This Week's Obsession: Filling Shoes
[Fuller]
In HTTV last year we made a strange assertion: that given the relative drop-off to their replacements, Kovacs would probably be missed more than Denard Robinson. I thought I'd pose the question now concerning this year's seniors, except there's one guy who could have gone 1st overall in the NFL draft LAST YEAR, and he's being replaced by either a member of the worst interior offensive line in Michigan memory or a guy who couldn't beat out one of those guys for playing time.
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| Actually, #2 Taylor Lewan's twosie and #3 Taylor Lewan's pet pig are also out of the running. [Upchurch] |
So, OTHER than that guy,
Which senior will Michigan miss most next season?
Ace: I'll leave a couple very strong candidates aside—namely, Jeremy Gallon and Thomas Gordon—and go to the other bookend of the offensive line, Michael Schofield. Michigan already needs to get much (much) better play out of the interior of the line next year, not to mention a major step up in blocking from the backs and tight ends. Losing not just one, but two NFL-quality tackles means the Wolverines once again head into a new season with major uncertainty up front.
I expect the interior line to be better, especially since some of the true freshmen who weren't viable options this season—especially Patrick Kugler and David Dawson—should at least be ready to compete for a spot on the two-deep. Losing Schofield along with Lewan, however, means that there's almost no margin for error with the new tackles; Michigan needs to find two decent starters out of Ben Braden, Erik Magnuson, and... that's about it.
I guess Dawson could play right tackle, as could Kyle Kalis, but both are more natural fits inside. Chris Fox, coming off a major knee injury that delayed his freshman progress, and Logan Tuley-Tillman, a raw-upside prospect with a heavy emphasis on raw, probably won't be ready to step in and be very effective.
Losing Lewan hurts the most, of course; that's compounded by the absence of Schofield—who really came into his own this year—leaving Michigan with, at best, four relatively unproven players competing for two open tackle spots while the interior of the line is still very much a question mark.
[After the jump: Pining for (Scho)fields]
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Mathlete: My ranking of which seniors will be missed the most in 2014 (as ranked by projected drop off from position due to their loss, accounting for replacement).
- Taylor Lewan. Not much to add here, All American tackles don't grow on trees, even at Michigan.
- Jeremy Gallon. My research continually points to wide receiver experience as the most underrated predictor of offensive success. I think a big case could be made to have him at the top of this list.
Michigan must replace the most ninja holder ever as well as the guy who kicked it. [Upchurch] - Quinton Washington. A quietly strong season and with Pipkins injury, no backups with quality experience
- Michael Schofield. Losing a pair of NFL tackles is bad, but it can't be as bad as this year, right? Please tell me it can't be worse.
- Thomas Gordon. Can Jordan Kovacs come back and pretend to be a 20 year old walk-on again?
- Jibreel Black. A solid piece of a solid defense. Not impossible to replace but will be missed.
- Drew Dileo. Do we know if Norfleet can slide into holder's position on the fire drill field goal, or does he just teleport? That's a silly question, of course he teleports.
- Brendan Gibbons The kicker you know is always better than the kicker you don't. Unless you're Alabama.
- Fitzgerald Toussaint. This isn't a knock of Poor Damn Toussaint or a total vote of confidence in Derrick Green, but all but the best of running backs are virtually interchangeable.
- Cam Gordon. I always liked watching him play and was glad to see him stay on the field after Jake Ryan's return.
- Courtney Avery. It's weird having a captain this low, but never was able to generate much in the way of on-field production.
- Jeremy Jackson. Wanted: Blocking wide receiver for running plays, I mean any play, it could be run or pass, you'll never know which one it is until it's too late
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Brian: I'm with Ace: Schofield. Doubly lost in the shuffle because everyone goes eeee about Lewan and oooo about the offensive line as a whole, Schofield quietly rounded into an All Big Ten caliber tackle his senior year. I didn't have a minus for him in the wasteland that was the Michigan State game--think about that. And when's the last time some dude ran past Schofield for a pressure that wasn't caused by miscommunication on a protection? It's honestly hard to think of one. Yeah, Mel Kiper's hair but most of what he talks about now he's getting from NFL scouts and teams and he's now talking up Schofield as a second or third round pick. That would not surprise me; at the very least he will go in the middle rounds.
