Sam spoke about Devontae Dobbs on WTKA today
If you aren't burnt out about this recruitment, take a listen. For those who don't want to listen, Sam said Dobbs was upset that Michigan offered after OSU, Alabama, MSU, and ND ampongst others, and he felt slighted. I guess the issue from UM was they wanted him to camp and get a first hand look before they offered, and once he did, they offered, after his Soph yr. They made it known he was a priority, and he was offered immediately. Since then the relationship hasn't gotted a whole lot better, for whatever reason, but it's not from a lack of interest on UM's part.
(Recruiting Roundup)
http://embeds.audioboom.com/publishing/playlist/v4?bg_fill_col=%23ecefe… - Recruiting Roundup 081417
August 14th, 2017 at 11:55 AM ^
August 14th, 2017 at 12:01 PM ^
15 year olds aren't always the most rational people
August 14th, 2017 at 12:16 PM ^
Exactly. Only a 15-year-old - or someone with limited emotional intelligence - would say something like: "I got offered my dream job, but they waited to offer until after I got 4 other job offers, so I'm mad and not interested anymore."
August 14th, 2017 at 12:54 PM ^
Is this what makes your job so easy?
August 14th, 2017 at 4:37 PM ^
August 14th, 2017 at 1:01 PM ^
Especially really talented 15 year olds who constantly have sunshine blown up their asses. It's hard for them to process things when they're told they have to earn something.
August 14th, 2017 at 1:29 PM ^
August 14th, 2017 at 3:47 PM ^
Just realized this post might need some clarification. I don't mean to imply that the kid hasn't earned anything.
I'm assuming the kid has worked really hard to get to where he is. I'm assuming that he's earned this; he hasn't gotten here on natural ability alone. I'm sure he's worked on his caft.
My point was only that the recruiting process has to distort what most of us would consider to be some sense of normalcy for these kids.
August 14th, 2017 at 1:40 PM ^
and what more can you expect from him give it some time, I would bet things will get smoothed over and hopefully his parents and high school coaches can also help him see how things work.
August 14th, 2017 at 2:31 PM ^
I think there was an Eagles song about people like this back in the 70s:
Prima Donna, Why don't you come to your senses
And start mending fences, 'fore it's too late
Prima Donna...
Maizen can bitch all he wants, this does NOT sound like a Jim Harbaugh player, nor a Michigan-created problem!
August 14th, 2017 at 3:09 PM ^
delete
August 14th, 2017 at 3:10 PM ^
I was thinking of a different Eagles song:
Well, I heard some people talkin' just the other day
And they said you were gonna put me on a shelf
But let me tell you I got some news for you
And you'll soon find out it's true
And then you'll have to eat your lunch all by yourself
'Cause I'm already gone
And I'm feelin' strong
I will sing this vict'ry song, woo, hoo, hoo, woo, hoo, hoo
August 14th, 2017 at 3:53 PM ^
and still a potential target (not that that even matters). Can we not call him a prima donna or make any negative assumptions (these are indeed purely assumptions) about his character at this point?
August 14th, 2017 at 4:53 PM ^
August 14th, 2017 at 4:46 PM ^
the kid wants to feel special and have his attention and the coaches want him to earn it. i actually don't see a problem with either of these things. if u of m is the only one asking him to earn the offer, i get why he would be put off. however, i think it will all play out once the coaches can make contact. would hate to lose a player of his caliber right from our backyard...
August 14th, 2017 at 6:34 PM ^
August 14th, 2017 at 11:56 AM ^
I don't like saying anything negative about a potential recruit, but he seems like a headcase waiting to happen.
August 14th, 2017 at 11:58 AM ^
Or he's a 16 year-old kid acting like one.
August 14th, 2017 at 12:10 PM ^
Most of the 16 year-old kids I work with aren't spiteful. A few are.
And I have no idea if Devontae is really being spiteful or not, just talking kids in general.
August 14th, 2017 at 12:10 PM ^
August 14th, 2017 at 12:39 PM ^
August 14th, 2017 at 12:45 PM ^
Someone getting pissed off at a 16 year old kid without knowing anything first hand and even the 3rd hand reports are heavily hedged with "seems", "sounds like", "I'm hearing", etc sounds like a bit of a headache.
