What recruit not committing to Michigan hurt the most in recent years
December 14th, 2011 at 10:04 AM ^
Markevious Bingo was a Star Wars era bounty hunter, no?!
December 14th, 2011 at 3:24 PM ^
That is a debate that could rage for awhile. Granted, Barkevious is traditional, but Markevious has a certain unique ring to it.
December 14th, 2011 at 10:08 AM ^
Good Lists
I haven't seen Percy Harvin listed. We were in his top 5 or so, although I think it was really a Florida/USC battle. What a game breaker. Imagine him lined up with Super Mario in the same backfield.
December 14th, 2011 at 11:41 AM ^
I still regret missing out on Munchie Legaux.... the name... would have been awesome.
December 14th, 2011 at 9:58 AM ^
Despite what happened at OSU, I've got to go with Pryor. He got OSU in trouble because he was a head case, but he had lots of company, and his coach was a cheater. RichRod was not a cheater.
Pryor would have made a huge difference on the 2008 team. Huge. With Pryor at QB, there's a good chance that we win a few more close games and go to a bowl game that year. The scores in the Penn State and OSU games are more respectable. RichRod is validated. More people buy in. History changes. Dramatically, I think. Pryor coming to Michigan would have changed the course of history ala Back to the Future. Pryor would have been to RichRod was Halo was to the original X-Box.
December 14th, 2011 at 11:08 AM ^
Pryor would have made a huge difference in 2008. Hands down. Regardless of the off the field stuff, he would have made that team instantly much better. I actually thought that the Michigan offense with RR better suited him as he could rely on his running ability and not so much on his passing. He was college-ready from day 1 and could have started instantly on a team that was desperate for a spread QB.
December 14th, 2011 at 11:28 AM ^
We win at least 7 games that year maybe even 8 because our defense was still some what good.... Crazy how one player can really change a TEAM sport
December 14th, 2011 at 2:38 PM ^
Pryor in 2008 would have been an ultra-special case. A perfect storm made the Michigan QB position in 2008 the single most critical point of failure for as long as I have been watching Michigan football.
Would I have enjoyed life a little bit more if we had landed Jonathan Hankins, Jai Eugene, or Ted Ginn, Jr? Possibly. But I think that a stud dual threat guy in Rodriguez's first year would have had more long term impact on the program than any other guy that Michigan has ever whiffed on. In 2008, there was probably some threshold win level at which Rodriguez would have had enough credibility to prevent the wolves coming out to feed. I think that 6-6 in the regular season plus a crappy bowl win would have been enough. That would mean no Freep jihad, more buy-in, and fewer defections.
December 14th, 2011 at 7:24 PM ^
The big theory when RR was hired was that his first year is usually not that great but a good jump occurs in the second year once the players know the system. However, that didn't happen with one of the bigger reasons probably being RR had a true freshman starting at QB and 2nd string. Had RR gotten Pryor then in 2009 he has a QB with a year under his belt in the offense and maybe that jump that so many envisioned actually would have happened.
A medicore 7-6 season in 2008 followed a 2009 with the jump that was anticipated probably finds RR in a comfortable position heading into 2010 instead of being on an extremely hot seat.
December 14th, 2011 at 10:00 AM ^
Beanie Wells - who was OSU all the way, don't get me wrong - may have tipped the scales in favor of Michigan in '06 and '07.
December 14th, 2011 at 10:01 AM ^
Joe Mauer, D J Williams, Jerome Bettis
December 14th, 2011 at 10:02 AM ^
Does everyone keep mentioning Ty isaac as if he already committed to us? If I wasn't mistaken were in good shape but doesn't ND lead?
December 14th, 2011 at 10:05 AM ^
To make up for the sting of not getting Dunn?
December 14th, 2011 at 11:18 AM ^
It is very close though
December 14th, 2011 at 10:04 AM ^
Love the post-Dunn reactionary threads. Always entertaining to watch people flip their opinions once a guy commits elsewhere.
December 14th, 2011 at 10:07 AM ^
If an 18 year old kid whom I've never met isn't going to go to the school that I think he should go to, he can't expect to have my support or even for me to be intellectually honest about his playing skills. That's fair, right?
December 14th, 2011 at 10:39 AM ^
Or did you know that? I can't tell who means what anymore.
December 14th, 2011 at 10:04 AM ^
Demar Dorsey. That one hurt for reasons other than the topic of the original post.
December 14th, 2011 at 10:10 AM ^
A solid DE can be a game changer. I would have liked both NIc Perry and Tom Gholston to be on the defense for Michigan.
December 14th, 2011 at 10:18 AM ^
They all hurt. But missing out on Watkins and Dee Hart are two that stand out. In looking at our roster it seems we need game breakers on offense (I'm thinking life after Denard) and those two would really help...
