the just released schedules were a flat-out statement that the B10 doesn't believe SOS will matter in playoff selection
Michigan's 3 star commits have potential
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Mainly when looking at recruiting, you judge a team's class based on how many 4-5 star players they have. Despite the in depth coverage that services like Rivals and Scout attempt to provide, the system is not foolproof.
Michigan, according to Rivals.com, has four 3-star players committed. Obviously, any fanbase can call their lower ranked recruits "sleepers." However, this may be the case for a few of Michigan's 3-star guys.
For example, Teric Jones exploded on the camp and combine scene this year, having the fastest 40 yard dash at the All-American Underclassman Combine. However, Jones received only a 3-star rating from Rivals.com. The culprit for this is that Jones did not start in his junior season, but rather split time with another Div-1 prospect, Indiana commitment Cortez Smith. In his limited time however, Jones did make an impact, however, averaging more then 10 yards per carry.
Another 3-star prospect that has blossomed of late is Michigan commitment Dewayne Peace. While Peace does not have great numbers on paper outside of his shuttle time, Peace does not blow off the profile page. He is only 6-0 and 180 pounds, but he does the little things to help you win. Peace has some intangible characteristics to his game including excellent hands and ball skills. While not having mind-boggling stats by any stretch in his junior year of HS, Peace could be a very productive receiver at Michigan.
While the recruiting services do their best to rank impact players at 4 stars or more, they do overlook certain circumstances around recruits that may be holding them back.
July 1st, 2008 at 10:50 AM | 
Yes...
Yes...
July 1st, 2008 at 10:52 AM |
You know..
You know..
Speaking of little speed slot receivers, thats what the Minnesota Twins lead-off, 2nd, 8th, and 9th place batters remind me of. They bunt and slap the ball around and put pressure on the defense.
Getcha Happy On.
July 1st, 2008 at 11:04 AM |
3-Stars
3-Stars
The ratings services are only able to evaluate players that are on the field often (not the case with Jones) and those who are able to display their skills for their team (from what I have read, not the case with Peace). I understand that Peace plays for a team that doesn't throw the ball often. Apparently, he has been offered by each school he camps at (Kansas, Michigan, and there was one other). So programs like what they see, when they get to see it. And Jones has the speed, but hasn't been on the field enough to register with the services. Speed alone is no indicator of effectiveness, but we will see this fall when he is the featured back for his team. Frankly, we Michigan fans will need to get a new sense for what the rankings really mean for us. Under Carr, ratings were hugely important, because players didn't develop as well as they did at other schools. With the Barwis Effect in effect, and a coaching staff that apparently believes in coaching, we may have some recruits turn from water into wine. Look at Robert Gallery from Iowa a few years back. As I recall he was completely unheralded. By the time he graduated, he was the first OL drafted. Granted, he's sucked since going pro, but the point is, player development will hopefully become one of our strong suits.
Go Blue!! Viva La Revolucion!!
www.wolverineliberationarmy.com
July 1st, 2008 at 11:29 AM |
Player Development
Player Development
Yes, I hope that player development will be a hallmark of the new coaching staff, but I wouldn't be so quick to assert, "Under Carr, ratings were hugely important, because players didn't develop as well as they did at other schools. With the Barwis Effect in effect, and a coaching staff that apparently believes in coaching, we may have some recruits turn from water into wine."
Of course, the oft-cited examples of Mike Hart and Braylon Edwards (both 3* players) are important to remember, since those players developed under Carr. But I did a little checking (on Rivals) and found that the recruiting classes from 2002-2004 (NFL eligible guys) feature 5 3* players and 12 4-5* players who are in the pros right now. That's pretty good by itself: 17 NFL players over 3 classes, but more impressive is the fact that about 25% of our 3* recruits over that period are now drawing an NFL paycheck. Since something like 2% of 3* recruits make the NFL, the fact that 25% of ours have made the NFL is awfully impressive (and, yes, I realize this is a small sample).The best teams recruit the best HS talent year in and year out, but Michigan has had a better hit rate (and I'm talking starters playing meaningful minutes/all conference players/NFL picks) with 3* players than just about any major CFB team over the last decade. I'm not crediting any one thing in particular (coaching, S&C, whole pizzas), but the facts are the facts. We developed 3* players under Carr. I hope we do just as well with RR. Chances are, some of these 3* guys will be All Big 10 and some will disappear into Pat Sharrow/Anton Campbell land.
