We really have to stop forgetting about Kemp. [Bryan Fuller]
The annual question:
Player who made the biggest move this spring?
The annual responses:
Adam: I'd argue that a guy who looks like he could be a contributor yet doesn't have a headshot on the official site made a big move, so I'm going with Nate Schoenle. Prior to the game I knew of him because I glanced at the roster and figured he too must be familiar with people butchering his last name despite its relative simplicity. After the game I knew of him because he can do like, wide receiver things.
He's more of a downfield threat than a wiggly slot bug; he presents a matchup issue for safeties nevertheless. He lined up against legitimate competition and showed good speed as well as adequate hands and route-running. Schoenle may not see the field this fall--Michigan's bringing the Monstars of WR recruiting classes--but we now know that there's substantive competition in the slot.
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David: I liked Keith Washington. He was always an intriguing prospect at 6'2" but came in very raw. After an obvious redshirt, he got onto the field a bit last year, covering kicks and grabbing a couple of tackles. With all of Michigan's 2016 starting secondary gone and most of the replacements being very young, Washington looks like he could make a run at some playing time. He had a fantastic PBU on a fade route down the sideline. He seemed to stay step-for-step with wunderkind DPJ and brought him down after limited gains a few times. Washington also flashed some solid run defense, coming off the edge to make a couple of nice tackles (one specifically on Higdon after Karan bounced it outside). From what I could tell, Keith has made strides in all areas and with that lengthy frame, he could work his way onto the field for more meaningful snaps, this Fall.
Plus, how can you doubt a guy who will offer to spontaneously backup his 40 time in a parking lot?
[After the JUMP: How long will we wait for Ace to take Peters?]
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Seth: Those are both fine picks. Brian mentioned in the podcast this week he's leery of overvaluing a good spring performance because Brandon Watson had one once. However Watson's 2014 Spring Game was all about jamming and staying with big bodied Borges receivers, the two things we already knew he was good at. None of the receivers Watson dominated ended up D-I contributors (barring a very late Ways breakout). The guy Keith stuck with though... Also the book on Washington however was he was terrible at setting the edge, and he did that really well on Saturday. There hasn't been any other chatter about him from practice reports though.
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| Sorry about your momentum there. It led a good momentum life before being converted into force against your body. [Patrick Barron] |
I can't believe you guys left me Khaleke Hudson though. Granted in these parts we always knew he'd break through, but what we knew about Hudson going into spring was that he was good at blocking punts, had problems picking up coverage, and that Josh Metellus and Jordan Glasgow had passed him on the Viper/Rover shared depth chart.
For Hudson to fend off those two for the VIPER(!!!) job in spring was a good sign, all the more so when we got to see how good all of these guys looked in the Spring Game. That goal line stop was just...dude. How weird is it to have a surfeit of good safeties at Michigan now?
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BiSB: So, Brandon Peters had a very...
/Ace starts throwing various objects at my head and torso
...FINE, you can talk about Peters. In that case, I'll take the smallest possible sample size and say Quinn Nordin. Yes, it was one kick. Yes, it was with the wind. But GOOD SWEET JANIKOWSKI'S GHOST what a kick. He nearly cleared the net from 48. It would have been good from, what, 63 yards?
(at 1:14)
Ace: I appreciate your restraint.
Brian: People are radically underselling the Nordin kick.
Seth: That would have been just a double in Comerica Park.
Ace: Would’ve been good from 104 or so.
BiSB: "Restraint" is a very United Airlines way of describing "thank you for not typing while I chucked office furniture at you.”
Brian: I literally and truly believe that would have been good from 75.
Ace: The ball was reaccomodated.
Brian: With that tailwind, admittedly.
Seth: From 75 to Row 75.
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Brian: There are a number of walk-ons aiming for the Order of St. Kovacs. Adam mentioned Schoenle. In addition, Jordan Glasgow looks like a cross between his brothers, Kovacs, and Jaromir Jagr. He had that pick six; he got over the top(!) of a couple of fade routes, which would seem to answer the #1 question about walkons--is he athletic enough--and he made a couple of solid, even Kovacsian tackles. It looks like Kinnel and Metellus are both doing wellit’ for themselves but I bet Glasgow gets at least the same amount of time Kinnel did last year.
