27 Tickets To Team 138: Pre-Bowl Edition
What is this? Folks who cover the USMNT drop lists like this projecting the 23 guys who end up on the next World Cup team. I have appropriated it. Regarding the number of tickets: 22 starters on offense and defense + 2 kickers + nickelback + FLEX TE + SLOT.
PREVIOUSLY: 137 post-spring.
PACK YOUR BAGS
1. 3TECH Maurice Hurst, Sr.* [Last time: NR]
Hurst's burst takes him from off the board (which could be considered worst) to first. Absence more circumstance than talent; Hurst produced in bunches. Tracking towards high NFL draft pick as an explosive interior pass rusher. "Get in my belly" TFL celebration is a winner.
2. C Mason Cole, Sr. [Last time: 3]
Despite somewhat disappointing year at C a holy lock to be somewhere on the line. Could be anywhere; will be somewhere. Bet here is M will try to keep him at C for continuity and line calls, which he seems to be clearly the best option for. Goal for next year: get stronger, get more push, be more of a factor against 3-4 NTs, get drafted in the middle rounds.
3. SDE Rashan Gary, So. [Last time: NR]
Omar comin', except his name is Rashan and he is not little. Like Hurst, stuck behind future pros in 2016. Still flashed freaky ability; year two should be a breakout year so enormous it shatters windows across the Midwest. #1 overall prospects are in fact guarantees, and Gary showed plenty to indicate he would not be an exception.
4. ILB Mike McCray, Sr* [Last time: 21]
Sole returning member of the front seven had some edge issues last year. Tackling in space was an Area For Improvement, as they say. Positives outweighed negatives, though, as McCray was an outstanding blitzer and reliably in the place he was supposed to be. Probably moves to MLB to help mitigate those edge problems.
5. SLOT Grant Perry, Jr. [Last time: 16]
Route artisan figures to have role explode as he hits upperclass years and he becomes the primary safety blanket. Best game against OSU when Butt was doubled and tripled all game, and he came through with a productive day. Red-zone weapon will dust some guys, a la Dileo. Don't sleep on him as an outside guy, either. He might play both spots as Michigan decides he's one of their best two.
6. OG Ben Bredeson, So. [Last time: NR]
Swing lineman regarded as Cole 2.0 had Cole's freshman season, a bit delayed. Barely lost LT job to Newsome; jetted past the entire roster to start once Newsome went down. Like Cole, Things could have gone better; they could have gone worse. Like Cole, position uncertain but place amongst the starters absolutely not. Like Cole. Like. Cole. LIKE COLE DO YOU GET IT.
UNLESS SOMETHING STRANGE HAPPENS
7. QB Wilton Speight, Jr* [Last time: NR]
On the cusp of a lock after a 63%, 8.1 YPA, 17-5 TD-INT sophomore year; sometimes-erratic play leaves a tiny crack for Brandon Peters. Emphasis on "tiny." Impressive pocket presence, plus—but not perfect—accuracy, and increasing command of the offense will be tough to compete with. If he improves like Harbaugh quarterbacks always do you're looking at an All Big Ten player. (And an ugly shirt.)
8. FS Tyree Kinnel, Jr. [Last time: NR]
Got more playing time last year than any other secondary backup, and played well. Defense did not miss a beat when he was in for extended periods. Used as a dimeback, mostly, for a four-safety look. Recruiting rep suggests he fits what Brown wants in his safeties—man coverage capable hitters. Old-ass-looking-man game strong. M needs to fill that role w/ Hill to the NFL.
9. WDE Chase Winovich, Jr.* [Last time: 27]
Ebullient pass rusher produced five sacks despite playing time often measured in single-digit snaps. Did most of his damage with a serious edge rush and relentless approach. This had downsides. Tendency towards wild overpursuit needs to get tamped down; additional weight necessary; on track to be Jake Ryan as a WDE.
