2015 Season Countdown: #55 Sione Houma

Sione Houma and Desmond Morgan (image via Michigan Daily)

Name: Sione Houma
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 243 lbs.
High school: Salt Lake City (UT) Highland
Position: Fullback
Class: Senior
Jersey number: #39
Last year: I ranked Houma #32 and said he would be the starting fullback. He was a backup fullback and made 4 tackles on special teams.

Last year was a swing and a miss on Houma, who I think is a better athlete than Joe Kerridge. Houma has been playing special teams since his true freshman year, and that's where he made the majority of his impact in 2014. So far in his career, he has just 2 catches for 14 yards and has made 14 tackles on special teams.

I'm not going to take the same wild swing this year. Houma missed the spring with an injury, and while he is supposed to return by the time the season starts, he has now been Kerridge's backup for three consecutive seasons. If Houma wins the job, I think it will be a surprise to almost everyone. Michigan also has other options at fullback, like 276 lb. Brady Pallante and redshirt sophomore Wyatt Shallman, who has also played some tailback and H-back. Houma can still play special teams, and I think he can do some good things if given the chance on offense, but he's not a significantly important cog.

Prediction: Backup fullback

2014 Season Countdown: #36 Sione Houma

Sione Houma

Name: Sione Houma
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 240 lbs.
High school: Salt Lake City (UT) Highland
Position: Fullback
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #39
Last year: I ranked Houma #52 and said he would be the backup fullback and special teams player. He had 2 catches for 14 yards, 1 kickoff return for 19 yards, plus 8 tackles.

Houma was a part-time starter (two games) last season, as he was locked in a battle with Joe Kerridge. Both played decently well, but neither stood out. It's tough to be a standout fullback, though. Houma looked pretty quick on a 9-yard catch against Akron, returned a short kickoff 19 yards against Iowa, and caught a 5-yard pass against Kansas State. He has always looked like the best athlete of the fullbacks, but Kerridge has supposedly been the better blocker.

This is the year I'm expecting the tide to turn at the position. When Houma was a freshman in 2012, you could see the inexperience and tell that he wasn't really ready for college football. Things were moving too fast for him, and Kerridge was the best option. Last year Houma seemed to catch up mentally. This year the edge Houma has on Kerridge physically should help him win the job, relegating Kerridge to a backup role. Based mostly on my gut, I think new offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier will prefer a more athletic fullback on the field (whenever the position itself is deemed necessary). Nussmeier likes to spread the field a little more than the departed Al Borges, and Houma has running skills that Kerridge lacks. I wouldn't expect either to touch the ball very much, but I think Houma is a guy you can play as an H-back type and hit in the flat occasionally with positive results.

Prediction: Starting fullback; 3 catches, 20 yards, 1 touchdown

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Preview: Running Backs

John Hubert (#33) is essentially Kansas State's only running back.

MICHIGAN
Starters: Late in the season, freshman Derrick Green (5'11", 240 lbs.) essentially took over the starting role and bowled his way to 265 yards and 2 touchdowns on 82 carries, a 3.2-yard average. Green looks to be the guy, but really, any of three players could garner the bulk of the attempts. He has some giddyup, but mostly, he's a between-the-tackles runner who won't make many people miss. The other likely option is fifth year senior Fitzgerald Toussaint (5'10", 200 lbs.), a scatback type who has been slowed a tiny bit since a broken ankle suffered in 2012. He's started most of the games this year and has 183 carries for 646 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground, plus 17 catches for 203 yards. Toussaint has the best big-play ability of the backs and seems to have taken on more of the third down back type snaps late in the season. The starting fullback is redshirt sophomore Joe Kerridge (6'0", 238 lbs.), who has 1 carry and 5 catches on the season, mostly playing the role of a lead blocker.
Backups: Freshman De'Veon Smith (5'11", 224 lbs.) is the main backup after the first two guys, and he's a ball of churning legs who runs like I imagine a stegosaurus might: slowly but dangerously for anyone trying to bring him down. He has just 22 carries on the year for 110 yards, but his best game came in the regular season finale against Ohio State (7 carries, 57 yards). Redshirt sophomore Justice Hayes (5'10", 192 lbs.) is mostly a third down back and has spent some time at slot receiver; he has just 1 carry for 7 yards on the year, plus 3 catches for 18 yards. I do not expect to see him much. Sophomore fullback Sione Houma (6'0", 231 lbs.) has 1 catch for 9 yards and fills in occasionally for Kerridge.