Even if everything I've read is true, this kid is entitled to feel how he wants. I've negotiated multiple job offers and promotions over the years (without nearly the leverage and demand this kid has) and a lot of it was the impression I received from the companies/people. I've turned down people because their process was too slow or annoying. It sucks if we lose a talented kid like this but sometimes personalities and timing just don't line up. My guess is that he isn't sold on UM (like some assume with the dream offer talk) and/or he's been fed some disparaging info from coaches/family. The timing of the offer probably just made it worse. Top prospects in anything want to feel wanted - that's normal. It's not because he's 16, it's because he's proven (as much as possible at this point anyway) that he's worthy of an offer and doesn't feel like he needs to go out of his way for every school that wants to offer. I get that.
All that said, I don't know this kid and have no insight into the recruitment, I'm just suggesting there could be an alternative instead of jumping to blaming a 16 year old and name calling (even if it's prefaced with, "I don't normally like insulting children, BUT).
August 14th, 2017 at 4:13 PM ^
100-200 at something that a lot of people care about in the entire country as a 16-year-old?
If not, you can't possibly compare yourself to an elite football recruit when talking about humility.
He has offers from many of the top programs in the country, why wouldn't he think less of a program that he feels is pursuing him with less interest than others? He has to want to play for a program that he feels really wants him.
If you got a job offer from Google, Facebook, and Apple and then Amazon came along and offered but you felt the first three wanted you more and were pursuign you harder, why would you hire on with Amazon? We're not going up against MSU and mac schools here.
Lot of unnecessary bashing going on here this early in the recruitment.
EDIT: Sorry, didn't see the above two posts, which I agree with, of course.
August 14th, 2017 at 11:58 AM ^
Good? Seems like Jim MF Harbaugh isn't going to completely cave in to some kids ego. My bet says Dobbs eventually see's the light - that UM is on an upward trajectory and he'll get left behind if he doesn't come around to coach's POV.
I'm good with this either way...
August 14th, 2017 at 12:03 PM ^
It's a weird recruitment. I heard Steve Lorenz on a recent podcast and without coming out directly and saying it, it sounded like the Bellville coaches were doing a little bit of c-blocking. He stated that messages from other schools (OSU) were getting to the players better than UM.
I have no idea if true or not, but that's how it sounded.
August 14th, 2017 at 12:21 PM ^
Sam said this is complete B.S. I didn't hear the Lorenz podcast, but any insinuation that the coaches at Belleville are blocking communications is patently false, according to Sam.
Michigan cannot contact 2019 recruits directly yet, only through their coaches or the kid has to do the contacting. Michigan has 4 commits in the 2019 class and they all contact the coaches themselves. For whatever reason Dobbs does not. I know it is hard to believe, but the kid just doesn't seem that interested in Michigan. Hopefully, that changes but losing him would not be the end of the world IMO.
August 14th, 2017 at 2:46 PM ^
August 14th, 2017 at 12:07 PM ^
August 14th, 2017 at 1:19 PM ^
Reasonatizing? I can't find a definition for this word.
August 14th, 2017 at 1:32 PM ^
lmao. Ohhhh it's when you rationalize and reasonate at the time same time, obviously. Websters might not have it yet, but I'm sure it will be official soon enough.
August 14th, 2017 at 3:12 PM ^
Is reasonate something akin to resonate, but with REASON? Or for a reason? So many possibilities.
August 14th, 2017 at 1:33 PM ^
Ratonalizing? Never heard or seen "reasonatizing" before.
August 14th, 2017 at 12:13 PM ^
Can confirm per Lorenz that M WAS contacting the school to inquire about Dobbs and his top 250 teammate (Barnett?) since it is/was illegal for them to call directly until they were incoming Seniors.
The comment was "if they weren't recieving those inquiries from M but were from other schools - draw your own conclusions...". He went on to note that they will be hearing a LOT from M now that they can be contacted directly.
Side note - It was mentioned that recruits CAN call the coaches before becoming Seniors and specifically that Nolan Rumler (2019 OG commit) had been calling the coaching staff weekly for well over a year in search of his offer.
