Spring Game Preview: Defense

Hockey lost last night so it's officially the beginning of football season in my eyes. I'll have a few previews for the Spring Game during the week, starting here. This will be the most closely watched spring game since 2008, so I'm excited to ponder some premature speculation about a game that will cause even more premature speculation. We'll start with the defense. Michigan's defense worsened every year under Rich Rodriguez, and last year's D was one of the worst in school history. Brady Hoke brought in Greg Mattison to change that, and we'll have our first glimpse of progress, if there has been any, on Saturday.

RS Sophomore LB Cam Gordon

A lot of people have talked about how Brady Hoke will instill toughness in this Michigan team. That's about the vaguest description of a football team, especially defensively, that I can imagine, and I hope people realize that when Hoke says that, he's trying to get in bed with the media. That isn't a bad thing. It's something Rodriguez could never do. But to say the Rodriguez teams weren't tough is asinine. I don't recall guys like Cam Gordon shying away from big hits. But I do recall opposing players bouncing off of Cam Gordon's attempts at big hits due to poor technique. That will be what I look for, more than anything, come Saturday; correct technique. Will tacklers stay low, with their heads up, and drive through their tackles? Will they wrap up the ball carrier and stay on their feet? Will the linebackers keep their gaps on running plays and flow with the ball carrier? Will guys like Will Campbell and Quinton Washington show the technique that will make their jobs as space erasers possible? These are all questions that probably won't be fully answered after Saturday, but we'll probably have an idea of how far along the team is. Mike Martin is the only player who doesn't really need to prove himself, which makes me both nervous and excited. 

This Michigan defense is not rich in natural talent, especially outside of the defensive line. The secondary is full of formerly-unheralded recruits like Courtney Avery, J.T. Floyd and Troy Woolfolk and young guys who just haven't proven themselves yet, like Marvin Robinson, Carvin Johnson and Josh Furman. Some of those players may still end up at linebacker, even. Jordan Kovacs represents this team's secondary perfectly: a former walk-on who is a step too slow and so easy to root for. And without him, Michigan probably would have been even worse off last season. The linebackers are a similar story.They lost two starters in Obi Ezeh and Jonas Mouton, but there are some promising youngsters in Gordon, Jake Ryan and Mike Jones, experienced production in a currently injured Kenny Demens, and veterans who have yet to live up to expectations in J.B. Fitzgerald and Brandon Herron. If those two can step up and make a difference, both on the field and off, then the Wolverines will be much better in 2011. Guys like Gordon and Jones are still going to make mistakes, not to mention neither has yet to fully grow into his body. If Fitzgerald and Herron can provide legitimate depth, then the defense will already be better off. 

Junior DT Will Campbell

I don't think there is any question that this defense's success will be reliant upon the play of the front four. Craig Roh, Mike Martin and Ryan Van Bergen are three of the most experienced and talented players on the team, and the likes of Washington and Campbell are two of the most impressive players from a physical standpoint. The front four will have to get the necessary push if this team is going to stop the run. Same for the pass, as there is no true ball-hawking safety or shut down corner on this team (as of yet). I think ultimately the most important player on this team will be whoever ends up as the three-technique tackle. The likely candidates, Will Campbell and Quinton Washington, will both have to plug up holes in the line and attack two linemen every play, allowing guys like Roh and Martin to be left one-on-one with their men. If that happens consistently during the spring game, against a fairly experienced offensive line, then I'll be very encouraged.

Linebacker Recruiting 3/27/2011

2012 LB Kaleb Ringer

Michigan signed four linebackers in the 2011 class and will only lose three after this coming season. Linebacker won't necessarily be a position of need, but expect the staff to try to sign three or four linebackers in 2012, anyway. There's room for more bodies and the staff will probably be fairly selective in who they pursue. James Ross and Royce Jenkins-Stone will be at the top of their list, so let's look at some other possibilities.

