January 10th, 2018 at 1:50 PM ^
Is a need to blame someone, other than the recruit who chooses another school, but all Sam can do is interview a kid and find out (if they are willing to share) their level of interest. Even if Sam gives a "gut feeling" and the kid signs with another school, it isn't Sam's fault. A recruit is never over until the LOI in signed and received. After all the years and all the things that have happened to, and for Michigan in recruiting, it seems people would know better.
January 10th, 2018 at 1:22 PM ^
There are some doofuses who don't like Sam now because he's not saying the sky is falling.
January 10th, 2018 at 1:31 PM ^
And there are some doofuses who can't see that Sam has traded objectivity for access. Listen for whatever coaching names he starts to pimp soon. Those will be our next hires.
If we hired GERG as a coach Sam would talk baout how the stuffed animal really related to the players.
January 10th, 2018 at 2:33 PM ^
I just don't get the sudden hate because Sam is who he's always been.
In listening to Sam you get info from Schembechler Hall and from recruits but that info is usually going to include the POV of the source. It's nothing new in media, sports, or Sam.
Your complaint above includes that he will be right about the coaches he suggests will be hired!
January 10th, 2018 at 1:24 PM ^
but Fuck Off!
Guess I just needed to get that out, too.
January 10th, 2018 at 1:32 PM ^
Both schools have elite defensive lines, so he wouldn't lose either way. But to go "mid tier" is intellectually dishonest.
January 10th, 2018 at 1:35 PM ^
Tier 1: OSU
Tier 2: Rest of the BIG
Tier 3: Rutgers
Mid Tier it is.
January 10th, 2018 at 1:39 PM ^
OSU lost by 30 to Iowa this year. IOWA. The top 5 schools in the B1G are all relatively in the same spot. OSU/PSU/UM/UW/MSU. Then everyone else.
January 10th, 2018 at 1:45 PM ^
4 of those teams have won BIG titles in the last 10 years. 1 hasn't. Michigan is the 1. You are saying OSU isn't a tier alone because they lost to Iowa by a lot one time in Kinneck?
OSU has something like 3 or 4 big ten losses total since Meyer has been there.
You know nothing, Chork.
January 10th, 2018 at 1:49 PM ^
You know everything.
January 10th, 2018 at 1:56 PM ^
I know more than you and my ex wife.
January 10th, 2018 at 2:25 PM ^
With such a pleasant outlook I can't believe you have an ex anything.
January 10th, 2018 at 3:17 PM ^
You seem so pleasant.
January 10th, 2018 at 1:48 PM ^
Um no. You’re in denial
January 10th, 2018 at 3:14 PM ^
You have Michigan on par with Illinois? Maryland? Come on.
January 10th, 2018 at 3:26 PM ^
I think it is more egregious to have them on par with OSU.
January 10th, 2018 at 1:50 PM ^
This isn't surprising. Rumors of Mattison retiring, Partridge leaving and Michigan's poor finish seem to be influences. Top it off with daily stories on ESPN about Harbaugh losing his touch and moving on to the NFL, and I can see a teenager avoiding an uncertain situation. All of this is false except the poor season part, but the poor season adds so much strength to negative recruiting tactics.
Or this could all be conjecture (it is), and maybe he just fits in better at OSU. Maybe he doesn't care about academics, maybe he doesn't meet UM's admissions criteria, maybe he has more friends at OSU, maybe he's getting a car loaner, who knows? We'll never know. And he still might go Blue...signing day is still a month away. Recruits never change their mind after announcing, right?
The sky isn't falling. We'll get more prospects, convert some DEs to DTs, and move on. The defense isn't our problem and it's not going to be a problem because we lost one recruit. OL and getting some playmakers on offense is a bigger concern in my book.
January 10th, 2018 at 2:01 PM ^
Can't blame the recruits from running from this fan base or whatever you call yourself.
January 10th, 2018 at 2:45 PM ^
I follow this stuff fairly closely - apparently more closely than you... (No pays sites though).
Friday has always been high on OSU but chances were they did not have room for him. This is why the early signing day flips away from OSU that many were lol-ing about were not so great for M.
This is a school in NJ where having CP on staff is actually a hindrance due to HS recruiting history/bad blood. I.e. the stuff Rutgers was worried about when they foolishly decided not to hire him.
Coach at the HS is a former Rutgers QB and has some ties to Shiano. I assume he would steer the kid that way once it became very clear that RU was not going to happen.
But yeah keep pushing “the staff totally fucked up and can’t close on recruits” if it makes you feel better. This does hurt as M has been on him the longest and and is a position of need but not super surprising.
January 10th, 2018 at 8:03 PM ^
Excellent insight
January 10th, 2018 at 5:34 PM ^
34 kids who play for Alabama and Georgia played in the AA game - 34.
Need better recruits to compete. It’s that simple.
