Transfer Portal - DT - Not much help there... yet
DTs in portal with immediate eligibility and 300+
Val Martin, from GA, 6-2, 305, NC State, 3 star out of HS (JUCO)
Malcolm Robinson, Massillon, OH, Minnesota, 6-3, 305, 3*
Pending appeal?
None yet.
Hope Kemp and/or Jeter decide they want to keep playing football and come back.
December 16th, 2020 at 1:45 PM ^
Let's wait until after the good or even decent teams are finished playing and then we'll glance over their scraps.
December 16th, 2020 at 5:29 PM ^
With every senior/RS junior getting an extra year the portalaction should be interesting and active.
December 16th, 2020 at 1:45 PM ^
1) Whomever the new defensive staff is, they better get to whomever does list. Probably too early to get the full transfer portal picture but they're going to have to find some players somewhere.
2) What about cornerbacks. That might even be a bigger need.
December 16th, 2020 at 1:56 PM ^
I don’t think corner is as big of a need as you suggest. Our issue with our corners is not a lack of them (as in the case of DT). It’s just that they’re super inexperienced. Behind Gray and Green we have 6 corners with only 1-2 years on campus. Unless we get a CB transfer who is elite and can start immediately (which is probably not super likely), we’re better off rolling with our current group and coaching them up while also adding further talent in future classes.
December 16th, 2020 at 2:18 PM ^
Not only are the corners inexperienced, the type of schemes Brown is running does not fit their skill sets.
December 16th, 2020 at 2:24 PM ^
Green seemed to improve in the PSU game, but you are correct. Brown's scheme doesn't help our CBs and the fact they are taught to PI every play doesn't help their technique.
December 16th, 2020 at 2:40 PM ^
2) What about cornerbacks. That might even be a bigger need.
Julian Barnett (Belleville -> MSU) is at the top of CB list (although I think he's a better WR than CB). What better way to get revenge on little brother than coming down the road to Michigan.
December 16th, 2020 at 3:13 PM ^
From what I've read, getting a Belleville kid to dump MSU and come play for Harbaugh would be a very neat trick.
December 16th, 2020 at 4:01 PM ^
Getting a recruit isn't revenge. Winning games is revenge. Getting a recruit is just a means of trying to get revenge in the future.
December 16th, 2020 at 1:47 PM ^
I imagine there will be plenty of guys still to enter the portal at the conclusion of their seasons.
Also, it's probably far more important to figure out who the coaches will be for that position and side of the ball. That's going to go a long way in attracting whatever help might potentially come.
Finally, go back in and check for corners while you're at it.
December 16th, 2020 at 1:47 PM ^
Going to be many players in the portal this year, new defensive staff should probe it thoroughly.
December 16th, 2020 at 1:48 PM ^
Well, Kemp and Jeter should be coming back. Jeter we've actually seen some improvement from. Kemp should never be more than a rotational piece but the last few years we've been desperate.
We did start to see some major flashes from Hinton this year so I'm hopeful that next year he really takes off and we get some further improvement out of Mazi. We still desperately need a space eater in there though.
December 16th, 2020 at 2:49 PM ^
Kemp accepted an invitation to one of the senior bowls, so he's gone. We should have Jeter, Hinton, Smith, Welschoff, and Speight. Mike Morris is up to 276 according to MgoBlue and will probably be DT size next year. I still think we need to hit the portal.
December 16th, 2020 at 3:43 PM ^
Kemp will be coaching for Michigan before Mike Hart. Doesn't seem like he's pro-material despite being solid. Seems like he'd want to come back for the extra year to get more knowledge given his family's coaching history.
December 16th, 2020 at 1:48 PM ^
Didn't Kemp say something about playing in senior bowl? He's gone.
December 16th, 2020 at 1:50 PM ^
Jeter was a redshirt junior this year. I think he almost certainly comes back.
I would be surprised if Kemp does though. I don't think eligibility standards are the only thing keeping college players from spending 6 years in college in most cases. At this point, I think most players have gotten the education they came to get, and if the player hasn't missed a lot of time due to injury, it's really unlikely that a 6th year is going to help your NFL draft stock.
After 5 years, I think that most guys are just ready to move on. This is just speculation, of course, but I would guess that Kemp is too.
December 16th, 2020 at 2:06 PM ^
7 years of college down the drain.
