Exit Carvin Johnson
Man the Never Forget banner: Carvin Johnson is out of the program. Now I believe that Troy Woolfolk was moving to safety permanently.
Johnson flirted with starting jobs at spur (last year) and safety (this year) before getting displaced by Thomas Gordon (both years). As a freshman his displacement was due to injury; once he got healthy Michigan decided that Cam Gordon was not actually a safety and threw him in at spur, because if you ain't panickin', you ain't coordinatin'. He started the year as the nickel safety but eventually lost that job to Courtney Avery.
Johnson was not a big recruit but he was one I was irrationally optimistic about, and one that found some early playing time. Not sure what the deal is with his departure.
Losing him is a shot to the secondary's depth. With Kovacs questionable for this weekend and possibly longer, the depth chart after Woolfolk and Gordon is walk-on Andy Jared Van Slyke, Marvin Robinson, and possibly Josh Furman. Next year Michigan will get three safety recruits and loses only Woolfolk, so the pressure eases somewhat.
By my count, two obvious fifth-year nonrenewals now gets Michigan to 28 in this recruiting class; with some attrition inevitable between now and signing day they'll probably go into 2012 light. Again.
November 1st, 2011 at 7:55 PM ^
and Carvin was gone. How long ago did you guys take his name off?
November 1st, 2011 at 8:00 PM ^
Took the words right out of my mouth.
November 1st, 2011 at 9:42 PM ^
Speechless, eh?
November 1st, 2011 at 7:58 PM ^
I say use the scholarship on Danny O'brien. MOAR DT
November 1st, 2011 at 8:20 PM ^
DT
MOAR
November 1st, 2011 at 11:02 PM ^
Maybe instead of Danny O'Brien we could use the scholly on Al Borges's dad. Even if he never played a down the intimidation factor alone would win us games
November 1st, 2011 at 8:02 PM ^
Damn this sucks. I had really high hopes for him. Best of luck and all that, but I'm disappointed he's leaving.
November 1st, 2011 at 9:04 PM ^
November 1st, 2011 at 8:03 PM ^
you mean Jared Van Slyke?
November 1st, 2011 at 8:08 PM ^
I KNOW a guy named Andy Van Slyke, and he certainly does not play football for Michigan as far as I know.
November 2nd, 2011 at 1:43 PM ^
...Jared is Andy's son, I believe. Can anyone confirm this?
November 1st, 2011 at 8:03 PM ^
So we now have 6 scholarship safeties. 1 has a concussion. 1 has a knee problem. 1 is made of glass. And 1 is redshirting.
If Buchtel's done and he's enrolling early, can we dress Jarrod Wilson the rest of the year? (*I kid....sorta*)
November 1st, 2011 at 8:29 PM ^
At first I read that as "I has a concussion..." that's certainly what is happening to me at the sudden lack of depth at the safety position
November 1st, 2011 at 8:34 PM ^
Who's the concussed one?
November 1st, 2011 at 8:45 PM ^
makes a lot more sense now as this is a safety who left and not a cb now
November 1st, 2011 at 8:09 PM ^
Interesting. I always thought Johnson was the type of player who would be more of a depth guy anyways, and didn't really see him being a transfer candidate due to lack of PT. Seemed like a good kid, and a competitor. Good luck to him wherever he ends up.
November 1st, 2011 at 8:12 PM ^
I expected Carvin to be a big contributer this year. As a freshman he seemed to have good insticts and could bring the hammer, although his speed was limited. This year, the few times I saw him, he looked like he was unable to play in space. I was hoping it was just a learning curve thing and he would start to play faster.
Oh well. I wish you well Carvin.
November 1st, 2011 at 8:13 PM ^
Bummer. Time to change my avatar. Good luck to him.
November 1st, 2011 at 8:18 PM ^
Steve, I was planning to comment on that (your avatar). It's one of my favorites.
November 1st, 2011 at 8:37 PM ^
The good news is you have a lot more options to choose from this year if you're into open field tackling.
