Damien Harris Decommits
This is very 2013 of you, recruiting.
Sam Webb is reporting that Damien Harris is no longer a Michigan commit($).
![panic[3]](https://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/images/Damien-Harris-Decommits_A03C/panic3.gif "panic[3]"){kind=small}
For what it's worth, his mom says that "Michigan is #1, and that hasn't changed," but that he wants to make sure he goes through the recruiting process and whatnot; also Borges's departure was a factor. (His high school coach used to be a GA for Borges.) Time will tell whether this is like the Jabrill Peppers wavering or more like George Campbell. Nussmeier made his first stop as OC Madison Southern, Harris's high school, so Michigan is on it, insofar as they can be on it.
I suggest we immediately move Fred Jackson to Beverage Coordinator and hire Mike Hart but that's just me.
January 21st, 2014 at 11:45 AM ^
Commitments are just a joke these days.
January 21st, 2014 at 12:09 PM ^
Its to be expected though when these kids are commiting as frosh/soph/juniors.
Fact of the matter is that you simpy cannot expect these kids to stay committed for 2+ years unless its a coaches kid. I hate how recruiting has moved towards underclassman, it may just be the reason why I've stopped following it so closely.
January 21st, 2014 at 12:56 PM ^
As frustrating as it is to lose guys like Harris and Campbell, it's also hard to blame them. You have to realize that at least part of the things I have to assume the UM coaches sold them on is the coaching stability (particularly with Harris/Borges) and winning (Those who stay will be champtions, this is Michigan, etc.). When time goes by and it begins to look like those selling points are not as strong as they once seemed it's hard to keep these kids, especially when they are top recruits and not from your region. Winning fixes this...coahces don't get fired, Michigan wins games, and big recruits stay committed. They really need a strong season in 2014.
January 21st, 2014 at 1:15 PM ^
Not that I disagree, but his primary tie to the school just got sent packing. Short of a head coaching change, the kid is as entitled to decommit and re-evaulate as anyone.
January 21st, 2014 at 5:42 PM ^
So are coach's contracts.
Not that I'm sad Borge is gone in this instance.
January 21st, 2014 at 11:46 AM ^
Sorry to hear this, but at least the guessing/waiting game has ended.
Best of luck to the young man.
January 21st, 2014 at 11:46 AM ^
If Nussmeier can coach up our line for the inside zone attack, then getting a running back to work will not be a problem. I like Damien Harris, especially since he is the one and only Michigan recruit from my high school, but this is a small price to pay for vastly upgrading our OC. Plus, there remain a number of great reasons for Harris to recommit to M: Ingram, Richardson, Lacy, and Yeldon. Not all came under Nuss, but they all show the benefit of a well-oiled inside zone running attack.
January 21st, 2014 at 12:46 PM ^
If this trade had to happen then I'm completely fine with it. You can win without superstar runningbacks but NOT with a terrible offensive line and the most predictable calls in history. Barry Sanders would struggle behind our O-line and Borges clearly couldn't fix it.
January 21st, 2014 at 5:49 PM ^
especially the interior; our running game has never been the same since Molk hurt his foot
January 21st, 2014 at 11:47 AM ^
Currently, there are a bunch of Michigan "fans" bombaring Harris with negative tweets. So much so, Harris' coach wanted TomVH to tweet this:
"People need to back off of [Damien]. People are attacking him and the fans better ease up or they're going to push him away from Michigan."
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) January 21, 2014
So stop being assholes people or you're going to kill any chance of Harris ever recommiting. If you haven't already.
January 21st, 2014 at 12:03 PM ^
Odds are none of the people flaming him ever went to Michigan. Actually, I'd go as far as say some of them WANT to push him away from Michigan, and the most effective way to do that is to pretend to be a Michigan fan and act like an asshole. Though there are probably some dumb students in the mix, as well.
That's the problem with social media these days, (sigh). . . you can never tell who's who. I'm an old fart so it was a bit of an awakening when some yung'uns told me that these days it's not unusual to have several "alts" or more, and frankly everybody pretends to be somebody they're not. Yeesh, and then they have the gall to wonder why no one understands them.
