Michigan Signing Day Recap

The 2010 recruiting class for the Michigan Wolverines has been finalized, and I must say, I am very impressed with the prospects that Rich Rodriguez has brought into the program. There still was a moment of uneasiness when Sean Parker (S/Harbor City, CA) decided to head to Washington, and there was still a big void missing from our secondary in the recruiting class. However, that uneasiness was cured not too long later when Demar Dorsey (DB/Lauderdale Lakes, FL) faxed his letter of intent to the Wolverines. Ranked #12 in the ESPN 150 and a 5-star recruit, it was possibly the biggest signing for Rodriguez, as Dorsey had just recently stated he was "66% committed to Florida".

Here are the top recruits that I believe will make the biggest difference in a Michigan uniform over the next four or five seasons, with of course #1 being the biggest difference maker. Today will be #5-#10, and tomorrow will conclude the list with my top 5...

#10- Will Hagerup (P/Whitefish Bay, WI)- It will be hard to see Zoltan Mesko leave the Wolverines after the phenomenal career he had, but Hagerup could quickly make us forget. Will averaged 41 yds./punt in high school and is looking to that number only improving as he gets started at Michigan. It does not hurt that he is 6 ft. 4 in. tall and has great leg strength. Also look for him to get a chance at becoming the kicker for the Wolverines. He was perfect his senior year on FG going 4-for-4 and had a long of 44 yds.

#9- Christian Pace (OL/Avon Lake, OH)- At 6 ft. 3 in. tall and only 262 lbs., Pace is not the biggest OL that Michigan has recruited. He will play Center at Michigan and David Molk has shown us that size alone does not make somebody a great player. I would be very surprised if Pace is not redshirted his freshman year to work on building strength and putting on some muscle weight. He is built for the spread offense that Michigan runs and when Molk graduates in two years, Pace could be the center of Michigan's offensive line as a redshirt sophomore.

#8- Josh Furman (ATH/Millersville, MD)- A RB and LB in high school, Furman will play LB at Michigan and could see action as a freshman, especially with the struggles the Wolverines have had at LB of late. Whether it comes as a true or redshirt freshman will wait to be seen. Phenomenal speed projects him as more of an OLB, but with his determination and fire that he brings to the field I would not be surprised to see him in the middle at times. I truly believe that he could be the biggest steal of this recruiting class. It will be fun to watch him on the field as time goes on.

#7- Ricardo Miller (WR/Ann Arbor, MI)- Growing up in Ann Arbor and going to high school next door to Michigan, this signing should not be very surprising. However, Miller's performance on the field could lead many to be surprised as to how he was only a three-star recruit. At 6 ft. 2 in. tall and 208 lbs., Miller is not the tallest or fastest receiver, but he has great leaping ability and strength which will make him a force to be reckoned with in the red zone and a tough one-on-one matchup with any DB. We have seen over the past couple years some good small, speedy receivers for Michigan, but don't have the go-to-guy outside yet that we can throw the ball to not only in the red zone, but when we need to get a first down. It also does not hurt to know that Florida offered him a scholarship to play ball there either.

#6- Ken Wilkins (DE/Washington, PA)- A combination of both speed and size is what a lot of Wolverines fans have complained recent DL recruits for Michigan has lacked in recent classes, but not this year. Wilkins is 6 ft. 3 in. tall and weighs 244 lbs., oh and by the way he runs the 40-yd. dash in 4.61 seconds. With Martin and Roh being the only returning starters on the DL this upcoming season, Wilkins has the chance to win a starting job as a true freshman. Those shoes will be big to fill for anybody with the loss of Brandon Graham. Trends recently have showed the tall, speedy DE are making the biggest impacts, so we can only hope that continues with Wilkins.

Hope to hear thoughts and comments on this projections, and also looking forward to giving you my top 5 recruits tomorrow. Now, let's get to the Red-Zone!

- Wings have a huge game tomorrow night against the Los Angeles Kings, who if you have payed any attention, have been on fire of late. Hopefully the injuries continue to heal and after the Olympic break we can finally see the Wings we expected all season.

- Speaking of the Olympics, I can not wait for them to start next Friday. I love watching them because they bring to light the sports that rarely are talked about, but a ton of fun to watch. Especially when you are rooting for your country.

- So glad the Tigers signed Verlander to an extension, and even better to see another Detroit athlete happy to stay. Nothing is loved more by Detroit fans then athletes who are committed to not only the team, but the community. Now, all we need is Dombrowski to get Damon signed to a reasonable deal to provide us with the LF and top of the order LH hitter the Tigers need.

- Pistons...umm, are they relevant this year? Wow, I can't believe how far they have fallen. Maybe Dumars is rethinking that Billups trade, who if you don't know, was/is my favorite player of all-time. Yeah, maybe that's overrating him, but he was/is the man!

Talk to ya'll tomorrow, have a great Friday!

NHL '09

So, I really can't think of much to write about for this first blog, so I've decided to talk about my new addiction. That would be NHL '09 for the XBOX 360. This game is absolutely sick, especially in the all-new "Be a Pro" mode. For that, I created a player that is "me", except of course I had to make him just a bit smaller. Anyways, I'll just make this blog about that:

Position: Center

Number: 10

Team: Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL Affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings)

Record: 4-1-0-1

Goals: 5

Assists: 5

Points: 10

Hits: 97

Penalty Minutes: 17

I decided to change from what most others have done in their own Be a Pro mode and not be a "Sniper" which makes you an offensive machine. My player is a "Grinder", which means it's a lot more important to check people and be a force on the ice. So, after seven games, to be second in the AHL with 10 points is pretty impressive! I'll keep updating my blog on my player as I find it pretty cool!