KANSAS STATE
Starter: Fifth year senior John Hubert (5'7", 191 lbs.) gets the vast majority of the running back carries and will likely surpass 1,000 yards in the bowl game; he currently has 182 carries for 968 yards and 9 touchdowns. He runs with a fair amount of power and quickness and has gone over 900 yards for three consecutive years. Look for Hubert to try to take advantage of cutback lanes out of the pistol, and he's quick enough to get on the edge with some option looks. The Wolverines are solid against the run, but Hubert presents a challenge and is coming off a 220-yard performance against Kansas. Redshirt freshman Glenn Gronkowski (6'3", 234 lbs.) is the younger brother of New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski and the starting fullback. He's rarely used in the running game, but he has 4 catches for 148 yards and 3 touchdowns; his scores have gone for 67, 50, and 29 yards, so he can be dangerous out of the backfield.
Backups: Senior Robert Rose (5'4", 176 lbs. and no, that's not a typo) is the only notable backup, but he has 22 carries for 102 yards and 2 touchdowns. Co-starting quarterback Daniel Sams (profiled yesterday) is essentially Hubert's partner in crime in the backfield.

THE TAKEAWAY
Michigan's running backs have yet to put fear into anyone this season, and despite a slight improvement in the running game over the past couple contests, the likelihood is small that Michigan blows the doors off KSU on the ground. Of course, much of that is the result of a young, underperforming offensive line. Meanwhile, Hubert has had more room to run than Michigan's guys, and he has a skill of elusiveness that . . . uh . . . eludes Michigan's trio of runners. We have seen the Wolverines come out with some innovative game plans in recent years (2008 against Florida, 2013 against South Carolina), but offensive coordinator Al Borges has limited options with what his line can block and what his backs can do. The Wolverines will probably do what they've been doing over the past couple games (lots of inside zones, bubble screen draws), and the Wildcats will also probably try to do what they do best and run inside zones and some powers with Hubert and Sams.

ADVANTAGE: Kansas State

2013 Season Countdown: #52 Sione Houma

Sione Houma

Name: Sione Houma
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 229 lbs.
High school: Salt Lake City (UT) Highland
Position: Fullback
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #39
Last year: I ranked Houma #86 and said he would redshirt. He had 1 kickoff return for 9 yards and 2 tackles on special teams.

Houma entered last season as the third fullback, but a mid-season departure from Stephen Hopkins opened the door a little bit more for playing time. Joe Kerridge was the starting fullback, but Houma played a couple games there and also saw quite a bit of time on special teams. He didn't touch the ball offensively, but that's just about par for the course in Michigan's offense.

This year Hopkins is out of the way, so it looks like Houma will be the primary backup to incumbent starter Joe Kerridge. True freshman Wyatt Shallman, brought in as a running back, may eventually play some at fullback, too. Houma has been praised for his lead blocking, and he also has some value as a special teamer, so he should get a fair amount of playing time.

Prediction: Backup fullback, special teams

2012 Season Countdown: #86 Sione Houma

Sione Houma

Name: Sione Houma
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 220 lbs.
High school: Salt Lake City (UT) Highland
Position: Fullback
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Houma was in high school.  He struggled with injuries but ran 93 times for 790 yards (8.8 yards per carry) and 8 touchdowns.

Final TTB Rating: 66

Houma is going to be an interesting case study for Michigan, because he's essentially a high school tailback.  Highland runs an option offense and used him as the primary ball carrier whenever he was healthy.  Whereas Michigan used to employ big, bruising fullbacks who weren't much of a threat to run the ball, Houma is a West Coast-style fullback - a guy who can run the ball once in a while, catch some passes out of the backfield, and block.  Michigan hasn't really used much of a true I-formation fullback since Obi Oluigbo in 2007.

