By: Eric Rutter

The Michigan Wolverines suffered a huge setback before their 2013 regular season even begins as linebacker Jake Ryan tore his anterior cruciate ligament in one of the first spring practices of the year yesterday. The redshirt junior who led Michigan in tackles, tackles for loss, sacks, and forced fumbles (88, 16, 4.5, and 4 respectively) was poised to lead Michigan’s defense to another top-20 national ranking.

The team announced that Ryan is out indefinitely and when taking the average recovery time into consideration, it is very likely that Ryan will miss most, if not all, of the 2013 season.  However, due to recent medical advancements, other high-level athletes have shown that a quick recovery is becoming increasingly possible for athletes with torn ACLs.  Most notably, Adrian Peterson sustained a six-month rehabilitation program that allowed him to participate in the entire 2012 NFL regular season.  Another sign of encouragement for Ryan comes from former Michigan defensive tackle Will Heininger, who tore his ACL on March 30, 2010 and returned to play the final 6 games of the season.  While these impressive comebacks are not typical, they provide hope for many Michigan fans after this disparaging news.

This leads the discussion towards who will replace Ryan’s dynamic role this season. In short, no one is going to fill in for Ryan and have the same impact. Ryan provided a strong pass rush and sound tackling that is not equaled on this year’s Michigan team.  However, linebacker is one of the deepest position groups this year, giving new linebacker coach Roy Manning some competent options to choose from in Desmond Morgan, James Ross, Joe Bolden, and Cam Gordon.

It is widely believed that coach Brady Hoke and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison are going to put the best 11 players on the field in the positions they best fit.  Hoke told reporters, “What we’ll do a little different than we have before, is (Morgan and Ross) better know both positions because it makes them so you can slide guys in so you always have your best 11.”

Morgan, a junior, is the closest thing the Wolverines have to a lock at linebacker after the loss of Ryan.  Morgan was second (only to Ryan) in tackles last year (81) and also recorded 5 tackles for loss. He has the most starting experience out of this group, registering starts in 17 of the last 19 games and 23 appearances overall. 

On Monday Hoke was asked about the then-crowded linebacking corps and how he planned to address all of the depth, referring to Morgan specifically.  “I think we probably have more versatility,” Hoke said. “Desmond Morgan will play some MIKE, and (James) Ross will play a little more at WILL, and put them on the field at the same time.” 

Once Morgan is penciled into a starting linebacker position, the remaining starting roles become a lot more vague.  Ross is a promising sophomore that has shown the ability to push Morgan for the starting role last year during his freshman campaign.  Ross contributed 36 tackles last year, 2.5 for loss, before being named to the ESPN and BTN All-Big Ten Freshman team.  Hoke touched on the versatility that he sees in Ross and the possibility to use him in conjunction with Morgan this year. 

Joe Bolden, drawing many comparisons to fellow 2012 recruit Ross, played primarily at the middle linebacker position last year.  Bolden was also named to the ESPN and BTN All-Big Ten Freshman team alongside Ross after compiling 31 tackles and 4 TFLs. 

The darkhorse in this discussion is undoubtedly fifth-year senior Cam Gordon.  Gordon started all 13 games for the Wolverines in 2010 before falling out of favor with the current coaching staff. Gordon, hailing from the same high school as Devin Gardner, saw limited playing time last year, recording only 17 tackles.  While Gordon appeared to have little impact at the end of last year, he has impressed the coaches in his performance during winter practices.  “Cam’s had a tremendous winter,” Hoke said on Monday.  “It will be exciting and fun to see the different things that we might be able to do.”

With the further implementation of Mattison’s defensive scheme, it is expected that the Wolverines will run a rotation of linebackers to keep everybody fresh. This makes it likely that all four players will see a considerable amount of playing time this year. It looks like Gordon will have a chance to showcase his senior leadership, while Bolden and Ross will have a big impact on Michigan’s ability to stuff the run and disrupt the backfield, one of Ryan’s specialties. 

