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.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Jason Avant

It was a strong week for our former Michigan athletes, but no one had a more eye-popping performance than Philadelphia Eagle Jason Avant. His team won 23-21 over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he finished with seven receptions for 133 yards, including one of the most impressive one-handed grabs you'll ever see. Avant has 38 receptions for 495 yards through 13 games, and his play looks to be improving alongside that of QB Nick Foles.  Teammate Brandon Graham had two tackles in the win.

Honorable mention:  Stevie Brown picked off Drew Brees twice as his Giants routed the Saints; he returned the two interceptions a total of 91 yards.  Brown is now second in the NFL with seven interceptions and is also the Giants' new single-season record holder for most interception return yards with 259.  In addition to the picks, Brown had eight tackles, 2 pass breakups, and a forced fumble in the game.

Miscellaneous: 

• Tom Brady and the Patriots beat up on the one-loss Texas by a score of 42-14.  Brady threw for 296 yards and four touchdowns and torched the Texans on play action.  He is quietly having another MVP-caliber season.
• David Molk, banged up after nearly a full NFL season, was placed on the Injured Reserve for the Chargers.  The move cleared up a roster spot that was filled by a healthy lineman, fellow Wolverine and current teammate Stephen Schilling. 
• After being released by the Seahawks, Braylon Edwards re-signed with one of his former teams, the New York Jets.
• Martell Webb was released from the Colts' practice squad.
• Cam Cameron, who coached at Michigan from '83 to '93, was fired as the offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens.
• David Harris recorded 10 tackles and a sack in a win over the Jaguars.  He has a team-leading 101 tackles through 13 games.
• Steve Hutchinson was placed on the Injured Reserve for the Titans due to a knee injury.
• Jonas Mouton recorded his first career tackle against the Bengals earlier in the month.
• Chad Henne went a dismal 21/43 passing with zero touchdowns and two interceptions in his third start of the year.  Blaine Gabbert, Jacksonville's starter to begin the season, was recently placed on the IR, so Henne should get a few more games to prove he's starter-quality.   

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Stevie Brown

Stevie Brown wins this award for the second time in three weeks, and this time I'm not being generous.

Brown started Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns, picked off a pass, returned it 46 yards, recovered a fumble on special teams, made three tackles, and deflected a pass as his New York Giants went on to win, 41-27.  Brown has been seeing more playing time due to perfectly staggered suspensions by the Giants' starting safeties for performance enhancing drugs.  Stevie's been making the most of that opportunity, and his play has even been causing head coach Tom Coughlin to say nice things about him like "he's speedy," and a "strong guy that can run fast."  Getting Coughlin to say nice things is not easy to do.  The Giants are now 3-2.

Honorable mention:  In a 31-21 victory over Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos, Tom Brady passed Brett Farve to move into third place for most consecutive games with a touchdown pass.  With 38 straight games with at least one scoring toss, he still trails Drew Brees (48) and Jonny Unitas (47).  Brady threw for 223 yards this week and completed 74% of his passes.

Miscellaneous:

• After coming off a preseason injury last year, Jonas Mouton still has not seen any regular season action so far for the Chargers.
• Mike Martin recorded his second sack of the season; he has 18 tackles on the year.
• Mario Manningham caught his first touchdown pass in a 49ers uniform in a blowout over the Bills.
• Through five games, Zoltan Mesko has a punting average of 39.3 and a net of 36.0, which are last and second to last in the league, respectively.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Charles Woodson

Straight chillin'

In a pregame interview, Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler sarcastically wished Packers defensive backs "good luck" covering his wide receivers in their match-up during last week's Thursday Night Football.  Cutler ought to know better than to challenge one of the greatest defensive backs of all time.

"We understand that Jay is excited about his new weapons," Woodson said. "But it's the same old Jay.  We don't need luck.  We just need to be in position.  Jay will throw us the ball."

Woodson and his mentees must have been in position quite a bit Thursday night, picking off Cutler four times in their 23-10 victory.  Woodson ended the game with one interception (the 55th of his career), five tackles, a pass breakup, and most likely nothing but a smooth look toward Jay Cutler that said, "I KNEW U WERE PATHETIC BEFORE THE GAME EVEN STARTED DUDE."

Honorable Mention:  In only the second game of the regular season, Mike Martin started at nose tackle for the Titans and apparently showed well, recording his first NFL sack and registering four total tackles.  Martin started due to an injury up front and is still listed as second string on the official roster, but that shouldn't prevent him from continuing to see plenty of playing time.  

Miscellaneous:  

• Tom Brady is not the Former Michigan Athlete of the Week.  The Patriots were stunned by the Cardinals, 20-18, and Brady finished with a QB rating below 80.
• Larry Foote recorded seven tackles and Ryan Mundy recorded five in the Steelers 27-10 win over the New York Jets.
• Brandon Graham continues to NOT light the world on fire.  Two solo tackles are the only non-zero items on his 2012 boxscore besides "games played."  
• After coming off an early season-ending injury, Mouton started the 2012 season inactive for the Chargers.  He is listed as second string on their depth chart.
• Braylon Edwards had five receptions for Seattle the first week but none last week.
• Stevie Brown continues to collect an NFL paycheck.  Now in his third season, Brown is a backup safety for the New York Giants and has recorded five tackles this year. 

Michigan Combine participation and Draft position since 1999

Marquise Walker

With the NFL Combine behind us and the Draft not too far away, now seems like a good time to take a look at the recent history of Wolverines in the NFL. Here's a list of players who have participated in the combine since 1999, with draft position included in parentheses. It's worth remembering that the vast majority of players who are invited to the Combine end up with NFL teams, even if they are not selected in the Draft.

2012 (3): DT Mike Martin (TBD), WR Junior Hemingway (TBD), David Molk (TBD)

2011 (2): LB Jonas Mouton (2nd), Stephen Schilling (6th)

2010 (5): OLB Brandon Graham (1st), P Zoltan Mesko (5th), S Stevie Brown (7th)*, CB Donovan Warren (undrafted), RB Brandon Minor (undrafted)

2009 (4): DT Terrance Taylor (4th), CB Morgan Trent (6th), LS Sean Griffin (undrafted), DE Tim Jamison (undrafted)

2008 (7): OT Jake Long (1st), QB Chad Henne (2nd), LB Shawn Crable (3rd), WR Mario Manningham (3rd), RB Mike Hart (6th), WR Adrian Arrington (7th), SS Jamar Adams (undrafted)

2007 (6): CB Leon Hall (1st), DT Alan Branch (2nd), LB LaMarr Woodley (2nd), LB David Harris (2nd ), WR Steve Breaston (5th), LB Prescott Burgess (6th)

2006 (5): DT Gabe Watson (4th), WR Jason Avant (4th), TE Tim Massaquai (7th), OL Adam Stenavich (undrafted), LB Pierre Woods (undrafted)

2005 (7): WR Braylon Edwards (1st), CB Marlin Jackson (1st), OG David Bass (2nd), CB Markus Curry (undrafted), FB Kevin Dudley (undrafted), P Adam Finley (undrafted), S Earnest Shazor (undrafted)

2004 (5): RB Chris Perry (1st), CB Jeremy LeSueur (3rd), QB John Navarre (7th), OT Tony Pape (7th), OL David Pearson (undrafted)

2003 (7): LB Victor Hobson (2nd), TE Bennie Joppru (2nd), FB B.J. Askew (3rd), QB Drew Henson (6th), SS Cato June (6th), FS Charles Drake (7th), WR Ronald Bellamy (undrafted)

