westwardwolverine

January 20th, 2016 at 11:31 AM ^

This. Every time. Even though you don't want the kid and he probably won't ever play for you, you just take him anyway. This is absolutely the right thing to do because it makes some short term thinking Michigan fans feel better about the program. 

The wrong thing to do is tell him it would be for the best to look to play elsewhere for a staff that thinks he can actually contribute. That's the selfish, horrific move that Harbaugh is making. 

Ugh, bring back Brady please. I know he'd honor Swenson's offer and sign his transfer papers after two seasons, which is totally the best thing for Swenson. 

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TheCool

January 20th, 2016 at 1:27 PM ^

This every time leads to a mediocre program. What's so honorable about putting a kid in a position where he's unlikely to succeed? Nothing. It just makes some people feel better. What's so dishonorable about being honest and giving him a chance to find success elsewhere? Scholarships are earned and an offer for a scholarship is not a guarantee.

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GoBlueNorth

January 19th, 2016 at 10:57 PM ^

Sadly we'll never know much about the inside stories for Swenson or any recruit. I don't trust anybody blindly including our coaches but like the rest of you I hope they're doing things the right way. Sitting here tonight with 4 Alum, all from the 90s, all season ticket holders and all hoping this was not a dirty recruiting thing. We all have different opinions but likely share common dreams for this team. It's nice to have a platform to discuss things like this

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WNY in Savannah

January 19th, 2016 at 11:13 PM ^

This Swenson thing makes no sense to me.  Count me in with the people on the other thread who are/would be very dismayed if Swenson was just cut loose to make room for someone better.  But I, too, have to wonder if there isn't more to this story than that.  It doesn't sound to me like we have a better prospect coming.  It sounds to me like the staff is in scramble mode trying to come up with another lineman.

Remember when Pipkins was told to "medical" and there was some squawking that it was just to open a spot?  But that didn't make sense when it turned out that no extra spot was needed.  It looked bad on the surface, but then it also made no sense.

If Greg Little was a 4.0 student and wanted in and Michigan needed to dump Swenson to make room for him, then I would find that horrible, but I would understand the thinking behind it.  But this looks to me like Swenson's out first and then they're trying to replace him second.  Again, trying to replace him.  At this stage, isn't it likely that they will either get no replacement or one who was a lower rated prospect eager to jump up.  Why would Harbaugh and company want to do this?  It just seems strange.

I agree with Reader71 and IncrediblyBlue and those who were/are bothered by how this looks.  I want integrity first and wins second.  (I'm maybe in the minority these days.)  But it still seems so odd to me that I wonder if there isn't more going on here.

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Gentleman Squirrels

January 19th, 2016 at 11:30 PM ^

Assuming they are pushing him out, maybe they're telling him before getting another recruit in order to give him a bit more time to reach out to other schools and figure out where he's going. Perhaps they'd like to fill his spot with another OT, but if they can't do so, they'd take more DBs or make room for some fringe scholarship players like Young, Stewart, or Nordin. Or perhaps just open up more spots for grad transfers or bigger future classes.

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Nolongerusingaccount

January 19th, 2016 at 11:43 PM ^

You're painting with a very broad brush.  Yes, I do think there are a few schools that will use bagmen to gain recruits, but I don't whine or complain when a recruit doesn't come to Michigan.  I also don't pretend Michigan football is perfect and virtuous either.  How anyone can think that of any major college football program is beyond me. 

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DMack

January 19th, 2016 at 11:49 PM ^

I would really like to know the facts before assuming. I said before that they definitely need someone to run counter-intel before this thing goes viral and the good guys begin to look shady and maybe for no good reason. 

I thought we were set on the OL and thought we would never have let Davis get away but what do I know Im an outsider looking in. I know EJ Price had strong interest in us early on but havent heard anything lately until today.

I guess if he officials here in place of one of the others, that will let us know where we stand. I really thought we had a good shot at Caleb Kelly and he even said that we just stopped recruiting him. His mom liked us and perhaps we gave up because we thought he was a lock to Oklahoma  Strange . . .

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Sten Carlson

January 20th, 2016 at 12:58 AM ^

What we know is that ES has been committed for some time, that OT is a position of need at Michigan, and that there seems to be no other OT to replace him. If these are facts, why would Harbaugh suddenly push a viable committed prospect away without an viable Plan B? Those incredulous posters need to stop and think before pointing the dirty end of the stick. As some above aptly pointed out; the Pipkins affair seemed shady and ruffled feathers, but turned out to be anything but. If we need OT's and STILL need OT's, something went wrong. Personally, I'll wait for more facts, but for now, I'm assuming something went wrong and the staff is behaving properly.

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pescadero

January 20th, 2016 at 8:04 AM ^

The Pipkins affair seemed shady and ruffled feathers, but turned out to be anything but.

 

Ummm... that will depend on Pipkins performance next year. If he plays a lot and has no injury issues, then I'd say it wasn't "anything but".