November 2nd, 2011 at 10:35 AM ^
I was just thinking the other day that Kovacs' 4th and 1 would make a nice update if you were sick of that one.
November 1st, 2011 at 8:31 PM ^
Gonna miss Carvin. Showed promise in the spring game with his ball-hawking skills he displayed with the couple picks he had, but I guess he couldn't put it all together. Plus the picture above of him losing the state championship game showed just how much of a competitor he was and that's something I really admired in him. Best of luck, Carvin in your future.
November 1st, 2011 at 8:37 PM ^
Well this sucks for our overall Depth. Wish him the best anywhere he goes, he seemed like a kid with a lot of promise and played hard
November 1st, 2011 at 8:47 PM ^
Can somebody please explain the timing of this to me? If he leaves now, midseason, does he not have to forego a year if wants to transfer D1? Or does he sit next year no matter what?
If it's the former then I understand the timing and Pitt can writing their "Hello Carvin" post right about now. If it's the latter then why now? Why not play the year out and see what happens?
November 1st, 2011 at 8:53 PM ^
I'd guess it's to reserve his spot on a potential destination team before they recruit someone for his position.
November 1st, 2011 at 9:10 PM ^
I still don't get it though. Let's say your theory is correct. Why not just tell Todd Graham....err...I mean the head coach of where you're going to transfer "hey...you can count on me. I'm leaving here at the end of the year". Then keep playing. Who the hell knows - with our depth or lack thereof he could end up playing and playing well and then he buys himself options everywhere.
I still don't get the timing of this.
November 1st, 2011 at 11:27 PM ^
So he tells the target school "you can count on me," and while they hold a spot for him he keeps playing and maybe, hopefully, buys himself options everywhere?
You can see why this might not fly so well at the other school, and why he might make the move now if he was worried about that door closing.
November 2nd, 2011 at 10:34 AM ^
what's the difference between your scenario and every other verbal commitment a kid gives before the signing day. Heck, with Carvin, he could transfer after the season is over and be on campus before signing day, just like an early enrollee.
November 2nd, 2011 at 10:55 AM ^
and while having to red-shirt his transfer year, can still be around the team now, learning playbook, maybe practicing etc... i.e. "getting a leg up".
Also, don't know if it's true, but someone the other day said it doesn't hit APR until they finish the first semester. If true, maybe the word it out to bring up your grumblings now, as opposed to after the season, so we don't get hit and you (player) get an easy release?? Just wondering, not stating as fact.
November 1st, 2011 at 8:51 PM ^
and not brown? (yes i know brown was mentioned in the UV but most people seem to get their own posts)
November 1st, 2011 at 8:54 PM ^
I figure since Carvin actually had significant PT in his carrer allowed him an exit post and greg just came early and never sniffed the field.
Also, next year i might actually watch the Michigan East Panthers of the ACC with Tony Gibson leading the charge of the secondary.
November 2nd, 2011 at 10:14 AM ^
Gibson may not be around. The Pitt fans are doing a fairly good job of zeroing in on the source of disease infecting their defense and demanding the AD take corrective measures.
November 2nd, 2011 at 10:31 AM ^
Maybe they read MGoBlog?
November 1st, 2011 at 9:06 PM ^
Always a bummer to see kids go....but thatll open up another slot for Hoke to land a 4 star that otherwise would've gone to MSU, OSU, or some sweet SEC school.
I'll probably get flamebaited for this, but why do so many guys from the RR era have such god awful offer sheets? I wasnt around a couple of years ago, so this is the first time Im looking at these guys' recruiting profiles. I dont always trust the star counts, but when a school like Michigan is signing someone whose next best offer is Minnesota, there is some veeeery shotty recruiting going on.
I can just imagine the shock that goes through these kids' minds when they're weighing Colorado, Minnesota, and some MAC school....then MICHIGAN comes in with an offer.
November 2nd, 2011 at 10:38 AM ^
His first full year of recruiting, Rodriguez started out with a pretty good recruiting class but lost several commitments as we tanked to 3-9. Despite that, we still ended up with an OK, by Michigan standards, class. But since the expected 2nd year bounce never happened, we struggled to attract as many 4 and 5 stars as we once did. If Michigan shits the bed in our last 4 games, I would expect a couple players to defect this year too.
