transfers
attrition
zach carpenter
[Brice Marich/247Sports]

Exit: Zach Carpenter Comment Count

Ace December 10th, 2020 at 7:50 PM

Whether or not a coaching transition occurs this offseason, attrition is inevitable given the uncertainty around the program (and attrition is always inevitable). This one might sting for a while. The all-but-anointed next multi-year starter at center, Zach Carpenter, is now in the transfer portal:

Carpenter earned rave reviews in practice throughout his brief time at Michigan, earning 2019 Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year honors, then pushing through several older players to earn a spot on the two-deep behind Andrew Vastardis at center this season. When Vastardis sat out with an injury, Carpenter replaced him in the starting lineup, and we were already penciling him into next year's lineup.

Due to the loosening of eligibility restrictions during the pandemic, Vastardis could potentially come back for a sixth year if he wanted, though he may also want to begin a less contact-heavy life with two U-M degrees in hand instead. Freshman Reece Atteberry was a top-ten center prospect out of high school and redshirt freshman Nolan Rumler is a former top-200 recruit who's practiced at both guard and center. Michigan also has top-250 overall center prospect Raheem Anderson committed out of Cass Tech in the 2021 class set to sign next week. Those last three are probably the main competitors for the job next year unless Carpenter changes course or Vastardis returns.

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Comments

UMVAFAN

December 10th, 2020 at 8:54 PM ^

Unless he knows the game next week is not going to get played, then I’ll say the unpopular thing - good riddance! He’s quitting before the year is done. I don’t care what level you’re playing at whether it’s peewee football or the NFL, or how much you dislike your coach or coaches, you DO NOT quit on your teammates. The offseason is the time to make moves like this. Maybe we’ll find out it is in fact the offseason, but if they play one more game, then he’s a quitter and Michigan will never win with players who have that mentality at their core. Harbaugh might be as bad as some are making him out to be, but finish the year up with your brothers!!! Pathetic!

Joined: 10/15/2013

MGoPoints: 5013

ca_prophet

December 11th, 2020 at 3:22 AM ^

Except he can't drive home for a weekend right now without risking his teammates.  Michigan was doing well with their coronavirus protocols until students went home for Thanksgiving, and then boom - the rest of the season goes away and a ton of his teammates might be sick.

If he's homesick, the only way he can fix that is to go home and stay there.  He has to be part of that bubble and isolate with them, not the team, and not here.  If he can do that at Cincinnati then more power to him.

And before you say "it's just another week, wtf", even with an effective vaccine the soonest low-risk candidates are likely to be able to get it is May of next year.  More likely August.  Then we wait for the disease to die down to a manageable level, and *then* we roll back some of these protections.  (And that's *if* we manage to vaccinate enough people with an effective vaccine.)

I know the football program is down.  But a sure sign of depression is interpreting everything as evidence that further reinforces that depression, and believing that everything bad happens because of that.

Joined: 09/07/2010

MGoPoints: 7120

TexasMaizeNBlue

December 19th, 2020 at 6:14 PM ^

Exactly.  That's less than a 4 hour drive. 

 

I'll tell you what, and unless I'm missing something nobody else has said this. 

 

But how about the old fashioned "Why THE EFF are they starting Vastardis over me, I'm clearly better" reason for transferring?

 

At what point is this NOT a meritocracy? Evidence for this is deeper than people think. 

Joined: 08/03/2012

MGoPoints: 2066

MGoStrength

December 10th, 2020 at 9:17 PM ^

Exit: Zach Carpenter

I don't feel like we should title these when a guy enters the portal.  It's not a foregone conclusion that he's gone.  He can stay.  I'm guessing either an extension for JH or a hiring of a new HC will move the needle for him.  I'm not sure which one he's avoiding/seeking, but surely one of those things will seem positive him.

Joined: 07/29/2010

MGoPoints: 20002

Mongo

December 10th, 2020 at 9:40 PM ^

Yikes.  Warde needs to have an exit interview with Zach and his family to figure this stuff out. 

Buckle up for more bad news. 

Joined: 06/25/2016

MGoPoints: 9585

My Name is LEGIONS

December 10th, 2020 at 9:41 PM ^

How does this happen? This is bad.... We need Ohio kids.  Fickell must be on this.

Was he pissed we recruited so many inside players and centers?  

Have a feeling more are coming.  

Joined: 10/29/2014

MGoPoints: 4872

HollywoodHokeHogan

December 10th, 2020 at 10:20 PM ^

This seems like another "I can't stand playing for this guy" transfer.  If he was happy playing for Harbaugh but worried about his job, he would have at least stayed until the official end of the season.  The Chargers can't hire Harbaugh fast enough.

Joined: 02/12/2011

MGoPoints: 20514

Blue in MD

December 11th, 2020 at 2:10 AM ^

There could be any number of reasons for why Carpenter is leaving that have nothing at all to do with Coach H. Maybe a family situation back home. Maybe he knows that Vastardis is definitely returning for another season and he knows he can start for another program right away. Or it could be a combination of those sorts of things that all add up together to make it a wise choice for his future.

It's clear that he would become a solid contributor for the team, so I'm disappointed that he's leaving. But, we have a LOT of talented O-linemen / Centers on the roster with more coming in future classes. Next man up.

Joined: 02/06/2020

MGoPoints: 131

Vote_Crisler_1937

December 11th, 2020 at 5:46 AM ^

I haven’t been as tuned in this year as usual.

Vastardis does not look very good to me when I’ve watched him play this year. Why wouldn’t an up and coming Carpenter feel confident he can beat him out next year? In year 5 going on 6 Vastardis likely is what he is, while Carpenter likely has much more potential to develop and the inside track over the younger players mentioned. Why would playing time be a concern for him this week? 

Joined: 11/07/2011

MGoPoints: 15526

SlickNick

December 11th, 2020 at 7:50 AM ^

This probably belongs in a snowflake thread somewhere but the lack of players sticking around and turning into JR/SR leaders for this team is absolutely killing this program. You can't survive off of a handful of recruits that show up ready to play. You need leadership from the HC, and older players who are essentially coaches on the field for the inexperienced players. Additional snowflake comment..but I think strong senior leadership would knock some sense into (not naming names) young players who make stupid social media drama, that does nothing positive for the program. The expectation for players to develop maturity across the board is absolutely devoid, and that falls on Jim Harbaugh. 

Joined: 09/28/2015

MGoPoints: 6038