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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.

2021 Season Countdown: #119 Sam Staruch

Name: Sam Staruch
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 182 lbs.
High school: Lake Orion (MI) Lake Orion
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #84
Last year: I ranked Staruch #106 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He redshirted.
TTB Rating: N/A

Staruch had a very solid high school career and looks like a possible future contributor at wide receiver. Last year I had him at #106, but I think Michigan has brought in a few solid walk-on receivers, somewhat lessening the importance of any one individual guy. There may be an opportunity for playing time now that a couple occasional walk-on contributors – Jake McCurry and Nate Schoenle – have moved on, but offensive coordinator Josh Gattis seems a little less likely to take advantage of walk-ons than previous OCs at Michigan.

Prediction: Backup wide receiver

2022 Recruiting Update: May 11, 2021

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2022

Jayden Bellamy – WR – Oradell (NJ) Bergen Catholic: Bellamy is a 6’1″, 175 lb. prospect with offers from Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Penn State, among others. He’s a 3-star, the #39 cornerback, and #427 overall. Bellamy is a teammate of 2022 cornerback Jaeden Gould, who is very high on Michigan.

Isaiah Bond – S – Buford (GA) Buford: Bond is a 6’0″, 175-pounder with offers from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Miami, and Texas, among others. He’s a 3-star, the #49 athlete, and #570 overall. At one time both of his crystal ball picks were for Miami, but he just committed to Florida on Sunday.

Jeremiah Caldwell – S – Belleville (MI) Belleville: Caldwell is a 6’3″, 170 lb. prospect who is committed to Kentucky. He’s a 3-star, the #33 athlete, and #385 overall. Michigan offered him after safety Taylor Groves decommitted from the Wolverines in recent weeks, but Michigan does not have a strong track record of pulling in Michigan recruits over the past decade or so.

Hit the jump for more.