Vlad Emilien to Transfer
time for an update
Well-played, Angry Michigan Secondary-Hating God: Scout is reporting that Vlad Emilien is leaving Michigan. This is their Ohio recruiting analyst, FWIW, so it's not someone super-close to the program but he's not a random guy on the internet or bikini model. Details in the header:
Sophomore safety Vlad Emilien has left the Michigan football team, Scout.com learned Wednesday morning. Emilien, out of Plantation, Florida, requested, and was granted, his release Tuesday in a meeting with head coach Rich Rodriguez.
Emilien got some playing time against UConn on their final drive when Michigan went to a prevent package but did not play before that and may not have played at all if Jared Van Slyke had been healthy.
When you're on the depth chart behind a walk-on the writing is on the wall, I guess, but that walk-on is now out for the season, so the depth chart at free safety now reads
- Cam Gordon
- The Howling Nothingness of the Void
Realistically, it means any injury to a safety will see Marvin Robinson move into the starting lineup either at FS or bandit, with Kovacs moving to the deep safety spot that was not such a good idea a year ago. This may have already been the case, but losing Emilien just makes the secondary even flimsier than it is right now.
If I had to guess, this was just an injury/playing time washout. I'd heard persistent rumors that the knee injury never healed right and the Roundtree/Emilien/Jones sprint in the spring game was an eye opener. Hard to believe Michigan's secondary can suffer a PT transfer, but behind a walk-on and all that.
In addition: ARGH.
UPDATE: Tom confirms.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:28 AM ^
At least I'm not reading some fabricated non-sense from one of the news outlets. Seems fairly quite if that is a positive.
2011 CBs and S come on down. We need to load up at this position next year.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:28 AM ^
Is there some benefit to Vlad by leaving now as opposed to the end of the season? Once he transfers, won't he still have to sit out next year anyways? Why not at least stick around until the end of the season and get some playing time and practice? It seems like he's taking himself out of the mix for basically two full seasons.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:33 AM ^
I don't know the rules since he's actually played in a game, but it's only the first week of classes at Michigan. Schools on quarters haven't begun yet. So, unless playing in a game means that season is consumed (which redshirt rules seem to indicate), he could transfer and still get in a full academic year at another institution.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:39 AM ^
i assume he will try to use this year as his sit-out year b/c he barely played.
September 9th, 2010 at 1:55 PM ^
you are ineligable for one year from the date you transfer, so theoretically, if he moves on quickly, he could play in the second game of the year somewhere else. I don't know what the rule is on eligibility left as it regards to redshirting once you have played in the current year. He might be able to appeal for a redshirt year or something, the way Lavell Lucas-Perry did for basketball.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:36 AM ^
My thoughts exactly. It would seem that he would be a more appealing transfer candidate given another season of practice and some real game experience. Maybe he hasn't played enough this season and can count if he sits out?
September 8th, 2010 at 11:47 AM ^
You are correct that you have to "sit out" a year...but "sitting out" is defined as taking classes at a school without playing football there. So if he gets some kind of late enrollment at his new school, passes his Fall 2010 and Spring 2011 semester courses, he will be eligible to play in Fall 2011. This has nothing to do with whether or not he enrolled at Michigan for Fall 2010 courses, or played football during that semester.
Vlad will have 2 years of eligibility left, and could use them in 2011 & 2012 at his new school.
September 8th, 2010 at 12:23 PM ^
He's a good student, and the list of schools he gave TomVH are all very good academic schools. He's too late for Virginia, unless he enrolled yesterday and is in Charlottesville today. Duke drop/add period ends September 10. BC drop/add ends September 15.
UCLA is on a quarter system, so doesn't start until September 23. Classes at Oregon begin September 27.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:28 AM ^
And we even gave this MFer a NICKNAME!
September 8th, 2010 at 11:28 AM ^
Troy Woolfolk said during the summer that Marvin Robinson was playing free safety in summer 7-on-7s. Maybe he'll be able to continue his practicing of the FS position in actual football pads now.
