Ex-Wolverine Updates: Post-2016 Recap

Ex-Wolverine Updates: Post-2016 Recap


January 12, 2017

Kyle Bosch (#62, image via Scout)

Former OG Kyle Bosch: Bosch made 1 tackle this year, but more importantly, he started all 13 games at West Virginia and was named Second Team All-Big 12.

Former DE commit Pharaoh Brown: After missing all of 2015 while recovering from a nasty knee injury, Brown was Oregon’s starting tight end and made 33 catches for 426 yards (12.9 yards/catch) and 5 touchdowns. However, he got in some legal trouble and missed the final two games of the season. His college career is complete.

Former WR commit George Campbell: Campbell redshirted during his second year at Florida State due to injury. He will be a redshirt sophomore this coming fall.

Hit the jump for updates on many, many more former Wolverines.





Former TE commit Chris Clark: Clark redshirted at Pitt during his transfer year. He will be a redshirt sophomore in 2017.

Former WR/S Brian Cole II: Cole made 54 tackles, 2 fumble recoveries, and 1 TD on a fumble recovery as a sophomore at East Mississippi Community College. He’s transferring to Mississippi, where he’ll be a junior in the fall.

Former CB commit Gareon Conley: Conley made 26 tackles, 4 INTs (for 0 yards), and 8 PBUs as a junior at Ohio State. He was Second Team All-Big Ten and declared for the NFL Draft.

Former CB commit Shaun Crawford: Crawford made 6 tackles and 1 INT (for 22 yards), plus an extra point block returned for a 2-point conversion. He only played in two games this season due to an ACL injury.

Former QB commit Messiah DeWeaver: DeWeaver redshirted as a freshman at Michigan State.

Former RB/CB Ross Douglas: Douglas made 4 tackles while playing in ten games at Rutgers. He would be a fifth year senior in 2017 if he chooses to return.

Former defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin: Durkin’s Maryland Terrapins went 6-7, including a bowl loss to Boston College, 36-30.

Former DT commit Jordan Elliott: Playing in six games, Elliott made 8 tackles and 1.5 TFLs for Texas as a true freshman.

Former RB commit Kiante Enis: Enis was kicked off of Indiana’s team due to legal issues. He never even made it to his freshman year of college.

Former RB commit Matt Falcon: Falcon is at Western Michigan but did not play football this year while recovering from his knee injury.

Former LB Michael Ferns: Ferns didn’t play at all at West Virginia in 2016 despite being eligible to play. He sat out the 2015 season due to transfer rules and rode the bench in 2016. He will be a redshirt junior in 2017.

Former RB Derrick Green: Green had 38 carries for 141 yards (3.7 yards/carry) and 2 TDs as a senior at TCU.

Former OT commit Devery Hamilton: Hamilton redshirted during his freshman year at Stanford.

Former LB commit Dele’ Harding: Harding made 13 tackles and 1.5 TFLs for Illinois as a true freshman.

Former RB commit Damien Harris: Harris was a part-time starter in his second year at Alabama. He ran 146 times for 1,037 yards (7.1 YPC) and 2 touchdowns, and he caught 14 passes for 99 yards and 2 TDs. He fell behind Bo Scarbrough on the depth chart late in the year.

Former LB commit Antonio Kinard: Kinard made 93 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, and 2 PBUs as a starter at linebacker for the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Former LB commit Darrin Kirkland: Kirkland made 45 tackles, 5 TFLs, and 1 sack as a true sophomore at Tennessee. He missed four games due to injury.

Former DT Ondre Pipkins: Pipkins made 32 tackles, 4 TFLs, 1 fumble recovery (for 23 yards), and 1 PBU as a fifth year senior at Texas Tech. His college career is finished.

Former LB commit David Reese II: Reese made 49 tackles and 2 TFLs, adding a blocked extra point return for 2 points in his true freshman season at Florida.

Former CB commit Antwaine Richardson: Richardson made 2 tackles and 1 PBU as a freshman at Maryland while playing in just two games.

Former CB Terry Richardson: Richardson made 22 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 INTs (returned for 32 yards), and 3 PBUs during his redshirt senior year at Marshall. His career is now finished.

