What it must be like sitting in the Heisman Trophy ceremony waiting to hear if your star QB won the Heisman trophy or not. Being on top of the football world again. Team is #1 again, in the playoffs again, almost lost the SEC Championship but had another 5 star QB on the shelf to save the day.
That is the life of Nick Saban, like you didn't know. He is the guy that gets his lake house mortgage paid off when Texas has an opening. His top competition in the coaching ranks, Urban Meyer has retired for the 3rd time (he retired twice at Florida) and his star QB who just had surgery a week ago is expected to be ready to play in 3 weeks.
It's good to be Nick Saban. So good, that you can sit in NYC at the Heisman Trophy Ceremony and pick up two of the best defensive back in the country that were committed to other places.
Yes, one of those places was Michigan. Dax Hill Michigan's highest rated player in the class surprisingly flipped from Michigan to Alabama on Saturday night. The other program that got robbed was Texas A&M.
I stay pretty close to recruiting news and there was nothing in the "wind" about Hill having second thoughts. It's very common that one of the top players in the class would still be getting recruited by everyone, but usually when a player starts to have second thoughts, its common knowledge.
After the de-commit I learned that Alabama's DB coach visited Dax on Thursday. That is not uncommon either. It's also not uncommon for players to want to play for Alabama. For the record, neither recruiting services Michigan or Alabama saw this coming. What I find unique and uncommon is this:
Georgia puts up 450 yards on Alabama's defense late on Saturday afternoon and a week later, two top DB's prospects in the nation with Alabama offers who picked other schools, suddenly decide to flip to Alabama on the same night, two weeks before signing day. With Nick sitting in NYC. I don't believe in coincidences.
The UM Internet nation will say, it was because of the "train wreck in Columbus". I don't believe that for a minute, I don't believe elite players make decisions off one game. I also believe elite players think, " it will be different when I'm on the field."
When it comes to recruiting, Michigan is playing chess and most everyone else is playing checkers. Coach B gets away with it, because all he has to do is pick 2 or 3 under the radar guys each year. He then develops the hell out of them and makes Final 4's.
Jimmy has a much harder job, he needs to find 25 players that are elite on the field and in the classroom. That also doesn't want or need a new car or money for their families. Think back to being 18 and somebody drops off a new truck or car and hands you the keys.
Some of these "bag man" are so good at this, it will never be tied back to the program that the player just committed to. Who's going to say anything anyway? Getting a new car isn't hurting anyone.
Is it fair to Michigan? No, it isn't. But as long as we want this program to be squeaky clean, we are going to have to deal with losses like this weekend.
- Jimmy made it very clear again that he is staying at Michigan and that he is tired of this old song and dance before signing day every year.
- The Michigan Basketball team took its record to 10-0 with another win this weekend over South Carolina. Michigan struggled in this game with the athletic Gamecocks. Michigan Basketball does seem to struggle with athletic teams that have length. FSU last year during the tournament was another example. Still a win is a win and its great to see Poole getting his shot back.
- Shea and Chase said they are playing in Peach Bowl and Jimmy said he would let other players announce their intentions. Which leads you to believe others will be sitting out.
- The mystery OT that visited this weekend was Tennessee commit OT Chris Akporoghene who plays at IMG. He is rated as a 3 star.
13 comments:
Good take on inside of recruiting world BOb!! I do agree on lot of what you said. For Dax to leave like the way he did does raise a question. I have a good feeling some times in the near future truth will come out about Alabama's football program. Now "if and only if" they are in some recruiting violations. You can keep dirt under the rug for so long, but if it gets too much it will start to come out. Michigan is a highly academic and some players can't handle the rigorous school work and be a student athlete. If I am a big time recruit I might be looking else where to play where I can only concentrate on playing rather than being a student.
Blue for Life!
Come on. First look at Alabama's resume in the past 10 years and then compare it to Michigan's! Bama year in year out playing in the CFP. When was the last time we have......wait for it: Never! Second you've got the weather. Not many kids from the south want to play football in the Midwest in November. And lastly its proximity. He's closer to home. Stop with the weak takes. If you think its all about payoffs you're lying to yourself! We don't measure up to Bama, face it!
