Tag: 2006 recruiting

Review of 2006 Recruiting: The Defensive Backs

Taylor Mays (#2) could have been a Michigan Wolverine

THE ROSTER

Jamar Adams, S (Jr.)
Willis Barringer, S (5th)
Anton Campbell, S (Sr.)
Brandent Englemon, S (Sr.)
Leon Hall, CB (Sr.)
Brandon Harrison, S (So.)
Darnell Hood, CB (5th)
Ryan Mundy, S (Sr.)
Chris Richards, CB (So.)
Charles Stewart, CB (Jr.)
Morgan Trent, CB (Jr.)

THE RECRUITS

Steve Brown
High school: East High School in Columbus, IN
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #7 safety; Scout 4-star, #10 CB
Other notable offers: Illinois, Nebraska, Notre Dame
College: Michigan
Scoop: Brown contributed immediately at safety and special teams, picking up 14 total tackles as a true freshman in 2006.  In 2007 he started one game (Appalachian State) before being relegated to backup duty.  He made 28 tackles, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, 2 fumble recoveries, and 2 pass breakups on the year.  Brown started all twelve games at free safety in 2008, posting 64 tackles, 1 sack, 1.5 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery, and 5 pass breakups.  Despite those decent numbers, he was considered a liability and switched positions in 2009 to become more of an outside linebacker.  He was named team captain and led the team in tackles with 80; he also had 1 sack, 8 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 4 pass breakups.  Brown was drafted in the 7th round (#251) by the Oakland Raiders in the 2010 NFL Draft.  He played in fifteen games and made 25 tackles as a rookie.  Cut before the 2011 season, he moved on to the Indianapolis Colts, where he has made 5 tackles so far this season.

Asher Allen
High school: Tucker High School in Tucker, GA
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #9 CB; Scout 4-star, #22 CB
Other notable offers: Auburn, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame
College: Georgia
Scoop: Allen played in all 13 games as a true freshman in 2006, making 24 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.  As an eleven-game starter in 2007, Allen had 64 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 5 pass breakups, and 1 fumble recovery.  He held onto the starting job in 2008 and ended the year with 53 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 7 pass breakups.  After his junior year, Allen entered the 2009 NFL Draft and was picked in the 3rd round (#86 overall) by the Minnesota Vikings.  As a part-time starter through 27 games of his career, Allen has 95 tackles, 9 pass breakups, 4 interceptions, and 1 forced fumble.

Franchot “Boogie” Allen
High school: New Berlin Academy in New Berlin, NY
Ratings: Rivals 3-star safety; Scout 2-star safety
Other notable offers: Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State
College: West Virginia
Scoop: Allen had a less than stellar career in Morgantown.  He managed 2 tackles as a true freshman in 2006 and had 14 tackles and 1 interception in his sophomore season.  As a junior in 2008, Allen had a career-high 49 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and 1 sack.  But in his senior season of 2009, he fell off to 22 tackles and 3 tackles for loss.  He went undrafted in the 2010 NFL Draft and his career appears to be finished.

Jai Eugene
High school: Destrehan High School in Destrehan, LA
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #12 CB; Scout 5-star, #1 CB
Other notable offers: Florida, Miami, Oklahoma, Tennessee, USC
College: LSU
Scoop: Eugene redshirted as a freshman in 2006.  In 2007 he was a backup cornerback and made 8 tackles and 1 pass breakup.  He started nine games in 2008, making 35 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 pass breakup.  Eugene started just two games in 2009 and finished the season with 26 tackles, 1 interception, and 1 pass breakup.  As a fifth year senior in 2010, he made 24 tackles and 1/2 a tackle for loss.  Eugene finished his college career with 93 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 5 pass breakups, and 1 interception.  He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft and was not signed as an undrafted free agent.

Jamar Hornsby
High school: Sandalwood High School in Jacksonville, FL
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #13 ATH; Scout 5-star, #3 safety
Other notable offers: Georgia, Georgia Tech, Ohio State, South Carolina, USC
College: Florida
Scoop: Hornsby redshirted as a true freshman in 2006.  As a redshirt freshman in 2007, he played in 8 games, mostly on special teams, and notched 5 tackles and a blocked punt; the 5 games he missed were due to a suspension for selling his complementary tickets to Florida games.  Prior to the 2008 season, Hornsby got in trouble for using the credit card of his teammate’s girlfriend.  That sounds bad enough, but what’s worse is that both his teammate and that girlfriend died the previous day in a motorcycle accident.  He played the 2008 season at East Mississippi Junior College and earned All-America status for the National Junior College Athletic Association, then signed with Mississippi as part of the 2009 recruiting class.  However, further legal trouble caused him to be released from his scholarship to Mississippi, and he served 90 days in jail earlier this year.

Reshad Jones
High school: Booker T. Washington High School in Atlanta, GA
Ratings: Rivals 5-star, #1 safety; Scout 4-star, #13 safety
Other notable offers: Auburn, Florida, LSU, Miami, Oklahoma
College: Auburn, Florida, LSU, Miami, Oklahoma,
Scoop: Jones redshirted as a true freshman in 2006.  When he began earning playing time in 2007, he started only two games but played in all thirteen.  He finished as the team’s third leading tackler with 57 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, and 3 pass breakups.  Jones increased that production to rank second on the team in tackles with 76, as well as notching 2.5 tackles for loss, 5 interceptions, 3 pass breakups, and 1 fumble recovery.  He once again was the second best tackler in the team as a redshirt junior in 2009, making 73 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 7 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble.  Jones was selected in the 5th round (#163 overall) by the Miami Dolphins in the 2010 NFL Draft.  As a rookie for the Dolphins in 2010, Jones made 21 tackles, 1 interception, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 pass breakup.  He is currently their starting free safety.

