Michigan vs. Rutgers Awards

Jarrod Wilson (#22) broke up this dangerous pass
(image via College Football)

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Da'Mario Jones. Jones is reportedly one of the faster players on the team, and Michigan is lacking a deep threat. Devin Funchess is being bracketed, Amara Darboh doesn't have great speed, and Dennis Norfleet doesn't know how to catch a ball that's thrown at him. It doesn't necessarily have to be Jones - it could be Freddy Canteen or Maurice Ways - but Michigan needs to find someone else to stretch the field besides a hobbled Funchess.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . A.J. Williams. He is slow and does not have good hands. Devin Gardner threw a quick out to him on Saturday night, and the results were sad. The tight ends running those routes should be Jake Butt or Khalid Hill. We know Butt is good, but Hill is a guy who seems to be improving steadily.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Jarrod Wilson at free safety. I guess I don't see the rationale behind playing the more inexperienced Jeremy Clark back there in loads of open space, while the more experienced Wilson is covering the flats or stopping the run. Those roles should be flipped. Clark has size and speed, but he lacks field awareness. Meanwhile, Wilson's jarring hit on Leonte Carroo was the first of its kind for Michigan this season, and - surprise! - it came when Wilson was playing deep.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . tentative Joe Bolden and Frank Clark. On separate occasions, these guys seemed afraid to hit Rutgers quarterback Gary Nova. Bolden lacked his improving aggressive nature on a scramble up the middle, and Clark seemed to pull up on a pass rush that allowed Nova to side-step him and throw a touchdown to a diving John Tsimis. Were they tentative because of the week-long discussion about quarterback safety after the Shane Morris hit? Was it a coincidence? I don't know. Maybe Gary is just a super Nova. (Sad people make sad jokes.)

Play of the game . . . unlike last week, there are a couple choices. The highlight reel choice was obviously the one-handed snag by tight end Jake Butt. The more meaningful play was Devin Gardner's 19-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. On a bootleg, he juked the outside contain guy and outran the Rutgers defense to the pylon, all along gliding like only he and a few other quarterbacks can do. He really is fun to watch when he gets in open space. Not many 6'4", 216 lb. guys can move like he does.

MVP of the game . . . Gardner. He didn't have a great game, but nobody really stood out for Michigan. Gardner finished the game 13/22 for 178 yards, and 1 interception; he also ran the ball 10 times for 40 yards and 2 touchdowns. For the most part, he managed the game well, especially once he got comfortable in the second half. I also thought Joe Bolden played pretty well - he made 10 tackles, including 9 solo stops, several of which stopped Scarlet Knights in their tracks.

Michigan vs. Miami-OH Awards

Derrick Green

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Derrick Green. He saw plenty of action this past Saturday, but he looked pretty darn good. Green ended the game with 22 carries for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns. Granted, Michigan has played two patsies so far in the form of Appalachian State and Miami, but Green is on pace for 200 carries, 1,228 yards, and 12 touchdowns. That pace won't hold up, but he showed nifty feet and improved vision from the past couple weeks. He also got stronger as the game went on and started to run through some tackles. I was okay with the distribution of carries in this game, but it seems like Green is separating himself from De'Veon Smith. On a side note, Smith's body language suggested to me that he is none too happy about playing second fiddle to Green. I think that dynamic may be interesting to watch as their careers develop.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . Amara Darboh. I only say this because I want Devin Funchess back on the field. Darboh is a complementary receiver, and while he led Michigan in receptions and yardage, he just looks raw in several ways - route running, running after the catch, etc. He will improve over time, just like Jehu Chesson did last year, but Darboh's not ready to be a featured receiver.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Blake Countess at nickel corner. My current feeling on the cornerback situation is that Michigan needs guys on the outside who can play press coverage, like Jourdan Lewis, Jabrill Peppers, and perhaps Raymon Taylor. It's tougher to play press man on slot receivers because of their alignment and such, so perhaps Countess would be better off inside.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Delonte Hollowell. Hollowell didn't play a lot against Miami, but he played enough to get beaten for another touchdown on an out route. That's the second week in a row, and teams are probably going to continue to test him out there. He's best deployed as a special teamer, and he just doesn't have the quickness to be effective at corner, in my opinion.

Play of the game . . . Jake Butt's 29-yard touchdown catch. On a fake tunnel screen, Butt hit the corner and then turned upfield. Miami's secondary bit on the pump fake, and Gardner's pass was a wee bit too far. Butt was able to tip it to himself and jog into the endzone with no RedHawks in sight. That was the first time Michigan has shown the play so far, and they probably would have liked to have saved it for later in the year against a more formidable opponent, but Michigan was up just 17-10 at the time and it helped the Wolverines pull away.

MVP of the game . . . Derrick Green. There aren't many choices here on a team that was missing several key players - safety Jarrod Wilson, wide receiver Devin Funchess, and cornerback Raymon Taylor - and couldn't put away a MAC team on an 18-game losing streak. The Wolverines had some trouble getting open, protecting Gardner in the pocket, and getting Gardner on the edge, so Green's running was a big key in helping Michigan pull away in the second half.

Michigan 34, Miami-OH 10

Derrick Green (image via 247Sports.com)

That was too close. The final score said 34-10, but it was 10-10 in the second quarter, 17-10 at halftime, and Michigan didn't get separation until tight end Jake Butt caught a touchdown pass with 3:44 remaining in the third quarter. The offense was inconsistent once again. The Wolverines had 460 yards of total offense to Miami's 198, which should indicate a whooping. But Devin Gardner threw an interception through the hands of Jehu Chesson, Amara Darboh fumbled, and the kickoff return team botched a short kick, all in the second quarter. Maybe the Wolverines were still in shell-shock from last week's 31-0 loss, but Miami was on an 18-game losing streak and gave Michigan a scare. This game won't do much to alleviate the pressure on Brady Hoke.

We have running back answers? Derrick Green was the workhorse back on Saturday afternoon with 22 carries, 137 yards (6.2 yards/carry), and 2 touchdowns. Michigan had a stretch in the second half where they needed to run the ball and take some pressure off of quarterback Devin Gardner, which they did. Green was the guy they looked to, and he produced. The offensive line also did a decent job of opening up some holes, but Green seemed to find the creases that he missed last week. He showed some nifty feet and decent burst, and he started to run through some tacklers. He also had zero negative-yardage plays. Meanwhile, De'Veon Smith had 9 carries for 44 yards (4.9 yards/carry), and while he can still power through some tackles, his speed on a couple outside zone plays was once again lacking. Third down back Justice Hayes had 5 carries for 24 yards, and that's a fitting role for him.

Big plays are lacking without Devin Funchess. Devin Funchess missed the game due to the injury he suffered late in the Notre Dame contest, and it's unclear whether he'll be back next week or not. Michigan's receivers seemed to struggle getting separation from Miami's secondary at times, and I don't see anyone who can stretch the field or gain yards after the catch consistently. Jehu Chesson has some speed, Amara Darboh has the strength and decent size, and Dennis Norfleet has the ability to run after the catch, but nobody has all those qualities rolled into one. Darboh (6 catches, 88 yards, 1 touchdown) appears to be Gardner's go-to guy without Funchess available. The longest plays on the day were a 29-yard touchdown pass to Jake Butt and 27-yard runs by Green and backup quarterback Shane Morris.

I like Michigan's corners. Jabrill Peppers (3 tackles) played quite a bit on the outside, and while he looked raw in some aspects of coverage, he clearly has the speed, strength, and hips to be a very good corner. It's just a matter of time with him. Jourdan Lewis (1 interception) also looked like a good man coverage guy, which we already knew. They both seemed to get a little more playing time than Blake Countess, although I could be wrong about that. Once Raymon Taylor comes back, I think Michigan will be in good shape. Miami quarterback Andrew Hendrix was completing 48% of his passes but for 338 yards/game coming into this one, and he finished 12/26 for 165 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 pick.

Where's the pass rush? Michigan is getting some pressure on quarterbacks, but they're not getting home. Brennen Beyer got Michigan's lone sack on Saturday, basically by outworking Miami right tackle Collin Buchanan - who had 3 false starts on the day, if I remember correctly. Michigan didn't roll out the exotic blitzes they showed against Notre Dame, but they didn't sit back and rush four defensive linemen all day, either. The Wolverines just aren't beating guys off the line like you think they would once in a while. The pass rush improved as the 2013 season wore on, so hopefully that becomes the case once again. The Wolverines have just 4 sacks in three games this year.

The run defense still looks good. Miami isn't a good running team, but Michigan did well against Notre Dame on the ground and held Miami to 33 yards on 24 carries (1.4 yards/carry). The defensive linemen aren't getting a ton of penetration, but they're not losing ground, and the linebackers are doing a good job of cleaning up behind them. Joe Bolden even made a nice pass breakup on a post route, which is probably the first time I can say that during his career. The linebackers are pretty solid all-around.

