This just came in from the athletic department. Braithwaite was in charge of defensive quality control for the past two years here at Michigan. This is certainly an interesting hire — a complete unknown from a coaching standpoint, except, of course, to the coaching staff themselves. As expected, Greg Robinson will take over coaching the middle linebackers. The official press release:

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — University of Michigan football head coach Rich Rodriguez announced Thursday (Feb. 11) the hiring of Adam Braithwaite as the program’s safeties/outside linebackers coach. Braithwaite joins the Wolverines’ staff as a full-time assistant coach after spending the past two seasons as a staff assistant.

“We are excited to promote Adam to be our safeties/outside linebackers coach,” said Rodriguez. “He has been a loyal hard-working member of our staff for several years and knows our system. I believe he will bring a lot of energy both in coaching and recruiting.”

As previously announced during Rodriguez’s signing day press conference (Wednesday, Feb. 3), defensive coordinator Greg Robinson will coach the linebackers. Bruce Tall will continue to work with the defensive line.

Assistant head coach Tony Gibson will coach the cornerbacks and free safety position. He will also add the responsibility of coordinating the special teams. Rodriguez will continue to have all of the coaches remain involved with a certain phase of special teams, but Gibson will manage that phase of the game on a daily basis and on game day.

Braithwaite was the defensive coordinator at Hampden-Sydney College (Va.) during the 2007 season. He worked with the linebackers and coordinated the special teams for the program’s conference championship team and Division III National Playoff run. Prior to accepting his position at Hampden-Sydney, Braithwaite was a defensive graduate assistant for Rodriguez at West Virginia (2005-06). He assisted with the secondary and linebackers and helped the Mountaineers win a pair of bowl games (2006 Sugar and 2007 Gator) and the 2005 Big East title.

Braithwaite was the safeties coach at William & Mary in 2004 when the Tribe claimed the Atlantic 10 Championship and reached the semifinals of the Division I-AA National Championship. He gained his first college coaching position as the wide receivers and tight end coach at West Liberty State College (2003).

Braithwaite was a four-year letterman at defensive back for William & Mary (1997-2001), and was the starting strong safety on the Tribe’s 2001 Atlantic 10 co-Championship team. He earned his bachelor of arts from William & Mary (2002) and his master’s degree in athletic coaching education from West Virginia (2007).

Yes, please.

The blogosphere has had a few days to absorb another Michigan loss, and reactions are all over the place this week. Brian addresses once-and-for-all the question of “When can we fire Rich Rod?” He thinks an 8-4 year (possibly 7-5, depending on the bowl game) would save Rodriguez’s job, and he deserves the chance to coach next year before we make any rash decisions. I’m in full agreement on this one — with the defensive depth as thin as it is, and the offense being so young, it’s tough to pin too much of the blame of these past two seasons squarely on Rodriguez. We knew he needed time, and now we have to give it to him. In his postgame wrap, Brian does express the stress we all feel in dealing with the losing:

I’m burning out after two years of almost unrelenting misery, and looking forward to football season being over for the third straight year. I mean, when Michigan was down to Purdue in the second half, some fan ten or twenty rows behind me kept shouting “they’ve got no heart” over and over again as the guy in the row in front of me called for Rodriguez’s firing. Having a conversation about Michigan football right now is trying to remember that episode of GI Joe where Destro finds a secret ninja manual in a volcano*** that allows him to kill people with precisely-applied touches: if you can just remember where the red dots are you can spare everyone a lot of pain.

I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve wished with all my heart for a taser while standing in the student section during these past two years, and I’m obviously not the only one who feels that way. We need to give these kids (yes, kids) a chance — screaming “Forcier sucks!” (and yes, I’ve heard that several times) only serves to single you out as a blithering idiot.

Meanwhile, (the other) Brian over at Genuinely Sarcastic has emerged as a (relatively) level head throughout this whole mess. To the “Fire Rich Rod” crowd, he simply asks, “and do what?”:

Can you name a defensive coordinator who would do better with this roster? There just isn’t much to work with. When Robinson plugs one hole (run defense was solid against MSU and Iowa), another one opens (wide open receivers on playaction). He simply doesn’t have the talent or experience on that side of the ball to put together a sturdy unit in all phases. And the offense…well, remember what Beilein said about the roller coaster last year after Michigan basketball was BACK against UCLA and Duke? When you’re rebuilding, there will be ups and downs. Penn State and Illinois were downs. Purdue was an up. The offense did its job on Saturday.

He goes on to pick apart the notion that Harbaugh and Miles were ever totally viable candidates. Revisionist historians, beware, for Brian is ready to embarrass you.

Over at Maize n Brew, Dave gets the “most hilarious/sad emo quote of the week” award:

Still. Saturday could’ve been worse. A year ago I sat through a miserable downpour in 28 degree weather to watch Michigan lose to a Northwestern team they probably could’ve beaten. But Saturday wasn’t like that.

