Once Were Wolverines (at least some of them)

Submitted by PhillipFulmersPants on

I was looking through Phil Steele's preview of Arkansas yesterday and saw that DeQuinta Jones had a pretty good freshman year. After a "Damn, he could have helped" moment, I wondered about some of other the other recent one-time commits, so collected the updates below. Some are pretty well known (Kevin Newsome, for example), but additional snooping around produced some tidbits I wasn't aware of.  I expanded the list to some of the other guys who've left the program in the last few years. Some of these updates have appeared here and there on Michigan blogs over the years, but I wasn't aware of any comprehensive source other than Mike Desimone's site  which gives a few comments on post-Michigan activity or lack thereof, but not many.

The list below isn't exhaustive—there are probably kids I don't remember who verbally committed and then went elsewhere. There are a couple of guys who I couldn't find much of anything on other than some message board rumors. If anyone has any updated info on these where-are-they-nows (or players I've missed), I'll add.

All the data comes from either Phil Steele or respective schools' archived statistical data.

UPDATE: Added Dewayne Peace, Christian Wilson, Justin Feagin and Boubacar C. Also, circumstances: departure or decommit. UPDATE:  Per comments, added John Weinke and Marquis Maze. Also added Jerimy Finch. UPDATE: Been meaning to add Bryce McNeal for a while. Finally did.

 

Class

Player

School

Comments

2009

DaQuinta Jones

Decommit

Arkansas
  • Projected starting 2010 NT. 
  • Played in 12 games in 2009. 3 starts, 24 tackles as a freshman. 3.5 TFLs. 2.5 sacks.
  • Some good numbers for a true freshman in the SEC.

 

AdrianWitty

Clearinghouse

Cincinnati
  • Incoming freshman. 

 

Pearlie Graves

Decommit

TexasTech
  • Redshirted.
  • 3rd on Depth Chart at DT according to Steele.

 

Jordan Barnes

Decommit

Oklahoma St
  • Redshirt. Left team prior to 2010 spring practice, it seems. No longer on roster. 

 

Kevin Newsome

Decommit

Penn St
  • Played as true freshman.
  • 8 for 11 last year for 0 TDs, O INTs
  • Battling true freshman Paul Jones for starting job this fall (Jones was early enrollee)
  • Robert Bolden will likely redshirt, but next year with him in the mix, something will eventually have to give here, it seems. 

 

Shad Beaver

Decommit

Tulsa
  • Played in 7 games as true freshman.
  • 1 for 3 throwing the ball.
  • 27 rushes for net 63 yards. Used in Wildcat formation. 
  • Listed as 2nd on depth chart behind Jr. GJ Kinne, who started last year and put up 2,732 yards and 22 TDs to 11 INTs (plus ran for 393 yards)

 

Anthony Fera

Decommit

Penn St
  • Got in some trouble in the spring.
  • Phil Steele has Colin Wagner penciled in as 1st string kicker for fall (15 of 22 last year on FGs)
  • Remains to be seen if Michigan did better with Gibbons vs. Fera

 

Dewayne Peace

Decommit

Arizona
  • Redshirt
  • Listed as 2nd on 2-deep at corner according to Steele. I guess the receiver thing didn't work out.

 

Bryce McNeal

Decommit

Clemson

2008

Taylor Hill

Transfer

YoungstownState
  • Started 11 games in 2009 as freshman.
  • 65 tackles.
  • Named to conf. "All newcomer" team.

 

Sam McGuffie

Transfer

Rice
  • Projected starting RB for 2010

 

Dan O'Neill

Transfer

WMU
  • Projected starting RT for 2010

 

Brandon Smith

Transfer

Temple
  • Eligible in 2011

 

Kurt Wermers

Transfer

BallState
  • Steele has him projected backup LG 2010, but Ball St site doesn't have him listed on roster.

 

Marcus Witherspoon

Transfer

Rutgers
  • Left Rutgers for personal reasons. Done with football, apparently.

 

Christian Wilson

Decommit

UNC
  • Played in 7 games in 2009. 5 receptions for 30 yards
  • 8 games as true freshman. 2 rec for 19 yards

 

 Justin Feagin

Dismissed

 Appalachian St?

Texas Southern University

TSU Nickname: the Tigers

TSU Mascot = Pretty Baby II

 

  • 1 reception for 8 yards in 2009, plus 2 carries for -4 yards, according to ESPN, who has him listed as # -1, but ...
  • ... the 2009 TSU media guide doesn't list him on 2009 roster (OT: great front cover on TSU media guide, BTW. Not often you see a grand piano and a tux on such things)

 

 

 

Boubacar Cissoko

Suspended/Dismissed

 
  • Legal troubles well documented
 

John Weinke

Decommit

Iowa
  • Redshirted in 2008
  • Did not play in  2009
  • "Not on listed on depth chart after spring," notes Iowa's official player bio; still on roster.

