Umichmadness

December 3rd, 2011 at 3:09 AM ^

as his recruitment was coming to an end last year, he made a series of videos pretending to commit to all of the schools that he was considering, only to immediately decommit in the next one. I thought it was pretty childish and attention seeking, but at the same time I still wanted to see him in a maize & blue uni.

Zone Left

December 2nd, 2011 at 9:05 PM ^

Personally, we should offer Demar Dorsey a scholarship over any other JUCO/transfer. Even after finishing Three and Out, I feel like Michigan didn't do right by him.

Zone Left

December 2nd, 2011 at 9:15 PM ^

Most of Michigan's state schools already have transfer agreements with Dorsey's community college already. U of M doesn't, however.

Regardless, Michigan agreed to offer him a scholarship. Not following through on that isn't acceptable. If Michigan wants to not accept a guy for academic reasons, I'm totally cool with it. However, in my opinion, if Michigan accepts an LOI, they need to follow through on that commitment. They knew Dorsey had academic issues.

Zone Left

December 2nd, 2011 at 9:25 PM ^

Michigan's athletic department is a $100 million plus business. If they can't do basic background checks on the most important people in the department, then they deserve to be embarrassed. If an LOI is binding to a player, then it should be binding to a university. The university is the sophisticated player in the relationship.

It's not like they didn't know he was attending two "high schools."

Belisarius

December 2nd, 2011 at 9:37 PM ^

You're not looking at the bigger picture. Dorsey had other scholarship offers...lots of them. When someone with that much talent doesn't land anywhere, it's because he can't. No one would take him. A LOI is not an obligation to feed and house a student who can't qualify to attend class and a player who can't qualify to play on the field. That's why Louisville wouldn't take him either, and they would if they could.

And no, the AD does not hire detectives what have you to investigate for possible academic shenanigans. Dorsey's situation is not any more egregious than Kinard's, Conway's, Witty's and all too many other recent recruits here, which is why Hoke has tip-toed around high risk high reward targets like Burbridge and Diggs, right or wrong. But, more broadly, academic ineligibility is a common problem which keeps platers out of the schools they signed with every year, all across the country. JUCO's are full of them. Dorsey was not exppecially different. Somehow a myth has simply emerged that Dorsey was sacrificed on the altar of anti-RR-ism. I'm not even sure how that came about.

 

Zone Left

December 2nd, 2011 at 9:51 PM ^

To me, it's an example of my problems with the whole system. If Demar Dorsey signs an LOI, he can't even talk to another school without permission, much less change his mind. If the school, the sophisticated player with enormous resources, changes its mind, Demar Dorsey is left scrambling.

If Michigan, a school that purports to stand for something beyond the bare minimum isn't willing to follow through on a mutual commitment made to a 17/18 year old, that's not acceptable. Dorsey was a disaster, but Michigan knew he was a disaster. He was a serious risk going in, Michigan shouldn't have offered if it wouldn't accept him.

As for the detective thing, they should be doing a background check on prospective players. If schools aren't something is wrong.

Belisarius

December 2nd, 2011 at 10:02 PM ^

You keep saying "Michigan" but your beef should really be with RR. He was the one who courted this target. The question of eligibility is considered by the school itself later.

As to the system, players are not ALLOWED to sign LOI until a specific time for a reason...so they take time to consider their options. And if a student parts ways with a school, he is allowed to go elsewhere. Dorsey was able to play at a different school if he was qualified to do so. He was not qualified. It seems to me you're forgetting that these are schools....the players who attend them have to be students. It's not the same a professional, contractual obligation.

Schools do what they can to honor their LOIs. That's why players who are injured aren't uncerimoniously booted when their careers are over, but are given medical scholarships. But even they have to go if they cannot pass the minimum requirements demanded from students. There's nothing unreasonable about that.

Zone Left

December 2nd, 2011 at 10:04 PM ^

Rich Rodriguez didn't offer an LOI to anyone. The University of Michigan offers LOIs. The coach is a representative of the school. The school has a responsibility to know to whom it offers those scholarships.

That said, we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one...or breakdance fight.

