The Transition Effect: Carr to Rodriguez

Ryan Mallett

With an upcoming coaching transition, there has been some concern that players will take flight to greener pastures. When Michigan went from a pro-style scheme to a zone read option scheme in the off-season between 2007 and 2008, some offensive players headed out the door. Not much of that can be attributed to the spread. Every team loses players in the off-season. Sometimes players are sick of standing on the sideline, sometimes they get homesick, and sometimes they butt heads with the coaches. Here's a look at what the transition from Lloyd Carr to Rich Rodriguez cost Michigan going into 2008 and beyond.

Decommitted due to coaching transition: John Wienke, Christian Wilson
Wienke, a pro-style quarterback, decommitted in favor of Iowa, where he never saw any significant time. Wilson ended up committing to North Carolina due to the fact that Rodriguez's offense didn't leave a ton of room for fullback/H-back types. Wilson played but never made a huge impact for the Tarheels.

Transferred to other FBS teams between regimes: Justin Boren, Ryan Mallett
Offensive guard Justin Boren would have been a junior starter in Rich Rodriguez's first season, but some alleged frictions between Rodriguez and Boren's family led to his departure. Boren transferred to his home state Ohio State Buckeyes program, where he eventually started and became an undrafted free agent; he never played in an NFL game despite making the practice squad with a couple teams. Meanwhile, his right guard position was taken by David Moosman, who turned out to be a decent but forgettable piece up front for the Wolverines. Theories differ on Mallett, a touted quarterback who transferred closer to home at Arkansas. Some say he was already on his way out the door because of butting heads with Carr; others say he realized he wouldn't fit into Rich Rodriguez's offense. Either way, he was replaced by walk-on Nick Sheridan and Georgia Tech transfer Steve Threet, both of whom were subpar passers and poor fits for Rodriguez's scheme. After the 2008 season,

Left early for the NFL Draft: Adrian Arrington, Mario Manningham
Arrington blew up in his final game, a bowl win over Florida, which might have sealed the deal. His 882 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns in 2007 as the #2 option behind Manningham were impressive, although he slipped into the Draft in just the 7th round, making just 9 receptions in a short NFL career. Manningham had some issues following rules/laws and seemed to be headed for the door after a stellar three-year career; he possibly would have been a 1st round pick if not for a marijuana charge, and instead fell to the 3rd round. He was picked by the Giants and has had a solid but injury-marred career with 2,849 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns.

Transferred to other FBS teams after giving Rodriguez a chance:* Toney Clemons, Vince Helmuth, Dann O'Neill, Steve Threet
Clemons spent a year trying to wedge himself into the slot receiver role for Rodriguez, a role he was ill suited for because he was not very quick or elusive. Clemons had been recruited by Lloyd Carr as an outside wide receiver, and he transferred to Colorado for that reason. He had a decent career for the Buffaloes and managed to get drafted. Helmuth was brought in as a Lloyd Carr fullback, eventually moved to defensive tackle under Rodriguez, and then transferred to Miami-OH, where he never played, either. O'Neill spent a year redshirting and then transferred to Western Michigan, where his lack of lateral mobility was less of a hindrance; he started for several years for the Broncos. Threet got kind of a raw deal. After enrolling early at Georgia Tech in January 2007, he transferred to Michigan over the summer and redshirted during the season, hoping to follow Chad Henne as the starter for the Wolverines. Then when Rodriguez got hired, Threet and walk-on Nick Sheridan split playing time before Threet lit out for his third school, Arizona State. He had to sit out the 2009 season to transfer, and then concussions caused him to end his football career early.

Left early for the NFL Draft after giving Rodriguez a chance:* Carson Butler, Donovan Warren
Butler was unhappy with his role as a tight end in Rodriguez's offense, so he made a mid-season switch to defensive end, finishing with 2 catches, 17 yards, and 5 tackles. He tested the waters of the NFL but was ultimately unsuccessful.  Warren left after his third season in Ann Arbor, hanging around through 2009. It's unclear whether a different coach could have kept him around for a fourth season, but Warren was All-Big Ten and made 4 picks in 2009, after which he made an ill-advised attempt at making it in the NFL. He was not drafted and spent a few years bouncing around practice squads.

CONCLUSIONS
If Michigan changes systems to a spread or, say, a triple option, some transfers can naturally be expected. That change seems unlikely based on what we have been hearing, but anything is possible. The one guy who seemed like a possible early entrant into the draft (Devin Funchess) is gone already. The quarterbacks are mostly pro-style guys, so that would present a challenge if Michigan wanted to run any kind of option-type stuff. Michigan has been running a lot of zone schemes, so a loss of linemen would not seem to be a huge risk, regardless of the coach. The receivers are mostly big, pro-style guys who could get squeezed out if the new coach wanted to put tiny slot guys out there in spades. Michigan's stable of tight ends would likely not be happy with a move to a spread, though A.J. Williams will be a senior and Jake Butt could be just a year away from heading to the NFL; the biggest flight risks there would probably be the young guys, Ian Bunting and Khalid Hill, who would still have time to redshirt for a year and make an impact elsewhere.

