Ex-Wolverine Updates

Josh Furman (right) became a seventh round draft pick at Oklahoma State

Thanks to David for the recent donation! If you would also like to donate to the site redesign drive, please use Paypal (on the left sidebar) or do some shopping on Amazon (LINK). Thanks!
---------------

The NFL Draft is over and guys are signing undrafted free agent contracts, so it's time for another ex-Wolverine update. I'm also including the fates of a few coaches, in case you're wondering what some of those guys up to these days.

Former offensive coordinator Al Borges: Borges has been hired as San Jose State's offensive coordinator (LINK). He joins former Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Robinson, who is SJSU's defensive coordinator.

Former offensive line coach Darrell Funk: Funk has been hired as Akron's offensive line coach (LINK).

Former safety Josh Furman: Furman, who spent his fifth year senior season playing linebacker at Oklahoma State, was drafted in the seventh round by the Denver Broncos (LINK).

Hit the jump for more ex-Wolverines, including a list of the fates of all 27 players from the 2010 class.

Ex-Wolverine Updates: Post-Bowl Edition

Oregon offensive tackle Jake Fisher was first team all-conference

The national championship game still remains for Gareon Conley at Ohio State and Jake Fisher at Oregon, but otherwise, the former Wolverines are finished with their college seasons. Here's a look at what former players, commits, and coaches accomplished during the 2014 season.

Former DT Richard Ash: Ash's Western Michigan Broncos lost to Air Force in the Idaho Potato Bowl by a score of 38-24. Ash made 2 tackles in the game, finishing the year with 42 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 2 pass breakups, and 2 blocked kicks. The Broncos went 8-5 on the year.

Former TE commit Pharaoh Brown: Brown suffered a nasty knee injury in game ten, so he has missed a chunk of Oregon's run to the national championship game. He still put up pretty darn good numbers with 25 catches, 420 yards (16.8 yards/catch), and 6 touchdowns, and those were good enough to earn him First Team All-Pac 12 honors. He played too much of this season to get a medical redshirt, so he will presumably return to playing as a true senior in 2015 as long as his knee heals well.

Former CB Cullen Christian: Christian was declared academically ineligible for West Virginia's Liberty Bowl appearance against Texas A&M, which the Aggies won by a score of 45-37. The Mountaineers went 7-6 this season and didn't get much help from Christian, who made 5 total tackles on the year as a backup safety.

Hit the jump for the rest of the rundown.

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Jay Hopson

Former DT Richard Ash: Ash's Western Michigan Broncos will play the Air Force Falcons in the Idaho Potato Bowl on December 20th. Ash has 40 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and 2 blocked kicks so far this season.

Former CB Cullen Christian: Christian's West Virginia Mountaineers will play the Texas A&M Aggies in the Liberty Bowl on December 29th. Christian has made 5 tackles this year.

Former CB commit Gareon Conley, former DT Chris Rock: Conley made 1 tackle in Ohio State's 59-0 win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship game. That win propelled the Buckeyes to the #4 spot in the College Football Playoff rankings, and they will play #1 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl on January 1st.

Former CB commit Dallas Crawford, K commit Matt Goudis: Their Miami Hurricanes will play the South Carolina Gamecocks in the Independence Bowl on December 27th. Crawford has 35 tackles, .5 tackles for loss, and 2 pass breakups this year. Goudis was 4/6 on field goals and 6/6 on extra points this year but a back injury forced him to miss the final ten games of the year.

Former S Joshua Furman: Furman's Oklahoma State Cowboys will play the Washington Huskies in the Cactus Bowl on January 2nd. This past weekend Furman helped upset the Oklahoma Sooners in overtime with a 38-35 victory. Furman made 2 tackles in the game. He now has 58 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 4 pass breakups on the year.

Former RB commit Demetrius Hart: Hart's Colorado State Rams will play the Utah Utes in the Las Vegas Bowl on December 20th. Hart has rushed for 1,254 yards (6.7 yards/carry) and 16 touchdowns so far this year.

Former linebackers coach Jay Hopson: Hopson, now the head coach at Alcorn State, won the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championship with a 38-24 victory over Southern. After a 4-7 start to his head coaching career in 2012, he is now 19-6 in the last two seasons.

Former RB Thomas Rawls: Rawls's Central Michigan Chippewas will play the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in the Bahamas Bowl on December 24th. Rawls has rushed for 1,103 yards (5.3 yards/carry) and 10 touchdowns this year.

Former head coach Rich Rodriguez: Rodriguez's Arizona Wildcats were blasted by Oregon in the Pac-12 championship game by a score of 51-13. They are currently 10-3 and will play the Boise State Broncos in the Fiesta Bowl on December 31st.

