Here we go, Michigan fans.
Strap in and prepare for a new wave of paranoia from Ann Arbor—and renewed gloating from Columbus and East Lansing.
Kevin Newsome has announced today that he is de-committing from the University of Michigan. The prized four-star quarterback recruit, who had all the skills and athleticism necessary to ideally run the spread offense, is opening his recruitment up to other schools, possibly ones closer to Virginia (i.e. Virginia Tech).
Is this lousy news? Yes.
Is the sky falling? Not at all.
Michigan still has the No. 8-rated (by Rivals.com) dual-threat quarterback of the class: four-star Shavodrick Beaver.
In a recent interview, Beaver said all the right things. He mentioned that he welcomes competition and does not have the mindset that he's the best quarterback of the bunch. He mentioned that academics come first, and his overall demeanor seems to embody all the things the define Michigan.
We did not get this vibe from Kevin Newsome, who seemed slightly agitated that Beaver was recruited after Michigan had already recruited Newsome.
Not only that, Newsome seemed further bothered by the fact that Michigan was heavily recruiting four-star quarterback prospect Tate Forcier.
Forcier is still being recruited by Michigan and lists Michigan as his favorite school.
Rich Rodriguez knows not to put all his eggs in one basket in this new age of recruiting and de-committing. It obviously paid off to recruit Beaver, if nothing else for a contingency plan.
It certainly makes sense for Michigan to continue recruiting a second quarterback for this class.
Kevin Newsome did say that Michigan remains in the running, so we might see Newsome in maize and blue yet. For now, it's good to know the Wolverines have other options.
Take heart, Michigan faithful: This will remain a strong recruiting class with or without Kevin Newsome when all is said and done.
5 comments Last one added 10 months ago — Leave a Comment
Chris Copeland 10 months ago
Good article. Beaver could be a real star.
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Jeff Contizano 10 months ago
I'm really impressed by Beaver, not only on the field but off it. And even if we lose Newsome, two four star QB's (Forcier/Beaver) is still a great pickup.
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Mike Turnell 10 months ago
Has Forcier committed yet?
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B 10 months ago
Yes, I agree with all of you. Losing a recruit is difficult, especially one of Newsome's caliber, but there are plenty of other good quarterbacks still on the board. I believe Forcier would be a solid recruit and would have the potential to make an immediate impact because I think his arm is overshadowed by his ability to scramble. Also, all these rankings and stars are somewhat accurate, but really seem to almost be useless. I look at guys like Obi Ezeh and Marell Evans, three star and two star recruits respectively, who are both young and projected to start. Then we can take a look at guys like Ryan Mallett, Dough Dutch, or Marques Slocum who were all thought to be unbelievable prospects and have immediate impacts; not the case. I believe Rich Rodriguez, Pat White and Steve Slaton were not highly rated recruits, knows what he is looking for in his quarterbacks and will had a list of others who he thinks will be able to meet his and Michigan's expectations.
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B 10 months ago
Yes, I agree with all of you. Losing a recruit is difficult, especially one of Newsome's caliber, but there are plenty of other good quarterbacks still on the board. I believe Forcier would be a solid recruit and would have the potential to make an immediate impact because I think his arm is overshadowed by his ability to scramble. Also, all these rankings and stars are somewhat accurate, but really seem to almost be useless. I look at guys like Obi Ezeh and Marell Evans, three star and two star recruits respectively, who are both young and projected to start. Then we can take a look at guys like Ryan Mallett, Dough Dutch, or Marques Slocum who were all thought to be unbelievable prospects and have immediate impacts; not the case. I believe Rich Rodriguez, Pat White and Steve Slaton were not highly rated recruits, knows what he is looking for in his quarterbacks and has a list of others who he thinks will be able to meet his and Michigan's expectations.
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