2017 Michigan Football Spring Combine
Holy shit, DPJ and Rashan Gary. Wow.
https://twitter.com/CoachJim4UM/status/842499758153502721
Someone please embed.
You guys realize the difference between a 4.4 and a 4.3 is like one stride right? Barry Sanders ran a 4.37 and when you think about all of the people he burnt and juked, you'd find that hard to believe. You'd think he was more in the 4.2 or 4.18 range. Speed comes in many different forms kids.
Some NFL combine perspective, particularly on 40 times:
1. Guys train specifically for the combine for weeks, so they are able to improve their times a bit. Deveon Smith ran a 4.57 this year--nobody thinks he was the fastest Michigan RB this past season, but he beat the Evans time with some space.
2. DPJ's 4.41 would be tied for 7th fastest time at this year's combine, behind five other WRs (only one, Josh Malone at 6'3, is taller than 6 feet flat) and one RB.
3. Myles Garrett is the presumptive #1 overall. He ran a 4.64 at 272 pounds. Gary, listed at 287, ran a 4.57.
4. The 40 isn't everything: Garrett outjumped Gary by 10 inches.
5. Again, they haven't trained for it, but DBs ran faster 40 times than Hill and Long.
6. Not sure the "pro shuttle" is actually the same one as the one used at the NFL combine, because no RB or WR beat 4.00 in the combine and DPJ and Evans both turned in sub-4 times.
7. Evans doesn't look particularly fast, but even "fast" guys don't always light things up. Dalvin Cook (remember him?) ran a good-but-not-great 4.49 and in the past few years guys like Ameer Abdullah, Leveon Bell, and Alfred Morris have run times of 4.60 or higher.
But enough equivocation bout what is and isn't good about these numbers. Let's consider Rashan Gary's 4.57 in light of all DT/DE prospect combine results from 2010 to today. If that number is accurate, only 6 prospects have outrun him, total, and two of those are Ziggy Ansah and Jadaveon Clowney. And all of those prospects are DEs.
March 17th, 2017 at 12:52 AM ^
De'Veon didn't run at the combine. I'd be he'd run 4.7-4.8 at pro day. I'd be surprised if he runs faster than 4.6
I must have confused him with someone else who posted a time there. Did seem like a fast number.
Fake news jerking.
March 16th, 2017 at 11:03 PM ^
got a really good SS and 3C time plus broad jump/vert which is more important for RBs. I'm interested to see his 10 yard split. Evans is explosive and quick RBs but long speed wise, might get caught from behind. I'm fine with his workout numbers. It tells me that he's a really athletic RB.
4.57 for Gary is terrifying. And I assume I'm not the only one who is surprised Evans only ran a 4.6? He looks faster than that at game speed.
I've always assumed DPJ was a starter from Day 1. We lost both of our starting WRs, guys who can stretch the field. While we have some good underclassmen waiting in the wings, none of them have DPJ's sheer athleticism and ability.
players an enormous amount of time on perfecting their running techniques, which has zero use in actual game. I hope our kids did not spend their spring on perfecting their 40 yard dash technique.
Oops. Meant as a reply to 44
they do have coaches that tell them what to do. It's not left up to the player to decide what to train for in the off season.
I want him to catch OSU's RB from the back.
March 16th, 2017 at 10:42 PM ^
I'd rather he meet them face to face at the LOS... But the speed to catch from behind is nice to have, anyway!
March 16th, 2017 at 10:16 PM ^
Furbush had a faster time than all of our RBs...that is disconcerting."
You saw Evans run last season and I doubt that bothered you at all. Look at it this way. Line up Noah and Chris at the same yard line. Place 4 defenders between each and the finish line, 40 yards away. Now ask yourself which one do you believe will traverse the distance in the least amount of time.
March 17th, 2017 at 11:12 AM ^
I was just shocked to see that.
March 16th, 2017 at 10:07 PM ^
Spring game call. Book it.
I'm not trying to thread jack but I don't have enough points to start a thread and I thought the following might be of interest to people here.
I watched the Kalamazoo Central vs East Lansing Regional Final last night which was billed as Isaiah Livers vs Brandon Johns, who is a top 50 player in the class of 2018. I saw a K Central game earlier this year and came away a little disappointed with Livers' performance but last night was a different story. Livers was much more aggresive taking the ball to the hoop, getting followed a few times. There was a stretch in the second half when K Central started to pull away in which Livers hit a 3, got a steal and made a nice pass for a lay up, and made another 3, all within the span of a minute. His intensity level was much higher than the game I watched earlier in the season.
At this point Livers reminds me quite a bit of a DJ Wilson at the same age. Talented but still trying to figure out how to use it. He is clearly not comfortable with playing with his back to the basket but he has a nice jump shot and made 2 or 3 very nice passes to set up layups for his teammates. Depending on who returns to the Wolverines next year I could seem him benefiting from a redshirt year, with a gradual integration into the rotation the following year.
Brandon Johns was a big disappointment. He was clearly the most talented and athletic player on the floor but was non-existant virtually the whole game. He bricked and airballed two jumpshots and seemed to be taken out of the game by a shorter yet stronger defender, Rog Stein, who is quite a player in his own right.
Kalamazoo Central is playing championship level ball right now and they don't really have a weakness in their starting five. It will be fun to see what they do in the quarterfinals next week.
March 16th, 2017 at 10:51 PM ^
Loved seeing St. Juste put up some good numbers too!!! The guy moves great for such a tall DB. He might have a chance to get on the field in the fall!!
March 16th, 2017 at 11:25 PM ^
March 16th, 2017 at 11:50 PM ^
March 16th, 2017 at 11:52 PM ^
That graphic is a great motivational tool. Love this
So I'm assuming the 40s are hand timed, so things could be a little off. Gary ran a laser timed 4.7 in high school IIRC so that's not too far off what a hand time adjustment would be for his 4.57. Basiclally, the guy is a freak.
guys have been putting in the work this Winter. Peters is showing his athleticisim, be interesting to see him playing this Spring and how he looks.
March 17th, 2017 at 10:08 AM ^
Has to be as fast at Duckett. Let him run the QB option a couple of tmes or line him up at TB like a few here have suggested. But don't do it at the goal line where they know what's coming. Do it at mid-field so we can watch them turn and run away
March 17th, 2017 at 11:19 AM ^
March 17th, 2017 at 11:22 AM ^
Leaving aside all the superhuman lifting, I'm pretty sure the 200 yard shuttle would kill most of us.
I think those mat drills where the guys are flipping and shuffling around would do damage to my body. Rashan Gary makes it look so easy, it's ridiculous.