I disagree.
Hello: Scott Sypniewski
Via the Rubio Long Snapping Flickr
In a commitment that caught pretty much everyone off guard, Ottawa (IL) long snapper Scott Sypniewki has committed to Michigan on a full scholarship, as first announced by long-snapping guru Chris Rubio and confirmed by multiple outlets. Sypniewski is the 21st commit in the class of 2013 and (surprise!) the first long snapper. A bit more info on his commitment comes via Scout's Allen Trieu ($):
"They said they need one. They just lost their starter, Tom Pomarico. They have one guy who is going to be a senior and they were going to bring in two walk-ons. They've seen my film and knew I was good enough to start there and that's why they offered me a scholarship."
No further explanation is necessary, I'm sure.
GURU RATINGS
| Scout | Rivals | ESPN | 247 Sports |
| NR LS | NR LS | NR LS | NR LS |
Sypniewski, unsurprisingly, is not rated by any of the recruiting services. Chris Rubio Long Snapping, however, specializes in this sort of thing, and they've got him as the #2 long snapper in the 2013 class (Taybor Pepper was 6th) and a five-star prospect. Sypniewski is listed at 6'1", 230.
The above link comprises almost all of the available scouting information on Sypniewski that a 15-minutes Google-stalk could turn up. It is, shall we say, laudatory:
Sypniewski is a man on a mission. Body is looking thick and muscular. He is moving well and snapping rockets. Attitude on this kid is amazing. Tell him to do something and consider it done. He has a good time but is full of rage when he is snapping. Love it. Ball is smooth, on target and crisp. He gets set and BOOM! the ball is in your hands. Very impressed with him and he is a no brainer scholarship kid!
Sypniewski is just flat out fantastic! Ball is like a missle yet very easy to catch. Movement is flawless and he is snapping with ease. Looks like he is not even trying but, before you blink, the ball is right on your hip. Accuracy, consistency and speed are all excellent. A tad lighter on his feet could bump him up and I am being picky. Sypniewski is terrific and is snapping with a TON of confidence. I am fully expecting him to stick his chest out and dominate in Vegas. 4/12
There's also this, er, juicy tidbit [emphasis mine]:
Excellent job by Sypniewski. Body is becoming athletic and thick. Huge legs and butt. Great for a Long Snapper. Ball, when he snaps the ball HARD, is absolutely fantastic. Blocks extremely well for his age when he gets back. Tremendous personality. Does a great job of improving every single time. Great worker and will be a great teammate to those around him.
Recruiting!
The Wolverine's Andy Reid caught up with Rubio—who's been coaching Sypniewski since 2009—shortly after his commitment for additional insight ($):
Rubio said Sypniewski's strengths are his size and strength in the blocking game and, most importantly, the speed and fluidity of his snaps.
"He's fantastic," Rubio said. "His snap is just so smooth, but it's still a such a rapid movement. You almost think there's no way it could be coming this quick, because it's still so smooth. It's just boom, hits you."
"I would like to see him work on his footwork, continuing to get downfield after the snap. But, in all honesty, he really doesn't need much right now to make the step up to the next level."
Sounds like he could be an early contributor, as current snapper/folk hero Jareth Glanda will be a redshirt senior when Sypniewski gets on campus. I won't really attempt to add anything else to the scouting of a long snapper, especially since—as you'll see below—there's an astounding amount of film on the kid. He's got a 15-yard snap time of .69 seconds, [Ed-S: This is 44 miles per hour. Four FAKES out of FIVE!] which I imagine is very good but have zero context for saying so.
UPDATE: There are a couple of other long-snapper rankings out there, and it appears there are large disparities between the respective lists—if I had to guess, these rankings vary wildly depending on whose camps these prospects attend. Sypniewski comes in at #14 on Kohl's Professional Camps snapper rankings, and indeed, you must attend one of their camps to be included. Here's their writeup:
Scott has a solid frame with very good mechanics. His overall SS and LS accuracy is good and he is consistent with his snap speed. Scott finished with an average snap time of .74 seconds at the Midwest Showcase Camp in December of 2011 with his best snap time recorded at .70 seconds. Scott has good footwork and a quick ball release which allows him to get back into protection quickly. He has great lower body explosiveness with good ball rotation. Scott will be a good fit for any protection scheme.
Prokicker.com, meanwhile, doesn't have Sypniewski in their top 25 for the class of 2013, though if his reported snap times are close to accurate, he's should probably be in the top couple spots.
[H/T to mgouser goblueritzy92 for dropping those links in the comments.]
