My Observations after Watching the Clips of Practice

Tonight on the Big Ten Network they gave us some insights into Michigan's Fall Practice last week.

Here are some of my random thoughts:

• Austin White RB is also wingless.
• During the passing drill, I still think Tate was by far the best passer.  Devin really impressed me in his accuracy.  It seems he really has improved over the summer.   I thought Denard was the least accurate (of course there was limited coverage on the drill).
• I was impressed by running back Vincent Smith's upper body strength.
• I would like to see the WR's making more catches, they seemed to drop a few ball.
• I thought the D-line played well during drills.
• It was sad to see Troy Woolfolk running around out there.
• Freshman Jibreel Black seemed to show flashes at DE.
• Mike Shaw looked fast at RB
• I liked Kelvin Grady at RB during the M Drill

Other News and Notes:

Per RR's Press Conference:

• Tate got his Wings back at practice today.
• Still waiting on test results on Troy's injury.
• No WR's will move to corner.
• Some safeties had already moved to CB.
• They will have a scrimmage at the Big House on Saturday
• He wishes they could have a live scrimmage against another team.

- You heard it here first, JT Turner is going to transfer to WVU.    Let's hope he gets his life in order in his year off.   If he can't get playing time in Michigan's decimated secondary how is he going to get playing time at another program?

Michigan Thursday: Look at all these Rumors

One of the benefits or non-benefits of blogs are that they report "rumors" that could become fact or could just be fiction. 

The hottest rumor that was flying around last night and reported/tweeted by a professional model and sometime Big Ten Network reporter was that Tate Forcier had requested a transfer.  She quickly pulled the "tweet" and TomVH from Mgoblog quickly pulled her credibility by calling Tate's dad and finding out there wasn't any truth to the report.   Whoops!

This next rumor comes off the Mgoblog message board that JT Turner is planning to enroll at West Virgina on Monday.  At this point, this rumor seems to lean more towards Fiction then Fact but WVU did recruit the him out of high school and is about 3 hours from him hometown.   More to come.  I still wish he would get committed to playing for Michigan and get back in camp, but I guess that's just me wishful thinking again.

• Remember all the reports from practice from the Big Ten Network last week?  Well that program air's tonight at 8:00 Eastern.  Will Tate have wings?  I'm guessing he won't.

• SI.com's Stuart Madel on Michigan Football today.

• Pete Bigelow from Ann Arbor.com profiles the Wingless Helmets but also throws in a past NCAA violation by Lloyd Carr making Arrington run the stairs at the Big House:  For 60 straight days, Adrian Arrington woke before the sun rose and reported to Michigan Stadium at 6 a.m.  Each morning, he ran up and down the Big House stairs until he was exhausted. Each morning, the talented-but-troubled wide receiver awoke eager to do it again.The stair runs preserved his place on the Michigan football team. Arrington had violated team rules, and former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr used the grueling dawn workouts as a disciplinary technique.   This is an example of disciplining a player in the summer months, which was called out in the NCAA's report regarding Michigan's violations.   Pete's article points out that Wingless helmets are RR's way to get a point across to players that make mistakes.  The difference is: one is an NCAA violation the other isn't.
  
  
  
  

Michigan Thursday: Turner Still Gone? and Posada Video.

The inside scoop on JT Turner is that he showed up out of shape to fall camp and was running with the third string on Monday (not sure if he practiced on Tuesday).   In a class move RR mentioned that some kids didn't show up ready to play Division 1 football and it seems JT was one of those guys in that group.  It sounds like JT was not with a majority of his teammates participating in summer workouts.  Either way, you can't show up to camp out of shape.  You have to spend the time between Spring and Fall practices getting your body in shape so that when the short Fall Camp begins you can get the proper offense or defense schemes down for the start of the season.   

If I were to read the tea leaves, I'm guessing the Michigan coaches were not too happy that JT gets to camp out of shape and quickly puts him on the third string.  Being on third string doesn't sit well for either the 5 star recruit or the Michigan coaches.   The next step is Turner asking for and being granted his release. 