Meanwhile, Michigan's offensive line recruiting has been good but is short on sure things at tackle. Assume Magnuson plugs in at left tackle and your battle is between redshirt sophomore Ben Braden and a trio of redshirt freshmen: David Dawson, who is short for a tackle, Logan Tuley-Tillman, who is raw raw raw, and Chris Fox, who was listed at 338 on the roster and was coming of a catastrophic knee injury.
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| The book on Ben Braden is he's not a guard, is why you didn't see much of him this year. That leaves hope that he's still ahead of the rest of the young OL. [Upchurch] |
There are going to be a lot more times that you miss Schofield next year than anyone departing on the defense, and with Funchess around the sting from losing Gallon will be mitigated by the receivers playing very well.
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Ace: Just to add to this from a recruiting perspective, the 2014 class is very strong at receiver: Drake Harris, Moe Ways, and Freddy Canteen all have the ability to step in and play early, and they each bring something different. Harris has great speed and jump-ball skills on the outside, Canteen is a lethal route-runner who could turn into an oversized slot ninja, and Ways is an all-around possession receiver—I strongly urge you to check out his senior highlights, which are way better than his junior film. With Amara Darboh returning from injury and the emergence of Funchess, the wide receiver corps should be strong next year even without Gallon, especially if one or two of the 2013 freshmen—Jaron Dukes, Da'Mario Jones, and Csont'e York—can contribute.
At safety, Gordon's absence should be mitigated by a healthy Jarrod Wilson, and then Michigan just needs one more safety to emerge from a talented group that includes Dymonte Thomas, Jeremy Clark, Delano Hill, and Josh Furman—plus potentially Jabrill Peppers if the coaches decide he'll contribute the most from that spot. Hopefully one of Hurst/Poggi/Wormley/Ash will emerge alongside Henry—that's four bullets in the chamber before we get to a potentially healthy Pipkins and incoming freshman Bryan Mone, who's certainly got the size to see the field early.
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| Yeah, Jarrod Wilson will be fine at one safety position, but Furman immediately reminded us how bad safety had been until Gordon took the starting job in 2011. Dymonte Thomas's hype: please come to the realization aisle. [Upchurch] |
While Michigan has a pair of solid offensive linemen in the fold for 2014 in Mason Cole and Juwann Bushell-Beatty, we all know that true freshmen competing on the offensive line is a bad, bad sign.
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BiSB: Since everyone else took my actual answer (Schofield), I'll say Thomas Gordon. Gordon wasn't spectacular, but he was solid and reliable at position that (a) has limited depth, and (b) has a sizable learning curve. Beyond Jarrod Wilson and (presumably) Dymonte Thomas, depth gets dicey in a hurry. Jeremy Clark has shown flashes, but against weak competition. Delano Hill is a freshman and Jabrill Peppers will only have a couple of months on campus by the time Appalachian State rolls into town (editorial note: /vomits). At this point Josh Furman is what he is, and the thing that he is doesn't fill me with great confidence. Maybe Blake Countess pulls a Marlin Jackson and plays some safety? I dunno. It's scary. Never Forget, ya know?
But seriously, Schofield. Lost in the shuffle of the interior line's... uh... shuffling, the tackles were remarkably consistent in both production and health. Excluding the Penn State game in which Lewan went down for a half, AJ Williams probably had the third-most snaps at tackle because REMEMBER TACKLE OVER? Even if Magnuson and Braden win their respective spots and are really really good, assuming they'll stay healthy for 12 games is begging to be kicked in the dangly bits, especially when redshirt freshmen are on the two-deep. An injury at tackle might even screw up the interior if they have to bump Bosch or Dawson outside.
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Seth: Stribling is another 'oh shit' candidate at safety. My hope is Dymonte Thomas is ready to play strong by next fall, and that's not a hard hope. Both he and Hill are burned redshirts I think we'll be upset about down the road; I never saw much from Jeremy Clark except he's Shazor-sized.
Anyway, I wrote the question with Schofield in mind. Reading your answers I've kinda started to wonder something else: Who do we miss most from last year? I'm sure I would have said Jordan Kovacs, and today I'd feel stupid because as much as I love Gardner, obviously Denard. Or maybe...Patrick Omameh?
