Michigan Quarterback Rick Leach as a freshman in 1975
A new era of Michigan quarterbacks begins on Saturday versus Western Michigan. Many fans and pundits deeply disparage the spread option offense and the quarterbacks that operate it because like the Wishbone, the Veer and the Option I offenses before it, the spread option is considered by some to be just not as good, not as prolific, and considerably more "boring" than the more refined and exciting pro-set, West Coast, NFL offenses that have featured the tall drop back quarterbacks like Elvis Grbac, Todd Collins and Tom Brady.
With the two freshman quarterbacks Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson, Michigan is going to finally be able to open up the entire Rich Rodriguez's playbook on Saturday. Both of these youngsters are going to make some big mistakes. No question. But I'm convinced that they are also going to give Michigan fans plenty to smile about this fall as well.
College football is certainly a game of great emotion. It's also very much a team sport. No one player can do it all themselves. Tate and Denard will not only have 10 other guys sharing and carrying the load on every play. They'll also have 105,000+ Wolverine fans cheering them on. Though California and Florida are hundreds of miles away, they'll both be playing at home. In their Big House.
Best of luck to Tate and Denard in their first game in the Maize and Blue this coming Saturday versus Western Michigan!
HAIL TO THE VICTORS! AND GO BLUE!
Tate Forcier, QB, Scripps Ranch High School, Scripps Ranch, CA:
Denard Robinson, Deerfield Beach High School, Deerfield Beach, FL:
No, I'm not pissed off. I'm harmless. Come over here and pet me. Shred you to ribbons? Now where on earth would you get a crazy idea like that?
My theme for the 2009 Michigan football season is going to be:
Gulo Gulo Semper Accursus.
This is not "Wolverines Perpetually Pissed Off"
It's “Wolverines Always Running”.
My justification for this theme is backed up by mountaineers of evidence and modern science. This is what inevitably happens on offense when Rich Rodriguez combines a more experienced offensive line, a mobile quarterback, and a deep stable of talented running backs, not to mention when wide receivers finally understand their place in the offense and sustain their blocks downfield. Michigan should witness some better throwing accuracy from the new quarterbacks, to be sure. As improved as the Michigan passing game should be this fall, you can take this to the bank:
Rodriguez is going to have the Wolverines running the football like no tomorrow in 2009.
Quarterbacks Failing to heed the lessons learned from the Steve Spurrier Experience, the Rich Rodriguez and the Michigan Wolverines in 2009 will sally forth with, count ‘em: A Vun! A Twoo! A Trree! - Trrree! different starting quarterbacks this fall, including two true freshman Tate Forcier (Scripps Ranch, CA) and Denard Robinson (Deerfield Beach, FL). The third option will be much-maligned junior quarterback Nick Sheridan, who started on and off at quarterback for the Wolverines during the 2008 football season. According to fall camp observers, Forcier is a quick runner and the most accurate passer, while Sheridan apparently has achieved coach-level understanding of Rodriguez’s spread option playbook, while Denard Robinson is what you get when you find a genie lamp at a Michigan concession stand on game day, rub it profusely, and then ask for the Greek god Mercury to reappear, strap on his winged helmet again, and score 80 yard touchdown runs on zone read keepers in 5 seconds flat while opposing defenders drop their jaws and shields in amazement just like frightened 4th century Greeks obviously would. Some of them hail from Sparta, you know.
It has been argued by me that with mobile quarterbacks like Forcier and Robinson, Michigan opponents can no longer skip chapters 2 through 58 of the Rich Rodriguez spread option playbook. Like the magical appearance of Rasheed Marshall in 2002, alas, Wolverine opponents must finally hit the library and read all of the nasty bits to prepare for every possibility that will be on display Saturday afternoons. Finally.
Both of these quarterbacks can run and throw equally well, so every play involves considerable risk that simply did not present itself last fall with quarterbacks Steven Threet and Nick Sheridan. Forcier has a fake 40 time of 4.6 and Robinson of 4.3. So yeah, go ahead. Ignore these freshman quarterbacks if you wish. It's your funeral.
I will concede the possibility, however remote, that Nick Sheridan dramatically improved his throwing skills over the winter, spring and summer workouts and that’s he’s bigger and stronger than 2008. Also, we must recognize that Sheridan is being tutored by a fine quarterbacks coach in Rod Smith, as well as Rich Rodriguez himself. Game experience and knowledge of the playbook places Sheridan at No. 3 on the depth chart. The other reason why Sheridan is No. 3 is that David Cone and a walk-on are No. 4 and No.5 respectively on the UM QB depth chart. Next year the addition of a two more top rated quarterbacks will likely increase the competitive pressure even more the position. This is good news for Michigan.
So how will things end up in 2009 for the Michigan offense with these quarterbacks? It’ll be a mixed bag of sunshine and tornados. I’ve been thinking a lot about Michigan’s 1981 season, when the Wolverines replaced a gimpy runner and pro-style thrower in John Wangler with a sophomore tailback, I mean quarterback, Steve Smith (who played only 3 games of garbage time in 1980). Except Steve Smith’s throwing accuracy sort of sucked by modern standards (46% in 1981, and 50% over his career), but the guy rushed for 679 net yards and 12 TDs and threw for about 1700 yards, 15 TDs and 11 INTs.
I’m thinking whoever is quarterback for Michigan will have slightly greater stats passing that Steve Smith did, but it’ll be close. I certainly expect a lot more rushing attempts and yardage by the Michigan quarterbacks this fall as this will keep defenses much more honest. Wolverine fans should also expect increased passing accuracy, a lot more passing attempts than in 2008 on all downs, improved 3rd down conversion rate (27% in 2008!), and a significantly higher number of interceptions, plus muchos sacks ridiculosos.
