Tate - The most impressive freshman ever?

Submitted by weasel3216 on

I know it may be too early to tell but. In my opinion, a short 21 year opinion, Tate is the most impressive Freshman i have ever seen at Michigan. He has the most impressive and collective skills and talent i have ever seen from a Freshman. I have not been a critical my whole life, obviously because you are not critical until typically late teens, but the only other Freshman that i can compare him to is Henne. Both were and are extremely impressive in their Freshman years. But i think Tate's leadership abilities is what really sets him apart. The fact that he took full responsibility for this past weekends lost is what really set him on top, for me.

Just curious to see what others thought as to who is the best Freshman ever at Michigan.

tomhagan

October 6th, 2009 at 9:29 PM ^

Its a bit early for this...but some other freshmen have been good...Manningham and Hart were pretty good, and way before your time there was a guy named Anthony Carter, who was amazing as a freshman.

Muttley

October 7th, 2009 at 12:22 AM ^

Until AC, Bo frowned upon the pass.

Though stubborn, Bo was no fool, and could see that something special in

Similar to Tate's heroics, as a freshman AC won the 1979 game with a spectacular play on the last play of the game. Also caught two bombs against tOSU (one for a TD, one setting up a TD) that would have won that game against an undefeated tOSU had tUOS not blocked a punt to go ahead and win 18-15.

All-N-4-Michigan

October 6th, 2009 at 9:39 PM ^

Tate is Impressive, PERIOD! I live and work in Columbus with, of course, tons of OSU fans. I have heard from many that they would love to be able to trade Forcier for Pryor. To invoke QB envy in your #1 rival when they got the super QB prospect just one year earlier, yeah, Tate is the MAN!!

I think that Tate also is able to impact your perception because he is in the most prominent position on the field. Hart was impressive, too. Early....yes. But my vote would go to Tate. The dude is unflappable.

COB

October 9th, 2009 at 2:37 PM ^

those "OSU fans" you speak of sound like fair weather clowns. I, along with every informed OSU backer I come in contact with, would not trade our most talented player AND an additional player (wtf?) for Tate. He (TF) seems to be a very good player and advanced for his level of experience but I think you are blowing sunshine up your ass to think that the entire OSU fanbase or even a decent amount would trade players happily. FWIW, those "fans" you speak of either don't exist or know as much as your run of the mill sorostitute.

Cheers and good luck in Iowa tomorrow night.

Section 1

October 6th, 2009 at 10:23 PM ^

One significant diference between Leach and Tate is that Leach beat out a quality upperclassman QB in Mark Elzinga. Elzinga was a tough, gutty competitor who read defenses better and who threw better than the freshman Leach.

Starting Rick Leach was a much harder and riskier decision for Bo, than what RR had with Tate.

Having said all of those properly good things about Rick Leach, I am loving the way that Tate is playing, and I have no doubt whatsoever that one of the biggest Tate Forcier fans in the state of Michigan is Rick Leach.

Section 1

October 6th, 2009 at 10:57 PM ^

The 1975 Wolverines under Leach went 8-1-2 and were second in the Big 10 (7-1 in the conference).

Leach was probably surrounded by a better team in 1975 than Tate has with the 2009 Wolverines.

The 1975 team was Top-10 ranked through just about the whole year. They were ranked #4 when they lost 21-14 to #1 OSU; Leach's Wolverines went to the Orange Bowl and played #3 Oklahoma.

Among Rick Leach's 1975 teammates: Mike Kenn, Mark Donahue,
Walt Downing, Bill Dufek, Mark Schmerge, Jim Smith, Rob Lytle, Gordon Bell, Dan Jilek, John Anderson, Calvin O'Neal and Don Dufek.

pwnwulf

October 7th, 2009 at 6:00 AM ^

But I think Tate has had earn his playing time just like Leach did. Denard Robinson is pretty awesome and I'm sure each week is a battle for the starting job just because that's how RR does things. Look at pryor at OSU he is no better of a thrower than Robinson and not as fast. It's just that Tate is a little better at making the reads and a little better thrower but in no way faster. So Tate has to battler a stiff competitor each week just like Leach did. Imagine if Tate never comes to Michigan but Robinson did, I bet we would see him throwing a lot more and we wold be fully aware of everything he can do by now. RR puts in Robinson because his strength is running and allows the kid to shine by letting him do what he does best, and it doesn't matter if the D knows he going to run.....they still have to stop him. I love Tate and he has proven to be the better QB but remember that he works every da at practice just like everyone else on the team.

