Monday, January 3, 2011

Demetrius Hart, ex-Wolverine

Demetrius Hart (#3) got going when the going got tough

Florida running back Demetrius Hart decommitted from Michigan and will likely take his talents to Tuscaloosa.  Hart is a 4-star back and roundly regarded as one of the top few backs in the country.  Here's his commitment post from a couple months back.  Hart committed when Michigan was 5-0 but stated several times that Rich Rodriguez's murky coaching future was weighing heavily on his decision.  Well, Michigan finished 7-6 and got plastered by Mississippi State in a bowl game, so perhaps Hart saw the writing on the wall.

As I've said a few times since his commitment, Hart would have been a luxury.  While I don't want to understate his talent, he would have been added to a team that already has 6 scholarship running backs.  It would not have been impossible for him to leap to the front of the pack, but if players like Fitzgerald Toussaint, Michael Shaw, and Michael Cox can stay healthy and learn the playbook, they should be impactful runners, too - in limited carries this season, both Toussaint and Cox averaged more than 9 yards per attempt.

This leaves Michigan with approximately 7 scholarships to fill between now and February.  I would not be surprised to find another running back in this class, such as Thomas Rawls or Devondrick Nealy, but it's not a pressing need with this roster. 

2 comments:

  1. Im pretty much sick of these "scat back" types. I know Hart is a special talent, but I'd like for us to target the more traditional type backs. I think they could do some pretty good damage in this offense. I still wonder what a healthy Minor/Brown could have done.

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  2. @ Anonymou 8:09 a.m.

    Well, there's still a chance that we'll get Thomas Rawls from Flint, MI, even if we get a new coach. So there's that.

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