Chowman what are you talking about man...repost and put some sense in your thoughts...
There are lots of factors why kids don't want to come from south to north...yes, weather is one...but, northern states like Michigan don't produce enough quality athletes where they want to play for their home state team or maybe an university closer to home. Maybe Dax Hill left because he wants to play for a championship caliber team than Michigan.
People can rip on Michigan and Harbaugh all they want right now but Michigan is still elite. The fact that trolls continue to come on Bob's site reflects that. I have never been to a Mich State, Ohio State, etc site because I don't care. I have far better things to do with my time than to troll another teams blog. The fact that they are here reflects their jealously of Michigan. Go Blue!
Second - look at the NFL rumors for Harbaugh. How many other college coaches get the NFL interest Harbaugh does? Yes - Ohio State just drilled us but Harbaugh still a top tier coach.
To Chowman...I agree with most of what you said regarding why a kid would pick Bama over Michgian. Yes, they are warm, have had more recent success, etc. But all those factors were true 4 months ago, 3 months ago, 2 months ago and 1 month ago. Why jump now? There is more to this story that we know and if you think it is just because we missed the playoffs you - my friend - have your head in the sand.
Alex/Abu...boy am I getting tired of you. Early in the season you jumped on and posted 1,000 times about how bad Michgian/Harbaugh is. You projected 7-6 or 8-5 best case. Then when MI rattled off a number of wins in a row we never heard a peep from you. Which was nice. Then the train wreck of Ohio State happened and you have posted what seems like 2,000 posts saying the same thing over and over again and anyone reading comments that has at least an 8th grade education gets annoyed with. So I hesitate to even reply to you. But no one here cares about your thoughts, your opinions and no one takes you seriously.
Maybe you can create another name or two to jump in to defend yourself. :) Because no one with names we recognize and have read for years will defend your rhetoric.
I just found out little Timmy is chowman... good feeling that was you
Timmy let it go bud...we are not good enough to call our-self elite...maybe when harbaugh decides not to be conservative...
Wolverine for life
Alex LaCruz I see your already taking advantage of the recreational marijuana laws...……..what part of compare resumes do you not get? I said Bama plays in the CFP year in and year out. Michigan not so much.
Tim: look they get these kids on campus, pull out the full court press, take them out on field at the Big House, take pics of them in UoM uniform, winged helmet, block M gloves. The get to spend time with the players...….. these are 17 year old kids. They get caught up in the moment. They think man that's the place for me. But after time goes by, the emotion wears off, and for a kid that's a 5 star it becomes a business decision. What the best for that kids brand, and sorry but right now Bama's better on Dax Hill's resume than Michigan. Hard to swallow and it does suck, but its reality!
Alex-Abu projected 7-6 or 8-5?!? I wonder how he figured that? Hmmmm.
Chow mein that's why Daxton Hill went to Bama because of they play in the national championship year in year out
Any five-star Talent with little brain will go to Alabama,Clemson or Ohio State... I don't know why Rashan Gary came here in the first place ...He should have went to Clemson would have won a national championship and would have played in couple of playoff games
Wow, you certainly got the chatter going with this one! Although I do find the circumstances interesting that both jump at the same 11th hour, I'm not ready to say the others are dirty....unless we are talking $uckeye $tate of course because they've already been found guilty a number of times. Nobody goes to Bama, the SEC or $uckeye U to get an education. Jimmy just landed 45 student athletes on the All Academic team and makes it known what he expects of the student athlete. Some just won't find that attractive. Like Cordale Jones said "I didn't come here to play me no school!" UM has standards and some just want the ring and the NFL $$. In the end, these are still kids and they don't always make the most rational decisions, they make emotional decisions. Getting punked in CBus did not help.
Rashan Gary, Jabrill Peppers, both elite HS recruits, both raised by single mothers, I suspect both raised on less than ideal financial situations... They chose to go Blue.
It can still happen.
If you haven't seen improvement over the past four seasons, you're blind or brain dead.
GO BLUE
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