MICHIGAN FOOTBALL
2008 RECRUITING
Top Remaining Targeted positions as of November 20, 2007
Note: this latest addition of “Top Remaining Targeted Positions” is in no particular order unlike prior additions. This change is due to the fact that everything (including whether we keep the recruits who have already given an oral commitment) has changed now that Lloyd Carr has retired. There is simply too much ambiguity out there to attempt to rank in order.
It is good to know that Lloyd specifically stated (several times) during his retirement press conference that the reason he announced his retirement when he did was in an attempt to save this recruiting class (which Lloyd also said could be one of the better classes in a while). The currently committed recruits and current targets now have time to digest the change and then the new coach will have 3-4 weeks at least (depending on the hire date) to perform in-home and in-school visits with the kids (Carr said he will save all those for the new coach) and otherwise attempt to convince the kids that Michigan under his new regime is the place to be. In the meantime, the assistant coaches are all maintaining contact with the kids and in many cases they are acting like they will still be around under the new leadership (I’m not sure if telling them that is a good thing or bad thing).
It is possible that the new head coach comes in and gets all of the currently orally committed recruits behind him and that he also gets the kids that we were at least leading for pre the Carr announcement. The new head coach may even retain a lot of the current staff which would go a long way (or he could bring in a completely new staff that immediately hits it off with the kids). Heck, it is even possible that the new coach could bring in an immediate waive of excitement that might deliver some kids that have never even been on this list before (or kids that Michigan was behind with pre the Carr announcement). It might even be the case that the new head coach/assistant coaches get kids to follow them (Bobby Huggins style) to Michigan. Also, the buzz surrounding a new era in Michigan football might quell the fact that we are currently Ohio State’s bitches (and everything else-EG = Appalachian State-that are current run of mediocrity has produced) and all the problems that causes in recruiting).
The currently committed recruits are for the most part all saying the right things right now. That could all change at any point. It helps that most of our currently committed recruits have been committed for a while so they have become attached to the idea of playing for Michigan and they have formed many bonds already with each other. Lloyd said at his press conference that he knew he was going to retire at the beginning of this season so recruits were very likely not recruited (for the most part) by using the head coach as a lure. I am not sure that was the case with the assistant coaches however. Either way, UM always (and this year was no exception) recruits kids using primarily traditional success and grander arguments and we don’t per say focus on the current staff. This explains the positive comments that a lot of the currently committed recruits are saying.
WITH ALL THAT HOPEFULL TALK SAID, everything could just as easily fall apart (or close to it) with respect to the 2008 recruiting class. You (the Michigan fan) would like to think that any shortcomings in this class could be made up for with a stellar 2009 class.
Already verbally Committed Wolverines:
Top Remaining Targeted positions as of November 20, 2007
Note: this latest addition of “Top Remaining Targeted Positions” is in no particular order unlike prior additions. This change is due to the fact that everything (including whether we keep the recruits who have already given an oral commitment) has changed now that Lloyd Carr has retired. There is simply too much ambiguity out there to attempt to rank in order.
It is good to know that Lloyd specifically stated (several times) during his retirement press conference that the reason he announced his retirement when he did was in an attempt to save this recruiting class (which Lloyd also said could be one of the better classes in a while). The currently committed recruits and current targets now have time to digest the change and then the new coach will have 3-4 weeks at least (depending on the hire date) to perform in-home and in-school visits with the kids (Carr said he will save all those for the new coach) and otherwise attempt to convince the kids that Michigan under his new regime is the place to be. In the meantime, the assistant coaches are all maintaining contact with the kids and in many cases they are acting like they will still be around under the new leadership (I’m not sure if telling them that is a good thing or bad thing).
It is possible that the new head coach comes in and gets all of the currently orally committed recruits behind him and that he also gets the kids that we were at least leading for pre the Carr announcement. The new head coach may even retain a lot of the current staff which would go a long way (or he could bring in a completely new staff that immediately hits it off with the kids). Heck, it is even possible that the new coach could bring in an immediate waive of excitement that might deliver some kids that have never even been on this list before (or kids that Michigan was behind with pre the Carr announcement). It might even be the case that the new head coach/assistant coaches get kids to follow them (Bobby Huggins style) to Michigan. Also, the buzz surrounding a new era in Michigan football might quell the fact that we are currently Ohio State’s bitches (and everything else-EG = Appalachian State-that are current run of mediocrity has produced) and all the problems that causes in recruiting).
