2009 Recruiting update

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22Jan 2009
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2009 Recruiting update

Here’s a list of players still on Michigan’s radar. They are listed in the order of their likelihood to pledge their allegiance to Michigan.

QUARTERBACK
Tate Forcier (Michigan commit, enrolled early) – Scripps Ranch, CA
Nader Furrha (enrolled early, preferred walk-on) – Ann Arbor, MI
Austin Dantin – Tallahassee, FL
Denard Robinson – Deerfield Beach, FL
Micah Hyde – Fostoria, OH

RUNNING BACK
Fitzgerald Toussaint (Michigan commit) – Trotwood, OH
Vincent Smith (Michigan commit, enrolled early) – Pahokee, FL

WIDE RECEIVER
Cameron Gordon (Michigan commit) – Inkster, MI
Teric Jones (Michigan commit) – Detroit, MI
Jeremy Gallon (Michigan commit) – Apopka, FL
Travante Stallworth (Auburn commit) – Leesville, LA
Je’Ron Stokes (Tennessee commit) – Philadelphia, PA
Terrell Mitchell – Powder Springs, GA
Terence Davis – Fremont, OH
Willie Haulstead (Florida State commit) – Titusville, FL

TIGHT END
None

OFFENSIVE LINE
Taylor Lewan (Michigan commit) – Scottsdale, AZ
Michael Schofield (Michigan commit) – Orland Park, IL
Marcus Hall – Cleveland, OH
Quinton Washington – St. Stephen, SC
Travis Bond – Windsor, NC
Henry Conway – Cleveland, OH

DEFENSIVE END
Anthony Lalota (Michigan commit, enrolled early) – Princeton, NJ
Craig Roh (Michigan commit) – Scottsdale, AZ
Sam Montgomery – Greenwood, SC
Bennie Logan – Coushatta, LA

DEFENSIVE TACKLE
William Campbell (Michigan commit, enrolled early) – Detroit, MI
Pearlie Graves (Michigan commit) – Tulsa, OK
DeQuinta Jones (Michigan commit) – Bastrop, LA

LINEBACKER
Brandin Hawthorne (Michigan commit, enrolled early) – Pahokee, FL
Barkevious Mingo – West Monroe, LA
Willie Ferrell – Tallahassee, FL

CORNERBACK
Justin Turner (Michigan commit) – Massillon, OH
Adrian Witty – Deerfield Beach, FL
Dennis Thames – Louisville, MS
Mike Edwards – Cleveland, OH
Dale Peterman – Youngstown, OH

SAFETY
Mike Jones (Michigan commit, enrolled early) – Orlando, FL
Isaiah Bell (Michigan commit) – Youngstown, OH
Thomas Gordon (Michigan commit) – Detroit, MI
Vladimir Emilien (Michigan commit) – Plantation, FL

KICKER
Brendan Gibbons (Michigan commit) – West Palm Beach, FL

12Jan 2009
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Official visit schedule (update)

These are the players confirmed to be visiting Ann Arbor in the weeks leading up to National Signing Day (February 4, 2009):

January 9-11
Cameron Gordon – WR/LB (committed to Michigan)
Barkevious Mingo – OLB/DE
Sam Montgomery – DE
Marcus Hall – OT
Michael Schofield – OT (committed to Michigan)
Denard Robinson – ATH
Adrian Witty – CB
Travante Stallworth – QB/WR

January 16-18
Jeremy Gallon – WR (committed to Michigan)
Bennie Logan – DE
Je’Ron Stokes – WR (soft commit to Tennessee)
Brendan Gibbons – K (committed to Michigan)

January 23-25
Dennis Thames – CB/S
DeQuinta Jones – DT (committed to Michigan)

9Jan 2009
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Avery Horn, ex-Wolverine

Avery Horn, a Californa kid who just finished his redshirt freshman season at Michigan, has decided to transfer to a school closer to home. Horn was a smallish running back recruited by Lloyd Carr, but he was probably destined to spend most of his career sitting on the bench except for an occasional kickoff return. Horn returned five kickoffs in 2008 for 108 yards, but he didn’t see a single offensive snap.

I was actually somewhat excited to see Horn play in the spread option offense. He’s fast and quick, but rumors out of practices suggested that he was slow to pick up the offense. With Kevin Grady, Brandon Minor, and Carlos Brown scheduled to run out of eligibility after 2009, Horn might have earned some playing time for 2010 and 2011. But when a kid is such a long way from home and not sniffing the field, I suppose that can get pretty depressing.

No indication has been given of what school Horn will attend. If he transfers to another FBS school, he’ll have to sit out the 2009 season and then he’ll have two years of eligibility remaining. I don’t think Horn will ever make it to the NFL, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him putting up decent numbers for a WAC team or even a Pac-10 team in the next couple years.
8Jan 2009
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Carson Butler, ex-Wolverine

Tight end-turned-defensive end Carson Butler has decided to forego his fifth year at Michigan and see what the NFL has in store for him. My guess? Not much. Butler is a supremely talented athlete who secured the starting tight end job in 2007. He false started and/or held on every other play, but when you’re 6’5″ and fast, you get to play anyway.

According to rumors, Butler butted heads with Rich Rodriguez and his coaching staff. After making a couple nice catches early in the 2008 season, he was relegated to the bench in favor of Mike Massey and true freshman Kevin Koger. He made a midyear switch to defensive end and played significant time against Purdue, even though he continually got pushed backward by the offensive lineman opposite him. After the Ohio State game, internet reports swirled that Carson Butler challenged Rich Rodriguez to a fight on the sideline during the game.

This is probably a win-win-win situation. Michigan’s team won’t be held back by locker room cancers and false start penalties. Rodriguez will have one less headache to worry about. And Carson Butler will avoid being savaged by Mike Barwis’ pack of angry pet wolves.

I would be surprised if an NFL team took a chance on Butler in the draft. He may latch on somewhere as a rookie free agent until he pisses off the coaching staff of whatever practice squad he’s on. Finesse tight ends usually linger toward the top of the depth chart, and Butler isn’t ready to be an NFL starter. Considering his aversion to blocking – which is where many unheralded tight ends have to make their mark – I don’t think he has a future at the next level.
8Jan 2009
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Bowl Prediction: National Championship

Prediction record so far: 5-5

Florida vs. Oklahoma

My experience with college football streaks is that those streaks tend to disappear in bowl games. Oklahoma has scored 60+ points in six straight games to end the season. That won’t happen again. While I don’t think Florida will shut down Oklahoma completely, I’ve been impressed by SEC defenses so far this bowl season, particularly Ole Miss’ defense. Ole Miss largely shut down another Big 12 offensive juggernaut in Texas Tech.

Even without running back Demarco Murray, Oklahoma has plenty of offensive weapons. Chris Brown ran for over 1,100 yards. Quarterback Sam Bradford passed for 48 TD’s and only 6 INT’s. Six Oklahoma receivers had over 395 yards.

But Florida has plenty of weapons itself. Percy Harvin, Jeff Demps, Chris Rainey, Louis Murphy. Oh yeah, and Tim Tebow. Oklahoma has a record-setting offense, but the difference will be Florida’s defense. The Gators have more speed than anyone Oklahoma has played so far this year, and this will be defensive coordinator Charlie Strong’s stepping stone up to a college head coaching position.

Prediction: Florida 38, Oklahoma 31