Redshirt sophomore cornerback Keith Washington is transferring out of Michigan. I ranked Washington at #20 in the 2017 Season Countdown (LINK) and projected him as a starting cornerback after he looked like the best corner on the roster in the spring game.
Recent rumors suggested that David Long and Lavert Hill solidified themselves as the top corners, and Sam Webb intimated that Washington was no longer playing corner, presumably meaning that he had moved to safety. That makes sense for Michigan due to the low numbers at safety. But maybe it didn’t sit well with Washington, who would have been behind two sophomores at cornerback, a junior safety in Tyree Kinnel, and a sophomore safety in Josh Metellus. Maybe he simply didn’t see the path to playing time.
Washington was committed to Cal at one point, and Michigan flipped him out of Prattville (AL) Prattville. Remember that exciting pipeline to Prattville? Nobody is left. Washington is transferring, Dytarious Johnson didn’t qualify, Kingston Davis transferred to a JUCO in Kansas, and Cam Taylor – 2018 wide receiver who was offered – committed to Missouri this summer.
Not much of a pipeline after all.
You need to login in order to vote
What is a bigger myth – the concept of pipelines or insights gleaned from spring games?
You need to login in order to vote
There are sometimes useful things learned from spring games, I’ll admit. But the noise outweighs the legit info by a good deal IMO.
I think the case can be made that a fan is better informed if they don’t pay much if any attention to that game at all. Sort of like NFL exhibition games.
You need to login in order to vote
I honestly saw this kid as our 2017-19 sparty-like Corner. A guy who grows in the program and becomes a reliable leader later on, possibly turning it into a draft opportunity
Too bad it didn’t work out
You need to login in order to vote
Remember when people were fretting about how small the 18 class was going to be?
You need to login in order to vote
Can’t blame the kid. These guys have one eye on the NFL and the other eye on playing time. This is why you have balance in classes so a guy will stick around a year or two longer because he sees himself getting the starting gig when he is a junior or senior or at least playing time.
You need to login in order to vote
I don’t know who to blame, but I think he was playing well and one injury – when both Hill and Long have been injured at times – could have put him on the field. And if he got a shot and played well, then maybe he never would have relinquished his spot.
You need to login in order to vote
Yeah, someone better have walked him through our 2010 injuries
You need to login in order to vote
Kids are notoriously impatient. It’s a risk assessment and I can see both sides. Washington may feel deep down inside that he is good but not quite as good and time is running out. I would personally advise him to stay for this year if he feels he is close. If not, then advise him to transfer to a lower program for PT. I definitely would advise him to transfer if he was being moved to safety because he looks like a corner to me without a doubt with that body type. These kids are ambitious and this is why having too many high end players at one position doesn’t always have a happy ending for UM fans. They rather play for Central and sit on the bench at UM.
You need to login in order to vote
Zordich made it pretty clear he was not playing well, at least by the standards set the last couple years.
You need to login in order to vote
Was it just about fit or homesickness? Maybe wants to get closer to home, or closer to HS friends at other schools. Or maybe it really is all just about PT and being a starter somewhere else. Regardless, sorry to see him go, but good luck to him.
You need to login in order to vote
I wish he would have stuck it out, but it must suck being away from home, with no clear path to PT
You need to login in order to vote