NEVER TOO EARLY 2013 RECRUITING CLASS SHAPING UP

I really thought he limited Denard to run, in order to save his body and legs...The injuries hampered him, but he looked great versus ohio.  Although it drove me mad at times, I liked it...You could see the fear in ohios faces when our guys "ounched them in the mouth"..They hadnt seen it since RR got to town. We manhandled them, and the amount of guys carried off proved it!

GO BLUE!!!

I like watching the spread offense in college football, but after looking back at RR's tenure I rather it be someone else running it... leave it for Hawaii, Tulsa, WVU, Oregon, Northwestern and other teams running different variations of it...  I am looking forward to going back to tall qb's with cannon arms, to huge and overwhelming offensive lines, to power backs, to big receivers running NFL routes, to dominant defenses... watching Baylor and Washington play that game made me happy that it wasn't us.

I am looking forward to going back to tall qb's with cannon arms, to huge and overwhelming offensive lines, to power backs, to big receivers running NFL routes, to dominant defenses

AMEN!

Im all for scoring points, but winning 71-69 is a littl unfullfilling.

I am looking forward to going back to tall qb's with cannon arms, to huge and overwhelming offensive lines, to power backs, to big receivers running NFL routes, to dominant defenses

AMEN!

Too far ahead for me. I am going to enjoy DRob run the ball this year. He is something special that would have crazy good if he was still in RR's offense. Just hope we don't have to watch him put the ball in the air too much.

He is something special that would have crazy good if he was still in RR's offense.

would he still be alive if he ran RR's offense?

would he still be alive if he ran RR's offense?

Alive, yes. With both legs? Maybe.

I don't understand why a team can't run a spread offense and have a smash-mouth defense. Is it the mentality of the head coach?

I don't understand why a team can't run a spread offense and have a smash-mouth defense. Is it the mentality of the head coach?


There are so many variations of the spread but when it comes to RR one thing has always been obvious....he recruits the offensive side of the ball first and gets defense second. That was the rumored reason Casteel didn't come with RR to A2. A falling out and they only rejoined in Arizona after RR realized he can't find anyone to run the 3-3-5 like Casteel, plus Casteel and Holgerson had some friction if you believe what you read on WVU threads.


UofM does not have the season they had with RR as coach. No defense and D Rob would have been exposed to alot more punishment. If D Rob is forced to pass we cringe but it did limit the times he was hit.


Hoke spent alot of time recruiting the trenches and defense. I think we will see alot more of this. A good line will make a 3 star rb look better than a poor line with a 5 star rb. Can't wait to see this class O-line stack up against OSU D-Line in a few years! 

UofM does not have the season they had with RR as coach. No defense and D Rob would have been exposed to alot more punishment.

Agreed, but would their offense be better or not. I don't understand why RR didn't have a defensive philosophy. Either go big or go fast.
I mean, he did recruit on that side of the ball and with Michigan's name he should have been able to to attract at least very good talent. Was it all coaching, or lack thereof?

I mean, he did recruit on that side of the ball and with Michigan's name he should have been able to to attract at least very good talent. Was it all coaching, or lack thereof?

it boils down to 3 things...

1) idiotic decisions with defensive coaches and schemes (not bringing Casteel, fighting with Shafer, hiring GR, 3-3-5...)

2) insane attrition rate (injuries, transfers, flameouts)

3) ignoring the trenches (on both sides of the ball)

I still say RR was doomed a few uears ago when he had 2 DTs decommit on signing day. He allotted only so much resources to defense and when they decommitted it really left the front seven in disrray.


 But thats just rehashing the last 4 years of open sores. I think Borges will bring the offense even further towards the traditional West Coast Style this year. I would think Fitz will get a big work load this year. When this team does transition away from D Rob I would guess that Borges and Hoke will keep some aspects of the spread and incorporate it into their scheme. 


