Dorsey Qualification Status: With Scare Quotes

I haven't posted one way or the other on this since we know so little in terms of facts.  I was tending to side with the University, since I know a little about the place and trust their judgement with nothing else to go on.  This seems to vindicate that opinion.

Better safe than sorry in this case.  Though we want badly to win, we have a reputation that is tarnished enough, what with the Freep BS and all.

Edit: I don't really blame RR here either.  He had the benefit of meeting the kid I presume, or at least some solid information from those that had, and no doubt felt that Dorsey had a good chance of hacking it at Michigan.  He is still fairly new to our beloved U and a certain amount of "feeling out" the admissions folks will let him know where the line is in the future.  Bottom line though, the worst case scenario of Dorsey coming in and then bombing out of school would just tank us further in both APR and public perception.

I will continue to root for him no matter where he lands. The whole thing could have been and should have been handled better.

this actually alters my opinion.

...definitive. 

• Dorsey should not have been admitted. 
• The scholarship offer was a mistake. 
• There need to be established protocols for the interaction between the Athletics Department and the Admissions Department in the case of academically marginal recruits. 
• NCAA qualification minimums do not necessarily equal minimum University of Michigan admissions standards. 

I'm not interested in a reprise of Derrick Rose at Michigan.  The risk to the program isn't worth the benefit of his speed and skill on the field.

Dorsey has severable available options, all of which will be funded by someone else:

• Accept a grant in aid from another four year college or university
• Accept a grant in aid from a JUCO
• Attend a prep school for a year of post-secondary education

Let's turn our focus to the student-athletes who were admitted and will be competing for Michigan in September and beyond.

Still feel pretty lousy for him.  All that negative press never had to happen. 

I will forgive Rich Rod for this sin, but only if he shows me his boobs.

and then had to go to a prep school for a year before he was admitted to UM? I disaree with Brian that this is a "Michigan - Rich Rodriguez culture clash". These academically questionable players were ocassionally recruited under Carr, just as they are ocassionally recruited under RR. The main difference is that the media coverage of these hs kids is much more intense then it was even 5 years ago.

I'm still upset with the way this was handled. I still don't have a clear idea of what RR knew and when, and what admissions knew and when. If those numbers re GPA/ACT are correct, then it's on RR; never should've offered. If someone in admissions, but not the provost (what's the provost's roll? obviously major; I just am uninformed on that individual's responsibilities) said to RR "if he qualifies with NCAA, he's in," and then they reneged/changed their mind, then it's on them. And I can definitely understand the argument "well, they didn't have the complete picture when/if they gave this go-ahead." if that's the case, then either they should've requested that information, or RR should've gotten it to them. Either way, it still is a shitty situation, and reflects poorly on the organizational structure/interdependence and communication of the various departments. And therefore, to me, the University.

... so we should be very careful not to place the fault for this fiasco definitively on anyone. But, c'mon, it should be standard operating procedure that before you give out any LOI's you get a preapproval from all the parties who will need to give final approval. That includes Admissions. RR, the Football Program, the Athletic Department and Admissions all should know this. How could a LOI be issued and get signed and returned, particularly with such a high profile recruit who has a checkered background and questionable grades, without all the i's dotted and t's crossed? Something smells here. I am just not sure I know where the smell is coming from.

But a significant part of this is either on Dorsey or Rich Rod.

Admissions doesn't know jack about an athlete until they actually fill out and submit an application.  The football liason knows generalities about the player, but until they get the official scores and HS transcripts they are in no position to make any call on a athlete.  This also holds true if the athlete is underachieving.  Admissions can say definitively what needs to happen, or in this case, if they had for sure known, they would have told Athletics no.

So, if DD didn't submit his application fully, this is his fault.  if Rich Rod didn't push him to do so for an evaluation, then this is mostly Rich Rod's fault.  Either way, it looks like Dorsey would have never been admitted with suspicious jumps in both ACT and grades.

this takes this further than it probably should be taken at this point.  Asking for more is not productive.  Hopefully there are some lessons learned and not too many doors closed by this incident.

