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.

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.

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.

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.

He has to foot the bill for the next three seasons to attend Ohio State, including sit out a year. And I couldn’t be happier.

Michigan was not going to offer his brother Zach, a fullback who does not fit the spread offense, a scholarship. Does the university owe him one? Absolutely not. Other than Ohio State, who recently offered Zach a scholarship (which he’ll take), the other schools offering are MAC schools like Kent State, Akron, Miami (Ohio), and Toledo, with Cincinnati getting into the mix. Not exactly “highly sought” in my opinion.

What exactly is Boren’s definition of family values? Stomp your feet, cry, then quit when you don’t get your way? Any Buckeye fan who thinks this is a coup will think again when he quits on you. Not exactly the the player you’d want to make history. He is the first player since World War II to transfer to OSU from UM and could be the only player ever. There have been two after the war to leave for Michigan, but this may be the only time anyone has went South (and in more ways than one). While the shine should remain as he sits this season, there will come a time when the bullets will again fly.

And I couldn’t be happier. He will be on the line that protects  Tyrelle Pryor. It is going to be paramount that Pryor uses his mobility because he will have a quitter at guard. And you have to believe that there is a little immaturity built into this decision. His father played at Michigan, so I refuse to believe that he is entirely 100% behind the move, especially footing the bill, successful business or not. This is simply the only way he could “stick it” to Michigan and garner sympathy from those around him.

What we can’t wait for as Michigan fans is the first game we face the Buckeyes with him on the line because win or lose, the Wolverine defensive line will be supremely motivated to create havoc right through his hole and live in the OSU backfield all day.

Although he will continue living off the lineman around him making him better than he is, this is really a blessing in disguise. You’re welcome to him coach Tressel, make sure you keep a pacifier on hand. It will be interesting to see how the Buckeye fans spin this situation as one of their continued dominance over Michigan. But Boren is their problem now.

And I couldn’t be happier.

Consider this a second victory over the Gators. With the state of the Wolverines’ offensive line due to the departure of their most experienced lineman, how vital the signing of Ricky Barnum away from the University of Florida? And although he isn’t ranked as highly as a prized recruit might usually be, we are talking about a lineman that Urban Myer wanted badly and had over thirty collegiate scholarship offers.

Barnum (6-3, 275, 5.4) had planned all along to visit West Virginia and coach Rich Rodriguez. When he saw the coach moving to Ann Arbor, Barnum simply rerouted his visits and made the trip to Michigan, and left there knowing he had changed his mind. He had caved under the peer pressure from some of the Florida recruits at the Under Armour All-American game and committed January 11th.

It wasn’t until after his visit to The Big House that Barnum went home thinking differently. He discussed with his parents he might have been a little quick in committing to the Gators and that even the snow didn’t discourage him as he didn’t even feel it was cold. An as mentioned, the spots are there along the offensive front that spells opportunity early.

Much like Jake Long, Barnum has a pronounced mean streak in him and loves to finish the play, especially when getting to the second level of blocking, meaning linebackers and secondary players. His quick feet and potential room for growth in weight and strength could mean All-American status at the college level and lineage in the long line of NFL bound Wolverine lineman.

“Like the coach says, I have a mean streak to me,” says Ricky. “I’m aggressive. A lot of coaches tell me I’m a technician at what I do, because I’m good at my technique. I’ve got long arms and quick feet. I just work hard on the field and try to outwork the man in front of me. I do anything I can to win. I’m quicker than most other linemen and I have good footwork. I’m a good pass blocker and a good run blocker, too. I am physical. I am not going to stop until I hear the whistle. I refer to myself as a run blocker. I am a good pass blocker, but I prefer the run because I love to run the ball.”

After a whirlwind month early this season, the Wolverine staff was able to bring a little (or huge) Florida sun with them as Barnum changed his commitment February 6. Whether he will play at guard or tackle, he has experience all along the line and that versatility will prove itself invaluable to the team, especially this season and his athleticism will help him become acquainted with the hurried pace of the new spread offense.

When the Lloyd Carr stepped down and the university hired Rich Rodriguez to take the helm, there had to be a sense by the players that there would be change. Going from one regime to another is going to take some adjustment, but the physical nature of the sport means demands on the players that don’t necessarily make practice a picnic. And I suppose if the new routine and expectations of the new head coach are not to a player’s liking, they should get out. But the recent departure of All-Big Ten Honorable Mention offensive lineman Justin Boren doesn’t sit right with me, and many others I have to believe share my sentiments.

The entire situation reeks of of a “stomp my feet, I don’t wanna play anymore” tantrum that we would expect out of a spoiled brat. If you can’t hack it, okay, you’re leaving and dumping a career that could have landed you a job playing on Sunday’s in the NFL. Michigan churns out the pros at all positions and with Boren being the most experienced lineman returning in 2008 and having played multiple positions, you would have to think that honorable mention could have turned into All-Big Ten and a spot on an NFL squad in the future. That being said, Boren couldn’t mask his immaturity and had to take shots at the program that afforded him the opportunity.

