Sad: Erick All has torn ACL, out for season
Sad to read but looks like All is done for the year. I don't mean this as a joke but I am actually relieved that this was not related to his back issues that he chose to go against UM's medical advice on. Seems like we truly did upgrade our tight end situation in every way over the offseason, now including health factors as well.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/38681184/source-iowa-erick-all-torn-acl-season
October 17th, 2023 at 2:38 PM ^
Umm he tore his acl. It’s not like we knew he would so we decided to cut him. Anyone can tear an acl so saying we “upgraded” including health factors is a little misleading
October 17th, 2023 at 2:41 PM ^
Just an ex post facto observation based on the last podcast's conversation -- one of the bloggers suggested we upgraded our tight end room with Barner over All based on skill level. I am only saying that in hindsight Barner is healthier than All -- agree that "upgraded" is not the right word though.
October 17th, 2023 at 2:45 PM ^
I get it trust me and you’re probably right, not tryna hammer you. Just thought it maybe wasn’t fair to All.
October 17th, 2023 at 3:27 PM ^
Agree, His torn ACL is terrible for him and not something anyone, the OP, should try and turn into a positive.
I think I speak for all Michigan fans in saying we are all disappointed that Cade and Erik are not able to have the great seasons they deserve and not able to lead Iowa to the Big10 championship game (edit: I meant game, not the actual championship)
October 17th, 2023 at 3:33 PM ^
bo, didn't you mean, '....lead iowa to the Big10 championship game, where they'd lose to michigan'?
October 17th, 2023 at 9:05 PM ^
Oh crap, typo. Left out “game”. As far as their loss, of course, but who states the obvious
October 17th, 2023 at 3:59 PM ^
I certainly don't wish injury on them, but I personally had no desire to face them in Indianapolis. That would have become the media storyline of the game and I didn't want that.
October 17th, 2023 at 9:09 PM ^
It would have been so fun. Cade vs JJ.
October 17th, 2023 at 2:56 PM ^
I mean, we also don't know what would've happened if All would've stayed but Loveland was bound to pass him on the depth chart eventually. I feel bad as I think Erick has a child and was on NFL draft boards prior to his injuries and transfer. Hope he heals and things turn around. He'll forever be tied to Cade as the package deal that went to Iowa and have been derailed by injuries.
We'll always have PSU 2021.
October 17th, 2023 at 3:44 PM ^
Loveland was bound to pass him on the depth chart eventually
And yet that #2 TE spot is working out great for AJ Barner, who will probably be a mid-round draft pick next year. Ego is the enemy.
October 18th, 2023 at 6:28 AM ^
I remember Eric All dropping a lot of passes.....
October 18th, 2023 at 5:37 PM ^
Drops seem to stick in people's memories longer than catches. If you have some drops early on in your career, it's hard to shed the perception of you having butter fingers.
October 17th, 2023 at 2:57 PM ^
Not cool, man. Not the time to be jinxing barners knees!
October 17th, 2023 at 11:07 PM ^
Barber is a much better blocker. There wouldn't have been enough targets for All after Loveland eats.
October 17th, 2023 at 2:41 PM ^
Also, please don't tempt the universe....
October 17th, 2023 at 2:50 PM ^
Can one accurately state that Barner is a better blocker than All? Wasn't All a pretty good blocker?
October 17th, 2023 at 2:54 PM ^
I mean he's no Devin Funchess when it comes to blocking but I guess he's ok.
October 17th, 2023 at 3:03 PM ^
Im confused, i take your post to mean Devin Funchess was a good blocker!?!?!?!
October 17th, 2023 at 3:06 PM ^
Insert "joke over head" gif about here...
October 17th, 2023 at 3:24 PM ^
Venus de Milo was a better blocker than Funchess and also had better hands.
October 17th, 2023 at 4:24 PM ^
I wonder if Craig Ross knows about the latter.
October 17th, 2023 at 11:08 PM ^
Blocks are just statistics, amirite Devin???
October 17th, 2023 at 7:09 PM ^
He is the goat of the I’m too good to downfield block for my team.
He should have never seen the field.
October 17th, 2023 at 2:54 PM ^
I think I remember Brian saying that PFF grades Bredeson and Barner as the top two blocking tight ends in the country this year, but I don't have access to those stats unfortunately.
