It's signing day. Do you know where your DT's are?
Here's a look at where some top college football teams, known for defense, are with DT commitments on signing day, then at Michigan DT commits. I don't have Oklahoma in the list as they are not currently known for defense.
The DT's ranking among DT's is to the left of their picture. Their weight is in large numbers:
2020 Commits
Alabama
Clemson
Georgia
LSU
Ohio St
Michigan
Here the list at the link. You can see for yourself:
https://247sports.com/Season/2020-Football/RecruitRankings/?InstitutionGroup=HighSchool&Position=DT
You might say that Michigan doesn't have "need" for a DT in the 2020 class. So I'll go back 2 years to see how Michigan, and those others, did with DT's.
2019
Alabama
Clemson
Georgia
LSU
Ohio St
Michigan
2018
Alabama
Clemson
Georgia
LSU
Ohio St
Michigan
While Chris Hinton and Mazi Smith are excellent signees, it's apparent, that overall, Michigan is not keeping up with elite teams.
You may assert Michigan doesn't go after DT's, because they are making DE's into DT's, as they want a quick defensive line. What is your answer for this player, Evan Neal, (and others like him on elite offensive lines) that Michigan will be seeing on January 1?
December 18th, 2019 at 2:33 AM ^
Brian/ mods nuke this thread.
December 18th, 2019 at 4:32 AM ^
Go nuke a hot pocket
December 18th, 2019 at 6:16 AM ^
Brian hasn't looked at this message board in years
December 18th, 2019 at 6:31 AM ^
I bet he not only looks, but also has several burner accounts. The OP is probably him.
December 18th, 2019 at 6:42 AM ^
From the douche with multiple accounts.
December 18th, 2019 at 8:07 PM ^
The OP is not him. I'm not you either, as some have claimed.
But I do think you have more than one account.
December 18th, 2019 at 7:32 AM ^
If they start nuking threads, there'd be close to zero content on the site more days than not
December 18th, 2019 at 10:30 AM ^
Neg bangs on DT recruiting are too legit to quit.
December 18th, 2019 at 2:58 AM ^
B b b but DB knows the kind of guys he wants for his defense. Everything will be fine. Our DTs can hold up, just look at the stats! Top ten defenses!
December 18th, 2019 at 6:43 AM ^
And yet another jackass. Easily spotted.
December 18th, 2019 at 2:27 PM ^
Not like I was trying to hide it. ?
December 18th, 2019 at 4:21 AM ^
How dare you place facts on this board! How dare you question Harbaugh and Don Brown? Brian/mods please nuke this thread- I’m crying to have free speech eliminated. How dare someone else share an opinion.
December 18th, 2019 at 4:56 AM ^
Would have been a lot more effective to point out what you liked about the post or maybe add something of value instead of using it as an opportunity to go into attack mode.
December 18th, 2019 at 7:52 AM ^
You dont have freedom of speech on a message board that belongs to a private company.
Grow up and when you hit high school youll learn this in a government class.
December 18th, 2019 at 4:51 AM ^
Well the snark is cringe-worthy but this is a pretty factual post.
December 18th, 2019 at 5:05 AM ^
If you are gonna put other teams transfers you should put ours:
James Hudson was a DT 290
Aubrey Solomon DT 290
Phil Paea DT (Still here)
And the kid that went to CMU.
Deron Irving Bey. edit
So let's at least be fair. These were all supposed to be DT on the roster currently.
December 18th, 2019 at 6:14 AM ^
Yep. Look at the defensive line recruits from the 2017 class, then count how many of them contributed anything noteworthy this year. (Spoiler: 8 recruits, 1 contributor)
December 18th, 2019 at 6:46 AM ^
Out of curiosity, I looked at the 247 DT board the year that we got Maurice Hurst, who was the #21 DT that year (Class of 2013). The top-ranked DTs above Hurst went to: UCLA, USC, Auburn, Alabama, Texas A&M, South Carolina, LSU, Texas A&M, Florida, Washington, Michigan (Henry Poggi), Baylor, UNC, Alabama, OSU, FSU, Washington, OSU, Mizzou, and Oklahoma.
