I never saw this posted about Devontae Dobbs

Submitted by ldevon1 on

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/2017/08/04/top-uncommit…

Detroit — Five-star Belleville junior offensive tackle Devontae Dobbs says Michigan’s coaches are still not talking to him much.

The 6-4, 290-pound prospect, ranked the No. 2 offensive tackle in the nation for 2019 by Scout.com, currently has 26 offers and says he’s not leaning toward any one school. He added, however, that he thinks Ohio State, where he likes the game day atmosphere, would be one of his top teams.

“Especially after the Michigan game, the fans just went all on the field,” Dobbs said Friday during a Sound Mind Sound Body leadership forum in Detroit.

Dobbs recently visited Michigan State, where he talked to coach Mark Dantonio. He said his favorite thing about Michigan State is the positivity of the coaches.

“I’m working on helping my teammates get better,” Dobbs said. “The coaches want me to continue what I’ve been doing, just get stronger. I want to commit before my senior year.”

M-Dog

August 8th, 2017 at 9:32 AM ^

Maybe the coaches don't want all the drama.

If you are going to get insulted because you did not get an offer early enough in your mind, then you are going to get insulted if you don't start early enough in your mind.

Harbaugh does not want players that get insulted when things don't go their way at first, he wants players that work harder when things don't go their way at first.

 

Maizen

August 8th, 2017 at 4:57 PM ^

Dobbs got his offer last year. Not sure where this idea that he was insulted originated from, but while we're on the subject, there was a recruit last year who was "insulted" when he got a thank you letter for an event he didn't attend and created quite a bit of "drama" with a social media video at the Army game. He was a 5 star from Georgia. He signed with Michigan. His name was Aubrey Solomon. So yeah, we can stop pretending to know what Harbaugh does or doesn't want.

buckeyejonross

August 8th, 2017 at 5:23 PM ^

The counterpoint is that teens grow up on a steeper curve. The difference in maturity from 15 to 17 to 19 is much more pronounced than the difference from 28 to 30 to 32. Maybe a kid does get insulted at a late offer when he's 16. Oh well, who cares? It's entirely reasonable by age 18 and 19 that kid's a more mature person who won't be insulted by similar perceived slights. 

Matte Kudasai

August 8th, 2017 at 9:45 AM ^

A 5 star literally in their backyard and no contact. Wouldn't you think we'd be in touch even if we were still evaluating him? He's too young to have already made a final evaluation. Yet we jump all over Mayfield who is undersized and plays against Lower level competition whose stock rose dramatically on the camp circuit. Then again I would've offered Antjuan Simmons.

tspoon

August 8th, 2017 at 9:54 AM ^

It is kind of strange, but wasn't there word throughout the spring that his camp performances were pretty hit-or-miss?

Belleville is right down the road ... you're talking about a 20 minute drive from our Athletic Campus.  This is literally our back yard.

There's no way Jim wants to let O$U or MSU (or anyone else) take a kid who he views to be likely to be a Michigan-level player from that high school.  He certainly doesn't love this kind of press attention: these sort of articles can only be a pain in the ass for him.  So it MUST be true that he does not feel good that Dobbs is going to be that type of player.

He might prove to be wrong about that ... lots of kids turn out to be late bloomers (and OL is certainly historically one of those positions).  But I have to think Jim and his guys have a very well considered view that Dobbs is a 5* in recruiting land only, and they think he's more like a 2* or 3* player at the next level.

marco dane

August 8th, 2017 at 9:55 AM ^

there's talent on his squad that's being recruited by P5 schools...however,M isn't in on any of it. BBQ might have change that opinion however the ship has sailed,for now atleast.

reddogrjw

August 8th, 2017 at 11:47 AM ^

likely both are guards given their height - Rumler is a UM life long fan and really wants to be here - both are highly ranked and probably only taking one guard

reddogrjw

August 8th, 2017 at 12:01 PM ^

he could play G or T with his height

Hall can play Guard

Ruiz

Ekiyor

3 guards out of 2016 in Bredeson, Onwenu and Spanellis

Vastardis

Runyan

 

may be looking to be more tackle centric - as well, if 2019 is also a smaller class maybe only 3 OL total

 

 

we also passed on pushing for McCall this year as well so reasons for passing are not always obvious and because other big schools "offered" doesn't mean they can accept

Maizen

August 8th, 2017 at 12:16 PM ^

Ruiz is a center, Vastardis is a walk on, and Runyan is playing RT right now. Mayfield is not a guard and was recruited to play tackle. Michigan didn't push for McCall because he had ACL and meniscus surgery last year and UM's focus on this years class was more at tackle than on the interior. According to a scout article from yesterday Michigan is looking to take up to 5 OL in next years class.

UofM626

August 8th, 2017 at 10:59 AM ^

Recently and missing on most of top prospects the last 2-3 years, we should definitely be offering this kid. We keep slow playing all these OL guys and end up losing out on most of them at the end. Just my opinion

Fezzik

August 8th, 2017 at 11:18 AM ^

Julian Barnett is a top 150 CB also out of Belleville that I haven't seen any Michigan chatter about. My best guess is they don't fit the Harbaugh mold, despite their athletic ability. Coaches often say one of the hardest parts of the job is getting all players to "buy in" to their system. If you have a 5 star square peg you are trying you fit into a round hole, what do you really have?

schreibee

August 8th, 2017 at 10:46 PM ^

Seth, I get you trying to keep the tone civil - to some exent.

