Detroit (MI) Cass Tech WR Donovan Peoples-Jones (image via MLive)
Detroit (MI) Cass Tech wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones committed to Michigan on Thursday night on ESPN. He chose the Wolverines over offers from Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Ohio State, Stanford, and USC, among others.
Peoples-Jones is 6’2″, 193 lbs. He claims a 4.4 forty and a 36″ vertical. As a junior in 2015, he caught 69 passes for 1,168 yards and 18 touchdowns. He has been selected for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl to be played on January 7, 2017.
RATINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 87 grade, #4 WR, #27 overall
Rivals: 5-star, #2 WR, #13 overall
Scout: 5-star, #4 WR, #32 overall
247 Sports: 5-star, 98 grade, #1 WR, #8 overall
Hit the jump for more on his commitment.
Peoples-Jones has long been considered the top prospect in the state of Michigan, and the Wolverines got in on him early. He’s a Michigan legacy and high on academics, so it has seemed like a good match from the beginning. However, for a while, he was intrigued about leaving the state and heading south to Florida (Gainesville or Tallahassee). The idea of getting a degree from Michigan resonated well with him, though, and he wants to go to medical school eventually.
I wrote about Peoples-Jones over the summer based on his junior film:
Strengths: First and foremost, Peoples-Jones is an elite athlete nationally – he proved that by winning the SPARQ national title last year at Nike’s The Opening, despite the fact that he was a rising junior going up against mostly rising seniors. He notched a laser-timed 4.4 forty and a 36″ vertical. That shows up on the field with his acceleration, where it sometimes looks like he’s shot out of a cannon accelerating past defenders. With his size, speed, and strength, he does a nice job of using leg drive to power through defenders for extra yardage or to break free from grabby corners. As a route runner, he works different releases and his deep speed helps him set up shorter routes. He adjusts well to the ball in the air and catches the ball away from his body when necessary.
Weaknesses: Peoples-Jones is very upright in his stance and makes himself a big target for press-man defenders to get into his chest. He will need to improve his release against college players who won’t be as easily overpowered as his high school opponents. He is also a very upright runner, and he struggles to move laterally, sometimes losing his footing when trying to weave through traffic. That second weakness is harder to fix, but not a huge detriment for an outside receiver.
Michigan comparison: David Terrell
I ranked him the #1 player in the state. Some of Peoples-Jones’s weaknesses are more detrimental for slot receivers, but not so much for outside guys. There aren’t a lot of concerns regarding his game, which is why he’s considered to be one of the top 32 players in the country by every recruiting service. Videos of him dunking by jumping over classmates went viral a couple years ago, and he’s the best athlete on the field even while playing against other great athletes in and around Detroit. I threw out the comparison above to David Terrell, and I stand by that after having several months to think about it. Terrell was a standout at Michigan and a first round draft pick, though his NFL career fizzled out quickly.
Peoples-Jones will almost certainly contribute as a true freshman, especially because he’s enrolling in January. Michigan loses its top two receivers in Amara Darboh and Jehu Chesson, so there’s room for other targets to emerge. Junior Grant Perry is a proven contributor, but other than that, there’s only a smattering of catches among Kekoa Crawford, Drake Harris, Maurice Ways, Eddie McDoom, and others. While Peoples-Jones would be the youngest of the bunch, he’s also the highest ranked by a fairly wide margin. He could develop into an All-Big Ten player and has the skills to potentially be a high draft pick in three to five years.
Michigan now has 21 commitments in the 2017 class, and Peoples-Jones joins Cheshire (CT) Cheshire Academy wideout Tarik Black as the only receiving targets in the class so far. Michigan now has commitments from the top four players within the state, as well as #6, #9, and #13. They could sweep the top six if Flint (MI) Southwestern defensive lineman Deron Irving-Bey chooses Michigan on January 7 at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Additionally, Cass Tech continues to be a pipeline to Michigan, as the Wolverines have also pulled in 2017 safety Jaylen Kelly-Powell and numerous others in recent years.
