The task for the new QB coach Rod Smith

When Spring Practice commences next week, much of the attention will be focused on the quarterback position as Michigan is implementing a new offensive system and is without an experienced quarterback. New quarterbacks coach Rod Smith (who took over for the highly regarded Scot Loeffler) is tasked with the responsibility of bringing Steven Threet, David Cone, and walk-on Nick Sheridan up to speed with the intricacies of the Spread Offense. In the fall, true freshman Justin Feagin (a true dual-threat QB) will arrive and be added to the mix. Coach Smith was the quarterbacks coach at WVU in 2007 after having spent the previous six seasons at the University of South Florida (2001-2006). He served as the Offensive Coordinator/QB coach at USF during the 2005 and 2006 seasons. At Michigan, Coach Smith's first challenge will be to train an inexperienced trio of signal callers whose only previous college coaching has been in a pro-style system. It will also be interesting to see during the Spring if running back Carlos Brown takes snaps at quarterback as he was a dual-threat quarterback in high school. Coach Smith's ability to impart to his charges the intricacies of the spread offense during the course of Spring Practice will be critical in determining whether the team is ready in the Fall. The ability to train someone from within is made all the more critical by the fact that it does not appear right now that there is any immediate help coming from the outside. Not only does it appear that 2008 super recruit Terrelle Pryor will commit elsewhere, but also that 2009 super recruit Russell Shepard [a 5-star dual-threat QB from Houston (TX) Cypress Ridge] will not attend Michigan as well as Shepard just verbally committed to LSU last week. Thus, rather than waiting for a big recruit to come "save" Michigan, it is Coach Smith's job to work with the talent the Wolverines have and prepare them to run Michigan's offense of the future. He has his work cut out for him. Go Blue!

Should Carlos Brown switch to QB?

With the departure of Chad Henne (graduation) and Ryan Mallett (pro-style offense), Michigan has two remaining scholarship quarterbacks (i.e., Steven Threet & David Cone) and a walk-on (i.e., Nick Sheridan). It has been reported that Coach Rodriguez plans to add at least a pair of quarterbacks to the roster although he typically likes to carry five (5) scholarship quarterbacks. In discussions of Michigan's quarterback situation, an interesting name has popped up: Carlos Brown. Brown (So. in 2007) was a dual threat QB in high school. In his senior year at Heard County (Ga.) High School, Brown played both running back and quarterback. He completed 27-of-52 passes for 541 yards and 7 passing touchdowns while running for 1,512 yards and scoring 21 rushing touchdowns on 135 carries.

Brown has worked out at three different positions in two years while at Michigan. Brown came to Michigan as a running back in January, 2006 (as an early enrolee), practiced some at quarterback as a freshman, switched to cornerback in 2007 Spring Practice, almost left the program, and then switched back to running back by the end of Spring Practice after Kevin Grady got hurt and was out for the 2007 season. Brown (who wears jersey #23) is extremely talented but has yet to break out like he had hoped. His situation is eerily reminiscent of that of another supremely talented player who wore #23 for the Wolverines: Jim Betts. Betts arrived to Michigan as a freshman in 1967 back when Bump Elliott was the Head Coach. Back then true freshmen were not allowed to play. Betts had played quarterback in high school at Benedictine High School (Cleveland, OH). Betts practiced as a quarterback in 1967 as a freshman but he was switched to running back in 1968. During the 1968 season, Betts was switched to wide receiver where he wound up catching 4 passes for 29 yards that season. Betts had played 3 positions in his first two seasons at Michigan but he got a new lease on life when a new head coach (Bo Schembechler) took over the team prior to his junior year of 1969. Coach Schembechler promptly switched Betts back to the quarterback spot for his junior season and Betts became a fantastic back-up to starter Don Moorhead.

