Our Overachieving Tight Ends and Receivers
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.
September 24th, 2017 at 11:45 AM ^
To be GREAT. And expect ANYONE wearing the maize and blue to be great.
September 24th, 2017 at 11:46 AM ^
harbaugh talent eval > recruitnik talent eval
color me shocked
September 24th, 2017 at 11:52 AM ^
You can already see that Gentry and McKeon are going to be special and a nightmare for teams to cover moving forward!
September 24th, 2017 at 12:00 PM ^
Anyone heard anything about either one of them?
September 24th, 2017 at 12:02 PM ^
Crawford looked like a cramp
September 24th, 2017 at 12:12 PM ^
BUT someone posted video of him walking off the field at the end of the game so it is now assumed it was a cramp.
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.
September 24th, 2017 at 12:14 PM ^
but what happened to Bunting? is he still on the team?
September 24th, 2017 at 12:15 PM ^
Good question. Maybe he has too much Pam on his skillet hands, leading to drops?
September 24th, 2017 at 12:18 PM ^
happened...
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.
September 24th, 2017 at 1:21 PM ^
I honestly had not remembered hearing his name mentioned on any of the broadcasts since FL
September 24th, 2017 at 12:21 PM ^
This is such a headscratcher to me. He showed a lot of potential last year. Same could be said for Wheatley.
September 24th, 2017 at 1:19 PM ^
Wheatley is hurt
September 24th, 2017 at 1:33 PM ^
False. See skegemgopoint post above.
September 24th, 2017 at 1:56 PM ^
Wheatley is NOT hurt.
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.
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.
September 24th, 2017 at 12:44 PM ^
Bush and Hudson were highly sought and coveted recruits by a number of top programs. Let's not turn them into low recruits who have blossomed, many so them coming.
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).
September 24th, 2017 at 1:13 PM ^
Your's is better said than mine.
September 24th, 2017 at 12:27 PM ^
No Wheatley? No Bunting? Strange to say the least. I also want to know what happened to Eubanks and Crawford. Both were injured.
September 24th, 2017 at 12:54 PM ^
No Bunting has been weird. He always appeared to be a reliable target and make that spectacular catch last year against Florida State. We are in good hands at TE. That's for sure.
September 24th, 2017 at 1:11 PM ^
Again, go back and watch tape. Bunting played a lot. Wheatley played hardly at all.
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.
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.
September 24th, 2017 at 12:43 PM ^
Two guys doing the same thing is coincidence, not irony. OTOH, if Kovacs had turned down Michigan for Hillsdale, it would be.
September 24th, 2017 at 1:54 PM ^
Your second example would've been irony if Kovacs said something like "I'd like to play for a historic program with tradition and a culture of winning" and then chose Hillsdale over Michigan. As you described it, it's still coincidence.
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.
September 24th, 2017 at 12:44 PM ^
Yes Gentry is a formidable weapon that we need to exploit more along with all of the TE's. I really liked the way Gentry adjusted to catch th ball over the shoulder yesterday. I would say this kid has a bright future ahead as an NFL TE.
September 24th, 2017 at 12:45 PM ^
as an NFL draft pick.
September 24th, 2017 at 12:49 PM ^
Gentry's blocking is miles ahead of where I thought it could possibly be. Another offseason and he should be an NFL prospect.
September 24th, 2017 at 12:52 PM ^
I was initially in the camp that he would fail as a TE, transfer to Sam Houston State and throw for 4000 yards. Glad I was wrong. He looks like an NFL caliber TE in the making.
September 24th, 2017 at 1:18 PM ^
Gronk 2.0
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.
September 24th, 2017 at 1:39 PM ^
Schoenle looked pretty darn good.
September 24th, 2017 at 3:30 PM ^
Or did you guys just happen do miss that he had a cast on his arm during the TD celebration?.. the one that he (Not Bunting) was in to block for near the goal line.
September 24th, 2017 at 3:30 PM ^
Love all these guys. They just need the opportunity to prove themselves. O'Korn was able to spread the wealth.
September 24th, 2017 at 3:48 PM ^
maybe we are going for the hybrid TE/WR type (like Funchess) who creates matchup problems but are fast
September 24th, 2017 at 6:13 PM ^
to see our tight ends being targeted more yesterday than otherwise this season. Been waiting for this all season.
September 24th, 2017 at 9:04 PM ^
And it paid big dividends.
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?
September 25th, 2017 at 10:30 PM ^
Looking forward to some WAGGLE with O'Korn's mobility. Will add a legit run threat if the deep and medium routes are covered.