Does Michigan take a step back next year?

If Gardner takes the leap to the NFL, Michigan will be losing their starting QB, starting RB, and starting WR. Not many teams can do that and come back better the following season.

I can see our offense looking like this:
QB: Morris (Bellamy)
RB: Green (Smith)
FB: Shallman (Kerridge)
WR1: Darboh (Chesson)
TE: Funchess (Butt)
WR2: Harris (Chesson)
Slot: Norfleet (?)

That is pretty formidable, IMO. The line, I'll let someone else speculate the line. There is too much flexibility available for me to really give an accurate prediction. It is warming to know that our back-to-back top O-Line classes will be entering there 2nd and 3rd year of the program, though.

I think Michigan's offense is at A- (93-90) level right now. The O-Line is young and our WR core is average. I think that next year, even with losing our top QB, RB, and WR, we can be at B+ level (87-89).

On the defensive side of the ball is where I think Michigan get's better. I can see our defense looking something like:
SDE: Hand. I think he will be an immediate starter. Charlton could come in on passing situations.
NT: Pipkins. Way more upside than Washington.
DT: Glasglow. Weakest position on our defense, IMO. This spot will be up for grabs. I wonder if they will transition a DE like Wormley over because of the logjam at DE.
WDE: Clark.

The D-Line will have more talent than it has had in a while with 5-Star Pipkins and 5-Star Hand... and neither of them will be the best player on the line.... that will be Clark.

OLB (SAM): Ryan (Beyer)
MLB (S): Morgan. (Bolden)
MLB (W): Ross. (Jenkins-Stone)

A very solid starting crew. Ryan is elite. The key to our LB core will be depth, though. That is a very, very nice 2-deep.

Now, what I think will make Michigan's defense one of the best in the country.... their DBs.
RCB: Countess
LCB: Taylor
FS: Peppers
SS: Wilson

Peppers aspires to be a shut down corner, but Countess and Taylor are two of the best cornerbacks in the Big 10. I drool at the thought of letting Peppers play an Ed-Reed like Free Safety for Mattison. Having two really good CBs will allow Mattison to use Peppers all over the field in coverage, with blitzes, with run support.... and he will have the talent to do it all at a high level.

hailtoyourvictor wrote:

...DT: Glasglow. Weakest position on our defense, IMO. This spot will be up for grabs. I wonder if they will transition a DE like Wormley over because of the logjam at DE...

I can not for the life of me figure out how people keep overlooking Bryan Mone. He will be a day 1 starter. I said it before and I'll say it again, 4 years from now Bryan Mone will be the best D line recruit we get in this class. Not Hand, not McDowell and not Marshall. MO-NAY!


Other than that it was a solid post Hail.

I say the consensus seems to be that many good recruits means a steady future. Where's the threat?

If we do get Hand, then I have to disagree.

Hand's supplex of that midget running back was impressive but I still  love this pic of Mone...

I'd like to add one more thing on topic of Hand vs Mone...

There is no disputing Hand's talent. The kid is a top recruit across the sites. At the same time Mone sits around #50 across the sites. IMO the difference is that Hand gets the exposure being in Virginia that Mone doesn't being in Utah. And for the record that is not be taken as a jab at Hand in any way shape or form. I am EXTREMELY excited about the prospect of landing Hand.

That said, there is a reason that Mone was the very first offer for the 2014 class. Just like Shane Morris was the very first offer given in 2013 class. The coaches know talent. The can see it, they smell it.

It was no doubt, being a top recruit, Hand was going to get an offer but for them to offer Mone before anyone else in the class says a lot to me. It might not mean much to others but given the staff's insane recruiting record to date I'd have to say that it means a lot.

Yes, we regress if Devin leaves.

If Devin stays, there's still a chance our record won't be as good as this year's. We have to visit Notre Dame, Ohio State and MSU (for a second year in a row).

You've also got Wisconsin coming back on the schedule, a trip out to New Jersey to play Rutgers. Of course we should win that game, but a new stadium playing host to one of the most hated programs in the country (us)? Anything can happen....especially if we're starting a new quarterback.

Speaking of looking at future schedules, the 2015 schedule is an interesting one. Some unique opponents coming to the Big House for non-conference.

