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2024 Transfer Thread - Brooks Was Here. So Was Red.


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9 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

I won't quibble with who should be RB1 or RB2 since we know they'll both play a ton. That said, I think Baxter gets shortshrifted by Texas fans. He was a true freshman and had to learn a ton on the fly. Not talking schematically, although that is true as well. I'm talking about the difference between being hurt and injured, knowing when to make one cut and get upfield, ball control under duress, etc. I will be kind of stunned if we don't witness a significant jump between Y1 and Y2.

I agree with all of that. But one thing that won’t dramatically improve with Baxter is speed. So that’s why I’m giving him a big nod over Baxter, instead of shortshrifting Baxter.  

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24 minutes ago, HateYouAndMyself said:

It is a fairly meaningless distinction at this point but I'd argue Blue is RB1 going into Spring. He simply looked consistently better and more productive than Baxter when getting the ball. He didn't even seem appreciably worse at making it through contact than Baxter. It really doesn't matter though because both will feast if they stay healthy. 

I think it is meaningful due to Sark's tendency to ride his RB1 so heavily. Obviously we had injuries to Baxter/Brooks muddying things this year but his MO has definitely been that the top guy gets way more carries. 

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25 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I agree with all of that. But one thing that won’t dramatically improve with Baxter is speed. So that’s why I’m giving him a big nod over Baxter, instead of shortshrifting Baxter.  

Baxter is plenty fast. Blue is just crazy fast.

If Baxter can learn to maintain his balance and run through people with his increased size and speed, he'll be exceptional. He showed flashes of that last year.

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40 minutes ago, HateYouAndMyself said:

It is a fairly meaningless distinction at this point but I'd argue Blue is RB1 going into Spring. He simply looked consistently better and more productive than Baxter when getting the ball. He didn't even seem appreciably worse at making it through contact than Baxter. It really doesn't matter though because both will feast if they stay healthy. 

yeah, he won't be.

Baxter was RB1 going into last year as a true freshman. Blue has burst, but IIRC he is not as good in pass pro as Baxter (someone correct me if i am wrong) and is not as good of a pass catcher

also, there's the comparison

Blue, after JB went down:

image.thumb.png.17f067efa90c963ad66d240579d85b4d.png

Baxter, after JB went down:

image.thumb.png.a4554c8caaca43ad845db6dd39787fa8.png

Blue had a very good last 3 games, splitting carries with Baxter basically (i think it was 29/31) but his overall skillset - assuming I am right about pass pro - is pretty far behind Baxter, who we know Sark really likes.

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32 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I agree with all of that. But one thing that won’t dramatically improve with Baxter is speed. So that’s why I’m giving him a big nod over Baxter, instead of shortshrifting Baxter.  

the single skill that Blue has over Baxter is speed. Blue had 1 rush for -2 yards and 1 catch for 7 yards vs Alabama. Baxter started the game and had 15 touches, the same as Brooks.

Baxter came in as a true freshman and pretty clearly demolished Blue based on what the coaches saw.

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17 minutes ago, NoName said:

yeah, he won't be.

Baxter was RB1 going into last year as a true freshman. Blue has burst, but IIRC he is not as good in pass pro as Baxter (someone correct me if i am wrong) and is not as good of a pass catcher

also, there's the comparison

Blue, after JB went down:

image.thumb.png.17f067efa90c963ad66d240579d85b4d.png

Baxter, after JB went down:

image.thumb.png.a4554c8caaca43ad845db6dd39787fa8.png

Blue had a very good last 3 games, splitting carries with Baxter basically (i think it was 29/31) but his overall skillset - assuming I am right about pass pro - is pretty far behind Baxter, who we know Sark really likes.

I think Blue is the better receiver.

Blue also averaged 6.1 per carry compared to 4.8 for Baxter.

I tend to favor Blue slightly, though I am glad to have both.  I really like guys who can house it on any play.

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I think Blue is the better receiver.
Blue also averaged 6.1 per carry compared to 4.8 for Baxter.
I tend to favor Blue slightly, though I am glad to have both.  I really like guys who can house it on any play.

Let’s hope blue wraps up the football when he gets his touches next year. Baxter too, but I have more confidence in him bc of his style.
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1 hour ago, closetojumping said:

I won't quibble with who should be RB1 or RB2 since we know they'll both play a ton. That said, I think Baxter gets shortshrifted by Texas fans. He was a true freshman and had to learn a ton on the fly. Not talking schematically, although that is true as well. I'm talking about the difference between being hurt and injured, knowing when to make one cut and get upfield, ball control under duress, etc. I will be kind of stunned if we don't witness a significant jump between Y1 and Y2.

