It's official, Giles Jackson is in the portal
March 29th, 2021 at 12:13 PM ^
Jackson was used on jet sweeps, in the passing game and on special teams. I don't know what you expected from 1.5 seasons. Nico didn't play this year so I have no idea if he would have been a primary target. In past seasons he had a lot of competition for targets with DPJ, Black, Gentry, Bell, McKeon etc.
Outside of DPJ none of those guys should have taken targets from Nico. That's the problem. Top teams feed their best guys, Michigan tries to get everyone involved then punts on 4th and short when it doesn't work out.
I think it's more because Michigan just doesn't have "best guys" to feed. There's always a perception amongst the fans that Michigan has a top WR, but it rarely plays out that way. You see the same perception when people say the WR room is still solid, when the reality is its bottom half of the Big Ten level with Giles, and lower without him.
If Nico or DPJ or Giles, or whoever was truly talented and a star they would find a way to get them the ball, and they'd find a way to get open to get more catches. In 2019, they were 3rd in the Big Ten with 29 attempts a game, but Nico and DPJ only got 6 catches a game. Bell had 3.7 -- most on the team. Don't think you'd see many that would argue Bell was the best of those 3, but sometimes you've got to throw to the guy that's open and can catch it.
If they truly had a go to guy, they'd give him the ball. But they don't. Michigan always has guys that are good on paper and meh on the field.
March 29th, 2021 at 10:50 AM ^
Awful. Doesn't matter what talent Michigan brings in if they can't keep them. I don't care if the depth chart looks fine or not, although it really doesn't.
What's the connection between Giles and Xavier Worthy? How close are they?
March 29th, 2021 at 10:54 AM ^
I thought Worthy coming was in big part to Giles recruiting him. I'm sure there's a lot behind the scenes though.
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March 29th, 2021 at 10:51 AM ^
Definitely not good. Hopefully this means AJ Henning is a beast, but this is definitely becoming a slightly concerning pattern where highly touted upperclassman are consistently being passed up on the depth chart by younger guys
March 29th, 2021 at 10:58 AM ^
I feel like it has to be he was passed in the depth chart. Seems like an odd time to transfer if it was for any other reason.
March 29th, 2021 at 10:59 AM ^
Receivers in strong programs don't leave because there are other good receivers. They make plays in the space created by those other good receivers demanding defenses account for them.
Somehow Jerry Jeudy and Davonta Smith and Henry Ruggs and Jaylen Waddle all did just fine at Alabama.
I doubt Giles is leaving because there's another guy who plays his position that will get snaps.
March 29th, 2021 at 11:11 AM ^
WR's stay at Alabama because they are consistently getting drafted in the first round. Our last first-round WR was in 2005.
March 29th, 2021 at 11:15 AM ^
Alabama did have 4 WRs transfer from last year's team, including two guys who were top-200 overall recruits and one who was the #12 WR in the country when he committed. Year before that they had 2, including the #12 TE. And for 2020 over 200 WRs transferred, including the nation's #1, #6, and #13 WRs. Guys move around even at elite programs.
Giles Jackson was a pretty good WR recruit but his best asset was as a returner, and I wouldn't be shocked if he saw the roster breaking down to him being more marginalized as a receiver and deciding he didn't want that. I don't remotely blame him.
March 29th, 2021 at 11:17 AM ^
Using Alabama as a point of comparison to any other college football program is like comparing apples to aircraft carriers.
March 29th, 2021 at 12:25 PM ^
Here in AZ for the winter/spring & there are no apple orchards. I like to have a small glass of apple cider for breakfast, so I started buying Simply Apple at the grocery store. It’s a very adequate replacement. I also like aircraft carriers.
March 29th, 2021 at 11:08 AM ^
I took this more as another example of talented players feeling like they aren’t being used enough. DPJ, Nico, Charbonnet, etc. supremely talented players that are under utilized. The staff hasn’t shown the ability to consistently get the ball in the hands of our playmakers. an uncertain and young qb room doesn’t help. I can’t blame any of them if they are concerned this trend will continue. Unless your name is Bell or Haskins, you just don’t get the ball much.