Former S Ray Vinopal: Vinopal's Pitt Panthers will play the Houston Cougars in the Armed Forces Bowl on January 2nd. Vinopal has 61 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and 5 pass breakups on the year.

Former CB commit Adrian Witty: Witty's Cincinnati Bearcats will play the Virginia Tech Hokies in the Military Bowl on December 27th. Witty has made 3 tackles this year but has not played in the final eleven games, though I cannot find any information on why he has been out.

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Demetrius Hart goes airborne for one of his six scores

Former DT Richard Ash: Ash had 4 tackles and 1 pass knockdown in Western Michigan's 32-20 win over Central Michigan.

Former S Josh Furman: Furman made 2 tackles in Oklahoma State's 49-28 loss to #6 Baylor. After starting off 5-1, the Cowboys have now lost five in a row and will be fighting for bowl eligibility next week against Oklahoma.

Former RB commit Demetrius Hart: Hart carried the ball 20 times for 230 yards and 5 touchdowns in Colorado State's 58-20 win over New Mexico. He also caught 2 passes for 42 yards and 1 touchdown. His receiving touchdown was from 20 yards out, and his rushing scores came from 76, 55, 6, 4, and 2 yards. He's now up to 1,139 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns this year on a 7.0 yard average.

Former RB Thomas Rawls: Rawls had 19 carries for 76 yards and 2 catches for 10 yards in Central Michigan's 32-20 loss to Western Michigan.

Former head coach Rich Rodriguez: Rodriguez and his Arizona Wildcats beat #20 Utah by a score of 42-10. That's the same Utah team that beat Michigan 26-10. I wonder how badly Arizona would beat Michigan right now. Anyway, running back Nick Wilson had 20 carries for 218 yards and 3 touchdowns. The team is 9-2 with a game next week against a pretty good Arizona State team.

Former S Ray Vinopal: In Pitt's 30-7 win over Syracuse, Vinopal had 5 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 2 forced fumbles, and 1 pass breakup. Pitt will be fighting for bowl eligibility next week against Miami.

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Josh Furman (#14) attempts to tackle Texas's Tyrone Swoopes

Former DT Richard Ash: Ash made 1 tackle in Western Michigan's 51-7 beatdown of Eastern Michigan.

Former CB commit Dallas Crawford: Crawford made 2 tackles in Miami-FL's 30-26 loss to Florida State.

Former S Josh Furman: Furman had 5 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 1 sack in Oklahoma State's 28-7 loss to Texas. Oklahoma State started off 5-1, but they have since lost four in a row to Big 12 opponents. Furman has 54 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 4 pass breakups, and 1 interception on the season.

Former linebackers coach Jay Hopson: Hopson, now the head coach at Alcorn State, moved to 9-2 on the season with a 56-6 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Former RB Thomas Rawls: Rawls had 3 carries for 16 yards in Central Michigan's 34-27 victory over Miami-OH.

Former head coach Rich Rodriguez: Rodriguez's Arizona Wildcats beat Washington by a score of 27-26. The Huskies were ahead 26-24 with three seconds remaining when Arizona kicker Casey Skowron missed a potential game-winning field goal, but Washington head coach Chris Petersen had called a timeout to ice the kicker. Skowron hit the field goal on his second try and Arizona pulled out the win. Arizona is now 8-2 on the year.

Former S Ray Vinopal: Vinopal had 5 tackles in Pitt's 40-35 loss to North Carolina.

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Oregon tight end Pharaoh Brown (image via Statesman Journal)

Former DT Richard Ash: Ash had 6 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks in Western Michigan's 42-21 win over Ohio. He helped hold the Bobcats to 88 yards on 36 rushing attempts (2.4 yards/carry).

Former TE commit Pharaoh Brown: Brown caught 2 passes for 30 yards and 2 touchdowns (21 and 9 yards) in Oregon's 59-41 win over Cal on Friday night. Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota finally threw his first interception on the year.

Former CB commit Dallas Crawford: Crawford had 2 tackles and .5 tackles for loss in Miami's 30-6 win over Virginia Tech.

Former S Josh Furman: Furman had 8 tackles and 1 tackle for loss in Oklahoma State's 34-10 loss to West Virginia.

Former RB commit Demetrius Hart: Hart had 13 carries for 87 yards and 1 catch for 21 yards in Colorado State's 45-31 victory over Wyoming.

Former linebackers coach Jay Hopson: Hopson and his Alcorn State Braves improved to 7-2 on the season with a 77-48 win over Prairie View A&M. Alcorn State gained 699 total yards (337 rushing, 362 passing) in a balanced attack, but they also gave up 545.