Boren wants to turn this into more than it is. The new staff is demanding and their methods have proven successful. Rodriguez did turn West Virginia into a program that was a loss to Pittsburgh away from playing in the national championship game last season. The team is stressing conditioning and speed and Boren simply couldn’t handle it. What did coach Carr stress, fluffy pillows and belly rubs? A descendant of Bo was easy? I doubt it. So things got a little tougher, the program hasn’t won a national title in ten years, what did he expect? So he left, fine, if he’s a quitter, we don’t want him anyway. But at least don’t make up a bunch of nonsense about “values” and how that made the decision.

“Michigan football was a family, built on mutual respect and support for each other from (former) Coach (Lloyd) Carr on down. We knew it took the entire family, a team effort, and we all worked together.

“I have great trouble accepting that those family values have eroded in just a few months. … That I am unable to perform under these circumstances at the level I expect of myself, and my teammates and Michigan fans deserve, is why I have made the decision to leave.”

Under what circumstances? Spring football practice? Wasn’t the leap from high school football a shock to the system? I cannot believe for a second that the Michigan practices under Llyod Carr and his staff were like grade school recess. Boren admitted that the practices were “physically challenging”. I’m sure they are and no one for a second would doubt that practice at a major university who is considered a football power is going to have powder-puff drills. He complains of the offensive lineman having to constantly run to the line of scrimmage. And these were statements made after the initial spring practice two weeks ago. How does this become “family values”?

“I regret leaving behind my friends and teammates, but I need to stand up for what I know is right. I wore the winged helmet with pride, whether we won or (lost), whether things were going well or times were tough.

“That same helmet, that I was raised on and proudly claimed for the last two years, now brings a completely different emotion to me, one that interferes with practicing and playing my best and mentally preparing for what is required. … To those of you outside the program, the loyal Michigan fans and alumni, I know you will have trouble understanding, but I do want to thank you for your years of support. I wish my teammates the best and will always be proud to have been a part of Michigan football over the past two years.”

Not getting it here. This guy all of a sudden lost his passion for the game or somehow was able to slide by during the last two years. The task before the new staff is daunting already and now with Boren joining Alex Mitchell and Jeremy Ciulla on the “I can’t hack it” list, the line will be weakened and will employ true freshman in back-up roles. Sour grapes and sob stories is what it amounts to. Borne has even went as far as to announce he would consider transferring to Ohio State or Notre Dame. His father Mike played under Bo at Michigan and is now attemtping to paint his son’s picture as one of a player in demand. 

“We haven’t talked to anyone,” Mike Boren says about transfer destinations. “We probably got 100 phone calls from schools, I-AA to Notre Dame. All kinds of schools are calling. We’re going to take our time. Justin’s going to finish school this semester and then we’ll figure it out.”

Yeah, teams are lining up for a player that bailed on the team he claims meant so much to him becuase practice got tough. I refuse to believe it. Damage control is what I call it. And Boren being from Ohio, the Buckeye reference is just a slap at Michigan, like a five year old sticking his toungue out at his siblings.

“There is a chance he would go there,” said dad. “It’s a good fit for Justin with the type of offense they’ve got there. Yes, they probably will have to be someone to talk to.”

Goody. I hope he goes there. And plays. We can be sure that when the tough gets going in the fourth quarter, we can load that side of the line and flatten Terrelle Pryor. Boren simply gave up. He was getting along with new strength coach Mike Barwis and was working well within the new strength program, but claims there were “other factors” that the family doesn’t want to specify. Yeah, okay. A statement like that and then they wish it would just go away.

“We wanted to have this go away quietly, but we didn’t want people to think he’s a quitter or couldn’t handle the system. There were definitely problems. It just could not work. Justin went to the right people and tried talking to people, but no one wanted to listen.”

He’s Justin’s father, what else is he going to say? Face it, not wanting to “specify” leaves much to the imagination. And worst of all for father Mike and quitter Justin, it makes the rest of the college football world, and especially in Ann Arbor, wondering just what the Boren “family values” are.

Exit Mario Manningham, enter Darryl Stonum.

And quite frankly, this is exactly how it needs to work out. Manningham leaves for the NFL and takes with him, the field-stretching, big-play, quick strike playmaker the Wolverines have relied on during his tenure. And in Stonum, they have the ideal replacement and after an initial feet-wetting period, should provide the exact same ingredient.

With the change to the spread offense, it will be imperative that Stonum gels quickly with whomever is playing quarterback if Michigan is to make any noise this upcoming season. The tools are there: 6-2, 180 pounds, 365 max squat, 200 max bench to go with 4.4 speed and the quickness and big-play ability that draws comparisons to former ( sorry about this) Buckeye Ted Ginn Jr.

“I get compared to Ted Ginn ALL of the time,” Darryl quips. “That’s because my favorite thing to do in football is returning punts.”

