decommits
rashad weaver

Rashad Weaver Decommits Comment Count

Brian

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FL DE Rashad Weaver has decommitted. He's upset after Harbaugh told him there was only a 50/50 shot they'd have a slot for him on Signing Day and will take one of the other D-I offers he received. Weaver visited Temple recently and will be at USF and Illinois in the near future.

Weaver was one of the players we were assuming would not be in the class. Setting a visit to a non power-5 school is almost always a sign that a player committed to Michigan isn't going to get to Signing Day as a commit, and Weaver set that visit way back in November. He clearly had an idea of his status and moved to do something about it.

Still, you'd hope the past couple weeks inform the staff that in the twitter era you'd better do something a little more explicit than not calling for months if you don't want unpleasant public relations flare-ups on the regular.

Comments

grumbler

January 26th, 2016 at 12:00 PM ^

Weaver went on his official on Jan 15.  That's not "a while ago."  You have no idea how secure he thought his spot was, so don't pretend that you do.

Harbaugh fucked up by accepting commitments he knew (or should have kown) he couldn't honor.  That (and the refusal of the grouptink to acknowledge that) are problems.  Ones he should take care of, and publicly (when he can).

Joined: 08/17/2011

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jmdblue

January 26th, 2016 at 12:19 PM ^

But I see no evidence of it.  I think both Weaver and Swenson were told their spots were tenuous way, way after their verbal commitments had been accepted.  If in fact they were told in the beginning their spots were not secure I have zero problem, but it sounds like the status of their scholarship offers changed as interest in playing for M increased.  

I'm still completely with JH and these kids will be fine.  I'm just hoping we do a better job of this next year.  

Joined: 12/01/2010

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beef supreme

January 26th, 2016 at 6:31 AM ^

There is a chance that lots of things are true. Maybe the kid got told the truth a while ago, and he's doing what he saw swenson do. It gets attention. Maybe he got processed. Maybe everything. I'm not gonna stand here and pretend I'm really all up in arms just to fit in, but it's obvious some of you are really hurt over this. If it bothers you so much, contact the dept and do something about it. Otherwise you are just crying on a message board. Just saying......

Joined: 12/07/2015

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MotownGoBlue

January 26th, 2016 at 7:30 AM ^

No, there is a clear difference. I'm not now, and never will support and defend a coaching staff that enables child predators. I agree with most everything you post Mr. Yost, and respect your knowledge and love of all things Michigan, but that analogy is absolutely abhorrent.

Joined: 08/09/2014

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Gr1mlock

January 26th, 2016 at 12:36 PM ^

Yes.  Not enough to violate significant rules/shenanigans (bagmen, no-warning medicals, etc), but enough to do everything allowed within the rules that doesn't significantly hurt a player.  I'd rather a few recruits (who clearly weren't in line for substantial playing time, and may well have transferred after their sophomore year anyway) get stuck getting a full ride to their second or third choice school and we go to the playoffs regularly than continue an indefinite march of mediocrity to "protect our morals".

Joined: 12/24/2013

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gbdub

January 26th, 2016 at 8:49 AM ^

I just don't see what's wrong with being more open to the recruits earlier. Maybe the "silent treatment" isn't wrong per se, but is it really the best option?

I mean, we're debating back and forth about the morality of this vs the need to recruit big to win, but don't you get all the advantages with none of the icky feelings if you just say up front "look kid, we like you a lot, but there are players at your position higher on our board and your spot is contingent on them turning us down. Some of those might not turn us down till late. So if we have a spot, we're happy to have you, but look for a backup. Feel free to list a Michigan offer if it helps your status".

I mean, that's just a wait list, and no one has an issue with that when the university does it.


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Joined: 02/16/2010

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HateSparty

January 26th, 2016 at 8:53 AM ^

Two points I agree with:

  • Think for and act on the beliefs for yourself
  • There are two sides to every story

Two I question:

  • You pseudo-compare turning a blind eye to recruiting decisions to the PSU fan base turning a blind eye to a coach allowing CSC of minors?  Jesus that is a stretch and questionable. Sorry.  Like 98% of what you post.  That is whacked.  
  • You don't have to recruit like this and compete with Bama, OSU, etc.  Talent and coaching win.  MSU is the outlier.  We saw what happened with good coaching an dinferior talent.  

Joined: 12/17/2014

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Kevin13

January 26th, 2016 at 9:47 AM ^

You make good points and I can't say I completely agree with how some recruits have been treated. However, in D-1 football it becomes a numbers game. We have made probably 250 offers for 25 spots, because you probably only land about 10% of the kids you offer.

