"Speed is overrated."
Michigan's new recruiting strategy for wide receivers favors size and hands above speed. But most importantly, recruits should look like "Michigan Men":
"When he walks through that door, he should look like a Michigan wide receiver," Hecklinski said of Michigan's philosophy on recruiting receivers. "That thought, when a kid walks in and you say, 'Does he look like a Michigan Man?' That's important to us. That's very important to us because he represents us."
Big guys that can catch are nice to have, but you won't go far without any game-breakers.
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To each his own. To be fair, they have had their share of pretty damn good WRs as well.
Edit: I just thought about Braylon Edwards post-college and started laughing out loud.
Edit Edit: And then remembered my Browns drafted him. *sigh*
Sigh
"But I'm tryin' Ringo. I'm tryin', real hard, to be the shepherd"
That's crazy thinking. Good luck with that!
vacuuming sucks
Absolutely won't go far. With speed being the name of the game these days, on occasion, you're going to need a guy or 2 who has that chance to turn a 10 yd out route into a 70 yd TD. Having tall receivers is a nice asset, but when safeties are jumping the routes of slower WR's, who cares how tall they are?
This is your average "Michigan Man." His Scout profile says Hecklinski is recruitng him hard. Good luck to him.
wait, gotta che..... yea, just threw up in my mouth.....
Meet Coach Hoke's most recent offer and first commit for the class of 2019. Thomas Kincaide from Utica Elementary in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Tom said he wants to play WR, as he's really good at cathing the ball, and he can run fast, especially when it's time to go to lunch. 5'2" and 168lbs. Dont' have his 40 time yet. Looks like a "Michigan Boy/Man" for sure. UM was the only school that offered him.
"Here officer, hold my beer while I find my license."
Laughed out loud on that one. That's his mini-me!
Hoke offered his son?
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
No, he ate his son.
Look at those man cans!
Hoke would never recruit someone capable of beating him in a pie eating contest...
"Anything easy ain't worth a damn." - Wayne Woodrow Hayes
looks like a walmart wolverine got all butthurt and systematically downvoted you guys...here are some upvotes brothers
Men that look like this?
damn...even while he's eating one he's got his eyes on the rest of those ribs......Id hate to be the guy whos holding that pan if someone, anyone else tries to steal Brady's ribs
Battles are sometimes won by generals; wars are nearly always won by sergeants and privates. Football is no different, the guys down in the trenches win the games, not the coach.
haha!
Let's look at the best recievers that UM has had in the past decade:
- Braylon Edwards - Not a burner, but could get separation with the best of them
- Manningham - pretty fast
- Breaston - Returned kicks and punts, obviously has above average speed.
I think Coach Heck is confused by the recruits that RichRod brought in because they were burners and they weren't good. He's clearly missing the fact that they weren't good because they were all 5'6'', not because they were fast..
How did "Tall Wide Receivers" work out all those times Denard just threw the ball up in the air as far as he could. Armpunts for days.
awesome.
"We hate to lose, but when we do, rest assured we'll be back, and someone will pay the price." Coach Hayes
This made my week. LMFAO
"We get paid to score touchdowns, not kick field goals"
-- Urban Meyer
How many rings does this guy have? I will take Urbz's resume over this clown any day.
He's partially right- speed is vastly overrated.
Agility/cutting and acceleration (ability to get to top speed quickly) are both more important than top speed, as is strength to get off the line, hands, precision route running, and ability to read zone coverage. Run blocking is also vital if the offense is run-based. Speed is WAY down the list of being important in a WR.
BUT, speed is not irrelevant. It still matters, and it matters a lot more than "looking like a Michigan man." looks are completely irrelevant- I offer exhibit A, Dane Sanzenbacher, and exhibit B, Anthony Gonzalez.
that said, TSUN has produced some excellent WRs over the years. So have our Bucks.
I'm confident that whatever WRs TSUN gets, ours will be better for our system and continue our recent dominance.
People often confuse speed with quickness.
That is very true! Especially in basketball! That being said, I don't really take coach Heck's comment as saying speed doesn't matter at all. No wide reciever coach is that dumb. I think what he's saying is he's looking for the total package.
In all fairness to UM, they are saying that they aren't going to recruit the typical guys they have been recruiting.
I hear and understand what you are saying but at first glance "speed is overrated" comes across to me like "brain cells are overrated"
Battles are sometimes won by generals; wars are nearly always won by sergeants and privates. Football is no different, the guys down in the trenches win the games, not the coach.
