I head this section as is partly in jest, but also partly in emphasizing the opportunity that the Michigan staff has within the state of Michigan in 2012. I'll cover this in depth from other angles later, but I feel as if the stars will align for Brady Hoke in 2011 and he will get all of the proverbial bounces in a number of facets. The depth of talent in Michigan in the 2012 class on the defensive side of the ball, namely in Danny O'Brien, James Ross, Terry Richardson, and Royce Jenkins-Stone, is one factor that sets up well for Hoke in the coming months. Let's look at one leg of the Big Four in detail.
6'3" 282 lbs.
Defensive Tackle
Flint Powers Catholic
O'Brien will likely be the most difficult to sign of the poorly-coined-by-me Big Four from Michigan's standpoint and could very well be the most important signing of 2012 when all is said and done, which is why we'll discuss him first. There isn't any free video on O'Brien available as of now, unfortunately (and I don't have any premium accounts so I haven't seen any film either). According to Scout, O'Brien had 90 tackles and nine sacks in 2010 as a junior and he reports offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Syracuse and Tennessee. Now some of you may be asking, "Say, that isn't that impressive of an offer sheet," and I would agree, however, O'Brien is a special case in that he already has two distinct leaders, both top programs, in the pursuit of his signing, those being Tennessee and Michigan. Namely, O'Brien has made it clear via the recruiting sites and TomVH that Tennessee is his overall leader. He's been to Knoxville on multiple occasions before, both to camp and as a visitor, and according to Rivals he'll be down there again next week. Tennessee has had recent success in Michigan, with the signings of Darris Sawtelle, an offensive tackle from the 2007 class, and with wide receiver DeAnthony Arnett who is part of their 2011 class. O'Brien will be a tough player to pull away from UT (that's right Texas fans, I just did that), but you have to like Michigan's chances.
For starters, there is unlikely to be any competition with the likes of MSU or tOSU for O'Brien's signature, simply because of the lack of interest that he's shown in anyone other than UM and Tennessee. Now, this doesn't mean that can't change (Anthony Zettel to Penn State, anyone?), but for now, there's no evidence pointing to anywhere other than Ann Arbor and Knoxville. Secondly, Greg Mattison. Not only has Mattison been coined as the best recruiter in the country by Urban Meyer, and "legendary" by Jesse Palmer (hair gel, just saying), but Mattison will also go into the 2011 season as the most over-qualified coordinator in college football (yes, including you, Charlie Weis). To keep it short, when you've coached Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs and Haloti Ngata and you've won a national championship, you can expect to have some pull when recruiting. I would expect the coaching staff to go full force on O'Brien, to have him down for multiple games come fall, and for Hoke/Mattison to pull a "you're the next *insert great Baltimore player*" (we'll get to this when we look at Jenkins-Stone) on O'Brien.
Now, I mentioned O'Brien's importance, and I can't stress enough how vital he could ultimately be. Position wise, the other three from the Big Four (god it just sounds worse every time I type it) includes two linebackers and a cornerback. Michigan took four linebackers and five defensive backs in the 2011 class to accompany a swath of returning players at both positions. Those are two positions that aren't necessarily of need depth wise (talent wise is another story). Conversely, defensive tackle is a position that will be scarily slim come 2012, when only Terry Talbott, William Campbell, Richard Ash and Quinton Washington, none of whom has yet to prove himself, will return. Michigan will be returning to a 4-3 defense under Hoke, which means two defensive tackles in every class will be a goal, and the staff will likely look to sign at least three to four DTs in the 2012 class (we'll look at other prospects in the coming days). O'Brien is a talent that the state of Michigan doesn't see all too often, and for him to be on the cards at the same time that Michigan desperately needs a player like him is too good to pass up. The coaching staff will surely see this (right?), and it's one of many positive sells the coaching staff will be able to make to O'Brien and I think it will definitely factor into his decision, whether he chooses to go to Michigan, Tennessee, or somewhere else entirely.
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