Tag: Joe Bolden

Poll Results: Who will be Michigan’s starting WLB against Alabama?

Desmond Morgan (#44) played extensively as a true freshman last season

A couple weeks ago, I posted a poll asking who the starting weakside linebacker will be against Alabama in September.  Michigan has two returning starters at the position, but both have some deficiencies and some Michigan fans have made noise about wanting them to be surpassed.  Here are the results of the poll:

Desmond Morgan: 64%
The sophomore Morgan appears to be the starting weakside linebacker going into the spring, which continues his reign on the spot from last season.  Last year he made 63 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, and 1 sack while playing in twelve of the thirteen games.  He has added some weight during the off-season, so we’ll see if that affects his speed in a significant way.

Joe Bolden: 17%
Bolden is a 6’3″, 230 lb. true freshman who enrolled early and has been practicing with the team throughout the spring.  He earned rave reviews at the Under Armour All American Game practices, and so far this spring, practice observers have been impressed, too.  According to several accounts, he has passed all but Kenny Demens for middle linebacker reps this spring.

Brandin Hawthorne: 5%
Hawthorne is a 6’0″, 214 lb. senior who played pretty extensively last season.  He made 43 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 1 sack while starting five of the twelve games in which he played.  He lost playing time in the second half of the season to Morgan, though, and this spring he has still been a backup.

Antonio Poole: 5%
Poole is a 6’2″, 212 lb. redshirt freshman who has yet to see the field for the Wolverines.  Some rumors have suggested that he’s the #2 weakside linebacker this spring, but he has also seen some reps behind Demens and Bolden at the MIKE position.

James Ross: 4%
Ross will be a true freshman in the fall and has yet to enroll at Michigan.  As far as recruiting hype goes, he’s the most touted linebacker of the entire group.  But he’s also probably the smallest and he has the least experience, so it will be an uphill battle for him to get on the field this fall.

Kaleb Ringer: 0%
Ringer is one of three true freshmen to enroll early in January (Bolden, safety Jarrod Wilson).  He has been practicing this spring, but generally seems to be the least mentioned of the three.  And with the depth at inside linebacker, he seems to be way down the list.  He has also been getting limited reps at middle linebacker.

Other: 0%

TTB Ratings: Reason Behind the Ratings

Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison DE Mario Ojemudia made a significant jump in the new TTB ratings

Yesterday I posted the new TTB Ratings for Michigan’s class of 2012 (which I reserve the right to change until after Michigan’s recruiting class is completed), and obviously, there were some significant changes for a few players.  A couple kids have moved up or down a few points, but today I’ll try to explain the reasons behind the biggest movers.

Ondre Pipkins – NT – Kansas City (MO) Park Hill
Pipkins moved up from an 82 to a 90.  I was impressed with Pipkins’ performance in the Army All-American Bowl.  He looked to me to be a little bit out of shape, but I guess 330-pound defensive tackles rarely look like they’re in shape.  However, when he had the gas to go 100%, he was a terror.  He also showed good athleticism in chasing down quarterback Chad Voytik and wide receiver Stefon Diggs, causing a fumble against the latter.  Pipkins dominated the high school competition in Kansas City, but doing it against elite competition suggests that he’ll be able to have success in the Big Ten, too.

Joe Bolden – MIKE – Cincinnati (OH) Colerain
Bolden moved up from a 77 to an 88.  I was slightly disappointed that Bolden couldn’t bring down a few more ballcarriers in the Under Armour All-American Game, but he was the week’s best tackler in practice and he was very good at diagnosing plays.  I’ve always liked his decisiveness and intelligence, but he showed throughout the season and the all-star game that he has the speed and athleticism to be a very good Big Ten linebacker.  He needs to add weight and he would benefit from a redshirt year so he can improve his upper body strength.

Jehu Chesson – WR – St. Louis (MO) Ladue Horton Watkins
Chesson moved up from a 77 to an 87.  As I consider the future of Michigan’s offense under Brady Hoke and Al Borges, I realize the value of a jump-ball guy like Chesson.  He’s excellent at high-pointing the ball and catching it with his hands, and that bodes well for his future for Michigan.  He looks like an Adrian Arrington clone, and without another downfield threat on the squad, he could be that guy who can stretch the field as soon as next season.

