Former Michigan WR target Jalen Brown enters tranfer portal

Submitted by It'sNotAToomer on January 4th, 2024 at 2:28 PM

Some of you may remember c/o 2023 WR Jalen Brown of Gulliver prep, who was famously mentored by Desmond Howard, and who was constantly linked to Michigan by Sam Webb for the entirety of the cycle. Sadly for us, young Mr. Brown signed with LSU after wrapping up his commitment in October of '22.

Well, in what has become a familiar pattern, he's back on the market, entering the transfer portal. He currently has crystal balls in for Florida State. Someone please have Dez give this young man a phone call.

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pdgoblue25

January 4th, 2024 at 3:18 PM ^

It kind of does.  Nico Collins should have been at worst a 2nd round pick.  He only had 37 catches his last season, 7 of them were touchdowns.  Braylon's last 3 seasons he had 67-85-97 catches and that was with Lloyd's offense.

Our offense is great as it is purposeful, but you can't deny it's not too attractive to top flight receiver talent who have aspirations of being 1st round picks.

Tight ends on the other hand.

 

Joined: 03/03/2010

MGoPoints: 18972

WestQuad

January 4th, 2024 at 4:54 PM ^

NFL Scouts care about game film.  

Recruits care about being a star and making awesome plays.

I'm psyched that we're in the nation championship game and I like our offense, but Desmond Howard, Derrick Alexander and Braylon Edwards could take the top off of a defense in a run oriented offense.  There is zero reason we shouldn't be throwing more deep passes.  Coaches know more than me, but football 101 says that if you throw a deep ball every once in awhile the safeties have to play back a bit which opens up the run game.   

We were all critical of Cade (and Harbaugh) in 2021 because we didn't pass much and we all thought it was necessary to have some passing.   JJ (and Harbaugh) are getting a pass on not passing because we are winning and JJ uses his legs every once in awhile.  

If we had one of those JJ to CJ 2021 OSU passing touch downs every game or two we'd get better QBs and WRs.  I like our guys, but there should be more competition to get in the door at those positions.

 

Joined: 07/22/2011

MGoPoints: 31146

TheJuiceman

January 4th, 2024 at 4:58 PM ^

No, it's an informed take. Without a sufficient number of targets against quality competition, how would they be able to tell he's an elite route runner, has elite hands, etc.? The combine?? Why roll the dice like that if you feel you're a 1st or 2nd rd stud? And you want/deserve the ball because it's fun to score TDs and stuff? 

Ask Ronnie Bell how that went for his draft stock. Same for DPJ. Or I wonder if Xavier Worthy regrets his decision to go somewhere they actually throw the ball. Roman will probably go post-2nd round too. Why? He runs a damn 4.2!  The list goes on. 

It's financially stupid to forego possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars in signing bonus money, and then need to spend 3 years getting up to speed with what your actual talent at WR should dictate, just to play for a particular college. Especially when you can win and get the ball somewhere else. 

We have a good thing going, no doubt about it. But this is not a school that top WRs should take seriously. I think that much is obvious. 

Joined: 06/15/2011

MGoPoints: 1421

Matte Kudasai

January 4th, 2024 at 6:48 PM ^

Wow.

You couldn't be more wrong on all counts.

To say this is not a school that top WR's should take seriously is laughable.

You just named a bunch of guys that Michigan put in the NFL.  That is the goal right?

Ronnie Bell was a basketball player who Michigan got drafted.

Collins was drafted in the 3rd round.

DPJ was a big recruit but not everyone is going to be a star.

And yes, the combine is more important than game film for a lot of scouts.

 

Joined: 05/04/2016

MGoPoints: 4602

Bluesince89

January 4th, 2024 at 9:45 PM ^

It’s really ok to be wrong. Nico Collins is the exception. Ronnie Bell was the 7th to last player drafted. I hope he does great things, but those guys usually don’t last. He has 5 receptions on 8 targets for 63 yards and 2 TDs. Maybe he’ll be a red zone threat. Otherwise, what successful Michigan receiver has there been in the NFL since Braylon was drafted? Manningham was ok? 

Joined: 09/14/2008

MGoPoints: 14739

MDexcelsiorUSN

January 4th, 2024 at 3:46 PM ^

I believe this has already been disproven with regards to our back to back to back B1G championships and playoff appearances. Many of these kids don't want to "play for a winning team" when they can get an upfront bag without any sort of performance incentive. God bless Saint Harbaugh for winning with largely "inferior" talent. 

Joined: 08/19/2019

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MDexcelsiorUSN

January 4th, 2024 at 3:57 PM ^

Absolutely agree. However, if it was truly about winning to these recruits we would have O-linemen, RB's, DB's, and darn near every other position that QB and WR begging to come to Michigan. That's simply not the case and it is very impressive what Harbaugh has been able to accomplish without taking the O$U route of just out-talenting everyone.

Joined: 08/19/2019

MGoPoints: 1079

BursleysFinest

January 4th, 2024 at 2:36 PM ^

Why? For him to transfer out after a year.  I would stay away from any LSU/Ole Miss/Texas A$M type recruits.  The players out for a bag are always going to be out for a bag, and that may not be the best for the long term building of a winning team.

If I'm a high-end football recruit with a limited amount of time (10 years?? ) to make my money, I'm doing the same thing.  But that also means they won't be a good fit for every program.   

Joined: 08/24/2011

MGoPoints: 6413

MDexcelsiorUSN

January 4th, 2024 at 3:51 PM ^

Agreed. However, this is truly life changing money for many of these kids, if they don't blow it. Just wait til friends or family members become "agents" and end up stealing all the money because young kids aren't versed well enough to enter into these types of deals without being prime targets for "investments" and every other thing you can imagine. Michigan is doing is right so far but this is truly turning into "buying championships".

Joined: 08/19/2019

MGoPoints: 1079

SysMark

January 4th, 2024 at 3:09 PM ^

Thankfully, I think the days of Michigan having to chase after every recruit who originally went elsewhere are over.  We're top dog now.

Joined: 11/15/2008

MGoPoints: 21734

WeimyWoodson

January 4th, 2024 at 3:10 PM ^

There should be one stickie thread for every transfer recruit that Michigan has either no interest in or has zero chance of getting. I'd file this one in that thread. 

Joined: 08/25/2015

MGoPoints: 14729

Amazinblu

January 4th, 2024 at 3:13 PM ^

What percentage of these potentially think about "lifetime earnings"?

So, you take "less" NIL - learn a lot - and, "make more" in an NFL agreement / contract.

My guess is - an NFL contract will pay more than the vast majority of NIL deals.

Joined: 01/22/2010

MGoPoints: 41285

hazardc

January 4th, 2024 at 5:18 PM ^

Give the bag to RBs .. They're the hungry ones who know the NFL is just going to stick it to them, and their opportunity to get paid fairly now lies in the confines of NIL. 



Michigan is super attractive to running backs. Harbaugh doesn't run them into the ground, but still lets them shine as brightly as possible. 

I think the Nico example cannot be overstated. This offense hasn't been designed to let them shine, we grind the field, run the clock, run it straight into their face, and gouge the field bit by bit until the other team is suffocated. 

This team is built on solid hard-nosed fundamentals, not on living and dying by big offensive downfield plays... We let the defense make the big plays. 

That said, it would be nice to have a WR that can bust one wide open once in a while or is OK with just creating mayhem for the defense, drawing double teams, etc.

Joined: 11/24/2013

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