Toney Clemons To Transfer Comment Count

Brian

The writing was on the wall for a while on this one, and recent reports that Toney Clemons wasn't at spring practice were the clincher.  He's out:

"I had a long talk with (Rodriguez) and he wasn't too happy with me leaving," Clemons said. "I just don't want to play in a spread offense. This is best for me as an athlete."

Clemons had 12 catches last year as he was shoehorned into the slot behind Martavious Odoms; that move boded unwell. Clemons, at 6'3", is not your typical slot and Michigan was struggling to get production outside.

Michigan will go with Greg Mathews, Darryl Stonum, and Junior Hemingway on the outside; Odoms returns and will be joined by freshmen Terrance Robinson, who redshirted last year, and Jeremy Gallon.

Comments

mooseman

March 24th, 2009 at 2:39 AM ^

This 2 a.m. post ought to be an inspirational poster on the wall of all wanna-be bloggers, Brian.

Can't say you can blame Clemons given the wall and the hand writing on said wall.

Only wish he had more pull with his cousin recruiting-wise. I wish him well.

Emperor of Blogs

March 24th, 2009 at 2:50 AM ^

best of luck to clem. DON'T TRANSFER TO OHIO STATE!

EDIT: I saw the link, I see that he doesn't want to stick around in the big ten. Nice that he still has Michigan as his #1.

jg2112

March 24th, 2009 at 8:23 AM ^

...Justin Feagin and Michael Shaw in the slot, and Je'Ron Stokes, Roy Roundtree, LaTerryal Savoy, James Rogers, Sutton, Reyes and Conover (!) on the outside.

Honestly, look at these depth charts. No wonder RR has offered so many WRs in 2010. The talent needs to be replenished.

brown

March 24th, 2009 at 10:14 AM ^

Good thing we have 900 WRs coming in next year. We need to keep getting slots, though. Odoms is the only true slot with any playing time. I really hope T-Rob works out and that Gallon will qualify. If so we should be fine. It's never good to lose depth.

turbo cool

March 24th, 2009 at 10:18 AM ^

it's annoying when players mention things like a spread offense being the reason that they left. i may come across as harsh, but that just seems like such a blatant excuse for not performing and living up to expectations. if Clemons were contributing he'd probably have no problem with our offense. anyways, i wish him luck. maybe he'll follow boren and play with his cousin tp.

jwfsouthpaw

March 24th, 2009 at 11:26 AM ^

But the timing strikes me as odd.

If Clemons really abhorred the spread offense, why wait until spring ball starts before transferring? Why not transfer before a new semester starts? Why go through spring football last year, then an entire season, then the off-season workouts, and then pack up just as spring practices rev up?

Leaving in the middle of spring suggests that Clemons did not anticipate seeing the field much (i.e. he was still behind Mathews, Stonum, and Hemingway at the very least).

I think Clemons is hiding his true reason for leaving (playing time) behind his stated reason (the spread offense).

Now, there's nothing wrong with Clemons transferring for playing time. But his comments about the spread offense seem disingenuous.

ShockFX

March 24th, 2009 at 11:46 AM ^

1) Conditioning with Barwis is top notch and he probably wanted to do the workouts.
2) Finishing the semester.
3) In the run up to spring practice it likely became clear where he stood vis a vis others.
4) He doesn't lose anything be transferring now instead of in December.

I don't really like the "spread offense isn't for me" type comment. The Patriots and Colts run a spread most of the time.

Tater

March 24th, 2009 at 12:21 PM ^

If Cleamons doesn't want to play in the spread offense, then why did he say he is considering WVU?????

I think this is another case of a kid getting impatient and homesick. RR might have to hire a "homesick coach" to talk homesick kids into staying.

West Texas Blue

March 24th, 2009 at 12:28 PM ^

That's a dumb comment; why would a kid who has been here for 2 years all of a sudden get homesick? Like several other posters said, Clemons probably realized that his PT would be limited and felt that he could get more PT somewhere else. Quit bashing the kid; I wish him luck and thank him for his time at Michigan.

Jay

March 24th, 2009 at 1:20 PM ^

It should also be noted that WVU has begun moving away from Rich Rod's version of the spread-option offense. I remember reading an interview transcript from Bill Stewart on the WVU Scout message board at the end of last season wherein he said that they plan on their QBs taking around half of the snaps from directly under center as opposed to the shotgun this upcoming season. The way it sounded was that they plan on running more of a hybrid offense with multiple formations similar to what Urban Meyer is doing now with the Gators.

West Texas Blue

March 24th, 2009 at 12:25 PM ^

Man that 2007 recruiting class is falling apart. Mallet, Babb, Clemons, and Horn are gone. Panter didn't pan out. Looks like D Warren is the only bright spot for that class. Hopefully Van Bergen and M Williams are ready to contribute this year.

Magnus

March 25th, 2009 at 9:53 AM ^

Have you ever heard of a guy named David Molk, who was perhaps our second-best offensive lineman last year?

Or did you consider that all of the players from that class were either true sophomores or redshirt freshmen last year?

They say you can't judge a recruiting class for four years.

Obviously, YOU don't say that, but THEY do.

Magnus

March 25th, 2009 at 11:35 AM ^

"Looks like D Warren is the only bright spot for that class."

I countered with David Molk. There are several others who could still end up as contributors or perhaps even stars. You can't judge a class by their results after their sophomore/redshirt freshman year.

ShockFX

March 25th, 2009 at 12:45 PM ^

Agreed, but WTB is a reasonable guy, and you're taking his point to the kind of extreme. He missed Molk, but he did say "Hopefully Van Bergen and M Williams are ready to contribute this year." so it's not like he was saying the class is DWar and nothing else.

Mountaineers Fanatic

March 24th, 2009 at 1:32 PM ^

I personally don't think the Spread offense had anything to do with him leaving. Like it's been stated already, I think he realized where he stood on the depth chart and realized he wouldn't get a lot of playing time so he decided to transfer. If that's the case, then it's no big deal...at least he didn't make up some BS story in an attempt to hurt the team

ShockFX

March 24th, 2009 at 6:36 PM ^

The only reason this is irritating is because now the media is going to point to RichRod and the "Spread offense" as the reason kids are leaving. He didn't trash the program, but in taking the media friendly way out "I don't want to play in a spread offense" instead of "I think this is for the best" and just dropping it at that. I don't think he did it intentionally, it's just after the fact the Drew Sharps of the world can harp on this.