2021 DE T.J. Guy announcing tomorrow
Sorry for a second post in such short order, but I'm just scrolling through my Twitter this morning.
Mansfield (MA) Mansfield defensive end T.J. Guy is planning to announce his commitment tomorrow, April 17, according to his Twitter. He's a 3-star, the #44 weakside end, and #758 overall. If you don't remember, he was the guy committed to Boston College until Michigan offered, after which he almost immediately decommitted.
Here's a link to his highlights (LINK).
Corey Kiner announcing July 4th,won't take any more visits per twitter.Did I scoop Magnus? If so I can check off one more thing from my Bucket List
He’s still taking visits if the travel restrictions are lifted. But he says he’s not pushing his commitment back.
LOL. I saw that, but generally I discount things that aren't supposed to happen until so far in the future, because I've seen so many things get moved up, pushed back, etc. It feels like about 75% of the time when a kid sets an announcement date, it gets moved up, and 15% of the time, it gets pushed back.
But I would be glad for Michigan to land Kiner.
Watched his highlights and I'm not a fan. He's really small and doesn't have a lot of wiggle. Reminds me of Higdon in a lot of ways, could be serviceable but probably not draftable. 247 has actually lowered his internal rating from a 94 to an 89 in the past few months wonder if Rivals follows suit soon.
April 16th, 2020 at 10:04 AM ^
Yeah a two-time All Big Ten RB sounds terrible...
April 16th, 2020 at 10:27 AM ^
Never said that and appreciate your sarcasm but he went undrafted for a reason and is not the type of difference maker that you need to beat OSU. PSU (Barkley), OSU (Dobbins), Wisconsin (Taylor), Maryalnd (Johnson, McFarland), Minnesota (Smith) all better players which means he was an average big ten RB.
April 16th, 2020 at 10:21 AM ^
Wut?
He's 6'4". Even if we take off an inch, he's 6'3".
You're free to have your opinion but you do know that we're talking about a DE and not a RB, right?
April 16th, 2020 at 11:34 AM ^
This thread of comments strayed into discussion about 5'10" RB Corey Kiner vs. Karan Higdon.
April 16th, 2020 at 11:35 AM ^
Oh.
Thanks for clarifying. That makes sense.
April 16th, 2020 at 10:55 AM ^
I think he's better than Higdon and more ready to play from the start, but to each his own.
Quit clogging the board with football news. We've got covid to argue about.
Could you see him moving up in the rankings? What's your opinion of him?
I could see him moving up if he commits to a bigger program, because sometimes that's how these things work.
But he plays too high and he's a little too stiff for my liking. Really physical kid with some explosiveness moving in a straight line, but I'm generally not a fan of guys who don't bend well.
In your experience, is that a problem that persists, or have you seen form issues successfully remedied in college?
April 16th, 2020 at 10:57 AM ^
Guys who play too high tend to play too high, in my experience. It's probably one of the more difficult deficiencies to fix, aside from height and speed.
@Magnus
Agree on both points (i.e. playing too high and not bending well). In addition, I think he doesn't fire off the ball aggressively but that could be based on his role. He's often playing contain with the offense sometimes running plays away from him. So he's probably being asked to play a little more cautiously and react rather than attack. He'll also need to learn how to use his hands and arms (but that's a critique levied against most every DL player with a division 1 future).
But I do like his frame and think he can add considerable weight.
@For the person who asked if bend can be improved
It can but there's a limit using traditional/conventional drill methods. A HS coaching contact recently suggested that more DL players should learn to speed skate. He realized this cross training has its benefits when two of his players (who picked up hockey last summer as a random hobby) came back and could speed rush much better. According to the players, speed skating (which requires angled positions) significantly improved their body control in angled maneuvers and made the bend much more natural and 2nd nature.The coach was going to implement a different summer training regimen for his players but the pandemic has scrambled a lot of his plans.
Now is the perfect time to mix in some yoga.
From New England...Check!!! Three Stars....Check!!! Zero offers from any successful major Power 5 football schools....Check!!!
We either have the most unbelievable scouting that identifies stud players from this area of the country that no other program is, or some of these recruits are starting to feel like "Ray Vinopal / Rich Rod" commitments.
I am sure this young man is a decent football player. I am sure he will honor the Maize and Blue. I just don't see how any of these players are gonna help us win games that we haven't been able to win the previous 5 years. Are there no players out there that are high character, blue collar , academic and actually like really really really good football players!?
Mo hurst.. 3 star MA crap! No way he could play on a playoff team! Outrage!
Kwity paye..3 star RI crap! Same outrage!
Sean mckeon.. 3.5 star MA crap! Moar OUTRAGE!
