Stephen Herron Jr. 4* 2019 WDE :(
trending in the wrong direction... cb's in for Stanford from Trieu, Wiltfong and Ace.
Couldnt help but think when Sam was going on and on about how well the 2019 class was starting off that we just saw this happen in 2018 with Otis and Emil Ekiyor... not meant to be taken as a "sky is falling" tread, just as a reminder that "off to a good start" 12 months out is kind of a ridiculous statement when it comes to recruiting.
February 19th, 2018 at 11:52 AM ^
Thanks for more "great" news and all, but could you do a little more with the title so I know whether to be happy or sad prior to clicking?
February 19th, 2018 at 12:03 PM ^
just for you trueblue...
February 19th, 2018 at 12:05 PM ^
So maybe he got ranked lower? Maybe his dad passed away? Maybe he has an illness or injury?
The title still sucks.
February 19th, 2018 at 2:08 PM ^
February 19th, 2018 at 2:58 PM ^
Sad Josh or GTFO
February 19th, 2018 at 12:05 PM ^
Much better. I'll email Seth & Brian about instituting an emoji based posting system on the new platform.
February 19th, 2018 at 7:44 PM ^
February 19th, 2018 at 11:53 AM ^
Bill Murray had the life...
February 19th, 2018 at 2:07 PM ^
Not sure if being stuck in Puxatawny is the best day to have to relive over and over. It took him how long to finally connect with Andie McDowell? That would have been my #2 priority after final realization that I was *a* God.
I wonder if I was stuck with Andie McDowell today, if I would still prioritize her?
Yes
EDIT: After further review. Yes with stipulation. Would need to wash off the plastic that melted onto me.
February 19th, 2018 at 11:53 AM ^
It's not really a suprise. These kids are getting hammered day in, day out about how much JH is overrated and UM is trending in the wrong direction. Only a good 2018 season can change things.
February 19th, 2018 at 2:50 PM ^
just need to beat ND, PSU and particulalry OSU and they will come. Champions of the East would douse the smoke.
February 20th, 2018 at 3:27 AM ^
...and the rest will take care of itself.
The results of the MSU and PSU games will matter less in the national recruiting picture.
Want more (obviously), but if Michigan goes 9-3 and beats ND and tOSU, I would still consider that a sucessfull season and be pleased.
February 19th, 2018 at 11:56 AM ^
February 19th, 2018 at 12:39 PM ^
Again, OP with a brutal title, but Herron is already a Michigan commit since July.
Doing this for every prospect? No. But when committed prospects enter decommit territory, I think it's acceptable to notify the recruitniks.
February 19th, 2018 at 1:28 PM ^
happen with such regularity.
February 19th, 2018 at 11:56 AM ^
...then it's ridiculous for Stanford to be off to a good start too. Herron could verbally commit to the Cardinal in a week and then sign with Michigan next February.
February 19th, 2018 at 12:01 PM ^
Yep. Bobby Brown flipped back to Texas A&M in February after a stretch when he was committed to Alabama.
February 19th, 2018 at 12:30 PM ^
February 19th, 2018 at 12:49 PM ^
February 19th, 2018 at 12:44 PM ^
what are the odds a highly regarded Michigan DL commit from down south decommits and then recommits on signing day? Probably zero? Doubt that would ever happen.
February 19th, 2018 at 12:56 PM ^
Good point. It probably hasn't happened since, I don't know, the days of King Solomon.
February 19th, 2018 at 7:20 PM ^
Low. The odds are low.
Fact that it happened once does not change that. Low odds does not mean impossible. But is still does mean...low odds.
February 19th, 2018 at 2:21 PM ^
I think the concern is this seems to happen somewhat regularly with us? I honestly wonder sometimes why they let kids commit so early.
February 19th, 2018 at 2:24 PM ^
I agree. And Stanford only went 9-5 last year (they got an extra game because they played in Australia(?) against Rice). And they lost the last 2 games of their season, admittedly close games against good teams, but still. It's early in the recruiting process even for the 2019 kids, and so getting worked up about someone predicting that possibly, maybe a guy is leaning toward a decommitment seems a bit premature.
February 19th, 2018 at 2:33 PM ^
Again I think the concern/difference is that we seem to lose kids like this each year while Stanford has essentially cherry-picked the guys they want. For ex: they've offered 1 QB in each of the last like 4 classes and gotten their guy every time.
February 19th, 2018 at 3:33 PM ^
I agree, but I think Stanford is a really weird case because of how late you get admittance to the school. I don't think they go in on a lot of guys because they know those guys might not qualify or would decommit if a better school comes looking around.
Also, I know this shouldn't matter all that much, but Stanford didn't recruit all that well last year. They finished the 2018 class ranked 39th per 24/7. Yes, they had a decent number hit rate (88.02 is around 18-20th nationally on a per-player average), but perhaps some of their decommitment success is that they target a very particular combination of talent and academic focus that leds to little turnover but caps their ceiling a bit.
My bigger takeaway is that Michigan is doing fine and that getting worked nearly a year out from NSD seems a bit premature.
February 19th, 2018 at 11:56 AM ^
February 19th, 2018 at 11:59 AM ^
February 19th, 2018 at 12:47 PM ^
1. You have NO idea what 2019 is going to turn out to be. At this pont last year 2018 looked pretty good as we had verbals from a lot of players that ended up going elsewhere. You can speculate that it will turn out better (and we all hope it does) but as of now you have absolutely no way of knowing what it will end up being - good or bad.
2. That "douche" played football for Michigan under Bo. Just like you did I'm sure.
February 19th, 2018 at 1:40 PM ^
Good points my fellow long suffering Cavs/Browns devotee. Agreed on RTG who is a respected poster.
