New Jabrill Peppers USA Today blog post. On Hand and Fournette: "I'm bringing both of them"

Submitted by a2_electricboogaloo on

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.

You can read the rest here

MichiganManOf1961

July 10th, 2013 at 10:23 PM ^

Really like him. Academics seem to be a priority, he's really well spoken (not just "athlete" articulate, but his writing is comparable to most paid bloggers). Good pick up athletically, academically, and as a person.

AVPBCI

July 10th, 2013 at 4:03 PM ^

he brings both, he can be called the president, capo di tu di capo, don peppers, whatever he wants to be called

1464

July 10th, 2013 at 4:15 PM ^

I really don't get the defeatist attitude on here.  I don't consider myself an overly optimistic guy, but Fournette seems like the anti-Westphal (or Treadwell, et al).  He's been an SEC lean forever, and has yet to pull the trigger.  I think he's looking for a reason not to go to LSU.  I also see us having a huge upside for top tier talent.  Judging by recruiting, we will be a top 3-5 team in talent when he is an upperclassmen.  We still have to produce on the field, but Michigan is a far more lucrative place to play than it has been in a long time.

Don

July 10th, 2013 at 5:33 PM ^

Saying that we have no chance with Fournette and that the coaches should stop recruiting him would be defeatist. Simply saying that the chances of getting him out of the south are very slim is something that virtually every recruiting analyst says about Fournette, including Sam Webb, one of the most intrinsically optimistic guys I've ever known. I think it's unlikely he'll get out of the south, but that doesn't mean that I think Hoke & Co. should stop recruiting him. If we can get him up here for an official visit, anything is theoretically possible, regardless of the odds.

And our opinions—whether "defeatist" or realist or loony—don't matter to the coaches or players anyhow, thank god.

Ron Utah

July 10th, 2013 at 4:10 PM ^

Wait, arguably the best three players in the country coming to Michigan?  I will not allow myself to believe this.  That way I can avoid disappointment if it doesn't happen, and be shocked and overjoyed if it does.

I love Peppers' attitude, and he'll need that swag if he's going to have any chance of winning the Heisman as a true freshman.

Perkis-Size Me

July 10th, 2013 at 4:18 PM ^

Loving the swagger. Loving the confidence. Getting Fournette on campus would be big, as we all know anything can happen once a kid gets in front of Hoke and the rest of the staff. However, I still will not get my hopes up about either Fournette or Hand until NSD comes and both of their names on inked on a dotted line and sent into Schembechler Hall. And as far as I'm concerned, Fournette is a lock to Alabama or LSU until he specifically comes out and says otherwise.

If we just got one of these guys, I'd be happy. And even if we got neither of them, we'll still have reeled in a pretty darn good class. Top-10 anyway. I have no problem with Jabrill Peppers, the #2 recruit in America, being our class headliner.

Blue in Yarmouth

July 11th, 2013 at 8:01 AM ^

I'm not saying you're wrong to keep your hopes in check, but he has come out and specifically said that he has no leader and all the talk about him being a lock to one of the SEC schools is just that...talk that never came from him.

Again, I'm not saying that means he's coming here or isn't going to end up in the south, but you said "until he specifically comes out and  says otherwise" so I just thought I'd let you in on that.

goblue16

July 10th, 2013 at 4:20 PM ^

Totally love the effort this kid puts in!! Should be a great recruiter for the next 3-4 years. Just don't see Leonard comin to Michigan though