Midnight Maize

Catching up with Allen Gant

2012-01-14T19:34:00.001-08:00

Allen Gant is the son of former Michigan great, Tony Gant. Gant was widely considered as the top prospect in the state of Ohio prior to him suffering a knee injury at the start of his junior campaign. Gant plays both safety and wide receiver for South View High in Ohio. Gant is a three-star recruit according to Rivals, Scout, and 24/7 Sports. Gant has a 77* rating on ESPN, which is wrong on so many levels that it's borderline crazy that he's ranked so low.

Allen Gant in coverage.

I was able to get in contact with Allen to catch up with him and discuss his senior season and what lies ahead for him in the future.

SimplyComplex: What are some things that you think you have improved on from last year compared to this year?

Allen Gant: I think that I have improved on my speed and quickness by a large margin and I have also gotten a lot stronger. I think that it has helped me out in run support and has made me a better tackler.

SC: Hows your high school team doing so far and what are some of your strengths and weaknesses?

AG: Our high school team won the league and we lost in the first round of the playoffs. My strengths are I'm a very good tackler and I know exactly what's going on and every one's job. My weaknesses are my speed and quickness.

SC: Some people say that you might grow into a linebacker once you reach college. Do you agree or do you think your better suited at safety?

AG: I feel that I can improve on my skills at safety but you never know. I could end up like and outside linebacker and it doesn't matter to me because I want to help the team in any way I can.

SC: Do you like what you've seen from the Michigan defense so far in the season? Are you excited to play for Greg Mattison?

AG: I am extremely happy about how well the defense played this year and I cannot wait to play for coach Mattison and the other defensive coaches.

SC: Do you ever talk with any other michigan commitments?

AG: I do sometimes talk to other commits, but not on a daily basis. I especially talk with Chris Wormley however, since we are from the same area and we have always been close. We even talk about being roomates at Michigan.

SC: What were your stats this season?

AG: I'm not sure about my offensive stats but for defense I had 67 tackles, 12 tackles for los, 1 interception, 3 forces fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and 5 touchdowns.

SC: Do you feel like you could live up to your dads reputation? Do you and him ever talk about Michigan?

AG: I do feel like I can live up to my dads reputation. I am hoping that once my career is over at Michigan, that I will have a better reputation than my father, though. We also talk about Michigan all the time.

SC: How many times did you visit Michigan last year? How were your experiences?

AG: I went to 6 Michigan games this season. And they were the Western Michigan, Notre Dame, Eastern Michigan, Purdue, Nebraska and Ohio State. My experiences were all great. The fans showed me all kinds of love and it was just an amazing atmosphere. I can''t wait until I can be a part of that.

SC: What are you looking forward to, when you enroll at Michigan?

AG: I am looking forward to being a part of the great tradition of Michigan and of course graduating with a degree at Michigan.

SC: What do you plan on doing after college? What are you planning on majoring in at Michigan?

AG: After college I want to go pro but if that doesn't work out then I would want to be a sports agent and I am majoring in sports management.

SC: What did you and the michigan coaches talk about when you got offered? Do they still keep in touch with you?

AG: When I got offered the coaches basically just talked about how I will fit in with the system and just how they are excited about me coming to Michigan. Yes, we all still keep in touch often.

Allen Gant Film:

After his senior season, Gant stands at 6'1 and 208 pounds and runs a 4.5 forty. Gant is another high character athlete that will fit in nicely at Michigan. Hopefully he lives up to his fathers name and can make everybody in the Michigan community proud.

Catching up with Devin Funchess

2012-01-14T19:29:00.000-08:00

Devin Funchess is the second commit in Michigans 2012 class that hails from Farmington Hills High School in Michigan. The other being his teammate Mario Ojemudia. Funchess stands at 6'5 215 pounds and has the athleticism to play either wide receiver or tight end. Most recruiting sites(and the Michigan coaches) think that he has more upside at the tight end position. Funchess is a four-star recruit to ESPN, Scout and 24/7 Sports, while being a three-star to Rivals.

Devin Funchess showing off his athleticism.

I had the honor of talking with Devin about his senior season and his excitement about attending Michigan.

SimplyComplex: What was it about Michigan that made you want to commit to them?

Devin Funchess: The atmosphere and how involved the coaches were with the players. The education was a big factor in my decision as well.

SC: What was the atmosphere and experience like when you visited Michigan?

DF: It was very live . Everybody was very friendly and it seemed very family oriented, which made me feel very comfortable with the university.

SC: How often do you talk with other Michigan commits/prospects?

DF: I speak to the instate commits often, but I rarely speak with the others. Although, I do communicate with some out-of-state commits over twitter a little bit.

SC: With Michigan having depth problems at the TE position, do you feel like you could see early playing time?

DF: I think I could come in and play right away if the coaches needed me to contribute right away in an emergency or just to evaluate my performance. The coaches also tell me that I can, but I just have to come in and be ready for action.

SC:What would you say are your strengths and weaknesses at the tight end position?

