Kris Jenkins to officially return
Jenkins to return per his Twitter. Sheesh. I like this NIL thing. After his initial decision, he had gotten a top 100 draft grade so there was some Indecision it seems.
https://twitter.com/KrisJenkinsJr1/status/1615022503625195520?s=20&t=0K296cHdONaBBeH5kNQIjg
January 16th, 2023 at 11:32 AM ^
Boom.....love it....
January 16th, 2023 at 11:33 AM ^
Great news. Imagine if some of those Beilein teams had the one more year fund.
January 16th, 2023 at 11:34 AM ^
Damn you for puttin that in my head.
January 16th, 2023 at 11:52 AM ^
There were so many borderline decisions. Obviously some like Poole ended up being correct. You have think something like that fund would have changed some decisions. Maybe Beilein would still be the coach.
January 16th, 2023 at 12:18 PM ^
Who made a bad decision by leaving?
January 16th, 2023 at 12:24 PM ^
Iggy?
January 16th, 2023 at 1:00 PM ^
Iggy got guaranteed money and had a couple years of bball as his full time job. One more year in college wasn’t going to help him.
January 16th, 2023 at 1:06 PM ^
Well if that is your standard, the threshold is pretty low. Hardly anybody would ever make a bad decision with that reasoning. To me, I think it was pretty clear he made a bad long term decision (why come to an American college at all if his criteria matches what you say). One more year of him being the center piece of a good team capable of making a deep run could have doubled or tripled his contract (money and years). Obviously, he got paid, but it could have been so much more. Lithuania was always a fall back option (where he is now, I believe).
January 16th, 2023 at 1:26 PM ^
Being a centerpiece of a Final Four team would capture attention, yes, but scouts tend to filter that information and focus on the player and his projected fit with their team and the NBA.
I don't think Iggy would've moved the needle much with another year at Michigan. He "was who he was."
You raise a good question about college. Maybe he wanted visibility? A year of U.S. university experience? I don't know.
January 16th, 2023 at 2:47 PM ^
i think franz wagner moved the needle a lot when he stayed. both guys needed to improve outside shot and ballhandling. wagner definitely did that and got rewarded.
January 16th, 2023 at 2:01 PM ^
It’s all hindsight. If you go undrafted, it’s a bad decision. Your potential gets you drafted. Your ability gets you that lucrative second contract.
January 16th, 2023 at 12:41 PM ^
Correct was the wrong word. Any of them could have ended up better or worse off with another year, but it's hard to imagine Poole in a better spot.
January 16th, 2023 at 12:57 PM ^
DJ Wilson?
January 16th, 2023 at 1:58 PM ^
Beilein.
January 16th, 2023 at 2:47 PM ^
I mean Nik Stauskas made some money so he didn’t necessarily screw it up but he could’ve been a pantheon CBB player if he stayed 4 years
January 16th, 2023 at 12:21 PM ^
Why would you hurt people like this?
January 16th, 2023 at 12:36 PM ^
Wow. You've waited almost 5 years since your last post; meanwhile all of us have been waiting equally as long to give you our upvotes.
January 16th, 2023 at 1:19 PM ^
3 posts in 12 years. That is something.
January 16th, 2023 at 2:17 PM ^
Perfect post. I laughed and cried at the same time.
January 16th, 2023 at 3:10 PM ^
Too soon.
January 16th, 2023 at 11:34 AM ^
Hell yeah!
January 16th, 2023 at 11:35 AM ^
NIL yeah!!!!
January 16th, 2023 at 11:36 AM ^
Make it to the Top 10 draft grade Jenkins! I believe I can speak for all Michigan fans that we will do our part in cheering and encouraging you on in 2023. Go Blue!
January 16th, 2023 at 11:37 AM ^
So by my math Michigan has lost 7 starters from last year? 4 on defense and 3 on offense. 👀👀👀
January 16th, 2023 at 11:47 AM ^
Offense - Schoon, Hayes, and Olu.
Defense - Mazi, Mike Morris, DJ, Gemon.
Edit; oops I forgot Bell also. Sorry Ronnie 👍.
January 16th, 2023 at 11:57 AM ^
I forgot Bell
January 16th, 2023 at 12:19 PM ^
By year end, gemon wasn’t actually a starter as Will had ascended. So we return 16/22…including the likes of jj, Corum, the don, will, etc. wow…
hayes-henderson, olu-nugent, wr (cj returns as WR1, wilson could outside depending on how the young wr develop).
mazi - graham, cb (will need to replace the other outside cb), Morris (have the bodies, all a year older as well).
January 16th, 2023 at 1:22 PM ^
Erick All really was a starter too. Clearly missed a lot of time but he was the first TE on the roster until he physically couldn’t be.