Saturday was sunny.

SCM has the full game breakdown over there, and comes to the same conclusion that any sane fan has realized at this point in the season:

If this team is going to salvage anything from this year, a year that brought joy for a whole month, then they’re going to have do it by out-gunning people.  It is what it is, and it’s not going to suddenly change over the next two weeks of practice.  So c’mon Blue, go out there and fight your hearts out.

Maize & Blue Nation gives us two ways to look at the game. Like them, I’m leaning towards option one:

There are two ways to look back at this game.

1) We played harder and looked much better on offense. Our defensive struggles continue, but those problems will take more time to fix. In the short term, this week…while still a tough loss, was still nice to see the team not give up like we did against Illinois. I think we still have a shot at a bowl if we can make some improvements and move forward.

or…

2) Another week another loss. This time to another crappy team. Even though it was close, I don’t care, a loss is a loss. You can take your moral victories and shove it…I need real wins. Wake me up in 2010. I’m done.

For reasons passing understanding, I’m actually closer to camp 1.

Michigan Football Saturdays has beef with Rodriguez’s decision to go for it on fourth and ten (when Brown ended up getting called for a forward lateral and the Wolverines turned the ball over), thinking Michigan should’ve taken the points. I think that decision could have gone either way, and certainly don’t think it was a boneheaded one, but I can see where they’re coming from here.

Finally, UM Tailgate gets zen, and gives an impassioned plea for your continued support:

Michigan Football has been there for you your whole life.  They’ve been there for you to lean on.  Every Saturday, winning, making you smile, sending you to work on Monday with your chest puffed out, ready to point and laugh at lesser men.  But now, for the first time, Michigan Football needs you to be there FOR THEM, to be patient FOR THEM.

We need to find that place again.  I’ve got to find that place again.  That place where I know we are going to win no matter what the odds, no matter what the situation.  Miracles happen.  Freshman can do amazing things.  There are two games left…and I love being an underdog.

One recruiting tidbit from Rivals: they’ve released their category rankings for 2010 quarterbacks. Devin Gardner ranks second in arm strength (behind PSU commit and Orchard Lake St. Mary’s prospect Robert Bolden), and first in scrambling ability. This combination, I like.

On to basketball (HOORAY!). UM Hoops has your breakdown of the Wayne State game, and Dylan also gives his State of the Blog in Year Three (to which I give a hearty congratulations). Seriously, there’s no better source for Michigan basketball blogging out there, and Dylan is doing all this as a student, which is nothing short of remarkable. Head over there, and if you like what you see, strongly consider hitting the Donate button — he definitely deserves it.

Finally, The Blog That Yost Built has your hockey coverage after Michigan was swept by #1 Miami. Also, MVictors passes along an article from Andy Reid, editor of the Michigan Daily, who was kicked out of Saturday’s game for doing the “C-YA” chant while dressed in a giant chicken suit. I’m with Greg when it comes to the chant: I loved it when I was young, mostly because I wasn’t allowed to say any of the words, but as I get older (and lamer, apparently) I’d like to see it replaced with something less vulgar and more creative. Red Berenson has asked for us to stop, and at this point, we should do whatever Red asks.

Similar Posts:

• Michigan Promotes Adam Braithwaite to Safeties/Outside Linebackers Coach
• Wolverines on the Web Talks About Practice
• The Denard Conundrum
• Wolverines on the Web Goes Old School
• Wolverines on the Web Has a New AD

Believe it or not, Forcier is performing better than Threet or Sheridan did in 2008. I just blew your mind.

Michigan is officially halfway through the regular season, and at 4-2 are already have more wins than the 2008 squad had the entire season. We all know this team is better than last year’s, but by how much? Let’s take a look at the statistics through 6 games for both squads, starting with the offense:

*NCAA does not have team rankings for yards per play. Also, 2008 YPP total is for whole season.

Well, we knew this: the offense is better in every facet of the game. The across-the-board improvement can be attributed to several things: the much-improved quarterback play, a competent offensive line, experience in the offense, more variety in the offense, etc. Also, we were really bad last year, so improvement was really the only viable option (the other being total implosion of a storied program, the consequences of which I would rather not think about). So, how about the defense?

Hmmm. This one is certainly more interesting. On one hand, having an offense that scores quickly sets a team up for shootouts, which could explain some of the yardage given up. On the other hand, last year’s team exited the field very quickly, and usually in disastrous fashion. I thought one factor could be pace, but the total plays ran per game in 2009 is 139.5, while last year it was 135.6 — a difference, yes, but not enough to explain why the defense is giving up so many yards. The 2008 defense did get a little worse as the season progressed — finishing 67th in total defense and 84th in scoring defense — but that includes the much more difficult conference schedule.

