zeke pike

Events! Two preseason events are booked for yours truly:

• I'll be in New York on August 15th with the Alumni Club of NYC. 7 PM, Professor Thom's.
• I'll be a part of the UM Club of Greater Detroit's kickoff dinner panel with Angelique Chengelis of the News and Greg Dooley of MVictors. Details here.

Yes, lol. Here's Todd Graham's motivational tactic at Arizona State:

This is lol. It is even more lol when you bring last year's edition into play:

Yes: I AM HERE TO THE END. I get that Graham is Todd Graham. What I can't understand is what the hell Arizona State's athletic director was thinking when he decided to grab a guy who already had a reputation as a job-hopper after one 6-6 year in the Big East. That's like hiring Brady Hoke… if Brady Hoke had no connection with your university and was widely regarded as not the best dude ever.

Oh, right, that. The Devin Gardner cat was released from the bag but never mentioned in this space. Here is the cat:

How much will backup quarterback Devin Gardner play at receiver this fall?

"I'll think we'll have a chance to get Devin on the field some at receiver," Hoke said.

But, legitimately, how much?

"We'll see," Hoke said, smirking. "I'm being coy, but we'll see as fall camp goes through what he can handle, ball security after the catch, all kinds of things like that."

Go for broke, man.

Does a quarter of the MSU football team have an alibi? Star Wisconsin tailback Montee Ball was the victim of an "unprovoked attack" last night:

Ball suffered head injuries after being attacked by five men near Wisconsin's campus around 2:15 a.m. Wednesday. Witnesses told police the men knocked Ball to the ground and began kicking him. Ball, a 2011 Heisman Trophy finalist, was taken to a hospital and released later Wednesday morning.

You'd think shouting "I RAN FOR 1,923 YARDS LAST YEAR" would be an excellent way to get people to stop kicking you in the head. Or "my best friends are 6'6", 320 pounds." But these guys are probably hopped up on PCP.

Bullet: dodged. Remember when Zeke Pike was probably going to be in Michigan's most recent recruiting class and was supposed to be really good at football? He's taken quite a dive since:

Freshman quarterback Zeke Pike is not expected to be part of the Auburn football team that opens preseason practice on Wednesday afternoon, but knowledgeable sources say the possibility remains that he could rejoin the team, perhaps after the 2012 season. …

Pike was sent home after his arrest on a public intoxication charge in June.

That's after a series of camp performances that saw his stock dip from top-100 type to generic three star.

New era: nevermind. UCF's athletic director got a show cause for working with a street agent, the NCAA concluded thusly…

The NCAA Committee on Infractions ruled that Central Florida officials, including former athletics director Keith Tribble, had knowledge of the involvement of Ken Caldwell, a Chicago man with ties to a sports agency, and his associate Brandon Bender, to recruit players. The NCAA said both men used cash inducements in an effort to steer nearly a dozen football and men's basketball prospects to Central Florida.

…and the Golden Knights got a one-year postseason ban that they have the chutzpah to appeal. (Because they sucked at cheating.) Tentative conclusion: Penn State was an aberration and PSU fans should probably be mad and stuff.

I guess the UCF punishment had been in the works long before Penn State got the instant banhammer and the two things have little to do with each other. But… seriously, what does it take short of enabling a pedophile to get seriously hammered? Head coach knows stuff, does nothing: one year postseason ban and flimsy scholarship penalties. Athletic director pays street agent to acquire recruits: one year postseason ban and flimsy scholarship penalties. The equation seems heavily stacked in favor of rolling the dice.

And this is why Brady Hoke trolls you. As Heiko detailed, every question Taylor Lewan fielded was about Will Gholston (except the ones Ace asked):

Lewan was even asked if he was sad that Gholston wasn't part of the Michigan State contingent at the Big Ten's media days.

"I don't know," Lewan said bluntly. "That's kind of an odd question to ask."

Lewan repeatedly deflected specific questions about Gholston and Michigan State throughout his two hour roundtable session, but did admit to one thing.

Gholston is one heck of a player, and regardless of what happened last season, Lewan certainly respects his talent on the field.

"Will's a good player," Lewan said. "He's been very successful since he's been at Michigan State, and it's going to be exciting to play against him."

What's the point? Maybe the first question, sure, but once Lewan has revealed he is going to give you the boilerplate, move on.

Side note: Gholston hype is out of all proportion to reality, man. Marcus Rush is the better MSU DE, but Gholston and his five sacks are… uh, tall. And good when not blocked.