2002 (4): WR Marquise Walker (3rd), LB Larry Foote (4th), OG Jonathan Goodwin (5th), K Hayden Epstein (7th)

2001 (6): OT Jeff Backus (1st), OL Steve Hutchinson (1st), WR David Terrell (1st), RB Anthony Thomas (2nd), OT Maurice Williams (2nd), CB James Whitley (undrafted)

2000 (7): LB Ian Gold (2nd), FB Aaron Shea (4th), DT Josh Williams (4th), LB Dhani Jones (6th), QB Tom Brady (6th), DE James Hall (undrafted), WR Marcus Knight (undrafted)

1999 (8): OT Jon Jansen (2nd), TE Jerame Tuman (5th), WR Tai Streets (6th), CB Andre Weathers (7th), RB Clarence Williams (undrafted), QB Scott Dreisbach (undrafted), SS Marcus Ray (undrafted), LB Sam Sword (undrafted)

*Not invited to the Combine

Average number of Michigan players participating in the Combine: 5.4

Average number of Michigan players selected in the Draft: 4.1

Average Draft position: 3.8th round

Review of 2006 Recruiting: The Linebackers

Sean Weatherspoon could have been a Wolverine.

Obi Ezeh
High school: Catholic Central High School in Grand Rapids, MI
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #51 RB;
Other notable offers: Eastern Michigan, Indiana, Western Michigan
College: Michigan
Scoop: Ezeh redshirted as a true freshman in 2006, but leaped onto the scene as a redshirt freshman in 2007. He started ten games at middle linebacker, was a Freshman All-America, and made the Freshman All-Big Ten squad due to his 10 starts, 68 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 interception, 3 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble. He followed that season with perhaps his most productive year - 98 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, 3 pass breakups, and 1 fumble recovery. After that his career seemed to progressively deteriorate. Ezeh held onto the starting middle linebacker job for most of his redshirt junior year in 2009, making 69 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 2 pass breakups, and 1 fumble recovery; however, he played sparingly late in the season while losing time to Kevin Leach, a 210 lb. former walk-on. Those struggles continued into 2010, when Ezeh was displaced by redshirt sophomore Kenny Demens halfway through the season. Statistically, his fifth-year senior campaign was his worst, as he finished with 58 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and 1 fumble recovery. (Text taken from Ezeh's senior profile, which was posted in April.)  Ezeh went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft; he signed with the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent but was cut prior to the season.

Cobrani Mixon
High school: Colerain High School in Cincinnati, OH
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #8 ILB;
Other notable offers:
College: Michigan Kent State
Scoop: After redshirting as a freshman at Michigan in 2006, he transferred to Kent State University and sat out the 2007 season due to transfer rules. He had 73 tackles and 2 sacks in 2008 as a redshirt sophomore. By 2009 he was an All-MAC linebacker, racking up 108 tackles and 3 sacks. As a senior in 2010, Mixon made 82 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss, and 1 interception; he was also named a team captain and was named First Team All-MAC at linebacker.  He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Jonas Mouton
High school: Venice High School in Venice, CA
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #3 S;
Other notable offers: Cal, LSU, Nebraska, Oregon, Texas, USC
College: Michigan
Scoop:  Mouton arrived at Michigan and almost immediately became a linebacker. He redshirted as a freshman in 2006 to learn the position and add some weight. After the redshirt year, he backed up Chris Graham at weakside linebacker in Ron English's 4-3 system. That year (2007) he made 5 tackles at linebacker and on kick coverage. Once Graham graduated following the 2007 season, Mouton backed up Marell Evans for one game and then earned the starting WILL job in the second game against Miami (OH). He finished the season with 76 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 1 sack. As the incumbent in 2009, Mouton had a subpar year. The defense was abysmal, and the inside linebackers - Mouton and Obi Ezeh - constantly looked lost. Mouton ended the season with 66 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery, and 4 pass breakups. As a fifth year senior in 2010, Mouton led the Big Ten in tackles with 117. He also had 8.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, 3 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, and 2 fumble recoveries.  (Text taken from Mouton's senior profile, posted in February.)  Mouton was drafted in the 2nd round (#61 overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers; however, he suffered a knee injury and has not played yet in the NFL.

Quintin Patilla
High school: Carman Ainsworth High School in Flint, MI
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #26 OLB;
Other notable offers: Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Indiana, Toledo
College: Michigan Grand Valley State
Scoop: After redshirting as a freshman in 2006, he played sparingly as a fullback and on special teams in 2007. Patilla transferred to Grand Valley State University prior to his redshirt sophomore season and did not play that year. When he got to GVSU, he played defensive end at 6'3", 255 lbs. However, I cannot find any stats for his 2009 season and he did not return to GVSU in 2010. I'm assuming his football career is over.

Thaddeus Gibson
High school: Euclid High School in Euclid, OH
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #9 OLB; Scout 4-star, #9 LB
Other notable offers: Penn State, Tennessee
College: Ohio State
Scoop: Gibson redshirted as a true freshman in 2006.  He played in 9 games as a redshirt freshman in 2007, picking up 11 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, and 2 pass breakups.  In 2008 Gibson had 26 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble return for a touchdown, and 1 pass breakup.  As a redshirt junior in 2009, Gibson had 45 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 interception, and 3 pass breakups.  He left Columbus with one year of eligibility remaining and was picked in the 4th round (#116 overall) by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2010 NFL Draft.  He has since been signed by San Francisco and now the Washington Redskins, but his only official appearances came in two 2010 games with 49ers, where he notched 3 tackles and 1 forced fumble.

Akeem Hebron
High school: Good Counsel High School in Olney, MD
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #4 OLB; Scout 5-star, #5 LB
Other notable offers: Ohio State, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech
College: Georgia
Scoop: Hebron redshirted in 2006 and played for Georgia Military College in 2007, picking up 25.5 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 1 forced fumble.  Hebron played in six games in 2008, picking up just 1 tackle before fracturing his ankle.  As a redshirt junior in 2009, he had 3 tackles.  In his senior season of 2010, Hebron made 6 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 1 sack.  He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Michael Morgan
High school: Skyline High School in Dallas, TX
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #5 OLB; Scout 4-star, #34 LB
Other notable offers: Florida State, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M
College: USC
Scoop: Morgan redshirted as a true freshman in 2006.  He was a backup strongside linebacker as a redshirt freshman in 2007, picking up 9 tackles.  Once again a backup in 2008, Morgan had 24 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, and 1 fumble recovery.  He started 9 games as a redshirt junior in 2009 and finished with 50 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 1 pass breakup.  In his senior season of 2010, Morgan had his best season with 57 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1/2 a sack, 8 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery.  He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Toryan Smith
High school: Rome High School in Rome, GA
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #15 ILB; Scout 3-star, #52 LB
Other notable offers:
College: Notre Dame
Scoop: Smith played as a backup inside linebacker during his freshman year, racking up 9 tackles on defense and special teams.  A backup once again in 2007, Smith had 14 tackles and 1/2 a tackle for loss.  As a part-time starter in 2008, he notched 18 tackles, 1 pass breakup, and 1 fumble recovery.  As a senior in 2009, Smith had 15 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 fumble recovery.  He went undrafted in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Joshua Tatum
High school: McClymonds High School in Oakland, CA
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #3 ILB; Scout 5-star, #7 LB
Other notable offers:
College: USC Missouri
Scoop: Tatum redshirted as a true freshman in 2006.  He fell off the face of the earth in 2007, but at the City College of San Francisco in 2008, Tatum had 120 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 7 pass breakups, and 1 interception returned for a 93-yard touchdown.  He then transferred to Missouri, where he suffered a back injury in spring 2009 and sat out the following season due to the injury.  As a backup linebacker in 2010, Tatum had 7 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 1 sack.  He was not drafted in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Biggest miss: Michigan doesn't seem to have done too poorly with the 2006 linebacker class.  Sure, two of the four guys left early in their careers, Ezeh regressed throughout his career, and Mouton was the best of the offerees, based both on his production and getting drafted in the 2nd round of the NFL Draft.  But the kids who went elsewhere were just as disappointing.  Gibson seems to be the choice for "biggest miss" based on his 10 career college sacks and 4th round draft status, but I'm not that disappointed that he went elsewhere.

