What will the Michigan football team do with its bountiful receiving corps?
Roy Roundtree (left) and Junior Hemingway, shown here celebrating a Roundtree touchdown against Illinois last season, are two members of a deep returning receiving corps.
AnnArbor.com file photo
Of all the Michigan football team’s new position coaches, Jeff Hecklinski has the most returning talent to work with.
The question will become, what does the new receivers coach do with it all?
In a recent video profile posted by MGoBlue.com, Hecklinski recalled a conversation he had with quarterback Denard Robinson. It made his role seem simple:
“My job is to make sure you always have somebody to throw to,” Hecklinski told Robinson. “My guys need to always to be open. It’s their responsibility and there’s no excuses.”
The tougher part of the job might be the selection process. Who will Robinson be throwing to?
“They better be ready,” Hecklinski said of his receivers. “It’s all about competition.”
And, barring attrition, the competitor pool should be deep.
The team’s three primary receivers - Roy Roundtree, Darryl Stonum and Junior Hemingway - all return, and the Wolverines’ roster includes highly touted upcoming wideouts like Je’Ron Stokes, Jeremy Jackson, Ricardo Miller and Jerald Robinson.
Roundtree was far-and-away the team’s leading receiver with 72 catches for 935 yards and seven touchdowns. But he operated primarily out of the slot receiver position in coach Rich Rodriguez’s spread option attack.
The biggest and most talented of Michigan’s slot receivers, Roundtree (6-0, 176) should find a home in the more traditional sets favored by new offensive coordinator Al Borges.
Other returners at the slot position include the small-but-speedy Martavious Odoms (5-8, 175), Kelvin Grady (5-10, 176), Jeremy Gallon (5-8, 188), Terrance Robinson (5-9, 176) and Drew Dileo (5-10, 172).
“We do have a lot of talent back. On the other end of it, we gotta develop that talent. That’s my job. My job is to develop them and put them in a place to be successful,” said Hecklinski, who has been part of new Michigan coach Brady Hoke’s staff since 2004. He coached wide receivers at Ball State (2004-08) and running backs at San Diego State (2009-10).
That ‘place’ likely won’t include many four-receiver sets, but the new Michigan coaches have said they’ll attempt to use the assets on the roster while developing their playbook.
“I think that when you have talented players, it's your job as a coach to mold that into what's best for your football team,” Hoke said at his introductory press conference. “Most the time when you do that, it's what is best for that player.”
Borges, who noted he’ll “have wide receivers galore” to work with during his video interview on MGoBlue.com, said that molding will take place in spring practice.
“We’re going to be hunting and pecking a little bit in terms of which groups are the best groups to be on the field. Maybe it’s three wides, maybe it’s two backs,” Borges said. “We’ll use a multiplicity of groupings, but there’s always one you’re a little better at based on the talent of the players.”
Hecklinski, who has also been busy as the team’s recruiting coordinator, says his initial meetings with the receivers have been positive.
“There’s some nerves there, but believe me there’s nerves on our part, too,” he said. “Once we get going, these kids have played football. That hasn’t changed. That hasn’t changed since they were in the backyard.
“What we have to do now is hone their abilities down, get their skill level to where it needs to be, let them work the offense and work within the offense and we’ll be just fine.”
Comments
umgoblue47
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 8:51 p.m.
chiro19. . . had rr stayed we would have had 5* dee hart and possibley 5* clinton dix. . . rr also recruited devin gardner ranked 31 by one site and ranked 5th best qb in the nation by another site, marvin robinson ranked 31st, will hagerup ranked 4th, brennen beyer highly ranked, kellen jones highley ranked, justice hayes highley ranked and others! so to say rr had a series lack of coaching ability or recruiting is not true. that being said i think coach hoke will start landing 5* and highley rated recruits by next year! GO BLUE. . .
PortageLkBlu
Sun, Jan 30, 2011 : 12:49 a.m.
He better and soon. your addressing the impatient fickle fans of Michigan. Brady is a hero today but fall short by year two and the fickle fans of Mich. will tar and feather him and run him and his family out of town, beware Brady the eyes of Ohio State, Nebraska, and Michigan State are on you.
chiro19
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 6:48 p.m.
This could be the first year in recruiting in over a decade that michigan does not pick up a 5 star recruit or a recruit that is a top 50 recruit in the nation! It shows the serious lack of coaching capability by the RR staff! If you look at the recruits that are interested this year versus those who have added michigan for next years recruiting class, it is pretty dramatically going up with talent, and size! I equate it to RR trying to convert mich to wmu in skill and size and replacing that skill and size with speed!
ecmichman
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 1:40 p.m.
What the RR backers don't understand is that with the "kinder, gentler" football he espoused, the only way they would get "crystal" would be by stealing the stemware from the annual banquet.
Tru2Blu76
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 2:57 a.m.
