OT: Rivals Under Armor "Bear Market" (Player whose stock fell the most)
January 3rd, 2016 at 2:54 PM ^
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January 3rd, 2016 at 6:16 PM ^
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January 3rd, 2016 at 2:19 PM ^
Peppers would be our best option. I don't see Walker coming in here and starting from day one. I believe we lose Drake Johnson who when healthy is by far our best back. Smith was good in the bowl game but I can't turn a blind eye to all the open running lanes he missed all year. If I had to make a prediction, I'd say Smith will be our RB again next year.
January 3rd, 2016 at 2:21 PM ^
To the draft? Of what do you speak?
January 3rd, 2016 at 2:21 PM ^
January 3rd, 2016 at 2:21 PM ^
Johnson was a RS Jr. He will be back.
January 3rd, 2016 at 2:23 PM ^
Nevermind if healthy he'll probably start.
January 3rd, 2016 at 2:20 PM ^
January 3rd, 2016 at 3:06 PM ^
January 3rd, 2016 at 2:23 PM ^
We were all ready to move Smith to fullback next year, and look what happened agaisnt Florida. These coaches can work with the players they have and improve them, and Walker preforming poorly with only two days of practice and running in a style he won't be asked to at Michigan (or even the NFL) doesn't worry me.
Even if he comes in and isn't able to contribute immediately, I think we'll be happy for a year with the trifecta of Smith, Johnson, and Higdon. I assume Ty Issac and Derrick Green are gone.
We also have Kiante Enis and Kingston Davis coming in as well. If our run blocking next year is close to what we saw in the Florida game, we'll be fine at running back from here on out.
January 3rd, 2016 at 2:27 PM ^
Not so sure about Ty Isaac leaving or Kiante Enis ever arriving.
January 3rd, 2016 at 2:41 PM ^
January 3rd, 2016 at 2:25 PM ^
I was watching Walker's old highlight films and he looked more elusive and quick as a sophomore. Give him 8 months in UM's strength and conditioning program and Mike Farrell might be surprised at how good this kid turns out.
He wasn't rated the number 1 running back in the country by some folks for no reason.
January 3rd, 2016 at 2:28 PM ^
start getting some credit here too. Although Smith has some vision problems he has came a long way from last year. Like a very long way. Then you have the fullback play too which is as we all know way improved. Actually just started so that is huge too. Coach Wheat is going get these young backs and mold them at a very young age. Going to be fun to see.
January 3rd, 2016 at 2:29 PM ^
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January 3rd, 2016 at 2:34 PM ^
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January 3rd, 2016 at 2:46 PM ^
January 3rd, 2016 at 2:29 PM ^
January 3rd, 2016 at 2:44 PM ^
January 3rd, 2016 at 2:50 PM ^
January 3rd, 2016 at 2:46 PM ^
January 3rd, 2016 at 2:53 PM ^
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January 3rd, 2016 at 2:57 PM ^
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January 3rd, 2016 at 2:56 PM ^
do some of you actively look for things to be unhappy about?
He didn't have a great week; it's not a big deal.
Very much looking forward to this excellent talent's arrival in AA where he will be coached by a fucking monster staff.
January 3rd, 2016 at 3:36 PM ^
January 3rd, 2016 at 3:57 PM ^
If so, then there's that.
I pay so little attention to those ridiculous games that it's news to me.
Dann O'neill had one of the best OL performances I've seen at the UA Game his year (although I guess it did turn out he wasn't so bad, after all).
January 3rd, 2016 at 3:50 PM ^
January 3rd, 2016 at 4:01 PM ^
and then other times, it seems like he really is right.
Me, I'm happy when I'm deliriously fucking happy and my teams are crushing it.
January 3rd, 2016 at 3:01 PM ^
have one less than stellar week and we're all a bunch of ship jumpers.
Brilliant.
January 3rd, 2016 at 3:25 PM ^
Don't indict us all. Running this kid down is alum96's bag. The vast majority of us are thrilled to see what Walker can do in a Harbaugh offense and coached by Wheatley.
January 3rd, 2016 at 3:31 PM ^
those people, though - I just don't get them.
