Can’t wait to hear this guy live tomorrow!

In the tables below…St = Starts and App = Game Appearances.

QB

The Sitch: This is the magical unit in the Rodriguez spread style offense, but if you ask me, that’s an overused statement because it holds true in every offense. As the opener approaches, it’s becoming apparent that the coaching staff is feeling comfortable with the play of Denard, Tate and Devin. RR saying all three may play and that Devin will not be redshirting as he is mature enough both physically and mentally.

When I analyze these three guys, especially Tate and Denard, I have a hard time making judgments on what happens during spring and fall practice as opposed to what I’ve seen in games. The spring game is just too different from a game for me to fully put stock in the hype around Denard. No question, he needs to be on the field in some capacity. If you didn’t know, he’s kinda fast. If Denard is the starter and if he indeed does take the majority of the snaps, it’s because of the followings: he has a better grasp of the playbook, his accuracy / confidence throwing the ball is much better / higher, and his decision making is waaay improved as a product of knowing the playbook and having more confidence.

I live near Cincinnati, so I answer to a bunch of wannabe truck driver buckeye fans regarding why Denard is starting over Tate, Tate is transferring because it’s what they do in that family, etc. It doesn’t really matter, at all, who takes the first snap and first couple series against UConn. I agree with Angelique Chengelis that the Michigan fan base and college football world has made way too much of who gets the start.

What to Expect: Denard Robinson will be taking the first snaps against UConn – put that one in the bank. My best guess, after seeing all the interviews, press conferences, spring game, beanie bowl highlights, etc. is that Denard will get a 2-5 series leash before you will see Tate get in the ball game. From that point it’s a feel thing for Rich Rod – so whichever guy looks most promising up against UConn’s defense is the guy that is going to stay in the game. Expect to see Devin in the ball game if Michigan creates some separation on the scoreboard, but don’t put any coin on him seeing the field if this game is remotely close. RR will have to side with the guys that have more experience even if Devin is playing up to Tate and Denard’s level.

Running Back

The Sitch: Without a sure starter coming back, there’s a bit of speculation as to who is going to stand out and get the bulk of the carries when it counts. Both guys with some game experience will most likely get the first cracks at it, Mike Shaw and Vincent Smith. Smith is going to be used more between the tackles and Shaw on the outside. Smith has the shiftiness and some of that knack that Mike Hart had to always get a few more yards than you think he will. Shaw has really not lived up to his potential yet. He’s a guy with great speed, but lacks consistency and doesn’t have much power whatsoever.

The guy that a lot of people are ready to see is Mike Cox. Mike is a guy that has had good moments in clean up duty and is regarded as the best overall athlete of the group. Should Mike prove to be a gamer, he could add some real depth to this group and barring injuries, give RR a solid three to four guys to feel comfortable with in the backfield.

What to Expect: Vincent Smith is your starter against UConn, but Mike Shaw, Mike Cox and Stephen Hopkins are all very likely to see some carries. I look for Vincent Smith to emerge as the most consistent back on read option runs because of his ability to squirt through the big guys up front. Smith had no problem snagging 4 to 7 yards on first down for most of his touches against Ohio State last year – so more of the same is to be expected this season. Getting a 1,000 yard rusher out of this group would be great, but I don’t see it happening.

Wide Receiver

The Sitch: This is no doubt a talented group with a ton of game experience. One surprise that came out of camp was RR sticking Martavious Odoms on the outside. A move warranted by Odoms’ knowledge of the system and his physical nature. Stonum has had an outstanding fall camp and is primed for a breakout season (with a new vision thanks to some contacts).

Hemingway is a guy that has looked great at times, but can’t seem to stay healthy. It’s hard to expect a lot of him simply because he hasn’t really proven himself after two seasons being a starter going into the opener. I think he has the potential to be a solid contributor.

