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devin asiasi

Exit: Devin Asiasi Comment Count

Seth

Sorry to bump down Hutchinson but this is bigger news.

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[Eric Upchurch]

This one hurts. After rumors he hadn’t returned all semester, and that Michigan was apparently doing everything short of moving California to get him back, sophomore tight end Devin Asiasi is transferring to a school closer to home for personal reasons. Apparently now it’s official, via Harbaugh, via Baumgardner.

As just a true freshman Asiasi was one of the best blocking tight ends at Michigan in recent memory, and showed plenty of receiving ability to make him a major dual threat. There are plenty of other tight ends on the roster, and RS sophomore TJ Wheatley can fulfill much the same role. Still, this is still a major, major bummer. This is a player on the verge of stardom who was a perfect fit for the Michigan offense, and given the youth all over that side of the ball we were really looking forward to having at least this weapon at Harbaugh’s disposal.

As an additional knife, likely destinations for Asiasi include UCLA, where he would rejoin Jedd Fisch and best friend Boss Tagaloa (Jim Mora Jr.’s program has been a weird thorn in Michigan’s side lately despite going 8-5 and  4-8 the last two seasons). Asiasi also could wind up at USC, Cal, Stanford, or anywhere else that’s not here.

/shakes fist

Comments

4yearsofhoke

February 22nd, 2017 at 12:04 AM ^

Time for Bunting, TWheat, and McKeon to step up.

TWheat Jr. has all the physical tools. Just needs a little more speed. He is a better blocker than Asiasi. Good thing there's a crazy crop of WRs coming in.

Joined: 12/19/2015

MGoPoints: 2256

Mr. Yost

February 22nd, 2017 at 8:07 AM ^

Asiasi was the best blocking TE on the team. Wheatley can step up though, but regardless it's a loss. Bunting has also looked solid in the Jake Butt type passing catching skillet hands role. This could also mean more PT for Khalid Hill in an H-Back role. He's a similar build to Asiasi. Hill is a name is haven't seen mentioned once. If we're going to more of a spread. That takes away the FB (except short yardage situations) - not the TE. So he can keep the same number of snaps and get a few more replacing some of Asiasi's snaps. Also consider Evans in a OSU Braxton Miller/Curtis Samuel role from time to time WITH another RB (Higdon/Isaac/Walker) on the field at the same time.

Joined: 07/25/2011

MGoPoints: -9898220

uminks

February 22nd, 2017 at 1:57 AM ^

I'm just surprised he did not make any good friends of any of his teammates. Usually if you can make a good friend or two, then home sickness wares off. But he may have been really close to his sick Brother and just wanted to be closer to home. I wish he would have stayed since he would have been an outstanding TE here but I wish him all the best in CA and hopefully he will be happier there.

Joined: 11/10/2009

MGoPoints: 32051

Don

February 22nd, 2017 at 6:11 AM ^

but we're losing potential, not proven production. He caught 2 passes in 13 games, so it's not the case that our offense was already dependent on him.

We will survive.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 148411

Ali G Bomaye

February 22nd, 2017 at 8:37 AM ^

Justin Fargas barely got started here, but was the #1 ranked RB in his class. He ended up starting on a USC Rose Bowl team and carved out a nice NFL career.

Ryan Mallett is another candidate. He was a top-25 overall recruit, and although there were rumors that he was quite a jerkass during his year in Ann Arbor, he still was pretty great at Arkansas. In his last year at Arkansas, he finished seventh in the Heisman voting.

But I think Pryce still takes the cake.

Joined: 07/08/2008

MGoPoints: 17697

BrownJuggernaut

February 22nd, 2017 at 8:40 AM ^

This stinks as Asiasi was one of my favorite players from that class. His blocking and toughness is a hallmark of the Harbaugh style of play. He was a prototypical Tight End and I think that the pass catching production was going to increase in a big way in year 2. It's a big loss. Not something that Michigan can't overcome, but a roadbump nonetheless. I wish him nothing but success, even if he ends up playing for our recruiting nemesis, Jim Mora.

Joined: 10/02/2010

MGoPoints: 8235

mrkid

February 22nd, 2017 at 8:43 AM ^

This hurts but best of luck to the young man. I like our TE group but would have loved to have Devin on the team. I'm looking forward to see what Bunting and Wheatley can do!

Joined: 09/12/2011

MGoPoints: 9440

hunterjoe

February 22nd, 2017 at 9:17 AM ^

Well this sucks.  Best of luck to the kid, hope he gets everything squared away.  He's an exceptional talent I'd loved to have seen in the winged helmet for years to come. 

Joined: 07/17/2015

MGoPoints: 9721

Kevin13

February 22nd, 2017 at 9:22 AM ^

I don't think this was an easy decision for you and your family should always come first.  Hope things go well with your family and your career blossoms.

Joined: 01/26/2016

MGoPoints: 16040

late night BTB

February 22nd, 2017 at 12:26 PM ^

If a guy wants to become an NFL player, he better learn to adapt to the cold.

How many NFL teams are in cold climates and have outdoor stadiums?  It's easier to name the ones that aren't in cold climates and are indoors.  Regardless, warm weather teams will have to play in the cold at some point.  OBJ plays at LSU, then for the Giants and runs around without sleeves in January.  

Spend 4 years in the cold prepping for a successful NFL career playing in cold weather, during which you'll have an offseason place in Miami and retire in LA.

This is why I don't buy the SEC's argument that kids don't/shouldn't want to play their college ball up north.  In fact, if they had some foresight, they wouldn't want to play down south!

Joined: 12/05/2010

MGoPoints: 978