January 16th, 2023 at 11:57 AM ^
How many portal starters did they add to fill any of those losses? Haven’t been keeping track by position.
January 16th, 2023 at 12:13 PM ^
The 3 on offense. But our dline depth is the best its been in.... forever? Corner is the only concern as the only proven guy coming back we have is Will (unless they move Sainristil out there?) but in Clink I trust.
January 16th, 2023 at 12:18 PM ^
I know Okie wasn't a "starter" per se, but he was definite DL depth and he, too, is gone.
January 16th, 2023 at 12:25 PM ^
In all fairness to gemon, he wasn’t a slam dunk at corner initially either. McBurrows or a younger Cb or even a potential transfer will make us fine. With Will on the other side, there will be safety help too. Hard to have 0 questions in current portal era. The fact that we didn’t go after a portal cb may be somewhat reassuring.
January 16th, 2023 at 1:25 PM ^
Is it really? Mazi, Mike Morris, Taylor Upshaw, and Okie all gone. Our top returning DL are Jenkins, Mason Graham and Jaylen Harrell?? I think we'll be fine in the interior with Jenkins, Graham, and Benny/Grant. But feels like we are thin at DE/Edge.But our dline depth is the best its been in.... forever?
January 16th, 2023 at 2:10 PM ^
What about Mcgregor and Stewart?
January 16th, 2023 at 2:32 PM ^
McGregor and Derrick Moore should be much improved. Stewart's game is very translatable to Big Ten play as well. Edge should not be a problem. If anything I'd say it improves.
January 16th, 2023 at 3:40 PM ^
As you noted, Grant saw ample time despite being a very raw true frosh who didn’t enroll early. and Benny has a lot of upside. Goode is returning and he at least provides depth for 8-10 non elite games. Also, I bet Trey Pierce will be more serviceable as a true frosh than Grant and possibly closer to Graham. 6 guys to rotate and keep Jenkins & Graham fresh for the big games.
I’m less concerned about DE than 2022. Moore should take a big step forward. McGregor should add strength/explosiveness after 18+ months of health. Stewart is likely > Okie and Upshaw in the run game, and Stewart might be a big boost in pass rush as he had 12.5 sacks in 2021 and 3 in 2022. That’s four solid guys with Harrell. Not Hutch & Ojabo, but very solid.
While those two groups get their depth sorted out and the coaches try to find 1 CB, the defense should really improve at LB with age & depth and maintain strong safety play.
January 16th, 2023 at 1:44 PM ^
Don't recall portaling in a WR.
CB you need depth. It's not just 2 guys playing every snap. We were also very fortunate in injuries. Don't move Mikey - he is a star @ where he is. That just moves the problem.
January 16th, 2023 at 2:42 PM ^
Fwiw, I don't think moving Mike is the answer either.
January 16th, 2023 at 12:17 PM ^
2 big ones on special teams too. Moody and Robbins.
Those two are arguably Michigan's biggest losses.
January 16th, 2023 at 1:36 PM ^
Robbins may not be as big a loss as you think. After all, he was hardly needed last season. Of course he can blame Blake Corum for much of that.
January 16th, 2023 at 11:37 AM ^
This one is huge (literally and figuratively).
KJ is gonna be the heart of the defense this year.
Man, the practice battles in the trenches are gonna be rougher than any opponent we face.
Go Blue - already excited for FB season!
January 16th, 2023 at 11:38 AM ^
Let's fucking go!
January 16th, 2023 at 12:37 PM ^
Allow us to intercoursingly proceed!
January 16th, 2023 at 11:38 AM ^
Awesome news. He will be a a stud this year.
January 16th, 2023 at 11:38 AM ^
The irony in All, those guys coming back! culture, family, team..... Those who stay, will three-peat!
GO BLUE
January 16th, 2023 at 2:12 PM ^
The irony is All isnt coming back.
January 16th, 2023 at 3:08 PM ^
um....yeah. that's pretty much what i was getting at.
January 16th, 2023 at 11:40 AM ^
Since Jenkins is the last to make his decision, is anyone else having this feeling that seems weird inside. Besides maybe Turner, almost everyone that was on the fence has now made the decision to come back. I am so used to Michigan not ever having good things happen but yet now we have experienced 2 seasons of some of the greatest success this football program has ever had with now a 3rd season that is shaping up to potentially be even better than the last two. I almost feel like with the way things are trending that all of a sudden our basketball team is going to make a complete turnaround and finish in the top 3 of the B1G 10 because that's Michigan now. We can have good things. It's great to be a Michigan Wolverine! Go Blue!
January 16th, 2023 at 11:49 AM ^
Love your optimism but the basketball team just isn’t very good. I root for them every game however.