Michigan's chances of adding to the 2014 class; another QB?

Submitted by Wolverine Devotee on

Question is pretty much in the title.

What are Michigan's chances of new additions to the 2014 recruiting class?

I know there is a chance to flip Vic Enwere and Jeff Jones. And what seems like a fading chance by the day at getting McDowell. I've pretty much given up on that.

Is there any news or rumors of scholarships freeing up by virtue of RS Juniors moving on?

Apparently Michigan has reached out to penn state QB commit Michael O'Connor.

In other 2014 recruiting news, ESPN.com's Tom VanHaaren reports that Michigan recently reached out to Penn State quarterback commit Michael O'Connor.

The four-star quarterback has recently reconsidered his decision to enroll early at Penn State in the wake of ex-coach Bill O'Brien's departure for the NFL.

O'Connor's high school coach told Van Haaren that Michigan, Michigan State and Syracuse have all called expressing interest.

“I talked to Coach [Al] Borges and he told me that it was down to two guys. He liked Michael O’Connor a lot, but they were set on taking one quarterback in this class,” O'Connor's prep coach told ESPN. “They’re off until Tuesday, so I sent him Michael’s film and they’re going to talk about it as a staff and get back to me. They were set on one quarterback, but they’re going to talk about it.”

 

 

 

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MonkeyMan

January 5th, 2014 at 2:44 PM ^

The question is: after Borges and Hoke pick a favorite QB, is there really any more ONGOING competition or does loyalty to the  "chosen one" take over to a fault? I am not sure more QB's matter if they will never see the field or have a hope to.

Joined: 10/13/2013

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TheJoker

January 5th, 2014 at 4:03 PM ^

Where the eff did you come up with this chosen one concept? There are good coaches who pick the players that give the team a best chance to win on saturdays. They are not dumb enough to play their favorite who is not performing up to par. It not only is dumb, but it also sends a bad message to the entire team. 

Joined: 09/01/2011

MGoPoints: 1488

MichiganMan14

January 4th, 2014 at 11:21 PM ^

Would be an epic fail. I hope we make a last push for him. Pretty tough letting monsters go astray from your own backyard. Don't compare is taking Ohio kids either because Ohio has far better football than Michigan and produces many more pkayers. O'conner looked good this week. Not sure why we continue to limp to the stretch of recruiting year in and year out. At least we get off to great starts! We need another db, a stud lineman and an offensive playmaker still.

Joined: 02/21/2012

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I Like Burgers

January 5th, 2014 at 3:03 PM ^

I also had an epic fall.  I was in high school (and drunk) and thought I could jump down from the top of the stairs to the bottom.  Instead, I hit my head on the ceiling and then fell down the stairs.

My friends still talk about it today.  So it was truely an epic fall.

/cool story bro

Joined: 10/06/2012

MGoPoints: 30575

I Like Burgers

January 5th, 2014 at 12:33 PM ^

Maybe not an epic fail, but losing both Webb and McDowell -- the top two players in the state -- would be pretty bad.  With Michigan's on field performance the last few years, its going to become harder to pull top shelf kids from out of state.  So locking down the guys in your own backyard is going to become more and more important.

You can afford to swing and miss on guys from Florida, et al, but missing on guys in your own backyard is bad no matter how you try and sugar coat it.

Joined: 10/06/2012

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Mr. Yost

January 4th, 2014 at 11:23 PM ^

Borges was just not burning any bridges and willing to look at the film.

I'm not sure though, maybe there's more news...

Enwere and Jones seem to be the options at RB. Then I would assume we'll find a late bloomer or flip someone from a smaller school in the coming weeks.

IMO, there is no reason in taking O'Connor at this point. I'd rather take a sleeper like Ray Vinopal or Brandent Englemon and hope they turn into Jordan Kovacs.

Maybe look to the recruiting classes at PSU or Louisville? Or give Golden gets the PSU job, Miami too.

Joined: 07/25/2011

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814 East U

January 4th, 2014 at 11:29 PM ^

Watching the bowl games I really think we lack some of the speed other teams have in defense. I thought maybe our LBs look slow because our d line does not free them up but Clemson OSU MSU Stanford etc all seemed to have better and more athletic LBs and CBs. I like Blake and Ramon but they can't press at all. So more defensive speed is what I want to recruit.

Joined: 10/24/2012

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Michael From TC

January 5th, 2014 at 6:33 AM ^

the lack of solid safeties, combined with little pressure on the QB means pressing with CB's is suicide, if they get beat you dont have safety help or pressure on the QB. Even the worst QB's in the B1G would eat that up.

Joined: 02/16/2011

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bighouse22

January 5th, 2014 at 10:30 AM ^

We are giving up 40+ points to the better teams anyway.  Why not blitz more and press on the corners.  If we get burned for a couple of TDs, who cares that's still better than never stopping the other team with our current scheme.  You also get the benefit of rushed throws and turnovers.  If you are worried about big running plays, mix it up and run blitz through the A gaps the way MSU does.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained!  Attack, attack, attack!

Joined: 10/29/2013

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TheNema

January 4th, 2014 at 11:32 PM ^

So Borges is still going to be on the staff on Tuesday with his huge salary. Doesn't matter how many times I was told to prepare for it. I just can't believe it's real.