Defensive Coordinators will rip off their headsets in disgust most frequently because of: Tate Forcier’s scrambling ability and throwing accuracy
These QBs will remind us of:Zak Kustok and Troy Smith with two integrated Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines.
Michigan Offensive Position 2009 Preview: Running Backs Most college football pundits and opponent homers have been harping on about Michigan’s 3-9 record in 2008. One of the things that stand out as I review this year’s running back depth chart is how deep and talented it has become. The future looks very pretty bright indeed for Michigan in this area. Michigan’s running back situation might be the best in the entire Big Ten right now in terms of overall experience, talent and speed. Brandon Minor, Carlos Brown and Michael Shaw all return at tailback, while new arrival true freshman Vincent Smith has tore up the floor and won significant favor with the coaches. Redshirt freshman Mike Cox and true freshman Jeremy Gallon might also see reps this fall at tailback. Michigan will employ more Ace and I-formation sets in 2009, featuring one of two talented fullbacks in Mark Moundros and Kevin Grady. Keep an eye on Moundros, given Rodriguez’s love for walk-ons that play the fullback position.
The only mark against this group is durability. Minor and Brown are arguably the best players at running back on the team, but both have been prone to injury throughout their careers. Last year, the lack of a mobile quarterback allowed defenses to hone in on the Michigan backs and they paid the price. The addition of Forcier and Robinson at QB should give reasons for defenses to slow down their pursuits or pause outright, to which the Wolverine tailbacks should be quick enough to respond and exploit. I seriously doubt this, but if both Minor and Brown can stay healthy for 12 games, ho man, Michigan might have one of the better running attacks in the Big Ten and perhaps the nation.
Defensive Coordinators will rip off their headsets in disgust most frequently because of: A healthy Brandon Minor
That guy reminds me of: Michigan’s Billy Taylor combined with the weird high-knee, upright running style of USC’s Charles White
Wide Receivers Michigan’s wide receivers are coached by Tony Dews. While I consider coach Dews to be a fantastic recruiter, his work coaching Michigan’s cast of 4-start wide receivers so far has left me longing. I say this in full understanding of the crap quarterback situation last fall (49% accuracy and 5 yards per attempt). The spread option offense absolutely requires excellent downfield blocking skills and execution by the outside receivers and slots on every down. In year two, this better improve. It’s not difficult to project significantly better receiving numbers for 2009 with Forcier and Robinson under center this fall. My God, the best receiver on the Wolverine team last year, slot receiver Martavious Odoms, caught only 49 passes for only 443 yards and no touchdowns! Of course, the football sails to only one receiver on any given play, so the other 3 or 4 guys have to block better than they did last year. If they do, Michigan’s rushing stats, yards per attempt and points per game should improve dramatically.
Odoms’ speed and elusiveness after the catch make him extremely dangerous. Two other slot receivers Kelvin Grady and Terrance Robinson are unknown to UM opponents, but offer speed and talented depth for Michigan.
The best receivers on the roster right now and the true deep threats for Michigan are probably Greg Mathews and Junior Hemingway. Darryl Stonum, James Rogers, Roy Roundtree and true freshman Je’Ron Stokes round out the depth chart of receivers. The Michigan receiving targets were a silent group last fall. That should change in a big way in 2009.
Defensive Coordinators will rip off their headsets in disgust most frequently because of: Greg Mathews
The guy reminds me of: Adrian Avant, I mean, Jason Arrington. Alright, some combination of those two.
Tight Ends Michigan is blessed with two fantastic tight ends in sophomore Kevin Koger and redshirt freshman Martell Webb. Tight ends have not been prominently featured in Rodriguez’s offenses in the past, but the coaching staff seminars with Kevin Wilson down at Oklahoma were very productive, and Rodriguez likes the ideas of employing TEs more effectively. We’ll see more Ace and full I formation sets that utlize these two players. I like this aspect because tight ends in general can be effective blocking instruments for the running attack on dives and option plays, as well as frustrating targets in the passing game. Most importantly, the tight ends add another passing option for the quarterback and just one more item that defenses must prepare for. This added TE weaponry in a spread offense will either create big mismatches in the secondary or massive openings for other receivers and backs.
Defensive Coordinators will rip off their headsets in disgust most frequently because of: Kevin Koger
The guy reminds me of: Doug Marsh
Offensive Tackle One of the things I like about Rich Rodriguez, and that I disliked about Lloyd Carr, was that Rich Rod dictates a policy of continuous improvement and competition at every position. This competition does not stop at fall practice. It continues on week after week at every single position from quarterback to special teams. No player can rest on his laurels. Incumbents, seniority and nepotism all slough off so that the most productive players displaying the least errors and the strongest drive see the football field first. What does this insanely competitive atmosphere yield for Michigan football? The answers lie with greater position depth, greater game preparedness, increased player confidence, greater team unity and an overall heightened sense of urgency. No where are these benefits more apparent than along the Michigan offensive line in 2009. A 2-star freshman named Mark Huyge actually beat out Perry Dorrestein, Patrick Omameh and Bryant Nowicki to be the starter at tackle. Fifth year senior Mark Ortmann has secured the other tackle spot. Dorrestein and Omameh will serve as the 2nd string backups at either tackle.
Huyge and Ortmann are both 6-6 and in the 290 lbs range. Not colossal in size, but big enough, quick enough, and good enough to do a satisfactory job. Run blocking should be their forte. The biggest question mark here may be their pass blocking, but it helps this group significantly to have two jitterbug escape artists like Forcier and Robinson at quarterback.