August 14th, 2017 at 12:59 PM ^
Rumler was offered as a HS freshman.
August 14th, 2017 at 1:42 PM ^
August 14th, 2017 at 2:22 PM ^
Great point!!!!
August 14th, 2017 at 12:12 PM ^
RELAX! Long ways to go on this one.
August 14th, 2017 at 12:15 PM ^
Gosh these kids need to get over themselves. You've got offers to how many great schools, and you're unhappy because they didn't come in the order you wanted?
August 14th, 2017 at 6:03 PM ^
"Gosh these kids need to get over themselves." I haven't seen him put out anything unprompted expressing unhappiness with M. He was asked and said without being insulting that he isn't hear as much from M. Then, a bunch of adults over-analyzed a 16 year old kids comments and assigned a level of unhappiness and then began insulting said kid with the only motive being a sense of butt-hurt. I believe the kid has a right to feel however he wants. In this case, it sounds like he wanted his hometown schools to notice him but instead M didn't offer until after he had some national offers. I think UM plays this card in reverse too. We expect the best in Michigan to go to Michigan. Oh well, but to be condescending to a 16 year old comes off poorly, in my humble opinion.
August 14th, 2017 at 12:15 PM ^
August 14th, 2017 at 12:20 PM ^
Now, if someone can just get him on tape saying "Fuck Michigan," we're golden.
August 14th, 2017 at 12:20 PM ^
This one is just getting started. This is no where near the level of "exhausting" like Chris Clark and Jordan Elliott were.
August 14th, 2017 at 6:03 PM ^
Chris who?????????????????????
This is the problem with the entitlled generation, everything has to be just their way! Here is a kid (operative word) who hasn't stepped into a chemistry or advanced alegbra class as a junior and he's bitching about his recruitment. Nice when at 16 everyone in the world owes you! This kid doesn't see the field until 2020 or 21 at the earliest.
August 14th, 2017 at 6:19 PM ^
everyone in this entire generation wants everything to be just their way?
This generation is so entitled!! They're all horrible people! All of them! There is no hope for the world. We should all take a long walk off a short pier.
August 14th, 2017 at 12:20 PM ^
It's also tough for the coaches to recruit him right now consideirng they can't contact him directly until September 1st. So they have to go through his coaches or have him reach out to them. If they are going to turn the recruitment around, it will be in the fall.
August 14th, 2017 at 12:20 PM ^
August 14th, 2017 at 12:39 PM ^
Before (well, too late) people start freaking out about this. Dobbs being "upset" is very vague. Being upset is part of an emtional spectrum. It doesn't mean he hates the Michigan coaches and think they hate him. It could just be disappointment. Or the OSU coaches and others are on him harder than Michigan and he's surprised Michigan isn't.
Just because he feels slighted that he got offers from anybody else but not Michigan does not mean he's being petty or anything like that IMO.
August 14th, 2017 at 12:47 PM ^
Ok, Harbaugh is close. A high school kid feeling slighted tells me the kid needs some humble pie. That being said, if Harbaugh and Drevno want him, they'll work it out.
GO BLUE!!
August 14th, 2017 at 1:07 PM ^
Belleville is turning out a lot of D1 recruits. The 2017 class had one to Missouri, two to Cincinatti, at least one to the MAC. The 2018 class has one to Wisconsin, one to MSU and one to the MAC so far. Have we shown interest in these kids? I had not heard of any. If not, that could easily be an issue with their coach, maybe their AD, even the players like Dobbs and Barnett.
The nearness works both ways. Dobbs could easily visit our campus. Our coaches could easily visited theirs. If our staff is only showing attention now that Belleville has a couple of top players, they could be pushing back. Again, if that's their perception, they may resent being taken for granted.
As far as the conflicting takes from Webb and Lorenz, Sam has a good relationship with Belleville's HC, dating back some years when he was at Cass Tech. If the issue is with the Belleville coaches, Sam is not going to call them out. It's not like the situation at King where the HC was vocal about it. It would be best if both sides can work things out. Maybe Sam is even in a position to play some role.