Iman Marshall to visit Jan 19th
January 9th, 2015 at 11:56 AM ^
May he be the first of many and open the proverbial floodgate of stud recruits to come to Ann Arbor in the Age of Harbaugh.
January 9th, 2015 at 12:54 PM ^
I'll allow it
January 9th, 2015 at 2:03 PM ^
January 9th, 2015 at 3:07 PM ^
With ALL of our NFL coaches.
January 9th, 2015 at 3:27 PM ^
Just hope it is not snowing that day as Cali kids don't always love this weather....
January 9th, 2015 at 4:16 PM ^
The coaches sell it as an N.F.L. prepatory toughening up.
For instance; Tom Brady, a soft kid from California, would never have been able to take advantage of his one chance to seize the starters job in New England if he could not, and was not used to playing in the snow, and cold. By coming to the cold of Michigan, it gave him the edge to step in, and being prepared for the cold, grow into his full potential as a great Q.B. If he had gone to a warm weather school, he would have struggled with the cold, not being prepared for it, as well as all the other challenges he faced in becoming successful at that level, and might have possibly failed his one chance, and may be something quite a bit less than what he is now.
There is no telling where you will be drafted in the NFL. What if you are drafted by: New England, Buffalo, N.Y.J., Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cinncinnati, Washington, Chicago, Minnesota, Green Bay, Kansas City, Denver, or N.Y.G.
That is about half the league, and even if you are drafted by a warm weather team, you will still have to be able to play in the cold during the playoffs, so being accustomed to, and being able to excell in the cold is an advantage, not a detriment to any and all future NFL aspirations that you may have.
That is how you sell it - take a perceived negative and make it into a positive.
January 9th, 2015 at 10:17 PM ^
Tom Brady is known as a cold-weather ace, but people forget that he is from California. His Michigan experience really did toughen him up and make him fearless of the cold.
The Superbowl may be in warm weather cities, but the playoffs certainly aren't. Boston at night in January is just a typical venue.
January 9th, 2015 at 7:26 PM ^
January 9th, 2015 at 8:45 PM ^
January 9th, 2015 at 11:56 AM ^
Lewis, Peppers, Countess, Marshall, Richardson, Stribling doesn't sound half bad at all. Hopefully Jarrod Wilson and (maybe) Dymonte can finally "get it" this year and turn up their game to a different level.
January 9th, 2015 at 11:57 AM ^
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January 9th, 2015 at 12:04 PM ^
Young safeties are both rare and rarely a good idea. He saw quite a bit of time last year and was typically okay.
The Durkin diaries have me thinking he'll have an expanded role as the FS in the linebacker spot.
January 9th, 2015 at 1:55 PM ^
January 9th, 2015 at 2:51 PM ^
Nothing demonstrates that more than to see two true freshmen, an OT and DT, out perform teammates who have been in the program for years.
January 9th, 2015 at 7:29 PM ^
January 9th, 2015 at 8:46 PM ^
January 9th, 2015 at 12:04 PM ^
Really liked Dymonte as a recruit. Hope he picks up the coaching and becomes a valuable member in the team.
January 9th, 2015 at 12:15 PM ^
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January 9th, 2015 at 12:24 PM ^
With sane coaching Dymonte would just be going into his RS Sophomore year with plenty of time to develop the savvy needed to play safety. Really hoping that JH does not uselessly burn red shirts... gotta feeling he is too smart for that.
January 9th, 2015 at 12:51 PM ^
I know we have this conversation a lot on the board, but redshirts are truly a waste of time if you want to be an elite program with elite players. Michigan, like Ohio State, should not have to worry about "burning redshirts." Urban has done quite well with the "We don't redshirt players" mantra, and I'm a firm believer that "blue blood programs" shouldn't have to.
Redshirts are great for the Sparties, Minnesotas and Wisconsins of the world who have to develop three star guys. Michigan recruits elite talent that should be ready to go from day one ala Alabama, Ohio State, Texas, and USC. No excuse for Dymonte. He was a track star in a safeties body and didn't need a redshirt physically to be a backup safety.
The University of Tennessee just went 7-6 with 24 freshmen playing and basically everyone in their two deep as an underclassmen, and I can assure you they looked like a good football team down the stretch. That's what happens when you bring in a new coach (Butch Jones) that recruits elite talent. You play them, develop them, and let them learn.
Fortunately for us, we are in a different situation than UT. We have most all of our elite recruiting class starters back from a year ago unlike the Dooley/Jones Tennessee transition. We have starters that were all highly coveted out of high school, and our elite recruits under Harbaugh should be ready to go in the two deep to challenge them from day one. That's how you win championships - like Alabama and Ohio State.
