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An Early Stab at the 2010 Depth Chart: Offense

Junior Michael Shaw will be part of a heated competition to start at tailback.

With the recruiting class of 2010 signed, Michigan football fans can officially turn their attention to spring practice, and ultimately how the team will look come fall. With some assistance from MGoBlog’s depth chart by class and the resources available at The Wolverine (including Michael Spath’s very early look at the 2011 depth chart and Matt Pargoff’s in-depth look at this year’s recruiting class), I’ve done my best to project how the depth chart will look like this fall. Today, I’ll break down my outlook on the offense, and tomorrow I’ll do the same for the defense.

I’ve tried to include every notable scholarship player, including all the true freshmen. Because of this, and the uncertainty of many player’s positions heading into spring practice, I recommend taking the positions listed below with a grain of salt, especially along the offensive line and defensive secondary — at this point, it’s far too early to know who will be playing where. Instead, I wanted to do this to get a feel for the talent and depth of the team, and also be able to use this as a reference for player eligibility. For player eligibility, I’m using what MGoBlog has listed, and for player heights and weights I’m referring to last year’s official roster or Rivals’ recruiting data — I’ll do my best to note if a player has made reported weight gains or losses where applicable. Without further ado, let’s check out the depth chart:

Quarterback: No surprises here — Tate Forcier should head into the fall as the team’s starting quarterback, and I expect Rich Rodriguez and his staff will do their best to keep true freshman Devin Gardner on track to redshirt. Denard Robinson will remain the backup quarterback, and true freshman Conelius Jones will only see the field if the quarterback apocalypse occurs (nothing against Jones, but I don’t think anyone wants to see our second-choice true freshman athlete get forced into action).

PositionNo.PlayerHeightWeightEligibility
QB5Tate Forcier6-1188So.
16Denard Robinson6-0185So.
-Devin Gardner6-4195Fr.
-Conelius Jones6-2197Fr.

Running Backs: The most interesting position battle on offense will be for the starting tailback spot, but with sophomore Vincent Smith sidelined for spring practice with a torn ACL, Michigan fans will have to wait for the fall to see how that one turns out. Smith appeared to be the probable 2010 starter until tearing that ACL against Ohio State, but by no means was he a shoe-in for the spot — junior speedster Michael Shaw, 2009 scout team standout (and former Rivals four-star) Fitzgerald Toussaint and athletic redshirt sophomore Michael Cox will all compete for snaps with the first team in the spring. Freshman Austin White is a solid pass-catching threat who could see situational time in the fall as well.

[UPDATE: Thanks to JC for bringing to my attention that Kelvin Grady is moving over to running back for the spring. That change is now reflected in the depth chart, as well as Teric Jones moving back to offense. For now, I've put Jones in the slot, but he may also see snaps at running back as well.]

At fullback, Mark Moundros returns, although he saw his playing time diminish as Michigan further implemented Rich Rodriguez’s offense last season. A player to watch will be true freshman Stephen Hopkins, a 6-0, 235-pound bulldozer who could see time at both tailback and fullback — the coaching staff has expressed interest in using him like West Virginia used Owen “Runaway Beer Truck” Schmitt, who lined up both as a traditional fullback and as the only back in single-back sets. Hopkins could be called upon in short-yardage and goal-line situations.

PositionNo.NameHeightWeightEligibility
RB2Vincent Smith5-6168So.
or20Michael Shaw6-0178Jr.
28Fitzgerald Toussaint5-9185RS Fr.
or15Michael Cox6-0208RS So.
19Kelvin Grady5-9168RS Jr.
-Austin White6-0186Fr.
PositionNo.NameHeightWeightEligibility
FB44Mark Moundros6-1233RS Sr.
-Stephen Hopkins6-0235Fr.

Wide Receiver: This would be one of those instances where you can basically ignore my guesses at position — I didn’t make much differentiation between X and Y, so treat all these players as simply outside receivers if you want to make things more simple. Darryl Stonum and Junior Hemingway both started at times (read: when healthy) last season, and should reprise their roles in 2010. Sophomore Je’Ron Stokes saw intermittent playing time as a true freshman, and should have a much larger role with the departures of Greg Mathews and LaTerryal Savoy. Of the incoming crop of freshmen receivers, I think Ricardo Miller has the best chance of seeing early playing time — both Robinson and Williamson could use a redshirt year to develop physically, while Jeremy Jackson could have a difficult time earning a role over more athletic receivers on the roster. If Cameron Gordon stays on the offensive side of the ball, he could be a guy to watch next season — he has great physical tools for a receiver.

