Former Michigan receiver Darryl Stonum says Eastern Michigan among finalists to land him

He said he hopes to make a decision sometime after graduating from Michigan on April 28 and before May 8. Eastern Michigan's transfer deadline for the fall semester is May 15.

Stonum said he expects to be eligible to play next season by taking advantage of an NCAA rule that eliminates the sit-out year for graduate students. As long as he enrolls in a graduate program that Michigan doesn't offer, he can play right away.

"Nothing’s finalized yet, but I definitely like Eastern Michigan and I know coach (Ron) English pretty well," said Stonum, dressed in a plaid shirt and jeans at the 15th District Court. "I have a lot of respect for him and the way he runs his program."

Stonum politely declined further comment.

English was a Michigan assistant from 2003-07 and was involved in Stonum's recruitment to the Wolverines. He was not retained when Rich Rodriguez was hired to replace Lloyd Carr as head coach in 2008, and Stonum never played for him.

On Feb. 1, the national letter-of-intent signing day, English said receiver was his team's biggest need heading into next season. He signed three wideouts to his 2012 recruiting class.

"I thought we were better everywhere else, but I thought (wide receiver) was one of the positions we need to recruit better," said English, who earlier this year was named the Mid-American Conference's coach of the year. "These three guys are big kids, which we want for our play-action game, that can get down the field and catch the ball. We’re excited about those guys."

Stonum, a Texas native, caught 76 passes for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns in three seasons at Michigan. He redshirted the 2011 season after being arrested last summer on a second drunken driving charge.

He was arrested again Jan. 5 -- the day after the Wolverines returned from the Sugar Bowl -- for driving with a revoked license. He was sentenced to 10 days in jail, although was released early.

Michigan coach Brady Hoke dismissed him from the team Jan. 17.

At Friday's hearing, Stonum received an additional 30 days of probation for missing a court-mandated drug test. He told the judge he missed the test after fracturing his arm while moving out of his apartment.

He had a protective splint on his right arm at the hearing.