Two slot receivers joined the class of 2010, both of whom committed early in the process.
New England Patriot receiver Drew Dileo
The first is Drew Dileo, a 5'10", 175 lb. player from Greenwell Springs, LA. Despite not having overwhelmingly impressive offers, Dileo can fill a role at Michigan - punt returner. Since Steve Breaston left after the 2006 season, Michigan has suffered from poor to mediocre punt returning. The role was assumed by guys like Donovan Warren (who took a lot of chances), Greg Mathews (sure-handed but slow), Martavious Odoms (whose butterfingers only show on punt/kick returns), and Junior Hemingway (again, slow). Dileo can play slot receiver, but his earliest chance to contribute will probably be on special teams.
It's a good thing this photographer had a high-speed shutter.
The second commitment at slot receiver comes from D.J. Williamson, from Warren, OH. Williamson is listed at 6'1" and 172 lbs., meaning he's thin and willowy. He has state championship track speed, but unfortunately, that speed hasn't necessarily shown itself on the football field. Since his commitment, he struggled through a senior season in which he was injured and his quarterback play was subpar. He could play out wide or in the slot, but said on National Signing Day that he'll start off inside.
Predictions: Dileo reminds me of New England Patriots receiver . . . Troy Brown. He'll probably redshirt in 2010, as guys like Odoms and Jeremy Gallon could handle the punt returning duties. But at some point in his career, we'll likely see Dileo deployed as a sure-handed, occasionally exciting returner. Williamson as a slot receiver intrigues me. When he appeared to be an outside receiver in the making, I thought he would get outmuscled and I'm not impressed with his route running. He has reportedly suffered from the dropsies at times, but if he can get that problem worked out, Williamson could be a speedy Roy Roundtree in the slot working against slower linebackers and safeties. As it is, I don't see him contributing for a couple years.
Grade: B. Neither player is an immediate-impact sort, but they don't need to be with guys like Martavious Odoms, Jeremy Gallon, Terrence Robinson, and Roy Roundtree ahead of them (in addition to Teric Jones and Kelvin Grady, who could play slot). Dileo fills a hole, and Williamson has the speed to make a few big plays before all is said and done. Ultimately, this is a position/class where Rodriguez could afford to "miss" with a player or two and not suffer greatly in the future.
Jerald Robinson. #4. The red, white, and silver #4. Uhhh...the guy catching the ball. Yeah, him.
The Wolverines picked up three wide receivers in the class of 2010 (slot receivers will be a separate category). At one point in the process, Michigan had six commitments from guys who were recruited to play either wide receiver or slot, so Rich Rodriguez obviously thought the team was lacking at the position. This despite the fact that Michigan only lost Greg Mathews and Laterryal Savoy in 2009, and they shouldn't lose anyone in 2010.
The first commitment came from Ricardo Miller, a 6'2", 208 lb. wideout from Dr. Phillips in Orlando, FL. So intent to play at Michigan, he and his family moved to Ann Arbor to attend Pioneer High School. Miller was considered by many Michigan fans to be at least a 4-star prospect, with the chance to be a 5-star. Unfortunately, many of them hadn't seen him play at that point. Miller is a big receiver with a magnetic personality; he was even credited by Rodriguez as an ace recruiter. What he lacks is elite speed. He might even lack above average speed.
A couple days later, running backs coach Fred Jackson's son, Jeremy Jackson, announced his commitment to Michigan. Jackson stands 6'3" and 194 and attended Huron High School in Ann Arbor. In a slightly alarming trend, Jackson also lacks great speed, perhaps even more so than Miller. In fact, both Miller and Jackson are so big and so . . . not fast that there has been much discussion that they could move to tight end.
Jerald Robinson, from Canton South in Ohio, waited until February 2010 to commit. He's a 6'2", 175 lb. receiver, although when I first evaluated him, I really thought he would be a candidate to play safety in college. He's not exactly a blazer, although he's faster than Miller and Jackson. Like Jackson, though, he's decent at going into traffic.
Projections: At this point, I think all three of these players will stick at wide receiver - no tight end for Jackson or Miller, and no safety for Robinson. That being said, I do not think any of the three will be assuming the crown of Michigan's Next Great Receiver. At least one will almost surely play in the fall, and I wouldn't be surprised to see two of them on the field; Rodriguez isn't shy about burning redshirts, for the most part. Robinson is the most likely to be an impact player in the passing game. He possesses the best speed and big play ability. The other two will have to prove their worth early on by blocking in the running game.