Taylor Mays
High school: O’Dea High School in Seattle, WA
Ratings: Rivals 5-star, #2 ATH; Scout 5-star, #2 safety
Other notable offers: Miami, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, UCLA, Washington
College: USC
Scoop: Mays took over the starting free safety job once the starter got injured in the opener, and Mays started the final twelve games of his 2006 freshman season.  He finished that year with 62 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 3 pass breakups; for that production he was rewarded with Second Team All-American status.  He started all thirteen games as a sophomore in 2007, finishing with 65 tackles, 1 interception, 6 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery; he was named a First Team All-American.  Opposing teams avoided him even more in 2008, when Mays had 52 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 9 pass breakups; he was once again named a First Team All-American.  Mays became even more of a force as a senior in 2009, tallying a whopping 96 tackles to go along with 1 interception, 7 pass breakups, and 1 fumble recovery; he was rewarded with a Second Team All-American team placement.  Mays was taken in the 2nd round (#49 overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers.  As a rookie he made 38 total tackles, 2 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble.  Mays was traded to the Cincinnati Bengals in August 2011 and has 1 total tackle so far this season.

Antwine Perez
High school: Wilson High School in Camden, NJ
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #2 safety; Scout 5-star, #5 safety
Other notable offers: Oklahoma
College: USC Maryland
Scoop: Perez attend USC as a freshman and played in seven games, finishing with 3 tackles.  He transferred to Maryland after the season and sat out the 2007 campaign due to NCAA transfer rules.  In 2008 he started two games at safety and finished with 24 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 1 sack.  He was once again a key backup in 2009, when he made 45 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 forced fumble, and 2 pass breakups.  Perez became a full-time starter in 2010 and ended the season with 74 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, 8 pass breakups, and 3 interceptions.  He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Myron Rolle
High school: The Hun School in Princeton, NJ
Ratings: Rivals 5-star, #1 ATH; Scout 5-star, #1 safety
Other notable offers: Florida, Georgia, Miami, Oklahoma, Penn State, Texas
College: Florida State
Scoop: Rolle started ten games as a true freshman in Tallahassee and earned Freshman All-American and ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors; he finished the 2006 season with 77 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 5 pass breakups, and 1 interception.  In 2007 he had 67 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble, and 3 pass breakups.  As a junior he ended the season with 62 tackles, 1/2 a tackle for loss, and 5 pass breakups.  Rolle earned a Rhodes scholarship and spent the 2009 season studying abroad.  He returned to the United States afterward and was selected in the 6th round (#207 overall) by the Tennessee Titans in the 2010 NFL Draft.  He did not play in a game during the 2010 season and was cut by the Titans prior to the beginning of 2011.

Ken Tinney
High school: Milford Academy in New Berlin, NY
Ratings: Rivals 4-star CB; Scout 3-star, #44 CB
Other notable offers: Florida, Maryland, Syracuse
College: Michigan State
Scoop: Tinney ran into problems almost as soon as he arrived on campus at Michigan State in 2006.  By the time the season rolled around, he had been kicked off the team for undisclosed reasons.  As far as I know, he never surfaced elsewhere and his football career ended.

Darrin Walls
High school: Woodland Hills High School in Pittsburgh, PA
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #3 CB; Scout 4-star, #7 CB
Other notable offers: Florida, Penn State, West Virginia
College: Notre Dame
Scoop: Walls played in eight games as a true freshman in 2006, picking up 4 total tackles and returning 5 kickoffs for 84 yards.  He earned the starting cornerback job in 2007 and finished with 32 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 9 pass breakups, and 2 forced fumbles.  Walls missed the 2008 season due to personal reasons but returned to the team in 2009, when he was a part-time starter and ended the season with 27 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 interception, and 6 pass breakups.  He was a starter once again as a redshirt senior in 2010, having a career-best season with 41 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, 4 pass breakups, and 1 fumble recovery.  Walls went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft but signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent, where he has yet to record any statistics.

CONCLUSIONS

Biggest miss: Taylor Mays.  Michigan was in Mays’s final four (along with Cal, Washington, and USC) and received a visit a couple weeks before he made his decision.  Mays turned into a four-year starter and All-American at free safety during a time when the Wolverines really could have used a solid free safety.  He hasn’t had a great pro career so far, but none of Michigan’s offerees have made much of an impact on the NFL yet.

Biggest bust: Jamar Hornsby.  Hornsby barely played at all in college before doings lots of stupid, illegal stuff.  He was a 5-star safety to Scout and matched his star rating with 5 career tackles.

Best in class: Vontae Davis, I guess.  Davis went to Illinois and was the 1st round pick (#25 overall) by the Miami Dolphins.  In 2+ seasons for the Dolphins, he has 125 tackles, 5 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and 23 passes defensed.  In three years at Illinois, he had 211 tackles, 7 interceptions, and 3 forced fumbles. 

Review of 2006 Recruiting: The Linebackers

Sean Weatherspoon could have been a Wolverine.

Obi Ezeh
High school: Catholic Central High School in Grand Rapids, MI
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #51 RB;
Other notable offers: Eastern Michigan, Indiana, Western Michigan
College: Michigan
Scoop: Ezeh redshirted as a true freshman in 2006, but leaped onto the scene as a redshirt freshman in 2007. He started ten games at middle linebacker, was a Freshman All-America, and made the Freshman All-Big Ten squad due to his 10 starts, 68 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 interception, 3 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble. He followed that season with perhaps his most productive year – 98 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, 3 pass breakups, and 1 fumble recovery. After that his career seemed to progressively deteriorate. Ezeh held onto the starting middle linebacker job for most of his redshirt junior year in 2009, making 69 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 2 pass breakups, and 1 fumble recovery; however, he played sparingly late in the season while losing time to Kevin Leach, a 210 lb. former walk-on. Those struggles continued into 2010, when Ezeh was displaced by redshirt sophomore Kenny Demens halfway through the season. Statistically, his fifth-year senior campaign was his worst, as he finished with 58 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and 1 fumble recovery. (Text taken from Ezeh’s senior profile, which was posted in April.)  Ezeh went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft; he signed with the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent but was cut prior to the season.

