Review of 2007 Recruiting: Wide Receivers

Tag: 2007 recruiting


16Apr 2014
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Review of 2007 Recruiting: Wide Receivers

Michigan procured Junior Hemingway in the 2007 class

THE ROSTER
Adrian Arrington, RS Jr.
Mario Manningham, Jr.
LaTerryal Savoy, RS So.
Greg Mathews, So.

THE COMMITS
Zion Babb
High school: Alhambra (CA) Alhambra
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #42 WR
College: Michigan
Other notable offers: Cal, Nebraska, Oregon, Washington
Scoop: Babb redshirted in 2007 and bounced back and forth between receiver and cornerback. As a redshirt sophomore in 2008, he caught 2 passes for 45 yards. He reportedly had verbal altercations with Michigan’s coaches and was released from his scholarship. To my knowledge, he did not continue his football career elsewhere.

Toney Clemons
High school: New Kensington (PA) Valley
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #12 WR, #91 overall
College: Michigan Colorado
Other notable offers: Colorado, Pitt, Purdue, West Virginia
Scoop: Clemons burned a redshirt for 1 catch and 5 yards a freshman in 2007. With the arrival of Rich Rodriguez for the 2008 season, Clemons moved to slot receiver due to little or no depth behind freshman Martavious Odoms. He caught 11 passes for 101 yards as a sophomore in 2008, but transferred to Colorado after the season. He used that redshirt to sit out the 2009 season due to NCAA transfer rules. As a redshirt junior in 2010, Clemons caught 43 passes for 482 yards and 3 TDs; he also rushed the ball 3 times for 17 yards. Then as a fifth year senior in 2012, he caught 43 passes for 680 yards and 8 touchdowns. He was drafted in the 7th round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers but was cut and ended up catching 3 passes for 43 yards for the Jacksonville Jaguars that season. He spent time with the Carolina Panthers and San Diego Chargers in 2013.


Junior Hemingway
High school:
 Conway (SC) Conway
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #38 WR
College: Michigan
Other notable offers: Clemson, Florida State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, South Carolina
Scoop: Hemingway caught 4 passes for 37 yards as a freshman in 2007, when both he and Clemons burned redshirts. As a sophomore in Rich Rodriguez’s first year, Hemingway was expected to be a starter; however, after catching 2 passes for 41 yards and 1 touchdown, including a 33-yard score against Utah, he developed mononucleosis and missed the remainder of the year. He returned as a redshirt sophomore in 2009 to catch 16 passes for 268 yards and 2 touchdowns. As a redshirt junior in 2010, he was Denard Robinson’s favorite target on the outside and caught 32 passes for 593 yards and 4 touchdowns. He followed that up with another solid season in 2011 and totaled 34 catches for 699 yards and 4 scores, finishing with a 20.6 yards/catch average. He was picked in the 7th round (#268 overall) by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2012 NFL Draft and has 13 catches, 125 yards, and 2 touchdowns as a pro.

THE MISSES
Jon Ditto
High school: Monroeville (PA) Gateway
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #59 WR
College: Penn State
Other notable offers: Maryland, Michigan State, Ohio State, Pitt
Scoop: Ditto was a jumbo high school receiver who played tight end for a bit before switching to linebacker. He left Penn State prior to the 2009 season but did not resume his career elsewhere.

Ronald Johnson
High school: Muskegon (MI) Muskegon
Ratings: Rivals 5-star, #1 WR, #8 overall
College: USC
Other notable offers: Florida, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Texas
Scoop: Johnson was a backup wideout as a freshman and grabbed 7 passes for 110 yards and 1 touchdown, and he was the primary kick returner with 25 returns and a 24.8 yards/return average. As a sophomore in 2008, he started a couple games and finished with 33 catches, 570 yards, and 8 touchdowns, plus a 27.1 yards/return average on 14 kickoffs. Johnson missed part of the 2009 season with an injury but finished with 34 catches for 378 yards and 3 touchdowns. In his 2010 senior season, Johnson caught 64 passes for 692 yards and 8 touchdowns, and he became the team’s punt returner with 22 returns, 312 yards, 14.1 yards/return, and 1 touchdown. He was drafted in the 6th round (#182 overall) by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2011 NFL Draft and has been on the rosters of the 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles, but he has never played a game.

