Thoughts on Michigan's Needs To Finish 2013 Recruiting Class

As we all know, things have been a bit slow lately on the recruiting front following Michigan's red hot start, but there are a few needs that the coaches still would like to fill.  I would have to say DT, WR, and RB.  Here's a few prospects at each position that I believe Michigan is recruiting very hard and would be great fits in Ann Arbor.

Henry Poggi.  Ranked 2nd at the DT position according to Rivals, and is another consensus 4-star at 6'4" and weighing 260 pounds.  He could put on a few more pounds, but he is definitely a great prospect.  He's being recruited by all of the major programs and would be a welcome addition to the class. 

Now onto WR and the person I believe is the most important person left on Michigan's board as far as needs go, Laquon Treadwell.  The top player in Illinois and for good reason.  At the 7-on-7 representing Core6 he pretty much was unguardable, also getting interceptions on the defensive side.  4-star across the board and at 6'3" 185 pounds, he's got great size and also has some good speed.  He's proven to be the best WR at every camp he goes to and has showed some solid interest in Michigan.  He has been to visit and has developed a relationship with some of Team 134 commits especially Shane Morris, which doesn't hurt.  Treadwell is one of the top WR prospects in the country and would definitely be a great "catch" for Michigan. 

Sebastian La'Rue.  At 5'11" and 185 pounds, he isn't the tallest kid on the planet, but he is very talented.  He hails out of California so it could be a difficult pull for Michigan, but is definitely on the board and has shown interest.  Hope to get him on campus this summer, but he is definitely a great prospect and would be a nice get.  However, this will largely depend on what happens with Treadwell.  He's Michigan's main WR priority and would likely fill the class.

RB. I believe the main choice is obvious and that would be monster back Derrick Green.  Derrick has shown that he wants to be in a smashmouth running style of offense and that's what Coach Hoke and company want to use at Michigan.  With the monster offensive line they have recruited, I see that happening very soon and that's why Derrick is such a very important player for Michigan to get.  He has the nickname "Man-Child" and for good reason.  At 6'0" 215 pounds the kid is a freight train and he also happens to be the top tailback in the nation according to Rivals.  He's a 5* with Rivals and a 4* with everyone else.  The recent commitment of Ty Isaac to USC definitely has forced the coaches to put on the fullcourt press.  However, I believe that Green may be the better prospect, he has more size and if you haven't watched his film, I suggest you do so because the kid is an absolute nightmare once he gets the football.  Green should be visiting soon and it will be of vital importance for the coaches to get him on board. 

Another guy that isn't one of the 3 positions that I listed, but would also be a great get for Michigan is DE Joe Mathis.  He happens to be the cousin of heavily touted CB Su'a Cravens.  Su'a is deciding on June 6th and many people have him as a USC lock.  Michigan is in the hunt so maybe we all get surprised.  Joe Mathis has been dominating camps all summer and he's 6'4" 254 pounds and has great speed and strength off the edge.  He has repeatedly shown that he's a nightmare off the edge and would be a great pickup for the Michigan coaches.  4-star across the board and is ranked 6th at his position has at one time named Michigan as his leader, but the next week named Nebraska as his leader.  Could be a long time before we see where Mathis decides to commit, but I think Michigan is in the hunt and has a great shot at landing him.  We shall see where his cousin Cravens decides to go because that could be a factor in Joe's recruitment.

Well, why not talk about Su'a Cravens.  One of the best prospects in the nation and is a 5* across the board.  He has announced he is making his decision on June 6th, which is coming up in a few days.  Many people have him as a USC lock, but I have a bit of hope he may commit to Michigan.  He has said distance isn't a factor and seemed to like the Wolverines.  He's the top ranked safety in the country and rated as the 8th overall player.  He's got great size at 6'1" 205 pounds and with an already improving secondary for Michigan he would be a phenomenal get.  Michigan is in his final three so everyone should pay attention June 6th and hopefully we get an early Christmas present.