Michigan's current roster of scholarship quarterbacks (Steven Threet and David Cone) are prototypical drop-back passers. Depending how successful Coach Rodriguez is in recruiting dual threat prep quarterbacks over the next few weeks, switching Brown to QB for his junior season may be a viable option. Brown, like Pat White at WVU, has tremendous speed and the spread offense seems tailor made for Brown's skills. Coach Rodriguez emphasizes that the QB has to be able to make quick reads, hit holes, and throw well. Brown may well decide a switch to QB is in order. The arrival of Coach Rodriguez and the spread offense could give him a new lease on life. Go Blue!

*Note: Top Photo of Carlos Brown (23) from 2006 Media Day by JOHN T. GREILICK/The Detroit News

*Note 2: Bottom Photo of Jim Betts (23) from TK Legacy Michigan Signature Series Card.

Carlos Brown continues to dazzle

Carlos Brown continues to impress in Mike Hart's absence. Brown had a career game versus Minnesota rushing for 132 yards and 2 touchdowns on 13 carries. The highlight of Brown's day was a spectacular 85-yard touchdown dash that marked the 7th longest touchdown run in Wolverine football history. Brown was able to display his rocket speed on the long run (pictured at right) that left everyone in his wake. The only downside to Brown's spectacular day was that he lost a fumble early in the game. Coach Carr does not tolerate turnovers and Brown will not be able to establish himself as a top option for the Wolverines unless he can prove his reliablity in holding onto the ball. Maybe Mike Hart can give him some pointers. Go Blue!

*Note: Photo of Carlos Brown (23) and Mario Manningham (86) by JOHN T. GREILICK/The Detroit News

Carlos Brown breaks loose

Mike Hart (21 carries, 102 yards, 2 tds.) and Brandon Minor both were sidelined with injuries during the Purdue game which gave #3 running back Carlos Brown a chance to shine. Brown (soph.) had the best game of his career as he carried the ball 13 times for 66 yards and 2 touchdowns including a spectacular 29-yard touchdown run that displayed his athleticism. His sixty-six yards were more than he gained all of last season during his injury plagued freshman year. Earlier this season, Brown had a cast on and had trouble holding onto the ball. Now that Brown's cast has been removed and he is able to hold onto the ball, he looks to be dangerous. His emergence has occurred just in time for the Wolverines as Hart and Minor have suffered injuries that kept them from getting back into the game against Purdue. The extent of their injuries and whether they will be able to play next week is not yet known. If Hart and/or Minor can't play next week, Brown will be called on to carry more of the load. As he showed in the 4th quarter of today's Purdue game, Brown is ready. Last week, Coach Carr called for one of Hart's backups to step up and establish himself not only for this year but for next year as well. Brown may be on his way to doing just that. Go Blue!

Note: Photo of Carlos Brown (23) scoring a 29-yard TD vs. Purdue on 10-13-07 by JOHN T. GREILICK/The Detroit News

Grady out with ACL injury; Brown to stay

Rumors have been flying around for the past week or so regarding the status of RB Kevin Grady and CB/RB Carlos Brown. It was rumored that Grady had suffered a potential season-ending ACL injury while Brown was contemplating transfering schools upon completion of the spring semester. Angelique S. Chengelis (a/k/a "The Angel of the Big House") of the Detroit News set the record straight. She wrote that Grady did in fact suffer a severe ACL injury and it is unknown when he will return. As for Brown, "The Angel of the Big House" confirmed that Brown was considering transfering but that he had decided to stay. Reportedly, Brown also indicated he wants to switch back to running back from corner back. Go Blue!

*Note: Photo of Carlos Brown (23) from 11-11-06 game vs. Indiana by John T. Greilick/The Detroit News

Who will win this year's Meyer Morton Award?

