Freshman QB Mallett destined for greatness at U-M?

CHICAGO -- Chad Henne is clearly one of the nation's best quarterbacks.

He's a Heisman Trophy candidate and will probably leave Michigan as its career leader in most of the important categories.

But even he admits his likely successor, freshman Ryan Mallett, might be even better.

"Ryan has so much potential and, if he develops the right way in the next four years, he'll probably be the best ever to come through Michigan," Henne said Wednesday at the Big Ten media days at the Hyatt Regency. "It was great for him to come in the wintertime and get a semester under his belt, learn what the campus was about, practices were about and how we go about things. It was good for him to learn and get an extra semester following me and for me to try to be a mentor on the field."

U-M coach Lloyd Carr has said Ryan Mallett will back up Henne this year, a process quite different from Henne's freshman experience.

"When I was young, I had Matt (Gutierrez) and I had Spencer Brinton," he said. "But I was the starter. They were helping me out, but it wasn't more of a mentor showing me the way. I kind of had to feel for it myself."

Spending time with Ryan Mallett in the winter semester and at summer workouts has helped Henne envision the future.

"The sky's the limit for this kid," Henne said. "He's 6-7, has the frame, can move, very athletic and if he buys in, does what he's supposed to do and plays to his ability, there's not going to be a lot of guys who can stop him."

U-M NOTEBOOK: The "NCAA 2008" video game from EA Sports breaks down every player with a rating system, and a few of the U-M rankings seemed unusual.

"I actually met one of the designers at the EA Sports Elite 11 (quarterback camp) this summer and asked him about it," Henne said. "He said, 'Aren't you impressed? You have the strongest arm in the game.' I said, 'That's a good thing but we'll see in real life if that's true.' "

The most interesting rating was the 99 -- essentially a perfect score -- given to sophomore linebacker Brandon Graham. That rates ahead of Henne, Hart and star offensive lineman Jake Long.

"Jake's not a 99, Mike's not a 99, I'm not a 99, but Brandon is?" Henne said. "We laughed about that." ...

Michigan received its 13th oral commitment this week, according to TheWolverine.com. Mike Cox, a 6-foot, 203-pound running back from Avon (Conn.) Old Farms, became the 13th player in the 2008 class.

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