Former RB Thomas Rawls: Rawls had 3 carries for 4 yards in Central Michigan's 20-14 victory over Ball State.

Former head coach Rich Rodriguez: Rodriguez and his Arizona Wildcats beat Washington State by a score of 59-37. Arizona was outgained (543 to 491) in total yardage, but they returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown and also returned a late WSU onside kick for a touchdown. Meanwhile, quarterback Anu Solomon threw for 294 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions.

Former S Ray Vinopal: Vinopal had 7 tackles and 1 tackle for loss, but Pitt lost to Georgia Tech by a score of 56-28. Five players for Georgia Tech had more than 50 yards rushing, and the Yellowjackets averaged 7.3 yards/carry.

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Pharaoh Brown (image via Daily Emerald)

Former DT Richard Ash: Ash made 1 tackle in Western Michigan's 26-14 victory over Bowling Green.

Former TE commit Pharaoh Brown: Brown had 3 receptions for a career-high 99 yards in Oregon's 45-20 victory over Washington. He has 18 catches for 314 yards (17.4 yards/catch) and 3 touchdowns on the season.

Former CB commit Gareon Conley: Conley made 2 tackles and 1 pass breakup in Ohio State's 56-17 dismantling of Rutgers.

Former S Josh Furman: Oklahoma State suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of TCU, 42-9. Furman made 5 tackles and 1 tackle for loss in the defeat. He now has 39 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 1 interception, 3 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble.

Former RB commit Demetrius Hart: Hart's Colorado State team beat Utah State by a score of 16-13. Hart ran the ball 12 times for 60 yards (5.0 yards/carry) and 1 touchdown, and he caught 1 pass for 9 yards.

Former linebackers coach Jay Hopson: Hopson, now the head coach at Alcorn State, went to 6-2 with a 40-25 win over Texas Southern. The two losses came against Southern Mississippi in week two and Grambling State on October 11th. Hopson is 19-12 as a head coach in two-plus seasons.

Former RB Thomas Rawls: Rawls nearly continued his streak of 200+ yard rushing games, but alas, he ended this week's contest with 37 carries for 181 yards (4.9 yards/carry) and 1 touchdown. He also caught 1 pass for 6 yards, but Central Michigan lost to Ball State by a score of 32-29. Rawls passed the 1,000-yard barrier for the season and now has 1,007 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.

Former S Ray Vinopal: Vinopal had 3 tackles and 2 pass breakups in Pitt's 21-16 victory over Virginia Tech.

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Thomas Rawls (#34, image via NW Herald)

Former DT Richard Ash: Ash made 6 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 pass breakup in Western Michigan's 42-38 victory over Ball State.

Former TE commit Pharaoh Brown: Brown caught 5 passes for 84 yards and 1 touchdown in Oregon's 42-30 victory over UCLA. That's a season high in receptions and yards, and it's his third touchdown reception of the season.

Former CB commit Dallas Crawford: Crawford made 4 tackles in Miami's 55-34 win over Cincinnati.

Former S Josh Furman: Furman made 4 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, and the game-clinching interception (returned for 35 yards) in Oklahoma State's 27-20 victory over Kansas.

Former RB commit Demetrius Hart: Hart carried the ball 23 times for 90 yards and 1 touchdown in Colorado State's 31-24 win over Nevada.

Former RB Thomas Rawls: Rawls had a second straight 200-yard game on Saturday when Central Michigan beat Northern Illinois by a score of 34-17. Rawls carried the ball 40 times for 275 yards (6.75 yards/carry) and 2 touchdowns. On the season he has 153 carries for 842 yards (5.5 yards/carry) and 9 touchdowns.

Former head coach Rich Rodriguez: Arizona ascended to #10 in the rankings before getting knocked off by USC by a score of 28-26 on Saturday night. The team managed just 77 yards on 29 carries, so Rodriguez resorted to calling 72 passes. Quarterback Anu Solomon was 43/72 for 395 yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Kicker Casey Skowron was just 2/5 on field goals. Arizona is now 5-1.

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Thomas Rawls

Former DT Richard Ash: Ash made 2 tackles in Western Michigan's 20-19 loss to Toledo.

Former TE commit Pharaoh Brown: Brown had 1 catch for 15 yards, but Oregon lost to Arizona by a score of 31-24. He has 10 catches for 131 yards and 2 touchdowns on the year.

Former CB Cullen Christian: Christian made 1 tackle in West Virginia's 33-14 victory over Kansas.

Former CB commit Gareon Conley: Conley made 1 tackle in Ohio State's 52-24 win over Maryland.