There’s really not a whole lot to recap, so this will be more of a preview for this Saturday.  It was basically what you expected when Michigan plays the UMass Minutemen.  The offensive line got a better push against an inferior defensive line and opened up the run, and the defense looked fairly solid.  Denard only had one really awful throw, which was obviously when he threw the ball about 5 minutes too late to Jeremy Jackson and they picked it off and housed it.

All things considered, I was pretty content with what I saw, particularly from the freshmen.  The only thing I don’t understand is how or why people want Russell Bellomy to be the starting quarterback next year, and leave Devin Gardner at wide receiver.  Sure Gardner is arguably the team’s best receiver, but Bellomy is pathetic.  Yeah he had basically all walk-on offensive linemen to avoid burning redshirts in a blowout, but still.  He has yet to complete a pass in his career, and rushed for 8 yards on 5 attempts.  I don’t see how this team can do anything but play Gardner or start Shane Morris.  At least on the plus-side, Justice Hayes looked great in garbage time, with 3 rushes for 19 yards and a TD.

(I was literally screaming at him to run the ball the entire time he was in the pocket…if you can run like that, why force a bad pass?)

I will say that if Michigan plays that way against Notre Dame, they’re going to get mauled.  Notre Dame exposed Michigan State as a one-dimensional team (which is what I’ve been saying they were for months, but whatever).  Andrew Maxwell is a worse passer than Denard, and with an extremely stout front seven, Notre Dame had literally no problem.  Manti Te’o is an absolute stud, and it is going to be imperative that the offensive line keep him out of the backfield and away from Denard.  Notre Dame’s secondary has had some injuries, with two starters already knocked out for the year, but with their pass rush, I’m not sure Denard will have enough time to take advantage of that weakness.  This is a perfect game for Devin Funchess and Roy Roundtree to go off.

The Funchise.

Michigan’s defensive line is still a huge concern.  Will Campbell has proven to be a bona fide bust at this point, and I think we can attribute that to having some bad habits coming into school, and  Rich Rodriguez trying to convert him to offensive guard.  I did like the new overloaded 3-3-5 nickel defense that Greg Mattison installed for this past week.  Putting Frank Clark and Jake Ryan on the end of the line with Craig Roh and Jibreel Black inside was a nice mix up look.  It’s also become incredibly clear that the young Michigan freshmen linebackers are going to be studs.  James Ross and Joe Bolden have been awesome, and at least this gives Mattison something to work with in the future.

The bad news for Michigan continues going into this game, because it looks like Notre Dame finally found a quarterback.  And while they don’t have a great running back and no Michael Floyd, having the best tight end in the country (Tyler Eifert) is certainly going to ease that pain.  He was targeted 9 times out of 32 pass attempts last week, and is clearly a favorite of quarterback Everett Golson’s.  His height is going to provide a serious advantage for them against the Michigan safeties.

The good news coming into this game though is the fact that Notre Dame still runs a spread offense.  Michigan doesn’t have to worry about getting overpowered like they did against Alabama, and the defense can try to use its speed, to make the necessary plays.  The defense does need to start producing turnovers though, because they haven’t done hardly anything in that department all year.  If the Michigan defense can get a few turnovers and Denard doesn’t throw any horrible picks, Michigan should be able to control the game and get the win.

Notre Dame won’t want to lose four straight to Michigan, so they’re going to come out hard right out of the gate.  I mean seriously, three straight wins all within the last-minute, Notre Dame has to be losing their minds.  The only plan should be to weather the storm early and then go to work on them later.  Give the ball to Denard, let him make plays, and have our defense not break down.  It’s quite simple and effective, unless of course you’re playing Alabama, but it is exactly what Michigan needs to do to get their fourth straight win.  I think Michigan will end up winning this game in a squeaker (as usual), and it will bring Notre Dame back down to earth, and get the media to realize they aren’t “back” yet.