Biggest bust: It's between Akeem Hebron and Joshua Tatum for this title, but at least Tatum had success at his junior college - 120 tackles, 15 TFLs, 7 sacks, 7 pass breakups, a 93-yard INT return are a big deal at any level.  Hebron never amounted to much of a football player at Georgia after being a 5-star to Scout and the #4 outside linebacker to Rivals.

Best in class: Sean Weatherspoon was the #19 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. Lots of schools missed Weatherspoon, whose choice of Missouri was arguably his best offer over the likes of Iowa State, TCU, and Tulane.  He made 111 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and 1 interception as a senior in 2009.  And that was actually a dropoff from his junior season, when he had 155 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, and 3 interceptions.

2006 Offer Board

QUARTERBACK (9)
David Cone - Statesboro, GA (Michigan)
Mitch Mustain - Sprindale, AR (Arkansas)
Neil Caudle - Hoover, AL (Auburn)
Tim Tebow - Ponte Vedra Beach, FL (Florida)
Matthew Stafford - Dallas, TX (Georgia)
Pat Devlin - Exton, PA (Penn State)
Dexter Davidson - Coconut Creek, FL (Pittsburgh)
Nick Stephens - Flower Mound, TX (Tennessee)
Taylor Potts - Abilene, TX (Texas Tech)

RUNNING BACK (6)
Carlos Brown - Franklin, GA (Michigan)
Brandon Minor - Richmond, VA (Michigan)
Cameron Smith - Snellville, GA
Knowshon Moreno - Middletown, NJ (Georgia)
Aaron Gant - Orchard Lake, MI (Ohio State)
Chris Wells - Akron, OH (Ohio State)

WIDE RECEIVER (9)
Greg Mathews - Orlando, FL (Michigan)
Damian Williams - Springdale, AR (Arkansas)
Chris Slaughter - Fort Valley, GA (Auburn)
Percy Harvin - Virginia Beach, VA (Florida)
Tony Wilson - Daytona Beach, FL (Georgia)
Derrell Johnson - Youngstown, OH (Iowa)
Robby Parris - Cleveland, OH (Notre Dame)
Chris Bell - Norfolk, VA (Penn State)
David Ausberry - Lemoore, CA (USC)

TIGHT END (6)
Dedrick Epps - Richmond, VA (Miami)
Will Yeatman - San Diego, CA (Notre Dame)
Jake Ballard - Springboro, OH (Ohio State)
Andrew Quarless - Uniondale, NY (Penn State)
Nate Byham - Polk, PA (Pittsburgh)
Dorin Dickerson - Imperial, PA (Pittsburgh)

OFFENSIVE TACKLE (9)
Perry Dorrestein - Plainfield, IL (Michigan)
Stephen Schilling - Bellevue, WA (Michigan)
Alex Stadler - Bealeton, VA (Alabama)
Jim Barrie - Tampa, FL (Florida)
Marcus Gilbert - Fort Lauderdale, FL (Florida)
Daron Rose - Tampa, FL (Florida State)
Bartley Webb - Springdale, AR (Notre Dame)
Connor Smith - Cincinnati, OH (Ohio State)
Sam Young - Fort Lauderdale, FL (USC)

OFFENSIVE GUARD (3)
Justin Boren - Pickerington, OH (Michigan)
Justin Anderson - Ocilla, GA (Georgia)
Joe Thomas - Parma, OH (Pittsburgh)

CENTER (0)

DEFENSIVE END (8)
Greg Banks - Denver, CO (Michigan)
Brandon Graham - Detroit, MI (Michigan)
Adam Patterson - Columbia, SC (Michigan)
Quintin Woods - Flint, MI (Michigan)
John Paul - Immokalee, FL
Micah Johnson - Fort Campbell, KY (Kentucky)
McKenzie Matthews - Syracuse, NY (Pittsburgh)
Jason Adjepong - Carteret, NJ (Virginia Tech)

DEFENSIVE TACKLE (8)
John Ferrara - Staten Island, NY (Michigan)
Jason Kates - Harrisburg, PA (Michigan)
Marques Slocum - New Berlin, NY (Michigan)
Corey Peters - Louisville, KY (Kentucky)
Dexter Larimore - Merrillville, IN (Ohio State)
Jason Pinkston - Pittsburgh, PA (Pittsburgh)
Butch Lewis - Aurora, CO (USC)
Neil A'asa - Big Rapids, MI (Utah)

LINEBACKER (9)
Obi Ezeh - Grand Rapids, MI (Michigan)
Cobrani Mixon - Cincinnati, OH (Michigan)
Jonas Mouton - Venice, CA (Michigan)
Quintin Patilla - Flint, MI (Michigan)
Akeem Hebron - Gaithersburg, MD (Georgia)
Toryan Smith - Rome, GA (Notre Dame)
Thaddeus Gibson - Euclid, OH (Ohio State)
Michael Morgan - Dallas, TX (USC)
Joshua Tatum - Oakland, CA (USC)

CORNERBACK (3)
Jai Eugene - Destrehan, LA (LSU)
Ken Tinney - New Berlin, NY (Michigan State)
Darrin Walls - Pittsburgh, PA (Notre Dame)

SAFETY (8)
Steve Brown - Columbus, IN (Michigan)
Jamar Hornsby - Jacksonville, FL (Florida)
Myron Rolle - Princeton, NJ (Florida State)
Asher Allen - Tucker, GA (Georgia)
Reshad Jones - Atlanta, GA (Georgia)
Taylor Mays - Seattle, WA (USC)
Antwine Perez - Camden, NJ (USC)
Franchot Allen - New Berlin, NY (West Virginia)

KICKER (1)
Bryan Wright - Salem, OH (Michigan)

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

Jonas Mouton, San Diego Charger

Jonas Mouton wheeee!

Michigan senior linebacker Jonas Mouton was drafted in the second round (#61 overall) by the San Diego Chargers on Friday night.  He will likely play inside linebacker for the Chargers.

Congratulations to Jonas Mouton!

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.

The All-Rodriguez Team: Defense and Special Teams

Brandon Graham probably just killed a man

This is the second installment of the All-Rodriguez Team (offense here), the brightest and best of the players coached by Rich Rodriguez and his bumbling henchmen defensive colleagues.

And I'm choosing players for a 4-3, not that moronic 3-3-5* they tried to shoehorn in there.

DE: Brandon Graham (2009)
64 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery
Graham was the single most dominant defensive player during Rodriguez's tenure.  He put up ridiculous numbers for a bad defense, even though he was double-teamed frequently.  And the best thing about Graham was the way his motor improved throughout his career.  He ate his way into playing defensive tackle as a freshman, but by his senior year in 2009, he never stopped going 100%.  That year turned him into a first round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles.

