If you lose, they will come

By Bart Doan  |   Thursday, November 13, 2008  |  Comments( 5 )

Michigan Wolverines
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Michigan recruiting update:

The theory is that if you win games, the recruits will come. If you lose games, they will not. Well, in college football, the rich may get richer. But the poor get just as rich sometimes. Think of it as football’s version of communism.

Take Notre Dame. In 2008, the Irish raked in a top five recruiting class by nearly every Web site that covers such things. All this after consistently bad classes prior. What got them the high-ranked class? A 3-9 record, to be exact. The only team they found themselves staring up at in these rankings, you ask? Try Alabama, a team coming off of a six-loss season. So, it stands to reason that just because Michigan is in the midst of what could be its worst season in 129 years of football, all is not lost on the recruiting trail. Below is a to-date synopsis on what is ahead for Rich Rodriguez and the Wolverines.

COMMITMENTS (star ratings per Rivals.com):

QB
Tate Forcier - Four stars.
Shavodrick Beaver - Four stars.

RB
Teric Jones - Three stars.

WR
Dewayne Peace - Three stars.
Vincent Smith - Three stars.

DB
Justin Turner - Four stars.
Isiah Bell - Three stars.
Mike Jones - Three stars.

LB
Jordan Barnes - Three stars.
Brandin Hawthorne - Three stars.

DE/DT
Craig Roh - Four stars.
Anthony LaLota - Four stars.
DeQuinta Jones - Four stars.

OL
Michael Schofield - Four stars.

ATH
Jeremy Gallon - Four stars.
Fitzgerald Toussaint - Four stars.
Thomas Gordon - Three stars.

K
Brendan Gibbons - Two stars.

Overall: Right now, this is a need-based class. Rodriguez continues to mine the previously untapped state of Florida for recruits (five so far) at the expense of severing longtime ties to the high schools within the state. Clearly, Rodriguez is looking for guys to fit his system, not necessarily the cookie-cutter five-star-laden Michigan class of beforehand.

It must look odd to Michigan's faithful to see a class littered with athletes and defensive backs as opposed to offensive linemen and wide receivers. Rodriguez was known at West Virginia as a sage recruiter who could mine gold from overlooked mountains, so to speak. Star quarterback Pat White was a three-star defensive back from Alabama. Superb running back Steve Slaton had a scholarship offer revoked by Maryland.

The Wolverines' major position of need, QB, has been filled by players much better fit for the spread offense in Beaver and Forcier, and they figure to garner most of the attention. Quietly, though, this is a class full of speed and versatility. Though not a traditional-style recruiter hungry for every five-star kid who can spell the team‘s mascot, it’s tough to question Rodriguez right now until he fails with his recruiting approach. The lure of playing for a powerhouse team on the slide comes from the possibility of increased playing time, which recruits savor far more than pretty cheerleaders or 90,000 strong belting out the fight song every Saturday. Rodriguez at times seems to play this well to his advantage. The fact that he plays so many freshman currently shows recruits that he’s not selling “snake oil,” as Purdue coach Joe Tiller put it; rather, he’s being honest. Grade: B-plus.








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About Bart Doan

Bart has been with Realfootball365.com for about six months and thoroughly enjoys writing for the site. He has been featured for his writings on college football in The Sporting News, The Indianapolis Star, Sports Illustrated, and on CBS Sportsline.com. When he's not drowning himself in the ...
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