Exit Gemon Green to the NFL Draft
Bad NFL. This Instagram post says Green is declaring for the draft:
Green came a very long way in five seasons at Michigan; staying with receivers was never a problem, but he had to work very hard on his ball skills when the pass arrived. His rare combination of size, speed, and athleticism should see him test well and land in a good spot. A lot of NFL teams run base Cover-1 switch defenses, and you'd be hard pressed to find someone better prepared for that than a Don Brown cornerback who spent the last two years running Michigan's complicated, Ravens-esque coverages.
Michigan had hoped to get back one of its starting corners to pair with Will Johnson next year. Instead they're going to have to find one from what they have on campus or hit the portal.
OPTION 1: ELEVATE A CORNERBACK
The next guys on the depth chart last year were walk-on Keshaun Harris and Gemon's twin German, but neither's played any significant snaps. Jalen Perry, who was backup at nickel, has, but not since 2020 MSU. In younger options, Ja'Den McBurrows lost 2021 and 2022 to injury; the program has hinted he's another DJ Turner. RS freshmen Kody Jones and Myles Pollard, and true freshmen Jyaire Hill and Cam Calhoun will get their shots, though I need to warn you, not for the last time this offseason, that Michigan's complicated coverages were hard enough to pick up that it took most polished freshman of all time Will Johnson most of the season to get it down, and Hill played free safety in high school.
OPTION 2: MOVE SAINRISTIL TO CB, ELEVATE A SAFETEY
This would almost certainly mean drawing RJ Moten back into the lineup and moving Rod Moore to nickel (lifting Moten or Paige when they go 4-3 or 5-2). This is probably the default option. Moten was reportedly practicing with the linebackers, but that was after they moved Mullings to RB; Michigan's LB situation is about to get a lot more depth. They also redshirted three excellent safety prospects in Zeke Berry, Damani Dent, and Keon Sabb, all of whom seem more likely to challenge for playing time than the cornerback options I listed.
OPTION 3: PORTAL!
Plug & play portal options are slim since the first wave of stay/leave decisions has come and gone. Top CBs in the transfer market like Fentrell Cypress (UVa->FSU), Duce Chestnut (Cuse->LSU), Tony Grimes (UNC->A&M), Marquis Groves-Killebrew (A&M->L'ville), and Storm Duck (UNC->PSU) have already found homes. A few plausible names remaining:
- Iowa Jr/5th Terry Roberts. Backup CB who started a few games in 2022 but has lost a lot of time the last two years to injury. Originally from Erie; PSU was recruiting him but just got Duck.
- LSU freshman Jaelyn Davis-Robinson. Track star Brian Kelly was recruiting under the radar to Notre Dame and followed him to LSU, played in 3 games but preserved his redshirt.
- ECU Jr/Sr Juan Powell. Played safety & cornerback. Left his team at halftime of the bowl game.
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January 11th, 2023 at 11:23 AM ^
Sorry to see Gemon go. May his future work as well as he now envisions.
Juan Powell left his team at halftime of the bowl game? There must be a story there but do not want.
January 11th, 2023 at 11:38 AM ^
Agreed. Stay away
January 11th, 2023 at 11:26 AM ^
RE: Option 2 - Love me some Sainristil but is he tall/lengthy enough for every down CB and not more of the slot CB? I would be worried about those WR jump-master fade routes with the 6'3/6'4 leapers due to Mike S's height that Gemon was also a victim of.
January 11th, 2023 at 11:52 AM ^
He's the same size as DJ Turner.
January 11th, 2023 at 12:31 PM ^
My eyes tell me they are about the same size, but the official roster (for whatever that's worth) gives Turner two additional inches over Sainristil.
January 11th, 2023 at 12:31 PM ^
He’s also already a great nickel and wants and deserves another year there to audition for his likely NFL position.
If he is mediocre to bad as a boundary corner it would be both bad for the team and unfair to him.
Hoping one of the young guns can step in. Who knows, maybe we get lucky and Jayaire is Will Johnson 2.0 by the time we play a competent passing attack.
