Denard Robinson Transfer Update: Probably Not?
Via Joe Schad's twitter feed, here's a brief conversation with Denard's high school coach on the topic du jour. Denard, unsurprisingly, is supposed to meet with Brady Hoke individually today. Voltron tweets:
"I think if the right things are said at Michigan, I think he wants to stay. Will they put you on the edge and roll you out? Denard does not want to sit out a year."
Taylor told Denard to ask: "What offense do you run and where do I fit in?" He heard Borges can run a spread.
Taylor said coaches from around country have called re: Denard. "I take three batteries with me everywhere for my cell phone."
If Michigan hadn't recruited Denard, Taylor said he probably would have gone to UCF—the guy wants to play quarterback.
January 12th, 2011 at 9:05 PM ^
Hard to remember back, but I think I recall them running a decent amount of pure option out of the I with Vick as well.
January 12th, 2011 at 9:09 PM ^
I was watching his college highlights earlier and a lot of the plays on there were pure options.
January 12th, 2011 at 9:26 PM ^
course SHOELACE can take off when nobody is open.We don't have to design running plays for him.
January 12th, 2011 at 7:54 PM ^
...Michigan Football while attending the MBB game (shown on BTN).
All smiles while waving to the crowd.
January 12th, 2011 at 7:45 PM ^
Just got a rousing ovation and it seems he is staying!!!
January 12th, 2011 at 7:46 PM ^
I remember Borges from way back in his Portland St. days in Oregon. His offenses scored a lot of points and they played for a national championship or two. The head coach at the time was Pokey Allen They then headed off to Boise St. if I remember correctly and played for and won a national championship there too. He ran the "run and shoot" and it was wide open. His offense can accommodate any type of talent.
January 12th, 2011 at 7:52 PM ^
...they lost their one national championship game ('94) to Tressel and Youngstown State. Portland State was the Div II runners up in 1987 and 1988. I too remember that they ran a wide open offense.
Your larger point is valid.
January 12th, 2011 at 7:59 PM ^
He's probably been simmering over that loss to Tressel since then and we'll get the benefit of that payback this November. It makes perfect sense! Why didn't we see this coming?
January 12th, 2011 at 7:50 PM ^
I think everything has been handled well be David Brandon, and starting today Brady Hoke.
And even though a big portion of this community is skeptical of Brady Hoke, I like the fact that a portion of Brian's analysis is that, "Brady Hoke does well when he has a big talent at QB"
I know I'm paraphrasing, not quoting, but isn't that true of almost any program? Even boring consistent Brian Griese managed to get an MVP for one of those games he played that magical season. Now what game was that, the other team wore red, hmmm, that only eliminates about half of the games, wait, it was a warm day, but not in September, hmmm, must have been an away game. Well it'll come back to me.
I think we also stayed in a permanent dime package on defense that day, with the Strong Safety listed as a linebacker. Now how could the boring staff under Lloyd Carr have managed to do that against a team that had a prolific passer and 4-5 WR threats in a spread formation?!? I mean cause coaches and schemes are inflexible, and can't just change things to best suit the circumstances.
oh well, at least I have a new avatar for a while.
January 12th, 2011 at 10:35 PM ^
Oh, it was when we played the BC Lions in the Astro Bowl!
January 12th, 2011 at 8:10 PM ^
Very good news. He'd be good in any offense, but hopefully the OC and Hoke can find a system that maximizes his talents while also working with constructs they are comfortable with.
January 12th, 2011 at 8:12 PM ^
Denard Robinson was a very good throwing QB last year - 62% accuracy, 18 TDs, 11 INTs and 2,570 yards on only 291 attempts.
Ryan Lindley had 120 more attempts than Robinson and hit 3,800 yards passing. He also had two receivers with 1,000 yards (Vince Brown and Demarco Sampson).
Michigan returns weapons like Darryl Stonum, JR Hemingway, Martavious Odoms, Kelvin Grady, plus TEs Koger and Moore, not to mention the ridiculous situation UM has at running back. I see no reason why Denard Robinson couldn't hit 3,000 + yards passing. He will have a longer and more productive career passing the ball anyway than running off-tackle (and I love watching him explode into the secondary as much as the next guy).
Sometimes I think we forget that Denard Robinson is a sophomore. A SOPHOMORE!