Sorry, I'm digressing. Hopefully Michigan's quick to give this guy an olive branch before the Assholes of the Internet burn down the bridge.
January 21st, 2014 at 12:14 PM ^
Some people use social media (twitter, facebook, etc.) as like a fantasy, on line, video game. I abstain from all social media.
January 21st, 2014 at 12:04 PM ^
find out who these people are bugging Damien and blow up their timelines for a while (figuratively speaking, of course)
January 21st, 2014 at 12:12 PM ^
January 21st, 2014 at 1:37 PM ^
amazing fan base, cant handle the truth about their program
January 21st, 2014 at 11:48 AM ^
since we supposedly have such a stable of RB's right now currently? And majority of them young? Just asking a legit question.. you don't like to lose anybody.. and 5 star is going to make the media just pick up on it more. But should the blow be softened knowing we have a lot of guys at this position who are supposed to be good (with many years of eligibility left) or is this a pretty big deal?
I figured he was in the mix of guys to possibly de-commit due to a lot of reasons... the team not performing well, borges, a lot of other RB's currently. Just saying.. George Campbell tears me apart from the inside.. this one not as much. But maybe I am trying to be too positive.
January 21st, 2014 at 12:47 PM ^
Now that we have an OC that can actually call plays competently, I'm not as worried.
January 21st, 2014 at 11:49 AM ^
Wouldn't it be peculiar for a recruit to officially decommit and then recommit to the same school? There's a difference between a Jabrill Peppers informal "window shopping" if you will, and an actual decommittment. I just don't see him recommitting.
January 21st, 2014 at 12:13 PM ^
It's unusual, but not unheard of. David Dawson did it, for instance. What seems to be more common is a "committed" recruit openly looking around, and then committing to the school they were supposedly already committed to (like Vic Enwere did last week). But that is not likely to be tolerated by our coaches.
January 21st, 2014 at 11:49 AM ^
Because of the relationship with A.B. this was an important coaching change to them. Let him recalibrate and look around, this is completely understandable. What I hope is that his coach is not such an A.B. advocate that he is giving Campbell advice based upon a 56 year old man's career. He has to make decisions for what he believes is good for him and his family - not his coache's loyalties (I don't know if this is the case, just an aspect to consider).
Let him look around, my expectation is that things are significantly more exciting this fall and he will be curious to dig deeper with Nuss.
January 21st, 2014 at 11:52 AM ^
Water is like milk, but quicker, and harder to see coming out of the backfield.
January 21st, 2014 at 12:03 PM ^
to start drinking Jacksonade: like Gatorade, but loaded with pure dilithium extracted from the dreadlock carriers of Pahokee, FL.
January 21st, 2014 at 11:57 AM ^
He's a 16-17 year old junior in HS-college class of 2015. He decommited hardly world news. Lotta RBs want to play as freshman, so think about it, M has 2 kids battling for the starting spot next year and one kid likely going to get lots of playing time in the next 2-3 years (green) so where does that leave this kid? Most of these kids are looking at whats best for them and where they fit in, not the overall team picture which is what fans care about. Its a wacky world at best lets face it, c'est la vie. Also, a few more wins next year and a win in a bowl would definetly help things out here....
January 21st, 2014 at 11:58 AM ^
January 21st, 2014 at 11:59 AM ^
The kid is a high school junior for chrissake.
Remember that one time that we had the best 2015 recruiting class evar for like a month? Those were so the best of times.
/Meh
January 21st, 2014 at 1:33 PM ^
Remember when we had George Campbell, Damien Harris, and were considered pretty much locks/heavy favorites for Da'Shawn Hand and Malik McDowell? Sigh...
January 21st, 2014 at 12:00 PM ^
January 21st, 2014 at 12:07 PM ^
January 21st, 2014 at 12:32 PM ^
I'm confused.
