Posts by: touchbann_adminuser

Rivals 250 for 2016 updated

Dele’ Harding is the #215 recruit in the country (image via 247Sports.com)

Rivals updated their list of top 250 prospects for 2016 (LINK). Here’s what it looked like in July (LINK). They updated the top 100 yesterday (LINK). Movement for Michigan commits:

– Dele’ Harding dropped from #186 to #215
– Messiah DeWeaver dropped from #210 to #219

Here’s the full list of Michigan’s offerees from #101 to #250:

104. Theo Howard – WR – California
106. Damar Hamlin – CB – Pennsylvania
108. Elijah Holyfield – RB – Georgia
112. Cameron Chambers – WR – New Jersey
113. Darrian Franklin – LB – California
125. Joseph Jackson – DE – Florida
126. J.P. Urquidez – OT – Maryland
130. Josh Imatorbhebhe – WR – Georgia
132. Binjimen Victor – WR – Florida
151. Shaquille Quarterman – LB – Florida (Miami)
152. Brad Hawkins, Jr. – WR – New Jersey
154. Justin Layne – WR – Ohio
164. Luke Farrell – TE – Ohio
170. Michael Onwenu – DT – Michigan
177. Austin Mack – WR – Indiana
185. Antonio Williams – RB – North Carolina (Wisconsin)
186. Kaden Smith – TE – Texas
187. Clark Yarbrough – OT – Virginia
188. Auston Robertson – DE – Indiana
193. Kentrail Moran – RB – Illinois
215. Dele’ Harding – LB – Maryland (Michigan)
219. Messiah DeWeaver – QB – Ohio (Michigan)
225. Jordan Woods – DE – Florida
232. Michael Jordan – OT – Michigan
243. Lavert Hill – CB – Michigan

2014 Football Team Award Winners

Jake Ryan

Michigan held its annual Football Bust on Monday evening, and here are the award winners from the event:

Bo Schembechler Team MVP: Jake Ryan, LB (5th)

Captains: Jake Ryan, LB (5th) and Devin Gardner, QB (5th)

Hugh J. Rader, Jr. Award (best lineman): Jack Miller, OC (RS Jr.)

Dick Katcher Award (best defensive end/outside linebacker): Brennen Beyer, DE (Sr.)

Roger Zatkoff Award (best linebacker): Jake Ryan, LB (5th)

Robert P. Ufer Award (senior who demonstrates love and enthusiasm for the program): Brennen Beyer, DE (Sr.)

Dr Arthur Robinson Scholarship Award (senior scholar): Joey Burzynski, OG (5th)

I don’t think any of these awards would surprise anyone except perhaps the Rader Award. Miller took a lot of heat during the 2013 season for his performance, and he was eventually replaced by Graham Glasgow last year. But he turned into a solid lineman in 2014, which I think is simply proof that experience is key on the offensive line. Michigan improved with two new starters at the offensive tackles, and the interior included two redshirt juniors and a redshirt sophomore. Assuming all five players return in 2015, Michigan will be starting (from left to right) a sophomore, a fifth year senior, a fifth year senior, a redshirt junior, and a redshirt junior. The 2016 season could see a junior, a redshirt senior (Erik Magnuson?), a redshirt junior (Patrick Kugler?), a redshirt senior, and a redshirt senior. Michigan is on its way to having some age and experience across the offensive line once again.

Coaching Candidate: Jim Mora, Jr.

Jim Mora, Jr.

