Three Things to Watch and a Prediction (Michigan Edition)

Here are 3 things to watch for when Michigan faces off against Western Michigan on Saturday.

(Live up to potential, please.)

1. Can they line it up and run the football with a tailback?  Who will that guy be?  My bet is on Fitzgerald Toussaint.  It could be Michael Shaw, but one of the many talented RB's need to step up and show they can produce on the ground. This will also be our first glimpse at how the offensive line is going to function in a scheme that will require more drive blocking.  If the coaches are able I think they will keep the scheme very vanilla in this game and keep things under wraps a bit for the night game against ND.

(Awesome picture, right?)

2. Can Michigan stop the run?  Alex Carder is a good quarterback and he's going to throw for some yards.  If Michigan can shut down any WMU running game and then start to tee off on Carder they will win easily.  If the Broncos are able to run the football, Hoke is probably going to have to turn Denard loose to win a shootout.  This will also be a visible signal to give us a good idea of how the season is going to go.  If Michigan can shut down WMU on the ground, things will be looking up for this year.  If it goes the other way...yikes.


3.  Defensive rotation.  There are a lot of guys who are going to rotate in and out on defense and it will be interesting to see how the young guys play even if the game is out of hand.

("You!  You play for Michigan!")

Prediction: 

31-13

We see Devin Gardner in the 4th quarter where he continues the gameplan of taking snaps under center and giving the ball to running backs.  Western puts up decent yardage numbers in the middle of the field as Michigan gives up a lot of dink and dunk underneath passing yardage.  Things get more difficult for the Broncos as the field starts to shrink.  Denard and the offense start a little slow but he makes a few big plays where the Broncos can't account for his running and the receivers downfield.  The running backs have a lot of 3 yard carries but break one big run.

Opening Week is Like Christmas

When I was 7, Christmas was the best day of the year.  My mom would go way over the top for Christmas.  I'd always get the toy I wanted and a few other pretty sweet little things.  However, it wasn't necessarily the one specific present that made Christmas morning so special, it was the enormity of all the presents.  My siblings and I would open countless beautifully wrapped boxes.  We would each likely get a few gifts that we truly wanted, but we would also get box after box of clothes.  Some were awesome, like that cool new jacket you really wanted.  And some not so much, like four more pairs of whitey tighties.  In a household with four kids, I think my parents bought us clothes twice a year.  The first on a back to school trip for some essentials like pants and shirts and then Christmas, when more socks and underwear and coats and hats and gloves and anything possible that a kid needs.  All these things were meticulously placed under the tree to create an image so grand it would impress anyone.  It wasn't long before I realized that the majority of the presents were things like socks and underwear, but for that one moment when I came down the stairs and saw the tree for the first time on Christmas morning, the optimism about the contents of all those presents led to sheer joy.  Those presents could contain gifts as great as my imagination.  

On Saturday (or Friday for Sparties) we get to open our presents.  They aren't all going to be the shiny new toy we so desire, but for the next few days they are wrapped so pretty that visions of heismans dance in our heads.   In a few weeks, after the presents are opened and the contents revealed, optimism will give way to realism.  That magnificently wrapped present I can picture containing a 5 star who finally reached his potential as a junior or a sophomore All American at linebacker...no, that box probably contains a new pair of pants, usable sure, but nothing to be excited about.

Opening week is all about optimism, I'm basking in it's glow right now.  I'm hoping a few more gifts, when ripped open on Saturday, turn out to be sweet new All-Big Ten players rather than crummy socks. 

Now you answer me this

As a MSU fan, these are the things that UM needs to look out for the most, as I see it.


(Pat will be in parenthesis and italics)

#1  Passing game.

Can Denard get behind center and pass the ball?  I know he is able to, he lit up teams like Massachusetts and Illinois, but can he do that consistently?  My concern when watching him pass is that hes no overly tall so slants across the middle could get lost behind the boys in the trenches.