PositionNo.NameHeightWeightEligibility
X22Darryl Stonum6-2196Jr.
6Je'Ron Stokes6-0181So.
-Jerald Robinson6-2175Fr.
-D.J. Williamson6-1172Fr.
PositionNo.NameHeightWeightEligibility
Y21Junior Hemingway6-1220RS Jr.
-Ricardo Miller6-2208Fr.
or84Cameron Gordon6-2208RS Fr.
-Jeremy Jackson6-3194Fr.

Slot Receiver: Michigan has an abundance of talent at the slot, including arguably the two best receivers on the roster in Roy Roundtree and Martavious Odoms. Both players will see the field plenty in 2010, and I expect to see Michigan go to more four-receiver sets in order to get their best players on the field as much as possible. Kelvin Grady should show improvement after spending last season struggling with the offense, but he will be pushed for time by promising redshirt freshman Jeremy Gallon, a player who many thought would contribute immediately after stepping on campus. That didn’t happen, but the talent is still there — the only question is whether there is enough playing time at the slot to go around. Terrence Robinson appears to be the odd man out at slot receiver at this point — unless he shows better hands and a great deal more comfort with the knee injury he suffered as a freshman, he’ll have a hard time cracking the lineup. Drew Dileo could contribute on special teams, but expect him to redshirt unless he wins a job as a returner.

PositionNo.NameHeightWeightEligibility
Z12Roy Roundtree6-0170RS So.
or9Martavious Odoms5-9172Jr.
10Jeremy Gallon5-8165RS Fr.
7Terrence Robinson5-9171RS So.
14Teric Jones5-8193So.
-Drew Dileo5-10175Fr.

Tight End: It will be interesting to see how much the tight end position gets utilized in 2010 — starter Kevin Koger’s role diminished as the season wore on last year, and Rich Rodriguez hasn’t taken a recruit at the position since he took over at Michigan. Still, Koger finished fifth on the team in receptions last year, and early in the season appeared to be Tate Forcier’s go-to guy in the red zone, so I’d be surprised if the tight end position was phased out completely. That’s good news for Koger, but Martell Webb and Brandon Moore may have a tough time seeing the field in the fall, as I’m guessing Rodriguez would prefer playing one of his talented slot receivers instead of a backup tight end. This position group could be one of the keys to Michigan’s offense in 2010 or completely gone from the depth chart by 2011.

PositionNo.NameHeightWeightEligibility
TE86Kevin Koger6-4249Jr.
80Martell Webb6-4245Sr.
88Brandon Moore6-6243RS So.

Offensive Line: Please, please don’t take these position groupings too seriously — there are several players on the line who could start at multiple positions, especially Patrick Omameh and Mark Huyge, who both could start at either tackle or guard. The wild cards along the line are Ricky Barnum and Quinton Washington, who could easily challenge for a starting guard spot over Huyge/Omameh. I expect Omameh, who showed a lot of promise at guard last season, to start somewhere along the line, but more experienced linemen like Huyge and Perry Dorrestein could be bumped from the lineup in favor of younger (but more highly-touted) linemen.  I don’t think the coaching staff would be very comfortable with a line full of freshmen, sophomores and Molk, but they’ve been steadfast in their assertions that the best players will see the field regardless of age. Other than Molk at center and Schilling at left guard, I wouldn’t be surprised to see any combination of players along the line in 2010.

PositionNo.NameHeightWeightEligibility
LT65Patrick Omameh6-4276RS So.
77Taylor Lewan6-7268RS Fr.
PositionNo.NameHeightWeightEligibility
LG52Stephen Schilling6-5304RS Sr.
56Ricky Barnum6-2275RS So.
57Elliott Mealer6-6299RS So.
PositionNo.NameHeightWeightEligibility
C50David Molk6-2275RS Jr.
63Rocko Khoury6-5283RS So.
-Christian Pace6-3262Fr.
PositionNo.NameHeightWeightEligibility
RG72Mark Huyge6-6288RS Jr.
or76Quinton Washington6-3325RS Fr.
74John Ferrara6-4279RS Sr.
PositionNo.NameHeightWeightEligibility
RT79Perry Dorrestein6-7306RS Sr.
75Michael Schofield6-6268RS Fr.

