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| Jaron Dukes (image via MGoBlog) |
Name: Jaron Dukes
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 200 lbs.
High school: Columbus (OH) Marion Franklin
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #83
Last year: I ranked Dukes #80 and said he would redshirt. He redshirted.
Dukes came in a little light last year and doesn't have great speed, so he needed at least a year to bulk up. He has added three pounds. He is in essentially the same spot as he was last year despite the graduation of Jeremy Gallon, Jeremy Jackson, and Drew Dileo. The Wolverines brought in three pretty good receivers in the 2014 class, one of whom (Freddy Canteen) has already made waves with his play in the spring. I would expect a couple of the freshmen to shoot past Dukes on the depth chart on athleticism alone, so I believe he will watch from the sideline this year unless a blowout occurs.
Prediction: Backup wide receiver
That modest addition of weight wouldn't seem to bode well for his future. Right now he looks like the second coming of Jeremy Jackson. Still, it's early ...
ReplyDeleteAs the court-appointed public defender for Mr.Jackson's football career, I have to interject here.
DeleteThere may indeed be some parallels between Jackson's 2010 WR Class and Stokes' 2013 WR class, but Jackson managed to play right away ahead of most of his classmates and outproduced some red-shirt freshman (including Gallon, albeit barely) in 2010. Meanwhile Stokes sat on the bench in 2013, despite limited competition. Many WRs can contribute as freshman and beside Gallon there was plenty of opportunity: Darboh was hurt, Chesson had no experience, and Dileo was not heavily utilized by the coaches. Maybe Stokes has upside (though his recruiting profile doesn't speak to it). That he didn't play at all, when people like Reynolds and Jackson got plenty of snaps, is not the best early indicator. Buzz has been nil for him, even compared to Jones. Not playing as a freshman is far from a death sentence, but when the competition is weak it's a sign that you're probably not going to be a star player - especially at a skill position where immediate contribution isn't uncommon.
If we're drawing parallels to the '10 class Jones is probably the Dileo or Jackson of the group and Stokes and York are the DJ Williamson, Jerald Robinson, and Ricardo Millers of the group. Plenty of time to flip that script, as York and Stokes have 4 years left, but, again, the early indications are not positive and most people now expect Canteen, Harris, and maybe even Ways to pass these guys soon, if they haven't already in the coaches eyes. They have in Thunder's and I tend to agree. At this moment in time, if Stokes can match Jackson's career production (~200 yards) and playing time, I'd consider it exceeding expectations. But with injuries and such, you never know...
Dukes not Stokes.
DeleteI made this comment on the Terry Richardson preview -- guys coming in too light and failing to put on the required weight is becoming a depressingly familiar theme of the Hoke era.
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying you're wrong, but I think your evidence might be anecdotal. We have also seen guys put on a significant amount of weight, including Taco Charlton (roughly 250 to 270) and Frank Clark (225 to 274). I'm guessing every program has some big gainers and some guys who don't put on much weight.
DeleteSpeaking from experience, there are also guys who just don't follow the program to the "T". Guys who are light are asked ("encouraged") to eat more and are put on a gainer meal plan. However, I've seen guys palm food or hide it and either toss it or give it to other guys later. One guy's explanation was "I don't want to get fat.".
DeleteI told him I'm PRETTY SURE they wouldn't have him on a program that will get him fat - but he didn't listen.
Not saying that is the case here, but there are just some people who just decide not to "get with the program".
One thing that is hard to quantify is work ethic. Some guys have never been in a weight room in high school and got by on their natural ability. A guy like Dukes has projection if he works in the weight room and can improve both his strength and his speed. If he doesn't put in the work, these types don't make it.
DeleteDukes doesn't look real skinny to me with pads on and 200 pounds seems fine. From what I recall of his recruiting profile, speed was always the big question. The optimists saw him as something of a jump ball target, but that's like 20 attempts a year at best. With better jump ball targets around (Funchess, Bunting?, Ways?) and a glut of pretty tall WRs, it's hard to see where Dukes is going to fit in.
DeleteDid anyone else hear about Governor Rick Snyder signed off on a new minimum wage bill through 2018? Great strategy, because with Obama's inflation and everything, the wage salaries of 2018 would be equal of today, so Snyder will look like a genius.
ReplyDeleteWTF?
DeleteThe reason he did it was because Democrats and Republicans agreed on it, resulting in the happiest possible compromise.
ReplyDeleteNo disrespect, but this isn't the venue for political discussions.
DeleteOMG I finally agree with something suduri posted
ReplyDelete