top-end top-endedness
Watching the video Brian posted of Jeremy Gallon, I thought, "Hmmmm...he just doesn't look as fast as I thought he would be."
Don't get me wrong. Gallon is a tough runner with good speed and he changes direction like whoa. He looks like a more athletic Odoms.
I guess my question is this:
Is there a guy on the current roster or incoming who looks like a gamebreaker, a la DeSean Jackson or Joe McKnight or Noel Devine? A guy who can take it the distance on any given play, with blocking or without?
I think Shaw is VERY fast, and so is Minor. But both are more straight line runners than ones who can create for themselves. I don't think Odoms is "that guy," although he's good. I'm not sure about Terrance Robinson, since he was hurt and the only real video I saw of him was the "Dream Shake," which was awesome but only one play (and even then it didn't go the distance).
Thoughts?
December 9th, 2008 at 5:16 PM ^
avery horn is fast
oh............
December 9th, 2008 at 5:19 PM ^
Have there been any rumors about where he's considering a transfer to? Nobody really seems to care that he's leaving. He seems to be a victim of the depth chart more than a lack of talent. I thought he could have been pretty good in this offense if given a chance, but there's obviously a logjam at the RB position.
December 9th, 2008 at 5:27 PM ^
where he's transferring because nobody really knows anything about him and had no emotional interest vested in him. Now for where McGuffie would transfer (if he does indeed do so), I'd say almost everyone will be interested
December 9th, 2008 at 6:34 PM ^
that's because he was our very first youtube sensation
December 10th, 2008 at 7:44 PM ^
he would have been given a shot. these guys can see the writing on the wall and very few of them end up griping about a lack of PT years from now. if you can play, you get a shot. someone, somewhere, is looking for you if you can play.
December 9th, 2008 at 5:17 PM ^
What about Teric Jones?
December 9th, 2008 at 5:51 PM ^
word.
December 9th, 2008 at 6:01 PM ^
.....that we're trying to describe here?
Desmond. Wheatley.
Those are the only two I can really think of that fit the bill.
December 9th, 2008 at 6:43 PM ^
Perhaps Braylon (as a senior) might fit the mold.
I'm not saying these guys grow on trees. I'm not saying we even need one to be a good team. I'm just wondering if we have one.
December 9th, 2008 at 6:03 PM ^
He's going to be a stud. Heir apparent to MINOR.. dare I say it, COX RAGE.
December 9th, 2008 at 6:10 PM ^
I know these wrs are fast but....im getting a little concerned we are recruiting too many ninjas. I could be paranoid but i like big, tall and fast rather than small but fast....just a hunch though, im paranoid about change.
December 9th, 2008 at 9:16 PM ^
If that happens, I call dibs on being the first to make a Shav'd Beaver and Cox joke.
December 9th, 2008 at 6:07 PM ^
When you ask if there is anybody on Michigan's roster that is like those guys, perhaps you should first ask that question of the entire Top 25. Who else could you come up with? Harvin could be added, but I think that's it.
The reality is that is unfair to be so critical of Gallon simply because he doesn't yet "measure up" (in your eyes) to the freaks who are at their top of their game now. To do this before Gallon has even had a chance to show his capabilities in college is extremely douchey, even for you Magnus.
I mean, really, how many of these "gamebreakers" actually exist in your mind, Magnus? Jesus.
December 9th, 2008 at 6:40 PM ^
Perhaps you should consider the fact that I wasn't being critical of Gallon. Just because I say "He's not DeSean Jackson" doesn't mean I'm knocking him. If that's the case, then I'm criticizing 99% of the college football world.
You all know how much of a fan of Brandon Minor I am...and yet he's not DeSean Jackson.
"Oh, shit. Why are you being so critical of Brandon Minor?"
Chill out.
December 10th, 2008 at 10:35 AM ^
(BTW, while others will concede that to you, Magnus, I won't back down on that- no matter how good Minor appeared to be at the time, you can't start a fumbler at RB. Never.)