OFFERS
Sypniewski's Scout profile, which probably was created 15 minutes ago, lists no other suitors besides Michigan.
STATS
Um, stats?
FAKE 40 TIME
None listed, unfortunately. All of the FAKEs.
VIDEO
Yes, we've got highlights:
Oh, and it doesn't end there. For 15(!) more videos of Sypniewski snapping, click here.
PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE
When Sypniewski arrives on campus, Michigan will have Glanda as a redshirt senior at long snapper as well as 2012 preferred walk-on Tyler Tokarsky. Tokarsky, for what it's worth, says his plans to attend Michigan have not changed despite the news of Sypniewski's commitment. Sypniewski and Tokarsky should battle for the starting job in 2014, then hopefully we'll never hear from either again barring any improbable catches on fake field goals.
If you remember, Michigan did have a second preferred walk-on snapper lined up for the class of 2012, Taybor Pepper, but he chose to attend Michigan State when Mark Dantonio offered him a scholarship.
UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS
The Wolverines now sit at 21 commitments in a class that should reach 23-24, though one has to wonder if there's any concerns about extra attrition given the offer to a position normally filled by walk-ons or players who change positions. Michigan will likely still take a wide receiver—there's still a spot reserved for Laquon Treadwell, at least—and they could also add a cornerback, running back, or strongside defensive end.
June 6th, 2012 at 5:38 PM | 
5 star
5 star
June 6th, 2012 at 5:39 PM |
This round goes to Dantonio.
This round goes to Dantonio.
This round goes to Dantonio. He grabbed up Taybor, forcing us to use a scholly on a long snapper. Trading schollies one for one seems like a good move for him, as our average rankings are so far apart. Operating under the assumption that Scott S. wouldn't have been offered if Tabor were walking on for Michigan.
June 6th, 2012 at 6:29 PM |
Pepper is the 6th best LS in
Pepper is the 6th best LS in
Pepper is the 6th best LS in the country according to Rubio. We just signed the 2nd best. Unless there is another person in the country other than Chris Rubio who cares about long snappers, I will trust his judgment.
(Blogger alias: "Misopogon") This team is under construction. We thank you for your patience.
June 6th, 2012 at 6:34 PM |
Reading your post
Reading your post
It makes no sense.
A) Pepper would have walked on
B) You care about longsnapper rankings? Do they really matter?
C) The difference between the #2 and #6 LS (different classes of course) means....better squat?
June 6th, 2012 at 8:00 PM |
Okay, that's fine. We have
Okay, that's fine. We have
Okay, that's fine. We have many other holes that need addressing. Most long-snappers are willing to walk on. It makes zero sense to give one a scholarship. What's the difference between a great long snapper and a good one? One snap a year? I'll take it, if it means using the scholarship on someone like Kendall Fuller.
Denard has spent the offseason working really hard and smiling at people.
June 6th, 2012 at 8:21 PM |
Guess it depends when that
Guess it depends when that
Guess it depends when that moment happens.
You screw up a long snap in the National Championship game you'll be wishing you had prioritized the position.
This is a little perplexing but still a lot of time till the end of recruiting so we'll have to see what happens. Think it's totally consistent to be happy for him and yet perplexed at the same time.
Here's hoping for a bright future. This team does try hard and I will continue to support them.
June 6th, 2012 at 8:40 PM |
Also,
Also,
UM generally has a long snapper on scholarship. So whether you offer a guy with the expectation he could start right away or bring him in as a walk on and then put him on scholarship after a year doesn't make that big a difference.
Just remember, when you control the mail, you control... information.
June 6th, 2012 at 8:51 PM |
Only the last few years.
Only the last few years.
Only the last few years. Historically the LS got a scholly after fall practices if there were some left, after people on the two deep got one, after the best backup kicker, and only then because of attrition. This is different since it's a four-year offer I believe.
It could just be the kid wowed the coaches personally. He won't add to the depth chart anywhere but I imagine this is a very low risk of not panning out to expectations.
(Blogger alias: "Misopogon") This team is under construction. We thank you for your patience.
June 6th, 2012 at 9:19 PM |
Where are these holes that
Where are these holes that
Where are these holes that need addressing? Every position has been addressed. Everyone from here on out is just icing on the cake.
The differece between being a great and a good one is huge. Try losing a game because you got a kick blocked.
