This incoming class is remarkable
Mods please delete the last OP's post about Harrison live feed (what a dumbass)..
We just landed the top RB and the top S, at two positions that have evaded us, the past decade, in Dax and Charbonnet (the only Zach that matters).
We also landed two OT much needed,
and two top 5 DT in Smith and Hinton....
This class IS different....
December 19th, 2018 at 12:43 PM ^
And everyone seems to have forgotten about Ojabo
December 19th, 2018 at 12:44 PM ^
It is great seeing his hometown listed as Aberdeen, Scotland!
December 19th, 2018 at 12:54 PM ^
i just want to hear him say words
December 19th, 2018 at 1:44 PM ^
You can hear him speak to an interviewer in this video. His accent sounds indistinguishable from any other American to me. This article in The Athletic details his background before the paywall:
He spent the first seven years of his life in the city of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. When his father's employer, Shell, transferred him to Scotland, the whole family moved to Aberdeen.
Ojabo spent the formative years of his youth in Scotland, noticing how the people were much quieter than the Nigerians he'd been around. They kept to themselves. They weren't chatty. He began to emulate them.
When he arrived in New Jersey at age 15 to attend Blair Academy and play soccer and basketball, Ojabo was surrounded by louder people again. Americans.
December 19th, 2018 at 2:07 PM ^
People from that area are amazing at faking American accents these days.
December 19th, 2018 at 4:38 PM ^
New Jersey?
December 21st, 2018 at 9:39 AM ^
Old Jersey
December 19th, 2018 at 4:14 PM ^
Teenagers are really good at picking up/losing accent
December 19th, 2018 at 1:13 PM ^
He appears to have spent his first 7 years in Nigeria but his hometown is in Scotland? Interesting.
December 19th, 2018 at 1:52 PM ^
hometown is where you grew up, so yeah.
December 19th, 2018 at 2:53 PM ^
A friend of mine is white but is African American because he was born and lived half his life in Africa. This dude went to a top tier university on a full ride scholarship, both undergrad and grad, and now makes $200,000 a year with a Fortune 500. His says every interview is awkward because he’s asked why he says on the application that he’s African American when he’s white. Lol
December 19th, 2018 at 4:33 PM ^
I got cussed out recently for not using the term African American appropriately.
It's only applicable to those who have descended from slavery apparently. To do so otherwise is insulting and cultural appropriation.
If one is not descended from slaves, I was told the proper way to refer to that person is by nationality rather than continent... Such as Zimbabwean-American or Kenyan-American.
December 19th, 2018 at 6:08 PM ^
Apparently, they haven't told the rest of us this rule. I get called African-American all the time (I prefer African myself but that's no reason to cuss someone out).
December 19th, 2018 at 11:43 PM ^
Logic and reason doesn't apply to a SJW with a faux-axe to grind.
December 19th, 2018 at 12:48 PM ^
My favorite overlooked player is Sainristil. I think he is going to be an All American for us. Just look at his film.
December 19th, 2018 at 12:57 PM ^
From a statistical standpoint, even better than the “highest ranked” recruits, is to have MORE “highly ranked” recruits.
There’s a happy medium between more at-bats mitigating a “slightly lower” batting average. (i.e. there will ALWAYS be “misses” on every team—even the Alabama’s/OSU’s)
And if you look at this year, we also have taken the most players in the Top-10, thus far.
December 19th, 2018 at 1:01 PM ^
I'd be curious to see how star average plays out vs # of points on 247.
If you look at star average, OSU and PSU have us beat by a bit. OSU will recruit well no matter what, but Franklin reeling in Noah Cain is surprising.
Hopefully the new WR coach is one heck of a recruiter too.
December 19th, 2018 at 1:06 PM ^
As long as Franklin is on the sidelines Michigan will always have an advantage....
December 19th, 2018 at 1:11 PM ^
As bad as he is at coaching, he's clearly a good recruiter. He's bringing in a lot of talent.
December 19th, 2018 at 1:29 PM ^
Franklin’s only value is as a good recruiter. It’s not surprising at all that he can hoodwink some elite kids. He’s also a terrible coach so I don’t care.
December 19th, 2018 at 2:30 PM ^
Have to give him some credit for hiring Moorhead though. If you can recruit and you can hire good coordinators, you can be a very good team while those coordinators are with you as PSU was for a couple year span.
December 19th, 2018 at 10:16 PM ^
I'm with you on that -- Sainristl's film is outstanding. I'm really looking forward to seeing him play.
December 19th, 2018 at 1:21 PM ^
SIX(!) OL recruits in this class. That's reason to yell BANANAS!
December 19th, 2018 at 1:57 PM ^
After the last decade of pain, I want 6 OL in EVERY class.