(1. While this is certainly a concern, I think it's also overplayed.  Al Borges has been around the block and I'm not too concerned Denard is going to be put into a drop back passing role exclusively.  He'll operate out of the shotgun a huge percentage of the time and the offense will utilize a lot of rollouts when he's under center and they want to play action. 


The biggest difference from last year's offense to this year's is going to be running power.  The line is going to be tasked with drive blocking and a running back is going to follow a full back from the I and try to make four yards.  This will happen 8-15 times per game.  In my opinion, the success of this play is a much larger concern than the passing game.)


#2 Defense

Obviously, UM will improve their defense, it will be hard to go anywhere but up.  But how far up?  What kind of overall defensive numbers will you need to put up to gain an extra win?  If there isn't some serious and I am talking SERIOUS improvement, Hoke will already be hearing grumblings from the fan base. 


(2. Real creative Tbone.  110th.  That was Michigan's defensive rank last season.  Get that # to 60th or so and it would be a gigantic leap..  I also think it's possible.  Injuries, lack of depth, Greg Robinson having no clear idea of what he wanted to do and a general malaise regarding defense all rolled together to create an opponent touchdown train unlike anything I've ever seen before.  Watching Michigan's defense last year was like watching the Lions play the Colts on Thanksgiving that one year where the Colts threw a touchdown pass on seemingly every play.  It was like 35-0 after one quarter.  Imagine watching that every week and Matt Mcgloin and Nathan Scheelhaase are playing Peyton Manning and you keep trying to blink yourself out of the twilight zone but instead you open your eyes to see Greg Robinson rubbing stuffed animals on players faces on the sideline.  


This is going to sound crazy...but there's some talent on this defense.  Mike Martin is a flat out stud. (who's season was never as productive after he suffered a high ankle sprain on an illegal chop block by the Spartans)  Ryan VanBergen is a very solid senior defensive tackle.  Troy Woolfolk comes back from missing an entire season and is easily the best player in the secondary.  Kenny Demens was good after Robinson finally put him in to replace Obi Ezeh after the MSU game last year.  Jordan Kovacs is about as solid as a Jordan Kovacs can be. (he is also a point of consternation for the UM fan base, but IMO he's a good player)  Craig Roh is playing defensive end again, after a debacle at linebacker.  All those young players who got burned a lot last year are a year older and maybe a little bigger and stronger and more ready for college football. 


So yeah, Michigan's defense is clearly the #1 concern for this season.  I know they are going to be better, how much better is the big question.)

#3 Depth

How is the depth?  This was a serious problem last year on both sides of the ball for UM.  Is this freshman class enough to caulk up some of those holes?  Id say more than anything the lack of depth on the offense and defense cost UM 2 games.


(3. Depth is improved vastly in the secondary, somewhat at linebacker and is relatively thin up front on both sides of the ball.  One or two injuries to the defensive front would certainly be devastating.  They could deal with one or two on the offensive line but nothing more.  Depth is fine at WR and RB.  I don't think depth is that big of an issue, DL is the one big scary place but almost all teams have one position group where their depth is thin.)

Answer Me This

From a Michigan fan's perspective, here are my three biggest "concerns" for the Spartans this season.  In actuality, I'm not concerned about these at all since I care not for the fortunes of green men. 

Tbone may choose to post a response from someone more in the know than I.  (tbone will be in parenthesis and italic)

#1.  Schedule

I know it's a shocker to all of you, but I have some friends who like to gamble.  Prior to the 2010 season, one of these asked me about making a bet on the Spartans.  He had a bet on the table that MSU would win less than 8 games.  The Spartans were coming off a 6-7 season with some off the field trouble and seemed like a team in flux.  It was hard to imagine how they'd be vastly improved in one off-season.  With all that in mind, I advised my friend against making the bet, in fact, I informed him it was a terrible bet.  There was really only one reason, the schedule.

In 2010 MSU's schedule was the weakest in maybe all of the Big Ten.  One of their "away" games was against a Florida team at Ford Field.  Ohio State was off the schedule, they got Wisconsin at home.  It was hard to see how the Spartans could lose more than 4 or 5 games.  Granted, they came together and had a better season than most expected, even with expectations that considered the weak schedule.