The last report is that Turner's family was heading to Ann Arbor to see him and discuss the situation.  Not sure if that mean he is re-considering coming back or not.

So why did this happen?  Not sure, we have all seen guys get to campus has High School All Americans and not really be interested in playing football anymore for a number of reasons.   Is that the case with JT?  Not sure, does he just want to play on another team?  Not sure.  Either way, I find this a big loss for both sides.   Good luck JT on whatever your next move is.  (BTW, we would welcome you back with open arms if you want to be back! - there is a long list of Michigan players that started to leave the program and came back and became very successful - Braylon Edwards comes to mind as a recent example)
Here is Tony's announcement video:


Tony Posada commitment from Michael Langston on Vimeo.

(HT: TomVH at Mgoblog)

• TomVH also is reporting that James Elliott another OL from Florida is expected to do an un-official visit this weekend to Ann Arbor.  James is 6'4 and 305 pounds and has offers from Iowa State, Louisville, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Vandy, and South Carolina. 

• Carlos Brown signs a free agent contract with Tampa Bay Bucs.  I guess Tampa is having some good Michigan vibes right now.  (Tony above is from Tampa as well)

Breaking News: Justin Turner to Transfer From Michigan

Why can't we have just one week with good news?  Is that really too much to ask?

One of Michigan's highest ranked players in the 2009 class who red-shirted last year has decided to transfer from the University of Michigan.   "[Turner] asked for, and was granted, his release yesterday. We wish him well in his future endeavors," Michigan Director of Media Relations Dave Abluaf announced Wednesday. 

Justin came to Michigan as the best player in Ohio in 2009 and was an Army All American.  He had trouble with academics and wasn't cleared to practice with the Wolverines until 2 weeks into fall camp last year.  Arriving late pretty much guaranteed Justin would redshirt in 2009 even with a serious lack of depth on the roster at both CB and Safety positions.

Justin struggled in the spring at cornerback, as JT Floyd took over the spot left by Donovan Warren leaving early for the NFL.  Still, Michigan fans hoped he would show his nearly 5 star prospect status this year, getting playing time in zone or nickel formations.

One of the signs that #2 didn't have his heart into it was when he showed up to fall camp 11 pounds bigger then last fall.  A guy playing CB doesn't usually need to put on that type of weight.

Impact:  Large.  Michigan can't afford any attrition in the defensive backfield, sure Turner might not have been a starter but with potential injuries and a number of young kids with little to no experience playing, this is a difficult blow to take.    Welcome Cullen Christian and Courtney Avery to a lot more playing time. 

Michigan DB's loses in the last year:

• Demar Dorsey = Never enrolled admission issues
• Justin Turner = Transfer due to inability to break into the starting lineup
• Boubacar Cissoko = Transferred to a different type of Big House
• Donovan Warren = NFL

That list is a "no fly zone" that never took off.

This also should have an impact on 2011 CB recruiting.  I expect Michigan to take one more CB now in the 2011 class.

Michigan Weekend: Some Spring Game Answers

photo courtesy of Det. News

I'm sure many of you watched the BTN replay or was there live in the Big House. I know the weather wasn't exactly 84 degrees like it was a few days before but here are some of my observations from the game.

Field goal and punting practice was not only boring but very scary. It seems Michigan has a serious problems at both. The punters could barley get the ball past 10 yards. I'm not sure I can remember a true freshman having a job locked up before they hit campus in the summer but it's crystal clear that Will Hagerup has this job. Right now, Tate Forcier is the best punter on the team.

Now I try to answer the questions I had on Friday:


1. Does the defense show any improvements? Do they tackle better and less blown assignments. I would say I saw some improvements, but this unit has a long way to go to see the improvements that we are expecting. I thought the D-Line played pretty well, the linebackers seemed to be better, but the defensive backfield looked slow and pretty bad.


