O'Maury Samuels Dismissed from the Football Program
December 12th, 2018 at 7:11 PM ^
Because he says ridiculous things like Higdon would be 3rd string at Bama as an indictment of our recruiting. Higdon was 1st team all Big Ten, but that's not good enough.
Anyone who expects Michigan's recruiting to match Alabama's is going to be disappointed. Anyone who constantly complains that it isn't is annoying as hell and deserves the negs.
December 13th, 2018 at 12:55 PM ^
How did you translate accurately complaining about sub par rb recruiting to demanding parity with bammer bagmen?
Are you under the impression that Alabama and the 6 or 7 backs they carry, even if they were the top 7 backs in the country every year, drains the pool of so much of the great rb talent that there aren't enough great backs left over for Michigan to be able to bring in stables of rb talent at a similar level we had from Ron Johnson up through Mike Hart, regardless of where that would put us in relation to bamy recruiting?
Even if Higdon was B. Sanders & Jim Brown combined, pointing to ONE back as a refutation of the contention we've had generally disappointing rb talent in the last decade plus is as feeble as our RB situation has looked in that time.
We had 40 year long streaks in about 20 great things that Dick Rod broke the shit out of, & the string of having a BEVY of very good to great backs on every roster was sure one of them! Not sure why it hasn't been remotely fixed since then, but it hasn't and you shouldn't pretend it has.
Higdon has been decent to sometimes very good, but not nearly as good as he could've been with better vision, nor as good as our usual top backs over time, in my view.
He seemed to cut the wrong way, generally going inside when he had vast daylight to the outside, over and over and over again. I counted about a million yards, 1st downs and points left on the field in that fashion.
It often happened on otherwise good runs, maybe already a 1st down or big gain, but then in the second level he'd miss his best lane & could've gone much further or all the way. Frustrating to watch.
December 12th, 2018 at 1:54 PM ^
Every single one of your posts is a snowflake, maizen.
December 12th, 2018 at 1:57 PM ^
Question, Shawn: You didn't want these guys on the team when they signed. You hate 3-stars. Why are you disappointed that they've left?
Harbaugh's process is to get a lot of recruits, develop, and run with the ones that turn out well. A lot of guys inevitably wind up leaving. Samuels is exactly that kind of guy. What are you upset about? This is more room to recruit more players, either the high-star guys you want or more low-rated guys to increase the possibility of getting a diamond-in-the-rough type.
Why aren't you happy right now?
December 12th, 2018 at 2:05 PM ^
So do we need an actual RB Coach with legit experience for this to succeed, or is Jay Harbaugh capable?
December 12th, 2018 at 2:43 PM ^
Clearly capable. Haven't you heard that Jay's totally responsible for Higdon having a good (but not super amazing) season under new Running Game Coordinator Warinner?
How can you question this resume
High school DE
Student Assitant Oregon State
QC guy on Uncle's NFL team
TE Coach on Dad's Michigan Team
RB Coach on Dad's Michigan Team
December 12th, 2018 at 2:57 PM ^
I see the narrative you're making
December 12th, 2018 at 3:03 PM ^
Let's say the only value Jay brings to his job is being Jim Harbaugh's son. Which is what helps keep Jim Harbaugh at Michigan because he loves coaching with his son. Do you still want to get rid of Jay?
December 12th, 2018 at 3:12 PM ^
Yes. It's hard to sell "meritocracy" to your team with your under-qualified kid taking up an on the field coaching job.
Jay seems to be a pretty good recruiter and he's not Zach Smith by any means, so he's not awful. However, I haven't yet heard anyone try to explain why he's the best guy for the job.
If his last name wasn't "Harbaugh" would he make even the short list of candidates for an on the field coaching job at Michigan? I'd say, most definitely not since our fill-in WR coach (who's an analyst) is much much much more qualified than Jay is (even after his gifted experience at Michigan).
December 13th, 2018 at 11:43 AM ^
So you would be willing to lose Jim Harbaugh as Michigan's coach just to get rid of the RB coach has proven to be an okay recruiter?
Hmmmm.....
