Hello: Tony Drake
Um, Michigan offered a random 5'9" guy from Texas named Tony Drake and Drake duly committed. He's probably a corner or a slot. Informative update coming.
Dallas Morning News; Drake is #5
(Not Particularly) Informative Update: Okay, Drake is definitely a running back/slot sort according to his Rivals video, which I took the unusual (for me) step of actually watching because there's very little information available on who this guy is outside of some brief mentions in game recaps. I guess we'll go with the format, but it's going to be silly-lookin' and sparse:
GURU RATINGS
| Scout | Rivals | ESPN |
|---|---|---|
| NR | NR | NR |
Whee: Drake isn't ranked by anyone yet, except this guy at "Vype," who ranked Drake… uh… #13 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area:
13. Tony Drake, Skyline The Raiders are in a situation where they are producing multiple Division I recruits each season, and Drake will be another. He only rushed for 300 yards last season, but remember again like White, he had limited opportunities because Skyline has so many talented skill players. Drake is another back with 4.4 speed.
But that's regardless of class, so… yeah, might be like the fourth or fifth best back in Dallas this year. Jim Stefani has him the #175 receiver nationally.
OFFERS
Michigan was his first.
STATS
See above: stuck behind two seniors at Dallas powerhouse Skyline, Drake saw limited time and only acquired around 300 yards.
FAKE 40 TIME
See above: 4.4. Fake!
VIDEO
None available.
PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE
The flimsy evidence here is even flimsier than normal, so take the following with a grain of salt.
Michigan has offered the junior backup of a talented senior again—this is a virtual replay of the Teric Jones recruitment—and are taking chance on the sparse playing time Drake acquired last year being representative of his talent. This is a risk. Given the lack of attention so far and the spots in which Drake shows up when someone does notice him, he's a mortal lock for three stars unless he has a crazy Terrance Robinson senior year.
I did watch the video, though, and the good news is that Skyline basically runs Michigan's offense. If you're going to make an offer based on just film it's nice if you don't have to make a lot of assumptions. Here there are none: the coaches have seen Drake do exactly what they'll ask him to do. They unearthed Slaton and Reynaud and so forth and so on and this is one of those positions at which Michigan can take a guy others might not get a lot of use out of and turn him into a pain-dealing jet engine.
I'm much less bothered about random three star running backs like Drake and Vincent Smith than I am about linebackers and defensive backs who don't have an unusual system to dominate in. If Michigan's staff gets leeway in their recruiting at one spot, it's tailback. They've earned it.
UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS
There's a certain genre of recruit that is going to play a running back/slot hybrid like Dorrell Jalloh or Darius Reynaud at WVU, and Drake will be one of those guys. With three running backs graduating this year there's still plenty of room for others to come in, though they'll probably be larger angry moose sorts.
If he's like Vincent Smith, you guys will be thrilled with him. Smith was underrated because he was teeny and because he played alongside some of the better players in Florida.
He's a helluva player who any program would be lucky to get.
Regarding Tony Drake, if the coaches have a relationship with the people at the school, it would not be unusual at all to offer a kid like this before anyone knows his name.
Fans like stars and rankings. Coaches like unknown, anonymous players who commit and sign very quietly without any drama.
I hope RR does get a lot of smaller speed burners on board. I get so tired of seeing some of the other teams with guys that are fast come into Michigan stadium and run all over us. Its time we put some pain on others in the same way. I got to believe RR knows what he is doing. By the way, how big was Barry Sanders?
205 lbs.
http://touchthebanner.blogspot.com/2010/03/2010-recruiting-grades-lineba...
The guy hasn't even played his high school senior year of football. Let's just wait and watch.
"Everyone chill the fuck out, I got this." - Green Power Ranger
I wasn't terribly impressed with odoms, and i'm not terribly impressed by this guy either. looks serviceable, but not a world beater. he's going to have to put in a lot of work if he wants to make anything of his time here.
I'm actually pretty impressed with this kid. I think he'll be good. He's not extremely fast, but he gets to top speed quickly and he's decisive. If he's an exact replica of Odoms - who isn't a burner, either - then I'm okay with it.
http://touchthebanner.blogspot.com/2010/03/2010-recruiting-grades-lineba...