What to Expect: Stonum is going to have a big season on the outside as Michigan’s only real deep threat, not to mention his proven ability to return kickoffs. If Odoms can stay healthy, he’ll be a mainstay on the edge as his ability to block is critical for several plays going to the slot. If any of the young guys need to step up, expect Je’Ron Stokes and true freshman Jeremy Jackson to get their shot.

Slot Receiver

The Sitch: Roy Roundtree was straight up a receiving beast over the last four games in ’09. Roundtree is fully expected to top the group when it comes to both leadership and production. He’s a dude that is quickly becoming a favorite among both the local media and fans. Kelvin Grady looks positioned to also see more time on the field this season over last, but he is another guy that has yet to truly prove himself in a game situation. Perhaps, with a year under his belt of being fully committed to football he will be a better player and performer.

I think it’s fair to assume that Terrance Robinson might have a slight edge on Jeremy Gallon, but both guys have been highly touted and have a lot of talent. It will be interesting to see if one of these guys emerges and takes playing time away from Grady.

What to Expect: Homeboy Roundtree is going to have a great season. He’s shown great body control, ball control and route running ability and is a self-proclaimed hard worker and has said several times that he’s looking to play with that “Hard Edge”. Look for Grady to get his shot, with T. Rob and Gallon on his heels all season.

Tight End

The Sitch: As long as Koger and Webb stay healthy, this will be a strength for the Michigan offense. Koger has shown some flashes of brilliance, but has also been inconsistent. Assuming he’s matured as he is another guy that’s been in the system for three years now, Koger is a high-potential guy. While the tight ends aren’t used in the spread as much as in the pro-style offense, RR has said several times that tight ends are generally used in about 70% of plays. Martell Webb is a solid backup that brings some experience to the table and will see the field a lot this fall.

What to Expect: Kevin Koger to have a fantastic year, but he still won’t see more than two or three balls thrown his way per game. Michigan has so much talent on the outside and in the slot, not to mention the guys behind center, that the tight ends may get neglected a bit. Of course, the opposite may ring true, Koger and Webb might get more open if the slots and wide receivers are garnishing more attention from opposing defenses because of their success. Tight end is always a tough position to forecast from a reception productivity standpoint. Definitely a position of strength for Michigan this season.

Offensive Line

The Sitch: Finally, Michigan has an experienced offensive line under Rich Rodriguez. A lot of these guys have been in the program all three years and now have a boatload of game experience. Steve Schilling alone has started in 36 games out of 37 in his career at Michigan. David Molk might be the most important guy on this entire offense. Things really began to fall apart in 2009 after Molk went down once and then again in the Penn State game. You’ll find many people that feel Molk’s injury combined with Forcier’s shoulder injury were the difference of a few games last seasons.

You’ve got young guys like Taylor Lewan pushing older fellas like Perry Dorrestein and Mark Huyge. Patrick Omameh has looked great and performed relatively well when his number was called last season. The group as a whole is much bigger and stronger – they have been Barwis-ized so they have put on the muscle mass while maintaining their agility.

What to Expect: The O line will probably be Michigan’s deepest unit and it should be the key to an extremely productive offense. RR will be able to shuffle fresh legs in and out through the course of a game and should someone go down – there’s a quality, experienced back up that can step without the offense missing a beat. The collective starts of the entire unit from 2009 adds up to 37 – the experience gained, not to mention the strength and bulk gained in the offseason, all amounts to a group of guys that have had opportunities to grow and gel as a cohesive unit.