December 16th, 2020 at 5:51 PM ^
Hey, a lot of people go to college for 7 years
December 17th, 2020 at 12:54 PM ^
Yes...they are called Drs.
December 16th, 2020 at 1:53 PM ^
Isn't this a free year that doesn't count towards eligibility? I think there'd be quite a few guys in the middle classes with upperclassmen above them and freshmen coming in behind them who may look for bluer skies (not gonna say greener pastures). I'd think the portal could fill up as next year's rosters take shape.
December 16th, 2020 at 1:53 PM ^
Have we given up on Mazi and Hinton?
December 16th, 2020 at 1:56 PM ^
No but we need a helluva lot more than 2 players for that position (the DL in general).
December 16th, 2020 at 1:57 PM ^
No. Both should play a ton next year. Hopefully Morris and Welschof are also ready to do more and maybe Jenkins as well. I would love to add some young DTs from the transfer portal if there are any that join in the next couple months
December 16th, 2020 at 2:13 PM ^
No, but they can’t play every down, every game. Even if they play the NT and guys like Welschoff man the 3T, need more bodies up front.
Not as concerning at CB.
Behind Green & Gray...
Seldon, 4* in 2020, #161, #11 CB
Turner, 3* in 2019, #400, #40
Faustin, 3* in 2018, #592, #54
Dennis, 3* in 2020, #484, #24 athlete
Perry, 4* in 2019, #200, #23
Green-Warren, 4* in 2020, #190, #14
December 16th, 2020 at 3:28 PM ^
And GJ3
December 16th, 2020 at 4:26 PM ^
Still should of got a true corner this year! Mcburrows( sp) is only 5"9 and word is he might flip to Miami!
December 16th, 2020 at 1:59 PM ^
It's not deep yet but I think you'll see guys start entering the portal as these classes come in and guys start realizing where they are in the pecking order.
December 16th, 2020 at 2:03 PM ^
I thought Kemp accepted a Senior Bowl invite, which means he's gone.
December 16th, 2020 at 2:03 PM ^
There will be plenty of players in the transfer portal after the season. The bigger question mark is whether M can successfully recruit any of them. It's basically a second recruitment.
December 16th, 2020 at 2:05 PM ^
Kemp still has eligibility ? Good..... maybe the new DC will make him shed the false weight, get light, and play LB, as he should be...
December 16th, 2020 at 2:21 PM ^
Kemp would be our slowest LB in 20 years even if he shed the weight. He was never going to be a LB.
December 16th, 2020 at 2:55 PM ^
Mike McCray says hi
Remember when Brown had him man to man on Barkley? That was fun.
Like Hawkins man on Hamler.
How the hell did that guy survive the last two seasons?
December 16th, 2020 at 5:20 PM ^
Of course...the patented Don Brown 3rd and 24 zero blitz against a 4 wide set, with a slot 4.3 RB or slot WR motioning out of the backfield, lined up against our 4.7 LB or Safety.
Alway fun to watch.
December 16th, 2020 at 2:19 PM ^
A lot of transfers will get immediate eligibility this coming year, whether seniors or not -- tons of kids are going to get processed out given the strange eligibility and roster limits imposed following 2020. So, the grad transfer list is grim, but that's not the whole list.
December 16th, 2020 at 2:38 PM ^
This whole transfer process is a grass roots thing. The key is to develop a list of potential transfers before they hit the portal and then back channel to their high school coach ... "is Johnny (backup DT at XYZ) looking to start at a P5 program ? ... we are in need if you think he will be interested we would like to talk after he hits the portal". Not tampering if you start with his high school coach / network.
Putting it out there in the high school network that Michigan is going to take transfers could induce some kids to enter the portal to get a shot at that opportunity. Mike Danna came in that way.
December 16th, 2020 at 3:54 PM ^
Need to get at least one DT from transfer portal, likely 2. A CB would be nice as well.
Another thing to keep in mind is hopefully getting a DL coach/defensive coordinator that can coach these kids up and play a scheme that actually progresses our DLine. That alone would help a lot.
December 16th, 2020 at 4:09 PM ^
Much like Ped State was linebacker U, we used to be OT U and WR and QB U. Now Harbaugh has turned us into anti-DT U. Like the opposite of LSU.
December 16th, 2020 at 5:11 PM ^
Who had the best DL recruiting classes in 2018 and 19? Hire that guy. Maybe he'll bring one or two of those players with him.