Zeke Pike to make decision this week per 247Sports
SWiltfong247 Steve Wiltfong
April 18th, 2011 at 12:14 PM ^
He's picking Purdue so that he can switch to Michigan on signing day.
The Snake Oil!
Am I the only one tired of the snake oil meme? I mean, I'm more tired of that than Danny Hope.
Bob Griese, Drew Brees, or Kyle Orton ever made it to the NFL after they left Purdue or anything
April 18th, 2011 at 11:13 AM ^
I don't know if I laughed harder at the photo or Pike having Purdue on his final list.
April 18th, 2011 at 11:15 AM ^
If for some far fetched reason he actually goes to Purdue, you know he is probably growing a thick ass mustache.
April 18th, 2011 at 11:26 AM ^
but then I remembered he wants early PT.
April 18th, 2011 at 11:09 AM ^
Finalists:
Given that final list, I'd say it will be between Michigan and Auburn (most likely). I'm going to try and stay optimistic and expect Michigan. A Pike commitment would be gigantic as it could set in motion the foundation of a super class. At the same time, if he doesn't pick us, it's not the end of the world either. We can still get a great class with another QB. And I agree with others we should take one QB in this class.
April 18th, 2011 at 11:12 AM ^
It may very well be Auburn but I don't really see Pike flourishing in their offense unless they really tweak their offense to his style (which I think they can). He also will have to battle with Kiehl Frazier but other than that, Auburn's QB depth isn't very good. We'll have to see.
April 18th, 2011 at 11:31 AM ^
Gus Malzahn has been known as an air it OC for years. Last year was more him tweeking the offense to the incredible talent that Newton had. Pike is a good QB, and if Malzahn goes back to his old ways from his high school and Tusla days (his 2007 Tusla team passed for over 5000 yards, behind only Hawai'i and Texas Tech) then a QB should get plenty of pass attempts.
I hope Pike doesn't know about that, but there's a good chance he has been made aware that a shift to a more pass friendly (though still run balanced offense due to their great talent at the RB position) is in order going forward.
April 18th, 2011 at 11:12 AM ^
I think Michigan has a sweet shot, Auburn signed that Fraizer kid out of Arkansas and he is a legit talent and would be a huge cock block to get early playing time. I think Clemson is where he'll go, if michigan can snag him, oh man we would get a monster class!
April 18th, 2011 at 11:47 AM ^
love the use of cock block. bravo, sir!
April 18th, 2011 at 11:13 AM ^
April 18th, 2011 at 11:17 AM ^
In Hoke I Trust!!!!! Zeke will be wearing the Winged Helmet next year. I can just feel it.
He is still a junior, that's still a year and a quarter of high school, let's not get too amped up just yet.
High school kids don't play football into January.
Next year (2012) he will be graduating high school, but he will be wearing his college team's uni in the fall.
April 18th, 2011 at 11:18 AM ^
April 18th, 2011 at 11:19 AM ^
Not a huge shock really. We have two more years of Denard. Then assuming Devin gets his medical RS we get two years of Devin. Plus we have Bellamy on the bench and redshirting (I assume/hope). Bellamy might only be a 3 star but he came out a strong Texas league and he looked good playing in that league. We're not really an attractive depth chart right now for a young QB. The Michigan fan in me wants him of course but if I understand.
This is the year you take a career backup so you have depth but you also don't assume they'll ever be anything more than the human victory cigar you stick in for the 4th quarter against EMU.
April 18th, 2011 at 11:20 AM ^
Y'all are a bunch of defeatists.
April 18th, 2011 at 11:54 AM ^
I'm Lithuanian
April 18th, 2011 at 12:04 PM ^
Kats are quick to give up on any possibility that Zeke will commit to us. Who knows, maybe he visited Auburn and realized UM was the home for him. We don't know, lets find out. We are quick to assume with so little to base it on. Now I understand why a lot folks thought the sky was falling after 15 practices.
April 18th, 2011 at 11:23 AM ^
The timing seems like Auburn. Then again, I don't realistically see Malzahn there more than a year or two more and Chizik can't coach offense to save his life - hence Malzahn's absurd pay raise this year. And that was to keep him from Vandy. Imagine if a real SEC school offers him a job.
I also don't see Dabo Swinney lasting through this season - Clemson is one of those places where they really aren't that good but have top-ten expectations. Hell, I could see Malzahn ending up here, Clemson always seems to have talent to burn and Malzahn would be running an SEC program in the ACC. We'll see...