Gerald Jones
High school: Oklahoma City (OK) Millwood
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #5 ATH, #87 overall
College: Tennessee
Other notable offers: Florida, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech
Scoop: Jones contributed early in Knoxville, catching 11 passes for 111 yards and 1 touchdown, along with 8 rushes for 58 yards and 2 touchdowns. As a sophomore in 2008, he had 30 catches for 323 yards and 4 touchdowns, plus 23 carries for 126 yards and 1 score. His explosiveness peaked in 2009 with 46 receptions for 680 yards and 4 touchdowns, and he capped his career with 55 catches for 596 yards and 4 more scores. He was also an occasional kick and punt returner for the Volunteers, but his biggest accomplishment was leading the team in receptions for three consecutive seasons (2008-2010). He was not drafted in the 2011 NFL Draft and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles for a short time but never played. He also stirred up a little controversy when he allegedly gave some advice to a high school recruit to go to Auburn instead of Tennessee. Jones’s football career appears to be finished.

Greg Little
High school: Durham (NC) Hillside
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #13 ATH
College: North Carolina
Other notable offers: Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State
Scoop: Little played running back, wide receiver, and returner during his time in Chapel Hill. As a freshman in 2007, he ran 59 times for 300 yards and 2 touchdowns while catching 13 passes for 99 yards and 1 score. In 2008 those number improved to 78 carries for 339 yards and 3 scores, plus 11 catches for 146 yards. During his 2009 junior season, he became more of a receiver and ended with 62 catches for 724 yards 5 touchdowns, but he still ran 29 times for 166 yards and 1 touchdown. He was suspended for his senior season in 2010 due to the academic/illegal benefits scandal at UNC, but he still managed to be selected in the 2nd round (#59 overall) by the Cleveland Browns in the 2011 NFL Draft. In three seasons with the Browns, he has totaled 155 catches for 1,821 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Rashad Mason
High school: Nashville (TN) Pearl-Cohn
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #18 WR
College: North Carolina Georgetown College
Other notable offers: Kentuky, Louisville, Mississippi, UCLA
Scoop: Mason went to North Carolina and was a hybrid receiver/tight end, but he barely played and was suspended indefinitely for undisclosed reasons. After the 2009 season,  he transferred to Georgetown College in Kentucky and had 20 catches for 340 yards and 5 touchdowns as a fifth year senior in 2011. He went undrafted in the 2012 NFL Draft and appears to have concluded his football career.

Marquis Maze
High school: Birmingham (AL) Tarrant
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #52 ATH
College: Alabama
Other notable offers: Auburn, Miami, Tennessee
Scoop: Maze originally committed to Michigan but ended up signing with Alabama. He redshirted as a freshman and had 11 catches for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns as a redshirt freshman in 2008. Maze became a starter in 2009 and finished just behind Julio Jones in several categories with 31 catches, 523 yards, and 2 touchdowns. As a redshirt junior in 2010, Maze caught 38 passes for 557 yards and 3 touchdowns. He was targeted more frequently as a fifth year player in 2011 when he caught 56 passes for 627 yards and 1 touchdown. Maze was also a solid punt returner who had 54 punt returns for 703 yards and 1 touchdown between 2010 and 2011. He earned Second Team All-SEC honors in 2011, and you may remember him pulling his hamstring on a punt return against LSU in the BCS Championship game against LSU. He went undrafted in the 2012 NFL Draft and was cut by the Steelers after signing as an undrafted free agent.

Niles Paul
High school: Omaha (NE) North
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #10 WR, #73 overall
College: Nebraska
Other notable offers: Iowa State
Scoop: Paul played sparingly as a freshman in 2007, notching just 1 catch for 6 yards. He became a part-time starter in 2008 and grabbed 23 passes for 214 yards. As a junior in 2009, he broke out with 40 receptions for 796 yards and 4 touchdowns, all of which earned him Second Team all-conference honors. He finished up his career with 39 receptions for 516 yards and 1 touchdown in 2010. Paul was also a quality returner; he had 60 punt returns for 647 yards and 1 touchdown, and he had 77 kickoff returns for 1,887 yards and 2 touchdowns. He was selected in the 5th round (#155 overall) by the Washington Redskins in the 2011 NFL Draft. As mostly an H-back type for the Redskins, he has amassed 14 catches for 228 yards and 1 touchdown in three seasons.

