Amauri Pesek-Hickson & Michigan Parting Ways
Josh Helmholdt (Rivals) has reported that Amauri will not sign his LOI. Amauri is from Overland Park, KS and is a 3 star athlete per Rivals. He was recently told by the staff that they are parting ways. Michigan intends to pursue DE and DT grad transfers instead. Michigan feels like that is in the best interest of the program. The DL could use some depth in 2019 and I am sure most of you will agree with the staff's decision.
February 4th, 2019 at 11:02 AM ^
Probably for the best. Hitting on Ronnie Bell was amazing but expecting the same thing twice might not have been worth it. Best of luck to APH.
February 4th, 2019 at 11:02 AM ^
Predictable. If you commit but don’t sign in December, you are not likely to end up in the class, either by your choice or the school’s. With our pursuit of the Rice DT and tight scholarships, this makes sense.
February 4th, 2019 at 11:07 AM ^
I was thinking the same thing Dr. M.
February 4th, 2019 at 11:24 AM ^
Was it Amauri's decision not to sign during the early period, though? If so, I have no problem with this. According to the Nick B/Freep article, however, it sounds like Michigan told Amauri that they needed him to wait until the late period to sign so they could see how he did in the classroom. Amauri then did what he needed to do academically, only for Michigan to tell him at that point that there was no longer room for him in the class. If that's true, that's a really crappy way of processing a kid.
Link to the Freep article I'm referencing: https://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2019/02/04/michigan-football-amauri-pesek-hickson/2767007002/
February 4th, 2019 at 11:25 AM ^
He certainly did his part in the classroom. I am not sure how much notice he was actually given.
February 4th, 2019 at 11:34 AM ^
In response to a question farther down the thread where someone asked if Michigan informed Amauri that he wouldn't be in the class before the Early Signing Period, you said that they "told him ahead of time." I'm not trying to be difficult and I appreciate all the information you provide on this board, but that comment doesn't really mesh with this one where you're saying you're not sure how much notice Amauri was actually given.
Are you saying the info you've been given is that he was told ahead of time, but you're not sure if that's actually accurate? Again, not trying to be difficult, just trying to make sure I understand what you're saying.
February 4th, 2019 at 1:28 PM ^
APH was not given a letter to sign in December. That's your notice.
Every time something like this happens, everybody wants to pretend that one party (especially if it's the kid) is totally naive, which is ridiculous to me. If 28/29 commits in the class are given letters to sign and you weren't, you know what's going on. If you're a school, and 1 out of 28 commits you send letters to (or want to send letters to) chooses not to sign that day, you know what's going on. I just don't get this whole routine we do about kids being caught off guard. If a school didn't let you sign in December, your position with them is tenuous at best.
If verbal commitments were binding, then I'd say this was unfair practice. However, they are not, and both parties have the ability to walk away from each other at any time. It's a business. That's how it goes.
February 4th, 2019 at 1:52 PM ^
I get where you're coming from and based on what they said in the Freep article it actually sounds like Pesek-Hickson and his parents do too. I think their issue with it is that Michigan was dishonest with them about why Amauri wasn't sent an LOI to sign in December. If Michigan had been up front about the possibility that they might not have room for him in the class, things might've played out differently. Instead they told him he needed to get his grades in order, then waited until after he'd taken care of that to tell him there was actually just no room. Michigan's communication appears to have been lacking.
February 4th, 2019 at 2:28 PM ^
Michigan's communication appears to have been lacking.
This may be true. The article says his GPA was below a 3.0 - that's not good for a high school athlete. Even kids who have no interest in school do better than that. My feeling is that no matter what a school tells you when you don't get an NLI - scholarship numbers, grades, behavior, etc. - you should start looking, because you know what it means.
February 4th, 2019 at 2:40 PM ^
Fair enough. I will say that as soon as I read that Pesek-Hickson wasn't signing during the early period I immediately wondered if that meant he wasn't going to sign with Michigan at all.
February 4th, 2019 at 7:42 PM ^
Bullshit. If you know enough that you don't offer him a letter, don't make him read the writing on the wall. Man up and own it. This was a football factory move by a program that's not exactly a football factory. They have to stop over signing. It was trash when we complained about the SEC doing it and its trash now.
The hypocrisy on here is too much sometimes.
February 4th, 2019 at 1:29 PM ^
He was given notice. Was it a week or 10 days? I don't know, but it was ahead of signing day. What is sufficient time? At what point is it okay to drop an offer?
February 4th, 2019 at 1:57 PM ^
Thanks for the response. If you're actually asking my opinion, sufficient time is more than what it appears Michigan gave Pesek-Hickson. But, again, that's just my opinion.
February 4th, 2019 at 2:18 PM ^
Depends on what the recruit was told... if they were told it was a committable offer, it's only ok given a scholastic or legal failure on the part of the athlete.
February 4th, 2019 at 3:24 PM ^
It sounds to me he was on the Bible depending on who left early or transferred there would be a spot for him. If he was told before the early signing period wouldn’t that give him over a month to find an alternative school. And to be honest Michigan also helped him out as he saw a significant rating bump when he was offered a Michigan scholarship. Nothing to see here blame the ncaa 85 scholarship limit if anything.
February 5th, 2019 at 8:47 AM ^
The ole Bible recruit. I thought we were more of a snake-oil kind out outfit, but it takes all kinds I suppose.
February 4th, 2019 at 11:28 AM ^
Harbaugh is doing what it takes to maximize our chances of success. I’m fine with it.