Assuming Peoples-Jones’s commitment and recruiting ranking hold through the end of the cycle, he will be Michigan’s fifth-best recruit of the modern era (LINK), behind Rashan Gary, Jabrill Peppers, Ryan Mallett, and Prescott Burgess.
TTB Rating: 89 (ratings explanation)
You need to login in order to vote
You type fast! 🙂
Great get for the good guys! Yea!
You need to login in order to vote
Ha. Yeah, I started typing this a couple days ago. I made a couple edits today, but for the most part, it’s been done.
You need to login in order to vote
Wow, the fifth best, and still under 90?
Again, I don’t follow recruiting as closely as others, but this is a kid I was really high on
I think we’re well on our way!
GO BLUE
You need to login in order to vote
Agree here. Not sure what it would take to crack 90 for a TTB score.
You need to login in order to vote
This goes back to our discussion in the Tarik Black comments. I’m not sure that Harbaugh’s offense will produce All-American receivers.
You need to login in order to vote
So what would be the highest rating you’d give a WR in this offense? 95? 90?
You need to login in order to vote
Probably right around a 90 unless I see a change in philosophy. If Harbaugh comes out chucking the ball to his wide receivers this year and Speight can actually hit them consistently down the field, then maybe I’ll alter my ranges for class of 2018 receivers.
You need to login in order to vote
This is another area where I have a philosophical disagreement in regard to what your rankings say they represent and the rationale you are applying.
Speight is going to be gone by the time DPJ and Black are juniors. Even Peters could be gone by the time they are seniors. Speight has little impact on what your criteria for a 90+ player is.
It seems short-sighted to factor this kind of stuff into a recruiting evaluation.
You need to login in order to vote
a) No system is perfect.
b) Speight is probably going to be here for 50% of Peoples-Jones’s career.
c) In the time Harbaugh has been at Michigan, we have only had an effective downfield passing game for about 25% of that time, which was the second half of 2015 (Rudock to Chesson). Otherwise, we’ve been dinking and dunking much of the time with Darboh, tight ends, fullbacks, etc.
You need to login in order to vote
Sure but it’s the 50% that wouldn’t really matter in the criteria you outlined. Those would be for the best season which is 90% of the time, the last season.
Agree with point B – which is why I think arguing that the system is holding down the accolades and draft position of Michigan WR doesn’t make too much sense to me.
Anyway, despite my quibbles, I think you’re doing a great job. It’s tough ranking kids based on high school highlight reels and recruiting profiles…mixing in the variable of predicting output makes things even harder.
You need to login in order to vote
Agree. I look forward to reading your stuff here, including the debates with Mr Lanknows!
GO BLUE
You need to login in order to vote
So, if you had been rating recruits when AC came along he might of hit a mid eighties because Bo hadn’t really discovered the forward pass?
You need to login in order to vote
I don’t know. It was a different game back then. Both college and NFL teams weren’t throwing the ball around as much as they do now. Offenses that line up tight ends and run the ball were the norm.
You need to login in order to vote
I think I wanted just to draw out that you have set a foundation of reason that you use to compare athletes.
As a longtime fan of the sport I read respected sources, maybe view some film, and then let the play on the field in real time (and of course in retrospect for a body of work) to set my ratings. I try not to get caught up in the hype, I try to enjoy the game and the skills as I see them.
IE you setting ratings is subjective based on your personal criteria and is a tough job. Part of the fun is agreeing or disagreeing with them. Keep up your efforts, that is after all why we are here.
You need to login in order to vote
Agree. Well put.
You need to login in order to vote
Corley, Weber, McDowell, Elmer, Burbridge, Thomas, Gholston. You have to go back to 2009 (William Campbell) for the last time Michigan got the biggest get in the state.* Before that it was Nick Perry and Ronald Johnson off to California. Brandon Graham (2006) was the last true clear #1 blue-chip prospect that landed at UofM.
In-state recruiting isn’t everything but there was a time when Michigan got the lion’s share of top in-state talent and that wasn’t the case under Rodriguez and Hoke. Harbaugh seems to be righting the ship.
DPJ is a huge get and one I’ve been hoping Michigan would close the deal on for a good while.
