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.

James Rogers Answers Your Questions

Former Michigan wide receiver and cornerback James Rogers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ben Braden Answers Your Questions

Ben Braden

In a matter of months, class of 2012 offensive lineman Ben Braden has grown over an inch and gained 40 pounds of mostly muscle. Now standing at 6'7'' 325 pounds, Braden is ready to get on campus and make an immediate impact on the football field - which is good news because Michigan needs game-ready linemen now. Ben was kind enough to take a few minutes out of his Sunday afternoon to speak with me about those topics and address the many inquiries posed by TTB readers.

Physical development: Really it was because of strength and conditioning every day and pretty much just eating everything in sight. I try my best to avoid junk food and eat a lot of high protein and high carbs - burgers, chicken, steak, pasta, salad. I pretty much eat everything; I just try to stay away from really sweet stuff like chocolate and stuff like that. I'll eat a lot during the day, but it'll be in smaller portions. I don't do any supplementary thing and don't have a certain amount of calories I try to eat every day, either. I just eat.

Early playing time: Right now, the plan is that I will not be redshirting. I think I'll be a second stringer, and then just go from there. But right now that's the plan between me and the coaches. . . . [I'll be playing] right tackle.

Representing Rockford: I live not necessarily out in the country, but I'm about 20 minutes from the town. So going to Ann Arbor will be a little bit of a change, but it won't be like going to New York City or anything. Rockford isn't one of those places where everyone knows everyone, but it's a quiet place. . . . Coach Hoke and Coach Munger [Rockford's HS coach] have a lot in common as far as coaching personality goes, so that will be nice that I won't feel like I'm going from one thing to the complete opposite. . . . The last time I went to a University of Michigan camp, he [Coach Munger] was there, and I'm pretty sure he plans on going back.

Coming to Michigan: To prepare I just keep exercising every day, trying to stay in shape, and I'm just really looking forward to going. I'm really happy and truly blessed. I'm a little nervous, too, but who wouldn't be? . . . I'm just focused on getting there and getting used to the system, and once you're used to that everything will just fall in place. . . . When I came to Michigan [as a recruit], my host was Russell Bellomy, so I'm looking forward to seeing him again.

Managing critical scouting evaluations/recruiting rankings: The ratings are just ratings to me. They don't determine how well I play, and they don't determine how I am as a person. Basically my goal when I get there is just to do my best at everything and try to play as much as possible, and whatever I get is just going to be what I get. The ratings are going to be what they are. They're not huge to me, I guess.

Breakin' Furniture: When I was little - it was when the Hercules movie came out and I thought Hercules was the coolest - my great-grandmother gave me a rocking chair. So I took that and said, "Mom, look what I can do," and I threw it against the wall and completely shattered it. . . . but no not recently; I've learned to be pretty gentle [with furniture].

Being the first recruit of the Brady Hoke era: No, I don't feel any pressure from it, but it's definitely an honor. I mean, Brady Hoke's just an amazing person all around. Aside from being the coach, he's just a great person. I think it's a great honor to be the first to commit to him. I'm excited. It'll be fun.

To learn more about Ben, you can check out a video interview with Tom VanHaaren and an Mlive article about his history playing hockey.

Ask a Question: Ben Braden

Ben Braden is a large man.

It's only been eleven months since Ben Braden became the first verbal commitment of the 2012 class, but a lot has happened since then. For one, Michigan gained an additional 35 commitments. For another, Ben grew an inch or two and added about 40 pounds of mostly muscle, putting him at 6'7'' 325 pounds as of November 1. I'll be talking with Ben this Sunday, so feel free to leave a question for him in the "comments" section if you have any Ben Braden related catching up to do.

Mini State of the Blog

Thanks to Brady Hoke for restoring Michigan's football program.

I would just like to take a moment and thank the readers, commenters, and contributors who spend their time here at Touch the Banner.  With TTB Andrew's help, visits to the site have increased over the past year by more than 700%.  As I mentioned on Twitter, the blog has reached the point where people were e-mailing me on Sunday night asking, essentially, "WHERE'S MY DAMN CHRIS FOX COMMITMENT POST?!"  This after I had written six commitment posts in the previous 32 hours or so (along with, you know, living my life).

I have big plans for the blog, and I certainly hope it continues to grow.  I appreciate the e-mails, comments, tweets, etc., even many of the negative ones.  This past year has been a great one for Michigan football.  I hope 2012 is even better.

Thanks again for reading, and Go Blue!

Jehu Chesson Answers Your Questions

Jehu Chesson
(image via stlhighschoolsports.com)

If you've seen the results of the latest TTB poll, glanced at the roster, or read Jehu's "Ask a Question" post, then you know that Michigan has a need at wide receiver. Enter Mr. Jehu Chesson. Although Chesson is a 3-star player to the four major recruiting sites, there remain dissenting evaluations forecasting a higher ceiling, including his TTB commitment post and updated TTB rating. Chesson is currently working hard to reach his potential by training at Velocity Sports performance with former Detroit Lion Brett Fischer while running track in the latter part of his senior year. He also takes time to communicate with the media, study Michigan football history, and answer questions from Michigan fans.

Reasons for choosing Michigan: "It came down to Northwestern and Michigan. They're both very good academic institutions, and I felt that both of their football programs were on the rise. But Michigan's the school where I felt I could do more at because of their status. If Northwestern had the alumni base behind it, then I feel they could be just like Michigan, but that's what they lack. . . . The thing that really separated Michigan were the kids in the recruiting class. I felt way closer with them than I did with any other group. I mean, I just related with them almost immediately."

A workin' man: "I work for my community center. Yesterday what I was doing was being a referee for basketball, and then on Friday night I was a DJ for a father-daughter dance . . . and then over the summer and spring break - a lot of kids go out of town for spring break - but I usually volunteer to be a camp counselor and hang out with the kids, which is pretty fun.

Parallels with Amara Darboh: "Well, right off the bat, we were both born in Western Africa, so we both thought that was really neat because we really haven't seen anyone like our age since the war . . . .and we both have similar personalities; we both like to have fun, be a little goofy sometimes."

Physical Development: "From a physical standpoint, I understand that I do need to get bigger, so I'm working on that. . . . I'm 185 lbs., and right now I'm running track, and I probably won't virtually put on any weight, but if I do it'll be only two to three solid pounds because of track. But when track is over, I really have about three weeks, and then I leave for Michigan, so hopefully I'll be about 188 lbs. and then when I get down there, they'll probably get me up to 195 lbs. or something before the first game. I don't know; we'll see. I talked to Coach Hoke and he said [the ideal playing weight will be] 210/215 lbs. I've heard from other coaches from other schools anywhere from 210 - 225 lbs."