Jim Mora, Jr.
Age: 53
Current position: UCLA head coach
Salary: $1,935,000 per year
Head coaching experience: 28-11 at UCLA (2012-2014), 5-11 at Seattle Seahawks (2009), 26-22 at Atlanta Falcons (2004-2006), 59-44 overall
History: Mora is the son of former NFL head coach Jim Mora. Mora, Jr. lived in California as a kid and attended high school in Washington, where his dad was an assistant with the Washington Huskies and the Seattle Seahawks. After graduating high school, Mora, Jr. walked on at Washington and played linebacker/safety. He became a graduate assistant at Washington before moving to the San Diego Chargers as a quality control guy and defensive backs coach, eventually coaching DB’s for the New Orleans Saints (under his dad) and the San Francisco 49ers. He became defensive coordinator of the 49ers in 1999, and he did well enough to be hired as the Atlanta Falcons’ head coach in 2004, where he was under scrutiny for his tutelage of Michael Vick. Fired after a 7-9 season in 2006, he worked under Mike Holmgren in Seattle as the defensive backs coach and associate head coach. He was promoted to head coach in 2009 but was fired after a 5-11 season. Mora, Jr. worked for the NFL Network and Fox Sports before taking the had job at UCLA prior to the 2012 season. He took a program that had been 21-29 in the previous four seasons under Rick Neuheisel, and has since won 9, 10, and 9 games. Mora, Jr. has shown a willingness to adapt with a shotgun/pistol spread offense, a mobile quarterback in Brett Hundley, and a guy who doubles as a linebacker and running back (Myles Jack).
My thoughts: Mora holds some clout as a coach because of his NFL work and how quickly he turned around UCLA, and he has been a good recruiter there. Neuheisel’s final full class in 2011 was ranked #45 by Rivals, and since that point, Mora’s classes have been ranked #8(tie) in 2013, #18 in 2014, and currently #16 in 2015. Mora’s offenses have been pretty good, but his defenses have been mediocre each season. I like that he’s willing to think outside the box (it’s not often that linebackers also play running back) and adapt to the college game with the pistol, and he’s young enough to connect with players without seeming like an out-of-touch old fogey. However, Mora has no ties to the midwest and would be playing from behind in terms of recruiting. He has recruited the west well, but he has just a few recruiting successes in the northeast quadrant of the country (1 from New Jersey, 1 from Indiana, 1 from Delaware). Any connections in Big Ten country would have to come from his assistants.
Likelihood of coming to Michigan: Supposedly, Mora is the one who has reached out to Michigan through some back channels. It could be an effort by his agent to squeeze some extra money out of UCLA, because it would be odd for a West Coast guy (who grew up in California and Washington, who has worked in Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle) to want to suddenly move to the Mitten. It seems to me that the only legitimate desire to move might come from the belief that he will be playing from behind against USC and Oregon, a notion that I find hard to believe when Michigan is in direct competition with Ohio State, Michigan State, and Wisconsin for recruits and conference dominance. Unless there’s some sort of inner turmoil going on within the athletic department at UCLA, this would be an odd move.


My wish list:
1. Jim Harbaugh
2. Bob Stoops
3. Dan Mullen
4. Jim Mora, Jr.
5. Les Miles
6. Greg Schiano
7. Tom Herman
8. Pat Narduzzi
9. Mike Shanahan

Ex-Wolverine Updates

Jay Hopson

Former DT Richard Ash: Ash’s Western Michigan Broncos will play the Air Force Falcons in the Idaho Potato Bowl on December 20th. Ash has 40 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and 2 blocked kicks so far this season.

Former CB Cullen Christian: Christian’s West Virginia Mountaineers will play the Texas A&M Aggies in the Liberty Bowl on December 29th. Christian has made 5 tackles this year.

Former CB commit Gareon Conley, former DT Chris Rock: Conley made 1 tackle in Ohio State’s 59-0 win over Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship game. That win propelled the Buckeyes to the #4 spot in the College Football Playoff rankings, and they will play #1 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl on January 1st.

Former CB commit Dallas Crawford, K commit Matt Goudis: Their Miami Hurricanes will play the South Carolina Gamecocks in the Independence Bowl on December 27th. Crawford has 35 tackles, .5 tackles for loss, and 2 pass breakups this year. Goudis was 4/6 on field goals and 6/6 on extra points this year but a back injury forced him to miss the final ten games of the year.

