Preview 2016: Tight End And Friends

Previously:Podcast 8.0. The Story. Quarterback. Running Back. Wide Receiver.

[Bryan Fuller]

Depth Chart

A few years ago we split tight ends from the WR post and fullbacks from the RB post, figuring that under Brady Hoke there would be enough of them to warrant it. We even split guys into various categories because a tight end is not just a tight end. Then Jim Harbaugh came in. After an internal struggle this site has decided not to split each one of these columns into its own post, but it was a near thing. Those columns are:

• FULLBACK: a man with a steel plated head who runs into linebackers, gets two 50 carries in his career, and has six catches. See: Kevin Dudley, Sione Houma.
• H-BACK: A "move" tight end who motions all about, rarely lines up on the actual line of scrimmage, often goes from fullback to a flared spot or vice versa, and operates as more of a receiver than the fullback. Must be a credible threat to LBs; ends career with 40 catches. See: Aaron Shea.
• TIGHT END: Larger than the H-back, the tight end is a tight end who is actually tight to the end of the line. He comes out, lines up next to a tackle, helps him win blocks, and clobberates linebackers at the second level. He goes out into patterns as well, and may end his career with 40 catches himself. See: AJ Williams, Jerame Tuman.
• FLEX: Big enough to play on the end of the line credibly. Agile enough to play H-back credibly. Not great at either. Capable of splitting out wide and threatening the secondary. Sacrifices some blocking for explosiveness. Can be a prime receiving threat. See: Tyler Eifert, Jake Butt.

And of course many of these people bleed into other categories. Think of these position designations as Gaussian distributions in close proximity to each other.

So. These are the categories. The men who, uh, man them are many and varied and in one case the bar-none best in all the land. Let's start with him.

TIGHT END AND FLEX

RATING: 5

opponents will call Butt dastardly this year [Fuller/MGoBlue]

In keeping with this site's tradition of dignified reserve, last year's preview claimed Jim Harbaugh called Jake Butt an "Ertz/Fleener Voltron" based on this quote:

"Jake is as good a prospect as we've coached at the college level," Harbaugh said. "We've produced a lot of great players in college at the spot and it's vital to our success."

And lo, he pretty much was an Ertz/Fleener Voltron. Per Pro Football Focus he graded out better than any tight end in the country as a receiver. Survey says: yup. I sort catch opportunities into four bins: routine balls, challenging ones, crazy ones, and uncatchable ones. Butt was a perfect 36/36 on routine balls, an outstanding 10/12 on challenging balls, and 3/3 on circus catches. Meanwhile Butt's enormous catch radius and excellent route running tend to move opportunities into easier categories. Only eight times last year did a Jake Butt target get filed uncatchable. (I don't count balls thrown away in the general vicinity of a player.) That means 83% of the time Jake Rudock tried to hit Butt, Michigan moved the ball. Butt targets averaged over 11 yards a pop. Voltron achieved.

There's still no better example of Butt's prowess than the touchdown from the opener where Jake Rudock first explored the wonders of the #buttzone:

Unless it's this sensational one handed catch against Rutgers in 2014:

Jake Butt can make your wrong-ass wrong throws of wrongness into something so right.

Even so, after eight catches in the opener Butt's production fell off. Over the next six games a struggling Rudock only hit him 14 times downfield for a measly 133 yards—there was a 44-yard screen that Harbaugh conjured in there as well. Butt's a tight end. Sometimes he's covered, sort of, and Rudock didn't look for him.

Then Harbaugh beat the stone-cold fact that a covered Jake Butt still isn't covered into Rudock's brain and production took off. Butt had 28 catches in the final six games and 376 yards. That's double the catch rate and triple the yardage. Much of that production returned to the magical land where only Jake Butt frolics:

There is no defending that. Welcome to the #buttzone. Take a highway to the #buttzone. Right into the #buttzone.

In addition to his pterodactyl-like catching radius and Wilt Chamberlain hands, Butt's athleticism allows him to shake safeties with his routes...

...and occasionally split them after the catch:

Or just flat outrun a corner. An Indiana corner, yes. Still, this is a guy who had a 70-yard screen against OSU as a freshman and drew this praise from an anonymous Big Ten player even before his breakout junior season:

"We played them late in the year, and [Butt] was someone that was really tough to defend. He's incredibly athletic. He made a catch against us that not that many receivers even make, so he has great hands."

You could not draw up a better receiving tight end.

