Players I Was Wrong About
This is meant to be a positive post so I kindly ask that any replies trend towards commenting on players who have exceeded expectations. I shall go first:
Andrew Vastardis - I made the same assumptions about him that Brian and Seth expressed prior to the season, for the same reasons. What a pleasant surprise he has been at center.
Mike Morris - I did not like his HS tape at all or the fact that Florida State processed him. And then he did absolutely nothing prior to this season. And then he was rumored to be switching to a position (OLB) that didn't seem to suit him at all. But to my untrained eye, Morris has been kind of solid on the outside and even better than that at defensive tackle, even though he's still undersized for the position. Morris isn't flashy but he is consistently doing good things out there at a position of desperate need.
Blake Corum - I mean, I thought he was going to be good...... but not this good.
Cade McNamara - I was optimistic about McNamara but honestly, he's exceeded my expectations in two of the three games. Washington wasn't a pretty performance but all in all, he's given Michigan fans a lot of reasons to be cautiously optimistic moving forward.
Ryan Hayes - Who would have thought this converted tight end would be so valuable in the running game?
Josh Ross - His weaknesses are still there but the instincts have improved over last season and he's become a real asset as a blitzer.
Daylen Baldwin - He didn't get much hype around these parts but that guy absolutely belongs from a physical standpoint and he may start to smooth out the rough edges with more reps.
Kris Jenkins - Definitely thought he was still a year away from doing anything meaningful.
Vincent Gray - So he's not exactly draft worthy at this point but I thought the same thing as everyone else, namely that he was toast after what happened last season. He's a better fit in a zone heavy scheme and all of his man-to-man reps should carry over when Michigan switches up their coverage. I'm cautiously hoping he continues to get better as the season wears on.
Who am I missing?
September 18th, 2021 at 6:42 PM ^
More than happy to help keep this thread positive.
My take: Blake Corum is absolutely incredible.
September 18th, 2021 at 7:02 PM ^
I got healthily negged for saying “give me more Corum than Haskins” after our first game ….but I still stand by it. He is special, and can do everything Haskins can. Haskins is still a very good back, but doesn’t have the athleticism or speed Corum has.
September 18th, 2021 at 7:55 PM ^
I love both Corum and Haskins. Haskins has been impressive with his speed this year. Less bulling over people and more running through them if that makes sense!
September 18th, 2021 at 8:01 PM ^
Haskins does look a bit faster and shiftier this year.
September 19th, 2021 at 11:03 AM ^
Two words explain that: Mike Hart.
September 18th, 2021 at 9:59 PM ^
Yes both backs have been outstanding. Edwards looks like he’s also going to be special.
September 19th, 2021 at 7:32 AM ^
As good as Corum/Haskins have been, I've been a non-believer in the Edwards hype a bit.
...but after seeing him yesterday, his acceleration is insane. He may be the quickest of the three in terms of hitting top speed.
September 19th, 2021 at 5:15 PM ^
He had two runs in a row where he got tripped up by arm tackles, which in my mind shows why he shouldn’t be taking too many carries from Corum and Haskins. That can be fixed over time though, and we saw his potential, which is exciting.
September 18th, 2021 at 7:55 PM ^
Haskins is pretty amazing between the tackles, and not just because of his power. He’s very quick laterally and see the play development very fast. Corum’s lethal speed is enhanced by Haskins. Gotta run them both.
September 18th, 2021 at 8:07 PM ^
Agree, they are both great. Haskins early helps soften up the defense and opens up PA passing as well as lanes for Corum on pulls and around the edge.
Corum looks a lot like JK Dobbins....a homerun threat on every snap.
September 18th, 2021 at 9:13 PM ^
I know the whole "lightning and thunder" thing has been super played out already, but the Corum and Haskins combo definitely has advantages. I think Seth was talking about this on the WTKA Roundtable, but having a bigger work horse back who can take a beating and get yards after contact then having a smaller, faster, and more agile home run threat back is hard for defenders to mentally process and figure out how to approach on the fly. If a defender thinks he's tackling Haskins and it's actually Corum then all of the sudden that's a missed tackle and a TD
September 19th, 2021 at 7:50 AM ^
Haskins does some things that Corum can't though. I think they're equally important to the team although Corum's speed means he gets more stats.