How much of a role did the schedule play?  That's for Tbone to answer.  What I do know is this: last year's schedule paved a nice road to success and this year's schedule is simply brutal.  Would the Spartans have won last year's miracle game if it was played in South Bend?  Throw OSU back on the schedule and add playing in the horseshoe.  Welcome Nebraska to the Big Ten with a trip to Lincoln.  The roadblocks are much more prominent this season.  It's easy to envision a better MSU team with a much more pedestrian record.

(This looks like two questions.  I guess the first question you want answered is last years success.  Yes, our schedule helped a lot.  It could have been harder.  But its not like UM's schedule was any harder. UCONN was supposed to be a huge barometer for your teams rest of schedule success.  They were an 8-5 squad with awful losses to Louisville, Temple, and the 2010 UM football team.  All this says is that hype in teams doesnt matter in the preseason.  As for our 2011 schedule, it is harder on paper.  We still get Wisconsin at home, we have UM at home and we play OSU during their 5th game, so players will still be missing.  Do I think we will got 11-1+? no.  But 9-3+ seems attainable and perfectly fine with me.) 




#2. Tackles Have Not Played a Down

This unit is as green as Sparty.  (OK, that was brutal, but the point stands)  One projected starting tackle was a defensive lineman last season.  Position switch starters are rarely a positive sign.  When those players are also switching sides of the ball it's an even greater cause for worry.  The Spartans are replacing three key pieces on their offensive line, both tackles and the center position.  The unproven nature of the Spartans Oline this year could bring down the entire season.

When Cousins has time in the pocket he's a surgeon, but when he's hurried he quickly turns into a butcher.  He will likely make better decisions this season even under duress, but it's hard to envision the Spartans offense being successful without good Oline play.  The backfield is stacked with quality players, but they too need holes generated by the Oline.  Usually with inexperienced offensive lineman, you get players who are good at either pass blocking or run blocking, but not often both.  How this unit comes together will likely determine if the Spartans are in hunt for the Big Ten title game or fighting to make a bowl game. 

(This is a legit concern. And I wont even try to argue otherwise.  However, I will try to talk them up a bit.  Skylar Burkland is a redshirt freshman and I haven't read one bad thing about him.  Hes big, hes fast, and is knocking the defensive ends on their asses in scrimmage. Jared Mcgaha, is a senior, he has played in every eligible season and has started. hes not as thick as Dan However, Jared is 6-6. Dan France came from the defensive line.  However, he was originally recruited as a OT out of high school. This unit will make mistakes, false starts, etc.  Hopefully they will learn quick..... And you may remember this position switch, he came from the defensive line. O, here's an image:

 










 (plus with all this youth, imagine the unit next year, sounds like future best OL in the B1G.)

#3. Youth Movement at Linebacker

Max Bullough may just be the next coming of Chris Spielman, but he's also a true sophomore who played at a tiny northern Michigan school replacing an All-American level performer in Greg Jones. The Spartans also must replace Eric Gordon.  It's easy to fall into the trap that a more athletic young player will offer an upgrade over a four year starter. (I've done that before only to experience doom)  I think MSU has some depth and talent at this position, but can they simply plug these guys in and get consistent production or will this unit suffer through growing pains?

(This is obviously another position concern, but in my mind not as large as the offensive line.  This is mainly due to our defensive line.  Max has been doing everything right in practice, has been vocal on the line, and is earning high praise from the coaches.  Will he make some mistakes? yes.  However, his linebacker mates are on track for big seasons.  I love Chris Norman, Steve Gardinier, and Denicos Allen. It should be noted that Max is listed as the starter alone, no classic "or" that Mark Dantonio likes to use. That alone should show you where Max is at.)

Culinary School

Who knew Spartans were culinary masterminds?   All the time Wolverines are in the library getting educated Spartans must be in the kitchen gorging themselves on delicious treats.