WHY, JEHU CHESSON II, WHY?!?!?! When he got his hands on the Shane Morris pass in the endzone that would have made it 37-10 (before the extra point), I really thought my score prediction of 38-10 was going to come true. Chesson must read my blog - and he must not be a fan - because he made the Wolverines settle for a field goal that made it 34-10.

2014 Season Countdown: #11 Jake Butt

Jake Butt

Name: Jake Butt
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 249 lbs.
High school: Pickerington (OH) North
Position: Tight end
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #88
Last year: I ranked Butt #40 and said he would be the backup tight end with 3 catches for 35 yards. He made 20 catches for 235 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Butt was a pleasant surprise in 2013. He enrolled early in January, but he looked physically unready during spring ball. When fall came around, he had added some weight and strength. Meanwhile, Michigan's tight end duo of A.J. Williams and Devin Funchess struggled mightily to block anyone. Butt stepped in to start eight games, and Funchess stepped out . . . to wide receiver. Now that change has seemingly been made permanently, and Butt looked the part of a future star while catching 5 passes for 85 yards and a touchdown against Ohio State.

Frustratingly, that leads us to his torn ACL suffered in the spring. Michigan appeared to have its receiving group sorted out pretty well up to that point, and Butt's injury severely weakened the group. The Wolverines are back to A.J. Williams as an option to start, and they have also moved Keith Heitzman from defensive end to tight end in order to shore up the blocking. Williams - who has 1 career catch - has reportedly improved his receiving skills this offseason, but he's unlikely to match Butt's abilities or production. Head coach Brady Hoke has been saying during the offseason that Butt should return by the Big Ten season, so hopefully they can make do for the first few weeks of the year. Even when he returns, Butt will probably not be back to where he was last year, but he offers the blocking, receiving, and running combination that no other tight end on the roster currently possesses.

Prediction: Starting tight end once he returns from injury; 20 catches, 200 yards, 3 touchdowns

Jake Butt out indefinitely with a torn ACL

Jake Butt had a huge touchdown catch in the 2013 game against Ohio State

Sophomore tight end Jake Butt will miss an indefinite amount of time after suffering a torn ACL during offseason conditioning. Butt had 17 catches for 202 yards and 2 touchdowns in his inaugural season.

Butt will certainly miss spring practice, and it's unclear how much of his 2014 season will be lost. Projected to be the starting tight end for the upcoming season, the job will now be left to junior A.J. Williams, fifth year senior Jordan Paskorz, redshirt freshman Khalid Hill, and freshman Ian Bunting. It may also affect hybrid receiver Devin Funchess, who was expected to stick at wideout this year but may be pressed into more duty as a tight end.

The Wolverines have suffered several ACL injuries in the last 12 months, including linebacker Jake Ryan, offensive guard Joey Burzynski, quarterback Russell Bellomy, and running back Drake Johnson. All four of those players were either #1 or #2 on the depth chart at their respective positions last season.

An Average Season Under Doug Nussmeier

Devin Gardner has gone from catching touchdown passes against Alabama to likely throwing them
for Alabama's offensive coordinator.

Every team is different, but I wanted to take a stab at what kind of production we can expect from new offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier while he's here in Ann Arbor. I looked at his last five years, which he spent with Washington (2009-2011) and then Alabama (2012-2013). I then averaged those seasons together to come up with a rough estimate of what types of numbers the Wolverines will put up. The player listed with the projection is my early guess at the depth chart for this upcoming fall.

Quarterback (Jake Locker, Keith Price, AJ McCarron):
230/395, 2800 yards, 21 touchdowns, 11 interceptions
184/332, 2265 yards, 17 touchdowns, 9 interceptions
242/362, 3063 yards, 33 touchdowns, 11 interceptions
211/314, 2933 yards, 30 touchdowns, 3 interceptions
226/336, 3063 yards, 28 touchdowns, 7 interceptions
--------------------------------------------------------
2014 Devin Gardner projection: 219/348, 62.9%, 2825 yards, 26 touchdowns, 8 interceptions
2013 Devin Gardner stats: 208/345, 60.3%, 2960 yards, 21 touchdowns, 11 interceptions

Running Back #1 (Chris Polk, Eddie Lacy, T.J. Yeldon):
226 carries, 1113 yards, 5 touchdowns
260 carries, 1415 yards, 9 touchdowns
293 carries, 1488 yards, 12 touchdowns
204 carries, 1322 yards, 17 touchdowns
207 carries, 1235 yards, 14 touchdowns
--------------------------------------------------------
2014 Derrick Green projection: 238 carries, 1315 yards, 11 touchdowns
2013 Fitzgerald Toussaint stats: 185 carries, 648 yards, 13 touchdowns

Running Back #2 (Demitrius Bronson, Jesse Callier, T.J. Yeldon, Kenyan Drake):
19 carries, 89 yards, 0 touchdowns
77 carries, 433 yards, 0 touchdowns
47 carries, 260 yards, 1 touchdown
175 carries, 1108 yards, 12 touchdowns
92 carries, 694 yards, 8 touchdowns
--------------------------------------------------------
2014 De'Veon Smith projection: 82 carries, 517 yards, 4 touchdowns
2013 Derrick Green stats: 83 carries, 270 yards, 2 touchdowns

Wide Receiver #1 (Jermaine Kearse, Amari Cooper):
50 catches, 866 yards, 8 touchdowns
63 catches, 1005 yards, 12 touchdowns
47 catches, 699 yards, 7 touchdowns
58 catches, 999 yards, 11 touchdowns
45 catches, 736 yards, 4 touchdowns
--------------------------------------------------------
2014 Devin Funchess projection: 53 catches, 861 yards, 8 touchdowns
2013 Jeremy Gallon stats: 89 catches, 1373 yards, 9 touchdowns

Wide Receiver #2 (Devin Aguilar, D'Andre Goodwin, Kevin Norwood):
42 catches, 593 yards, 5 touchdowns
44 catches, 530 yards, 4 touchdowns
41 catches, 611 yards, 6 touchdowns
29 catches, 469 yards, 4 touchdowns
38 catches, 568 yards, 7 touchdowns
--------------------------------------------------------
2014 Jehu Chesson projection: 39 catches, 554 yards, 5 touchdowns
2013 Devin Funchess stats: 49 catches, 748 yards, 6 touchdowns

Wide Receiver #3 (James Johnson, Devin Aguilar, Kasen Williams, Kenny Bell, DeAndrew White):
39 catches, 422 yards, 3 touchdowns
28 catches, 352 yards, 2 touchdowns
36 catches, 427 yards, 6 touchdowns
17 catches, 431 yards, 3 touchdowns
32 catches, 534 yards, 4 touchdowns
----------------------------------------------------------
2014 Amara Darboh projection: 30 catches, 433 yards, 4 touchdowns
2013 Jehu Chesson stats: 15 catches, 221 yards, 1 touchdown

Tight End #1 (Kavario Middleton, Marlion Barnett, Austin Sefarian-Jenkins, Michael Williams, O.J. Howard):
26 catches, 257 yards, 3 touchdowns
4 catches, 31 yards, 0 touchdowns
41 catches, 538 yards, 6 touchdowns
24 catches, 183 yards, 4 touchdowns
14 catches, 269 yards, 2 touchdowns
----------------------------------------------------------
2014 Jake Butt projection: 22 catches, 256 yards, 3 touchdowns
2013 Jake Butt stats: 17 catches, 235 yards, 2 touchdowns

Tight End #2 (Chris Izbicki, Michael Hartvigson, Kelly Johnson, Brian Vogler):
3 catches, 7 yards, 1 touchdown
2 catches, 16 yards, 1 touchdown
8 catches, 30 yards, 1 touchdown
5 catches, 39 yards, 0 touchdowns
8 catches, 71 yards, 1 touchdown
-----------------------------------------------------------
2014 A.J. Williams projection: 5 catches, 33 yards, 1 touchdown
2013 A.J. Williams stats: 1 catch, 2 yards, 1 touchdown

Review of 2013 Season Predictions

Jeremy Gallon set several records this season.

Here's a link to my 2013 Season Predictions, which were posted at the end of August. This might be more fun for me than for you, but it's interesting to me to see how things played out this year.

LEADING RUSHER
Prediction: Fitzgerald Toussaint, 900 yards
Actual: Fitzgerald Toussaint, 658 yards
Thoughts: The offensive line was worse than anyone expected it to be, and Toussaint struggled to average 3.5 yards/carry. The next highest total was Devin Gardner's 483 yards.

LEADING RECEIVER
Prediction: Jeremy Gallon, 1100 yards
Actual: Jeremy Gallon, 1373 yards
Thoughts: Gallon had an outstanding season and goes down in the record books with the top yardage output by any receiver in Michigan history, surpassing Braylon Edwards's 1,330 yards in 2004. I expected him to have a very good season due to the Gardner-Gallon chemistry, but this was more explosive than anyone probably envisioned.

