The BIG HOUSE Blog

Michigan Final 5 Starts Off 0-1

2012-01-27T08:59:00.001-05:00

We knew it was 50/50 decision between Stanford and Michigan for Josh Garnett. Michigan lost that coin flip and no matter his decision this was the first domino to fall in finishing Michigan's 2012 class.

So now what?

This decision has to be a positive for Jordan Diamond. When looking back at the last few months, it was probably too much to ask for two 5 star guys in the final 5. Jordan has been to Michigan like 5 or 6 times in the last year and has a good friend on the team already in Chris Bryant. Not real excited that he is announcing 2 days past signing day.

Alex Kozan I hear is leaning towards Iowa but Coach Hoke has a visit with him this weekend. I expect an announcement soon after. Alex can come in and play a position of need, which is center and Coach Hoke can make a pretty good case for early playing time.

Michigan is now back in the picture for 4 star offensive lineman Chris Mueller who was a Rutgers commit. The story goes Chris and Kyle Kalis became friends at the Army game and Chris thought about visiting Michigan early in January before he decided against it. Now Rutgers have lost their head coach to the NFL and he might take a visit to Ann Arbor. I am betting Kyle in in his ear about Michigan right now. Sounds like this could be a good plan B for Michigan and Chris.

Hoke had a in home visit with Sam Grant last night. I expect an announcement as early as today or this weekend.

Armani Reeves is struggling with his decision between playing with his best friend at OSU or at Michigan where he has a better relationship with the coaches and has stronger academics.

If Michigan misses out on Alex Kozan look for instate Dan Gibbs to maybe land a late offer from the Wolverines.

Ondre Pipkins was not happy camper last night about 6:15 on Twitter, he felt Garnett lied to him.

The big question mark now is: Will Michigan pull in a few surprise guys late in the process to try to get to 28 or will they bank a couple scholarships for next year? Right now it looks like a trip to the bank.

Can someone please explain to me, why Michigan didn't have a scholarship for Arnett? I don't understand that one at all.

Garnett to Stanford

2012-01-26T18:36:00.002-05:00

Time for plan B.

Latest Buzz........

2012-01-26T14:15:00.001-05:00

I am hearing that some of the Josh Garnett to Michigan guys are starting to think it might be Stanford. Not sure they have any new information to say one way or the other. I guess we will find out in 4 hours. Josh is still tweeting Erik Magnuson, so I hope that is a good sign.

I am sure you heard that former Michigan coaching candidate/Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano took the Tampa Bay job this afternoon Michigan is interested in two current Rutgers commits in offensive lineman Chris Muller and JJ Denman. It has been reported that Michigan might have already called Chris this morning. Pretty sure Chris was the 'secret visitor" that was planning a visit to Ann Arbor a couple of weeks ago but never happened.

Michigan Thursday: What Will Josh Garnett Do?

2012-01-26T09:35:00.000-05:00

Today is January 26th the day that 5 star offensive lineman Josh Garnett will make up his college decision known.   He did an interview late last night and says he is still 50/50 between Michigan and Stanford.   Since he is trying to make a decision between two good schools. I thought I would do a Tale of Tape for him to help with the final decision:

Academics = Push
Football Tradition = Michigan
Program Trending Up = Push
Chance to Play = Push
Distance from home = Stanford
Good Friend in Recruiting Class = Michigan
Outlook for Program over the next 4 years = Michigan   (loss of Luck and Harbaugh vs Denard, Devin and Shane at Michigan)
2012 Recruiting Class = Michigan (Scouts = Michigan #3 Stanford #21)

Votes:
Michigan = 4
Push = 3
Stanford = 1

As you can see it is a very close decision and could go anyway. Let's hope he goes Blue around 6:00 tonight!

Most recruiting services are calling Stanford which include Scouts, Rivals and ESPN. The local recruiting guys are calling Michigan.   This decision will have a big impact on how the rest of the class goes with Kozan, Diamond and Gibbs.

Bill Sheridan was just hired as an assistant coach at OSU. I think Nick still has some eligibility left. I don't consider this a big deal, Bill needed a job and found one.

Denard was at the Pistons - Heat game last night.

Jordan Diamond will announce on 2/3 with his teammate Robert Gregory. Robert is deciding between Arkansas, Minnesota, Kansas and Purdue. The only reason I bring this up is both Robert and Jordan have Arkansas on their lists. Package deal?

Coach Hoke will be in home with Sam Grant tonight.

Wolverine Wednesday: A Couple Quick Updates

2012-01-25T08:48:00.000-05:00

The Michigan Basketball team had a nice win on the road last night at Purdue. The Wolverines got out to a quick lead in the game and started the second half by extending the lead to 10 points before Purdue made a run to take a lead with about 5 minutes to play. The Wolverines played well and got points in the paint and got a 2 point win. We hear about Burke and Hardaway but Michigan plays better when Jordan Morgan is active in the paint by scoring and rebounds. It is also nice to see the team not living and dying by the 3. Nice win guys!

Sam Grant hosted Bob Stoops and the OK coaches yesterday afternoon. Sam will host Coach Hoke on Thursday and make his decision probably on Friday (Could be Thursday).

Armani Reeves hosted Greg Mattison late last night after his basketball game. The visit probably started after 9:00, so we don't have any reaction yet.

Josh Garnett makes his decision public tomorrow around 6:00 EST. Both Scouts and Rivals are calling Stanford.

With a week away from signing day, it's clear its Garnett, Reeves, Grant, Kozan and Diamond. I don't see any surprises unless they offer a late scholarship to Dan Gibbs. It would be nice to wrap up Garnett, Reeves, Grant and Kozan before signing day and sit back and wait for Jordan to make his decision on the 3rd.