Hitting another gear senior year: "Well, it really is all mental. . . . My junior year, they [the coaches] never really put me on special teams because they didn't want me to get hurt. But then they put me on special teams my senior year, actually in the last couple of games, and every time I got the ball I would score, except for once. Those [plays] aren't even on my highlight tape because I couldn't figure out how to put them on. But it was just what the team demanded of me mentally and physically because every single game I played both ways. I played safety on defense; I was sometimes the kicker, and then on kickoffs I was the return man. I just played what the team needed me to play, and that leadership role just kind of took over."

The #1 jersey: "Yeah, I know a lot about the #1 jersey. . . . The last to wear it was Braylon Edwards. He wore #80 before he wore the #1 jersey. But it might draw attention that might not be necessary also. It's very positive and negative at the same time. A positive is that you deserve to wear it. . . . A negative is that if you do something wrong, it's magnified. It's like a blessing and a curse. . . "

Goals/ambitions at Michigan: "I want to maximize my potential and be the best player I can be. A lot of people ask me about the NFL, but that's in the background; it's not in the foreground. Because right now I'm just trying to get to each step to try to get to that point. . . . I'm just looking forward to being a part of Michigan's future."

Amara Darboh Answers Your Questions

West Des Moines (IA) Dowling Catholic WR Amara Darboh

Four-star wide receiver Amara Darboh recently signed his National Letter of Intent for Michigan on February 1st, which was also his birthday. Less than 48 hours before his big day, Amara was nice enough to give us an update and answer several reader questions.

Experiences in Ann Arbor: "I've been there twice. I went there last summer and then I went there for the Ohio State game. When I went there in the summer, I got to see a lot of the town and it's a really fun atmosphere. And then the Ohio State game was just unbelievable. The atmosphere was great; the fans were great. We sat in the front row on the 50-yard line. . . There seems like a lot to do there."

Reasons for choosing Michigan: "When I went there it seemed like I connected with the players right away. And I was just talking to the coaches, and I had just got done talking with Coach Hoke and I looked out - because he has this balcony place outside his office - and I saw Devin Gardner and Jeremy Gallon playing catch. . . . Then I saw Roy [Roundtree] and I talked to him and Devin and Jeremy and we all got along great. That was one of the biggest things because you want to get along with the guys that you'll be playing with next year, especially the older ones because they're going to be the leaders. . . . And after I met all of the coaches, I had great feelings about them, and I can see why all of the players love them."

Positive recruiting: "There were coaches at other schools that would say stuff about other schools and ask questions about other schools. But it seemed like Michigan didn't really worry about other schools and just recruited me, so that was something I liked, too."

Early playing time: "That's something that I've always wanted to do. I'm not an impatient person, but I feel with my body type, I'm kind of like a mid-year guy already. . . . So yeah, that's something that I saw the chance for at Michigan."

Role at Michigan: "They [they coaches] are telling me that I'm more like the new Michigan type of receiver. Like an outside sort of a receiver, I have a bigger frame, and I weigh like 205 lbs. now. I'm a pretty big receiver, so I'll be playing outside. So what [the coaches] were telling me was about the direction that they're taking the program, and they like taking receivers like me. . . . They were comparing me to Hemingway and stuff; we're both big receivers."

Shoulder surgery: "I'm on the basketball team, but I had surgery during the year, so I only got a chance to play in a couple of games. . . . The surgery was on my labrum; I had dislocated my shoulder. So I decided to have [the surgery] early in basketball season so I could have time to recover and be ready by the time I go to Ann Arbor. It's feeling pretty good right now. It's been like a month since I've had the surgery. I don't have the sling anymore and I can move it, but I don't have full range of motion yet, but I'm going to physical therapy and it's getting better every day. I should be good by March. So I'll definitely be ready by the time July comes around."

Roommate: "I think I'll be rooming - at least during the summer - with Jehu Chesson. We took our official [visit] together and like talking."

The #1 Jersey: "Yeah, I've heard about it. We've got a few Michigan fans around here, so I've heard about it. Braylon Edwards wore it last, I think. It's one of my goals while I'm at Michigan, but it's not like my first goal. My first goal is to get there, earn a spot and some playing time."

College major: "I'm going to try to go into the business school. I don't know if it'll be like marketing, financing, or managing or what, so I'll take some basic business classes and take it from there."

The NFL: "That's a goal of mine. That's one of my goals for sure. I've worked hard before and I'm working hard now and in the end, that's where I'm hoping to get to. . . . I like watching Brandon Marshall and other guys like Andre Johnson and Calvin Johnson. . . . I really like watching Brandon Marshall, so if he wasn't on the Dolphins, I wouldn't really like the Dolphins, so I guess I don't really have a favorite [NFL] team."

Leisure: "I play a lot of video games with my friends, like Madden and NCAA. And then we get ping-pong going, and we play pick up games, football and basketball. . ."

Managing criticism and feedback: "I like my coaches to be honest with me, but then there are some people who will just say things and they don't know what they're talking about. I'm the type of person who if you say something and you don't know what you're talking about, I'll tell you. I won't be rude about it, but I'll tell you. But with my coaches, I feel like I'm a coachable player and I try to learn every day."

Dunkin': "I grew up liking basketball. I liked football, too, but basketball was more my thing back then. . .Yeah, I can dunk. I think that's [one of the reasons] why I like basketball. Going into eighth grade, that's the first time I dunked the ball. The one that I used to do all the time back in eighth is I'd throw it off the backboard. And then, have you seen when LeBron puts his hand behind his head and then dunks it? Yeah, I'd do that one a lot, too."

Read more about Amara and learn about his unique personal journey in an AnnArbor.com story titled "War-time orphan to big-time football: Michigan recruit Amara Darboh survives to become Freetown's finest." Make sure to also check out his TTB commitment post.

Matt Godin Answers Your Questions

Novi (MI) Catholic Central DE Matt Godin

Before interviewing incoming freshman Matt Godin, we invited readers ask him questions. Here are his responses.

On conditioning, weight, and preparation: "They [the coaches] just told me to go hard in the weight room like I always have. They know because Mike Martin came from my school, so they know about the strength program at our school and how good it is. I work out every day during the week, and [my schedule] switches between my upper and lower body [each day]...Right now I'm 6'6" and 273 lbs. (EDIT: he's not 6'8", as was previously reported; that was a typo), and I'll probably get to 285 by the season; I don't know. But I'm going to be able to move; that's the main thing. And, plus, I don't look it - I mean, the coaches thought I was 260 lbs. My goal is to add good weight, maybe a little bit of fat in my stomach, but good weight all around."

