Spring Items: Offense
[Bryan Fuller]
Hello. Here are some spring practice items. Please read responsibly: these are impressions from a couple of practices, not even a whole spring session. The latter is notoriously unreliable; the former is even more so. Even if everything in here is the gospel truth the rest of spring and fall camp will change the picture considerably.
BTW: more rumblings at Touch The Banner.
Quarterback
Not a lot of intrigue: Wilton Speight is an unchallenged #1. John O'Korn is still a nose ahead of Brandon Peters for second-team snaps. Peters is flashing talent but is still behind the veterans with his command of the offense. He will offer a little dual threat if and when he ascends to the starting job. Speight's been up and down early.
Running back
Similar situation here: Chris Evans is the guy. He's added a little muscle—up to 212 at the latest—and has full command of the offense. He knows why he's doing the things he's doing, and occasionally makes spooky jukes based on his anticipation of the situation. Breakout year is likely.
Because it's running back Michigan will rotate a bunch. Various reports note that Ty Isaac is looking good and Kareem Walker is coming on, which continues a theme from Michigan's bowl practices. Higdon has been limited with a minor injury.
Kingston Davis's decision to transfer was his alone—Michigan was already at 85 before his departure—and is likely because he was fifth on the depth chart with more guys arriving this fall and it was fullback or nothing for him. This should be a very deep and good platoon.
Wide receiver & tight end
One of the biggest questions entering spring: who is the #1 receiver? Early returns are very encouraging about Donovan Peoples-Jones. Top five receivers are immediate impact guys about 33% of the time, and Peoples-Jones looks to be in that group. It took him just a few practices to establish himself. He's also got a minor injury and hasn't been in pads for a few days but that hasn't stopped the rumbles.
Kekoa Crawford lacks DPJ's explosiveness—as do most humans—and looks about like he did when he got on the field this year: very good blocker, big target, good routes. Strong belief he can be a quality #2 receiver this year, and an okay #1 if necessary.
With Grant Perry still being held out, Eddie McDoom is getting a long look in the slot and "doing McDoom things," which I interpret to mean breaking tackles on end-arounds. A surprise name is Nate Schoenle, a redshirt freshman walk-on from Ann Arbor. Schoenle has good size—listed at 6'2" on the roster—for a slot and when he committed his coach thought he had a shot:
“Nate’s a late bloomer but his upside is pretty steep, so they’re getting a pretty good preferred walk-on candidate,” said Gabriel Richard coach Mike Girskis. “He’s got fantastic speed, decent size and he’s working really hard in the weight room. His potential is exceptionally high from what I can see; I think he’s going to start as a project and wind up a steal.”
Girskis has called Schoenle the best receiver Gabriel Richard has had, citing his 40-yard dash time of below 4.5 as proof of his ability to excel at the college level. He also said his high academic scores are evidence of his capabilities as a quick learner.
Those academic scores were enough to get him pre-admitted to Ross. He's making the most of his opportunity. Slot is a place where 'Bama's running out Oregon State and BGSU transfers, so Schoenle's in the right spot to make an impact as a walk-on. There's one report that's not sure who #29 is; a dollar says it's Schoenle.
Folks who have been intermittently available include Drake Harris and Moe Ways. Tarik Black has also sat out some; when he's in he's a tough cover with his size and physicality. He's a contested-ball guy at worst with some long speed upside.
At tight end (or maybe wide receiver), Zach Gentry has been making a ton of catches early with the second unit. Nate Eubanks is getting a significant amount of run, some problem with drops. With Asiasi gone, TJ Wheatley is getting first team reps—Bunting's been held out some. Wheatley looks like a terrific receiver but his blocking remains a work in progress.
Offensive line
Ruiz is key
As always, difficult for sideline observers to discern much about the most complicated spot on the field but one thing seems clear: Mason Cole is going to move back outside. Michigan is running Patrick Kugler, Cesar Ruiz, and redshirt freshman walk-on Andrew Vastardis at center, and while Cole has probably taken some reps there all the reports I have talk about him on the outside with various mentions of the other three guys at center.
Kugler is leading right now but the Ruiz hype is real. Like Mike Onwenu he's shed a significant amount of weight and is still stunningly large for an underclassman: he's at 320, down from 340, and people expect him to push his way into the starting lineup sooner or later.
Onwenu, meanwhile looks the part, "bullying" various folks lined across from him. You can mark his name down in pencil as a starter.
Right tackle is currently Juwann Bushell-Beatty, with Bredeson sticking inside at guard. I assume they'll look at Bredeson on the outside if they think Ruiz and Kugler can play together; this is not based on any practice reports but rather your author's charting of last year's OL.
OL numbers are currently very low with a couple of guys not in pads, with a significant number of walk-ons on the second unit. Michigan of course tried to recruit a bazillion OL last year, and until the rest of the folks arrive in fall it's going to be patchwork.