Mario Ojemudia – WDE – Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison
Ojemudia moved up from a 67 to a 78.  Ojemudia played defensive end/outside linebacker in the Marine game, and his performance wasn’t very impressive . . . but since he mostly played defensive tackle in high school, I’m going to give him a little bit of a pass.  One of his strengths is getting off the ball quickly, and without the ball right under his nose, his reaction time was affected negatively.  However, his senior highlight film shows a guy who can use his hands to get off blocks, and he reminds me of the freshman version of Frank Clark.  Those two are very similar players, and Ojemudia looks like he’ll be able to fill that weakside end position nicely.

Blake Bars – C – Nashville (TN) Montgomery Bell
Bars dropped from a 71 to a 62.  I wasn’t extremely high on Bars to begin with, because he seems a little slow-footed and doesn’t seem like a great athlete.  He looks like more of a backup and maybe a late-career starter as a tackle, but now that Caleb Stacey has decommitted in favor of Cincinnati, that might require the 6’5″ Bars to play center.  Since he lacks experience at the position and because of his lack of quickness, I think he might struggle inside.

Jeremy Clark – FS – Madisonville (KY) North Hopkins
Clark moved up from a 49 to a 59.  When I first heard about Clark and saw film on him, I thought he might be a big fish in a small pond.  But the more film I saw of him, the more I think he can make an impact at the next level.  He’s a lanky kid who gets by on athleticism, so I think college is going to be a bit of a wake-up call for him.  He probably won’t be the type who comes in and lights the world on fire.  He’ll have to improve his pursuit angles and he’ll have to become a more fundamental tackler, but his height (6’4″) and flat-out speed should provide a nice athlete on the back end to work with for four or five years down the road.

Kaleb Ringer – WILL – Clayton (OH) Northmont
Ringer dropped from a 64 to a 39.  As you might be able to tell from his original rating of 64, I wasn’t too high on Ringer from the start.  However, the more that I have seen and heard of Ringer, the more I’m concerned about him remaining with the program.  I do think he has the physical talent to be a backup, but let’s face it – guys from every recruiting class get lost in the shuffle, become career backups, transfer, etc.  My gut feeling on Ringer is that he’ll be one of those guys, especially with all the other talent at linebacker in the 2012 class.

ESPNU 150 Updated for 2012

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech cornerback Terry Richardson is Michigan’s top recruit, according to ESPNU

ESPNU released its top 150 players for the class of 2012.  Here’s what it looked like back in June 2011 and then October 2011.  Since October’s update, here are the Michigan-committed movers and shakers:

– Terry Richardson dropped from #67 to #68
– Royce Jenkins-Stone moved up from #115 to #113
– Kyle Kalis moved up from #135 to #132
– Joe Bolden was previously absent from this list but appears at #142

Following is a list of all of the players Michigan has offered during the recruiting cycle:

1. Mario Edwards – DE – Texas (Florida State)
3. Dorial Green-Beckham – WR – Missouri
4. Noah Spence – DE – Pennsylvania (Ohio State)
5. Keith Marshall – RB – North Carolina (Georgia)
7. D.J. Humphries – OT – North Carolina (Florida)
9. Andrus Peat – OT – Arizona
10. Eddie Goldman – DT – Washington, D.C.
13. Stefon Diggs – ATH – Maryland
16. Shaq Thompson – S – California (Cal)
20. Cyrus Jones – ATH – Maryland (Alabama)
24. Arik Armstead – OT – California
27. Kyle Murphy – OT – California
28. John Theus – OT – Florida (Georgia)
29. Kwon Alexander – LB – Alabama
31. Geno Smith – CB – Georgia (Alabama)
32. Zach Kline – QB – California (Cal)
36. Jabari Ruffin – LB – California (USC)
38. Ronald Darby – CB – Maryland
39. Devin Fuller – ATH – New Jersey
40. Yuri Wright – CB – New Jersey
42. Evan Boehm – OG – Missouri (Missouri)
43. Ellis McCarth – DT – California (UCLA)
44. Joshua Garnett – OG – Washington
47. Nelson Agholor – WR – Florida
51. Ifeadi Odenigbo – DE – Ohio (Northwestern)
52. Gunner Kiel – QB – Indiana (Notre Dame)
53. Jonathan Taylor – DT – Georgia (Georgia)
54. Dominique Wheeler – WR – Texas (Texas Tech)
57. Peter Jinkens – LB – Texas (Texas)
59. Dillon Lee – LB – Georgia (Alabama)
61. Avery Young – OT – Florida
63. Max Tuerk – OT – California (USC)
64. Durron Neal – WR – Missouri (Oklahoma)
65. Adolphus Washington – DE – Ohio (Ohio State)
66. Darius Powe – WR – California (Oklahoma)
67. Jordan Jenkins – DE – Georgia (Georgia)
68. Terry Richardson – CB – Michigan (Michigan)
69. Darius Hamilton – DE – New Jersey
73. Devonte Fields – DE – Texas (TCU)
82. Brian Poole – CB – Florida (Florida)
87. Reginald Davis – WR – Texas (Texas Tech)
88. Jordan Simmons – OG – California (USC)
90. Tee Shepard – CB – California (Notre Dame)
92. Dalton Santos – LB – Texas (Tennessee)
94. Jordan Diamond – OT – Illinois
96. Tyriq McCord – DE – Florida (Miami)
98. Se’von Pittman – DE – Ohio (Ohio State)
99. Drae Bowles – WR – Tennessee (Tennessee)
101. Deon Bush – S – Florida (Miami)
102. Jarron Jones – DT – New York (Notre Dame)
108. Tommy Schutt – DT – Illinois (Ohio State)
113. Royce Jenkins-Stone – LB – Michigan (Michigan)
115. Patrick Destefano – OG – South Carolina (Clemson)
120. Michael Starts – OT – Texas (Texas Tech)
122. Zach Banner – OT – Washington
124. Eli Harold – DE – Virginia (Virginia)
126. Dominic Ramacher – TE – Texas (Oklahoma State)
130. Connor Brewer – QB – Arizona (Texas)
132. Kyle Kalis – OG – Ohio (Michigan)
137. Derrick Woods – WR – California (Oklahoma)
142. Joe Bolden – LB – Ohio (Michigan)
143. Sheldon Day – DT – Indiana (Notre Dame)
146. Kent Taylor – TE – Florida (Florida)
148. Ty Darlington – C – Florida (Oklahoma)
149. Marcus Maye – S – Florida (Florida)

Final Rivals 250 Released for 2012

Joe Bolden is the nation’s 111th-best player

Rivals released its Rivals 250 on Wednesday.  This comes on the heels of yesterday’s Rivals 100, which I discussed yesterday.  Here’s what it looked like in May 2011, August 2011, and then November 2011.

Michigan commits have made the following moves since November:

– Joe Bolden moved from #152 to #111
– James Ross dropped from #163 to #172
– Royce Jenkins-Stone dropped slightly from #182 to #184
– Amara Darboh dropped from #208 to #215
– Terry Richardson dropped from #217 to #224

There are still a couple weeks remaining to recruit class of 2012 kids, but at this point, Michigan has offered 115 of the top 250 (or 46%) players in the country.  During the last recruiting cycle, Michigan offered 84 of the top 250 players (or 33.6%).  Brady Hoke has sent out 190 reported offers this season, while Rodriguez (with a small dose of Hoke at the end) offered 195 kids in the 2011 recruiting class.  This supports my opinion that I’ve held since last spring that Brady Hoke is targeting a higher level of talent than Rich Rodriguez did during his tenure.

