Matt Dudek responds on twitter that defensive positions will be addressed by Feb signing day

Submitted by TRduke on December 16th, 2020 at 5:29 PM

https://twitter.com/Thee_Matty_D/status/1339282825799995392?s=20

TrueBlue2003

December 16th, 2020 at 5:50 PM ^

The tweet isn't referring to coaching positions, it's DT and CB and he's saying "it will play out better than you know at [DT and CB] and other positions".

There are still guys on the board.  They got Benny to wait on signing.  So we'll see.  I'm sure he does expect to have a defensive coaching staff in place and perhaps thinks the new staff will help.

Hail to the Vi…

December 16th, 2020 at 7:41 PM ^

That would be awesome, and hopefully a sign the coaches are circling the wagons and it's working. It will always be pretty easy to sell Michigan. What they need to sell is how players can be successful under this coaching administration's program. That has been a tougher sell and a terrible year this year is making it harder.

If however they start making some hay on the recruiting trail that might be a moderate indicator that the coaches are pushing something that recruits like and are buying into.

One can hope.

My Name is LEGIONS

December 16th, 2020 at 5:44 PM ^

Am I the only one far more concerned about LB ?   The DL has a few guys coming up like Hinton and Welschof.......figure mcGrone is leaving soon, and we are starting a walk on at MLB... and Barrett is too small, and Ross, although tough and quick, is too small too.   And it seems nobody makes mention of this.    We might have these tweener safety/LB hybrids but theyre just too small for the Big Ten and assuming Brown is gone, where is the beef ?

jdraman

December 16th, 2020 at 5:47 PM ^

Depth at LB is somewhat concerning, but the 2020 class had 4-star Kalel Mullings and 3-star Nikhai Hill-Green, both of whom will have now had a full year in the program. I do wish they would have seen some PT this year, but they are both potential two-deep players next fall. 
 

Hopefully there’s some better coaching on the defensive side of the ball next year and McGrone decides he needs another year of tape for NFL teams. 

CC_MFan

December 16th, 2020 at 6:59 PM ^

That's the frustration.  The defense was awful as everyone noticed.  Why not give these true freshmen and RS freshmen a little playing time?  It is really difficult to understand what they are doing.  With a defense this bad, every player should have gotten game time to see what is there.  Some guys might not look great in practice, but just make plays.  Also, it would energize the whole roster seeing that everyone has a chance (not just the favorites).

MGoStrength

December 16th, 2020 at 6:50 PM ^

Am I the only one far more concerned about LB ? 

Yes and no.  Yes because we're seeing a 4-star in year #3 (Josh Ross) look pretty lost.  No, because Wisconsin is playing a true freshman (Nick Herbig #143) and a true sophomore (Leo Chenal #639) and they are doing just fine.  There's no reason that can't be true freshman Junior Colson (#95) and true sophomore Kalel Mullings (#152) next year.  Plus we still have 4-star sophomores Jaylen Harrell (#294), Osman Savage (#300), junior Anthony Solomon (#223), seniors Cam McGrone if back (#118), BVS (#624), and Michael Barrett (#751), and RS Senior Josh Ross (#211).  That doesn't even mention second year players Nikhai Hill-Green, Will Mohan, Cornell Wheeler or true freshman Jaydon Hood or Tyler McLaurin.  That's a lot of bodies.

bronxblue

December 16th, 2020 at 6:30 PM ^

People keep conflating DT and CB as having the same issues.  DT lacks bodies; CB has a lot of them but they're just young.  Michigan has taken quite a few corners the past couple of classes (this class only having one is not typical), but they are just young.  Some may not work out but there are bodies there to work with.

bronxblue

December 16th, 2020 at 10:01 PM ^

They did get some playing time.  Green and Gray were the two starters, but Jalen Perry played in a couple of games, as did Turner.  I don't believe any of the true freshmen played but that's somewhat understandable given how brevity of the season and how Michigan was never really in a lot of games where it made sense to let these guys see the field (Michigan was really only blown out in the Wisconsin game this year; all the rest were reasonably competitive).  

I'm not saying CB isn't a position where Michigan needs to improve, only that they do have players there that you assume will mature into competent starters.  Compare that to DT, where they have a couple of guys but are also trying to convert other types of players (SDEs, Ben Mason, etc.) into competent players.

Toby Flenderson

December 16th, 2020 at 8:09 PM ^

Or I am well aware that the programs problems run deeper than simply signing 4.5* QBs and RBs to mitigate below standard recruiting and program decisions. Michigan still doesn't have Defensive Tackles, they still don't have Corners that can run, and Linebacker will be a huge gap in 2022.

Sorry I don't ejaculate over signing day and recruiting rankings, which have not translated into championships. 

Bo Harbaugh

December 16th, 2020 at 5:39 PM ^

Guess he believes our new defensive coaching staff will be able to bring over some players and/or hit the transfer portal successfully.

Need some DT's and CB's

MS3

December 16th, 2020 at 5:40 PM ^

With all due respect to Dudek because I don't know what goes into being a recruiting coordinator, he's gotten called out by 247 Recruiting Staff for being disorganized. So I'll believe it when I see it.

Goes without saying but they need Jaden McBurrows tonight, Jaydon Hood, Ceyair Wright, George Rooks, and somehow need to flip Rayshaun Benny back...

Sopwith

December 16th, 2020 at 5:45 PM ^

I don't remember if it was Dudek specifically but Rivals was reporting the same thing maybe a year or two into Harbaugh's tenure. Very disorganized, recruits not getting calls when they were supposed to, other follow-ups not being done, etc. Not a lack of enthusiasm, just not a streamlined operation and too many things falling through the cracks.

I ignored it at the time because we were doing well. Now it makes sense. 

JhnnyHelp

December 16th, 2020 at 5:41 PM ^

Wishful thinking but it doesn’t look like Tywone Malone has committed/signed with Ole Miss just yet. He was thought to be heavily considering MI when Partridge was here. It would be great to get CP back in some capacity.