Michigan's 2009 Graduation Losses and 2010 Replacements

Submitted by markusr2007 on
Approximately 16 players graduate from the Michigan football team in 2009. Some big shoes will need to be filled next year. I wanted to write out some potential replacements for the most important player losses. Would like to know what others think. OLB Stevie Brown Replacement: S Brandon Smith RS SO or SLB Brandin Hawthorne SO TB/PB Brandon Minor Replacement: TB Mike Cox RS SO, TB Fitz Toussaint RS SO, or incoming frosh TB Carlos Brown Replacement: TB Michael Shaw JR, TB Vincent Smith SO or incoming frosh. WR Greg Mathews Replacement: WR Darryl Stonum JR OG David Moosman Replacement: OG Patrick Omameh RS SO OT Mark Ortmann Replacement: OT Perry Dorrestein RS SR K Jason Olesnavage Replacement: K Brendan Gibbons RS FR P Zoltan Mesko Replacement: P Will Hagerup FR DE Brandon Graham Replacement(s): DE Adam Patterson RS SR, Anthony Lalota RS SO, DE Will Heininger RS JR CB Donovan Warren (if he goes NFL) Replacement: CB Justin Turner RS FR, CB James Rogers SR Cause for some excitement, some worry.
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Michigan football 2010
graduation losses

OSUMC Wolverine

November 12th, 2009 at 3:12 PM ^

I'm excited to see Brandon Smith on the field. He may not have the speed to play safety at the college level, but he has made some great plays on special teams and seems to be a ball hawk. Hard hitter. Get that kid on the field. If Warren stays, I hope we still get Turner on the field at the other Corner or at safety. The speed and size is needed despirately. I would love to see Turner, Warren, Woolfolk, and the Impaler next year in the backfield. Speed at all positions. No offense to Kovacs, but he has no wheels and intelligence will only get you so far. For that matter, being out of position and getting smoked on that long ball last week wasn't particularly smart either. I really think we could be improved at every defensive position on the field next year either by experience or by talent save for DE and filling Grahams shoes. Our nickle back will even be experienced due to the revolving door at #2CB this year.

Joined: 09/06/2008

MGoPoints: 4403

brendandavis22

November 12th, 2009 at 3:08 PM ^

wow... that looks really bad if you ask me. Top 2 running backs, top kicker, top punter, top DE, top CB (if Warren goes which I don't think he will), 2 starters on the O-line, a solid WR (not worried about this) and a starter at LB (I might be on the 2 deep next year at LB!!! geeeez).

Joined: 09/14/2009

MGoPoints: 778

UM Fan NY

November 12th, 2009 at 3:14 PM ^

like the best plan to me. we get bigger and hopefully roh, rvb, will, and hulk progress enough to make up for the loss of graham. campbell turning the corner is the key. we could have a dominant d-line if he does. now, if only i had the same confidence in our ILB's.

Joined: 10/01/2009

MGoPoints: 152

BiSB

November 12th, 2009 at 3:15 PM ^

The other thing to consider is that there will be some turnover on defense in positions from which we don't lose anyone to graduation. I think you'll have serious battles for all three LB spots, both safety spots, corner (depending on Turner's advancement and Warren's decision), DE, maybe DT, and maybe the QuickDeathAwesomeBacker (though Roh seems to be in good shape to start). With a gun to my head, I probably couldn't accurately predict 8 of the defensive starters against UConn. Should be fun to watch though.

Joined: 08/15/2009

MGoPoints: 46071

Sean@MATW

November 12th, 2009 at 3:13 PM ^

Perhaps the OLine will be slightly different than you project, like Barnum or Washington at guard. But who knows? I think the D-line will be affected the most because someone like Graham simply has to make everyone else better when he's there.

Joined: 10/17/2008

MGoPoints: 43

OSUMC Wolverine

November 12th, 2009 at 3:27 PM ^

I think the biggest thing that will improve our D-line play would be to improve Linebacker play behind them. We do very little stunting or anything creative on the D-line because we cant afford to. There is no second line to contain in the gaps created by being creative up front. How many times too do you see our blitzing LBs run straight into a O-linemen instead of picking another gap. I'm pretty sure the blitz scheme is not drawn up that way. The whole point of blitzing to give 2 linemen 3 to block.