But you just can't ban Maizen! 

For one thing he is absolutely the furthest thing from a Kool-Aid drinker on this site

And we love disagreeing with him, and doing it regularly and with specificity.

But mostly, you can't take buckeyejonross's soulmate away, now that he's found him...

 

YoOoBoMoLloRoHo

August 8th, 2017 at 8:12 PM ^

circumstances with a recruiting situation that lead a recruit to fit some programs and not others. Long-term skill projection? Personality? Interest in school? Team orientation? HS coaches? Circle of influence? It's not a matter of the UM coaches failing to understand the situation. Something in that mix doesn't fit their criteria.

1201SouthMain

August 8th, 2017 at 12:30 PM ^

The only way I knew who he was is because people at the game said "that's Dobbs".  Nothing about his play stood out.  Now Belleville is not good and Saline is very good.  So that probably had something to do how he looked.  Harbaugh was not at that game but I'm sure he had somebody there observing for him.

Also, Belleville head coach (Crowell) is a Wilcher disciple from Cass Tech but it is thought that he has a hard on for OSU and is not a Michigan guy like Wilcher.  Word is he was always pushing Damon Webb and Mikey Weber towards Columbus. 

Maizen

August 8th, 2017 at 7:31 PM ^

You're dead wrong on Crowell, he's a UM guy, he said as much on Sam's signing day extravaganza show. Here's word for word what Sam Webb wrote on his website about Crowell because posters over there were accusing of him of the same thing:

Crowell is not OSU now.  They did try to hire him a few years back but it didn't work out.

I've known him for a long time and he is all for the kids, but he refuses to push kids to Michigan if they aren't feeling it.

That said he served as a major advcoate for Mike Weber (Weber committed to Harbaugh little after midnight on signing day... both Cro and Wilcher confirmed it that night... the kid flipped to OSU when Karan Higdon sent in his LOI early the next morning), LaVert Hill (Crowell sat in on the in-homes with the kid), and Donovan Peoples-Jones (one of the few people DPJ spoke to the day leading up to his announcement... gave the kid his opinion that Michigan was the best spot for him).

He is by no means an OSU guy.

SMart WolveFan

August 8th, 2017 at 12:39 PM ^

...he's just not a fit for the program.

And there's nothing more to it.

He sure doesn't seem too disappointed that Mich isn't talking to him much plus he really liked the Columbus atmosphere. Sounds like he'll be happier somewhere else, good luck to him.

 

Of course its still gonna make the recruitniks melt down if he stays a 5* and Mich stays away.

Michifornia

August 8th, 2017 at 1:53 PM ^

Have Michigan positioned right now.  Especially in state.  They will pretty much get who they want.  The '19 class is going to be something else.  Probably also not a bad guess that there may be something else in Dobbs's situation.  It will play out according the Harbaugh's master plan.

GO BLUE!!

Don

August 8th, 2017 at 2:45 PM ^

yet some people have veins throbbing in their foreheads over the fact that Harbaugh isn't going hard after some kid who's just finished 10th grade.

orangeda

August 9th, 2017 at 10:51 AM ^

that literally EVERYONE who covers recruiting has said that UM needs to pick it up soon(and they've been saying this since the spring, it seems) if they want to stay in the race for Dobbs, and yet everytime Dobbs is interviewed he says that Michigan isn't recruiting him hard?  To me it says they're not all that interested, regardless of how many stars he has next to his name on a recruiting site.  

Doesn't it say something that people who've seen Dobbs either play for his HS team or have seen him in camps have said that he doesn't stand out when watching him in games and he's been getting regularly beat in camps?

Harbaugh has put a ton of effort into any guy he really wants since he's been at Michigan, yet he's spending next to nothing on Dobbs, and that says something as well.

All this hand wringing over 1 guy and it would be an upset if Michigan doesn't end up with an OL haul in '19 that includes at the very least Nolan Rumler, Logan Brown and Trevor Keegan, with a not unlikely chance that they only take 3 OL in a smaller class numbers wise.

Seems like a waste of energy on your part, but have at it.

pugboy

August 8th, 2017 at 3:54 PM ^

I don't think this kid is flying under Coach Harbaugh and the rest of his staff's radar, but there might be contingencies that he has to meet, or there might be other players who the staff feels has higher upside in the long run and they do not want to jeopardize losing those recruits. I think recruiting Services generally doing okay job, in the long run the higher rated classes generally work out better than the lower rating classes, but I think that recruiting Services give a general idea of an athlete's ability, Loyola coaching staff can really delve into character issues, work ethic, classroom ability, how well he gets along with coaches, teammates, fellow students, and others.

Toledo_M_Fan

August 8th, 2017 at 5:45 PM ^

The staff has prioritized athletic lineman, maybe he isn't as athletic as they like? Maybe it's a personality issue and he's the next Malik McDowell. Maybe they're completely wrong and will kick themselves later. You can't land every top recruit on the wish list, and one kid won't turn msu around if he even goes there, so I'm not terribly concerned.