Bye George
Lament, for 2013 is not done with you, human being with a Michigan soul dong. Per everybody, last night one of those awesome things you were hanging your hat on when the universe was all like "I'm going to put you in a Copper Bowl that doesn't even call itself the Copper Bowl" is also no longer happening:
No. 2 ranked WR George Campbell has decommitted from Michigan. He decommitted Friday, didn't want it out for awhile but that happens.
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) December 18, 2013
[THWOMP!]
Campbell (hello post) is a top ten overall sort of recruit and like Peppers, is one of the guys Michigan could use as leverage to convince other top recruits that the program's on the upswing. He's teammates with 2014 OL commit Mason Cole, who is probably hiding in a bunker right now.
[zzzZZZZWAP!]
Hope? Tim Sullivan wrote last night that his status is "no longer a solid commitment" and that he's yet to call the coaches (not paywalled), postulating this could be a ploy to take in the visitation process. Lorenz notes that Michigan is "still being considered" before mentioning another receiver M may look at. Hope is nice, but I think it's a formality.
[SPLONK!]
I don't have to remind you to be nice on Twitter, or ruthless with those who aren't.
Go now and die in what way seems best to you.
December 18th, 2013 at 9:29 AM ^
He seems like a young man who will be successful wherever he goes. I hope that's Michigan, but I sure understand if it's not. He has a team in his backyard that won the Orange Bowl last year, is playing for a national championship this year, and fields the Heisman Trophy winner. That would give a lot of guys pause.
December 18th, 2013 at 9:30 AM ^
Welp, having FSU NC contenders and probably champs and in his home state is not helping matters at all. Gonna be tough to sell against that.
December 18th, 2013 at 9:30 AM ^
December 18th, 2013 at 9:34 AM ^
December 18th, 2013 at 9:34 AM ^
December 18th, 2013 at 9:40 AM ^
even you, evenyoubrutus
December 18th, 2013 at 10:03 AM ^
We're a ways away from 2010. Hoke's job status has never seriously been questioned, while Rodriguez was under fire from both within the Michigan community and from outsiders almost from the start of his tenure. Add in the Free Press hit piece and it was just a toxic recruiting environment in 2010. Even if we struggle again next year and Hoke gets kicked to the curb, the program will be in a lot better shape for the next guy.
December 18th, 2013 at 10:30 AM ^
IWell, I seem to remember 2011 being pretty fun...
December 18th, 2013 at 9:43 AM ^
We live by the creed of Oozma Kappa, "We're OK, we're OK, we're OK!"
December 18th, 2013 at 9:47 AM ^
Someone hold me.
December 18th, 2013 at 9:58 AM ^
if your avatar picture is really you. Otherwise, buy a snuggie.
December 18th, 2013 at 9:48 AM ^
The Denethor quote exquisitely illustrates the fey mood of the Michigan fan. Nicely done.
December 18th, 2013 at 9:49 AM ^
Is anyone else beginning to long for the days when there was no Rivals/Scout, and the coach would just call a press conference sometime in the spring to announce "these 20-25 guys are joining us next year, from these cities," etc.? I'm not even old enough to remember much of that, but I'm told it used to happen that way. Maybe this is just one more way that the college football world is showing Michigan that we are in a "down" swing, but it isn't very fun.
December 18th, 2013 at 10:23 AM ^
that you don't enjoy the fact that a 16 year old in florida changing his twitter handle can ruin a perfectly great evening? Because it is super awesome.
December 18th, 2013 at 9:52 AM ^
Campbell committed on July 27th, well in advance of the offensive playcalling train wrecks we were all privy to this year. I'm sure that if George owns a television, (and I'm going to guess he does), he watched the Penn State, Iowa, Michigan State, Nebraska & Northwestern games like we did with a "WTF is THAT????" attitude much like we all did.
As Borges reaps so shall Borges sow
December 18th, 2013 at 10:18 AM ^
December 18th, 2013 at 11:08 AM ^
and that same receiver is on a team that could easily have been 6-6 or worse due to the terrible play-calling...Gallon and DG having any success was laregely due to their own talent and athletic ability...it makes me sick to think about how good this team could have been with a decent play caller
December 18th, 2013 at 1:06 PM ^
doesn't get all those yards without the playcaller either...to think Gallon and Devin simply talented their way to 41 points against Ohio State is asinine.
I'm getting sick of comments like this.
December 18th, 2013 at 3:27 PM ^
for every osu game, there has been a penn state game. and that 50/50 hit rate on game plans is unacceptable; especially with the $$ he is getting paid.
