Wolverine Wednesday: Lost One

Recruiting used to be about, facilities, fit, family values, tradition, education, and top coaches that can develop you into an NFL Draft pick.  A few programs also offered secret bags of money to an Uncle, a job for mom, a new house for grandma, etc.  Now, it's all about the bag.  

4-star safety Darrell Mattison was Coach Whitt's first committed recruit at Michigan last month.  He visited Ole Miss this weekend and de-committed yesterday.  If I had to guess, Ole Miss made a better offer.  

Nothing to worry about here, the new Michigan staff is working hard on the trail and will get talented players. 

• Brandon McCoy Jr. and Lincoln Cosby are offically Wolverines now.  Lincoln is going to redshirt as he recovers from an ACL injury.  Dusty had a big recruiting class. 

• Dusty also signed Moustapha Thiam a center from UC out of the portal.  Did you know, Cincy beat Michigan in a exhibition last October and Thiam had 15 points on 6-9 shooting, since then Michigan won a Natty and Thiam is now a Wolverine.  

• Reports are Juke is down to Michigan, Tenn, and the NBA Draft. It seems the NBA Draft is the leader in the clubhouse. 

• Brendan Sorsby having a gambling problem puts the NCAA in a tough spot, there are reports he did place bets on IU to win when he was their QB. If those reports are accurate, your in Pete Rose territory here. College Football becoming professional football is going to have professional problems.

Michigan Monday: Wolverines Draft in Review

If there was one common theme for Michigan in the 2026 Draft, it was the former Wolverines finding homes with familiar faces.  Let's take a look at where all the Wolverines landed, even the undrafted free agents (UDFA). 

-Derrick Moore to the Detroit Lions in the 2nd Round.  Staying home! 

-Marlin Klein to the Houston Texans in the 2nd Round to play with Nico! 

-Jaishawn Barham to the Dallas Cowboys in the 3rd where many Wolverines have been drafted! 

-Jimmy Rolder to the Detroit Lions in the 4th round.  Staying home! 

-Max Bredeson to the Minnesota Vikings in the 5th, to play with JJ and who was even at his draft party! 

-Rayshaun Benny to the Baltimore Ravens in the 7th to play for Coach Minter! 

Recap: Finally the Lions start fishing from the local pond and pick up two talented Wolverines.  Marlin had a great combine which I think shot him up some draft boards, he is still nowhere near his ceiling.  Max is a perfect fit in Minnesota and Jesse Minter does Rayshaun a solid! 

Special Note, very happy for former Michigan TE Matt Hibner, he spent 4 years on the roster and caught two passes behind some great Michigan TE's.  He went to SMU last year and had a very good year and was drafted in the 4th round, by guess who? Jesse Minter! 

UDFA:

-Z signs with NY Giants and John Harbaugh

-McCulley to the Dolphins and owner Stephen Ross

-Tommy Doman (transferred to FL) to the Bills 

-Nikhai Hill Green (transferred to Charlotte, Colorado, Alabama) to the Rams

-TJ Guy to Ravens and Coach Minter 

-Damon Payne to KC 

Happy for all the players that found a home.  Also the sad story of Ernie Hausman continues and it will be interesting to see if he gets an invite for a tryout. Offensive lineman El-Hadi and Crippen and DT Tre Williams are still waiting for a UDFA contract or an invite to a Rookie Camp.

Michigan Friday: A Daft Draft

That was a strange opening night of the NFL Draft, it was a huge crowd but seemed to lack energy and then the picks started to roll in.  Here are a few things I questioned:

• Tate was OSU's #2 WR and was picked #4 in the draft.  Has a college teams second best WR ever been taken #4 in the NFL Draft?

• OSU had some really good players, must be the coaching that they didn't do better last season?

• The NFL are drunk on QB's, taking Ty Simpson #13 is just dumb.  He can't help the Rams next season and is a 2nd round talent. Who has played 15 college football games.

• KC trading picks to move up for the LSU CB, why?

• The Lions had some decent choices for OT's and seemed to pick one with a ton of experience

• Bama's Kaden Procter has a huge upside but struggles with his weight and focus, many are predicting a bust.  Sounds like the perfect Dolphins draft pick. 

• ND had both RB's drafted in the first round.  

• Michigan's new OL coach had two players drafted on Thursday! Including the top OT!

Michigan Players expected to get drafted:

• Derrick Moore 3rd Round 
• Rayshaun Benny 3rd - 7th grade 
• Jaishawn Barham has a 4th round grade
• Marlin Klein TE Round 4-5 Grade 
• TJ Guy has a day 3 late round grade 
• Donaven McCulley when on a top 30 visit but is expected to be a Day 3 pick up. 
• Jimmy Rolder, Round 5-7  
• Dominic Zvada Free Agent 
• Max Bredeson Free Agent

Michigan Basketball got a talented but often injured power forward out of the Portal from LSU in 6'10 245 pound Jalen Reed.  Jalen is coming off back to back season ending injuries but is a talented player if he can stay healthy.  

Michigan Tuesday: The War of Warde

You know how I feel about Warde as Michigan's leader of the athletics department.  He is way over his head and has overseen the most roller coaster time in the history of the program.  My opinion is, that Warde should not be leading this program any longer, his good things (hiring Dusty and Coach Whitt) does not over weigh his huge mistakes.  It's amazing to me how such a powerful University can't find a true leader to lead this athletics organization. 

Angel did an interview with Warde and his answer were very by the book.  My biggest takeaway is that he has no fear of losing his job.  

Q: So you don't have any concerns about your job security?

A: No.

Q: Why are you so confident?

A: I'm confident in what I've done and how I've done it, and what I've asked people to do. Again, I'm not perfect, and I don't know anybody who is, but I'm confident that I have done everything to make sure that we do things the right way within the department. The rest of it, I don't sit and worry. I worry about moving us forward and continuing the success that we've developed over the years since I've been here.”

Let me clear something up completely.  You don't pay a law firm millions of dollars to do an investigation on the Athletics department if your not expecting a change of leadership.  If the findings come out negative or troublesome, there is zero chance Warde retains his job.  Signs are pointing to a negative finding is that the expectation was this investigation was to be completed in January, it's April, and law firms get paid by the hour.  

Want more proof that Warde is poor leader and not getting his message received by the people he leads?  (bold is mine).  The question was did you or the regents ask for the investigation into the athletics department?

You’d have to ask the Regents their conversations about it. The next morning (Dec. 11, 2025 after Moore was fired), I talked to Domenico, and I said I would like the Office of Equity, Integrity and Compliance to work with me to find someone to come in and do a cultural assessment, because apparently my words are not getting through. So I’d like some help in what else can be done.

When you tune out your leader, you don't respect that leader.  There is an old saying in the business world, "employees don't leave companies, they leave leadership"