BlockM

September 22nd, 2010 at 6:03 PM ^

I'd rather have an elite kicker than a kid that's just going to ride the bench for four years. If someone is good enough to give us an advantage, give him a scholarship.

Michigan4Life

September 22nd, 2010 at 8:12 PM ^

why people continue to insist on wanting RR to use another scholarship on a kicker(thus bringing up 3 specialists or 4(if you count Dileo as a KR/PR) which is an overkill.

Logan88

September 22nd, 2010 at 8:27 PM ^

Probably because after QB's , placekickers have the most impact on a team's W/L record. Placekickers are responsible for the field position battle (pinning opponent's offenses to the 20 yard line or deeper vs. 35 yard line in UM's case) and kicking game winning field goals.

I would much rather see UM use another scholarship on a potential GOOD kicker (which we currently do not have) than recruit another LB/DE hybrid beanpole that the staff seems to favor who, by the way, would probably not qualify anyway.

WolvinLA2

September 22nd, 2010 at 8:33 PM ^

First of all, you don't know which kickers are going to be "good" any more than you know which position players will be.  The last 3 PK's we gave scholarships to have amounted to nothing (Bryan Wright and Gibbons) and we've used walk-ons anyway.  Granted, Gibbons is still in his second year, but giving a kicker in this class a schollie is essentially giving up on Gibbons. 

I'd much rather build depth on either side of the ball and let the guys we currently have work on their stuff. 

Gerald R. Ford

September 22nd, 2010 at 9:14 PM ^

The problem is that it has an enormous mental aspect that all of the more physical positions do not.   SO - if a guy has the physical skill to kick a fricking ball far and with the right vector, then it should be easier for him to work out mental issues than a player at a physical position who is outmatched by an opponent. 

That is, unless he is actually a total basket case mentally, which Gibbons is not.  I actually have faith in this guy.  Mike Gillette was not that good either when he arrived.  

What we need to do is start sending recruiters to eastern Europe.  Homer Simpson says that immigration was invented to bring field goal kickers to the US

jmblue

September 22nd, 2010 at 8:43 PM ^

Let's think about this.  A team has 85 scholarships to hand out.  How would you distribute them among the offensive and defensive positions?  I think these numbers are about ideal.

Offense:

QB - 4-5

RB - 6-7

OL - 15-16

TE - 4

WR/SR - 10-12

Total: 39-44

Defense:

DL - 12

LB/Spur - 12

CB/S - 12

Total: 36

That works out to 75 to 80 scholarship players on offense and defense, leaving five to ten that are discretionary.  If you give out one for a kicker and one for a punter, that still leaves you with a few extra.  Why can't you have two placekickers?  Where do those final scholarships need to go?

WolvinLA2

September 22nd, 2010 at 8:57 PM ^

I think your numbers are a little on the low side for most positions.  Let's look at LB/Spur.  There are 4 positions, so 12 schollies leaves you with 4 starters, 4 backups, and then only 4 for guys redshirting, injured players, or guys who just didn't pan out or will take a few years before they should see the field. 

Take our LB/Spur situation.  Furman and Jake Ryan are likely redshirting.  Herron and Carvin Johnson are injured.  Isaiah Bell either isn't ready yet or won't be.  Only because we have talented walk-ons (current or former) in this position group (Leach, Moundros, Simmons) are we not up shits creek. 

My point - we need as many scholarship players as we can get on either side of the ball.

clarkiefromcanada

September 22nd, 2010 at 8:51 PM ^

If a kicker appears who can make kicks consistently within 45 yards then I would welcome giving him a scholarship if indicated. Otherwise, let's seriously explore the All Denard/All Four Downs strategy...

smwilliams

September 22nd, 2010 at 9:57 PM ^

I say we get some engineers working on building a football kicking robot that appears to be a human or some kind of robot/human "cyborg" specifically programmed to kick the ball into the endzone on kickoffs, and through the uprights no matter what the distance.

zippy476

September 23rd, 2010 at 4:46 PM ^

For 3 weeks we have left how many points on the field? We need a kicker.

Also does anyone know the ranges at which our kickers have missed. They all seem to be less then 40 yards out....which if you are going to kick in for a NCAA D1 school you should at least be able to hit a 40 yarder.