I expect big things, and anyone doubting that freshman WR can put up big freshman seasons should look up the stats of guys like Amari Cooper, Stephon Diggs, Artavious Scott, Christian Kirk, Calvin Ridley, JuJu Smith and Corey Davis. Just because it hasn’t happened at Michigan doesn’t mean it won’t.
DPJ is likely to play right away and, as much as I like Crawford, McDoom, and Perry there’s a pretty decent chance DPJ ends up the starting WR. My expectations would start at 500-700 yards next year. A thousand yard season wouldn’t shock me either.
Have to say I love the mix of skillsets they are bringing in a WR. The 2015 and 2016 WR group looks very very promising. While I expressed some negativity about Tarik Black in his recruiting post I like his fit as the big possession guy in the group of DPJ, McDoom, Johnson, and Crawford. Hopefully they get Collins too.
*We can quibble about rankings in a given year if you want but these are the guys that were the most heavily pursued by the powerhouse programs. Shane Morris doesn’t qualify.
You need to login in order to vote
Worth noting that this is 3 years in a row that Michigan got not only an elite 5-star recruit but also kids who seems to display A+ character. Like with Peppers and Gary it seems hard for anyone to find anything bad at all to say about DPJ.
You need to login in order to vote
There was a poster over at MGoBlog who wrote: “You’ve hit on his weak spot—despite his off-the-charts measurables, he’s actually terrible at catching the ball.”
Can a case be made that DPJ has trouble actually catching and holding onto the ball? From everything else I’ve read, I don’t see this criticism. Which leads me to believe the poster was crazy or being sarcastic.
You need to login in order to vote
He might have some issues catching the ball, but it hasn’t shown up as a weakness at camps and he obviously makes a lot of very good catches. Usually, if hands are a big issue – especially for an otherwise “blue chip” prospect – you’ll hear about it, just like you did with George Campbell.
You need to login in order to vote
Hadn’t heard that before. They seem pretty good in the highlight reel (no surprise there).
If that does become the case his athleticism would still make him a good candidate for DB.
You need to login in order to vote
That poster was being sarcastic in response to another poster who worried that DPJ might not have great hands since he thought a lot of highly ranked WR with his athleticism often have that problem.
So no, DPJ doesnt have bad hands and no that poster wasnt crazy.
You need to login in order to vote
Welcome to the site, quailman!
You need to login in order to vote
Long-time/First-time
You need to login in order to vote
The David Terrell comp seems on point BTW.
Highest rated WR recruit I remember at Michigan (besides maybe his classmate Marquise Walker, depending on the ranking – both were not only the top 2 WR in the class but also in the top 10-15 recruits in the country regardless of position).
While Terrell did have a quiet freshman season, he played behind 2 NFL-bound upperclassmen in 98. DPJ won’t have to worry about that.
You need to login in order to vote
Cass guys swear, “No easy balls dropped.”
Allege him to have way concentration.
Reminded me that they told me Delano Hill can play ….. again.
You need to login in order to vote
So, do the commitments of Tarik and DPJ encourage or discourage Nico Collins from joining the club?
There’s only so many balls to go around…
But, then, (assuming all live up to the billing) those 3 in trips / bunch formations – might make a DC wet himself… esp. in a 2-minute drill.
You need to login in order to vote
No, I think all three were expecting the others to commit.
You need to login in order to vote
Thunder says DPJ is an 89 and that that’s about as high as he can go for a Harbaugh WR because the volume stats won’t be there to support a higher rank.
Let’ talk for a sec about the evaluation criteria mentioned in the rating systems [ https://touch-the-banner.com/rating-system/ ] and highlight the differences between a guy in the 80s and 90s (where DPJ sits on the cusp). I’ll use Amara Darboh for an example of current player that fits in the range of a player in the 80s.
Big Ten starter: 90s is Outstanding vs. Very Good.
All Big Ten: 90s is Likely vs. good chance.