Supposing we assume it's "inevitable" that this exciting talent corps will be under used with Robinson running the offense, I guess it does look "hopeless." Hah! Not! It is true: if Heklinski and Borges turn out to be the Wolverines' version of Dumb and Dumber, then we may see some sparks fly out of Brady Hoke's office. I can't imagine THIS coach putting up with less than full use of the receivers this team has. Surely both Roundtree and Hemingway appear to be ready for the Wolverines Receivers Hall of Fame. Remember too that Denard looked terrible the few times he was at QB before '10. Great improvement: recognized at the national level. So I'm guessing this is one starting QB who is capable and ready to making passing a part of what may become Michigan's devastating diversity on offense. Of course, we can hope that now Hoke is here, the defense will shape up - maybe impressively. With a credible defense, Michigan's offense has the potential to be the highest scoring team in the Big Ten. The core of the Wolverines will be juniors this season: I've always said it's known that the junior year is when you see who the championship seniors will be. This team's (now former) youth has been one of the greatest factors in losses all along. That part is "over."
mdetc
Sat, Jan 29, 2011 : 7:56 p.m.
Tru2Blu76, you make some very good points and I agree.... The thing that scares me is the 3rd and 1 / 4th and 1 situations. We have to be able to convert those almost automatically to win consistantly in my humble opinion. I may be wrong, but I don't see that we have the big power back that can bowl somebody over to get that yard or two and extend the series. I hope I am wrong and somebody steps up to fill that role because my heart has bled Maize and Blue since the mid 1960's. Go Blue.....
Dusty
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 2:43 a.m.
Desmond Howard is 5'10". He won some jump balls in his day. Corners are often short, too. Pro-bowl cornerbacks are often 5'11" or shorter. Short is not the problem.
garrisondyer
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 2:59 a.m.
huh, no way! crazy... he played so "tall" in my mind! Cool to know, though.
tulsatom
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 2:29 a.m.
Yes, the U-M receivers are short but that's what RR wanted for his version of the spread offense. Now that Hoke is here, I hope U-M gets a few more receivers like Braylon Edwards who are fast enough to run by defenders, strong enough to break tackles and gain yards after the catch, and tall enough to win some jump balls in the end zone. This isn't to say that there isn't a place for smaller, quick receivers but there needs to be a blend of both types in my opinion in order to have a well-rounded corps of receivers.
garrisondyer
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 2:10 a.m.
Daaaaang, we've got some short WR's! If I'd known receivers are usually so short, I would have actually taken a crack at realizing my childhood dream of being the next Desmond Howard. All I'd have to do is be 6'4" (check), run fast (check??), and catch! ...and work on my pose.
hestukian
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 1:38 a.m.
Roundtree? Isn't he Mr. fumble fingers. I was at msu game and thats's what I seen, then again in the bowl game. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I might be only a little offended. LOL. Also, I think Hoke IS the man! GO BLUE!!!!
Dusty
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 2:33 a.m.
Roundtree is a walking paradox. He has more drops than Braylon Edwards, yet had the best game any Michigan WR has ever had.
sportyridr
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 12:49 a.m.
Your bowl comments are getting old real fast Theo, if we even get to the Citris bowl this year we will have a coach, coaches & players that have the ability to do it in 1 year...put that in your RR pipe and smoke it. Now that RR has been blown down the road, you should follow him instead of M football, seems you would be better served. I absolutely cannot wait for the Big Blue to be back!!! I absolutely also can't wait to hand my MICHIGAN flag out on game day with pride!!!
81wolverine
Thu, Jan 27, 2011 : 8:23 p.m.
It's going to be challenging for the coaches to utilize all of the small, slot-type receivers on the roster. I DO believe Rodriguez over-recruited this position and under-recruited some others like DT, TE, and LB. Oh well. I fully expect a few of these guys to be history during the off-season. This is one reason why the coaches backed off several recruits (WR's) who were interested in Michigan. Still, guys like Gallon and Odoms will still be valuable as receivers and kick return guys too. So, their versatility is an asset. But as a group, the receivers should be a real asset for Michigan going into next year.
Mick
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 2:12 a.m.
@Dusty, exactly spot on, that guy needs to be on the bench and scout team, period!
Dusty
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 1:50 a.m.
Gallon will "still" be valuable as a kick returner? The dude was terrible. Terrible. And that's when he wasn't fumbling the ball.
Theo212
Thu, Jan 27, 2011 : 8:09 p.m.
Mick, Not a big believer in blocking. I guess if you wanna get to the Citrus Bowl, block away! Nuh-uh, that's not for me. We wanna get to the Crystal Bowl. And how does one get there? Simple. Innovation and craftiness. Just ask Oregon, Auburn, or any other SEC school. With the pro set, Citrus you'll get. Sincerely, Theo (President)
clarklaker
Thu, Jan 27, 2011 : 11:43 p.m.
theo ( president of the rich rod fan club)
DonAZ
Thu, Jan 27, 2011 : 8:54 p.m.
