Domani Jackson commits to Bama
December 28th, 2023 at 9:44 PM ^
Shocking.
December 28th, 2023 at 11:56 PM ^
It’s only shocking bc UM doesn’t play the game. We’re only hurting ourselves. All taking a “stand” against how college football should be governed has done for us is collect the whole country against us and sending recruiting and transfers down the toilet. Leaders and best!
December 29th, 2023 at 12:35 AM ^
Exactly, and what for? So the NCAA will treat us fairly? Bama has been getting away with murder (sometimes literally) for ages, and the NCAA comes after Michigan with guns blazing over penny ante nonsense. It’s frustrating that Michigan seems to get the worst of both worlds: won’t play dirty, but gets treated worse than those that do.
December 29th, 2023 at 6:05 AM ^
I feel that Harbaugh's perceived reluctance to sign a contract might be due to thee University's refusal to play the NIL game like many institutions are now doing. When Harbaugh redid his coaching staff after 2020, to some extent he got lucky. He got some very good coaches but his recruiting also worked out incredibly and perhaps unexpectedly well. We are 38-3 over the last three years which is as good as Michigan football has been in a very long time.
Michigan has recruited well, but IMO the results are better than I expected. That doesn't happen often, even with programs with top level recruiting. Harbaugh may feel he has one hand tied behind his back and what he has achieved, particularly if things go well over the next ten days, may not soon be repeated.
And of course, the BS with the NCAA makes staying at the top even more difficult.
December 29th, 2023 at 11:22 AM ^
I think both have essentially the same root cause- Michigan keeps playing like this is the old NCAA. We’re not willing to offer money up front and we still treat NCAA investigations as Very Serious Things. Schools that stopped caring don’t have problems with either of those things
You think Alabama is even gonna entertain the NCAA trying to give Saban a Level 1 over possibly misleading about cheeseburgers? No way
December 31st, 2023 at 6:12 PM ^
How about having Jackson at practice during a dead period on tape?
December 29th, 2023 at 6:53 AM ^
This decision could easily have nothing to do with money. He was choosing between 2 top 5 programs that are in the playoff. He may just want to win games and receive better coaching. Some kids want to play for Michigan and some don't for various reasons. Why you guys whine about things like this is fascinating.
December 29th, 2023 at 8:39 AM ^
Exactly, we are talking about Bama here. With Coach Saban here and not 1 but potentially 2 1st round picks playing CB. And to go along with this, he has a long track record of recruiting 5 star CB (by whatever means) but turns them into 1st round draft picks. Too lazy to back this up with actual data, but pretty sure Saban and his staff has that stat memorized...
December 29th, 2023 at 9:25 AM ^
LOL that you say all of this as if we aren’t the #1 team in the country and the favorite to win a national a championship.
December 29th, 2023 at 9:42 AM ^
My reply of "shocking", was sarcasm. This kid didn't feel like a kid that was ever going to come to Michigan. And that's fine. The one thing about this recent iteration of Michigan is that they're a very likable group. I'm sure your culture is better when you're winning games but this really just feels like a great group of men to root for on Saturdays. I'll take that over guys in and out in search of more money or stats. What Michigan is doing seems to be working and I'm pretty ok with them continuing this approach until it doesn't.
December 28th, 2023 at 9:47 PM ^
he wasn't a fit clearly
December 28th, 2023 at 10:22 PM ^
Was not a take.
December 29th, 2023 at 12:33 AM ^
There is no better defensive backs coach and evaluator in the history of college football than Nick Saban. If he was a take for Bama, he was good enough to be a take for us as well. I have no doubt that we wanted him, but we won’t compete with Bama in terms of bag size.
December 29th, 2023 at 5:54 AM ^
This guy's sarcasm/ meme meter is broken.
