Our Overachieving Tight Ends and Receivers

Submitted by Mike Damone on

With all of the great 4* and 5* receivers and tight ends on this team, yesterday our top 4 receivers were as follows:

1)      Sean McKeon:  3* tight end, our third best TE recruit in 2016.  Chose us over BC and Syracuse.  Many did not understand the logic of this Michigan offer when he committed

2)      Zach Gentry:  One of the top 10 QB recruits in the nation 3 years ago, decided to believe in our coaching staff and his team at Michigan, and busted his ass to learn a new position to benefit of the team.

3)      Grant Perry:  3* receiver, decommitted from Northwestern to attend.  Despite great high school stats, with his smaller size, was an afterthought as Alex Malzone’s teammate during Harbaugh’s first recruiting class.

4)      Nate Schoenle:  Walk on from Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard.  Only scholarship offer was from Division 2 Hillsdale College.  Grew up loving Michigan, and wanted to give it his best shot.

I know stars mean something in recruiting – the data proves it.  But so does hard work, development, character and heart.  Great work by these players to silence the doubters, earn their time, and make a huge impact.

 

Dustinlo

September 24th, 2017 at 12:03 PM ^

Yet fans still question the staff for taking commitments from some recruits. It continues to make me chuckle that anyone would question a coaching staff with so much experience and success.

skegemogpoint

September 24th, 2017 at 1:08 PM ^

Go back and watch the tape. Bunting played FAR more than Wheatley. In a game where there was extra emphasis on TEs, Ty had 0 snaps in 1st half while Bunting, McKeon and Gentry had several. Ty saw his first action at 10:29 mark of 3rd Qtr and wasn't in again until Isaac's TD later that Qtr where he was on field for 2 plays.

When Peters came in at mop up time (2:31 of 4th Qtr) Ty was in all 4 plays. Other than that he was used very, very little. 7 plays total.

Chuck Norris

September 24th, 2017 at 12:24 PM ^

The same can be said for the majority of our LB/S corps.

Other than Mike McCray, who was a top 150-ish recruit, they are as follows:

1. Devin Bush Jr., a low 4 star who was "too small" to play at a high level.

2. Khaleke Hudson, a 3/4 star tweener who couldn't get an offer from Penn State.

3. Josh Metellus, a 3 star nobody who everyone thought we just offered to get Bush.

Add to that Devin Gil, another 3 star nobody, looking fully capable as a backup, and our talent eval has been off the charts.

Victor Hale II

September 24th, 2017 at 12:31 PM ^

I don't recall watching Devin Gil's highlight tape, but I did see those of your other 3, and I'm not alone when I say they were all pretty impressive.  Not sure what the recruiting services were thinking with any of them.

 

Ditto for McKeon as referenced in the OP; I thought his tape showed a really good athlete who knew how to play football.  I think his location held him back from a higher ranking, but none of those stars matter now anyway.

GoBlueInAlabama

September 24th, 2017 at 1:05 PM ^

Both guys were mid 300's overall recruits based on composite rankings. Bush had a very impressive offer sheet. Hudson had a nice offer list as well.
I guess the point is that our coaches recruit guys which fit the system they are running (on both sides of the ball).

EGD

September 24th, 2017 at 1:21 PM ^

Both of them played in the game, they just weren't targeted on passes. But it does seem like Bunting is now pretty firmly behind Gentry at the flex TE spot and McKeon is edging past TWJ.

Brian Griese

September 24th, 2017 at 12:38 PM ^

alum, Schoenle would've looked great in the Charger Blue, but it's awesome he's seeing the field for Michigan. Perhaps, he can get the order of St. Kovacs, whom ironically also turned down Hillsdale for a walk on shot at Michigan.

ThereWillBeNoHugs

September 24th, 2017 at 12:39 PM ^

from Gentry's home state rip into Harbaugh for ruining him as a quarterback? From the looks of it, Harbaugh is going to have Gentry playing on Sundays from that tight end position. Dude was a beast yesterday.

Farnn

September 24th, 2017 at 12:54 PM ^

And this is why no one should complain when Michigan offers and accepts a commitment from a guy like Schoonmaker.  He really has an amazing record with finding and coaching up unheralded TE recruits.

URNotGuilty

September 24th, 2017 at 10:29 PM ^

Dear Michigan Football Gods,
More Play Action Rollouts to TEs Please!
As a Man, who started watching M Football in the
"Leach to Johnson Era (Flint Southwestern! "ES DUB!")
And Recall National Championship "Griese to Tuman!,"
I love seeing McKeon Gentry Eubanks Wheatley....
Looking Forward to More TEs on Pride Rock, Can You Hear Me Mustapha?