DF: My main weakness is my size. I'm a little on the slim size for a TE, so I definitely need to bulk up and let my body develop properly. My biggest strength is that I have a great match up with the linebackers. I'm usually faster than them, so it's a huge advantage for me.

SC: What kind of stats did you accumulate during your senior season?

DF: I caught 21 passes for 433 yards and 6 touchdowns.

SC:What do you think is the hardest part about being a tight end? Are you looking forward to the challenges of playing the position at the college level?

DF: The hardest part for me would be learning the different and more difficult blocking schemes. The different footwork is also a bit of a challenge for me. Yes because I think it's the most underestimated position and I want to show people what I'm capable of.

SC: You're a teammate with Michigan commit Mario Ojemudia. How would you describe his game on the defensive side of the ball? Do you like going up against him in practice?

DF: He's just a complete monster. He is the type of player that just never gives up. He has a motor that just keeps going and going. We didn't really go up against each other in practice because we both played both ways.

SC: I did an interview with another teammate of yours, Gairus Coleman. How good of a player do you think he is? Have you been recruiting him towards Michigan at all?

DF: "G"(Gairus Coleman) is a fantastic player. He is the total package at wide receiver. The only thing he needs to work on is his speed. If he gets his speed up, then he will be great. We talk about Michigan all the time.

SC: How do you feel about Ohio State,uh, I mean "Ohio"?

DF: I don't care for them personally.

Devin Finchess Junior Film:

Devin is just one of the many top-notch athletes that Hoke and company are bringing in to restore Michigan to what it once was. Be on the look out for many other football prospects to come out of Farmington Hills in the coming years that may end up wearing the Maize and Blue.

Breaking! Sugar Bowl Sponsor News!

2012-01-01T23:44:00.000-08:00

Midnight Maize was the first to learn that All State could not cover the Sugar Bowl expenses for the game. At the 11th hour they inked a deal with a second company "I Got Worms". Crews are working hard to make the changes around the stadium and at the 50 yard line where they must remove the old logo. We were able to get a word with the co-owners of I Got Worms Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunbar.

"We heard that this cooking show needed some more money for more Sugar and we love Salts and Sugars and figured...Why not. I have a few more I-OWN-YOUS to hand out so figured might as well help another in need"

It is now officially the All State/I Got Worms Sugar Bowl.

Kamani Thomas Interview

2011-12-30T20:23:00.000-08:00

Michigan only has four spots left in the 2012 recruiting class. After the coaches gained a commitment from Drake Johnson and missed out on Brionte Dunn and a few other running back prospects, they seem to be done with RB recruiting this year. Theres nothing to worry about, though. Hoke and Co. are already looking forward to what the running backs in the 2013 class have to offer.

Kamani Thomas(Photo Courtesy of Rivals)

One 2013 prospect to look out for on the recruiting trail next year is Dallas (Ga) East Paulding High School RB Kamani Thomas. Thomas is a 5-foot-9 190 pound running back has been compared by some to Alabama's current running back, Trent Richardson. It's a general consensus that Thomas will be the number one running back prospect in Georgia for next year. Thomas is the complete package at his respected position. He is extremely elusive, which gives him the "shake and bake ability" that leaves defenders in the dust. He has enough top-end speed to outrun almost everyone that he faces on the turf. Lastly, he has the physicality and strength to plow defenders over while running in the open field. He doesn't shy away from contact whether it's on the edge of the field or between the hasmarks. He also resembles Richardson mainly because of his pass-catching ability out of the backfield, which may be Thomas's most valuable asset.Thomas said in an article a few months back that Michigan was his 'dream school'. "If it was my choice, I’d sign with Michigan,” Thomas told the AJC. “I’ve always been a Michigan fan. My dad is a Michigan fan. I’ve got a lot of family up there.”

Kamani Thomas runs around a defender(Photo Courtesy of Dallas-Hiram Patch)

I recently got in contact with Kamani and he agreed to talk with me and do a quick interview.

SimplyComplex: You've come out and said that Michigan is your outright leader, what do you like the most about Michigan?

Kamani Thomas: I've always liked michigan and now that there back to the I-Formation I like them even more.

SC: How did your Michigan visit go?

KT: The visit was okay, expected a little more out of it,though. (Me:What do you mean?)
I just figured we would be able to talk to the coaches more than what we did and really look at things around the campus or facilities.

SC: Did you talk to any of the coaches? If so, what about?

KT: I talked to Coach Montgomery for a second, but thats about it.

SC: Any you good friends with any other players in Georgia?

KT: Yes, I'm good friends with Shaq Wiggins. He's a great cornerback.

SC: What are you looking for in a university and coaching staff?

KT: In the coaching staff I'm just looking for that winning environment and that want for me as much as me for them.

SC: How does it feel to be the number one RB in the state of Georgia?

KT: Being No. 1 RB is humbling just gotta keep working hard to stay there.

SC: What kind of runner would you describe yourself?