Former LB Kaleb Ringer: Ringer made 41 tackles, 1 TFL, and 1 PBU in his redshirt senior year at Georgia State. His college career is done.

Former head coach Rich Rodriguez: Much like a certain in-state school that will not be named, Rodriguez went 3-9 at Arizona this season. Those wins came against Grambling State, 5-7 Hawaii, and 7-7 Arizona State.

Former DE commit Darian Roseboro: Roseboro made 25 tackles, 11.5 TFLs, and 7 sacks as a sophomore at North Carolina State.

Former OG Dan Samuelson: Samuelson redshirted at Eastern Michigan during his transfer year.

Former CB commit Sir Patrick Scott: Scott signed with Marshall but was not on their roster this year due to academic issues.

Former OL/DL Tom Strobel: Strobel made 29 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 0.5 sacks, and 2 PBUs for Ohio as a grad transfer this year. His career is now finished.

Former OT commit Erik Swenson: Swenson redshirted as a freshman at Oklahoma.

Former CB commit Garrett Taylor: Taylor made 2 tackles and 1 PBU as a redshirt freshman at Penn State. He missed all of 2015 with an ACL injury.

Former OT Logan Tuley-Tillman: Tuley-Tillman started all twelve games for Akron at left tackle. He is now looking for a graduate transfer opportunity.

Former QB commit Victor Viramontes: Viramontes redshirted as a freshman at Cal.

Former DE commit Rashad Weaver: Weaver redshirted as a freshman at Pitt.

Former RB commit Mike Weber: Weber led Ohio State in rushing this year with 182 carries for 1,096 yards (6.0 yards/carry) and 9 TDs. He also caught 23 passes for 91 yards (4.0 yards/catch).

51 comments

  1. Comments: 359
    Joined: 8/11/2015
    GKblue
    Jan 12, 2017 at 6:48 AM

    This is first class work, thanks.

    I am bummed by Enis. Glad for Pipkins. Still pissed at Weber. Keeping half an eye on Viramontes, Swenson, and Falcon. It goes on…

  2. Comments: 1356
    Joined: 8/13/2015
    Roanman
    Jan 12, 2017 at 6:59 AM

    David Reese would have been nice about now.

  3. Comments: 522
    Joined: 8/12/2015
    DonAZ
    Jan 12, 2017 at 7:48 AM

    What’s the outlook for Messiah DeWeaver at Michigan State? Assuming the current coaching staff remains, they typically prefer pocket passers, and I belive DeWeaver is a dual-threat. Any guess as to how he might be employed? (a) Try to turn him into a pocket passer that can run, (b) Modify offense to fit his dual-threat style, or (c) different position.

    • Comments: 3844
      Joined: 7/13/2015
      Jan 12, 2017 at 7:56 AM

      DeWeaver isn’t really a dual-threat guy. He was the #12 pro-style QB in his class. So I guess the plan would be to develop him as a pocket passer.

      • Comments: 522
        Joined: 8/12/2015
        DonAZ
        Jan 12, 2017 at 10:14 AM

        I went back and looked at your write-up on DeWeaver … yes, pro style (I don’t know where I got the idea he was a dual-threat), and you were not that high on him (arm not that strong, drops elbow and allows balls to sail, a bit slow in drop-back, footwork when throwing a bit troublesome). But you indicated if he matured and some of those issues corrected, he could be very good.

        So we’ll see. After a 3-9 season I would imagine Dantonio is willing to explore pretty much anything. DeWeaver redshirted last year … is this year the year we’ll see him come out? We’ll see.

        • Comments: 3844
          Joined: 7/13/2015
          Jan 12, 2017 at 12:24 PM

          I would guess Brian Lewerke is the front-runner for the MSU QB job in 2017, but we’ll see.

  4. Comments: 11
    Joined: 9/18/2016
    Double-D
    Jan 12, 2017 at 10:12 AM

    What’s your take on Pipkens and his UofM exit. His production at DT this year is impressive and would be welcome on any team.

