m1817

February 5th, 2015 at 12:59 PM ^

This possibility was reported in the Houston Chronicle last week (1/26) but I did not pay much attention to it because it seemed so improbable.  It was reported right after Zach Gentry committed (1/24).

http://blog.chron.com/sportsupdate/2015/01/michigan-expresses-interest-…

It is baffling because he is transferring due to being benched in 2014, after struggling with turnovers.  But with Tom Herman becoming HC at Houston, O'Korn gets a get a clean slate and would be able to compete for the starting job again.

Instead, he transfers to U-M where he has to sit out a year and has to compete for PT with a returning starter in 2016.

O'Korn will benefit from being coached by Harbaugh and Fisch, but he will face stiff competition for PT.

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PeterKlima

February 5th, 2015 at 12:40 PM ^

Normally you are right. I am not critiquing his decision itself, but the factors that go into his decision.

If I remember correctly, he was not so interested in Michigan when Damien Harris was a commit.

In his DetNews write up recently he cited a logjam at MSU in the backfield,

He then made the Higdon commit the reason he stuck with OSU.

The kid clearly wants to be anointed and had a problem with competition in his recruiting class. Can rib him for that, right?



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GratefulBlue

February 5th, 2015 at 1:04 PM ^

All that's "clear" is that a high school senior had a hard time choosing between two good football schools. Weber cited the Higdon signing as a reason for his OSU committment because he felt mislead by our coaches, not because he was afraid of competition. As others have speculated, he may have just felt the need to say something to justify his decision to people who wanted him to go to Michigan.

In any case, bashing a kid who chooses another school, for whatever reason, is pretty classless and reflects poorly on Michigan fans.

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PeterKlima

February 5th, 2015 at 1:13 PM ^

The idea that the Higdon thing was about "trust" underscores my point. That was important to him. If the coching staff did something else they told him they wouldn't do (like call his coach or something) he would have shrugged it off as unimportant. The competition thing was Morgantown to him and so was the trust it would be upheld (in his mind).

I wouldn't speculate about a kid's reasons for his decision, but this case presents clear evidence that competition was the main factor. I guess we should never poke fun at anyone, but I think it is okay here because it is not like anyone is fabricating a reason because of fandom or sour grapes, Weber's comments and acts speak for themselves. It is just unusual for a kid to be so open about competition at multiple times throughout his recruiting process (2013 with UM, with MSU and on NSD day in 2015). Normally kids at least pretend competition isn't a concern.

I am not being mean about it or anything. It was just a joke. Lighten up Frances.

Also, when can we start to make fun of this ? In two years when OSU gets a big RB recruit? After his college career?



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TIMMMAAY

February 5th, 2015 at 4:57 PM ^

I think the (and I'm purely guessing here) real reason is that it may be easier for him to accept not being the starter at OSU than if he came to Michigan but didn't win the job. I think that mostly because he's an in state kid who was/is very highly touted. If he came here and didn't become the feature back, there would be more "egg on his face" than if the same thing happened at OSU.

Having said that; I'm very disappointed he didn't commit to Michigan. He was the recruit I wanted the most (maybe Marshall, doesn't matter though). Good luck to him, except that one saturday in November, and maybe the B1G championship game...

Go Blue.

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PeterKlima

February 5th, 2015 at 12:43 PM ^

In other words, I respect his decision, but not the factors he thinks are important in a decision process. How can you respect those factors? If a kid committed somewhere because the school had the most bathrooms or a cool student ID card, wouldn't those factors be open to some light jest?



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PeterKlima

February 5th, 2015 at 2:25 PM ^

You see that, but you are wrong. I truly believe what I write, so I am pleased he is not at Michigan. I believe he wanted to be anointed and I don't agree with that, so why would I make fun of him for not choosing Michigan? I am poking fun at him because he so openly shied away from competition. I think that, like being afraid of spiders, is something that we might poke fun at for a football player.

If I thought it was a serious problem or psychological issue with him, I wouldn't say a word. But, it's like making fun of a player who says he is "afraid of contact." I would think that would be a non-serious, but silly thing we could joke about.

Once again, should we wait a couple years? Maybe I am making fun too soon?