KT: I would describe myself as a power runner, but fast enough to out-run a defender if I have to.

SC: What other schools have been recruiting you?
KT: Alabama, Georgia Tech, Georgia, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Duke, Southern Miss, Troy, and LSU.

Kamani Thomas Sophomore Highlights

As you can see, Thomas will be one of the premiere backs in the entire country come next year. As a sophomore, Thomas ran for 1,901 yards in 13 games, averaged 8 yards a game, ran an average 22 times a game, and scored 22 total touchdowns. Thomas visited Michigan a few weeks back, and came away thoroughly impressed. Thomas hasn't received a Michigan offer yet, but I'm positive that the coaches will be in contact with him soon enough to give him that prestigious Michigan offer.

Site News and new friends

2011-12-29T01:08:00.000-08:00

I am sure you noticed but we have new contributor to the site. Brook Banks. He will give us some deeper looks at commits and prospects that Michigan will be bringing or going after. I think this will be a great addition to the site since with High School prospects were never really know much about their game other then the stats they put up or the "they are so fast they can catch a chicken" memes. Brooks first post was on Jehu Chesson and it was a dandy.

So everyone welcome him and follow this dude, he is what I call "legit".

Also I will have a live blog up this Saturday Night(12am). It will be the only pre-bowl Live blog. Be there or else.

Film Breakdown: Jehu Chesson

2011-12-27T21:55:00.000-08:00

Here's my plan, I'm going to watch the highlight films of current Michigan commits, and do a deep breakdown of what I see. My hope is to give you a better understanding of what makes each player so talented. Also I hope to be more specific and less general.

Each player is unique in the way they play the game. For example Junior Hemingway is a much different receiver than Jeremy Gallon. Junior Hemingway is a physical receiver who is great at boxing out a DB on a jump ball, whereas Jeremy Gallon is a quick, elusive receiver who is good at running with the ball after the catch. My point is that every player has those attributes that make them unique and affect how they are used. After reading these articles I hope you feel like you know exactly what kind of player Michigan is getting.

We will start this series with commit 24, Jehu Chesson. As a Wide Receiver five skills determine how successful a player is: hands, route running, speed/acceleration, athleticism, and physicality/separation.

Highlights
Junior Year http://youtu.be/OUbwWqLOFOg
Senior Year http://youtu.be/y64PkHcuhrM

Hands- First thing that jumps out at me is the way he catches the ball, it's textbook. He catches the ball using his hands and fingers with his arms extended away from his body. This kind of technique leads me to believe he rarely drops passes. Rarely, if ever, does he catch the ball with his body. He is not afraid to catch the ball over the middle of the field. This is where catching the ball with your hands is very important. If you catch the ball with your body it's harder to maintain possession of the ball. If you have a firm grip on the ball with your hands it's easier to control. I also like the ability to catch under thrown balls near the ground, this shows great hand-eye coordination. He has multiple catches like this and is a valuable skill. Lastly, the first play of his junior highlight tape, you cant catch a jump ball any better than that. He high points the ball very well, (catches the ball at the highest point of his jump). In all, Chesson looks to have excellent technique catching the football.

Route Running- To me this is the area of Chesson's game that needs to improve the most. Running good routes is all about timing, especially in Michigan's offense. There are a couple different plays where Jehu gets pushed off his route or cuts off a route early and this causes him to be in the wrong spot of the field. That leads to inaccurate passes. Because these are highlight tapes this only leads to the sliding or diving ground catches I already talked about. I am assuming this caused a few incompletions that we don't see on his tapes. He needs to do a better job of breaking off his routes to get separation too. When making a cut you need to drop your hips, get low, and explode out of your break. Jehu doesn't really do any of that, more simply he just runs his routes from point A to point B to point C. I would say that isn't much different than most other high school wide receivers. One positive is that route running is something that can be coached and I'm sure the coaches at Michigan can't wait to teach him the correct way to run routes.

Speed/Acceleration- When talking about this I am only going by one thing, what I see. No forty times, track times, or any other measure of speed other than how fast a player looks on film. I will start by saying Jehu's speed is good not great. Jehu is a player that is great at catching screens and turning them into a lot of yards. His running motion is very fluid and he can absolutely be a threat at getting yards after the catch. However, too many times you expect him to hit that next level and just take off from the rest of the pack. That rarely happens with him and that is against high school level talent, players will be much faster in college. Luckily with his height at 6'3, he doesn't need to be a burner. He has plenty of speed to stretch the field and be a real deep threat without being a true game breaker.

Athleticism- This is what makes Jehu such an intriguing prospect to me, he really is a great athlete. At 6'3, body control and leaping ability can make an average player look like a superstar. And the first play in his junior year highlight screams superstar, that is an amazing play at any level of football. When he gets the ball he doesn't look to be explosive, but instead elusive. He is very good at making one or two cuts that get an extra 5-10 yards, that should carry over into college. What makes him great in my opinion is his leaping ability and body control while in the air. I already talked about the first play of his junior tape, but on many occasions he out jumps a defender or catches the ball and adjusts in the air. One play that to me really shows off his athleticism is at 3:05 on his senior highlight tape, he catches the ball and as soon as he lands he makes a cut away from the defender in front of him. You just can't teach that kind of athleticism.