That's fine. Might want to use a more objective approach and get some guys on defense who can actually stop this from happening when they play schools that aren't so childish about recruiting receivers:
Whoever the Michigan DB was that got beat on that play . . . in his defense, after finally catching up to Damiere Byrd in the EZ after alllowing that 56 yard TD completion, that tackle really looked like a Michigan Man kind of tackle. If you'll notice, the DB really wraps up well and pulls the receiver to the ground - text book tackle. And when the DB gets up, he just looks like a Michigan Man.
True not much else can be done after getting burned for 50+ yards and dragged another 3 by the WR that just torched you, lol.
All the games of the season are just practices for that glorious saturday in November when we get to jack Shoelace's invisible cereal bowl and drink our fill of delicious skunkweasel tears ...Michigan Still Sucks!!
Maybe I'm not giving enough credit, he really closed the gap like a Michigan Man (while the ball was hanging in the air long enough for Hoke to eat three cheeseburgers).
Also, too bad Clowney wasn't a bit slower.
HAHAHAHHAA.
[edit: speed is overrated when evaluation WR prospects. HOWEVER. It's still WAY MORE IMPORTANT than "looking like a Michigan Man"]
That line of thinking might lead them to be Wisconsin East at best.
Speed matters, there is no doubt, but why does a 4.2 guy not excel all the time? It's because they still need to run great routes and catch the ball. He is right in saying that you need to have guys that can catch (duh) and you need guys that have size (most of the time you aren't going to win with a ton of 5'9" receivers). But where you can get some clear seperation in talent level is when you have guys who can catch, run routes and is really fast. Those type of guys are not proven out of high school, one way the SEC does it is to bring in a ton of burners and hope a few pan out. It seems to be a winning strategt, one that Meyer help mold, and he has brought it here. I for one am excited to get a bunch of really fast guys with hopes a few step up and show they can catch and run routes than (mostly) what UM and OSU has had the past few years which were guys who could catch and run routes but couldn't seperate. Not a knock on anyone we have had, the Sanzenbachers and others showed what will power could do, but imagine if Sanz was a 4.3 guy? I'd take him over a 6'3" kid who ran a 4.55 40 from UM any day of the week
That's not what he's saying in this case though. He's NOT saying, generally, "speed isn't that important for WRs as ppl think". That is a reasonable argument, the same as what you're saying.
HE is saying, "Speed isn't as important for WRs, as looking like A Michigan Man." Which is just crazy and arrogant and delusional.
That's not really what he said. If you're going to use quotes, quote the person correctly.
OP left out the second part of the sentence: "Obviously, it's something we have to have." He's saying when evaluating film of a prospect, speed isn't a top priority, but it's stilll important. It's just as important as basic skills such as route running and catching. I actually kind of agree with him.
This is why the Big Ten sucks at recruiting
The Big Ten sucks at recruiting because there are many more good football players in the South.
Rationalization.
Class of 2010.
I hope they stay that way for a long time.
A sigh of relief from me.
Think about this in terms of the math. Say you've got a receiver who runs a 4.3 and he's going up against a corner who runs a 4.5. So over 40 yds, that 1/5 of a second advantage. But most routes aren't 40 yards - they're closer to 10 yards. So you're talking about 1/20 of a second difference on the average route based on the speed differential.
Now think about how much time you lose if you don't get off a jam, or run a route too far to the outside. Much, much more. That's why I think what he's saying here is actually quite correct.
This postseason, Boldin led the league in receiving yards. His 40 time? 4.72. Brandon Marshall, 3rd in regular season receiving, runs a 4.52.
Jerry Rice is generally regarded as the greatest receiver ever. Do you know what he ran at the combine? 4.71.
During a game this bowl season (can't remember which) ESPN showed the different between a 4.4 and 4.5 on a long post route and it is the difference between an incompletion and a TD. So it is important but not the most important factor.
Ok but most teams with competent safeties aren't going to give up 40 yards bomb for TDs on post patterns.
Btw, here are a few more:
Wes Welker - 4.65
Roddy White - 4.47
AJ Green - 4.5
Dez Bryant - 4.52
Marques Colston - 4.5
Is it important? Sure. Is it that important? Nope. I get that it's fun to rip on Michigan coaches, but the facts actually do support his statement.
I hear you, SE Buckeye.
Why are you citing guys that run a 4.5s? That's still pretty quick. UM's recruits are:
- Jaron Dukes allegedly runs a 4.6
- Csont'e York doesn't have a listed 40 time anywhere, but if you look at his tape, he plays against some pretty mediocre MI competition and isn't burning anyone.
