BradP

January 3rd, 2012 at 10:47 AM ^

I had read that part of the problem is that he said something about coming to Michigan State university before he even requested a release from UT.

I believe he was also down to MSU and UT before going to UT, he presumably has had tons of contact with the MSU staff, but Hoke's staff was hired on after Arnett was already two-months committed, and MSU's returning receiving corps combined for four receptions this year.

I gotta say he is most likely gonna be green.

UMICH1606

January 3rd, 2012 at 11:40 AM ^

If the Vols thought there was any contact with Arnett or Arnett's family by MSU or UM before they released him from the school they could file tampering charges. I doubt UM would participate in any such activity seeming how UM is on probation at the moment.

PurpleStuff

January 3rd, 2012 at 11:31 AM ^

Our leading receiver only caught 32 passes this year.  The whole "pro-style offense" is still just something the coaches say at this point and doesn't really reflect how the team played this year and presumably will next year with Denard at the helm (which isn't a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination).  Even though Arnett can't see the field for a while, he might not simply take it on faith that we are going to throw a lot more in the future.

beachbum69

January 3rd, 2012 at 12:23 PM ^

Because there will be Denard passing to him? And then Gardner?

Anything resembling a pro style QB will not be on the field until his final year at the earliest. Can't expect him to wait forever, especially if he wants to go pro after his junior year. He has to see that MSU has an elite 11, pro style AB taking the reigns now and if that wasn't enough, he has already worked out with the kid a ton during his recruitment.

jmblue

January 3rd, 2012 at 12:36 PM ^

Denard won't be passing to him unless he gets a special waiver for instant eligibility from the NCAA. 

Gardner, for all practical purposes, is a pro-style QB.  He's much more of a pocket passer than Denard.  When he's starting, he won't be carrying the ball 20 times a game.  If Denard is a running QB who can throw, Gardner's the opposite.

PurpleStuff

January 3rd, 2012 at 1:02 PM ^

I agree with you completely on Devin's skill-set, but I still see this very much being a run first offense with him at the helm.  Jason Campbell never ran and only put up 270 attempts as a senior under Borges (Barkley and Luck both eclipsed 400 this year).  Through 12 games we've thrown the ball 82 times less than we even did last year.  We ran the ball 2/3 of the time and seemed to throw it even less as the year went on.

Al Borges has never coached in the NFL and doesn't run a "pass to set up the run" offense like Weis or Bill Callahan.  He is a ground oriented, college offensive coordinator.  His only really pass happy season came at SDSU with Lindley, two NFL wideouts, and a team playing a bunch of close, high scoring games. 

Even if Devin has the ability to be an NFL quarterback, I still don't think we'll see him throwing the ball all over the field at Michigan.  I also think that is a very good thing.

 

jmblue

January 3rd, 2012 at 3:45 PM ^

I'm not necessarily saying that we'll be a pass-first offense, but I don't think we'll ask Gardner to be a primary rushing threat.  He'll get some carries, but not as many as Denard - maybe 10 a game.  The RB will be the primary runner.  I think we'll probably end up throwing about as much as we did in the Carr years, though, which was still enough for our WRs to put up big numbers.

PurpleStuff

January 3rd, 2012 at 4:01 PM ^

I really don't think Borges wants to throw it more than 20-25 times a game if his ground game is clicking.  He also brings a lot more variety to the table than we saw under Carr, especially toward the end of his tenure (zone almost exclusively), to keep the defense off balance.  I could see Gardner taking about half of Denard's carry load (8-10 a game, roughly half on scrambles) with the other half going to a second running back or a versatile fullback like Hopkins and still see us being a very run oriented team, even if it is done in a more conventional fashion.

That's my hope anyway.

jmblue

January 3rd, 2012 at 12:34 PM ^

Is our depth chart much different?  Hemingway, Odoms and Grady are gone after this season and Stonum and Roundtree will be seniors next year.  The only underclassman who has gotten any real playing time is Gallon.

scooterf

January 3rd, 2012 at 10:27 AM ^

Glad for him. I hope he goes blue instead of green, but at this point I don't mind either way - I'm just glad he gets to be close to his family. He handled the situation well. 

expatriate

January 3rd, 2012 at 10:29 AM ^

Horrible PR will do that to you after a while.  Tennessee has gone out of their way these last few years to become a second-rate program, and this was not helping.  I wouldn't be surprised if some non-AD higher-ups at the university forced this one on Dooley after a while.

Logan

January 3rd, 2012 at 10:40 AM ^

It was a horrible PR move by Dooley and I'm sure he's taken a lot of slack for this and some of the other things that have come out. But in the end, it looks like he's doing the right thing even if it meant backtracking...he deserves credit.