Grade: C. I'm not a big fan of this class of receivers. All three players have good qualities, but they also lack elite physical talent. In an offense that revolves around getting its players in space, Rodriguez took several early commitments from guys who might struggle to get open. And if they do get open, they might not be able to do much with the ball. Laterryal Savoy earned a starting job in 2008 by being the best blocking receiver on the team, but it's somewhat disturbing to think that perhaps the best thing that comes out of this class is . . . a couple Laterryal Savoys.
Recently, outgoing Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham was asked about Rich Rodriguez. He said:
After the season, we said that, ‘you can’t be up for so long, eventually you have to pay taxes,’ ” Graham said on Saturday. “That’s how we look at it until we get it back up. That’s what we’re going to do. I hope them boys get right next year. Because coach (Rich Rodriguez has) only got one more year — if they don’t do (anything). Because of the allegations, and then, if you have a bad year, then you’ve got to get someone new.
Last week I wrote a post about Morgan Trent making similar comments about Rodriguez's tenure at Michigan. Trent said:
I'm not surprised because I know what happened, and I know what kind of rules were broken. I couldn't see how they were going to get out of that. Whatever steps need to be taken (to restore Michigan's winning tradition), I'm all for it. What is happening right now obviously is not working. I don't know how long they're going to let this last until changes are made. This year is going to be the tell-all what's going to happen. We can't have three losing years in a row. Not at Michigan. To lose seven of last eight games (in 2009) is an embarrassment.
Representative of the Michigan online community, MGoBlog responded to Brandon Graham's statements with, "[These comments] don't say anything about Rodriguez, really. They say something about the guy offering the quote. Brandon Graham, as per usual, is win."
Compare this to MGoBlog's statement that, "The obvious contrast is with Morgan Trent, who sold out the program in a statement. He's just talking out of his ass because he dislikes RR, and I hereby excommunicate him."
My intention here is not to accost Brian, MGoBlog's originator. But since he's a knowledgeable Michigan fan, and someone other Michigan fans look to for leadership, his sentiments are echoed by many fans. These two statements are remarkably similar; the only significant difference lies within Trent's opening statement that "I know what happened, and I know what kind of rules were broken." And since the allegations told us all "what happened" and "what kind of rules were broken," I don't see how Trent's re-statement of public knowledge could possibly be damning.
My intention here is also not to attack Brandon Graham. What he said is probably accurate - this very well could be a do-or-die year for Rodriguez at Michigan. But the disparate reactions to each player's statement lie not in what was said, but who said it. As a likely first round draft pick this year, Graham has been afforded more leeway. He is our hero, so he can say anything he wants. Trent, on the other hand, had an up-and-down career and didn't get picked up until the sixth round of the 2009 draft; therefore, Michigan fans felt compelled to denigrate him in various uncouth ways.
This is nothing new. Talented and respected people get more slack. This is why Hollywood actors never serve time for domestic abuse or drug possession. It's why it was such a huge deal that New York mayor Michael Bloomberg *gasp* wanted criminal mastermind Plaxico Burress prosecuted to the full extent of the law for possessing a weapon illegally. In many instances, someone like Burress would get slapped on his left wrist while signing an autograph for the judge with his right hand.
But let's call a spade a spade - either Graham and Trent were wrong to say what they did, or neither statement was a big deal. I don't have a problem with either statement.
Michigan's lone offensive line commitment in 2010 is early enrollee Christian Pace. Pace comes out of Avon Lake, OH, and is likely a center. He could also play guard, but considering Michigan's depth at guard (Patrick Omameh, Elliott Mealer, Ricky Barnum, Quinton Washington, and Mark Huyge all have at least two years of eligibility remaining), the more pressing need in the 2010 class was a center.
Predictions: As long as two-year starting center David Molk can return from his torn ACL healthily, Molk and his immediate backup, Rocko Khoury, should hold down the fort. Mealer has also practiced at center, and Barnum was a center in high school, so there's no reason Pace should play in 2010. But when the center position opens up in 2012 after Molk graduates, I expect an all-out battle between a fifth year senior Khoury and a redshirt sophomore Pace. Pace has the athleticism to be an all-conference center as a starter.
Grade: C-. Pace will be a good player, but Michigan needed more linemen in the class of 2010. Once Steve Schilling and Perry Dorrestein graduate after the 2010 season, only ten scholarship linemen will remain on the roster. Not only does that set Michigan up for an inexperienced line in a few years, but it forces Rich Rodriguez to devote a significant amount (4-5) of his small 2011 class (13-14 as of now) to the offensive line.
Okay, so I realize the above photo isn't Stephen Hopkins or Austin White. However, Hopkins' high school uniforms looked like Ohio State's, and White's high school mascot was the Spartans. So I'm not putting pictures of them up here.
