Michigan's NFL Draft History

Jake Long

Probably like many of you, I occasionally have a hankering for some Michigan NFL Draft history. Below you will find (as far as I'm aware) every pro draft pick in the history of Michigan's football program going all the way back to 1937. The plan is to update this list after this year's draft and keep updating it when appropriate.

Michigan's only two #1 overall NFL Draft picks are Jake Long in 2008 and Tom Harmon in 1941.

2015
2nd round: Devin Funchess - WR - Carolina Panthers (#41 overall)
2nd round: Frank Clark - DE - Seattle Seahawks (#63 overall)
4th round: Jake Ryan - LB - Green Bay Packers (#129 overall)

2014
1st round: Taylor Lewan - OT - Tennessee Titans (#11 overall)
3rd round: Michael Schofield - OT - Denver Broncos (#95 overall)
7th round: Jeremy Gallon - WR - New England Patriots (#244 overall)

2013
5th round: Denard Robinson - RB - Jacksonville Jaguars (#135)
6th round: William Campbell - DT - New York Jets (#178)

Hit the jump for the remainder of Michigan's historical draft picks.

Under Armour All-American Game Participants: Michigan

Joe Bolden (#27) is one of the latest Michigan commits to play in the Under Armour All-America Game.

The 2016 Under Armour All-American Game will be played in January 2016.  The following participants have committed or signed a Letter of Intent to play for Michigan:

2015
Brian Cole, WR - Saginaw, MI

2014
Juwann Bushell-Beatty, OT - Paramus, NJ
Michael Ferns III, LB - St. Clairsville, OH#
Drake Harris, WR - Grand Rapids, MI#
Bryan Mone, DT - Salt Lake City, UT
Jabrill Peppers, CB - Paramus, NJ
Wilton Speight, QB - Richmond, VA
Jared Wangler, LB - Warren, MI#

2013
David Dawson, OT - Detroit, MI
Ty Isaac, RB - Joliet, IL**
Patrick Kugler, OG - Wexford, PA
Mike McCray, LB - Trotwood, OH
Shane Morris, QB - Warren, MI
Henry Poggi, DT - Baltimore, MD
Logan Tuley-Tillman, OT - Peoria, IL

2012
Joe Bolden, LB - Cincinnati, OH
Terry Richardson, CB - Detroit, MI

2011

2010
Demar Dorsey, S - Lauderdale Lakes, FL
Devin Gardner, QB - Inkster, MI

2009
Isaiah Bell, LB - Youngstown, OH
Taylor Lewan, OT - Scottsdale, AZ
Craig Roh, DE - Scottsdale, AZ
Quinton Washington, OG - St. Stephen, SC

2008
Ricky Barnum, OG - Lakeland, FL
Dann O'Neill, OT - Grand Haven, MI

*Committed to playing in next year's game
**Transferred to Michigan
#Will not/did not participate due to injury

The All-Hoke Team: Offense

Denard Robinson

You may or may not remember when I put together an all-star team for Rich Rodriguez's tenure (OFFENSE, DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS). Well, here's the Brady Hoke version. I patched together a pretty good team from the four seasons that Hoke was the head man in Ann Arbor.

QB: Devin Gardner (2013)
208-for-345 passing, 60.3%, 2960 yards, 21 touchdowns, 11 interceptions
165 carries for 483 yards, 2.9 yards/carry, 11 touchdowns
This may be an unpopular choice, but Gardner had some brilliant games (Notre Dame, Indiana, Ohio State) during the 2013 campaign. He ended the year as Michigan's second-leading rusher and showed some great potential. The Notre Dame victory was exhilarating, he threw for 503 yards (a Michigan record) against Indiana, and played great against Ohio State despite a broken foot for part of the game.

RB: Denard Robinson (2012)
177 carries, 1266 yards, 7.2 yards/carry, 7 touchdowns
I'm cheating a bit here by putting Robinson at running back, but he did start a few games at the position after he returned from the elbow injury suffered against Nebraska. He broke 100 yards twice in his three games at running back. Even so, he showed enough running skills at the quarterback position to make this essentially a no-brainer. Imagine the running ability of a team with Gardner at QB and Robinson lined up behind him or next to him.

FB: Joe Kerridge (2014)
3 carries, 56 yards, 18.7 yards/carry
6 catches, 53 yards, 8.8 yards/catch
Hoke employed a fullback quite a bit, but his fullbacks didn't touch the ball a lot. Kerridge set a record for the Hoke era by getting 9 touches, including some critical first downs and a 52-yard run on a fake punt against Maryland.

WR: Jeremy Gallon (2013)
89 catches, 1373 yards, 15.4 yards/catch, 9 touchdowns
Gallon and Gardner had a symbiotic relationship. Gallon didn't produce a ton before Gardner became the quarterback, and Gardner was unproductive once Gallon graduated. Regardless, Gallon was a record-setter at Michigan with 1,373 yards that season and had 369 yards in a game against Indiana, the highest Big Ten total in history.

