MGoOpinion: Which Freshman is Going to have the biggest impact?
So now that we've entered the dead zone of Michigan football I thought we'd do a little speculate a little on who will have the most impact this fall as a true freshman.
Personally I think that running back and corner back are the easiest positions to due well at as a freshman since, many times, they are asked to rely more on their god given talents, than to rely on reading offenses or defenses, so I'm starting there.
With that assumption, that leaves me with 6 recruits Blake Countess, Tamani Carter, Greg Brown, and Delonte Hollowell at DB and Thomas Rawls and Justice Hayes at RB.
Out of the DB's Blake Countess appears (based on recruting sites) to be the best athlete and talent so I am putting him as my number 1 DB to make an impact.
Between the two running backs, Hayes has the better recruiting hype, but Rawls has the size on his side. I am going to go with Hayes on this one, as I am hoping that his speed will complement Denards well, and we have some other bruising backs that might keep Rawls on the sideline for next year.
So now I have it down to Blake and Justice as my two potential breakout freshmen. For me, I'm going to go with Hayes. I obviously like a healthy T-wolf at the 1, but also really liked Avery at the two last year, epecially towards the end. If these players come back strong (and Floyd recovers as well), I think this allows time for Blake to adjust, and move into the lineup possibly later in the year. With RB, although I like Shaw, Hopkins and Smith, as well as possibly Cox and Tousaint, none have separated themselves from less than ideal production pack of last year. This means that an open competition leaves room for a freshman to come in and shine.
Anyway, would like to hear others thoughts. It's nice to be talking about which Freshman could make an impact instead of how many do we have to smart. Go Blue!
Are you considering more kick coverage, blocking, or possibly returns? I am definately not familiar with a lot of they play on special teams outside of the ball carriers.
I'd like to see Stonum take kickoffs again, but have no clue about the punt returners. From all accounts I've seen, they have done well in practice, but haven't been able totranslate that onto the field. I saw video of Junior fielding a punt in one of the practice videos, which means we are still unsure of the position. Not sure if the lack of production from that position is just me having fond (spoiled) memories of past returners (Breaston, Woodson) or if the rule changes have affected returns.
Coverage. I could see Antonio Poole, Raymon Taylor, etc. running down the field on kickoffs or punt coverage. A kid like Desmond Morgan might make a solid blocker on kick returns.
to coverages on kickoffs and punts, or is it a lot of run to the ball, and keep contain on a particular side of the field? Also, is the advantage of playing freshmen playing time as well as reducing injuries to starters?
I know there was some dissagreement in losing redshirt years (I think Stevie Brown and Minor) for special teams.
I went to a coaching clinic recently where the Yale head coach (who also coaches special teams) was talking about technique for kick coverage. He was talking about pad level, staying in your lane, taking on blocks, etc. . . .
. . . and essentially what I got out of the talk was that good athletes are going to be good on kick coverage, and bad athletes won't. All the "techniques" he was talking about were basically just natural instincts. And while some of the moves the guys on film were making were actually moves that would be affected and make sense, special teams is largely just athletes making plays.
There's some technique to it, but mostly, you just put your fastest, most aggressive, biggest guys out there.
It seems than that the tweeners that RR was recruiting would fit that mold perfectly, as many are fast big hitters.
Unfortunately, some of them aren't very fast...and aren't big hitters, either. Some of Rodriguez's tweeners are just random dudes.
because I really didn't know this is how it is done. That's one of the things I really enjoy about mgoblog...I learn some football. And this tells me it is NOT always rocket science but simply well directed athleticism.
Spot on. Raymon Taylor will give us a big boost in that dept. Kid can flat out fly down the field and is very physical, sound tackler.
Wile better start or that means one of the other kickers has done a complete 180 which is unlikely. I do believe Rawls will have the opportunity to get on the field this year with his blend of power and speed.
For what should be a largely freshman-free I would like like to thank RR. Hoke has been blessed with a lot of returning starters and youth so lets hope the season goes well and the recruiting momentum continues to build.
would be tremendous. I'll go with Wile then Rawls.
Trey Burke
Until the kick game is stablized, its gotta be Wile. Does anyone think we'll see Brennen Beyer this fall? Obviously he wont start and he'll need to put on weight but our DE depth isnt exactly deep, think he'll get a Jibreel Black type role from last year?
No. Jibreel Black was 260 when he showed up to campus, we're lucky if Beyer is 235. I think he'll redshirt, as he should.
Why no love for Raymon Taylor? Magnus is the only guy who mentioned him, and the OP didn't even list him in his list of DBs. Taylor is the highest rated DB in the class behind Countess, and he's almost certainly the fastest, maybe the hardest hitter as well. He's a guy who could get involved if needed.
during a presser on nat'l signing day. FWIW he thought at that time, w/o of course having the benefit of spring practice, etc that either DB or LB would be the most likely positions for possilbe freshmen impact. Wile, as others have mentioned, esp based on what we have heard about the kicking game from spring, seems like the best chance to crack the starting lineup. Other than Wile, I'd go with Countess - but on special teams rather than in the secondary for now.