Despite my pal's scrumptious recipes, he's got it all wrong.  There is one, and only one, tailgating food.  The bratwurst.  Dress it however you like: mustard, spicy brown mustard, ketchup (not really, we both lived in Chicago so ketchup on a brat is a sin), relish, hot sauce, onions, giardeniera (my personal favorite, once again, the Chi), jalapenos, chili, sauerkraut, or whatever else you can think of, but make no mistake, there is one and only one ideal tailgating food.  The Brat.

Bratwurst Recipe:

Purchase Brats

Preheat Grill

Cook Brats Thoroughly

Eat and wash down with cold light beer.

Play Thunderstruck to celebrate.  1...2...3... Drink that shit, b***h.  

Eat another bratwurst to soak up that beer you just chugged when you got thunderf***ed.

Discuss detailed statistics of football and why they prove Denard Robinson is the best quarterback ever.

Srsly, ever.

Explain to Sparty friends what statistics are and how they are relevant to football.

Give up explaining anything math related to Spartans.

Challenge Sparty friend to beer bong contest.

Lose.

Challenge Sparty friend to beer shotgun contest.

Lose.

Bring back discussion on statistics and explain that beer drinking ability is not nearly as important as knowledge of statistics when it comes to future success in life.

Acknowledge to self that this argument has only been used because you lost those damn drinking contests, resolve to do better the next time.

Promise to learn to open throat during bye week.

Realize that every Spartan within 200 miles would love to add a joke to the last statement.

Shake fist at juvenile nature of Sparties.

Chug beer to prove you aren't a total nerd after everyone has been looking at you while you made that weird face during your inner turmoil.

Vomit. A different type of inner turmoil.

Avoid arrest but watch Sparty fans herded by police on horseback (in person or on tv, either works...did their women's basketball team make the Sweet 16 or something?)

Listen to Sparty friend tell story about how "awesome it was when we got teargassed, bro!"

Roll eyes, because, c'mon, "We're Michigan" and yes, that's a pretentious thing to say and we know that.  In fact, we're pretentious enough to know that we're clearly better than you, your riots, your recipes and even the color green.  It's putrid.  In fact, it's the color of that beer/brat/relish mix I just regurgitated.

Pound one final beer to wash it all down.  Follow it with one final brat, and one more final, final beer.

Enter stadium.

Make little brother joke, not because you think it's clever or original but because you just pounded two beers after shotgunning one and beer bonging another and being thunderf***ed and having 4 or so more to start the morning, not to mention those GD jello shots your girlfriend made, and after all of that you're good and drunk and "little brother, ughh" is the best you can come up with.

Think to yourself how sh***y that joke was, and then remember "Henne rhymes with douche bag" and how every Sparty you know used it for two years and rolled on the floor like an idiot laughing every time it was ever said and the satisfaction you gained from victory in those years and feel much better about yourself and your cleverness and gain a pleasant satisfaction in the knowledge that a bunch of your future employees make up the MSU fanbase.  

Remember that you are currently unemployed.

Blame economy.  Those bastards in California don't recognize the value of a degree from the University of Michigan.

Feel reassured, not for any real reason but you just drank a lot of beers and emotional rollercoasters are the way of life when you're buzzed up.  There's no reason to get down about your employment status.

Think about how fast Denard is, smile.

Watch a Michigan victory.

Boom.

Best. Tailgate. Ever.

Tailgate Recipes

With college football season just around the corner, I’ve started to think about my favorite tailgate recipes. I love to tailgate. The tailgate can sometimes be the best part of the day.  And if you have been rooting for Michigan for the last few years, the tailgate was better than the game.....  So here I go with some tailgate deliciousness. 

Roasted Potatoes with Onions - Easy to make and a big hit for breakfast!