Five-stars were Eddie Vanderdoes (#7 nationally), Kenny Bigelow (#9), and Montravius Adams (#10). Bigelow is not in the pros; Vanderdoes is a teammate of Hurst's at Oakland; Adams is at Green Bay.
December 18th, 2019 at 7:17 AM ^
All the more reason to have 3-4 DT in this years class.
December 18th, 2019 at 8:10 PM ^
There are zero.
December 18th, 2019 at 11:24 AM ^
Which makes the current state of DT recruiting all the more baffling.
December 18th, 2019 at 8:15 PM ^
Exactly. And that's the point of this post. I don't know why half the commenters are blowing a gasket over it.
December 18th, 2019 at 8:29 PM ^
The point of the post is that Michigan is not keeping up with the elite teams in DT recruiting. You are off point.
December 18th, 2019 at 5:10 AM ^
My country for a Fuck Lion....
December 18th, 2019 at 7:44 AM ^
+1 for Marquis Slocum reference
December 18th, 2019 at 5:29 AM ^
The elite DTs are on the roster. Chris Hinton and mazi smith. next cycle we need another one or two, but we are fine there. There is a huge overreaction cus if this season, but this class wouldn’t solve any immediate problems there anyway.
December 18th, 2019 at 9:37 AM ^
Are we good for the 2020 season, probably, but recruiting is about the future. Let's remember how that position was looking earlier this year before Dwumfour came back. I'd rather not go into 2021 with only Mazi, Jeter, Hinton, undersized Kris Jenkins, and some true freshmen at the position. That could be a disaster if someone was to get hurt and be out for the season.
December 18th, 2019 at 12:59 PM ^
Is there really a future anymore? The transfer portal and NFL have elite kids playing 3 years max at the college level. Need to fill the hopper every year with trench players.
December 18th, 2019 at 2:43 PM ^
How is Hinton elite? Barely got into games and when he did he was out of his gap or blown off the ball half the time. And how is Mazi? He didn’t even get in a game when you can play 4 while still redshirting. Not taking DT in 2 of the last 3 cycles is idiotic. We will continue to be blown off the ball by teams like Wisconsin and OSU 2-3 times a year as a result.
December 18th, 2019 at 8:21 PM ^
That dude, is my point. All I can see is 10-2, or 9-3, and a loss in most Bowl Games, in the foreseeable future. Every big, well coached O Line opponent can be chalked up as a loss.
December 18th, 2019 at 5:55 AM ^
You have already posted this exact same thread. This place loves to beat dead horses.
December 18th, 2019 at 8:26 PM ^
No. I didn't.
December 18th, 2019 at 6:21 AM ^
You may assert Michigan doesn't go after DT's, because they are making DE's into DT's as they want a quick offensive line. What is your answer to this player, Evan Neal...
I'm guessing the answer would be that every strategy has tradeoffs and weaknesses. Suppose you went after really big immovable DT's at the expense of quickness. After someone exploits that strategy, future you would be here asking, "you may assert Michigan goes after immovable DT's to plug the line against huge OL, what is your answer to quick OL's?"
Here's an idea lets recruit dl that are huge, unworldly strong, have the quickness of a cheetah, Olympic sprinter speed and play with great leverage.
December 18th, 2019 at 6:44 AM ^
Kris Jenkins Jr.? Son Of Kris Jenkins a 4 time NFL pro bowl DT? Heard of him?
December 18th, 2019 at 9:45 AM ^
He's listed as a DE on the recruiting sites. I think OP is talking specifically about tackles.
December 18th, 2019 at 8:43 PM ^
DT is in the title and throughout the post.
December 18th, 2019 at 7:12 AM ^
I don't care who posted this.
It's the TRUTH. Our recruiting philosophy is failing us. Don't tell me we couldn't have brought in a few 3-4 * DT this class.