Alright, obviously, there are plenty more prospects out there, but these are some of the names for you guys to keep your eye on.  Michigan has been recruiting them very hard as of late which tells me that they are all high on the board.  Maurice Hurst, Jr. has told everyone to be on commit watch, so hopefully he isn't the only one off of this list as these are all great players that all have interest in Michigan.

Commit #19: Maurice Hurst, Jr.

Photo Credit: 247Sports

After waiting a few weeks after the commitment of wide receiver Csont'e York, Michigan fans finally get to celebrate another recruit joining the maize and blue.  Hurst is a defensive tackle hailing from Westwood, Massachusetts and brings a lot of talent to the Wolverine defense.  He is 6'2" and weighs 275-290 lbs, depending on your recruiting site of choice.  He is ranked by Rivals as just a 3* recruit, but both Scout and 247Sports have him ranked as a 4* recruit.

He's a classic 3*/4* recruit.  Probably too good to be grouped with the majority of 3* players, but not quite good enough to be grouped with the majority of 4* recruits.  Regardless, this is a very solid ranking, especially for a player that will likely develop in his role with the team.  It's rare that an offensive or defensive line recruit will get significant playing time when they arrive on campus and I anticipate much the same for Hurst.  He's already pretty big and probably will be a bit bigger when he arrives on campus, but with some of Michigan's 2012 commits such as Ondre Pipkins and Willie Henry, his early chances will certainly be limited.

Despite this, Hurst brings a lot to the table for Michigan and will very likely make a big impact for the team in the future.  Whether he's going to play nose tackle or 3 tech for Michigan is still up in the air, but I think he'll take the 3 tech spot primarily because of Pipkins.  Pipkins will probably be the backup nose tackle in 2012 and after Will Campbell graduates, he will probably move in as the unquestioned starter.  Obviously, there are a lot of question marks surrounding what Pipkins will do next season, but Pipkins taking that role is probably the most likely situation given depth, experience, and size factors.

With Pipkins at nose tackle, Hurst will likely take the 3 tech role.  Now, one thing I'm sure most fans noticed is that Greg Mattison and Brady Hoke tend to rotate the defensive line pretty frequently.  As of now, when Hurst arrives on campus, the interior defensive line will largely consist of recruits and untested players, although some of the players such as Quinton Washington, Richard Ash, and Kenny Wilkins could make some noise next season, if they get some solid playing time.  Odds are however, there will be an opening for some of the younger players from the 2012 and 2013 recruiting classes to make some noise.

Do I think Hurst will make a big impact early?  Probably not, but there certainly is an opportunity and if not, he should have plenty of time to develop and make an impact later on in his career.  The important thing is that Michigan is filling a position of need with Hurst.  So far, since national signing day for the 2010 class, Michigan has only received commitments from four defensive tackles (including Hurst).  Considering the need for growth and potential for injuries, that's pretty significant. 

Now, Michigan still has a chance at securing commitments from some other defensive linemen for this class to accompany Hurst and defensive end Taco Charlton, but this is a big step in the right direction.  The 2013 class is already ranked #1 and Hurst's commitment has done nothing but help that standing.  Michigan's 2013 recruiting is slowly nearing an end, but there's no doubt this is an exciting pickup for Wolverine fans.

Michigan Scores Big In New Rivals Rankings

Alright everybody, first thing's first, I gotta apologize for my "non-existence" as of late. The Navy is crazy demanding and I've been tied up with handling business as far as that goes.  But I'm back and I know I'm late to the party, but as many of you may know the updated Rivals 250 is out! Michigan debuts at #1 in the team rankings for the 2013 recruiting class. But where do the "experts" have our commits at? Well I'll tell you and then I'll let you know what I think about it.