The currently committed recruits are for the most part all saying the right things right now. That could all change at any point. It helps that most of our currently committed recruits have been committed for a while so they have become attached to the idea of playing for Michigan and they have formed many bonds already with each other. Lloyd said at his press conference that he knew he was going to retire at the beginning of this season so recruits were very likely not recruited (for the most part) by using the head coach as a lure. I am not sure that was the case with the assistant coaches however. Either way, UM always (and this year was no exception) recruits kids using primarily traditional success and grander arguments and we don’t per say focus on the current staff. This explains the positive comments that a lot of the currently committed recruits are saying.
WITH ALL THAT HOPEFULL TALK SAID, everything could just as easily fall apart (or close to it) with respect to the 2008 recruiting class. You (the Michigan fan) would like to think that any shortcomings in this class could be made up for with a stellar 2009 class.
Already verbally Committed Wolverines:
CB- B. Cissoko (Det., MI)
OT- D. O’Neil (MI)
OG- E. Mealer (OH)
OG- K. Wermers (IND)
TE- B. Moore (OH)
LB- M. Witherspoon (NJ)
DT- M. Martin (MI)
OG/OC- R. Khoury (MI)
QB – J. Wienke (Ill)
WR – D. Stonum (TX)
QB – S. Threet (MI) – Actually a ’07 recruit that has transferred to UM from GTU
TE – K. Koger (OH)
RB – S. McGuffie (TX)
RB – M. Cox (CT)
HB – C. Wilson (PA)
LB – J.B. Fitzgerald (NJ)
LB – K. Demens (MI)
RB – M. Cox (CT)
HB – C. Wilson (PA)
LB – J.B. Fitzgerald (NJ)
LB – K. Demens (MI)
* I don’t have time to go into every reason why I think a recruit is currently leaning towards staying or leaving just except that I have been reading a lot on the subject and take my opinions for what they are worth.
QB– As long as the new coach keeps the pro-style QB system in place and as long as Scott Loeffler stays on as the QB coach (he’s more likely to stay then any other assistant coach) then Wienke should honor his commitment. BTW- Wienke put up great senior year numbers. BTW#2- If we lose Wienke, does it really matter?
RB – So far McGuffie looks like he is staying in the fold. That said, our RB coach may not be here much longer and he played a significant role in McGuffie’s recruitment. It is interesting to note that McGuffie’s #2 was Texas A & M who is firing their coach. McGuffie also had really liked LSU (temporary home of Les Miles). BTW- Despite an ankle injury that kept him out of several games and had him playing hurt in several others (including the ESPN game) as well as the fact that every D target Mr. You tube, McGuffie still put up some crazy numbers and had many games this year. As for Mike Cox, he says he’s staying aboard but who really cares. 2009 target Larry Caper thinks Les Miles will be the next head coach and is excited to see how next year goes. Caper has been to almost all of the Michigan games this year.
HB – C. Wilson is thought to be a real UM fan who isn’t going anywhere. He had a big senior season. The one question here though is whether the new head coach will be as interested in an h-back as the Lloyd coached wolverines were. Even so,
Wilson would probably still stay on as a linebacker.
WR – D. Stonum is almost certain to remain a wolverine. Michigan wants a possession guy next to him. F. Smith chose MSU over UM and due to leaks that he might be rethinking things F. Smith was put in a position where he had to come out and say that “he’ll be green forever” and so that ended that. Plus, that was all before Lloyd Carr retired. J. Baldwin originally had UM in the lead but now he appears to be off the grid (and that might have nothing to due with Lloyd’s retirement). A.J. Price (VA) fits the mold very well and was recently offered after he exploded onto the season during his senior season. UM was leading pre the Lloyd announcement so we’ll have to watch him closely. Cameron Saddler, a Steve Breaston type, cancelled his official visit to UM for the OSU game and is a goner. He’ll be missed as a return man. If UM only gets Stonum in this class it won’t be the end of the world because we had a good WR class last year and we still have two more years of Matthews. Plus Michigan has a superstar in-state speedster in next year’s class as well as a stud possession guy. So we can regroup in 2009 from any shortcomings in 2008.
TE – Kevin Koger looks like he is staying on board but Moore is iffy (don’t forget that he waffled some before the announcement even). Moore is temporarily saying all the right stuff but all of the big boys are now coming after him. However, since we had a very good 2007 TE class and since we have Koger, it would not be the end of the world to lose Moore. There is also a very good TE in the state of Michigan’s 2009 class who likes UM and has been attending games.