    • Comments: 3844
      Joined: 7/13/2015
      Jan 12, 2017 at 12:29 PM

      I think he had health problems, and Michigan didn’t want them to be a risk for them. He had missed significant time, and he was a good bet to have further issues. Maybe the year off while transferring was helpful for him physically to recover from his issues. Regardless, Michigan had good depth on the interior of the defensive line and had good production. I don’t think Pipkins’s season was particularly impressive. It was a solid year for a DT, and probably not much more. There are 10 defensive linemen on the All-Big 12 teams (1st and 2nd combined), and Pipkins wasn’t on either team, nor was he Honorable Mention all-conference.

      • Comments: 6285
        Joined: 8/11/2015
        Lanknows
        Jan 12, 2017 at 3:37 PM

        It was last year that we needed Pipkins, when Tom Strobel ended up playing. As you point out – he might not have been ready for that yet.

        • Comments: 3844
          Joined: 7/13/2015
          Jan 12, 2017 at 4:41 PM

          Michigan wasn’t going to win a national championship even with him in 2015, so it didn’t cost us a national championship. And I don’t know that he was better than our rotation guys this year, so he also didn’t cost a NC in 2016.

          • Comments: 6285
            Joined: 8/11/2015
            Lanknows
            Jan 12, 2017 at 5:06 PM

            I think you’re confusing the comments about Bosch with Pipkins. Michigan could have used Pipkins to fill out a backup role in 2015. I don’t think he would have been eligible in 2016 (the year I was saying Bosch would have made a difference in).

            • Comments: 3844
              Joined: 7/13/2015
              Jan 12, 2017 at 7:16 PM

              Okay, that makes sense. Sometimes I read these comments on the back end without context, so I thought it was about the other guy. Sorry.

          • Comments: 6285
            Joined: 8/11/2015
            Lanknows
            Jan 12, 2017 at 5:11 PM

            I don’t think Pipkins is a difference-maker as a player, but he would have helped because we ended up with so many DL injuries in 2015. That was really a freak thing that couldn’t reasonably be anticipated.

            Still, hypothetically, the massive backslide in run defense could have been mitigated. Enough to beat OSU? Probably not. Maybe it changes the outcome of MSU but I honestly can’t recall if the DL was an issue in that game or not. I think MSU couldn’t run at all anyway.

  5. Comments: 400
    Joined: 12/24/2016
    INTJohn
    Jan 12, 2017 at 10:16 AM

    Glad for Rashad Weaver. I heard he was looking at Temple but Pitt worx as they defeated both the eventual B10 champ as well as National Champ…….

    Geesh! RR won 3 games in his first year at both WV & Mich. Took him 5 years to accomplish a 3 win season at AZ – I guess perseverance does pay off! Go Rich! (maybe he’ll interview at WMU – I guess every1 else is)

    IMHO……………INTJohn

    • Comments: 522
      Joined: 8/12/2015
      DonAZ
      Jan 12, 2017 at 12:20 PM

      When I first read your post, I saw “WVU” (West Virginia) rather than “WMU” (Western Michigan). And I thought, “There’s no way RR is going back to WVU. I doubt he wants to go there, and I’m certain they wouldn’t have him.”

      I spent the spring, summer, and fall in a rural part of West Virginia, about 90 miles southwest of Morgantown. Lots of WVU fans. Lots of people who practically choke on the mere mention of Rich Rodriguez. They still hold a grudge. Plus, there’s just a ton of rumors flying around about … shall we say … off-the-field behavior by RR.

      I can’t picture RR going to a MAC school: too small, plus cold north. I can see him taking over some southern school like one of the Florida directionals, but that would only be if his stock is down so much he can’t land an ACC or second-tier SEC team.

      • Comments: 400
        Joined: 12/24/2016
        INTJohn
        Jan 12, 2017 at 12:36 PM

        I was being totally sarcastic (as he chuckles).
        Sarcasm: Its the language of the intelligent and a free public service I provide to anyone within earshot……..