Former CB commit Dallas Crawford: Crawford made 1 tackle in Miami's 28-17 loss to Georgia Tech.

Former S Josh Furman: Furman made 10 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks in Oklahoma State's 37-20 win over Iowa State. (See comments below for further details.)

Former RB commit Demetrius Hart: Hart had 11 carries for 143 yards and 2 touchdowns in Colorado State's 42-17 win over Tulsa. Hart now has 61 carries for 453 yards (7.4 yards/carry) and 4 touchdowns on the season.

Former RB Thomas Rawls: Rawls had 40 carries for 229 yards and 2 touchdowns, plus 1 catch for 16 yards, in Central Michigan's 28-10 victory over Ohio. He now has 572 yards and 7 touchdowns while averaging 5.1 yards/carry.

Former head coach Rich Rodriguez: Rodriguez and his crew of Arizona Wildcats walked into Autzen Stadium and beat #2 Oregon by a score of 31-24. Running backs Terris Jones-Grigsby and Nick Jones combined for 40 carries, 207 yards, and 3 touchdowns. The defense sacked Marcus Mariota 5 times, although they failed to intercept him (Mariota has yet to throw a pick this year) and allowed him to catch a 26-yard touchdown pass from running back Royce Freeman. Arizona is now 5-0.

Former S Ray Vinopal: Vinopal had 6 tackles and 1 pass breakup in Pitt's 24-19 loss to Virginia.

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Demetrius Hart (#10)

Former DT Richard Ash: Ash made 2 tackles and blocked an extra point in Western Michigan's 35-17 loss to the Virginia Tech Hokies.

Former S Josh Furman: Furman made 4 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 pass breakup in Oklahoma State's 45-35 victory over Texas Tech. He now has 20 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 3 pass breakups in four games for the Cowboys.

Former RB commit Demetrius Hart: Hart carried the ball 10 times for 117 yards in Colorado State's 24-21 victory over Boston College. He also caught 2 passes for 17 yards, returned 2 punts for 17 yards, and returned 2 kickoffs for 56 yards. Altogether this year, he has 310 yards rushing, averages 6.2 yards/carry, and has scored 2 touchdowns.

Former RB Thomas Rawls: Rawls was reinstated to Central Michigan's team after some legal trouble and played in CMU's 42-28 loss to Toledo. He had 17 carries for 65 yards and 2 touchdowns, plus 1 catch for 4 yards. He now has 343 yards rushing, averages 4.7 yards/carry, and has 5 rushing touchdowns on the season.

Former S Ray Vinopal: In an upset 21-10 loss to Akron, Pitt safety Vinopal made 5 tackles, 1 interception, and 1 pass breakup.

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Thomas Rawls (#34) had 155 yards and 2 touchdowns this week

Former CB Cullen Christian: Christian had 2 tackles in West Virginia's 54-0 demolishing of Towson.

Former CB commit Gareon Conley: Conley had 2 tackles as #8 Ohio State lost to unranked Virginia Tech by a score of 35-21.

Former CB commit Dallas Crawford: In Miami's 41-7 win over Florida A&M, Crawford - now a safety - had 2 tackles.

Former S Joshua Furman: Furman had 5 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 1 pass breakup in Oklahoma State's 40-23 win over Southwest Missouri State.

Former K commit Matt Goudis: Goudis was 2/4 on field goals and 5/5 on extra points in Miami's 41-7 win over Florida A&M.

Former RB commit Demetrius Hart: Hart's Colorado State team lost to Boise State by a score of 37-24. Hart had 10 carries for 16 yards and 2 catches for 17 yards.

Former RB Thomas Rawls: Rawls, a Central Michigan Chippewa now, had 31 carries for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns (from 2 and 16 yards), plus 3 catches for 50 yards. Central Michigan beat Purdue by a score of 38-17.

Former head coach Rich Rodriguez: Arizona barely pulled out a 26-23 victory over the University of Texas-San Antonio, which would have been an embarrassing loss for the Wildcats. UTSA pulled within a field goal with over seven minutes remaining in the game, but they couldn't finish off the comeback. Running back Nick Wilson ran for 174 yards and 1 touchdown, while wideout Cayleb Jones caught 4 balls for 143 yards, including an 85-yard touchdown on the first play of the game.

Former S Ray Vinopal: Vinopal had 5 tackles and 1 interception, which he returned for 13 yards, in Pitt's 30-20 win over Boston College.

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Josh Furman puts pressure on Jameis Winston in the Cowboy's 37-31 loss (image via KansasCity)

Former DT Richard Ash: Ash started at defensive tackle and made 7 tackles and 3 tackles for loss in Western Michigan's 43-34 loss to Purdue.

