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| Cornerback Blake Countess (#1) |
The 2011 Offer Board has been updated:
DeAnthony Arnett (WR) committed to Tennessee.
Added Blake Countess (CB).
Charles Jackson (CB) committed to Nebraska.
Added Tre Mason (SB).
Sean Duggan (ILB) committed to Boston College.
Added Sheldon Royster (FS).
Added Desmond Morgan (ILB).
AJ Jordan (WR) committed to Wisconsin.
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Are you at all concerned about the recruiting class? Seems like lots of kids are considering, but passing, on Michigan.
I realize there is still time, but still getting concerned.
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Magnus,
I'm an MGoBlog regular and just wanted to say that I really enjoy this site a lot. I've even bookmarked it. Keep up the fantastic work.
Now my question. What do you think of Countess and what is our shot? Watching his tape he seemed like he had a great burst, fairly good recovery at DB and is a guy who won't be a liability grade wise. At the very least he could offer some excellent depth for his first 2-3 years.
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@ Anonymous 8:05 a.m.
I guess I don't see that many kids passing on U of M. There are a lot of kids considering the Wolverines, and a lot of kids who are going elsewhere were never really expected to go to Ann Arbor. Charles Jackson was a longshot from the beginning, DeAnthony Arnett was kind of a longshot, etc. I get the feeling that the coaches lost interest in AJ Jordan somewhat, because there are bigger fish out there (particularly Sammy Watkins).
I'd be interested to know what recruits you think are passing on U of M.
Anyway, no, I'm not too worried about the recruiting class. I think the class will fill out, we'll get a few of the "big time" recruits on the board, and we'll offer a couple sleepers late in the process, too. My biggest concern at this point is probably picking up a nose tackle/defensive tackle (or two). I hope Mickey Johnson or Timmy Jernigan comes to Ann Arbor, because we need another dominant guy in the middle to replace Mike Martin. Especially in the 3-3-5, that NT makes things happen…for one side or the other.
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@ Michael 10:48 a.m.
Thanks for the compliments.
I really like Countess. From everything I've heard, he's a good kid on top of being very talented. Amongst cornerbacks in the past few classes, I would probably rank him as the second-best commitment (assuming he commits) since Donovan Warren in 2007, better than Cullen Christian, Boubacar Cissoko, and Justin Turner, among others. I think Demar Dorsey was more talented physically, so he'd be #1 on that list, but obviously he never made it to campus.
I've heard that Michigan is high on Countess's list, maybe #1 or #2. Hopefully Tony Dews can reel him in.
One thing to remember, too, is that the competition in Maryland is pretty good. Our Lady of Good Counsel puts out a lot of good players, and one of the teams Countess torches in his highlights is DeMatha, another powerhouse. The kid is legit.
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Magnus,
How important is it for Michigan to pick up some DBs that can step in and make an impact as true freshman? Is this a must, or can we depend on the returning talent we have and hope to field an improved defense?
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I agree that DT should be the biggest priority. Martin and Van Bergen both depart after 2011, and then you're hoping that Ash and Washington (or Talbot?) can step in — All totally unproven.
The other major need I see is OL. The last 2 recruiting classes have yielded only 3 players(Lewan, Schofield, Pace). They seem good to great, but once the large sophomore class (Omameh, Barnum, Mealer, Khoury, Cambell) graduates, bodies (and experience) will be thin. Its possible that the 2012 and 2013 classes can fill the void, but then you're talking about extremely young OL. Sometimes that works (Long, Lewan, Omameh) but its not ideal…Which brings me back to the 2010 class. They already have 3 OL (verbally) committed, but I'd really like to see 2 more, or at least 1 more plus an OL/DL like Zettel who could project either way.
Am I crazy for worrying about OL when its one of the deepest position groups on the roster right now, and probably will stay so for a couple more years? 3 guys across 2 classes (for 5 positions) scares me, especially given the attrition levels we've seen and the ever-present risk of injury (plus Lewan looking like a high NFL pick potentially).
Tangential question: generally speaking, do you think people are foolish for expecting recruits to make immediate impacts? I know it happens, but rarely as expected. For every Henne, Hart, Forcier, Roh, Odoms, theres two guys like Dann Oneil, William Campbell, Justin Turner, Cullen Christian, Marvin Robinson, Jeremy Gallon, Terrence Robinson. It seems like the guys that are expected to contribute usually don't . It also seems like freshman that do come from nowhere, usually buried on the preseason depth chart.
Furthermore, some positions seem easier to immediately contribute at because the mental elements are relatively digestable. I'm thinking of RB, DT, DE, and CB (in some schemes). In contrast, positions that require a lot of reading (QB, S, LB) or technique (OL) generally require more experience. This team is (still) extremely young, meaning most players return next season. That makes it even LESS likely that freshman contribute. Even if we land a 5 Star LB or Safety, aren't they probably going to wait till 2012 (or beyond) before surpassing the returning starters?
I guess I don't understand the mentality of "Get HaHa to fix our D next year". Not that Ray Vinopal looks amazing, but between him and Carvin Johnson that extra year of experience gives the 2010 class a big edge, IMO.
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@ Alex 2:59 p.m.
I don't think it's necessary for Michigan to get a recruit to step in immediately and play, but it kind of depends on what Troy Woolfolk plays in 2011 (and how healthy he is).
If Woolfolk plays cornerback, Michigan is going to have to count on Vinopal holding down the fort at FS. Free safety is a HORRIBLE position for a freshman to play, as we've seen this year. But that would leave Woolfolk and Floyd at the corners, and Kovacs/Vinopal playing safety. That's…ehhh…better than this year, but not great.
If Woolfolk plays FS (which I hope is the case), then I'd like to see Michigan pull in a CB with the ability to play immediately. I'm not a big fan of the skills of Avery/Talbott, and at the very least, I'd like to see someone challenge Avery for playing time.
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@ Lankownia
I agree about the OL. I think DT is the most immediate need because…well…we're REALLY thin after Banks/Patterson/Sagesse graduate. We should be good on the OL for a couple more years, but it gets thin pretty quickly after that. However, I think we have a good chance with several OL guys (Zettel, Elliott, Bryant, Hobbi, etc.), so I expect a couple of those guys to end up in this class.
As for early impact players, yeah, there are certain positions that can contribute early. I'm thinking of cornerbacks, running backs, and receivers. Some positions require physical development (OL, DL), whereas others require more mental development (QB, LB, S). Unfortunately, we've been forced to play true freshmen at ALL those positions in the last few years because of a lack of great depth.
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dallas crawford committed to michigan yesterday. im sure uve heard and written something for mgoblog but i stopped reading mgoblog awhile ago. lookin forward to ur analysis.
-horn
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and i believe on twitter i heard(a few days ago) that timmy jernigan has trimmed his list to now be michigan-less
-horn
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