Interesting offer...

@TomVH: 2015 USC QB commit David Sills, per his father, has been offered by Michigan. Dad says Hoke in-school right now. First reported @GregBiggins

Sills committed to Lane Kiffin at age 13.

I really, REALLY, don't like this offer.

Why?

wshoes wrote:

Why?

40% of the reason I hate it is morally, 40% of the reason I hate it is talent, and 20% of why I hate it is other options available.

MORALLY

This article does a great job of explaining why I hate it morally.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/magazine/08/22/high-school-football-virtual-powerhouse/

To sum it up, David Sills V originally played for Red Lions Christian Academy. The school faced a lot of heat last three years ago for accused violations. Though the school was never sanctioned, most belief there was foul play involved:

"Kevin Charles, executive director of the DIAA for five years, says the allegations are among the most serious he has ever encountered. Charges include: recruiting students for athletic purposes; providing scholarship money and housing for incoming players; practicing out of season; playing too many middle school football games in a season and in a week; and using ineligible players."

(http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20100620/SPORTS14/6200366/)

David Sills IV (the father) wanted to create a National football powerhouse, so he took a handful of Red Lions Christian Academy players and a handful of other elite talents and get this, created his own "school". Sills IV footed most of the expenses to get Eastern Christian Academy up and running. The school has an enrollment of 54. 46 are boys and 46 are on the football team.. The school offers 80% of it's courses online, provides tutoring, etc. etc. This isn't a high school that offers football, it is literally a football team that offers "education".  It is one thing to be an athlete taking advantage of the system (ie. Eastern Christian Academy players and Michigan commits Freddy Canteen and Brandon Watson), but to be a part of why such a system exists just doesn't sit right with me. Basically, David Sills IV set up this "school" to ensure that his son would be in the HS Football spotlight.

Now I get that it isn't very fair to fault Sills V for his father's actions, but can you imagine how up in arms Michigan nation would be if Meyer was involved this heavily with Eastern Christian Academy? It just screams unethical, even if the system complies with NCAA regulations.

When I think of a Michigan quarterback, I think of the face of the program. I think of class-act leaders. I can look at Shane Morris and Wilton Speight and see that in them. Knowing Sills' history, I just don't see it with him.


TALENT

As a middle-schooler, Sills V was as elite of a prospect as they come. National recruiting services were heralding Sills as a LeBron-like football recruit. They said he played beyond his years and understood the game like a young Peyton Manning. This is why USC offered the kid when he was only a 7th grader. However, Sills never progressed as people thought. He is currently the 22nd ranked QB in 247Sports composite rankings. That is a red-flag to me. I want a QB coming in that is on the upward slope, not downward slope.

Now I know that USC doesn't offer scrubs, so anybody with a USC offer has to be at least respectable, but consider this: Even after Sills' commitment, USC offered scholarships to fellow 2015 QBs Ricky Town and Josh Rosen. This was in the Summer (before Lane Kiffin was fired). If USC really thought Sills was their guy, why would they do this? Another red flag, IMO.


OTHER OPTIONS

There are other QBs in the 2015 class I would much rather see in Maize and Blue. 5-Star (#2 ranked dual threat QB per 247Sports) Kevin Dillman has openly said he would like to play for Michigan.

"I grew up watching Tom Brady. If there was one offer I could wish for it would be Michigan. I really like their coaching staff,” - 5-star QB Kevin Dillman, La Mirada

Per 247Sports analyst Ryan Barrow, "Michigan and Nebraska are his Top 2. If Michigan offers, the Wolverines could likely land a commitment this winter or spring."

I understand that Michigan is aiming to revert to a Pro-Style offense, but just because a kid can run doesn't mean he can't throw. There are plenty of dual-threat QBs succeeding in Pro-Style offenses these days.

So I present you two choices...

Choice A: Once considered a super-elite prospect (now a 3 star). Already committed to USC. Questionable history in prep-sports. Extremely underwhelming progression.
Choice B: Considered an elite prospect (now a 5 star). Has a very high ceiling, considering he just moved to the United States and has very "raw" aspects to his game. Wants a Michigan offer more than an offer from any other school, despite growing up in Australia and now living in California.

I'm really hoping that the lack of offer to Dillman is simply because they are waiting for a visit, but if Hoke and Co. are really more interested in Sills than Dillman, it's not going to sit easy with me.

TBH, I'd really like to see Michigan offer Birmingham Brother Rice QB Alex Malzone. The kid plays so poised. His pocket presence is amazing. Rather than making plays with his athleticism out of the pocket (Gardner / Sills / Dillman), Malzone steps up into the pocket and makes plays with his eyes/arm.

Regardless, there are a number of QBs I like more than Sills and when you consider the red-flags involved, it makes this offer disappointing.

Thanks for the response, you've convinced me.

You bet. Really though, have you ever heard of anything like that before?

A dad wants his son to be the QB of a football powerhouse, so he foots the bill and creates his own school with an enrollment of 54 and a football team that has 46 players.

To put that total enrollment of 54 into more perspective...
5 of those players are already committed to D1 schools. (Michigan, Michigan, USC, Tennessee, West Virginia).
4 other players have Division 1 offers already.

That is absolutely ridiculous.

Sounds like Marinovich

joe wrote:

Sounds like Marinovich

Robo-quarterback, we called him. What a bust.

If you ever get a chance to watch the ESPN special on Marinovich it was really good, much I knew, but much I did not as well.

'shoes