NCAA Football

We've just had another big domino fall on the recruiting trail, as stud RB Derrick Green has committed to Michigan, per the Richmond Times Dispatch. Big Blue always sat pretty with the Virginia native, and now he's officially a Wolverine.

This is great news for Brady Hoke, as it solidifies a top-10 class is coming to Ann Arbor for the second consecutive year. Green gives Michigan a big back at 6'0" and nearly 230 pounds who also has great straight-line speed.

Of course, with a commitment of this magnitude, rankings will see some movement. I'm here to give you an update of the Big Ten recruiting rankings board now that Michigan has landed Derrick Green.

Does Green give the Wolverines enough ammo to fend off their rivals, Ohio State? Or do the Buckeyes have the better and top class in the B1G? Let's find out right now!

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Auburn missed out on landing one of the top RBs in the country on Saturday afternoon when RB Derrick Green announced his college plans to attend Michigan. 

Green is a powerful back with speed that would have fit perfectly into head coach Gus Malzahn's high-octane offense. 

All is not lost for Auburn, though. Missing on Green stings a little, but it won't cripple Auburn at the RB position. As things currently stand, Auburn has depth, that is mostly unproven, at the RB position. 

Top JUCO RB Cameron Artis-Payne committed to Auburn and has already enrolled in classes. He will take part in Auburn's spring practice in just a couple of months. Along with Artis-Payne, the Tigers still have RBs Tre Mason, Mike Blakely and Corey Grant. 

Artis-Payne will likely be used as more of a power back in Malzahn's offense, much like Ben Tate and Mike Dyer were in 2009 and 2010, respectively. 

Mason was thrust into the role of Auburn's featured back in 2012 and responded by having a 1,000-yard rushing season. Mason proved the doubters who said his size would not allow him to run between the tackles wrong. 

Blakely showed tremendous potential in 2012. He was Auburn's leading rusher in Week 2 against Mississippi State. Blakely spent a lot of time in former head coach Gene Chizik's doghouse after a costly fumble against Louisiana-Monroe in Week 3. 

Alabama transfer and Opelika, AL native Corey Grant gave Auburn fans high hopes after his performance in last year's spring game. When the regular season rolled around, Grant did not see any meaningful snaps at the RB position. 

Just because Auburn whiffed on signing Derrick Green and has depth, it does not mean that the Tigers are done recruiting at the RB position. Ideally, Auburn will sign two more RBs in the 2013 class, in addition to Artis-Payne. 

Auburn lost the commitment of 4-star RB Jordan Wilkins in what was more of a mutual break-up. 

The Auburn coaching staff is after a pair of Notre Dame RB commits, Tarean Folston and Greg Bryant. Folston took an official visit to Auburn on the weekend of Jan. 19. Auburn coaches are working to secure a visit from Bryant. 

Another player at the RB position to keep an eye on is Ole Miss commit Peyton Barber. Barber has an Auburn offer and took an unofficial visit on Jan. 5. 

Auburn may try to put some pressure on Alabama commitment, 4-star Alltee Tenpenny. He is an Arkansas native and Auburn TE coach Tim Horton was his lead recruiter for the Razorbacks when Horton was on staff in Fayetteville.

Another Alabama commitment that Auburn may pursue is RB Tyren Jones. Jones holds an Auburn offer and was recruited by Rodney Gardner to UGA when Gardner was recruiting coordinator for the Bulldogs. 

Although Auburn would have loved to have gained the commitment of Green, the swing-and-miss is not crippling to the RB position. It should be fun to watch how Auburn responds leading up to national signing day with as many options as it has. 

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Five-star running back Derrick Green is heading to Ann Arbor and will have an instant impact on Brady Hoke's offense. 

The 6'0", 220-pounder has tremendous speed. His commitment is a huge deal for the Michigan Wolverines. Expect to see him on the field this fall.  

According to 247Sports compositie ranking, Green is the No. 3 recruit in Virginia, the No. 4 RB and the No. 26 recruit in the country. 

Full Ride is Bleacher Report's weekly college football recruiting show that pulls back the curtain to give you the hottest news, analysis, interviews and highlights.

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Highlight video courtesy of 247Sports.com.

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The weeks and months of speculation are finally over, and Michigan Wolverines fans can now rejoice, breathe a little easier and shift their focus to the fall of 2013 because 5-star running back Derrick Green will wear the Maize and Blue winged helmet during his collegiate football career. 