*There were some other transfers (Sam McGuffie, Marell Evans, Kurt Wermers, etc.) that seemed to have less to do with Rodriguez and more to do with homesickness, academic difficulties, etc.

Review of 2007 Recruiting: Wide Receivers

Michigan procured Junior Hemingway in the 2007 class

THE ROSTER
Adrian Arrington, RS Jr.
Mario Manningham, Jr.
LaTerryal Savoy, RS So.
Greg Mathews, So.

THE COMMITS
Zion Babb
High school: Alhambra (CA) Alhambra
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #42 WR
College: Michigan
Other notable offers: Cal, Nebraska, Oregon, Washington
Scoop: Babb redshirted in 2007 and bounced back and forth between receiver and cornerback. As a redshirt sophomore in 2008, he caught 2 passes for 45 yards. He reportedly had verbal altercations with Michigan's coaches and was released from his scholarship. To my knowledge, he did not continue his football career elsewhere.

Toney Clemons
High school: New Kensington (PA) Valley
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #12 WR, #91 overall
College: Michigan Colorado
Other notable offers: Colorado, Pitt, Purdue, West Virginia
Scoop: Clemons burned a redshirt for 1 catch and 5 yards a freshman in 2007. With the arrival of Rich Rodriguez for the 2008 season, Clemons moved to slot receiver due to little or no depth behind freshman Martavious Odoms. He caught 11 passes for 101 yards as a sophomore in 2008, but transferred to Colorado after the season. He used that redshirt to sit out the 2009 season due to NCAA transfer rules. As a redshirt junior in 2010, Clemons caught 43 passes for 482 yards and 3 TDs; he also rushed the ball 3 times for 17 yards. Then as a fifth year senior in 2012, he caught 43 passes for 680 yards and 8 touchdowns. He was drafted in the 7th round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers but was cut and ended up catching 3 passes for 43 yards for the Jacksonville Jaguars that season. He spent time with the Carolina Panthers and San Diego Chargers in 2013.

Junior Hemingway
High school: Conway (SC) Conway
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #38 WR
College: Michigan
Other notable offers: Clemson, Florida State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, South Carolina
Scoop: Hemingway caught 4 passes for 37 yards as a freshman in 2007, when both he and Clemons burned redshirts. As a sophomore in Rich Rodriguez's first year, Hemingway was expected to be a starter; however, after catching 2 passes for 41 yards and 1 touchdown, including a 33-yard score against Utah, he developed mononucleosis and missed the remainder of the year. He returned as a redshirt sophomore in 2009 to catch 16 passes for 268 yards and 2 touchdowns. As a redshirt junior in 2010, he was Denard Robinson's favorite target on the outside and caught 32 passes for 593 yards and 4 touchdowns. He followed that up with another solid season in 2011 and totaled 34 catches for 699 yards and 4 scores, finishing with a 20.6 yards/catch average. He was picked in the 7th round (#268 overall) by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2012 NFL Draft and has 13 catches, 125 yards, and 2 touchdowns as a pro.

THE MISSES
Jon Ditto
High school: Monroeville (PA) Gateway
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #59 WR
College: Penn State
Other notable offers: Maryland, Michigan State, Ohio State, Pitt
Scoop: Ditto was a jumbo high school receiver who played tight end for a bit before switching to linebacker. He left Penn State prior to the 2009 season but did not resume his career elsewhere.

Ronald Johnson
High school: Muskegon (MI) Muskegon
Ratings: Rivals 5-star, #1 WR, #8 overall
College: USC
Other notable offers: Florida, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas
Scoop: Johnson was a backup wideout as a freshman and grabbed 7 passes for 110 yards and 1 touchdown, and he was the primary kick returner with 25 returns and a 24.8 yards/return average. As a sophomore in 2008, he started a couple games and finished with 33 catches, 570 yards, and 8 touchdowns, plus a 27.1 yards/return average on 14 kickoffs. Johnson missed part of the 2009 season with an injury but finished with 34 catches for 378 yards and 3 touchdowns. In his 2010 senior season, Johnson caught 64 passes for 692 yards and 8 touchdowns, and he became the team's punt returner with 22 returns, 312 yards, 14.1 yards/return, and 1 touchdown. He was drafted in the 6th round (#182 overall) by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2011 NFL Draft and has been on the rosters of the 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles, but he has never played a game.