January 3rd, 2016 at 9:22 PM ^
He is not "running him down", he is making observations based on what we all see on the field.
Some of us, including me, observed that Gary looked slow and lethargic at the Paramus / IMG game. That's what we saw.
But Gary was a monster at UA.
We saw what we saw.
January 3rd, 2016 at 3:14 PM ^
January 3rd, 2016 at 3:15 PM ^
It's a weak RB class in the 1st place. Walker being top 50 or merely top 100 makes no difference. He's a good recruit and can be great with good coaching and training. He is more of a one cut back like Green and Isaac, but I think he has more burst than those two.
I thought Green's HS film was balh, he did not have great burst and didn't seem to have much cutting ability. Walker will be a nice complement to a faster and more elusive back like Higden.
January 3rd, 2016 at 3:17 PM ^
FWIW, take a look at the same awards from 2013:
https://www.rivals.com/content.asp?sid=883&CID=1316578
Bull market (good): Ondre Pipkins, Cyler Miles, Jordan Payton, Mike Davis
Bear market (not good): Zeke Pike, Arik Armstead, Erik Magnuson, Ryan Ward
It's a mixed bag for bear market guys. Armstead turned into a 1st round pick, and Magnuson was all-conference this year (2nd or 3rd team, I can't remember). The other two haven't done much.
Meanwhile, the bull market guys turned out decent but nothing special. Pipkins never did much and transferred, Miles retired due to injury, Payton has been pretty good for UCLA, and Davis was okay at South Carolina and became a 4th round pick.
Conclusion? One game/week doesn't tell you a whole lot.
January 3rd, 2016 at 5:48 PM ^
January 3rd, 2016 at 8:17 PM ^
too much logic for these discussions...please freak out like the rest of us over under-representative data points
January 3rd, 2016 at 5:09 PM ^
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January 3rd, 2016 at 7:36 PM ^
And for the life of me I can't figure out why Harbaugh won't listen to me about Dymonte Thomas either. I'd like to see him on offense in the spring game.
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January 3rd, 2016 at 7:54 PM ^
Thomas is going to be needed on defense next year. He actually looked really good toward the end of the year. I think Michigan needs to find a place for him in the starting lineup, and I think they will. IMO, he'll be the best returning safety (I don't count Peppers as a safety).
January 3rd, 2016 at 8:18 PM ^
he has looked really good...that blitz in the bowl game was perfectly timed and almost caught up to Treon Harris. Looks like the light went on at the end of this season for thomas
January 3rd, 2016 at 9:26 PM ^
It's good to see. Thomas was a guy that looked like he was going be passed up. His time was running out. But then he caught fire.
I remember when Chris Perry did the same thing at RB in 2003.
It's not frequent, but It does happen.
January 3rd, 2016 at 8:41 PM ^
I agree 100% about his skill on D. I just feel like he's one of those guys that may have been a natural at RB the last couple of years. He seems very explosive. I have no doubt he really comes into his own next year on D though.
January 3rd, 2016 at 5:34 PM ^
Truly, no one knows who will do what next year, but I think it is reasonable to think the O-line will take another jump and at least one back will perform capably if not more.
January 3rd, 2016 at 6:34 PM ^
With Ty Wheatley as Walkers new coach, and Harbaugh and Drevno also helping with instruction. Any running back can improve as a result of superior coaching and repititon.. High school coaching and lack of compettion could have really shell shocked Walker at the all star game. He will be fine being an EE and getting work in the weight room and watching veterens ahead of him. Go Blue! In Harbaugh and all his esteemed staff I trust.
January 3rd, 2016 at 7:26 PM ^
I like De'veon as THUNDER but we need that Lightnin'. I wonder if we could get McCaffrey to transfer????
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January 3rd, 2016 at 9:27 PM ^
Taysom Hill for RB!
January 3rd, 2016 at 11:42 PM ^
Not worried. Behind this O-line Smith is going to be a stud next year. With Chesson, Smith, Drake, Higdon and maybe some Pepper sprinkled in I think this team will have more than enough ability to find yards on the ground. The most optimistic Ive been about the ground game in quite some time.