How was Cullen not fast enough to play CB?
Sorry for the delay due to the holiday, but I saw a blurb on Rivals where "multiple sources" noted that CC was not fast enough to play CB. It simply was not going to work out for him here. Yes, the guy struggled last year, but he was a freshman. He also had my least favorite Michigan secondary coach giving him guidance as well so I considered last year a mulligan.
However, not being fast enough should have shown up somewhere else along the way to this year. Not like the kid was not in camps or All-Star games, I was really surprised by the comment. Was this something that was broadly known and I simply missed it? Would appreciate some insight considering this is the third secondary recruit we have signed to the team and lost via transfer who was not fast enough.
On a good defense (i.e., one with competent safety play), you can get by with corners that aren't blazing fast. The primary responsbility of a corner is to disrupt short/medium throws. On deep balls, the free safety is supposed to come over and provide help. If the offense goes four wide, the corner may not have that safety help, but at the same time, the pass protection is more limited there so the QB generally will not go deep that often.
Andre Weathers, who started opposite Woodson in '97, was not that fast, but he was quick and had the size to hold his own on the line (and against the run). He had an excellent season.
As for Christian's tackling ability, it shouldn't be surprising that he was poor in that area as a freshman. Tackling isn't an innate ability. It usually has to be developed by the staff.
We had a CB opposite Charles Woodson?
April 25th, 2011 at 11:03 PM ^
And that's how you know he did a good job.
When he ran, he just wasn't able to get as far over a given period of time.
That's like asking "if a tree falls in the woods, and no one is around to provide help over the top, will the tree get torched for six?"
Thank you for that. You made my day.
I remember during his recruitment that he seemed to lack sufficient speed. He ran like a 4.6 40 or something, and I seem to remember it being kinda slow.
He didn't even bother to lie to Rivals - he listed a 4.68 forty time. And if THAT is the lie...well...you can see the problem.
I have not seen anything on the subject in a couple of days. Is he for sure gone and what about dj williamson?
Cullen Christian is gone, yes.
Nothing certain on Williamson yet, AFAIK.
When the highest rated recruit can't beat out Avery (no knock on him, but he's not the Army All American), Talbott, and Anderson under two different staffs, he probably had more problems than speed holding him back. This isn't much different than worrying about losing Justin Turner in the short term- he wasn't going to play much anyway barring an unforseen massive improvement. At least this time they're more prepared, depthwise. I swear, if Countess shows up out of shape, lazy, or entitled I'm going to be praying for more gritty 3 stars.
perhaps he thinks that with Vinopal and Ifill being slated for Safety, he has a better shot to stay at CB. IMO, Cullen is probably looking forward to a no pressure forced redshirt year to work on his CB skills while not having to compete yet.
doubtful speed was problemo numero uno in Cullen's descent down the depth chart
He is buried on a depth chart with people who have the same eligibility as him. You have to trust the coaching staffs opinion on their depth chart. If a kid doesn't want to compete for a starting position and wants it handed to him because he was a higher rated recruit, just wish him luck and move on.
As for last years defensive coaching staff, I'd like to see some improvement in players during a season. We didn't see any at all , all we saw was Gerg making players cuddle a stuffed animal. I had the same complaint at the end of Coach Carr's career. I did'nt think Hart, Henne and Long improved at all after their freshman year. I remember an announcer during one of the games in Carrs final season complaining about Michigans strength and conditioning.
wasn't fast enough..
It remains to be seen how the new Pitt coaching staff will do on the recruiting trail, but Todd Graham and company have already landed a four-star cornerback. Former Penn Hills standout Cullen Christian is leaving Michigan and will transfer to Pitt.
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Cullen Christian is transferring to Pitt. |
"I have a final tomorrow and then I'm going home tomorrow," Christian told PantherLair.com Monday afternoon.
A four-star prospect in the class of 2010, Christian picked Michigan after compiling a double-digit list of scholarship offers. He narrowed his options to Michigan, Pitt, West Virginia, Ohio State, and UCLA, but committed to the Wolverines largely on the strength of his relationship with the coaching staff in Ann Arbor.
The key cog in that relationship was defensive backs coach Tony Gibson. But when head coach Rich Rodriguez was fired after the 2010 season and replaced with Brady Hoke, Gibson and the rest of the coaching staff were let go as well.
"I didn't come up here for the new coaching staff," Christian said Monday. "So when Coach Gibson left, it got crazy; I wanted to be with somebody who recruited me, somebody who knows me and knows what I'm about. That's why I picked Michigan in the first place, and it was a different coaching staff, I wouldn't have committed there.
"It's a good school with a big name and everything, and they reeled me in. The main thing was Coach Gibson; that was the big thing in getting me to Michigan."
When Christian got to Michigan, though, the coaching staff quickly became the only draw.
"I didn't really like it up here," Christian said. "I didn't like the campus, and really, I've miserable since I've been up here.
"I think it was just about me and what I'm used to being around; there's a difference between living in Pittsburgh and Ann Arbor. A big difference. A lot of kids like it here, and some don't. It just wasn't for me.
"So once the coaches left, there wasn't much holding me here. I was like, 'Why am I here? I don't know these coaches and they didn't recruit me.'
"I remember my dad asked me before I picked Michigan, he said, 'if the Michigan coaches were at Pitt, would you go there?' And I said I would. Now that's happening, and it's like a new beginning."
Christian, 6'1" 190, ranked among the nation's top 100 recruits in the class of 2010 and was the No. 8 cornerback prospect in addition to being ranked No. 2 overall in the state of Pennsylvania. He was also the first player in Penn Hills history to participate in the U.S. Army All-American, and he saw the field in 11 games as a true freshman at Michigan while working on special teams and as a reserve cornerback.
Due to NCAA transfer rules, he will have to sit out the 2011 season, after which he will have three years of eligibility at Pitt. The Panthers will graduate one starting corner after this season, opening an opportunity for Christian to contribute the first year he is eligible.
"It's cool to be going back home," he said. "When I decided to transfer, I was thinking about West Virginia, but then I figured I might as well go back home. My friends and family are there and I have people who haven't seen me play yet. It's good to have that support.
"At first, I was frustrated with all of this. It's not in the plans for you to commit somewhere and end up transferring. But after I thought about it, it was what I wanted to do. When I think about all the positives, with being back with the coaches I know and being back home, I'm looking forward to it. It was frustrating, but I feel better about it every day."
Christian is the second Michigan player to transfer to Pitt this spring. Safety Ray Vinopal, who also played as a true freshman in 2010, is also making the move from Ann Arbor to Pittsburgh.
I wish him the best at Pitt, it was too bad that he didn't like it. It is probably for the best for him to transfer if he was that miserable. I just hope it didn't rub off on other players.
I actually saw him the other day in the dining hall and he looked pretty small to be honest. I mean I'm 6'4" but he barely even looked like an athlete, let alone a football player. He would have gotten run over by any college WR.
Best of wishes to Cullen.