joeismyname

September 1st, 2014 at 3:57 PM ^

I don't think funchess will have more receptions or yards once the other guys get involved.....but I think each one of his touches will be more critical than gallons because I bet he will finish with 10 - 15 tds and his presence alone should take lots of pressure off the other receivers. So even if his stats aren't better catches and yards wise, his presence will be felt in a big way...think Andre Johnson at Miami, never put up massive numbers, but no opponent ever forgot his touches.

Joined: 11/07/2011

MGoPoints: 1271

joeismyname

September 1st, 2014 at 3:57 PM ^

I don't think funchess will have more receptions or yards once the other guys get involved.....but I think each one of his touches will be more critical than gallons because I bet he will finish with 10 - 15 tds and his presence alone should take lots of pressure off the other receivers. So even if his stats aren't better catches and yards wise, his presence will be felt in a big way...think Andre Johnson at Miami, never put up massive numbers, but no opponent ever forgot his touches.

Joined: 11/07/2011

MGoPoints: 1271

MaximusBlue

September 1st, 2014 at 2:03 PM ^

He said "could be". If I was a QB with Funchess as my number one guy, I would think and say the same thing. It's not like Funchess is a scrub. He's arguably the best athlete on the team and DG see's him day in and day out in practice. This statement in time could hold true.

Joined: 07/31/2012

MGoPoints: 9765

CLord

September 1st, 2014 at 2:16 PM ^

I want FunBunchFunch to live up to it and have a monster year, but then to win no awards and not have anyone tell him he's any good so he comes back next year.  Kind of like several years ago when my colleague who had the best inside sales rep at our company refused to endorse giving her the promotion she well deserved because he wanted to keep her on his team.  Capitalism at its finest.

Joined: 09/11/2011

MGoPoints: -6344

True Blue Grit

September 1st, 2014 at 2:33 PM ^

he could be up in the top 3 or so guys by the end of this year.  For openers, he has to prove he can reliably catch almost everything catchable thrown to him and not drop easy ones for the entire season.  He's also going to have to show he can play through the double teams most teams are going to throw at him.  And it goes without saying he has to have a monster year in yards and TD's.  The ASU game was a good start to be sure.  We'll see what he does against ND and go from there.  I've seen all the great U-M receivers from Anthony Carter on and I can't say Funchess is there with those guys quite yet.  

Joined: 01/21/2011

MGoPoints: 32225

Gustavo Fring

September 1st, 2014 at 3:04 PM ^

Some of you are treating the comment as if Gardner said "FUNCHESS IS BEST EVER ALREADY".  That's the only context in which someone would deliver a response like "not yet".  DUH.  Gardner clearly thinks that Funchess isn't there yet as well, that's why he qualified the statement with "could be" and not "is". 
 

And for what it's worth, that's a completely reasonable statement to make.  People have used Megatron (or at least that stratosphere) as a comparison for Funchess' ceiling, and if he comes close to that yes he will be in the discussion for best receiver ever.  Period.  If you're 6'5", 235, can hurdle defensive backs on a whim, and are a solid route runner yes the sky is the limit.

Joined: 09/29/2009

MGoPoints: 5175

Wolfman

September 1st, 2014 at 6:28 PM ^

of TD catches, like three a game and make certain we win them all. He is good, no doubt about it, not even an argument.  However, until he avgs the above #s, he won't even be in the discussion for the same reason it always boils down to two players, Desmond and A.C.  and for obvious reasons.

They fielded punts and k.o. returns that almost always put us in good field position, if not in the end zone.  This is indispensable to a great offense.  And as I've said, every fourth pass caught be either of these two resulted in TDs.  Terrell was great, Braylon dropped too many and only you're best athletes are put in return situations.  If A.C. had played even in the Desmond era, we'd have another Heisman in AA.  You do realize he gained all this notoriety while we were throwing the ball all of approx 12 times a game, right? He was the standard and will be until the next one comes along that can score  25% of the time they touch the ball, not unlike Desmond.  These are really the only two that belong in the discussion right now.

Joined: 07/23/2008

MGoPoints: 8259

MosherJordan

September 1st, 2014 at 8:00 PM ^

To play devils advocate, playing WR in a run heavy offense might just make it a little easier for you to put up big TD numbers since the other team is probably overloading the box so often. All the more so if the offense is predicated on running over you and not caring if you know they are running because you can't stop them anyway, type.

