Exit Dylan McCaffrey, Nico Collins
Nico Collins is out:
SI's Albert Breer reports that Michigan receiver Nico Collins has signed with NFL super-agent Drew Rosenhaus.
— Aaron McMann (@AaronMcMann) September 16, 2020
It appears Collins has played his last game in Ann Arbor. https://t.co/pRcKNkh76w
This is extremely bad news, but at least you don't have to see me tweet THROW IT TO NICO 500 times this November.
Dylan McCaffrey is out:
Confirmed with a source that Michigan quarterback Dylan McCaffrey is opting out and seeking a transfer. He'll have two years of eligibility remaining.
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) September 16, 2020
Whether this is regular bad news or extremely bad news will become clear over the course of the season. Losing McCaffrey means the QB depth chart is Joe Milton, now the presumed starter, Cade McNamara, and a true freshman Michigan picked up in a late scramble after JD Johnson was forced to medically retire.
Milton is acquiring a lot of offseason hype; this could be an indicator he has improved vastly over the past couple years and McCaffrey didn't want to stick around. That's the optimistic take. The less optimistic take is that McCaffrey left for whatever reason and now Milton is being handed the job more or less by default.
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September 16th, 2020 at 4:01 PM ^
fucking pathetic program
day will make good on his promise to hang 100 on us
September 16th, 2020 at 4:10 PM ^
Yeah, this kind of stuff sucks but it's time to start banning people like this^. Go spend your time elsewhere, just a cesspool of negativity on the board all the time.
September 16th, 2020 at 4:19 PM ^
keep scrolling big guy
September 16th, 2020 at 5:06 PM ^
Nah, Rob will have to do a deep dive into his posting history, maybe do something magical to stop him from creating posts, and then it will all be fine. No need to ban anyone then!
September 16th, 2020 at 5:21 PM ^
all joking aside, but after watching the last couple years...if osu came out hurry up offense and pressed for a 100 points from the get go, do u think michigan could prevent it??
September 16th, 2020 at 4:33 PM ^
yeah, it's too bad we won't have mccaffrey and collins around to keep that from happening. oh, wait, they don't play defense, huh?
turd. please post your 2021 tickets here, so we can be sure to sit as far away from you as humanly possible.
September 16th, 2020 at 4:02 PM ^
Appreciate the hell out of Nico. Difference maker, good dude, and seemed like a Harbaugh guy all the way.
I plan to celebrate him by continuing to yell throw it to Nico! at Gattis, Harbaugh, all QBs playing in every game, phone scammers, delivery drivers, and all those unfortunate enough to cross my path during football season.
September 16th, 2020 at 4:02 PM ^
Michigan absolutely wastes WR talent too much. It's effing frustrating.
Seems Gattis can help here going forward, but too little too late.
September 16th, 2020 at 4:04 PM ^
Hello University of Northern Colorado to go play for his daddy.
September 16th, 2020 at 4:05 PM ^
2020. It fucks with you, man.
September 16th, 2020 at 4:09 PM ^
So our #1 jersey wide receivers since Braylon have been Funchess (terrible 2014 season), Kekoa Crawford (lol), and Nico (didn't bother to play)
Time to retire that tradition
September 16th, 2020 at 5:08 PM ^
I’m assuming that like everything else Hoke/Brandon era touched, the “Legends Jersey“ concept is a goner... if that’s the case, let’s retire #1 (Braylon/AC) and #2 (CW) and get on with it.
September 16th, 2020 at 4:11 PM ^
Literally the only reasons I even would want this season to happen at this point is for the benefit of the players who could help their draft stock and development for younger players. Otherwise this is a just a sideshow season affected by opt outs during a pandemic, its quite frankly stupid in alot of ways.
September 16th, 2020 at 4:12 PM ^
Both of these are head-scratchers. Given the nature of the season, DCaf has nothing to lose (other than his head vs Wisconsin) by playing and then grad transferring. I have no idea what Nico is thinking. This isn't a spring season, it's an abbreviated fall. What does he have to lose by sticking around, or to gain by leaving?
The timing of all of this is what is so weird.
I'm just going to watch the season like the bunch of exhibition games that they are. This season is one giant asterisk anyway.
September 16th, 2020 at 4:31 PM ^
mccaffrey has plenty to lose by sticking around. transferring right now means he gets a year in a new system to prep for a year as a starter.
if milton is (in mccaffrey's mind, rightly or wrongly) a fait accompli, i don't blame him one bit.