As a blocker... I mean... he's a great receiver. I say this somewhat seriously. Opponents have to treat him differently than a normal tight end, and the run game benefits from it. Against OSU Jabrill Peppers picked up a seven yard chunk largely because he looked like he'd throw to Butt for a moment and that was enough for two OSU players to freak out.

When it came to making actual contact with the opposition, Butt was decent. Middling. Okay. He was very much a finesse blocker, and this was good enough given the strictures his presence put on the opposing defense. This isn't a brutal finish; it's good enough:

[Butt is on the right side of the OL]

There will be no comparisons to Devin Funchess here. Butt is functional as a blocker. He gets in the way of guys and stays in their way, mostly, if they're not real mean.

That is kind of the cap, though. Get him soloed up against a defensive end and it'll go like "tight end versus Chris Wormley" most of the time. In UFR his run contributions came out moderately positive against the lesser teams on the schedule and negative against likes of Utah, BYU, MSU, and... uh... Rutgers. The bowl was a nice step forward but repeatedly caving in the edge of Florida's defense could be interpreted as a motivation issue for the Gators. Pro Football Focus tastefully omits mention of his blocking when they reference him because he came out negative on the year.

Remaining upside in this department is limited since he's going from his third to his fourth year. What remains is probably more about the mental side of the game than a sudden surge in ability like AJ Williams had. He'll get a little stronger and a little wiser; what you see is close to what you're going to get.

That happens to be a guy who is going to break Jim Mandich's all-time TE receiving record, a guy guaranteed to be off the board by the end of the second round of the next NFL draft. Jake Butt is a captain on a team with Jehu Chesson. I mean. Harbaugh:

"From day one, Jake Butt is an A++ guy as a player. We're in a meeting or in an install and I see him on the edge of his seat sitting through a two-hour meeting and he's communicating with guys next to him. He's interpreting for the younger guys. He has pizzazz."

Butt's about to be the best tight end in Michigan history.

[After THE JUMP: Ol' Skillet Hands and friends.]

The first of the prospector names. Don't ask about #2. [Eric Upchurch]

The second starter here is in the eye of the beholder. If you're looking for the top blocking tight end it's one guy. If you're looking for the guy with the second-most snaps it's another. Since Jay Harbaugh said  IAN "OL' SKILLET HANDS" BUNTING [recruiting profile] is #2 on the depth chart this preview will address him next. Bunting has been Butt-in-waiting since his arrival; he is still waiting. He saw scattered snaps a year ago, generally deep into blowouts. There was no shame in this what with Butt omnipresent and AJ Williams improving radically, but a little more meaningful playing time would have been encouraging.

Like a number of his teammates he saved his best for the bowl game. He spent the fourth quarter caving in dubiously-motivated Florida WDEs and OLBs. While all caveats about degree of difficulty apply that was a positive sign for a guy who came in a hilariously oversized receiver. This is a polished chip-and-release no matter who you're playing:

That was one of a series of nice blocks Bunting executed late in that game. That builds on his senior year of high school, when he wasn't very good but seemed to care a great deal about blocking dudes. Now at a feasible 252 pounds, Bunting is much better able to turn want-to into production. At a minimum he projects as a good enough blocker, a la Butt. He's got more upside.

Bunting wasn't targeted often but when he was he made it pay off, most memorably against Oregon State:

He's off to a good start as a pass-catcher but data is thin: I had him 7/7 on routine catches a year ago with nothing more difficult on his docket. The only target he didn't bring in was a potential touchdown against Maryland that Rudock left well short and to the inside. If you're so inclined you could read into a couple of those routine catches on which he flashed his hands and secured the ball without a bobble; he certainly looks like a natural receiver in his limited opportunities.

Bunting followed up his bowl performance with a strong spring. Per Sam Webb he made "the play of the day" down in Florida with a one-handed spear on a seam route that, along with the rest of practice, demonstrated his "terrific hands." Later in spring Webb said he "looks like a guy poised to have a breakout season" because he is now blasting through linebackers on his routes and boxing them out. Lorenz reported that 247's sources "have continually informed us that Ian Bunting is on the short list of players that can take that 'next step' in 2016."