Cobrani Mixon
High school: Colerain High School in Cincinnati, OH
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #8 ILB;
Other notable offers:
College: Michigan Kent State
Scoop: After redshirting as a freshman at Michigan in 2006, he transferred to Kent State University and sat out the 2007 season due to transfer rules. He had 73 tackles and 2 sacks in 2008 as a redshirt sophomore. By 2009 he was an All-MAC linebacker, racking up 108 tackles and 3 sacks. As a senior in 2010, Mixon made 82 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss, and 1 interception; he was also named a team captain and was named First Team All-MAC at linebacker.  He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Jonas Mouton
High school: Venice High School in Venice, CA
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #3 S;
Other notable offers: Cal, LSU, Nebraska, Oregon, Texas, USC
College: Michigan
Scoop:  Mouton arrived at Michigan and almost immediately became a linebacker. He redshirted as a freshman in 2006 to learn the position and add some weight. After the redshirt year, he backed up Chris Graham at weakside linebacker in Ron English’s 4-3 system. That year (2007) he made 5 tackles at linebacker and on kick coverage. Once Graham graduated following the 2007 season, Mouton backed up Marell Evans for one game and then earned the starting WILL job in the second game against Miami (OH). He finished the season with 76 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 1 sack. As the incumbent in 2009, Mouton had a subpar year. The defense was abysmal, and the inside linebackers – Mouton and Obi Ezeh – constantly looked lost. Mouton ended the season with 66 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery, and 4 pass breakups. As a fifth year senior in 2010, Mouton led the Big Ten in tackles with 117. He also had 8.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, 3 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, and 2 fumble recoveries.  (Text taken from Mouton’s senior profile, posted in February.)  Mouton was drafted in the 2nd round (#61 overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers; however, he suffered a knee injury and has not played yet in the NFL.

Quintin Patilla
High school: Carman Ainsworth High School in Flint, MI
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #26 OLB;
Other notable offers: Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Indiana, Toledo
College: Michigan Grand Valley State
Scoop: After redshirting as a freshman in 2006, he played sparingly as a fullback and on special teams in 2007. Patilla transferred to Grand Valley State University prior to his redshirt sophomore season and did not play that year. When he got to GVSU, he played defensive end at 6’3″, 255 lbs. However, I cannot find any stats for his 2009 season and he did not return to GVSU in 2010. I’m assuming his football career is over.

Thaddeus Gibson
High school: Euclid High School in Euclid, OH
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #9 OLB; Scout 4-star, #9 LB
Other notable offers: Penn State, Tennessee
College: Ohio State
Scoop: Gibson redshirted as a true freshman in 2006.  He played in 9 games as a redshirt freshman in 2007, picking up 11 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, and 2 pass breakups.  In 2008 Gibson had 26 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble return for a touchdown, and 1 pass breakup.  As a redshirt junior in 2009, Gibson had 45 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 interception, and 3 pass breakups.  He left Columbus with one year of eligibility remaining and was picked in the 4th round (#116 overall) by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2010 NFL Draft.  He has since been signed by San Francisco and now the Washington Redskins, but his only official appearances came in two 2010 games with 49ers, where he notched 3 tackles and 1 forced fumble.

Akeem Hebron
High school: Good Counsel High School in Olney, MD
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #4 OLB; Scout 5-star, #5 LB
Other notable offers: Ohio State, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech
College: Georgia
Scoop: Hebron redshirted in 2006 and played for Georgia Military College in 2007, picking up 25.5 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 1 forced fumble.  Hebron played in six games in 2008, picking up just 1 tackle before fracturing his ankle.  As a redshirt junior in 2009, he had 3 tackles.  In his senior season of 2010, Hebron made 6 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 1 sack.  He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Michael Morgan
High school: Skyline High School in Dallas, TX
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #5 OLB; Scout 4-star, #34 LB
Other notable offers: Florida State, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M
College: USC
Scoop: Morgan redshirted as a true freshman in 2006.  He was a backup strongside linebacker as a redshirt freshman in 2007, picking up 9 tackles.  Once again a backup in 2008, Morgan had 24 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, and 1 fumble recovery.  He started 9 games as a redshirt junior in 2009 and finished with 50 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 1 pass breakup.  In his senior season of 2010, Morgan had his best season with 57 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1/2 a sack, 8 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery.  He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Toryan Smith
High school: Rome High School in Rome, GA
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #15 ILB; Scout 3-star, #52 LB
Other notable offers:
College: Notre Dame
Scoop: Smith played as a backup inside linebacker during his freshman year, racking up 9 tackles on defense and special teams.  A backup once again in 2007, Smith had 14 tackles and 1/2 a tackle for loss.  As a part-time starter in 2008, he notched 18 tackles, 1 pass breakup, and 1 fumble recovery.  As a senior in 2009, Smith had 15 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 fumble recovery.  He went undrafted in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Joshua Tatum
High school: McClymonds High School in Oakland, CA
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #3 ILB; Scout 5-star, #7 LB
Other notable offers:
College: USC Missouri
Scoop: Tatum redshirted as a true freshman in 2006.  He fell off the face of the earth in 2007, but at the City College of San Francisco in 2008, Tatum had 120 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 7 pass breakups, and 1 interception returned for a 93-yard touchdown.  He then transferred to Missouri, where he suffered a back injury in spring 2009 and sat out the following season due to the injury.  As a backup linebacker in 2010, Tatum had 7 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 1 sack.  He was not drafted in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Biggest miss: Michigan doesn’t seem to have done too poorly with the 2006 linebacker class.  Sure, two of the four guys left early in their careers, Ezeh regressed throughout his career, and Mouton was the best of the offerees, based both on his production and getting drafted in the 2nd round of the NFL Draft.  But the kids who went elsewhere were just as disappointing.  Gibson seems to be the choice for “biggest miss” based on his 10 career college sacks and 4th round draft status, but I’m not that disappointed that he went elsewhere.

