The following depth chart has removed these listed players from the 2021 depth chart for various reasons:
- OL Chuck Filiaga (graduation)
- RB Hassan Haskins (NFL)
- S Brad Hawkins (graduation)
- TE Joel Honigford (graduation)
- DE Aidan Hutchinson (graduation)
- DT Donovan Jeter (graduation)
- K Jake Moody (graduation)
- P Brad Robbins (graduation)
- LB Josh Ross (graduation)
- DT Jess Speight (graduation)
- OL Andrew Stueber (graduation)
- OL Andrew Vastardis (graduation)
It also assumes that every currently rostered player and every currently committed prospect will be here in 2022, which is obviously not true. I listed wide receiver Ronnie Bell on the below roster since he plans to return in 2022 after suffering an ACL tear in 2021.
Hit the jump for the depth chart.
QB: Cade McNamara (RS Jr.), J.J. McCarthy (So.), Alan Bowman (RS Sr.), Dan Villari (RS So.), Jayden Denegal (Fr.), Alex Orji (Fr.)
RB: Blake Corum (Jr.), Donovan Edwards (So.), Tavierre Dunlap (RS Fr.), C.J. Stokes (Fr.)
WR1: Cornelius Johnson (Sr.), Daylen Baldwin (RS Sr.), Cristian Dixon (RS Fr.), Darrius Clemons (Fr.)
WR2: Ronnie Bell (RS Sr.), Roman Wilson (Jr.), Andrel Anthony (So.), Amorion Walker (Fr.)
WR3: Mike Sainristil (Sr.), A.J. Henning (Jr.), Tyler Morris (Fr.)
TE: Erick All (Sr.), Luke Schoonmaker (RS Sr.), Matt Hibner (RS So.), Louis Hansen (RS Fr.), Marlin Klein (Fr.), Colston Loveland (Fr.)
LT: Ryan Hayes (RS Sr.), Jeffrey Persi (RS So.), Tristan Bounds (RS Fr.)
LG: Trevor Keegan (RS Jr.), Giovanni El-Hadi (RS Fr.), Alessandro Lorenzetti (Fr.)
C: Olu Oluwatimi (6th), Greg Crippen (So.), Raheem Anderson II (RS Fr.)
RG: Zak Zinter (RS So.), Reece Atteberry (RS So.), Connor Jones (Fr.)
RT: Trente Jones (RS Jr.), Karsen Barnhart (RS Jr.), Andrew Gentry (Fr.)
SDE: Taylor Upshaw (RS Sr.), Braiden McGregor (RS So.), Michael Morris (RS Jr.), Gabe Newburg (RS Jr.), T.J. Guy (RS Fr.), Dominick Giudice (RS Fr.), Derrick Moore (Fr.)
DT: Chris Hinton (Sr.), Kris Jenkins Jr. (RS So.), Julius Welschof (RS Sr.), Rayshaun Benny (RS Fr.), George Rooks III (RS Fr.), Mason Graham (Fr.)
NT: Mazi Smith (RS Jr.), Jordan Whittley (RS Sr.), Jack Stewart (RS Jr.), Ike Iwunnah (RS Fr.), Kenneth Grant (Fr.)
Rush LB: David Ojabo (RS Jr.), Jaylen Harrell (RS So.), Kechaun Bennett (RS Fr.), Kevonte Henry (Fr.)
OLB: ,Michael Barrett (RS Sr.), Anthony Solomon (RS Jr.), Quinten Johnson (RS Jr.), Micah Pollard (Fr.)
MIKE: Junior Colson (So.), Joey Velazquez (RS Jr.), Tyler McLaurin (RS Fr.), Jimmy Rolder (Fr.)
WILL: Nikhai Hill-Green (RS So.), Kalel Mullings (Jr.), Jaydon Hood (RS Fr.), Deuce Spurlock (Fr.)
CB: D.J. Turner II (RS Jr.), Gemon Green (RS Sr.), Will Johnson (Fr.), Andre Seldon (RS So.), George Johnson III (RS Jr.)
CB: Vincent Gray (RS Sr.), Jalen Perry (RS Jr.), Ja'Den McBurrows (So.), Darion Green-Warren (RS So.), Eamonn Dennis (RS So.), Myles Pollard (Fr.)
FS: Daxton Hill (Sr.), Rod Moore (So.), Zeke Berry (Fr.), German Green (RS Sr.), Kody Jones (Fr.), Sammy Faustin (RS Sr.)*
SS: R.J. Moten (RS So.), Makari Paige (RS So.), Jordan Morant (RS So.), Keon Sabb (Fr.), Damani Dent (Fr.)