At the tops of the list for Michigan commits is QB Shane Morris at #22. He actually moved down, which confused me.  Max Browne is the only QB commit ranked ahead of him.  I've seen highlight tape from Browne and Morris and I gotta be honest, Shane has a better arm and is more athletic. Now, some could say I'm biased because Shane is commited to Michigan and Browne to USC, but there is a clear difference in the tape. If you watched it, you would feel the same way.  Shane is ranked as a 4 star right now and close to a 5 star (according to Rivals) but in my eyes say he's a 5 star.  This is a recruit that fans should be familiar with and if not, they need to get familiar with him before he arrives on campus.

Next on the list is LB Mike McCray coming in at #55.  Mike is one of many commits that Coach Hoke and co. have "poched" out of ohio haha.  At 6'4" and 230 pounds he will be a beast at LB, and him coming in along with 2012 LB commits he goes along way towards improving a much improved defense from 2011.  Mike was recently in the news when he received an offer from rival "Ohio."  As many of us know, Mike is very close with fellow commit Logan Tulley-Tillman.  We all know about LTT haha.  Some speculated that the Buckeyes were trying to break them up but Mike reassured us all that he is firmly commited to Michigan.  He is ranked as a 4 star as well.  He won MVP honors at the NFTC camp earlier this summer and I believe is very close to a 5 star talent.  Let's see if the experts agree with me as the year goes on.

Chris Fox.  Right behind McCray coming in at #57.  Big time Offensive Tackle out of Colorado coming in at 6'6" 297 pounds.  Brady Hoke is a defensive line coach and we all know how much he believes in winning in the trenches.  Well, Mr. Fox is one of many commits between 2012 and 2013 that is going towards rebuilding the dominance that we are all accustom to Michigan having on the offensive line.  Chris is also a 4 star according to Rivals and is one of many reasons I am excited to see Michigan moving towards what used to be a smashmouth run it down your throat style of offense. I'm sure touted QB commit Shane Morris has no problem with the great talent coming in at offensive line.

#73 is Patrick Kugler.  Monster offensive tackle and son of Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line coach Sean Kugler he defintely knows what he's doing playing offensive line.  Patrick is a 4 star according to Rivals and comes in at 6'5" 280 pounds.  The experts all say he has a mean streak but also is very technically sound.  Well why wouldn't he be his father is the line coach for the Steelers and let's face it for many years they have been the blueprint for how to play line in the NFL.  The amazing technique would be enough for me but when you throw in the fact that he has a mean streak oh man just makes it that much better.  I love the offensive line haul and Kugler just makes it that much better.

Kyle Bosch comes in at #77.  You guessed it he's another awesome offensive line commit for Michigan.  He adds to the plethera of linemen commits for Brady Hoke at 6'5" 285 pounds he's another big guy on this line.  I'm not saying the offensive line has been horrible but definitely been a bit undersized and Kyle helps add to the bulking up of the line and getting back to Michigan football.  Kyle is a 4-star according to Rivals and is another reason why Michigan debuts with the #1 recruiting class for 2013.  I love me some smashmouth in your face football and I am excited to see Kyle in maize and blue.

Dymonte Thomas at #95.  Now he is also a 4-star and he along with Shane Morris is really the foundation for this amazing class.  He and Shane are the first two commits and don't get me wrong I love Morris but Dymonte is my favorite commit in this class.  Personally I love a badass ball hawking safety that makes plays and will flat lay you out.  Dymonte has put in pretty decent work at RB but he really excels at safety.  At 6'1" 175 pounds he's got good size and with the improvement of the secondary from a year go Dymonte will fight right in when he arrives on campus.  He's ranked 9th at the position but to me he is underrated.  He along with many other Michigan commits will show why. 

TE Jake Butt is ranked #118.  I was real excited when Jaked pledged his commitment.  With Kevin Koger leaving we could definitely use another great TE.  These guys are safety blankets for QB's and are great weapons in the red zone.  Jakie is a 4-star and at 6'6" 230 pounds he will be exactly what I said he is going to be and that's a weapon in the red zone.  He can go up and get the ball, also has great speed and hands.  He is incredibly tough to matchup with for defenders because let's face it at 6'6" he's too tall for corners or safeties and he's too quick for linebackers.  I love this kid's game and he is going to prosper very well being on the opposite end of Shane Morris' passes.

