Do you want to recruit Dee or D more?

You're right. The offense is clicking. No need for any more offensive players in the next few years.

Just want both.

That isn't a problem, is it?

I'm with you.  I really like Demetrius Hart, but I'd rather get a solid cornerback or safety recruit.

but Dee has more hart.

(better get used to those now, we'll be hearing something along those lines every football saturday next year)

Yes.

I'll take Avery Walls and Kris Frost, please.

Why does everyone assume we need "SuperMechaGodzillaDefense" or it is the end of the world.  RR had decent defenses at WVU, but nothing that got national acclaim.  

This is not to say the current state of our defense is acceptable or that I enjoy bend but don't break (I don't, neither do the dogs who exit the room when they hear the game click on) but at the same time the focus some people have on needing a class full of defense players is overkill.  With our offense we should be scoring 30+ a game no problem and our offense has shown the ability to sustain long drives.  We people like Dee Hart to let us keep reloading that offense while we recruit defensive depth over a few years.  

Heck last class we pulled in a nice haul of DBs, but it is going to take time to coach them up.  Basically don't sacrifice offensive firepower just to get a bunch of freshman D players running around.  We had two painful years on offense because RR didn't have the players he needed, we need to keep restocking the shelves to avoid going through that again.

That's a good question. While I have been reading Dee Hart posts with great anticipation, and watching highlight videos with drool streaming down my chin, I don't think the future of our offense hinges on one guy. We do need a big-play back to accompany Denard (or Gardner down the line) but our current stable of backs is serviceable IMO.

What I would like to see is some serious LB and DB recruiting. Not to say that we need a Top-5 player at those positions, but some speed and tackling ability would serve us well down the road. Winning by simply outscoring the opponent can be fun, but defense wins championships.

Prob Krist Frost/Avery Walls/Dee Hart, in that order.  But getting Dee prob helps at least a bit in landing the other two and not getting doesn't help us get frost or walls, so the moral of the story is - please come to michigan dee hart!

You do realize that we have more than one scholarship next year right? I think we can take Dee and have room for some more Defense.

As long as admissions lets them in, i'll take any top player in just about any position.

I agree with the need to focus on recruiting defense this year (and next?).  But one thing everyone needs to remember is that if Michigan can pull a kid like Dee Hart away from a school like Alabama it might open a lot of eyes of recruits considering but not sold on Michigan, including defensive recruits.

I'll take Dee, Sammy Watkins, one more O-lineman, and aTight end.  After that, the rest can go to the defense. 

In my opinion, getting Dee Hart is more than just getting a top RB.  I think it would be a huge statement for this program that would indeed have ramifications on the D side of the ball.

For one, this is a guy we targeted at least 2 years ago.  He's a top RB from Florida whom we are battling for againt top SEC/ACC schools.  The fact that we could go into Florida and grab this highly recruited a player and beat the likes of Alabama, Auburn and Florida would be a strong statement for us and our presence in the region.  It would have other Florida/South players on notice.  Now don't get me wrong, we have always recruited well in Florida (Denard!).  But this recruitment has been a bit different-- i think the high profile nature of this will have ramifications.  This is the kind of recruit where we can say -- Michigan is back.

Second, Dee Hart brings with him a legitimacy that will convince other players from SECland to think strongly about UM.  I'm talking guys like Dix, Jernigan, K Williams.  Big Time Defensive prospects.  I'm not saying these are likely, but it gives us a better chance.  Everytime we hear of SEC recruits, we hear that Dee Hart is in their ear about Michigan.  It has to mean something.

To sum up, I think this recruitment is more than just about Dee the player.  It's about making Michigan's presence known in Florida and other SECland regions.  If we win, we get serious momentum with our recruiting. 

this year but we do have a giant stable of them, but the D does need immediate attention, I dont like 42-35 games

Dee committing has nothing to do with defense

Recruits

No contest here, although hopefully we can get both...let's shore up the defense. I think our offense next year with this roster of people is good enough to take it to the next level (Big Ten Title, etc.), but not with a defense that has a best case scenario of mediocre

This isn't the NFL draft, so they don't have to choose between the two, especially since it isn't like they are competing with each other for playing time.