And so far sainristil and schoonmaker look like 3 star northeast crap too!
Where are the derrick green, shane morris, aubrey solomon 5/4.5 star studs that led us to the playoffs for years?
Fire brown, promote partridge, fire harbaugh..
How did all that work out against OSU? Check.
April 16th, 2020 at 10:17 AM ^
The same as the 5* kids who flamed out as well.
April 16th, 2020 at 10:31 AM ^
List of composite top 100 recruits Harbaugh has signed:
Hits: Rashan Gary, Ben Bredeson, David Long, Mike Onwenu, Devin Asiasi, DPJ, Aubrey Solomon, Cesar Ruiz, Ambry Thomas, Dax Hill, Chris Hinton, Zach Charbonnet
Misses: Brandon Peters, Luiji Vilain, Drew Singleton
God damn all those highly rated recruits though right.
April 16th, 2020 at 10:36 AM ^
Lol at including Asiasi and Solomon on this list, as well as three guys entering their sophomore season. If only you gave an ounce of the leeway to other people's arguments as you gave yourself, you wouldn't have to create a new account every week on here and 247.
April 16th, 2020 at 10:50 AM ^
Yes, harmon1's posts have a Maizenesque flavor to them.
MGoBloggers: Please keep an eye on that account and KILL IT IN THE CRIB so it doesn't accumulate enough points for posting.
April 16th, 2020 at 10:58 AM ^
Why would that be funny? Asiasi is slotted as one of the top TE's in the draft and a top 4 round pick. Solomon would have been the best DT on the roster this year and is already on top 100 lists for next years draft.
April 16th, 2020 at 11:34 AM ^
Its funny because you include transfers and guys who didnt work out at um. You include 3 guys who have 3 more years of eligibility and who knows what will happen with them. None has even started a full season yet.
Then your miss list is 3 guys, 2 of whom transferred, and still have eligibility. The 2 transfers even started at their schools this year..
Its the most maizen list possible.
April 16th, 2020 at 11:40 AM ^
Nah, everyone on this hit list is going to be or has been an NFL draft pick.
April 16th, 2020 at 10:39 AM ^
Aubrey Solomon was a hit? lol.
Gary was injured a lot, but he definitely did not live up to being the number 1 recruit. DPJ didn't live up to being a 5 star either. Half hits really.
April 16th, 2020 at 11:04 AM ^
Rashan Gary was a first round draft pick and DPJ was the most explosive WR at the NFL combine but you make a good point UM would have been better off without them. How's Quintel Kent and Gabe Newburg working out again.
April 16th, 2020 at 10:03 AM ^
Mo Hurst: 4 star (#190 on 247 and #266 on the composite)
Kwity Paye: #1 player in Rhode Island and an Under Armour All American
Sean McKeon: unlikely to get drafted
Sainristil and Schoonmaker: Have caught a combined 9 passes
Aubrey Solomon: Starting DT for Tennessee
April 16th, 2020 at 11:38 AM ^
The bottom 4 players lost 4 games this year and lost by a billion to Ohio State. I fail to see how that is something we want half of our class to be.
I always think it's funny when people get bent out of shape about these commitments early in the process. What 3-stars did Michigan sign in 2020 from the New England area that aren't up to snuff? Eamonn Dennis, the #482 player in the country? Dan Villari, the emergency QB signing after the 4-star guy retired due to a heart condition?
Do you remember Antwuan Johnson? Leonard Taylor? Nick Patterson? Tyrece Woods? Tim Baldwin? Carter Dunaway?
Those are all 3-stars who committed to Michigan early, were thought to be in over their heads, and...disappeared from their respective classes.
I'm not saying these 3-star New England guys are going to decommit, but who are you really worried about them turning into? Andrew Stueber? Kwity Paye? Ben Mason?
I hate to say it, but it's not the New England 3-stars who are dragging Michigan down. It's the 5-stars and 4-stars who are quitting or not being developed, and yes, I'm talking about Detroit 5-star Donovan Peoples-Jones, along with Georgia 5-star Aubrey Solomon, Connecticut 4-star Tarik Black, New Jersey 4-star Kareem Walker, etc.
I do worry about these kids turning into Ben Mason. Not Ben Mason the man (assuredly Ben is a solid dude and a guy I would love my daughter to marry), but Ben Mason the football player. What is Ben Mason the football player? He is a player who gives his all. Works his butt off, but isn't a very good football player. He isn't a great fit at any position. Yeah...as far as football players, I don't want anymore Ben Mason's.
Magnus, with the dynamic you just described, what is the problem with the recruits Michigan is bringing in? How is it that the most talented recruits we bring in are essentially the same players their Freshman year as they are their Junior year?
