Any way to replace defensive tackles?
Defensive tackle is looking pretty shaky on the current depth chart after the last second changes in heart by Pearlie Graves and DeQuinta Jones. According to Scout, the only undeclared DT who has any interest in us is Mike Douglas and I'm assuming we don't have a good chance of getting him. Is there any way Rich Rod will be able to replace Graves or Jones with late additions to the class?
February 4th, 2009 at 5:22 PM ^
I doubt it. We might be able to flip a lower-rated recruit, but I'm guessing what we've got is what we've got. Luckily, we have some flexibility on the line with Brandon Graham and Adam Patterson, and there's a chance Ferrara could move back to DT, I guess, although I doubt it.
February 4th, 2009 at 5:27 PM ^
if Ferrara does move back to DT, which I do think there is a solid chance of, he gets my vote for team player of the year.
February 4th, 2009 at 6:05 PM ^
he fits Bo's definition of a Michigan Man perfectly, IMO
February 4th, 2009 at 5:26 PM ^
there are five decently ranked DT recruits that haven't signed anywhere:
Jamontay Pilson - 4* AL
Dontavious Pyron - 3* FL
Darris McMullin - 3* AL
Vinson Bass - 3* GA
Noel Beckles - 3* CA
but i don't know what their situations are or if they're legitimate options.
February 4th, 2009 at 5:32 PM ^
"Howdy, this is Rich Rodriguez..."
February 4th, 2009 at 6:22 PM ^
Wait, you don't care about that? Sorry, I'll get out of here now.
February 4th, 2009 at 5:34 PM ^
I vote for Jamontay or Dontavious.
Not until I started following recruiting did I realize there were so many people this century whose names ended with "avious."
February 4th, 2009 at 7:06 PM ^
I will now be known as Yakavious.
February 4th, 2009 at 7:08 PM ^
And I "Wolvinlavious."
February 4th, 2009 at 7:20 PM ^
last year when we were recruiting Martavious. There were at least two other -taviouses on that team, and another we were recruiting from another FL school. It put me in the mind of a Limerick:
A speedy young gridder named 'Tavious
Wrote pi times the square of the radius.
"Circumference?" thought he,
or is that pi times d?
No matter, my skillz are outrage-eous.
Sorry...
February 4th, 2009 at 7:24 PM ^
You have a real gift. That was fantavious.
February 4th, 2009 at 6:07 PM ^
I suppose we should expect a lot of 3 man fronts...
I'm wondering if other schools were saying our D will be heavy on the 3 man fronts and that scared away the 2 prospects. Either way...now we have to lean toward the 3 man lines vs the 4 even more so...right?
February 4th, 2009 at 6:27 PM ^
Not necessarily. Barring injury, we're deep enough at DT to have a three- or four-man rotation, which is about what we had last year with Martin, Johnson, and Taylor. Sagesse played a fair amount, but with Campbell, Martin, and Sagesse in the lineup, we just need to find a decent fourth-line guy out of Helmuth, Patterson, Criswell(?), or maybe even Graham on passing downs. It's not an ideal situation, but I don't think it limits us to three-man fronts.
February 4th, 2009 at 6:16 PM ^
Would a JUCO player fit the bill here? I know we're Michigan and Michigan doesn't dip into the JC ranks, but it wouldn't hurt.
February 4th, 2009 at 7:11 PM ^
they're irreplaceable...
February 4th, 2009 at 7:20 PM ^
erm...