To what can we attribute this regression in the defense? For one, having a new coordinator and new system for the third time in three years can’t possibly help a defense improve. The secondary and defensive line are razor-thin. The defense as a whole is undersized. However, it’s still disconcerting to see a complete lack of improvement from the defense. Hopefully, as the secondary becomes set and the team gets more comfortable in the system (remember, the 85-yard run against Indiana was — at least initially — caused by Van Bergen making the wrong check at the line), the defense can better this performance. More likely, the team will stay at about the same level throughout the rest of the season, and hope that the offense can carry them to victory.

How about special teams and turnovers?

*Kickoff Returns Allowed not ranked by NCAA. 2008 stats for full season.

There are two things that should jump out at you from this table. 1) Zoltan is awesome in every way. 2) Last year’s team was practically handing the ball off to opponents. The second point is a factor that hasn’t been mentioned a whole lot when discussion Michigan’s improvement from last year: turnover margin tends to regress to the mean (the mean being zero, of course), and this year’s team is turning the ball over far less than they did last year.

What does this all mean? For one, we no longer suck, which is nice. However, the defense should definitely be a concern heading into the second half of the year. For how bad the 2008 defense was, this defense — at least on paper — is even worse. Let’s see if the team can turn it around and make a run at an eight- or nine-win season. If the D doesn’t get better, 7-5 appears to be the logical finish.

Similar Posts:

• Michigan Promotes Adam Braithwaite to Safeties/Outside Linebackers Coach
• Putting Michigan’s Recruiting Class in Context
• An Early Stab at the 2010 Depth Chart: Offense
• The Denard Conundrum
• Michigan’s Team of the Decade: Defense

Will Troy Woolfolk have to be Michigan's #1 corner next season?

As any Michigan fan who has watched during the 2009 season can attest, the secondary has been somewhat awful. The statistics agree: Michigan is 96th in the country in pass defense (246.5 yards allowed per game), and although some of that can be attributed to poor linebacker play, the onus falls squarely on the shoulders of defensive backs not named Donovan Warren. Greg Robinson has tried three different players at the second corner spot, and of those players, one has a tenuous hold on a spot on the team (Boubacar Cissoko), one doesn’t appear to be athletic enough to guard MAC wide receivers (J.T. Floyd), and the third was a safety until last week (Troy Woolfolk, who actually had a decent game against Iowa).

The secondary is a huge concern for this season, for obvious reasons: they’re not very good, still making major personnel changes, starting a walk-on at safety, etc. However, take a look at this (the depth chart by year for this season, with a big assist from MGoBlog), keeping next season in mind:

Now take Donovan Warren out of that picture, as in all likelihood he’ll be playing on Sundays next season.

Best case scenario for 2010: Warren stays, allowing Woolfolk to develop into a solid #2 cornerback. Justin Turner turns out to be the stud defensive back we expected him to be when he committed. Boubacar Cissoko gets his act together academically and on the field. Mike Williams learns how to properly cover the deep middle in a Cover 3. Vlad Emilien or Marvin Robinson supplants Jordan Kovacs and spends much of the season terrorizing opposing backfields. Michigan gains commitments from Cullen Christian (very likely) and another 3/4 star corner to add depth to the secondary.

More realistic scenario: Warren leaves, and Michigan spends the season without a real #1 corner. Troy Woolfolk is passable, but the #2 corner is again a fiasco barring Justin Turner being the next Law/Woodson/Jackson/Hall. The safeties remain shaky, with one first-year starter taking Kovacs’ spot and Mike Williams remaining as the other safety (and hopefully learning how to cover the deep middle, please). Cullen Christian and another 3/4 star corner commit, but probably don’t contribute immediately.

Very little of this situation is the fault of the current coaching staff: Lloyd Carr’s staff had one cornerback commit in the class of 2008 before handing over the reigns to Rich Rodriguez. That commit was Boubacar Cissoko, who has had equal problems staying eligible and staying with opposing wide receivers. The other defensive back in that class, Brandon Smith, struggled as a safety and was moved to linebacker. You could argue that the Rodriguez staff needed to get another cornerback in the class of 2009, but I doubt anyone expected Justin Turner’s eligibility to be in question so deep into fall camp, and Adrian Witty failed to qualify entirely. It certainly isn’t anybody’s fault that Warren is so good that he’s a likely first-round NFL Draft pick after his junior season.

What am I saying here? There isn’t much to do except brace yourselves, because the struggles of 2009 could be what keeps the 2010 team from being a bona-fide Big Ten title contender.

Similar Posts:

• Farewell, Donovan Warren
• Michigan’s Team of the Decade: Cornerbacks
• An Early Stab at the 2010 Depth Chart: Defense
• Michigan Promotes Adam Braithwaite to Safeties/Outside Linebackers Coach

I love watching Denard run, but Michigan needs to establish him as a passing threat.