All American: 90s is Likely vs not mentioned
NFL Draft: 90s is high likelihood vs. some potential
I would say that Darboh was very good but not outstanding starter. His production was solid (800+ yards/7 TDs) but he didn’t truly stand out (though one can argue semantics here, I think most would agree). He was close though and you can argue his production was hampered by a coaching transition, OL issues, and a QB season this year that may go down as the worst in the Harbaugh era.
By TTB standards he’s an 80s player (a very good starter in the Big Ten) in the first criteria.
By TTB standards he’s a low 90s player in the second criteria (all big ten, but second team is not first team).
By TTB standards he’s an 80s player in the third criteria (not an all american candidate)
By TTB standards he’s a low 80s player in the fourth criteria (“some” draft potential but is not “highly likely” or even likely at all to get drafted.).That’s because he’s not an elite athlete, not because of production.*
So, overall Darboh is in the 80s. Probably closer to the higher end than the lower on the strength of his all conference honors. And while statistical production isn’t listed as a criteria, Thunder seems to value it and Darboh’s production (#4 yardage in the conference) would seem to put him on the higher end of the 80s.
So now there are two issues to discuss: one is the extent to which volume stats limit a Harbaugh WR and the second is how DPJ compares to Darboh (or someone like him).
———————————————
Stat production doesn’t really factor into the first or fourth category*. It does factor a bit into all conference honors and being named an all american but people look past system guys (like Westbrook at Indiana who did not get all-conference honors despite being #3 in the league in yardage).
Point is it’s a pretty small part of the evaluation, but I think Thunder is arguing it precludes him from ranking any WR as an all american because the stats won’t be there to support it. IMO this ignores 3 of the 4 other criteria.
————————–
The DPJ to Darboh comparison is worth exploring further too. If Darboh is an 80s player as a senior, it is essentially being argued that DPJ won’t end up being appreciably better.
To me it seems pessimistic to peg DPJ to Darboh level given:
1. DPJ’s athleticism is elite and gives him 1st round nfl draft potential
2. DPJ’s production could easily be better than Darboh’s. Given all the things that have improved over the last 4 years (coaching and talent especially) and the difference in recruiting profile (low 4-star/#29 WR vs 5-star/#1 WR).
Now it is a fact that Darboh met or even exceeded expectations. DPJ obviously hasn’t yet – and he could be a total bust. So, a reasonable person can drop DPJ because of the inherent uncertainty of projecting HS players to the next level.
But, it should be considered that if the NFL dropped their age restriction today DPJ gets drafted and Darboh doesn’t. (Just as happened in the NBA when high school prospects could be drafted over all-conference seniors.)
*The NFL drafts on potential not production. A lot of that is a function of athleticism (as they attempt to measure at the combine).This can be demonstrated empirically and anecdotally and IMO isn’t worth disputing. That’s how the NFL operates. The combine matters. Production is a small factor and really it would only be a question as to WHY production wasn’t there, if it wasn’t for an athlete impressive enough to draw attention.
Even though Darboh is very likely to be a better overall player than DPJ right now, NFL would take DPJ over him. You aren’t drafting the guy who can play today, you are drafting the one who can make a bigger impact over the next 4 years and beyond.
You need to login in order to vote
I think a source of confusion here is lumping all conference with all american (two very different thresholds), and then also including NFL stock with college production – these are related but ultimately very different things.
You need to login in order to vote
I think the ranking for DPJ can be argued as fair overall, but given the precedent set by ranking so many other WRs in the 80s it seems very low. Arguing that’s it because of Harbaugh’s offensive system doesn’t make too much sense to me (as argued above).
You need to login in order to vote
No offense, and I do appreciate the length, detailed foray into my rating system. I truly do appreciate it, because it holds me accountable and makes me think hard about my standards for the TTB Ratings.
However, I think a lot of your post is based on a false premise, which is that Amara Darboh would be a player in the high 80s, or even the 80s at all. Looking back on his career, I would place him in the high 70s, or MAYBE the low 80s. He’s not on par with Mike Martin or Denard Robinson, the players who are listed as examples in that 80s category. He’s more like a Brandon Minor or Craig Roh.
