Lance Dixon potentially transferring from Penn State to UM
Seeing a bit of action that Lance Dixon is transferring from Penn State to UM. Former 5 star player under Bellamy. 247 has him listed as an OLB.
Not at all saying this is true, but if Bellamy is already pulling in top tier players, I have some hope recruiting may see a boost.
January 25th, 2021 at 12:38 PM ^
Fantastic news if so. I think one of the biggest sources of angst on this board is the feeling that "Harbaugh doesn't get it" in terms of recruiting and other issues. Pretty sure he does, ofc and these hires seem to be evidence to support that. Agree with all the takes that it may be difficult to hire established assistants given Harbaugh's possible 1yr leash. All in all some great hires considering the landscape..
January 25th, 2021 at 12:50 PM ^
Gets it now because of the dire situation he and the program are in maybe. Why didn't he get it 2-3 years ago? Recruiting never stops, the energy and emphasis can never stop, otherwise you get holes in the roster that we're seeing right now. Like the move to the young guys that can recruit but why did we ever get here is my question?
January 25th, 2021 at 12:54 PM ^
Ah yes, UM Indy, you get UM football more than a coach that actually played for UM. Got it.
January 25th, 2021 at 1:12 PM ^
Your sarcastic post has nothing to do with UM Indy's post. The question he posed - why would it take Harbaugh so long to realize how important recruiting is - is a valid question considering the obvious holes in the roster. All you do is shit on someone who has a legit question about your Savior.
I was not in favor of retaining Harbaugh, but he's signed now, so I will support him 100% and hope like hell he gets it fixed (that would be AWESOME). But that doesn't mean that fair questions are off-limits. There are holes in the roster because of recruiting fails and poor management. We all hope the new staff changes fix those recurring issues. It is fair to have concerns about them...
January 25th, 2021 at 6:16 PM ^
Do you really think Harbaugh wasn't aware of how important recruiting was all along? The fact that there are roster holes doesn't simply = coach doesn't realise the importance of recruiting. Hell if YOU and everyone on this board, and every coach in the country knows how important recruiting is my guess is that Jim Harbaugh knows this too..but that just a guess.
Maybe the roster holes are the result of other factors...
January 25th, 2021 at 1:38 PM ^
The "holes" UofM had the last few years were from '16 and '17 players who were gone, mostly transferred or buried on the depth chart, not a "lull" in recruiting. Last three and a half classes have been some of the best ever at UofM.
January 25th, 2021 at 1:48 PM ^
Yes, they were excellent classes overall. But they lacked viable 'croots in the CB and DT position groups. We hoped for the best with the projects accepted in those positions, but they haven't worked out as well as needed. (Maybe they will next year?)
January 25th, 2021 at 1:08 PM ^
The only thing Harbaugh needs to get is that offense is a viable way to win a football game and should probably be the default setting rather than a break glass in case of emergency thing.
January 25th, 2021 at 12:39 PM ^
Any idea why he barely saw the field this year(or as a true freshman as well)?
https://www.espn.com/college-football/player/_/id/4427079/lance-dixon
January 25th, 2021 at 12:41 PM ^
He wasn't very good.
January 25th, 2021 at 12:42 PM ^
Buried on a depth chart maybe?
January 25th, 2021 at 12:43 PM ^
Some UM fans are saying he was used wrong in there defense but I’m not sure how true that is. I look at it as he’ll technically only be a sophomore due to the extra year of eligibility and his potential is high.
January 25th, 2021 at 12:54 PM ^
According to the PSU 247 board, most of them are assigning blame to their DC/LB coach, Brent Pry. Seems most think Dixon is playing out of position. They also note he's only a redshirt freshman and like all players, he didn't get offseason coaching this year which probably affected his on-field play. But there are also plenty of folks who say he just appears to be very overrated. Several talk about a blown tackle vs. Illinois which was pretty bad. There's a link to it on the third page of the thread I've linked. I'll try to link it here. If it works, it's the play that starts at the 6:00 mark in the video. He's #10.
Reading the PSU board thread, it reads like any number of threads from UM fans on any UM board.
https://247sports.com/college/penn-state/board/18/Contents/note-portal-watch-159899722/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMJxn9U5Oac&feature=emb_title
January 25th, 2021 at 1:06 PM ^
well, can he be worse then what we threw out there this year at LB, especially after mcgrone got hurt? ok, no responses to that needed. but i wouldn't mind having a guy a couple years older than the LB crop we have coming in.
