Defensive Upperclassmen -- Big Ten (+1) Teams
Veteran players are the foundation of a solid defense. Teams like TCU and Iowa are frequently able to produce stout defenses without the advantage of elite recruiting because they redshirt and retain their players. Meanwhile, in the 2007 Capital One Bowl, Michigan shredded an extremely talented but very, very young Florida defense.
I consider veteran players to be players in their 3rd, 4th, or 5th years on campus, or JUCOs in at least their 2nd year on campus. These players are more physically mature and *should* have a better understanding of the game (that players like Mike Williams, Obi Ezeh, and Jonas Mouton are utterly clueless has a lot to do with coaching). So, my criteria....
-- scholarship players (no walk-ons) from classes of 2005-2007
-- (or) JUCO 2008 or earlier
-- started on or moved to defense during first year of college
Comparing Michigan's defensive upperclassmen not only to Ohio State, Penn State, and Notre Dame, but to the rest of the conference as well...
Ohio State - 22
Northwestern - 21
Indiana - 19
Illinois - 19
Michigan State - 19
Penn State - 19
Iowa - 18
Wisconsin - 18
Minnesota - 17
Purdue - 15
Notre Dame - 15
Michigan - 12
The rest of the Big Ten averages 50% more upperclassmen on defense. We are dead last in the conference by a wide margin in terms of experienced defensive players. Purdue and Notre Dame - the two teams closest in terms of youth - also have terrible defenses, against which Michigan averaged 35 ppg this year.
Unfortunately, those numbers are not going to improve significantly next year. 3-4 upperclassmen depart - Graham, Brown, probably Patterson, and maybe Warren. But only 5 players become upperclassmen - Demens, Fitzgerald, Floyd, Martin, and Smith. While our overall defensive numbers will improve in 2010, we will still be hanging around in the basement of the conference in terms of experience.
Update:
Here is the breakdown of defensive upperclassmen numbers for past and future Michigan teams...
2011 (17) -- approaching normal... if no attrition (ha!)
1) DT Mike Martin, Sr
2) DT Will Campbell, Jr
3) DE Ryan Van Bergen, 5th-Sr
4) DE Craig Roh, Jr
5) DE Anthony Lalota, RS-So
6) LB Brandon Herron, 5th-Sr
7) LB JB Fitzgerald, Sr
8) LB Kenny Demens, RS-Jr
9) LB Mike Jones, Jr
10) LB Isaiah Bell, RS-So
11) LB Brandon Hawthorne, RS-So
12) S Mike Williams, 5th-Sr
13) S Vlad Emilien, Jr
14) S Thomas Gordon, RS-So
15) CB JT Floyd, RS-Sr
16) CB JT Turner, RS-So
17) CB Teric Jones, RS-So
***Rogers and Watson not counted due to late move
2010 (14) -- still low if Warren stays
1) DT Renaldo Sagesse, Sr
2) DT Mike Martin, Jr
3) DE Greg Banks, 5th-Sr
4) DE Ryan Van Bergen, RS-Jr
5) LB Obi Ezeh, 5th-Sr
6) LB Jonas Mouton, 5th-Sr
7) LB Brandon Herron, RS-Jr
8) LB JB Fitzgerald, Jr
9) LB Kenny Demens, RS-So
***Watson moved to DE late, so he doesn't count
10) S Mike Williams, RS-Jr
11) S Brandon Smith, RS-So (S or LB)
12) CB Donovan Warren, Sr (please, please, please...)
