Ex-Wolverines: Class of 2011

Tag: Tamani Carter


13Apr 2021
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Ex-Wolverines: Class of 2011

Blake Countess (image via Alchetron)

Here’s a look back at the recruits who did not pan out for Michigan in 2011, the transition class between Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke.

TRANSFERS

Chris Barnett – Tight end – Hurst (TX) L.D. Bell
Barnett was an outstanding tight end coming out of high school.  He tore his ACL during his senior year and struggled to regain his playing shape.  When he arrived at Michigan in the summer of 2011 for his freshman season, he weighed 278 lbs.  By late August the distance from home, the summer classwork, and the required physical conditioning forced him to leave the program and re-evaluate his options.  He enrolled at a Texas junior college, but left that program.
Current status: Unknown

Russell Bellomy – Quarterback – Arlington (TX) Martin
After the decommitment of Kevin Sousa in December 2010 (see below), Michigan was scrambling for a more traditional quarterback, whereas Sousa had been a dual-threat guy. He was previously committed to Purdue, but that changed when Michigan came calling. He redshirted in 2011. Then he played in five games in 2012, including stepping in for Denard Robinson against Nebraska, which was an ugly performance (3/16, 38 yards, 0 TD, 3 INT), and stuck around through 2014. Altogether, he was 4/23 for 46 yards and 4 interceptions at Michigan. He transferred to UTSA as a senior in 2015, completing 4/10 passes for 39 yards and rushing 7 times for 21 yards.
Current status: Out of football

Greg Brown – Cornerback – Fremont (OH) Ross
Brown was the first commitment of the 2011 class after choosing the Wolverines in September of 2009.  He enrolled early in January 2011, but was one of those kids who was caught in the middle between Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke.  Rodriguez recruited him, but he wasn’t fired until January, when Brown was already on campus.  The cornerback received mixed reviews in spring practices and played sparingly on special teams at the beginning of the 2011 season, but decided to transfer mid-season.  He played sparingly for Findlay in 2012, then transferred to Iowa Central Community College prior to the 2013 season.
Current status: Out of football

Hit the jump for more.

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13Aug 2012
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Tamani Carter, Ex-Wolverine

Tamani Carter at the spring game

Head coach Brady Hoke announced at Media Day that redshirt freshman defensive back Tamani Carter has left the team.  No reason was given, and no future destination is known at this point.

Carter committed to Michigan in January 2011, the first guy to commit to Michigan after Hoke was hired.  He came from Pickerington (OH) Central, the same program that will send defensive end Taco Charlton to the Wolverines in the class of 2013.  Carter was a somewhat low-level recruit that Michigan stole from the Minnesota Gophers.  ESPN had him ranked as a 2-star, a designation that seems to be given less and less in the last year or two.  I gave him a TTB Rating of 62 when he was recruited and I ranked him #78 in the 2012 Season Countdown, so not much was expected of him.

Carter redshirted last season and missed a chunk of spring practice because he was involved with Josh Furman’s legal issues.  Carter was unlikely to play much (or at all) this season.  Both starters at safety return, and a couple highly touted recruits are waiting in the wings (Furman and Marvin Robinson).  Michigan also brought in three freshman safeties, one of whom (Jarrod Wilson) leapfrogged Carter on the depth chart in the spring.

Michigan now has 22 scholarships to give for the class of 2013, though the class is expected to reach a size of 24 or more.  By the way, Carter was the player I alluded to when I mentioned in a mailbag post that an underclassman might leave the team.  He is the sixth member of the 20-person class of 2011 to leave the team after Chris Barnett, Greg Brown, Kellen Jones, Tony Posada, and Chris Rock.

13Jun 2012
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2012 Season Countdown: #78 Tamani Carter

Tamani Carter

Name: Tamani Carter
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 175 lbs.
High school: Pickerington (OH) Central
Position: Free safety
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #20
Last year: I predicted that Carter would be a backup safety.  He redshirted.

Carter came out of high school without a great deal of fanfare as a late addition to the 2011 recruiting class.  He had a chance to earn playing time last season if the team needed him in a pinch, but luckily, there were very few injuries in the defensive backfield.  Carter plays free safety, which is currently occupied by Thomas Gordon, and departed senior Troy Woolfolk spent some time at free safety during the latter half of the year.  That afforded Carter the chance to redshirt.

This spring Carter was involved in the legal issues that kept fellow safety Josh Furman from participating in spring practices.  Although Carter was never charged, he sat out several practices while the coaches and the legal system sorted things out.  He probably hasn’t completely escaped the doghouse, and the depth at safety hasn’t changed much since last season.  Gordon is still the starter at FS and Jordan Kovacs will start at strong safety; Furman and Marvin Robinson return as backups; and a couple incoming freshman, Jarrod Wilson and Jeremy Clark, will also be competing for time at free safety.  It’s likely that Carter spends another year looking on from the sideline.

Prediction: Bench

31Dec 2011
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Poll Results: Which freshman defensive back will have the best career?

Blake Countess

CB Blake Countess: 75%
CB Greg Brown: 11%
CB Raymon Taylor: 6%
CB Delonte Hollowell: 3%
FS Tamani Carter: 2%

I accidentally let this post go by the wayside back in August, but the results are interesting, if only confirmation of what we already knew.

It turns out that 75% of voters were right – Countess had the biggest impact.  He developed into a starter and perhaps the best cover corner on the team.

Greg Brown barely played before deciding to leave the team.  Taylor played early in the season when Troy Woolfolk was hurt, but saw very little time down the stretch.  Hollowell burned his redshirt late in the season just to run down the field on special teams.  And Carter redshirted.

The correct answer would have been Countess – Hollowell – Taylor – Brown – Carter, but the voters did a pretty good job for what was known.  Greg Brown screwed up the voting by leaving mid-season, but it happens.  Maybe we should re-think how advantageous it is for kids to enroll early; many of the recent early enrollees have struggled just as much as the average freshman.

27Jun 2011
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2011 Countdown: #65 Tamani Carter

Tamani Carter (#3)

Name: Tamani Carter
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 175 lbs.
High school: Pickerington Central High School in Pickerington, OH
Position: Safety
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #20
Last year: Carter was a senior in high school (commitment post here)

TTB Rating: 62

Carter was one of the kids recruited by Brady Hoke and Greg Mattison once they were hired at Michigan.  Michigan fans didn’t have much time to get familiar with him, and he didn’t create a ton of buzz when they did find out more about him.  He was one of those tweener players with a mediocre offer list and an unspectacular highlight film.  But he was a defensive back, which Michigan needed.

Although listed as a cornerback by recruiting services, Hoke introduced him as a safety on National Signing Day.  That’s probably a good thing, because I don’t see Carter having the athleticism to run with Big Ten wide receivers on a regular basis.  He might get a bit of seasoning this year because of Michigan’s shortage of safeties, but Carter will be blocked for major playing time by more experienced or more athletic players.  He could be a Brandent Englemon, fill-in starter type somewhere down the road, though.

Prediction: Backup safety