Posts by: Thunder

2021 Season Countdown: #116 Hunter Neff

Name: Hunter Neff
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 234 lbs.
High school: Chelsea (MI) Chelsea
Position: Tight end
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #80
Last year: I did not rank Neff. He did not play.
TTB Rating: N/A

Neff is a 6’2″, 234 lb. tight end at Michigan. It’s not often that 6’2″ tight ends play at Michigan. (My mind goes back to Aaron Shea, who was listed at 6’5″ at Michigan and turned out to be 6’3″.)

If only Neff were 6’8″, the coaching staff would draw up Wildcat passes for him on the goal line.

Instead, Neff’s best chance for playing time is probably on special teams.

Prediction: Backup tight end

2021 Season Countdown: #117 Joshua Luther

Name: Joshua Luther
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 173 lbs.
High school: Clarkston (MI) Clarkston
Position: Safety
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #44
Last year: I did not rank Luther. He did not play.
TTB Rating: N/A

Luther graduated in 2019 but did not join Michigan’s football program until 2020. He was a standout player on a couple state championship-level teams at Clarkston High School, serving as a receiver, defensive back, and returner. Luther’s chances of playing much at Michigan are pretty limited due to a lack of size and quickness, but he could play a bit on special teams.

Prediction: Backup defensive back

2021 Season Countdown: #118 Jake Thaw

Name: Jake Thaw
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 185 lbs.
High school: Westport (CT) Staples
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #26
Last year: I did not rank Thaw. He redshirted.
TTB Rating: N/A

Michigan fans know that only elite players come from the state of Connecticut, and Jake Thaw is no exception. I avoided profiling him last year to help him fly under the radar, but the cat is out of the bag now that he’s been on the roster for a year. Jake Thaw might not be a household name today, but what Kwity Paye is to Rhode Island, Jake Thaw – a.k.a. the Winter Soldier – will be to Connecticut.

Will he play on special teams? Maybe.

Will he play at wide receiver? Possibly.

Will he be a first round draft pick in 2024? You never know.

Review of 2009 Recruiting: Running Back

The 2009 recruiting class was Rich Rodriguez’s first full recruiting class in Ann Arbor, and he brought in some diminutive running backs whose quickness and speed he thought could be successful in the Big Ten. The three backs he landed were all between 5’7″ and 5’10” (some measurements even had Vincent Smith at 5’6″), and he targeted some tiny slot/running back combo guys, too.

THE ROSTER

• Kevin Grady (RS Sr.)
• Carlos Brown (Sr.)
• Brandon Minor (Sr.)
• Michael Shaw (So.)
• Michael Cox (RS Fr.)

THE RECRUITS

Teric Jones
Ratings: 3-star, #46 RB, #469 overall
High school: Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
College: Michigan
Other notable offers: N/A
Scoop: Jones committed to Michigan after a weekend visit on which he was offered. It was his first and only offer of the recruiting process. Known as a speedster, he never really showed it off at Michigan. Playing special teams and some defensive back, he made 9 tackles as a freshman in 2009. Then in 2010 at running back, he notched 3 carries for 7 yards. He quit football after that but remained at Michigan as a student.

Vincent Smith
Ratings: 3-star, #49 RB, #508 overall
High school: Pahokee (FL) Pahokee
College: Michigan
Other notable offers: Tennessee, Wisconsin
Scoop: Smith was listed at 5’7″ and 159 lbs. during the recruiting cycle, but that didn’t stop some big programs from offering him. He ran for over 2,000 yards and scored 29 touchdowns as a high school senior. He was the #3 option as a freshman, but jumped to #1 at running back in 2010 when quarterback Denard Robinson was the primary running option. Smith was a willing blocker despite a lack of size. Overall, he ran 272 times for 1,269 yards (4.7 yards/carry) and 10 touchdowns, caught 46 passes for 435 yards and 7 touchdowns, and even threw a touchdown pass. He went undrafted in 2013 and did not play in the NFL.

Fitzgerald Toussaint
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #8 all-purpose back, #239 overall
High school: Youngstown (OH) Liberty
College: Michigan
Other notable offers: Illinois, Pitt, West Virginia
Scoop: Until the recent drafting of Chris Evans, Toussaint was Michigan’s best pro prospect since Mike Hart graduated following the 2007 season. After redshirting in 2009 due to an injury, he was once again limited in 2010, running just 6 times for 87 yards and 1 touchdown. He became a great 1-2 running punch with Denard Robinson in 2011, when Toussaint had a career-best 1,056 rushing yards on 5.6 yards/carry with 9 touchdowns. For his college career, he ran 510 times for 2,290 yards (4.5 yards/carry) and 28 touchdowns, adding 31 catches for 298 yards and 2 touchdowns. He was not drafted in 2014, but he signed with the Ravens and then the Steelers as an undrafted free agent. His NFL career lasted four seasons and saw him run 44 times for 137 yards, adding 8 catches for 69 yards.

Hit the jump for a look at the rest of Michigan’s quarterback recruiting efforts in 2009.

Steve Clinkscale, Wolverine

Michigan hired Kentucky defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale to replace the recently departed Mo Linguist, who was named the University of Buffalo’s new head coach.

Clinkscale has been the defensive backs coach at UK for the past five years and just added the title “Defensive Passing Game Coordinator” this off-season. Clinkscale has also coached at Cincinnati, Illinois, Toledo, Western Carolina, and Ashland. He should fit pretty seamlessly into Michigan’s hierarchy, as Linguist was “co-defensive coordinator” but paid less than Mike Macdonald. I imagine “Clink” will be in the same boat, labeled as a “co-coordinator” but also getting paid less than Macdonald.

I have been aware of Clinkscale for a few years, because as a coach at Kentucky, he has been a strong recruiting presence in southeast Michigan. The Wildcats landed a few commitments from the Detroit area, including 2022 Belleville (MI) Belleville cornerback Jeremiah Caldwell, whom Michigan offered in recent months. Clinkscale has also recruited Spring Hill (TN) Summit linebacker Keaten Wade, who was high on the Wolverines before committing to Kentucky.

It would be a mistake to assume that every Clinkscale recruit will automatically flip to the Wolverines, but it gives Michigan a puncher’s chance. Caldwell is the long, lanky type of corner that Michigan got used to with Channing Stribling, Jeremy Clark, and the like, while Wade would be a good edge defender.

Considering the lateness of the change, this is about as well as Michigan could have expected to do. Clinkscale was reportedly #1 on Michigan’s list, and of rumored options, I would take him over anyone else.