Michigan’s football recruiting seems to have taken a dip this year … is it a big deal? Plus, thoughts on the in-state basketball rivals, offensive line woes and more …
First things first — recruiting.
Michigan is probably going to finish near the top 15 in the recruiting rankings this year, which obviously isn’t good enough for the recruitniks.
No, it hasn’t been the best recruiting year Michigan’s ever had … an 8-5 record will do that.
And no, the rankings don’t always paint an accurate picture. Go back and look at Rich Rodriguez’ 2009 class and Brady Hoke’s 2011 group, for example. Both were ranked as top 10 classes but produced very little top end talent.
Worse, some of those who were highly rated on the offensive line didn’t pan out, leaving a hole that hasn’t been filled since 2007, the last time the Wolverines had good line play.
Still, there have been a lot of wiffs this year.
It wasn’t long ago that Michigan was viewed as Offensive Line U. Now the Wolverines are an afterthought for a kid (three-star Mission Viejo, Cali. lineman Jarrett Patterson) who, in the past, would have been salivating to come to Michigan even as the backup plan that he once was.
Michigan has done a great job recruiting the defensive side of the ball, and that side’s getting great coaching, to boot. We can’t say the same about the offense.
Expectations need to be much higher. We’ve had folks wondering if Roy Roundtree (with all due respect) deserved to wear the No. 1, for example … he wasn’t in the same ballpark as Michigan’s best.
If we’re being honest, neither were U-M’s tandem of Jehu Chesson or Amara Darboh, both great kids and really solid ball players. Watching the NFC Divisional game a few weeks ago and seeing former targets Stefon Diggs and Laquon Treadwell lining up on opposite ends for the Vikings brought this thought: “In the past, those would be Michigan alums making a difference in a game like this.”
We now have a pretty good idea why Treadwell didn’t end up at U-M, of course, but the point remains … they’ve got to find talents like them if they’re going to win big.
Darboh’s best game in a Michigan uniform, a 2016 win at Michigan State, featured the kinds of catches we used to see routinely from Jason Avant in the mid-2000s. There were tough grabs in traffic, he showed off great hands and we thought — for the first time in a long time — ‘that’s the kind of receiver play that makes a difference.’
Tarik Black is that kind of guy, and he’ll have an impact next year. Donovan Peoples-Jones, too, has the potential to be an impact player. But the Wolverines still need better running back play (it’s been average for a decade), better offensive line play, better tight end play, everything to be able to compete for titles.
They also need better coaching, which head coach Jim Harbaugh knows.
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On that note, part of coaching includes recruiting. Though some have voiced concerned about the recent coaching hires and whether they’re ‘big time’ enough to recruit for Michigan, we’re not among them. Al Washington and Sherrone Moore are the kinds of relentless recruiters and relationship builders who can (and we believe, will) succeed in bringing some high-level talent here.
Safeties/special teams coach Chris Partridge had no experience recruiting at this level when he arrived at Michigan, so some could easily have said the same about him not being qualified. He’s become an outstanding recruiter.
We’d opt for that more than someone who, for example, might be given a handful of players to go see on a bye week and try to talk his way down a few. There’s got to be a passion for it, and while you can get away with one weak link or so on a staff if he’s a good enough coach (this is how people used to characterize defensive coordinator Jim Herrmann, fairly or not), you need guys who are all-in in all aspects to win big.
Harbaugh seems to have taken some steps toward that with his new hires.
There are still rumblings that other changes will be made after Signing Day. We’ll see. But this is a meritocracy, and while stats can be deceiving — TFLs and sacks allowed, for example, failed protections by RBs — there are too many “didn’t pass the eye test” moments in which it certainly looks as though changes might be warranted.
****
Next year’s offensive line play, flat out, needs to be better. That’s where everything starts. Wilton Speight, for example, could have been Elvis Grbac lite had he played behind the 1992 line, which allowed four sacks all year, which would have been good enough to win a lot more games last year (because he wouldn’t have been nearly decapitated at Purdue).
And no, he wasn’t perfect. We’re not even saying he was good.
The Wolverines still need a left tackle, because while the Grant Newsome news has been encouraging, expecting him to play at a high level right away after his traumatic injury is a lot to ask, and they know it.
