Freshmen you think will see the field in 2016?
Rashan Gary, LaVert Hill, David Long, Devin Bush Jr., Eddie McDoom, Nate Johnson.
Redshirt everyone else, do not waste them for special teams.
Gotta get some CBs going given our entire starting secondary may not be back in 2017 (thanks Hoke).
I'm really interested to see takes on this.
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For me the reason the frosh CB's like Long and Hill need to play is simply because they need that game experience. I think they're gonna be the top 2 CB's next year (I don't see them being behind Watson or Washington come Sept 2017).
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Even if both Watson/Washingon take steps forward Hill/Long are still gonna have to play a fair amount of snaps next year even if they don't start. I have faith in this staff's ability to develop the kids but it's gonna be a couple years before Harbaugh can right this lack of depth atrocity that Hoke left behind.
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100%! I think since we're gonna start to see guys who are gonna head to the NFL once eligible it becomes a moot point. 4-5 year players, at least one's that are gonna head to the league, are rare these days. As much as I'd love to see elite players Peppers or Gary stay for 4 years, it ain't gonna happen very often.
I think we've just been jaded with Hoke's roster mismanagement and look at guys like Taco or Dymonte who should have RS their first years but didn't because who know what Hoke was thinking..
That said, with even an above avg season this year from Taco he would likely have headed to the NFL even if he had another year left. So I don't think it's even gonna be as big a deal this year.
Unless it's an OL or QB, who really gain from that year sitting and learning and growing I'd be surprised if Harbaugh didn't just seek to get as many kids (if they earn it) time on the field.
Seems to me there are two ways to build a program nowdays. One - recruit nothing but 5 stars or near 5 star athletes and let their talent do the rest. This will be know as OSUing.
The second is to redshirt EVERYBODY so you have team peppered with 5th year seniors more often than not. Takes discipline to do this successfully but the payoff is huge. This will be known as MSUing.
I think we can strike a balance. Let the uber-athletes like Gary play but redshirt as many of the others as humanly possible. That extra year is huge in their developmental curve and losing it is devastating. Wasting a full year of a talented player for a few stupid special team plays or meaningless snaps is beyond stupid and short-sighted. This will be known as Dymonte-Geddoning.
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At most other positions (besides QB and OL) it's not such a big deal. The best players are going to play as freshman (they don't have to be Peppers or Gary). Not every kid is physically ready, but most these days are (not including OL) given the dramatic improvements in fitness and strength training over the last 10, 20, 30 years, not to mention proliferation of coaching information, camps, etc.
In the era of grad transfers and NFL entry it's increasingly unlikely you'll reap the benefits of investing a red-shirt on a recruit.
Unless a kid is just completely buried, injured, or unprepared physically, it doesn't make sense. Better to keep the red-shirt option for some point down the line in case injury strikes or you have a situation like Morris where the shifting depth chart has made them non-essential.
The guys you want to red-shirt (besides QB and OL) are those very raw athletes with high upside but unlikely to help soon (e.g., Jeremy Clark, Keith Washington). These are your 3-star sleeper types.
If you don't buy any of that - consider the considerable recruiting disadvantage. Teams that finish in the top 5 in recruiting consistently tend to play a lot of freshman. Do they play them because they are good players or get good players because they play them?
In short. OSU is a hell of a lot better program than MSU. I know which model I'd use.
THIS, a million times!
Not playing for 3 different coordinators helped their development. MSU does not often redshirt their best recruits.
I think he shares Urban's attitudes towards freshmen. He wants them to play if they can contribute and he's going to recruit over them. Freshmen will have the opportunity to earn playing time, even if it's limited.
MSU's redshirt strategy is frequently overstated. They rarely redshirt any player they beat us out for. I'd go so far as to say they would be less likely to redshirt an average player in our recruiting classes. They redshirt their players that aren't ready and they recruit more of those guys than schools like OSU and Michigan.
Rashan Gary, Lavert Hill, David Long, Khaleke Hudson, Devin Bush, Mbem-Bosse, Carlo Kemp and maybe Chris Evans in the return game.
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Gary, Nordin, Long, and Hudson.
I think Kekoa Crawford will be the first receiver on the field and I think you'll also see a good deal of Elysse Mbem-Bosse (EMB from now on, I probably butchered that worse than Jim Leyland) because I think he is physically ready and they will want him to get game experience for next year, similar to David Long and Lavert Hill.
Jim is also not afraid to play the best OL freshman if he is one of the best 6 or 7 dudes. That means Ben Bredeson probably stands a good chance to see the field.
I think Crawford has a chance to play as well. The 2 corners will have to see the field this year because they may both have to start next year. I think Asiasi could make a temporary move to the D-line next year because they lose so many guys and don't seem to have much coming in behind them. We need Hurst and Mone to return in 2017. If they both opt to leave for the draft then the d-line becomes dangerously young and inexperienced.
Hurst and Mone won't go. They won't have enough film to be picked in the first 3 rounds which is what they both deserve. Mone hasn't played a down of football in over a year. They don't project see over 50% of snaps on the line this year so I highly doubt they don't come back. Then our line has Gary - Hurst - Mone - Winovich/Marshall/Villain? We have guys that will be coached up and fill in.
As for Asiasi, if he can keep at a healthy weight he's not moving to D. He was my favorite TE in last year's class from the jump. He is really athletic for a jumbo TE. He is in prime position to play in the AJ Williams, TJ Wheatley spot, maybe even get some Poggi/Khalid looks out of the backfield. He's a massive, athletic TE from the Bay. Harbaugh ain't letting him go to defense.
I just saw a dumb list on BTN on 10 bold predictions after Media Days, and I found it funny that under the Freshmen section they listed Bush, but not Rashan Gary as one of the freshmen to watch. I guess Bush could be more impactful if he fills a hole at LB, but Gary is going to be the better player.
Perhaps they were thinking Gary is a given.
Bush makes sense from the standpoint that LB is a potential weakness, while DL is a strength. Bush could come in and start from day 1, and Gary may be coming off the bench.
Evans
Crawford
Gary
Kemp
Bush
Long
Hill
Hudson
anyone who will be good enough to go pro after 3-4 seasons should not be red shirted either but the above 8 should all play, plus possibly Walker and a TE could play too
Asiasi has college ready size and plays TE for Harbaugh. He's gonna be out there punching someone in the face when Wheatley gets tired of punching people in the face.
Gary, Long, Asiasi, Crawford, Hill, Bush, Eubanks, Hudson, McDoom, Mbem-Bosse, Gil.
Keyboard QBs wanna sit here and get stiffies about teams of RS upperclassmen, but its not 1995 anymore. That doesnt happen anymore
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I don't think there are any obstructed views in Michigan Stadium, so any freshman that attend a game this year should be able to see the field from their seats, no?
Did I misunderstand OP's question? I guess it's all about the phrasing.
Asiasi - No - only because we are so deep at TE. We have Wheatley as a JUMBO TE already. He is a great prospect, but not this year.
Walker - No - We are just to deep at RB. This year would be great to get stronger, learn the play book and polish up the pass blocking.
Gary & Bush will see alot of PT. I can't wait.
The young DB's will see the field.
The freshman WR's will sit. Work on the blocking, route running, and get bigger, strionger, faster.
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the RS it's for a fair amount of playing time. Game experience is always good, but not sure I would burn a red shirt just to get a few players a handful of snaps in a couple of blowouts.
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Bush
Gary
Hudson
Hill
Long
Bredson
Onwenu
Asiasi
Mitchell
Will all play at some point during the season but most will see limited or minimal playing time.
Walker
Kemp
and the RB out of Alabama might see the feild if they show their ready