Is it unreasonable to think that the fanbase, or at least a large suffering segment has completely lost their shit and is doing so on a "per recruit" basis plus or minus?
That is, a bunch of factors played into Michigan's season not being great last year. They were the youngest team in college football, their defense was great while the offense was worst than my beloved Temple Owls (which is saying something last year). The QB situation was bad, Speight gets hurt, O'Korn bad and Peters too young. Add in the whole O-Line deal. I get it. I was there. So now, every time a recruit commits it's sunny days rainbows and unicorns and any pressure on decommit the fcuking sky is falling.
I am old enough to remember 8-4 years with bowl losses in the Bo era. Pre-internet, of course, people just kind of went about their business until football season and just expected the next year to be better and the coaches to do their jobs. Today, it's an in the moment stock up/stock down situation on teams and the M fanbase is particularly prickly post bowl loss. Am I wrong to speculate that Harbaugh hasn't become less competitive over the past few years, that this young team (youngest in the nation) won't get better, that Don Brown remains Don Brown and that recruiting will uptick based on on-field performance given these factors? That's what I'm speculating/hoping anyway.
Unrelated, I only can read Cleveland media online...what's the trending on the #1. I keep seeing Mayfield referenced and it kind of freaks me out.
February 19th, 2018 at 2:20 PM ^
We have similar outlooks on things in general (although I must admidt I'm more pessimistic on next year - largely due to the insane schedule) record-wise than you. And yes, pre internet things were WAY different and the off-season was just. The off-season.
As far as our beloved Brownies go I truly have no idea what they are going to do but what I thear they are going to do is sign a bridge veteran QB in FA (smart money here is on McCarron but dont rule out one of the Minnesota QBs should they become available or even Tyrod Taylor) and then draft either Darnold or Rosen at #1 and then come back and get either Barkley or Fitzpatrick at #4. Let Darnold/Rosen sit for a year or two and then take over. I do know they've assembled basically a front office "dream team" so for once I have confidence they wont fuck it up. And if they do draft Mayfield then I'll root like hell for him and hope he's not Johnny Football Jr on the field and in real life.
February 19th, 2018 at 3:15 PM ^
God I hope so.
For years i have really wondered why the Browns have to be "the smartest guys in the room" rather than just drafting the obvious talent that even the analysts can identify.
Also unrelated, but I was recently dealing with Steelers fans (as opposed to talking, no one really talks to Steelers fans...like Sparty fans they are merely tolerated). Anyway, they are all up in arms about Roethlisberger retiring with the view that Landry Jones or whoever is not the answer and that their front office has not prepared for that long term exigency. It made me very happy, that conversation.
February 19th, 2018 at 5:39 PM ^
February 19th, 2018 at 12:01 PM ^
February 19th, 2018 at 12:02 PM ^
We're 10 months away from the early signing period and 12 months away from National Signing Day.
February 19th, 2018 at 12:05 PM ^
Just because 2018 was a "down" year doesn't mean i have to force this narrative that 2019 is the cure all when its soo far away and we just saw what happened last year with early commits.
The "JH can do no wrong" crowd is just as ridiculous as the "JH should be fired" crowd
February 19th, 2018 at 12:53 PM ^
I think a better description would be "JH isnt perfect and has made some mistakes" crowd of which I am a proud member. I've never heard or read of anybody asking for him to be dismissed but candidly ANY criticism of JH is interpretted as "JH should be fired" by the "JH can do no wrong" crowd.
I love him as a coach but he aint perfect (pro-tip, none of us are). Hopefully he sees the areas where we fell short and has a plan to fix them. I have confidence he will (moreso than Brian does right now that's for sure) but I dont think he's infallable by any means.
February 19th, 2018 at 2:31 PM ^
He does seem to have a blind spot about fiddle fucking around with the offense.
His approach to how he got Don Brown on defense, and how he got (???) on offense, are night and day.
One of those approaches has worked out a whole lot better than the other.
February 19th, 2018 at 3:07 PM ^
February 19th, 2018 at 10:02 PM ^
i.e., "if he doesn't win [x] games, beat two rivals, and win the Big Ten, he should be fired."
I've noticed some UM-haters in the media like to take this tactic. They know it works on casual M fans, in addition to the "unacceptables."
February 19th, 2018 at 2:29 PM ^
if you consider "a crystal ball was entered in that maybe a recruit is considering decommitting in the summer before his senior year" as the sign of an oncoming apocalypse, I'm not sure following HS recruiting is going to be your bag.
BTW, here's a lit of actual players who decommitted from Michigan's first two classes:
2017 (and you'll note, that guy at the top came back)
But just for fun, let's see that, yes, Alabama's #1 2016 class and 2017 class also featured attrition. So no, this happens at every school, and we aren't even talking about a decommitment. Michigan may struggle again in recruiting (I have my doubts, but saying "it's probably going to be pretty good" is apparently treated as 100% homerism at times here), but a healthy dose of perspective wouldn't hurt either.
February 19th, 2018 at 11:59 AM ^
Forget how exactly how points for crystal calls work, but isn't there no downside to putting one in on an already commited kid? So if he stays commited, it doesn't go down as being wrong, but if he decommits then you got your prediction in early...
Also, based on Devery Hamilton's recruitment, wouldn't it be WAY to early for him to know if he's been admitted to Stanford yet?
February 19th, 2018 at 12:03 PM ^
Yeah, he wouldn't know if he's been admitted to Stanford or not.
February 19th, 2018 at 2:40 PM ^
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that if his top two are Michigan and Stanford, his academics are fine.
February 19th, 2018 at 12:01 PM ^
Just looking for some stench in a sweet smelling bouquet of a weekend?