Dorsey - Echoes of Jai Eugene

Submitted by Rockobatronix on

First off, I happen to think the 2010 defense will be, in many ways, a better and more consistent unit than we saw last year- even having lost DW and BG to the NFL.  I look at the depth and consistent talent across our line, our experienced LB core* and the presence of Woolkfolk on the back end as legitimate strengths.  Although it may be difficult to see past the horrific secondary play we've seen the last couple years, I truly believe it had a lot to do with our equally-horrific LB play and an inconsistent line, void of any depth, that relied too much on BG and an undersized true freshman (Roh) to make plays on every down (compounded by the fact that our offense couldn't stay on the field, but that's another story).

With that said, I am rather bummed that Demar will not likely make it to campus this fall because I remember the impact Jai Eugene had on Michigan football by landing in the SEC.  Had he not been scooped up by Les Miles, he would have been starting opposite Leon Hall against Ohio State in '06.  He would have been on the field in the second half of the Rose Bowl when USC decided to pass on every down.  He would have been defending one of Armanti Edwards' myriad targets against App. State.  The list goes on...

Of course no one player will ever make-or-break Michigan Football, but it would be foolish and revisionist to pretend his absence is anything but a huge blow.  The kid is a special talent despite being a product of the ESPN/UA hype machine and he would have been playing for us against UConn in some capacity.  Hopefully Denard will continue to have success, thus keeping UM on Demar's mind and showing him the benefits of working to make it to Ann Arbor. 

The last thing I want to see is some SEC school swoop in and show him how much quicker he'd see the field if he didn't have to worry about... anything... but game day.

* I cannot believe that Obi and Jonas will continue to regress.  Each has shown enough potential, and GR has such a proven track record of coaching LBs, that expecting a noticeable leap is quite reasonable IMO.

evenyoubrutus

June 3rd, 2010 at 2:41 PM ^

but something I've been confused about is that people seem to feel that if Dorsey isn't eligible this year, he won't ever wear a Michigan uniform.  But if I recall, didn't Nick Perry go through something like this where he did not qualify academically his first year (and some Michigan fans ignorantly said "ooooh does that mean he could come to Michigan?!") but then he made it in for his sophomore season and had a great year?  Or are my facts mixed up?

Rockobatronix

June 3rd, 2010 at 2:46 PM ^

My comparison is based entirely off the potential impact each would have had at UM.

If Jai Eugene had been at UM from 2006 onward, he would have likely been a major contributor on a team that needed serious help in the secondary.

If Demar were to be at UM in 2010, he would likely be a major contributor on a team that needs serious help in the secondary.

Regardless of the circumstances for their not joining the Wolverines, the fact remains that they would have been impact players.

Regarding your second point, do you really think its likely that he makes it to AA next year, or the year after? SEC schools much closer to home can offer significantly less stringent academic standards as well as "other" benefits.... if he finds out that his path to UM might hurt his potential as a future NFL player, I would not blame him for making a personal decision that has him staying down south.

dennisblundon

June 3rd, 2010 at 2:54 PM ^

I will believe Demar isn't coming here when TOMVH posts it and only then will I concede. Not trying to be a dick here, I am just not ready to believe he won't be eligible. If he clears the NCAA eligibility then he should be afforded the oppurtunity to play at UM. Probably wishful thinking but if any school is due to catch a break it has to be UM.

pdgoblue25

June 3rd, 2010 at 2:51 PM ^

Man, we've gone through too much over the past few years to even think about this.  My brain is overloaded with way too much speculation between sanctions, admissions, predictions, Rod's job status and on and on and on.  I just want the season to start, I don't want to think about another Jai Eugene.  Plus Jai's decision ultimately came down to the fact that he had a kid, and it was better for him to stay home, and I respected him for that mature decision.  While recruiting is an interesting way to get through an off season, I seriously miss the times when I had no idea what anyone's name was until they were on the field producing.

duffman is thr…

June 3rd, 2010 at 8:59 PM ^

 "I seriously miss the times when I had no idea what anyone's name was until they were on the field producing."

 

Ignorance is bliss.  It was kind of nice to not have the unreal expectations for the players before they ever stepped on the field.  

WolvinLA2

June 3rd, 2010 at 3:06 PM ^

It's our LB corps, note core.  You could say that the LB's are the core of our defense, or that our LB's are aggressive to their core, but it makes no sense to discuss our LB core. 

Think of it at the Marines.  You wouldn't say your uncle was in the Marine Core, would you?

Rockobatronix

June 3rd, 2010 at 3:29 PM ^

that you make an asinine typo-correction that includes a G-DAMN TYPO.

There is no silent 'e' at the end of 'not', you dumb jackass.

I have an English degree from UM and I typed the original post in 2 min at my job as a technical writer, so I don't need bullshit instruction from a holier-than-thou armchair grammarian who can't even type a short response without screwing it up. I made a small, and common, mistake while hastily typing.  Go to hell for even caring.

markusr2007

June 3rd, 2010 at 3:12 PM ^

"They gotta stop reporting wind chill. That's nonsense. It really is. I don't know where they came up with it; why they came up with it; it's a lie. They go, "It's 27 degrees today, but with the wind chill, it's minus three." Well then, it's MINUS THREE, ASXXXLE! I don't need to know what the weather would be like if conditions were perfect."

