Pick your surprise(s): Offense
The MGoBlog previews for the offense have been posted. It seems there is at least one surprise starter and contributor every year. Last year, Grant Newsome took the LT job, Asiasi leap-frogged Wheatley, Chris Evans took off as the #2 RB, and, most famously, Wilton Speight won the starting QB job (though by the preview Brian conceded he was the most likely starter).
So...who on offense do you think will start/contribute in a significant way that has been overlooked? As a reminder, here's Brian's starting line-up:
- LT: Mason Cole
- LG: Ben Bredeson
- C: Patrick Kugler
- RG: Mike Onwenu
- RT: Jon Runyan, Jr.
- FB: Khalid Hill, Henry Poggi
- HB: Khalid Hill
- TE: Ian Bunting
- Flex: Zach Gentry
- WR1: Kekoa Crawford
- WR2: Tarik Black, DPJ
- Slot: Grant Perry
- Spread H: Chris Evans
- RB: Chris Evans, Karan Higdon
- QB: Wilton Speight
My guesses: TWJ starts at TE (not Bunting); Sean McKeon is a surprise contributor; Chris Evans and Karan Higdon combine for 1,800 rushing yards.
August 29th, 2017 at 5:32 PM ^
August 29th, 2017 at 5:41 PM ^
Higdon will be our #1 back by the end of the season. That's no knock on Evans who will have a good year, but Higdon will come close to breaking 1,000 yards
August 29th, 2017 at 5:43 PM ^
August 29th, 2017 at 5:52 PM ^
Higdon has 1000 yards by the Air Force game!
August 29th, 2017 at 6:05 PM ^
August 29th, 2017 at 8:05 PM ^
August 29th, 2017 at 5:45 PM ^
Bold prediction: the right side of the line, thanks to the fight to the death going on right now, is not just tolerable, but genuinely good.
August 29th, 2017 at 5:56 PM ^
and is one of the top 2-3 for the remainder of his career
August 29th, 2017 at 5:58 PM ^
August 29th, 2017 at 6:05 PM ^
August 29th, 2017 at 6:08 PM ^
August 30th, 2017 at 12:58 PM ^
Or Runyan. Or Ulizio.
August 29th, 2017 at 6:10 PM ^
August 29th, 2017 at 9:38 PM ^
If Speight channels some TB12 and one of the TE's turn into 87. However, I think the right side of the OL will be better than advertised. Big Mike turns into one of those Upper road graders that are needed to move feet of snow.
I still can't believe Belichick didn't draft Butt!!!
August 29th, 2017 at 6:16 PM ^
This year I'm expecting big things from Karan Higdon and TJ Wheatley.
I'm hoping for big things from the new talent on the Oline and at Receiver, of course.
August 29th, 2017 at 6:18 PM ^
August 29th, 2017 at 7:06 PM ^
August 29th, 2017 at 10:23 PM ^
August 29th, 2017 at 6:23 PM ^
600 yards per game for the entire season.
August 29th, 2017 at 6:29 PM ^
August 29th, 2017 at 6:33 PM ^
August 29th, 2017 at 6:39 PM ^
August 29th, 2017 at 6:44 PM ^
August 29th, 2017 at 6:46 PM ^
If you ask me who I want to be the surprisingly dominant unit, I and every Michigan fan would likely answer offensive line (preceded by "please God let it be the").
As for who I expect to have a breakout year, I'm gonna go with Kekoa Crawford. My pick woud have been Devin Asiasi. I was sad to see him go.
August 29th, 2017 at 6:56 PM ^
I completely agree . . . if the OL stays healthy and merely performs at a "good" level, I will be ecstatic.
Regarding picking a surprise, well, is it a surprise if you pick it? Not sure about that.
I think that lots of people have DPJ doing well, and also Black. I think that Evans is also the RB heir apparent. So here are a few things that would probably "surprise" people.
- Schoenle (sp?) surprises everyone, and is a major contributor at WR.
- Walker supplants all the guys above him as RB.
- Mason gets a lot of PT at FB.
- Wheatley both blocks and catches a ton at the TE position.
Still, I'm happy to go with the OL being a major surprise. I've been waiting for that for years.
August 29th, 2017 at 6:48 PM ^
Ty Isaac will run like an AA but won't earn the designation because the snaps are too spread out.
August 30th, 2017 at 8:27 AM ^
how well DOES an Alcoholics Anonymous (anon. alcoholic?) run?
August 29th, 2017 at 6:52 PM ^
fo shizzle Nate Schnizzle.
August 29th, 2017 at 6:53 PM ^
I went from thinking Ben Mason would get some mop up action a couple of months ago (need to get him ready for next year, as two seniors ahead of him are gone, so almost certainty he'll play) to quietly confident that he's going to have some significant contributions. Primarily hitting some other dudes, but maybe some carries and catches. Optimist in me thinks he passes Poggi by year end, not because Poggi isn't good, but that they can't keep Mason off the field. Harbaugh said as much. He's going to help them win games.
August 29th, 2017 at 6:53 PM ^
In his effort to conceal the opening day depth chart, Jim Harbaugh concocted an elaborate scheme that fooled the world into believing Jabrill Peppers had been drafted to the Cleveland Browns. In fact, in the greatest of offensive surprises, it is Jabrill who takes the first snap of the season at the wildcat position. Take that Gators!
August 29th, 2017 at 6:55 PM ^
August 29th, 2017 at 7:02 PM ^
August 29th, 2017 at 7:32 PM ^
The O-Line is better this year than last years, Ian Bunting is an AA.
August 29th, 2017 at 8:52 PM ^
August 29th, 2017 at 8:02 PM ^
Oliver Martin will be getting looks at punt return by the end of the year and will prove surprisingly effective.
August 29th, 2017 at 8:18 PM ^
August 29th, 2017 at 8:24 PM ^
August 29th, 2017 at 8:32 PM ^
August 29th, 2017 at 8:32 PM ^
I've been a fan of Ulizio's since his HS tape. If he's the guy at RT - and given recent news, I think he is - then that's good news. Someone new has passed guys that we know are limited in one way or the other.
I've been hoping Ulizio wins the job. Still worried about the RT spot, but this is probably the best news we could have reasonably hope for, I think. It sucks how many tackles we've missed on in recruiting.
August 29th, 2017 at 10:28 PM ^
Reason: He's an athlete, member of Harbaugh's first class at UM and the young man, when he sees the field, and he will, offers some of the worst match up headaches a DC can imagine. Speed, quickness, size, strength and the football smarts that come with being an ex qb. Young man is going to do something this season that will excite us all.
August 29th, 2017 at 9:19 PM ^
Speight develops a lethal connection with both Black and DPJ on deep balls intentionally thrown high and outside. Both of them have their share of catches we first see as ridiculous; eventually this just becomes the norm.
August 29th, 2017 at 10:15 PM ^
Evans tops 1,000 yards, Black and DPJ are not world-beaters as freshmen, but by season's end they'll both have a highlight reel that leaves us begging for the 2018 season to get here.
August 29th, 2017 at 10:18 PM ^
August 30th, 2017 at 2:26 AM ^
August 30th, 2017 at 1:01 PM ^
Too good at blocking. And his experience will prove valuable in knowing the playbook inside and out.
August 29th, 2017 at 10:21 PM ^
August 29th, 2017 at 10:35 PM ^
Big and faaaast.
August 30th, 2017 at 12:09 AM ^
August 30th, 2017 at 8:23 AM ^
TY Isaac has 1000 yards rushing for the year
August 30th, 2017 at 11:07 AM ^