2.Who should be the starter at QB? Is Denard really taking steps on getting the #1 job? Denard was the MVP of the entire Spring Game. He showed he was a real QB passing and running the ball. The highlight of the day, was his 97 yard strike to Roy Roundtree for a TD. Denard is a defensive coordinators nightmare if he is accurate passing the ball. The defenders don't know what to do, because he can throw over you or run by you. Tate was Tate, looked good sometimes and was too fast to leave the pocket and made some poor throws other times. I give the UConn first snap edge to Denard right now. Tate was in against Michigan's 1st defense and Denard was in against the #2's.

3. Justin Turner, is he a 5 star cornerback or should he be playing safety? The concern over Turner is accurate. He was a non-factor at CB and it seems he will be moved to safety in the fall. Let's hope he is a play maker there.

4. Big Will, has he improved and a force on the defensive line? I would say yes, Big Will was running with the 1's and seemed to be making an impact and pushing the pile.

5. Who will step up at the running back position? Nobody. This continues to be a wide open position battle going into the Fall. Each guy showed promise but I didn't see anyone grab the position.

6. Is the buzz on the Gordon's accurate? Cam won a Spring award but I didn't see him make too many plays. He did have a nice hit on the sideline. I did see Thomas making a few tackles. Jury still out on both of them for now.

7. Should Devin redshirt or is he an option to help in the Fall? Devin looked like a high school senior on many plays but on others looked very promising. The future is still very bright for Devin. If I had to make a call today, it would be to redshirt.

8. How does the offensive line look? Is Taylor Lewan the real deal? I thought they looked pretty good without Molk in there. (Got Molk?) I have high expectations for Taylor Lewan, he did look like Pro Bowler Jake Long out there (in his uniform) and I expect him to start or play a lot early and often this year. My excitement meter has Denard #1 and Taylor #2.

9. Does Michigan have any wide receivers that are game breakers? If the USFL was still around I would think Roy Roundtree would be a star in that league. Why you ask? Because, he loves playing in the Spring. This guy has had 2 solid spring games in a row. Odoms also looks like a legit WR now (even though he dropped a perfect bomb that Devin threw) and Gallon made some plays as well. Stokes and Miller also made some catches. There were some drops, but Michigan seems pretty loaded at the WR position and hopefully a few of these guys will be really good.

10. Does this look like a program with 7+ wins in them next season? Wow, that is a tough question to answer right now. I think the Michigan offense is again improved and will have a lot of weapons when healthy. My biggest concerns are the special teams and defensive secondary. Troy Woolfolk was out due to a finger injury and he will be Michigan's best corner. Speed at safety continues to be a concern as does the non-Woolfolk corner spot. The defense looked better against the run and was putting pressure on Tate and Devin. Michigan will need "some help from above" if games are decided by a field goal of any distance. I also wonder who will be returning punts this fall.

Other side notes:

• It seems D. Hart's visit to Michigan this weekend is going well. TomVH from Mgoblog interviews his mom. MRS HART: The amount of support from everyone, the coaches, academics, and fans is amazing. The environment, everything that Michigan has to offer has been really great. Michigan seems to be the total package in my mind. This is my first time at Michigan, so I was overwhelmed. I’m looking for the total package for my son, and that seems to be here.
  


• The Big Ten could be meeting on expansion today in Wash. DC.

Inmates Run The Big House Day #4: What I Want To See From The Spring Game

With an NCAA penalty and a Do or Die season for Rich Rodriguez on the horizon, here is what I’m expecting from the 2010 Spring Game.

I’m expecting to see:

• A mature Tate Forcier. One that practice and prepares like a Michigan QB should.
  
• Devin Gardner a QB full of promise but one that isn’t quite ready for the field in 2010.
  
• Denard Robinson still a freak athlete that sees the field more at the running back or wide receiver positions.
  
• Linebackers that understand what Greg Robinson is saying and are in the proper gaps and assignments.
  
• Justin Turner replacing Donovan Warren at cornerback and really showing flashes of the 5 star rating he received.
  
• A much improved defense in all faucets of the game.
  
• Running Backs by committee. With Vincent Smith out, I expect to see lots of guys running the ball. I’m hoping that one is very special.
  
• Roy Roundtree to have another great Spring Game.
  
