tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9486866731325346702024-02-20T18:12:58.760-08:00Crazy 4 Maize and Blue As a lifelong Wolverines' fan, I always can't wait 'til next year.Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.comBlogger126125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948686673132534670.post-31991546392812229482021-05-29T06:18:00.000-07:002021-05-29T06:18:32.846-07:00Projecting the New Look Defense<p><b>Base Defense: </b>+/- 40% of defensive plays will be run out of some sort of "50" or 3-4-type of formation with a few different subs in play at a couple positions, particularly along the front line. A lot of guys will get the chance to rotate in so I included all the guys that I think can contribute in some fashion this season. The positions where only one guy is listed means that they will rarely, if ever, leave the field. They should be team leaders who won't be really challenged for their jobs at the top and they look like future NFL draft picks.</p><p><b>Edge: Aiden Hutchinson </b>- A potential <i>First Team All-Big Ten</i> player and a first round draft pick next spring. He should flourish in the new system.</p><p><b>DL: Christopher Hinton</b> - Could this former <i>5-Star</i> recruit finally have a breakout year under the new defensive coaching staff? </p><p><b>NT: Mazi Smith/Jordan Whittley </b>- Loads of potential between Smith and Whittley but both also have a lot to prove. </p><p><b>DL: Donovan Jeter/Julius Welschof</b> - Jeter has size to play nose tackle and Welschof has the athleticism to be an edge player. They could help form a decent rotation on the line.</p><p><b>Edge: Taylor Upshaw/David Ojabo/Mike Morris</b> - One of the most competitive spots on the team right now with three or four guys vying for the chance to start opposite Hutch.</p><p><b>Mike: Josh Ross/Kalel Mullings</b> - Ross will be a leader but it could be hard to keep Mullings on the bench for much longer.</p><p><b>Will: Michael Barrett/Nikhai Hill-Green/Anthony Solomon</b> - Barrett is a returning starter that could be a senior leader, but there are at least a couple other guys that look ready to play too.</p><p><b>Safety: Brad Hawkins/R.J. Moten</b> - Hawkins could be a late round draft pick next spring but Moten looks like he has the athleticism to be an even higher pick some day.</p><p><b>Safety: Dax Hill</b> - <i>First Team All-Big Ten</i> and definite NFL material.</p><p><b>Corner: Gemon Green</b> - Improved every week of the season in 2020 and has become the team's top cover guy. He could end up being a mid-round draft pick or higher if he keeps on that trajectory. </p><p><b>Corner: Vincent Gray/D.J. Turner II</b> - Gray has a lot of nice qualities but he will be challenged a lot in camp.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Nickel Defense: </b>The new defense will utilize more sub-packages, particularly the nickel defense. In fact, I am willing to bet that an extra defensive back in the lineup is something we see more than 50% of the time in 2021. The new coaches will look to scheme against spread teams and utilize a lot of emerging talent in the secondary, particularly at safety. We could see Moten a lot on the back end with Hill lining up in the nickel to utilize his coverage skills, though Turner II should see a lot of action as well. The front in this package will resemble more of a traditional four-man front and the edge rushers will even get their hands in the dirt sometimes. We might even see guys like Hutchinson or Morris slide inside to get more pass-rushers on the field in obvious passing situations. Of course, we will also see them drop into coverage in hopes of catching any opposing passers off guard. </p><p><b>Edge: Hutch</b></p><p><b>DL: Hinton</b></p><p><b>DL: Welschof/Jeter/Smith/Whittley</b></p><p><b>Edge: Upshaw/Ojabo/Morris/Colson</b></p><p><b>Mike: Ross/Mullings</b></p><p><b>Will: Barrett/Hill-Green/Solomon</b></p><p><b>Nickel: Turner II/R.J. Moten</b></p><p><b>Safety: Hawkins</b></p><p><b>Safety: Hill</b></p><p><b>Corner: Green</b></p><p><b>Corner: Gray</b></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Dime Defense:</b> >10% of defensive snaps will involve six defensive players that specialize in pass coverage. </p><p><b>Edge: Hutch</b></p><p><b>DT: Hinton/Whittley/Smith/Morris</b></p><p><b>Edge: Upshaw/Ojabo/Colson</b></p><p><b>Mike: Ross/Mullings</b></p><p><b>Will: Barrett/Hill-Green/Solomon</b></p><p><b>Nickel: Turner II</b></p><p><b>Dime: Moten</b></p><p><b>Safety: Hawkins</b></p><p><b>Safety: Hill</b></p><p><b>Corner: Green</b></p><p><b>Corner: Gray</b></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Short Yardage and Goalline: </b>Will only be used a few times a game when everybody is scrapping over a couple inches of field, particularly inside the ten yard line. This formation has the potential for a lot of beef up front with over 1,300 lbs of defensive linemen in the interior of the line. Good luck trying to drive through all that! The other thing I really like about this lineup is the versatility on the back end. While Green should be the number one cover guy, Hill has the ability to switch between safety or corner very easily, making this formation capable of stuffing all the running lanes and locking down wideouts with man coverage. Hawkins might not be the fastest guy but he is the best tackler back there. He still can mix it up a little bit in coverage, especially in a more confined area like the red zone, and he has experience as a nickel to cover inside receivers.</p><p><b>Edge: Hutch</b></p><p><b>DL: Hinton</b></p><p><b>DL: Smith</b></p><p><b>DL: Whitley</b></p><p><b>DL: Jeter</b></p><p><b>Edge: Upshaw/Ojabo/Morris</b></p><p><b>Mike: Ross/Mullings</b></p><p><b>Will: Barrett/Hill-Green/Solomon/Colson</b></p><p><b>Corner: Green</b></p><p><b>Safety: Hawkins</b></p><p><b>Safety: Hill</b></p>Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948686673132534670.post-34287453074214078792021-05-18T09:13:00.004-07:002021-05-18T10:56:04.043-07:00Leaders and Best, 2021 Addition<div style="text-align: left;"><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">2021 Roster Rankings:</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Leaders...</span></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>1. DE <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Aiden Hutchinson</span> </b>(Sr, 6'5"/270lbs) - The defense completely fell apart once Hutchinson and Paye missed time with injury. There literally was no pass-rush for a three-game stretch after the team posted five against an experienced Minnesota line on the road. With a healthy Hutch coming back for his senior year before going off to the NFL, where he is projected to be a high draft pick, the team has a real veteran cornerstone to help build the defense around this spring. He has played against Ohio State. He has played against 'Bama. He has gotten his game to a high level. Can he help others around him achieve greatness? It's a lot to ask, but it's what leaders do. If he wants to truly be a Michigan great, then he needs to elevate those other players around him. </div><div><b>2. WR <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Ronnie Bell</span> </b>(Sr, 6'0"/190lbs) - Yes, Bell only has one TD in the last two years, but he has led the team in receptions the entire time. Even with all that other talent that was there a year or two ago, he was still the top target on a down-to-down basis. Not Nico Collins. Not DPJ. Not Tarik Black or Giles Jackson. It was Ronnie Bell. He averaged over 15 yards per catch during the six games the team played in 2020 and he will be primed to be a leader in what will probably be his final season on campus. I am expecting 50+ catches and 800+ yards out of him. At least a half dozen touchdowns is expected too. We might even see him return more punts or kicks, but the team has a lot of younger talent that could man those positions.</div><div><b>3</b><b>. RB <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Hassan Haskins</span> </b>(Sr, 6'1"/220lbs) - Haskins has emerged as the team's top performer in a talented running back room over the last two seasons. He just has a knack for knocking off large chunks of real estate, and he can do it in a variety of ways. He showed the most promise in 2019 and averaged over six yards per carry in 2020. He should be ready to help carry the load as a senior in 2021. As a fan I hope to see him getting the ball 15 times per game, both as a runner and a receiver. Yes, there will be a rotation in the backfield but I get the feeling it will be a lot different with new coach, and former Michigan great, Mike Hart leading the position group. Unless he just simply gets out-shined by the younger, more athletic guys behind him, Haskins could be the next 1,000 yard rusher in AA and a mid to late round draft pick next spring. </div><div><b>4. S <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Dax Hill </span></b>(Jr, 6'0"/192lbs) - One could argue that nobody was more disappointing as a play-maker than Hill was in 2020. Many fans, as well as the media, had very high expectations for him coming into the season. I would argue, however, that we got exactly what we should've expected considering he had yet to have any kind of offseason to develop as a player at Michigan. It really isn't fair to the kid to put that kind of pressure on him under those kinds of circumstances. It was kinda unprecedented. He also got injured in week one, which slowed him down for a few games before he started to find his groove a little more in the final three. Anyway, now that the team has somewhat returned to normal and he is entering his third season, we <i>should</i> expect a lot more growth from him. The word out of spring is that it was blatantly obvious that he was one of the best players on the field. I need to personally see more myself before I give him a bigger boost in these rankings, but he has risen a lot in recent months already. He should top this list next year if he isn't gone to the NFL already.</div><div><b>5. OL <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Andrew Stueber</span> </b>(5th, 6'6"/339lbs) - Believe it or not, when Steuber moved out to right tackle due to injuries, he actually performed better in pass protection than Jalen Mayfield - the top graded lineman by <i>Pro Football Focus</i> in the first two weeks of the 2020 season. He also was awarded an<i> Honorable Mention</i> by the Big Ten. Hopefully the fifth-year senior can have a healthy year ahead of him and raise his draft stock a bit, because the guy has loads of potential, literally. He isn't really one of the most athletic players on the line, but look for him to be a team leader and an anchor on the right side. He could move inside to guard again if he's needed there, but I believe he and Zak Zinter will combine for a brutal run-blocking combo on the right side. And if he's hungry enough, Stueber could help lead this line to <i>B1G</i> things in 2021. </div><div><b>6. </b><b>QB <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Cade McNamara</span> </b>(Jr, 6'1"/205lbs) - I've been all in on McNamara since last winter and I really liked what I saw from him in 2020. He appeared in four games, making one start. He only really played about six quarters worth of game time, but he threw for five touchdowns, ran for one more, and did not throw a single INT in any of the minutes he played. He was the savior during the Rutgers game having entered it with the team down by three scores already. His presence also immediately made a difference against the Badgers the week before too, though that was a little too late in the contest. He started out well against the Nittany Lions too, but he was never the same after suffering a shoulder injury early in the second quarter. He should be taking starter reps right away in fall camp after an MVP performance this spring, though freshman J.J. McCarthy will still be nipping at his heels. Harbaugh has to be happy with his QB situation right now. And anybody that disagrees can fight me. </div><div><b>7. </b><b>LB <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Josh Ross</span> </b>(5th, 6'2"/230lbs) - Ross has had a hard time catching a break the last two years. After emerging as a starter in 2018 he missed almost all of 2019 with a leg injury. Then the pandemic derailed the 2020 season in which the entire defense under-performed anyway. Now he returns as one of the top veteran players on a new defense that is in need of the type of leadership that he can provide. While he is not in the 'elite athlete' category, he is good enough to do just about everything from the middle of the field. Against Florida in the <i>2018 Peach Bowl</i> he was the best player on the field for the Wolverines that day, so he has proven that he is capable of handling his duties at a high level. And with a big season he is hoping to raise his name into the second day conversation of next year's NFL draft. I really want to believe that he is capable of doing just that.</div><div><b>8. </b><b>S <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Brad Hawkins</span> </b>(5th, 6'1"/215lbs) - Hawkins doesn't get a lot of attention but he led the team in tackles for the first few weeks of the season before suffering an injury against Rutgers. He also had a tackle for a loss and two passes defended on the shortened year. One could argue that nobody on the team was working harder on defense right up until the point he got injured in week four. I would at least argue that he should be a veteran leader on the defense in 2021. He isn't the most physically-gifted and he will get beat occasionally in coverage, but he has experience and is a willing and able tackler - both great characteristics for a strong safety. He might get picked on a little as teams could start actively trying to avoid some of the other defenders on the field, but he is tough enough and smart enough to handle his own and help the younger guys get acclimated to the college game. He should also get some consideration from nearly every NFL team in next year's draft. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">...and Best</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>9. </b><b>WR <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Cornelius Johnson</span></b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span>(Jr, 6'3"/205lbs) - This might seem like a stretch for a lot of folks, but Johnson is my top non-quarterback <i><b>breakout candidate </b></i>on offense. He flashed some great potential in 2020 and ended up as the second-leading receiver on the team with over 250 yards (in six games). We are going to see an increased role from him this year, and 50+ catches for over 800 yards is the goal, though he could get more. I think he could become the best receiver on the team this year, and possibly the best receiver Harbaugh and company have had in Ann Arbor up 'til now. He is sneaky quick, runs good routes, and has the necessary size and hands to make the tough grabs with defenders covering him. Could he be a surprise draft entry next winter too? I believe he very well could be if things go like I think they will for him. </div><div><b>10. </b><b>OG <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Zak Zinter</span></b> (So, 6'6"/335lbs) - Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis referred to Zinter as their best lineman this spring after he got some starts as a freshman last year. The kid could be the best candidate to be the next great Michigan lineman. As stated earlier, he and Stueber could form a punishing run-blocking duo on the right side of the line, which is probably the most underrated position group on the team heading into the summer. I expect <i>B1G</i> things from them. Zinter could probably play any of the five positions on the line if needed.</div><div><b>11. DT <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Christopher Hinton</span> </b>(Jr, 6'4"/305lbs) - One of the top recruits to come to Ann Arbor in the last several years. Has nice size and the athleticism to play tackle or end, and he might just be strong enough to play the nose as well. He will be a starter and he should be on everybody's radar as a player with the potential to have a breakout year after showing some promise the last two. The team sure could use a big year from somebody on the interior of the D-line. There simply hasn't been any kind of dominance there since Mo' Hurst Jr. graduated. Coincidentally, Hurst didn't get noticed until after his fourth year and came back for a fifth. Hinton is just now entering his third and has already garnered a little attention from pro scouts, believe it or not. </div><div><b>12. </b><b>TE <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Erick All </span></b>(Jr, 6'4"/230lbs) - All is one of my other top players to have a breakout season on offense. He showed lots of promise in his first two years and should benefit immensely from having spring practices, finally. Having a quarterback that can get him the ball in a timely fashion will help reduce drops. Honestly, I just felt like All had to work too hard for balls after Milton would fail to hit the open window, causing some drops. All arguably played his best ball of 2020 when McNamara was at the helm, so I have high hopes the relationship will continue to grow and that All will develop into a real play-maker. </div><div><b>13. </b><b>OT<span style="color: #2b00fe;"> Ryan Hayes</span> </b>(Sr, 6'7"/300lbs) - Hayes is not unlike a lot of classic Michigan tackles. He is tall and relatively athletic for a guy that weighs over 300lbs. He played tight end in high school and has been firmly entrenched in the two-deep for over two years now. He has started more than a few games already too, so he should be ready to step in as a full-time starter and help lead the O-line into the future. He just needs to stay healthy. </div><div><b>14. CB <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Gemon Green</span> </b>(Sr, 6'2"/180lbs) - Green took a lot of punishment, particularly in week two against the Spartans. He legitimately got picked on, especially after he got flagged for PI a couple of times early on in the season. However, after he got beat up a bit he started to fight back and improve, ending the year on some definite positives. Overall, he only allowed catches on 39% of balls coming his way, which is very good. He also led the team with nine pass-breakups. He played his best game against Penn State's best receiver in week six. He was one of the few guys on defense trending up when the program pulled the plug on the 2020 season. </div><div><b>15. </b><b>W</b><b>R/PR <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Mike Saintristil</span> </b>(Jr, 5'10"/185lbs) - Was reportedly beating out Giles Jackson for slot duties. Has flashed a lot of promise in practice during his first two years on campus with superb route-running and a knack for finding open spaces. He finally came out of the shadows a little bit more when McNamara came into the game against Wisconsin. Watch for this pair of third year players to hook up a lot on third downs this year. </div><div><b>16. </b><b>WR <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Roman Wilson</span></b> (So, 6'0"/180lbs) - The biggest surprise on offense in 2020, Wilson had seven catches in the first two weeks against Minnesota and MSU. He then caught a TD in week three before fading out a little in the stat department. He seemed to do well in terms of blocking on the perimeter too, so there is a lot of hope that he develops into a big-time player very soon. He should be the top wideout in the mix behind Johnson and Bell, and he could get some work in the slot too. </div><div><b>17. LB <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Michael Barrett</span> </b>(Sr, 6'0"/227lbs) - A former high school quarterback who showed real promise as a starter on defense in 2020. He will move inside to play next to Ross in the new scheme. They both could provide some real leadership and stability in the middle of the defense this season. Watch for Barrett to be all over the place in 2021, as in both defense and special teams. He should be among the top tacklers on the team. He could also be a surprise draft entry if the defense performs well enough. However, there haven been some grumblings about one of the younger guys beating him out for a starting inside position, so his situation might be more up in the air than I realized.</div><div><b>18. RB <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Blake Corum</span></b> (So, 5'8"/200lbs) - Was a bit of a surprise as a freshman last season and we should be seeing more of him in the future. His strength, quickness, and low center of gravity make him hard to take down. He and Haskins could form a nice "work-horse" duo behind that massive offensive line. I am guessing that he will be near the top of this list next year. </div><div><b>19. </b><b>CB<span style="color: #2b00fe;"> Vincent Gray</span> </b>(Sr, 6'2"/190lbs) - Say what you want about the secondary and all the troubles they had early on in the season. The truth is that when all things are considered it wasn't as bad as it appeared on the surface. Most people had stopped watching them play by the time they started to actually improve as a unit. Yes, Gray and Green both made some mental errors and racked up some penalty yards, but they did improve throughout the process and we began hearing Gray's name less and less as the season went on (a good thing). Another thing to note is that Michigan's pass defense went from dead last in the conference after two weeks of play (on top of leading the conference in penalty yards) to 5th place by week six. That is a good sign and I will take it as a bigger sign of things to come, especially for a secondary starting three new guys total and no spring to get them ready for a guy like Rashod Bateman, Michigan State, or Indiana. And since I have given every other excuse in the book for Gray, I should also mention the lack of pass rush after both Paye and Hutch went out with injuries. Improving up front will definitely help the guys in the back.</div><div><b>20. </b><b> OG <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Trevor Keegan</span> </b>(Jr, 6'6"/330lbs) - Took over the starting job at left guard during the Rutgers game and seemed to run away with it, IMO. He should be the full-time starter going forward, but there is actually a lot of competition for the job so it remains to be seen yet who plays. He brings a lot of size and talent to the table. He and Zinter could form a monster guard duo on the interior of the line to provide more push up front.</div><div><b>21.</b> <b>C <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Andrew Vastardis</span> </b>(Grad, 6'3/296lbs) - It is really hard to say how things will pan out for Vastardis this season. I is by all means capable of doing a decent job as long as the guys next to him hold up there ends of the bargain too. He is not naturally gifted but he knows how to work and could be a good leader. </div><div><b>22</b><b>. DE <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Taylor Upshaw</span> </b>(Sr, 6'4"/256lbs) - Listed himself as one of the best pass-rushers on the team. Outside of Aiden Hutchinson, he might have a good argument, but that's really not saying much if we are going on last season's results. Anyway, will the new scheme suit him better? I'd like to think so. He played a lot of end in a two-point stance in high school so this might be a good transition for him.</div><div><b>23. DT <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Donovan Jeter </span></b>(5th, 6'3"/318lbs) - Might have just enough size and athleticism to fit right into the new scheme. He will probably be one of the three line starters up front whenever there is a 3-4 formation. He has experience and actually produced one of the biggest plays of the season on defense last year. Can he take his game up a notch? </div><div><b>24. CB <span style="color: #2b00fe;">D.J. Turner II</span> </b>(Jr, 6'0"/182lbs) - The word out of spring is that he was working with the ones quite a bit. Appears to be a solid corner prospect that plays a tough game. He doesn't just rely on speed to try to win match-ups, but has rather worked on technique to gain an edge. We should see him on the field a lot this fall as the new coaches employ more sub packages. </div><div></div><div><b>25. S <span style="color: #2b00fe;">R.J. Moten</span> </b>(So, 6'0"/213lbs) - Has apparently made some moves this spring and is close to being a starter as well. We did hear his name mentioned a little last year too, so perhaps the hype was real. Expect to see his name get called this fall. It's hard not to notice his size/speed ratio. Could pair with Hill to give the team its most athletic duo at safety in ages. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Kicking Specialists: </b></span></div><div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>P <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Brad Robbins</span> </b>(5th) -<b> </b>The top punter in the Big Ten from 2020 (in terms of yards per punt) returns for one more season. He was an <i>All-Conference Honorable Mention</i> as a freshman in 2017 but suffered through some injury issues while giving way to Will Hart a little bit. Hart is gone now so all the duties will fall on Robbins, who is ultimately the better punter of the two anyway. Could he be good enough to get drafted? Probably not, but he should be on an NFL roster some day in the near future. </div><div><b>K </b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-weight: bold;">Jake Moody</span> (Sr) - Never hurts to have an experienced kicker. Moody isn't the most powerful kid but he presents a solid option from anywhere in the red zone if the offense just can't quite punch it in for a touchdown. You just can't expect him to hit a 55-yarder at any point so the coaches might have to find another option for those long shots. </div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Their Future Looks Bright: Younger Players Rising Up the Depth Chart:</span></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><br /></div></div><div></div><div><b><span>OL</span><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> Karsen Barnhart</span> </b>(Jr, 6'4"/300lbs) - A versatile young player who has experience at left guard and both tackle spots. He even started a couple games at left tackle after Hayes went down with injury and the O-line looked fine with him there. He should be a starter somewhere, but the problem is there are too many quality guys vying for jobs. If any of the guys at guard or tackle go down he will probably be first guy to go in off the bench. He is part of the reason Willie Allen isn't sticking around, as there was very little chance the transfer product would get any playing time.</div><div><b>WR/KR <span style="color: #2b00fe;">A.J. Henning</span></b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span>(Jr, 5'10"/185lbs) - Was the top recruit on Michigan's board for the 2020 recruiting class. He did get some playing time as a frosh but he didn't make much of an impact. I am told that he has made big strides this spring. The team could definitely use his speed and run-after-the-catch ability to emerge and give the offense another layer. He could be the top kick returner too now that Jackson is gone. In fact, there have been some whispers about his emergence being part of the reason Jackson is now transferring. </div><div><b>S <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Makari Paige</span></b> (So, 6'3"/195lbs) - Was a bit of a surprise as a true freshman even though it was a bit of a trial by fire. If he improves and gains real confidence in his game then and Moten will be providing some real good depth at the safety position. </div><div><div><b>Edge <span style="color: #2b00fe;">David Ojabo</span></b> (Jr, 6'5"/250lbs) - I get the feeling that this kid is going to fit right into the new scheme and he could be a real threat to start opposite Hutchinson at the other edge position. The former soccer player from Scotland has the necessary size and speed to excel. If he doesn't get some starts this year I will be surprised. </div><div><b>DL/Edge <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Mike Morris</span></b> (Jr, 6'6"/276lbs) - I don't really know where he will end up playing but there have been rumors coming out of spring practice that he has made some gains and should be competing this fall for the starting edge spot opposite Hutchinson. </div><div><b>LB <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Anthony Solomon</span></b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span>(Jr, 6'1"/212lbs) - Looks more like a safety and can fly around the field. The rumblings from spring suggest he is one of the top backups on defense.</div><div><b>LB <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Nikhai Hill-Green </span></b>(So, 6'1"/225lbs) - Has apparently won the coaches over this spring and solidified a spot in the two-deep. Should compete for a starting spot in another year though he doesn't appear to be quite as athletic as some of the other guys listed here.</div><div><b>LB <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kalel Mullings</span></b> (So, 6'1"/233lbs) - A fine athlete who played running back, receiver, and linebacker in high school. He also returned kicks. He should get some reps this season with hopes that he develops into a star in the near future. </div><div><b>OT <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Trente Jones</span> </b>(Jr, 6'4"/305lbs) - The word is that he is close to being in that starting lineup. It's just that the guys in front of him are established veterans. He, Barnhart, and Allen could give the Wolverines a lot of real good depth on the line. </div><div><b>DT <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Mazi Smith</span></b> (Jr, 6'3"/305lbs) - Might be just the perfect fit at the nose if he can finally get comfortable with the college game. Got some experience in 2020 and could turn the corner any time now. </div><div><b>DL <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Julius Welschof </span></b>(Sr, 6'6"/286lbs) - Should be in the two-deep rotation on the line after getting his feet wet last season. It's a long road from a little football club in Miesbach, Germany to the FBS. </div><div><b>TE<span style="color: #2b00fe;"> Luke Schoonmaker</span> </b>(Sr, 6'5"/252lbs) - The former quarterback has all the traits of a solid college tight end. He has even flashed it on the field. This will be the year we see how far his development has come. </div><div><b>CB <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Andre Seldon</span></b> (So, 5'8"/175lbs) - The smallest of the defensive backs vying for a spot near the top of the depth chart. He looks like a future nickel corner. </div><div><b>CB <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Jalen Perry</span></b> (So, 6'0"/190lbs) - Got a little work as a freshman when some injuries piled up. Didn't work his way up the depth chart in spring but could be a future starter. </div><div><b>Edge <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Braiden McGregor</span></b> (So, 6'5"/260lbs) - Was a Top 100 prospect in 2020. I believe he will be a top backup on the edge and a starter there in the years to come. It sounds like he had a decent spring after spending 2020 recovering from knee surgery. Will the new defense suit his abilities?</div></div><div><b>OG<span style="color: #2b00fe;"> Nolan Rumler</span></b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span>(Jr, 6'3"/330lbs) - A big, strong Ohio kid that is currently playing second fiddle at guard. Hasn't lived up to expectations as a highly rated prospect yet but still has a couple years left to finally earn playing time. It sounds like he made some strides during spring practices and he could be on the verge of starting somewhere.</div><div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Reserves:</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Edge <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Gabe Newburg</span> </b>(Jr, 6'5"/265lbs) - Should be a top backup somewhere on the edge. Might not crack the two-deep with all the depth available at the position, but we should start to see him more in game situations throughout the year as the new defensive coaches search for answers along the way.