        OK – back 2 RichRod: I have drawn parrellels between he & Einstein. Both of them stumbled upon an idea & concept of Genius while employed in an obscure dead end environment that put them at the top of their professional worlds. Only to spend the rest of their lives running around in circles unable to advance with their discovery while the rest of their profession completely left them and past them by………

        As I see it………….INTJohn

      • Comments: 400
        Joined: 12/24/2016
        INTJohn
        Jan 12, 2017 at 1:06 PM

        Also; Grudges can be a good thing. I still have one from 1973. Fuck osu, fuck msu & fuck illinois – fucking illinois was the real stab in the back.
        We should’ve left the B10 back then and told em to go to hell ands after what happened 6 weex ago in columbus I’ve been having flashbacks……..

        As both a Michigan & Florida State alum I didn’t have a full flavor of joy by watching Clemson’s success but I did enjoy watching them beat the shit out of osu; there’s a lot to be said for that great big 31-O in OHIO.

        IMHO…………INTJohon

        • Comments: 1356
          Joined: 8/13/2015
          Roanman
          Jan 12, 2017 at 7:59 PM

          That’s a good grudge.

          • Comments: 400
            Joined: 12/24/2016
            INTJohn
            Jan 13, 2017 at 11:04 AM

            Yes it is. I was so pist while writing I forgot to throw Wisconsin in there too: fuck Wisconsin; them and illinois well forever be Michigan’s real betrayals and we should never forget it. They acted like our friends and then when it came voting time both sided with that fuking osu. And Hirsch was an alum and threw us away – like Michigan wasn’t good enouigh. Fuk the B10.

            You expect nothing from your enemies – MSU & OSU – we know they hate us – but Ill & Wis acted like our friends and stabbed us in the back. Fuk’m.

            I skoft , a few years later, when Woody turned MSU in adding more support to the adage ‘ There is no honor among thieves’. Fuk the Big 10.
            Decades now and I still don’t know why Michigan stays in that fukt up conference.

            As I see it……………INTJohn

            • Comments: 1356
              Joined: 8/13/2015
              Roanman
              Jan 13, 2017 at 12:35 PM
            • Comments: 400
              Joined: 12/24/2016
              INTJohn
              Jan 13, 2017 at 11:43 PM

              I’ve never held any animosity toward Smith – he chose to become an MSU hireling and you owe your soul to who signs your check – his part was simply a business decision. We all knew how MSU would vote – they hate us. Fuk Wisconsin & Illinois tho fahevah!
              A Fukikng team that went 30-2-1 and never played in a bowl game! Can you believe that?
              …..and that was back in the days when playing in a bowl game actually meant something! Not like this bowl bullshit today with the likes of 5-7 Nebraska last year. Can you fuking believe that crap – 5-7 NAh fuking braska in a bowl game last year and Seniors that went 30-2-1 never did?
              Fuk the Big 10 for letting that cornholing Nebraska into the conference – they husk all that corn so they don’t get feces on their salad greens – all the more reason to get the hell out of this worthless fuking conference.

              Them coaches gave that self rightous snot Osborne his going away gift and robbed our 97 team too of half their due!
              They all hate us – Because of our confidence, our strength, our will to succeed that those assholes confuse for arrogance.
              I will always remain unapologetic for being a strong & healthy animal – their inferiority complex is their problem that THEY perceive to be Arrogance on our part. Fuk that coaches poll and fuk the B10 and now I just find out that little asswipe from osu is on the playoff committee!

              Every time i see Barrett with the ball in his hands I have a fantasy flashback of given a forearm to the chin of Korny Green. Today it would be ‘Targeting’.
              “Targeting my ass, Ref!” “That was a fuking Bullseye!” Fuk osu, fuk Wis, fuk msu, fuk Ill & fuk the coaches poll and fuk the B10.
              Gawd! send me a bill for therapy…….
              End Rant…………….INTJohn

  6. Comments: 6285
    Joined: 8/11/2015
    Lanknows
    Jan 12, 2017 at 11:55 AM

    Pipkins medical looks more dubious now than it looked then. If you recall he said he wanted to play and UM staff told him he couldn’t. We’ll never know the truth but UM doesn’t look good.

    I can think of one school that needs OT help who LTT would fit great at…in theory.

    Did Reese play at Michigan? I thought he was a decommit.

    I’ll never understand the Kyle Bosch thing. Might have cost Michigan a national title.