January 11th, 2023 at 4:00 PM ^
NO! to option 2. What, and how well, Sainristil did for Team 143 is close to a miracle. Thinking you can just move people around and make it work doesn't work all the time. At least on the corner you have the boundary to back you up. Moving Mike would just create a hole, and the depth there is no better than CB. Mike is an OSU killing machine that might even be Dax+ for 144 (does Dax make that play even... IDK?) Please don't touch him as he tries to cement an NFL spot next year. (Mike isn't staying to learn another position - show him the money!, he has earned that.)
Option 1 is where I would put my time, along with whatever comes in Option 3, but let's dance with the guys who got us there until further notice.
Having Will hold one side down is sufficient to help whoever makes the cut opposite if needed.
January 11th, 2023 at 11:27 AM ^
Mikey Sainristil is so good at nickel; moving him to corner might blunt his impact. I would rather that Michigan pull Terry Roberts from the portal and try a mix of options 3 and 1. In Roberts, Michigan should get a corner with a lot of experience in zone coverage who will, hopefully, have an easier time picking up Michigan's scheme. That gives them time to mine the current roster for rising star who can Wally Pipp his way onto the field in 2023 or be ready for starting role in 2024.
Grabbing Jaelyn Davis-Robinson does not help Michigan as much this year, as he is effectively another freshman. And Juan Powell looks like a MSU special. KW3 aside, recruiting another team's backup to start rarely produces satisfactory results.
January 11th, 2023 at 11:42 AM ^
I think they will find another good corner, probably two, in the pile of bodies they have right now. Not worried about it, there is plenty of talent on the roster. People get all concerned when there isn't a returning starter, but this is college, you are probably replacing 1/4 to 1/3 of your starters every year if you are any good.
Sainristil is perfect at slot nickel because he has the same quickness the guys he is covering have.
January 11th, 2023 at 11:28 AM ^
hard yes on Roberts, 30+ career games in an elite secondary
January 11th, 2023 at 11:34 AM ^
And just as importantly, a secondary that relies on complicated zone schemes, not insane athleticism.
January 11th, 2023 at 6:29 PM ^
Iowa had a great defense with great coaching and really talented CB depth.
January 11th, 2023 at 12:22 PM ^
Iowa clearly owes him to us
McNamara <--> Rudock
All <--> Roberts
January 11th, 2023 at 11:35 AM ^
Storm Duck is an all-timer
January 11th, 2023 at 11:35 AM ^
No to the guy who left his team at halftime.
January 11th, 2023 at 11:50 AM ^
What a great send-off photo of Gemon. I think we'll figure out a solution to losing him and DJ. The cornerback room seems fairly deep with guys now needing to prove themselves. Opportunity is the crucible of success and development.
You can't be counted on till you get the chance to make your opportunity stick. We'll see if our guys have what it takes to replace a pair of outstanding contributors.
January 11th, 2023 at 11:58 AM ^
The non-con is better than 2022, but there still isn't a "tough" game until October, and really it's November before they should be really tested. I think we'll find some starters by then.
January 11th, 2023 at 11:57 AM ^
Godspeed, young man. Thanks for everything.
January 11th, 2023 at 12:06 PM ^
There are some outstanding young prospect on this roster-maybe even some elite ones. I am very sure that Zeke Berry is a player-and there are others.
January 11th, 2023 at 12:10 PM ^
A lot of NFL teams run base Cover-1 switch defenses, and you'd be hard pressed to find someone better prepared for that than a Don Brown cornerback who spent the last two years running Michigan's complicated, Ravens-esque coverages.
Oh, har-dee har har.
January 11th, 2023 at 12:17 PM ^
Hopefully he gets drafted or a least a good look from the NFL, seems likely but nothing is ever guaranteed.
Time to see what's become of guys who have been marinating in the background, waiting for a job to open up. If McBurrows can get healthy, he might be the guy. If not, maybe Perry or someone coming off a redshirt is ready.
Also possible that someone good hits the portal after spring ball, though it seems obvious that it would be less likely to be a plug and play starter.
January 11th, 2023 at 1:14 PM ^
Is Gemon's brother German an identical twin?
If so, shouldn't Gemon's "rare combination of size, speed, and athleticism" also apply to German?
Shouldn't whatever Gemon learned to be a top CB also be teachable to German?
January 11th, 2023 at 1:42 PM ^
German was injured in HS and doesn't appear to have ever regained "identical" skills to Gemon.
