Michigan's Recruiting Class (So Far)

Hey Big Ten fans, with National signing day coming to a close, we have learned a few things and found out where some big name players are going. The one thing we have not learned is where Terrell Pryor is going, and who knows when and where he will end up.

According to mgoblue.com (Michigan's official website) this is where the 2008 recruiting class stands:

Player	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Hometown (High School)
Ricky Barnum	OL	6-2	265	Lakeland, Fla. (Lake Gibson)
Boubacar Cissoko	DB	5-9	175	Detroit, Mich. (Cass Technical)
Mike Cox	RB	6-0	206	Dorchester, Conn. (Avon Old Farms)
Justin Feagin	QB	6-0	190	Deerfield, Fla. (American Heritage)
J.B. Fitzgerald	LB	6-3	230	Princeton Junction, N.J. (West Windsor Plainsboro)
J.T. Floyd	DB	6-0	190	Greenville, S.C. (J.L. Mann)
Taylor Hill	LB	6-2	205	Youngstown, Ohio (Cardinal Mooney)
Rocko Khoury	OL	6-5	280	Traverse City, Mich. (Traverse City West)
Kevin Koger	TE	6-4	220	Toledo, Ohio (Whitmer)
Mike Martin	DL	6-2	285	Redford, Mich. (Catholic Central)
Elliott Mealer	OL	6-6	280	Wauseon, Ohio (Wauseon)
Brandon Moore	TE	6-6	221	Trotwood, Ohio (Trotwood-Madison)
Patrick Omameh	OL	6-4	260	Columbus, Ohio (St. Francis DeSales)
Dann O'Neill	OL	6-7	295	Grand Haven, Mich. (Grand Haven)
Terrence Robinson	ATH	5-9	170	Klein, Texas (Oak)
Roy Roundtree	WR	6-0	154	Trotwood, Ohio (Trotwood-Madison)
Michael Shaw	ATH	6-0	185	Trotwood, Ohio (Trotwood-Madison)
Brandon Smith	DB	6-3	210	New Brunswick, N.J. (New Brunswick)
Darryl Stonum	WR	6-3	185	Stafford, Texas (Dulles)
Kurt Wermers	OL	6-5	260	Crown Point, Ind. (Crown Point)
Marcus Witherspoon	LB	6-2	225	Atlantic City, N.J. (Holy Spirit)

That stands at 21 commits. Missing are Kenny Demens a LB, he had a funeral today and just has not been able to fax in his LOI. Long Snapper George Morales has not sent his LOI in yet, there is some speculation that he may grayshirt so his Scholarship doesn't count for this semester. Michigan will not have to worry about these two players wavering.

Obviously one big Michigan verbal commit is missing from that list, Youtube sensation RB Sam McGuffie. There have been rumors that McGuffie is also now looking at Cal and TAMU. The speculation is that he will in the end be at Michigan, but there is some need for concern. For what its worth Tom Beaver (recruiting guru) thinks McGuffie will end up a wolverine.

Of course Terrelle Pryor is not on that list, nor is he on anyone's list. Will he end up at UM? My guess is no, I really think PSU is coming on strong and that Pryor will either end up in Happy Valley or in Columbus. Michigan fans would be much happier with Pryor not going to Michigan as long as he doesn't end up at OSU.

Thats all for now, but once McGuffie situation gets sorted out, and the last LOIS get sent in I will provide a much more detailed post analyzing the impact the recruits will have on the 2008 season.

-JHS, Michigan correspondent

And down the stretch they come..

With signing day less than a week away I thought I'd take a look at the handful of prospects Ohio State is still in the running for.

Terrelle Pryor - Jeanette PA (QB) - Not many people have heard of this 6'6" quarterback from Western Pennsylvania but some experts say he's pretty good, even drawing comparisons to Vince Young. While he's still considering Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon and Penn State it likely comes down to the Buckeyes and Wolverines. While Michigan offers immediately playing time in the end I believe he winds up in Columbus because of his relationship with several Buckeye recruits, his comfort level with the Ohio State coaching staff and the chance to run a more pass oriented offense.

Keith Wells - Gainesville GA (DE) - The Buckeyes have done well in Georgia the last few years landing safety Anderson Russell, quarterback Antonio Henton and defensive lineman Cameron Heyward. Tennessee and Ohio State are in Wells' top 2 and he's scheduled to make an official visit to Notre Dame this weekend. Wells speaks glowingly of Jim Tressel and he's aware of Ohio State's need for defensive ends. His speed would be a great asset to a Buckeye defense looking to replace future 1st round draft pick Vernon Gholston. In the end I believe Wells chooses the Buckeyes.