To use a "retail" analogy...it seems like we are "shopping at Ross and Marshall's" for our recruits when other schools are going straight to the mall and department stores.
Ohio State not with standing, the problem is not so much defense as it is offense. If we're being honest, the offense has been a problem going back to the days of Schembechler's conservatism.
Compared to where other elite teams are, Michigan is miles behind. See LSU.
Do you all remember what the opinion on LSU was during the Les Miles years? How about LSU after Ed Orgeron took over? It was always about how LSU still used an outdated offense and was squandering gobs and gobs of talent at skills positions because (1) the passing game was stale and (2) LSU couldn't find a QB worth a damn (and relied on (Purdue) transfers).
Remember that?
Look how all that changed in a single offseason with the right PGC/OC *and* incredible development of a QB.
I'm a broken record about this so I'll cut myself off before I start ranting.
The good news? All of it can change and improve in an off-season or two.
The bad news? We don't know if it will for us...
-----
Btw, great post by Magnus which showed 2 things: we're finding gems and phasing out lower rated players who don't improve.
Let’s get “we could be LSU” off the table right now. 2019 LSU was a unicorn. They went from an offense that range from bad to mediocre to the greatest passing offense in college football history. Joe Burrow was just OK until just last year. Joe Brady was like winning the Power Ball lottery.
What LSU did was beyond unprecedented and I doubt we will ever see it repeated.
And look for LSU to revert back to “meh” VERY soon.
Gus Malzahn says he totally disagrees with your premise.
/s
@Larry Appleton:
I absolutely agree that LSU's transformation is a modern miracle. I don't expect it for Michigan or anyone.
However, we have seen similar transformations in college (but not to that extent). Joe Moorhead and PSU's mid-season transformation on offense in 2016 comes to mind. 2016 USC is another example after Sam Darnold became the starter.
That said, from experience most new systems require 2 offseasons to become what they will eventually be. (It's why most new coaches don't get the spike in performance until year 2.)
Here's a textbook, classic example. Compare 2012 Ohio State (year 1 of Meyer) to 2013 Ohio State (year 2 of Meyer). In 2012, Ohio State had a good but not great offense. It had a number of games where offense sputtered but you could see what it would eventually be. In 2013, the offense exploded after a full year plus another offseason in the system.
I'm hoping we'll see a similar thing in 2020 (assuming season happens, whenever it happens).
Now if we could only close down the gap each year with OSU from blowout loss to mildly blown out.
"The problem is not so much defense as it is offense"
How can anyone say this with a straight face after the defense gave up 56 and 63 points the last two years to OSU? By the end of last season UM was operating with a borderline top 10 offense. But when you give up 300 yards rushing to Wisconsin, fall into a 21-0 hole to PSU, give up 56 to OSU, and then let Bama's backup QB hang 35 on you....well you have serious issues on defense.
They're not completely independent from each other.
If your offense isn't scoring and/or holding onto the ball, it gets harder and harder to stop the other team from scoring points.
Michigan had almost 300 yards of offense at halftime against OSU and was still down double digits because they couldn't stop them at all.
NFL draft is going to be very telling. Only UM defensive players that will get picked are Uche and Lavert Hill. Meanwhile UM is going to have 5-6 guys on offense taken.
April 16th, 2020 at 10:16 AM ^
Yes, if you ignore potential 1st rounder Josh Uche. Thanks for creating another account so soon Maizen, jumping in preparation to stir the pot in case TJ Guy commits to Michigan tomorrow?
April 16th, 2020 at 10:02 AM ^
@harmon1:
In today's day and age, no one will be able to hold elite offenses to 14 points. It seems Harbaugh and Don Brown still haven't fully realized this. They're pining for things of yesteryear. "Can he play DT" has become a board meme but do you think Georgia was lacking in defensive talent? LSU eviscerated UGA in the SEC Championship.
Do you think Nick Saban forgot how to coach defense or Alabama didn't have talented depth (even after LB injuries)? Nope.
You want to see Michigan beat Alabama, Clemson, LSU, Ohio State? Be ready to score 40+.
Also, defense gave up 55 (not 62) in 2018. One of the TDs was a blocked punt returned for a TD. And people forget that the score was 27-19 with under 5 minutes remaining in the 3rd quarter. (Yes. I just checked to make sure my recollection is correct.) OSU scored 35 points in basically 17 minutes and could've punched it in for another TD but Meyer showed mercy.
Also, in 2019 we gave OSU a short field with the 4th down call Haskins botched.
Again, doesn't excuse Don Brown for not being able to hold OSU to 35 points or less in the recent 2 Games. But not being able to stay on the field gives opponent more time to score.
