So what does Tom Lemming have to say about Denard?

Submitted by Hoken's Heroes on

3. Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson has emerged as a leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy. So where did he rank coming out of high school in Deerfield Beach, Fla.? Nowhere. The 6-0, 185-pounder wasn't rated in the top 100 by any service. He wasn't invited to the U.S. Army All-American Game. He wasn't a national recruit. Michigan did a good job of developing him and fitting him into its spread offense.

I saw him in high school. I thought he would be more of a spread quarterback. He wasn't a great passer in high school. I rated him as a three-star player and bumped him to four stars when I saw him perform well in a loss to national power St. Thomas Aquinas of Fort Lauderdale. I thought he might be a running back in college because he had 10.6 speed for 100 meters. But his passing skills always were questioned. It only shows that guys who end up making it big have speed. Robinson is better than all of us thought he would be.

 

http://blogs.suntimes.com/secondseason/2010/09/september_thoughts.html#…

MGoBoard
Football

jrt336

September 20th, 2010 at 9:57 PM ^

Uhhh, he didn't rank anywhere? I'm pretty sure being a 4 star means people think you're talented. It's not like he was an unheard of 2 star. I guess if you're not in the top 100 you aren't very good.

Joined: 01/16/2009

MGoPoints: 4498

Irishlad87

September 20th, 2010 at 10:04 PM ^

Wasnt Pat White a similar player coming out of High School in Alabama? If so that just show what a great eye for talent are offensive coaches have. grant it denard was a 4 star recruit.. if i remember correctly RR was the only coach recruiting him to play qb.

Joined: 12/27/2008

MGoPoints: 8

GOBLUEinGA

September 20th, 2010 at 10:04 PM ^

Denard has the talent. When Urban Meyer wants you as his Percy Harvin/do-it-all replacement, that's saying something. I watched him light up the Friday Night Lights Camp two years ago in Gainesville when he was a senior at Deerfield Beach but he was playing WR. Thanks Urban for not giving the kid a chance to play QB. We appreciate it.

Joined: 09/03/2010

MGoPoints: 45

bronxblue

September 20th, 2010 at 10:08 PM ^

4* rating sounds like Lemming figured he would be a very good college player as a Percy Harvin/Dexter Mcluster-type of player.  So maybe he wasn't a protypical option QB because of the questionable accuracy, but the ability has has displayed this year really shouldn't surprise anyone.  He's not Pat White in the sense of being overlooked.

Joined: 11/22/2008

MGoPoints: 172085

CalifExile

September 21st, 2010 at 10:32 AM ^

"the ability [he] has  displayed this year really shouldn't surprise anyone."

What he has accomplished so far this year is incredible. It would amaze me even if I hadn't seen his performances last year. But having seen the improvement from a really poor QB to possibly the best in the country in one year should surprise everyone. (Except possibly RR and his coaches).

Joined: 03/02/2010

MGoPoints: 12625

mjv

September 21st, 2010 at 12:08 PM ^

I had thought that Pat White had a number of offers to bigger name programs, but as an athlete destined for WR or DB, and that RR was the only major program to offer him the chance to play QB.  My thought was that the recruitments of Denard and White were very comparable.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 3685

bronxblue

September 21st, 2010 at 3:57 PM ^

White had some interest from other programs (I'm not sure about actual offers), but he was still a relatively low-rated kid when he came to West Virginia.  While Denard was similar to White in the sense that people did not see him as a QB, I always remembered there being a fair bit of buzz around him as a player - according to Scout, he was the #16 CB nationally, and Rivals had him #14 and the 188th best player in the country.  So while their stories are similar in the sense people did not forecast them as QBs, Denard certainly was more of a known comodity when he stepped on the field.

Joined: 11/22/2008

MGoPoints: 172085

TorontoBlue

September 20th, 2010 at 10:22 PM ^

I remember Urban spitting a little Vitrol after 'Nard's class was signed - said RR's recruiting presence in FLA put a schism in their professional relationship, no more coaching visits,  blah blah blah. . . .good for us and GO BLUE!

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 956

readyourguard

September 20th, 2010 at 10:37 PM ^

This from one of our own.  

Can he catch the ball??? IMHO.... we need a reality check.. he will not, barring injury to Tate, see significant time at QB. The reality is.... he will take hand-offs, run, and also be used as receiver and return man... Book it, Danno.

 

 

"Book it". AHAHAHAHAH

Joined: 08/21/2008

MGoPoints: 40986

ElGuapo

September 20th, 2010 at 10:47 PM ^

Just goes to show you why Lemming is not a head coach and Rich Rod, Urban Meyer and guys like that are.    They clearly saw things that Lemming couldn't see.  

Denard is passing the ball at 70% as far as accuracy.    He is very accurate.    Passing deep, passing short, doing it all and doing it all with touch where need be... and a rifle when he has to gun it.    Denard simply didn't have the coaching before arriving at Michigan.   The talent was always there.  It merely had to be coached up.    

Joined: 08/29/2010

MGoPoints: 371

JClay

September 20th, 2010 at 11:15 PM ^

Are you sure on that? I remember reading somewhere, but I could be mistaken and my apologies if I am, that RR and Meyer were the only two coaches to recruit 16 and tell him he'd have a fair tryout at QB.

Joined: 09/14/2010

MGoPoints: 13753