Physicality/Separation- Jehu looks like a different player in his senior season compared to his junior season, this says to me that he is still developing physically. Watch the play at 2:30 of his Senior highlight tape and that will tell you everything you need to know about his physicality. At 6'3 and 185 lbs, he has the frame to add 20 pounds and be just as effective and athletic. Separation is always the overlooked skill every wide receiver needs to succeed. Separation is basically the ability to get off the line of scrimmage and get space between yourself and the corner back. There are two ways to do this. First one is to be quicker and faster than the corner. The second is to be more physical and out muscle the corner. Jehu has enough speed to get separation from some corners but his size and ability to put a defender on his back hip is what makes him special. That natural ability is what makes guys like Zack Novak good rebounders in basketball or how Junior Hemingway has saved all of us from doing a lot of cussing at Denard this past season.

In Conclusion- Jehu Chesson to me looks like a very complete wide receiver. He will never be a game breaker in the sense of a Mario Manningham or Steve Breaston. He is a taller receiver that can go up over a defense to make a catch and get some yards after the catch. In my mind I am seeing a Jason Avant type player. I am not sure how he is only a 3 star. I think we found a very good player that I am excited to see in the Maize and Blue.

Oh By The Way- Since this is my first post ever, I would love to hear feedback and opinions be them positive or negative. Also if you would like, please follow me on twitter @iAmBrookBanks
(Be advised, that is a personal account and is not Michigan sports based. I am a theatre student who performs stand up comedy and from time to time I like to make jokes. I just need more followers.)

We remember the 2011 regular season.....in picture form.

2011-12-24T13:37:00.000-08:00

fMichigan vs. Western Michigan

Michigan vs. Notre Dame

Michigan vs. Eastern Michigan

Michigan vs. San Diego State

Michigan vs. Minnesota

Michigan vs Northwestern

Michigan vs. Michigan State

Michigan vs. Purdue

Michigan vs. Iowa

Michigan vs. Illinois

Michigan vs. Nebraska

Michigan vs. Ohio State

Jayme Thompson has a decision date

2011-12-22T15:27:00.000-08:00

2013 Ohio Athlete Jayme Thompson from Toldeo (OH) Central Catholic high school has narrowed his list down to three suitors for his services. Thompson is listed at 5'11 and weighs about 175 lbs ., and is expected to play defensive back at the collegiate level. The three finalists who made his list were: Michigan,Notre Dame, and West Virginia. West Virginia is the only one out of the three that has actually offered him, but Michigan and Notre Dame are waiting on his transcripts to make sure that he is capable of enrolling early next year. Thompson has been in meeting with his schools councelors to get everything in order to make that possible.

Jayme Thompson( Photo Courtesy of UnderArmour)

It's quite strange that a prospect would decide on a college this early in the recruiting process, but it's his choice. Thompson is officially going to announce his decision on New Year's Day. Chris Anderson, WVU recruiting analyst at 247sports said " When he intially reported an offer from Michigan, it seemed obvious that he was going to choose the Wolverines."

Thompson has visited Michigan twice in the past few months. He was on campus a couple weeks ago, and visited Michigan when the Wolverines took on the Boilermakers. None of the recruting sites have released a star ranking for Thompson, but he is expected to be a high three star/ low four star recruit come next year.

Jehu Chesson is #24

2011-12-22T14:58:00.000-08:00

Earlier today, Michigan was able to get a commitment from Ladue (MO) Horton Watkins wide receiver Jehu Chesson. Michigan desperately needed two wide receiver prsopects in this class, and with chesson and Amara Darboh, it looks like Hoke and CO. succeded. Now, with only 4 spots left, the coaches can focus on landing some other highly regarded prospects.

Jehu Chesson(Photo Courtesy of PurpleWildcats)

"Expert Rankings"

Scout	Rivals	ESPN	24/7 Sports
3*, #82 WR	3*, #89 WR	3*, 79, #51 WR	3*, 89, #53 WR

The four services agree that Chesson is 6'3" and around 180 pounds—he's a little on the skinny side, but has a very solid frame for a wideout. As for Chesson's skills, they're mostly in agreement as well, pegging him as a middle-of-the-road three-star. ESPN and 247Sports are a little higher on Chesson than Rivals and Scout, listing him around the 50th-best WR in the class instead of down below 80. As you can tell, Rivals and Scout are the outliers in there rankings compared to 24/7 and
ESPN.

Now onto the "expert analysis" of Chesson.

Allen Trieu of Scout:
Tall, lanky receiver who can go up and get the ball. Snatches it easily out of the air, but lets too many underneath passes get into his body. Great natural athlete with good leaping ability and straight line speed, but is not an elusive guy after the catch. Must add some bulk and strength, but is tough and willing to go over the middle and make catches.

