Tag: Mailbag

Mailbag: Two quarterbacks a year?

Kevin Hogan

Numerous people have been asking about Jim Harbaugh’s “standard” practice of taking two quarterbacks in each class. At Stanford he took 2, 1, 2, and 3 quarterbacks during his four years there, so it averaged out to two per year. Without getting into actual quarterback performance (which has been pretty good), here’s how the position has fared over the years. I used Rivals ratings since 247 Sports Composite ranking doesn’t work for ye olden days.

2006*
Alex Loukas (3-star): Redshirted in 2006. Backup quarterback in 2007, 2008, 2009. Moved to safety in 2010.

2007
L.D. Crow (3-star): Crow sat on the bench in 2007 and 2008. Transferred to UCF, so he sat out 2009. Third-stringer in 2010.


Kellen Kiilsgaard (4-star): Kiilsgard immediately became a safety in 2007 when he realized he had a better shot to play on defense. Spent one year on the team before quitting in favor of a baseball career.


2008
Andrew Luck (4-star): Redshirted in 2008, then became starter for 2009, 2010, and 2011 seasons. Became #1 overall draft pick in 2012.


2009
Taysom Hill (3-star): Signed with Stanford out of high school. Went on his Mormon mission and ended up at BYU when he returned. Backup in 2012, starter for Cougars in 2013 and 2014.


Josh Nunes (3-star): Other than part-time starting gig in 2012 trying to replace Andrew Luck, spent rest of time on the bench. Medically retired before 2013 season due to weightlifting injury.


2010
Darren Daniel (3-star): Sat on the bench in 2010. Moved to wide receiver in the spring of 2011, then transferred to Itawamba Community College, then to Alabama State.


Dallas Lloyd (3-star): Signed in 2010. Went on his Mormon mission and then returned to Stanford in 2012. Spent 2012 and 2013 as a backup quarterback. Moved to strong safety in 2014.


Brett Nottingham (4-star): Signed in 2010. Backup quarterback in 2011 and 2012. Lost quarterback job to Kevin Hogan, so Nottingham transferred to Columbia. Sat out most of 2013 with broken wrist. Started for Columbia in 2014 but got benched and then quit the team.


2011*
Evan Crower (3-star): Sat on bench in 2011 and 2012. Backup quarterback in 2013 and 2014. Potential for a return as a fifth year senior in 2015.

Kevin Hogan (4-star): Redshirted in 2011. Backup quarterback in 2012. Starter in 2013 and 2014. Will reportedly return as a fifth year senior in 2015.

STARTERS FOR STANFORD
2006: T.C. Ostrander/Trent Edwards
2007: T.C. Ostrander/Tavita Pritchard
2008: Tavita Pritchard
2009: Andrew Luck
2010: Andrew Luck
2011: Andrew Luck
2012: Josh Nunes/Kevin Hogan
2013: Kevin Hogan
2014: Kevin Hogan
2015: Kevin Hogan (probably)

CONCLUSIONS
As you can see, taking multiple quarterbacks per year did not affect Stanford negatively when it comes to scholarships. Of the eight quarterbacks Harbaugh signed during his tenure, only two (2!) spent four years at the quarterback position for the Cardinal. The rest of them transferred, changed positions, or quit football. Stanford also recruited a couple Mormon players who either never played for Stanford (Taysom Hill) or became a backup QB and then moved to defense (Dallas Lloyd). That situation may not arise for the Wolverines because the Big Ten imprint – Michigan’s primary recruiting grounds – does not have a huge Mormon population. Unless recruiting Mormons makes a drastic difference between the two schools, the numbers should not be an issue. Furthermore, that practice for Stanford led to a great three-year starter (Luck) and a solid almost-four-year starter (Hogan)

As for position changes, we’ll just have to see. Shane Morris has never played defense, although he probably has the speed to be some kind of safety. Wilton Speight has the size to move to tight end. Alex Malzone is too small and too slow to do anything else. Zach Gentry has the size and athleticism to become a tight end.

If Michigan continues to recruit two quarterbacks in each class, things will sort themselves out. Guys will quit, change positions, or transfer. In the meantime, Stanford has had solid to great quarterback play over the years, and I would expect that trend to continue for Harbaugh at Michigan. The cream rises to the top.

