1VaBlue1

May 10th, 2022 at 10:27 AM ^

He held out hope for an interview with several teams before actually going to Minnesota with the enlisted help of an assistant coach.  And everyone in the building knew he'd be gone on the sniff of an offer.  It caused Gattis to bolt and permeated other staff changes.  It was played horribly by both Harbaugh and Warde.  His choice was very clearly NFL first, Michigan second.  And it has very apparently affected recruiting in a negative way.

Denying any of that is a fool's choice.

Personally, I'm glad he's back - last season's coaching job showed me that he has his passion back.  We'll see this season whether it was fool's gold for an NFL job, or real.

OldSchoolWolverine

May 10th, 2022 at 11:40 AM ^

I wouldn't put it past him that this was all a ruse....  that he felt unappreciated by the entire alumni, along with wanting more money after having taken a cut... remember the crap after 2-4....  and what this did, while nicking recruiting temporarily, it sure did reset some things in his favor.    this isn't far-fetched.   maybe he wanted to stay the entire time, not uproot family, have full control here, but played it exactly this way.

Blue in Paradise

May 10th, 2022 at 8:52 AM ^

You want to talk about QB development?

Name the last OSU quarterback that left college better than they entered college.  Seriously, who would that be?  Justin Fields was the exact same QB his senior year of high school as he was for the Bears last year.

IMO, you have to go back to Troy Smith for an OSU QB that showed progression while in college.  They look great in college because they are consistently throwing to wide open NFL receivers.

OTOH, they have done a fantastic job developing receivers.

Billy Ray Valentine

May 10th, 2022 at 12:12 PM ^

I agree, but with some added rationale.

 

I think it's extra-challenging to progress as a QB at OSU because each year you play all of your games (minus a playoff game against the SEC/Clemson) against teams that you will dominate from a talent perspective before the ball is kicked off. The NFL is not built that way. The league is structured to avoid the conditions in which OSU exists.

 

Put it this way ... am I really going to become that much better of a basketball player by only playing against my 12 and 13 year old kids? No way.

 

I'm not suggesting that OSU's QBs haven't been incredibly talented. They have, and are. I'm suggesting that the QB position is unique. No OSU QB will face a talent disadvantage against an opposing defense their entire OSU career, for the most part. This is not true for their position players, who will play 1-on-1 against equals or superiors on occasion. 

LDNfan

May 10th, 2022 at 1:04 AM ^

Didn't OSU land the #1 QB last year? He got paid...twice.  

UM did a masterful job closing this last cycle and with the landscape of CFB in serious flux I don't see the point of worrying too much about recruiting.

Looking ahead to the end of the next cycle and I expect another major round of coaching firings and hirings and a bunch of recruits changing their minds. If UM does well on the field it will be in position again to close really well. 

 

 

njvictor

May 10th, 2022 at 9:05 AM ^

UM did a masterful job closing this last cycle and with the landscape of CFB in serious flux I don't see the point of worrying too much about recruiting.

That was before Jim's Vikings flirtation that is almost certainly being dangled in front of recruits. Do I think the criticism is unfair? Yes, as Ryan Day has been mentioned in NFL coaching conversations, James Franklin threatens to leave every offseason, Lincoln Riley and Brian Kelly will dart where ever they are paid most, etc, etc. but only Jim seems to face the repercussions

outsidethebox

May 10th, 2022 at 7:08 AM ^

Cade, JJ and Davis. We will see how the coaches do. 

My life experience declares, unequivocally, that coaching is the biggest difference-maker in athletic performance-individual and team. Yesterday Jake Butt, on the Locked On Wolverines Podcast, makes the same declaration. Michigan can very likely win with any of these three-and good coaching. I believe Michigan's QBs are adequately coached. I hope they figure out who is best-among these three.

NewBlue7977

May 10th, 2022 at 5:54 AM ^

This is the norm.  OSU recruits 4-5 star guys at each position every year, and Michigan recruits a 4-5 star quarterbacks every other year, but in the current situation Michigan won't get a 4-5 star quarterback until 3 years after they got their last one (maybe).  Weiss has done a horrible job recruiting, and Harbaugh does not seem to prioritize recruiting.  

outsidethebox

May 10th, 2022 at 7:54 AM ^

Recruiting is clearly important. But better coaching can make 3-4 star rosters out-perform 4-5 star rosters. Clearly Jim Harbaugh's mindset loves and values counter-intuitive thinking in many regards. Jim's teams are always going to employ a good amount of power football-and for many good reasons. Given the trends, this is not the most popular strategy and may well compromise recruiting for the skilled offensive positions. However, if OL recruiting and coaching can hold its own Michigan will be able to continue to compete very well against the best of the high flyers. My best guess is that Michigan is going to get, at least, one of either Moore or Carr...and then there is Mr. Drogosh sitting there. Michigan can win with, actually, any of these three. 

