Cullen Christian made a brief appearance on the Michigan football team
Like so many others before him, Michigan defensive back Cullen Christian has departed before ever making an impact in Ann Arbor. The 6’0″, 187 lb. cornerback told Superprep, “I came here to be a part of something big and it has all fallen apart. Part of you feels like you failed, while another part of you wants to go prove them they were wrong. I need to move on now and do what is best for me.”
When Christian says “prove them they were wrong,” he’s of course talking about the two coaching staffs who had him lower on the depth chart than lightly recruited fellow freshman Terrence Talbott and walk-on Tony Anderson, among others.
Christian played in ten games as a freshman and made 6 tackles. However, he was beaten badly on a couple plays and often looked a step or two slow. There were some questions about his speed coming out of high school, and the biggest question I had was about his tackling. Despite those apparent faults, he was a top-six cornerback to both Rivals and Scout. And as a senior in high school, he was selected for the Army All-American Bowl. I’m not sure that many people expected he would be an instant star at the college level, but I don’t think many people expected him to be buried on the depth chart, either; in addition to the aforementioned Talbott and Anderson, he also seemed to be behind fifth year senior Troy Woolfolk, redshirt junior J.T. Floyd, and classmate Courtney Avery.
Christian is the eighth (or ninth, depending on where you slot 2010 quarterback/defensive back Conelius Jones) defensive back to sign a National Letter of Intent for Michigan from 2007-2010 and then transfer or fail to qualify. In other words, there are nine defensive backs floating around the free world (or the imprisoned world, in Boubacar Cissoko’s case) who could be playing out their eligibility for the Wolverines right now. He’s also the seventh player of the 27-member class of 2010 to depart prior to the end of his freshman year. Rich Rodriguez looks like less and less of a recruiting expert as more than 25% of his class disappears in less than a year.
This probably doesn’t hurt Michigan in the short term. Christian was likely a third-string cornerback, and that doesn’t even take into account the incoming freshman class, which includes a few talented corners. But it does potentially hurt Michigan in the long run, especially if other defensive backs continue to flame out at similar rates. James Rogers essentially defaulted into a starting cornerback job as a senior in 2010, and continued departures could provide more opportunities like that in the coming years.
On the plus side, the Wolverines’ small 2012 recruiting class just increased by one. A class that looked to be 16 should now be able to take 17 players, and I would not be surprised if that number continues to grow.
I would bet a nickel that Christian ends up transferring to Pittsburgh (UPDATE: You owe me a nickel.). He’s from the Pittsburgh area, the Panthers were one of his finalists coming out of high school, his former position coach Tony Gibson latched on at Pitt, and he also has a former high school teammate and good friend, Brandon Ifill, who plays defensive back there. Fellow ex-Michigan defensive back Ray Vinopal transferred to Pitt in recent weeks as well.
For summaries of other departures, check out the Ex-Wolverine Encyclopedia button at the top of the page.
Farmington Hills, MI wide receiver/tight end Devin Funchess flies through the air with the greatest of ease
Farmington Hills, MI tight end Devin Funchess committed to the Wolverines on Saturday. He chose Michigan over offers from Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, Missouri, Nebraska, and Virginia, among others. He’s a 4-star recruit to Scout and the #6 tight end prospect in the country. The 4-star ranking is echoed by 247 Sports.
Funchess stands 6’5″ and weighs approximately 210 lbs., although he will surely continue to add weight. He caught 34 passes for 709 yards (20.8 yards per catch) and 5 touchdowns as a junior while playing a lot of wide receiver. Two of his high school teammates, WR Aaron Burbridge and DE/LB Mario Ojemudia, also hold offers from the Wolverines, but Funchess was the most likely to choose Michigan. Harrison High School generally seems to be a Michigan State pipeline, but that didn’t affect Funchess, whose sister currently goes to school in Ann Arbor. The last Harrison product to choose Michigan was Charles Stewart in 2004.
The number of offers given out to tight end recruits suggested that Michigan wanted at least one blocking tight and at least one pass receiver from the position in the class of 2012. The coaches seem to have filled that quota with earning commitments from Funchess and Ohio TE A.J. Williams. When those two players arrive on campus in 2012, the only other scholarship tight ends on the roster will be fifth year senior Brandon Moore and sophomore Chris Barnett. I will not be entirely surprised if Michigan continues to recruit the position, but the need has obviously been greatly diminished. Southfield, MI Ron Thompson has been on commitment watch for several weeks, and these two commitments early in the process may have been an attempt on these players’ parts to reserve their spots before they were taken.
When I watch Funchess, the first player that comes to mind is Ben Troupe, the former Florida Gators and NFL tight end. He’s a wide receiver with a tight end frame. It may take him a while to get his body to fill out to adequate proportions, but San Diego State’s starting tight end in 2010 was a redshirt freshman who was 229 lbs. They split him out at times and got him some decent numbers, and that’s what I expect from Funchess, too. He catches the ball with his hands and adjust to the ball well when it’s in the air. He ought to be able to make an impact in the passing game early in his career, and he has the lateral movement and feet to be a solid blocker at the second level once he adds some strength. If you want a Michigan comparison, he’s Carson Butler with a good head on his shoulders. I have high hopes for Funchess in the coming years.