I will be updating below as I get more info…

On the depth chart…

• The depth chart is out. X is Stonum or Hemingway. OL is Huyge, Schilling, Molk, Omameh, Dorrestein. TE is Koger. Y is Roundtree / Grady. Z is Odoms. At QB – all three are listed.
• Starters at CB are JT Floyd and James Rogers
• More starters on D – DE is Ryan Van Bergen. NT is Mike Martin. DT is Greg Banks. OLB is Craig Roh. MLB is Moundros or Ezeh. Weakside LB is James Mouton.
• Carvin Johnson is listed as the Hybrid on the depth chart. SS is Kovacs and FS is Cam Gordon. (Can’t say that I expected to see Carvin Johnson on the depth chart as the Hybrid – Interesting)
• Carvin Johnson and Punter Will Hagerup are the only two projected starters that are true freshman

Rich Rodriguez…

• Devin Gardner not going to redshirt. “prob going to play”
• All three QBs may not play in opener, but can see all three playing during the year. Devin will probably not redshirt
• On playing all 3 qbs in opener: “don’t know yet. See scenarios of all three playing during the season”
• Tackling well is the biggest key defensively against UConn on Saturday. Wants to see guys on the ground
• RR: Schemes in Big Ten and Big East are similar. Big East is “underrated as far as talent.” Big Ten has more tradition
• Freshmen on depth chart will likely not redshirt. Gardner is on depth chart
• RR: “More confident offensively.”
• “there’s not a whole lot of our guys touted for anything” right now. He hasn’t talked specifics about many players
• Rodriguez says he has an idea which QB is going to start, but coaches might not know
• About how he’s going to tell QBs, Rodriguez: I don’t need some Dr. Phil moment with the (QBs)
• RR on Gardner not redshirting: “Devin is mature mentally.”
• “Next few days will sort exactly what our gameplan will be.” In regard to Qbs
• Toussaint is questionable this week
• RR expects UConn to take “deep shots” early on, maybe first play of the game
• On players’ nerves on Saturday, “Big Jonny will probably have to bring some extra pairs of pants” (laughs)

Roy Roundtree…

• “have to wait ’till Saturday” to see what QB throws the best ball
• Roundtree on the anticipation for the unveiling of the renovation, “It’s going to be wonderful”
• “I don’t think no team on our schedule is a warm-up game”
• On RR – “He never lied to me like other coaches did”

Steve Schilling…

• Schilling on what offense does best: “We hope to do everything well.”
• On Tate, working really hard and he’s “excited to see what he can do this year”
• More on Tate: “Gained a lot of respect back for Tate.”

Darryl Stonum…

• Darryl Stonum: Devin (Gardner) throws probably the fastest ball. He’s a Brett Favre type (of QB)

Too Funny… I had to add this in here. Watch this back just give up on this play.

Some encouraging highlights from the Beanie Bowl – not too sure where the defense is at times.

Some from Samm Webb

Q & A from Samm Webb to Jibreel Black and FItz Toussaint. Indications from camp and comments made from both coaches and players – it sounds like Jibreel Black has a great chance on making several appearances this season. Nice to see that he’s actually having teammates are calling him BG. Both articles are great little interviews.

Sam Webb: Have you walked around here and heard anybody call you “BG” (Brandon Graham)?

Jibreel Black: “Yeah (laughter). A little bit, I get that a lot in the locker room. Every time I make a play in practice or something like that, you’ll hear it. It’s all fun though.”

Great video – very well put together. Like the music. Well done.

“Sometimes when you’re on…” Always a classic.

Worth putting off what you are supposed to be doing…

Good song good vid.

Below isn’t a Michigan hype video – but it does have some footage of Rich Rod that I’ve definitely never seen before from his time at Glenville State. Worth a look.

Not long ago I threw up a little poll on the right sidebar – asking readers and Michigan fans to simply pick what games Michigan will win in this upcoming 2010 season. After a small sample size, I’ve posted the results below. Some obvious results – just about every person feels Michigan will beat UMass and Bowling Green, while few feel Michigan will beat Ohio State. Not to my surprise, but Michigan fans are rather optimistic about this upcoming season. Check ‘em out below – and if you haven’t already – let’s get your input over on the right!

And again, let’s not let this link fall too far under the fold. Enjoy. Was going to pull down this link as it’s quite old news – but what the hell we’ll leave it.

Win Predictions According to 118 Readers
[Updated: 201 votes]

Shenanigans aside now – here’s my list of the guys that seem to have the best personalities, guys that seem very approachable, intelligent, get it done in practice and on the field, model players and teammates that any fan, student, alumni, or coach would want representing the University of Michigan.

