Bad Vibes on Danny O

Submitted by CincyBlue on

I was very surprised to hear on today's Recruiting Roundup that Sam Webb has a gut feeling that Danny O'Brien won't come to Michigan. 

He thinks it could come down to Tenn and MSU.   With Matt Godin and all the time he has been spending in Ann Arbor, I thought Michigan was the team to beat.

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JimLahey

September 23rd, 2011 at 9:52 AM ^

I won't care too much unless he ends up at MSU. I'd love to have him, but at least we already have an elite DT in this class. Pipkins is one of the nation's best at any position. We are going to fill this class out with 4-stars, this will just make room for one of the others. Having said that, who knows, maybe Danny still wants to come here at which point I'll be happy. Just don't go to a school where the coaches name is used as a synonym for douchebag.

Joined: 01/18/2011

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Logan88

September 23rd, 2011 at 10:22 AM ^

I don't think Sam Webb has ever aided a recruit in "throwing people of the scent" by declaring a gut feeling about a player heading elsewhere. Unfortunately, this seems pretty conclusive that Danny O will not be sporting the winged helmet.

Joined: 01/05/2009

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SanDiegoWolverine

September 23rd, 2011 at 9:59 AM ^

Almost all the signs have been pointing to us not getting him.  DT's have been saying all summer that we'd only take one DT. Then after Pipkins committed there was some confusion on his part on whether or not we still wanted him. Had we really been going after him hard and told him that we would hold a spot for him no matter what there never would have been any confusion.

When O'brien said that Hoke was cool and told him to take his time his time most people read that as a good thing but I thought we were slow playing him. Just seemed we would take him if a scholarship opened up or something. With 6 players already committed to the D-line and 3 of them potentially being able to grow into the 3-tech position I can see how the coaches maybe weren't going that hard after him.

And with a visit right after a commitment date it just seems like the final nail in the coffin.

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AC1997

September 23rd, 2011 at 9:59 AM ^

After watching the middle of our DL struggle and knowing that Martin, RVB, and Heininger are graduating why wouldn't you load up on elite DT prospects?  Other than WR there is no other position that needs attention this badly.  Unless they think they can move some of the recruits from DE to DT I don't see why you wouldn't put the full court press on an in-state DT who has played well.  This sounds like Hankins all over again!!!

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wlubd

September 23rd, 2011 at 10:06 AM ^

If you want to try and find a positive in it, if they (the staff) think spots are too tight for O'Brien then we're looking pretty good for a bunch of the other big names on the list. Let's not forget that Wormley, Godin and Strobel could all rotate between 5- and 3-tech.

Joined: 02/26/2009

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maizedandconfused

September 23rd, 2011 at 11:11 AM ^

Im not hugely athrilled with anyone except Godin switching to the 3tech..

Wormley is athletic and fast not a squat huge immovable object (think we would waste his far superior talents putting him inside)

And Strolbel is a SDE if ever I saw one. The point in the 4-3 over of the SDE is to be able to take on a TE and T combo stand up and prevent them from chipping off to the SAM. On passing plays, its chuck the TE and beat a T 1 on1 .. that is Strobel all day. 
 

Im not high on anyone of these guys mostly becasued they are all 6'5.. which tends to make it more difficult to get under the pad level and keep leverage on the inside (see BWC)

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Seattle Maize

September 24th, 2011 at 3:41 AM ^

The 3 tech is a penetrating defensive tackle and therefore doesnt need to be an immovable object.  I actually think if Wormley comes in and plays his Freshman year at about 280-290 he will be at a great weight.  Also, while being tall definatley makes it harder to play with great leverage there are many players in college and the NFL who do so at 6-5 and even taller.  I think Campbell's issues stem from a lack of coaching during his youth football days through high school.

Joined: 03/24/2011

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snowcrash

September 23rd, 2011 at 11:24 AM ^

Going into next season we will most likely have no proven players at DT except for arguably Campbell, who will be a senior. When you have so many question marks, you have to have numbers. I was as pleased as anyone to see Pipkins commit, but (as with any recruit at any position except maybe punter) he is a prospect and there is no guarantee that he will be effective at the college level. The position would look a lot better with O'Brien, a high school DT with a DT build, than with "maybe we can move one of these tall, lean DEs to tackle".

