Thursday, January 10, 2008

Will Terrelle Pryor be wearing the Maize and Blue in 2008?

A shake-up took place in Ann Arbor on Wednesday when wide receiver Adrian Arrington officially declared that he is leaving Michigan for the NFL.....it is also speculated that fellow wide receiver Mario Manningham will soon follow....the other official announcement was that quarterback Ryan Mallett is transferring out of Michigan, presumably to Tennessee....

Before I go on, I want to wish all three players the best in their future endeavors....Arrington and Manningham will always be Wolverines and hopefully they can make the football program proud at the next level....as far as Mallett, I wish him nothing but the best....only 1 quarterback can be on the field at one time and Mallett must have felt that he does not fit in with new head coach Rich Rodriguez's system.....Below is an article by John Borton of Rivals.com and his thoughts on Mallett leaving....

John Borton
TheWolverine.com Senior Editor

Rich Rodriguez wants a Michigan quarterback to quarterback Michigan. And if there's any doubt, hesitation, missed meetings, etc., on the part of those who might apply, well … don't let the door sack you on your way out.

Rodriguez tried to sell freshman Ryan Mallett on the new staff's ability to structure its offense to meet the strong-armed passer's talents. He made several efforts to try and sway the long, tall Texan, as he told Jim Rome yesterday.

"I talked to him and all our quarterbacks about how our system adapts to the quarterback," Rodriguez said. "If we get a throwing quarterback, we've had ones who have gone on to have great careers and to the NFL and all that. "But I [spoke to Mallett] a couple of times. I recruited him once. I recruited him twice, but after the third call, it's 'Okay, three times is enough for me.' It's three invitations. If somebody doesn't want to be here, then we should all move along."

Rodriguez left no doubt at halftime of the Michigan-Indiana basketball game last night. He noted Mallett missed a team meeting the day before, and when asked whether he is waiting to hear what the young quarterback has to say, Rodriguez responded with words that made all but the most diehard recruiting guru sycophants smile. "Don't care," the new sheriff said. "He's not playing for Michigan. I'm concerned with who's playing for Michigan. That's my concern."

DON'T CARE? Don't you understand, Coach? This is RYAN MALLETT, the greatest quarterback-to-be in the history of college football, the torpedo-launching Texan who shreds receivers' gloves and who once chucked an armadillo 85 yards without breaking a sweat!

This is the kid who was about to make Tom Brady look like Marcia Brady! This is the once-in-a-lifetime, surefire, Heisman-ready architect of multiple national championships – not to mention the guy whose poster replaced that of the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders on the walls of aging recruiting "gurus." DON'T CARE?

Don't care. Just that easily, the new era begins. Oh, and by the way, it was a short lifetime. The next once-in-a-lifetime QB prospect watching the Wolverines closely isn't far behind.

Now, for anyone taking this as Mallett bashing (Mallett hammering? Mallet malleting?) – breathe deeply and listen. The kid came here under one system, believed fervently in his position coach, and saw those very important elements change in the span of 12 months. Wherever he goes (within reason), we wish him well. No hard feelings. It should probably be noted – for the sake of perspective – that the two most glorified quarterbacks in the history of Michigan football recruiting (Mallett and Drew Henson) combined for a total of 11 career starts.

Meanwhile, someone who generated little more than a shrug upon arrival in Ann Arbor has three Super Bowl titles in his back pocket, with another on the way. But we digress. Most importantly, the new boss is concerned about who is playing for Michigan.

And losing Chad Henne, Mike Hart, Jake Long, Adam Kraus, Mario Manningham, Adrian Arrington and Ryan Mallett off the offensive roster in a fortnight didn't make him blink. Now, "Don't care" doesn't quite carry the same ring as "Those Who Stay Will Be Champions." But the intent is the same, and the edge carried by the man delivering the message can't be mistaken.

Stiles Points Thoughts

With Mallett leaving Ann Arbor, there is a very good chance that Michigan may land super-stud quarterback Terrelle Pryor from Jeanette, PA.....Pryor was the USA Today Offensive Player of the Year and is being labeled as the next Vince Young....of course, Michigan has to battle Mr. Sweatervest for Pryor's services....it is believed that Pryor has narrowed his choices down to Michigan and Ohio State.....with Mallett gone, Pryor would be able to start from day one at Michigan....check out the links to read more about Pryor.....

  • Scout.com

  • Terrelle Pryor
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