January 9th, 2015 at 1:01 PM ^
That's a ridiculous assessment. Redshirts are a very important tool to building an sustainable program. Ohio State has a bunch or RS players playing in the national championship game.
January 9th, 2015 at 1:17 PM ^
I think Urban flys the "no redshirt" flag for the recruits. He wants "playmakers" and some of those guys want to play right away and are not interested in sitting a year.
January 9th, 2015 at 1:32 PM ^
Do you seriously think Alabama doesn't redshirt any of their players? A team like Alabama who not only recruits well but also develops well should have very few freshmen play in a given year because their depth chart is stacked with talented guys who have been developed. You are wasting years of players' eligibility (and player development) by burning through redshirts just because "it's not what elite programs do."
So much wrong with this one.
January 9th, 2015 at 3:50 PM ^
Ignoring attrition, No redshirts = 20% more players than 100% red-shirts. 20% more players means 20% more chance of landing Heisman winners and all-americans.
But you are going way too far. The reality is that some guys are going to be bench players and there is no sense 'spending' a scholarship on guys who don't play, if it affords you the luxury of adding a more experienced player.
And for QBs, OL, LBs and Safeties, these extra seasons can be particularly beneficial.
So, instead of one extreme or the other, we could be an intelligent program that weighs the pros and cons.
I do think the extreme "no red-shirts" stance actually makes a lot of sense to communicate. It's a huge recruiting advantage and it imparts a sense of urgency.
Fans (and coaches) should stop thinking of them as "burned red-shirts" and start thinking of red-shirts as a Plan B option for kids who have no chance to see the field do to health, inexperience, lack of strength, etc.
January 9th, 2015 at 12:57 PM ^
Really wanted a true NB, something that they thought Thomas could learn in his FR year. He played a ton of special teams. On top of that, less playing time would not have made him a better safety option right now.
This is one of those "wasted redshirt" claims that doesn't really add up in the real world. Michigan really needed special teams players (they had terrible depth); they really needed a NB and from an athletic standpoint, Thomas fit that bill; and Thomas needed experience because they needed safety depth rather badly as well.
January 9th, 2015 at 1:28 PM ^
some recruits, especially highly ranked ones, get promised they won't be redshirted. It's part of the recruiting game, unlike promising a starting position.
January 9th, 2015 at 1:23 PM ^
playing at a higher level since he was a safety himself.
January 9th, 2015 at 11:56 AM ^
January 9th, 2015 at 12:33 PM ^
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January 9th, 2015 at 1:01 PM ^
January 9th, 2015 at 1:07 PM ^
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January 9th, 2015 at 1:59 PM ^
Don't tell my wife that.
January 9th, 2015 at 4:50 PM ^
I have the same problem.
January 9th, 2015 at 12:56 PM ^
Not impressed. If you watch carefully the length of the chocolate changes at the end, when it starts over.
January 9th, 2015 at 1:01 PM ^
And that is important to us OCD eaters.
January 9th, 2015 at 4:25 PM ^
It's still rectangular if you eat an entire row at once.
January 9th, 2015 at 3:51 PM ^
I thought it was chalk. Or maybe a plaster tile. Trying to refit a corner of a patio.
January 9th, 2015 at 1:06 PM ^
The last time I had my mind blown like this it involved a double rainbow.
Though white chocolate is gross.
January 9th, 2015 at 1:32 PM ^
is delicious, Chunks.
January 9th, 2015 at 2:17 PM ^
January 9th, 2015 at 2:26 PM ^
Couln't you just cut the top row off and get the same outcome?
January 9th, 2015 at 10:53 PM ^
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January 9th, 2015 at 11:57 AM ^
would be an embarrassment of riches at DB if we got him that i wouldn't feel embarrassed about at all
January 9th, 2015 at 11:58 AM ^
If Harbaugh is able to pull this one off, then wow. Him and Peppers roaming the same backfield would be downright scary. Especially under proper coaching.
January 9th, 2015 at 2:47 PM ^
Don't forget that Jourdan Lewis is a tremendous talent.
January 9th, 2015 at 12:01 PM ^
is that nathan lane as a toddler?
January 9th, 2015 at 1:26 PM ^
I'm pretty sure it's Spanky from the Little Rascals films (a.k.a. George McFarland).
January 9th, 2015 at 2:12 PM ^
it is a baby Charlie Weis...