Very good post - I'm not adding much except to say that we tend to focus on learning scheme, adjusting to speed, getting stronger when it comes to freshman adjustments.  Those are all true and important, but there is so much more - especially on the mental side - that isn't as appreciated in conventional fan wisdom but is very much part of the growth, maturation, and development of player.

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2 hours ago, JesusSweatDuck said:

I know UTSA's admission standards aren't exactly high, but I thought you had to have a GPA above 0.0 to get in?

I got admitted to a school in Arkansas with a 0.00 GPA.  It just happened to be the school Charlie Strong went to.  

Not something I'm particularly proud of but I was able to knock out a bunch of hours in a short amount of time before I moved back to Texas.  

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39 minutes ago, Frank Drebin said:

I think Blue is the better receiver.

Blue also averaged 6.1 per carry compared to 4.8 for Baxter.

I tend to favor Blue slightly, though I am glad to have both.  I really like guys who can house it on any play.

well fuck, someone better tell Sark. dude had 28% of his catches for the season vs Washington and 1 catch through the first like 9 games.

folks inside and outside the program have spoken very highly of Baxter's hands. Blue has played in 14 games in his career and has 14 total catches, with 4 of them in his last game.

i like guys who have an all around game. we know who the coaching staff liked based on how they played guys when all 3 were healthy.

  • Alabama: 15 touches for Brooks, 15 touches for Baxter, 2 touches for Blue (for 2 total yards btw)
  • Kansas: 22 touches for Brooks, 17 touches for Baxter, 4 touches for Blue
  • OU: 27 touches for Brooks, 7 touches for Baxter, 0 for Brooks
  • Kansas State: 22 touches for Brooks, 10 touches for Baxter, 2 touches for Blue
  • ISU: 25 touches for Baxter, 11 touches for Blue, 0 for JB (hurt)

i get that you like the home run potential, but it's very, very clear how the staff valued the true freshman over the guy who had been with the program a full season.

would be floored if Blue is the RB1 next year, without injury, at any point.

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I know we have Cedric Baxter and two highly-rated freshman RBs who just enrolled. But I think we need to find ways to get Blue as many touches as possible. From what I read about him in high school and his flirtations with the transfer portal, I thought there was a chance he’d be long gone by now. But he seems to have put it together and could be one of our best players on offense.
Blue has seen limited touches simply because of other RB's in the same room, (Bijan, Rojo, JB and Baxter) combined with a little fumble-itis, (which continued a bit this past season) not because he is lacking in ability. We forget now, but he was rated an early 5* and #1 RB in the state until he took his senior year off and the recruiting services soured on him.
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Both of these guys are going to be really good this year. Baxter had a similar problem to most young players in that he didn’t always let blocks develop. That comes with experience and comfort in the system. He also needed to put on some muscle. Both should be addressed this offseason. 
 

Blue is much tougher between the tackles than I had given him credit for, he just isnt going to move the pile on his own. That said, both of these guys are pro prospects. I am proud of Blue for getting his shit together.

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1 hour ago, NoName said:

well fuck, someone better tell Sark. dude had 28% of his catches for the season vs Washington and 1 catch through the first like 9 games.

folks inside and outside the program have spoken very highly of Baxter's hands. Blue has played in 14 games in his career and has 14 total catches, with 4 of them in his last game.

i like guys who have an all around game. we know who the coaching staff liked based on how they played guys when all 3 were healthy.

  • Alabama: 15 touches for Brooks, 15 touches for Baxter, 2 touches for Blue (for 2 total yards btw)
  • Kansas: 22 touches for Brooks, 17 touches for Baxter, 4 touches for Blue
  • OU: 27 touches for Brooks, 7 touches for Baxter, 0 for Brooks
  • Kansas State: 22 touches for Brooks, 10 touches for Baxter, 2 touches for Blue
  • ISU: 25 touches for Baxter, 11 touches for Blue, 0 for JB (hurt)

i get that you like the home run potential, but it's very, very clear how the staff valued the true freshman over the guy who had been with the program a full season.

would be floored if Blue is the RB1 next year, without injury, at any point.

It's okay to not get super defensive when someone disagrees with you. Baxter has good hands, Blue has elite hands and better route running ability for a RB. 