Air Force 1,000 foot view. Via Pre-Snap Read, a fine preview of the Falcons:

It could be worse: Air Force’s offense could have to replace nine starters, as on defense, instead of just eight starters. Then again, it’s probably fair to make one point in regards to the Falcons’ overwhelming lack of experience heading into September: Air Force is not like other programs in the country. Elsewhere, you see five returning starters and point towards a downturn; Air Force, like its fellow service academies, deals with roster overturn every season – perhaps not to this degree, but without redshirt seasons and with most teams very senior-heavy, this sort of retooling is not new to Calhoun and this staff.

The Falcons also return just two starters on defense; the "dream season" section still includes a loss in Ann Arbor.

Etc.: Merrill named Devils' top prospect by NHL.com. Burlon third after spending entirety of last year in AHL. Argh. Alabama concern-type substances. Online poker to return soon? Meinke compiles Will Campbell hype. Chengelis does the same for Kovacs. Restoring the Old Man.

The 2012 offer board lives here.

Kaleb Ringer and Royce Jenkins-Stone Go Blue

Michigan commitments come in pairs this year, as two offensive linemen committed within a day of each other several weeks ago, and Michigan picked up a Friday-Saturday linebacker combo this week.

OH LB Kaleb Ringer was the first, dropping on Friday. Commitment video from the local ABC affiliate. Dayton Daily News reporter who ran with the commitment early runs a non-apology apology on the DDN website. I'll take the word of the kid who's upset about it over the reporter trying to cover his own ass.

Up next was MI LB Royce Jenkins-Stone, who dropped for the Wolverines on Saturday following his visit to the Michigan spring game. The consensus is that he's a great athlete, but fundamentally raw - like many prospects coming out of Detroit's public schools.

Hello posts for Kaleb and Royce can be found here and here, respectively. Welcome, guys.

So Long, Zeke Pike?

KY QB Zeke Pike is set to announce his college decision at 2:45 today, and although he was very high on Michigan a couple weeks ago, the consensus across the internet seems to be that he'll pick Auburn.

Michigan has plenty of irons in the QB fire - including a potential offeree in OH QB Austin Appleby in the past few days - so missing out on Pike will be a shame, but not a crushing loss (and if they don't land an elite QB in 2012, there's always in-state phenom Shane Morris for next year).

Happy Trails

NY DT Jarron Jones is a soft commit to Penn State.

MD CB Ronald Darby, one of the top athletes in this class, has committed to Notre Dame.

A Little Closer...

MI TE/Ath Ron Thompson (looking disturbingly similar to a svelte Will Campbell at right) has transferred from East Detroit High School to to Southfield High School for his senior season. Most think that Thompson will become a Michigan commit in the near future, which could help the Wolverines land his new teammate, MI CB LEVITICUS PAYNE.

A late March junior day visit to Michigan almost ended Thompson’s recruitment. He grew up following the Wolverines and has visited their campus several times in recent months. He toyed with the idea of committing to Michigan over the last couple weeks, but has decided to hold off and continue weighing his options.

Ron still sounds pretty high on Michigan, but his timeline for a decision has been extended.

CO TE Evan Baylis will be making a decision soon. Although he visited Michigan, Tom thinks he probably won't select the Wolverines. So long as Brady Hoke and co. don't fall out of favor with Thompson, this wouldn't be a huge loss.

OH LB Joe Bolden visited last week, and let Tom know how it went. The upshot:

My uncle [also his high school coach] wasn't at school today, but we'll probably sit down in the next couple days. I really don't have a timeline, it could happen tomorrow or it could happen in February. I'm not sure yet.

Michigan is in strong position but with two new linebacker commits, who knows what will happen.

FL S Deon Bush will narrow his list soon.

Michigan "still has a shot" with MA CB Armani Reeves ($, info in header). He told Tom that he's going to narrow to a top 5 - which will include Michigan - soon.

Etc.

Michigan is still in the top 5 for FL QB Bennie Coney. Florida State, Notre Dame, and Cincinnati "are not concerned about" his past transgressions, possibly the least-flattering way to phrase that point (to all parties) and are his top three.

PA RB Greg Garmon is tougher than you. He beat cancer:

"You know, with surgeries and chemo(therapy) and radiation treatments, it was hard," Garmon said. "The doctors told me we had to play it by ear. It was crazy. Me being the football maniac that I am, even with stuff still in my chest I'd sneak off and play football. My mom didn't know until I got caught."