The best offense I ever saw the Wolverines run was in Lloyd's last game against Florida. It was a hybrid spread-drop back and it really looked good. But then again any offense with Henne, Manningham, Arrington, and Long would look pretty good. 

The best offense I ever saw the Wolverines run was in Lloyd's last game against Florida. It was a hybrid spread-drop back and it really looked good. But then again any offense with Henne, Manningham, Arrington, and Long would look pretty good.      

That is what I had wanted to see for so long.   We had the talent to do it for quite a while.  The fact other schools were doing it with great success...

Carr was a great Michigan Coach.  Like so many great coaches, they stick to what they know, even if it no longer works as good as it used to.

 
I don't have a problem with a "if it's not broke, don't fix it" mantra, however if something can be tweaked, modified...  I realize that wouldn't have solved the defensive woes, but being able to score like that...   


           

Feb. 9: Updating "Winter Watch" List - with planned visits

 

"Winter Watch" List:

 

Will visit Fri Feb 10 (will he commit?) (1) 2013 WR Jaron Dukes 6-5/200 Columbus (Marion-Franklin). U-M has always been his favorite school.*offer

Will visit Sat Feb 18 (2) 2013 TE Jake Butt 6-6/225 Pickerington OH (North). *offer. OSU, ND game visits. Michigan leads big early early

Will visit Feb 17-18 2013 WR/RB/Ath James Onwualu 6-1/185 St. Paul Cretin Durham ... and ... he wants to decide in the spring - maybe early-spring. And U-M is in a "top-3-type' position with him.

(4) 2013 DE Taco Charlton 6-6/240 Pickerington OH (Central). *offer ND game visit.

(5) as far as 2013 CB Jourdan Lewis 5-9/175 Det Cass Tech. *offer  He may well try to wait a while ... but ... he might also get 'pushed' ...

+++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++ 

Repeating this post as well: BTW, it does not look like U-M plans on a Junior Day (or Junior Days) this winter (thru March) ... they will keep bringing kids in each weekend, individually or in small groups.

Visits keep piling up the next two weekends ... four this weekend (will Dukes be "hot?") ... and up to at least four next weekend (both Butt and Onwaulu wiil be 'watch-listed' as well, just in case)
(Chris Fox will be at both MSU and U-M this weekend ... Kyle Bosch will hit ND, MSU and U-M next weekend)
Dukes, Butt and Onwaulu are all "Winter Watch kids."

BTW, I more-n-more like the non-Junior-Day "a few at a time" approach - in fact I wonder if this is U-M getting ahead of the recruiting-curve again and if it'll set a trend.  It makes these weekend a little more like official-visit weekends, especially for "Winter Watch" kids.

For those worried about early-recruiting somehow -- in the North there is a lack of supply of kids, and high demand -- so the smart staffs recruit early-and-hard ... U-M invented early recruiting back in the 90's, and IMO this is a new stage of it. Late-recruiting gets nastier, with more SEC-schools (and SEC-recruiting) entering in, etc. - which is tougher for U-M to contend against.

++++++++++++

All Visits Future-Past: http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=162&f=1088& t=8327035

Feb 10-12 Weekend:
-- (Friday) -- 2013 WR Jaron Dukes 6-5/200 Columbus (Marion-Franklin). U-M has always been his favorite school.*offer Will visit Friday, Feb 10 (will he commit?)
-- 2013 OL Chris Fox 6-4/275 Parker CO. Both parents are from MI, has family in MI. Lists Colorado, Michigan, Purdue, Ohio State, Iowa. *offer Feb. 12 visit (Illinois game).2011 Camp

-- 2013 OT Logan Tuley-Tillman 6-7/275 Peoria IL (Manual). U-M leads early, with Bama. He has family in Michigan. *offer . Visited Feb. 5, will be back the 12th (Illinois game) with his mom. 
Jan 8 hoops game. OSU, NEB game visits. Lists Michigan and Alabama as leading over Ohio State, Notre Dame, Wisconsin
-- 2013 WR/DB Laquon Treadwell 6-3/190 Crete-Monee IL. *offer Feb 11 visit. ND game, NEB game, BHBBQ visit. Early leaders: Ohio State, Nebraska, Michigan, and Tennessee

-- 2014 OL Andy Bauer 6-5/285 St. Louis DeSmet. He already has offers from Missouri, Arkansas, Boston College, and Miami. (http://michigan.scout.com/a.z?...amp;nid=5686783). There is family in Michigan that's Michigan fans.

