2012 Positional Breakdown: Defensive Line

Out of all the question marks for Michigan's 2012 squad, perhaps the biggest are for the defensive line.  After losing three starters, Michigan is looking for players to fill the roles formerly played by Mike Martin, Ryan Van Bergen, and Will Heininger.  They have returning players at every position on the defensive line with game experience, but only one of the four spots has gotten a serious amount of confidence from fans.  As a result, Michigan's defensive line progress could very likely determine the direction of the defense overall and the team's performance down the stretch.

This is largely because Michigan has All-Big Ten prospects at just about every positional group on the offensive side and is returning just about everybody that started at linebacker or in the secondary last year as well.  Add in the fact that both of the specialists return and Michigan looks like a pretty good squad for 2012, assuming the defensive line can progress.  In my opinion, this is the position group that will determine the type of season Michigan will have in 2012.  Not only because it has the most question marks, but also because of the way it produced in 2011 in route to the Sugar Bowl victory.  Key red zone stops, key stops on 3rd and short, and a plethora of turnovers during the course of the season.  Making up for that is going to be a challenge, so let's start breaking down who has a chance at doing it in 2012.

Recapping 2012 Commit Willie Henry

The defensive line for Michigan in 2012 has been filled with question marks since Mike Martin and Ryan Van Bergen left for the NFL.  Experts have cited all kinds of reasons to either believe or doubt Michigan's defensive front for next year.  Much of it has focused on returning players, but Michigan is actually bringing in several defensive lineman that could make an impact in their freshman campaign.  One of them is Willie Henry, who was a very late addition to Michigan's 2012 recruiting class.  He didn't receive much coverage during the recruiting period, but he could prove to be one of the more important recruits in the class.

There are a multitude of reasons to be excited about Henry for this season and the future.  First, he is already massive, coming in at 302 lbs according to the 2012 media guide.  That's just 6 lbs lighter than Will Campbell who is projected to start at nose tackle and heavier than Richard Ash and Quinton Washington, both projected backups for the line.  The unfortunate thing about his massive size is that a good hunk of it is "bad" weight and he will need to work to improve on his overall strength before he gets some serious playing time.  However, he has a great wingspan that allows him to get away from blocks, is a solid and consistent tackler, and has good speed, considering his immense size.  He has some solid potential, but there's no doubt he needs to work on his strength, size, and his basic technique, especially in the use of his hands as he can have trouble with double teams and offensive lineman can often get leverage on his lower body.

Commit #19: Maurice Hurst, Jr.

Photo Credit: 247Sports

After waiting a few weeks after the commitment of wide receiver Csont'e York, Michigan fans finally get to celebrate another recruit joining the maize and blue.  Hurst is a defensive tackle hailing from Westwood, Massachusetts and brings a lot of talent to the Wolverine defense.  He is 6'2" and weighs 275-290 lbs, depending on your recruiting site of choice.  He is ranked by Rivals as just a 3* recruit, but both Scout and 247Sports have him ranked as a 4* recruit.

He's a classic 3*/4* recruit.  Probably too good to be grouped with the majority of 3* players, but not quite good enough to be grouped with the majority of 4* recruits.  Regardless, this is a very solid ranking, especially for a player that will likely develop in his role with the team.  It's rare that an offensive or defensive line recruit will get significant playing time when they arrive on campus and I anticipate much the same for Hurst.  He's already pretty big and probably will be a bit bigger when he arrives on campus, but with some of Michigan's 2012 commits such as Ondre Pipkins and Willie Henry, his early chances will certainly be limited.

Despite this, Hurst brings a lot to the table for Michigan and will very likely make a big impact for the team in the future.  Whether he's going to play nose tackle or 3 tech for Michigan is still up in the air, but I think he'll take the 3 tech spot primarily because of Pipkins.  Pipkins will probably be the backup nose tackle in 2012 and after Will Campbell graduates, he will probably move in as the unquestioned starter.  Obviously, there are a lot of question marks surrounding what Pipkins will do next season, but Pipkins taking that role is probably the most likely situation given depth, experience, and size factors.

With Pipkins at nose tackle, Hurst will likely take the 3 tech role.  Now, one thing I'm sure most fans noticed is that Greg Mattison and Brady Hoke tend to rotate the defensive line pretty frequently.  As of now, when Hurst arrives on campus, the interior defensive line will largely consist of recruits and untested players, although some of the players such as Quinton Washington, Richard Ash, and Kenny Wilkins could make some noise next season, if they get some solid playing time.  Odds are however, there will be an opening for some of the younger players from the 2012 and 2013 recruiting classes to make some noise.