We’re hearing junior Ben Bredeson is the likeliest candidate and being groomed there, which, frankly, seems like kind of a shame. He’s better inside, and after a season in which some close to it have said “we played with five interior linemen on the line last year” … well, it’s not ideal, especially in year four.
Transfer quarterback Shea Patterson, if he’s eligible, can hide a lot of warts, but again, it’s been 10 years since Michigan fielded a good offensive line. We don’t throw the words ‘not acceptable’ around very often, but … well …
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Finally, most of what we’re saying about the Michigan State debacle is going to be limited to the premium message boards, and yes, it’s relevant to Michigan. This is the biggest sports scandal in this state in our lifetimes (and some of us are older than others), and one of the most egregious nationally.
The culture in East Lansing is and has been ‘different’ … said it here for a long time. What you’re reading in the newspapers now is what’s been occurring for years, and the level of denial has reached Penn State levels.
While co-hosting the Huge Show a few weeks ago, Bill Simonson, the host, noted in talking about national scandals, “we’re lucky to have coaches like Harbaugh and Beilein, Dantonio and Izzo” in this state.
I responded that I could only speak to those I covered, noting nobody’s perfect. This was just before the news broke, and we knew something was coming. A longtime poster here had been keeping us informed of the Outside the Lines piece, along with someone close to ESPN reporter Paula Lavigne, who helped break the story.
Many will say, “This could happen at any school.” But take what you’ve seen in the Adreian Payne/Keith Appling case, for example (there’s deposition video out there for those of you who haven’t seen it) and try to tell us with a straight face that Beilein wouldn’t have handled that differently.
This is a guy who dismissed a kid from his team for allegedly pilfering some stuff.
What ESPN is reporting is only the tip of the iceberg, it appears. It’s common knowledge even up here where you’d go to start asking the toughest of the tough questions in East Lansing, and to discover the relationships there that made ‘this Nassar thing’ possible.
They are sitting on a keg of dynamite right now. It will be interesting to see if there’s anyone capable of lighting (or willing to light) the fuse, but there are awards to be won if the right avenues are pursued.
First things first — recruiting.
Michigan is probably going to finish near the top 15 in the recruiting rankings this year, which obviously isn’t good enough for the recruitniks.
No, it hasn’t been the best recruiting year Michigan’s ever had … an 8-5 record will do that.
And no, the rankings don’t always paint an accurate picture. Go back and look at Rich Rodriguez’ 2009 class and Brady Hoke’s 2011 group, for example. Both were ranked as top 10 classes but produced very little top end talent.
Worse, some of those who were highly rated on the offensive line didn’t pan out, leaving a hole that hasn’t been filled since 2007, the last time the Wolverines had good line play.
Still, there have been a lot of wiffs this year.
It wasn’t long ago that Michigan was viewed as Offensive Line U. Now the Wolverines are an afterthought for a kid (three-star Mission Viejo, Cali. lineman Jarrett Patterson) who, in the past, would have been salivating to come to Michigan even as the backup plan that he once was.
Michigan has done a great job recruiting the defensive side of the ball, and that side’s getting great coaching, to boot. We can’t say the same about the offense.
Expectations need to be much higher. We’ve had folks wondering if Roy Roundtree (with all due respect) deserved to wear the No. 1, for example … he wasn’t in the same ballpark as Michigan’s best.
If we’re being honest, neither were U-M’s tandem of Jehu Chesson or Amara Darboh, both great kids and really solid ball players. Watching the NFC Divisional game a few weeks ago and seeing former targets Stefon Diggs and Laquon Treadwell lining up on opposite ends for the Vikings brought this thought: “In the past, those would be Michigan alums making a difference in a game like this.”
We now have a pretty good idea why Treadwell didn’t end up at U-M, of course, but the point remains … they’ve got to find talents like them if they’re going to win big.
Darboh’s best game in a Michigan uniform, a 2016 win at Michigan State, featured the kinds of catches we used to see routinely from Jason Avant in the mid-2000s. There were tough grabs in traffic, he showed off great hands and we thought — for the first time in a long time — ‘that’s the kind of receiver play that makes a difference.’