Kaleb Ringer, a 6'1", 225 lb. middle linebacker from Northmont High School in Ohio is one of those possibilities. Ringer, who has an early ranking as the number ten overall prospect in the state of Ohio, has shown serious interest in Michigan. The linebacker, who is the nephew of former Michigan State running back Javon Ringer, told Scout.com that after speaking to Greg Mattison, he literally began to have dreams of putting on the winged helmet. This experience has seemingly put Michigan at the top of his list of favorite schools. Ringer plans on committing to a school on April 15, and don't be surprised if he chooses Michigan. Stealing a top ten Ohioan from OSU and a legacy recruit from MSU in one swoop would be a great moment, but it almost seems to good to be true to me. Ringer has yet to receive an offer from Michigan State or Ohio State, and even if he does choose Michigan initially, don't be surprised if he at least gives OSU and MSU a look when those offers do come. However, he seems about as high on Michigan as any recruit at this point, and expect the Wolverines to play into his ultimate decision, no matter who it be to.

Ringer's video is promising, in the sense that he looks to have a definite nose for the ball carrier. He has good size and he has the frame to put on the muscle that he'll need in college. He looks strong enough to take on blockers and has no qualms about hitting guys, which is a necessary quality for any linebacker. He could have trouble dropping back into coverage because he lacks the overall speed of a guy like James Ross, but Ringer will likely end up as a middle linebacker which means he won't be asked to play in coverage too often. From a physical standpoint, Ringer is nearly identical to where current Michigan linebacker Kenny Demens was at the same age. Demens turned into one of Michigan's better defensive players in 2010, and Ringer could have a similar impact wherever he goes. 

Edit: Ringer is being recruited as a weakside linebacker. I need to remember that sizes of players are going to be different than the last regime, especially among the linebackers and offensive linemen. My apologies. IF Ringer puts on twenty five pounds like Kenny Demens did than maybe he could end up in the middle. For now though, consider him a future outside linebacker.


Keep An Eye On:
Jazzmar Clax (NJ) 
Joe Bolden (OH)
Vince Biegel (WI)
De'Andre Rollins (OH)
Laron Taylor (MI)
Hunter Matt (MI) 
Nathan Ricketts (MI)
Jamal Lyles (MI)

Caleb Stacey

2012 OL Caleb Stacey

Michigan has received their second commitment in as many days. Caleb Stacey, a 6'4", 275 lb. offensive lineman from Oak Hills High School in Cincinnati visited Michigan's campus last weekend and pledged to Brady Hoke on Saturday afternoon. Stacey had offers from the likes of Boston College, Illinois, NC State, South Florida and West Virgina, among others. 

Stacey plays tackle for Oak Hills but projects to guard at the collegiate level. The more linemen the better for Brady Hoke, and I think Stacey has the size to be a good interior linemen one day. Offensive linemen are hard to project, though, since a lot of success is based on the player's ability to learn the different blocking schemes within an offense and how well a player can react to in-game situations. The position is as much mental as it is physical. Stacey had more offers than Braden but a lot of those were from lower tier BCS schools. He likely would have received better offers if he had prolonged his recruitment and attended linemen camps in the summer, though, so I don't think it's something to worry about. He certainly wasn't an unknown prospect. I wish there was more free video on Stacey, but from what I've seen, he has the energy and punch to be a very good run blocker and he can move upfield when he has to. It remains to be seen how good Stacey will end up, and we won't know until, at the very earliest, his redshirt freshman season. Even then, the attrition along the offensive line won't be as sudden among interior linemen as it will be among the tackles, and Stacey will have to impress if he is to be thrust into the two-deep as a RS freshman. It's great to get another offensive lineman on board, though. Needs are being addressed early and look for that to continue as more recruits make it onto campus throughout the Spring.

Ben Braden

Ben Braden 2012 OL

Michigan's first committment of the 2012 class is official. Ben Braden, a 6'6", 275 lb. offensive linemen out of Rockford, Michigan committed to Brady Hoke and co. on Thursday night. Braden, who had offers from Syracuse, Michigan State, and Wisconsin, received his Michigan offer just a couple weeks ago, and he took little time in making his decision.

