Denard Robinson, your All-Time FBS NCAA QB rushing yards leader.

Nice record for him to get on the way out. I know he would've rather had the W. Conversation on twitter was how does he rank in UM history? Top 5? 10? 20?
 
Personally, and I'm young...go  1. Howard 2. Woodson 3. Denard 

WOW. Do yourselves a favor and watch this gem. Best half hour ever. Kudos to WolverineHistorian.
 

BuffaloBlue


WOW. Do yourselves a favor and watch this gem. Best half hour ever. Kudos to WolverineHistorian.

 
This guy has the best videos on youtube. Thanks BB for sharing.

Meh...he had those yards in the RB position. Don't think it should count. You're young but have Desmond at #1? Denard, albeit a great talent, is probably outside the top 10.

Ricox19


Meh...he had those yards in the RB position. Don't think it should count. You're young but have Desmond at #1? Denard, albeit a great talent, is probably outside the top 10.

You're high...outside the top 10? Many scouts in college and the NFL think he's been one of the most dynamic players in the last 25+ yrs. Give credit where credit is due.

Go Blue!!

Top 5 for sure, possibly #1 if you consider what little talent he had around him.  Then, consider how terribly he was handled this year.
 
He might have been the best overall athlete to ever play at Michigan.

jarnhestur


Top 5 for sure, possibly #1 if you consider what little talent he had around him.  Then, consider how terribly he was handled this year.

He might have been the best overall athlete to ever play at Michigan.

We'll never know but could you imagine this offense with Gardner at QB and Denard at TB/WR/QB...he could have been our version of Percy Harvin and he could be that in the NFL when a good OC gets his hands on him.

Go Blue!!

he'll need to seriously hit the weight room.  I cringed every time he took a hit the last 4 years.

Let's not forget the fact that 95% (or higher) of his stats came in three years. 

Ricox19


Meh...he had those yards in the RB position. Don't think it should count. You're young but have Desmond at #1? Denard, albeit a great talent, is probably outside the top 10.

Outside the Top 10?  At Michigan?  PLEASE.  Since I've been watching Michigan (1970-71) he's the single-most exciting player to put the jersey on.  Period.  ( I don't want to hear about Howard or Woodson.  Great players but in all fairness, they didn't have the ball in their hands enough.)  In fact, I'd put him in my top 10 of most exciting college players I've ever seen and in the same conversation as Hershel Walker, Bo Jackson, The Rocket, Marcus Allen, and anyone else you want to come up with.

I was as enthused about Denard as anyone, I'm sure, but I have the feeling that analysis might indicate he failed in some key games and I think his legacy can be debated  has far  as 1 or 2 or 6 or 7 or you pick it in a ranking (I don't have a ranking at all).  Was he the guy when absolutely needed as Woodson was on 3rd and about 8 against Wash State looking for a receiver, finding none, and willing himself to pick up the first down. I'm sure Denard did that in many spots, but did he do that when we had absolutely to have it in a game we had to have?  He certainly did find the guys 2 times against ND, but against ND teams that finished with questionable regard. This year, think of the difference with a victory in South Bend instead of a loss.
 
You know Ron Dayne gets all sorts of accolades for his yardage, but he never play well agoints really good defenses, and never agains us--its the same sort of question.
 
I know I rarely post, so all apologies for my 2 cents.

stuartmit


I was as enthused about Denard as anyone, I'm sure, but I have the feeling that analysis might indicate he failed in some key games and I think his legacy can be debated  has far  as 1 or 2 or 6 or 7 or you pick it in a ranking (I don't have a ranking at all).  Was he the guy when absolutely needed as Woodson was on 3rd and about 8 against Wash State looking for a receiver, finding none, and willing himself to pick up the first down. I'm sure Denard did that in many spots, but did he do that when we had absolutely to have it in a game we had to have?  He certainly did find the guys 2 times against ND, but against ND teams that finished with questionable regard. This year, think of the difference with a victory in South Bend instead of a loss.