Here are the rest of Michigan’s 2012 offerees on the Rivals 250:

103. Aaron Burbridge – WR – Michigan (Michigan State)
105. Dillon Lee – LB – Georgia (Alabama)
111. Joe Bolden – LB – Ohio (Michigan)
113. Elijah Shumate – S – New Jersey (Notre Dame)
127. Peter Jinkens – LB – Texas (Texas)
128. Scott Starr – LB – California (USC)
130. Drae Bowles – WR – Tennessee (Tennessee)
133. Keith Brown – LB – Florida (Louisville)
137. John Michael McGee – OG – Texas (Oklahoma)
138. Bri’onte Dunn – RB – Ohio (Ohio State)
147. Paul Thurston – OT – Colorado (Nebraska)
148. Evan Boehm – OG – Missouri (Missouri)
149. Dalvin Tomlinson – DT – Georgia
153. Dan Voltz – OT – Illinois (Wisconsin)
154. Pharaoh Brown – DE – Ohio (Oregon)
158. Sean Price – TE – Florida (South Florida)
159. David Perkins – ATH – Indiana (Ohio State)
161. Danny O’Brien – DT – Michigan (Tennessee)
163. Ty Darlington – C – Florida (Oklahoma)
164. Dwayne Stanford – WR – Ohio (Oregon)
165. Jake Rodrigues – QB – California (Oregon)
166. Leonte Carroo – WR – New Jersey (Rutgers)
167. Camren Williams – LB – Massachusetts (Penn State)
169. Deontay McManus – WR – Maryland (West Virginia)
170. Devonte Fields – DE – Texas (TCU)
171. Dominique Wheeler – WR – Texas (Texas Tech)
172. James Ross – LB – Michigan (Michigan)
173. Jaleel Johnson – DT – Illinois (Iowa)
175. Michael Starts – DE – Texas (Texas Tech)
178. Kyle Dodson – OT – Ohio (Wisconsin)
184. Royce Jenkins-Stone – LB – Michigan (Michigan)
188. Wes Brown – RB – Maryland (Maryland)
189. Taylor McNamara – TE – California (Oklahoma)
190. Matt Jones – RB – Florida (Florida)
191. Michael Moore – DE – Maryland (Virginia)
192. Greg McMullen – DE – Ohio (Nebraska)
193. Warren Ball – RB – Ohio (Ohio State)
195. Jonathan Williams – RB – Texas (Arkansas)
199. Jarron Jones – DT – New York (Notre Dame)
203. Adam Bisnowaty – OT – Pennsylvania (Pitt)
209. Ken Ekanem – LB – Virginia
212. Shane Callahan – OT – Colorado (Auburn)
215. Amara Darboh – WR – Iowa (Michigan)
216. Derrick Woods – WR – California (Oklahoma)
218. Latroy Pittman – WR – Florida (Florida)
219. Armani Reeves – CB – Massachusetts (Penn State)
221. Taylor Decker – OT – Ohio (Ohio State)
222. Kenny Lawler – CB – Washington, D.C.
224. Terry Richardson – CB – Michigan (Michigan)
226. Darius Powe – WR – California (Cal)
230. Jody Fuller – WR – North Carolina (South Carolina)
237. Reginald Davis – WR – Texas (Texas Tech)
239. Troy Hinds – DE – Utah (BYU)
244. Sheldon Day – DT – Indiana (Notre Dame)
246. Jason Croom – WR – Georgia (Tennessee)
247. Avery Johnson – WR – Florida (LSU)
249. Faith Ekakitie – DT – Illinois (Iowa)

Michigan offerees who fell out of the top 250 are:
– Indiana QB Zeke Pike (Auburn)
– Arizona QB Connor Brewer (Texas)
– North Carolina OT Brock Stadnik (South Carolina)
– Louisiana OT Derek Edinburgh (LSU)
– South Carolina DE Martin Aiken (Clemson)
– Tennessee RB I’Tavius Mathers (Ole Miss)
– Colorado OG Alex Kozan

Final Scout 300 Released for 2012

Lakewood (OH) St. Edward’s Kyle Kalis is Michigan’s top-rated player to Scout

The Scout 300 was released on Wednesday.  For a refresher on where kids used to be ranked, check out this post from April.

