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| Why does Graham Glasgow look so paranoid? (image via Michigan Daily) |
The other options at center are these:
- Redshirt freshman Patrick Kugler: The 6'5", 295 lb. son of a former NFL offensive line coach (and current college head coach), Kugler was born and bred to be a lineman. Unfortunately, he's young and coming off shoulder surgery.
- Redshirt junior Jack Miller: At 6'4" and 297 lbs., Miller technically has the size to be an effective center, but he got blown off the ball too often last year when he began the year as Michigan's starting center. He was sent to the bench by Glasgow, never to return, even when Glasgow had serious issues snapping the ball in his first few weeks. Miller has also been playing some left guard this spring.
- Redshirt senior Joe Burzynski: The 6'1", 288 lb. Burzynski is a little undersized and has never played regularly at the college level after walking on to the program a few years ago. He has mostly been a backup guard and got a brief chance to play significant time last year before tearing his ACL against Indiana. He has still not returned to full practices and may not be a full go until August.
- Redshirt sophomore Blake Bars: The 6'5", 290 lb. Bars has been practicing at tackle quite a bit this spring with the depth so poor at that position, but he has been a guard for most of his time on campus. He has snapped the ball a little bit during his time in Ann Arbor, but this would be sort of an emergency move.
- Sophomore Kyle Bosch: In what would be another desperation move, Bosch came to Michigan prepared to play some center if necessary. The 6'5", 301 lb. Bosch has not practiced at center at all (as far as I know) and is likely to start or at least push for a starting job at guard.
If I had to make a guess right now, I would tentatively say that I expect Kugler to be the starter against Appalachian State. Miller has already had a chance to show what he can do, and we've seen that he has struggled. The more important point there is that the coaches did not give him another chance to get on the field, which suggests to me that they were very unhappy with what they saw.
Bring on the era of Burzynski! I've been talking about him starting forever and last year it finally came true...but only for one game because of injury.
ReplyDeleteI really hope we get that transfer from Alabama, regardless of Glasgow's suspension.
If losing Glasgow hurts us, we have big problems. Plain and simple...he's not that good. I would have been very disappointed if Kugler hadn't been starting by the second half of the season, anyway.
ReplyDeleteHave you actually watched Glasgow play? Do you know anything about football? The answer to the latter is probably no judging off your statements. You are probably in the group that thinks because Bosch, Mags, Kalis, Dawson, and Kugler were all 4 or 5 star linemen, they should all be starting because they have to be better than a walk on. You couldn't be more wrong. Watching Glasgow's film from last year, I would say he was our best center, and probably our best guard too. Glasgow is a solid lineman, and I'm happy he's starting for us.
ReplyDeleteI am very curious as to what he did though. Any word on the street, Magnus?
This was meant to be in reply to the poster above saying we're in trouble if losing our oldest, and arguably our best lineman hurts us. Damn mobile.
DeleteI'll repeat...if losing a walk-on from one of our worst olines in recent memory hurts us, we have much bigger problems than any transgression of Glasgow's. If Hoke and company can't develop 5 star lineman into viable starters in 3 years, we have very big problems.
DeleteWhat 5-star linemen are you talking about? Kyle Kalis is the only 5-star lineman on the roster, according to Rivals. And being a 5-star isn't a guarantee of success. If Michigan had 3 or 4 of those guys and none of them developed, you might have a point. But offensive line development is about the whole, not the individual parts. The fact is that Glasgow - yes, a walk-on - HAS developed and was better in 2013 than Kalis. It makes absolutely no sense to say "Hoke can't develop linemen because the walk-on guy is pretty solid but the 5-star guy isn't."
DeleteYou'll repeat... I'm glad you repeated yourself because I didn't quite understand the argument you were making.
DeleteHe's a RS Junior next year. He and Miller will be our oldest linemen as long as there are no grad student transfers from Alabama.
If you follow mgoblog at all, in the UFRs Brian does over there Glasgow grades out pretty well - better than 5 star Kalis.
Whether you like it or not, Glasgow is probably our best lineman right now.
DeleteWhere did I ever argue that Glasgow wasn't our best lineman? He may very well be, but that doesn't make him particularly good. None of our highly rated Oline recruits, including, but not limited to Kalis, has shown even a hint of being a quality starter. Not one. Yes, Glasgow has been around longer, but if our coaching staff has so much trouble developing elite recruits into elite players that a walk-on with one or two more years under his belt is better than anyone on scholarship, that's a problem. If one year of experience outweighs all that talent for this staff, why not just get all walk-ons for the Oline? Plenty of schools start second year guys on the Oline and do just fine with them.
In every area, not just Oline, Hoke and company have no more room for excuses. If they can't develop great recruits into great players, then we need to find someone who can.
He may very well be our best lineman, but if losing him hurts then we're in trouble. In a position group with youth and inexperience across the board.
DeleteGood logic right there.
It would be nice if the Chad Lindsay transfer rumors were true.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I would like to see Lindsay come in, and he would likely take the starting center job. And if Kugler's all he's cracked up to be, he can compete some at guard, too.
DeleteNot a popular opinion, I know, but I wouldn't mind if Glasgow doesn't play. I think it's best for our program the sooner that the linemen who all lived together last year (Lewan, Schofield, Glasgow, Miller) are no longer in leadership positions on this team. They set very poor examples, and I'm happy to let a new cohort get a chance to all rise up together. Let the era of Kalis, Magnuson, Bosch, Braden, Kugler, Dawson, Fox, Bars, Samuelson, and Tuley-Tilman start now.
ReplyDeleteQuestion anyone: with some of these linemen both past and present having to have shoulder surgery is there anything that points to a coaching or preparation issue?
ReplyDelete