    I’m glad Terry Richardson went out on a positive note. Best of luck to him.

    • Comments: 3844
      Joined: 7/13/2015
      Jan 12, 2017 at 12:23 PM

      I don’t think the Pipkins situation makes Michigan look bad at all. They didn’t think he was physically capable of playing for them. If someone else wanted to take the risk, they were free to do so. Texas Tech did, he sat out a year, and then he contributed to a mediocre team in 2016. He didn’t do anything special there, anyway, and Michigan had plenty of depth. NFL Draft Scout has him as the #41 DT in the draft class. No big deal.

      Reese was a decommit.

      Bosch didn’t fit what Harbaugh wanted. He had problems (and he might still have them). Maybe it did cost Michigan a national title, but maybe so too did not recruiting other troubled players. For all we know, cutting the riff-raff might be part of what got Michigan to a 20-6 record over the past two years instead of 18-8 or something like that.

      • Comments: 6285
        Joined: 8/11/2015
        Lanknows
        Jan 12, 2017 at 3:46 PM

        His performance on the field is not why this looks bad. In serving their own interest UM prevented a kid from doing what he wanted to do. This looks bad.

        We’ll never know if UM’s claims are legitimate because of privacy, but the way it played out looks bad, so the situation looks bad.

        Michigan says there is a significant risk. Pipkins says the risk is not. We don’t know. Picking one side, asserting it as fact, and starting from there is not looking at this objectively.

        • Comments: 3844
          Joined: 7/13/2015
          Jan 12, 2017 at 4:40 PM

          Even if that’s how you feel, it doesn’t really look that bad because nobody cares. The national media doesn’t care, and neither really does the local media. In fact, this here website is just about the only place that anyone from the Michigan universe hears about or talks about Pipkins. If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

          • Comments: 134
            Joined: 9/13/2015
            AC1997
            Jan 12, 2017 at 5:15 PM

            One theory on Pipkins that I heard was concussions. That could explain that discrepancy in how his medical situation played out at Michigan but he still played this year. Similar to how Wes Welker still wants to play in the NFL but a lot of teams aren’t comfortable signing him.

            • Comments: 6285
              Joined: 8/11/2015
              Lanknows
              Jan 12, 2017 at 5:29 PM

              That would explain a lot.

          • Comments: 400
            Joined: 12/24/2016
            INTJohn
            Jan 13, 2017 at 1:38 PM

            Actually, from the laws of physics (on simple molecular collision) explained by Stokes theorem and acoustically – Stokes law of Sound Attenuation…….. the short answer is yes the tree would make a sound and the fact that a human being may not be presently at the scene to ‘hear’ it does not by the Laws of Physics make it any less audible……….

            jez sayin…………….INTJohn

        • Comments: 6285
          Joined: 8/11/2015
          Lanknows
          Jan 12, 2017 at 5:16 PM

          You are right that nobody really cares but that was also true for many commits that get pushed out later in the cycle. Then one made a fuss and it got out and looked bad for Michigan. Next time Michigan medicals a kid who doesn’t want to be medicaled there will be a track record because of Pipkins and Canteen and probably some others I’m not thinking about.

          It still looks bad, even if it only looks bad to a small group of people who are aware of it.

          I do think the people who blasted Alabama for putting people on medicals should feel like hypocrites.

      • Comments: 6285
        Joined: 8/11/2015
        Lanknows
        Jan 12, 2017 at 3:47 PM

        I don’t now what “problems” he had but he said he wanted to be on the team and was pushed out.

        • Comments: 6285
          Joined: 8/11/2015
          Lanknows
          Jan 12, 2017 at 3:49 PM

          Again, in the case of Bosch I think you are taking UM’s side without really considering if the player was treated fairly.

          They wanted to be on the football team. Harbaugh didn’t want them on the team so they aren’t.

        • Comments: 3844
          Joined: 7/13/2015
          Jan 12, 2017 at 4:38 PM

          He wasn’t pushed out. He was not invited back. If you want to know his problems, read “Endzone” by John U. Bacon. That will give you a pretty good idea.