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That being said, I was very impressed with Bolden’s play; he finished with 10 tackles.  He moved well, wrapped up well and was decisive with his decisions.  Jake Ryan and Frank Clark also had big games yesterday.  They had big motors and were all over the field, particularly Ryan, who had 12 tackles and a huge pass break-up at the end.  Ryan really looked like he deserved Bennie Oosterbaan’s legacy jersey; a number he was officially awarded yesterday.  The defensive line looked extremely shaky again, and had a tough time getting a push against a much smaller Falcon’s offensive line.  Can’t say much about the secondary one way or the other, since Air Force’s passing game was non-existent; but there were a few times where a guy got wide open behind the safeties, which was very unsettling.  Blake Countess is going to be greatly missed down the road, and I hope that Raymon Taylor playing over Courtney Avery means that he will be the guy going forward.  Taylor is far better in man coverage, even though he is smaller in stature.

The lack of a run defense just means that going forward, team’s will continue to be run heavy against us.  Which especially favors teams like Michigan State, who have a shaky, unproven quarterback; but a workhorse runningback.  It wouldn’t surprise me even a little bit if MSU gave Le’Veon Bell the ball 50 times against Michigan, and Bell ripped off 200 yards.  They’re gonna have to figure something out and fast, or it will be problematic.  Either way, the defense will continue to be a work in progress and the only certainty going forward is the fact that the best players will play, even if it’s a true freshmen; there will be few redshirts given out this year.

Now, onto the offense.  Obviously they were going to look better; they have superior talent and speed.  Having Denard run the ball 21 times, just proves to me that my theory was right, they didn’t run him against Alabama more because they didn’t want him to get hurt.  You can still win the Big Ten with the loss to Alabama, but you aren’t winning jack squat if Denard had gotten broken in half during that game.  The offensive line still looked shaky and Fitzgerald Toussaint looked rusty to say the least.  The Big House Stadium PA announcer Carl Grapentine left his mic on after one play accidentally and said it best, “man he can’t do anything today.”  A shaky offensive and defensive line will continue to spell trouble for this team, and worries me.  Fitz is going to need to get his act together because Denard can’t account for over 100% of our yards every game; he’s going to get worn out or worse.

The one major bright spot was Devin Funchess.  I saw on Twitter that people have declared his nickname to be “The Funchise,” which is a badass nickname.  After seeing him in the game against Alabama, I was wondering if he would get some more looks, but he didn’t get anything his way until the Air Force game.  He finished with 4 receptions for 106 yards and a TD, but he had a huge impact on one drive in the second quarter, where he had 3 receptions for 80 yards and a TD.  It was certainly his coming out party, and he is the first tight end, since Jerame Tuman in 1997, to go over 100 yards receiving.  This is huge.  He can be a major mismatch against linebackers, and he gives a boost to the receiving corps that Michigan has.  Needless to say, I was a fan when I saw him wearing #19, but he won me over with his look back catch that he bobbled and then reeled it in with one hand; I am a huge Funchess fan.  Since Roy Roundtree and Jeremy Gallon were nonexistent on Saturday (2 catches for 12 yard between them), it was great to see Funchess step up and Gardner continue his production.

(Oh wow, he’s fast)

Another fun fact of the day, Denard accounted for 426 total yards of offense, and because taking a knee is credited as a minus rush for the team, the team only accounted for 422 yards of offense; meaning Denard actually accounted for 101% of the total offense.  This is cool, but completely unsettling.  Our offense has gotten more one-dimensional this year, and as big of a playmaker Denard is (I mean he had a 59 yard TD run with one shoe), he needs support.  Fitz needs to run better and the receivers need to step up.  Denard also needs to improve his accuracy, because 14/25 against Air Force is not exactly something to write home about.  I’m not going to blame him for the interception because that went off Vincent Smith’s hands and should have been caught, but things need to start clicking.  This team is a work in progress and is going to need to use Massachusetts as one last tune up before playing another big game against Notre Dame.

