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| Khalid Hill (image via Go Blue Wolverine) |
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 255 lbs.
High school: Detroit (MI) East English Village
Position: Tight end
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #80
Last year: I ranked Hill #73 and said he would be a backup U-back. He redshirted.
Coming into last season, I believed Michigan would find a role for Hill as a bit player in the "move" tight end position. He lacked the size of a true tight end but showed good hands coming out of high school. However, the fullbacks did what fullbacks do, and Michigan made things work with Devin Funchess and Jake Butt as U-back types, so Hill never saw the field.
Now it appears that Hill has become a full-time, in-line tight end. That does not bode well for his future. He's short for a tight end, and he has always been more of a slot guy or off-the-line player. He was dreadful as a blocker in the spring game. I would rank him lower, but Butt's ACL injury makes him doubtful for the first chunk of the season, meaning Hill might see more playing time than anyone really wants. The Wolverines are very limited now that Funchess is a full-time wideout and Jordan Paskorz did not return for a fifth year, leaving junior A.J. Williams and redshirt junior position-switcher Keith Heitzman as the only legitimate options at tight end until Butt returns. I do not expect Hill to see much playing time, but he's possibly one injury away from being forced onto the field in certain situations.
Prediction: Backup tight end
"That does not bode well for his future."
ReplyDeleteAs in, "They took a good look at Hill where they *thought* he could play (somewhere between a pure fullback and an in-line tight end) and wound up saying NO WAY EVER, so they're moving him in the hopes that, somewhere down the line, the new position works out for him?"
I think the goal for him was to be an H-back, but Nussmeier does not use the H-back as much as Borges had planned. It's like getting rid of Rich Rodriguez's "box safety" position. Some of those guys are going to become safeties, and some are going to become linebackers. In Hill's case, he could have become a fullback or a tight end. Unfortunately, I don't think he really fits as a true tight end.
DeleteI saw an interview with Nussmeier somewhere where Hill's name came up. Nussmeier quickly dispensed with the question by saying something like "Hill has some work to do".
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure there is a position for Hill in this offense. Especially if he doesn't block.
Yeah. Khalid Hill was a head-scratcher for me. Not really sure why he was even recruited in the first place.
DeleteMy sense is that Borges went after Hill largely because he looked good in 7 on 7 tournaments and he was desperate for more receiving threats at TE/H-back. The guy has legit receiving skills, and some nice HS highlights as well. Blocking skills and frame would have been the question marks coming in as a recruit. Agree that if he does not develop as a blocker, he won't see the field. As we saw with Funchess, an H-back who consistently whiffs on blocks will limit an offense, no matter how good of a receiving threat.
DeleteIf UM keeps bringing in these huge-frame TE's with good wheels (Butt, Bunting, Clark, etc.), they will not need to specifically recruit H-back or jumbo-slot types any more. These guys are versatile enough to play multiple roles.
The plan was H Back. Hill is a nice receiver. he runs pretty good routes, finds seems and has some pretty nice hands. I'm sure borgis figured they could teach him to block from a slot ... ish position.
DeleteNussmeier hasn't shown much inclination to employ an H Back position. Now you have a kid that has a skill set that doesn't really fit anywhere for the offense we are most likely running for the forceable future.
I'm not sure what the plan was for Hill to begin with. Has anyone watched any of his high school film, can he catch?
ReplyDeleteYes. I've seen his high school highlights, and he was a big part of Shane Morris's 7-on-7 team that had success nationally. Hill has soft hands and decent speed. But he's not very big, and he's not an adept blocker.
DeleteHmmm...I think H-back is going to be a MUCH bigger part of the offense than others, it seems. FB is the spot I expect to really fade, along with having a second in-line TE. Borges liked to have a lot max-protection situations - the 2nd TE was basically an OLmen, and the FB rarely went out. I expect Nuss to send out 4 targets a lot more often and have an h-back who can catch OR block in regularly. Long-term, Hill is one of the top candidates.
ReplyDeleteI think Hill getting worked at TE as a development thing, like when Brandon Graham was a DT. Graham was a HS linebacker who needed to get into the trenches to be a better DE. I see the same thing for Hill, who was basically a WR.
From Nuss' comments it seems like Hill won't play this year (which is why I think Shallman has a decent chance to make an impact at H-back). But in the next few years he could be a key piece of the H-back rotation, if the chemistry he had with Morris and those receiving skills he flashed in HS are legit, he'll be a useful weapon.
He also seems like a guy they might run out in non-competitive situations so that he can start getting a better feel for the game.
Don't throw dirt on his grave yet.
I want to agree with you on this, maybe just cuz Khalid's body type is like mine or he has a cool name or something. Maybe I am hoping he ends up being more like Aaron Shea was or like one of those Stanford dudes, even if his measurable s aren't perfect. I think gallon proved last year that being on the same page with your qb counts for something.
DeleteWe've got a lot of these TE/Fullback/H-back types. I would expect a couple of transfers out in the next few years.
ReplyDelete