Michigan Tuesday: It's all about Recruiting Updates

2012-01-24T11:00:00.003-05:00

Armani Reeves hosted Urban Meyer last night and the rumors (just rumors) was that Urban was late and Reeves and family came away unimpressed. I don't know if that is true or not but I sure like how it sounds at this point. Greg Mattison is due in home today. (Please be 15 minutes early!) Michigan could be the team to beat right now. Don't forget Urban called Greg Mattision the best recruiter in the nation.

Since we are close to a week away from signing day many recruiting services are starting to predict where the top rated kids are going to school. Since they talk like to recruits they get a good feeling where they might be headed.

Scouts is split on Armani - One vote for OSU, one for Michigan.
Rivals is not split on Josh Garnett with 5 analysts calling for Stanford and 1 for Michigan.
Scouts is not split on Jordan Diamond, with 2 votes for Michigan.

Seems the twitter activity from Josh seems to be trending towards Michigan and his friendship with Magnuson but I guess we will know for sure in two days. The Michigan coaches are in home with Mr. Diamond today.

Not sure if you saw this or not but former Michigan QB Scot Loeffler is now the OC at Auburn. Michigan has a former OC in Big AL and now Auburn as a former Michigan QB Coach.

The Michigan Basketball Team looks to shake the road woes tonight against Purdue.

Recap of Michigan Seniors in All Star Games.

A Couple of Minutes on JoPa

2012-01-24T09:36:00.002-05:00

The closest I ever got to a coaching legend was being able to say hello to Bo Schembechler a couple of times. I didn't know him personally but I felt like I did. When he passed it felt like I had lost a Uncle, which was strange feeling for a man I had only met for a 1/2 a second a couple of times.

I am sure Penn State fans feel the same way the last few days. They lost the grandfather of their football program a guy that never wanted to retire because he knew what would happen.   Joe Paterno probably stayed 10 years or so too long as the head coach of Penn State Football. On the other hand, we really didn't know how much coaching he was really doing. When TV showed him in the press box he didn't have a headset on or wasn't talking to anyone. So it was clear he was a figure head when it came to his program but a man who still had a ton of power on and off campus.

I am torn on JoPa, he was loyal to Penn State until his last breath on Sunday but on the other hand he really didn't know how to be the CEO of Penn State Football. Times have changed since he put on his whistle 40+ years ago.   I am sure he never turned on a PC or carried a cell phone. He was old school and that was one of the reasons Penn State fans loved him. It was also the reason that lead to his downfall.

Back in the day, people stayed with one company and worked there until they earned their pension.   In many ways, they got their own identity from the job they had.   That is the mistake our forefathers made, a job doesn't define you, no matter what the job is. Being a father, a son, a husband, an Uncle, a friend, a little league coach, etc. Those are the things that define you.   Sure your job may play into it, but it shouldn't define all of you.

Why you ask? Because when that job is taken away from you (and it will).   You have nothing left.   Your will to live is gone.   I have clear examples in my own life and there are clear examples in coaching with JoPa, Bear Bryant and Woody Hayes.    Bill Gates maybe known as the richest man in the world and founder of Microsoft, but now his charity work defines him. I wonder which stage of his life will be more rewarding?

For all accounts, JoPa was a good person and even a better football coach that had a terrible ending to his story.    Right now, you can remember all the good things he did, but in the end he stayed too long and couldn't handle the very important situations when it ran across his desk.   JoPa supporters will ask you to remember everything up to the last 3 months when you consider his legacy, which I'm not sure is possible. Fact in point, we all remember that Woody lost his job becaues he punched a Clemson player in a bowl game.

This is a sad ending to an incredible run as head coach of Penn State.   RIP JoPa.

Michigan Monday: Recruiting Weekend Update

2012-01-23T08:58:00.004-05:00

Where in the world is Brady Hoke? He is flying coast to coast trying to wrap up this 2012 class with a couple 4 and 5 star players.

Visit on Saturday: To Armani Reeves who has made one decision. He is not going to Penn State and has officially de-committed. He really enjoyed the visit from Coach Hoke and his mother was really impressed. Armani now has a final 2 schools of Michigan and OSU. His good friend Carmen Williams changed his schools from Penn State to OSU last week and I am sure that will play a role in his recruitment. Urban is also going to be home with the Reeves today and Michigan's Ace recruiter Greg Mattison will be Armani's last visitor on Tuesday before he makes a decision. I expect after the visits Armani will take some time to reflect and then announce his decision. Armani picked PSU over Michigan this past summer because Michigan was a little late to recruit him. Michigan has been there now for a long time now and lets hope those relationships mean something to Armani. Don't forget that academics are very important to Armani and his family and the school "up North" is clearly superior in that category as well.

Visit on Sunday: Josh Garnett, who is announcing on Thursday hosted Coach Funk and Coach Hoke last night. Both coaches talked about what it means to be a Michigan Man and how they expect you to represent the University and his family while in Ann Arbor. That message really resonated with Josh and he will make a tough decision on Thursday between Michigan and Stanford. Josh is tweeting about how great it would be to be roommates with Erik Magnuson. Which would seem like a great sign. Side note: the new Michigan Blog: TreMendous has information and interviews for the above recruits.

Update on Jordan Diamond: He visited Arkansas this weekend and will visit Wisconsin next weekend. His final group is Michigan, OSU, Arkansas, Auburn and Wisconsin. He has delayed his decision date past NSD on 2/3 and will have the Michigan coaches in home with him on Tuesday.