10. NT Bryan Mone, Jr.* [Last time: NR]
Still trying to scale hype mountain; unclear how badly he was affected by injury last year. Big time third down stuff against OSU hints at promise, and there's very little behind him that isn't coming in this recruiting class. Could be third best player on line, could be third best lineman in conference. One thing's for sure: Bryan Mone has the meats.
11. ILB Devin Bush, So. [Last time: NR]
Got meaningful playing time when starters were dinged, making a few plays along the way. Fast and short thumper well suited to the vertical attacking Brown wants from his linebackers. NFL player and coach's son should be ready to hit the ground running as a starter. Brings a much-needed infusion of dreads to the starting lineup. Has no idea how to draw a Wolverine.
12. K Quinn Nordin, Fr.* [Last time: NR]
#1 kicker in the country, which means he'll either be an Aguayo or go 0/20 before returning to his home planet. 2/3(!!!) on field goals as a senior in HS. Data basically nonexistent outside of camps, where he killed it. Committed to Penn State w/ ridiculous video, which we 1000% approve of.
FAIRLY SAFE BET
13. CB Jeremy Clark, Sr.* [Last time: NR]
Main uncertainty here is sixth-year eligibility. If eligible very strong bet to start, as 6'4" corners are a rare treasure. No shame in losing out to future NFLer Channing Stribling last year and was strong in the first three games with Lewis out. Better in run support than Stribling; thought most of the completions on him in 2015 were bad luck. Brings experience that the rest of the back four is largely devoid of.
14. OG Mike Onwenu, So. [Last time: NR]
You know Harbaugh is itching to roll out lines mostly comprised of 350-pound giants; Onwenu figures to be the first to come online. Played well in limited time a year ago, and has a long term future on O per his coach. Still kind of wonder if he's got the mobility to play as a pulling guard, but we'll see. Made of adamantium, or possibly degenerate neutrons. Likes grapes.
15. FLEX Ian Bunting, Jr.*[Last time: NR]
Ol' Skillet Hands did not have the breakout season many anticipated thanks in part to injury; with Jake Butt taking up a lot of targets and the second half of most games spent running the ball with huge leads there was not much opportunity. Should be plenty next year as Butt heads to the NFL. Decent blocker; retains monster receiving upside. Must look out behind him.
16. RB Chris Evans, So. [Last time: NR]
Quick-twitch athlete emerged into clear #2 behind Smith by season's end. Capable of nasty short-area jukes; doesn't break many tackles; home-run hitter. Receiving upside unexplored last year but will emerge as his career wears on. Will split snaps with Isaac, Higdon, and others in crowded backfield. Should be allowed to wear a helmet that has his hair on it.
17. WR Kekoa Crawford, So. [Last time: NR]
Emerged as clear #3 option on the outside thanks in large part to terrific blocking. Had one bad drop and one badass catch to go with some more routine events. Most X-shaped of the 2015 guys and slid in front of Hoke-era recruits immediately upon arrival. As a recruit, touted as a high polished player who could step in relatively quickly.
18. SS Khaleke Hudson, So. [Last time: NR]
Existence of mean ol' Josh Metellus has Hudson's spot somewhat in doubt but if you thought this space would bet against Hudson, you have not been paying attention. Blocked two punts in 2016 and had about as much garbage time as Metellus. If Hudson gets beat out here look for him at SAM or nickel.
19. TE Devin Asiasi, So. [Last time: NR]
This slot could easily read "pick a Kaiju." Both Asiasi and Wheatley will be a year stronger, abler, and meaner; one or both should break out into true stars. Asiasi gets the tentative nod here because he got a majority of Kaiju PT and did very well with it, repeatedly blowing LBs and DBs yards away from where they desired to be. Don't mess with his dad. For real.
20. FB/H-back Khalid Hill, Sr.* [Last time: 25]
If I had a Panda / I'd hammer in the morning / I'd hammer in the evening / but only in the endzone. Impact Fullback Khalid Hill specialized in two-for-one edge blocks, one yard touchdown runs, wide open flare routes, spectacular catches, and self-nicknaming that was so amazing people just ran with it.