Feb 17-18 weekend
-- 2013 OL Ethan Pocic 6-6/265 Lemont IL. Feb. 18 OSU game visit. '11 ND game visit.
-- 2013 OL Kyle Bosch 6-5/280 Wheaton IL (St. Francis). ND game visit. *offer Feb. 18 OSU game visit(http://michigan.scout.com/2/1156221
.html)

-- 2013 WR/RB/Ath James Onwualu 6-1/185 St. Paul Cretin Durham. His leaders: Stanford (offer), Notre Dame, Michigan (offer), Michigan State (offer) and Florida. *offer Mid-Feb Visit (double-checking Feb 17-18) ... early-spring decision. (http://michigan.scout.com/2/1156415
.html)
-- 2013 DE Jake Butt 6-6/220 Pickerington OH (Central). Feb. 18 OSU game visit. OSU, ND game visits.

Planned Winter/Spring Visits:

-- 2013 RB Ty Isaac 6-2/215 Joliet IL. *offer March Visit. Jan 14, '12, Purdue game, BHBQ visits. U-M and ND are early leaders.
-- 2013 DL Henry Poggi 6-3/245 Baltimore MD (Gilman) *offer. Will visit in winter '12. '11 Purdue game, Aug 8 visits. U-M and Bama battle early.
-- 2013 TE Adam Breneman 6-5/225 Camp Hill PA (Cedar Cliff). Will visit in winter '12. *offer
-- 2013 LB Shane Jones 6-1/215 Cinci Moeller *offer spring visit
-- 2013 DE/OT Wyatt Teller 6-5/260 Bealeton (VA) Liberty - *offer spring visit

Crete-Monee (Ill.) junior WR Laquon Treadwell has added new offers, two that he is going to give a hard look at.
Laquon Treadwell is one of the nation's elite wide receiver prospects and he added two more BCS offers today when USC and Ohio Statecame to the table.

"Ohio State offered me when I was at school," he said. "I didn't get a chance to talk to Coach Meyer. They were looking for him, but they actually couldn't find him."

Despite that, the 6'2, 190-lb junior is excited the Buckeyes are on board.

"I think it's great. It's a great school. I watched them when I was little, so I'm really looking forward to getting down there and visiting them. March 4th, that weekend, I'll be going down there."

USC is a little farther away, but Treadwell says distance will not be a factor in his decision, and he knows plenty about the Trojan tradition on the offensive side of the ball.

"It's pretty great. I watched them when Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart were there, so I'm really excited to get an offer from USC. If I get a chance, I'd love to get out there to California."

As for upcoming visits, Treadwell, who just returned from Illinois, has a pair in the Great Lakes State this weekend.

"[I'm visiting] Michigan and Michigan Statethis weekend."

Jersey City (NJ) St. Peters Prep, CB Tre Bell had been steadily building an impressive scholarship tally this winter, but had been admittedly hoping to add Michigan to his list. That hope was fulfilled last weekend when the Maize & Blue verbally offered him. Bell recently chatted with GoBlueWolverine about his interest in Michigan, his favorites, his decision timeline, and more.

---

**Note: This interview was conducted Thursday February 9th, a few days BEFORE Bell received his Michigan offer.**

Sam Webb: Michigan is a school that  seems to be turning up the heat on you. Have they offered you a scholarship yet?

Tre Bell: “No, but I’ve been talking to Coach Mallory a lot though.”