I, personally, have a lot of sympathy, even empathy, for JH's stubbornness in these regards. He has been very successful doing what he does best and, by George, he is going to prove he is right-and "in your face" to the rest of the football world. Each of us, in our own way, are very much like this...but it's not necessarily a good thing. I do wish he would go off-script for a bit and see whether or not JJ is Mahomes-because that would make the power game even more devastating...could elevate Michigan into the elite category of college football-wouldn't that be a fun place to be for a while???

We will see.

NewBlue7977

May 10th, 2022 at 9:11 AM ^

To what level of success are we talking about?  If 8-10 wins a year is successful, then Harbaugh has done a great job of it with his recruiting.  However; Michigan fans expect a consistent competitor to make the playoffs year in and year out, and win B1G championships more than one time in seven years, but you will not do that with the current method of recruiting from JH and staff because there seems to be little prioritizing in the field of recruiting.  JH takes a lot of easy recruits, meaning a lot of sleepers whose biggest scholarship offer besides Michigan is/was a MAC level school.  Of course the high schooler will commit to Michigan over a Toledo, UTSA or Temple.  

HateSparty

May 10th, 2022 at 9:26 AM ^

Everyone wants their team to win.  However, if Michigan fans expect what you have stated, they should not have adored Bo.  The success matters but the landscape has changed.  Recruiting is dirty if you want to compete with the top schools in football.  The university and its money train fan base is fine with 10 win averages with high brow backgrounds.  The stadium and revenue speaks for itself.  

Blue@LSU

May 10th, 2022 at 10:01 AM ^

JH takes a lot of easy recruits, meaning a lot of sleepers whose biggest scholarship offer besides Michigan is/was a MAC level school.  Of course the high schooler will commit to Michigan over a Toledo, UTSA or Temple.

I guess it depends on what you mean by "a lot". As far as I can tell, all of the players in the 2022 class (I didn't bother to look further back) had P5 offers. So if "a lot" means none, then you would be correct.

If you are saying they only had MAC level offers at the time of the UM offer, that's a different story. But then the question is whether JH and the staff were ahead of the game. How many of these players would later go on to get interest from other P5 schools?

To say that JH takes "easy" recruits is weird. He and the staff take recruits that they find promising, will fit the system, etc. But it's not like they aren't out there trying to get 5 stars. They worked hard for Walter Nolen, Domani Jackson, Josh Conerly, Will Johnson, etc. Trying hard and striking out is happens. It's just a fact of life and football recruiting.

BeatIt

May 12th, 2022 at 6:15 AM ^

Except for I forget which class it was (2018 or 19) but 19/22 that committed had no other P5 offers other than UM.if I’m a kid with 0 P5 offers and a coach calls me from a p5 program I commit right there on the phone. And several years have be devoid of top 100 recruits (the game changer prospects).his recruiting has been very average for a top 10 brand like um.

Don

May 10th, 2022 at 10:22 AM ^

"Harbaugh does not seem to prioritize recruiting."

Yes, the guy who did sleepovers and climbed trees and did satellite camps all over the South until the NCAA intervened doesn't "prioritize recruiting."

"Weiss has done a horrible job recruiting"

Matt Weiss joined the staff on February 22, 2021. Asserting that "he's done a horrible job recruiting" when he's been here little more than a year is straight-up mouthbreathing sports meathead jackassery. 

mfan_in_ohio

May 10th, 2022 at 7:19 AM ^

He must have been attracted by all the historical NFL success of OSU quarterbacks. Trivia question: name the last OSU QB to reach a Pro Bowl.

Don

May 10th, 2022 at 10:52 AM ^

"using Pro Bowl appearances as the measuring stick for NFL QB success is, as the kids say, “LOL” 

Well, how else are you going to measure the success of OSU QBs in the NFL? Super Bowl victories? Post-season victories? NFL record stats?