From ESPN:
Comes off the ball with explosion and a nice stride. Gets into routes quickly and can eat up cushion with an imposing charge upfield. He has some value as a vertical target due to his frame/speed combination, but we are not convinced he is a great speed guy rather a competitive one. He can really elevate and adjust to the jump ball. Positions himself nicely and will high point the ball with good extension. Has flashed the ability to make the spectacular grab look easy and can make the acrobatic grab in a crowd. He consistently catches the ball well and wastes little time getting upfield to make things happen. Can adjust and pluck on the move on poorly thrown balls. He is pretty sharp as a route runner underneath ... Chesson is not quite as crisp at the intermediate levels ... He has the skill set and fluidity to be sharper. After the catch Chesson shows strength and some wiggle to not only make you miss, but also stiff arm and lower his shoulder to power through would be tacklers. He is not a huge homerun threat in space, but given his size he is pretty nifty and can gain valuable YAC and move the chains.

Tim Sullivan from Rivals
The physical abilities are certainly there. The 6-3, 185-pound Chesson has the size to outmatch defensive backs, though he will add weight and strength before contributing at the college level. He also possesses great speed as a high school receiver. He was the state champion in the 300 meter hurdles as a junior, and has run a time of 37.44 seconds - good for No. 34 in the country among high schoolers in 2011.
"I think the thing at our level that he does is before you even line up, he creates some matchup problems because of his height and length," Tarpey said. "He's got real long arms, he does a great job of catching the ball away from his body. I think that's a nice thing so teams planning for us definitely had to account for him."

Keith Niebuhr from Rivals analysis from when Chesson attended the Nike camp in Miami:
STRENGTHS: Chesson made a splash Sunday in Coral Gables by running crisp routes and catching seemingly every pass thrown in his vicinity. He's tall and lean, was quicker than most receivers on hand, and got in and out of his breaks quite well. A hurdler in high school, his leaping ability showed up often during position drills.
WEAKNESSES: Because Chesson is a bit wiry, getting stronger is a must so college corners can't push him around at the line of scrimmage.
Derek Tyson from ESPN:
He's a great pick up. I had a chance to see him play at the Miami Nike Combine this summer. He was the most impressive receiver I saw. He is very smooth, ran great routes and had excellent hands. Very solid player. Good kid too.
Honestly, there weren't many big-time receivers at that particular camp. Notre Dame commit Justin Ferguson was there, I thought Chesson just looked much more polished as a receiver than Ferguson. I've seen Diggs and Agholor at other camps. I wouldn't say he's quite as explosive as those guys, but definitely on the same level as far as route running, hands and body control. I think he has a tremendous upside.

My analysis:
Chesson is a tall, lenghty receiver that posseses good hands and has tremendous leaping ability. As a track star at his school, Chesson has good-to-great speed and seems to be extremely elusive. Chesson is a very sharp route runner who is very fluid going in and out of his breaks. With the ball in the hnads, Chesson has the power to gain extra yards by overpowering defenders.chesson might not ever be a field strecher who has homerun ability everytime he touches the ball, but he is very serviceable in space who constantly gets YAC.

Jehu Chesson Senior Highlights

Chesson's offer list, is pretty average outside of the Michigan offer. The other two finalists for his services were Iowa and Northwestern, and he also held offers from Akron, Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Oklahoma State, and Purdue, according to Rivals. Scout also lists a UCLA offer and interest from Florida. Oklahoma State has had good success scouting and developing receiver in college so it's a sigh of relief to see them show interest in Chesson.

In his junior season, Chesson caught 53 passes for 605 yards and 11 touchdowns. In his senior season, Chesson caught 53 passes for 757 yards, an average of 14.3 yards per reception, and six touchdowns as a senior. He also scored twice on kick/punt returns.

Jehu Chesson shakes off a tackler(Photo Courtesy of The St. Louis American).

The future of Chesson looks to be very promising at Michigan. He may have to redshirt because Amara Darboh may be the more polished receiver commited right now, so I think Chesson gets beat out, but anyting can happen in a few months. Chesson will need to develop and get some good ol' fashioned conditioning before he becomes a great receiver,but like I said, the future is very bright for this young man.

Amara Darboh is # 23

2011-12-22T14:13:00.000-08:00

Amara Darboh commited to Michigan on December 4th(I'm late, I know). Amarah Darboh is Michigans first wide receiver commitment of the 2012 class. Darboh hails from West Des Moines (IA) and attends Dowling Catholics high school.

"Recruiting Experts"

Scout	Rivals	ESPN	24/7 Sports
4*, #33 WR, #206 Ovr	4*, #31 WR, #208 Ovr	3*, 78, #77 WR	4*, 93, #19 WR, #191 Ovr

The four main recruiting services all have Darboh listed around 6'2 and inbetween 190 and 205 pounds--he has good size for a receiver. Scout, Rivals, and 24/7 are really close in their evaluation of his talents, all ranking him as a four-star and right around the #200 player in the country, though 24/7 has him well higher than Scout or Rivals in their positional rankings. ESPN, however, has him ranked as a three-star and the 77th receiver in the country. It's clear that ESPN is the major outlier here.

