Pipkins watch - 5 tackles and game ball in Texas Tech opener
If you are like me then you liked Ondre Pipkins. I remember his Hoke impression as a rising freshman and his series of injuries leading up to his departure. The good news is he is alive and well. This is the best I could come up with for a summary but thought I would share.
Welcome to Lubbock, Ondre Pipkins and Kolin Hill. The newcomers imposed their will on the game early and set the tone for the first team defense. The Lumberjacks only managed 58 yards on the ground in large part due to Pipkins and sophomore Breiden Fehoko clogging up everything between the tackles. Better technique at the point of contact and pursuit were key improvements all around.
I would like to see one of his games this year at some point. If anyone else has insight I would like to hear it. There is some paid content at 247 of which I am not privy.
September 7th, 2016 at 1:37 AM ^
September 7th, 2016 at 6:31 AM ^
September 7th, 2016 at 12:14 PM ^
Why is there so much #clanga in the background? You're not Mississippi St.
September 7th, 2016 at 12:50 AM ^
September 7th, 2016 at 12:59 AM ^
...after Mone suffered a season-ending injury in fall camp and Glasgow suffered a season-ending injury against Rutgers.
I wish him well and I hope he still gets a chance to play on Sundays.
September 7th, 2016 at 1:18 AM ^
And we could use him THIS year with Mone out again we're burning Dwumfour's redshirt. Pipkins would've added even more depth.
With that said, that's IF (and I don't know enough about it whether the injury stuff was 100% an issue or exaggerated any) he's truly fit to play at UofM.
September 7th, 2016 at 5:06 AM ^
September 7th, 2016 at 5:38 AM ^
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September 7th, 2016 at 6:39 AM ^
what is that reason?
September 7th, 2016 at 6:50 AM ^
He's implying something and I'm not sure what he's getting at.
It's not as if Harbaugh pulled a Saban and ran off Pipkins to free up a scholarship. Even with Pipkins on the roster, we would have been under the 85 max scholarhship limit iirc.
September 7th, 2016 at 7:45 AM ^
Since you know so much, please tell me what I'm implying since I specifically stated EXACTLY where I was. It couldn't have been more clear.
What you thought that when I said: IF (and I don't know enough about it whether the injury stuff was 100% an issue or exaggerated any) he's truly fit to play at UofM.
That what I really meant was "No, not IF like I put in all CAPS...what I'm implying is he most certainly IS fit to play - I DO have a first hand source on the situation."
So now we're just taking something someone literally says and flipping it?
In all seriousness, what could I possibly be implying when I was extremely specific?
September 7th, 2016 at 7:56 AM ^
My post was a reference to SanDiegoWolverine's post. He said "there's a reason he redshirted and didn't take a medical scholarship."
I was genuinely asking him what the reason was because it wasn't apparent to me...
September 7th, 2016 at 7:59 AM ^
Your response block fell in line with my post. My fault. Excuse my MGoSnark.
September 7th, 2016 at 2:21 PM ^
September 7th, 2016 at 7:41 AM ^
I literally said I don't know the entire story, what are you talking about "what is that reason?"
I just know some folks think there is more to the story...others feel everything is kosher. Like I said below, by the time he was gone...I really didn't care enough to look into it and try to read all of the inside information.
But I'm not going to blindly believe either story without knowing more. What do I care, at that point he was already transferring and stories had already developed/minds already made.
It's unlike other transfer situations where whether it was here on MGoBlog or using other resources I could easily develop an informed opinion (i.e. Amir Mitchell was smoking weed and/or not going to class...by most accounts that I read with my own eyes or heard with my own ears as that story developed...it's accurate).
By the time the Pipkins thing rolled around...it looked like there are some Pipkins supporters who think we was pushed out, some staunch Harbaugh supporters who think he poops gold, and some folks who said "there's a reason he redshirted and didn't take a medical"...
I said from post 1 that I didn't know enough about the situation to know what to believe, but the kid was gone...his tweet or comments were out and it was time to move on, IMO.
But I'm not going to act like I truly know what happened...the point stands. If he is/was healthy enough to play at Michigan I feel he could contribute. If he's not...I don't want to see anywhere near the field, I still cringe at that Shane Morris/Minnesota situation.
