Saturday, August 10, 2013

2013 Season Countdown: #19 Drew Dileo

Drew Dileo
Name: Drew Dileo
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 180 lbs.
High school: Greenwell Springs (LA) Parkview Baptist
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Senior
Jersey number: #9
Last year: I ranked Dileo #36 and said he would make 12 receptions for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns, along with being the holder, a backup receiver, and a part-time returner. He had 20 receptions for 331 yards (16.6 yards/catch) and 2 touchdowns, 1 carry for 7 yards, 2 punt returns for 22 yards, and 4 kickoff returns for 67 yards.

This Dileo kid is one of those guys that's fun to have on the football team, not because he's great but just because he's a football player. Look at those statistics up above. Receiver, runner, holder, punt returner, kickoff returner . . . .  You get the sense that you're in parks and recreation football, and Dileo's just the best all-around athlete, so you give him the football all the time just because you know good things will happen. Except this isn't parks and rec. Those statistics aren't flashy, and yet 16.6 yards a catch ain't half bad.

This year Dileo will likely reprise his role as the holder and jack of all trades, and it would be nice to see him play some defensive back so I can label him the Shane Halter of Michigan football. There's a wide receiver spot left open by the graduated Roy Roundtree, but Dileo - Michigan's second leading returning receiver - probably won't take that vacated spot. He'll work from the slot and be a backup, but he could improve on those receiving totals with Devin Gardner throwing the ball for the entire year; both of his touchdown receptions last year came from Gardner. There will also probably be a trick play or two for Dileo as the holder, and the coaches will throw him a bone once in a while with a punt or kickoff return. He even has a chance to win the punt return duties if the coaches relieve Jeremy Gallon of those duties and want a sure-handed replacement. I think the battle will be determined by how well Dennis Norfleet - a faster and more electric returner - can make decisions and catch the ball.

Prediction: Starting holder; backup receiver and returner; 25 receptions, 375 yards, 4 touchdowns

22 comments:

  1. Double D'a is my favorite wolverine, his commitment post way back when expressed he's always bled blue. I love over achievers wearing maize and blue!

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  2. Not saying there's anything wrong with it, but judging by the way you're doing the rankings, and not've place Toussaint or Green yet, it shows that you think some good things will be coming from the Wolverine's 1-2 punch this season.

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  3. Pleasantly surprised to see Dileo ranked this high. I think he'll have a little more yards than that even and be the #3 receiver in yardage behind funchess and gallon. He reminds me of Vincent Smith a bit- yeah, there's some things he can't do and the NFL probably won't be calling, but he's an effective overall player at the college level whose versatility is fun to watch.

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  4. Do you know when the final class of 2014 rivals recruiting rankings come out?

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    1. It won't be until after the all-America games in January or maybe even early February.

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  5. Seems too high for Dileo. I like him a lot, but I don't think we'd notice too much if he didn't play. Braden, Kalis, and Wilson are all much more critical to this team's success. Braden and Kalis, in particular, are rated far too low here. Their backups are walk-on football players. I'd have them ahead of Dileo, Green, Toussaint, C. Gordon, Morgan, and Taylor, at least, all of whom are backed up by proven and capable scholarship football players.

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    1. Braden and Kalis are backed up by scholarship players as well as walk-ons (Bryant, Bars, Glasgow, Burzynski, Bosch, etc.).

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    2. Bryant and Bars aren't being discussed as legitimate options, and neither of them have ever played a game of college football. If Kalis or Braden don't succeed, it's walk-on time. That would be very bad. The backups at SLB, MLB, CB, and RB--Beyer, Bolden, Avery, Rawls--have all played college football games before at functional levels and they have pedigrees.

      We will be very sorry if Kalis or Braden don't pan out. I'd add Miller to the list, too, though I think Kugler could actually help thus year if need be, and I think he's going to be really special.

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    3. Beyer and Rawls have been poor backups. I don't see a huge difference between them and walk-ons. Regardless, there are big, scholarship-worthy bodies behind the guards, as well as walk-ons. There's a lot of competition.

      I agree that the OFFENSIVE GUARD POSITIONS are more critical to this team's success than Dileo, but not necessarily the individual players themselves.

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  6. I know this is random as hell, but I want Glasgow to start over Jack Miller, because judging by the first padded practice they seemed equal, but the thing is Graham Glasgow is 6'6" 303, and Miller is only 6'4" 290. If the two are about equal I'd like the bigger guy. I mean they have about the same amount of game experience, but I think Miller isn't that great to be honest.

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  7. Why aren't any of the walkons listed on the roster?

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    1. The team has to enter camp with just 100 players on the roster, so the freshman walk-ons are always late additions. They're allowed to have 115 players after two weeks, I believe.

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  8. According to Dave Revsine, Glasgow took the first snap at practice today!!!

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  9. Thunder, I command you to reply to these comments. As me being Lightning, it'll be of automatic reaction for Thunder to come in and reply.

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  10. Thunder, can you PLEASE reply to this. There is an avatar of someone on mgoblog with a picture of Rich Rodriguez @ Arizona and he's making a very silly face, that's a half smile, half confused face. Can you please tell me the user, because I haven't found it, and it cracks me up!

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    1. I don't recall that user. I don't pay a ton of attention to avatars.

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  11. "The pass catchers with QB Brian Cleary were Joe Reynolds, Jehu Chesson and Jeremy Jackson. Jake Butt was the tight end. The pass catchers with QB Shane Morris were Csont’e York, Jack Wangler and Bo Dever. The tight end was Khalid Hill. Borges likes Chesson. In fact, he said he is the fastest wideout. Funchess looks much bigger to me. He could be in store for a big season. The guy is a freak. True freshman wideout Da’Mario Jones made some nice catches. Keep an eye on him." According to that, Cleary has the #2 spot!

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    1. It's very, very early. I'm guessing the coaches try to give the older guy(s) the first shot, just out of respect for their past contributions. This isn't to say that Cleary won't win the backup job, but I don't think this is indicative of much.

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  12. should probs do Miller soon, he might not even start.

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  13. I say Drew Dileo for "old 98". Good all around player and a senior. Number switch from 9 to 98 not to extreme either. Thought?

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