So I'm going to be the guy who says Gallon will be missed more. To whit:
1. He may be the best blocker of anyone with receiver eligibility. The bubble screen game was just about the only vanilla thing Michigan's been able to do on offense this year, and it works because Gallon has been excellent at that pick block. When the best part of the offense was that inverted veer, a secret reason it was so effective at generating long Gardner lopes was Gallon consistently burying himself under the cornerback who should have been out harassing it.
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| Attempt at Gallon praise 314: greatest player in the history of Michigan football to resemble a character in a cop drama since that guy who looks like NCIS's Mark Harmon. |
2. He keeps Funchess clean. Michigan had Gallon--size be damned--lining up as the X receiver, i.e. the one on the line. His ability to consistently fight off press coverage is uncanny, and I think it's the reason Borges never feared to use stack formations so often, since you can trust Gallon will get into his route cleanly and not slow up the other guys' routes. Who's on the line now? Funchess has a size advantage but he tends to get jammed. Chesson probably.
3. He can get open many ways. Funchess's game is pretty straightforward: that good ol' fashioned size and speed combo that allows you to play above defenders' heads (needs to not drop so many balls). But Gallon is Inspector Gadget. He's got the little bugger's quicks to beat coverage on underneath routes--why he's open so often on hitches and out routes--but he can also go up and get a fade or catch a fly route or go across the middle. The ability to turn himself invisible against teams from Indiana has been especially useful. There is one corner I've ever seen do a fair job of covering all the things Gallon can do to you, and that's Bradley Roby last year.
4. He's a running threat while still being a deep threat. The motion stuff with him works where it might not with, say, Norfleet.
5. Nobody else has played except Funchess and Chesson. A massive difference between your receiver's talent and that of the guy covering him is one of those things college offenses can exploit like a well. But if you don' t have that talent gap, the learned skills become paramount, and Michigan is graduating four out of the six receivers who've seen snaps. Dileo leaves, and while they weren't very effective receivers it's well to note that Joe Reynolds and Jeremy Jackson were the 5th and 4th receivers this year.
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| Given how bad the depth chart was in 2010 they probably needed to burn Black's redshirt even if they didn't make Roh a linebacker, since Heininger was lost to injury and LaLota transferred, and the rest of the 2nd deep was Patterson and Banks and Sagesse. But how I wish we had redshirted him! [Upchurch] |
Drake Harris is the closest to a freak of the incoming/redshirting crowd; he's not going to out-talent MSU though. Darboh will need some time to get comfortable. The other guys I wouldn't expect to be better than Jackson was this year. But somebody other than Funchess will have to be a mismatch or else the defense will be able to key on him. In an offense predicated on winning 1-on-1 talent matchups at the skill positions, Michigan's offense is going to be short one we've had for awhile.
Nothing against Schofield, and not underplaying how much he'll be missed (though some coach types think the UFR's have been a bit confirmation-biased in not knocking Schofield for communication issues). But Gallon is easily one of the greatest football players we've had at Michigan in the last few decades, and losing a player that far ahead of regular Big Ten competition is a big deal.
#104evah
P.S. Defensively I'm saying Jibreel Black. He, not Q, was Michigan's most productive defensive lineman. We said playing a 280 guy at 3-tech wouldn't go very well unless that dude was getting into the backfield with freakish regularity. Well, he was doing so enough that he played a bunch at nose once Willie Henry was ready.
December 4th, 2013 at 11:18 PM ^
"O-line should be a push."
Is push a good thing? Serious question. This was perhaps the worst O-line in the country. Maybe Florida Atlantic had a worse O-line I guess. But seriously in the BCS conferences I cannot imagine anyone close other than Purdue.
O-line timeline:
- 2012 the reasoning was they were Rich Rod's old players without much talent ex Lewan and Schofield.
- 2013 the reasoning was young bucks ex Lewan and Schofield, so can't be worse.
- 2014 reasoning is less young bucks on the interior at least, so can't be worse.
Not very comforting.
My dismay about the OL was not what it looked like vs ND and even Akron/UConn. It was how it looked later in the year. When we all looked at last year's schedule we thought it played out perfectly for a young UM team. It would give the OL time to gel; it would still be young in November vs September but those guys would have 6-7 games under their belt when the season entered the heart of danger. Instead there was almost no progress. This is what worries me about 2014. It being competent at any point is reliant on individual improvement and development - things we did not see in 2013.
