Maize n Brew Reporting Keith Heitzman will not Return for 5th Year
Title says it all. Thought with Khalid Hill/Bunting and perhaps Clark - Keith might go back to DE to provide depth in an unproven part of the team but it appears not. Best of luck sir.
Keith Heitzman will also not return to #Michigan as a fifth-year senior.
— Joshua S. Henschke (@JoshuaHenschke) January 30, 2015
January 30th, 2015 at 1:52 PM ^
Keith Heitzman will also not return to #Michigan as a fifth-year senior.
— Joshua S. Henschke (@JoshuaHenschke) January 30, 2015
EDIT: Doh, OP edited with the tweet right before I posted this!
January 30th, 2015 at 1:52 PM ^
January 30th, 2015 at 1:55 PM ^
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January 30th, 2015 at 1:54 PM ^
I really like him as a player . . . is this attrition or making room?
January 30th, 2015 at 1:59 PM ^
The bullish take is Jim wants to make room for more recruits as he feels more confident some are headed here. We only had 4 clear openings before today and now we have 6.
Uber bullish is Clark is coming and with Butt and Hill (and I guess AJ Williams) Keith was not facing much playing time. I would have thought they could have flipped Keith back to DE this year as our backups are unproven. He would provide some quality depth there.
Seeing these happen back to back, these feel more like coaches decisions than say Hayes. All my own speculation of course.
January 30th, 2015 at 2:00 PM ^
and Bunting
January 30th, 2015 at 2:05 PM ^
Yes I was in process of editing to add him before you replied ;)
I am wondering if they use Bunting at all this year on the outside - he was in the 220s last year. If he doesnt get to 240ish by this summer he migh be better used as another wideout in 2015 (then TE in 2016) until someone establishes themselves across from Darboh. Either way he seems more of a flex TE type like Funchess than a traditional TE like Butt/Hill/Clark.
January 30th, 2015 at 2:06 PM ^
I was just going to say something about Bunting. Seems like his name is never brought up when dicussing future TE's. Behind Butt, he's the one with the most potential IMO.
January 30th, 2015 at 3:51 PM ^
Maybe this is to take both Wheatley and Pickard as DE and have Clark as a TE.
January 30th, 2015 at 4:18 PM ^
Well I dont want to get all maize colored glasses but Pickard has been crystal balled to Syracuse by a bunch of people since noon today i.e. when all this news starting coming to the surface.
So that would indicate that Pickard was told no room. Which would bode well for Wheatley I suppose. But would still leave 5 open spots since Pickard is not taking 1.
And it would indicate to me at least Wheatley might be a DE here after all. Because there is no other DE on the horizon other than Wheatley Last point could be off - just speculating.
Also seeing a lot of Van Jefferson balls to UM since yesterday which is strange considering he has not even been on campus.
January 30th, 2015 at 6:24 PM ^
Aside from the guys who stayed committed between Hoke and Harbaugh, is every guy we're pursuing committed elsewhere?
January 30th, 2015 at 6:30 PM ^
I think Marshall is the only one with no previous commitment. Correct me, but might be Roquan Smith also. He is the one heavily favored to home state Georgia.
January 30th, 2015 at 1:55 PM ^
January 30th, 2015 at 1:55 PM ^
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January 30th, 2015 at 1:56 PM ^
he may not have been given the choice.
January 30th, 2015 at 1:55 PM ^
All the transfers should go to one team/school!!! It could be like a second UM to root for.
January 30th, 2015 at 1:58 PM ^
west virginia?
January 30th, 2015 at 2:01 PM ^
could tear up the MAC at CMU, but I'm obviously biased.
January 30th, 2015 at 2:45 PM ^
I'd be down with that. It's gonna be a small freshman class after Enos quit two weeks before signing day.
January 30th, 2015 at 2:04 PM ^
I should neg you three times for being a Chippewa but I won't.
January 30th, 2015 at 2:05 PM ^
I made up for it with puppies.
January 30th, 2015 at 1:56 PM ^
Best of Luck to him. Is this Hoke's first(transition) class moving on with Heitzman and Bellomy? Who's left from that class?
January 30th, 2015 at 2:05 PM ^
And Countess and Morgan wouldn't be back if they hadn't had redshirts due to injury -- they both played significant time as true freshmen.
Let's hope the Hoke/Harbaugh transition class we welcome next Wednesday pans out better than the RichRod/Hoke transition class...
EDIT: I see someone beat me to this just below.
January 30th, 2015 at 2:10 PM ^
Bellomy and Heitzman were both part of that 2011 Transition Class... Remaining on the team from that class are:
- Blake Countess
- Raymon Taylor (Hoke Recruit)
- Delonte Hollowell
- Jack Miller
- Desmond Morgan
Heitzman and Bellomy were also Hoke recruited guys, Justice Hayes was apart of this class and was considered a 'save' from Rich Rod's guys...
EDIT: Didn't Realize Wile was a Senior this past season.