Also, wouldn't a star RB kinda make Denard even scarrier than he is already? Just sayin'

I guess my point is... what is the point of this thread?

Im greedy ill take both, but i would like Dee Hart more because I think he would bring in some of his defensive teammates.

Michigan currently has no committed running backs in the 2011 class, and they would seldom go a year without taking one. That still leaves something like 18-20 other scholarships available (depends on attrition, scholies given to walk-ons, and who comes back for a fifth year), and I am sure a majority will be on defense.

The real need is on defense.  If Dee Hart comes, he may light up the B10, or he may just add depth.  Not every top recruit lives up the the hype.  By contrast, our defense doesn't even have hype going for it at this point. 

Safeties: I just watched Kovacs gaining on C Gordon during the long BGSU TD catch/run, plus see the ND clips again. 

Corners: We have two decent guys and several in diapers, plus see ND clips. 

LB's: It's EZEH to see that we need help here.  Graduation is around the corner too. 

DLIne: About as much depth as an OSU coed. 

I didn't realize this was a choice... it's not like Michigan coaches have to choose to divert their attention in one direction or the other- We can recruit both!!

In the hypothetical situation where there was one schollarship left and it can either go to Dee Hart or a similarly rated defensive player, then you give it to the defensive player.  Or you're Nick Saban and you give it to both and tell some other player to grey shirt when he gets to campus.  The running backs are capable, deep, and young.  If Dee plays as well as projected, he would improve the postion from solid to strong.  It's a diminishing returns area though.  Going from weak and shallow to capable and deep will improve a team more than going from capable and deep to strong and deep.  Defense needs players.  However, there are enough schollies to get everything we need.

false choice.  Dee is just one guy at a position that is good but not awesome and has 0 recruits so far.  I want Dee here.

I suppose the proper analogy would be would you rather take Dee + top 5 QB + 2 top 5 WRs + top 5 slot + 2 top 5 OL + some middling defensive recruits or 7 of our good (but not top) defensive prospects + some middling offensive recruits.  You have to look at the class as a whole, not at one guy.  Personally, I'd take the latter even if it meant missing out on Dee...but I want both dammit.

As others have said, and as I said in the OP, we can have both Dee & D. My point in the OP is that I believe the focus now needs to be on defense recruiting. Dee is a luxury, not a necessity. Of course, we welcome him in, and I hope he commits. But in terms of energy and focus, I want at least six more solid recruits on defense:  two on the line, two LB, and two DB. Were we to add six more on defense to the class we already have, along with Zettel and Watkins, and Hart, I would be ecstatic.

Dee Hart and it's not close.  There are a few reasons why...

1.  Defense has been bad, but is there any evidence that this staff can take a highly talented DB or LB and get him onto the field immediately as an impact player?  The defense needs competence right now, and not necessarily elite athletes.

2.  I think that our running back situation is as bad as our LBs and DBs.  It just doesn't show up as much because the supporting cast around them is insanely good, and because it's impossible for a running back to cause a disaster unless he fumbles.  Smith has looked like Walter Cross since his injury.  Shaw has more speed but worse vision.  Cox and Fitz are still question marks.  Our offense will go from very good to national championship quality with a great tailback that has good vision and quickness.  A DB or LB isn't going to have this kind of immediate impact.  If Hart is really our Steve Slaton, our 2011 offense could be better than the 1994 Penn State offense. 

3.  We need to win now.  Immediately.  The more I think about it, the more it becomes apparent to me that it is critical to the program that we beat Ohio State in 2011.  They could be in semi-rebuilding mode, depending on who leaves year.  This year will make 7 in a row.  Next year, if we lose, will make 8, and if we lose next year, count it off at 9 in 2012.  We desperately need to win that game in '11, and there is nobody in high school who can help us do that more than Hart. 

hopefully means less time the D is on the field.  So it accomplishes a little of both.

When did the OP say that anyone had to choose?  A bunch of people in this thread are like "You're dumb we don't have to choose this isn't either/or like the NFL draft blah blah blah."

The OP is simply saying that he thinks defensive recruits are more important than a running back recruit.  I don't know why you're jumping all over him.