You need to login in order to vote
Ha. Well that’s another criteria of sorts. Robinson was an heisman finalist, all american, and broke a ton of records while at Michigan. But he got drafted only in the 5th round by the time he was a senior. Goes to show how such a broad criteria set can be conflicting and inconsistent.
And that’s fine. But I thinking honing in on one element of it (the All American thing with DPJ) is probably not a good idea if you’re going to have the broad criteria that you have.
As for Darboh being in the 70s. I would point to above and the criteria you outlined. He’s an all conference player. So was Roh but I guess I don’t quite understand why Roh is listed as an example in that category either.
Minor I get in the 70s. I think Darboh pretty clearly has had a far more impressive career than Minor, as did Roh. I know he’s a personal favorite of yours but Minor didn’t even establish himself as a legitimate starter.
You need to login in order to vote
I think you’re adhering too closely to the criteria without acknowledging the fact that very few players will slide into any one category perfectly. Being in the 70s doesn’t preclude someone from being all-conference. If I rank a guy as a 100 and he ends up being the #2 guy at his position instead of being THE BEST, then I still see that as a success and an accurate prediction. Not because it was perfectly correct, but because it was a pretty darn good approximation. Just like if I predict a score of 31-24 and it ends up being 30-24, or if I think a RB will rush for 1,200 yards but he rushes for 1,175, it’s a good guess because life is unpredictable.
As for Minor, there’s no doubt that he was a solid starter. Injuries and poor coaching choices (IMO) stunted his career, but if you take his final two seasons, he had 199 carries for 1,035 yards and 17 touchdowns. He averaged 5.2 yards/carry when the offense was brand new in 2008 and 2009, behind a patchwork offensive line, and with the likes of Nick Sheridan, Steven Threet, and a freshman Tate Forcier at QB. Put him in an offense where there’s an actual passing threat or an established offensive line, and look out. Darboh is/was fine, but he was a product of the coaching and offense he had around him. He made a few nice catches, but he wasn’t a playmaker and missed some key catches, too. I know we’ll all remember him because we’re big Michigan fans, but he has had a pretty forgettable career. In ten years nobody’s going to be talking about him. He’s no Manningham or Terrell or Walker or Edwards or Toomer or Alexander. The same goes for Minor, really, but I’d take Minor over any other running back Michigan has had since Mike Hart left. (Yes, before Carlos Brown, Vincent Smith, De’Veon Smith, Ty Isaac, Fitzgerald Toussaint, all of ’em.) Maybe that’s more of an indictment of our lack of star running backs in the last decade, but it’s the truth.
You need to login in order to vote
We’re kind of off topic, but I too was a fan of Minor. In your opinion, why couldn’t he get things going in the NFL? Fitz and Rawls played behind poor OL here, but made more of their pro opportunities than BM
You need to login in order to vote
I’m not quite sure why, but I have heard rumors that a certain leafy substance may have been a part of his downfall.
You need to login in order to vote
The only knocks on Minor were that he had fumbleitis, and couldn’t stay healthy. Other than that he easily was the best back since Hart. Thinking back to those RR teams, the lack of ball security was an epidemic.
You need to login in order to vote
My point is about defining the ranking category – it has nothing to do prediction accuracy.
Agree that Darboh isn’t in the elite echelon of Michigan WRs. Wouldn’t those guys be 90s?
Perhaps an idea for offseason content – retroactively rank a bunch of Michigan players at a given position. Would be fun, debatable, and clarify your rankings.
You need to login in order to vote
Those guys might be in the 90s. The next tier down is Junior Hemingway, Jeremy Gallon, etc. I’d still take those guys ahead of Darboh.
You need to login in order to vote
Gallon had the best yardage season in Michigan history, is 3rd in yardage and receptions all time at UM and got drafted in the NFL. He should be in the first tier.
Gallon was a difference-maker, play-maker, etc. at the college level, and that’s without considering his special teams contributions.
Hemingway and Darboh are reasonable peers in my mind. I’d put both in the 80s based on the criteria you’ve outlined. I’d give the edge to Darboh though. If nothing else, he was far more productive. He earned a higher level of all-conference honors than hemingway (honorable mention) too.
