Size in the secondary
Anyone else notice the size we'll potentially have in the secondary? As of right now, before the freshman show up, we have at corner: 6-0(Floyd and Woolfolk) 6-2 Justin Turner,
at safety: 6-3 Cam Gordon, 6-1 Vlad, 6-0 Brandin Hawthorne. Then we add 6-1 Demar Dorsey and 6-1 Cullen Christian!!! We've always had decent sized secondary, but I can't remember this much in recent times.
The size in the secondary will be really nice. They are going to be sick in a year or two.
That's what she said!
This yr.
Cullen Christian is listed at 6'0" on Rivals, and generally, it seems that those heights are all exaggerated by about an inch.
Anyway, we do have good size in the secondary. I'm glad, because I'm generally not a fan of midget cornerbacks.
i would guess that the standard DB exaggeration is matched by the standard WR exaggeration.
March 26th, 2010 at 10:19 AM ^
recruiting information in general is wrong on 40 yard dash times, exaggerates height and weight, and tends toward hyperbole, other than that it is spot on.
March 26th, 2010 at 10:15 AM ^
strut around and thump their chest after doing absolutely nothing. Reminds me of someone...
March 26th, 2010 at 10:28 AM ^
Or when Michael Beasley was listed 6'10" at KSU...
March 26th, 2010 at 10:33 AM ^
If for no other reason than negating jump ball advantages and red zone fades.
March 26th, 2010 at 12:48 PM ^
Who IS a fan of miget cornerbacks?
Unless they run a legit sub 4.4 forty and have incredible ball skills, corners under 5'10" have major problems covering taller receivers.
But thats nothing new.
March 26th, 2010 at 12:57 PM ^
Well, Rodriguez and Co. have recruited/signed quite a few - Witty, Hollowell, Cissoko, Mathis, etc. They're getting good sized corners, too, but they're not shying away from the midget variety.
That is until the monster 5'8" 162lb Delonte Hollowell shows up next year.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/michigan/football/recruiting/player-Delonte-Hol…
Supposedly he has really good ball skills though.
I do have to say though that I am impressed with the secondary class RR pulled in these past two years. I think he's been recruiting for the 3-3-5 all along. Tons of DE and DB's.
But but RR only recruits 5"8" slot dots.
Sincerely,
Every idiot uninformed non/michigan fan.
March 26th, 2010 at 10:27 AM ^
and stuff.
whose brother played the banjo all day long, and at night made moonshine
March 26th, 2010 at 10:02 AM ^
the athleticism of these players. They can all run and create a lot of havoc in the secondary with the size to come up and fill gaps in the run game.
March 26th, 2010 at 10:03 AM ^
While size is a luxury, I'm good with them not giving up 300+ yards passing per game. If mini me can contribute, suit him up!!!
March 26th, 2010 at 10:06 AM ^
I like the class and how the defense is shaping up, but only results matter. Big ten is about power defense something michigan use to have and we have to get back to that. NO MORE ARM TACKLES! Lets get some contact.
March 26th, 2010 at 10:37 AM ^
Go to 4:21 in the video. This is him as a scrawny 16 yr old.......
March 26th, 2010 at 11:25 AM ^
Dude absolutely lays the wood (cue "that's what she said" joke). Makes me confident his elevator hit on Dyer in the UA game isn't a fluke.
March 26th, 2010 at 10:36 AM ^
While the size of our secondary is nice, it doesn't even come close to the size of that ass in your avatar!
March 26th, 2010 at 10:49 AM ^
She is a phenom!!!
March 26th, 2010 at 11:10 AM ^
the proper phrase is "dat ass", y'know.
google it, if you're not at work!
March 26th, 2010 at 11:25 AM ^
I think we tried mini me last year, and before he got booted off of the team, I remember him getting burned on just about every play against ND. The majority of highly rates short corners are described by the gurus as having, "exceptional technique," "good coverage skills" or "great body control." While there are all greast attributes, at the end of the day, it is still virtually impossible for a 5'8" CB to defend a 6'2" receiver on a jump ball. When we face teams with more than 1 deap threat, there will be a mismatch the the other team will regularly look to exploit. Having actual full sized players in our secondary, as RR has recruited, will take away that mismatch. PLus, its not like our taller guys are lacking in athleticism.
March 26th, 2010 at 12:19 PM ^
I don't want to lump all shorter CBs together, and it really isn't fair to do so, but for many of these same reasons I was not so sad to see Mathis commit to Oregon.