Once again, it’s time for “Five Things I Hope to See…” First, a look at back at last week’s keys:

1. Force the Irish to become one-dimensional — Well, not so much. Notre Dame had a ton of success through the air and on the ground, and Michigan never got a lot of pressure on Jimmy Clausen. This is certainly cause for concern (especially the Irish’s success picking on Boubacar Cissoko), but I also don’t think Michigan fill face another offense with as dangerous an aerial attack as Notre Dame.
2. Get pressure on Jimmy Clausen — Another miss, as Michigan didn’t record a sack on Jimmy Clausen, and the only time they recorded any pressure was when Greg Robinson brought heat. Somebody besides Brandon Graham needs to step up on the defensive line when Michigan only rushes four.
3. Another outside receiver steps up — Not just one, but two outside guys had very good games (Darryl Stonum and Greg Mathews), and even Laterryal Savoy had a few big catches (and the drop, but that was tipped). It look like outside receiver has gone from a big question mark to a major strong point on this team.
4. Michigan gets an 100-yard day out of a running back — Hello, Brandon Minor.
5. Utilize the bubble screen — As noted by Brian, Notre Dame brought up their corners into press coverage to stop the bubble screen, so Michigan almost completely stayed away from it. However, Rich Rodriguez actually did a great job of adjusting to this by having the tight end/H-back block the crashing DE on the zone read, and this was the cause for several of Minor’s big runs. It’s been great to watch Rodriguez stay one step ahead of opposing defenses with his schemes.

Against an opponent the quality of Notre Dame, 3/5 isn’t bad, especially when the success on offense managed to (barely) outweigh the shortcomings of the defense. Now, on to Eastern Michigan:

1. Establish Denard Robinson as a passing threat — We all know Shoelace can run, but thus far Michigan has almost exclusively utilized him as a rusher. Notre Dame knew Michigan wasn’t fully comfortable with him as a passer, and sold out on the run when Denard was in at QB. With an opponent the quality of EMU, Michigan now has the perfect opportunity to showcase Denard’s ability to pull up and throw the ball. I fully expect to see a lot of Shoelace on Saturday, and if he can show an ability to hit receivers while still remaining a home run threat on the ground, future opponents will have to respect the pass or risk giving up big plays through the air.
2. Establish dominance up front — To put it bluntly, if Eastern has a lot of success on the ground or Michigan can’t get any pressure on QB Andy Schmitt, this defense will be in a lot of trouble. Ryan Van Bergen has to show that he can hold the point of attack at DT, and if he can’t show that this game, Greg Robinson should strongly consider realigning the defensive front. This game is the perfect opportunity to experiment with different guys up front, and establish the front seven for the course of the season.
3. Obi Ezeh bounces back — While everybody was talking about Boubacar Cissoko’s subpar performance, Ezeh has a pretty miserable game himself, looking tentative and allowing himself to get taken out of plays as a result. If Ezeh doesn’t show he can recognize a play and attack with confidence, I’d like to see J.B. Fitzgerald get a chance at middle linebacker.
4. One of the young tailbacks shows starting potential — Vincent Smith and Michael Shaw should both see a lot of playing time, and one of those two will likely be the starting tailback at this time next year. Shaw showed a lot of potential last year, even while battling injuries, and Smith was the breakout star of spring practice. I would love to see one (or both) put up big numbers and show an understanding of the spread offense.
5. A cornerback besides Donovan Warren actually plays well — Boubacar Cissoko had a really rough game against Notre Dame, and J.T. Floyd got torched in limited action against Western Michigan. Highly touted freshman Justin Turner has not seen any game action after he made it on campus late due to academic issues. Ideally, Cissoko would bounce back and show he can play man coverage and either Turner or Floyd would show that Michigan has a viable option after Warren and Cissoko.

Hopefully, Michigan will be geared up and ready to go from the opening kickoff. Personally, I expect the team to come out fired up, and I don’t think the foot will be taken off the gas as the team tries out backups at practically every position: Michigan 52, EMU 16

Similar Posts:

• Report: Jay Hopson to Memphis
• Putting Michigan’s Recruiting Class in Context
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Kelvin Grady is pushing for a significant role in the fall after joining the squad this summer.

