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| Ben Braden (image via Twitter) |
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 318 lbs.
High school: Rockford (MI) Rockford
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #71
Last year: I ranked Braden #67 and said he would be a backup right tackle. He redshirted.
When Braden hit campus in 2012, he was a man mountain. Most high school offensive linemen need to add size, but not him. Despite being a good size already, Michigan's linemen remained healthy throughout the year. He redshirted, but by the time spring rolled around, he was perhaps the most talked about replacement lineman entering the season. With both offensive tackles returning from 2013, Braden moved into the left guard spot for the spring and started the spring scrimmage there.
Taylor Lewan stated this summer that Braden is a freak athlete, and we're likely to see his combination of athleticism and size starting at left guard; head coach Brady Hoke recently confirmed that he was the front-runner for that position. Any redshirt freshman lineman is bound to struggle at times, and there are some potentially viable backups, such as redshirt sophomore Chris Bryant. Braden should do okay as a run blocker, because he can stay pretty low for a 6'6" guy, but pass protection is usually where young guys struggle. It will probably be an up-and-down year for the offensive line unit, and I expect Braden to play well against the lesser units and struggle against the Notre Dames and Ohio States of the world.
Prediction: Starting left guard
The interior OL is why I'm not confident at all about winning the ND game. Their front 7 will be terrifying against the young Michigan OL. Hopefully with a QB who can be a threat in the passing game Borges can effectively use screens and short passes to negate the pass rush that destroyed Michigan last year and only loses 1 player.
ReplyDeleteI'm only really worried about their front 5. Even as bad as our interior was last year at getting push that game was ours to lose and even after 7,000 turnovers in a row we still almost won. We get better, they lose a few guys, and we play them at home. I like our chances
DeleteI'm only really worried about their front 5. Even as bad as our interior was last year at getting push that game was ours to lose and even after 7,000 turnovers in a row we still almost won. We get better, they lose a few guys, and we play them at home. I like our chances
DeleteBraden looks like a future stud to me - huge and nimble. His one-year internship at LG will have ups and downs, but he should be a clear upgrade over Barnum. ND has a good defense, but UM's OL actually looked decent against them last year. And they do lose Te'o. Just having a legit passing threat will put the OL in a better position this year.
DeleteI think Te'o was way overrated. The strength of Notre Dame's defense is more in the defensive line - Tuitt, Nix, etc.
DeleteI like that you put Braden ahead of Kalis. Kalis comes with more recruiting and fan hype, but it seems to me that the coaches have consistently praised Braden before any other freshman OL and theres never been significant mention of anyone challenging him from what I've seen. He seems like he'll be our starting LT for the following three seasons. That said - he needs to prove it first.
ReplyDeleteI think you're reaching on Bryant as a potentially viable option. Burzynski and Glasgow seem to be ahead of him and, while they've come in for some praise, they're ultimately walk-ons who no one would have heard of were it not for the poor OL recruiting and resulting lack of depth.
As the OL goes - so the offense goes. We need Braden and Kalis to step up because the alternatives have a much lower ceiling. I'd rank them both in the low teens because if they don't pan out we're in a some trouble. I think you are absolutely right to point out that they will struggle at times. Expectations are a bit out of whack from what I've seen.
I happen to like placing Braden at LG in part to utilize his massive size to improve the run game and in part to learn from one of the best LT in all of college football. Admittedly, I have some concerns but remain largely optimistic about the offensive line play this year. Barring injury, I believe the offensive line will only get better as the year goes on and will continue to setup nicely for years to come due to the combination of improved recruiting as well as the return to a Pro-style offense.
ReplyDeleteGo Blue!
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