IN A BATTLE
21. SAM Noah Furbush, Jr* [Last time: 26]
Peppers's backup last year, and well-liked by the coaches. But how does Furbush replace a safety? Because that's what Peppers is, a safety. Most Don Brown SAM top out at 215, and Furbush is much bigger than that. Wouldn't be surprised to see him move inside, or reprise his backup role behind a Hudson type.
22. WR Drake Harris, Jr.* [Last time: NR]
Anyone's guess who the second outside receiver is. Harris gets a tentative nod as he was repeatedly targeted downfield starting at about midseason. His only catch on those bombs was called back thanks to a fairly weak OPI call, but aside from that it was slick, and promising. People forget that he was an uber-hyped recruit with 2000 yards as a high school junior. Nice hamstring. Good hamstring.
23. CB Lavert Hill, So. [Last time: NR]
Eases ahead of David Long here thanks to late-season playing time; that may be artifact of opportunity to redshirt Long after a midseason injury. Jourdan Lewis 2.0 is the rep, and he had a couple of PBUs that hinted at his ability. Will be seriously pressed by Long and Ambry Thomas. 27 Tickets needs a bow tie, even a sloppy one.
24. NICKEL Brandon Watson [Last time: NR]
Watson got more PT than any other non-starting corner after the Clark injury, but he'll be pressed hard to keep that spot. Last year this was Peppers; this year it is a conventional third corner. This could be Metellus, as Brown added Kinnel when he needed an extra guy. This is a real classy section of 27 Tickets, you'll agree.
25. P Will Hart, Fr.*
He's a punter, and he's on the roster. So I guess he'll probably punt, unless someone else does. Nordin a possibility, as he is reputed to have a big leg. Picture at left actually of Jordan Glasgow, because I couldn't leave that out. It's Jordan Glasgow wearing a bear shirt. I mean. Cumong.
26. OT Isaiah Wilson, Fr. [Last time: NR]
Unfortunate OL tradition to list a guy who's not even committed as a starter but the OT depth chart looks like tumbleweeds and Wilson is an immediate impact guy. Dude looks like a 30-year old All Pro. JBB is a possibility but after major struggles in pass pro knocked him out of the lineup I'm not feeling that.
27. OT Grant Newsome, Jr. [Last time: 19]
Devastating knee injury saw Newsome spend 38 days in the hospital afterwards. Long term prognosis much better than that would imply, but 2017 availability still very much in question. If fully healthy, starts at tackle. Worried chatter about his ability gave way to play that made you wonder what all the bother was about.
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TECHNICALLY NOT STARTERS BUT CLOSE ENOUGH
RB Drake Johnson—Michigan will apply for sixth year, but do they have the room?
RB Ty Isaac—spring hype petered out into decent play.
RB Karan Higdon—Impressed with his quick cuts and low pad level. Will continue to see snaps.
FB Henry Poggi—less dynamic Michigan fullback, and one who had some issues getting his hat on someone last year.
WR Eddie McDoom—MCDOOOOOOOOM
TE Tyrone Wheatley Jr.—developed his blocking late in the year, coin flip whether it was him or Asiasi.
C Patrick Kugler—most likely reconfiguration of line has Kugler drawing in at C and Cole going to a trouble spot.
CB David Long—going to be a very good player and should push to start. Coinflip w/ Hill.
PUSHING FROM BEHIND
QB Brandon Peters—first Harbaugh-selected QB on the roster comes with massive expectations.
QB John O'Korn—iffy Indiana outing was a win, at least.
RB Kareem Walker—academic redshirt out of the way and time to start displaying that talent.
RB Kingston Davis—some transfer chatter.
WR Nate Johnson—mean-ass slot receiver, if that's a thing. Golden Tate is ceiling.
WR Moe Ways—passed by Crawford and Harris. Getting late early.