Each year the Meyer Morton Award is presented to the football player who shows the greatest development and most promise as a result of the annual spring practice. The Award was established by the 'M' Club of Chicago in 1925. Morton, a 1912 Michigan graduate, was a lawyer in Chicago from 1915-48 and served as a Big Ten football official for 23 years. In fact, Morton was the referee in the famous 0-0 tie between Notre Dame and Army played at Yankee Stadium in 1946. A member of the Chicago 'M' Club, Morton traveled to Ann Arbor to present the award for many years, and the award was named in his honor after his death in 1948.

Last year's recipient of the Meyer Morton Award was Steve Breaston. Past winners have included: Jim Harbaugh (1984), Jamie Morris (1987), Desmond Howard (1991), and Braylon Edwards (2004). With one week of 2007 Spring Practice remaining, the leading contenders for this year's Meyer Morton Award appear to be: CB Carlos Brown, WR Greg Mathews, TE Andre Criswell, and OL Justin Boren. Following is a quick rundown of each player's spring practice progress:

• CB Carlos Brown (#23): Brown, like his number-sake Jim Betts (the 1970 Meyer Morton Award winner), switched from offense to the defensive secondary. After the first week of Spring Practice, Coach Carr stated regarding Brown's move to cornerback that, "athletically, will be a great move for us. He's got a lot to learn, but he can run and Carlos has a great attitude and desire to be good. He has a passion for the game and anytime you have the kind of mentality that he has, I think, good things are going to be in store for him." In 1970, Betts made the position switch and won the Meyer Morton Award on his way to having an outstanding season in the defensive secondary. Hopefully, history can repeat itself in 2007 for the Wolverine donning jersey #23.
• WR Greg Mathews (#13): Mathews had a good freshman season and looks like he may be a major contributor in 2007. Coach Carr stated that Mathews, "...is a guy when you look at where he was physically compared to where he was when he came out last summer. I mean he's a guy who can really run and he's a big, strong guy that has the potential to be a great receiver."
• TE Andre Criswell (#39): Criswell moved from the fullback spot to Tight End to fill a need on the Wolverines roster created by Massey's injury and Butler's departure. Criswell has been working hard and could see significant playing time.
• C Justin Boren (#65): Boren is trying to earn the starting center position this season and Coach Carr has singled him out for praise as a lineman who has performed impressively during Spring Practice.

You will be able to see all the players in action next Saturday, April 14, 2007 at 12:30 p.m., as Spring Practice draws to a close with the Spring "Game" which is open to the public. Come out and decide for yourself who should be the 2007 Meyer Morton Award winner. Go Blue!

Carlos Brown makes the switch to CB

Super sophmore-to-be Carlos Brown did not see the field as much as expected last season as a running back and it has been widely speculated that he may switch to the defensive backfield in 2007. At the Pre-Spring Football Press Conference on March 14, 2007, Coach Carr confirmed that Carlos Brown was indeed making the switch to cornerback for 2007. Coach Carr stated, "Carlos Brown came in to see me after the bowl game and has an interest in moving to cornerback. That's going to be a great move for us. We will still work him some as a tailback, but Carlos, because of our situation a year ago at quarterback with Antonio Bass being out, Carlos' development as a tailback was limited because during the course of the season, we prepared him to play a role at quarterback if we had so needed. Jason (Forcier) had some problems, and we weren't sure he'd be able to hold up. Carlos played quarterback in high school. He has handled a difficult first year extremely well. I'm really excited about what I've seen from him this winter and his potential to develop over there."

Coach Carr also stated that Brown is one of three top candidates (along with Stevie Brown and Greg Mathews) to handle kick return duties next season. As for seeing any time at quarterback in 2007, Coach Carr said, "He had an unbelievable number of repetitions last fall for a couple of reasons. Antonio Bass probably would have been our backup quarterback a year ago. We also needed to prepare our defense against some spread teams. What we decided was to create an offense with a limited number of plays where we could utilize some of the things Carlos can do. He's not going to play any quarterback at least in my plans this spring, but to say that he never would – I can't say that." With Ryan Mallett available this season, the need for Brown to play quarterback has diminished to almost nil. Thus, Brown will most likely be seen in his new roles on defense and (possibly) special teams kick returner.