December 13th, 2018 at 7:33 PM ^
I don’t worship Harbaugh. If the emperor had no cloths, it’s ok to say so.
Jay needs to go. Pep needs to go. If Harbaugh throws a fit because he can’t give his kid an unearned $250k job, robbing the team of an elite coach, he can kick rocks.
December 12th, 2018 at 3:14 PM ^
So let his son be a QC or analyst.
December 12th, 2018 at 9:02 PM ^
Scathing, but probably true.
December 12th, 2018 at 2:09 PM ^
Are you forgetting Tru Wilson?
December 12th, 2018 at 2:45 PM ^
I wish I could forget Tru trying to get to the edge against OSU.
December 12th, 2018 at 7:30 PM ^
Like Tru a lot. Reminds me of Philip Lindsey with the Broncos.
December 12th, 2018 at 3:47 PM ^
Why are there so many people who get offended when fans state the obvious. Michigan is allowed to have short comings and we are allowed to point them and discuss.
Higdon and Evans are good, but arguably Evans has not gotten any better since year 1, and Hig is not elite, far from it. He tends to disappear in some big games. Its easy to say Charbonett will be a stud, we said about a lot of the guys on his list....
December 12th, 2018 at 5:01 PM ^
I hate to back up Maizen/whoever, but he's not wrong. Those facts are not really disputable. Two good guys aren't a high hit rate.
December 13th, 2018 at 8:56 AM ^
Don’t dismiss the message just because who it’s from. He’s right, RB recruiting has been mediocre at best. Even without attrition none of the guys on that long list is elite (except for maybe the one that didn’t end up here). I don’t think calling out the truth makes someone an overly negative person. To be honest after watching that OSU game it looks like they have a different level of athlete at every position. Up to this day I can’t believe that game. Out coached and out played. I don’t understand what makes some of you endlessly positive. It’s about to be year 5 and I don’t think we’re close to making the next step (if we ever do under this regime).
If you look at my past posts I’ve literally said for years that it will be hard for us to be elite under Don Brown’s D. The way it’s set up you truly have to have better athletes and players than your opponents. That’s why you guys hail us as elite after beating up on shitty offenses but we shit our pants against a good modern offense (another point I’ve made for at least a year).
The O is progressing but the D has maxed out under Brown. We will never win a national title and maybe even B1G with his defense and I don’t think anyone could except for maybe Bama. But next year we’ll sack School for the Blind 10 times and all will be forgotten or forgiven. Embarrassing.
December 12th, 2018 at 1:32 PM ^
Yet we tell AJ Dillon he is a LB
Really like Turner though.
December 12th, 2018 at 1:41 PM ^
Michigan’s 2017 class of RBs that signed:
— Scott Bell (@sbell021) December 12, 2018
- O’Maury Samuels, dismissed from program. 79 career rushing yards.
- Kurt Taylor, transferring from program. 0 career rushing yards.
Decommitted from Michigan’s 2017 class of RBs:
- AJ Dillon. 2,697 rushing yards. 24 touchdowns.
December 12th, 2018 at 2:01 PM ^
Your own philosophy argues for Michigan following the path it did with Dillon; they went hard after Harris, the high-star guy, at the cost of losing Dillon, the low-star guy. If Michigan had backed off of Harris to keep Dillon, you would have been enraged.
You mention Mike Hart as a model back, too, and he wasn't even Michigan's top RB recruit the year he came in.
December 12th, 2018 at 2:07 PM ^
Wrong.
Nobody forced Michigan to tell AJ Dillon he might be a linebacker.
Nobody forced Michigan to still take Omaury Samuels and Kurt Taylor.
Michigan could have easily taken Dillion and then pushed for Najee as the other RB in the class. They didn't.
Oh, and don't lecture me again about "getting personal" ever again when you keep addressing me by someone who hasn't posted on the board in two years. In fact, don't expect me to ever respond to you again if you keep pulling such an obvious bitch move.
December 12th, 2018 at 2:34 PM ^
Please don't address any of us ever again...
December 12th, 2018 at 5:29 PM ^
Lol. Some people just want to be miserable.
