OT: Duke's Riley Leonard Enters Portal
For those keeping tabs, I've been saying this one is coming...and this is the one Michigan needed to be focused on.
All of the other guys are spread offense guys. This one makes a ton of sense.
The problem? JJ is probably not going to decide until after the season and no QB is going to wait that long and miss out on an opportunity elsewhere. For example, you can't risk losing a shot to be ND's starting QB because you're waiting for JJ, and then JJ stays at Michigan and now your best options are gone.
For that reason, *opinion* I think Michigan will likely have to "stand pat" and wait until someone loses a spring battle and then bring that player in to compete for a starting job. Not ideal, but that's the trade off when you're a championship contender! The bright side is our current rosters guys get more reps in the spring and we get a true evaluation on what we have.
https://twitter.com/On3sports/status/1729975760927019033?t=Vf5dVolndYnUQWAcl9onKw&s=19
November 29th, 2023 at 8:46 PM ^
He's already headed to notre dame.
November 29th, 2023 at 8:50 PM ^
The Irish love that sweet, sweet ACC QB.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:28 PM ^
It’s their own form of advanced scouting for future opponents
November 29th, 2023 at 8:52 PM ^
Not saying you are wrong (I heard the same thing) but someone wrote the exact same thing about Will Howard yesterday.
November 29th, 2023 at 9:18 PM ^
I think Freeman doesn't trust any of his QBs and may well take two guys and let them battle it out. Leonard has been an ND lean for a while so I'd put more weight in that. Howard always felt SEC bound to a place like Auburn or Kentucky where he makes sense stylistically coming from KSU.
November 29th, 2023 at 9:55 PM ^
If Freeman thinks he can get two of the top QB transfers in the portal just to battle for a starting job, he's delusional.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:02 PM ^
Or he has more money than he should.
November 30th, 2023 at 7:13 AM ^
After all, He is a buckeye.
November 29th, 2023 at 9:08 PM ^
Marcus Freeman's QB situation from year to year is becoming like Michigan in the majority of the 2010 decade.
November 29th, 2023 at 8:52 PM ^
I will be stunned if he doesn't drop for Notre Dame within a day or two. Just another into the portal-blink-gone transfer than smacks of being lined up before the portal even opens.
November 29th, 2023 at 9:14 PM ^
That'll fix their passing game!
November 29th, 2023 at 10:16 PM ^
Portal doesn’t even open until Monday, so I’m not sure he can do anything until then. But the NCAA has completely overlooked all the examples of blatant tampering so it wouldn’t shock me either if they let a kid announce his new school before he is even in the portal and ignore that it’s tampering.
November 29th, 2023 at 8:53 PM ^
Entered the portal and in a matter of minutes picked ND. Incredible to see Freeman flex his muscles on the trail and surely there was no tampering going on.
I’m glad the NCAA is putting their effort into more serious issues like player safety and deciphering signs off an iPhone.
November 29th, 2023 at 9:21 PM ^
Yeah, the quickness with which guys jump schools from the portal so brazenly points to tampering but clearly the NCAA doesn't care because it's like another round of free agency/recruiting and while the NCAA sure as shit doesn't want to pay these athletes like they're professionals they love all the trappings that come along with them acting like it.
November 29th, 2023 at 10:37 PM ^
It's just so difficult to prove tampering...without hiring your brother to investigate.
November 29th, 2023 at 8:54 PM ^
People are so giddy they are starting to just babble
November 29th, 2023 at 8:56 PM ^
Just read an article about an interview with Matt Rhule about paying portal qb's.
"Make no mistake that a good quarterback in the portal costs, you know, a million to $1.5 million to $2 million right now, just so we're all on the same page," Rhule said Wednesday while discussing the state of the program with reporters. "Let's make sure we all understand what's happening. There are some teams that have $6 [million] or $7 million players playing for them."
November 29th, 2023 at 9:21 PM ^
It reads like a first year, bitter 5-7 Coach who's complaining about the lack of NIL resources at his university. Therefore, his shitty performance is justified given the uneven playing field.
Coach, stop your bitching and welcome to our world....
November 29th, 2023 at 10:30 PM ^
Buyer’s remorse because he had to pay that much to end up with Jeff Sims.
November 29th, 2023 at 9:35 PM ^
It would be nice if some journalist with balls would pipe up and ask, "Remind me coach, what did they pay you this year for a 5-7 season?"
November 29th, 2023 at 9:58 PM ^
Yet, he is incensed about signs...
November 29th, 2023 at 8:56 PM ^
Just insane that in 2023 you can literally buy players, but you can’t buy said players a cheeseburger.
