2010 LB recruits?
Everyone seems to note Dline as the position of greatest need on our current depth chart. but i personally am more concerned about the LB core. At least we have solid talent, or at least great young potential, across the dline. The linebacking core, althought they have more depth, really dont have any superstar talent. Maybe i was spoiled when the LBs my freshman yr were burgess, harris, and crable. but i really cant see our current set of lb's being as good as id like. and with the big10 moving more towards spread offenses, it is extremely important to have a solid group of LBs.
LB was a position of huge disappointment last season, and even though mouton showed potential at the end of the season, im still very worried. ezeh seemed to regress from his freshman yr, mouton still struggles in pass coverage, and fitz was highly recruited but is extremely unproven. i was really hoping to grab a stud LB in the 2009 class, but we didnt even seem to come close on any of them. We got hawthorne, who was a 3 star recruit, and we might potentially convert several of our safety recruits (bell or jones) or cameron (WR). Are we not focusing on LBs or was it just a coincidence that we didnt land any.
Anyway...im hoping that 2010 brings us some big time LB recruits. What can you guys tell me about our prospects at LB for 2010.
The recruiting update from monday noted these guys at LB:
Austin Gray from Warren Fitzgerald is reporting a Michigan offer early in the process, and will be among the top LBs in the state.
Jewone Snow hails from Canton McKinley, and knows Jerald Robinson. He is also the son of Michigan great Garland Rivers.
VJ Fehoko from Hawaii is expected to be one of the nation's top linebackers. He is reporting early Michigan interest.
Daniel Easterly is a bit of an enigma. The Cass Tech product is athletic enough to play corner at 6-6, so if he can fill out his frame well, he could have tons of upside.
ESPN also has us being considered by:
Jordan Hayden OLB (espn 150 watchlist)
Scott McVey ILB (espn 150 watchlist)
Sam Bergen ILB
Zac Rosenbauer ILB
I was hoping to get a little more info, if there is any, on how good these guys actually are, and what our realistic chances of landing them are. I realize its early in recruiting, but yea...
February 11th, 2009 at 2:55 PM ^
the defense should be one area that the coaching staff will address.
I wanted J Jenkins so bad to commit. Imo,he could have been the difference maker with our lber core,assigning a spy on the scrambling type qb ie....the TP's of the college football world His team only tv performance shown on ESPN,portrayed his sideline to sideline play. The kid is a headhunter with a motor that dosen't quit. Urbie got a good one with that kid.
Hopefully,a couple of them will come our way. Someone like a Sam Sword,Eric Mayes or David Harris type would be cool!
February 11th, 2009 at 2:49 PM ^
that many of our safety prospects and DB prospects may fill out into solid LB's. I wouldn't freak out about it. Give it time and watch the progressions of our players and if a need surfaces I am sure RR will be on top of it.
February 11th, 2009 at 3:10 PM ^
Jarrett Irons and Steve Morrison when you need them?
February 11th, 2009 at 3:21 PM ^
I am right there with you on the concern at the linebacking position. I am woefully surprised that this position, a clear deficiency in our D last year, was not addressed head-on by RR and staff. I don't believe that our current linebacking corp is going to cut it in the future. These safety/linebacker hybrids that we've recruited would be good for Wills, but not so good for Mikes and Sams, I think. With the uncertainty at D-Coordinator, it will be difficult to recruit linebackers. My current favorite unproved candidate is Fitzgerald, who made some remarkable plays on special teams last year. Hopefully this offensive-minded coaching staff will spend some time recruiting some non-skill position players who can anchor our D.
I've sent Go Blue Michigan Wolverine a few linebacking questions, so expect to see a few good answers there from people who know what they're talking about after 2/14.
February 11th, 2009 at 3:30 PM ^
I honestly feel that they think that some of the prospects we have are going to pan out at the linebacking position. I.E. Ike Bell...He has the speed and potential growth to be one hellavu LB. Also, there is Jones, Cameron who is almost certainly going to be on the other side of the ball given all the wr commits we are getting. It seems to me that RR first wants speed at the position and is content with working with a hybrid to accomplish this task. I have my reservations about the LB's as well. But I don't think that RR didn't go after any. He just didn't land the big fish we all wanted.
February 11th, 2009 at 3:35 PM ^
I think people are overreacting a tad wrt the LB situation. 2 classes ago brought in 2 true LB's in Demens and Fitzgerald. This year brought in one true LB (Hawthorne) and up to three others in Gordon, Bell and Jones. I love the idea of the WILL being a converted S since speed will be preferred over size, even though it looks like these guys will fill out well.
