The Greatest Mid-December Weekend In the History of Transfer Portal (?)
December 19th, 2022 at 1:16 AM ^
OK so epic fail...apparently using the enter key in the tags field just ruined me.
Anyway, if you've been on here long enough you recall The Greatest Mid-February Weekend in the History of Mid-February Weekends.
Thought it might be worth recalling great recruiting weekends of the past with this old post.
December 19th, 2022 at 1:20 AM ^
...that Ace-ranked post is a helpful reminder that not everyone turns out to be uh indispensable.
What will hopefully be more accurate, however, is that the bulk of this week's work are men who have already played college football.
"past performance is no guarantee of future results"
--ryan day
December 19th, 2022 at 6:15 AM ^
--michael scott
December 19th, 2022 at 1:26 AM ^
I'd say it was more of a run-of-the-mill fail than an epic one, but go ahead!
December 19th, 2022 at 12:47 PM ^
enter in tags has burned many-a-post. one of my recurring tags on one frame at a time has an apostrophe in it and I’ve learned to be incredibly careful and deliberate when putting that in.
December 19th, 2022 at 9:57 AM ^
I love this photo because with his chin strap so tight, he looks like he’s ready to play mike
December 19th, 2022 at 7:02 PM ^
With the chin strap he looks like an adult baby.
December 19th, 2022 at 10:04 AM ^
MONEY MOODY!!!
December 19th, 2022 at 11:59 AM ^
How fitting that his last game in the Big House went the way that it did.
December 19th, 2022 at 6:56 AM ^
The Great Portal Robbery
December 19th, 2022 at 12:25 PM ^
"Shplendid."
December 19th, 2022 at 7:01 AM ^
Is this the dawn of a new recruiting era? Up to now, Michigan’s class hasn’t overly impressed, but with a burgeoning portal and NIL, do class rankings matter anymore?
I doubt that’s the strategy and they’d love to take every 5* they can, but if they can pluck seasoned players out of the portal, maybe the traditional recruiting class doesn’t matter quite as much.
December 19th, 2022 at 7:27 AM ^
It’s certainly eye-opening. Transfers are a shorter-term boost than recruiting, but then, this looks like a roster that can contend for a national title next year (and, who knows, maybe it’s a push for a second… anyway). And they’re going all out to make sure they have the holes filled.
”Come to Michigan and compete for a national title” seems like a good transfer pitch. And if they’ve refined the process of getting guys into the school, much more practical as a regular component of a roster-building strategy.
I’m legit impressed.
December 19th, 2022 at 7:53 AM ^
Transfers are indeed a shorter term potential, but immediate impact potential. Recruiting is generally the opposite except in extraordinary circumstances. And those occasions can turn into early departures to the NFL.
Looking at this, excuse the term, like a business owner, success comes from multiple streams of income. Recruiting, portal, coaching, all create on field success in different ways. NIL had created this opportunity, it seems Michigan is taking advantage of it in a big way.
December 19th, 2022 at 10:42 AM ^
Since it's a short term boost, I think the portal is ideal for programs who are making a sudden leap.
It may be a new coach selling the program on potential (Tuck and KWIII) or it could be a program who finally breaks through and is suddenly outperforming their recruiting cycle (UofM).
I don't think "flat" programs can survive on the portal because they will just transfer in guys of the same quality (or lower) than what they lose.
December 19th, 2022 at 7:56 AM ^
With over 1,000 players having entered the transfer portal this year, recruiting is more of a short-term boost as well.
December 19th, 2022 at 8:19 AM ^
I have been thinking the same thing. They are going all in on going back to back National Champions.
December 19th, 2022 at 8:15 AM ^
I think the new reality of CFB is you have to hit both to optimize your roster. Some years you will lean a little one way or the other but you need to have a blend of normal high school recruiting and the portal.
With the portal, you just need to get the right guys and it seems so far like UM is using a lot of caution to bring in guys that will embrace this new culture. The culture of Michigan, the team, the rivalries, etc.
December 19th, 2022 at 10:35 AM ^
I hope you’re right but what makes you believe—what’s the evidence—that Michigan is “using a lot of caution” as they grab players out of the portal?
December 19th, 2022 at 7:34 AM ^
This has been a wildly impressive run up to the first signing date. My concerns with the portal is with players who are moving out of disgruntlement-I believe their chances of failure are very high with such a motivation. What I love about the young men Michigan is getting is that every one of them are moving for reasons of team success-as well as individual improvement. Because they have to know that they are not guaranteed playing time-coming here...the kid from Nebraska-maybe, but the others are going to have their work cut out for them in this regard.
