Breakdown of Eligibility




id be good if that entire senior class who can come back came back.
 

Mo is an interesting case. Does he need to come back and play next year to show the NFL that he is healthy? given the timing of his injury, he probably will not be fully healed in time to do the combine and tryout circuit.
 



This group is going to be really interesting to watch and see what guys elect to do.

Fleck has already indicated that Ruschmeyer will be back and he has hinted at Andries coming back. Faalele seems likely to go pro, not as sure on JMS.

In the Anderson thread there was some speculation about Big O coming back for another year. Mafe probably goes pro but not sure it is a slam dunk. Would probably depend on where he was projected to go draft wise.

I would assume this is likely to be a crowded draft class so there may be a number of guys who decide to stick around another year to improve their stock. Wouldn't shock me to see Mo come back for another year and I don't know where CRAB is in terms of WR across the country but with his injuries this year it may benefit him to come back for one more year as well.

MSM would strike me as a good candidate to return for another year, Howden and Smith as well. Trickett would be another who may decide another year is worth it.

And then there is the $1,000,000 question in regards to Morgan and what he decides to do. He would almost certainly have to go the UDFA route in the NFL, or maybe he wants to jump right into coaching, or maybe he wants to come play another season. Will be a key question that I am sure will get answered sometime shortly before or after the bowl game but probably not anytime before that.
 

  • Even if they choose to come back, do they come back here or transfer to another program? Is there a Grad program somewhere else they are interested in?
  • When there will be a ton of guys in the draft, is it wise to go and be a UDFA and choose where you want to play or try out?
  • So many variables that I might have to get to my seat early to see who gets recognized on Senior Day!
 

This group is going to be really interesting to watch and see what guys elect to do.

Fleck has already indicated that Ruschmeyer will be back and he has hinted at Andries coming back. Faalele seems likely to go pro, not as sure on JMS.

In the Anderson thread there was some speculation about Big O coming back for another year. Mafe probably goes pro but not sure it is a slam dunk. Would probably depend on where he was projected to go draft wise.

I would assume this is likely to be a crowded draft class so there may be a number of guys who decide to stick around another year to improve their stock. Wouldn't shock me to see Mo come back for another year and I don't know where CRAB is in terms of WR across the country but with his injuries this year it may benefit him to come back for one more year as well.

MSM would strike me as a good candidate to return for another year, Howden and Smith as well. Trickett would be another who may decide another year is worth it.

And then there is the $1,000,000 question in regards to Morgan and what he decides to do. He would almost certainly have to go the UDFA route in the NFL, or maybe he wants to jump right into coaching, or maybe he wants to come play another season. Will be a key question that I am sure will get answered sometime shortly before or after the bowl game but probably not anytime before that.
I may be completely off base here, but I think if Tanner is planning on coming back next year we won't see him walk with the the other seniors, Saturday.
 



I want to say that I think Morgan should move on.

I'm just afraid that ZA would then be the starter.


Need someone (completely) new, is what I really want to see.

Kramer, Clark, Athan. One of those.
 

These linemen that are going on their 6th years, crowded draft or not I think it would be a hard sell to ask them to put their bodies through another year of unpaid beating especially without the likelihood of a major title season. Somehow Fleck convinced a couple to do it this year. Or maybe with NIL, 5th-6th year guys will get “paid” to stay.
 

Will be interesting to see how this all plays out with the need to get back to 85 scholarship players for the 2022 season. On 247 the list 89 guys currently on scholarship. Of those 89 there are the 11 graduating for sure plus Wiley, Anderson, and Chaney putting us at around 75.

With a smaller recruiting class coming in we wouldn't need a ton of guys from the possible group to move on in order to make room for everyone. Especially since there are likely to be some others transferring out as well.

Just like last season, will be very interesting to see how the roster shapes up after the season ends.
 

These linemen that are going on their 6th years, crowded draft or not I think it would be a hard sell to ask them to put their bodies through another year of unpaid beating especially without the likelihood of a major title season. Somehow Fleck convinced a couple to do it this year. Or maybe with NIL, 5th-6th year guys will get “paid” to stay.
Winning the West, with the most experienced OL in the Big Ten, had to be a big part of that sell job
 



These linemen that are going on their 6th years, crowded draft or not I think it would be a hard sell to ask them to put their bodies through another year of unpaid beating especially without the likelihood of a major title season. Somehow Fleck convinced a couple to do it this year. Or maybe with NIL, 5th-6th year guys will get “paid” to stay.
True, but the flip side is that if a player doesn't think they will get drafted then they have to decide if going the UDFA route is really the best bet for them. Yes they can pick and choose who they want to try out for in order to improve their odds, but they will also be in a position where the money won't be great and the teams will have no investment in them and therefore no incentive to keep them around the way they do with drafted guys.

It would be a tough call for any player with NFL aspirations but no assurances that they will get drafted if they come out.
 