Those 3 games "could have gone either way" because Speight was bad in them. He was great against the UCF's, Maryland's, and Illinois's of the world, but against the better teams on our schedule he played poorly.
A quarterback we can win championships with will step up in games like that. Speight has yet to prove that he can.
B1G qbs were pretty bad last year so that's not saying much. We need improved QB play this year whether it comes from an improved Speight or someone else who is better. Hopefully whomever it is isn't pulverized a la Gardner thanks to an OL not up to the challenge.
If we're going to finish better than third in our division, if we're going to make the playoff and beat teams like Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Washington, we need our QB to be more than "perfectly fine". Washington's QB was a true sophomore last year, and he was playing at an All-American level.
I think we are stuck with 22 year-old WS because of the coaching theory of "Our QQ-Whisperer Head Coach who was a pretty good QB in his own right thinks he's the right man for the job"
I can be okay with that coaching theory.
Well, hello Mr. Positive!
You don't sound very much like "Michigan" & "We" are words you use together much, outsside of trolling.
fair enough
the next 4-5 years. Talented. Grinder. Makes the key catches, while the 4/5 stars make the headlines. Like a latter day Kenny Higgins (UM '87and Harvard Law '90)
Nice to have you on the board, Mr. Higgins.
By this post, law degree confirmed beyond question.
He's our best bet at the moment. Let's give him a chance to show his continuing progress under Harbaugh and Hamilton's tutelage. Don't forget we play Florida right out of the chute in front of a national TV audience...anyone really ready to throw Peters to the lions in that game?
…but, but, the sky might be falling.
This is O'Korn's third year in this program and he had starting DI experience before he got here, but Harbaugh hasn't even been able to make him into a passable backup. And Peters is still behind him, despite being a highly touted recruit with a whole year of coaching under his belt. That's concerning.
Obviously important to see where we are in 2-3 months but some promising obvservations. Hopefully, the O line rotation will be set with no major injuries. By the time the season rolls around, Speight needs to have more ups and less downs. Can't wait to see the RBs and WRs in Septembers. Should be a solid team with great potential. B1G title hopes for sure.
GO BLUE!!
Has JBB gotten better since last year or do you see him starting because there is noone else? He got by without hurting us but seems there was a reason he was replaced by Bredeson with Braden moving to LT.
It wouldn't be surprising to see him improve after getting some game time last year. Obviously it would be huge if he can hack it as a starter.
I'm guessing Bredeson gets moved to RT in the Fall. Assuming the close competition he had with Newsome at LT was true. If JBB can't take that RT job decisively, the tackle position is too weak. Kugler starts at center because he's a vet, Ruiz takes the LG spot. That line could work. JBB first man in at tackle, one of Runyan/Spanellis/Ulizio should provide one level of depth at guard. One of the true freshman provide another. Could work.
One grad transfer at tackle would help tremendously. That should be an all day every day effort from the staff this sping and summer.
I think the O line will get it together and the offense will be better than last season.
I think you're right, with the #1 difference being WS at QB Year Two, simply because he will much more experienced than last year (zero), and he will be playing knowing some damn talented QBs are sitting on the bench.
However, Speight needs time.
He was solid with time, he was bad without it. Even a few of those "he's more athletic than he looks (TM)" runs were after standing in the pocket with good protection, but no one was open and the clock was ticking.
He'll naturally take a leap...the coaching is too good around him and year 1 to year 2 is generally a jump for most returning starters anyway.
I just hope we've got a C who can shotgun snap and an OL who can be at least as good as last year. If those are true...then yes, I think your gut can be true despite losing Smith, Chesson, Darboh, and Butt.
I actually think the WR position is going to surprise a lot of people this year (if Speight has time).
Better than Bredeson early in the year. But maybe Drevno wanted to build chemistry and knew Bredeson would pass him and didn't want to mess with the lineup midway through the year?
In the end, it Bredeson did get better and now he's a surefire starter with Cole and Onwenu.
Based upon nothing other than rumors & WOS, that's my OL too 71.
JBB emerging to be a part of the "Best 5" over Ruiz would be a positive, though. Hell, Filiaga showing up and locking down a T spot would be sweet too!
I think I said this last year as well, but we were thin for so many years everywhere it is weird to have depth at most positions. OL is still a question mark, but if the stars align it feels like we have the bodies. DL is thinner than last year, but if a couple guys past the top four break out we'll be in a great spot.
Imagine a 2nd year starting QB in the same system with backups who've been in the same system for two years.
On March 27th, the blog posted that Michigan hadn't contacted Aaron Cochran as per a Michigan insider article. Seems like he would have helped.
What is this Aaron Cochran joke?
Filiaga is not the only OT in the 2017 class, Steuber and possibly Honigford will be too.
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