We’ll see what happens with the NFL but I would guess Darboh has a similarly short career.
You need to login in order to vote
I love Jeremy Gallon, but his accomplishments don’t push him into the 90s, in my opinion. He barely sneaked into the draft, wasn’t an All-American, and was only 2nd Team All-Big Ten.
You need to login in order to vote
This is where the logic gets a little twisted. Gallon was highly productive in volume stats, but that gets ignored because he didn’t get all american honors?
We’re arguing system holds back guys from All American status but most of the guys who were all americans had less impressive stats than Gallon.
To clarify:
Do you have to be an all-american to be in the 90s? Or can other stuff (1st team big ten, high NFL stock, ‘outstanding’ starter) overcome it?
You need to login in order to vote
You don’t have to be an All-American, no, and there’s no way for me to judge that perfectly ahead of time. Like I said, if I give a guy a 95 right now and he only ends up being All-Big Ten, that doesn’t make it an inaccurate prediction. On the flip side, if you’re a solid draft pick (not just nosing in late in the 7th round), an all-conference player, etc., there are chances for me to peg you in the 90s. In the case of Gallon, the only criterion he fits is “outstanding starter.” He misses in all of the other categories, save for a near-hit since he was 2nd Team All-Big Ten. That guy looks like about an 89 to me. I don’t think it’s too harsh to peg a guy who ends up as a 7th round pick as an 89/100.
You need to login in order to vote
Minor YPC was less than Vincent Smith and Carlos Brown – his primary competitors. In fact it was the second lowest YPC on the team (ahead of only Mike Shaw) in 2009.
We can all project guys to be better than what they were but the case for Minor is thin.
The comparison I would draw for Minor is Muhammed Ali Abdur-Rahkman. An OK but ultimately unexceptional player who gave fans a reason to be happy in a down time. MAAR will always have his valiant effort against MSU. Minor will always have 2008 against Purdue. Those performances were thrilling (in defeat) and lead to some fans overrating the player, who wasn’t especially good overall.
You need to login in order to vote
You’re cherry-picking. Minor had better career stats than both Smith and Brown, and he also scored touchdowns at a lot higher rate. But I’m really not interested in dredging up another lengthy argument about Minor. He was consistently a good player. And like I said, if he had any kind of offense around him, he would have had some very impressive numbers.
You need to login in order to vote
I’m didn’t say he was better or worse than those guys. I said YPC isn’t a good argument for Minor – as the season stats indicate.
if Carlos Brown had any kind of offense around him, he would have had some very impressive numbers.
if Sam McGuffie had any kind of offense around him, he would have had some very impressive numbers.
if Thomas Rawls had any kind of offense around him, he would have had some very impressive numbers.
if Deveon Smith had any kind of offense around him, he would have had some very impressive numbers.
if Ty Isaac had any kind of offense around him, he would have had some very impressive numbers.
We can say that about literally anyone. It’s projecting.
You need to login in order to vote
Sure, the season stats indicate good things for Minor. He averaged 5.2 yards/carry and 8.5 touchdowns on roughly 100 carries during his junior and senior year. Honestly, this conversation veers into ridiculous territory when you equate my statement to some of the players mentioned. Sam McGuffie? Really? The guy who averaged 1.1 yards fewer per carry than Minor?
A lot of sports talk is “projecting,” but some of it is conceivable. Some of it isn’t.
You need to login in order to vote
You’re looking at 5.2 ypc in a vacuum. Considering the context, that was wholly unimpressive.
Again in 2009 his ypc stats were 2nd lowest on the team.
You need to login in order to vote
Yeah yeah yeah, I know they were 2nd lowest on the team…but who did Vincent Smith play? He did have 17 carries for 166 yards against FCS Delaware State while Minor sat due to injury. Otherwise, he had 31 carries for 110 yards, which is about 3.5 YPC. Carlos Brown obliterated Eastern Michigan while Minor had just 3 carries. Looking at YPC in a vacuum includes giving credit to Smith/Brown for beating up FCS and MAC teams. I know that was seven years ago, but the context does matter, and it doesn’t look favorably on Brown and Smith. You always talk about looking at game situations, but you’re not really doing so in this conversation. When tied or losing (these are some of your favorite stats, remember), Smith had 22 carries for 70 yards. Minor had 78 carries for 451 yards in those same situations. So Smith was barely over 3.0 YPC, while Minor was at about 5.5.
