2018 Walk-On Signee with Oregon St May (Has?) Flip to Michigan

Submitted by SkyPanther on

Already signed on February 7 as a Walk-On with Oregon St, 2018 class, OL Griffin Korican, from Seattle, may flip to Michigan.

“I feel like Michigan is the only opportunity I have earned where I will compete against the best every day, which will make me into the best player I can become,” he said. “I also really like Coach Warinner because of his old-school mentality and toughness he instills in his players."

Link to article at Land of 10 Michigan: https://www.landof10.com/michigan/michigan-football-recruiting-griffin-korican-oregon-state-ed-warinner

 

Griffin Korican had little in the way of scholarship offers, Colorado School of Mines, and San Diego, were the only ones.

 

Link to offers (Oregon St was a Walk-On offer): https://247sports.com/Recruitment/Griffin-Korican-114141/RecruitInterests

 

But Ed Warriner sees potential in him. Ed Warriner has an eye for spotting O Line potential. In this video, he talks about, when arriving at Ohio St, he saw a 2nd string TE, whose career in football was going to end soon, but that he had potential as an NFL Offensive Lineman. He ended up getting drafted by the Cincinnatti Bengals.

 

Link to video, will start at the point where he talks about the 2nd string TE:  https://youtu.be/ljJN0DUlmFQ?t=825

 

Ed Warinner likes the run first. He says, "I think the first thing is: I believe in running the football".

He talks about it in this 3 min video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdeXPyAAbl8

 

Griffin Korican's highlight video clearly shows his strength is run blocking. He plows defensive players. And that could be why Ed Warinner wants him to come to Michigan, despite him being a 2 Star with only 2 scholarship offers, from very small programs at that. Korican knocks players to the ground in the run game quite a bit, not just safeties, but LBs and DLs too.

 

7:27 min Griffin Korican h.s. senior highlight video: https://www.hudl.com/profile/5143638/Griffin-Korican

 

He looks like a big, strong block of humanity on the field. And I see he doesn't hold, like so many good run blocking O Linemen do. I am very curious to see what Ed Warriner is going to get out of him.

 

I had thought Al Washington was the best off season coaching hire. But as I learn about Ed Warriner over the past four months, I think he is the best off season hire.

 

GO BLUE!

 

Happy Memorial Day! God Bless our troops! God Bless America!

 

 

 

Gentleman Squirrels

May 27th, 2018 at 2:31 PM ^

Solid Frame. Interesting that he says he's being brought in as a TE first. Probably will end up as a guard. That seems like a tough position to find playing time though considering that we have a decent number of bodies there and have 3 more committed. But glad he's on board and hope that at the very least he becomes a quality scout team player.

SkyPanther

May 27th, 2018 at 2:37 PM ^

Ed Warinner has up to 5 years with him. With where his size, strength, and running blocking abilitiy, are already at, what is his potential with 5 years with Ed Warinner? (That is, if Ed Warinner stays 5 years.) "High ceiling" is used a lot. I think this is a player that term really does apply to.

O S Who

May 28th, 2018 at 9:51 AM ^

maybe i am going crazy but I stil think that is in reference to Hayes. I am looking at the Landof10 article, maybe you guys are looking at something different?

Even though Hayes is listed as a tackle, he believes tight end will be his primary position for Michigan when he arrives on campus.

“They want me to come in as a tight end the first year and see what I can do and where my body is,” Hayes stated. “Then, they will see if they want to move me to offensive tackle.”

It was a weird and unnatural turn in the article, but they changed course at the very end to be about Hayes and Mayfield.

 

O S Who

May 27th, 2018 at 2:41 PM ^

“I signed a preferred walk-on with Oregon State and during my spring break [in April], I visited Michigan and talked with Coach [Ed] Warinner and he told me I could do a PWO [preferred walk-on] if they could get me into the school,” Korican said. “Long story short, they got me into Michigan and now I’m making a decision on where to go”

SkyPanther

May 27th, 2018 at 7:18 PM ^

it's just an interesting story that Ed Warriner is interested in him, and he has great driving power in the run game. I'm sure everyone can see his offer sheet, and realizes he is a big project. But Ed Wariner, potentially, will have 5 years with him.

 

But he does look like a project with a real "high ceiling", not like a some others (one in particular) on the team that are always labeled as having high ceiling, but what you can see of them, in what they have now, on video doesn't bear it out the same.

Matte Kudasai

May 28th, 2018 at 7:25 AM ^

I'm a real fan, trust me.  I'm just ready for this team to take the next step and i do think it could happen this year.

I'm not really an extreme star gazer either.

I think the 2** Jack Stewart was a good get, so there.

Probably still a bit frustrated from last year's season and recruiting class (which I don't think was very good regardless of ranking).

Anyways, much respect to our vets today.