K: Cole Hussung (RS Fr.)
P: Tommy Doman (RS Fr.)
*Faustin's status with the team is uncertain
My hope is that the D personnel improve enough to limit the loss of Ojabo & Hutch. That's a tall order, but MacDonald made significant progress with much less in 2021
ReplyDeleteOn offense, JJ has a lot of growing up to do. I know fans are enamoured with the potential - which is beyond debate - but in game 14 he still has questionable judgement, and let's himself take shots that would keep him from surviving a full season. Also needs to work on touch, a lot. Do we know when Cade is due to graduate?
At RB, we could improve, but Gattis & JH must know they cannot commit to the same run philosophy without Hassan Haskins. Perhaps we have a guy who can grind out yards occasionally, but not at the rate H2 performed
Next year will be interesting. On paper we look ready to get even better, but that's not how seasons go (see UM basketball)
Not likely to be better. I said it before the bball season that losing 3 NBA wings and vet PG who could shoot as well was not going to be replaced. The freshman were going to have to be even better than their rankings (and given how high they were ranked that wasn't likely) to make up for the loss of shooting and defense. Not happening. Reality was that the Beilein benefits were still being realized (and Juwan credited him too), but there was not actually that much room for improvement over what went out.
DeleteMichigan football is in a similar spot where it's about impossible to replace the DE talent going out. Pass rush is the the most important thing on D and we're going to take a huge step back with Hutch/Ojabo. Next most important is coverage and we lose Hill and criminally underrated Hawkins. Freshman can help but you can't replace what is going out. Ross? - yes, we can replace that. Hill? - not likely but MAYBE if everything breaks right. Hutchinson? - lol nope, we're in Woodson territory here. We'll talk about "the next Hutchinson" for the next 20 years and we'll come close once or twice if we're lucky.
So, the onus is on the offense if the team is going to be better. Haskins will get the credit but the bigger loss for manball run game is Steuber. Either way it'll be time to evolve further again. Cade will be senior. JJ won't be a freshman. The OL will be EVEN MORE veteran, though perhaps not quite as cohesive. The WR/RB talent will be deep. Gattis, if he is here still which I hope he is, will have everything at his disposal he could want. The offense will need to kick it up a notch in aggression, speed, and production.
Any chance Welschof slides back to DE?
ReplyDeleteLike HH, we can expect Ojabo and HIll to exit with eligibility left. Harrell should slot in for a big role.
Would not surprise me to see some different schemes without Hutch and OJabo being so dangerous on the edge. More Barrett/Solomon perhaps.
It's good Moore and Moten got a lot of time this year because they'll have big shoes to fill.
I think that's one reason Moten/Moore got so much time this year. Maybe they weren't necessarily the most ready to play (I have a hard time believing Moore was better in 2021 than every other veteran DB), but if they had the most potential for 2022 to replace Hill/Hawkins, then it makes sense to get them some time.
DeleteI don't think Welschof will slide back to DE unless they change schemes. Hutchinson played the DE position this year, and Welschof isn't that kind of athlete. That spot has to go to McGregor/Harrell/Upshaw if they want a pass rush, even though I think Michigan's going to struggle in the pass rush department in 2022.
DeleteThunder. What % do you think it is that Ojabo goes pro? I think is it less than 70% (totally uneducated opinion). Family financial situation may warrant it. But if he can get great NIL????
Delete@Thunder
DeleteI think you're probably right about Welschof but I didn't see the athleticism from Morris or Upshaw either. I think there a chance, admittedly very small, that they ask Welschof to slim down, take what he learned with hand technique etc at DT, and translate it into edge ability. He's a good athlete.
Harrell I think is going to fill in the Ojabo spot. Hutchinson's is more open in my view.
McGregor might be the best bet but Upshaw isn't a bad player. Those guys can probably do well against Rutgers but I don't think they can disrupt OSU like Hutch did.
@ klctlc 4:30 p.m.
DeleteFrom everything I've heard, Ojabo is all but gone. I think it's about 93.7%.
@ Lank 5:05 p.m.
DeleteI think if they were grooming Welschof for the DE spot, they would have played him at DE this year. At least McGregor and Upshaw have played on the edge. Counting on Welschof to not only become a starter but become an edge player is very tough.
I think you've probably heard me say numerous times that moving guys up in the defense (S to LB, LB to DE, DE to DT, etc.) is a much better idea than moving guys back.
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DeleteMakes sense. Graham did it but that was early in his career. I think Welschof played edge some but that was probably under Brown.
DeleteJust wondering if there's athletic upside somewhere like with how we've seen Ojabo and Uche pop.
Fair point. Brandon Graham did it but he was much younger.
