Hopkins

[MaizeNCheese304]

Has left the team.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Very sad to see him go. As a fan I always want players to stay here and graduate. The bright side of this is that it opens up another recruiting spot in a class where it seems we have a shot at multiple "big names". But I'd much rather have Hopkins here than have a recruiting spot in this class. When it was first announced Hoke was coming, I thought Hopkins was going to make a great fullback.

 

[thewolverines24]

Not too surprising. Probably wanted more PT and possibly to play HB instead of FB. Hopefully he'll find success wherever he decides to go.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

I'm sure he would do well at a MAC school or like an Indiana. I think the biggest problem with Hopkins was that he fumbled so much. It seemed like 1 out of every 4 carries he got he fumbled.

 

[byco42]

Wonder if there was talk to convert him to defense.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

This does kind of sound the alarm on RB depth next season.

Exit Vince Smith + Hopkins and we're left with Toussaint, Norfleet and Rawls. We have Deveon Smith (3 star) and Wyatt Shallman in this recruiting class so far. Who knows when Toussaint will be back, Shallman is projected to be a FB so really we're left with 3 scholarship RB's. Certainly no one on paper looks to be an every down back...but who knows.

 

[michiganmicros313]

This does kind of sound the alarm on RB depth next season.

Exit Vince Smith + Hopkins and we're left with Toussaint, Norfleet and Rawls. We have Deveon Smith (3 star) and Wyatt Shallman in this recruiting class so far. Who knows when Toussaint will be back, Shallman is projected to be a FB so really we're left with 3 scholarship RB's. Certainly no one on paper looks to be an every down back...but who knows.

Hopefully Derrick Green sees the Maize and Blue light and commits.

 

[GoBlueInAtlanta]

This does kind of sound the alarm on RB depth next season.

Exit Vince Smith + Hopkins and we're left with Toussaint, Norfleet and Rawls. We have Deveon Smith (3 star) and Wyatt Shallman in this recruiting class so far. Who knows when Toussaint will be back, Shallman is projected to be a FB so really we're left with 3 scholarship RB's. Certainly no one on paper looks to be an every down back...but who knows.

Justice Hayes?

Not saying he's the answer, but I wondered if you forgot him.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

Justice Hayes?

Not saying he's the answer, but I wondered if you forgot him.

Yes, forgot him as well. None of them are really the ideal back for the type of offense we wish to run except for Toussaint and Rawls and we've seen how they perform. It's not great.

 

[Michchamp]

I don't think there's really any need to sound the alarm on RB depth next season.

 

[hungry]

good riddance

 

[deathroh]

Deveon Smith is no slouch.

 

[thewolverines24]

Yes, forgot him as well. None of them are really the ideal back for the type of offense we wish to run except for Toussaint and Rawls and we've seen how they perform. It's not great.

I don't think the RBs are the problem. The run blocking was atrocious this year.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

I don't think the RBs are the problem. The run blocking was atrocious this year.

While probably true, I still expect more from a Michigan RB than what we got this season. There's a reason Denard can get in there and run for 4-5 YPC and our RB's get stopped in the backfield. Our RB's aren't even in the same realm as Denard athletically and that needs to change.

 

[thewolverines24]

While probably true, I still expect more from a Michigan RB than what we got this season. There's a reason Denard can get in there and run for 4-5 YPC and our RB's get stopped in the backfield. Our RB's aren't even in the same realm as Denard athletically and that needs to change.

No one in the country finds holes, that practically don't exist, like Denard. He has second to none vision and playmaking skills. We definitely need a RB who can make something out of nothing the way Denard does. They probably won't ever be on his level in that category, but our guys now do need a lot of help from the line to look good. Something they were not given all year.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

No one in the country finds holes, that practically don't exist, like Denard. He has second to none vision and playmaking skills. We definitely need a RB who can make something out of nothing the way Denard does. They probably won't ever be on his level in that category, but our guys now do need a lot of help from the line to look good. Something they were not given all year.

I don't expect to get another Denard (those kind of athletes only come around once every 10 years) but I would expect that we could find someone similar to the many RB's Michigan has had even in the past 10-15 years. We need someone who can make a play and doesn't rely on a fantastic line to do so.

 

[zyxt9]

seems like there aren't many guys who can make a hole even when there isn't one anymore. i guess part of that is due to size and athletic nature of defenses. so the solution appears to be more about fixing the problems with the OL. "trenches out". make holes that even i can run through and you no longer need to worry so much about who is at RB, just make sure they don't get tackled by turf monsters or fumble when they get sneezed on and all is well.

 

[MAIZEandBLUE09]

seems like there aren't many guys who can make a hole even when there isn't one anymore. i guess part of that is due to size and athletic nature of defenses. so the solution appears to be more about fixing the problems with the OL. "trenches out". make holes that even i can run through and you no longer need to worry so much about who is at RB, just make sure they don't get tackled by turf monsters or fumble when they get sneezed on and all is well.

A guy like Bell or Ball would be welcome.

 

[erg57]

More worried about OL. OL underachieved this year and I'm less accepting that it was scheme. It was not adequately talented this year

 

[erg57]

Baraka have any eligibility left?