MadtownMaize

October 6th, 2009 at 11:28 PM ^

really great as a freshman. Tate needs to stay healthy and finish a season before we can call him the best freshman. On the other hand, remember Henne's first road game? He did not look good, although the playcalling was pretty conservative and he had only played one game at home to Tate's four. QB is, ofcourse, the toughest position to start at as a true freshman, which I think narrows best freshman to Henne, Leach and Forcier.

03 Blue 07

October 6th, 2009 at 9:57 PM ^

Guys- he's played 5 games. Five games. Didn't Henne go for 25 td and 12 picks his freshman year in leading U of M to the Rose Bowl? And didn't Mike Hart have the best freshman season by a U of M running back. . . ever? Let's hold off. Please.

Blue_Bull_Run

October 6th, 2009 at 10:07 PM ^

Five games are not exactly a small sample size. It's about 40% of the season. After Saturday, Tate will have played 50% of his freshman year, including what looks like it might turn out to be the second biggest game of the year (OSU is #1 of course) - on the road against a top team, at night.

If Tate kicks ass on Saturday, then I definitely think it's fair to start comparing!

Tacopants

October 7th, 2009 at 1:14 AM ^

The end of his freshman campaign. Henne may have had Braylon, but he was also responsible for the Braylonfest MSU game (hey, somebody had to lob those balls up) and did lead UM to the Rose Bowl where they narrowly lost to a Vince Young and Cedric Benson lead Texas team.

Raback Omaba

October 6th, 2009 at 10:00 PM ^

and is one of the most impressive Freshmen ever to don the Winged helmet.

Now let's hope that we're commenting on a similar post this time next year, but this one's about another Freshman from a small Wayne County community called Inkster.

Devin seems to have similar qualities to Tate.....let's hope that RichRod can incorporate all three (Tate, Devin and Denard) into our offense for the next 3-4 years. If that happens, I truly think that we'll be unstoppable.

Perhaps the "Best Backfield Ever"?????

It's okay to dream, but these kids have something I haven't seen in underclassmen for quite some time.

mrider

October 6th, 2009 at 10:02 PM ^

I would say yes for sure. Just his moxie at his young age is so incredible. I mean the guy is just wired differently, 2 TD passes in the last 5 minutes of MSU game to tie it up. Not to mention it was his first career road start. I mean how many true freshman make clutch plays like Tate at the QB position.

And yeh you could make an argument I guess for Mike Hart, but playing RB as a true frosh, is a hell of a lot easier then playing QB.

mrider

October 7th, 2009 at 10:48 AM ^

Yes, it was meant to be a question despite the punctuation. And I would agree that Henne's comeback against MSU was better, he didn't do it three times in his first 5 games. I mean he has consistently shown that he will not let us go down easy.

jmblue

October 7th, 2009 at 11:20 AM ^

Was it really more impressive? Consider: Henne was aided by a 200-yard rushing performance from Hart, and he was playing in the friendly confines on Michigan Stadium in windy but otherwise okay weather.

Forcier had to make do with absolutely no running game, on the road, in horrible weather. He had to drive 92 yards to tie the game with no timeouts. I think it's debateable.

