Baumgartner: What We Learned in Harbaugh's First Year
Thought this was a good read. Really puts emphasis on the way Harbaugh closes this recruiting class as a crucial variable for future success:
This, basically, is Harbaugh's first full class. It's the first class the staff has had a full year to work on. And it's the most important class he'll sign because it'll be the backbone of his program.
Take Ohio State as an example. In Urban Meyer's first full class, the 2013 group, he hauled in names like Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliott, Vonn Bell, Jalin Marshall, J.T. Barrett, Eli Apple, Gareon Conley and more. That's the backbone of Ohio State's national title squad right there. Brady Hoke's first full class (2012), as a contrast, produced exactly one All-Big Ten player to date (Devin Funchess).
The race to the first Wednesday in February is always important. Right now, for Michigan, it's beyond critical.
November 30th, 2015 at 4:50 PM ^
Recruiting is the lifeblood of any program. And all programs experience spectacular flame outs with high-ranked recruits.
The difference is that Harbaugh and his staff have demonstrated already that they are very good at developing talent as well.
November 30th, 2015 at 5:01 PM ^
In terms of defending them.
All I've been saying to myself since Saturday is how in the hell did THAT team lose to MSU's 2nd and 3rd string QB at home. That was one of the most loaded teams I've ever watched.
November 30th, 2015 at 5:56 PM ^
They didn't put out a three man line.
Fin.
November 30th, 2015 at 5:57 PM ^
Part of it was "they played in the wind/rain so OSU didn't even pretend to have a passing threat" which allowed MSU to play the run even more aggressively. One of the only times OSU tried to take a shot, Miller was wide open for a TD and Barrett missed him by a mile.
MSU also had better linebackers than we did, with a very good defensive line.
November 30th, 2015 at 8:42 PM ^
November 30th, 2015 at 5:10 PM ^
There is a certain amount of luck involved in recruiting. And there is a strong need to actually see the players you are recruiting. This is why the "camps" run by Harbaugh have been so important, and will continue to be important. (I'm assuming that the NCAA can't shut them down next summer, regardless of what happens down the road).
The diary reranking the 2012 class by alum96 illustrates this. There are a good number of "can't miss" recruits who "missed." I won't say Kalis is bad, but he hasn't been the world beater expected. Bolden was ranked very high, as was Pipkins. Others as well. The point is, recruiting is everything, but rankings aren't.
I have noticed that Harbaugh is somewhat "cool" to several highly rated potential recruits, and very high on others who may not be ranked as highly by the services. His ability to develop recruits who aren't high four or five star guys is awesome, and makes a huge difference. If Michigan can bring in several legitimate 5 stars (Gary? Walker? Nauta?) and develop solid 3 and 4 stars who others have missed, we may well see the kind of killer class that Urban Meyers put together in year one.
Part of this article also dealt with the patience needed by fans. I personally have serious doubts about national championship aspirations next year. But I think given the foundation left by Hoke, and the recruiting by Harbaugh in 2016 and 2017, that we can be in the hunt by 2017 and 2018. I believe we will catch up and be competitive with MSU by next year, and to OSU by the year after.
November 30th, 2015 at 5:45 PM ^
As long as I don't have to deal with 7 straight years of being told Michigan has a young team and I need to be patient while watching little to no player development on whichever side of the ball wasn't the head coaches specialty, then I am cool with having some pateince.
Then again at some point there needs to be a victory against MSU and OSU. It's beyond time to shut Sparty up and The Game needs to return to even footing. I have faith this will happen, but we're all tired of waiting.
November 30th, 2015 at 6:57 PM ^
I'll say it. Kalis is bad. The number of times he confusedly blocks air as a blitzer runs right next to him is head asplosion inducing.
November 30th, 2015 at 11:29 PM ^
bashing a kid but this is true. See it over and over. At least he wasn't getting so many penalties this year. Maybe he was but I blocked it out or something. Anyhow, yeah he is like one of them really smart dumb kids. Talks really smart and quick but his actions just don't follow. Very strong and gifted but his brain gets in the way. I talk slow and I cant keep up with my own quickness. That's why I remain on my couch.
November 30th, 2015 at 9:18 PM ^
I'm pretty sure we're competitive with MSU right now. Unless you're speaking of issues outside of head-to-head.
November 30th, 2015 at 5:18 PM ^
He says CHesson is more of a hard worker than a gamebreaker, but I tend to disagree. Toward the end of the season, he was truly stretching the field and making big plays. Another offseason and he could be a true #1. More speed is always good, but he's got plenty. With even a semblance of a running game, him, Butt, and Darboh compliment each other perfectly to wreak havoc (in fact they kinda did when Rudock had time against OSU).
