Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Ex-Wolverine Commit Updates: Spring 2021

 

Rashad Weaver (image via Pitt Athletics)

I would appreciate any support you can offer through Amazon purchases (LINK):

DECOMMITS

Marcus Allen, WR (Wisconsin): Allen signed with the Badgers in the 2021 class.

Tim Baldwin, Jr., RB (Indiana): Baldwin ran 22 times for 141 yards as a backup for the Hoosiers.

Kalil Branham, WR: Branham is no longer on the Kentucky football team, but he does not appear to be in the transfer portal.

Hit the jump for more.


Te'Cory Couch, CB (Miami): Couch made 37 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 1 interception, and 6 pass breakups last season. He is listed as a 5'10", 172 lb. cornerback on the Hurricanes roster.

Shaun Crawford, S (Notre Dame): Crawford was a sixth-year player in 2020 due to multiple ACL injuries. He declared for the NFL Draft after the season, running a 4.47 and landing a 9'8" broad jump at 5'9" and 182 lbs. He made 57 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 interception, and 5 pass breakups in his final college season.

Messiah DeWeaver, QB (transfer portal): DeWeaver entered the transfer portal this off-season after ODU's 2020 season was canceled. He has not announced a transfer destination.

Kevin Doyle, QB (Arizona): Doyle has not seen the field in three years at Arizona. He briefly entered the transfer portal before removing his name. He seems unlikely to ever be the starter for the Wildcats, and perhaps a spring football session will be the final nail in the coffin for his career in Tucson.

Emil Ekiyor, OG (Alabama): Listed as a 6'3", 324-pounder, Ekiyor started all thirteen games in 2020.

Eric Gray, RB (Oklahoma): Gray was one of the few bright spots for Tennessee in 2020. He had 772 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns, along with 254 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. But after the season, he entered the transfer portal and is now at Oklahoma.

Devery Hamilton, OG (Duke): Hamilton measured in at 6'6 5/8" and 311 lbs. at Duke's pro day. He notched a 5.17 forty and did 21 bench press reps. He started eleven games for the Blue Devils in 2020 after transferring from Stanford.

Kai-Leon Herbert, OG (Miami): Herbert opted out of the 2020 season but is still listed on their roster as a 6'5", 305 lb. offensive lineman.

Stephen Herron, Jr., OLB (Stanford): Herron made 14 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 1 sack during the 2020 season. He is listed as a 6'4", 232 lb. outside linebacker for the Cardinal.

Jeremiah Holloman, WR (transfer portal): Holloman made 8 catches for 108 yards and 1 touchdown for Florida International in 2020. However, he's in the transfer portal once again after decommitting from Michigan and then transferring from Georgia to FIU.

Jalil Irvin, OG (Auburn): Listed as a 6'3", 319-pounder, Irvin played in five games as a backup center in 2020.

Branden Jennings, LB (Maryland): Jennings signed with the Terps in the 2021 class.

Chase Lasater, LB (Florida Atlantic): Lasater led Florida Atlantic in tackles in 2020 with 72. He also made 5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 2 forced fumbles. He will be entering his fifth year in the fall.

Micah Mazzccua, OT (Baylor): Listed as a 6'4", 326 lb. offensive lineman, Mazzccua redshirted in 2020.

Amauri Pesek-Hickson (Kansas): Pesek-Hickson was forced into action last season when injuries and opt-outs opened up some playing time. He ran 40 times for 145 yards (3.6 yards/carry) and caught 2 passes for 10 yards.

Casey Phinney, LB (Boston College): Phinney signed with the Eagles in the 2021 class.

Otis Reese, S (Ole Miss): Reese transferred from Georgia to Ole Miss last season, but he ended up sitting out the season due to a glitch in the transfer process.

Antwaine Richardson, S (Maryland): Richardson made 22 tackles in 2020, but his playing time was expected to diminish. Instead, he transferred to Kent State this off-season. He's listed as a 6'0", 195 lb. safety for the Golden Flashes.

Quintin Somerville, DE (UCLA): Somerville signed with the Bruins in the 2021 class.

Erik Swenson (image via Sooners Wire)

Erik Swenson, OT (Oklahoma): Swenson started one game at right tackle and ten games at left tackle in 2020. He is returning for a sixth year of eligibility in 2021.

Leonard Taylor, TE (Cincinnati): Taylor made 16 catches for 191 yards and 1 touchdown in 2020.

