Name: Erick All
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 245 lbs.
High school: Fairfield (OH) Fairfield
Position: Tight end
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #83
Last year: I ranked All #31 and said he would be a backup tight end (LINK). He started two games and caught 12 passes for 82 yards.
TTB Rating: 75
I want to apologize for my comment on All from last year's countdown piece: "[All] reportedly has some of the best hands on the team, regardless of position."
There's no getting around the fact that All was pretty bad in 2020, perhaps the offense's biggest disappointment. I believe he dropped 4 passes while catching just 12, which is a terrible ratio. To top it off, even when he caught the ball, he averaged just 6.83 yards per catch. That is the lowest average per catch for a wide receiver or tight end at Michigan since the 2017 version of Maurice Ways averaged 2.33 yards on 3 catches. Furthermore, no WR/TE has caught double-digit passes and averaged fewer yards since Brian Thompson in 2003 (13 catches, 82 yards).
This is not meant to castigate All as much as it is to point out the ineffectiveness of Michigan's play-calling and quarterback play.
This is a very controversial coaching philosophy of mine, but I'll stand by it:
Don't call plays that don't work.
That's obviously tongue-in-cheek, but All would have been removed from my game plan after the Wisconsin game. He just wasn't getting it done, and neither was Josh Gattis's crappy play calling. But he caught 4 passes for 27 yards against Rutgers and then 1 for 8 yards against Penn State to finish out the season.
I do believe All has the potential to be better this season. His TTB Rating of 75 is still well within reach of being accurate, and I have him here at #19 in the countdown for reasons. He is fast and blocks well. His poor display of catching skills in 2020 could very well just have been a string of bad luck. Maybe new tight ends coach Jay Harbaugh - who coached 2016 Mackey Award winner Jake Butt - can help All out a little bit. The door isn't shut on All being a quality player. But if his struggles continue, there are good prospects waiting in the wings in the form of Luke Schoonmaker, Matt Hibner, and Louis Hansen.
Prediction: Starting tight end; 25 catches, 250 yards, 3 touchdowns
The door isn't shut because Harbaugh insists on having TEs out there as key roles to our offense, rather than complimentary - regardless of ability
ReplyDeleteMy "hope" is, we stop trying to force it to him in the flats, and that Cade's softer touch will make it easier to handle
Yep, a lot needs to come together this year
I'll admit to buying the All hype. The hands are a concern for sure, but this maybe overstated based on the sample size. He came in as a skinny receiver type but stood out for his willingness to block immediately. Now he's added weight and should be turning that into good 2-way ability. Harbaugh loves TEs and All is clearly ahead of the back with obvious upside to be very very good.
ReplyDeleteAll's a huge X-factor, potential breakout player, etc. I'm looking forward to watching him and would rank him probably in the bottom of the top 10.