Well, if you're not impressed than I guess Rodriguez made a mistake here.
Maybe let this kid actually get on the field first? Seems reasonable to me
No question, Jim.
...slot receiver being thrown the ball by quarterbacks who couldn't properly execute swing passes and bubble screens. Despite that he broke the freshman Michigan receiving record.
If the guy catches two more balls a year (which is probable given that one third of our drives last year were three and outs), the guy will have around 70 catches. That's not impressive?
catching a 2 yard pass on 3rd and 3 is not impressive, in today's offense, receptions is an overblown stat. I don't count how many times the RB's take a handoff. why should I count swing passes and slip screens?
it's more embarrassing when they DON'T make that kind of a catch.
true the people passing to him weren't that good. but he didn't do a whole lot with the ball once it was in his hands. He's no steve breaston.
They need to start charting where the ball was caught. That, combined with yards after the catch, are much more important in the spread offense. when a RB can't average more than 3 yards per carry, that's pathetic. When a WR can't do it, it's even more pathetic.
But I'm hopeful that odoms will improve. The worst thing that could happen is for him to look at his stats and think he's doing great. cause he aint. when you go 3-9, no one is doing great.
when I was in high school I once had a game where I made 18 tackles or such, we lost by 2 points. coach came to me the next day and mentioned that I had a pretty good game. I replied, 'not good enough'.
winning is more important.
Congratulations on your 18 tackles.
Anyway, Odoms did what he was asked to do (for the most part). Slot receivers in Michigan's offense are not going to average 15 yards a catch. Maybe someday if we get a great one and we have a lot of threats that open things up for the slots, but those quick passes are meant to basically be handoffs.
It's not impressive when you catch those passes - but the fact that Michigan threw to him so much means that the coaches trusted him. They could have plugged a guy like McGuffie or Shaw in there at slot, but they didn't (except rare occasions) so they must have confidence in Odoms.
I brought up this point a while ago, and people made a good point - slot receivers in this offense are never going to be Heisman contenders or all-time greats. The offense isn't designed for them to get downfield and make huge plays, so you can't hold it against a player for not doing that. It's like knocking an offensive lineman for failing to score touchdowns.
http://touchthebanner.blogspot.com/2010/03/2010-recruiting-grades-lineba...
it's nice if he can make those catches, but he's got to be able to squeeze more out of them. even just another yard and a half to keep the drives going. so when I say he was unimpressive, that's what I was talking about. anyway, first year offense, true frosh, yadda yadda yadda. my point is they need to keep getting better, the all of them.
Reynaud averaged 9.9 yards per catch as a sophomore.
Odoms averaged 9.0 yards as a freshman.
http://touchthebanner.blogspot.com/2010/03/2010-recruiting-grades-lineba...
Well,
The quarterbacks were throwing to receivers who couldn't run the proper routes, couldn't hold onto the ball and didn't block well. It works both ways.
"I'm Leslie E. Miles and I approve of this message."
I tend to agree here. Where it broke down for me was when MI was in 3rd and long scenarios. That's when they were forced into transparency as an offensive unit. You'd have Odoms not knowing his route because he's not a long ball/stretch receiver. And also a freshman. How many times(I'd day one a game)after a pass play did Odoms and Threet go talk on the sideline? A few and they were not pleasant talks. And so personnel, who were in there to ensure the look of the potential spread option or spread run had almost no effectiveness when MI was forced to throw long. And this is also why I feel you need more,"Tweener," wideouts like a Hemingway. People who are not all speed or finesse. But carry over guys like Greg Mathews need to pay the bills this year. I can blame the ill tempered RR Chihuahuas all day but that is not fair. Mathews needs to be a combo of possession guy( guy who can take a hit ala J.Avant) and a stretch wide out as well if he wants to remembered as a great one in MI wideout history. Because he is not there yet.
And the amount of fumbled kicks, punts and dropped passes was in the realm of the ridiculous last year.
I have to agree, here. Pretty hard to judge the potential of any receiver catching passes last year from those QBs behind that OLine. IIRC, Tay Odoms was a 200m blazing electron in Florida. I think we'll see some nice things from him this year.
"Fear. Columbus is rank with it. Let us ease their pain."
