Name: Peyton O’Leary
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 203 lbs.
High school: Byfield (MA) Governor’s Academy
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #81
Last year: I ranked O’Leary #49 and said he would be a backup wide receiver (LINK). He caught 2 passes for 13 yards and 1 touchdown.
TTB Rating: N/A
The off-season and practice buzz has been going for O'Leary for a couple seasons, but so far it has not turned into a ton of production. He played a total of 38 snaps in 2023 and notched 2 receptions for 13 yards and 1 score, the TD catch coming against Nebraska in a blowout. Michigan typically doesn't get a ton of production from its receivers, so it's understandable that there aren't many scraps left for someone like O'Leary.
But one of the big criticisms of Michigan's receiver room going into 2024 is a lack of size. Cornelius Johnson moved on to the NFL, and Darrius Clemons transferred to Oregon State. That left the Wolverines with a bunch of small-ish wideouts, though they were able to snag Amorion Walker back from Ole Miss through the transfer portal. Walker has height but not much in the way of bulk. In fact, O'Leary and Walker are the same height (6'3") but O'Leary outweighs Walker by 21 pounds.
This is not to say that O'Leary will be a big, bulky, leaping red zone target, but he may be looked upon to help in certain circumstances where he was not needed in 2023. I don't have a ton of faith that moderate practice buzz will suddenly turn into huge amounts of playing time, though, so I'm dropping him down in the countdown compared to last year.
Prediction: Backup wide receiver
I think it's gonna be tight ends running in the red zone when it matters.
ReplyDeleteThis was my thought: if Michigan's plan is to have tight ends that block and catch the ball, the need for "big, bulky, leaping red zone targets" falls to the TE room. It's been that way for at least a few years now, with Roman Wilson and that type being the "streak across the middle of the endzone" target.
DeleteI get that to an extent, but it depends on the QB's abilities. Some QBs abhor throwing over the middle of the field - where TEs usually roam - and some don't have the arm strength to push the ball downfield outside the hashes. For example, some QBs would never attempt that McCarthy throw to Colston Loveland against MSU last year that whistled past the LB's ear.
DeleteThe Michigan WRs of yesteryear (Walker, Terrell, Edwards, etc.) could beat you over the top with their speed/size combo, and the QBs had the ability to get the ball downfield to them. If Orji is the guy, I don't know that he's a McCarthy who can work the middle of the field. It gets really dangerous in there if you can't be accurate, on time, etc.
Lots of fans got excited, when it was just that Oleary was a better WR than Walker was a CB
ReplyDeleteThe "big, bulky, leaping red zone target" we need is... nobody. Don't call this play. Run the ball in the red zone and throw to the open guys.
ReplyDeleteI was over the 2022 OLeary hype way back in 2023 LOL. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me, fool me thrice...should not happen!