Well, now we have a problem as we are getting more kids wanting to come to UM then we have spots available. It's a nice problem to have, rather then trying to fill the last couple of ships with low rated recruits and hope they might one day develop enough to contribute. But, it also presents problems, because you must now look at each kid and position they play and basically rank them in order of need and ability. Well that is going to leave kids on the bottom of the list without a scholarship come LOI day. Is that right???? No.... Does it happen at many other top program???? Yes... Should we hold ourselves to a higher standard and accept the kids no matter what??? Maybe, but then you have to decide what do you expect from the UM football probram, Championships or 9-3, 8-4 type seasons every year. Great teams have a combination of great coaches and players and unfortunately this is how the game works. Is it fair to our coaches if, say someone like Gary, tells them he's coming and they have saved a spot for him then on LOI day he signs somewhere else? Again it's all part of the game and how the numbers work.

I will start to really have a problem if the coaches pull Alabama tactics and start running off kids 1-2 years after they sign because they feel they aren't good enough anymore. That's when I think we start to really get a black eye.

Joined: 01/26/2016

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Chris S

January 26th, 2016 at 12:26 PM ^

Mr. Yost,

...not that you aren't allowed to think independently, but that this is a bitch move.

1) None of us coach in the Power-5 conferences, and don't know for sure that "we can compete at an elite level doing things like this." Harbaugh and others would know more about that than us obviously.

2) I don't think you know for sure that coaches "don't understand" this stuff about low-level recruits. Again, I'd assume they would know better than most of us on the board. They are around them all the time.

3) I know if I was a low-level recruit, I would not take an offer like that for granted. It would definitely be a bummer to hear it might not go through, but I'd like to think I would be prepared

Joined: 11/16/2013

MGoPoints: 2647

Gr1mlock

January 26th, 2016 at 12:51 PM ^

What if we're not blindly following someone, but instead think this stuff is no big deal, and are happy we have a coach who's willing to play with the big boys and do what it takes to win?  We've had a long time of nice guy coaches who played clean and made everyone feel good about themselves and let us think we were above everything, and what did it get us?  A lot of 9-3 seasons. Yes we won the the '97 NC, but, i mean, that was a different era of college football and honestly, is one title in 20 years something we're happy about as a fanbase?  

 

Short version, as long as nothing is overtly against rules (bagmen) or overtly harmful to kid (post-NSD medicals or mandatory greyshirting), I'm fine with doing whatever it takes to put the best players in Maize and Blue and to add a few tropheys to Schembechler Hall.  

Joined: 12/24/2013

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DHughes5218

January 25th, 2016 at 10:25 PM ^

Back in the summer they also said that Harbaugh was offering under the radar guys for attention and that they would be surprised if these guys were still committed come signing day. They were right. If it happens once, it was just a misunderstanding, if it happens twice, you start to wonder, but when it has happened 5-6 guys this class alone and throw in the 2010 Stanford class, it's time to quit making excuses and hiding behind "two sides of the story". This is how Harbaugh does it. You may not like it, but I doubt you complain when the confetti falls.

Joined: 10/04/2014

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ak47

January 25th, 2016 at 10:44 PM ^

He did this at Stanford too. It's already a pattern. Harbaugh is basically ghosting kids and hoping they get the message. It's childish. Don't accept offers from kids you plan on recruiting over. Non comittable offers exist more or less to show interest without this situation.

Joined: 05/05/2011

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Mr. Yost

January 25th, 2016 at 11:37 PM ^

I don't think anyone is worried about "when the confetti falls." Of course everyone is going to celebrate and go nuts and be as happy as happy can be.

But you have to understand. This is the school where "Michigan arrogance" and "This Is Michigan" are real things.

Michigan ALWAYS lived off of taking the high road, being superior to everyone else by every moral standard. Michigan is like code for "doing things the right way." Whatever that meant to you.

We're "the leaders and the best."

So this is kind of a harsh reality for a lot of people who still hold on the notion that we can win and be elite while doing things the Michigan way, the right way. It's where we can hold our noses up at Bama and everyone else and say "see...we won and didn't have to do (x)."

If this was college basketball and it was Beilein paying players...would that be okay just because everyone else does it? Literally more elite teams do it than don't. So Michigan wouldn't be any different from that Louisville team that they lost to or half the rest of the top 25.