CB Jourdan Lewis comes in at #147.  Jourdan has been blowing up lately with his performances at summer camps.  One of many reasons is his speed.  This kid can flat out fly and I love it.   Jourdan is out of Michigan pipeline Detroit Cass Tech and we all know the type of talent that comes out of there.  He's 5'11" and 170 pounds also rated at a 4-star.  He's rated 10th at his position and I believe he could be a Blake Countess type of talent.  Let's face it he's still got his senior year to develop before he even steps on campus.  I'm very excited for another cornberback with good size and speed to arrive in Ann Arbor.

Monster Guard David Dawson is rated at #171.  As David's twitter name is at MrUnderrated, it definitely fits because let's face it...171?  That's insane in my opinion.  He has dominated every camp that he has been to this summer.  He's rated as a 4-star and is another great product of Detroit Cass Tech.  At 6'5" and 305 pounds he's a beast on the line and literally manhandles defensive linemen.  At the NFTC he won MVP honors and dominated everyone he went up against including touted Ohio commit Billy Price.  Mr. Dawson has made quite the commotion on twitter but let's face it this kid has been through alot and I believe has handled himself very well.  Some people have had him on "decommit watch" but I certainly was not one of them.  He has said on many occasions that he is a Michigan man and I believe him.  Great kid and great talent and another amazing addition to a great offensive line.

Taco Charlton is ranked #175.  Along with Mr. Dawson I believe Taco is underrated.  He has been camping alot this summer and everyone raves about his superior speed off the edge and for good reason.  He has been unblockable in one-on-one drills.  He's another ohio guy and at 6'6" 240 pounds, rated as a 4-star he's a speedy defensive end and has amazing speed off the edge.  Guys seem to have a lot of trouble with his speed.  It's been a while since Michigan has had an "elite" pass rusher and I believe Taco may be it.  Rivals has him rated 8th at his position but let's face it, Taco is a great player and will only continue to improve this summer and in his senior year of high school before coming to Ann Arbor.

#182 is versatile player Wyatt Shallman.  Playing DE and RB for Detroit Catholic Central this kid is a monster.   He's rated 8th at his position but at 6'3" 255 pounds have fun tackling him.  Wyatt is a 4-star and is a freakish athlete.  Being able to play both sides of the ball is very important to me.  For one, it shows that he has great endurance and durability, but also has great football smarts having to be knowledgeable in two positions.  Playing RB and DE I believe helps him at both positions.  I'm excited for Wyatt's arrival at Michigan and as good as he is now, he will only be better next year.

#235 Logan Tuley-Tillman and at 6'7" 321 pounds we don't really need to talk about Logan's physical attributes.  I think he's gotten a low rating because of not so good performances at camps this summer, but he has had a bum left shoulder, which has definitely taken its toll on him.  However, I like the fact that he still goes out there and competes and still does a pretty good job, even if he's not 100%.  He's a 4-star and ranked 24th at his position according to Rivals.  If you don't know about Logan on the field, I'm sure many of you do off the field.  There has been a lot of media uproar over his picture on twitter of lighting the Ohio recruiting letter on fire.  Personally, I love what he did, being a Michigan fan myself.  This is the greatest rivalry in sports and he's just adding to it.  He didn't do anything wrong and I think the way many Ohio fans are reacting to him and the things they are saying to him are way inappropriate and uncalled for. Keep doing your thing Logan.  When he gets back to being 100% I belive he will dominate camps and improve on his low ranking.

At #237 is Ben Gedeon.  4-star LB out of you guessed it, Ohio.  Another amazing pick up for Brady Hoke Ben is 6'3" 215 pounds and is another two way player.  Is a pretty darn good RB but Michigan has definitely brought him in for his great skills at LB.  Along with Mike McCray Ben is a great prospect at linebacker and will do wonders for revamping this always improving Michigan defense.