Vic Viramontes (#10, image via Las Vegas Review Journal)

Victor Viramontes, LB (UNLV): Viramontes made 31 tackles and 2 pass breakups. He's listed as a 6'2", 230 lb. 'backer for the Runnin' Rebels.

Denver Warren, DT (Bowling Green): Warren committed to Bowling Green in the class of 2021 after doing a prep year.

Rashad Weaver, DE (Pitt): Weaver measured in at 6'4 3/8" and 265 lbs. at his Pitt pro day. He made 35 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery in 2020.

Tyrece Woods, DT (Buffalo): Woods made 10 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks during the 2020 season. 

53 comments:

  1. Oh boy, our 2018 QB selections were ... bad

    ReplyDelete
  2. I used to watch Kalil Branhams YouTube videos shiwing the various was hed practice catching 200 passes a day from the pass machine (forgot what irs calked right niw) He is great with the one handed catches. Never sae him play yet though. Hope he catches on sonewhere.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Giles Jackson to the Washington Huskies.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Just read Sainristil had made clear improvement.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I read Cade McNamara has a clear lead for starter. Though the transfer Bowman isn't on campus yet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think we'll need better. While McNamara was a noticeable improvement over the Milton disaster, he showed nothing that could get it done against ohio. If Milton was JOK/sheridan bad, McNamara was Tate Forcier ... 5-7 wins seems to be his ceiling

      Delete
    2. You might be a little harsh there on McNamara.

      Delete
    3. I might. But, how many more wins does he get us in 2020? Maybe sparty - which would be huge for morale - but still a .500 record on the season

      Delete
    4. I was just reading up in the scrimmage from today. McNamara was named MVP. Since JJMcCarthy signed with Michigan people have been throwing dirt in McNamaras future at Michigan. But it looks like McNamara has other ideas.
      Eye witness coming out of the practice is saying the defense is looking great, especially LBs. This is a HUGE relief to me, because LB was a no show last season. Donovan Edwards and Adrel Anthony looked good. I had never heard of Anthony, or maybe his #525 overall rank in this years signing class made me not pay attention to him. Hes je #81 WR. But what I read said he made some nice catches. Who knows, maybe Gattis, who was moved to emphasis on coaching WRs, is having a good effect. Didn't he coach WRs at Alabama? Maybe he gas some natural ability in that area.
      Reading that the defense on both teams was the strong suit today makes me feel there's hope for my team. Theyre daying there was a pass rush from both teams, even with Adian Hutchinson out today.

      Delete
    5. How's this for a Debbie Downer: we have a completely overhauled Defense, missing Hutch (top 2 player on that side) ... yet it was the defense that looked good? The O could only put up 22pts?

      No fans, no press, and no TV. So, it's not like they had anything to 'hold back'

      I'll hold off on celebrating, but continue to pray

      Delete
    6. I'd rather like to think the new defensive coaches are that good that defense looks good. Reading that the LBs looked good us especially good news.

      But who knows, maybe Sherrone Moore is not goi g to be as good as Ed Warinner. In which case, Debbie Downer breaks Disneyworld, me as Debbie Downer.

      Delete
  6. After reading a little, I'm seriously wondering if the improvement in defensive line play is from the new defensive coach Ryan Osborn. it was interesting to look into his background. He's an analyst now at Michigan, but analysts can teach a lot.
    He's had good success coaching d linemen in his last stops. I hadn't read about him before, or i just wasnt paying attention to every little thing happening. I've had other things to focus on this past year. But I'm now wondering if he has been a good influence on the d line.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Some more about Ryan Osborn. He's working with D Ends, Shean Nua with NTs:

    “The reality is Nua is more like a D-tackles coach right now,” Upshaw said. “Coach Osborn is really our main guy. But I’m happy (Nua) is back and I’m happy with the defensive coordinator and my coach – the younger guy. They understand what it’s like being in the position we’re in. It’s a blessing.”

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. “The people we have in that room: Aidan, myself, David Ojabo, Jaylen Harrell, Braiden McGregor, Noah Knight and – I think I got all of them. Those are the guys in our room, including myself. We call ourselves ‘The Reapers,'” Upshaw said. “This is a really important defense. The position we play allows us to make a lot of plays. I think it’s gonna come down to a lot of games. We’re gonna have to affect the game a lot.”

      Delete
    2. Article at this link:

      https://wolverineswire.usatoday.com/2021/04/05/michigan-football-defense-3-4-outside-linebacker-ryan-osborn/amp/

      Delete
  8. From what I'm reading it sounds like Cade McNamara owned the game yesterday.

