intra vires
Glory to Michigan
See, even though you're a fukkboy this was perfectly executed and I respect that.
Negged
The OFFICIAL MICHIGAN FOOTBALL TEAM 139 THREAD: THE TEAM! THE TEAM! THE TEAM!
- Thread starter NigerianDonDada
- Start date
Negged
intra vires
Glory to Michigan
I felt weird dapping you for that even if it's hilarious
Trust Me
Coli Prophet
Had drinks last night with a friend that has a very good view of life inside Schembechler Hall. We talked about a lot, the promising potential but also some concerns. I'll try to cover it all.
• The first thing we talked about was Grant Newsome. Said Rashan Gary, Devin Bush, Shea Patterson, Tarik Black ... those guys are all great players but Newsome is your X-factor, and not for the reasons you think. "I'll tell you right now, every night I pray for three things: my family, the health of our football team and that Grant Newsome can lead this team out onto the field in full gear. I really want the kid to get all the way back but I don't think he will. But they're going to give him that chance because A) he deserves it and B) Jim is a master motivator. You let Grant Newsome practice and compete ... this kid is a galvanizing force. He's special. He's the kind of kid that teammates rally behind and when they watch him work. I mean, how do you take a rep off when you look over and see Grant Newsome busting his ass to try to make it back? Every great team has more than talent, more than X's and O's. There's an intangible quality, and I think that's what Newsome is."
• The first thing we talked about was Grant Newsome. Said Rashan Gary, Devin Bush, Shea Patterson, Tarik Black ... those guys are all great players but Newsome is your X-factor, and not for the reasons you think. "I'll tell you right now, every night I pray for three things: my family, the health of our football team and that Grant Newsome can lead this team out onto the field in full gear. I really want the kid to get all the way back but I don't think he will. But they're going to give him that chance because A) he deserves it and B) Jim is a master motivator. You let Grant Newsome practice and compete ... this kid is a galvanizing force. He's special. He's the kind of kid that teammates rally behind and when they watch him work. I mean, how do you take a rep off when you look over and see Grant Newsome busting his ass to try to make it back? Every great team has more than talent, more than X's and O's. There's an intangible quality, and I think that's what Newsome is."
Trust Me
Coli Prophet
• On the QBs, the best thing to happen to the room was Joe Milton arriving early. "Shea Patterson sort of walked in here like Leonardo Da Vinci in a classroom full of fourth grade art students. It was like, 'I'm better than you and I know it.' There was a concern that he wouldn't be pushed hard enough because [Brandon] Peters was coming off a confidence-shaking performance and Dylan McCaffrey just hadn't taken a step yet. Here walks in Milton with so much bravado you'd think he had painted the Sistine Chapel. All of a sudden everyone is on alert. Patterson takes off. Peters snaps out of it. McCaffrey is looking at Milton and realizing 'If I don't turn it on, my window is already gone.' From what I saw in the spring and continue to see, Patterson is your guy. Peters is your backup but the future is McCaffrey/Milton. The moment Patterson leaves, those two kids are going to have an epic battle to determine who takes over."
• On RBs and the gap between the top two and the rest. "Remember those years Freddy Jackson would play only one guy because the starter was light years ahead of the rest ... you have that with Higdon and Evans. I know the coaches will want to develop a third guy just in case, but I don't see it. Higdon is a beast and for the first time in his career, he's the man. That has done wonders for his confidence and for the team's. Everyone is all in. I'm glad he put on weight too because at around 200, he just wasn't big enough with the way he runs to survive the whole season, and they need him to survive."
• On RBs and the gap between the top two and the rest. "Remember those years Freddy Jackson would play only one guy because the starter was light years ahead of the rest ... you have that with Higdon and Evans. I know the coaches will want to develop a third guy just in case, but I don't see it. Higdon is a beast and for the first time in his career, he's the man. That has done wonders for his confidence and for the team's. Everyone is all in. I'm glad he put on weight too because at around 200, he just wasn't big enough with the way he runs to survive the whole season, and they need him to survive."
Trust Me
Coli Prophet
• He thinks Tarik Black will be special and Donovan Peoples-Jones will benefit from it. "Ive seen only a handful of guys in my time at that receiver position compete with a chip on their shoulder, outwork everyone and yet know in their core they are the best player on the team - Desmond, Braylon, Avant and Gallon. Those four guys to me were never anointed. They were discounted because of recruiting rankings or size. There was a reason they were supposed to just pass through, not dominate. Black was the 'third-best' WR in that class. It was supposed to be DPJ or Nico Collins, remember? They were getting all the love. Tarik from day one was out to prove himself. And he did, and it sucked he got hurt because he was getting better and better. For 2017, it was probably the worst thing that could happen. For 2018, it may have been the best because now you have a kid even more motivated to prove himself the No. 1.
"And make no mistake, he's your No. 1. That was a really uncomfortable position for DPJ to be in last year. For all his recruiting plaudits, this is a kid that wasn't ready to take over. He could be the best No. 2 receiver Michigan has ever had but he needs a No. 1 to take that attention. Tarik is perfect for him. These two kids are tied at the hip. Best friends. Do everything together. Tarik makes Donovan more confident. You see Donovan relax and have fun and really emerge in practices with Tarik there. Last year, it was a struggle. He wasn't comfortable being in the spotlight. He wasn't comfortable being counted on to be the guy. But together ... this duo really excites me."