Alright so there's all the Michigan commits in the newly updated Rivals 250.  In my "expert" opinion haha, Michigan has a lot of underrated recruits.  Outsiders looking in could say, oh you're just biased because you love Michigan.  You're right I do love Michigan, but I'm not biased.  Check the tape people.  Michigan has the #1 recruiting class in the nation for a reason.  I definitely think there are people missing such as Deveon Smith the #1 rated running back in Ohio...where is he at?  I would take Morris over Max Browne any day of the week and he even qualified for the Elite 11 finals before Browne did, yet Morris is still rated lower. C'mon man!  Michigan commits have always received low rankings especially on the expert sites.  David Dawson holds offers from every major program in the country  yet he's rated #171.  Something is up.  I'm not questioning the knowledge of the guys at Rivals, but I definitely think the Michigan commits' standings will be changing over the summer and the following year.  Even with the disrespect they are still the #1 class in the country right now and should be for a long time.

Previewing Big Ten Basketball: Illinois

Photo Credit: Jumbo Heroes

I've went through Penn State and Nebraska so far and today, I'll be continuing my look at next year's Big Ten with Illinois.  Illinois began last season unranked, but received votes every week in the polls until they finally entered the rankings in Week 5 as #24.  They eventually got as high as #19 in the rankings, but ended the season with one of the biggest collapses in recent Big Ten history.  To begin the season just outside of the rankings, with 10 straight wins, and a 15-3 overall record would leave most fans with pretty high hopes.

However, despite such a fantastic start, including a 4-1 Big Ten start with a win over Ohio State, Illinois lost 12 of their next 14 games and finished 10th in the Big Ten.  Illinois had some great wins last season over Ohio State, MSU, and Gonzaga, but also had some horrible losses to teams such as Nebraska and Penn State.  In fact, they were blown off the court against Nebraska losing by 23 points.  Essentially, it was an extremely up and down year for Illinois, which was ultimately labeled by the team's epic late season collapse.  Their weak performance is clearly emphasized by the stats below:

	Record	Big Ten	PPG	PPG Rank	Points Allowed	Points Allowed Rk	3pt%	3pt% Rk
MSU	29-8	13-5	72.3	3	59.3	2	36.2	6
OSU	31-8	13-5	75.1	2	59.8	3	33.3	9
Michigan	24-10	13-5	66.5	8	61.5	4	35.0	8
Wisconsin	26-10	12-6	63.9	10	53.2	1	36.8	5
Indiana	27-9	11-7	77.3	1	66.4	10	43.1	1
Purdue	22-13	10-8	72.2	4	66.0	9	37.7	3
NU	19-14	8-10	69.5	6	68.2	11	38.6	2
Iowa	18-17	8-10	71.9	5	72.5	12	37.3	4
Minnesota	23-15	6-12	67.4	7	64.8	6	35.6	7
Illinois	17-15	6-12	65.6	9	64.2	5	30.4	12
Nebraska	12-18	4-14	60.9	12	65.6	7	32.4	10
Penn St	12-20	4-14	61.8	11	65.8	8	31.1	11

*Stats from: DonBest


Now, Illinois does have some hope for next season.  They return all five starters from last season, including point guard Brandon Paul, who was named to the All-Big Ten coaches' team.  Their returning center, Meyers Leonard also received honorable mention for both the media and coaches' All-Big Ten teams.  So, they do have a lot of experience coming back to their team.  Certainly, Illinois' roster didn't accomplish a lot last season, but they have the big wins over OSU, MSU, and Gonzaga to build from for next season, so they can certainly compete with some top teams.

The team's 2012 recruiting class is essentially non-existent, which has a lot to do with the post-season coaching change and the fact that Illinois already has a ton of depth.  They're returning five starters and brought in six commitments from the 2011 recruiting class, including four players in the ESPN100.  However, the big question mark will be whether the new Illinois coach, John Groce from Ohio, will be able to turn around the team from its epic collapse last season and be able to recruit with other Big Ten powers.

