Matt Dudek on WTKA
Couple interesting highlights:
He is in the “stars don’t matter” club. He mentioned Sainristil as a guy who should not be a 3 star. Seems like a guy to keep an eye on, this isn’t the first time we have heard he is underrated. Wonder if he will play on offense or defense.
Regarding Dax, he said they were blindsided by it. Sherrone Moore was calm and got him on the phone right away and they were able to go down and see his family the next day and talk about it but didn’t secure his verbal until later. Seems to be contradicting of his some stories that he flipped back on a phone call the next day. Seems like Dax just made an impulse decision and then reconsidered after talking to the coaches. Good job to the staff.
December 20th, 2018 at 11:51 AM ^
LOL Fair enough. I ended up moving to Northern lower Michigan to get more snow. I keep telling my wife if a Marquette job opens up I'd be sorely tempted....
December 20th, 2018 at 11:52 AM ^
In other words, I think he's just one that would like to be closer to home
December 20th, 2018 at 1:02 PM ^
Here's the thing. Put up with one more winter, play your "arse" off and you end up in the league in 2020. Michigan has a proven D line coach, proven they get D lineman to the league, and Aubrey even called Chris Hinton his "Bro Bro" (meaning they were close and Hinton is coming). It really makes no sense other than if he was homesick. Got to be much more to story. Maybe not serious, but certainly more than weather. At the end of the day, if you have to grovel to have someone stay or comeback, might as well wish them well and move on.
December 20th, 2018 at 9:08 AM ^
Dudek is organized, personable, and self aware. He is great in this role.
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December 20th, 2018 at 12:00 PM ^
Damn. That belongs in UM Twitter hall of fame.
December 20th, 2018 at 9:17 AM ^
Yes, he did imply stars don't matter. That said, he made it clear that the most important aspect is evaluation and development. And sometimes, the stars don't line up (too high or too low). In balance stars are a barometer but not everything. Really enjoyed the interview.
December 20th, 2018 at 11:46 AM ^
I haven't listened to this one yet, but over the summer he was on WTKA with Sam and his stance was something like "Everyone agrees the top 25 guys or so are the best, but after that it's far more about evaluation."
December 20th, 2018 at 9:31 AM ^
Dudek is 100% right about Sainristil. I live in the greater Boston area and caught two of his games, and he is going to turn some heads with his athleticism. Competition isn't all that great in New England which i think hurt his rating.
December 20th, 2018 at 9:42 AM ^
I think the level of competition is the ONLY thing keeping Sainristil from being a 4-star.
December 20th, 2018 at 10:16 AM ^
Definitely true and I'd argue it's keeping him from being somewhere in that Charbonnet area.
December 20th, 2018 at 10:41 AM ^
Yeah, but would he be a HIGH four-star?
December 20th, 2018 at 9:43 AM ^
The official Michigan football Twitter account sent out a tweet identifying Sainristil as a wide receiver. Not that it will mean anything in four or five years, but that's where he seems to be headed for now.
December 20th, 2018 at 9:49 AM ^
I'm a firm believer that anyone who signs with us has been criminally underrated.
December 20th, 2018 at 9:53 AM ^
There seems to be several "slot ninja" type guys coming in. I hope we use them correctly or in a fashion that gets the most out of their abilities. Throw the ball.
December 20th, 2018 at 10:22 AM ^
We will still line up with two TE's and a FB.
December 20th, 2018 at 1:13 PM ^
Good observation. Don't think for a second that isn't the intention. It is obvious Harbaugh is looking for some guys who can run in a phonebooth and take it the distance. Michigan missed two things on offense last year. A RB that made defenses worry (like Taylor with Wisconsin) and a slot receiver that could work in space and run away from a safety/linebacker. Too many slow developing plays to find open WR's downfield. How about a nice crossing route or bubble screen to get the secondary to play tighter? Next thing you know Tarik, DPJ and/or Nico are behind the defense.....Boom
December 20th, 2018 at 10:06 AM ^
I've been on the Sainristil bandwagon for a while. If he played in a more prominent high school football area, would be a 4*. Will be a fan favorite. Most likely on O in the slot, not big enough to play D. Will be a key component in 20 and 21.
https://www.bostonherald.com/2018/12/19/everetts-mike-sainristil-signs-with-michigan/
December 20th, 2018 at 10:21 AM ^
Stars don't matter, except all the data says they do matter. Some staffs understand this, like Bama, and some don't. The sooner our coaching staff embraces this the better.
December 20th, 2018 at 10:34 AM ^
Lol new account created to bitch about recruiting? Hmm not a shocker. So in your mind, the coaching staff should take the recruiting websites' lists and go from there instead of doing their own scouting. Man people are so dense when it comes to this stuff.
