Wolverine247 Board

Sorry, but posts like these with the recruiting class we already have makes me want to rip my hair out. We're not in any danger of being "in trouble" even if every last one of our top targets picks someone else.

Well... except for nose tackle.... maybe.

I really like Smith. Sucks for you guys to miss out on Isaac, but you have a great one on board already.

Hopefully all but 1 weekend a year (when we eventually get back on the schedule since it feels like we haven't played in forever). But yeah, I think he'll be a very good one.

Sorry didn't mean to sound like the world is ending. I think the offense will still be top notch, but without these elite skill position players I just am beginning to wonder if it will be a NC capable offense and an offense that can come back from a large deficit.

It just seems to me like we don't have a "quick strike" offense with the players that we have recruited thus far.

I was happy that you were wrong on this one Steve. You do a great job in the Midwest for 247 though.
Michigan is having a great class regardless and hoke seems to be a great coach

But he does have a point. Not that our offense will be 'quick strike' again, but if you want to compete for a NC, you need elite talent that can make big plays. Frankly, I just don't see any RB that's going to be on our roster in the next few years who can do that. Isaac seemed to have the size/speed combo to do so. Smith is a very mature runner and should have a productive career, but the man is SLOW; going to have a hard time breaking a game open against good competition.
The good news is that we do have Morris, so if we can get a couple more elite WR, we can make up for it. Pretty much every analysis of modern day football shows that the passing game is more important to success than the run game.

well that's the problem...if the offense isn't a threat to score on any given play, then it's just not a NC-worthy offense. We need fast skill guys that can really make defenses pay for a blown coverage/assignment and/or just flat-out burn people. Without that, we're not going to be competitive on a national level, which is what the goal should be.

Eh, Smith looks slow to me. He can't outrun his highschool competition. This has of course probably helped him develop the very mature running style of which he uses the great vision and quick feet you mentioned to get up field unlike most highschool runners. But honestly, I don't see how he's going to ever break a big one without a convoy of blockers ahead of him. If we want team to be truely elite, then we need the offense to be a threat to score on every play, and the players to make that happen.

mike hart did not have break away speed and i would take him over ty 100 out of 100 times.

There have been plenty of running backs who didn't have great top end speed that i would say were elite. Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis just to name a few.

There are kids out there that have just turned 17 and are about to become senior rbs who are just growing new bodies. A couple of those kids will turn into studs, happens every year as not everyone is a man at 16, and if we get one of them we won't miss the guy we just missed on.

isaac would have been a great addition and given us what seems like a perfect back for our system. however, we have power and speed coming in in this class and I hate when people say shallman is a fullback, coaches have said many many times he is a running back.
The running backs on the roster are pretty good too I might add. we have only seen glimpses of rawls and he looks to add power and speed so im not sure why everyone is so down. we need to add one elite receiver but poggi has always been the biggest piece left on the board. we need a play making 3 tech that isnt on the roster as of right now and there doesnt seem to be too many out there.
like i said, isaac would have been great, but who needs a quick strike offense when shallman and smith are averaging 6 yards a carry behind that line. we can control the game with these heavy hitters!
as we continue to stay in the national spotlight it will not take long to become the premiere school for running backs, receivers and quarterbacks once again.

To me, any offense is a threat to score on ANY given play. Some clubs are more of a threat than others. I am growing tired of the "we dont have enough elite talent to win NCs" comments. Those arguments fly directly in the face our coaching staff. Thats what coaches do. We will have peices in place to compete for a NC very soon. Let's allow our staff to form a TEAM of smart, solid players to form one elite unit... Teams 133, 134.....