Michigan commits are in the following slots:

• 35. Kyle Kalis
• 65. Ondre Pipkins
• 69. Joe Bolden
• 82. Erik Magnuson
• 83. James Ross
• 93. Tom Strobel
• 111. Royce Jenkins-Stone
• 162. Mario Ojemudia
• 164. Chris Wormley
• 183. Terry Richardson
• 205. Amara Darboh
• 221. Devin Funchess
• 225. A.J. Williams
• 249. Jarrod Wilson

Michigan has offered 133 of these 300 players (44.3%).  As is the custom ’round these parts, here’s a look at Michigan offerees in Scout’s final 300:

5-stars:
1. Dorial Green-Beckham – WR – Missouri
2. Arik Armstead – OT – California
3. Shaq Thompson – S – California (Cal)
4. Mario Edwards – DE – Texas (Florida State)
5. Noah Spence – DE – Pennsylvania (Ohio State)
6. Stefon Diggs – WR – Maryland
7. John Theus – OT – Florida (Georgia)
9. Ronald Darby – CB – Maryland
10. Adolphus Washington – DE – Ohio (Ohio State)
11. D.J. Humphries – OT – Florida (Florida)
12. Keith Marshall – RB – North Carolina (Georgia)
14. Kyle Murphy – OT – California
19. Jordan Jenkins – DE – Georgia (Georgia)
20. Darius Hamilton – DE – New Jersey
23. Ellis McCarthy – DT – California (Cal)
25. Brian Poole – CB – Florida (Florida)
26. Eli Harold – DE – Virginia (Virginia)
27. Avery Young – OT – Florida
31. Eddie Goldman – DT – Washington, D.C.
32. Bri’onte Dunn – RB – Ohio (Ohio State)
35. Kyle Kalis – OT – Ohio (Michigan)
38. Gunner Kiel – QB – Indiana (LSU)
39. Tee Shepard – CB – California (Notre Dame)
42. Joshua Garnett – OG – Washington
43. Bryce Treggs – WR – California (Cal)
45. Cyrus Jones – WR – Maryland (Alabama)
47. Jordan Diamond – OT – Illinois
48. Tommy Schutt – DT – Illinois
50. Sheldon Day – DT – Indiana (Notre Dame)