December 20th, 2018 at 10:38 AM ^
Pointing out that stars matter is not "bitching about recruiting," but nice strawman. The whole point is that it's hypocritical and wrong of Dudek to say stars don't matter (when all the data says they do) then flex on people when 5 star Daxton Hill commits. Which is it. If you think the coaches are taking a majority of these 3 stars over 4 and 5 stars you're lying to yourself. This is a good class and no one said otherwise, so calm the fuck down.
December 20th, 2018 at 11:02 AM ^
Welcome back Maizen.
I give you credit that this is the first time your username hasn’t referenced one of our colors. At least you are trying a little harder to be unnoticed. But actually, not really.
December 20th, 2018 at 11:22 AM ^
It's pretty obvious. Looks like Diagonal Blue gets canned and this new account pops up saying the exact same shit. This guy has got nothing else better to do with his life.
December 20th, 2018 at 11:53 AM ^
How much do stars matter when they are potentially bad fits and a third of the class transfers before the completion of year freaking 2?
I recall the staff making a big deal about revamping their recruiting process AFTER signing the 16 and 17 classes, which by the numbers are Harbaugh's best (and M's best going back to what, Hoke's first full class?). Why might that be? On the surface it seemed they were doing well. Based on the large number of misses and transfers from those classes, maybe they were too concerned about finding the best players and not the best fits - I've heard Dudek stress (paraphrasing) "We want the best players that are the best fit for the University of Michigan." Just to be clear, I'm not a "there is something wrong with this program with all of the transfers" guy but the transfer rate has been higher than I anticipated.
December 20th, 2018 at 12:09 PM ^
See this is where your narrative and the facts do not align. Although "stars matter" and the "facts support this", is exactly what Dudek said....for the top guys. He does take a much more intellectual and deeper dive into the "facts" than you by also acknowledging that the "facts" and "data" become interpretive the further away you get. So, the separation between a mid to high three and low to mid-four isn't as vast as you like to pontificate. You are wrong, as always, and shallow in your defense of your view. I, for one, am glad your "knowledge" is only utilized to scream in your echo chamber and not to field the team that we all actually love.
Merry Christmas, though, dickwad.
December 20th, 2018 at 3:08 PM ^
He LITERALLY said on Sam's show today "stars don't matter." Those were his exact words.
But Merry Christmas to you too, dumb fuck.
December 20th, 2018 at 3:18 PM ^
Stars don't matter to the extent that you as a recruiter should be doing your own research. It may be indicative, even very likely indicative, but could also steer you wrong.
They also don't matter to the extent that having an extra star in and of itself isn't going to get a player to make a great play or execute his route.
I'm sure every football program tells incoming freshman that their stars don't matter, that they have to work hard if they want to get anywhere, and for the most part they are probably right.
December 21st, 2018 at 10:59 AM ^
Fuck off troll
December 20th, 2018 at 10:57 AM ^
Are you suggesting that Alabama and a few other schools are the only schools that want 5-star prospects?
December 20th, 2018 at 11:12 AM ^
Believe it or not, it's actually possible for both statements to be true. The staff may have its own evaluations, and I am sure they realize that 5* players tend to be good. But the money is made on the margins - figuring out which players will continue to develop, which are likely to be a bust, who is underrated, etc.
If you were a coach, what would your approach be? Get a Rivals sub and just use that as your recruiting board?
December 20th, 2018 at 3:13 PM ^
Let's also admit that there are some players, maybe even a few 5 stars and probably a bunch of 4 stars, that coaches feel wouldn't be a good fit. (Zero interest in school, possible legal issues, possible team morale issues, work ethic, etc.)
December 20th, 2018 at 11:11 AM ^
I heard on the Inside Michigan Football interview with Harbaugh, he talked about Quinton Johnson so I am guessing that he must have actually sent in his LOI.
December 20th, 2018 at 11:31 AM ^
+1 - informative
December 20th, 2018 at 12:17 PM ^
I thought he was really good. As far as "stars don't matter" to add a little context he did and does understand overall when teams recruit, on average, higher stars they are the better teams. He was, though, pointing out we shouldn't be stabbing each other in the face and jumping off bridges if the coaches take a 3* and they say that 3* is a legit baller. In that instances "stars don't matter".
He didn't say it in a haphazard way like "f*ck it let's just offer a bunch of 2* guys and coach em up good".
What he meant was recruiting the best players matter and that is what UM is doing.
December 20th, 2018 at 12:26 PM ^
Hasn't it been proven that stars do matter? I mean yes, there are some underrated players, but the numbers don't lie - they do matter.
December 20th, 2018 at 5:50 PM ^
Stars do matter. Stupid to say otherwise.