Here's a roundup of the former Michigan player, former commits, and former coaches (or players-turned-coaches). NOTE: I will not regularly post updates about offensive linemen since stats are minimal and just posting PFF grades is kind of boring, but I did this week just to show who's playing where and what their opening day role was.
FORMER PLAYERS
WR Andrel Anthony (Oklahoma): Anthony did not play in a 27-21 win over Auburn.
LB Jeremiah Beasley (Missouri): Missouri (4-0) had a bye. Beasley has 2 tackles this season.
QB Alan Bowman (Oklahoma State): Bowman completed 26/50 passes for 364 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions in a 42-20 loss to Kansas State.
LB Semaj Bridgeman (Michigan State): Bridgeman did not record any stats in a 38-7 loss to Ohio State.
Hit the jump for more.
CB Cam Calhoun (Utah): Calhoun made 2 tackles and 1 pass breakup in a 23-10 loss to Arizona.
C Zach Carpenter (Miami): Carpenter is Miami's starting center.
WR Darrius Clemons (Oregon State): Oregon State (3-1) had a bye. Clemons has 3 catches for 35 yards this season.
WR Karmello English (West Georgia): English threw one incomplete pass in a 25-16 loss to North Alabama.
TE Louis Hansen (UConn): Hansen did not record any stats in a 47-3 win over Buffalo.
WR A.J. Henning (Northwestern): Northwestern (2-2) had a bye. Henning has 25 catches for 229 yards and 1 touchdown, 2 carries for 8 yards, and 8 punt returns for 76 yards.
OG Amir Herring (Kansas): Herring is a backup offensive guard for Kansas.
TE Matt Hibner (SMU): Hibner did not record any stats in a 42-16 win over Florida State.
LB Nikhai Hill-Green (Colorado): Hill-Green made 9 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 pass breakup in a 48-21 win over UCF.
K Cole Hussung (Louisville): Hussung is a backup kicker for Louisville.
WR Giles Jackson (Washington): Jackson made 7 catches for 59 yards in a 21-18 loss to Rutgers.
WR George Johnson III (FAU): Johnson did not record any stats in a 41-10 win over Wagner. These are the first two games he has gone catchless since he left Michigan three seasons ago.
DE Aaron Lewis (Rutgers): Lewis made 3 tackles and 1 quarterback hurry in a 21-18 win over Washington.
QB Cade McNamara (Iowa): Iowa (3-1) had a bye. McNamara has completed 64/102 passes (62.7%) for 588 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions.
LB Hayden Moore (Washington): Moore did not record any stats in a 21-18 loss to Rutgers.
S Jordan Morant (Mississippi State): Morant did not record any stats in a 35-13 loss to Texas.
S R.J. Moten (Florida): Florida (2-2) had a bye. Moten has 13 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1 pass breakup this year.
DT George Rooks (Boston College): Rooks made 1 tackle in a 21-20 win over Western Kentucky.
S Keon Sabb (Alabama): Sabb made 5 tackles in a 41-34 win over Georgia.
LB Deuce Spurlock (Florida): Spurlock has yet to record any stats this season.
OT Jack Stewart (UConn): Stewart is a backup offensive lineman for UConn.
RB C.J. Stokes (Charlotte): Stokes did not record any stats in a 21-20 win over Rice.
WR Jake Thaw (Delaware): Thaw made 4 catches for 59 yards in a 49-0 win over Sacred Heart.
LB Joey Velazquez (Ohio State): Velazquez did not record any stats in a 38-7 win over Michigan State.
TE Dan Villari (Syracuse): Villari did not record any stats in a 42-14 win over Holy Cross.
CB D.J. Waller (Kentucky): Waller made 2 tackles and 1 pass breakup in a 20-17 win over Ole Miss.
LB Cornell Wheeler (Kansas): Wheeler did not play in a 38-27 loss to TCU.
FORMER COMMITS
DE Collins Acheampong (UCLA): Acheampong did not record any stats in a 34-13 loss to Oregon.
LB Aaron Alexander (Michigan State): Alexander did not record any stats in a 38-7 loss to Ohio State.
WR Markus Allen (Eastern Michigan): Allen made 3 catches for 47 yards in a 52-33 win over Kent State.