Sam Webb: So when did things start picking up between you two?

Tre Bell: “We first started talking, I would say, like, January 20th… around then.”

Sam Webb: So what’s your vibe like with Coach Mallory?

Tre Bell: “He’s great. We talked about the Super Bowl; he asked me how school is going; told me to call him; we talked a little bit. He’s a good guy. I want to get to know him a little bit better.”

Sam Webb: Take me back to your season.  How did it go for you on the football field?

Tre Bell: “I had 36 tackles, three interceptions, ten pass breakups, two force fumbles…”

Sam Webb: Give me your updated height, weight and 40 time… then kind of give me a scouting report on yourself. What do we see when we see you on the football field?

Tre Bell: “I’m 5-11, 170 lbs., and run a 4.5. When you see me on the football field, you see an aggressive, smart corner. I play well on the ball; good ball skills. Good speed and tackling; I come up to hit you.”

Sam Webb: Is there a player in the pros that you kind of compare yourself to?

Tre Bell: “Antonio Cromartie and Joe Haden.”

Sam Webb: Now as far as Michigan is concerned, you said that you’ve been talking to Coach Mallory a lot. Does it seem like to you that they’re close to offering you a scholarship?

Tre Bell: “Yeah, I think they’re getting pretty close.”

Sam Webb: So what schools have offered you scholarships at this point?

Tre Bell: “At this point I have six. I have South Carolina, Wisconsin, Central Florida, South Florida, West Virginia, and Vanderbilt.”

Sam Webb: Now are any of those schools your favorite at this point?

Tre Bell: “South Carolina is a favorite, but if Michigan was to offer, they would be up there as well.”

Sam Webb: Give me a general idea of what you know about Michigan at this point.

Tre Bell: “Well, I know they’re not afraid to start freshman corners. They have Blake Countess starting. I watched him play against Virginia Tech. I know they produce great players, and their players go to the league as well. Tom Brady is one of the best quarterbacks in the game right now. I know they have a good history. I definitely want to get to know more about them.”

Sam Webb: What are going to be the biggest factors in your choice when you make it?

Tre Bell: “School first… academics is first, honestly. Where do you take me after football? I need a backup plan. What has a better chance of getting me a good job when I’m done? That, and my feeling with the coaches; see if they’re going to be stable there all my four years, and after that, early playing time.”

Sam Webb: Do you have any plans on making it out to Michigan for a visit?

Tre Bell: “Not yet, but I’m definitely going to see if I can get up there.”

Sam Webb: What about timeline? You have six offers on the table; I’m sure more will be coming. Do you have kind of a set time frame in your mind about when you want to have a decision made?

Tre Bell: “Probably before next season.”

Sam Webb: Earlier you said South Carolina is a favorite.  Does that mean distance from home is not going to be a big deal for you?

Tre Bell: “Not too much, no.”

Stay tuned to GoBlueWolverine for more from Tre Bell and where things stand in the aftermath of his Michigan offer in the coming days.

Another stud who is looking to be a Wolverine. Waiting on a Dukes committ shortly. UofM is really taken the talent out of ohio.

DonW 4-6  I see that Jordan Wilkins 6'205 lb RB from Cordova Tenn./Saint Benedict was offered.  Do you have anything on him.

Michigan sat atop Columbus (OH) Marion-Franklin WR Jaron Dukes’ leaderboard before he visited Ann Arbor for the first time today. Upon leaving it was abundantly clear that their standing is even stronger coming out of it.

Prior to making his way to Ann Arbor earlier today, Jaron Dukes had a vision that was Michigan. After arriving he found that his imagination didn’t quite live up to the real thing.

“It went great,” Dukes said excitedly.  “I saw everything… the facilities, academic programs… just everything!  It was everything I expected it to be plus more.  I thought the town was going to be very small, but it’s not that small.  I liked it… I liked it a lot!”