2 lbs. red skinned potatoes, cut in 1 1/2 to 2-inch chunks
1 large sweet onion, cut in large chunks
1/4 tsp dried thyme
3 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Line a large disposable baking pan with foil; spray with cooking spray or lightly grease. Heat oven to 400. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl or food storage bag; toss to coat thoroughly. Arrange in the baking pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until potatoes are tender and nicely browned. *Cook the morning of and then place covered on the grill to re-heat.  (be careful you dont over heat on the grill, keep an eye on these puppies - tbone)

French Toast Casserole – Kids & adults, sober & drunk, everyone likes this recipe!

1 (1 pound) loaf french bread, cut in 1 inch slices
6 eggs
2 cups milk
1 cups half-and-half cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup butter
1 1/3 cups brown sugar

Butter 2 disposable 9x13 inch baking dishes. Arrange the slices of bread in the bottom. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over bread slices, cover, and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, preheat oven to 350. In a small saucepan, combine butter and brown sugar; heat until bubbling. Pour over bread and egg mixture. Bake in preheated oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes. *Place on grill covered with foil to re-heat.  (this is also great if you grill up some breakfast sausage on the grill -tbone)

The Classic Veggie Pizza – This is my most requested recipe.

2 pkgs. croissant rolls
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup mayo
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dry mix
shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped vegetables: broccoli, pepper, and halved cherry/grape tomatoes

Place croissant rolls on a 9x13 pan flat with seams pressed together. Bake croissants as directed (usually 8 to 10 minutes) until golden. Mix cream cheese, mayonnaise and Ranch mix together. Spread cheese mixture over baked croissants. Sprinkle with shredded Cheddar and chopped vegetables. Cut into squares for serving. *I make this the night before and then add the veggies & cheese the day of.

Chinese Chicken Salad – This is always a hit. Takes you back to college when all you could afford was Ramen!

2 pkgs. Top Ramen chicken flavored noodles
3 chicken breasts, cooked (you can also use a pre cooked roasted chicken and shred it up)
2 pkgs cabbage mix
toasted sliced almonds
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp lemon juice
5 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp peanut oil

Remove Ramen flavor packets and set aside. In a large bowl combine cabbage mix and chicken (chopped). Mix in another small bowl sugar, lemon juice, oil and contents of the two flavor packets. Mix well. Mix thoroughly with cabbage and chicken. Add crunchy Ramen noodles and cover. Let it set for 24 to 36 hours before serving, tossing it several times. Scatter toasted almond on top before serving. Do not cook noodles.

 And saving the best for last…Skippy! (Or Skip & Go Naked!)

3 beers (Light beer works best)

2 cans frozen lemonade concentrate

Vodka

Mix beer and lemonade into a pitcher. Fill lemonade cans with vodka and add. Mix, drink and good luck! 

(Ed Note: this will get you very drunk and tastes FANTASTIC.  so be careful)

So next time you’re walking by the Admin Building parking lot before the game stop by, say hi and grab a bite to eat. GO GREEN!

Michigan Wolverines Recruiting Class 2011

Whether this is informative or not, it will be fun to check our predictions at the end of this season and in a few years time.

20 Commits (12 defense, 7 offense, 1 special teams)

Scout Team Ranking #27
Rivals Team Ranking #21
ESPN Team Ranking #NR (only rank top 25)

Commit List:

**** Brennan Beyer
**** Kellen Jones
**** Blake Countess
**** Antonio Poole
**** Justice Hayes
*** Chris Bryant
*** Thomas Rawls
*** Chris Barnett
*** Matt Wile
*** Jack Miller
*** Frank Clark
*** Delonte Hollowel
*** Russell Bellomy
*** Desmon Morgan
*** Tony Posada
*** Raymon Taylor
*** Greg Brown
*** Keith Heitzman
*** Tamani Carter
*** Chris Rock

All rankings in parenthesis are scout position rankings.

Instant Impact:

*** Kicker (Scout #4) Matt Wile - San Diego, CA

To be an instant impact player usually requires opportunity and ability.  Michigan was abysmal in the kicking game last year.  No position is as wide open and provides as much opportunity as the kicker spot and there's not many positions more important.  If Wile can come in and be consistent and make FG's from 40 yards and in it will dramatically help Michigan's scoring offense.  It will be interesting to see who wins the job for both the place kicking duties and the kickoff duties.  Recruiting kickers is always a gamble, and Michigan's current scholarship kicker Brandon Gibbons has simply not shown much.