That's the building from which LenDale White threw his pretend self as part of the Carroll/White Halloween prank of 2005.
July 1st, 2008 at 11:36 AM |
Stars
Stars
If Michigan fans are so enamored with star rankings, then we would love to have Gabe Lynn, Rival's #3 CB (4 star) and Scout's #2 CB (5 star). Lynn was dominated in a recent NIKE camp by... wait for it... Dewayne Peace. Peace walked away with camp MVP honors for his performance.
Always take recruiting rankings with a grain of salt
July 1st, 2008 at 11:38 AM |
I saw the video
I saw the video
of the exact owning you are speaking of. To me, Gabe Lynn was either injured or didn't really care to be there.
No way he was that outmached by EVERYBODY.
Getcha Happy On.
July 1st, 2008 at 3:20 PM |
well done
well done
spot on comment!
July 1st, 2008 at 12:32 PM |
Wrong
Wrong
"He is only 6-0 and 180 pounds, but he does the little things to help you win. Peace has some intangible characteristics to his game including excellent hands and ball skills."
These are not intangible. Having excellent hands and ball skills are not only very tangible, but for a wide receiver are THE BIG THINGS that help you win.
I wish schools had classes like English so people could learn what words actually mean. Oh wait...
July 1st, 2008 at 1:30 PM |
If these things are tangible
If these things are tangible
Why do receivers drop passes? Why can't they turn their bodies to make the catch? Its because these things are intangible. You can show a kid how to catch a ball, but when you have a strong safety breathing down his neck about to attempt to kill him, they will drop it a lot.
Getcha Happy On.
July 1st, 2008 at 1:43 PM |
Not that difficult
Not that difficult
in·tan·gi·ble
Audio Help (ĭn-tān'jə-bəl) Pronunciation Key
adj.
- Incapable of being perceived by the senses.
- Incapable of being realized or defined.
- Incorporeal.
July 1st, 2008 at 1:41 PM |
Someone can correct me if I'm
Someone can correct me if I'm
Someone can correct me if I'm mistaken here, but the word "intangible" is used differently in sports when referring to a player having "intangibles" as opposed to determining whether something is tangible or not. Aren't all skills or abilities intangible, regardless of their importance? "Ability to catch well" is certainly intangible, according to the aforementioned definition, but I don't think I can come up with a "tangible" skill.
July 1st, 2008 at 2:22 PM |
It is used too often in sports
It is used too often in sports
And many commentators use the term in a clumsy fashion, but any skill is definitely tangible. If a guy gets thrown 100 balls and catches 95, you'd say he had a certain tangible skill...it's empirically verifible. That doesn't mean he's going to catch every ball, but it does mean he has the skill (my son, by way of contrast does not). Another tangible skill is speed: either you can run a 4.4 or you cannot, and there is nothing intangible about that.
Usually, when commentators talk about intangibles, they focus on the fuzzy things like camaraderie, teamwork, etc. These things are often imagined to have an impact on games and seasons, but we don't really know because we cannot measure them (like dropped passes, for instance) and so we call them intangibles (though even that is iffy since certain guys' poor behavior can be observed and verified even though its overall effect on a team's performance is difficult to gague). I tend to think that "intangibles" (as described by commentators) are overrated (I'd rather have Mario Manningham's bad attitude than my good attitude, bad hands, and slow footspeed), but tangible skill is almost never overrated.
That's the building from which LenDale White threw his pretend self as part of the Carroll/White Halloween prank of 2005.
July 1st, 2008 at 2:41 PM |
Thank You
Thank You
I was trying to come up with an explanation of how I felt as succint as this. This perfectly describes how I feel and even hits on my rage when people say they'd rather have some scrappy, intangible player over someone like Mario Manningham because he lacks intangibles. Those people just drive me insane.
July 1st, 2008 at 1:24 PM |
Hey man
Hey man
Whoa bro, same team. If you want to rip on someone's intellect, go to a buckeye blog. Wolverines don't rip on other Wolverines.