January 12th, 2011 at 8:33 PM ^
Almost no one has coached a player like Denard...
January 13th, 2011 at 12:17 PM ^
Have we all given up on Roundtree? Last few times I've seen a list of our receivers, it is sans Roy.
January 12th, 2011 at 8:15 PM ^
That would be a big boost to Hoke's first year, a Heisman caliber QB.
January 12th, 2011 at 10:03 PM ^
a Heisman win for Denard (at Michigan) could not be more huge in what it means for the program and its long term success. pipe dreams now, maybe, but why not? i like this idea, and hope BH gets a staff that can make this happen. it would be a great legacy for RR at M.
January 12th, 2011 at 8:40 PM ^
Denard was at basketball game and seemed happy, excited and smiling. Waved at the crowd as well.
January 12th, 2011 at 9:02 PM ^
denard stood up and everyone cheered ecstatically. Go mich fan base!
January 12th, 2011 at 9:23 PM ^
were a nice touch too. hopefully DR spends this semester learning how nice it is to be at michigan when people like the direction of the program. when was the last time that happened?
January 12th, 2011 at 9:05 PM ^
will be back
January 12th, 2011 at 9:55 PM ^
I wonder what Auburn is offering ? Cash wise that is ....
January 12th, 2011 at 8:44 PM ^
He's been in the business long enough to make adjustments to the offenses he's ran and I plan on watching Denard play QB. The offense will evolve and will be different when Gardner runs it compared to what it will look like next year.
January 12th, 2011 at 9:17 PM ^
Borges who does not have a background with a running quarterback will "figure it out"
Greg Robinson with a Superbowl ring could not figure out how to execute a 3-3-5
You know what they say about assumptions. i would prefer some experience having done it rather than "figure it out".
January 12th, 2011 at 9:48 PM ^
January 12th, 2011 at 9:55 PM ^
Randel El graduated in 2001, Borges was there for 2002-3.
His quarterbacks at IU also netted negative rushing yards for the season.
January 12th, 2011 at 10:36 PM ^
January 13th, 2011 at 8:54 AM ^
His problem was that he doesn't understand how to teach college-age kids (see also: Weis, Charlie). Borges has no such problem. Indeed, he has years of experience doing it. He'll be fine. So will Denard.
January 13th, 2011 at 9:16 AM ^
Sorry, accidentally negged you while trying to hide my screen at work. Unfortunately, that point also cost me my 'Basic User' title and the ability to pos you back. I'll owe you one after my upcoming, arduous trek to 100 pts.
January 12th, 2011 at 9:04 PM ^
Please God, I can't take Denard leaving. I need the kid to stay for my sanity. He is a stud plain and simple and Hoke should do everything to make him happy and comfortable in his future at Michigan.
January 12th, 2011 at 9:13 PM ^
it sounds like the team wants to keep everybody togeather.GO BLUE!!!
January 12th, 2011 at 9:20 PM ^
Brian acts like he is surprised by this.
January 12th, 2011 at 9:23 PM ^
Can someone tell me why there is such optimism that Borges will be great with Denard when we had an experienced DC that everyone said could not implement a 3-3-5? Borges will be fine running what he knows.
But where is the evidence he knows how to use a quarterback with Denard's running skills? Why was he at SDSU after being at Auburn a few years earlier? Why the fall from grace?
January 12th, 2011 at 9:38 PM ^
largely because Tuberville wanted to transition to a spread offense, and Borges wasn't the guy to do it (big surprise, there). Auburn's transition to a spread offense went about as well as ours, and cost Tuberville his job.
January 12th, 2011 at 9:54 PM ^
Borges was forced out largely b/c Auburn was massively dysfuctional then. Now that that good booster money is flowing again, maybe not so much.
January 12th, 2011 at 9:50 PM ^
There is this prevailing opinion that a quarterback who is highly mobile needs some special scheme designed around that mobility. That's a bunch of $hit. Every highly mobile quarterback, of which Denard is the top of the class, is still a QUARTERBACK. Their mobility allows them many more options from the position, most notably the ability to scramble on pass routes where you run the defense off in coverage. In the same token, though, it is just stupid to design plays that use your most valuable asset as a glorified running back. My biggest problem watching the offense this year was the prevalence of run Denard by design. In plays that took place against capable defenses, he generally just got smacked. I would prefer not to see Denard get smacked. When he had big running plays was when it was a second option, following his intuition as a special athlete and he saw an opening and took off.