Aside from an oddly personal and immediately repudiated slam from Rivals's "Inside The Fort," all offseason indicators are positive for Bunting as he enters his third year in the program. Jay Harbaugh named him Michigan's #2 TE at media day, and reports from inside the program expect a breakout year. Butt was effusive when instructed to talk about:

“He’s going to be a star. He’s going to be a very great player. He’s going to help our team a lot cause he is a tight end that can do both jobs. He can run, catch, block and he has the size... Maybe 6-foot-6 or 6-foot-7, 250 or 250-plus, and he works hard and he’s a smart football player. He has everything you need to do to be successful.”

To stay ahead of the guys behind him he's got to be most of that. The problem is a similar one that Chris Evans has: with the receiving trio Michigan has and Jabrill Peppers, how many more catches are left for non-superheroes? Maybe 20. Bunting's goal will be the same one Ways has: be a factor, make an impressive play or two, and leave little doubt who the man is going into 2017.

BACKUPS

[via Seth]

The only problem with TY WHEATLEY JR [recruiting profile] is that the portal might start spitting less coachable copies of him out, at which point we have to build giant fighting robots and such. Other than that it appears to be all systems go for a unique and very very Harbaugh tight end.

This is a sea change from expectations entering spring practice. Wheatley was listed at a whopping 291 on last year's roster and redshirted after a ding in fall camp; there was plenty of (unfounded) chatter that he would end up an offensive lineman. Because, hey, 6'6" 290 is an offensive lineman. That chatter stopped dead in its tracks the moment this happened at Michigan's open practice:

@mgoblogpic.twitter.com/QdfiIof8DL

— ap (@plurjuice) March 26, 2016

That's not the best angle. What you're looking at is a one-handed stab by Wheatley, with Devin Bush in coverage, that he turns into a 70 yard touchdown against various LBs and safeties. That spectacular play was not a one-off; even before that happened I tweeted out that Wheatley moved "insanely well" for a guy his size and that OT was off the table. He was the headliner on the Ford Field recap post:

Some guys leap off the field the first time you see them in action, because… whoah. Devin Funchess did so at the first open practice these eyes ever laid eyes on, and that proved itself more or less correct over the course of his career. It was immediately apparent that Funchess was a rare combination of size and mobility.

Tyrone Wheatley Jr. is that plus 70 pounds. He's not Funchess. He's in fact the opposite of Funchess as far as blocky/catchy types go. But he has that same combination of size and mobility that makes you go "whoah" the first time you see him in action. … Wheatley isn't just a tight end, he is a potential gamebreaker. At 280.

From that point on I started focusing on Wheatley's blocking. When I did check it out things went just as well:

Wheatley, a tight end, just blocked Wormley, the man tight ends see just before they die. Wheatley blocked him real good.

— mgoblog (@mgoblog) April 1, 2016

It was at this juncture that Jon Chait said Wheatley was "like two Norfleets stuck together" for me, and sure okay fine. I am making little data big, and with two older guys ahead of him on the depth chart it's unlikely he destroys Tokyo this year. On the other hand, Lorenz reports that separate sources described Wheatley as "a freak" and "crazy good," so I'm not alone in my enthusiasm.

Wheatley should be able to replicate AJ Williams's 2015 production. Per the roster he's shed 15 pounds, and Jay Harbaugh says he's dropped even more than that. He's mobile enough. His blocking was a strength as a recruit and has looked very good when we've been able to see him live. Williams had around 15 catches and was a plus blocker in his one and only year under Harbaugh; add in one impressive downfield reception and that's Wheatley's 2016.

Check this space next year for some truly out of control hype.

[Isaiah Hole/247]

But, wait, there's more: DEVIN ASIASI [recruiting profile] is the next guy through the portal. Like Wheatley, Asiasi is a huge run-blocking tight end with athleticism he should not have. Like Wheatley, as a freshman he's listed on the roster at an OL-scraping 287 pounds. Like Wheatley, he comes to Michigan with a four-star recruiting reputation that focuses heavily on his ability to mash guys in the run game:

"…if there’s a better blocking tight end in the country I’d be really surprised. What he did for us blocking was incredible. He’s the best blocking tight end we’ve ever had. … Then when you throw the ball out to him and you see how big, long, and athletic he is, it’s unmistakable."

Asiasi's high school ran "90-95% of the time" according to their head coach, so a lot of recruiting sites and colleges looked at him more as a DE. Michigan probably got him because of this. There is no school in the country that's more likely to keep Asiasi at TE, his strong preference. Naturally, Rivals-initiated rumors that he was playing defense were swiftly debunked.