• A few guys on scholarship playing the safety position.
  
• Mike Cox jumping over a Buick.
  
• Big Will Campbell seeing a lot of playing time and stopping the running game.
  

I realize that Rich Rodriguez has taken a lot of heat for two losing seasons in a row and a NCAA investigation on his watch, but he has done some good things for the University of Michigan as well. Some examples are the number of Junior Days, The Victors Walk, an emphasis on the Spring Game, strong recruiting in the State of Florida, and the alumni flag football game. So get out and support the team and the Michigan program this Spring!

-Bill from Toledo

Michigan Tuesday: Must See TV

• The Elliott Mealer story will be told on ESPN's E60 tonight at 7:00 EST. If you don't know Elliott was in a serious auto accident with his family and girlfriend on Christmas Eve 2007. In that auto accident, Elliott lost his father and girlfriend in that crash and his brother was seriously injured. Elliott hurt his rotator cuff and sat out his entire freshman year.

• Brandon Graham showed his leadership skills right after the loss at Michigan State. He walked around the locker room saying, "Remember this Feeling!"

• It seems Mark Dantonio is even mad when State wins. Some have questioned Mark if he prepares too much for the Michigan game and doesn't focus on their other opponents. Which have lead to a 2-3 record.

• Christian Jones a 4 Star LB from Florida is interested in Michigan and may take an official visit to Ann Arbor this Fall.

• I was confused when a reporter asked Coach Rod during his press conference that Justin Turner got into the State game. I didn't notice him in the game. The problem was the official score keeper made a mistake and had given him credit for a tackle that Jonus Mouton made. So his red shirt status is still in tact.

Michigan Recruiting and Press Conference News and Notes

Recruiting:

• California DB Sean Parker is planning a Michigan visit: "They're playing USC so it should be a great game and I'm looking forward to seeing what the atmosphere is like. I don't have any other visits set after Cal. I know I want to take all five and I'm going to set one with Michigan, but that's the only other one I know of so far."
• Dior Mathis DB from Cass Tech still considers his final list Oregon, Michigan, Michigan State, Miami and Illinois. (he is 5"9 166, I'm just saying)
• Casey Prather like expected picked Florida Basketball over Michigan Basketball today.
• Look for a bunch of recruits to be in Ann Arbor for the Penn State and Ohio State games. (FYI Florida guys - it's usually 65 and sunny in November in Ann Arbor)
• Michigan commit to 2010 WR D.J. Williamson had surgery on his ankle this month.

RR's Press Conference today:

• Tate's shoulder is sore and will practice again today.
• Safety Mike Williams is practicing and will be ready for Saturday.
• Brandon Minor sat out Monday and Tuesday but practiced today.
• Boubacar and JT Floyd continue to battle for the starting CB spot. JT Turner is still a ways off but may still see some playing time this year. (you know they want to redshirt him if possible)
• RR doesn't believe the Michigan players have ever said anything dis-respectful to the Spartans. He also said the players use more of the "bulletin board" material then the coaches do for motivation.
• They have worked on snaps which seem better and heading up to East Lansing on Friday.

Wolverine Wednesday: A Mix of Everything

Mailbag:

Jason from Augusta writes: Why hasn't Big Will gotten more snaps?

BHB: The Michigan coaches have been critical about about Big Will's (William Campbell) technique at defensive tackle. When these kids are in high school they are much bigger and stronger then everyone else. They just barrel their way through the offensive line and hit the running back in the backfield. In college, the competition is much better and you need a strong technique to be effective. Mike Martin was able to play last year as a true freshman and I hope/expect to see Big Will to get more snaps in the next two weeks and against Delaware State. He did look impressive in the two snaps he got against WMU, one was a tackle for a loss against the Western RB.


Bill from Boston writes: Which other true freshmen do you expect to see on the field the next two weeks if Michigan blows out Eastern and IU?

BHB: Michigan has serious depth issues at cornerback and safety. Michael Williams left the ND with cramps and Jordan Kovacs (a walk on redshirt freshman) came in and played well. Look for Vladimir Emilien to see some snaps at safety along with Justin Turner and Teric Jones at CB.