Former TE commit Pharaoh Brown: Brown caught 2 passes for 32 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown, in Oregon's 62-13 win over South Dakota.

Former CB commit Gareon Conley: Conley played but did not record any statistics in Ohio State's 34-17 win over Navy.

Former CB commit Dallas Crawford: Crawford - who played well as a running back last season - is now a starting safety for Miami. He made 7 tackles and 1 pass breakup in Miami's 31-13 loss to Louisville.

Former S Joshua Furman: Furman started at linebacker for Oklahoma State and made 5 tackles. The Cowboys played well against defending national champion Florida State, but ultimately lost by a score of 37-31.

Former K commit Matt Goudis: Goudis was 2/2 on field goals and 1/1 on extra points, but Miami lost to Louisville by a score of 31-13.

Former RB commit Demetrius Hart: Hart had 22 carries for 139 yards and 2 touchdowns, plus 3 catches for 35 yards, in Colorado State's 31-17 win over Colorado.

Former RB Thomas Rawls: Rawls carried the ball 25 times for 121 yards and 1 touchdown in Central Michigan's 20-16 win over Chattanooga. He also caught 2 passes for 7 yards.

Former head coach Rich Rodriguez: Arizona beat UNLV by a score of 58-13. New quarterback Anu Solomon went 25/44 for 425 yards and 4 touchdowns, and two running backs - senior Terris Jones-Grigsby and freshman Nick Wilson - rushed for over 100 yards.

Former CB commit Anthony Standifer: Standifer had 1 tackle in Eastern Illinois' 42-20 loss to Minnesota.

Former S Ray Vinopal: Vinopal made 2 tackles in Pitt's 62-0 win over Delaware.

Ex-Wolverine Updates: Pre-Season 2014

This is Cullen Christian. He used to play for Michigan. Then he played for Pitt.
Now he's a Mountaineer.

DT Richard Ash: After spending his first four years of college at Michigan, Ash became a grad year transfer to Western Michigan, where he is listed as a 6'3", 314 lb. defensive tackle. He had 3 tackles as a redshirt junior in 2013.

Defensive backs coach Vance Bedford: Bedford is the new defensive coordinator at Texas. He spent 2010-2013 as defensive coordinator at Louisville before moving with head coach Charlie Strong to Austin.

Safeties coach Adam Braithwaite: Braithwaite is in his second season as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Tennessee-Chattanooga.

TE Pharaoh Brown: Brown is listed as a 6'6", 241 lb. junior tight end for Oregon. He had 10 receptions for 123 yards and 2 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2013.

Wide receivers coach Erik Campbell: Campbell spent last season as the wide receivers coach for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.

CB Cullen Christian: Christian is listed as a 6'0", 195 lb. safety for West Virginia. He spent the 2010 season at Michigan before transferring to Pitt, where he was from 2011-2013. He played in just two games as a redshirt junior at Pitt due to injury.

CB Gareon Conley: Conley is listed as a 6'0", 190 lb. redshirt freshman for Ohio State.

CB Dallas Crawford: Crawford is listed as a 5'10", 195 lb. defensive back for Miami. That's right - Crawford is going to play safety for Miami after he was the backup and injury fill-in for Duke Johnson in 2013, when Crawford ran 137 times for 558 yards and 12 touchdowns and caught 20 passes for 171 yards and 1 touchdown.

Hit the jump for updates on over 20 more former Wolverines.

Thomas Rawls, Ex-Wolverine

Thomas Rawls (#38) is transferring to Central Michigan

Soon-to-be senior running back Thomas Rawls will not be a senior at the University of Michigan. He has decided to transfer to Central Michigan, which is something that I've quietly been suggesting for a while.

Rawls was a late addition the 2011 recruiting class, needing some late academic success to propel him toward a scholarship at Michigan. He was probably headed to CMU if not for the offer to play in Ann Arbor, so this development is approximately three years in the making. My commitment post from February 2011 suggested that Rawls would be in over his head a little bit in the Big Ten, and I gave him a TTB Rating of 68. I always believe that Rawls was too slow and lacked elusiveness, and he didn't break as many tackles as a 5'10", 217 lb. running back should.

Rawls played sparingly during his three seasons as a Wolverine behind a variety of mediocre-performing running backs like Fitzgerald Toussaint (who did have a good year in 2011), Vincent Smith, Derrick Green, and De'Veon Smith, among others. His most productive season was as a sophomore in 2012 when he had 57 carries for 242 yards (4.2 yards/carry) and 4 touchdowns; that year included his career highlight, a 63-yard touchdown run late in a blowout win over Illinois. This past season, he had 3 carries for 12 yards and 1 touchdown in the season opener against his future team, but he never saw another snap again at running back and was relegated to special teams duty. He finished his Michigan career with 73 carries for 333 yards (4.6 yards/carry) and 5 touchdowns, plus 1 catch for 6 yards.

