2025 Season Countdown: #22 Tre Williams

 

Tre Williams (image via 247 Sports)

Name: Tre Williams
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 320 lbs.
High school: Washington (DC) St. John's
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Sixth year senior
Jersey number: #0
Last year: Williams played for Clemson. He started three games and made 14 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 2 pass breakups over fourteen contests.
TTB Rating: N/A

Williams comes to Michigan from Clemson, and I'm going out on a little bit of a limb ranking him up here at #22 but there's a reason. Williams's performance in Death Valley has not been outstanding over the years, but when I watch the film, I see a guy that I think has some good potential. He's a little on the short side and can get swallowed up by offensive linemen once in a while, but his quickness is intriguing and I think he's the defensive tackle (outside of Rayshaun Benny) most likely to create a pass rush. That would be a big deal for a defensive tackle group that lost Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant.

When I watched Williams at Clemson, I really think there are a couple small changes he can make to improve, and they mostly have to do with leverage and hand placement. If defensive line coach Lou Esposito can get Williams to play a little bit lower "with his hands above his eyeballs," I think he's going to generate some push on the interior that will make it very difficult for opposing quarterbacks to escape since they'll be hemmed in by some quality pass rushers on the edge. Alabama transfer Damon Payne may be a better run stopper, but Williams has the potential to get in the backfield and make some splashier plays.

Prediction: Starting defensive tackle

2025 Season Countdown: #23 Greg Tarr

 

Greg Tarr (image via MGoBlue)

Name: Greg Tarr
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 220 lbs.
High school: Washington (MI) Romeo
Position: Long snapper
Class: Sixth year senior
Jersey number: #45
Last year: I ranked Tarr #51 and said he would be a backup long snapper (LINK). He played in two games.
TTB Rating: N/A

For two seasons in a row, I can basically write the same thing:

Last year I predicted Tarr to be the backup long snapper, and he played in two games.

Rinse, wash, repeat.

It seems like Tarr has been in Ann Arbor forever, and in fact, his career started in 2020.

That's so far in the past that a guy named Donald Trump was president of the United States when Tarr first set foot on campus.

Crazy, right?

What in the name of Grover Cleveland is going on here?!?!?!

Anyway, Tarr stepped in for an injured Will Wagner all the way back in 2022 and started nine games. He did a mighty fine job, and yet he has barely played the past two years.

It seems the 2025 season is everything Tarr has been waiting for since Cade McNamara yoinked the starting quarterback job from Joe Milton.

I assume Tarr is still good, because he was good and also Michigan's long snappers have been good. As others have said for a long time, the only time you really hear a long snapper's name is when something goes wrong, so let this be the last time you hear Tarr's name until the 6th round of the NFL Draft in 2026.

Prediction: Starting long snapper

2025 Season Countdown: #24 Fredrick Moore

 

Fredrick Moore (image via MGoBlue)

Name: Fredrick Moore
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 191 lbs.
High school: Saint Louis (MO) Cardinal Ritter
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #3
Last year: I ranked Moore #26 and said he would be a backup wide receiver and special teamer (LINK). He started three games and made 11 catches for 128 yards and 1 touchdown, and he rushed 5 times for 28 yards.
TTB Rating: 68

Last year I thought Moore would break out a little bit as a potential big-play receiver and returner.

It didn't happen.

On the bright side for him, the quarterback play and passing game in general did not generate big plays whatsoever. Michigan was one of the worst passing offenses in the country, and nobody was supported. Moore was third among wide receivers with 11 catches (behind Semaj Morgan's 27 and Tyler Morris's 23), and he was not used as a kickoff returner or punt returner. There's still a potential breakout here if Michigan can put together a cogent passing game, and it looks like there will be a step up from last year, considering Michigan now has two or three quarterbacks who are better than last year's starter, Davis Warren.

On the negative side, Michigan will still probably rely heavily on the run and tight ends. Everyone expects Indiana transfer Donaven McCulley to be the top receiver, so the rest of the wideouts will be battling for the #2 role. Moore has as good of a shot as anyone to seize that role, battling the likes of Morgan, Peyton O'Leary, Andrew Marsh, Kendrick Bell, and others. My hope is that McCulley becomes a downfield threat with his size, leaving room for guys like Moore and Morgan to work underneath and then make things happen with their speed. My (fake) money is on Moore to be the starter opposite McCulley.

Prediction: Starting wide receiver; 25 catches, 325 yards, 3 touchdowns

Peter Bourque, Wolverine

 

Peter Bourque (image via 247 Sports)

Marion (MA) Tabor Academy quarterback Peter Bourque, a 2027 prospect, committed to Michigan on Monday morning. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Florida, Georgia, Oregon, Penn State, Texas A&M, and numerous others.

Bourque is listed at 6'4", 190 lbs. He threw for 1,737 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions as a sophomore and also ran for 317 yards and 4 touchdowns.

RANKINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 82 grade, #3 pocket QB, #86 overall
On3: 4-star, #7 QB, #86 overall
247 Sports: 4-star, 90 grade, #8 QB, #88 overall

Hit the jump for more.