Josh Jenkins - Parkersburg WV (OG) - A one time West Virginia verbal commitment for some time now Jenkins has been thought to be the final piece of "Block O" along with fellow offensive linemen Mike Brewster, Mike Adams and JB Shugarts. Jenkins gave high marks to Florida State after a recent official visit and has a great relationship with former Mountaineer and current FSU O-line coach Rick Trickett. West Virginia is still a contender and the Mountaineers and Noles have more favorable depth charts. It's anyone's guess where Jenkins ends up however I don't think it will be Columbus.

Brandon Harris - Miami FL (CB) - Harris is one of the better corners in the country. While he had a very nice official visit to Columbus earlier in the year and says he's still considering the Buckeyes most people feel like he stays home and plays for the hometown Hurricanes. I don't disagree.

Orhian Johnson - Gulfport (FL) (ATH) - Johnson has visited Ohio State, Indiana and South Florida. While he could end up on either side of the ball the Buckeye staff has stated they would like him to play DB in Columbus. There was a question about whether Johnson had an official offer but a recent in-home visit from Jim Tressel erased any doubt. In the end I believe he stays in state and plays for the USF Bulls.

Most recruiting services list Ohio State's class somewhere among the top 10 in the nation. If the Buckeyes don't land any of these remaining prospects they will still have a great 2008 class. Sprinkle in talents like Terrelle Pryor and Keith Wells they will make a run for the top spot in the nation.

Go Bucks!

-KB, Ohio State correspondent

PSU's lack of recruiting prowess isn't entirely the fault of JoePa

Alright, alright, I too have jumped on the Terrelle Pryor-mania bandwagon. But as NLOID approaches, where he and all the other top recruits will be playing their college ball is all people can talk about. As your Penn State correspondent, I’ve been wondering to myself “Why on earth is Terrelle Pryor, the best prospect coming out of the state of Pennsylvania, not seriously interested in his home state’s massive state university?” Well, regardless of what some of you might think, the problem lies with more than just the Head Coach.

Sure, JoePa’s “prehistoric” playing-calling is a problem for attracting new recruits, especially one comfortable with the spread offensive like Pryor is. But with Darryl Clark’s performance in the Alamo Bowl, we have seen that the Penn State coaching staff is not adverse to a running quarterback. This is confirmed further by Penn State Offensive Coordinator Jay Paterno, the son of Head Coach Joe Paterno and most likely the 81 year old’s successor, announcing Penn State's desire to run the “Spread HD”, hoping to both pass and run for over 200 yards per game.

So, I can hear you all saying, “get to the point, Phil! What’s the other reason already!?” Well, as I was going on my college tours and other tour members were asking questions like “How many students are there?” or “What about this school made you decide to attend?” I, being the obsessed college football fan, asked “Who is your biggest rival in sports?” From Texas, I got the answer “Oklahoma, we hate them.” From Michigan: “If you have to ask that question, you don’t deserve to come to Michigan.” And from USC I got “UCLA.” And these aren't one-sided rivalries, either. Michigan, USC, and Texas are the biggest rivals of Ohio State, UCLA, and Oklahoma, respectively, as well. And if you think about it, that's what truly makes a rivalry great.

It was when I went on the tour at Penn State that I discovered that there was something lacking. When I asked my question to the Nittany Lion tour guides, they couldn’t give me a straight answer. Some said that it used to be Pitt, but we don’t play them anymore. Some said that it’s Ohio State, and some said that it is Michigan or Michigan State. But if you asked all of those schools, not one of them would say that Penn State was their main rival.

College football, to the kids that are playing it, is not about corporate sponsorships or TV contracts; it’s about winning your rivalry game and having bragging rights for an entire year. I can understand that not having a rival may be a big issue to some kids, especially when the greatest rivalry in the entire country, Ohio State-Michigan, is in the same conference as Penn State.

That being said, we can't forget the problem of JoePa’s style of offense. He has not evolved with the game, and still runs the same offense that won him two national championships…back in the ‘80s. LSU doesn’t have a major rival either, but they have coaches that have evolved with the game and know how to recruit players. JoePa simply hasn’t and doesn’t, and refuses to quit doing what he is doing, even if it means mediocrity in both the conference and the nation.

