Steve Lorenz: Mailbag questions
Hey guys,
After talking to Ace and Brian for the last few weeks about it, we agreed on me coming on to do a weekly mailbag on Michigan recruiting.
I believe the plan will be to run it on Tuesdays. I am assuming the MGoAudience may have some different style recruiting questions they want to know about and I think it will be fun to cover some different angles on the topic.
My plan is to take five-ish questions each week with some fleshed out answers for you guys to chew on. Anything recruiting related is really open game IMO, so have at it and I'll have something ready for Tuesday.
- Steve
September 8th, 2016 at 5:19 PM ^
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September 8th, 2016 at 11:46 PM ^
it's a lot easier to project a guy like Derrick Green than a guy like Chris Evans, on playing style alone. Chris Evans is the type of recruit that really needs a good coach to thrive because of him having no real natural position. I know it's the NFL, but look at Tavon Austin. He has been a pretty big bust because the Rams eschew all of his versatility and talent and put him in a scenario where he runs routes and takes an occasional end around.
Derrick Green is easy to look at and say "yea he's going to play running back".
September 8th, 2016 at 5:20 PM ^
With the NCAA changing the rule a few years ago and allowing schools to give cream cheese on bagels to recruits what is Michigan's yearly cream cheese budget? Do they go traditional? Whipped? Flavored? Store bought or from a local bagel shop? What about fragels?
And what of the lox?!?
September 8th, 2016 at 8:43 PM ^
I worked at the Bagel Factory many years ago and still miss those things.
September 8th, 2016 at 9:25 PM ^
There was before I moved away after graduation school half a decade ago, not sure about now. My girlfriend and I lived close to the hospital at medical center court, so we frequented Bagel Fragel, I think it is still there, and maybe serves their namesake item.
September 8th, 2016 at 5:20 PM ^
Does the potential of playing both ways actually move the needle with top recruits?
A lot of guys name drop Peppers when talking about their potential role at M. With increased specialization in HS I wonder if that's just fun to talk about or if it's an actual difference maker.
September 8th, 2016 at 5:21 PM ^
September 8th, 2016 at 6:37 PM ^
Will the large number of freshmen getting PT encourage more high level players to come to Ann Arbor? A coach that plays freshmen early is enticing to the next group of top freshmen.
Through another set of lenses, it appears our depth chart is getting filled up with guys that have multiple years of eligibility left.
I hope Harbaugh continues to draw kids who like the former case..... Good question
September 9th, 2016 at 4:51 AM ^
If Harbaugh can keep recruiting at this level, the "cost" of losing 5th yr seniors is much smaller. I guess that is what OSU is doing as well. So if it benefits the recruiting pitch, even better.
September 8th, 2016 at 5:22 PM ^
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September 8th, 2016 at 5:27 PM ^
How many players is Michigan targeting for the back end of the defense in this cycle? Do you know of any guys who Michigan has a good shot with besides Ambry Thomas and JKP?
September 8th, 2016 at 5:29 PM ^
when it is all said and done?
DL the other area of concern
I think we'll be ok everywhere else
September 8th, 2016 at 5:32 PM ^
Is Najee Harris a realistic option?
September 8th, 2016 at 10:58 PM ^
September 8th, 2016 at 5:33 PM ^
If Michigan has the season we expect then they should garner more attention from some of the higher ranked recruits, similar to last year. What recruits would you guess we are likely to hear about?
September 8th, 2016 at 5:38 PM ^
Are my hot dogs ok for tailgating?
September 8th, 2016 at 5:39 PM ^
Why doesn't MSU do a better job with recruiting? Is it the personalities of the coaches? The fan environment?
September 8th, 2016 at 6:16 PM ^
Good question about a rival! I've wondered that, too... Mick Dantony has proven himself an above average, okay, good coach. I get that there's little name recognition with MSU, so far as football tradition is concerned, but if TCU can rise from nowhere and recruit well, why can't MSU?
September 9th, 2016 at 12:50 AM ^
one school plays in Texas and has boatloads of elite talent within driving distance.
One school plays in a state that doesn't produce much elite talent, so usually Michigan State is usually stuck with one top guy and leftovers. They're also surrounded by states with elite programs nearby. Ohio State, Notre Dame. Also really tough to beat out Wisconsin for Wisconsin kids unless you can really sell a championship.
September 9th, 2016 at 5:48 AM ^
Great question!
September 8th, 2016 at 5:42 PM ^
September 8th, 2016 at 5:58 PM ^
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September 8th, 2016 at 8:31 PM ^
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September 8th, 2016 at 5:48 PM ^
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September 8th, 2016 at 5:49 PM ^
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September 8th, 2016 at 5:50 PM ^
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September 8th, 2016 at 7:11 PM ^
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September 8th, 2016 at 9:35 PM ^
paying part for the VIP access on your paysite?