They came to Michigan because their 1st choice schools in Texas wouldn't take German after the injury. Michigan clearly thought Gemon was worth 2 schollies + the chance German would become usable over time.
With Gemon gone I predict a firm handshake for German 🤷♂️
January 11th, 2023 at 2:41 PM ^
Harbaugh sounded like he would be happy if German came back independant of Gemon's decision. I think he just likes guys that are willing to be team first dudes with a positive attitude (which German has to be if he stuck around without playing for 5 years)
January 11th, 2023 at 3:14 PM ^
German is coming back. Also: genetic differences in humans are vastly overrated. We're one of the most homogenous species that ever lived, certainly among large-bodied species that ever got up to billions of individuals. Even with athletes, it's as much about growth, and how you've trained your brain during crucial periods of development, and how you hone your skills in later periods of development. When you're talking about the minute differences between NFL-caliber and FCS-caliber football players, so many factors beyond genetic makeup make such a huge difference that even twins brought up together who had the same trainers, practiced together, etc. can differ radically in ability.
January 11th, 2023 at 7:35 PM ^
Picking a nit here and may be way off base.
Humans are far from the most homogenous species that ever lived. I don't know what your definition of large is either - but billions are too small a population, and human body size is too limiting to claim particular biological distinction. To support your point, however, concerning diversity, humans are absolutely one of the most, if not the most, neurodiverse specie ever to exist. That is what you are saying afterall. Neanderthals might be one of the few rivals, but we also got that going for us. Neanderthal genes make for great linemen.
All kidding aside... (modern linemen dwarf your average neanderthal)...
Harbaugh would never give a firm shake to German based on Gemon's decision. I knew Harbaugh growing up. Not close, but I played Jrs with him, and he wouldn't do that. He is a fiercely loyal machine. It is interesting hearing people talk about him like that.
January 12th, 2023 at 10:52 AM ^
I thought I specified I was only talking about large species. Here's where I was getting the definition: https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1711842115
January 11th, 2023 at 2:06 PM ^
Besides the whole ACL thing it's pretty common that identical twins differ slightly in height and even build. Difference in utero and also after they are born can make a big difference.
January 11th, 2023 at 1:14 PM ^
Tough news for Michigan. Wishing Gemon the very best!
January 11th, 2023 at 1:30 PM ^
Best of luck, Mr. Green -- go and get paid! Thanks for all you did for Michigan!
But oof, this hurts. In Clink we trust, but damn.....can Will Johnson play both sides on every play?
(Maybe he can........)
January 11th, 2023 at 1:44 PM ^
Can we put to rest the "go get your 💰" meme now?
The One More Year Fund means they can stay & get paid. Corum is a prime example.
January 11th, 2023 at 1:51 PM ^
Five years in college and ready to move onto the next chapter. I'm sure most of us can relate to that. Best of luck young man!
January 11th, 2023 at 1:59 PM ^
I think the obvious answer is to see what we have at CB in the spring and hit the portal hard as more players shake out after the next semester.
January 11th, 2023 at 2:24 PM ^
Great Instagram post. Class act. I hope he lands well. And who can blame him if playing in the NFL seemed more appealing than having to travel to E. Lansing next year?
January 11th, 2023 at 9:30 PM ^
Excellent point there!
I had not considered that!
January 11th, 2023 at 3:22 PM ^
Grats Gemon! Excited to see you at the next along with the other Michigan men! 😀💛💙
January 11th, 2023 at 4:08 PM ^
Thank you, Gemon! Now, go tackle the world in glorious fashion!
January 11th, 2023 at 7:32 PM ^
Demorie Tate from FSU?
January 12th, 2023 at 10:45 AM ^
He's played 14 snaps total. He's a transfer down, not likely to be any better than what Michigan has on their roster.
January 11th, 2023 at 9:41 PM ^
The official roster has mcburrows as shorter than dj Turner. Being an elite corner at sub 6 ft means having great athleticism. Relying on a guy to be all the way back athletically after missing two years to injury is a terrible idea. Look at mcgregor this year and he is an extra year removed. Unless one of the redshirt guys comes out of nowhere they absolutely need to hit the portal, easily the biggest weak spot on the team on paper
January 12th, 2023 at 8:59 AM ^
Portal, portal, on the wall who is the greatest corner of them all?
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