December 5th, 2013 at 11:02 AM ^
"This is what worries me about 2014. It being competent at any point is reliant on individual improvement and development - things we did not see in 2013."
I see why you would say this, but I disagree a bit. The OL is a unique position where individual development comes along with development of the line as a whole and building chemistry. So much of what one OL player does is dependent upon knowing what others on the OL will do on any given play. Unfortunately, the mid-season shift in the OL (as well as the late-season shift back to Kalis) never allowed the line to develop any chemistry. So, if the coaches can get the same 5 guys practicing as a unit for the whole spring, we may see some chemistry develop over the course of the season.
As to individual development, there is a reason that freshmen, even the most highly touted, rarely start on the OL. The position takes a ton of time to adjust to at the college level. Also, starting freshmen is asking an 18-19 year old kid to oftentimes block a 22-23 year old man. While these guys are all huge specimins, there is just a difference in brute strength between a freshman and a senior. (This is also the problem with asking Butt to play so much at TE - he has the receiving skills, but has not developed the "man strength" to effectively block.
I expect that with another 16 bowl practices, a full season of S&C and a full spring knowing that they are the starting line, guys like Mags, Kalis and Glasgow are going to look like completely different players from what we saw last year. If Mags can put on 20 pounds - not much for a man of his size, provided he puts in the requisite effort, he will be in the 300 range, and should be a very competent replacement at LT.
Final optimistic point is that there was some post on this blog last week (I think that it was Mathlete) in which the conclusion was that having an experienced interior line was more important that having experienced or dominant tackles.
Look, I expect that OL will continue to be a weakness next year, but I think that the level to which it hurts us will be far less than this year.
December 5th, 2013 at 11:56 AM ^
Teams loaded up with double A-gap blitz not just because they knew the interior line was young; they also knew nothing was getting past the tackles unless the guards busted, so defenses drew up schemes to deliberately confuse the O-line. Well, they do in general, but my point is that defenses focused on taking the tackles out of the game. Tackle over was meant to counter that.
A lot of Lewan's and Schofield's experience was left on the shelf. Toward the end of the season they were doing slide protections because that was all the interior line could handle. What's the benefit of having Taylor Lewan execute an NFL-style combo block if he can't pass off his guy to the LG? None, but if you're asking Lewan to just donkey his assignment to dumb things down for the LG, all you've got is an above-average LT. It's not like a "skill" (heh, as if blocking isn't a skill) position where Gallon terrifying the secondary frees up Funchess; on the O-line, the weak link brings the whole unit down. At times Lewan was blocking air and fans threw up their hands saying even he's broken. Uh, guys? That was the point. Defenses were running away from the first-round NFL pick and flooding the interior because hey, what would YOU do if you were a DC? I don't buy the 18-vs.-23 argument; the boys weren't getting blown back. The problem is the vast difference between brute strength and focused strength. 300 pounds doesn't amount to a couple cashews and a stale macadamia nut if the inside linebacker literally runs past the lineman.
Point is, we are losing two NFL tackles but I don't think the overall O-line drop-off will be as bad partly because my brain short-circuited trying to imagine worse, but also because the interior line being SO bad almost completely neutralized the relevance of having two good tackles to begin with.
December 4th, 2013 at 8:58 PM ^
Our OL will be young but they should grow together and talent wise, they may be the most talented line in the B1G. Though I still see 3 or 4 losses next season but I think the team will improve progressively through the season, unlike this season, or until the last game against OSU.
Hopefully the fans will not be too upset! 2015 should be much better season.
December 4th, 2013 at 10:13 PM ^
December 5th, 2013 at 12:00 AM ^
They will be! Unless Funk lets them down. But I consider Funk to be a good OL coach.
December 5th, 2013 at 4:15 PM ^
December 6th, 2013 at 5:51 PM ^
December 7th, 2013 at 12:50 PM ^
Really? I have to say I disagree with you completely. Lewan and Schofield were solid or better before this staff ever arrived on campus and I haven't seen them improve since. What I witnessed this year is a future lottery pick looking lost much of the time, often having no idea what they were supposed to be doing. Nt egtting beat by their competition, but by the their own coaching.