- Da'Mario Jones is faster, but not as tall, so he doesn't even follow the argument.
Sure there have been lots and lots of empirics that we can pull out of legends that ran slow 40 times and were still beasts, but you're making it seem like it's the norm. They're pulling low ranked WRs with MAC offers just because they're tall and can catch the ball, while we're getting highly ranked burners that can also run routes and have solid hands.
Well the question wasn't who is getting the better receivers. Certainly no argument there. The question was whether speed is overrated. Looking at the success of NFL wideouts and their 40 times, it's pretty clear that speed is not a decisive factor. And I'm making it seem like the norm because it is. Of the top 15 receivers in the league this year, 7 of them ran decent to poor 40 times, and tons of NFL greats were not good straight line runners. For an NFL receiver, 4.5 is fast, but not elite.
If speed were one of the most important attributes for a receiver, guys like Welker and Boldin would have a much harder time.
Yeah but most of those receivers are pretty large aside from Wes Welker, when you are 6'4 to 6'6 the difference between a 4.4 and a 4.6 isn't magnified as much.
Meh, he's just preaching to his choir. Michigan fans will just lap those kind of quotes up. There's as much a place for the taller, possession-type wideouts as there is for the burners--but I'm betting that most Michigan Men would take a wideout with Denard's frame and abilities just as quick--if not quicker--than they'd take the more traditionally-sized Drake Harris.
Hopefully though, that kind of cognative dissonance will be for naught; because I'm hoping that we land Harris.
Exactly. The point is that, ceteris paribus, it's better for a receiver to run 4.4 than 4.6.
Obviously, if the 4.4 burner can't beat press coverage, runs poor routes, has butterfingers, etc., he's going to suck. But there are plenty of 4.7 kids who have other weaknesses, too.
This kind of thing makes me think about just how delusional the MU fan base is. They go on and on about Michigan Men when they have won 1 national championship in 65 years. So is a Michigan man a guy who accomplishes nothing and has wet dreams about 1948 when he actually mattered?
Our honor Defend!
Here's why we still match up better than they do:
- Our average WR height for the next few years will be around 6'1'' - 5'11''. Most are speed guys, or at leats more speed than classic possession WRs.
- The CBs UM has been recruiting for the past few years :
(2013) Douglas 5'10'' - Lewis 5'10'' - 2 Low rated guys who are taller.
(2012) Richardson 5'9''
(2011) Countess 5'10'' - Taylor 5'10'' - Hollowell 5'8''
So basically they don't have a single non-sleeper type over the height of 5'10''.
On the other hand, they have taller receivers to contend with:
- 6'1'' Eli Apple --- 6'0'' Cam Burrows --- 6'1'' Gareon Conley --- Armani Reeves 5'11'' --- Doran Grant 5'10''
Basically, our WRs are tall enough to be competitive in the pass game without even factoring in speed.
In comparison, their WRs have a comparable height advantage over our DBs. So it's a wash, right?
- No, because of the type of athletes we're recruiting. UM's receivers might be able to get open at times using size alone, but our long lean DBs will put up a fight and make it hard for them. On the flip side, not only will UM's DBs be at a height disadvantage, they'll be trying not to get burned on a double move because every WR on the field runs in the 4.4 range. It'll look like the South Carolina game, except with a receiving corps that's even better. Not to mention, Heck's strategy basically burdens the Wolverines to have a star QB in at all times. I don't think Gardner is a stellar passer, so if his guys cant get open he's gonna throw picks. It leaves little margin for error for the WRs, Gardner, and Morris in the future.
nice analysis, buckI.8
I have always found the term "Michigan Man" to be quite the oxymoron.
To err is human. Really sucking requires having yellow stripes on your helmet.
What does "michigan man" actually mean? No, seriously...
"We hate to lose, but when we do, rest assured we'll be back, and someone will pay the price." Coach Hayes
I agree and I don't know. I have heard other fans call OSU's fanbase arrogant but I don't think there is anything more arrogant than the constantly used phrase of "Michigan Man". Its just pretentious, snobby, and completely ambigous.
Michigan Man
Speed might not kill you...but some Michigan men will
If Denard Robinson isn't careful with spooning all that food into his mouth, he's going to end up lookin' like Whoopi Goldberg
Mad props as always, Ski.
Didn't Corey Brown burn scUM for a TD this year? Didn't he also burn them for a 50+ yarder last year??
-The Aristocrats!
Don't think we can count those, they were both cases of JT Floyd being a horrible DB, not so much our guys being too fast. But they definitely showed it against USCe
Speed is over-rated huh Hecklinski?? Well, let us know how that works out for you.
