2015 QB Recruiting

Submitted by Bluestreak on

I was looking through our 2015 offer and I only see one QB offered thus far (who has limited interest in Michigan).

While I know it is too early in the game for 2015 recruiting to get going, recent trends in recruiting suggests that players are being offered early and commit early. This is particularly true with a position like QB.

I'm not sure why Jayru Campbell wasn't offered and what the plan on QB recruiting is going into 2015 (two year separation from Morris - we absolutely need a stud at QB). From the looks of it most top rated prospects in 2015 are from CA (so getting them to commit will be hard as is).

Is there any mitigation for my irrational FOMO (fear of missing out) on a stud QB in 2015?

JohnnyBlue

September 9th, 2013 at 5:12 AM ^

Jayru, is a OK prospect, but the jury is still out on if he is a division 1 prospect. The coaches take there time at qb. Expect more to come after the season on when there is some actual game tape. These kids are just juniors, some may have not played much in real game situations

Magnus

September 9th, 2013 at 5:12 AM ^

Jayru Campbell hasn't been/wasn't offered because the coaches aren't in love with him.

I don't think you should fear missing out on a good quarterback because Michigan has done a good job of reeling in the QB they want for the past couple classes, plus they've recruited well overall. But it is pretty unclear right now who will end up as the QB recruit in '15.

artds

September 9th, 2013 at 5:21 AM ^

Campbell wasn't offered because he's not a top target, plain and simple. We have limited room in the 2015 class. If at some point Borges and Hoke decide we have room for Campbell (presumably after a top QB target commits), they will offer and he'd switch his commitment faster than you can say Drake Harris. But I've seen nothing on Campbell's film to indicate that he's the on the level of Morris and Speight. He seems a lot closer to Chance Stewart despite CT's success last year resulting in early offers from Bama and Notre Dame.

Space Coyote

September 9th, 2013 at 9:54 AM ^

Just when I thought this board couldn't go get any dumber today, you go and say something like this, and do nothing to redeem it. This is idiotic. He's not a D1 QB? Get the fuck out of here. He struggled in one game, at night, at Nebraska, and suddenly he should be playing at SVSU? I just don't know how to respond to much more of these types of comments.

This is in response to "Borges calling a bad play on 3rd and 12 from the 16 that forced DG to throw a pick in his own endzone", "Braxton Miller's MCL injury actually being a concussion", "Jayru Campbell not even being a D1 level QB", complaints about 2015 QB recruiting, thinking we could skip a '15 QB, and maybe some others that I read but didn't respond to.

Creedence Tapes

September 9th, 2013 at 3:55 PM ^

Also let's not forget there wre at least 3-4 dropped passes by the wide receivers that game that could have put him in a rhythm. The good thing that came out of that is the Nebraska game was that Russell looked terrible and the coaches gave DG the start for the Minnesotta game, so in retrospect I'm glad it went down like it did. 

johnvand

September 9th, 2013 at 6:34 AM ^

Or 2008 when Derpface McGee transfers to Arkansas and we're left with an unproven incoming transfer and a walkon.

Then 2009 when we're left with 2 true freshman and a walkon.

Thou shalt recruit a QB every year, and just because every single one isn't a five star is not cause for concern.  The world needs David Cones too.

eamus_caeruli (not verified)

September 9th, 2013 at 10:19 AM ^

I think what Magnus means, more aptly, is that the coaches want scholarship players in the "3" deep rather than walk-ons. And though we would have that with Speight, you still need to breed competition. QBs are a big time boom bust trade in CFB.

For every walk-on "making it" story like Kovacs, there are literally hundreds of scholarship players doing equally as well or better every year or through their four to five years on campus.

Bo Nederlander

September 9th, 2013 at 6:57 AM ^

As long as we're on the topic, I think Saturday night served as a perfect example for why it is really nice to have a dual-threat in the pro position. My vote stays with Kevin Dillman in 2015.

michgoblue

September 9th, 2013 at 7:47 AM ^

Gardner and Denard are not the same type of qb. Gardner has a true pro QB arm, can make all of the throws and has great strength. He can also run, but he is a QB first. Denard was a really fast runner, but his arm was not that of a qb. There were many throws that he could not make, and this showed in the offensive play-calling. Devin is more akin to a Vince young type of player. Denard is more pat White. Totay different games.

ken725

September 9th, 2013 at 6:16 PM ^

Not sure where he is on the coaches QB board, but Sheriron Jones is someone the coaching staff is looking at.  He has been described as a Devin Gardner type.

I don't know how to embed hudl highlights, so here is the link
.

http://www.hudl.com/athlete/o/910938/highlights/38270413

He is considered a dual-threat, but his highlights are mostly throws.

JTrain

September 9th, 2013 at 8:23 AM ^

With Botheblue. It's great to have a 6'5" guy with a cannon. It's even more GREAT to have a 6'5" guy with a cannon that's a great athlete, can tuck the ball, and run. Impossible to defend. QB's like devin g, Troy smith have given Michigan headaches for years. Why not go after the more athletic guys if they spin it half decent??