DT: Mike Martin (2009)
51 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble
Martin seemed like a better player at the beginning of 2010 than in his sophomore year, but a couple sprained ankles slowed him down as a junior.  Even as a crippled junior, though, he would have deserved to be on this team.  Undersized for a nose tackle at 299 lbs., he still defeated double-teams on the regular.

DT: Ryan Van Bergen (2009)
38 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 touchdown
Van Bergen's production in 2010 was virtually the same as 2009, but technically, all thirteen games he started in 2010 were at the defensive end position.  I need a tackle, and he's my man.  He's another high-motor guy who played well at DT despite having the body of a strongside end.  I was tempted to choose Terrance Taylor here based on overall talent, but Taylor really didn't produce much in his only season under Rodriguez (2008: 35 tackles, 1.5 sacks).

DE: Tim Jamison (2008)
50 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles
Jamison didn't really stand out in 2008, but I think Michigan fans were shell-shocked by how bad the team was overall.  And while Jamison wasn't a huge difference maker, he would have fit in just as well on a good defense, too.

LB: Steve Brown (2009)
80 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 3 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble
I don't know if Brown was miscast as a safety or if he was just coached poorly in his first three years, but he took a quantum leap as a senior when he was moved to the SAM linebacker position.  Brown never came off the field, playing linebacker on a first and second downs and then becoming the nickel back on third downs.  Brown's position change was perhaps the best personnel move of Rodriguez's tenure, and Brown parlayed it into being a late draft pick by the Oakland Raiders.

LB: Kenny Demens (2010)
82 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 pass breakup
I will be the first to admit that I was not enamored with Demens during his first couple years, but he made me a believer in the second half of the season.  He only started seven games after backing up Obi Ezeh for the first half of the year, but he still ended up third on the team in tackles.  I still think Demens makes some poor decisions due to being overaggressive in attacking the line of scrimmage, but that's probably better than whatever Ezeh did from 2008-10.

LB: Jonas Mouton (2010)
117 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries
Based on statistics alone, Mouton was borderline First Team All-Big Ten.  He averaged 9.8 tackles a game (which was .9 more than teammate Jordan Kovacs and 1.1 more than the next best Big Ten player, Indiana's Tyler Replogle) and led the conference in tackles, despite playing in only twelve of Michigan's thirteen contests.  But players on bad defenses don't get much respect, especially when they make some inexplicably bad plays (see the long TD run by Illinois's Jason Ford).  With a solid supporting cast, I think Mouton's play would have stood out more.

CB: Donovan Warren (2009)
66 tackles, 4 interceptions, 7 pass breakups, 1 touchdown
Warren thought his junior season would propel him to NFL stardom, but just like Ernest Shazor, he left early and didn't even get drafted.  Four interceptions isn't too shabby, and it helps that one (vs. Iowa) went for a touchdown and another (vs. Indiana) was a fantastic diving interception that preserved a victory for the Wolverines.

CB: Morgan Trent (2008)
41 tackles, 3 interceptions, 2.5 tackles for loss, 2 pass breakups
Michigan fans will hate me for this, but Trent beats out James Rogers.  This just shows how poor Michigan's defense was over the past three years, because everybody's whipping boy was the second-best cornerback.  The thing that bugged me about criticism of Trent was that he took a lot of heat on message boards for playing 10 yards off the line of scrimmage, but that was clearly a coaching decision.  I think Michigan fans realized this by 2010, and if Trent had played for Michigan a year or two later, he might not have drawn as much ire.  Trent wasn't the most agile corner, but he did have good speed and was a better tackler than many gave him credit for.  All that being said, I would actually like to put Troy Woolfolk here, but I need a free safety.

FS: Troy Woolfolk (2009)
46 tackles, 1 pass breakup
Woolfolk could fit on this team at cornerback or safety, but Michigan's horrible defense was horribler once Woolfolk moved to corner for the second half of the year.  The Wolverines gave up 23 points per game with him at safety, an average that ballooned to 37 points per game (not counting FCS soup can Delaware State) once he switched to cornerback.  His statistics aren't great, but stats don't tell the whole story.  He was a consistent presence, a solid tackler, and had the speed to prevent some big plays.

SS: Jordan Kovacs (2010)
116 tackles, 2 interceptions, 8.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 pass breakup, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery
For two years, I've been hoping that someone more athletic would take Kovacs's job.  But I've got to give credit where credit is due - Kovacs has been the best guy so far.  He rarely gets out of position, and I didn't see a more dependable open field tackler on the team.  His 116 tackles (second only to Jonas Mouton in the Big Ten) speak for themselves, but he fills up the stat sheet in other ways, too.  You can't help but love the guy.


P: Will Hagerup (2010)
33 punts, 1440 yards, 43.6 yards per punt, 11 punts inside the twenty
This was the most difficult choice of the entire All-Rodriguez team, a head-to-head matchup between Hagerup and Zoltan Mesko 2009.  Mesko averaged 44.5 yards per punt in 2009, but fully one-third of Hagerup's punts were downed inside the twenty yard line (only 28% of Mesko's were downed inside the twenty).  If you have a good offense (which this squad does), then you want a guy who can pin the opposing team deep.  It doesn't matter if you can boom a punt when your offense moves the ball down the field before having to give it up.  But if you do need a long punt, Hagerup has a 72-yarder to his credit.  Both players would be good choices, though.

K: Jason Olesnavage (2009)
11-for-15 on field goals (73.3%), 42-for-43 on extra points (97.7%)
Special teams weren't a strength under Rodriguez, but Olesnavage was pretty solid.  Along with being nearly perfect on extra points, he was 9-for-10 on field goals longer than 30 yards (only 2-for-5 from 29 yards in).

PR: Martavious Odoms (2008)
10 returns, 126 yards, 12.6 yards per return, 1 touchdown
Do I have to choose?  Seriously, this is painful.  Punt returns have been atrocious since 2008.  Odoms is really the only choice, even though he seemed to muff a punt every other game.  That's not an exaggeration, either.  I wish it was.  I can either choose Odoms (who did have an exciting 73-yard touchdown against Purdue), or a handful of guys who averaged somewhere around two or four yards a return (Donovan Warren, Greg Mathews, Jeremy Gallon).  I would like to choose Drew Dileo, who looks like the best returner for the near future, but he only had 2 returns for 13 yards in 2010.

KR: Darryl Stonum (2009)
39 returns, 1001 yards, 25.7 yards per return, 1 touchdown
Partially due to the defense giving up a ton of points, Stonum had the most kickoff return yards in any season in Michigan history.  He beat Steve Breaston (2004: 28 returns for 689 yards) by 312 yards.  His 94-yard touchdown return against Notre Dame was one of the most exciting plays of the year.


*For clarification purposes, the 3-3-5 itself is not a moronic concept.  It can work, just not when your personnel is more suited for a 4-man front and your defensive coordinator is clueless about how to run it.

Jonas Mouton, #8

Jonas Mouton (#8) makes a tackle at Iowa

2010 Countdown: #10 Jonas Mouton

Linebacker Jonas Mouton played his final game for Michigan on January 1 against the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

HIGH SCHOOL
Coming out of high school in Venice, CA, Mouton was a very highly touted player.  He was a 5-star recruit and the #6 safety in the country, according to Scout.  Rivals ranked him a 4-star player and the #3 safety.  At 6'2" and already a solid 210 lbs. or so coming out of high school, it should have been clear that he would bulk up and become a linebacker.  I'm not sure why Scout and Rivals didn't catch on to that.

