2003: Mike Hart Committed to Michigan.
What's your point?
Since there's no point I'll make one. You truly never know which recruit might be the next game changing player, regardless of his recruiting profile.
The one thing I will say, however, is that I believe the scouting is much more advanced, and camps more ubiquitous than they were back in 2003. While guys are still underrated at times, it's much easier for fans to get a read on what type of a player a guy projects to be.
I think Penn State was pretty confident in Saquon Barkley...
I've heard the butthurt Valenti tell the story that Mike Hart visited MSU and the only reason he got a Michigan offer is because he dropped off his film in Ann Arbor on the way out of town.
He is basically our Draymond Green.
I've heard him tell that story too, though I don't believe it. He said he wanted to play for Michigan his whole life. This was a common fact from the beginning of his career at Michigan.
I've heard that version also. He had a list of accomplishments on his wall that included playing for Michigan and winning the Heisman. If not for the injuries, he could have gotten to NY for the Heisman ceremony. It seemed odd that they wouldn't have already had his film. I don't know how Lloyd Carr handled recruiting in the early 2000s. In Valenti's version, he got one of those last second Spike Albrecht offers.
I saw his high school film and sent the link to my best friend. Told him this was a kid to watch, probably going to wind up a multi-year starter. My friend's reply, which I'll never forget, was "not impressed, too small." If you watched his senior film, you had to be impressed with his elusiveness, balance, and ability to hit the hole in a hurry. He had okay speed for high school, but could have used just a little more in college and he'd have had more long runs.
Other than Lewan and a couple of other can't miss guys, Hart was my last successful recruit prediction. Fortunately, we have several guys on here, you included, who are good at it.
The point is: It has been 15 years or so since Michigan has had a bell cow in the backfield. I'm 48 years old and up until Mike Hart graduated, Michigan always had a "stable" of really good/great running backs during my lifetime. Always. Since he left, it has been just ok, but nothing like it used to be and that is the frustrating part and likely the reason for this post. For us older generation on this board, it has been very frustrating trying to understand why we can't land some of the best RB's in the country each and every year.
Now as time has gone by, many of the young folks and upcoming players don't remember when Michigan was loaded every year at both QB and RB. The good old days we are hoping and expecting to get back to. Hence, this post.
EDIT: should say "15 years or so since Michigan landed a bell cow in the backfield". I am usually good at math...I swear.
Those were the "Golden Years" when our QB, RB and WR got drafted year in and year out.
Michigan has just had horrific luck with RB recruits. Think of the 5 Star busts...Grady, Green, Isaac (bust for me if you are a 5 Star and not even land the starting role). Then look at man of the highly rated recruits that were close to 5 stars that flamed out...such as our friend that just exited from NJ. Also, our OL situation hasn't helped things either.
And more to the Mike Hart point, Higdon the 3 star has been beating out all of our 4 and 5 star recruits
Higdon is very much underrated. With even a mediocre O line he would be a star which makes me feel good about 2018 as my belief is Warinner will meet and exceed that bar.
These young punks have never seen Michigan consistently produce OLs and RBs like we did. You can't fault them for not understanding.
Please seek help and stay away from sharp objects.
Back in the day we used to call posts of this type snowflakes.
Says the guy starting a thread on a board he’s proclaimed to be pointless....
You smell that? I’m catching a whiff of irony.
Pretty sure that no internet message board has ever “mattered”. This is entertainment, not life and death.
And board usually isn't even entertaining.
Meh, just a three-star.
I remember when it was the end of the world when Michigan lost Dee Hart.
The days where we have a pipeline of NFL talent at QB, LT and TB are coming back, don't you worry.
Did Bluey hack your account? This is just negative and pointless, like every single one of his posts.
That sounds exactly like sobething Bluey would say
“Are you mad on the internet?”
He was 0-4 against Osu. Sure, I loved the way he played, but gotta beat Osu or I’m not going to consider him great. The great ones, win the big ones.
He barely played in two of the games...And how is it his fault the defense gave up 42 points in 06?
Placing wins and losses on one football player (even the QB) is nonsensical, I’m sorry.
Not his fault..... just how I feel. Sorry.
I guess I’m confused. Is Jake Long not all time great then either? I don’t see the correlation between individual greatnesses and team victories. But hey, just me.
No. Fantastic player and guy, but to be one of the GOATS in my opinion....ya gotta beat Osu at least half the time. You should leave Michigan in as good of shape against Osu as you found it or better or you’re not a great. Good, fantastic and hell of a player sure, great... nope.
That might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever read on this board.
Oh, just wait.
Matt Stafford agrees with you, as it takes a whole team to win less than 10% of the time against .500 teams.
Yeah, just like that game in Lambeau where he broke the lions record by throwing over 500 yards and 5 touchdowns, but he didn’t do anything to stop matt fucking Flynn for throwing his 6 touchdowns. Terrible defensive performance by Stafford in that game, his covering skills sucked.
Or that stellar playiff game against Dallas where the offense scored 3 points in the 2nd half, yeah defense really let him down big time.
Less than 10% winning percentage for the highest paid player during the span of his career, yeah always someone else to blame.
You mean the same game where the defense couldn’t hold a double digit lead?
Points scored in the first half are worth the same as the ones scored in the second.
Exactly, our defense gave up 24 points and our offense, led by captain awesome, scored 20.
BTW, Tim Tebow has won more playoff games than stafford. Of course, if matt was on the Pats rather than Tom Brady, heck, he would have won 6 Super Bowls.
So what’s your thoughts on Megatron? All I ever heard was how great he made Stafford, he was one of the best players in NFL, hall of fame talent, etc. Yet ‘he’ went 0-16 and won nothing in his career either. So he sucks too? Barry Sanders as well?
Football is the ultimate team game. It takes all 11 to do their job on every play. One player does not win or lose a football game. Hart is a great one, regardless of their record against OSU.
We should've won that game if not for Ron English forgetting how to coach defense. Then again, Carr and his staff could never stop a running QB so I always had doubts going into that game facing Troy Smith. If only we had Don Brown back in those days...
except in the case of JOK vs. OSU last year?
JOK was a very large reason of why Michigan lost. But it wasn’t 100% on him. Michigan did not force a single turnover in the game, even though they had one gift wrapped for them. OSU ran for almost 5 yards a carry for 226 yards. That’s not his problem either. The defense also allowed a back up QB to go 6-7 for 94 yards and a TD. JOK certainly gets an F for his performance, but the Defense probably gets a C- grade from me. So yes, JOK probably did cost Michigan the game, but Michigan still probably wins with an A performance from the D.
No, I don't think you can do this.
Sure, beating OSU helps elevate teams throughout Michigan's history and individual performances in those games help elevate players in Michigan's history, but I don't think you can make success against a rival the sole measure of "great" and not have it sound a bit narrow.
Not the sole measure, but a huge one for me. Sorry, just how I feel.
These players we're debating, their record against OSU TARNISHES their legacy, it doesn't PRECLUDE their legacy.
Jesus, you make it seem like it was their choice to lose.
LSA...I agree with your point but for the "Henne, Hart' Michigan teams. They failed for 4 years, but I put the majority of blame on Carr. Go back and look at the NFL talent on both sides of the ball during those years. CRAZY talent...."Alabama" type of talent on the field. That OSU wasn't beaten in that 4 year span, or that we didn't win another NC is kinda shocking.
That was probably the last time we had a really good run blocking OL unit tbh
Michigan hasn't had a good O-line since then either.
Coincidence? I think not.