Football:

• Former basketball player Kelvin Grady learning quickly at slot receiver — Michigan Daily — I’m clearly not the only one who thinks Grady looks good; Rich Rodriguez was quick to praise his new slot receiver before practice today. Don’t be surprised if Kelvin sees the field a lot this season, despite being only months removed from being exclusively a basketball player.
• Video from Thursday’s practice — The Wolverine — Exclusive video of the quarterbacks, receivers, defensive line, and more, shot at today’s practice.
• Observations: What does Grimace have to do with Michigan football practice? — AnnArbor.com — Despite the incredibly strange headline, Michael Rothstein has some interesting notes on today’s practice, including a breakdown of the field goal competition. Also, apparently our blocking heavy bag bears a strong resemblance to the big purple McDonalds … creature.
• Birk’s Eye View: Thursday practice notes… — AnnArbor.com — This headline thing is getting out of hand, since I cut off “…from University of Michigan football practice.” We know what you’re talking about. Seriously. Anyways, the focus is on Denard Robinson, and specifically his game-changing ability as a quarterback.
• Jarrett Irons: Our Dinner With Rich Rodriguez — Lost Lettermen — The former standout M linebacker chronicles a dinner with Rich Rodriguez and several former players in Chicago during Media Days. Have no fear: Irons has only praise for Rodriguez, his “drawl”, and his “affinity” and “respect” for Michigan. It’s great to see Rodriguez reaching out and making a good impression on former players.
• Interview: Mark Messner recalls battles with Mandarich — MVictors — Greg scores an interview with U-M’s all-time sack leader, touching on his most memorable game (battling against Spartan ‘roid-freak Tony Mandarich), Bo’s drug policy (staunch, and ahead of its time), and more. A great read.
• His playing days over, Jason Forcier will stay in Ann Arbor to mentor brother Tate Forcier — AnnArbor.com — Again, the headline says it all in an AnnArbor.com article. Having Jason around will certainly help Tate’s transition to college football, and should keep him on the right track on and off the field.
• All In For Michigan towels go on sale Sunday — Pick yours up at the MGoBlue Shop, M Den, or other retail outlets for $5 ($6.99 after Sunday). Some of the proceeds go towards the building of a new children’s and women’s hospital, and waving a towel promotes the downfall of the dastardly “key play.” So yeah, buy one.
• Graham, Molk, Schilling Named to Lombardi Award Watch List — MGoBlue — The Lombardi Award goes to the top lineman, offensive or defensive in the country, hence the guys from both sides of the ball. Also, nice.
• Boren saga only adds to Michigan-Ohio State rivalry — USA Today — Starting lineman switches sides in storied rivalry, bad-mouths coaching staff on way out, and this adds to the rivalry? O RLY? (Yes, that was sarcasm … I hope he’s healthy for the game so our d-line can put him on his ass thanks to actually caring about strength and conditioning).
• 74,000 Truck Drivers — Spawn of MZone — Delicious rivalry fodder, courtesy of the Spawn of MZone, relating to the above. Thank you.
• Freshman Craig Roh will be a factor at ‘quick’ end position… — AnnArbor.com — That’s it: I’m done typing “for Michigan football team” or anything else similar from AnnArbor.com articles. Good lord. Anyways, I really like Roh as a prospect and the ‘quick’ position seems like a great fit for him.
• Finally healthy, Brandon Minor could be headed for a breakout season — AnnArbor.com — Wow, Minor is one tough mother——: “Minor underwent two surgeries in the offseason and gutted through 11 games last fall a virtual one-armed man. The pain was so intense he couldn’t carry the ball in his right arm and couldn’t lift weights. “I could barely get 145 (pounds) up,” Minor said.”
• U-M defense tackles change with attention to details — Detroit News — I would fail on the U-M defense, as I initially thought this was an article about the DTs. Also, I’m 5-11 and 150 pounds soaking wet. As for the article, more quotes on Greg Robinson’s focus on tackling, among other things.
• Four-star has top five — Rivals.com — Four-star California athlete Anthony Barr has Michigan among his leaders, along with UCLA, USC, Cal, and Notre Dame. Barr is 6-4, 230, and could play anything from receiver to linebacker to defensive back, although most schools are recruiting him as a running back.
• Stevenson hopes to parlay postseason success — Observer & Eccentric Hometown — Local article previewing the Livonia Stevenson football squad, led by running back Austin White, a 2010 Michigan commit. It appears he’ll be playing on both sides of the ball come fall, and the hopes are that the team will build on the success of last season, when they went 10-3 and made the state semifinals.

Basketball:

• Harris, Sims Named Preseason Wooden Candidates — MGoBlue — Michigan gets some national award love, as Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims are among the 50 players named to the Wooden Award watch list.
• While Michigan’s basketball schedule looks good, there’s one stretch that should be a big concern — AnnArbor.com — Starting Jan. 14, Michigan plays: Indiana, UConn, @Wisconsin, @Purdue, Michigan State. Color me concerned. That stretch could vault Michigan into the top ten in the country or destroy a tournament season.
• Michigan Madness Slated for Oct. 16 at Crisler Arena — MGoBlue — FINALLY, Michigan has a Midnight Madness hoops event. Doors open at 8, and the festivities start at 9, with player intros, a skills competition, and scrimmages all on the docket.