Defensive Coordinators will rip off their headsets in disgust most frequently because of: Do DC’s throw down their headsets in disgust about offensive tackles? They do? Well OK, then Mark Ortmann
The guy reminds me of: Jeff Backus
Offensive Guard If the Michigan Wolverines offense lives up to the motto Gulo Gulo Semper Accursus, it’ll be because this core of the Wolverine offensive line did a great job. In my view the guards and center of the Michigan offense line makes up this core and features the best players. Seniors David Moosman and Steve Schilling are poised to have break out seasons at the guard position for Michigan this fall. Both are essentially identical in height and weight at 6-5 and around 300 lbs. Both are very experienced veterans. Barring injury, this could be their finest season in a maize and blue uniform. Backing them up are John Ferrara, Elliot Mealer and Ricky Barnum. Tim McAvoy is the backup center, but he also played some guard last year and adds more depth if needed.
Defensive Coordinators will rip off their headsets in disgust most frequently because of: Do DC’s throw off their headsets about offensive guards? They don’t? What about David Moosman!
The guy reminds me of: An unshaven, axe-wielding Brendan Gleeson in Braveheart
Center It certainly helps Michigan this fall to have a Dave Rimington candidate snapping the football on every down. It is fitting that Dave Molk, too, wears No. 50. Molk, only a junior, is already very experienced and has become a vocal leader along a more senior offensive line. With veterans Schilling and Moosman at his sides, Michigan’s offensive line appears to be well-anchored and should be able to open good holes for the Wolverine running backs and quarterbacks, as well as provide sufficient pass protection. Fifth year senior McAvoy serves as a capable backup at center.
Defensive Coordinators will rip off their headsets in disgust most frequently because of: Do DC’s throw down their headsets about centers? They don’t?
The guy reminds me of: Steve Everitt Pre-Season Grade Predictions:
Quarterbacks: C+ Rod Smith and Rich Rodriguez are handing over the keys to true freshmen and a mistake-prone junior walk-on. This group is going to make plenty of mistakes this fall folks, so I hope you ordered those crates of Pepto Bismol to arrive on your doorstep prior to kickoff September 5th. At the same time, the skills sets are in place to drive this offense the way it was always intended: With reckless abandon.
Running Backs: B+ The only thing preventing this group from getting into A territory is injuries. This is because we're unable to imagine a full 12 games where Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown escape unscathed. I don't believe these two can stay healthy. It will impact production to some extent. Otherwise, the running backs are the strength and bread-and-butter of this football team.
Offensive Line: B+ This should be a solid season for Michigan along the front. Injuries could really put the clamps down on this group, and I suspect we will witness some in 2009. The good news is that the mobile quarterbacks should lighten the load a bit and perhaps allow greater advancement to the second level. Of all the offensive position groups, if healthy, this crew could be really good.
Receivers, Slots and Tight Ends: B Last year this group got about a D- in my book. The new quarterbacks will help, as well as increased competition and another year in the system. Hemingway and Mathews should make some exciting plays downfield this fall, while Odoms, Robinson and Grady will be dangerous dudes underneath and on the edge. Koger and Webb should become more prominent in the new Rodriguez packages this autumn.
So I'm out of it for a little while (Viva Mexico!) and then things start to get interesting with respect to Michigan football!
Jesus, the entire college sports media has their mouths agape at Rich Rodriguez's recent comments about possibly playing three (3) quarterbacks (Nick Sheridan, Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson) during the season opening game versus Western Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Rodriguez has never rotated three quarterbacks during his coaching career. Such a tactic has been observed before in Division II and Division III college football, but only intermittently at the Division I level. David Cutcliffe did it at Mississippi. John Jenkins rotated three quarterbacks at Houston in the early 1990s. Bobby Bowden has played multiple quarterbacks at Florida State several times. Rick Neuheisel rotated 3 quarterbacks at Colorado in 1997. Rocky Long tried to rotate 3 quarterbacks with some success at New Mexico in 1999, and later famously stated:
"We were trying to rotate three quarterbacks, and that's way too many to get ready,"
So yeah, rotating three quarterbacks has been done before. The on-field results reside all along the spectrum between gridiron success and failure.
Normally,
A.) injuries and/or
B.) inconsistent play of the starting or backup quarterbacks
force this radical coaching decision. Of course injuries are not the case with Michigan's current quarterback situation. Not yet anyway. The fact that Rich Rodriguez would consider rotating three different quarterbacks in the season opening game versus an opponent that has been 7-1 in September, 6-2 over the last 8 road games, including recent road upsets over Big Ten opponents Iowa and Illinois, lead us to one plausible explanation: Michigan’s quarterback play thus far has been inconsistent and not one candidate has stood out far above the others thus far. This is somewhat surprising to me because even though Forcier and Robinson are true freshman and will be making a ton of mistakes, they obviously both possess the total talent package that Rodriguez really needs to run this offense at full throttle: a great arm, elusiveness and foot speed.
It therefore lies within the realm of possibility - however remote - that Nick Sheridan has improved considerably in every phase since the embarrassing defeats last November versus Northwestern and Ohio State. It's also possible that Rodriguez's thick playbook has slowed down the incoming freshman Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson to such an degree that the game-seasoned Sheridan remains a viable option to lead the Wolverine offense. With one full week of practice left to go, one would expect the clouds to be separating and a clear leader to emerge at quarterback. This has not yet happened, but it still could.
Sheridan played a good game against Minnesota last fall, but if we're honest, that was about it. Still, Sheridan has reportedly done well in summer workouts and fall practice so far. Tate Forcier showed a lot of promise in the Michigan Spring game on talent and physical skill alone. During fall practice Denard Robinson has repeatedly improvised his way into the end zone, further what my investigative intuition instructed me all along: "Shoelace" has always had wings on his helmet.
