The day I stopped getting emotionlly involved in recruiting -- Bri'onte Dunn
I was a lurker of this forum, mosty, until I started following recruiting more closely. The first 5-star guy I coveted throughout the recruiting process was Bri'onte Dunn. His recruitment was kind of a watershed moment for me since, at the time, it was a position of clear need for Michigan, and it was a head to head battle with ohio state. I became somehow emotionally involved in his recruitment.
So, as you might expect, I was seriously bummed when he chose the bad guys. I remember thinking at the time, I really hope he regrets that decision. I know I know -- why should I take personally the decision of a 17 year old? And while I certainly wish no ill upon the kid, I wanted him to basically admit later that he made a mistake (fat chance, right?). LOL.
So, in looking at ohio state RB stats, I couldn't help but notice his stat line, combined with his inability to hold onto the football. It has produced an ignominous career down there, and I kinda don't feel bad anymore.
http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/brionte-dunn-1.html
I have since stopped getting emotionally involved in recruiting. And since Harbaugh, I recognize that stars are far less important than scheme and coaching.
October 7th, 2015 at 10:59 AM ^
October 7th, 2015 at 11:26 AM ^
I think he would have been better in another system and with better coaching. Dunn is a prime example of a rival team wanting him just so Michigan could not get him, even if they barely used him.
October 7th, 2015 at 11:29 AM ^
It must be nice to have so much depth you can recruit a kid solely to prevent Michigan from getting him.
October 7th, 2015 at 12:46 PM ^
Didn't Meyer show up at his house with an ultimatum? Either commit now or he was gonna yank the scholarship?
October 7th, 2015 at 3:23 PM ^
No idea. I guess he wanted to go there more than he wanted to explore other options. It isn't like having OSU backout was going to leave him high and dry.
October 7th, 2015 at 4:06 PM ^
I think there was a rumor that Urban told him if he took another visit to Michigan then his OSU offer would be pulled.
Yes I know, internet rumor, but I choose to believe it because I like believing anything that makes Urban Meyer look like a dirtbag.
October 7th, 2015 at 11:50 AM ^
There is a certain Cass Tech alum that plays running back that will get the same treatment.
October 7th, 2015 at 12:08 PM ^
October 7th, 2015 at 12:30 PM ^
Good afternoon, Cousin.
October 8th, 2015 at 7:51 PM ^
Afternoon, fam!
October 7th, 2015 at 2:47 PM ^
The best user name and avatar ever? +1
October 7th, 2015 at 10:22 PM ^
October 7th, 2015 at 11:55 AM ^
Dunn looked like a decent fit when he was recruited, but that was also Meyer's first year and I think he was still figuring out what he could do at OSU and how he wanted his team to look. I don't think that was a pick you make just to spite UM. I mean, they also took Warren Ball and he hasn't done much either. I think they just struck out on two highly-ranked players.
October 7th, 2015 at 1:00 PM ^
Have insight into that and that's not why OSU took him.
October 7th, 2015 at 10:59 AM ^
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October 7th, 2015 at 10:59 AM ^
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October 7th, 2015 at 11:32 AM ^
October 7th, 2015 at 11:01 AM ^
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October 7th, 2015 at 11:08 AM ^
Not only that, it very possibly changed the course of Michigan history. If RR picks up Pryor, we very likely are at least a middling team in 2008, and probably significantly better in 2009 & 2010. Even assuming the defenses would never get better, RR probably would have gotten a couple of extra years before getting canned, totally changing the fortouitous timing that allowed us to get Harbaugh. Crazy to think about.
October 7th, 2015 at 11:14 AM ^
My friend. The beating of butterfly wings.
October 7th, 2015 at 11:14 AM ^
Yeah but it also could very well have been us sitting out the 2012 post season in the wake of a autographs for tattoos scandal. The sword cuts both ways.
October 7th, 2015 at 11:32 AM ^
That wouldn't of happened at Michigan because they actually try to teach kids to make ethical choices. Also if Michigan coaches found out this was going on they wouldn't have ignored it like Tressel did. That is why Pryor picked OSU because he knew he could do whatever he wanted and they encouraged it.
October 7th, 2015 at 12:24 PM ^
That's just absurd.
October 7th, 2015 at 2:12 PM ^
I strongly suspect that neither Rodriguez (if Pryor had helped him survive another year) nor Hoke would have tried to ignore the tattoo scandal like Tressell did. They'd still lose their senior starting quarterback and presumably a couple of other starters for most or all of the 2011 season, but they would have kept their job.