Depending on the injuries to Hemingway and Stounum, look for Je'ron Stokes and Roy Roundtree (redshirt freshman) to see action as well.

On a personal note, I would like to see Michael Cox and Michael Shaw get more snaps at running back as well.

Denard has to throw when he gets in the game the next two weeks. In fact he should throw more then he runs.


Recruiting:

• Michigan welcomed two out of state visitors for the ND game (one official = Michigan paid for it) and one un-official (meaning the recruit and their family paid for the trip themselves). The un-official visit was from Woodberry Forest (Va.) outside linebacker Aramide Olaniyan. Who had an amazing time at Michigan. Aramide is a current Duke commit and a 4 star rated LB from Rivals. The official visitor was Millersville (Md.) Old Mill's Josh Furman who Michigan would also like at LB in a Dhani Jones type of role/player. "The atmosphere, when I was going down to the game and fans everywhere, this is what you live for," Furman said. "Just looking at how the fans reacted and how the players reacted after a win like that, it's something I want to play for.”


• A top 2010 Michigan recruit Cullen Christian at cornerback visited OSU last weekend. "I'm pretty much open to anyone, but I wasn't really giving Ohio State a hard look because they haven't given me an offer," Christian said. Plenty of others have offered Christian a scholarship. His list stands at close to 20 and includes Michigan, UCLA and West Virginia, which are his top three choices. "Those are the three I'm mainly looking at," Christian said. "Michigan is my favorite. I grew up a Michigan fan. They show the most interest."


• Defensive lineman Beau Allen from Minnesota: "My top four are still Wisconsin, Minnesota, Notre Dame and Stanford," Allen said. "Michigan recently offered me. I think I'll give them a look. It's Michigan, Michigan State and UCLA for the last visit."


• DB Tony Grimes (Hollywood Hills, Fla.) is still planning a visit to Ann Arbor.

News and Notes:

• Tate and Michigan get the corner spot of the cover of SI this week. That doesn't qualify for the SI jinx right?


• As a BHB reader points out: Tate is now on the Heisman watch list on ESPN now and also is up for one of the college plays of the week. Check out ESPN and vote for him.


• Troy Woolfolk is no longer the "other" Woolfolk at Michigan. His dad is proud of him and didn't twist his arm in going to Michigan.
  

Something to think about this week: Ron English recruited most of the defensive players on the field for Michigan on Saturday. He knows their strengths and weakness. Can he put together a game plan that exposes their weakness?

Turner is in

Michael Rothstein a Michigan beat reporter via his twitter account has said, Justin Turner has been cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse.

No word on Witty and Jason Forcier.

Also this isn't the greatest news:
Rodriguez said linebacker Marell Evans and defensive tackle Vince Helmuth did not practice Wednesday and are expected to transfer. Helmuth, from Saline, moved from fullback to defensive tackle this spring.

Day 1 Practice Begins

Video highlights here.

• No news on Turner, Witty, or Jason Forcier. But all three have lockers. Turner and Witty are on the Roster. They just haven't passed the clearinghouse yet. Too bad Ed McMahon recently passed.

• Sheridan and Forcier were more accurate then Robinson passing the ball, but Robinson got a speeding ticket on the way to practice. He was jogging. No official charges were filed. :-)

• Michigan had new practice uniforms on.

• Kelvin Grady lined up in the slot.

• It was 114 degrees on the field during practice.

• Michael Shaw, Jonas Mouton and Fitzgerald Toussaint were all on the practice field after off season injuries.

Justin (Time) Turner - Qualifies!

Mgoblog and GoBlue Michigan Wolverines are reporting that Justin Turner has qualified and will be with the squad this Fall. The Ohio Exit exam results weren't due back until early August, but people close to JT are saying he is good to go and in A2 working out with his teammates.

As you can imagine, this is great news for the Michigan football team. The defense is lacking depth at corner and having him available will help with that greatly. Expect to see Justin in the Nickel early and backing up Warren and Cissoko.