JohnnyBlue

January 3rd, 2012 at 10:41 AM ^

so MSU would prolly take him straight up, we prolly would only if we have a slot open (we wiff on a guy and there is no good "backup" option) and or we have another opening the coaches know about that we don't yet.  You guys think he just goes MSU for the sure spot, or waits around till feb to see if we have a slot for him

wlubd

January 3rd, 2012 at 10:48 AM ^

Don't think we'd hesitate to take him. Realistic chance this class doesn't grow past 26 or 27 which leaves room for him anyway. And Arnett is a very good player who even if he doesn't get a waiver would be way ahead of any 2012/13 WR recruit once he's able to see the field.

Conventional wisdom says we have a spot in this class for 'best available' and very easy to see Arnett filling that.

wlubd

January 3rd, 2012 at 12:19 PM ^

Yeah but at this point they're one in the same. We can have a class of 28 if there's room but we only have room for 26 right now and barring unexpected attrition will only get to 28. Fitting in Arnett would probably limit the class to 27.

Which given the number of guys we're still after and various interest levels is probably where the class would finish anyway.

 

UMICH1606

January 3rd, 2012 at 11:18 AM ^

Well I have to disagree. He was a huge UM fan growing up but did not want to play in a spread. He has worked out with Maxwell before, but he is good friends with Devin, would love to play with him, and may have even chosen Michigan at the time offense be damned had Devin been the starter by the time he made his decision. I'd say UM gets first crack if admissions can accept his transfer and Hoke and Co. wants him.

ChasingRabbits

January 3rd, 2012 at 10:43 AM ^

I think DA's first choice will be UM, childhood fav and friends with Gardner.  But will we have the room?

 

I sure hope so, he would be a play maker we desperately need in the WR corps.

tjl7386

January 3rd, 2012 at 10:48 AM ^

Correct me if I am wrong but I don't think room is so much of an issue. He would count against our total scholarship count not the 2012 recruiting class if I am not mistaken. With us being thing at WR in the coming years if he wants to come to Michigan then IMO he is blue.

JohnnyBlue

January 3rd, 2012 at 10:51 AM ^

well we have 26 schollie slots right now.  28 if you count the two obvious fifth years who won't be back if we need the slots. to go full class + arnett you need to find another scholorship, and I just don't see another fifth year guy you can ask not to come back, so were stuck at 28 unless there is attrition (which is likely in a normal season)

JohnnyBlue

January 3rd, 2012 at 1:00 PM ^

wok one moer question lets say we do 27 + DA, can you still count 3 toards 2011 leaving us at 24 for this year?  that way we can sign 26 next year (I don't think there is that much room, but you never know what happens with attrition, we started this year in the upper teens available)

CRex

January 3rd, 2012 at 10:53 AM ^

 

I know this is not going to be popular, but do we want this kid?  

Arnett's dad has been having serious medical problems since he was 14 or there abouts.  His family was taking in significant government benefits since that time (see his open letter here).  I realize Mr. Arnett has had heart attacks and the like since then, but the whole major concern over health seems specious considering the length of time Mr. Arnett has had serious health problems due to his lung disease (he retired on disability when DeAnthony was 14).  DeAnthony also knew his checks would be cut and all the economic problems his household would face prior to signing a letter to attend UT.

UT is clearly not in a good place right now.  The coach who recruited DeAnthony Arnett (who was also his posistion coach) left.  Other members of the staff just resigned to go take a job at Washington, a lateral move at best.  I understand DeAnthony wanting to get out of there and I think giving the turnover on the coaching staff he has the right to ask for his release, but I'm not sure if I like how he played the family health card.  I just keep feeling like he used his family's pre exsisting struggle to avoid having to say "You know what, I don't like the turnover and instability on the staff, I'm out".  Or for that matter say "Look I made a mistake going so far from home, I need to be closer to my family due to the ongoing health issues."  Instead he makes it sound like all these health problems just happened, when in reality DeAnthony willingly decided to move multiple states away from his sick father.  I'm not sure if I like that method of getting a transfer.  We talk about wanting high character kids after all.  

I hate to rip on a kid who has a sick father, but the way DeAnthony acts like he's the blameless victim in all this.  See the closing line of his letter: "And he's neglecting the fact my father is severely ill."  In reality though the father was ill before DeAnthony left Michigan and that illness wasn't seen as a deal breaker back then.  I feel like DeAnthony needs to step up and remember he willing left his sick father to attend UT.  So he's not exactly the paragon of being concerned of his family's health here.  It just sounds bad to be saying "I want to be closer to my sick dad" when you turned down Michigan and MSU offers to leave said sick father and play multiple states away a year ago.

Maybe I worry too much, but I wonder what cards he plays if he isn't happy here.  Plus of course this whole messy transfer thing aside, we don't really want to be playing against him.  He is clearly a talented player.  

(Also all this being said, Dooley should have just said "No SEC schools" and let him walk.  That's always the right thing to do.)