Biggest bust: It’s between Akeem Hebron and Joshua Tatum for this title, but at least Tatum had success at his junior college – 120 tackles, 15 TFLs, 7 sacks, 7 pass breakups, a 93-yard INT return are a big deal at any level.  Hebron never amounted to much of a football player at Georgia after being a 5-star to Scout and the #4 outside linebacker to Rivals.

Best in class: Sean Weatherspoon was the #19 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons. Lots of schools missed Weatherspoon, whose choice of Missouri was arguably his best offer over the likes of Iowa State, TCU, and Tulane.  He made 111 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and 1 interception as a senior in 2009.  And that was actually a dropoff from his junior season, when he had 155 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, and 3 interceptions.

Review of 2006 Recruiting: The Defensive Linemen

Brandon Graham turned out okay.

The Returning Players
Alan Branch, DT
Eugene Germany, DE
Will Johnson, DT
Pat Massey, DT
Will Paul, DT
Terrance Taylor, DT
Jeremy Van Alstyne, DE
Marques Walton, DT
Gabe Watson, DT
Lamarr Woodley, DE

The Recruits

Greg Banks
High school: Montbello High School in Denver, CO
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #42 SDE; Scout 3-star, #40 DT
Other notable offers: Arizona State, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma, UCLA, Washington
College: Michigan
Scoop: Banks chose Michigan over his home state school of Colorado in December 2005.  He redshirted as a freshman.  As a redshirt freshman in 2007, he played sparingly in eleven games and notched 7 tackles as a backup defensive end.  When Rich Rodriguez arrived in 2008, Banks’ production and playing time slipped to eight games, 6 tackles, and 1 tackle for loss.  He gain played in eleven games in 2009, notching 5 tackles and 1 tackle for loss as a backup defensive tackle.  In his fifth year, Banks earned a starting spot at defensive tackle and had decent production: 38 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and 2 pass breakups.  He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft.

John Ferrara
High school: Monsignor Farrell High School in Staten Island, NY
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #46 SDE; Scout 3-star, #58 DE
Other notable offers: Michigan State, Mississippi, Northwestern, Penn State, Rutgers
College: Michigan
Scoop: Ferrara selected Michigan as soon as he was officially offered in October 2005, saying he knew from the first time he visited that he wanted to play in Ann Arbor.  As a mediocre talent, he redshirted as a freshman in 2006.  As a redshirt freshman in 2007, Ferrara played a significant amount as a reserve defensive tackle, making 2 tackles and 1 tackle for loss.  When offensive lineman Cory Zirbel had to prematurely end his career due to back trouble, a need for offensive linemen arose during August practice of 2008 and Ferrara became an offensive guard; he started five games at left guard and played decently.  However, in 2009 right tackle Steve Schilling moved to LG and Patrick Omameh emerged at RG, leaving Ferrara to start only one game (Eastern Michigan) while playing on special teams during the rest of the season.  Ferrara contributed on special teams in six games as a redshirt senior in 2010, missing several games due to injury.  He finished his career with 7 starts on offense, plus those 2 tackles and 1 tackle for loss from his redshirt freshman season.  Ferrara went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Brandon Graham
High school: Crockett High School in Detroit, MI
Ratings: Rivals 5-star, #1 ILB; Scout 5-star, #3 LB
Other notable offers: Penn State
College: Michigan
Scoop: Graham picked the Wolverines almost a year before National Signing Day and was told that he could potentially start at inside or outside linebacker in his first year.  Then he showed up overweight – even for a defensive end – and played some defensive tackle as a true freshman in 2006.  He had 3 tackles and half a sack during his freshman season.  By 2007 he turned into a part-time starter and made 25 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, and 1 pass breakup.  As a junior in 2008, Graham was a full-time starter who made 46 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 10 sacks; he was named as a Second Team All-Big Ten player and finished second in the NCAA in tackles for loss.  Continually improving, he was named a captain in 2009 and had 64 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recover, and 2 pass breakups; he was awarded Second Team All-American status and led the NCAA in tackles for loss, along with several other accolades.  Graham was selected in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft (#10 overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Jason Kates
High school: Bishop McDevitt High school in Harrisburg, PA
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #20 DT; Scout 2-star DT
Other notable offers: Florida State, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Penn State
College: Michigan
Scoop: Kates came out of high school with lots of offers, largely due to his size (6’2″, 324 lbs.).  He struggled with that weight for much of his career.  After redshirting as a freshman in 2006, he played sparingly in 2007, notching 1 assisted tackle against Purdue.  He left the team after the 2007 season and did not pursue football afterwards.

Adam Patterson
High school: Richland Northeast High School in Columbia, SC
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #7 DT; Scout 4-star, #22 DT
Other notable offers: Auburn, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee
College: Michigan
Scoop: Patterson committed to Michigan on the eve of signing day in 2006.  A highly touted prospect coming out of high school, he was a little bit undersized for the defensive tackle position (6’2″, 256 lbs.) and remained that way, playing both defensive end and tackle in his career.  He finished his career as a 276 lb. nose tackle.  As a true freshman in 2006, he made 2 tackles.  As a sophomore in 2007, he played consistently as a backup DE and made 4 tackles and 1 sack.  He played early in 2008, but ended up redshirting due to an injury.  Patterson posted only 1 tackle as a reserve defensive end in 2009 and ended his career as Mike Martin’s backup at nose tackle in 2010, notching 16 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 pass breakup on the season.  He finished his college career with 23 tackles, 2 sacks, and 1 pass breakup.  He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Marques Slocum
High school: West Catholic High School in Philadelphia, PA
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #1 DT; Scout 5-star, #5 DT
Other notable offers: LSU, Miami, Michigan State, Oklahoma
College: Michigan
Scoop: Slocum originally committed to Michigan as part of the 2005 class, but he spent a year at prep school before entering college in 2006.  He redshirted as a freshman in 2006 and then played occasionally in 2007.  Slocum finished the 2007 season with 8 total tackles and 1/2 a tackle for loss.  He left the program prior to the 2008 season and played football at Eastern Arizona for two seasons.  He went undrafted in the 2010 NFL Draft but signed a free agent contract with the Washington Redskins, who promptly cut him.