The weight near 290 is a problem this fall… probably. Insider chatter has been highly positive, with Webb saying he's really impressed as a blocker and that he is "posing a serious threat" to be the #3 TE. Your author finds this to be high praise indeed. Lorenz reports that a couple sources say he's been "excellent" and that he's a "rare breed who can both block and receive."

Asiasi will play. It's hard to see him making much of an impact in year one, especially at that weight; year two and beyond should be worth the price of admission.

[Bryan Fuller]

But wait, there's more. Nobody past Asiasi figures to play much, if at all, this year but all three of the gentlemen down here are crazy athletic. Redshirt freshman ZACH GENTRY [recruiting profile] experimented with tight end in the bowl practices and made a full-time move in spring. Perhaps unsurprisingly for a 6'7" guy whose high school highlights featured back to back80 yard touchdown runs, the move comes with great promise. Jay Harbaugh:

"He's got what we call a 'dominant trait.' He's super fast and super tall and has very good hands. He has something naturally that gives him a chance to beat everybody as a route-runner."

Gentry impressed onlookers this spring, including your author:

....caught everything his way, some of them difficult grabs, and ran routes with a fluidity that belied his brief tenure at TE. He looks nothing like a tight end. He looks like Ian Bunting as a high school senior—a hilariously oversized wide receiver—and there's little chance he makes an impact this year.

Even so it was apparent why Michigan made that move. Gentry can definitely hack the position, and after a year or (probably) two getting BEEFCAKE his upside at tight end is vast.

Webb reports that he's looked "really good" as a receiver but "doesn't get much movement" on the ground. The latter is probably kind. He almost has to be a disaster as blocker right now—converted QB, 244 pounds on a huge frame—and that'll keep him on the bench during the competitive portions of the season. He could get a half-dozen garbage time catches as he flashes the potential to be something special down the road.

[Fuller/Scout]

Freshman SEAN MCKEON [recruiting profile] enrolled early and has already neared the 250 pounds that represents minimum plausible tight end weight. McKeon was an overlooked recruit despite excellent athleticism. He ran a verified 4.65 40 and had a 36-inch vertical leap at a Nike camp; at the time those were the best numbers in the country for a tight end. Poor competition level and a nonexistent passing game at his high school conspired to keep his rankings down but Michigan never wavered. There's been consistent chatter he could be in line for playing time this year. Given what's ahead of him this preview is skeptical of that, but Michigan's enthusiasm is a good sign for his future.

Fellow freshman NICK EUBANKS [recruiting profile] is another 6'6" pogo stick receiver in the Bunting mold. He's not quite as big; he's probably faster. He's a guaranteed redshirt. Down the road he could be vaporware or Gojira 3.0.

FULLBACK & H-BACK: FIND ME A HEAD(SHOT)

RATING: 3

just watch ol' Bandit block [MGoBlue/Fuller]

A year ago Michigan fans did not know a lot of things that they know now. The most unlikely of these is that they would find Sione Houma's burned redshirt vexing, but here we are. With Houma and Joe Kerridge out the door, the most fullback friendly team in these or any other United States is looking for replacements.

Positional designations in this post are suggestions rather than laws, so we'll slot HENRY POGGI [recruiting profile] and his extreme(!) headshot in here. Last year's was notable enough to make the preview and is at right; this year's is above and somehow ups the ante.

Poggi might be a tight end, technically. One catch for two yards a year ago and zero carries places him in the Kevin Dudley category around these parts. Poggi came to Michigan a highly-touted defensive player—universal four-star rankings with Rivals placing him #70—but even then it seemed like he might be destined to be a head-masher on offense. Various scouting reports paused from the defensive evals to mention his potential as a blocking tight end; that's where his other main suitor, Alabama, wanted him.

Despite that, Poggi arrived at Michigan as a defensive player and only swapped to offense once Harbaugh arrived and placed a Pokestop at fullback. Poggi immediately emerged as a contributor and played a ton of snaps, but the transition was rough. Plenty of players on last year's offense had trouble keeping things straight, and Poggi was no exception. He had a tendency to run by guys he should have been mashing. Running power is no less complicated than running zone and requires you to made adjustments on the fly. Here's a typical example against Maryland:

Kalis sees the LB shoot an interior gap and picks him off. Poggi never reads that; he spends the duration of the play looking for a guy who never comes. If that was a one-off it might be a bad playcall or a lack of preparation.