ReplyDeleteWelschof is a redshirt senior, having played three seasons (two, really, since in 2019 he appeared in only one game with no stats). His career stats are not that impressive: 15 games, 7 tackles, 12 assists, two 1/2 tackles for loss, two 1/2 sack credits, and 1 pass breakup. When he came in, he was clearly a "project," given his limited time in football. His appeal was his ski-related athleticism.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: was the project worth it, looking in hindsight?
Question: as Michigan gets better, do we have room for "projects" like this?
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DeleteI guess I don't really understand the question. Rather than calling him a project, why don't we just call him a player?
DeleteThe player has contributed more than: German Green, Myles Sims, Mustapha Muhammad, and Sammy Faustin from that same class, not to mention arguably being more valuable than Christian Turner and Ben VanSumeren.
So yeah, I don't see how that player hurt Michigan any more than signing those other 6 guys.
Yes, I think it's definitely worth it. Several guys who recruiting sites called raw "projects" turned into great players including Uche and Ojabo. You have to take your swings.
DeleteWelschof hasn't been a star but he's contributed.
I called him a "project" because that's what everyone was calling him when he was signed. I've seen the term "project" used here to refer to people who are brought in but it's not readily apparent how or if he will develop. I believe Joe Milton was referred to as a project when he came in.
DeleteIt's just an easy way to say a lot of development is needed. Limited football experience, lack of access to strong coaching, late physical development -- all of this can make a guy 'raw'. Ronnie Bell was focused on basketball and was considered by some to be a project too.
DeleteIn my view, Michigan's success should allow for MORE recruits like this. If you assume that recruiting is elevated from a low 4 star to a high 4 star and handful more 5 stars in the mix, then those guys have a higher probability of being at least pretty good. You're then free to use more scholarships on higher ceiling long-shots that might be great. Like Ojabo and Welschof and Uche.
You have to know that some won't work out. When they do it's a big deal.
@ Anonymous 11:35 a.m.
DeleteI understand what you mean about "project" in that sense. I have used the word "project" in regard to recruits. I'm just saying that when you look in retrospect, the term becomes less relevant.
When you're recruiting someone, you might look at them as a "project" and try to figure out if they can turn into a good player and how long it will take them to get there.
But Darion Green-Warren and Anthony Solomon, for examples, just transferred without contributing anything significant on the field, either. Neither one was really considered to be a project. So I guess my point is that it doesn't really matter if a player WAS a project three or four years later, because by then, "polished" All-Americans have often flamed out.
To say it another way: Which is more questionable - the pursuit of Julius Welschof or the pursuit of Darion Green-Warren?
To my eye is a question of "expected value," which is a combination of potential ceiling weighed against the pathway to get them there. Julius Welschof had tantalizing athleticism, but very little in the way of football experience. What little football experience he had in Germany was likely comparable to DII or DIII football here. I'm sure what he experienced was a very large uphill learning experience.
DeleteTo my eye, it's a different thing from taking a chance on a 3-star whose a product of the normal American football experience. I recall when he was recruited and signed, I thought to myself: "This will be interesting. I *hope* he gets the hang of things, but I have my doubts."
The reason I ask this question is it does not seem to be a pattern with teams that are consistently good. Maybe it's just I don't hear about them. Maybe the OSUs, Penn States, Clemsons, Oklahomas have similar projects they pulled from the population of German skiers, but I've not heard of it. And I doubt they'd commit a scholarship to it.
@ Anonymous 7:22 p.m.
DeleteThere are probably a lot of examples across college football that we just don't see or hear about. I mean, who outside of the Michigan sphere knows Julius Welschof's backstory?
For example, Daniel Faalele from Minnesota was an Australian with very little experience who ended up at IMG Academy for a year and now looks like he'll get drafted.
Regardless, I think Michigan has had a good run of success with some of these projects, such as Welschof, Ojabo, Kwity Paye, etc. At this point I'm inclined to trust Harbaugh and his staff on project guys. There's something he sees in them - whether it's competitiveness, intelligence, athleticism, being a blank slate, etc. - that seems to work.
Welschof had his best UFR game against Iowa with a +6 on 20 snaps ... I think.
DeletePretty sure his second best game was OSU where he marked a 0, but on 14 snaps ... again, I think.
I'll take no mistakes or blowouts from a rotation guy against the Buckeyes.
So, I think he's trending in the right way.
I also think that he could play a traditional SDE and that we're likely to see some of that as a tweak next year. I didn't notice him positively all that much this year mostly because I was noticing Hutchinson, but when I did, it was him running.
Agree with Roanman that 2022 might see a different deployment of DEs. When you have two edge rush terrors you deploy them one way and when you don't you might do it differently.