Michigan will probably keep recruiting Harris and Cambell, but also other players in those positions. Just cause they decomitted doesn't mean Michigan turns their back on them, it just means a spot isn't saved for them anymore.
January 21st, 2014 at 12:06 PM ^
Why Mike Hart? I seriously would like an argument FOR Mike hart. I know he went to Michigan...and he was a great runing back....and....WHY? I would like to hear the argument FOR him.
January 21st, 2014 at 12:08 PM ^
January 21st, 2014 at 12:12 PM ^
SO we hire an unproven position coach so we can maybe get one kid to come to Michigan?
Makes sense.
January 21st, 2014 at 12:36 PM ^
January 21st, 2014 at 12:28 PM ^
if a player chooses his future based on one player that has not proven to coach well at all, then I would not want said player on my team.
I also would not want my team to choose a coach based on what a recruit says.
I also prefer coaches that don't run their mouths. Maybe that's just me.
January 21st, 2014 at 12:25 PM ^
January 21st, 2014 at 12:31 PM ^
Ok thanks. This is good to hear if he does indeed exhibit potential. Too bad he has only been at EMU.
January 21st, 2014 at 2:13 PM ^
And the fact he was in the NFL for a few years, he's probably about where he should be. While I took a bit of a knock at his success against OSU earlier, he clearly is a passionate guy and much beloved by most of the Michigan fanbase. Maybe he would be better off spedning a few years at a low to mid-teir BCS school, but I don't think he would be a bad choice for Michigan. Though quite honestly, I think it might be in his best interest to wait at least another season or two to see where the program is going.
The only serious concern I would have is looking at this years at EMU is a deline in rushing yards each year he has been there. Perhaps someone who knows more about EMU could let me know if that is perhaps due to a switch in offensive philosophy, since his EMU bio mentions that Hill was their first 1000 yard back since 2003? Had they been running the QB more and moved to a more drop back approach? That would explain a decline in overall rushing yards and an increase in RB rushing yards. Or did they have o-line issue and their rushing total got hurt by sacks?
January 22nd, 2014 at 10:50 AM ^
He moved to WMU this year. Although they're both "directional Michigan" schools, Western has a history that includes periods of success. Eastern...not so much
January 21st, 2014 at 12:15 PM ^
...mostly from heart disease and cancer - and not because of this.
And people need to leave this kid the hell alone. And if you are thinking negative thoughts about Harris right now, you are misunderstanding the situation.
January 21st, 2014 at 12:05 PM ^
Not really glad this happened, but I am glad he finally pulled the trigger on the decommitment. The speculation was getting old. I realize we are "#1" or whatever, but hopefully everybody just moves on and we can find a suitable RB who goes all in for MI
January 21st, 2014 at 12:06 PM ^
Harris' two most recent twitter follows (not followers) are 2 OSU coaches. that's strange.
January 21st, 2014 at 12:57 PM ^
that's creepy
January 21st, 2014 at 1:49 PM ^
January 21st, 2014 at 12:07 PM ^
After the display of incredibly poor blocking leading to the tailbacks not gaining much yardage and then Borges gets the boot (given his circumstances).
Why not take a step back and look at what happens with this scheme in 2014, then make a decision?
January 21st, 2014 at 12:13 PM ^
January 21st, 2014 at 12:13 PM ^
A successful running game is more about good blocking, balanced offensive schemes and natural ability, and less about coaching a kid up. Coaching a RB is building confidence, getting the player to understand blocking schemes and recruiting talent, which Jackson has done as well as is possible under the previous OC - so a coaching change here just prior to signing day likely isnt where we are headed.
January 21st, 2014 at 12:13 PM ^
Commence panic.
January 21st, 2014 at 5:46 PM ^
Not saying I am happy about the decommitment, but Rivals' Michigan site had a story today that listed every Michigan decommitment over the past 10 years. The one and only guy who has had any success in college is Kris Frost. It is still early to give up on Harris and way too early to be depressed about it.
January 21st, 2014 at 12:17 PM ^
FUCK IT ALL
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