Quinton Woods
High school: Southwestern Academy in Flint, MI
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #44 SDE; Scout 2-star DE
Other notable offers: Iowa, Michigan State
College: Michigan Kansas
Scoop: Woods was an academic non-qualifier for Michigan and instead headed to Bakersfield Community College, where he recorded 80 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and 8 sacks as a sophomore.  He then transferred to Kansas, where he saw limited playing time over the next couple seasons.  He had 4 tackles in 2009 and another 13 in 2010.  Woods went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Neli A’Asa
High school: Big Rapids High School in Big Rapids, MI
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #48 DT; Scout 3-star, #75 DT
Other notable offers: BYU, Michigan State
College: Utah
Scoop:  A’asa redshirted in 2006 as a freshman.  As a redshirt freshman in 2007, he played only special teams, where he a caught a 41-yard pass on a fake punt and made 3 tackles.  He switched to tight end in 2008 but was used only as a blocker and special teamer.  As a redshirt junior in 2009, A’asa was a backup offensive lineman but once again played only on special teams.  He moved back to defense for 2010 and totaled 8 tackles and 1.5 sacks.  He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Jason Adjepong (a.k.a. Jason Worilds)
High school: Carteret High School in Carteret, NJ
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #7 SDE; Scout 4-star, #8 DE
Other notable offers: Iowa, Ohio State
College: Virginia Tech
Scoop: Adjepong played as a freshman in 2006 but received a medical redshirt due to shoulder surgery; he totaled 4 tackles before season’s end.  He once again did not play in 2007.  As a redshirt sophomore in 2008, Adjepong made 62 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, and 8 sacks, along with forcing 2 fumbles.  His redshirt junior season in 2009 saw him end the season with 49 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble.  He left with a season of eligibility remaining and was selected in the 2nd round (#52 overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers to play outside linebacker.  As a rookie last season, he notched 17 tackles and 2 sacks as a backup.

Micah Johnson
High school: Fort Campbell High School in Fort Campbell, KY
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #2 SDE; Scout 5-star, #2 LB
Other notable offers: Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Tennessee
College: Kentucky
Scoop: Johnson made an immediate impact at Kentucky, starting two games as a freshman in 2006.  On the season he had 29 tackles, 1 pass breakup, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recover; he also scored a touchdown as a running back.  He was even better as a sophomore, when he totaled 58 tackles, 2 interceptions (1 for a touchdown), and 5 pass breakups.  As a junior in 2008, Johnson had 93 tackles despite missing a couple games due to injury.  In his senior season, Johnson made 105 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 4 pass breakups.  He went undrafted in the 2010 NFL Draft and has bounced around the league between the Giants, Dolphins, and Chiefs; he has only 1 career tackle, for the Dolphins in 2010.

Dexter Larimore
High school: Merrillville High School in Merrillville, IN
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #39 DT; Scout 3-star, #60 DT
Other notable offers: Illinois, Michigan State
College: Ohio State
Scoop: Larimore redshirted in 2006.  As a redshirt freshman in 2007, he had 16 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss.  In 2008 he started several games at defensive tackle, notching 15 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss.  He logged 20 tackles as a redshirt junior in 2009 but missed a few games due to injury.  As a fifth year senior in 2010, Larimore made 40 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks.  He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft before being signed as a rookie free agent by the New Orleans Saints, who cut him prior to the season.

Butch Lewis
High school: Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora, CO
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #4 DT; Scout 4-star, #11 OT
Other notable offers: California, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Nebraska, Notre Dame
College: USC
Scoop: Lewis went to USC as a defensive tackle, but switched to offensive tackle in the middle of his freshman season in 2006, when he redshirted.  As a redshirt freshman in 2007, he started 3 games at offensive tackle and earned Second Team Freshman All-America honors.  He started 5 games in 2008 at offensive tackle, then 8 games at offensive guard in 2009, when he earned All-Pac 10 honorable mention.  He started 9 games at guard as a fifth year senior in 2010, but was benched for a stretch of games.  He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft but was signed as a rookie free agent by the Kansas City Chiefs, who cut him prior to the season.

McKenzie Mathews
High school: Christian Brothers High School in Syracuse, NY
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #14 WDE; Scout 4-star, #27 DE
Other notable offers: Miami, North Carolina, Ohio State
College: Pitt
Scoop: Mathews had 10 tackles and 1/2 a tackle for loss as a freshman in 2006.  After his freshman season, he transferred to Bentley, where had 30 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks in 2007.  In his junior season of 2008, he had 42 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 4 quarterback hurries.  Mathews left Bentley prior to the 2009 season but was not drafted to the NFL.

John Paul
High school: Immokalee High School in Immokalee, FL
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #22 SDE; Scout 4-star, #20 DT
Other notable offers: Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Miami
College: N/A
Scoop: I can’t find any information on John Paul from once he graduated high school.  According to Rivals and Scout, he never signed a national letter of intent to play anywhere.  I’m assuming his football career never blossomed due to grades, injury, legal trouble, etc., but if anybody knows anything more, please let me know.

Corey Peters
High school: Central High School in Louisville, KY
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #24 DT; Scout 3-star, #54 DT
Other notable offers: Auburn, Clemson, Ohio State
College: Kentucky
Scoop: Peters started 2 games as a freshman, making 18 tackles and 1 sack.  He was named Kentucky’s most improved defensive player as a sophomore in 2007 when he made 43 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks.  He kept that production going in 2008, notching 36 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks.  Peters filled up the stat sheet as a senior in 2009 with 56 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 5 pass breakups, 6 quarterback hurries, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery.  Peters was selected in the 3rd round (#83 overall) of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.  He started 15 games for the Falcons in 2010, picking up 25 tackles and 1 sack.

