2024 Season Countdown: #126 Bryson Kuzdzal

 

Bryson Kuzdzal

Name: Bryson Kuzdzal
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 185 lbs.
High school: Ada (MI) Forest Hills Eastern
Position: Running back
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #41
Last year: I did not rank Kuzdzal. He redshirted.
TTB Rating: N/A

Kuzdzal was a preferred walk-on for Michigan in the class of 2023, and he'll be getting a national championship ring for his good taste of choosing the Wolverines over MSU as his walk-on destination. As a high school senior in the fall of 2022, he ran for 1,379 yards and 22 touchdowns, caught 1 touchdown pass, and returned 3 kicks (2 kickoffs, 1 punt) for touchdowns while averaging 10.4 yards per carry. But with a loaded backfield, he was unlikely to play in 2023, and he didn't.

This fall the depth chart doesn't look much better for his chances. Despite the graduation of Blake Corum and the transfer of C.J. Stokes to Charlotte, Michigan returns Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings - the #2 and #3 backs from last season - and they added freshmen Jordan Marshall and Micah Ka'apana in the 2024 class. Throw in Tavierre Dunlap, Ben Hall, and Cole Cabana, and it's a pretty full running back room. Kuzdzal could potentially get some garbage time snaps, but Michigan has invested more scholarship spots at running back than a couple seasons ago when a guy like Leon Franklin was getting a fair number of snaps.

Prediction: Redshirt

Visitors: April 12-14, 2024

 

Kissimmee (FL) Osceola linebacker Elijah Melendez (image via 247 Sports)

2025

Mariyon Dye - DE - Elkhart (IN) Elkhart: Dye is a 6'5", 235 lb. prospect with offers from Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, and Tennessee, among others. He's a 4-star, the #16 EDGE, and #107 overall. This was a midweek visit.

Elijah Melendez - LB - Kissimmee (FL) Osceola: Melendez is a 6'2", 215-pounder with offers from Alabama, Florida, Michigan, and Ohio State, but he chose the least successful program of his top group - the Miami Hurricanes - to commit to back in December 2023. He's a 4-star, the #16 linebacker, and #138 overall in the class of 2025. On the plus side, he is going against Mario Cristobal's wishes in order to take a three-day visit to Ann Arbor, so there is some hope for Michigan here as linebacker coach Brian Jean-Mary tries to get him to flip.

D.J. Sanders - DT - Bellville (TX) Bellville: Sanders is a 6'4", 290 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, LSU, Michigan, Oregon, Texas, and Texas A&M, among others. He's a 4-star, the #11 defensive lineman, and #111 overall.

Kainoa Winston - S - Washington (DC) Gonzaga: Winston is a 5'11", 185-pounder with offers from Georgia, LSU, Michigan, North Carolina, Oregon, Penn State, and others. He's a 4-star, the #9 safety, and #88 overall. He has already set officials for UNC, Oregon, and PSU, and Michigan is trying to get on that list.

2024 Season Countdown: #127 Manuel Beigel

 

Wallingford (CT) Choate Rosemary Hall DT Manuel Beigel

Name: Manuel Beigel
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 280 lbs.
High school: Wallingford (CT) Choate Rosemary Hall
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Beigel was a senior in high school. He made 10 tackles and 4 sacks.
TTB Rating: 79

Beigel is a transplant from Germany who is a blank slate. Jim Harbaugh tried to go heavy on international prospects over the past several years, recruiting Beigel, fellow German Julius Welschof, Frenchman Aymeric Koumba, Canadian Luiji Vilain, Canadian Benjamin St-Juste, and several other foreign players who did not end up signing with the Wolverines.

I'm not sure what to think of Beigel so far because his film is so limited, but athletically, he looks to be top-notch when it comes to movement for his size. A soccer player when he was younger, he maintains foot quickness and change-of-direction skills rarely seen in players his size. The real questions are about his technique and strength, both of which seem to have a way to go. Already at 6'5" and 280 pounds, he is likely to end up as a 3-tech defensive tackle, but he looks like a guy who might get pushed around and washed out of the play in the Big Ten. My guess is that he redshirts this season while learning some nuances of big-time college football.