As I said before the Alabama game, this is going to be a backtracking year for this team.  They will not go 11-1, and next year without Denard will probably be even worse.  Rich Rod left the cupboard pretty bare talent wise, and so the Michigan fan base needs to be patient with Brady Hoke and his staff, because a Big Ten Championship will be tough to get these next two years.  Granted the Big Ten looked like complete crap this weekend (half of the teams lost), I still would not get my hopes up.  Expect 8 wins this year and next year, and if they get it, great, and if they do better it’s a pleasant surprise.  We just need patience this time around; Hoke and his staff are the right men for the job.

In other news, the bad poll of the week goes to Cleveland Plain Dealer writer Doug Lesmerises, congrats buddy.

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Eli Harold, Virginia-Harold is the top outside linebacker in the country and while Virginia improved last year, they are still in the process of rebuilding the program. Harold will at least play a major role, if not win a starting spot.

Josh Harvey-Clemons, Georgia-Harvey-Clemons is one of the top linebackers in the country and should find a spot in the Bulldogs two-deep as he is going to be one of their top eight.

Joe Bolden, Michigan-Bolden is an early enrollee, which gives him a leg up. He’s also a very instinctive player that has a nose for the ball. He’s the type of player that will force himself onto the field.

Ifeadi Odenigbo, Northwestern-Odenigbo is simply too talented to keep off the field for a program like Northwestern. At the least he could be used as a situational pass rusher.

Michael Barton, Cal-Barton is one of the recruits that really stood out to me during the all-star game circuit and I think he’s ready to play immediately, though it is likely as a reserve.

Noor Davis, Stanford-Davis is a playmaker and is the type of player that I can see earning at least some role as a freshman.

Jeremy Castro, UCLA-A rebuilding program like UCLA is very likely to play a great athlete like Castro in some role next year.

Raphael Kirby, Miami-The Hurricanes linebacking corps took a hit with departures, so the door is open for recruit like Kirby to potentially grab a major role.

Brian Nance, Baylor-Nance is an athletic playmaker and the Baylor defense is a bit of a mess. It’s likely that this recruit gets early time to groom him for his future role as a key player.

Jeremiah Allison, Washington State-Washington State isn’t very good, but this kid is pretty solid. Odds are he makes the two deep and maybe takes a starting job.

Reggie Ragland, Alabama-Ragland is my favorite linebacker in the class and despite all the competition at the inside linebacker spots for Bama, I think Ragland is good enough to earn time.

Scott Starr, USC-Starr is an early enrollee and a playmaker, and with USC hit by scholarship reductions, they can use the bodies. Starr is more than talented enough to have earned time even if USC had their full allotment of ships, but his chances of playing a big role are now better.

Keith Brown, Louisville-The former Miami and Illinois commit from the Miami area is likely going to earn at least a backup for for the Cardinals as a freshman.

Donavin Newsom, Missouri-Newsom adds speed to the Tigers linebacking corps as they head to the SEC. That athleticism could translate to a spot in the rotation as a freshman.

Jaylen Coleman, Toledo-Coleman is a bit under-sized, but the kid can play. There’s a reason numerous BCS level schools offered him a scholarship. He could steal a major role as a freshman.

Others to Watch
James Ross(Michigan), Dakota Conwell(Arizona), Camren Williams(Ohio State), Joshua Perry(Ohio State), Sam Lebbie(West Virginia), Dalton Santos(Texas), Aaron Porter(UCLA), Quanzell Lambert(Rutgers), and Kwontie Moore(Virginia).

I would love to go in-depth and discuss every player in Michigan’s recruiting class and how they will impact the team next year, but quite frankly, it would turn into a 5,000 word essay and I do not have the time to do a lengthy post justice.  In short, I absolutely love Michigan’s recruiting class.  They have guys who can contribute right away, guys who will add much-needed depth in the trenches and even had two surprise commitments right before signing day.

Would I have loved to have another impact corner or receiver? Obviously.  There are always positions that you would, as a fan, want addressed, but I trust the coaching staff with their decisions and I am satisfied with our haul.  With 25 commitments, Michigan filled some of their biggest needs in the trenches and at linebacker.  I would expect Kyle Kalis, a 5-star offensive tackle (all-star rankings are according to Rivals), to move inside and push to start at guard.  While Ondre Pipkins, a 5-star defensive tackle, will be in the top 3 on the interior line and get significant playing time right away.  Joe Bolden is another young guy to keep your eye on throughout the spring and summer.  He’s a highly talented linebacker and it will be extremely difficult to keep him off the field.