As for the 2012 season, I don't think the Wolverines will really need Houma's services.  The starting fullback is Stephen Hopkins, backup tailback Thomas Rawls can play there, and then there's a walk-on option in redshirt freshman Joe Kerridge.  Typically, a team doesn't need to use more than two fullbacks in a season unless there's a significant injury.  Meanwhile, Michigan learned toward the end of last season that Denard Robinson operates better out of a shotgun spread offense.  With the loss of Kevin Koger and no heir to the position, Michigan's best choice for a base offense will likely be a spread look with one tight end; multiple tight ends will require putting multiple guys on the field who aren't "the best eleven."  Without a capable tight end, the I-formation becomes ineffective and a fullback becomes harder to use.  That means Houma should have the luxury of redshirting, bulking up, and learning the ways of the college football world.

Prediction: Redshirt

Sione Houma Answers Your Questions

Sione Houma is the first scholarship athlete to be recruited to Michigan as a fullback since Vince Helmuth in 2007. But unlike Helmuth - an eventual 290-pound bruiser who moved to defensive tackle before transferring - it's likely that Sione will be fulfilling a more versatile role in Michigan's offense. Houma's commitment post describes him as a well-rounded player with "a little bit of this and a little bit of that." Sione agrees, saying, "I think I'm pretty much even at everything; I don't have one top [skill] - maybe going 100% every play." Although Sione admits to being a man of few words, he was nice enough to answer several reader questions last Saturday while watching his older brother's rugby game.

Utah to Michigan: "My friends are all excited for me to go to a big-name college and play football. . . . My family is happy that I am going out of state so I can be independent and learn new things on my own. . . . [I decided to come to Michigan] for the education, first of all. It's one of the top colleges in the U.S., and I'll have more opportunities and more choices to major from."

Playing fullback: "Fullbacks are protecting the running backs when they have the ball. Just go around the linemen - let them do their work. One thing I love about fullback is going after everyone else, showing that I'm not scared of anyone."

Increase in level of competition: "I'm not really worried about it. I'm just going to play my normal game. Everybody [at the next level] is going to be the best. But I'm trying to top that and do what I can do to do my best. . . . I look up to [defensive lineman] Haloti Ngata for the Ravens. I'm a big time fan. He always plays to the best of his ability, gives 100% on every play."

Ethnicity, heritage: "Tonga, it's in the Pacific Islands. I was born and raised in Utah; my parents were born and raised back in the islands. They sacrificed a lot to move over here for me and my siblings to have a better life, to have more opportunities to choose from."

Height and weight: "I weigh 220 [pounds] right now; I'm 6'0''. I'm trying to weigh up to 230 or 240, somewhere around there. They [the coaches] said they want me at like 230. They gave me a workout book for last month and this month, I think. It's a challenge to me so I can work harder and get bigger and get to where I want to be."

Redshirting: "We'll see when the time comes. I don't know what I want to do yet."

Senior year injury: "I had a high ankle sprain. I had to sit out a couple games. But at the end of it, it was good because I was healthy when I came back. . . . I'm fully recovered."

Jammin': "I like chilling with my family and friends, and I love to jam. [I play] the Ukulele, but I haven't played in a while."

Ask a Question: Sione Houma

Sione Houma

Salt Lake City FB Sione Houma battled through injuries his senior year, yet he still managed to rush for 790 yards on 93 carries (8.8 average) and eight touchdowns. With his injuries and senior year of football now behind him, Sione has his sights sets on Michigan as he looks to provide versatility and depth at the fullback position next year. I'll be talking with Sione later in the week, so leave a question in the comments section if you so desire, and I'll do my best to address it in the interview.

Recruit Tracker

Jarrod Wilson breaks up a pass against Firestone

OL Blake Bars and Montgomery Bell Academy (5-5) won a 35-0 contest over the Pope John Paul II Knights.