On recruitment, recent Hoke in-home: "We're already close and Coach Jackson came up earlier, too, like two weeks ago. Coach Hoke just keeps telling me how I just need to be ready and stuff. Other than that, we just had fun, ate dinner and talked about things. We kind of put football to the side, which was nice. My parents were there and it was just nice."

On anticipated role along the d-line: "I'm going to be a guy who's going to mix it up inside and outside. I mean, that's what the 5-technique is: you play outside and inside. My run stopping and pass rushing are both pretty much equal, so I'll be able to mix it up and do both."

On Michigan's recruitment of teammate Wyatt Shallman: "I'll be honest - I have no clue. I mean, I don't really talk to him that much, though. We'll see, it's early....He could be a sophomore right now, too; he's young. I mean, he is a junior, but he's really young. It's kind of unbelievable how big he is naturally for how young he is."

On the 2012 recruiting class: "I'm excited to play with all of them. On the official visit we all had fun together. I'm excited to play by Mario and Strobel for sure...we're all already pretty close for not really hanging out that much. Kalis and Strobel and Allen Gant and then the rest of the in-state guys are [who] I'm probably the closest with."

On Tennessee, Derek Dooley and the Arnett situation: "...Any coach who does that to his players or treats them like that - that's just obnoxious. I don't know who he [Dooley] thinks he is with that losing record...I haven't really talked about it with anyone else. I mean, everyone thinks it's terrible how DeAnthony has a serious issue going on, and he should have let him go. That's pretty much what everyone thinks."

Recruit Tracker

Jamie Eason is a huge fan of Michigan football, I'm sure.

OL Blake Bars and Montgomery Bell Academy (6-5) went on the road and defeated Briarcrest by a score of 40-14.

LB Joe Bolden and Colerain (9-1) rocked Walnut Hills, 60-6. At some point during the annihilation, Bolden tipped a pass in the air, grabbed it for the pick and returned it 1 yard. Next week, Bolden and Colerain go up against St. Xavier, who beat them by a score of 17-14 earlier in the year.

OL Ben Braden and his team the Rockford Rams (10-1) beat Grand Ledge in the Division 1 district final, 42-14.

DE Pharaoh Brown and the Brush Arcs have completed their football season, finishing with a record of 4-6. Brown spent most of the year putting up impressive numbers at wide receiver.

S Jeremy Clark of North Hopkins (9-2) won a playoff game against the Allen County Patriots, 24-14.

TE Devin Funchess and Farmington Hills Harrison (10-1) were defeated by Brother Rice, 30-7, ending their 24 game win-streak, which has stretched over two seasons. FHH was without their starting QB.

S Allen Gant and the Southview Cougars (9-1) lost a 49-21 playoff contest to McKinley.

DL Matt Godin and Detroit Catholic Central (10-1) defeated Canton by a score of 21-14 to advance to a quarterfinal match-up against Ann Arbor Pioneer.

FB Sione Houma's Highland Rams (7-4) were bounced from the playoffs this week, losing by a score of 28-13 to Logan. One week after gaining 204 yards and four touchdowns, Houma rushed for only 62 yards on 18 carries.

LB Royce Jenkins-Stone and Detroit Cass Tech (8-3) beat Dearborn Fordson, 33-7, to win their second straight Division 1 district championship. Next week, Cass Tech goes head-to-head with Shane Morris and Warren DeLaSalle.

OL Kyle Kalis and the Lakewood-St. Edwards Eagles (8-3) won a 28-14 playoff contest against the Cleveland Heights Tigers.

OL Erik Magnuson and his team the La Costa Canyon Mavericks (6-2) beat El Camino, 17-14.

2013 QB Shane Morris and Warren De LaSalle (8-2) defeated Warren Mott, 35-6, as they move on to Detroit Cass Tech. De LaSalle came in with "a run game plan," according to Morris, and it worked. The successful run game allowed Morris to utilize play-action as he went 6-for-9 for 98 yards and three touchdowns.

DL Mario Ojemudia of Farmington Hills Harrison (9-0) was suspended for the firt half of Saturday's 30-7 loss to Brother Rice because of "rules violations he committed over the summer," which apparently included wearing pads at a Nike camp. Is he naughty or what? Ojemudia made a big impact on each side of the line for FHH this season, starting at both DT and OT throughout the year.

DT Ondre Pipkins and his Park Hill Trojans are done for the season, finishing with a record of 5-5.

CB Terry Richardson and Detroit Cass Tech (7-3) held Dearborn Fordson to only 7 points while putting up 33 of their own as they move on to face Shane Morris and Warren De LaSalle next week.

LB Kaleb Ringer and the Northmont Thunderbolts are done for the season, finishing with a record of 4-6.

LB James Ross and Orchard Lake St. Mary's defeated Redford Thurston by a score of 63-20 in the Division 3 quarterfinals.

OL Caleb Stacey and Oak Hills finished the season with a 4-6 record.

CB Anthony Standifer and his Crete-Monee team finish with a 10-1 record after being defeated by Richwoods, 51-6. Standifer has been plagued by a shoulder injury, but junior teammate and Michigan prospect Laquon Treadwell made 14 receptions for 161 yards plus a touchdown in Crete-Monee's first and final loss of the season.

DE Tom Strobel and his Mentor team (9-1) defeated Cleveland John F. Kennedy, 48-16, in a first-round playoff match-up. Mentor faces Solon next week, a team that they beat by 24 points in week 7.

2013 S Dymonte Thomas and Marlington finished 8-2 on the season but did not advance to the playoffs.

TE AJ Williams and Sycamore (8-3) lost a 31-21 contest to Archbishop Moeller.

S Jarrod Wilson and his Akron squad Buchtel finished the season with a 6-4 record.

DL Christopher Wormley and the Toledo Whitmer Panthers (11-0) won a 21-7 contest against Anthony Wayne.

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

Wolverines in the NFL: A Team-by-Team Breakdown

Alyssa Milano

So after taking a closer look at last week's Wolverines in the NFL update, I noticed that I saved/published the working version of the post - not the final version. Or, I just didn't rearrange a couple names that I meant to. Either way, this lead to a couple misreports beyond those which were noted in the comments. My apologies.

To redeem myself, I reworked the post, included NFL coaches who either played or coached at Michigan, and substituted the picture of Chad Henne with a picture of Alyssa Milano. NFL rosters are frequently changing and information sometimes varies between websites, so please feel free to leave updates, but this list should be accurate as of today (9/27/11).