LEADING TACKLER
Prediction: James Ross III, 90 tackles
Actual: Raymon Taylor, 86 tackles
Thoughts: It's bad news when a cornerback leads the team in tackles, especially when that tackle total is so high. Opposing quarterbacks completed a lot of passes in front Taylor. Ross missed the second half of the Iowa game and the entire Ohio State game, so I'm pretty confident that he would have led the team in tackles if he had remained healthy.

LEADING SACKER
Prediction: Frank Clark, 8 sacks
Actual: Frank Clark and Cameron Gordon, 5 sacks (tie)
Thoughts: Clark started off slowly before turning on the jets a little bit in the middle of the season, but his season was somewhat of a disappointment considering all the offseason hype. Gordon started off quickly but lost some playing time once Jake Ryan returned midseason.

ALL-BIG TEN FIRST TEAM
Prediction: Taylor Lewan and Jeremy Gallon
Actual: Taylor Lewan was chosen by the Coaches and the Media. Devin Funchess and Blake Countess were chosen by the Media only.
Thoughts: Lewan was an obvious choice, and Gallon was robbed after conference finishes of #2 in receptions, #2 in yards, and #3 in touchdowns. Funchess earned his accolades as a tight end despite playing mostly at wide receiver, and Countess might be the Comeback Player of the Year in the conference after tearing his ACL in 2012. Nobody else on the team really had an argument to earn First Team honors.

LEADING SCORER (NON-QB, NON-KICKER)
Prediction: Fitzgerald Toussaint, 12 touchdowns
Actual: Fitzgerald Toussaint, 13 touchdowns
Thoughts: Toussaint ended up scoring 78 points on 13 rushing touchdowns, while I thought he would score 10 rushing and 2 receiving touchdowns, leaving him with 72 points. Gallon was next with 54 total points.

BREAKOUT OFFENSIVE PLAYER
Prediction: Jehu Chesson
Actual: Jake Butt
Thoughts: Chesson had an okay year with several devastating blocks, some nice plays on special teams coverage, and 15 catches for 221 yards and 1 touchdown. But I think Butt deserves this award as he improved as a blocker and became a reliable receiving target with 20 catches for 235 yards and 2 touchdowns.

BREAKOUT DEFENSIVE PLAYER
Prediction: James Ross
Actual: I don't even know who to pick here. Perhaps the answer here is Blake Countess, but I don't believe I even thought of him as being in the running since he was a starter as a true freshman in 2011. You could probably make an argument for Ross, Cam Gordon, or Frank Clark, who are the three guys I mentioned considering back in August.
Thoughts: Ross nearly led the team in tackles and might have surpassed 100 if he had been healthy. Gordon and Clark tied for the team lead in sacks. I don't really see any other legitimate options here, although we saw glimpses of what Chris Wormley, Willie Henry, Ben Gedeon, and Jarrod Wilson can do.

MOST DISAPPOINTING OFFENSIVE PLAYER
Prediction: Jack Miller
Actual: Jack Miller?
Thoughts: Again, I'm not sure whom to pick here. Miller started the first several games at center before being benched, never to see the field again. There was lots of disappointment to go around due to the underachieving offense (Devin Gardner, Fitzgerald Toussaint, Taylor Lewan, Kyle Kalis, even Devin Funchess). I guess Miller wins because he was really the only starter to get permanently benched, but I'm open to arguments.

MOST DISAPPOINTING DEFENSIVE PLAYER
Prediction: Jarrod Wilson
Actual: Courtney Avery
Thoughts: This is another tough choice, but Wilson made some nice plays early in the season. Avery proved to be kind of a lost cause at cornerback and safety, where he didn't really make one significant play all season except half of a sack against Michigan State. Otherwise, he was invisible except when guys were running past him. He went from a good nickel corner in 2011 to an okay one in 2012 to a liability at two different positions in 2013.

FINAL RECORD
Central Michigan: Win
Notre Dame: Win
Akron: Win
UConn: Win
Minnesota: Win
Penn State: Win Loss
Indiana: Win
Michigan State: Win Loss
Nebraska: Loss
Northwestern: Win
Iowa: Win Loss
Ohio State: Loss
-----------------------------
Prediction: 10-2
Actual: 7-5 (7-6 after bowl game) 

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Preview: Receivers and Tight Ends

Tyler Lockett is the key to Kansas State's passing game.

MICHIGAN
Starters: The diminutive fifth year senior Jeremy Gallon (5'8", 184 lbs.) is the go-to guy, and he had an all-conference season with 80 catches, 1284 yards, and 9 touchdowns. He can be effective on just about any route - screens, hitches, square ins, fades, double moves, jump balls, etc. Aside from his lack of height (which he makes up for with his leaping ability and the timing of those leaps), he doesn't have truly blazing speed, so he sometimes pulls away before getting tracked down in a foot race. The other starting wide receiver is sophomore Devin Funchess (6'5", 235 lbs.), who made all-conference listed as a tight end but rarely plays it anymore; he has 47 catches for 727 yards and 6 scores. Funchess is Michigan's bubble screen guy, leaps over tacklers sometimes, runs an occasional end around, and can beat teams deep. The de facto starting tight end is freshman Jake Butt (6'6", 246 lbs.), who has come on late in the season to catch 17 balls for 203 yards and 2 touchdowns. Butt can do a little bit of everything between blocking, catching, and running.
Backups: Redshirt freshman Jehu Chesson (6'3", 196 lbs.) started a little bit early in the year before Funchess's blocking became too big of a problem at tight end, and while Chesson's playing time has dropped a little bit, he's actually improved his route running and ability to adjust to the ball in the air. He has 13 catches for 213 yards and 1 touchdown. Senior Drew Dileo (5'10", 180 lbs.) is the only other significant receiving threat, but he's a possession guy who usually works over the middle. Occasionally, senior Jeremy Jackson (6'3", 209 lbs.) or redshirt senior Joe Reynolds (6'1", 196 lbs.) will pop up for a catch, but they've totaled just 10 catches for 140 yards and 0 scores this year. Sophomore A.J. Williams (6'6", 265 lbs.) and redshirt junior Jordan Paskorz (6'3", 255 lbs.) are the "blocking" tight ends that struggle to block, and while they'll be on the field a fair amount, they have just 1 total catch.

KANSAS STATE
Starters: The clear leader of the receiving corps is junior Tyler Lockett (5'11", 175 lbs.), who has 71 catches for 1,146 yards and 8 touchdowns on the season. Lockett has made a lot of big catches for the Wildcats and can be a real threat to the secondary on deep routes. Fifth year senior Tramaine Thompson (5'8", 167 lbs.) is also a big-play guy from the slot with 28 catches for 495 yards (17.7 yards/catch) and 5 touchdowns. Junior Curry Sexton (5'11", 183 lbs.) is the other receiver in K-State's three-wide attack, and he's been more of a possession guy with 36 catches for 409 yards. Redshirt junior tight end Zach Trujillo is rarely targeted, but he has 5 catches for 111 yards and 1 touchdown.
Backups: Senior Torell Miller (6'3", 213 lbs.) is a former safety who was expected to start this year in place of Sexton, but he's been relegated to backup duty and 11 catches, 106 yards, and 1 touchdown. Redshirt sophomore Kyle Klein (6'4", 210 lbs.) is a former defensive end who has 5 catches for 59 yards on the season. Fifth year senior Andre McDonald (6'8", 278 lbs.) is a mammoth blocking tight end who has just 2 catches for 19 yards this season. It's a very thin group of receivers.

THE TAKEAWAY
Michigan has two guys who can be consistent deep threats, and another who has the speed to do so. Gallon has been outstanding this year and was one of the top couple receivers in the conference, while Funchess is simply a matchup nightmare. The other guys aren't very scary, but Chesson, Dileo, and Butt can all be good secondary targets and move the chains. Meanwhile, Kansas State has a guy who can blow up in the form of Lockett, plus a somewhat dangerous slot guy in Thompson. In a couple closely contested shootouts against Big 12 opponents, Lockett has gone over 230 yards (237 against Texas, 278 against Oklahoma), and he's the guy that quarterbacks Jake Waters and Daniel Sams will look to if things get rough. If the Wildcats can move the ball consistently on the ground, they'll settle for trying to win the game without putting the ball in the air too much. Tight ends have hurt Michigan in a few games this year (Minnesota's Maxx Williams, Iowa's C.J. Fiedorowicz, Ohio State's Jeff Heuerman), but that shouldn't be a persistent problem in this game. It's a tall task to stop Lockett, but he's the key to their passing game.