Update on Sam Grant: Sam officially de-committed from BC yesterday and will host Brady Hoke at his home this Thursday. His recruitment seems to be down to Arkansas, Oklahoma and Michigan. Sam is on "commitment watch" after Thursday's visit.

Update: Coach Hoke and Funk will be in home with Alex Kozan on Saturday. Alex is down to Michigan, Iowa and Auburn. Alex lives in Colorado, so distance isn't an issue.

The word on the street is that Caleb Stacey's de-commitment will help Michigan's 2012 class instead of hurting it. They now have 5 spots available and updates on 5 guys above. Coincidence?

Wolverine Weekend Update: Stacey De-Commits

2012-01-21T17:41:00.011-05:00

Cincy offensive lineman Caleb Stacey has decided to play his college football close to home at The University of Cincinnati rather then in Ann Arbor next year. I'm sure it was very clear to him that Michigan was putting together the top offensive line class in the country and he might be the odd man out.

I hope this was his decision to change schools 2 weeks before signing day. Caleb was Michigan's second commit in the 2012 class. The plan now is for The Wolverines is to take 2 lineman out of Garnett, Diamond and Kozan. They even might take all 3 if they want to commit. I vote for all 3 with Kozan playing center.

Speaking of Garnett, his in home visit from Coach Hoke is being delayed a day due to weather in Seattle. He should be there on Sunday.

Michigan Friday: Setting the Table for NSD

2012-01-20T09:19:00.001-05:00

Ok, Big House Blog Inmates it's time to check the invite list for the remaining 4 spots for Michigan's Football Dinner party on 2/1.

The Big Eaters/Offensive Lineman:

#1: Josh Garnett - Down to Standford and Michigan. Coach Hoke will be in home with Josh and family this weekend.   Josh will announce his decision next Thursday at 6:30 EST.   Both schools are as strong as they come academically and Josh's biggest question with Stanford is: Can they stay on top with out Harbaugh and Andrew Luck? Distance is not a factor.

#2: Jordan Diamond - This recruitment has been a roller coaster ride. After his junior year it looked like Jordan was a lock to Ann Arbor. He must have visited 4 or 5 times.   Then it seemed things cooled as other OL's committed to the Wolverines. Jordan was in town last weekend and the visit went really well and there was even a rumor/tweet by Ondre Pipkins that Michigan just landed another top recruit and his hint was Kay Jewelers. The recruiting sites are saying Jordan did not commit, but things sound positive.   Jordan is taking 2 more visits to Arkansas and Wisconsin before signing day and is planning a big signing day announcement party.

#3: Alex Kozan - Could announce at any time and has Michigan in his top 3. The word on the street is that Iowa leads.   Michigan is looking at Alex at center.

If you throw the salt he will catch it:

Sam Grant: TE from Ohio that has been hot with late. He is 3 stars but has come big offers from BC, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Michigan. His teammate and good friend Kyle Kalis is Blue, will Sam be as well? If Distance is a factor then Sam should be blue, I am hearing he liked Oklahoma as well. I would expect a decision some time next week.

If you throw the salt to the wrong person, he will knock it down

Armani Reeves: 4 star DB that is committed to PSU.   I'm sure he is conflicted on what to do and has visited Michigan and OSU in the last week.   The Michigan coaches want him in this class and made him the #1 priority on the last spot on defense in this class. I think he will take all the time he can right up to NSD to make a decision.    Michigan will be in home with him this weekend, so we will see what happens from here. I also expect he might take another visit to Happy Valley before the 2nd.

Recruiting Questions:

Do you expect any new names or NSD surprises? At this point, I do not. The above names seem to be the only prospects Michigan is looking at.

Would Michigan take 2 lineman out of Garnett, Diamond and Kozan?: I believe they would. They are announcing at different times, so I expect Michigan will have a good idea on how it might go down before signing day.

What happens if Michigan gets shut out on all the guys above? Not probable but it could happen. If that did happen, I think the coaches would extend a late offer to instate lineman, Dan Gibbs who has offers from Ball State and EMU. Dan is 6'7 320 pounds. I would also scrach my head on why they couldn't find room for Arnett.

Michigan Thursday: Quick Recuriting Big House Bullets

2012-01-19T11:50:00.000-05:00

Jordan Payton will not be hosting Coach Hoke today and will visit UW this weekend. Let's hope this is the end of his recruitment to Michigan.

Monty Madris is heading to MSU this weekend. This and the above info probably ends Michigan getting a 3rd WR in this class.

Armani Reeves enjoyed his visit to Ann Arbor and is taking in Columbus today. The Michigan coaches will be in home with him on Saturday.

ESPN new 150 just got released. Still doesn't seem to match up well with Scouts or Rivals with Michigan recruits.

Wolverine Wednesday: StoDone

2012-01-18T09:12:00.001-05:00

Darryl Stonum was getting a second chance with the Michigan football program. He had two rules that he had to follow; work hard and stay out of trouble - there wouldn't be a 3rd chance. He didn't stay out of trouble and now this:

"I love Darryl and wish him nothing but the absolute best," Hoke said. "However, there is a responsibility and a higher standard you must be accountable to as a University of Michigan football student-athlete. That does not and will not change. It's unfortunate because I believe he has grown a great deal as a person since the beginning of the season. My hope is that maturing process continues."