If it were Michigan, I feel like Tom/Sam/Scout would've been more on top of it. Hope to be pleasantly surprised because he's one heck of a player...
EDIT: I'm saying this now so I don't sound like a jilted lover if it doesn't work out with Pike, but I'm very excited about Shane Morris. Got to see him play around metro Detroit this year and he was excellent. It's not the end of the world if Pike goes South...
April 18th, 2011 at 11:46 AM ^
If Dabo Swinney is fired from Clemson in 2011, you already know their next coach:
Rich Rodriguez.
Eventually the long arm of the NCAA is going to get around to Auburn; probably right after fbi investigations conclude...
April 18th, 2011 at 11:21 AM ^
Auburn.
April 18th, 2011 at 11:43 AM ^
Yep.
April 18th, 2011 at 11:24 AM ^
Well looks like pike couldn't turn down that sec cash
April 18th, 2011 at 11:25 AM ^
Hoke should call him and tell him he forgot his wallet.. better come get it right way. That way, Ann Arbor will be fresh in his mind all week long.
April 18th, 2011 at 11:29 AM ^
247sports says something and everyone panics while admitting defeat...ridiculous. You guys love getting worked up.
April 18th, 2011 at 12:13 PM ^
He was last seen with auburn clothing on leaving chiziks office with a duffelbag marked with $$$. Looks like its going to be auburn.
April 18th, 2011 at 12:21 PM ^
he hasn't picked anyone yet, so I would suggest holding off on your jokes
Not to mention that the punchline of your joke is that an 18 year old kid (that you do not know personally) must be taking handouts if he chooses Auburn over Michigan.
That doesn't mean anything for when he'll be there. That's in the past. It's a nice piece of propaganda, but let's remember that NC was won in a "not-so-sure-it-was-legal" type of way and that could be taken away IF the NCAA decides to re-open the case (which they might after that HBO stuff). Then, it will definitely mean nothing.
as of right now, they posses that crystal ball, and that's a big recruiting tool
Wouldn't that be how a Michigan fan would want it though? Because Hoke is doing such a good job it took an unfair advantage for a 5 star qb to choose the national champs over Michigan? It would almost be the only positive if Pike chose Auburn over Michigan.
Oh please. Auburn's going to be the butt of jokes like that for a long time. And Frankly they earned that position. People aren't saying that about the kid as much as they are about the school. That said if I was Zeke Pike and saw this shit pop up when people even thought I was going somewhere else..........probably influence my decision.
Joking that Pike or others must have their hand extended because they are considering Auburn is not.
April 18th, 2011 at 12:27 PM ^
That joke is getting overplayed, not to mention it's frankly insulting to a kid who could very well commit to UM in a couple days.
April 18th, 2011 at 11:30 AM ^
the one that got away.
April 18th, 2011 at 12:58 PM ^
*slow clap*
April 18th, 2011 at 11:32 AM ^
from our previous Pike updates that he wanted to visit any additional schools? If so, then a Wed decision on the heels of an Auburn visit doesn't look good. If not, then perhaps he's seen all of his favorites and he's ready to decide.
Alos on the negative side, it appears Pike has a lot of interest in SEC schools (and Clemson, the most SEC-like ACC school). I wonder if that evidences a belief on Pike's part that he wants to/needs to play in that environment.
April 18th, 2011 at 11:36 AM ^
He always wanted to decide before the season started. This is a little sudden though.
I'm hoping that means he feels all the schools he's seen don't compare to one (us), but the realist in me says Auburn's the likely choice.
April 18th, 2011 at 11:33 AM ^
Auburn is a good choice for a kid like Zeke. That is, if he wants to attend a school that's likely to get hit with NCAA violations a few years down the road.
April 18th, 2011 at 11:34 AM ^
Y'all are a bunch of pussies. Pike went on visits to all of his main schools, decided that none of them have shit on Michigan and scheduled a press conference to make it official, he is a wolverine. Bunch of Debbie Downers here this morning.
April 18th, 2011 at 11:39 AM ^
Just spoke with Pike, he told me his finalists are Auburn, Michigan, and Purdue. He's announcing at 2:30 pm on Wednesday at his school.
I just have a weird feeling about this one. We'll see.
April 18th, 2011 at 11:41 AM ^
Is that weird feeling because Purdue is in his final 3?