Spring practice will be very important to Brown because he is at a "new" position. However, he did play in the defensive secondary in high school and performed very well as he amassed 203 tackles, 11 forced fumbles, 11 interceptions, 4 fumble recoveries, and 25 pass break-ups during his prep career. Nonetheless, the college game is different and he will have much to learn in the way of techniques. Fortunately, his position coach will be Vance Bedford who is a fabulous instructor and was 1997 Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson's position coach. Brown's progress at cornerback will be reviewed at the conclusion of Spring Practice in April. Coach Carr stated, "We'll look at these position changes after the second week and at the end of the second week, I'll call these guys in and ask, 'How do you like it? How do you feel like you're doing? Do you want to stay there?' Or, 'This is what I think. I like what you're doing. You may not feel you're where you want to be right now, but I see progress. I think you've got great potential there." As for Carlos Brown's position switch to cornerback, Coach Carr seems very excited about it and Brown has an excellent shot at starting if he works hard to learn the position. It all starts with Spring Practice. Go Blue!

*Note: Photo of Carlos Brown (#23) from 2006 Michigan Football Media Day by John T. Greilick/The Detroit News

Back to the Future for #23

The one area in which Michigan exhibited a talent deficiency in 2006 was in the defensive secondary. With the graduation of All-American cornerback Leon Hall, the situation looks even murkier heading into next season. Additionally, Michigan is likely to have a new defensive secondary coach as Ron Lee, who coached the cornerbacks last season, was let go from the staff. It is unknown whether Defensive Coordinator Ron English, who coached the safeties in 2006, will continue to coach the safeties next season or whether Coach English will turn over the entire secondary to the new coach when same is hired. No matter who coaches the secondary next year, it will be a difficult challenge with the thin talent to be deployed. However, to improve that situation the Wolverines should repeat history.

Although the Wolverines have a lack of talented players in the defensive secondary, they are loaded at running back. Carlos Brown wound up as #4 on the depth chart at running back in 2006 during his true freshman season. Brown was an early enrolee who arrived at Michigan in January of 2006 and he was expected to challenge for serious playing time behind Mike Hart last season. However, a combination of illness and the emergence of true freshman running back Brandon Minor severly limited Brown's playing time. At the Monday press conference during the week of the 2006 Ball State game, Coach Carr was asked about putting Brown in at running back and Coach Carr responded: "I'm disappointed that we haven't had an opportunity to get him some playing time. I'm disappointed in that, and hopefully that will come because he is a guy with a lot of ability. Sometimes the season just doesn't work out like you want it to." On the season, Brown only carried the ball 16 times for 41 yards. The number of carries for Brown is not likely to increase much next year as Mike Hart, Kevin Grady and Brandon Minor all return at running back in 2007. However, Brown is way too talented to just leave buried on the depth chart at running back.

Carlos Brown is acknowledged as being incredibly fast (second on the team only to Morgan Trent) and athletic. He arrived at Michigan after having played both ways in high school at Heard County (Ga.) High School. In high school, he played both cornerback and free safety and amassed 203 tackles, 11 forced fumbles, 11 interceptions, 4 fumble recoveries and 25 pass break-ups during his prep career. A switch to defense at Michigan for Brown (who wears jersey #23) would be beneficial both to Brown and the Wolverines. It gets Brown on the field as a starter, which he likes, and it fills a glaring hole for the Wolverines which will please Coach Carr.