I strongly feel Michigan should pursue the best possible talent available, but clearly not regardless of academics.  This is especially true given the immediate need to improve APR.  Was this offer a sign of desperation?  It appears so.  I hope the CBs on the team can dispel that sign if true.

If DD couldn't be successful in A2, then this is the right decision.  Demar can prove that wrong with his character and choices going forward.  I wish him that path.

The Wolverine blog's story is completely false as there have been several sources that have went on record, including Dorsey that he did not have a huge jump in grades, ie. 6 A's or whatever his senior year.  In fact, his junior year he reported a 2.8 gpa (http://recruiting.scout.com/2/840190.html) and a goal of raising it to a 2.9.  Moreover, the University of Florida did NOT ever pull his scholarship.  In fact, they even tried to sign him right before NLOI day.  The ONLY reasons that Dorsey did not get in are because the Freep made a huge thing about prior charges (NOT convictions as he was acquitted in one case and in the other the charges were dismissed) and because RR doesn't have any support from the school.  If RR had a 8-4 record last year or if the Freep didn't have someone feed them info about Dorsey's past, then there would be no story at all.

... thank you.

eom

I don't mean to say I toad a sew, but I toad a sew. I fucking a toad a sew.

http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/so-i-called-presidents-office?page=1

Some things we can agree about Dorsey:

1.  He is a kid to whom we all wish succes.  I would be ecstatic, if someday we found Demar Dorsey on an All-American list, playing for Arkansas, WVU, Mississppi State, South Florida, whatever.  As a junior.  With an NFL job and an agent waiting for him, to make his family financially secure.

2.  His "Michigan" encounter was interesting, and it is over.  Done.  Water under the bridge.

3.  Nobody at Michigan did anything wrong with the Dorsey recruitment, with respect to any NCAA rules.  The NCAA would say "fine," if Dorsey were admitted to the Michigan class of 2014, right now.

4.  Brian Cook says something wise:  "Rodriguez [needs] to understand that Michigan is not West Virginia in these matters..."  Lesson learned. 

5.  I do wish I could remember who posted this:  That Cullen Christian was nearly unanimously a higher-rated CB recruit than Demar Dorsey.  It would be nice to see both of them as 2014 Kodak All-Americans.  Another +1 for whoever that was.  Good luck, Demar.  Let's rock, Cullen.

6.  Any further Dorsey discussion needs to end this way:  "{Sigh.}  There's nothing more to be said.  The University cannot discuss it.  Rich Rodriguez cannot discuss it.  Admissions, Brandon, President Coleman; none of them can discuss this.  By law, nobody can cite any numbers, grades, test results, whatever, to defend Rich Rodriuguez from any press attacks, so flail away if you must but it is going nowhere."

Wow, what a saga! Very interesting stuff. This scenario sure sounds plausible to me, though it's just a bad situation all around for all involved.

I will be so happy when we get back to winning games and don't have to deal withone of these types of stories about every other month.

Here's to forethcoming official news on Big Ten expansion pushing this to the back of our collective conscience.

You still gotta feel for the kid, I will be cheering a lot for Demar at whatever college he ends up attending.

They are just doing what they have always been doing, except now they're dealing with some kids that previous Michigan coaches would not have tried to recruit.

marques slocum, anthony carter, jeremy gallon, eugene germany, mario manningham, etc etc all say hi

this and the whole lloyd carr / morgan trent fiasco...so many people are out for blood before they hear the whole story.  can we all finally c.t.f.d (calm the fuck down)? 

...to whoever has the most negative points, needs to start taking a deep breath and counting to ten before posting and flying off the handle (usually bending over backwards to defend Rich Rod). We've had explosions of posts over "Fire Compliance! Fire Lloyd for being disloyal! Fire football administration! Fire Admissions!" Mostly wrong. To the point people are posting contact info, and doing everything short of forming a mob to hang that dirty injun' in the jailhouse. We like to say we self police so this site stays a step above all those other places that deteriorate into "Argh Fire Rich Rod" trolling. But I've watched this site over the last few months turning into that thing...just over everything else Michigan other than the coach. Next time you want to call for blood in a board post, ask yourself if you're sure you know everything going on...or just THINK what you've heard are the facts. Then remind yourself you're from MICHIGAN. And see if you still want to post it.