Green—the No. 1-ranked running back of the 2013 class—chose Michigan over SEC programs Auburn and Tennessee, announcing his decision during today's 4 p.m. press conference at Hermitage High (Va.). 

Thoughts of what Green is capable of doing to Big Ten linebackers are plenty. Thoughts of just how he will benefit an ailing Wolverines rushing attack are ever present. 

The powerful 6'0," 220-pounder tallied nine rushing touchdowns during his senior year before earning a laundry list of All-Everything accolades. Green averaged nearly 13 yards per carry and 160 per game this past season for the Panthers (10-1). 

He's incredibly difficult to tackle, and he'll undoubtedly prove himself this fall when he faces Big Ten linebackers for the first time.

Yes, even as a true freshman, Green will receive his fair share of totes in Wolverines offensive coordinator Al Borges' scheme. 

The Power-I formation, the ground-and-pound, the Bo-style of owning the field is perfect for Green, a one-time Ohio State target. Given the Wolverines' struggles while running in 2012, Green will surely inject a new level of excitement into Michigan's backfield. 

 

First Year? No Problem

There aren't many true freshmen who get a chance to shine in the Big Ten. The level of talent is among the best in the land, but Green's game is undeniable; he's something special, and it doesn't make sense to shelve him for any reason. 

The Wolverines averaged 183 yards on the ground per game in 2012. Of course, the bulk of that load was carried by quarterback Denard Robinson. Now that "Shoelace" has completed his term in Ann Arbor, Michigan needs another reliable horse to run, run, run. 

Robinson became a Michigan legend during his time with the Wolverines. His athleticism is off the charts. But the Wolverines tailored their scheme—as much as possible, anyway—to cater to Robinson's strength. 

Unfortunately for Michigan, that meant running more of a spread style filled with option-reads and misdirection plays. That works elsewhere, but it's not what works for Michigan. 

Getting back to "Michigan football" has been coach Brady Hoke's mantra the past three years. Now that Hoke has Green, he'll no longer have to worry about his quarterback getting smashed each time the Wolverines take to the ground.

He won't have to cover his eyes and hope for the best when Green carries the ball. Well, he may cover his eyes while Green bulldozes Buckeyes and Spartans linebackers, but that's another story. 

 

Move Over Thomas Rawls and Fitz Toussaint

Sophomore Thomas Rawls definitely made strides this past year. The Flint native has been compared to former Alabama star Mark Ingram, also of Flint, and appeared to be on the fast track to the spotlight in Michigan's backfield. 

Michigan couldn't decide which back to use, so Rawls was shuffled in and out of the lineup while struggling junior Fitz Toussaint took on the lion's share of rushing duties. Toussaint was ineffective before his gruesome season-ending injury suffered against Iowa. 

Here's a look at Rawls' and Toussaint's numbers: Rawls (57 carries, 242 yards, four touchdowns), Toussaint (130 carries, 514 yards, five touchdowns). 

Opinions vary, but there were a lot of Wolverines fans who felt Rawls should have been placed into the No. 1 role as early as Week 3 or 4. Unfortunately for Rawls, he may never get a real shot at showing off his Ingram-like skills. 

Green's arrival will spark a fiery competition. Get ready for that one. 

Now that Michigan has its man in Green, the Wolverines have three solid options to start at running back. Don't forget about De'Veon Smith; he's another big-bodied wrecking ball that fits Borges' and Hoke's system. 

However, it's hard not to speculate about Green. It's incredibly difficult to think that he won't have an immediate impact in Ann Arbor. Now that he's safely secure with Michigan, the rest of the Big Ten will have no other choice but to fear the Wolverines' talent-saturated backfield. 

 

Follow Bleacher Report's Michigan Wolverines football writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81

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While South Carolina will return a significant amount of players from its elite defense in 2013, the Gamecocks have a glaring hole at linebacker after losing five seniors at that position. 

With Shaq Wilson, DeVonte Holloman, Reginald Bowens, Quin Smith and Damario Jeffery all having used up their eligibility at South Carolina, the Gamecocks need their young linebackers to step up. 

Though they do have several young studs, such as Kaiwan Lewis and Mason Harris, already waiting in the wings in Columbia, one incoming freshman in Steve Spurrier's 2013 recruiting class stands out as a potential immediate impact player. 

Larenz Bryant, 4-star linebacker who is the nation's fourth-ranked inside linebacker by Rivals, has the talent and athleticism to see significant playing time upon his arrival on campus. 