LB Joe Bolden and Colerain (9-1) won a 17-7 contest over Coca.

OL Ben Braden and his team the Rockford Rams (9-1) "rose up to turn away West Ottawa in Division 1 playoff opener," winning by a score of 17-10.

DE Pharaoh Brown and the Brush Arcs (3-6) were defeated by Garfield Heights by a score of 41-27. Brown caught 9 passes for 105 yards in the Arcs final game of the season.

S Jeremy Clark of North Hopkins (8-2) went on the road and routed Crittenden County, 49-0.

TE Devin Funchess of Farmington Hills Harrison (10-0) won a 35-0 contest against Birmingham Seaholm in the first round of the 2011 Division 2 State Tournament. Funchess caught 2 passes for 19 yards and a touchdown.

S Allen Gant and the Southview Cougars (9-1) defeated Northview by a score of 35-6.

DL Matt Godin and Detroit Catholic Central (9-1) hosted Northville on Saturday and blew them out, 56-6, in a first round division playoff game. Matt texted that he recorded 10 tackles and 4 QB hurries.

FB Sione Houma's Highland Rams (7-3) defeated Maple Mountain by a score of 42-20 to advance to the second round of the 4A state playoffs. Houma, who has been injured for a large portion of the season, appears to have regained his health. On Friday, he rushed for 205 yards on only 13 carries and scored 4 touchdowns.

LB Royce Jenkins-Stone and Detroit Cass Tech (7-3) got back to playing dominating football on Friday, pounding Livonia Churchill, 35-6. Next, they take on Dearborn Fordson in a Division 1 district final. Jenkins-Stone recorded 4 tackles and a sack to go with a 4-yard touchdown run.

OL Kyle Kalis and the Lakewood-St. Edwards Eagles (7-3) were plagued by turnovers and lost the "Holy War" against St. Ignatius by a score of 20-17. 11,000 people were reported to have attended the game.

OL Erik Magnuson and his team the La Costa Canyon Mavericks (6-2) won a 21-16 contest against Oceanside.

2013 QB Shane Morris and Warren De La Salle (8-2) defeated Roseville by a score of 48-14. Surprisingly, I couldn't find Morris' official stats, but "BrendanDavis22" went to the game and posted on the MGoBoard that Shane went 13-16 with 2 touchdowns and 0 picks but also dinged up his throwing hand a bit.

DL Mario Ojemudia and Farmington Hills Harrison (9-0) defeated Birmingham Seaholm by a score of 35-0. If you feel like shelling out a couple bucks, Mr. Tom VH has an article on Harrison and their pursuit of another state title.

DT Ondre Pipkins and his Park Hill Trojans (5-5) lost a 24-6 contest against Central.

CB Terry Richardson and Detroit Cass Tech (7-3) defeated Livonia Churchill, 35-6.

LB Kaleb Ringer and the Northmont Thunderbolts (4-6) won a 33-20 contest against Springfield.

LB James Ross and Orchard Lake St. Mary's pummeled Detroit Pershing by a score of 56-6 to advance to the second round of the division 3 playoffs.

OL Caleb Stacey and Oak Hills (4-5) were defeated by Serrano, 21-14.

CB Anthony Standifer and his Crete-Monee (10-0) team defeated Bloomington, 63-14, to remain undefeated on the season. Standifer sat out the game with a dislocated shoulder, but teammate Laquon Treadwell, a 2013 wide receiver prospect, caught 3 touchdown passes, finishing with 6 catches for 119 yards. Treadwell even made an impact from the defensive end position, recording 1.5 sacks. "Playing defensive end helps with my hands and has made me a more aggressive player...I'm more physical now when I'm blocking," Treadwell said.

DE Tom Strobel and his Mentor team (9-1) lost their first game of the season by a score of 38-35 against Twinsburg.

2013 S Dymonte Thomas and Marlington (7-2) won a 27-23 contest against Alliance.

TE AJ Williams and Sycamore (8-2) lost a 41-13 contest against Mason.

