Harbaugh: "up to 10 freshman" on the two deep
So that's newsy. And I'd say very good news actually, for depth and overall talent. I don't track such things, but I'd say that's a lot of freshmen making a two deep for any team. Says a lot about this year's recruiting.
http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2016/08/jim_harbaugh_at_least…
August 28th, 2016 at 8:58 PM ^
August 28th, 2016 at 5:30 PM ^
Considering that there is some hand-wringing about next year already happening around here, I would think that this is rather nice to hear that many of the freshman who we may have presumed would eventually start - say, beginning next year - are competitive and in the two-deep potentially now. I say "potentially" because I am still fully expecting a depth chart (which will not be the depth chart per se, of course) that reads like a long Boolean algebra problem rather than a "depth chart" in the conventional sense.
August 28th, 2016 at 5:32 PM ^
...so I wouldn't get too carried away. Harbaugh has emphasized special teams being a key phase from day 1.
I know we don't consider a backup gunner to be the same as a backup defensive tackle...but we should probably keep in mind that some, maybe even most of those roles will be special teams.
In watching the video, he hinted that there could be more that avoid the redshirt as well. If you say a RB, 3 WR, TE, OL, OL/DL (Onwenu), 2 DE, 1 LB, 1 CB, 1 S....that's 12 right there. That doesn't include another LB or Nordin.
August 28th, 2016 at 5:46 PM ^
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August 28th, 2016 at 9:29 PM ^
Which is where the quote was taken from.
Last year you had guys like Tyree Kinnel play special teams and he was not a returner.
Harbaugh plays the best players...don't matter if it's an up man on a return team, a gunner, whatever....
Now I think some of these same players are going to get some run on offense or defense...of course. Most will. But it wouldn't shock me at all if 1-2 guys just play special teams all year.
August 28th, 2016 at 5:58 PM ^
Harbaugh said two deep and special teams on the TV show today - which is where many of the 10 will be. Not sure why this is getting negged...
August 28th, 2016 at 6:18 PM ^
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August 28th, 2016 at 9:31 PM ^
It missed you. The post started with special teams and was about special teams. I feel like you only read "backup gunner."
But he does play freshman on special teams when they don't play offense or defense much.
Tyree Kinnel for example.
August 28th, 2016 at 6:01 PM ^
August 28th, 2016 at 8:26 PM ^
I'll be a little bit surprised if Asiasi plays. There is a lot of depth ahead of him - Butt, Bunting, Wheatley, Gentry and Jocz. Jocz is a 5th year senior who seems to have the coaches' confidence and Gentry really needs every snap he can get. He has a lot of potential but with zero game experience he can only really develop by getting on the field. That's 5 guys who should be taking up the available playing time. Also, Brian's "Hello" post sounded like Asiasi would benefit from a redshirt year.
August 28th, 2016 at 8:40 PM ^
Asiasi is explosive and he was extremely well coached in HS. TJW and Asiasi will play a lot in the power packages - especially to chip or drive with the newbie at LT whomever it is. Hill is at FB so 2 TE sets will be combinations of Butt/Bunting and TJW/Asiasi. Gentry will likely have packages that allow him to run the seam to utilize his height and speed, but quite selective until his blocking meets the standard. I would wager on McKeon to redshirt if anyone.
August 28th, 2016 at 9:08 PM ^
August 28th, 2016 at 9:25 PM ^
He could get Hill's snaps at TE from last year while Wheatley gets the AJ Williams snaps.
August 29th, 2016 at 12:27 AM ^
Where do you think Gentry finds snaps? If he doesn't get a chance to play under game conditions he'll never develop.
August 29th, 2016 at 1:07 AM ^
...and Bunting.
Then I have Wheatley as "blocky" TE #1 and Asasi as "blocky" TE #2
I'd give Williams' snaps to Wheatley, Hill to Asasi...Gentry is the 5th TE IMO, which could be the odd man out in terms of meaningful PT. But he'll get plenty of run in blowouts because Butt should be one of the first to come off along with De'Veon and Jehu.
But Gentry is only a RS Freshman...Butt leaves...he can still backup Bunting next year as "catchy" TE #2 and get plenty of snaps for his RS So, Jr and Sr years.
August 29th, 2016 at 1:16 AM ^
Plenty of guys don't play their first 2 years and develop just fine...especially QBs.
On other comment...Harbaugh does a lot of "ORs" that's also going to help get freshman into the 2 deep...I was just updating the RBs and saw the WRs and that I already had them in the 2 deep as "ORs"
This is 5 freshman in the 2-deep and doesn't include Evans. It also doesn't include Onwenu...who if we take out our entire starting OL and go with 5 backups...he's likely in that 5, but on this depth chart it shows that Dawson is the true backup at both positions. So you're going to run into instances like this as well that we need to take into consideration. Sure he's a backup OG, but he's not going in first at either position, IMO.
QB
1. Wilton Speight (RS So.)
2. John O'Korn (RS Jr.)
3. Shane Morris (RS Jr.)
4. Alex Malzone (RS Fr.)
rs: Brandon Peters (Fr.)
RB
1. De'Veon Smith (Sr.)
2. Ty Isaac (RS Jr.)
3. Drake Johnson (RS Sr.)
4. Karan Higdon (So.)
rs: Kareem Walker (Fr.)
rs: Kingston Davis (Fr.)