AFC East (7)

Buffalo Bills: shame

Miami Dolphins: Chad Henne, QB; Jake Long, OL; Bill Sheridan, Inside Linebackers Coach

New England Patriots: Tom Brady, QB; Ryan Mallett, QB; Zoltan Mesko, P

New York Jets: David Harris, LB

AFC North (8)

Baltimore Ravens: Cam Cameron, Offensive Coordinator; Andy Moeller, Offensive Line Coach

Cincinnati Bengals: Leon Hall, CB; Morgan Trent, CB

Cleveland Browns: shame

Pittsburgh Steelers: Larry Foote, LB; Ryan Mundy, S; LaMarr Woodley, OLB; Harold Goodwin, Offensive Assistant Coach

AFC South (2)

Houston Texans: Tim Jamison, DE

Indianapolis Colts: Stevie Brown, S

Jacksonville Jaguars: shame

Tennessee Titans: shame

AFC West (4)

Denver Broncos: Brandon Minor, RB (on the Injured Reserve)

Kansas City Chiefs: Steve Breaston, WR

Oakland Raiders: shame

San Diego Chargers: Jonas Mouton, LB (placed on the Injured Reserve); Steve Schilling, OL

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NFC East (6)

Dallas Cowboys: shame

New York Giants: Mario Manningham, WR; David Baas, OL; Jim Herrmann, Linbackers Coach; Jerald Ingram, Running Backs Coach

Philadelphia Eagles: Brandon Graham, DE (on Physically Unable to Perform list); Jason Avant, WR

Washington Redskins: shame

NFC North (5)

Chicago Bears: Mike DeBord, Tight Ends Coach

Detroit Lions: Jeff Backus, OL

Green Bay Packers: Charles Woodson, DB; Mike Trgovac, Defensive Line Coach

Minnesota Vikings: Steve Hutchinson, OL

NFC South (2)

Atlanta Falcons: shame

Carolina Panthers: shame

New Orleans Saints: Adrian Arrington, WR; Terry Malone, Tight Ends Coach

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: shame

NFC West (6)

Arizona Cardinals: Jay Feely, K

St. Louis Rams: James Hall, DE

San Francisco 49ers: Braylon Edwards, WR; Jonathan Goodwin, OL; Jim Harbaugh, Head Coach

Seattle Seahawks: Alan Branch, DT

Free Agents: Obi Ezeh, LB (camped with Washington); Greg Banks, DE (camped with Detroit); James Rogers, DB (camped with Denver); Donovan Warren (formerly with Detroit); Todd Collins, QB (formely with Chicago); Martell Webb, TE (camped with Philadelphia); Greg Mathews, WR (formerly with St. Louis); Marlin Jackson, CB (formerly with Philadelphia), Jamar Adams, S (formerly with Philadelphia); Gabe Watson, DT (formerly with New York Giants); Matt Gutierrez, QB (formerly with Washington); Prescott Burgess, LB (formerly with Baltimore); Carson Butler, TE (formerly with New England); Pierre Woods, LB (formerly with Buffalo)

The AFC is your conference leader, the AFC North your division leader, the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants your team leaders.

Wolverines in the NFL: A Team-by-Team Breakdown (Updated)

Here's a 2011 guide to former Michigan players in the NFL broken down by team, conference and division. Hopefully it can provide easy reference for lazy Sundays when looking for an excuse to watch more football.

AFC East (6)

Buffalo Bills: shame

Miami Dolphins: Chad Henne, QB; Jake Long, OL

New England Patriots: Tom Brady, QB; Ryan Mallett, QB; Zoltan Mesko, P

New York Jets: David Harris, LB

AFC North (5)

Baltimore Ravens: shame

Cincinnati Bengals: Leon Hall, CB; Morgan Trent, CB

Cleveland Browns: shame

Pittsburgh Steelsers: Larry Foote, LB; Ryan Mundy, S; LaMarr Woodley, OLB

AFC South (2)

Houston Texans: Tim Jamison, DE

Indianapolis Colts: Stevie Brown, S

Jacksonville Jaguars: shame

Tennessee Titans: shame

AFC West (4)

Denver Broncos: Brandon Minor, RB (on the Injured Reserve)

Kansas City Chiefs: Steve Breaston, WR

Oakland Raiders: shame

San Diego Chargers: Jonas Mouton, LB; Steve Schilling, OL

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NFC East (5)

Dallas Cowboys: shame

New York Giants: Mario Manningham, WR; David Baas, OL

Philadelphia Eagles: Brandon Graham, DE (on Physically Unable to Perform list); Jason Avant, WR

Washington Redskins: shame

NFC North (3)

Chicago Bears: shame

Detroit Lions: Jeff Backus, OL

Green Bay Packers: Charles Woodson, DB

Minnesota Vikings: Steve Hutchinson, OL

NFC South (2)

Atlanta Falcons: shame

Carolina Panthers: shame

New Orleans Saints: Adrian Arrington, WR

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: shame

NFC West (5)

Arizona Cardinals: Jay Feely, K

St. Louis Rams: James Hall, DE

San Francisco 49ers: Braylon Edwards, WR; Jonathan Goodwin, OL

Seattle Seahawks: Alan Branch, DT

Free Agents: Obi Ezeh, LB (Camped with Washington); Greg Banks, DE (camped with Detroit); James Rogers, DB (camped with Denver); Donovan Warren (formerly with Detroit); Todd Collins, QB (formely with Chicago); Martell Webb, TE (camped with Philadelphia); Greg Mathews, WR (formerly with St. Louis); Marlin Jackson, CB (formerly with Philadelphia), Jamar Adams, S (formerly with Philadelphia); Gabe Watson, DT (formerly with New York Giants); Matt Gutierrez, QB (formerly with Washington); Prescott Burgess, LB (formerly with Baltimore); Carson Butler, TE (formerly with New England); Pierre Woods, LB (formerly with Buffalo)

The AFC East is your conference leader, the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers your team leaders.

Updated on September 25, 2011

Getting to Know -- Matt Wile

Interestingly, Matt Wile is the lowest rated member of the 2011 class, yet he is the most likely of the 19 freshman to make an immediate impact this season. This paradox centers around Wile's position as a kicker: recruiting services tend to view the position as having less value.

But don't tell that to Michigan fans, who have recently been reminded--the hard way--of the value provided by a competent kicker. Now, after two years of woeful performance at the position, all of Wolverine nation crosses its collective fingers, holds its collective breath and prays to the heavens that Matt Wile can come in as a true freshman and produce points*.

That's a lot of pressure.

But by all indications, Matt is a confident young man with an even temperament. He is also doing everything in his power to prepare for his pressure packed moments at the Big House.

