recruited inside runners during Hoke's tenure (Derrick Green, De'Veon Smith, Thomas Rawls). Without a good tailback option, Borges tried to hit Gallon on jet sweeps and reverses, Devin Funchess on a double reverse, etc. When your pocket passer of a quarterback leads the team in rushing, and your running backs combine for 8 carries and 13 yards, that's a terrible recipe for success. It didn't matter whether it was Hayes, Green, Smith, Rawls, or Toussaint running behind that line, though - there was just nowhere to go.

No hurry-up offense. Michigan didn't really go to a hurry-up offense until their final drive, which was extremely frustrating. Would it have made a difference in the final outcome? Probably not. But it seemed like Borges and head coach Brady Hoke had basically decided to give up and try to develop the kids for next year. Maybe they just didn't feel their freshman quarterback could handle running a two-minute drill for such an extended period, but at least give it a shot. Even if you chuck the ball deep and it gets intercepted, at least you tried. The only play where Michigan truly attempted to go over the top was on a pass to Jeremy Gallon where he got interfered with after it seemed like Morris and the receivers thought they had a free play when a Kansas State player jumped (he didn't cross the line of scrimmage). When your quarterback is known for his cannon arm, you would think at least three attempts downfield would be warranted.

Head(s) should roll. Hoke and athletic director David Brandon need to make some tough decisions this offseason, and at least one staff change needs to take place. Hoke is a loyal guy, but I think Brandon will insist because he's a business-oriented guy and needs to make donors happy. Running backs coach Fred Jackson isn't the problem, but he might retire whether he's asked to or not. Offensive line coach Darrell Funk would seem to be the easiest guy to axe, because his position group was the worst on the team. Offensive coordinator Al Borges does things like score 41 points against Ohio State and call plays that result in record-setting performances (Gallon's game against Indiana, Gallon's season receiving record, Gardner's statistics against Ohio State and Indiana, etc.), so he's a tougher choice. I also think a guy like wide receivers coach Jeff Hecklinski might be miffed if he gets passed up for a new offensive coordinator. Rumors are that secondary coach Curt Mallory has been looking for a head coaching job at a smaller school, too. There could be a lot of staff upheaval in the coming months.

Congratulations to Jeremy Gallon. Gallon surpassed former Michigan receiver Braylon Edwards for two records in this game. Gallon caught a pass in 39 consecutive games (Edwards was at 38), and he also set the single-season receiving yardage record with 1,373 yards (Edwards had 1,330 in 2004). He had 9 catches for 89 yards in this game, 1 carry for -5 yards, and a pass to Justice Hayes for a two-point conversion, hearkening back to his high school days as a single-wing quarterback at Apopka High School.

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Preview: Special Teams

Kansas State returner Tramaine Thompson is dangerous with the ball in his hands.

MICHIGAN
Starters: The Wolverines are in pretty bad shape when it comes to special teams, but it could be worse. Fifth year senior placekicker Brendan Gibbons has been ruled out of the bowl game with a groin injury, and senior punter Will Hagerup has been suspended for the entire season, so all the kicking duties will be up to junior Matt Wile (6'2", 216 lbs.). Wile is pretty experienced for being a backup punter and kicker, but when it comes to kicking field goals, he hasn't been in many pressure situations. Wile is 1/3 on field goals this year, 5/5 on extra points, and averages 40.6 yards/punt. He's been the kickoff guy all year and gets a 49.3% touchback rate. Sophomore Dennis Norfleet (5'7", 169 lbs.) has 36 kickoff returns for 850 yards and a 23.6-yard average. Fifth year senior Jeremy Gallon (5'8", 184 lbs.) and senior Drew Dileo (5'10", 180 lbs.) have combined for 12 punt returns and 76 yards, so they're not much of a threat.
Backups: Redshirt freshman Kenny Allen (6'3", 226 lbs.) will be the backup kicker and punter, and he has 1 punt this year for 51 yards. Dileo has averaged 19.2 yards on 5 returns, and redshirt freshman Jehu Chesson (6'3", 196 lbs.) has averaged 18 yards on 2 returns.

