Exit Scott Sypniewski Comment Count

Adam Schnepp

Scott   Sypniewski31    Twitter

According to his Twitter bio, Michigan long snapper Scott Sypniewki won’t be returning to the program for his redshirt senior season in 2017. Sypniewski has been Michigan’s starting long snapper since 2014, appearing in 34 games over the past three seasons. Redshirt sophomore PWO Andrew Robinson appears to be next in line to take over as Michigan's starting long snapper.

Sypniewski’s departure leaves Michigan with 25 available scholarships. They have 26 recruits currently committed; with the usual expected (and unexpected) offseason attrition, the 32-man class we’ve heard rumblings about seems feasible from the perspective of available scholarships.

Comments

mgoaggie

December 27th, 2016 at 12:06 PM ^

I may be a noob, but any insight as to why he would leave? He has a sure spot on an exceptional team. I'm assuming he's looking for a grad program that UM doesn't offer?

Night_King

December 27th, 2016 at 12:33 PM ^

I think you take the guys you think will fit best this year, no matter what. Saving guys for subsequent years doesn't seem necessary considering the amount of 5th year grad transfers and even undergraduate transfers for the kids who do not get a lot of playing time and wish to pursue their athletic careers elsewhere. Healthy attrition. 

CalifExile

December 27th, 2016 at 1:18 PM ^

Not a bad career plan for a young QB: go to Michigan to learn from the best QB coach in all football, redshirt, graduate in 3 years and, if you haven't risen to starting you'll have 2 years left to get game experience after a grad transfer. With Harbaugh's QB recruiting there won't be enough snaps for some very good QBs. The guy who follows Peters and McCaffrey will have a long wait before he starts at Michgan.

MEZman

December 27th, 2016 at 12:46 PM ^

What's interesting to me about this one is most teams don't seem to give scholarships to long snappers. So is someone going to give him a scholarship to transfer or is he going to transfer as a walkon? Could he stay as a walkon at UM if no one offers him a scholarship? Just seems a bit odd, we'll see I guess.

Edit: Just noticed he's from IL might be cheaper to walk on for the Illini or something if he doesn't get any scholarship offers than to pay out of state tuition at UM.

Rasmus

December 27th, 2016 at 2:43 PM ^

I doubt we'll see late flyers this year. The current offers are it -- if there are a few spots left due to missing out on guys they really want, I think you'll see them look for grad transfers that can provide depth short-term, opening up scholarships for the 2018 class.

Rasmus

December 28th, 2016 at 7:54 AM ^

His going public with this earlier than most probably means he just graduated (instead of in the Spring), and thus he won't be part of Spring practice, but he can still play in the bowl if he wants to.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to remember most potential 5th years participate in the Spring -- the "firm handshake" happens after that. Isn't that what happened last year?

CalifExile

December 27th, 2016 at 2:08 PM ^

Harbaugh's not as dumb as Hoke. He's going to want an experienced backup. As good as Peters reportedly looks, until he has proven himself on the field you don't know how he'll respond to actual game pressure.

Further, without O'Korn on roster, if Speight or Peters should be injured you would have to rely on Malzone as your backup or burn McCaffrey's redshirt.

Whether JOK returns or not is up to him.

schreibee

December 27th, 2016 at 2:46 PM ^

I'm not the ultimate authority on this, but I believe I've read if you transfer a 2nd time you lose a year of elgibility. So for O'Korn that would mean he'd be done.

If this is correct he has no choice but to either stay and compete, or be offered the firm handshake and walk on elsewhere. Please correct me if I'm misinformed.

Gentleman Squirrels

December 27th, 2016 at 12:40 PM ^

I'm not so sure on Isaac and Poggi. Poggi is a backup fullback, which is an important position in Harbaugh's offense, but the job could be done by someone like Kingston Davis. Isaac seems likely to be a starter and take over De'Veon Smith's role but it seems Chris Evans has RB1 status right now and we don't know how well Kareem Walker has done in practice.

AZBlue

December 27th, 2016 at 2:29 PM ^

I think Isaac and Drake J. May move on for PT reasons. Isaac would be a nice fit at Illinois if he doesn't mind going to a "rival" school. Harris might hope for a Rawls-like resurgence at a MAC school - its hard to see him being in a position to get a majority of carries at M next year......Yada yada yada...trust the coaches

SeattleWolverine

December 27th, 2016 at 1:44 PM ^

You didn't say his name but we all figure Shallman gets the firm handshake.

 

I wouldn't take O'Korn coming back as a certainty. He'd obviously be staying for a backup role and if he finished his degree he can grad transfer without a wait. Also, he's already shown he was willing to move for the sake of playing time so why not do it again.

 

Just my guess but I think you keep both Dawson/Kugler just because the OL depth chart is so thin on experience/development. At worst, they're on the 2 deep next year. 

SeattleWolverine

December 28th, 2016 at 11:57 AM ^

I'm not stating it as a fact, just as a reasonable possibility. You may well be right. But I think it's at least reasonably possible that he has a degree after 4 years in school, and if so that he might consider transferring. Michigan, and I assume Houston, dedicate a lot of resources to ensuring that kids stay on track for graduation for various reasons including to ensure they are eligible to play and for the NCAA progress rate.

 

Also, football players are more likely to take summer classes because their job prospects for internships etc are more limited than regular students by NCAA rules and that can help them stay on a 4 year course, or graduate early. No way to know about either of those things unless O'Korn discusses it publicly. 

Quailman

December 27th, 2016 at 12:45 PM ^

The LS UM had on scholarship the past several years was Sypniewski. Not different LS over the years. Hoke for some reason used a scholarship on one when almost no other teams across the country did so. Like you said, a walk-on usually does the job sufficiently and the scholarship can be used elsewhere.