March 29th, 2021 at 10:52 AM ^
Wow. He was a huge recruiter for us. I think we still have a solid WR room, just seems really odd when he was an expected starter.
Maybe he was passed by Henning/Wilson, or Sainristil set himself apart from Giles?
Solid WR core?? Are you sure your talking about Michigan? Wolverines? In Ann Arbor? That plays in the big house?
March 29th, 2021 at 11:47 PM ^
I can believe Henning/Wilson maybe passing Jackson the depth chart...But not Sainristril. I've never seen a 3 star wideout get so much offseason hype in my lifetime. He's basically a slower version of Bell/Jackson. He's not a bad player, but he's not explosive. He's a slot possession reciever, and he's had drop issues as well.
March 29th, 2021 at 10:55 AM ^
Sad to see him go, but if the transfer portal is as big as I think it's gonna be, there will be a stud WR to fill his spot pretty quick. I do hate that our on-field performance was so disappointing last year, but Michigan football is ALWAYS going to be a great destination.
March 29th, 2021 at 10:56 AM ^
Good luck, Giles. I hope you find success at your next destination.
While I hate to see him go, I think we'll be fine. We still have plenty of guys like Sainristil, Henning, and Wilson that can all step in and make some plays. Just need to get them the damn ball.
March 29th, 2021 at 10:58 AM ^
Good luck to him. I've heard he wanted to get back to CA, but who knows. They'll miss him more as a returner than a receiver in my opinion, but wish him luck regardless,
March 29th, 2021 at 10:58 AM ^
Sorry to see Giles go, but best of luck to him. Get used to the new reality, as the NCAA’s Draconian hold on their unpaid labor gets pried loose from their greasy fingers. How is this any different than the job-hopping that talented young professional engage in? It’s a new twist on how you build your football teams, but the best programs will figure it out. Let’s just hope we’re one of them.
March 29th, 2021 at 10:58 AM ^
He'll be a star at Arizona
March 29th, 2021 at 10:59 AM ^
This sucks. It sucks more from a kickoff return view than for a WR view, though. He didn't seem to pop out as a WR, although once he got the ball the electricity cannot be denied. I have to believe that Henning passed him on the depth chart, but it's so early in Spring camp that depth chart issues couldn't have really shown themselves yet. Maybe there's some homesickness involved, or a personality difference with some group within the team? Whatever...
In any case, I wish him good luck wherever he goes.
March 29th, 2021 at 11:00 AM ^
Who's Giles Jackson and what is Football?
March 29th, 2021 at 11:01 AM ^
I’m laughing at the “He has been passed” comments. At what point does the majority of this fan base realize how inept Harbaugh and Co are at fostering a culture? He doesn’t even need to look far at how to do at.
March 29th, 2021 at 11:17 AM ^
Especially after the QB debacle last year.
March 29th, 2021 at 11:19 AM ^
And Carpenter’s transfer to Indiana.
March 29th, 2021 at 11:18 AM ^
So far the 2019 class has lost Jackson, Charbonnet, Thomas, Carpenter. The attrition from JH is astounding.
March 29th, 2021 at 11:20 AM ^
When you look at the sideline, does it look like the players are having fun?
It’s amazing watching the excitement the basketball team has for each other compared to going through the motions of the football team.
March 29th, 2021 at 11:19 AM ^
I'm actually laughing at everyone who assumes every transfer is because Michigan is an awful place and the 1300 people who entered the portal last year (sans the couple from UM) came from extremely healthy programs.
Is Harbaugh the easiest guy to be around? Nope. But guys have many reasons to transfer and this fanbase (like all) are myopic to believe that the forces at play are somehow unique to them.
March 29th, 2021 at 11:35 AM ^
Who cares about other programs. Michigan loses kids at an alarming rate. Any way you want to look at it or spin it doesn’t change that fact. His culture is that of unbelievable confusion from a kids standpoint. Changing of offense multiple times, not recruiting properly to fit whatever offense they are doing for that year, coaches getting out of dodge because Harbaugh won’t listen to shit. This all factors in.