In my view, so it is with recruiting.  I don't find it helpful to think for a long time about all of these perfect world hypotheticals. 

But since we're talking about Demar Dorsey and Jai Eugene  and how they end up not in a Maize and Blue uniform, we could probably have a lot of fun along similiar lines lamenting 12-0 Michigan football seasons forgone because of the final decisions made by DE Vernon Gholston, WR Ronald Johnson and OT Joseph Barksdale.

 

jmblue

June 3rd, 2010 at 3:19 PM ^

Was Jai Eugene really that big of a loss?  He's started a total of 11 games in four seasons at LSU and has one career interception.  He lost his starting job last year and was moved to safety this off-season.  Generally speaking, guys who switch positions going into their fifth year aren't headed for superstardom.  Why are we assuming he'd have been our savior at CB? 

pdgoblue25

June 3rd, 2010 at 3:25 PM ^

That might be a little harsh, Marlin Jackson was switched between safety and cornerback because he had to play where we needed him.  Maybe LSU is stacked at cornerback and a little thin at safety.  I get what you're saying though, RoJo is always out with injuries.

jmblue

June 3rd, 2010 at 3:32 PM ^

Marlin Jackson started from day one, and switched positions as a junior to shore up the safety position.

Here's Jai Eugene's career trajectory:

2006 - redshirted

2007 - played in 12 of 14 games, never starting

2008 - started in nine of 13 games, losing his job late in the season

2009 - started twice before returning to the bench

2010 - switched to safety.

We need to let go of the idea that he is some kind of Woodson-like talent.

MGoPacquiao

June 3rd, 2010 at 3:32 PM ^

I was wondering when someone would say this.  I guess you could make a weak argument that a change of scenery would have helped Eugene and he could have been a better player here.  In that sense, maybe you could compare his with Dorsey's situation.  But, too many hypotheticals.

mgovictors23

June 3rd, 2010 at 3:37 PM ^

This situation doesn't really remind me of Jai Eugene. Sure they both could have made major contributions for us but that's were the similarities end. Now we just have to focus on keeping him blue while he's in junior college.

maizenbluenc

June 3rd, 2010 at 4:18 PM ^

but it will be a lot easier for him to transfer in from JuCo somewhere else. So yeah - hopefully he'll stick to his guns and work to get in here. But issues with credit transfers, etc. will make that highly unlikely.

So lets just hope he makes it in .... please ....

acs236

June 3rd, 2010 at 4:18 PM ^

to me anyway, is that he appears to be getting screwed over by UM admissions (like Witty and Witherspoon).

Jai is just someone who changed his mind about coming to Michigan at the last second.

Don

June 3rd, 2010 at 5:27 PM ^

Maybe having a higher standard (if it's true) than the NCAA minimum increases the odds of a UM recruit actually graduating.

I thought we were supposed to be the leaders and best and all that. We can't constantly mock OSU and MSU for their supposedly dunderheaded student bodies at the same time we complain about our own supposedly more rigorous admission standards.

MGoPacquiao

June 3rd, 2010 at 5:45 PM ^

I think I worded my comment in a confusing way.  What I meants was I hope that the belief that the players "got screwed over" wasn't because of higher standards in admission compared to NCAA minimums.  So, I agree with all you said.

I thought I had read somewhere that we had slightly higher standards than the NCAA minimum.  It wasn't extreme and not enough that people could/would use it as an excuse, but it is more of a statement about how low minimum requirements are.  

Don

June 3rd, 2010 at 6:41 PM ^

That's the really depressing thing. My brother has been a prof up at MSU for over 25 years, and he's had football players along with the regular crowd of undergrads in his classes. He's been appalled forever at how abysmally low the academic capabilties of the general MSU student population is, and some of the FB players he's had have literally flunked his class. I'm not under any illusions that every one of Michigan's players, going back to Bo, has been a standout in the classroom either, with the exception of Jim Harbaugh, who was cruelly denied his chance for a Nobel Prize in Undergraduate History by the evil Schembechler.

acs236

June 4th, 2010 at 8:32 AM ^

But first, please know that I am reading between the lines a bit and making some assumptions.

 

With Witty and Witherspoon, we have more information.  Witty seems to be the cleaner, more illustrative case.  He was denied admission to UM and then enrolled immediately at another FBS school (Cinci).  This means that Witty met NCAA standards, but was nonetheless not admitted to the university.  Witherspoon was similar--not admitted to UM, but enrolled at Rutgers.  But with Witherspoon, my memory is not as clear.  I remember hearing that there were certain issues with transcripts or something.  That's why I think Wittty is the cleaner case.

 

I have no idea what is going on with Dorsey--I just hope it's not a Witty situation.  If he ends up at another FBS school--as opposed to a JC--then I don't know what other conclusion we can make.

 

Personally, I don't have a problem with UM having slightly higher admission standards than the NCAA minimum, but I do have a problem with the University not defiining them clearly and in advance. 

 

 

 

Don

June 3rd, 2010 at 5:45 PM ^

Rocko, I'm not as familiar with the specifics of GR's coaching record as most around here are... who are the prominent LB's he's had a hand in coaching? I'm assuming we can leave out his time in Syracuse...