27 Tickets To Team 136: Pre-Spring Edition

What is this? Folks who cover the USMNT drop lists like this projecting the 23 guys who end up on the next World Cup team. I have appropriated it. Regarding the number of tickets: 22 starters on offense and defense + 2 kickers + nickelback + FLEX TE  + fullback.

THIS IS THE PRE-SPRING UPDATE: Mostly pre-spring, anyway. We usually do one of these in the immediate aftermath of the regular season and then one before spring practice starts. This year was a little different because the coaching search made it difficult to project anything.

PACK YOUR BAGS

1. CB Jourdan Lewis, Jr. [Last time: 14]

Odd choice at #1? Maybe, but Lewis blazed past established starters to become Michigan's most consistent defensive back and figures to get buckets and buckets of playing time even with reasonable competition. Peppers move to safety seals it. Speaking of…

2. S Jabrill Peppers, Fr.* [Last time: NR]

…there's no way Peppers isn't a major factor right now. He was on the verge of wresting away a starting job last year and is now earmarked for a spot that saw a lot of rotation and little production a year ago. Massively athletic space players do not come along often enough to pretend he's not a lock.

3. S Jarrod Wilson, Sr. [Last time: 3]

Meanwhile, Jarrod Wilson survived yet another season of panicked shuffling that occasionally pointed the finger in his direction for reasons that remain mysterious. Wilson is a very boring safety. We love boring safeties. We remember non-boring safeties. We tremble at this memory.

4. WLB Desmond Morgan, Sr.* [Last time: 6]

Hand injury was ill-timed for last year, excellent for this year. Morgan has been a model of consistency since his arrival and should assert himself as the QB of the defense again. A thumper who stops guys on contact, Morgan makes up for a lack of athleticism with quick thinking. A fifth year from him should be extremely productive.

5. LT Mason Cole, So. [Last time: NR]

Was adequate as true freshman LT, which bodes very well for his future. Lacks ideal size; probably never a road-grader. Still, difficult to envision a scenario where he gets replaced. Moved? Vaguely possible. Not on the field? No way.

6. FLEX Jake Butt, Jr. [Last time: 9]

Fully healthy and pushing 250 pounds, Butt has to be ecstatic about his immediate future under Harbaugh. Butt caught 21 passes a year ago in slightly limited time and figures to double that, maybe triple it if things go well. Zach Ertz 2.0? Pretty much. Blocking? Something of a question mark but it's not like there are alternatives with smaller Qs there.

UNLESS SOMETHING STRANGE HAPPENS

7. SAM James Ross, Sr. [Last time: 7]

Ross never developed into the force his freshman year promised, but a brief dalliance with RJS last year was quickly proven inadvisable. A rushing Penn State game suggests that there's a real player in there if the coaches can just unlock it; pressure from behind is minimal.

8.FB/HB Joe Kerridge, Sr.* [Last Time: 25]

Sometimes there's a man… I won't say a hero, 'cause what's a hero… but sometimes there's a man, and I'm talking about Joe Kerridge here… well, he's the man for his time and place. He fits right in there. And that's Kerridge. In Harbaugh's offense. And even if he's a fullback, sometimes there's a man…

9.NT Ryan Glasgow, Jr.* [Last time: NR]

Glasgow #1 was a shock starter at NT, which was momentarily terrifying. Then he was mostly great. He was overpowered from time to time, something that happens to even touted sophomore NTs; he more than held his own for a rush defense that was near-great until late in games when the offense's incompetence exhausted them.

10. G Graham Glasgow, Sr* [Last time: 16]

Two-year starter progressed with the rest of his unit last year and will be extremely difficult to dislodge as long as he executes his assignments more consistently than anyone else on the roster. Quality twitter feed, too. Give this man a scholarship. Heck, give him two. Man has cats to wear.

11. CB Blake Countess, Sr* [Last time: 13]

Brutally exposed by Will Fuller in ND game, and never really recovered. M returned to zone, which was much more suited to his skillset of consistency and sneaky anticipation—can he play man this time around? Relying on coaching improvement to get there… which is possible.

12. MLB Joe Bolden, Sr. [Last time: NR]

I was never as high on Bolden as the previous staff, which threw him out there constantly despite a bunch of blown assignments and a lot of hesitant tackling that brought the wood only if it was balsa. But he does have a lot of experience and guys put it together suddenly at tough spots like linebacker. Ben Gedeon and Mike McCray lurk.

FAIRLY SAFE BET

13. C Jack Miller, Sr* [Last time: NR]

Generally solid but uninspiring play a year ago; did grasp and maintain center job for the whole year, displacing Glasgow and fending off changes after Kalis and Magnuson both got healthy. Kugler will push from behind but established starting centers are rarely displaced because knowing the calls is such a huge part of the position.

14. NICKEL Wayne Lyons, Sr* [Last time: NR]

Stanford fans are a bit meh on the guy. He did get a bunch of playing time for last year's #2 passing D in YPA terms, so he can't be that bad. Sour grapes? Yeah maybe. Lyons does have to fend off guys like Stribling and Richardson, but it's more likely he yanks Countess's job than evaporates.

15. SLOT Dennis Norfleet, Sr. [Last Time: 12]

Would somebody just throw this guy the ball in space a few times a game to see what happens? And not pick up irrelevant penalties on punt return touchdowns? And stop using him like a circus freak and instead regard him as an actual slot receiver? LOOK AT HIM DANCE GIVE HIM THE BALL

16. 3TECH Willie Henry, Jr.* [Last time: 10]

Did not have breakout season he seemed poised to after bear-strong freshman campaign. Still saw slim plurality of PT in extensive DL rotation. Could this be the year? Pad level, amirite? Wormley, Godin will continue pushing. Henry still has the upside.

