Semi-OT: Nikhai Hill-Green Enters Transfer Portal

Submitted by NonAlumFan on November 30th, 2023 at 9:59 AM

https://x.com/tomvh/status/1730210899015667886?s=46&t=PRCXo8Zz6rBCQziYgqZIJg

(Can't access X on my work computer to embed so hopefully the link works.)

Per Tom VanHaaren, NHG is in the transfer portal as a grad transfer after leaving UM for Biff Poggi and Charlotte this spring. With Barrett out of eligibility and a new LB coach, maybe he'd be willing to rejoin the rotation. I believe he'd have two years of eligibility left after the 2020 COVID redshirt and a medical redshirt in 2022.

VanHaaren says he had 73 tackles, 9 for loss including 2 sacks, and 3 PBU's in 1 season at Charlotte. In 2021, he had 50 tackles including 2 for loss in 14 games. 2020 brought him 1 tackle in 3 games. Many thought 2023 would be a breakout year for him, this was prior to Hausmann transferring in though.

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It'sGreatToBe

November 30th, 2023 at 4:31 PM ^

I feel like there’s been a bit of selective amnesia after his injury year in 2022 that made a lot of people forget that NHG was perceived as a promising up-and-coming player for our roster in 2021 before he got injured and then announced his transfer. I recall feeling quite surprised about the general apathy towards him on this board when he announced, as I remembered him performing pretty darn well in the UFR charting in 2021 for a first-year player. By no means elite, but often comparable to or even exceeding our starters at the time. 

I just googled and clipped some grades from some of our bigger 2021 games to make sure I wasn’t going crazy, and I don’t think I was. For example*:

MSU:

PSU:

Nebraska:

Maryland:

Iowa (B1G championship game):

So, I dunno what to make of this? Guy wasn’t elite as a first-year player, but all the chatter I saw about him not being able to cut it, being unlikely to compete for playing time with EH transferring in, etc. has always felt oddly out of place to me. After watching Rolder take -2s out the gate on Saturday and seeing that NHG was viewed as being generally on par with our starters in his first year playing in 2021 — absent a major regression I’m unaware of — I’d personally welcome the guy back in a heartbeat as a third linebacker for our rotation.   

*Please have mercy on my attempts to scribble in the opponent on my iPhone screenshots that look like a 2 year old learning to spell his name for the first time. 

Joined: 09/28/2014

MGoPoints: 394

AWAS

November 30th, 2023 at 11:19 AM ^

That assumes that the information set to make the decision hasn't changed. I'm fine revisiting a decision when new/different data become available.  It's one of my pet peeves about second-guessing decisions from the past--people who do that usually are using a different data set.

Joined: 01/02/2018

MGoPoints: 9612

AWAS

November 30th, 2023 at 10:39 AM ^

I wonder how many portal decisions will be made by players before the CFP is over and the participating teams can think about staffing decisions and player needs.  The calendar seems to be really unfavorable to the top teams.

Joined: 01/02/2018

MGoPoints: 9612

CliffSnotes

November 30th, 2023 at 10:42 AM ^

I don’t know what defensive system Charlotte used. But NHG did have one healthy year and one injured year of learning our defensive system. 

Also: he went to a program of known friend and trusted agent Biff Poggi.  I can’t imagine that Biff would take a bad apple transfer after being around NHG for a year or two. 

If he came back as a starting LB assuming Colson is gone, sign me up. 
 

Joined: 10/19/2012

MGoPoints: 235

treetown

November 30th, 2023 at 10:52 AM ^

If Bobby Petrino can go back to Arkansas and be part of their football program, it is not a question of if but merely when this will happen. There are many examples of couples breaking up and later remarrying.

Joined: 11/10/2010

MGoPoints: 6339