"I’m trying to get myself in some sorts of pressure situations. It’s really hard to do when it’s just myself, but one of the things I’ll do is I'll set up balls in a certain location and I’ll give myself 10 seconds to run from the sideline to kick a field goal."

To further prepare, Matt utilized the assistance of a kicking coach, Lance Ortega of the San Diego School of Football, to get himself in optimal form for the 2011 season. The duo worked exceptionally hard just prior to Wile's move to Ann Arbor, spending hours addressing kicking mechanics, drills and habits. Matt is kind enough to spare us the intricate details of his kicking procedures, but he gives us a short overview of his game time routine.

“I go out on the field and get set-up; I take three steps back, two steps over. And before I give my head-nod to the holder to let him know that I’m ready, I always take one really deep breath [to] calm my nerves. And when the ball’s snapped, it usually ends up happening where I don’t hear anything anymore and all I focus on is the ball. And it usually goes through."

My favorite part of the quote is where Matt says that the ball usually goes through the uprights--yeah, that part was awesome. And it's also true. In fact, Matt's field goal average over his junior and senior seasons was a cool 76%. So Matt is accustomed to success and sees no reason why things should change once he starts kicking at Michigan Stadium. Actually, Wile's ahead of the game since he's already made a field goal at the Big House.

"From [the ages of] 6 -12, I used to travel with my dad and go to football games. And I was 10 or 12 and San Diego State was playing Michigan. It was a couple hours before the game; there weren't too many people on the field, so I asked my dad if I could go kick a field goal, and he said 'sure'…and I ended up kicking a 30 yard field goal in my tennis shoes…right down the middle."

Despite relocating to a school over two thousand miles away, Matt should feel right at home at Michigan. Not only is he a 5th generation Michigan student, but his father--who attended medical school at Michigan and works as an M.D. for the San Diego State University football team--plans to fly in to see all of his games(!). If that weren't enough, Wile's relationship with Coach Hoke dates back several years.

"They [the Hoke coaching staff] knew about me at San Diego State, and they offered me. The first year that Hoke was with San Diego State, they offered me. So over two or three years, I was actually able to develop a relationship with the coaches, and that played a major factor in me choosing Michigan."

Academics were another primary reason that Matt chose Michigan, and although many recruits say that, it appears to be especially true for Matt, who is a 4.0 student with plans to enroll in the College of Engineering. It sure doesn't sound like Wile is adverse to pressure, whether it's on the football field or in the classroom.

*...and effectively step in as punter during the first four games

Getting to Know -- Russell Bellomy

Russell Bellomy

Denard Robinson is the quarterback of the Michigan Wolverines. You may have heard of him. He's kind of a big deal. Overwhelmingly seen as the heir to Denard's throne, Michigan also has Devin Gardner. He was a blue chip local prospect who selected Michigan over offers from Notre Dame, Oregon and Nebraska. He, too, is a pretty big deal.

Then we have freshman Russell Bellomy. He's a big deal in his own right, but the Texas native has yet to gain the notoriety or generate the excitement of his two QB teammates. Russell acknowledges this.

"I know the guys that I have to compete with, and it's going to be a high level of competition...I'm excited to go up there and prove myself. I know there're a lot of people who are kinda doubting me. And there's nothing wrong with that! But I understand that I have to prove myself, and I'm excited to get a chance, and it's all on my shoulders now."

To give Russell his due, he held offers from over 15 Division 1 programs as a recruit, and his initial Touch the Banner post by Thunder had plenty of good things to say about him. One of those things was, "Bellomy has some serious wheels and escapability," and Russell is quick to acknowledge the benefits of his legs. However, he also makes his primary responsibilities in the Al Borges offense known.

"Obviously it’s a pro style offense; it’s different than the spread. You know, pass the ball, check-down, check-down, check-down. Not, if you’re first read's not there, just take off. So that’s what I’m going to be working on a lot: progression reads."

Perfecting the new offense will certainly take time. Bellomy has been in possession of the playbook for several months now and admits that "it's like learning another language." Although he recognizes that intervening factors may lead to early playing time, he isn't opposed to redshirting in order to develop as a player and learn the new offense. "I'm up for whatever," he says.

Another thing that Russell has always been up for is capitalizing on opportunity. During football games, Bellomy did just that, earning a 4-0 record against his HS rivals, almost always "finding a way to win" against formidable in-state competition. Similarly, Russell also kept an eye out for opportunity during his recruitment process.

"Recruitment started off pretty slow because all the way up until school my junior year, I played baseball; [I’ve played] ever since I’ve been a little kid, and so that consumes your whole summer. So I didn't get to go to all these college one-day camps because I was playing baseball...it’s at these camps where you get noticed, and so I don’t know if that had an effect on my recruiting…after my Junior football season, I decided to quit baseball, and then I made a highlight tape and sent it out to coaches, and about a week after I started getting some responses..."

"...I ended up choosing Purdue [on] June 1^st. I’ll never forget that. But then the best opportunity I’ve ever had fell in my lap. In the middle of January, I got a call from my head coach, and he said ‘hey Russ, Michigan called; are you interested?’ He left me that voicemail, and I was just like ‘is that even a question?’ So I called him back, and then Coach Borges ended up coming down here to my school, and then he came for a home visit right after that, and we sat here from about 6:30 on just sitting here talking, and on the way back to the hotel, he called me and offered me, and me and my dad were going insane. So I took an official visit as soon as I could…and on the plane ride home, I switched my commitment."

Russell "isn't a shy guy" and I get the sense that he'll do well with the leadership aspects of the quarterback position, such as building relationships with teammates, modeling strong practice routines and asserting himself vocally. With the ability to both run and throw, his maturation as a leader and passer will be fun to watch over the next four years.

There's no doubt that Denard Robinson and Devin Gardner bring high expectations and much excitement to the Michigan football program. Russell Bellomy fits right in.

Ex-Wolverine Encyclopedia Update

The Ex-Wolverine Encyclopedia is really interesting to me. I'm not sure why that is because ex-wolverines don't impact Michigan Football whatsoever, and in many cases, the players have spurned Michigan in one way or the other. On the other hand, I find the case study aspect interesting, and I like to know whether or not the players would have made an impact at Michigan if they had stayed.

Here's an update on a few players. For a complete ex-wolverine list, go here. As always, please email/comment with any info/updates.

Justin Turner

Turner reportedly enrolled at Notre Dame College of Ohio after leaving West Virginia during the 2010 season, which Justin was scheduled to sit out due to transfer rules. But an assistant coach at the junior college said enrollment never happened: "we thought for sure he was going to enroll, but then he dropped off the map." The coach also heard that Turner may attend "a college in California" but wasn't sure about the credibility of what he had heard.

