Probably the biggest question for Michigan heading into the 2011 season is how will Denard Robinson handle the new pro-style offense?
Robinson was a fixture under Rich Rodriguez’s “spread offense” last season in which he excelled in setting an NCAA record for yards gained by a quarterback.
That was primarily done from the shotgun.
This season Robinson will find himself under center more which is more common running the pro.
“It reminded me of being back in high school,” Robinson said of his offense and playing under center. “It was kind of cool.”
New head coach Brady Hoke even sounded off on how he thinks Robinson will adjust to Al Borges’ new offensive system.
“He’s done a tremendous job,” Hoke said at the Big Ten media days. “I can tell you, he ran the same offense in high school, which is a plus. One of the big differences is the mechanics of taking the snap from center, the footwork, the run game, the foot patterns, the play-action game. (Robinson) was ahead of the curve a little bit.
“We’re smart enough to have elements he does well from what he did in the past in our offense.”
As much as Brady Hoke might like to think or portray, there will be a definite learning curve for Robinson when it comes to running this offense in the regular season. However Robinson is an excellent player and athlete who should eventually adapt to the new system quite nicely. Something else to consider is how Devin Gardner will be implemented into the new system.
Source: ESPN