Amara Darboh at Michigan game(Photo Courtesy of the Detroit News).

Here are some "expert analysis" on Darboh.

From ESPN:
Darboh is a combination of strength and quickness as a big receiver with a sturdy build, long arms and nice height. He is part playmaker and part possession player and against this level of competition he can really stand out. He can be an imposing player off the line and shows some physicality when pressed at the line ... Not afraid to go over the middle and will make the tough catch in traffic. Shows good leaping ability and can catch the ball thrown over his head. Tracks the ball well, and does an excellent job of adjusting to the poorly thrown ball or ball thrown to his opposite shoulder on down field throws along the sideline. Can be a body catcher at times, but secures the ball consistently. Has some wiggle in the open field after the catch for a bigger player and displays some natural open field run skills ... We are somewhat concerned about Darboh's top end speed. He does not play as fast as his listed forty times would indicate nor does he possess sudden change-of-direction after the catch.

From 247Sports:
Darboh shows exceptional speed as a bigger receiver and has another gear once he gets free from a defensive back. Quickness is another aspect that separates Darboh from his competition, as he consistently picks up big gains from short screens or pass patterns. Darboh shows excellent strength and athleticism by breaking tackles from smaller corners and staying up-right. Darboh has a natural feel for the game already by knowing where to sit in zone coverage and also working with his quarterback to find open space when he scrambles. One thing Darboh caught on to quickly was the importance of blocking at the position as he relentlessly blocks until the whistle.

High School Coach
He's a big, physical player," Dowling coach Tom Wilson said of his 6-2, 200-pounder. "I've seen him compared to Roddy White of the Falcons — a bigger guy that can run very well. He ran 4.42. He's a kid that's had an awful lot of big plays for us in his three years as a starter, and we don't have many three-year starters here. Amara is a special talent."

My Analysis
Darboh is a big, physical receiver that has elite blocking skills and has big-play ability everytime he gets his hands on the ball. He has tremendous hands which are shown when he catches the ball in traffic. Has good body control when a poorly thrown ball is thrown his way. Has good vision when in space, and shows physicality which you can see by the way he breaks away from wimpy tacklers. Darboh needs to straighten out his stance on the line of scrimmage before the snap because he stands to high leaving him vulnerable to being jammed by the corner. His route running is a cause for concern, but that can be fixed with good teaching and a change in technique. I question his top-end speed,though. He appears quick and elusive rather than fast. This isn't a big concern, but something to look out for in the future.

Amara Darboh Junior Highlights

Darboh had a lengthy offer list, with finalists Notre Dame, Florida, Iowa, and Wisconsin joined by Iowa State, Kansas State, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Vanderbilt. Rivals also shows interest but no offer from Oregon and USC. Darboh may have had more offers, but he suffered a shoulder injury during his senior season.

Despite playing in only seven games this season, Darboh amassed 48 catches for 765 yards and 11 touchdowns. As a junior, he had 49 receptions for 646 yards and 6 TDs, and in his sophomore year he recorded 25 for 371 and a TD.

Amarah Darboh makes diving catch (Photo Courtesy of Public and Paul Media)

With Michigans severe lack of depth at wide receiver, Darboh could have a chance to start as a true freshman. Even though Michigan doesn't have great depth at receiver, there may be enough depth to let Darboh take a redshirt and add more bulk to his frame. Whichever route the coaches decide to take, Darboh should be a very special talent and maybe be an all-conference player in the B1G.

Ohio, Michigan and my Brother

2011-12-08T23:35:00.000-08:00

The week leading up to the game I was searching for another student ticket for my brother with out much luck. He kept saying "don't worry about it" "I don't really want to spend the money". He has more of my dad in him. Work day in and out and rarely spend a dime. I am more like my mother. Spend it and get everything you want and can afford... Because I might die tomorrow. Justin, my brother isn't what I call normal either. I don't mean that in a bad way either. He is just different. He is more of a home body. Goes to work and comes home..repeat. He can be a bit socially awkward as I can as well. Has a hard time doing new things and talking to new people. He reminds me of Ricky Williams when he was a Saint wearing his helmet during interviews because he is so uncomfortable. That is my brother. He is a huge Michigan fan since I grew getting it from my dad and then he got it from me. He is also maybe the most hard headed person I know. He also one of those people that worry about all the little things. Will I find my seat? What if someone is standing in my spot? Most things many of us don't even think about.

Anytime I can get him to experience something I want to do it for him. So with me having Michigan Student tickets all year I figured this would be a great time for us to have this brother moment in the Michigan student section. Michigan would beat Ohio State and we would rush the field together. He would follow my lead and have something he would always remember. A few things were in the way.

1.Money-Didnt want to spend more then $70
2.ID-I had one Student ID from a friend to avoid validations stickers
3.Justin-Just getting him to go. He always needs to be talked into almost anything.