OL – We are not going to lose O’Neil, Khoury, or Wermers. Mealor is saying the right things right now but Michigan has to be careful with him. There was still some hope pre-Lloyd with respect to T. Robinson and there might still be. After all, he could not bring himself to commit to Nebraska where everything is crazy, the class is falling apart, and the coach is going to be fired. He could not bring himself to commit to the tragedy that is ND (though they may be the favorite). And Lloyd wasn’t sealing the deal with him either. So maybe a new coach at one of his final three schools of choice will get him to pull the trigger. Also, Robinson visited along with his dad for the OSU game and reports are that it went well (amazingly enough). UM is not the most likely scenario with him though. B. Givens is now available after de-committing from Nebraska but I HIGHLY doubt he would move from one coaching situation to another. Z. Sanders doesn’t have real interest in UM and J. Bennett (DC) was thought by some to be a backup plan for Sanders but that never seemed to materialize. V. Dotsy (CA) - Needs to get in better shape. He’s from ’07 recruit M. Williams’s school. I hear about him like once every two months so consider him not in the picture (especially post-Lloyd). Z. Hueter (MI) – He hangs around the guys a lot and comes to all of the games so maybe he’ll get a last second scholarship offer if we need another Offensive lineman. He won’t turn down UM no matter what the coaching situation is.
QB– As long as the new coach keeps the pro-style QB system in place and as long as Scott Loeffler stays on as the QB coach (he’s more likely to stay then any other assistant coach) then Wienke should honor his commitment. BTW- Wienke put up great senior year numbers. BTW#2- If we lose Wienke, does it really matter?
RB – So far McGuffie looks like he is staying in the fold. That said, our RB coach may not be here much longer and he played a significant role in McGuffie’s recruitment. It is interesting to note that McGuffie’s #2 was Texas A & M who is firing their coach. McGuffie also had really liked LSU (temporary home of Les Miles). BTW- Despite an ankle injury that kept him out of several games and had him playing hurt in several others (including the ESPN game) as well as the fact that every D target Mr. You tube, McGuffie still put up some crazy numbers and had many games this year. As for Mike Cox, he says he’s staying aboard but who really cares. 2009 target Larry Caper thinks Les Miles will be the next head coach and is excited to see how next year goes. Caper has been to almost all of the Michigan games this year.
HB – C. Wilson is thought to be a real UM fan who isn’t going anywhere. He had a big senior season. The one question here though is whether the new head coach will be as interested in an h-back as the Lloyd coached wolverines were. Even so,
Wilson would probably still stay on as a linebacker.
WR – D. Stonum is almost certain to remain a wolverine. Michigan wants a possession guy next to him. F. Smith chose MSU over UM and due to leaks that he might be rethinking things F. Smith was put in a position where he had to come out and say that “he’ll be green forever” and so that ended that. Plus, that was all before Lloyd Carr retired. J. Baldwin originally had UM in the lead but now he appears to be off the grid (and that might have nothing to due with Lloyd’s retirement). A.J. Price (VA) fits the mold very well and was recently offered after he exploded onto the season during his senior season. UM was leading pre the Lloyd announcement so we’ll have to watch him closely. Cameron Saddler, a Steve Breaston type, cancelled his official visit to UM for the OSU game and is a goner. He’ll be missed as a return man. If UM only gets Stonum in this class it won’t be the end of the world because we had a good WR class last year and we still have two more years of Matthews. Plus Michigan has a superstar in-state speedster in next year’s class as well as a stud possession guy. So we can regroup in 2009 from any shortcomings in 2008.
TE – Kevin Koger looks like he is staying on board but Moore is iffy (don’t forget that he waffled some before the announcement even). Moore is temporarily saying all the right stuff but all of the big boys are now coming after him. However, since we had a very good 2007 TE class and since we have Koger, it would not be the end of the world to lose Moore. There is also a very good TE in the state of Michigan’s 2009 class who likes UM and has been attending games.