Jason Pinkston
High school: Baldwin High School in Pittsburgh, PA
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #46 DT; Scout 4-star, #25 DT
Other notable offers: Ohio State, West Virginia
College: Pitt
Scoop: Pinkston played defensive tackle in August of his first year, but by September 2006 he had switched to offensive tackle, where he played as a backup and special teamer in 7 games.  In 2007 he started the first 3 games at right tackle before he suffered a shoulder injury that ended his season.  As a redshirt sophomore in 2008, Pinkston started 12 games at right tackle.  He started all 13 games in 2009, earning All-Big East honors and being named Second Team All-American by some publications.  Once again in 2010, he was named All-Big East after starting all 13 games.  Pinkston was drafted in the 5th round (#150 overall) by the Cleveland Browns in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Conclusions

Biggest bust: The biggest bust for Michigan was Marques Slocum in a way, because Slocum never accomplished anything for the Wolverines.  But Slocum did actually turn into a decent player and got a whiff of the NFL after bouncing around a little bit.  Meanwhile, Adam Patterson was a unanimous 4-star recruit who never amounted to much of anything at Michigan.  Despite playing on a depleted defensive line at times, he played sparingly . . . and when he did, he played poorly.  Patterson was too slow to be a defensive end and too small to play defensive tackle, leaving him in No Man’s Land.  For a 4-star recruit to end his five-year career with 23 tackles and 2 sacks, it’s pretty disappointing.

Biggest miss: Jason Adjepong (Worilds) turned out to be the best player Michigan offered that Michigan didn’t get.  He had an excellent career at Virginia Tech and turned into a second-rounder.  While the Wolverines had Brandon Graham to play defensive end, they were lacking at outside linebacker/defensive end opposite him.  Worilds would have been an upgrade over players like Tim Jamison and Craig Roh, among others.

Best in class: I’ll do this in two parts, since there are two very different positions here: defensive tackle and defensive end.  The top defensive tackle in the 2006 class turned out to be Gerald McCoy, who went to Oklahoma.  McCoy was the #3 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after making 25 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and 6 sacks as a redshirt junior in 2009.  He made 28 tackles, 3 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles as a rookie in 2010.  The top defensive end in the 2006 class turned out to be Brandon Graham (see above), who turned into the #10 overall pick in 2010; he has been limited due to a knee injury suffered partway through the 2010 season.

Review of 2006 Recruiting: The Offensive Linemen

Trent Williams was the #4 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft

THE RECRUITS
Justin Boren
High school: North High School in Pickerington, OH
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #1 OC; Scout 5-star, #7 OL
Other notable offers: Michigan State, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oklahoma
College: Michigan Ohio State
Scoop: Boren committed to Michigan and was just the fourth true freshman offensive lineman to start a game for Michigan in the modern era.  He started 1 game in 2006 and played in 4 others at offensive guard.  He replaced center Mark Bihl in 2007 and started all 13 games, 8 at center and another 5 at offensive guard.  After Rich Rodriguez was hired in December 2007, Boren and his family (which includes a father who played football at Michigan and a mother who ran track at Michigan) disliked the new regime and Justin transferred to hated Ohio State.  He sat out the 2008 season and redshirted.  Boren started 24 games at Ohio State at offensive guard from 2009-2010 and was named First Team All-Big Ten both seasons.  He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft and is currently fighting for a spot on the Baltimore Ravens roster.

Perry Dorrestein
High school: Central High School in Plainfield, IL
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #43 OT; Scout 3-star, #81 OL
Other notable offers: Illinois, Nebraska, Northwestern
College: Michigan
Scoop: Dorrestein had some middling offers coming out of high school, but chose the highest profile school on the list.  He redshirted as a freshman in 2006 and played sparingly as a redshirt freshman in 2007.  He started 4 games in 2008, 8 games in 2009, and 10 games in 2010.  He was a serviceable spot starter, but lacked the athleticism and strength to be a high performer.  Dorrestein went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Stephen Schilling
High school: Bellevue High School in Bellevue, WA
Ratings: Rivals 5-star, #2 OT; Scout 5-star, #3 OL
Other notable offers: California, UCLA, USC, Washington
College: Michigan
Scoop: Schilling was an all-everything high schooler who took some time to adjust in college.  He redshirted as a freshman in 2006, a year in which he suffered not only a shoulder injury but also a bout of mononucleosis.  But by the beginning of 2007, he was on his way to becoming a four-year starter.  He was overmatched at right tackle as a redshirt freshman in 2007 and had a mediocre season under Rich Rodriguez in 2008.  For the 2009 campaign, Schilling moved to left guard and remained there through 2010.  Overall, he started 49 games in his career, missing only the 2008 Ohio State game due to injury.  He was named Michigan’s top offensive lineman from 2008 through 2010 and earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention in both 2009 and 2010.  He was drafted in the 6th round (#201 overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft.

Justin Anderson
High school: Irwin County High School in Ocilla, GA
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #7 OG, and #100 overall; Scout 4-star, #21 OG
Other notable offers: Georgia Tech, Nebraska
College: Georgia
Scoop: Anderson failed to qualify in 2006 and didn’t attend Georgia until January 2007.  He redshirted as a freshman but rebounded by starting 7 games at offensive tackle and getting some freshman awards as a redshirt freshman in 2008.  Anderson started only 5 games as a redshirt sophomore in 2009 and then switched to defensive line prior to the 2010 season.  He had 1 tackle from his DT position in 2010 before undergoing season-ending surgery for turfo toe.  For 2011 he’s listed at #1 on the depth chart to start at right offensive tackle.