WR: Junior Hemingway (2011)
34 catches, 699 yards, 20.6 yards/catch, 4 touchdowns
Hemingway may not have had higher catch or yardage totals than other candidates for this spot, but he made lots of clutch plays and was Denard Robinson's go-to guy like Gallon was Gardner's. Hemingway had some huge catches in wins against Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Virginia Tech

TE: Kevin Koger (2011)
23 catches, 244 yards, 10.6 yards/catch, 4 touchdowns
Jake Butt might have more upside, but Koger had better production in 2011 and had the best combination of skills that Hoke had available at the tight end position. Koger could block, catch, and run a little bit. Plus he was named a captain and liked well enough to be asked to be a graduate assistant on the staff.

LT: Taylor Lewan (2012)
13 starts, 1 touchdown
Lewan peaked in 2012 when he was a First Team All-American and dominant all year, including a great showing against eventual #1 pick Jadeveon Clowney of South Carolina in the Outback Bowl. He also fell on a fumble in the endzone, notching a touchdown against UMass.

LG: Michael Schofield (2011)
10 starts
Schofield, a tackle by trade, earned the starting left guard job when Ricky Barnum was injured. Somewhat surprisingly, he performed very well for a young guy playing an unfamiliar position. He would eventually turn into a 3rd round pick by the Denver Broncos.

C: David Molk (2011)
12 starts
Molk started the first twelve games of the year and sat out the first series of the Sugar Bowl against Virginia Tech with an injury he suffered in pre-game warmups. When backup Rocko Khoury struggled with two bad snaps on three plays, Molk entered the game and helped lead the team to a victory. Molk was a First Team All-American and won the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation's best center.

RG: Patrick Omameh (2011)
13 starts
Omameh seemed to have a better season in 2011 than 2012, even though he was named First Team All-Big Ten by the coaches in the latter season and not the former. The offensive line protected quarterback Denard Robinson pretty well in 2011 (#34 in sacks allowed), and Omameh helped pave the way for two 1,000-yard rushers (Robinson, running back Fitzgerald Toussaint).

RT: Mark Huyge (2011)
13 starts
With Schofield slotted at left guard, Huyge is really the only choice here. He wasn't spectacular, but he was solid and never stood out as being a weakness. He, too, was part of the unit that protected the quarterback and helped Toussaint and Robinson run for 1,000 yards each.

Former Michigan Athlete of the Week: Tom Brady

Tom Brady (image via Big House Report)

Tom Brady had his best game of the year so far when he went 27/37 for 361 yards and 4 touchdowns in New England's 37-22 win over the Buffalo Bills.

Honorable mention: Carolina Panther Jason Avant caught 5 passes for 47 yards in a 37-37 tie with the Cincinnati Bengals. Michael Cox was called up from the practice squad to return 2 kicks for 53 yards in the New York Giants' 27-0 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles; on the other side, Brandon Graham made 4 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble. Taylor Lewan made his first career start, which was at left tackle in the Tennessee Titans' 16-14 win over Jacksonville. In that same game, Denard Robinson had 5 carries for 22 yards and 3 catches for 14 yards on the losing side.

2014 NFL Draft results and undrafted free agent news

1st round: Offensive tackle Taylor Lewan to Tennessee Titans (#11 overall)

3rd round: Offensive tackle Michael Schofield to Denver Broncos (#95 overall)

7th round: Wide receiver Jeremy Gallon to New England Patriots (#244 overall)

Undrafted free agents:
Jibreel Black - DT - Pittsburgh Steelers
Cameron Gordon - LB - New England Patriots
Thomas Gordon - S - New York Giants
Marvin Robinson - S - Dallas Cowboys*
Fitzgerald Toussaint - RB - Baltimore Ravens

*Robinson spent the 2013 season at Ferris State after transferring away from Michigan

2014 Mock NFL Draft

Taylor Lewan

I won't claim to be an NFL expert, but as a big college and pro football fan, I like to take my shot at an NFL mock draft and see how I stack up against Mel Kiper, Todd McShay, Mike Mayock, and the like. So here's my 2014 mock NFL Draft. If any trades are announced before the beginning of the draft, I reserve the right to make some changes. Otherwise, I'm guessing roughly 29 of these picks will be 100% accurate.

1. Houston Texans:
Jadeveon Clowney - DE - South Carolina
It seems like all the top prospects come with some baggage, and Clowney is no exception with his occasional loafing and numerous traffic violations. However, he has the freak athleticism to warrant being the top pick.

2. St. Louis Rams:
Greg Robinson - OT - Auburn
Jake Long has been injury prone and former tackle Rodger Saffold has moved inside, so Robinson could slide in to start immediately.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars: 
Sammy Watkins - WR - Clemson
The Jaguars need a dynamic receiver, and Watkins could be that guy.

4. Cleveland Browns
Johnny Manziel - QB - Texas A&M
I'm not a fan of Manziel and this pick wouldn't make sense to me, but it's the Browns, so I expect them to make a poor choice at quarterback.

5. Oakland Raiders
Khalil Mack - OLB - Buffalo
Mack is top five talent who might come off the board earlier than this, but nobody really seems to project him to go much lower. Pass rushers are premium players and don't seem to drop on draft day.