Markques Simas
High school: San Diego (CA) Mira Mesa
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #20 WR
College: Colorado
Other notable offers: Arizona State, Oregon, San Diego State
Scoop: Simas redshirted as a freshman in 2007 and was declared academically ineligible to play in 2008, but he still managed to win the program’s Scout Team Player of the Year. During his first year of seeing the field in 2009, he managed to catch 43 passes for 585 yards and 3 touchdowns. Unfortunately, he got charged with a DUI in 2010, failed to show up to court, and got kicked off the team. There was some noise about him transferring to San Diego State, but that appears not to have materialized and his football career seems to have ended.

Taurian Washington
High school: Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s
Ratings: Rivals 4-star WR
College: Ohio State
Other notable offers: Michigan State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin
Scoop: Washington played sparingly as a freshman in 2007 and caught 3 passes for 46 yards and 1 touchdown. He was limited mostly to special teams in 2008 and contributed 1 tackle. Washington sat out the 2009 season. As a redshirt junior in 2010, he caught 5 passes for 61 yards. He went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft but popped up in the Arena League in 2012, when he played for both the Milwaukee Mustangs and the Orlando Predators, totaling 40 receptions for 485 yards and 6 touchdowns. His career appears to be finished.

CONCLUSIONS
Biggest miss:
 Marquis Maze. This is a tough choice because none of the guys Michigan offered really turned into stars, so I see it more as an issue of “fit.” Any of these guys would have played the majority of their careers for Rich Rodriguez, and Maze would have been a solid slot receiver for Rodriguez, and possibly a punt returner, too. Michigan got decent production from its slot guys (Martavious Odoms, Kelvin Grady, Roy Roundtree, etc.), but Maze was pretty consistent and could have played on the outside once Brady Hoke was hired.

Biggest bust: Markques Simas. This is close between Simas and Taurian Washington, but Washington got opportunities to get on the field and just never did much. Meanwhile, Simas clearly had talent and did well as a redshirt sophomore, but he just couldn’t stay out of trouble. Considering the guy who vaguely took his place (Toney Clemons) got drafted and has bounced around the league, Simas could be earning a paycheck in the NFL right now.

Best in class: Titus Young. Just kidding! He’s a head case. Dez Bryant was a 4-star wideout and the #54 player in the nation coming out of Lufkin (TX) Lufkin. He picked Oklahoma State over Arkansas, Louisville, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and others. Okay, he’s a head case, too, but he has the talent to back it up. As a sophomore in Stillman, he caught 87 passes for 1,480 yards and 19 touchdowns and was named an All-America in 2008. Some eligibility issues caught up to him to end his career prematurely, but he was the #24 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft and has 293 catches, 4104 yards, and 40 touchdowns in his four-year pro career.

9Apr 2014
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Review of 2007 Recruiting: Running Backs

Imagine Jahvid Best wearing slightly different shades 


THE ROSTER

Mike Hart, Sr.
Kevin Grady, Jr.
Carlos Brown, So.
Brandon Minor, So.

THE COMMITS
Vince Helmuth
High school: Saline (MI) Saline
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #9 FB
College: Michigan
Other notable offers: None
Scoop: Helmuth enrolled early at Michigan in January 2007, giving him a chance to play as a true freshman. He was a backup fullback and special teamer that season, and he was limited to special teams as a sophomore in 2008, when he bulked up and made a mid-season switch to defensive tackle after hitting 291 lbs. He transferred to Miami (OH) prior to the 2009 season but never played for the Redhawks.

