The 12 Most Important Wolverine Players for 2014

LB Jake Ryan

1. LB Jake Ryan (Sr), 6'3" 225 lbs: The heart and soul of what should be a very good defense, Ryan will set the tone with his rare ability to penetrate and pursue with reckless abandon and a total disregard for his self. The fifth-year senior is the ultimate Michigan man and a great example of the type of player Hoke and company want in their program. He is as smart and coach-able as any other player in the conference and should have no problem moving to the middle from the strong-side. There should be no residual effects of a the knee surgery he had nearly 17 months ago either. Anything short of an all-conference performance in his last season would be disappointing.

2. QB Devin Gardner (Sr), 6'4" 210 lbs: If things are to go well on offense this year the Wolverines will need consistent play from Gardner, no matter what position he ends up playing. He is one of the top athletes on the team with plenty of experience now on his resume, so now is the time to lay it all on the line and become an All Big-Ten performer, like the one I believe he can be. However, sophomore Shane Morris is hot on his heels, and if the young gun-slinger looks impressive early in camp the coaches might think it's in the best interest of the team to start getting him in the game. Though, Gardner will play an important role either way.

3. WR Devin Funchess (Jr), 6'5" 230 lbs: Funchess' star has risen fast. He is being widely considered as an All-American candidate and possible first round pick in next April's NFL draft. All eyes will be on him this fall. Will he become the go-to guy that any QB could rely upon, capable of snatching any ball that comes within his vicinity and putting six on the board? Wolverine Nation can only hope at this point.

DE Frank Clark

4. DE Frank Clark (Sr), 6'2" 270 lbs: The team needs a big season from Clark and everybody knows it. Whether or not he is going to deliver is seemingly up to him as he has shown the ability to play with anybody. He doesn't need to put up huge numbers throughout the season. He just needs to be consistently active and make offenses account for him on every single play. Quite frankly, he should not be losing any individual battles against opposing tackles in the Big Ten. So far this year he has shown all the characteristics of a great leader and by all accounts appears primed for a big campaign.

5. OL Kyle Kalis (So), 6'5" 305 lbs:, and Erik Magnusson (So), 6'6" 295 lbs I could've called on the entire O-line here, but I picked Kalis for a couple of reasons. 1) Because he is one of the most highly-touted recruits thus far in the Hoke era, and 2) If he doesn't step up and secure the right guard position we will be in serious trouble, again. I had to include Mags here as well since a lot is expected of him as a starter even after missing all of spring due to shoulder surgery. Having these two guys come into fall camp in shape and ready to take over their respective roles along the line will go a long way in deciding what type of season the Wolverines are destined to have this year, particularly in the running game.

6. DT  Ondre Pipkins (Jr), 6'3" 313 lbs: There is a lot riding on Pipkens as the starting nose tackle, despite the fact that he too missed half of last season and the entire spring while recovering from knee surgery. The team is young in the middle of the D-line and the scheme relies upon a big, strong presence at the nose. Pipkens, who also had offers from Alabama, Florida, Ohio State, and USC as a recruit in 2012, was brought in to some day be that type of player. Now in his third year at Michigan, it is time to step up and deliver. At the very least he needs to help keep blockers off the wealth of talent at linebacker.

CB Blake Countess

7. CB Blake Countess (Jr), 5'10" 185 lbs: A starter since his freshman year, Countess has twice led the team in INT's. Last year he did it even after recovering from a knee injury that completely derailed his 2012 season. The secondary should be one of the Big Ten's best this year with Countess leading the way in the fabled #2 jersey.

8. RB's Derrick Green (So), 5'11" 225 lbs, and De'Veon Smith (So), 5'11" 225 lbs: The early scoop going in to camp is that Smith has a slight edge over Green for the starting job. Either way, the team is hoping both of these guys can contribute loads of carries and pound opposing defenses into submission throughout the season.

9. LB Desmond Morgan (Sr), 6'1" 230 lbs: No other player on the roster has started as many games as Morgan, who has been making tons of tackles in Ann Arbor since Hoke's first year as HC. He will team with Ryan to form a duo of seasoned veterans to help lead the defense. Morgan's efforts will probably go mostly unnoticed in the eyes of voters for post-season conference awards. It's up to us fans to help him get recognized if he puts together another solid effort on the field this fall.

10. DE Taco Charlton (So), 6'6" 275 lbs: Naturally a weak-side end that will probably see time on both sides, Charlton could supplant senior Brennan Beyer opposite of Clark in the starting lineup. Either way, the team has a guy in their rotation that is the tallest and most athletic player they have had up front in a very long time. The little game action he received as a true freshman last year didn't provide so much as a glimpse of what we are about to see from this kid. If he shows up this season like I think he will, and keeps improving throughout the year, he could be high on NFL radars a year from now.