Gerald Jones
High school: Oklahoma City (OK) Millwood
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #5 ATH, #87 overall
College: Tennessee
Other notable offers: Florida, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech
Scoop: Jones contributed early in Knoxville, catching 11 passes for 111 yards and 1 touchdown, along with 8 rushes for 58 yards and 2 touchdowns. As a sophomore in 2008, he had 30 catches for 323 yards and 4 touchdowns, plus 23 carries for 126 yards and 1 score. His explosiveness peaked in 2009 with 46 receptions for 680 yards and 4 touchdowns, and he capped his career with 55 catches for 596 yards and 4 more scores. He was also an occasional kick and punt returner for the Volunteers, but his biggest accomplishment was leading the team in receptions for three consecutive seasons (2008-2010). He was not drafted in the 2011 NFL Draft and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles for a short time but never played. He also stirred up a little controversy when he allegedly gave some advice to a high school recruit to go to Auburn instead of Tennessee. Jones's football career appears to be finished.

Greg Little
High school: Durham (NC) Hillside
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #13 ATH
College: North Carolina
Other notable offers: Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State
Scoop: Little played running back, wide receiver, and returner during his time in Chapel Hill. As a freshman in 2007, he ran 59 times for 300 yards and 2 touchdowns while catching 13 passes for 99 yards and 1 score. In 2008 those number improved to 78 carries for 339 yards and 3 scores, plus 11 catches for 146 yards. During his 2009 junior season, he became more of a receiver and ended with 62 catches for 724 yards 5 touchdowns, but he still ran 29 times for 166 yards and 1 touchdown. He was suspended for his senior season in 2010 due to the academic/illegal benefits scandal at UNC, but he still managed to be selected in the 2nd round (#59 overall) by the Cleveland Browns in the 2011 NFL Draft. In three seasons with the Browns, he has totaled 155 catches for 1,821 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Rashad Mason
High school: Nashville (TN) Pearl-Cohn
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #18 WR
College: North Carolina Georgetown College
Other notable offers: Kentuky, Louisville, Mississippi, UCLA
Scoop: Mason went to North Carolina and was a hybrid receiver/tight end, but he barely played and was suspended indefinitely for undisclosed reasons. After the 2009 season,  he transferred to Georgetown College in Kentucky and had 20 catches for 340 yards and 5 touchdowns as a fifth year senior in 2011. He went undrafted in the 2012 NFL Draft and appears to have concluded his football career.

Marquis Maze
High school: Birmingham (AL) Tarrant
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #52 ATH
College: Alabama
Other notable offers: Auburn, Miami, Tennessee
Scoop: Maze originally committed to Michigan but ended up signing with Alabama. He redshirted as a freshman and had 11 catches for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns as a redshirt freshman in 2008. Maze became a starter in 2009 and finished just behind Julio Jones in several categories with 31 catches, 523 yards, and 2 touchdowns. As a redshirt junior in 2010, Maze caught 38 passes for 557 yards and 3 touchdowns. He was targeted more frequently as a fifth year player in 2011 when he caught 56 passes for 627 yards and 1 touchdown. Maze was also a solid punt returner who had 54 punt returns for 703 yards and 1 touchdown between 2010 and 2011. He earned Second Team All-SEC honors in 2011, and you may remember him pulling his hamstring on a punt return against LSU in the BCS Championship game against LSU. He went undrafted in the 2012 NFL Draft and was cut by the Steelers after signing as an undrafted free agent.

Niles Paul
High school: Omaha (NE) North
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #10 WR, #73 overall
College: Nebraska
Other notable offers: Iowa State
Scoop: Paul played sparingly as a freshman in 2007, notching just 1 catch for 6 yards. He became a part-time starter in 2008 and grabbed 23 passes for 214 yards. As a junior in 2009, he broke out with 40 receptions for 796 yards and 4 touchdowns, all of which earned him Second Team all-conference honors. He finished up his career with 39 receptions for 516 yards and 1 touchdown in 2010. Paul was also a quality returner; he had 60 punt returns for 647 yards and 1 touchdown, and he had 77 kickoff returns for 1,887 yards and 2 touchdowns. He was selected in the 5th round (#155 overall) by the Washington Redskins in the 2011 NFL Draft. As mostly an H-back type for the Redskins, he has amassed 14 catches for 228 yards and 1 touchdown in three seasons.

Markques Simas
High school: San Diego (CA) Mira Mesa
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #20 WR
College: Colorado
Other notable offers: Arizona State, Oregon, San Diego State
Scoop: Simas redshirted as a freshman in 2007 and was declared academically ineligible to play in 2008, but he still managed to win the program's Scout Team Player of the Year. During his first year of seeing the field in 2009, he managed to catch 43 passes for 585 yards and 3 touchdowns. Unfortunately, he got charged with a DUI in 2010, failed to show up to court, and got kicked off the team. There was some noise about him transferring to San Diego State, but that appears not to have materialized and his football career seems to have ended.

