cass tech

Hello person from 2041 who found this page. You're probably wondering if Coach Anderson was always like this? Yes. Yes he was always like this.. [David Nasternak]

Previously: Last year’s profiles. P Tommy Doman Jr. S Rod Moore. CB Ja’Den McBurrows. LB Jaydon Hood. LB Junior Colson. LB Tyler McLaurin. DE Kechaun Bennett. DE TJ Guy. DE/DT Dominick Giudice. DT George Rooks. DT Rayshaun Benny. NG Ikechukwu Iwunnah. C Greg Crippen.

 
Detroit, MI – 6’3”, 302
 

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[David Nasternak]

247:

             3.92*
4*, 90, #356 overall

#20 IOL, #11 MI
Rivals:

             4.24*
4*, 5.8, #168 overall

#2 C, #7 MI
ESPN:

             4.20*
4*, 82, #19 MW, #241 Ovr

#3 C, #6 MI
Composite:

             4.13*
4*, .9178, #210 overall

#15 IOL, #7 MI
Other Suitors MSU, UGA, Ark, LSU?
YMRMFSPA David Brandt but Hype
Previously On MGoBlog Hello post by me.
Notes Twitter.

Film:

MGoVideo vs King (full game):

Senior Highlights:

Crippen and Anderson are going to be mentioned in a lot of articles together. The two “centers” in this class couldn’t be more different prospects. The former is the tall, polished product of a Massachusetts boarding school and IMG. There are lots of questions about his explosion, and no pancakes on his highlight reel.

Raheem Anderson has actually been starting at center longer, but his style is the opposite. He’s compact, and violent. He “gets some.” He is felt. He went to the jewel of Detroit public schools, won the job as a freshman, and started every game hence. He’s been impossible to miss on either line, and because he went to so many camps, the rest of the country has known about him just as long.

Also Michigan clearly wanted Crippen for their center of this class (after Ryan Linthecum committed to Clemson), while holding off on Anderson, who was already a deeper Michigan fan than half of you reading this. The sites felt the opposite, rating Crippen as a guard as often as not, while Anderson is or was (247 put all G’s and C’s into “IOL”) ranked as a center. Crippen is on the two-deep already, while Anderson’s whole thing is the second you count him out he will find you downfield, square up, and take you out for pancakes.

[After THE JUMP: The comps will continue until morale improves]

TUEBOR is Latin for "Pothole!" because you can't sue us if we warn you

The best players in Michigan play for Michigan, but who were the best players from Michigan to play for Michigan?

Previously:

This week: We're looking to build the best possible team out of guys who grew up and played their high school ball in Michigan. Since we've covered a lot of these guys' Michigan careers already, I figured this could instead be a celebration of the programs they came from, and Michigan high school football in general. Special thanks to michigan-football.com, a highly valuable resource.

Rules: Only players recruited since 1990-on. Reasons are 1) Until the late '80s Michigan was a very regional recruiter. Quick chart of Michigan rosters (via Bentley) by state of origin, walk-ons included:

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Moeller was the first coach since helmets were a thing to field a team that wasn't made up mostly of Michiganders and Ohioans. Reason 2) My database goes back to 1990. Reason 3: I was 10 that year, and kid memories aren't of much use. This gives us a pool of 171 players to choose from whose careers most of us are somewhat familiar with.

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Quarterback: Devin Gardner, Inkster

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via AA News

Right off the bat this is a tough one, and a decision I'm personally going to get flak for because the other good candidate reads this blog. Drew, at your best you were the better player, and I promise to buy you a beer next time you're in Ann Arbor. However I'm sticking by the guy who should never have to buy a beer in the State of Michigan again. Also: 33 starts to your eight.

In high school Gardner played for UofD as a sophomore but was forced to sit out for off-field issues for five games. He transferred to Inkster, following coach Greg Carter from recently closed Saint Martin de Porres, and exploded, leading them to two straight state finals. While Devin was at Michigan Inkster was also closed, its students dispersed to four other school districts.

Backup: Drew Henson, Brighton

The rest of the field: Shane Morris, Steven Threet, Nick Sheridan, Alex Malzone, Craig Randall

[After THE JUMP: The greatest player in Michigan high school history]

The question:

Most humiliatingly bad recruiting ranking

The resposes:

Brian: Chris Wormley and Trey Burke spring to mind.

Ace: Can first-hand agree on Wormley. I don’t know how anyone could see that guy in person and not think he at least had a good shot at the NFL.

Brian: We've talked about Wormley before. Everyone saw a huge athletic man and ranked appropriately except Josh Helmholdt. He was the #22 player... IN OHIO.

Ace: That dude was built like a house as a senior and it was clear he could add another house.

Seth: Poor Helmholdt. We've probably hung that over his head more than any one ranking by anyone in history.

Brian: He's got a few more in the pipeline if he doesn't drag Mayfield and Hayes into the top 15 in state. But this is a key factor in ridiculous rankings: you miss when everyone else is on point. Sure, nobody saw a draftable CB in Jeremy Clark but I can't blame 'em for that.

Seth: So no Kevin Grady, even though Tom Lemming made him his #7 player in the country.

In. The. Country.

Brian: A key factor, not the. You can fire away on that ranking. By Grady's second year it was clear ranking him as a five star was total nonsense.

Ace: And we were all a little leery of his film when he was a recruit. But nobody flat-out said “De’Veon Smith is better” because of those dang rankings.

Seth: You're thinking of Green.

Ace: Ah crap, same thing.

Brian: A good answer to this question is "any highly touted Michigan tailback."

Seth: A-Train was way up there. #2 overall RB I think.

Brian: A-Train was so far back in the day that it has less impact. Literal mailmen were doing rankings then.

Seth: Well I may just happen to have some of those mailed Prep Football Reports and Prepstars in reach of my desk for some reason.

Brian: Grady was worse than Green because at least Green was a legitimately huge person. I have no idea what anyone was thinking about in re: Grady.

[Hit THE JUMP]