6. Atlanta Falcons
Jake Matthews - OT - Texas A&M
I want to believe that Taylor Lewan is the better pro prospect, but that might be the homer in me. I will resist the temptation to believe he'll be the second tackle taken.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mike Evans - WR - Texas A&M
This is the third Aggie to go in the first seven picks (if these selections hold up). I never thought I would see that. Evans would make it very difficult to cover Tampa Bay's outside receivers.

8. Minnesota Vikings
Blake Bortles - QB - Central Florida
I'm tempted to go with Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley here, but the Vikings reached on a quarterback a few years ago when they took Christian Ponder. With Manziel already off the board, they might feel the pressure to get a QB now instead of waiting until the second round.

9. Buffalo Bills
Taylor Lewan - OT - Michigan
I had a tough time not picking North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron here, but young quarterback E.J. Manuel needs an offensive line more than a tight end.

10. Detroit Lions
Darqueze Dennard - CB - Michigan State
As much as I hate to root for a former Spartan, Dennard seems to fit what defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will want to do.

Hit the jump for picks 11-32.

NFL Draft Preview: Michigan

Taylor Lewan could be the most talented tackle in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Here's a 2014 NFL Draft preview from Michigan's perspective. There should be a few Wolverines selected by NFL teams, and a few guys may latch on as undrafted free agents. If you want a look back, I did a similar post for the 2013 NFL Draft. I whiffed on Denard Robinson (I had him pegged as a 2nd rounder but he fell to the 5th), got pretty close on William Campbell (I had him in the 6th round at #188 overall and he went at #178), and did okay on Jordan Kovacs (I had him going in the 7th round; he went undrafted but caught on with the Dolphins).

The first round will begin at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 8th. The second and third rounds will be on Friday, May 9th, starting at 7:00 p.m. The fourth through seventh rounds will be on Saturday, May 10th, beginning at 12:00 noon.

Players are listed in order of projected likelihood of being drafted.

Taylor Lewan, OT
Lewan measured in at 6'7" and 309 lbs. at the NFL Combine. He ran a 4.87 forty, which was the top time for his position group. He also did 29 reps on the bench press, vertical jumped 30.5", broad jumped 9'9", had a 4.49 shuttle, and did a three-cone drill in 7.39 seconds. Lewan became a starter during his redshirt freshman year and surprised a lot of people when he returned for his fifth year in 2013 when he could have been a top ten draft pick last year. His stock essentially had nowhere to go but down, and he probably hurt his chances a little bit with some off-the-field issues that were revealed or occurred during the 2013-2014 school year. Lewan is a very consistent pass blocker and a powerful run blocker with a nasty disposition. He has taken some bad penalties at times, and he has a pending assault and battery charge stemming from late in the 2013 season during an altercation outside an Ann Arbor bar. If he pleas or is found guilty, the punishment will likely be light, but that's still a bit of a red flag. He's in the discussion for the top offensive tackle in the draft along with Texas A&M's Jake Matthews and Auburn's Greg Robinson.
Best guess: 1st round to Buffalo Bills (#9 overall)

Jeremy Gallon, WR
Michigan's all-time record holder in season receiving yardage, Gallon measured in at the NFL Combine at just 5'7" and 184 lbs. He ran a 4.45 forty, which surprised those of us who watched him for five years at Michigan, showing good acceleration and short speed but getting caught from behind on multiple occasions. However, he does have excellent leaping ability, can outmuscle corners for jump balls, has strong hands, and can break some tackles. He will almost certainly get drafted, but it will have to be by a team with an open mind toward working with small-ish receivers.
Best guess: 5th round to Denver Broncos (#171 overall)

Michael Schofield, OT
Schofield measured in at 6'6", 301 lbs. at the NFL Combine. His arms are 34" in length and a hand width of 9 5/8". He ran a 5.01 forty, which was good for #6 among offensive linemen. He also put in a 4.57 shuttle, a 7.62 three-cone drill, a 24" vertical, and a 93" broad jump. Analysts have pretty consistently pegged as going in the middle rounds, perhaps in the 4th or 5th. Schofield was consistent but not dominant at the college level.
Best guess: 6th round to New York Giants (#187 overall)

Thomas Gordon, S
Gordon, a fifth year senior, played at 5'10" and 210 lbs. last year. He was not invited to the Combine, but he ran a 4.49 at Michigan's pro day, ran a 4.10 shuttle, had a 40.5" vertical, and broad jumped 10'5.5". Gordon was productive in 2011 but has had two mediocre years in 2012 and 2013 - not many busts, but not many big plays, either. He was a box safety under Rich Rodriguez in 2010 and appears to be better playing closer to the line of scrimmage, so some teams may look at him if they play their safeties near the line.
Best guess: Undrafted

