UM Football Recruiting - by WM Wolverine

[BuckLion]

First things first ... welcome aboard Bucklion. Feel free to contribute your thoughts anytime you like. If you've been following us for a while you know we're pretty informal around here.

On to Harbaugh and recruiting ...

He will have 2 weeks of dead period to deal with, where he will likely spend his time firming up his staff, and also identifying the targets for his recruiting efforts.

I think he and his staff will hit the ground running the day the dead period is over. Phone calls, personal visits, whatever it takes. I'm sure he will be burning up jet fuel getting around the country and into recruits homes, .. at least the ones who are truly interested.

I think he will persuade a few of the de-commits to re-commit, as long as he sees them fitting the program, and they have the character that he demands. He may gauge interest from some that haven't shown any Michigan interest at all, if he feels they fit the program.

You can bank on the idea that he's not just going to fill spots on the roster. He's going to bring in guys that can help the team. No more Dave Cone's.....

Thanks Liney. I'll come by from time to time, but this is my first time posting on any UM board. I probably won't be an every day regular. As for his recruiting this year, I have no doubt he'll be able to turn around the ship in year 1. Urban was able to as well. The difference is that Urban was able to turn a so-so class into a top 10 class. Harbaugh wouldn't be able to turn a class ranked number 90 into a top 10 class. That's due to time (Urban had 1 full month on Harbaugh) and numbers (from what I understand your class was going to be small in numbers anyways). So it's more of a math equation. In order to get into the top 10 the only way I can see it is if he flips several guys along with landing several guys that weren't even on the board. With only a little over a month left it would be difficult to do. But top 20 would be phenomenal from where you are now.

[BuckLion]

Greg Mattison had instant name recognition success when he showed up at M and went on to visit a targeted recruit.

Harbaugh is going to have 10X that.

We could be mistaken here as HS recruits are flakey at best but I'd suspect that everyone, even those with minor interest in playing football for Michigan, have been following this story.

Harbaugh and whomever he brings on as his assistants are going to have a unique opportunity to grab some talent between January 15th and NSD.

There was a decent piece at mgoblog about recouping decommits. I don't know enough about recruiting to say one way or the other but a couple of obvious names, like Mike Weber, were among those that this writer thought it best not to pursue.

The reason for that is that there are better options. The point being, the unique opportunity Harbaugh and his staff will have, opens up possibilities that weren't there before. Like 5* QB and UCLA commit, Josh Rosen. Some think he will decommitt and follow Harbaugh who he has admired since he started playing football.

So, it appears, at this point anyway, Harbaugh can be picky.

Do you think he would recruit over Malzone like that? From a talent standpoint I understand it, but he's stuck through this entire situation solidly committed. I'd feel bad for the kid.

[Optimus Prime]

LOL

BuckLion = Talent

Thanks Liney. I'll come by from time to time, but this is my first time posting on any UM board......

[Hannibal]

Do you think he would recruit over Malzone like that? From a talent standpoint I understand it, but he's stuck through this entire situation solidly committed. I'd feel bad for the kid.

I hope he would. You would think that our sixth 5+ loss season in seen years would be enough to convince people not to take the nice guy approach to recruiting. This program has gotten a lot of shitty QB play over the past decade and we can't afford it anymore.

[whodean]

Gardner has moved on, thankfully, the process of finding a real QB can begin.

btw, Nussmeier's reputation doesn't seem to have been tainted nationally for his failure to make anything out of Gardner. Folks must realize what he had to work with.

[Jeff Buchanan]

He can make phone calls during the dead period and personal visits to coaches. He's probably already got an idea of what his staff is and better be hitting the ground running this week.

Hanni already answered this question but I'll add my 2 cents ......

I think it will take Harbaugh about 10 seconds to consider this ,pick up the phone, call Rosen and ask if he is interested.

We know that QB is the biggest question mark for M going in to 2015. I think he can make Morris, Speight or Malzone serviceable but from what I've seen of Morris, he's a very good back-up. No sure about the others. In Morris's case, he was supposed to have the tools but his coaching was probably so bad and even when Nussmeir hit the practice field, so limited by time, Harbaugh may be able to get him up to speed ..... either by virture of his coaching skills at that position or by necessity.

You add Rosen to the mix, though, and you've got one hell of a competition going on there. Reports indicate he will be a January enrollee at UCLA. That means if he is offered, its a major change of plans for him and his family.

It won't be easy to land him but he has the tools mostly in the brain housing group ..... something that Harbaugh had in spades and what made him both a successful and durable QB.

So, yeah, in short, Harbaguh is going to recruit, period. Not based on the assessment of Morris, Malzone or Speight but because Rosen probably has a higher upside in the kind of offense Harbaugh is likely to run than any of the other three.

[hack]

If Rosen is willing to come, then for Malzone that's the breaks. He can come in and compete or he can make other plans. Everybody's gotta win their spot in the lineup.

[The Oracle]

Rosen just went on record saying he's 100% UCLA, fwiw.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Rosen just went on record saying he's 100% UCLA, fwiw.

Saw that ..... one comment on the tweet made today by Rosen (supposedly) was that if Mora moves to Oakland, he may think twice about it.

[lineygoblue]

Alex Malzone will be an early enrollee at Michigan as well. So, he will be there for Spring ball. Harbaugh will have at least 3 quarterbacks to look at.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Yeah, This is certainly not a major concern (Getting Rosen). It would have been nice though in sort of a screw you all sort of way ..... M is back!

[lineygoblue]

Oh, I agree, Jeff.

I'd love to have a 5* QB headed here for next season. But, I think we'll have a top QB headed our way, maybe as soon as the 2016 class. Having Harbaugh as coach will be too tempting for a promising young QB to turn down. Andrew Luck credits Harbaugh with a major role in his development.

[Jeff Buchanan]

The big thing is, Harbaugh knows what to look for in a QB. Sure, he has to have the physical tools but what made both Henne and Brady good and Brady to a much greater extent that Henne was their IQs.

That's what Rosen has if I'm reading his scouting reports right. And you are right, plenty of good QBs will be watching M going forward. You want to play in the NFL? Go to M. That is the way it used to be, that is the way it will be.

[Pasadena Blue]

there is a chance that the 49ers hire Mora ... wonder if Rosen will still stick ---- might be too late for him though if he is enrolled.

I am surprised that everyone here has zero confidence in Shane Morris ... he may not pan out, but I am not prepared to make that conclusion yet.

[Pasadena Blue]

there is a chance that the 49ers hire Mora ... wonder if Rosen will still stick ---- might be too late for him though if he is enrolled.

I am surprised that everyone here has zero confidence in Shane Morris ... he may not pan out, but I am not prepared to make that conclusion yet.