Denard Robinson Staying: What This Means for the Future of Michigan Football

When Brady Hoke was hired to replace Rich Rodriguez the big question was, will Michigan sophomore quarterback Denard Robinson stay or will he transfer?  Today, in Hoke's second conversation with Denard Robinson, Hoke learned that Robinson would be staying at Michigan.  Although that question has been answered, there are still many more questions to come.  Questions such as...

Will Denard continue to be a QB?

I believe the answer to the first question is obvious. Denard Robinson will continue to play QB. If Michigan were planning on changing Denard's position, he would have transferred immediately.  My guess is that Brady Hoke had to promise Denard that he would be a QB to get him to stay.  Why would Michigan change Denard to another position after the type of season he had? 

I know what you are saying: "He is not a good enough passer to play in a pro-style offense!" I am sure that an athlete like Denard could be incorporated into a pro-style offense.  Hoke clearly thinks highly of Robinson as he said, "We have got a special guy in Denard. He is a guy that can do an awful lot for your football program."

I believe that if Robinson continues to make significant strides throwing the ball, as he did last year, he could become a pro-level passer, with the running ability of a spread option quarterback.

Will Michigan continue to run the spread offense?

Michigan will continue to run the spread, but to a certain extent.  I think Brady Hoke will do what Rich Rodriguez did not do, by using the talent he has available until he has players that fit his system. This became apparent when Brady Hoke said, "When you have talented players, it's your job as a coach to mold that into what's best for your football team."

Brady Hoke hired Al Borges as his offensive coordinator.  Borges mainly runs a pro-style offense, but does have a history of running the spread.  Brady Hoke will not make the same mistake as Rich Rodriguez, and will therefore hopefully avoid as big of a rebuilding process as what they have gone through the past three years. 

There is no question Denard Robinson is and will be a crucial part of this Michigan football team for years to come, as he rushed for 1,702 yards and 14 touchdowns and threw for 2,570 and 18 touchdowns. As a result of these amazing statistics, Robinson won the Big Ten Silver Football MVP Award and the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.  With Brady Hoke as the head coach and Denard Robinson at QB, the future for Michigan football seems to be very bright.

Just in case you have been living under a rock for the past two years and have not seen Denard Robinson play, here is a highlight tape of his career so far at Michigan.