KANSAS STATE
Starters: The Wildcats have two excellent returners. One is fifth year senior punt returner Tramaine Thompson (5'8", 167 lbs.), who has averaged 20.2 yards/return this year with a long of 79 yards; teams respect him so much that they've only given him a chance to return 9 punts. Junior Tyler Lockett (5'11", 175 lbs.) is the kick returner with a 25.5-yard average, and while he hasn't yet returned a kickoff for a touchdown in 2013, he had 2 scores in each of the past two seasons. Redshirt junior Mark Krause (5'11", 218 lbs.) averages 41.3 yards/punt and has landed 17 inside the 20-yard line. Redshirt sophomore Jack Cantele (6'0", 193 lbs.) is 11/13 on field goals and 40/41 on extra points, but he was injured prior to KSU's final regular season game and may not be back for the bowl game.
Backups: Thompson has returned 2 kickoffs this year, but one was for a 96-yard touchdown. Backup kicker Ian Patterson (5'11", 233 lbs.), a redshirt freshman, is 2/3 on field goals and 8/8 on extra points; he has also taken over kickoff duties, where he has a touchback rate almost twice as high as Cantele's.

THE TAKEAWAY
The Wolverines haven't been particularly strong on special teams under Brady Hoke, but they haven't been terrible, either. They did block a punt and return it for a touchdown against Central Michigan, and the game-tying end-of-regulation field goal against Northwestern was the #4 play in the Big Ten this year, according to BTN Live. Unfortunately, battle-tested Brendan Gibbons is out, and Wile has been erratic as a kicker and as a punter. Michigan's return games have been exciting but fruitless with Norfleet, Gallon, and Dileo. Meanwhile, Kansas State has a couple all-conference-caliber returners in Lockett and Thompson, and Cantele is a solid kicker if healthy. The Wolverines did allow a punt return touchdown to South Carolina's Ace Sanders in last year's bowl game, so they've been susceptible to special teams breakdowns at times. Wile might be able to negate Lockett's return abilities because he's pretty good at kicking touchbacks, and Michigan has some aggressive players on punt coverage, but overall, this is looking like an advantage for . . .

ADVANTAGE: Kansas State

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Preview: Receivers and Tight Ends

Tyler Lockett is the key to Kansas State's passing game.

MICHIGAN
Starters: The diminutive fifth year senior Jeremy Gallon (5'8", 184 lbs.) is the go-to guy, and he had an all-conference season with 80 catches, 1284 yards, and 9 touchdowns. He can be effective on just about any route - screens, hitches, square ins, fades, double moves, jump balls, etc. Aside from his lack of height (which he makes up for with his leaping ability and the timing of those leaps), he doesn't have truly blazing speed, so he sometimes pulls away before getting tracked down in a foot race. The other starting wide receiver is sophomore Devin Funchess (6'5", 235 lbs.), who made all-conference listed as a tight end but rarely plays it anymore; he has 47 catches for 727 yards and 6 scores. Funchess is Michigan's bubble screen guy, leaps over tacklers sometimes, runs an occasional end around, and can beat teams deep. The de facto starting tight end is freshman Jake Butt (6'6", 246 lbs.), who has come on late in the season to catch 17 balls for 203 yards and 2 touchdowns. Butt can do a little bit of everything between blocking, catching, and running.
Backups: Redshirt freshman Jehu Chesson (6'3", 196 lbs.) started a little bit early in the year before Funchess's blocking became too big of a problem at tight end, and while Chesson's playing time has dropped a little bit, he's actually improved his route running and ability to adjust to the ball in the air. He has 13 catches for 213 yards and 1 touchdown. Senior Drew Dileo (5'10", 180 lbs.) is the only other significant receiving threat, but he's a possession guy who usually works over the middle. Occasionally, senior Jeremy Jackson (6'3", 209 lbs.) or redshirt senior Joe Reynolds (6'1", 196 lbs.) will pop up for a catch, but they've totaled just 10 catches for 140 yards and 0 scores this year. Sophomore A.J. Williams (6'6", 265 lbs.) and redshirt junior Jordan Paskorz (6'3", 255 lbs.) are the "blocking" tight ends that struggle to block, and while they'll be on the field a fair amount, they have just 1 total catch.