</div><div><b>DT <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Jess Speight</span> </b>(5th, 6'5"/290lbs) - This former walk-on is not an exceptional athlete or anything. He has been a nice stop-gap player when needed though. He could get pushed out of the two-deep by some younger talent but his presence in the room is a positive as long as he doesn't <i>need</i> to be a starter out of sheer desperation. </div><div><b>OG <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Chuck Filiaga</span></b> (5th, 6'6"/335lbs) - Has all the traits a coach would look for a in a line prospect but has failed miserably when given a chance as a starter. Lost his job in week four last season and it doesn't look like he will retain it. Could be a decent backup with experience though as he hasn't yet entered the transfer portal, but I am betting that we won't really see him on the field again as he gets passed up on the depth chart. </div><div><b>DB<span style="color: #2b00fe;"> Sammy Faustin</span></b> (Sr, 6'2"/200lbs) - Has bounced between corner and safety and wasn't able to secure a job in spring. Could get some work on special teams in 2021 but looks like a career backup in the secondary. My bet is that he transfers after he graduates next year. </div><div><b>Edge <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Jaylen Harrell</span></b> (So, 6'4"/235lbs) - Looks like a great candidate to contribute as an edge linebacker in a 3-4 some day. Is still young and learning but we have heard his name mentioned a couple times this spring and with the sheer number of guys working over there right now it's a good omen for him. By this time next year he could be the best pass-rusher on the team.</div><div><b>S <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Jordan Morant</span></b> (So, 6'0"/210lbs) - Was one of the top-rated safeties from a year ago. Is still getting his feet wet in college but we should expect to see something from him in the next 12 months or so.</div><div><b>DT<span style="color: #2b00fe;"> Jack Stewart</span></b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span>(Jr, 6'4"/318lbs) - Was moved from the O-line over to the defense to help with depth. There hasn't been much news on his front but he looks like he could be a good gap-stopper at the nose tackle position.</div><div><b>CB <span style="color: #2b00fe;">George Johnson II</span></b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span>(Jr, 6'0"/193lbs) - Has been shuffled around the roster a bit and still hasn't emerged as a threat to take a job anywhere. Is a decent enough athlete that looks the part. He just hasn't quite risen to the challenge yet. </div><div><b>S <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Quentin Johnson</span> </b>(Jr, 5'11"/200lbs) - A very good athlete that hasn't yet quite grasped the college game enough to get ahead of anybody on the depth chart. With Paige and Moten climbing up into the two-deep Johnson might have to look for ways to contribute on special teams. </div><div><b>CB <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Darion Green-Warren</span></b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span>(So, 6'0"/180lbs) - Is a little buried on the depth chart at the moment but he should be primed to compete for a spot in the two-deep this fall after a spring of learning the ropes. He should be in the mix in the secondary next season though we should start to see him on special teams this fall. </div><div><b>TE <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Mathew Hibner</span></b> (So, 6'3"/233lbs) - Looks more like a fullback but is athletic enough to get downfield and run routes. Probably needs to keep working on the finer points of the position while getting up to speed in college so we probably won't see him much this fall. He could get passed up by a talented true freshman while he continues his development. He could switch over to defense to play the edge.</div><div><b>OT <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Jeffrey Persi</span> </b>(So, 6'7"/300lbs) - It's difficult for anybody to say where Persi's development is at right now but I'd wager that he is another year away from competing for any real work.</div><div><b>C <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Reece Attebery</span> </b>(So, 6'5"/285lbs) - Wasn't a very highly-touted recruit coming in and has already been passed on the depth chart by an early enrollee freshman this spring as he was nursing some sort of injury. Can he fight to earn the backup job if and when he comes back this fall?</div><div><b>CB/KR/WR <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Eamon Dennis</span> </b>(5'10"/180lbs) - Unfortunately for Dennis the only 'highlight' I've seen of him is when he got burned by a true freshman receiver and quarterback tandem in practice this past spring. He could become a decent special teams player and kick returner but I don't have high hopes for him ever being a starter or sub-package player. He could even move back over to wide receiver to help with depth there. </div><div><b>RB <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Gaige Garcia</span> </b>(5'10"/205lbs) - It's unclear whether Garcia is concentrating more on football or wrestling, despite the fact that he is on a football scholarship. Either way, I don't expect to see anything from him for a couple years. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Top Newcomers:</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>LB <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Junior Colson</span></b> - Is one of the top linebackers coming out in this cycle. With his athleticism there is a good chance that the former wide receiver earns some playing time before the season is over. I am sure the coaches would like him to redshirt though, so don't expect to see him in more than four games. The Wolverines were lucky to have him in for spring ball, and I'm willing to bet his presence has caused some other older players to consider transferring. </div><div><b>RB <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Donovan Edwards</span></b> - Possibly the best overall running back in the country coming out of high school. Has speed and toughness. Should get reps early and often. The word out of spring ball has been very positive. "Difference-maker" was a term that was thrown during the offseason. </div><div><b>QB<span style="color: #2b00fe;"> J.J. McCarthy</span></b> - One of the two or three best passing prospects in this cycle. He should quickly establish himself as the first guy behind Cade McNamara and could represent an immediate upgrade over Joe Milton or Dylan McCaffrey. </div><div><b>DT <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Rayshaun Benny</span></b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"> </span>- The biggest surprise splash for the Wolverines on <i>National Signing Day</i> is good enough to work himself into the two-deep as a freshman this fall.</div><div><b>TE <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Louis Hansen</span></b> - About as solid of a tight end prospect as one could ask for in any given recruiting cycle. He could come in and steal the top backup spot behind All.</div><div><b>C/G <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Greg Crippen</span></b> - Enrolled early and competed in spring. Has already moved past Attebury for the top backup job at center. Could he beat out Vastardis for the starting job this fall? It's possible even if the Maize and Brew crew don't agree with me.</div><div><b>QB <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Alan Bowman</span></b> - I don't actually expect Bowman to win the starting job over McNamara, and I don't really expect him to beat out McCarthy for the top backup slot either. I do think he adds a lot of ability to the depth chart though after the team lost two to the transfer portal in the last calendar year. </div><div><br /></div></div><div><b>Other Possibilities: </b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>DT Jordan Whitley</b> - The Oregon State grad transfer who is a surprisingly athletic 6'1"/350lb. He could easily come in and compete at the nose tackle position, thus solving one of the biggest depth issues on the team.</div></div>Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948686673132534670.post-21976386316174232372021-02-06T07:57:00.565-08:002021-04-19T16:23:01.487-07:00The Must-Get Prospects of 2022 - UPDATED By Position<p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>High Priorities: </u></span></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Defensive Secondary:</b> One of the most important position groups to focus on in this cycle. Michigan only signed two DB's last year, so there could be as many as six DB prospects taken in this round of recruiting. It's a good thing that there are a lot of quality prospects in play here and it's even better than some of them are already committed. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Will Johnson</span></b> <i>5-Star</i> (Gross Pointe, MI) Grade: 98 -<span style="color: #2b00fe;"> COMMITTED</span> The 2022 recruiting class is loaded with top-notch prospects at corner. Johnson is by all measures a top 15 overall recruit and being that he is an in-state legacy prospect, one couldn't find a bigger "must-get" player in any cycle. Wherever he goes he should immediately be competing for playing time and he has the raw skills to become a shutdown player at the next level. He is the number one player on Michigan's board, period. </li><li><b>Chace Biddle </b><i>4-Star</i> (Garland, TX) Grade: 86 - Is a big name out of Texas that is high on the Michigan board. He is definitely the best safety prospect on Michigan's radar and he is showing mutual interest. Let's hope it lasts. </li><li><b>Jaedon Gould</b><i> 4-Star</i> (Oradell, NJ) Grade: 84 - About as solid of a corner prospect as one could ask for in any cycle. Looks like a future contributor and comes with a nice frame at 6'2"/190lbs. Might end up at safety if he keeps growing but could be a very powerful corner with the ability to manhandle smaller receivers. </li><li><b>Myles Pollard</b> <i>3-Star</i> (Brentwood, TN) Grade: 80 - Is mostly underappreciated and undervalued by a lot of recruiting services. Don't take my word for it though, just look at the 38 offers he has currently. Tennessee, Auburn, Oklahoma, and Kentucky all appear to be high on his list too. Establishing a bit of a pipeline in SEC territory would be a huge bonus.</li><li><b>Sherrod Covil</b> (Chesapeake, VA) Grade: 80 - If Michigan could sign all five of these kids listed here they would, but they probably won't. If they could get Covil and any one of the other safeties listed here it would be a strong boost to the position. Getting three out of the four top prospects at the position would be a huge win once again at the position. </li></ul><div><br /></div><div><b>Defensive Line: </b>Might be the second highest priority for the coaching staff in this cycle despite the fact that they signed a big handful of quality prospects this past year. Depth is a concern though, and there are some very good prospects in play here, so they might as well load up while they can. </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Walter Nolan</b> <i>5-Star</i> (Corova, TN) Grade: 98 - Another elite recruit seriously considering the Wolverines as his college of choice, Nolan is only behind Johnson here because he's not an in-state prospect or a corner. Though tackle is not as big of a need it is still a big need and this kid would represent a huge win for the coaching staff. With Johnson already in the fold as a committed prospect nobody will get as much attention going forward. </li><li><b>Deone Walker</b> <i>4-Star </i>(Detroit, MI) Grade: 82 - It's fair to wager that no other prospect from the state of Michigan has seen their recruitment take off more since July of last year, when the Wolverines were the first team to offer him. Since then he has received 27 more offers, including some from SEC powerhouse like Florida, Georgia, and LSU. Penn State and Michigan State are firmly in the mix too, while Texas is the latest team to offer him as of this writing. </li><li><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Davonte Miles</span></b> <i>3-Star</i> (River Rouge, MI) Grade: 77 - <span style="color: #2b00fe;">COMMITTED</span> Another big-bodied in-state prospect at one of the biggest positions of need on the team. He is also already committed and Michigan might need to work hard for his services before this cycle is over. He has the framework to develop into a power five starter some day who might be able to add 40+ lbs to handle the nose tackle job on first and second downs in a 3-4 defense. As of now, he weighs in at about 6'5"/275lbs. His ceiling could be high and it would be great if Michigan could actually sustain a trend of getting all the best kids in Michigan to come to Ann Arbor. </li></ul><div><br /></div><div><b>Wide Receivers: </b>This position went from being a minor need to a moderate one after Xavier Worthy asked to be let out of his national letter of intent. Luckily for the staff, there are plenty of options here with one good one already committed. </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Kaleb Brown</b> <i>4-Star</i> (Chicago, IL) Grade: 86 - The highest rated receiver on Michigan's board is always a "must-get" recruit. There is definitely an argument for him being more of a need than Trent, but the roster in Ann Arbor is currently loaded with freshman and sophomore receivers that can flat-out fly. I just feel the team "needs" a 200lb+ outside pass-catcher just a little more than another sub 180-lb speedster. Barely. </li><li><b>Tyler Morris<i> </i></b><i>4-Star</i> (La Grange Park, IL) Grade: 85 - Is right up there with Brown on the team's board. Getting the two to commit would bring some more speed and play-making ability to the offense. Morris played with J.J. McCarthy two years ago so there is some familiarity there already. The team would then need to add more size to compliment. </li><li><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Tay'shawn Trent</span> </b><i>4-Star</i> (Detroit, MI) Grade: 81 -<span style="color: #2b00fe;"> COMMITTED</span> By all means this kid is still a developing player that could end up playing tight end or even linebacker some day. Either way, he has a high ceiling to go along with his 6'4/205lb frame. Sparty will be pushing hard for his services, as will a host of other schools. Beating them all out would be a huge pleasure for the coaching staff. He might not be rated as high as some other kids on this list, but he fills a need for a bigger-bodied receiving prospect with some versatility AND he's another in-state prospect. Michigan just has to do better recruiting its own state.</li><li><b>Darrius Clemons<i> </i></b><i>4-Star</i> (Portland, OR) Grade: 82 - A big (6'2"/200lbs), fast (4.3 forty!) kid that could help move the chains down the road. He also has almost three dozen offers so getting him on board would help make up for the loss of Xavier Worthy from last year's class. Penn State, USC, and Notre Dame are all heavily in the mix for his services. </li></ul></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><br /><b>Tight End: </b>Harbuagh and company have done a good job recruiting here over the last few years by nabbing at least one solid prospect in each of the last five cycles. There will be four scholarship players on the roster for this season. One of them is a senior while another could become a hot draft prospect with a breakout season. Either way, getting a decent boost in talent here would help balance the offense more as they have done a lot to get more speed on the field in recent recruiting cycles.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Oscar Delp</b> <i>4-Star</i> (Cumming, GA) Grade: 86 - Among the top two or three tight ends in the country. Signing both him and Klein, who is already committed, would be a boost to the receiving skills at the position for the Wolverines. Delp is the more complete package in terms of being a pure tight end prospect. His learning curve should not be too steep once he gets to the college game. In fact, he would be the highest rated tight end prospect that Harbaugh has signed to Michigan if it were to happen. </li><li><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Marlin Klein</span></b> <i>4-Star</i> (Rabun Gap, GA) Grade: 80 - <span style="color: #2b00fe;">COMMITTED</span> A Jake Butt or Zach Gentry-esque type of prospect with a tall frame to high-point balls downfield or provide the quarterback with a safe bail-out option. Probably needs a year or two but has a very high ceiling. The team needs at least one high-quality tight end in this cycle, and they will probably go after two. Klein is already committed though, so losing him between now and NSD would hurt a little bit. </li></ul><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><b>Athlete: </b>The team needs more athletes - guys that have all the measurables to play at the next level with the versatility to fill a couple of different roles. These are guys you probably need to develop for a year or two but they could pay huge dividends for the team in terms of trying to keep up with the more elite programs out there.</div><div><ul><li><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kody Jones</span> </b><i>4-Star</i> (Germantown, TN) Grade: 80 -<span style="color: #2b00fe;"> COMMITTED </span>The fact that there are so many higher-rated kids from Tennessee in play for Michigan here somewhat overshadows the commitment of Jones. He himself is a highly-coveted prospect that could play receiver, running back, or defensive back. I believe the coaches want him on defense. He represents a great start to 2021 for the team. </li><li><b>Dillon Tatum</b> <i>4-Star</i> (West Bloomfield, MI) Grade: 82 - A big, strong, and fast kid that could play running back or safety (or linebacker?) at the next level. I believe Michigan wants him as a defensive player. He proved himself to be a real leader in his senior year, and definitely boosted his stock. This battle will probably come down to Ohio State, Michigan, and Michigan State. He gets the nod here over some higher rated kids due to the fact that he is an in-state player with the versatility to fill a couple of needs for the team, especially when you consider the fact that the team only signed two DB's in last year's cycle. </li><li><b>Jaden Mangham</b> <i>4-Star</i> (Franklin, MI) Grade: 80 - With the loss of Xavier Worthy from last year's cycle, the need for receivers becomes a little greater in this cycle. As a result, athletes like Mangham will get a bump up on the ol' recruiting board. Michigan needs defensive backs too, so the fact that he might be able to play either side of the ball is a plus too, IMO. And again, the fact that he is from Michigan is important as well. </li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Linebacker/Edge:</b> The Wolverines are currently projected to have a dozen scholarship players returning at both the inside linebacker and edge positions, possibly more, for the 2022 season. There really isn't a huge need to load up too much here but nabbing a couple solid prospects wouldn't hurt in any cycle. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Sebastian Cheeks </b><i>4-Star</i> (Evanston, IL) Grade: 84 - Michigan might not need a lot of true linebackers in this class, but at least one highly-rated linebacker in this crop of prospects is a must. Cheeks looks like a kid who can run sideline to sideline to pursue ball-carriers from inside or out. The fact that he is a midwestern kid is a plus in my book, as I feel Michigan needs to do a better job of securing talent closer to home. It makes the local fanbase stronger and the kids might be less-likely to transfer out later due to any homesickness issues. </li><li><b>Joe Strickland</b><i> 4-Star</i> (Indianapolis, IN) Grade: 83 - Another top midwestern product that could fit in nicely as a strongside edge player in the new defense. He might be able to eventually help fill the void that will be left after Aiden Hutchinson's inevitable departure.</li><li><b>Mario Eugenio </b><i>4-Star</i> (Tampa, FL) Grade: 81 - Again, I feel Michigan actually has a good group of young 'backers and edge rushers already on the roster, so I don't expect the team to go hog-wild on signing a ton of prospects here. Eugenio looks like one of the top edge players on the Wolverines' board right now, so keep an eye on his recruitment going forward. Getting a kid from the Sunshine State to come up north is never easy but it has worked out for Michigan quite a bit in the past. </li></ul></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Lower Priorities</u></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Offensive Tackle:</b> The offensive line doesn't need a ton of prospects added to it right now. A couple of decent tackle prospects is about all that is needed as the team did an excellent job addressing the line the last three years, particularly at the center and guard positions. <br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Josh Conerly</b> <i>4-Star</i> (Seattle, WA) Grade: 87 - Again, I don't believe Michigan is in the market for a huge haul along the offensive line in this cycle after scoring several high-end prospects over the last three years, particularly at guard and center. Getting one Top 150 line prospect to commit along with the already committed Connor Jones would probably all but wrap things up for the position. Conerly is the best tackle prospect currently on Michigan's radar. <b><br /></b></li><li><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Conor Jones</span></b><i> 3-Star </i>(Monument, CO) Grade: 77 - <span style="color: #2b00fe;">COMMITTED</span> Is the only line prospect currently committed and I honestly couldn't care if he was the only one that eventually signed. He isn't very highly rated and isn't a top athlete, but he fits the mold of what the coaches are looking for at the position.</li><li><b>Andre Roye </b><i>3-Star</i> (Baltimore, MD) Grade: 77 - A 6'8" tackle prospect that looks like a young version of Raven great Jonothan Ogden, though it's kinda unfair to make that kind of comparison. This kid has a long way to go before being FBS ready, but he has all the makings of a future starter in the Big Ten. </li></ul><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><b>Quarterback:</b> This is just not as big of a need as in most years with Cade McNamara, J.J. McCarthy, Dan Villeri, and Alan Bowman all on board for at least the next two or three years. That's good because there aren't many high-end prospects in this class nor are any of the top passers even interested. Most have already committed elsewhere. They could go without signing one and be just fine for now. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Nate Johnson</b> <i>3-Star</i> (Clovis, CA) Grade: 76 - Is a dual-threat in the backfield though he does not possess the type of arm the coaches covet. At any rate, he would be an extremely nice consolation prize in a year lacking any real good passing prospects. If Johnson doesn't pan out at QB he might make a decent receiver. </li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><b>Running Back:</b> Michigan has signed four prospects here in the last two years so it's not on the high priority list. If they can sign just one top back that would be great.</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Nicholas Singleton</b><i> 4-Star</i> (Reading, PA) Grade: 84 - All the top Big Ten schools are in play for this kid's services. Getting him to commit over all of them would be a big win for Michigan. He has the size (5'11"/210lbs) to be a bruiser but he can can reach the edge and turn the corner, and he should be able to outrun a good deal of defenders in the FBS. He quite possibly could be the perfect back to sign in this class.</li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Interior Offensive Line: N/A</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Kicking Specialist: N/A</div><div><br /></div></div>Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948686673132534670.post-64754713497412909332021-02-05T07:59:00.003-08:002021-02-06T07:57:45.448-08:00Where Does Michigan Stand in the Recruiting Rankings?<p> Top 25 Tiered Team Recruiting Rankings</p><p><br /></p><p>Tier One - "The Elite"</p><p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Rank and Score)</span></p><p>1. Alabama 88 - The highest rated class ever! Enough said. They got everything. </p><p>2. Ohio State 83 - One of the best classes the Buckeyes have ever put together. They alone possess 12% of the top 100 players in the 247 composite rankings. </p><p><br /></p><p>Tier Two</p><p>3 (tie). Georgia 79 - Trail only 'Bama and OSU in the number of <i>5-Star</i> players they signed.</p><p>3 (tie). LSU 79 - Two <i>5-Sta</i>r players and at least 15 others in the <i>4-Star</i> realm would make this the top class in some years.</p><p>3 (tie). Oregon 79 - The Ducks could be making some moves towards the playoffs with three consecutive Top 10 (or 11 depending on who you ask) recruiting classes. 83% of the entire class is made up <i>4-Star</i> caliber players. </p><p>6. Clemson 78 - The Tigers are reloading again. The one position they arguably didn't reload at is quarterback. They should be fine though, as the coaching staff has done more with less in the past. </p><p>7 (tie). Texas A&M 77 - 17 players ranked as <i>4-Star</i> players (or better) is never anything to scoff at. They did exceptional work along both lines.</p><p>7 (tie). USC 77 - They got two really good QB prospects and added lots of beef to the defense. This could be a program truly back on the rise and it could be them and the Ducks dominating the top for years to come in the Pac-12. </p><p>9. <span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Michigan</b></span> 76 - Shored up their biggest needs in a huge way, particularly at defensive tackle in the very last week of the cycle. The Wolverines moved up three spots from #12 since the early signing period ended in December. Very few programs did more work in that time, considering they also revamped the coaching staff in the process.</p><p>10 Miami (FL) 75 - The best class out of all the Florida teams. The passing game and defense got some studs to work with. I think Miami is here to stay once again. </p><p>11. UNC 73 - It is really hard not to be impressed with the work the Tarheels have done to improve. Getting the top QB prospect on their board and one of the best defensive linemen in the country is always a great start to any solid class.</p><p>12. Notre Dame 72 - They signed a lot of solid kids. None of them are<i> 5-Stars</i> and more than half of them are <i>3-Stars though. </i>However, getting a highly-coveted dual threat QB and a plethora of solid receivers could pay huge dividends down the road for the Irish, especially in today's college football.</p><p>13 (tie). Florida 71 - Not a very top-heavy class but one still filled with highly-touted talent that most coaching staffs would die for. </p><p>13 (tie). Texas 71 - Gotta hand it to the Texas coaching staff for putting this one together after all the Longhorns have gone through. </p><p>15. Oklahoma 70 - Not as good of a class as they would like in Norman, they got all the key elements that typically make them dangerous in the Big 12 - namely a top Dual Threat QB and a lot of fast athletes for him to throw to. </p><p><br /></p><p>Tier Three</p><p>16. Tennessee 69</p><p>17. Wisconsin 67</p><p>18. Ole Miss 67</p><p>19. Maryland 66</p><p>20. Iowa 66</p><p>21. Mississippi State 65</p><p>22 (tie). Florida State 64</p><p>23 (tie). Cal 64</p><p>24 (tie). Pitt 64</p><p>25. Arkansas 63</p>Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948686673132534670.post-55017063674718852702021-02-03T09:19:00.001-08:002021-02-04T08:18:51.161-08:00Recruiting Class, 2021 - The Final Positional Grades<p><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Quarterback </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">J.J. McCarthy <i>5-Star</i></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"> (6'3"/190lbs) Grade: 92 - Not the biggest kid or the passer with the strongest arm. He's just the best QB prospect that Harbaugh has brought to Michigan so far, and he is enrolled early to learn the offense this spring.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><i>Positional Grade: <b>A-</b></i></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Running Back</span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">Donovan Edwards <i>5</i><i>-Star</i></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"> (5'11"/190lbs) Grade: 92 - Not only did Harbaugh sign the best quarterback of his Michigan head coaching career but he also signed the best running back so far too. Edwards brings a ton of speed to the table and can take it to the house on any given play. He was just awarded<i> First Team All-American</i> by Max Preps will get reps as a freshman after enrolling early too.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">Tavierre Dunlap <i>4-Star</i></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"> (6'0"/195lbs) Grade: 79 - A very solid back that could compliment Edwards well. He is a bit bigger and has some decent wheels in his own right, though he is not as fast as Edwards. He could be a starter someday too. He too is enrolled early.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333;">Positional</span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"> Grade: <b>A+</b></span></span></span></i></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Wide Receiver </span></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">Xavier Worthy <i>4-Star</i></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"> (6'1"/165lbs) Grade: 87 - Might be the fastest prospect in the entire 2021 class of recruits. He is definitely one of them. How much of it will we see this year?</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">Cristian Dixon </b><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"><b>4-Star</b> </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">(6'2"/185lbs) Grade: 83 - Nice size. Good hands. Crisp routes. About as solid of a receiving prospect as one could ask for in any year. He is enrolled early.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">Andrel Anthony <i>3-Star</i></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"> (6'2"/175) Grade: 76 - Might be the one of the more underrated prospects in this class. Has all the necessary tools to become a Power Five starter. He too is enrolled early.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Positional Grade: <b>B+</b></i></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tight End</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">Louis Hansen <i>4-Star</i> </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">(6'4"/230lbs) Grade: 81 - Just the type of all-around talent the team wanted to get at the position this year. Could earn some playing time right away as a freshman and will compete this spring after enrolling early.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Positional Grade: <b>B</b></i></span></span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Offensive Line</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Giovanni El-Hadi <i>4-Star</i> </b>(6'4"/285lbs) Grade: 88 - Looks like one of the top guard prospect in the country to me. Some think he could play tackle. Either way, he appears to be as solid of a dedicated prospect as one could ask for on the line. He is enrolled early to get a head start. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Raheem Anderson <i>4-Star</i> </b>(6'3/300lbs) Grade: 84 - Could be the starting center from day one as a freshman. That is a lot to ask of him, but he could be ready if he has a productive spring after enrolling early.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Greg Crippin <i>4-Star</i></b><i> </i>(6'3"/285lbs) Grade: 83 - Another early enrollee that could be competing for the starting center job right away. I love how the coaches got two of the best kids at the position of the greatest need on the team.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Tristan Bounds <i>3-Star</i></b> (6'7"/285lbs) Grade: 76 - It's hard to overlook this kid's size and athleticism. Only time will tell how high his ceiling is at the next level, but if he adds 25 lbs of muscle he could truly become a man among boys. He too is enrolled early. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Positional Grade: <b>B+</b></i></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Defensive Line</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Rayshaun Benny <i>4-Star</i></b> (6'5"/275lbs) Grade: 84 - Up until national signing day it looked like Benny was MSU-bound. He really elevates the defensive haul with his <i>flipment </i>and will no doubt weigh over 300 lbs after a year or two in the program. The coaches want him to compete inside right away.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>George Rooks <i>4-Star</i></b><i> </i>(6'4"/260lbs) Grade: 82 - Another late commitment in the cycle, but another kid that really elevates the talent level up front on defense. He could play either tackle or strongside end in a 3-4. It has been noted that he excels at pass-rushing, whether it's inside or out. We shall see.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Kechaun Bennett <i>4-Star</i></b> (6'4"/220lbs) Grade: 80 - He was the highest rated defensive lineman in Michigan's class until Rooks and Benny showed up at the last minute. He will get worked out at end and outside linebacker.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Ikechukwa Iwunnah <i>3-Star</i></b> (6'4"/275lbs) Grade: 75 - A very raw prospect with the frame on which to construct a future Power Five starter. He too will end up well over 300 lbs and will probably play nose tackle. He is surprisingly fast and athletic for kid his size ranked outside the top 1,000 players in the country. Could he be the biggest steal of the class?</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>T.J. Guy <i>3-Star</i></b> (6'4"/245lbs) Grade: 75 - It's hard to say exactly how this kid will develop. He certainly has some raw materials to work with, but whether he gains weight to play tackle or ends up staying in the 250-range and playing end/outside linebacker will remain a mystery that will probably remain unsolved for a couple years. His size/speed ratio is outstanding.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Dominick Guidice <i>3-Star</i></b> (6'3"/250lbs) Grade: 73 - Another developmental prospect that the coaches think can play inside at tackle. He will definitely need to gain some weight but you have to love the hustle he brings to the table.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Positional Grade: <b>A-</b></i></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Linebacker</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Junior Colson <i>4-Star</i></b> (6'2"/228lbs) Grade: 88 - A very fine athlete that could play a number of defensive positions for the Wolverines. Could he be ready to play right away? He is one of the few freshman defenders that is enrolled early.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Jaydon Hood <i>4-Star</i></b> (6'0"/212lbs) Grade: 83 - A thumper in the middle that I believe could be starting in 2022.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Tyler McLaurin <i>3-Star</i></b><i> </i>(6'2"/215lbs) Grade: 76 - A versatile prospect that play inside or outside in multiple fronts. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Positional Grade: <b>B-</b></span></i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><i><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><i><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><i><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Defensive Backs</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Rod Moore <i>4-Star</i></b> (5'11"/180lbs) Grade: 78 - Was one of the best safety prospects in Ohio. He can hit and cover. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Ja'Den McBurrows <i>3-Star</i></b><i> </i>(5'9"/165lbs) Grade: 77 - Might be underrated by the recruiting services. He dominated play for two years in Florida. Max Preps awarded him <i>First Team All-American</i> after getting four INT's as a senior. His highlight reels are sweet. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Positional Grade: <b>C+</b></i></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Specialty</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Tommy Doman<i> 3-Star</i></b> (6'3"/170lbs) Grade: 73 - Another Max Preps<i> First Team All-American</i> player that could be the team's punter right away. </span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Positional Grade: <b>A-</b></i></span></div>Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948686673132534670.post-53121094159194299322021-01-13T04:33:00.006-08:002021-01-21T06:13:50.691-08:00Spring Primer<p>Competition should be hot with several starting roles in question. The guys highlighted in red are my favorites to gain traction on the starting jobs this spring. </p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Offense</span></b></p><p><b>Quarterback</b> - McNamara will work to solidify his place as this team's number one quarterback going into 2021. Milton will look to be the top backup but he will get pressured by Villari and McCarthy. My guess is that if he doesn't redeem himself in 2021 he will transfer after the season. However, he is openly trying to be a leader and remain positive, and he didn't look like a complete trainwreck most of the time in 2020, so there is still some hope there as well. I just believe McNamara is, and always has been, the better QB prospect despite all differences in measurables. </p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: red;"><b>Cade McNamara</b></span></li><li>Joe Milton</li><li>Dan Villari</li><li>J.J. McCarthy*</li></ol><div><br /></div><div><b>Running Back </b>- Haskins, who averaged over six yards per carry in 2020, appears to be the number one back and I can't complain. He is a tough, shifty runner that can break off large chunks of real estate. It will be nice for him to get a full spring behind the O-line and with the same QB handing off to him. Corum just needs an offseason, period, as he has yet to have one at all despite enrolling early last year. He is a nice option on third downs after missing a year due to suspension, averaging nearly 15 yards per catch as a true freshman. Garcia, Dunlap, and Edwards will all look to make impressions, with Edwards being a potential breakout player right away. The added competition will be great. In the end, this group could run a solid three guys deep in the regular season, which feels about right. </div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: red;"><b>Hassan Haskins</b></span></li><li>Blake Corum</li><li>Gaige Garcia</li><li>Donovan Edwards*</li><li>Tavierre Dunlap*</li></ol><div><br /></div><div><b>X Receiver</b> - Johnson began to emerge as a sophomore and looked particularly good when McNamara was out there throwing the ball. He looks like the classic Michigan receiver - a big bodied player that runs good routes and makes plays with the ball in his hands. Dixon and Anthony could both be surprise freshman contributors. </div></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: red;"><b>Cornelius Johnson</b></span></li><li>Cristian Dixon*</li><li>Andrel Anthony*</li></ol><div><br /></div><div><b>Y Receiver</b> - After three years at Michigan, Bell continues to rise as a player. He has his best games against the top competition, possesses a wide catching radius, and gets excited about blocking. He was also a two-star prospect that nobody else wanted. What's not to love? Wilson showed up at times as a freshman and he should be a big factor in the rotation at receiver too. Worthy brings a lot of speed and dynamic play-making ability to help the blow tops off Big Ten defenses. </div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: red;"><b>Ronnie Bell</b></span></li><li>Roman Wilson</li><li>Xavier Worthy*</li></ol></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Slot</b> - Jackson and Saintristil create a nice duo in the slot. The former is a slightly stronger and more explosive player, while the latter is one of the best route-runners on the team. Both will play a lot going forward. Athletically speaking, Henning is one of the most explosive players on the team. Can he unleash it after his first full offseason?</div></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: red;"><b>Giles Jackson</b></span></li><li>Mike Saintristil </li><li>A.J. Henning</li></ol><div><br /></div><div><b>Tight End</b> - Something interesting happened with Erick All in 2020. First, Harbuagh called him out as the "next great Michigan tight end" before the season. He made a few nice plays in week one but suffered a series of drops in the first few weeks of the season that ruined more than one drive on occasion. However, he too looked like a different player when McNamara finally came into the game. It was night and day, honestly. His development will be one worth watching this spring, especially with a healthy McNamara entrenched as the starter. All the guys behind All on the roster have talent and will look to compete for minutes, but I don't believe any of them are as talented as him. Schoonmaker has experience and Hibner has a year in the system, so the coaches have some good pieces to work with there. The biggest hindrance to this position in terms of collecting stats is the fact that there is simply too much talent at running back and receiver to think that they will be the main focus of any game plans any time soon. </div></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b><span style="color: red;">Erick All</span></b></li><li>Luke Schoonmaker</li><li>Mathew Hibner</li></ol><div><br /></div><div><b>Offensive Line </b>- Ryan Hayes will be inserted back into the left tackle position after suffering an injury in 2020. He should be solid but will get pressured by some young rising talent on the line. Andrew Stueber, a 6'6"/330lb 5th-year behemoth, is now the most experienced player on the line after earning some <i>All-Big Ten</i> mentions in 2020. He will probably get some looks at both right tackle and right guard this spring as the coaches try to figure out the best combination on that side. Either way, he will be a starter and could be a draft pick next spring. Left guard will get manned by Trevor Keegan, who could be a player quickly on the rise. Keep your eyes on him during spring practices. Center could be anybody out of a group of four or five players that will give the position a shot this spring. My money is on one of the true freshmen, being Anderson and Crippin, to win the job. Both will be there in the spring. Though Reece Attebury does have a year in the system already, I don't know if he is naturally as gifted as either one of those two in-coming recruits. Karsen Barnhart got a lot of experience the last two years at right guard and left tackle, where he started a few games in 2020. He will get first crack at the starting right tackle job with Steuber next to him inside, but I am curious to see if he gets any reps at center. Zak Zinter will compete for playing time too, but he could end up being the odd man out for the time being. Luckily for him he appears to be versatile. Jones and Rumler both have a ton of potential too, and it feels like it should only be a matter of time before both get an opportunity to play somewhere. Giovanni El-Hadi looks like a future starter, but we probably won't see him much for another year at least. Overall, after a disastrous 2020 that saw a lot of younger players get their feet wet, I feel good about this group going into spring, as I see seven players that could be starters at most FBS programs.</div></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b><span style="color: red;">Andrew Stueber (G/T)</span></b></li><li><b><span style="color: red;">Ryan Hayes (T)</span></b></li><li><b><span style="color: red;">Karsen Barnhart (G/T)</span></b></li><li><b><span style="color: red;">Trevor Keegan (G)</span></b></li><li><b><span style="color: red;">Zak Zinter (G)</span></b></li><li>Trente Jones (T)</li><li>Nolan Rumler (G/C)</li><li>Chuck Filiaga (G)</li><li>Jack Stewart (G)</li><li>Jeffrey Persi (T)</li><li>Reece Attebury (C)</li><li>Giovanni El-Hadi (G/T)</li><li>Greg Crippin* (C)</li><li>Raheem Anderson* (G/C)</li><li>Tristan Bounds* (T)</li></ol><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Defense</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><b>Defensive Line:</b> There is some obvious talent on the surface with a ton of question marks just beneath it. Hutchinson is a disrupter who should be one of the best ends in the conference in 2021 after ending his 2020 campaign with a leg injury at Indiana. Hinton has flashed some potential but really needs to work on consistency. Spring will be good for him. Donovan Jeter has yet to make any kind of long term impact on the line and his time is about up. The coaches hope that Mazi Smith, who did get some playing time as a sophomore, will develop into a starter this offseason. Upshaw has the early lead on the starting job opposite Hutchinson, but there are a few younger, more talented guys looking to leapfrog him on the depth chart. If a player emerges at Sam linebacker we will see a lot more 3-man fronts. No matter who is calling the defensive plays, if they can't get some improvement up front on the line it will be another long season, as there was little to no pass-rush when Hutch and Paye got hurt. Braiden McGregor could benefit from a full spring more than anybody if he's ready to go after ending his high school career with a knee surgery just over a year ago.</div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">Aiden Hutchinson </span><span>(DE)</span></li><li><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">Christopher Hinton </span><span>(DT)</span></li><li><span><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">Mazi Smith </span>(NT)</span></li><li>Taylor Upshaw (DE)</li><li>Julius Welcschof (DE)</li><li>Gabe Newburg (DE)</li><li>Braiden McGregor (DE/DT)</li><li>Donovan Jeter (NT)</li><li>Jess Spieght (DT)</li><li>Jaylen Harrell (DE/Sam)</li><li>Mike Morris (DT)</li><li>Phillip Paea (NT)</li><li>Kris Jenkins (DT)</li></ol><div><br /></div></div><div><div><b>Linebacker: </b>On paper this looked like one of the most talented positions on the team. It didn't quite work out well in 2020, but that was largely due to injuries to Cam McGrone and half the starting defensive line. McGrone is now gone but Josh Ross appears to have chosen to come back for a fifth season. He is a reliable defender should compete for <i>All-Conference</i> honors. Michael Barrett had some big moments in 2020 but struggled with consistency and injuries, as did most of the defense. He should be much improved next season, but we could see him move inside if he doesn't provide the type of pass rush the new defensive coaches desire from the outside 'backers. More on that in the spring. I really like David Ojabo's potential as a Sam linebacker, provided he can show that he can make plays in space and rush the passer consistently. There literally was no pressure from that spot after Josh Uche left. Ben Van Sumeren tried but he just looked out of position. Jaylen Harrell could also be a guy there too, but he has a lot to prove yet. Adam Shibley was the top backup on the inside last season and got the nod when McGrone went down. He has some ability but probably doesn't have much of a high ceiling. Seeing guys like Solomon, Mullings, Hill-Green, and Mohan emerge this spring would be a relief, but early enrollee Junior Colson might possess the most raw talent in the entire bunch. Anyway, despite the loss of McGrone, there appears to be enough to work with here. </div></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b style="color: red;">Josh Ross </b>(Inside)</li><li><b style="color: red;">Michael Barrett </b>(Viper)</li><li><span><span style="color: red;"><b>Kalel Mullings </b></span>(Inside)</span></li><li><span style="color: red;"><b>David Ojabo</b></span> (Sam/DE)</li><li>Adam Shibley (Inside)</li><li>Anthony Solomon (Inside/Outside)</li><li>Ben VanSumeren (Inside/Sam)</li><li>Nikhai Hill-Green (Inside)</li><li>Cornell Wheeler (Inside)</li><li>William Mohan (Viper)</li><li>Joey Valesquez (Viper/Safety)</li><li>Edward Warinner (Inside)</li><li><span><span>Junior Colson* </span>(Outside)</span></li></ol></div><div><div><br /></div></div><div><div><b>Safety: </b>Again, there is a ton of potential here that was a bit untapped in 2020. Hawkins did lead the team in tackles for the first few games, though there is an argument to be made about how it's not really a great thing to have a DB lead the team in tackles. Dax Hill had some struggles in coverage but seemed to improve as the season went on. The talent behind those two is deep but inexperienced. Again, as is the theme with this team, spring should work wonders in developing all that talent properly. </div></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: red;"><b>Dax Hill</b></span></li><li><b><span style="color: red;">Brad Hawkins</span></b></li><li><span>Makari Paige</span></li><li><span>R.J. Moten</span></li><li>Quentin Johnson</li><li><span>Jordan Morant</span></li><li>Hunter Reynolds</li><li>German Green</li></ol></div><div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Cornerback: </b>I won't get into all the struggles this group had in 2020. I will say that a lot of it was due to two things more than anything: a simple lack of confidence and a lack of a pass rush. They were too afraid of getting beat to attempt to make any plays. They just looked soft at times. And they often panicked when they couldn't locate the ball, which did happen more times than I would like to remember. However, they did improve in the six games they played and the corners actually gave up less than a 50% completion rate to opposing quarterbacks. That's a good start, IMO. The bench has a lot of raw talent sitting on it. Turner II, Seldon, and Green-Warren could all make huge leaps this spring. Will they challenge the returning starters for their jobs? I hope so. I also hope that those starters can improve and fend off any challengers. Either way, I think this group will get better. Of course, they can only go so far if the pass-rush can't get it together. </div></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b><span style="color: red;">Vincent Gray</span></b></li><li><b><span style="color: red;">Gemon Green</span></b></li><li><span>D.J. Turner II</span></li><li><span>Andre Seldon </span></li><li>Jalen Perry</li><li>Darion Green-Warren</li><li>Sammy Faustin</li><li>George Johnson</li><li>Eamonn Dennis</li></ol><div><br /></div></div><div><b>Kicker:</b> Moody doesn't have the leg strength of Quinn Nordin but he is fairly solid from within 40 yards. Any improvement in his consistency could be deadly. </div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: red;"><b>Jake Moody</b></span></li><li>Karl Kerska</li><li>Cole Hussung</li></ol><div><br /></div></div><div><b>Punter: </b>Robbins has proven that he is capable of handling the punting duties and he could be one of the best in the conference. </div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b><span style="color: red;">Brad Robbins</span></b></li><li>Karl Kerska</li></ol></div><p></p>Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948686673132534670.post-86673218233360007702020-12-19T06:19:00.005-08:002020-12-19T06:28:52.154-08:00Class of 2021: Very Good But Unfinished<div>Again, this is just my opinion based on what I've seen on film or read about from recruiting analysts and coaches across the board. It's hard not to be optimistic about the offense with this kind of haul. The defense on the other hand, is another story for the time being. </div><div>Luckily, there are still some big targets on the board that would fill big needs in February. There are also some transfer players that I feel Michigan should target. </div><div>Again, feelings are just opinions and I don't claim to have any kind of insider knowledge that you don't. I don't really know exactly how tall a kid is or how much he actually weighs, nevertheless what types of decisions coaches, players, and administrators will all make in the coming years. I just like talking about Michigan football so let's geek out together shall we? Cool.</div><div><br /></div><div>* The grading system here is based on a number of factors, including all the expert rankings. 91-99 are the truly elite prospects. They are the best of the bunch. 78-90 grades are the <i>4-Stars</i>. They are projected to be future starters. 65-77 are the players that make up the majority of FBS rosters. They are the <i>3-Star </i>prospects. Anybody ranked lower than that is probably not playing in the FBS any time soon.</div><div><br /></div><b><div><b><br /></b></div>Quarterback </b><div><br /></div><div><b>J.J. McCarthy <i>5-Star</i></b> (6'3"/190lbs) Grade: 91 - I believe McCarthy is exactly the type of kid this team needed to land in this cycle. First of all, he is a top-end passing talent that did not throw a single interception in his senior year at IMG Academy. He shows a nice, quick release and very good accuracy. He shows good touch and doesn't rely on arm strength to force the ball into places. He has been committed since early 2019 and has been a vocal figurehead in the class leading up to signing day, encouraging fans and fellow recruits to not give up on Harbaugh and the program. He will compete in the spring and will probably be the team's top backup very quickly with the goal of being a starter at some point in the next couple years.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Running Back </b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Donovan Edwards <i>4-Star</i></b> (5'11"/190lbs) Grade: 89 - As one of the top two or three backs in this class, Edwards appears to be the complete package. "Experts" say he is the best running back that Michigan has ever recruited to the program, but I clearly remember them signing a few <i>5-Stars</i> that eventually flopped just within the last decade. At any rate, Edwards was a surprise to me as I thought he would go to Georgia in the end. One could argue that he could've gone anywhere he wanted even if a school hadn't offered him. Instead, he will bring his game-breaking abilities to Ann Arbor and work to get playing time asap. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Tavierre Dunlap <i>4-Star</i></b> (6'0"/195lbs) Grade: 79 - I was comfortable with Michigan going into signing day with Dunlap as the only back committed. At worst he appeared to be a solid insurance policy in case they didn't land Edwards, but he is a very good prospect in his own right. He has nice size, decent burst, and seems to know the angles. I would not be surprised one bit if he eventually outperforms other backs on the roster that were ranked higher than him. Having both he and Edwards in the fold raises the odds of having a successful running game in the near future. Most of the Big Ten, Pac 12, and ACC wanted this kid, including the likes of USC, Notre Dame, and Michigan State.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Wide Receiver </b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Xavier Worthy <i>4-Star</i></b> (6'1"/165lbs) Grade: 88 - Worthy brings some skills and abilities to the Wolverines that we may not have ever seen in Ann Arbor in past. Yes, he is a little light in the loafers at 160+lbs, but he might be the fastest receiver ever recruited to Michigan. The burst and acceleration he displays after a cut is as good as anybody's in this class and he shows that he knows how to run a route too. Alabama pushed extremely hard for him in the end but he chose the Wolverines over them and everybody else in the country.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Cristian Dixon </b><i><b>4-Star</b> </i>(6'2"/185lbs) Grade: 82 - A polished receiving prospect that can do a little bit of everything. He does not possess the speed of a true deep threat but he has enough ability to develop into a starter within a relatively short time frame. He has a long frame with a wide catching radius and he displays some toughness across the middle. Oregon, USC, LSU, Florida State, and Notre Dame were among the other top programs pursuing him. </div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Andrel Anthony <i>3-Star</i></b> (6'2"/175) Grade: 76 - A product of East Lansing that is more of your typical FBS receiving prospect. He may not be as fast or as polished as his fellow signees at the position, but he should develop into a very productive player for the team over the course of the next few years. He has all the necessary tools to work with in order to develop a starting caliber receiver at the next level. Besides his hometown Spartans, he was also heavily pursued by Ole Miss, Penn State, Wisconsin, and Notre Dame. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Tight End</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Louis Hansen <i>4-Star</i> </b>(6'4"/230lbs) Grade: 81 - About as solid of a prospect at the position as one could ask for in all sense of the term. Can do a little bit of everything fairly well and brings a little bit of toughness to his game. He isn't that far removed from the type of prospect Jake Butt was several years ago. He could've gone to Florida, Georgia, Ohio State, or the likes of Princeton and UMass, if that tells you anything about the type of kid they are bringing in here. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Offensive Line</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Giovanni El-Hadi <i>4-Star</i> </b>(6'4"/285lbs) Grade: 88 - A very fine local line prospect that looks more like a right tackle or a guard. He might have the athleticism to be a blindside protector against quick ends, but that will remain to be seen. Give him a year in the weight room first, then we will find out more. He should be able to pack on another 30lbs of muscle, maybe more. He is the longest standing commit in this class. It feels like it's been three years. He literally showed no interest in any other programs and made no visits to any other schools while going to Ann Arbor on multiple occasions. Penn State, Michigan State, and a few other regional schools tried but he never budged on his commitment. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Raheem Anderson <i>4-Star</i> </b>(6'3/300lbs) Grade: 84 - Another very good local line prospect. Harbaugh has done well with taking local O-line products and turning them into NFL prospects. Anderson could be the next very good interior blocker. Ideally, he will eventually weigh around 320lbs and play left guard. He could play center too, as he did in high school. Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Nebraska, and Michigan State all offered him, as did a host of other schools.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><b>Greg Crippin <i>4-Star</i></b><i> </i>(6'3"/285lbs) Grade: 83 - Another IMG product that could be the next great Michigan center. Has all the smarts and the physical frame to build upon. Alabama, Ohio State, USC, and Notre Dame all offered him too.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><b>Tristan Bounds <i>3-Star</i></b> (6'7"/285lbs) Grade: 76 - Is right on the verge of being a 4-Star prospect. Needs to grow into his body a little more and develop his strength. Technique needs a little work too, but he could be an absolute stud with another 20lbs on his frame and a couple year's worth of experience under his belt. Missing his senior season due to the pandemic doesn't help his development. I would say don't expect much from him until at least 2023. He had a long list of pursuers, including Notre Dame, Duke, Dartmouth, Indiana, Princeton, Yale, UCLA, Texas, and Cal. Notice a theme? Yeah, this kid is smart. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Defensive Line</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Kechaun Bennett <i>4-Star</i></b> (6'4"/220lbs) Grade: 80 - Not the most physically gifted or the most polished prospect in this class. He is solid though, and he should be a Power Five starter some day down the road. He needs to spend a couple years in the program first, as he doesn't appear to be physically imposing. He just plays a brand of good, tough football. It's hard to project his college position as he simply beat up on a lot of less talented kids in Connecticut while playing with his hand in the dirt. Depending on how he develops, he could play either end position or possibly even linebacker. The fact that Tennessee, Penn State, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Virginia Tech, and Miami (FL) were among his 20 or so offers tells me he has enough potential to be happy about. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>T.J. Guy <i>3-Star</i></b> (6'4"/240lbs) Grade: Grade: 75 - Speaking of difficult prospect to project... Guy is a prospect that truly looks the part at first glance. He already has a very large frame and the coaches think he might be able to pack on 40 more lbs and move to tackle. He also has decent speed for a player his size too, so he could very well stay at end. He hasn't even come close to putting it all together on the field, so I am not expecting anything great out of him any time soon. If he didn't choose Michigan he probably would've signed with Boston College or UConn. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Dominick Guidice <i>3-Star</i></b> (6'3"/250lbs) Grade: 73 - Is the lowest rated prospect in the class with a host of Ivey League and MAC offers. Got a lot of interest from all the military academies too. The Michigan coaches see him as a project that, in a best case scenario, will end up as 290lb defensive tackle that never stops moving his feet. Again, he's another line recruit that is hard to project. He's got good some good quickness for a kid his size and he looks like he could handle a little more weight well, so there is definitely something to work with here. The biggest thing that jumps off on film though is his hustle. He seems to never stop motoring around the field and often outworked opponents. He could be a surprise player early in his career.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Linebacker</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Junior Colson <i>4-Star</i></b> (6'2"/228lbs) Grade: 87 - One of the best defensive prospects in this recruiting cycle. Is not necessarily in the elite athlete category but he is a very good football player with enough speed and athleticism to make most scouts drool. He also played against some good competition, including Greg Crippin and J.J. McCarthy at IMG Academy. Tennessee, LSU, Oregon, Florida State, Baylor, </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Jaydon Hood <i>4-Star</i></b> (6'0"/212lbs) Grade: 83 - I really like Hood. It's hard not to think of Devin Bush Jr. just a little bit when you watch his tape. He has everything the team is looking for in an inside 'backer prospect, though he will need to bulk up a bit. I bet he will become a starter sooner rather than later, like in his second year. He had a couple dozen offers and Miami (FL) almost flipped him on signing day. 'Bama, Minnesota, Penn State, and Texas A&M were all in the mix at one time too. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Tyler McLaurin <i>3-Star</i></b><i> </i>(6'2"/215lbs) Grade: 77 - Another player that is actually close to being a <i>4-Star</i>. It's a little hard to project how he will develop though. Some think he could play the Viper or Sam. Some think he could gain enough weight to play end too. He has the ability to be a starter somewhere some day. Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kentucky, and Michigan State were among his other biggest suitors. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><b>Defensive Backs</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Rod Moore <i>4-Star</i></b> (5'11"/180lbs) Grade: 78 - Was widely considered a high 3-Star prospect but some think he is one of the more underrated defensive back prospects in the nation. He looks like he can do it all, including the delivery of some wicked hits that can cause turnovers, and probably gets overlooked in Ohio because he just doesn't have those elite-level measurables that everybody covets. He is a fine football player. In fact, he is so good that he was his team's best receiver too, and they had another FBS prospect who signed with Wisconsin already playing there too. The Badgers wanted Moore to come play for them too. As did a couple dozen other schools such as Notre Dame, Duke, and Iowa. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Ja'Den McBurrows <i>3-Star</i></b><i> </i>(5'9"/165lbs) Grade: 77 - Is another undersized, under-valued defensive back prospect who is a human highlight reel. While playing for one of the top high school programs at St. Thomas Aquinas, he displayed good anticipation and ability to read offenses that led to a lot of picks. More than a few of them went for six. 