This leaves Michigan with four tailbacks on the roster for 2014: redshirt junior Justice Hayes, redshirt sophomore Drake Johnson, and sophomores Derrick Green and De'Veon Smith. The Wolverines have recently sent out offers to Sarasota (FL) Booker's Marlon Mack and Minneapolis (MN) Washburn's Jeff Jones, but neither appears to be even planning to visit Michigan, even though Mack decommitted from UCLA as soon as the Wolverines offered him. It would appear to make sense for Michigan to grab a running back before National Signing Day in a couple weeks, but things are quiet on that front right now. The last time Michigan skimped on an important position in a recruiting cycle, they didn't take a quarterback in the 2012 class, which left them in a bind when Denard Robinson and Russell Bellomy got injured at various points.

Rawls is the eighth member of the 2011 class to depart prior to exhausting eligibility, joining Chris Barnett, Greg Brown, Tamani Carter, Kellen Jones, Antonio Poole, Tony Posada, and Chris Rock.

Poll results: Who will lead the team in carries in 2014?

According to readers, Derrick Green is the leading candidate for the starting running back job in 2014

I may present this poll again closer to the season, because a new offensive coordinator will mean a different philosophy and perhaps some different personnel. But in the meantime, before Al Borges was let go, I asked which running back would get the most carries in 2014. What you said:

Derrick Green (So.): 60%
Green had 83 carries for 270 yards (3.3 yards/carry) and 2 touchdowns in 2013. Green showed pretty good speed and fell forward after contact, but he didn't break many tackles or show a lot of wiggle. Of course, nobody should have expected a 6'0", 230 lb. running back to show much wiggle. He did start off the year heavier than he should have been, which may have diminished his effectiveness. New offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier and his fellow Alabama staff members recruited Green to Tuscaloosa, so it would make sense that Nussmeier has an eye toward Green being his horse.

De'Veon Smith (So.): 30%
Smith had 26 carries for 117 yards (4.5 yards/carry) as a freshman. After not playing much early in the year, something got sparked in him during the last few weeks of the regular season, when he totaled 15 carries for 98 yards (6.5 yards/carry) against Northwestern and Ohio State. Smith is a more violent runner than Green, but his speed leaves something to be desired.

Drake Johnson (RS So.): 3%
Johnson had 2 carries for 9 yards before tearing his ACL in the season opener against Central Michigan. Up until that point, he had been listed as Michigan's #2 tailback. An accomplished high school track athlete, Johnson's main claim for playing time was based on his speed. The fact that he tore the ACL in late August means he should be almost back to full speed by the time the 2014 season rolls around, but sometimes it takes a couple years for guys to totally recover.

Other: 2%
This could refer to junior Dennis Norfleet, who moved to slot receiver; or redshirt freshman tailback/fullback Wyatt Shallman, who looks like an H-back to me; a freshman like Jeff Jones or Vic Enwere, neither of whom have committed to Michigan; or perhaps quarterback Devin Gardner. If you gave me all of their carries combined, I would still bet on one of the other guys.

Justice Hayes (RS Jr.): 1%
Hayes had 2 carries for 6 yards on the season, but by golly, he was the starting running back against Kansas State in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. The best thing Hayes has going for him is some decent speed, but he doesn't have the greatest vision or tackle breaking ability. He was even reported to be moving to slot receiver before injuries and ineffectiveness forced him back to running back.

Thomas Rawls (Sr.): 0%
Rawls had 3 carries for 12 yards and 1 touchdown, all of which came against Central Michigan in the season opener. He played some special teams after that, but you wouldn't really have known he played at all unless you checked the participation reports after the games. There have been rumors that he will not return to the football team in 2014.

Poll results: Who will lead Michigan in rushing for 2013?

It's not the most timely thing, but I set up a bunch of polls during the summer and never "released" the results. It's still early enough in the year to be relevant, though, so I'll be kicking out some posts about predictions for the year. Today's question: Who will lead Michigan in rushing?

Fitzgerald Toussaint: 52%
Fifth year senior Toussaint was the obvious choice, since he was a two-year starter coming into 2013. Unfortunately, a broken leg last fall put his status into question. He had 57 yards in the opener against Central Michigan.

Derrick Green: 40%
True freshman Green got more votes than I thought he would, but maybe it was warranted after a 58-yard debut against the Chippewas. After being listed near the bottom of the depth chart for week one (perhaps due to a sprained ankle he suffered at the beginning of August practices), he's the #2 guy going into Notre Dame.