December 19th, 2018 at 2:01 PM ^
Why is that bananas? We sorely need all 6.
December 19th, 2018 at 1:19 PM ^
From a measurables standpoint, Ojabo is very similar to ZH. Has the talent to be an All-American.
December 19th, 2018 at 2:13 PM ^
My kids and I were yelling "Uche Uche!!" after every big play he made this year. Looking forward to also saying "Ojabo Ojabo!!" for the next few years!! What a great class!! Go Blue!
December 19th, 2018 at 12:43 PM ^
Cheers!
December 19th, 2018 at 12:43 PM ^
Well, you just remarked upon it. Self-fulfilling post.
December 19th, 2018 at 12:44 PM ^
let's revisit 2 years from now and see the early returns.
December 19th, 2018 at 12:45 PM ^
Tremendous Class.
Go Blue
December 19th, 2018 at 12:52 PM ^
Two 5 Stars... Dax Hill in September(?) and then today a 5 star Daxton Hill flipped from Bama.
Go Blue!
December 19th, 2018 at 12:45 PM ^
It really is. If you haven't gone to like 24/7 or a comparable and really looked at the entire class it is worth doing. It is a really strong recruiting class.
December 19th, 2018 at 2:46 PM ^
I just did this and I was very surprised at just how good this class is
December 19th, 2018 at 12:47 PM ^
Great class and to think, we only won 10 games this year!
December 19th, 2018 at 12:55 PM ^
hey now.
not
done
yet
December 19th, 2018 at 1:45 PM ^
No
We're
Not
!!!!
December 19th, 2018 at 12:48 PM ^
Trajectory still trending upwards...
This is a great staff and a very strong program. Looking forward to reaching new heights and soon!
December 19th, 2018 at 12:48 PM ^
According to ESPN we are 4th in the nation
http://insider.espn.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/classrankings
December 19th, 2018 at 1:08 PM ^
Ohio State not even top 10.
Helps to have a big ass class of 27 recruits.
But I'll take it.
December 19th, 2018 at 1:21 PM ^
Attrition will lead to a larger class. Some good, some bad
December 19th, 2018 at 1:23 PM ^
It's Harbaugh's way. Recruit a lot of guys. Get as many blue chips as you can, but identify guys you think can develop into players that are as good as 4-stars and bring them in.
It's a big reason Michigan has so many transfers (not talking about gut-punch Solomon types, but I am talking about Eddie McDoom and Kingston Davis types). Harbaugh brings in a lot of guys hoping for some hits. The misses get a chance to prove themselves, and get a chance to transfer to a place where they can play with that theoretically good positional coaching under their belt. The hits are guys like Khaleke Hudson and Josh Metellus and perhaps Jon Runyan, guys that get coached up and can contribute at a high level.
Nobody, not even SLDMBM, complains about Chase Winovich's recruiting ranking now. He was a 3-star across the board. He played at an All-American level for two years. A 5-star recruited in his place could not hope to perform better. He developed into a great player.
If 4 of those 3-stars develop into guys that play as well at 4/5 star recruits, that really changes the outlook of the class in a positive way.
You can't build a whole team this way--there are athletic limitations and you need athletes all over the field to win at the highest level--but in a situation where you aren't going to get as many 4/5 star guys as Bama, it's a way to supplement the roster and find guys that can play big.
That's why Michigan has such big classes every year. Some guys won't make it all four years. Theoretically, the ones that do are the guys that you win championships with. Alas, this is still only theoretical.
December 19th, 2018 at 1:40 PM ^
So....every coach's strategy except Saban
December 19th, 2018 at 1:44 PM ^
Harbaugh's strategy specifically anticipates attrition in every class to a greater extent than other schools, I think. Play the hits, transfer the misses. Transfers aren't just a byproduct of the class size; they are part of the plan.
December 19th, 2018 at 1:52 PM ^
Harbaugh is not shy about nudging players out the door that are not going to play.
He does not explicitly cut them, but when you know there is no future you typically remove yourself out of the picture for greener pastures.
Make no mistake, Harbaugh has some Saban in him.
December 19th, 2018 at 9:11 PM ^
I think you also get the nudge out the door if you are not a disciplined team player with a very good work ethic.
December 19th, 2018 at 1:47 PM ^
It used to be Saban's until he didn't need to do it anymore.
That's what all his oversigning of 30+ recruit classes was all about to the extreme. Get a free do-over on the inevitable misses.
December 19th, 2018 at 5:38 PM ^
I get the point you’re trying to make, but Chase was a 4* on 247 and their composite and Rivals.
December 19th, 2018 at 8:09 PM ^
Which championships exactly?