"I appreciate everything the University of Michigan, Dave Brandon and Coach Hoke have done for me," said Stonum. "I look forward to continuing my football career down the road, but more importantly, right now I'm focused on graduating from Michigan this Spring. I understand only I am responsible for my actions. I'm sad about how all of this turned out, but I completely understand. I love this school and my team and will miss them all greatly. But I'll always be a Wolverine. I know I have grown and matured as a person over the last nine months, and I will continue to learn and grow every day. I want to thank everyone for all of their support, and I hope they will support me in the future."

I wish Darryl all the best and wish it could have worked out differently. We all make mistakes as college kids but he just made way too many serious ones. I am happy he will graduate in the Spring and I hope he can play one more year at D1 school or D1A. He would haven't to sit out if he transfers to a school with a graduate program that Michigan does not have.

Now it's clear that Michigan wants a 3rd WR, too bad we didn't have space for Arnett to enroll right away. I still believe MSU was his second choice.

This leaves a hole in Michigan WR and Kick Return plans for 2012. Look for Gallon to take on more KR duties.

One of the rumors that is floating around is that Michigan started to back off Yuri Wright after they read some of his inappropriate tweets. I read some and yes, they were way out of bounds and not what you want prospective schools reading. I know 18 year olds say that stuff, I just think they should keep it off Twitter. He could be a good kid but he used very poor judgement here.

The Michigan Basketball team pulled out their 3rd straight win against MSU last night. It was a close one. They did it on a night when Hardaway didn't have his best stuff but Trey Burke did. This freshman can play! Another nice win. I love that Michigan Basketball is relevant again. Love seeing Denard, Larry Foote, Woodley and Kelvin Grady at the game as well.

This new Michigan blog is pretty much interviewing everyone. Here is his latest interview with Kyle Kalis. I predict this kid will start as a freshman.

Rivals final top 100 is out:

#14 Ondre Pipkins
#22 Kyle Kalis
#33 Josh Garnett
#78 Erik Maguson
#93 Jordan Payton

It's Transfer and Recruiting Season

2012-01-17T14:47:00.001-05:00

Gunner Keil #2 rated QB in the nation:
Commits to: Indiana early then to LSU in December (brother transfers from IU yesterday) then enrolls at ND today. Ok, I hope he can read defenses faster then colleges. (Gunner was interested in Michigan early and before Shane Morris committed in the class of 2013)

Jordan Payton top 100 WR:
Commits to: USC early, then picks Cal at the Army All American game, now is looking around and taking a visit from Brady Hoke this week.

Nick Montana, one of the top QB's in the 2010 class: Picked Washington over schools like ND, LSU, Alabama and many others in 2010 is transferring to a Junior College.

IU QB's Ed Wright-Baker and Dusty Kiel are rumored to be transferring to Arizona to play for RR. Rod Smith was the OC at IU last year. Like usual most of Arizona's scholarships QB's left AZ after RR was hired.

Iowa QB AJ Hardy who was moved to LB during the year is transferring from Iowa to Coffeyville Community College.. AJ had some legal trouble during the year.

Michigan Tuesday: 5 Star Search

2012-01-17T09:01:00.000-05:00

Ondre Pipkins is arguably the most important Michigan recruit in the 2012 class. Why? Michigan loses Mike Martin and Ryan VanBurgen to the graduation and the NFL and only has a few options behind them. We are all hoping for Big Will to turn into that 5 star prospect we all hoped he would be but behind him are either redshirt freshman or guys like Richard Ash. Former offensive lineman Q Washington has gotten some good practice press but didn't play much during the year.

Michigan has turned away other 5 star DL prospects from visiting because of Ondre Pipkins and now he is a 5 star recruit on Rivals thanks to a dominating Army All American game. He still is 4 star on Scouts & 24/7 and unbelievably 3 stars on ESPN. I expect him to move up on ESPN which many have questioned their ratings in the past. (Some say he won't move up because he played in the Army game instead of ESPN's UA game).

Congrats to Ondre!

The Rasputin Recruit - Guess whose back? Yes, it's Jordan Payton. The Michigan coaches are doing an in home visit with him on Thursday. He is still committed to Cal who just lost their top recruiter to Washington. So Jordan is going to continue to look around. With Michigan visiting him, it is clear they want a 3rd WR in this class. I still think distance for his family is going to be a concern.

Everybody is checking in with Josh Garnett and what he will do. He did mention in this interview that Michigan and Stanford are his top 2 and still hasn't made a decision yet but that Erik Magnuson is making it hard for him to go anywhere but A2. We will see, he is a 9 days away from his announcement. To answer a question that came up on the board a couple weeks ago, Coach Hoke will be in home with Josh and family this Saturday.

2013 OL target Logan Tuley-Tillman participated in Camp yesterday wearing a Michigan jacket after visiting OSU this past weekend. Logan is also the lead story on ESPN's Wolverination right now.

Sounds like Madris is not visiting this weekend and that he maybe leaning towards MSU.

Michigan Monday: Time is Ticking Away for the Final 4 Recruits

2012-01-16T10:27:00.004-05:00

Michigan had 3 guys in town this weekend that the Wolverine coaches would like in their 2012 class. Those guys include Armani Reeves, Jordan Diamond and Sam Grant.

Michigan's top guy on the board is Josh Garnett who was out to Standford for an official. He visited the Farm for an unofficial a number of weeks ago, so this was his second visit to campus. He had a good visit and right now doesn't have a leader from his final 3 of Michigan, Stanford and ND. He is going to sit down these next two weeks and make his decision known on 1/26.

Sam Grant made it back to Ann Arbor on Saturday and has some in home coaches visits this week and then will make his decision. This final 4 are Arkansas, BC, Oklahoma and Michigan.

