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Devin Gardner, #98

Devin Gardner

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HIGH SCHOOL
A product of Detroit’s Inkster High School – which is no longer open – Gardner was a Rivals 4-star, the #1 dual-threat quarterback, and #132 overall in the 2010 class. He chose the Wolverines over offers from Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Oregon, among others. I was not giving out TTB Ratings at the time, but I named him Michigan’s best recruit in the class (LINK).

Hit the jump for lots more on Gardner’s career.

COLLEGE
There was a hope that Gardner would redshirt as a freshman in 2010 while sitting behind Denard Robinson and Tate Forcier, but when Robinson got injured in the first game, Gardner indeed stepped in, which ruined his chance to redshirt. That seemed to be more of a punishment of Forcier, who had run afoul of the coaches, than a reward for Gardner. Regardless, Gardner went on to play in three games as a freshman, completing 7/10 passes for 85 yards and 1 touchdown; he also had 7 carries for 21 yards and 1 touchdown. Miraculously, he suffered a wink wink back injury, which would eventually allow him to take a medical redshirt for the year. As a redshirt freshman in 2011, he played sparingly as Robinson’s backup, completing 11/23 passes for 176 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception; he also ran 25 times for 53 yards and 1 score. Gardner was converted to wide receiver for the 2012 season in order to get the fleet-footed, 6’4″, 210-pounder on the field somewhere. Catching passes from Robinson for the first half of the year, he looked unpolished but decent on his way to 16 catches, 266 yards, and 4 touchdowns. When Robinson’s elbow was hurt against Nebraska, Gardner stepped back in at quarterback the following week and finished the year with 75/126 completions, 1219 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions, plus 47 carries for 101 yards and 7 touchdowns on the ground. Gardner became the full-time starter in 2013, a year in which he played terribly to start and heroically near the end. He was 208/345 for 2,960 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, and he added 483 yards and 11 touchdowns rushing. As a fifth year senior in 2014, he was 174/283 for 10 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, while also rushing for 258 yards and 4 touchdowns, all sandwiched around a very brief loss of his job to sophomore Shane Morris.

CAREER STATISTICS
475-for-787 (60.4%), 6336 yards, 44 touchdowns, 32 interceptions
342 carries, 916 yards, 24 touchdowns
18 catches, 286 yards, 4 touchdowns
27 starts at quarterback, 4 starts at wide receiver

AWARDS
School-record 503 passing yards and 584 total yards against Indiana in 2013

SUMMARY
Gardner came in with a lot of hype, and he showed flashes of brilliance throughout his career. If not for the guy who preceded him at the position, he would have been Michigan’s all-time most dynamic athlete at the quarterback spot. Unfortunately, team success did not come along with his talent. There was much gnashing of teeth – mine and others’ – when Gardner played immediately in 2010, because it seemed as if then coach Rich Rodriguez was sending a message to his team by sacrificing a year of Gardner’s eligibility. (The 2014 season was not pretty, but imagine Shane Morris starting for the entire year with Gardner having graduated. Yikes.)

When we finally saw Gardner for an extended period of time, he was a de facto redshirt sophomore in 2012 and he was playing wide receiver for the Wolverines. He actually led the team in receiving for a few games, had a few touchdown catches, and probably could have made a decent college career out of the position if not for the fact that he had a pretty good throwing arm, too. When Denard Robinson got hurt midway through the year, Gardner looked like the next big thing at quarterback. After practicing exclusively at wide receiver until everyone realized Russell Bellomy couldn’t hack it as Robinson’s backup, Gardner went under center for a week and then went 12/18 for 234 yards, 3 touchdowns (1 rushing), and 1 interception against a decent Minnesota squad. He threw an interception every game, but he also accounted for 18 touchdowns.

Things were looking good going into 2013, but the offensive line ultimately let down the team. Unable to run the ball or protect Gardner in any way, he threw loads of bad interceptions and took a beating throughout the year. He threw 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in the first six games before calming himself down and throwing 10 touchdowns and just 1 pick over the second half of the year. The season included record-setting performances against Indiana; not only did he pass for 503 yards and account for 584 total yards, but he also helped wide receiver Jeremy Gallon set a Big Ten record for receiving yards in a game. Gardner ended his season with an unbelievable game against mighty Ohio State, where he broke his foot but continued on to bring his team within a hair’s breadth of victory; he went 32/45 for 451 yards and 4 touchdowns, while also rushing 9 times for 25 yards and 1 more score. After the broken foot was discovered, he sat out the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl.