          • Comments: 134
            Joined: 9/13/2015
            AC1997
            Jan 12, 2017 at 5:16 PM

            I thought it was a bit of both – Harbaugh was willing to keep him around but only if he agreed to certain conditions with Bosch didn’t agree with. Without knowing all of the details it is hard to ‘take a side’ in that debate.

            • Comments: 6285
              Joined: 8/11/2015
              Lanknows
              Jan 12, 2017 at 5:25 PM

              Either side could be right. Pipkins has more evidence on his side. In M’s defense they can’t release their “evidence” and the only public evidence that would make their case is Pipkins getting hurt (which no one wants to see).

          • Comments: 6285
            Joined: 8/11/2015
            Lanknows
            Jan 12, 2017 at 5:19 PM

            Got it for Christmas but haven’t read it yet.

            Seems like semantics to say he got not invited back.

            • Comments: 3844
              Joined: 7/13/2015
              Jan 12, 2017 at 7:15 PM

              I mean, he left the team. Just because you leave the team and want to come back doesn’t mean you deserve that opportunity. I don’t see that as being pushed out. He made his choice, and choices have consequences.

          • Comments: 1356
            Joined: 8/13/2015
            Roanman
            Jan 13, 2017 at 3:47 PM

            Actually, was he not invited back, but under some criteria that he didn’t see fit to live with?

            • Comments: 3844
              Joined: 7/13/2015
              Jan 13, 2017 at 6:02 PM

              There were some criteria that he did not agree to, so Michigan gave him his release.

    • Comments: 522
      Joined: 8/12/2015
      DonAZ
      Jan 12, 2017 at 12:33 PM

      I was thinking the same thing re: Pipkins. Those numbers aren’t too shabby. Clearly his “medical condition” — whatever that really was — didn’t prevent him from playing at the level he did at TCU. It may be that medically he really shouldn’t have played, but as you say, we’ll never really know.

      Michigan may look bad. But I’m really starting to wonder if this is just how the top-tier of football works nowadays. I’m totally serious — there’s the top 12 or 15 teams that are seriously trying to get to the playoffs and NC, and it really is shaping up to be an all-out arms race to get and stay there. I’ve argued here and elsewhere that there are some teams that simply will *never* be in that discussion. It takes too much talent and depth, and there’s only so much of the talent to spread around.

      Who knows … perhaps I’m being too cynical.

      • Comments: 9
        Joined: 12/16/2016
        quailman
        Jan 12, 2017 at 2:12 PM

        Pipkins was at Texas Tech, not TCU.

        I dont think UM looks bad. If they really felt like he shouldnt be playing football, then they tried to help. If they were just trying to open a roster spot, they didnt just kick him to the curb, they still offered a free education.

        • Comments: 6285
          Joined: 8/11/2015
          Lanknows
          Jan 12, 2017 at 3:56 PM

          Big if. Michigan offered him a place to play football AND get a free education. They took half that away. The fact that other schools are more than willing to give him both (for 2 years even) indicates that Pipkins may be in the right.

          • Comments: 3844
            Joined: 7/13/2015
            Jan 12, 2017 at 4:44 PM

            Meta question for you, Lanknows:

            How do you go about responding to so many questions? Do you use the list of comments on the sidebar? Do you just return to threads you want to discuss? I’m just curious. You’re very efficient.

            • Comments: 6285
              Joined: 8/11/2015
              Lanknows
              Jan 12, 2017 at 5:21 PM

              I use the sidebar unless there is a specific discussion I remember wanting to get back to. But once I click on a post (via the sidebar), I’ll often scroll through the comments top to bottom. Obviously this is untenable when there are 60+ comments but most posts are not there yet.

      • Comments: 6285
        Joined: 8/11/2015
        Lanknows
        Jan 12, 2017 at 3:53 PM

        Absolutely the way it is at most big time programs. The thing is that Michigan fans and Harbaugh hold the program to a higher standard. There was a time when mgoblog and many others railed about oversigning and pushing players out who didn’t want to go. You don’t hear about that anymore because now we’re medicaling people just like they do.