Prediction: Redshirt

2024 Season Countdown: #128 Zach Ludwig

 

Zach Ludwig (image via MGoBlue)

Name: Zach Ludwig
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 202 lbs.
High school: South Park (PA) South Park
Position: Linebacker
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Ludwig was a senior in high school.
TTB Rating: 55

Ludwig is one of the most interesting commitments during my time covering Michigan football. The nephew of (former) strength coach Ben Herbert, Ludwig got an offer from the Wolverines and committed, without seeming to have any other schools pursuing him. When scouring his film, it was hard to see where he might fit in - quarterback, tight end, linebacker, long snapper? Nobody really seems to know. Even the status of his "scholarship offer" seems to have been in question.

Now that Herbert is the strength coach for the Los Angeles Chargers, one has to wonder if Ludwig will stick around in Ann Arbor. Regardless, at a listed 6'3" and 202 pounds, Ludwig is unlikely to play as a freshman. Perhaps when he adds some strength down the road, he can be considered a threat to play some special teams.

Prediction: Redshirt

2024 Season Countdown: #129 Liam Groulx

 

Liam Groulx (image via Twitter)

Name: Liam Groulx
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 227 lbs.
High school: Charlotte (NC) Providence Day
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #53
Last year: I did not rank Groulx. He redshirted.
TTB Rating: N/A

Groulx attended the same high school as freshman quarterback Jadyn Davis and freshman wide receiver Channing Goodwin. He played some outside linebacker in high school, but he lacks the quickness to play in space and currently lacks adequate size to play his current position of inside linebacker. If he wants to see the field in the future, he will likely have to continue bulking up for another year or two. On top of that, Michigan currently has ten scholarship inside linebackers on the roster, and that doesn't include special teams demon Christian Boivin, who has been earning a little bit of praise so far this spring. This will likely be another "redshirt" year for Groulx.

Prediction: Backup linebacker

2024 Season Countdown: #130 Grayson Dee

 

Grayson Dee (image via Twitter)

Name: Grayson Dee
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 228 lbs.
High school: Pittsburgh (PA) Mt. Lebanon
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #38
Last year: I did not rank Dee. He redshirted.
TTB Rating: N/A

Dee was a high school defensive end and tight end who has the body of an old-school Michigan fullback. I get Kevin Dudley vibes when watching his high school Hudl film, and he's now listed at 6'1", 228 lbs. (Dudley was 6'0", 238).

There are too many talented inside linebackers on the roster for Dee to get much playing time consideration, but perhaps some special teams time or - if the coaches want to know what's good for them - a move to fullback could pay off down the line.

Prediction: Backup linebacker

The 2023 Season Countdown is Coming!

 

Every year since 2009, I have counted down from the least important player on that year’s roster to the most important player, including starters, scholarship players, preferred walk-ons, special teams players, student body walk-ons, and everyone in between.

In case you want a look back at last year’s list, here it is (LINK). Michigan was very lucky to keep its top players healthy, including #1 overall J.J. McCarthy, who is poised to be a top-10 draft pick here in a few weeks.

YEARLY DISCLAIMER: The countdown is by the player’s importance to the team, not his overall talent. A talented player at a deep position won’t necessarily be missed a lot if he gets injured, but an injury to a moderately talented player at a thin position could be devastating. For example, I had cornerback Ambry Thomas ranked at #2 in 2020 because he was the team's only proven cornerback. Naturally, he opted out of the season and the team as a whole was an unmitigated disaster. Meanwhile, first round pick Kwity Paye was #6 because more talent was returning on the defensive line.

Another thing to note is the transfer portal, which causes players to jump in and out with more frequency than in the past. So despite my having a list already put together, there are going to be guys who enter and leave the program in the interceding months between now and August.

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