I honestly dont see a freshman on offense making a difference. Matt Wile has to be the choice.
I think Chris Barnett also has a chance of playing a lot as a freshman.
I kind of hope not. He's coming off a torn ACL and won't enroll until summer. I'm hoping we can make it through the year with our three or four tight ends (Koger, Moore, Watson, Miller) and let Barnett redshirt.
Trey Burke
1. Matt Wile - we better hope he is good enough to be the kicker on September 3rd of the kicking game may have big problems again this year
2. Thomas Rawls - should see his snaps increase throughout the year in the power running game
3. Blake Countess - could be a special player and might be a starter or at least the 3rd cornerback by the end of the year
I also wouldn't be surprised to see one of the defensive guys playing offense; maybe Morgan at FB or Beyer at TE due to a lack of depth at those positions.
Doesn't the extra spring practice for Brown give him the leg up on Countess even if Countess may have more raw talent to start? Look at Forcier and Robinson. The only reason Forcier started as a frosh is b/c he had the extra practice. I realize QB is different than QB with regards to learning schemes in practice.
That said, I hope it's Wile so that we have kicker locked up for years to come. Also, K requires the least change from HS to College.
Spring practice is not why Forcier started over Denard. Before either of them signed LOIs, Forcier was light years ahead of Denard in his passing mechanics. If Denard would have enrolled early and Forcier showed up over the summer, Forcier still would have started.
Plus, what is Greg Brown going to do in 15 spring practices that will leapfrog him over a guy who is supposedly way ahead of him at the position?
Forcier was a much more finished product when he got to Michigan than Denard was. You don't get "designer coaching" in the Pahokee-Belle Glade area. Plenty of rabbits to chase, though.
Denard is not from the Pahokee-Belle Glade area, he is actually from Deerfield Beach, about 2 hours south of there. To give you a frame of reference, Deerfield Beach is located approximately inbetween Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton. Or inbetween national football powerhouses St. Thomas and Dwyer (actually this is in Jupiter, about 30 minutes north of Fort Lauderdale, but there are no real powerhouses in the Boca area). There is plenty of "designer coaching" available, but only if you can afford it or if the private school that "recruited" you can afford it for you.
I don't dispute the fact that he is not the best DB recruit we got this year, Countess for one certainly seems to be ahead of him in raw talent. However, Hoke and Co. have put a lot of emphasis on the whole player (aclimation to school living, athletics and academics). Greg has a leg up in school living and academics, plus he's had the benefit of going through Spring Ball.
What I'm trying to get at is that I would like, as some others have already said, to see no Freshman have to make a big impact (other than Wile... Please God, let that kid be off the hook. Amen) but I could see them red-shirting many of the other incoming DBs and let Greg Brown step in as a second string corner.
Not saying that it will go down like that, but I think there may be some logic to this argument.
but I think DB is much different as a position group that relies heavily on athletic ability over scheme (especially since many schemes are similar for DB's between HS and College). I think you can eventually get better (as Floyd has steadily improved) but there is more of a ceiling. Personal opinion is that Countess has more natural talent than Brown, and thus an upper hand.
You can't say that the "only reason" Forcier started in 2009 was because he had extra practice time. Denard Robinson flat-out sucked as a QB in 2009, and there's no certainty that one spring practice would have made him un-suck. Forcier wasn't exactly great, but let's not oversimplify things, either.
When you say he "flat out sucked" in 2009, do you mean as a grasp of the speed of the college game and scheme of the offense, or do you think he's made that many strides in the physical parts of "quarterbacking" since then?
I know you're not the worlds biggest Denard (as QB) fan, but I'd assume that you don't think he "flat out sucked" in 2010, so there's got to be some improvement there in your eyes.
He just didn't understand how to read defenses, the limits of his athletic ability, etc.
I still don't think he's a great quarterback, but at least he understood where the holes in the defense would be once 2010 came around.
I realize QB is different than CB....
How do I edit my own post... I don't see a way to do that. Thanks in advance.
it's set in stone.
I'm going with Barnett and then Rawls
I will go outside the box and say Morgan....at FB
Unless McColgan gets injured, I doubt they burn Morgan's redshirt as a back-up FB, especially with Hopkins taking snaps at FB too.
But you're right - that's out of the box.
As previously stated, I don't think anyone can have as much of an impact on the team as Wile coming in. We all knew what was going to happen last year if we saw our FG kickers run onto the field. This year, if Wile takes the job, which I would assume he does, we don't have to look at FG's as being a turnover and instead points on the scoreboard.