Joined: 09/06/2008

MGoPoints: 4403

Magnus

November 12th, 2009 at 3:45 PM ^

I don't think Dorrestein will play LT. He's a RT or nothing, in my opinion. I think it's more likely that Omameh moves to LT rather than staying at guard. Also, Brandon Smith isn't going to play SAM like Brown does. He could be a FS or an ILB, but you don't want him playing man coverage against slot receivers. Yikes.

Joined: 07/17/2008

MGoPoints: 166007

JC3

November 12th, 2009 at 4:14 PM ^

There is a chance Brandin Hawthorne will be redshirted this year, so he won't be a sophomore. Sorry to nitpick, just wanted to point that out sir!

Joined: 07/17/2009

MGoPoints: 1351

Magnus

November 12th, 2009 at 4:49 PM ^

No. Way. You're not the only one to have suggested this, but have you people watched what Brown does? He runs man-to-man (sometimes) against other team's slot receivers. Now, have you watched Kovacs? He's about as fast as a defensive end. There is no way in Hell Kovacs is going to play SAM unless Greg Robinson completely changes the scheme in the offseason.

Joined: 07/17/2008

MGoPoints: 166007

k06em01

November 12th, 2009 at 5:07 PM ^

OLB Stevie Brown Replacement: S Brandon Smith RS SO or SLB Brandin Hawthorne SO ...sounds like smith is back at safety, for now. it will probably be a three man race between jones, hawthorne, marvin and maybe furman if we get him. TB/PB Brandon Minor Replacement: TB Mike Cox RS SO, TB Fitz Toussaint RS SO, or incoming frosh TB Carlos Brown Replacement: TB Michael Shaw JR, TB Vincent Smith SO or incoming frosh. ...it will be shaw/smith leading the pack, cox as the power back, fitz as the third. thats running back in general. WR Greg Mathews Replacement: WR Darryl Stonum JR ...right, hemingway on the other side, injury replacements stokes, robinson, maybe gordon (how's he progressing), hopefully stills as well! OG David Moosman Replacement: OG Patrick Omameh RS SO OT Mark Ortmann Replacement: OT Perry Dorrestein RS SR ...there's also the chance that omameh moves to lt to challenge dorrestein/lewan/schofield, and that we go with ferrara/barnum/or washington inside at right guard. K Jason Olesnavage Replacement: K Brendan Gibbons RS FR ...right, brandon wright pushes. P Zoltan Mesko Replacement: P Will Hagerup FR ...right, brandon wright pushes. DE Brandon Graham Replacement(s): DE Adam Patterson RS SR, Anthony Lalota RS SO, DE Will Heininger RS JR ...i think that we go with big will at nose, mm at dt, rvb at de, roh at quick. in passing situations, mm at nt, rvb at dt, lalota/wilkins/roh at de, roh/ezeh at quick. CB Donovan Warren (if he goes NFL) Replacement: CB Justin Turner RS FR, CB James Rogers SR ...james rogers, please. turner will start at fs/cb next season, depending on where woolfok plays, if warren does not leave. if warren does leave (unlikely, i think), then we've got turner at corner, and some options. cullen christian at corner could enable woolfolk to play fs. a safety commit like knight or jefferson could enable woolfolk to stay at corner. this is obviously the most CRITICAL, immediately at least, part of our recruiting efforts from here on out. Cause for some excitement, some worry. ...more improvement, excitement than worry, i think.

Joined: 10/31/2009

MGoPoints: 452

spider

November 12th, 2009 at 5:43 PM ^

It was exactly a year ago we were doing this same thing with the 08 defense. Trying to project, hoping to escape the misery of the last few games. I feel we are doing the same now. Basically, I do not care who starts next year, only that we learn how to win!

Joined: 11/12/2009

MGoPoints: -512