March 26th, 2010 at 12:55 PM ^
The height factor was the main reason I was not a fan of Cissoko's when he came out of high school, and the same went for Mathis. Michigan's best cornerbacks over the last 20 years have had good size. There are exceptions to every rule (Antoine Winfield at OSU, for example), but it's not a coincidence that bigger cornerbacks are more highly sought after.
It used to be that every guy who was 6'4" or 6'5" ended up playing tight end, linebacker, or defensive end. Now it seems almost every college team has at least one 6'4" or 6'5" kid that they throw jump balls to. No matter how high a kid can jump, it's hard to make up for an 8-inch difference in height. Not only will a 6'4" kid with a 32" vertical outjump a 5'8" kid with a 39" vertical, but the cornerback's jump has to be perfectly timed. I'd rather just have a 6'1" kid playing corner.
Lack of height certainly puts DBs at a disadvantage in jump-ball situations, but that wasn't even really the problem in the ND game. Cissoko was just plain beaten, over and over. He couldn't stay with his man.
March 26th, 2010 at 10:32 AM ^
How could you leave out Marvin Robinson?? Unless he puts on 40 lbs like Precott Burgess and ends up as a ridiculously athletic linebacker.
March 26th, 2010 at 10:35 AM ^
my assumption. He could stay at safety though. Imagine a safety duo of Robinson-Box Safety and Gordon-Deep Safety. Its like having 5 linebackers on the field.
March 26th, 2010 at 10:41 AM ^
Maybe Angelique was misinformed and we're actually going to be running a 3-5-3.
March 26th, 2010 at 12:08 PM ^
Now let's start a thread on the new 3-5-3 formation and get everyone worked up and disect what this new formation means for the future of wolverine football!!!
I know you were joking but this is really what the staff is going for I think. Not specifically a 3-3-5 or a 3-5-3 but the versatility of 5 guys in the middle of the field that can act as rush defensive ends, linebackers or safeties. The we can easily run against power teams and spread teams without having to change personel. I think its brilliant.
We will have one space eater, two big but quick defensive ends, two corners who can play man to man or deep thirds and then one deep safety who should be fast as hell to cover mistakes as the last line of defense.
All the rest will be 6'0" to 6'7", athletic and mobile guys who can cover slots and tight ends, take on a pulling guard or crush a running back.
This is RR's entire philosophy, not just on defense but offense too. Slots playing RB, QB's playing Slot, RB's playing WR. You recruit athletes, not position players. You then coach them on where/how you want them to play. I think its brilliant. Just need to see it work on the field now.
March 26th, 2010 at 10:39 AM ^
Robinson is ridiculously athletic. Or have you not seen his OMG HALF-SHIRT...
March 26th, 2010 at 10:41 AM ^
I think I just messed my pants.
March 26th, 2010 at 10:46 AM ^
Dare I ask the type of mess? Or the location? Or was it exciting enough that you have a perfect storm of three messes combining to make one of the fiercest messes imaginable?
March 26th, 2010 at 11:39 AM ^
The fact that you want to know that sears my soul. Sears it like Ahi Tuna in a Japanese steak house.
March 26th, 2010 at 11:20 AM ^
I love how our defense is shaping up for the future. Robinson at Box Safety, Dorsey at Deep Safety. Justin Turner and Christian at CB. I just drooled.
March 26th, 2010 at 12:35 PM ^
Good call, however I'm not ready to count out Vlad yet, especially if Robinson puts on too much weight to be in the secondary.
March 26th, 2010 at 12:53 PM ^
In 2012, I could see RR pushing this even further and recruiting the Ivans to play CB.
Jimmy Johnson's latest ad for Extenze.
I think her junk in the trunk exceeds that of Coco, the wife of Ice T. When these women hit 40, they'll need vaseline simply to get into a car, and the jaws of life to get out.
to the large players in our secondary is a possible starter at CB, JT Floyd.
Floyd isn't thick, but the OP included him due to his height (supposedly 6'0").
March 26th, 2010 at 11:48 PM ^
As has been said, most heights and lbs are generally stretched a bit. Really, they do it in all sports, but especially basketball and football.
With that said, yeah, still a sizable secondary all around. On paper, it should be a strength for us coming up.
What are peoples opinions on Hollowell by the way? Has anybody gotten a decent look at him and can comment? His height has obviously been mentioned, but I've heard mixed views on him. Skill-wise and potential, what are your thoughts and predictions?