Blueisgood

October 6th, 2009 at 10:09 PM ^

The one thing that stands out to me is his poise and moxie. How he always looking down field even when he's moving. Its not like he has braylon edwards to throw over the top to. he's moving around looking for the pass and if the run is there he'll go. he also don't have mike hart, or jake long blocking. He's getting it done in a different way than henne did when he came in.

imablue

October 6th, 2009 at 10:32 PM ^

There have been many great players as freshman over the
years, and I think Tate ranks up with the best of them.
He has a great ability to guide the team to come from
behind. He has 7 more chances this year, and at the end
of the season, he may be the most impressive. He's well
on his way.

tn wolverine

October 6th, 2009 at 10:42 PM ^

Tate's got something special that doesn't come along very often. Like Matt Millen said(can't believe I'd ever agree with him) he's got "it". It being moxie, confidence, intelligence, the unique ability to make something out of nothing. It comes along once in a great while you've just got to sit back and enjoy it when it happens. Back to the original question is he the best Freshman ever. I'm not quite sure at this point, but I sure do enjoy watching him doing the things he does. Beat the $uckeyes and I'll love you forever !!!!!!!!

Ellerbe is Yoda

October 6th, 2009 at 11:21 PM ^

Let's not go totally overboard. Don't forget, he was off his game most of the day on Saturday. He hit a big play to Stonum (a nice find but more of a run-after-catch type play) and then in one of his first throws on the next drive threw a ball that should have been picked that Hemingway somehow came down with. If that ball gets picked we're talking about how he had a chance at the end but he's still a Freshman, etc. etc.

Also, don't forget the play before the touchdown to Roundtree where he just flung it up for grabs. If that one gets picked off then we are talking about how he made a great drive but couldn't finish at the end.

I think we just have to keep things in perspective and enjoy watching him develop. He has shown the ability to make fantastic plays and lead us to wins (and come from behind wins!) but he has also made typical mistakes that any Freshman would make.

letsgoblue213

October 6th, 2009 at 11:23 PM ^

It's early to be able to make that conclusion quite yet, but he definitely seems to have more talent than most freshman QBs I've seen and he definitely has more composure than any I've seen. He has more composure than most good seniors though.

MCalibur

October 6th, 2009 at 11:28 PM ^

All the other guys in this discussion had an awesome supporting casts around. You take Henne, Hart, Leach, or Carter away and their teams are fine...take away Tate and we're phenomenally screwed.

All due respect to Rick Leach. His freshman year was not sweet. As a passer: 32% completion, 12 Ints, 3 TD, 680 yds. As a runner: 113 Atts, 559 yds, 5 TDs. Tate already has him beat. Sorry.

Re: Beating Ohio State. Not necessary. Michigan lost to Ohio State at home in 2004, 21 - 37. Hart was meh rushing 18 times for 61 yds and 1 TD. Henne put up nice numbers but passed 54 (!) times for 328 yds and 2 TDs. That game was not close at all; OSU was up 34-14 by the time we scored our third TD almost halfway through the 4th quarter. Carter also lost as a freshman at home to OSU, 18 - 15. Leach also lost to OSU at home as a freshman, 21 - 14. If Tate pulls that trick off...dude...

Notre Dame and Indiana were beaten by the will of Tate Forcier. Recall the poor O-line play, dropped passes, shoddy back 6 tackling (Warren exempted) vs. MSU...and we still had a Forcier's chance.

More data will only push the bar ever more unattainably higher. Circumstance for circumstance Tate Forcier is the best freshman Michigan has ever seen.

MCalibur

October 7th, 2009 at 12:45 AM ^

Henne was supposed to be second string but Guts got hurt during practice the week before the first game that year. With out that injury we wouldn't have seen Henne as a freshmen except for maybe mop up duty.

Also, broader point holds. Forcier is more valuable to this team than Henne was to his team.

Ellerbe is Yoda

October 7th, 2009 at 5:55 AM ^

Keep in mind that Henne was not the starter coming out of camp his Freshman year. We lost an early game to a pathetic Notre Dame team mainly because it was Henne's 2nd or 3rd game as a true Freshman and we felt we couldn't open the playbook.

Plug in an uninjured, 3rd year player in Matt Gutierrez who was by all accounts a very good QB and I bet we beat ND and then who knows from there. Keep in mind that the supporting cast around this QB was ridiculous- obviously everyone remembers that this was Braylon's last year and Hart as a freshman, but this team also had Avant, Breaston, Massaquoi, Ecker as weapons. Not to mention Long, Baas, Stenavich, etc. on the line.