 |
| Why not? |
I put up a post yesterday on Maize 'n' Brew about What to Expect on Signing Day, including predictions on Michigan's few remaining recruits. Check it out if you're interested.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Maize 'n' Brew: What to Expect on Signing Day
I put up a post yesterday on Maize 'n' Brew about What to Expect on Signing Day, including predictions on Michigan's few remaining recruits. Check it out if you're interested.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Mailbag: Could Desmond Morgan play fullback?
 |
| Desmond Morgan + truck stick = fullback? |
With all of the linebackers Mattison is bringing in, where does a kid like Desmond Morgan fit in? Do you think they are going to run a 3-4 in the future or do you think he might be able to fit in as a fullback in the future? I know it's crazy but just think if you had a fullback who could throw the ball..... what kind of trick plays you could run.... or just having him as the protector on punt formation... Just seeing what your thoughts were on where he might end up. Thanks, AndyWithout hearing a plan come directly out of Greg Mattison's mouth, it's difficult for me to say with any certainty what type of defense Michigan will run in the future. If the rumor is true that Will Campbell has made the switch back to defense, then I would say that's a good indicator of intentions to run a 4-3 type of defense. After all, there wouldn't really be a need for so many defensive linemen if Michigan were only going to use three of them at any given time. New recruits have also reported that head coach Brady Hoke was selling a 4-3 defense.
I said in a previous post that I think Michigan will run a defense that looks an awful lot like Greg Robinson's in 2009. That's with Craig Roh as a rush linebacker, plus a NT, a 3-tech DT, and a 5-tech strongside end. The biggest difference between Michigan 2009 and Michigan 2011, I'm guessing, will be the use of a nickel corner in obvious passing situations. Whereas Robinson used converted safety Steve Brown as a three-down linebacker, a guy like Courtney Avery might be able to play over the slot receiver, replacing a linebacker less gifted in pass coverage.
As for Morgan himself, I expect that he'll stay at linebacker. I think he's perfectly suited to be a middle linebacker in a 4-3. And as far as I know, none of the coaches have mentioned to him the possibility of moving to offense. My assumption about why Hoke and Mattison are pursuing so many linebackers comes down to this: the linebacker play at Michigan has been quite putrid for a few years, and the fact that nobody really challenged Mouton or Ezeh for most of that time doesn't bode well for whoever's behind them on the depth chart. Demens did a pretty nice job taking over at MIKE, and I'm not convinced that J.B. Fitzgerald can't be a solid player. But Fitzgerald is a senior and his chance to impact is dwindling. We haven't seen much of the guys behind them.
The fullback position might be a bit overblown by Michigan fans, too. Al Borges has shown a propensity for using two tailbacks in the backfield at the same time. Think Bo Jackson and Marcus Allen if you're old enough, Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams if you're not. When the latter pair played for Borges at Auburn in 2004, Brown ended his season with 913 yards and 8 touchdowns. Williams had 1,265 yards and 12 touchdowns. This is going to be a different style of offense than we saw Michigan use in Lloyd Carr's last few years. Instead of big bruisers like Kevin Dudley and Obi Oluigbo, this is probably going to be more B.J. Askew. The only fullback Michigan offered in the 2011 recruiting cycle is Trayion Durham (since committed to Kent State), who's a pretty nifty runner. I wouldn't be surprised to see a kid like Stephen Hopkins or Michael Cox play "fullback" while Michael Shaw or Fitzgerald Toussaint plays tailback. That would give Michigan's backfield a nice combination of size and wiggle. Additionally, John McColgan could return for a fifth year, and there's a fullback from Traverse City named Joey Kerridge who should be coming to Ann Arbor as a walk-on.
Regarding fake punts and trick plays, I don't think Desmond Morgan playing linebacker would preclude him from being the upback on punts. In fact, that would probably be a great place for him. As for running trick plays out of the regular backfield . . . it would be possible, but I don't know that I've ever seen a fullback throw a pass before. If you're using a fullback, he's typically about four yards behind the line of scrimmage and in a blocking position. Handing or tossing him the ball and expecting him to get a throw off from the fullback spot would be a tall order.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Chris Bryant, Wolverine
Chris Bryant, a 6'5", 330 lb. offensive lineman, committed to Michigan on Friday night. It had been rumored for many months that Bryant was a Michigan lean, and he finally made the public announcement. Bryant is from Simeon Career Academy in Chicago, IL.
The hulking lineman is a 4-star prospect to Rivals (which projects him as an offensive tackle), but both Scout and ESPN give him a 3-star rating (as an offensive guard). He also had offers from Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, and Stanford, among others. The other finalists for his services were Arizona, Illinois, and Pitt.