It's a pretty cool story, so I encourage you to click through.

IL OL Jordan Diamond had a solid visit to Ann Arbor ($, info in header). Scout's header implies that Michigan is atop his list. He told Tom that he plans to take all 5 official visits during the season before coming to a final decision. His teammate, QB Robert Gregory, might not be as much a Michigan target with the switch to a new offense, but he can throw it, too. He could be a late offer if other QBs fall by the wayside.

OH OL Kyle Dodson was the subject of Sam Webb's Detroit News recruiting column last week. The four-star tackle talked to Webb about his game:

"I'm real, real aggressive and competitive. You will see me out there going crazy. I think (opponents) should be scared because I'm very aggressive. I'm angry. If you just look at me wrong on the field, I'm going to scream at you and you're going to get scared."

From a football perspective, Scout's Allen Trieu talks specifics:

"Dodson stands out because of his ability to move, pull and get into the second level at his size," said Allen Trieu, Scout.com's Midwest regional manager. "He's very naturally strong and I like how he finishes his blocks. He's very raw, but he does play at a school that spreads it out, so he has experience in pass protection as well as the running game. His upside is tremendous."

Dodson says distance from home won't be a factor in his decision, and he'll visit both Michigan and Michigan State once more in the coming months. He plans to decide on a school before his senior season of high school.

PA OL Chris Muller holds a Michigan offer, and has interest from a number of other schools, including LSU and Ohio State.

CA OL Max Tuerk will visit Michigan this summer. He has no timeframe to narrow his college choices, but is leaning toward attending school outside of California.

Michigan lived up to the expectations for PA OL JJ Denman, and solidified their position in his top 5 ($, info in headers). He will take all 5 officials before deciding.

OH DE Chris Wormley is Bucknuts' #1 prospect in the state.

PA DE Noah Spence skipped Penn State's spring game because it rained on Saturday:

Harrisburg Bishop McDevitt's Noah Spence, one of the top-rated defensive ends in the country, was scheduled to make the trip with teammate Brock Dean but decided to stay at home because of the rain, BlueWhite Illustrated reported on its website. Spence has already made several unofficial visits to Penn State and is believed to have the Nittany Lions near if not at the top of his list of prospective colleges. He is the only pure defensive end the Lions are recruiting in this class.

He still hasn't had a chance to visit Ann Arbor.

Michigan is "skyrocketing" with MI DE Mario Ojemudia. Michigan, Michigan State, and Stanford are his top 3 schools, but an offer from Ohio State or Penn State could change that.

The first edition of 2012 Big Ten Recruiting Class Rankings are here.

[Ed: so I published this but did not put it on the front page three hours ago. HAHAHA I lose.]

All offered prospects can be found on the 2012 offer list.

[Choose Your Own Horrible 'Pike' Pun]

[Ed: PIKE HER I HARDLY KNOW HER LOL]

With two commitments in last week's update, space was tight, so I didn't spend a lot of time talking about the visit reaction for KY QB Zeke Pike. As he said to Tom:

I think it's a great opportunity to be that next guy at Michigan. It's a program on a national stage, when you say Michigan football people turn their heads. I'm excited to continue to build the relationships...

It was just a feel that I got, it's hard to explain. There's only been a couple other places that I got that feeling and Michigan was one of those places...

I'm really close friends with Chris Barnett who signed with Michigan in the 2011 class. We're really good friends and he stays on me about going to Michigan. It's a school that intrigues me and has a lot of tradition.

Those quotes are exciting on their own, but Pike's upped the ante in the time since. He talked to Sam Webb last week about luring a "Mega Class" to Michigan ($, info in header). I'm not going to claim that means he's close to committing, but they wouldn't be having that discussion unless he really likes Michigan, right? On Monday's Recruiting Roundup, Sam was VERY optimistic about Michigan's chances with Pike, going so far as to say he would pick Michigan if today was Signing Day. He also said Pike is talking to the likes of MO WR Dorial Green-Beckham and other top prospects about attending Michigan together(!!!!!).

Pike told an Arkansas interviewer (video link) that he wants to have a top 8 by the end of the month, and reach a decision sometime this summer. He also says he has a private list of favorites that he's not ready to come out with yet. I would guess Michigan is on that list, especially seeing as how the Wolverines are "adamant" about landing him ($, info in header).