January 25th, 2021 at 1:21 PM ^
This seems like a fair assessment of what PSU fans may be thinking. Although, for the life of me, I cannot understand labeling a guy because of one blown play (can't watch the videos at work). I mean, shit happens, sometimes things just go wrong. One play is not a career.
I say that knowing full well that many, many Michigan fans forever sentenced Josh Metellus to the trash heap because of one dropped interception.
January 25th, 2021 at 2:07 PM ^
Yeah, PSU's defense wasn't all that good this year so I'm not surprised that a lot of the guys on the roster underwhelmed, but I've also come to view fan reviews of players with a health dose of salt. I'm sure he's got problems, but fans love to assume guys are overrated if they aren't immediate stars.
That said, that wasn't a good tackle attempt.
January 25th, 2021 at 12:40 PM ^
He has a first round grade... geez, I never heard of him.... I guess its true that PSU and OSU have really been cleaning up our state.
How does this work ? He transfers in, but does he have to sit a year ? He isn't a grad transfer.
January 25th, 2021 at 1:32 PM ^
Dude, shove that rock off and come out and play! It's the Age of Covid - there are no transfer or eligibility requirements, penalties, or redshirts for the entire year, regardless of reason. If he exits PSU he is eligible to play the same day he enrolls at Michigan.
January 25th, 2021 at 1:59 PM ^
Thanks. So it's essentially a free for all. Didn't realize this.
So now is the time for JH, to cover for all the recruiting misses. He could OT Allen so far, and now need toget TWO DT, TWO LB, and at least one CB.
January 25th, 2021 at 12:40 PM ^
Also not mentioned in the post is that Dixon liked Makari Paiges WB (West Bloomfield) to AA (Ann Arbor) tweet. Not trying to get everyone’s hopes up but there’s definitely some smoke.
January 25th, 2021 at 12:44 PM ^
Sorry for being dumb, but what does WB to AA mean?
January 25th, 2021 at 12:46 PM ^
West Bloomfield to Ann Arbor
January 25th, 2021 at 12:49 PM ^
edit; what they said.
January 25th, 2021 at 12:40 PM ^
179 overall in the composite
247 had him 13th in the nation... wow
January 25th, 2021 at 12:40 PM ^
I thought this may be an added affect of having Ron Bellamy on staff. Gotta wait to see if Dixon actually enters the transfer portal. Having him would be a game changer for the LB group
January 25th, 2021 at 12:43 PM ^
Isn’t he a tweener tho? Would prefer to see him at safety
January 25th, 2021 at 12:48 PM ^
He's 6'2 221 so not really. Idk how Macdonald views his OLB to look like. They may be more OLB/DE tweeners like Jaylen Harrell or David Ojabo. In that case, I'd put Dixon at MLB along with Josh Ross.
January 25th, 2021 at 1:55 PM ^
220ish sounds more like viper than safety or OLB. I think our current LBs are all in the 235 -250 range. Devin Bush played at about 240 in his last year. Khaleke was right around 220 when he was at M.
I wonder if that would work? Or if MacDonald will deploy a viper at all?
January 25th, 2021 at 6:26 PM ^
220ish could mean he's young and hasn't finished bulking up. Remember he basically missed an off season conditioning program this year at a crucial time when young players are developing. He doesn't have far to go to play OLB or even in the middle.
January 25th, 2021 at 12:43 PM ^
Would be a redshirt sophomore. Would also like us to take a look at the LB from Western who is in the portal. Wasn't he MAC defensive POY?
January 25th, 2021 at 12:50 PM ^
Treshaun Hayward. Michigan has been in contact with him. I would take both Hayward and Dixon since Hayward would only be available for 1 year and Dixon can lock down a spot for a few years.
January 25th, 2021 at 2:46 PM ^
If we can get both these young bucks...what a quick change it could make with skill and depth.
crossing fingers
January 25th, 2021 at 12:43 PM ^
Seeing a bit of action
Can you please elaborate on this? Links? Sources?
January 25th, 2021 at 12:47 PM ^
It was mentioned on the PSU 247 board that Dixon was looking at transferring and that Michigan was probably at the top of his list then Dixon liked Makari Paiges WB (West Bloomfield) to AA (Ann Arbor) tweet. I definitely wouldn’t say it’s a done deal but there seems to be some smoke.
January 25th, 2021 at 12:59 PM ^
Also Sam Webb has been mentioning "if I were Michigan I would be checking if he is happy at PSU via back channels" for at least a month - though it appears that he (and others) have know Bellamy to M was a thing for around that long so maybe it was just a supposition on their part.