ADVANTAGE: Michigan

2013 ESPN.com Big Ten All-Freshman team

Jake Butt

Brian Bennett and Adam Rittenberg put together their Big Ten All-Freshman Team. There are a few notable guys for Michigan fans:

Jake Butt - TE - Michigan*
Dan Voltz - C - Wisconsin*
Kyle Kalis - OG - Michigan*
Joey Bosa - DE - Ohio State*
Willie Henry - DT - Michigan*
Desmond King - CB - Iowa#

*Offered by Michigan
#Attended Detroit (MI) Crockett

Ohio State 42, Michigan 41

Freshman tight end Jake Butt caught this touchdown pass to tie the game at 35 (image via MLive)

And that's why this is such a great rivalry. When Michigan was 8-3 last year going up against an 11-0 Ohio State, it took some late field goals for the Buckeyes to win 26-21. When Michigan was 7-4 this year going up against an 11-0 Ohio State, it took a botched two-point conversion for the Buckeyes to escape with a 42-41 victory. Michigan has a very talented, capable football team. When they execute and play up to their capabilities, they can hang in there with just about anyone.

Devin Gardner played his behind off. Gardner must have had the adrenaline flowing early in the game, because he looked like a different player out there. The guy has looked bruised and battered for the past several weeks, but this week didn't show it until late in the game when he tweaked his ankle. He finished the game 32/45 for 451 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions; he also ran 9 times for 10 yards and 1 touchdown. That's arguably his best career performance, even though it came in a loss. His numbers were a little better in this year's Notre Dame game, but that game also featured an ugly interception thrown in his own endzone. If he can stay healthy, this is the type of player Gardner should be every week.

The two-point conversion, Part I. I was critical of Brady Hoke's decision to go for it on 4th-and-2 against Northwestern, so I'm not being a Hoke slappie when I say that I think going for two was the best decision at the end of the game. Michigan was the underdog. While they were playing better than they have in weeks, the defense wasn't up to par (no James Ross or Jarrod Wilson, Carlos Hyde and Braxton Miller ran for a ton of yards, etc.) and Gardner was gimpy. If you extend the game there, you run the risk of having to slug it out for the extent of overtime with your most dynamic performer hobbled or potentially knocked out of the game. Hoke is a fairly aggressive coach when it comes to decision-making, and while it didn't work this time, I think he usually makes the right call.

The two-point conversion, Part II. What I didn't like was the play call. Maybe Ohio State was expecting it, but I was fully ready for Michigan to roll Gardner out to the right, where Drew Dileo had motioned into a trips look. And while that seems like an obvious call, it puts [an admittedly hobbled] Gardner on the edge, where he can make a play with his feet - or it puts him in an easier throwing situation with a rub route, a shovel pass, etc. On a critical play like that, I like to put my players in a situation that makes them  comfortable, regardless of what the other team might do. Yes, Ohio State may have been expecting a rollout, but that doesn't mean they could have stopped it.

The brawl. I would love to sit here and say that the Buckeyes started it and they're clearly the enemy, but that was instigated by a crew of Michigan players who were intentionally crowding freshman returner Dontre Wilson after the play. Wilson needs to be smarter and not let stuff like that get to him, but the Michigan guys lit the match. I was glad that more players weren't ejected, but there probably could have been a couple more if the referees wanted to really take control. As it turned out, things worked in Michigan's favor, since all they lost was special teamer Royce Jenkins-Stone; the Buckeyes lost an integral part of their offense and special teams in Wilson and a starting offensive guard, Marcus Hall, who proceeded to give two middle fingers to Michigan's crowd as he went to the tunnel, all the while stomping and throwing things in a childish temper tantrum. Hopefully that will result in a suspension for Hall.

Michigan was in a bad place defensively. I have made no secret of not being a fan of Josh Furman's abilities at safety, and he was the culprit on a couple big plays, including a 53-yard touchdown pass to Devin Smith. Starting safety Jarrod Wilson was supposedly in a cast on the sideline, so I guess he wasn't an option, but Furman just isn't up to snuff as a safety. Despite very good speed, he doesn't recognize routes or read plays very well. It looks like he'll be in line to start next to Wilson next year, since both Courtney Avery and Thomas Gordon graduate, so hopefully his extended experience this season helps him improve. Meanwhile, the Wolverines were missing leading tackler James Ross after he got injured against Iowa last week. As far as I know, Ohio State was at full strength on defense, but the Wolverines' loss of two key players defensively - and the absence of placekicker Brendan Gibbons, who might have nailed a field goal instead of forcing Hoke to go for it on an ill-fated fourth down - could have made a difference.

Devin Gardner's fumble wasn't a fumble. His knees were down when the ball came out. Replay should have overturned the fumble. At the very least, the call should have "stood" but the referee said replay "confirmed" the fumble. Of course, that last sentence is pretty inconsequential.

The running backs are good? Freshman De'Veon Smith led the team with 7 carries for 57 yards, including a 38-yarder. His lack of breakaway speed was apparent, so hopefully people will stop saying that he's fast just because he ran away from a bunch of tiny kids at Warren Howland; but he did break a solid tackle attempt on that 38-yarder, so that's something. Senior Fitzgerald Toussaint had 5 carries for 33 yards and 1 touchdown, along wtih 4 receptions for 48 yards. Freshman Derrick Green had 12 carries for 47 yards. Overall, those guys combined for 24 carries, 137 yards, and 1 touchdown, which is a pretty solid day.

The offensive line is good? Hahahaha, just kidding, guys. No, the offensive line isn't good, but it has improved over the past few weeks. Michigan State and Nebraska were the nadir of the line, and now it has progressed to a mediocre level. I've said for a couple years that I think 2014 is where the offensive line starts to get it together, despite the losses of Taylor Lewan and Michael Schofield, the latter of whom has never particularly impressed me. However, those running backs mentioned above were tackled for a grand total of zero  losses, a clear improvement from weeks past. The line still allowed 6 tackles for loss thanks to 3 sacks of Gardner, a couple Gardner runs, and a Devin Funchess run.

Al Borges and Darrell Funk are saved? Boy, oh boy. If you're an Al Borges hater, this performance might have been the worst thing for you. If Michigan came out and laid an egg offensively, I think Borges would have definitely been out the door after the season. He still might, but this makes it a tougher call. The same goes for Funk, the offensive line coach. Of course, Hoke and athletic director David Brandon are paid to look at things objectively, not just in the aftermath of one of Michigan's best offensive performances this year. The overall product on the field has been subpar for the majority of the year. I like that Borges eventually capitulated to running bubble screens, the bubble screen draw, and various other screens, but it took too long for Michigan to get away from running power and iso this year. The Wolverines had a heyday with screens to Funchess, Gallon, Toussaint, and Butt in this game, and for good reason.

This was a great game. Even without Michigan's final touchdown, this was a great game. Michigan could have pulled off a whopper of an upset, and even though they lost a heartbreaker, they should be proud of the game the played. Stepping back from the "Michigan should be winning these games more often" mindset that a lot of entitled fans have, this particular team was overmatched in every single phase of the game. Ohio State's closest win this season was a 7-point victory against Wisconsin, and their Big Ten wins this year have averaged a score of 47-20. When I did my game preview, I felt that Ohio State was better at running the ball, throwing the ball, stopping the run, and stopping the pass . . . and the statistics backed that up. On top of those categories, the Buckeyes had momentum and a championship-winning head coach on their side. All those advantages added up to a one-point victory. Regardless of what teams 1 through 133 accomplished, team 134 should be proud of its effort and execution yesterday.

Michigan vs. Northwestern Awards

Jake Butt's one-handed overtime touchdown (image via MGoBlog)

Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . Derrick Green. I thought Green (19 carries, 79 yards) looked pretty solid in his first career start. He will never be the fastest back around, nor will he make many people miss. But what he's always done well is hit the hole hard. On Saturday night, he appeared to be less worried about finding the hole and less preoccupied with holding onto the football, and as long as he can do those things successfully without overthinking, he should be a good alternative to Fitzgerald Toussaint down the stretch. Those two should be splitting carries next week if Toussaint is healthy.

Let's see less of this guy on offense . . . nobody. I was happy with the wide receiver rotation, the tight end rotation, and the running backs. Even Graham Glasgow had an error-free day snapping the ball.

Let's see more of this guy on defense . . . Jehu Chesson. Okay, okay, I'm not suggesting that he move to defense . . . but I have been very impressed with his physicality through ten games. Whether he's blocking or on special teams coverage, the guy hits people and is a solid tackler. Brady Hoke mentioned at the beginning of the year that Chesson almost moved to cornerback at one point last year, and I would not mind having his clone in the defensive backfield.

Let's see less of this guy on defense . . . Keith Heitzman. I was in support of Heitzman early in the year, but the more I've seen of all these guys, the rotation right now seems to be pretty good. With Jake Ryan back at SAM linebacker and Cam Gordon a very athletic backup there, Beyer looks to be a more natural fit at defensive end with Chris Wormley playing rotation snaps. Even when Heitzman's broken hand is fully healed, I think he's a third-stringer - but if he's your third string defensive end, you're in pretty good shape.

