2024 Season Countdown: #77 Jayden Denegal

 

Jayden Denegal

Name: Jayden Denegal
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 235 lbs.
High school: Apple Valley (CA) Apple Valley
Position: Quarterback
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #4
Last year: I ranked Denegal #104 and said he would be a backup quarterback (LINK). He completed 4/5 passes for 1 touchdown and ran 4 times for 10 yards.
TTB Rating: 61

Denegal entered Michigan's program in the class of 2022, one year behind J.J. McCarthy and alongside Alex Orji. In the head-to-head battle with Orji, it might seem to be neck-and-neck. Last year Denegal was the only one of the two to attempt a pass (completing 4 out of 5 passes, in fact), but Orji was the complementary run threat down the stretch (15 carries for 86 yards and 1 touchdown in 2023). Denegal's lone touchdown was a mop-up throw to Peyton O'Leary as the final score in a 45-7 victory.

While quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell said Denegal has improved a bunch since arriving on campus, he appears to be running at least fourth in the race for the quarterback job. Orji is in the lead pack, along with Jack Tuttle and Davis Warren. With an eye toward the future, maybe the coaching staff even views Jadyn Davis as the "next man up" after those first three. Denegal clearly has the size advantage at 6'5" and 235 pounds (compared to Davis's 6'1", 202) and poses a bigger running threat than Davis, but his ability to process defenses and deliver accurate passes will determine his future. This season will probably be another mop-up year for Denegal, but it's also a season that might not provide many mop-up opportunities.

Prediction: Backup quarterback

2024 Season Countdown: #78 Jo'Ziah Edmond

 

Jo'Ziah Edmond (image via SI)

Name: Jo'Ziah Edmond
Height: 6'1”
Weight: 180 lbs.
High school: Indianapolis (IN) Northwood
Position: Cornerback
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Edmond was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 64 tackles, 5 interceptions, and 1 forced fumble; he caught 65 passes for 505 yards and 7 touchdowns; and he ran 26 times for 204 yards and 4 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 82

Michigan really needed cornerbacks in the 2024 class. When they were recruiting for 2024, they probably didn't even realize how badly they needed corners. Because at one time D.J. Waller and Cam Calhoun looked like they might be Michigan's cornerbacks of the future, as long as they could hold off classmate Jyaire Hill. But now that Waller and Calhoun will be suiting up for Kentucky and Utah, respectively, in the fall of 2024, the future at the position is very murky.

Luckily, Purdue is no match for Michigan on the recruiting trail, so the Wolverines were able to flip Edmond. He could be "next" after Will Johnson graduates, but Michigan also brought in transfers Aamir Hall (Albany) and Ricky Johnson (UNLV) to help at the position. At one time it seemed like Edmond might be forced into early action - just like Jacob Oden at safety - but now Michigan has options at the position. With Will Johnson locking down one side, the other corner probably comes down to Hill or Hall; then comes the battle for the #4 spot, and Edmond could be that guy. If Michigan envisions Edmond as the heir apparent for Johnson's spot, then I would expect him to get some snaps this year. Luckily, Michigan does have other potential contributors at that spot, such as Kody Jones and Myles Pollard.

Prediction: Backup cornerback

2024 Season Countdown: #79 Andrew Sprague

 

Andrew Sprague

Name: Andrew Sprague
Height: 6'8”
Weight: 295 lbs.
High school: Kansas City (MO) Rockhurst
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Sprague was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 14 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 pass breakup on defense.
TTB Rating: 89

I wrote a scouting report on Sprague (LINK) that probably has more relevant information than the commitment post linked above, but Sprague is a high-level tackle prospect whom the Michigan coaches seem particularly excited to get on the field. A giant human at 6'8", he still has to put on some weight, but it's probably a good thing he hasn't been carrying around 320 pounds his entire high school career; being lighter helped him play basketball and probably added some time to his career if he develops into an NFL-level type of player. In that scouting report, I mentioned that Sprague had a lot of technical work to do based on his junior film . . . and I think he got noticeably better as a senior.

The sheer depth of Michigan's offensive line should prevent Sprague from being needed immediately in 2024, and with three guys - Myles Hinton, Jeff Persi, Andrew Gentry - having a legitimate shot at starting, the Wolverines shouldn't need him to make an immediate impact like Brady Hoke needed Mason Cole to do back in 2014. It may be a good idea to get Sprague some snaps to prepare him for 2025, because both Hinton and Persi won't be returning next year. I think Sprague will be starting for Michigan by year three at least, but this should be a developmental season.