DE Ethan Burke (Texas): Burke made 1 quarterback hurry and 1 pass breakup in a 35-13 win over Mississippi State.
S Taylor Groves (Ole Miss): Groves did not play in a 20-17 loss to Kentucky.
LB Tyler Martin (UMass): Martin made 2 tackles and 1 tackle for loss in a 23-20 loss to Miami-OH.
OG Micah Mazzccua (Nebraska): Mazzccua is a starting offensive guard for Nebraska.
DT Davonte Miles (BGSU): Miles did not play in a 30-27 loss to Old Dominion.
TE Andrew Rappleyea (Penn State): Rappleyea did not play in a 21-7 win over Illinois.
S Myles Rowser (Arizona State): Arizona State (3-1) had a bye. Rowser has made 37 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 3 pass breakups, and 2 quarterback hurries this year.
DE Elias Rudolph (Miami): Rudolph did not play in a 38-34 win over Virginia Tech.
DE Jacob Smith (Kentucky): Smith did not record any stats in a 20-17 win over Ole Miss.
LB Jaden Smith (Kentucky): Smith did not record any stats in a 20-17 win over Ole Miss.
DT Jerod Smith (Kentucky): Smith made his first career tackle in a 20-17 win over Ole Miss.
DT Joel Starlings (North Carolina): Starlings did not play in a 21-20 loss to Duke.
DT Alex VanSumeren (Michigan State): VanSumeren made 2 tackles in a 38-7 loss to Ohio State.
DT Denver Warren (Sam Houston State): Warren did not record any stats in a 40-39 win over Texas State
LB Raylen Wilson (Georgia): Wilson made 3 tackles in a 41-34 loss to Alabama.
FORMER COACHES
Don Brown (Head Coach, UMass): Brown is now 1-4 after a 23-20 loss to Miami-OH.
Ross Douglas (Wide Receivers Coach, Syracuse): Douglas is in his first season coaching the receivers at Syracuse under new head coach Fran Brown.
Jedd Fisch (Head Coach, Washington): Fisch and the Huskies are 3-2 after a 21-18 loss to Rutgers.
JaRaymond Hall (Asst. OL Coach, Wayne State): Hall is now the assistant offensive line coach and director of recruiting for Wayne State under head coach Tyrone Wheatley, who recruited Hall to Michigan in 2017.
Scot Loeffler (Head Coach, BGSU): Loeffler is 1-3 after a 30-27 loss to Old Dominion.
Curt Mallory (Head Coach, Indiana State): Mallory is 1-3 after a 27-24 loss to Houston Christian.
Jim McElwain (Head Coach, Central Michigan): Central Michigan is now 3-2 after a 22-21 win over San Diego State.
Desmond Morgan (Defensive Assistant, Memphis): Morgan is a defensive assistant at Memphis this season.
Biff Poggi (Head Coach, Charlotte): Charlotte is 2-3 after a 21-20 win over Rice.
Denard Robinson (Running Backs Coach, Lead Prep Academy): Robinson has been hired as the new running backs coach at Lead Prep Academy in Michigan.
Rich Rodriguez (Head Coach, Jacksonville State): Jacksonville State (1-3) had a bye.
Roy Roundtree (Wide Receivers Coach, Miami-OH): Roundtree is in his first season at Miami-OH as the wide receivers coach.
Tyrone Wheatley (Head Coach, Wayne State): Wheatley is 0-4 after a 31-17 loss to Truman State.
I'm looking at Tyrone Wheatley's record at Wayne State this year, last year, and his head coaching record before that at Morgan State. Combined, he's currently 8 wins and 30 losses across those two schools. I wonder at what point a person comes to realize that maybe football head coach is not the role for him?
ReplyDeleteLooking across the former players, the name that jumps out as a candidate for "I wish he was still at Michigan" is Keon Sabb. There was a lot of talk about "what if Alan Bowman was still here," and I think at this point he'd be a welcome addition to the QB room, but "completed 26/50 passes for 364 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions" isn't rock-star numbers.
It's 4:48am here, and I'm thinking about the life of a football coach when he bumps across programs, trying to climb the ladder of success. Success is hard to achieve, and the glow of it is fleeting. But I guess for those who love the game, the alternatives are less appealing still.