2007

ZionBabb

Dismissed

Juco?
  • Some talk of a Colorado transfer from SoCal Juco where he was trying to get grades in order, according to internet rumors. CU transfer never materialized, it seems.

 

Artis Chambers
Transfer

BallState
  • Projected starting SS 2010.

 

Toney Clemons Transfer

Colorado
  • Projected starting WR 2010.

 

Marell Evans

Transfer

Hampton
  • First year. Couldn't find any projections.

 

Vince Helmuth

Left Team

 
  • There was talk of a Miami OH transfer. Wasn't able to find anything.

 

Avery Horn

Left team

Juco?

Reedley College

HT: Magnus in comments
  • All conference in 2009
  • Listed as a sophomore on 2009 roster

 

Ryan Mallett

Transfer

Arkansas
  • He's pretty good.

 

Marques Slocum

Left team

Eastern Arizona CC

The Gila Monsters ... sweet mascot
  • 10 games, 27 tackles , 6 TFLs, 3 sacks, 1 FF
  • 2009: Philadelphia Panthers semi pro ball according to this site
  • 2010 signed FA contract with Redskins

 

Steven Threet

Transfer

Arizona State
  • Projected starter according to Phil Steele

 

 Marquis Maze

Decommit

Alabama
  • RS freshman. Played in 14 in 2008, starting in 4. Caught 11 balls for 137 yards and 2 TDs.  
  •  Played in 14 games in 2009, started 11 , caught  31  balls for  523  yards and 2 TDs
  • Projected staring WR again in 2010
 

Jeremy Finch

Decommit

Florida àIndiana
  • Played in 3 games for UF as true freshman (7 total tackles and a pick) Broke his leg and transferred to IU.
  • Played in 5 games for IU in 2008. 4 tackles.
  • Played 7 in 2009.  No tackles but 2 fumble recoveries.
  • Listed as backup SS in Indiana spring guide and by Phil Steele.
  • Curious career. Goes from playing in SEC games as a true freshman for Florida and making a pick against Tennessee to very little playing time at IU.
       

2006

Justin Boren

Transfer

OSU
  • He's pretty good.

 

Jason Kates

Left team

??
  • ??

 

Cobrani Mixon Transfer

Kent St
  • Returns for final year starting at KSU at MLB. 181 career tackles. 1st Team All-Mac in 2009.

 

Quintin Patilla

Transfer

GrandValley
  • Redshirted in 2008. No sign of him on 2009 / 2010 rosters.

 

Quintin Woods

Transfer

JC then to Kansas
  • Projected KU starting DE 2010. 4 tackles last year.

 

Jai Eugene

Decommit

LSU
  • 1 total career interception.
  • Played 12 games in 2009, starting 2 (26 tackles), 1 PBU.
  • Started 9 of 13 games at corner in 2008. 35 tackles. 3 PBUs.
  • 2007 season: saw action in 12 of 14 games as backup. 8 tackles and 1 PBU.
  • Projected starting Free Safety for 2010

 

 

 

 

2005

Jason Forcier

Transfer

Stanford
  • Played in 4 games for Stanford in 2008. 5 for 13 with one pick. 

 

Eugene Germany

Dismissed

JC / then to ASU
  • Didn't play at ASU.  Apparently didn't meet Dennis Erickson's standards, which is pretty tough to do (zing).

 

James McKinney

Transfer

Louisville
  • Dismissed from team.  Never played.

 

Chris Richards

Dismissed

Stony Brook
  • Started as Jr/Sr at CB. Undrafted.

 

Justin Schifano

Left Team

?
  • Gave up football, apparently.

 

Johnny Sears

Dismissed

EMU
  • Played a year for the Eagles in 2009.
  • Started 9 games, 37 tackles, 2 TFLs, 7 PBUs
  • 33 Kick returns for 755 yards (22.9 avg.)
  • Signed with Bengals (free agent), as many ex-Michigan corners are wont to do.

 

Mister Simpson

Dismissed

Cincinnati
  • Never played for Cincinnati as far as I can tell. Rumors of academic and off the field troubles.
Football

Comments

HAIL 2 VICTORS

July 26th, 2010 at 6:37 PM ^

PFP this was some fantastic content.  Considering our Special Teams situation this year (really scared this might cost us one or two games and be the difference between 9-3 or 7-5) we might have caught a break here.

Joined: 12/01/2009

MGoPoints: 21146

PhillipFulmersPants

July 26th, 2010 at 9:15 PM ^

boards with same rumblings when I was trying to figure out where he was.  Some speculation out of Stillwater is/was that Roosevelt's pursuit of Dez was the primary reason Jordan ended up at Okie St to begin with. Who knows. 

Joined: 01/06/2009

MGoPoints: 4222