*I included the years before and after Harbaugh’s Stanford tenure just for a fuller picture of the roster dynamics.

Mailbag: How important is each position coach?

Doug Nussmer works with A.J. McCarron at Alabama

Hello, 

Thank you for the great content on your site. I was thinking recently about position coaches, especially with the happenings at Michigan regarding our new OC/QB coach and speculation about the OL coach and how long Fred Jackson may stay on.

There’s always a grass is greener attitude among fanbases, and Michigan is no exception. Your honesty is probably the least susceptible to this way of thinking, which is refreshing. In this regard, I was thinking it might be a good piece for your blog to discuss the relative importance of each position coach. For instance, on average which is better to have for developing players–a good RB coach or a good OL coach? Is the RB position naturally more about athleticism and instinct, and so only so much can be taught? Is it the opposite? A rank-order list of all position coaches (+ coordinators maybe?) with explanations would be interesting. 

This might help frame the discussion about hiring/firing coaches, helping to give a sense of the net gain/loss of a particular staff member. I would assume this would be based mostly on your experience in coaching, and thus subjective, but I still think it would be a valuable piece.

Just my 2 cents, keep up the good work! 

Thanks,
Matt

 First of all, thanks for the compliments, and thanks for reading. I wish I could you a more definitive answer, but unfortunately, your question dips its toes into a bit of a gray area. As with any work place or administrative team, I think it’s good to mix and match personalities and strengths. For example, a bunch of screamers and drill sergeants might not get the best out of the guys who take to more positive feedback. Having a group of 10 “players coaches” leaves room for the guys on the team to take advantage of the men who are their leaders. By the same token, some guys who are brilliant tacticians might not be great teachers. Personally, I work with one guy who’s inexperienced and doesn’t understand a whole lot about football concepts, but he’s a motivator who gets his players excited and competitive. Obviously, almost every guy who coaches at the FBS level is going to have a good grasp of football, although they’re clearly not all geniuses. You also have to be concerned about their ability to recruit, their ability to set a good example, etc. So there’s a lot that goes into coaching besides X’s and O’s.

As for your specific question about whether a good developer of talent is more necessary at offensive line or running back, I think the offensive line coach is clearly more important. Not only is he responsible for five guys up front (and the backups), but a poor offensive line can submarine an offense and consequently a team. There are some finer points of teaching running backs that a lot of people don’t realize, but a running back can get by on a fair number of plays with sheer talent. That’s why freshman running backs step in frequently and have success. For example, a running back on an outside zone play has some minor footwork assignments and is told to aim two yards outside the tight end or tackle; after that it’s all about eluding the guys in the opposite colored jersey. Meanwhile, his offensive linemen have the same footwork assignments, but they have pre-snap reads, angles, hand placements, combo blocks, etc. throughout the outside zone play. Aside from the quarterback position, I believe offensive line is the toughest position to coach and learn.

I’ll take a stab at ranking the importance of each coach, although I’m going to operate by ranking the coordinators as separate entities from position coaches:

1. Head coach: Everything comes downhill, good or bad. He’s the one who’s the face of the program and sets the tone for his coaches and players. This is probably obvious.
2. Defensive coordinator: A shoddy defense can really take the wind out of any team’s sails. Although we’ve seen each side let down the other in recent years (Rodriguez’s defense let down the offense, Borges’s offense let down the defense), I think it’s demoralizing for the team and the fans in the stadium when your defenders can’t get off the field. If your defense gets the job done, a big play or two might help win a game even when the offense is stumbling.
3. Offensive coordinator: The biggest thing for an offensive coordinator, in my opinion, is to utilize his personnel properly. In Michigan’s case, I don’t think Al Borges got the best out of Denard Robinson or Devin Gardner, even though the latter set some passing and total offense records. I also don’t think Borges’s offense was coherent enough to fit Michigan’s offensive line. Teams can be successful with simplified offenses, as long as they know how to execute against any front, coverage, blitz, etc.
4. Quarterback coach: Quarterback is the most important position on the field. Therefore, the guy needs the best tutelage he can possibly receive. Turnovers, incompletions, miscommunication, etc. can all undermine an offense’s goal and a team’s confidence. Conversely, good quarterback play can elevate and inspire a team.
5. Offensive line coach: As mentioned above, I believe the offensive line is the second-most difficult position group to coach. Along with having to coach five positions, each player has his own unique strengths, weaknesses, footwork, stance, reads, etc. Even if you have great skill players, you can’t win if you can’t block up front, because the ball can’t get distribute properly.
6. Linebacker coach: This is a very difficult choice here between the linebackers and defensive linemen, but linebacker is a very technical position, and one false step or bad read can be the difference between no gain or a huge gain. Linebackers also have the somewhat unique responsibility of being involved in the run and the pass. One of the linebackers (usually the MIKE) is typically the captain or field general of the defense, and he has to make sure that all the guys in the front seven are on the same page.
7. Defensive line coach: Going along with what I said about the defensive coordinator, a poor defense can spell disaster for the team. I don’t think you have to have a ton of playmakers on the defensive line, but you have to have guys who can do their job adequately so the linebackers and defensive backs can do their own thing without having to cover up for the line’s deficiencies. Much like the offensive line, you can win or lose an individual battle with a slightly different hand placement, stepping two inches shorter or farther, stepping at a 45′ angle instead of a 90′ angle, etc.
8. Defensive back coach: Some guys in the secondary can get by on pure athleticism, but a lot of guys have to understand route combinations, splits, formations, etc. I think technique with cornerbacks can be pretty easy to teach because those guys are so coordinated and fluid in the first place, but the mental aspect can give those guys the edge they need to make a difference between a short completion and a pass breakup, a pass breakup and a pick, etc.
9. Running back coach: While the running back position seems easy to play, there are a lot of things that good running backs do to help out a quarterback and an offense. Awareness of the blitz, knowing how the linebackers are going to flow, etc. can help in the passing game. 
10. Wide receiver coach: The wide receiver position is so much about athleticism that I don’t think they need a lot of deep thought from a coach. There are lots of little techniques that can be taught (stance, release, body positioning, etc.), but much like cornerbacks, they’re typically smooth and coordinated enough to pick up on those things easily. I also think drills and such are easier to watch and correct in one-on-one or skelly situations during practice, whereas on the offensive line, the whole unit needs to be cohesive.
11. Tight end coach: I think tight end is probably the easiest position to play or coach at a high level, provided you have the size, athleticism, strength, speed, etc. to do so. Just due to their alignment on the field, they either block down or arc release in the run game or they run pretty simple routes in the passing game (hitch, drag, seam, etc.). There are some finer nuances, like in the zone run game or if they split out wide, but generally, there are a finite number of techniques and a small number of guys to coach.

Mailbag: Is Brennen Beyer any good?

I just have a question about Beyer, is he any good or is he just serviceable? In my eyes yes he has been good and he has been doing a great job for Michigan this year.

The reason why I ask this is because my wife’s uncle does not think he is any good and believe that he should have gone and played at a MAC school playing tight end instead of going to Michigan to play DE or LB. He is basing this off of watching Beyer play at Plymouth and using his football knowledge of being a QB at Ferris St back in the early 80’s.

This is a conversation that he and I have been having since Beyer’s freshman year and it’s kind of getting annoying now and I wanted to get your thoughts since you watch the film of these kids and have a better grasp of things since you are a coach.

I have that same question about Beyer. I have not been shy about questioning Beyer’s talent since he arrived at Michigan as a defensive end . . . and immediately earned playing time as a backup SAM linebacker in 2011. Naturally, the first thing to look at would be his statistics:

2011 (Fr.): 11 tackles
2012 (So.): 19 tackles, .5 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble
2013 (Jr.): 22 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass breakup, 1 interception returned 7 yards for a TD

In the 2013 season countdown, I said “Beyer’s next big play will be his first.” He obviously took that personally because his first two games this year – against Central Michigan and Notre Dame –  included 2 sacks and 1 forced fumble. Since those two games, he has notched 16 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 pass breakup while starting either at SAM or strongside defensive end. Let’s be honest – those numbers are pretty paltry for a season-long starter.