I have some perhaps unpopular opinions about Tyrone Wheatley, but frankly, I just don't think he's a very good football coach. He's one of my favorite players to ever play at Michigan because he was an absolute beast, but he's never really done anything as a coach at the NFL or college levels to make me think he's a very good coach. I think Michigan's running backs got better when he left, and I think every coach since him (Jay Harbaugh, Mike Hart, Tony Alford) is a superior running backs coach.
DeleteThen he goes places as a head coach and really struggles to elevate any of the programs. I thought he might find success at Wayne State because he's closer to his roots and might find more support in his home state, but it's just not working out so far. I wonder how long he can last in the coaching profession. I wouldn't be surprised to see him out of coaching in the next couple years.
I have a theory about ex-players becoming coaches, and it involves an inverse relationship between how good they were as a player, and their success at coaching the game. Many of the truly great coaches -- football and basketball -- played the game, but were not superstars. My thinking is that people who are really, really gifted at *doing* the sport, often fail to realize that others can't just naturally do it at the same level. They never really gained an appreciation for the theory and practice of the game because they were just naturally gifted at it themselves. But those who were okay-but-not-great had to struggle to do as well as they did, and they remember the process of learning, and of striving and failing, and of getting up and getting better. Those guys are good coaches: they can communicate what they learned, because they *had* to learn it themselves.
DeleteI think it's natural to be biased towards former players we enjoyed watching. Or just former players we watched -- thinking of you Nick Sheridan LOL.
DeleteBut sometimes that means we overrate them. Wheatly is one example, I've got another. The Rivals fort has been hyping up Roy Manning for a return to AA for years now. But he was kind of stuck as a position coach since 2012 and I believe he is currently unemployed. Mike Hart is also not coaching right now.
Love those guys and wishing them nothing but the best but pining for them to return to AA is probably not going to generate the results folks hope for, IMO.
@ Lank 1:00 p.m.
DeleteI'm guessing Beethoven would have been a terrible piano teacher.
I was never that high on Wheatley as a coach. The same goes for Roy Manning. Their players just never really impressed me as being super well coached.
Manning is not coaching right now. Hart isn't, either, but there were some indications he was going through something personal. I'm guessing his career isn't over and that he'll probably pop back up in 2025 or 2026 as a coach somewhere.
I would take Mike Hart back as a running backs coach. I think his players did well, and I think he held them to a high standard. I don't think Sherrone Moore liked Hart's (lack of) efforts on the recruiting trail, which I think was going to cause a problem if Hart stayed on staff. So if you take him on as a coach, you have to realize he is what he is.
Yeah. I mean Harbaugh stands as the ultimate example of a great coach and great fit with his school, but more often than not the alumni isn't the optimal solution for the school's coaching need. It can be a lot of square pegs in round holes when you let sentimentality drive hiring.
DeleteI think Manning and Hart will be back to coaching. I'm not trying to diss them, I'm just saying that fit at Michigan shouldn't weigh in their prominence as alumni into the equation very much. Ditto for Sheridan.
It's nice for fans to have familiar faces, but ultimately we're going to judge coaching staffs on wins and losses.
Thunder @2:21 ... Beethoven was likely a terrible piano teacher, though he no doubt did it. I was watching a documentary about Beethoven, and they were saying he was such a phenomenal pianist that many of his compositions -- famously difficult to play -- were written to "show off" ... "I can play this. Can you?" If that's true, then it's indicative of the kind of teacher he would have been.
DeleteIf that's the case, I would like to see Tyrone Wheatley at his age showing off his running back drills.
DeleteTime for ..... Who do we miss?
ReplyDeleteAndrel Anthony -- moot since he's not, but a healthy version would be a massive upgrade, IMO.
Keon Sabb -- yeah, sorta, but we got QJohnson playing well and Hillman rotating in, even with Walker out, we're good. Would have been nice to keep but not missed toooo badly. Phew!
Alan Bowman -- given the QB spot, I think he would be an upgrade due to his experience primarily. But he's not a difference-maker at the position and Michigan would probably still be fighting for a good season if he was around. Lack of protection and WR ability would hinder him in AA.
Cade McNamara -- see Alan Bowman, but way less production.