Kicker: Redshirt freshman Brendan Gibbons has the inside track for the placekicker position, but he was supposed to win the position last fall before giving way to walk-on Jason Olesnavage. Olesnavage has graduated, but don’t rule out the possibility of walk-on Scott Schrimscher winning the job. Redshirt senior Bryan Wright has lost multiple battles for the placekicker position, and likely will be relegated to kickoff duties again in the fall.

PositionNo.NameHeightWeightEligibility
PK34Brendan Gibbons6-0229RS Fr.
97Scott Schrimscher5-10188RS Jr.
43Bryan Wright6-1217RS Sr.

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The Denard Conundrum

What does Michigan do with Denard Robinson in 2010?

What does Michigan do with Denard Robinson in 2010?

The news that highly-touted high school recruit Devin Gardner has enrolled early at Michigan has spurned a lot of discussion about the quarterback position at Michigan. Many think he’ll be competing for the starting job, and quite possibly could be too talented to keep off the field in 2010, even if a redshirt year gives Gardner an extra season of distance between himself and Tate Forcier. Others think that, no matter what, Gardner should be redshirted.

The man few can agree about, meanwhile, is sophomore quarterback Denard Robinson. After getting beat out by Forcier for the starting role last year, Robinson alternated between sound barrier-breaking dual threat (see: Western Michigan) and frustratingly inaccurate turnover machine (final 2009 stats: 14-31, 188 yards, 2 TD, 4 INT). The question is, then, is Michigan comfortable with Robinson as their backup/situational quarterback in 2010, or is the reward of playing Gardner greater than the risk of his redshirt year? And, if Gardner does step in and play at quarterback, where does Michigan play Robinson?

It’s obviously far too early to have any definite answer to these questions — Gardner just arrived on campus this weekend and hasn’t taken a collegiate snap, and nobody can tell how far Forcier and Robinson have progressed until spring practices are in full swing. It’s never too early, however, for speculation, so let’s take a look at what Michigan can do with Robinson this season:

  1. Backup/situational QB — Michigan can choose to play Robinson in the exact same role they had him playing in 2009, serving as an insurance policy for Forcier while also taking snaps as a change-of-pace quarterback. If, after spring and fall practices are complete, the coaching staff thinks this is the best place for Robinson, I would call this the best-case scenario — it means that the staff is comfortable with Forcier as the starter, and with Robinson as a reliable backup, giving Gardner a year to learn the offense and an extra season on the back end of his collegiate career. Make no mistake; this coaching staff will not let something as trivial as a redshirt year determine how they use Gardner — they know the most important thing is to win, and to win now. If this is how the situation plays out, it will be because having Forcier and Robinson handling quarterback duties give the team the best chance to win.
  2. A little bit of everything — Robinson did play a few snaps in 2009 as a slot receiver and running back, but did not play at either position enough to pose much of a threat as anything other than the gimmicky, trick-play sort. With a full season plus spring practice under his belt, however, Robinson could begin to learn these positions and develop into a jack-of-all-trades, on top of being the backup QB. This is an interesting possibility, but also has a few flaws. First, if Robinson is in fact the backup quarterback, I think Michigan fans will all want him to give his full attention and practice time to developing at the position. After all, if Forcier goes down for any length of time, Michigan will need Robinson to be much further along at QB than he was last season. Second, it’s risky to have your backup QB (Forcier’s insurance policy) subjecting himself to injury at positions where Michigan already has several capable players. I like the idea of Robinson seeing the field as an athlete, but I also like having a backup QB in one piece.
  3. Full-out position switch — It’s tough to watch Robinson at QB and not think that his tremendous athletic ability (just check out his most recent exploit: running a 6.81 60-meter dash to win against OSU in his first collegiate track meet) is somewhat wasted there. Many fans are clamoring for Robinson to be used like former Florida Gator Percy Harvin, who lined up at receiver and running back (and occasionally took direct snaps) while terrorizing SEC defenses for the Gators’ national championship squad. If Gardner is the real deal, and Rich Rodriguez can’t help but let him see the field in 2010, then this is where Robinson belongs. There are issues here as well, however: Michigan’s depth at receiver and running back are both strong, and Robinson would have to learn a new position. This is where it helps that Gardner is enrolling early — if DG shows in spring practice that he’s a better quarterback already than Robinson, the staff can start Robinson’s transition to another position earlier, and give him a better shot at making a big impact in 2010.
  4. Robinson to defensive back — Out of everything here, this is the least desirable option, in my opinion. Yes, Robinson was recruited by Florida to play defensive back. Michigan has recruited a ton of DBs in the last couple classes, however, and there’s no guarantee that Robinson would ever see significant time on defense, especially since he’ll have to learn a whole new system and position partway into his college career. Also, Robinson is the type of explosive athlete you want to see with the ball in his hands. Unless something catastrophic happens in the defensive backfield, this should never happen.