Fitzgerald Toussaint, RB
Toussaint is a 5'10", 205 lb. runner who was not invited to the NFL Combine. He had underwhelming redshirt junior and fifth year senior years, suffering a nasty broken leg in the midst of the 2012 season. However, he turned in a solid pro day with a 4.49 forty, 24 reps on the bench, a 4.10 shuttle, and a 6.59 three-cone drill. Tousssaint's lack of production in 2012 and 2013 will hold him back, but he showed flashes of excellence as a redshirt sophomore in 2011. He will almost certainly not get drafted, but I do think he has the potential to be one of those guys who hangs on as a sub for guys who get injured as the season goes along.
Best guess: Undrafted

Cameron Gordon, LB
Gordon stands 6'3", 237 lbs. and has good speed for his size. After starting his career at wide receiver and then moving to free safety, he eventually found a home as an outside linebacker. Unfortunately for him, he was stuck behind someone who appears to be a future NFLer in Jake Ryan. Gordon gained a lot of experience as a redshirt freshman and was mostly a backup for the remainder of his career. He reminds me a lot of some former Michigan players who had fringe NFL careers (Roy Manning, Shantee Orr), so while he likely won't get drafted, I do expect him to get picked up by a team and given a shot to make the roster as a special teams player or backup.
Best guess: Undrafted

Jibreel Black, DT
Black is a 6'2", 278 lb. player who did 29 reps on the bench press at Michigan's pro day, which was tops on the team that day. He did not produce heavily at Michigan, but he did start a fair share of games and played every position on the defensive line at one point or another. Black used his quickness at defensive tackle because he never put on the bulk to become a great run-stopper. He's somewhat of a tweener who lacks the ideal speed and height for defensive end and lacks the ideal size to play inside at the next level.
Best guess: Undrafted

Quinton Washington, DT
Washington measured in at 6'2", 292 lbs. at Michigan's pro day, where he was nursing an ankle injury and could not participate in every phase. He ran a 5.55 forty and did 26 reps on the bench press. He looked larger than 292 during the season, so perhaps he slimmed down in an effort to lower his forty times. Either way, Washington had a mildly productive 2012 season followed by an oddly ineffective 2013 season that saw his playing time reduced. His measurables are not particularly impressive, and when combined with his on-the-field production, he will surely not have his name called in the draft. Washington played offensive guard early in his college career, but he's not physically imposing enough to warrant a William Campbell-like position change in the NFL, in my opinion. If Washington makes it at the next level, it will have to be as a free agent nose tackle.
Best guess: Undrafted

Courtney Avery, CB
Avery is a 5'11", 175 lb. player who played cornerback and some safety in college. After a rough freshman season, he had a solid sophomore year followed by diminishing returns as a junior and senior. Despite being named a captain, he was used only sporadically throughout his senior year. Avery has decent size to play corner in the NFL, but he lacks the speed, hips, and anticipation to play it capably at the next level. If he continues his football career, it will likely be at a lower level. I do not even see him as a practice squad player.
Best guess: Undrafted

Drew Dileo, WR
Dileo is a 5'10", 180 lb. receiver who did a lot of things at Michigan. He played receiver, returned punts, returned kickoffs, and was the holder for extra points and field goals. Dileo did a fine job as a role player at Michigan, but he doesn't have the size to play receiver in the NFL, nor does he have the speed to make up for it.

Jareth Glanda, LS
Glanda measured in at 6'3", 256 lbs. as a senior. He was nearly perfect as a long snapper in college, but the job gets even tougher at the next level. Snappers often double as backup linebackers or tight ends in the NFL who can contribute elsewhere in an emergency, but Glanda has no such experience, so that may make it tougher for him to cut it at the next level.
Best guess: Undrafted

OTHER SENIORS WHO WILL LIKELY GO UNDRAFTED
Joe Reynolds, WR
Jeremy Jackson, WR

2014 Michigan Pro Day Results

Safety Thomas Gordon had perhaps the most impressive Pro Day

DB Courtney Avery: 36.5" vertical

DT Jibreel Black: 29 reps on 225 lb. bench

WR Jeremy Gallon: 39.5" vertical, 10'10" broad jump

LB Cameron Gordon: 4.65 forty, 36" vertical

S Thomas Gordon: 4.49 forty, 40.5" vertical, 10'5.5" broad jump, 4.10 twenty-yard shuttle

OT Taylor Lewan: Only participated in offensive line drills

WR Joe Reynolds: 37.5" vertical, 10'5" broad jump

OT Michael Schofield: 9' broad jump

RB Fitzgerald Toussaint: 4.49 forty, 24 reps on 225 lb. bench, 6.59 three-cone drill, 4.10 twenty-yard shuttle

DT Quinton Washington: 26 reps on 225 lb. bench

Video: Taylor Lewan's 40-yard dash

NFL Combine Results: Michigan

Jeremy Gallon

Only three Michigan players were invited to the NFL Combine this winter, but all three had pretty good showings that seemed to meet or exceed expectations. Here are their results, with the top performer in their position and category listed in parentheses.

WR Jeremy Gallon: Gallon measured in at 5'7" and 185 lbs. with an arm length of 29.5" and a hand size of 9 3/8". He ran an official time of 4.49 in the forty yard dash (Oregon State's Brandin Cooks, 4.33). He also put up 15 reps on the 225 lb. bench, which tied him for 13th (Indiana's Cody Latimer, 23). NFL.com rates Gallon as a 5.02, which means he has "a better than average chance to make an NFL roster."

