TomVH: Hakeem Flowers Update
South Carolina 3 Star WR Hakeem Flowers is announcing tomorrow at 7:15pm. I would have said we have nothing to worry about a week ago, but I don't think that's the case anymore.
He's deciding between Michigan, NC State, LSU, and Oregon. I would watch out for NC State. I'll elaborate once he decides tomorrow. This could change back in Michigan's favor, it just depends on what happens today.
January 22nd, 2011 at 1:28 PM ^
does that mean we can recruit devin lucien as a WR?
January 22nd, 2011 at 1:31 PM ^
I still don't get why the coaches don't want Devin as a WR. His film looks so good!
January 22nd, 2011 at 1:46 PM ^
I have been watching highlight films on both flowers and lucien and they are two completely different wideouts. Flowers kind of reminds me of jefferies from SC. Tall and long, def a long strider. Lucien looks more compact and better in traffic, uses his jumping ability to go get the ball at its highest point, which is very hard to teach!
Maybe Tom or someone has some insight onto why we aren't going after both?
January 22nd, 2011 at 1:55 PM ^
I know everyone is all "OMG 12 recruits" but it might just be that we don't have room for both.
As of today we have 12 commits, room for probably 8 more. Likely commits are Bryant, Taylor, Rawls, Fisher (again), McClure, Raven, Willingham, Clark, and a handful of TE and DL guys we're been chasing after. All in all, that's mroe than 8 guys, not to mention the other Keith Heitzman types that we don't know about until 12 hours before they commit.
I bet you Hoke has a plan here, he's done this before. He knows what postions he needs more than others, and he knows which recruits have a good or bad shot at committing. Let's wait and see how all this plays out.
January 22nd, 2011 at 1:59 PM ^
Very good point! WR is not the biggest need on this team! We still have a lot coming back! If we could pull all of those eight recruits, I would give Hoke and company a "A" for keeping this class together and adding some nice pieces! In only 2 weeks time!
January 22nd, 2011 at 2:45 PM ^
I think you could get your point across better with more exclamation marks. Just a tip for future postings.
January 22nd, 2011 at 3:15 PM ^
off not putting your points across at all.
/tip
January 22nd, 2011 at 1:59 PM ^
to label all of those guys as likely.
January 22nd, 2011 at 2:02 PM ^
That's fair. They're anywhere from "plausible" to "likely."
January 22nd, 2011 at 2:06 PM ^
although it sounds like Raven might not be that plausible.
My issue is: with no disrespect intended to the guys we've gotten commits from in the last couple days, at least some of the guys we're filling this class out with are lower ranked guys. That's totally understandable given the timeframe and everything, but I'm just not sure we're in a position to turn down 4 star guys, even if they're not at a position of need.
And we're not that deep at WR. We have a bunch of young guys on the roster, but none of them have really hit the field and shown anything yet. It's mostly Stonum, Roundtree, Hemingway, some slot guys we're not sure how the new system will utilize, and then a lot of guys we don't know anything about.
January 22nd, 2011 at 5:10 PM ^
Not every recruit, albeit they display an awesome skill set, is Michigan material. And by Michigan material I mean how the player is off the field. My impression from Hoke is that classroom and character are going to be an important part of the recruiting package. It may be that as the coaches have learned more about Lucien they feel there are some character flaws or concerns. If so, and rightly so, that would never be made public. So telling a guy "we want you for this position", when you know he wants to play another, can be a polite way of saying "I don't think you're a good fit for our program". Just a thought.
January 22nd, 2011 at 6:37 PM ^
Thinking out loud that an 18 year old kid you know nothing about has character flaws is kind of a dickheaded thing to do. Just a thought.
January 22nd, 2011 at 7:14 PM ^
He wasn't intending to speak of a "kid" but "kids" in general. See the conclusion of his response as evidence that he was not intending to insult someone specific
January 22nd, 2011 at 2:11 PM ^
I think the same thing...but then I also remember I'm no expert and I trust the coaching staff. If they dont' want to give it to him for WR there has to be a reason we're not seeing....
January 22nd, 2011 at 5:56 PM ^
January 22nd, 2011 at 6:00 PM ^
This is great news and everything, but did you just reply to every comment you were reading at the time? Some of your comments with the announcement are in some odd places, like the thread about Draper resigning.
January 22nd, 2011 at 1:30 PM ^
Funny,...just our luck....no WR's in this class so far.... Hakeem , you look much better in BLUE... !
January 22nd, 2011 at 1:31 PM ^
can't live with it. can't live without it.
January 22nd, 2011 at 1:32 PM ^
Not looking rosey.
January 22nd, 2011 at 1:42 PM ^
I'm not going to worry until I hear a different school's name escape his tulips.