If we start looking at context, your argument gets worse and worse.
You need to login in order to vote
LOL. You’re not allowed to use my arguments against me.
I disagree with you, but frankly we’re too far down in this thread and the comment formatting is unreadable.
I can respect your crush on Minor without agreeing with it.
You need to login in order to vote
We’ve had plenty of star RBs in the last decade. The NFL performance of our ex-RBs in the last decade is comparable to the decade before it. The issue is the OLs haven’t been there to block for them (save the 2010-2011 seasons).
You need to login in order to vote
Hmmmmmmmmm…meh. I disagree. The running backs haven’t done much in the NFL. You’re probably referring to Thomas Rawls mostly, but he’s averaging 3.5 yards/carry this year. I’ll grant that he had a good year last year (5.6 yards/carry as a backup), but that’s not much to go on. In the post-Hart era, we’ve had McGuffie, Vincent Smith, Minor, Toussaint, Rawls, Cox, etc. Smith didn’t sniff the NFL, McGuffie/Minor got tryouts, Toussaint/Cox have been backups, and Rawls has started 12 games over two seasons. I don’t think that counts as “plenty of star RBs,” and the problem hasn’t necessarily been the line.
You need to login in order to vote
My point is that the ‘great’ backs at Michigan didn’t look great in the NFL. Michigan hasn’t had a 1000 yard back in the NFL since the 90s and even then it was just barely.
Wheatley had a long career as mostly a backup and moved to FB. Thomas had a good rookie year but that was his career highlight. That’s about as good as it got.
The ‘stars’ were stars at Michigan because they had NFL O-lines, not because they were great players. Michigan again had an NFL OL in 2010 and 2011 and the rushing numbers shot up.
They shot right back down when that NFL OL departed.
This year’s OL had 2-3 NFL players and 3 seniors but depth issues meant we once again started true freshman.
Our RBs will look like ‘stars’ again when they have a strong OL.
You need to login in order to vote
The offensive lines in the past decade haven’t been as devoid of NFL talent as you’re implying. We’ve still had Molk, Schofield, Lewan, Glasgow, Omameh, etc. We also had a very good offensive line coach in Greg Frey when Rich Rodriguez was here. Michigan’s 2007 offensive line, for example, had a star performer at RB in Mike Hart, but the line was Jake Long, Adam Kraus, Justin Boren, Jeremy Ciulla/Alex Mitchell, and Steve Schilling. The only guy who has done anything in the NFL is Jake Long.
I encourage you to go back and look at those lines from early 2000s, for example, and then report back your findings. A lot of the starters are very forgettable, at least in regards to being “NFL guys” (Leon Henige, Adam Stenavich, Matt Lentz, Mike Kolodziej, Dave Pearson, etc.).
You need to login in order to vote
2007 is this decade.
I’m talking 1997-2006 vs 2007-2016.
2006 and 2007 is when Carr started fading in recruiting and OL and DB depth started becoming a problem. 2008 was a wreck.
Still, Long, Boren, and Schilling were all very good college players. Boren and Schilling had to play as true freshman out of need. This was the beggining of the problems that I raised.
You need to login in order to vote
Most of the guys you mentioned were here at the same time (2010-2011).
It was very rare for true freshman to start on the OL in the 90s and 00s. If they did they were NFL-bound. Now it’s happening every year.
Some of that is just the evolution of the game (kids are better prepared, informed, and coached than ever in HS) but in most cases for Michigan it’s been out of need.
On top of that, it’s been situations you could see coming a year or two in advance.
I do blame a lot of it on having 4 head coaches this decade, but some of it (as it relates to Hoke especially) was just flat out poor planning.
The OL has been a mess since 2011. This year was the best season personnel-wise but then the Newsome injury exposed how precarious the stability was.
You need to login in order to vote