13) CB Troy Woolfolk, Sr
14) CB JT Floyd, RS-So
***Rogers moved to CB late, so he doesn't count
2009 (12) -- painfully low
1) DT Renaldo Sagesse, Jr
2) DE Brandon Graham, Sr
3) DE Greg Banks, RS-Jr
4) DE Adam Patterson, RS-Jr
5) DE Ryan Van Bergen, RS-So
6) LB Steve Brown, Sr
7) LB Obi Ezeh, RS-Jr
8) LB Jonas Mouton, RS-Jr
9) LB Brandon Herron, RS-So
10) S Mike Williams, RS-So
11) CB Donovan Warren, Jr
12) CB Troy Woolfolk, Jr
2008 (15) -- still low
1) DT Will Johnson, 5th-Sr
2) DT Terrance Taylor, Sr
3) DT Jason Kates, RS-So (left team in mid-Nov)
4) DE Tim Jamison, 5th-Sr
5) DE Brandon Graham, Jr
6) DE Greg Banks, RS-So
*****Patterson RS-ed in '08, so he doesn't count
*****Butler moved to DE late, so he doesn't count
*****Criswell moved to DE late, so he doesn't count
7) LB John Thompson, 5th-Sr
8) LB Brandon Logan, Sr
9) LB Austin Panter, Sr
10) LB Obi Ezeh, RS-So
11) LB Jonas Mouton, RS-So
12) S Charles Stewart, 5th-Sr
13) S Brandon Harrison, Sr
14) S Steve Brown, Jr
15) Morgan Trent, 5th-Sr
*****Dutch moved to CB late, so he doesn't count
2007 (12) -- painfully low again (The Horror!!!)
1) DT Will Johnson, RS-Jr
2) DT Terrance Taylor, Jr
3) DE Tim Jamison, RS-Jr
4) LB Shawn Crable, 5th-Sr
5) LB Chris Graham, Sr
6) LB John Thompson, RS-Jr
7) LB Brandon Logan, Jr
8) S Brandent Englemon, 5th-Sr
9) S Jamar Adams, Sr
10) S Charles Stewart, RS-Jr
11) CB Morgan Trent, RS-Jr
12) CB Brandon Harrison, Jr
*****Dutch moved to CB late, so he doesn't count
2006 (20) -- hmmm...
1) DT Alan Branch, Jr
2) DT Will Johnson, RS-So
3) DT Marques Walton, RS-SO
4) DE Rondell Biggs, 5th-Sr
5) DE Jeremy Van Alstyne, 5th-Sr
6) DE Lamarr Woodley, Sr
7) DE Tim Jamison, RS-So
8) LB Dave Harris, 5th-Sr
9) LB Prescott Burgess, Sr
10) LB Shawn Crable, RS-Jr
11) LB Chris Graham, Jr
12) LB John Thompson, RS-So
13) S Willis Barringer, 5th-Sr
14) S Brandent Englemon, RS-Jr
15) S Ryan Mundy, RS-Jr
16) S Jamar Adams, Jr
17) CB Darnell Hood, 5th-Sr (moved to CB before RS-Fr season)
18) CB Leon Hall, Sr
19) CB Charles Stewart, RS-So
20) CB Morgan Trent, RS-So
2005 (16) -- lowish... and coaching heads roll
1) DT Pat Massey, 5th-Sr
2) DT Gabe Watson, Sr
3) DE Rondell Biggs, RS-Jr
4) DE Jeremy Van Alstyne, RS-Jr
5) DE Lamarr Woodley, Jr
6) LB Pierre Woods, 5th-Sr
7) LB Scott McClintock, 5th-Sr
8) LB Dave Harris, RS-Jr
9) LB Prescott Burgess, Jr
10) LB Shawn Crable, RS-So
11) S Willis Barringer, RS-Jr
12) S Brandent Englemon, RS-So
13) S Ryan Mundy, RS-So
14) CB Grant Mason, 5th-Sr
15) CB Darnell Hood, RS-Jr
16) CB Leon Hall, Jr
2004 (18) -- normal numbers
1) DT Alex Ofili, RS-Jr
2) DT Pat Massey, RS-Jr
3) DT Gabe Watson, Jr
4) DT Larry Harrison, Jr (caught in December before Rose Bowl)
5) DE Rondell Biggs, RS-So
6) DE Jeremy Van Alstyne, RS-So
7) LB Roy Manning, 5th-Sr
8) LB Pierre Woods, RS-Jr
9) LB Scott McClintock, RS-Jr
10) LB Lawrence Reid, RS-Jr
11) LB Joe Sarantos, RS-Jr
12) LB Dave Harris, RS-So
13) S Ernest Shazor, RS-Jr
14) S Willis Barringer, RS-So
15) CB Marlin Jackson, Sr
16) CB Markus Curry, Sr
17) CB Grant Mason, RS-Jr
18) CB Darnell Hood, RS-So
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