Demar Dorsey

After being denied admission to Michigan, Dorsey enrolled in Grand Rapids Community College. Coach Andrews, the school's defensive coordinator, said that Dorsey chose GRCC because he knew several of the players on the team who are from Florida and, as a child, Demar even played little league football with a couple of his GRCC teammates. Despite a rocky start, Coach Andrews said that Dorsey has attended all of the team's voluntary workouts this summer and is slotted to see action as a defensive back and kick returner this fall, but he doesn't expect Dorsey to see any action on the offensive side of the ball.

Also of note, Coach Andrews recently spoke with Chris Singletary, who indicated that Michigan would still be interested in Dorsey if he continues to demonstrate positive behavior and invest in academics. For reasons unknown to Coach Andrews, Oregon is Dorsey's current "leader" although Dorsey hasn't had any recent contact with the University. "Maybe it's because they were just in National Championship game; maybe it's because he likes their uniforms," Coach Andrews speculated half-jokingly.

Conelius Jones

After failing to academically qualify at Michigan, Cornelius enrolled at Marshall University, a former member of the MAC and a current member of Conference USA. A Marshall blog posted an article that says Jones had more academic problems at the University, but the writer then added an emboldened "Edit" bit at the end of the page that says Conelius just wanted to be closer to home. Either way, it doesn't look like Jones will be continuing with his football career.

Justin Boren

Perhaps my least liked ex-wolverine, Boren signed on to play for the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent immediately following the NFL lockout.

Tate Forcier

Although most people seem to be disinterested with the Forcier saga, I find it fascinating for a couple reasons. Firstly, had he kept his academic house in order, I would have enjoyed seeing the role he might have played in the Borges offense. Secondly -- the first half of 2010.

So if you don't already know the story, Forcier reportedly committed to play for Miami (FL) but backed out because the school was too far from home. He then showed interest in Hawaii--which is a similar distance away from his San Diego home--but was denied enrollment due to issues with his Michigan transcript. Here's to hoping he lands on his feet.

Hampton Coach Expects Marell Evans to Make an Impact in 2011

I didn't get overly excited when I heard that linebacker Marell Evans was transferring back to Michigan after a one year stint at FCS school Hampton University. Granted, I knew Marell was re-entering the program as an experienced player at a position of need, but Evans was an unheralded recruit who only saw limited playing time on the '08 and '09 squads, which were among the worst defenses in Michigan history. So getting back a role player from those teams didn't exactly send shivers of excitement down my spine. Then, after checking out Marell's stats at Hampton only to discover that he barely saw the field, I completely discounted any chance of a contribution from him this year.

With my expectations of Evans similar to those of a preferred walk-on, I was initially teriffied to hear that he was running with the ones during spring ball and, by many people's predictions, including our own Magnus/Thunder's, likely to start at linebacker in the fall. What would that say about the other linebackers?

But things don't look so grim after speaking with Hampton's Director of Player Development, Coach Ray Lewis*. For starters, Marell had a very good reason for not seeing much/any playing time at the FCS school.

"That [lack of playing time] was definitely due to injury...he ended up re-injuring his foot. I think he actually first got injured up there [at Michigan] before he even came down [to Hampton], so he re-aggravated the injury...it was tough on him, as it would be for any young man."

Although it's never enjoyable to hear about a person's misfortune, it's a relief to confirm that Marell's lack of playing time at Hampton was due to lingering injury rather than poor performance. Evans has now been on the mend for nearly an entire year, and he has earned a reputation as a hard worker. MGoBlue lists his height and weight at 6'3'', 225 lbs., and Evans certainly appears to be in good condition and physically ready to make an impact based on what we saw in the spring. Now, over four years removed from his unimpressive recruiting ratings, Evans is garnering favorable evaluations from people who know what they're talking about.

"He can go. I mean, I've played in the NFL; I've played Division 1 ball, and when he's healthy, he can really go...he's full of athletic ability...I'm sure if given an opportunity and he's healthy--and he's a leadership type of guy--I'm sure he'll do well."

Maybe I was foolish for dismissing Evans so quickly. He's no longer an unheralded underclassman playing in a disastrously managed defense; he's a RS Senior with an excellent work ethic performing under the supervision of Greg Mattison. It's also clear that Evans brings more to the table than just his playing ability. In fact, Coach Lewis used the word "leadership" to describe Evans no less than 4 times during our short conversation.

With only one year of eligibility remaining, Evans didn't transfer back to Michigan for the 2011 season to ride the bench. Expect Evans to see a lot more playing time this year with Michigan than he did during his tenure at Hampton.

* Not "that" Ray Lewis, obviously.

Getting to Know -- Raymon Taylor

Raymon Taylor (#1) terrifies an Inkster wide receiver into dropping a pass

Freshman defensive back Raymon Taylor is fast. Actually, after clocking a 10.6 in the 100 meter on a bad foot, it's probably more accurate to say that this former track star is really fast.

Raymon brings his track speed to Ann Arbor from Highland Park, MI, which is a blue collar town completely surrounded by the city of Detroit. Although both Highland Park and Detroit have experienced their fair share of recent struggles and negative press, Raymon is proud of his city.

"It's really a small little city, right in inner Detroit. I love it. I was there [at Highland Park High School] for four years, playing football and running track. I knew everyone, so it was really easy for me to fit in. But other people from Detroit come to my town to come play for Highland Park; they really like it, too. It really is a fun city. It's all about hard work, playing sports and doing school."

Part of Raymon's exceptional experience at Highland Park can be attributed to significant involvement by his dad. Mr. Taylor coaches softball and JV football at Highland Park High, which made it easy for him to "keep an eye" on Raymon by "being out there, saying what to do to get better [at football]." Interestingly, one strategy to get better at football included getting better at track.

"Oh yeah, track helped me a lot with football...it made me faster. I feel that I was born fast, though. It just took me to the next level, got me real, real fast. It really is about the workouts. You gotta put in your work to get fast."

Raymon is expecting to continue with his second sport by running track for the Wolverines during his sophmore year. But for right now, Taylor is focused on making an impact on the football field. His versatility and athleticism make playing time as a freshman a strong possibility and open doors for offensive contributions down the road.

"Right now, [I'll be playing] defensive back and taking kickoff returns and punt returns. But they said if I work hard and do the right things, I can help on offense my second year...I'm trying to be like Charles Woodson...I'm going to come in and play hard, workout hard, so I should touch the field [in 2011] -- I will touch the field. I know it. I'm good enough to play with anybody. I'm going to come in, take care of business, work out hard, and I'll be on the field this year."