Taurian Washington
High school: Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary's
Ratings: Rivals 4-star WR
College: Ohio State
Other notable offers: Michigan State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin
Scoop: Washington played sparingly as a freshman in 2007 and caught 3 passes for 46 yards and 1 touchdown. He was limited mostly to special teams in 2008 and contributed 1 tackle. Washington sat out the 2009 season. As a redshirt junior in 2010, he caught 5 passes for 61 yards. He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft but popped up in the Arena League in 2012, when he played for both the Milwaukee Mustangs and the Orlando Predators, totaling 40 receptions for 485 yards and 6 touchdowns. His career appears to be finished.

CONCLUSIONS
Biggest miss: Marquis Maze. This is a tough choice because none of the guys Michigan offered really turned into stars, so I see it more as an issue of "fit." Any of these guys would have played the majority of their careers for Rich Rodriguez, and Maze would have been a solid slot receiver for Rodriguez, and possibly a punt returner, too. Michigan got decent production from its slot guys (Martavious Odoms, Kelvin Grady, Roy Roundtree, etc.), but Maze was pretty consistent and could have played on the outside once Brady Hoke was hired.

Biggest bust: Markques Simas. This is close between Simas and Taurian Washington, but Washington got opportunities to get on the field and just never did much. Meanwhile, Simas clearly had talent and did well as a redshirt sophomore, but he just couldn't stay out of trouble. Considering the guy who vaguely took his place (Toney Clemons) got drafted and has bounced around the league, Simas could be earning a paycheck in the NFL right now.

Best in class: Titus Young. Just kidding! He's a head case. Dez Bryant was a 4-star wideout and the #54 player in the nation coming out of Lufkin (TX) Lufkin. He picked Oklahoma State over Arkansas, Louisville, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and others. Okay, he's a head case, too, but he has the talent to back it up. As a sophomore in Stillman, he caught 87 passes for 1,480 yards and 19 touchdowns and was named an All-America in 2008. Some eligibility issues caught up to him to end his career prematurely, but he was the #24 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft and has 293 catches, 4104 yards, and 40 touchdowns in his four-year pro career.

Ex-Wolverine Updates: Pre-Season 2012

Sam McGuffie is the face of the Rice Owls' program this fall

Some Michigan fans surely don't care much what happens to guys after they decommit or transfer from Michigan, but I'm not one of them.  I like to track them and see how they're doing elsewhere.  Most of the time, they don't find a ton of success on the football field.  But a few - like Toney Clemons, Anthony Fera, DeQuinta Jones, and Sam McGuffie - have become quality players for other FBS programs.  Here are some of the updates since last year, with more info to be found on the Ex-Wolverine Encyclopedia.

Former Michigan QB commit Shavodrick Beaver: Beaver sat out the 2011 season after transferring from Tulsa to Midwestern State.  He is listed as a 6'3", 193 lb. redshirt junior quarterback for the Mustangs.

Former Michigan CB Greg Brown: Brown is listed as a 5'11", 195 lb. defensive back on Findlay's roster.  He transferred shortly into the 2011 season after enrolling early in January 2011.

Former Michigan TE commit Pharaoh Brown: Brown is listed as a 6'6", 234 lb. freshman tight end on Oregon's roster.

Former Michigan CB Cullen Christian: Christian is listed as a 6'0", 195 lb. defensive back on Pitt's roster.  He is expected to start at cornerback for the Panthers this year.

Former Michigan WR Toney Clemons: Clemons was a 7th round draft pick out of Colorado in the 2012 NFL Draft.  He remains on the Steelers' roster at this point but did not have a catch in their first preason game against the Eagles.

Former Michigan CB commit Dallas Crawford: Crawford was Miami's Scout Team Player of the Year on defense, but he is now listed as a 5'11", 190 lb. running back on the Hurricanes' roster.

Former Michigan CB commit Demar Dorsey: Dorsey was supposed to enroll at Hawaii after transferring from Grand Rapids Community College, but he does not appear on Hawaii's roster for the upcoming season.  UPDATE: Dorsey is transferring to Western Arizona Junior College for the upcoming season.

Former Michigan S Vladimir Emilien: Emilien is listed as a 6'1", 204 lb. safety at Toledo after sitting out the 2011 season due to transfer rules.  He is expected to start this fall at a hybrid safety/linebacker position.

Former Michigan K commit Anthony Fera: Fera transferred from Penn State to Texas after the PSU sanctions were announced.  He currently has a groin injury and is not practicing with the Longhorns, but he is expected to start when healthy.

Former Michigan OT commit Jake Fisher: Fisher is listed as a 6'6", 294 lb. offensive lineman on Oregon's roster.  He is expected to start this year for the Ducks.

Former Michigan QB Tate Forcier: Forcier signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League after leaving San Jose State, but he was released from the team in June.  His current football status is unknown.