A lot more talent than I expected that could return. You get those linemen back (doubtful but even Blaise and JMS) and that’s a good start. Cupboard doesn’t appear to be bare and the team should be decent next year with what could return and some of the younger guys that rotated in.
 


I want to say that I think Morgan should move on.

I'm just afraid that ZA would then be the starter.


Need someone (completely) new, is what I really want to see.

Kramer, Clark, Athan. One of those.
Agreed. Based on the tea leaves I think Morgan returns.

In which case you have Kramer, Athan, and Knuth as your backups.
 

Mo is an interesting case. Does he need to come back and play next year to show the NFL that he is healthy? given the timing of his injury, he probably will not be fully healed in time to do the combine and tryout circuit.
I think it depends on when he thinks he is 100%

if he can have a full combine (no contact) and look healthy I think his draft stock is as high as it can go.
If he can’t participate in combine, he might raise his stock by coming back one more year
 

I may be completely off base here, but I think if Tanner is planning on coming back next year we won't see him walk with the the other seniors, Saturday.
If he's already decided 100% to come back, then you are probably right. As a general rule, however, I think most coaches encourage all the "seniors" to go through senior day and be recognized for their contributions to the program. You can always do it again next year if you end up coming back.
 

If he's already decided 100% to come back, then you are probably right. As a general rule, however, I think most coaches encourage all the "seniors" to go through senior day and be recognized for their contributions to the program. You can always do it again next year if you end up coming back.
Yeah. I would definitely think any seniors that don't get recognized are planning to come back for another year. But just because a guy does get recognized it isn't a guarantee they are gone. Nothing binding either way in regards to senior day.

Any players on the fence about what they want to do still have time to mull the decision before having to commit either way. Although I would think the coaches would want to know as close to the end of the season as possible in order to know where they stand for next season.
 

I may be completely off base here, but I think if Tanner is planning on coming back next year we won't see him walk with the the other seniors, Saturday.

I don't think Tanner is coming back as a QB. I think that's why Fleck didn't bench him, and now he has the most wins in school history at QB.

If he does return it'll be most likely as a GA.
 

I think it depends on when he thinks he is 100%

if he can have a full combine (no contact) and look healthy I think his draft stock is as high as it can go.
If he can’t participate in combine, he might raise his stock by coming back one more year
Mo is going to be an interesting one. RB in general don't have the value they used to in the NFL and Mo doesn't have the game breaking speed that would really set him apart. He is just a really good all around back, one that if healthy would for sure get drafted but probably not in the early rounds.

How teams view him coming off a major injury remains to be seen. Won't really be shocked either way but will definitely be one to watch.
 

I don't think Tanner is coming back as a QB. I think that's why Fleck didn't bench him, and now he has the most wins in school history at QB.
If Fleck actually thought that some other QB could've won the game vs ILL or Iowa, but didn't bench Tanner .... merely because of what you imply here ....

Wow, that's bad.

I don't believe Fleck actually thinks another QB gives/would have given us a better chance to win, though.
 

I want to say that I think Morgan should move on.

I'm just afraid that ZA would then be the starter.


Need someone (completely) new, is what I really want to see.

Kramer, Clark, Athan. One of those.
Love to see what Clark could do. Great arm. Knows the system cold.
 

...and Fleck goes and ruins Saturday by saying if they walk on Saturday it really means nothing towards whether they leave or come back next year.
 

...and Fleck goes and ruins Saturday by saying if they walk on Saturday it really means nothing towards whether they leave or come back next year.
I mean yeah....that was already pretty obvious even without him saying it...... :)

Now if they choose NOT to walk, that is really what people should be keying in on since those guys would almost certainly be coming back in that case.
 

...and Fleck goes and ruins Saturday by saying if they walk on Saturday it really means nothing towards whether they leave or come back next year.
I mean, some people are probably trying to figure that out and there really isn't a reason why they need to decide that this week for the festivities.
 

...and Fleck goes and ruins Saturday by saying if they walk on Saturday it really means nothing towards whether they leave or come back next year.
Ruins Saturday but makes for tons of speculation going forward
 

I gotta say, I'd walk out on senior day regardless.

I graduated from the U at the end of the summer 2011 semester and they were renovating Northrup so they didn't have a graduation that winter, instead there was some kind of goony reception. So I skipped it thinking I'd just walk in the Spring. Then for some reason I ended up missing Spring.

I thought... okay, well, I'm going to go get a PhD anyway so I'll walk and do my fancy thing then. Well, I defended my dissertation too late for Spring graduation, so I figured "well, I'll come back and walk next Spring. No big deal." Next Spring, was, of course, Spring of 2020 and there was no graduation! I'm still waiting on my PhD alma mater to do an in person graduation so my mom can finally see me wear a stupid robe and get a degree.

So I definitely would be like, "yeah, I think I'm coming back next year, but I'm gonna do senior day anyway cause why not?"
 




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