COLLEGE
Mouton arrived at Michigan and almost immediately became a linebacker.  He redshirted as a freshman in 2006 to learn the position and add some weight.  After the redshirt year, he backed up Chris Graham at weakside linebacker in Ron English's 4-3 system.  That year (2007) he made 5 tackles at linebacker and on kick coverage.  Once Graham graduated following the 2007 season, Mouton backed up Marell Evans for one game and then earned the starting WILL job in the second game against Utah.  He finished the season with 76 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 1 sack.  As the incumbent in 2009, Mouton had a subpar year.  The defense was abysmal, and the inside linebackers - Mouton and Obi Ezeh - constantly looked lost.  Mouton ended the season with 66 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery, and 4 pass breakups.  As a fifth year senior in 2010, Mouton led the Big Ten in tackles with 117.  He also had 8.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, 3 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, and 2 fumble recoveries.

CAREER STATS
264 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 4 interceptions, 7 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, 3 fumble recoveries

AWARDS
2nd team All-Big Ten in 2010 . . . Roger Zatkoff Award (U of M's best linebacker) in 2010

SUMMARY
Mouton's 4-star ranking on Rivals was a bit more accurate than Scout's.  He turned into a solid starter and even earned All-Big Ten 2nd team honors as a fifth year senior.  However, I'm not exactly sure how a player leads the league in tackles, tosses in a couple sacks and interceptions, and doesn't get 1st team all-conference status.  If Michigan's defense wasn't the worst in the school's history, I have to believe that Mouton would have been 1st team.  In fact, if he played for Ohio State and put up those numbers, he might have been up for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.  So the lack of respect might have to do with Michigan's overall defensive performance.  It also might have been based on Mouton's underperformance.  With all the speed and agility Mouton has, he didn't make many spectacular plays.  Aside from the interception against Notre Dame and his pass rush on the final play against Illinois, he looked like just a guy.

PROJECTION
Mouton ought to play in the NFL.  He has prototypical size (6'2", 240 lbs.) and decent speed in order to play several positions.  He could be an OLB or ILB in a 3-4, or he could be a weakside linebacker in a 4-3.  The coaching at his linebacker position was subpar throughout most of his career, but Mouton still made mistakes as a senior that he shouldn't have been making by that point.  Still, I expect him to be a late round draft pick for a team that thinks they can coach him up.

Preview: Michigan vs. Wisconsin

Running back James White

Rush Offense vs. Wisconsin Rush Defense
Wisconsin has the #25 rushing defense in the country, giving up only 3.8 yards per carry and 125 yards per game.  Meanwhile, Michigan is the #9 rushing offense, averaging 5.7 yards per carry and 266 yards per game.  One way or the other, one of these units is going to be disappointed on Sunday.  Michigan's running game hasn't been shut down yet this year.  When teams have limited Denard Robinson's running, the tailbacks have picked up the slack.  And when teams take away the tailbacks, Robinson seems to run free.  I will be interested to see what the Badgers do on Saturday.  It looks to me like Robinson has started to wear down from various nagging injuries.  I wonder if Wisconsin might take the chance of crashing down on the running backs, playing some Cover 0, and daring Robinson to beat them.
Advantage: Michigan

Pass Offense vs. Wisconsin Pass Defense
Wisconsin is #28 in pass defense, but a mediocre #51 in pass efficiency defense.  On the other side, Denard Robinson is the #14 passer in the country . . . with very little dropoff to backup Tate Forcier, since the team is still #14 overall in efficiency.  If all things are working well for Robinson, he should have a good day and make some good plays through the air.  Unfortunately, as I mentioned above, Robinson's play has deteriorated somewhat in the Big Ten; in the last five games, Robinson's 7 touchdowns and 8 interceptions have looked less than stellar.  Over that five-game stretch, Robinson's PER is 138.37 and that would rank him at #36 in the country.  He's not stinking the joint up, but he's not lighting the world on fire, either.  That stretch of mediocre play might continue with left tackle Taylor Lewan's availability in question due to a concussion and right tackle Perry Dorrestein's nagging knee injury.  Michigan isn't far from playing backup Mark Huyge at left tackle and untested redshirt freshman Michael Schofield at right tackle.  That could be troublesome for Michigan's quarterback.  Luckily, Michigan's receivers - Junior Hemingway and Roy Roundtree, in particular - are playing great football and should be able to take advantage of mismatches against a pedestrian secondary.
Advantage: Michigan

Rush Defense vs. Wisconsin Rush Offense
This is where it really looks ugly for Michigan, and this is nothing new.  Michigan's coaches have made some positive moves in recent weeks, putting Cameron Gordon at outside linebacker instead of free safety, Craig Roh (finally!) at defensive end instead of linebacker, and Obi Ezeh (finally!) at outside linebacker rather than in the middle.  If banged-up starters Jonas Mouton and Mike Martin can play at a high level, those are steps in the right direction.  But Wisconsin is one of the top rushing units in the country, ranking #12 overall.  The good news is that starting Panzer VIII Maus running back John Clay will miss the game due to injury.  The bad news is that top backup James White averages more yards per carry (6.8) than Clay (5.4); even third-string Montee Ball averages 5.6 yards per carry.  Does that mean Wisconsin's running backs are great?  Absolutely not.  It means that Wisconsin's offensive linemen are all named Vinnie Jones and make a habit of saying "I'm the Juggernaut, bitch!"  They are big and mean and really, really hate Ellen Page.
Advantage: Wisconsin

Pass Defense vs. Wisconsin Pass Offense
One place that Michigan seems to be making some strides is in pass defense.  Cornerback Courtney Avery might be a downgrade from J.T. Floyd in terms of experience, but I'm convinced that Avery will be a better defensive back than Floyd in the long run.  Avery is a quick learner and possesses better agility and hips than Floyd has ever shown.  Meanwhile, the linebackers replacing Craig Roh at SAM (J.B. Fitzgerald, Obi Ezeh) aren't fluid in space, but they're better off covering curl zones than a 6'5", 250 lb. defensive end.  Wisconsin quarterback Scott Tolzien has the #8 PER in the country and averages 8.85 yards per attempt, though.  The combination of Wisconsin's offensive line, running backs, and Tolzien leaves chances for big plays at any time.  Despite an effective pass offense, I think big plays through the air will be limited by improving play and confidence in the secondary.  Even so, Wisconsin should be able to pick up yards in chunks.
Advantage: Wisconsin

Final Predictions

• Denard Robinson breaks 100 yards rushing for the eighth time this year
• James Rogers proves prophetic and Wisconsin fails to score 83 points
• James White averages fewer than 6.8 yards per carry
• Michigan's defense stops the big play but dies a slow death
• Wisconsin 35, Michigan 27

Michigan 28, Notre Dame 24

Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson ran for a billion yards on Saturday.

Yesterday was such a roller coaster of emotions throughout the game.

- Low: Michigan's defense sucks as Notre Dame QB Dayne Crist marches down the field for an opening-drive TD.
- High: This Denard kid is pretty good.
- Higher: Crist is hurt. Maybe Michigan has a chance!
- Highest: Denard Robinson runs 87 yards for a touchdown.
- Low: Why are all three guys with a deep third gathered in the middle of the field at the end of the half?
- High: Michigan is up by two touchdowns at halftime.
- Low: Dayne Crist is back.
- Lower: Crist throws a 53-yard touchdown pass to T.J. Jones.
- Lowestest: Crist throws a 95-yard touchdown pass to TE Kyle Rudolph over the head of FS Cam Gordon.
- High: This Denard kid is really good.
- Low: Cullen Christian's hero must be Shawn Crable.
- Coasting into the station: Dayne Crist throws an airball with :00 on the clock.