Avery Horn
High school: Hanford (CA) Hanford
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #13 all-purpose back
College: Michigan
Other notable offers: Nebraska, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington
Scoop: Horn was a small-ish, speedy running back. He redshirted during the 2007 season and seemed like he would benefit from the conversion to the zone read option offense, being quick and shifty. However, he never played a down of offensive football for Michigan. As a redshirt freshman in 2008, he returned 5 kickoffs for 104 yards. He transferred to Reedley College where he played running back in 2009 and had 814 yards and 7 touchdowns. He then transferred to Delta State, where he ran the ball 39 times for 137 yards and 3 touchdowns, along with catching 8 passes for 87 yards and 1 touchdown. Then as a senior in 2012, he ran 14 times for 63 yards and 2 touchdowns. At a pro day prior to the 2013 NFL Draft, he ran a 4.54 forty and measured in at 5’9″, 197 lbs. He went undrafted and did not sign with an NFL team.

THE MISSES
Omar Bolden
High school:
 Ontario (CA) Colony
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #7 all-purpose back
College: Arizona State
Other notable offers: Nebraska, USC, Washington
Scoop: Bolden never played a down of running back in college, instead becoming an instant starter for the Sun Devils. As a freshman in 2007, he had 33 tackles, 1 interception (returned for a touchdown), and 6 pass breakups. He followed that up with 49 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 7 pass breakups as a sophomore. As a junior in 2009, he made 4 tackles, 1 interception, and 1 pass breakup before an injury sidelined him for the final eight games of the year, allowing him to take a medical redshirt. When he returned for his redshirt junior season in 2010, he became First Team All-Pac 10 with 52 tackles, 3 interceptions, and 7 pass breakups. He tore his ACL prior to the 2011 season and missed his final year of eligibility, but he was still voted a captain by his teammates. He was picked in the 4th round (#101 overall) by the Denver Broncos in the 2012 NFL Draft. In two seasons with the Broncos, he has 27 total tackles and 1 pass breakup while playing strong safety.


Jahvid Best
High school:
 Richmond (CA) Salesian
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #9 RB, #94 overall
College: Cal
Other notable offers: Notre Dame, Oregon, USC, Washington
Scoop: As a freshman backup to Justin Forsett, Best had 29 carries for 221 yards and 2 touchdowns, along with 13 catches for 174 yards and 1 touchdown. He became a starter as a sophomore in 2008 and had 194 rushing attempts for 1,580 yards and 15 touchdowns. In an injury-shortened 2009 season, he carried the ball 141 times for 867 yards and 12 touchdowns. He declared for the 2010 NFL Draft and ran a 4.35 forty at the Combine, which helped to get him picked in the 1st round (#30 overall) by the Detroit Lions. In two seasons with the Lions, Best had 255 carries for 945 yards and 6 touchdowns, along with 85 catches for 774 yards and 3 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his NFL career ended after a string of concussions. He is now an assistant running backs coach for his former college program, the Cal Golden Bears.

Jonathan Dwyer
High school: Marietta (GA) Kell
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #10 RB
College: Georgia Tech
Other notable offers: Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia
Scoop: Playing for triple option coach Paul Johnson, Dwyer was an All-ACC Freshman player after carrying 82 times for 436 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2007. He then had 200 carries for 1,395 yards and 12 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2008, which earned him ACC Player of the Year honors. As a junior in 2013, Dwyer ran 235 times for 1,395 yards and 14 scores. He left college early after his junior year and was picked in the 6th round (#188 overall) by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2010 NFL Draft. Dwyer was an occasional starter for the Steelers through 2013, totaling 230 carries for 971 yards and 2 touchdowns. He was signed by the Arizona Cardinals in March 2014.


Robert Hughes
High school:
 Chicago (IL) Hubbard
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #7 RB, #77 overall
College: Notre Dame
Other notable offers: Miami, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin
Scoop: Hughes was a backup running back as a freshman in 2007 when he had 53 carries for 294 yards and 4 touchdowns. As a sophomore in 2008, he ran 112 times for 382 yards and 4 touchdowns. He became a part-time fullback in 2009, running 88 times for 416 yards and 5 touchdowns, also catching 19 passes for 193 yards. He added another 68 carries for 300 yards and 2 touchdowns as a senior in 2010. Hughes went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft but has bounced around the league from Chicago to Tampa Bay to Washington to Indianapolis to Arizona. He has a total of 1 rush for 5 yards and 1 reception for 6 yards during his pro career.