Best Offensive Recruit:

*** OG (Scout #21) Chris Bryant - Chicago, IL

Michigan has a big need at OL after only taking 1 lineman in the 2010 recruiting class.  Bryant projects as a very good offensive guard.  He's huge, at 6-5 330 in high school!  He's only played football for 2 seasons and the biggest reason he's not more highly rated is technique.  Look for Bryant to redshirt, change some of his weight from bad weight to good weight and be a starter in 2013 as a redshirt sophomore.

Best Defensive Recruit:

**** MLB (Scout #12) Kellen Jones - Houston, TX

Jones is pretty much the opposite of Bryant.  He's a 6-1 210 pound linebacker who seems to fly to ball in all his film.  While a bit small, he looks ready to contribute relatively early.  His film shows a guy who has a nose for the football and tremendous athleticism.  Where Bryant seems raw, Jones seems like he was built for football.  Appears to have good instincts which is crucial for the linebacker position.  Scout has him projected as MLB, but a lot of his film is rushing the passer on the blitz.  Depending on scheme, you may see him playing the outside LB spot and being used in blitz situations as early as this fall.  Has elite burst (which is most important for LB's) but lacks elite speed.  Jones is a playmaker and Michigan's defense really needs some of those.  He'll need to get a bit bigger before he can be relied up to be a run stuffer in the burly Big Ten and a redshirt would be great.  If not, you're likely to see Jones as a situational pass rusher and playing on all special teams.



(Ed Note:  Jones, for reasons unknown, never enrolled at Michigan.  The rumor was some sort of legal issue, though that seems to be off base as Kellen is now enrolled and practicing @ Oklahoma.  One way or another, Michigan released him from his letter of intent and now he's a sooner)

Most All American Potential:

**** DE (Scout #12) Brennan Beyer - Canton, MI

This was difficult to pinpoint in this class, but Beyer has the perfect frame and athleticism to be a tremendous college football player.  At 6-4, 218 pounds and running a 4.7 forty he's ticketed for a redshirt.  He needs to add size to be an every down DE in the Big Ten.  Similar build and style to current Wolverine Craig Roh.  As an upperclassmen, if he's able to put on some good pounds but maintain his burst, he could be a Ryan Kerrigan type of player.  Beyer won't make an immediate impact, but as a redshirt sophomore should step in to replace Craig Roh as a starting DE.


Best Positional Group:

Linebacker (Scout #12 MLB Kellen Jones, #13 OLB Antonio Poole, #33 TE Frank Clark, #42 MLB Desmond Morgan, Beyer could potentially play some OLB)

Michigan has been bad and lacked depth at linebacker for the last two seasons so bringing in a big LB class is very welcomed.  I'm including Frank Clark at linebacker because I think that's where he'll play at Michigan.  You could see all of these players finding the field during their career.   There aren't any 5 star sure thing difference makers here, but lots of solid football players with different skill sets.  LB should have solid depth and talent heading into the future. 

The next best group is CB, this position doesn't have as many difference makers as it has numbers.  Michigan adds 5 cornerbacks in this class (some will likely move to safety) which will help provide talent and depth to what has been a woeful secondary the past 4 or so seasons.


Less Heralded With Greatest Potential:

*** RB (Scout #77) Thomas Rawls - Flint, MI

Don't let his #77 ranking fool you, Rawls is a stud.  The recruiting services factor eligibility into their rankings and Rawls has been a questionable qualifier for some time.  Apparently he needs to gain 1 point on his ACT (fingers crossed!).  Rawls is big, elusive, fast and runs with a mean streak.  Playing in the top division in Michigan, Rawls averaged over 10.5 yards per carry as a Senior.  His burst for a big man is quite impressive.  He's 5-10 210 pounds and runs a 4.5, which is fast, but he won't have game changing speed. Rawls will do his damage gaining tough yards between the tackles.  He fits very well into the new staff's scheme and mentality.  I think Rawls has potential to get carries as a true freshman and become the featured ball carrier within his first few seasons in AA.