2025 Season Countdown: #25 Nate Efobi

 

Nate Efobi (#55, image via 247 Sports)

Name: Nathan Efobi
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 312 lbs.
High school: Cumming (GA) South Forsyth
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #55
Last year: I ranked Efobi #74 and said he would be a backup offensive guard (LINK). He played in six games.
TTB Rating: 68

Last year I mentioned that Efobi would have to battle with Connor Jones, Dominick Giudice, and Raheem Anderson II for a backup role on Michigan's offensive line. He battled, and . . . well, I can't say he won the battle.

But he may have won the war.

Giudice and Anderson have since transferred, and Connor Jones appears to be an afterthought in the pecking order. Meanwhile, Efobi is battling for a starting right guard spot in fall camp, and the general takeaway seems to be that he's the favorite to start.

Efobi is up to a listed 312 lbs. after being listed at 285 in last season's countdown, so he's put on a good amount of weight. I don't know what to expect from him other than the murmurs coming out of Schembechler Hall, but his starting role does seem to be the most tenuous. While there's also a battle at left tackle between Evan Link, Blake Frazier, and Andrew Babalola, there seems to be the belief that Link could start at right guard if he loses the left tackle battle, and there's also the presence of Ferris State transfer Lawrence Hattar, a Division II All-American. So I have Efobi as the lowest ranked starter in the countdown, but there's some positive buzz for him.

Prediction: Starting right guard

2025 Season Countdown: #26 Damon Payne

 

Damon Payne (image via Chloe Miller/MLive)

Name: Damon Payne
Height: 6'4”
Weight: 311 lbs.
High school: Belleville (MI) Belleville
Position: Nose tackle
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #44
Last year: Payne was a starting defensive tackle at Alabama. He made 14 tackles for loss and 1 sack.
TTB Rating: N/A

Payne was a 5-star, the #7 defensive lineman, and #24 overall in the class of 2021. Instead of signing with Michigan - during a team when Belleville-Michigan relations were strained - he ended up signing with Nick Saban's Alabama. He went down to Tuscaloosa and, you know, didn't do a whole lot. Altogether, he made 30 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 0.5 sacks during four years. Known as a good run stopper, he didn't offer much when it comes to penetrating the backfield or chasing plays down.

Michigan snagged Payne in the transfer portal, and he returns close to home to play in front of friends and family. The Wolverines have a ton of depth at defensive tackle this season, depth that includes at least six players who are "playable" in: Payne, Rayshaun Benny, Tre Williams, Trey Pierce, Ike Iwunnah, and Enow Etta. I see Payne as a third starter on the inside, along with Benny and Williams. Williams has more explosiveness, while Payne seems like more of a space eater who is going to be very difficult to run against. Add in the fact that Michigan can roll six-deep on the interior, and these guys should be very good as they stay fresh throughout the game and throughout the season. I don't expect Payne to break out when it comes to putting up big numbers, but he should be a part of a very good defensive line.

Prediction: Part-time starting nose tackle

2025 Season Countdown: #27 Mikey Keene

 

Mikey Keene (image via On3)

Name: Mikey Keene
Height: 5'11”
Weight: 200 lbs.
High school: Chandler (AZ) Chandler
Position: Quarterback
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #7
Last year: Keene was the starting quarterback at Fresno State. He completed 277/393 passes (70.5%) for 2,892 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
TTB Rating: N/A

Sherrone Moore is like Galactus, and floating through space and time, he decided to send out the Silver Surfer - in this case, Chip Lindsey - to scout resources to consume to make himself better. The Silver Surfer zeroed in on Mikey Keene from Fresno State, and here we are:

With one of the most highly touted recruits in history, Galactus - I mean, Sherrone Moore - was never going to be able to bring in a high-profile player who wanted to play right now because Bryce Underwood is waiting in the wings to play, probably sooner rather than later. So Moore and Lindsey had to look a rung down for a guy who might want a step up in competition but had already sort of maxed himself out in a lower conference.

Keene has been a starter at two different schools, UCF and Fresno State. Overall, he has amassed 8245 passing yards, 65 passing touchdowns, and 28 interceptions, while completing 67.8% of his passes. He's an accurate thrower who's obviously limited when it comes to size, strength, and athleticism. But he's a veteran who has played 39 games and could be a perfect mentor for Underwood, pushing him and offering advice while also understanding he stepped into a situation where he's not going to be expected to be the savior of a program.

I expect Underwood to be the starting quarterback by the end of the season, if not the beginning. However, backup quarterbacks play an important role. It's rare to see a quarterback go through a season completely unscathed, if only for a half of a game or a game here or there. Keene transferred to Michigan over the winter but was unable to participate in spring practices because of an injury. However, he was available for meetings and re-learning some of the things that Lindsey taught him back when they were together at UCF. As long as Keene stays healthy for the year, he should provide a nice safety net for the team.

Prediction: Backup quarterback