'Bama, Florida State, Miami (FL), and Ohio State all were among his offers. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Punter</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Tommy Doman<i> 3-Star</i></b> (6'3"/170lbs) Grade: 73 - One of the best punters in the nation. 247 has him ranked as the second best overall. He could start right away now that Will Allen is transferring. He should at least compete with veteran Brad Robbins for the job. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>In-coming Transfer</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>OL Willie Allen<i> 3-Star</i> </b>(6'7"/300lbs) Grade: 76 - Originally signed with LSU back in 2017 but eventually went to JUCO before transferring to Louisiana Tech. He was a one-year starter there at left tackle before opting out of the 2020 season. He will add some needed veteran depth at tackle immediately. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Prospects Still on the Board:</b></div><div><br /></div><div>DE J.T. Tulmoloa <i>5-Star - </i>The top defensive lineman on the board is a long shot, but there is still a shot. 'Bama, OSU, and Oklahoma are probably ahead in this one. Michigan is badly in need of a playmaker on the D-line. </div><div><br /></div><div>DT Tywone Malone <i>4-Star - </i>The top pure tackle prospect for the D-line left on the board, but he too is probably a long shot. Would look nice at the nose though.</div><div><br /></div><div>CB Ceyair Wright <i>4-Star </i>- There might be too much interest on the west coast for him to go to the Midwest, but Michigan is still in this race. He is probably among the top two most-likely to sign among the prospects on this list. </div><div><br /></div><div>OG Drew Kendall <i>4-Star </i>- Has all but said he is choosing another school over Michigan, but the fact that he hasn't signed with anybody yet tells me there is still a chance he ends up in AA as a D-line prospect. Michigan needs some big bodies that project to tackle. Kendall, having played both sides of the ball and moves well for kid his size, fits the bill. </div><div><br /></div><div>DT George Rooks <i>4-Star </i>- Might be the closest prospect on this list to actually committing and signing with the Wolverines, but he is taking his time and probably won't announce anything until February. But as long as the Wolverines can ultimately secure him they will improve their situation at tackle quite a lot, as tackle is their biggest need coming out of the early signing period. </div><div><br /></div><div>DT Victory Vaka <i>3-Star </i>- Seemed to be more of a priority for Michigan early on in the process but he has dropped down the rankings and has cooled on going to AA. I think it would be difficult to pull him away form the west coast but it would be interesting to throw his 350lb frame into the mix at tackle. </div><div><br /></div><div>DT Dominic Bass <i>3-Star</i> - A seemingly underrated recruit with offers from Auburn, Florida, LSU, Ohio State, and Penn State, among others. Not many prospects with zero stars in the 247 rankings have an offer sheet quite like his. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Scoping the Transfer Portal</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Ranking my favorite players available for Michigan to pursue via transfer:</div><div><br /></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>WDE Drew Jordan</b>, Senior, Duke (6'2"/270lbs) - Was a <i>4-Star </i>recruit and is available to play immediately after registering 35 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss, and 3.5 sacks in 11 games for the Blue Devils in 2020. He could help provide a desperately needed pass rush for the Michigan defense in 2021, as everybody on the team not named Kwity Paye struggled to get to any passers throughout the six games they played. </li><li><b>LB Brandon Hill</b>, Senior, Duke (6'3"/235lbs) - An experienced player that opted-out of the 2020 season and will look to finish his career somewhere else. He is immediately eligible and he could provide depth and competition in the front seven of the defense. He already has over 100 tackles to his credit and seems to fit the profile of the type of student-athlete Michigan likes to bring in, as far as transfers go anyway. Considering that Michigan is losing three linebackers to transfer and probably another to the draft this addition could be a god-send in terms of depth. </li><li><b>DT Netori Johnson</b>, Junior, Georgia (6'3"/325lbs) - A former<i> 4-Star</i> player that sat 2020 out and is now seeking opportunity elsewhere. He is not immediately eligible and could be having academic issues, as he claimed he did not join the team this year in order to concentrate on school. He is too intriguing of a prospect to not consider here though. He will have at least two years of eligibility remaining and was heavily pursued by Harbuagh and his staff just a few years ago. If he checks out academically he could be exactly the type of prospect they need to throw into the mix at tackle for the next few years - big, strong, and surprisingly quick.</li><li><b>CB Colin Samuel</b>, Senior, Houston (6'3"/205lbs) - Was originally a recruit way back in 2015 and signed with UCLA, where he played in 14 games and started three over the course of three seasons. He struggled with injuries at Houston and opted-out of 2020. He will be eligible immediately and could provide some competition at corner, which is something the team could definitely use. It's hard not to notice his length and size, which could come in handy in man coverage.</li><li><b>LB Jaquan Henderson</b>, Senior, Georgia Tech (6'1"/215lbs) - A former Top 300 linebacker prospect that sat out the 2020 season and will probably have two years of eligibility remaining. He can play right away and might be able to play the Sam Linebacker position that currently needs to be filled, though he might be a better fit at the Viper. He was listed on the Yellow Jacket's active roster for 30 games during the three years he was active there, compiling 34 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 0.5 sack, one QB pressure, and one pass broken up. He played his best game of his career when they opened the 2019 season @#2 Clemson, where he had four tackles, including two for a loss and one pass broken up. Considering they gave up 52 points, he was probably the best defender they had on the field at the time. </li><li><b>CB/WR Julian Barnett</b>, Sophomore, Michigan State (6'2"/190lbs) - Sparty's best recruit in 2019 when he chose them over the Wolverines. He could really help shore up some issues in the secondary, though he is currently listed as not being immediately eligible. I have my doubts anyway that the MSU staff would allow him to go to AA, but it's just hard not to find the possibility somewhat intriguing considering his long-term potential.</li></ol></div><div><br /></div>Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948686673132534670.post-60635973413170150222020-11-25T08:12:00.003-08:002020-11-25T08:12:30.756-08:00Wolverine Stock Watch: Who To Play Against Penn StateQB - Cade McNamara - Well, this is a no-brainer. McNamara is playing better than Joe Milton. It's not even debatable. And if Harbaugh rolls out there with Milton as the starter again it will in fact be the last straw for me in regards to his credibility as a coach. I mean, how good would Milton have to look in practice this week for Harbaugh to be willing to throw him out there again? He is actually getting worse from week to week in actual game play. Milton is no doubt a rare physical specimen at the position, but at this point he has very little control over anything and opponents are taking advantage of him. It all even becomes more obvious when McNamara sets foot on the field and starts delivering strike after strike after strike. The fact that Michigan spotted Rutgers three scores before he entered the game with a less than a quarter to play in the first half, and the kid from Reno, Nevada was still able to pull out a win is incredible. At the very least this is getting extremely interesting. Yes, I'd rather be watching the team play for a championship, but to say that I am not currently being entertained would be a lie. If the Wolverines do not have to play from behind this week against the Nittany Lions then they should be in good position to get another check in the win column. <div><br /></div><div>QB Stock: Hit new lows not seen since Jon O'Korn, or maybe even Devin Gardner, but could it have already bottomed out with a sudden tick upwards? I for one am buying in right now. This stock could get high very quickly. <br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>RB - Hassan Haskins/Zach Charbonnet - I have to admit that I do like how the running back by committee approach is coming along but I am still disappointed in the overall production out of the backfield. There has been a nice mixture of plays being made but there have been very little consistency. I am also in the camp of people that has felt that Hassan Haskins deserves to get the ball more. He is just so naturally gifted as a ball-carrier. He is big (6'/220lbs), fast, and shifty. He can outrun a lot of defenders in the front seven, will lower his shoulder into a tackler to gain extra yardage, and can break tackles with a variety of moves. He's great. However, I am a bit perplexed by the fact that both Zach Charbonnet hasn't gotten more carries so far this year. His first carry of the season was by far his best run, being a 70 yard TD sprint, but he has only received 18 attempts since. He had nine carries for 48 yards (5.5 yards per carry) in the last two weeks. He is also a good pass-protector. In my opinion, he deserves more reps. </div><div><br /></div><div>RB Stock: Took a three week dip like the rest of the team but established a steady upward climb in the second half at Rutgers. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>TE - Nick Eubanks - Eubanks, a team leader, is playing well right now. In the last two games he has caught seven passes for 85 yards and a touchdown. Erick All, who struggled with drops when Milton was throwing passes, looks to have new life with McNamara throwing more catchable balls. Luke Schoonmaker hasn't really been targeted but he has gotten some reps as a blocker, which the coaches want their tight ends to prove they can do before getting playing time. This group could really be a catalyst in the passing game going forward. Watch for more targets and less drops going forward than we saw in the first half of the eight-game schedule. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>WR - Ronnie Bell/Cornelius Johnson/Mike Saintristil - This group really comes alive when McNamara is throwing passes to them. Again, I just believe the kid from Reno throws a more catchable ball. By that I mean that he doesn't hesitate and is decisive in his decision-making so that he hits his passing window while it's open, which means the receiver doesn't have to fight to make the play after the window has closed. They are getting hit in stride while they are open, so then they can take advantage of their "speed in space". The ball also isn't smoking hot when it gets there. It has a little more loft to it due to McNamara's superior touch and accuracy. Watch for Bell, Johnson, and Saintristil to continue being his favorite targets. Giles Jackson of course will be in the mix too, but he might be more valuable as a kick returner. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>OL - Karsen Barnhart/Chuck Filiaga/Zach Carpenter/Zak Zinter/Andrew Stueber - If Ryan Hayes and Jalen Mayfield continue to sit out due to injuries then this is the starting five the team should continue with going forward. Center Andrew Vastardis was also out, and he has played pretty well for the most part all season, but I thought Carpenter looked very good as the starter last weekend. He and right guard Zak Zinter could be quite a duo in the middle of the line in the near future. Barnhart looked pretty good out there at left tackle too, thus giving me a little more hope for the future of this line. Collectively, they got better as the game went on, which is what you want to see from your line, and they began to beat up on the Scarlet Knights in the second half. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>DL - Carlo Kemp/Christopher Hinton/Donovan Jeter/Kwity Paye - If Paye comes back this week, which I pray he does, then this group should quickly improve - at least a little bit. They had some real moments of weakness against Rutgers last weak but at least they didn't completely give up like they did against Wisconsin. I feel there was some improvement there, though in the end they still gave up way too many yards. Getting Paye back will definitely help fix some of the issues, but it won't solve everything. I think Kemp is suited to fill in at the anchor end position to fill in for the injured Aiden Hutchinson. Hinton and Jeter may have shown enough in the last couple weeks to earn starting nods. There really isn't anybody playing any better. This will produce a big line that could begin to do some damage up front if they begin to settle in and remain injury free. This lineup could also cut down to a three-man front easily enough too if needed. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>LB - Josh Ross/Adam Shibley/Michael Barrett - Ross is a stud who has been the best linebacker on the team this season so far. He could slide into the Mike position and make room for somebody else at Will if needed. If McGrone needs to miss more time due to injury then Shibley should continue getting reps in his absence. He didn't play too bad against Rutgers, though the defense gave up too many points once again. Once some consistency can be established then things might start looking up on defense a little bit more, but that's just hard to do when your team is ravaged by injuries. Honestly, if you really look at it, Michigan is without five of it's top seven defensive starters out due to injury (Hutchinson, Paye, McGrone, Hawkins) or opting out (Thomas). That is arguably difficult for any team to attempt to make up. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>DB - Dax Hill/Brad Hawkins/Gemon Green/Vincent Gray - The coaches don't have much choice but to give this starting unit another chance after possibly gaining a little confidence in last week's win at Rutgers. Honestly, the guy's that got picked on the most last week were Hill and Hunter Reynold's, who played after Hawkins was injured. Hill eventually made up for his earlier mistakes by picking off a pass on the final play of the game, thus securing a win. Reynolds is a former walk-on. Of course, it hasn't helped this group that there hasn't been much of a pass rush for a over a month, so any improvement in that department would be much appreciated back in the secondary. It would also be nice to see how this group performs with a lead. The only time this year they were able to do that was at Minnesota, and that seemed to work out fine for them. However, I would also like to see more zone coverages, but we probably won't get that any time soon.</div>Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948686673132534670.post-7498516345938886122020-11-25T07:13:00.004-08:002020-11-25T07:13:34.612-08:00Wolverines' Basketball Depth Chart and Expectations<p><b>Point Guard: Mike Smith</b> </p><p>Backups: Eli Brooks and Zeb Jackson</p><p>Smith, who has never suited up for Michigan before, is being called upon to lead the way at the point. He can create plays for teammates and score on his own. He is fourth all-time on Columbia's scoring list and he averaged nearly five assists per game last season on a last place Ivy League squad devoid of talent around him. He won't have to do as much for Coach Howard's team and Brooks will probably get a solid 15 minutes per game, and he could be the de facto starter in this spo after he started to have a breakout season last year, and freshman Jackson will get some looks too.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Shooting Guard: Eli Brooks </b></p><p>Backups: Chaundee Brown, Zeb Jackson, and Adrien Nunez</p><p>Brooks, as stated above, truly began to emerge under Howard last season. He will probably play over 30 minutes per game split between the point and the two-guard positions. Brown will probably be the first guy off the bench here, but he could be a starter too if needed. Jackson and Nunez will get some opportunities to help with depth. </p><p><br /></p><p>Small Forward (Three-guard): Franz Wagner</p><p>Backups: Isaiah Livers and Terrance Williams</p><p>Wagner looks to be the top scorer on the team this year after breaking out last season. Many plays will be designed to get him the ball this season and he will probably be a draft pick this coming spring. Livers can easily play here as he is the best three-point shooter on the team. Williams, another talented freshman, will probably get some decent playing time too.</p><p><br /></p><p>Power Forward: Isaiah Livers</p><p>Backups: Brandon Johns Jr. and Terrance Williams</p><p>Livers has been the best deep ball shooter on the team for the last two years. He will start here but will get almost 10 minutes per game in relief of Wagner at the small spot. Johns Jr. emerged as a really player off the bench over the last year and he could be a starter on a lot of rosters. Williams is also another big body guy that could play a role in this spot.</p><p><br /></p><p>Center: Hunter Dickinson</p><p>Backups: Brandon Johns Jr., Austin Davis and Jaron Faulds</p><p>A top 40 prospect, Dickinson will be given every opportunity to develop as a starter. There is just too much raw talent and size (7'1"/255lbs) to be left on the bench. I don't expect him to play 25 minutes or more unless his conditioning has improved, so expect to see nearly 20 minutes per game where Michigan uses a smaller lineup with Johns or Davis in there. Faulds, a walk-on transfer from Columbia who sat out a year before getting his feet wet last season, could also get a couple minutes per night off the bench too. He could have a bright future as a rotational depth player for the program. </p>Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948686673132534670.post-74154100245508818542020-11-19T06:59:00.000-08:002020-11-19T06:59:24.114-08:00Who Would I Start Going Forward in 2020?<p> QB - Cade McNamara</p><p>Look, I don't believe the Milton experiment is completely over, but right now he just is not playing well. In fact, he seems to be getting worse from week to week and I am afraid of how far down it could go. He just isn't doing anything right. His second INT on his second pass of the night against Wisconsin was criminally negligent for a starting college quarterback and I have seen very little emotion or leadership from him. His body language tells me he barely cares right now. I think a good coaching staff would seek to replace Milton now with the understanding that if he fixes the flaws in his game he will get another shot eventually, somewhere. Just probably not at Michigan. McNamara is the type of kid that could correct what is wrong with the offense fairly quickly, just as he did when he entered the game against Wisconsin. He is a bit of the opposite type of passer from what Milton represents. As opposed to elite arm strength and athleticism, McNamara's game relies more on touch and timing - two things that have been missing for the last three weeks of play. While I don't expect him to light up the world, I do expect him to throw a more catchable ball that allows receivers to make plays. We saw a glimpse of that already. And Milton has just been trying force the ball into the receiver's hands through tight windows, often causing a drop or a tipped ball. Opposing defenses have quickly caught on and mix things up to confuse him and cause him to throw into double coverage. It is resulting in more turnovers from week to week and the icing on the cake was the pass he threw to nobody but a Wisconsin defender. That type of play simply cannot continue if this team actually wants to win. </p><p><br /></p><p>RB - Hassan Haskins and/or Zach Charbonnet </p><p>I am perplexed as to why quarterback Joe Milton leads the team in carries and why freshman Blake Corum is second. Together they are averaging about three yards per carry. Meanwhile, Charbonnet and Haskins each average at least 7.5 yards per carry but have only gotten a total of 34 carries between them in four games. That is ridiculous and that trend needs to stop. Give those kids the ball. Of course, getting both starting tackles back from injury would be a huge boost to the run-game, as the team is currently starting five kids on the line who didn't start any games last season. In fact, none of them really played any meaningful minutes before this year, so it's no wonder consistency is hard to find up front. At any rate, the coaches need to establish what the identity of this run-game is and stop forcing the ball to everybody on the roster. I don't really understand the point they are trying to make when it hasn't worked in four weeks. Play Charbonnet and Haskins. The are your best chance. It's that simple. </p><p><br /></p><p>WR - Ronnie Bell, Cornelius Johnson, and Mike Saintristil</p><p>It's hard to tell how good this group actually is right now. Many of the passes have been coming in way too hot and not on time at all. That has made them difficult balls to catch. I mean, just look at how different the group performed as soon as McNamara came into the game, and look how well they catch the ball when Milton has put a little loft on his throws. I truly think they haven't had the opportunities to display their skills, and all these guys should be given a shot with a new passer chucking them balls. Having said all that, I would start Bell, Johnson, and Saintristil. Bell is simply the best and most experienced player out there. Johnson has flashed a lot of ability with good hands and large body. I believe he has a load of potential. Saintristil hasn't gotten many real opportunities yet with only three catches, but he made the most of the few he got when McNamara came into the game last Saturday. I think his route-running ability was wasted on Milton's bad timing and he and the younger passer might have a connection going already. Roman Wilson and Giles Jackson should continue to get reps too, but you just can't start all of them. Wilson in particular was probably the best receiver in the first couple weeks but he might be best-suited as a rotational player at the moment. Jackson has a bunch of catches but hasn't been getting many yards and hasn't scored a TD yet. Again, I believe he has had to work too hard to haul in Milton's passes in order to make a play with the ball in his hands.</p><p><br /></p><p>TE - Nick Eubanks</p><p>Erick All is another player that I feel should get an immediate second chance with a new passer in the lineup. Once again, I feel Milton just wasn't delivering catchable balls in live action. I am sure it's a lot different in practice, but it just wasn't working in games. Give the kid a break here and let him prove himself under different circumstances. He is a decent blocker so it would be a shame to remove him from the field of play. Eubanks might be one of the few veteran leaders on the team, and he is pretty reliable. The fact that he only has four catches is bit mind boggling. Part of the problem might be the overall lack of snaps with the offense not able to get a fresh set of downs. Start Eubanks now and give All some targets too.</p><p><br /></p><p>OL - Jalen Mayfield, Andrew Stueber, Andrew Vastardis, Ryan Hayes, and Karsen Barnhart OR Zak Zinter</p><p>The six guys above have seemed to be the most consistent of the linemen throughout the first half of the 2020 season. Mayfield is a pro talent. Steuber can play guard or tackle. Vastardis is smart. Hayes is athletic. And both Barnhart and Zinter have passed up some veterans on the depth chart to get their feet wet over the last couple weeks. If Mayfield and Hayes get healthy this unit could be very good. Otherwise, it's a just a bunch of young kids and inexperienced kids learning on the fly. Trevor Keegan is another young kid who has been pushing for playing time. He could take over at left guard as Chuck Filiaga doesn't look that good.</p><p><br /></p><p>DL - Kwity Paye, Carlo Kemp and Christopher Hinton</p><p>This line has really struggled this year, even when they have been healthy. Things got ugly with both Aiden Hutchinson and Kwity Paye out against Wisconsin. Moving forward there needs to be some serious evaluation of talent, and I believe at this moment the team should go back to using three down linemen. But instead of making them cover two gaps, employ more of a 4-0-4 defense that would line two linemen to lined up just inside the tackles. Their jobs would be to crash the "B" gaps and penetrate the backfield. Paye (when he's healthy) and Kemp can do that job. So can Julius Welschof and Taylor Upshaw as backups there. Then the nose tackle will crash one of the two "A" gaps. Hinton, along with Donovan Jeter and Jess Speight should be able to handle that duty. The other "A" gap will get covered by an inside 'backer. This type of scheme is an attacking one that uses minimal numbers of defenders to clog up the lanes between the tackles. It also does not put undersized linemen in a position where they have to take on double-teams or cover two gaps at once. </p><p><br /></p><p>LB - Cam McGrone, Josh Ross, Michael Barrett, and Anthony Solomon</p><p>With the team going back to using three down linemen, the team should then throw it's best four linebackers out there to make the defense faster overall. All four guys can run, tackle, and cover, and they each will take turns rushing the passer and crashing lanes. </p><p><br /></p><p>DB - Vincent Gray, Gemon Green, Brad Hawkins, and Dax Hill</p><p>Yes the corners have been picked on a lot over the last three weeks by both opposing teams and the officials. It hasn't helped that there is very little in terms of a pass-rush right now. It's just hard to say how good this group can actually be but the body language so far has not been impressive. However, with a big game against Rutgers they could gain a little confidence and right the ship. I for one am willing to give this starting four another shot this week. Just keep the backups ready to go in case they struggle early. If some shifting needs to occur here I would move Hill into one of the corner spots and play either Sammy Faustin or Makari Paige at free safety. One other note here: STOP USING MAN COVERAGES! </p>Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948686673132534670.post-89359099096498059942020-11-10T17:20:00.002-08:002020-11-10T17:20:47.665-08:00Game Planning: A Statistical Analysis and How to Win More Games<p>Rushing</p><p>One cannot have a conversation about the Michigan running game without talking about injuries along the offensive line. That was clearly an issue in the second half against the Spartans and the entire game against the Hoosiers. Losing both starting tackles and reshuffling three-fifths of the offensive line as a result was a huge blow to a position group that was questionable going into the season to begin with. And it has contributed greatly to inconsistency in the line play, which has hurt the run-game the most over the last two games. Hassan Haskins and Zach Charbonnet are still averaging 7.8 yards per carry between them. It would be a real head-scratcher if Josh Gattis doesn't start to lean on those two guys more as the season progresses. So far they have only averaged 10 carries per game combined. They should be getting at least 10 carries per game each, if not 12 to 15, especially when you consider that nobody else with more than two carries on the season is averaging more than four yards per carry. If this team wants any chance of beating Ohio State it needs to recognize who its play-makers are and what their identity is on offense. It's not hard to see that Haskins is your best option to start and Charbonnet is your best option to sub. So why is Haskins not even getting any reps until the second quarter in Bloomington? Chris Evans and Blake Corum should get some opportunities in third and long situations, but if I were coaching I would reduce the number of reps they are getting in favor of the top two guys in the rotation. They just aren't as consistent. Once the O-line gets healthy and settled in a bit then maybe the entire room could start to actually do some damage on the ground. It sounds like both Ryan Hayes and Jalen Mayfield could both be back for Wisconsin this week. That could be key and is something to be monitored. </p><p><br /></p><p>Passing</p><p>Once again, it's hard to talk about the passing game without mentioning the struggles along the O-line. Joe Milton has faced a decent amount of pressure the last couple weeks, so that just needs to stop. It at least needs to slow down a little bit. Otherwise, we will start to see more interceptions being thrown by the young passer. Statistically speaking, Milton doesn't look terrible. But while he doesn't look bad on paper he has looked erratic in live action. He needs help getting settled into a rhythm and finding a groove. It happened against a wounded Minnesota team, but it hasn't happened in the weeks since. The receivers haven't always been there to help out and they definitely should shoulder some of the blame. In all, there have been several catchable balls that have been dropped downfield, including four by tight end Erick All. Harbaugh coincidentally touted him as having the best hands on the team before the season eve started. It's easy for a fan to see how different the last two weeks could've turned out for the team had he caught the balls thrown right to him in those respective contests. In other words, they were drive killers and led to another punt. All will be given some opportunities to redeem himself but I would expect the staff to begin relying on 5th-year senior Nick Eubanks more now that he is recovered from a preseason injury. Junior Ronnie Bell has shown up as the team's top returning wide-out. He is averaging over 19 yards per catch on nearly five catches per game. True freshman Roman Wilson statistically is the most productive receiver per snap count, so we should expect to see him getting more reps going forward. Cornelius Johnson is starting emerge too, and once the rest of the offense starts improving I believe we will see him gain some momentum as a pass-catcher. He truly might have the best hands in the unit. Giles Jackson and Mike Saintristil have been very disappointing for the most part. I believe Gattis should pull back the reigns on these two a little bit in favor of the other three guys I already mentioned. Maybe they should just concentrate on their return games more. It could just be what's best for the team. I would also like to see a little more of freshman A.J. Henning as one of the top subs, as he might actually be the most explosive athlete in the bunch.</p><p><br /></p><p>Defensive Front</p><p>Two things really stand out to me here: 1. The team has not produced a sack in two back to back losses. 