December 29th, 2023 at 6:12 AM ^
This guy gets jokes
December 31st, 2023 at 6:18 PM ^
I realize Saban/Alabama has win a lot. What makes Saban a better coach then Harbaugh? His actual coaching or being able to get all the 5 stars? If Harbaugh had the ability to bring in the talent Saban has Harbaugh would never lose a game. I remember Saban lasting less then a season in the NFL when it comes down to coaching because teams are fairly similar in talent level. Harbaugh elevated sf from bottom to top.
December 28th, 2023 at 11:58 PM ^
Right, which is why we went after him. I get you’re sarcastic, but anyone who believes the whole “I wanna take a guy who wants to win, not someone who goes after the bag,” then why is Michigan interested in so many of the top recruits and recruit them really hard? Going for the bag and being a team player are not mutually exclusive things. The “philosophy” of not taking players who want the bag is a coverup for UM not to be willing to give them the money they deserve.
December 29th, 2023 at 12:53 AM ^
I don’t think it’s just that players who want to be paid up-front aren’t a fit, it’s that the up-front money is their deciding factor. That type of player is not going to be a fit for our team-first culture. If they do not think long-term (40 year decision, not 4), then they are not a good fit. If they don’t value education and learning/developing as players and people, then they’re not a fit.
There are hundreds of great recruits available every year and if only a percentage are a cultural fit, and some of the top players aren’t a fit, so be it. This staff has shown they can win their way. Who gives a shit where Domani Jackson goes?
December 29th, 2023 at 1:33 AM ^
Well the answer is a whole buncha people, apparently.
While I generally agree with your larger points, I do think there's a fine line between players who only care about the bag, and players who would love to go to Michigan but just haven't been given any financial alternative but to go to a rival.
If one job was offering you potentially just as much money over the course of 4 years as another was offering as an incentive to join, I don't think you'd much appreciate the 1st boss telling you you're not a fit because all you care about is money!
December 29th, 2023 at 8:38 AM ^
This is America. People like money. It’s also a hard country to live in, where there’s virtually no safety net and for regular jobs your salary will not keep pace with the cost of living. If you’re not aggressively pursuing money every year, your standard of living will diminish every year. Now these guys have chosen a volatile career path, high reward but high risk; get money while you can, because you may only have a one or a few or if you’re really lucky a dozen years of high earnings potential. This is the reality of the situation and you can’t blame these young men for acting rationally in the belly of the beast, getting money while it’s available.
Frankly it’s stupid for UM to hamstring itself out of principle - what principle? The fading and hypocritical ideal of the NCAA’s “amateurism” shtick? Give me a break.
December 29th, 2023 at 8:51 AM ^
I don’t think there’s a principle issue. They ARE paying players, once they are on the team. Thats how we got all of these pro level guys to return this season (Zinter, Corum, Keegan, etc).
The game they are not playing, is up-front money just to joint the team. They have determined that if up-front money is the main/only reason you would come to Michigan, then you are likely a better fit elsewhere. If you can wait for the big pay day, and see value in other things the University and team culture offer, then you’re more likely to be a fit. It’s not that you don’t get paid, it’s how/when and under what circumstances, that is different.
I think it’s working for them (#1 in the CFP last I checked).
December 29th, 2023 at 8:59 AM ^
Just because our team is good right now doesn’t mean our approach to recruiting is working or better than other teams. That’s confirmation bias.
December 29th, 2023 at 9:30 AM ^
Well, back when companies regularly offered signing bonuses to new college grads, that was a pretty good enticement and not widely deemed immoral or unprincipled.
A person doesn’t have to have up front cash as the main/only incentive for its relative lack to nonetheless tip the scales in their final analysis. Not even close. The suggestion is a red herring. When it comes to job placement, my philosophy is “don’t give them a reason to say no.”
Now, I do like UM’s approach to NIL in that it is reliable, consistent, and provides a financial education aspect, but to have the up-front pay a big ol’ zero while all the other major programs have it front loaded, well, every system is perfectly designed to get the results that it gets. So we’ll see how it plays out in the long run, but at this point it looks like a disadvantage. Hopefully we can beat a Bama team on a down year that backed into the playoffs while we’re ranked #1, because if we can’t that’s a not so good sign of things to come.