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bronxblue

February 5th, 2015 at 1:02 PM ^

It's the internet - being snarky and questioning HS kids and their manhood/morality is what drives the beast.

Yeah, it's depressing how petty this fanbase can be about where kids sign.  I don't see anyone here calling Higdon a jerk for leaving Iowa high and dry for greener pastures basically in the 11th hour.  Weber has been an OSU commit for quite some time, and yet he's the a-hole because he wants to play for the reigning national champion.

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Everyone Murders

February 5th, 2015 at 2:17 PM ^

I wasn't even responding to Peter (Petr?) Klima's comment - I thought his initial comment was a throwaway joke and relatively benign.  It was the subsquent piling on that you allude to that drove me to comment.

I think we forget that some of these 17-18 year-old kids have good advisors telling them how to respond to the media, and some of them have advisors who are not so good or no advisor at all.  So if Weber said some things to save face (or admitted that he was aware of respective depth charts), I'm inclined to cut him a break and wish him well.*  He may not have gotten the advice he should have w/r/t talking to the media and using social media.

*Except in November.  I don't wish him well at all in November.

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PeterKlima

February 5th, 2015 at 2:29 PM ^

No one called him an a-hole or anything. No one wishes him ill (except the Game outcome). Chill out. We can poke fun at a kid without it being sour grapes. Sometimes what a kid does is just silly. Is recruiting so sacrosanct that we can't find the lighter side of it?



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lilpenny1316

February 5th, 2015 at 1:10 PM ^

I was going to give him a break, but when he announced that Ezekiel Elliot was leaving early as the main reason why he came to OSU, it became obvious that he wanted to be top dog without the serious competition.  If OSU would've tried and succeeded to flip LJ Scott yesterday, Weber would have committed to Sparty.

I mean he basically threw Zeke under the bus seven months before the season opener by declaring for him.  Now if he has a down season, it will be because he was focused on the NFL.  

Something reeks of entitlement here and that's something the coaching staff is trying to get rid of.

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Prince Lover

February 5th, 2015 at 1:32 PM ^

I think I heard Sam Webb say during the first go around that Weber cooled on UM because he felt like the staff didn't really want him with Harris in the fold. And I remember reading a quote from Weber when Harris committed that that wouldn't change the way he felt about UM because he didn't mind competition. Just throwing that out there. Good luck to Weber. And hello, O'Korn.

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PeterKlima

February 5th, 2015 at 1:38 PM ^

He made the comment about "not minding" the competition with Harris after he was called out for it. Classic face-saving comment.

I have been around long enough to have no idea how Weber or Higdon will turn out, but I also know from Weber's past comments and actions what he is going to expect.



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bmacjr11

February 5th, 2015 at 12:24 PM ^

Wait, I think I got what this whole recruiting thing is about.  Michigan, as a university, scans the nation for the best possible eligible football players who have an interest in playing for the Wolverines.  Those players who want to come to Michigan, say so by signing a document.  Then when they arrive, they actually have to compete for a position and actually be better than the other players to play!  Its all coming together now, maybe we should actually reach back out to Weber and let him know that this is most likely what happens at every school.

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schreibee

February 5th, 2015 at 2:00 PM ^

I wondered how a post about a backup QB could generate ~150 replies - then I saw they were almost all about Mike Weber. Classy!

Look whatever his reasons, he made his choice. In a couple years when he joins Brionte Dunn in the transfer line we can pile on about poor decisions. Until then the best thing Michigan can do is win, the best thing us fans can do is wait for that day!

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PeterKlima

February 5th, 2015 at 2:53 PM ^

Lied to about something unimportant (because he isn't afraid of competition) or lied to about something he ought was important? Your point would hold water if you think a guy would get that bent about lying over something trivial. He wouldn't. He trusted the coaches because it was VERY important to him and his past actions and words prove that. Try again.



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OkinawaGoBlue

February 5th, 2015 at 12:09 PM ^

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lunchboxthegoat

February 5th, 2015 at 12:11 PM ^

Had a good year two years ago, seemed to struggle mightily this past (along with the rest of the offense) IIRC made a QB switch to a more option talented QB and started playing well. O'Korn is more of a pro style which wouldn't be an ideal fit with Herman coming to town. Was a freshman in 2013 so looks like he'll have to sit a year.



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