2018 Michigan Season thread

[Mdot21]

Agreed.  Also might lend some credence to the rumors that him and Dantonio had some major falling out

I don't know if I buy the whole Dantonio/Enos fall-out.
Enos left MSU as an up and comer to try his hand as a HC in the MAC. Didn't work out and he got hired to an OC for an SEC team. That coach and that entire staff got fired so he was a free agent. Not sure Enos going to Michigan is a sign of any thing. Sounds like complete nonsense to me honestly.
So he's currently unemployed, and he's not suppose to take a high paying job at Michigan- which just happens to be close by where he's from and grew up and most of his friends/family he grew up with still live- just because he used to go to Michigan State and coached under Dantonio? This bs floating out there by Sparty boards that the only reason he'd take that job is because of some rift with Dantonio is complete nonsense.
Only way I'd buy that story was if MSU offered him a job and he turned them down to take the Michigan job. Far as I know, MSU never offered him a job and they aren't currently in the market for an offensive coach right now.

[ELA]

Those talks have been out there for years, long before this.  Hell, back when he left CMU for Fayetteville that was named as the reason why he'd never come back to EL as OC as long as Dantonio eas there.

[847badgerfan]

The RB that the Michigan head coach wanted to be an LB (AJ Dillon) was just named to the freshman AA team by the FWAA (Taylor too, and the UAB kid).

[Mdot21]

The RB that the Michigan head coach wanted to be an LB (AJ Dillon) was just named to the freshman AA team by the FWAA (Taylor too, and the UAB kid).

ugh. Don't remind me. Harbaugh should've just promised him he'd play RB and never mentioned LB. Only move him to LB if he didn't work out at RB. Which obviously he would have given the year he just had.
Harbaugh was trying to make room for Najee Harris out of Cali, the #1 player and #1 RB in the 2017 class- who had been committed to Alabama forever. Harris signed with Alabama.
Colossal F up by Harbaugh right there. Bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush. No doubt in my mind that kid is the starter at RB in 2017 had he come. Higdon would be a terrific back-up, they'd have made a great combo- and would've freed up Chris Evans to be what he truly is- a WR/RB hybrid. Have my doubts though they'd have figured out how to use Evans properly even if that was the case. Major lack of creativity from that offensive staff.

[ELA]

Unless they really, really thought they had Harris.  Dillon is great, but let's be honest, nobody thought he had that in him, or he would have had more offers.  Harris looked even better last night than Dillon though.  I know the lines are very different, but he was doing stuff on his own that was just scary for an 18 year old.

[847badgerfan]

Unless they really, really thought they had Harris.  Dillon is great, but let's be honest, nobody thought he had that in him, or he would have had more offers.  Harris looked even better last night than Dillon though.  I know the lines are very different, but he was doing stuff on his own that was just scary for an 18 year old.

Dillon had a committable Wisconsin offer (so that should mean something in itself) when he chose Michigan after visiting Madison a few days before. By the time he figured out he was being messed with and de-committed from Michigan in December, UW had already moved on and took Taylor (in November). In fact, most of his other options moved on. December is too late to start looking again. BC was his only real option at that point.

[Mdot21]

Unless they really, really thought they had Harris.  Dillon is great, but let's be honest, nobody thought he had that in him, or he would have had more offers.  Harris looked even better last night than Dillon though.  I know the lines are very different, but he was doing stuff on his own that was just scary for an 18 year old.

They did think they had Harris. But you don't have anyone until that LOI is signed.
No doubt Harris is special and a freak. Which is why they pressed so hard to get him. But you don't dump an athletic freak like Dillon for Harris unless you have that LOI. Dillon would have been better than Isaac, Higdon, or Evans. Isaac got hurt and was never seen from again. Higdon is too small and can't pass block but he's an effective change of pace runner. Evans is a lethal weapon when used properly as a hybrid player in the mold of a Percy Harvin or Curtis Samuel, has yet to be used properly at Michigan imo. Urban would have a field day with that kid and make him a real star. Kid picked the wrong school. Harbaugh doesn't have a clue how to use him right. Dillon was the exact type of bruiser that Harbaugh looks for in his RB's. He was 6'1, 230 in HS running legit 4.53's at that size. He's 240 now running that same speed and just runs over and right by people. Perfect type of RB for that power run scheme.
Harbaugh has to get this team better at QB, RB, and OL. Passing on a guy like Dillon was flat out a mistake. Weakened the talent pool at the RB position. I see some nice talent at WR and TE, but it's extremely inconsistent. There are some next level NFL type athletes with size and speed. I think the inconsistency has a lot to do with lack of coaching and youth there.
QB, RB, and OL however? I think that's just lack of coaching and a lack of talent. Patterson could help out that problem at QB if he's eligible right away and if Pep Hamilton isn't the one coaching him, but the RB position and OL position- looks pretty bleak. Higdon is a nice player but he's not an NFL RB. AJ Dillon is a future NFL draft pick at RB. I really like Evans- he is a hell of a weapon but they have no clue how to use him right.
Even if Higdon can be the guy as a SR and develop more physically and improve his pass blocking, even if Patterson is eligible and proves to be the best QB that Harbaugh's had in 3 years, even if they get a damn clue and figure out how to really use Chris Evans- that OL is probably gonna be really ugly in 2018. They should be OK on the interior but the tackles are a mess.