TE Sean McKeon—did not redshirt for some reason grumble.
G David Dawson—Doesn't seem like it's happening.
T Juwann Bushell-Beatty—sixth OL after the Newsome injury so there's probably some chance, but played poorly.
ILB Elysee Mbem-Bosse—most likely ILB backup given roster.
SAM Josh Uche—Don Brown dude could be chaos generator.
SS Josh Metellus—spent second half of Rutgers game ending dudes.
WAITING THEIR TURN
QB Alex Malzone—not really in the race, it seems.
TE Nick Eubanks—Funchess 2.0
TE Zach Gentry—actually played WR for much of last year. Development will be fascinating.
C Jon Runyan Jr.—right bloodlines at least.
G Stephen Spanellis—road grader needs seasoning.
T Nolan Ulizio—some playing time he seemed iffy in.
SDE Lawrence Marshall—again disappeared when the season rolled around.
SDE Carlo Kemp—played for some damn reason
WDE Ron Johnson—hyped edge rusher could be Winovich's backup.
WDE Reuben Jones—worker popular with teammates.
NT Michael Dwumfour—ideally he's Hurst 2.0, but probably needs another year.
CB Keith Washington—did not find PT last year, will try again.
November 29th, 2016 at 7:57 PM ^
I am with you then.
November 30th, 2016 at 12:14 AM ^
But we're not Ohio State.
So........
November 30th, 2016 at 12:37 AM ^
Optimist outlook:
LT- Newsome 6'7" 320
LG- Bredeson 6'5" 315
C- Cole 6'5" 310
RG- Onwenu 6'3" 345
RT- Wilson 6'7" 335/JBB 6'6" 320
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November 29th, 2016 at 4:19 PM ^
November 29th, 2016 at 4:20 PM ^
There was some chatter from insiders where he was telling people he was comming back.
November 29th, 2016 at 4:21 PM ^
Right
November 29th, 2016 at 4:33 PM ^
November 30th, 2016 at 8:36 AM ^
I think he will return.
November 29th, 2016 at 4:25 PM ^
I guess I just assumed everyone starting this year was. Thumbs up
November 29th, 2016 at 4:26 PM ^
Are Wyatt Shallman and Shelton Johnson still on the team?
November 30th, 2016 at 7:21 AM ^
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November 29th, 2016 at 4:26 PM ^
Sure, UM will be young. But they will be talented. My primary concern is OL. Every other position I think will turn out better than people think. Youth is not necessarily a weakness these days.
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November 29th, 2016 at 4:29 PM ^
Going to be a rebuilding year. May still be a 10-win rebuilding year, because Harbaugh, but there are going to be some real headaches.
I am pessimistic about Newsome's ability to fully contribute next season. I would be delighted to be wrong (and with the experience leaving, having Newsome anchoring the left side would be huge) but the amount of damage his injury did is the sort of thing that can take over a year to recover from, just based on what we've heard.
We are going to miss Darboh and Butt, but I think our pass-catchers will be able to match or nearly match the capability of our pass-catchers this year. Especially if DPJ comes on board. A year of seasoning for Crawford and Mcdoom should transform them into valid every-down threats, Asiasi looks like a stud, and Perry's quickness and route-running are going to be huge assets.
Combine this with a QB position that should upgrade into a genuine weapon (either Speight plus a year of experience and training, or Peters performing so well that he is better than Speight plus a year of experience and training) and the passing game looks very promising if the OL can protect the QB.
And the RB position is loaded. The OL is the real scare spot, but this offense should achieve similar levels of production next season, especially against lesser opponents that can be blocked.
Whether it overcomes a gutted defense is an open question.
November 29th, 2016 at 4:38 PM ^
The question is who is the third linebacker and how the young but talented secondary holds up. I expect that the team will get better as the areas on rolls along. The Florida game may be a bit rough, but UF has their own share of issues. After that the schedule is pretty soft until MSU, but again MSU has their own issues.
