Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh discussed this spring's South Africa trip, the NCAA"s transfer portal, and several other topics on this week's 'Attack Each day' podcast, and was also joined by Chris Hinton Sr., the father of U-M freshman defensive tackle Chris Hinton.
We have the highlights below:
Jim Harbaugh, on new U-M Defensive end Mike Danna, who Transferred in From Central Michigan:
"He's a really talented, hard-working and hard-playing individual. He's from De La Salle in Detroit, which is the home of [senior running back] Tru Wilson and a few of our other players.
"Pro Football Focus actually had Danna as a first-teamer last year. We lost a few starting defensive ends to the NFL draft, so it'll be great to have Michael — a 6-3, 250-pound pass rusher — on the team."
Jim Harbaugh, on the NCAA's Transfer Portal:
"Every college student at some point hits a wall, and they have to break through that wall. It's amazing how guys take off and skyrocket once that happens.
"It also needs to be decided amongst everyone across the college landscape how transfers are going to be treated — you always had to sit out a year if you transferred, but are we now going to make it so everyone can make one transfer without sitting out? I don't know where we're at right now.
"Ja'Raymond Hall came in as a mid-year a few years ago and within a couple weeks, he asked to transfer. I told him he'd violate the NLI rule if he did and would have to sit out two years, and would leave without passing a semester's worth of classes.
"We circled a date on the calendar a year down the road, and told him to give it his best, pass classes, work hard as a player, and if he still felt the same way in a year, we'd grant him the permission to speak to other schools.
"He gave it his very best and did well in school and worked hard as a freshman, and said he still wanted to transfer a year later, and wound up going to Central Michigan.
"Some real mistakes can be made if a player is having a bad day and the next minute is tossing away a $65,000 per year scholarship.
"The grass isn't always greener on the other side of the road — that's a cliche, but a cliche for a reason."
Jim Harbaugh, on This Spring's Trip to South Africa:
"Mark Taurisani and Scott Goldschmidt advanced the trip or us and came back raving about it. They said it's going to be the best trip this team has ever taken by far.
"There were pictures from it, and I thought they were standing a little too close to rhinoceroses and elephants.
"The scenery in Cape Town was just magnificent. I used to go over the itinerary on these trips, but I want to be surprised this time."
Jim Harbaugh, Recalling an Interaction With Chris Hinton Sr.:
"Chris made an incredible meal of paella during the in-home visit, and it was one of the five best meals I'd ever had during a visit.
"He then pulled me aside after the meal and asked if I liked curling.
"I told him I loved it, and explained how I always watch it when the Olympics are on. He then told me how he was giving me the momentum of the curling rock down the lane, and how I [Harbaugh] was to sweep and bring Chris [Jr.] into the center and into the bullseye.
"I told him that was the greatest analogy I had ever heard in my entire coaching career."
Jim Harbaugh, on When he First Became Aware of Chris Hinton Jr.:
"I remember going down to Chris' school [Greater Atlanta Christian] way back when I first got to Michigan, and the high school coach there was telling me all about the senior and junior prospects he had.
"I then saw Chris walking down the hall as a massive ninth grader and thought to myself, 'goodness gracious.'
"We offered him the next day."
Chris Hinton Sr., on the Recruiting Process:
"After Coach Harbaugh offered Chris [Jr.], he said he wanted to commit — we told him to slow down and go through the process.
"We narrowed it down to a list of schools we felt comfortable with, and the staff at Michigan just did a great job of recruiting him and keeping him engaged.
"My wife and I are both Northwestern people and Big Ten people, so we were more than comfortable with Michigan."
Chris Hinton Sr., on his Son's Closeness With Daxton Hill:
"Not long after Dax Hill committed to Alabama, Christopher's phone rang one night at the dinner table.
"We have a rule of no phones at the table — he said it was Dax, and that he was telling him to call him back.
"Dax definitely leaned on Christopher a little bit throughout the process, so having a kid like that who others can lean on was pretty cool."
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