Bo Harbaugh

January 4th, 2023 at 9:51 PM ^

Didn't click this year.  I thought maybe he was working through an injury.  Strange, as the Braylon comps and usual camp hype had me excited before the season.

Joined: 08/03/2019

MGoPoints: 38812

MeanJoe07

January 4th, 2023 at 9:51 PM ^

He's gonna tear it up in the MAC. Idk if he can cut it at a major program.  Such a strange trajectory. So much promise, but suddenly couldn't get open or catch.

Joined: 09/15/2013

MGoPoints: 73335

UMVAFAN

January 4th, 2023 at 10:53 PM ^

He’ll go to a power 5 program. He has a lot of talent and really just needs more time on task. He didn’t get that at Michigan with Bell, Johnson, and Wilson ahead of him and then sharing snaps with a talented class below him. With the portal, there’s no reason to be patient. I could see him landing with a pass happy team in the PAC 12 or Big 12. He could go to USC and be the 3rd or 4th receiver next year and catch 35 balls for 450 yards and 3-4 TDs and set himself up to be the #1 or #2 receiver the following year. The MSU game alone shows he has the potential to shine. Good luck to him. I’m disappointed he’s leaving and think he’ll show out someplace else. 

Joined: 10/15/2013

MGoPoints: 5013

MaizeBlueA2

January 5th, 2023 at 7:10 AM ^

He's way better than a MAC WR.

He's just not better than Bell, Johnson or Wilson.

And Michigan doesn't use 4 WRs when they run the ball all the time and use 3 TEs.

I'm not sure why so many people are making this out to be something it isn't. 

He didn't get passed by anyone younger than him, he got passed by a 5th year senior who was injured his true freshman year and ended up being WR #1.

Joined: 11/06/2018

MGoPoints: 50337

stephenrjking

January 4th, 2023 at 10:01 PM ^

We probably don't, but Michigan made a concerted effort to get him targets every game, and he never did anything with them. No high-points of the ball, no sharp routes to get open, nothing contested, missed some makeable catches... I mean, if you put a hand over your eye and look at everything except for That MSU Game, you see a 3* player who got on the field but didn't look like he belonged at this level. 

Except for the MSU game.

Joined: 03/15/2012

MGoPoints: 20144075

jdraman

January 4th, 2023 at 11:39 PM ^

Michigan threw the ball roughly 340 times between the two "starting-level" QBs this season. So assuming 28 targets is his final tally for the season, Anthony had about 8% of all available targets to Michigan receivers. Seems right in line with a sophomore WR who is, at best, the 4th receiver on the depth chart. And he did absolutely nothing with any of those targets as he had multiple drops and ran disaster-class routes quite often. I think his lack of production is primarily on him. 

Joined: 10/23/2019

MGoPoints: 12122

jdraman

January 5th, 2023 at 3:44 PM ^

I mean I do agree with you that Michigan should have been passing the ball more, but the offensive philosophy and the "run/pass" ratio is not at issue here. The issue is squarely about Andrel Anthony's production with the opportunities he was afforded. I mean if we just assume that JJ by himself would have thrown 340 passes and then you add Cade's roughly 30 attempts to that, then do we think Anthony is still stuck at only 28 targets on the year? Or do we think his 8% share of all available targets would scale up his volume if the total number of passing attempts were to increase. I tend to think it would look more like the latter and so he would get like 30+ targets. That's still not quite alot, but it should be enough for a sophomore 4th-in-line WR to do more than drop plenty of passes and run really poor routes. Of course, another possible reason Michigan didn't throw the ball as much is because they don't have that many great WRs and need to shore up that position with some experienced and proven players. 

Joined: 10/23/2019

MGoPoints: 12122

pescadero

January 6th, 2023 at 8:03 AM ^

Again... 340... a blindingly low number.  I'm not proposing increasing our passing numbers 20-30 attempts per season, I'm talking more like 10 attempts PER GAME.

 

"Or do we think his 8% share of all available targets would scale up his volume if the total number of passing attempts were to increase."

I think on any other team throwing the same number of attempts it would be higher - because almost no one uses TE's like we do.

 

Akron had 3 WR with more catches than Ronnie Bell.
Arizona had 2 WR with more catches than Ronnie Bell.
East Carolina  had 2 WR with more catches than Ronnie Bell.
Fresno State had 2 WR with more catches than Ronnie Bell. 

We average about 8 receptions total per game by WR for the season.

Joined: 03/28/2013

MGoPoints: 12177

pescadero

January 5th, 2023 at 7:37 AM ^

1) I agree he didn't look particularly good this year, and had issues that meant he wasn't getting a lot of playing time in this offense.

2) Michigan did not make a concerted effort to get ANY receiver on the team targets every game. We barely made an effort to even make sure the WR corps as a group got targets every game. 

I mean - we were 120th of 131 teams in terms of run/pass ratio. Bottom 10% in all of FBS in terms of passing being part of game plan.

