never forget
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brian cole
departures

Exit Brian Cole Comment Count

Seth

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Floating away [photo: Eric Upchurch|MGoBlog]

Ungh.

We had heard persistent rumors all season that Cole was on thin ice after mounting violations of a thing that probably wouldn't have been a thing if it happened just once. Or twice. Insiders last summer thought he was already on the rails but around bowl practices it seemed he'd finally put that behind him. Apparently it happened again after/during the bowl trip, and Cole got the Kelly Baraka boot sometime before last week.

Cole saw a little bit of action early on as a special teamer, and some snaps at slot receiver after Grant Perry had a bad first outing. After that he was either injured (Scout, 247) or deep in the doghouse (Rivals) depending on what service you subscribed to. Then around bowl season it seemed he was in the clear and practicing at safety according to comments by Royce Jenkins-Stone. It seems Rivals (and maybe all of them) got this one right.

Damage: The move to safety made plenty of sense; his elite athleticism was badly needed given Michigan's depth chart after next year reads Tyree Kinnel and whatever they get out of this year's haul. Plan on seeing at least one and probably two of the freshmen on the field as everyone tries out for the post-Dymonte/Hill era. And unless some players emerge there I wouldn't be surprised if the coaches were shopping the grad transfer ranks once they've seen the position shake out next spring.

Scholarship update: Michigan now has 23 scholarships available. With three special teamers/former walk-ons they don't have to count until fall and seven in the 2016 class enrolled and back-dateable they're not going to have any trouble signing all the guys they want on Wednesday. Expected and the usual unexpected losses should make that a whopping 31(!) available spots for new guys before you have to worry if guys are going to be cut.

[UPDATE: Michigan has 24 spots right now with two to four fifth years who might go through spring trying to earn a spot. We expect 2-4 additional departures if Michigan does go to the 30 number that's been tossed around. -BC]

Comments

MoJo Rising

January 28th, 2016 at 5:23 PM ^

Michigan WR Brian Cole

Dug such a deep hole

That not even a plan of attack

was able to bring him back

due to his love for pot 

that made him forget to volunteer at Mott

Which was the last straw

For his Headcoach Jim Harbaugh.

Joined: 10/09/2014

MGoPoints: 2158

alum96

January 28th, 2016 at 5:30 PM ^

This puts Ty Kinnel as possibly the most invaluable player on the 2017 team.  Literally will be the only guy older than a RS FR or true SO at safety position; a place you don't like trotting out guys who are learning on the job.

If Kinnel flames out or gets injuried you are talking 2 starting safeties from the 2016 class backed up by potential 2017s. 

I will begin looking for grad transfers for 2017 immediately.

Joined: 04/28/2012

MGoPoints: 82539

Amaizing Blue

January 28th, 2016 at 5:30 PM ^

Cole can use it as a wake-up call ala Cris Carter.  Harbaugh gets a committed worker with his head on straight to replace him.  IF rumours are true, am glad multiple Team violations weren't overlooked  just because we are thin at safety.

Joined: 12/02/2013

MGoPoints: 9145

Reader71

January 28th, 2016 at 6:44 PM ^

Whatever your thoughts about weed, if the NCAA banned mgoblog, as much as I like it and think it doesn't harm me, I'll be damned if I read the site. Football would be more important to me. And anyone but the stupidest among us. Framing it like that, Cole hasn't been kicked off for smoking weed. He was kicked off the team for either not having his priorities straight, or if you're feeling salty, for being stupid.

Joined: 08/30/2009

MGoPoints: 22968

Reader71

January 28th, 2016 at 7:04 PM ^

Can we really say 2-4 fifth-year guys are trying out for their jobs in the spring if we are over 85 scholarships? If they do earn a spot, where are we going to get those scholarships? If they don't earn a spot, are we comfortable in believing it was a fair competition? I really hope we end up with 28 or fewer kids in this class so we don't have to have that discussion. The recruiting stuff was contentious enough.

Joined: 08/30/2009

MGoPoints: 22968

Seth

January 29th, 2016 at 5:48 PM ^

Third-hand (I know not much to go on) the coaches have been keeping a hard count since September that's gone up by 1 with each incident. I think they have an idea of some guys who will finish their degrees in May then grad transfer to places they can play.

If I had the ability to play football at a high enough level to earn a Michigan scholarship, and had put in the incredible commitment in time and physical effort it takes to get even this far, and it wasn't going to get me on the field at Michigan, damn man, I'd want to go somewhere and play football. I'd also want to get that Michigan degree first, and I imagine a few guys who won't be here in fall are going to walk to May then take the grad transfer route.

Off that note: I really hope grad transfers don't ever get closed. Players having mobility and options to get on the field if they don't pan out is a good thing so long as it doesn't decimate programs. A degree is a sufficiently difficult/attainable and eminently worthwhile barrier of entry. Helps programs shed weight without resorting to Sabany skeeziness, helps keep football-first kids focused on something that will help them when they realize there's 40-60 years of life after football, helps other programs plug last-minute holes, and we wind up with even more educated kids at the expense of "non-profits" who'd otherwise spend it on building projects to make a Roman Emperor blush. Losers: Big Ten teams who have to face Jake Rudock when they might otherwise have gotten Shane Morris.

Joined: 10/14/2008

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