Name: Darrius Clemons
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 212 lbs.
High school: Portland (OR) Westview
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #0
Last year: I ranked Clemons #53 and said he would be a backup wide receiver (LINK). He caught 1 pass for 7 yards while playing in eleven games.
TTB Rating: 88
Michigan has had such great success on the ground the past couple seasons that the wide receivers are forgotten about a little bit. And when long-time contributors like Ronnie Bell and Cornelius Johnson lead the way at receiver, the backups don't have much of a chance to shine. So it might be fair to say that Clemons has been a forgotten man for the past year, but he was labeled a freak athlete coming out of high school and had a 40 time in the high 4.3s. His only catch last season came against overmatched UConn, a 7-yard reception.
Michigan returns Johnson and Roman Wilson on the outside, but Clemons could end up as the #3 most targeted receiver. He's more of an outside guy than Tyler Morris (who's just one spot lower in the countdown), but Wilson can be moved all around because of his versatility. Clemons should see plenty of snaps while rotating in, and he might even start a couple games if the coaching staff moves Wilson into the slot. Clemons has added seven pounds since last year and is up to a very respectable 212 lbs., which is four pounds heavier than Johnson and getting into the tantalizing size range of some of the outstanding Michigan receivers of yesteryear (Braylon Edwards, David Terrell, etc.). I don't expect a true breakout season because of Wilson, Johnson, the tight ends, and the running backs standing in the way of the spotlight, but Clemons can stake a claim to be a major contributor in 2024.
Prediction: Part-time starting wide receiver; 22 catches, 280 yards, 2 touchdowns
Injury (Wilson) can get Clemons on the field more. CoJo disappears or underperforms at times, and could see snaps go to Clemons
ReplyDeleteJohnson's explosive Ohio State game kind of came out of nowhere when he caught 4 passes for 160 yards and 2 touchdowns. He has been a little inconsistent. But I don't think he'll really lose any snaps to Clemons. Clemons might give him a breather, though.
DeleteAll it took was single coverage, no safety help, and shoddy tackling by a poorly coached secondary.
DeleteJohnson is a solid player but doesn't really have any standout skills or traits.
One of the most over hyped players one year ago, but things are surprisingly quiet this year. Hopes remain high that he can be better than Johnson
ReplyDeleteI think the fans got a little too excited about the 4.3 forty time last year. Freshman receivers at Michigan are rarely exceptional. Michigan just doesn't run an explosive enough/wide open enough offense for that to happen.
DeleteIf you're focused on stats, then yeah. Harbaugh receivers aren't going to put up numbers. But that's true of non freshman also.
DeleteThere have been a lot of freshman who have had big roles. Clemens wasnt one of them. But he had a lot of vets ahead of him.
I do think Johnson could get pushed by Clemens this year. But I wouldn't bet on him getting passed
O'Leary looks better from what I've seen. Wish them both well!
ReplyDelete