September 7th, 2016 at 7:50 AM ^
September 7th, 2016 at 7:58 AM ^
Me personally, I don't know...because a scholarship clearly wasn't the reason. But after the fact I've always chalked it up to "I'll never know the true story." Just like "how did RoJo get to USC?"
There are some things that I personally just accept I'll probably never know the true answer. There are other things...i.e. the Mike Weber situation, where I'm VERY confident that I know what happened. LTT seemed like a somewhat unforunate, but understandable situation - especially in a coach's first year.
Then there's other stuff where I just go off of what's reported. Sounds like Hawkins had an academics issues, in the words of Stephen A. Smith...Mitchell couldn't put down the WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-DUH and go to class. Sounds like the RB, Walker wasn't a fan of class but didn't fall so far behind he had to go...at least that's what I get when I hear Harbaugh talk about he's 100% class right now and how they're not focusing on football with him.
Pipkins, for me, was just "oh well...you missed out on that tidbit." Maybe someone else knows the real deal. At this point, I'm far more excited to know Bryan Mone could be back for the beginning of B1G play than to know what REALLY happened with a guy who will never play another snap at Michigan. That's been my thought process for awhile now.
September 7th, 2016 at 3:46 PM ^
I think the simplest answer is probably the right answer here. Michigan's medical professionals believed Pipkins shouldn't play. Pipkins disagreed (or was willing to take his chances, seeing the NFL as the life he wanted). Texas Tech's medical professionals are prepared to give Pipkins the green light.
It's possible we will never know which medical staff is right. I wish Pipkins well and hope we never see evidence that UM's judgement was correct.
September 7th, 2016 at 9:50 AM ^
September 7th, 2016 at 9:23 AM ^
Independent doctors said he could play with a year off.
Harbaugh wasn't willing to wait a year and redshirt him, only medical him so he could never play again.
Texas Tech was willing to wait a year.
September 7th, 2016 at 7:23 AM ^
I don't understand any of this.
He was a decent player that M obviously could have used last year (even w/o the benefit of hindsight). Whatever his condition is/was, it obviously isn't stopping him from playing D1 football. What's the real story?
September 7th, 2016 at 7:30 AM ^
I honestly have no idea what you're talking about or why this attitude would be "disgusting." With all of the race discussion on this board over the past 6 months, how I said anything that could even be mistaken as "disgusting" when a few truly disgusting comments have gotten the banhammer is beyond me. Maybe you just meant "disagree?"
All I said was we could use him THIS year (when the poster I was responding to was said LAST year). Is that not pretty much fact? He would at least provide depth and we have the scholarship available. What's the problem?
I also said that is IF he's healthy. Because we don't want to be playing with the health of a student-athlete. But I said I don't know if he's healthy or not...I don't know enough about the situation to know if he's 100% shouldn't play or if it was exaggerated some as some claim. I really don't care at this point...he's gone and I trust Haraugh made the best decision for the student-athlete and the program. But how would I know for sure without knowing more about specifically how everything went down?
I recall details about the LTT situation to have an informed opinion. Same goes for Amir Mitchell and Brian Cole. I don't know anything about Pipkins' deal other than the rumors on both sides. It would be irresponsible to act like I have an informed opinion when I don't in this case and that's all I was saying "that's IF (and I don't know enough about it whether the injury stuff was 100% an issue or exaggerated any) he's truly fit to play at UofM."
Lastly, I said he could help us avoid playing Dwumfour...this is option as maybe Dwumfour still plays, I happen to believe that a healthy Pipkins would be just fine in those snaps. If you disagree, that's fine...it's a message board.
But there's nothing wrong with what I said...if you can find something to prove otherwise, I'm all ears (errr eyes).
September 7th, 2016 at 7:50 AM ^
Forgot he transferred to SCOOBA! To play at EMCC.
He had 8 tackles and forced fumble and a fumble recovery in an opening game that they LOST because their best offensive players, including the QB from FSU, were all suspended.
September 7th, 2016 at 8:16 AM ^
Dude, calm down. People aren't talking about your comment. No need to get defensive.
September 7th, 2016 at 7:13 AM ^
September 7th, 2016 at 8:55 AM ^
I don't think Harbaugh will ever care about redshirting. He said so last year. OLine and perhaps QB are the only position groups he looks at redshirting, he stated someting along the lines of all the others should be ready to participate by the end of their first year and a fifth year is not really a benefit, because they aren't going to get much better. By not redshirting, you essentially get an extra recruiting class every fifth year. Your hit rate doesn't have to be as high when you have an extra 5 kids or so every year because you aren't redshirting. This is part of the meritocrasy.