June 6th, 2012 at 10:17 PM |
He wouldn't be at Michigan as a walk-on
He wouldn't be at Michigan as a walk-on
It basically costs $50K a year to attend Michigan out of state. How many parents do you know who are ready to say, "Son, I'd rather spend $200,000 for you to attend Michigan than going to Illinois for free." If that's your situation, well, that's great. But it sure isn't reality for most of us. My guess is that if there was a decent walk on candidate living in the State of Michigan, they would have done what they could to get him to Michigan already.
I mentioned this briefly in another thread, and it bears mention here: special teams are very important. Our punts, kickoffs, long snaps, field goals, kickoff coverage, and punt coverage account for a third of our performance. Michigan had a significant improvement in special teams from 2010 to 2011, and we can still improve in this area a lot. imhe, he is worth the scholarship.
"It does not matter how many times you get knocked down, but how many times you get up." Vince Lombardi
June 7th, 2012 at 4:16 AM |
My two cents
My two cents
Your first paragraph might be the best, most reasonable defense of this scholarship that I've seen.
Your second paragraph is a little ridiculous. Just because there are three units to a football team - offense, defense, and special teams - doesn't make them equally important. Would you really be indifferent between a team with the best special teams unit in the country with an average offense & defense and a team with the best defense in the country with average special teams & offense?
I think this comes down to the value added by the player. If the alternative at LS was death, then this makes sense. If the alternative was a solid/good (but not great) long snapper, then I hate that we're likely passing up an offensive/defensive stud for a guy who, over his career, might account for one or two fewer bad plays than the likely alternative.
June 7th, 2012 at 9:14 AM |
Good Special Teams are a differentiator
Good Special Teams are a differentiator
The thing is that special teams are a differentiator, they may not be AS important as offense or defense, but a lot of impact comes from comparitively few plays. We've all seen what bad special teams can do to a team and I'd rather have the positive point swing that good special teams net you.
As stated earlier, if the end result of this scholarship means never having to worry about the snap on punts and kickoffs then it's a great call. Besides, when I read the tea leaves I'm not all that encouraged about any remaining targets besides Treadwell and I even think he's 50/50 at best, so to me the whole save scholarships for the 5-stars argument is a little unrealistic. If the coaches think this is a need and a good use of a scholarship, then I'll go with it.
Welcome aboard Scott! May you have a long and distinguished career of never having your name mentioned again,
Chaos is found in greatest abundance wherever order is being sought. It always defeats order because it is better organized.
June 7th, 2012 at 11:12 AM |
Exactly
Exactly
the perspective on how much a scholarship is worth (and whether you would walk on) is radically different if you don't live in the state or Michigan.
June 6th, 2012 at 8:46 PM |
/s
/s
/s
(Blogger alias: "Misopogon") This team is under construction. We thank you for your patience.
June 6th, 2012 at 6:41 PM |
You mean these
You mean these
June 7th, 2012 at 6:51 AM |
I'm not one of the "upset
I'm not one of the "upset
I'm not one of the "upset people", but this kid is ranked second, above Pepper, on rankings put out by his own personal coach. So...whatever.
I think it IS time to retract the LOL Dantonio on the matter - he got the guy we wanted, after all, and did it at the same cost we replaced the guy. If offering a scholarship makes sense for Hoke, it hardly makes sense to laugh at Mork.
wolverineliberationarmy.com/blog
June 7th, 2012 at 11:12 AM |
Missed that
Missed that
How do you know that Rubio is his own coach? FWIW, it's probably a postiive that he's got a coach specifically for this trade. Can't be too common, can it?
Man ball. Formerly, somebody else.
June 7th, 2012 at 12:25 PM |
"The Wolverine's Andy Reid
"The Wolverine's Andy Reid
"The Wolverine's Andy Reid caught up with Rubio—who's been coaching Sypniewski since 2009"
wolverineliberationarmy.com/blog
June 7th, 2012 at 1:23 PM |
Thanks
Thanks
/derp
Man ball. Formerly, somebody else.
June 7th, 2012 at 9:25 AM |
I would argue that trading
I would argue that trading
I would argue that trading schollies one for one seems like a bad move for Dantonio. The expectation is that the higher the ranking for a prospect, the more likely he is to develop into a quality player. That means, if you've got lower ranked prospects, on average, you need more of them to end up with an equivalent number of quality players.
"Is There Anybody Out There?" Pink Floyd, The Wall.
June 7th, 2012 at 10:32 AM |
I see and agree with most of
I see and agree with most of
I see and agree with most of what you're saying, but I don't want to use Sparty as a measuring apparatus, and not get caught up with trading scholarships one for one with them as a point of comparison. I don't care what Dantonio does.