Many held out hope for continued maturation into his fifth year, but he and the rest of the offense continued to underperform. Gallon’s graduation meant that the new go-to guy was Devin Funchess, but Funchess got hurt early in the year and was never the same again. The running game improved somewhat, but Michigan had few threats in the passing game, and the best tight end, Jake Butt, was coming off of an ACL tear. After topping the 200-yard mark in passing eight times as a redshirt junior, Gardner managed just two such games in 2014, against Indiana and Ohio State. Additionally, he ran for 80+ yards four times in 2013, but just once in 2014, against Maryland. The team’s poor play got Gardner benched in favor of Morris for the beginning of the Minnesota game, but Morris was battered into a gimpy ankle and a controversial concussion. The fact that Morris was beaten up in little more than a half of a game while Gardner stayed mostly healthy (aside from the broken foot against Ohio State in 2013) for 2.5 years of starting gives an idea of how tough Gardner was. There were times when it looked like he wouldn’t be able to pull himself up off the turf, but often with a helping hand from a teammate, he got up over and over again.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . .
. . . looking like a poor man’s Vince Young. That might not sound like a great compliment, but Young was a Heisman winner who made things look easy at times. Gardner was not a great decision maker, but he could make some beautiful throws, he could outrun the majority of players on the field, and he always had a chance to make any play exciting. The way he moved on the field was right out of a video game.

PROJECTION
Gardner has resigned himself to the fact that he will almost surely have to play wide receiver if he wants to have an NFL career. At Michigan’s pro day in March, he measured in a little over 6’3″ and 218 lbs. He ran a 4.65 forty, did 15 reps on the 225 lb. bench press, showed off a 35.5″ vertical, broad jumped 9’9″, and ran the 20-yard shuttle in 4.42 seconds. Those numbers are solid but not amazing. Considering the fact that he is changing positions and does not have blazing speed, his options may be limited. However, there are other quarterbacks who have made the transition from quarterback to wide receiver in the NFL quite well – Josh Cribbs, Julian Edelman, Bert Emanuel, etc. Those guys generally seem to be smaller, quicker guys who can get open in the middle of the field, not big guys who can go against NFL corners – arguably the best athletes on the field – and win one-on-one battles. I think Gardner is going to struggle with the move to receiver, but he has size, leadership, toughness, and character on his side. I do not expect him to get drafted, but some team will pick him up as an undrafted free agent.

Recruiting Update: April 27, 2015

Brooklyn (NY) Poly Prep offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson (image via Scout)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2016
Lakewood (OH) St. Edward cornerback Tony Butler, a Pitt commit, was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 195 lb. prospect who also holds offers from Arizona State, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, and Rutgers, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #56 cornerback, and #600 overall. As a junior in 2014, he made 27 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 10 pass breakups. He’s a big corner who might project best to safety. Butler played for Michigan’s new director of football operations, Rick Finotti, who was head coach at St. Edward through last season. Despite maintaining a hard commitment to Pitt, Butler is expected to at least put some thought into attending Michigan, a school he visited in early April.

Cranford (NJ) Cranford offensive tackle Will Fries was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’6″, 270 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, Maryland, Miami, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, and South Carolina, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #38 offensive tackle, and #392 overall. Fries is a big, lean body who’s aggressive and bends well, but his footwork needs a lot of refinement. The Nittany Lions appear to be the favorite.

Hit the jump for a new 2017 offer, some guys who committed elsewhere, and some random tidbits.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2017
Brooklyn (NY) Poly offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’6″, 310 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Miami, Penn State, and Rutgers, among others. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #14 offensive tackle, and #82 overall. I have been unable to find actual game highlights of Wilson, but here are some clips from a recent camp (LINK) that also include Rashan Gary, Ron Johnson, and Michael Menet, all of whom are Michigan targets. Lineman drills in camps are tilted toward the defense, but Wilson looks a little out of his element in pass protection. He is probably a right tackle or a guard.

OFF THE BOARD
Huber Heights (OH) Wayne quarterback Messiah DeWeaver committed to Michigan State. Shortly after Jim Harbaugh was hired at Michigan, he informed DeWeaver that the coaching staff would like to keep him in the class but that they would continue recruiting other quarterbacks. DeWeaver then chose to decommit, and his likely destination for the past couple months had been East Lansing.

Arlington (TX) Lamar offensive guard Chris Owens committed to Alabama. His choice was somewhat expected, and he never gave Michigan much of a look.

