New Jabrill Peppers USA Today blog post. On Hand and Fournette: "I'm bringing both of them"
Jabrill Peppers added a blog entry. Amongst some other things he talked about recruiting. Specifically, him recruiting Da'Shawn Hand and Leonard Fournette.
I talk to Leonard Fournette and DaShawn Hand a lot about coming to Michigan.
First, with Leonard I'm trying to stress to him the importance of us having Derrick Green. Derrick is one of the best young running backs in the country and with him taking reps along with Leonard they could be the best 1-2 punch in the country.
The best part is that it would preserve him more because he's not gonna have to take on the whole load by himself. He'll get a blow and we won't lose productivity on the field. Getting those breaks will allow him to have a longer career than most running backs.
It's a win-win. Plus Leonard really understands how big a Michigan degree would be for him so I feel good about him.
Then with DaShawn, I always tell him that we can make each other better. We can really feed off of each other because we're both playing on defense. We'll put the clamps on the receivers and he'll pressure the quarterback. It's the perfect compliment with both of us on the field at the same time.
They're both really cool dudes and really serious about their academics first. That's what I love about them. They're obviously really talented and whatever they decide to do they've got a fan in me, but hopefully they'll come join Team 135 and we can all start our legacies together and bring Michigan back where I know it's supposed to be.
Do I think I can bring them with me? Well, I'm a really confident person so I feel pretty good about it. Definitely about DaShawn because of our relationship and the type of defense that we run. Leonard will be a little tougher, but they call me the commissioner so I'm gonna put it out there right here on my blog: I'm bringing both of them.
I will personally pay his alumni dues for the rest of his life. Oh, who am I kidding, I probably would anyway.
that's cool so long as you don't let him use your water hose.
If this happens I will literally shit my pants.
And by "literally shit my pants" I mean figuratively shit my pants and literally shart my pants.
Peppers, Ferns, Speight, Morris... these kids are committing and then putting Michigan first and their personal agendas second (I'm sure the other recruits are too, but these guys are putting out there for all to see).
This team first mentality is amazing.
Some USC or Miami running back can have his 1400 yards rushing and his 8-4 record... Green and Fournette can have 850 yards a piece and a ring.
Alabama just had one back rush for 1300 yards and another rush for 1100 yards on their way to winning a ring. If you build a dominant line, getting 2 guys over 1000 yards isn't a pipe dream.
We just did that two seasons ago...
I was leaving 600 yards for 5th year senior Devin Gardner
http://www.rolltide.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2012-2013/teamcume.html#TEAM.IND
It's absolutely amazing the productivity they got out of Lacy (1360 yds, 6.5 avg, 17 TD) and Yeldon (1131 yds, 6.3 avg, 12 TD). And they had another kid (Kenyon Drake) rush for 285 yds, 6.7 ypc, and 5 TD. Their top 4 rushers all averaged over 6ypc, which is staggering.
Not so much.
That one cut right to the bone. He was the first recruit I got excited about
...but the commish should have all of the facts if he's going to complete such a feat. I'm a believer. Whether is 2-2 or 0-2 I see a future leader of our defense...something Hoke has done a tremendous job at.
i realize neither Green nor Fournette have played a snap of college ball. But the combo I think about with these guys is USC's team with Reggie Bush & LenDale White, or maybe Borges' Auburn team that had Ronnie Brown & Cadillac Williams.
As a junior in 2005, LenDale White rushed for 1,302 yards, 6.6 ypc, and 24 TD. As the 2nd string guy behind a dude who won the Heisman (1,740, 8.7 ypc, 16 TD). They combined for just under 700 receiving yards and 4 more TD through the air as well. And Bush ran back kicks and punts.
I don't think you'll find a better backfield, or offense, in CFB history.
I was a little kid at the time, and it was before college football games were televised nationally on a regular basis, but the one I always wished I could have seen was the OK State team with Barry Sanders & Thurman Thomas. I think they ran the wishbone. That must have been something.
Nope, they ran the I-formation with a feature back. Sanders got only 105 carries the season before he won the Heisman (compared to Thomas's 251 carries). I remember reading an anecdote about an opposing defensive coordinator telling his team not to hurt Thomas, because then OK State would bring in Sanders.
And Ronnie Brown/Cadillac Williams (didn't have Brandon Jacobs, too?)
Was the Arkansas backfield of Darren McFadden, Felix Jones, and Peyton Hillis.
2006: McFadden (1647, 5.8ypc, 14 TD), Jones (1168, 7.6ypc, 6 TD)
2007: McFadden (1830, 5.6ypc, 16 TD), Jones (1162, 8.7ypc, 11 TD), Hillis (347, 5.6ypc, 2 TD / 537 receiving, 11ypc, 5 TD)
Of course, McFadden as a freshman in 2005 also went for over 1000 yards rushing, with 11 TD and 6.3 ypc.
The Auburn duo were solid, but not on the level production-wise of the kids from USC, Alabama, and Arkansas.
2004: Williams (1165, 4.9ypc, 12 TD) and Brown (913, 6.0ypc, 8 TD)
Holy Shit.
I obviously only follow MI football, but the active and productive role of the recent recruits in at least garnering serious looks at our programs from top seeds seems unusual (and successful). Obviously Morris was a superstar and this and then Ferns has taken it another step with the Team 135 t-shirts. Are the top 10-20 recruits getting this kind of attention from recruits at all the schools they are considering? or our the UM guys just particularly awesome, having bought right into "The Team, The Team, The Team" mantra early?
i saw how OSU has some shirts out for their recruiting class
Unfortunately the Cass Tech product that got away (Webb) is doing the leading at Ohio...
I'll take it.
i like the way he writes too!
Guess what book I'm reading right now
Juwan Howard . . . Juwan Howard NBA Champion to be exact.
typing on a phone is still an inexact science my dear friend.
Remember when we were saying that Jabrill Peppers is the highest rated recruit to ever come to Michigan??! And now he's recruiting two players ranked higher than he is???
They're obviously really talented and whatever they decide to do they've got a fan in meBravo Mr. Peppers. I think you'll be an excellent representative of this great University.
That line grabbed me as well. Peppers seems like a very mature and gracious individual as it is, and it will be very exciting to see what he will become as a player and a person in Ann Arbor.
What I really like about how the class of 2014 has been working in particular is that they've taken the passion for Michigan that the staff seems to inspire and tried to take that message on the road, as it were, with success to boot. Part of that might be how social media has changed the process, but I think quite a bit of it is being able to make Michigan a place where kids such as Peppers want to be and feel at home somehow.
I honestly can't wait for Peppers to play at Michigan. I've heard he's a pretty cool dude, so that's a bonus. I especially can't wait for him to play against Rutgers, all their fans have the worst attitude about him.
He sure knows how to sell. I figured the top RB in this class would not want to split time for his career, rather just split his first year or two and have more snaps in year 2 or 3... the perspective that Peppers has is incredible. He totally sold me, that is if I were a 4/5 star HS RB.
Another reason why dogs rock.
True story. If one tenth of the people on earth were one tenth as cool as my dog, we all would live in Panacea.
similar reasoning in a way to leaving early to go to the NFL. You only get so many hits in your life, and there is a definite downside to doing them while not getting paid. So, the fewer hits you take in college, it theoretically extends your NFL career too.
I know he has already been established as commissioner Peppers, but am I the only one who wishes his nickname was Sgt. Pepper(s)?
This reference made my day (if you are hinting at the store and not the beatles album). However, there might be freshmen who are confused and go to his dorm/apartment looking for beer because they heard he doesn't card.