Play of the game . . . Brendan Gibbons's game-tying 44-yard field goal to send the game to overtime. You know the story already, but here it is again: Jeremy Gallon was tackled with about 11 seconds remaining after a 16-yard reception. He promptly got up, got the ball to the official to place on the right hashmark, and the field goal unit ran onto the field. While the blockers got set, wide receiver Drew Dileo came sprinting in from the opposite side of the field after running his own route, tapped the ground, and took the snap from Jareth Glanda with barely 1 second left on the clock. Gibbons hurried through his steps to knock the ball through the uprights. Honorable mention goes to Jake Butt's one-handed touchdown grab from Devin Gardner in the first overtime.

MVP of the game . . . James Ross III. I came really close to picking Gardner (24/43, 226 yards, 1 touchdown; 17 carries for 19 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 two-point conversion), but Gardner had an off day throwing the ball. He was undoubtedly a tough competitor after getting beaten up the previous two weeks and working through five sacks in this game alone, but Ross was a big reason Michigan was able to hold down Northwestern's potent, multi-pronged rushing attack. Ross ended the game with 13 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 sack; his tackles were the most by a Wolverine in any game this season, and he now leads the team with 75 tackles

Class of 2013 Redshirts

Derrick Green (#27) carries the ball against Central Michigan

Here's an updated list of the freshmen who have played thus far in 2013 and the freshmen who are on pace to redshirt. Offensive guard Kyle Bosch, who is expected to start at left guard against Michigan State, is the most recent addition to the first list.

FRESHMEN WHO HAVE PLAYED
OG Kyle Bosch
TE Jake Butt
DE Taco Charlton
LB Ben Gedeon
RB Derrick Green
S Delano Hill
WR Da'Mario Jones
CB Jourdan Lewis
QB Shane Morris
RB De'Veon Smith
CB Channing Stribling
S Dymonte Thomas
WR Csont'e York

FRESHMEN WHO ARE REDSHIRTING (SO FAR)
OG David Dawson
FS Reon Dawson
CB Ross Douglas
WR Jaron Dukes
OT Chris Fox
TE Khalid Hill
DT Maurice Hurst, Jr.
C Patrick Kugler
LB Mike McCray
DT Henry Poggi
OG Dan Samuelson
FB Wyatt Shallman
LS Scott Sypniewski
OT Logan Tuley-Tillman

2013 Midseason Awards

Devin Gardner

Offensive Player of the Midseason: Devin Gardner, QB. Gardner has had lots of ups and downs, but he has kept Michigan in some games - especially with his feet - when things looked like they were going south. So far this season, he's 107/175 passing for 1,779 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He is also second on the team in rushing with 520 yards on 95 carries (5.5 yards/carry) and 9 touchdowns.

Defensive Player of the Midseason: Blake Countess, CB. Receivers have beaten Countess a couple times over the top, but unfortunately for them, the quarterback hasn't been able to hit them. Regardless, Countess is bouncing between cornerback and slot corner fairly well, coming in fifth in total tackles (27) with 2 tackles for loss, 4 interceptions, and 3 more pass breakups; one of those picks was returned 72 yards for a touchdown against Minnesota.

MVP of the Midseason: Taylor Lewan, OT. Aside from being an outstanding pass blocker, Lewan has been a stellar run blocker as well. Of course, it doesn't show in the rushing statistics. But Michigan tries to run off left tackle or flip Lewan to the right side if they want to go right. The guy is tough and works hard, and I think his mentality helps the team almost as much as his physical skills.

Rookie of the Midseason: Jake Butt, TE.No freshmen are making a huge impact at this point, but tight end Jake Butt is quietly having a solid debut season with 7 receptions for 67 yards and some solid blocking. He has shown some nice body control in catching some low passes, but he probably has a couple jump ball-type passes he would like to have another chance to catch.

Coach of the Midseason: Mark Smith, linebackers coach. The linebackers might be the strongest unit on the team. Weakside linebacker James Ross leads the team with 50 tackles and has 2.5 tackles for loss, 2 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery. Middle linebacker Desmond Morgan is second on the team with 47 tackles, adding 3.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, and 2 pass breakups. Morgan turned in a spectacular one-handed interception and 29-yard return against UConn. Meanwhile, converted defensive end Brennen Beyer (18 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks) has been splitting time with Cam Gordon (15 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks) at SAM linebacker while Jake Ryan (5 tackles, 1 tackle for loss) has been returning from his ACL tear. The SAM trio has combined for 31 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks, which are some pretty good numbers for the position.

Disappointing Player of the Midseason: Devin Gardner, QB. The hype for Gardner was off the charts in the off-season, with coaches, analysts, and players talking about how good he was going to be. At times Gardner has looked excellent (against Notre Dame, second half against Penn State, flashes in every game), but overall, the numbers and ball security have been unimpressive. With 10 interceptions and numerous fumbles after just six games, he's been extremely frustrating to watch if you're a Michigan fan.

Disappointing Coach of the Midseason: Al Borges, offensive coordinator. Borges, who doubles as the quarterbacks coach, has lacked creativity in his play calling recently. The Penn State game was extremely vanilla except for some odd unbalanced formations that included using poor blocking tight end A.J. Williams as a left tackle and generally running to the strength in some very obvious formations and situations. Borges has struggled to make his quarterback comfortable, and that has resulted in turnover after turnover. Overall, the team is averaging just 4.2 yards/carry, even though the most consistent rusher (Gardner) averages 5.5 yards/pop. Michigan's scoring average is good enough for #11 in the country, but the sky would be the limit if they had a consistent running threat aside from Gardner.

Game of the Midseason: Penn State. Michigan is yet to have a completely dominating performance where both the offense and the defense clicked. I refuse to choose the 59-9 win against Central Michigan, since both the starting running back and starting quarterback for the Chippewas were injured early in the game. The Penn State game was exciting for lots of wrong reasons (overtimes, missed field goals, blocked field goals, interceptions, big plays, etc.), but it was nonetheless exciting. Michigan lost 43-40 in four overtimes, unfortunately.

Play of the Midseason: Desmond Morgan's interception against UConn. Quite possibly the most exciting play of the year was Desmond Morgan's one-handed pick against the Connecticut Huskies. He got depth to get underneath a post route, leaped up, and pulled the ball down with his right hand. A 29-yard return ensued in which he showed some nice vision, if not some decent speed for a MIKE linebacker.

Penn State 43, Michigan 40 in four overtimes

(image via Penn Live)

Michigan deserved to lose. You win when you deserve to win, and Michigan didn't deserve to win. From the offensive play calling to the offensive line's incompetence to the quarterback's decision making to the defense's inability to get pressure and cover short passes to the special teams' inconsistency, Michigan didn't deserve a victory. Penn State didn't play their best football, either, but they looked less incompetent.

The coaches have lost confidence in Devin Gardner as a passer. There was a time when Brady Hoke and Al Borges would have let quarterback Devin Gardner air it out in a game like this, but instead, they chose to curl up into the fetal position - almost literally - and try to luck their way into a victory. Despite averaging just 2.8 yards/carry on fifty-four  rushing attempts, Michigan turned overtime into mostly an unproductive rushing effort. Michigan ran for 1, 1, 0, 3, -3, 8, 0, 0, and 7 yards in overtime, with that last 7-yarder coming on a Gardner scramble. The biggest offense came in the first overtime, when the play call/execution resulted in Gardner running from the 23-yard line on the left hash to the 23-yard line on the right hash on 3rd-and-8, presumably in an effort to "center" the ball for kicker Brendan Gibbons. Gibbons's subsequent 40-yard field goal was blocked by defensive tackle Kyle Baublitz.

The offensive line is/was a mess. All-American left tackle Taylor Lewan left the game in the second quarter with what looked like an injury to his left side, perhaps a hip or a rib. He was replaced by right tackle Michael Schofield. Left guard Chris Bryant was presumably replaced for poor performance after some poor blocking; in came walk-on guard Joey Burzynski. Redshirt sophomore Graham Glasgow was playing left guard two weeks ago and has had several mental mistakes in his two games at center. Right guard Kyle Kalis took a senseless 15-yard penalty and was replaced for a short time by Burzynski before returning. The right tackle for the second half was redshirt freshman Erik Magnuson. Another walk-on, Erik Gunderson, also saw significant playing time in certain packages. Overall, by the end of the game, the only guy in the same spot as two weeks ago was Kalis. Meanwhile, running backs Fitzgerald Toussaint and Derrick Green were swarmed in the backfield the entire game, totaling 30 carries for 28 yards.

Offensively, the lone bright spot was Devin Funchess. Tight end Devin Funchess had his second consecutive 100-yard game with 4 catches for 112 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also had a couple key drops, but a tight end with 263 yards and 3 touchdowns in two games is pretty impressive.