Funchess is the sixth commitment in the class of 2012, which currently stands at 17 players. That number will likely grow with the odds high for further attrition in the coming months.
Cincinnati tight end A.J. Williams committed to Michigan on Friday. He chose the Wolverines over offers from Arkansas, Boston College, Illinois, Indiana, Louisville, Michigan State, North Carolina State, Vanderbilt, and West Virginia, among others. He’s a 3-star recruit and the #15 tight end to Scout, but he has not been ranked by Rivals, ESPN, or 247 Sports.
The 6’6″, 260-pounder lists a 4.9 forty, a 235 lb. bench press, a 415 lb. squat, and a 30-inch vertical leap. Some analysts have suggested that he could grow into an offensive tackle, and that’s not completely out of the question for a player his size. However, Michigan’s coaches currently intend for him to be a blocking tight end.
The high number of offers to tight ends in this class suggests that Michigan would like to take at least two players at the position, and the skill sets of those offers tell me that they would like at least one blocking tight end and one pass receiving threat at the position. Williams is the blocking variety and has stated that the coaches want to use him to pave the way at the point of attack. When he arrives on campus in 2012, the depth at tight end will consist of fifth year senior Brandon Moore and sophomore Chris Barnett.
Williams is the fifth player to commit to Michigan in the class of 2012. There are roughly 12 more spots to fill, although further attrition from Michigan’s current roster is likely.
There’s very little available film on Williams. The video below from Scouting Ohio offers some insight into his talents, but it’s too grainy and short to allow many conclusions.
Detroit, MI linebacker Royce Jenkins-Stone spits with such force that his helmet pops off
The Cass Tech pipeline continues to be good to Michigan. Linebacker Royce Jenkins-Stone committed to the Wolverines over offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Miami, Michigan State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Tennessee. His talent and those offers have added up to a 4-star ranking from both Scout and 247 Sports, while Rivals and ESPN have yet to rank him.
Jenkins-Stone is listed at 6’2″, 215 lbs. and is being recruited by Michigan to be a middle linebacker. He had long been considered to be a Michigan lean, but he raised a bit of a stink when he wasn’t offered quite as early as he wanted. Then the offer came early in February, and that calmed the waters. Despite all the big-time schools that swooped in with recruiting pitches, Jenkins-Stone liked what was happening in Ann Arbor and finally pulled the trigger on Saturday.
He has the perfect frame to add weight proportionately and grow into a protypical MIKE. With his height and musculature, I expect Jenkins-Stone to bulk up to 245 lbs. or so within a few years. Speed and agility shouldn’t be a problem as he adds bulk.
I have a lot of questions about Jenkins-Stone, though. Detroit prospects are difficult to gauge, and he’s no exception. Too many Public School League players just kind of go out there, stand in the vicinity of where they should, and then take off running when the ball gets snapped. The athleticism is there, but his technique and on-field discipline are questionable. His stance is erratic, he leaves his feet and reaches too much when attempting to tackle, etc. These are things that can be taught, but they’re also things that a player has to choose to learn. Once Jenkins-Stone adds a little bit of muscle, he should be able to compete for playing time whenever he chooses to refine his technique.
As I mentioned in the Kaleb Ringer commitment post, Michigan has a plethora of young inside linebackers. The 2012 season should have presumed starter Kenny Demens, redshirt junior Isaiah Bell, and sophomores or redshirt freshmen like Kellen Jones and Desmond Morgan. Ringer could compete at either WILL or MIKE. That means Jenkins-Stone could be pushing for time as early as 2013, although the competition will be stiff.
I think Jenkins-Stone has the potential to be a very good player. However, my guess is that he will take several years to develop. Cass Tech players like Boubacar Cissoko, Teric Jones, and William Campbell have been a little slow to develop at Michigan. The jury is still out on Thomas Gordon, who hasn’t played much in his first two years, but exists on the border of starting. Brandon Graham took two or three years to realize his potential, depending on whether you think that happened in late 2007 or early 2008. Dior Mathis and Daniel Easterly went to Oregon and Missouri, respectively, as part of the 2010 class, and both redshirted this past season. Cortez Smith, who went to Indiana a few years back, was booted from the team for legal problems. Exceptions exist – Joseph Barksdale and Vernon Gholston both had pretty early success at LSU and Ohio State, respectively. It just seems that kids from the PSL take a little while to shake the bad habits. But I do see leadership and passion when I watch Jenkins-Stone play, so if he can avoid some common pitfalls of inner city players (legal trouble, bad technique, etc.) and channel that passion into being the best player he can be, this kid could be a sideline-to-sideline tackling machine for the Wolverines in a few years.