S Jarrod Wilson and his Akron squad Buchtel (6-4) won a 34-0 contest against Firestone. Wilson had his "best game of the season," blocking a punt, making an interception and catching a TD pass. When asked about Wilson, Coach Ricky Powers said, "he's going to Michigan. Need I say anything else?"

DL Christopher Wormley and the Toledo Whitmer Panthers (8-0) defeated Catholic Central by a score of 38-21. Ace was at the game and tweeted that Wormley was "active and aggressive...too much so at times...had a strong second half." Josh Helmholdt from rivals was at the game, too, and tweeted that Wormley was "aggressive," but he "needs to do a better job of diagnosing plays"

Stats will be updated as they're found. Please let us know if you have any additional information for the compilation. Thanks!

Recruit Tracker (updated)

Tom Strobel (#36) had 3.5 sacks on Friday night (image via The Wolverine Blog)

OL Blake Bars and Montgomery Bell (1-3) were defeated by Baylor by a score of 23-16.

LB Joe Bolden and Colerain (2-1) were defeated by St. Xavier in an out of conference contest 17-14, snapping Colerain's 61 game home winning streak.


OL Ben Braden's team the Rockford Rams (2-1) were victorious in their contest against Grand Haven, winning 42-30.


DE Pharaoh Brown's team the Brush Arcs (0-3) were defeated by Kenston 31-27 after holding a 14-0 lead. Brown recorded a 21-yard touchdown reception in the contest.

S Jeremy Clark and North Hopkins (1-3) were defeated by Henderson County 33-21.  Clark had 3 tackles and returned a punt for a touchdown.

TE Devin Funchess caught a 69 yard touchdown pass as Farmington Hills Harrison (3-0) rolled Rochester Hills Stoney Creek following a weather delay by the score of 37-0.  He ended the game with 2 receptions for 78 yards.

S Allen Gant and the Southview Cougars (2-1) were defeated by the Start Spartans 28-22.  Gant had 12 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 1 forced fumble.

DL Matt Godin and Detroit Catholic Central (3-0) defeated Inkster 48-0. Godin recorded 2 tackles and a sack. Ace attended the game and reported via Twitter that Godin was a disruptive force who allowed other lineman to get sacks and make plays. Godin also saw some time on the offensive side of the line.

FB Sione Houma had only 1 carry for 3 yards and a 70-yard kickoff return before exiting the game due to a sprained ankle. His team the Highland Rams (3-1) were defeated by Lone Peak 56-41.

LB Royce Jenkins-Stone and Detroit Cass Tech (2-1) defeated Detroit Southeastern 51-0.  He had 10 tackles, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 forced fumble.  He also carried the ball 15 times for 86 yards and 2 touchdowns.

OL Kyle Kalis and the Lakewood St. Edward's Eagles (3-0) beat Youngstown Cardinal Mooney by a score of 34-17.


OL Erik Magnuson's team the La Costa Canyon Mavericks (1-1) were defeated 28-14 by Poway.

QB Shane Morris threw for 117 yards and a score as his team Warren De La Salle (3-0) won 31-28 over Dearborn Fordson. Morris put his legs on display late in the game on a third down play by taking off and hurdling a defender for a first down, which allowed De La Salle to run off the remaining time on the clock.

DL Mario Ojemudia blocked a punt for a safety during Farmington Hills Harrison's (3-0) 37-0 victory over Rochester Hills Stoney Creek.  He also had 5 tackles and 2 sacks.

DT Ondre Pipkins and his Park Hill Trojans won 13-7 over Park Hill South, improving to 3-0 on the season. For what it's worth (probably not much) this guy thinks Pipkins became tired late in the third quarter.  Pipkins had 9 tackles and 3 tackles for loss.


CB Terry Richardson helped Detroit Cass (2-1) Tech make quick work of Detroit Southeastern 51-0.  He caught 4 passes for 67 yards and made 1 tackle.