January 22nd, 2011 at 1:32 PM ^
Tom you are so cryptic. Thanks anyway.
January 22nd, 2011 at 5:21 PM ^
Recruits tell him some things in confidence. If he wants to keep recruits' trust, he's got to hold some things back.
January 22nd, 2011 at 1:32 PM ^
Hopefully he chooses the good guys, but at this point we may be okay at WR to withstand a loss.
January 22nd, 2011 at 1:55 PM ^
Hope we can land him.
January 22nd, 2011 at 1:56 PM ^
Why neg this? We lose Hemingway, Stonum, Odoms, and Grady after this year. I would much rather have some sophomores or redshirt freshman to replace them than true freshman.
January 22nd, 2011 at 2:00 PM ^
I changed it before you responded, however. Stokes will already be a junior this year, and to date, he hasn't done much. Roundtree will be a senior after this year. Miller might move to TE.
Jeremy Jackson saw some PT and we have unproven talent in RS frosh Williamson and the other guy, No. 83. Can't think of his name at the moment. The rest are slot ninjas.
January 22nd, 2011 at 2:18 PM ^
Jerald Robinson
January 22nd, 2011 at 2:25 PM ^
but I am not too concerned about Stokes. The primary reason he "hasn't done much" is because of those ahead of him in the pecking order. I am confident that Stokes will pick up the torch when it is his time.
January 22nd, 2011 at 2:32 PM ^
I just wish RR did not waste his RS year for some scrap time against Baby Seal U.
January 22nd, 2011 at 2:05 PM ^
the rumors of Ricardo and Jeremy Jackson moving to TE.
January 22nd, 2011 at 1:34 PM ^
I hate Tom Beaver more than most. He put Flowers at his patented "51% Michigan" this morning. That is all. I hate Tom Beaver.
January 22nd, 2011 at 1:38 PM ^
I don't know when they talked to Flowers, but I just got off the phone with him. I don't mean to be cryptic or withhold info, I just can't say more than that.
I don't even know how to explain it. If Flowers gets a phone call today, Michigan will be fine. If not, then they won't.
January 22nd, 2011 at 1:39 PM ^
I was just providing additional info. Not saying who was right or wrong.
January 22nd, 2011 at 3:19 PM ^
Hakeem...............Its the Hokester on the phone.........he wants you to know
THE HOKESTER WANTS YOU!!!
January 22nd, 2011 at 3:23 PM ^
Brother!
January 22nd, 2011 at 5:56 PM ^
Thats gotta be one of the best Photoshops ive ever seen. Nice work my friend! WHAT YA GONNA DO WHEN THE HOKESTER COMES FOR YOU BROTHER!?
January 22nd, 2011 at 1:40 PM ^
Someone get on the phone with Hoke.
January 22nd, 2011 at 1:48 PM ^
They might be deliberately not calling him..........
There are a lot of WR's on this team already.
January 22nd, 2011 at 1:56 PM ^
But maybe you're right.
January 22nd, 2011 at 2:04 PM ^
WR is a position where guys can contribute immediately, or close to it. I think we all agree we're set at WR for 2011. In 2012, we'll have Roundtree, Stokes, Jackson, Robinson (Terrence and Jerald), Miller (if he's not a TE) Dileo and Gallon. Plus - any recruit we sign in the 2012 class. Of that group, only Stokes, Roundtree and Terrence Robinson will be seniors.
We're really not looking that bad at WR.
EDIT: Oooh, you edited before my response posted. Sly bastard.
January 22nd, 2011 at 2:05 PM ^
Hopefully, Conway can make his way to Ann Arbor as well.
January 22nd, 2011 at 2:07 PM ^
We should be fine with or without him. I just think we should take at least one WR in this class, but the coaches will handle it accordingly.
And yes, I am a sly bastard.
January 22nd, 2011 at 1:42 PM ^
Will somebody please get on the phone and call this kid? Brady? Al?
January 22nd, 2011 at 1:42 PM ^
Somebody tweet Justice Hayes to tell the coaching staff to call flowers!! haha, what a world we live in.
January 22nd, 2011 at 1:50 PM ^
if the coaches want him, they'll make the call. they know what they are trying to build and what they are looking for.
January 22nd, 2011 at 1:59 PM ^
That explains it pretty well.
If you give me his phone number I'll call him and do my best Hokepersonation.
January 22nd, 2011 at 2:00 PM ^
January 22nd, 2011 at 2:10 PM ^
so I guess the alternative would be stealing another recruit from a perennial loser like Vanderbilt or Minnesota or just saying no to the position as a whole.
January 22nd, 2011 at 3:46 PM ^
Kinda like stealing Denard from perenial loser Central Florida.
BOOM DENARED'ED