October 17th, 2023 at 3:47 PM ^
Power Five: AJ Barner, Michigan Wolverines – 90.3
Barner is almost like a third offensive tackle for the Wolverines when he’s on the field. The Indiana transfer’s 82.1 run-blocking grade leads all tight ends in the country this season.
October 17th, 2023 at 2:59 PM ^
All when he was here would destroy dudes while blocking and I’ve seen some clips of the same at Iowa. Maybe barner is more consistent though less flashy.
October 17th, 2023 at 3:36 PM ^
All had a high motor and a willingness to hit, which made him a excellent blocker when he ID’d the right guy. He usually got great UFR grades because he was often arcing and crack blocking near the point of attack.
October 17th, 2023 at 4:10 PM ^
All was the best blocking Michigan TE that I can remember. His lead blocks on TD runs by Haskins and Corum in 2021 were epic. Barner may be better as an online blocker (not sure about that) but as a lead or arc blocker All was the man... and a damned good receiver as well. Sad that his medical situation with us was so strange; and with Cade as well (and St. Juste!).
Wish him well and glad that I don't have to root against him in the B1G Championships.
October 17th, 2023 at 6:49 PM ^
I spotted that weak ACL a mile away.
/s
Seriously though. Sucks for him. Hope he has a successful reconstruction and is on the mend soon.
October 17th, 2023 at 2:43 PM ^
Wish him the best and hopefully he can recover. I don't think anyone can plan on an ACL tear, though as a complete TE I do think Barner is a bit of a better fit for this team.
October 17th, 2023 at 2:45 PM ^
Agree, my wording is poor in the post.
October 17th, 2023 at 6:09 PM ^
Iowa loses almost every major offensive weapon on this year's team.
Iowa has the most incompetent and nepotistic OC in FBS (if not D1).
Iowa is 6-1 and poised to play for the Big Ten championship and potentially a CFP berth.
...
...
Yep.
October 17th, 2023 at 6:36 PM ^
What’s crazy is Iowa probably beats USC and UCLA too. So much for the west getting that much stronger.
October 17th, 2023 at 6:54 PM ^
That just tells you how amazingly good their defense is and has been. I can’t imagine being an Hawkeye fan watching all those great D’s come through and imagining what they could have accomplished with even a mediocre offense.
October 17th, 2023 at 7:28 PM ^
I’m not so sure their defense is amazingly good this year. How many points did penn state score? I think they are a solid defense but it may be inflated a bit due to big ten West competition.
October 17th, 2023 at 9:50 PM ^
I completely get your point. But at some point even the best defenses break. Iowa only possessed the ball for 14 minutes that game. Not much a defense can do being on the field that much. The rest of the season they’ve looked darn good but the offense is just flaming hot garbage.
October 17th, 2023 at 11:37 PM ^
... most other Big Ten West offenses are also garbage. Iowa benefits from being the best of the garbage heap.
October 17th, 2023 at 2:45 PM ^
Angry Iowa Hating Tight End God
October 17th, 2023 at 2:50 PM ^
The son of Angry Iowa Hating Offense God
October 17th, 2023 at 2:55 PM ^
So, Brian Ferentz?
October 17th, 2023 at 2:55 PM ^
They deserve such hate IMO. Their “offense” is an affront to man and the football gods.
October 17th, 2023 at 7:52 PM ^
Brian Ferentz is no god
October 18th, 2023 at 1:24 PM ^
Kirk would be the god in this scenario.
October 17th, 2023 at 3:02 PM ^
Angry Iowa Michigan-Transfer-Hating God
October 17th, 2023 at 4:42 PM ^
I'll be that guy because I'm a bit OCD about, well, things.
It's Angry Iowa (insert thing here) Hating God.
E.g., AIRBHG
The thing comes before the hating because it's the god who hates Iowa RBs or other things, not a RB god who hates Iowa.
/dork
October 17th, 2023 at 5:53 PM ^
Angry, Iowa-hating, Tight-end god.
October 17th, 2023 at 6:30 PM ^
deleted
October 17th, 2023 at 11:21 PM ^
We could get into a philosophical argument about the theology of which God is hating and who that God hates…but I choose to follow the “no religion” rule of this blog.
Good catch…although I think my mis-ordering of words may be more apropos.