Brandin Hawthorne played FS in the spring, too, although I don't think he's a realistic option there.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:43 AM ^
Marvin Robinson and Cam Gordon as our free safeties... receivers beware. You're going to get hit really hard.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:55 AM ^
He was firmly behind a redshirt freshman in Cam and may have felt that true freshman MRob was gaining on him, too, and winning coaches' favor. It's not unimagineable then that a guy would want to check out if he's getting passed up by underclassmen.
September 8th, 2010 at 12:12 PM ^
is the only thing that would make sense. When Van Slyke was lost for the season, MRob most likely switched to FS as #2 on the depth chart, leaving Vlad yet again as #3.
September 8th, 2010 at 12:43 PM ^
According to someone at RR's press conference (via twitter), Ray Vinopal is now #2 behind Cam.
September 8th, 2010 at 1:17 PM ^
Tell me you're joking....
September 8th, 2010 at 11:28 AM ^
This is beginning to feel like a Greek tragedy.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:29 AM ^
Dong Punch.
Will it ever end?
September 8th, 2010 at 11:31 AM ^
Only when you let it end.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:30 AM ^
Well, it looks like the Detroit media and the "Tin-Foil Hat Brigade" will have another field day throwing knives, pitchforks and other implements of destruction at RichRod. "RichRod runs another player off team!" "The rats are leaving a sinking ship." Etc.
Lovely. I guess I better find Barry Manilow on XM for my journey home tonight!
September 8th, 2010 at 11:31 AM ^
I said this on Twitter, but Vlad is looking at UCLA, Duke, Virginia, Boston College, and Oregon. He said he loves the school, just felt like it was time for him to move on.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:33 AM ^
Any idea what would make him feel that way?
September 8th, 2010 at 12:10 PM ^
Perhaps Michigan cheated on him with his best friend.He said he loves the school, just felt like it was time for him to move on.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:34 AM ^
But this: "Vlad is looking at UCLA, Duke, Virginia, Boston College, and Oregon. He said he loves the school, just felt like it was time for him to move on" drives me nuts.
You love U of M but it's time to move on? ONE GAME INTO THE SECOND YEAR OF YOUR ELIGIBILITY?
What a disappointment. Makes me appreciate the Braylons, Chris Perrys, and all the other talented, highly touted underclassmen that faced depth chart and other team adversity by working their ass off to dominate as UPPERclassmen that much more.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:38 AM ^
it seems - though i can hardly confirm this and it is pure speculation - that RR is more comfortable letting kids go than LC was. LC's tactics were designed to ultimately make players stay. I don't know whose approach is better in the long run, but it seems like RR is doing himself a disservice at the moment.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:50 AM ^
I'm not disparaging the guy, but--aside from transferring to Duke to be the big fish in a littlle pond--I have a hard time understanding the rationale behind this. A simple process for decision making is the pros/cons list:
Pros of staying: (1) loves U of M, (2) depleted secondary virtually guarantees playing time, (3) only in second year of eligibility--plenty of time to improve, (4) only guy ahead on depth chart is highly untested and has loose grip on starting spot
Cons of staying: (1) behind a redshirt freshman on depth chart
Pros of leaving: (1) might get more playing time, (2) might love it at new school
Cons of leaving: (1) might not get more playing time at any school other than Duke considering inability beat out converted wide out at M (2) might not love it at new school
September 8th, 2010 at 3:10 PM ^
Seriously, I cannot speak for any of the other schools on that list, but Oregon is a team that is loaded right now on both sides of the ball with young talent.
They had a second or third string DB return 2 punts for TDs against NM last week.
I don't like his chances there.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:31 AM ^
Fucker
September 8th, 2010 at 11:31 AM ^
There has to be something other than PT being a factor here. He would've gotten PLENTY of PT next week.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:32 AM ^
Even the law of averages suggests we should get lucky ONCE in a while....