I find the above rankings to be a little funny. Bryant's body type obviously leans toward playing guard at the next level, but the two sites who project him as a guard gave him only three stars. Conversely, the one site that oddly ranks him as a tackle gives him a very high rating. That seems to be backward, but oh well.
Clearly Bryant has some work to do on his body. There's a humorous quote from a Scout.com interview where Bryant says, "I'm not a sloppy 330, I'm built." Well . . . he's a little bit sloppy. Not too many high schoolers are 330 lbs. and "built." In fact, I might even go out on a limb and say zero of them are. High school kids don't have the hormones, time, or inclination to be a built 330 lbs. So Phil Pfister he's not, but if a kid wants to think he looks sexy with a big belly, who am I to stop him?
The bottom line is that Bryant is a very powerful kid. He has a reported bench press of 395 lbs. His squat number of 420 lbs. isn't extremely impressive, but when you consider the fact that he's lifting his own 330 lbs. plus another 420, well, that's not bad. When you watch Bryant's film, it's evident that he plows over defensive linemen. He's the type of lineman that demoralizes you by blocking you into the ground and then hitting you again and again when you try to get up. Eventually players just bide their time until the whistle blows. He's not quite to the level of Taylor Lewan in nastiness, but he's pretty close.
The thing I like most about Bryant, though, is his footwork. For such a big kid, he moves his feet superbly. Unlike fellow class of 2011 behemoth Aundrey Walker, Bryant keeps his feet moving throughout the play. Whereas Walker gives opponents a shove or two and expects them to give up, which they often do, Bryant drives his man or keeps his feet moving laterally in short, choppy steps. (Bonus: I ranked Bryant just ahead of Walker and just behind recent USC commit Cyrus Hobbi back in January.) His excellent footwork and potentially overwhelming size and strength should turn him into an excellent offensive lineman at Michigan.
Bryant will need to play a little bit lower and condition his body, but from all accounts, he is a high character kid. I expect that he'll get his weight under control, improve his lower body strength, and be a multi-year starter at Michigan. He'll almost certainly redshirt in 2011 and watch Patrick Omameh and Ricky Barnum man the guard positions in 2012, but as a redshirt sophomore in 2013, Bryant should be in line to step into the starting group. He's not the all-around athlete that former 5-star William Campbell is, but as strictly an offensive lineman, I would take Bryant 2011 over Campbell coming out of high school.
This is commitment #17 for Michigan. There are three or four spots remaining in this class, one of which would likely be reserved for Traverse City offensive lineman Jake Fisher. A commitment from Fisher would likely end offensive line recruiting, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the coaches pursue a lower level player over the next few days if Fisher doesn't give off positive vibes to the Michigan staff.
TTB Rating: 87
The link HERE is a good highlight film but can't be embedded, so here are some clips of him at the Sound Mind Sound Body camp in Ann Arbor:
 |
| Yes, Chris Bryant's high school team was the Wolverines, too. |
Chris Bryant, a 6'5", 330 lb. offensive lineman, committed to Michigan on Friday night. It had been rumored for many months that Bryant was a Michigan lean, and he finally made the public announcement. Bryant is from Simeon Career Academy in Chicago, IL.
The hulking lineman is a 4-star prospect to Rivals (which projects him as an offensive tackle), but both Scout and ESPN give him a 3-star rating (as an offensive guard). He also had offers from Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, and Stanford, among others. The other finalists for his services were Arizona, Illinois, and Pitt.
I find the above rankings to be a little funny. Bryant's body type obviously leans toward playing guard at the next level, but the two sites who project him as a guard gave him only three stars. Conversely, the one site that oddly ranks him as a tackle gives him a very high rating. That seems to be backward, but oh well.
Clearly Bryant has some work to do on his body. There's a humorous quote from a Scout.com interview where Bryant says, "I'm not a sloppy 330, I'm built." Well . . . he's a little bit sloppy. Not too many high schoolers are 330 lbs. and "built." In fact, I might even go out on a limb and say zero of them are. High school kids don't have the hormones, time, or inclination to be a built 330 lbs. So Phil Pfister he's not, but if a kid wants to think he looks sexy with a big belly, who am I to stop him?
The bottom line is that Bryant is a very powerful kid. He has a reported bench press of 395 lbs. His squat number of 420 lbs. isn't extremely impressive, but when you consider the fact that he's lifting his own 330 lbs. plus another 420, well, that's not bad. When you watch Bryant's film, it's evident that he plows over defensive linemen. He's the type of lineman that demoralizes you by blocking you into the ground and then hitting you again and again when you try to get up. Eventually players just bide their time until the whistle blows. He's not quite to the level of Taylor Lewan in nastiness, but he's pretty close.