UM has much more talent than MSU and over the course of time, they will go back to their rightful place in the world. In short, we needent look to go blow for blow with them, we need to be beating Ohio in recruiting. So, since they are minus some schollies over the next few years, it makes sense to make this move now. I'm also not one of the mad ones, and I trust Hoke and his staff. I do wonder if maybe a preferred status would have been better, but Hoke has proved to me he knows what he's doing.
The Team, The Team, The Team
June 7th, 2012 at 12:44 PM |
Certainly, MSU isn't the only
Certainly, MSU isn't the only
Certainly, MSU isn't the only opponent and is not even the most important opponent. Also agree that UM should not define itself by how it does relative to one school. That is a recipe for being a "little brother." That being said my intended point was, even if someone feels that a direct comparison to MSU is appropriate and the only thing that matters, I still don't agree with the orginal premise that somehow MSU "won" in this deal.
"Is There Anybody Out There?" Pink Floyd, The Wall.
June 6th, 2012 at 5:41 PM |
Congrats, but I still don't
Congrats, but I still don't
Congrats, but I still don't get it
June 6th, 2012 at 5:41 PM |
snappy sypniewski!
snappy sypniewski!
can we just change his name from scott to snappy right now?
June 6th, 2012 at 5:43 PM |
Sorry, but why would you ever use a scholly
Sorry, but why would you ever use a scholly
on a long snapper? You can get them all over the place, or if need be, coach up an existing linemen. I really don't understand this
"Everyone gets dumped Gabe. Let me give you some advice: a little coverup on your Adams Apple will make it appear smaller. Which will make you appear less like a transvestite."
June 6th, 2012 at 6:34 PM |
Lots of other programs do,
Lots of other programs do,
Lots of other programs do, not that this will answer your question. LSU, Notre Dame and a bunch of others took one on scholly last year. OSU did the year before.
June 6th, 2012 at 5:42 PM |
-
-
I dont care if I get negged for this, but I can't be the only one who is upset about this. Michigan should be able to get a long snapper as a walk on or preferred. Learning to long snap is not that difficult, it could be taught to someone already on board.
"I tried to but a pencil in the light socket but it was too wide and didn't fit so I used a paperclip."-Terrelle Pryor, Future Rhodes Scholar
June 6th, 2012 at 5:56 PM |
You should probably learn to
You should probably learn to
You should probably learn to do it and join the football team then. And for all that say long snapping is easy, I give you Pouncey snapping to Brantley at Florida, what a disaster. Or anyone snapping to Denard when Molk was hurt.
3.45Million NFL contract to be a long snapper: http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d8287e8f1/article/report-giants-resign-pro-bowl-long-snapper-zak-deossie-
It's obviously not that easy.
June 6th, 2012 at 6:02 PM |
That's a Center snapping not
That's a Center snapping not
That's a Center snapping not long snapping. If this guy plays Center at 230 then we're in some big trouble.
June 6th, 2012 at 6:11 PM |
It's kind of my point that if
It's kind of my point that if
It's kind of my point that if they can't teach someone to snap accurately 5-7 yards when it's needed 50 times a game, how easy is it to teach someone to snap it 15 yards consistently?
June 6th, 2012 at 6:25 PM |
A long snapper doesn't have
A long snapper doesn't have
A long snapper doesn't have to concern himself with blocking schemes (not to say he doesn't block, but it's pretty straightforward what he has to do after the snap), audibles, and varied snap counts the way a center does. Usually a center's failure to perform a good snap is due to distraction, not an inability to do the motion.
June 6th, 2012 at 6:43 PM |
High School kids do just fine
High School kids do just fine
High School kids do just fine with long snapping. It doesn't seem that hard. I'm with the pissed off crowd wondering why a walk on can't suffice? But that was interesting to see that the other major football powers feel its an important enough position that they will burn a scholly on it. Trust the coaches and all that.... Welcome Scott Sypniewski!
June 6th, 2012 at 7:33 PM |
Yeah, our long snapper in
Yeah, our long snapper in
Yeah, our long snapper in high school didn't screw up a snap in two years. Sure, they might not have been as crisp as you like them in college, but he wasn't in college. This guy went to Michigan with me, and never thought about long snapping for the team.
What's my point? There are probably a dozen or more adequate long snappers at Michigan who aren't even on the football team, let alone the kids who are on the team who do little more than practice long snapping all the time.
June 6th, 2012 at 9:09 PM |
Speed of the game
Speed of the game
It's all well and good that high school kids can do it, but they also don't have the same athletes coming after the kicks like they do in college. If he can get the ball back in .69 sec that is impressive and a huge advantage in the kicking game.