Jim Barrie
High school: Berkeley Prep High School in Tampa, FL
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #15 OT; Scout 3-star, #58 OL
Other notable offers: Florida State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee
College: Florida
Scoop: Barrie redshirted as a freshman in 2006.  He played in 1 game as a redshirt freshman in 2007, but suffered a knee injury in August 2008 that essentially ended his playing career.  He dressed out for a couple games at the end of the 2008 season, but received a medical scholarship after the year was over.

Marcus Gilbert
High school: St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #13 OT; Scout 4-star, #32 OL
Other notable offers: Auburn, Florida State, Miami
College: Florida
Scoop: Gilbert played sparingly in 2006 and thus received a redshirt.  He was a frequently used backup as a redshirt freshman in 2007, seeing action in 13 games and starting 1 game.  He was once again a backup in 2008, playing in 13/14 games.  Gilbert started the final 27 games of his career at Florida in 2009 and 2010 and he was a 2nd round pick (#63 overall) by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2011 NFL Draft. 

Daron Rose
High school: Jefferson High School in Tampa, FL
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #2 OT; Scout 4-star, #32 OL
Other notable offers: Florida, Notre Dame, South Carolina
College: Florida State
Scoop: Rose began his college career at Florida State, where he played in two games as a freshman before receiving a redshirt.  As a redshirt freshman in 2008, he started 11 of 13 games at offensive tackle but did not play particularly well.  Due to undisclosed reasons, he did not return to FSU for the 2009 season and announced a transfer to South Florida.  However, he never joined USF’s program and instead attended North Alabama.  He started 6 games for North Alabama in 2010 and remains on their roster for the 2011 season.  He’s projected as the starter at right offensive tackle.

Conner Smith
High school: Colerain High School in Cincinnati, OH
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #4 OG; Scout 5-star, #4 OL
Other notable offer: Oklahoma
College: Ohio State
Scoop: Smith redshirted in 2006 and remained a permanent backup throughout his career.  Prior to his redshirt senior season in 2010, Smith changed positions from offensive guard to defensive tackle.  However, he failed to accrue any statistics and went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Alex Stadler
High school: Liberty High School in Bealeton, VA
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #12 OT; Scout 4-star, #33 OL
Other notable offers: Boston College, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech
College: Alabama
Scoop: Stadler redshirted in 2006 and transferred to Liberty University prior to the 2007 season.  He started 16 games total in 2008 and 2009, earning Second Team All-Big South honors for his play in 2009.  Stadler was slated to be the starting left guard in 2010, but it’s unclear whether he played out his eligibility or not.  He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Joe Thomas
High school: St. Edward’s School in Lakewood, OH
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #43 OG; Scout 4-star, #12 OL
Other notable offers: Michigan State, Ohio State, West Virginia, Wisconsin
College: Pittsburgh
Scoop: Thomas played as a true freshman in 2006, starting 7 games at offensive guard for injured starter John Simonitis.  Thomas started 7 games once again in 2007 before suffering his own injury.  As a junior in 2008, he started all 13 games.  It’s unclear whether he played out his eligibility in 2009, but he went undrafted in the 2010 NFL Draft.

Bartley Webb
High school: Springdale High School in Springdale, AR
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #29 OT; Scout 4-star, #52 OL
Other notable offers: Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas
College: Notre Dame
Scoop: Webb redshirted in 2006 and then played 1 game as a redshirt freshman in 2007.  He then suffered a career-ending shoulder injury and acted as a student coach until he graduated.  Most recently he was a video assistant at Middle Tennessee State University.

Sam Young
High school: St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Ratings: Rivals 5-star, #1 OT; Scout 5-star, #2 OL
Other notable offers: Florida, Miami, Penn State, Stanford, USC
College: Notre Dame
Scoop: Young was one of the best linemen in the country coming out of high school, and his college career started off with an immediate starting gig as a freshman, when he earned Freshman All-America honors.  He started all 50 games of his college career.  After his senior season, he was a 6th round pick (#179 overall) by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2010 NFL Draft and played in 2 games as a rookie.

CONCLUSIONS
It was not a stellar year for Michigan’s talent identification in 2006.  At a school that has regularly produced NFL linemen for decades, most of these guys went kaput quickly or are in the process of ending mediocre careers.  And obviously Justin Boren turned out to be more trouble than he was worth, even though he ended up having a decent career in Columbus.

Biggest miss: Marcus Gilbert.  He was the highest draft pick of the bunch, going in round #2.  Gilbert was probably going to be a backup LT for the Steelers, but he recently injured his left knee and it’s unclear how much time he will miss.  The Wolverines could have used some good offensive linemen on a team that started journeyman-type starters such as Mark Ortmann, Perry Dorrestein, and Mark Huyge in recent years.

Biggest bust: Conner Smith.  As much as I would like to say Boren was the biggest bust, Smith was a consensus, elite blue chipper who saw the field only rarely in college.

Best in class: Trent Williams.  It’s tough to pick this category for linemen, because stats are scarce and it takes a long time for even the good ones to develop.  Just going by draft status, though, the former Oklahoma Sooner was the highest NFL draft pick from the 2006 lineman class, having been picked #4 overall by the Washington Redskins in 2010.  Other notable players from the 2006 class are Oklahoma State’s Russell Okung (#6 to the Seahawks in 2010) and Wisconsin’s Gabe Carimi (#29 to the Bears in 2011).

Review of 2006 Recruiting: The Tight Ends

Andrew Quarless could have been a Wolverine

The Roster
Tyler Ecker, 5th
Brian Thompson, 5th
Mike Massey, Jr.
Carson Butler, So.
Chris McLaurin, So.

The Recruits

Jake Ballard
High school: Springboro High School in Springboro, OH
Ratings: Rivals 4-star and #8 TE; Scout 4-star and #6 TE
Other notable offers: Boston College, Michigan State, Wisconsin
College: Ohio State
Scoop: Ballard played immediately at Ohio State, catching 2 passes for 5 yards as a freshman.  He then caught 13 passes for 149 yards and 2 touchdowns as a sophomore.  He made only 5 receptions for 73 yards in 2008 and jumped back up to 14 receptions for 150 yards in 2009.  Ballard went undrafted in the 2010 NFL Draft and played in only one game after signing with the New York Giants.