November 2nd, 2011 at 3:16 PM ^
The two that killed us were the DTs. IIRC they both decommitted basically at the very end of the recruiting period and we couldn't get in on any other prospects. One might have washed out, but even then, our d-line depth would look so much better with one more body in the middle. Thanks Jay Hopson.
Of the other decommits I can think of, I think we actually came out ahead, as more productive players took their place. Newsome has turned out to be no good at the QB and Beaver has left Tulsa (that we had someone decommit to Tulsa still stuns me though). Getting Denard (and Tate, really) more than makes up for those decommits.
November 1st, 2011 at 9:16 PM ^
I was looking at the Never Forget Banner, and got to wondering whatever happened to Adrian Witty?? A google search reveals he's not starting, but neither did Blake before last week, anyone pay attention to UC Bearcat football?
November 1st, 2011 at 11:39 PM ^
He's a second-team CB; has seen the field only in garbage time as far as I know (though they've played a lot of blowouts so there's been plenty of that).
November 1st, 2011 at 9:38 PM ^
thought he had some potential...yet another guy who probably would have been better off with a redshirt season, too bad he has to do it as his transfer year off.
best of luck to him, he seems (like most of rodriguez' recruits) to be a good kid.
November 1st, 2011 at 9:42 PM ^
Best of luck Carvin at whatevers next...
one question though - i'm not really seeing how it makes sense to leave now, mid-semester, mid-season? At least finish this semester of classes - you have 4 (maybe 5) games left this year - split before the bowl game and start at your new school?
November 1st, 2011 at 10:42 PM ^
November 1st, 2011 at 9:49 PM ^
I really liked his play. He seemed to play with confidence and competence. Good luck to the young man and hope he does well.
November 1st, 2011 at 9:52 PM ^
True, but if the value is a body that probably would never play, versus a not-so-small class in 2013 (if the recruiting momentum continues at the same rate), it might be more valuable in the long term for the program. Every recruit won't be a success, but if it's hoping one of two 4* guys hits versus a special teams player, I'll take my chances.
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<br>No comment on Carvin. Any guy who signs up and does the work is welcome to stay and work at it. But if you're talking numbers after it's a fait accompli, one or two open scholarships after you've hit your 28 limit in 2012 might mean you don't have to turn away any talent that wants to join Shane et al. in 2013.
November 1st, 2011 at 9:52 PM ^
Yeah, he's second string right now but he's a player who contributes in practice and fills holes in live games when needed. The depth is so scary thin. He's had a rough year but he's still young. Who told all these guys that they would play all four years?
November 1st, 2011 at 10:47 PM ^
November 1st, 2011 at 9:58 PM ^
Well out of Carvin's class, I was going to say I'd be happy if either him or Jake Ryan turned out to be a great player after being an under the radar recruit. Looks like we may still be in the running for one of them fortunately.
Also, for those keeping track at home, we're now down to 16 out of the original 27 signed in our 2010 class.
November 1st, 2011 at 10:01 PM ^
Carvin may have experienced his fill of football or college. Guys grow sick of the regimented life or miss their home communities. Time will tell. But man what an opportunity for me to call coach and request preferred walk-on status as a middle-aged lump. Hoke springs eternal and all, the fire it still burns.
November 1st, 2011 at 10:01 PM ^
So much for my defensive HTTV prediction, though that prediction (better CB play around him) could apply just as well to Thomas Gordon. I 100% blame Steve in PA for his mesmerizing avatar that had me convinced Carvin was one of the few dudes on D who could actually make a decisive attack and tackle.
I'm still makin' good on my offensive prediction of Junior Hemingway, which beats Brian's pick of Hopkins/Demens.
The rest of those:
Kryk: Hopkins, Blake Countess
Ross: Kevin Koger, Marvin Robinson
Elkon: Kevin Koger, Craig Roh
Nobody's really got it called. I give the nod to Kryk so far for calling Countess.
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