KANSAS STATE
Starters: The clear leader of the receiving corps is junior Tyler Lockett (5'11", 175 lbs.), who has 71 catches for 1,146 yards and 8 touchdowns on the season. Lockett has made a lot of big catches for the Wildcats and can be a real threat to the secondary on deep routes. Fifth year senior Tramaine Thompson (5'8", 167 lbs.) is also a big-play guy from the slot with 28 catches for 495 yards (17.7 yards/catch) and 5 touchdowns. Junior Curry Sexton (5'11", 183 lbs.) is the other receiver in K-State's three-wide attack, and he's been more of a possession guy with 36 catches for 409 yards. Redshirt junior tight end Zach Trujillo is rarely targeted, but he has 5 catches for 111 yards and 1 touchdown.
Backups: Senior Torell Miller (6'3", 213 lbs.) is a former safety who was expected to start this year in place of Sexton, but he's been relegated to backup duty and 11 catches, 106 yards, and 1 touchdown. Redshirt sophomore Kyle Klein (6'4", 210 lbs.) is a former defensive end who has 5 catches for 59 yards on the season. Fifth year senior Andre McDonald (6'8", 278 lbs.) is a mammoth blocking tight end who has just 2 catches for 19 yards this season. It's a very thin group of receivers.

THE TAKEAWAY
Michigan has two guys who can be consistent deep threats, and another who has the speed to do so. Gallon has been outstanding this year and was one of the top couple receivers in the conference, while Funchess is simply a matchup nightmare. The other guys aren't very scary, but Chesson, Dileo, and Butt can all be good secondary targets and move the chains. Meanwhile, Kansas State has a guy who can blow up in the form of Lockett, plus a somewhat dangerous slot guy in Thompson. In a couple closely contested shootouts against Big 12 opponents, Lockett has gone over 230 yards (237 against Texas, 278 against Oklahoma), and he's the guy that quarterbacks Jake Waters and Daniel Sams will look to if things get rough. If the Wildcats can move the ball consistently on the ground, they'll settle for trying to win the game without putting the ball in the air too much. Tight ends have hurt Michigan in a few games this year (Minnesota's Maxx Williams, Iowa's C.J. Fiedorowicz, Ohio State's Jeff Heuerman), but that shouldn't be a persistent problem in this game. It's a tall task to stop Lockett, but he's the key to their passing game.

ADVANTAGE: Michigan

2013 All-Big Ten Awards announced

Taylor Lewan

The Big Ten released its all-conference players and award winners on Monday. The Michigan representatives are as follows:

Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year: Devin Funchess
Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year: Taylor Lewan

COACHES
First Team: OT Taylor Lewan
Second Team: WR Jeremy Gallon, TE Devin Funchess, DE Frank Clark, CB Blake Countess
Honorable Mention: OT Michael Schofield, DT Jibreel Black
Sportsmanship: CB Courtney Avery

MEDIA
First Team: OT Taylor Lewan, TE Devin Funchess, CB Blake Countess
Second Team: WR Jeremy Gallon
Honorable Mention: QB Devin Gardner, DE Frank Clark, DT Jibreel Black, CB Raymon Taylor, K Brendan Gibbons

First Annual All-Big Ten Teams

Because I like to pretend that I'm important - even though I'm not - here's my unofficial ballot for the All-Big Ten teams. We'll find out in a week or so whether these selections are approximately accurate or not.

FIRST TEAM
QB: Braxton Miller, Ohio State

RB: Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin

RB: Carlos Hyde, Ohio State

WR: Jeremy Gallon, Michigan

WR: Allen Robinson, Penn State

TE: Devin Funchess, Michigan

OT: Taylor Lewan, Michigan
OG: Ryan Groy, Wisconsin
C: Corey Linsley, Ohio State
OG: John Urschel, Penn State
OT: Jack Mewhort, Ohio State

DE: Randy Gregory, Nebraska
DT: Michael Bennett, Ohio State
DT: DaQuan Jones, Penn State
DE: Noah Spence, Ohio State
LB: Jonathan Brown, Illinois
LB: Anthony Hitchens, Iowa
LB: Ryan Shazier, Ohio State
CB: Ricardo Allen, Purdue
CB: Blake Countess, Michigan
S: Kurtis Drummond, Michigan State
S: B.J. Lowery, Iowa

K: Jeff Budzien, Northwestern
P: Cody Webster, Purdue
RET: Kevonte Martin-Manley, Iowa
AP: Akeem Hunt, Purdue

SECOND TEAM
QB: Devin Gardner, Michigan
RB: Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska
RB: James White, Wisconsin
WR: Steve Hull, Illinois
WR: Cody Latimer, Indiana
TE: Jacob Pedersen, Wisconsin
OT: Rob Havenstein, Wisconsin
OG: Andrew Norwell, Ohio State
C: Brandon Vitabile, Northwestern
OG: Blake Treadwell, Michigan State
OT: Brandon Scherff, Iowa