Former Michigan K commit Matt Goudis: Goudis is a redshirt freshman kicker at Miami.

Former Michigan FS Carvin Johnson: Johnson supposedly transferred to Hampton but does not appear on the Pirates' roster for the upcoming season.

Former Michigan DT commit DeQuinta Jones: Jones is listed as a 6'5", 299 lb. defensive tackle and is expected to start for the Arkansas Razorbacks this fall.

Former Michigan LB Kellen Jones: Jones left Oklahoma for Clemson, but does not appear on the Tigers' 2012 roster.

Former Michigan RB Sam McGuffie: McGuffie is listed as a 5'11", 200 lb. redshirt senior running back on the Rice Owls' roster, though he is expected to contribute mostly at slot receiver this fall.

Former Michigan WR commit Bryce McNeal: McNeal transferred from Clemson to UConn in the middle of last season, but he does not appear on the Huskies' roster for 2012.  EDIT: McNeal has instead transferred to Louisville, where it looks like he'll begin this season as a backup.

Former Michigan QB commit Kevin Newsome: Newsome transferred to Temple from Penn State in the offseason.  He will be eligible to play this fall, but will likely be a backup to the incumbent starter.

Former Michigan WR commit DeWayne Peace: Peace is listed as a 6'0", 190 lb. redshirt junior wide receiver for Houston.  He is expected to start at wide receiver this fall.

Former Michigan LB Davion Rogers: Rogers left the Youngstown State program after the 2011 season.  His current playing status is unknown.

Former Michigan QB commit Kevin Sousa: Sousa is listed as a 6'3", 230 lb. redshirt freshman on Wake Forest's roster.

Former Michigan OL commit Caleb Stacey: Stacey decommitted from Michigan and signed with Cincinnati instead, but he left the team prior to the beginning of fall camp.

Former Michigan CB commit Anthony Standifer: Standifer is listed as a 6'1", 180 lb. defensive back on Ole Miss's roster.

Former Michigan WR Je'Ron Stokes: Stokes is listed as a 6'1", 198 lb. redshirt junior wide receiver for the Bowling Green State University Falcons.  He is in the mix to start this fall.

Former Michigan CB Justin Turner: Turner is listed as a 6'3", 204 lb. defensive back for Scottsdale Community College, where he started last season.

Former Michigan S Ray Vinopal: Vinopal is listed as a 5'10", 190 lb. redshirt sophomore safety on Pitt's roster.  He is expected to start for the Panthers this season.

Former Michigan CB commit Adrian Witty: Witty is listed as a 5'10", 182 lb. cornerback for the Cincinnati Bearcats.  He is in the mix to start this fall.

Ex-Wolverine Updates: The Class of 2007

Ryan Mallett (#15) looks frustrated at having to watch Tom Brady do his thing

Former Michigan wide receiver Toney Clemons played for Michigan in 2007 and 2008 before transferring to Colorado.  He was the Buffaloes' leading receiver in 2011 with 43 receptions for 680 yards and 8 touchdowns.  He has not been invited to the NFL Combine yet, but he is preparing for Colorado's pro day, which is scheduled for March.

Former Michigan linebacker Marell Evans returned to Michigan for 2011, but due to some issues with the NCAA Clearinghouse, he was never able to suit up for the Wolverines during the 2011 season.  The coaches said that he did an excellent job as a scout team player throughout the season, despite being ineligible.  He recently participated in the NFLPA Bowl, where he made 9 tackles.

Former Michigan quarterback Ryan Mallett is in Indianapolis preparing for the Super Bowl against the New York Giants.  He spent the 2011 season as New England's third string quarterback and didn't play in a single game as a rookie.  Coincidentally, he's behind former Michigan quarterback Tom Brady and former Michgian State quarterback Brian Hoyer.

Former Michigan commit Marquis Maze spent the last five years on Alabama's team, winning a couple national championships in the process.  The 5'10", 180 lb. wide receiver caught 56 passes for 627 yards and 1 touchdown this past season.  He also returned 50 punts for 436 yards and 1 touchdown, and added another 342 yards on 13 kickoff returns.  He's getting ready for the 2012 NFL Draft.

Former Michigan wide receiver Zion Babb, safety Artis Chambers, defensive tackle/fullback Vince Helmuth, and running back Avery Horn have presumably concluded their football careers, and things don't seem to have changed since the last updates on them, which are available on the Ex-Wolverine Encyclopedia.

2012 Players All-Star Classic

Cornerback/safety Troy Woolfolk will be participating in the
Players All-Star Classic on February 4

The Players All-Star Classic will be played in Little Rock, AR, at 4:00 p.m. on February 4.  Cornerback Troy Woolfolk (spelled "Woolfork" on the PASC roster) will be playing for the North, and linebacker Marell Evans has received an invitation to play as well, but he has not yet accepted.

