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Wolverine Wildcards

New head coach Rich Rodriguez is ringing in a new era of Michigan football in 2008 and it is going to be an initial bumpy ride. With such Maize and Blue notables such as offensive tackle Jake Long, quarterback Chad Henne, runningback Mike Hart, wide receivers Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington, and pass rusher Shawn Crable lost to the NFL Draft, there will be a nearly new roster to go along with a new offensive mindset (the spread offense).

At a glance, you would get the feeling the cupboard is bare. I am not about to insult anyone’s intelligence (or blindly get my own hopes up) and state that Michigan will win the Big Ten conference this season. But with RR’s first recruiting class (and a jump on an outstanding ‘09 class) and some talented holdovers from last year’s squad, the Wolverines should be an intriguing, and sometimes exciting, work in progress.

Here are some of the players I expect to step to the forefront this season with standout performances:

Morgan Trent, CB, 6-1, 190, Senior

Trent earned Big Ten honorable mention and has the potential, size and speed to go along with big game experience to excel. He is poised to follow Ty Law, Charles Woodson, and Marlin Jackson into the NFL and playing on Sundays.
Brandon Graham, DE, 6-2, 276, Junior

Graham is a threat to break the school’s single-season sack mark of 12 after coming off a 2007 campaign in which he recorded 8.5 sacks and should have an expanded role in 2008 to maximize his talents.

Tim Jamison, DE, 6-3, 266, Senior

With 5.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles, Jamison started all 13 games at defensive end and earned Big Ten honorable mention. With Graham, he gives Michigan an explosive pair of bookends on the D-line.

Terrance Taylor, DT, 6-0, 319, Senior

Taylor is an excellent athlete who has the strength and quickness to blow up opposing backfields and is a preseason Bronco Nagurski Trophy candidate, given to the defensive player of the year.

Carlos Brown, RB, 6-0, 213, Junior

Brown is who I would consider the front-runner in the three-way battle (Kevin Grady, Brandon Minor) for the starting tailback slot and has the speed and elusiveness needed for the spread offense.

Darryl Stonum, WR, 6-3, 185, Freshman

Stonum is one of the top playmaking wideouts coming out of the 2008 recruiting class and excels at the run after the catch. Pairing his 4.4 speed with his size and he is primed to play right away and step in as a big play waiting to happen for Michigan.

With so many positions up for grabs in Ann Arbor and a new coaching regime and philosophy, Michigan fans, for the first time in a long time, will be asked to show some patience as Rodriguez and his staff implement their style into the program as the Wolverines look to be retooling while they rebuild in getting ready for 2009’s reload for a run at the conference championship.

Nagurski Watch: Terrance Taylor

The Football Writers Association of America has released their watch list for the 2008 Bronco Nagurski Trophy, sponsored by the Charlotte Touchdown Club, which goes to the defensive player of the year in college football. Michigan defensive tackle Terrance Taylor has made the list which also includes other Big Ten players.

Malcom Jenkins, defensive back linebackers James Laurinitis and Marcus Freeman of Ohio State, Wisconsin defensive end Matt Shaughnessy, Maurice Evans, defensive end from Penn State, Indiana defensive end Greg Middleton, Illinois defensive back Vontae Davis, and defensive tackle Mitch King of Iowa.

Taylor, a 6-foot, 300 pound senior, has made 15 consecutive starts for the Wolverines and as one of seven returning starters on defense, will be one of the players looked to for leadership this season. He has career totals of 79 tackles including 13.5 for loss, 4.5 sacks, three pass break-ups, and two fumble recoveries.

Taylor is an excellent athlete and is a former high school state champion in power lifting (610 pound squat, 620 pound dead lift, 385 bench press). As an undefeated wrestler, he won the state title as a junior, and threw the shot (52′6 feet) and discuss (163′02 feet) for his track team in Muskegon.

In what is a transition period for the Wolverines on the gridiron, Taylor is poised to have a big season and then transition himself into the NFL next season.

Michigan Lands Second Four-Star QB for 2009

After landing prize quarterback recruit Kevin Newsome as part of his ever-exciting 2009 class, head coach Rich Rodriguez is keeping the pedal to the metal and making sure that the position will not be one of weakness in the future.

