Final Rivals 250
http://rivals100.rivals.com/viewrank.asp?SID=880&Year=2010&ra_key=2303
Man, can't remember a year with only 2 players ranked in the top 250, and none in the top 98. I don't like to delve too much into rankings, there are outliers etc...but overall I want more higher ranked players!
Notable
Cullen Christian 99
Devin Gardner 132
How he goes from #1 overall QB to #8 is beyond me. I have only heard good things about him in the all star games. Yeah, maybe he wasn't lights out, but to drop him this much seems like alot.
Torrian Wilson dropped out
Dior Mathis 177
As mentioned earlier Gholston got fifth star and is 21 overall.
January 14th, 2010 at 8:58 PM ^
Does anyone feel as if the recruiting sites just pick random names and place them in the top 100 or 250. Like that South Park episode where manatees pick the jokes for Family Guy since they are so random; none of these numbers actually mean anything.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:00 PM ^
Notice how the have the same stats for DG and Paul Jones..... I'm gonna have to say those are PJ's since Gardner didn't go undefeated.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:01 PM ^
How does Gardner go from #1 overall QB to #8 overall? Ho hum performance at all-star game, nothing terrible, but to drop that much seems like a lot.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:15 PM ^
...but I don't think Gardner was ever the #1 overall QB. If I remember correctly, he was the #1 Dual Threat QB, but only #5 overall. So, the drop wassn't that big.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:18 PM ^
Before this re-rank he was the #1 overall QB, 2 slots ahead of the next ranked QB
January 14th, 2010 at 9:28 PM ^
I stand corrected...maybe what I said was from scout.
January 15th, 2010 at 2:04 AM ^
it was ESPN
January 14th, 2010 at 9:21 PM ^
he didn't get much of an opportunity at the game. He made the most of the time he had.
January 15th, 2010 at 10:10 AM ^
is any of this going to fawking matter when Gardner is shredding Buckeye defense in 3 years?
January 14th, 2010 at 9:04 PM ^
Skyler Schofner (172) and Michael Taylor (190) are new additions to the list.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:05 PM ^
It's difficult for me to get too upset with DG dropping 80 spots or so because after the truly elite difference makers(top 20-30 kids) I do not see a big difference between the 31st ranked player and the 250th ranked player in the country.
With that being said I am truly amazed that we only have two players ranked in the top 250, we really need to win in 2010 because losing IS taking a tole on recruiting.
January 15th, 2010 at 2:38 PM ^
The difference in offer lists for kids ranked around 30th and kids ranked around 250 is pretty stark.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:11 PM ^
Tyler Bray (#131), Devin Gardner (#132), Ahmad Dixon (#133) and Paul Jones' (#134) stats from their senior years are remarkably similar.
*Sorry, didn't see Rbigdog222 comment above mine when I posted.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:09 PM ^
I like the idea of a pissed off and disrespected Devin Gardner arriving at Michigan.
We have a great incoming quarterback who will assuredly be hungry to prove the doubters wrong.
What better place than here. What better time than now.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:11 PM ^
right now. I know we are all used to getting 4 & 5 star guys but when you win 8 games in 2 years and your D is cut up like a hot knife to butter you have to expect a drop.
Our coach knows how to develop talent and get the most out his players and has the track record to back it up. We have some really talented young guys on this team and I welcome the guys who will be part of the class. If we end up getting Parker and Wilson I will be happy. I will also be happy if Michigan beats OSU and wins 8 games this season....
January 14th, 2010 at 9:12 PM ^
was not ranked and now he's got 5 stars and moves ahead of DG in the dual qb category? I just lost all respect for Rivals and their recruiting process.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:20 PM ^
Thats why they didn't know Cam Newton wasn't ranked in the normal rivals 250 because he's a JUCO player. I'm sure they also didn't know that they ranked him as a 5 star back in 2007 when he graduated high school.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:41 PM ^
right
January 15th, 2010 at 12:44 AM ^
was always ranked as a 5* juco.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:21 PM ^
It's just my opinion but i think the southern kids get the benefit of the doubt on rankings over the less seen northern or smaller market kids. I'm under the impression that everyone thinks all the good kids are in the south so maybe the scouts spend all their time there. It also seems like all the SEC kids get a jump in rankings when they pick their school, maybe its just me though.
January 14th, 2010 at 10:49 PM ^
Generally speaking, there are more good players in the south than in the north.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:25 PM ^
I don't really care if M's class is ranked 100. If RR thinks these kids are going to be the ones who come in and turn this thing around, I trust him. RR didn't have highly ranked recruiting classes in WV, and it didn't turn out to bad.
January 15th, 2010 at 8:59 AM ^
He chooses not to recruit them! Oh, except for the fact that he does, he recruits them hard, we just haven't been able to pull them in because 3-9 and 5-7. And he had no choice at WVA but to recruit at that level, it was WVA.
Sorry for the snark, but this argument I see often and it is seriously delusional. We wanted Prather, Henderson. Seastrunk, Baxter (fingers still crossed) Clay and many other top 250 guys--we didn't get them. When we win, we will.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:29 PM ^
Gardner, it's b/c he is going to Michigan.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:38 PM ^
I think rivals has something against most under armour game players. These rankings really dont matter. They need to start making rankings for graduating players and compare them to the rankings 4 years earlier. They'll be dead wrong. Any body with a body of a freak is a 5 star
January 14th, 2010 at 10:56 PM ^
That's funny that you say that. Usually when I scour through recruits on Rivals, I get the impression that any of these kids who look like their 35 and have already been to the pro bowl at least 7 times will likely be studs. Those are usually the guys who make big gains at the end of the year. See: Dominique Easley, Christine Michael, Johnathan Baldwin, etc.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:40 PM ^
I have faith in RichRods ability to find football players. We dont need a bunch of primadonna stars, we need hardnosed players with a mean streak willing to committ to a program. I wont say that I wouldnt take a bunch of Floridas ridiculous class, but I do believe we have some guys that not only know how to win but hate to lose. Stephen Hopkins might be a pleasant surpise, real quick north south decisions and nice burst..follows interior blocking extremely well. Also looks like he likes to punish people. Dont forget.. these same sites had Michael Crabtree as a 40 overall..