DE: Shilique Calhoun, Michigan State
DT: Ra'Shede Hageman, Minnesota
DT: Louis Trinca-Pasat, Iowa
DE: Theiren Cockran, Minnesota
LB: Denicos Allen, Michigan State
LB: Chris Borland, Wisconsin
LB: James Morris, Iowa
CB: Tim Bennett, Indiana
CB: Bradley Roby, Ohio State

S: Ibraheim Campbell, Northwestern

S: Greg Heban, Indiana

K: Pat Smith, Nebraska
P: Peter Mortell, Minnesota
RET: Kenny Bell, Nebraska
AP: Josh Ferguson, Illinois

THIRD TEAM
QB: Nathan Scheelhaase, Illinois
RB: David Cobb, Minnesota

RB: Jeremy Langford, Michigan State

WR: Jared Abbrederis, Wisconsin

WR: Shane Wynn, Indiana

TE: Jeff Heuerman, Ohio State

OT: Jeremiah Sirles, Nebraska

OG: Kyle Costigan, Wisconsin

C: Jack Allen, Michigan State

OG: Spencer Long, Nebraska

OT: Donovan Smith, Penn State

DE: Frank Clark, Michigan

DT: Bruce Gaston, Purdue

DT: Avery Moss, Nebraska

DE: Tyler Scott, Northwestern

LB: Chi Chi Ariguzo, Northwestern

LB: Max Bullough, Michigan State

LB: Damien Proby, Northwestern

CB: Ciante Evans, Nebraska

CB: Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Nebraska

S: Earnest Thomas, Illinois

S: Nick VanHoose, Northwestern

K: Michael Geiger, Michigan State
P: Sam Foltz, Nebraska
RET: V'Angelo Bentley, Illinois
AP: Dontre Wilson, Ohio State

Preview: Michigan at Michigan State

Rush Offense vs. Michigan State Rush Defense
Michigan running back Fitzgerald Toussaint had a breakout game two weeks ago against Indiana, but that was Indiana. Even now, Michigan averages just 4.15 yards/carry and Toussaint himself averages just 3.71. The Wolverines installed two new offensive guard starters last game, redshirt freshman Erik Magnuson and true freshman Kyle Bosch (the latter of whom technically did not start, replacing the injured Joey Burzynski). Michigan State leads the nation in rushing defense and allows just 55 yards/game and 2.07 yards/carry. The defensive tackles are large with seniors Micajah Reynolds (6'5", 307 lbs.) and Tyler Hoover (6'7", 290 lbs.), and the defensive ends are fairly light but very aggressive in the form of junior Marcus Rush (6'2", 245 lbs.) and sophomore Shilique Calhoun (6'4", 250 lbs.). Calhoun and senior linebacker Denicos Allen (5'11", 218 lbs.) are tied for the team lead with 8 tackles for loss each, and SAM linebacker Max Bullough (6'3", 230 lbs.) has 6.5 TFL's himself. Michigan is really going to struggle. They'll have to make hay on draws, quarterback scrambles, and shotgun runs where they spread the field, because running from under center will be out of the question.
Advantage: Michigan State

Pass Offense vs. Michigan State Pass Defense
Michigan is #42 in the country with 262.6 yards/game through the air, and quarterback Devin Gardner's ball security has improved since halftime of the Penn State game. He's completed 61% of his passes for 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions so far. Wideout Jeremy Gallon is coming off a 369-yard performance against Indiana and now has 45 receptions for 831 yards and 7 touchdowns this year, good enough to be the #7 receiver throughout the country; wide receiver/tight end Devin Funchess is #73 with 70.3 yards/game. Michigan State has allowed just 160.6 yards/game through the air. Senior cornerback Darqueze Dennard (5'11", 197 lbs.) and senior free safety Isaiah Lewis (5'11", 208 lbs.)  each have 2 interceptions, and strong safety Kurtis Drummond has 1. Calhoun leads the team with 4 sacks, and three other guys in the front seven have 3 or 3.5 each. The Spartans are #36 at sacking the quarterback, and Michigan is #39 at allowing sacks. It may seem like that's a pretty fair matchup, but the youth on Michigan's interior might make the stunts and inside blitzes problematic for the Wolverines.
Advantage: Michigan State