Huntersville (NC) SouthLake Christian running back Robert Washington committed to Florida . . . and then Syracuse. In an interesting turn of events, Washington recorded an exclusive interview with Bleacher Report in which he committed to Florida. Bleacher Report went live with the video about 20 minutes before Washington announced himself, but Washington’s official announcement was for Syracuse. It’s unclear whether Washington was just messing with Bleacher Report or if he really changed his mind, but that’s what Bleacher Report deserves for trying to get the drop on Washington’s official announcement. Aside from the announcement thing, it seems odd that Washington would choose Syracuse when he also held offers from Alabama, LSU, Miami, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, USC, and Wisconsin, among others. However, his recruitment has long been a bit funky, and the one-time Mississippi State pledge, who visited Michigan several times during the Brady Hoke regime, may not have made his final choice. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he changes his mind again before February.

MISCELLANEOUS
Salt Lake City (UT) Brighton wide receiver Simi Fehoko announced a top five that includes Michigan.

Camden (NJ) Camden defensive end Ron Johnson, Jr., who visited a few weeks ago, named Michigan his leader with South Carolina #2. He’s teammates with wide receiver Brad Hawkins, who also has Michigan and South Carolina high on his list.

Here’s a list of visitors from the past few days, along with one for tomorrow (LINK).

ESPN updated their top 300 prospects for 2016 (LINK).

I wrote up a scouting report for Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha offensive guard Terrance Davis (LINK).

Video: Jim Harbaugh with Jameis Winston

Hit the jump for the ESPN video.

Visitors: April 24-26, 2015

Harbor City (CA) Narbonne offensive tackle Alex Akingbulu

2016
Alex Akingbulu – OT – Harbor City (CA) Narbonne: Akingbulu is a 6’6″, 250 lb. prospect with offers from Cal, Michigan, UCLA, and Utah, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 3-star, the #39 offensive tackle, and #400 overall. He is an extremely athletic offensive tackle who needs to fill out, but he could be a multi-year starter on the blind side.

Devery Hamilton – OT – Baltimore (MD) Gilman: Hamilton is a 6’6″, 290 lb. prospect with offers from Clemson, LSU, Maryland, Michigan, Penn State, Stanford, and others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #25 offensive tackle, and #235 overall. He plays for the alma mater of Michigan tight end/defensive end Henry Poggi. Hamilton does not talk much to the media, but he did report a positive experience from his visit to Michigan on Thursday.

2017
Jimmy Jaggers – TE – Roseville (CA) Roseville: Jaggers is a 6’4″, 230 lb. prospect with an offer from Louisville. He’s a 247 Sports 4-star, the #4 tight end, and #205 overall. He will be visiting on Tuesday, April 28.

ESPN 300 for 2016 updated

Avon (IN) Avon quarterback Brandon Peters

ESPN released their top 300 for 2016 (LINK). Michigan commits on the list include:

– Brandon Peters at #142
– Matt Falcon at #243
– Erik Swenson at #300 (UPDATE: Swenson was not on the original released list, as ESPN altered their list from #176 downward around 3:00 p.m. Some players toward the bottom jumped up at least five spots.)

Here are the rest of Michigan’s offerees:

5-stars:
1. Rashan Gary – DT – New Jersey
2. Greg Little – OT – Texas (Texas A&M)
5. Willie Allen – OT – Louisiana
6. Ed Oliver – DT – Texas
7. Malik Henry – QB – Florida
9. Jacob Eason – QB – Washington (Georgia)
10. Devin Asiasi – TE – California
13. Levonta Taylor – CB – Virginia (Florida State)
15. Lyndell Wilson – LB – Alabama