For comparison’s sake, let’s look at Craig Roh, who played at Michigan from 2009-2012. Roh was a starter from his freshman year at various positions, including outside linebacker, weakside end, and strongside end. He was not chosen in the NFL Draft and latched on to the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad. It’s tough to pick his worst year because his statistics were fairly static throughout his career, so we’ll take his average stat line: 37.5 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks.

In one year as a starter and two more years as a frequently used backup, Beyer has 52 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks. If Roh is the standard for being an average starter, then Beyer falls noticeably short of that level.

Beyer could almost surely have gone to the MAC and had some success there, either at defensive end or tight end. He probably wouldn’t be lighting the world on fire there, either, but he would have some decent statistics. Should he have done so? That really depends on what the kid wants out of football. I think Michigan needs players like Beyer to be backups, journeymen, special teamers, etc. You can even get away with guys like Beyer starting, and Michigan has done fairly well defensively with him in that role. But in his third year, I think we can fairly conclude that Beyer is a supporting cast member at best.

In summary, you’re both right. Beyer would have been able to rack up better stats and maybe gain more notoriety by going to the MAC. At the same time, he’s doing okay for himself at Michigan, and lots of people would rather be mediocre players at Michigan than standout players at, say, Eastern Michigan. There are plenty of guys who would have been better off at a MAC-level school by most standards (Mike Jones is, Richard Ash and Jordan Paskorz could be, etc.), but big programs all have guys like Beyer.

Mailbag: Offensive line and Al Borges

Thunder,

As a regular reader of “Touch the Banner,” I want to thank you for
the continued great effort/product you deliver . . . and today, ask
you some questions about the continuing poor performance of the
offensive line. 

1. Too often seems to be confusion about blocking assignments, true? 

2. While I appreciate the long readiness curve for offensive lineman
(both mentally and physically), shouldn’t U-M be able to get by reasonably
well with two senior tackles (including an All-American) and some highly
touted (albeit young) recruits? The guys who are in their 2nd year should
be further along, right? 

3. For young lineman, isn’t it easier blocking out/forward than side-to-side?
Seems that prevailing offensive philosophy promotes these lineman being
on their heals more than being aggressive – is this accurate? 

4. Personally, Borges just doesn’t seem to be getting the results . . .
and he is responsible for COORDINATING, not just sitting in a box
calling plays. He doesn’t seem up to the job. Your thoughts?

Thanks for any insight you can provide. 

Go Blue! 

Best, 

Jim

 1. Yes, the problems up front are more about mental mistakes than physical ones. Even with the young guys in place, Michigan has good size up front. And while their strength may not be up to par with fourth- or fifth-year guys, the physical disparity should not be that significant if that’s all it was. If you’re the same size as your opponent but a little bit weaker, you should still not be giving up 7 sacks a game or rushing for -69 yards over a two-game stretch. The mental side of playing offensive line is what’s killing Michigan right now.

2. The youth on Michigan’s interior is sometimes blown out of proportion on the internet, although perhaps it’s not commented on enough by the broadcast crew each Saturday. There should probably be a happy medium in there somewhere. Senior left tackle Taylor Lewan has done a very good job this year from whistle to whistle; the problem for him has been stuff before the play (false starts) or after the play (the MSU nonsense). Senior right tackle Michael Schofield is apparently being looked at as a possible second round pick, but I have a hard time believing that he’ll be selected that high; he’s so-so in the run and the pass, not dominant at either one.