You also give Glasgow and Miller as examples, but this is the first year we've seen them play, so wghat evidence do you have that they have improved? They are on the field because the guys ahead of them graduated and we haven't seen them "improve" all year. Miller got replaced and is on the bench, remember?
Honestly, the fact that you name these guys when there is absolutely no evidence to bakc it up doesn't surprise me because that has been the M.O. of most of the posters who are firmly behind the "no coaches should be fired" crew. Never any evidence except "they shouldn't be fired". At least you tried to make something up to support your position, I'll give you that. But the evidence on the field has be clear this year...no one has progressed at all since the start of the year and a bigger indictment is the fact that last year Lewan was pegged as a top 10 pick (maybe even #1) while this year it's likely he won't be in the top ten after an extra year of experience.
I don't know...I can't see how anyone can look at what happened this year and think the vast majority of the position coaches (at the very least) on the offence should keep their jobs. I guess running for negative yardage in back to back games, being almost last (yes LAST) in the nation in tackles for a loss etc etc etc. is fine by your standards. I don't think that should be the case for Michigan.
December 5th, 2013 at 7:09 AM ^
The fans, including myself, will be wild if 2014 is a repeat of 2013. Next year is Hoke 4th year. He ran out of excuses last year for me, and this year for a lot of other fans.
You'll see full on mutiny if next season isn't a solid season with a win over OSU.
December 5th, 2013 at 11:06 AM ^
Fortunately, the only one who makes the decision as to whether or not to retain Hoke is Dave Brandon. Fans always mutiny when the team doesn't win. It is up to the AD to make an informed decision as to whether the lack of winning is reasonable (such as when the coach has a roster that is still deficient at key positions due to the recruiting of the former coach) or unreasonable. If the OL sucks next year, while I won't be happy, I am not sure how you can blame it on Hoke, Borges or even Funk. Teams rarely field the type of youth at that position that we will be playing next year. Will we have even a single upperclassman?
December 5th, 2013 at 11:20 AM ^
Glasgow, Miller, and Bryant will all be RS JRs next year.
December 5th, 2013 at 11:38 AM ^
That is not an impressive trio: A former walk-on, a guy who is too small, and a guy who has not been able to stay healthy.
December 5th, 2013 at 2:09 PM ^
In the fourth year of Hoke/Borges/Funk, you still will not be able to attribute any blame to them? Even if they cannot coach up, for instance, one of the highest ranked guards in the country as a recruit, in his third year under these coaches? Might as well give everyone a perpetual pass -- RR is to blame for all problems forever. On the other hand, Auburn fired Scott Loeffler (OC) and Gene Chizik (head coach), who led Auburn to a 0-9 SEC record last year, and in year one of the new regime, they are 7-1 in the SEC, ranked #3 in the country, and have the 5th best rushing offense.
December 4th, 2013 at 11:01 PM ^
I am with BiSB - Thomas Gordon, not because he was himself spectacular but the dropoff between him and (who?) could be immense. It could be Furman, it could be Thomas, it could be Clark or it could be Countess/Taylor. Not that the latter 2 would be a major drop off but that is our speculation that there might be a position switch. Clark and Thomas are complete unknowns. Furman is a known known,and not a particulary savory one. Without a position switch the depth here is also worrisome.
December 4th, 2013 at 11:43 PM ^
Gallon is going to be a big loss. He was Devin's security blanket, at times maybe too much. One of the big reasons Funchess emerged when the coaches got him away from being a true TE was because teams were so concerned with Gallon.
December 4th, 2013 at 11:44 PM ^
was THE big playmaker this season + Gardner and Gallon had obviously done a lot a work together working on routes. I don't think Devin threw a back shoulder pass to anyone else all season.
I think people will be surprised to see that the O line will be better than expected. If there has been one area where Michigan has been able to "reload" it has been at the tackle postion. I loved Lewan's energy and he was an exceptional pass blocking OT, but his run blocking was fer below what Jake Long did at the same position. Schofield was a VERY solid player and trying to replace BOTH tackles will be a chore - but I really do expect the O line to be solid.
Go Blue!
December 5th, 2013 at 12:19 AM ^
December 5th, 2013 at 7:26 AM ^
December 5th, 2013 at 9:00 AM ^
For the record, the reason Braden was taken out of the line-up 2 weeks before CMU had nothing to do with on-field performance... Some off-the field stuff needed to get cleared up. It really put the coaching staff in a bind too.