Even if Rodriguez does rotate three quarterbacks this fall, this is not a viable long-term objective. There are some damn good reasons why Robinson and Forcier got the scholarship offers they did last year and why Nick Sheridan did not receive any such offers. Eventually the talent and big play making ability of Forcier and Robinson will be showcased on Saturdays, separate them by the lengths of continents from Nick Sheridan, and make Rodriguez’s decision a whole lot easier.
The term chimera means an impossible or foolish fantasy.
Greg Paulus used to be one of the top quarterback recruits in the country in 2005.
He played high school football at Christian Brothers Academy in Syracuse, NY.
Scout.com ranked him as a 4-star QB, and the 9th ranked QB recruit in the land in 2006.
While playing high school football, Paulus was a stud. He set New York state high school football records on fire by throwing for 11,760 yards and accounting for a jaw-dropping total of 152 touchdowns in his career.
What's more is that Paulus operated a spread offense in high school and became renowned for his throwing accuracy, field vision, leadership skills and being able to make big plays with his feet.
Paulus committed to Duke basketball in 2005 and has played there for 4 years. But apparently Mr. Paulus still has some athletic eligibility left and may be able to play some football - 1 year of football to be exact.
On the one hand, some fans believe this is controversial and somehow sends a disturbing message to the existing quarterbacks on the Michigan team: Tate Forcier, Nick Sheridan and incoming star freshman Denard Robinson.
In my view, UM coach Rich Rodriguez is simply doing what he said he would do all along in terms of increasing competition at quarterback. Rodriguez has repeatedly said that he wants players he can "win with", and that particularly at quarterback he likes to have 2 or 3.
I would agree that pursuit of a 1-and-done prospect at QB sends a certain message to Nick Sheridan and David Cone. I'm not in agreement that the incoming freshman, Forcier and Robinson, have the same perspective since both committed to Michigan assuming they would need to prove themselves and earn playing time. In fact, I don't think Sheridan and Cone are under any illusions that they must compete for playing time during fall practices, or carry a clipboard.
It's year 2 in the Michigan program, and while Rich Rodriguez probably senses some progress being made in terms of the team grasping the offense, the defensive schemes and getting in better physical condition, he is for good reason very concerned about his depth chart at quarterback and probably defensively as well.
Going after a guy like Paulus says a couple of things:
1. Rodriguez in year 2 is attacking needs with a sense of urgency. He wants to win now.
2. Rodriguez wants better competition week in and week out at quarterback this fall. Come hell or high water, the quarterback play must improve, and fast. More players means more options. The competition in practice will serve to help all of the quarterbacks, but Greg Paulus the least of all.
3. Rodriguez needs 2 quarterbacks he can win with (at least). He probably feels he can win with Forcier (eventually). He has not seen Robinson under center yet. He needs a third or fourth option in case of injury.
4. RR's confidence in Nick Sheridan must have taken a hit following his minor break injury in spring practice. Forcier might start for Michigan this fall (he has a jump start on Denard and Nick), but Forcier, who struggles to bench 135 lbs, simply does not have the physical condition to avoid injury this fall, unless he plays like the Jumper.
5. RR wants a body on the roster to replace Steven Threet.
All of these things serve as a painfully reminder to RR just how horrid UM's depth chart is right now.
My view is that Paulus cannot hurt the program. While I'm excited about the UM football teams' improvement in the off-season, the football team can't erase the 3-9-0 season with workouts and spring practice alone.
The downside of adding Paulus is that he's a one-and-done player. He is unlikely to contribute early anyway. Paulus' confidence and leader-mentality could sow some seeds of divisiveness with the existing UM QBs and even other players on the team. But I doubt it. Forcier and Robinson are confident of their abilities and facing competition from anyone on the roster. Otherwise they would not have come to Michigan. More quarterbacks will be committing to Michigan next year alongside 2010 frosh QB Devin Gardner.
The other downside might be that Paulus hasn't thrown a football for 4 years, nor played in a Div 1 football game before, so he's sort of on equal footing with Forcier and Robinson in that department.
The final downside would be if Paulus is coming to Michigan only for Paulus. If that's the case, this will be a disaster. Michigan football needs "team" and "cohesiveness". Michigan was 3-9-0 last year. Rodriguez cannot afford any player with a "if it's gonna be, it's gotta be me!" attitude.
The upside is that Paulus is a great athlete and a winner. He's a team commander and a leader. He's been associated with championships, and championship- and olympic-level coaching. Paulus has confidence and character that could really rub off postively on younger QBs and the rest of the team. Also, assuming Paulus can be true to his H.S. quarterback form, this kid simply makes big plays under center, and serves as a nice insurance policy that Michigan desperately needs at quarterback.
Michigan's 2009 quarterback recruit Denard Robinson just ran a 10.44 in the 100 meter dash at the BCAA Track Championships in Coral Springs, FL. By doing so Robinson earned some additional notoriety in that his 10.44 time is the second-fastest high school time in the nation, according to Dyestat Elite 100 rankings.
This is pretty exciting stuff for Michigan football fans because Robinson will soon soon arrive in Ann Arbor to join fall football practice with a rather thin list of QBs: Tate Forcier, Nick Sheridan and Justin Feagin (also of Deerfield Beach, FL).
Michigan enters the 2009 campaign with some decent throwers in both freshmen Forcier and Robinson. But the Wolverines are starting to accumulate some serious speed at the QB position that the Maize & Blue haven't had...well, since forever.
Michigan did indeed run the spread option offense last year. But in truth, Michigan didn't run the spread option offense at all. What I mean is that Michigan's offense never hit 2nd gear. It really never got out of first gear. This was due to a rather worrysome situation at quarterback. In fact, UM opponents never paid the quarterback position much attention when playing the Wolverines. This is because the Michigan signal callers last year (Threet and Sheridan) were inexperienced and inconsistent leaders. They were largely inaccurate throwers. As runners, Threet and Sheridan were correctly ignored as opposing DLs, LBs and safeties could concentrate all their firepower on shutting down UM's rushing attack.
