Nate Johnson commits to Utah
No Friday Night drinking thread?
Good luck Nate. Maybe one day you will be on the cover of NCAA like Ute Qb Brian Johnson.
Here's one cover he'll never be on...
I saved a copy of that TV Guide issue, the only one I ever kept.
I bet it's been 2 decades since I've bought that magazine, surprised it still exists.
I saved mine, too. I really wanted that "X Files" collectors pull-out.
2 decades since we've been nationally relevant in CFB as well.
Smart to save that copy.
Smart user name to you too!
Signed Lloyd Molar
C'mon. We were ranked #4 in the country in November of 2018. And we were #2 in the country in 2006.
Yes, it has been a long time since we won a title, because we can't beat Ohio State. No one is happy with this, but let's not make it worse than it has been.
I don't know. When you consider the programs, divisions, and conferences, it doesn't seem without reason to think Utah might be on a Rose Bowl Preview before Michigan.
It’s possible he turns out to be a quality QB at the next level but he seemed like a bit of a project and frankly we haven’t had the best track record developing anyone at that position lately so I think we are better are off finding other QB recruits. Hope for nothing but the best for the kid but it seemed like that staff and he moved on from one another.
Agree on development but I’m not sure UM had moved on, at least not voluntarily based on what EJ Holland said: “nobody deserves blame for the Nate miss except for Michigan. They recruited him from the very beginning and poured endless resources into his recruitment. Big whiff”.
https://twitter.com/ejholland_tw/status/1406033410246782982?s=21
Yeah don’t know for sure if that’s accurate but reports in the last few weeks here and elsewhere said the staff was looking around - maybe that’s because they whiffed? Dunno
I mean, the reason E.J. Holland specifically discussed was that Johnson determined that Michigan was too far away from his California home.
It's hard to blame the University of Michigan for being in the State of Michigan.
Sounds like E.J. Holland is being intentionally disingenuous in his "big whiff" analysis here.
But he said it on the internet. The World Wide Web - why would he intentionally mislead people?
Actually Magnus, as an AA native member of a 4-generation UM family, who relocated to the Bay Area 30 years ago - I find that type of thinking very shortsighted, and indicative of a general lack of vision and adaptability that has defined the Harbaugh era!
Oh come on, you can't expect EVERY Michigan recruiting insider to know the actual reasons behind a commitment or non-commitment. They've got tweet quotas to keep up.
Agree with everything, but the part about the staff moving on.
Yeah these things are ever shifting so I could be wrong. A couple weeks ago on the main page this was the status on Johnson:
Brice shared his read is Michigan got cold feet, and wondered if Johnson’s even a quarterback.
maybe that changed again recently but I’m not sure
It did change. They recommitted to the idea after an impressive camp performance by Johnson. But perhaps that waffling was enough to cool him on Michigan.
I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I'd want him as a slot receiver.
Maybe Michigan was telling him they wanted him as a receiver more so than a QB, and Utah was saying they wanted him as a QB.
He is a really fun receiver on tape! Just ok as a QB. But, maybe it's just me. I'm just sitting here in front of my 4k tv screen.
Moved on from one another?
Didn't the kid just officially visit with his family like a day ago and was "blown away" by the visit?
Sometimes schools miss out; not every prospect that doesn't choose Michigan because 'Michigan cooled on them'
poorly phrased perhaps but this went from being a love affair to one or possibly both partners swiping right elsewhere for some time. Maybe it’s not over yet as Seth pointed out below. Romance and recruiting are complicated.
For sure...
I mean west coast kid staying out west isn't that surprising after all.
Who knows; if Michigan is still pursuing, then they haven't cooled on him though.
So did they just slow play him too long? May have been a project but from most accounts the kid is an electric athlete, which this team needs.
I don’t disagree that I’d love to see him on the field….but when was the last time our coach consistently put the ball in the hands of our ‘electric athletes’? I fear his talent would’ve gone to waste had he come here.
If we're still wasting electric talent this year, Harbaugh won't be around long anyway.
That's the problem here, isn't it. And every other team we recruit against knows it too. Sometimes I'm amazed any top athletes commit here. I guess the school and brand still has a lot of appeal. Wasn't enough in this case though.
You mean like Nico Collins and Chris Evans?
If he was serious, why did he wear red shoes on the field during his visit? If UM wanted him to abide by this new and needed mandate, why did they not make him take off his shoes and let him borrow some Michigan shoes? I’d like them to actually believe in the no red rule than just BS it.
A goal is great ,but what have you done towards that goal today?!
Giving a recruit shoes would probably fall into a violation
....and would be an utterly stupid thing to do! "Eh, Mr. & Mrs. Johnson, please have your son take off his red colored shoes as we have a new rule around here."
They couldn't loan him a pair of shoes to wear on the field? Or is that one of those "a bagel is fine, but a bagel with cream cheese is a meal" type things?
Apparently his blood was red as well. He couldn’t change the color I guess and figured Utah was the only logical choice.
This isn't good. We are losing too many battles/momentum for too many guys. Atkinson, Kaleb Brown, Nate Johnson and every transfer option etc. Seriously? What if we don't get Nolen or Grant OR many very good DTs, lose Dillon Tatum to MSU etc.? The list goes on but what if we only get say Deone Walker and Miles and some other three star on the line and miss out on Cheeks (likely) and end up with a class full of 3 star LBs and EDGE players. I think it is unlikely we lose Will Johnson but after him the DB class is projecting less and less stellar. Tyler Morris looked good but I'm not amazed with our WR recruiting. We aren't likely getting a top notch QB this cycle and are relegated to likely 3 stars at RB TE and most of our OL. It is looking less likely we reach or exceed 10 blue chips at this rate or a top 15 class. It may be getting worse soon as every next guy up we recruit all of the sudden commits elsewhere. It is getting to the point where we are competing for a low 3 star from CT with Utah Tech and losing. I HATE being this negative but at some point the tide has to turn it is just reality...
Came here looking for a commitment. Then noticed this....not great.
I seen your reply and your grammar is not great.
I seen't it.
Calm down, Sally.
I'm sure we will get some, but we have had AlOt of recruits on campus and with the new staff I thought we would have had several commits by now. Even thou it's early this is our prime time.
Lay Down ,Sally.
He might still be sneaking thru the alley with Sally...
Ride, Sally. Ride!
Sally can't dance no more
Yeah, this class is going to be brutal. It’ll look like a HC transition class but i don’t think the transition will happen unless we go 5-7.
Oh no we missed out on the 725th ranked player in the country and the 51st QB what will we ever do? Michigan fans complain when the staff looks at lower ranked prospects then freak out when then commit somewhere else. No one knows what happened with Nate Johnson’s recruitment but it seems like Michigan slow played him. If I had to guess the staff isn’t prioritizing QB this year because they got JJ last year and feel comfortable with Dante Moore next year. Also Michigan was never a serious option for Atkinson. While he did take a visit to Michigan, no one actually expected him to commit to Michigan. You have to realize this is a new staff who needs time to make connections with recruits.
Typical ...whenever we don't get someone we slowplayed them! Got it! Ej Holland said we wiffed! And the staff feels comfortable with Dante Moore ..lol . Bet they felt comfortable about worthy also! Point is they wouldnt slow play a guy because of someone in the next recruiting class they feel comfortable about .