September 18th, 2021 at 10:05 PM ^
Is Corum the best RB in the country? He’s the total package and some of his cuts are unreal - not many backs that have made those cuts routinely. Plus the patience, power, and speed. Catches the ball very well. Those hops and skips are so unique and effective too. He must be averaging ~140 yds/game, ~8 yds/carry, and ~2.5 tds/game
September 19th, 2021 at 12:19 AM ^
Blake Corum reminds a bit of Drake Johnson, but faster and healthier.
September 19th, 2021 at 11:06 AM ^
I think you mean Barry Sanders.
September 19th, 2021 at 12:09 PM ^
I looked it up, Corum national results thus far:
#3 total rushing yds
#8 yds/carry
#1 rushing tds
September 18th, 2021 at 6:43 PM ^
Tyler Martin???
September 18th, 2021 at 6:52 PM ^
Tom Brady. Very good college player. Career NFL backup. Uh, WRONG!
I know, this is supposed to be about current players. God love 'em but saying Gemon Green or Vastardis is kind of boring.
September 18th, 2021 at 6:57 PM ^
This is meant to be a positive post so I kindly ask that any replies trend towards commenting on players who have exceeded expectations. I shall go first:
Yeah, lots of guys have really come a long way this offseason. This is a testament to the new staff and the players for continuing to work hard.
Blake Corum - I mean, I thought he was going to be good...... but not this good.
It's amazing to see how far he's come in one offseason. Last year he still had the break away speed, but he did not have the patience or vision. Now he waits, lets the hole develop, can hop and shift around guys with ease, then put on the jets and he's gone. I think he's one of the best RBs in the nation. I'm excited about Edwards too and Haskins is also really good with his vision and power but right now I'm most excited about Corum.
September 18th, 2021 at 8:45 PM ^
And a big hello to Mike Hart
September 18th, 2021 at 6:59 PM ^
The offensive line. I don’t know how good they are. Maybe better teams expose issues. But they are much better than I expected given all the new faces, the Carpenter transfer, and a first-time line coach who is a total unknown, I had low expectations.
September 18th, 2021 at 7:00 PM ^
All you needed to do was watch Blake corums high school footage to realize he was going to be a fucking monster.
When he played for st Francis they played the best teams in the country and Corum rolled literally all of them to the tune of 150 a game
By the end of his career he will be one of the best backs michigan has ever seen IMO
September 18th, 2021 at 7:04 PM ^
He's certainly going to be one of the better ones. Michigan's had some great backs, so it's tough to compare era-by-era.
It's fun to watch him play.
September 18th, 2021 at 7:31 PM ^
As Fred Jackson might say-he’s Mike Hart but fast.
September 18th, 2021 at 7:34 PM ^
I absolutely loved his HS tape. I have no idea how he wasn’t a five star but thank God. We avoided the five star curse!
September 18th, 2021 at 8:20 PM ^
If he stays healthy, and the team keeps progressing, then yeah I think you're right. Dude is special, that's for sure.
meemeep
September 18th, 2021 at 7:04 PM ^
Sorry I don’t know who else you were wrong about
September 18th, 2021 at 7:06 PM ^
Mazi Smith. Been more than holding his own and the word seemed to be that he was going to struggle.
September 18th, 2021 at 7:11 PM ^
Way to man up. +100 to you if I could.
On Hayes, Frey wanted him for OL. Never a TE.
September 18th, 2021 at 8:42 PM ^
September 18th, 2021 at 7:13 PM ^
Michael Barrett. I know Hill-Green overtook him but is he hurt? I can’t believe he can’t crack the rotation. I thought he was poised for a big year.