 

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pescadero

January 20th, 2016 at 9:24 AM ^

Harbaugh was working on the advice of team physicians, and we have no idea what their actual recommendations were. They may have been as milquetoast as "he shouldn't play this year"

 

Pipkins treating physician said he could play again.

The team physicians at Texas Tech think he can play.

They both thought he just needed a year off... which we could have given him. We could have redshirted him and seen if he healed up. We didn't even offer to do that.

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Sten Carlson

January 20th, 2016 at 9:35 AM ^

In this era of "concussion awareness" and with a head coach who probably has a more acute and accurate understanding of the risks due to his NFL playing experience, how can a simple "year off" anywhere near an appropriate prescription? Is there a reason you want this to be a black eye on Harbaugh? Personally, even if it were what you're insinuating, and Pip was run off dubiously, I couldn't give a shit. This whole idea that underperforming players have to be maintained this taking up roster spots is naive to me. It's a competitive world, and a highly competitive environment in big time CFB. But, that being said, that's not what went on here so you can'l stop the hand wringing.

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pescadero

January 20th, 2016 at 9:48 AM ^

"how can a simple "year off" anywhere near an appropriate prescription?"

Ummm... because the doctors say it is.

 

Never mind that the problem he needed a year off for, and for which Michigan determined he couldn't play - was a knee injury.

 

Yes, he had a couple concussions at Michigan. So have dozens of other players on the team.

Ondre Pipkins missed a season, had a couple concussions, and Michigan wanted to Medical him.

Desmond Morgan missed a season, had a couple concussions, and Michigan never made any noise at all about a medical... even brought him back for a 5th year.

 

"Is there a reason you want this to be a black eye on Harbaugh"

The entire medical hardship process and recruiting are a black eye on all of college football. Harbaugh is just engaging in what everyone else does.

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Sten Carlson

January 20th, 2016 at 9:27 AM ^

What happens next year isn't relevant in the least. Pipkins suffered several concussions so as to trip the medical staff to not clear him to play. There was no proverbial "spot needed," it was a legitimate safety issue. Again, the hand wringers jumped all over this and blasted their high ground guilt all over, lamenting how we'd become OSU or (gasp) just like those SEC scoundrels we chastise so vehemently. Turns out, Pip has legit concussion issues, and Michigan was trying to do the right thing. If he wants to risk his health at TTech, and they're willing to clear him, that's their business. But, he's not playing for Michigan with that medical record. Isn't that a form of the "high road" especially considering how Pip might have helped a depleted D Line late in the season?

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pescadero

January 20th, 2016 at 9:34 AM ^

Yes, it is - as it goes directly to accuracy of the team physicians diagnosis.

 

I also can't ignore the potential conflict of interest involved.

 

In my opinion, the NCAA should employ an independent medical team for doing medical waivers, and the school should have zero involvement.

If the independent medical board says it's real - you get the scholarship back. If they say the player can play - you're stuck with him. You don't have to play 'em, and they might transfer - but you're out the scholarship either way.

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Richard75

January 20th, 2016 at 5:16 AM ^

If you haven't signed, why must you be treated as if you have?

This is the fundamental question here. For many, the answer is this isn't OSU, a verbal commitment should be as good as a written one, etc. That's understandable, although I'm not sure why you're looking to a college football program for conflict-free integrity.

It's less than ideal to back away from a verbally committed player, but it's reasonable. It's a competitive business, and he has time to go elsewhere with no damage to his eligibility.



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OldMaize16

January 20th, 2016 at 5:38 AM ^

Didnt EJ Price name us his leader like a year ago? Now Swenson is moving on and we're back in it with Price? Can't wait for these two weeks to be over.

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Coldwater

January 20th, 2016 at 9:36 AM ^

I know for a fact that he's been coming to U of M football camps since he was a 6'3" 240lb 8th grader. He loves Michigan. I have to believe he's good enough to play at Michigan. Don't the coaches feel confident in their ability to "coach him up"? Can't the strength and conditioning team improve his strength and speed? If he's been told he's no longer wanted at Michigan with less than a month to go before signing day, that's horrendous on Michigan's part

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LKLIII

January 20th, 2016 at 10:50 AM ^

This is a topic for the other thread. But as many people have pointed out already, we don't know all the facts. This may have broken "last minute" but it's entirely possible that the staff was updating Swanson as to his status the entire time, and he was holding out hope that'd it improve but didn't, so now it's just breaking right now. If the staff truly sand bagged him that's one thing. But if they were clear and somewhat frequent in his status updates, then he's had the ability to make adjustments accordingly for months. And if he didn't adjust when he could have, that's on him. In law there is a doctrine that requires people to mitigate their damages. I fee like the same holds true with recruiting. If the staff was transparent the entire time, it'd be disingenuous of him to NOT make adjustments (due to denial or hope) but then also blame the staff for having to make these last minute moves.



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MotownGoBlue

January 20th, 2016 at 10:06 AM ^

Too many "ifs" and speculation over Swenson without enough facts and actual sequence of events to point the finger at anyone. Re: EJ Price. That kid is a monster. I think we're on the outside looking in but he's a definite "do want."

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