Jordan hung out with friend Chris Bryant and Big Will during his visit. He had a good time and called it one of his better visits. He will visit Arkansas and Wisconsin and will announce on signing day. I am not holding my breath on this recruitment, mostly if Garnett (who will annouce) sooner.

A top 2013 RB prospect Ty Issac calls his visit to Ann Arbor a 9 out of 10.

A name we haven't talked about in awhile is Alex Kozan who the Wolverines want to play center. He came to Ann Arbor in early December but keeps his recruiting process pretty quiet. His final 3 are Michigan, Iowa and Auburn. All 3 schools are coming in home for a visit this week (including Washington). Coach Funk will represent the Wolverines at the Kozan home. He might announce by the end of the week.

Walk-On News! Instate LB Mark Lawson has accepted a preferred walk-on spot on team #133. Mark is from Ada where he is ranked 2 stars by Rivals and not ranked by Scouts. He is 6'2 195 pounds and had over 100 tackles his senior year. (He needs a couple of years to put some weight on in Michigan's S&C program)

Michigan recruits dominate the Detroit News Dream Team.

Monty Madaris seems to be the only potential visitor for next weekend at this point (this visit is still highly in question). I expect some surprise names to pop up if guys start leaning towards other schools.

Michigan Friday: Visits Changing Quickly

2012-01-13T09:21:00.001-05:00

Yesterday's post was about the final 4 recruits and how Michigan has 3 strong targets but the 4th is still up in the air. The Michigan staff is still working on #4 and it seems they are still talking to Cincinnati WR Monty Madaris and want him to visit next weekend.

ESPN is reporting that Michigan is still in his top group with Cincinnati, Kentucky and MSU. Monty would like to make a decision in the next 2 weeks. So the Michigan visit could be his last one. If you remember, Michigan picked up LB Antiono Poole very late in the process last year. They have also secured Joe Bolden from Cincy who is already enrolled.

With Darryl Stonum's status still up in the air and not looking positive, Michigan may need another WR next year.

Visitors this weekend include: Jordan Diamond, Armani Reeves and Sam Grant in the 2012 class and two high profile guys in 2013 class with juniors from Joliet (IL) RB Ty Isaac and Woodbridge (VA) LB E.J. Levenberry.

Steve Wiltfong from 24/7 sports calls 2013 OL prospect Logan Tuley-Tillman: "Arguably the nation's top 2013 recruit". If you don't know Logan has been to Michigan a couple times already including last weekend. He wants to take some more visits but has said he would like to make a decision in the next few months. Right now he considers Michigan his leader and will be visiting OSU this weekend.

OSU has also offered State of Michigan 2013 RB Wyatt Shallman from CC. It seems one of Urban Meyer's recruiting strategies is to offer players that Michigan has.

Michigan Seniors are heading to a few All Star Games: Odoms is playing in the Florida All Star Game, Mike Shaw in the Casino del Sol All-Star Game in Tucson, Ariz, Mike Martin & David Molk in the Senior Bowl and Kevin Koger & Junior Hemingway in the East-West Shrine Game.

Michigan Thursday: Final 4 Wish List

2012-01-12T10:08:00.000-05:00

The Michigan coaches have a wish list to finish off this top 5 class nationally.   It's clear there are a few guys that they are targeting for these final 4 spots. Here is how I believe the final 4 board looks for the Wolverine coaching staff with roughly 3 weeks left before signing day.

#1. Josh Garnett (5 star OT) is the big fish still left on the board for the Wolverines.   Josh will spend some time at Stanford this weekend and then will make his decision in two weeks.   Wolverines advantages are playing with good friend Erik Magnuson and strong academics. Stanford of course has strong academics and it's closer to home.   He is clearly the top player on their board.

#2. Armani Reeves (4 star CB) is the top CB left on the board for the Wolverines. Michigan has dropped Yuri Wright and even though they have made some inquiries about other players, it seems it's Armani or bust at CB for the final 4 spots. Which seems like a pretty risky move with him still being committed to Penn State and looking to take at least one more visit to Happy Valley and maybe another school. Let's hope the Michigan coaches know something we don't.

#3. Sam Grant (3 star TE) is the last TE on the board for the Wolverines. This former BC commit is teammates with Kyle Kalis and is making his second trip to A2 this weekend.  Sam has been getting a ton of attention lately and just visited and picked up an Oklahoma offer. I would put Sam on commit watch this weekend.

#4. Hold, Mystery or Diamond.  Michigan might just hold this spot for next year or leave it open for Jordan Diamond (5 star).   Jordan is coming in this weekend and won't announce until Signing Day. I guess the coaches could take Garnett and Diamond but that would give them 7 offensive lineman in this class.   It's clear they want at least 6 but is 7 too much?

It's clear Michigan doesn't want anymore WR's, DL's, LB's or Safeties in this class. Which leaves cornerbacks, offensive lineman, quarterbacks or running backs. We know Michigan has it's 5 star QB in the 2013 class and is recruiting RB's in 2013 as well.

If I was a betting man, I would put money on Michigan not filling all 4 spots and trying to finish with the top 3 above.   We also know this staff can pull a few rabbits out of the hat since this time last year they just started recruiting for Michigan and brought in some new names in the last few weeks.

On a side note, the mystery prospect that was being reported by ESPN is no longer coming to A2 next week.   So the only serious recruits I see for the Wolverines right now are the top 4 above.