4-stars:
18. Trayvon Mullen – CB – Florida
20. Kareem Walker – RB – New Jersey (Ohio State)
22. Rahshaun Smith – DE – Florida (Clemson)
23. Janarius Robinson – DE – Florida (Florida State)
24. Brandon Jones – S – Texas
25. Dwayne Haskins, Jr. – QB – Maryland
26. Isaac Nauta – TE – Georgia (Florida State)
27. Jonah Williams – OT – California (Alabama)
28. Kaden Smith – TE – Texas (Stanford)
34. Marlon Davidson – DE – Alabama
35. K.J. Costello – QB – California (Stanford)
36. Deontay Anderson – S – Texas
38. Shea Patterson – QB – Louisiana (Ole Miss)
42. John Broussard – CB – Alabama
43. Mique Juarez – LB – California (USC)
46. Jordan Elliott – DT – Texas
48. Devin Duvernay – WR – Texas
49. Ben Davis – LB – Alabama
51. Michael Menet – OT – Pennsylvania
52. Nigel Knott – CB – Mississippi
53. Ben Bredeson – OT – Wisconsin
54. Dexter Lawrence – DT – North Carolina
56. Liam Eichenberg – OT – Ohio (Notre Dame)
57. Caleb Kelly – LB – California
60. Jauan Williams – OT – Washington, D.C.
61. Lokeni Toaiola – LB – California (UCLA)
62. Patrick Bethel – DE – Florida
66. Boss Tagaloa – DT – California
67. Miles Sanders – RB – Pennsylvania (Penn State)
68. Nate Craig-Myers – WR – Florida (Auburn)
69. Justin Madubuike – DE – Texas
73. Ronald Johnson, Jr. – DE – New Jersey
74. Sam Bruce – WR – Florida (Miami)
76. Demetris Robertson – WR – Georgia
77. Mecole Hardman – ATH – Georgia
84. Chris Owens – OG – Texas (Alabama)
85. Josh Hammond – WR – Florida
88. E.J. Price – OT – Georgia (Georgia)
90. Marquill Osborne – S – North Carolina (Tennessee)
92. Devin White – LB – Louisiana
95. Shaquille Quarterman – LB – Florida (Miami)
96. Charlie Woerner – TE – Georgia
98. David Long – CB – California
100. J.P. Urquidez – OT – Texas (Baylor)
103. Eric Cuffee – CB – Texas
104. Kendell Jones – DT – Texas
105. Eli Stove – WR – Florida
107. Jackie Jones – WR – California
110. Michael Jordan – OT – Michigan
111. Chris Daniels – DT – Texas
112. Erroll Thompson – LB – Alabama
116. Robert Washington – RB – North Carolina
120. Damar Hamlin – CB – Pennsylvania
121. Clark Yarbrough – OT – Virginia
123. Marquel Dismuke – S – California (Cal)
126. Khalid Kareem – DE – Michigan
127. Frank Martin II – OT – California (USC)
128. Isaiah Chambers – DE – Maryland
129. Ben Cleveland – OT – Georgia (Georgia)
133. Antonio Williams – RB – North Carolina (Wisconsin)
136. Austin Myers – OT – Texas (TCU)
137. Jordan Fuller – ATH – New Jersey
139. Jake Hausmann – TE – Ohio (Ohio State)
142. Brandon Peters – QB – Indiana (Michigan)
143. Auston Robertson – DE – Indiana
146. Luke Farrell – TE – Ohio
147. Tommy Kraemer – OT – Ohio (Notre Dame)
148. Jarrett Guarantano – QB – New Jersey (Tennessee)
151. Naseir Upshur – TE – Pennsylvania
154. Terrell Hall – DE – Washington, D.C.
155. Elijah Holyfield – RB – Georgia
158. Carlin Fils-Aime – RB – Florida
161. Richard Merritt – OG – Washington, D.C.
164. Xavier Kelly – DE – Kansas
167. Dylan Crawford – WR – California
168. Devin Bush – LB – Florida
169. Joseph Jackson – DE – Florida (Miami)
172. Josh King – DE – Illinois
174. Jacob Mathis – TE – Florida
176. Tre Nixon – WR – Florida
179. Brad Hawkins – WR – New Jersey
181. Michael Williams – DT – Texas
184. Jeffrey McCulloch – LB – Texas
189. Steffon McKnight – WR – California
190. Jaylon Jones – S – Texas
192. Terrance Davis – OG – Maryland
193. Jaquan Yulee – LB – Virginia
194. Erick Fowler – LB – Texas
195. Dontavious Jackson – LB – Texas
198. Ahmir Mitchell – WR – New Jersey
201. Jared Mayden – CB – Texas
203. Josh Imatorbhebhe – WR – Georgia
212. Daelin Hayes – LB – Michigan (USC)
214. Austin Mack – WR – Indiana
215. Cohl Cabral – OT – California
222. Scott Bracey – WR – Virginia (Duke)
225. Romeo Finley – S – Florida
226. Cary Angeline – TE – Pennsylvania
227. Steven Smothers – WR – Maryland
229. Tavares Chase – WR – Florida (Clemson)
232. Justin Layne – WR – Ohio
236. Nick Eubanks – TE – Florida
240. Cole Van Lanen – OT – Wisconsin
242. Josh Brown – DE – Virginia (Florida State)
243. Matt Falcon – RB – Michigan (Michigan)
245. Cameron Lewis – S – Louisiana (LSU)
253. Simi Fehoko – WR – Utah
258. Donnie Corley – WR – Michigan
259. Demetric Felton – ATH – California (UCLA)
261. Binjimen Victor – WR – Florida
262. Lavert Hill – CB – Michigan (Penn State)
264. Cameron Chambers – WR – New Jersey (Michigan State)
269. Quayshon Alexander – DE – New Jersey
279. Collin Johnson – WR – Texas (Texas)
282. Jordan Woods – DE – Florida
300. Erik Swenson – OT – Illinois (Michigan)