Zach Carpenter -- well this is not a guy I expected to list here! Miami seems to be thriving and though ZC is on his 3rd school now, it seems like he has found a home at last. Better than Giudice? Perhaps. Worse than Crippen? Perhaps.
Aaron Lewis -- would be a nice backup DE for us but...meh.
Giles Jackson -- finally looks like a WR and not just an athlete playing WR. Still dunno if he's better than say Semaj Morgan, even with 4 years advantage. Verdict...meh.
DJ Waller -- I think Hill probably surges past him anyway, and Hall seems pretty good for a CB3. Verdict -- not missed yet (though he'd be nice to slot in as a starter in 2025).
Hibner/Hansen -- probably better than a 235 pound sophomore playing with a club. Verdict -- missed!
Rooks -- would be a very nice DT4, better than Iwunnah. Verdict -- missed!
Nobody else is in the conversation in my eyes.
Definitely a take: Zach Carpenter, Alan Bowman/Cade McNamara, Keon Sabb, Andrel Anthony
DeleteGuidice and Crippen are both below average college players.
Bowman/McNamara: I think both would be upgrades over Orji/Warren
Sabb: Not really a position of need but still would still be in line for major playing time.
Andrel Anthony would be the best WR in the current Michigan squad.
I would not lose sleep over the rest. As for Rooks/Hansen/Hibner, they are barely playing for weaker teams. Hansen and Hibner barely recorded any stats in a game where their team won and dominated. Does not sound like they will be an upgrade over anyone on our team. Are they an upgrade over Marshall/Tonielli? I do not know but I doubt it.
@FT
DeleteReasonable takes and I agree. FWIW Hibner was wanted back by the Harbaugh staff, and he was playing over Klein last year even after he announced he wanted to red-shirt and transfer. Seems like they were wanting him to stick around and hoping he changed his mind. Klein has taken a big step forward so that's very good news. Probably Hibner is no higher than TE3 on this roster but TE3 is still a key part of the offense.
Hibner also put on weight in the offseason to get to over 250, so I do think he'd probably be an upgrade as an in-line blocker over Marshall (who is playing some, but with a cast) and Tonielli (who is behind Hogan?) at the very least. I think he'd steal some (but not most) of Klein's snaps as well. I think the trio of Loveland/Hibner/Klein would have been solid but right now it's 2 guys and what I see as duct tape.
The benefit of the situation is that Klein/Marshall/Hoffman/Hogan will be better off in 2025 with the lumps they take now. A bit like how the 2021 OL benefitted from being thrown into the fire in 2020.
Anon says above, "My thinking is that people who are really, really gifted at *doing* the sport, often fail to realize that others can't just naturally do it at the same level."
DeleteI think it's worse than you think. They don't even know how they did it in the first place. Tyrone Wheatley was such an incredible combination of strength, speed and vision that I seriously doubt if he ever had a thought on the football field beyond where he had to go to get the football. How can he possibly teach what he has never really known. I don't in the least, mean that as a pejorative. He was just simply able to go out there and do what the rest of us have to think, study, visualize, and/or dream about doing.
The only athletic activity that has ever come "naturally" to me is riding a horse. As a result of that, I give lessons to accomplished young riders who want to go on to learn about how to train up a young horse. Once or twice a month, one of my kids will ask how I do something to fix some problem the horse is having with a maneuver. And I won't know how I do it. I have to get the kid down off the horse, get on, do it, think hard about what I'm doing, why I'm doing it, when and exactly how to time doing it. Then and only then am I able to explain it.
I would think that guys like Wheatley, Ray Lewis, and Megatron for example suffer the exact same issue teaching football.
Yeah, yeah ... Wheatley isn't Ray Lewis or Megatron, but you get the idea.
And furthermore, on the best day I ever had riding a horse, I couldn't even see Ray Lewis' tail lights way off in the distance playing football.
I wrote that comment, and I agree those really gifted athletes don't really understand how they do what they do. I've known people in the technical space that were that way ... they were brilliant, and everything was so obvious they never thought about what they were doing. Asked to explain something, they'd usually just get frustrated.
DeleteI'm encouraged by Dusty May, because he never played, but he's gifted at understanding and explaining the game. I suspect Juwan Howard was one of those who struggled to explain what he himself just knew naturally.