January 30th, 2015 at 2:10 PM ^
Umm, some of those guys have used up eligibility...
January 30th, 2015 at 1:58 PM ^
and then there were 5 fifth year seniors... (3 orginal scholarship guys)
quoting alum96 from the Bellomy thread:
And with that we have six 5th year seniors left - pretty damning stuff. Only 4 were originally scholarship players - 2 of those are walk ons (Glasgow/Kerridge). The only scholarship players left from the scorched earth class of end of RR/beginning of Hoke are Heitzman/Morgan/Countess/Miller.
January 30th, 2015 at 1:57 PM ^
Uh oh, Russell Bellomy, Justice Hayes, and Keith Heitzman all lived in my hallway during my sophomore year in South Quad.
And so did Blake Countess+Desmond Morgan...
January 30th, 2015 at 2:02 PM ^
Where will you be transfering to?
January 30th, 2015 at 2:07 PM ^
If you see a black helicopter with HARBAUGH written on the side of it.... run. Run fast my friend.
January 30th, 2015 at 2:51 PM ^
Did you mean to say all those FB players lived in the hallway of your dorm? We should definitely upgrade their accomodations if so...
Some schools might use as negative recruiting!!!
January 30th, 2015 at 4:18 PM ^
You really should have coached them up a bit.
January 30th, 2015 at 1:58 PM ^
I wonder if this means there's an incoming 4 or 5* TE ?
January 30th, 2015 at 1:58 PM ^
This is no bigger of a loss than Bellomy. People wanted Heitzman to be something he was not. We have more talented players at TE and at DE. While WDE depth is an issue - we need speed and pass-rushing ability, not a plugger like Heitzman.
Thanks to Keith though. He was an unselfish team player while here. I always appreciate the guys who move around a little extra.
January 30th, 2015 at 2:28 PM ^
I think there's no way he'd see the field at TE in 2015 with Butt, Bunting, Hill, and even AJ Williams in front of him--plus the possiblity of Clark.
But at WDE, we basically have Ojemudia and Marshall. We also have Jones coming in, but the recruiting sites have him around 235 lbs. tops. Seems like we could use a veteran backup like Heitzman just in case Mario or Marshall were to go down.
Then again, I suppose another option would be to move a guy like Charlton over to WDE and then have some of the tweener guys like Wormley play some snaps at SDE.
Either way, from Heitzman's standpoint, a lot of bad stuff would need to happen for him to get significant time. Can't blame him for moving on.
January 30th, 2015 at 2:54 PM ^
Some people posting here disagree that it's no loss - they felt Heitzman could provide extra depth if moved back to DE.
Apparently you might want to appreciate the guys that move around even an extra bit more!
January 30th, 2015 at 3:01 PM ^
I think Heitzman took off quite a bit of weight last year to play TE. Good chance he feels better at his current weight, and would not have been interested in putting that lost weight back on to play backup DE.
January 30th, 2015 at 1:59 PM ^
We probably won't know the reasons behind each attrition that happens, have to believe it was mutually agreed upon between parties.
That being said, I'm not surprised we're finding out right now. The coaches must be trying to see who does(n't) want to stay prior to NSD next week while giving those eligible for a 5th year as much time as possible to make their decision.
January 30th, 2015 at 2:08 PM ^
Given AJ Williams' continued struggles w/blocking, and the Hoke regime's insistence on running 2-TE packages pretty often, I'm surprised Heitzman didn't get more time as the blocky-TE over Williams last season.
January 30th, 2015 at 4:06 PM ^
Clark and Butt almost ALL the time...Bunting in some slot redzone situations. Shallman and Hill in some H-back or 2nd FB/TE off the line (wing) type situations. I'd play all 5 before Williams, who, IMO is a large Brandon Moore.
January 30th, 2015 at 2:13 PM ^
January 30th, 2015 at 2:25 PM ^
January 30th, 2015 at 2:35 PM ^
He's probably realized that an NFL career is not going to happen, and if he's got his degree—or is just within a few credits of it—he probably wants to move on with his life while his body (and brain) is still relatively intact.
January 30th, 2015 at 2:47 PM ^
January 30th, 2015 at 3:03 PM ^
January 30th, 2015 at 2:50 PM ^
I hope next year is your best year playing football yet, wherever that may be.
January 30th, 2015 at 3:21 PM ^
/S
January 30th, 2015 at 2:58 PM ^
Maize'n'Brew has a short piece here - LINK
Heitzman had a nice summary of his time at Michigan though:
"The past few years have been an unforgettable journey full of ever lasting memories, both exciting and saddening," Heitzman said on Instagram. "I have experienced the spoils of winning and the heartbreak of losing. I have always blamed my struggles on external factors and never realized that all of this was part of the process of becoming a Michigan man. It has been the most challenging yet rewarding 4 years of my life and for that I will be forever grateful."
Best of luck to him in the future.
January 30th, 2015 at 3:31 PM ^