Predict the 3rd/4th best players on each side of the ball on Nov 1
I think most would agree we have 2 upper end players on each side of the ball - Devin and Funchess on offense, and Ryan and Clark* on the defense. Three of these four, and most likely all if Funchess fulfills his promise will be gone after this year. With that said fast forward 3 months and who do you see as the 3rd/4th "best" players at that moment on each side of the ball.
NOT who has the most potential or who is most important (I'd throw Jarrod Wilson as most important on the defense due to the drop off/lack of experience behind him) but who on Nov 1 is showing to be an impact player like Funchess did on Nov 1, 2013.
*Countess is probably in same realm as Clark in talent but faces some health and competition issues.
Obvious candidate on defense is Peppers but if you think that - that would mean 10-11 games into his freshman year he is the 3rd or 4th best player on a pretty veteran defense. Plausible but aggressive for a player we've never seen. If you pick Gedeon it would mean he is getting a lot of playing time - which seems unlikely if he is stuck at MIKE. Picking a corner is difficult when we don't know the rotation. If you pick a running back it means our OL is competent enough to be opening holes so (Green/Smith) can flourish to be the 3rd/4th best player on offense. If you pick any WR it is someone who has almost no game experience. If you pick any OL well ...
So think it through.
My picks
Defense
- Henry
- Ross III
Offense
- Butt even at 80%
- ....still thinking.... throws dart. Dart hits Darboh.
August 28th, 2014 at 1:57 PM ^
Devin and Funchess...Ryan and Clark. Devin Funchess and Ryan Clark.
Anyway...
Offense
- Butt
- Darboh or Norfleet (but I'll have my eye on Chesson and a breakout OL)
Defense
- Absolutely no clue...Henry, Charlton, Ross, Bolden, Countess, Peppers and Wilson all come to mind.
Nice thread...I'll be interested to read all of the responses, especially on defense. Tough question.
August 28th, 2014 at 2:05 PM ^
Very tough question as I thought it through. On defense so many guys I wanted to say (Gedeon, Hurst, Wormley) could be backups. Other guys (Bolden, Lewis) are more of camp hype rather than what we have seen on the field. Peppers is obvious but really will a freshman pass everyone else like a freight train? And does that mean good things about Peppers or the rest of the group. Countess seems like an easy choice but he could be a nickel back with Peppers taking his role in 3 months. Pipkins could be the breakout star as well but is he 100% back? So not easy to figure out.
On offense other than Butt no one has shown that flash of ability yet - very few of these players have a track record of success. It is all projection. I am very curious who we think on Nov 1 will be our future stars based on what they did in 2014. I am leaning to WRs just because I think this team will be reliant on passing over running again in 2014 due to the OL. The running game feels like it will still be a year away no matter how I try to slice this year.
August 28th, 2014 at 1:59 PM ^
Green and Countess.
August 28th, 2014 at 2:37 PM ^
Ditto
August 28th, 2014 at 4:21 PM ^
If Green is correct, we will be having a good season. I hope you are correct.
August 28th, 2014 at 1:59 PM ^
Butt and Darboh
Countess and Peppers
August 28th, 2014 at 2:01 PM ^
Defense: Henry and Ross
August 28th, 2014 at 2:02 PM ^
D: Henry, Bolden, Wilson
O: Green/Smith*, Butt
* (whomever emerges)
August 28th, 2014 at 2:01 PM ^
DONT HURT DARBOH RIGHT BEFORE THE SEASON!
Offense
De'Veon Smith
Freddy Canteen
Defense
Willie Henry
Jabrill Peppers (due to Nickel, PR, and WR [yes he will play a few snaps late] contributions)
August 28th, 2014 at 2:03 PM ^
Offense
Butt
Norfleet
Defense
Henry
Bolden
This is a fun thread, especially after all the position reviews that we have seen this week.
August 28th, 2014 at 2:03 PM ^
Defense: Wilson/Countess
Offense: Green/Canteen
August 28th, 2014 at 2:11 PM ^
The Mean Green Canteen strikes again.
August 28th, 2014 at 2:09 PM ^
offense - Jack Miller and Derrick Green
Defense - JABRIL and Pipkins
August 28th, 2014 at 2:11 PM ^
O: Cole, Green (season hasn't started yet so my glasses are neon rose colored)
August 28th, 2014 at 2:11 PM ^
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August 28th, 2014 at 2:14 PM ^
Offense:
* Butt. I think his freshman season was a very good sign.
* Green. This is part wishful thinking, but I'm feeling optimistic today, I guess. Also, I feel like Green will have to do a fantastic job just to get three yards at the start of the season, so by the time November rolls around and the OL is approaching competent, he's going to feel like he's swinging a bat with the doughnuts off. At least, that's what I hope.
Defense:
* Countess. All Big Ten for another year, maybe more.
