Signing Day Extravaganza!

FINALLY! COACH DEUCE, HAS COME BACK TO NRTTS!



The hiatus has been long and fruitful, and I wasn't totally sure if/when I would make my return to the blogging universe.  With the unbelievable disappointment that has been Michigan basketball, there hasn't really been much to write about except recruiting rumors and NFL football.  While the NFL Playoffs are certainly a big deal, they just didn't motivate me enough to take time out of my day to write to my seven readers.

So what is it that finally makes me shake the dust off these fingers?  National Signing Day - aka Christmas in February.  When every college football fan gets to unwrap 20-25 different presents that they may come to cherish like a PS3 or disdain like the wool sweater your grandmother knits.  I searched for pictures of something that would epitomize what Signing Day meant, and I came across the one that adorns the top of this page.

Most of you probably remember the story of Kevin Hart, a mediocre offensive lineman that misled his entire school about his recruitment.  The high school rallied around this Steve Martikan/Miles Fabian-wannabe and packed the gym full for Kevin's announcement.  After some suspense, he chose the Cal hat over the Oregon hat.  The only problem is that neither school had ever heard of him.  Eventually his sham was found out, and he tucked his tail between his legs.  (Sidenote: Couldn't Andy Kardos have done this if he was a decent soccer player in high school?  Who is good at soccer in college?  UCLA? He could have publicly thanked Mrs. Hany for leading him in the right path before donning all kinds of gear for his new school - sleeves, hats, wristbands, headbands)  And this is what Signing Day has become - a spectacle.  A chance for high school seniors to play with the emotions of the most die-hard sports fans in the country.  No other sport has a following quite like NCAA Football.  It is a year round process, and the recruits get built up to icon-like status before they ever step foot on campus.

So that leads me to the meat of this post.  How did Michigan do?  Well, quite frankly, I feel they hit this recruiting class out of the park like a 1998 Mark McGwire facing a Jim Fouke batting practice fastball.

I will put every recruit into a classification of how I feel about them, but the few things stand out in my mind is the speed of the class and the amount of pure football players that were recruited.  I'm talking guys with instincts and savvy that Obi Ezeh can only dream about.  So without further ado, the 2009-2010 Michigan football recruiting class.

Headliners


QB - Devin Gardner
CB/S - Demar Dorsey


These will be the two guys that all the fans will talk about as the standout recruits of the class.  The QB position is always one that is spotlighted in recruiting, and Devin Gardner is a great fit for Rich Rod's offense.  He has great athletic tools to go along with solid passing skills.  However, in a perfect world he would not be forced into action right away.  The thing that stands out for me is Gardner's leadership skills.  He was a big-time factor in getting a lot of prospects to AA, and will be the leader of this team whenever he gets the chance to start behind center.

Dorsey, on the other hand, I expect to play RIGHT away.  He is the type of athlete in the defensive backfield that Michigan has not seen since ... Charles Woodson.  While guys like Marlin Jackson, Leon Hall, and Donovan Warren enjoyed outstanding careers at Michigan, none of them made plays like Woodson did.  Dorsey has that type of ability.  A reported 4.35 40 time, to go along with a 6'1 frame is a certified hard-on for Michigan fans that are tired of seeing the likes of Mike Williams and Jordan Kovacs roaming the secondary.  If he keeps his head on straight, he is a true difference maker.

The Football Players


When I say a kid is a "football player", I mean that he does his best work on the field, not on the combine circuit that feeds to the hype of players.  The leader of this group is PA CB Cullen "Buck Nasty" Christian.  The nickname says it all for CC; he is a competitor in every sense of the word.  He is ranked as the #3 CB by Scout.com, and should see some playing time as a freshman.

Along with CC, I consider OH DT Jibreel Black, FLA DT Richard Ash, LA S Carvin Johnson, LA WR Drew Dileo, OH WR Jerald Robinson as the more pure football players.

Black and Ash will likely see time on the DL.  Black seems to be a perfect fit at the RVB spot - a big DE that can rush the passer.  Ash is from Pahokee, the same HS as Tay Odoms, Vinny Smith, and Brandin Hawthorne, and if there is one thing we know about them it is that they will not back down from anyone.

Johnson and Dileo can be classified as sleepers, but both show great instincts on film that tells me they are smart football players.

Robinson is a play-making WR that was the best at the 2009 Michigan Football Summer Camp.  Definitely a step up from Laterryal  Savoy.

Back-bone Guys


These are guys that become the back-bone of your team.  They may not necessarily be stars, but they contribute and have great attitudes to go along with that.

No one epitomizes this better than FLA/MI WR Ricardo Miller.  Michigan fans were excited about Ricardo before last year, and that was confirmed when he committed early, and then moved from FLA to AA to help with recruiting.  The kid bleeds Maize and Blue, and is someone I'm proud to have wearing the winged helmet.  He also is a very talented WR, who has great size and body control when going up for the ball.

OH OG/C Christian Pace is another back-bone guy in the mold of David Molk.  He is considered to be undersized, but in Rich Rod's scheme that is not a bad thing.  He will certainly need to get bigger, but he will have time to develop under Coach Barwis' strength program and be a solid contributor before all is said and done.