Rush Defense vs. Michigan State Rush Offense
Michigan is #7 in the country, giving up just under 100 yards/game. Inside linebackers James Ross III and Desmond Morgan lead the team with 50 and 47 tackles, respectively. Defensive end Frank Clark leads with 6 tackles for loss and the Wolverines are tied for #101 overall with 38 TFL's. Despite not being particularly beefy on the interior, the last time Michigan lined up against a smashmouth running game, Penn State got just 85 yards on 44 carries. Michigan State is #37 in the nation at rushing with 196.5 yards/game. Junior running back Jeremy Langford (6'0", 206 lbs.) has 655 rushing yards, averages 4.7 yards/carry, and has scored 9 touchdowns. Junior backup Nick Hill (5'8", 198 lbs.) averages 5.3 yards/carry, and sturdy sophomore quarterback Connor Cook (6'4", 215 lbs.) can run a little bit, too. Michigan State's offensive line averages 6'4" and 299 lbs., and they are all fourth- or fifth-year players except redshirt freshman left tackle Jack Conklin (6'6", 326 lbs.). The Spartans will try to establish the run, but it should be tough sledding against a stout rush defense.
Advantage: Michigan

Pass Defense vs. Michigan State Pass Offense
The Wolverines are #99 in the country because they give up 255.4 yards/game through the air, a somewhat abysmal number considering Michigan's opponents; Indiana put up a ton of yards through the air, and Penn State's freshman quarterback had a fair amount of success, too. Clark leads the #49 team in sacks with 5, but the pass rush has not been consistent from any other player or position. Meanwhile, the Wolverines are doing fairly well in the interceptions category (#16 overall), and Blake Countess has 4 himself. Cook has taken the starting QB job for the Spartans and has completed 60% of his passes for 12 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. The receiving corps leaves a little something to be desired. The top five receivers have between 12 and 25 receptions, and none averages more than 13.9 yards/catch. Sophomore Macgarrett Kings (5'10", 196 lbs.) leads with 25 catches for 299 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Spartans have allowed just 6 sacks this year, placing them #6 in the country in that category.
Advantage: Michigan State

Roster Notes

• Players with offers from Michigan include WR Aaron Burbridge, LB Ed Davis, S Kurtis Drummond, OT Dennis Finley, CB Mylan Hicks, DT Tyler Hoover, LB Shane Jones, WR Monty Madaris, LB Jon Reschke, DE Marcus Rush, and DT Lawrence Thomas.
• LS Taybor Pepper was once committed to Michigan as a preferred walk-on but was given a scholarship by the Spartans.
• TE Dylan Chmura is the son of former Green Bay Packers TE Mark Chmura.

Visitors

• Brian Allen - C - Hinsdale (IL) Central (Michigan State)
• Dontre Boyd - CB - Detroit (MI) King
• Miles Boykin - TE - New Lenox (IL) Providence Catholic
• Ben Bredeson - OG - Hartland (WI) Arrowhead
• Daniel Cage - DT - Cincinnati (OH) Winton Woods
• Martinez Calloway - QB - Detroit (MI) King
• Brian Cole - WR/CB - Saginaw (MI) Heritage
• Will Dawkins - S - Vero Beach (FL) Vero Beach
• Chase Gianacakos - OT - St. Charles (IL) North (Michigan State)
• Kyle Gibson - CB - Seffner (FL) Armwood (Vanderbilt)
• Kadeem Goulbourne - WR - Fort Lauderdale (FL) Cypress Bay
• T.J. Harrell - S - Tampa (FL) Catholic
• Justin Hilliard - LB - Cincinnati (OH) Xavier
• Chris James - RB - Niles (IL) Notre Dame
• Jake Johnson - QB - DeWitt (MI) DeWitt
• Jesse Johnson - S - Detroit (MI) King
• Jamil Kamara - WR - Virginia Beach (VA) Bishop Sullivan
• John Kelly - RB/S - Oak Park (MI) Oak Park
• Austin Mack - WR - Fort Wayne (IN) Bishop Luers
• Jalen Martin - WR - Harper Woods (MI) Chandler Park
• Malik McDowell - DE - Southfield (MI) Southfield
• David Moorman - OT - Northville (MI) Northville
• Montae Nicholson - S - Monroeville (PA) Gateway
• Gerald Owens - FB - Westville (NJ) West Deptford
• JayJay Pinkney - WR - Sylvania (OH) Southview
• Eric Rogers - LB - Warren (MI) De La Salle
• Tyson Smith - CB - Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary's
• Kyonta Stallworth - OG - St. Clair Shores (MI) South Lake
• Omari Stringer - S - Crete (IL) Monee
• Tyriq Thompson - LB - Detroit (MI) King
• Ethan Tucky - LB - Delaware (OH) Hayes
• Michael Weber - RB - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
• Jauan Wesley - WR - Harvey (IL) Thornton (Iowa State)
• Noah Wezensky - QB - Fort Wayne (IN) Bishop Luers
• Khari Willis - RB - Jackson (MI) Lumen Christi