Sept. 3 at Utah
Sept. 12 OREGON STATE
Sept. 19 UNLV
Sept. 26 BRIGHAM YOUNG
Oct. 3 at Maryland*
Oct. 10 NORTHWESTERN* (HC)
Oct. 17 MICHIGAN STATE*
Oct. 24 Bye
Oct. 31 at Minnesota*
Nov. 7 RUTGERS*
Nov. 14 at Indiana*
Nov. 21 at Penn State*
Nov. 28 OHIO STATE*
Dec. 5 Big Ten Championship Game

IMO our best three best DT since 2000 have been (in order)

2006 Alan Branch
2011 Mike Martin
2005 Gabe Watson

and I think Mone will be on that level by the time he starts playing on Sunday.


****NOTE: How about the one that missed... Marcus Slocum. BWC may have never lived up to the hype he had coming in. His fault or not, that's not what I care to debut, bring that debate to another thread. But in terms of being a flat out letdown (I hate the word bust) there is no doubt Marcus Slocum takes the cake****


sorry this post got so far off topic

sandyeggo_blue wrote:

I'd like to add one more thing on topic of Hand vs Mone...

There is no disputing Hand's talent. The kid is a top recruit across the sites. At the same time Mone sits around #50 across the sites. IMO the difference is that Hand gets the exposure being in Virginia that Mone doesn't being in Utah. And for the record that is not be taken as a jab at Hand in any way shape or form. I am EXTREMELY excited about the prospect of landing Hand.

That said, there is a reason that Mone was the very first offer for the 2014 class. Just like Shane Morris was the very first offer given in 2013 class. The coaches know talent. The can see it, they smell it.

It was no doubt, being a top recruit, Hand was going to get an offer but for them to offer Mone before anyone else in the class says a lot to me. It might not mean much to others but given the staff's insane recruiting record to date I'd have to say that it means a lot.

So do you think Shane Morris was the biggest recruit of the 2013 class? Because he was offered before Green?

Half the class was offered before Peppers, does that make them bigger recruits?

George Campbell wasn't the first offer of 2015.... you don't think he's the biggest recruit?


I don't buy that the time of his offering has any weight in who is a bigger recruit between Hand and Mone. I somewhat get the Utah vs Virginia thing, but on the flipside, Hand has been in the spotlight for two years and has had to rise to the occasion. Mone has not had that pressure.

I'll put my life that Hand becomes all Big Ten before Mone does.

Stribling will be a huge contributor to the secondary. He will be a CB and Countess will move to the nickel for passing downs.

The schedule will be the reason they take a step back as others have said. It's pretty brutal.

Who the hell cares if Hand is better than Mone. Hand isnt even a Michigan commit. And if he does commit to Michigan we should hope they're BOTH All Big Ten.

EJinGA wrote:

Who the hell cares if Hand is better than Mone. Hand isnt even a Michigan commit. And if he does commit to Michigan we should hope they're BOTH All Big Ten.

I agree. That's like asking a parent who their favorite kid is.

If Devin is back, I think we can be as good or better even with the tougher schedule. With all of the redshirt frosh playing this year- we should see significant improvement from them in year two.

'shoes

EJinGA wrote:

The schedule will be the reason they take a step back as others have said. It's pretty brutal.

Who the hell cares if Hand is better than Mone. Hand isnt even a Michigan commit. And if he does commit to Michigan we should hope they're BOTH All Big Ten.

Liberal U.S.A strikes again. I can hope Blaine Gabbert and Maurice Jones-Drew both make the pro bowl, but one is a lot more likely than the other. Me stating that Hand is more likely to be all Big Ten (if he commits) is not a knock on Mone.

Not everyone gets a gold star.

hailtoyourvictor wrote:

EJinGA wrote:

The schedule will be the reason they take a step back as others have said. It's pretty brutal.

Who the hell cares if Hand is better than Mone. Hand isnt even a Michigan commit. And if he does commit to Michigan we should hope they're BOTH All Big Ten.

Liberal U.S.A strikes again. I can hope Blaine Gabbert and Maurice Jones-Drew both make the pro bowl, but one is a lot more likely than the other. Me stating that Hand is more likely to be all Big Ten (if he commits) is not a knock on Mone.

Not everyone gets a gold star.

This 'My player is better than Your player' stuff is very Mlive'ish.

If they both do well, it's all the better for Michigan and the fans.

So are we suppose to sit here in a circle, hold hands, and hum Hail To The Victors?

Are we really to the point that we can't discuss which Michigan recruits have the best shot at All Big Ten honors?

....really?

hailtoyourvictor wrote:

sandyeggo_blue wrote:

I'd like to add one more thing on topic of Hand vs Mone...