December 21st, 2013 at 5:01 PM ^
December 18th, 2013 at 10:25 AM ^
Fire Borges thread?
December 18th, 2013 at 10:26 AM ^
To be fair, if I was a WR and I saw what Gallon and Funchess were doing (a duo about to set the UM record for most receiving yards by 2 guys at UM ever), I'd be excited.
December 18th, 2013 at 10:50 AM ^
December 18th, 2013 at 11:20 AM ^
season tickets to cancel or something? I think its time to stop whining already. If Borges tears it up next year I don't even want to see you complimenting him. I expect you to post, "Fire Borges or I'm cancelling me season tickets!", after every game.
December 18th, 2013 at 11:37 AM ^
That's hilarious. Our best 2015 recruit just decommits and you think I'm whining when I pin at least some of the blame on the guy he'd have to play for? The same guy that enraged a hell of lot more people around here this season than me by the way.
And if Borges calls games again this coming year like he did against PSU, MSU, Nebraska, Iowa and Northwestern I won't need to post a "Fire Borges" thread. There will already be 10 or more up and waiting for comments.
December 18th, 2013 at 11:46 AM ^
What your logic ignores is the fact that Borges was also the play caller in 2011 and 2012, when there were also several "WTF is that?????" moments...and our quarterbacks/receivers weren't as productive as they were here in 2013.
Michigan's leading receiver in 2011 was Junior Hemingway with 699 yards and 4 touchdowns. The leading receiver in 2012 was Jeremy Gallon with 829 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Now we have TWO GUYS(!) with superior statistics (Gallon has 1284 yards and 9 touchdowns, while Funchess has 727 yards and 6 scores), and you think Campbell decommitted because our receivers aren't getting enough production?
December 18th, 2013 at 11:54 AM ^
Yes, I think the offensive coordinator and the success he enjoys plays a significant role in the ulitimate decision of offensive players to commit to any given school. I think his family and just as importantly, his current coaches, watch the team and specifically the OC he will ulitmately play for and have a heavy influence on where the kid will end up. And if said OC is under fire (don't blame me....blame Desmond) publically there is even more uncertainty on the final decision to attend school there.
Your stats ignore all those variables.
December 18th, 2013 at 6:13 PM ^
Yes, we could probably list 1,000 "variables."
The success of the team is on the shoulders of the head coach. Michigan had shortcomings offensively, defensively, and on special teams that cost them games. You seem to be heaping it all on Borges, who for all his "shortcomings," cooked up some record-setting offensive performances this year despite a pretty atrocious offensive line. I won't absolve Borges from everything, but George Campbell isn't looking at Michigan and thinking "Oh, the offense there doesn't fit me" because the lead WR has caught 80 balls and set conference and school records. He's looking at Michigan and thinking "I don't know if I want to play for a 7-5 team, regardless of my own stats."
December 18th, 2013 at 9:53 AM ^
I wish he WANTED TO BE HERE> So so long tom HIM for not WANTINGF TZO BE BLUE.
ONLY WATNZ THOSE WILLING TO DIE BLUE BLOOD>
Pallante for diamond house king lord Michigan.
December 18th, 2013 at 9:54 AM ^
I'm still waiting for Jabrill Peppers to decommit.
December 18th, 2013 at 9:56 AM ^
How did you escape Bolivia?
December 18th, 2013 at 10:16 AM ^
Sean Penn
December 18th, 2013 at 10:24 AM ^
Sorry, but I'm not optimistic about Michigan football right now.
December 18th, 2013 at 10:33 AM ^
Your a Vulcan, you aren't supposed to feel anything about anything!
December 18th, 2013 at 11:05 AM ^
The only logical explanation for the relationship between this person's avatar and his actual posts is that it is meant to be ironic. Because his posts are not logical at all.
December 18th, 2013 at 6:16 PM ^
Well, we sure are glad you signed up to comment on this blog just to be a huge Debbie Downer. My guess is you were banhammered recently and this is your second (or third or fourth) incarnation, and you seem to be on a fledgling path for another incarnation soon.
December 18th, 2013 at 8:59 PM ^
We are not the same poster. My avatar actually shows my age- I remember watching the original Trek when it first ran! I think, however, the strong concern people feel about losing this recruit (if that happens) maybe shows that many do not see Hoke & Co as being able to develop players- therefore recruiting must be maintained at a high level. If this is true, then a real problem develops if the recruits start declining in rankings.
