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)

Offensive Line Recruiting 3/5/2011

Offensive line will be a huge position of emphasis for Brady Hoke and co. in the 2012 class, seeing as the Wolverines have only take four offensive linemen over the last two classes. The depth chart up front is already looking thin, and any injuries to the four returning starters (Lewan, Molk, Omameh and Huyge) will result in a dangerously inexperienced front five leading the way. Michigan should take at least five or six offensive linemen in this class. The coaching staff has already offered 21 recruits at the position, so they are well on their way to addressing their needs. Michigan looks to be in good shape early with several recruits, and a few of those are of an elite caliber.

2012 OL Jordan Diamond

Leading the way on the list of offensive linemen considering Michigan is Jordan Diamond of Chicago Simeon. Diamond grew up a Michigan fan and one of his fellow linemen at Simeon was 2011 Michigan signee Chris Bryant. The popular opinion from recruiting analysts, including Scout's Sam Webb, is that Diamond is Michigan's to lose. This would be a huge commitment for Michigan, as Diamond reports offers from a host of top schools, including the likes of Ohio State, Florida State, Auburn and Notre Dame. It'll be interesting to see if Diamond prolongs his recruitment and courts the interest of the other elite schools that are pursuing him or if he pulls the trigger early and commits to Michigan before the 2011 season begins.

Diamond's film is very impressive, especially based off of the agility and speed that he possesses. For a tackle his size, he displays a lot of athleticism when blocking. He routinely gets up field on running plays, tossing linebackers aside while also displaying good foot work on passing plays, coupled with relentless hands that make it difficult for any defensive end to get to the quarterback. Size wise, Diamond, who is 6'6" and weighs around 290 lbs, really doesn't need to get much bigger. If he does become a Wolverine, the staff would likely look to get him a bit more sculpted and have him playing around 300 pounds. A lot of offensive line recruits are far behind their college colleagues when it comes to weight, though, and the fact that Diamond is familiar with his frame and athleticism at that size is a good sign. Diamond is likely to be rated among the top ten tackles in the country, and he would be Michigan's first offensive linemen of that caliber since Dann O'Neill (let's hope to God he doesn't end up like O'Neill, though).

Keep An Eye On:
Andrus Peat (AZ)
Zach Banner (WA)
Dan Voltz (IL)
Jordan Simmons (CA)
Tyler Orlosky (OH)
Daron Brown (MI)
Ben Braden (MI)
Kelby Latta (MI)

Bury Your Dead

If you've been paying any amount of attention lately to the media sources that follow college football, you've surely heard rumors that a major program is on the verge of being ousted by a news source for major violations. Some thought this ousting was going to happen today, based on a much hyped SI article that was to be (and was) released. And while that article turned out to be a less than revealing piece on crime rates in college football, the furor over the possible program-busting investigation has only increased. Apparently the much-hyped article is due to print come Spring, and it still isn't clear which major news source is the one responsible for the investigation. There have been many rumors and theories as to which school it is and what they've been doing, but the noise is enough that it sounds like something is going to be released that is at least newsworthy.

Multiple media outlets, including Sports by Brooks and ESPN's Colin Cowherd have hinted that the guilty party may be Oregon and that their violation could have to do with recruiting agents stationed in Texas. While Oregon may certainly be the school in question, they don't have a history of violations and their recent success can be explained through the rise of head coach Chip Kelly and his high-powered spread offense and the financial support of Nike owner and Oregon graduate Phil Knight. Others have pointed to Alabama, Auburn and Florida State as schools in question. Whoever it is, the chances of it being Michigan are extremely slim. Any internal violations that were being committed under former coach Rich Rodriguez would have been discovered by the NCAA during their investigation of violations pertaining to practice time, and any paying of recruits or players by a booster would make no sense. For one, Rodriguez never had recruits that were worth paying, and it would have been nearly impossible to keep such actions secret from the number of unhappy transferring players, local media who were undersold on Rodriguez’s laurels and suspicious alumni who were ever-present throughout Rodriguez’s three year tenure in Ann Arbor. Others believe it could be Ohio State, and many Michigan fans hope it is, but OSU should be the last school Michigan would want to be guilty of major violations.

The Ohio State program transcends the dodgy reputations of current quarterback Terrelle Pryor and the blatant criminal activity of former running back Maurice Clarett, and for the entire program to be tarnished would tarnish the rivalry just as much. Many analysts who are detached from the two teams have grumbled that the rivalry has lost its luster over the last couple of years because Michigan has not been as competitive. If Ohio State ends up suffering the major penalties that would accompany the violations that are being whispered about, then don't expect them to be competitive over the next four to five years. Sure, this will make Michigan's schedule easier, but it will also threaten to kill the greatest rivalry in American sports and it will hurt the Big Ten exponentially.

Fans can certainly make the argument that a wounded Ohio State would help Michigan in recruiting, and in some individual cases it would, but what's stopping the state of Ohio from being raided by schools in the SEC if Ohio State is in disarray? Regardless, Michigan State and Notre Dame would likely gain as many Ohio recruits as Michigan. Keith Heitzman and Antonio Poole are two recent Michigan signees from Ohio who stated that the opportunity to be a part of the Ohio State vs. Michigan rivalry was the reason they chose to attend Michigan. Michigan becomes less attractive without a strong rivalry with Ohio State. While Michigan’s poor overall record and placement upon the NCAA’s probation list were major problems over the last three seasons, Michigan’s weak performances against Ohio State played just as big of a role in leading to the January firing of Rich Rodriguez. The rivalry deserves to return to prominence. It should be one of the deciding games in both the race for the Big Ten title and the National Championship.

Many Michigan fans would likely point to the school’s successes against Ohio State as some of their greatest memories associated with the school. Whether it was the battles between former colleagues Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes or the exploits of Heisman Trophy winners Charles Woodson and Desmond Howard in defeating the Buckeyes in recent years, many a fan’s memories of the Michigan football program is reliant upon the presence of a competitive Ohio State team. And whether these fans realize it or not, the integrity that has been displayed by both schools over the years has brought the two schools closer, thus magnifying the importance of the rivalry on the field. Schools such as Michigan and Ohio State are in a unique fraternity, one that has preached winning with integrity and stressed the importance of promoting tradition, both athletically and academically. And as the big business aspect of college football has risen over the last twenty years, and seeds of corruption have been planted within it, many schools have preserved both their integrity and their success. To see one of these storied programs sink to a self-inflicted rock bottom should be no reason for any fan to celebrate.