As a junior, Stonum got his hands on seven punts, and returned three of them for scores and averaged nearly 32 yards per return. Add that to his two-year varsity numbers of 78 receptions for 1,669 yards and 19 scores and all that was left is selecting his destination for the next step. Rivals.com ranks him as the number two wide receiver in “run after the catch” with was one of the dynamics Mannigham brought to the Wolverine attack.

Michigan was only one of his many suitors (Oklahoma State, Florida, Kansas, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Baylor, and New Mexico State) and having two former high school team mates from Dulles High in Sugar Land, Texas (Brandon Herron, FR. LB and Troy Woolfolk, SO. CB) certainly did not hurt the home-like atmosphere that sold Stonum on coming to Ann Arbor.

“Brandon Herron and Troy Woolfolk being there was a bonus,” Stonum states. “Going into the recruiting process I didn’t really pay attention to it. I said to myself that I’ve got to look out for me. One of the things I really liked was when I went up there, everybody treated me like I was part of the team, All of the coaches took me in like I was part of their family. It was a big family thing. Going so far away home for college, I wanted to feel comfortable, and I feel comfortable at Michigan.”

Enrolling in January has allowed Stonum to be involved in spring practice and stake his claim in Rich Rodriguez’s new spread offense. Although he may be polished in many aspects of being a big-time wide receiver, he knows he can improve and knows what he needs to work on most, which is getting off the line and dealing with the jam that the more physical defenders are going to subject him to. His work in the class room as well as the weight room will play a big role in his development and hopefully, prepare him for a big role in the offense this fall.

What a wonderful tool YouTube has become. With the departure of Mike Hart and Kevin Grady coming off a knee injury, the site of one of Michigan’s top recruits hurdling a defender, amongst other breath-taking feats, on his way to paydirt has coaches and fans salivating at the possibilities of the spread offense and Sam McGuffie’s role in it.

One of head coach Rich Rodriguez’s best moves of this recruiting class was retaining backfield coach Fred Jackson, whom McGuffie considers a second father and gave him his word that they would be paired for the next for years at Michigan, even after an 11th hour push by coach Jeff Tedford and Cal that had Sam momentarily torn. But he decided not to let coach Rodriguez down and stick to the commitment he made to Michigan in July, announcing his intentions on KPRC in Houston.
And with Lloyd Carr retired, Rodriguez is going to unleash the hounds and allow holdovers Grady, Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown battle it out for playing time with the three, highly-touted incoming freshman for carries.

McGuffie is an electric 5-11, 190 pound back who runs a 4.4 forty and from his highlight reel, you can see he possesses the great vision and elusiveness that cannot be coached and if he can prove to be an adequate blocker, he is going to see some time on the field as a freshman. At Cy-Fair High School in Cypress, Texas, McGuffie rushed for 3,121 yards and 44 touchdowns as a junior and 1,711 and 23 scores in an injury-marred senior season.

Playing a big role in recruiting many of the class that came along with him placates McGuffie into a leadership role that he certainly seems fit to carry during his career in the Maize and Blue and if he can put together the statistics and highlights he did during his high school career, the roar from the Big House will be heard all the way down to Texas … and Cal.

Regardless of how the Terrelle Pryor situation works out, you have to applaud head coach Rich Rodriguez and his staff for the recruiting class being brought in for 2008 after the departure of long time head coach Lloyd Carr. Many recruits often have a change of heart after a change in coaches, but Rodriguez did a great job in keeping this class intact.

As there are players on both sides of the ball who are going to have every opportunity to come in and compete right away as freshman. Some out of necessity, and some out of sheer impact and talent. One such player, and the first we will look at is cornerback Boubacar Cissoko, the number three ranked player at his position in the nation out of Cass Technical High School in Detroit, Michigan.

Though slightly undersized at 5-9 and 175, Cissoko runs a 4.44 forty yard dash and has the mentality you want in a lock-down cornerback. In addition to his speed, he is an aggressive tackler and his quickness allows him to shadow receivers in and out of their breaks. He quickly forgets bad plays (he gave up two touchdowns at the U.S. Army All-American game in San Antonio) and won the MVP at the event’s combine. He garnered an offer from Ohio State in May 2006 for his standout performance at the university’s Nike skills camp which surprised many, but not himself.

“I wasn’t surprised at all because I trust my game. I went out there and I felt good about my game. At my high school, all we do is play man to man…bump and run three yards off, and just play. I really felt like I could be good out there and that I could compete. I came in and put on a show. After the Nike camp (Ohio State) offered me right there.”

Although he considered other offers after Carr’s departure, he committed in February 2007 and is comfortable with the new staff in place and is looking forward to playing in front of his family and friends at The Big House. With players like returning corners Donovan Warren and Morgan Trent mentoring Cissoko, his learning curve should be lesser than most incoming freshman and his fluid hips, long arms, and quickness in changing direction and break on the ball should ensure a dynamite start to a standout career.