Let's dial back your "I was right" tone, shall we? Because as we just saw upthread, you frequently get your facts wrong. Gallon plays in the largest division in Florida football, not the smallest as you claimed. He does not play in Feagin's division. How hard would it have been for you to just NOT SAY ANYTHING about which you have no clue? How many other times do you shoot your mouth off, forcing the rest of us to take time to correct the record?
This is why you get so much shit. For every "Brandon Minor is awesome," there are a thousand "Gallon plays in the smallest division just like Feagin." A broken watch is right twice a day, yet who wants to use that?
December 10th, 2008 at 11:44 AM ^
Do they really count as "facts" when I say I might be wrong and ask people to correct me? A direct quote:
"I think Gallon was up for 5A Player of the Year in Florida...which is the same award Feagin won last year (IIRC), but people knocked him because 5A is the smallest school division.
(Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong about those class designations.)"
December 9th, 2008 at 7:00 PM ^
Also, keep in mind that while I'm judging Gallon before he "has even had a chance to show his capabilities in college"...
...so is EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO THINKS HE'S GOING TO BE GOOD.
The Rivals guys who gave him 4 stars before he's taken a college snap, they've judged him already.
It's what we do. We see recruits and say "I think he's going to be good" or "I think he's going to be less than stellar."
So every time you see Brian call a recruit a "meh recruit," please remember to call him "douchey" as well.
(I'm not saying Gallon is a "meh recruit" but by your logic, every assessment - good or bad - is a premature assessment and apparently we shouldn't even bother with them.)
December 10th, 2008 at 10:26 AM ^
It's what we do. We see recruits and say "I think he's going to be good" or "I think he's going to be less than stellar."
Yes, we do that. Most of us, however, do that with a healthy dose of skepticism attached to our own thoughts, mainly because none of us get paid to do this work. None of us is trained in the art/science of scouting, and even those guys understand that there is a limit to how much can be projected based on so much uncertainty.
You, on the other hand, take a couple minutes of video and act disappointed. To be clear, I'm NOT saying anything about how good Gallon is going to be- I haven't a clue. But I am criticizing you for concluding something based on extremely limited information. There is too much uncertainty for either of us to say one way or another how fast/good Gallon will be...yet only one of us opined on him.
So every time you see Brian call a recruit a "meh recruit," please remember to call him "douchey" as well.
Please point to a post where Brian expressed disappointment in a recruit based on one video. I will gladly go in that post and call him a douche. Again, this isn't about what opinion is generated, it's how it is generated. From what I've read, Brian frequently, consistently, and easily qualifies all his opinions about recruits, no matter whether he thinks they'll be good, bad, or meh.
(I'm not saying Gallon is a "meh recruit" but by your logic, every assessment - good or bad - is a premature assessment and apparently we shouldn't even bother with them.)
You're mostly right, except that you seem to equate your assessment methodology with everyone else's. I don't- I imagine the scout services and even Brian take in much more information and paint a much fuller picture about recruits than you do. Thus, I trust their assessments more than I would ever trust yours.
Looking at one video is NOT the same as what everyone else does. Your methodology is flawed, and because of that your assessments are premature.
December 10th, 2008 at 11:23 AM ^
Perhaps I was unclear, then. If there's video out there of Gallon, I've probably seen it. Youtube, Rivals, the video Brian posted, etc. I wasn't basing my conclusion on one video, but on all the videos I've seen of him.
And again, saying "He's not DeSean Jackson" does NOT equal "He sucks" or anything even close, considering DeSean Jackson was a Heisman candidate and a first round draft pick. You need to re-evaluate your idea of what "disappointment" is, because I didn't express it.
Also, I NEVER insisted that my opinion is the be-all-end-all of opinions on recruits. I never said I was unequivocally correct. I ASKED for other people's opinions.
If asking for other people's opinions means I'm a stupid, conclusion-jumping douchebag...then I guess I'm that. But if you don't like statements that generate discussion, then you should probably avoid internet message boards like this one.