Similar Posts:

• Wolverines on the Web Talks About Practice
• An Early Stab at the 2010 Depth Chart: Offense
• Rich Rod, Lane Kiffin, and Upholding Tradition
• Wolverines on the Web Goes Old School
• Harris Reinstated; Grady Back With Hoops Squad

Booker T. Washington (Miami) RB Eduardo Clements has named Michigan as his leader.

Football:

• Did Cane visit today turn Clements? ($) — CaneSport.com — Eduardo Clements, a Rivals250 running back from Miami, named Michigan as his leader after a visit to Miami. This is great news, as it is rare that recruits leave a visit and move a different team up to the top of their list. Hopefully Michigan can get him up for a visit soon, although he states that he wants to wait until after his season to make a college choice.
• Flowers knows two visits he plans to take ($) — TheWolverine.com — Michigan and Notre Dame are the two teams in line to get official visits from Millennium (Arizona) ATH Marquis Flowers, the No. 86 overall player in the Rivals100. Flowers is 6-3, 195, so I’d have to assume that he is being recruited as a receiver, although his numbers suggest he plays running back and defensive back in high school.
• The Golden Decade: The All-Decade Team — CBSSports.com — Jake Long is your Wolverine representative on the all-decade squad. Also, the Tebow hype continues, as he’s picked over Vince Young and Matt Leinart for the first team. Personally, I’d go with VY, simply for his performance in the BCS title game.
• New Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Robinson wants ‘the best tackling team in America’ — AnnArbor.com — Interesting that Stevie Brown is the main player interviewed for this piece. Hopefully pursuit angles will be a major sticking point, considering Brown says that Robinson is so detail-oriented that he stresses correct shin angles for a tackler.
• Wolverines football: key issues — Detroit News — Angelique Chengelis looks at the hot-button issues heading into today’s first fall practice. Is “everything” too broad?

Basketball:

• Robert Traylor wants to finish his rocky career the right way — Detroit Free Press — A great article by Michael Rosenberg on Traylor, who has gone through more than most people can possibly imagine during his life. I gained a ton of respect for the man after reading this piece. Highly recommended reading.

Similar Posts:

• Michigan’s Team of the Decade: Offensive Tackle
• Wolverines on the Web Watches People Run
• Knight to Rutgers & Your Signing Day Primer
• Recruiting Update: Part II (Rounding Out the Class)
• Wild Recruiting Weekend Recap

It's pretty safe to project Tate Forcier as a future starter.

Now that the entire class of 2009 is reportedly qualified (Justin Turner is supposedly on campus and enrolled, which would imply that he is academically eligible), I want to take a post I did on my old website and update it. Back in 2008, I went through 11 years’ worth of Michigan recruiting classes (1993-2003) to see, in the average class, what percentage of players stayed all four years, started at least 12 games, made an All-Big Ten team, etc. Then I took those numbers and used them to predict player outcomes for the Class of 2008. So, in step one of this post, I’m going to update the original numbers to include the Class of 2004, now that all of those players have played out their eligibility. To do this, I’m using Rivals.com’s recruiting data and Mike DeSimone’s recruiting outcomes page. The results:

Overall, Michigan handed out 242 scholarships from 1993-2004. Of those players:
•    117 (48%) started at least twelve games for Michigan
•    52 (21%) were taken in the NFL Draft
•    10 (4.1%) were taken in the first round of the NFL Draft
•    53 (22%) were selected All-Big Ten first-team at least once
•    19 (7.8%) made an All-American team
•    Charles Woodson (.41%) won a Heisman Trophy

As for how many players stuck it out through their four (or five) years:
•    149 (62%) played out their eligibility, meaning 93 (38%) left the team early
•    8 players (3.3%) left early for the NFL
•    3 of those players (David Terrell, Charles Woodson, and Tim Biakabutuka) were taken in the Top 8 of the Draft
•    Alan Branch went with the first pick in round 2, Adrian Arrington with the 30th pick of the 7th round
•    The other 3 (Alex Ofili, Ernest Shazor, and Shantee Orr) went undrafted
•    2 players (Clayton Richard and Drew Henson) left school early to play pro baseball (.8%)
•    9 players (3.7%) were kicked off the team for grade or disciplinary issues (I realize this is way low, but many of Michigan’s disciplinary casualties simply transferred for undisclosed reasons. Take that number with a huge grain of salt)
•    27 players (11%) transferred (not including disciplinary casualties)
•    16 players (6.6%) were not picked up for their fifth year of eligibility (Ryan “Yards After” Mundy falls in this category, since we weren’t going to bring him back before he transferred to West Virginia)
•    16 players (6.6%) had their careers cut short due to injury

Now, I’ll adjust the above numbers for a 22-man recruiting class, which is the size of Michigan’s Class of 2009 (numbers rounded up or down where appropriate, since we’re hopefully dealing with whole football players):

14 will play out their full eligibility
10.5 (that .5 will be determined later) will start at least 12 games
5 will become All-Big Ten first-team players
2 will become All-Americans
5 will be taken in the NFL Draft