ForeverVoyaging

December 2nd, 2011 at 10:11 PM ^

So, suppose the University of Michigan gives me an academic scholarship contigent upon maintaining good academic standing. I turn around and fail all my classes and lose the scholarship. Is the university still to blame?

I think you're forgetting that the LOI is contigent upon the scholarship recipient living up to their end of the bargain. The Admissions department, shockingly enough, can't predict the future.

M-Wolverine

December 3rd, 2011 at 2:01 PM ^

Scholarship offered. Sign LOI in February. Proceed to fail all your winter classes because you've got it made. Don't graduate high school. Are we still required to honor out commitment? In the above suggestion, we are. Dorsey isn't much different. He couldn't come through with final grades and classes that would make him eligible (anywhere, apparently). We can not offer guys like that. Or we can take chances. But we can't admit inadmissible people.

WolvinLA2

December 2nd, 2011 at 9:21 PM ^

That's really not true.  They didn't know the extent of his academic issues.  That still might be on us, but this is not uncommon.  Lots of school sign guys to an LOI only to find out afterward that the academics didn't come through.  A similar thing happened with Witty and Marcus Witherspoon, and that LB from Toussaint's HS whose name I'm forgetting.

It's on the player to get their grades in order.  If they don't, there's no promise there's a spot the next year. 

I'm not saying we shouldn't go after Dorsey if we can, but I don't think we have an obligation to either.

Zone Left

December 2nd, 2011 at 9:30 PM ^

Yeah, but the red flags were all there. If they were unsure, they shouldn't have offered him.

I see no difference between Dorsey's scenario and LSU cutting an incoming Freshman for not being one of the top 85 kids on the team. If a university stands for something better than everyone else, then it needs to do more than just follow the rules.  They offered a scholarship. Dorsey wasn't any more academically acceptable when they offered than when they denied him admission. At least give him a conditional admit based on his first year's performance and make him redshirt.

Belisarius

December 2nd, 2011 at 9:42 PM ^

The scenario you suggest is not accurate. Only the dirtiest schools would cut a player because he doesn't pan out. Every school in the country cuts players who are ineligible. This includes players who were academic risks when they signed on. They do this if the player is ineligible before he steps on campus or if he becomes ineligible after two years. By your reasoning, Michigan is equally culpable for not holding a place for Sean Conway this year and for booting Tate Forcier after flunked out.

These are student athletes, not feudal vassals. More than their oath of allegience is required of them, and they understand this. They are students and have to perform.

Zone Left

December 2nd, 2011 at 9:56 PM ^

I think it is accurate. As I understand it, Michigan retroactively decided his situation wasn't academically acceptable. If Dorsey had flunked out after signing the LOI, then fine, retract the offer. This was different. They decided what he had done wasn't going to work for Michigan, but the situation was terrible before he signed the LOI. Michigan should know better or should suffer the consequences.

Belisarius

December 2nd, 2011 at 9:24 PM ^

Dorsey was toxic. Nobody was taking him, which is why he wound up in Grand Rapids CC, and even they took some time to ponder that, before saying "this is a place for second chances."

I'm rooting for Dorsey finding his way in the world, as much as anyone. Michigan did not fail him, though. There was no latitude to honor his scholarship, and that was the fault of nobody in Ann Arbor.

AlwaysBlue

December 2nd, 2011 at 9:42 PM ^

Similar but for different reasons.  The international designation at the airport has to do with the length of the runway (as I recall) and it's capacity to accommodate international flights.  State, similarly, has the capacity to accept national recruits.  In both cases it just means they can, doesn't mean they do.

Belisarius

December 2nd, 2011 at 9:19 PM ^

I think, in all fairness, it's reasonable to observe two points: first, he did reasonably well for a true freshman (242 yards on 24 catches, w/ 2TD) on a fairly pedestrian team...well, actually on a doormat team. On the other hand, he doesn't really have the body type of the WRs Hoke and Co. have been pursuing. A (dishonest) 6-1, 175 lbs. receiver is a little slotty compared to the Avant-brand guys Hoke has been reeling in.