September 7th, 2016 at 11:06 AM ^
September 7th, 2016 at 3:21 PM ^
This. The meritocracy involves coming in and making an effort to contribute right away. As long as we're bringing in high quality talent and character athletes freshman will be "expected" to be on the three deep at their position by the end of their freshman year barring injury. I think we'll see higher levels of attrition for kids that can't hack it but I like the contrast considering we have a top flight coaching staff.
September 7th, 2016 at 11:26 AM ^
Harbaugh has made it plain: reshirts aren't going to be important at most positions. "Burning Dwumfour's redshirt" isn't an issue. He wouldn't be around a fifth year anyway.
September 7th, 2016 at 12:51 AM ^
Hopefully he can continue those numbers against stiffer competition.
September 7th, 2016 at 12:53 AM ^
Hope to see him in the NFL next year. He looks like he's in amazing shape.
September 7th, 2016 at 1:04 AM ^
September 7th, 2016 at 9:28 AM ^
"butI do worry about him sustaining more concussions."
Why?
As far as we know - he's had 2 in college. That is a perfectly normal number, and a majority of the guys on the current Michigan team have probably had at least as many.
I'd be way more worried about Shane Morris after the way he looked against Minnesota last year than Pipkins.
September 7th, 2016 at 1:11 AM ^
September 7th, 2016 at 1:25 AM ^
September 7th, 2016 at 10:56 AM ^
I was stating he had some injuries and hoping him the best. I'm assuming you downvoted me, not sure why.
"I have followed Pipkins a little closely due to how he left the program, and nearly everything that was written about him has been positive from a health standpoint."
But there were a lot of question marks before he left
Michigan freshman defensive tackle Ondre Pipkins, who was hospitalized after a neck injury on Friday morning
http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/8277375/michigan-wolver…
Pipkins -- who suffered a torn ACL in 2013, a neck injury in 2012 and has battled concussions
http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2015/06/ondre_pipkins_tells_e… Or how about this?
September 7th, 2016 at 5:17 PM ^
September 7th, 2016 at 2:06 AM ^
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September 7th, 2016 at 4:00 AM ^
September 7th, 2016 at 7:28 AM ^
Pipkins is, today, in great shape. Obviously, based on the on-field results. The problem is that the sorts of injuries he sustained while at Michigan are the sort that get worse as they recur, and they're also the kinds of injuries that are likely to recur if you play football. Not so much that he's gotten more brittle, but that the damage gets cumulative, and increasingly likely to be catastrophic. Concussions, for example. His skull is fine, but the brain inside it has already taken damage. The coaches weren't comfortable with the risk to his long-term health, and IIRC pushed him toward a medical scholarship to get his degree.
IANAD but I don't think this is a case where someone's clearly right and someone's clearly wrong. He's taking a risk, a risk the UM coaches weren't comfortable with, but he's well within his rights to do so.
September 7th, 2016 at 8:34 AM ^
I feel a little better after reading that perspective. It still turns my stomach we let him go, but I really do believe JH had his best interests in mind and followed his conscience here. It could not have been easy.
September 7th, 2016 at 9:30 AM ^
...and this is why I think all medical scholarship decisions should be made by independent doctors not affilliated with either the school or the player.
September 7th, 2016 at 8:59 AM ^
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September 7th, 2016 at 9:18 AM ^
This thread got off to a rough start but you and dragonchild provided some solid insight. Thanks, interesting stuff.
September 7th, 2016 at 5:55 AM ^
Amutnal for bring the first poster on this thread to not garner a neg YET for anything he said, felt, knew or opined. Congradulations and here is a virtual game ball and don't forget to say hi to Mom.
Anyone who is not afraid to speak out would they mind reminding me/us on the circumstances for which Mr Pipkins left the team? I somehow forgot and was wondering why he is wearing a TT uniform.
September 7th, 2016 at 8:11 AM ^
This article mentions that we may use his scholarship on a grad transfer WR prior to the start of the 15 season. I had totally forgotten that was even a thing we were concerned about. How silly of us.
September 7th, 2016 at 8:34 AM ^
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