Michigan Wolverines College Football: Preseason News and Notes

The Michigan football team ushered in a new era this week with the opening of coach Brady Hoke's first training camp.

Hoke's been given the responsibility of resurrecting the program which had fallen into disfavor over the last three seasons.

If progress on the 2012 recruiting class is any indication, Hoke seems to be up to the task.

One of Hoke's goals is to return Michigan football to the hard-hitting, hard-working brand which became commonplace during the Schembechler-Moeller-Carr regimes.

Most of the players reported to camp with either more, or less, weight, but definitely added strength. Defensive end Craig Roh is up 18 pounds to 269, while defensive tackle, Will Campbell, actually dropped about 20 pounds to get down to 322.

By and large, the team looks bigger. Just a peek at the freshmen offensive linemen shows Hoke is leaving an imprint. Tony Posada (338 lbs) and Chris Bryant (341 lbs) are huge.

There are many  stories circulating around Ann Arbor. Let's take a look at some of them.

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Mattison Already Paying Dividends

Most Michigan fans were thrilled that Brady Hoke was able to bring Greg Mattison over from the Baltimore Ravens. All Mattison did was help create one of the better defenses in the NFL.

So don't be surprised if Michigan's defense  is competitive sooner than we think. The first-year defensive coordinator simply wants the Wolverines to be more physical.

To do so, he's already moved Will Campbell from the bench to the starting defensive tackle slot and bulked up Craig Roh and Cam Gordon. He's also designed plays so Mike Martin can occasionally vacate his nose tackle spot to line up outside.

This would place his players in the “best possible position to affect the outcome of the ballgame,” Mattison said.

Freshman Wile Could Play Dual Role

When Michigan fans learned that kicker Matt Wile was recruited from the West Coast, there was a collective sigh of relief.

After all, Michigan's two kickers combined for a dismal four of 14 field goals during the 2010 season. Now with the four-game suspension of punter Will Hagerup, Wile might become "Miracle Worker" times two.

Could Wile also be the punter?

"You could see him do both," Hoke told the media gathered in Ann Arbor.  

Wile averaged 41.0 yards per punt during his high school senior year, while making nine of 12 field goal attempts. 

Relief: Woolfolk, Floyd Arrive at Full Strength

What was a tremendous detriment to last season's defense, has become become a position of strength.

Last August, cornerback Troy Woolfolk suffered a horrible leg injury, postponing his senior season for a whole year. The loss left inexperienced James Rogers, J.T. Floyd, freshman Courtney Avery and walk-on Tony Anderson to man the corners. To make matters worse, Floyd injured his ankle and missed the last five games.

Michigan fans have been concerned all summer, wondering if the injuries to Woolfolk and Floyd would linger.

But Coach Hoke was the bearer of good news. "We are  pretty healthy. Troy (Woolfolk) is full speed. (JT) Floyd is full speed," he said.

By adding Greg Brown, who enrolled early, and the incoming group of freshman, the cornerback position. which was horribly thin last season now has plenty of depth.    

Prediction: Legends Crown to Wolverines

Trying to make sense of what could be a topsy-turvy 2011 Big Ten season, I came across the College Football News picks for the Legends and Leaders Divisions.  You guessed it (and this is Scout we're talking about), they picked Michigan to win the first Legends' crown.

Here's their order of finish: Click on College Football News above to get their reasoning.

1. Michigan, 2. Nebraska, 3. MSU, 4. Iowa., 5. NW, 6. Minn. 

Denard Robinson, Ryan Van Bergen Named to National Watch Lists

Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson and Wolverine defensive end Ryan Van Bergen were recently added to a pair of national watch lists.

Robinson, who won the 2010 Chicago Tribune MVP Award, is eligible for the Paul Hornung Award, which goes to the nation's most versatile player.

Van Bergen, who had 37 tackles and four sacks a season ago, is eligible for the Ted Hendricks Award, which goes to the nation's top defensive end.

Michigan Football, Basketball Move to WWJ Radio

Michigan football and basketball games have moved to WWJ-950 AM, the powerful 50,000-watt radio station originating in Detroit.

"The move to WWJ Radio for football and men's basketball provides a consistent signal for our two largest radio properties," said athletic director Dave Brandon.

Currently a total of 35 stations, in addition to Armed Services Radio and Sirius/XM, will broadcast the games.