Previously: QUARTERBACK, RUNNING BACK, TIGHT END
2023 DEPARTURES: 2 (Ryan Hayes, Olu Oluwatimi)
2023 NEEDS: 1
2023 COMMITMENTS: Cumming (GA) South Forsyth OT Nathan Efobi, Arizona State transfer OG LaDarius Henderson, West Bloomfield (MI) West Bloomfield C Amir Herring, Stanford transfer OT Myles Hinton, Washington (DC) Gonzaga OT Evan Link, Stanford transfer C Drake Nugent
NOTEWORTHY 2023 OFFERS
- Kade Eldridge - Lynden (WA) Christian: USC
- D.J. Chester - McDonogh (GA) Eagle's Landing: LSU
- Cole Dellinger - Clarkston (MI) Clarkston: Michigan State
- Spencer Fano - Provo (UT) Timpview: Utah
- Cayden Green - Lee's Summit (MO) North: Oklahoma
- Landen Hatchett - Ferndale (WA) Ferndale: Washington
- Logan Howland - Princeton (NJ) The Hun School: Oklahoma
- Caleb Lomu - Gilbert (AZ) Highland: Utah
- Luke Montgomery - Findlay (OH) Findlay: Ohio State
- Paul Mubenga - Buford (GA) Buford: LSU
- Dylan Senda - Dearborn (MI) Divine Child: Northwestern
GRADE: A
REASON FOR THE GRADE: Despite losing just two players to the NFL, the starting offensive line appeared to be in pretty good shape going into 2023. Of course, having a good offensive line is typically predicated on experience, so we have to look at what players are behind them and how ready they will be in 2024 and beyond. Michigan's numbers were solid enough that they didn't have to snag too many linemen in the class of 2023 to maintain a healthy overall number at the position (~15), but they hit it out of the park in the transfer portal, if not the high school ranks.
Starting with the transfer portal guys, Michigan landed Arizona State offensive guard/tackle LaDarius Henderson, Stanford center Drake Nugent, and Stanford right tackle Myles Hinton. All three are starters, and in particular, Henderson was a captain and Nugent was a Rimington Award finalist. While offensive guards Trevor Keegan and Zak Zinter return, Henderson could end up playing left or right tackle, depending on who steps up at those positions. Nugent should slot in as the starting center, and Hinton will probably be in a battle to start at one of the tackle spots, as injuries and inconsistency have hampered him a little bit so far. However, Hinton was a top-100 prospect and has great potential if he can put everything together.
Link improved as a senior to the point where I think he can be a solid player at the next level, especially in the run game; he has limited pass pro reps on his senior highlights, but there's potential if he can stay consistent with his technique. Efobi still plays too high for my liking, and he doesn't really win enough blocks even on his highlights. Meanwhile, interior lineman Herring could play guard or center - some think center is his best spot because of a lack of height - and is the type of kid who should be a good locker room presence while he waits for his opportunity for a few years, and he could step in as an upperclassman and start for a couple years.
Overall, Michigan did a good job of not only plugging a hole at center, but creating immediate competition at the tackle positions. Link, Herring, and Efobi are all guys with potential down the road, though I don't think any of them are headed for stardom in college. If the Wolverines can maintain their solid offensive line play and use the transfer portal to their advantage on a yearly basis, this could be a recipe for great annual success even if the high school recruiting is so-so.
A+++
ReplyDeleteJust, wow!
I probably would have gone up to an A+ if they had recruited a little better at the high school level. These one-year rentals are great, but you're going to need more of them if you can't get two- or three-year starters.
DeleteHinton has 2 years left so he's a 2-year rental probably. I don't know if it's better or worse if he ends up being a two-year starter or rides the bench for the year and becomes a one year starter next year. Ditto for Crippen -- if he sticks around to start after Nugent...it's not like it's a bad thing for Michigan.