"And make no mistake, he's your No. 1. That was a really uncomfortable position for DPJ to be in last year. For all his recruiting plaudits, this is a kid that wasn't ready to take over. He could be the best No. 2 receiver Michigan has ever had but he needs a No. 1 to take that attention. Tarik is perfect for him. These two kids are tied at the hip. Best friends. Do everything together. Tarik makes Donovan more confident. You see Donovan relax and have fun and really emerge in practices with Tarik there. Last year, it was a struggle. He wasn't comfortable being in the spotlight. He wasn't comfortable being counted on to be the guy. But together ... this duo really excites me."
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Coli Prophet
• The offensive line looks the part and Ed Warriner is a home run hire. "I think they're going to be much improved. How much? I don't know until we see them with pads going up against Notre Dame. But they are bigger and stronger. They look like a Wisconsin offensive line in terms of size and strength. Execution? Again, it's all a guessing game. Jon Runyan Jr. to me is really intriguing because of his lineage. I'm not expecting him to be his dad but here's the thing ... he grew up in that house. He had his dad there in his ear giving him support, acting as a sounding board, going over film with him, competing with him. I think there is much more to Jon than what we've seen so far. I think he's a potential breakout player."
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Coli Prophet
That's a lot of good but there are some concerns.
"Left tackle scares the death out of me. The best bet to start is Juwan Bushell-Beatty but he reminds me so much of someone like Tony Pape. You kept waiting for him to hit another gear but then his career ends and you just realize there isn't another gear. Tony was probably a little better than JBB. The kid has worked hard and he'll be serviceable but serviceable is not going to beat Wisconsin, Michigan State and Ohio State. I'll say this, if he's still your starter when you go up to East Lansing then I'm picking Michigan State because no one identifies an offensive weakness like Mark Dantonio. James Hudson is probably the next guy up. You see that light bulb flickering. It wants to go on permanently but it hasn't yet. Can't really tell from watching summer drills because they're not altogether where he is in his progression. I might be praying for a fourth thing - that he figures it out.
"Left tackle scares the death out of me. The best bet to start is Juwan Bushell-Beatty but he reminds me so much of someone like Tony Pape. You kept waiting for him to hit another gear but then his career ends and you just realize there isn't another gear. Tony was probably a little better than JBB. The kid has worked hard and he'll be serviceable but serviceable is not going to beat Wisconsin, Michigan State and Ohio State. I'll say this, if he's still your starter when you go up to East Lansing then I'm picking Michigan State because no one identifies an offensive weakness like Mark Dantonio. James Hudson is probably the next guy up. You see that light bulb flickering. It wants to go on permanently but it hasn't yet. Can't really tell from watching summer drills because they're not altogether where he is in his progression. I might be praying for a fourth thing - that he figures it out.
Trust Me
Coli Prophet
"Higdon's health is key. Right now, you have this awesome top two but Chris Evans cannot be your every down No. 1. He'll get worn down too quickly so if anything happens to Higdon, it's Evans and who? I don't know. I don't like any of these guys. Admittedly, I've only see the freshmen in shorts and t-shirts this summer and there's some potential there, but the gulf between our top two and the rest is as big as I've seen it since Mike Hart was here and Freddy was like, 'You want me to play someone else, why the hell would I do that when they can't do what he does?'
"After Patterson, it's Peters, and I really, really want to believe in this kid, but he doesn't move the needle for me. He could beat eight teams on their schedule but he can't beat four and if you need him against Wisconsin or at MSU, he's not rallying the team. And you can't go to the youngsters yet. I think the redshirt rule could be really helpful because we get a glimpse of Milton and we should see some of McCaffrey early in the year if all goes according to plan. Maybe one of these kids gets a taste and turns it into gold but right now Peters is your No. 2 and a very good No. 2 all things considering but I'm not convinced he has what it takes to win a big game.
"After Patterson, it's Peters, and I really, really want to believe in this kid, but he doesn't move the needle for me. He could beat eight teams on their schedule but he can't beat four and if you need him against Wisconsin or at MSU, he's not rallying the team. And you can't go to the youngsters yet. I think the redshirt rule could be really helpful because we get a glimpse of Milton and we should see some of McCaffrey early in the year if all goes according to plan. Maybe one of these kids gets a taste and turns it into gold but right now Peters is your No. 2 and a very good No. 2 all things considering but I'm not convinced he has what it takes to win a big game.
Trust Me
Coli Prophet
"Speaking of which, no one on this team has won a big game on the road and they've got three monster ones. I think it actually helps that they start on the road under the lights. It's like, 'Let's get this out of the way immediately.' If it was a little bit later in the year, I think that doubt could creep in a little. Like, 'We've played our first four at home and now we've got this monkey on our back' and the guys start to think about it too much. But right from the get go, they'll be so geeked coming out of the gates, that it won't matter. Or shouldn't."
NigerianDonDada
FFOE
Looking at the roster Michigan hasn't had this much depth and talent since the late 90s early 2000s Lloyd Carr era 
Roster is one thing, mentality is anotherLooking at the roster Michigan hasn't had this much depth and talent since the late 90s early 2000s Lloyd Carr era
NigerianDonDada
FFOE
Personally I'm expecting a 2016 like season. Young players got a lot of experience last season. Had to go through the ups and downs like the 2016 team with their last season with Hoke. Outside of the Penn State game the team was in every game. Don't know how Harbaugh can mess this up. Personally I want Harbaugh to go back to being super hype and emotional on the sideline again. For some reason last season he seemed too laid back and emotionless.
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NigerianDonDada
FFOE
still
at one of this hometown writer (New Mexico) writing that article a few years ago bashing Harbaugh for switching his position to TE. Now he's a potential NFL draft pick 
Fall camp starts today