Do I think Hurst will make a big impact early?  Probably not, but there certainly is an opportunity and if not, he should have plenty of time to develop and make an impact later on in his career.  The important thing is that Michigan is filling a position of need with Hurst.  So far, since national signing day for the 2010 class, Michigan has only received commitments from four defensive tackles (including Hurst).  Considering the need for growth and potential for injuries, that's pretty significant. 

Now, Michigan still has a chance at securing commitments from some other defensive linemen for this class to accompany Hurst and defensive end Taco Charlton, but this is a big step in the right direction.  The 2013 class is already ranked #1 and Hurst's commitment has done nothing but help that standing.  Michigan's 2013 recruiting is slowly nearing an end, but there's no doubt this is an exciting pickup for Wolverine fans.

Michigan's Options at Defensive Tackle

The Wolverines are well on their way to another excellent recruiting class for 2013. As I wrote in this post, the biggest needs left are linebacker and defensive tackle. Since I broke down Michigan’s options at the linebacker position in that same post, today I’m going to take a look at Michigan’s options at defensive tackle. 

There’s not a ton of offers out for a DT, mainly because the 2012 class had 3 DT signees (5* Ondre Pipkins, 3* Matt Godin, 3* Willie Henry). I can’t reiterate enough how important landing an excellent defensive tackle like Ondre Pipkins was for the 2012 class. Pipkins was the 14th ranked player in the nation (according to Rivals). Let me put this in perspective for you. Even though it’s still very early, the first DT ranked on the current Rivals100 is Montravius Adams, who is ranked 33rd. Last year’s class had 5 defensive tackles in the top-33, including Mario Edwards, who was considered by multiple sites as the top overall prospect of the 2012 class. Needless to say, this year is looking a little different than 2012 in regard to the defensive tackle position. 

Out of the 9 defensive tackles in the Rivals100 (so far this season), 3 are already committed to a school. Michigan has offered about 10 defensive tackles across the country, 2 of which are in the Rivals100 (4* Henry Poggi and 4* Greg Webb), and 1 more is in the Rivals250 (4* Billy Price who is already committed to Ohio State). I’ll be breaking down 4 different d-tackles, but Michigan will probably only take 2. This position should be an easy sell for recruits considering Coach Mattison’s presence and Coach Hoke’s focus on the defensive line. D-line coaches galore, over here. 

1. Rod Crayton

Crayton is a DT from the heart of SEC Country. Although he’s currently unranked on Rivals, we all know how easily that can change. Crayton is a huge lineman (6’1” and 285 pounds) who has multiple offers from all over the nation and is one of the top prospects out of Alabama. Offers include Michigan, Arkansas, LSU, and Penn State. He had a great junior season with 162 tackles, 10 sacks, and 40 tackles for loss. Crayton says that he wants to take his time and visit a wide variety of schools. He does not have a timeline on his decision, and also says that location is not a factor. Actually, he said that “Being away from home makes you a better man -- you have to depend on yourself.” He visited Michigan on February 19th and said that he enjoyed his visit very much. Of the Big House, he said, “I knew it was big, but oh my God, is it huge and deep looking down on it. I was thinking about how loud it is, how it’s rocking with the crowd when I’m watching a game.” Needless to say, he’s interested. 

2. Henry Poggi

Poggi is a 4* tackle out of Baltimore, MD (another MD recruit) who Rivals ranks as 43rd overall in the nation. He stands 6’3” and 250 pounds. He finished his junior season with 49 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, 10 sacks, and one forced fumble. Poggi is a beast, with about 20 offers from schools like Michigan, Alabama, Auburn, Ohio State, and Stanford. It’s too early to say much about his options, but Poggi is very interested in Michigan. He has already visited Michigan twice, but is planning another visit soon. Poggi plays a position of need for Michigan and he would be an excellent get. His favorites as of November (so things could have definitely changed) are Michigan, Tennessee, Stanford, Alabama, Auburn, and Ohio State. 

3. Eddie Vanderdoes

Vanderdoes is listed as both a DE and DT on multiple sites. He is a 4* DE on Rivals and ranked 21st overall, making him an easy candidate for a 5th star. Vanderdoes is another CA product who stands 6’4” and 285 pounds. His junior season, he had 59 tackles and 8 sacks. Vanderdoes has tons of offers including Michigan, Alabama, and Notre Dame. He plans on taking an official to Michigan, since his interest is “very, very high.” He is also impressed with Michigan’s early recruiting success, saying he wants to go somewhere to win championships. He has not specified when he wants to make a decision. Vanderdoes is another player that would be an amazing get. 