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Tacopants

September 23rd, 2011 at 3:58 PM ^

If there's one position group that people should stop questioning about recruiting, it's D-line.  Hoke is a D-line coach.  Mattison looks like he knows what he's doing.  We also have our uber recruiting Beyonce coach there.

If they are in agreement that they probably don't need another DT, it means they have some sort of plan about that spot, or are worried more about other spots (OL and WR come to mind).  I'd trust their skills over all of the people FREAKING OUT MAN on the internet on the hypothetical commitment of a highly rated high schooler.

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Logan88

September 23rd, 2011 at 10:00 AM ^

Sam was really talking up all of the other defensive linemen already in the class (Strobel, Godin, Wormley as possible DT's) but I would still like to get O'Brien because he already plays DT in HS. I don't think any of our other guys currently play DT besides Pipkins and we are sooooo thin at DT after this season.

I also noticed Sam mention that we are not really the leader for any of the O-linemen we are still pursuing. He feels we have the best shot at Diamond and Banner, but that we are merely in "good shape" not the outright leader for either.

I'm too lazy to Google for it, but this would be the perfect place for one of those "I HAZ A SAD." cat pictures.

Based on both of those bits of information, I can't help but wonder if the Final Four might look like: 2 WR (Darboh and Payton), 1 DB (Wright) and 1 RB (Dunn or "other").

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detrocks

September 23rd, 2011 at 10:01 AM ^

O'Brien's recruitment has been one of the most difficult ones to understand.   At various times, Michigan has been out of it, at others we've been the favorite.   At times, he's supposedly cooled on us, at others the coaches supposedly had cooled on him.    Who knows how it will end?     I hope that he goes Blue, but if he doesn't I hope that he goes to Tennessee as I would hate to face him for the next four years. 

Joined: 08/18/2010

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Tater

September 23rd, 2011 at 11:18 AM ^

We tend to forget sometimes that these are kids.  It's especially easy to forget with linemen because they are physically huge.  Kids are prone to changing their minds, and you never know what "hot button" is going to work and what one isn't.  No recruit is going to ruin a great class with his absence.  There are plenty to go around.  Also, as one poster mentioned, Mattison and Hoke should be trusted, and they will find a way to put a decent defense out on the field.  

I definitely agree that I don't want to see him end up in EL, though.  I hope a little bit of "southern hospitality" goes a long way in this case.

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Logan88

September 23rd, 2011 at 10:19 AM ^

Mine were already crushed when Sheldon Day committed to the Domers. Man, I wanted to see Pipkins (NT) and Day (DT) crushing fools for 3-4 years. Then, I finally got over losing Day to ND when it seemed like we had overtaken UT for O'Brien and now....crushing despair...again.

 

(Hyperbole used for dramatic effect)

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JohnnyBlue

September 23rd, 2011 at 10:04 AM ^

as much as I would like to get the top talent in the state, we are by no means short on talent in this class at DL, I would almost prefer getting Dunn, 2 WRs and Banner

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umuncfan11

September 23rd, 2011 at 10:06 AM ^

Yeah Sam made it sound like it was less about Danny O cooling on Michigan and more about Michigan cooling on him. I think the staff decided if they are only going to take one more defensive recruit they might rather have a DB like Yuri Wright. 3 of the final 4 spots will go to an offensive player (Diamond/Banner, Dunn - fingers crossed, and Darboh/Payton) and only one will go to a defensive player so I have no problem with it.

 

With Godin, Wormley, Pipkins, Strobel, Ojemudia, and Pharaoh I think there are plenty of guys who are on the DL (with Godin and Wormley as possibilities to play on the inside). I think CB may be a bigger priority because Standifer may move to safety and therefore Terry Richardson would be the only CB in this class. And as talented as Terry is, it is not a sure thing that a 5'8-9 170 lb. CB will ever see the field. Yuri Wright is a stud and given the choice of him or Danny O I'd take Yuri.