RB is an issue. It is what it is
November 30th, 2015 at 5:41 PM ^
Was coming here to post the same thing. He has a point though about not having enough and also about the distance between key starters and the backups. This will change though.
November 30th, 2015 at 7:56 PM ^
Didn't Chesson beat Peppers in a 40-yard dash during practice?
November 30th, 2015 at 8:22 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
November 30th, 2015 at 6:07 PM ^
Michigan State ad on top of the board ??
November 30th, 2015 at 6:12 PM ^
November 30th, 2015 at 6:26 PM ^
November 30th, 2015 at 8:00 PM ^
November 30th, 2015 at 8:18 PM ^
Who knew that mattresses can be sold at a discount?
November 30th, 2015 at 8:27 PM ^
Mine is for Depends.
November 30th, 2015 at 7:36 PM ^
He also couldn't beat the buckeyes.
November 30th, 2015 at 7:40 PM ^
I know we were all left thinking about how far we still have to go to make up the ground on teams like Ohio State after Saturday, but I'm honestly not so sure that we're that far away. Again, probably sounds weird after last weekend, but hear me out.
Start with the offense. Losing Glasgow is nothing to skim over, but the fact is that barring any NFL or transfer decisions, Michigan should return 4 of 5 starters on the line and just about the entire receiving core (WR/TE) for next season. The team will also add the nation's best offense line recruiting class (on paper) and at least one a four-star receiver. Maybe neither of those groups were outstanding, but there's a lot to like about what's coming back in those two groups and not many reasons to think it doesn't continue trending up.
That leaves QB and RB on offense. The QB options have been well discussed and given Harbaugh's track record, I think you're going to see someone pretty solid and potentially great there. This roster still needs a legit RB, which makes landing Kareem Walker so huge. Realistically, RB is really the only big offensive red flag that jumps out upon first glance.
On the defensive side, you're going to bring back a really good defensive line (again, ignoring potential NFL decisions). Yes, WDE could be a question mark, but there should be plenty of depth inside and there's a decent chance at adding Rashan Gary. On top of that, the secondary should be fantastic. Yes, Wilson was really solid, but returning Lewis and Peppers alone is massive.
Admittedly, the LB group is a massive question mark. Gedeon has shown flashes and there are a few depth options, but I'm not sure anybody knows what to expect there. Obviously, this makes landing a few good LBs vital to next year.
Finally, you should have Kenny Allen, Jehu Chesson, Lewis, and Peppers back for special teams and Baxter has said they're looking at punting options as well. Hard to see much regression occuring there either.
Undoubtedly, this is an optimistic evaluation, but based on what Michigan has returning and coming in (on paper), I think the only spots you have real question marks are at LB, RB, and WDE. Yes, finding another starting linemen, a QB, a FS, and a punter will be important, but you already probably have answers on the roster with Newsome, O'Korn, Hill, and Allen respectively.
The point of my rambling here isn't to just boost up hopes for next season, but just to argue that Baumgartner is right. Finishing up strongly in this recruiting class is massive. If this team can improve its depth and fill a few key positions, I don't think this team is as far off as some are acting like right now. Yes, the team's going to need a few more stars to truly compete at a top 5 to 10 level, but I think you have a lot to work with heading into next year.
November 30th, 2015 at 8:34 PM ^
What helps us the most is that we will be somewhat better next year, while our 2 rivals will be somewhat worse.
I don't think we will be good enough in 2016 to beat 2015 Ohio State . . . but we won't have to. We only have to be good enough to beat 2016 Ohio State.
I don't have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you.
November 30th, 2015 at 8:44 PM ^
November 30th, 2015 at 10:14 PM ^
November 30th, 2015 at 10:34 PM ^
that our rivals are going to be bad, just that they are peaking this year and won't be quite as good next year. This year we came very close to beating sparty. Yes we still lost but it was very close and that should give us a lot of confidence (not just hope) that we can go toe to toe with them next year, even in East Lansing. And if the difference between msu and UM narrows next year, we may be legitamately favored in the game next year. OSU is another matter but there is more than hope that we can at leas make a game of it next year despite this year's blowout.
December 1st, 2015 at 2:42 AM ^
OSU and MSU have been reloading for several years now. Just because they lose players the NFL does not mean the replacement players will not perform well. Next year Michigan will have an easier non-conference schedule but playing at MSU and at OSU will be tough! IA may not be able to reload that adequately, so there is chance we'll win that road game. Hopefully next season we go 10-2! Michigan loses a lot in 2017, so I hope some of the younger players are ready to take over since we'll have OSU and MSU at home again. May be 2019 will be our NC year?
