Austin (TX) Westlake defensive end Ethan Burke flipped from Michigan to Texas on National Signing Day. Burke was offered by Michigan in November and committed on December 1 (LINK), leaving behind a chance to play lacrosse at Maryland.
Fast forward a couple weeks, and the home state Texas Longhorns offered him. Rumors started to come out just before National Signing Day that he would stay home instead of moving to Ann Arbor.
It's hard to blame a kid for that type of change of heart. When the big-time hometown school finally comes knocking, we expect that to have some sway for kids in Michigan, like it has done with guys like Vincent Gray, who decommitted from Missouri to pick Michigan.
The reason this hurts Michigan, in my opinion, is that I think Burke can be pretty good in college. I gave him a TTB Rating of 83; though he needs some physical and technical development, he's a really good athlete for a 6'7", 225 lb. kid. Furthermore, Michigan needs some edge rushers in this class. Despite the fact that Aidan Hutchinson was a Heisman finalist and David Ojabo has 11 sacks, Michigan has suffered decommitments from Burke and Mario Eugenio (Cincinnati), while outside linebacker commit Kevonte Henry is not signing in December and is flirting with Washington.
I finally cracked, quit this project for a minute and started watching high school film ... because I'm pumped over Michigan football again. And am a front runner by nature.
ReplyDeleteI can't blame him a bit for wanting to stay home and play for Texas, because Texas, for God's sake! And Austin women are way, way, way quintuple a cut above. Right up there with UCLA ... only faster.
As an aside, we see Clemson now falling back to the pack because Clemson women are just so damn chaste. But I digress.
I really don't think this kid is ever gonna be a rush DE a la young Hutchinson. I do think he has a chance to be a category unto himself outside linebacker who just removes every possibility over a third of your field, a la Ted Hendricks many years ago.
Seemingly, Texas football is back, hopefully, with both Texas and Texas A&M recruiting like they used to. The question is can Fisher and Sarkasian actually win with superior talent. Evidence up until now at multiple stops suggest not.
I couldn't agree more with Hutchinson when he says that college football is a better game when Michigan is good. I think that's also true of Texas.
Texas A&M, I don't care about that much, although the 12th man thing is a truly great tradition.
Keon Sabb is a really good football player, but the kid I love is Zeke Berry.
By your logic, Arizona State should be a killer football program. :-)
Delete???
DeleteYou were making an argument -- jokingly, obviously -- about the correlation between the women of a football campus and the quality of the football team. Arizona State is somewhat famous for its party nature, and the number of very attractive young women who attend.
DeleteErgo, Arizona State should be really good at football.
Ahhhh! I missed out on ASU in my travels.
DeleteSounded like a good get but it is recruiting. I remember we were all bummed about not getting Zach Harrison but the Ojabo/Morris/Hinton/Smith class seems to have worked out just fine without him.
ReplyDeleteYou're not an ex-wolverine if you were never a wolverine. Best of luck to Burke down in Texas.