Hybrid RB/Slot
1. Chris Evans (Fr.)
2. Jabrill Peppers (RS So.)
FB
1. Khalid Hill (RS Jr.)
2. Henry Poggi (RS Jr.) / Bobby Henderson (RS Sr.)
4. MIchael Hirsch (RS Jr.)
WR1
1. Jehu Chesson (RS Sr.)
2. Maurice Ways (RS So.) / Eddie McDoom (Fr.)
WR2
1. Amara Darboh (RS Sr.)
2. Drake Harris (RS So.) / Kekoa Crawford (Fr.)
SLOT
1. Grant Perry (So.)
2. Nate Johnson (Fr.)
3. Jourdan Lewis (Sr.)
TE1
1. Jake Butt (Sr.)
2. Ian Bunting (RS So.)
3. Zach Gentry (RS Fr.)
rs: Sean McKeon (Fr.)
rs: Nick Eubanks (Fr.)
TE2
1. Tyrone Wheatley Jr. (RS Fr.)
2. Devin Asiasi (Fr.)
LT
1. Grant Newsome (So.)
2. Ben Bredeson (Fr.)
3. Juwan Bushell-Beatty (RS So.)
LG
1. Ben Braden (RS Sr.)
2. David Dawson (RS Jr.)
rs: Stephen Spanellis (Fr.)
rs: Anthony Kay (Fr.)
C
1. Mason Cole (Jr.)
2. Patrick Kugler (RS Jr.)
3. Jon Runyan Jr. (RS Fr.)
RG
1. Kyle Kalis (RS Sr.)
2. David Dawson (RS Jr.)
3. Michael Onwenu (Fr.)
rs: Andrew Vastardis (Fr.)
RT
1. Erik Magnuson (RS Sr.)
2. Juwan Bushell-Beatty (RS So.)
3. Nolan Ulizio (RS Fr.)
rs: Greg Robinson (Fr.)
August 28th, 2016 at 5:36 PM ^
August 28th, 2016 at 5:36 PM ^
Imagine if there are another 10 freshman on the two deep next year. It definitely would not be a surprise, Harbaugh bringing in the talent at his current rate. 2017 won't be a loaded team like this year's team, but watching this young group of players develop on the field is going to be something.
August 28th, 2016 at 6:22 PM ^
August 28th, 2016 at 5:41 PM ^
August 28th, 2016 at 5:42 PM ^
August 28th, 2016 at 5:49 PM ^
August 28th, 2016 at 5:51 PM ^
Future All-Americans.
August 28th, 2016 at 5:55 PM ^
This is a good year for cupcakes.
August 28th, 2016 at 6:40 PM ^
If there were ever a year I'd rather start off against Alabama, this would be it. These guys will be ready.
August 29th, 2016 at 12:37 AM ^
after SOME guys on the field have experienced 4 (or 5) years of the same system might be better. I'm excited too, but the warm-ups aren't terrible this year (even if the home ticket is)!
August 28th, 2016 at 5:56 PM ^
I would expect that in the future as we add depth, the number of freshman playing, barring studs like Peppers and Gary, will be few and far between. Captain obvious here, but a handful of top recruiting classes and good coaching make for a very bright future. It is what has given OSU a decade of success.
Harbaugh will soon have Michigan on an equal footing but that is still several years in the making.
August 28th, 2016 at 5:56 PM ^
August 28th, 2016 at 6:41 PM ^
Onwenu
August 28th, 2016 at 5:57 PM ^
Boy I sure do wish that we could get out of this extremely annoying trend of having to burn so many redshirts. Carr, Rodriguez, and Hoke all left massive holes for their successors in some areas that forced them to burn some redshirts on guys who would have normally kept them. I'm sure that a guy like Gary would have played 20 years ago but our incoming OL would have surely redshirted. I'll probably happen next year too. Some stable recruiting sure would be nice.
August 28th, 2016 at 6:03 PM ^
August 28th, 2016 at 6:34 PM ^
August 28th, 2016 at 7:14 PM ^
August 28th, 2016 at 8:28 PM ^
It's one of the biggest reasons Meyer and OSU are about to land the best recruiting class in school history. Top players will only be here for 3 years so it's better to play them early and get something out of them in their first year. If Peppers is as good as we think he'll be, he's gonna be gone after this season. That means we only saw him play at Michigan for two full years.
August 28th, 2016 at 9:18 PM ^
August 28th, 2016 at 10:46 PM ^
August 28th, 2016 at 11:53 PM ^
Peppers announces early entry into the NFL after HIS FIRST bowl game. Talk about bitter sweet.
August 28th, 2016 at 9:04 PM ^
August 28th, 2016 at 9:04 PM ^
August 28th, 2016 at 9:04 PM ^
August 28th, 2016 at 6:37 PM ^
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August 28th, 2016 at 7:21 PM ^
But besides OL and QB, it's fine for freshmen to push through. OSU has had guys like Gareon Conley walk right in and play. If you're not switching positions (like Dymonte Thomas was) and you're not an OL/QB, you should be able to compete for the two deep from day one if you're a quality player.
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August 28th, 2016 at 8:54 PM ^
If they're not viable by their Junior years, its not so much when as it is if.
August 28th, 2016 at 6:15 PM ^
August 28th, 2016 at 7:00 PM ^
August 28th, 2016 at 7:31 PM ^
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August 28th, 2016 at 7:47 PM ^
August 28th, 2016 at 7:50 PM ^
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August 28th, 2016 at 7:55 PM ^
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August 28th, 2016 at 8:11 PM ^
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