I know we should just sit back and enjoy Denard for 10-12 more games. He is an electric talent and it's been an honor to watch the future legend run wild most Saturday's in the fall.
With that said, it's mid-week against an opponent Michigan is nearly favored by 1/2 a hundred and there isn't much news brewing. So, I start to ponder what Michigan's QB situation is going to look like next year. Denard will be gone and the guy that was expected to play will have gone a full year as a full-time WR. There are plenty of possibilities at QB next year, for example:
- Devin Gardner could move back to full time QB.
- If Devin doesn't get his 5th year medical redshirt, does it make sense to have him run the offense for one year?
- Russell Bellomy will have three years under his belt working with Big Al, would he be the best choice?
- Michigan will have 5 star QB Shane Morris hitting campus sometime in the summer. Does it make sense to start from scratch and give the Wolverines up to 4 years with the same QB?
I find it hard to believe the Michigan coaches don't know the status of Devin's redshirt. I would assume the NCAA has given them the most likely scenario. Which may have helped the coaches with the decision to move him to WR.
It's clear that Bellomy is the #2 QB right now and I expect to see Russell sometime late in the first half or early in the second. (Let's not risk Denard a week before ND, please!). How much time will Devin get at QB on Saturday? He doesn't have a ton of experience and could use a few series at least.
As far as Shane Morris goes, I would prefer to redshirt him and let him learn Big Al's new system. I don't like living and dying on every decision a freshman QB makes. His high school won't allow him to enroll early so the earliest he is going to get to work with Big AL is during Fall Practice in August.
What would you like to see post Denard?
- Frank Clark pleads guilty to second degree home invasion. Many expect probation but the max he could get is 15 years in jail. I wonder how this is going to effect his status with the team? On 10/23 he will be sentenced under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, which allows him to have the charge expunged if he successfully completes probation.
- It's nice that Michigan State and ND are playing before the Michigan game this year. The Wolverine coaches should be able to get some good film on both teams. A common question is, who should Michigan fans root for? Someone has to lose which is the first positive. We need MSU to lose in the Big Ten and we play ND next week. So either way works for me.
- Speaking of enrolling early, Jake Butt said recently he has worked out a plan with his high school and the Michigan coaches to enroll at Michigan in January. Expected to join him are Kyle Bosch, Taco Charlton, Ross Douglas, Logan Tuley-Tillman and Dymonte Thomas. You can back date up to 3 scholarships to the 2012 class.
3 comments:
Technically, under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act (HYTA), the defendant does not have a conviction yet after entering their plea. The conviction is held in abeyance. If HYTA gets revoked, the conviction is entered upon the date of revocation. So if anyone tries to say that Clark currently has a felony conviction and thus should not be on the team, that would be an incorrect statement.
I believe it is more important to get Devin and Russell some snaps on Sat. I hope to see Denard play the first half only. As far as Gardner's potential redshirt, I wouldn't hold my breath. The NCAA doesn't even look at it until it comes up, but Rich Rod was trying to sugar-coat it at the time.
I also would assume that both Devin and Russell will get their share of snaps because both would need to be as ready as possible if the unspeakable happened to Denard. The more game experience on the field the better.
The coaches would also need to be prepared to let the best QB win the job for next season; no coach really wants a one season starting QB but you still need to win games to show that the program is progressing and to encourage alumni giving. So I figure if Devin is that much better next season than the others then he would start.
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