Name: Reece Atteberry
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 307 lbs.
High school: Aurora (CO) Eaglecrest
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #74
Last year: I ranked Atteberry #51 and said he would be a backup center (LINK). He played in eight games.
TTB Rating: 74
Atteberry was recruited in 2020 as an interior lineman. Originally thought to be a center, it appears that experiment may have mostly ended in 2021 when freshman Greg Crippen passed him off the bat. Andrew Vastardis started, Crippen backed him up, and starting right guard Zak Zinter also practiced some at center. So when Atteberry got a chance to get on the field, it was either at right guard or on special teams.
The 2022 season probably won't be a whole lot different for Atteberry. Instead of Vastardis starting at center, it will be transfer Olu Oluwatimi. Michigan brings back the rest of its starting offensive line except for right tackle Andrew Stueber, and Atteberry doesn't have the ability to slide outside. So Atteberry should once again be looking at backing up Zinter at right guard and perhaps Trevor Keegan at left guard, but if someone were to go down for an extended period of time, I would expect Karsen Barnhart to be the primary backup at either tackle or guard spot.
Prediction: Backup offensive guard
You skipped 48.
ReplyDeleteGood news is, we've got depth. And that depth has SIZE
ReplyDeleteSize at O Line hasn't been an issue since Ed Warinner. Hopefully the same will be true of the D Line with Mike Elston.
DeleteThe depth is here and Warriner does deserve credit for that.
DeleteBut I'm not size was ever an issue. Rodriguez was supposed to have quicker lighter OL but look at the 2010/2011 OL that he built and I don't see much size difference between guys like Molk and Vastardis, Lewan and Hayes, etc. Hoke failed to reload the OL but I think that was a development problem not a size issue.
If Atteberry is the top backup at OG this feels very low but I don't think we've gotten to Anderson yet so this could make sense. I look forward to reading that one because I kind of assumed Reese was about 8th in the OL pecking order which would be a pretty key spot in the 30s or so. Both are good options though, so that bumps them down in value I suppose.
ReplyDeleteFWIW I think they'll try to keep Barnhart at OT this year unless one of the backup OTs really pop. If there's a long-term injury inside maybe they'll got with the best available guy eventually but I just don't feel great about any of the other backup OT options besides him.