Name: Ja’Den McBurrows
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 194 lbs.
High school: Fort Lauderdale (FL) Saint Thomas Aquinas
Position: Cornerback
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #18
Last year: I ranked McBurrows #41 and said he would be a backup cornerback (LINK). He made 7 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 1 interception.
TTB Rating: 73
I don't know about other Michigan fans, but McBurrows has turned into a bit of a "fan favorite" of mine. As a high schooler, he was always around the ball and created a ton of turnovers despite being a little undersized. While at Michigan he has struggled at time with injuries. On top of that, he was a part of the infamous "Tunnel Incident" against Michigan State in 2022 when teammate Gemon Green was jumped by a bunch of Spartans and McBurrows tried to intervene.
He got some revenge in the 49-0 beatdown of Michigan State last year when he notched his first career interception.
McBurrows also had the unfortunate luck of playing behind Mike Sainristil, an all-time great for the Wolverines who just happened to also play the nickel spot. So his time has been limited over his first three years on campus.
His outlook is a little brighter for 2024. Sainristil is gone, and now McBurrows has a chance to step up and play some nickel or outside corner. He is unlikely to start at either position with Zeke Berry set to start at nickel and Jyaire Hill the likely #2 corner across from Will Johnson, but I expect an uptick in playing time for McBurrows as a fourth-year player. He was #20 on the team in defensive snaps last season (185) and I expect him to move up to perhaps #17 or #18 in defensive snaps this fall.
Prediction: Backup nickel/cornerback
Already on year 4. I honestly thought he'd be a multi year starter, but as you say, Mike MF Saintrisrill!
ReplyDeleteBerry has the hype, so hopefully this young man makes the most of any opportunity
I think he'll get snaps against Fresno State but I'd be a little surprised if he was out there against Texas. I think he's a good football player and consistently praised for his tackling, but just doesn't have the speed needed to cover WRs like Texas, Oregon, and OSU will put on the field.
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