Summary:

Hoke did a good job with the hand he was dealt by Brandon.  He was able to "salvage" the class at least somewhat.  This class is still the worst I've ever seen Michigan have since I've been following recruiting.  There are no superstars as far as today.  How this staff develops these guys will go a long way towards how the program performs in the next 4 or 5 seasons. (obvious comment alert)

Urban Meyer just said on ESPNU that Greg Mattison is the without a doubt the best recruiter in college football.  It showed a bit in the last two weeks but hopefully will show even moreso with top guys in the class of 2012.

Biggest position of need heading into 2012 is at DT.  Michigan again was unable to land much talent at this position.  Chris Rock could potentially play there, but he's underperformed the last two seasons simply in high school and doesn't give me a ton of confidence in his ability to play in the Big Ten.  Michigan needs to find DT's.

The other position of great importance in 2011 is OL.  The depth chart is getting dangerously thin at both OG and OT.  Look for 5 or so OL recruits in 2012.


(Update: Michigan has 5 current OL commits for 2012 and is looking for 1 or 2 more.  Tony Posada has left the program.  Michigan also has a couple of DT commits and a few DE commits who may project inside at the college level)

Spartan 2011 Class

This is a recycled post from a former blog.  Pat and I will be using this to get the blog started.  With kick off only about 11 days away along with spring practice, fall practice and soon to be regular season practice.  Now more than ever these posts are important.  

Pat and I will look to review these predictions after the season.  Originally from February 2011...

(Ed Note: When I originally wrote this I did not follow recruiting as much has I have since February.  I think I have followed recruiting more in the last 7 months than the whole rest of my life)

***************************

MSU had 21 total commits unless I counted wrong it looks like 7 offense and 14 defensive.  no special teams.

Rivals #31 overall
Scout #29 overall
ESPN Unranked. Not in top 25.

***** Lawrence Thomas
**** Donavon Clark
**** Joel Heath
**** Onaje Miller
*** Jack Allen
*** Roger Williamson
*** Ed Davis
*** Brandon Clemons
*** Shilque Calhoun
*** Taiwan Jones
*** Arjen Colquhoun
*** Paul Lang
*** Darien Harris
*** Trae Waynes
*** Mark Scarpinato
*** Juwan Caesar
*** Matt Ramondo
*** Damon Knox
*** Andre Sims
*** Fou Fonoti
** Connor Cook


Instant Impact:
This is a toss up for me between numerous players but i will take the easy way out. Fou Fonoti (FF) offensive tackle out of junior college.  6-4 295 lbs.  He will be a junior next year and has two years of going against bigger stronger players.  This obviously is an advantage over high school talent, especially on the offensive and defensive line.  The problem with me picking FF is that there is little written about him because he is a JUCO transfer. ESPN has literally nothing about him.  What I have been able to find says that he can guard or tackle with great explosion and strength, and he was likely undervalued. (Whatever that's supposed to mean).  Rivals ranks him as a 5.7 which is what they consider to have potential between future all american and currently one of the top prospects for their position in their region.  I am excited about this pick up strictly because he can come in and start right away.  For that reason alone he is my instant impact.  On top of that, two of his cousins are Domata and Tupe Peko, two former spartan o-lineman that have played in the NFL.

Best Offensive Recruit:
Things get interesting here.  One of our 4 stars on rivals is listed as an O-tackle but was recruited to play D. Personally I think our future top offensive player will be Juwan Caesar. ESPN has him ranked as a 79 overall and a 4 star and at 6-4 200 lbs he is fairly well built already.  He is quite low on both scout and rivals however, both sites have said he is likely undervalued.  Juwan plays in division 6A Miami which is one of the top divisions in HS football.  Based on his video from ESPN, you can see that he is just plain bigger than everyone.  Not only that, but he has the ability to out run people, has good burst/slant pattern and a great ability to catch the ball in traffic (of course, high light videos are exactly that, highlights).  I am not sure how he ranked this low but I am glad he is at Michigan State we are Wide Receiver U.

