One of the Illinois transfers: 6'4" 305 DT Anthony Shipton
He's very aggressive, high motor. Fun to watch in highlights. Anyone know if he's coming in for a workout?
JUCO highlights. 2:11 to 2:17 is interesting, how he gets push with the offense backed up on the goal line:
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/4008654/5d815edc2347610c1c37e8c6
Illinois junior defensive lineman Anthony Shipton has entered the transfer portal, he posted on social media. The 6-foot-4, 270-pound defensive lineman did not play in a game at Illinois last season, his first with the Illini. Not because he chose to sit out, because he isn't very good.
Back in October, former Illinois coach Lovie Smith said Shipton needed to get stronger and develop more. He didn’t appear like he would be a big factor in the defensive line rotation.
No thanks, pass.
Yea, if he's getting processed from Illinois, I would be wary of taking him. Not that we can be super picky with our DTs, but I don't want him in our rotation.
This is the type of research an OP should do before posting. ...and then they should not post.
We had a kid in my highschool who was 6'8" and 350 pounds. He didn't play football or basketball because he was extremely unathletic and passive. Nice guy though. (Just because someone is big and/or plays the sport does not mean they are a take.*)
*Unless it is a 400 pound rugby player freak from the pacific islands.
Yeah. that was my sense as well. Illinois was 88th last year in terms of SP+ defense and gave up 230 ypg on the ground, so if he couldn't get meaningful snaps in that situation my guess is he's not going to have much more success at UM.
I think people are somewhat underestimating the talent on the roster. It isn't as good as people expect in some spots but there definitely is a world of players who are worse than the ones on the roster and collecting them doesn't functionally improve the defense.
I had read that UM was "low on bodies" on the DL and the 247 site seems to bear that out.
Shows UM with 14 total DL with 0 commits in 2022 thus far.
Other schools seem to have a few more, and several with a LOT more. OSU with 17, and Oregon with 21.
Not saying he is any good, but could use depth and practice bodies.
Trouble with credits transfering even if he is a take?
A transfer who started out at a JUCO? He might have trouble with his credits even at Alabama.
Not if he could play he wouldn't.
But then, if he was a bama level transfer candidate, he wouldn't be at Illinois in the first place!
If this staff cannot get Hinton and Smith to outplay this young man...then Michigan football is in a hopeless place.
Pretty sure they’re both already outplaying a guy that couldn’t see the field at Illinois.
The natives are restless!!! The skepticism in here is nauseating!
...and fully legitimate. In fact, if one is not skeptical at this point in Jim Harbaugh's tenure a serious level of mindlessness has overtaken you.
Some of that skepticism would seem to be deserved based upon on-field performance over the last several years and what I see in the way of personnel issues, both in coaching and recruiting.
I'm not sure where ticket sales are at the moment, but I have the feeling that 100K per game may be hard to achieve this year and it's not due to Covid.
I think Covid will help ticket sales. People are starving to get out and tailgate and go to a football game.
I'm guessing attendance is down 5-10% nation wide versus the 2019 season, with hesitantancy to be in large crowds slightly edging out extra demand due to restricted attendance last year. Although, judging from how packed bars and restaurants looked last Friday night in Chicago my prediction probably is garbage.
Not trying to start *that* kind of thread, but can we be more wary of using this phrase? Thank you for your consideration and have a great day!
You’re doing it wrong. You must assume that this dude transfers to Michigan, starts over Hinton and Smith, and sucks anyway. That is now reality as it exists in your mind. Welcome to MGoBlog!
To be fair, there was a time a shade over a decade ago, during an earlier coaching regime, where we assumed that a transfer TO Michigan was likely the result of an administrative error, so there is that.
His beard sucks.
That's a full-on neckbeard.
10.1.1Not a ship I think the team needs.
He sounds like a perfect fit for Minnesota
Does Pearlie Graves still have eligibility?
I wonder how many DTs we need on the roster until people stop asking if we need "this guy" aka random DT who couldn't get on the field at Illinois.
Michigan has Hinton & Smith going into their 3rd years. Both Top 100 recruits. Year 3 is when DTs usually turn into something (I know the natives are restless, but you need to be patient with DTs).
Jeter in his 5th year. Could still be servicable.
