The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MAIZE N' VIEW MICHAEL SPATH M Memorable One-Day Recruiting Hauls Feb. 18. On that day, U-M picked up a Rivals.com-era (2002-present) single- day-record six football commitments. It is also the only time in the past decade the Maize and Blue landed at least two football recruits, won an ice hockey game (a 3-2 overtime victory over Northern Michigan on Senior Night) and won a men's basketball game (56-51 over Ohio State) all on the same day. Dating back to 2002, Michigan has ichigan fans checking their phones or logging onto their computers won't soon forget landed multiple commitments on one day 20 times, pulling at least three (but never more than four) seven times. By sheer volume, no other 24- hour period can match Feb. 18, and with six four-star recruits, perhaps no other sunrise to sunset can match it for talent either. However, here is a look at four other days that proved fruitful for the Maize and Blue. 1. Feb. 5, 2003: Of the 20 times When LaMarr Woodley (above), Jerome Jackson and Shawn Crable all chose U-M on Feb. 5, 2003, it was a banner day for the Wolverines. PHOTO BY AMIR GAMZU/WOLVERINE PHOTO U-M has secured pledges from two recruits or more, seven have taken place on a National Signing Day, in- cluding in 2003 when Saginaw High School teammates LaMarr Woodley and Jerome Jackson announced for Michigan, and Shawn Crable shocked the town of Massillon, Ohio, by de- claring for the Wolverines instead of the in-state Buckeyes. A five-star, Woodley would enjoy gan's 2003 Summer Football Camp proved a windfall for the Wolverines when they picked up seven commit- ments: defensive end Chris Rogers on June 15, defensive tackle Will Johnson and fullback Roger Allison on June 18, offensive linemen Alex Mitchell and Grant DeBenedictis on June 19, and tailback Mike Hart and defensive back Charles Stewart on June 20. an All-American career in Ann Arbor, ranking third all time at U-M in tack- les for loss (52.5) and fourth in sacks (24). A four-star, Crable was a two- year starter at strongside linebacker, setting a U-M single-season record with 28.5 tackles for loss in 2007. Fi- nally, Jackson was a four-star tailback who rushed for 718 yards and eight scores as an important reserve. 2. June 20, 2003: The week of Michi- 106 THE WOLVERINE APRIL 2012 camp, but visited U-M with his mom and wouldn't leave Ann Arbor be- fore telling head coach Lloyd Carr he would wear the winged helmet. Over the next four seasons, Hart set the Michigan career rushing record with 5,040 yards while scoring 41 touch- downs (third all time). He ranks first among Wolverine ball carriers with a career average of 117.2 yards per game, and also has more 100- (28), 150- (12) and 200-yard games (five) than anyone else. After three seasons as a reserve Hart didn't actually attend the cornerback, making the occasional start here and there, Stewart moved to safety in 2008 and was an integral contributor in the secondary, amass- ing 41 tackles, three pass breakups and an interception while making two starts. 3. Feb. 6, 2008: Rich Rodriguez receptions and 1,724 yards, while ranking 15th in receiving touch- downs with 12. And he has one more season to improve his numbers. Shaw rushed for 1,001 yards and 14 touchdowns in four years, including six games as a starter in 2010. A quarterback, Feagin was seen as a potential stop-gap between the pro-style passers Rodriguez inherited and the dual-threats he was recruit- ing, but after one season the Floridian was kicked off the team. Barnum, meanwhile, enters his senior year with three career starts and the hope, and opportunity, he will win the va- cant job at center in 2012. 4. Feb. 4, 2009: Rodriguez's first full recruiting class created plenty of excitement on National Signing Day when four-star quarterback Denard Robinson, four-star receiver Je'Ron Stokes and two-star cornerback Adrian Witty all announced for the Wolverines. At the time, Stokes, ranked as the pulled out a few surprises just two months into his tenure, securing four prospects on National Signing Day, including four-stars Michael Shaw, Roy Roundtree and Ricky Barnum, and three-star Justin Feagin. Roundtree and Shaw both had last- minute change-of-hearts, dropping commitments to Purdue and Penn State, respectively, to sign with the Wolverines. Roundtree has had the most suc- cessful career of the four, ranking 14th all time at Michigan with 123 (Cory Zirbel, Mark Ortmann); Feb. 1, 2006 (Jonas Mouton, Jason Kates); June 21, 2006 (James Rogers, Troy Woolfolk); Feb. 1, 2007 (Donovan Warren, Renaldo Sagesse, Zion Babb); Aug. 29, 2008 (Vincent Smith, Bran- din Hawthorne); Jan. 22, 2011 (Keith Heitzman, Raymon Taylor, Matt Wile); June 10, 2011 (Erik Magnuson, Tom Strobel). ❑ No. 104 prospect nationally, was seen as a bigger get for the Maize and Blue. Robinson — ranked No. 184 — wasn't considered a real threat to challenge classmate Tate Forcier as the starting quarterback. Of course, Robinson, who has ac- counted for an average of 293.1 yards of total offense per game and 58 total touchdowns in his 26 starts, has become the centerpiece of the 2009 class while Witty failed to qual- ify academically, Stokes left school after his sophomore year and Forcier was dismissed for academics. Also Considered: Dec. 12, 2004 Associate Editor Michael Spath has been with The Wolverine since 2002. Contact him at mspath@comcast.net and follow him on Twitter @Spath_ Wolverine.