Flanked by his parents, Dukes also had ample opportunity to chat with the coaches during the day.  That allowed the two sides to improve upon an already strong rapport.

“The vibe with Coach Heck was really good,” he said regarding Michigan’s receivers coach.  “It was a very positive vibe. I could tell that he really cares about the players and not just about them being athletes.  He really cares.  He takes education very seriously.  I think that if you’re a student athlete that he is a great coach to go to.”

“Coach Montgomery is real cool,” added Dukes regarding his primary recruiter.  “He has fun, but he is also serious as the same time.  He is about business, but he knows how to have a good time and knows how to make you feel welcome.”

Speculation was rampant that this lifelong Michigan fan would pledge to the Maize & Blue while on campus today.  Despite being blown away by the experience and reiterating that Michigan’s status as his definitive leader, Dukes stopped short of offering his commitment.

“(The coaches) just wanted me to get a feel for the school, make sure it’s okay, make sure that I am happy, and that Michigan has what I’m looking for in a school,” he stated.  “I want to take my time and enjoy the colleges and make sure wherever I choose to go is the best place for me and that’s where God wants me to be.”

With his first visit to Michigan now behind him, the Buckeye State standout’s tentative plan calls for him to visit a few other campuses in the coming weeks and months.

Said Dukes, “Right now I think I might visit Cincinnati, West Virginia, and I might make it to Indiana.  I’m not sure, really. I have to consult with my family. (With each of his suitors) I’ll be looking at the relationship with the coaches, academics, and how can I benefit as a player and as a person.”

DonW 4-6  I see that Jordan Wilkins 6'205 lb RB from Cordova Tenn./Saint Benedict was offered.  Do you have anything on him.

I havent seen a UofM offer yet....Sounds like he like Vols though.







Derek Dooley and his coaching staff are still searching for big-time play makers in the Tennesseebackfield, but there might be one in their home state come 2013.

Cordova, Tenn., native Jordan Wilkins is already considered by some to be one of top athletes in the state of Tennessee for the 2013 class and is definitely thought of as the top athlete in the Memphisarea.

“It is great to be one of the top players in Memphis, but it comes with some drama too,” Wilkins said. “I am blessed to be one of the top players around here, but it puts some pressure on you when you are playing your games. There are people that are there to watch and people hating on you. You just have to bring you best every game.”

The 6-foot-1, 198-pounder currently holds offers from Tennessee, Memphis, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Purdue, Mississippi State, Arkansas State and Middle TennesseeState.

Wilkins and St. Benedict at Auburndale closed out their season with a first-round loss to Father Ryan, but Wilkins was a dynamic weapon for his team racking up just shy of 1,700 yards and 25 touchdowns.

“As a team we started out good,” Wilkins said. “We started off 5-0 and then we started to fall apart. We did good, played well together at first and then we started breaking apart. We ended the season at 6-4. It wasn’t a terrible season, but it wasn’t as good as we were hoping for.

“I thought I could have done a little better towards the end. I got a little worn out running so much, but I thought I did good.”

With a host of smaller blockers ahead of him Wilkins will now shift his focus to the weight room while participating in basketball this winter to bulk up for next year’s football season.

“Definitely need to get in the weight room because we have never really had a really big offensive line, so being a bigger running back will help a lot,” he said. “I will be in the weight room and also try to work on my quickness a little bit.”

Wilkins plans to visit a few schools over the summer for different camps, including Tennessee, who first got a glimpse of the Memphis product at their camp in the summer of 2011 where he earned MVP honors.

“I went up to (Tennessee’s) camp last summer,” he said. “That was the first time they had talked to me and I got the MVP at that camp up in Knoxville. The offensive coordinator, Chaney, he was up there talking to me and I have a pretty good relationship with him.”

The campus was moving at a glacial pace when Wilkins stepped foot on Rocky Top, but he was still wowed by what Derek Dooley and the Volunteer coaching staff had to offer.