* Bolden. I'm hoping it's Henry. But Bolden is going to be more consistent, I think, and more opposing DCs are going to worry about him than about Henry.
August 28th, 2014 at 2:15 PM ^
D: Bolden/Countess
O: Green/Darboh
August 28th, 2014 at 2:15 PM ^
O: Derrick Green, Kyle Kalis
D: Ondre Pipkins, Jabrill Peppers
August 28th, 2014 at 2:17 PM ^
Offense: Glasgow and Chesson
Deffense: Wilson and Charlton
Yes, I think Charlton will start halfway through the season.
August 28th, 2014 at 2:19 PM ^
D: countess and ross
O: green and cole. if cole as a true frosh can start at LT over magunusson who most thought was the sure #1, i like his improvement curve during the next 3 months.
August 28th, 2014 at 2:22 PM ^
i really think he has "IT"; a nose for making plays. i see him being more consistent this year, being a year removed from injury, and becoming that all big ten player we've been hoping for.
August 28th, 2014 at 2:25 PM ^
O: Smith, Peppers
D: Morgan, Peppers
August 28th, 2014 at 2:29 PM ^
I think this is easy (of course, IMO :))
Offense: Butt and Deveon Smith
Defense: Countess (he should be 2nd and Clark should be here at 3rd IMO), Bolden (i think the world of Pipkins, so this was the hardest choice for me)
August 28th, 2014 at 2:35 PM ^
on offense with Cole - will add Green.
Defense - Countess and Lewis
August 28th, 2014 at 2:54 PM ^
I think Green/Smith will end up as the third best player, a two-headed monster of sorts. Darboh or Butt is an easy pick after that. As for defense, I think Bolden will live up to the hype and return as the best player on D next year, and Lewis or Peppers will end up as the 4th best, with a lot of hype surrounding the entire backfield in general heading into next season.
August 28th, 2014 at 2:54 PM ^
Offense:
Jake Butt
Mason Cole
Defense:
Henry
Lewis
TE is going to be a big part of our offense this year, and Jake doesn't have too much competition there. He's going to be a reliable safety valve for Gardner and provide some dependable blocking on the edge to help take some pressure off the line. Nov 1 should be enough time for him to round into form
I'm fully on board the Mason Cole hype train. I don't think he'll be Jake Long, but he'll be surprisingly competent. The more I see and hear about him, the more I think he's playing because he's really that good, not that everyone else is that bad. 4th best? Maybe a stretch, but I think 4th most important is definitely realistic
Henry is an easy choice for me. I've been high on him since spring 2013 and DL is an area where we've had a pretty good track record of developing guys. Look for him to be a consistent thorn in the side of opposing OLs.
I think if Lewis wasn't a SO, he'd have one of the starting spots right now. If they're serious about playing aggressive press coverage, he looks like our best option. I think by the Nov 1, the coaches just won't be able to keep him off the field anymore.
August 28th, 2014 at 2:54 PM ^
D: Taco/Ross
August 28th, 2014 at 2:55 PM ^
Offense: Canteen, Smith
Defense: Taylor, Henry
August 28th, 2014 at 3:14 PM ^
Offsense:Gardner, Funchess
Defense: Peppers, Clark
This thread is an awesome read. I'm not better than anyone else at guessing for damned sure. But, two things I know from 4 decades of Michigan Football (and football in general) are that on average:
1. Previous performance is a predictor of future performance.
2. Freshmen rarely will qualify as a top 2 performer on a typical Michigan team. Obviously, the last several years haven't been typical.
My picking Peppers is a wild flyer just for fun. The rest of them are just the way it is pretty much (or at least the way it should be). I could definitely see Ryan or Morgan ending up on that list though. Countess could be another dark horse. If Ryan hadn't changed positions or he moves back to caveman, he would be my top defensive pick.
If Mason Cole or any other offensive lineman ends up being in this list at the end of the year, I'll be really happy becasue it means we ran the ball well.
August 28th, 2014 at 3:09 PM ^
August 28th, 2014 at 3:11 PM ^
August 28th, 2014 at 3:12 PM ^
August 28th, 2014 at 3:18 PM ^
D: Pipkins and Countess
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August 28th, 2014 at 3:23 PM ^
O: Chesson and Smith
D: Countess and Ross
Raback it.
August 28th, 2014 at 3:35 PM ^
O - Green and Glasgow
D - Countess and Peppers
August 28th, 2014 at 4:20 PM ^
In seriousness, I'll go with Pipkins and Bolden on the defense and I'll go with Darboh and Derrick Green on offense
August 28th, 2014 at 5:01 PM ^
August 28th, 2014 at 6:18 PM ^
August 28th, 2014 at 6:59 PM ^
August 29th, 2014 at 12:00 AM ^
On Nov. 1, I go with Darboh and Green....Peppers and Charlton
However, on Feb. 1, it had better be Morris and Green/Darboh