The quarterback battle as a whole, and what Michigan decides to do with Robinson specifically, may be the biggest story for Michigan in the offseason. I haven’t even mentioned the other quarterback in Michigan’s 2010 class, South Carolina dual threat Conelius Jones, who will be enrolling in the fall, although I don’t expect him to compete for immediate playing time. Robinson is a special athlete with the talent to be a game-breaker on offense — the question, of course, is where exactly he can have the biggest impact. For now, we’ll just have to wait and see.

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A (Very) Early Look at the 2010 Offense

Roy Roundtree looks like he will be an integral part of the 2010 offense.

Roy Roundtree looks like he will be an integral part of the 2010 offense.

There’s not much left to say about the 2009 season, so I’m going to go ahead and take a look at what the 2010 team will look like. First up is the offense, which should see little turnover from a very young unit. Just a note: I’ll be referring to players by what class they will be in for 2010 (for instance, I’ll be calling Tate Forcier a sophomore).

Quarterback: There will be a lot of speculation about the quarterback position, especially with the way Tate Forcier finished his freshman campaign. Forcier obviously has the inside track at the starting position in 2010, with a full season as the starter in Rich Rodriguez’s system under his belt. Denard Robinson has shown value as a situational quarterback, but hasn’t shown the passing ability to be a full-time solution at the position. The wild card will be the presence of incoming freshman Devin Gardner, Rivals.com’s #1 quarterback in the Class of 2010 and a threat to start from the moment he steps on campus. Unfortunately, Gardner will not be able to enroll early, and will have a tough time learning the offense quickly enough to unseat Forcier. In all likelihood, we’ll see the same quarterback rotation that we saw in 2009 — I doubt Rich Rodriguez wants to put his job on the line with another true freshman starting at the most important position on the field. Forcier should be an improved player when we see him next fall, and hopefully the rookie mistakes that marred the Ohio State game will be largely absent from his game a year from now.

Completions-Attempts (%)YardsYards/AttemptTouchdownsInterceptionsEfficiencyRush AttemptsRush YardsRush TDs
Tate Forcier165-281 (58.7%)20507.31310128.151182403
Denard Robinson14-31 (45.2%)1886.12491.59693515

Running Back: Michigan loses two talented (but oft-injured) tailbacks in Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown, but there is still a lot of talent returning at the position. Junior Michael Shaw and sophomore Vincent Smith should provide a solid one-two punch similar to how Michigan rotated Minor and Brown when they were healthy. They could be pushed for playing time by redshirt freshman Fitzgerald Toussaint (a highly-regarded four-star who put up very impressive numbers in high school) and redshirt sophomore Mike Cox, who at the very least will provide some depth at the position. Smith showed flashes of real promise in the second half of the season, and scored Michigan’s only touchdown against Ohio State on a nice 18-yard reception — he has showed an ability to run between the tackles despite his small stature, and could turn into a workhorse-type back. Shaw is more in the Carlos Brown mold (right down to the consistent nagging injuries), a guy with track-star speed who is a threat to take any run the distance. The Wolverines will also add Livonia Stevenson running back Austin White, a three-star tailback who is a very good receiver out of the backfield, and the large (6-0, 235 lbs.) Stephen Hopkins in the freshman class, although both will have an uphill climb for playing time. Despite losing two senior backs, Michigan looks to be in good shape at running back in 2010.

