RB recruiting in 2014

Submitted by Bluestreak on

I was wondering if we'll take any RBs in this class. I haven't seen any RB offers go out in this class (Elijah Hood was one) but not too many others.

I know we have two in the last class with Deveon Smith and Derrick Green but considering Fitz is a senior and we have no other 'elite' back on our roster will we take another?

I see the following:

Thomas Rawls

Drake Johnson

Justice Hayes

Dennis Norfleet

Deveon Smith

Derrick Green

Fitz Touissant

Maybe Peppers will also play on offense?

 

Ron Utah

May 29th, 2013 at 11:47 AM ^

That is what Hoke thinks he is.  Quote?  Quote:

 

Wyatt (Shallman) is a guy who is very multiple in what he can do. He can line up in the single back if you want to run some inside zone, he can knock people off the ball, he can be a short-yardage guy and he can catch the ball well. He can do those things out of the backfield. He's a little more like an Aaron Shea guy, to some degree.

turtleboy

May 29th, 2013 at 6:57 AM ^

We might not even take a running back this year, and to be honest we probably won't need one, with as many as 9 scholarship players getting touches this year. The coaches offered a handful of the top prospects in the country, and if one of them is interested they'd take him, but we probably won't see a flurry of late offers if none commit.

Space Coyote

May 29th, 2013 at 8:32 AM ^

Not a new thought and exact question was previously asked so I'll just copy and paste.

"Michigan is taking a RB in this class. I don't know who it is, [maybe Ballage or Hilliman,] it may be someone who isn't even really on the board yet; but Michigan isn't going to go a year without taking a RB. RBs do too many things (always valuable on special teams), are too flexible of athletes (can play multiple positions, from RB to FB to LB, to U-back, to safety), and get banged up or don't pan out too regularly not to take a RB.

I know the class size is small and there are few obvious choices at the RB position, but I think it is very, very unlikely that Michigan doesn't take at least one in the 2014 recruiting cycle."

denardogasm

May 29th, 2013 at 8:55 AM ^

The thing with the team now is that although there's always going to be a guy or two who switches position because he's just too good to sit, those guys are going to become fewer and fewer because we've recruited at such a high level across all positions. We talk a lot about how these great athletes we're getting will be able to move to other positions in order to get playing time without considering there are great athletes at all the other positions as well these days. I just don't think a running back is going to beat out someone at another position very often on this team, at least not for meaningful playing time.

Magnus

May 29th, 2013 at 8:31 AM ^

Michigan offered 10 running backs last recruiting cycle, 15 in 2012, and 15 in 2011.  Saying that Michigan hasn't offered many running backs in the 2014 recruiting class is misleading or just flat out incorrect.

Bluestreak

May 29th, 2013 at 8:48 AM ^

... going after is another.

Maybe this time around they are pushing for other higher rated prospects in other areas of need.

My point was more than we don't seem to be leading or in the running for RB recruits based on the updates we've been getting.

 

Magnus

May 29th, 2013 at 8:58 AM ^

That sometimes happens when you bring in (arguably) the #1 running back in the country the year before.

Regardless of what anyone on the board has to say, Hoke has said before that Michigan will always take "a couple" running backs because of their flexibility to play other positions (which is mentioned above in this thread - RB, FB, WR, LB, S, special teams, etc.).  

Who will Michigan get?  I don't know.  But they are pursuing players at the position, and some elite ones at that.

TheGeneral

May 29th, 2013 at 11:37 AM ^

I was with you in the argument that Shallman is more of a U-back right up until you quoted Hoke on multiple running backs per class. You can't trust one thing Hoke says enough to quote it as proof and discount another thing Hoke says when it doesn't fit your opinion.

We have to understand that recruiting changes day to day. What you need, who you're after, your first option/second etc. There are too many changing variables to have absolutes. If Hoke says "we will always" he means odds are we will always.

Magnus

May 29th, 2013 at 11:47 AM ^

To be clear, I'm not saying that Shallman won't ever play tailback. What I'm suggesting is that he will never be a front-line tailback. Eventually, I think he's going to move somewhere else (fullback, U-back, DE, somewhere) to help the team, whether that's in 2014 or in 2017.

I trust that Hoke told Shallman he would get a shot at tailback, just like I trust that Rodriguez told Cam Gordon he could get a shot at wide receiver.

LSAClassOf2000

May 29th, 2013 at 12:37 PM ^

There was a Q&A on ESPN's Big Ten Blog not too long after NSD, and Hoke essentially said that one of the reasons he was particularly excited about Derrick Green coming to Michigan is that this opened the door to some of the two-back stuff that they wanted to eventually run. Specifically, he pointed out that it could be in concert with Shallman as well as Deveon Smith. 

I think it is also important to note generally that, on offense, running back is position for which we have more commits / players in the past three cycles than any other save for the offensive line, so it would not be shocking, and it has been pointed out here, if the RB haul was less than what it has been in 2014 (if I counted right, 2 in 2011, 3 in 2012 and 2 in 2013 - 3, if you include Shallman, who is listed under "ATH"). 