I really believe that Groce is going to do a solid job at Illinois and they will improve next season, but I have reservations about their ability to compete with the very best teams in the Big Ten.  He did a great job at Ohio and really turned them into a winning team and program, but he's going to have to change the entire mindset of a team and make them better at the same time with little to no roster change.  There is a possibility that the team will just take off and have a monster year because of their depth and experience, but I definitely think it's unlikely, primarily because of the strength of the Big Ten for next season.

Illinois Predictions:
Big Ten Finish: 9th
Ability To Compete With Top Teams: Moderate
Upset Status: Small
NCAA Tournament Status: NIT Bid

Legends Patch Nominees: William Cunningham

Since Desmond Howard became the first Michigan player to receive a Legends Patch, there has been much debate surrounding which players deserve the award as well.  In an effort to settle some of the debate, we will be breaking down a former Michigan football player that we believe should be analyzed as a nominee for a Legends Patch.    This does not mean our writers believe they should be formally nominated in some way, but only that their credentials should be reviewed.  This series of posts does not represent a nominated order for these players to receive their awards, but simply chosen at random. If you have an opinion please comment or contact our writers via Twitter.


Nominee: William Cunningham*
"Michigan's first All-American, chosen by Caspar Whitney, who actually started the All-American selections, preceding Walter Camp. Recommended by Amos Alonzo Stagg after his great performance in the Chicago game of 1898, won by Michigan, 12-11. It was this contest that inspired Louis Elbel to write The Victors, greatest of all college marching songs." - Bentley Historical Library


Does William Cunningham Deserve A Legends Patch?

Thomas Beindit - Yes
To me, Cunningham is about as amazing a player as you're going to find at the school, especially in the school's early days and before college football really became mainstream.  Not only was he the school's first All-American and really one of the first All-Americans outside of the Ivy League schools, but he inspired the school's fight song.  All awards and stats aside, how can a player do more for a school than inspire the school's fight song?  Even look at some of Michigan's past legends like Yost, Crisler, and Bo.  All did an amazing job for the school and changed a lot, but Cunningham has something that none of them have and that's the fight song.  When a player has something linked to the university so unique that the university's most prestigious coaches don't even have that award, you know that player is pretty special.  Cunningham has the eternal tie to "The Victors" and the university, but he also was an outstanding football player and deserves the recognition.

Kyle Curtiss - No
Cunningham can be well recognized for his contributions to Michigan, and the "The Victors". However, I do not believe he should be awarded a Legends Patch.   I know football players of yesteryear do not receive the recognition that they should, or that they've earned, but I'd want the patch to go to a player who is synonymous with Michigan football. Brady, Thomas, Terrell, Harmon, Yost, Crisler, Schembechler, Hart, Long; these are just a small sampling of the names that when are mentioned, are directly tied to Michigan football. I'm not disparaging the memory of Cunningham, and I know it was over a 100 years ago, but awarding a patch to a person who's major contribution to Michigan history is not his play or coaching on the field? Not for me.

Tyler Fenwick -  Yes
When Rich Rodriguez went down the drain and everyone was talking about getting a "Michigan Man", they were talking about guys like William Cunningham. To me, you can't do much more from an individual standpoint that inspire your school's fight song and win its first All-American award. It can't be done. He especially stands out because of the tremendous 1898 team that went 10-0, won the Western Conference (now the Big Ten), and outscored its opponents 205-26 all season. That kind of a team performance is what sparks individual accolades. For me, the answer is pretty simple: yes. Cunningham deserves this recognition with the Legends Patch.

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All writers are entitled to their own opinion and those may or may not represent the held beliefs of Hoke's Mad Magicians as an entity. Readers are welcome to comment below or contact the writers via Twitter with  their thoughts

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* - Cunningham had no known jersey number as they were not used actively during his tenure.  Regardless, the staff wanted to debate his merits regarding this award. He obviously cannot be awarded, but he should at least be recognized for his contributions.