On National Signing Day, you're typically thinking about recruiting new players into the program - not keeping old ones around.
However, that appears to be the case for Stanford football, as 5th-year senior cornerback Wayne Lyons is reportedly considering transferring to Michigan.
In a press conference on Wednesday, David Shaw only had this to offer regarding the situation:
"For those guys going into their fifth year that want the opportunity to play someplace else,'' Shaw said, "I've never said no, never tried talk anybody out of it.''
Lyons was recruited by new Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh when he was at Stanford, but Harbaugh departed for the 49ers before Lyons came to the Farm.
Lyons has played in 43 games in his Stanford career, starting in 7 his senior year. After injuring his foot just two games into his freshman year, Lyons redshirted and was able to apply for a medical exemption to play a fifth year in college, which he received on January 15. It was assumed that Lyons would be staying on the Farm when he tweeted that he'd be staying in school, but his tweet regarding his choice to return to college is now much more cryptic thanks to these rumors:
Also consider this tweet from Do-Hyoung Park, The Stanford Daily's Managing Editor of Sports:
Lyons was a highly regarded prospect coming out of high school - he was the 6th-best safety prospect in the nation - but his college career thus far has been more average than stellar. If this is indeed Lyons' final year at Stanford, perhaps he is looking for a starting opportunity after being forced to split time at cornerback this fall. Under first-year defensive backs coach Duane Akina, Lyons appeared to grow as a player, but some costly lapses may have forced Akina to restrict his playing time.
Stanford also added a recruiting class that touted four new defensive back prospects, some of whom would likely compete with Lyons for playing time this fall.
Comments
A change of scenery might actually be good for Wayne. I wouldn't blame him for wanting to go play with Harbaugh.
I wish him the best, regardless of what he decides to do.
By Garrett Stallins on 02.05.15 7:50pm
I don't get it
I wish him the best if he does decide to go, but it just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me.
He’s going to see time on the field this year for Stanford, whether at CB or at safety. He’d also be a great nickel back. He’d likely start at Michigan, but that team is not going to be very good and the B1G is a WEAK conference.
Does he really think this would improve his draft prospects? If it were me I’d take another year of coaching from the guy who’s put more DBs in to the NFL than any other DB coach in history, and play for a team that has a chance to be in an NY6 bowl if not the CFB playoff. Michigan offers none of those things.
By Cardman88 on 02.06.15 7:37am
I actually think this might be a smart move for Lyons
Just as PowerO said, a change of scenery might do him some good. Why? You answered this in your comment when you said "the B1G is a WEAK conference."
It’s widely known that the Pac-12 is an offensive conference with majority uptempo teams with really good QBs and really good WRs. The B1G Ten plays more ball control, run-oriented offense football. Michigan State led the B1G Ten in passing yards per game at 265 per game. To put that in perspective, that would’ve ranked 9th in the Pac-12. Ninth! Plus, 5 schools in the B1G Ten didn’t even average 200 yards passing per game. Less passing = less of a chance of giving up big plays. Darqueze Dennard was a first round pick last year and he’s buried on the Bengals depth chart. This could help Lyons’ draft stock.
Consistently, he’ll be facing inferior quality of QBs and WRs. Plus, coaches and QBs in the B1G Ten won’t have four years of facing Lyons and it’ll take some time to learn his tendencies, the good ones and the bad ones. Michigan may only be a .500 team next season (or worse), but I think Lyons could step in and immediately become one of the best CBs in the B1G Ten. If he’s already received his degree from Stanford, and he can play immediately somewhere else, why not try Michigan.
By Spider2-Y-Banana on 02.06.15 11:37am
I'm not particularly big on Lions as a player, but his loss will hurt, if it's true.
The DB group is talented but inexperienced, and I think Lions is an upgrade over whoever we throw out there instead. We’ll see where this goes.
By Tim Eckert-Fong on 02.06.15 9:46am
Seems like it's a done deal
Link
So is this one of those graduate program deals? Does he already have a Stanford degree?
I wish the guy the best. It’s a bit of a bummer to see a guy who was considered so talented not reach that peak on his time at the farm, especially when you consider he might have been playing out of position.
By Tim Eckert-Fong on 02.06.15 9:48am
Seems a bit shady
I didn’t see this link (thanks for sharing). His mom gets a job at Michigan as the Director of Player Development just as JH becomes head coach. I know this happens all the time, but it doesn’t make it any less shady of a recruiting tactic. I do wish him the best, but I don’t agree with the tactics being used though.
On a brighter note, I’m really excited for this incoming group of CBs. I think a couple of them have the ability to be impact players this season (a la Alex Carter in 2012).
By Spider2-Y-Banana on 02.06.15 11:46am
Ya, I think the incoming group should be good.
Alexander was good last year too, so hopefully we’ll be alright at that position. Hoffpauir should be solid as well, albeit not great like the rest of the bunch can be.
By Tim Eckert-Fong on 02.06.15 12:13pm
I like this group of incoming DBs
I agree that Alexander and Hoffpauir were solid last season, but I think both have physical limitations. Alexander is on the shorter side (didn’t he get killed on RZ fade routes in last year’s Spring Game?) and Hoffpauir isn’t great in coverage. Hoffpauir is a really good baseball player as well and will most likely get drafted so it’ll be interesting to see which path he’ll take.
Of the incoming players, I think Buncom, Edwards, and Meeks all have the size and speed to be special. Rivals has Buncom and Meeks listed as CBs and Edwards and Reid as safeties.
By Spider2-Y-Banana on 02.06.15 12:39pm
I think Hoffpauir is more limited physically.
Alexander is short, but he was really impressive as a freshman and has so much room to grow. I think he can overcome those physical limitations.
Don’t forget about Holder and Simmons, both redshirted last year and were highly touted out of high school. I’m sure a year with Akina has done them wonders.
By Tim Eckert-Fong on 02.06.15 1:02pm
Agreed
I really like Alexander’s potential. I think he could develop into a player like Usua Amanam, who was a really good nickel CB (and Rose Bowl Defensive MVP!). They’re both about the same height (5-10) and weight (175). I think I’m confusing Alexander with Taijuan Thomas, who had trouble in the Spring game. Both are about the same size.
By Spider2-Y-Banana on 02.06.15 1:25pm
I think they both can develop, although Thomas has certainly been less impressive.
I kinda forgot he existed, actually. Team has a lot of talent on it.
By Tim Eckert-Fong on 02.06.15 1:51pm
The coaching staff that includes Duane Akina liked him enough not redshirt him when we already had Carter and Lyons.
That says a lot.
By Garrett Stallins on 02.07.15 5:16pm
Also, ya it is a little shady. More than that though, it seems very unnecessary, and frankly a little weird.
It’s ultimately Wayne’s decision, how much of an impact do you think that had? And while any team would love to have Lyons, I think giving his mom a pretty serious sounding job for one year of a slightly above average DB is an overpay.
By Tim Eckert-Fong on 02.06.15 12:19pm
It depends
Admittedly, I don’t know Michigan’s roster or depth chart. If UM is hurting for DBs, wouldn’t it be great to plug a veteran DB into one of the starting spots as a one-year stop-gap until JH can have a full recruiting cycle to get some replacements? Lyons would appear to be an important/significant bridge to the future in that case. Who knows. But from the outside it reeks of nepotism.
By Spider2-Y-Banana on 02.06.15 12:27pm