2. Safety Brad Hawkins leads the team in tackles on the season. Those two stats tell me that the defensive line is getting handled by opposing offensive lines so they aren't able to generate real pressure up front and the running backs they are facing are consistently getting a few yards downfield before being hit. The fact the team has only registered a total of 14 tackles for a loss and both starting inside linebackers are third and fourth in total tackles in three games is a testament to the front four's inability to penetrate the backfield and wreak havoc behind the line. Perhaps nobody has been more disappointing than end Aiden Hutchinson. Up until his potential season-ending injury in the first half against Indiana, he had yet to post a sack or a single tackle for a loss on the season. He was also just sixth on the total tackles list. I hate to say it but I was simply expecting more from him. Even in the win against Minnesota I thought he had gotten pushed around too much. Is it possible that the weight he lost in the off-season was good weight worth keeping? Meanwhile, fellow end Kwity Paye has been the best player on the entire defense with five of the team's six QB pressures last Saturday at Indiana. He also leads the team in sacks (2) and TFL's (4). Outside of Donovan Jeter's fumble return for a touchdown, the top three interior tackles haven't really done much. Carlo Kemp has easily been the most consistent player on the interior, but that really isn't saying too much. The time for Jeter to step up is now, as it is for fellow tackle and former <i>5-Star </i>recruit Christopher Hinton. If they don't soon it will be the longest eight-game season ever. </p><p><br /></p><p>The Secondary</p><p>Well there is no hiding from the fact that the Michigan corners are playing with little to no confidence at the moment. It's gotten so bad that they are drawing pass interference calls on plays where the ball is really just getting thrown away but they panic because they lost sight of it. Yes, it can be argued that many of the penalties where undue, but no team in the conference is worse than Michigan right now in yards given up on penalties this season, with a large portion of them coming against starting corners Vincent Gray and Gemon Green. Gray has actually been the worst player on defense the last two weeks and he just looks like a fish out of water. Something has to be done to restore his confidence, though one good game could do just that. In the meantime, I expect to see Dax Hill getting more responsibilities lined up on top opponents. He is the most explosive athlete and possesses the best coverage skills in the secondary. He should be lined up on the number one guy most of the time, particularly in obvious passing situations. I would then sit Gray on the bench for a little bit, bringing him in for some sub packages. Give Green the nod over Gray simply because he has more passes defended and not as many penalties given up. In all, he has just been the more confident player despite looking lost a few times too. I think we need to see more guys like D.J. Turner II, Jalen Perry, Sammy Faustin, and Makari Paige getting reps in the defensive backfield over Gray until he begins to prove himself once again. At any rate, if Hill is covering wide-outs then somebody will need to fill in at the safety spot next to Hawkins. </p><p><br /></p><p>So, basically, Michigan's recipe for success for the remainder of the season is this:</p><p>Step 1. <b>Get Healthy</b> - This is particularly in regards to the offensive line. It's too much to ask of the unit with both starting tackles out with injury. The linebackers could stand to be a little healthier too and their production isn't quite where I had hoped so far this season. Losing Hutchinson to injury for an indefinite amount of time is huge too.</p><p>Step 2. <b>Cut the Penalties</b> - Get better in this department and the team should at least automatically not lose all the rest of the games on the schedule. If they stay at the bottom of the conference then they could very well stay there in the overall standings as well. </p><p>Step 3. <b>Find the Playmakers</b> - Harbaugh and Gattis seem to have ignored the obvious in the last couple games and opted to not feed the ball to their most productive players, instead displaying a determination to spread the ball around. Hopefully they will begin to identify their top five or six playmakers and start focusing on getting them the ball, despite whether or not it hurts anybody's feelings. On offense, feed the ball to Haskins and Charbonnet on the ground and target Bell, Wilson, and Johnson more through the air. On defense, get Hill in position to cover top opposing targets and find somebody to rush the passer. </p>Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948686673132534670.post-34251017474656725742020-10-31T05:32:00.001-07:002020-11-10T05:28:46.483-08:002021 Recruiting by Position<p> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Defense</b></span>:</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Defensive Line</b> - Michigan needs some guys to develop here as it looks like the team is set for the next couple years along the line. Hutch, Paye, and Kemp might all be gone after 2020, though they all would have the option to stay according to the NCAA and Big Ten Covid-19 response, but guys like Christopher Hinton, Donovan Jeter, Julius Welschof, Taylor Upshaw, and David Ojabo all appear to be ready to compete for a starting position. While whoever signs this year could have a realistic shot at winning a spot themselves, it will be tough to crack the two-deep for the foreseeable future so they will need to be patient and keep working to be ready when their names are eventually called. </p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Quinton Somerville (DE) 6'1"/230lbs <i>4-Star </i> Grade: 84 - Should be ready to compete early at weakside end or possibly Sam linebacker.</li><li>Kechaun Bennett (DE) 6'4"/220lbs <i>4-Star</i> Grade: 82 - A slightly underrated prospect that could be a steal.</li><li>T.J. Guy (DE/DT) 6'4"/240lbs <i>3-Star </i> Grade: 76 - A project that will need a few years.</li><li>Dominick Guidice (DE/DT) 6'3"/250lbs <i>3-Star </i> Grade: 72 - Another project that Harbaugh thinks can gain some weight in order to slide inside as a disruptive tackle. </li></ol><div><b>D-Line Prospect Grade: C</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><i>Quick Analysis: Missed on all the real top talent but cleaned up in the second wave of talent. I see two future starters coming out of this group with others all having opportunities to contribute down the road. Only Somerville looks like a potential difference-maker at this point, though he will be limited due to his size. </i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Linebackers: </b>This position looks set with its starters for the next year or two but will need some bodies to pad the depth chart and develop for when the starters finally move on to the NFL. Michigan, it seems, has become a factory for top linebacker talent in the last few years and the overall talent level just keeps getting better. I predict that the Wolverines will have another one drafted in the first round in the next couple drafts. </div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Brandon Jennings (Will/Sam) 6'3"/225lbs <i>4-Star </i> Grade: 86 - A top prospect with all the gifts. Could compete right away. </li><li>Junior Colson (Viper) 6'2"/228lbs <i>4-Star</i> Grade: 85 - Harbaugh has compared him to Jabrill Peppers. Enough said. </li><li>Jaydon Hood (Mike) - 6'1"/220lbs 4-Star Grade: 80 - Might not be as highly regarded as the other two prospects here, but he too could be ready to compete early in his career. </li><li>Tyler McLaurin (Viper/Sam) - 6'2"/210lbs 3-Star Grade: 76 - Instinctive player that needs to develop himself into a college player though he still has a relatively high ceiling. </li></ol><div><b>Linebacker Prospect Grade: A+</b></div></div><div><b><i><br /></i></b></div><div><i>Quick Analysis: To put it simply, this is the best haul of 'backers in the Big Ten and one of the top groups in the nation. All four could be starters some day with opportunities to be something special.</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><b>Defensive Backs:</b> While this group also looks set for the next year or two, the talent level starting at corner might not be as high as the coaches would like. There is room for a top talent to take over a spot and there are already young guys on the team that could challenge in the upcoming year. It would be nice to get one big time corner prospect to throw in that mix next season while nabbing two other guys to develop as well.</div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Rod Moore (S) 5'11"/180lbs<i> 3-Star</i> Grade: 77 - A solid safety recruit that can hit and cover but looks like he needs a year or two in the weightroom. </li><li>Ja'Den McBurrows (CB) 5'10"/160lbs 3-Star Grade: 76 - A human highlight reel on the Florida High School circuit. Needs to add some bulk but has a high enough of a ceiling to get excited about.</li></ol><div><b>Secondary Prospect Grade: C-</b></div></div><div><br /></div><div><i>Analysis: On the surface this doesn't look like a great haul but it's about what was needed or expected for this cycle. The safety and corner rooms have a lot of scholarship players in them at the moment and with additional years of eligibility handed out due to the pandemic it's hard to imagine this group as whole losing much in the next couple years. Look for the team to load up on DB talent in 2022 with several top targets already in the mix.</i></div><p></p>Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948686673132534670.post-27232713876514824242020-10-30T07:26:00.004-07:002020-10-31T04:27:18.995-07:00The State Line: Defensive Match Up with Sparty with ProjectionsUltimately, the defense played just fine last Saturday against Minnesota. Yes, there were a lot of yards given up on the ground to Mohamed Ibrahim, including a couple scores. I am okay with that though, and I'll tell you two reasons why. First, Ibrahim is good and should be given credit. He already has one 1,000 yard rushing season on his resume and he has a veteran O-line in front of him so expect a lot of carries coming his way throughout the season. Secondly, despite the fact that Ibrahim rushed for 140 yards, as team the Gophers only managed 129 total rushing yards. The Michigan run defense will be just fine with some minor tweaking and I expect them to perform week in and week out this season. The fact that the Wolverines were able to snuff out what was a threatening passing attack returning from last season was worth whatever yards they gave up to a traditional running back. <div><br /></div><div>Anyway, what should the defense be focusing on against Sparty tomorrow? Basically, more of the same would be sufficient. Thank you. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's a little short today as I don't have a ton of time. It shouldn't be complicated though. </div><div><br /></div><div>Positional projections against Sparty:</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Defensive Line:</b> Too many yards were given up certain plays against Minnesota. I think it's a bit nitpicky to focus in on any negatives though, as the team defense performed above expectations overall. They even put six points on the board when Donovan Edwards snatched a fumble out of mid-air. Let's keep it simple here. MSU will look to put some yards up through the air. They probably think their receivers match up well with the Michigan secondary, so any kind of pass rush would help out a lot. Spartan QB Rocky Lombardi has an arm and he is capable of throwing for 300 yards, as he did last week against Rutgers. So keeping him below 200 like they did to Tanner Morgan while collecting a few more sacks should be the goal. In the end, I don't believe that Spartan O-line can hold up to the waves of talent that Michigan will seek to unleash on them throughout the game. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Projection (as a group): 20 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, 4 sacks - 100 yards rushing allowed</i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Linebackers:</b> Again, the linebackers did a good job last week despite how it looked on the surface. And the fact that Josh Ross got a pick was a nice cherry on the top as it was a testament to their commitment and ability to play in coverage. I expect to see them all over the field this Saturday, and I am willing to bet we see some of the freshmen play too. Kalel Mullings did record a stat last week to the tune of a 1 pass defended, so that's a great start. Now let's see those youngsters go out and make some tackles. </div><div><br /></div><div><i>Projection: 25 tackles, 4 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble - 100 yards rushing allowed and NO runs over 10 yards allowed.</i></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Defensive Backs:</b> No group surprised me more last weekend than the corners. Hawkins and Hill were as advertised for the most part, but Vincent Gray and Gemon Green did just enough to keep Minnesota's two proven receivers out of the end zone. They did give up some yards but that should be expected when you are playing a guy who averaged 20 yards per catch last season and is projected as a first round pick. The big question for me is the depth back here. We didn't really see any other corners. The team actually didn't run as much nickel or dime packages a one would expect, instead utilizing the versatile talent at linebacker to help in coverage. Just like the 'backers, I want to see more of the young DBs getting playing time in this one too. Makari Paige got a lot of work in the second half last week and I want to see him continue getting opportunities to work out his freshman kinks. He seemed a little too slow to react in his first game, which is understandable. Nobody just becomes a great college player overnight. I specifically would like to see more D.J. Turner II, Jalen Perry, and some other freshmen getting reps too. This group will get challenged early and often. They need to prove they can turn it up another notch and shut down some good receivers. Yes, the MSU receivers are good, but are they as good as the Gophers? Probably not.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Projection: 20 tackles, 4 passes defended, 2 interceptions, 1 TD - 200 yards passing allowed</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Score Prediction: Wolverines 59 - Spartans 20</div>Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948686673132534670.post-12137103799760592632020-10-29T06:52:00.007-07:002020-10-29T06:52:50.214-07:00The State Line: Offensive Match Up with Sparty with Projections<p>Okay, let's not beat around the bush here. Michigan has one mission this week, and that is to completely destroy Sparty on the field. And by destroy, I mean that they have to obliterate the 25 point spread by another 20 points. Send a message to East Lansing and take full control of this rivalry once again. Harbaugh already has the 3-2 advantage. Going 4-2 with a true beat down would solidify the fact that things are indeed still heading in the right direction in Ann Arbor (but not so much in East Lansing). </p><p>So, without further adieu, let's set some goals for each positional group for this game...</p><p><br /></p><p>Quarterback: Joe Milton - I saw some early signs on Saturday that this is becoming Milton's team. Not only did he take command of the offense, but the senior players rallied around him and the entire team competed extremely hard. There is actually some real veteran leadership on a team that lost a ton of production from a year ago. The offense definitely now resembles more of what we were expecting from OC Josh Gattis when he was hired a year and a half ago, and a lot of that has to do with Milton. Not only does he have a strong arm, but he displayed patience, a quick release, and an ability to gain yards with his feet. And he made basically one mistake all night long that was of any consequence, resulting in a sack. The only sack of the night. Though he didn't blow up the stat sheet, he was supremely efficient. That is something most people were not expecting. He truly has come a long way. But how far has he come? Well, we should know more after this week. I want to see Milton connect on some long balls. Not one or two but like three or four. I want to see him take advantage of a the team speed he has around him going up against a suspect MSU defense. And I want to see him throw for over 300 yards and be out of the game early in the fourth quarter. </p><p>Projected Stat Line: 70% completion rate, 300+ passing yards, 3 pass TD's, 50+ rushing yards, 1 rush TD</p><p><br /></p><p>Running Backs: Zach Charbonnet, Hassan Haskins, Blake Corum, Chris Evans - Who wasn't happy about the performance from the running backs? They averaged 8.3 yards per carry as a team and scored five touchdowns on the ground. Let's not get too complicated here. Sparty will present some challenges but they didn't dominate Rutgers up front, so what would make me think they would stop the Wolverines? I want and expect to see Michigan attack the Spartan defense in a variety of ways, and I expect the running backs to collectively eclipse 200 yards rushing and three touchdowns for a second consecutive week. It's hard to imagine anybody will average 17 yards per carry in this one, but if the team average can stay above 6.5 that would be incredible. </p><p>Projected Stat Line (as a group): 225 yards rushing, 4 rush TD's, 50+ yards receiving, 1 rec TD</p><p><br /></p><p>Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: Ronnie Bell, Giles Jackson, Mike Saintristil, Erick All, Roman Wilson, Cornelius Johnson, A.J. Henning, Nick Eubanks, Luke Schoonmaker - This group surprisingly lit it up as blockers last week and I hope to see more of the same type of hustle this week too. It would go a long way towards crushing Sparty if they can spring some long runs. However, I would like to see more downfield opportunities for connections downfield. Milton has too big of an arm and these guys have too much speed to not take a few more shots in this one. I would also like to see tight end Erick All get more targets. I think he is on the verge of becoming a big weapon for this team. I would also like to see Cornelius Johnson get some reps. I was surprised we didn't see much or any of him last week.</p><p>Projected State Line: 200+ receiving yards, 16 yards per catch average, 3 TD's</p>Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948686673132534670.post-733627946842382402020-10-27T05:12:00.006-07:002020-10-29T06:07:25.957-07:00Minnesota Re-View: Quick Analysis and Grades<p>Wow! Ok, I wasn't expecting that type of game. I feel bad for the Gophers due to the fact that they were missing a few players, including their starting special teams kicker and punter as well as two-fifths of their O-line. I picked Michigan to win 28-24. That reshuffling of the O-line led to a lot of pressure to be put on quarterback Tanner Morgan. It also resulted in a defensive score. </p><p>It's not like Michigan wasn't without it's best wide receiver and cover corner though either. Both Nico Collins and Ambry Thomas decided to opt-out of the 2020 season and instead focus on the upcoming NFL draft. I don't blame them. And good luck. I was happy to be impressed by their replacements. More on that later. </p><p>Let's break it down position by position: </p><p><b>Quarterback:</b> It wasn't as if new starting quarterback Joe Milton had a lights-out jaw-dropping performance. Even at first glance the 15-22 for 225 yards and one touchdown stat line doesn't seem all that impressive for a big-time college quarterback. But when you truly break the number down and re-watch the film you see a kid in total command of the offense. Most importantly, he looks like he is relaxed and enjoying it. He really didn't make but a few mistakes all night long, and none of them were momentum killing ones by any means. He never turned the ball over and completed 68% of his passes to finish with a 169.09 QB rating. He was quick on his reads and got the ball out of his hands quickly and with authority. He also ran the ball for an additional 52 yards and a score and never really looked like he broke a sweat. It was impressive. </p><p><b>Grade: A</b></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Running Back:</b> Zach Charbonnet could be working his way into one of the best running backs that Michigan has had since the '90's. I know that is saying a lot, but he was teetering on <i>5-Star</i> territory as a recruit, he had 11 TD's as a freshman, and he is a rocked-out 225-230lbs that can block as well as tote the ball. I thought he would have a big impact on the game. I didn't expect him to out-run the entire Minnesota defense for a 70 yard score on the first play of the second drive. I understand the Gophers had blown their coverage before the snap and left a gap in the middle of the field, but a few of their DB's attempted to chase him down and could not gain a step. It wasn't even close. Hassan Haskins was equally impressive throughout the night with two scores of his own. Collectively they rushed for 152 yards on just 10 carries for three scores. Chris Evans, who was seeing his first action for the Wolverines since 2018, also got a couple nice runs and a score in to the cheers of his teammates. I was happy for him, as was Coach Harbaugh. Ben Mason was a beast all night as a blocker and helped set the tone of the game early with a 15 yard unsportsmanlike penalty on a relentless sideline block and an eight yard TD reception in the first quarter of the game. Yes, the penalty cost the team field position but the fact that no more critical mistakes were made the rest of the night and he made up for it with a leaping score leads me to believe his energy and senior leadership is an overall positive thing. He really helped get the juices flowing. Oh, and freshman Blake Corum actually started the game in a two-back set and had a nice catch and run out of the backfield for 24 yards to open the game. He looked very quick, shifty, and strong. </p><p><b>Grade: A</b></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Wide Receivers/Tight Ends:</b> There weren't really many stand-out plays by the receivers and none of them scored in this particular contest. Surprisingly though, for a group of players being heralded for their speed, they did a lot of dirty work on the perimeter with their blocking. Just watch that <a href="<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/k3dZTDdxIWQ" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>">TD run by Charbonnet</a>. There were two sophomores and a freshman lined up at receiver on that play and all three of them made something happen to help create space. Giles Jackson and Roman Wilson both threw some really good blocks in the box while Mike Saintristil was on the far side of the field where he threw a quick block on the DB in front of him and then simply out-hustled the guy in pursuit of the play. It was all great work and shining example of how these players have seemingly bought in to the offense. Ronnie Bell led the team with four catches for 74 yards (18.5 yd avg) and also did well on his blocks. Tight end Erik All kinda had a breakout performance, or at least it would've been if he hadn't dropped a sure touchdown pass delivered perfectly by Milton. He did a great job attempting to make up for it on the next play though and his blocking was great all night. He ended up with a couple of nice receptions for only 33 yards, but I have a strong feeling we will see more from him throughout the season. </p><p><b>Grade: B+</b></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Offensive Line:</b> I told everybody that this offensive line would be fine. They were not really a worry for me much at all. I have it all in writing. It's a veteran unit filled with talented guys peaking at the right time in their respective careers. Jalen Mayfield and Andrew Stueber were dang near perfect together on the right side. Center Andrew Vastardis played so well he might have been one of the Players of the Game. Seriously, just watch every touchdown run the Wolverines had along the goal line Saturday night. Vastardis was all over defenders. On the left side, Chuck Filiaga and Ryan Hayes mostly had quiet nights, but in the world of offensive linemen that is a good thing. </p><p><b>Grade: A</b></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Defensive Line:</b> Kwity Paye came alive late in the game and had an impressive stretch to help him end the night with three tackles for a loss and two sacks on top of four solo tackles. He is legit. Aiden Hutchinson didn't shine quite as much but still had a nice game (5 tkls). Tackle Carlo Kemp made his presence known a few times as well with a sack and a tackle for loss. The two surprises of the night for me, however, were backup tackles Donovan Jeter, who scored on a fumble recovery, and Julius Welschof, who got in on a sack and a tackle for a loss in limited action. The only reason this group doesn't get an 'A' is because they gave up a little too much on the ground. </p><p><b>Grade: B+</b></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Linebackers:</b> Running Back Mohamed Ibrahim ran wild on the Michigan defense to the tune of 140 yards. I know he is a good back and all but is he really that good? I don't know. Overall, this group played well though. Coach Harbaugh called new Viper Michael Barrett both the "Defensive Player of the Game and Special Teams Player of the Game". I expected good things from him but nothing quite that magical. Cam McGrone and Josh Ross were both solid enough but they can be better, particularly against the run. Ross did have a very nice interception.</p><p><b>Grade: B</b></p><p><br /></p><p>Defensive Backs: Gemon Green may have impressed me the most out of all the players on the night. I was a little worried about this match up with those Minnesota receivers but Green showed up and played very well. He was often covering talented receiver Rashod Bateman and he got the better of him, particularly in the endzone. He ended up with two passes defended with multiple incomplete passes being thrown his way. Vincent Gray was good too. Safety Dax Hill was making his presence felt throughout the game in the first half but he got hurt and never returned, and Brad Hawkins was second on the team in tackles. Freshman Makari Paige played in Hill's absence and seemed to get better as the game went on. If he keeps improving he is going to be a very good player for Michigan. </p><p><b>Grade: A</b></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Kicking:</b> Jake Moody was 7-0 on extra points but 0-3 on field goals. Quinn Nordin is nursing and injury so he couldn't help out. The one punt that was attempted was blocked. Not a good night for kicking.</p><p><b>Grade: D+</b></p>Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948686673132534670.post-29753279919174180792020-10-23T06:24:00.000-07:002020-10-23T06:24:18.905-07:00Michigan Positional Projections<p><b> <span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">Offense</span></b></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>The Running Backs Vs. The Gopher Linebackers</b> - Michigan has one of the top backfield rotations in the nation coming into 2020. They could be capable of doing just about everything out of the backfield, whether it's running, receiving, or blocking. That gives the offense a ton of flexibility. That strength becomes even more of an asset when you look across the line and see the lack of production returning in the Minnesota front seven. I've talked about it before already: they have some good-looking bodies to fill in the front six of their primary 4-2-5 scheme but they lose all their best players, including six of their top seven tacklers. The biggest loss of all for them might be that of LB Thomas Barber, who has been a leader in the middle of that defense since 2016. It just seems logical from so many different perspectives to try to feed the ball to the likes of Zach Charbonnet, Chris Evans, and Hassan Haskins in a variety of designed ways. I expect to see a lot of work from them all. We might even see freshman Black Corum a little bit. And if one of them gets really hot they will ride him out. Michigan would benefit from letting them do a lot of dirty work in the short to intermediate areas. Perhaps they can force Minnesota to bring some more defenders up closer to the box in more of a 4-3 or 4-4 and opening up more opportunities downfield. <i>Bold Prediction: The Wolverines will reach 200 rushing yards as a team with (at least) one guy breaking 100. </i></li><li><b>The Offensive Line Vs. the Gopher Defensive Line</b> - The offensive line might be the single-most important x-factor going into this game. Many folks seem to have doubts about it after losing four of five starters to the NFL. Personally, I kinda like the way it looks. First of all, there are three players entrenched at their positions with previous starting experience already, with at least one of them being a future high draft pick. And the other two guys projected to start among the five are a senior and a grad student. Hardly spring chickens. Overall, the line looks bigger AND more athletic. It just doesn't have the overall experience of the last group and it admittedly took a big hit with the loss of center Cesar Ruiz to the Saints in the first round. However, fifth-year senior and former walk-on Andrew Vastardis could save the day. He doesn't have to do too much. He just needs to make the right calls and hold his ground or hit his targets when he pulls. The rest of the line is big and talented enough to move piles of opponents off the line, and they have all been playing with each other in practice for the last three or four years. Thus, I believe the run-game will benefit and that should play a huge role in how this game against the Gophers plays out. Also, if they can hold off what looks like a somewhat weak pass-rush by Minnesota then Joe Milton will have more time to stand back and look for open guys down-field. He definitely has the arm to hit any target on the field. <i>Prediction: See above. Also, Milton will have the time to find his mark when he needs to but this won't be the huge breakout game for him due to the fact that the backs will hog up the touches. </i></li></ol><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: large;">Defense</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Defensive Line Vs. The Gopher Offensive Line</b> - Minnesota returns its entire offensive line from last year's record-setting offense. On the surface that sounds nice. On paper, it doesn't really look all that great. They do have one definite NFL-caliber player in tackle Daniel Faalele, but the rest of the group is mostly just okay. As a unit, they were one of the worst lines in the conference in sacks allowed, ranking 94th in the nation. They also only ran for 4.1 yards per carry with some <i>All-Time</i> Gopher backs toting the ball. Michigan, on the contrary, allowed only 3.2 yards per carry last season while running a three-man front. This year they are expected to run more traditional 4-3 fronts, which will allow ends Aiden Hutchinson and Kwity Paye more freedom to harrass QB Tanner Morgan. That is actually a match-up I really like despite Faalele's potential. I also really like the Carlo Kemp-Christopher Hinton-Donovan Jeter-Jess Speight rotation on the inside. There are a couple backup ends looking for an opportunity to breakout too, so the starters could still be somewhat fresh come fourth quarter if the coaches allow more players reps. <i>Prediction: The D-line will get at least three sacks on the night, thus doing there part in shutting down the passing attack.