SMart WolveFan

May 28th, 2018 at 7:01 PM ^

....a real fan will get excited for ALL the players on the team. FBs, TEs, Kickers, 2*s, PWOs, student managers, etc.

Furthermore, if you think two recruiting classes in a row like last years will but UofM 3 or 4 years behind, how far behind did '14/'15 put us; what about 2010/'11?

By your logic, Harbaugh has given us 9 wins a year avg with a team that is a decade behind; that would be pretty good, eh?

SkyPanther

May 28th, 2018 at 7:15 PM ^

your frustrations.

 

I think the bad play of last years team was largely due to Jim Harbaugh thinking Greg Frey was going to turn out to be much better than he turned out to be. The passing game was worse than expected too.

 

Things should be much different this year. There's a higher caliber of coaches this year. The receiver core should show a NIGHT and DAY difference.

Matte Kudasai

May 28th, 2018 at 7:14 AM ^

Anal much blu?

OK it's a brain fart.  I was thinking one thing and typing another.

I know that Graham was the OL, Ryan was the DL and Jordan is the Viper/Safety that missed the tackle on the kickoff in the Orange Bowl that pretty much cost us the game.

Now go back to getting all excited about a walk-on TE that we "stole" from Oregon St.  

 

SkyPanther

May 28th, 2018 at 1:29 PM ^

Ed Warinner would be the one to coach him into getting one, if anyone could. But then again, it's standing room only to get those scholarships. It's where eagles dare.

In reply to by SkyPanther

bronxblue

May 28th, 2018 at 11:01 AM ^

I'm referencing the fact that you are basically getting a free player, since no scholarship is involved.  I guess a better analogy would have been a free lottery ticket.

SkyPanther

May 28th, 2018 at 1:24 PM ^

thinking things more on the kids side of things. He will be going into debt, probably, to come to Michigan. If it was my son, I would want to know the chances are very good of him becoming a scholarshipped player before I agreed to him going to a very expensive school. If not, I'd rather want him to take one of the scholarships to the smaller pragrams he was offered.

 

That's why I've been going on an assumption that Ed Warinner must see some real potential in him, like he saw in the 2nd string TE at Ohio St.

 

 

Mr Miggle

May 28th, 2018 at 8:56 PM ^

But being a PWO helped him get into Michigan. Financial aid is available. He was only offered a couple of scholarships. Choosing one of those schools to save money is not a decision everyone should make.

Blue1972

May 27th, 2018 at 2:41 PM ^

You should receive an automatic one point deduction for failing to reference former coach  Bob Stitt when mentioning Colorado School of Mines!

Coach Nero

May 27th, 2018 at 4:01 PM ^

I live in Montana where he was fired after three seasons. He tweeted out this week:



“We closed on our home in Missoula yesterday. I’d like to thank all the helpful people that placed “For Sale” signs in our yard the past 3 years, since we sold it without having to list it!”

Magnus

May 27th, 2018 at 9:29 PM ^

For a preferred walk-on, yeah. I don't know that he's a hidden gem like a future draft pick. He's slow-footed and plays rather high, so he's somewhat limited. But if you can get a guy who's 6'5", 305 lbs. and willing to be physical, then that's a plus, at least for the scout team.

SkyPanther

May 27th, 2018 at 9:49 PM ^

Yeah, he is too high in many plays. He was able to get away with it and dominate those smaller guys across form him in HS, even though he was too high. His drive on run blocking is pretty good though.  I suppose he could be a 5 year scout team player. But I think there's a chance he can make the 2 deep in maybe 3 or 4 years. Because, I don't think Ed Warriner would lead him on if he didn't think he could get beyond the practice squad. He could just do practice squad at Oregon St. Or better yet, take one of the scholarship schools. I guess I am trusting Ed Warinner wanting him to come to Michigan.

It would seem he has designs on football as a career as he chose to not go where he could have gotten a scholarship, but wants to risk it at a bigger program where he could develop in football.

 

But who knows. Once he visits Michigan he may decide to stay with Oregon St.

GarMoe

May 29th, 2018 at 12:35 AM ^

Not so cool related story bro....
I’ve two nephews back there in Mich 19 and 20, 6’6 and 6’7 both hitting 300ish. Their mom, my sister, is a divorced nut and refused to let them play sports. They both hit six foot at the end of elementary school and did well academically. Talk about an unbelievable potential scholarship loss for them. I bought them full free weight system, showed how to use, and tried to help but the nut encouraged video games, pimples and not having dates. They’d wrestle and throw each other around so there was coordination but wo perspective, was all a waste. The 6’7 neph could probably still try the walk on but ......screw it, I gave up.

Magnus

May 29th, 2018 at 8:17 AM ^

Yep, at that size they should be playing basketball (if they have any athleticism at all) or football (even if they're lunks). Even if they don't get scholarships, they'll learn a lot of things and make some friends.