 

I think Danny will be a stud but I think with scholarships low, we need to address our needs more.

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Elmer

September 23rd, 2011 at 10:14 AM ^

If I had to choose between Yuri Wright and O'Brien, I'd also take Yuri.  Being greedy, I'd still like both.

It makes me feel better when I remind myself that this is just one recruiting class.  Each year this staff is going to bring in more quality defensive lineman, so in a few years our depth will be outstanding and the players will know the system and be all coached up.   There...I feel better now. 

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Frank Drebin

September 23rd, 2011 at 12:57 PM ^

I also thought I heard Sam say that either Banner or Garnett as being a Washington lean at this time. I can't imagine that we pull both of them, and I am really starting to think the Diamond ship has sailed as well. Webb also touched on him and said he was up in the air and looking hard at Wisky and Illinois.

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Farnn

September 23rd, 2011 at 10:09 AM ^

The DT position is the only one I'm surprised about with this coaching staff.  If they want to be able to rotate the DL, they don't seem to be recruiting enough for rotating the interior.  Maybe they are just really high on some 2013 guys, and feel fine with Godin and Pipkins for the interior in this class.

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go16blue

September 23rd, 2011 at 10:09 AM ^

Godin and Wormley both project to the 3-tech or 5-tech, and the staff knows the current players more than anyone else. I guess they're satisfied with BWC/Pipkins/Godin/Wormley at DT, and while thats very young and thin, I dont think O'brien adds as much to that as, say, Darboh would add to our WR situation.

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me

September 23rd, 2011 at 10:14 AM ^

"I dont think O'brien adds as much to that as, say, Darboh would add to our WR situation. " I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head here. The complete lack of an emergence of a go to WR and RB has played a big role in this, in my opinion.

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me

September 23rd, 2011 at 11:32 AM ^

but the pre-season practice reports were not glowing of the wr corps either. The point is I think the staff has weighed the relative need of taking a second DT versus getting skill positions on offense and determined that those skill positions are a more pressing need given the play to date and the current makeup of the recruiting class. I'm not sure I disagree with them, if that is indeed the case. Or perhaps this is all spin out of Webb and O'Brien simply was never going to go to Michigan, which is certainly possible.

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Magnus

September 23rd, 2011 at 11:37 AM ^

I'm not saying you're entirely wrong.  All I'm saying is that quarterbacks and receivers are reliant upon each other, and with Denard throwing the ball the way he has, it's not difficult to understand why a "go to" receiver hasn't appeared.  And if Denard was throwing the ball inaccurately during practice as well, then I don't know why practice reports would have been glowing for the receivers then, either.

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DeanMN

September 23rd, 2011 at 10:48 AM ^

I'm in total agreement here. It also might say something about our future formations. We've been bringing in a lot of linebacker types lately as well as DE/DT tweeners like Godin and Wormley. It could be a sign that Michigan is transitioning to the 3-4. In two or three years maybe we'll see a line of Godin/Pipkins/Wormley up front and then guys like Beyer as OLBs. To me, this seems like the best explanation unless some of the guys who are listed as DEs are going to fill out and move inside. I just question whether we have the depth to give guys like Wormley that kind of time to develop.

If that's the case, bringing in Payton and some of the other WRs we've been targeting would be good. Our depth at the WR position isn't overwhelming.

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CRex

September 23rd, 2011 at 10:21 AM ^

As it stands we'd be starting BWC and Pipkins next year (unless another DT on our depth chart blows up).  We'd then have a year to grow one of the current DEs into a 3 Tech.  Keep in mind in the 4-3 under, you have a DE playing like a DT.  So clearly some of the DEs being recruited as a DT like substance.  

I think the imperative thing is to get a nose tackle a year to keep depth there.  Also anyone who can't develop as  1-Tech can compete for the 3-Tech spot (as BWC seems to kind of be doing).  I really don't need to heavily recruit 3-Tech when you can fill it by growing your large DEs to fill it or moving a failed 1-Tech into it.  It's a "tweener" posistion for lack of a better word.

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