My concern will be road games. How will a young team react playing at PSU and Wisconsin?
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November 29th, 2016 at 5:02 PM ^
The DL will be a lot less deep. This season's DL's was historically good; I don't expect things to stay the same. The back end, plus the Peppers spot, are real questions. Might get away with that against average teams, but good QBs (assuming we play any) will be problematic.
Michigan will probably be dogs at Wisco and especially Penn State, which probably opens the season solidly in the top ten. I think MSU will be tough but manageable. I have no idea what to expect against Florida.
November 29th, 2016 at 5:06 PM ^
Wisconsin will make a late November game a night game. Wisconsin will be the week before the OSU game.
I know the Michigan AD would probably not ask fans to endure a possibly vey cold late November night game.
Anyone have any intel on how the Wisconsin AD thinks about these things?
November 29th, 2016 at 5:18 PM ^
Interesting. Wouldn't surprise me, given the strength of the two teams. The week before "rivalry week" often features a lot of dud games, which increases the desire of the networks to put a good game in prime time for ratings. This is surely a desireable game.
Which stinks for me, because I could theoretically make it to Madison if they played at noon. But no way the game is scheduled at noon.
November 29th, 2016 at 5:48 PM ^
But could it be an 8 p.m. game?
That would be horrible.
Possibly very cold.
Night game atmosphere advantage to Wisconsin.
And Michgan getting back to AA at 4 a.m. or something, which screws up the prep for Ohio State week.
November 29th, 2016 at 4:35 PM ^
November 29th, 2016 at 4:41 PM ^
"improved... OL."
We'll see. No question that this year's was disappointing, but we're talking about replacing serviceable guys with really young players.
This isn't the Hoke regime anymore, but we DID say basically the same thing after 2012, and we've seen an unbroken string of disappointing OLs since that time. It's not easy to replace three guys on the OL no matter who has been recruited.
And a questionmark OL equals a questionmark offense.
Speight's spot is in question because he demonstrated real flaws this year and we have a guy in Peters who is a Harbaugh-type guy with a lot of talent. So, who knows how well he develops in the offseason? The comforting thing is that Peters won't win the job by default--if he endangers Speight, it's because he's really good.
But if Speight is the guy next season I have a lot of confidence in our passing game.
November 29th, 2016 at 5:10 PM ^
otherwise, I am going to continue believing that Onwenu has serious all-american potential as a guard.
Isaiah Wilson can be the answer at tackle.
November 29th, 2016 at 4:35 PM ^
This is one of my favorite segments on this site. O-Line looks frightening at this point but a bunch of elite level recruits can't be that much worse than the Hoke era linemen we've endured for the last few years
November 29th, 2016 at 4:37 PM ^
November 29th, 2016 at 5:42 PM ^
The difference is one group was coached by Darrell Funk and these ones....won't be
November 29th, 2016 at 4:39 PM ^
Biggest single Q of 2017 is what kind of leap Speight is going to make. He's not going to be able to lean on the defense next year. He will pass and pass a lot.
My bet is that one of McDoom, Crawford or Harris hits the 1,000 yard mark. I also expect Bunting to make a national splash.
November 29th, 2016 at 4:43 PM ^
We have an advantage here: Harbaugh, perhaps to a fault, did not "protect" Speight this year. The passing game was a huge component of the offense whether it was wise or not. I think it serves him well going forward.
November 29th, 2016 at 4:41 PM ^
When will we have one of those O-Lines that are 5th year seniors and at the youngest juniors?
It's really a "grown ass man" position in college.
You need upperclassmen there to win at a high level.
Any chance we can do what the entire SEC does and plug and play some grad-transfer(s)?
I'll hang up and listen
November 29th, 2016 at 4:58 PM ^
in three years.
November 29th, 2016 at 5:16 PM ^
isn't it true that Saban has won big with underclass linemen?
Also, If Wilson comes, his build is not like other typical freshman lineman that need to add 35 pounds, etc.