Former S Joshua Furman: Furman’s Oklahoma State Cowboys will play the Washington Huskies in the Cactus Bowl on January 2nd. This past weekend Furman helped upset the Oklahoma Sooners in overtime with a 38-35 victory. Furman made 2 tackles in the game. He now has 58 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 4 pass breakups on the year.

Former RB commit Demetrius Hart: Hart’s Colorado State Rams will play the Utah Utes in the Las Vegas Bowl on December 20th. Hart has rushed for 1,254 yards (6.7 yards/carry) and 16 touchdowns so far this year.

Former linebackers coach Jay Hopson: Hopson, now the head coach at Alcorn State, won the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championship with a 38-24 victory over Southern. After a 4-7 start to his head coaching career in 2012, he is now 19-6 in the last two seasons.

Former RB Thomas Rawls: Rawls’s Central Michigan Chippewas will play the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers in the Bahamas Bowl on December 24th. Rawls has rushed for 1,103 yards (5.3 yards/carry) and 10 touchdowns this year.

Former head coach Rich Rodriguez: Rodriguez’s Arizona Wildcats were blasted by Oregon in the Pac-12 championship game by a score of 51-13. They are currently 10-3 and will play the Boise State Broncos in the Fiesta Bowl on December 31st.

Former S Ray Vinopal: Vinopal’s Pitt Panthers will play the Houston Cougars in the Armed Forces Bowl on January 2nd. Vinopal has 61 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and 5 pass breakups on the year.

Former CB commit Adrian Witty: Witty’s Cincinnati Bearcats will play the Virginia Tech Hokies in the Military Bowl on December 27th. Witty has made 3 tackles this year but has not played in the final eleven games, though I cannot find any information on why he has been out.

Rivals 100 for 2016 updated

Detroit (MI) King wide receiver Donnie Corley is the State of Michigan’s top uncommitted prospect (image via MGoFish)

Rivals released its updated top 100 for the class of 2016 on Monday (LINK). Here’s what it looked like back in July (LINK). The lone Michigan commit on the list, Erik Swenson, dropped from #70 to #76. Here are the rest of Michigan’s offerees, too:

5-stars:
1. Jacob Eason – QB – Washington (Georgia)
2. Rashan Gary – DT – New Jersey
3. Nate Craig-Myers – WR – Florida (Auburn)
4. Gregory Little – OT – Texas (Texas A&M)
6. Shea Patterson – QB – Louisiana (Arizona)
8. Levonta Taylor – CB – Virginia
9. Dexter Lawrence – DT – North Carolina
10. Rahshaun Smith – DE – Maryland
11. Demetris Robertson – WR – Georgia (Alabama)
13. Malik Henry – QB – California (Florida State)
17. Kareem Walker – RB – New Jersey
18. Daelin Hayes – LB – Michigan (USC)
20. Ben Cleveland – OT – Georgia (Georgia)

4-stars:
25. K.J. Costello – QB – California
29. Scott Bracey – WR – Virginia (Duke)
31. Tommy Kraemer – OT – Ohio (Notre Dame)
34. Sam Bruce – WR – Florida (Miami)
38. Janarius Robinson – DE – Florida (Florida State)
39. Jake Hausmann – TE – Ohio
41. Ben Bredeson – OT – Wisconsin
44. Brandon Jones – S – Texas
49. Ahmir Mitchell – WR – New Jersey
52. Isaac Nauta – TE – Georgia
53. Miles Sanders – RB – Pennsylvania (Penn State)
54. E.J. Price – OT – Georgia
56. Willie Allen – OT – Louisiana
57. Josh King – DE – Illinois
59. Naseir Upshur – TE – Pennsylvania
60. Collin Johnson – WR – Texas (Texas)
66. Dylan Crawford – WR – California
67. Dwayne Haskins, Jr. – QB – Maryland
75. Michael Menet – OT – Pennsylvania
76. Erik Swenson – OT – Illinois (Michigan)
79. T.J. Chase – WR – Florida
88. Jarrett Guarantano – QB – New Jersey
89. Donnie Corley – WR – Michigan
97. Jauan Williams – OT – Washington, DC