The biggest problem, obviously, has been from guard to guard. Michigan has a bunch of guys playing out of position. It’s a line in disarray. I’m giving Kyle Bosch a free pass because he’s a true freshman and shouldn’t be playing, anyway. But redshirt sophomore Graham Glasgow is a tackle or a guard playing center, who can’t snap the ball, make proper line calls, or block the correct defender on a consistent basis; he’s in over his head, and you can tell by the look on his face in the huddle – the game is moving too fast for him. Redshirt freshman Erik Magnuson is a left tackle playing right guard; the scouting report on him coming out of high school was “good pass blocker but needs to be more physical in the run game.” You do not take a guy who lacks physicality and put him at right guard if you want to run over teams. That’s the type of guy you hear about in year four or five when people say, “He’s really improved over the past couple years and become a good run blocker.” The other guy worth mentioning here is redshirt sophomore Jack Miller, who was brought in to be a zone-blocking center but tried to become a hybrid zone/power center before getting sent to the bench. Miller seems to be more mentally ready for playing center, calling protections, etc., but he loses ground too often. If you look at the pros and cons of Glasgow vs. Miller, I think Miller gets the nod after seeing both in action this year . . . but neither player is ideal.

Concluding the answer to question #2, I think Michigan has a decently talented crew of linemen who are playing out of place and being asked to do too much. If I were Michigan’s coaching staff, I would at least attempt to see what it looks like with Lewan at left tackle, Schofield at left guard, Miller at center, Glasgow at right guard, and Magnuson at right tackle; that way you have a strong side with Lewan/Schofield, a better general at center, and Glasgow/Magnuson playing their more natural positions.

3. Young linemen do a better job of blocking forward/out (gap or man blocking) than zone blocking, because zone blocking requires timing and an understanding of defenses that takes time to develop. Most high school teams don’t run zone the way that colleges do, and especially when you have a dominant lineman, you use him to crush down one side of the line while you run right off his butt. Zone blocking became all the rage because it allowed smaller, more athletic, but less dominant blockers to double-team and “just get in the way” to allow runners to pick an alley. But high schools that produce 6’5″, 300 lb. linemen don’t need that kind of tactical advantage.

I’ve taught zone blocking to high schoolers, and I’ve taught gap blocking to high schoolers. The zone concept is easier in theory but ten times more difficult to put into practice because you’re taking guys who are normally very aggressive and teaching them to take an angle bucket step, read the defender, and then react appropriately by double-teaming, taking over a block, or going up to the next level. Rather than saying before the play “I’ve got that guy,” now these guys have to say “I’ve got this guy, this guy, or that guy, depending on what they do when my buddy snaps the ball.” Unless you teach zone exclusively or almost exclusively, it’s going to be very tough sledding.

4. I was really frustrated with Borges during the Nebraska game because of his insistence on running the ball when it clearly wasn’t working for the second week in a row. I mean, Michigan hasn’t been able to run the ball consistently all year, but Michigan State stops you with their defense . . . fine, they do that to everyone. When Nebraska’s 85th-ranked rushing defense stops you and you still keep slamming your head into the wall, I start to have questions about your willingness to adapt.

All that being said, I think Michigan fans have to accept that what is being put on the field is bound to be unsuccessful much of the time. I suggested a lineup change above that I believe would help, but that won’t instantly make Miller, Glasgow, and Magnuson great football players. When three-fifths of your offensive line is overmatched mentally and physically, there’s not a whole lot you can do as a play caller to mitigate the problems.

My suggestions for Borges would be to concentrate on one type of run play (zone or power) but not both, develop more play action off your best run play (currently the inverted veer), throw more screens until defenses stop blitzing, roll or half-roll Gardner, throw more quick-hitting passes, and resort to an occasional or full-time no-huddle to prevent defenses from having so much time to key in on formations, personnel, etc. Of course, Al Borges knows a ton more about football than I do, so he probably doesn’t need my suggestions. But as an offensive coordinator, that’s how I would try to get around my weak offensive line.

Mailbag: Which freshmen have burned their redshirts?

This was a fairly simple question that arrived in my mailbox yesterday.

These freshmen have played in 2012:
Joe Bolden
Amara Darboh
Devin Funchess
Sione Houma
Royce Jenkins-Stone
Dennis Norfleet
Mario Ojemudia
Ondre Pipkins
Terry Richardson
James Ross
A.J. Williams
Jarrod Wilson

These freshmen are redshirting:
Blake Bars
Ben Braden
Jehu Chesson
Jeremy Clark
Allen Gant
Matthew Godin
Willie Henry
Drake Johnson
Kyle Kalis
Erik Magnuson
Kaleb Ringer
Tom Strobel
Chris Wormley