Michigan loses an LB

[Riddickulous]

Michigan Wolverines | Linebacker recruit Kellen Jones no longer enrolled at Michigan | The Detroit News

3/4* freshman LB Kellen Jones, for an undisclosed reason. Reasonably high recruiting ranking. #12 ILB on Scout, #29 ILB on Rivals.

 

[BGIF]

Michigan Wolverines | Linebacker recruit Kellen Jones no longer enrolled at Michigan | The Detroit News

3/4* freshman LB Kellen Jones, for an undisclosed reason. Reasonably high recruiting ranking. #12 ILB on Scout, #29 ILB on Rivals.

He was an early verbal to Rodriguez about this time last year. He mean not have felt comfortable with Hoke/Mattison or perhaps there was academic issues. He article says, "no longer enrolled" but I didn't see any mention that he had been an Early Entrant.

UM needs MLBs. I believe he was the best they signed last February. There's nobody in the current class ranked significantly higher either.

 

[ColinKSU]

Guess he wasn't a Michigan Man.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Rivals:
247:
ESPN:
Scout:

Scout's the outlier; looks like a consensus 3 guy. The skunkbears are probably glad to have his scholarship available again. Doesn't strike me as good news.

 

[Andy in Sactown]

Defensive Scheme

Defensive Scheme

Makes you wonder if this was one of Rich's 3-3-5 guys. Could speculate quite a bit on this one...

 

[BGIF]

Rivals:
247:
ESPN:
Scout:

Scout's the outlier; looks like a consensus 3 guy. The skunkbears are probably glad to have his scholarship available again. Doesn't strike me as good news.

I don't think so. According to the article when he committed last July, it noted he was the first true MLB in 2 years. And while a 3 star I think he was the highest rated (Rating and Stars) by Rivals of the the LBS in his class. They only had 6 - 4 Star guys in the '11 Class. then came Jones.

Yes, it gives Hoke another scholarship but with the attrition they had with defensive players it means unless he can find a ready JUCO he'll have to wait another year to replace this kid with another 18 year old. That's another year behind in the weight room. Another year behind learning the system. AND nobody for Special Teams or even the Scout Team. They'll have one less body on the team. GameDay and practicewise.

This is a team that needs bodies - ready to play this year.

 

[IrishLax]

I don't think so. According to the article when he committed last July, it noted he was the first true MLB in 2 years. And while a 3 star I think he was the highest rated (Rating and Stars) by Rivals of the the LBS in his class. They only had 6 - 4 Star guys in the '11 Class. then came Jones.

Yes, it gives Hoke another scholarship but with the attrition they had with defensive players it means unless he can find a ready JUCO he'll have to wait another year to replace this kid with another 18 year old. That's another year behind in the weight room. Another year behind learning the system. AND nobody for Special Teams or even the Scout Team. They'll have one less body on the team. GameDay and practicewise.

This is a team that needs bodies - ready to play this year.

This.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Agree completely with BGIFs attitude about this loss. This won't be to UofMs advantage. As far as Jones' situation: he was slated for the "strongside linebacker", sort of a middle linebacker/outside linebacker hybrid. Two players of lots of remaining eligibility were listed in front of him. Also, for some reason, Brady Hoke specifically coaches this position himself....make of that what we will.

 

[IrishInFl]

A LB, not an LB.

 

[Riddickulous]

A LB, not an LB.

Phooey.

 

[Old Man Mike]

Actually, I could give Riddickulous credit for that depending if he were spelling it according to conversational sound ["EL-Bee"]. Maybe I'm just a soft grader.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

I stand corrected. Assumed he was a 2012 recruit, and we all know what happens when one assumes...

Does anyone have access to a good skunkbear depth chart? I have a hard time believing the loss of a 3 LB who never played is really going to hurt them this season, unless they're staring at depth chart holes like we were in 2007.

 

[BGIF]

I stand corrected. Assumed he was a 2012 recruit, and we all know what happens when one assumes...

Does anyone have access to a good skunkbear depth chart? I have a hard time believing the loss of a 3 LB who never played is really going to hurt them this season, unless they're staring at depth chart holes like we were in 2007.

Nobody said he was going to start nor that he would make the two deep. Steele has him listed as 4th at SLB where the starter is listed as 6-3, 207. Steele has the WLB starter at 6-2 208. Jones was the to LB recruit in his class. UM has not done well recruiting MLBs for the past two years I read yesterday. So from a developmental process that knocks them back another year.

UM played a 3-3-5 last year and it supposedly was the worse defense in UM history. Even Div 1 AA Massachuestts scored 37 points on them. RRod's DC wasn't incompetent. UM had/has defensive talent and depth issues.

Hoke is going to a 4-3. Does he have the body types he needs? There were a number of transfers out of UM since RRod was fired. I believe they were mostly defensive players particularly in the secondary. With the Jones announcement UM also listed 3 guys out for the season (or longer) with injuries. They're shorthanded. I don't know the official count but I counted 78 scholarships for 2011 from a UM fan site.

Around 1997 ND was down 2 scholarships from NCAA sanctions and had a bunch of injuries. They were suiting up 60 guys for practice. I believe 4 or 5 LBS had gone down and ND played had to play walkon at LB. Davie was forced to cut back on contact in practice because he couldn't afford another injury. Soft practice begets soft play.

If UM is starting preseason practice with only 78 scholarship bodies they are THIN. They need bodies. Jones might have been a #4 LB but he was a warm body with some size that could have played on all 4 Special Teams. Now somebody else has to do double duty. You can't rob Peter to pay Paul when Peter isn't on the roster.

I read on that same UM fan site that Jones MAY have a legal issue of a police nature. No details.

 

[Rhode Irish]

A LB, not an LB.

False.

 

[Rocket89]

RRod's DC wasn't incompetent. UM had/has defensive talent and depth issues.

Thank you. Their talent level and depth still suck, and are nowhere near normal Michigan levels. This is reason #1 why we should beat them.