"I want 5*". (5* does bad, while 3* Dillon is good). "I want 3*" (UM recruits 3* who does bad) "I want 5*".
Ok, we get it. You want the team to be good. We, apparently, don't. Insightful analysis bro.
December 12th, 2018 at 2:57 PM ^
If we all lecture you, will you stop replying to all of us? Oh, please please please.
December 12th, 2018 at 3:53 PM ^
MAIZEN MAIZEN MAIZEN MAIZEN MAIZEN
MAIZEN MAIZEN MAIZEN MAIZEN MAIZEN
MAIZEN MAIZEN MAIZEN MAIZEN MAIZEN
MAIZEN MAIZEN MAIZEN MAIZEN MAIZEN
MAIZEN MAIZEN MAIZEN MAIZEN MAIZEN
MAIZEN MAIZEN MAIZEN MAIZEN MAIZEN
MAIZEN MAIZEN MAIZEN MAIZEN MAIZEN
December 12th, 2018 at 9:51 PM ^
Any doubt about who occupies a ton of free rent space in the heads of all these so-called college graduates, some with graduate degrees HAHAHALOLZ is now completely gone.
December 12th, 2018 at 2:27 PM ^
Max Martin behind him transferred to... Alabama. My how times have changed.
December 12th, 2018 at 2:45 PM ^
Hypocrisy is the new American Standard. Actually it runs deep in all of western civilization. A man or womans word no longer has meaning. Its all really sad. I weep for our future. For my grandkids future.
December 12th, 2018 at 7:38 PM ^
I got faith in Tru contributing, he is our Phillip Lindsey.
December 12th, 2018 at 9:41 PM ^
A lot o people are banking on a walk on. I suspect disappointment sneaking in there. It seems past is prologue on this blog. I guess maybe the thought process is "Our highly ranked guys are not panning out, so now let's rely on guys no one wanted"
When your guys miss, and the guys you either didn't get are hits or a guy you rejected is doing extremely well (AJ Dillion)--well, for guys who tout phrases like, "Sample size" and "data points" are sure ignoring a lot of evidence now!
December 12th, 2018 at 2:30 PM ^
Just to be clear--regarding "Yet we tell AJ Dillon he is a LB"--didn't Sam W. initially report this? His exact words were that UM was still primarily recruiting Dillon as a RB but there was a "10%" chance he could end up at LB.
Now maybe Sam was sugar-coating the situation, or maybe even the slightest prospect of not being RB spooked Dillon. I'm inclined to believe that B.C. simply promised him an immediate path to playing time and he jumped on it. And lo and behold, given their depth chart, this is what happened.
Finally, Dillon wasn't an elite prospect when we offered him. The fact that we wanted him in the first place seems to indicate good judgment on the part of the staff.
December 12th, 2018 at 2:46 PM ^
Don't confuse me with Maizen, I watch film before deciding how I feel about a prospect, don't just look at stars. I felt Dillon was easily the best of our 3 RB commits and had me feeling not so bad about our slim chances with Harris.
Samuels: not high on his film but intrigued by his athletic ability at camps.
Taylor: not sure why we offered.
December 12th, 2018 at 9:23 PM ^
And we tell Ben Mason he's a FB, which he has been doing a good job at. But what if he was at LB!! Don Brown wanted hm back at LB this year. He'd be a LB that RBs would fear. The kind that makes a RBs mouth bleed, and his ears ring. Michigan may need an LB next season. I wonder if his chances of making pro are better at FB or LB?
December 12th, 2018 at 1:32 PM ^
While that’s true, you can’t say that RB recruiting has been a disaster when both Walker and Samuels left due non football reasons. Both looked promising at times and were good gets for their class. I can definitely see Barrett being moved back to RB. Maybe Haskins too. Also I noticed that you didn’t include Higdon or Evans in your list because they don’t fit your narrative.
December 12th, 2018 at 1:37 PM ^
While that’s true, you can’t say that RB recruiting has been a disaster when both Walker and Samuels left due non football reasons.
LOL.
Also I noticed that you didn’t include Higdon or Evans in your list because they don’t fit your narrative.