April 16th, 2020 at 12:45 PM ^
You say Ohio State not withstanding.....but that's the entire issue.
The offense has not been the issue between us competing with Ohio state before or after our change in offensive scheme.
Re: Ben Mason
Mason is a good football player. Unfortunately, he was recruited for an offense that no longer exists. If Michigan still used much of a traditional fullback, he would be killing it.
Here's one of the things with talent that a lot of people don't recognize, but this was one of the things that John Beilein exploited: Players close to their ceiling don't have much room to improve. Some of these guys dominate in high school because they're "full grown men" but then they don't grow any more in college. That's not the case with all of them, but I do think that is an issue with some (Kareem Walker and Rashan Gary, for example). It's one reason I don't like recruiting big, fat guys for the offensive line, either. Beilein took young guys with a lot of room to grow, and it looked like he was an amazing developer of talent.
That's one thing, but it doesn't explain all of it.
In my opinion, Michigan does not have great talent developers on offense. They have it on defense, but not on offense. I'm not sure that Josh Gattis is that guy, either. I could be totally misfiring here, but Michigan's QB and WR coaches need to be on the same page and Michigan probably needs to up the ante there, one way or another. They got a good OL coach (Warinner) and a good RB coach IMO (Jay Harbaugh), but it seems like the QB and WR positions have been just sort of randomly selected. Who's developing the quarterbacks? Is it Harbaugh, Fisch, Hamilton, Gattis, McDaniels? Who's developing the wide receivers? Is it Hamilton, Fisch, Gattis, Roundtree, Hastings?
The offense has been searching for an identity, and it shows with how they've split up the coaching duties. There are full seasons going by where nobody knows who's calling the plays, who's coaching the quarterbacks, who's in charge of the wide receivers, etc. To me that suggests that maybe Harbaugh was (maybe not in 2019, but previously) meddling too much.
There are also just flat-out culture concerns, which I can't really speak to. Some ex-players come out of Michigan saying bad things, but that's the case everywhere. Kids who don't get PT or who don't perform find ways to blame others.
April 16th, 2020 at 10:15 AM ^
Your premise that Ben Mason is a good football player is based on the assumption that he would be "killing it" if Michigan continued to use an old antiquated offense and a position (fullback) that is all but extinct isn't a very good argument to convince anyone that Ben Mason is a good football player.
Do you think Ben Mason will get drafted? If so, what position?
April 16th, 2020 at 12:49 PM ^
Its a good argument to me.
April 16th, 2020 at 10:28 AM ^
I agree about the issues coaching QB and WR. I don't think it's a surprise that the WRs looked pretty good when they had a dedicated WR coach in McElwain a couple seasons ago, and looked far worse this year when it was some hodge-podge of position coaches and Gattis. I don't know how much Harbaugh mettles as much as he tries to fix issues that he sees, which is what I think most HCs wind up doing if they don't have great staffs.
Walker and Gary felt like different animals; Walker was "fine" as a RB but he struggled at JC as well as at UM. Gary didn't live up to the hype considering he was one of the best-regarded HS recruits this decade, but he was a really good college player who got drafted in the first round. He's probably going to be considered a "bust" due to expectations, but that's different than Walker and Green, for example.
As for culture issues, guys get mad on the way out if they don't believe they succeeded. You don't tend to hear about a ton of UM guys getting arrested during the year or breaking too many rules, and so I'm reasonably comfortable saying Harbaugh runs a "normal" P5 program in that respect. I do get a sense that Harbaugh is a tough guy on people and the inability to meet expectations have worn him and the players down to an extent. Part of that is talent and performance and part is just bad luck; they really haven't gotten one of those "pull out of your ass" wins against OSU that other teams have, and I still believe a win in 2016 probably changes the trajectory of both programs. I'm starting to feel like this is the future with Harbaugh barring, again, some magical season like what LSU just had.
Magnus is correct here. Kids mature at different rates of growth. Our coaches are very good at identifying kids who are not done developing. Its also true that the more bullets u have in the magazine the greater your chances of having them pan out. Like I said in a post the other day, give me kids with room to develop and the correct mental make up and watch the results. Also, note that offensive success is predicated on good quarterback play and not turning the ball over.
Give me a class of all 4-5 Stars and I'll give you a class full of "3 Stars with room to grow" and lets see how things pan out.
Magnus is correct here. Kids mature at different rates of growth. Our coaches are very good at identifying kids who are not done developing. Its also true that the more bullets u have in the magazine the greater your chances of having them pan out. Like I said in a post the other day, give me kids with room to develop and the correct mental make up and watch the results. Also, note that offensive success is predicated on good quarterback play and not turning the ball over.