DeVeon Smith: 1%
Smith, another true freshman, had just 12 yards against the Chips. In my opinion, he does not have the speed to be a dynamic back, but injuries have felled Toussaint frequently, so there's a chance; unfortunately, that chance probably would involve bad things happening to the guys ahead of him.

Drake Johnson: 1%
There's no chance for redshirt freshman Johnson, who tore his ACL early in the season opener. He'll finish the year with 2 carries for 9 yards.

Thomas Rawls: 1%
Rawls, a junior, had 4 carries for 12 yards in the opener. He looks quicker than he did last season, but he's still pretty low on the depth chart after a couple uninspiring years.

Devin Gardner: 0%
Sacks will probably prevent fifth year senior Gardner from having a real shot at leading the team in rushing. He has the speed to turn broken plays into big runs (or passes), but his 52 yards against Central Michigan were largely a function of CMU's inability to hem him in. More athletic teams probably won't struggle quite as much, although Gardner will get his share of yardage.

Dennis Norfleet/Other: 0%
Sophomore Norfleet had 38 yards on a reverse last week, but as a slot receiver, he won't get a ton of opportunities.

Justice Hayes: 0%
Redshirt sophomore Hayes has been near the bottom of the depth chart for his entire career, and that seems not to have changed. He was the last running back to get a carry against Central, and his lone rush netted him 7 yards.

2013 Season Countdown: #51 Thomas Rawls

Thomas Rawls

Name: Thomas Rawls
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 217 lbs.
High school: Flint (MI) Northern
Position: Running back
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #38
Last year: I ranked Rawls #18 and said he would be a part-time starter. He started one game and had 57 carries for 242 yards and 4 touchdowns.

I made a mistake and ranked Rawls too high last year. I decided to believe Fred Jackson, and I will never, ever, ever do that again. In 2012 Rawls looked like the guy I thought he was coming out of high school. He doesn't break tackles the way someone his size should, and he doesn't have breakaway speed. However, he did have good games against Illinois (9 carries for 90 yards, including a 63-yard touchdown), Purdue, and UMass, for whatever those accomplishments are worth.

Rawls has now had two years to prove himself a capable runner, and he has yet to do so. Whenever starter Fitzgerald Toussaint returns to health, I think Rawls will find himself #3 on the depth chart behind Toussaint and freshman Derrick Green. Rawls might have some value as a backup fullback, but he does not appear to be starter material. Former 5-star Kevin Grady followed a similar career path from failed tailback to fullback, and while I'm not totally writing Rawls off from contention for backup duty at tailback, I just think there are better guys in the pipeline.

Prediction: Backup running back; 30 carries, 130 yards, 2 touchdowns

Running Backs Preview: Michigan vs. South Carolina

Denard Robinson should start at tailback for Michigan

MICHIGAN
Starter: Redshirt junior Fitzgerald Toussaint, a two-year starter, broke his leg against Iowa and will miss the bowl game.  The person who should start at the running back is senior Denard Robinson (6'0", 197 lbs.), even if he is able to throw the ball a little.  Robinson has run the ball 154 times for 1,166 yards this season (7.6 yards/carry) and scored 7 touchdowns.  In the two games since returning from his elbow injury, he has played a good deal of running back and totaled 220 yards on 23 carries (9.6 yards/carry) and 1 touchdown.  Redshirt freshman Joe Kerridge (6'0", 244 lbs.) starts at fullback but rarely touches the ball, notching just 1 reception for 12 yards on the season.
Backups: Sophomore Thomas Rawls (5'10", 218 lbs.) has been the main backup to Toussaint throughout the year.  He carried the ball 57 times for 242 yards (4.2 yards/carry) and 4 touchdowns.  He lacks some speed and vision, and he doesn't run as physically as one would expect from a back with his heft.  Senior Vincent Smith (5'6", 175 lbs.) has been forced into action in situations that don't fit his skills; he has carried the ball 32 times for 88 yards (2.8 yards/carry) and 2 touchdowns.  His biggest strength is as a receiver out of the backfield, where he has caught 9 passes for 65 yards and 1 touchdown.  Little used redshirt freshman Justice Hayes (5'10", 183 lbs.) amassed 83 yards on 16 carries (5.2 yards/carry) and 1 touchdown in blowout wins over Illinois and UMass.