February 4th, 2019 at 11:45 AM ^
I cannot imagine Nick throwing shade on Michigan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Absolutely no way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 4th, 2019 at 11:51 AM ^
Michigan is doing stuff like this but still not winning the division to play for a conference championship.
February 4th, 2019 at 11:03 AM ^
Nothing makes sense until I hear about
Chris Evans.
February 4th, 2019 at 11:08 AM ^
You'll just have to wait for Avengers: Endgame like the rest of us.
February 4th, 2019 at 11:35 AM ^
And I thought he was the Human Torch.
February 4th, 2019 at 11:51 AM ^
hey! spoiler alert! geez
February 4th, 2019 at 11:07 AM ^
Are we going to catch flak for this or did we tell him this prior to the early signing period?
February 4th, 2019 at 11:09 AM ^
What do you mean "we"???
YOU are going to catch hell for this travesty. No one else.
February 4th, 2019 at 11:10 AM ^
Yes, Michigan is going to catch flak for this. Harbaugh can't choose McDonald's over Wendy's without someone getting their panties in a bunch.
February 4th, 2019 at 11:12 AM ^
God forbid he tell a certain QB to quit being a pussy (by way of an eating chicken analogy) without the CFB talking heads losing their minds for an entire offseason too.
February 4th, 2019 at 11:46 AM ^
Panties should get bunched up if some fool chooses McDs over Wendy's (or BK, for that matter)! McDonald's is just awful across the entire menu.
Besides, Wendy's twitter game is also much better than McDs... (Remember the Scott Frosty? LOL!!)
February 4th, 2019 at 11:52 AM ^
yeah! and while we're at it, why is having panties in a bunch a bad thing anyway?
....uh... asking for a friend
February 4th, 2019 at 11:58 AM ^
Normally I agree with you but the Wendy's locally here are crap. They're dirty and the food is crap. However, the McDs are new and clean and the food actually is prepared better. But I don't eat either anymore.
February 4th, 2019 at 12:03 PM ^
OK cool... Hook 'em
February 4th, 2019 at 12:53 PM ^
I had the good fortune to try Steak n' Shake the other day. My cheeseburger combo "all the way" was delish and the shake wasn't bad either.
February 4th, 2019 at 1:36 PM ^
Of course - Wendy's is based in Ohio and GOD FORBID YOU DON'T OWN EVERY RECRUITING BATTLE THERE!
February 4th, 2019 at 3:29 PM ^
Wendy's is based out of Ohio. Dave Thomas was an Ohio State booster. I will never get persnickety over Harbaugh not going to Wendy's
February 4th, 2019 at 11:21 AM ^
No, they told him ahead of time.
February 4th, 2019 at 11:10 AM ^
Best of luck to him, but his film didn't jump out to me as being Big 10 caliber. Apparently other coaches felt the same, as his only other offer was from Missouri State.
February 4th, 2019 at 2:16 PM ^
This. Easiest way to avoid this type of egg on your face is to recruit elite prospects and fill the gaps later. No reason to string a less than borderline prospect along like this. It always looks bad because the school never gets to tell its side of the story.
February 4th, 2019 at 11:10 AM ^
Moar DTs
February 4th, 2019 at 11:12 AM ^
Do you have a source for this? I'm not seeing a tweet from him or any other Michigan source saying this...
EDIT: I commented this when there wasn't much public about his situation, however, there is now plenty online and APH has officially decommited. Chill with the downvotes
February 4th, 2019 at 11:14 AM ^
What was the timing on UM's part? I hope they let this kid know early enough for him to seek out other opportunities!
February 4th, 2019 at 11:42 AM ^
According the the Freep article and (more importantly) Steve Lorenz, the timing/communication on UM's part was bad and this is a bad look for them.
February 4th, 2019 at 12:19 PM ^
Yeah, they've done this a couple of times now ghosting kids. I said this during the Swenson/Weaver situations, but we are paying these coaches millions of dollars and yet they still don't have the common courtesy to call up a high school kid and tell him they messed up and he can't commit. All of this "maybe the athlete should have read the tea leaves" rationalizations drive me crazy.
February 4th, 2019 at 1:38 PM ^
"Ghosting" in any aspect of communication is just bad form. It's unprofessional, impersonal, and just plain rude.
Now I will ignore all of the comments to the contrary.
February 4th, 2019 at 12:05 PM ^
He apparently has at least one other offer already, and being connected to Michigan (however tenuously) should only help garner others.
I'd think...?
February 4th, 2019 at 11:18 AM ^
I hope this means they actually have a grad transfer DT on his way. Quality depth is sorely needed.
February 4th, 2019 at 11:25 AM ^
Agree
February 4th, 2019 at 11:38 AM ^
Given how much rotation takes place on most D lines (with decent playing time for several guys), how good could we expect a grad-transfer DT to be?
February 4th, 2019 at 1:39 PM ^
Anyone is better than no one.
February 4th, 2019 at 11:20 AM ^
Really shitty on the staff’s part to not tell him til now.
Obviously there’s two sides to every story but this doesn’t look good for Harbaugh after what happened with that OL a few years ago.
February 4th, 2019 at 11:22 AM ^
But I was told when he committed to "trust the coaches." I guess that doesn't apply to guys like Dytarious Johnson, Antwuan Johnson, Chase Lasater, Carter Dunaway, Sir Patrick Scott, Antwaine Richardson, Tyrece Woods, and Amauri Hickson. This was another commitment that never should have been accepted and it's crappy that the Hickson family has to go thru this now. Michigan could save themselves some bad press and hurt feelings if they stopped taking so many kids who are clearly reaches. I'm still kind of shocked Kent and Velazquez ended up signing.