July 1st, 2008 at 1:42 PM |
Daniel L, for some receivers
Daniel L, for some receivers
something as simple as catching the ball is an intangible feat. See Mario Manningham against OSU last year. I'm not going to argue grammer with you. If my choice of words doesn't tickle your fancy, don't read what I have to say. If I recall correctly, we are here to talk Michigan athletics, not grammar.
Getcha Happy On.
July 1st, 2008 at 6:58 PM |
I'd call Daniel L out for being a buckeye troll, but
I'd call Daniel L out for being a buckeye troll, but
I'm not sure they care too much about grammar. Seriously, dude, why are you being such an ass hat? We are all on the same team here, and there's no reason to be a douche because someone said something that you disagree with. You mentioned your rage; perhaps you should consult a professional before it manifests itself into something worse.
c/o 2008
GO BLUE!
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:23 AM |
Daniel L has been a commenter
Daniel L has been a commenter
Daniel L has been a commenter on this board for a long time. He is not a troll.
Further, to take issue with the original post:
You argue that Peace may be under-rated because recruiting services have not observed "intangible" skills like hands and ball skills. Choice of words aside (I side with Daniel in his interpretation), I'd argue that if a recruiting service does not incorporate how good a WR hands are, they're sort of missing the entire point. In other words, I think that Peace, due to his high school production, is likely only deserving of three stars. That doesn't mean he won't be better.
July 2nd, 2008 at 1:40 AM |
Totally missing the point
Totally missing the point
The rage line was a joke. I don't actually have personal issues about what people write on the internet.
That aside, I was not correcting his grammar. My point was that his entire comment was nonsensical.
Grammar:
- The study of how words and their component parts combine to form sentences.
- The study of structural relationships in language or in a language,
sometimes including pronunciation, meaning, and linguistic history. - The system of inflections, syntax, and word formation of a language.
You can say I'm "disagreeing" with him. But in reality he's 100% wrong and using words to mean something they do not in any way, shape, or form. I'm trying to correct a terrible thought process before it manifests. I do not want to read 100s of mindless comments justifying 3 star players because they have "intangibles". I 100% guaran-fucking-tee you the coaching staff recruited them because they are good football players, not because they have intangibles (including, according to you, the ability for a wide receiver to catch the ball).
In conclusion, if you want to avoid the one thing that pisses me, Dex, and others off to no end, learn what fucking words mean before you use them.
July 1st, 2008 at 2:26 PM |
3 stars?
3 stars?
i thought teric jones was a 4 star? either way both should be productive.
July 1st, 2008 at 5:42 PM |
Tetris Jones
Tetris Jones
Tetris is a 4 star on Scout and 3 on Rivals
July 2nd, 2008 at 8:11 AM |
What in the hell people
What in the hell people
It's entirely possible to root for the same team as someone and think they are a dumbass.
If you are going to take the time to post something in a public forum on the internet, then it's entirely reasonable that people might disagree with it. If you call a measurable skill - pass catching - an "intangible", and someone calls you out, then tough shit hombre. I'm sorry your post was a logistical and grammatical holocaust. Don't get mad at Daniel L for pointing it out.
great and omniscient Grand Poobah of the WLA
July 2nd, 2008 at 10:56 AM |
Logistical Holocaust
Logistical Holocaust
I think I've found the name for either:
a) my softball team next year
or
b) my band
July 2nd, 2008 at 12:53 PM |
Stars, schmars...
Stars, schmars...
In discussions like this, I always feel like reminding people that RichRod has led a bunch of mediocre recruiting classes - much worse than what he's getting here - to BCS game multiple times. Rivals "stars" don't mean nearly as much in his system.
July 3rd, 2008 at 9:19 AM |
Pat White and Company
Pat White and Company
For those of you who are Rivals.com or Scouts.com subscribers, Look at the ratings of the WVU offensive line and Pat White coming out of high school. Not one of these guys were a 4 star and 4 of the 5 linemen were 0 stars.
"It's great to be a Michigan Wolverine!!"
great and omniscient Grand Poobah of the WLA