1. Roy Roundtree.
   The dude just can’t not have a smile on his face and all indications are that he’s an extremely hard worker all the time. He speaks as if he’s taken a leadership role at least within his position group. Big things are expected out of Roundtree this fall.
   [Countdown to Kickoff Video - Media Day Video - BTN Interview]
2. Craig Roh.
   “Death Roh” as he is becoming known as among Michigan fans. As a true freshman he showed what he can do on the field. He’s added some 20+ pounds in the offseason and should be a great player for a few more years.
   [CBS Sports Interview - Countdown to Kickoff]
3. Troy Woolfolk.
   On the field or not, Troy is one of the defined leaders and all around great personalities on this team. Know for his split personality – with “TWoolf” being his on-field persona – he’s definitely a media, fan and player favorite.
4. David Molk.
   All indications are that his presence on the field means a ton to Michigan, but all you have to do is watch his media day interview to instantly like this guy. He says “the reason I like football, is because you get to hit people. I like to hit people really fuckin’ hard.” I’m 90% confident that he doesn’t say freakin’ there and goes for the expletive.
   [Media Day Interview]
5. Denard Robinson.
   Similar to Roundtree, Denard always has a smile on his face and seems to have a confidence and positive attitude that can’t be shaken. Should Denard become a true leader on this team, you can see that it will not be forced and he’ll be a natural leader. For whatever reason, people seem to gravitate to Denard and want to rally behind him. With all of the spring and fall camp hype around Denard – a different style of play is expected out of him starting September 4th.
   [Media Day Interview - Post-Spring Game Interview]
6. Mike Martin.
   This is a man I wouldn’t want pissed off at me. He’s a beast, a champion wrestler and an intense football player. Martin will anchor an experienced defensive line and brings a lot of personality and leadership to the team. Martin was fortunate enough to play alongside of Brandon Graham last season and it’d be great if Martin could pick up where BG left off. Martin made my list after he sacked Terrelle Pryor last season, lost his helmet, and got up like the crazy dude that he is (see video below).
   [Media Day Interview - BTN Interview - Countdown to Kickoff]

7. J.T. Floyd.
   Picked up some feedback from folks that went to Media Day and heard how great of a guy J.T. seemed to be. He definitely struggled on the field last year, but he’s been a guy that the coaches and players have talked about all spring and fall. With Woolfolk going down, J.T. becomes the default leader of the secondary on the field. While that is scary, after checking out J.T. in a couple interviews and Countdown to Kickoff – he seems like he’s got a good head on his shoulders and is up to the challenge.
   [Media Day Interview - Countdown to Kickoff]
8. Tate Forcier.
   While you may not agree with me – Tate is on my list. Lots of Michigan fans would disagree and consider Forcier, a guy who admittedly has slacked off in the offseason, as more of a cancer to this team and a guy that people generally dislike. Disagree my friend I must, Tate is a very talented, extremely accurate QB, that I think most people underestimate as a whole. Tate made A LOT of freshman mistakes last year, but if you put those aside, he showed a lot of promise and had several great plays even in the Ohio State game. Not to mention, the guy handled himself perfectly on media day, addressing some tough questions several times and admitting his mistakes, downfalls, etc. A polarizing guy like Tate, can have a big impact on the team by showing an extreme level of commitment after Woolfolk called him out.
   [Media Day Interview]
9. Mark Moundros.
   This guy is all about Michigan succeeding and he’ll do whatever it takes to help the team perform better on the field. In his final year, he decides to learn a new position and does such a good job throughout his transition – his teammates elected him to be a season-long captain. Talk from camp is that Moundros will definitely see the field, if not be a starter.
10. Cam Gordon.
    Cam is another guy that has been asked to hit up the opposite side of the ball to help his team. And at this point, all indications are that Cam is going to start in the defensive backfield. Cam is a hitter and looks like a natural safety. He can definitely lay the wood to people as evidenced in the video linked below. I don’t know much about the guy, but I like what I see and you can’t help but not like a guy that is a pure hitter in the secondary.
    [Spring Highlight of the Day - Spring Interview]

EDIT. Honorable Mention additions – this is a growing list by the day. Echoing some of the comments I’ve seen today around the message boards – Rich Rod is recruiting a lot of very well spoken players that seem to be all about winning for Michigan and playing for the team.