Turner was an Army All American and 5 star cornerback from Scouts.

Michigan Wolverine Monday: Where are they going?

• Former Wolverine Dann O'Neill is heading West to play football. Some had wondered if Dann O'Neill really wanted to play football again after transferring from Michigan this Spring. Well, he decided to join his brother (at TE) at Western Michigan. "I don't think I fit as well (at Michigan) as I fit with Western Michigan's system," the 6-foot-8, 300-pound O'Neill told the Gazette, citing the Wolverine's new spread offense under coach Rich Rodriguez, which calls for smaller linemen. "In high school, we ran the spread, but we ran a different spread. I'm not sure it was the right offense for me to run.

• Update: Boise State is close to announcing it's opening opponent in 2010. Could in be the Wolverines? The betting money says, yes! We will see. What does the BSU President think? "It's going to be a good one," said BSU president Bob Kustra, who would not disclose the opponent or the game location. (HT: MSC and Maize n Brew)

• Elite 2010 Texas LB Corey Nelson had Michigan his leader for about 10 minutes. This weekend he became an Texas A&M Aggie.

• Justin (time) Turner Update: Some have suggested that Justin is in Ann Arbor working out with his teammates and will have his Ohio Exit Exam scores on 8/3. If the above is true, I'm assuming that good news is expected from the test. On the other hand, I'm not sure if a player would be eligible to work out with their college teammates if they officially haven't graduated from high school yet.

• One hole for the Wolverines to fill in 2010 will be a punter. All American Punter Zoltan Mesko will be punting for an NFL team in 2010. It seems the highest rated punter in the land is a guy from Wisconsin named Will Hangerup. He has scholarship offers from major programs including Michigan and Ohio State. I believe Michigan is waiting to see what Will does before they offer local Michigan product Mike Sadler. The rumor that Zoltan was "night punting" with the daughter of Dean was found to be un-true. :-)

• A mystery to many Michigan fans and both recruiting services is the un-ranked QB Cornelius Jones. Cornelius is Rich Rod's second QB commit in the 2010 class and a perfect compliment to Michigan's first verbal commit, Devin Gardner a 4 star QB prospect from Detroit. So why is Cornelius such a mystery? Well, he hasn't been playing QB for long and there wasn't much hype surrounding him. RR and staff liked his video and was willing to give him a offer. A mgoblog poster found some video on the Internet. Feel free to take a look and see what you think of him: http://www.athletevault.com/Videos/CorneliusJonesAV.html

• Seantrel Henderson is at Nike's (Basketball) Peach Jam camp in North Augusta, SC. If your not familiar with Seantrel, he is the unanimous #1 football recruit in the nation and very high on the radar of every major program. He has visited Michigan and hopefully will have the Wolverines in his top group when he cuts his list. He plans to make a decision at one of the HS all star games after the season.

• Michigan drops to #2 in the Big Ten 2010 recruiting rankings behind Penn State on Varsity Blue. Michigan has held the top spot all year. On Friday, PSU added Michigan QB Robert Boldon to an already strong recruiting class that included 5 star QB Paul Jones.

New Grady to the Wolverines and Rumor Mill

Sorry for the non-post yesterday, I was under the weather.
Enough about me already lets get on with the show:

• One Grady in, One Grady out? The Detroit Free Press is reporting that Kelvin Grady former Michigan Basketball Point Guard and brother of recent inmate Kevin Grady, will join the Wolverines this Fall. Kelvin Grady, who played the past two years as a backup point guard on the Michigan basketball team, is expected to join the football team.
  By staying at U-M, Grady will be able to play immediately instead of sitting out a year as a transfer under NCAA rules. He will have three years of eligibility.Kelvin was an all state running back and had over 2000 rushing yards his senior year. Kevin was a 5 star running back out of Grand Rapids who last year had a DUI and this past month spent less then a week in jail for probation violations. It is unknown what Kevin's status with the team will be after last months violation. Coach Rod has said he will sit down with Kevin and discuss the facts before making a decision. Kelvin is expected to join the football team as a slot receiver. There isn't any problems with scholarships since RR and Staff have 5 left for next year with the recent transfers and the ones left over from the 2009 recruiting class.

