One of the primary questions for both seniors and fifth-year seniors around the Michigan Wolverines’ football program is whether or not they’ll ever have another opportunity to take the field again in the winged helmet.
A potential spring season in 2021 is a scenario that has been tossed around as a possibility, along with graduating college athletes potentially receiving another year to come back again if they so choose.
The fact that there are no answers yet, however, makes it difficult to plan for the future, fifth-year senior tight end Nick Eubanks explained this afternoon on a zoom call with reporters.
“I think about it [my future] a lot,” he admitted. “I’m going to stick around and train for a couple more months, and see where it goes from there, in terms of whether or not there’s a spring season.
“I think I’ll make my decision by then. A couple of us players have read into gaining a year back, and I talked to guys like [fifth-year senior defensive tackle] Carlo [Kemp], [senior defensive end] Kwity [Paye] and [junior defensive end] Aidan [Hutchinson] — we’ve thought about that.
“It’s something we’re sitting on, in terms of what we’re going to do next year and whether or not there’s a spring season. When they sit down, I’ll sit down with them and we’ll talk more about it.
"I’ve been taking this time to soak in what I can do now, and I think about being around the team every day when I walk into the Schembechler Hall.
“You get that sensation of coming back again and giving it one more shot. We’ve been so tight these last few years, and I honestly don’t know what those guys will do. Once we come down to one decision, then I think the rest will follow.”
Playing a college football season in the spring is an interesting concept that has caused plenty of debate over the last few weeks, with some deeming it physically impossible for the athletes to handle.
Doing so and then going through the normal 2021 season just a few months later in the fall would undoubtedly be challenging for the players who participate, but is something Eubanks thinks could be done.
“It would be tough, but I think it’s possible,” he admitted. “Being accustomed to football all the time, we face things like that and are able to recover well. If we follow the protocols to stay healthy, I think it’d be possible and is something we could do.”
The fifth-year senior tight end was also asked this afternoon simply how he and the team are doing from a mental standpoint in the wake of all the disappointment they’ve received over the past week-plus.
He also discussed what they’re all doing to stay busy.
“Coach [Jim] Harbaugh told me today we’re just getting better at football and are doing things that will help us in the long run,” Eubanks noted. “We’re getting more accustomed to the playbook and getting better as players, with guys coming in and training.
"We’re doing position work with our coaches and keeping our minds on football. Schembechler Hall is a place we can go to get our minds accustomed to football.
"Everyone is keeping their heads up. The older guys — juniors and seniors — know they have to keep guys’ heads up and not feel bad about themselves. Personally, I think it’s better to keep doing what we’re doing right now, in terms of getting better as football players.”
Notes
• Ohio State junior quarterback Justin Fields began a petition on Twitter this past weekend entitled #WeWantToPlay, with the campaign quickly gaining traction with both players and parents alike around the entire conference.
Eubanks said he signed the petition.
“I think signing that petition could spark something, but I honestly don’t know," he admitted. "I’m curious myself as to whether or not it can be reversed. It could cause their minds to think these kids want to follow proper procedures.
"Anything can happen and we’ll see where it goes.”
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