Hopkins is a 6', 235 lb. running back from Flower Mound, Texas. With both Brandon Minor and Kevin Grady graduating after this past season, Michigan was in need of another big back. According to Fred Jackson, Hopkins can play both fullback and superback. As an early enrollee, he might work himself into good enough shape to contribute as a freshman. But his ceiling seems to be somewhat limited due to his lack of speed. He may not be a "fullback" in the truest sense of the word, but I don't think he's headed for feature back territory.
White, on the other hand, is a 6', 186 lb. running back from Sterling Heights, MI. He's probably not the type of running back who will earn Heisman hype like Noel Devine and Steve Slaton did at West Virginia, but he has solid skills. His best asset might be his ability to catch the ball, but Michigan doesn't use its running backs as pass receivers very much. White might be the first running back under Rodriguez to consistently earn playing time both at running back and slot receiver, flip-flopping back and forth between plays. While his skills won't wow anybody, he could be a solid option in a variety of ways.
Predictions: Hopkins will not start, but will earn playing time as a short yardage back or a fullback in the fall. If Vincent Smith can return to decent playing form in 2010 after tearing his ACL against Ohio State, I expect Austin White to redshirt. Hopkins plays a position where there is more immediate need, whereas White would presumably be behind Michael Shaw, Fitzgerald Toussaint, Michael Cox, and potentially Vincent Smith. Teric Jones and Kelvin Grady could also figure into the mix at running back, so there's no need to play both freshmen in 2010.
Grade: B. I'm not extremely impressed with either running back, and I don't think either one has all-conference potential. This is somewhat disappointing, because none of the backs on the current roster have established themselves as big-time players, either. But I think both will be serviceable as spot starters or as role players throughout their careers.
Michigan picked up two commitments from quarterbacks in the class of 2010. The most highly touted of the two is Devin Gardner, generally viewed to be the jewel of the class. While he's rough around the edges as a passer, Gardner has the speed, size, arm strength, and athleticism to be an absolute game changer.
The second quarterback in the class is Conelius Jones, another athletic player from Spartanburg, South Carolina. While he was recruited as a passer, there have been conflicting reports about his college position; various newspapers and recruiting sites have identified him as a wide receiver or a defensive back. He's said that he wants a chance to compete at quarterback, but he'll play wherever the coaches want him.
Prediction: Gardner will earn and/or be forced into playing time in 2010. Ideally, he'd redshirt, but Tate Forcier appears to be somewhat physically fragile, and Rich Rodriguez can't toy with giving important snaps to Denard Robinson this year. Jones will almost surely redshirt. And while some people have quickly passed him off as a future wide receiver, he could be the quarterback in 2014. If Gardner plays as a freshman and Jones doesn't, Gardner will run out of eligibility in 2013. Jones could be Michigan's version of Jarrett Boyd at WVU, a solid player who played well when he finally earned the starting job as a fifth year senior.
Grade: A. In a year after pulling in two quarterbacks, Michigan got another two quarterbacks. One has star potential, and the other is a developmental prospect who has the athleticism to contribute elsewhere if needed.
former team captain, 6th round draft pick, enemy of the state
On the heels of reports from the Detroit Free Press, the NCAA launched an investigation into alleged infractions by Rich Rodriguez and his staff at the University of Michigan. On Monday night, the NCAA's allegations were made known to university administrators. On Tuesday afternoon, the university held a press conference, at which both head coach Rich Rodriguez and soon-to-be athletic director David Brandon admitted making past mistakes. Also on Tuesday afternoon, former Michigan cornerback Morgan Trent was interviewed by the Detroit News and said the following:
"I'm not surprised because I know what happened, and I know what kind of rules were broken. I couldn't see how they were going to get out of that.
"Whatever steps need to be taken (to restore Michigan's winning tradition), I'm all for it. What is happening right now obviously is not working. I don't know how long they're going to let this last until changes are made. This year is going to be the tell-all what's going to happen. We can't have three losing years in a row. Not at Michigan. To lose seven of last eight games (in 2009) is an embarrassment."
These comments immediately set off a firestorm in the Michigan blogosphere. In various places, I found quotes like "Morgan Trent is a piece of shit" (MGoBlog's message board), "While you're talking to the press Morgan, how bout telling us how Dwayne Jarrett's ass tastes?" (Genuinely Sarcastic), and "[Morgan's] father should have done us all a favor and pulled out. Or worn a rubber. Or punched your mother in the stomach" (a blog aptly named The Toolshed). Meanwhile, Trent was a sixth round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals and locked down their nickel cornerback job, making 28 tackles, 1 sack, and 4 pass breakups in his 2009 rookie season. If he's "truly horrible at football" (another MGoBlog message board post), then put me down as somebody who wants to be truly horrible at football, too.