November 30th, 2015 at 8:43 PM ^
November 30th, 2015 at 9:35 PM ^
This team definitely made strides this year. Harbaugh's coaching ability is very apparent with a team that limped to 5-7 last year and had no identity whatsoever. But the limitations were very apparent. Zero game breakers at RB, linebacker corps are extremely weak, and the OL still has plenty of work to do in run blocking. Along with an overall lack of elite athleticism that got horrifically exposed by OSU.
That's why finishing this class strong is so critical. Guys like Nauta, Gary, Walker, and Bush, they are absolute must-haves. They're all playmakers, and lord knows we don't have nearly enough of those right now.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
November 30th, 2015 at 9:41 PM ^
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
November 30th, 2015 at 10:04 PM ^
Now a terrible talent DEVELOPER...now you're on to something.
November 30th, 2015 at 10:59 PM ^
Dubs, I was going to say the same thing.
November 30th, 2015 at 11:06 PM ^
especially along the DL. Even at a MAC like school, he should have realized the importance of fast twitch DEs. MSU and OSU has had them every year I can think of in the recent past, and they have wreaked havoc in our Offensive backfield. This is fine for the interior linemen and just because a young man plays DE in h.s. and dominates is not an indicator of performance at a higher level. This position just demands a different type of athlete. Would not be surprised if Wheatley the younger possesses this attribute, given his blood line. And we know JH is pushing hard here. Sn upgrade at that position will get you some turnovers and the ofense about two, three more shots in any given two week period. These possessions add up over the course of a game and season.
November 30th, 2015 at 9:54 PM ^
Ha - fuck you for saying I'm a Sparty :bigfinger:
Not sure if a Google search for my screen name will bring it up - but just told two sparty's on a different forum last night, that were running their mouth about Mich & JH in a bad way...that I would knock them on their sparty asses if we were in person right now. One I know in person & other I know of through other people. They acted somewhat normal after that...
November 30th, 2015 at 10:08 PM ^
we realized we have a hell of a coach. This, as above poster stated is not earth shattering. I am not certain though, based on what he did with this year's upperclassmen that we don't already have a lot of the depth we need, but wisely JH Rsed important positions, coached the hell out of them so expect many players already on roster to add a great deal next season. We saw, early in the season, exposure to the big time by Harris, Cole and a few others, not unlike the way Braylon was introduced in his freshman year and we all know what happened after that.
What more could we ask? Yes we lost to MSU w/best QB in their history and the loss was as close as you can get to a victory w/o realizing it. We realized MD really has built a program, yet w/o near the developed talent and a QB still learning at that point, we're basically as good as No.2 best team in conference. Hell, we were better than last year's squad in our very first outing and improved each week, at the same time being hit with injuries we just could not afford. Don't compare 2015 to '69 UM vs. OSU. The talent disparity is too great. Even with the number of players Bo ran out of town, most who snuck off silently, he still inherited the largest number of future AAs than any UM team, past or present in a five year span. JH didn't have that luxury and he did not have a BIG caliber RB. This can't be emphasized enough considering the offense he runs. We beat the teams we were supposed to for the first time in a long time. Deficiencies were exposed as season wore on. However, good players got increasingly better in that same span with measureable growth from week to week. Hell, I am a happy man. As Mr. Meyer likes to say, "Future looks bright."November 30th, 2015 at 11:12 PM ^
December 1st, 2015 at 2:25 AM ^
Urban's staff may have evaluated talent better. Coaching may have played a role early on. Plus we don't know if the OL for Michigan is any good in the run blocking department. Would Green and Isaac have performed much better at OSU where they have had solid OL depth and coaching? Would Elliot be any good if he would have came to Michigan instead of Green? Look at a lot of the lower ranked RB on other B1G teams that are able to have successful running games over the years. Morris was our last great back. I expect Harbaugh to find and mentor a good one before too long. I still hold some hope for Isaac. I'm not sure about Green?
December 1st, 2015 at 2:18 AM ^
may not out rank Urbz classes but I think he will turn some 3 and 4 star players into real gems that will help the team in 3 or 4 seasons. I don't see Michigan being an elite team until this Harbaugh class are red shirt Sophomores or Juniors in 2018 or 2019. If we can get a star freshman RB and if O'Korn turns into a phenom, then we could win B1G titles or make the playoffs before 2018 or 2019.