OT Taylor Lewan: Lewan measured in at 6'7" and 309 lbs. with an arm length of 33 7/8" and a hand size of 9 1/4". He ran an official time of 4.87 in the forty yard dash, which made him the fastest offensive lineman at the Combine, and his broad jump of 117" was #1 in his position group. His 4.49 shuttle time placed him 9th (Oklahoma's Gabe Ikard, 4.37), and his . He did 29 reps on the 225 lb. bench (North Carolina's Russell Bodine, 42). Lewan had a vertical jump of 30.5" (Boston College's Matt Patchan, 33"), which tied him for 3rd. NFL.com rates Lewan as a 6.18, which means that he "should become an instant starter" in the NFL.

OT Michael Schofield: Schofield measured in at 6'6" and 301 lbs. with an arm length of 34" and a hand width of 9 5/8". He was 6th in his position group with a 5.01 time in the forty. He was #11 in the 20-yard shuttle with a 4.57 time, and he was #13 in the three-cone drill with a time of 7.62. He also had a 24" vertical and a 93" broad jump. NFL.com pegs Schofield as a 5.2, which suggests he'll be a backup player.

I think the biggest surprise of the weekend was Gallon, whose time of 4.49 in the forty outstripped what most expected. The thing about Gallon's speed is that he has always had good acceleration, but on long runs, he frequently seemed to tire or at least lose his running form, which allowed defenders to catch up to him. A 4.49 isn't blazing speed, but it's scootin' pretty fast; I would probably be more surprised if he turned in a top-notch time in the 100 meters. Also notable is his hand size, which is nearly as big as 6'6" offensive tackle Schofield and bigger than All-American tackle Lewan.

Lewan's mobility has always been one of his biggest assets (the other being his nasty disposition), and I remember watching film of him at Scottsdale (AZ) Chaparral and being impressed with how well he moved. He put up solid numbers all around, but nothing else was as impressive as that forty time, which looked pretty smooth on video.

The wild card is Schofield, whose time in the forty was pretty solid, but otherwise, he doesn't stick out in regard to measurables or on film. I think all three of these guys will get drafted, with Lewan going in the top 20 picks and Gallon going somewhere around the 4th or 5th round. Schofield, however, could end up anywhere from the tail end of the 2nd round to the 6th, from what I've read.

Video: Taylor Lewan - "I hit all the marks I wanted to hit"

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) 

2013 CBS Sports All-America Team

CBS Sports released its 2013 All-America Team, and here are some notable players for Michigan fans:

FIRST TEAM
Ka'Deem Carey - RB - Arizona#
Allen Robinson - WR - Penn State
Cyrus Kouandjio - OT - Alabama*
Anthony Barr - LB - UCLA*
Darqueze Dennard - CB - Michigan State
Mike Sadler - P - Michigan State

SECOND TEAM
Tre Mason - RB - Auburn*
Carlos Hyde - RB - Ohio State
Sammy Watkins - WR - Clemson*
Taylor Lewan - OT - Michigan*
Jackson Jeffcoat - DE - Texas*
Tim Jernigan - DT - Florida State*
Ryan Shazier - LB - Ohio State
Chris Borland - LB - Wisconsin
Lamarcus Joyner - CB - Florida State*
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix - S - Alabama*
Anthony Fera - K - Texas**

THIRD TEAM
Jack Mewhort - OT - Ohio State
Spencer Long - OG - Nebraska
Ryan Mueller - DE - Kansas State
C.J. Barnett - S - Ohio State
Nelson Agholor - PR - USC*

*Offered by Michigan
**Committed to Michigan at one time
#Coached by former Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl Preview: Offensive Line

Kansas State center B.J. Finney is the Big 12
conference's top player at his position.

MICHIGAN
Starters: Fifth year senior left tackle Taylor Lewan (6'8", 315 lbs.) has been an All-American and First Team All-Big Ten in 2012 and 2013, and he's projected as a first round pick in next year's NFL Draft. Redshirt freshman Erik Magnuson (6'6", 295 lbs.) has played left guard, right guard, and right tackle this year, but none of them particularly well. He has decent feet but struggles at the point of attack. Redshirt sophomore Graham Glasgow (6'6", 303 lbs.) was the starting left guard early in the year, took over the center position against Minnesota, and will likely start his thirteenth game of the season on Saturday night. Glasgow had several bad snaps in his first weeks as the center, but the snapping issues have largely been eliminated in the last couple games. Redshirt freshman Kyle Kalis (6'5", 302 lbs.) lost his job after his early-season performance, but now he's back at right guard. He lacks the foot speed to be effective on zone stretches, and the offense evolved at the end of the year toward more of an inside zone running system to accommodate the likes of Kalis. Fifth year senior right tackle Michael Schofield (6'7", 304 lbs.) is a three-year starter and was named Honorable Mention all-conference this year, and some draft projections have him going as high as in the second round this coming April.
Backups: True freshman Kyle Bosch (6'5", 302 lbs.) started three games late in the year after redshirt junior Joe Burzynski tore his ACL. Bosch showed some promise but looked overwhelmed and eventually gave his job back to Kalis, who had been benched in favor of Magnuson. Redshirt sophomore Jack Miller started the first four games of the season at center and has not been heard from since getting benched for Glasgow. Redshirt sophomore Chris Bryant (6'4", 316 lbs.) made two starts at at left guard before getting benched in the middle of the Penn State game.