LB Kaleb Ringer and his Northmont High School squad (0-3) lost to Cincinnati Moeller by a score of 63-12. Michigan offeree Monty Madaris had 2 touchdown receptions in the blowout.


LB James Ross and Orchard Lake St. Mary's (2-1) defeated Highland Park 44-0.

DB Anthony Standifer and Crete-Monee team (2-1) won at Moline 37-13.  Standifer had 15 tackles, 2 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, and a punt block.

DE Tom Strobel of Mentor (3-0) racked up 3.5 sacks in 20 tackles in a 38-24 victory over St. Ignatius.

S Dymonte Thomas of Marlington (3-0) committed to the 2013 class in the midst of last night's euphoria. Certainly one of the best prospects in Ohio, Thomas helped Marlington to a 41-23 victory over Poland Seminary by scoring a rushing touchdown.

S Jarrod Wilson and his Akron squad Buchtel (0-3) were defeated by Solon by the odd score of 28-2.

Christopher Wormley's team the Toledo Whitmer Panthers (3-0) took care of Brantford Collegiate by the score of 63-0 after leading 56-0 at halftime. Wormley forced a fumble which was returned for a touchdown in the game and had 2 tackles and 1 sack.

Please let us know if you have any updates to stats or anything else interesting/informative.

Recruit Tracker

Matt Godin had 10 tackles and 2 sacks in Friday's victory

Blake Bars and Montgomery Bell Academy (1-2) were defeated by Brentwood Academy 42-13.

Joe Bolden and Colerain (2-0) defeated Ryle by a score of 37-0. Bolden had one fumble recovery in the matchup.

Ben Braden's team the Rockford Rams (1-1) defeated Holt 42-7 to improve their record to .500 on the season.

Pharaoh Brown's team the Brush Arcs (0-2) were defeated by Madison 42-35. Brown had a 21-yard TD reception in the contest.

Jeremy Clark and North Hopkins (2-1) defeated North Hardin 34-21.  Clark had 6 tackles, 1 pass breakup, and 1 interception that was returned for a 58-yard touchdown.

Devin Funchess and Farmington Hills Harrison won a 28-14 contest at Southfield High. Funchess had 2 receptions for 29 yards.

Allen Gant of the Southview Cougars (2-0) helped his team to an 18-0 victory over Rogers.  He had 10 carries for 50 yards, 3 receptions for 42 yards and 1 touchdown, and had 4 tackles and a forced fumble on defense.

Matt Godin experienced nausea and dizziness last week, which led the Detroit Catholic Central training staff to suspect that Godin may have experienced a concussion. When I spoke with Matt mid-last week, however, he said the symptoms were caused by dehydration and illness--not a concussion. At the time of our conversation, Matt was still feeling under the weather and didn't know if he'd be able to perform on Friday. But perform he did--and quite well at that. He recorded 10 tackles and two sacks in a 14-7 victory over Delphos (OH) St. John's.

Sione Houma had 15 carries for 164 yards and 2 touchdowns as his team the Highland Rams (2-0) rolled to a 42-6 victory over Provo.

Royce Jenkins-Stone and Detroit Cass Tech defeated Detroit Central High by a score of 62-6. He had 3 touchdowns in the game, including a blocked punt return.  He also had 8 tackles.

Kyle Kalis of the Lakewood-St. Edward's Eagles (2-0) defeated Penn Hills 47-6; Lakewood is ranked #4 in the USA Today national poll.

Erik Magnuson's team the La Costa Canyon Mavericks (1-0) beat Marina by a score of 48-0.

Shane Morris of Warren De La Salle (2-0) defeated Flint Carman-Ainsworth 34-6. The 5-star 2013 QB commit threw for 178 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 1 touchdown.

Mario Ojemudia and Farmington Hills Harrison beat Southfield by a score of 28-14. Ojemudia recorded 6.5 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks.

Ondre Pipkins and his Park Hill Trojans defeated Ruskin by a score of 23-0 to improve to 2-0 on the season.  Pipkins had 5 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, and 3 batted passes.