It's an impressive list:

Don Scott, Johnny Borton, Dave Leggett, Frank Kremblas, Ron Maciejowski, Greg Hare, Cornelius Greene, Art Schlichter, Jim Karsatos, Tom Tupa, Kent Graham, Bobby Hoying, Joe Germaine, Steve Bellisari, Craig Krenzel, Troy Smith, Terrelle Pryor, Braxton Miller, Cardale Jones, Dwayne Haskins, Justin Fields

funkywolve

May 10th, 2022 at 8:31 AM ^

Since Carr retired has UM even had a quarterback get drafted as a quarterback? Denard got drafted but it wasn't to play QB in the nfl. 

For good reason we brag about Brady but he graduated 22 yrs ago.  Since Carr retired though OSU has done a much better job of getting QB's drafted then UM has.

OldSchoolWolverine

May 10th, 2022 at 10:06 AM ^

I never read Bacon's books, but this sounds like you read them. Carr was in an impossible spot, having made all these promises to players and families to come to Michigan...and then when you had the clown show RR come in....  yeah, maybe he should have been more diplomatic toward the program somehow rather than sign the transfers...

Don

May 10th, 2022 at 11:02 AM ^

"It wasn’t because Carr was some kind of QB savant"

No, it was purely accident that Lloyd Carr had these QBs while he was head coach:

Dreisbach

Griese (led Michigan to a NC)

Brady

Henson*

Navarre (graduated as UM's all-time leader in yards and TDs)

Henne (surpassed Navarre's records)

*could have been an all-time great at QB if he didn't make one of the dumbest decisions in Michigan athletic history

BoCanHam15

May 10th, 2022 at 8:20 AM ^

They've landed the same type or rated QB every year.  How is that momentum?  But with that being said I don't even care about the momentum that you claim because I literally watch the Game everyday.  So in this game the momentum stops at 27!!!

St Joe Blues

May 10th, 2022 at 8:50 AM ^

Timeline:

Spring 2022 - OSU lands #1 QB recruit

Fall 2024 - Recruit enrolls at OSU and collects 7-figure "NIL" check. Red shirts behind another 5 star QB.

Winter 2025 - Recruit, showing off his tattoos and holding a suitcase of cash, announces his entry into portal. Michigan not in the running because he wasn't in Columbus "to play skool" and admissions won't give him the time of day.

TeslaRedVictorBlue

May 10th, 2022 at 9:31 AM ^

Jim has had every opportunity to bring in QBs and turn them into all world studs. Yet he has not. When he got here, everyone thought top QBs would be lining up to play here. Everyone said he was a QB whisperer. Then they saw us grind it into the dirt on 2nd and 1, 3rd and 1, and 4th and 1, and the top arms are not enthused.

We havent put 1 QB in the league (in a legit way) since he's arrived. So, its hard to complain that we aren't seeing the same recruiting results at this position. I dont think its a recruiting issue - its a style of play and results issue (though maybe ALSO a recruiting issue).

I think our best best is to keep winning and building in the trenches - and maybe one of the QBs we have now - mac or mac - will turn out to be that stud that throws 35 TD passes and makes the offense hum. The weapons we have this year, even receiving out of the backfield, would make one think that this is that year.

Perkis-Size Me

May 10th, 2022 at 9:53 AM ^

Shouldn't surprise anyone. OSU's offense is extremely QB-friendly. It operates like a kid playing Madden on Rookie difficulty and all his skill players are maxed out to 99. This is how they're going to keep recruiting until either:

1) They show signs of regression on the field, which isn't likely to happen anytime soon. Or:

2) Day gets a call from the NFL, opts to leave, and you hope OSU misses on a coaching hire for the first time in three decades. I don't know how likely this is, but its not outside the realm of possibility. Day runs an offense that is well-suited for today's pro game, and he could get the itch. There are some things the NFL can offer that no college job, from Alabama on down to Kansas, can offer. 

OldSchoolWolverine

May 10th, 2022 at 10:03 AM ^

Just to be clear... OSU has yet to have a viable NFL QB in our lifetime.   Burrow left, and he was the closest.  Fields might not make it, and besides, he transferred in. Though Stroud should finally be the first. They could have had McCarthy but passed for McCord.  They are in perpetual Costanza mode...So there is nothing to worry about here.

dragonchild

May 10th, 2022 at 12:39 PM ^

I mean, OSU's QBs were all monsters in college.  They just don't have NFL qualities, in general.

I'd say the takeaway here is that there's still a lot of time.  The #1 2024 prospect today might not be that even next year, let alone by the time they suit up.  And not every heavily-scouted player is necessarily the best player.

That OSU nabbed the consensus(?) #1 2024 prospect says a lot about OSU that we already know.  Otherwise, we'll see what it means in a few years.