Well I found a ticket for $65 on Craigslist which is a gamble in its self. Will they show? I have had a few odd experiences with it. I called Justin who of course was "I don't have an ID... blah blah". He hadn't seen a game since row A vs Toledo in 2008... Yes freaking Toledo. I told him we could sneak the ID threw the gate and we be fine. He finally agreed.

Justin at the Toledo game. If Appy State was the Horror then Toledo was "The Horror H20"

We set out for Ann Arbor at 7am. The drive was full of his thoughts on the team and we banter back and forth on who should start on safety. We also set our plan for getting into the Big House on one Student ID with a dude on it that looked nothing like us.

Phase 1. Get ticket from seller.
Phase 2. I go through first. I would pick out a younger ticket taker. Someone who won't have the balls to confront me that it isn't my ID. Its worked all year. Those Middle aged people are assholes. They will get you.
Phase 3. Find a spot to slip my wallet through the gate to my brother
Phase 4. Have my brother enter through a young ticket taker as well.
Phase 5. Meet in his section 26 row 30.

The plan was if Phase 2 or 4 was foiled by a ticket taker then plan B was to run like Forrest Gump to another side of the Big House. That is why we would only hold the ID and not give it over.

Sounds easy enough. I was worried about ushers at the sections checking Student IDs since we only had one. It had only happened a few times to me.

We got down to A2 and found our $10 church parking. Its a hell of a walk but screw it. Its 10 bucks. They also have bathrooms open. We wait for the student to meet us with the ticket. I was nervous as hell that he would no show and we be screwed but he did show and sold us his extra ticket. We then scouted the Big House gates for cracks in their secret service esk security. It wasn't hard. Most of the people watching the gates were younger folk and no one was watching them behind any of the vendors or store with Michigan gear. So Justin just followed me on the outside the Big House as I snuck behind that little store that looks like a mobile home. I gave him my wallet with no issues.

I headed back to the front to wait for him. A large group waited to get through. I waited 5min and 10mins. Wondering if something had went wrong. You get that roller coaster feeling... Like shit man..WE ALL ARE GONNA DIE!!. Then out of no where Justin taps me on the shoulder and smiles. He claimed the gate kid double looked at his ID and had to know it didn't match but didn't have the nuts to say anything. So the plan had worked. Young ticket takers are the weak link of the Big House.

We find his section 26 and give him the ID. I would be better at BSing a usher about why I didn't have my student ID. He made it through with out any issues. I found my section of 34 and went in. The students were on time? Not what I expected. So going across 8 sections was gonna be a real chore. Found my way down to the row 30 something and started going across. Pissing off one student after another with getting in the way.. Weaving in and out of rows.

Then my brain failed me. I have dyslexia(that explains why I can't write right?). It gets me all the time. It came to me that Justin was in section 29 and not 26. The 9 and 6 flipped in my brain. So I got to section 29 and was looking all over row 30 for Justin. I couldn't find him. The band was about to play so I stood in row 30 in section 29 using my eyes to look for my brother. I could hear the kids next to me whisper to their friends... "Who is this guy?"

It was about kick off and the students had pretty much all gotten there. As the Ball was kicked off a young girl told my I was standing in her spot. I said sorry and moved on. I was in no mans land. No open spots. I wasn't gonna go back to 34. So I head up to where the freshmen sat in the upper rows. Maybe I could see Justin from there I thought. Still not knowing I was in the wrong section. Of course nothing. I must have stuck out like a sore thumb. Wedding ring on, not wearing anything "North Face". Everyone around me looked like babies. In my normal section of 34 I didn't feel as out of sorts since they were all older students.

I thought as the game went on that I would just have to wait tell half time to head back down for another look. I was having a blast watching the game, even from my far away perch in row 70 something. I thought I bet Justin is freaking out. He has issues talking to new people. I bet he wonders if I got caught with out an ID. I worried... That he was worried. He didn't have a cell phone(another thing to add to why he is "different"). So my worst nightmare is that we never find each other and I hope he remembers how to get back to the car which I didn't think he would. Lots of my worries would be whisked away as Denard ran into the endzone or RVB would blow up the OSU offensive line. I just hoped he was having fun and wasn't stuck in his shell. I slapped hands and hugged kids that could also be my younger brother or sister. I was having fun as Michigan seemed to be in some what of control but not really as they were down at half 24 to 23.

Half time came and it there was no way I would be able to go down there and look(I wouldn't have found him anyway). Students don't leave for pizza, water or peeing. They pretty much stayed put. I wasn't gonna go down and piss people off why wondering around and making people move. So I stayed and watch Michigan play beautiful offense and frustrating defense.