• Ohio Offensive Lineman enjoys the BBQ and Commits to the Wolverines: Michigan picked up it's 12th verbal commitment to the 2010 class and first Offensive Linemen with the commitment of Christian Pace (6-3, 260 lbs.). Here is the write up from Varsity Blue:

Recruiting Notes:

Michigan fans have known about Pace for quite some time, as he was among the earlier offensive linemen offered post-signing day. He received an offer in early April, and almost immediately hit campus for the Wolverines’ spring game. Though he spoke effusively about his trip to Ann Arbor, a visit to Northwestern “wowed” him, so fans weren’t sure how sincere his interest in Michigan was. A return trip to the University of Michigan, however, sealed the deal. He went home without committing, but the premium sites mentioned that his timetable might accelerate considerably. Accelerate it did, and he phoned Rich Rodriguez today to share the good word.

Player Notes:

Pace is currently a little undersized for an offensive lineman, at just 260 pounds. However, he has a big frame, and will be able to pack on enough muscle to compete well at the college level. He is likely to be an interior line prospect with his height limiting his ability to play on the outside. Pace is very aggressive and nasty with his blocks, and shows an ability to get to the second level of defenders. His strength and technique are pretty good for a high school player, especially one with the low weight that he currently carries. When he teams up with Barwis upon arriving in Ann Arbor, he could be converted into a beast. One big knock on Pace is his pass protection. His high school apparently has a predominantly running scheme, and he’ll have to improve in protection. Pace is a 3-star prospect to both recruiting services.

• Two items of note from the Mgoblog Message Boards: 1- Is that Bill Martin tried to schedule Minnesota for the first game in 2010 to open the new Big House. The Golden Gophers declined. The game if played, would have been an un-official Big Ten game but the "Little Brown Jug" would have still been on the line. Bill also said, that the first game will be against a BCS School. 2-There is a nasty rumor floating around the Internet that 5 star DB and 2009 signed commitment Justin Turner is "iffy" to qualify this Fall. Justin is a very important recruit for the Wolverines, so let's hope he clears up any academic issues he might have.

• The Michigan Golf Team did well in Toledo and made it to the Semifinals before losing a "Heart breaker" to the eventual National Champions Texas A&M. Congrats to the Golf Team on a excellent year!

• The Michigan Softball Team started well in the College World Series beating Alabama before losing back to back games to Florida 1-0 and Georgia 7-5. Nice run Ladies and good luck next year!

• Braylon Edwards goes "yard" in batting practice with the Cleveland Indians.

Updates from Army All American Practices

• Gallon is putting on a show: via Rivals: The Apopka (Fla.) High four-star receiver caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Murray during 11-on-11, and then the duo connected again later during the drills on another long completion."He's electric," East coach Terry Smith said. "He's very shifty, very athletic. We're trying to get some plays to get some space for him to let him do what he does best." - "He's good," wide receiver Je'Ron Stokes said. "They have him in the slot and the way our offense is run I might want to go to the slot. He's getting a lot of passes thrown his way. He's doing a great job. The thing is they have a receiver lined up on the linebacker. That's a mismatch right there." Je'Ron is a soft commit to Tennessee (some are saying a decommit)and is visiting Ann Arbor in January. Watch Gallon's TD Catch.
  
• Anthony LaLota confirms his commitment to the Wolverines.
• Another soon to be Wolverine Justin Turner also impressed on Monday. Turner was playing corner during practice but has the size and speed to also play Safety. “He’s physical at the line. He’s not the biggest kid, but he’s a taller kid,” Gorney said. “He and (Arkansas commit) Darius Winston were the first team cornerbacks and they both looked like they belonged on the field. "I haven't touched the field since we lost in the playoffs so I'm very surprised with what I did," Turner said. "All the great athletes and coaches out there watching, you can't get beat. You don't want to get beat. That was my first time on the field since we lost. I've been lifting. I feel good."