    Theres a beautiful video clip of the inside of the big house. The beautiful Michigan "M" on both big screens. Almost brought tears to my eyes. Seriously.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If Cade owned the day, the Reapers didn't do too well. If the Reapers were out there making a bunch of plays, is not likely Cade owned the day

      Delete
    2. And you're down on Cade McNamara why?

      Delete
    3. He's not good enough. Not as a passer, and definitely not as a runner. He's a guy. Needs to be around a lot of strong talent, great coaching, and a scheme to take advantage of it all

      Would probably do well in the Mountain West

      Delete
    4. I don't know of any QB that doesn't have to have strong talent all around him, including QBs on playoff teams.
      We'll see how he does in the BIG 10. Saying he belongs in the Mountain West is a little low there.

      Delete
    5. JDD, I think you'd be wise to temper your expectations for Cade and save some disappointment.

      McNamara wasn't very good last year on the field, he failed to beat-out Milton (who wasn't very good either) in practice, and has gotten mixed reviews (at best) this spring despite being the only vet and having the advantage of knowing the offensive system with Gattis. Folks are saying he's more of a gamer than a practice player but he also wasn't very good in the games (except Rutgers). He's not a savior because, in a spring starved of good news, we'd certainly have heard about it. He might be a good QB when he gets into his late career but he's not there yet as a junior.

      Cade might be a guy you can plug in to manage things before he's a real asset, but the talent around him in 2021 probably isn't much better than it was in 2020. Hopefully there is more consistency and stability though.

      Harbaugh likes his transfers and Bowman wouldn't have come here if he didn't see the opportunity. Bringing in a transfer doesn't necessarily say anything about Cade but it very well might. The only times Harbaugh HASN'T relied on transfers is when he was comfortable with who he had (Milton/McCaffrey in 20). Rudock 15, OKorn 16/17, Patterson 18/19, Bowman 21/22. All the other transfers started.

      Bowman is almost certainly going to be the guy starting the opener in 2021, regardless IMO. At this point it's 80-90% unless things really click with JJ over this summer. I think Bowman might even set some records (given how this defense is looking there should be a lot of pass attempts coming up.) There might be a lot of INTs involved (despite Bowman's accuracy) and that might lead to some frustration but we know Bowman can make plays through the air and this team is going to need it.

      -Lank

      Delete
    6. Yikes, I almost entirely agree

      My hope is, not unlike 2015, an uncertain spring QB picture is rescued by a transfer in the fall

      Delete
    7. I would be very, VERY surprised if Bowman comes in and sets Michigan records. Bowman is just a guy. His numbers are a little inflated (Texas Tech averaged 39.8 pass attempts per game in 2020, their LOWEST number in more than a decade).

      Michigan has NEVER attempted that many passes per game for a season, and they were at 35.5 attempts per game in 2020 when they were playing from behind for much of the year.

      Delete
    8. Yeah, I didn't agree with that part. I'm more in the camp that we either need JJ to develop at a rapid pace, or Bowman to be 2021's Rudock

      Which is more likely? Probably the latter

      Delete
    9. I like Bowman as a good safety net, as he already has experience.
      I still think McNamara is better than the 2 guys here think he is. That was a very nice come back win against Rutgers. I know it was Rutgers. But the offense was producing nothing until he came it. And he didnt fold in the pressure of overtime. He kept at playing good.

      Will JJ McCarthy pass him by the end of the season? Vould be.

      Delete
    10. @Thunder

      Just a guy like Jake Rudock?

      After 3 years at Iowa Rudock averaged 6.2 YPA and had a 126 passer rating
      After 3 years at TTU Bowman averaged 7.4 YPA and had a 140 passer rating

      No adjustment for attempts needed. Rudock wasn't as good as Bowman even as a senior. Not till his 5th year, at Michigan, did he get to the level Bowman was producing at as a freshman.

      I'm not saying Bowman is a slam dunk NFLer but I am saying he'll probably be better than Jake Rudock. If he sets any records it'll likely be contextual, based on a horrendous D as in 2010, but that's not really the point.

      The current framing is that Bowman raises the floor of the 2021 team but I think moreso he raises the ceiling. That's in part because he's legitimately good (already, when healthy) but also because McNamara isn't, and probably won't be this year. I also don't think McNamara is AWFUL (in the Bellomy or OKorn sense) so the floor isn't all that low to begin with (speaking strictly of QB play here).