Can we recruit quidditch players to play in the secondary?
September 8th, 2010 at 11:32 AM ^
... out of control. Can we sacrifice michigan state to please the secondary hating god?
September 8th, 2010 at 1:26 PM ^
Unfortunately, he will not allow us to sacrifice them until October 9th.....
September 8th, 2010 at 11:33 AM ^
Michigan Defense = 7 guys up front and a paper bag
September 8th, 2010 at 11:35 PM ^
I think you mean a wet paper bag.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:34 AM ^
We better not lose our waterboy...he's the backup!
September 8th, 2010 at 11:34 AM ^
Frankly, other than for depth, this doesn't effect us much. Vlad never really got into shape, and he would have been as much a liability at FS as Kovacs. Sorry to see him go, but in the scheme of things, this is a low level loss.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:37 AM ^
Never got into shape? We (supposedly) have the worlds foremost authority on strength and conditioning.
Come on. We do need backups.......really. We do.
September 8th, 2010 at 1:14 PM ^
How great Barwis is, and how awful our previous strength and conditioning coach was, and how all our players used to be out of shape....boy, we sure seem to have a lot of guys out of shape, don't we?
September 8th, 2010 at 11:39 AM ^
Never got into shape? I think you're confusing him with Turner. Vlad was getting praise for big hits all fall camp. I'm thinking maybe Gordon and Van Slyke just displayed a better understanding of the defense and were less of a liability in the first game.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:42 AM ^
... even read what you type?
Depth isn't important when the only people behind the starters are converted RBs and a Kovacs?
WOW.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:36 AM ^
To everyone coming down on the kid for not following the "Those Who Stay Will Be Champions" mantra:
If you're a kid that, by most accounts, has not really recovered from your knee injury, you probably realize you're never going to go pro. And if you're buried on the depth chart behind walk ons, you probably realize you're never going to really contribute to the team either.
If all your life all you've ever wanted to do was play football, then why not leave and finish these last years you'll have a chance to play somewhere you'll be able to play? As a grizzled old man, I miss playing team sports more than just about most things. I can't then begrudge a kid who just wants to play while he still can.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:42 AM ^
"UCLA, Duke, Virginia, Boston College, and Oregon"
A couple of those don't seem like the kind of schools you just jump up to first string at, so this doesn't seem like the case.
September 8th, 2010 at 1:20 PM ^
And zero of those schools have less secondary depth then we do...
September 8th, 2010 at 12:06 PM ^
he was #2 on the depth chart. He played in Game 1. The backup went down. He would be against a spread passing attack this week. What more did he want?
September 9th, 2010 at 2:04 PM ^
He would have gotten plenty of playing time and if Gordon gets hurt, he would have gotten nearly ALL the playing time. He's on the two deep as a sophomore. That is consider a great situation for most realistic players, especially ones that haven't demonstrated the ability to compete at this level yet.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:42 AM ^
September 8th, 2010 at 11:37 AM ^
I fire up firefox to see if the UFR from the UConn game was up yet and instead get hit with AMBHG's career stats....
These threads are a lot more pleasant after a big win though as opposed to some of the transfer threads over the past 6 months.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:38 AM ^
I'm having a hard time typing because the sound of my teeth grinding together is throwing me off. I keep saying to myself: As long as no one else gets injured........this should be ok. Please let it be ok! Please?
September 8th, 2010 at 11:39 AM ^
- Cam Gordon
- The Howling Nothingness of the Void
Howling Nothingness of the Void will be injured in two weeks, mark it down
September 8th, 2010 at 11:46 AM ^
Not to be too nitpicky, but would nothingness howl? I mean, that would seem to imply there was something there, even if just wind.
September 8th, 2010 at 11:54 AM ^
It's like the tree falling in the woods...if the defensive back transfers and there are no other defensive backs to hear it, do my nuts still hurt?
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