That's right ... Oregon, Auburn and pretty much the whole SEC knows nothing about blocking. Their offensive lines are small, skittery things who avoid blocking. They don't need to! It's all about *speed* ... so blocking is not needed. My goodness. I know you're not serious. You can't be. But if you are ... then, "wow."
tulsatom
Thu, Jan 27, 2011 : 8:31 p.m.
Theo, For a lack of defense, Rich Rod repents. But it was too late, so they showed him the gate.
David Vande Bunte
Thu, Jan 27, 2011 : 7:05 p.m.
What will Michigan do? Use them. Hoke said he would build the offense around the players he has. That makes me think Michigan will continue to feature the WR position, just like I expect the offense to give Denard Robinson the freedom to run. I don't think we will see too many "big" packages involving 2 TEs or a FB at least through next year, the players Michigan currently has are not conducive to that style of play. Unlike RichRod, Hoke already understands the simple concept of not trying to fit square pegs into round holes. The WRs plus Denard will still be the focal point of the offense. They have to be.
PortageLkBlu
Sun, Jan 30, 2011 : 12:41 a.m.
Excuse me David I was referring to the speed of our QB actually I guess RR had speed to that is in departing Mich.
PortageLkBlu
Sun, Jan 30, 2011 : 12:20 a.m.
David, I expect with the mish mash of players that Brady inherited and he's recruited we might see a little bit of everything to accommodate our different skills especially the speed like RR. It is possible that with a little glue and duck tape and good luck in the health department we at the very least could be a fast, scrappy little team.
Theo212
Thu, Jan 27, 2011 : 6:53 p.m.
DRob hikes it to himself with 10 receivers split out wide. Imagine the mayhem!!! (Sadly, we'll never see it).
PortageLkBlu
Sun, Jan 30, 2011 : 12:14 a.m.
Ya know Theo, that might just happen cause at the moment other than what Brady says(??) we really don't know what kind of coach we got till the fat lady stands up and sings,(First game boys and girls). I like your thinking Theo212 your not all wrapped up in someone that hasn't headcoached a down at Mich. Keep it lite that's the key.
Mick
Thu, Jan 27, 2011 : 7:48 p.m.
And exactly who is going to block for these 10 recievers on these great plays?
Mick
Thu, Jan 27, 2011 : 6:30 p.m.
@Zach, please give me a break. How long have you been watching football? We have 17 guys on the roster filled by WR's. A tad too much when that leaves 68 schollies left over for the rest of the positions. See, this was one more glaring example of RR's system where it is so skewed as far as sheer roster number's. I remember cringing everytime I saw we got another commitment and then I looked at what position said recruit played and lo an behold, WR. I kept saying to myself, again with the WR's. It drove me nuts because as much as I love a talented set of Recievers, 10 or so WR"s would be a way more apt number to take up on the roster. That would allow you 2-3 guys per class so that you can have experience coming back every year ideally. It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out, Go Blue, TiM!!!!!
Dusty
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 2:31 a.m.
And you want to know a fun statistic? Michigan's 3rd down conversion rate this year (44.77%) was horrible, right? Because of the coach, you say? Our 3rd down conversion rate was better than it was in 2006 and 1007 (40.00/43.41). And before you even bring it up, it was also better IN CONFERENCE than either of those two seasons. So much for blaming the coach on that, hm?
Dusty
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 2:27 a.m.
Come on, man. You know your numbers are bogus. 17 WRs on the roster... not 17 SCHOLORSHIP WRs on the roster. Big difference. Your "too much when that leaves 68 schollies" is moot.
1st Down
Thu, Jan 27, 2011 : 11:18 p.m.
Way to bring it to zack Mick with actual numbers and data... that guy doesnt have a clue what he is talking about.
Mick
Thu, Jan 27, 2011 : 9:47 p.m.
Amen Tulsa, you know what is you talk about my friend
tulsatom
Thu, Jan 27, 2011 : 8:27 p.m.
Mick, I couldn't agree with you more. While there is a ton of smurf slot receivers on the team, U-M is pretty slim at defensive line. I guess that highlights what meant the most to RR, which was all those horizontal passes to the slot backs and WR. This is what teams do who can't run the ball on 3rd and 1 and expect to get a first down.
zack Wallace
Thu, Jan 27, 2011 : 6:01 p.m.
Back to two receiver sets and 3 yards and a cloud of dust. Let the Attrition begin !!
hestukian
Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 2:03 a.m.
I think with Hoke, it might be a LITTLE more than 3 yards and a cloud of dust. I think DRob mgiht have something to say about it. GO BLUE!!!!
TMO class of 72
Thu, Jan 27, 2011 : 10:14 p.m.
Goodbye J Gallon. Maybe we won't have so many flubs and fumbles on the punt returns now!