December 19th, 2013 at 9:54 AM ^
Which receiver hasn't developed? Jeremy Gallon? Devin Funchess? Jehu Chesson? Junior Hemingway? I will say that Roy Roundtree plateaued, but that's hardly indication that the coaches can't develop receivers.
December 18th, 2013 at 9:56 AM ^
December 18th, 2013 at 9:59 AM ^
Or, more literally, we can't be talking about how we hope Cal commit Vic Enwere flips to Michigan or happy with PSU commit Jared Wangler flipping to Michigan and then offended when a Michigan commit flips somewhere else.
Yes, I recognize that pretty much every single school out there (maybe with the exception of service academies) continues recruiting other programs' commitments. Maybe we need to come up with a different word for it, like "Best Guess" or "Most Favored SportsNation" or something that gets us to Signing Day, when real commitments happen.
December 18th, 2013 at 10:04 AM ^
Ya know getting all up in a lather about a 17 year old kid decommiting half way through his junior year of HS and thinking the sky is falling is kinda crazy. Maybe he saw a picture of Ann Arbor in the snow and wants to play where its warm......who knows....aint no big thing.
December 18th, 2013 at 10:08 AM ^
He committed too early. I'm surprised it (decommitting) doesn't happen more often. I can't imagine being 100% sure about where I would want to go to college as a sophomore, especially with the kind of relentless pursuit that goes on in college recruiting. It's too bad there's pressure now to "grab a spot" and commit so early.
December 18th, 2013 at 10:06 AM ^
We just need to find the another guy out there from the Midwest area. Find someone that bleeds blue and wants to be a Wolverine. Too much effort is spent trying to get these Florida/Georgia kids to come up here in the cold.
December 18th, 2013 at 10:30 AM ^
Sure, there are great players in the Midwest, but the South is on a whole different level, my friend.
December 18th, 2013 at 10:17 AM ^
Is it just me or does this seem really strange to anyone else? Campbell has seemed very pro-UM, totally sold ("100% committed" back when he made it official) and all I've seen from recruiting analysts is saying how good of a kid he is and how grounded he is. So he's been pro-UM for months and has visited Ann Arbor 4 times in the 2013 calender year on his (or his parents) own dime, including as recently as 2 weeks before this decommit, where he tweeted "adios Michigan, see you again soon". Does this seem like a kid that is not sold on UM? Given his vague comments about the decommit and the fact that TomVH said Campbell didn't want this decommit getting out there, I wonder if he's feeling pressure from family/girlfriend/whatever to stay local even if he's sold on UM. I'd totally get a decommit if he had been to UM once and committed on that trip, but he's had plenty of opportunities to waver, but instead has visited 2 more times on his own dime and been pro-UM. Seems really strange to me....
December 18th, 2013 at 10:32 AM ^
I guess what I'm trying to say with this is that I'm not sold on this being a full decommit and that it's unlikely Campbell goes to UM now, as is being postulated by the analysts. If he stops visiting UM over the next 9-12 months, sure, but if he visits for the spring game or the BBQ, I still like our chances a lot.
December 18th, 2013 at 10:36 AM ^
There's nothing to say he's not pro-UM now. UM's policy is that if you visit elsewhere, you're decommitted -- which makes sense, really. It's a literal interpretation of the word. But with that in mind, the only way Campbell can visit other campuses -- even if he's emotionally committed to UM -- is to officially decommit. And in hindsight he has little reason to commit so early when there's more perspective to be had. This move says absolutely nothing about whether or not his relationship with UM has soured.
At least he's being honest about it, which tells me we're going after the right guys.
December 18th, 2013 at 10:46 AM ^
While true, there's something about this decommit that says "I'm not that interested in visiting other places, but I'm feeling pressure from XXXX" I know he went on a number of visits last spring/summer with Cole/Scott to see schools like Clemson, Georgia, Florida, etc. so it's not like he hasn't seen other programs. And with how he didn't want this decommit news getting out there, it seems like he's really bothered by the fact that he's going back on his word....maybe even against his wishes a little bit. Maybe I'm wrong, but something about this just seems fishy to me.
Anyway, long way away from Signing Day 2015, so let's see Hoke and company do one of the things they do best...recruit.
December 18th, 2013 at 10:21 AM ^
put down the mouse. Whether he ends up at Michigan or not no one even knows how good he will be in college. There is no need to freak out about anything, and please STOP TWITTER STALKING RECRUITS!
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