December 14th, 2011 at 10:43 AM ^
because it was just such a stupid gambit by RR. We had an overwhelming need at DT and RR slow played the kid because he got tired at a junior camp. I guess he wasn't tired enough to play as a true freshman and start as a sophomore for our biggest rival. Just a terrible miscalculaiton amongst many by RR and his staff.
December 14th, 2011 at 11:48 AM ^
IDK. He's still uh, a bit heavy... and he had all of 3 tackles in the game. I'm not impressed.
EDIT: he also had a TFL.
December 14th, 2011 at 10:54 AM ^
The first two that come to mind are Nick Perry and Tyrelle Pryor. Both would have made a huge impact, imo. Also, I'm not convinced Pryor turns out EXACTLY the same because we don't harbor that kind of atmosphere in Ann Arbor.
The next two are Kris Frost and Dee Hart.
December 14th, 2011 at 11:08 AM ^
Kobe Bryant
December 14th, 2011 at 11:21 AM ^
Jim Harbaugh 2008 recruit
December 14th, 2011 at 11:24 AM ^
Rick Mirer. We had a good chance at him and given that he won those 4 Heisman trophies like Beano Cook predict......wait, wut?
December 14th, 2011 at 2:34 PM ^
It was Ron Powlus who won the 4 Heismans. Don't you get ESPN Classic?
December 14th, 2011 at 11:26 AM ^
The real list is the kids we got and MSU wanted - - don't know where to begin.
December 14th, 2011 at 11:28 AM ^
December 14th, 2011 at 12:20 PM ^
In theory, you can make the case that Justin stays, doesn't make up the family values BS, and now Hoke has a decent FB, and OSU is out 2 starters.
I think Watkins, but was curious to you all's thoughts!
December 14th, 2011 at 7:13 PM ^
RR's offense doesn't really utilize a fullback. Since Zach was never going to get an offer from RR not sure if that is one UM 'missed out on'. I'm guessing the OP is looking more at players/recruits UM was going after and failed to land.
December 14th, 2011 at 1:12 PM ^
ironically the guy who wrangled him away is now on staff
December 14th, 2011 at 2:32 PM ^
The most impactful misstep doesn't have anything to do with a particular recruit but rather with giving guys a 5th year in the 2006 season rather than signing new recruits. That year we only signed 19 high school players while offering a 5th year to guys like Carl Tabb and Darnell Hood who had little/no impact on the field the following season.
Essentially you are talking about 4-5 players who weren't around for the next four years. People have already mentioned the 2006 OSU game with respect to other players we missed out on signing, but having a couple extra freshmen DBs may have turned out to be the difference in that game. They certainly would have had a chance to see the field in the early part of 2007. Another option aside from Obi Ezeh at middle linebacker may have improved the defense going forward for a few years. One or two extra senior safeties on the roster could have prevented the disastrous depth chart we saw in the second half of the 2009 season (Mike Williams, guys you can round up on campus, air).
Just a handful of run of the mill 3-star recruits could have made a huge difference in any/all of those areas. While over-signing is really bad, you also have to be careful not to under-sign or risk doing serious damage to your roster down the road.
December 14th, 2011 at 3:06 PM ^
Darius Winston, Ronald Johnson, Nick Perry, Daquinta Jones, Mark Ingram.......been quite a few over the years......last few years in the carr era and the rich rod especially.
December 14th, 2011 at 3:24 PM ^
They all want to play for Michigan and we have good coaches in place to develop their skills! I'm sure we'll sign a quality RB who will help with depth and perhaps compete for starting time in a few years. If Dunn really wanted to play for OSU, then he made the right choice.
December 14th, 2011 at 3:24 PM ^
Not even close. Pryor has to be number 1. Not using hindsight to our benefit, this can not be argued (at least in the last 5 years or so - I haven't been paying attention to recruiting for much longer than that). Pryor's recruitment brought all this stuff to a whole new level. He was the number 1 recruit in the country, dragged it out til PAST signing day, and he played a position that was CRUCIAL to this new cool offense that our new cool coach ran.
Past that, others that hurt a bunch were...
Dee Hart
Sean Parker
Jake Fisher
Anthony Zettel
Sammy Watkins
ALL DT's in the last 5 years that we've lost out on - especially the 2 that switched on signing day in 08(?, or 09?)
December 14th, 2011 at 5:59 PM ^
Reggie Williams - WR Washington Huskies
Derek Jeter
Eric Lindross
December 14th, 2011 at 7:59 PM ^
Terelle Pryor, hands down-
UM could have used some character guys like Terelle.
Eats hard work and discipline for breakfast and shits out free cars and gold coins.
Personality plus, now hes ripping it up in the "L" - shine on, you crazy diamond...
December 15th, 2011 at 2:43 PM ^
Because it would have been nice to have that pipeline in recruiting for the past 10 years