Offensive tackle Willie Allen has entered the transfer portal after spending the winter at Michigan. He transferred from Louisiana Tech, after he transferred from Tyler Junior College, after he transferred from LSU. So wherever he ends up from here, it will be Allen's fourth college.
Allen was expected to compete for an open offensive tackle job, but word out of Schembechler Hall was that he needed to put in plenty of work to get into playing shape at Michigan. After sitting out the 2020 season, it's not too surprising that a guy who hasn't played football in two years might be a little bit rusty.
I had a hard time seeing where Allen would fit in Michigan's plans, though he was a nice insurance policy. Michigan has younger guys that seem like they're on a good track to play at a high level.
I was hopeful that a big bodied, NFL potential OT could come in and replace Mayfield
ReplyDeleteI'm going to now act like an over confident M fan, and guess that this means or OL simply had better options
I don't know if Michigan had better options in the sense that there are people with more talent, but Allen supposedly was out of shape. Keep in mind that he didn't play football in 2020. Meanwhile, guys like Ryan Hayes and Karsen Barnhart and Andrew Stueber and Trente Jones were all training for the upcoming season.
DeleteMichigan will be fine, that is if Sherrone Moore is good at coach O Linemen. This news would mean nothing to me if Ed Warinner was still here. I hope it's the same with Sherrone Moore. Got to protect Cade McNamara. He might have big numbers if he is. He broke records in high school....
ReplyDeleteI don't know how much to read into this given the rumors of poor conditioning, but nonetheless it's probably a good sign that the coaches didn't seem to think it was worth trying very hard to keep Allen around.
ReplyDeleteThe defense is a different story but the offense (IMO) is out of excuses. Harbaugh has let 3 of his 4 QB recruits walk away, is on his 4th OL coach at Michigan (by choice), and has put his trust in a 3rd year OC. There's plenty of OL depth, plenty of skill position talent, and 3 very different options at QB. The coming season will be time to show where this is all headed because it doesn't seem like there's any real chance of another stellar defense.
-Lank
Wait now, Ive read that here and there on the internet, that Michigan's defense isn't going to be good. What are you basing that on?
DeleteI guess it's OK to question the coaches now?
DeleteWell, you didnt answer the question I asked.
DeleteBit now I see your perspective on what you said.
@JDD
DeleteJE93 is just arguing with himself and can be ignored.
The reasons to doubt the defense are many:
a) they were not good last year and lost their best player
b) they have a first time DC who doesn't have much college experience
c) they are committed to a massive overhaul in scheme that doesn't seem to fit their personnel
d) overall talent level is OK but probably a step down from what we're used to at Michigan
e) Weaknesses at DT and CB seem to be fully reliant on internal development for improvement, pending transfer additions.
-Lank
Reasons to be optimistic on defense:
Deletea) A lot of players return.
b) Aidan Hutchinson will hopefully be healthy.
c) Opposing offenses won't know exactly how to scheme against the defense, since they don't really know what it will look like.
We gave up 34.5pts a game last year, without the annual ohio beat down ... Returning those same guys, under a new (multiple) scheme is hardly reassuring
DeleteRight...with an offense that couldn't move the ball, without Kwity Paye, without Aidan Hutchinson, and without Ambry Thomas.
DeleteWhat defense is great when they're missing (arguably) their best three defenders?
Agree, but who is "next man up?"
DeleteWe have no Corner, no DT, no pass rush, and no LBs ... The personnel problem has not been fixed, and Greg Mattison (2011) isn't on staff
Oh, and the offense likely won't be too much better. Not "2-6" awful, but not nearly good enough to keep pressure off the D
Just my opinion but I find it strange to ascribe a team record to one side of the ball, let alone a player. We've had elite offenses paired with horrendous defenses to finish with mediocre records, and vice versa. We've had solid but not elite (top 25ish) units on both sides of the ball and end up winning 10 games. Almost like records are decided by teams based on their offense, defense, and special teams combined.
Delete-Lank
Glad you're coming around on the whole "team game" Lank. Welcome!
DeleteWait the guy who things QBs decide records thinks it's a team game? Is this 2-6 logic? Maybe. Trying to speak JE is hard.
Delete-Lank
When did I blame a QB for our record? Not being able to score, get 1st Downs, or even move the offense - when the backup could - is a component different matter
DeleteI think it was around the time I said coaches could never be criticized. Just kidding you actually assert stuff like this. You describe a player as being at such and such a record or a side of the ball as being such and such a record (as you did above).
DeleteNice job bring up Milton again. It's the TTB version of Godwin's Law.
-Lank livin mortgage-free
So, you're making stuff up? Gotcha
Delete@Thunder
ReplyDeleteI like the optimism and agree with the points made. There's some room for hope. Good talent and a couple stars in Hill and Hutchinson.
That's why they play the games, etc. Still, it's probably good that expectations are modest with all the change.
-Lank
I would add that there are some solid vets to plug in (Jeter, Ross, Gray, Hawkins). These guys aren't going to be WOW players necessarily but they solidify rotations and give the coaches a little more comfort to put young playmakers on the field around them.
DeleteWhat the really really need is some of the younger talent to step up particularly up front and on the edge. Smith, Hinton, Ojabo, McGregor, Paige. I don't know if it's in the cards to be great for older guys like Barrett, Green, Faustin, but it would be nice if those guys could make a leap too.
-Lank