Crazy 4 Maize and Blue

As the 2014 season gets set to unfold I've got a slew of bold statements, biased outlooks, and straight-up facts that should help in getting any Wolverine fan excited. Yes, I do believe it pays to be positive, even if I've been proven wrong more times than not as of late. This year will be different, mark my words! Anyway, here are some things to think about as the season approaches: Facts: 80% of the roster last season was made up of first and second year players who will now be true sophomores, true juniors, and redshirt freshmen. At least 18 freshmen got significant playing time in 2013, with several collecting a few starts and three making the conference's All-Freshman Team (Kalis, Butt, and Henry). There are more four and five-star former recruits on the roster now than there has been since 2007. Brady Hoke has graduated all 69 of the seniors he has coached since arriving at Michigan nearly four years ago. Attrition has gone down considerably und...

LB Jake Ryan 1.  LB Jake Ryan (Sr), 6'3" 225 lbs:  The heart and soul of what should be a very good defense, Ryan will set the tone with his rare ability to penetrate and pursue with reckless abandon and a total disregard for his self. The fifth-year senior is the ultimate Michigan man and a great example of the type of player Hoke and company want in their program. He is as smart and coach-able as any other player in the conference and should have no problem moving to the middle from the strong-side. There should be no residual effects of a the knee surgery he had nearly 17 months ago either. Anything short of an all-conference performance in his last season would be disappointing. 2. QB Devin Gardner (Sr), 6'4" 210 lbs:  If things are to go well on offense this year the Wolverines will need consistent play from Gardner, no matter what position he ends up playing. He is one of the top athletes on the team with plenty of experience now on his resume, so  now ...

1.   Keisean Lucier-South, DE:  Scout Grade: 88/100 (three or four year starter and contributor on day one) The five-star pass-rusher from So Cal appears to really like Michigan as well as some of the other guys currently committed to the program. He tweeted a shout-out to his "bros" Darrin Kirkland Jr. and Alex Malzone over the weekend, as both guys joined him and hundreds of other recruits at the Opening. Lucier-South's visit to Ann Arbor for the Penn State game on October 11th will likely be the final opportunity for the program to make a big impression on him.  2. Brian Cole, WR/CB/Athlete:  Scout Grade: 83/100  (two or three year starter and immediate return specialist) The best prospect in the state of Michigan right now would be a huge addition to the Wolverines' roster. Whether he plays offense, defense, or special teams, Cole has the raw talent to become a great college football player. If he likes what he sees this weekend ...

It's been a good summer on the recruiting trail for the Wolverines' football team. With five big commitments occurring since early April, both the 2015 and 2016 classes are growing. QB Alex Malzone, LB Darrin Kirkland, OT Grant Newsome, and TE Chris Clark are all collectively adding a lot of talent to the 2015 class, while QB Messiah DeWeaver adds his rising stock to the 2016 class. Some other big names should be announcing their commitments soon as well, and Michigan could land one or two key names. Look for some more additions as the school year gets underway. RB Johnny Frasier (Princeton, NC) One of the fastest rising prospects in the last few months, RB Johnny Frasier (Princeton, NC), apparently wants to visit Ann Arbor and thinks  Michigan could be a good fit for him . This could turn out to be one of the more interesting stories of this recruiting cycle, especially if he commits to the Wolverines. He has literally come out of obscurity in the state of North Carolina...

The Committed: OT Erik Swenson (6'7" 290 lbs) Grade: 83 - Swenson is a nice get to start off the 2016 recruiting cycle. His size alone warrants a look from every big-time program in the country. He already had offers from Notre Dame, Ohio State, Illinois, and Northwestern as well. QB Messiah DeWeaver (6'3" 200 lbs) Grade: 81 - Thus far an underrated recruit that is proving himself in the summer camp circuit this year. Had lots of interest from other teams already and probably will still receive more offers in the next year, but it sounds like this is a dream come true for him. Seems to have all the tools the coaches are looking for in a passer. He was recruited by Offensive Coordinator Doug Nussmeier.  Interested Prospects with Offers:  OL Richard Merritt (6'5" 345 lbs) Grade: 89 TE Isaac Nauta (6'5" 240 lbs) Grade: 88 WR Dylan Crawford (6'1" 175 lbs) Grade: 88 S Brandon Jones (5'11" 185 lbs) Grade: 88 OL Ben Bredeson (...

Point Guard:  1. Derrick Walton Jr. 2. Spike Albrecht Analysis:  The Wolverines are set at the point with two experienced guys returning. Walton Jr. could be an All-Big Ten player and Albrecht could start for a lot of other good teams. Two Guard:  2. Caris LaVert 2. Aubrey Dawkins 3. Andrew Dakich Analysis:  Nobody works harder than LaVert as he has trasformed himself into an All-American candidate from being a skinny two-star recruit just two years ago. He and Walton should form a solid backcourt. Dawkins and Dakich are unknowns at this point, but both come with some potential. Three Guard:  1. Zach Irvin 2. Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman / Sean Lonergan Analysis:  Irvin played a lot in the tournament as a freshman and delivered some big threes when called upon. He should have no problem shifting into a more prominent role. Abdur-Rahkman is an intriguing prospect and could find himself some playing time early on in his first year. Small Forward:...

Any real fan knows that every good football team has had good senior leadership. Without any veteran leaders with a team-first attitude on the field and in the locker room, a squad of young men can and will appear disoriented and out of place, and the entire infrastructure of a team could collapse as soon as things get tough. In other words, it can get real messy when trying to compete for a conference championship if you don't have one or two battle-tested guys that can instill confidence in other players and focus the team's energy on closing out games. Throughout the last seven seasons, since the retirement of former head coach Lloyd Carr, the Michigan football team has struggled mightily in providing sound leadership from it's senior players. In fact, there is only one group of Wolverines within that time-span that had any real accountability on the team, and the results were undeniably good. The 2011 team finished the year 11-2 with a Sugar Bowl Championship, and sen...