</i> </li><li><b>The Linebackers Vs. The Gopher Running Backs</b> - Mohamed Ibrahim led the team in rushing back in 2018. He still averaged over five yards per carry in a three-back rotation last year. He could get the ball 15-20 times in this contest, though I don't believe he will find much success. Michigan's two inside 'backers are among the best in the conference and both should get some <i>All-Conference</i> honors at the end of the season. The primary outside linebacker, or "Viper", will be Michael Barrett. I really love his speed (4.5 forty) and potential as a play-maker. He is even a decent kick returner and special teams coverage player, so he should be on the field quite a bit. Ben VanSumeren and David Ojabo will man the fourth linebacker spot, or "Sam", though you won't see those formations as often as we did last year when the team ran a 3-4 most of the season. The biggest concern at linebacker is the depth, though sophomore Anthony Solomon and a pair of freshman bring a lot of promise. If I were Don Brown, I would task the two inside guys with eliminating any threat of a run-game so that the Viper can focus on stopping the Gopher passing attack by dropping into coverage and rushing the passer. The tight ends and backs are not much of a threat receiving so it's possible we will see an extra defensive back utilized to keep a receiver from releasing deep. It might be a good strategy to double up on Rashod Batemen, as he is without a doubt Minnesota's best player and it would be ridiculous to think they won't try to get him the ball more than anybody else out wide. <i>Prediction: Gopher running backs will not reach 100 yards on the ground and they will average under 3.5 yards per carry on the night. </i></li></ol><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #b45f06; font-size: large;"><b>The Two Minnesota Advantages that Could Sink All Michigan Efforts:</b></span></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Quarterback Tanner Morgan Vs. The Michigan Secondary</b> - Michigan is down a proven coverage player or two from realistically winning this match up. Some young, inexperienced players will need to step up, as will junior Vincent Gray, who now finds himself as the top corner after playing a lot as the third corner last season. He could be ready for the lead job but I am not totally confident. He just looks like a better two to me, which makes the loss of Ambry Thomas hurt that much more. Gemon Green will probably start opposite Gray, but D.J. Turner II, Jalen Perry, Sammy Faustin and a pair of freshman safeties will all get some playing time somewhere. Honestly, I think they can do the job but I just don't think they will be able to bottle up that perimeter attack all night long, and we should expect to some fireworks from Morgan. If Michigan can keep his passing yards below 250 and limit the number of big plays that go downfield, then it could be just enough to win the game. Michigan does have a very good pair of safeties in the middle of the secondary. In fact, they are so good that I believe we will see them line up in a variety of spots. We will see them closer to the box like a linebacker. We will see them lined up on the slot receiver as a nickel. We will also them running down balls 30 yards deep. Brad Hawkins is quietly one of the team's senior leaders. I think he will be an NFL safety some day soon. Dax Hill, on the other hand, looks like he has the speed and athleticism of a future high first round pick. The word on the street is that the <i>5-Star</i> from Texas is already the best coverage player on the team, so it would probably be dumb to think that he won't be moved around in an attempt to eliminate an opposing player on any given play. </li><li><b>The Minnesota Secondary Vs. The Michigan Receivers</b> - The Gophers return three key players to their secondary in safety Jordan Howden and corners Benjamin St-Juste and Coney Durr. They will collectively cover a lot of ground back there on defense and it could prove to be real tough sleddin' for a young Michigan receiving corps that will not field a single senior player. The one veteran guy is junior Ronnie Bell, who led the team in catches last season, but the rest is all sophomores and freshmen among those expected to play. It actually would not surprise me to see the offense utilize its plethora of running backs more as receivers in this game to take advantage of any mismatches underneath. The tight ends could find some opportunities in the middle of the field too. The depth actually isn't very good back there for Minnesota, so if Milton gets enough time to make his reads he could very well find a third, fourth, or fifth option open. Some guys need to step up. Cornelius Johnson, Giles Jackson, Mike Saintristil, A.J. Henning, and Roman Wilson are all on my watch list. There are a lot of recruiting stars lined up right there. Luckily, I don't believe Minnesota's passrush will be that great so that could put too much pressure on the DB's to stay in coverage longer, which also benefits the speedier Wolverines. Again, this is just another reason why I think the Michigan offense will only go as far as the line will allow it. Because giving Milton time is the only way I think he can truly beat this secondary. </li></ol></div></div><p></p>Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948686673132534670.post-85250621294228370802020-10-20T15:00:00.000-07:002020-10-20T15:00:07.372-07:00Blind Projection: Matching Up With the Gophers<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Key Matchups to Watch:</b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Minnesota WR Rashod Bateman Vs. The Michigan Cornerbacks</span></b> - Bateman is arguably the Gophers best player. He is a possible first round prospect that could go as high as the top 10. LSU's Jamar Chase might be the only receiver currently ranked higher by many scouts. It could be argued that he benefitted from playing with record setting Gophers like WR Tyler Johnson and RB Rodney Smith. At any rate, I expect P.J. Fleck and his quarterback, Tanner Morgan, to attempt to get Bateman the ball as much as possible against a suspect group of Michigan corners. They are just too young and inexperienced for Bateman to not take total advantage of them if he is in fact a top NFL receiving prospect. Because as much as I think junior Vincent Gray can be a good cover guy, I personally wouldn't put my money on him to win that matchup on a regular basis this Saturday. I would seek to mix up some coverages and try to keep him guessing. Throw in a bunch of two and cover three zone schemes to try to keep the offense in front of tacklers all night in hopes the overall team speed on defense can get there to make the play. The defense can actually win this matchup, as even with all those playmakers last season the Gophers still only ranked 4th in the Big Ten and 47th in the nation in passing last season. They were ranked right there with Michigan, Notre Dame, and Temple, so it's not like they were a juggernaut and there is really no reason they will be one this year either. And to think Michigan doesn't have the talent in order to make something work here is a mistake. They definitely do have a wealth of talent that runs deeper than Minnesota's. It's just a matter of whether they are truly ready to play or not. </p><p>Advantage Minnesota</p><p>Confidence Level: 3/10 </p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Minnesota Secondary Vs. The Michigan Passing Attack</span></b> - Minnesota had the ninth best pass defense in the nation last season with their 4-2-5 nickel defense as their base. Corners Benjamin St-Juste, a former Michigan Wolverine, and Coney Durr will be be very good as the starting corners, and Jordan Howden will return as the team's top tackler at one of the safety spots. Gone, however, is <i>All-Big Ten</i> safety Antoine Winfield Jr. who is now making waves in Tampa while starting for the Buccaneers. While they will be without Nico Collins going forward, Michigan does actually bring back its leading pass catcher in Ronnie Bell. He will most-likely have sophomores Cornelius Johnson and Giles Jackson in the starting lineup with him at receiver. Mike Saintristil, A.J. Henning, and Roman Wilson will get some reps too. Collectively, it might be the most speed that the team has had at receiver since Rich Rod was coach. And there are three tight ends on the roster, including team captain Nick Eubanks, who could take advantage of some coverage mismatches. The big difference will be whether or not new starting quarterback Joe Milton can step into the role and deliver passes to guys wearing the same color jersey or not. It is a big first test for the inexperienced passer. I don't doubt that his fourth and fifth options in the passing game should be better than the fourth and fifth coverage players he will be facing. It's just a matter if he is capable of making the reads and finding them. Of course, the offensive line will play a big role in how much time he will have to make his reads, but I believe they will be very good in pass coverage against a suspect Minnesota front seven.</p><p>(Slight) Advantage: Minnesota</p><p>Confidence Level: 4/10 </p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Michigan D-Line Vs. The Minnesota O-line</span> </b>- The Gophers return their entire starting O-line. Among them is at least one NFL prospect in tackle Daniel Faalele, who looks like a top 100-type of prospect. That is a solid base to build an offense around. The one problem is that it's the same offensive line that gave up 30 sacks last season, ranking 94th in the nation in sacks allowed, and Michigan has two future high draft picks in ends Kwity Paye and Aiden Hutchinson attacking from the edges. Both guys could be real nightmares for QB Tanner Morgan. Michigan also returns three tackles with starts to their credit, including returning team captain Carlo Kemp and former <i>5-Star</i> prospect Christopher Hinton, who started against 'Bama. Jess Speight, a former walk-on, also started against 'Bama. Senior Donovan Jeter is apparently challenging him for the job this year though, so there is a possibility that the Wolverines will have exactly the type of four-man tackle rotation they desire up front on defense. Their respective progress from last season will go a long way towards stopping running back Mohamed Ibrahim, but I believe their primary focus up front will be to harass the passer. </p><p>Advantage: Michigan</p><p>Confidence Level: 8/10</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Michigan O-line vs. The Minnesota Front Seven </b></span>- Yes, Michigan technically loses four of its five starters from last year. That is true. It really isn't as bad as it sounds though. Right tackle Jalen Mayfield, arguably the best Michigan tackle since Taylor Lewan, returns on the right side. Andrew Stueber will start at guard next to him. Stueber already has three starts to his credit too, and would've been a starter last season had he not gotten injured. Collectively, those two guys average 6'6" and about 325lbs. That is a lot of mass and it leads me to believe that this could be a combo that nets the Wolverines a ton of rushing yards on the right side of the line this season. Ryan Hayes will start at left tackle and he already has two starts there. Overall his resume so far. along with a ton of raw athleticism on a 6'7"/300lb frame, make me think that he will be just fine as Joe Milton's blind side protector. Senior Chuck Filiaga, a former 4-Star prospect, will get the nod at left guard and fifth-year senior Andrew Vastardis, who is a former walk-on who just earned a scholarship last year, will man the center position. Neither one has ever started a game, so if there is an obvious weak spot to exploit along the line it would be here. The problem for Minnesota is that they are losing six of their top ten tacklers from last season, including their top three guys. They also lose their top two pass-rushers from last year and the two inside 'backers projected to start only combined for 45 tackles last season, so it's fair to say that they are a bit of a question mark up front on defense. They do have some good-looking bodies with perhaps just enough experience to make it work, so nobody should go into the season thinking Coach Fleck and his crew can't find a way to field a good unit. I just think Michigan's O-line is a little underrated and this is the type of matchup that they should be winning on a regular basis. </p><p>Advantage: Michigan</p><p>Confidence Level: 7/10</p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Michigan Running Backs Vs. The Minnesota Linebackers</span></b> - Again, as stated above, the Gophers do not return very much production in their front seven. Notably, the linebackers will be without starting middle linebacker Thomas Barber for the first time since 2016 and there is not much experienced talent to work with on the depth chart, subsequently making the linebacker position one of the biggest question marks on the team. On the other side of the ball, Michigan will be lining up a number of guys that have proven to be real threats in the Big Ten. First, Zach Charbonnet broke the Michigan freshman record with 11 rushing touchdowns. He also proved to be a good pass-blocker and measures in at a very chiseled 6'0"/220lbs. He will start. Hassan Haskins will be the top sub. He is a little more jittery than Charbonnet and is capable of taking over games himself when he gets hot (see Notre Dame, 2019). Chris Evans returns after a one-year suspension from all team activities and he appears to be determined to prove himself once again. He definitely has the talent and his receiving skills make him a threat on third downs. I feel very good with him in the third spot back there. It could all be too much for Minnesota's inexperienced defense. </p><p>Advantage: Michigan</p><p>Confidence Level: 8/10</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Minnesota QB Tanner Morgan Vs. The Michigan Safeties</b></span> - Morgan is one of the top returning passers in the Big Ten and he gives the Gophers a lot of confidence coming into the season. He also has a small array of weapons, most notably receiver Rashod Bateman, so he will be looking to put improve upon his numbers from last season. With such big question marks out at corner for Michigan, it's not hard to imagine that the Gopher passing attack is licking its chops in hopes of making a statement to kick the season off, and they are capable of doing just that. However, Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown is blessed with what appears to be a wealth of talent at safety. So much in fact that it has allowed him to be a little more flexible with some players. He has even mentioned moving sophomore free/cover safety Dax Hill around and using him more like a "chess piece", as he called it, to take advantage of the array of speed and skills he brings to the table. Rover Brad Hawkins is no slouch either, and he also is a very versatile player in his own right. Together they could be the best safety duo in the conference. And with a couple of highly rated upstart freshmen stepping up into backup roles there is potential to see a lot of creativity back there in order to get the job done. I have enough confidence that Michigan has good safeties. I just don't know if they will be used to their full potential or not, and their efforts might not be enough to make up for any shortcomings at corner. </p><p>(Slight) Advantage: Minnesota </p><p>Confidence Level: 5/10</p><p><br /></p><p><b>The Minnesota Running Backs and Tight Ends Vs. The Michigan Linebackers</b> - Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim presents a good challenge for Michigan defenders. He is a solid player at 5'10"/210lbs. He ran for 1,100 yards in 2018 but missed a few games early in 2019, thus giving way to Rodney Smith's fabulous season. Ibrahim still averaged nearly 5.5 yards per carry though. He is limited with what he can do, as he only has seven receptions for 39 yards in two years with the Gophers, so the team will try to find some relief for him on passing downs. If another guy does not emerge this attack could be dead in the water. The tight ends look more like extra linemen out there, and the two top guys they have only had four catches apiece last season. They will all be facing off with a set of inside linebackers in Cam McGrone and Josh Ross that could be an <i>All-Conference</i> duo this year for Michigan. It will be their job to stop any sort of run game. The outside 'backer, or "Viper", is junior Michael Barrett. He played quarterback AND linebacker for a state championship high school team in Georgia. He reportedly runs a 4.5 forty and performed very well on special teams last season. His responsibilities will fall more in the passing game, whether it's dropping into coverage or rushing the passer. Minnesota's offensive line does return intact, but remember they still only rushed for just over four yards per carry as a team last season, ranking sixth in the Conference. On the contrary, Michigan only gave up 3.2 yards per carry last season and their defensive front seven is actually expecting to be improved. If Michigan can keep Minnesota close to three yards per carry without relying on the secondary for much support then that will go a long way towards keeping the offense bottled up.</p><p>Advantage: Michigan</p><p>Confidence Level: 8/10</p><p><br /></p><p>Final Score Prediction: Michigan 28 - 24</p>Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948686673132534670.post-17564821052375832962020-10-16T07:25:00.001-07:002020-10-16T08:44:37.906-07:00Basketball Teaser<p>It's kinda weird that Big Ten football is starting up almost about the same time as Michigan basketball. And just like their gridiron counterpart, the men's hoops team has a lot of questions to answer in regards to who will be in the game day lineup. </p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Point Guard</span> </p><p>Analysis: For the last seven years since Trey Burke left for the NBA, the starting point guard position has been manned by two guys: Derrick Walton Jr. and Xavier Simpson. Both of them became stars in their own right, though neither of them was in Burke's class of play-making ability. They certainly carved out their own little niches at Michigan and gave the fans a lot to cheer for over the better part of a decade. Now it looks like the #1 spot at the helm will be manned by more of a committee this season. Eli Brooks is a bit of a 'tweener who returns to give the position some carry-over from last season, though he might be better-suited at the two-guard position, which he will probably play a lot too. Mike Smith, a grad transfer from Columbia, looks more the part of a true point guard but he can also shoot too, so his skills might also suit the two-spot better. Luckily, Howard's offense isn't as complicated as Beilein's and these guys should be able to make it work. </p><p><i>My starting pick: <b>Mike Smith</b> - A smart guy like this should be able to figure the offense out over the first part of the schedule to get ready to make a run in the Big Ten. I am not worried about his transition from the Ivy League to one of the most competitive basketball conferences in the nation. He hits over 40% from the field, shoots over 80% from the charity strip, and made five assist per game last year, so he should be just fine with ball in his hands when games are on the line. Expect him to play around 30 minutes per game.</i></p><p><i>The backups: <b>Eli Brooks, Zeb Jackson - </b>Jackson could also see some action at the point throughout the season in relief of Smith and Brooks.</i></p><p>Optimistic Fan's Confidence Level (out of 10): 7/10</p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Two-Guard</span> </p><p>Analysis: Brooks and Smith will both get some reps here, particularly early in the season as the coaches look for the lineup that works best for them. Adrien Nuenz, a junior that averaged seven minutes per game last season with very little to show for it, is the only other player returning with any experience at guard. Zeb Jackson, a prized <i>4-Star</i> recruit listed as the #71 prospect in the nation by ESPN, looks the part of a two. He hit 40% of his threes in eight AAU games last year. If he can reach that number and hustles to play defense then he will quickly earn a starting gig in Ann Arbor. </p><p><i>My starting pick:<b> Eli Brooks</b> - He isn't as good of a free throw shooter as Smith but he did have a higher average from three-point range last year, so he just feels like a better fit at the two. However, he and Smith might both be needed to play the point it might prove too difficult to keep the talented Jackson on the bench. At any rate, no matter how it all plays out, I expect to see Brooks averaging over 32 minutes per game unless some other players step up.</i></p><p><i>The backups: <b>Zeb Jackson, Adrien Nunez </b>- Jackson has a lot to prove but I think he will get a lot of minutes as a freshman. </i></p><p>Optimistic Fan's Confidence Level: 7/10</p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Small Forward</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p>Analysis: Franz Wagner quickly established himself last year as the heir apparent to Duncan Robinson. The German-born brother of Mo' started all 27 games he played in and averaged nearly 50% from the field. He also hit over 80% of his free throws and nabbed over five rebounds per game. If he can raise his percentage from beyond the arc by just six or seven more percentage points he would appear to be even more dangerous in the eyes of opponents. Nunez can fill in here if needed but I do not believe we will see Wagner come off the floor all that much. </p><p><i>My starting pick: <b>Franz Wagner</b> - I expect him to play 32 minutes per game and reach All-Big Ten honors by the end of the season. </i></p><p><i>The backups: <b>Zeb Jackson, Terrence Williams</b> - I don't expect too much from any backups here but we could see Jackson become the top guy off the bench at both the two and the thee spots if he proves to be a deadly shooter. Williams, another top 100 recruit could swing at both forward spots, thus giving the team some versatility here if needed.</i></p><p>Optimistic Fan's Confidence Level: 8/10</p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Power Forward</span></p><p>Analysis: When Isiah Livers was starting games as a freshman four years ago and helping the team win the conference championship I never thought we would see him play his senior year. However, due to a number of circumstances that have fallen in favor of the fans, here he is still in a Michigan uniform still to this day. So what does he bring back to the table? Well, for starters he is the team's top three-point shooter with a 40% average from downtown and 45% from the field. He is by far the most experienced Wolverine on the roster so what I believe we need to see from him is an injury-free season where we see him average about six rebounds per game. </p><p><i>My starting pick: <b>Isiah Livers</b> - He should be the team leader on and off the court and he will average about 32 minutes per game.</i></p><p><i>The backups: <b>Brandon Johns, Terrence Williams</b> - Johns is a very good backup here who averaged nearly 50% from the field, 35% from three, and four rebounds in under 20 minutes per game. We should see him playing more like 25 to 30 minutes per game and we could see Livers shift over to the small spot occasionally to make room for him on the floor. Williams, who comes to Michigan at 6'7"/240lbs could get some minutes here too, especially if he proves to be as good of a defender as many scouts think he can be. </i></p><p>Optimistic Fan's Confidence Level: 10/10</p><p>Center</p><p>Analysis: Jon Teske leaves a big 7' hole in the middle of the defense. Austin Davis, a fifth-year senior who did hit 52 of 75 shots (.693 average!) in just about 11 minutes per game last season. He hustles well enough on defense too, getting 38 defensive rebounds in the process too. He should be a solid enough of a fill-in while the coaches ease Hunter Dickinson, a 7'1"/255lb specimen who comes in ranked as the #36 recruit in the nation. Dickinson, much like Teske, can occupy a lot of space beneath the rim, and I expect him to be a solid defender almost immediately. His offensive game will probably need a lot of work but he might have just enough tricks in his bag already to make it all work. </p><p><i>My starting pick: <b>Hunter Dickinson</b> - Might just be too good to leave off the court for more than 20 minutes per game. Could pick up where Teske left off as a defender. Looks like a better free throw shooter than Davis too, which could be huge factor later in close games. </i></p><p><i>The backups: <b>Austin Davis, Brandon Johns Jr. </b>- Davis has some skills that could make him a valuable commodity off the bench in his final season. At the very least he and Dickinson should be a decent tandem of sorts, with Johns and Livers also being other guys that could play here in smaller sub-packages. </i></p><p>Optimistic Fan's Confidence Level: 8/10</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Ranking the Roster</span></p><p>The Starters:</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Isiah Livers F</li><li>Franz Wagner G/F</li><li>Eli Brooks PG/SG - </li><li>Mike Smith PG/SG</li><li>Hunter Dickinson C</li></ol><div>The Backups: </div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Brandon Johns Jr. F</li><li>Zeb Jackson G/F</li><li>Terrence Williams F</li><li>Austin Davis C</li><li>Adrien Nunez G</li></ol><p></p>Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948686673132534670.post-87954145937236171432020-10-15T07:34:00.004-07:002020-10-16T05:06:25.008-07:00October Camp Updates <p>With a trip to Minnesota just a week away, here are some tidbits and predictions about how things are currently shaking out for the Wolverines on the depth chart.</p><p><br /></p><p>Starting Quarterback: </p><p>It seems like the <b>Joe Milton</b> hype train has fully left the station and is on its way to a prime time kickoff in Minnesota next Saturday night. Despite some sort of catastrophe, he is entrenched as the guy at the helm of this offense. Everybody in Michigan nation should be tuning in to watch. I mean, this is exactly the type of scenario they have been clamoring about for a few years now - a completely Harbaugh-developed quarterback (and team) with an legit NFL-level arm.</p><p><br /></p><p>New Starting Wide Receiver:</p><p>Look, I've been saying it for months. It's in writing. I don't know why anybody is surprised. <b>Cornelius Johnson</b> is making all the moves to be a starter this year and he will probably be the second-most targeted player in the passing game this season. He has great size (6'3"/200lbs), runs smooth routes, and looks a lot like a running back once the ball is in his hands. I think he will end up being a three-year starter before his career is over here. Of course, <b>Ronnie Bell</b> will be the other starter with Giles Jackson and Mike Saintristil the other two guys in the main receiver rotation. </p><p><br /></p><p>The Defensive Tackle Rotation:</p><p><b>Carlo Kemp</b> is entrenched as one guy in the middle of the line. He was the only guy there last year and it took its toll on him. Now there are a couple of guys reportedly competing at a high level for the job next to him. Christopher Hinton, a sophomore who did start against Alabama, is ready to continue as the starter there, but senior <b>Donovan Jeter</b> may finally be putting it all together in a push for the job himself. By all accounts, it is fair to say that we will see a real three-man rotation on the inside, possibly more when you include <b>Jess Speight</b>, the other starter against 'Bama, and <b>Mazi Smith</b>. German-born <b>Julius Welschof</b> has also earned some early praise from coaches and we should start to see him getting some playing time in his third season on campus too, especially since his weight has went from about 250 to over 285lbs in two years. I really like how much this position seems to have improved. It gives the defense a lot more flexibility in the front seven, and I think we will probably see less of the Sam linebacker that was occupied by Josh Uche last year. Instead, there will be more four-man fronts where the defense will not need to rely on the blitz quite as much. </p><p><br /></p><p>The Secondary Situation: </p><p><b>Brad Hawkins</b>' and <b>Dax Hill</b>'s names are basically etched in stone as the starters at safety. <b>Vincent Gray</b> is now the number one guy at corner while <b>Gemon Green</b> appears to be edging out a slew of competitors to be the other starter. Some waves were made last week when it was reported that Sammy Faustin had moved back to corner from safety. Immediately I thought he made the move because nobody was taking the job outright over there, but it seems the move was made more because of the emerging depth at safety than the lack of competition at corner. He simply wasn't needed at safety any more and could resume vying for a job at corner, where he was originally recruited to play. Green will still be the starter as far as I can see at the moment. And I believe both Faustin and D.J. Turner II will play in a lot of nickel and dime packages. Freshman safeties Makari Paige and R.J. Moten have made enough waves in their first camp to give the coaches a little more confidence with the depth there. Watch for both kids to get playing time in sub packages too, especially when you consider the fact that Dax Hill is probably the best cover player on the team and will most-likely be counted on to move over and cover number one wide-outs in third and long situations. IF they keep rising then Hill could move to playing corner on a more permanent basis. </p>Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948686673132534670.post-89128648524299520432020-10-12T17:22:00.000-07:002020-10-12T17:22:02.230-07:00Early RisersWith the ongoing pandemic the NCAA loosened up its rules a little bit and has given a waiver to everybody on a college roster. Basically this year is like a redshirt year for everyone and teams can play everyone they want without burning up a year of eligibility. So I expect to see Michigan playing a lot more freshmen this year. In fact, Don Brown has already stated that he expects to play more freshmen on defense this year as a result of the rules being bent a little bit. And personally I am looking forward to it, as I see this season as a bit of a wash anyway. <div>Do I want the team to win a title? Yes. Do I feel this year is just not as important as most years? Yes, that too. Michigan is dang near the bottom of the nation in returning production, so it's fair to say that it really doesn't know all that it has on hand just yet. So get everybody some playing time that you can in order to find out who your best guys really are for this year, and next, seems like a good tactic if it won't cost anybody any eligibility. Besides maybe a half a dozen guys among the two-deep depth chart, nearly everybody SHOULD be back for the 2021 season. Now that is exciting when you consider all the potential that is there. Getting basically a free season to polish the roster in preparation for a full game schedule is a gift. Don't waste any time playing veterans who have always struggled to break through if there is a more able-bodied freshman sitting there. <div>At any rate, we as fans are finally witnessing what a completely program-developed program under Harbaugh looks like. It is comprised of five years of recruiting classes that have averaged 11th best class each year in the Team Recruiting Rankings, and that includes the criminally underrated class of 2018 that uncovered gems like Aiden Hutchinson, Jalen Mayfield, Ronnie Bell, Hassan Haskins, Cam McGrone, Ryan Hayes, and Michael Barrett, among others. It was ranked 22nd in the nation with 20 commits, with dang near 3/4 of them primed for either a big year or a chance to break out in 2020. Did I mention Joe Milton was in that class too? </div><div><br /></div><div><div><br /></div><div>The top eight freshmen that I want to see play this fall:<div><br /></div><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Defensive Lineman <b>Braiden McGregor</b> - On the surface he probably doesn't seem like the "sexy" pick in terms of big-play potential or simply putting points on the board. And quite frankly there is a good chance that we don't see him at all this year. The reason I want to see McGregor more than any other freshman is two-fold though. First of all, I really want to see a healthy prospect come in and show that he is indeed fully recovered from the knee surgery that ended his high school career. He was arguably the top prospect coming in this year so a lot of pressure is on that knee to hold up. Secondly, I want to see more depth along the line and McGregor has as much raw athletic talent as anybody there. He could probably play defensive end but I believe he will end up at tackle, depending on how much weight he puts in in the next year. He could be a starter on the strong side or on the inside as soon as next season if all goes well. Getting a lot of valuable experience right away will help his development.