Marell Evans, Wolverine (again)

Tag: Ex-Wolverines

16Mar 2011
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Marell Evans, Wolverine (again)

#9 Marell Evans is back on the team

At the coaches’ pre-spring press conference yesterday, it was officially noted that linebacker Marell Evans has returned to Michigan’s team.  This isn’t news for anyone who paid attention to various Facebook and Twitter posts, which revealed that he had been working out with the team in the offseason.  This is the same Marell Evans who transferred away from Michigan back in 2009, and I can’t remember the last time a Michigan player enrolled at a school, transferred away, and then transferred back.  This is truly a unique situation.

Anyway, in his sayonara post, I wrote, “It’s unclear where Evans will wind up, but most kids who transfer seem to end up closer to home and at a slightly smaller program.”  Sure enough, Evans transferred to Hampton University, which is approximately 1.5 hours away from his home in Varina, Virginia (just outside Richmond).  As far as I can tell, he played sparingly in 2009 and not at all in 2010.

So let’s recount the career of Evans:

  • 2007: Burns his redshirt running downfield on special teams
  • 2008: Starting SAM linebacker for the Utah game; backup SAM/WILL for rest of year
  • 2009: Moved to outside linebacker in spring; transferred to play linebacker at Hampton
  • 2010: Sat out the 2010 season for reasons that are unclear
  • 2011: Transferred back to Michigan with one year of eligibility remaining
In case you’re counting or wondering, the NCAA gives college players five years to play four seasons.  Since Evans transferred from an FBS school (Michigan) to an FCS school (Hampton) back to an FBS school (Michigan), he wasn’t required to sit out any seasons due to NCAA transfer rules.  So it’s all or nothing this year for Evans.
Evans departed in a classy way prior to the 2009 season, and he had nothing bad to say about the coaches.  But it makes you wonder why he left.  He committed to Lloyd Carr, only stuck around for one year of Rodriguez . . . and then came back to Michigan as soon as Hoke was hired.  He presumably departed for a chance to get more playing time, but now his competition is just as stiff as when he left.
Scott Shafer pegged Evans as a SAM back in 2008, but Greg Robinson turned him into a backup Quick end (outside linebacker) prior to the 2009 season.  At approximately 6’3″ and 225 lbs., it would seem that Evans’ best chance to play would be at the WILL position in 2011.  I don’t think he’s fast enough to play SAM in Greg Mattison’s defense, and I think he’s too small to play the rush end spot.  The WILL position is wide open after the departure of Jonas Mouton, leaving guys like Mike Jones, a couple other positional vagabands, a couple freshman, and possibly Evans to battle for the starting spot.
11Jan 2011
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What Could Have Been . . . Austin White

Former Michigan running back Austin White has enrolled at Central Michigan University and joined the football program there.  White was a part of the Class of 2010 and enrolled at Michigan in January 2010, but he clashed with the coaches and got into some trouble over the summer.  White was one of the players who had to “earn his wings” in fall camp, and the two parties decided to go their separate ways prior to the season.

Visit the Ex-Wolverine Encyclopedia page to find updates on former Michigan commits/players like Dewayne Peace, Sam McGuffie, Ryan Mallett, Shavodrick Beaver, Pearlie Graves, DeQuinta Jones, Dann O’Neill, Bryce McNeal, Kevin Newsome, Toney Clemons, Cobrani Mixon, and Quintin Woods.

3Jan 2011
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Demetrius Hart, ex-Wolverine

Demetrius Hart (#3) got going when the going got tough

Florida running back Demetrius Hart decommitted from Michigan and will likely take his talents to Tuscaloosa.  Hart is a 4-star back and roundly regarded as one of the top few backs in the country.  Here’s his commitment post from a couple months back.  Hart committed when Michigan was 5-0 but stated several times that Rich Rodriguez’s murky coaching future was weighing heavily on his decision.  Well, Michigan finished 7-6 and got plastered by Mississippi State in a bowl game, so perhaps Hart saw the writing on the wall.

As I’ve said a few times since his commitment, Hart would have been a luxury.  While I don’t want to understate his talent, he would have been added to a team that already has 6 scholarship running backs.  It would not have been impossible for him to leap to the front of the pack, but if players like Fitzgerald Toussaint, Michael Shaw, and Michael Cox can stay healthy and learn the playbook, they should be impactful runners, too – in limited carries this season, both Toussaint and Cox averaged more than 9 yards per attempt.

This leaves Michigan with approximately 7 scholarships to fill between now and February.  I would not be surprised to find another running back in this class, such as Thomas Rawls or Devondrick Nealy, but it’s not a pressing need with this roster. 

19Dec 2010
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What could have been . . . Jordan Barnes

Linebacker Jordan Barnes, a former Michigan commit

Jordan Barnes, who committed to play linebacker at Michigan in the 2009 class, has resurfaced on the college football radar.  Barnes planned to be a Wolverine, but Michigan’s coaches “lost his phone number” (in other words, they stopped communications and strongly hinted that Barnes should go elsewhere).  Barnes got the hint and committed to Oklahoma State instead.  But after redshirting in 2009, Barnes left the team and enrolled at Western Oklahoma State College, which doesn’t have a football program.  Standing 6’1″ and 240 lbs., Barnes has signed a junior college Letter of Intent to play football for the Toledo Rockets in 2011.

For more recaps of former Michigan commits or players who left Michigan early, check out the Ex-Wolverine Encyclopedia tab at the top of the page.