2021 Season Countdown: #76 Dan Villari

 

Dan Villari (image via Maize n Brew)

Name: Dan Villari
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 227 lbs.
High school: Massapequa (NY) Plainedge
Position: Quarterback
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #4
Last year: I ranked Villari #98 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He redshirted.
TTB Rating: 69

Villari was a late addition to the 2020 class after Michigan lost its 4-star quarterback commitment to a health issue. He was a project then, and I have no reason to believe he's much less of a project now. As expected he spent the 2020 season redshirting, and word is that if Michigan had been forced to play its final couple games of the season (which were mercifully canceled due to COVID), the Wolverines would have split time with Hassan Haskins in the Wildcat and Villari in the . . . Wildkitten. It would have been ugly, especially against Ohio State.

Jim Harbaugh raised some eyebrows this off-season when he suggested Villari could be used in a Taysom Hill type of role. Despite that somewhat lofty praise, I'm not sure if Villari is ready for that type of role. Furthermore, who would be coming off the field to put Villari on it? It's one thing to put him on the field if you're lacking playmakers, but with three game-ready running backs and a good group of speedy receivers, I don't know how much it helps to throw out a 6'4", 227 lb. redshirt freshman quarterback in various spots. Plus Michigan has been prone to offering up a fair amount of off-season hype that never materializes during games. So Villari could prove to deserve a higher spot in the ranking, but I'll believe it when I see it.

Prediction: Backup quarterback