It was such a relief when the game was over. I was expecting a loss, but the thing about predicting a loss is that I'm either justified in my prediction . . . or I'm ecstatic that Michigan won. And I'd much rather see the Wolverines win than be right.

There were so many things that Michigan fans learned yesterday about their team, and I'll try to touch on a few of them here:

Denard Robinson is really, really good. Notre Dame's defense made a distinct attempt to stop him. He still ran for 258 yards (a Big Ten record for a QB) on 28 attempts (9.2 yards per carry), including an 87-yard touchdown and the 2-yard game-winner. The Fighting Irish have an experienced defense and run a 3-4 scheme that isn't seen much in college, but Robinson was also able to throw for 244 yards on 24/44 passing (55%) (EDIT: Reader MH20 pointed out that Denard was 24/40 for a 60% completion rate) against three seniors and a sophomore in the defensive backfield.

Michigan's running backs are not. Notre Dame keyed on Robinson and geared themselves to stop him in the run game. Still, running backs Vincent Smith (7 carries, 17 yards, 2.4 average) and Michael Shaw (5 carries, 12 yards, 2.4 average) were ineffective. These kids will take what's given to them, but they don't create yards for themselves. This seems to be an ongoing position battle, and hopefully running back recruits like Demetrius Hart recognize that the presence of a quarterback like Robinson should give them plenty of opportunities to get in space. After two weeks, Robinson is averaging 28.5 carries per game. That's too much for a sturdy running back, let alone a 194 lb. quarterback.

Michigan's receivers have stepped up. The only true drop I remember came from tight end Kevin Koger on a rollout pass early in the game. Otherwise, players like Darryl Stonum (4 for 33), Roy Roundtree (8 for 82 and 1 touchdown), and Martavious Odoms (7 for 91) made some highly contested catches throughout the game. If Robinson throws the ball within reasonable reach of Michigan's wideouts, they're going to catch it.

Cameron Gordon has a target on his back. Most or all of Notre Dame's big plays were the result of Cameron Gordon's inexperience and/or lack of natural talent. Luckily for Michigan, this Notre Dame team represented perhaps the most dangerous passing team on the Wolverines' 2010 schedule. But other teams will be forced to take note of Gordon's mistakes. There were numerous times where receivers ran past him or he lost track of them (the TD pass to Jones, the long pass to Riddick at the end of the first half, the 95-yard TD to Rudolph). I don't think it's a coincidence that Brian Kelly gameplanned to attack the redshirt freshman wide receiver-turned-safety. This is the reason that I lobbied for Troy Woolfolk to remain at deep safety back in the spring. Obviously, a broken ankle would have sidelined Woolfolk no matter what position he was playing, but you can't convince me that a Big Ten sprinter of Woolfolk's caliber would have been outrun by a 265 lb. tight end to the end zone. I would not be entirely surprised to see a player with more speed (perhaps Carvin Johnson or Marvin Robinson) take over the FS position in the coming years. I don't want to see him benched, but I think Gordon would fit better at Bandit or Spur.

Jonas Mouton is blossoming in this defense. He led the team with 13 tackles and also picked off a flea-flicker pass. He did miss some tackles on the elusive and speedy Armando Allen, but I can't say that I blame him - Allen could be a special college running back if used correctly. Overall, Mouton showed the play recognition and discipline to be a force for the remainder of the season.

The pass rush needs to improve. Through two games, Michigan's only sack has come from backup Spur Thomas Gordon, who started in place of the injured Carvin Johnson. Michigan frequently used a three-man rush in an attempt to get to the quarterback, and it repeatedly failed. That three-man rush often consisted of nose tackle Mike Martin, defensive end Ryan Van Bergen, and linebacker Craig Roh playing in a three-point stance. At 251 lbs. Craig Roh can't stand up to being double-teamed in the pass rush. Against a single offensive lineman, I'll take Roh to win that matchup a majority of the time. If a second lineman comes to help, Roh will get planted on his butt, which happened several times on Saturday. Ultimately, you play to win the game (thanks, Herm Edwards!), and Michigan did that. But the Wolverines also gave up 381 yards passing.

Tate Forcier is being a good teammate. There were questions last week about his behavior on the sideline after freshman Devin Gardner was inserted instead of Forcier. Forcier was shown giving Coach Rodriguez a hug prior to kickoff, he warmed up congenially when Gardner was inserted for one play, and he was shown cheering on his team over and over again. At least publicly, Forcier looks as though he learned a bit of a lesson from the media blowback last weekend.

You might hate me for saying this, but Notre Dame would have won the game if not for Dayne Crist's injury. Crist is only a sophomore, but he performed much better than his two replacements (Tommy Rees, Nate Montana) who had never played an FBS snap before. When Crist was available, Notre Dame outscored Michigan 24-7. Rees and Montana went 8/19 for 104 yards and 2 interceptions in Crist's stead. Crist was 13/25 for 277 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception, in addition to a rushing touchdown. Crist missed about 26 minutes of the game. If the Irish kept up that same rate of scoring (24 points per 34 minutes of Crist's availability), they would have scored about 42 points in the game. Despite Denard Robinson's heroics and record-setting performance, all may have been for naught if Crist remained healthy. Injuries are a part of the game, but I think Michigan fans should recognize that the Wolverines got a bit lucky yesterday.

Denard Robinson is the clear-cut Heisman leader right now. Robinson has 885 total yards (455 rushing, 430 passing) and 5 touchdowns through two games. He also hasn't turned over the ball once, and his team is 2-0. In addition, while several other Heisman candidates have played patsies at least once in the first two games, both of Michigan's opponents were bowl-eligible last season. Now that Robinson has performed well against solid teams - and rushed the ball 57 times - I'm guessing he'll get quite a bit of rest against UMass next Saturday. I doubt he'll remain the leader throughout the season because Michigan's defense will lose a few games this year, but he's been the best individual performer so far.

Preview: Michigan at Notre Dame

Notre Dame WR Michael Floyd catched a touchdown over Donovan Warren

Rush Offense vs. Notre Dame Rush Defense
Denard Robinson showed last week that he can be an elite runner from the quarterback position. He ran for 197 yards on 29 carries against UConn. Meanwhile, Michigan's actual running backs combined to average 3.4 yards per carry against the Huskies. The Fighting Irish should be geared to stop Robinson from running the ball. That means the Notre Dame contain men should stay home and force Robinson to hand off the ball in the zone read option. If I'm the defensive coordinator, I'm going to try to make Michigan's unproven running backs beat me. This is a base 3-4 defense, and the blocking schemes will be different than against UConn. Michigan's athletic offensive line should be able to get up on the linebackers, though, and provide some running lanes for Robinson and the backs. Notre Dame defensive end Ethan Johnson will be tough to handle for the offensive tackles, but this defense sets up well for David Molk, Steve Schilling, and Patrick Omameh to have a field day.
Advantage: Michigan

Pass Offense vs. Notre Dame Pass Defense
Denard Robinson was 19/22 for 186 yards and 1 touchdown. That level of success will be difficult for Robinson to emulate this week against a veteran secondary that should be able to disguise coverages. Michigan's passing game was pretty vanilla against UConn, and last year's leading receiver, Roy Roundtree, might miss the game due to injury. Combine that with Notre Dame's veteran outside linebackers who should be able to rush the passer, and I expect many pass plays to turn into running plays for Robinson. Obviously Michigan will continue its dependence on the short passing game with slants, hitches, outs, flares, and bubble screens, but this week we should see Robinson coming back to Earth from his 86% completion rate last game. Despite safety Jamoris Slaughter likely missing the game, the other three starters in the defensive backfield are all seniors.
Advantage: Notre Dame