AttemptsYardsAverageRush TDsReceptionsYardsRec. TDs
Vincent Smith482765.8110822
Michael Shaw421854.42250
Mike Cox131138.721110

Outside Receiver: Michigan only loses two players, Greg Mathews and LaTerryal Savoy, from a unit that couldn’t consistently produce in 2009. Juniors Darryl Stonum and Junior Hemingway are your likely starters for 2010, and have the potential to provide Forcier with two solid deep threats if they continue to develop as players. Michigan will also return sophomore Je’Ron Stokes and redshirt freshman Cameron Gordon, a couple of four-star players from the Class of 2009, and will add some young talent in incoming freshmen Ricardo Miller, Jerald Robinson, D.J. Williamson, and Jeremy Jackson. Miller, an early commit who moved to Ann Arbor after playing his first three high school seasons at Dr. Phillips (FL), has the best chance to see the field early, although Jerald Robinson is the highest-rated player (Rivals.com four-star, #45 wide receiver) of the true freshmen and could also have an impact early on. The issue with the outside receivers isn’t talent — Stonum, Stokes, and Gordon were all four-star recruits, and Hemingway has been impressive when healthy — but consistency. Expect to see a lot of rotation at receiver until somebody steps up and establishes themselves as a consistent threat.

ReceptionsYardsAverageTDsLong
Junior Hemingway1626816.8266
Darryl Stonum1319915.3160
Je'Ron Stokes2168.009

Slot Receivers: An injury to Martavious Odoms gave Roy Roundtree an opportunity to show his ability at slot receiver, and Roundtree may have edged out Odoms as the starter with his performance over the latter half of 2009. Both players should see ample playing time in 2010, and Roundtree’s emergence as Forcier’s go-to guy could mean Michigan shows more four-receiver sets next fall. Before his injury, Odoms had established himself as Michigan’s most consistent receiver under Rich Rodriguez, and also garnered praise for his downfield blocking and knowledge of the offense. Each player brings a different set of skills to the table, and Michigan will likely utilize both with regularity in 2010. There is a lot of depth at this position, with junior Kelvin Grady, sophomore Terrence Robinson, and redshirt freshman Jeremy Gallon all returning, to be joined by incoming freshmen Drew Dileo and Tony Drake. Grady, who saw his playing time decrease as Roundtree’s role expanded, could see more playing time as his transition from basketball to football continues. Many thought Gallon would contribute this season, but a late start because of academic clearinghouse issues forced him to redshirt — he’s a dark horse guy who could have a breakout season if he gets the opportunity. Overall, there’s a lot of talent in the slot, and Michigan should once again see the majority of their receiving production come from the position.

ReceptionsYardsAverageTDsLong
Roy Roundtree3243413.6376
Martavious Odoms2227212.4135
Kelvin Grady1010210.2138

Tight Ends: Big things were expected from the tight end position, especially junior Kevin Koger, in 2009, but a strong start from Koger was followed by a disappointing string of drops as the position became more of a non-factor as the season wore on. However, there is still a lot of talent at tight end, with Koger joined by senior Martell Webb and redshirt sophomore Brandon Moore. The position will be one to watch in 2010 — Rich Rodriguez rarely utilized tight ends at West Virginia, but Koger has shown the potential to be a huge weapon in the spread. Along with Webb, who also struggled with drops this season, Koger may just be playing for the survival of the tight end position at Michigan next season. If he can catch the ball, Koger could be an All-Big Ten player next year, and a great safety valve for Forcier.

ReceptionsYardsAverageTDsLong
Kevin Koger1622013.8241
Martell Webb44411.0128
Brandon Moore111.001

Offensive Line: The unit with the most turnover is the offensive line, which loses starters Mark Ortmann and David Moosman, as well as backup Tim McAvoy. However, Michigan returns five players who earned starts in 2009 in Steve Schilling, David Molk, Mark Huyge, Perry Dorrestein, and Patrick Omameh. Schilling (right guard) and Molk (center) will likely hold down their current positions, but the other three spots on the line are up for grabs, with a bevy of talented linemen all competing for playing time. Omameh performed well at right guard in the last few games of the season, and will likely earn a starting spot somewhere on the line. Huyge is another player that can play multiple positions, and should compete with Dorrestein and redshirt freshmen Taylor Lewan and Michael Schofield for a shot at one of the tackle positions. On the interior of the line, redshirt sophomores Ricky Barnum, Rocko Khoury, and Elliott Mealer, as well as redshirt freshman Quinton Washington, will provide depth and push for playing time. Regardless of who earns starting spots on the line, the experience and talent at every position should mean an improved unit for 2010.