His program looks exactly how he speaks. Confused
March 29th, 2021 at 12:12 PM ^
Michigan lost 4 guys last year to non-grad transfers (Muhammad got booted from the school, so I don't count him). This was largely viewed as an historic loss of talent and a repudiation of Harbaugh. Ohio State, the best team in the conference by a country mile and regarded as one of the most stable programs in the country, had 3 such transfers.
Again, most of these complaints are projections from fans tired with the losing. We don't actually know if the program is a toxic dump or not; chances are Harbaugh is tough to deal with but no tougher than other high-pressure coaches. Clemson has 6 guys already in the portal and at least two of them are non-grad transfers (I've not checked all of them but considering two are from the 2018 or 2020 class it's unlikely they're grads), and Dabo is supposedly one of the best coaches around for players.
Also, I thought the problem with Harbaugh from a coaching perspective is that he retained coaches and they liked being there too long, hence why Brown and co. weren't fired earlier?
Anyway, this is an argument that will continue forever around here if/until Harbaugh wins a championship, at which point we'll start arguing about something else. But this seemingly normal attrition doesn't need to be a grand indictment of a coach.
March 29th, 2021 at 12:20 PM ^
Can I upvote this x10?
March 29th, 2021 at 12:39 PM ^
Yes but you would have to down vote 9 times to make it work.
March 29th, 2021 at 12:20 PM ^
Don’t criticize harbaugh. He’s the only man capable of going 2-4 at Michigan and therefore can’t possibly be replaced /s
March 29th, 2021 at 11:05 AM ^
The Chicken Littles in this fanbase. My God
March 29th, 2021 at 11:05 AM ^
How much of it is underutilization and how much of it is wanting to be closer to home during an ongoing pandemic?
March 29th, 2021 at 11:10 AM ^
In other news.....
Auburn's Bass Fishing Team has been suspended until 2022.
March 29th, 2021 at 11:13 AM ^
Trash program trash sport trash coach who cares. ?
March 29th, 2021 at 12:07 PM ^
Username does NOT check out
March 29th, 2021 at 11:15 AM ^
It’s official. I don’t really care anymore. I’ll cheer for whoever is left when the season starts. Until then, thinking about football is just unnecessary stress.
Either the new hires click and we turn it around, or they don’t and we start all over. Either way, how about that basketball team?
March 29th, 2021 at 11:16 AM ^
Good thing we are a basketball school now.
March 29th, 2021 at 11:19 AM ^
Hey but at least there is basically a whole new staff to get the Michigan football faithful foaming at the mouth. A lot of “Give the staff some time to gel” comments coming in the fall after yet another road loss to a good team.
March 29th, 2021 at 11:32 AM ^
Oh don't worry, I'm sure the people who complain constantly about football will rush to scream them all down. I assume that if the team does do well and looks solid, though, the number of people diving back on the bandwagon will be impressive.
Losing players isn't great. But this place may need to come to grips with the fact that player movement is here to stay and happens EVERYWHERE, and so if/when UM gets a late-season transfer of a highly-regarded player from somewhere else perhaps they shouldn't immediately assume it's because the place he came from was a toxic hellscape.
March 29th, 2021 at 11:45 AM ^
We are losing major contributors and players set to start every year. That does not happen at this rate everywhere.
Your effort to absolve Harbaugh’s role in the toxic culture surrounding the football program is noted though.
March 29th, 2021 at 12:14 PM ^
Your efforts to ignore ongoing trends in college football and instead assume player movement occurring at Michigan is only due to the morally failings of the HC are also noted.
March 29th, 2021 at 12:57 PM ^
Good lord we are now on to “ongoing trends” to defend Jim. Once again it’s yet another excuse in the long line of excuses to scapegoat a guy who hasn’t won a damn thing.
I think you spend more time bitching about michigan football than anyone, yet here you are constantly involved and interested in Michigan football.
Maybe you need to take your own advice on what you think should happen to Harbaugh.
Just disappeared and leave already. You are whats wrong with thr fan base. Toxic
March 29th, 2021 at 11:22 AM ^
Bigger loss as a returner. Not that it isn't a loss as a WR, Jackson was solid and a key contributor on offense. But as a returner, he was truly electric and it's not hyperbolic to say he was one of the best ever here. He was the best return man in the Big ten.