You can’t steal signs but you can steal players.
I’ma go to Indy, watch my team and then figure out where and if I still wanna participate in this NCAA thing going forward.
November 29th, 2023 at 8:58 PM ^
Don't you want to wait until after the playoffs?
November 29th, 2023 at 9:03 PM ^
Stop by the NCAA Hall of Champions - it’s across the street from the JW Marriott and open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday, and from noon to 5:00 pm on Sunday.
November 29th, 2023 at 9:03 PM ^
You should probably readjust your expectations wrt recruiting going forward. NIL is getting worse and worse. Gonna have to recruit team first kids out of high school and portal and develop them.
November 30th, 2023 at 6:35 AM ^
People have been buying players since long before 2023. Even in the old days they weren't always subtle about it.
November 29th, 2023 at 8:58 PM ^
ND is getting a good one. Kid has grit.
November 29th, 2023 at 8:59 PM ^
Risk everyone in the portal for a chance to have JJ back. Not debatable.
November 29th, 2023 at 9:00 PM ^
Bonus question since we know he’s heading to South Bend - even before the portal opens.
Here’s the question. How many teams who had more than seven wins this season - did ND defeat when they played them?
The answer… one. NC State. The full season record for NC State was 9-3. No other ND win was against a team with a season record better than 7-5.
As a point of reference, Michigan has already defeated three teams with season records of 9-3 or better. And, most likely - will have the opportunity to play two (or more) additional games against teams with at least nine wins this season.
November 29th, 2023 at 9:14 PM ^
JJ will stay. Raback it.
November 29th, 2023 at 9:27 PM ^
That sweet BKFinest guarantee. I can sleep soundly, now
November 29th, 2023 at 9:19 PM ^
Leonard is a gritty leader with lots of experience. Not sure about his pure passing ability alone being able to win a game , but a gamer for sure. (reminds me of Max Duggan)
November 29th, 2023 at 9:51 PM ^
Huh, whaddayano, yet another Duke athlete getting the "gritty" descriptor at least twice already in this thread.
November 29th, 2023 at 9:23 PM ^
Ideally we want JJ to stay and mentor Jadyn and Orji and then let them take over in 2025. They should be getting decent minutes next year to prepare them for 2025. JJ can actually do what Cade didn’t do for him.
November 29th, 2023 at 9:27 PM ^
I read Jonathan Smith gave Aidan Childs the 3rd possession of every game (when possible) at Oreg Stae to get meaningful reps. (Burning redshirt aside). Sounds like an interesting strategy to get guys more game ready when their time comes. (If he lures him to MSU)
November 29th, 2023 at 9:36 PM ^
Do you have to start all your posts by congratulating yourself? It reeks of insecurity. Stop doing that, not for us, but for yourself.
I hope you don't start all your conversations in reality like this.
November 29th, 2023 at 9:50 PM ^
He's the worst.
November 29th, 2023 at 9:38 PM ^
Glad the NCAA is hunting down Cheeseburgers and shaky iphone footage while players like Leonard and Cam Ward are bought off other teams. Keep it up guys
November 29th, 2023 at 9:50 PM ^
Employees that you’ve targeted and recruited might be better than mercenaries.
November 29th, 2023 at 9:59 PM ^
I guess C.J. Carr is doing great at ND?
November 29th, 2023 at 10:02 PM ^
If JJ declares for the draft you go get the best guy out of the portal the next day
November 29th, 2023 at 10:10 PM ^
Orji and Denegal.
November 29th, 2023 at 10:14 PM ^
He's already headed to Notre Dame because they clearly tampered as they also did with Hartman. The one difference is that I'm not as impressed with Leonard as everyone else is. I get he's a solud runner, but like besides that he seems... fine?
November 29th, 2023 at 10:39 PM ^
I'd love to see what an Orji-led offense looks like.
November 29th, 2023 at 10:53 PM ^
Grayson McCall from Coastal Carolina is in the portal. While he had a down year in 2023, the previous years he had a 26-3, 27-3 and 24-2 TD to INT ratio. The down year might be due to having a new coach (Jamey Chadwell moved on to Liberty). With good coaching and a supporting cast, would be a nice bridge to Jadyn Davis
November 29th, 2023 at 10:54 PM ^
No spring battle loser for me please.
November 29th, 2023 at 10:57 PM ^
I think that JJ already knows what he is going to do. Maybe Leonard can give him call and have a little private discussion.
November 29th, 2023 at 11:23 PM ^
First world problems…
November 30th, 2023 at 5:52 AM ^
Im not keeping tabs.