11. FS Jarrod Wilson (Jr), 6'2" 202 lbs: Wilson is in his third year in Mattison's defense and knows what is needed of him after getting a handful of starts over the last two seasons. He should be a team leader and a lot of balls will get funneled his way as opposing teams look to avoid the likes of Countess, Ray Taylor, Jourdan Lewis, and Jabrill Peppers on the outside (let's not forget Channing Stribling too!). In other words, he will get plenty of opportunities early on to prove that he is up to the challenge.

DT Willie Henry

12. DT Willie Henry (So), 6'2" 300 lbs: Henry played okay last year mostly as a reserve freshman, but was one of the more active defenders against Ohio State and Kansas State. He then followed it up with a fantastic spring.  The team desperately needs a pair of quality starting tackles and Henry, along with Pipkens, seems to have all the qualities that the coaches want there.

Just Missed the Cut:

RB Justice Hayes (Jr), 5'10" 190 lbs: Hayes seems to be the forgotten man in the minds of the mainstream media when it comes to scouting the Wolverine depth chart. Let's not forget that it was Hayes that started the bowl game and then had the best performance of the backs in the spring game. The coaches would like to find ways to get him more involved in the game plan.

CB Jabrill Peppers (Fr), 6'1" 200+ lbs: I Believe in the one they call "Breezy"! Honestly, I hate to put a young freshman on the spot like this, but let's face it: Peppers is the most highly anticipated recruit in Michigan history. If he doesn't show up and be the player/leader/mega-athlete that he appears to be then millions (yes, millions) of people are going to be disappointed. However, if he does show up watch out because it could be very entertaining for us fans. I see him being the nickel defender and he could be on the field for as much as 60% of the plays on defense while getting his hands on the ball returning punts.

LB James "Big" Ross III

LB James Ross III (Jr), 6'1" 220 lbs: Ross is strong, athletic, intelligent, and experienced. He should adjust well on the strong-side. I expect to see the coaches blitz him every now and then to utilize his speed more, but he should be solid in coverage too.  "Big" knows that he has to perform well as there are plenty of young guys ready to step in and take game minutes from him.

DL Chris Wormley (So), 6'4" 292 lbs: If the defense is going to carry the Wolverines this year the D-line will need to have some guys step up, ASAP! Wormley is high on my list of candidates that are primed for a big year. He might not put up the flashiest numbers, but I believe he has the body and ability to do some dirty work while holding the line up front. He has the versatility to play end or tackle and is now entering 2014 with some quality experience under his belt. He had four solo tackles and a sack in a losing effort against Penn State last year if that tells you anything about his ability. I expect to see some more of that in some winning efforts this year.


Fast Risers:

LB Ben Gedeon

LB's Joe Bolden (Jr), 6'3" 225 lbs, and Ben Gedeon (So), 6'3" 236 lbs: I would put these guys higher up on the list if the linebacker position wasn't so deep. Neither one is a starter yet, but both of their names have been mentioned a lot since spring. They will get a lot of reps in the two deep rotation for sure. These guys are just too good to be sitting on the sidelines all afternoon come game-day.

CB Jourdan Lewis (So), 5'10" 176 lbs: Lewis is on a lot of people's lists to have a break-out season after the spring that he had. I don't see him as a starter yet, but like Peppers, Bolden, and Gedeon, the coaches know they need to get him on the field. He's just too good to not utilize at this point. I am sure he will get plenty of opportunity to prove himself a lot in nickel and dime sub-packages.

OT Mason Cole (Fr), 6'5" 290 lbs: The coaching staff is looking for somebody to make some noise up front and I think the true freshman will be up to the challenge. He is a natural-looking left tackle prospect and impressed the hell out of everybody as an early enrollee this past spring. He even saw some reps with the starting unit. With a lot of hard work this summer he could be our best candidate for the job of protecting Gardner's backside.

WR Freddy Canteen

WR Freddy Canteen (Fr), 6'1" 175 lbs: Some think the true freshman is "too light" to compete full-time as a starter. I say that is bullshit as a lot of great college receivers weren't very big, including Heisman-winning Michigan Man Desmond Howard (5'10" 170 lbs in his day). Sometimes a kid just has the natural ability to play the position instead of just being a good athlete that needs to develop the trade over time. I believe Canteen just has "it". At any rate, it appears we will see soon enough if he is truly a candidate to win the job.