Crazy 4 Maize and Blue

Injuries:  Jourdan Lewis, Taco Charlton, David Long, Bryan Mone, Drake Johnson are all questionable. Noah Furbush is doubtful. Kareem Walker is out due to an academic issue. What do all these injuries mean? In the grand scheme of things, they really don't mean much. None of them seem to be season-ending. I like to think that the coaches have been extra cautious. There is no reason to rush a player in to "knock off the rust off", especially any  All-Americans . That would be ludicrous. It's a long season. We need those guys later in the year and we were able to get by Hawaii, UCF, and Colorado just fine without them. Offense: The offense has shown a level of proficiency that we have not seen in a very long time, particularly in the passing game. QB Wilton Speight has proven to possess very good patience and awareness in the pocket, hitting on 64% of his passes for 8.5 yards per attempt, eight TD's, and only one INT. Though he did look shaky in the first...

Here are several players that have been on the roster for at least one full year and will see a significant bump in their respective playing time. Most of these guys did not play much - if even a single snap - in 2015 and none of them were fulltime starters. Some were backups that got their pads a little dirty once or twice, but they were only scratching the surface of their potential. To most passive observers their performances this year will appear to be from out of nowhere. All of these guys should be fulltime starters by 2017, if they haven't cracked the starting lineup this season already. I left certain names of this list, such as Ben Gedeon, Grant Perry, and Channing Stribling, because they don't fit the profile of a true breakout candidate. In other words, they have already broken out (IMO) and shown their worth as potential starters or primary backups already. To be on this list you must be a relative unknown or major question mark going into the season. Mike M...

Point Guard 1. Derrick Walton Jr. (Sr) 6'1"/190lbs 2. Xavier Simpson (Fr) 6'0"/180lbs 3. Andrew Dakich (Sr) 6'2"/190lbs QA: Walton Jr. returns for his fourth and final season in Ann Arbor, and there are a lot of expectations for him to be a team leader. He has struggled with consistency but has shown the ability to beat teams in a number of different ways. If he can put an end to his streakiness he could be First Team All-Big Ten performer. Simpson has all the raw ability to be a killer guard. He should get a lot of time on the floor at the point, as well as at the two-guard spot. Dakich will most-likely be nothing more than a mop-up player, though his minutes will probably increase slightly due to all the defections that have occurred this past off-season. Shooting Guard (2-Guard) 1. Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (Jr) 6'4"/190lbs 2. Ibi Watson (Fr) 6'5"/185lbs 3. Fred Wright-Jones (So) 5'11"/170lbs QA: Nobody on the tea...

With 18 commitments currently in place for the 2017 recruiting cycle, Harbuagh and his staff will look to fill the remaining holes with some of the nation's top talent. There appears to be as many as a dozen spots remaining, so here is an updated list of the top 12 candidates to fill them. If all these kids listed here were to be added to the Wolverines' recruiting class it would most-definitely put them in the running for the top class in the nation. RB Najee Harris - As of late July I did not think Harris was a possiblity to join the Wolverines, but that was before he decided to make the trip the BBQ at the Big House. Despite his commitment to 'Bama, all bets are off now that Harbaugh and crew have gotten him on campus. It sounds like things went very well. WR Donovan Peoples-Jones - All the signs are pointing to one of the best overall athletes and receivers to be playing at Michigan for the next four years. If he truly wants to be a surgeon he couldn't pick a b...

2016 Edition Jourdan Lewis #26 1. Jourdan Lewis CB (Sr) - Lewis was my number one player coming back last year and he did not disappoint. His presence in the secondary is pivotal, as he presents a real threat to opposing passers. Honestly, there might not be a better corner in the country. He is a willing tackler who will come up to help in run support, but his real forte is coverage. Without him on the field the defense as a whole would look a bit different. He is also a very good kick returner and he genuinely looks for ways to contribute as a player. 2. Jake Butt TE (Sr) - Butt already ranks among the best tight ends to ever play at Michigan, and he could have been a second round pick in this year's draft. The team is privileged to have him back for his senior year, just as much as they are to get Lewis back. Butt has been and will continue to be a huge factor as a team leader on the field and in the lockerroom. Everybody is expecting a monster season from him now that...

With everything that went on this past season with the Michigan basketball team, it was honestly a nice surprise to still see them standing when the Round of 64 in the NCAA Tournament opened up last Friday. The team was left without any senior leadership on the floor with both Caris Lavert and Spike Albrecht both on the sidelines since December, but they still somehow managed to win 23 games. Juniors Zack Irvin and Derrick Walton Jr. did well enough upon being thrust into the role of  the veterans among a roster loaded with underclamssmen. In fact, Michigan sported the youngest roster in the Conference. And being the Optimistic Fan that I am, I won't hesitate to look to next season. So, here's the never-too-early roster report for the 2016-'17 season: Derrick Walton Jr. #10 Point Guard: 1. Derrick Walton Jr. (Sr) 6'1"/190lbs 2. Xavier Simpson (Fr) 5'10"/160lbs 3. Andrew Dakich (Sr) 6'2"/190lbs Outlook: With the range to hit the big...

2016 Willie Henry DT 6'3"/311lbs - Henry was one of my favorite Wolverines over the last three seasons. He can battle it out in the trenches and come up with big plays. He has had issues with injuries and probably made a good choice to come out early. Risking another injury could damage his stock, and after the season the Wolverine's had it is reasonable to think that it can't get too much higher. He has shown good production over the years but is just now turning 21, so there is a chance he is still has some room to grow as a player. He could go as high as round two, but with the quality of mid-round talent and overall depth at the position he could possibly slip all the way down to the fifth or sixth. Prediction: 4th Round Graham Glasgow G/C 6'6"/307lbs - Easily was Michigan's best and most consistent lineman over the last three years after making the team as a walk-on five years ago. He has a lot of work to do in regards to strength and technique, ...