Many in this fan base seem to think that Michigan is "settling" for these three star players who are just now committing. But these young men have excellent upsides-and they know that they are committing to coming in and putting in the work and effort-if they are going to see the field. Clearly Coach Harbaugh and this staff see great value in mixing in these "good-upside", later-rising athletes with the higher rated ones.
I see no reason to be whining and second-guessing what is happening here. Given what has transpired with the level of play these past two seasons there is no reason to not sit back and enjoy the process that is playing out right before our very own eyes. Few were seeing this year's team as being better than last year's...yet here we are. And now...is it reasonable to believe that next year will be better than this year. Truly it is "Don't worry-be happy" time in the world of Michigan football fandom...manage expectations :)
December 19th, 2022 at 8:02 AM ^
they call us O-Line U.
soon the term portal will give way to the new moniker "Transfer Elevator".
December 19th, 2022 at 8:23 AM ^
I like "Trenches U" better. Seems like we're doing well on both sides of the ball.
December 19th, 2022 at 8:31 AM ^
The way Harbaugh has handled the portal is perfect. If you can find a one-year guy who is top level like Olu you go and grab him. Also, you look for lower level guys who are obviously Power-5 caliber like Stewart and Danna. Then, you look for holes or areas that need depth and bring in guys like Daylen Baldwin, Cam Goode, etc.
This is very different than Mel Tucker’s build-a-team through the portal mentality where he finds guys who aren’t seeing the field for big programs and plans for them to start immediately. Everyone we grabbed has had significant starting experience, and some, like Henderson, Carter, and Hausmann are potential Day 1 or 2 draft picks.
There are going to be some holes that need to be filled next year due to graduation and early entries. However, those seem to be being filled by experienced, and some cases multiple years of eligibility remaining guys.
At this point I wouldn’t mind seeing a CB, RB, and perhaps a MAC level graduating QB who is going pro in something other than sports but capable of being a backup while receiving a free masters degree from UM to round out our portal haul.
December 19th, 2022 at 9:38 AM ^
The transfer portal is the new Free Agency.
Anyone who's ever coached or operated in the NFL is probably like, "oh, this. I know how to handle this."
December 19th, 2022 at 9:48 AM ^
Qmatic, I share your thinking.
With the benefit of hindsight, we can see that almost every move that Harbaugh has made has been strategic in nature. His decisions reflect long-term, forward thinking...not an excessive focus on the short-term benefits or negatives.
I'm often wrong about a lot of things, but, among my group of Michigan fanatics, I'm the only one who never wavered in their support of Harbaugh. Even though the results weren't always there, you could see he was building the program in the right way.
I also did not scoff at the "transactional/transformational" line. Michigan is an elite educational institution...one that stands for excellence in almost every way. Michigan should not be throwing around money to entice athletes to enroll. It should be, "come here, work hard, and you'll be rewarded." I also think that this approach is another example of Harbaugh seeing what the future was going to bring...rather than focusing on the short-term benefit of "pay for play."
A strategic use of the transfer portal can help fill in gaps while also not alienating current players. And if any current players get angry about being "recruited over," that tells me that they don't have the competitive fire needed to be a success at this level of athletics.
We can expect to see a half dozen impactful transfers every year moving forward. The benefit is that, unlike with an 18 year old freshman, you have an idea of the type of person they are...on and off the field. Some of these transfers may be unfinished products, but the coaching staff can still certainly have a better idea of how they will perform and contribute to the team...relative to an incoming freshman.
There is no downside to the way that Michigan is thus far using the portal.
Go Blue!
December 19th, 2022 at 8:48 AM ^
Does anyone have any insider knowledge as to how much this has to do with Santa Ono? I feel like this has been a huge hurdle in the past, and I'm wondering if Ono has been more open to working through some of the issues that held us back in the portal in the past? Pure speculation but wondering if there's any inside info on it?
Great to see we can move on these portal guys now - changes the face of the recruiting class this year in a hurry. It's still not a class of all 5*s which I know will irk some, but if we can really build a strong roster of developmental team guys, get some high end kids in '24, and utilize the portal to pull in some proven talent to supplement key areas and manage attrition, this thing might just be sustainable.
December 19th, 2022 at 10:51 AM ^
I'm not sure if that has come out yet, but a few points that might not quite mean that M's allowing open transfers in quite yet:
- Players coming in after 1 season may not have many transfer credits and may not care - they have time to catch up and graduate "on time" even if their first freshman year doesn't help
- Players from Stanford probably are more likely to have their credits transfer in successfully with the old admissions policy
No insider info, but at least for 3-4 of the new transfers in, they may have been fine if nothing has changed yet.