Let's not forget that RichRod presumably brings more than recruiting accumen (of fast little guys) and Barwis to the table...if he's the coach his record suggests he is, I'd expect that guys like Odoms will continue to improve throughout their careers.
And yes, I'm aware there's a position coach who probably is more directly responsible for that, but I still consider that under the umbrella of "things the head coach gets credit/blame for."
soooooo..
was that guy just imitating Drew Sharp or what? I never got an answer out of him on that.
No question, Jim.
Because of my new-founded fear of Texas recruits, does anyone know if this kid actually visited the campus yet, or was it the type of thing where he received the offer and committed? In either case, he looks pretty fast.
And he piled upon the whale's white hump, the sum of all the rage and hate felt by his whole race. If his chest had been a cannon, he would have shot his heart upon it.
He actually looks like he has a good deal of burst speed. Which is about the equivalent of your vertical jump in football in my opinion. Especially in the spread. I hope he comes here.
dunno if hes visited....he seems like a safe commit though. something seems right about him.
Ah, it's been awhile since we've seen the ban hammer.
My tolerance for people being jerks to each other and the team is dropping and the banhammer is getting more capricious and instant. Drewsharp64 is banned.
MGoBlog | Sporting News | HTTV 2009 | e
yes beacuse what i said was so godamn awful. but go ahead, give me the ban. ill just keep making my little screen names. honestly, people cant hear anything wrong about rr withoout using their amazing online power to ban someone
Oklahoma had 12 *** and ** star commits in '09 class; we had 8. I guess they're in big trouble and Bob Stoops doesn't know what he is doing.
Not sure why people come on this board and bitch and complain. No one cares. Just go somewhere else.
Remember Vincent Smith? One of those small 3 star RB/slots you seem to hate? He seems to be really impressing and will likely see play time this Fall according to RR. But don't let that stop you from continuing to knock on the smaller players RR recruits. Its not like he's been successful for over a decade coaching or anything.
"Yes, I'll just go to my favorite blog that gives great information for free and rip the guy who writes it.... I have a clue..."
yeah...ok so what if he does? Are you or brian going to shed e-tears?
I don't understand.
"Fear. Columbus is rank with it. Let us ease their pain."
oh well.
yessss another guy smaller than me playing d1 football for michigan
pwned
No question, Jim.
Logic would suggest, as someone said, that small size in the game of football gets you downgraded. And there's so many more of the small dudes. Think of your own high school days. Tons of five eight LB and WR and RB and we even had a five seven or eight DT. Beanie Wells type dudes were as rare a cogent Buckeye.
I think RR is determined to stockpile electrons. He came up short (ha) in class size this year and perhaps he thinks having three or four extra three stars in a class of 26 is better than a class of 22.
"Fear. Columbus is rank with it. Let us ease their pain."
WTF? Duplicate post. Friggin' Blackberry.
"Fear. Columbus is rank with it. Let us ease their pain."
I bet this guy doesn't sign next febuary
Elaborate.
He's from Texas.
"What if the breath that kindl'd those grim fires,
Awak'd should blow them into sevenfold rage,
And plunge us in the Flames? or from above,
Should intermitted vengeance Arme again,
His red right hand to plague us?"
-Milton
You can talk about recruiting certain kinds of players of all day but eventually you need to control the clock. Or put points up so ridiculously fast and with such a regularity that the game is over by half. I still think theres room for larger, clock management dudes in this offensive set.
I'll be honest, I had sympathy numerous times last year for Threet when he was trying to find M. Odoms on some over the middle deep route. For one you know he's not winning any jump balls. Two it's tough to see him over lineman and all the way down field. Three it's tough to throw at a smaller target. These speed burners are great! Do they have to be all small though is my question? Eventually (usually come bowl time) you need some sort of ball control player. That could be a TE for passing or a FB run or two. And it's those types of players Michigan needs more of in 10. The same could be said for the hoops team. They have a lot of shooters and are in need of some middle space tweeners.
I like speed speed speed..........
But we need a chassis....
Good call. The one thing this recruiting class needs is some taller receivers. What the Fuck RichRod? Too many tiny guys like Ricardo Miller and Jeremy Jackson and Jerald Robinson.