Here's a list of other players from around the country who might be of interest to Michigan fans:

NORTH
TE Garrett Celek - Michigan State
DT Erik Lattimore - Penn State
WR Derek Moye - Penn State
CB Troy Woolfolk - Michigan

SOUTH
WR Jarrett Boykin - Virginia Tech
OG Jaymes Brooks - Virginia Tech
WR Toney Clemons - Colorado*
OT Blake DeChristopher - Virginia Tech
OT Taylor Dever - Notre Dame
S Eddie Whitley - Virginia Tech

*Played for Michigan in 2008-09 before transferring

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Toney Clemons (#7)

Congratulations to former Michigan assistant coach Ron English, who won the Mid-American Conference's Coach of the Year Award this season.  He has improved Eastern Michigan's program from 0-12 to 2-10 and now a 6-6 record.

Former Michigan wide receiver Toney Clemons had 4 catches for 102 yards in Colorado's 17-14 win over Utah.  Since the Buffaloes aren't eligible to play in a bowl game, he finishes his fifth year senior season with 43 catches for 680 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Former Michigan commit and current Alabama wide receiver Marquis Maze had 4 catches for 18 yards in a 42-14 victory over Auburn.  He also had 1 rush for 1 yard.

Former Michigan running back Sam McGuffie missed yet another game due to injury on Saturday.  Rice isn't eligible for a bowl game this year, so he finishes his redshirt junior season with 38 carries for 158 yards and 1 touchdown.  He also caught 9 passes for 72 yards and 1 touchdown.

Former Michigan commit and current North Carolina H-back Christian Wilson had 1 catch for 8 yards in a 37-21 victory over Duke.

Check out the Ex-Wolverine Encyclopedia for news on other former Wolverines.

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Marquis Maze tries to pull away from a Georgia Southern defender.

Former Michigan wide receiver Toney Clemons had 3 catches for 50 yards and 1 touchdown in Colorado's 45-6 loss to UCLA on Saturday.

Former Michigan commit and current Alabama wide receiver Marquis Maze had 3 catches for 44 yards in a 45-21 victory over Georgia Southern.

Former Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez was hired to be Arizona's new head coach.

Former Michigan linebacker Davion Rogers had 2 tackles for Youngstown State as they lost to Missouri State by a score of 38-34.  Rogers finished the season with 45 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 interception for a touchdown, 2 blocked kicks, and 5 pass breakups.

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Toney Clemons

Former Michigan WR and current Colorado Buffalo Toney Clemons had 5 receptions for 115 yards and 1 touchdown in a 49-28 victory over Arizona.  He now has 36 receptions for 528 yards and 7 touchdowns on the season.

Former Michigan commit and current Alabama WR Marquis Maze had 4 catches for 22 yards in a 24-7 victory over Mississippi State.  He now has 49 receptions for 565 yards and 1 touchdown.

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Toney Clemons breaks away for a touchdown

Former Michigan wide receiver Toney Clemons was one of the few bright spots for the 1-9 Colorado Buffaloes last night against USC.  While the Buffs lost 42-17, Clemons had 5 catches for 112 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Last week he had 8 receptions for 97 yards and 1 touchdown in a 48-14 loss to Arizona State.

Former Michigan linebacker Kellen Jones had 1 tackle for Oklahoma as they beat Kansas State by a score of 58-17.

Former Michigan running back Sam McGuffie missed Rice's last game against Houston due to a sprained ankle.  He has only 158 rushing yards on the season.

Former Michigan commit and current North Carolina H-back Christian Wilson had 1 catch for 1 yard in UNC's 49-24 win over Wake Forest.

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Marquiz Maze had a great game for Alabama against
the Tennessee Volunteers.

Former Michigan wide receiver Toney Clemons had 2 receptions for 31 yards in Colorado's 45-2 loss to Oregon on Saturday night.

Former Michigan commit and current Alabama wide receiver Marquis Maze had 5 receptions for 106 yards in the Tide's 37-6 victory over Tennessee on Saturday.

Former Michigan running back Sam McGuffie had 2 carries for 11 yards in Rice's 38-20 loss to Tulsa on Saturday.

Ex-Wolverine Updates

I couldn't find any pictures of the players from this week's games,
so you get Ashley Nicole Arthur instead.

Former Michigan WR Toney Clemons had 2 receptions for 18 yards in Colorado's 52-24 loss to Washington.

Former Michigan RB Sam McGuffie had his most productive day of the year with 10 carries for 70 yards and 1 touchdown.  Unfortunately, it came in Rice's 24-20 loss to Marshall.

Former Michigan RB Austin White, now at Central Michigan, was suspended indefinitely for breaking team rules.  White has not yet played for the Chippewas.