Tarik Black is that kind of guy, and he’ll have an impact next year. Donovan Peoples-Jones, too, has the potential to be an impact player. But the Wolverines still need better running back play (it’s been average for a decade), better offensive line play, better tight end play, everything to be able to compete for titles.
They also need better coaching, which head coach Jim Harbaugh knows.
****
On that note, part of coaching includes recruiting. Though some have voiced concerned about the recent coaching hires and whether they’re ‘big time’ enough to recruit for Michigan, we’re not among them. Al Washington and Sherrone Moore are the kinds of relentless recruiters and relationship builders who can (and we believe, will) succeed in bringing some high-level talent here.
Safeties/special teams coach Chris Partridge had no experience recruiting at this level when he arrived at Michigan, so some could easily have said the same about him not being qualified. He’s become an outstanding recruiter.
We’d opt for that more than someone who, for example, might be given a handful of players to go see on a bye week and try to talk his way down a few. There’s got to be a passion for it, and while you can get away with one weak link or so on a staff if he’s a good enough coach (this is how people used to characterize defensive coordinator Jim Herrmann, fairly or not), you need guys who are all-in in all aspects to win big.
Harbaugh seems to have taken some steps toward that with his new hires.
There are still rumblings that other changes will be made after Signing Day. We’ll see. But this is a meritocracy, and while stats can be deceiving — TFLs and sacks allowed, for example, failed protections by RBs — there are too many “didn’t pass the eye test” moments in which it certainly looks as though changes might be warranted.
****
Next year’s offensive line play, flat out, needs to be better. That’s where everything starts. Wilton Speight, for example, could have been Elvis Grbac lite had he played behind the 1992 line, which allowed four sacks all year, which would have been good enough to win a lot more games last year (because he wouldn’t have been nearly decapitated at Purdue).
And no, he wasn’t perfect. We’re not even saying he was good.
The Wolverines still need a left tackle, because while the Grant Newsome news has been encouraging, expecting him to play at a high level right away after his traumatic injury is a lot to ask, and they know it.
We’re hearing junior Ben Bredeson is the likeliest candidate and being groomed there, which, frankly, seems like kind of a shame. He’s better inside, and after a season in which some close to it have said “we played with five interior linemen on the line last year” … well, it’s not ideal, especially in year four.
Transfer quarterback Shea Patterson, if he’s eligible, can hide a lot of warts, but again, it’s been 10 years since Michigan fielded a good offensive line. We don’t throw the words ‘not acceptable’ around very often, but … well …
****
Finally, most of what we’re saying about the Michigan State debacle is going to be limited to the premium message boards, and yes, it’s relevant to Michigan. This is the biggest sports scandal in this state in our lifetimes (and some of us are older than others), and one of the most egregious nationally.
The culture in East Lansing is and has been ‘different’ … said it here for a long time. What you’re reading in the newspapers now is what’s been occurring for years, and the level of denial has reached Penn State levels.
While co-hosting the Huge Show a few weeks ago, Bill Simonson, the host, noted in talking about national scandals, “we’re lucky to have coaches like Harbaugh and Beilein, Dantonio and Izzo” in this state.
I responded that I could only speak to those I covered, noting nobody’s perfect. This was just before the news broke, and we knew something was coming. A longtime poster here had been keeping us informed of the Outside the Lines piece, along with someone close to ESPN reporter Paula Lavigne, who helped break the story.
Many will say, “This could happen at any school.” But take what you’ve seen in the Adreian Payne/Keith Appling case, for example (there’s deposition video out there for those of you who haven’t seen it) and try to tell us with a straight face that Beilein wouldn’t have handled that differently.
This is a guy who dismissed a kid from his team for allegedly pilfering some stuff.
What ESPN is reporting is only the tip of the iceberg, it appears. It’s common knowledge even up here where you’d go to start asking the toughest of the tough questions in East Lansing, and to discover the relationships there that made ‘this Nassar thing’ possible.
They are sitting on a keg of dynamite right now. It will be interesting to see if there’s anyone capable of lighting (or willing to light) the fuse, but there are awards to be won if the right avenues are pursued.
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