90. WR Jacob Washington (Fr.): Washington (4-star, #28 WR, #200 overall) hails from Louisiana and is a 6'3", 180 lb. wideout. Michigan is in need of some bigger targets at receiver, and now they have some in the pipeline with Washington, fellow freshman Jamar Browder, and transfer Donaven McCulley. Washington has probably put on some weight in the meantime, but his route running and strength need some work, so I would expect him to redshirt this fall.
89. WR Jasper Parker (Fr.): Parker (4-star, #19 RB, #284 overall) is a 6'0", 189 lb. freshman who was a teammate of Washington in high school. He ran for 1,464 yards and 22 touchdowns as a senior in 2024. Parker has some elements to be a good back, as I like his patience and his ability to sink his hips and make some sharp cuts. I gave him a TTB Rating of 68 when he committed, but that's because of the running back depth chart and the nature of the transfer portal these days. I could easily see him outplaying that rating. Regardless, he's probably headed for a redshirt this season, but I could see him getting more playing time than fellow freshman back Donovan Johnson.
88. LB Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng (Fr.): Owusu-Boateng is a 6'1", 203 lb. linebacker who ranked as a 4-star, the #14 linebacker, and #145 overall. The Michigan coaches apparently love what he brings to the table, but he's still very light. Enrolling early might help him, but he's probably more of a special teams player than a linebacker for this season.
87. CB Jayden Sanders (Fr.): The lanky Texan cornerback was listed at 6'2", 172 lbs. as a recruit, but there are some reports that he's probably 6'3" after hitting a bit of a growth spurt. Sanders (4-star, #24 CB, #229 overall) could play a backup role on a unit that doesn't have much proven depth, but he's a likely redshirt candidate. Classmate Shamari Earls is more physically ready to contribute this season.
86. OG Luke Hamilton (RS Fr.): Hamilton is listed at 6'5", 315 lbs. in his second year of college after not playing at all in 2024. That's about 25 pounds heavier than he was listed as a recruit. There is room for some new contributions on the interior offensive line after a few interior guys left after the 2024 season, but Michigan also brought in players like Ferris State's Lawrence Hattar and Cal Poly's Brady Norton. It will probably be another year of backup duty for Hamilton. Last year's rank: #114.
Thanks for doing these countdowns! Even in abbreviated form they're enjoyable to read and they set the table nicely for the season. Very much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad they're appreciated. I'm sorry I can't take more time on them.
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