Harbaugh & Brown just don't get it.
Our DL is so far behind these programs it's pathetic - And to think its done by design is even more infuriating.
These programs are signing 4-5* Top 300 studs every year, and we're getting verbals from the 5th string RB's kid brother who plays in D5 and is for 2022.
Gee I can't wait to see who next year's under talented try hard players are...because at Michigan guys like that win awards. At Big Boy schools, they're called scout team players.
December 18th, 2019 at 7:28 AM ^
I'd rather they spent a scholarship on literally any DT still out there than go after the backup to the backup to their backup plan at QB which appears to be happening.
December 18th, 2019 at 7:39 AM ^
You may wish to take a look at the camp tape of that sad little brother of that 5th string RB taking down those 4 star OLs who are two years older than him. At 15 years old this kid is already a beast-and it doesn't matter where he comes from.
Otherwise, I agree with the concern.
December 18th, 2019 at 7:51 AM ^
I hope the kid (AVS) turns out to be a stud.
It just blows my mind we didn't bring in 1 DT.
December 18th, 2019 at 7:54 AM ^
They started a converted FB at DT for half a season.... if that doesn't scream major issue, nothing does.
December 18th, 2019 at 9:33 AM ^
Yeah, I mean the "sky is not falling" argument is easy to make with Hinton and Smith on the roster, but not getting one commit at that position is kind of crazy and suggests a lack of attention to detail as to the composition of the roster, particularly when only one of those guys could even see the field this year and did not have much of an impact. I know, freshman DTs suck, but there wasn't much to "beat out" on the interior defensive line this year and neither of those guys could do it.
December 18th, 2019 at 9:02 PM ^
if that doesn't scream major issue, nothing does.
You're right.
And if that doesn't get it across to the average commenter here---what could?
December 18th, 2019 at 10:53 AM ^
Or you realize that Georgia, LSU, and Bama all run a 3-4 where you need big 340 lb guys? And DB runs a 4-3 where you really don't need someone that big? Hell, even in the NFL the top DTs in a 4-3 usually top out at around 310 (Fletcher Cox, DeForest Buckner, Geno Atkins etc.). DB had had a big space plugger on his defense (Mone), and he saw how he was absolutely useless on passing downs. Throw in teams pushing tempo and trying to trap defensive personnel on the field, and you can see why he wants to do this. Versatility in looks is what the NFL does to confuse offenses and give the defense the edge. I don't see why y'all can't figure this out
December 18th, 2019 at 10:55 AM ^
" top DTs in a 4-3 usually top out at around 310 "
...and our biggest guy that got regular playing time this year was 280.
December 18th, 2019 at 11:11 AM ^
I'm not saying that DB wasn't playing undersized this year, he obviously was, I'm saying we don't need (and shouldn't be going for) guys who are 320+, ESPECIALLY when they're that big in HS
December 18th, 2019 at 7:27 AM ^
Guess the playoffs have only created a monopoly rather than give us parity. Damn you SEC bagmen and OSU.
December 18th, 2019 at 7:43 AM ^
Bingo. I'd be interested to see UM's DT recruiting compared to non-bag schools.
Explaining that UM's recruiting isn't on par with the five schools who have been actively buying recruits for years isn't helpful or useful in any way.
December 18th, 2019 at 8:25 AM ^
Top 100 DT's
Penn. St.
2020: #19, #24, #68
2019: #21, #70
2018: #5, #31
2017: #11, #45
2016: #20, #82
Total: 11
Notre Dame:
2020: #38
2019: #23
2018: #12, #44
2017: #10, #42
2016: ??????
Total: 6
Stanford:
2020: #39
2019: #95
2018: ??????
2017: #19
2016: #33, #46, #51
Total: 6
Michigan:
2020: ????
2019: #4, #12
2018: ??????
2017: #2, #13, #37
2016: #1, #58
Total: 7
December 18th, 2019 at 9:34 AM ^
Good lord Penn State.