Jordan Whittley - Massive grad transfer. Should be able to play 40/50% of snaps and take up space.
Kris Jenkins - working up to DT size and should see the field this year.
3 freshman who hopefully won't be needed this year.
Youre 100% correct - now I can see adding a top talent, but not somebody who cant even start for Illinois. At this point in time I would be much more interested in a OLB/LB, CB from the Portal.
MNWolv, this is a well reasoned take and deserves all the upvotes.
and by "people," don't you really mean, "Ezekiel Creatures"? He is to fat DT transfer portal types as WD was to apparel.
Don't forget the German ski phenom Welschof!!
Why are people so stressed about DT?! (Aside from the UW and OSU games the last 2 years.) It is the need for 3 starting DTs in this new system. Most of our SDEs from last year - even Paye - would be undersized/not ideal as a down-lineman in this system.
With The 5 you mention above plus Welschof, you barely have a 2-deep of scholarship DTs. You can add Speight, Mike Morris, plus one of the position vagabonds (Jack Stewart and Paea- is he still on the team?) to get to 3 deep before you are looking at RS or true Frosh.
I agree with your frustration over hyping evry single DT in the portal. M really needs DT depth/help for THIS year above all else. The kid from USC probably was a fit for that. This young man from Illinois does not appear to be.
Forgot about Juice too! We are oozing with DTs. Just saw this posted:
https://twitter.com/BCollierPPI/status/1410278207572434950?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
Looks like Welschof is now 6'7 290. He won't play true DT/NT in this defense, but is perfectly shaped for one of the "anchor" type DE spots in this defense. With his speed and athleticism, he's just waiting to break out.
Here is the challenge with your list.
Is there one player on it who has shown himself to be a sold big ten starter?
Donavon Jeter has started 4 games in his career - the last 4 of last season. Would you consider him to be a solid big ten starter? If he was a backup or surrounded by other upoer tier big ten linemen that would be one thing, but as 1 of your 3 realistic shots to have even one upper tier big ten interior linemen, he is a bit underwhelming.
Chris Hinton has started 5 games (probably should be 7 but our stellar defensive staff last year liked a 3-4 defense that took Hinton off the field for Van Sumeren. Best chance for a break though year, but still needs improvement just to reach the level of solid big ten player.
Mazi Smith - no starts and 3 tackles (1 solo) in 7 games. Turning into an adequate big ten starter would be a big step forward.
Jordan Whittley, who you are counting on for 40 or 50 percent of the snaps was a key reserve for Oregon State in 2019 weighing in at 324. He didn’t play last season because of heart problems and has ballooned up to the 350s. He is probably a worthwhile longshot, but nonetheless a long shot.
After that, are any of the names people mentioned over 280? No matter what defense we run, we need at least 2 solid starters above 300 with two solid backups. One has to be incredibly optimistic to project even that from this roster.
No, but you can't create good upperclassman DTs overnight. Hinton/Mazi/Whitley are 3 new upperclassmen DTs who I all expect to be good in the system this year. That is a really good baseline.
I am incredibly optimistic.
It is called fanaticism or being a fan!
GO BLUE!!!
Lovie is a good coach and I'd defer to him here....don't let his time at Illinois delude you.... even Gary Moeller, our best coach, couldn't win there.
Lovie Smith basically had one very good year as head coach amid a ton of mediocre ones. Not sure there’s much evidence that he’s an especially good head coach.
Looks too insurrectiony.
DT crootin is a shit show and his dude should be looked at hard. With whiff after whiff on the trail (Nua unleashed - see recent Tenn CBs for Jordan Phillips) we need bodies. Walter Nolen is not coming despite daily hype from TMI.
I know there's was lots of people on this board who were excited when Thunder said it was probable Michigan was going to land this 2022 DT because he is big, even though he is not even ranked by 247:
So it is a bit odd the reaction of some here to this guy, even though played very well at the JUCO level. What happened at Illinois last year? I don't know. Neither does anyone else here.
Lovie Smith said he needs to get stronger and develop more? Isn't that true of a whole lot of players? It looks like he still has 4 years of eligibility, when you take out the covid year. Lots of time to develop. I agree with you, he should be looked at.
I guess his ship has already sailed.
Or, Captain Bert sank his battleship.
Post Malone football version.
Anthony should be Skipton