UM Football Recruiting - by WM Wolverine

[Mike]

Dude -- we have fucking gads more talent than Utah or Minnesota. And significantly more in the upper classes than Penn State. You are confusing "good football players" with "talent". Minnestoa and Utah are untalented overachievers. Michigan is poorly coached underachievers. The only question is the degree to which we stop underachieving.

This. A million times this.

JH could have been handed the keys to the program 5 minutes before kickoff for the ASU game and went 8-4 last year. With him we don't lose to Rutgers or Maryland and get at least one of Utah, ND, Minny. The clownshow that was Brady Hoke can not be overestimated.

[Rocky Bleier]

The common theme is the Wolverines have a lot of talent but they were not coached properly. But shouldn't you have seen some flashes of talent? Really good players stick out even if their coaches are shite.

Have to agree with you. I see a lot of good football players on the roster who will benefit from superior coaching. I wouldn't call them underachievers, (Hannibal) although they may have quit playing hard on occasion. But I don't see exceptional talent outside of Peppers. Ty Isaac has it too if he's willing to work. And Utah did have some athletes superior to Michigan.

http://www.cleanvideosearch.com/media/action/yt/watch?videoId=4WdpOjX8kt8&name=Utah+vs.+Michigan+Recap&uploadUsername=KSL%20Sports&hitCount=540

[jaadam4]

The clownshow that was Brady Hoke can not be overestimated.

Yeah but he sure got a cool house and a nice paycheck for sitting his ass on the couch for a few years.

I'd like to kick Brandon in the teeth for that hire.

Repeatedly

[froot loops]

I can understand the bad coaching and having players confused, it certainly could be that. When I say flashes, I mean like seeing real speed. The team looked small and slow last year. And if you think it was bad coaching, can you get it back from one offseason?

[Rocky Bleier]

Team lacks speed. Definitely. Harbaugh will address it through recruiting, but it won't be there in the upcoming season. I'd take 8-4 with that roster. That would be quite an improvement from 5-7. When you have to bring in Jake Rudock to be your QB it's an admission that something is wrong. He won't be the next Russell Wilson 5th year transfer story.

[Hannibal]

He's definitely not addressing it with recruiting. If Harbaugh can't win big with this roster by 2016 then he's not winning big ever.

I can understand the bad coaching and having players confused, it certainly could be that. When I say flashes, I mean like seeing real speed. The team looked small and slow last year. And if you think it was bad coaching, can you get it back from one offseason?

IMHO strength and conditioning was a big problem under Hoke. If a guy is too slow for position X then you bulk him up for position Y. Hoke failed miserably at this. There is a long list of guys who arrived at Michigan and failed to put on good weight in a few years.

[Rocky Bleier]

I think he wins when he gets an established QB, a running game, and some athletes on defense. I have no doubt he'll do it, but not for a couple of years. I do see a lot of improvement this year, but lack of talent will be hard to overcome. I would be happy with 8-4. That's a 60% improvement in the win column.

[*JD*]

The common theme is the Wolverines have a lot of talent but they were not coached properly. But shouldn't you have seen some flashes of talent? Really good players stick out even if their coaches are shite.

That made me think of Brandon Graham and Mike Martin. (and of course Denard)

[Mike]

I think he wins when he gets an established QB, a running game, and some athletes on defense. I have no doubt he'll do it, but not for a couple of years. I do see a lot of improvement this year, but lack of talent will be hard to overcome. I would be happy with 8-4. That's a 60% improvement in the win column.

They would have been an 8-4 team LAST season with average coaching/preperation/gameplans. We now have an elite level head coach. JH alone is worth 3-4 more victories a year over Hoke, all else being equal.

[lineygoblue]

When you have to bring in Jake Rudock to be your QB it's an admission that something is wrong. He won't be the next Russell Wilson 5th year transfer story.

I wish that we could somehow find a way to give a guy like Rudock a bit more credit. The guy won't make anyone forget Tom Brady, but he's a sound journeyman QB who doesn't make a lot of mistakes. What absolutely KILLED Michigan last year was mistakes at the QB position. Even moreso than Hoke's horrid coaching.

I believe Rudock will be an excellent stop-gap QB until Harbaugh can get Gentry or O'Korn ready for next year. Lets give him a fair opportunity to establish what he can do.

[Mike]

Exactly. Agreed 100%.

[lineygoblue]

Even if Rudock only matches what he did last year, and doesn't improve his stats AT ALL, it would be a 100% improvement over what Michigan's QB's did last year. That in itself would turn Michigan from 5-7 to 7-5.

That's why I believe 9-3 isn't a huge stretch.

[Hannibal]

Agreed about QB. It was worth two games at least. Special teams was probably worth one more game. Harbaugh has brought in an A+ special teams coach. 7-5 could still happen for a number of reasons but I would consider it below expectations.

[iam416]

Gardner was better than Ruddock in 2013. In fact, Gardner's 2013 season was better than Ruddock's best season. You're getting a guy with no real mobility and adequate-at-best arm strength who will throw to guys with minimal separation ability. I see almost zero threat of downfield passing game. But, that shouldn't matter with M's OL, its stable of 5* RBs and HARBAUGH!

[Hannibal]

2013 Gardner doesn't exist anymore. 2014 Gardner was abysmal. Rudock is better than that. Speed at WR is absolutely an issue. Fortunately for us, speed at DB for our "swing" games like Penn State, Utah, BYU, and Minnehaha probably isn't impressive.

7-5 this year = failure.