Denard Robinson named third team QB on preseason All-Big Ten list
Some eyebrows were raised last season when the Big Ten coaches voted Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson as the conference's offensive player of the year but didn't include him as their quarterback on their first or second teams.
(Note: The media covering the Big Ten voted Robinson as their first team quarterback after he compiled 3,959 total yards and 30 touchdowns, but the Football Writers Association of America named him a first-team all-American as a "back.")
That trend is continuing. In its Big Ten preseason all-conference team released today, Phil Steele's College Football Preview lists Robinson as the third-team quarterback, behind Dan Persa of Northwestern and Kirk Cousins of Michigan State.
Part of that prediction is likely based on the fact that Michigan coach Brady Hoke and offensive coordinator Al Borges have said Robinson will be used differently in their pro-style offense than he was while breaking quarterback rushing records in Rich Rodriguez's spread option attack.
And a bigger part is that Persa and Cousins are pretty good quarterbacks, too.
The only Michigan player on Steele's All-Big Ten preseason first team is defensive tackle Mike Martin.
David Molk (center) and Will Hagerup (punter) are both listed on the second team.
Roy Roundtree (WR), Patrick Omaneh (OL) and Kenny Demens (LB) join Robinson on the third team.
Ryan Van Bergen (DE) is fourth team.
Comments
Blu n Tpa
Sun, May 29, 2011 : 2:01 p.m.
It's COACH Borges and whatever he does it will include more offensive players involved in the game plan than the previous offensive mental midgets. AND no one chased off anybody, but if the MCC must make things up to excuse a questionable senerio of events so to justify the abject failure of the WCiMFH, well there is medicine for that condition. My hope is that DRob is very seccessful and Michigan is even more so. But if only one of them can have a great year, then I hope it's the TEAM. TiM Go Blue!
1st Down
Sun, May 29, 2011 : 11:10 a.m.
Pryor will likely be ineligible for the entire year after all of the stuff comes out of OSU and the fall out .... Cousins is way overrated...the kid from Nebraska has never seen a Big Ten opponent yet...the rest of the lot eh..so yeah Id put Denard right up there at the top btw what is the point of a pre season all list? just someones prediction that is all....
tater
Sat, May 28, 2011 : 10:47 p.m.
Denard Robinson is the best offensive player in the league. The only question for this year is whether or not Borges can put him in a position to succeed. It's not like the previous coach chased off their best QB and Borges is "inheriting" Threet and Sheridan; Borges is inheriting someone who was, rightly or wrongly, a Heisman candidate for the first half of the season. He is also inheriting personnel who were ninth in the FBS in total offense. It is Borges' job to figure out how to best take advantage of that kind of talent. I hope he is able to.
khicks
Sat, May 28, 2011 : 9:45 p.m.
I cannot believe that one of our place kickers didn't make the list. It must've been fixed! lol
DonAZ
Sat, May 28, 2011 : 5:24 p.m.
Will Hagerup as 2nd team punter is a pleasant surprise. I guess I wasn't paying attention in 2010 ... was he pretty good, or is there just a lack of depth at punter in the Big 10?
Allan Dinger
Sat, May 28, 2011 : 5:24 p.m.
Unfortunately, I agree. Denard has not proven himself against Quality opponents. Big games against Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan will not have him in New York in December.
DonAZ
Sat, May 28, 2011 : 4:47 p.m.
Based on last season we can conclude that Denard is a greate athlete, a great runner (once he gets moving) and -- here's the key -- only a average quarterback. That's right. Only an *average* quarterback. I don't care what the rushing records indicate. Any team whose QB is the leading rusher has a big problem. What RR and Robinson discovered is that a fleet-footed QB is only of value when *other* offensive weapons are available *and* those weapons are smartly used by the QB. I'm not convinced Robinson has yet -- yet; I think Borges will improve him considerably -- learned the QB role. We saw as the season progressed that defenses knew how to defend Michigan. I'll repeat again what a defensive player for Mississippi State said after that bowl game: "This was easy. We knew exactly what they were going to do." Again -- "We knew exactly what they were going to do." A good QB makes it a little harder on a defense to "know exactly what they are going to do." Robinson is not yet a good or great QB. He is a very speedy runner. He is by all accounts a great young man. But he is not a great quarterback in any sense of that word.
DonAZ
Sun, May 29, 2011 : 11:54 a.m.
Okay, a fair point. Insert a healthy Denard Robinson into a team like Auburn and there's a different dynamic. I'm still not convinced he'd win the BCS ... but then again, I'm not convinced that if Cam Newton and Auburn replayed the 2010 season they'd win again. Frankly, Auburn was *lucky*. But I still stand by my assessment. But I'll add I think he has *terrific upside potential* ... and I have a very good feeling about Borges and what he'll do with Robinson. And I have a very good feeling about Robinson and his eagerness to learn and work towards whatever goal is before him.
boobooman
Sat, May 28, 2011 : 11:18 p.m.
*sigh* There's a phenomenon, where fans wrongly attribute the weaknesses of a bad team to their best player. The mere fact that University of Michigan failed to field a Division I caliber defense, didn't have sure-handed receivers, and never came up with another guy who could actually run the ball with consistancy perhaps was the difference in wins and losses. The MSU kid's comment means NOTHING in regards to Denard- They knew what Michigan was going to do due to the fact that the team greatly relied on one guy- That game, Denard accounted for over 300 yards- No, not mostly rushing but passing. His numbers? 27-42 (64.2% comp rating) for 254 yards, 2 TDs, and one int. 11 rushes for 59 yard, no fumbles. Perhaps we should also look at the small factors of the WR's dropping 7 passes (2 for possible TD's) and their 5'4" 159 lb RB fumbling on the 1 yard line. As far as comparative stats, I would look at Notre Dame, against whom he outperformed both Kurt Cousins and Andrew Luck- Out passing Luck (244 1 TD, no ints to Luck's 238 1 TD, 2 ints) , and having 244 passing yards to Cousin's 245- I guess, according to the illogical thinking of some, adding his 259 rushing yards vs ND to the equation actually would make him LESS effective. Look at his numbers and Cam Newton's numbers next to one another- eerily similar, with Newton Pasing for a hand-full more passing yards, and Denard running for a few more yards. Now, put their teams next to one another. No comparison. Football is a team sport, win or lose, and just like one guy can't be given all of the credit for winning, one guy, also can't be blamed for the entire squad's short-comings.