2007 Recruiting class No. 9: Michigan

Lloyd Carr and the Michigan Wolverines produced yet another Top 10 recruiting class. The Maize & Blue had a very good 2006 campaign on the field and that success led to the signing of 20 solid football prospects led by the top fullback in the nation Vince Helmuth. Helmuth, a 6-foot-1, 235-pounder from Saline, Mich., is a punishing blocker, bruising ball carrier and he has the agility and athletic ability of Mike Alstott.

Ryan Mallett, a 6-foot-6, 230-pound, gunslinger from Texarkana, Texas, will be groomed to take over for Chad Henne in 2008. Some say Mallett is a better quarterback with more upside than Notre Dame signee Jimmy Clausen.

This is a balanced class for Michigan that filled its needs on both sides of the ball. The Wolverines signed three outstanding defensive back prospects. Safety Artis Chambers from Snider High in Ft. Wayne, Ind., is a tremendous hitter and tackler with ball hawk abilities.

Impact Player: Donovan Warren, CB, Long Beach, Calif.

Donovan Warren, a 6-foot, 175-pound, cornerback from Poly high in Long Beach, Calif., is arguably the top cover man in the country. Warren had scholarship offers from the who’s who in college football and we look for him to have an immediate impact in Ann Arbor next season.

Austin Panter, a 6-foot-5, 235-pound, linebacker from Butler Community College in El Dorado, Kan., is a JUCO prospect that could compete for early playing time. Panter is a dominating inside linebacker that runs extremely well. He’ll compete for the vacant linebacker spot left by David Harris.

Plenty of help is on the way on the offensive side of the ball for Michigan and we’ve seen two of these prospects up close and in person. David Molk, a 6-foot-2, 275-pound, center, from Lemont, Ill., and Toney Clemons, a 6-foot-3, 190-pound, wide receiver from Valley high in New Kensington, Pa., both participated in and were teammates in the inaugural MSL Sports East Meets West All-American game.

Molk is an aggressive road grader who doesn’t stop until the whistle is blown. David is a barrel chested lineman that’s extremely strong and plays the game with a mean streak. He’s going to be a good one and we know that Wolverine offensive line coach Andy Moeller can’t wait to get Molk on campus.

Clemons is a tremendous athlete with home run speed. Toney has an infectious personality that seems to rub off on his teammates. Clemons is extremely competitive; he’s fearless and wants the ball in his hands. Mallett to Clemons could be the next great pass-catch combination in Ann Arbor.

Sleeper: Ryan VanBergen, DE, Whitehall, Mich.

A potential surprise in this class could be Ryan VanBergen, a 6-foot-5, 260-pound, defensive end, from Whitehall, Mich. VanBergen didn’t receive the fan fare that many of the top defensive end prospects did around the country but he has all the skills to be a tremendous college football player. VanBergen gave Michigan an early verbal commit and although he’ll most likely red-shirt in 2007, he could end up being the top player in this recruiting class when the dust settles.

Complete list of signees:
1.    Zion Babb         WR
2.    Artis Chambers     DB
3.    Toney Clemons     WR
4.    Marell Evans         LB
5.    Vince Helmuth     FB
6.    Junior Hemingway     WR
7.    Brandon Herron     LB
8.    Avery Horn         RB
9.    Mark Huyge         OL
10.    Ryan Mallett         QB
11.    David Molk         OL
12.    Austin Panter         LB
13.    James Rogers         DB
14.    Renaldo Sagesse     DL
15.    Ryan Van Bergen     DE
16.    Donovan Warren     DB
17.    Steve Watson         TE
18.    Martell Webb         TE
19.    Michael Williams     DB
20.    Troy Woolfolk     DB

MSL Sports is a nationally recognized scouting and recruiting organization serving both universities, athletes and media organizations.  MSL is the only company to provide, through our 13 combines, the Video on Demand technology that allows coaches to view individual combine workouts online.   In addition, MSL is the creators of the East Meets West High School All-American Game football game as well as many other sports media properties.  To learn more or to register for an event, please visit www.mslcombines.com.