A move by Brown (#23) from the offensive bench to a starting spot in the defensive secondary is reminiscent of a successful move made by Michigan legend Jim Betts (#23) during Coach Schembechler's second year as Head Coach of the Wolverines. As legend has it, Betts and defensive secondary coach Dick Hunter talked about having the incredibly athletic Betts come over to the defensive secondary which had been decimated by graduation after the 1969 season. The problem was that Coach Schembechler had to be convinced first. Betts, who was the Wolverines' backup QB to Don Moorehead, marched into Bo's office and told Bo that he was switching over to the defense for his senior season. Nobody told Bo what he was going to do and he decided that Betts would play both positions. That was fine with Betts. He won the Meyer Morton Award in 1970 given to the player who exhibited the most promise and improvement as a result of annual spring practice. He started every game of the 1970 season at safety and amassed 45 tackles, 4 pass break-ups, 2 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries for the 9-1 Wolverines. He played his best game of the year during the year's biggest game as he tallied 14 tackles and an interception in the Ohio State contest.

Carlos Brown should do as his number-sake (#23) Jim Betts did before him and switch to the defensive side of the ball where he can star for the Wolverines next season. Go Blue!

*Note: Photo of Carlos Brown from 2006 Michigan Football Media Day by John T. Greilick/The Detroit News.
*Note 2: You can learn more about Michigan legend Jim Betts from, but not limited to, the following books: Tales from Michigan Stadium by Jim Brandstatter (2002); Michigan: Where Have You Gone? by Jim Cnockaert (2004); What it Means to be a Wolverine by Kevin Allen (2005); Photo of Jim Betts from TK Legacy Michigan Signature Series card.
*Note 3: Special order a #23 jersey from the M-Den to wear at The Big House while Carlos Brown plays defense (maybe) in 2007.

Impact of true freshmen

As the 2006 season is set to begin, a new group of freshmen are getting ready to make their first trip down the Michigan Stadium tunnel on a football saturday with 110,000+ Wolverine faithful cheering them on. One of the freshmen the fans are eagerly anticipating watching this season is running back Carlos Brown (#23, pictured at right). Brown was an early enrolee at U of M (he has been on campus since January) and he dazzled the fans with his speed at the Spring Practice. Despite his immense talent and the fact that he got extra practice in by enrolling early, I still do not anticipate Brown to play a major role this season. Michigan is loaded at the running back position (see prior post of 6-13-06) and true freshmen historically have not played a major role unless there is a gap on the roster to fill.

In 2003 the freshmen class consisted of 17 players, six of whom saw the field as true freshmen. Of those, LaMarr Woodley and kicker Garrett Rivas had the biggest impact. In 2004, 8 true freshmen of a class of 22 players saw playing time. This class featured, of course, starting QB Chad Henne and starting RB Mike Hart. Hart was a first team All-Big 10 performer and Henne was an Honorable mention selection. This kind of impact by freshmen was almost unheard of in Michigan football history. Last season, six members saw playing time out of the 21 member first-year class. Kevin Grady (an early enrolee) and Mario Manningham were the stars of this freshmen class.

Many people believe that Carlos Brown should redshirt in 2006 as the Wolverines are deep at running back this season and then Michigan would be able to utilize his immense skills for the full four years. I certainly understand the logic but there is a practical side to consider. Carlos graduated early from high school so that he could enroll early at U of M and be more prepared for this season. He wants to play immediately and he is putting in the work and making the sacrifices to make that happen. Coach Carr never promises a recruit a starting job or even playing time but I think he does tell them he will give them a fair shot to earn their way onto the field if they work hard enough. Although from a selfish perspective fans would like to see Coach Carr just redshirt Brown this season (some say even against Brown's wishes) I think that would have a negative impact on recruiting. Michigan is in the midst of a highly successful recruiting campaign and the last thing the Wolverines want is other coaches telling blue chippers that Coach Carr redshirts freshman without regard to their feelings on the matter. Michigan traditionally is able to redshirt approximately 2/3rds of its freshman class and as for the 1/3rd of the players who will play this season (including Brown) I just hope that Coach Carr gets them as much time on the field as he possibly can so the players can use it as a building block for future seasons. Go Blue!

*Note: Photo of Carlos Brown taken by John T. Greilick/ The Detroit News at Michigan's Media Day