Now that Michigan’s head coaching position is secured, one of the first tasks on the docket for new headman Brady Hoke will be to keep Michigan’s offensive centerpiece — sophomore quarterback Denard Robinson — in Ann Arbor.
And after the San Diego Union Tribune reported that San Diego State offensive coordinator Al Borges will be accompanying Hoke to Michigan, the question of how Robinson will fit in the Wolverines’ new offense is one that many Michigan fans, and Robinson himself, will look to have answered in the coming days.
In his introductory press conference today, Hoke made it clear he understands how valuable Robinson is to the Wolverines.
“We have got a special guy in Denard,” Hoke said. “He is a guy that can do an awful lot for your football program, and I know he loves the University of Michigan.
“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, and most the time when you do that, it’s what is best for that player.”
Michigan Athletic Director Dave Brandon said at the press conference that Robinson came up in every conversation he had with Hoke prior to his hiring. He explained that Hoke’s ability to adjust his offense to the team’s personnel was one of the deciding factors in hiring the former Wolverine defensive line coach.
“You can’t have a conversation about Michigan football without talking about Denard Robinson,” Brandon said.
When asked about his status with the football team at tonight’s basketball game against Ohio State, Robinson said, “No comment.”
For much of his head-coaching career, Hoke has employed a pro-style offense, working with big-armed quarterbacks like San Diego State’s Ryan Lindley and Ball State’s Nate Davis. Last year, Lindley accounted for almost 4,000 yards through the air, but finished with -33 yards on the ground. Davis, meanwhile, finished the 2007 and 2008 seasons with more than 3,500 yards passing and around 300 yards rushing in each. He also contributed five touchdowns on the ground in both seasons.
Borges also has kept a pro-style, west-coast-like offense and is most known for his work as Auburn’s offensive coordinator when the Tigers finished undefeated and boasted future NFL players like running backs Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams and quarterback Jason Campbell.
Neither Hoke nor Borges, however, have ever had a quarterback at their disposal with Robinson’s caliber of mobility. Hoke knows that and was able to meet with Robinson for about 15 minutes this morning at a players’ meeting to introduce the coach. According to Robinson’s former high school football coach Art Taylor, the two met again individually to discuss Robinson’s fit in the offense.
Taylor said in an interview with the The Michigan Daily yesterday that with the uncertainty of Hoke and Borges’s offense, the possibility of a transfer is definitely still there.
“I think he is considering (a transfer) in some way in the back of his mind,” Taylor said. “It’s always going to be an option.”
Taylor spoke with Robinson on the phone this morning before the players’ meeting and said that the sensational sophomore quarterback sounded tired. In that phone call, Taylor cautioned Robinson to ask good questions when the quarterback meets with Hoke to ensure that his role in the offense is one that he feels like he could succeed in.
Robinson’s coach remained steadfast, however, in saying that Robinson could succeed in any offense, including a pro-style one. But limiting a weapon like Robinson with a handoff-based, drop-back offense isn’t something Taylor advises.
“Denard can play straight, drop-back quarterback,” Taylor said. “He’s got the arm. But why would you want to do that? Why would you take his legs away?”
Hoke remained mum on most questions regarding his offensive schemes, but he continued to maintain, even after his press conference, that keeping Robinson would be an important goal in the coming weeks.
“He has to understand that your best interest is for him, and that’s truthfully what it will be,” Hoke told the media after the press conference. “We started a relationship a little bit, and we’re going to get deeper into that and talk to him about the vision and the goals we have for him.
There’s no reason why he isn’t going to be or shouldn’t be the quarterback at the University of Michigan.”
Taylor says if Robinson can’t be the quarterback or doesn’t fit into Hoke’s new scheme, there are plenty of other suitors that have contacted him about tailoring their offense to Robinson’s starpower. Three phone batteries worth, at least.
“I can’t tell you how many colleges have called me and said they want Denard to start at quarterback right now,” Taylor said. “We’re talking big-time D-1 schools.”
According to Taylor, the prospect of sitting out a year may keep Robinson from transferring, but as of now, Michigan fans may have to sit tight before anything definite is known about their star quarterback’s status.
“He’s always said how much he loves Michigan,” Taylor said. “So, well, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”