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2010 Recruiting Awards

Best overall recruit: Devin Gardner
Gardner will likely redshirt, but largely because there are two good sophomore quarterbacks on the team. He’s got the size, speed, arm strength, and leadership – the sky is the limit.

Best offensive recruit: Devin Gardner
Duh.

Best defensive recruit: Marvin Robinson
Robinson will go through an adjustment period, but he’s going to be a star at some point. He should be a 215 lb. heat-seeking missile within a couple years.

Recruit most likely to make an early impact: Will Hagerup
He’s virtually guaranteed to be the starting punter as a true freshman.

Fastest recruit: Josh Furman
Furman has run electronic times in the high 4.3-second range.

Strongest recruit: Ken Wilkins
A supposed workout warrior, Wilkins reportedly bench presses 365 lbs. and squats 375 – as a 244 lb. linebacker/defensive end.

Best under-the-radar recruit: Jake Ryan
Even Michigan’s middling recruits got a lot of hype, so not many qualify for this category. But Ryan has the potential to be a solid linebacker in a couple years. I’m hoping he plays middle linebacker rather than Craig Roh’s rush linebacker position.

Most overrated recruit: Jeremy Jackson
Jackson’s recruiting rankings fell slowly as the recruiting cycle wore on, but he reportedly had offers from Texas and Florida. In my opinion, his lack of speed will make college ball a very difficult transition for him.

Recruit most likely to redshirt: Christian Pace
He enrolled early, but weighed only 259 lbs. for spring ball. With two capable centers on the roster (David Molk, Rocko Khoury) and a couple other guys who have been getting snaps for two years now (Elliott Mealer, Ricky Barnum), Pace won’t be needed in 2010.

Offer Board Rejiggering

Elsa Benitez loves the University of Michigan. I’m sure.
Along the top of the page, you’ll see that the 2010 Offer Board has been added as its own page. This will make it an easy reference point if you ever want to revisit who Michigan offered in the last recruiting cycle. And when you see some freshman blowing up this season, you can glance back and figure out whether or not to be disappointed that Michigan couldn’t reel him in.

Secondly, I’m starting to collect data for the 2012 Offer Board. Recruits can’t officially be offered until August 1, 2011, but verbal offers are already being given. It will be a very inexact set of data, but it will have to do in the meantime. Anyway, if you’d like, please send me an e-mail or leave a comment on this post if you know of any 2012 kids who have been offered. I already have several names, but I’m sure there are others that I’ve missed. Thanks!

2010 Countdown: #51 Elliott Mealer

Name: Elliott Mealer
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 310 lbs.
High school: Wauseon High School in Wauseon, OH
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #57
Last year: I ranked Mealer #69 and said he’d see mop-up duty. Mealer played a couple games as a backup left guard and was a consistent contributor on special teams.

Now Michigan’s heaviest offensive lineman, Mealer spent 2009 working his way back into shape after injuring his shoulder in an automobile accident. In the meantime, he beat out more highly touted linemen like Ricky Barnum and Quinton Washington for a role as a second-string offensive guard. In addition, he was an anchor of the field goal protection unit.

Mealer’s role in 2010 will be reminiscent of his 2009 contributions. He heads into fall camp as the top backup behind starting left guard Steve Schilling. He’s an athletic kid who played some tight end as a high schooler, so he’s able to release to the second level and get blocks downfield. And with that 310 lb. frame, he can excel as a blocker on the field goal unit. This won’t be his year to shine, but that day isn’t far away.

Prediction for 2010: Backup left guard, special teams duty

2010 Countdown: #52 Brandin Hawthorne

Name: Brandin Hawthorne
Height: 6′
Weight: 202 lbs.
High school: Pahokee High School in Pahokee, FL
Position: Safety
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #7
Last year: I ranked him #53 and said he’d redshirt. Hawthorne played special teams in four games but didn’t accrue any statistics.

Hawthorne, a sophomore safety, should have redshirted in 2009. He didn’t see any game action after September, having only participated on special teams coverage units in the first four games. Perhaps Hawthorne suffered an undisclosed injury, but it seems odd to burn a kid’s redshirt only to run down the field a dozen times.

Hawthorne was a practice time backup SAM last year, but has since been converted to safety. When Vladimir Emilien tweaked his knee in the spring, Hawthorne moved from strong safety to free safety and backed up Cameron Gordon playing center field. I doubt that #7 will be playing free safety at any point this season, as I don’t think he has the speed to cover a deep portion of the field. He’s also a backup at strong safety and seems to be in no danger of winning a starting job this season. But I do expect him to run down the field maybe two dozen times this year. Maybe he’ll even make a tackle or two.

Prediction for 2010: Special teams coverage duty

2010 Countdown: #53 John Ferrara

Name: John Ferrara
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 283 lbs.
High school: Monsignor Farrell High School in Staten Island, NY
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #74
Last year: I said Ferrara would be a backup offensive guard and wouldn’t play much. He started 1 game at offensive guard but was a regular contributor on special teams.

Ferrara is one of those character guys whose versatility will be missed. In his first two years on campus, he played defensive tackle. Despite having earned playing time at DT as a redshirt freshman, he volunteered to play offensive guard when numbers on the offensive side started to dwindle. He started five games in 2008, but was relegated to backup duty by Steve Schilling’s move from right tackle to left guard. Last season he started against Eastern Michigan, but most of his value was derived from his blocking on special teams.

Unfortunately for Ferrara, he’ll be standing next to Greg Frey on the sideline again this year. Schilling and Patrick Omameh have locked down the guard positions, and last year the coaches seemed interested in getting playing time for developing youngsters like Elliott Mealer and Ricky Barnum. Ferrara will likely be helping out on special teams again this year and might get a cameo or two if scores get out of hand. But he’s a very solid backup in case any injuries occur.

Prediction for 2010: Third string offensive guard, special teams contributor