Daniel “Boom” Herron
High school:
 Warren (OH) Harding
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #18 RB
College: Ohio State
Other notable offers: Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota
Scoop: Herron redshirted in 2007 and was a backup in 2008 and 2009. His redshirt freshman season saw him rush 89 times for 439 yards and 6 touchdowns, and he followed that up with 153 carries for 633 yards and 7 touchdowns. His breakout season was as a redshirt junior in 2010 when he ran 216 times for 1,155 yards and 16 touchdowns. However, he was one of the Buckeyes caught in the “Tatgate” scandal that saw him suspended for the first several games of 2011, and he returned to start and total 135 carries for 678 yards and 3 touchdowns. He was drafted in the 6th round (#191 overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, who cut him but re-signed him in the middle of the 2012 season, and he played with the Indianapolis Colts in 2013. So far he has 9 carries for 38 yards and 1 reception for 57 yards in his pro career.


Brandon Saine
High school:
 Piqua (OH) Piqua
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #5 RB, #50 overall
College: Ohio State
Other notable offers: Miami, Notre Dame
Scoop: Saine was a backup to Chris “Beanie” Wells to start his career at Ohio State, where Saine had 60 carries for 267 yards and 2 touchdowns as a freshman. His sophomore year saw those numbers drop to 26 carries, 65 yards, and 1 touchdown. He shared time with Herron as a junior in 2010 when Saine ran 145 times for 739 yards and 4 touchdowns. His final college season included 70 carries for 337 yards and 2 touchdowns. Saine went undrafted in the 2011 NFL Draft but was signed by the Green Bay Packers, for whom he had 18 carries for 69 yards in 2012 but has not played an NFL game since then.


Marc Tyler
High school:
 Westlake Village (CA) Oaks Christian
Ratings: Rivals 5-star, #2 RB, #17 overall
College: USC
Other notable offers: Notre Dame, Oregon, UCLA
Scoop: Tyler, the son of former NFL All-Pro running back Wendell Tyler and a high school teammate of Jimmy Clausen, redshirted in 2007 following a broken leg he suffered in high school. He had 36 carries for 198 yards and 1 touchdown as a redshirt freshman backup in 2008. Again a backup in 2009, he carried the ball 5 times for 72 yards and 1 touchdown. He finally earned the starting job in 2010 and responded with 171 carries for 913 yards and 9 touchdowns, along with 17 catches for 127 yards and 1 score. As a redshirt junior in 2011, Tyler had 122 carries for 568 yards and 4 touchdowns, plus 11 catches for 108 yards; that came on the heels of a suspension for joking to the media that USC players got paid more in college than in the pros. He went undrafted in the 2012 NFL Draft and was signed by the Green Bay Packers but never played a down for them before getting cut.


Curtis Shaw
High school:
 Stockton (CA) Lincoln
Ratings: Rivals 3-star, #23 RB
College: Washington
Other notable offers: Cal, Nebraska, Oregon
Scoop: Shaw had 7 carries for 12 yards as a freshman tailback, and he also played some wide receiver, where he caught 5 passes for 47 yards. He took a redshirt for 2008 while he attended to some family issues, but he returned to play tailback in 2009. As a redshirt sophomore that year, he had 8 carries for 32 yards. It was announced that he would transfer prior to the 2010 season, but I can find no record of him landing anywhere else. His football career is presumably over.

CONCLUSIONS
Michigan actually did a very good job of evaluating talent in the 2007 class, but they took a gamble by going after so many West Coast prospects (five of nine offers to tailbacks were from California) and happened to nab two of the least talented prospects in the lot. That was an interesting result, too, because Michigan had produced solid running backs and any player would have had to sit behind incumbent starter Mike Hart for just one season. Of course, the Wolverines also had some other talented backs (Carlos Brown, Kevin Grady, Brandon Minor) in the stable, so perhaps that scared away some prospects.

Biggest miss: Best. Best was a big-play machine at Cal and would have been electrifying in a Michigan uniform. He could have returned kicks and been a change of pace for the slow-but-steady Hart. Furthermore, Best could have been Rich Rodriguez’s bell cow in 2008 and 2009, giving him the running back that he never had during his Michigan tenure. The combination of Best and Rodriguez could have potentially been very exciting.