December 9th, 2008 at 6:16 PM ^
put up a 4.39 at the AA combine last winter to get himself three stars and his Michigan offer?
December 9th, 2008 at 6:41 PM ^
I believe it was a 4.37.
December 9th, 2008 at 9:03 PM ^
4.3765739485729
December 9th, 2008 at 9:20 PM ^
4.37465739485729
You forgot the 4 in there and that would make it round to 4.38 which totally changes my opinion of him.
December 9th, 2008 at 9:22 PM ^
4.38??? WTF WHY ISN'T RODRIGUEZ RECRUITING SPEED?
December 10th, 2008 at 12:47 PM ^
Teric Jones' 40 time was pi.
December 9th, 2008 at 6:24 PM ^
Wow it is getting angry and abrasive here. I read the Magnus question as "Who do you think is the break-away threat." Everyone else seems to think he said "Why doesn't RR have 5 DeSean Jackson's on the roster?"
Chill people, I think Magnus is looking for who you have high hopes for that has shown potential to be our next game-changing player, our next Braylon or Stevie-Wonder.
December 9th, 2008 at 6:44 PM ^
You read it correctly.
December 9th, 2008 at 7:00 PM ^
As far as game changers - Minor is primed to have a monster, monster year imo. He concussed more than one safety this year...and he definitely is a home run hitter. Carlos Brown has definitely show that he can go the distance.
As far as newbies, Shaw looks flat FAST getting to the corner. If he can crank it up - watch out.
Hemingway could have a huge year too...
I thought Gallon looked like he had a pretty high top end considering how short he is. Don't know about the competition either. Some of those highlight reals the studs are playing against really weak competition.
Teric jones has the speed to do some serious damage
December 9th, 2008 at 7:08 PM ^
That was a question I had, too. The competition didn't look great. I think Gallon was up for 5A Player of the Year in Florida...which is the same award Feagin won last year (IIRC), but people knocked him because 5A is the smallest school division.
(Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong about those class designations.)
December 9th, 2008 at 7:19 PM ^
Apopka is in 6A, actually, which is the largest division. And last year he was the only junior on the 6A all-state first team. That's about as high of competition as it gets in high school football.
Feagin was in class 1A, which I'm guessing is the smallest, but I'm not 100% sure how that works.
December 9th, 2008 at 7:53 PM ^
that's pretty awesome then...thanks
He's also Army All-American, which obviously isn't the end-all-be-all of opinions, but is a pretty good indicator he will have a significant impact before his is done.
December 10th, 2008 at 8:30 AM ^
Yeah - Gallon plays in the largest division in Florida football - Feagin in the smallest. He is playing the highest level of competition possible - if he wins the player of the year award that would be something worthy of note.
December 10th, 2008 at 10:08 AM ^
tone down the dickishness, IMO. Remember that the post starts off by expressing disappointment in an incoming freshmen...based off a few minutes of vid highlights. To wit: Magnus' premise for "who do we have high hopes for?" is based on it NOT being Gallon, since in Magnus' mind he "lacks" something.
If you think that doesn't deserve scorn, well, so be it. But this isn't the first time we've seen Magnus take a dickish tone with kids that are barely out of high school (and in Gallon's case, still in high school). Magnus deserves what he gets, IMO.
December 10th, 2008 at 10:26 AM ^
You have a very loose interpretation of the word "disappointment."
I simply said he wasn't as fast as I thought he would be. I didn't say he's slow or sucky. In fact, I even gave him a compliment when I talked about his change of direction. So while I said he was slower than I thought, I also said he has excellent moves.
That's not disappointment. It's simply an observation. You're LOOKING for negative things when there really isn't anything negative about it.
December 10th, 2008 at 10:42 AM ^
Watching the video Antonio posted of the Ferrari 430, I thought, "Hmmmm...it just doesn't look as fast as I thought it would be."