The thing I like most about Bryant, though, is his footwork. For such a big kid, he moves his feet superbly. Unlike fellow class of 2011 behemoth Aundrey Walker, Bryant keeps his feet moving throughout the play. Whereas Walker gives opponents a shove or two and expects them to give up, which they often do, Bryant drives his man or keeps his feet moving laterally in short, choppy steps. (Bonus: I ranked Bryant just ahead of Walker and just behind recent USC commit Cyrus Hobbi back in January.) His excellent footwork and potentially overwhelming size and strength should turn him into an excellent offensive lineman at Michigan.
Bryant will need to play a little bit lower and condition his body, but from all accounts, he is a high character kid. I expect that he'll get his weight under control, improve his lower body strength, and be a multi-year starter at Michigan. He'll almost certainly redshirt in 2011 and watch Patrick Omameh and Ricky Barnum man the guard positions in 2012, but as a redshirt sophomore in 2013, Bryant should be in line to step into the starting group. He's not the all-around athlete that former 5-star William Campbell is, but as strictly an offensive lineman, I would take Bryant 2011 over Campbell coming out of high school.
This is commitment #17 for Michigan. There are three or four spots remaining in this class, one of which would likely be reserved for Traverse City offensive lineman Jake Fisher. A commitment from Fisher would likely end offensive line recruiting, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the coaches pursue a lower level player over the next few days if Fisher doesn't give off positive vibes to the Michigan staff.
TTB Rating: 87
The link HERE is a good highlight film but can't be embedded, so here are some clips of him at the Sound Mind Sound Body camp in Ann Arbor:
Coaching Clinic: Anybody going?
 |
| Sophie Reade will be there. I hope. |
On March 3-5, I'll be attending a coaching clinic in Allentown, PA. Among various college and high school coaches, speakers will include:
- Danny Hope, Purdue
- Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
- Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech
- Doug Marrone, Syracuse
I'm sure I'll relay some of what I learn on this here blog like I did a couple years ago after the Penn State clinic (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5)
*Not really, though.
Friday, January 28, 2011
2011 Offer Board Update
 |
| Louisiana cornerback Floyd Raven |
The 2011 Offer Board has been updated:
Ray Drew (DE) committed to Georgia.
Brandon Fulse (TE) committed to Auburn.
Mickey Johnson (NT) committed to LSU.
Stefan McClure (CB) committed to Cal.
Josue Matias (OT) committed to Rutgers.
Errin Joe (OG) committed to Georgia Tech.
Deon Lee (DE) committed to Troy.
Darius Patton (WR) committed to Pittsburgh.
Tre Mason (SB) committed to Auburn.
Floyd Raven (CB) committed to Ole Miss.
Antonio Poole (LB) committed to Michigan.
Added Russell Bellomy (QB) who committed to Michigan.
Malcolm Crockett (SB) committed to Pitt.
Terrell Chestnutt (CB) committed to West Virginia.
Added Trayion Durham (FB).
Floyd Raven (CB) committed to Texas A&M.
Malcolm Crockett (SB) decommitted from Cincinnati.
Added Marlin Lane (SB) who committed to Tennessee.
Hakeem Flowers (WR) committed to NC State.
Added Ryan Nowicki (OT).
Jay Rome (TE) committed to Georgia.
Byron Moore (FS) committed to Miami.
Matt Wile (K) committed to Michigan.
Raymon Taylor (CB) committed to Michigan.
Keith Heitzman (DE) committed to Michigan.
Bill Belton (WR) committed to Penn State.
Christian Westerman (OT) changed his commitment from Texas to Auburn.
Added Keith Heitzman (DE).
Michigan 61, Michigan State 57
Congratulations to the Michigan men's basketball team, which beat Michigan State at the Breslin Center for the first time in 14 years.
I watched the entire game while doing cardio at the gym. As you might guess, my legs are tired this morning.
Go Blue!
 |
| Zack Novak and Stu Douglass: Yes, Michigan's part-time power forward looks shorter than its shooting guard. |
I watched the entire game while doing cardio at the gym. As you might guess, my legs are tired this morning.
Go Blue!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Maize 'n' Brew: The Remaining Scholarships - Defense
 |
| Antonio Poole was the first one to drop. |
I recently put up a post over at Maize 'n' Brew on how Michigan might fill out the remainder of its recruiting class. Take a gander over there if you're interested.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)