2010 Countdown: #43 Brandon Herron

Name: Brandon Herron
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 220 lbs.
High school: Dulles High School in Stafford, TX
Position: Outside linebacker
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #58
Last year: I ranked Herron #25, assuming he'd beat out freshman Craig Roh for the OLB position. Herron was Roh's backup, making 20 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 fumble recovery.

Reports from spring 2009 indicated that Herron was a physical freak with great speed and strength for his relatively small size for a rush linebacker. Having two years of experience on Roh, Herron was the expected starter. However, Roh beat out the then-redshirt sophomore and held onto the position. Herron played occasionally, but got pushed around in the run game.

Now it's 2010, and Herron's spot as the primary backup at OLB has been relinquished to J.B. Fitzgerald. Spring practice ended without much of a peep from Herron, who's still only 220 lbs. I'm not sure if the coaches have mandated that Herron maintain that weight, but it seems odd that he wouldn't bulk up more to defend the run. Sometimes injuries or illness prevent guys from adding weight, but I haven't heard anything to indicate such a problem for him. While Roh added approximately 15 lbs. and weighs over 250 now, Herron remains somewhat of a lightweight. He could contribute on special teams and is an adequate backup at OLB, but I would not be surprised to see Herron's redshirt junior year be his final season at Michigan.

Prediction for 2010: Backup OLB, special teams contributor