SOUTH CAROLINA
Starter: Much like Michigan, South Carolina will be missing its starting tailback (junior Marcus Lattimore, who has decided to leave early for the NFL Draft) due to a leg injury.  I have always thought Lattimore was overrated as a college running back, but he was the best the Gamecocks had.  His absence leaves the job to fifth year senior Kenny Miles (5'9", 193 lbs.), who ran the ball 99 times for 358 yards (3.6 yards/carry) and 2 touchdowns.  He also has 16 receptions for 168 yards (10.5 yards/reception), so he's a threat out of the backfield, too.
Backups: Freshman Mike Davis (5'9", 216 lbs.) has been very effective for a third-stringer with 52 carries for 275 yards (5.3 yards/carry) and 2 touchdowns.  No other player has notched more than 5 carries this season.

THE TAKEAWAY
The true running backs on these two teams are not very impressive.  Nobody on Michigan's team seems to have much of a chance to turn into a star, and the best prospect on either squad appears to be Gamecocks freshman Davis.  However, the most dynamic player is converted quarterback Robinson, who has the ability to break a big run at any given time.
Advantage: Michigan

Michigan vs. Iowa Awards

Captains Denard Robinson and Jordan Kovacs (image via AnnArbor.com)

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Dennis Norfleet.  Now that Fitzgerald Toussaint is done for the season, I would like to see the coaches find a role for Norfleet.  Toussaint had some big-play capabilities due to his strength and good speed, and Norfleet is the only other guy who can take it to the house on any given play.  Thomas Rawls has been unimpressive, Justice Hayes hasn't done much, and Vincent Smith is a third down back.  I don't want or expect Norfleet to be a starter, but I would like him to get 3-5 touches out of the backfield.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . Thomas Rawls.  Rawls appears to be a guy who's just not quite good enough at any one thing to be a major player.  He wasn't quite coordinated enough to tiptoe the sideline for a touchdown, he's not quite fast enough to get to the outside, he's not quite big and powerful enough to run over linebackers in the hole, and he doesn't have great vision.  I do think he'll get better at sticking with the play and finding the hole, but not necessarily in one week.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Marvin Robinson.  Robinson hasn't played a ton of defense this year, but he has been a capable tackler.  He'll never light the world on fire in pass coverage, but he looks like a capable replacement for Jordan Kovacs next year.  I would have liked to have seen him a little more on Saturday, although the Ohio State game might not be the best time to trot out projects.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Josh Furman.  I really just don't see a future for Furman at safety.  The kid has good speed and does an excellent job on special teams coverage, but he gets caught flat-footed whenever he's not attacking downhill.  He might end up like a Darnell Hood or Anton Campbell, a guy who's a special teams demon his entire career but rarely sees meaningful time on defense.

Play of the game . . . Denard Robinson's option pitch to Fitzgerald Toussaint.  There were longer plays, plays that scored, and perhaps more athletic plays.  But I'm choosing this one because of the creativity behind it and its success.  Out of basically a wishbone formation, quarterback Devin Gardner took the snap from under center and handed it off to Denard Robinson going right; Robinson then pitched the ball to Fitzgerald Toussaint, who gained 14 yards before getting tackled.  It was an exciting play to watch because it seemed to open up all kinds of possible plays for Robinson out of the backfield.  Unfortunately, it ended with an ugly injury to Toussaint.

MVP of the game . . . Devin Gardner once again.  He finished the game 18/23 for 314 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception; he also ran 9 times for 37 yards and 3 touchdowns.  It was a Micah Hyde interception away from being a game with virtually no faults.  Of course, it helped that Iowa's defense had no clue how to play football, so thanks, Iowa!

Midseason Statistical Leaders

Dennis Norfleet - Image via MLive.com

Assuming Michigan goes to the Big Ten Championship Game, the season is exactly halfway through.  Here's a look at team 133's statistical leaders so far.

Leading Rushers
Denard Robinson - 900 yards (7.4 yards per carry)
Fitzgerald Toussaint - 283 yards (3.5 yards per carry)
Thomas Rawls - 174 yards (7.0 yards per carry)

Leading Receivers
Jeremy Gallon - 309 yards, 16 catches
Devin Gardner - 251 yards, 15 catches
Drew Dileo - 216 yards, 10 catches

Leading Tacklers
Jake Ryan - 52
Desmond Morgan - 44
Thomas Gordon - 40

Leading Scorers
Brendan Gibbons - 55 points
Denard Robinson - 36 points
Toussaint and Gardner - 24 points 

Leading Sackers
Jake Ryan - 3.5
Craig Roh - 2.0

Leading Interceptors
Thomas Gordon - 2
Raymon Taylor - 2

Leading Punt Returners
Dennis Norfleet - 53 (26.5 yards per return)
Jeremy Gallon - 44 (8.8 yards per return)

Leading Kick Returners
Dennis Norfleet - 494 (23.5 yards per return)
Jeremy Gallon - 12 (12 yards per return)