camaron cheeseman

the "mom's retiring" leap [Patrick Barron]
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Dudes Get Drafted 2021
Ace • May 4, 2021 • 12:00pm

The NFL Draft is a nice weekend because no matter how the football team did the previous season, Michigan fans can be assured they'll see a Wolverine achieve a professional dream every single year since 1938, a streak unmatched by any school except USC. That run continued in last weekend's 2021 edition, though Michigan State's 80-year streak was snapped. Tragic.

Michigan had eight players drafted, tied for the fifth-most of any college with Florida—Alabama and (sigh) Ohio State had the most with ten, followed by Georgia and Notre Dame. Other Big Ten programs with at least three selections were Penn State (6), Iowa (4), Northwestern (3, including two first-rounders), and Wisconsin (3). That number is a bit misleading in terms of how much talent the Wolverines fielded last season, though:

Sorry, sorry, this was supposed to be fun. Let's take a look at where the former Wolverines were picked and the roles they project to play at the next level.

DE Kwity Paye, Indianapolis Colts, Round 1, 21st overall

This is why the draft is worth watching:

Paye was the second defensive end off the board in what's considered a down year for edge rushers. He joins a solid Indianapolis front four that could use some pass-rushing pop from strongside end, where he'll be in competition to start right away—as a first-round pick he'll get every opportunity to take hold of the job.

His disciplined run defense and high-level athleticism should translate right away, and the expectation is his pass-rushing production will improve with development (and not playing in front of M's 2020 secondary). He'll at least be a consistent rotation player.

No matter what, Paye's estimated $7.3 million signing bonus will afford his mom plenty of leisure time.

[Hit THE JUMP]

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Power is set to be the #1 pick, probably [James Coller]
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Unverified Voracity Loves One-And-One
Brian • April 19, 2021 • 3:51pm

Sponsor note! Do you need a lawyer for business purposes such as incorporation, contracts, or getting right with government entities?

hoeglaw_thumb

Well folks I have the lawyer for you: Richard Hoeg. He's located in Northville, which is famous as the place that the best lawyers for business purposes set up shot. He's a Michigan grad—always important—and he's basically doing "MGoBlog, but a lawyer." Your Sknork* fortune awaits!

*[A sknork is a spork that also incorporates knife functionality. No, I don't know how it works. It's your company. Look up the patent.]

The right way. I mean yeah I think good coaching involves not doing things wrong.

Will Wade might disagree.

I mean he does look like Michael Rapaport. A viral video of Brian Scalabrine housing some teenager who challenged him spurred this entertaining NYT article on the phenomenon of Gym Dudes stepping to professional athletes. WNBA player Cheyenne Parker:

When asked why amateurs were so willing to challenge journeymen basketball players, Parker said: “The same reason why a guy that I would never, ever give a chance to, still has that confidence to come and approach me and ask for my number. You know? It’s the same type of confidence that these people have to even think that they can beat a professional.”

Also, Brian Scalabrine has issues!

He said professional athletes, even retired ones, have an extra gear that an average person cannot tap into. He referred to it as the “dark place.”

“I would always say things, like in a game, ‘If I miss this next shot, my kids are going to die,’” Scalabrine said. “I would say that to myself, just to get through, just to put the pressure so I can lock in and make the shot.”

Scalabrine gets it more than most because he looks more like Seth Rogen than a person who does basketball good.

[After THE JUMP: you should have to cut off a finger to call timeout]

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Monday Recruitin' Battens Down The Hatches
Brian •

Announced announcements organized again

womensfashionhats-timelessstyles

Your slightly adjusted who-is-announcing-when primer:

  • 7 PM tonight: NJ CB Jordan Fuller. Michigan, OSU, ND.
  • 9 AM, NSD: MI CB Lavert Hill. Michigan, MSU.
  • 11 AM, NSD: MI K Quinn Nordin. Michigan, USC.
  • 1 PM, NSD: NJ DE Rashan Gary. Michigan, Ole Miss, USC, Clemson.
  • 1 PM, NSD: FL WR Pie Young. Michigan, Louisville, USC.
  • 2 PM, NSD: AZ DE Connor Murphy. Michigan, USC, Oregon, ASU.
  • 3PM, NSD: CA TE Devin Asiasi. Michigan, USC, UCLA, UW, Bama.
  • 3PM, NSD: CA DT Boss Tagaloa. Michigan, USC, UCLA, UW.

Fuller's decision tonight

NJ CB Jordan Fuller seems to have successfully kept everyone in the dark about his final destination until this morning when Lorenz CB'd him to Ohio State, reporting that Michigan's coaching staff does not expect to come out on top. Before that both sides of the presumed Michigan/Ohio State battle had more or less thrown their hands up and said "dunno." Bill Kurelic just yesterday:

In the case of Fuller things have become tighter since I did my Crystal Ball of Fuller to the Buckeyes right before Fuller’s in-home visits – Michigan has staged a rally and is a very real threat and Notre Dame has not given up in their chase.

He still thinks OSU but hedged that very hard. Webb related that this is a "dogfight" and that things are 50/50.

If Lorenz is correct that's a bit irritating. Yesterday Fuller retweeted a Michigan edit and then a bunch of tweets from Michigan commits showing him the proverbial love. And… uh… some guy playing Counterstrike with an MGoUser told said user that Fuller would go to M, so we had that going for us. I just wanted Counterstrike guy to be right, really.

Double silent commit is extra ninja

Brandon Justice set off a 600+ comment thread here by reporting a "surprising pickup" on the twitters:

He'd later reiterate that, yes, the gentleman in question has a commitable offer. Steve Lorenz reported that Justice's information was indeed legit but declined to steal the guy's scoop. In the aftermath everyone from TX OL Greg Little to USA ADM Chester A. Nimitz has been mentioned as a possibility.

6_3863931

viiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiic(?)

Of late most speculation in the non-ludicrous category has centered on CA QB Vic Viramontes, a former commit and MGo fave-rave. Webb posted a potentially-related note about Vic's resurgence on Michigan's board, as Harbaugh has a "special appreciation" for the guy. Sam says he'll be one to watch through signing day.

We're putting him back on our best guess list based on that chatter and because it hurts too much to keep tearfully deleting it.

Hello again: Nate Johnson

TN WR Nate Johnson's trip to Notre Dame was apparently as disastrous as Brady Hoke's most recent, resulting in a parting of the ways between the Irish and Johnson.

With ND out of the picture, Johnson's nominal commit gets far less nominal. He visited Miami, was committed to Purdue, and fielded an offer from in-state Tennessee; of those schools only the 'Canes seem like any threat, and there was minimal buzz coming off his official there. Wiltfong believes Johnson will stick in the Michigan class, and that makes sense.

The last hurdle there is whether Michigan wants to spend the scholarship, but NJ WR Donald Stewart committing to Stanford probably answers that question. As a reminder, yes, Nate Johnson can play football:

He's a guy Michigan went after with many other options available. It is very good to have him back in the fold.

[after THE JUMP: your very very last Gary panic of the week, admittedly speculative Bossiasi CB explanation]

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