KANSAS STATE
Starters: Fifth year senior Cornelius Lucas (6'9", 328 lbs.) was a First Team All-Big 12 selection in 2012, but this year he was just Honorable Mention. Redshirt sophomore Cody Whitehair (6'4", 309 lbs.) was Second Team All-Big 12 this season. Redshirt junior B.J. Finney (6'4", 303 lbs.) was named the best center in the conference. Redshirt sophomore Boston Stiverson (6'4", 312 lbs.) started a couple games as a redshirt freshman and is the team's top backup lineman this year, and he's been filling in for an injured Keenan Taylor at right guard. Senior Tavon Rooks (6'5", 280 lbs.) has been the starting right tackle for the past two seasons, earning Honorable Mention all-conference in both his years on campus.
Key backup: Fifth year senior Keenan Taylor (6'4", 290 lbs.) is questionable for the bowl game due to a knee injury, but he started all 13 games last year at right guard. Stiverson has been starting in his stead for the past few weeks, but Taylor should be in there if healthy.

THE TAKEAWAY
Michigan is tied for 111th in the country with 35 sacks allowed, and they're #101 with 131 yards/game given up on the ground. The paltry 3.25 yards/carry average ranks them 114th. Kansas State is #54 nationally with 180 yards/game on the ground, and they're #51 with 4.53 yards/carry. They've also allowed 24 sacks, which is tied for #62 in the country. So while Kansas State is a wee bit above average, they're still a long ways ahead of Michigan in many ways. The Wildcats also have a few guys with all-conference accolades, while Michigan's Taylor Lewan has been pretty lonely when it comes to postseason accolades.

ADVANTAGE: Kansas State

2013 AP All-America Team

The Associated Press released its 2013 All-America Team on Tuesday. There are several notable players for Michigan fans:

FIRST TEAM
Ka'Deem Carey - RB - Arizona#
Cyrus Kouandjio - OT - Alabama*
Jackson Jeffcoat - DE - Texas*
Anthony Barr - LB - UCLA*
Ryan Shazier - LB - Ohio State
Darqueze Dennard - CB - Michigan State
Lamarcus Joyner - CB - Florida State*

SECOND TEAM
Tre' Mason - RB - Auburn*
Taylor Lewan - OT - Michigan*
Sammy Watkins - WR - Clemson*
Anthony Fera - K - Texas**
Shilique Calhoun - DE - Michigan State
Tim Jernigan - DT - Florida State*
Chris Borland - LB - Wisconsin
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix - S - Alabama

THIRD TEAM
Carlos Hyde - RB - Ohio State
Ameer Abdullah - RB - Nebraska
Jack Mewhort - OT - Ohio State
Greg Robinson - OT - Auburn*
John Urschel - OG - Penn State
Ryan Groy - OG - Wisconsin
Jeff Budzien - K - Northwestern
Ra'shede Hageman - DT - Minnesota
Max Bullough - LB - Michigan State
Denicos Allen - LB - Michigan State
Vernon Hargreaves III - CB - Florida*
Ty Zimmerman - S - Kansas State

*Offered by Michigan
**Committed to Michigan at one time
#Plays for former Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez

2013 Sporting News All-American Team

The Sporting News  released its All-American team for 2013. There's one Michigan player (guess who!) and several other guys who might be notable for Michigan fans.

Tre Mason - RB - Auburn*
Allen Robinson - WR - Penn State#
Taylor Lewan - OL - Michigan*
Anthony Barr - LB - UCLA*
Darqueze Dennard - CB - Michigan State
Lamarcus Joyner - CB - Florida State*
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix - S - Alabama*
Jeff Budzien - K - Northwestern

*Offered by Michigan
#Native of the state of Michigan

2013 USA Today All-American Team

USA Today released its All-America team, and the lone Michigan representative is Taylor Lewan on the Second Team.