      McNamara is a just a guy though, right now. He's a guy that can help you beat Rutgers and Northwestern. He's not a guy that's going to beat PSU or OSU. Maybe he gets to the Rudock level of being a veteran JAG who can win with talent around him, but very likely not this year as a junior.

      Bowman probably isn't the OSU-beater either, but he is a Kingsbury approved multi-year starter, lauded for his leadership, who has battled through injury issues and is jumping over to a better opportunity after coaching changes. He can get the ball where it needs to go and he's not going to be intimidated by the moment. He's shown that. He's also shown excellent accuracy - a drum you've harping on like the pied piper of NFL QBs. He gives you a punchers chance if the people around him do their job.

      There's upside in Bowman left. Don't get stuck on the recruiting rankings. Don't treat experience as a bad thing. Warts get exposed - better happens your sophomore year than in Salt Lake City in year 5.

      Bowman's first half of his career compares favorably with most of the Harbaugh-era QBs. It might even be the best depending on how you look at the circumstance around Patterson.

      There are a ton of parallels here to the 2018 Patterson/Peters situation. Coming off a disastrous season a young gunslinger from down south arrives to save the day. Fewer starz for Bowman of course but he's got other things going for him that Patterson didn't - and more experience too. Betting you're not going to hear anything about his summer golfing or aloof demeanor.

      Get ready for a hype train this August.

      Choo choo.

      -Lank

      Delete
    11. @JDD

      McNamara was awful in the one game he started. And PSU was not exactly a juggernaut last year. If you look at both games on either side of the PSU/UM game the QBs all did better than McNamara. The names: Luke McCaffrey, Spencer Petras, Payton Thorne, and Rutgers' own Noah Vendral. The last one just barely better, which tells you about all you need to know about the level of QB play we got.

      I have nothing against Cade but it does not look like an optimal situation for him to thrive in for 2021.

      -Lank

      Delete
    12. To be fair to Cade - he was better than a lot of QBs would have been against Rutgers.

      But we also saw fools gold when O'Korn stepped in against Purdue and when Peters stepped in against Rutgers.

      Reality stepped within a couple weeks in every case.

      -Lank

      Delete
    13. Cade wasn't good against PennSt, but did lead all three scoring drives. Milton? Now that's textbook awful. The only reason they went to him is because cade's shoulder was hanging by a thread - even then Milton was the lesser option

      Cade might not be the right guy for the job, but as one poster on this very site says often, it's too early to tell for sure

      Delete
    14. @JE

      3 scoring drives in one game against a bad PSU team is awful. And one of the two TD drives was all on the ground, mostly thanks to a 60 yard run from Haskins. This is what we call "grading on a curve" if we're being very generous in describing some overt bias.

      By all means, Michigan should let the QBs compete for the job. I'm saying Cade is even less likely to beat out a proven QB with excellent accuracy than he was a notoriously raw and unproven cannon arm without. I just don't see any reason why it would play out differently in 2021. Sorry - Rutgers doesn't qualify as a needle-mover and never has.

      But yes, guys get better over time, things change, etc. JAGs get drafted by the NFL. Nobody knows and we'll see what happens.

      -Lank

      Delete
    15. It'd be grading on a curve if Milton, vilari or another QB faced a different opponent. Cade & Joe both went against PennSt, Rutgers, and wisconsin

      The results are what they are. Doesn't make Cade a savior, but it's clear he was a much better game time QB than Milton (yet to find a new home, BTW)

      Delete
    16. I don't know how the QB situation will pan out, but I've seen some notable recruiting guys acknowledge that high school production often pans out in college. In other words, Cade McNamara (the top high school QB in Nevada history) is more likely to pan out than someone like Joe Milton, who was not extremely productive in high school.

      Bowman also threw for a bunch of yards in high school (3,500+ and 38 touchdowns as a senior).

      For all his hype, McCarthy did not get as many reps over the past year or two as guys like Bowman and McNamara did when they were coming out of high school. If you ascribe to the "10,000 hours" theory, it might take a little longer for McCarthy to develop than a kid who graduated in 2019 or 2018 with similar talents.

      Delete
    17. @JE

      You seem somewhat obsessed with talking about how awful Milton was. Ask yourself why. The transfer timeline is irrelevant but you see it as another knock? Didn't McCaffrey take even longer, even though he was always expected to go play at a lower level for Dad? Aren't there 100s of guys in the portal right now? Isn't school still in session? Anyway,

      McNamara beat Milton out and is still here. Milton is gone, just like McCaffrey (who you never talk about and put in as favorable light as possible even though he was even worse than Milton as a passer and lost his job to him).

