Name: Luke Schoonmaker
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 250 lbs.
High school: Hamden (CT) Hamden Hall
Position: Tight end
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #86
Last year: I ranked Schoonmaker #32 and said he would be a backup tight end (LINK). He caught 17 passes for 165 yards and 3 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 81
Schoonmaker, a former high school quarterback, has improved year after year. He represents exactly what one should expect from a Jim Harbaugh-coached tight end. If you play tight end for Harbaugh, you're probably going to develop into a pro candidate. There are some who think Schoonmaker has improved as a blocker to the point where he's the best blocker at his position group, which is saying something, considering other tight ends include starter Erick All and former offensive lineman Joel Honigford. But Schoonmaker has also turned into a solid receiver, with 2 touchdowns against Indiana and a couple one-handed catches during his career. Despite being just a part-time starter and tying for 8th on the team in receptions, he was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten by both the coaches and media.
The 2022 season should be more of the same. Schoonmaker is a quality player, but he will have to share time with All, Honigford, and others. There's also talk that youngsters Matt Hibner, Louis Hansen, and Colston Loveland - who all have barely played or not played at all - are good enough to get on the field. Schoonmaker will play a bunch, and he might even be good enough to get drafted in 2023, but he probably won't see a leap in production because the tight end room is so crowded.
Prediction: Part-time starting tight end; 20 catches for 190 yards and 4 touchdowns
Fifth year senior ... how time flies. I recall him coming in as a new freshman as if it was yesterday.
ReplyDeleteAnyone care to post their final 28? Curious to see how closely it aligns with Thunders'
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteMy list is top-loaded with the three defenders, one at each level, who I believe will determine the course of the season. For me, the entire offense and the edge position have too much redundancy to put them in the very top. Obviously a good problem to have, but in my mind that reduces each individual player’s relative importance. Conversely, we have no proven depth at ILB or at NT, elevating those individuals’ importance.
1. Mazi “The Freak” Smith: Will almost single-handedly determine defense’s ceiling. Great season→ playoffs. Good season→ NY6 B1G runner-up
2. DJ “Speedway” Turner: darkhorse Thorpe candidate
3. Junior Colson: we’re _really_ thin at ILB
4. Cade “Super Cyan” McNamara
5. Blake “Score ‘em” Corum
6. Olsegun (that means “Rimington” in Yoruba) Oluwatimi
7. Zak Zinter: darkhorse Outland Trophy candidate
8. Mike Morris: most versatile DL; he and Jenkins might provide serious interior pass rush
9. Jake Moody: w/o Haskins, we’re going to miss a few more 3rd and shorts than we did last year. Moody will be even more of a blessing this year than last year.
10. Erick All: darkhorse Mackey candidate; probably won’t get enough touches for it. Will spring several long runs.
11. Rod Moore
12. Ronnie Bell
13. Ryan Hayes
14. Kris Jenkins
15. Trevor Keegan
16. Gemon Green
17. JJ McCarthy
18. NIkhai Hill-Green
19. RJ Moten
20. Brad “White Reggie Roby” Robbins
21. Donovan “3rd best QB” Edwards
22. AJ Henning
23. Trente “Stay en frente” Jones
24. “Don” Cornelius/ “Don” Johnson (smooth enough to be either)
25. Roman “So fast even fans lose track of me” Wilson
26. Michael “4th best QB” Barrett
27. Karsen Barnhart
28. Mike Sainristil
Feel free to critique!
—Joby
1. Mazi
Delete2. Olu
3. Moore
4. Turner - behind Moore only b/c I trust CB depth a bit better
5. Zinter
6. Corum - about as high as possible for a RB
7. All
8. McNamara - I think the gap to JJ is bigger than most
9. Colson
10. Moten
11. Hayes
12. Jenkins - Hurst Jr Jr
13. Keegan
14. Bell
15. Green
16. Morris
17. McCarthy
18. Barrett
19. Wilson
20. Robbins
21. Moody
22. Harrell
23. Paige
24. W. Johnson - projecting he's a top 6 DB by OSU
25. Jones
26. Edwards
27. Upshaw
28. Barnhart
That's my own draft ranking, not what I think Thunder will have. I have Paige, Will Johnson, Harrell, and Upshaw up here and Thunder has already listed them. I would drop mostly WRs Henning, Sainristil, Johnson because there are just so many of them and I can't talk myself into seeing Andrel Anthony as a significant downgrade if one or two was to miss time. I think Paige will end up ahead of the other DBs including Sainristil - allowing Moore to play the critical nickel spot. The 4th guy I drop out of the top 28 is NHG because I think Barrett will end up with a bigger role. So there are a couple guesses in there.
Agree with the Schoonmaker post all around. TE depth is strong and he's not such an impact player that he couldn't be replaced. All would be much tougher to replicate.
Delete@Anon (Joby), that was a fun read. Post more often!
DeleteMuch appreciated, je93! Glad Thunder does this countdown each year. Always generates fun discussion.
Delete--Joby
Lank, I like your list, and I originally had Moore at #5 before reading that Turner was also playing at nickel. Also, I couldn’t justify leaving NHG off it with ILB being pretty thin. I wasn’t too impressed with Barrett as an ILB, but he might get used more in a pass rush role (as hinted at in my post above, I still wish that he was the one tapped to be a 3rd or 4th RB rather than Mullings because Barrett presents so many possibilities on offense. Oh well.).
ReplyDeleteThanks. Yeah there's a lot of way to look at it but overall a lot of agreement. Clink said they were practicing a lot DBs at nickel. I suppose there are a lot of way to go with it but I think Johnson would really have to surge to bump Turner inside. I think they know the depth is dodgy so want guys ready for multiple spots. Also want to put the best 5 out there. It's not at all clear who the 5th guy is (Johnson, Sainristil, Paige, other?) just yet.
DeleteI think ILB will be OK with a bit more rotation than we are used to for Colson, NHG, Barrett, and Mullings. None is the complete package yet so I'm guessing they'll rotate through some mistakes.
I'm not worried about RB depth. One of the young guys will step up for what amounts to a small role.
There's very good quality at TE for Michigan. Great players. Experienced leadership .The offense promuses to he very good with so much experience at TE, QB, WR, OL, and 1 RB, qnd pro caliber coaching. Thete might be some high scores this year!
ReplyDeleteI really like schoon, I think he's solid. A
ReplyDeleteHe's like that good player on an opposing team, making me wonder how they found such an asset
But the depth at TE ... there's so many options, I don't see him as critical