After Miller spiked on 3rd down... A Grinch like grin came across my face. This was it. My brother not at my side to share a moment that we have waited for since 2003 was crushing. He was 12 and I was 19 on that day in 2003 when Chris Perry and Braylon Edwards danced across the Big House with Roses in their mouth. The day we have been dreaming of was so close yet we were so far a part in Michigan Stadium. It didn't seem right but destiny made it this way. Miller throws the ball and it is picked off by Courtney Avery! Michigan Wins! Courtney Avery will never know this but his play on that football created a memory that will last a life time between two brothers.

As the students poured onto the field and I stuck in a log jam at the top of the Big House. I hoped my brother was on the field having the time of his life. For one day in his life he got to live the life of a Michigan student in the Big House on a day that Michigan beat the Buckeyes. I did as well. Both of us not accepted to Michigan for whatever reason(ehh my 3.1 GPA maybe? Yeah). We ended up going to places we never really wanted to go. Our hearts always in Ann Arbor. This day was for us. A big fuck you to all the people who have taken shots at us for bleeding maize and blue and not attending the school. This was Michigans moment and ours.

I gave up on getting down to the field as the group of people seemed to jam even more. As I exited section 29 wondering what the hell to do... It finally hit me. 26!!!! ahhhh haaa! I raced to 26 to be stopped by a usher as I tried to get through the people who were coming out. Luck with have it that a drunken student and an OSU fan would come out of the section in each others face. The usher left me to split them up. I rushed in section 26. It was like swimming up stream. I finally made it down to 30 and didn't see Justin. I was sorta hoping not to find him and that he was on the field having an experience. I didn't want to find him in his shell watching the celebration from his seat and waiting for me. Then I spotted him hopping up and down by the players on the field and celebrating. He then jumped up the wall and saw me. He ran to me and we hugged off 7 years of frustration. I held back but I could have shed a tear easy. We then sat in Michigan Stadium for 45 mins and talked about the game and how we got split. He said he spent all game lifting up girls and mingling with students. He then was some of the first to rush the field and had the time of his life as Michigan beat Ohio State. Maybe we were meant to be split up all game so Justin could do something on his own and not depend on me to have fun or show him the way. He made his own friends that day. Something that is not easy for him. It made me happy that he just let it rip and was himself.

On the walk back to the car as dusk fell we laughed and talked about how it was the best $65 he ever spent. We called our mother who had watched the game and was thrilled to hear that her son was coming out of his shell a bit and she was also happy that Michigan finally did it. I asked Justin what he would have done if we never found each other. He said "sleep on the field".

On that day my brother and I became even closer. We shared something even though we were sections apart. We were there when Michigan beat Ohio State in 2011 and went 10-2....

This was our day fergodsakes.

This post is dedicated to my brother. Love yea braaaaa!

Midnight Maize 368

2011-12-01T21:00:00.001-08:00


Burrows stepping in front of the receiver for an interception.

Expected 2012 Prospects:	Position	247sports	Scout
Erik Magnuson	OT	**** 96 OVR	****
Caleb Stacey	OG	*** 85 OVR	***
Chris Wormley	DE/DT	**** 96 OVR	****
A.J. Williams	TE/OL	*** 86 OVR	***
Matt Godin	DE/DT	**** 91 OVR	***
Anthony Standifer	CB/S	*** 87 OVR	***
Royce Jenkins-Stone	LB	**** 93 OVR	****
Pharoah Brown	DE	**** 92 OVR	***
Mario Ojemudia	DE/LB	*** 89 OVR	****
Greg Garmon	RB	**** 92 OVR	****
Danny O'Brien	DT	**** 93 OVR	****
Jordan Payton	WR	**** 92 OVR	****
Zach Banner	OT	**** 94 OVR	*****
Efe Scott-Emuakpor	WR	** 77 OVR	**

As of now, not visisting:
Tom Strobel	DE	**** 93 OVR	****
Kyle Kalis	OL	**** 96 OVR	*****
Yuri Wright	CB	***** 98 OVR	****
Amara Darboh	WR	**** 94 OVR	****
Aziz Shittu	DE	**** 95 OVR	****
Josh Garnett	OT	**** 96 OVR	*****
Darius Powe	WR	*** 89 OVR	***

Expected 2013 Prospects:
Shane Morris	QB	**** 97 OVR	*****
Steve Elmer	OT	**** 97 OVR	N/R
Kyle Bosch	OT/OG	**** 96 OVR	****
Wyatt Shallman	RB/DE	**** 94 OVR	N/R
Jon Reschke	LB	**** 92 OVR	N/R
Shaq Wiggins	CB	*** 88 OVR	N/R
Dymonte Thomas	S	N/R	N/R
Matt Miller	DE	N/R	N/R
Cameron Dillard	OG	N/R	N/R
Laquon Treadwell	WR	N/R	N/R
Kenton Gibbs	DT	N/R	N/R
Poet Thomas	DT	N/R	N/R
Brogan Roback	QB	N/R	N/R
Cameron Burrows	DB	N/R	N/R
Taco Charlton	DE	N/R	N/R

State College bound?
Ben Gedeon	ATH	N/R	N/R
Bri'onte Dunn	RB	**** 94 OVR	*****


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