Biggest bust: Hughes. Hughes was part tailback, part fullback. He never had the speed to be a true tailback, and he lacked the size to be a bulldozer. He had an okay college career (15 rushing touchdowns in a Notre Dame uniform is a pretty good life accomplishment), but his performance didn’t quite live up to the billing of the #77 player in the country.

Best in class: Ryan Mathews. This is a tough choice because nobody from the 2007 class has become a superstar (Noel Devine? Chris Rainey? Shane Vereen? John Clay? Kendall Hunter?). Mathews had an excellent college career at Fresno State, scored 41 touchdowns in three seasons, led college football in rushing as a junior in 2009 (276 carries, 1808 yards, 19 touchdowns), and became a 1st round pick (#12 overall) by the San Diego Chargers in the 2010 NFL Draft. He’s been solid but unspectacular in the NFL (3,731 yards, 4.4 yards/carry, 20 touchdowns), but he looks like the best product from that 2007 class.

You can also take a look back at the review of 2007’s quarterback targets.

31Dec 2013
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Review of 2007 Recruiting: The Quarterbacks

Jimmy Clausen, folks.

THE RECRUITS
Ryan Mallett
High school: Texarkana (TX) Texas
Ratings: Rivals 5-star, #2 QB
College: Michigan Arkansas
Other notable offers: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida State, Texas
Scoop: Mallett committed to Michigan as the heir apparent to Chad Henne, and the youngster got a chance to play early and often.  Henne suffered a couple nagging injuries, and Mallett stepped in to go 61/141 (43.1%) for 892 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions as a true freshman. He might have been on his way out the door already, but the hiring of Rich Rodriguez after the 2007 season didn’t help matters.  Mallett transferred to Arkansas, sitting out the 2008 season as a result.  As the starter for the Razorbacks in 2009 and 2010, he went a combined 491/814 for 7,296 yards 62 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions.  He was drafted in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots, but he has played in just four games, all in 2012. Altogether, he’s 1/4 for 17 yards and 1 interception, with 8 carries for -9 yards.

Jimmy Clausen
High school: Westlake Village (CA) Oaks Christian
Ratings:
 Rivals 5-star, #1 QB, #1 overall
College: Notre Dame
Other notable offers: South Carolina, USC
Scoop: Clausen committed in September 2006 and enrolled early at Notre Dame in January 2007. He was starting by the second game of 2007, the earliest freshman QB to start at Notre Dame. He eventually started nine games that year, finishing with a 56.3% completion percentage, 7 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. The unquestioned starter going into 2008, Clausen started every game and completed 60.9% of his passes for 3,172 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 17 interceptions. Improving yet again, he become a 68% passer in 2009 with 3,722 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. He declared for the NFL Draft after his junior year and many expected him to be a high first round pick, but he fell to #48 overall in the 2010 draft, going to the Carolina Panthers. He was given ten starts as a rookie, going 157/299 (52.5%), 1558 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. The Panthers hitched their franchise to Cam Newton, relegating Clausen to the bench, where he has spent the last two-plus seasons. They released him in August 2013 but re-signed him before placing him on injured reserve.

Peter Lalich
High school: Springfield (VA) West Springfield
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #5 pro-style QB
College: Virginia
Other notable offers: Miami, UCLA
Scoop: Lalich committed to Virginia in April 2006. He played sparingly as a freshman and sophomore in 2007 and 2008, compiling 74 completions in 135 attempts (54.8%) for 2 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. However, several alcohol incidents resulted in a transfer to Oregon State, where he redshirted during the 2009 season due to NCAA transfer rules. After yet another incident, he transferred to California University in Pennsylvania. As the starter in 2011, he threw for 3,725 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. In an injury-shortened 2012, he threw for 2,413 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He was not taken in the 2013 NFL Draft and appears not to be involved in professional football at this time.