Wolverine Wednesday: Shoots Down Some Recruiting Rumors

2012-01-11T10:20:00.002-05:00

Danny O'Brien is re-thinking Michigan? The answer is no. Michigan is full at DT and is not considering Danny nor is he trying to go to Michigan. This recruitment was finished when Pewee Pipkins committed.
Is ASU Commit Evan Goodman visiting this weekend? Answer: No, he is visiting Arkansas.
Could Armani Reeves commit this weekend? Answer: Not probable, he wants to visit Ann Arbor and maybe a couple of other schools. He also wants to continue to "think about" PSU and which schools will be the best fit for him the next 4-5 years.
What about Jordan Diamond? Jordan is coming up for his official and I think this will be a make or break visit for his relationship with the Wolverines. He is announcing on signing day and is still considering a number of schools. He has been to Michigan a number of times and this will be the tipping point in his relationship with Michigan. If he doesn't go silent commit this weekend, then I think he doesn't come to U of M, just my opinion.
Is Yuri Wright and Michigan still an option? No, this ship has sailed. He is not coming in this weekend. The rumor was Michigan needs a CB and Yuri projects to Safety. His coverage skills are considered too raw.
Does Michigan really have a shot at Josh Garnett? Yes and I think this weekend's visit to Stanford is his last big decision point. I feel it's a Michigan vs Standford decision. Both teams/schools are on the rise and have great academics. If Josh comes to Michigan it could be the top OL recruiting class in the history of the program.
With Arnett going to MSU does that effect Aaron Burbridge to MSU? I don't think so, but you never know. The rumor mill is saying he got his grades in order now. We know his teammates are going to Michigan and I'm sure they are in his ear. Michigan commit Devin Funchess recently said, AB was solid with State.
With GRCC Football program ending does that open a door for Demar Dorsey to Michigan? I highly doubt it. The Wolverines (football program) have always had issues taking JC/CC transfers. If Michigan was going to take a transfer they would have found room for Arnett. We have heard he is back in Florida taking classes at a local JC. I do hope he lands somewhere and continues to turn his life around.
Any Surprises Left Out There? My guess there will be a couple new names that pop up. TomVH at ESPN is saying there could be a 4 star guy that is committed to another school could take a visit next weekend to Ann Arbor.
If I had to guess, which position might be Michigan looking to fill late with a surprise name? I would guess RB or CB. I think they are good on the OL with prospects left on the board with Garnett and Diamond. I think Michigan really wants a cover corner and if Armani starts leaning back to PSU a few new names might pop up. We know Michigan wants a big running back and is really recruiting that position hard in 2013. Are there any guys out there that might want to be a Wolverine in the 2012 class?
Update; Is TE Sam Grant visiting this weekend? Yes he is. I expect he might pull the commit trigger this weekend.

Michigan Tuesday: Bama, Tate and Greg Brown

2012-01-10T09:00:00.004-05:00

Wow, is my only comment on the game last night. Saban can really coach.   I hope that entire team goes to the NFL before they play Michigan next September. Funny that the last two college teams to win in the Super Dome will play in the Jerry Dome next September.

I think Les should have tried his other QB Lee when LSU got behind by 2 scores.   Jefferson wasn't moving the ball and wasn't going to move the ball.   Side Story, I sat next to an LSU fan at the Sugar Bowl last week (locals could buy a package that included tickets to the Sugar and NC game). He kept complaining about how anaemic the Michigan offense is and how that would never happen to LSU or an SEC team.   Oops!

The Rise and Fall of Tate Focier: Could it be the curse of Marv Marinovich who was Tate's QB coach in high school and of course the father of famous flame out QB Todd Marinovich? Or maybe it's just Tate not wanting to do school work?   I don't know but I have real concerns about the future of this kid that took the Wolverine nation by storm just a few short years ago and now has flamed out of his second school.

Tate has left the San Jose State program. Sources said that he left due to academics.   Tate's father said, there were a number of issues including his family's financial issues. Tate was not on scholarship and the family's business (Limo service) was not doing well. Tate's father also said there was too much pressure and stress.

Remember Greg Brown who was Michigan's first 2011 recruit to jump on board, enrolled early and played well in the Spring Game?   There were a number of rumors he was home sick as soon as he got on campus last January but he didn't leave the team until the middle of the season.   Greg ended up at a D2 school in Ohio named Findlay.   Good luck to him!

Congrats to Barry Larkin on getting voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. I don't know how many former Wolverines are in the Baseball Hall of Fame but I would guess it's a pretty short list.

There are just a few more recruiting weekends before signing day (2/1) and this weekend should be a big one with Armani Reeves and Jordan Diamond for the 2012 class. A couple of commits as well in Johnson and Clark.

Michigan finished in the top 10 at #9 in the Coaches Poll. The highest ranked Big Ten school. In the AP they are ranked #12 behind MSU and Wisconsin.

Donovan Warren signed with the Bears. He still is keeping his NFL career alive.

Michigan Monday: Updates Recruiting

2012-01-09T11:15:00.006-05:00

I watched some of the UA and Army All Star games this weekend. The Michigan commits that stood out to me were Joe Bolden and Ondre Pipkins. I thought both played well and could contribute to Michigan's defense sooner rather then later. Joe is now enrolled at Michigan and will be there for Spring practice and Ondre is coming in at a big position of need on the DL.

Latest News from the Recruiting Trail:

Reports are that Michigan is "cooling" on Yuri Wright. Which is strange since they have been very high on him for some time now. We are hearing that they feel he will project to Safety rather then CB and they want a CB. There was also some rumors he struggled in coverage during the Army game and practice.

With the news above, it seems they are targeting Armani Reeves, who now will have to decide if he wants to stick it out at Penn State or look around. I expect he will take his visit to A2 this week but we won't know for sure until he talks to the new head coach. Update: He is visiting A2 this weekend.