There is no disputing Hand's talent. The kid is a top recruit across the sites. At the same time Mone sits around #50 across the sites. IMO the difference is that Hand gets the exposure being in Virginia that Mone doesn't being in Utah. And for the record that is not be taken as a jab at Hand in any way shape or form. I am EXTREMELY excited about the prospect of landing Hand.

That said, there is a reason that Mone was the very first offer for the 2014 class. Just like Shane Morris was the very first offer given in 2013 class. The coaches know talent. The can see it, they smell it.

It was no doubt, being a top recruit, Hand was going to get an offer but for them to offer Mone before anyone else in the class says a lot to me. It might not mean much to others but given the staff's insane recruiting record to date I'd have to say that it means a lot.

So do you think Shane Morris was the biggest recruit of the 2013 class? Because he was offered before Green?

Half the class was offered before Peppers, does that make them bigger recruits?

George Campbell wasn't the first offer of 2015.... you don't think he's the biggest recruit?


I don't buy that the time of his offering has any weight in who is a bigger recruit between Hand and Mone. I somewhat get the Utah vs Virginia thing, but on the flipside, Hand has been in the spotlight for two years and has had to rise to the occasion. Mone has not had that pressure.

I'll put my life that Hand becomes all Big Ten before Mone does.

First on the Shane question yes, I think Shane will  be better at QB than Green will be at RB. It's JMO and that's not to take anything away from Green. I expect good things from both kids but I expect more from Shane.

What my post was meant to compare were the players at their respective positions. Shane was the best QB. Campbell the best ATH. That's why they got offered first at their position (or at least were in the first batch of offers sent out).

Like you mentioned everyone has seen tape on Hand for the last three years. Not so much with Mone. When the coaches finally got around to evaluating their first batch of kids and they saw Mone they knew that he was special. Not many people get to see that with Mone though because he's taken a backseat to Hand in recruiting. Mone rarely gets out of Utah but there is no doubt in my mind that if he were to have camped and traveled the circuit in the last few years like Hand did  (even though Hand didn't get out much this summer) he would have risen on all of the sites.

To address a situation like Peppers or even Stribling, the bottom line is that you can't evaluate all 100,000 legit prospects coming out of high school at once. It's a process and a lengthy one at that and I believe the coaches do those evaluations in waves based on the needs of a certain position for a class. So when coaches finally do get around to the evaluations and they offer a 5* CB like Peppers or a 3* diamond in the rough CB like Stribling it doesn't mean that they value previously offered recruits more, it may just mean that they haven't gotten around to that portion of evaluation. And to add to that, the 2013 class addressed our DBs fairly well so I can see how they may not have gotten around to evaluating and offering Peppers right away.

What I was trying to point out though was that the D line was most likely an area that was evaluated first with a batch (let's say 50) of what I like to call "money recruits". The guys with most of the hype or at least reputation for their class. Of that first batch you can guarantee that Hand was in there, but so was Mone and Mone got the offer first. That means a lot to me.

I hope that clears up my thought process on this topic

hailtoyourvictor wrote:

So are we suppose to sit here in a circle, hold hands, and hum Hail To The Victors?

Are we really to the point that we can't discuss which Michigan recruits have the best shot at All Big Ten honors?

....really?

Man, you are a whiney little guy. If I didn't look at your name, I would have thought this was 2nd.

fishgoblue22 wrote:

hailtoyourvictor wrote:

So are we suppose to sit here in a circle, hold hands, and hum Hail To The Victors?

Are we really to the point that we can't discuss which Michigan recruits have the best shot at All Big Ten honors?

....really?

Man, you are a whiney little guy.  If I didn't look at your name, I would have thought this was 2nd.

I'm whiny? You guys are crying because we are having a friendly debate about to (possible) future Wolverines. Big f'in deal. Go write a blog or something.

hailtoyourvictor wrote:

fishgoblue22 wrote:

hailtoyourvictor wrote:

So are we suppose to sit here in a circle, hold hands, and hum Hail To The Victors?

Are we really to the point that we can't discuss which Michigan recruits have the best shot at All Big Ten honors?

....really?

Man, you are a whiney little guy.  If I didn't look at your name, I would have thought this was 2nd.

I'm whiny? You guys are crying because we are having a friendly debate about to (possible) future Wolverines. Big f'in deal. Go write a blog or something.

Easy skippy.  You just need to relax a little.