Chris Evans is a slot receiver miscast as a RB and while Higdon was a productive player and tough runner for UM he's still a 3rd or 4th string RB at a place like Bama or UGA or OSU.
December 12th, 2018 at 1:44 PM ^
We aren't Bama, UGA, or OSU.
December 12th, 2018 at 1:49 PM ^
That's the problem, dumbass.
December 12th, 2018 at 1:53 PM ^
You might as well get used to it instead of your pointless non stop whining about how we aren't them and don't recruit as well as them.
December 12th, 2018 at 2:10 PM ^
Yeah, because how dare Michigan fans have expectations of actually winning the Big Ten and beating OSU and going to the CFP.
The second I as an alum stop holding UM to a high standard is the second I stop being a Michigan man.
December 12th, 2018 at 2:18 PM ^
Nothing you say right now makes you a Michigan man
December 12th, 2018 at 6:51 PM ^
Maizen...don't resort to name calling.
We are sorry that EVERYONE is bored to tears over your psychotic need to analyze every recruiting "miss" since you joined this blog oh so many years ago under so many names even Sybil couldn't keep straight.
Give it a rest. Try this...come up with yet another user name and try bringing something to the party.
We agree, Stars matter and Michigan would love to be Alabama on recruiting. Now please shut up about it.
(edited my tragic spelling on my cell)
December 13th, 2018 at 2:16 PM ^
His points are valid. Should we just accept mediocrity after paying a coach one of the highest salaries in the game? I don’t get some of you. We could be 10 years into Harbaugh’s tenure without a B1G and you’ll still say “maybe next year” and just blindly follow every move he does. Simply put he’s underperforming and there is not a single decent excuse why (has all his recruits, been here for 4 years, down year in the B1G, etc.).
If we want to be like some of these programs or even fucking close we need to recruit at their level and properly develop the recruits - you know maybe with an actual RB coach and not the coach’s son. Unless he doesn’t want to there’s no good reason why Mike Hart isn’t coaching the RBs right now.
December 13th, 2018 at 2:29 PM ^
You are on serious crack if you don't think Michigan has the wherewithal to consistently bring in the kind of top notch to great running backs we always have whether we have as great or as many great backs as those 3 schools or not. There are tons of great backs all over the country and we used to stock our roster with them year in and year out even when the other top powers were also always getting great backs.
When there are great backs at Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and many similar teams around the country on a regular basis, none of whom are OSU, Bammer, or UGA, we should be getting our fair share of them every year, even if we NEVER get anyone O, A or G wants, though yes we should win some of those battles too.
If Harbaugh is so insistent on being a dominant run first running team then you'd hope that stockpiling as much great talent at running back would be a top priority. If it hasn't been that's a failure, if it has been and what we've done between recruiting, coaching, developing, utilizing and retaining is what it's been, that too is ... less than stellar.
December 13th, 2018 at 1:57 PM ^
What evidence do you have that Kareem wasn't football related? Why state your speculative assumptions as fact when you are, in fact, bereft of facts?
December 12th, 2018 at 1:48 PM ^
Najee Harris is not the third-stringer at Bama. Where are you getting this? [*]
They have two RBs [*] that get a bulk of the carries, and he is one of them. He is their second-leading rusher, trailing senior Damien Harris by less than 100 yards. Najee Harris also leads the team with a whopping 6.7 yds a carry in over one hundred carries.
[* See corrections--mine and others--below. Though, I still don't accept N. Harris's relevance to the original argument.]
December 12th, 2018 at 1:51 PM ^
He's played behind Damien Harris and Josh Jacobs all year. He has gotten a lot of 4th quarter garbage time carries though.
December 12th, 2018 at 1:59 PM ^
This is correct. Najee is, in fact, third string.
December 12th, 2018 at 2:09 PM ^
I did forget about Jacobs--my apologies to DB. Still--if I may--it seems disingenuous to claim that N. Harris is a strike against our recruiting or program, which was the main point in question. He is still second in carries on the best team in the country, and as a sophomore. Jacobs and D. Harris are both upperclassmen. And Harris was widely considered one of the two best backs in his recruiting class. Najee Harris is not, say, a Kareem Walker situation.