Recruiting Update

There has been some recent activity in the recruiting world as we near signing day.

It is being reported in the Detroit Free Press that Rich Rodriguez is making a trip down to Florida to visit four star quarterback recruit B.J. Daniels. The article also said that Daniels is coming up to Ann Arbor this weekend to visit the campus. Daniels would be a great backup plan if Pryor picks Ohio State over Michigan. It seems as though Michigan has a good chance at landing Daniels as "he jumped on the visit" to Michigan. Whether we get Pryor or not, it is critical to find someone who will fit into the spread system and Daniels fits that mold, throwing for 2,500 yards and 30 touchdowns as well as rushing for nearly 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns in his senior year at Lincoln High School. Rodriguez has said that he wants to bring in at least two quarterbacks with this recruiting class and either Pryor, Daniels, or both would be a great addition.

The Wolverines received their second commitment today since Rich Rodriguez was hired when J.T. Floyd, a three star cornerback, orally commited to play at Michigan. Floyd is a big commit because we are lacking depth in the secondary with our returning players.

I am guessing there will be more news on recruiting in the coming days. Until then, Go Blue!

I'm Finally Back

Sorry for the delay in posting. School and work have been taking up all of my time lately.

In case you haven't heard...

Mario Manningham has signed an agent and is entering the NFL draft. This comes as no surprise as it is believed that Super Mario will be a first round pick. This does leave Michigan with some questions at the wide receiver position with Greg Matthews being the only returning receiver with significant playing time last year.

Ryan Mallett has officially transferred to Arkansas. It was reported by the Free Press on Tuesday that Mallett had enrolled and was in classes Monday morning but the report was not officially confirmed until Thursday. Good luck to Ryan and his future in college football. It was a tough situation that he was put in and I think he made the right choice in leaving Michigan.

The guys suffered a tough loss Wednesday night at Illinois 75-57. They were just outmatched down low going against a much bigger front line in Shaun Pruitt and Brian Randle. DeShawn Sims was Mr. consistent as usual with 13 points and 5 rebounds. Manny Harris had a rough game against a good defensive team. He finished with 5 points on 2 of 7 shooting. The loss drops the Wolverines to 5-12 on the year and 1-4 in Big Ten play. They will look to turn things around on Saturday when they play host to Iowa.

Super athlete and top recruit Terrelle Pryor will be on the Michigan campus this weekend, making his official visit to Ann Arbor. Hopefully the coaching staff can convince him that Michigan is the right place for him to be.

These talks of Rich Rod being involved in a scandal is getting out of hand. That is why Rodriguez has finally addressed the media about what he calls a "smear campaign" by WVU and the media. Click here to view the article.

Hopefully I will have some news later this weekend about Pryor's visit. Keep checking for updates on everything that is Michigan athletics. Until then, Go Blue!

Ryan Mallet is Leaving Michigan

The Detroit Free Press is reporting that Jim Mallett, Ryan's father, has told the AP that Ryan will not return to Michigan. This is the first official confirmation that we have received about Ryan's status. The article also goes on to say that Ryan and his family will visit four to five schools which include UCLA, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Arkansas. I feel bad for Mallett because he could have been a great quarterback at Michigan had Rich Rodriguez and the spread offense not come to town. Best of luck to you Ryan.

The departure of Mallett leaves Michigan in a tight spot at quarterback. Steven Threet, David Cone, and Nick Sheridan are the returning quarterbacks currently on the roster. David Cone is probably the only familiar name and that is if you watched the Minnesota game where he completed one pass in mop up duty. Carlos Brown could also be a candidate as he played some QB in high school, but he is more comfortable at the running back position. That leaves us hoping for a top recruit who can come in right away and contribute. Terrelle Pryor looks like our only hope to get a dual threat quarterback this year. He has narrowed his list of teams to Michigan and Ohio State. Lets pray that he comes to Michigan. You would think that the departure of Mallett would have him leaning toward coming to Michigan as he has a great opportunity to start as a true freshman. Plus, we could use a great athlete on our basketball team as well. Unless Pryor declares early, we will have to wait until national signing day to find out who he will choose. Until next time, Go Blue!

News on Ryan Mallett

There has been speculation since Rich Rodriguez was hired that Ryan Mallett would consider transferring. Rodriguez runs a spread offense which normally features a speedy quarterback, something Mallett is not. Reports from the Detroit News are now saying that Mallett is likely done as a Wolverine. Where he will end up, that is still undecided. A big factor in where Mallett goes is what happens to former Michigan quarterbacks coach Scott Loeffler. Scott has interviewed for the Tennessee offensive coordinator position and could possibly get an interview with UCLA in the near future. My guess is that Ryan will go wherever Loeffler goes, unless he is brought back to Michigan. That is still an option if some of RR's staff stays at WVU. If Loeffler is retained, it is up in the air as to where Mallett ends up.

Terrelle Pryor has said that keeping Loeffler around would make Michigan more enticing for him, so I am praying he sticks around. With Mallett leaving we could use a quarterback, especially one that runs a 4.3 40 and is as big as Terrelle is.

No word on Manningham or Arrington leaving for the NFL yet but as soon as something comes in, expect a post. Until then, Go Blue!

Carr, Seniors, Go Out on High Note

Michigan showed us all what we had been waiting for since the opening of the 2007 football season by beating the Gators 41-35 in the Capitol One Bowl. The offense finally came together and showed the high powered attack everyone was betting on when they ranked the team 5th in the nation to start the season. It was great to see Henne finally healthy and able to contribute to the offense. He threw for 373 yards and 3 touchdowns on his way to earning MVP honors. More impressive to me than the offensive outburst was the swarming defense the Wolverines played. Ron English came out with a very aggressive defense, putting pressure on Tebow all day and not giving him time to set his feet and throw. The biggest factor was holding Tebow to only 56 yards rushing and a 3.6 yards per carry average. Michigan usually struggles with a mobile quarterback but they held Tebow in check on Tuesday. We have definitely seen this defense improve over the course of the season and guys like Jamar Adams and Shawn Crable have stepped up as leaders on the field.

It was good to see Lloyd and the seniors come away with a victory. Henne, Hart, and Long have done so much for this football program and they deserved this win. It was good to see Lloyd go out on top. He is a real class act guy and a great football man. People have been grumbling about Carr for the past three years asking for his firing, but I am glad he stuck around until he was ready to retire. I can only hope that Rich Rodriguez can pick up where Carr has left off, and Bo Schembechler before him, in keeping the Michigan tradition of excellence alive.

This football season had many lows and also some bright spots. Sure, all Michigan fans are disappointed about not competing for a national championship, but you have to commend this team for never giving up and finishing strong.

We might here more about recruiting and player moves in the next couple of weeks. Look for new posts as more news come out. Until then, Go Blue!