...
Now, did I just express disappointment in the Ferrari 430's speed? Or was I simply making an observation?
Disappointment is subjective, and it's based on falling short of a person's expectations. You expressed disappointment, IMO, because that video of Gallon didn't meet your expectations.
December 10th, 2008 at 11:27 AM ^
I still wouldn't take that quote as disappointment. Because the speed of a Ferrari is neither good or bad; it is just a thing.
Mike Hart was an excellent player without excellent speed. Just because I say "Mike Hart is slower than I thought" does not mean that I'm disappointed in him. It just means that he's not fast. I'm fine with that.
Chill the fuck out.
December 10th, 2008 at 12:39 PM ^
"Just because I say "Mike Hart is slower than I thought" does not mean that I'm disappointed in him.
Yes, it does- it means you are disappointed in Mike Hart's speed. You had an expectation for Mike Hart's speed, and he did not meet it. Why is this so hard for you to understand?
Merriam-Webster's definition of disappointed:
1: defeated in expectation or hope
...
Look, you were overly harsh in your phrasing. It happens to the best of us. But rather than admit that and move on (like normal people would do), you are now desperately trying to twist the meaning of what you actually said.
How can "not as ______ as I thought" be anything but an expression of disappointment? We're not talking objective values here, which is what you continue to insist. We're talking about meeting expectations, which is exactly where disappointments and pleasant surprises come in.
Give it up, Magnus. Just back off your initial statement and move on.
December 10th, 2008 at 1:01 PM ^
From dictionary.com:
disappointment - the state or feeling of being disappointed: Her disappointment was very great when she didn't get the job.
This is the definition of disappointment that I use. It implies some sort of emotional response. My response to "Gallon is not as fast as I thought he would be" was in no way emotional and in all ways scientific.
December 10th, 2008 at 1:05 PM ^
By the way, I think it's funny that you're telling me what *I* mean. As if I can't figure out for myself.
"Yes, you were disappointed in Gallon. Say it! Admit it! You were disappointed in him!"
I love how some of these conversations turn into you telling me what I think and then you arguing against it. I bet you never get bored when you're alone.
December 10th, 2008 at 1:07 PM ^
Oh, boy.....
"I bet you never get bored when you're alone."
December 10th, 2008 at 1:36 PM ^
We knew this already.
December 10th, 2008 at 1:03 PM ^
"looking for negative things" is argumentively answering 20+ posts of people who disagree with you... I could care less about your "history" of how people respond to you, but after half the entries in this post it is evident that 1) you're abrasive - not that everyone else can't be, they just aren't as persistent, and 2) if you were truly looking for good, informative discussion, you'd probably answer only those who responded to you in a seriour manner;
Try smiling and knowing you were right when you are, and letting the criticism blow over when you're not; instead of reminding everyone when you are right, and compounding things when you're not
December 10th, 2008 at 1:09 PM ^
If you look back at the people who responded seriously, I responded appropriately.
If you look at the responses that tried to paint me into a corner, I argued.
However, you're right. Perhaps I should only respond to the people who aren't going to be assholes about it. I'll work on that. Thanks for pointing this out.
December 10th, 2008 at 7:47 PM ^
'tis the way of the internet
December 9th, 2008 at 6:30 PM ^
homerun hitter. With this crop...kinda hard to judge at the present moment due to the lack of a line. However I'm going to cast my lot with three of them...Fitz,Shaw and Smith. I'm dying to see Smith and Fitz on the read option taking it to the house.
December 9th, 2008 at 6:51 PM ^
I think we are over looking him...I can seem him running the zone/read, keeping it and then gone.
December 9th, 2008 at 9:36 PM ^
You just got Shavodrick'd.
December 10th, 2008 at 10:32 AM ^
for Beaver Mania?!?
December 9th, 2008 at 9:41 PM ^
We'll have a slightly better idea about Gallon after the AA game
December 10th, 2008 at 12:43 PM ^
delivers