Rush Defense vs. Notre Dame Rush Offense
Armando Allen and Cierre Wood combined for 151 yards on 25 carries (6.0 yard average) against Purdue. For all the talk about Brian Kelly's passing game, Notre Dame has a ton of talent at running back and Kelly won't be shy about using that talent. Meanwhile, Michigan's interior rush defense needs to improve. Michigan allowed 138 rushing yards against UConn, including running back Jordan Todman's 105 yards on 20 carries (5.3 yard average). It would be unwise for the Irish not to attack the middle of the defense with the run. Nose tackle Mike Martin and linebackers Craig Roh and Jonas Mouton need to play at the top of their games in order for Michigan to have success against the ground game. But even with all those guys - and Brandon Graham - playing in 2009, Allen rushed for 139 yards on a 6.6-yard average against Michigan.
Advantage: Notre Dame

Pass Defense vs Notre Dame Pass Offense
This could be the bane of Michigan's existence. Sophomore quarterback Dayne Crist completed 76% of his passes last week, and he has a solid group of receivers to catch those passes. Wide receiver Michael Floyd and tight end Kyle Rudolph are both excellent athletes, and Michigan might not have the horses to run - and jump - with them. Michael Floyd had an excellent game against the Wolverines in 2009, and that was prior to the departures of, oh, about 13 cornerbacks. Furthermore, Michigan produced zero sacks last week against UConn. The one saving grace may be that Saturday's weather in South Bend, IN, is supposed to be wet. For Michigan's sake, hopefully that leaves Michael Floyd, Rudolph, and Co. dropping as many passes as UConn quarterback Zach Frazer's targets last week.
Advantage: Notre Dame

Final Predictions

- Armando Allen rushes for 125+ yards.

- Denard Robinson comes back to Earth and completes less than 60% of his passes.

- Michigan's pass rush sacks Crist at least 3 times.

- For the second week in a row, Michigan allows a 40+ yard reception.

- Notre Dame 27, Michigan 24

2010 Countdown: #10 Jonas Mouton

Name: Jonas Mouton
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 240 lbs.
High school: Venice High School in Los Angeles, CA
Position: Weakside linebacker
Class: Redshirt senior
Jersey number: #8
Last year: I ranked Mouton #24 and said he had the ability to be an all-conference player. He had 66 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery, and 4 pass breakups.

Mouton was a safety early in his career, but most educated observers assumed he would quickly outgrow the position. That happened almost immediately, as Mouton became a weakside linebacker during his true freshman season. He played sparingly as a redshirt freshman in 2007 and then exploded in 2008, when he was the second-leading tackler (76) on the team. However, he took a step backward in 2009. He's one of those players who always seems to have a nagging injury, and a hand injury hampered him as a redshirt junior. That shouldn't have affected his ability to diagnose plays, though, which has been a problem at times. Mouton frustrated Michigan fans repeatedly last season, along with his fellow inside linebacker Obi Ezeh.

In more positive news, old linebackers coach Jay Hopson has departed (now the Memphis Tigers defensive coordinator), perhaps after being urged by head coach Rich Rodriguez. I don't think it's a coincidence that the only coach to depart happened to head up the most disappointing unit in 2009. Coaching the position now is none other than defensive coordinator Greg Robinson, who made a perennial goat, safety-turned-linebacker Steve Brown, into the team's leading tackler and a 7th round draft pick; Robinson also coached freshman DE/OLB Craig Roh into a solid true freshman season, accruing 37 tackles and 2 sacks. Michigan fans are hoping that Robinson can work his magic on the inside linebackers this year, turning an underperforming unit into the solid crew that two fifth-year seniors with 53 combined starts should provide. I'm optimistic about what he can do with the entire unit, but Mouton is especially important because the depth behind him is skimpy.

Prediction for 2010: 90 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions

Ryan Van Bergen was the leading vote-getter for the #10 slot with 32% of the vote. Mouton was second with 23%.

2010 Countdown: #65 Isaiah Bell

Name: Isaiah Bell
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 237 lbs.
High school: Liberty High School in Youngstown, OH
Position: Middle linebacker
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #26
Last year: I ranked him #75 and said he would redshirt. Bell redshirted.

Bell is in his second year of the program and making an adjustment from playing high school safety to playing college inside linebacker. Up to this point, he hasn't really made his mark on the team. Obi Ezeh and Jonas Mouton are the presumed starters at the inside linebacker positions, and J.B. Fitzgerald, Kenny Demens, and Mike Jones are scheduled to be the first ones off the bench.

I'm a little surprised that Bell was bumped to inside linebacker rather than Steve Brown's hybrid role, but at 237 lbs., Bell has put on enough weight that the hybrid position would no longer be an option. In the pictures I have seen, Bell still looks a little bit soft, so I think he's still got some work to do with his conditioning and nutrition habits. But I stand by my assessment from last year that Bell will be a good player in college - it just won't be this year. Bell could be a contributor on special teams this year, and we might also see him at linebacker against teams like UMass or Bowling Green. Otherwise, I don't expect to see #26 on the field much this year.

Prediction for 2010: Special teams action; limited linebacker reps

2010 Recruiting Grades: Linebacker

The realization that Michigan could be headed toward a 4-2-5 defense in 2010 makes the recent class's linebacker recruiting a little murky. The Wolverines desperately needed some linebackers in the class, but largely failed to get what Michigan fans - and anlaysts - wanted to see from Rich Rodriguez. Presumably, Michigan's two starting inside linebackers will graduate after 2010 (Obi Ezeh and Jonas Mouton), leaving only J.B. Fitzgerald, Kenny Demens, Isaiah Bell, and Mike Jones to play those two spots; only Fitzgerald has seen significant playing time thus far.

One of Michigan's first commitments of the cycle, Youngstown, OH, linebacker Antonio Kinard arrived on the scene. He played fullback and middle linebacker in high school, but throughout the recruiting process, he and analysts insisted he was being recruited for the Quick end position. Shortly before National Signing Day, Kinard revealed that the coaches would start him off at the weakside linebacker position. So it looks as if Kinard will be groomed to be Mouton's potential replacement. Kinard is 6'4" and only 202 lbs., so he has some filling out to do. He has the speed and athleticism to be an excellent defender, and it's promising that he actually played ILB as a high schooler.

Michigan's second linebacker commitment came from Josh Furman, a SAM prospect from Millersville, MD. Originally recruited to play SAM, the potential switch to the 4-2-5 essentially eliminates the SAM linebacker. So it remains to be seen what position Furman will play. However, his physical skills might be the most impressive of any player in the entire class. At 6'3" and 194 lbs., he supposedly ran a 4.37 laser-timed forty (which is surely fake, but still impressive, if only for its audacity). His speed is impressive, but he tends to run upright and could struggle with his agility at the next level. I don't expect the SAM linebacker position to disappear permanently (it might only be a one-year experiment to maximize talent), but Furman has the frame and skills enough to bulk up to weakside linebacker size. As for the 2010 season, I expect Furman to get some reps at strong safety.

Predictions: Kinard will almost surely redshirt in 2010, and I'd expect him to be around 230 pounds by the time he earns some playing time in a couple years. He's a more natural fit at inside linebacker than some of the other linebackers (Bell and Jones, for example), but I don't see him really pushing for playing time until his third year. Furman, on the other hand, could very well play in 2010. I think he could be an excellent special teams player with his speed and size. Furthermore, while I don't see him starting this year, he could very well get some backup minutes in the role of SS (or SAM). I wouldn't trust him in deep zone coverage just yet, but he would be a good matchup in coverage on tight ends.