Byrant only weighs 210 pounds, but he makes up for it with his 4.58 speed and impressive range. Those assets translate well onto the field, as the young linebacker has outstanding closing speed and can catch opponents from anywhere on the field. 

Due to his slight frame, Bryant will likely spend most of his time on the outside at South Carolina, perhaps in place of the departing weak-side linebacker Wilson, a long-time veteran who only weighs 224 pounds himself. 

The North Carolina native demonstrates excellent blitzing ability as well, often getting into the backfield before his opponents know what hit them. This asset will be a key addition to Lorenzo Ward's aggressive defense in 2013. 

Back in 2012, Ward told Willie T. Smith III of GreenvilleOnline.com:

"When we saw what we had when we used the rabbit package on third downs (playing four defensive ends up front), we feel like we didn’t have to bring pressure all the time," Ward said. "We probably would have to bring more if we didn’t come up with that particular package, but we really didn’t have to blitz as much."

With the loss of athletic defensive end Devin Taylor, whose long strides and 6'8" frame were some of the biggest reasons for the success of the "rabbit package," Ward will likely have to bring more heat from his young, athletic linebacker corps in 2013.

Bryant is definitely capable of contributing to Ward's aggressive game plan. However, he does have some areas where he would need to improve.

According to ESPN's Chris Low, Spurrier complimented his defensive coordinator by explaining that he's "coaching a very sound, fundamental scheme."

If Bryant wants to make an early impact, he'll have to improve on just that—the fundamentals. The incoming freshman was able to get by in high school with his physicality and athleticism, often tackling high with his arms instead of getting low and running through the tackle with his body. 

In the SEC, Bryant will have to improve on wrapping up and lowering his body to take down the likes of Todd Gurley and T.J. Yeldon if he wants to succeed. 

Nonetheless, Bryant's talent, potential and athleticism will provide the Gamecocks, at the very least, some much-needed depth and upside in an inexperienced corps of linebackers. 

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Recruiting is the most inexact science in sports. 

An easy way to get lost in the recruiting shuffle is to glare at star ratings and statistics. Star ratings are the least accurate of the two deciphering points, but stats can be equally deceiving.

There are five stats that really get overhyped often, and this is a breakdown of what they are and how they can mislead a casual recruiting follower. 

How recruits will develop over four years is tough to judge, but there are signs that coaches look for to choose who they believe will develop into star talent once they arrive at the next level. Here is why you don’t need to get lost in the stats shuffle. 

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Having Shane Morris ride the pine for a season would benefit the Michigan Wolverines.

247Sports' composite rankings have the De La Salle Collegiate High School senior at No. 71.

Morris committed to Michigan way back in May of 2011 (h/t AnnArbor.com). He was invited to the Under Armour All-American Game this year, but had a very poor showing, finishing 2-of-10 for the game with an interception. Kyle Meinke of MLive.com did a good job of chronicling his difficulties in the buildup to the All-American Game.

Those who saw Morris came away largely unimpressed.

It was the culmination of a rather poor run for Morris, as reported by Meinke. Morris fell in Rivals' rankings and lost a star from his status, thus becoming a 4-star quarterback.

As a result, some of the gloss on Morris' arrival has worn off.

Michigan might normally be concerned if it didn't already have a steady QB situation for 2013. Devin Gardner did a very good job after replacing Denard Robinson in 2012. He passed for 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns to only five interceptions. Gardner also rushed for another 101 yards.

The Wolverines will be a very good football team with him at the helm. He is largely unproven, but he's likely at least as good of a passer as Robinson was.

With all of the momentum having been almost completely drained from Morris coming into Ann Arbor next season, the timing is perfect for him to take a step back in regard to his Wolverine career. Having him sit out his freshman year will help his development greatly.

It's not as if all of a sudden he's a poor quarterback because he dropped in recruiting rankings. He has the tools to succeed. Now it's up to the Michigan coaching staff to hone his skills.

If anything, the poor run just helped to ground fans' expectations, which is only going to help Morris.

The Wolverines don't need a quarterback to come in and throw for 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. They need a QB who will be able to manage the game and help move the ball down the field.

Michigan won a split of the 1997 national title with Brian Griese and then the 2000 Orange Bowl with Tom Brady. Neither of those guys lit up the field.

Morris can take a year off and learn the Wolverines' playbook while adjusting a little more to college football. By the time Gardner is done, Morris can take over.

He's going to be the quarterback of the future. At this point, it's important that he has plenty of time to settle in and find his groove. Redshirting his freshman season will pay huge dividends for both player and school.

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