So we wouldn't have been exposed to the spectacle of Greg Robinson as interim coach. (Or Mattison, if Rodriguez had still been fired after three years.)
October 7th, 2015 at 10:21 PM ^
October 7th, 2015 at 11:15 AM ^
Consult with THE_KINOWLEDGE ... he'll be able to tell you what was. :-)
October 7th, 2015 at 11:20 AM ^
Maybe... I have thought about this with a lot of things- the 2009 Illinois game also comes to mind, but many other moments or decisions that could have changed things but I think that Brandon hated Rodriguez so much that he would have found a reason to fire him anyway.
October 7th, 2015 at 2:41 PM ^
This is definitely one of the big ones in mind, and probably the first time that I became aware of recruiting at all. Up until then I pretty much did not find out about players until they showed up on the field.
It would have certainly helped in 2008. But by 2010, Denard was already a star and the defense was a tire fire, so im not sure how much would changed in the grand scheme of things.
October 7th, 2015 at 3:24 PM ^
We may have never hear the name Denard Robinson either. I didn't love the Denard era...but he was truly fun to watch.
October 7th, 2015 at 7:00 PM ^
October 7th, 2015 at 11:12 AM ^
I still can't help but think how the RR era might have turned out had that one gone other way. That along with many other things but that could have made a huge difference in 2008 and 2009 which could have had a bit of a butterfly effect.
October 7th, 2015 at 12:43 PM ^
We were better off without all the off-field drama and shenanigans that came with Pryor. I don't think we get out of that as well as Ohio State did those cheating bastards.
October 7th, 2015 at 11:24 AM ^
October 7th, 2015 at 11:55 AM ^
Losing out on Pryor opened up recruiting to Denard. Pryor was the first recruiting battle I recall following closely. Well worth it, based on character alone.
October 7th, 2015 at 3:00 PM ^
Denard Robinson you say?
October 7th, 2015 at 12:09 PM ^
Still would have had shoelace. The only difference would have probably been that he wouldn't have been the starter in 2010. He probably would have been used as a "offensive weapon" in 2010 and been the starter in 2011 and 2012 once Pryor moved on and it likely would have been under rich rod. I am as happy as anyone that things worked out to where we were able to get Harbaugh and I enjoy watching a domininant defence slightly more than an electric offence but thinking about a senior denard coached by rich rod is pretty drool enducing and we likely would have gotten that had Pryor chose M.
October 7th, 2015 at 11:58 PM ^
Pryor, Denard, and Gardner on the field at the same time...
October 7th, 2015 at 11:31 AM ^
was never getting Pryor.
October 7th, 2015 at 2:02 PM ^
Yes, see the gif above for all the reasons
October 7th, 2015 at 11:33 AM ^
Mine was Dee Hart. I remember being in Ann Arbor on the night that he committed, and the feeling after a football victory + huge recruiting win made for a very jubilant right at Rick's.
And then he decommitted, and we all know the rest. Can't help but feel bad for the kid. But the ship has sailed and I love cheering for guys like DeVeon, Drake, Ty, Derrick, etc. the ones that want to play for Michigan.
Let's go get another W.
October 7th, 2015 at 11:57 AM ^
I remember thinking about halfway through that recruitment he was going to OSU. When guys drag out their recruiting and send mixed signals, I tend to figure the shadier program will come out ahead at the end. Like, if Ole Miss or Clemson gets involved, my assumption is that recruit is gone.
October 7th, 2015 at 12:44 PM ^
think Pryor recruitment was one of things that doomed RR in that first year... he had ZERO backup plan if Pryor didn't commit... he went out and got Justin Feagin and that didn't end well at all... in my opinon RR should have just gone out and got a kid that ran the spread like his in HS threw him in there and let him take his lumps and we might have done better than 3 wins...
October 7th, 2015 at 1:20 PM ^
I attended one basketball game while I was at Michigan (this is bad. I know this. I wasn't into sports as much and that team was ungood for so long), but I went to the game where he attended as a recruit.
Same feeling when it didn't happen.
October 7th, 2015 at 9:30 PM ^
October 7th, 2015 at 9:39 PM ^
recruiting the 5 star QB he inherited (Mallett) then lusting so shamlessly for Pryor. That was the moment i knew we were in trouble.
October 7th, 2015 at 11:03 AM ^
Hoke and Harbaugh both prove this in different ways. Sure it 's nice to get the greatest talent, but taking the ratings as gospel and even highly predictive is a recipe for disappointment.
October 7th, 2015 at 11:11 AM ^
= Profit