  7. Comments: 1
    Joined: 1/12/2017
    waka
    Jan 12, 2017 at 12:35 PM

    Brian Cole is going to Mississippi State, not Ole Miss. I’m looking forward to seeing him on Last Chance U Season 2. Hopefully he is one of the players featured.

  8. Comments: 134
    Joined: 9/13/2015
    AC1997
    Jan 12, 2017 at 5:22 PM

    Thunder – I was trying to think of another way to organize this awesome list that would help readers understand the impact of the player not being at Michigan. Maybe “former players” versus “former commits” in different sections or something. Maybe adding a little tag line to each saying “if they were still at Michigan they’d……” Food for thought.

    More specifically, your list helps paint the picture of why Michigan is in a bind at OL and DT. Maybe you could devote an off-season post to each position and how the 2017 depth chart became what it is now (good or bad).

    OL – Bosch and LTT left for off-field reasons and both would be likely starters. Hamilton would have a shot at starting next year. Swenson, Dawson, and Samuelson would have added depth with unknown quality. (Not to mention a guy like Pocic)

    DT – Pipkins isn’t really applicable to 2017 obviously. But Jordan Elliot would be in the rotation next year for sure.

    • Comments: 6285
      Joined: 8/11/2015
      Lanknows
      Jan 12, 2017 at 5:28 PM

      I second splitting commits from former players. Very big difference in most cases. You have guys who graduated from Michigan vs guys who were recruited by them for a matter of weeks – some of them never even set foot on campus. Calling these guys “ex-wolverines” is a stretch, though I agree that tracking them is interesting, especially the guys like Reese and Weaver that Michigan uh encouraged to look elsewhere.

    • Comments: 3844
      Joined: 7/13/2015
      Jan 12, 2017 at 7:14 PM

      That’s a good idea for organization. I think I did that once or twice and then forgot about it.

      I have a post about 90% completed like the one you’re asking about. I will probably be putting it up at the beginning of next week.

      • Comments: 182
        Joined: 9/15/2015
        ragingbull
        Jan 13, 2017 at 4:17 PM

        cool that should be interesting. we all have a good idea of how they ended up in this position but itd great to see in print. it can be a vicious cycle, especially teams like m that cant / dont supplement the roster via junior college. whiffing on an entire position group in 1 recruiting class can devastate a teams depth for years – forget about whiffing several years in a row (and at more than 1 position). and its just an even worse mess when combined with taking inadequate or unbalanced #s at certain positions.

        obviously m struggled at many positions under rod and hoke and its rolled over into harbaughs tenure – harbaugh had to find QB talent ASAP and wherever he could with guys like rudock, okorn, malzone, gentry in the first few months, then hes trying to balance out OL and DL #s while still ensuring the bodies he signs are talented enough for this level, and add WR, LB and DB to the list as if they didnt have enough depth trouble. teams will always run into issues when dealing with multiple mismatched large and small recruiting classes (and compounded by coaching changes) like theyve had over past 5 years or whatever, and its not easy to overcome, especially when at least trying to appear to abide by the rules. they appear well on their way, although wont be without some bumps in the road – good thing is harbaugh is equipped to handle those bumps and keep moving.

        but it obviously wouldve really helped the current staff if previous coaches had a better hit ratio at QB, WR, OL, LB, etc. theyre losing like 4-5 experienced senior contributors at DL and DB and while they certainly had some talented kids on roster (and still do), its an unbalanced roster. the margin for error is razor thin at many spots and inexperienced guys and many frosh will be forced onto the field – as an example, due to lack of viable DB recruits 2-4 years ago, theyre left with kinnel and inexperienced 1st and 2nd year players. or LB or WR – that WR class with jones, york and dukes was a disaster, and it appears the LB class with ferns, wangler, etc might not be much better especially if furbush doesnt end up being anything more than just another guy out there (though winovich is obviously a player and he apparently found him a home).

        wow, its tough to ponder some of those classes and the effect its had and continues to have, and thats without really delving into OL, DL, QB, etc much at all. ugghh.

        i look forward to that article you mentioned. i just threw together a bunch of comments on depth and roster mismanagement but its prob barely coherent (apologies) and doesnt offer much – id love to see it all broken down by class and whatnot, should be a good read (though likely somewhat depressing).

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