FIRST TEAM
Anthony Barr - LB - UCLA*
Ryan Shazier - LB - Ohio State
Darqueze Dennard - CB - Michigan State
Lamarcus Joyner - CB - Florida State*

SECOND TEAM
Tre Mason - RB - Auburn*
Sammy Watkins - WR - Clemson*
Cyrus Kouandjio - OT - Alabama*
Taylor Lewan - OT - Michigan*
Tim Jernigan - DL - Florida State*
Shilique Calhoun - DL - Michigan State
Jackson Jeffcoat - DL - Texas*
Chris Borland - LB - Wisconsin
Jeff Budzien - K - Northwestern

*Offered by Michigan

2013 All-Big Ten Awards announced

Taylor Lewan

The Big Ten released its all-conference players and award winners on Monday. The Michigan representatives are as follows:

Kwalick-Clark Tight End of the Year: Devin Funchess
Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year: Taylor Lewan

COACHES
First Team: OT Taylor Lewan
Second Team: WR Jeremy Gallon, TE Devin Funchess, DE Frank Clark, CB Blake Countess
Honorable Mention: OT Michael Schofield, DT Jibreel Black
Sportsmanship: CB Courtney Avery

MEDIA
First Team: OT Taylor Lewan, TE Devin Funchess, CB Blake Countess
Second Team: WR Jeremy Gallon
Honorable Mention: QB Devin Gardner, DE Frank Clark, DT Jibreel Black, CB Raymon Taylor, K Brendan Gibbons

First Annual All-Big Ten Teams

Because I like to pretend that I'm important - even though I'm not - here's my unofficial ballot for the All-Big Ten teams. We'll find out in a week or so whether these selections are approximately accurate or not.

FIRST TEAM
QB: Braxton Miller, Ohio State

RB: Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin

RB: Carlos Hyde, Ohio State

WR: Jeremy Gallon, Michigan

WR: Allen Robinson, Penn State

TE: Devin Funchess, Michigan

OT: Taylor Lewan, Michigan
OG: Ryan Groy, Wisconsin
C: Corey Linsley, Ohio State
OG: John Urschel, Penn State
OT: Jack Mewhort, Ohio State

DE: Randy Gregory, Nebraska
DT: Michael Bennett, Ohio State
DT: DaQuan Jones, Penn State
DE: Noah Spence, Ohio State
LB: Jonathan Brown, Illinois
LB: Anthony Hitchens, Iowa
LB: Ryan Shazier, Ohio State
CB: Ricardo Allen, Purdue
CB: Blake Countess, Michigan
S: Kurtis Drummond, Michigan State
S: B.J. Lowery, Iowa

K: Jeff Budzien, Northwestern
P: Cody Webster, Purdue
RET: Kevonte Martin-Manley, Iowa
AP: Akeem Hunt, Purdue

SECOND TEAM
QB: Devin Gardner, Michigan
RB: Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska
RB: James White, Wisconsin
WR: Steve Hull, Illinois
WR: Cody Latimer, Indiana
TE: Jacob Pedersen, Wisconsin
OT: Rob Havenstein, Wisconsin
OG: Andrew Norwell, Ohio State
C: Brandon Vitabile, Northwestern
OG: Blake Treadwell, Michigan State
OT: Brandon Scherff, Iowa

DE: Shilique Calhoun, Michigan State
DT: Ra'Shede Hageman, Minnesota
DT: Louis Trinca-Pasat, Iowa
DE: Theiren Cockran, Minnesota
LB: Denicos Allen, Michigan State
LB: Chris Borland, Wisconsin
LB: James Morris, Iowa
CB: Tim Bennett, Indiana
CB: Bradley Roby, Ohio State

S: Ibraheim Campbell, Northwestern

S: Greg Heban, Indiana

K: Pat Smith, Nebraska
P: Peter Mortell, Minnesota
RET: Kenny Bell, Nebraska
AP: Josh Ferguson, Illinois

THIRD TEAM
QB: Nathan Scheelhaase, Illinois
RB: David Cobb, Minnesota

RB: Jeremy Langford, Michigan State

WR: Jared Abbrederis, Wisconsin

WR: Shane Wynn, Indiana

TE: Jeff Heuerman, Ohio State

OT: Jeremiah Sirles, Nebraska

OG: Kyle Costigan, Wisconsin

C: Jack Allen, Michigan State

OG: Spencer Long, Nebraska

OT: Donovan Smith, Penn State

DE: Frank Clark, Michigan

DT: Bruce Gaston, Purdue

DT: Avery Moss, Nebraska

DE: Tyler Scott, Northwestern

LB: Chi Chi Ariguzo, Northwestern

LB: Max Bullough, Michigan State

LB: Damien Proby, Northwestern

CB: Ciante Evans, Nebraska

CB: Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Nebraska

S: Earnest Thomas, Illinois

S: Nick VanHoose, Northwestern

K: Michael Geiger, Michigan State
P: Sam Foltz, Nebraska
RET: V'Angelo Bentley, Illinois
AP: Dontre Wilson, Ohio State

Mailbag: Offensive line and Al Borges

Thunder, As a regular reader of "Touch the Banner," I want to thank you for the continued great effort/product you deliver . . . and today, ask you some questions about the continuing poor performance of the offensive line. 

1. Too often seems to be confusion about blocking assignments, true? 

2. While I appreciate the long readiness curve for offensive lineman (both mentally and physically), shouldn't U-M be able to get by reasonably well with two senior tackles (including an All-American) and some highly touted (albeit young) recruits? The guys who are in their 2nd year should be further along, right? 

3. For young lineman, isn't it easier blocking out/forward than side-to-side? Seems that prevailing offensive philosophy promotes these lineman being on their heals more than being aggressive - is this accurate? 