Mike Paulus
High school: Syracuse (NY) Christian Brothers
Ratings: Rivals 4-star, #4 pro-style QB, #82 overall
College: North Carolina
Other notable offers: Alabama, Miami, USC
Scoop: Paulus, the brother of former Duke basketball player and Syracuse quarterback Greg Pauls, committed in April 2006. He redshirted as a true freshman and then went 4/13 for 33 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions as a redshirt freshman in 2008. After sitting on the bench behind T.J. Yates in 2009, Paulus transferred to FCS school William & Mary prior to the 2010 campaign. He went 88/142 for 883 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions while playing a backup role. Once again a backup as a fifth year senior in 2011, he went just 28/72 for 267 yards, 1 touchdown, and 3 interceptions. He now works at VCU in the athletic office.

CONCLUSIONS
In Lloyd Carr’s final full class, he made offers to some very questionable people and football players. Mallett played one season at Michigan before transferring, and while he had a very good college career at Arkansas, he was perhaps not the greatest leader. Clausen was also not an ideal character throughout his college career, although he parlayed it into a decent result on draft day. Lalich and Paulus both stunk it up at the higher levels of college football and then had mixed success after moving down a level.

Biggest miss: Clausen. Like him or not – and I don’t – Clausen had some physical talent and would have fit well with Carr’s pro-style offense. Either way, the impending hire of Rich Rodriguez would have either resulted in a transfer for Clausen or a square peg in a round hole for a few years. In fact, none of these players would have fit what Rodriguez wanted to do, so it’s quite possible that a commitment from any of the four would have resulted in a very similar situation for Rodriguez.

Biggest bust: Paulus. Ultimately, Paulus didn’t find success at any level. As the #82 prospect in the country, he threw only 13 passes in his FBS college career.

Best in class: Cam Newton. The 2007 class was surprisingly devoid of any surefire stud quarterbacks, and even Newton had some bumps in the road before finding success (legal trouble at Florida, playing at Blinn Community College, an ineligibility investigation). However, Newton became a Heisman winner, a national champion, a #1 draft pick, and is having a solid career for the Carolina Panthers. Other options include Ryan Tannehill, Nick Foles, and Kellen Moore.

18Jul 2012
Uncategorized 5 comments

2007 Offer Board

102 total offers

QUARTERBACK (4)
Ryan Mallett – Texarkana, TX (Michigan)
Mike Paulus – Syracuse, NY (North Carolina)
Jimmy Clausen – Westlake Village, CA (Notre Dame)
Peter Lalich – Springfield, VA (Virginia)

RUNNING BACK (10)
Vince Helmuth – Saline, MI (Michigan)
Avery Horn – Hanford, CA (Michigan)
Omar Bolden – Ontario, CA (Arizona State)
Jahvid Best – Richmond, CA (California)
Jonathan Dwyer – Marietta, GA (Georgia Tech)
Robert Hughes – Chicago, IL (Notre Dame)
Daniel Herron – Warren, OH (Ohio State)
Brandon Saine – Piqua, OH (Ohio State)
Marc Tyler – Westlake Village, CA (USC)
Curtis Shaw – Stockton, CA (Washington)

WIDE RECEIVER (12)
Zion Babb – Alhambra, CA (Michigan)
Toney Clemons – New Kensington, PA (Michigan)
Junior Hemingway – Conway, SC (Michigan)
Marquis Maze – Birmingham, AL (Alabama)
Markques Simas – San Diego, CA (Colorado)
Niles Paul – Omaha, NE (Nebraska)
Greg Little – Durham, NC (North Carolina)
Rashad Mason – Nashville, TN (North Carolina)
Taurian Washington – Orchard Lake, MI (Ohio State)
Jon Ditto – Monroeville, PA (Penn State)
Gerald Jones – Oklahoma City, OK (Tennessee)
Ronald Johnson – Muskegon, MI (USC)

TIGHT END (5)
Steve Watson – Denver, CO (Michigan)
Martell Webb – Saginaw, MI (Michigan)
Aaron Hernandez – Bristol, CN (Florida)
Christian Ballard – Lawrence, KS (Iowa)
Blaine Irby – Ventura, CA (Texas)