Zacisone
Lets ask M*chigan State if speed is overrated
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
Ginn literally looked like he was going to blast off! Absolute burner!
“The minute we stop expecting greatness from our football program, we become Wisconsin.” Craig Krenzel
Awesome post.
That's one of my favorite OSU plays ever. The amount of distance he puts between himself and the defender over that first 10-15 yards is just unfair.
I would love to see a player like Ted Gone(if he gets a step, he gone) in this offense. James Clark looks like he has that kind of speed.
"YOLO" = I'm about to do something extremely ignorant/stupid & I need an excuse to do it.
The fact that he can't understand having both types of receivers is what you want on offense is very telling...
Most of their "M*chigan men" are actually Ohio men. They would be nothing without players and coaches from ohio, because michigan isn't exactly the most fertile recruiting ground. They are so pompous with everything, even recruiting evidently.
An unrelated note: after reading the meltdowns on mgloblow.com and other WW sites they are in full-scale meltdown over us snagging players from m*chigan.
Speed is overrated. Except when your head coach is counting jiggle frequency while doing the Truffle Shuffle.
heeey yoouu guuuyss!
If they only want Michigan men, I guess that means they won't be coming into Ohio or Florida anymore trying to sign top recruits... good luck with that!
Good hands mean nothing if you dont have the speed to get open!
When I think of what a Michigan Man looks like I picture a guy wearing a disgusting shade of yellow getting hit so hard that his helmet launches into space!
"Because I couldn't go for 3"
So they just find the douschiest looking WRs available and offer them scholarships? That's the only way I can think of to be certain you have a michigan man.
So they basically just want to recruit overweight Ohio kids. Got it.
to current TTUN team members, "You are not fast, but you resemble what I consiider to be traits of a M*ch*gan man." - Random Assistant Coach.
~Because we couldn't go for three~
TSUN's Coach Heck didn't sign any fast receivers this year so he's downplaying the importance of speed.
If a coach comes out with statements like that it's obvious he's countering some criticism, and it's well known that they have been criticized about lacking a game changer at reciever. There is no other reason to say stupid comments like "speed is overrated" and "he has to look like a Michigan man." Really who would say speed is overrated? You have to have someone that can stretch a defense vertically. You have to get big plays so you aren't forced to repeatedly string together long drives since the probability of scoring w/o big plays is not good. Of course you want SOME tall physical recievers but you better have ones that can run too...and c'mon good hands are a prerequisite to any type of reciever; thats their job.
Read my posts above. Speed is, empirically, very overrated.
I already read them...
YOU READ THEM AGAIN!
OMG RATES OF MOTION WHAT ARE THOSE?!? Yes, speed isn't everything but it's definately not overrated. You're forgetting college is a different game than pros. Technique at the position level and unit level are not as good. There's also more disparity between athletic abilities. With those it is easier to spring someone on a play in college, and when you have speed a lot better things happen when something breaks down. So what happens when someone breaks a tackle or a defense makes a mistake? Speed kills. Thats why you want speed when spreading the field. Not only to spread vertically but to get big plays when shit goes down 1on1 in space. If I'm recruiting a reciever in college I want speed.
Michigan obviously knows what they are talking about, what, with their two BCS bowl game wins in the last 15 years or so...
So, maybe this explains the 4,000 lineman they recruited this year. Those guys are usually pretty tall, maybe they're planning on switching some of them to receiver.
Say goodbye to marshon and Harris after that comment....
Speed is only overrated if your recruits don't have any.
An angry fan...rooting for an angry team...led by angry coaches
What Michigan calls a receiver is what we call a tight end.
I guess they're expecting to throw a lot of jump balls, given that Mitchell, Bosa, Spence, Schutt, Washington and Vonn Bell will be coming after their QB every play. LOLOLLLLL
"We get paid to score touchdowns, not kick field goals"
-- Urban Meyer
I just don't know how well their sure handed, tall receivers will work out against our DBs. If our guys can get into position faster and prevent the big play then their great hands are negated. To then negate our speed advantage, they'll throw short passes on quicker routes, negating their own height advantage.
Those Who Stay Will Get Donuts.
That said, if all Jeff Hecklinski is doing is advocating for Fat Guy Wide Receiver Touchdowns, I can get on board with that.
I can't believe I ate the whole thing.
"Winning is overrated too. I just want Michigan Men." - Jeff Hecklinski
Keep Calm and Ignore the Trolls.
"Speed is overrated" -Said by no one....until now