JH policy on Red Shirt Sr’s hurting team

Submitted by BleedingBlue on November 19th, 2020 at 9:48 PM

Only *Four* scholarship, redshirt seniors on the roster.

Fuego Box Hot Take:

I think this is a huge latent factor in the team’s struggles this year.

There has been a big shift in philosophy over the last 15 years from trying to save kids for their best year, a redshirt senior year, to getting them on the field as fast as possible. Not only that, but if guys aren’t performing by their 2nd year, they seem to be getting pushed out.

JH favors large recruiting classes over developing the kids at UM. 

The team this year is really young, inexperienced, immature and not able to weather in-game adversity as a result. 

Indy Pete - Go Blue

November 19th, 2020 at 9:51 PM ^

This article brought to you by Steve Spanellis.

All kidding aside - perhaps there is something to this. College teams that succeed generally rely on strong senior leadership.  I appreciate your theory. 

Joined: 01/23/2018

MGoPoints: 157228

AZBlue

November 20th, 2020 at 7:21 AM ^

Austin has made great strides and will be valuable this year to MBB.  However, at 10-15 min per game and cases of matchup “unplayability” he is more akin to a Special teamer or situational player in Football imo.  M really needs Davis this season but If this was 2021 and the choice was a 5th year Davis or making room for a Frosh Diabate, I think the choice would be clear.

Joined: 09/14/2008

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FrozeMangoes

November 19th, 2020 at 10:45 PM ^

Guys can play 4 games and still get a redshirt.  Guys playing more than that probably aren't going to be here past 4 years anyway.  I don't think this is a philosophical thing, just another symptom of the fact that Harbaugh doesn't identify talent very well. 

And even with tall that, last years team had 10 NFL players, was experienced, had senior leadership, returning qb, etc and went 9-4. 

Joined: 08/12/2017

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1VaBlue1

November 20th, 2020 at 8:12 AM ^

Not to mention the ~10 players each year getting into the NFL in some form...

He does identify talent well.  Does he develop it further?  Not always...  Does it use it to best advantage?  Rarely...

The biggest problem with the coaching staff is that they don't do things on offense (or defense, now) to put the players they have into a good position for them to be successful.  Instead of getting the ball out quickly to someone in open space, they continue to force a RB into a stacked box after a deep handoff.  Instead of changing the base defensive scheme to zone coverage, they continue to force slower CB's to cover speedy wideouts in press man.  Clearly, the players are not being put into a position to succeed.

Joined: 01/31/2016

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kehnonymous

November 20th, 2020 at 12:14 AM ^

Fuego box hotter take:

The team is struggling because Harbaugh still tries to win games 24-17 instead of 48-41, he can't ID QB talent to save is life and micromanages them until they're broken, his offensive playcalling goes into a shell against any defense with a pulse, we've had tons of attrition in all the wrong places, and the weight of expectations relative to performance has left us with B/C-tier talent and coaches who vainly cobbled togther a team that doesn't know what it is

Joined: 11/25/2011

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