Joined: 12/18/2013

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TheNema

January 4th, 2014 at 11:38 PM ^

This prep coach said the staff is off until that day and then Borges will be sharing his thoughts on the film.

FWIW, the last QB Borges personally vouched for late in the recruiting process was Russell Bellomy.

Joined: 12/18/2013

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Mr. Yost

January 4th, 2014 at 11:51 PM ^

Difference is, we recruited O'Connor early. He was in the mix for the scholarship offer.

That said, I agree on Borges.

I'll wait until the day after signing day. I'm still lobbying for Mike Sanford at Stanford to take over. We need youth in the worst way. I also want to see Wheatley take over for Fred Jackson.

Joined: 07/25/2011

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MGoStrength

January 5th, 2014 at 8:06 AM ^

If that's the case, why wait?  I guess I can see waiting until NSD so we don't lose any recruits, but it seems like they'd be better off making a move sooner rather than later.  I can't imagine any coaches still in bowls are on UM's list.

Joined: 07/29/2010

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Mr. Yost

January 5th, 2014 at 10:21 AM ^

If it was a head coach or a coordinator, I'd say yes. But an assistant doesn't really matter, assistants are going to take a better opportunity almost any time during the year.

When did we lose Montgomery? May?

Speaking of which, his team and defense is better, but I wonder how he feels working for crazy ass Mike Stoops. They've already gotten into one public yelling match.

Joined: 07/25/2011

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I Like Burgers

January 5th, 2014 at 12:40 PM ^

I could see waiting if you wanted to spend some time researching who was actually going to make a difference and be an actual improvement.  Up until a week ago, coaches have been in game prep and practice mode, and now need to focus on recruiting and trying to fill out the class.  That doesn't leave a ton of time to research a portfolio of good assistants to try and hire.

I don't think its quite the easy process that people think it is.  If you're going to make a change, you better be damn sure that you're making one that's actually going to be better.  And that takes time to reseach and scout.

Joined: 10/06/2012

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TheNema

January 4th, 2014 at 11:57 PM ^

Does Shaw call the plays for Stanford? Whoever it is did not leave a real good last impression with me. On a drive where they needed a touchdown to win and didn't have a ton of time, they went four and out with three power runs and a lateral pass.

Joined: 12/18/2013

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Mr. Yost

January 5th, 2014 at 12:12 AM ^

I really could care less about one game. Borges single handedly lost 2 games, if not 3 for us this year.

Then go back to last year and the ND game.

Toss in the fact that we have poor clock management, we don't know how to run a hurry-up offense and he never uses screens unless he has to...he has to go.

Borges is a top 10 play DESIGNER in the country.

Borges is a bottom 10 play CALLER in the country.

The man is a genius when it comes to drawing shit up, he's absolutely awful at calling the right plays at the right time.

Playcalling is way more important than the actual design.

As a coach, you can't lose games for your team. You may have a bad game, but you can't simply lose games for your team like Borges did vs. PSU and Iowa (and probably Nebraska).

.....anyway, Sanford calls the passing plays at Stanford, I'm not sure who calls the runs. That said, I don't know any other team outside of Alabama and MSU that really run what Hoke wants to run. May as well take a bright young mind from Stanford, especially with their recent success.

Get younger, get some enthusiasm, get some connection with your players and mix it with the experience of Mattison and the steadiness of Hoke.

Joined: 07/25/2011

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Mr. Yost

January 5th, 2014 at 10:26 AM ^

But a man can dream, can't he?

I really wish Borges would get offered and take an OC job at Washington or Boise St. or somewhere out west where there has been some changeover and transition.

I don't want the guy to be unemployed, I just don't want him at Michigan.

I hope Fred Jackson retires and moves into some kind of advisory role like Lloyd Carr. Give him an office right next to Carr. Let him go speak to high schools and inner city kids and coaches in Detroit, Flint, etc.

Again, I don't want the guy to just be put on the street, but it's time for some new blood at the RB position (coaching wise).

 

Joined: 07/25/2011

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TheNema

January 5th, 2014 at 3:35 PM ^

If Borges is a great play designer and a terrible caller (I tend to agree with both of those), why the hell can't we just make him the passing game coordinator/QBs coach and bring someone in with a more logical and sound approach to calling a sequence of plays? Plenty of teams have co-offensive coordinators now, especially when their head coach is defensive-minded.

Joined: 12/18/2013

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I dumped the Dope

January 5th, 2014 at 9:41 AM ^

They had the ball with 3:00 + change and needed to drive around 70 yards for a TD to win.  3 running plays later they called a timeout with around 1:40 left and hadn't even gotten a first down.  Then jammed everyone into the box on a goalline runnning play.

I can understand running on first down when they might be playing umbrella coverage rushing 3 DL and dropping LBs back off the line into coverage.  But credit MSU they stuck with what got them there.  But then I think ya gotta go pass.

From what I've seen over the years, 3:00 is a long time if you can keep clicking off 5-7 yard dunk pass plays.  It was like they didn't practice the 2:00 drill very much.

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