Jim Harding — elite offensive line hire

2 hours and 5 minutes

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1. Men's Basketball vs USC

Starts at :51

Basketball gets to go first because they've earned it. They're the number one team on Kenpom by a full five points and the second highest rated Kenpom team of all time. Michigan shot 20% from three and still beat a top 25 USC team by 30 points. This was the Morez Johnson game. Michigan has three of the top five players in the Big Ten. What does a Michigan loss look like? Dusty May has done a great job working on Roddy Gayle, auto-benching with this team is fine. The cutoff for Kenpom to think you're a rotational player is 10% of team minutes, Grady and Goodman are both above this metric. The things that Michigan are good at are things that are very repeatable. There are different levels of Kenpom Time every time Michigan plays. It's weird to say this but it's good that Michigan gets Nebraska at home, they're spicy. 

2. Football vs Texas

Starts at 24:34

The Citrus Bowl came and went. We were hoping we could learn things about this offensive line going into the off-season then a lot of them went and hit the portal. Kuzdzal played an encouraging game but there were still a few moments of "I wish Jordan Marshall had hit that hole." Bryce Underwood did get some explosive runs, this will be nice for a new coaching staff that likes to run the quarterback. He was put in a lot of positions to fail towards the end of the game. Kerry Coombs did some things with special teams! Wow Michigan drew holds finally. We are done with the Wink Martindale era. Michigan had zero pass rush. 

3. Hot Takes and Coaching Staff

Starts at 40:11

Takes hotter than the basketball team, this will be the intro until any reason otherwise. 

Offensive Coordinator - Jason Beck
Came in from Utah, was at New Mexico before that. Has had some very successful offenses. Was a spread-heavy coach at New Mexico and became Whittingham-ized at Utah. Seems like a seamless fit, he should know what to do with Bryce Underwood.

Running Backs Coach - Tony Alford
It's working, good work keeping him around.

Wide Receivers Coach(es) - Micah Simon and Marques Hagans
Micah Simon doesn't have a lot of experience, he followed Beck. How much coaching does it take to get someone to catch the ball? 

Tight Ends Coach - Freddie Whittingham
He's developed some studs. Kyle Whittingham's brother, does not feel like a nepotism hire.

Offensive Line Coach - Jim Harding
Has two first round tackles this year. Probably could not have gotten a better o-line coach. Michigan has players trickling into the portal but you've got The Guy coaching next year's group. A lot of offensive linemen got recruited by Sherrone so it's not a shocker that some players are looking elsewhere. 

Defensive Coordinator - Jay Hill
Turned Weber State into a powerhouse. He has coordinator and head coaching experience, seems good. He has coached college his whole career rather than coordinate NFL defenses.

Defensive Ends - Lewis Powell
Specializes in Polynesians. Has a spectacular track record of developing defensive ends. Brian pledges to figure out how to pronounce all the Polynesian names. 

Defensive Tackles - Lou Esposito
Continued from last year. You can get more assistant coaches now so it makes sense to split DEs and DTs. 

Linebackers Coach - Alex Whittingham
Kyle's son, spent eight years with the Chiefs. Apparently Andy Reid played with Kyle Whittingham. This one is a bit more of a nepo hire but he has moved up the ranks. 

Defensive Backs Coach - Jernaro Gilford
BYU fans are upset that he's leaving which is a good sign. There aren't a lot of cornerbacks in the portal, hopefully he can find some guys. 

Special Teams - Kerry Coombs
Gets to keep the job he got right before Sherrone was fired. His previous Special Teams have been in the 30ish rank. He's not a slam dunk but should be solid. 

4. Transfer Portal

Starts at 1:42:43

It's Portal Takes season, we have not yet gotten to Portal Gives season. Guys who are in the portal are not necessarily gone. Jadyn Davis, Davis Warren, Ben Roebuck, Connor Jones, Devon Baxter, Semaj Morgan, Jaden Mangham, and Jasper Parker are guys who will probably get better opportunities elsewhere. Elijah Dotson, Brady Prieskorn, and Kaden Strayhorn are guys you'd like to keep around. Zeke Berry, Jake Guarnera, Andrew Sprague, Cole Sullivan, and Enow Etta are the "ouch" group. Some guys have left the door open. Would really really like to get Guarnera back, Sprague sounds like he's going to Texas. Most folks who are going to enter the portal have but we're not out of it yet. Keep an eye on Utah defensive end John Henry Daley, cornerback Smith Snowden, and safety Tao Johnson. Cole Sullivan would be a great fit in this defense, would love to keep him. They need guys (plural) on the defensive line, especially at defensive tackle. Even if you keep Andrew Marsh you would like to get a wide receiver or two. Might want to look into a punter or a kicker, maybe with a new staff we can finally move on from the 2015 Michigan State game. 

MUSIC:

• "Nothing I Need"— Lord Huron
• "A Couple Minutes"— Olivia Dean
• "Cotton Mouth"— fanclubwallet
• “Across 110th Street”—JJ Johnson and his Orchestra