4. Personally, Borges just doesn't seem to be getting the results . . . and he is responsible for COORDINATING, not just sitting in a box calling plays. He doesn't seem up to the job. Your thoughts? Thanks for any insight you can provide. 

Go Blue! 

Best, 

Jim

 1. Yes, the problems up front are more about mental mistakes than physical ones. Even with the young guys in place, Michigan has good size up front. And while their strength may not be up to par with fourth- or fifth-year guys, the physical disparity should not be that significant if that's all it was. If you're the same size as your opponent but a little bit weaker, you should still not be giving up 7 sacks a game or rushing for -69 yards over a two-game stretch. The mental side of playing offensive line is what's killing Michigan right now.

2. The youth on Michigan's interior is sometimes blown out of proportion on the internet, although perhaps it's not commented on enough by the broadcast crew each Saturday. There should probably be a happy medium in there somewhere. Senior left tackle Taylor Lewan has done a very good job this year from whistle to whistle; the problem for him has been stuff before the play (false starts) or after the play (the MSU nonsense). Senior right tackle Michael Schofield is apparently being looked at as a possible second round pick, but I have a hard time believing that he'll be selected that high; he's so-so in the run and the pass, not dominant at either one.

The biggest problem, obviously, has been from guard to guard. Michigan has a bunch of guys playing out of position. It's a line in disarray. I'm giving Kyle Bosch a free pass because he's a true freshman and shouldn't be playing, anyway. But redshirt sophomore Graham Glasgow is a tackle or a guard playing center, who can't snap the ball, make proper line calls, or block the correct defender on a consistent basis; he's in over his head, and you can tell by the look on his face in the huddle - the game is moving too fast for him. Redshirt freshman Erik Magnuson is a left tackle playing right guard; the scouting report on him coming out of high school was "good pass blocker but needs to be more physical in the run game." You do not take a guy who lacks physicality and put him at right guard if you want to run over teams. That's the type of guy you hear about in year four or five when people say, "He's really improved over the past couple years and become a good run blocker." The other guy worth mentioning here is redshirt sophomore Jack Miller, who was brought in to be a zone-blocking center but tried to become a hybrid zone/power center before getting sent to the bench. Miller seems to be more mentally ready for playing center, calling protections, etc., but he loses ground too often. If you look at the pros and cons of Glasgow vs. Miller, I think Miller gets the nod after seeing both in action this year . . . but neither player is ideal.

Concluding the answer to question #2, I think Michigan has a decently talented crew of linemen who are playing out of place and being asked to do too much. If I were Michigan's coaching staff, I would at least attempt to see what it looks like with Lewan at left tackle, Schofield at left guard, Miller at center, Glasgow at right guard, and Magnuson at right tackle; that way you have a strong side with Lewan/Schofield, a better general at center, and Glasgow/Magnuson playing their more natural positions.

3. Young linemen do a better job of blocking forward/out (gap or man blocking) than zone blocking, because zone blocking requires timing and an understanding of defenses that takes time to develop. Most high school teams don't run zone the way that colleges do, and especially when you have a dominant lineman, you use him to crush down one side of the line while you run right off his butt. Zone blocking became all the rage because it allowed smaller, more athletic, but less dominant blockers to double-team and "just get in the way" to allow runners to pick an alley. But high schools that produce 6'5", 300 lb. linemen don't need that kind of tactical advantage.

I've taught zone blocking to high schoolers, and I've taught gap blocking to high schoolers. The zone concept is easier in theory but ten times more difficult to put into practice because you're taking guys who are normally very aggressive and teaching them to take an angle bucket step, read the defender, and then react appropriately by double-teaming, taking over a block, or going up to the next level. Rather than saying before the play "I've got that guy," now these guys have to say "I've got this guy, this guy, or that guy, depending on what they do when my buddy snaps the ball." Unless you teach zone exclusively or almost exclusively, it's going to be very tough sledding.

4. I was really frustrated with Borges during the Nebraska game because of his insistence on running the ball when it clearly wasn't working for the second week in a row. I mean, Michigan hasn't been able to run the ball consistently all year, but Michigan State stops you with their defense . . . fine, they do that to everyone. When Nebraska's 85th-ranked rushing defense stops you and you still keep slamming your head into the wall, I start to have questions about your willingness to adapt.

All that being said, I think Michigan fans have to accept that what is being put on the field is bound to be unsuccessful much of the time. I suggested a lineup change above that I believe would help, but that won't instantly make Miller, Glasgow, and Magnuson great football players. When three-fifths of your offensive line is overmatched mentally and physically, there's not a whole lot you can do as a play caller to mitigate the problems.

My suggestions for Borges would be to concentrate on one type of run play (zone or power) but not both, develop more play action off your best run play (currently the inverted veer), throw more screens until defenses stop blitzing, roll or half-roll Gardner, throw more quick-hitting passes, and resort to an occasional or full-time no-huddle to prevent defenses from having so much time to key in on formations, personnel, etc. Of course, Al Borges knows a ton more about football than I do, so he probably doesn't need my suggestions. But as an offensive coordinator, that's how I would try to get around my weak offensive line.