That leaves 2 other spots, and not only do we have young guys starting now, but we've brought in a couple guys each year. This year's class was a little low only because we originally had 4 in the last class which got us a little behind in LB recruiting. If our 2010 is empty, then we should worry. Until then, we are in good shape.
That said, we will score so many points that we won't really need a good defense.
February 11th, 2009 at 3:48 PM ^
We have plenty of prospects on the roster, let's let them establish themselves. I think a top shelf LB is decent need for 2010, but not an overwhelming one. DT is the most immediate concern, potentially followed by S, depending on where some guys get moved to.
February 11th, 2009 at 3:31 PM ^
Im glad to hear im not alone on this. but as for the safeties were looking to convert to LB, none of them were especially high rated safeties in the first place. i dont no y everyone is so confident in their abilities to play a completely different position. granted mouton was a converted safety and performed ok, he was also i believe the 6th ranked safety by scout, while mike jones is the 49th, and isaiah bell was the 46th (althou I believe he is significantly underrated)
February 11th, 2009 at 3:38 PM ^
You mentioned before that you were spoiled before with guys like Burgess, but that you don't like converting safeties to LB's. Did you know Burgess was a safety coming out of high school? If you are a good athlete, moving from S to OLB is a fairly natural transition.
February 11th, 2009 at 3:53 PM ^
I didnt say that i didnt like converting safeties, i just said that i thought that a lot of people were overly confident in that our safety recruits (who were not that highly rated to begin with) will turn into starter-quality LBs.
February 11th, 2009 at 5:30 PM ^
Considering how bad our linebacker play has been over the past couple years, I think it's reasonable that people will be concerned. Most of our linebackers are either unproven or position-switchers, and many of them were considered projects coming out of high school, not surefire contributors.
Here's the thing:
When the class of 2010 enters school, Mouton and Ezeh (arguably the two best linebackers on the roster) will be seniors. Ideally, you'd have two thoroughbreds with at least one year of college experience to take over for them. Otherwise, you're left with meh players like Herron and Evans or with true freshmen. That's why it's important to get some good linebackers in 2010 - not so they can contribute immediately, but so they can be ready for when spots open up.
February 11th, 2009 at 5:54 PM ^
I agree with that, but they don't need to be replaced by 2010 kids. When Ezeh and Mouton leave, here is what I see happening:
JB moving to the MIKE
Likely Kenny Demens (have people forgotten about him? he was a 4 star) at the SAM. If not him, then possibly Cam Gordon.
Bell, Jones or Hawthorne at the WILL. At least one of those guys will turn into a legit recruit.
If we get a stud in this next class, then he will be a soph by then and will also be a good option at one of these three spots. But even without that, we aren't in terrible shape.
February 11th, 2009 at 5:59 PM ^
We are in play for some stud recruits at LB in the 2010 class. The guy I think would be an interesting fit is the DE from Ohio that has us high on his list Dereck Bryant...I believe that is his name. He reportedly runs a 4.5 low 4.6 and he stands at 6'6. You put that guy at LB let him beef up from 220 to 235 and you have a killer out there playing then. That is if M coaches put him at LB.
February 11th, 2009 at 6:15 PM ^
I think Bryant's a DE all the way. On top of that, coaches usually move players up (safety to LB, LB to DE, DE to DT) rather than moving them back.
February 11th, 2009 at 9:14 PM ^
I read somewhere that Bryant was considering UM partially because we were recruiting him as a possible LB. Can't find the link though.
February 11th, 2009 at 8:09 PM ^
apparently the Michigan coaches talked to William Gholston about possibly playing linebacker if he picks Michigan, so we should keep an eye on that.
February 11th, 2009 at 8:16 PM ^
or possibly OSU at this point? What kind of shot do we really have with him?
February 11th, 2009 at 8:18 PM ^
if i had to guess it would be, as of right now: 1. Michigan State, 2. Ohio State, 3. Michigan, 4. Everyone else
That being said, I think we do have an okay shot at it. Reports are that he likes GERG, he's visited Ann Arbor multiple times, and he likes that they talked linebacker with him.
February 11th, 2009 at 10:06 PM ^
There's no way in hell William Gholston will play linebacker in college.
February 11th, 2009 at 6:13 PM ^
Demens is a WILL or possibly a MIKE, but not a SAM.
I think it's way too early to project that a WR recruit might be starting at SAM. The coaches agreed to let Gordon try WR. He's not going to be ready to start at LB by 2011, even if they make him switch positions after his freshman year.
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I was going to get into all kinds of lineup projects, but that's too far down the line and there's too much that could happen to predict much. But I will say that I think Jones and Hawthorne might have the best chance of being a legitimate SAM if they put on the necessary bulk.