January 10th, 2018 at 11:58 PM ^
All I could think watching the NC game was how Michigan did not have any players or athletes that came close to Alabama and Georgia. There were no missed tackles, good hard clean hits, outstanding fundamental blocking even by the WRs. Not to mention two true Freshmen QBs duking it out in the second half. Prettty depressing. For every one of these players we get (Peppers, Gary, Solomon) Georgia and Alabama (and OSU) get 10. It sucks. I can only hope that Harbaugh will make it happen. If he doesn’t we’re fucked.
January 10th, 2018 at 12:29 PM ^
Just frustrating. Gotta win some games and win some recruits.
January 10th, 2018 at 1:38 PM ^
Exactly. I can't really blame the kid. He looks at the teams, sees a good team vs. a mediocre team (that the good team beat by 11 points). Picks the better team.
If you want the better players, you have to win the games.
January 10th, 2018 at 1:47 PM ^
Let's see how it plays out. There will be a ton of playing time for a good DT in the next couple of years with dudes going to the NFL.
January 10th, 2018 at 12:29 PM ^
needs better title.
January 10th, 2018 at 12:30 PM ^
Not gonna win the guys we really want most till we win some games.
January 10th, 2018 at 12:30 PM ^
My day just got better :/
January 10th, 2018 at 12:31 PM ^
a top flight talent picking either OSU, Alabama or Clemson..... Hell, they never get any players just look at their recruiting rankings.......
January 10th, 2018 at 12:31 PM ^
Quick, somebody find that old post about uninformative board titles and Justin Feagin
January 10th, 2018 at 12:31 PM ^
Welp. Losing one of the top recruits left on the board to your biggest rival isn't great.
January 10th, 2018 at 12:32 PM ^
How many balls and who do they belong to? Wouldn't surprise me though
January 10th, 2018 at 1:59 PM ^
Half dozen at least--Michigan insiders, OSU insiders, and national recruiting insiders.
January 10th, 2018 at 12:35 PM ^
Write a better title. This is pathetic.
[edit]: Thanks!
January 10th, 2018 at 12:33 PM ^
His primary recruiter is Partridge too. Hopefully this isn't foreshadowing of more bad news.
January 10th, 2018 at 12:36 PM ^
Partridge is staying
January 10th, 2018 at 12:33 PM ^
Because why would something fucking nice happen right now?
January 10th, 2018 at 12:33 PM ^
Thought they didn't have room for him?
Surely there is an unhrralded DT recruit in the middle of South Dakota that had great upside!
January 10th, 2018 at 12:39 PM ^
The 'ol diamond in the rough.
January 10th, 2018 at 1:24 PM ^
Now is NOT the time to bring up Jordan Diamond!!
January 10th, 2018 at 12:50 PM ^
Perhaps there’s one they have in mind from the euro pipeline. Perhaps they can flip a water polo recruit heading to coastal Carolina. When you can’t beat anybody for the recruits everybody wants go get the guys nobody knows about.
January 10th, 2018 at 12:34 PM ^
He is the biggest recruiting need, and seemingly the only one at his position we're actually recruiting, on the board next to OT IMO. Massive miss if he goes elsewhere. Not the end of the world, but it means we have to get an instant impact DT in 2019 class IMO.
January 10th, 2018 at 2:08 PM ^
Totally agree about OT. But really? After that, DT is the biggest recruiting need? We've got a bunch of guys with size and skill to play DT. After that performance in the All-American game, I think Hutch's kid could be your instant impact freshman at that position if it really came down to one.
I hate losing out on highly rated kids, and especially to OSU, but it is actually some consolation to me that it was at DT, rather than OT, OG, OC, S, or LB. Really need to shore up depth on all those fronts.
January 10th, 2018 at 2:47 PM ^
We have lots of bodies at OG and C. Interior line is one of the least of my worries. Those positions are set for a while IMO. As for interior DL - we have Mone, Solomon and Dwumfour. None of the other guys are proven whatsoever. So yes, I'd like some depth there. LB and S are good with roster and current commits. Now, if Reese or some of our DB decommit, then it yes, it becomes more of an issue for me.
January 10th, 2018 at 3:05 PM ^
our two starting OGs next year are both juniors. when they are gone there isn't much behind them.
January 10th, 2018 at 7:29 PM ^
Spanellis, Honigford, Filagia, and Rumler coming behind them. Ruiz can also play guard. And OTs are more likely to move inside than he opposite so I wouldn’t be shocked to see one of our current OTs move to guard. Staff also likes Vastardes too. Ruiz and Spanellis have seen the field and done well.
January 10th, 2018 at 12:34 PM ^
Balled him to OSU an hour ago. He gone
January 10th, 2018 at 12:36 PM ^
Now all the negative assholes will come out crying.
January 10th, 2018 at 12:42 PM ^
Negative Asshole > "Best of luck/ We Don't Need Him/Have fun losing to us/Way to Choose an Inferior Academic School" crowd.
January 10th, 2018 at 12:51 PM ^
Remember Harbaugh's first year after the bowl victory when he used the train analogy about the program? He said something about the momentum of the train turning around and going the right direction (winning)?
The moment has shifted and is going in the wrong direction now . This is true whether you want to believe it or not. Of course the momentum can be shifted back, but pointing out UM's struggles isn't being negative. It's acknowledging facts.