I'm not suggesting that Forcier and Robinson are Pat Whites in waiting.
I'm just saying that Michigan's offense should be much more versatile, explosive and less predictable this fall. Michigan now has quarterbacks that can run and throw equally well. I mean, you cannot afford to ignore a Tate Forcier, or a Denard Robinson during a football game. Opposing defenses this year better account for them on every down, or there will be a price to pay.
This was just not the case for Michigan football in 2008.
I suspect that the plays that will be run in 2009 should more closely resemble those of the 2002 West Virginia's team when then Mountaineer QB Rasheed Marshall took over under center and proceeded to shred Big East opponents - and almost everyone else - into ribbons with QB read options, rollouts and short-range precision passes.
Rick Leach was by far the most dangerous rushing QB in Michigan history. He scored more rushing touchdowns in the modern era of the game than any other Michigan QB. This fact was that much more amazing given that Wolverine opponents during this period knew damn well that the Wolverine tailback,fullback and the QB were going to be carrying the pigskin. A lot. Michigan was a run-centric football team.
Rick Leach, UM QB 1975-1978.
Fast and elusive?
Hmmm, not really. But get this. Leach started all 48 games of his career at UM over 4 full years. There were only 21 games out of those 48 where Leach DIDN'T celebrate a pedestrian stroll across the goal line. Leach scored 34 rushing touchdowns himself. Leach's advantage was elusiveness, not necessarily straight-line speed. He also was tough.
Rick Leach had a lot of rushing carries at Michigan during his career because Schembechler ran predominantly an Option-I attack that called for a significant number of QB option keeper plays that were situational, based on what the defense would give. There were plenty of Russell Davis and Rob Lytle off-tackle dives to be sure. But around 1976 Schembechler developed a decidedly evil fondness for using player speed on the edges. And he had just enough speed with Leach at QB and Lytle, Huckleby or Roosevelt Smith at tailback to pull it off with bone-crushing effectiveness. Michigan led the nation in scoring and rushing in 1976.
There have been a number of quick QB's at Michigan like Dennis Franklin, Wilbur Odom, Demetrius Brown and Michael Taylor, but I don't recall that there has ever been a QB to come to Michigan with the same flash and impressive, documented, foot speed as Denard Robinson.
The rumour mill today is suggesting that Michigan QB Steven Threet may transfer from the football team prior to spring practice.
Threet was Michigan's starting QB during much of the 2008 campaign and played in 10 of Michigan's 12 games. Threet led Michigan to two of it's three victories in 2008, versus Miami Ohio and versus Wisconsin.
If this rumour is true, Michigan's quarterback situation from an experience standpoint would again for the second straight season be rather dire. The next most experienced quarterback for the Wolverines would be Junior Nick Sheridan. Sheridan knows the spread offense probably better than anyone on the team, including Threet. But Sheridan was much maligned during 2008 for his apparent weaknesses, all the more poignant given the position he plays: poor arm strength and poor throwing accuracy.
Should Threet decide to transfer, Rich Rodriguez's options would include:
Threet's potential departure only confirms the importance for Rodriguez to land a second QB in the 2009 recruiting class, which I mentioned in prior posts as if it came straight from Captain Obvious. Personally, I hope the rumour is false. Michigan needs Threet on the depth chart another year at least. Still, the Wolverines do appear to have 2 fine options at QB in Forcier and Robinson. There was great hope that somehow Threet and Sheridan could make "tremendous strides" in their throwing technique and knowledge of the offense during the off-season and that such effort would make itself apparent to coaches and fans in the spring.
Michigan was to be one of the few Big Ten teams returning it's starting QB for the 2009 season, and was the only team returning 2 QBs with substantial playing time. Michigan's competition at QB in the upcoming spring and fall practice sessions may still be intense, even if that competition likely only centers around the two incoming freshman who possess the footspeed, option agility and throwing accuracy to run Rodriguez' spread offense offense.
Everyone knows the importance of the quarterback in football, be it college or pro level. Returning a starting quarterback is almost always considered to be a huge plus to any football team in terms of continuity and on-field performance.
Let's review 2008 briefly and the teams that returned starting QBs and the team records:
1.) Penn State 11-2 QB Darryl Clark replaced Anthony Morelli and was far more productive offensively. Penn State led the Big Ten in scoring 40 pts. per game and in yards per game. Entering the 2008 season Clark was experienced in clean up duty and was very comfortable as starter. 2009 Nittany Lion QB Candidates: Darryl Clark is back as a senior. Then there is 2009 incoming freshman Kevin Newsome. (Paul Ciancolo graduated and backup Pat Devlin transferred to the Delaware Blue Hens)
2.) Ohio State 10-3 QB Todd Boeckmann led OSU to the Big Ten title and national championship game in 2007. In 2008, Boeckmann played second fiddle to freshman sensation Terrelle Pryor at QB. Buckeyes finished 5th in league scoring and a surprising 9th in yards/game. Great defense is what elevated Ohio State play most of the season. Oh, and a healthy Beanie Wells. The Buckeyes landed a great freshman class for 2009 and the timing is perfect. Pryor will need significantly better play for the OL and a rejuvenated running game under Brandon Saine and Jamal Berry. Otherwise, the overwhelming pressure on Pryor will only mount. 2009 Buckeye QB Candidates: So. Terrelle Pryor So. Joe Bausermann 2009 freshman recruit Ken Guiton
3.) Michigan State 9-4 QB Bryan Hoyer returned as the Spartans' senior starter for 2008. Offensively, Michigan State was decidedly mediocre in the Big Ten, measuring 6th in the league in scoring and 7th in yard/game. A strong running game, fewer turnovers and adequate defensive play allowed MSU to win key games in 2008. Hoyer graduates in 2008. 2009 Spartan QB Candidates: Jr. So. Kirk Cousins Jr. Keith Nichol 2009 Fr. recruit Andrew Maxwell
4.) Iowa 9-4 Redshirt freshman QB Jake Christianson lost his starting job to sophomore QB Rick Stanzi in the second game of the season, a 42-0 shut of Florida International. The Hawkeyes never looked back. With Stanzi under center and Shonn Greene at tailback, the Hawkeyes exploded offensively finishing 3rd in the Big Ten in scoring and 3rd in the league in yard/game - a major improvement of the prior year. The Hawks were the only Big Ten team to win their bowl game by crushing SEC rep South Carolina in embarrassing fashion in the Outback Bowl 31-10. Jake Christiansen has transferred. 2009 Hawkeye QB Candidates: Jr. Rick Stanzi owns this position right now. So. Marvin McNutt RS Fr. John Wienke 2009 freshman recruit Micah Hyde.