Up until signing day there were some disappointments, particularly with Josh Garnett (4-star offensive lineman), Armani Reeves (4-star cornerback), and Sam Grant (3-star tight end).  All three of these guys would have been great additions to the class and at need positions.  Garnett is from the West Coast and eventually opted to stay there, picking Stanford over Michigan.  He was a recruit that cared a great deal about his education and wanted to stay close to home.

It would have been nice to add another road grader to the class, but with Alex Kozan (4 star offensive lineman) and Jordan Diamond (4 star offensive lineman) still uncommitted, the potential to add to the class is there.  Kozan was rumored to have committed to Iowa but has essentially dropped off the map and didn’t turn in a Letter Of Intent today and hasn’t been heard from.  It’s been said on Twitter that he is torn between Iowa, Auburn and Michigan, but it is hard to be sure (search the name Kozan on Twitter and you’ll see why).  Diamond has planned to commit on Friday, and the Rivals recruiting boards seem to think that it will come down to Auburn, Arkansas Wisconsin or Michigan (Rivals).  Quite honestly, I’ll be happy to add just one of them, preferably Diamond, because Kozan’s uncertainty concerns me.

With Reeves, Michigan initially lost him to Penn State, but after the ordeal that has gone on in Happy Valley, he de-committed and re-opened his recruitment.  It came down to Ohio and Michigan and unfortunately he chose Ohio (Rivals).  Sam Grant, like Reeves, was previously committed to a school (Boston College), and decided to re-open his recruitment.  I thought that Michigan would be a lock to land the big 3-star tight end (which was also a position of need), but in the end he chose Oklahoma, preventing Michigan from adding more depth (Rivals).

Meanwhile there were two surprise commitments for Michigan who hadn’t been talked about until recently.  One of them was 3-star defensive tackle Willie Henry, who hails from the state of Ohio.  He was recruited very late by Michigan, but from what I’ve seen on his film on Rivals, the kid has a good motor and gets off the ball quickly, especially at 270 lbs.

The even bigger surprise addition to the class was the addition of Dennis Norfleet who was literally offered the night before signing day and was previously committed to Cincinnati.  According to Rivals, he is the 5th ranked all-purpose back in the country and 236th on their 250 big board.  I see Norfleet as lightning in a bottle.  In his Signing Day Press Conference Brady Hoke talked about him filling a need as a kick returner, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he got on the field as a true frosh, but I wouldn’t expect it.  He’s 5’7″ and is ridiculously fast; watching his game film on Rivals was a complete joke.  Once he got the ball he was rarely touched and showed great elusiveness and burst when hitting the hole.  The other important thing is that he didn’t try to do a lot of East-West running and was good with taking one cut and running downhill.  With the offensive line haul that Michigan has and the potential of adding two more, they will be able to open up large holes for Norfleet to fly through.  I would expect him to be Michigan’s kick returner and once Fitzgerald Toussaint graduates, Thomas Rawls and Norfleet will be Michigan’s thunder and lightning runningback combo.

This class has a lot of potential and is currently ranked 7th by Rivals, 4th by Scout and 8th by ESPN.  In my mind, with the uncertainty of recruiting, so long as your class is in the top 10, you’re in pretty good shape.  The potential to improve this class is still there with Diamond and Kozan still uncommitted, but it remains to be seen what they will decide.  Michigan already has a head start for 2013 with 5-star in-state quarterback commit Shane Morris, and a 4-star safety Dymonte Thomas, who is said to be the best player in the state of Ohio (ESPN).  It will be necessary for Michigan to add more top talent, particularly at skill positions, to keep this program’s revival going and keep pace with Ohio.

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2.Ifeadi Odenigbo, Northwestern
Impressed in the Under Armour Bowl and could end up as a linebacker or at defensive end.

