Name: Deyvid Palepale
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 335 lbs.
High school: Manheim Township (PA) Hempfield
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #54
Last year: Palepale was a senior in high school (LINK). He played in two games.
TTB Rating: 75
Palepale had an adventurous high school career and recruitment. A one-time commitment to USC, the Alaska native was dismissed from his high school football team for being critical of the coaching staff on social media. He only played in two games as a senior. He finished the cycle ranked as a 247 Composite 3-star, the #89 defensive lineman, and #771 overall. That's a pretty low ranking for someone who reported other offers from Florida, Miami, and Ohio State, among others, but recruiting rankings don't matter at this point.
My biggest questions about Palepale are about his conditioning. After being listed at 300 pounds as a recruit, he's now weighing in at 335 pounds on the fall roster. Could that previous weight have been outdated? Did he put on good weight, or is he going to have to trim down and then rebuild his body? It's always tough to play on the lines as a freshman, but it's especially tough if you're not in shape. I think Michigan probably needs to get a few snaps a game from Palepale, but perhaps they can squeak by with Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, Roderick Pierce, and maybe Ike Iwunnah playing some nose tackle.
Prediction: Backup nose tackle
Some goalline package and redshirt
ReplyDeleteI think Etta and Kluber are more likely to be factors at DT than Palepale. I don't think you need 5 guys to play nose tackle specifically.
ReplyDeleteI hope they keep the red-shirt on him. But you never know with freshman, perhaps he'll surprise.
I don't think you need five guys to play nose tackle, but Grant and Graham are kind of the same guy. They're not backups, but either one can play nose if the other one is hurt. I think you need at least three guys who can play it reasonably due to rotation. And if you move Graham to NT, that really thins out the 3-tech depth and then you have issues there.
DeleteI agree to an extent. I would expect at least one of Grant or Graham to be on the field for every meaningful snap at NT against OSU, Oregon, and Texas. I think you have Grant at NT mostly, Benny at 3-tech (DT) mostly, and Graham moving between both as your top 3 on the interior.
DeleteSounds like Etta and Pierce maybe next men up but TBD if they can play the NT spot. Iwunnah maybe your 3rd NT but I think Graham/Grant have it mostly covered.
But if Palepale emerges into the rotation I would consider it a pleasant surprise.