Most Impactful Redshirt Freshman
This was touched on a bit by Brian's Spring Ball post, but I think it's woth its own interesting discussion. What are everyone's expectations of this year's Redshirt Freshman? Here is a handy list that I got from TTB (http://touchthebanner.blogspot.com/2013/03/2013-scholarship-count.html):
RB Drake Johnson
OL Blake Bars
OL Ben Braden
OL Kyle Kalis
OL Erik Magnuson
WR Jehu Chesson
DE Matt Godin
DT Willie Henry
DE Tom Strobel
DE Chris Wormley
LB Kaleb Ringer
S Jeremy Clark
S Allen Gant
Certainly some of these guys are going to need to play large roles on this year's team. What are your thoughts on the top handful? What about a ranking?
Some of my thoughts, but not necessarily a ranking.
- Kyle Kalis - I'm guessing we all have him at or near the top of the list. We need to replace all 3 interior OL starters, and he's the best bet to be one of them. Most have him slated for LG.
- Drake Johnson - There was praise coming from the coaches last year, and the new Kenny Demens comments add further evidence. Drake was a monster in HS. Fitz's future is uncertain. The true freshmen (Green/Smith/Shallman) will only have a few weeks on campus before the season starts. Rawls is uninspiring. I say Johnson has a real opportunity for some minutes.
- Jehu Chesson - We're in dire need for someone to step up outside to complement Jeremy Gallon. We don't have much to go on for Chesson, other than HS. What does it mean that he redshirted and Darboh didn't? Is it just to create one class of separation between the two? Is Darboh 'more ready' than Chesson? Etc.
- Chris Wormley - Before his injury, there were expectations that he'd fill a big role last year. Mattison likes to rotate DL, so we'll likely play the best 6 or 8 guys. The depth chart at SDE is uncertain, and Wormley could certainly factor in there.
- Jeremy Clark / Allen Gant - We don't really know how the safety position will shake out this year with Kovac's departure. We certainly need a smart guy back there to be the captain of the secondary. Some think that Gordon will move to SS, freeing up his FS spot. What does it mean that Jarrod Wilson played last year and these other two didn't? Maybe simply because he enrolled early...
What do you think? If you think Kalis is first, then try to give another guy or two that's high up there :)
Not Kalis, only b/c we are judging impact, not ability and performance. Based on position and ability, then, the better of Wormley and Strobel.
That type of logic doesn't really make sense. If Kalis isn't locking down a guard spot, then that probably means (sans injury) that somebody is better than him. So if you think Kalis is so awesome and someone else beats him out, then that would be a good thing.
He's the # 8 overall recruit in the 2013 class. I don't think 1000-1500 yards is a stretch. More recruits that high are studs early than not effective. It could go either way but I'm optimistic when all the analysts say he's like Marcus Lattimore.
In the Rivals era, the only two #1 rated tailbacks to top 1,000 yards as freshmen were Adrian Peterson and Marcus Lattimore. Guys like Reggie Bush, Beanie Wells, and Joe McKnight were several hundred yards away from that feat.
Some of those guys may have had more proven upperclassmen to compete with, though.
Without going back and looking up each, I would venture a guess that Fitzgerald Toussaint (if healthy) is just as proven as most of the guys that would have been ahead of McKnight, Wells, etc. Toussaint may not be full strength by game one, but he will presumably be ready to play at some point before the end of the year.
That's true. I too easily forget about his 2011 season.
I hope like hell our run yards come back this year, but again, I think it's a lot to expect +1000 yds from an incoming frosh under these circumstances
I'm not sure what Derrick Green is going to offer as a true freshman that Rawls doesn't bring right now.
I can think of a few things offhand (relative to Rawls):
* Size (not by that much, but he's still bigger)
* Power (looks that way, anyhow)
* Speed
* Shiftiness
* Vision
Above all else, maybe, a willingness to recognize his abilities (north/south runner, as opposed to east/west) and make use of them ...
Better speed, acceleration, footwork, vision. Really the only common denominator between the two is that they will forever be lumped together as 'big backs'.
The only problem with that theory is that Green is better than Rawls.
I have no doubt that he eventually will be, I'm just skeptical for 2013. I guess I'm in the small camp that hasn't given up on Rawls yet and doesn't expects Green to bust out of the gate like Wheatley. If Toussaint is healthy, then I don't even think its an issue. Green has a great career ahead of him, especially behind the lineman coming up. I just don't have him penciled in as the workhorse this year.
With the running back position, age doesn't really matter. Freshmen are often just as good as upperclassmen in most aspects, with the most prominent exception being pass protection. Rawls has had two seasons to impress, and he has failed to do so.
Primarily, I would like to encourage any and all images featuring ladies in bikinis. Shirtless dudes from the Michigan football team is a wash. Just shirtless dudes is to be discouraged.
That being said, Wormley has my vote, and that comes before I saw the picture.
We are due for a standout DE. I hope this beast lives up to the hype.
We need MOAR kids from Ohio kicking ass.