4. Greg Webb

Webb is a 4* DT out of New Jersey who Rivals ranks 78th overall in the nation. He stands 6’2” and 290 pounds. He finished his junior season with 94 tackles (wow), 9 sacks, and 3 fumble recoveries. Impressive. Webb has over 20 offers including Michigan, Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State, and Oklahoma. Webb plans on visiting Michigan, and probably with friend and teammate Dajaun Drennon (4* DE with a Michigan offer). Even though Webb has high interest in Michigan, what’s interesting is that him and Drennon want to be a package deal and attend the same university. Even more interesting? Drennon has stated that Michigan is #1 on his list. Webb says distance will not be a factor. Praising Michigan, he says, “Michigan is legendary, Michigan has the Big House and great coaching staff, and the best d-line play I’ve seen in the Big Ten.” Awesome. Him and Drennon plan on visiting together. Could be great news. 

Dennis Norfleet Commits To Michigan

And Michigan has it's signing day "surprise".  Most in the recruiting world didn't expect any action for Michigan on signing day until late last night when rumors began circling that a secret commit was going to come around in the final minutes.  That recruit came early this morning in the form of Dennis Norfleet.  Norfleet, a runningback from Detroit, is rated as a 4* recruit by Rivals and Scout.

This is a big pick-up for Michigan not only because it takes this class from the great to the "elite" level in many categories, but the team finally has an elite runningback in the class.  Earlier in the year the Wolverines gained commitments from Drake Johnson and Sione Houma, but never had that "elite" runningback in the class.  Certainly all three are going to bring some great talent to Ann Arbor and with Norfleet being one of the best runningbacks in the entire country, this is a HUGE pickup.

Norfleet is listed as 5'7" and weighing 165 lbs.  He like many other recruits is listed as needing to work on his "size".  As I said earlier with Willie Henry's commitment, this should be music to fans and coaches ears alike.  There's a good chance Norfleet will redshirt so size is not going to be an issue.  He'll have well over a year to "bulk up" because he sees the field potentially in 2013.

Along with this, Norfleet could do some great stuff in the pass game.  Scout says he will be dangerous in the pass game and I think this is one of the major things that has him so highly rated.  Try to think a little bit of Vincent Smith and you'll probably get a feel of what Norfleet can bring to the pass game.  He should be one of those wildcards that can bring the offense to another level.

I don't expect Norfleet to make significant contributions right away, primarily because he's on the smaller side and Michigan has some solid depth at runningback, but he will surely be used often in the coming seasons, especially on third down.  Either way this is a great addition for Michigan and takes this signing class to the next level.  This is one of the better ones in recent memory and should bring a lot of excitement coming into 2012.

Photo Credit: Rivals

Willie Henry Commits To Michigan

Finally!  Michigan has some good news on the recruiting front.  After what had seemed like the longest "dry" stretch for recruiting in recent Wolverines' history, they finally have a new commitment.  Although he is new to the scene and was only offered a scholarship recently, he should be a solid addition to this year's class.  Willie Henry, a defensive tackle from Cleveland, is rated as a 3* recruit and has been praised by many in the recruiting world.

Last week, I talked about how I believed Caleb Stacey's de-commitment made Jordan Diamond the most important recruit for the 2012 recruiting class.  Although I still believe that, it does nothing to decrease the significance of Henry's decision.  Obviously, Ondre Pipkins is the recruit on the defensive line that will get the most attention, but bringing in a player like Henry is crucial for building a strong program.

Why is Henry a great addition?  Right now, there are several places on the team that lack significant depth.  The biggest areas are offensive and defensive line.  Although there are some great players and some solid incoming recruits for these areas, they still don't have great depth.  The cause of these problems is debatable, but they do exist and recruits like Henry will help to fill that void and ensure success for Michigan in the long term.

Another important factor is that Greg Mattison and Brady Hoke both seem awfully high on what is a standard 3* defensive lineman.  Nothing against Henry or any other 3*, but he didn't receive a lot of attention until late in the recruiting process.  One can debate the reason for this, but, to me, it shows that Hoke and Mattison really believe this kid can play and after what they've done with last year's defense, I have pretty high confidence that they can turn almost any defensive recruit into a great player (not saying Henry isn't good).

Henry is rated as 6'2" and weighing 270 lbs.  He will probably have to bulk up a little more if he really wants to compete against the big offensive lines, but there's no reason to believe he won't.  This is even supported by Scout's online rankings of Henry, which cite his only area for improvement as "size."  Frankly, if a player is an incoming freshman and their only problem is size, a fan or coach can't complain.  Along with this, he will probably red-shirt during his freshman year, which means he'll be a lot bigger when he actually sees the field in 2013.

There's certainly going to be a lot of drama and action over the next few days, but I'm very excited at what Henry brings to this class.  Sure, I would have loved to get guys like Joshua Garnett or Armani Reeves, but that doesn't take anything away from what Henry will bring to the field.  This class is sure to finish great and among the elite in the nation.


Photo Credit: Bill