“It is a ways away from Memphis, but I liked it up there,” he said. “The campus was a little dead because I went there during the summer, but every campus you go to is going to be a little dead during the summer. The facilities are awesome and they are building that new training facility. That is going to be awesome. I really liked it up there a lot.”

While Wilkins referenced the 6-hour drive between Knoxville and his home he did say that distance would likely not play a factor in his recruitment.

Wilkins planned on visiting Tennessee during the season unofficially for the Vols match up with South Carolina, but was unable to make the game. Even still, he says the Vols are near the top of his list.

“Tennessee might end up as one of the top schools on my list,” he said. “I will probably go back up there this summer for that same camp that I went to last summer because I had a great time up there.”

Wilkins reports a 2.6 GPA, but his grades are on a steady uphill climb after nailing down a 3.6 average during his last quarter.

apparently Dukes started crying when he walked onto the field during his visit, now I don't want to speculate too much, but I think we are in very good shape with him... which is fine because we can easily take 3 WR's so Treadwell can still be the main target.

LTT's (latest) visit also went well and his mom told him that she wants him to play at Michigan... we're still going to have to beat Saban head to head for him... and getting blasted by Alabama on national television will not help the matter, but I am fairly confident because he has an aunt in AA and said it was a big deal to be closer to family.

Dukes has the bulid and speed to wear the #1 some day...Shane can make that happen too!

there are rumors out there that LTT, Isaac, and Treadwell could end up being a package deal... that would be quite the deal...

Don 4-6 I see that Demorea Stringfellow WR and Eddie Vanderdoes DT were offered and Jordan Wilkins is listed on ESPN as offered by Michigan.

I don't understand why a team can't run a spread offense and have a smash-mouth defense. Is it the mentality of the head coach?

I think the best example of a team having an excellent offense and defense would be the wishbone Oklahoma teams under Switzer in the 1970's, Florida St and Nebraska in the 1990's, and USC under Carroll 2006-2009... I know those USC teams always stumbled against some crappy Pac 10 team, but they were elite in my mind. 

Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.) junior FB Wyatt Shallman visited both Ohio State and Michigan State recently. How did those trips go? He filled us in on the latest.
Detroit Catholic Central's Wyatt Shallman is one of the top prospects in Michigan for the 2013 class, already collecting a handful of BCS offers. Recently, the 6'3, 250-lber, who is being recruited as a fullback, tailback and defensive lineman, depending on the school, visited two that he has offers from, starting with Ohio State.

"Ohio State was right at the end of January. It went great," Shallman said. "It was really really fun. We got lost on the way down, but eventualy found it, and it was a cool campus. The coaches are awesome. I really do like them. All the coaches know what they're talking about and I'm excited to see what do as a unit this year. They have one of the best coaches in college football, so the sky's the limit."

For the Buckeyes, Shallman would play multiple roles, and although those roles were discussed when he earned his offer, they talked about it again on his visit.

"Coach Meyer is kind of famous for using a movable back that can do everything, an H-Back. We talked about it and one play I'd be a running back, the next a tight end, moving around the field, which is great for me because I like to catch the ball, run routes, run the ball, block. It's really the best of all those worlds put into one postion."

Shallman's other offers are Michigan, Syracuse, Mississippi State, Cincinnati, and Michigan State, who he visited last weekend.

"That was really really fun. I got to bring two of my buddies along. We've been friends with since we moved to Michigan and they've always been State fans."

Shallman has visited the Spartans before and he says that, while there wasn't anything new necessarily, the visit was a positive one.

"They were just keeping me updated on where they're at and the things they're doing and asking what I'm doing. It was a chiller day at Michigan State. We just chilled around the football offices and then went to the basketball game. It wasn't too intense with recruiting. It was fun."

Right now, Shallman has no other visits scheduled, and has one real goal on his mind.

"I'm just working with my team and trying to get that ring for next year."