Where is the line for "this is the price you pay if you want to be elite?" I guess that's my question to you and anyone else with that thinking? I assume it's NCAA rules vs. breaking NCAA rules (and in this case no rule was broken)...but is that an accurate assumption? Honest question. Because "this is what it takes to win" or "if you want to be Bama, this is what it's like" just isn't good enough for me.

Joined: 07/25/2011

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I'm Batman

January 26th, 2016 at 1:35 AM ^

Harboring a criminal element, or committing academic fraud I will personally be happy. At the end of the day, his job is too put together the best possible collection of talent in order to lead his team to victory. You can speculate that he only accepted these commitments for attention all you want. But it's also just as likely that the overall quality of interested recruit changed drastically between taking over a 5 win team, and creating a ten win team with a top 5 defense. I feel for the couple guys who truly wanted to come play for the maize and blue, but at the same time I'd just assume those spots be used on the best available talent. The days of honoring every verbal commitment is over. In all honesty it never really began. All offers and commitments always came with conditions. Whether it is continued improvement, scholastic achievement, or off field behavior. That not being a blind follower of the coach. That's being a realist about the situation past and present.

Joined: 08/18/2014

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HateSparty

January 26th, 2016 at 8:58 AM ^

You have presented great points.  I'd also hope that the sparkle that is on Harbaugh remains for now.  It is year one after a great season.  As others have said, he may not have expected the kind of interest that he has now.  If it is still happening with 2 star athletes, we will then need to question his integrity.

Joined: 12/17/2014

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Commie_High96

January 26th, 2016 at 9:11 AM ^

so your repeating it three times is one time for each time a commit has been kicked off the truck this last week. You get one time to tweet what Harbaugh said, drop several kids and his credibility is flushed on this issue. I guess you have to become what you hate to win.

Joined: 02/10/2012

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Mr. Yost

January 25th, 2016 at 11:50 PM ^

You commit...because it'll get other offers and recognition. But you don't take it seriously.

You use it just like it is using you...as a backup plan. If it all works out? Awesome, you just got a full ride to Michigan. If not...you use that offer and exposure to get MORE rather than shutting it down because a school like Michigan gave you an offer. Go get more.

Joined: 07/25/2011

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xxxxNateDaGreat

January 25th, 2016 at 11:40 PM ^

I'm just not worried about it anymore. Recruiting is generally dirty and there are much worse things that have happened and will continue to happen here and at other schools across all sports.

I would say that the NCAA needs to get off their ass and do something about it, but as long as the money on the line remains too much to quanitfy, there will always be shady, dirty, underhanded shit in recruiting and roster management, and I while I don't agree with the exact tactics Harbaugh is utilizing, I'm not gonna lose sleep over a recruit playing for some other school instead of Michigan. 

Joined: 11/28/2011

MGoPoints: 2312

WolvinLA2

January 26th, 2016 at 6:20 AM ^

I kind of agree with you. Beilein has missed on elite commits because he wouldn't play the game that guys like Cal, Coach K, Izzo, Matta, etc are playing. If your stance is "This is Michigan, we're better than that" I won't fault you for that at all. But if your stance is "This is 2016 and anything within the rules is fair game" then it's hard to argue with that as well. Many schools employ tactics that are blatantly against the rules. That fact that Harbaugh is doing things within the rules that rub people the wrong way may just be the cost of doing business.

Joined: 11/13/2009

MGoPoints: 58191

alum96

January 26th, 2016 at 3:27 AM ^

Yes I wrote about that in one of the 800 Swenson threads.  How can smart recruits "use" this to their own gain.

If I am a 3 star I immediately accept and then try to parlay to a "real offer" and don't think UM is at all serious.  Which is fine for the ones that remain 3 stars.  But not for the ones who blow up their senior year.  Because in all that time they will not feel a real attachment to the program other than on paper knowing UM does not really have much of an attachment to them.

Also how do you ever bring a kid like this up for a recruiting weekend and expose new recruits to him when he is going to have this attitude? 

We often talk about recruits recruiting other recruits but like Swenson did for 2 years helping to recruit others I don't know how many are going to be "all in" on helping out the class.  So there are a lot of ramifications.

Also worthwhile for MGo staff hello posts - when you do "Upshot for rest of class" for anyone who is not a high 4* or a 5* you might as well just put that "shoulder shrug emoji".  As a fan it will be difficult to get too excited about any recruits that don't fall post November unless it's a top 100 player.

tl;dr if you are not a top 250 player you can not take an offer seriously from UM anymore. 

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