They had their unit since spring and when issues arose with Braden, they had to last second change it.
It was nothing major, and since have been fixed, but it was of enough concern, they had to yank him.
I expect him to be in the starting lineup next year. He is one of our 5 best Offensive Lineman.
December 5th, 2013 at 9:23 AM ^
Wait...what? What kind of off field stuff?
December 5th, 2013 at 9:27 AM ^
It was nothing legal related. It's all taken care of.
Just know, Braden didn't get yanked because he got beat out.
December 5th, 2013 at 9:39 AM ^
Okay, but major shit usually results in missing a couple games, so whatever it was must of been a pretty big deal.
December 5th, 2013 at 9:53 AM ^
been, for example, academic eligibility. If he wasn't eligible it does the program no good to jeapordize any wins because of the participation of ineligible players.
December 5th, 2013 at 10:51 AM ^
If Hoke doesn't use the words "made a mistake" (has he?) then for all we know it could've been a family emergency. Some things are more important than football, and fans have no business knowing a great many of them.
December 5th, 2013 at 10:37 AM ^
Which was a team rules violation and immediate suspension from Hoke.
December 5th, 2013 at 10:59 AM ^
If he wasn't beat out, does that mean he will most likely stay inside, or is he still expected to slide out. Glad that whatever it was got sorted out.
December 5th, 2013 at 10:25 AM ^
December 5th, 2013 at 10:37 AM ^
Oh wait, there are two 4 and 5 star JUCO tackles ready to play but they are going to Alabama and OSU.
December 5th, 2013 at 11:10 AM ^
That is not a Hoke thing. That's a Michigan thing. Because of our academic standards, JUCO credits do not transfer. That is why we do not get many JUCO transfers. This has been discussed on the board for ages.
December 5th, 2013 at 11:01 AM ^
The only shoes that need to be filled are those of the OC. Talent on the team doesn't matter so much when the OC doesn't put the players in the best position to win each game, instead choosing to practice ineffectual plays in-game ad infinitum.
Three losses (at least) on the road in 2014. Two more OC game-sized blunders at home. A record of 7-5 next season, or maybe even 6-6. Book it.
December 5th, 2013 at 11:02 AM ^
This GIF makes me feel better when I am sad. It is the best GIF ever.
[Ed:S: Sorry to be a wet blanket. Try Magnus's site. We have a sizeable % of readers who don't appreciate that kind of thing.]
December 5th, 2013 at 11:12 AM ^
that is all. Just wow.
December 5th, 2013 at 12:06 PM ^
I definitely feel a lot better now!!
December 5th, 2013 at 6:04 PM ^
Some of us check MGoBlog at work, is the main problem. Next time plz post a link and tag it NSFW ("not safe for work").
Actually, if you could do that right now, that would be muchly appreciated, because I missed whatever wowed everyone.
December 5th, 2013 at 12:47 PM ^
I actually don't feel as scared about the OL next year. I know we've said it a few times already, but I really think 3 brand new starters on the interior this year will be the bottom for the OL situation. One upside to shuffling so many guys in and out is a lot of guys got playing experience, which is going to be invaluable. Miller, Kalis, Glasgow, Magnuson, Bosch, Bryant all got significant time. There's enough bodies there to get a starting line out of. With another year of S&C and working on technique, they could all be pretty serviceable, if not good. Depth is an issue, but some of the guys coming off of redshirts could probably fill that role, and Burzinyski actually looked pretty decent before injury, if he comes back for his 5th year. If Braden can lock down a tackle spot, it gets even better.
December 5th, 2013 at 2:43 PM ^
If it doesn't get better, we will see a staff shake-up. Maybe not Hoke, but if the O-Line is still among the worst in the country, we'll see our OC and OL coaches go, mabye more.
December 5th, 2013 at 3:43 PM ^
Attempt at Gallon praise 314: greatest player in the history of Michigan football to resemble a character in a cop drama since that guy who looks like NCIS's Mark Harmon.
December 6th, 2013 at 9:46 AM ^
I will dearly miss Jeremy Gallon. I loved watching him play. Next to Braylon and AC, I believe he is the best wideout I've seen at Michigan.
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