Nate Byham
High school: Franklin Area High School in Franklin, PA
Ratings: Rivals 4-star and #7 TE; Scout 5-star and #1 TE
Other notable offers: Iowa, Miami, USC, West Virginia
College: Pittsburgh
Scoop: Byham caught 2 passes for 34 yards as a freshman in 2006.  He became the team’s starter in 2007 and grabbed 15 passes for 210 yards and 1 touchdown as a sophomore.  Byham had an All-Big East year in 2008 with 20 catches for 260 yards and 1 touchdown, but his production dropped to 10 receptions for only 108 yards as a senior.  He was chosen in the 6th round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, for whom he had 5 catches for 27 yards as a rookie.  He recently tore his ACL and will miss the 2011 season.

Dorin Dickerson
High school: West Allegheny High School in Imperial, PA
Ratings: Rivals 4-star and #8 TE; Scout 5-star and #4 WR
Other notable offers: Iowa, Penn State, Tennessee
College: Pittsburgh
Scoop: Dickerson played multiple positions at Pittsburgh.  He had 3 carries for 25 yards and 1 catch for 5 yards as a freshman, when he lined up mostly at wide receiver.  He moved to linebacker in 2007 and had 15 tackles to go along with 4 kickoff returns for 56 yards.  Dickerson moved back to offense and played tight end in 2008, when he caught 13 passes for 174 yards and 2 touchdowns in addition to 2 carries for 25 yards.  He exploded in 2009 with 49 receptions for 529 yards and 10 touchdowns, which earned him All-America honors and a 7th round selection by the Houston Texans in the 2010 NFL Draft.  At 6’2″ and 230 lbs., though, he lacked the size to play tight end in the NFL and spent the season languishing on the bench and learning the wide receiver position.

Dedrick Epps
High school: Huguenot High School in Richmond, VA
Ratings: Rivals 4-star and #12 TE; Scout 4-star and #12 TE
Other notable offers: Florida, Oklahoma, Penn State, Virginia Tech
College: Miami
Scoop: Epps played sparingly as a freshman in 2006, seeing action in 6 games but failing to catch a pass.  He played a backup role in 2007 with 8 catches for 83 yards and 1 touchdown.  He stepped his game up the next two seasons, starting and catching 22 passes for 304 yards and 2 touchdowns in 2008, then 19 passes for 247 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2009.  He was drafted in the 7th round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers and now plays for the Miami Dolphins, but has yet to catch a pass as a pro.

Andrew Quarless
High school: Uniondale High School in Uniondale, NY
Ratings: Rivals 4-star and #13 TE; Scout 4- star and #11 TE
Other notable offers: Miami, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, Wisconsin
College: Penn State
Scoop: Quarless was a multi-year starter at Penn State, notching 46 receptions, 610 yards, and 5 touchdowns in his first three seasons combined.  Those starts were interrupted by misbehavior that cost him playing time in both 2007 and 2008.  However, he really broke out as a senior in 2009, grabbing 41 receptions for 536 yards and 3 touchdowns from quarterback Daryll Clark.  He was a 5th round draft choice by the Green Bay Packers in the 2010 NFL Draft and caught 21 regular season passes for 238 yards and 1 touchdown as a rookie, plus another 5 receptions for 46 yards in the Packers’ playoff run.

Will Yeatman
High school: Rancho Bernardo High School in San Diego, CA
Ratings: Rivals 3-star and #39 TE; Scout 3-star and #38 TE
Other notable offers: Arizona, Arizona State, Maryland, Nebraska
College: Notre Dame
Scoop: Yeatman redshirted in 2006, then played sparingly in his next two seasons, totaling just 8 catches for 43 yards.  He was caught with marijuana in 2008 and transferred to Maryland prior to the 2009 season, where he sat out the year due to NCAA transfer rules.  At Maryland in 2010, Yeatman caught 13 passes for 134 yards and 1 touchdown.  He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft but recently signed a rookie free agent contract with the New England Patriots.  Yeatman also played lacrosse throughout his college career.

Conclusions
The 2006 offerees turned out a couple solid players, but none of the players turned out to be instant superstars.  The highest draft choice was Quarless, and even he had sufficient enough discipline problems at Penn State to lose his starting job.  But Michigan failed to grab a single tight end in the class, and in 2007 got only Steve Watson, who has bounced between tight end, defensive end, and linebacker.  It wasn’t until 2008 that Michigan pulled in another impact tight end in the form of Kevin Koger, who will likely start for his fourth consecutive year this fall.

Biggest miss: Quarless.  Even though he had legal and discipline problems throughout his career, he had the talent to be a four-year starter and probably could have been drafted even higher than the fifth round if not for those issues.  His 87 career receptions for 1,146 yards and 8 touchdowns exceed anything a Michigan tight end has done since Jerame Tuman ended his career in 1998.

Biggest bust: Ballard.  While he may have been held back by the fact that he played for Jim Tressel, whose offense isn’t tight end-friendly, he caught only 34 career passes and 2 touchdowns for Ohio State.  For being the #6 or #8 tight end in the country, that’s not very good.  Of the five 2006 recruits who have already graduated and had a season in the pros (Yeatman is the only one to have lasted through the 2010 season), only Dickerson has had less success, and Dickerson is undergoing a position change to WR at that level.

Best in class: Jermaine Gresham.  Gresham developed into an All-American tight end at Oklahoma by his junior season in 2008, when he caught 66 passes for 950 yards and 14 touchdowns.  He returned to Oklahoma for his senior year but suffered a knee injury that cost him the 2009 season.  But Gresham still showed enough talent to be taken #21 overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2010 NFL Draft, for whom he caught 52 balls for 471 yards and 4 touchdowns as a rookie.