EGD

September 9th, 2013 at 8:41 AM ^

Different offensive systems require coaches to prioritize different skills.  In an offense that spreads to run, you prioritize running ability because your QB will be one of your main ball carriers and your passing game only needs to be good enough to keep the defense honest.  In a pro-style attack, the main ball carrier is the tailback, so it's not as important for the QB to be a good runner.  And the passing game needs to be better so that you have a balanced offense. Furthermore, in a west coast offense specifically, your QB needs to be very accurate because so many of the throws are designed to generate yards after the catch (which means the throws need to be on time and to the correct shoulder).

Certainly, the best thing to do would always be to sign QBs like Gardner who have NFL passing ability and can run too--but those guys are pretty rare and highly-coveted. 

Bo Nederlander

September 9th, 2013 at 7:52 PM ^

That's exactly what Dillman is. 6'4 225 and runs a solid 4.5 at the least. He reminds me of Devin SO much. This kid would be perfect for the offense we're running right now. And having someone so athletic with all the tools of a pro-style guy is invaluable. Not to mention, he's been on record saying he "loves" Michigan. For the life of me I can't understand why we aren't going all out for this kid. Here is some video if you haven't previously seen him. Sorry but I can't find the code to embed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJKINeD4Oi0

trueblueintexas

September 9th, 2013 at 11:49 AM ^

Every team would love to have Vince Young as their QB. The reason that doesn't happen is because there is only one player like that every so often. The fact Vince Young is the most recent comparison most people bring up for Devin Gardner speaks volumes in itself. Vince Young last played for Texas in 2005.

alum96

September 9th, 2013 at 9:28 AM ^

Me too.  I have said this repeatedly and I hope spending 2 (!) years with Devin as a full time starter will change the coaches philosophy.  I know I know - the coaches are not out there looking at prospects and saying "wow he is too mobile for our system, we don't want him" but there is a difference between recruiting to mobile pro style QBs and "allowing for them".  Dillman is a great example versus say Josh Rosen.    Shane is shifty but surely not Devin and Wilton is a huge man who I doubt will have major ability to escape.   I will be blunt, if we had a prototypical pocket passer Saturday night I think he would have been sacked 6+ times and that whole game complexion changes.  A dual threat puts so much pressure on a defense...  and it need not be Devin type which is rare... I am talking Troy Smith types.  We know how many times we had that kid in our grasps and he extended a play to kill us.   Again I realize the coaches are not watching film and saying "gosh that guy is mobile, we hate that and won't recruit him" but I hope their experience with Devin has them SEEKING that rather than falling into it if a player they are interested in arm wise just so happen has some running moves.  And yes I realize we will have a better OL in the future (or "more experienced") but with any top end defense we face in the future there will be breakdowns in the OL and that escape-ability is key.  See Oregon QBs.

Ali G Bomaye

September 9th, 2013 at 10:26 AM ^

Troy Smith was a very good college football player, but let's be real, the Heisman is a popularity contest.  The year he won, he had the good fortune to be the QB of an undefeated team and put up good numbers, but he wasn't even the focal point of his own offense (Ohio only threw 26 times per game).  There were no other players that year who both had great numbers and played for a top-10 team, so Smith won.

Sllepy81

September 9th, 2013 at 7:33 AM ^

like Gardner are few and far between. Pryors ARM was horrific, braxton miller can't stay healthy, denard couldn't pass either. To many flaws in the passing game with dual threats. Vick, Vincent Young are pretty good and nice to have but for every Michael Vick there are 5 Marcus Vicks who don't live up to the hype. Not saying give up on dual threats just be careful, they're fun to watch but no guarantee for success.

alum96

September 9th, 2013 at 9:32 AM ^

and yet Oregon finds 4 star QBs all the time to fit that system of dual threat.  MSU's Terry is that sort of guy, etc.  They are out there - Devin has a chance to be special like Vince Young and that will be rare but finding a Russell Wilson, Troy Smith type is not "very hard".  It will be interesting to see what the team goes after in 2015 and 2016 since obviously the 2013/2014 QBs are more typical of the old school Michigan offenses.

Sideline

September 9th, 2013 at 10:21 AM ^

Oregon also runs a fast tempo- hurry-up offense that goes 60 plays a game. I'd take an Alabama like Offense/Defense rather than an Oregon O/D. Possession and consistent moving of the chains is scarier than "we can score at will, until we play more intelligent defenses that shut us down" - Oregon after losing to Stanford

Magnus

September 9th, 2013 at 10:23 AM ^

Oregon? Marcus Mariota was a 3-star. Jeremiah Masoli was a 0-star. Bryan Bennett was a 4-star who turned into a backup. Jake Rodrigues was a 4-star who is a backup. Damion Hobbs was a 3-star. Jeff Lockie was a 2-star.

Aside from ratings, Oregon's quarterbacks are spread quarterbacks who pass well in part because of the system. The option runs and running game in general open up lots of things for the quarterbacks, who throw a lot of short passes.

Let's not get confused between good quarterbacks and good system quarterbacks. Denard Robinson was a decent QB when he only had to throw hitches, bubbles, and an occasional deep ball to Junior Hemingway; he was a terrible QB when he had to run a pro-style offense. If we're going to run the offense Michigan is running right now, we can't recruit guys like Mariota, Masoli, Bennett, etc.