5.) Northwestern 9-4 CJ Bacher and Mike Kafka split duty at QB in 2008. Kafka was more productive (and dangerous) in the spread offense because of his running ability. Kafka has a good throwing arm as well, and I'm sure we'll see him throw more in 2009 since the Wildcat running game of Sutton and Conteh blew up last fall to injury and do not return. Northwestern finished 8th in scoring and 6th in yards/game. 2009 Wildcat QB Candidates: Kafka is the heir apparent for 2009. So. Joe Mauro 2009 freshman recruit Evan Watkins.
6) Wisconsin 7-6 Wisconsin had QB issues the minute Tyler Donovan graduated in 2007. Wisconsin finished 4th in scoring and 3rd in yards/game in 2008 in 2008. Not bad. Unfortunately, the Badgers never achieved the consistency they needed under starter Allan Evridge. I sort of expect improved numbers going into 2009 with backups Tolzien or Sherer at the helm, because I think they are more talented players than Evridge was. 2009 Badger QB Candidates: Jr. Scott Tolzien Sr. Dustin Sherer Curt Phillips 2009 recruit Jon Budmayr round out the Badger QB depth chart.
7.) Minnesota 7-6 The Golden Gophers finished 6th in scoring and 10th in yard/game in 2009 under QB Adam Weber. Weber has been sidelined with off-season surgery, so it's not entirely certain whether he'll start the first few games of the 2009 campaign. He may get into the role again later into the season. No team in the Big Ten returns with more total starters on offense and defense than the Golden Gophers (estimated at 18), so it would not surprise me to see Minnesota winning again 7 games or more, upsetting a few Big Ten teams along the way in their new TCF stadium, and then getting embarrassed in a bowl game per tradition. By 2010 this Gopher team could be pretty good. Weber might miss the first 1 or 2 games of the season in 2009. 2009 Gopher QB Candidates: Sr. David Pittman is the most experienced behind Weber. Soph. MarQueis Gray 2009 freshman recruit Moses Alipate. Sr. Adam Weber (surgery)
8.) Illinois 5-7 I'm still trying to figure out how you go from Rose Bowl team, return your starting QB (Williams), return an awesome WR (Benn), and sensational tailback Daniel Dufresne, and not become bowl eligible. I guess this explains Ron Zook's negative recruiting tactics. I think it's also explained by something called "Western Michigan". Regardless, the Fighting Illini return with Juice at QB, and hey, that's all you need, right? Well, minus the 16 soul-crushing interceptions, I mean. Juice Williams is probably the Big Ten's loudest demonstration that it's simply not good enough to have a Pat White under center making big plays and giving defensive coordinators fits. You can't turn the ball over. You need a consistent running game, and the defense has to stop people. It sounds strange to say this, but Juice Williams is entering his senior season for the Illini. He threw for a sick number of yards in 2008, but behind closed doors right now Zook has to be thinking very hard about his QB situation and whether Juice Williams is the right choice. Williams is brilliant....at times. No question about it. He destroyed Michigan (not much of a feat last year, but still) and he almost single-handedly knocked off Ohio State in Columbus a year ago. Still, at other times, Williams' throwing errors have literally sucked the life out of the Illini football team. 2009 Illini QB Candidates: Juice! Jr. Eddie McGee RS freshman Jacob Charest 2009 freshman recruit Nathan Scheelhaase
9.) Purdue 4-8 Purdue's high octane spread attack earned a rating of 7th in league scoring and 4th in yards/game under star QB Curtis Painter. Painter graduates and coach Joe Tiller is being replaced by former Boilermaker offensive line coach Danny Hope. Will Hope continue Tillers passing attack or mix in some other razzle-dazzle? I'm not too optimistic about the Boilermarkers' future right now, mainly because I don't know about Danny Hope. I do know this: Purdue has a good QB coming back in Joey Elliott. 2009 Boilermaker QB Candidates: Sr. Joey Elliott So. Justin Siller RS Fr. Caleb TerBush then 2009 freshmen Najee Tyler and Rob Henry.