2010 Outlook: The 2009 offense improved drastically from a disastrous unit in Rich Rodriguez’s first year at Michigan. With Tate Forcier having a full year at Michigan under his belt — and hopefully with a greater appreciation for holding on to the football — the Wolverines should once again have an improved offense in 2010. Forcier will be the key — the offensive line should be better with experience, and there is a lot of talent and depth at all the skill positions. If Michigan can get more efficiency from the quarterback position — and they should — we could be seeing one of the nation’s most potent offenses next season.

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An Embarrassment of Riches

Tate Forcier is the man for now, but what happens when Devin Gardner steps on campus?

Tate Forcier is the man for now, but what happens when Devin Gardner steps on campus?

What was inconceivable a year ago is now a reality: Michigan is lined up to have more talented quarterbacks than they know what to do with. This is one of those “good” problems, but it still provides a quandary for the Wolverine coaching staff: what do they do when Tate Forcier, Denard Robinson, Devin Gardner, and Cornelius Jones (the other 2010 quarterback commit, and Michigan is still in the running for Louisiana QB Munchie Legaux) are all on campus?

Rich Rodriguez had to address rumors this week that Denard Robinson would switch positions, and stated firmly that Robinson was still very much in the mix at quarterback. However, one Gardner gets on campus, there will certainly be a faction of Michigan fans that want Robinson’s elite speed and athleticism to be utilized at receiver or defensive back while Michigan allows Gardner to take over the backup quarterback role.

Personally, I completely disagree with this line of thinking for two reasons:

First, if Michigan has the luxury of redshirting Gardner, giving him two years of separation from Forcier (who, at this point, looks like a four-year starter in the making), they have to take advantage of that luxury. Gardner probably has the highest potential of all the quarterbacks at Michigan, even Forcier, and the team would likely regret wasting a year of his eligibility so he can play sparingly as a backup instead of allowing him to be a two-year starter after Forcier graduates.

Second, I love Robinson’s play-making ability at quarterback, and think he can be of more value to the team at QB than any other position. Once Robinson develops some touch on his passes and learns the offense, he will be a very dangerous dual-threat weapon. Remember, Forcier had a very big advantage over Robinson by virtue of enrolling early; both are still learning the offense, but Robinson is way behind in that regard. Robinson will never be the pinpoint passer that Forcier is, but Forcier will never be the world-class athlete that Robinson is.

Michigan has a ton of receivers, and, more importantly, a ton of young receivers. They don’t need Robinson there. As for defensive back, Robinson would be way behind the learning curve as he tried to gain experience at a position he hasn’t played, and it would take a lot of time for him to learn technique and the defensive playbook. By the time he’s a viable option at DB, Michigan may not need him there anymore, and there’s not guarantee he’ll be good. At quarterback, he’s a known commodity, a guy who will make plays with his feet, and, eventually, his arm. If nothing else, he’ll be a great situational backup and a guy the coaching staff will not be afraid to put into a game if Forcier (or Gardner) goes down.

Forcier appears to be a future star, and Gardner has a ton of (deserved) hype before ever suiting up as a Wolverine. However, Michigan cannot take their depth at quarterback for granted; Denard Robinson is a special talent, and I’d hate to see him go to waste at another position.

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Wolverines on the Web: August 18

The new renovations should make Michigan Stadium louder than ever (photo by Matt Pargoff)

The new renovations should make Michigan Stadium louder than ever (photo by Matt Pargoff)

Football:

  • Now hear this: A built-up Michigan Stadium should keep sound from fans and speakers inside — AnnArbor.com — AnnArbor.com continues to top themselves when it comes to long, awkward headlines. According to associate athletic director Michael Stevenson, there will be no “dead zones” in the stadium when the new speaker system is installed for 2010. Hooray for noise.
  • Henderson selects his five official visits — ESPN.com — Ohio State, Oklahoma, Florida, USC, and Notre Dame, according to Seantrel Henderson’s father, Sean. The article states that he is still considering several other schools, including Michigan and his hometown Minnesota squad, but this still isn’t the best of signs for the Wolverines.
  • Clements lays out official visit picture — TheWolverine.com — Four-star tailback Eduardo Clements will make it up to Ann Arbor for the Sept. 12 game against Notre Dame. Michigan is in a group of three with Georgia and Miami at the top of Clements’ list, although Michigan is the only team out of those three to have an official visit set so far (Tennessee is the only other team to get one so far).
  • Five-star Floyd changes things — Rivals.com — Michigan is still in the hunt for an official visit from Sharrif Floyd, a five-star DT. He is only sure of two visits, and U-M is among a pack of squads battling it out for the final three.
  • Virginia LB pencils Michigan in for a visit — TheWolverine.com — Aramide Olaniyan, a four-star LB, will take a visit to Ann Arbor, although he hasn’t set a date yet. Olaniyan is currently a Duke commit, but will still take all five of his official visits.
  • DB Christian has one official set — TheWolverine.com — Cullen Christian has an official set for UCLA, and has stated he wants to take one to Michigan as well. The four-star corner is down to five schools on his list, and Michigan is still in very good standing for a commit.
  • AMP: QB Jones talks Michigan — Rivals.com — QB/ATH commit Cornelius Jones is the subject of Rivals.com’s AMP feature, and says he is “100%” committed to Michigan, and that he plans on coming in as a quarterback. However, he is open to playing whatever position helps the team. Gotta like a kid who is willing to put aside his personal interests for a team he isn’t even on yet.
  • Michigan expecting good things out of wide receiver Junior Hemingway — AnnArbor.com — Hemingway, coming off a season lost to mono and injuries, has impressed both teammates and coaches in fall camp. Somebody needs to step up and grab a starting spot at outside receiver, and it looks like Hemingway is doing just that, although Rich Rodriguez made it clear that he still has a ways to go to get back into shape.
  • Jason Forcier won’t play for Michigan; Tate Forcier, Denard Robinson making strides — AnnArbor.com — It’s getting really hard to write these summaries when AnnArbor.com puts the entire content of the article in the headline. It’s a little disappointing that Jason won’t be on the team this year, but I don’t think anybody really expected him to contribute in any fashion beyond a leadership role.
  • Michigan football team deals with minor injuries; Fitzgerald Toussaint has fractured shoulder — AnnArbor.com — Call me crazy, but a fractured shoulder doesn’t sound minor to me. Toussaint may miss the rest of fall camp, and looks headed for a redshirt in a crowded backfield. Donovan Warren is day-to-day with a knee sprain, and several other players are out with minor injuries.
  • Defending the Run vs Defending the Pass — Maize n Brew — SCM takes a look at the top defenses against the run and the pass in 2008, and notes that the teams who stopped the run had a markedly better record than teams that stopped the pass. Obviously, you want to stop both, but this could be a very comforting stat to people concerned about the Michigan secondary.
  • U-M junior Troy Woolfolk likes his move to safety — Detroit News — It turns out Woolfolk played some safety in high school, and says the position feels “more natural” for him, although he still needs to learn technique. Also, some funny stuff about Denard Robinson’s speed, courtesy of Brandon Graham: “Denard’s pretty fast,” Graham said, giggling, “but he’s got to stay in between the white lines, and I feel like I’m going to go sideline to sideline, so he’s got to outrun me.” Cower in fear, Big Ten QBs, cower in fear.

Basketball:

  • The ethical divide: Michigan basketball coach John Beilein is trying to help clean up college basketball — AnnArbor.com — Good luck with that, although if anybody is the man for the job, it’s Beilein, who was named the chair of the new NCAA Ethics Committee. We all know he runs a squeaky-clean program, which cannot be said about many elite teams in the county. Go get ‘em, Coach.
  • Michigan guard Laval Lucas-Perry is learning at The Point — AnnArbor.com — “If I’m going to be out there playing significant minutes, I have to be another John Beilein on the floor,” Lucas-Perry said. “I have to help my players and have to know what coach Beilein is thinking and letting everyone know the defense we’re in and tell them reminders of what the offense is playing or if they don’t know the time or something.”
  • Tim Hardaway bonds with son on, off the court — Miami Herald — Class of 2010 commit Tim Hardaway, Jr., has had a rocky relationship with his father, Tim Hardaway (of NBA fame), but they have grown closer in recent months. Definitely worth a read.

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