OFFENSIVE TACKLE (11)
Mark Huyge – Grand Rapids, MI (Michigan)
Lee Ziemba – Rogers, AR (Auburn)
John Elliott – East Meadow, NY (Boston College)
Mitchell Schwartz – Pacific Palisades, CA (California)
Mark Jackson – Cincinnati, OH (Illinois)
Bryan Bulaga – Woodstock, IL (Iowa)
Derek Sherrod – Columbus, MS (Mississippi State)
Matt Romine – Tulsa, OK (Notre Dame)
Donald Stephenson – Blue Springs, MO (Oklahoma)
Darris Sawtelle – Birmingham, MI (Tennessee)
Josh Oglesby – Milwaukee, WI (Wisconsin)

OFFENSIVE GUARD (5)
Patrick Crump – Hoover, AL (Alabama)
Chaz Ramsey – Madison, MS (Auburn)
Maurkice Pouncey – Lakeland, FL (Florida)
Jaivorio Burkes – Phoenix, AZ (Nebraska)
Stefen Wisniewski – Pittsburgh, PA (Penn State)

CENTER (2)
David Molk – Lemont, IL (Michigan)
Michael Pouncey – Lakeland, FL (Florida)

DEFENSIVE END (8)
Ryan Van Bergen – Whitehall, MI (Michigan)
Kourtnei Brown – Charlotte, NC (Clemson)
Martez Wilson – Chicago, IL (Illinois)
Chris Strong – Batesville, MS (Mississippi)
Jared Glover – Bixby, OK (Oklahoma State)
Devon Still – Wilmington, DE (Penn State)
Everson Griffen – Avondale, AZ (USC)
John Stokes – Memphis, TN (Vanderbilt)

DEFENSIVE TACKLE (6)
Renaldo Sagesse – Montreal, Quebec (Michigan)
Josh Brent – Bloomington, IL (Illinois)
Joseph Barksdale – Detroit, MI (LSU)
Tonio Celotto – Simi Valley, CA (Oregon)
Rolando Melancon – Lutcher, LA (Tennessee)
Da’John Harris – Gardena, CA (USC)

LINEBACKER (15)
Marell Evans – Richmond, VA (Michigan)
Brandon Herron – Sugar Land, TX (Michigan)
Austin Panter – El Dorado, KS (Michigan)
Scotty Cooper – Lake City, SC (Clemson)
Lorenzo Edwards – Orlando, FL (Florida)
Brandon Hicks – Jacksonville, FL (Florida)
John Jones – Sarasota, FL (Florida)
Steve Paskorz – Pittsburgh, PA (Notre Dame)
Jermale Hines – Cleveland, OH (Ohio State)
Chris Colasanti – Lakeville, MI (Penn State)
Brian Ellis – Visalia, CA (Purdue)
Manny Abreu – Union City, NJ (Rutgers)
Chris Walker – Memphis, TN (Tennessee)
Malcolm Smith – Northridge, CA (USC)
Barquell Rivers – Wadesboro, NC (Virginia Tech)

CORNERBACK (13)
James Rogers – Madison Heights, MI (Michigan)
Donovan Warren – Long Beach, CA (Michigan)
Troy Woolfolk – Sugar Land, TX (Michigan)
Marcus Gilchrist – High Point, NC (Clemson)
Joe Haden – Fort Washington, MD (Florida)
Dionte Allen – Orchard Lake, MI (Florida State)
Chaz Thompson – Weed, CA (Louisville)
DeMarcus Van Dyke – Miami, FL (Miami)
Doug Wiggins – North Miami Beach, FL (Miami)
Gary Gray – Columbia, SC (Notre Dame)
Anthony Gildon – Westlake Village, CA (Oregon)
David Ross – Compton, CA (Oregon State)
Cris Hill – Highland Springs, VA (Virginia Tech)

SAFETY (11)
Artis Chambers – Fort Wayne, IN (Michigan)
Michael Williams – St. Bonaventure, CA (Michigan)
Jerimy Finch – Indianapolis, IN (Florida)
Anthony Morris – Harvey, IL (Illinois)
Woodny Turenne – Visalia, CA (Louisville)
Eugene Clifford – Cincinnati, OH (Ohio State)
James Thomas – La Marque, TX (Oklahoma State)
Nick Sukay – Greensburg, PA (Penn State)
Marshall Jones – Westlake Village, CA (USC)
Chase Minnifield – Lexington, KY (Virginia)
Davon Morgan – Richmond, VA (Virginia Tech)