Damn freshmen. Maybe I'm being a bit harsh, but a huge chunk of this loss falls on the shoulders of freshman cornerback Channing Stribling and whichever defensive coach was responsible for putting him in there. At the end of regulation, Stribling entered the game and was beaten on two long passes by the average Brandon Felder and Penn State standout receiver Allen Robinson. On both occasions, Stribling had chances to knock down or intercept the passes, but he mistimed his jumps and/or misjudged the ball, failing to get even a finger on either pass. The game was just moving too fast for him, which is why I hate having to play so many young players. In a year or two, those will be picks or knockdowns for Stribling. The same thing goes for Jake Butt's failure to catch a back shoulder fade from Gardner in overtime; Butt showed his hands too early and failed to plant and go up for the ball. Instead, he settled for trying to catch it with his momentum going away from the ball and into the sideline. Both of things contributed to linebacker Mike Hull being able to bat the pass away at the last second despite not turning around for the ball.

Michigan can't run the ball, and that's not going to change. At this point in the season, I feel pretty confident in saying that nobody but Gardner will be able to run the ball effectively. Gardner even carried the ball 24 times, and he's not going to hold up with that type of responsibility on his shoulders. I hate to say this, but Michigan needs to ditch the runs from under center and become a team that throws the ball 40-45 times a game. They need to get creative with their screen game, including bubbles and slip screens; they also need to find a way to get Dennis Norfleet on the field in regular packages and incorporate him into the offense, both as a scatback third-down replacement for Toussaint and as a slot receiver.

Despite the 43 points, I thought the defense played pretty well overall. Nine of those 43 points came in overtime. Additionally, two of Penn State's touchdowns came after Gardner interceptions, which gave the Nittany Lions the ball on the 14- and 20-yard lines, respectively. They ran the ball 44 times for 85 yards (1.9 yards/carry) and 2 touchdowns, from the 1- and 2-yard lines, respectively. Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg completed 23/44 passes for 305 yards and 3 touchdowns, but he was also sacked 4 times and intercepted twice, while a large chunk of that yardage (79) came on the final drive in regulation when they beat Stribling.

Frank Clark is coming on. Clark had 3 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 pass breakup, and 2 fumble recoveries, one of which he picked up and ran 24 yards for a touchdown. He's had a little bit of a fire lit under him after the first couple games of the season, and hopefully that fire stays lit. After barely showing up on the stat sheet early, he's now sitting at 15 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 1 pass breakup, 5 quarterback hurries, 2 fumble recoveries, and the aforementioned touchdown return.

What does this all mean? Well, I don't think Michigan has a shot at winning the Big Ten this year. They've been playing with fire all year in close games with Akron and UConn, not to mention Notre Dame or the closer-than-it-should-have-been game against Minnesota last week. It finally bit them in the butt. The closest thing remaining to a team Michigan should  beat easily is Iowa, but they always seem to play Michigan tough, especially in Iowa City. Michigan also has Indiana's number over the years, but the Hoosiers can put some points up on the board (41.7 points/game). Michigan State is going to feast on Michigan's running game, Nebraska's tough, Northwestern is good when healthy, and Ohio State is probably going to crush us. This is probably going to be ugly down the stretch.

2013 Season Countdown: #40 Jake Butt

Jake Butt

Name: Jake Butt
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 231 lbs.
High school: Pickerington (OH) North
Position: Tight end
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #88
Last year: Butt was a senior in high school. He had 68 receptions for 907 yards and 12 touchdowns. I gave him a TTB Rating of 82.

Butt committed to Michigan in February 2012, joining the cavalcade of pledges. He had a very steady recruitment period, where he was mostly a 4-star all the way through, stayed injury-free, played well at The Opening last July, and got invited to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl; however, he was unable to participate in the Army game due to a minor injury. Butt enrolled at Michigan in January and practiced with the team in the spring. He looked slight in the spring game, and he struggled a little bit with blocking, but he didn't look out of place. He just gave off the impression that he was a freshman.

He's almost guaranteed to play this fall, because the pickings are slim at tight end. Offensive coordinator Al Borges likes to use two tight ends at once, and those two will probably be sophomores A.J. Williams and Devin Funchess in most cases, but Butt looks like the guy who will get the third-most reps. Redshirt junior Jordan Paskorz, some walk-ons, and fellow freshman Khalid Hill are the other choices. Butt is perhaps the best combination of size, speed, and catching ability in the group, and he could play either the Y or U position; most of the other players are pretty limited to one or the other. I don't expect him to replicate Funchess's athleticism or impact from last season, but #88 should get some balls thrown his way. The tight end position seems well stocked for the foreseeable future.

Prediction: Backup tight end; 3 receptions, 35 yards

Nike's The Opening participants: Michigan

Jourdan Lewis and Delano Hill were two of Michigan's ten eventual signees to participate in Nike's The Opening

2013
Ian Bunting, TE - Hinsdale, IL
Drake Harris, WR - Grand Rapids, MI

2012
Kyle Bosch, OG - Wheaton, IL
Jake Butt, TE - Pickerington, OH
Taco Charlton, DE - Pickerington, OH
David Dawson, OG - Detroit, MI
Ross Douglas, CB - Avon, OH
Derrick Green, RB - Richmond, VA
Delano Hill, S - Detroit, MI
Jourdan Lewis, CB - Detroit, MI
Mike McCray II, LB - Trotwood, OH
Shane Morris, QB - Warren, MI

Spring Practice Preview: Offense

It's time to see what the Inkster product can do leading Michigan's football team.

QUARTERBACK
Redshirt junior Devin Gardner is the clear front-runner for the quarterback job.  After Denard Robinson got hurt against Nebraska, Gardner started the next five games, going 75/126 for 1,219 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions.  Michigan appears to have a "franchise" type quarterback, but what will Michigan's offense look like with him fully entrenched at the position?  Gardner is better from under center than Robinson ever was, so the I-formation stuff should be more prevalent.  He can still run the shotgun passing stuff, but he's not a downhill runner in the same way that allowed Robinson to run for 1,000+ yards the past few seasons.
Others to watch: The only other scholarship quarterback on the roster for the spring is redshirt sophomore Russell Bellomy.

RUNNING BACK
With Fitzgerald Toussaint injured, Vincent Smith off to his post-college career, and Derrick Green not arriving until summer, the pickings will be slim this spring.  This should be Michigan fans' first chance to see redshirt freshman Drake Johnson, who earned some praise from Brady Hoke around bowl time.  He has good size and speed, but that doesn't always translate to success.  Junior Thomas Rawls (57 carries, 242 yards, 4 touchdowns) and redshirt sophomore Justice Hayes (18 carries, 83 yards, 1 touchdown) earned some carries, but neither one did much with his opportunities.
Others to watch: Sophomore Dennis Norfleet has moved back to running back after a short stint at corner for the Outback Bowl.  Sophomore Sione Houma and redshirt sophomore Joey Kerridge will fight for the fullback spot.

WIDE RECEIVER
In the five games that Gardner started at quarterback, fifth year senior Jeremy Gallon had 31 receptions for 511 yards and 3 touchdowns.  He looks to be the top receiver in 2013, but there's plenty of room for others to emerge.  Two other seniors return in Drew Dileo (22 catches, 331 yards, 2 touchdowns) and Jeremy Jackson (4 catches, 31 yards), the former of which is a jack-of-all-trades, the latter a lumbering possession receiver.  Then there's sophomore Amara Darboh, who played but was never targeted, and redshirt freshman Jehu Chesson.  Since Dileo appears to be nothing more than a complementary receiver, it would be good for Gardner and the Michigan offense to find another reliable target between Darboh and Chesson.
Others to watch: Fifth year senior walk-on Joe Reynolds (3 catches, 22 yards) worked his way into the rotation last season and has decent quickness.

TIGHT END
Sophomore Devin Funchess (15 catches, 234 yards, 5 touchdowns) should have playing time locked up at the U-back position.  Fellow sophomore A.J. Williams is a mammoth tight end who's more of a blocker.  The wild card in the mix is freshman Jake Butt, who enrolled early and is physically developed enough to play as a freshman.  Williams isn't much of a target downfield, so if Gardner can work out some chemistry with Butt in the spring (and summer), Michigan should have a nice 1-2 punch of receiving tight ends between Funchess and Butt.
Others to watch: Redshirt junior Jordan Paskorz has played in just one game (on special teams against UMass) during his three seasons, and the rest of the guys on the roster are young-ish walk-ons with little experience; the best of those is redshirt junior Dylan Esterline.