</li><li>Wide Receivers<b> A.J. Henning </b>and <b>Roman Wilson</b> - I just couldn't decide on which of these two kids I want to see more. I mean, it goes without saying they are collectively bringing a ton of outstanding athletic ability and speed to the table that could change the way defenses scheme against the Wolverines for the next three or four years. Henning seems a little more like a shifty run after the catch kinda guy while Wilson might be more of run deep and stretch the field kind of player. And those attributes are exactly what this offense needs. Honestly, Nico Collins wasn't really that fast. He probably runs a legit 4.5 forty, which isn't bad but he doesn't really take the top off defenses. He mostly uses his big body to out-muscle smaller defenders for jump balls 20 yards downfield. I expect both of these speedsters to play - a lot. And the difference will be visible. </li><li>Safety <b>Makari Paige</b> - As most fans already know, Paige has been making early waves in the program since stepping foot on campus just a few months ago. His emergence could help facilitate an opportunity for Don Brown to move Dax Hill around in order to use him like a "chess piece" wherever he needs him. His emergence could really help eliminate some mismatch problems in coverage against better teams, because Dax is the best coverage guy they've got back there and he probably needs to be on the number one receiver if they are going to continue employing man coverage. Paige is competing with third-year player Sammy Faustin for the job. </li><li>Weakside Defensive End <b>Jaylen Harrell</b> - There is a good chance that neither Kwity Paye or Aiden Hutchinson will be back next year. It is time to start grooming some replacements. There are a few older guys that seem to be coming along, but I would really like to see a true freshman come in and add some juice to the mix. Harrell has a lot of that raw ability to go with decent size (6'4"/235lbs) for a freshman pass-rusher. He also hails from the heart of the richest talent pool in the country in Tampa, FL, so we know he competed against some good competition in high school. He might actually be one of the most college-ready defenders in this class, so getting him meaningful reps could go a long way towards pushing his development and setting him up for success in the seasons to come. </li><li>Safety <b>R.J. Moten</b> - Another very good safety prospect that has made some waves early on. His emergence too could help iron out some wrinkles back there in the secondary. He could also be a very good special teams player right away, so I kinda expect to see him in almost every contest this year. </li><li>Will Linebacker <b>Nikhai Hill-Green</b> - The team could use some depth at the position so it's good to hear that kid like Hill-Green is stepping up to the challenge right away. If he gets enough experience this year he could be primed to take the starting role if Ross, who is graduating this year, in fact leaves. His rise up in summer and fall workouts may have prompted fellow freshman Osman Savage to enter the transfer portal. </li><li>Mike Linebacker <b>Kalel Mullings</b> - There are some older players that I like at this position too, but none of them have the raw athletic ability that Mullings does. If he can put it together early and get a lot of game reps this fall he could be in the running to win the starting job next year if McGrone leaves for the NFL. I see him as have the type of athletic ability to take over for Barrett as the special teams "joker". </li><li>Offensive Lineman <b>Zak Zinter</b> - As the team's top offensive line prospect in the 2020 class, Zinter was expected to compete for a starting job at some point in his career at Michigan. According to some early buzz though, that time could be sooner than later. So far he has been the most talked-about recruit at the position and one of the most talked about first-year players overall. He showed up to fall camp reportedly over 330 lbs. That's over 30 lbs up from when he enrolled back in January! So far it looks like good weight. Even if he doesn't earn a starting spot this year, he has a chance to get a lot of quality experience in preparation for a more prominent role next year, again without any risk of losing a year of eligibility. </li></ol></div></div></div></div>Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948686673132534670.post-69915127697191647362020-10-09T06:12:00.000-07:002020-10-09T06:12:05.992-07:00Setting Goals: 2020 Dream Stats for the Eight Game Schedule (that are actually feasible)<p>With the leaves falling off the trees and the 2020 schedule out the team is finally busy practicing for their first game on October, 24th. And with that the Michigan fanbase is patiently waiting to see the beginning of the Joe Milton era under Jim Harbaugh. In case you didn't know, this will be the first time a program-developed quarterback that was recruited by the Harbaugh will take the field to start the season. In fact, this is the first time a completely Harbaugh-developed program will be in place. There won't be single person on the roster that he and his coaches aren't solely responsible for bringing to Michigan. There are plenty of naysayers, but there is some optimism too. </p><p>Even to the downtrodden fans there is no doubt that this team has talent. Technically, according to the 247 composite rankings, they rank somewhere around 10th in the nation in regards to the level of talent recruited to the roster. So, realistically, a one or two loss season is what should be expected from them on a 12-game schedule, which should equate to a one loss eight-game schedule. But considering how strong the schedule actually is, it will be a tough road to navigate for a team that returns some of the least amount of production in the country form last year's squad. </p><p>The schedule includes trips to Minnesota, Indiana (they look good on paper), and Ohio State, as well as a couple of home tilts against Wisconsin and Penn State. Of course, there is always that matchup with Sparty. This year it comes at week two. Should be interesting no less and it is fair to say that the first two games will set the tone for the remainder of the season. In fact, when I look at the schedule it's easy to see how 95% of the country could easily start out 2-2 after going to Minnesota, facing a rival in Sparty, going to Bloomington, and then facing Wisconsin. All four of those teams should be bowl teams, and two of them could have double digit wins at the end of the season. </p><p>The big question I have had is what could we expect the ceiling to be for the players on this year's team. How good could they possibly be? Well, I went through the conference and the nation's stats from last year, as well as the respective stats on the Wolverines returners, and came up with a list of goals for each player expected to contribute heavily this season. THESE ARE NOT PREDICTIONS. Again, these should be the target goals in terms of stats for the players expected to contribute.</p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Joe Milton: </span>2,400 yards passing, 400 yards rushing, 25+ total TD's (5 INT's or less)</b></p><p>The fans and coaches would love to see a guy throwing for 300 yards per game and rushing for another 50. Most importantly, while averaging over three scores per game. That would be some serious production and would prime him for a huge campaign in 2021. It would also make him a favorite to crush the Michigan passing record when the team returns to a full 12-game schedule. Of course, I really like second-year gun-slinger Cade McNamara's potential too. Rumor has it that he was leading Dylan McCaffrey for the backup job. </p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Zach Charbonnet:</span> 800 yards rushing, 12 rushing TD's, 2 TD catches</b></p><p>Hassan Haskins: 500 yards rushing, 8 rushing TD's, 2 TD catches</p><p>Chris Evans: 250 yards rushing, 250 yards receiving, 6 total TD's</p><p>Blake Corum: 100 yards rushing, 50 yards receiving, 2 total TD's</p><p>Christian Turner: 50 yards rushing, 1 rushing TD, 8 special teams tackles</p><p>Very few running back rooms in the country can match the depth of talent, experience, and versatility that is sitting in Ann Arbor right now. If the offensive line can make some holes this group could do a lot of damage in just eight games in the Big Ten. Charbonnet will be the closest thing to a bell-cow in most games, but the ball will get spread around the room. Haskins is too explosive to leave on the bench. He too has the ability to take over games. Evans and Corum both bring some speed and shiftiness to the stable. This could be fun to watch. Christian Turner might be the odd man out here but he will be a factor on special teams. </p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Ronnie Bell:</span> </b><b>48 receptions, 700 yards receiving, 6 TD's, 120 punt return yards (7.5 yard/return average)</b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Cornelius Johnson: </span>32 receptions, 400 yards receiving, 4 TD's</b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Giles Jackson: </span>28 receptions, 400 yards receiving, 5 TD's, 300 kickoff return yards (30 yard/return average), 1 return for a TD</b></p><p>Mike Saintristil: 20 receptions, 300 yards receiving, 3 TD's</p><p>A.J. Henning: 12 receptions, 200 yards receiving, 2 TD's</p><p>Roman Wilson: 8 receptions, 150 yards receiving, 1 TD</p><p>Despite the lack of returning players with experience, this is a group of receivers that could have a breakout-type of season in Ann Arbor. Bell is still one of the best returning wide-outs in the conference, but he needs to make some improvements in his game in order to truly be the number one guy. I hope he can match his production from his 12 games last year, except that he needs to score this year. Johnson looks like a strong candidate to be the number two receiver. He is the biggest guy in the room now and he made the most of his limited opportunities last season, as did Mike Sainristil, who might be the best route-runner on the team. Jackson actually put together quite a highlight reel as a freshman and I am sure he will be looking to boost his resume as well. He could be the real game-breaker the team needs on offense and returning kicks. Expect to see a healthy dose of Henning and Wilson too, as they are very talented and they can still redshirt no matter how many games they play this season. Obviously, a lot depends on what happens at quarterback, but with all the speed and athleticism at receiver right now there should be opportunities for a passer to hit the long ball for pay dirt on nearly every play. And when you consider the type of arm sitting at the helm right now it's hard not to get a little excited. </p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Nick Eubanks:</span> 14 receptions, 150 yards receiving, 3 TD's</b></p><p>Luke Schoonmaker: 4 receptions, 50 yards receiving, 1 TD</p><p>Erick All: 4 receptions, 50 yards receiving, 1 TD</p><p>There is some true potential for a group of tight ends to do some damage in the middle if defenses start focusing on the run-game up front in the box or the receivers 30 yards downfield. I really don't see a ton of production happening from here, but I hope to see it come at the right moments in hopes of catching a defense focusing in on the run game or the speed on the perimeter. It's hard to imagine that there won't be some opportunities to make a few plays in the middle of the field between the linebackers and the safeties throughout the season.</p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Aiden Hutchinson:</span> 7.5 sacks, 12 tackles for a loss</b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Kwity Paye:</span> 7.5 sacks, 12 tackles for a loss</b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Carlo Kemp: </span>3 sacks, 8 tackles for a loss</b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Christopher Hinton:</span> 3 sacks, 8 tackles for a loss</b></p><p>Taylor Upshaw: 2 sacks, 5 tackles for a loss</p><p>Luiji Vilain: 2 sacks, 5 tackles for a loss</p><p>Donovan Jeter: 2 sacks, 3 tackles for a loss</p><p>Jess Speight: 1 sack, 3 tackles for a loss</p><p>Julius Welschof: 1 sack, 2 tackles for a loss</p><p>Braiden McGregor: 1 sack</p><p>The starting four should be very good. In fact, I think this is the most talented starting four the team has had here since 2016 and the stats should be fairly spread out among them all. Both ends in particular will be very good. There will be several backups contributing this year too, with a couple notables among the group. It could be the most improved position group on the team in 2020, and it could end up as one of the best overall units in the conference. If they can sniff 30 sacks and 60 TFL's on the season as a unit it will go a long way towards shutting down some very good offenses along the way. </p><p><br /></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Cam McGrone:</span> 65 total tackles, 10 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, 1 Forced Fumble, 2 passes defended</b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Josh Ross: </span>60 total tackles, 8 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, 1 Forced Fumble, 2 passes defended</b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Michael Barrett:</span> 60 total tackles, 8 tackles for a loss, 4 sacks, 1 interception, 2 passes defended</b></p><p>Anthony Solomon: 30 tackles, 3 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks</p><p>Ben VanSumeren: 16 tackles, 2 sacks</p><p>Nikhai Hill-Green: 8 tackles, 1 tackle for a loss</p><p>Kalel Mullings: 8 tackles, 1 sack</p><p>This group has the athletic ability to field a superior unit. McGrone and Ross could be one of the best inside linebacker duos in the nation. Barrett should be the guy that joins them at Viper. He proved himself to be a great special teams player last season and he reportedly runs a 4.5 forty. He is also a former <i>All-State</i> quarterback from Georgia, if that tells you anything about his versatility and overall football intelligence. Of course it would be nice to see a couple of the backups emerge a little bit and get themselves into the stat sheet. Solomon and VanSumeren are the most-likely to win the top backup jobs, but there are two freshmen who are being disruptive and forcing their way up the depth chart and I expect to see them play. </p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Dax Hill:</span> 50 total tackles, 2 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, 10 passes defended, 3 interceptions</b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Brad Hawkins: </span>55 total tackles, 3 tackles for a loss, 8 passes defended, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble</b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Vincent Gray:</span> 20 total tackles, 12 passes defended, 2 interceptions</b></p><p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Gemon Green: </span>20 total tackles, 10 passes defended, 1 intereception</b></p><p>D.J. Turner II: 12 total tackles, 8 passes defended, 1 interception</p><p>Sammy Faustin: 12 total tackles, 3 passes defended</p><p>Makari Paige: 12 total tackles, 3 passes defended</p><p>Jalen Perry: 4 total tackles, 1 pass defended</p><p>Andre Seldon: 4 tackles, 1 pass defended</p><p><br /></p><p>My guess is that Dax Hill will be all over the secondary - at deep safety, in the slot, on the perimeter, and possibly even at linebacker. He is a generational-type of athlete that Don Brown will want to utilize in as many ways as possible once he gets a full grasp of the game. I think it will come rather quickly this year after looking extremely good towards the end of conference play as a freshman. Brad Hawkins is an underrated player that should be a very nice compliment to Hill, as he too can do a variety of things in terms of coverage and stopping the run. He could play Viper or nickelback if needed. This could be the best safety duo in the conference. Vincent Gray is the only corner with any real experience. He will most-likely play on one side while a combination of Gemon Green and D.J. Turner II fill out the other spot. The coaches seem to be leaning more on Green as the guy there, but we will see a variety of faces throughout the season. Jalen Perry, Andre Seldon, and George Johnson could all get some PT at some point this year in preparation for the future. Makari Paige, a true freshman, and Sammy Faustin, a junior, will compete to see who fills in at the safety spot whenever D. Hill is somewhere doing something else. I am willing to bet there are about three other safeties on the roster that will get some work in the secondary and on special teams this year. The talent is deep there. </p>Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948686673132534670.post-38662607714620368672020-09-28T10:35:00.003-07:002020-09-28T18:46:33.158-07:00The Team: 2020 <p><i>This is how I expect a game day lineup to look like if the season were to open tomorrow:</i></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>The Starting Quarterback:</b> <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Joe Milton</span></b></p><p><b>The Backup:</b> Cade McNamara</p><p><b>The Opinion:</b> I do like the talent here even if it looks a little thin with McCaffrey now gone. Milton has truly elite measurables but nobody knows if he is a gamer or not yet. If not, McNamara might actually be up to the challenge of being the starter. From what I am hearing, he is really giving Milton a push for the job. I do like the coaching decision to go with Milton as the guy in an attempt to make it <i>his</i> offense. As fans, we need to finally see what Harbaugh and company have been doing behind the scenes with a kid he originally recruited and signed to play at Michigan. And it's no secret that all eyes will be on whoever is the first ever truly program-developed quarterback to start a season under this regime. A lot of fans don't seem optimistic but there isn't much to lose by taking a risk in a season that will forever have an asterisk anyway. It all just feels like a warmup for 2021 to some degree. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>The Starting Back:</b> <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Zach Charbonnet</span></b></p><p><b>The Backup Backs: </b>Hassan Haskins, Chris Evans, Christian Turner, Blake Corum</p><p><b>The Opinion:</b> What's not to love here. The Wolverines have a potential game-changing starter in Charbonnet. He can do damage in a lot of ways, including punishing defenders at the goalline. He broke the freshman record for rushing touchdowns (11). Haskins proved to be a real live wire when he entered games last season. He is a nice complement who can also hurt defenses with a variety of moves and a whole lot of toughness. Evans should return to provide some depth. He could also be the third-down back if he proves he can make all the necessary blocks when called upon. Turner and Corum will battle for garbage time this year, though both players have potential of their own. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>The Fullback:</b> Ben Mason</p><p>"Bench" is a senior player who makes a living as a blocker and special teams player. The team doesn't want to use the fullback as much anymore though, and he now spends time in the tight ends room. There is no real backup either because Ben VanSumeren is now playing linebacker. Mason can occasionally make a play with the ball in his hands but he isn't the deadly runner that one would hope of a guy with his combination of size, strength, and athleticism. He can catch though, and I am sure there will be attempts to get him touches in his final season. I just expect to see a lot less of him than we have in the last couple seasons. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>The Number One Receiver: <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Ronnie Bell</span></b></p><p><b>The Number Two Receiver:</b> Cornelius Johnson</p><p><b>The Slot Receiver:</b> Giles Jackson </p><p><b>The Backup Receivers:</b> Mike Saintristil (Slot), Jake McCurry, A.J. Henning, Roman Wilson</p><p><b>The Opinion:</b> At 6'3", Johnson seems like the best candidate for the starting job opposite Bell, who is one of the top returning receivers in the conference with 48 catches last year. The former player barely got his feet wet as a freshman last season, but he did make the most of his limited opportunities. He appears confident, which goes a long way in this game. I think he will be fine with a full year in the offense under his belt. Jackson really flashed his potential towards the end of the season and he should be ready to be a bigger factor all over the field. Expect to see him line up wide, in the slot, and in the backfield every now and then. McCurry is a walk-on who has proven that he can play special teams and fill in at receiver once in a while. He doesn't have the speed and athleticism of the incoming freshmen though, so I expect him to get buried a little bit on the depth chart. Henning and Wilson might just have too much raw speed and ability to just sit on the bench all season. They will each get a shot at returning kicks and catching some passes. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>The Starting Left Tackle:</b> Ryan Hayes</p><p>Has two starts here on his resume already and possesses enough athleticism to play tight end. Should be just fine as a full time starter. Could be anchoring the position for the next three years. </p><p><b>The Starting Left Guard:</b> Chuck Filiaga</p><p>A senior player who has all the tools to be a good starter here, including a 6'6"/335lb frame. He just hasn't been given much of an opportunity yet. With two years in Gattis' system he should be just fine though. Trevor Keegan is apparently right on his heels and he could eventually win the job if he keeps improving. </p><p><b>The Starting Center:</b> Andrew Vastardis</p><p>A fifth-year former walk-on player who has all the smarts and just enough talent to be a good replacement at center. Has looked decent when filling in the last couple years and the coaches don't seem concerned. I am hopeful. </p><p><b>The Starting Right Guard:</b> Andrew Stueber</p><p>Technically he is a returning starter after starting three games at the end of 2018 before missing all of last season with an injury. He was projected to win the battle to be the starter at right tackle over Jalen Mayfield last season and will finally get his chance now. This time it will be at guard instead of tackle, which probably is better suited for a man of his dimensions (6'6"/330lbs). </p><p><b>The Starting Right Tackle: <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Jalen Mayfield</span></b></p><p>Mayfield returns after declaring for the draft when the conference had no plans to play this fall. He is possibly the best tackle in the conference returning and he could be a top 10 pick in the draft this spring with another good season on his resume. Karsen Barnhart was practicing as the starter here while Mayfield was gone, so expect him to be the guy that comes in if needed. </p><p><b>The Backup Linemen:</b> Karsen Barnhart (T), Trevor Keegan (G/T), Joel Honigford (G/T), Zach Carpenter (C/G), Nolan Rumler (C/G), Trente Jones (T), Zak Zinter (G/T)</p><p><br /></p><p><b>The Top Kick Returner: <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Giles Jackson</span></b></p><p><b>The Backup Kick Returners:</b> A.J. Henning/Roman Wilson</p><p><b>The Opinion:</b> Jackson could be an <i>All-Conference</i> player as a kick returner. He has already returned one for a TD so there is a lot of buzz surrounding his ability. Henning and Wilson should be dangerous too, and I expect them to each get some chances.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>The Top Punt Returner: </b>Mike Saintristil</p><p><b>The Backup Punt Returner:</b> Giles Jackson/Michael Barrett/A.J. Henning</p><p><b>The Opinion:</b> Saintristil seems to have all the traits of a good punt returner. It would be nice to see him getting more playing time overall. Barrett is jack-of-all-trades who can do it all on special teams, but I expect to see Jackson and Henning getting more opportunity. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>The Starting Strongside End: <span style="color: #2b00fe;">Kwity Paye</span></b></p><p><b>The Starting Defensive Tackle: </b>Christopher Hinton</p><p><b>The Starting Nose Tackle:</b> <b><span style="color: #2b00fe;">Carlo Kemp</span></b></p><p><b>Starting Weakside End:</b> <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Aiden Hutchinson</b></span></p><p><b>The Backup Defensive Linemen:</b> Luiji Vilain (WE), David Ojabo (SE), Taylor Upshaw (SE), Jess Speight (DT), Donovan Jeter (DT), Mazi Smith (NT)</p><p><b>The Opinion:</b> I really like the starting four on this unit. Paye and Hutchinson are interchangeable players who will wreak havoc on a lot of tackles in the conference. Kemp is a team leader who had no help in the middle of the line last year. The addition of Hinton as a starter completes the package and will take a lot of pressure off the fifth-year senior next to him. The backups could be good too. Vilain, Ojabo, and Upshaw will get some opportunity to relieve the starters at end, while Speight, Jeter, and Smith will all be counted on to provide depth inside that wasn't quite there last year. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>The Starting Viper:</b> Michael Barrett</p><p><b>The Starting Mike Linebacker:</b> <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Cam McGrone</b></span></p><p><b>The Starting Will Linebacker:</b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b> Josh Ross</b></span></p><p><b>The Backup Linebackers:</b> Anthony Solomon, Ben VanSumeren, Edward Warinner, Charles Thomas, Joey Valesquez, Nikhai Hill-Green, Kalel Mullings</p><p><b>The Opinion:</b> What's not to love about the starters here? McGrone and Ross, who missed last year due to injury, could both be <i>All-Conference</i> material. And both could be NFL players very soon too. Barrett has reported 4.5 speed and he has already proven himself to be a dangerously versatile special teams player. This could end up being the best starting three in the Big Ten, and I would not be surprised to see the production go up at the position. Solomon, a second year player, should be the top backup at all three spots. He looks like the type of athlete that can fill in wherever the team needs him. VanSumeren, a former running back, and Warinner, a transfer from Michigan State and son of Coach Ed, should be the next top backups behind him. Hill-Green has been turning heads though, and he could crack the two-deep at Will. Mullings has the athletic ability to be a difference-maker some day too. And I could definitely see him being a special teams contributor right away.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>The Starting Rover:</b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b> Brad Hawkins</b></span></p><p><b>The Starting Free Safety:</b> <span style="color: #2b00fe;"><b>Daxton Hill</b></span></p><p><b>The Number One Corner:</b> Vincent Gray</p><p><b>The Number Two Corner:</b> D.J. Turner II</p><p><b>The Nickel/Dime Backs:</b> Jalen Perry (CB)/Sammy Faustin (S)</p><p><b>The Backup Defensive Backs: </b>Gemon Green (CB), R.J. Moten (S), Makari Paige (S), German Green (S), Andre Seldon (CB), Darion Green-Warren (CB)</p><p><b>The Opinion: </b>Hawkins and Hill might just be the best safety tandem in the league. The former is bigger and more experienced while the latter is faster and more athletic. Together they could create a no-fly zone in the middle of the secondary. That would be terrific considering the sudden lack of experience out at corner. Gray is the top guy on the perimeter after being the nickle back last season, but he still has a lot to prove. Turner II appears to be the top candidate to play opposite of him. Both have loads of potential as starters going forward, but they could still be a year away from actually being ready for the job. Faustin, Perry, and Green have all made some noise but none have really made moves to win a starting role. Moten and Paige could get some playing time as freshmen too. In fact, there have been rumors about these two kids being among the best players in the secondary so far this fall. Is that a good sign of their respective talents or is it an indictment on the game ready talent around them? I truly hope it's the former. </p>Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948686673132534670.post-6794085463827476232020-09-28T08:32:00.002-07:002020-09-28T10:16:34.618-07:00Michigan Football Schedule and Predictions<p> @ Minnesota </p><p>Minnesota scored over 30 points per game last season and quarterback Tanner Morgan is one of the best passers returning for 2020. However, The Golden Gophers lose one of their top pass catchers and their top rusher. That is a lot of production lost. They do get Rashod Bateman back, and there might only be one or two players in the Michigan secondary that has a shot at covering him one on one. The Gophers also have lost six of their top eight tacklers from last year, as well as their top two pass-rushers. Antoine Winfield Jr. was their best overall player and he has two sacks in three games for Tampa Bay at the moment. Michigan returns a strong front seven on defense and the safeties should be very good too. The corners could be the achilles heel in this game. Your call is as good as mine in this one. </p><p>UM 28 - UM 24</p><p><br /></p><p>Michigan State</p><p>Sparty comes to Ann Arbor for a week two matchup in hopes of stopping Harbaugh from improving to 4-2 against them. They lose a big piece of their offense in quarterback Brian Lewerke, who was the team's second leading rusher as well as the top passer, and two of their top three receivers. They also are coming back without four of their top six tacklers and three of their top four pass rushers, including <i>All-Big Ten</i> end Kenny Willekes. Sparty will show some resolve early, but they should just be outmatched in this game. </p><p>UM 31 - MSU 13</p><p><br /></p><p>@ Indiana</p><p>I have to be honest here. I don't like this matchup. The Hoosiers have a lot of good players coming back on both sides of the ball. They have a good passer returning in Michael Penix Jr. They also return their top two ball-carriers and their top three pass-catchers, including Whop Philyor in the slot. They have size and speed. I could see them scoring 35 points per game. On defense they arguably return eight of their top ten defenders, including their top pass rusher in defensive tackle Jerome Johnson. They also welcome back everybody who recorded an INT for the defense last season. Michigan might be feeling too good rolling into town 2-0 and therefore could be primed for an upset. </p><p>IU 24 - UM 17</p><p><br /></p><p>Wisconsin</p><p>The Badgers lose their best player in running back Jonathan Taylor. They also lose their best receiver, their two best defenders, and some key players on the O-line. However, Wisconsin is a machine that turns out football players, so they will find replacements. Besides, they still actually return a ton of production on both sides of the ball, including quarterback Jack Coan and linebackers Jack Sanborn, the returning team leader in tackles, and Noah Burks. The defense will probably be a top 15 unit once again so this will be no easy task.</p><p>UM 20 UW 14</p><p><br /></p><p>@ Rutgers</p><p>It's nice to have one of your road games at Rutgers. Should be a good game midseason game after that brutal start and before the even more brutal second half of the schedule. Might be the first opportunity to get some younger players some experience. </p><p>UM 45 Rutgers 10</p><p><br /></p><p>Penn State</p><p>Penn State returns enough on offense to grind out a win against most defenses. Having Sean Clifford return at quarterback along with the duo of Journey Brown and Noah Cain at running back could be very deadly. They are losing their top four or five defenders from last year, including linebacker Micah Parson, who has opted out of the season to prepare for the NFL. This could very well be one of the highest scoring games on the UM schedule. </p><p>UM 35 PSU 31</p><p><br /></p><p>Maryland</p><p>The Terps were one of the worst offensive teams in the conference last year and they were actually dead last in defense. First year Mike Locksley made more noise chirping about former assistant Josh Gattis than he did on the field. Maybe he can turn it around a little bit in year two. He has some pieces to work with, including running back Anthony McFarland Jr., but the lack of talent at quarterback could be very troubling and if they continue to have injuries there it will be a long season for them. In the end, it might be the perfect game to play before the finale in Columbus. </p><p>UM 49 - Terps 20</p><p><br /></p><p>@ Ohio State</p><p>Yes, the Buckeyes lose a lot of production on offense and defense. The problem is that it doesn't matter. That roster is stacked. Michigan is about two notches below them in terms of raw talent. And the scores from the last two years reflects that considerably. The Wolverines just haven't been able to match up with them man on man. And for some reason the coaching staff seems determined to attempt it. I am hoping for more zone defense this year, possibly a cover three scheme with Brad Hawkins moved up like a linebacker and Dax Hill sitting deep center field with two corners flanking him. If Michigan doesn't attempt to cover the intermediate to deep zones against the Buckeyes the defense will be toast once again. Those crossing routes and backs releasing underneath cannot go unaccounted for without a total disaster. Justin Fields is just too good to give him those outlets. They need to clog the box and run some zone blitz to force him to look downfield. And if Joe Milton doesn't level up at the QB position and show some leadership it could be a long day on offense filled with miscommunications. I think this one will be closer than the last couple installments of THE RIVALRY, but it's hard to imagine the Wolverines having enough to win.</p><p>OSU 39 - UM 34</p><p><br /></p><p>6-2 Record</p>Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948686673132534670.post-78836272672912280192020-09-14T12:18:00.001-07:002020-09-14T12:19:31.870-07:00Projected 2020 Depth Chart (once it begins)<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span>Quarterbacks</span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #2b00fe;"><span><b><span>1. </span></b></span><b>Joe Milton **** (Jr)</b><br /></span>