3.Eli Harold, Virginia
A high school receiver with tons of athletic upside but still learning the linebacker position.

4.Joe Bolden, Michigan
Impressed by making numerous plays in the Under Armour Bowl.

5.Scott Starr, USC
Starr is the type of player that could lead the Trojans in tackles.

6.Noor Davis, Stanford
Davis’ athletic ability helps him rate very highly.

7.Josh Harvey-Clemons, undecided
Athletic but only weighs 207 pounds and needs to add weight to hold up in major college football.

8.Torshiro Davis, LSU
The Tiger commit had a solid showing in the US Army Bowl.

9.Michael Barton, Cal
Barton, from De La Salle HS, really impressed in the Semper Fidelis Bowl.

10.Markuss Eligwe, Florida State
A big hitter than can also drop into coverage. A fairly complete linebacker.

11.Camren Williams, Ohio State
Williams made a few impressive plays at the Semper Fidelis Bowl.

12.Reggie Northrup, Miami
One of my sleepers in the class, I love his game after seeing his state title game.

13.Joshua Perry, Ohio State
Very athletic player that could see early time in Columbus.

14.Peter Jinkens, Texas
Athletic and fundamentally sound linebacker.

15.Lamar Louis, LSU
A bit under-sized at 6’0″, but his 4.5 speed helps make up for that.

16.Brian Nance, Baylor
Right now his game is based on athleticism and 4.55 speed, but he must add weight to his 6’3 210 pound frame.

17.Lorenzo Phillips, LSU
Another linebacker needing to add bulk before contributing.

18.David Perkins, Ohio State
Perkins is a solid pass rusher.

19.Corey Thompson, undecided
Thompson is a very athletic and aggressive linebacker.

20 Seth Jacobs, undecided
His 4.53 speed is a major asset.

21.Jeremy Castro, UCLA
Castro could play linebacker or defensive end depending on how much bulk he adds.

22.Beniquez Brown, undecided
He’s athletic but only weighs 202 pounds.

23.Raphael Kirby, Miami
Kirby makes plays behind the line.

24.Ronnie Fiest, LSU
Feist is under-sized but athletic.

25.Jared Afalava, Nebraska
Afalava is a potential sleeper.

26.Deaysean Rippy, undecided
Very raw, but very athletic. I think he’s a bit over-rated by others.

27.Nyeem Wartman, Penn State
Wartman is a big hitter.

28.Timothy Cole, Texas
Love his 4.51 speed.

29.Tyler Hayes, Alabama
Athletic player that may need a year with the coaching staff before contributing.

30.Jabari Ruffin, USC
Big and athletic but needs to be more consistent.

Head coach Brady Hoke is creating a strong Michigan recruiting class. Photo Credit: Gregory Shamus/ Getty Images

Brady Hoke’s time as the head coach of the Michigan football team is off to a fast start.

The regular season may be over, but the recruiting season is going strong and Hoke has the Wolverines among the top 10 recruiting classes in the nation and the best in the Big Ten.

Somewhere U of M hasn’t been since 2009, in fact last season it wasn’t even ranked in the top 25.

Right now the Wolverines have signed 11 four-star recruits and of those recruits are cornerback Terry Richardson (No.68 ESPN 150), outside linebacker Royce Jenkins-Stone (No.113 ESPN 150), guard Kyle Kalis (No.132 ESPN 150) and inside linebacker Joe Bolden (No.142 ESPN 150).

Recent news for the U of M recruiting class is its dropping of cornerback Yuri Wright who is ranked No.40 overall in the ESPN 150 after sexually graphic tweets got him expelled from Don Bosco high school in New Jersey.

The Wolverines are still in hunt for many big named recruits including five-star wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham (No.3 ESPN 150), five-star offensive tackle Andrus Peat (No.9 ESPN 150) and five-star defensive tackle Eddie Goldman (No.10 ESPN 150).

National Signing Day is Feb. 1 and U of M has plenty of opportunity to improve on its No. 7 nationally ranked class.