January 25th, 2021 at 12:48 PM ^
yes please!
January 25th, 2021 at 12:52 PM ^
ah, joining our DC Tim Banks, of course
January 25th, 2021 at 12:55 PM ^
While this is enticing let's roll back expectations a bit.
Dixon was a 5-star to 247 only.** . He was also struggling to see the field in 2020 even with PSU losing Parsons to opt out. For comparison Dixon was #13 on 247 and #179 Composite in 2019 - while McGrone was #24 and #118 composite in 2018.
Dixon has a lot of potential but let's not get "over our skis". I personally would be much more pumped if either of the Tennessee LBs looked to transfer in.
** This is a bit of a pet peeve after living through the hype of several recent M recruits (mainly RBs) that were also "5-stars" using this logic. Probably also because I chuckled every time I heard over and over (and over and over) PSU offseason podcasts referencing all of the "5-star LBs" on their roster.
January 25th, 2021 at 1:25 PM ^
AZ, I'm of the belief the 95% of the kids that come from the state of Michigan are a tad bit overrated. Very few that leave the state contribute early, if at all at other schools.
January 25th, 2021 at 2:26 PM ^
That may be true; but I'd still be happy to get an experienced kid, especially now that McGrone is gone. And who knows, sometimes a change of scenery can help.
January 25th, 2021 at 1:04 PM ^
Would be a nice pickup; saw some early playing time at PSU so (I assume) not someone being pushed out of Happy Valley.
January 25th, 2021 at 1:05 PM ^
I don’t really count one of your former players coming to play for you as “pulling in top tier players” or a “recruiting boost.” Id like to see them get a guy that he didn’t already coach for 4 years before I give him those praises
January 25th, 2021 at 1:21 PM ^
So... if this were to happen, Bellamy wouldn't be pulling in a top tier player, or providing a recruiting boost? Interesting logic.
January 25th, 2021 at 2:14 PM ^
I actually didn’t say he wouldn’t be pulling in a top tier player or providing a recruiting boost. I said I wouldn’t count it and wouldn’t give him those praises because it’s a kid that he coached for four years.
He has prior relationships with the kid that go past “recruiting him.” Convincing a kid you’ve known for years to come play at the school you’re coaching at isn’t some amazing coup. So I’m going to hold off on giving him those praises until he goes out and actually has to recruit someone.
January 25th, 2021 at 2:54 PM ^
Seems to me that you're splitting hairs here.
When a relationship is developed between a coach and a prospective player is immaterial. Seems to me that if said relationship was developed over four years in high school, so much the better. The prospect should know (nearly) exactly what to expect.
January 25th, 2021 at 8:32 PM ^
Seems to me you’re looking too deep into what I’m saying. The fact that that relationship already exists, makes the job of getting him to come that much easier. It’s not a bad thing that the relationship exists. I’m just not going to shower him with praise for bringing in an elite talent when he has a close connection to the kid outside of his duties as a Michigan coach.
I’m simply saying that I’m not going to praise Bellamy for doing what is pretty easy. I’m sure if we had hired Crowell, Belleville players would find Michigan a majorly attractive option. Hire the Oak Park coach and those kids start looking at Michigan with more interest too. Hiring Bellamy and it attracting WB kids isn’t going to move the needle for me.
Am I glad he has that relationship? Sure. Am I glad it’s already paying dividends? Yup. But I’m not going to sit here and praise a guy for his recruiting when all it is, is one of his former players following him. It doesn’t really say anything about his recruiting ability. I’m gonna need to see him get kids that he didn’t coach while they were in high school.
January 25th, 2021 at 1:55 PM ^
Mr. Dixon - if you read this, please understand that my brothers and sisters who comment on this blog are sometimes mired in the picking of nits. You would be very welcome to come to one of the world’s great universities, to grow as a person, student and athlete, and to join the pantheon of Michigan Men and Women who make the world a better place. Go Blue!
January 25th, 2021 at 2:19 PM ^
He only started one of Penn State's nine games this year. Tre Hayward was the MAC player of the year in 2019. If you ignored recruiting rankings and just looked at production would anyone be excited about a guy who has 10 career tackles in 2 season's at Penn State. If we strike out on Henry To'o To'o we are going to regret not pushing for Hayward because we have a big hole at middle linebacker.
January 25th, 2021 at 2:57 PM ^
I would love to see To'o To'o and his teammate (and former UM top target) Quavaris Crouch in Blue.
January 25th, 2021 at 3:10 PM ^
It sounds like Toto is going to end up at Alabama.