DeleteI'm a broken record I guess but we live in a world where Michigan is potentially going to go from Vastardis to Oluwatimi to Nugent to Crippen as the starting OCs across 4 years, and they might win Moore awards every year doing it. I think that's probably better than Vastardis to 3 years of Crippen, with Crippen forced into working through his issues in meaningful games rather than on the practice field. Maybe from a fan perspective this kind of turnover is bad, and we'd appreciate watching the on-field growth for a hypothetical 3-year starter, but on the field where experience counts having 5th year seniors at center every year is a good thing.
So I don't know that we should diminish the one-and-done portal transfers as inferior to 4 or 5 year guys - many of whom only start one year. And when we stack up the production of 10 HS recruits who are 5-stars with 10 portal recruits who are proven starters before coming to Michigan, I think you'll get a whole lot more out of the proven portal guys. Of course there are portal busts just like high school busts, and guys with low expectations - like Tuttle - are more like 3 star recruits than 5-stars, but in terms of value on the field....the recruiting services haven't caught up yet and are dramatically undervaluing an incoming transfer like Nugent or Henderson or Banner relative to similarly valued high school players. Every portal guy we've brought in, with the exception of O'Korn has been a success story -- even if he hasn't done anything notable (e.g., Goode) the position he plays has been strong. Even with O'Korn that probably would have been true if Speight had stayed healthy and Peters hadn't royally stunk.
A+, I'm with JE. Maybe just one plus, so I'll respectfully disagree on 5 of them.
ReplyDeleteNeed was essentially nothing but you want to keep the pipeline supplied. They did that but then also rounded it out with 3 veteran players who aren't even needed but are probably going to take a couple starting spots vacated by NFL guys (Olu and Hayes). It'll probably mean attrition in the spring, but that's why you have to keep the pipeline coming.
OL is the strongest position on the team and I don't think it's close. Sherrone Moore is the man. Harbaugh is living out his Bo-costume fantasy.
The high school evaluations are still interesting but whereas in the past it was 80% about the player and what he could develop into over the next 4 or 5 years, now it's about 40% that and 60% "will he still be around" by the time he's a senior. Roster turnover, fueled by NIL, NFL, and relaxed transfer rules, is increasing rapidly across college football and I would be shocked if it slowed down, let alone reversed.
ReplyDeleteIt's going to be more like the NFL where 50% of the roster is gone from one year to the next. Some guys are still going to be focused on getting degrees and staying around but once you start throwing around 6 figure salaries it's going to become a job market. This isn't just true at Michigan but a place like CMU or Bowling Green is not going to be able to compete, even with a place like Purdue or Northwestern. Their best players are going to get a call-up to the Big (10 and other power) Leagues and make tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars for their trouble. That's serious money to most college kids, even if they're not bound for NFL glory.
And 10s of thousands is nothing to a program like Michigan. That's why I just don't see the value in recruiting low ceiling 3 stars or even "safe" 4 stars for depth anymore. Michigan can get that type of player anytime it wants. The portal raises the floor of the entire roster.
DeleteBecause those players might become very good, are usually committed, and can become leaders. Getting hired guns is great and all, but I think you need a core of multiple year starters
DeleteI think roster continuity is really important. But it's going to be harder to manage, especially for guys who are starters. I'm just looking at the QB situation over the Harbaugh and era and the only multi-year starter we've had so far was a guy from the transfer portal. Otherwise every high school commit we projected to be a multi-year starter finished their career elsewhere. JJ hopefully will be the first 2023.
DeleteI know some people will say QB is different but what I'm seeing is other positions become a lot more like QB. QB was just ahead, IMO. Now you are getting WRs, RBs, TEs, and every other position bounce around to position for a starting gig that's optimal to them.
I think departures of commitments for various reasons, including starters like Ojabo, Hinton, Charbonnet, or McNamara, will increase and make it harder to hold on to guys. OTOH you can counteract some of this with NIL and get guys like Keegan and Corum to come back.
In my eyes a transfer like Hausmann is more likely to be a multi-year starter than ______insert name of LB commitment in the last 2 classes_____.