The Blue Board

It's hardly a hypocritical policy. Hoke is responsible for what he and his coaching staff does. If prospects committed to him want to visit elsewhere, that's fine. They just won't have an offer to Michigan anymore. He can't help it if other coaching staffs don't follow that same policy. Kids who visit elsewhere really aren't committed and he knows it. There's just more consequences for kids who commit to Michigan and do it than for other schools.

Yeah, because if you're looking around, you're not committed. If you want to look around, don't commit. It's a pretty simply concept.

No one is committed until they sign the LOI.

No need to answer that..

It Doesn't! But it will have Negative Consequences.

Think about that statement. If you base your recruiting Philosophy on something as negative as that, you lose. Not talking about the one on one recruiting battles with school Y. I'm talking about what Coaches are trying to accomplish and the Big picture.

Thousands of kids - year after year - take official & unofficial - recruiting & non recruiting - trips, visits, & Saturday football games every single week.

A "zero" percentage is ridiculous

I've had the privilege of talking to a couple folks close to the Michigan program over the last few days about the Conley situation.

First thing they said is regardless of what is out there, every case is slightly different. The general policy of the current Michigan staff is that if a kid takes a visit to another school, Michigan coaches will begin recruiting his scholarship spot. The kid does not have his offer pulled, but he is no longer considered a commitment. From what I've been told, if the kid is upfront about things (as Conley has been), they will continue to consider him a recruit but also offer his spot to other recruits. At that point, it is a first-come, first served as to who gets the scholarship.

Dawson had his scholarship pulled by the coaching staff because he was misleading the staff and doing things behind their backs. This obviously rubbed them the wrong way and they lost their trust in Dawson. Rather than continue to deal with him, they chose to part ways. They think Dawson's case is the exception and not the rule.

So in the end, if Conley takes a visit he will no longer be considered a commit, but will still be considered a recruit and will have the opportunity to recommit unless someone jumps at his spot before he gets a chance.

No, it's not ridiculous. It has to do with the definition of "committed."

...in your opinion.

So I take it you're the type of guy who must have every promise written down and signed in order to consider it legitimate?

Just a Buckeye fan looking in, but from my understanding, if a Michigan "committed" recruit wants to take visits, he is no longer considered "committed." However, it seems that the offer is not necessarily pulled. In the case of Conley, if he informs the Michigan staff that he wants to take visits, he is no longer part of the recruiting class. However, it seems that after making the visits, if Conley wants to "commit" again, I believe Michigan would take him (assuming no more visits!)

My read on Michigan's stance is: if you "commit," you are committed to the Michigan program and therefore there is no need to take any visits to other schools.

I believe the whole offer being pulled mess began with Dawson going behind Michigan's back to set a visit with Florida. I think Dawson would've been in the same boat as Conley in that he would still have an offer on the table but just not considered a part of the 2013 recruiting class. It's just how Dawson went about it that upset the Michigan staff enough to pull his offer (ie., not the way a "Michigan Man" would go about things).

Sorry. Missed c-woodson's post. Just seemed like a lot of bickering on a subject that seemed pretty straight forward...

You're a little slow, aren't you? You act as if the coaches are locking these kids up in a dorm room. They are allowed to do whatever they want to. They just won't be considered committed and a spot won't be guaranteed for them if they visit.