Reuben Jones (#4) and Shelton Johnson (#7) are probably not the same weight, lying roster. [Fuller]
The Question: Which freshman who redshirted this year will have the biggest impact/are you looking most forward to seeing in 2016?
| Name | Pos | Hgt. | Wgt. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zach Gentry | QB | 6'6" | 230 |
| Alex Malzone | QB | 6'2" | 205 |
| Brian Cole | WR | 6'2" | 190 |
| Tyrone Wheatley Jr. | TE | 6'6" | 245 |
| Jon Runyan Jr. | OL | 6'4" | 275 |
| Nolan Ulizio | OL | 6'5" | 293 |
| Shelton Johnson | SDE | 6'5" | 225 |
| Reuben Jones | WDE | 6'4" | 225 |
| Keith Washington | CB | 6'2" | 175 |
| Andrew David | K | 5'8" | 170 |
Candidates:
The Responses:
Adam: That Jim and Jay Harbaugh are looking to assemble an army of gigantic, athletic tight ends isn't exactly classified information, and they have someone who fits that mold in Tyrone Wheatley Jr. TWJ was recruited as both a tight end and defensive end, and at 6'6" and 260 pounds (and likely bigger and certainly stronger by now) that isn't much of a surprise; Jay Harbaugh said he's hoping Tim Drevno doesn't notice Wheatley Jr., so it seems plausible that he could also go down the path to being a really athletic offensive lineman.
He is, however, very much on the path to becoming a tight end at Michigan right now. It just so happens that there's going to be an AJ Williams-sized hole in the lineup next season, and who better to fill that than someone who's approximately AJ Williams-sized. Wheatley Jr. was talked about as a guy who could find playing time as a true freshman thanks to the relative polish for his age in his catching and blocking abilities, but a leg injury sidelined him early in the year and derailed hopes of early playing time as the TE group went from Jake Butt and ? to Jake Butt, his foil AJ Williams, and impressive depth in the form of Khalid Hill, Ian Bunting, etc. It seems likely that Wheatley Jr. will see significant playing time next season armed with plenty of scout team experience competing against one of the best defenses in the nation. Consider that, then consider AJ Williams' yards per target, and the hype surrounding Wheatley Jr. seems justified.
[Hit THE JUMP for MGoBloggers mentally adding 40 pounds to various stick figures]
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David: I'm going with Tyree Kinnel. Tyree is a guy who...oh, he played? Well, did he at least contribute a lot on...? Almost exclusively played Special Teams, then? I'm sure he probably blocked...oh, he ran into the punter and got called for roughing? Sounds like Dymonte Thomas's 2013 season...but...not as memorable? Looks like he had two assisted tackles on the season -one in each of the last two games. And that's 25% of his eligibility. Awesome. Kinnel is the new Thomas/Gedeon.
Well, there goes my pick.
 |
| Shelton and Reuben after a year of Mattison'ing could make their way into the Buck fight. [Fuller] |
I assume the line will be long for talking about Gentry and Wheatley, so I will take a swing with Reuben Jones.The intriguing thing about this new pick is that he should play the WDE/Buck position. Heading into Spring Camp 2016, the starter at that position should be.../crickets. Yeah. I guess there's Taco Charlton, but he's not really a Buck. Lawrence Marshall...hopefully still exists? Obviously, Ojemudia and RJS will be gone. Jones is listed around 20-25 pounds lighter than both graduating seniors, but he will have Spring and Fall camps to bulk up a bit. Dante Fowler, Durkin's prime example for the Buck spot, was 6'3", 261 when he was drafted. Jones was 6'4", 225 at the beginning of the year. So, he has a bit to go, yet. Jones has been consistently praised for his speed and quick decision making...both of which are desired from playing the WDE/Buck spot. Especially after last weekend.
Obviously, there are endless scenarios that could happen between now and next August -including another recruiting class with more Bucks- but once winter workouts and Spring Camp get under way, Reuben Jones could very easily find himself on a short list of players suited to fill that vital role in Michigan's defense. Plus, as Brian mentioned yesterday, he was Harbaugh's first personal Michigan commit...that's got to account for something!
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Ace: I'd go with Shelton Johnson here, since Michigan managed to yank him away from Florida State despite serious interest from the 'Noles, but it's hard to see him cracking the rotation at SDE with all the returning talent on the D-line. While Johnson could potentially get a shot at the BUCK, I'm expecting Taco Charlton to be the main guy at that position next season.
Instead, I'll go with Zach Gentry, who'll be right in the mix to replace Jake Rudock. Yes, John O'Korn is the prohibitive favorite to win the starting job. Even if Gentry can't win the job outright, however, there may be a few pages in the playbook reserved for a 6'7", 230-pound quarterback who's a very capable running threat. Michigan should be able to break out quite a few special packages next season, and while most of those are going to center on Jabrill Peppers, a short-yardage look with Gentry taking snaps could be very effective—not to mention quite fun to watch. A Belldozer redux would be fine by me.
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Brian: My pick is Keith Washington, who redshirted this year mostly because he was a 170-pound high school quarterback. Washington drove Prattville to the state finals in Alabama's largest classification and offered to run a 4.3 40 in the parking lot when Harbaugh doubted his ability to do so.
I watched Washington's high school film and was reminded of one Steve Breaston... like, reminded of Steve Breaston a lot. Michigan brought him in as a corner and there's been no rumble of a position switch there, but I'm pretty sure the only reason we know that Brian Cole has been moved to safety is that one premium site was telling people he was deep in the doghouse and might never come out; the other sites said "he's fine and oh he moved to safety." Everyone else moving around on the scout team is something we'll only find out about this spring, and I'm eager to see Washington's athleticism against college players and whether or not he might emerge as a dynamic slot receiver.
Corner would be fine, too.
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Flying to the rescue [Upchurch]
Seth: If the 2015 class had any linebackers I would have instantly picked that guy. Instead I'll zoom in on the position where Michigan's depth chart is even thinner. Brian Cole wasn't originally planning to redshirt, nor was he originally slated to be a safety. He came out of Spring practice looking like the freshman most likely to contribute...as a slot receiver. Cole was shut down early after an injury, and converted to safety soon thereafter.
Ideally he would remain on offense, where his upside is highest. Cole is going to be super super raw, but he's also got the kind of raw athleticism that you want to see on the field, especially since the safety roster after 2016 reads Kinnel and air. Fortunately of all the positions Cole played in high school--which was pretty much everything short of running the athletic department--he got the most snaps at deep safety. Simply due to the roster, he has a pretty clear path to at least some playing time, which is more than I can say for everyone else who redshirted this year save Wheatley. When that happens, the expectation here is freshman Mundy or Stevie Brown, except probably even more infuriating than either.