This one is pretty easy if we plan on winning any games this year! Our current kickers are not welI . . . kickers. I suspect that Hoke will say in Fall camp something like "We are having a good competition with our kickers, its really anybodys job . . . oh wait . . . did that freshman Wile kid just make an Extra Point?? Well after really thinking about it the Freshman is our kicker." The other kickers will then be delegated to pincher bug duty. Gibbons will then see the light, transfer, leaving room for us to sign . . . . you guessed it . . . ZEKE PIKE!!
Cause if so, I'd say Jake Ryan.
EDIT: I suppose you said "true freshman," so I'll change my mind and go with Brown on defense and Rawls on offense.
Matt Wile is the obvious choice because he should be the starter. After that though I like the Rawls, Hayes and Countess picks, but looking at the fact that Hoke is recruiting 3 TE's this year makes me think that he not only values TE's but that Barnett will have the chance to make an impact as a freshman. Like other people have stated above it will be very nice to know that if a true freshman is on the field it will because they earned it and beat out a starter instead of, "we had to put someone on the field." So I look forward to seeing them out there but I believe for this board Barnett may be the one being overlooked (I think 1 or two people mentioned him).
The depth chart is pretty slight there with the new O going in. Let the walk on shite begin.
but i could see some of the guys who redshirted last year making significant contributions, especially on the d-line where behind martin and van bergen you have campbell and washington, neither of whom you played all of last season at that position (grumble gerg grumble). so guys like Ash and Talbot the rounder could get a chance to be in the rotation.
I'm hoping it's one of our RB's. We have a bunch of "good" guys but nobody, as of yet, that's a full blown beast. I don't recall, was Mike Hart predicted to start before he came to town or was he a surprise starter? It seemed like we didn't have a real "go to guy" at that time either which gave him the opportunity to "take the ball and run with it".
Hart was buried on the depth chart behing jeremy Jackson and someone else. We ended up losing to ND partly because of a lack of a rushing game. Hart got a chance a little later and the rest is history.
I also remember hearing that Hart was considered to small to play college (HS and NFL as well) and tht always motivated him. I don't think he was projected by many to be much, let alone a record setter at Michigan.
Mike Hart's recruiting profile had him running the 40 in 4.4.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/recruiting/player-Mike-Hart-17175
Have Brian or Tim ever given six FAKES out of five?
This is almost a rhetorical question by the OP, especially when Hoke has praised GREG BROWN so much as to say he may win the starting job. And Wile is a close 2nd, with Rawls in 3rd.
I asked the question with full expectations that people would respond with answers, which seems to be the opposite of a rhetorical question.
I'm guessing you think Greg Brown because you stated that Hoke praised him and put his name in bold
he better have an early impact lol
Injuries could play a bigger role than anything. And who plays right away isn't always based on overall career ability, but sometimes readiness.
I agree with everyone that ideally you don't have freshman playing big roles. But it's a fun game anyway. Here are some random guesses outside of the consensus (Wile, Rawls, Countess or some other DB).
1. Chris Bryant - talk is he is physically ready and there are only 4 backups on the projected OL (Khoury, Schofield, Mealer, and Pace). I could see a game or two where we have 3 guys banged up (its happened before and it will happen again). I could see Bryant being the best option to rotate in. Especially in a situation where we need some power running and a guy like Pace doesn't fit the bill. For example, say Molk, Schofield and Huyge are unavailable for whatever reasons...after shifting Omameh or Barnum to OT, your best bet might be Khoury at C with Bryant beside him at OG.
2. Kellen Jones - the LB corps reports have been uninspiring. Jones played a high level of high school ball and is reportedly very sound instinctually, which doesn't seem to be the case for our DBs turned LBs or lackluster group of veterans. While LBs playing as freshman is rare, it does happen occassionaly. I think that after a few injuries, suspensions, or whathave you go down, Jones could see the field at ILB. Especially with the large LB class coming in for 2012, there won't be much incentive to keep these LBs red-shirted.
I think it's extremely hard to start on the line as a freshman, but there are definately instances where Offesive Lineman have come in young and made a four year impact.
Next year, Trey Burke.
--Okay to really get back on topic I think it will be Blake Countess. Our secondary is very weak so there is a great opportunity for a freshman to step up and impact our defense.
One of the easiest, or I guess least difficult positions to play early on is RB. "Here's the ball now run through that hole right there." The real difficult portion for young RB's is pass protection, but Rawls hopefully can pick it up ealry on and be productive.
I like Rawls because he seems the best combo of the backs we have right now. While shortish at 5'10" he supposedly packs a punch with his 215 pound frame. While not having elite speed he does seem to possess a nice burst. All of these factores combine to give him a share of the handoffs 2-3 games into the season.
I just hope that he isn't the leading scorer on the team, which he may have a shot at becoming next year. I am not trying to be funny. I am dead serious.