Name: Tavierre Dunlap
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 229 lbs.
High school: Del Valle (TX) Del Valle
Position: Running back
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #22
Last year: I ranked Dunlap #80 and said he would be a backup running back and special teamer (LINK). He ran 5 times for 21 yards and played in ten games on special teams.
TTB Rating: 59
Dunlap played a good amount of special teams last season, but going into his fourth year, he probably hasn't carried the ball as much as he expected coming into his Michigan career. That's understandable when you're behind a couple athletes like Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, but a lot of people expected Corum to be gone to the NFL prior to 2023. Luckily, he decided to come back and help win a national championship, but Edwards and the guys behind him were probably a little disappointed in how little they had chances to touch the ball. Dunlap played quite a bit on special teams, but 5 touches as a third-year player isn't the norm for somebody who's in line for a big role.
However, Michigan had to hire a new running backs coach to replace Mike Hart, and Tony Alford seems to like Dunlap's ability a little more than Hart did. Dunlap played quite a bit in the spring game and seemed to have a little extra pep in his step. I probably would have ranked Dunlap roughly around where he was last year if not for what I saw in the spring. Edwards and Kalel Mullings are the guys at the top of the depth chart, but it's a free-for-all for that third running back spot between Dunlap, Benjamin Hall, Cole Cabana, Jordan Marshall, and Micah Ka'apana. That third spot has received 36, 55, and 35 carries over the past three seasons when Moore was offensive coordinator, so whoever wins the job will probably be getting a decent chunk of carries in 2024.
Prediction: Backup running back
Michigan lost Corum but added two freshman, plus Cabana is back healthy. So the middle to bottom of the RB depth chart is more competitive now than last year. If anything I think Dunlap's depth chart position may slide lower.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised to see him ahead of Marshall in particular. The writing was on the wall in 2022 when Dunlap was a non-factor even when Corum and Edwards went down. Marshall (and Kapana, theoretically) are freshman so they have a much wider range of outcomes.
It would be both shocking and disappointing if none of the 4 underclassmen are unable to pass Dunlap. I think the best case for Dunlap is RB4 and even that looks to be optimistic to me. RB5 is most likely. I haven't gone through the exercise like Thunder has yet but at first blush I'd rank the RBs something like:
Edwards 10-15
Mullings 30-35
Hall 50-60
Marshall 70-80
Cabana 70-80
Kapanna 80-90
Dunlap 90-100
It's true that a bunch of these guys could pop into the RB3 role, but that's mostly relevant for next year. You don't NEED your third RB to take any meaningful snaps unless there's an injury to the top 2.* And even in that case the snaps they take can be limited to suit their particular strengths.
A lot of the carries backup RBs (3-5) get are garbage time snaps that could be given to walk-ons. If a 3rd RB is getting meaningful snaps it's because they've earned it by popping in practice -- like Edwards in 2021 and Mullings in 2023 - or either of the top 2 are hurt - like Gash and Stokes and then Mullings in 2022.
So yeah, Dunlap is probably going to get 20-30 carries or whatever but I'd bet against any of them "counting".
*For an example see the closing run with Edwards starting in 2022 or the Iowa game when Blake and Don were both healthy:
https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2022/10/snap-counts-pff-grades-the-good-and-bad-from-michigans-win-at-iowa.html