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| Desmond Morgan (#44) |
Ross Douglas from CB to RB. Michigan failed to nab a running back in the 2014 class, largely for a lack of trying. There were some candidates out there that the Wolverines simply chose not to pursue, and then rising senior Thomas Rawls chose to transfer to Central Michigan. Michigan needed to add some depth at running back, and Douglas was a pretty good one in high school. I do not think Douglas is in danger of turning into a feature back anytime soon, but he may provide some change-of-pace skills for Michigan's Thunder Squared combination of Derrick Green and De'Veon Smith. Douglas played some running back on the scout team last year, and I think this switch is likely to stick, at least until Michigan has a chance to bring in more running backs in 2015 or 2016. He could also be a guy who bounces back and forth from offense to defense.
Wyatt Shallman from RB to H-back. I have long believed that Shallman would not make much of an impact on the running back position, except perhaps as a short yardage guy. I think the need for a short yardage back is relatively non-existent with Green and Smith on the team. Additionally, new offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier seems like a guy who's going to run a lot of single back sets and a lot of spread formations, meaning the fullback will likely be phased out for the next couple years. The 6'3", 243 lb. Shallman could help out as a blocker and pass catcher out of the backfield, and he has the size to be a second tight end on the field like an Aaron Shea.
Keith Heitzman from DE to TE. Heitzman was the starter at strongside end to begin last season, but a hand injury combined with competition from other players bumped him down in the lineup. With other guys emerging at strongside end (Brennen Beyer, Taco Charlton, Chris Wormley), Michigan has the flexibility to put Heitzman at tight end to shore up the position after Jake Butt's ACL injury. Butt might be back by week three, but Heitzman could be a long-term solution as a blocking tight end, since junior A.J. Williams has struggled in his first two seasons. Heitzman played tight end in high school, and while he probably won't run away from anyone or dazzle people with his moves, he should be a quality in-line blocker and has the potential to catch a pass here or there.
Jake Ryan from SAM to MIKE. Royce Jenkins-Stone from MIKE to SAM. James Ross from WILL to SAM. Desmond Morgan from MIKE to WILL. Did I catch all the moves? I think so. A couple of the younger inside linebackers are staying inside, so I won't bother analyzing that. The new starting lineup will look a lot like the old starting lineup, except Morgan will be on the weak side, Ryan will be in the middle, and Ross will be on the strong side. Head coach Brady Hoke announced that Michigan would be running more Over looks in 2014, which means that the protected linebacker (formerly WILL James Ross) will now be middle linebacker Jake Ryan. This also likely changes Michigan's front seven slightly, from a "hold your gap" defense to more of a penetrating unit. Against base 12 personnel previously, Michigan had six defenders from tight end to tackle (four defensive linemen, the WILL, and the MIKE). In an Over look, the defensive front will have seven defenders inside that box (four defensive linemen and all three linebackers). This should allow Ryan to roam from sideline to sideline while keeping Ross relatively clean, and Morgan will still be the guy who has to take on lead blocks from fullbacks, which he does fairly well.
Question regarding Shallman - Why did Hoke then specifically say H (and) will also help out at RB? Sam Webb spoke quite a bit about his athleticism and ability to help as a big RB.
ReplyDeleteHoke said that last year, too. Sometimes Hoke says things that don't always come to fruition.
DeleteThanks for doing this write-up - I always appreciate your analysis on all things UM football related. To be honest I was getting a bit nervous about the changes but it sounds like they could address some of the issues the team faces. You mentioned the fullback position being de-emphasized under Nussmeier. Do you think Houma and/or Kerridge have the physique and skill set to be effective at playing H-back?
ReplyDeleteIf you watched Alabama the past two years, Jalston Fowler got a big chunk of playing time in Nussmeier's offense despite being a fullback. From what I can tell, Houma matches that role more than Kerridge.
DeleteI don't think either one is an H-back type, but I do think Houma is athletic enough to do a variety of things (catching out of the backfield, perhaps running the ball on occasion, etc.). Kerridge is very limited athletically, but I think he's the better blocker of the two.
