Najee or Jabrill?
The football gods grant you ONE wish: Jabrill returning for another year or #NH2AA?
Obviously "both" is the correct answer but you only get 1 (play along). Caveats about comparison being the thief of joy temporarily suspended. Who would make a bigger impact on next year's season?
I caved this week and watched Najee's highlights - he'd be a helluva pick up. That said, 5 Star RBs grow on trees every year. Jabrill is a once in a lifetime talent. Pep coming back would instantly raise our collective expectations for 2017-2018.
I'd be thrilled if either of these scenarios happened IRL, but for conversation's sake, I'm going with Peppers
January 6th, 2017 at 11:43 AM ^
"Offensive line dictates the running game more than anything."
There are numerous examples of great running backs making average or even bad OLines look good. So your statement is not entirely true. An OLine can make a RB look better. But, will our OLine be good enough for that next year? Probably not.
January 6th, 2017 at 2:50 AM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 6:47 AM ^
will be a big play threat that changes the way opposing defenses play D against Michigan.
Obviously, would be great to have NH too.
January 6th, 2017 at 9:45 AM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 3:06 AM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 3:26 AM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 7:12 AM ^
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January 6th, 2017 at 3:35 AM ^
Jabrill wept because he couldn't be on the field to help his team win a game. He has worn the Maize & Blue.
Jabrill.
I would invite Mr. Harris to share in this team, hopefully as a teammate of Pep.
January 6th, 2017 at 4:21 AM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 4:32 AM ^
we haven't seen a recruit get this much attention since Dee Hart
January 6th, 2017 at 7:12 AM ^
Probably the same out come for Najee too that Hart got riding the 5 star bench pine
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January 6th, 2017 at 5:26 AM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 6:19 AM ^
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January 6th, 2017 at 6:37 AM ^
b/c he is an already proven player at the college level.
We also know that Peppers is a super high energy, super hard working, and super fooball smart player.
Najee probably has all the same positive things, but we can't know for sure yet.
I think DPJ is a more important recruit this year for Michigan than NH.
January 6th, 2017 at 6:43 AM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 6:46 AM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 6:57 AM ^
Not mutually exclusive hypotheticals are the worst kind of hypotheticals.
January 6th, 2017 at 7:02 AM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 7:10 AM ^
He is a Michigan Man and you always back a Michigan Man.
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January 6th, 2017 at 7:35 AM ^
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January 6th, 2017 at 7:38 AM ^
Right on. Najee Harris ain't won nothin'.
January 6th, 2017 at 7:50 AM ^
So it's your fault... You shouldn't have watched those highlights, man...
January 6th, 2017 at 8:00 AM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 9:14 AM ^
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January 6th, 2017 at 8:06 AM ^
Is this where I can get some hot cakes?
January 6th, 2017 at 8:21 AM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 8:27 AM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 8:49 AM ^
I can't see how this is even a question. Jabrill for 1 year or Najee for at least 3? Najee...
January 6th, 2017 at 9:03 AM ^
RB is not a position of immediate need. Our RB stable will be just fine without him, defense loses just about everybody. Bringing Peppers back gets us more wins than adding Najee.. for next year anyway.
Over the longterm, Najee is the better choice but Harbaugh is gonna get more elite players in the future so anything beyond 2017 isn't a big concern. 2017 is a big concern considering how much we lose off defense.
January 6th, 2017 at 11:07 AM ^
January 9th, 2017 at 10:32 AM ^
Of course I see the difference in talent levels. But my point, which doesn't matter now since we lost Harris, was that Peppers is a starter who knows the system already. Harris would have to get acclimated and have 2/3 other guys to compete with. Not to mention we don't exactly have a great OL situation he'd be coming into. IMO, the OL has to be the first thing that changes. That line is gonna be very young and/or inexperienced. Not an ideal situation for a RB.
Don't get me wrong, Harris absolutely would have been a game changer, but not next fall. Peppers, if he came back, woud be a HUGE help to a D that loses just about everybody. So, considering next year as more important (considering all we lose on both sides of the ball) I'd rather have Peppers than Harris, he helps us much more in 2017.
2018 is gonna be a stacked team, we'll be very good even without Harris. But 2017 with Peppers is much more significant than 2017 without Peppers... That was all I was saying.
January 6th, 2017 at 9:00 AM ^
Absolutely Peppers, even if would just be one more year. He'd help bridge the defense into 2018.
January 6th, 2017 at 9:03 AM ^
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January 6th, 2017 at 9:04 AM ^
That's what we're gonna get, nothing. But the question wasn't what WILL we get, but what do we WANT.
January 6th, 2017 at 9:06 AM ^
Let's see....Heisman finalist lock - maybe winner - or blue chip, five-star running back. Yeah we've never had a five-star RB not pan out before...
January 6th, 2017 at 9:09 AM ^
Filiaga
January 6th, 2017 at 9:26 AM ^
Jabrill. Next thread on Najee.
January 6th, 2017 at 9:38 AM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 9:45 AM ^
...I'll take Najee.
January 6th, 2017 at 10:59 AM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 11:49 AM ^
But he's not at RB and our coaches utilize Peppers poorly on offense.
January 6th, 2017 at 10:05 AM ^
I would roll the dice on 3-4 years of Najee vs 1 year of Peppers. Najee might be more of a game changer than Peppers. Both are elite talents, but give me the guy with more years.
I do love Peppers
January 6th, 2017 at 10:25 AM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 11:02 AM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 11:03 AM ^
1st I think it is important to separate the 5*'s of the Michigan's past from Harris. He is non of them. He's being recruited and will be coached by Harbaugh and staff. He's also the #1 player overall. If you can watch UM's past 5 stars highlight films and compare them to Harris, then maybe those fears of the flippity-flop would be valid.
We'd also have at least 3 years of him vs. 1 more of Jabrill. I LOVE Jabrill! I would hug him until it became uncomfortable and awkward and he said, "Let me go, bro." But having an elite running back, which there is not one on this roster, could change the productivity/reliability of the entire offense and extend to the defense as well.
This year's Michigan team would have been in the CFP if there was an elite running back on the roster. Last year's Michigan team would have been in the CFP with an elite running back on the roster.
Najee Harris.
January 6th, 2017 at 11:57 AM ^
Jabrill as a junior trumps Najee as a freshman, 'nough said.
January 6th, 2017 at 12:08 PM ^
January 6th, 2017 at 12:20 PM ^
If we're talking JUST next year, Peppers would be far more impactful and valuable. If we're talking "would we rather Peppers for one more year or sign Najee", I'll take Najee for three or four years over one more of Peppers.
January 9th, 2017 at 11:38 AM ^
From the other side of things, I'd rather UM have Peppers than Harris. Peppers never really intimidated me as an opposing fan and never really had big games against OSU. Harris was the kind of game-changing back the UM hasn't had for a while, the kind that can swing a game on his own.