Penn State won me over with the academics and the student pride, but if I was a top football recruit, I would be looking at the Michigans and the Ohio States, not Penn State. To get Penn State back to the top, JoePa has to realize that the game has changed, and so must he. Or, he has to leave behind the program that he built, and is now in the process of destroying.

-Phil, Penn State Correspondent

Has anyone heard of a guy named "Terrelle Pryor"? No?

I hate to do it. I really do. Terrelle Pryor has been beat to death* in the media and on blogs all over the internet for the past few days.

One article, however, intrigued me enough to cover it here. It's a short article about why Pryor is such a big deal, and to save you from reading through the five paragraphs to find the two that I'm talking about, here is is:

Let me ask a few questions. Is Michigan football a big story? Is the Rich Rodriguez coaching transition a well-watched, well-analyzed affair? Does Rodriguez need a quarterback for his offense to run? Does Rodriguez currently have a quarterback that you trust to run the offense? Is Pryor the highest rated player in high school football? Has he been compared to Vince Young? And finally, has Michigan’s entire season ever been riding on whether or not one senior was committing to the program?

The answer to every one of those questions (except for maybe the last one) is an emphatic yes. So how could too much be made of Pryor’s choice?

Each one of those questions can be answered with "an emphatic yes"?

Let's tackle these one at a time, shall we?

Is Michigan football a big story?

Depends. If this was Northeastern New Mexico State and they were trying to land a big player that would really help them out, it wouldn't be such a huge deal, so I'll humor you. I wouldn't call it an 'emphatic yes', however.

Is the Rich Rodriguez coaching transition a well-watched, well-analyzed affair?

It's certainly a closely monitored affair, and many people talk and write about it, but it's absolutely not "well analyzed". The media has blown everything between Rich and WVU way out of proportion. Well analyzed would be "West Virginia says Rodriguez shredded documents, but who cares? They have like ten different copies of all the important stuff he shredded, and if they don't the AD looks worse than Rodriguez."

Does Rodriguez need a quarterback for his offense to run?

Well, yeah. Doesn't every football team?

Does Rodriguez currently have a quarterback that you trust to run the offense?

...? No? Not in the slightest? Is that what you meant by 'emphatic yes'?

Is Pryor the highest rated player in high school football?

Depends on who you talk to. Some say he's 2nd or 3rd, others say he's 5th or 6th. But in a few people's opinions he is. Sure.

Has he been compared to Vince Young?

Yes. Have I been compared to Johnny Depp? Why yes! Yes I have!**

And finally, has Michigan’s entire season ever been riding on whether or not one senior was committing to the program?

As you point out yourself, probably. But I don't think it is now. Pryor, at most, will mean the difference between a BCS Bowl and a regular bowl. Michigan does in fact (contrary to how some people are making it seem) have other quarterbacks on the roster, and even other dual threat quarterbacks that they're recruiting right now.

Like I said, I didn't want to do it, but he's the hot topic right now.

Who else wishes NLOID was tomorrow?


* I really hope this doesn't turn out like that Tiger Woods thing..
** "That Austin guy is no where near as cute as Johnny Depp."

Big Ten Buzz- 1/22/08

This'll be a quick one today, as not too much groundbreaking stuff has happened in the world of Big Ten football in the past 24 hours.

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Four days after his visit to Ann Arbor, DJ Woods (WR, Ohio) has committed to the University of Cincinnati:

UC today received an oral commitment from Strongsville (Ohio) High School wide receiver D.J. Woods, who picked the Bearcats over Michigan.

“They said I could make an impact right away,” Woods said. “That’s what I want to do.”

Yep, you read that right. With offers from the likes of Auburn, West Virginia, Penn State, and fresh off a visit to Ann Arbor, DJ Woods committed to Cincinnati. Because he could make an impact right away.. at Cincinnati.

Michigan just lost Adrian Arrington and Mario Manningham to the draft, and just acquired a coach that loves the spread offense. West Virginia just won a BCS Bowl and is starting play in the post-Rodriguez era. Penn State is looking to make a serious dent in the Big Ten next season.

But he could make an impact right away at Cincinnati, so he decided to commit there. The team that went 4-3 in the Big East.

Cincinnati.

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That's it for tonight. If anyone is interested in any of the nine openings that are left (everyone besides Michigan and Penn State), please leave a comment or send me an e-mail at blog10football@gmail.com