The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2015 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 151 Richard Ash DT 12 (0*) C+ Found new life at Western Michigan in 2014, ranking third on the team in tackles for loss (seven) and second in sacks (four). Courtney Avery CB 14 B- Never a star, Avery proved valuable nonetheless, starting at cornerback and nickel back, and finishing his career with 112 tackles. Jibreel Black DT 16 B- Flourished his final two seasons after moving from end to tackle, recording 5.5 sacks among 12.5 tackles for loss. Cullen Christian CB 2* F Transferred to Pittsburgh after one year at U-M and played in 12 games for the Panthers before leaving football. Drew Dileo WR 6 B Like Avery, Dileo was a solid player elevated to a bigger role because of a dearth of talent; he had 46 grabs and six touchdowns in his U-M career. Demar Dorsey DB 0 F Rumors abounded of second chances after his failed admission to Michigan, but he never ap - peared on a FBS or FCS roster. Josh Furman S 15 (3*) B Graduate transfer after 2013, ranked second at Oklahoma State in 2014 in tackles for loss (14) and sacks (seven) as a linebacker. Devin Gardner QB 32 B+ Threw for 6,336 yards and 44 touchdowns, but failed to realize the potential he showed in five- game starting stint of 2012. Will Hagerup P 42 B Averaged 42.2 yards on 148 career punts, but ran into off-field issues that led to three separate suspensions. Stephen Hopkins FB 6 D Power back had 151 yards and four touchdowns in freshman year, but was out of football by the end of 2011 season. Jeremy Jackson WR 4 C- Son of running backs coach Fred, he enjoyed modest success, catching 17 balls for 193 yards in four seasons. Carvin Johnson S 22 (3*) C+ Second-team All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 2013, and had 179 tackles and 14 passes broken up in two seasons with Hampton. Conelius Jones QB 0 F Never enrolled at Michigan and never found a home somewhere else, failing to play even a single down of college football. Antonio Kinard LB 0 F Failed to qualify, earned Junior College All-America honors and signed with Cincinnati, but never played for the Bearcats. Ricardo Miller TE 1 (0*) D A special teams performer for Michigan, resurfaced as a graduate transfer for Massachusetts and had two receptions in 2013. Christian Pace OL 0 Inc. Suffered a career-ending injury early in his career, but remained on as a student assistant until graduating. Jordan Paskorz TE 1 D Played both linebacker and tight end, but saw the most extensive action of his career on special teams. Jerald Robinson WR 0 F Possessed physical talent, making five grabs for 69 yards in 2012, but couldn't put it all together and was out of football by 2013. Marvin Robinson S 10 (1*) C+ Spent final year at Ferris State after three years at Michigan, and had 89 tackles and five passes broken up as a Bulldog in 2013. Davion Rogers LB 0 F Another member of the class that failed to last a full season with Michigan and was out of football immediately after. Jake Ryan LB 41 A- Career was momentarily disrupted by an ACL injury, but Ryan finished with 267 tackles, 45.5 tackles for loss and seven forced fumbles. Terrence Talbott CB 0 F Thrust into duty for eight games as a true freshman, Talbott was out of football by the end of the 2011 season. Terry Talbott DT 0 Inc. Supposedly suffered a career-ending injury in his first season at Michigan, but that was never confirmed. Ray Vinopal S 33 (6*) B+ Following one year at U-M, enjoyed successful Pittsburgh career, racking up 165 tackles, five interceptions and 11 passes broken up. Austin White RB 3 (0*) F Dismissed by Rich Rodriguez in 2010, and will be a senior at Fairmont State after rushing for 399 yards and four touchdowns in 2014. Ken Wilkins DE 8 (0*) D Made 37 tackles, including 9.5 for loss, for California University (Pa.) in 2014 after leaving Michigan three years into his career. D.J. Williamson WR 0 F Left Michigan after one full season in Ann Arbor and would not play for any college in the future. * Starts made at Michigan Class Of 2010 Summary Players In Class — 27. • Rivals.com Ranking — 20th. Name Pos. Starts Individual Grade Name Pos. Starts Individual Grade Cornerback Courtney Avery compiled 112 tackles, eight passes bro- ken up and two interceptions in 50 career games (19 starts). PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Final Grade: F We've never assigned a failing grade for a recruiting class before, but the 2010 cohort was a fiasco, with 16 early departures, a 21-19 conference record, a 2-8 mark against Ohio State and Michigan State, and only two All-Big Ten players (Jake Ryan — first team in 2014, second team in 2012; and Will Hagerup — first team in 2012). Those that did stay, should, for the most part, be applauded for their effort, but on football Saturdays they struggled to lead the Maize and Blue out of the dark days of the Rodriguez era (with 2011 the lone exception, and upperclassmen were primarily responsible for that season's success). The 2014 season was maddeningly frustrating for fans, the program disappointing every bit as it did in 2008 or 2009. The shame is that players such as Devin Gardner, Ryan, Courtney Avery, Drew Dileo, Jibreel Black and others were class acts, serving as exceptional ambassadors for Michigan. However, a handful of 'B' performances cannot bring up the grade for nine 'F's and five 'D's.