After the jump, I’ll take a look at the 2009 recruiting class and make some projections using the above data: Continue reading Projecting Michigan’s 2009 Recruiting Class

Similar Posts:

• An Early Stab at the 2010 Depth Chart: Defense
• Michigan Promotes Adam Braithwaite to Safeties/Outside Linebackers Coach
• An Early Stab at the 2010 Depth Chart: Offense
• Wild Recruiting Weekend Recap
• The Denard Conundrum

Rich Rodriguez’s recruiting for the 2010 class has caused, to say the least, some consternation among Michigan faithful. Witness the cause and effect:

Cause: Michigan's 2010 recruiting class (image swiped from Rivals)

Effect: Run for your lives!!!!

Do the panic-stricken stick figures have a point, or is this much o noes about nothing? Today I’ll take a look at the three-star and below recruits from previous Michigan recruiting classes, and tomorrow I’ll take a look at the same caliber recruits Rich Rodriguez pulled in during his time at West Virginia. Will this tell us much about what to expect from these 2010 recruits? I have no idea. However, it’s the peak of offseason boredom, so it’s time to leave no story stone unturned. I’m using data from Rivals, which extends back to 2002, with a big assist from Mike DeSimone’s recruiting page. First, a list of the three-star and below recruits at Michigan from 2002-2006 (a point at which we can somewhat reasonably project a player’s career), with players who started at least five career games listed in bold:

2002 (10 three-star and below recruits/20 total recruits): Willis Barringer, Rondell Biggs, Mark Bihl, David Harris, Rueben Riley, Brian Thompson, Tom Berishaj, Kevin Murphy (3*), Greg Cooper, Jacob Stewart (N.R.)

2003 (4/17): Anton Campbell, Garrett Rivas, Patrick Sharrow (3*), Brandent Englemon (2*)

2004 (9/22): Jamar Adams, Mike Hart, Charles Stewart, John Thompson, Roger Allison, Keston Cheathem, Jeremy Ciulla, Grant DeBenedictis (3*), Marques Walton (2*)

2005 (12/23): Brandon Logan, Tim McAvoy, Zoltan Mesko, Mark Ortmann, LaTerryal Savoy, Carson Butler, Jason Forcier, Chris McLaurin, Chris Richards, Johnny Sears, Mister Simpson (3*), Andre Criswell (2*)

2006 (7/19): Greg Banks, Obi Ezeh, John Ferrera, Quintin Patella, Quintin Woods (3*), David Cone, Bryan Wright (2*)

Totals here: 42 three-star or below players, 16 starters. Two of those 16 starters are kickers/punters, and those guys never get above three-stars anyway, so 14/39 (striking Rivas, Zoltan, and Bryan Wright from the list) is probably a more telling figure. It seems a pretty safe bet at this point that none of the 2006 class besides Ezeh will see significant starting time (again, barring Wright), so I can say with a fair amount of confidence that for the 2002-2006 recruiting classes, 36% of three-star or below recruits ended up starting. Let’s look a little closer now.

Position Breakdown of three-star and below recruits:

QB: 2 (Forcier, Cone)
TB: 2 (Hart, Simpson)
FB: 3 (Thompson, Allison, Criswell)
WR: 1 (Savoy)
TE: 2 (Murphy, Butler)
OL: 8 (Bihl, Riley, Berishaj, Sharrow, Ciulla, DeBenedictis, McAvoy, Ortmann)
DL: 5 (Biggs, Walton, McLaurin, Banks, Ferrera)
LB: 6 (Harris, Logan, Thompson, Ezeh, Patella, Woods)
CB: 4 (Cooper, Cheathem, Richards, Sears)
S: 6 (Barringer, J. Stewart, Campbell, Englemon, Adams, C. Stewart)
K/P: 3 (Rivas, Mesko, Wright)

One thing I notice immediately is the amount of offensive linemen, which isn’t a surprise considering how many you need and the fact that they tend to be the toughest recruits to scout. Unless you’re USC, you usually are filling out every class with a couple three-star o-linemen. The other glaring point, to me, is that the safety position is heavily represented here, which seems strange for a position with only two starting spots. Then I began to think about our safety play over the last several years. This begins to make sense.

The third thing to notice is that Michigan has never recruited three-star players heavily at the skill position, something that Rodriguez is doing quite a bit of right now. The 2010 class alone already has three times as many three-star and below wideouts as Lloyd pulled in during a five-year period (four times if you count Tony Drake as a slot). A large part of this, obviously, is Michigan’s need for more receivers under Rodriguez’s system. The fact that we have two four-star wideouts committed really makes this an area of little concern for me: we need receivers, and we need a lot of them — it’s hard to pull in five four-star wideouts per year. Rich Rod is also trying to fill out an area of the roster that needed fewer players under the old system. Hence, all the three-star receivers. We’re clearly doing fine at quarterback, what with Forcier, Robsinson, and Gardner. Running back is not at panic level need yet, with Shaw already looking good, Vincent Smith impressing early, and Fitzgerald Toussaint coming in as a highly-regarded four-star. Hopkins isn’t a bad pickup, either, and could still reach four-star status upon further evaluation. Chill out, stick figures.