June 6th, 2012 at 6:04 PM |
Neither is place kicking, but
Neither is place kicking, but
drafting one in the NFL in Round 1 is stupid, because you can literally get pro bowl kickers out of the free agent pool. Giving a scholarship to one in college IMO is kind of similar. Now having said that, I'm not railing against the coaches, just saying I don't get this.
"Everyone gets dumped Gabe. Let me give you some advice: a little coverup on your Adams Apple will make it appear smaller. Which will make you appear less like a transvestite."
June 7th, 2012 at 11:18 AM |
OK, is a concensus really good long snapper
OK, is a concensus really good long snapper
available to walk on who is a resident of the state of Michigan?
Someone who can long snap quickly and accurrately every time, and come up into a block, and is fast?
June 6th, 2012 at 5:46 PM |
honestly baby, I doesn't make
honestly baby, I doesn't make
honestly baby, I doesn't make sense!
June 6th, 2012 at 5:49 PM |
Quite a monkey wrench in the
Quite a monkey wrench in the
Quite a monkey wrench in the plans of every armchair recruiter here. My dream ending appears to be swirling down the drain. I'll be thankful if there is a 4 year period of no punts or FG's blocked, although I'll never remember why I'm thankful.
Campaign manager--Hoke 2012.
June 7th, 2012 at 10:43 AM |
The thing about no blocked
The thing about no blocked
The thing about no blocked punts or FGs is that you won't notice a thing when its all going well. When something goes wrong, its all to apparent and everyone notices. And not that this was the long snapper's fault, but this is one example of what I mean..
The Team, The Team, The Team
June 6th, 2012 at 5:50 PM |
It is 2013, the times they are a-changing
It is 2013, the times they are a-changing
NFL teams use a roster spot for this kind of player. If it was so easy to be outstanding at this task they wouldn't do so. He should make a difference with coverage on punts by snapping more quickly and accurately than a walk on and should help with field goal accuracy as well as reduce the possibility of blocked kicks and punts. Believe in the coaches. They know how important this position is for a football team.
-tlc
June 6th, 2012 at 6:19 PM |
I agree with your
I agree with your
logic and would give you a +1 but I am on my Droid MGo App.
Brady Hoke - High quality recruits one or two at a time.
June 7th, 2012 at 8:20 AM |
If I could upvote you I would
If I could upvote you I would
The kid probably can long snap and tackle / block as well. If he lays a hit on a guy after a kick, or gets the ball back on target and in Wiles or Hagerups hands .1 seconds faster than an average walk on, I'm all for it... I enjoy having the special teams advantage against our rivals and competition.
"We want the Big 10 championship. And we’re going to win it as a TEAM"
June 6th, 2012 at 5:52 PM |
This guy better be able to
This guy better be able to
This guy better be able to force fumbles roughly 50% of the time on punt returns to justify using a scholarship on him.
June 6th, 2012 at 5:54 PM |
next we will be giving out
next we will be giving out
next we will be giving out scholarships to towel and water boys.
“When your team is winning, be ready to be tough, because winning can make you soft. On the other hand, when your team is losing, stick by them. Keep believing” - Bo Schembechler
June 6th, 2012 at 6:05 PM |
It's been done before - didn't work
It's been done before - didn't work
ALL ABOARD THE A-TRAIN!!!!!
" ~ Herm "
June 6th, 2012 at 9:27 PM |
Bubble Screen! dont tell
Bubble Screen! dont tell
Bubble Screen! dont tell Borges.
June 6th, 2012 at 9:45 PM |
......that was a slant....
......that was a slant....
......that was a slant....
If you're doing nothing, how do you know when you're finished?
June 7th, 2012 at 1:18 AM |
yeah i thought about that but
yeah i thought about that but
yeah i thought about that but it was pretty damned shallow for a slant... to me it was more like a bubble slant... good point though
June 6th, 2012 at 5:54 PM |
Not sure why walk-ons won't
Not sure why walk-ons won't
Not sure why walk-ons won't be enough to hold up long-snapper, especially with the type of players we may have to pass on because of it. Regardless, congrats to this kid, I hope to never hear about him again.
Denard is my homeboy.
University of Michigan Class of 2014
June 6th, 2012 at 6:00 PM |
Settle down, trust me we will
Settle down, trust me we will
Settle down, trust me we will not pass up on any elite players.
5 star prospect on that site means he is a Division 1 prospect. So....yeah....ok.