December 19th, 2022 at 11:33 AM ^
Players from Stanford graduated and are enrolling at Michigan as graduate students, as is Henderson from ASU.
December 19th, 2022 at 11:03 AM ^
No insider knowledge, just a comment. It sure does feel like something has changed on the surface and I'm hopeful it has. Think Josiah Stewart is the best example so far of it maybe changing, as he has 3+ semesters of credits and potentially the most to lose. Hausmann has only been at Nebraska for a semester, so at worst he's starting over (i would guess at least one or two of his classes would count, who knows). Nugent and Henderson are grad students, and Hinton coming from Stanford you imagine he's getting the most he can. The aggressive nature in the portal of course would also hopefully point to them being confident they can get more credits to transfer for the kids?
Edit: I really should have read the thread, Ouldsod has made point in a way nicer and easier to read format.
December 19th, 2022 at 9:18 AM ^
It's interesting that we are now able to take so many transfers who are not graduate transfers. Something must have changed in the admissions department for them to accept credits from other schools. Losing Terrance Shannon who was able to transfer to another AAU Big Ten school was probably the last straw.
December 19th, 2022 at 9:37 AM ^
We've taken 2 undergraduate transfers.
- Josaiah Stewart, Edge (3 semesters, or ~ 45 credits)
- Ernest Hausmann, LB (1 semester, or ~ 15 credits)
Our other 3 portal additions are graduate students
- Myles Hinton, OL (graduated from Stanford)
- Drake Nugent, OL (graduated from Stanford)
- LaDarius Henderson, OL (graduated from ASU)
December 19th, 2022 at 10:04 AM ^
Ould, one other item to be aware of - particularly for the grad transfers is - their remaining eligibility. A grad transfer might have one season - or, potentially three seasons - of eligibility remaining. I’m absolutely sure the staff is aware of this - and, I think it’s good for fans to be sensitive to it too.
December 19th, 2022 at 10:04 AM ^
Yup.
I think people are overplaying the "Santa Ono" effect. I'm glad everyone is excited about his tenure, but to think he's transformed the way Michigan handles transfers is to be a bit out of touch.
Pretty much every incoming transfer has been a grad transfer or, now, younger players with fewer credits.
I'd be willing to bet we will rarely, if ever, see incoming transfers who have accumulated 60-119 college credits.
December 19th, 2022 at 10:19 AM ^
I think a lot of the activity is a one-off due to the COVID year. We are getting multiple grad transfers with 2+ years of eligibility remaining. That pool of players is inflated because of the COVID year, and will be smaller going forward. It's not too bad getting a transfer in who already has a degree.
December 19th, 2022 at 9:20 AM ^
Right now its looking alright for Michigan, but the one negative I see out of getting so many transfers is they're more likely to have guys in the locker room that don't care as much about the culture, tradition, or rivalries as much as the players that were on board from the start. I don't see this being a huge problem but it's a possibility with a player here and there.
December 19th, 2022 at 9:36 AM ^
If there is one thing I am not worried about it is how these portal will impact culture. The team and the coaches display what they are about every day. And it’s not just talk. It’s their actions. So when kids transfer in, have all the confidence in the world that they know what they are getting into and how they are expected to mesh.
December 19th, 2022 at 9:48 AM ^
I agree with you. As of right now the coaches and players there know what its like to go to war week after week and work their tails off in between games. They have a great core and hopefully they can keep it that way for years to come.
December 19th, 2022 at 10:41 AM ^
This is what I worry about most; transfers not fitting in as concerns the culture Harbaugh has established in addition to the potential resentment roster players might feel if they are being recruited over via the portal.
December 19th, 2022 at 10:52 AM ^
These coaches recruit character guys. You see good leadership ingrained in this program and guys just don’t want to step out of line.
December 19th, 2022 at 10:02 AM ^
not worries about that. I don’t think JMFH and the coaches would bring in a kid who doesn’t fit the culture. its part of the vetting process. we’re not A&M going for “starz” as that’s not how Harbaugh operates
December 19th, 2022 at 10:20 AM ^
Cosign this opinion. In addition, I have a LOT of confidence in the players already in the program to maintain the standard. There is plenty of leadership in the locker room to protect the culture.
December 19th, 2022 at 10:32 AM ^
Okie. He is doing great. We hear nothing about him. He is even coming back for final year. It doesn't mean we won't have an odd situation but I trust our coaches to vet properly.
