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| Graham Glasgow |
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 314 lbs.
High school: Aurora (IL) Marmion Academy
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #61
Last year: I did not rank Glasgow. He did not see any game action.
Glasgow showed up to campus last season as a walk-on, choosing Michigan over Ohio State. He is/was pretty limited athletically. Despite excellent size, he does not appear to be pressing for playing time. The first time most Michigan fans saw him in action was in the 2012 spring game, when he was painfully slow getting out of his stance, pulling, etc. and single-handedly prevented a short yardage touchdown by being so slow. He will most likely remain on the bench this fall, but depth at offensive line could be a problem if any injuries occur.
Prediction: Bench
I was panicking about OL depth as much as anyone (and still think it's going to be a major weakness that holds back this team in 2013) but man is it funny how worked up some people over at MGoBlog can get over walk-ons like Glasgow.
ReplyDeleteJust to clarify - do you not think that poor OL depth will hold us back this upcoming season? I could see it being a problem in the 2012 season as well.
DeleteI think the only way it becomes a problem in 2012 is if we have multiple significant injuries. We have a capable utility backup in Elliott Mealer, who can play four positions on the line if he doesn't start. Then we have Chris Bryant as a backup guard and Jack Miller as a backup center, and a few highly touted freshmen. We can handle two injuries on the offensive line. If we have more than that, there might be problems.
DeleteMichigan hasn't had good OL depth for many years, but depth only matters if you lose people. Attrition comes from not just injuries, but transfers, academic issues, legal problems, family/health situations, etc.
DeleteWe kind of lucked out last year on the OL with limited attrition, so things worked out fine depth-wise. This year, depth is about the same (Molk, Huyge, Khoury replaced by Miller and Bryant). However, this OL unit is probably a stronger unit, overall. First, five guys on the 2-deep are 4th or 5th year players. Second, several of them (Barnum, Schofield, Mealer) are versatile enough to move positions if necessary. Third, there's a talented class of 4 freshman who can be called in if/when problems arise. Finally, a number of potentially serviceable OL walk-ons (like Glasgow) are emerging.
Setting aside comparisons to last year, 2012 OL depth is still thin and unproven. After the 5 veterans there are 2 red-shirt freshman(Bryant, Miller) and then either true freshman or walk-ons. This is not an optimal situation, but with enough bodies, one we should survive, like Thunder said. The only real worry is center, where Barnum is injury prone and changing positions and Miller is totally untested. (It's too bad Khoury didn't stick around.)
While the scholarship numbers may be similar 2013, not only is depth still an issue, but we lose the quality at the top, with 3 or 4 of those 2012 veterans going away. We're going to be throwing a whole lot of freshman out there, especially if Lewan goes pro. In a best-case scenario you 2013 OL is Lewan-Bryant-Miller-Kalis-Schofield. But the best-case scenario is not likely to happen. Lewan's likely a high 1st round NFL pick and Miller or (less likely) Bryant may not pan out. More realistically, most of the 2-deep will yet to have played a meaningful down and inexperienced players will be pressed into starting roles. The only player that can be counted on right now is Schofield. And while, yes, the recruiting classes in '12 and '13 look strong for OL, so did the 2004's class. Until those guys perform, we can't count on them.
I think the coaching staff is aware of this, so you might see them burn red-shirts this year in an effort to get freshman better prepared for '13. Of course that depends on how healthy the vets are, how Bryant and Miller step up, and if any of the walk-ons look like viable players in the fall.
And another thing about the '12 OL -- Denard and Fitz can make up for some of their mistakes. The '13 backfield might not be as kind.
I think one major aspect you are overlooking is Coach Funk. I think we now have one of the best OL coaches in the country and he will elevate the level of play across the board. You still need the horses, but good coaching is huge and why schools like Iowa keep churning out NFL lineman.
DeleteI'm not entirely sold on Funk. I think the jury's still out, at least for how he's done at Michigan. The pass protection last year was pretty good, but the running game wasn't as productive as it could have been early in the year. The players did their best work when running the spread and zone stuff, which was somewhat a carryover from the Rodriguez days. We'll find out how good Funk is in a year or two.
DeleteStrongly agree Thunder. The coaches in general have a lot to prove at Michigan, given that they've been around for 1 year and had success with another coaching staff's players. Now obviously Borges and Mattison have pretty extensive resumes and Hoke has pointed the program in the right direction and handled basically everything as you'd want him to, but the jury is still out on most of the assistants. Things look good though overall, of course, but it's early.
DeleteThat said, one guy stands out. Given how recruiting has gone (we already have 2+ classes to look at), I think you can safely say Jerry Montgomery is a significant asset to the program. A LOT of recruits talk about their relationship with him. He's obviously having an impression.