[CatsbyAZ]

QB Eason from Gerorgia just announced his transfer to Washington. Would've liked to have him in the future Michigan backfield; seems like Harbaugh lost out if he didn't try for an Eason transfer. Or if he did, as Eason was in a close recruiting relationship with Harbaugh before Georgia signed him.

Not high on the current vanilla state of Michigan QBs going forward.

[ELA]

QB Eason from Gerorgia just announced his transfer to Washington. Would've liked to have him in the future Michigan backfield; seems like Harbaugh lost out if he didn't try for an Eason transfer. Or if he did, as Eason was in a close recruiting relationship with Harbaugh before Georgia signed him.

Not high on the current vanilla state of Michigan QBs going forward.

Why would Eason have considered that with Patterson already coming in and McCaffrey and Peters on the roster?  If you are transferring away for PT reasons, you aren't going to transfer somewhere that's still far from home, where you still wind up possibly as the third string QB.

[Mdot21]

with Patterson coming on board and having a shot to be eligible immediately, an Eason transfer would make no sense for all parties involved. Eason has to sit a year, no other way around it. Michigan is also bringing in two 2018 kids in Joe Milton and Kevin Doyle. They are both likely redshirts. Which means if nobody left, in 2019, Eason would have to beat out Shea Patterson, Brandon Peters, Dylan McCaffrey, Joe Milton, and Kevin Doyle. He's certainly talented enough and capable of doing so, but it doesn't make a lot of sense for him to sit a year and risk it.

Makes a lot more sense to go somewhere like Washington, sit a year, learn the system and take over in 2019 after Browning has graduated.

[Mdot21]

Bruce Feldman is reporting that Gruden is trying to hire Pep Hamilton to be an assistant with the Raiders. PLEASE GOD LET THIS HAPPEN. PLEASE.

Michigan should offer a 2 for 1 to take Drevno while they're at it.

[CatsbyAZ]

ELA, Getting Eason isn't so much about what's good for Eason, but more so about Michigan getting what's good for Michigan.

I was hoping Harbaugh could work his crootin' magic and land another QB by maybe spending the night amongst the gym sneakers and discarded yellow lunchables boxes of Eason's dorm room floor.

Point is we shouldn't be at this point going into Harbaugh's fourth year,  where the QB position is such an uncertainty that even with the stable full we might as well be drawing straws. If that's what it's come to' might as well add another straw.

Plus, I'm not too optimistic on Peters. IMO he's injury prone, and when one-dimensionalized by opposing defenses, quits.

In Peters defense I think he'll be bettered with solid competition for his job, which Speight and O'korn were hardly.

[ELA]

ELA, Getting Eason isn't so much about what's good for Eason, but more so about Michigan getting what's good for Michigan.

I was hoping Harbaugh could work his crootin' magic and land another QB by maybe spending the night amongst the gym sneakers and discarded yellow lunchables boxes of Eason's dorm room floor.

Point is we shouldn't be at this point going into Harbaugh's fourth year,  where the QB position is such an uncertainty that even with the stable full we might as well be drawing straws. If that's what it's come to' might as well add another straw.

Plus, I'm not too optimistic on Peters. IMO he's injury prone, and when one-dimensionalized by opposing defenses, quits.

In Peters defense I think he'll be bettered with solid competition for his job, which Speight and O'korn were hardly.

Well yeah, every school should want every good QB.  Obviously adding every good QB is good for Michigan...or any other school.
But if your main reason for leaving is PT, going to Michigan doesn't make much sense.  Washington makes all the sense.

[MrNubbz]

11 Warriors reporting Kareem Walker dismissed.Evidently 4th violation of team rules in 2 yrs