2013 OT Logan Tuley-Tillman visited this weekend. He is 6'7 close to 300 pounds by the way.

Josh Garnett was at the Army AA game this past weekend where he had 5 Michigan commits recruiting him, including good friend Erik Magnuson. Josh is on record to saying that he could see himself playing with Magnuson and Kalis. (Yes, Please!) Josh will visit Stanford this weekend and make his announcement on 1/26 or 1/27. Final 3: Michigan, ND, Stanford

Jordan Payton picked CAL this weekend. End of story.

Monty Madaris 2012 WR from Cincy is still planning to visit Michigan this weekend, which lends me to believe the coaches still want another WR in this class. Update: Visit cancelled

If I had to guess at Michigan's board right now, I think it would look like this: (4 spots left)

Garnett
Reeves
Grant
~~Madaris~~
Diamond
Wright
Someone we are not tracking at the moment, I would guess some CB's. (outside chance at OL, QB or RB)

2013 News

"Sugar" Shane Morris will play in the 2013 Under Armour Game
RB Ty Isaac will visit A2 this weekend. He is the big RB, the Michigan coaches are looking for at 6'3 215 lbs.

Michigan Friday: Driving, Penn State and All Star Games

2012-01-06T09:11:00.004-05:00

-I'm sure everyone has heard by now that Darryl Stonum got pulled over yesterday morning for driving with a suspended license. Darryl was checking in with his probation officer for a 7:00am meeting and didn't have a ride. Hoke said, there is no change in Darryl's status with the team.   Could that change? It could but we will have to see how it plays out.   Let's hope everything goes smoothly.   Update: He was just sentenced to 10 days in jail this morning. This now might end his career at Michigan. This is sad and such a shame.

-Penn State is about to name a coach, who is only known for yelling at Tom Brady a few weeks ago.  Bill O'Brien the Patriots OC is expected to be named the new head coach at Penn State on Saturday.

First let me ask you how former Patriots OC's have worked out as a head coaches? Two names come to mind: Charie Weis and Josh McDaniels. Both failed as head coaches after leaving the Patriots.   I will repeat a statement, I made last week: Having Tom Brady and Bill Belichick makes you look like a great coach, when your probably are not. Places like Michigan, Penn State, USC, Alabama, Ohio State are not jobs where you hire an assistant for. You have to know how to be a head coach because there are so many demands off the field as well as on. Rich Rodriguez wasn't even ready for the job at Michigan, how is a guy that has never been a head coach at any level be ready for the Penn State job in the middle of situation that we have never seen in college football? He can't be. I am sure Penn State has had a terrible time finding a top candidate to replace JoPa but I don't believe this will end well. I don't understand how he can coach the Patriots (if they make a run in the playoffs) and take this job. Signing day is less then a month away.

-There is another HS All American game on Saturday called the Army All American Game in San Antonio. Usually, Michigan has 2 or so commits playing in the game. This year they have 5.   The game is at 1:00 on NBC. Here are the Michigan commits and a couple of targets (bold players are commits):

East Team:
#12 CB Yuri Wright
#66 OL Kyle Dodson
#67 OL Kyle Kalis

West Team:
#6 LB James Ross
#10 LB Royce Jenkins-Stone
#53 DT Ondre Pipkins
#77 OL Erik Magnuson

Michigan played well on the road last night at IU. Yes, they didn't get the win but they will learn from this experience that will help with the Big Tean season and for tournament time. Kentucky and Ohio State have lost on that floor this year.

I watched most of the Under Armour game and I really enjoyed watching Joe Bolden, I hope he turns into our next great LB at Michigan. Terry Richardson played ok and returned a few punts. Tried to find Josh Garnett but really didn't see much of him.

BHB: What to Watch Tonight!

2012-01-05T15:00:00.002-05:00

If you love recruiting this week is for you! Saturday is the Army All American Game with 5 U of M commits and a couple of prospects (Yuri Wright and Kyle Dodson).

Tonight is the other major all star game, the Under Armour All American game at 8:00 on ESPN.

Which will include:
Black Team:
#1 CB Terry Richardson
#27 LB Joe Bolden

White Team:
#78 OL Josh Garnett

Deion Sanders has been coaching up T. Rich and had some very positive things to say: “Number one (Terry Richardson), the (Bryson Echols) kid is playing his butt off and (Chaz Elder) as a safety has done well,” Sanders said. “The best thing about Richardson is he’s a very coachable kid. You tell him something one time and he is going to implement it. Whatever you tell him, he will do. Echols is a fighter, he’s battled in everything he’s done. These kids are sponges in that have been well-coached.”

Josh as we know is a future doctor and current 5 star OL that is at the top of every one's wish list. He is down to Michigan, ND and Stanford. He will visit Stanford this month and then make a decision.

Joe Bolden on the other hand is already enrolled at Michigan and will start classes next Monday. He has made a name for himself during practice and was named the Black Team's defensive MVP: With the offensive line occupied by the defensive line, the linebackers were free to roam uninhibited. No one took advantage of the room to run better than Michigan commitment Joe Bolden. Bolden was popping pads during walk-thrus, and he continued to seek and destroy when the tempo was moved to full speed. Bolden doesn't do anything half-speed. He showed he was capable of dropping into coverage as well as attacking the line of scrimmage.