OL – We are not going to lose O’Neil, Khoury, or Wermers. Mealor is saying the right things right now but Michigan has to be careful with him. There was still some hope pre-Lloyd with respect to T. Robinson and there might still be. After all, he could not bring himself to commit to Nebraska where everything is crazy, the class is falling apart, and the coach is going to be fired. He could not bring himself to commit to the tragedy that is ND (though they may be the favorite). And Lloyd wasn’t sealing the deal with him either. So maybe a new coach at one of his final three schools of choice will get him to pull the trigger. Also, Robinson visited along with his dad for the OSU game and reports are that it went well (amazingly enough). UM is not the most likely scenario with him though. B. Givens is now available after de-committing from Nebraska but I HIGHLY doubt he would move from one coaching situation to another. Z. Sanders doesn’t have real interest in UM and J. Bennett (DC) was thought by some to be a backup plan for Sanders but that never seemed to materialize. V. Dotsy (CA) - Needs to get in better shape. He’s from ’07 recruit M. Williams’s school. I hear about him like once every two months so consider him not in the picture (especially post-Lloyd). Z. Hueter (MI) – He hangs around the guys a lot and comes to all of the games so maybe he’ll get a last second scholarship offer if we need another Offensive lineman. He won’t turn down UM no matter what the coaching situation is.
DT – Mike Martin is almost certain to remain a wolverine. It was doubtful that UM and DT Jurrell Casey were gonna ever get together (Casey wanted love and PT and UM is stacked at DT) pre-Lloyd and it certainly won’t happen now.
Pass rusher (WSDE/Mike) - UM desperately needs Nick Perry. We need Nick more than anyone in this class, seriously. He’s been to a ton of UM games this year and UM was thought to be the leader pre-Lloyd’s announcement. We need to do what it takes to get this guy. I can’t emphasize this point anymore than I have. In large part, this is because UM and Shayne Hale have now separated. Hale and his cousin canceled their official to UM for the OSU game and are no more. Chris Pantale is not the greatest player on the block but he fits the mold and definitely has talent. Even if he never starts at UM, he would still have lots of value as a top reserve for a team with major depth issues at the pass rushing positions. UM was probably leading for Pantale pre-Lloyd so we’ll see what happens from here. SSDE J. Jarrett and UM seemed to be sliding apart recently rather than sliding together. Tack on Lloyd’s retirement and I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one. That’s ok though because I think Jarrett represents the old school UM DE that is a run stuffer first and a pass rusher second. With that said, I still like him.
Linebacker – UM will likely keep Demens who just loves the school. Demens could be a very effective fullback as well. He’s projected as a Will. The guy I really like at the Will is Marcus Witherspoon who had a huge senior year. I think he has an NFL future and I really would like him to stay a part of this class. He’s saying all the right things so far. J.B. Fitzgerald is another important member of this class. I think he’ll stay but it could be close. Remember, with all of these kids, other schools are or will soon be making a big push to get them. Then there is G. Winston (Det., MI)/RB – A physical marvel. Great athlete/great shape. Detroit combine MVP. He could earn a scholarship offer. Plus there is 4-star J. Meyers (CT). But UM just doesn’t seem that interested in those two guys. Maybe we offer and get Winston if Cox backs out.
Defensive Back – Illionois is the threat with respect to CB Boo Boo Cissoko. He’s another guy that we REALLY need to hang onto. CB/S J.T. Floyd and UM were starting to look like a connection until Lloyd retired. I don’t know the latest on him now. I know he’s going to be in the Army All-Star game. Other corners include A. Bushell (TX), J. Holley (PA), and R. Green (LA) but those guys were unlikely to be wolverines before Lloyd retired yet alone now. At safety, there is/was Brandon Smith who was favoring Rutgers heavily before Lloyd retired. It would be something if the next UM coach were to come in and sweep him back into the fold. Not gonna happen. It’s 50/50 on whether he would actually have been a college Will (which Michigan doesn’t need) though so this might not be a big loss. We were gaining momentum with Spencer Adams but the momentum meter might be going the other way now. That’s a shame because we could really use his speed (extremely fast) in the secondary. Cal Long Beach Poly product V. Telemaque was thought to maybe have UM (friend D. Warren) number one pre-Lloyd but who knows now. USC and Oregon are big threats here. UNC is the biggest threat currently for Telemaque’s teammate H. Davidson. Like Brandon Smith, Davidson might be a college Will. UM still has a chance with both of the Long Beach guys. Then there is V. Carraway, who may be a WR in college. UM hasn’t been pushing very hard for this 3-star but now might be the time to do that. I haven’t heard anything new on K. Cooper (TX). Like Carraway, we might need to go this direction because of the possible trouble with the A-list guys. Safety is a big need but we could survive with only one in this class. Junior-to-be Steve Brown, Sophomore-to-be Artis Chambers, and Red-shirt freshman-to-be Michael Williams give us three good ones going forward (but not great). Plus we’ll have senior-to-be C. Stewart for next year (another good but not great). I figure either Z. Babb or J. Rogers converts to there next year as well.