Zeke has been selected to the Army All-American Game, and does not plan to enroll early in the school of his choice.

Commitment Watch?

OH LB Kaleb Ringer plans to commit to a school on April 15th, and he basically tweeted that it's going to be Michigan.

MI TE Ron Thompson could also decide at any time ($, info in header), and it seems like Michigan is probably the favorite to land him.

OH LB Joe Bolden isn't quite in the "almost sure thing" category with Ringer and Thompson, but...

I spoke with him tonight and he told me that he will be back up to Michigan next Tuesday (April 12th) with his parents. He also told me that he believes he is close to a decision, he's just not sure when it will come.

...maybe he should be.

Other Quarterbacks

OH QB Maty Mauk was the subject of last week's Sam Webb column in The Detroit News. First, Allen Trieu breaks down his game:

"Nationally, he's definitely in the top 10 [quarterbacks]. I think he has a very good arm and he can make passes into tight windows, but his best asset may be his ability to improvise and make plays out of nothing. Having been coached his whole life and getting to play varsity at a young age has helped him mature from the standpoint of making decisions, leading, and doing some of the little things it takes other quarterbacks a couple years to learn in college."

Maty visited Ann Arbor over the weekend, and he would like to make a decision before his senior season.

OH QB Austin Appleby visited Michigan last weekend, and was told he needs to camp to earn an offer.

IN QB Aloyis Gray was told by Michigan's staff that they want to see him throw before they'll offer. He plans to make it to the Wolverines' summer camp.

MA QB AJ Doyle is drawing interest from Michigan.

Visits Past and Future

MI WR Efe-Scott Emuakpor tweeted that a recent visit to Ann Arbor was "the real deal," for what it's worth.

OH TE Sam Grant was at Michigan's junior day ($, info in header).

OH TE AJ Williams had a very good visit to Ann Arbor. Tom thinks the Wolverines are now in a good position for Williams.

MN OL Jonah Pirsig connected with Michigan's coaches on his campus visit last week ($, info in header). He told Tom that the visit helped Michigan.

He went over the depth chart and his coaching style. He said they'll be running pro style but they're going to still run Denard. I think I definitely fit in that offense.

The Wolverines still have work to do if they want to land Pirsig. He wants to start narrowing his list soon.

PA OL JJ Denman is visiting soon ($, info in header).

IL LB Antonio Morrison will visit this weekend. He grew up a Michigan fan, and has a prior relationship with Michigan's coaches from their San Diego State days. He says the Wolverines will be in his top three, and probably number one, if they offer.

OH S Allen Gant found a Michigan visit "interesting," but he does not have an offer yet ($, info in header).

NY CB Wayne Morgan enjoyed his Michigan visit enough to move the Wolverines into his top 3.

Of course, next weekend should have a ton of visitors for the Spring Game.

Rankings Galore

Tom Lemming's National Top 100 came out over the weekend, and plenty of uncommitted prospects on the list have Michigan offers:

As Brian (briefly) mentioned in the Monday UV, the Scout 300 is out. Blue in Cleveland has compiled the list of prospects with MIchigan interest. Michigan's current commits received position rankings:

• Caleb Stacey is a 3*, the #33 offensive guard.
• Ben Braden is a 3*, the #41 offensive tackle.

Fluff on PA DE Noah Spence being named the #1 defensive end by Scout. He plans to decide on Signing Day.

24/7 Sports has started their release of rankings with the first set of 5-stars.

Etc.

Michigan's coaches have told OH OL Kyle Dodson (obligatory EPIC SHIRT photo) that they want him to be part of a revived running game. Uh... they are aware that Michigan was one of the best running teams in the country last year, right?

Michigan is showing interest in MI OL Kelby Latta.

I want to have it down to three schools by the time football season comes around. I know Wisconsin will be in there and the other two spots are open. Michigan has a chance to be in there.

The Badgers have offered but the Wolverines have not.

AL LB Kwon Alexander has a Michigan offer, but it seems certain his Signing Day decision will be between Alabama and Auburn.

Michigan offeree PA RB Greg Garmon updates U Recruit on his status. NC TE/OL Mark Harrell enjoyed his recent trip to Ann Arbor ($, info in header). Michigan "surprises" MI DE Mario Ojemudia on a recent visit. One must assume that's a pleasant surprise. CA OL Jordan Simmons is mentored by a former Michigan player ($, info in header).