On game days, Raymon will be busy preparing to see the field by doing track drills while listening to his "#1 song" through headphones. Coming from a strong family of Michigan fans, also expect Mr. Taylor to continue keeping an eye on his son's football season. But this year, playing in front of a packed Big House crowd, Mr. Taylor won't be the only person keeping an eye on Raymon.

Getting to Know -- Chris Rock

Freshman defensive lineman Chris Rock--not to be confused with the comedian Chris Rock--recently moved from Columbus to Ann Arbor to join forces with the good guys. Hail to the Victors. But as awesome as that is, the fact remains that most people think of the comedian when they hear the name Chris Rock. So against my better journalistic judgment, I began the interview with Chris by asking him what it's like to share his name with a megastar, and he was kind enough to humor me.

"Well, my parents wanted to name me Christopher, and when they named me that, Chris Rock wasn't famous yet or anything. And when I was growing up, I didn't like the name Christopher, so everyone called me Chris. And then Chris Rock became famous. So now not a day goes by that someone doesn't say, 'Oh, your name's Chris Rock!'"

Okay, since that's now out of the way, we can return to the real story, which includes Chris becoming a Michigan Wolverine despite being raised deep inside enemy territory. And as you might expect, the decision to come to Ann Arbor was met with some resistance.

"I hear so much every day, like 'You're going to Michigan! Why?' They just love talking crap to me. One time they actually wrapped up my stuff, like all my Michigan gear, and wrote [on it], 'Go Bucks!' So I use that sort of stuff for motivation."

In September, Chris will be channeling that motivation for the Wolverines as he runs out of the Big House tunnel and touches the banner. But it wasn't too long ago that even he was on the other side of the most bitter rivalry in college football.

"Um, it's hard to say this, but I grew up an Ohio State fan. I used to love Ohio State; I loved Ohio State right up until my freshman year, until I started to be recruited. I guess you take a different mindset when you're thinking about which colleges to go to."

Chris even rooted on the Scarlet and Gray during a visit to Ann Arbor in seventh grade. But now sold on the Maize and Blue, Rock joins his new Michigan teammates, one of whom is Patrick Omameh, who hails from Chris' same Ohio powerhouse football program: St. Francis DeSales. Obviously, Omameh is an established force on the offensive line at Michigan, and it sounds like Rock is looking to make a similar impact on the defensive line.

"My mindset is I'm going to do whatever I can to play [during the 2011 season]. I know I'm not guaranteed anything, so I'm trying to work my butt off and see what happens."

Strongside defensive end is the position for which Chris was recruited; however, many Michigan fans--including myself--look at the depth chart and believe that a player or two slotted for that position could/should move to defensive tackle. For his part, Chris is open to the idea, and he's quickly putting on muscle mass. At 6'5'' tall, Chris now weighs in at 270 lbs., an even 20 lbs. more than his previously reported weight. Don't be surprised to see him add an extra 10 -15 lbs in the upcoming years to provide flexibility and utility along the defensive line.

Let's hope that when Michigan fans hear the name "Chris Rock" five years from now, they think of the football player rather than the comedian. This kid from Columbus is about to make a name for himself -- in Ann Arbor.

Getting to Know -- Jack Miller

Jack Miller has been around football his entire life. His father, a former Division 2 college football player, introduced Jack to the game at a young age. This early exposure instilled in Miller a love for the sport and led him to begin playing organized football before most of his peers knew what a first down was. Growing up, Jack also watched a lot of the NFL, rooting passionately for the Cleveland Browns. Of course, this made a lot of sense since Jack lived in the exact same neighborhood as several Cleveland Brown players.

"Yeah, I remember all of their names. A lot of them were lineman, guys like Shaun O' Hara, who now plays for the Giants, or Ryan Tucker, who's retired, or Ross Verba, who's retired. There were plenty more - Courtney Brown, who was the #2 pick in the draft. I could go on and on with guys that we knew."

Wow. That sounds like a nice neighborhood -- in more ways than one. But Jack doesn't live in that neighborhood anymore. Not only did Miller move to Ann Arbor on the 25th of June, but his family relocated from Cleveland to Toledo when he was an adolescent. The distance between the two cities is only a couple of hours, but after Jack made that relatively short travel, he noticed a change among the fans and learned more about the University of Michigan.

"Like I said, I'm from Toledo, but I grew up in Cleveland my whole life, which is completely Buckeye territory. Toledo is a lot more supportive [of Michigan] than it is over in Cleveland. So I didn't know that much about Michigan...but when I opened up to Michigan more, I realized what a special place it is. And here I am, a few days away from heading up there [to Ann Arbor]."

Jack began "opening up" to Michigan as a recruit by familiarizing himself with the university and building relationships with the coaching staff. But that coaching staff, of course, was fired only weeks before signing day. Viewing Miller as a priority, Coach Hoke didn't waste any time reestablishing Jack's relationship with the Michigan coaching staff.

"He [Coach Hoke] was able to come down to my house a few days after he got hired. I was able to talk with him, and I just knew he was the right guy for the job. I really believe that. He's the kind of guy I want to play for...but as personalities go, I think Coach Hoke and his staff are a little bit more laid-back. They're a little more easy going. Now they're going to get after you. I think it's just a more laid-back, calmer atmosphere."

Recently, Jack has been busy preparing himself mentally and physically for the upcoming season. More specifically, he said that he was able to score "some film on NFL centers" through his aforementioned "NFL contacts." It sure doesn't sound like Jack's life around football is about to come to an end anytime soon.

- For more on Jack, check out his conversations with TomVH and Kyle Warber.

Getting to Know -- Chris Barnett

New TE arrival Chris Barnett thinks it's great to be a Michigan Wolverine. After previously committing to both Oklahoma and Arkansas, Chris couldn't be happier with his final decision to don the winged helmet. "From visiting with Chris and talking with him about it, he loved everything about his visit to Michigan," states Barnett's high school coach Mark Smith. Likewise, Michigan should be pleased with what Chris brings to the table, Coach explains.

"A couple things come to mind when I think of Chris and the way that he plays: #1 is that he's versatile, and #2 is that he's explosive. We used Chris in a variety of different ways. We used him in the traditional tight end position; we also used him in the backfield as the fullback, motioning him around a little bit. And we also split him out wide, going three by one, putting him out there by himself -- matching him up against a corner and using his length, his athleticism and his physicality to our advantage."

Chris' athletic ability may have allowed him to wear many offensive hats against high school competition; however, most observers expect Barnett to play a typical TE role at Michigan. So Coach Smith speaks to that as well.