If a WR could put up comparable numbers when your offense probably can't run and the defense knows you are THE target of a pass or die offense would be harder to accomplish, I'd think.

Joined: 01/10/2011

MGoPoints: 529

Wolfman

September 1st, 2014 at 3:12 PM ^

I do know that Funch has a lot more help in the receivig corp, something that didn't exist for Desmond and A.C. They were basically it.  Des received more help than AC of course as the passing game became more complex, but each went for a TD on every fourth pass caught.  That's a bitch when you're the only one the defense is focused on. And then we have to introduce a lot of others like DT, BE, Clancy, et. al. 

Joined: 07/23/2008

MGoPoints: 8259

althegreat23

September 1st, 2014 at 3:12 PM ^

In terms of physical ability/ceiling, it's very possible. Michigan has had some fantastic wide receivers but never someone with Megatron type measurables. In terms of production at Michigan, that's questionable. Funchess would need two great seasons to come close to Braylon Edwards production and if he has a great season, I don't think he returns next year.

Joined: 05/30/2011

MGoPoints: 2080

Leonhall

September 1st, 2014 at 3:56 PM ^

Let's judge at the end of year, until then it's speculation which is about as useful as nothing. I want to see him do it consistently agains good teams, particularly against Msu.


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Joined: 06/14/2012

MGoPoints: 16430

I dumped the Dope

September 1st, 2014 at 5:04 PM ^

Unless the second coverage guy is Nerlens Noel, Funchess is going to have the "upper hand" shall we say.  In goalline situations that's completely deadly because a tip or high throw simply goes out of bounds.  I sort of expect that to be pretty much, we are going to use him like this until you prove you can stop it, on passing downs (more or less if we cant jam it in with a RB), near the goal line.

The superlatives and sound bites are going to be around sports, and especially football, forevermore.  Talk is Cheap, Instead, put your best work on the field.

Best WR Ever @ UM in my mind is Desmond Howard and he has the statue to prove it.

Joined: 09/22/2013

MGoPoints: 2342

MGoManBall

September 1st, 2014 at 6:27 PM ^

Just curious, who would you say would be the best WR at Michigan ever? Carter? Desmond? Braylon? He may not be the best WR of all time. But he's definitely the kind of dominate force at WR that Michigan hasn't had since 2006.

Joined: 10/27/2012

MGoPoints: 13029

Bill in Birmingham

September 2nd, 2014 at 9:00 AM ^

Saw them all. And all three were great. Note age bias: Carter's first two years were my last two years as a student. As great as all three were, IMO Carter was the best. We understandably tend to look at numbers when evaluating these things. But Carter came in when Bo was at the top of his game....and that meant run game and defense. Carter was so good that our beloved stubborn Bo changed his approach to take advantage of Carter. And without that, I am convinced that Michigan would not had it's reign as Quarterback U that lasted for twenty years. And I believe if you look at what "experts" who are as old as I am have to say, Carter is not just at the top of the list of greatest M receiver of all time, but high in the discussion of greatest in the history of college football.

Joined: 08/30/2008

MGoPoints: 7179

Champeen

September 1st, 2014 at 6:51 PM ^

I believe i have a very good eye for talent.  I usually judge talent well early (while they are in high school), and am definitely more right then wrong, and my opinions differ many, many times against the recruiting services.

SO now that im done sticking my chest out and declaring myself talent guru, let me be the first to eat crow on Funchess.

I never thought he would start a single game at Michigan based on high school.  Totally whiff on my part.

Fast forward, and my update on him would not be very far from what Devin's opinion on him is.  Its difficult for me to say best ever, because Anthony Carter was a top 3 guy here regardless of position, and easily the best WR to ever play here, and one of the top few in college football history.  But Funchess does have a chance to pass Howard.  A really good chance to be honest.  But this is what will hinder him.....

1) our offensive line not giving Gardner enough time

2) Funchess leaving early

3) Funchess staying and not having Gardner throwing to him next year (Morris/SPeight)

But good Lord, Funchess is an absolute freak and definitely has the physical ability to be one of the best no doubt.  Guy is so so much better than i ever though he would be.

Joined: 04/07/2011

MGoPoints: 14824

jsquigg

September 1st, 2014 at 8:21 PM ^

This ultimately comes down to opinion once you break everything down to an elite group.  Funch has a ways to go, but it wouldn't surprise me if he ends up in the discussion.  Go out and do your thing against the rivals in big wins and the sky's the limit.

Joined: 09/06/2009

MGoPoints: 9621