Potential Football Position Switches
Harbaugh is using bowl practice to explore if under-utilized players might help the team in other positions. Among the experiments...
B. Cole from WR to S
Gentry from QB to TE
R. Jones from DL to ILB
http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2015/12/michigan_freshman_bri…
It will be interesting to see how this angle on player development pans out.
December 29th, 2015 at 11:30 AM ^
It was a disaster. If I remember correctly, Bo started recruiting scholarship kickers for the next season. He apparently had used walk-ons before.
December 29th, 2015 at 8:28 AM ^
Ryan Tice was a quality punter in high school and could fill the role. Also, John Baxter said at one point that he might have a line on another Australian punter (like O'Neill), so that's a possibility.
December 28th, 2015 at 9:31 PM ^
I like that Harbaugh experiments with personnel really, because part of maximizing potential - which he is incredibly good at when it comes to players - is looking at their skills and their strengths and seeing opportunities for them at other places on the field. It is a great failing of many staffs elsewhere to get stuck on using someone at the position for which they were recruited without breaking their skillset down further.
December 28th, 2015 at 9:47 PM ^
Definitely felt that one of the reasons Furman didn't do well here was that he wasn't tried out at any other position. Dude was obviously talented and flourished as a linebacker at Ok St.
December 29th, 2015 at 9:01 AM ^
How on earth do you know he wasnt tried out at any other positions at UM?
December 28th, 2015 at 10:11 PM ^
December 28th, 2015 at 10:24 PM ^
Richard Sherman transitioned from WR (which he played rather well for) to CB
December 28th, 2015 at 10:28 PM ^
meh - beaten to it.
December 28th, 2015 at 10:27 PM ^
December 28th, 2015 at 10:44 PM ^
December 28th, 2015 at 10:48 PM ^
December 28th, 2015 at 11:11 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
December 28th, 2015 at 11:11 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
December 29th, 2015 at 12:57 AM ^
So yeah, success may be the exception, but it's happened in a few prominent cases.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
December 29th, 2015 at 1:10 AM ^
Gates came to MSU as a TE. Saban told him he could only play football and not both football and basketball. Gates lost his eligibility, transferred to EMU to play bball, was ineligbile again, went to JC before ending up at Kent State and playing PF there for some good Golden Flashes squads. He didnt really flip positions, just sports (and schools) a couple times.
http://247sports.com/Player/Antonio-Gates-76799?PlayerInstitution=133950&Sport=1
December 29th, 2015 at 9:16 AM ^
but Texas A&M had two guys drafted pretty highly as tackles that started out as a QB and TE. Matthews and Joeckel were both like top 6 picks
December 28th, 2015 at 9:37 PM ^
Jones to ILB works out well. I don't see Gentry beating out Peters but I think Gentry will make a great backup QB. But if he excels at TE he could see more playing time.
December 28th, 2015 at 9:52 PM ^
December 28th, 2015 at 10:05 PM ^
December 28th, 2015 at 10:27 PM ^
Supposedly the grapevine said he had been.
December 28th, 2015 at 10:37 PM ^
December 28th, 2015 at 10:42 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
December 28th, 2015 at 11:20 PM ^
December 29th, 2015 at 12:08 AM ^
Watch the season opener against Utah
December 29th, 2015 at 1:00 AM ^
Cole move is permanent barring a sudden WR depth catastrophe and he's gonna be a dude at S
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
December 29th, 2015 at 8:50 AM ^
Winovich? Did he move back to LB?