OFFENSIVE LINE
The two sure starters are the bookend, fifth-year senior tackles Taylor Lewan and Michael Schofield.  Between those two will be any combination of about a dozen other players, because the three interior starters graduated.  Redshirt freshman all-everything guard Kyle Kalis will probably step in at one guard spot.  That leaves the other two spots up for grabs between redshirt sophomore Jack Miller, redshirt junior walk-on Joey Burzynski, redshirt sophomore Chris Bryant, and redshirt freshman Ben Braden; the former two will probably vie for the center spot, while the latter two will fight for the right guard position.  None of them have played extensively, and if either Bryant or Braden starts the season, it will be his first ever game experience.  In the long term, Braden will probably end up at right tackle, so you could see Schofield and Braden flip if the coaches aren't confident in Braden's ability to pull.
Others to watch: Redshirt freshman Erik Magnuson will have every chance to succeed Lewan at left tackle, and classmate Blake Bars has practiced at both center and guard.  Both appear to be at least a year away from playing significant time.  True freshman Kyle Bosch has apparently impressed people with his size and work in the weight room as an early enrollee, but he's very young; if the coaches wouldn't play Kalis as a freshman, they probably won't play Bosch, either, unless injuries occur.  But it will still be interesting to see how Bosch fares in the glorified practice.

Final TTB Ratings for 2013

Maurice Hurst, Jr. made the biggest leap in
the final TTB Ratings

Here are the finalized TTB Ratings for the class of 2013.  Discuss!

Derrick Green - RB - Richmond (VA) Hermitage: 92 95
The more I think about the offensive line Michigan is building, the more I think Green is going to have a very good career in a winged helmet.  He could very well be the starter by his sophomore year, if not as a freshman.

Dymonte Thomas - S - Alliance (OH) Marlington: 92 89
I'm downgrading Thomas because I don't know that he's an All-American candidate, which is what a 90+ grade entails.  I think he will still be a very good player and turn into an all-conference player as a strong safety.

Kyle Bosch - OG - Wheaton (IL) St. Francis: 88
I'm going to leave Bosch right where he is.  He looks like an excellent guard prospect, and I like his nastiness.

Shane Morris - QB - Warren (MI) De La Salle: 89 87
Morris still has all the physical schools he has ever had - strong arm, decent athleticism - and has shown with his recruiting that he has some leadership skills.  It just seems like he has some limitations on seeing the whole field and making good decisions.

Patrick Kugler - C - Wexford (PA) North Allegheny: 83 86
With a couple years between Jack Miller and Kugler, the latter should have at least a couple seasons as a starter.  I liked what I saw of him at the Under Armour All-American Game.


Chris Fox - OT - Parker (CO) Ponderosa: 90 85
Fox's ACL tear concerns me some. He's still a big body who's pretty athletic, but I fear that this injury might put him behind some of the other linemen to begin..

Jourdan Lewis - CB - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: 86 84
Lewis isn't the biggest, strongest, or fastest recruit out there, but he shows good change of direction and ball skills.  I like him as a college cornerback, but he might be limited beyond that.

Jake Butt - TE - Pickerington (OH) North: 82
I'm leaving Butt right where he is. He's not a "next generation" tight end who can run really fast and jump really high, but he's a very solid prospect.  He should have no problem turning into a good blocker at the very least.

Ben Gedeon - LB - Hudson (OH) Hudson: 82 81
I still like Gedeon, but I have slightly more confidence in Butt as a prospect.  I like turning running backs into linebackers, and he has experience at both positions.

Da'Mario Jones - WR - Westland (MI) John Glenn: 79 81
As Michigan's passing offense improves and they can find more ways to get the ball to receivers, I like Jones's skill set more.  He's not an absolute blazer, but he offers a dimension of speed that some other recent receiver recruits lack.

Henry Poggi - DT - Baltimore (MI) Gilman: 81 79
Watching Poggi in the Under Armour All-American Game, I still think Poggi looks like a good prospect for the college level - he played very well - but I'm not sure he'll have the size or explosion to be a serious NFL prospect down the road.

Maurice Hurst, Jr. - DT - Westwood (MA) Xaverian Brothers: 73 78
I always liked Hurst's athleticism, but I like his energy, too.  After seeing his senior highlights and his performance in the Semper Fi All-American Bowl, I think he has some potential to be a pretty good player down the road.

Csont'e York - WR - Harper Woods (MI) Chandler Park Academy: 79 77
York's rating doesn't change much, but I have less confidence in him than Poggi.  He still has considerable upside because he can go up and get the ball, but he's not a dynamic athlete.

Taco Charlton - DE - Pickerington (OH) Central: 75 76
Charlton has the speed to stick at weakside end, but he keeps growing and growing. I wonder if at some point he might be too heavy to play WDE and end up as a strongside end. Considering some lacking technique, that could be troublesome.

Logan Tuley-Tillman - OT - Peoria (IL) Manual: 79 75
I'm downgrading Tuley-Tillman a little bit because he's so raw.  He's helped by the fact that he's the only left tackle prospect in this class, but it's tough to get a feel for him.  Pass protection is still a huge issue for him as he learns.

Mike McCray II - LB - Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: 74
This seems to be a pretty good spot for McCray. It's unclear whether he'll finally end up at SAM or MIKE. He's a good athlete, but I have questions about his ability to read plays quickly.  I might be in favor of putting him at SAM, where he would be in a position to attack more often than having to read and react.

Channing Stribling - CB - Matthews (NC) Butler: 73
I thought about bumping up Stribling, but I just don't think I can do it.  He showed his ability to make plays in high school, but I just don't think he has the speed to be a dynamic player in college.  Most of Michigan's good corners over the past 15 years or so have been fast or at least quick, but I don't see that in Stribling.

David Dawson - OG - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: 67 71
I'm bumping Dawson up a little bit, because I think he could be a starter later in his career.  Anyone who becomes a starter with the way Michigan is recruiting has to be pretty good player, but I don't see a particularly high ceiling for him.

Delano Hill - CB - Detroit (MI) Cass Tech: 71 69
Hill has lots of physical talent, but if he were a great playmaker, he would have been rated higher by the recruiting services.  He seems to be a guy who could be a very good special teamer and earn spot duty in college, but he's a man without a position - is he a corner or a safety? - and there's talent at those spots already.

Wyatt Shallman - RB - Novi (MI) Catholic Central: 65
I think this is a pretty good spot for Shallman.  I don't think he will ever be a starter at running back, although he could be a factor at fullback or U-back in the future.  He also has the ability to contribute on defense, but Shallman and the coaches have been insistent that he'll play offense.

Ross Douglas - CB - Avon (OH) Avon: 63
Douglas was recruited to play slot corner, and when you combine that with his lack of great size, I think he's somewhat limited when projecting him beyond college.  I think he could be a solid slot corner in the same vein as Brandon Harrison.

DeVeon Smith - RB - Warren (OH) Howland: 63
I thought about bumping Smith up because I truly believe that Michigan will be putting together some good rushing seasons in the coming years because of the offensive line, and not totally because of the talent of the running backs.  I do not believe Smith has the speed to be a dynamic running back himself, but he might put up good numbers as a backup and perhaps eventual successor to Green.

Reon Dawson - CB - Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: 62
Dawson does have some potential to outperform this ranking, but he's behind some of the other guys in technical prowess.  The speed and size are there.  It just depends on how it all comes together.

Khalid Hill - TE - Detroit (MI) East English Village: 68 60
Hill can fill a role on this team, but he has talent ahead of him and his lack of speed or size sort of limits his upside.

Dan Samuelson - OG - Plymouth (IN) Plymouth: 65 59
I think Samuelson will be a quality backup down the road, who could make a spot start and be fine.  However, I think he's someone who might get lost in the shuffle with the rest of the linemen Michigan is getting.

Jaron Dukes - WR - Columbus (OH) Marion Franklin: 70 58
Dukes didn't have a great senior season, and I already had questions about him going into the 2012 season.  He doesn't have great speed, and he doesn't look like a lithe athlete who can make up for that speed deficiency with acrobatics.

Scott Sypniewski - LS - Ottawa (IL) : Incomplete
I don't know enough about long snappers around the country to offer an opinion here.