• Terrance Robinson – Countdown to Kickoff
• Vladimir Emilien
• Tayler Lewan – 2 Minute Drill
• Kelvin Grady – Countdown to Kickoff

Below are some notes from Rich Rod’s Sunday morning presser:

• As some have speculated, Freshman RB Austin White is no longer on the team anymore. He was one of the guys that didn’t have his wings.

Coach Rodriguez

• The defense didn’t tackle well and Mike Martin has been the most consistent defensive player during camp.
• Vincent Smith is going full bore and he was generally happy with QB play yesterday.
• If RR chooses to use multiple quarterbacks, it’ll be “more by feel” than anything scripted. He will limit snaps of the quarterbacks more by mid-week.
• A smaller scrimmage on Wednesday RR will hope to have the projected two-deep and travel roster settled.
• On Troy Woolfolk – Hasn’t had surgery yet and it’s certainly a very, very tough injury.
• RR on the defense – “It’s not a true 3-3-5.” Criag Roh is now closer to 240-245 and was 225 or so last year.
• Freshman RB Stephen Hopkins will likely play and not redshirt out of the need for a big back in the lineup. More on the backs, RR says it’s going to be running back by committee. Says it’s hard to get them all in the mix and get them reps – but they all will see some time against UCONN.
• On the scrimmage – it was good, liked the QB’s, receivers but mentions some turnover problems.
• RR says Brandon Graham is a once in a lifetime kind of player. Not one guy can replace him on the team.
• Jibreel Black, freshman DE, will definitely play.
• RR on Ezeh – “he’s responded to the challenge.”
• RR says the team’s attitude is one of it’s biggest strengths.
• RR asked once again about the pressure of succeeding this season and says it’s the same every year, but there’s an obvious sense of urgency because of the last two years.
• On kicking – much more comfortable than a few weeks ago and Hagerup is a real talent at Punter.
• Marvin Robinson, Cullen Christian, Courtney Avery, Terrence Talbott, Carvin Johnson, and Ray Vinopal all have a chance to play this year.
• Most guys have their best season as seniors – if that is the case this year then RR feels Michigan will be ok on defense.

Notes from Other Coaches

• Dews on Woolfolk – “we can’t sit around and feel sorry for ourselves because nobody else will”.
• Fred Jackson had great things to say about Stephen Hopkins, “very good football player” “great feet” can play FB or TB. Goes on to say “before he’s done here, he’ll be another Chris Perry. But I don’t know if Chris was ever 230lbs”
• Greg Robinson has high praises for Jonas Mouton and his progress.
• Coach Rod Smith – Forcier was probably most suited, coached, worked before coming to Michigan. More mechanic work for Denard, Gardner.
• Coach Rod Smith – Didn’t bring Devin Gardner here to redshirt — to compete for the (QB) job and the biggest thing he is pushing with Denard is his decision-making.
• Coach Rod Smith – Doesn’t want QB’s looking over their shoulders, but wants them to feel the heat. Says it doesn’t matter if one guy, two guys or three get the job done. Doesn’t think you need to have only one QB for team chemistry. Gardner may be the most athletic of the three QB’s.

Slight Scrimmage Video
Countdown to Kickoff’s video today covers yesterday’s scrimmage. You catch some glimpses but the field-level camera angle never lets you see too much.

And again, let’s not let this link fall too far under the fold. Enjoy.

Win Predictions According to 118 Readers
[Updated: 160 votes]