More information can be found in the Ex-Wolverine Encyclopedia.

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Marquis Maze (#4) had 93 receiving yards on Saturday.

Former Michigan WR Toney Clemons had 3 catches for 31 yards in Colorado's 48-7 loss to Stanford this past weekend.

Former Michigan commit and current Alabama WR Marquis Maze had 9 receptions for 93 yards in Saturday's 34-0 win over Vanderbilt.  He leads the team in both receiving and punt returns.

Former Michigan RB Sam McGuffie had 1 carry for 5 yards and 3 receptions for 24 yards in Saturday's 28-6 Rice victory over Memphis.

Former Michigan commit and current Tar Heel H-back Christian Wilson had 1 reception for 14 yards in Saturday's 14-7 victory over Louisville.

Check out the Ex-Wolverine Encyclopedia for the status of other early departures.

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Remember when Michigan fans were excited about this?
Now Sam McGuffie has 25 carries for 72 yards in five games.

Former Michigan WR Toney Clemons had 3 catches for 19 yards and 1 touchdown in Colorado's 31-27 loss to Washington State.

Former Michigan commit K Anthony Fera averaged 39.0 yards a punt and went 3-for-4 on field goals in Penn State's 16-10 victory over Indiana.

Former Michigan LB Kellen Jones had 1 tackle for Oklahoma as the Sooners beat Ball State by a score of 62-6.

Former Michigan RB Sam McGuffie had 6 carries for -4 yards and 1 catch for 9 yards in Rice's 48-24 loss to Southern Miss.

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Toney Clemons catches a touchdown pass over
Ohio State cornerbackTravis Howard
(image via the Durango Herald)

Former Michigan wide receiver Toney Clemons had 4 receptions for 31 yards and 1 touchdown in Colorado's 37-17 loss to Ohio State on Saturday.

Former Michigan commit Dallas Crawford has not played for the Miami Hurricanes this year and looks like he's headed for a redshirt, but he's still on the roster.  There were some rumors that he was not on the team.

Former Michigan commit Matt Goudis, a kicker, also has not played for Miami but still remains on the roster.

Former Michigan commit Pearlie Graves, a defensive tackle, has decided to transfer from Texas Tech.  His destination is unknown.

Former Michigan commit Marquis Maze had 5 receptions for 40 yards in Alabama's 38-14 victory over Arkansas.

Former Michigan running back Sam McGuffie, now at Rice, had 9 carries for 24 yards in a 56-31 loss to Baylor.  He also had 2 receptions for 2 yards.

Former Michigan commit Bryce McNeal has decided to leave Clemson.  He'll try to graduate in the spring after only three years of college and then transfer to another school.  He has only 1 reception for 8 yards on the season, which came against Wofford.

Former Michigan commit John Wienke is third on the depth chart at quarterback for the Iowa Hawkeyes.  He's a redshirt junior this season, but I have to believe that he won't get a fifth year of eligibility.

What Could Have Been . . . Austin White

Former Michigan running back Austin White has enrolled at Central Michigan University and joined the football program there.  White was a part of the Class of 2010 and enrolled at Michigan in January 2010, but he clashed with the coaches and got into some trouble over the summer.  White was one of the players who had to "earn his wings" in fall camp, and the two parties decided to go their separate ways prior to the season.

Visit the Ex-Wolverine Encyclopedia page to find updates on former Michigan commits/players like Dewayne Peace, Sam McGuffie, Ryan Mallett, Shavodrick Beaver, Pearlie Graves, DeQuinta Jones, Dann O'Neill, Bryce McNeal, Kevin Newsome, Toney Clemons, Cobrani Mixon, and Quintin Woods.

Toney Clemons, Saint

An article from Joe Schad confirms the report from the Detroit Free Press, which stated that Michigan requires time commitments beyond the allowable maximum. Let's parse Clemons' statements line by line.

The allegations are true. Nothing is fabricated or exaggerated in that story.

Okay.

I was there on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. or 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. depending on if guys needed treatment. You were there daylight to nighttime.

This isn't the point. If guys needed treatment, that doesn't break the rules. A visit to the trainer does not count against the 20 allowed hours. Also, I'm from southeast Michigan - daylight in Ann Arbor does not begin at 10:00 or 11:00 a.m. And regardless of how long the player is at the facility, the question isn't about the time at the building; the question is about how the time inside the facilities is spent. In the football off-season, I spend about nine hours at school. I come in thirty minutes early to get work done. I take a half-hour lunch. I spend about an hour playing basketball after school. That doesn't mean I'm teaching for nine straight hours.

On Sunday, it was lifting, film, dinner and practice. I usually got out around 10:20.

Okay, specifics. Let's deal with specifics. Weight training doesn't count against the limit if it's done voluntarily. One down, three to go. Film doesn't count against the limit, as long as the student-athlete watches it voluntarily. Two down, two to go. Team training tables don't count against the limit. Three down, one to go.