Meanwhile, Ace and I have both mentioned this: Andrew Vastardis went up against a walk-on and converted DEs mostly, but he whooped up on 'em. The lack of TFLs is impressive all around and all the more so for the backup line, which consists of freshmen be they redshirt or true. I think it's time to put him on the depth chart by class and consider him another bullet in the chamber for the interior line. Maybe not this year, but down the road.
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mgovideo
Ace: So, yeah, I’m taking Brandon Peters. I’ve been enamored with his skill set since I saw him play at Avon. Now that he’s more comfortable in the offense, he’s able to show off that skill. His throws on Saturday cut through gusty, swirling winds with zip and accuracy. He changed speeds to maximize catchability, which is definitely a word. He was poised in the pocket and escaped pressure in ways that maximized the play’s potential, either peeling out to give his receivers more time or, in the case of the rushing touchdown, seeing an opening and hitting it with confidence.
Even I had largely given up on the idea of Peters pushing Wilton Speight this year, given Speight’s impressive 2016 season and practice reports that he’d taken command of the job. Peters has the higher ceiling, however, and on Saturday we saw evidence of him starting to fulfill his prodigious potential. If Peters develops at the right pace, Speight could play a whole lot better than he did on Saturday and still be at risk of losing his job. While I still expect Speight to start this year, Peters made this a real competition, and that alone is a sign of great progress.
Brian: Every time I see Peters in extended action I have to remind myself to pump the brakes, because the things he does are not things you see out of young quarterbacks, like, ever.
Ace: It’s like seeing a 19-year-old pitcher with good command of four pitches. And a legitimate heater.
David: I'm still watching the replay of that FG.
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Seth: Speaking of pumping the brakes, I imagined Tyrone Wheatley Jr by now would be far and away the #1 TE, chalking up last year's bipolar blocking to youth. It seemed like McKeon got the most snaps (and a ton of targets). Since Bunting and Eubanks and Gentry are all somewhere on the Flex spectrum, and Asiasi is gone, I figured we'd get a lot of TWJ out there to assist the OTs in pass pro and cave the edge. On rewatch, he seems very much stuck in neutral.
The screencap above is a split zone play that caught a slant (notice Gary's helmet is inside of Mason Cole's). Wheatley is still shoving on Gary's back as Wroblewski comes in unblocked to hold a big rock-paper-scissors victory for the offense to a tiny gain.
Brian: I don't think you can read anything into PT distribution in spring except for guys who barely play because they're lock starters. Wheatley got plenty of time and had a hand in a number of the positive runs Michigan had. I'm more worried about him continuing to fall off guys because he gets overextended and that seemed a lot better.
Seth: Right. Just saying that going into spring I thought he'd be the guy, but he hasn't got it figured out yet. I really hope he makes a move in fall because mmmm...
On this one he locked onto Winovich and shoulder-danced him out of the hole for a Ty Isaac touchdown. There's a real there, there, once Frey gets the awareness cleaned up.
Brian: Yeah, I've got Wheatley firmly in the "ask again later" category.
Finally, Nick Eubanks looks like a tight end now and was a frequent target. Wish he'd brought that fade route in but even though it got ripped out he looked very natural as he adjusted to that ball. I'd guess there's another year of seasoning for him before a potential breakout; he's now on the Potential 2018 Breakout list.
Seth: Also in luxuries it was nice to see so many of the running backs looking viable, especially since Evans isn't an every down back and has some potential secondary uses in the slot or the Wildcat. Until the one bad bounce-out Kareem Walker was showing patience and great vision to go with that smooth cut and power after contact. Karan Higdon was flawless. Ty Isaac has really learned to set up his blocks and retains that incredible acceleration and size combo and flexibility. Rodriguez had a few good stables of B-/C+ level backs but this is the first time since Bo that they can really have a four-back rotation without dipping into just-a-guys.
David: Devin Bush Jr was also a human missile on blitzes.
Seth: And Tarik Black went from a guy we list by rote among that ridiculous receiver class to looking like a viable contender immediately for extensive playing time this year.