It wasn't. There were an inordinate number of plays last year that ended with Poggi yet to engage an opponent. This promising sweep against Ohio State was submarined when Poggi changed his mind about who to block mid-play and ended up getting neither guy:

This happened a lot, to the point where my comment on Poggi in the run table after the MSU game was "targeting, targeting, targeting," and not the variety that ends up with an 80 year old man trying to figure out what the hell is legal anymore.

The good news is that when Poggi made contact he did it forcefully.

He paved the way for Jehu Chesson's first jet sweep touchdown with a cut block that demonstrated his agility. He was deployed on a series of effective cut blocks on DTs early in the season. He was frequently tasked with blowing a DE or LB up on plays that went off tackle and had good success when he identified his block with confidence. I don't have any clips of him falling off guys like Khalid Hill, about whom more later, tends to do. If Michigan can produce a version of Henry Poggi that consistently finds a man to hit, Poggi will hit him real good.

He'll be given every opportunity since Harbaugh loves what Poggi brings on the field (blockin') and off (Big Lebowski quotes):

Poggi is a player we've been told numerous times that the coaching staff loves as far as his football mentality and his desire to get better as a player.

Like many players, Poggi seemed to get a lot better in the bowl game; he had just a half-point to the bad in that game and I noted in the aftermath that there were "no targeting issues in this one." Motivation caveats do not apply here; that is a step forward. It's one that needs more sample size before a conclusion is reached.

This might sound odd, but Poggi is a bonafide X-factor for Michigan's offense. If he picks it up he can approach Kevin Dudley, and Michigan's rushing offense will be that much closer to clubberating foes.

[Patrick Barron]

Last year wasn't supposed to be a breakout season for H-back KHALID HILL [recruiting profile] but maybe it was supposed to be one of those pre-breakout seasons that set the table for big expectations going forward. (Example: Jake Butt's 21-catch sophomore season did not dissuade anyone from proclaiming he'd be a monster in 2015.) That did not so much happen. Hill sort of moved to fullback and got buried.

Losing snaps to Kerridge and Houma makes sense; losing out to a just-moved Henry Poggi is a little alarming. After an "up and down" game against BYU Hill evaporated from the run charting. He failed to register in five straight games, only popping up again for a +1 against Indiana and a +2 against PSU.

Hill's got the right shape, size, and speed to be a plus blocker. So far in his career he's been erratic, alternating face-mashers...

...with instances where he falls off his guy:

The reason he's in this section, and the reason that he should get playing time despite concerns he's not as good a blocker as Poggi, is his receiving. Hill was touted as a slot receiver in a fullback's body as a recruit…

The first thing that really jumps off the tape about Hill is his catching radius. He can scoop a pass up off of his shoelaces or go up and make a tough catch well over his head. Hill also has good arm extension when making a catch, not allowing the ball to get close to his body. Hill is quarterback friendly and really makes an inaccurate pass look easy to catch with his natural adjustments.

…and from time to time he's shown that. Michigan used him as an inline tight end for portions of last year, and this 24 yard strike in the bowl game does not look like a fullback is involved:

This ability may have moved Hill past Poggi in the battle for snaps, though both will get their share. Per insiders his "amazing hands" have moved him ahead of Poggi.

If he's close as a blocker that receiving ability will get him the majority of snaps. Neither Poggi nor Hill was involved as a ball carrier last year and neither figures to replicate Sione Houma's ability in that department this year. Houma and Joe Kerridge were high school tailbacks; Poggi and Hill were tight ends. Some of those touches will go to other players; some will get converted into catches. Hill is the best bet to deliver those.

BACKUPS

Backup options here are walk-ons. Senior BOBBY HENDERSON has spent the bulk of his career in the shadow of Kerridge and Houma; with both of those guys gone he has an opportunity for playing time as the most fullback-shaped gentleman on the roster. At 5'11", 245 he is the kind of squat missile that can get under the opposition's pads, and he looked like the most plausible ball-carrier amongst the FBs this spring. He should be in the rotation.

Finally, Jim Harbaugh introduced the world to MICHAEL HIRSCH during an interview with Rich Eisen. Hirsch was forced off the football team at Harvard after being diagnosed with an auto-immune disease that required chemotherapy; he was recovered and working in the financial industry when his parents pointed him at Ann Arbor. The NCAA gave him a waiver and he's got two years to finish his eligibility. Hirsch's life story and size (6'3", 240) are the only things anyone knows about him as a player, but I wouldn't bet against him.