September 8th, 2016 at 5:49 PM ^
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September 8th, 2016 at 5:56 PM ^
Any name of the year candidates this year to compete with McDoooooom?
September 8th, 2016 at 6:01 PM ^
I'm taking a cue from the lazy questions in press conferences. Specifically, are the coaches looking to add anyone beyond JKP and Thomas? I assume they'd take someone of Holmes caliber as a best player available, but how about Bell or Faison-Walden, etc?
September 8th, 2016 at 6:03 PM ^
Thanks much for doing this. I appreciate the time and effort. Here are some possible topics and questions.
- I'd love a long form article on the entire recruiting process. This could include: how are potential prospects identified? Does JH pull the trigger on every offer given (give the yes or no)? How do we distinguish the kinds of offers? I.e., there seem to be offers that would be accepted any time (Najee Harris, DPJ), but others who are given courtesy offers, or offers that are contingent on there being room. I can't always tell what an "offer" means. What are the qualities that are looked at in who receives an offer? What are the roles of different staff in recruiting? How often are recruits contacted? Who are key support staff in the process?
- What do you see as the 3 most critical position groups to recruit? OL, DT, and other?
- 247 has certain prospects listed as "warm," "Warmer," "cool." Is this guage helpful?
- Which recruits in 2017 and 2018 do you see Michigan and OSU fighting over head to head?
- What are the differences in the type of recruit OSU and Michigan look at? Are there characteristics that either coach or team really gravitate towards? Avoid?
- Given the kerfuffle with JH at Stanford dissing Michigan, what are the differences in recruiting between Stanford and Michigan.
- What has changed from January of 2015 to the current date in how JH and Michigan do recruiting?
- What happened in the situation with Aubrey Solomon? How could a letter be sent, and misspelled at that? (And has the Solomon ship sailed?)
September 8th, 2016 at 6:53 PM ^
September 8th, 2016 at 7:10 PM ^
Pithy...125% better :)
September 9th, 2016 at 5:53 AM ^
You should have read it as he asked some good questions.
September 8th, 2016 at 6:17 PM ^
How many texts/tweets/etc. a day do high profile recruits receive from coaches during the free access periods? How many a day do high profile recruits receive from recruiting journalists/insiders? I have to think these would be very large numbers based on the arms race recruiting can be.
September 8th, 2016 at 6:20 PM ^
September 8th, 2016 at 6:31 PM ^
Who is a recruit in the past that Michigan has really regretted missing on, either "Thought they had" or "Could have had" that exceeded expectations or met high expectations?
September 8th, 2016 at 6:44 PM ^
Similar question to what others have said above. It's the MOST important one, IMHO, that ESPN and other talking heads refuse to address b/c it would kill the cash cow.
ARE THE STORIES OF BAG MEN AT EVERY SOUTHERN SCHOOL TRUE?
I have read journalists' reports that they are -- journalists who have said they met and interviewed bagman, seen transactions in real time, learned how bagmen code their payments and player identifications. And there are anecdotal evidence -- recruits with all their cash, Ole Miss suddently having a top-5 recruiting class with a nobody coach, stories of the $500 per official recruiting visit, etc. Not to mention, our AD saying Rashan was offered incentives -- and his other finalists were Ole' Miss and Clem[p]son.
OTOH, a big-time Clem[p]son booster I know scoffs at the suggestion of any systematic payoff schemes, saying it doesn't make sense for most recruits (who beg to go to the schools, don't have a pro future, and are a dime a dozen for big-time programs). Maybe a few players at a few schools might get offered incentives -- but other big schools with rich alumni, ilke OSU and PSU etc. (he didnt toss UM under that bus, but, he knows I'm a UM grad) and USC and UCLA and OU and Texas etc. all have boosters and would be as equally adept at funny business as an Auburn or Clem[p]son.
WHAT'S THE TRUTH?
September 8th, 2016 at 7:18 PM ^
I second this question. I'm really interested to hear how deep the bagmen are involved in CFB and especially interested in their potential role in the B1G.
September 8th, 2016 at 6:52 PM ^
September 8th, 2016 at 7:08 PM ^
Does Coach Drevno have aspirations to a HC job eventually?
September 8th, 2016 at 8:27 PM ^
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September 8th, 2016 at 7:11 PM ^
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September 8th, 2016 at 7:39 PM ^
FWIW I think Coach Brown likes what he's doing...he has a successful HC pedigree from the past. At his age I would suspect there aren't many, if any, other stops in his future as long as he has a good relationship with JH & the staff. My 2 cents anyway.
September 8th, 2016 at 7:15 PM ^
How universal are bagmen in college football? A few big SEC schools or everywhere to some degree? What is the extent of their involvement in the Big Ten?
September 8th, 2016 at 8:27 PM ^
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September 8th, 2016 at 9:38 PM ^
September 8th, 2016 at 7:29 PM ^