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Tuesday, July 22, 2014

2014 Season Countdown: #34 Will Hagerup

Will Hagerup (with Erin Andrews)
Name: Will Hagerup
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 225 lbs.
High school: Milwaukee (WI) Whitefish Bay
Position: Punter
Class: Redshirt senior
Jersey number: #43
Last year: I ranked Hagerup #95 and said he would sit out the year because he was suspended. I was right!

Hagerup was the Big Ten's best punter the last time we saw him. Unfortunately, the last time we saw him was in 2012. Which was two years ago, for you calendar junkies. It really was 2012, too, because he was suspended for the New Year's Day bowl game in 2013 against South Carolina, plus the whole 2013 season. Hagerup has had some undisclosed issues with staying on the right side of the rules.

This might actually be too high (heh...too high) for Hagerup, who has a couple suitable backups in senior Matt Wile and redshirt sophomore Kenny Allen. Wile would probably be better served concentrating on kickoffs and placekicking, the former of which he has been doing, and the latter of which he will take over full-time from the departed Brendan Gibbons, who had his own legal issues. Allen has a lone punt to his credit, although that punt traveled a long way. Still, Hagerup can be a weapon with his booming punts. The hope is that Hagerup has turned over a new leaf and can weed out the sticky inconsistencies of his personal life, potentially resulting in a veritable pot of gold for his teammates, who will be racing down the green field in a joint venture to nip opponents' punt returns in the bud. If Hagerup plays in every game this season, it will be the first time in his five years that he will not have been suspended for at least one contest.

Prediction: Starting punter; 44-yard average

23 comments:

  1. over a new leaf and can weed out the sticky inconsistencies of his personal life, potentially resulting in a veritable pot of gold for his teammates, who will be racing down the green field in a joint venture to nip opponents' punt returns in the bud


    Lets hope his leg is smoking and we can all exhale in relief.

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  2. This is some good stuff .... the comedy

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  3. Two minutes too shy on your post Thunder

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  4. This seems about right for Hagerup, if your defense is strong a good punter is a useful weapon. Pin them in bad position, go 3 and out, and you have the ball back in good field position!

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  5. I count 9 double entendres. Not bad!

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  6. "The hope is that Hagerup has turned over a new leaf and can weed out the sticky inconsistencies of his personal life, potentially resulting in a veritable pot of gold for his teammates, who will be racing down the green field in a joint venture to nip opponents' punt returns in the bud."

    Bravo.

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  7. Awesome writing my friend.

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  8. I see what you did there.

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  9. I can see that you put some thought into this post.

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  10. I smell what you did there. It seems something related to Will has sparked your creativity.

    I think this ranking is dead-on. He may have a quality backup in Allen (or Wile), but he also possesses the kind of leg that can be a difference-maker, particularly in defensive struggles. Could be the difference between winning or losing against MSU for example.

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    Replies
    1. Plus, Allen might be a little too green for the high pressure situations.

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  11. Let's hope he's used this token of good will from the law to hash out a new place for himself in special teams, instead of keeping it a joint committee with Wile.

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  12. I wonder if Erin asked him about his digestive issues, see seems to be doing that a lot recently.

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  13. Hagerup is a big asset for this team. He is a big positive for us when he can turnover the field position and get our defense amped for a big stop.

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  14. Do you only post replies with which you agree? I posted a contrary one this morning. Where is it?

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    Replies
    1. I post all replies that aren't either spam, vulgar, or childish slap fights between commenters. All posts on this topic have been approved.

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  15. Retract or print the negative replies.

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  16. Does he smoke weed or something?

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  17. Let me try again. I can't beleive this post is on what is supposed to be a UM fan page. You make several attempts to be clever by referencing drug use by Will. Do you have any sources for that? I am pretty sure that has never been confirmed or admitted by anyone. Hagerup owns the first and third best season punting records in UM history. Has he had off-field issues? Sure, but he also had lots of opportunites to put that behind him by transferring to other programs. Instead, as he's said, it was important for him to stay heree and sit out a year and become a Michigan Man. He had no guarantees that he would even be reinstated, but he stayed to improve himself and because he is loyal to UM. Obviously, Hoke and Brandon and others have trust in him, or he would have been dismissed. I could see reading your little tongue in cheek references on an OSU board, but aren't you rooting for him? Why make fun of him about something you don't even have any facts to support? You can see how many posters, who also have no idea, play along with this as though it's true. That's how rumors start. You do a disatisfaction to Hagerup. I hope you'll man up and post this response, unlike the last one I posted.

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    Replies
    1. You must be fun at parties

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    2. Thunder has been unfair to Hagerup in the past, and this specific post could have used a little editing, but there's nothing unfair here.

      The rumor didn't start here and the accusations are made indirectly. They are obvious only to those who already have a preconceived idea about his reputation (i.e., they heard it before.). As far as season long suspensions go -- pot is about the most harmless reason I can think of. So if anything, Thunder is assuming a best case/least bad scenario.

      I agree that Hagerup deserves more respect than he is getting, and you are right to point out his dedication to the program. But this article is pretty innocuous - it starts with "was the Big Ten's best punter" and is otherwise fair, applying a mostly playful tone to the rumored transgressions.

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