DeleteI'm optimistic on Welshof for similar reasons to Ojabo before the season - it was always going to take a while. He's getting better and contributing. No guarantees but also no worries.
On projects.
DeleteWe talk about the recruiting disadvantage M faces in relation to OSU, Bama, Georgia and others. This is one way to work around it and get an edge and make up ground.
Beilein kind of followed a similar approach if/when the blue chips didn't land he had a plan B for guys that might have fallen through the cracks for whatever reason. He liked guys who were extra young (lots of development left) or extra old (ready to contribute in some specific way quickly) or from unusual locations (e.g., Canada).
You can't field a full team of guys like this but you can find some gems.
Moore is a game film freak. He knows where he's supposed to be all the time. He says he knows situations so well he's always yelling out directions to the guys. Besides that, he can do the physical things. My blood runs cold think how good he will be by the time he is a junior.
ReplyDeleteI think it was Joe Gibbs that said football is 90% mental and 10% physical (I think it was Joe Gibbs). Rod Moore actually fulfills that 90% mental part.
Moore press conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vm0wp98Qaaw
Ok, I got questions.
ReplyDeleteYou were less than effusive on Olu Oluwatimi concerning not finishing blocks and taking plays off. But now I see him penciled in as the starting center on your list, so I watched his film again looking for instances of either issue.
The first time I watched, I thought that there were definitely some things to like. He has real quick feet, really sinks his hips and gets a nice punch on you as you come at him.
He got a Miami LB turned and finished him, but that was pretty easy. On the one play that I though I saw him get beat, on the second viewing, I realized that I had completely missed that it was a screen and he released the guy and went hunting the Safety.
If indeed he's 6'3, 310, the guy he was mostly blocking on was all of 6'5, 335. That guy stood him up once and drove him pretty good, but because Oluwatimi sinks so naturally, he got back under and stalled him.
As always, I'm mostly deferring on O and D line stuff, but I like the kid better on a more intent viewing.
I'm in agreement on the guy here, on this post moreso than on the introduction post, with one caveat ...
I'm pretty sure that our playbook for the O Line is more complex than most. I think this because of observations made from time to time here and at the other site as well about us running too many different approaches and diverse schemes, some of which are/were thought to be sort of mutually exclusive.
I have thought about those comments often during the course of this season as, if you go through the UFR thing that Brian/Seth do and then wander over to Space Coyote's site, it quickly becomes apparent that we are running all of it.
My strongly held opinion is that THE SINGLE THING that broke us through this year was a very veteran O Line's ability to run all of it FAST, having hours and hours and hours of drilling just about every possible approach there is to O Line scheming.
Can a guy come in and start making the calls after one spring?
Ok, so only one question after a lot of words.
As an aside, I'm never leaving Oregon to go coach at Miami.
DeleteOn the one hand you have a state university and Nike, with beau coup resources and the loudest stadium in the country. On the other you have a private school and the Orange Bowl.
I get Dade County, going home and all that stuff, but .....
The guy went to Air Force and Virginia, both of which are solid feats of academic prowess. So as for your one question, I think if anyone is capable of coming in and making calls after one spring, this would be a guy who could do it.
DeleteAs for penciling him in as the starter, I can't realistically believe that Michigan isn't bringing him in to be the starting center. I mean, he's a three year starter and a Rimington finalist. But based on what I saw from the Miami game, I would take Vastardis in 2021 over Oluwatimi in the Miami game.
You also have to keep in mind that just like Michigan (and Vastardis) got overwhelmed against Georgia, guys from the ACC could very well get overwhelmed against Big Ten/bowl opponents. SEC > Big 10 > ACC
I would take Vastardis over Oluwatimi in a heartbeat. But I do think Oluwatimi can play.
ReplyDeleteWith regards to his effort, we watched Vastardis play like his hair was on fire all season. We're spoiled rotten. I get that that's how football should be played all the time, but ..... that's a violation of human nature.
But the real question is, Crippen or maybe Zinter?
Vastardis was in his 6th year and Oluwatimi was in his 5th. Vastardis was a backup in his 4th year and injured most of his 5th. Oluwatimi got all conference honors his 3rd and 4th year and was an all american in his 5th.
DeleteI'm not saying it is a slam dunk improvement, because I agree experience is essential at OL and especially at OC, but... Oluwatimi is going to have a talent edge and experience won't be far off. He'll have the benefit of all the coaching he got before plus new stuff from Moore, Gattis, Harbaugh new strength coach, etc.
My expectation is somewhere between Ruiz (elite talent) and Vastardis (elite experience). Which is...lofty.