17. WR Amara Darboh, Jr* [Last time: NR]

Michigan's second-leading receiver a year ago with nearly 500 yards; in Funchess's absence figures to continue possession role and try to add some of the leapy bits people think he possesses. I'd say he needs to fill Funchess's downfield shoes, but nobody threw deep last year so nevermind. Let's not talk about this. Let's talk about PROM KING.

18.G Kyle Kalis, Jr* [Last time: NR]

Moved back into a starting spot last year when Magnuson went down injured and did not relinquish the job. Brings the promise of POWER and GRUNTING, something Harbaugh will appreciate—this gives him an edge over slightly slighter competitors. Job by no means assured, but he was functional last year. That's good!

19. DE Taco Charlton, Jr. [Last time: NR]

Here mostly by default. Did flash beastly power occasionally last year, and essentially only option at SDE unless something weird happens. Probably still a better fit on the weakside but DE is a spot where Michigan is thin and young. At least that's unusual instead of the whole damn roster. See: all of last seven years.

20. P Kenny Allen, Jr.* [Last time: NR]

Waited patiently for his turn and should get it unless Baxter imports an Aussie to rugby his way into our hearts. Allen is a conventional boomer who impressed in the extensive punting demos Hoke tended to put on whenever forced to make a gesture towards fan service.

21. K Andrew David, Fr. [Last time: NR]

Is the only scholarship kicker on the roster, so that's a nice head start. Big leg should slot in on kickoffs easily. Field goals? I dunno man, kickers are weird. Would like to have kept JJ McGrath around for competition. Options past David are… uh… Bueller?

IN A BATTLE

22. T Ben Braden, Jr.* [Last time: 26]

Will be under heavy pressure from Magnuson and LTT, but did play all last year and improved from shaky start. Absolutely huge, so if he gets technique religion will be the kind of guy who can cave in the end on power like Harbaugh wants. Still the OL most under threat.

23. WR Jehu Chesson, Jr.* [Last time: NR]

Last year's #3 WR brings blocking chops out of proportion to his size but remains raw a few years into his college career. Will get competition from Ways, Canteen, and maybe Norfleet in TE-heavy environment. Still have to figure a guy who lays out his opponent is going to be good w Harbs.

24. DE Mario Ojemudia, Sr. [Last time: NR]

Death stare proprietor is incumbent at DE. Will get major push from Lawrence Marshall, who's already the same size as the somewhat diminutive Ojemudia and impressing in practice. There's not much depth here so both will play. The starting job could easily change hands.

25. TE AJ Williams, Sr. [Last time: NR]

Bearding up good move for blocking TE who hasn't blocked a lot of guys so far. Frustrating career could be rescued by Harbaugh's proven ability to install toughness… or ended by it. H-back types, Butt, and maybe slot receivers could look like better options, and then there's Ian Bunting. He's not a blocker yet, but is Williams going to be one?

26. RB Ty Isaac, So.* [Last time: NR]

Massive skill position uncertainty part one. Green missed a bunch of holes and then broke his clavicle, but he's closer to returning than ACL-cursed Johnson and certainly faster than Smith. Ty Isaac then? Okay. There's a reason this is near the bottom, but not quite at it because…

27. QB Alex Malzone, Fr. [Last time: NR]

…Michigan returns 87 passing attempts, all from Shane Morris. Last year he completed 35% for 3.2 YPA and three INTs. There is bad, and then there is that. Jim Harbaugh reacted to this situation by adding quarterbacks from everywhere. The reader is invited to pick one out of a hat. The wild guess here is EE freshman Alex Malzone, who was crazy productive en route to a state title a year ago. He got a big gold hat because of it. But YMMV.

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PUSHING FROM BEHIND

QB Shane Morris—massive improvement necessary to even stay in the conversation
QB Wilton Speight—can he overcome the Borges curse?
QB Zach Gentry—probably needs some seasoning but upside in spades

RB Derrick Green—maybe the vision issues were Fred Jackson caused?
RB DeVeon Smith—slow; breaks tackles like a mofo
RB Drake Johnson—ACLs are not his friends

C Patrick Kugler—sure thing (for OL, anyway) entering third year
G/T Erik Magnuson—lost job due to injury last year and moonlit as blocking TE
G David Dawson—added significant weight and should push
T Logan Tuley-Tillman—chatter from inside program is that light has come on

WR DaMario Jones—slot playing time available
WR Freddy Canteen—hype fizzled last year, but jungle beats man
WR Moe Ways—Hemingway 2.0?
WR Drake Harris—practicing! full go and everything! still skinny as a rail though

NT Ondre Pipkins—hyped recruit got ACL tear at worst possible time. Could push through Henry. NT is platoon city, so not a huge distinction.
NT Bryan Mone—I've been waiting for a large Tongan DL my whole life.
3T Chris Wormley—will at least platoon.
3T Maurice Hurst—quick first step as advertised
3T Matt Godin—could be drafted at SDE

WDE Lawrence Marshall—pushing Ojemudia hard
WDE Rueben Jones—true freshman rarities in this post, hooray!
SDE Shelton Johnson—…except at DE
SDE Henry Poggi—SDE now, still needs some time. Maybe trying out at TE, which…

SAM Royce Jenkins-Stone—Ross rebuffed challenge last year
WLB Mike McCray—should be the year he threatens for real. WDE test run?
MLB Ben Gedeon—will usurp some PT in prep for next year

CB Channing Stribling—will be good if he just stops phasing out.
CB Terry Richardson—maybe the coaching change will be good for him
CB Keith Washington—Harbaugh favorite probably needs seasoning
S Delano Hill—nominal starter a year ago but injured a lot
S Jeremy Clark—lots of PT, meh production
S Dymonte Thomas—insane burned redshirt makes it late early for him