Wednesday! Nice.
THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY IS MY FORMER DC. Jim Harbaugh hired Chris Partridge, a former coach at New Jersey high school power Paramus Catholic, as director of recruiting operations in February 2015.
It was obvious to see what Harbaugh had in mind even before 2016's No. 1 overall recruit, DT Rashan Gary of Paramus Catholic, signed with Michigan in February. Credit to Harbaugh; it's easier to buy a pipeline than to build one.
Michigan football is going on tour this summer—it announced a satellite camp in Australia late Thursday night—and one of those stops is Paramus Catholic on June 8.
Harbaugh extended an invite to Rutgers and head coach Chris Ash, but Ash declined the invite and rang his old pal, Urban Meyer. The two championship-winners are hosting their own camp in Madison, New Jersey (~30 miles away) that same day.
Apparently it's created a schism in New Jersey prep football. Paramus Catholic and Michigan comprise one side while Urban Meyer and the state of New Jersey are on the other. Non-Paramus coaches are pushing their kids to the Rutgers camp.
From nj.com:
"I think it's a great response,'' [Oradell Bergen Catholic coach Nunzio] Campanile said. "I think he's sending a message that this is our state. Listen, Michigan has a great program, but I don't think they should be setting the terms on how it's done in New Jersey. Rutgers is the home-state school, and I think we should all respect that. We should all respect the job that Coach Ash has ahead of him. I think that he's doing a great job. We're here helping him any way we can.''
Toal agreed, adding: "I got a ton of respect for (Ohio State coach) Urban Meyer and the Rutgers coach seems like a real gentleman. So I definitely would attend their camp for sure. I think there's a tremendous amount of loyalty to Rutgers and also to Ohio State. I'd love to attend their camp, and I'll try to bring my team for sure.''
Hansen echoed that sentiment, saying Ash reached out to him "almost immediately after the NCAA lifted their ban'' on satellite camps and he expressed his "allegiance is to Rutgers.''
How long do you think it took Meyer to agree to Ash's invitation? Given he's the sensei in the relationship, he probably already knew why Ash called in the first place.
It's a power move. Meyer cedes Paramus, which Harbaugh had already bought, and instead collects the goodwill of the rest of the state. Eli Apple didn't come from Paramus. Neither did Noah Brown, Darius Slade, or Kevin Feder.
Plus, he'll have the ear of any prospect there and can build further relations in the state before Ash starts rolling at Rutgers. (I can't believe I typed those last three words either).
BLITZ J.T. IF YOU WANT TO DIE. The passing game lacked cohesion even during most of Ohio State's best offensive outings in 2015, but J.T. Barrett remained a rock against the blitz. That's not an opinion, either.
From espn.com:
The best: Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett (79.7 QBR)
Barrett wasn't just the best in the conference, he was one of the most accurate passers vs. the blitz in the nation. He completed 66.7 percent of such passes, and only Stanford's Kevin Hogan boasted a higher completion rate (68.3) in the Power 5. Barrett turned the ball over just once when defenders were set loose -- on an interception vs. Illinois -- but the Buckeyes still won that game handily, 28-3. Overall, Barrett finished 30-of-45 in blitz situations for 365 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. He was the clear No. 1 [in the Big 10].
Now that Tim Beck is settled into his saddle and Barrett is spending the offseason as The Man, I'm looking forward to him reintroducing himself to America Week 3 in Norman, Oklahoma.
Also not sure what's crazier: Barrett having two years of eligibility left or that he hasn't played a full season and I'm as comfortable with him at QB this year as anyone since Troy Smith's senior year.
BUCKS INK CONTRACTS. Vonn Bell (Saints), Mike Thomas (Saints), and Joshua Perry (Chargers) are officially NFL football players. All three signed four-year contracts, their clubs announced Monday.
Official numbers are unavailable, but here's what they're projected to make (before taxes, agent fees, union dues, etc):
| PLAYER | CONTRACT $ | SIGNING BONUS $ |
|---|---|---|
| MIKE THOMAS | 5,118,971 | 1,922,888 |
| VONN BELL | 3,972,299 | 1,088,945 |
| JOSHUA PERRY | 2,954,084 | 614,084 |
Even fourth-round money has me thinking about mainlining steroids and trying out for the NFL.
BUCKEYE CHARITY ABROAD. Ohio State is sending a contingent of 21 student-athletes to Jamaica to work for the Soles4Souls program, in which Chase Farris and Joshua Perry (and others) took part last year.
Here's this year's football contingent, from ohiostate.edu:
Raekwon McMillan: “I have never traveled outside of the country before, but I'm glad I have this opportunity to do so and for a good cause. I look forward to sharing my experience with friends and family.”
Billy Price: “I am looking forward to representing the football team and to further develop myself as a person and gain a new found perspective of the world.”
Kyle Dodson: “I want to help other people and do God’s work.”
Good to see Kyle Dodson, who flipped from Wisconsin on National Signing Day 2012 (which cued a Bert meltdown) before eventually being medically disqualified in December 2014, is still a positive influence on campus and working towards his degree.
L-O-L, S-E-C. When Nick Saban retires, the SEC goes with it, folks:
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) May 10, 2016
He isn't responsible for all 24 losses, but I'll be damned if Butch Jones isn't the coach Tennessee fans deserve.
THOSE WMDs. Feet lost and found in the Pacific Northwest... Faker: The 19-year-old unkillable demon king... Get to know Vin Scully, the man behind the mic... Confessions of a terrible TV watcher... UCLA's sports equity numbers for women include phantom women and men.