I think this is a very good pickup for Michigan, especially coming early in the process. Michigan was always going to need to sign at least five or six offensive linemen in this class, and it's a relief to get that crop started early. Braden isn't a highly touted prospect, but he's a very solid one with great upside. If an offensive linemen has an offer from Wisconsin, than it's a good sign that he has the potential to be great one day. Braden definitely has the size to play tackle, and I think that's where he'll ultimately line up. Looking at his video, he'll need to work on his footwork and the technical side of the position, but as Allen Trieu says in Scout's overview, so does every other high school junior. He has the size and hands to be a very good run blocker, especially as he puts on more weight and rises to around the 300 lb. mark. Like every Michigan offensive linemen, Braden will use his redshirt, and he'll have a chance at starting during his RS freshman season as the exodus at offensive line proceeds (Khoury, Omameh, Barnum and Mealer will all be gone). If his pass blocking technique improves, he could be an important player down the road. Braden's high school, Rockford, is consistently one of the best in the state of Michigan, so he's had solid coaching up to this point. Overall, I'm excited to watch Ben Braden mature as a player and hopefully become a solid contributor.

First Committment

Scout's Allen Trieu is reporting that Michigan has their first commit in the 2012 class. Through the process of elimination one can make a pretty good assumption of who it is, and just for some hints, he's big and he's from Michigan. I won't make a recruit profile of the guy until it's official, though.

Tight End and Wide Receiver Rucruiting 3/16/2011

Rich Rodriguez's staff had all but locked up two receivers this past season in Devin Lucien (UCLA) and Hakeem Flowers (NC State), but when Brady Hoke arrived he decided that the Wolverines would no longer need to sign a wide receiver in the 2011 class, and the staff ultimately pulled both Lucien's and Flowers' scholarship offers. It's understandable, seeing as Rodriguez's spread offense implemented many more receivers than a pro-style offense does, and Michigan didn't lose any receivers to graduation or the NFL after the 2010 season. However, Junior Hemingway, Darryl Stonum, Martavious Odoms and Kelvin Grady are all receivers that are entering their final year eligibility and the void that will be left will have to be filled. Michigan won't need to replace all five seniors, due to the personnel that the offense calls for, but they will need to sign at least a couple wide receivers.

Tight end is a position that is in a complete opposite condition depth wise in comparison to the wide receivers. Rodriguez's spread hardly implemented any looks for tight ends, and when Hoke arrived there were only two tight ends on the roster who would be eligible in 2011. Hoke gained a vital commitment on signing day from Texas TE Chris Barnett, who had offers from the likes of Oklahoma, USC, and Florida State, but even that won't be enough for the coming years. Most pro-style offenses will use four to five tight ends through out a season, depending upon injury, and Hoke and co. will look to start gaining needed numbers at tight end position in the 2012 class. 


We'll look at both positions exclusively in this segment.

2012 WR Stefon Diggs

Wide Receiver
No current Michigan receiver has proven himself as worthy for the number  one jersey that was worn by such players as Anthony Carter, David Terrell,  and Braylon Edwards, and though the likes of Roy Roundtree, Junior Hemingway, and Darryl Stonum will battle for the honor this Spring, there is one receiver on Michigan's radar who could vie for the number one next year as an incoming freshman. Stefon Diggs (Our Lady of Good Counsel, MD) is a 6'1", 190 lb play maker who was just recently honored as one of
Rivals' first twelve five star players of the 2012 class (for a little perspective, of the thousands of football recruits across the nation, Rivals only assigns a five star rating to around 20-25 players per year). Among others, Diggs has offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Notre Dame and Ohio State and Rivals' Mike Farrell touted him as possibly the best recruit at slot receiver since Desean Jackson. Blake Countess, a cornerback who signed with Michigan in February, attends the same high school as Diggs and he will hopefully convince Diggs to make a visit to Ann Arbor. Diggs' recruitment should be magnified by his teammate and best friend, RB Wes Brown, who has also been offered by Michigan. The two have hinted that they would like to play together in college and both would be great gets for any school.


