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| Ben Gedeon (image via Toledo Blade) |
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 236 lbs.
High school: Hudson (OH) Hudson
Position: Linebacker
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #42
Last year: I ranked Gedeon #68 and said he would be a backup linebacker and special teamer. He played in all thirteen games and made 19 tackles with 1 sack.
If there was any question about whether Gedeon would burn his redshirt or not, it was answered in the first game of the season when he made 4 tackles. From the beginning, he looked physically developed and prepared to play linebacker in the Big Ten. He proceeded to make 6 tackles (5 solo) against Ohio State and another 5 in the bowl game against Kansas State. He looked quick and sharp and aggressive despite being the third-string middle linebacker behind Desmond Morgan and Joe Bolden.
Unfortunately for Gedeon, his path to playing time is now blocked by Butkus Award candidate Jake Ryan. With Morgan and Bolden off to the WILL position in the new 4-3 Over, Ryan moves over from SAM and Gedeon is still on the outside looking in. Michigan's coaching staff likes to keep defensive guys fresh, though, so he should find plenty of snaps; additionally, Ryan is a guy who can play outside linebacker or defensive end in certain packages, so defensive coordinator Greg Mattison may be able to find ways to get them on the field at the same time. Either way, Gedeon looks the part of a future Michigan starter, and possibly even a star.
Prediction: Backup middle linebacker; 30 tackles, 1 sack
I love this kid's potential. I think he and J. Lewis are going to be all-conference caliber players.
ReplyDeleteCould you see him gaining fifteen pounds (or so) and playing WDE in a couple of years? He's already pretty big.
ReplyDeleteI don't see him moving outside, but then again, I didn't see Ryan moving inside. My tea leaves haven't been right for years now.
DeleteI think you're setting yourself up for trouble if you're always moving guys from one position to another. Sometimes it's a necessity, but I would prefer to let Gedeon learn the MIKE linebacker position like the back of his hand. On top of that, Jake Ryan is graduating, so it seems a little pointless to lose Ryan (and Morgan) AND move your backup middle linebacker to weakside end.
DeleteNot all position changes are created equally. Mattison has repeatedly said that some of the positions are interchangeable.
DeleteMake it 5 sacks, mark it.
ReplyDeleteFive sacks for a backup middle linebacker? I doubt it.
DeleteHe always seemed to be around the ball. I'm looking forward to watching him continue his development.
ReplyDeleteMaking a bold prediction here and I'm usually spot on with my predictions... Gedeon will be All B1G going into his senior year. He may also be on some pre-season 'watch' lists for other accolades.
ReplyDeleteThis guy has all American potential. Will be a very very good player for Meeeeechigan!
ReplyDeleteBit high maybe given that Morgan or Bolden could slide over but hard to argue with this ranking - he should get plenty of time and showed nice upside for a true freshman.
ReplyDeleteHopefully the coaches will find a way to get the best LBs on the field. Neither Bolden nor Morgan are good enough that Gedeon couldn't jump them in the depth chart, experience notwithstanding. We need guys who can be great, not just good, or "solid" or "decent".
ReplyDeleteI actually hope the coaches find ways to get the best DBs on the field. I don't see why we need to be heavily rotating at 3 LB positions, when most teams are running spread offenses and we have a bounty of talent in the secondary. I'd rather see Peppers/Thomas/Stribling out there than RJS/Bolden/Gedeon.
DeleteOtherwise, I have no problem with the young LBs learning under quality guys like Morgan until they are capable of avoiding big time mistakes.
I expect that the starting lineups on both sides of the ball will be in flux for a while, as the coaches try to figure out which is the best overall group to have on the field most of the time. Even guys like Ryan and Countess, whose starting jobs are unlikely to be in jeopardy, may still slide around, depending on which younger players develop, and where they fit in. Gardner and Funchess are probably the only guys who will be locked in as starters at one position for the whole season. And frankly, the heck with learning under more experienced players. If a guy like Gedeon is flat out making more plays than a guy like Morgan, then he should be getting more snaps. I'll take production over experience any day.
DeleteHopefully, by the mid-point of the seaso
Hopefully by the mid-point of the season, we'll have a more settled line-up, since that's when things start getting tough in the BT. But. 5-1 for the first half and 4-2 for the second half, (winning one out of PSU, OSU and MSU) is very doable.
DeleteI don't agree that Gedeon is making more plays than Morgan at this point in their careers. This doesn't look like a McGary/Morgan situation where the talent gap is large enough to justify displacing the vet playing at a high level.
DeleteWhile I agree that things are still unsettled at a few key positions, I think and hope we'll see less shuffling around after the season starts than in years past. Especially on D - I think we are fairly stable with quality players in the rotation up front. Just have to get the other safety spot sorted out, but hopefully they can figure that out early in the year. But OL may again be a game of musical chairs.
DeleteWell, I didn't say that Gedeon WAS making more plays than Morgan at this point. I said IF he is this season (and that's not a completely unrealistic possibility), then he should get more snaps, experience be damned.
DeleteI really like Gedeon's potential and am glad to see I am not alone. He looks like a classic Tressel ILB - big, fast, and instinctive. He showed well in the 2nd half of the Iowa game - thought he reacted more quickly off the snap and just looked superior to Bolden. He (along w/ Ryan) can be that big, interior blitzer that Mattison craves. Of the LB's who have seen playing time the last couple years, only Ryan and Gedeon jump out at me as having NFL potential. Hope GMatt finds a way to get him snaps.
ReplyDeleteAll the freshman who played significant snaps on D last year: Charlton, Gedeon, Stribling, Lewis seem like potential all-conference players. When you have quality starters and proven depth, a freshman breaking into the rotation is usually a great sign. On offense, we didn't have that level of quality in personnel so kids played out of need - that makes it harder to gauge how good Bosch, Butt, Morris, Green, Smith are going to be.
Delete