January 14th, 2010 at 9:45 PM ^
F rankings????
January 14th, 2010 at 9:52 PM ^
We like their skill-set, we like how they'll fit in with our offense.
Actually, we trust RR and his scheme, we trust him to target players he thinks he can teach to play his offense, he's getting the players he wants.
Trust, faith, cheer, all-in.
If there isn't an improvement next season, then I begin to have my doubts and voice them.
Until then, Go Blue, rivals-stars be damned.
January 14th, 2010 at 10:07 PM ^
if these rankings effect how good the team will be in ncaaf '11, i will be rather upset
January 14th, 2010 at 10:25 PM ^
Rivals has retroactively downgraded Will Campbell to four stars and dropped him out of the 2009 Rivals top 250.
January 14th, 2010 at 10:36 PM ^
Rankings only matter if you are ranked high. If not, you don't need rankings to be good.
January 14th, 2010 at 10:52 PM ^
"I want more higher ranked players." Well, duh.
Torrian Wilson dropped out because he hasn't played since the first week of the season.
There's no reason to freak out about this. Michigan has gone 3-9 and 5-7 in the past two seasons, and Rodriguez has been under a lot of scrutiny/pressure. That eventually takes its toll. Winning will cure everything, but these freshmen aren't going to have a huge impact on the 2010 season. The guys who are going to win games for us are already on campus.
January 14th, 2010 at 11:24 PM ^
True that.
Go Blue!
January 15th, 2010 at 1:00 AM ^
Plenty of people on here rave about the skill set that players have coming here, or the fact they are tweeners or if RR likes them they must be good.
While I agree that RR has the best judgement, I am sure there are players that have a better skill set, may still be tweeners and that RR would gladly take with 4 or 5 stars, over some of the 3* we have now. Its because we can't land lots of 4* that is difficult. Like you said, hopefully winning cures all, but once we do start winning, I want more 4 and 5* players.
January 14th, 2010 at 10:54 PM ^
I like how if you click on devin gardner it still says hes the number 1 dual threat and first in the state.
January 15th, 2010 at 12:49 AM ^
he still is the #1 dual threat QB with 7 pro style QBs ahead of him.
January 14th, 2010 at 11:07 PM ^
A lot of our recruits this year have big questions to answer. There aren't many sure-fire studs in this group, and we've known that from the beginning.
Examples:
Ricardo Miller and Jeremy Jackson - are they tight ends or wide receivers?
Marvin Robinson - is he a safety or a linebacker?
Josh Furman - safety or linebacker or running back?
Ray Vinopal, Drew Dileo, Tony Drake, Antonio Kinard, DJ Williamson - why don't they have offers from big schools or, in a couple cases, other schools, period?
Conelius Jones - quarterback or safety...or wide receiver?
We have a bunch of tweeners in this class whose credentials and positions were in question. To expect all of these players whose position destinations are unclear to be 4- and 5-star guys is a little silly. This is not a great recruiting class, and that's not negativity - it's just reality.
January 14th, 2010 at 11:29 PM ^
The numbers are the numbers and you are right this is not a good class, but on a positive note with so many tweeners it has a lot more upside than a regular class because these types of players have more variance. It could be a great class at Michigan, but as far as recruting rankings go it is a dud.
January 15th, 2010 at 9:38 AM ^
It's almost impoossible to judge a current recruiting class today - you really have to wait a few years and then retroactively determine the quality of the class.
January 15th, 2010 at 2:44 PM ^
small correction: Kinard does have big time offers specifically from Penn State, Illinois, MSU and unspecified others.
http://www.annarbor.com/sports/um-football/michigan-linebacker-recruit-…
January 14th, 2010 at 11:36 PM ^
so much about not having a stellar class accord. to rivals, but DG dropping like that pisses me off. I do believe the experts are now bias against Michigan so to speak b/c we have struggled. Every single WR that was a 4* on rivals we had dropped. W/e...I know we are supposed to objective and say it doesn't matter, but I don't like they we are being relegated to a lesser class if for no other reason than on principle. I guess I'll get over it.
January 15th, 2010 at 9:56 AM ^
we need some instant impact freshman who we can plug in to play right away. I don't see that in this class. I'd like to think we have some recruits who have a very high upside down the line. At this point however we have holes to fill and positions where we need an upgrade but no one ready in the pipeline.
January 15th, 2010 at 10:20 AM ^
A class that actually f*cking stuck around for 3+ years!
Not 100% for 4-5, thats asking a bit much realistically, with some players getting buried on the depth chart, leaving early for the pros, etc.
But 75-80%; with just as many 5th years as there are 3 years/transfers.
I could care care less if they were ALL 2 and 3 star players, just stick with the program, learn and contribute. If we could achieve that without any coaching turnovers for a couple years I think we'd do just fine.
We have been crippled with player attrition for the past few years (from a variety of reasons), and it affects coaching/player position, team cohesion, experience, PR, everything.