January 12th, 2011 at 10:08 PM ^
Sorry, that didn't work. iPad n00b
January 12th, 2011 at 10:51 PM ^
Though you may have failed in the execution, the idea presented was top notch. Well played, sir!
January 13th, 2011 at 2:36 AM ^
his "big running plays" weren't when running was a second option. In fact, the two biggest of the year against ND and Indiana weren't any kind of option at all. Both were straight up QB isos. In fact, if you go back and watch the games, you'll find that very few of his runs period were when running was a second option.
The whole last sentence you wrote is entirely inaccurate.
January 13th, 2011 at 11:57 AM ^
I was referring to the back half of the season when playing competent defensive teams, not the entire season. Once we got to the back half of the schedule, Denard was no longer busting off the big runs on designed plays. He was getting better yards running the ball as he saw fit at that point
January 13th, 2011 at 9:53 AM ^
I understand that Denard missed time because he got so many carries. But you cannot discount the designed qb run so easily. It is what made Denard's passing so effective. Think about Roundtree's wide open TD in the bowl game. That happened because the other team was so concerned about his running. And his running was better because he had designed runs. When you scramble, your blockers don't know where you are or what you are doing and some are running routes that won't help you. A designed run avoids a handoff or pass that have the potential for a turnover and allows all ten of your teamates to have an assignment and execute it so that the run has a better chance at going further.
I think Denard can play qb in a system without designed runs, but in order to do so effectively, he will have to increase his accuracy and decision making, which I expect him to do.
Also, we are screwed if either Denard or Devin leaves because we have no backup.
January 13th, 2011 at 11:06 AM ^
Designed QB runs are not stupid I agree, but there should be about 5-8 of them a game, not 20-25.
January 13th, 2011 at 10:55 AM ^
than we are.
He came here because he wanted to be a QB. If he wanted to be a running back or just a wildcat QB, he would have gone somewhere else.
Maybe he likes throwing the ball. Maybe he doesn't want to run the ball 70% of the time.
Maybe he signed up with RR because RR was one of the few coaches at a big time program that would let him play QB. Maybe he did not sign up because what he really wants to do is run the ball from the QB position.
He will be given the QB spot, that much is certain. We should not assume that he will leave because the QB spot under Hoke is not enough de-facto running back for him.
January 12th, 2011 at 9:27 PM ^
I hope Denard decides to stay, but not for the same reason I see everyone arguing. Yes, he is a stud. No argument there. More importantly to me is that he is a guy who represents Michigan - even beyond football. He is a leader, is humble, has zero ego, takes losses hard, contributes, and competes. He LOVES playing for us. He LOVES playing for his teammates. He is a Michigan Man, and it would be a shame to see him leave.
January 12th, 2011 at 9:53 PM ^
Yes, also that. Right on.
January 12th, 2011 at 10:19 PM ^
"If you're not a good teammate - who's gonna love you?"
January 12th, 2011 at 9:51 PM ^
I really would like to see Denard stay and hope he does. Denard for more two years with Devin Gardner behind him and then two years of Devin as the QB will be just freaking awesome. But I refuse to obsess about it and worry about it. I root for Michigan and players that play for Michigan, and Michigan needs players that want to be at Michigan. Hope Denard is one of those. If not, well, that would be extremely unfortunate but life will go on and we'll go straight to Devin.
I do think Denard needs more support in the running game from other backs and fewer carries, which would equal more snaps on the field for him. Add another big step forward as passer for him this off-season and, well, damn. I'd like to see him pass for 3,500, run for more like 1,000, maybe even less, and I don't think he has to be in the pocket to do that. He's always going to be a dangerous runner, but I don't think having your QB as the center piece of your rushing attack is a bright idea. IMO, our rivals have been right about that. He's no good crumpled in a ball on the sideline.
January 12th, 2011 at 10:14 PM ^
3500 is going to be hard for DRob to do. He's just not that great of a passer.
January 12th, 2011 at 11:47 PM ^
January 12th, 2011 at 10:38 PM ^
On ESPN's front page off to the right, their story headline reads "Coach: Michigan's Robinson stays?"....at first when I read this I thought it referred to Coach Greg Robinson and immediately flipped out. Then I opened the article and it was basically this information from Denard's high school coach
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