Michigan Football: Will Denard Robinson Stay in Ann Arbor?

This past September, as I was walking into the Big House for the Wolverines' season opener against Connecticut, I overheard two gentlemen discussing Rich Rodriguez’s prowess as a football coach. Their consensus was that he could only be successful if he had “Superman” at quarterback.

They were referring to Pat White, the prolific West Virginia QB, and they agreed that he was a once in a generation player. Little did they know that they were only moments away from watching Denard Robinson’s coming out party.

Robinson, who was not even named the starter until the night before, put on a dual threat QB clinic against Connecticut, and then followed it up with over 500 yards of total yardage against Notre Dame. He didn’t finish the season as strongly as he started, but he was still the first QB in NCAA history to rush for over 1,500 yards and pass for over 2,000 yards in a single season.

And this is as a true sophomore who didn’t even start as a freshman.

The future is very bright for Mr. Robinson, but right now it is also filled with uncertainty.

Rich Rodriguez, the coach who recruited and developed him, was let go from the University of Michigan this week and it is anybody’s guess who the next head coach will be. It is also anybody’s guess if Denard Robinson will be wearing a winged helmet in the fall.

Let’s break it down:

Factor No. 1: What kind of offense will the new coach run?

This is the million dollar question. If the new coach sticks with a run-based spread offense, it seems very likely that Denard would stay. If the new coach isn’t willing or able to tailor his offense to Denard’s talents, most believe that he will be looking to transfer schools.

Factor No. 2: Could the new coach convince Robinson to switch to running back?

This is a very tall order.

Denard seems to be set on playing the quarterback position. The primary reason he came to Michigan in the first place was because Rich Rodriguez was the only coach who recruited him as a quarterback. His success this past season will only make it harder to convince him to switch to another position.  

A few weeks ago, I was hopeful that the force of nature that is known as Jim Harbaugh would be able to pull this off. I thought that, with his NFL pedigree, he could convince Denard that his best chance for success at the next level would be as a running back.

I still believe that this is the major selling point for the new coach.

Factor No. 3: If Rich Rodriguez gets a new job this year, would Robinson follow him?

Because Dave Brandon waited so long to fire Rich Rodriguez, there are not nearly as many openings as there were last month. Two big vacancies right now are Connecticut and Pittsburg. Rich Rodriguez’s record in the Big East is as good as his record in the Big Ten is bad.

But would Pitt really hire a former Mountaineer to lead the Panthers?

Probably not, but Connecticut may jump at the chance to get Rich Rodriguez on the sidelines. Of course, the domino effect from his own firing is going to open some new jobs and it is possible that he could end up in one of those openings.

Denard appears to be very loyal to the only coach who believed he could be an outstanding college QB. I would not underestimate this bond. If Rich Rodriguez lands in the south, the odds of Denard following him are much higher than if he lands in, say, California.   

Factor No. 4: Are there any other schools that are obvious fits for Robinson?

A couple of months ago, I feared that if there was a coaching transition, Denard would bolt for Gainesville.

Denard is from Florida, the Gators recruited him in high school and Urban Meyer struggled all season to find a suitable replacement for Tim Tebow in his spread offense. Since then, Florida has gone through their own coaching transition and the new coach is installing a pro-style offense.

Florida State and Miami, the other two powerhouse schools in the Sunshine State, also run pro-style offenses.

The school that worries me now is Mississippi State. Dan Mullen recruited Denard when he was the offensive coordinator at Florida and the Bulldogs run a spread offense.

At least Starksville isn’t in the state of Florida, because then I would be really worried.  

Factor No. 5: Does Robinson bleed Maize and Blue yet?

I’d like to believe that after 18 months on campus, the spirit of the Wolverines has seeped into Denard’s soul.

Unfortunately, his refusal to comment on his future in Ann Arbor doesn’t indicate that this is the case. I can’t fault anyone for pursuing what they believe are their best interests. But I can wish that being a part of the University of Michigan meant as much to them as it does to the 110,000 people who pack the Big House on those magical Saturdays in the fall.

In the meantime, as we wait with bated breath for Dave Brandon to announce a new head coach, let’s keep our fingers crossed that Michigan can hold on to their best player.

They are surely going to need him in order to return the Wolverines to the top of the college football food chain.