Predictions

• Michigan gets destroyed consistently up front, resulting in Fitzgerald Toussaint averaging less than 1 yard per carry.
• The Wolverines toy with using Jeremy Gallon in the slot to get him the ball.
• Devin Gardner throws a pick six to an MSU linebacker.
• Michigan State 20, Michigan 17

Last Time They Played . . . 

• Michigan won by a score of 12-10
• Brendan Gibbons and Matt Wile combined to score all 12 of Michigan's points on 4/4 kicking
• Denard Robinson ran 20 times for 96 yards, and Drew Dileo caught 4 passes for 92 yards
• Jake Ryan made 10 tackles, 1 sack, and forced a fumble

Poll results: Which school record from the Indiana game is most impressive?

Apopka (FL) Apopka quarterback Jeremy Gallon has turned into a
record-setting receiver

Jeremy Gallon's 369 receiving yards: 79%
This was my vote, too. You just don't see guys get this many receiving yards, even in the pass-happy modern era. Calvin Johnson had 329 yards in the Lions' Sunday win over the Dallas Cowboys, so clearly, Gallon is better than Megatron.

Michigan's 751 total yards on offense: 8%
This is a crap ton of yards.

Devin Gardner's 503 passing yards: 7%
The rest of the top five:
2. John Navarre, 389 yards (Iowa, 2003)
3. Tom Brady, 375 yards (Ohio State, 1998)
4. Chad Henne, 373 yards (Florida, 2007)
5. Scott Dreisbach, 372 yards (Virginia, 1995)

Devin Gardner's 584 total yards: 4%
It's tough to imagine a quarterback putting up many more yards unless he's running a hurry-up offenses that maximizes the number of plays.

Poll results: Who will be Michigan's leading receiver?

This is a poll I took over the summer, prior to the season. Then things got busy and I didn't have a chance to post the results.

Who do you think Michigan's leading receiver will be in 2013? All statistics are through seven games.

Jeremy Gallon: 79%
Gallon took a pretty commanding lead with his 369-yard performance against Indiana, but as of now, he has 45 catches for 831 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Amara Darboh: 10%
Darboh suffered a foot injury shortly before the season began, has not played, and is expected to miss the rest of the year.

Devin Funchess: 3%
Funchess has 23 catches for 492 yards and 4 touchdowns. He was pushing Gallon for the lead, but now he's 339 yards behind.

Drew Dileo: 1% (6 votes)
Dileo has 8 catches for 99 yards and 1 touchdown. I expect him to catch a few more passes down the stretch, but he's obviously out of the running.

Jehu Chesson: 1% (5 votes)
Chesson's 7 catches for 98 yards and 1 touchdown aren't particularly impressive, but the physical skills are there to be a leading receiver someday. He needs to work on his hands and on adjusting to balls in the air.

Jeremy Jackson: 1% (4 votes)
Jackson has notched 5 catches for 53 yards.

Da'Mario Jones: 1% (4 votes)
Jones has yet to see time on offense, although he has played on special teams.

Joe Reynolds: 1% (4 votes)
Reynolds has 3 catches for 56 yards after being passed up for playing time by Chesson.

Csont'e York: 1% (4 votes)
York has played sparingly this season and has yet to make a catch.

Other: 0% (2 votes)
I don't know who else might have received a vote. Maybe Dennis Norfleet's parents stopped by to vote.

Jaron Dukes: 0% (0 votes)
Yeah, nobody voted for him.

Phil Steele's Midseason All-Big Ten Team

Jeremy Gallon and Devin Funchess were named by Phil Steele as some of the conference's best performers

Phil Steele released his Midseason All-Big Ten squad, and there are several Michigan performers on his list:

FIRST TEAM
TE Devin Funchess
OT Taylor Lewan
CB Blake Countess

SECOND TEAM
WR Jeremy Gallon

THIRD TEAM
OT Michael Schofield
LB Desmond Morgan