As I was reading these comments - and responding to some - I couldn't help but feel disappointed in Michigan's fan base. Not only are the allegations perhaps the biggest letdown of the Rodriguez era, but Wolverine fans came out of the woodwork to denigrate and attempt to discredit Trent by insulting his body of work at Michigan.
To briefly recap Trent's career at Michigan, he was recruited in 2004 out of Orchard Lake St. Mary's as a wide receiver. He switched to cornerback during bowl practices of his freshman year, during which he redshirted, and played sparingly as a redshirt freshman. He became a starter opposite Leon Hall in the 2006 season, taking part in an embarrassing Rose Bowl loss to USC and The Horror against Appalachian State in 2007. In Rodriguez's first season at Michigan, 2008, Trent started the entire year at cornerback, but his solid - although not spectacular - play took a step back in the one-year experiment where cornerbacks coach/defensive coordinator Scott Shafer installed a failure of a defense, was neutered mid-season in favor of the 3-3-5 stack, and was promptly fired at the end of the season. It's not a coincidence that Trent's season as a fifth-year senior was a disappointment - he was undone by poor coaching and a poor scheme. Despite the poor coaching, he was named one of four team captains at the end of the season.
Trent finished his career as a 41-game starter, tallying 149 tackles, 7 interceptions, and 24 passes defensed. In addition, he did things like this (fast forward to 3:35) and this:
Now, should Morgan Trent have said the things he did? Probably not. Trent really added nothing that people didn't already know, and if he thought about it, he surely would have known that such comments wouldn't help Michigan's precarious position in the local and national media.
But he spoke the truth.
I'm not surprised because I know what happened, and I know what kind of rules were broken. Trent played at Michigan during the 2008 season, when some of these allegations took place. He was there. He saw it. Even if he didn't know at the time that rules were being broken, he's an insider - he knows more than any fan could. He might remember grad assistant Alex Herron showing up to 7-on-7s. He might remember practices going for an extra 20 minutes.
I couldn't see how they were going to get out of that. An infraction is an infraction is an infraction. You can't go back and change history, no matter how much you want to do so.
Whatever steps need to be taken (to restore Michigan's winning tradition), I'm all for it. What is happening right now obviously is not working. That's true. It's not. Michigan is 8-16 over the past two years and they're on the verge of "major infractions" (the NCAA's words, not mine).
I don't know how long they're going to let this last until changes are made. This year is going to be the tell-all what's going to happen at Michigan. We can't have three losing years in a row. Not at Michigan. This is a common sentiment amongst Michigan fans, media, and - let's face it - people within the program. Nobody knows how long Rodriguez has to right the ship. Some think that another losing season would get him fired. Some think he should get at least four years. I'm sure incoming athletic director David Brandon ponders the same question; he's been publicly supportive of Rodriguez, but he knows that Michigan can't endure infractions and losing seasons forever.
To lose seven of last eight games (in 2009) is an embarrassment. Does anybody want to argue that losing to MSU, Illinois, and Purdue wasn't embarrassing? How about the 45-24 loss to Wisconsin?
All the ire directed at Trent is a defense mechanism. After decades of admiring Bo Schembechler and his disciples, Gary Moeller and Lloyd Carr, Michigan fans cannot bring themselves to criticize the people who are truly to blame for what is happening right now at the University of Michigan - Rich Rodriguez and his staff.
A poster on MGoBlog said something to the effect that it makes him angry that "Haters are bringing down my Camelot." Yes, the Free Press did some digging - much of it unethical - and jump-started the investigation. But the crux of the issue is that Rich Rodriguez broke the rules. He overscheduled practice times. His staff watched off-season 7-on-7s when they shouldn't have. His staff punished players who skipped class. All of those things went against the rules that were put in place by the NCAA.
I'm not calling for Rodriguez to be fired. Far from it. Firing Rodriguez at this point would set the program even further back than it is. Barring any further infractions, he needs to keep his job through the 2010 season, and probably even 2011. But the tenuous hold he has on his job isn't entirely due to outside forces. From the onset of his Michigan career, he was put in a tough position with the roster and personnel and media working against him, but this attack from the NCAA and the media falls squarely on his shoulders.
Michigan fans, your anger is misplaced. Be angry at the Detroit Free Press for the unethical ways they tricked young football players into answering their slick questions last summer. Be angry at the NCAA for having rules that student-athletes shouldn't be punished for skipping classes. Be angry at Rich Rodriguez for letting things get out of control. Cancel your subscriptions, send letters, send e-mails. Let's not lose perspective of who's actually to blame.