      If you want to keep making it out to be a vast gulf between the 2020 QBs you can but the numbers don't back it up. Milton had 1 good game against Minn and McNamara had 1 good game against Rutgers. Neither opponent was good. Milton was inconsistent and his season went downhill fast, aligned with an injury. McNamara never earned the job in practice, he was handed it when Milton fell apart. He beat Rutgers and then struggled, aligned with an injury.

      I'm not going to convince you of anything different no matter how many facts are presented. I'm just going to point out that you brining up Milton as "awful" at every opportunity while twisting things to put Cade in a good light says more about you than about the QBs.

      Both QBs were bad last year. The whole team was bad. The interesting thing now is what it means for 2021.

      McNamara is being proclaimed as the starter. That's very relevant. Milton's failure at Michigan has no affect on 2021.

      If you want to be an optimist about the 2021 you can put all the team's struggles in 2020 on Milton. Maybe that's what's going on.

      Some more history to note:

      when Milton beat out Peters you argued he didn't
      when Milton beat out McCaffrey you argued he didn't earn it
      when Milton beat out McNamara before getting hurt and struggling, you argue he is awful, but not when McNamara passed Milton before getting hurt and struggling.

      -Lank

      Delete
    18. @Thunder

      Interesting point about McCarthy. I agree that patience is warranted. I don't hold anything this spring against McCarthy but I do think we shouldn't expect a Tua or Trevor given what we saw. Which is fine since that's not a very reasonable bar anyway. Spring just emphasizes it.

      That said, what kids did in HS stops being relevant once they've been in college 2 or 3 years IMO. Milton was always a boom/bust prospect and now we know it was bust. McNamara is one year younger and profiled as lower ceiling (and higher floor) coming out. More or less what we saw last year.

      Bowman was a 3-star recruit, but he's done far better than most 4 stars in his class (including Milton). In fact, his 3-year numbers look a lot like 5-star transfer JT Daniels. So, to me, the recruiting rankings and high school production are no longer relevant.

      https://247sports.com/Season/2018-Football/CompositeRecruitRankings/?InstitutionGroup=HighSchool&Position=PRO

      We also should probably recognize the overall oddity of 2020 and the vastly different experience of individuals during the pandemic. Some people were unaffected and some had their lives torn apart. Some were bored and others were overwhelmed. So we should probably put even bigger variance bars around our expectations heading into 2021 than usual. My 2 cents. or 3.

      -Lank

      Delete
    19. Obsessed? Have I mentioned Milton more than you have mentioned peters? Morris? Isaac? That's very doubtful. But, Milton is relevant to this conversation because he played in the same games - with the same OL,RBs & WRs - against the same opponents, with results that can only be described as awful. He wasn't inconsistent, he was consistently awful

      As for transfer, Mccaffrey's destination wasn't announced immediately, but everyone knew the he was headed home. Milton? Can anyone even guess? Or is he likely one of the hundreds who never find a new home? D2 seems like the best fit, IMO, because he can start, get loads of reps, and possibly improve ... he needs all of that

      I have one poster saying I'm too hard on cade, and you saying I am talking him up. It's neither. Much higher floor than Milton, but not enough IMO to win 9+

      *Milton never "beat" peters. The latter knew Shea would start, so he left for another P5 starting job. The former is stuck in nomad land
      *I didn't argue he didn't beat mccaffrey, I said it was odd to go with a starter before the pads went on, considering how bad Milton's INTs were. That ended up working out as expected

      Not trying to fight anymore, so ✌🏽

      Delete
    20. When I bring up Peters it is as an analogy to the current situation with McNamara.

      What is the relevance of Milton being awful? Are you just saying that McNamara was slightly better than awful? Because that's not what is coming across. McNamara being better than Milton is no more or less relevant than McNamara being better than McCaffrey. Those guys don't play for Michigan.

      I'd be very surprised if Milton went D2 given he beat McCaffrey and McNamara and how he played against Minnesota. I'm sure there's plenty of interest but I guess we'll see. I don't see any issue with him finishing the semester before making a decision. There's new guys entering the portal every day. They'll be fine.

      -Lank

      Delete
    21. I can't think of a more simple way to put it. I don't think Cade is awful. I compared him to Tate Forcier; 5 to 7 wins, but doubt he could get us to 9

      That's not meant to be a knock on him, I (random internet guy) do not think he good enough

      Delete
    22. Everyone here agrees McNamara is better than awful. Tearing down Milton doesn't make that point. It's does the opposite. If Milton was as awful as you say why didn't McNamara beat him out.