Diggs' versatility is what makes him so attractive to me. He could line up at wide out, slot, running back, safety or cornerback if he wanted to and every time he touches the ball he's a threat to go all the way. He doesn't have world class speed but he's agile and he has good size. Diggs runs concise routes and he has great hands. He's the perfect play making threat and he could be deadly on special teams. 


Keep An Eye On:
Aaron Burbridge (MI)
Efe Scott-Emuakpor (MI)
Dwayne Stanford (OH)
Derrick Woods (CA)
Amara Darboh (IA)

2012 TE Ron Thompson

Tight End
Ron Thompson out of East Detroit received one of Brady Hoke's first offers and Michigan should be cemented at the top of Thompson's list throughout his recruitment. The 6'4", 210 lb product grew up a Wolverine fan and don't be surprised if he commits before the 2011 season begins. Including Michigan, Thompson claims offers from Toledo and Syracuse, but don't be surprised if more offers come if he keeps up impressive performances at camps and combines. Thompson is very athletic and it shows in his videos. He'll be a definite threat as a pass catching tight end and his effectiveness as a blocker, which will be necessary at the next level, should improve as he fills out his frame. He has a lot of potential as a difference maker on any pro-style offense.


Keep An Eye On:
Devin Funchess (MI)
Matt Doneth (MI)
Sam Grant (OH)
A.J. Williams (OH)
Taylor McNamara (CA)

Quarterback Recruiting 3/8/2011

2012 QB Zeke Pike

Quarterback will likely be another point of emphasis in the 2012 class, and the coaching staff will surely be in pursuit of some of the top prospects at the position in the country. Brady Hoke's staff was able to sign Russell Bellomy, who was originally committed to Purdue, this past signing day, but Bellomy is not a guy considered to be nearly as talented as Denard Robinson or Devin Gardner, who are the current signal callers at Michigan. The last two pro-style quarterbacks to choose Michigan were Chad Henne and Ryan Mallett, who were both considered five star prospects out of high school.  Hoke and co. should try to target prospects of a similar pedigree and they should start right away with this class.

One of the early choices for top quarterback in the country is Zeke Pike, a 6'6", 225 lb product out of Dixie Heights high school in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. Pike currently has offers from a host of elite programs, including Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, and USC. He's also shown an early interest in Michigan. Pike was a 7-on-7 teammate of Chris Bryant who was a member of Michigan's 2011 class, and it sounds like their friendship has at least convinced Pike to visit Ann Arbor. Pike also told Scout.com that he's spoken directly to Brady Hoke over the phone, and the fact that the Wolverines are returning to a pro-style offense has caught his interest. It remains to be seen how interested Pike really is in Michigan, but getting him up to Ann Arbor is huge. If he feels comfortable with the school, the coaching staff and the players, then Michigan certainly will have a chance. I'd expect everyone in the SEC to be in hot pursuit as well, though.

The very first throw that is shown on Pike's video is, in my opinion, a broad illustration of why he's considered an elite quarterback. He's obviously very athletic and has the agility and awareness to avoid being taken down in the pocket, and he caps off the play by throwing a ball on the run that travels forty yards in the air. He has all of the physical attributes that coaches like, he just needs more experience at the position and he'll be well on his way to a successful college career. As stated, though, Pike is and will be courted by the premier programs in the country and I'd be surprised if he ultimately ended up at Michigan. He wouldn't likely have a chance to be the starter until his RS sophomore/junior season, and Michigan doesn't exactly have a ton of pull in Kentucky. However, I wouldn't expect Pike to commit anywhere before he allows the process to play out, which means if Michigan can have an encouraging season on the field in 2011, Pike could be swayed to Ann Arbor. It's still too early to tell either way, though, and for now we'll just have to hope his spring visit goes well.


Keep An Eye On:

Maty Mauk (OH)

Bennie Coney (FL)

Devin Fuller (NJ)

Austin Appleby (OH)

Robert Gregory (IL)

Cole Gautsche (NM)

Jeff Lindquist (WA)

Tyler O'Connor (OH)

Bart Houston (CA)

Brian Blackburn (MI)