November 29th, 2016 at 6:13 PM ^
Both 'bama and OSU have very young OLs this year.
According to Ourlads.com (have no idea if it's 100% accurate, but looked correct for OSU), between them, their 2 deeps include only 2 seniors (out of 20 spots - wow!), and half their linemen are underclassmen.
Of course, it's mainly because so many of their linemen went pro, and OSU's line was definitely not a strength.
At least it's good to show that top teams can succeed with young OL.
Alabama starters:
RS So
Jr
RS Jr
So
Fr
Alabama 2nd team:
RS Fr
RS So
JC Jr
RS Fr
RS Sr
OSU Starters:
Jr
Fr
RS Sr
Jr
So
OSU 2nd team:
RS Jr
RS Fr
RS So
RS So
RS Fr
note: I did this pretty quickly; may not be 100% accurate.
November 29th, 2016 at 6:18 PM ^
Obviously the Bredeson/Newsome spot didn't meet the qualifications of being at least a junior but you had what: 3 5th yr seniors and a 3rd yr junior all starting for the 3rd year. When was the last time UM had a 5th yr senior starting for 3 years who wasn't a stud?
I think we're still a couple years away from getting back to the olines some of us were used to watching in the 70s, 80's, 90's and early 00's.
November 30th, 2016 at 10:43 AM ^
In general, I'd agree that your chances of excellent OL performance are enhanced with experienced upperclassmen at starting positions. However, in 1997:
Steve Hutchinson red-shirted his FR season in '96, and was a first-year LG starter in '97.
Jeff Backus red-shirted his FR season in '96, and was a first-year LT starter in '97.
Chris Ziemann red-shirted in '95, and was a second-year starter at RG in '97.
We didn't know at the time that both Hutch and Backus were future NFL players with long pro careers ahead of them; it's not easy to foresee that with the current upperclassmen on our OL.
November 29th, 2016 at 4:45 PM ^
Hope that Kingston Davis transfer chatter is just that and nothing more. I would love to see him as a fullback or a power back down the road.
November 29th, 2016 at 4:57 PM ^
If there's enough chatter that Brian mentions it in a feature like this, it's some serious chatter.
My guess is that he really wants to play RB, something he said when he came. And, well, you see the depth chart--we return three guys who got serious, productive snaps this season, plus potentially Drake Johnson, plus Kareem Walker. And we're deep in pursuit of Najee Harris (though I expect he defaults to Bama in the end).
There's a lot of talent in front of him. If FB isn't attractive to him...
November 30th, 2016 at 7:20 AM ^
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November 29th, 2016 at 4:52 PM ^
Seems strange that we're already referring to the 2016 team as "last year" when the season's not over - we still even have an outside shot at the playoff.
November 29th, 2016 at 4:55 PM ^
I think that Peters has a bigger window to win the QB1 job than the post suggests. I think that there are some fundamental limitations in Speight's game that limit how much he can improve.
Usually, when you see a young but talented QB play, they are strong deep-ball throwers who, when throwing from a clean pocket to a receiver with a few steps on the defense, regularly connects. That is because that throw is most like playing catch, or throwing routes in shorts. It is a fundamental skill that, at a certain point, QBs have or do not. At the same time, these young QBs often have accuracy problems on short and intermediate routes because they lack the familiarity and anticipation necessary to see those holes that open and close so quickly. This is often an area where you see dramatic improvement throughout a QB's career, because that familiarity and anticipation are the skills that often develop at this age, particularly with good coaching.
I'm afraid that Speight is demonstrating good familiarity and anticipation already, which is part of the reason his short and intermediate accuracy is so good. He's a student of the game who is working hard with excellent coaching. So that will continue to imrpove, but frankly, there isn't that much room for improvement. He hits most of those throws that he should.
But he also leaves a lot of points on the board with his inability to throw from a clean pocket to hit open deep routes. Those are costly, costly misses. And because they are such fundamental throws, I worry that he is less likely to suddenly improve on that skill so far into his career.