September 16th, 2020 at 5:23 PM ^
I don't think so... didn't the article say that he plans to graduate in the winter and then grad transfer? So he's at UM through the fall season whether he plays or not. Maybe he just felt that that the juice isn't worth the squeeze if he's not going to be here next year.
September 16th, 2020 at 7:27 PM ^
No one loses a year of eligibility this season...so he’s essentially transferring for free.
September 16th, 2020 at 5:02 PM ^
Maybe some players don't feel comfortable playing during a pandemic? Shocker I know. All those macho men in the NFL would never sit out over the flu!!!
(Checks notes..)
Oh wait, you mean quite a few NFL players opted out as well? Crazy.
/s on the flu part obviously
September 16th, 2020 at 5:19 PM ^
In fairness, DC would lose the time in a new system.
September 16th, 2020 at 4:19 PM ^
I'm sort of chalking this season up to "let's see what 2021 will look like" because I am not highly optimistic that this will be a particularly fun year.
September 16th, 2020 at 5:20 PM ^
Been doing this since 2004
September 16th, 2020 at 4:20 PM ^
How is it Michigan gets decimated worse than any other Big Ten team because of Covid. What the fuck did we ever do wrong?
September 16th, 2020 at 5:07 PM ^
Because you pay more attention to the Michigan's roster than anyone else's. It's mostly just confirmation bias you're experiencing.
September 16th, 2020 at 7:35 PM ^
Maybe...but name another school that took as bad a hit? PSU Micah Persons only? OSU. Nobody. Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota?
September 16th, 2020 at 9:08 PM ^
The constant through all the crazy attrition and departures that other schools don't seem to experience is Harbaugh. Something is wonky for sure, but it won't come out until JH retires and Bacon writes another book. There have been rumblings about various things, but nothing is certain. The optics, though, suggest something is very wrong, and that continues in 2020.
September 17th, 2020 at 11:56 AM ^
Didn't Minnesota lose their best offensive player? Same with Purdue.
September 17th, 2020 at 10:07 PM ^
Michigan loses best OL best CB best WR and potential starting most experienced QB.
September 16th, 2020 at 4:25 PM ^
Given how fall camp optimism usually turns out, I refuse to believe the QB room news is good news. Nico leaving is just a bummer
2017 WR class is up there with the 2013 OL class now. DPJ, Tarik, Oliver Martin, Nico. Looks awesome on paper coming in but through injuries, transfers, and poor utilization they fell far short of what we thought they'd do here. Sad
September 16th, 2020 at 5:01 PM ^
Nico was going to be one of the most dominant players in college this year.
September 16th, 2020 at 5:35 PM ^
"2017 WR class is up there with the 2013 OL class now."
Sorry, I think that's ridiculous. What did the 2013 OL class yield?
* Bosch: Off-field issues, transfer to WVU, never played in the NFL. Where is he now? https://bluegoldnews.com/west-virginia-mountaineers/wvu-alum-kyle-bosch-transition/
* Dawson: Didn't play much, wound up at GVSU. Grand Valley.
* Kugler: Started one year. Never played in the NFL.
* Samuelson: Transferred to EMU. Eastern Michigan.
* LTT: Played at Akron and UTEP. Not exactly the pinnacle of college football ...
* Fox: IOA (injured on arrival).
They just weren't that good. Plenty of guys in the surrounding classes (2012 and 2014) made the NFL.
That's not remotely in the same ballpark as the 2017 receiver class. Nico looks like a future pro, DPJ *is* a pro. Tarik still has a chance. Martin was probably overrated.
You could say we didn't get a good look at Tarik and that would be fair.
September 16th, 2020 at 7:30 PM ^
I’m in this boat...the staff once tried to sell us JOK was starter quality based on Summer practice hype! I’ll believe it when I see it. Wish Milton the best, but until he looks the part on Oct. 24 I’m a little skeptical.
September 16th, 2020 at 4:27 PM ^
Is there such thing as an HTTV Cover Curse?
September 16th, 2020 at 4:27 PM ^
next man up.
September 16th, 2020 at 4:29 PM ^
I mean let's be honest it is in fact typical Michigan luck that they are impacted the most by opt outs despite having only one of those opts be reasonably assured of being a high draft pick.
