If Darryl Stonum returns in 2012 after redshirting this season, he lessens the need for the Wolverines to sign two wide receivers in the Class of 2012, or so goes the theory the past 48 hours. But there is a fundamental flaw in that argument ...





And it can be seen better in a chart:







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cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">
style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">style="font-weight: bold;">2013 Commitments

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">style="font-weight: bold;">R-Freshmen or Soph.

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-weight: bold;">R-Soph.
or Juniors

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-weight: bold;"
rowspan="1" colspan="1">Juniors

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(153, 153, 153); font-weight: bold;">Senior
Eligibility

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248); font-weight: bold;">QB

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);">Shane
Morris

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);">

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);">Russell
Bellomy (24)

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);"
rowspan="1" colspan="1">

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);">Devin
Gardner (50) style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235); font-weight: bold;">RB

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235);">

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235);">Sione
Houma (1)

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235);">Justice
Hayes (25)

Thomas Rawls (26)

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235);"
rowspan="1" colspan="1">


style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235);">Fitzgerald
Toussaint (51)

Stephen
Hopkins (52)
style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248); font-weight: bold;">WR

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);">

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);">

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);">





style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);"
rowspan="1" colspan="1">Jerald Robinson
(43)





style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);">
Jeremy
Gallon (53)

Jeremy
Jackson (54)

Drew
Dileo (55)



style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248); font-weight: bold;">TE

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235);">

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235);">Devin
Funchess (2)

A.J. Williams (3)

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);">Chris
Barnett (427

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);"
rowspan="1" colspan="1">Ricardo Miller (44)



style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);">

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235); font-weight: bold;">OL

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);">

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);">Caleb
Stacey (4)

Erik Magnuson (5)

Ben Braden (6)

Blake Bars (7)

Kyle Kalis (8)

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235);">Chris
Bryant (28)

Tony Posada (29)

Jack
Miller (30)

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235);"
rowspan="1" colspan="1">



style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235);">Taylor
Lewan (56)

Michael Schofield (57) style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248); font-weight: bold;">CB

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235);">

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235);">Terry
Richardson (9)

Anthony Standifer (10)

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);">Blake
Countess (31)

Delonte Hollowell (32)

Greg
Brown (33)

Raymon
Taylor (34)

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);"
rowspan="1" colspan="1">

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);">Courtney
Avery (58)

Terrence Talbott (59)style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235); font-weight: bold;">S

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);">

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);">Allen
Gant (11)

Jarrod Wilson (12)

Jeremy Clark (13)

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235);">Tamani
Carter (35)



style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235);"
rowspan="1" colspan="1">Josh
Furman (45)



style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235);">Marvin
Robinson (60)

Carvin
Johnson (61)

Thomas Gordon (62)

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248); font-weight: bold;">LB

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235);">

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235);">Royce
Jenkins-Stone (14)

Joe Bolden (15)

James Ross (16)

Kaleb Ringer (17)

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);">Desmond
Morgan (36)

Antonio Poole (37)

Frank Clark (38)

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);"
rowspan="1" colspan="1">Jordan
Paskorz (46)

Jake Ryan (47)



style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);">Cameron
Gordon (63)

Isaiah Bell (64)

Mike Jones (65)





style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235); font-weight: bold;">DE

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);">

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);">Matthew
Godin (18)

Mario Ojemudia (19)

Tom Strobel (20)

Pharaoh Brown (21)

Chris Wormley (22)

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235);">Brennen
Beyer (39)

Keith Heitzman (40)

Chris Rock (41)



style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235);"
rowspan="1" colspan="1">Ken Wilkins (48)



style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235);">Jibreel
Black (66) style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248); font-weight: bold;">DT

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235);">

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235);">Ondre
Pipkins (23)

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);">

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);"
rowspan="1" colspan="1">Richard
Ash (49)

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);">Quinton
Washington (67) style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235); font-weight: bold;">K/P

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);">

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(246, 246, 248);">

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235);">Matt
Wile (42)

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235);"
rowspan="1" colspan="1">

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(228, 231, 235);">Brendan
Gibbons (68)

Will
Hagerup (69)

style="vertical-align: top; background-color: rgb(0, 40, 79);" bgcolor="#000066">style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(246, 246, 248);">2013 Scholarship Distribution Chart

Typically, we do not unveil the needs chart until after Signing Day because so much will happen between now and then that will influence what this chart will look like. However, as this debate has roared on the past two days, since Brady Hoke announced his decision regarding the troubled receiver, many have surmised Stonum's potential return provides U-M the luxury of taking a single wideout in the Class of 2012.



Looking simply at 2012, those opinions could be right. Michigan will return eight receivers in 2012, including Stonum and redshirt junior Roy Roundtree (eligibility designations are for 2011) along with promising sophomores Drew Dileo and Jeremy Jackson and redshirt freshman Jerald Robinson. All three could be breakout stars for the Maize and Blue this fall. Or they might not. Or one will. Or two.



The uncertainty at the position after Stonum and Roundtree will come into greater focus in 2013 when just four receivers are slated to return, including the three already mentioned and redshirt sophomore Jeremy Gallon.



If U-M signs just one wideout in the Class of 2012, it will have five veteran receivers in 2013 and will have to bring in three just to fill out the roster. But one, two and maybe all three will have to be impact performers at a position in which only three Wolverines in program history have had 20 receptions or more as true freshmen.




That is asking too much for a rookie and could be the Achilles' heel for a Michigan program that expects to be ready to compete for championships otherwise. Stonum's return may be a boon for 2012 but it cannot change the game plan in the present because doing so will adversely affect the future.

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