10.) Michigan 3-9 RS Freshman Steven Threet shared duties with Sophomore Nick Sheridan. Both performed poorly in the 2008 campaign overall as Michigan finished last in scoring and last in yards/game. Both threw inconsistently and did not seem to fully grasp the offense. On the one hand, it's not going to be that difficult for Michigan to improve upon the 2008 QB numbers - they were that bad. On the other hand, Michigan enters the 2009 campaign with either low talent and low experience (Threet, Sheridan) at QB, or high talent and low experience (Forcier, Robinson). One thing is certain now, head coach Rich Rodriguez finally has some players joining the football team in 2009 more to his liking, i.e. with good throwing accuracy, excellent footspeed and big playmaking ability. Threet has the inside track to start in 2009, in my view. Forcier and Robinson are going to push him very hard, however, in the Spring and Fall practice sessions. Threet's strength is his offensive playbook understanding, arm strength and game experience. His weaknesses have been lack of speed, poor throwing accuracy and hanging onto the ball way too long. But again, as far as arm strength goes, Threet may be the best there is in the Michigan lineup. Accuracy awards, though, will likely go to Mr. Forcier and Mr. Robinson. The quarterback position at Michigan is going to be interesting to watch for another reason in 2009: The Wolverine receiving corps may very well be the best in the Big Ten, if not the entire MidWest, from an overall speed, experience and talent perspective. 2009 Wolverine QB Candidates: So Steven Threet Fr. Tate Forcier Fr. Denard Robinson Jr. Nick Sheridan Fr. Nader Furrha So. Justin Feagin (playing slot) Senior David Cone is also in the depth chart, but probably never before slotback.
11.) Indiana 3-9 I liked Indiana in 2007. Gaining bowl eligiblity and dedicating the season to Terry Hoeppner as they did was a cool thing. I thought it might be a program on the rise, to some extent anyway. 2008 was a disaster, however. Indiana finished 10th in league scoring and 8th in yards/game. The Hoosiers alternated talented quarterbacks Kellen Lewis and Ben Chappelle most of the season. The results were 12 TD passes and 11 INTs. I would expect these numbers to improve in 2009. Indiana's depth at QB is substantial, and Lewis could have a breakout senior season for the Hoosiers if he can stay out of trouble off the field, and if the other ten players on the Hoosier offense would only cooperate. Lewis's backups are capable and experienced. 2009 Hoosier QB Candidates: Sr. Kellen Lewis, Jr. Ben Chappelle, Jr.Mitchell Evans, So. Teddy Schell, RS Fr. Adam Follett 2009 Freshman Edward Wright-Baker.
The Big Ten teams with the best QB outlook for 2009?
1.) Penn State (Darry Clark)
2.) Iowa (Rick Stanzi)
3.) Indiana (Kellen Lewis)
4.) Northwestern (Mike Kafka)
5.) Ohio State (Terrelle Pryor)
6.) Minnesota (When and if AdamWeber returns to full health)
7.) Michigan State (because of Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol play to hype)
The Michigan football program and head coach Rich Rodriguez finished the 2009 recruiting campaign strong for the second straight year, signing a class ranked 13th nationally according to Scout.com and 7th according to Rivals.com . Following the 3-9 2008 football season, many didn't know what to expect from Rodriguez and his staff on the recruiting trail.
Would prospective recruits see the 3-9 season as an opportunity for early playing time? Would UM verbal commitments during the 2008 football season eventually decommit? Would opponents use negative recruiting tactics against Rodriguez and his coaching philosophy (spread offense, doesn't throw the ball enough, RR philosophy not conducive to developing players for the NFL)?
The answer was yes to all. But Rodriguez and staff ignored the media bashing and continued to work. So how did Michigan's 2009 class measure up in the Big Ten recruiting rankings?
Not too bad at all. Yes, Michigan's recruiting class finishes behind their white hot rival Ohio State Buckeyes for a second straight year, but well ahead of Michigan State, Penn State (Rivals) and Notre Dame.
Rodriguez's 2009 haul of recruits appear to answer a number of key team concerns:
Quarterback
Holy mother of God, is it just me or were high school kids insane not to see the glaring Captain Obvious advertisment for early playing time in Ann Arbor? Incredibly, Michigan had to cope with the mid-season decommitment of then 5-star QB recruit Kevin Newsome (Penn State) and post season decommitment of 4-star QB recruit Shavodrick Beaver (Tulsa).
Yes, Penn State and Tulsa. Let that sink in for a moment or two.
Michigan's quarterbacks Steven Threet and Nick Sheridan were not productive in 2008. Inexperience, learning a complex playbook, and inexperienced offensive line, and poor throwing accuracy undermined their effectiveness. Come hell or high water, Rodriguez was going to get himself a QB or two. Only a few weeks ago this situation looked dire. Today Michigan signed freshmen Tate Forcier (No. 15 QB) and Denard Robinson (No. 16, QB/CB). Both are welcome additions to the Michigan QB competition this spring and fall respectively. The most notable attributes of these two fine freshmen are a.) blazing footspeed and b.) high throwing accuracy. Both achieved high school fame for their QB elusiveness and uncanny ability to make big plays. Both ran spread-run oriented offenses in high school which should only help with the timing and playbook-learning curve. The good news is that Michigan finally is accumulating the depth it needs at this position once again.
Running Back / Slot Back
Entering 2008 Michigan assistant coach Fred Jackson stated that Michigan may have the fastest group of running backs he's ever seen at Michigan. But numerous injuries and a young OL lessened the production of this group. Michigan adds 4 running backs to the fold in 2009, some of whom will play the slotback position in the spread formation: Teric Jones (No. 44 RB), Jeremy Gallon (No. 45 RB), Fitgerald Toussaint (No. 49 RB), Vincent Smith (No. 102 RB).
Most notable attribute of this group: 4.4, 4.5, 4.5 and 4.5 shuttle times in the 40 yard dash. Shazaam!
Defensive Line Graduations in 2009 opened up a lot of opportunity for incoming Michigan freshmen. It's only surprising that more players didn't commit to Michigan for the DL.
Michigan landed Craig Roh (No. 8 DE) and Anthony Lalotta (No. 15 DE) to help lessen the blow of losing Tim Jamison to graduation last fall. Michigan also landed the Wolverine state's best player in William Campbell (No. 6 DE). Unfortunately Michigan did not land DE Sam Montgomery (committed to LSU), and both DT Pearlie Graves (Texas Tech) and DE Daquinta Jones (Arkansas) decommitted from Michigan on signing day.
