MGoBlog: The MGoPodcast

The Guest

Steve Lorenz covers Michigan athletics and recruiting for 247Sports. They've got a 50% off flash sale if you subscribe today.

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Featured Musician: Grand Gesture

The Video: For those of you asking, the guy in the upper-left is Alex Drain. You may not know him, but he's probably seen film on you, and has you cold.

[After THE JUMP: What we said]

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1. Across the Crooked Blue Line, wsg Steve Lorenz: Offense

starts at the top.

QB Kendrick Bell: Uh, is he a quarterback? Who cares, he's Ronnie's brother.
RB Cole Cabana: Put on weight, become Donovan Edwards. Doesn't mind blocking.
RB Benjamin Hall: Low-rated, but thick and has some wiggle.
WR Karmello English: Late pull out of SEC country, athletic, can play outside.
WR Semaj Morgan: Comp was Sainristil before the switch.
WR Fredrick Moore: Steve very high on him. Productive, great routes, skinny. Roundtree!
TE Deakon Tonielli: 6'6" athlete, needs to gain some pounds before he's Loveland 2.0.
TE Zack Marshall: Staff loves the measurements, athleticism.
OT Evan Link: Staff thinks he's a 5-star. Important to get a true OT in this class.
OG Amir Herring: The high floor. Center possibility?
OG Nathan Efobi: The high ceiling. Long way to go.
PK Adam Samaha: Steve is on a mission to give kickers some love.

2. Across the Crooked Blue Line, wsg Steve Lorenz: Defense

starts at 34:40

DT Trey Pierce: Late riser, didn't rise high enough. Immediate Kris Jenkins.
DT Brooks Bahr: Long (e.g. Godin) DT who can't stay blocked.
SDE Enow Etta: Headliner, big for a DE, moves like one anyways. Mike Morris?
WDE Aymeric Koumba: No floor, no ceiling. France, FRA.
MLB Semaj Bridgeman: Scouting pass/fail for Helow. He+sites high, other schools not.
MLB Hayden Moore: Tackling machine from Unscoutable, CO. M wanted bad.
ATH Jason Hewlett: What is he? An athlete! A Viper! A receiver?
EDGE Breeon Ishmail: What is he? An edge. To grow.
S D'Juan Waller Jr.: What is he? Could be Jeremy Clark. Could be a FS.
CB Cameron Calhoun
CB Jyaire Hill: The Illinois battle. The Vibe. All the ability, teach him CB immediately.

3. Portal

starts at 1:06:44

QB Jack Tuttle: We need depth, he increases his rolodex. Locker room guy.
TE AJ Barner: Also a locker room guy. Tough to scout TE in a Walt Bell offense, but should Schoon.
OG/OT LaDarius Henderson: The new Olu. Could have gone pro. Will be LT or Zinter. LFG!
C Drake Nugent: Now we defend PFF: two QB pressures in hundreds and hundreds of pass sets.
OT Myles Hinton: Needs a reset, was hurt last year, was not good in 2021. Would he take a redshirt?
WDE Josaiah Stewart: More devilish than Danna. Huge deal for M's needs. Proverbial "dip."
WLB Ernest Hausmann: Was #1 in the portal. M saw his best game, came around late in the season.

Portal and Michigan: This is going well, probably because of a little luck this year in what was available, also because the market is bigger. This is not how MSU is doing it.

4. Wrap

starts at 1:43:46

What happened? Coaching turnover/Harbaugh's NFL flirtation killed momentum, and then NIL, which is the difference between Michigan and Notre Dame this time. Future is brighter: M is getting their feet under them with NIL, staff is stabilized again. This was the Year of NIL, Michigan didn't play, and a lot of those who did set unreasonable expectations that are going to see these guys portaling.

About the Featured Musician

Grand Gesture (bandcamp, Spotify) is a Brooklyn-based jam/psych band that emphasizes sophisticated song writing, seamlessly crossing genre boundaries, and interweaving a thread of catchiness. Song choices:

• Gift of Sleep
• I Can't Explain
• Computer Love

Also because Across 110th Street will get our Youtubes taken down, the opener and outro:

• “The Employee is Not Afraid”—Bear vs. Shark
• “Ruska Vodka”—Motorboat