transfers
vlad emilien
angry michigan BLANK hating god
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Vlad Emilien to Transfer Comment Count

Brian

never_forget-500

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

  1. Cam Gordon
  2. 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.

Comments

maizenbluedevil

September 8th, 2010 at 10:40 AM ^

This is just baffling to me.  

Some of the transfers, you can see what the kid's thought process was, even though you may disagree with it...  but with Van Slyke out, Vlad was going to be looking at serious playing time this year.  

It just makes no sense at all.  

Joined: 09/12/2008

MGoPoints: 6906

maizenbluedevil

September 8th, 2010 at 12:27 PM ^

As much as I hate to say it, I was thinking the same thing.

Where there's smoke, there's fire.

I want to give the coaching staff the benefit of the doubt.  But, can all of this attrition really be coincidental or extenuating circumstance?  

I don't know what it is, but, I really am starting to think there has to be *something* else going on.  I don't want to.  But red flags are going up.

Joined: 09/12/2008

MGoPoints: 6906

JDNorway

September 8th, 2010 at 10:44 AM ^

It's hard to determine what caused what here. In general, I have very little respect for these underclassmen who see others ahead of them on the depth chart at Michigan and decide to leave. Maybe they're low on the depth chart and that's why they leave. Maybe they are unmotivated to work hard and therefore end up low on the depth chart (Justin Turner?) and decide to leave. I actually have a little bit of sympathy for the first group, those who come here and then just realize that they're not good enough. Austin White probably falls into that category. Vlad and Justin Turner seem to both be in a good situation when it comes to potential playing time, but just didn't want to put the work in to contribute to the team winning. That's disappointing, but they're probably not the kind of players who will be missed.

Joined: 08/22/2008

MGoPoints: 350

Steweiler

September 8th, 2010 at 10:47 AM ^

to this kid even after he wrecked his knee his senior year in HS.  Now he wants to transfer?  Does he think he will have a chance to go Pro by playing somewhere else?  Or even get a better education??  

/shakes head disapprovingly.  frowns.

Joined: 12/22/2009

MGoPoints: 360

justthinking

September 8th, 2010 at 11:53 AM ^

Perhaps he could compete at this level before his injury and he absolutly knows he can't compete now. Who wants to look bad in front of 110,000 people every home game for the rest of your career? Why not transfer to a smaller school where you can compete with a little slower group of kids and get a good education to boot?

Yeah, it sure sucks that he left, but where he goes will be telling. I wish him the best wherever it is he ends up.

Joined: 09/16/2009

MGoPoints: 2120

ColsBlue

September 8th, 2010 at 12:06 PM ^

Per Tom VH twitter, Vlad is looking at UCLA, Duke, VIrginia, Oregon, and Boston College.  This kid clearly thinks he can compete at a high level (UCLA, Oregon), at least a BCS level (Duke, VA, BC).  This is likely where the conflict lies - the Michigan staff doesn't agree that he can compete, he wants to prove them wrong. 

Joined: 11/09/2008

MGoPoints: 862

JDNorway

September 8th, 2010 at 11:09 AM ^

It's hard to determine what caused what here. In general, I have very little respect for these underclassmen who see others ahead of them on the depth chart at Michigan and decide to leave. Maybe they're low on the depth chart and that's why they leave. Maybe they are unmotivated to work hard and therefore end up low on the depth chart (Justin Turner?) and decide to leave. I actually have a little bit of sympathy for the first group, those who come here and then just realize that they're not good enough. Austin White probably falls into that category. Vlad and Justin Turner seem to both be in a good situation when it comes to potential playing time, but just didn't want to put the work in to contribute to the team winning. That's disappointing, but they're probably not the kind of players who will be missed.

Joined: 08/22/2008

MGoPoints: 350

iawolve

September 8th, 2010 at 11:22 AM ^

Some of this has to be coach/player relationships in the mix somewhere. I know RR and Gibson have been best friends forever, but maybe we need a change there, maybe someone who can identify better to get these kids through the rough patches instead of transferring. We don't need dead weight, but I have not heard anything bad re: Vlad. Hell, at least play the year out before leaving. You have already started.

Joined: 11/03/2008

MGoPoints: 7915

CB2009

September 8th, 2010 at 11:22 AM ^

I feel like over the past couple of years we were able to sell these kids on guaranteed playing time in a pretty thin defense. I guess...now...we can keep doing this?

Joined: 07/27/2008

MGoPoints: 184

dieseljr32

September 8th, 2010 at 11:23 AM ^

Ok, this sucks that he is transferring.  Every transfer sucks but this one confuses the crap out of me.  Did he forget that Van Slyke was out for the year?  With him out he could have gotten better by getting game experience and have the potential to be a solid backup. 

I am about ready to try out for the football team even though I only played one year of organized football, I think any body for depth would do right about now.

This is INSANE.

Joined: 04/19/2009

MGoPoints: 4792

mejunglechop

September 8th, 2010 at 11:53 AM ^

The Grady Brooks Memorial Spring Hype Award should be renamed. Maizeman/coachbt couldn't stop talking about how he was a star in the making in '09 spring. (insert hurr hurr here)

Joined: 07/09/2008

MGoPoints: 6618

West Texas Blue

September 8th, 2010 at 11:23 AM ^

Guess some of these kids don't care about a degree from one of the world's finest institutions.  Football may last a few years (maybe a little longer if they're NFL caliber), but a degree lasts a lifetime.  Avery Walls just became priority #1 for this recruiting class.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 1845

ijohnb

September 8th, 2010 at 11:23 AM ^

for anything after Saturday, he may need to work on his "coach-can-I-be-released-from-the-program" meeting philosophy a little.  Is he asking them to stay?  Does he perhaps suggest that the team may need them?  For every impressive victory over UConn, there is a......

Come on man.

Joined: 09/21/2009

MGoPoints: 69986

ijohnb

September 8th, 2010 at 11:58 AM ^

there is something underlying all of this.  Even the explanation of "he wasn't in shape" when it comes to JT.  Well, why wasn't he?  How does a guy with a Michigan f#%king tattoo all of the sudden not care about Michigan football?  Why does Vlad transfer now.  That was just a huge win.  These things do not add up, and can no longer be put on the gods.  There is something up here.

Joined: 09/21/2009

MGoPoints: 69986

CRex

September 8th, 2010 at 11:23 AM ^

So I guess the improvement this season is that Angry Michigan Hating God works weekdays, not weekends.  

Maybe I should go out for the team, I was a terrible safety and haven't played in a good 6 years, but I could run around with a bulleyes on my chest and try to draw fire away from valuable players.  

"Hey, hey over here, I'm the starter, not Kovacs!  Me, I'm number one on the depth..OH GOD MY KNEE!"

Joined: 09/28/2009

MGoPoints: 9010