Pesky practice. Practice is probably required. If the practice part goes over four hours, that's a problem. Especially if you're Allen Iverson.

I truly don't want to be associated with the program back there.

I don't blame you, Toney. You were the 91st best player in the class of 2007 and the 12th best receiver in the nation. Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington both entered the NFL draft early, opening the door for you to start . . . and you promptly got displaced by Martavious Odoms, the #71 wide receiver and a true freshman from the class of 2008. You could barely get on the field. On top of that, you couldn't beat out Laterryal Savoy for the outside receiver position, a guy who was so bad in practice that he auditioned to play defensive back in the spring of 2007. I would want to forget about that time in my life, too. Those are good reasons to transfer. You know, to disassociate yourself. When I get dumped by a girl, I usually try to forget about it by talking about it for months . . .

. . . wait a minute. You don't want to be associated with Michigan? Then why bring this up? Oh, yeah. This:

But I am going to help benefit my teammates back there by speaking and giving testimony.

Clemons's old teammates want Michigan to lose scholarships, see. He's trying to help them. If there are fewer scholarships and thus fewer quality players, that means his old teammates will get additional playing time. And if they have less practice time, that will make them better football players. More playing time + less practice time = NFL stardom. And if they have less practice time, maybe the kids can improve their collective GPA, which was the football team's highest in twenty years.

Toney Clemons, ex-Wolverine (update)

This is a few days old, but former Michigan wide receiver Toney Clemons has decided to continue his college football career in Boulder as a Colorado Buffalo.

Clemons was recruited by Lloyd Carr and played one season under that regime before Rich Rodriguez was hired. He made an ill-suited position switch to slot receiver and caught only 11 passes for 101 yards this past season.

Yet new Colorado offensive coordinatorEric Kiesau, who coached previously at Cal-Berkeley, said this:

"'He said he feels I can come in there and be at Colorado what [DeSean] Jackson was
at Cal,' Clemons said."

Uhhh . . . right. Jackson had 601 and 1,060 and 762 yards receiving in his three years as a Golden Bear. And he was a first round pick. Clemons' biggest achievement has been earning high rankings (such as #91 overall on Rivals in 2007) coming out of high school. This is an example of the type of B.S. that college coaches feed players in order to lure them to a school. Clemons might be a successful receiver, but DeSean Jackson he is not.

The total number of remaining players from Lloyd Carr's final recruiting class has dwindled from 20 to 14. Zion Babb (destination unknown), Artis Chambers (Ball State), Avery Horn (destination unknown), Ryan Mallett (Arkansas), Austin Panter (graduation), and Clemons have all opened up scholarships.

Clemons said nice things, especially about Carr and his staff, on the way out. Michigan fans should harbor no ill will toward him. I wish him good luck . . . unless we schedule a non-conference game against Colorado . . . and we're down 26-21 in the waning seconds of a game at dusk . . .

Toney Clemons, ex-Wolverine

Toney Clemons is officially transferring. He mentions Pitt as a possible destination, but he hasn't decided yet where he'll go.

Spring football notes

According to reports from spring practice, it looks like the roster will be shaken up some.

Rumors are swirling that junior wide receiver Toney Clemons will no longer be playing for the Wolverines. This has been a rumor for a while, but he has been absent from practices, so the writing appears to be on the wall.

Redshirt freshman Patrick Omameh is running with the first team offensive line, and it looks like the odd man out could be redshirt junior John Ferrara. Redshirt junior Steve Schilling has moved to left guard to take Ferrara's spot, and Omameh has been plugged in at right tackle. The rest of the offensive line will likely remain the same.

Sophomore Justin Feagin, redshirt freshman Terrence Robinson, and senior Carlos Brown have all been practicing throwing the ball. None of them is being looked at as a possible quarterback; they are simply in the mix for occasional direct snaps.

The competition at running back seems to be working wonders. Reports are that all the available running backs (Michael Shaw is injured) look good and are running the ball well, and that includes true freshman Vincent Smith.

Sophomore J.B. Fitzgerald is battling Kenny Demens for the open linebacker job, but it looks like Fitzgerald has a leg up in that fight. The other linebacker who earned a starting nod last year, Marell Evans, is playing the hybrid DE/OLB position, along with Brandon Herron, Steve Watson, and Anthony Lalota.

The coaches are giving redshirt freshman Brandon Smith every opportunity to win the starting strong safety job. It looks like redshirt sophomore Michael Williams will be the starter at free safety. It's yet to be determined what role senior Steve Brown will play, but it looks like his role will change. He'll be playing closer to the line of scrimmage if Smith can prove himself worthy of the starting job.

This quite possibly means nothing, but one picture I saw showed Kevin Grady as the long snapper.