Better.

The big concern, however, is defense. Marvin Robinson, despite the coaching staff and Robinson both saying he’s coming in as a safety, seems destined for linebacker (or spinner/deathbacker/whatever the hell Stevie Brown is playing). There is still a glaring need at safety, as well as defensive tackle. Unless Ken Wilkins eats Drew Dileo, I don’t see a DT in that class, and right now Michigan is thin even on offers at the position. In this case, the stick figures may have a point. Commence freaking out.

I pray this is photoshopped, for fear of laughing at something I shouldn't.

It’s tough to draw conclusions out of this right now, especially with the recruiting process still ongoing (and with Pace and Wilkins, among others, still candidates for a fourth star). At the moment, I have no problem with Rodriguez’s recruiting strategy on offense. On defense, however, he needs to fill a lot of holes, especially along the line. At this point, a three-star DT may not do the job for Michigan, who has Mike Martin, Will Campbell, a Canadian guy and a converted fullback as the entirety of their depth at the position. Yes, we’re implementing a three-man front of sorts under Greg Robinson, but that’s still mighty thin.

More on this will come tomorrow, as I look at the success of Rodriguez in developing three-star and below talent at West Virginia.

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• An Early Stab at the 2010 Depth Chart: Defense
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ESPN.com's Andy Katz slots Michigan at No. 11 in his (very) preseason top 25.

Football:

• Michigan jumps to the top for Wilson – The Wolverine — Josh Helmholdt reports that Michigan has vaulted all the way to the top of the list for Rivals150 offensive tackle Torrian Wilson after his weekend visit.
• Fact-checking: Can Michigan count on the Rodriguez Leap? — Dr. Saturday — Yahoo!’s Matt Hinton (aka Dr. Saturday, fka Sunday Morning Quarterback) notes the tremendous jump in year 2 of Rich Rodriguez’s previous coaching stops, and examines whether the same type of leap will happen next year for the Wolverines.
• History points to Wolverines rebounding — ESPN.com — Ivan Maisel pens a similar article to the above, with less emphasis on statistics and more quotes (including some great ones from Greg Robinson).
• Spring Game: Locker Room Tour Photos — MVictors — You know that locker room tour where the line was too long for me to get in? Greg from MVictors apparently got up a little earlier than me.
• Wolverines still have issues to address — Detroit News — Angelique Chengelis takes a look at some of the potential hurdles Michigan will have to leap before they can be successful this season. Quarterback, O-line, and safety are three of the big ones she lists, and I have to agree with her there. I can’t say I’ll be comfortable with anything she lists until the team emphatically proves I should feel otherwise, which won’t happen for me until at least October.
• QB Denard Robinson misses game but is learning plays — Detroit Free Press — Robinson was on hand for the Spring Game, and is saying all the right things about how hard he’ll work this summer with the intention of seeing the field in the fall. Also in the article is an interesting tidbit about Jason Forcier, who will be a grad student at Michigan this fall. If the NCAA reinstates a loophole that allows grad students to play instantaneously after a transfer, it is possible that U-M will have two Forciers this season.
• John L., Mallett together at Arkansas — ESPN.com — Former Wolverine Ryan Mallett is taking snaps as both the first team quarterback and as a punter for the Razorbacks this spring. His coach? Former MSU head man John L. Smith. That’s too bad…
• Former Ohio State football star Donte Whitner arrested in Cleveland — Cleveland.com — Ted Ginn’s birthday bash does not go according to plan. Charges include aggravated disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Maurice Clarett is not impressed.

Basketball:

• Jayhawks the team to beat … for now — ESPN.com — Andy Katz releases his initial 2009-10 top 25, and Michigan comes in at No. 11. Also notable: Michigan State (2), Purdue (8), Illinois (24). I’m not nearly as optimistic heading into next season, unless Zack Novak grows a foot or Ben Cronin morphs into Hasheem Thabeet, but it’s nice to see Michigan making some preseason polls for the first time in … a while (wayyyy too lazy to look that up).

Other:

• Obama girls name their new puppy “Bo” — Yahoo! News — Solid choice, girls. I’ll overlook the fact that the name is an apparent homage to the late Bo Diddley (blues singer) and think of the Obamas as staunch Michigan supporters. Next up: adding some Maize and Blue trim to that boring White House, and naming Mike Barwis “Secretary of Strength and Conditioning”. That’ll have those fat cats in Washington looking lean and mean in no time.

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