The team obviously has quarterbacks on their roster, but Steven Threet, David Cone, Nick Sheridan, or Lee Mondol don’t appear to be built for the system and freshman Justin Feagin will be hard pressed to take the team where it needs to go in his first season. Newsome, from Virginia, is a Rivals.com four star recruit and even his presence did not discourage the latest four star signal caller from committing to the Maize and Blue.

Shavodrick Beaver, quarterback from Wichita Falls, Texas, is the second dual-threat signal caller Rodriguez has secured and is sending a message that no one position will be above open competition to field the best player. Both Mountaineer loses last season were without starting quarterback Pat White, and Rodriguez is in position to have an answer should that situation arise again. Those on the roster this season will have to get the team through the new staff’s initial season, which will be painful at times, but fans can keep in their mind that the future looks good for the Wolverines.

Beaver made his commit without an official visit to Ann Arbor, but plans a visit for June. Other schools to offer were TCU, Nebraska, Clemson, Arizona, and Texas Tech. The early decision allows Beaver to set aside the big decision and focus on his task at hand and it did not bother him that Newsome was already in the fold.

“I was just glad that I got it over with so now I can focus on my senior season and winning a state championship,” Shavodrick said. “It feels good.”

Michigan quarterbacks coach Rod Smith told Beaver that Michigan was looking for two quarterbacks in the 2009 class and they would not waste any time in making their offers. Beaver had the support of his family and jumped at the chance to come to Ann Arbor.

“(Coach Smith) just said he’s taking the first two (quarterbacks),” Beaver explains to Rivals.com. “It doesn’t matter if I come in and start, truthfully. I just want to come in, compete and do my best.”

Beaver is 6-3 and 177 pounds, runs a 4.55 forty yard dash, has a vertical jump of 38 inches and squats 385.

Michigan Lands 2009 QB Newsome

They may have missed out on landing prize recruit Terrelle Pryor this season, but head coach Rich Rodriguez stayed hard at work and landed four-star quarterback Kevin Newsome Jr. from Western Branch High School in Chesapeake, Virginia, the #39 rated player by Scout.com and number five quarterback.

Newsome, a 6-3, 210 pound dual-threat quarterback, felt the school, team, and coaching staff were a perfect fit for him and after speaking with Rodriguez and his staff this morning, his father broke the news to TheWolverine.com on the commitment to the Maize and Blue.

“We called the coaches this morning and Kevin talked to Coach [Rich] Rodriguez and committed,” Newsome Sr. told Rivals.com’s Mike Farrell at about 11 AM Thursday. “Coach Rodriguez was excited.”

Newsome took numerous visits to many schools such as North Carolina, Duke, Northwestern, Stanford, Illinois, Virginia, VA. Tech, Boston College, Nebraska, and Penn State. Michigan was the only visit made by he and his family where they came away without any worries or concerns.

“It was the only visit that my family and I left without any real questions and felt happy about,” Kevin recalls. “The offense is certainly a question mark because I’d rather throw the ball more than run, but I think I fit into it well and they said they’d throw the ball more because I’m more of a complete passer than they’ve had in the past.

Newsome was drawn to the history and lore of Michigan football and knows the comparisons will be drawn between himself and Pryor, and that the Ohio State rivalry is one of epic proportions.

“I really loved the coaching staff with Coach [Rich] Rodriguez and Coach [Fred] Jackson,” he said. “I love the winning tradition of Michigan. I really believe Michigan is the Godfather of college football and that’s what makes the Michigan-Ohio State game so notorious. Campus-wise, everything was big. It’s the Big House. I can’t even describe the different buildings, the practice field, the weight room – all those things were top of the line.”

The Wolverines have a nice start on next year’s class. Newsome makes the count of commits for 2009 six and third in the nation’s top fifty, joining Detroit defensive tackle William Campbell and Ohio defensive back Justin Turner.

It may take a season or two to totally implement change and some of us will be impatient with the growing pains, but there is no questioning the work Rodriguez and his staff is doing preparing for the future.