In reply to by BloomingtonBlue

Magnus

May 29th, 2013 at 11:50 AM ^

I believe he's trying to visit this summer.  I don't think he's close to making a decision right now. So no, I haven't heard much about him.

DoubleLegTakedown

May 29th, 2013 at 9:01 AM ^

Not that I think he will, I seem to be one of the few who favors Smith over Green. If Smith redshirts then he will be the RB for this class.

maize-blue

May 29th, 2013 at 9:26 AM ^

That's kind of what I was thinking. If Smith gets the redshirt than that in effect will split him and Green up and you can get away with not getting a RB in the 2014 class. Not having one in this class is fine with me because I know there are 2-3 pretty good options for 2015. Also, I think the combo of Smith and Green can carry this team for a while.

HELLE

May 29th, 2013 at 7:00 PM ^

I'd wait until we see them in the Big House until I make that statement. I hope they are they answer but I wouldn't skip a year recruiting a back, banking on two guys we haven't seen. We've been disappointed before.

Mr. Yost

May 29th, 2013 at 10:30 AM ^

Personally, I think RB is the position in this class where we're going to get a sleeper/camp commit.

Last year it seemed to be WR/CB.

That said, who knows who it'll be...I don't think too many people were talking Channing Stribling before camp, now we're all excited to have him.

RB - Camp

WR - Scott/Holmes/Williams/Hooker

OL - Camp

DT - McDowell

SDE - Hand

SLB - Winovich/Owens/Sykes/Morgan

CB - Westphal

I'm sure I'm missing a couple, and I think we'll take 18. But just a best guess when you take into account all of the info from all of the publications.

CRex

May 29th, 2013 at 10:53 AM ^

The sleeper suggest seems reasonable.  If you look at the depth chart in terms of young blood we have one RS Freshman and two true freshman as pure RBs.  We also have a whole handful of utility back type folks and full backs that we could sub in if the injury bug strikes.  It seems like a good year to take a sleeper or a guy who possibly projects to multiple posistions.  With Smith likely redshirting and of course Green onboard, some of the talent out there is going to be reluctant to come onboard.  

I'd imagine we're not going to say no to top talent at RB, but right now I'd have to think the coaches are spending more time going after people like Hand, getting Derrick Green 2.0 onboard is more of a 2015 thing.  Likely Hillman or perhaps another Rawls type, regional guy with decent ratings from a program we want to maintain good ties with.

the Glove

May 29th, 2013 at 11:31 AM ^

If they don't land and elite running back I wouldn't worry about taking one. As it has been stated before, just let Smith and Green compete and whichever one doesn't get the nod have redshirt. Then there is your running back for the next class.

WolvinLA2

May 29th, 2013 at 12:41 PM ^

What about Shallman? Do we think he'll be a fullback? Is he athletic enough to be a tailback? Am I racist?

Sorry, I haven't read the other comments. Apologies if this has already been covered.

dRich

May 29th, 2013 at 1:27 PM ^

The one thing that separates him from shorter faster (black or white) running back, fullback, water boy, or H back... And that is...

Wyatt's sisters are total babes..

Der Alte

May 29th, 2013 at 2:01 PM ^

 To provide some perspective in this discussion I went to another BIG roster to see what some other school looked for in height/weight when recruiting RBs and FBs. I chose Nebraska because I consider them a run-first team and thought Rex Burkhead was on the big side of the running back scale. Turns out last fall Nebraska listed his position as “I-back” and his height/weight as

Rex Burkhead  IB  5-11/210

Not at all as big as I thought he was. Anyway, Nebraska lists five “IBs” on its current roster

8       Abdullah, Ameer  IB  5-9  190  Jr.    

32     Cross, Imani  IB  6-1  225  So

23     Frazier, King  IB  6-0  220  RFr. 

24     Kuzu, Murat  IB  5-11  200  So

29     Nabity, Graham  IB  6-0  210  RFr 

They average just under 6’ (i.e., 71.4”) and 209 lbs.

The Huskers also list two “RBs,” both of whom are freshmen (why they have no assigned numbers yet, apparently)

         Newby, Terrell  RB  5-10  180  Fr. 

         Taylor, Adam  RB  6-2  200  Fr. 

Note they’re very much in the “I-back” ht/wt range.

Nebraska also carries four “FBs,” which seems like a large number, but hey:

35     Janovich, Andy  FB  6-1  225  So

         Jordan, Harrison  FB  5-10  230  Fr. 

19     Marrow, Mike  FB  6-2  250  Sr.

31     Zimmerer, C.J.  FB  6-0  230  Sr.

These guys average just over 6’ and almost 234 lbs.

So Nebraska looks for RBs in the 6’, 200-lb range. As does M apparently, given that according to Scout, incoming freshmen Derrick Green is 5’11” 220 and DeVeon Smith is 5’ 11” 210 --- both about ideal RB size and weight --- just like, as it turns out, Rex Burkhead.

That same Scout commitment roster lists Shallman as

         Wyatt Shallman  FB 6-3/245 

So it looks like Wyatt’s “measurables” place him very much in the FB category which, in all likelihood, is where he’ll play.