UM Football Recruiting - by WM Wolverine

[Hannibal]

He committed a long, long time ago. Seems like lots of those guys peak out early and then end up as mediocre prospects (e.g. Marvin Robinson).

[Rocky Bleier]

But will Harbaugh go Les Miles on him? "Thanks, but no thanks."

[Tslisher]

True, but you hear so many of these kids talking about playing "somewhere warm", when they also have the desire to one day play in the League.

If you go to the League, you have a 100% chance that you're going to play in at least some cold weather games. I'd think that you might want to start getting used to it during college ball.

I don't know Liney - I think the 'somewhere warm' comment from recruits might have them thinking more of what the college co-ed's are wearing year round around campus rather than football weather ;)

[iam416]

Sounds like Swenson is gonna get cut and, at a minimum, won't be telling ghost stories and making s'mores with HARBAUGH!!!!

[Wellington_beefhouser]

Harbaugh playing hardball - Rocky Bleier

[Rocky Bleier]

Yeah, I'm as quotable as H.L. Mencken.

[WM Wolverine]

Haven't heard anything about Swenson but haven't read any recruiting websites yet today.

[Rocky Bleier]

The moralists are discussing the various moral quandries of the situation over at MGOBLOG.

[iam416]

Must be quite the conundrum for those laboring under the misbegotten impression that M is different from the other kids.

[Prime2]

Quinn Nordin continues to look around. Look for him to join Baxter at USC?

Now there are rumors that the staff isn't all that enthralled with Erik Swenson. Is Harbaugh playing Hardball?

Yes, I read that at the Freep, looking for a comment by Nordin, regarding his JH visit?

He has dropped Baylor and looking to head to USC to visit Baxter who has recruited him over the last year.

JH is supposed to land a stud Special Teams Coach from the NFL as he can only do, hope it is soon, CP will be "co- coach".

[Rocky Bleier]

Must be quite the conundrum for those laboring under the misbegotten impression that M is different from the other kids.

No more Mr. Nice Guy. There's a new sheriff in town. Nice guys finish last. Etc., etc., etc.

[Rocky Bleier]

Fisch agreed to a two-year extension. Good recruiter.

[iam416]

Your recruiting cycle has been rather fascinating to watch. It might appear to the cynic that JH prematurely took some Plan Bs/Cs and then actively looked to recruit over them. The more conventional route is to slow play the shit out of your Plan Bs/Cs, take the risk they go elsewhere, then extend the offer when it's clear you're out of luck with better players.

With Swenson (and others), I think it's pretty clear they feel like they're going to get a better player and need the spot.

Anyway, it's all been remarkably fascinating -- especially watching the M fanbase react to JH's recruiting. That's been really interesting. I get the sense that he's very much "your nutjob" -- e.g., if Saban brought his jammies to spend the night at a recruit's house the M fanbase would rain down searing ridicule. But your guy did it.

Will be interesting to see how the class finishes. Gary is still a lock. That Long kid seems like a lock. And then I really don't know (because I don't follow it TOO closely)...but my guess is they'll push as many kids out the door as they need to.

[hack]

There's no doubt there will be an adjustment for some Michigan fans as the program reorients itself from Lloyd's Wilford Brimley approach to one in which compliance is more rules-based than values-based. If that's indeed what's happening. It would be interesting to know how long Swenson has known he's probabaly outside looking in. Elsewhere it's been suggested that perhaps allowing kids to to commit makes them look more desirable as they continue their recruitment process, and even if that makes sense it is at least to some extent a self-serving comment. Also, if they think they have someone good enough to push out a four-star top-250 type of player, that's quite exciting!

Of course none of this is anywhere near approaching cheating as a lifestyle choice and a core part of a program's identity, like you and the rest of the SEC crowd have done. Playing hardball with recruits within the rules isn't the same lining up various bagmen and slush funds and tattoo opportunities in the way that your ilk do. You wish.

It's also probably very tempting to file the kooky bits in the same category, but that as well is a self-serving anodyne unrelated to the truth. Nobody wants Saban or Meyer over in their jammies. Probably not even their mothers. Fortunately for the rest of the country, there's no direct correlation between who would be the most fun for a sleepover and actual results. YET.

[iam416]

Well, that was an utterly worthless response, hack, even by your standards.

But that's ok. I'm really only interested in hearing from those who are serious about recruiting and can be serious about M.