4-stars:
51. Andrus Peat – OT – Arizona
52. Kwon Alexander – LB – Alabama
55. Elijah Shumate – LB – New Jersey (Notre Dame)
58. Se’von Pittman – DE – Ohio (Ohio State)
61. Nelson Agholor – S – Florida
62. Jordan Simmons – OG – California (USC)
63. Aaron Burbridge – WR – Michigan (Michigan State)
65. Ondre Pipkins – DT – Missouri (Michigan)
68. Michael Starts – OG – Texas (Texas Tech)
69. Joe Bolden – LB – Ohio (Michigan)
72. Zach Banner – OT – Washington
73. Kent Taylor – TE – Florida (Florida)
75. Ifeadi Odenigbo – DE – Ohio (Northwestern)
76. Jonathan Taylor – DT – Georgia (Georgia)
77. Taylor Decker – OT – Ohio (Notre Dame)
78. Javonte Magee – DE – Texas
79. Armani Reeves – CB – Massachusetts (Penn State)
82. Erik Magnuson – OT – California (Michigan)
83. James Ross – LB – Michigan (Michigan)
84. Leonte Carroo – WR – New Jersey (Rutgers)
85. LaDarrell McNeil – S – Texas (Tennessee)
88. Devin Fuller – QB – New Jersey
91. Wes Brown – RB – Maryland (Maryland)
92. Marcus Maye – S – Florida (Florida)
93. Tom Strobel – DE – Ohio (Michigan)
95. Jordan Payton – WR – California (Cal)
96. Max Tuerk – OG – California (USC)
99. Dan Voltz – OG – Illinois (Wisconsin)
100. Jaquay Williams – WR – Georgia (Auburn)
104. D.J. Foster – RB – Arizona
105. Durron Neal – WR – Missouri (Oklahoma)
111. Royce Jenkins-Stone – LB – Michigan (Michigan)
116. Evan Boehm – C – Missouri (Missouri)
119. Devonte Fields – DE – Texas (TCU)
122. Geno Smith – CB – Georgia (Alabama)
123. Zach Kline – QB – California (Cal)
124. Greg Garmon – RB – Pennsylvania (Iowa)
127. J.J. Denman – OT – Pennsylvania (Wisconsin)
128. Ryan Watson – OG – Maryland (Virginia)
129. Brock Stadnik – OT – North Carolina (South Carolina)
130. Paul Thurston – OT – Colorado (Nebraska)
135. Peter Jinkens – LB – Texas (Texas)
137. Matt Jones – RB – Florida (Florida)
139. Jabari Ruffin – LB – California (USC)
145. Scott Starr – LB – California (USC)
146. Yuri Wright – CB – New Jersey
153. Reginald Davis – WR – Texas (Texas Tech)
159. Monty Madaris – WR – Ohio
162. Mario Ojemudia – DE – Michigan (Michigan)
164. Chris Wormley – DE – Ohio (Michigan)
167. John Michael McGee – OG – Texas (Oklahoma)
170. Dillon Lee – LB – Georgia (Alabama)
172. Camren Williams – LB – Massachusetts (Penn State)
173. Jonathan Williams – RB – Texas (Arkansas)
175. Sean Price – TE – Florida
176. Raphael Kirby – LB – Georgia (Miami)
178. Faith Ekakitie – DT – Illinois (Iowa)
181. Kyle Dodson – OT – Ohio (Wisconsin)
182. Dalton Santos – LB – Texas (Tennessee)
183. Terry Richardson – CB – Michigan (Michigan)
185. D.J. Singleton – S – New Jersey (Wisconsin)
188. Troy Hinds – DE – Utah (BYU)
191. Aziz Shittu – DT – California
192. Nick Davidson – OT – Minnesota (Stanford)
193. Deaysean Rippy – LB – Pennsylvania
196. Warren Ball – RB – Ohio (Ohio State)
198. Derrick Woods – S – California (Oklahoma)
199. Martin Aiken – DE – South Carolina (Clemson)
200. Connor Brewer – QB – Arizona (Texas)
202. Ken Ekanem – DE – Virginia
205. Amara Darboh – WR – Iowa (Michigan)
209. Keith Brown – LB – Miami (Louisville)
212. David Perkins – LB – Indiana
214. Jalen Overstreet – S – Texas (Texas)
217. Deontay McManus – WR – Maryland (West Virginia)
219. Kendall Sanders – CB – Texas (Texas)
221. Devin Funchess – TE – Michigan (Michigan)
222. Dominique Wheeler – WR – Texas (Texas Tech)
223. Vince Biegel – LB – Wisconsin (Wisconsin)
225. A.J. Williams – OT – Ohio (Michigan)
229. Jarron Jones – OT – New York (Notre Dame)
231. Deon Bush – S – Florida (Miami)
232. Derek Edinburgh – OT – Louisiana (LSU)
236. Evan Baylis – TE – Colorado (Oregon)
240. Maty Mauk – QB – Ohio (Missouri)
242. Tyler Orlosky – OG – Ohio (West Virginia)
243. J.P. Holtz – TE – Pennsylvania
244. Tyriq McCord – DE – Florida (Miami)
245. Jarrod Wilson – S – Ohio (Michigan)
247. Drew Harris – RB – Pennsylvania
250. Dalvin Tomlinson – DT – Georgia
251. Michael Moore – DE – Maryland (Penn State)
255. Danny O’Brien – DT – Michigan (Tennessee)
264. Ty Darlington – C – Florida (Oklahoma)
270. Avery Johnson – WR – Florida (LSU)
277. Kenny Lawler – CB – Washington, D.C.
278. Jaleel Johnson – DT – Illinois (Iowa)
280. Jason Croom – WR – Georgia (Tennessee)
282. Zeke Pike – QB – Kentucky (Auburn)
285. Jake Rodrigues – QB – California (Oregon)
286. Pharaoh Brown – TE – Ohio (Oregon)
287. Hiva Lutui – C – California
292. Devan Bogard – S – Ohio (Ohio State)
297. Vonte Jackson – RB – Wisconsin (Wisconsin)
298. Ron Thompson – TE – Michigan (Syracuse)
299. Shane Callahan – OT – Colorado (Auburn)