Joined: 03/28/2013

MGoPoints: 12177

MgoBlueprint

January 4th, 2023 at 9:52 PM ^

Not unexpected. I really wanted and thought that he would be that dude this year. I thought he, The Don, and JJ would be the three headed monster the world hadn’t seen since the aikmen, Irvin, smith cowboys

Joined: 12/15/2008

MGoPoints: 11576

WayOfTheRoad

January 4th, 2023 at 9:53 PM ^

One of the more physically talented WRs on the roster and a guy that I think has a high possibility of blowing up somewhere else. In the right offense, with the right staff he can be a star. 

I'm still of the opinion that Michigan's next hurdle is developing a passing game that's more than JJ taking the snap, running around and making shit happen. You have to be able to consistently back a defense off when they load the box. I think there is more than enough time and evidence that a WRs main priority here is blocking than learning how to run routes, get separation, etc. Guys don't get open, QBs have a hard time seeking the field and getting it to them on time from the pocket even when they do get open. It really holds this team back.

Anthony isn't DPJ or Nico Collins but he feels like another talent UM underdeveloped than a bust or guy that wouldn't see the field for any decent P5. I think Anthony can be a really good WR in CFB but not here under the current system. Unfortunately. 

Best to him if he does indeed go.

Joined: 06/26/2017

MGoPoints: 7609

duffman is thr…

January 4th, 2023 at 10:40 PM ^

Exactly. He wasn’t a stud recruit. He was a sort of surprise add out of East Lansing as I remember. Generic 3* but you always hope. In two years playing he’s essentially been exactly that. I think he may just have bad hands. Still obviously hope for the best and if he blows up somewhere that’s cool. 

Joined: 05/20/2010

MGoPoints: 2368

michMADE

January 4th, 2023 at 9:55 PM ^

Wish him well. The talent is there just not given many opportunities with a vanilla offense. 

 

Edit: a not so pass happy offense. Vanilla gets you down voted  lmao

Joined: 01/07/2011

MGoPoints: 291

ToledoWolverine

January 4th, 2023 at 9:56 PM ^

I worried this would happen. Can’t blame him, but wish he were coming back. Seemed to me like he is a gamer but didn’t get enough chances and didn’t take advantage of the chances he did get. Except that game against State, he won’t have to pay for dinner if I’m in the restaurant.

Joined: 10/02/2008

MGoPoints: 11953

jdraman

January 4th, 2023 at 10:00 PM ^

Well Michigan was gonna need to bring a proven and experienced WR from the portal anyways. Plenty of good to great options out there. This just opens up another spot that maybe one of the rising sophomores can grab. As for Anthony, I hope he proves me wrong at a new landing spot, but he seems vastly overrated by this fanbase off the back of one outlier performance that happened to come against the worst secondary in college football. 

Joined: 10/23/2019

MGoPoints: 12122

MaizeBlueA2

January 5th, 2023 at 7:16 AM ^

We didn't have Ronnie Bell in 21 and we did in 22.

Not bizarre at all.

He never got passed by anyone, he just didn't pass anyone.

If Bell and CJ are gone next year, then you'd have a fair judgement of Anthony because he'd be WR #2 to start (Wilson being WR #1).

Now if Clemons or Walker or the boogeyman passed him...then all of these comments would make sense.

But the only thing that happened is Ronnie Bell, people shit on the guy as he leaves and then get mad when Cade and Erick shit on Michigan on their way out.

Pot meet kettle.

Joined: 11/06/2018

MGoPoints: 50337

Ronswanson13

January 4th, 2023 at 10:01 PM ^

Was really hoping this kid and Michigan would realize his full potential here as I’m a sucker for a tall #1 WR, but I’ll still be rooting for him wherever he lands as long as it’s not against Michigan. Wouldn’t at all be surprised if he has a great 2023 season. Him and JJ just couldn’t connect this year. JJ overthrew him and everybody for that one long stretch and then as soon as JJ was finally dialed in Anthony dropped that one sure deep TD (assuming the same replay officials from the Fiesta Bowl weren’t on the call.)

One thing to keep an eye on is Clemons. Most of us also have hopes for him giving his size, but Andrel is the person he’s closest to on the team. Hopefully not a 2-for.

 

Joined: 02/11/2016

MGoPoints: 10264

MJ14

January 4th, 2023 at 10:28 PM ^

JJ, Donovan, and Anthony are great friends. I would say they are three of the absolute closest guys on the team. Anthony worked a ton with JJ, but it just didn’t work out. Clemons is close to Anthony but not like JJ and Donovan were and neither JJ or Donovan is leaving. 

Also Clemons has no plans to leave. He’ll start to get some good time next year. 

Joined: 01/09/2011

MGoPoints: 16453

MJ14

January 4th, 2023 at 10:30 PM ^

JJ literally threw an absolute dime to him on that one play, that should have been a free play, and Anthony straight dropped it. Probably one of the worst drops I’ve ever seen. Players have to make the most of the opportunities they do get. Otherwise they don’t get more. Also same story in practice over and over. So they’re not going to just throw out chances in an actual game. 

Joined: 01/09/2011

MGoPoints: 16453