Maybe I'm wrong, and that would make me happy. I'd love to see Speight come out with the same level of toughness we saw this year, the same or slightly better anticipation, and the ability to hit the deep ball consistently. That's a tough QB to beat out. But absent that, an athletic QB who studies well and gives up a little on the short and intermediate routes but doesn't leave the same deep-ball points on the field will have an opportunity.
This year, leaving those points on the field didn't cost us too much, because we kept winning. But we all expect to take at least a small step back next year. So when the coaches dial something up that sees a receiver running free, we'll need to connect.
November 29th, 2016 at 5:09 PM ^
I think you're overgeneralizing about young QBs. Each player is different.
Yeah, Speight's deep ball accuracy has been inconsistent. There have definitely been throws that have missed sure TDs, and that might have cost us the game against Iowa. He has also hit a couple of beautiful deep passes (Wisconsin, for example), but obviously improvement would be nice.
It should also be said that his receivers were not great deep-ball receivers. Both Chesson and Darboh had a habit of getting lost when the ball was in the air, and Chesson in particularly adjusted poorly to balls that he could have made a play on. As a consequence, the windows Speight had to hit to complete those passes were smaller than they would be with a guy like Braylon Edwards at the other end.
But he's still a relatively young QB. Not the biggest hotshot talent, no, but one must assume that a guy with his proven work ethic will continue to develop into next year. Deep ball accuracy will be a big part of this development.
Remember, he was a redshirt sophomore. The same academic year that John Navarre was in 2001, when Navarre was thrown into the position because Henson left and struggled tremendously for the entire season. And that coaching staff was able to coach Navarre into a good QB by his senior year. What can Harbaugh do for Speight?
November 29th, 2016 at 6:28 PM ^
Everybody loves the backup - at least until he plays.
Speight is our QB unless Peters is amazing. With our young OL next year we're gonna need Speight's pocket presence and size.
Remember how many sacks he avoided this year, either with nifty little moves or by sheer strength and size.
November 29th, 2016 at 8:20 PM ^
November 29th, 2016 at 9:43 PM ^
Chesson was hittable by Rudock because he was wide open a fair amount of the time. That happened a lot less this year. He never, not even once, burned a DB as badly as he burned Hargreaves in the Citrus Bowl.
I don't think he's a great route runner, and I wouldn't be surprised if injuries robbed him of some lateral agility that further hampered those efforts. When Rudock was hitting his stride, Chesson was making great cuts and getting open in key places. I can't remember him ever being that open this year. When Speight hit him accurately, he was still well covered. Remember that gorgeous TD against Rutgers? Chesson was blanketed and Speight hit him in the only spot that he could complete a pass.
But it was notable that Chesson was blanketed. That wasn't OSU's secondary he was playing against. He was blanketed a lot.
I don't want to imply that he's a bad player, but there are some tools that he didn't have. He still played his guts out for the team all year.
November 29th, 2016 at 8:25 PM ^
November 29th, 2016 at 4:55 PM ^
November 29th, 2016 at 4:56 PM ^
Only has 2 Sr. Starters on offense or defense (1 QB, 1 Safety). Going to be tough going against a veteran team to start the season.
November 29th, 2016 at 5:01 PM ^
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November 29th, 2016 at 5:21 PM ^
offense?
I count that fact that most of their offensive players will be back as improving Michigan's chances next September.
November 29th, 2016 at 8:43 PM ^
November 29th, 2016 at 5:37 PM ^
November 29th, 2016 at 5:38 PM ^
The non-guaranteed fifth year will make for some interesting moments later on. I hate speculating on will/won't but looking at that list I can see a couple of guys who may be looking at an uphill battle to win their spot on next year's team.
Surprised that Malzone is ready to graduate after 3 years already. If so, good for him. With most of those guys, are you just throwing up any name for whom its a remote possibility? Or is there chatter about guys like Gentry?
November 29th, 2016 at 5:50 PM ^
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