September 17th, 2020 at 1:44 AM ^
There's just nothing to play for except some minor bowl games. If we ever get to the championship level, then the guys will decide there is something to play for. Though it may take a long time for this to occur.
September 16th, 2020 at 4:38 PM ^
From September 6 submission by kscurrie2 here at mgoblog: Sources at SI say Joe Milton would be the starter IF season started. From SI (Brandon Brown):
Everything we're hearing says that Joe Milton has risen to the top of the depth chart.
So this must be the reason. But how would Milton have won the job over the summer. Was there practice?
September 17th, 2020 at 1:45 AM ^
Yes, summer camp started in early August.
September 16th, 2020 at 4:41 PM ^
Hey there's football... and the season is over.
September 16th, 2020 at 4:42 PM ^
Look, I don't always think UM is going to win. But when I do, they do. It's been proven, time and again. Just ask my mom, she'll tell you true.
And let me tell you this, friends: JOE MILTON IS COMING FOR THOSE DAMNED BUCKEYES. HE'S THE BOSSMAN AT THE END OF THE GAME, AND THE BUCKEYES ARE OUT OF LIVES AND QUARTERS.
It's time for the 20-year shitstorm to end. A new day is coming, and the spear at the head of the spearstorm is named JOE F**KING MILTON.
September 16th, 2020 at 5:01 PM ^
Fuck it, I'm in.
September 16th, 2020 at 5:37 PM ^
Me too. I was just thinking what bad luck Harbaugh has had during his tenure here. But I hope he's tired of being snake bit and responds by going scorched earth on the conference. In the season when we least expect it. And Milton will be ready to ball out and run it up on Ohio State. Tables are gonna turn.
September 16th, 2020 at 5:58 PM ^
Well...
...if we’re being optimistic...
I am excited about Milton. He will stretch the field like no UM QB has in a long time. Our RB depth is solid, let them run the ball.
It sucks to lose D-Caff but this happens on the regular to good programs. They bring in multiple good QB prospects, and whoever doesn’t get the starting job transfers. It happened to Alabama, Georgia, and OSU, and they don’t seem to worry about it. We can’t either.
Can’t wait to see what Milton has
September 16th, 2020 at 6:23 PM ^
Haha im with you man. Everyone was bitching about zero football, now we are bitching like the old BPONE times. Good to be back here hahaha
LFG, you think the players are as depressing as this board right now because of some departures? No, they would lace them up tomorrow if they could.
Shouldnt we all be like this at this moment of 2020?
I can already see it, I wake up at the ass crack of dawn on the 24th and start cooking. Make some bloodies, turn on the fight song...cmon boys and girls, this is what we have wanted.
be safe, stay safe, mask up
GO BLUE
September 16th, 2020 at 4:49 PM ^
Milton has always been the better option at quarterback. I would interpret this as a positive. Milton has made such strides this offseason that it really wasn't going to be a debate as to who should start. Ambry Thomas' departure clearly hurts the most. Losing Nico Collins sucks for obvious reasons but this does mean our young talent at wide receiver gets a jump start in their development. That can't be a bad thing long-term. Mayfield is a big loss. Let's hope our much hyped 2019 offensive line class comes through or that Honigford takes a leap. Really, the biggest concern will be the hits to our depth.
September 16th, 2020 at 5:10 PM ^
I'm pretty sure the biggest concern is losing our best OL, WR, and CB. Yes, depth is affected also, but Jalen, Nico, and Ambry are 3 of the most talented and proven players on the roster. All are massive blows.
September 16th, 2020 at 5:29 PM ^
Mayfield is certainly the biggest loss. Nico would’ve been nice but we still have solid threats in the skill positions. Similar with Ambry. There is no replacing Mayfield with anyone even near his level.
September 16th, 2020 at 6:43 PM ^
Eh no. He had potential but wasn't proven by any means. Plus there's a lot of talent at OL. I think Nico is the biggest loss because I really could see him as a Heisman contender and although we have WR bodies now, the team is still very low on experience and no one comes close to being a big downfield threat. We also could be totally fucked at CB. Ambry is maybe the biggest loss.
September 17th, 2020 at 12:04 PM ^
Agreed. Having a beastly upperclassman at WR would've been a benefit to a new QB.
September 16th, 2020 at 5:12 PM ^
Dumb. Pretty much summarizes this shit year.
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