You know Ron Dayne gets all sorts of accolades for his yardage, but he never play well agoints really good defenses, and never agains us--its the same sort of question.

I know I rarely post, so all apologies for my 2 cents.

I know that will always be the knock on Robinson.  Couldn't win the big one, didn't play well against good teams, feasted on bad teams (as if he's the only one who has done that) etc etc.  The problem was always the fact that against any good defense they never had to game plan for anything BUT stopping DRob.  We haven't had any other "go-to" playmakers besides him so what do you do? And it's certainly not uncommon for good defenses to shut down good offensive players-happens every week.  Barry Sanders went through the same thing with the Lions.  But look at it in reverse and take DRob away from this team the past 3 years.  THEN what do you have?  Not much.  In all my years, I have never seen Michigan teams that had to rely on ONE player consistently like these past few teams have.   

Is that all ya' got Phil?  I'm still not impressed. ;)

Philc

All while surrounded by the worse collection of talent at Michigan in the last what, 40 years?
 
Outside of Steve Schilling, do we have a single offensive starter from the Denard era on an NFL roster?

TK23Blue

I know that will always be the knock on Robinson.  Couldn't win the big one, didn't play well against good teams, feasted on bad teams (as if he's the only one who has done that) etc etc.  The problem was always the fact that against any good defense they never had to game plan for anything BUT stopping DRob.  We haven't had any other "go-to" playmakers besides him so what do you do? And it's certainly not uncommon for good defenses to shut down good offensive players-happens every week.  Barry Sanders went through the same thing with the Lions.  But look at it in reverse and take DRob away from this team the past 3 years.  THEN what do you have?  Not much.  In all my years, I have never seen Michigan teams that had to rely on ONE player consistently like these past few teams have.   

 
And I think that's why I think so highly of him.  He's ALL we had for 4 years.  Even this year, he was heads and shoulders above the rest of the team.   I'm terrified what we'll look like without him if the new recruits don't step it up.

TK, I've only been watching Michigan football (at least old enough to understand what I was watching) since 1978, and the only guy I can compare D-Rob to that has put on a Michigan jersey is Anthony Carter.  Denard didn't have much to work with, and AC set receiving records like crazy on a option-heavy offense.  He and Denard are the only two that I remember watching where I could safely say that any play they were involved in could be a touchdown.  The fact that I had to go back 30 years to come up with an equivalent should tell you all you need to know about how special this guy is.
 
Here's some of Carter's records (according to Wikipedia, at least- and they are NEVER wrong! lol):
 
When he graduated, Carter held nearly every Michigan career receiving and return record. He was the schools's all time leader in:

• touchdowns: 40 (now ranks fifth; record held by Anthony Thomas with 55)
• receptions: 161 (now ranks fourth; record held by Braylon Edwards with 252)
• receiving yards: 3,076 (now ranks second; record held by Braylon Edwards with 3,541)
• touchdown receptions: 37 (now ranks second; record held by Braylon Edwards with 39)
• punt returns: 79 (now ranks second; record held by Steve Breaston with 127)
• punt return yardage: 907 (now ranks second; record held by Steve Breaston with 1,599)
• kickoff returns: 63 (now ranks second; record held by Steve Breaston with 81)
• kickoff return yardage: 1,606 (now ranks second; record held by Steve Breaston with 1,993)

His average of 17.4 yards-per-play was an NCAA record.

Overall Career Record:
31 - 20 (16-16)
3-1 v Notre Dame
1-3 v Michigan State
1-3 v Ohio State
1-2 Bowl Games
 
#thankyouDenard
It was frantic, frustrating, and fun, but now we turn the page.

Let's just ignore what he did vs good teams. 

haha

Best cherry-picker UM has ever had. Was fun to watch, as long as he wasn't dropping back to pass. But I'm definitely happier with Devin than Denard. (and that thought alone bumps him from top 10 at UM for me)
 
 

Denard is the best QB (not passer) to don the winged helmet.