December 19th, 2022 at 9:32 AM ^
Looks like mgoblog feels we will be getting Barner the Indiana TE. He is now listed on the "Depth Chart by Class"
December 19th, 2022 at 9:42 AM ^
Can/will these transfers participate in the CFP festivities? Obviously they can't play but I could see that being a pretty cool incentive to make a move now.
December 19th, 2022 at 10:06 AM ^
Lomas, I’m not sure what Michigan’s approach is. Other schools are doing things I wasn’t sure a team / school could do.
December 19th, 2022 at 9:42 AM ^
On the one hand, I'm not really a fan of bringing in all these hired guns. To think that culture can't / won't change, just because it seems great now, is foolish to me. Culture is also about time served and these guys come in with their own baggage, mentally and on the field. It doesn't mean they're bad dudes - but do they have the same work ethic? Do they CRAVE to beat OSU the way the last 2 teams did? Do they see the B10 title as a big deal? Does it create a faction of guys that are core Michigan guys and a group of transfers? How well do they integrate into Michigan culture, vs putting their own experiences on it.
I think this is the result of a lot of guys seeing that Michigan has a Win now, Develop now, Get paid later mentality, and schools like Miami, A&M, Oregon and others are Pay now, and hopefully matter.
Last year we took a great player at a position of need. We took a risk player at a position of need. Both worked out. I don't see the percentages in our favor if we are bringing 6-7 guys in.
On the other hand, just go 2-0 and I won't care about any of this for a long long time. 2. and. 0.
December 19th, 2022 at 9:59 AM ^
Completely disagree with this take.
I'm sure that the coaches have a very good idea of whether these players will fit in to the team culture. Unlike with an incoming freshman, you can get a good idea of these players' approach to college life and athletics...because they have a track record that you can research. I'd have to imagine that it would be pretty easy to determine these players' fit by talking to current/past coaches, teammates, parents, etc.
And I'm guessing these transfer players wouldn't want to come to Michigan if they didn't buy in to how hard they're going to have to work and compete. It's not exactly a secret that Harbaugh is demanding.
Plus, at a half dozen or so transfers, you're talking about 5% of the entire roster. Could they negatively impact the team if they were selfish teammates? Sure, but see my second paragraph above.
Why would the percentage of players working out decrease with additional players? All of the current transfers have demonstrated a track record of success at their former schools. All have been starters and performed at relatively high levels.
All of the players who've been brought in are at positions of need. It appears likely that the team is going to lose 4/5 of the starters on the OL. The best edge player is leaving for the NFL draft. Everyone agrees that the LB room barely has an effective two-deep.
I'm guessing the team will still look to add a CB and a TE...two other positions with quite a bit of attrition.
For years, we've been whining about the lack of experienced players on the two-deep. Too many years, freshman were forced in to service before they were ready to be solid contributors. The team was always one injury away from disaster at a variety of positions.
Now they bring in experienced, successful players to close up a few holes...and we're still whining.
You're making up a problem that doesn't exist.
December 19th, 2022 at 10:24 AM ^
I'm not saying it IS a problem. I'm saying, I hope it doesn't become one. We make fun of teams that need all the transfers and laud Michigan for player development and guys earning their spot. I'm sure nobody was promised anything, but as you bring more in, you are just increasing the number of variables -- and that just increases the chances that something doesn't go well.
I'm not HOPING for it. I'm not even anticipating. Just suggesting that there are possible downsides to something we have not traditionally done, and certainly a circumstance we have limited to get to where the team is today - the highest point in 25 years. (or 1 year!).
December 19th, 2022 at 10:39 AM ^
Tesla, I think you need to re-read your original post. It is much more definitive than you are making it out to be in your response to my comments. Especially the first few sentences of your post.
We make fun of teams using the transfer portal indiscriminately...the ones who are using a "spray and pray" approach.
So far, Michigan's approach has been just the opposite. Bringing in players with proven track records at positions of need. This year, that means OL, LB, Edge. And, based on some rumors and rumblings, TE, RB, and CB. All positions with major attrition due to graduations, early NFL entries, and transfers. Or, positions with thin depth charts due to recruiting misses or being filled with younger players who may not yet be ready to contribute effectively.
Michigan is at a disadvantage when it comes to recruiting, whether we want to admit it or not. There are some kids who can't qualify academically. Harbaugh seems to shy away from players with any sort of behavioral or character issues...and ones who look at college as simply a stepping-stone to the NFL. There isn't a "pay for play" trust fund to entice players to come to Michigan. It's difficult to get older transfers due to the issue with accepting credits from other schools.
So, the team is using the advantages it does have to bring in grad transfers and younger players.
"Where's the threat?"