December 29th, 2023 at 8:58 AM ^
The issue is people on this board jump to the conclusion that he picked Bama because he got paid. And not because they have the greatest college coach of all time with a pristine record of getting guys to the pros. You act like it’s inconceivable there are reasons other than money someone would pick Bama.
December 29th, 2023 at 9:09 AM ^
Education lol. Those easy ass GS classes they give them here? That education? Stop
December 28th, 2023 at 9:48 PM ^
Sucks
December 28th, 2023 at 9:48 PM ^
Hey we moved up a spot to 2nd after being 3rd with him out of HS! Woot woot
Shock.
Edit:or should I say $hock
December 28th, 2023 at 9:49 PM ^
Gonna get him as a grad transfer, for sure.
December 29th, 2023 at 12:02 AM ^
For any who would say this is $trictly a $ decision - now that the ncaa has capitulated and will allow essentially unlimited transfers without sitting a year, can a player literally be a free agent every year if they should so choose?
Could the osu, usc, bama etc "NIL" consortiums be in bidding wars for the same players multiple consecutive years?
I don't see what could stop that, aside from the ncaa or conferences actually enforcing no "pay for play"? Anyone?!
I'd sell any stock in crootin sites any of you may have... the top 20% & bottom 20% of every class might bolt for "greener" pastures after every season.
December 29th, 2023 at 12:06 AM ^
December 28th, 2023 at 9:54 PM ^
Don’t they have two underclassman All-American CBs?
I’m sure admissions wouldn’t have let him in.
December 28th, 2023 at 9:56 PM ^
Both are draft eligible.
December 28th, 2023 at 11:16 PM ^
McKinstry is gone in April. Jackson steps right into his spot.
December 28th, 2023 at 11:51 PM ^
Well I'd sure rather play them with Domani in that spot than Kool-Aid!
December 28th, 2023 at 9:54 PM ^
Universe: “Michigan is the absolute perfect school for you. It checks all the boxes”
Top-flight recruit: “Yeah, but still …”
Repeat ad infinitum.
December 28th, 2023 at 9:57 PM ^
Jackson has had a pretty meh career thus far.
December 29th, 2023 at 8:50 AM ^
He's also had pretty meh coaching. I'm sure Saban will maximize his elite athleticism.
December 29th, 2023 at 9:16 AM ^
guaransheed all-american by next year
December 28th, 2023 at 10:08 PM ^
With legal NIL that we don't like to participate in, this is the new norm, checks all the boxes but the $$$
December 28th, 2023 at 10:18 PM ^
It's the illegal inducements that Michigan won't participate in. These kind of situations in fact. NIL at Michigan goes pretty well but is not designed to convert recruits. That's the way it is going however. Sad really.
December 28th, 2023 at 10:29 PM ^
I agree, but its getting to the point where people still think school programs or admissions are the reason every recruit wont come to UofM. When the reality is even if we match up or are equal with any other school or what the player wants, if they are offering $$$ and we are not, who are they going to choose? If two schools were equal but one is offering me $$$ of course they are going to choose that school. I would think the last 3 years results and now missing on most top 100 recruits would be the eye opener for many fans, but it seems people still think kids(top 100 recruits) are choosing schools based on environment or campus when in reality, its NIL/$$$$. Either play the game or get used to missing out on top players. Not saying we can't still do well, but if we want to compete for national championships, we need to get involved in illegal inducements. I don't like it, but its getting annoying watching people act like the lack of inducements isn't a major factor in missing out on top talent. As long as Harbaugh is here we can expect to develop talented players, but I also think what it could be if we fully embrace wanting to compete for natty's every year using NIL.
December 28th, 2023 at 10:41 PM ^
I think the far majority of the fanbase that follows recruiting for Michigan now realizes and understands that NIL from other programs is why Michigan does not get a lot of recruits and transfers who were heavily leaning Michigan. The perfect example of this is Justin Scott who had Michigan and was going to commit to Blue until OSU pulled him aside on his last day visiting them and pulled him in via NIL $$$.