Baxter's ability to handle running in between the tackles and pass protection is what got him on the field early and often. Brooks took it from him after it was clear he was more effective and Baxter was dinged up.

Blue came on initially due to necessity, but Sark/Choice definitely began to trust him more as the year went on and he produced when called upon. They'll both be featured next year.

Edited by Atticus
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35 minutes ago, NoName said:

well fuck, someone better tell Sark. dude had 28% of his catches for the season vs Washington and 1 catch through the first like 9 games.

folks inside and outside the program have spoken very highly of Baxter's hands. Blue has played in 14 games in his career and has 14 total catches, with 4 of them in his last game.

i like guys who have an all around game. we know who the coaching staff liked based on how they played guys when all 3 were healthy.

  • Alabama: 15 touches for Brooks, 15 touches for Baxter, 2 touches for Blue (for 2 total yards btw)
  • Kansas: 22 touches for Brooks, 17 touches for Baxter, 4 touches for Blue
  • OU: 27 touches for Brooks, 7 touches for Baxter, 0 for Brooks
  • Kansas State: 22 touches for Brooks, 10 touches for Baxter, 2 touches for Blue
  • ISU: 25 touches for Baxter, 11 touches for Blue, 0 for JB (hurt)

i get that you like the home run potential, but it's very, very clear how the staff valued the true freshman over the guy who had been with the program a full season.

would be floored if Blue is the RB1 next year, without injury, at any point.

Yes, Baxter got more touches than Blue.  Clearly that's all that matters.

The staff also thought Baxter was better than Brooks last fall.  The staff was wrong.

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16 hours ago, cochamps said:

Page went to law school at UT for a year when I was in school, sometime in the 1973-75 period.  I knew he graduated elsewhere, but it got some publicity at the time.

Wasn't Foreman in the Sports Illustrated game? Wasn't Page a judge at some level? 

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9 minutes ago, Sandbagging Steve said:

I accidentally posted this in the wrong thread, so reposting here.

The best running back is Christian Clark. I don't know if he'll get the opportunity to prove it as a freshman, but he's a star in the making. 

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/14810372/638318133df5620b204f53f8

 

Ehhh, he just got lucky on the first play.

 

 

 

and the second play.

 

and the fourth play.

 

....

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As fans, we love to look at the yards a RB gets and declare he should be the starter, while completely ignoring the other very important aspect of their responsibility, blocking.

I don’t analyze this shit enough to truly know who comes out on top in this area, but usually assume that’s the reason one RB gets the nod over the other, who may look better with the ball in their hands.

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5 hours ago, closetojumping said:

I won't quibble with who should be RB1 or RB2 since we know they'll both play a ton. That said, I think Baxter gets shortshrifted by Texas fans. He was a true freshman and had to learn a ton on the fly. Not talking schematically, although that is true as well. I'm talking about the difference between being hurt and injured, knowing when to make one cut and get upfield, ball control under duress, etc. I will be kind of stunned if we don't witness a significant jump between Y1 and Y2.

I don't think he ever really recovered his explosiveness after the 1st game against Rice. I think he played not to get hurt, but still got hurt a lot.

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7 hours ago, JesusSweatDuck said:

I know UTSA's admission standards aren't exactly high, but I thought you had to have a GPA above 0.0 to get in?

This guy became a US Senator…. ……so what was your question again?

 

61CEFD09-9040-4235-AC0A-CCE5328ACCD2.jpeg

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Blue is a threat to house it every time he gets the ball, but Baxter stepped up big and showed a lot in the game against Iowa State right after Brooks got hurt.  We are extremely lucky to have both of them and they are both going to be important pieces of next year's team.

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1 hour ago, b_p said:

Not that it changes anything in this, but he was absolutely invited back to the team by the team captains, and the coaches said no. This is coming first hand from one of the captains on that team that I know personally. So the idea that the team didn’t want him back is a false narrative pushed by the coaches. 

That’s fine. It’s a level of detail that most wouldn’t know and doesn’t really change anything. Probably makes it worse that the coaches were like “nfw, buddy”.  

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Blue ans Baxter is going to midgole opposing defenses. We all knew once Blue got his chance he would explode. Seeing him show he Dan run north-south will shoot him up draft boards, especially with his hands. Fast, strong, quick, with incredible hands will make him a huge commodity during draft time next season unless he comes back, which if he goes for over 1300 yards with 8+ TD's, he shouldn't. Easiest way to keep selling the RB position. Choice is a wizard 

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12 hours ago, closetojumping said:

I won't quibble with who should be RB1 or RB2 since we know they'll both play a ton. That said, I think Baxter gets shortshrifted by Texas fans. He was a true freshman and had to learn a ton on the fly. Not talking schematically, although that is true as well. I'm talking about the difference between being hurt and injured, knowing when to make one cut and get upfield, ball control under duress, etc. I will be kind of stunned if we don't witness a significant jump between Y1 and Y2.