DeleteAll these changes make me worry a bit, because I think Hoke understands how hot his seat is. With the scheme change the position changes make sense to me, Heitzman to TE was necessary because of a lack of bodies, but it's the uncertainty that makes me worry. So now, we are implementing a new offense and a new defense this year. I don't see how we can't hit the ground running ala OSU in 2012, I'm just hoping we actually do and there aren't growing pains.
ReplyDelete-JC
I like looking at offer lists instead of star ratings, and RJS had a very impressive list. Is there any word that he's making progress, or that he'll push for snaps? Looking at the spring roster, it seems like he's having trouble putting on weight, which could also be a problem.
ReplyDeleteHe was a very strong 4* that almost everyone across the country wanted. Besides the on field fight with O$U, he has done nothing note worthy.
DeleteAnother Cass Tech dude who has under achieved big time! They should subtract 1* on every Cass Tech recruit IMO.
Watched RJS in the spring game last year and thought the young walk-ons looked more comfortable than him at ILB. He is also smaller than advertised - not sure he is even 6'1", let alone the listed 6'2". RJS only has two seasons left and has not really sniffed LB snaps - that's not a good sign. Did not completely understand his hot recruiting status - watched his senior tape and thought he looked better at FB than ILB. But these days, players who develop early in HS generate hype that does not die even if their development stalls later in HS.
DeleteRJS is another example of the risk of projecting an athlete on defense who does not have great defensive film. Maybe the move outside will help him, but UM has some promising young prospects with a lot more size who could really bury him this fall. UM recruited a bunch of LB's in 2014 for a reason.
I have heard virtually no buzz on Jenkins-Stone. I do think he lacks the size to play inside linebacker. SAM might actually be a better fit for him if the coaches think he's good enough to play on special teams, because that's a little more of a downhill position, and not so much reading and flowing from side to side.
DeleteThese changes are not signs of trouble - why go there mentally? It's not uncommon for upperclassmen to get moved around if they are not a starter or significant part of the unit they are in. Regarding the fullback - an H can be all of the TE,SLOT,and FB roles so you could have Kerridge and Houma still contributing but not necessarilly starting the play from the traditional FB location. The issue is with an H is trying to get to a point where you are not tipping off the D too much (a certain guy is a run blocker when he's in, another guy is a passing threat primarilly, etc). Would like to have personnel that can do most if not all of what you need in all three roles so that you are not limited. That could be more of a deciding factor.
ReplyDeleteLets see.. we're moving to a new Defense configuration for the front 7 and we're going to a new Offense system that Gardner said recently was completely different than what he had with Borges.
DeleteAdd that our terrible OL lost their two best players...yeah its time to run around in a panic!
If your players are decent and learn well, these changes aren't a big deal. Plenty of teams make shifts like these without DOOM. This is far from panic time. It's still going to revolve around the OL.
Deleteyeah, a 4-3 under is sooo different from an over..... terminology will be different, route concepts will be different (to a degree). Zone blocking is generally easier and they did some of it last year. Yep, sounds like the whole f'ing ship is sinking.
DeleteThink it's a good sign. GMatt could not run as many zone blitzes this year because Bolden and Morgan are not particularly adept a blitzing. Ryan is much better at timing blitzes and getting around blockers. Ross played somewhat tentatively as a soph. And the coaches are correct in saying that teams could avoid Ryan by spreading him out to one side. I think the LB's got a bit exposed last year so I am glad to see that the coaches are trying some new ideas to address that.
DeleteI have long thought an addition of a H-back ala Alabama's Smellie would be awesome in a Michigan O. Since Nuss coaches Smellie, this seems like a real possibility. And I can't wait to see Shalman and Hill used that way.
ReplyDeleteI do think that was Borges' long term plan as well. Just did not get the TE/HB talent into the program quickly enough. When they finally have a TE and HB who are passing threats but can also block, UM will be able to do some damage. Love Jake Butt. Look forward to seeing Hill and Shallman too. Have a feeling that Heitzman will be a blocking upgrade over Willams.
DeleteHow much of the LB changes have to do with the NT personnel? With Pipkins on the mend and no block-eating NT, it seems like the move to OVER fits Henry's skillset better. There's several other smaller/quicker type DTs like Hurst, Poggi
ReplyDelete