"Blocking was critical for us and when he got his hands on you, then you were going the other direction. But what I liked about him was how physical he was. And I think Michigan is going to get a really physical, mature player -- right away"

So I'd imagine that it's cool to be Chris Barnett right now. He's about to receive a free world-class education while showcasing his athletic abilities in front of 110,000 people every Saturday. But while Chris thanks god for his talents and is a "family man," circumstances for him haven't always been so positive.

"Growing up, it was always a back and forth situation between my mom's and my dad's. I never had a secure place to be; I never really knew who wanted me and who didn't...I mean, we've been homeless and I was sleeping on a washing machine and dryer. I had to take my jeans off and wrap my shoes up in my jeans and use it as a pillow. So life's been a struggle. And that's where football came into it...."

Despite these hardships, Barnett has developed good relationships with many members of his sizable family, several of whom are also athletes. His brother, Eryon Barnett, plays CB for the Texas Longhorns, and a close cousin plays FCS ball. No stranger to adversity, however, Barnett experienced an injury on the football field at the beginning of his senior year.

"I tore my ACL in early October, and I didn't have surgery for it until December, because like I said, me and my mom, we struggle. We don't have a whole bunch of money. So the injury thing wasn't to the point where I could go get surgery. But I've been working out really hard...I came up on the spring game, and I was 295 [lbs]. Right now, I'm 272. Coach wants me to be 280 -- no [not any] more than 280. But at the same time, I'm getting stronger. I'm crisp [while] running. My knee that I had surgery on still isn't 100%, so I go about 80/85%. But talking to Coach, I still have 2 months [before the season starts] to rehab with them. I don't know, but I'm trying. But if I'm not ready and Coach doesn't let me play and I got to redshirt, then I got to redshirt. It is what it is. And if it is, well, then I feel sorry for whoever we play next year."

With a host of mitigating factors, it's difficult to predict whether or not Chris will see the field his freshman year. But it doesn't appear that his HS coach would be surprised to see Barnett on the field in 2011.

"Chris understands that he has to go in and earn a position there and find a hole that he can fit into and he can play. I know when Coach Hoke and the staff were here [in Texas], they expressed that they didn't have many tight ends on the roster. At that spot in particular, they were going to have to have some freshman contribute. I know Chris and the way that he works and his habits on the field are going to put him in a position to contribute right away...."

Early PT or not, it sounds like Chris is doing his best to help "lay the foundation" for Michigan's future. Not only is Barnett keeping in shape and preparing for the season, but he is also creating a winning mindset.

"We [Chris Bryant, Frank Clark, Justice Hayes] have been talking constantly, like every day, about the things that we're trying to accomplish. And I told everybody, 'this is the coaches' first year; we're the freshman recruiting class; we're the first people to come in with them...so it's really our job to lay down a foundation."

Chris was so excited to start laying the foundation that he caught a plane to SE Michigan early in the morning on Friday June 24th. Presumably, Barnett then unpacked his bags, said "what's up?" to his new roommate Chris Bryant and began breaking ground.

Getting to Know -- Desmond Morgan

Desmond Morgan had his sights set on Michigan during the recruiting process. Originally committing under the Rodriguez regime, Desmond remained firm in his pledge to the university from the beginning to the end of the coaching change. "I committed to the school, not just the coaching staff," he stated. And although Morgan is currently undecided about his college major, he is a 4.0 student who should fit in nicely with his chosen school's academia.

Desmond grew up in Holland, Michigan, which is located on the far west side of the state. Taking advantage of his surroundings, Morgan often enjoyed going to the beach with friends and listening to music while playing a pick-up game. Rap/Hip-Hop is his preferred style of music, and although I don't listen to a lot of that genre, I do have the internet, so I know what it's about.

When I caught up with Desmond, he was preparing for the 2011 Michigan High School Football East West All Star Game and also getting interviewed by people other than me. He performed well in the contest, tallying six tackles. But it's clear that Desmond isn't complacent about his football capabilities:

"What are my greatest weaknesses? I'll be honest; I have quite a few of them. I'd say my biggest one would be my pass coverage and recognizing when two receivers are crossing, which one is the biggest threat, and [recognizing] which DB needs the most help picking up a guy coming across, things like that. So I'm working on that, getting depth and recognizing the different routes and being able to get underneath, making a play on the ball. In high school, we didn't have to do that as much, especially with all of the man coverage that we ran. And with line backing, I'd say we were usually more focused on the run. So the biggest thing I'm working on is helping my pass coverage game out."

With his intelligence, work ethic and willingness to look in the mirror, Desmond sounds like a coach's dream. It's just not yet completely clear which coaches will get the opportunity to work with Morgan. Although Desmond was definitely recruited as a linebacker, it has been speculated on this blog that Morgan's skill set could lead to playing time at another position, such as fullback or upback. We are not alone: Desmond and his dad see that as a possibility too.

"Most of the talks [with the coaching staff] have been playing linebacker. To be honest, I don't even know which position, as far as one of the linebackers, it will be. But my junior year I played fullback as well; I actually started at fullback. So I kind of understand the fullback position a little bit. But I'm open to anything. At this point, the way I look at it - any position that they need me to play that will allow me to help the team and see the field, I'll do....My dad had read some of the online stuff, and I think that planted the idea in his mind too, and he said, 'What do you think about fullback?' And I was like, 'What do you mean?' And he said, 'With the new staff, they might be looking for fullbacks - would you be open to that?' And I said, 'Yeah, sure, whatever it takes to get on the field, I'll do it.'"

During Desmond's senior year, he didn't see much/any time at fullback because he was too busy playing quarterback. Yep, if you didn't already know, he played middle linebacker and quarterback. That's quite the unusual pairing, but as unusual as it may be, Thunder often writes that playing QB in HS contributes to a player's overall development and understanding of the game. So I asked Morgan about it.

"I grew to understand offenses a lot better. It helped me to see my keys on the other side of the ball, recognize pass coverages, see pre-snap stuff...but first and foremost I think it's leadership. Before my junior year I played middle linebacker and was the captain of the defense, I guess, and I understood the leadership role...but I definitely gained a whole new respect for leadership by playing quarterback because I didn't realize how close the two positions were in regards to leading their sides of the ball. And playing both of them helped me grow into more of a team leader."

Although Desmond's days as a QB are almost certainly finished, he should be able to peruse through the offensive playbook at his convenience since he's rooming with 2011 QB Russell Bellomy. Here's to Morgan's success in the winged helmet -- be it at linebacker, upback, fullback, quarterback or slot receiver.