Best Defensive Recruit:
Its easy to say Lawrence Thomas because he is generally considered a 5 star top 100 recruit.  but he plays LB and will likely end up at DE because of his size.  I feel that this is a position we have too much depth at.  Which is why i think Roger Williamson ESPN 3 star 78 overall is our best defensive recruit.  Here is a kid that is 6-1 180 pounds.  He is listed as a WR/Ath/DB depending on the site, but this is directly from scout

"The thing about Roger is that he has already he is big enough to be a safety, but he has got the skills to be a corner. He has no problem saying, 'I'm going to take the #1 guy and shut you down.' I saw him at a seven-on-seven here in Dayton where about seven schools got together. A wide receiver started running his mouth to Roger and Roger said, 'hey, he is mine!' On the first play, the receiver comes off the line and Roger pressed him in the chest, lifted him in the air, and drove him into the ground. Then he got up and walked away. That set the tone."  

That’s the kind of attitude that i want to see out of all players.  Our defensive backfield has gone from a weakness to a position of some depth in recent years and roger will keep that up.  i can see him being a shut down corner type as much as you can have one.  Trieu, the B10 recruiting guru is very high on roger, and so am I.

Most All American Potential:
Easy Choice: Lawrence Thomas.  6-3 230, #1 recruit in state of MI a ESPN 4 star top 150 and 80 overall.  He is also rated on scout as a 4 star and #55 recruit in national and #5 at his position.  With his size it is likely he will end up as a defensive end especially with a little more bulk added on.  The thing that has been written most about Lawrence is that he is a phenomenal athlete.  Despite his size he moves with great quickness and fluidity, He even played some QB and TE for his HS team.  I see Lawrence starting out as a LB and smashing people then putting his hand down opposite William Gholston in their junior and senior years.  This is the kind of get MSU needs to win the so called "turf battle" against UM. 

Best Positional Group:
Defensive line.  Our defensive line has been exceptionally mediocre the last two years.  We have a very bright spot in Colin Neely and he is a beast currently.  We need him to continue to be a beast this year and other players develop to take double teams on Colin away.  However, for recruiting, this is all I will need to say to back up my claim that defensive line was our best positional group, this is from scout: "Michigan State's D-line class ranks #2 in the Big Ten and #21 Nationally"

Best Recruit With No Recruiting Love:
I would say Juwan Caesar here but I used him already.  So I am going with Connor Cook, a generally considered 2 star recruit everywhere you look.  Connor is a 6-3 200 lb QB.  ESPN actually ranks him as a 3 star and 76 overall.  I have read snippets of him and everything says that he has a strong arm, makes great throws into tight spaces and has the ability to scramble when needed.  This is in direct contrast to what ESPN says that he is basically mediocre at everything, however, he almost exclusively works from the shotgun and is well adapted to it.  A separate espn article has compared him to last year recruit Tyler Bray.  I hope that he is closer to Tyler than a 2 star. 

Summary:
Dantonio did everything he needed to. He addressed needs.  That seems to be Mark's MO.  Address needs.  That, likely more than everything else, has been the largest upswing for MSU over the last few years.  Mark is very consistent and that has been great for us.  His ties to southern Ohio have produced great recruits and he understands the rivalry.  Thankfully for us, UM is our primary rivalry and I think Danotio expresses that well to his players.  If Dantonio continues to get OK to GOOD recruiting I don’t see why MSU can’t consistently be an 8 win team and maybe play for a b10 title every few years.  This of course would be unacceptable at UM, but from a Spartan perspective, that is A-OK with me.   The more I look at this recruiting class the more potential I see. So many athletes, with three being clocked at 4.4-40 times or sub.  Not that that means everything, but it shows that we understand where the college football game is headed.  Now if only they were all the size of Trent Richardson as well.  frick.