September 18th, 2021 at 7:28 PM ^
Played today. Seems he is behind NHG and I see a ton of Jaylen Harrell and Junior Colson mixed in with each other and Josh Ross. Oddly crowded all of a sudden
September 18th, 2021 at 7:15 PM ^
Erick All- because he’s catching the ball this year!!!!
September 18th, 2021 at 10:17 PM ^
His blocking has been key.
September 18th, 2021 at 7:27 PM ^
Aidan Hutchinson - I thought going into the season that he had some of the most to prove. He had a good, but not amazing sophomore season. Then he got hurt early last season. I really didn’t know what to expect from him or the rest of the D-line this year, but so far they have exceeded my expectations, and Hutchinson in particular has been a beast. I am excited to see him make some big plays against our rivals this year!
September 18th, 2021 at 7:31 PM ^
Sorry if this is incoherent. Stiff drinks after the game at Knights Steakhouse.
September 18th, 2021 at 8:58 PM ^
What seems to be the officer, Problem?
September 18th, 2021 at 7:35 PM ^
Pretty much everybody, coaches included. A friend of mine's kid is a ball boy. I'll ask him if his kid has picked it up b/c the TV broadcast doesn't consistently pick him up.
September 18th, 2021 at 7:39 PM ^
Team play. Everyone seems to be playing as a team which implies coaching so I digress. I expected closer games because the coaches would not be putting players in a position to succeed at this level. I did not expect this much cohesion.
September 18th, 2021 at 7:44 PM ^
I thought Haskins was a waste of scholarship, I'll eat crow on that one.
Didn't like Gray either, not convinced I was wrong yet.
September 19th, 2021 at 8:20 AM ^
Dude, Gray is a starter at CB. That is worth a scholarship.
September 18th, 2021 at 8:13 PM ^
Ryan Hayes is killing dudes out there . He is a star in the making . His feet are so much faster and knocking dudes off the screen at end of plays
September 18th, 2021 at 8:23 PM ^
Too early to feel good about Cade.
Haven't seen enough.
September 18th, 2021 at 8:33 PM ^
Disagree, he has a better deep ball and overall accuracy than I expected. He also doesn't hold onto the ball for a frustrating amount of time and avoids sacks.
September 18th, 2021 at 9:18 PM ^
I don't understand the Cade hate. He has yet to throw an interception in his Michigan career, has shown he can throw a very good deep ball, and manages the game pretty damn well. Do I want him throwing the ball 30 times a game? Probably not, but there has been nothing yet to show that JJ should be taking the starting job from him
September 20th, 2021 at 11:01 AM ^
After the first two games, I thought Cade was playing better than JJ. I thought JJ played as good or better than Cade against NIU, but I'm sure there are things in the huddle, on the sidelines, and off the field that Cade does better. If it was just about who's playing better it would've been a competition in camp I think, but Harbaugh mentioned a few times it's about who makes others around him better, not just who makes plays. Either way, I'm excited for JJ! Seems like he'll start next year, just because of his elite talent vs. Cade's really good talent.
September 19th, 2021 at 12:19 PM ^
I believe much of his improvement is due to the O-Line improvement allowing for time to throw the deep ball. Remember, his stats are lower than they should be due to all the PIs he doesn’t get credit for.
September 18th, 2021 at 8:49 PM ^
You must be a judgey person.
September 18th, 2021 at 8:57 PM ^
I feel like I was wrong about the entire team. We’ve had more big plays in 3 games than I can remember in most seasons. I know that’s probably not true but it feels like it. Everytime Corum touches the ball there’s a chance he scores.
The team seems to be invested in each other’s success and aren’t just playing for themselves. Did not believe Harbaugh could bring it back after a really meh 2019 and abysmal 2020. It’s still early but they have looked crisp and like they’re constantly improving.
Really interested to see them against Wisconsin. Usually play conservative and sluggish on the road but this year they may be able to go on the road and play fast. If they show they can win in Madison they can certainly win in Happy Valley.
September 18th, 2021 at 9:22 PM ^
Shohei Ohtani. Thought he would be a gimmicky attraction but he is one of the best baseball players in the past 40 years.