<span><b>2. Dylan McCaffrey **** (Sr)</b></span><br />
<span><b>3. Cade McNamara **** (So)</b></span><br />
</span><b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Dan Villari *** (Fr)</span><br /></b>
<br />
This is the most important position battle on the team. No doubt. Everybody knows this. And from all the sources that I can find it sounds like Joe Milton is winning the job. It was no secret that he has a loaded arm and some decent athleticism for a pro-style QB. While he doesn't have the wheels that McCaffrey, he can make every throw in the book. McCaffrey will probably still get some playing time because of his unique abilities as an athlete, but I just don't see him having the arm to be a great QB1. I could even see him switching positions or transferring next year. McNamara is quietly working his way up the depth chart and he could end up being the best passer of the bunch some day. <div><br /></div><div><b>Confidence Rating: 7/10<br /></b>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-size: large;">Running Backs</span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">1. </span><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Zach Charbonnet ***** (So)</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Hassan Haskins</b> *** (Jr) </span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Chris Evans**** (5th)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Blake Corum **** (Fr)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">5</span><span style="font-size: large;">. Christian Turner *** (Jr)</span><br /></b><br />
Charbonnet is possibly the best running back prospect Harbaugh has ever signed anywhere and he could be a real game-changer in his second season as the starter. The word is that he lives in the weight-room, so it will be very interesting to see what type of shape he is in now. Haskins is also a tough runner but he has a slightly different style that seems to compliment Charbonnet well. I think he's just a little shiftier than the bigger back but he still weighs in at a solid 220lbs. Corum and Evans could both get touches while Ben Mason comes in to block in big packages. Evans is particularly interesting as he is a guy with a lot of experience and something to prove after missing last year due to a suspension. With a solid year he could actually get invited to the combine next winter. Turner will look to compete on special teams though he has flashed breakout potential with the ball in his hands. There just aren't enough balls to go around for all the talent that is available here. For the life of me I cannot remember the last time it was this deep here at Michigan or anywhere else Harbs has been.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Confidence Rating: 9/10<br /></b>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-size: large;">Receivers</span></b><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>1. <span style="color: blue;">Nico Collins **** (Sr)</span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">2.<span style="color: blue;"> </span></span><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Ronnie Bell *** (Jr)</span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">3. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Cornelius Johnson **** (So) </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4. Mike Saintristil *** (So)</b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">5. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Giles Jackson **** (So)</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>6. A.J. Henning **** (Fr)</b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">7. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Roman Wilson **** (Fr)</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>8. Jake McCurry ** (Sr)</b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">9. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Quintel Kent</span><span style="font-size: large;"> *** (So)</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Getting the top two receivers from last season back is a godsend. Collins, the team leader in yards per catch (19 ypc) and TD's (7 td), could require a lot of double coverage throughout the season. Teams know they cannot sleep on Bell though after he led the team in catches (48) and receiving yards (758). Together they represent one of the best returning duos in the conference. Johnson will be the top riser in the group of young players behind the top two guys, IMO. He has all the size, skills, and necessary speed to be a real player in his second season. Jackson and Saintristil will get a lot of work too, and they will use their speed against the fourth and fifth best coverage players on opposing rosters. Henning, the team's top target in 2020, and Wilson might be hard to keep off the field too, but they will probably have to wait a year before getting a real opportunity to rack up stats. The rest need to find a role on special teams if they want any playing time. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Confidence Rating: 8/10</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Tight End</span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>1. Nick Eubanks *** (5th)</b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Erik All</span><span style="font-size: large;"> *** (So)</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Luke Schoonmaker *** (Jr)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. Mathew Hibner **** (Fr)</span></b><br />
<br />
Getting Eubanks back for a 5th year will help with leadership on the field and in the locker room. He could also be a late round draft pick next spring. All and Schoonmaker could be the duo of the future. Both guys bring some interesting characteristics to the table. Look for one of them, if not both, to truly have a breakout game soon. Hibner will probably redshirt unless he comes on the scene like Jake Butt did nearly a decade ago. He was a late riser in the recruiting cycle who may have been a little underrated as a prospect.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Confidence Rating: 7/10<br /></b>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Left Tackle</b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;">1. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Ryan Hayes **** (Jr)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Trente Jones **** (So)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3</span><span style="font-size: large;">. Jeremy Persi **** (Fr)</span></b><br />
<br />
Hayes seems like a safe bet to start here considering he was the choice at left tackle early last year when injuries started to mount up along the line. He is a very good athlete for the position and I feel very comfortable with him in the starting lineup a year later. Jones could be talented enough to push Hayes for the job, though it appears he has some ground to make up. Persi is also a nice looking prospect too but it's hard to imagine that he is the best option to play here in 2020.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Confidence Rating: 8/10</b></div><div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Left Guard</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span><b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;">1. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Chuck Filiaga **** (Sr)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Trevor Keegan **** (So)</span></b></div><div>
<br />
I see Filiaga, a senior, earning the left guard duties this fall. The guy was a coveted prospect coming out of Texas over three years ago and he currently measures in somewhere around 6'6" and 340lbs. He also has two yeas of eligibility remaining after sitting behind Bredeson and Onwenu for three years. There are a handful of guys that can play here if needed but it sounds like Keegan is splitting practice reps with Filiaga so it's possible that he ends up winning the job outright too. I love the competition here. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Confidence Rating: 7/10<br /></b>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Center</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><span style="font-size: large;">1. Andrew Vastardis ** (5th)</span><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">2. Zach Carpenter *** (So)</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">3. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Nolan Rumler **** (So)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. Reece Attebury *** (Fr)</span></b><br />
<br />
This might be the hardest position to project. Honestly, losing Ruiz will be the hardest thing for this team to recover from this year, but they've got some guys to work with so it shouldn't be a disaster. Vastardis, a former walk-on, has the smarts to handle the line calls but is somewhat limited athletically. That is where a kid like Rumler or Carpenter could come in and steal the job from him. He is by far the most experienced guy here though, so it could be hard to take it from him. Rumler in particular was a very highly-touted recruit with offers from Ohio State, Bama, and everybody else just two years ago. From a purely athletic standpoint he might be the closest thing to Ruiz as there is on the roster. Carpenter is a beast of a kid though, and his ability to move piles might be enough to get him into the lineup. I guess Attebury could come in this fall and work himself into the job by the time the team plays a game. I kinda felt like he was a little under-appreciated as a prospect, but I also feel he is probably two years away from actually being ready. Overall, like every other line position, there is a lot of talented guys that simply haven't proven themselves yet. <br />
<br /><b>Confidence Rating: 5/10<br /></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Right Guard</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span><b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;">1. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Andrew Stueber *** (Sr)</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">2</span><span style="font-size: large;">. </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Zak Zinter **** (Fr)</span></b></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>3. Jack Stewart *** (So)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">I can easily see Stueber and Filiaga as the starting guards. Either guy could probably play either side, so take your pick. Both guys are truly mountainous men in the 6'6"/330+lb range that will be looked upon as senior leaders on the team. Zinter and Stewart could help with depth. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Confidence Rating: 7/10<br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Right Tackle</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">1. </span><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Karsen Barnhart **** (So)</b></span><b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2</span><span style="font-size: large;">. </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Joel Honigford *** (5th)</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Barnhart impressed the coaches enough to earn considerable amount of playing time in the four games he appeared in as a freshman. It looks like he is winning the job outright to replace Jalen Mayfield, who opted to skip the season and enter the draft. Honigford might be able to provide a veteran presence off the bench if it's a year too early for the sophomore. Stueber, Filiaga, and Jones could all play here too in a pinch. In fact, Stueber is the only guy with experience here with three starts from two years ago. It looks like Barnhart's to lose though. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Confidence Rating: 5/10<br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Place Kicker</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">1. </span><b><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Quinn Nordin *** (5th)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Jake Moody ** (Jr)</span><br /></b>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Nordin could be an NFL kicker. He has the leg strength. He just needs to continue working on accuracy. Though, his 75% career field goal rate isn't too bad considering he also holds the records for the longest field goal in Michigan history, the longest field goal in Citrus Bowl history, and the longest field goal made in a college game played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. Moody is fairly solid too, but he just doesn't have the distance Nordin possesses. Michigan is lucky to have them both back for another year. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Confidence Rating: 8/10<br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>End</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">1. <b><span style="color: blue;">Aiden Hutchinson **** (Jr)</span></b></span><b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2</span><span style="font-size: large;">. Taylor Upshaw *** (Jr)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Julius Welschof *** (Jr)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Braiden McGregor **** (Fr)</span></b><br />
<br />
Going into his junior year, Hutchinson is already one of the best players and biggest leaders on the team. He will rarely come off the field for the defense and should be an<i> All-Big Ten </i>player. He could play the rush end too. Some scouts believe he is a future first round pick. Upshaw, Welschof, and McGregor will all be fighting it out for scaps here until the big guy at the top leaves.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Confidence Rating: 10/10<br /></b>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tackle</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-size: large;">1. <b><span style="color: blue;">Carlo Kemp **** (5th)</span></b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. </span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">Mazi Smith **** (So)</span></b></div><div><b>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">3</span><span style="font-size: large;">. Jess Speight ** (Sr)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Aaron Lewis *** (Fr)</span></b><br />
<br />
Kemp doesn't get a lot of credit for all the hard work he does. He literally had no help last year as freshman Hinton was the only player to truly emerge in relief of him. With the development of some other younger players too, the coaches won't have to put too much on the shoulder's of the 5th-year senior. Hopefully Jeter can finally breakthrough after showing promise last spring. Lewis could play the anchor but might get groomed as a tackle.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Confidence Rating: 8/10<br /></b>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tackle</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;">1</span><span style="font-size: large;">.</span><i style="font-size: x-large;"> </i><span style="font-size: large;">Christopher Hinton ***** (So)</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. </span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">Donovan Jeter **** (Sr)</span></b><b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3</span><span style="font-size: large;">. Philip Paea *** (Sr)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. Mike Morris *** (So)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">5. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Kris Jenkins *** (Fr)</span></b><br />
<br />
Hinton looked relatively good against Ohio State and 'Bama. He could be on the verge of a big year. He and Kemp could be a very good combo in the middle of what looks to be a very good line. Smith is expected to provide some relief in his second season. Paea could be a decent fill-in off the bench. It will be interesting to see how Morris develops this spring. Anything from him could help with any depth issues. And everybody knows Michigan did not have any depth here last year. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Confidence Rating: 7/10<br /></b>
<br />
<br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>End</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">1</span><span style="font-size: large;">. </span><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;"><b>Kwity Paye *** (Sr)</b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Luiji Vilain **** (Sr)</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. David Ojabo *** (So)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. Gabe Newburg *** (So)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">5. Jaylen Harrell **** (Fr)</span></b><br />
<br />
Paye isn't really a speed rusher. He is just technically sound, super strong, and fast enough to disrupt most passers on a regular basis. Like Hutchinson, he just doesn't get beat one on one very often. Vilain represents more of a speed rusher-type, but he is still a question mark after coming back from two injury-riddled seasons to flash for a few plays in 2019. It's his senior year now, so it's kinda now or never for the former <i>Top 50</i> prospect. Ojabo has gotten high praise from some upperclassmen and coaches, so keep an eye on him. He did run a sub 10.1 100 meter sprint. Newburg could push everybody for the top backup spot too. It will be interesting to see how Harrell evolves over the course of the next couple years. Some people think he might be ready to contribute right away.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Confidence Rating: 10/10<br /></b>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>"Viper" Linebacker</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span><b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;">1. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Michael Barrett *** (Jr)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2</span><span style="font-size: large;">. Kalel Mullings **** (Fr)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Joey Velasquez *** (So)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. William Mohan *** (Fr)</span><br /></b>
<br />
It feels like it might be Barrett's job to lose now that the spot is open for the first time since 2015. He flashed his athletic ability a few times on special teams last year after having a strong spring, and he did manage to get some playing time in this spot throughout the year despite Khaleke Hudson's presence. He should be ready for more work in year three of his UM career and his success could help keep the Georgia pipeline open on the recruiting trail. Solomon, who could also play Will, and Mullings, a true freshman, should both challenge for the job, but it's anybody's guess as to how it all pans out. My money's on Barrett. Mohan is an intriguing athlete that is enrolled early. He could challenge too. I do not know what to expect of Velasquez but he appears to be a gifted athlete that could turn some heads this year if given a chance. He might be a better baseball player though. Any way you dice it, the Wolverines have loads of athletic talent to work with but nothing proven thus far.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Confidence Rating: 7/10<br /></b>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Mike Linebacker</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-size: large;">1. <b><span style="color: blue;">Cam McGrone ***** (Jr)</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>2. Ben VanSumeren *** (Jr)</b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Charles Thomas *** (So)</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">4. Cornell Wheeler *** (Fr)</span></b><br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">McGrone was a true breakout player in 2019 and should be a leader going forward. I expect Devin Bush Jr.-type of play from him in 2020 and I would not be surprised to see him eventually become a first round pick. He has already stated that he is coming back for his senior year, though I would take it with a grain of salt. VanSumeren, Thomas, and Wheeler will compete to be the top backup. Hill-Green was enrolled early and he could play too.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Confidence Rating: 9/10<br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Will Linebacker</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #2b00fe;"><span style="font-size: large;">1. <b>Josh Ross</b> **** (Sr)</span><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">2</span><span style="font-size: large;">. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Anthony Solomon **** (So)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3. Nikhai Hill-Green **** (Fr)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. Osman Savage **** (Fr)</span><br /></b>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
Getting Ross back should be key to the linebacker position as a whole. If it were not for him I do not know what the coaches would do here. Solomon would be the top candidate to play here if Ross can't go. Otherwise, Savage and Hill-Green are both top linebacker prospects that could be ready to compete right away, but Mullings might be the best of the freshmen. It would be better if they didn't have to take the freshman route but it's nice to know that there are plenty of athletic reinforcements in the wings. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Confidence Rating: 8/10<br /></b>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Rover Safety</b></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><span>1</span><span>. </span><span>Brad Hawkins **** (Sr)</span></span><br />
<span>2. </span><span>Makari Paige **** (Fr)</span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Quentin Johnson **** (So)</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span>4. Jordan Morant **** (Fr)</span><br /><span>5. </span><span>George Johnson III *** (So)</span></span></b><br />
<br />
Hawkins is one of the more underrated players on defense. He is good enough in coverage to man the nickel position if needed, but he is big enough to play linebacker too. I expect a lot from him in his senior season. I believe that if the team utilizes more zone coverage you will see him make more plays. Quentin Johnson is a superb athlete, as is freshman Morant. But from what I've heard, Paige is making a lot of noise here as a freshman.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Confidence Rating: 8/10<br /></b>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Free Safety</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span>1. <b><span style="color: blue;">Dax Hill ***** (So)</span></b></span><br />
<b><span>2. </span><span>R.J. Moten **** (Fr)</span></b></span></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span>3. German Green *** (Jr)</span><br /><span>4. <span><span>Sammy Faustin *** (Jr) </span></span></span></span></b></div><div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Hill has the talent to be a super star. Yes he got torched once on the opening play against 'Bama, but his development over the course of his first season was very good. With a full year in the program under his belt he should be ready to truly break out on the Big Ten scene. Green might be ready to compete for a spot in the two-deep but he will receive some strict competition from first-year players Paige and Moten. The Wolverines are bringing in a lot of great safety talent in this year's recruiting class.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Confidence Rating: 8/10<br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cornerback</b></span><br />
<br /><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;">1. D.J. Turner II (So)</span></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">2. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Jalen Perry **** (So)</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">3</span><span style="font-size: large;">. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Darion Warren-Green **** (Fr)</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Eamonn Dennis *** (Fr)</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Thomas declared for the draft and the team now has to find replacements. Turner II, Perry, and Gemon Green will compete for the starting spot, as well as a top spot in sub packages. DWG could come in as a true freshman and steal a spot. He is a talent not unlike what David Long was a few years ago. Dennis is a good athlete that will take some time to develop. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Confidence Rating: 6/10<br /></b></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cornerback</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">1. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Vincent Gray *** (Jr)</span></b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. </span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">Gemon Green **** (Jr)</span></b></div><div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">3.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Andre Seldon **** (Fr)</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">Gray had an up and down season as a redshirt freshman. He got a lot of snaps in 2019 but gave up his outside shoulder on the perimeter to some good running backs that made him pay. He held up well enough in coverage though. With a little work he could be a very good all-around corner. At the very least, his experience will come in handy with Thomas and Hill both gone. He just needs to step up his game a notch to win the job outright. There are a few others that might be ready to take a starting job if Gray is not up to the task. Keep your eyes on Green, who was a<i> 4-Star</i> prospect three years ago. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Confidence Rating: 7/10<br /></b></span>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Punter</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-size: large;">1. <span style="color: blue;">Will Hart *** (5th)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. Brad Robbins ** (Sr)</span></b><br />
<br />
Hart is one of the best returning punters in the country. If he can have a consistently good year he should get some attention from NFL teams next spring. Robbins is a good backup capable of manning the job when called upon.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b>Projected First Team Lineup:</b></span><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"> <span style="color: blue;"> RB Charbonnet</span></span></span></b><br />
<span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span><br />
<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: medium;"> QB Milton </span></b><span style="color: #2b00fe;"><br />
<b><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></b><br />
<b><span><span style="font-size: medium;">WR </span><span style="font-size: medium;">Collins</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> WR C. Johnson</span></span></b><br />
<span><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b>
<span><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> TE</span><span>Eubanks</span><span> RTBarnhartRG</span><span>Stueber</span><span> C</span><span>Rumler</span><span>LG</span><span>Filiaga</span><span> LTHayes WR Bell</span></span></b></span></span></span><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b><span style="font-size: medium;"> SDE Hutchinson DT Hinton DT <span>Kemp </span> RDE </span><span>Paye</span> </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<b>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></b><b><span style="font-size: medium;">VLB Barrett</span></b><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> MLB McGrone WLB<span> Ross </span> </span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>CB Gray CB Turner II </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span>
<b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"> SS <span>Hawkins</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span> FS D. Hill</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b><br /></div>Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-948686673132534670.post-52101180127736711792020-09-03T10:28:00.000-07:002020-09-03T10:28:05.817-07:00What could a two month season look like?<p>Ideal Michigan 8 Game Spring Schedule:</p><p>Week 1: @ Minnesota - This will be the first road test for the team right off the bat. And while the Golden Gophers are no juggernaut, they do have an upstart coach in P.J. Fleck and an above average level of talent for their respective program. They could be very dangerous after going 11-2 last year, though the idea of no crowds realistically makes it a less daunting of a task. The Wolverines should be bringing the Little Brown Jug back to AA by a touchdown. </p><p>Week 2: Vs. Penn State - The first of the big division rivals comes to AA in week two. The Nittany Lions are always dangerous. It is hard to say what their team could actually look like in the spring but they always have top talent on board and James Franklin seems like a good fit as coach there. I think the Wolverines would be out for blood in this one after last year's loss, but it's hard to say what will occur without a crowd to back you up at home. This one is anybody's guess, but I will take Michigan in a close one. Why not?</p><p>Week 3: @ Rutgers - Let's face it, the Scarlet Knights just aren't a very good football team right now. This should be an easy road win and a much-needed break between big rivalries. At least the younger backups will get finally get some work in here.</p><p>Week 4: Vs. Michigan State - This is the opportunity for Harbaugh to truly take control of this particular rivalry. The Spartans honestly don't look too threatening but it is a true "anything can happen" kind of game so anything can actually happen. However, I ultimately think the Wolverines will be a two touchdown favorite that will deliver on covering the spread. </p><p>Week 5: Vs. Indiana - The Hoosiers are solid enough all around to take anybody in the conference down on any given week. It should be a very good test before heading to Columbus the following week. Having two weeks at home before that trip is a bonus, but this will not really be an easy two weeks leading up to THE GAME. </p><p>Week 6: @ Ohio State - I don't need to say much about this game. Just win. It is truly the only game that really matters to the fans this year. Many have already given up hope of beating them.</p><p>Week 7: Vs. Maryland - HC Mike Locksley will be looking to take advantage of the Wolverines the week after OSU. He could very well catch them off guard and deliver a gut-wrenching blow. His beef with former assistant Josh Gattis makes this an interesting matchup to watch despite Michigan's dominance over them. </p><p>Week 8 : @ Northwestern - A little road trip to Illinois to close out the season will be a very anti-climactic way to end the season but it is a bit of a throwback to the way the college football used to be with teams unceremoniously ending their regular seasons without a rivalry week matchup. Good times. </p><p><br /></p><p>While there are some obvious holes in this schedule, it is at the very least doable considering these matchups are already scheduled. We just don't know the dates yet. And this would allow for the season to be over in January if they can get started by Thanksgiving. Then programs would be done playing ball before the official 2021 National Signing Day. They wouldn't have to recreate their entire spring practice scheduling either, thus allowing them all to get properly prepared for a full season next year. </p><p>The toughest part of the schedule would obviously be facing Sparty, the Hoosiers, and the Buckeyes in three consecutive weeks while hoping to stay sharp enough against Maryland right after the trip to Columbus. Luckily, three out of those four games are at home. The opener at Minnesota will be a tough game with Penn State looming on the horizon for week two of the schedule, but getting Rutgers in week three really breaks it up a bit. </p>Scot Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13405448992429659279noreply@blogger.com0