Offensive Line
Michigan's offensive line in 2008 gradually improved as the season wore on. In 2009 Michigan's recruiting efforts havce paid off with the signing of Michael Schofield (No. 10 OL) , Taylor Lewan (No. 20 OL) and Quinton Washington (No. 25 OL). William Campbell played OT in high school and could play on offense next fall as well. For 2010 Michigan needs to seriously consider getting a top notch center.
Secondary
Anyone who observed a Michigan football game in 2008 can tell you that the Michigan secondary needs work. The Michigan defensive backfield gave up way too many big plays last year - and in virtually every game. The good news here is that Michigan has a good bit of talent and experience now at safety. Cornerback is the biggest question mark for 2009. Justin Turner (No. 3 CB) and Denard Robinson (No. 13 QB/CB) signed with the Wolverines today and should bolster the talent at that spot.
Wide Receiver ?
Come on. Honestly, is there a football team in the Big Ten right now that even remotely comes to close to Michigan's depth talent at wide receiver? Odoms, Mathews, Hemingway, Clemons, Stonum, Rogers, T. Robinson. The depth, speed and talent here is borderline disgusting. Rodriguez didn't have to land any WRs this fall. But he did anyway. Je'Ron Stokes (No. 17 WR) and Cameron Gordon (No. 82 WR) should get reps this fall at outside wideout. Stokes is supposed to be scary good.
Tight End?
Um, Michigan recruited zero tight ends in 2009 and probably won't be recruiting many going forward under Rodriguez due to the overstock.com sale on Michigan tight ends. I think Rodriguez prefers to call them "fullbacks".
Overall a great Michigan class, all things considered: 3-9 season, incessant negative recruiting, mid-season, post-season and signing day decommitments, and the limited recruiting time available after such decommitments. 8 of the 22 commitments for 2009 came from Florida. 7 of the 22 are already enrolled at Michigan. 2009 may very well constitute the fastest recruiting class top to bottom ever at Michigan.
The 2009 college football recruiting season has almost run its course, and Michigan fans (including college football recruiting nerds like me) are still holding their breath.
In just 2 days America's top college football recruits will sign letters of intent to play football for the college of their choice on Signing Day, Wednesday, February 4th.
The Michigan Wolverines have landed 20 recruits so far and have earned a ranking of 20th in the land by Scout.com and 7th in the land by Rivals.com recruiting magazines respectively.
Following a disasterous 3-9-0 football season in 2009, Michigan has done remarkably well on the recruiting trail, but it has been an exhausting process with more ups and downs than any Michigan football fan might ever remember. With 5 spots left to fill and possibly more, here are the top remaining prospects for the Wolverines for 2009:
QB/CB Denard Robinson, 4 star, No 13 CB, 6-0, 176 lbs, Deerfield Beach, FL, 4.38 speed. Choice is between Florida and Michigan.
CB Adrian Witty, 2 star, NR Safety, 6-1, 185 lbs, Deerfield Beach, FL, speed unknown (was injured in 2008). Witty is considering Kansas State, Michigan and Florida.
OL Quinton Washington, 3 star, No. 125 OL, 6-4, 322lbs, St. Stephen, SC Between Michigan and South Carolina. Too close to call.
Over the last 3 weeks Michigan has apparently lost out on landing the following list of interested recruits. Some of them visited the UM campus in Ann Arbor:
OL Marcus Hall, 5 star, No. 2 OL, 6-5, 293 lbs, Cleveland, OH, 5.4 speed, Committed to Ohio State.
DE Sam Montgomery, 4 star, No. 7 DE, 6-5, 240 lbs, Greenwood, SC, 5.7 speed LSU or North Carolina or Tennessee.
WR Je'Ron Stokes, 4 star, No. 19 WR, 6-0, 195 lbs, Philadelphia, PA, 4.5 speed A Tennessee commit. Considered Michigan for a time, but apparently leaning toward flintlock, hound dogs and Davy Crockett, a.k.a Tennessee.
There have been the stunning decommitments of Kevin Newsome (Penn State commit) and Shavodrick Beaver (Tulsa). Beaver's decommitment came just 6 weeks before signing day, which forced a change in Michigan's recruiting efforts during the last several weeks. Michigan desperately needs 2 QBs in the 2009 class to build up talent and depth at this key position to ensure that Rodriguez's spread option offense might have an opportunity to run at full throttle. They have one in Tate Forcier, but need another to add depth.
If Michigan lands the above 3 recruits (Washington, Witty and Robinson) and somehow retains DT Pearlie Graves and DE DaQuinta Jones in the class, then Michigan will have landed 23 players total. Two to three additional spots remain for the class, but it remains unclear who would occupy them.
Should 4-star CB/QB recruit Denard Robinson decide not commit to Michigan for some reason, then the Wolverines' 2009 class would still be on par with previous classes under Lloyd Carr and Rich Rodriguez comparatively speaking. Over the last 8 years both Michigan and Ohio State have landed top 10 recruiting classes (actually identically ranked on average at 10th place over the last 8 seasons.)
Also noteworthy is that Rodriguez did land the No. 1 rated players in Michigan (DT/OL William Campbell) and Ohio (CB JT Turner) respectively.
The media will no doubt find ways to highlight the decommitments of Newsome and Beaver. But 2009 recruiting haul is a already sweet class for Michigan and can be made only sweeter by landing Denard Robinson.
(Photo of Denard Robinson by Nissa Benjamin of Miami Herald)
Michigan Quarterback Rick Leach as a freshman in 1975