Grade: C. Michigan really needed a middle linebacker in this class, which the coaches failed to secure. It's possible that Jake Ryan could play MIKE, but so far it seems he was recruited to play Quick end. Kinard has good upside, but he's a couple years away from contributing. That's fine because there are other options at weakside linebacker, but an immediate-impact sort would have been nice. Furman is a good player and could play a variety of roles; he reminds me a bit of recent Wisconsin Badger Jonathan Casillas, but with better pass rushing ability.

Position Switch: Cameron Gordon to Safety

Wide receiver Cameron Gordon has switched to safety

AnnArbor.com published an article yesterday about wide receiver Cameron Gordon making the switch to safety. A former 4-star wide receiver, he came to Michigan in part because the coaches told him he could compete at wideout. He spent his freshman season redshirting. Reports from practice indicated that he had good hands and, at 6'2" and 210 lbs., was willing to go over the middle. Unfortunately for him, Rodriguez's offense at Michigan hasn't shown a propensity for using wide receivers in the middle of the field. That would be practically the equivalent of having a rifle-armed defensive tackle. The offense predicates itself on getting athletes in space, and Gordon doesn't have the speed or quickness to shake free from cornerbacks.

The article doesn't identify which safety position Gordon will play, but one can assume that he'll play the weak safety position, where he'll likely compete with freshmen Marvin Robinson and Carvin Johnson, redshirt sophomore Jordan Kovacs, and redshirt junior Mike Williams. This position requires less speed and a more physically imposing presence than the strong safety position. As the article illustrates, Gordon displayed some good hitting ability during special teams practice, so much so that the defensive coaches hinted constantly that he should move to defense.

This switch is far from surprising. In last season's preview profile of Gordon, I suggested that he would be better off on defense. I still think he's best suited for linebacker, particularly the weak inside linebacker position held tenuously by Jonas Mouton. Perhaps this is the next step in a slow transition to WILL, because I don't foresee Gordon having the speed to play weak safety, either. There are times in this defense where the strong safety has to roll over to play man coverage on the strong side, meaning the weak safety has to back up to play the deep middle or a deep half. In my opinion, this would expose Gordon, as it did Jordan Kovacs at times last year.

Michigan 36, Indiana 33

I've been busy this week. Between losing power on Thursday evening, not getting home until after midnight last night, and Saturday morning practice, I didn't have a chance to write a preview for the Indiana game. But these are the games that always scare me the most. Not the Toledo or Eastern Michigan or Appalachian State games, because we win most of those and if we don't, well, that's just how the cookie crumbles.

No, what scare me are the games against second-rate Big Ten teams like Indiana, Northwestern, Michigan State, etc. Those games are ones that shouldn't be huge impediments on the way to playing for a Big Ten title but too often rise up to bite you in the ass or at least make you nervous.

Today's game was no exception. Indiana made it tough on Michigan before the Wolverines eked one out in the last couple minutes.

Offensively, Michigan frustrated me more today than at any other time this year. They seemed completely out of sync for the majority of the game. Luckily, Carlos Brown scored two early touchdowns and Tate Forcier led two late TD drives in the fourth quarter. Between those points, though, Michigan looked discombobulated.

Replacement center David Moosman had troubles snapping the ball, and both Denard Robinson and Forcier had troubles handling it. Michigan has resurrected the freeze play, where the center snaps the ball when he sees someone jump offsides. It's supposed to earn Michigan five yards, which it did . . . once. But the freshman quarterbacks clearly aren't prepared to run it, and neither is Moosman, since he snapped the ball one time when Indiana defensive end Greg Middleton had already got back onside. In total, it lost yards for Michigan and could end up being a turnover if, for example, the snap on the Middleton play had bounced off Forcier's knee or facemask and ended up in the hands of a Hoosier.

The game always looks like it's going too fast for Denard Robinson. It's like I looked when I was little and watching my brother play Frogger; then my mom would call him to take the garbage out, I'd grab the joystick, adrenaline myself across the road, and then drown in the river. Robinson runs the ball well and has a limit of one good throw per game. He led one good drive today and made a nice throw on a seam route to Kevin Koger. After that play the coaches should have patted him on the dreadlocked head, said "Nice job," and handed him a baseball cap (until, of course, he was needed again once Forcier got hurt).

Offensive coordinator Calvin Magee went away from the running game for a while. I have no explanation for this. Carlos Brown started the game with a 61-yard TD on a screen pass, scored a 41-yard rushing TD on the next drive, and then became a bystander for a couple quarters. We can run the ball. Our co-starters at running back, Brown and Brandon Minor, had 23 carries for 123 yards. That's 5.3 yards per carry. But 23 carries is what ONE of those guys should have, not the combination of the two, especially when Forcier and Robinson combined for 21 rushes. The guys who earned scholarships for running the ball should run it, not the guys who earned scholarships for their throwing arms.

This is partly on Forcier as well. In my opinion, Forcier is horrible at running the read option. Even when the backside defensive end stays home to contain the quarterback, Forcier tries to make things happen on his own. He's simply not athletic enough to make it work. Hopefully his reads will improve as he gets more and more experience. I guess the coaches have to keep calling the play to keep the defense honest, but Forcier needs to realize that the best thing about that play is the element of surprise when he keeps the ball. If I were an opposing defensive coordinator, I would tell my defensive ends, "If you stay home, this chump is going to keep the ball a couple times when he shouldn't, and you better make him regret it."

Defensively, it really hurts to have so little depth and experience in the defensive backfield. I thought the linebackers played better than they did last week and the defensive line did an okay job, but our defensive backfield is in shambles. Donovan Warren made one poor tackle attempt, but the Indiana didn't want to test him much. Boubacar Cissoko was replaced early by J.T. Floyd, and neither played well. Meanwhile, strong safety Troy Woolfolk is a position-changer from cornerback who missed some tackles, and former walk-on Jordan Kovacs started at free safety and missed several assignments. Indiana took advantage of the inexperience on the back end, and you can bet that other Big Ten teams will, too. I think Michigan State will have an excellent day throwing the ball next week.

Offensive game ball goes to . . . Carlos Brown (2). He had 144 yards from scrimmage (83 rushing, 61 receiving) and two touchdowns. He ran the ball well most of the day, and what he lacks in toughness, he makes up for in home run ability.

Defensive game ball goes to . . . Jonas Mouton (1). Mouton led the team in tackles with 11 and had half a tackle for loss. He reacted slowly a couple times but he stepped up to fill a hole a couple times and made some nice hits. He didn't have a great game, but nobody really did.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . David Moosman (1). He can play guard. That's fine. He's a pretty good guard. In fact, with his main competition at center coming from redshirt freshman Rocko Khoury, he might well be our best center with starter David Molk out (broken foot). But I hope Molk is a quick healer. Moosman had a few bad snaps, and his quarterbacks didn't do a great job of bailing him out.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . J.T. Floyd (2). I think Cissoko re-injured his shoulder injury, but I have a hard time believing that freshmen Justin Turner and Teric Jones are significantly worse than Floyd. At this point, I have to believe the coaches are trying their best to preserve Turner's redshirt. Jones's has already been burned. But Floyd was responsible for at least three big plays today: 1) the missed pass break-up that ended in a big gain, 2) the 85-yard rush TD by Darius Willis in which Floyd made a poor attempt to tackle, and 3) the pass interference on the right sideline - the ball was uncatchable, but Floyd still had a hand full of jersey.