December 29th, 2023 at 12:09 AM ^
Is Justin Scott the "perfect example" tho?
https://www.si.com/college/miami/recruiting/miami-hurricanes-sign-justin-scott
December 29th, 2023 at 9:34 AM ^
Sounds like he is, Miami must have offered a bigger bag
December 29th, 2023 at 10:11 AM ^
Miami is the perfect example of the dangers of buying mercenary recruits. They just lost their bowl game to Rutgers. Despite having poached a number of top recruits with signing bonuses for years now.
It is frustrating that Michigan does not buy recruits ourselves, but I also understand that it goes a long way towards building our culture. We make sure kids get solid NIL once they arrive, but don't offer pay-for-play. Kind of ironic that the one top school that is actually following the NIL rules is the one in the NCAA's crosshairs. Just goes to show that it is not the cheeseburgers, but rather the calls for revenue sharing that really bother the NCAA. I would love to see our defense of the NOA allege that it is retaliation for Jim speaking his mind on that issue, and let them worry about it going to court.
December 28th, 2023 at 11:12 PM ^
"With legal NIL that we don't like to participate in, this is the new norm, checks all the boxes but the $$$"
But then, " if we want to compete for national championships, we need to get involved in illegal inducements"
Do you see a contradiction in your two statements?
December 28th, 2023 at 11:00 PM ^
I don't believe that NIL at Michigan goes pretty well with the way our recruiting and portal additions have gone. When you basically never get anyone except the rare guy who doesn't care at all about money, how is that good?
December 28th, 2023 at 11:14 PM ^
It's because we do NIL exactly like it's "supposed" to be done...Name, Image, Likeness for players after they arrive on campus and prove that their NIL is actually worth something to a business.
Virtually every other school out there approaches NIL simply as a means of funneling money to recruits in order to entice on-campus visits as well as straight up signing money before they ever set foot on campus or play a game...which is technically against the rules and provides MASSIVE competitive advantages, but we all know the NCAA is a fucking bullshit organization who doesn't actually care about enforcing the rules. And you know darn well that if there was even a WHIFF of us paying recruits up front that it'd be all over the front page of every sports outlet and the NCAA would drop the hammer on the program faster than you could blink.
Where does this leave us? At a HUGE disadvantage when it comes to recruiting, thus our coaching staff whiffing on almost all their #1 targets despite winning three straight Big Ten championships. To have the on-field success we've had and yet perform so poorly in recruiting as we've been doing is almost unheard of in college football.
But the game has shifted to pay-to-play and our program refuses to embrace that model of "NIL", so might as well get used to it. Especially when the playoff shifts to the 12 team model. Then top recruits REALLY won't have any incentive to play for us because they'll have 11 other teams to choose from and still get a shot at the playoffs AND get paid up front.
If you were a top recruit, and your choice was big money up front OR go to Michigan and have to earn your way onto the field AND prove to be a big time performer who's "worthy" of a fat NIL contract after 2-3 years, which would you choose?? Fandom aside, I know what I'd pick...and it wouldn't be us =(
At this point, our only hope is for college football to shift once more into one super conference and a revenue sharing model with the players where they all earn salaries and there's a salary cap per team...you know, NOT college football. That's the only scenario at this point that could possibly level the playing field. Especially when the NCAA only uses the "rules" as a means to conduct witch hunts against those coaches and schools they dislike whilst ignoring all the other blatant cheating that goes on in the sport.
December 28th, 2023 at 11:53 PM ^
It's not like the NFL doesn't pay players like Hutchinson when more when they sign than an 8th year benchwarmer. If they are a 5 star high school recruit, why do they have to come to Michigan to prove something first? They already proved it in high school. I'm not advocating for paying every player millions of dollars who don't even want to be at Michigan. However, I believe that that should be part of what Michigan offers if they are a good fit.