Well, of course. Not to mention the muscle and mass between a frosh and a soph can be massive, which I think will only add to him looking like we wanted him to in year 1. Between he and Blue, it doesn't matter who is RB1 and RB2, both will wear down opposing defenses, and Quinn will feast on defenses with Bond, Cook, Niblack, Bolden, and possibly Golden and Niblett. I truly think we can take down UGA in our house. Carson Beck looked average, and they won't have Bowers to lean on. 

 

Edited to add that I think we'll also win in Ann Arbor as well. New HC, DC, they lose a ton of defense and offense. It'll be fun. The wife and I are excited to finally make a trip to the big house for the first time ever. 

If Pedo Day can't beat UM in year 4, he's done, and I think he'll lose. 

Edited by Spider2YBanana
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12 hours ago, NoName said:

yeah, he won't be.

Baxter was RB1 going into last year as a true freshman. Blue has burst, but IIRC he is not as good in pass pro as Baxter (someone correct me if i am wrong) and is not as good of a pass catcher

also, there's the comparison

Blue, after JB went down:

image.thumb.png.17f067efa90c963ad66d240579d85b4d.png

Baxter, after JB went down:

image.thumb.png.a4554c8caaca43ad845db6dd39787fa8.png

Blue had a very good last 3 games, splitting carries with Baxter basically (i think it was 29/31) but his overall skillset - assuming I am right about pass pro - is pretty far behind Baxter, who we know Sark really likes.

Blue is an A+ pass catcher. It's what he was known for. Both he and. Baxter compliment one another in that part of their game. Now seeing Blue showing he can run north-south, it's added another wrinkle for Sark. I think we won't see Sark just constantly pound 1 back, but we'll see 2 back to keep them fresh. But, of course, one will ultimately get more carries than the other, but we won't know who that will be until we see how Baxter holds up after another year in S&C to see how his body holds up to the rigors of running through defenders. 

As for Blue, he can be our Le'Veon Bell if he can add even an extra 15-20lbs...or Baxter can, IDGAF. Both are hosses who can catch and go. 

Edited by Spider2YBanana
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9 hours ago, Sandbagging Steve said:

I accidentally posted this in the wrong thread, so reposting here.

The best running back is Christian Clark. I don't know if he'll get the opportunity to prove it as a freshman, but he's a star in the making. 

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/14810372/638318133df5620b204f53f8

 

You and I agree with this. He's going to show he's a dude. I love both of our takes, but Clark is in a league of his own. Shit, even Sark wrote down Bijan? on a piece of paper when scouting him. He's obviously not Bijan, but Sark clearly sees the same game in him. 

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just to be clear, he fucking quit on his high school team.

...then tried to come back and his team voted not to allow him to, at a time when he was the #1 RB recruit in the country.

edit: been clarified above the coaches said no, not team/captains

Edited by NoName
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15 hours ago, Teryor said:

 

Might be relevant for this thread in a few months

https://saturdaytradition.com/michigan-football/michigans-returning-production-paints-brutal-picture-for-sherrone-moores-debut-season/

Michigan's returning production paints brutal picture for Sherrone Moore's debut season

Quote

 

Fans always knew the roster turnover would be steep with 2023’s veteran-loaded roster departing for the NFL. However, ESPN’s Bill Connelly recently finalized his returning production rankings, and the number for Michigan is still staggering to see.

Connelly ranked every team in the country — No. 1 through No. 134 — based on the amount of production returning to the roster. Michigan… comes in at 128th in the country with less than 40% of returning production on the roster.

The offense is actually the worst unit with 24% of the production returning. That number comes in at 132nd out of 134 FBS teams. Defensively, the Wolverines return 47% of production, a better number but one that still comes in at 109th in the country.

 

there's a pretty good chance some of that returning talent comes back, sees what they have in the spring, sees the schedule, doesn't like the new coordinator or position coach, and makes a change.

not unique to Michigan BUT with the coaching changes that may also push some folks.

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  • closetojumping changed the title to 2024 Transfer Thread - Brooks Was Here. So Was Red.

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