2024 Season Countdown: #80 Henry Donohue

 

Henry Donohue (#49, image via My Hometown Bronxville)

Name: Henry Donohue
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 209 lbs.
High school: Bronxville (NY) Bronxville
Position: Running back
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #49
Last year: I ranked Donohue #117 and said he would be a backup running back and special teamer (LINK). He had 1 carry for 3 yards.
TTB Rating: N/A

Donohue is a special teams player and running back who has earned carries for the past two seasons. Last year his lone carry came against UNLV, but he played special teams in five games overall. His role seems to be increasing some, and this year he added another seven pounds to his 5'11" frame. While he will never factor into the running back rotation - unless there's a major spate of injuries - he might continue to see an increasing role on special teams units. This year will be tough to get on the field as a backup running back because the schedule is more difficult than in most recent years.

Prediction: Backup running back, special teamer

2024 Season Countdown: #81 Brooks Bahr

 

Brooks Bahr (#99)

Name: Brooks Bahr
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 298 lbs.
High school: Lake Forest (IL) Loyola
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #51
Last year: I ranked Bahr #120 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He redshirted.
TTB Rating: 71

After being coached by former Illinois and NFL linebacker John Holecek in high school, Bahr was one of those tweener freshmen in 2023, the kind of player who comes in tall and somewhat thin (if 280 can be considered thin) and doesn't really have a place. Does he lose weight and play defensive end? Or does he add weight to become a defensive tackle? Either direction was going to take some time, so Bahr redshirted.

Now it's 2024, and we see which direction Michigan has Bahr going: defensive tackle-ward. He's up to 298 pounds this season, which is defensive tackle-adjacent, but it's probably not where he needs to be to get on the field. At 6'5" that's not a ton of bulk. Add in the technique work he needed coming out of high school, and he probably still needs another year in the oven before he's really ready for prime time. Bahr might start getting some snaps in certain situations, but I don't think we're going to see him on the field much in 2024.

Prediction: Backup defensive tackle

2024 Season Countdown: #82 Channing Goodwin

 

Channing Goodwin

Name: Channing Goodwin
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 185 lbs.
High school: Charlotte (NC) Providence Day
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Goodwin was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 65 catches for 1,094 yards and 14 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 72

Goodwin is a Michigan legacy who seemed like a pretty good bet all along to end up as a Wolverine. Of course, that's not always the case, because I thought the same thing about tight end Will Mallory back in 2018 - among others over the years - and I was wrong. (Mallory committed to Miami and made 115 catches for 1,544 yards and 14 touchdowns before being taken by the Colts in the 5th round in 2023.) But Channing played alongside quarterback Jadyn Davis, and why not go to the same school where you might be able to maintain the chemistry you developed in high school? It has seemed to work for Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase as they moved from LSU to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Goodwin is not particularly big, nor is he particularly fast. Usually, it seems like you have to be one or the other to make a big impact as a freshman. While he may have been in line for more playing time prior to a couple transfers, the arrivals of C.J. Charleston (Youngstown State) and Amorion Walker (Ole Miss) to the receiving group make Goodwin a good redshirt candidate. I'm going to count on him being able to block since his dad was an NFL offensive lineman, so perhaps that will get him on the field early, but he probably won't be a big factor in 2024.

Prediction: Redshirt

2024 Season Countdown: #83 Ike Iwunnah

 

Ike Iwunnah (image via Maize 'n' Brew)

Name: Ikechukwu Iwunnah
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 313 lbs.
High school: Garland (TX) Lakeview Centennial
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #92
Last year: I ranked Iwunnah #79 and said he would be a backup nose tackle (LINK). He did not play in any games.
TTB Rating: 75

Michigan has been blessed the past few years by having some very good defensive tackles. The Wolverines have a couple potential first round picks in Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, so it makes sense that a backup defensive tackle would have a hard time cracking the rotation. Graham and Grant are guaranteed snaps, and then everyone else is just going to fill in the gaps.

But this type of thing with Iwunnah doesn't happen very often: he's a fourth-year 300-pounder who has never played in a game for Michigan. When he arrived from Texas, he was going to be a bit of a project, so not playing in year one was somewhat expected. Then you think that type of guy will get a few snaps in year two, but not in his case. But surely in year three? Not so surely.

So now we're entering year four, and I don't know what to make of Iwunnah. Kris Jenkins and Cam Goode are gone, and Rayshaun Benny is the only heavy-rotation player still left behind the aforementioned Graham and Grant. Roderick Pierce will certainly play a role at nose tackle, but Michigan went after some defensive tackles in the portal and they were unsuccessful. The Wolverines were even messing around with walk-on Joey Klunder and defensive end-turned-defensive tackle Enow Etta in the spring game. Iwunnah got some snaps this spring, too, but it looks like he might be one of those guys who doesn't really play at Michigan and then transfers to a MAC school as a grad transfer, like Keith Heitzman or Wyatt Shallman or Tom Strobel. This season I wouldn't be surprised if a player like freshman Deyvid Palepale immediately steps in and passes Iwunnah on the depth chart, because something obviously isn't clicking.

Prediction: Backup defensive tackle