      -Lank

      -Lank

      Delete
  9. Video of Taylor Upshaw at link:
    https://www.freep.com/videos/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverines/2021/04/05/michigan-football-taylor-upshaw-defensive-line-new-nickname/7093145002/

    ReplyDelete
  10. An experienced QB entering his 3rd year damn well better be outplaying a kid who should still be in high school. Get ready for the Bowman buzz to turn up this summer.

    -Lank

    ReplyDelete
  11. If Shean Nua doesn't work out this year with interior tackles, I have a suggestion for Coach Harbaugh to hire on, Sione Po'uha. His bio is at this link:

    https://utahutes.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/sione-po-uha/2461

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ah, I came across a 6 second video tweet of sime of Don Browns message to Arizona. At this link:
    https://mobile.twitter.com/DavidKellyKVOA/status/1374565542711861253?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1374565542711861253%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd-23514014362421708456.ampproject.net%2F2103261048002%2Fframe.html

    ReplyDelete
  13. Interesting that folks will make injury excuses for one guy but not another. Jalen Mayfield's mom put the Milton situation in pretty blunt terms. No one said anything of the kind about Cade. Anyway, Milton's gone just like Morris, Speight, Peters, and McCaffrey before him. McNamara is still here.

    Nobody knows what the future holds but we do know some basic facts and can apply logic. We can learn from history (noted above) or ignore it. If McNamara's not vastly better than an early enroll freshman now and wasn't clearly superior to an "awful" alternative (according to some) last year, that probably says something.

    Bowman's coming in as the most productive and statistically impressive QB Michigan's had yet. Despite injury issues and coaching changes at TTU. He's got a couple years left to get healthy and elevate his game even higher. We've seen it happen at Michigan and elsewhere.

    Nobody knows what the future holds but I'm going with the guy whose situation is more similar to Rudock or Patterson over the guy whose situation looks more like Peters or Morris. Bowman is not a sure thing but he could be really good in maize and blue. The opportunity is there for him.

    I'm bringing it up not because I'm sure it's going to happen one way or the other but because I'm reading the situation very differently than some others (and some headlines). I think people are sleeping on Bowman and misreading what is going on. I think people are letting their emotions and personal biases overrate Cade. I'd be very happy to be wrong about the last part. Just as I was happy for the moment when it looked like my doubts about Ty Isaac were proven wrong. Me and Ty will always share that special day in September 2017.

    -Lank

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Both were injured, but one couldn't lift his hand over his shoulder. The other was cleared to play. That other guy couldn't even be relied on for a 1st Down, let alone a score

      Delete
    2. McNamara was cleared to play PSU. It was the only game he started. He played very poorly.

      -Lank

      Delete
  14. For all the Milton hate out there - and the consensus I've seen online is that Michigan fans by in large openly dislike Milton and don't wish him well at Tenn - there's a to me (a fairly obvious) interpretation of events that puts Milton in a better light. Namely, his thumb injury.

    Per MLive Milton began wearing a wrap on his thumb in the Indiana game (where he wasn't great but still threw for 344 yards on 34 attempts against one of the best defenses in the country statistically). According to Mlive he was "disguising it with dark blue or black tape" during games afterwards. He had surgery for it in January and has been seen wearing a cast in early 2021.

    Milton was good the 2 games before Indiana. Period. He was over 65% completion percentage, no INTs, and production on the ground as well. Like Rutgers those were not great defenses but the Milton you saw against Minnesota was night and day from the Milton you saw against Rutgers.

    Milton was awful over the last 3 games of Michigan career. 15/34, O TDs, 2 INTs. That is what fans will remember. But he was good before he got hurt and bad after he got hurt and he beat out QBs who were somewhere between OK and solid.

    McNamara became the golden boy very quickly after he stepped in for an ineffective Milton. I can see how that would piss off a guy who earned a starting job and then gritted it out to play hurt only to be widely hated.

    I still don't know if Milton is very good but I saw enough to think he could be in the couple years. I wouldn't be surprised if he was a backup who struggles and I wouldn't be surprised if he went on to the NFL. As a Michigan grad I wish who faced what he faced, I wish him well.


    -Lank

    ReplyDelete
  15. I was under the impression we were done talking about Milton. Why add lies & exaggeration - to restart a debate?

    Just wish the young man the best of luck and be done already

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Saw this one coming. Yes, Milton's future has no bearing on Michigan football. He's in the news right now and someone brought him up here.

      -Lank

      Delete