MI WR/TE Jeremy Jackson is the son of RB Coach Freddy Jackson.  Jeremy has taken a bit of flack for just being a "coaches son", but anyone that has seen him speaks of a player that is still growing.  Already at 6'3-210, he could very well grow into a TE at the next level.

The OH trio of Terrance and Terry Talbott (way to go, parents - you guys suck), and CB Courtney Avery make three guys that really will help each other succeed.  Of the three, Avery is my pick to contribute most as he did everything for his high school.  This was his first year at CB, and he excelled there.

The last backbone guy is MI RB Austin White.  White is a bit of a mystery to me.  Early on, he was a consensus Top-3 guy in the state of Michigan.  His momentum cooled a bit in his senior year, so I'm not sure what to think.  He enrolled early, and that always helps to get a step up on the competition.  By all accounts, he is a great receiver out of the backfield, which is always a weapon that can be utilized.

The Athletes


To me, these are the most exciting players in this class.  They are loaded with potential, and if they develop correctly, could end up being some of the stars of this class.

FLA S/LB Marvin Robinson already has a college-ready type body at 6'1-205.  The question is whether or not he will keep growing into a LB, or if he will stay at this size and remain at safety.  There is a need for both, and if there is one thing that people describe Robinson as it is ALL BUSINESS.  That is what I like to hear for my defensive players.  He will definitely play somewhere this fall.

MD S/LB Josh Furman is probably the best athlete in the class.  He runs a reported 4.3 in the 40, and has some amazing RB film out there.  He was recruited on the defensive side of the ball, where he will have to learn to harness his speed into making plays on the other side of the ball.  At 200-205 and 6'1, he definitely has the room to get bigger and stronger.  The only question is at what position will he line up?

PA DE Kenny Wilkens and OH DE Davion Rogers are both guys that are looked at as great athletes at the DE position.  Rogers is in the mold of a James Hall-type at 6-3.  He will have to put on some weight and strength, but the old "hot-word" motor is always thrown around with him.  Rogers is a Shawn Crable-like athlete that checks in at 6-6-205.  He will definitely have to redshirt to put some weight on, but he has athletic gifts that cannot be taught.

P Will Hagerup is 6'4-215, and he played TE and DE for his high school team.  If he gives us 4/5th of what Zoltan did, I will be happy.  Also, with his athleticism he may have run for the first down against Michigan State instead of getting tackled.

OH WR DJ Williamson hails from the same high school as Mario Manningham (as does Davion Rogers), and Williamson is a speed burner.  Off the top of my head, I believe he was 1st or 2nd in the Ohio D1 100m dash last year.  If he can harness that speed on to the football field he could be a real threat.

To me, the most intriguing prospect out of this group will be SC QB/WR Conelius (yes, Conelius - again, way to go parents) Jones.  With Gardner coming in, Jones is often the forgotten man.  He attended the 2009 Summer Camp, and impressed coaches with his athletic ability.  He played some WR at the camp, and was very impressive.  That being said, don't count him out at QB.  You never know when the 5* guys will pan out and when the 3* guys turn into studs.

The Sleepers - aka 3 White Guys (and a black guy)


These are guys that are not very heralded.  However, this staff is known for digging out some diamonds in the rough to find football players. (Pat White, Steve Slaton, Vince Smith, Patrick Omameh)

Leading this class is OH LB Jake Ryan.  He hails from powerhouse Cleveland St. Ignatius, and was not even rated coming into his senior year because of being hurt the previous year.  This year, many feel he outplayed the higher ranked and OH State commit Sean McVeigh on his own team.  LB is definitely a place of need for the Wolverines, so a guy like Ryan can really fit in here.

OH DB Ray Vinopol is very much like Ryan.  He hails from powerhouse Youngstown Cardinal Mooney, and was one of the key components on their state title team.  He is a very explosive athlete (despite being white), and he has all the requisite white boy features (smart, smallish, ugly).  He will at least be a special teams contributor, and could definitely crack the safety rotation.

TX RB Stephen Hopkins is not very heralded, but he can be a contributor for one reason - size.  At 215 lbs, he can be the short yardage/goal line back that Michigan does not have on the roster.  He is an early enrollee, so he will get a chance to show his stuff in spring practice.

PA ATH Jordan Paskorz is hard to project at the college level.  He could be anywhere from a DE to a DT to an ILB.  He is a definite red-shirt candidate, so he will get a chance to develop strength before finding a permanent position.

FINAL OUTLOOK


This is a definite positive step in the right direction for the Michigan program.  Coupled with last years class, the Wolverines will begin to have scholarship depth (so long, Will Heineger) along all positions.  With another great class next year, Michigan will be on the road to some huge things.  Of course, this all depends on the team going at least 8-4.  If not, it will be so long to Rich Rod and then things will start back over.

Oh, and PS - Haha to the Buckeyes who lost out on Seantrel Henderson AND Jordan Hicks.  The rich did not get as rich as usual this year.  By no means a bad class or even an average class, but they struck out on some big names.  More money for Pryor, I guess.

Good to be back, and as always ---

NRTTS!
Coach Deuce