Both guys will be ready for significant playing time this year. Chesson also is going to make an impact methinks. Maybe not as much as Darboh (I'm thinking the 2nd coming of Jason Avant here) though. I wouldn't be surprised if Magnuson seems some PT on the OL this year too.
It's gotta be Kyle Kalis, guy is a beast and we need players to step up for our o-line.
IF I could magically pick someone to be awesome it would be one of the safties cause obvious...
That said what if Braden was good enough to lock down Right Tackle and then Schofield could be a guard? IIRC Braden got a lot of good press last year and I'd imagine if he could step in then we would have the luxury of moving to Schofield to guard (Where I have thought that he both has looked better and would be more dominant in the future).
Also, Borges seemed to sound like he thought Chessum would make an impact this year during his post signing day interviews.
Kaleb Ringer...
I'm hoping for Chesson or Darboh (not a RS but close). I think if one or both of these can produce it would create the most buzz.
Personally I think it's amusing how everyone is writing Toussaint off after a broken bone. Victims of the 'shiny new toy' mentality. Green will be a backup this fall.
I don't think "everyone" is writing him off.
I do think that "everyone" has no idea whether he'll be back to full strength or not.
Nobody's underrating him. We just have no clue how his floppy ankle/foot will recover.
I'd like to see Allen Gant take over the Safety spot vacated by Kovacs...might be a long shot but would love to see a local athlete (Sylvania Southview - Ohio) do well!
Yeah, I definitely think that's a long shot. I think there's a pretty good chance that Thomas Gordon moves to SS (with Wilson being inserted at FS) or that Marvin Robinson steps in at SS while Wilson remains a backup.
Admittedly, I wasn't a huge fan of Gant's skills when he came out of high school, but it would surprise me if he beats out a senior (Robinson) or if they tried to get him on the field ahead of Wilson, whom the coaches trusted to put on the field as a true freshman.
There's also Furman and Thomas to consider, but Furman isn't very good and Thomas is just a true freshman. Freshman safeties scare me...
Definitely a long shot, but being around the kid when I worked a bit with the O-Line as a volunteer assistant with Coach Jim Mayzes at Southview - the kid just will do whatever it takes to play. As a senior in high school - he'd run scout team plays just to make the team better. Even if he doesn't sniff the field, he will push everyone around him and do whatever it takes to help the team.
He's all about the team, the team, the team!
EDIT: I know, I know...Cool story Bro. LOL
I'm pretty sure most people have 2 redshirt freshman starting on the O-Line. If so, that guy (Magnuson?) would be the 2nd most impactful to Kalis. I don't see anyone else starting but I hope Chesson is third and Clark helps out in the secondary. I'm still not a believer in Drake Johnson.
Ideally the upperclassmen would be good enough that the rest of these players would contribute as depth help and gain experience for the future. Then in 2014 I would say ALL of them will be impactful.
If another redshirt freshman starts at OG, it will probably be Braden. He has earned more practice buzz than Magnuson, and Magnuson seems more likely to play tackle (he's a good pass blocker but a mediocre run blocker).
Assuming Kalis earns one of the starting OG spots, the C/OG spots outside of Kalis seem to come down to Miller vs. Burzynski and Bryant vs. Braden.
I won't say you're wrong, because nobody really knows...
But I will be very, very, very surprised if your OL lineup turns out to be accurate.
I've said numerous times on this board who I think will be the starters.
Last year I predicted the OL would be Lewan, Mealer, Barnum, Omameh, and Scholfield (from left to right). So while I didn't think Mealer would be the center, the actual lineup was just my LG and C flip-flopped.
I'm not asking you to be impressed, but nobody saw the Mealer-at-center thing coming. But Darrell Funk and Co. clearly thought the five guys I picked were the best five, although he rearranged them a little bit. And there was another question - some people thought Schofield would stay at guard because he played well there in 2011.
But apparently you think 2 of Michigan's best 5 players on the OL will be Burzynski and Magnuson in 2013. Don't be surprised if someone says "I'm not that impressed" about your lineup once the 2013 season rolls around.
You asked me who I had projected at center last year.
I mentioned this higher in the thread, but your logic doesn't really make sense.
Assuming that Kalis is good (I think he is, and so did all the recruiting sites), then if somebody beats him out, doesn't that mean the other person is REALLY good? And if that other person is REALLY good, doesn't that bode well for the team?
I see what you mean, but the thread is RS freshman who will make an impact. The flip side of your point is if he is bad, or isn't ready, then whoever takes his spot is simply better than him.
For example, Mealer played center this year. He was not good, he was just better than the alternative. Great guy, Michigan man, but he struggled.
I think (and hope) it will be Kalis. It SHOULD be him.
As a side, I ofenn wonder the reason more Freshman don't get a shot playing on the offensive line. There are obviously some physical issues such as size and strength that play in, but I wonder if more often than not it has to do with understanding scheme. Offensive line is the most complicated position on the team outside of quarterback, and the jump from high school offenses to college offenses is pretty significant.