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| Kenny Demens |
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 242 lbs.
High school: Detroit (MI) Country Day
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt senior
Jersey number: #25
Last year: I ranked Demens #3 and said he would have 100 tackles. He had 94 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble.
Demens went from a part-time starter in 2010 to almost never coming off the field in 2011. At a solid 248 lbs., he looked like a prototypical linebacker for a 4-3 defense. He was pretty good against the run and pretty good against the pass, although he never really seemed to have a signature play or signature game. Ask a bunch of Michigan fans what their favorite Demens play is, and you'll either get no answer or a bunch of different answers. Regardless, he was a mainstay on the field, even in obvious passing situations when a 6'1", 248-pounder with seemingly limited athleticism might seem to be a liability.
Now Demens has lost six pounds, which is probably a good thing. While he wasn't overweight last season, the Big Ten is no longer a power run-heavy league and his weight seemed to be a bit cumbersome for chasing down all the spread running backs and receivers. Maybe being a little lighter will give him an extra half step to make a few more plays, and 242 isn't small by any means. I put Demens at #3 last season partly because he had no viable backup, and that was evidenced by the fact that he was rarely replaced, except in blowouts. Now that freshman Joe Bolden is on campus, Demens should be able to get a breather. Bolden likely won't be a crunch-time player, but he's more reliable than the backup MIKEs who were available last season. Brandin Hawthorne also got more reps at MIKE in the spring and could be a situational replacement there, although he's more of a weakside 'backer. Demens should get a little more rest this season, but he'll still have a big impact on the defense.
Prediction: 90 tackles, 1 interception
#14 seems quite low for the starting MIKE but keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteThe difference is that he has viable backups. You'll see that the guys above...don't.
DeleteI agree with you but just think about that statement: "Bolden likely won't be a crunch-time player, but he's more reliable than the backup MIKEs who were available last season.:" Speaks to the lack of depth last year that we are so much more capable and confident with a true freshman this year.
ReplyDeleteYes. The fact that they have a relatively polished freshman back-up who went through spring practice is an improvement over last year, where they had an unpolished freshman who did not enroll early start multiple games.
DeleteA LB post without a single mention of Marrel Evans? What's this blog coming to? Next thing you know there'll be a RB discussion without Mike Cox.
ReplyDeleteI think your point about 'signature plays' is astute. I can think of Avery and Herron and Hawthorne and Clark's big plays but Demens has a much bigger role.
Agree that LB depth is much better this year. Having nearly everyone return and bringing in a nice freshman class has turned a weakness into (hopefully) a strength.
This is probably a fair spot for Demens but, as a potential all-conference caliber player he might deserve to be higher. There could be a substantial dropoff between him and an inexperienced freshman getting inserted into the LB unit. That said, Morgan could slide over and Hawthorne be inserted in too...
Yeah, there are lots of options at linebacker. Outside of Bolden, Morgan could move over. Hawthorne has starting experience and could play there. They could insert Ross at WILL to free up someone. Mike Jones has been around for a few years and perhaps has improved. Antonio Poole might return sometime this season after all. Etc.
DeleteI caught sight of Ross in one of those practice videos. Recruiting evaluators dinged him a bit for lack of size, but he appears to have bulked up nicely in the off-season.
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