Terry Richardson registered a 60-yard kickoff return and two receiving touchdowns in a 62-6 victory over Detroit Central.  In total he caught 5 passes for 124 yards.

Kaleb Ringer and his Northmont High School squad (0-2) were defeated by Princeton 32-21.  Ringer sat out the game with the broken hand that has kept him on the sideline so far this season.

James Ross and Orchard Lake St. Mary's were defeated by Toledo (OH) St. John Jesuit 34-24.

Anthony Standifer's Crete-Monee team won by a score of 35-0 over Lincoln-Way West Friday night.  Standifer had 1 interception.  Teammate Laquon Treadwell, a 2013 prospect at wide receiver, had 6 receptions for 125 yards and 2 touchdowns to go along with two sacks and six tackles while playing defensive end.

Tom Strobel and his Mentor team beat Ursuline by a score of 38-27. Strobel had 1 solo tackle and 5 assists.

Jarrod Wilson's Akron squad Buchtel (0-2) were defeated by Steubenville by a score of 22-6.

Christopher Wormley's team the Toledo Whitmer Panthers (2-0) beat Lucas by a score of 41-0.

*Here's a video of the FHH contest, and Aaron Burbridge throwing a pretty nice looking TD pass.

Farmington Hills Harrison vs Southfield: MyFoxDETROIT.com

Please let us know if you have any updates to stats or anything else interesting/informative.

Recruit Tracker: Sione Houma

Sione Houma

August 19, 2011: Houma's Highland team beat West by a score of 44-16.  Houma had 16 carries for 112 yards, in additiion to a 95-yard kickoff return TD

Maize 'n' Brew: August 6, 2011 Recruiting Update

Angie Varona

Head on over to Maize 'n' Brew for an update on the last couple weeks of Michigan football recruiting.

Sione Houma, Wolverine

Utah fullback Sione Houma (with ball) committed to Michigan last week

Salt Lake City, UT, fullback Sione Houma committed to Michigan last Monday.  He chose Michigan over offers from Utah, Utah State, and Washington.

Houma is a 6'0", 211 lb. prospect with a reported 4.53 forty yard dash.  Last season he rushed for 1,211 yards and 9 touchdowns from the fullback position in a triple option offense.  His size and skills have led him to be ranked as a 2-star prospect by Scout . . . and not at all by anyone else.

Houma looks to be a typical West Coast-style fullback.  He's not huge and he's not particularly fast, but he's got a little bit of this and a little bit of that.  He shows an ability to adjust to the ball in the air on short passes, he has a little bit of vision, he breaks away for an occasional long run, and he breaks some tackles in the process.  His film won't wow anyone, but not many fullbacks' films do.  One thing I really like about Houma is that he runs with a great forward lean when going through traffic.  Since he's not particularly tall, that means anybody who hits him in the shoulder pads is bound to go backwards.  That body lean means that anybody who gets into his legs will probably bring him down, so he needs to work on his footwork a little bit.  But it's hard to take a high runner and make him run low, because guys just aren't comfortable making that transition.

Another thing I like about Houma is that he probably doesn't have the speed to break 50-yard runs or receptions, but he does have the ability to outrun linebackers and turn a 4-yard swing pass into a 10- or 15-yard swing passes.  That skill won't turn him into a superstar, but having a fullback who can gain some yards after the catch will be a valuable commodity when Michigan runs split backs and the quarterback decides to dump off the ball.  Salt Lake City isn't known for its football talent (only four 2011 prospects from the city signed FBS letters of intent - two to Utah, one to Navy, and one to Oregon State), but Houma looks superior to his peers.

Fullbacks aren't exactly hot commodities in the spread-oriented offenses of today's college football landscape, but Houma looks to be a slight upgrade from the John McColgans, Obi Oluigbos, and Vince Helmuths of the world.

TTB Rating: 69

Maize 'n' Brew: June 18 Recruiting Update

I put up the weekly recruiting update over at Maize 'n' Brew.

Enjoy!