What’s Going On Is Unclear On The Concept

This offseason, numerous things ranging from ignorant to just plain dumb have been said about Jim Harbaugh and the way he runs his program at Michigan. This one, from Mark Smith of the Albuquerque Journal takes the cake. Smith is upset that Zach Gentry is moving to tight end. For what it’s worth Gentry does not seem particularly upset about the move. While he’d like to play quarterback, it sounds to me like his top priority is seeing the field. Anyway, back to Smith. He says:

“I may very well be clueless about the entire situation. And admittedly, I have zero inside information. I’ve never seen a Michigan football practice, and have no idea how Zach Gentry looked in drills last year.

But I do know that moving former the Eldorado High sensation from quarterback to tight end has my dander up.”

“I have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about, but that’s not going to stop me from yelling about this anyway.”

“Zach hasn’t returned phone calls to the Journal, nor has his father, Tom.”

The guy didn’t bother to actually talk to Gentry before crapping out this article. He would later say on Twitter that he didn’t even find the mLive article I linked to above where Gentry talks about the move.

“The Michigan sports information department? They won’t even return emails from my colleague, prep guru James Yodice.”

He hasn’t talked to anyone at Michigan, so for those keeping score at home, he’s still basing this article on absolutely nothing.

“Nearly every school in the country wanted the kid who was ranked as the No. 4 prep QB in the land. In the spring of 2014, Gentry ended a hotly contested recruiting war by trimming his choices to Texas and Alabama.”

Smith isn’t telling the whole story here. Rivals had Gentry listed as the #4 pocket passer in the class of 2015. ESPN had him 9^th. The other two services had Gentry a bit lower, and behind fellow Michigan commit Alex Malzone. 247 called him the #16 pro-style QB (Malzone was #15). Scout lumped all QBs together and put Gentry at #19 (Malzone was #14.) Gentry ended up as the #8 pro-style QB in the 247 composite. The Malzone stuff will matter in just a minute.

“He had a Skype interview set up with Bama’s Saban, but cancelled it and made a verbal commitment to Texas.

Probably not the best bridge to burn. Had he gone to the Tide, Gentry would have a national championship ring and, likely, be battling for the starting QB role this spring.”

Alabama brought in Blake Barnett, who every recruiting service had ranked ahead of Gentry. (Rivals called Barnett a dual threat QB. He was #2 on that list.) In the class of 2014, Alabama brought in David Cornwell, the #4 pro-style QB in the country, according to the 247 composite. In 2013, they brought in Cooper Bateman, #4 pro-style QB in that class. (This stuff will come up again in a minute.) If Gentry had gone to Alabama, yes, he’d have a ring, but he’d be in the exact same spot he was in at Michigan in terms of competing for playing time.

“Harbaugh, however, signed Brandon Peters, the nation’s No. 3 ranked prep quarterback from 2016, earlier this month. And last week, Harbaugh got a verbal commitment from Dylan McCaffrey — the nation’s top-ranked prep QB in the class of 2017. McCaffrey is the brother of Stanford superstar Christian McCaffrey and the son of former NFL receiver Ed McCaffrey.

It was a head-scratcher.”

This is not a head-scratcher to anybody but Al Borges. Remember what I just said about Alabama bringing in top QBs every year? Yeah, that’s how great coaches manage the QB position: bring in a bunch and let someone separate himself. And, again, Michigan already had Alex Malzone in the class of 2015. He had committed in May of 2014 and had been on campus for almost three weeks when Gentry committed. It’s called research, Mark.

“At 6-foot-7, a chiseled 230 pounds and with 4.6 speed, maybe Gentry could be college version’s of New England’s Rob Gronkowski.”

Gee, you think that could be why Harbaugh wants to take a look at him at tight end? While the Gronk comparison is probably a lofty goal, it’s not hard to figure out why they want to make this position change: Michigan has plenty of quarterbacks (Man, it’s nice to be able to say that again. All hail Harbaugh.) and Gentry has enough size and athleticism to be an asset elsewhere. I’m guessing that Gentry changing positions means the O’Korn hype is for real, and if it’s not, then Harbaugh thinks really highly of Shane Morris, Wilton Speight, Alex Malzone, or Brandon Peters. You’d know that, Mark, if you looked into Michigan’s team, like, at all.

Also, it’s “college’s version,” not “college version’s.” I would think a real journalist would know that. Idiot.

“Maybe tight end will work out. But maybe he’d like to see if any of those numerous other colleges still want him slinging balls for them.”

Maybe you’d like to look up the name “Owen Daniels.” Moving from QB to TE sure seemed to work out for him. Hey, guess what, Mark, he’s got a ring now.

“If I’m a huge fan of another program, say like a New Mexico, I’d be getting word to Gentry and his family — and to a coach, say, like Bob Davie — to lure Gentry elsewhere.

Like back to Burque.”

“Come on Bob, commit a violation!”

“Legally, per NCAA rules, of course.”

Oh, well, of course. I’m not sure how you can do that per NCAA rules, but hey, maybe Mark knows something I don’t. Doubtful, because that would require him to know something at all, but hey, stranger things have happened.

“But I guarantee the only drilling involving Gentry at UNM Stadium would be the precision passes and big-time hits he’d be delivering against Lobo opponents.”

Is he implying Gentry would be hitting opponents? What does he think quarterbacks do? Or is he saying Gentry would be playing defense at New Mexico? Why is that okay, but moving to tight end at Michigan is somehow the worst thing ever?

Reaction to Smith’s article was about what one would expect when someone says something completely idiotic like this. Mark then took to Twitter to further act like a clown.

The reaction from Michigan Fan is aMaize-ing!

— Mark Ticky Smith (@MarkTickySmith) February 23, 2016

Dude, your grammar sucks. Or do you think there’s only one Michigan fan? I don’t know why you would think that, because there were a lot of people pointing out your stupidity.

To my new pals in the lovely Detroit-area, once the home of R&R, now the home of rock and rubble, folks out here don’t exactly call me homer

— Mark Ticky Smith (@MarkTickySmith) February 23, 2016

I’m not certainly not your pal, Mark, and I’m not in the Detroit area. Brian Cook’s there, though, and he might have something to call you: horseface.

Twitter: @KSchroeder2325

E-mail: schroeder.giig@gmail.com