Threet's gone and all but I had sympathy for him on some plays. Because I could still see Braylon Edwards bailing out some Chad Henne passes. But on here, because we were in the middle of the roughest season in MI football history, we tended to goat Threet quite a bit. But we also asked a lot of him and ironically so did the staff. While it was easy to call him inconsistent, it was not sheik to say he was throwing at a guy they recruited in Odoms. Sorry, was not going for the zinger at all, and no I do not think that was one. But that's the subtext that no one wants to talk about as of today.
1. your incoming starter is a true freshman who is not even 200 lbs.
2. your backup qb, who,"played," last year is already injured.
3. thus you need some, not all, but some guys like Martell Webb and Koger to shoulder some of the key possesion downs via the pass. Plus you've got a rehabbed running back in Minor who could go down again.
If I am D coordinator I am begging Michigan to run Forcier at my guys. Literally in formations begging to wind up and go and hit the freshman. And that is Michigan's offseason reality.
Dude these guys at WO that they recruited who are coming in are taller. I am not saying that, what I'm talking about is the gooey in between moments that happen in every drive throughout a season. The ones where you have to go pad to pad and make a play. The old 3 the hard way moments. That is where MI will have to prove itself in the next 2 years to contend offensively. Dont get me wrong, guys like Avant and Breaston are six footers and they are doing fine at the next level. But spread or not, you need to control the football and that's my concern here.
I assume you meant "chic," but I love the imagery of your spelling. Also, It's an interesting point about Tate. I wonder if, esp. early in games, defenses would want to bait Tate into some runs by selling out the backside DE and then rotating a safety or LB over to put the hurt on him. I assume RR and Magee have thought of this, though...
Where a lot of younger guys get hurt is after contact, in the process of a guy slamming your whole frame into the turf and the rolling on you. I think if Tate works his angles(meaning how he's tackled), slides, and uses the sideline he should be ok. But yes I'm sure some coaches would not mind giving up a 20 yard Tate run just to get one of their upperclassman a shot of body slamming him. I think Tate can use his speed MOST EFFECTIVELY this yea by ALLUDING THE RUSH AND SACK and thus buying time for our killer Chihuahuas to get open and wreak havoc in space. Hopefully he left the mentality of,"I am going to run for 100 yards a game," in San Diego. Could he do that? Yeah. But it would be risking an injury, and that from a team's perspective is too risky. He should start and he's got the Bronco's of Western Michigan on the docket. And this is a needed win for Michigan football.
I could blame spell check for my sheik but then I'd be full of sheik....
He really looks like Martavious Odoms on the hoof. Not the absolute fastest dude, but accelerates quickly and has some shake.
Accelerate Your Life
FLY NAVY
Not sure I want to see that picture happen while Drake is in a UM uniform.
That said, mighty mites work in this offense, and he definitely looks like he can play against top-notch competition (based on my knowledge that Skyline is a great program in Dallas and faces top competition) and be successful. I could definitely see him being a contributor early on, especially as a change-of-pace back or a recipient of some trick plays.
don't know if it has already been posted or not
http://64.237.99.126/clips/DallasSkyline.html
"...this is one of those positions at which Michigan can take a guy others might not get a lot of use out of and turn him into a pain-dealing jet engine."
I love reading shit like this. Bring on the pain-dealing jet engines!
I'm hoping that RR has called Kenny Holland and asked for some draft/recruiting magic fairy dust. Anyone watching the Red Wings draft over the years would have seen multiple "crazy" picks (like that skinny Zetterberg kid taken 210th overall) that have turned out to be examples of superior scouting.
Please, AMHG, let RR know what he is doing . . .
...loves the spread offense. It turns him into New Testament God
"I think you are my favorite poster. The polar bear avatar definitely helps." - ShockFX
HONEST EPINION: 2010 comes down to this
1) Beat Purdue
2) Beat Illinois
3) Beat Michigan State
I think it's Angry, homeboy.
Word, bro, I got it wrong
"I think you are my favorite poster. The polar bear avatar definitely helps." - ShockFX
HONEST EPINION: 2010 comes down to this
1) Beat Purdue
2) Beat Illinois
3) Beat Michigan State
No worries, nothin but love.
No homo.
just saw his tape, pretty shifty dude. But no way in hell he runs anything less than a 4.5