Kicker/Punter – Michigan already has a scholarship kicker and 1-2 good walk-ons. UM NEVER has two scholarships taken up at the kicker position, but J. Potter (MI) is having a great senior year and is interested. Is Michigan? UM doesn’t need a punter in this class.
Pass rusher (WSDE/Mike) - UM desperately needs Nick Perry. We need Nick more than anyone in this class, seriously. He’s been to a ton of UM games this year and UM was thought to be the leader pre-Lloyd’s announcement. We need to do what it takes to get this guy. I can’t emphasize this point anymore than I have. In large part, this is because UM and Shayne Hale have now separated. Hale and his cousin canceled their official to UM for the OSU game and are no more. Chris Pantale is not the greatest player on the block but he fits the mold and definitely has talent. Even if he never starts at UM, he would still have lots of value as a top reserve for a team with major depth issues at the pass rushing positions. UM was probably leading for Pantale pre-Lloyd so we’ll see what happens from here. SSDE J. Jarrett and UM seemed to be sliding apart recently rather than sliding together. Tack on Lloyd’s retirement and I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one. That’s ok though because I think Jarrett represents the old school UM DE that is a run stuffer first and a pass rusher second. With that said, I still like him.
Linebacker – UM will likely keep Demens who just loves the school. Demens could be a very effective fullback as well. He’s projected as a Will. The guy I really like at the Will is Marcus Witherspoon who had a huge senior year. I think he has an NFL future and I really would like him to stay a part of this class. He’s saying all the right things so far. J.B. Fitzgerald is another important member of this class. I think he’ll stay but it could be close. Remember, with all of these kids, other schools are or will soon be making a big push to get them. Then there is G. Winston (Det., MI)/RB – A physical marvel. Great athlete/great shape. Detroit combine MVP. He could earn a scholarship offer. Plus there is 4-star J. Meyers (CT). But UM just doesn’t seem that interested in those two guys. Maybe we offer and get Winston if Cox backs out.
Defensive Back – Illionois is the threat with respect to CB Boo Boo Cissoko. He’s another guy that we REALLY need to hang onto. CB/S J.T. Floyd and UM were starting to look like a connection until Lloyd retired. I don’t know the latest on him now. I know he’s going to be in the Army All-Star game. Other corners include A. Bushell (TX), J. Holley (PA), and R. Green (LA) but those guys were unlikely to be wolverines before Lloyd retired yet alone now. At safety, there is/was Brandon Smith who was favoring Rutgers heavily before Lloyd retired. It would be something if the next UM coach were to come in and sweep him back into the fold. Not gonna happen. It’s 50/50 on whether he would actually have been a college Will (which Michigan doesn’t need) though so this might not be a big loss. We were gaining momentum with Spencer Adams but the momentum meter might be going the other way now. That’s a shame because we could really use his speed (extremely fast) in the secondary. Cal Long Beach Poly product V. Telemaque was thought to maybe have UM (friend D. Warren) number one pre-Lloyd but who knows now. USC and Oregon are big threats here. UNC is the biggest threat currently for Telemaque’s teammate H. Davidson. Like Brandon Smith, Davidson might be a college Will. UM still has a chance with both of the Long Beach guys. Then there is V. Carraway, who may be a WR in college. UM hasn’t been pushing very hard for this 3-star but now might be the time to do that. I haven’t heard anything new on K. Cooper (TX). Like Carraway, we might need to go this direction because of the possible trouble with the A-list guys. Safety is a big need but we could survive with only one in this class. Junior-to-be Steve Brown, Sophomore-to-be Artis Chambers, and Red-shirt freshman-to-be Michael Williams give us three good ones going forward (but not great). Plus we’ll have senior-to-be C. Stewart for next year (another good but not great). I figure either Z. Babb or J. Rogers converts to there next year as well.
Kicker/Punter – Michigan already has a scholarship kicker and 1-2 good walk-ons. UM NEVER has two scholarships taken up at the kicker position, but J. Potter (MI) is having a great senior year and is interested. Is Michigan? UM doesn’t need a punter in this class.
BY: WILLIAM LAWRENCE, esquire, former UM employee
Photo is of OL recruit Trevor Robinson (NE) from the OSU game.
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