More info on Bolden from Sam Webb from Det News: "At the end of every day we have to name our most valuable player of the day," Scout.com Ohio analyst Bill Greene said. "For me, Joe Bolden was the best player today. He was tremendous. I spent a lot of time with Scott Kennedy today (Scout.com national scouting director), and he was like, 'Man, you were right about this kid. This kid is really special.' I was like, 'I tried to tell you.' Joe is amazing. Everyone knows he can come forward -- that's a given -- but today he played sideline to sideline and he played in coverage. He just did everything. To me he was the most impressive player, not just the most impressive linebacker. He is going to play early at Michigan, I'm convinced. He is (enrolling) early so he'll go through spring football and he'll already be acclimated to the system. I don't know the Michigan depth chart real well, but I can't believe they've got three linebackers better than that guy."

Can Joe make an impact on Team 133? Enrolling early and having spring practice under his belt won't hurt.

9:00: Michigan at Indiana a top 15 match up in the Big Ten on ESPN 2.

Enjoy your evening!

Sugar Bowl Post Game

2012-01-05T09:39:00.002-05:00

John T. Greilick / The Detroit News

Do you remember that feeling in school when you left a test and thought you just aced it and found out the next day you got like a C? Or just the opposite, you left feeling like you did terrible and actually got a good grade? I had that feeling watching the Sugar Bowl in the Super Dome on Tuesday night.

At first, I didn't think anything was going to go right for the Wolverines:

The best center in the nation is not on the field for the first series and had hurt his ankle/foot during warm ups.
Va Tech's 3rd/4th string kicker is making everything he looks at and resembles a NFL kicker.
The Michigan defense can't get off the field on 3rd and long (can someone explain to me how Michigan plays better on 3rd and 2 then 3rd and 22?)
Junior Hemingway quits on a deep pass from Denard which causes an interception
We can't seem to move the ball on the ground against this fast defense that was expecting it
Hagerup is punting the ball 30 yards inside!
Va Tech's punter/WR only has to be a WR

That was pretty much just the first quarter. All signs pointed to long night for the Wolverines.

Then Denard throws a 50/50 ball up to #21 and he caught it and took a stroll into the end zone. The Hokies then fumbled the kick off and we have a ball game.

I am not going to re-cap what happened because I am pretty sure every Michigan fan on the planet watched the game. So here are my first Cheers and Jeers for the new year.

Cheers

The Michigan fan base for supporting the Wolverines in New Orleans. What a great showing and support during the game.
Ryan Van Burgen and David Molk for playing hurt in their final game in the winged helmets.
Junior Hemingway for making some nice grabs and keeping us in the game.
The Michigan defense for only letting in one touchdown
Team 132 for never quiting on the team or during this game
Brandon Gibbons who a year ago couldn't kick the ball into the ocean from the beach, was rock solid all game and most of the year.
The Seniors - Those that stay will be Champions! First time Michigan beat OSU and won a bowl game since 2000.

Jeers

Bud Foster took Big Al Borges lunch money and took the rest of his wallet for good measure. Al couldn't find anything to stop the Hokies pass rush and speed. (Better get to work on Bama right now)
Hokies Speed on Defense: Michigan's WR's could not get any separation and they were keying on Denard and the run all day.
Denard clearly gets rattled when he is rushed and there are other fast players on the field. To his credit, I didn't see many if any open routes. Luckily he had about six 50/50 balls go in Michigan's favor (complete or not picked).
3rd and Long. Michigan has to have better safety play next year. Both Woolfolk and Gordon struggled. Many times the Michigan defense had the routes covered but the safety didn't break on the coverage quick enough.
I have big concerns on the D-line next year. Michigan didn't pressure the QB like I had hoped, the only time he got into trouble was when he scrambled. Big Will played ok.

The Big House Blog Sugar Bowl MVP was: Jordan Kovas.   It might have been hard to see on TV but Kovas was making touchdown saving tackles all over the field. Many times he was the last guy between David Wilson and the end zone. Wilson also hit Kovas pretty hard a number of times.   If it wasn't for the play of Jordan, Michigan might have been down 14 points in the first half.   He registered 6 solo tackles and 11 overall to lead the team.

The turning point in the game was the Hokies fake punt/rugby style punt in the 4th quarter.   If they were going to go for it on 4th down they should have lined up their power run game, rather then trotting out their WR/Punter to try whatever he was trying to do after a time out.   I also like to thank Frank Beamer for running the ball when Michigan couldn't cover their wide receivers.

If you look at the stats with out the final score you might think Michigan lost by probably at least 10 points.   For example: Michigan had 56 rushing yards total and only 128 passing. Michigan had the ball for over 23 minutes in time of possession, Va Tech had it for nearly 37 minutes.   During the second half alone, Michigan was at 9:37 to Tech's 20:23.   Some Michigan fans will say Michigan won this game ugly and I agree with them. What I would say back is, we have lost about 5-6 games the past 3 years that we should have won. It was time for payback and it felt damn good being on the other side for a change.    Go Blue!

BTW: I was close to the OT non-catch in the end zone. It wasn't a catch and I couldn't believe they called it a TD on the field.   The ball moves when it hits the ground and his body hits out of bounds before his feet hit the field.

The Big Ten had a tough bowl season, but the last team to play finished on a high point!

Arnett to MSU

2012-01-05T08:24:00.001-05:00

The word on the street is Michigan didn't have a scholarship for him to enroll right away or this summer (there are reports he has to try to stay at UT for a full year and is going to take online classes at home, so he can qualify for the hardship waiver).

Either way Michigan is off playing in the Sugar Bowl and Arnett drove down to East Lansing and met with Dantonio and sealed the deal. We had all hoped he was going Blue but this decision makes him much closer to his father and family. Good luck to him and his family.

Heading Home

2012-01-04T16:19:00.002-05:00

Will get you a post game post up on Thursday morning. There is plenty to talk about. Go Blue!