Scout: Class of 2013 Ohio Final State Rankings

Dymonte Thomas is the #2 player in the state of Ohio for the class of 2013

Scout finalized its state of Ohio rankings for the class of 2013.  Here are some notes for Michigan fans:

2. Dymonte Thomas - S - Alliance (OH) Marlington: Offered, committed to Michigan.
3. DeVeon Smith - RB - Warren (OH) Howland: Offered, committed to Michigan.
4. Evan Lisle - OT - Centerville (OH) Centerville: Offered, committed to Ohio State.
5. Cameron Burrows - CB - Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: Offered, committed to Ohio State.
6. Gareon Conley - CB - Massillon (OH) Washington: Offered, committed to Ohio State.
7. Jake Butt - TE - Pickerington (OH) North: Offered, committed to Michigan.
9. Ben Gedeon - LB - Hudson (OH) Hudson: Offered, committed to Michigan.
11. Taco Charlton - DE - Pickerington (OH) Central: Offered, committed to Michigan.
12. Billy Price - DT - Youngstown (OH) Fitch: Offered, committed to Ohio State.
14. Shane Jones - LB - Cincinnati (OH) Moeller: Offered, committed to Michigan State.
16. Rob Wheelwright - WR - Columbus (OH) Walnut Ridge: Offered, committed to Wisconsin.
19. Jayme Thompson - S - Toledo (OH) Central Catholic: Offered, committed to Ohio State.
20. Godwin Igwebuike - RB - Pickerington (OH) North: Teammate of TE commit Jake Butt.
22. Jacob Matuska - DE - Columbus (OH) Bishop Hartley: Offered, committed to Notre Dame.
24. Michael McCray II - LB - Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: Offered, committed to Michigan.
32. Jarrod Clements - DT - Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: Teammate of LB commit Michael McCray II, committed to Illinois.
37. Reon Dawson - CB - Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison: Offered, committed to Michigan.
38. Ross Douglas - CB - Avon (OH) Avon: Offered, committed to Michigan.
39. Matt Miller - OG - Toledo (OH) St. John's: Brother of Michigan center Jack Miller, committed to Wisconsin.
40. Marcus Ball - S - Westerville (OH) South: Offered.
47. Jaron Dukes - WR - Columbus (OH) Walnut Ridge: Offered, committed to Michigan.
52. Kevin Gladney - WR - Akron (OH) Firestone: Offered, committed to Nebraska.
58. Dan Monteroso - WR - St. Clairsville (OH) St. Clairsville: Teammate of 2014 LB commit Michael Ferns.

Scout 300 for 2013 finalized

Offensive lineman Patrick Kugler is Michigan's highest rated commit to Scout.com

Scout has finalized its top 300 players for the class of 2013.  Here's what it looked back in July and here's the initial list from March.

Here's the movement since July:

- Patrick Kugler jumped from #30 to #27
- Dymonte Thomas fell from #35 to #39
- Shane Morris fell from #29 to #40
- Kyle Bosch fell from #48 to #49
- Deveon Smith fell from #60 to #62
- Jourdan Lewis jumped from #168 to #80
- Chris Fox jumped from #134 to #118
- Maurice Hurst, Jr. jumped from #213 to #139
- Henry Poggi fell from #136 to #143
- David Dawson jumped from #179 to #144
- Jake Butt fell from #137 to #145
- Ben Gedeon fell from #155 to #168
- Taco Charlton jumped from #267 to #174
- Delano Hill, who had no offer at the last update, appears at #270
- Wyatt Shallman fell from #268 to #293
- Logan Tuley-Tillman fell from #194 to #300
- Jaron Dukes fell from #296 to off the list
- Mike McCray II fell from #216 to off the list

Below is a list of all the Michigan offerees on the list:

5-stars:
3. Jaylon Smith - LB - Indiana (Notre Dame)
4. Su'a Cravens - S - California (USC)
6. Derrick Green - RB - Virginia
7. Laremy Tunsil - OT - Florida
9. Eddie Vanderdoes - DT - California
10. Montravius Adams - DT - Georgia
16. Vernon Hargreaves III - CB - Florida (Florida)
21. James Quick - WR - Kentucky (Louisville)
22. Keith Ford - RB - Texas (Oklahoma)
23. Robert Foster - WR - Pennsylvania (Alabama)
26. Kendall Fuller - CB - Maryland (Virginia Tech)
27. Patrick Kugler - OG - Pennsylvania (Michigan)
29. Justin Davis - RB - California (USC)
30. Laquon Treadwell - WR - Illinois
34. Jonathan Allen - DE - Virginia (Alabama)
37. Ty Isaac - RB - Illinois (USC)
38. Joey Bosa - DE - Florida (Ohio State)
39. Dymonte Thomas - S - Ohio (Michigan)
40. Shane Morris - QB - Michigan (Michigan)
41. Priest Willis - CB - Arizona
42. Adam Breneman - TE - Pennsylvania (Penn State)

4-stars:
45. Justin Manning - DT - Texas (Texas A&M)
49. Kyle Bosch - OG - Illinois (Michigan)
51. John Montelus - OG - Massachusetts (Notre Dame)
54. Kevin Olsen - QB - New Jersey (Miami)
55. Maurice Smith - CB - Texas (Alabama)
59. Ethan Pocic - OT - Illinois (LSU)
60. Leon McQuay III - S - Florida (USC)
62. Deveon Smith - RB - Ohio (Michigan)
72. Evan Lisle - OT - Ohio (Ohio State)
74. Steve Elmer - OT - Michigan (Notre Dame)
80. Jourdan Lewis - CB - Michigan (Michigan)
83. Chris Hawkins - CB - California (USC)
86. Greg Webb - DT - New Jersey (North Carolina)
87. Elijah Qualls - DT - California (Washington)
88. Alquadin Muhammad - DE - New Jersey (Miami)
90. Mike McGlinchey - OT - Pennsylvania (Notre Dame)
95. Elijah Daniel - DE - Indiana
98. Demorea Stringfellow - WR - California (Washington)
99. Tray Matthews - S - Georgia (Georgia
101. Jason Hatcher - DE - Kentucky (USC)
103. Marquez North - WR - North Carolina
107. Larenz Bryant - LB - North Carolina (South Carolina)
109. Michael Hutchings - LB - California (USC)
111. Eli Apple - CB - New Jersey (Ohio State)
112. Alex Anzalone - LB - Pennsylvania (Notre Dame)
113. John Ross - WR - California (Washington)
114. Devon Allen - WR - Arizona
118. Chris Fox - OT - Colorado (Michigan)
123. Cameron Burrows - CB - Ohio (Ohio State)
128. Christian Lacouture - DE - Nebraska (LSU)
129. Gareon Conley - CB - Ohio (Ohio State)
130. Kameron Miles - S - Texas (Texas A&M)
131. Peter Kalambayi - LB - North Carolina (Stanford)
133. Colin McGovern - OT - Illinois (Notre Dame)
137. Dorian O'Daniel - LB - Maryland (Clemson)
139. Maurice Hurst, Jr. - DT - Massachusetts (Michigan)
141. Kyle Hicks - RB - Texas (TCU)
142. Jon Reschke - LB - Michigan (Michigan State)
143. Henry Poggi - DT - Maryland (Michigan)
144. David Dawson - OG - Michigan (Michigan)
145. Jake Butt - TE - Ohio (Michigan)
146. Antwuan Davis - CB - Texas (Texas)
147. Joe Mathis - DE - California (Washington)
149. Michael Hill - DT - South Carolina (Ohio State)
150. Shaq Wiggins - CB - Georgia (Georgia)
153. Isaac Rochell - DE - Georgia (Notre Dame)
154. Darrell Daniels - WR - California (Washington)
158. Jake Raulerson - DE - Texas (Texas)
159. Jaynard Bostwick - DT - Florida
165. E.J. Levenberry - LB - Virginia (Florida State)
166. Ishmael Wilson - OT - Texas (Texas A&M)
168. Ben Gedeon - LB - Ohio (Michigan)
170. Durham Smythe - TE - Texas
171. Ryan White - CB - Kentucky (Vanderbilt)
174. Taco Charlton - DE - Ohio (Michigan)
182. Tashawn Bower - DE - New Jersey
184. Hunter Bivin - OT - Kentucky (Notre Dame)
185. Cole Luke - CB - Arizona (Notre Dame)
190. Matt Rolin - LB - Virginia (Florida)
199. Marcell Ateman - WR - Texas (Oklahoma State)
204. Billy Price - DT - Ohio (Ohio State)
208. Eldridge Massington - WR - Texas (UCLA)
212. Shane Jones - LB - Ohio (Michigan State)
218. Rob Wheelwright - WR - Ohio (Wisconsin)
219. Kenny Lacy - OT - Arizona (UCLA)
224. Jake Oliver - WR - Texas (Texas)
239. Darius Latham - DT - Indiana (Indiana)
246. Jayme Thompson - S - Ohio (Ohio State)
255. Dennis Finley - OT - Michigan (Michigan State)
258. Chase Abbington - RB - Missouri (Missouri)
266. J.J. Gustafson - OT - Texas (Texas A&M)
267. Josh Augusta - DT - Illinois
270. Delano Hill - S - Michigan (Michigan)
276. Wyatt Teller - DE - Virginia (Virginia Tech)
277. Dajaun Drennon - DE - New Jersey (North Carolina)
280. Darren Carrington - WR - California (Oregon)
287. Cameron Hunt - OG - California (Cal)
292. Nadir Barnwell - CB - New Jersey (Rutgers)
293. Wyatt Shallman - FB - Michigan (Michigan)
296. James Onwualu - WR - Minnesota (Notre Dame)
299. Jacob Matuska - DE - Ohio (Notre Dame)
300. Logan Tuley-Tillman - OT - Illinois (Michigan)