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FORMER PLAYERS
TE Erick All (Iowa): All tore his ACL in week seven. He led the Hawkeyes in all receiving categories, catches (21), yards (299), and touchdowns (3) by a wide margin at the time of his injury.
WR Andrel Anthony (Oklahoma): Anthony is out for the season. He caught 27 passes for 429 yards and 1 touchdown this season before the injury.
QB Alan Bowman (Oklahoma State): Bowman completed 31/47 passes for 321 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions in a 40-34 win over BYU.
Hit the jump for more.
P George Caratan (UConn): Caratan punted 3 times for 129 yards (43.0 yards/punt) in a 31-18 win over UMass. UConn went 3-9 this year and their season is finished. Caratan punted 60 times for 2,666 yards (44.43 yards/punt).
S Damani Dent (Charlotte): Dent did not play in a 48-14 loss to South Florida.
CB Darion Green-Warren (Nevada): Green-Warren had yet to play this season and is no longer listed on Nevada's roster.
TE Louis Hansen (UConn): Hansen caught 1 pass for 15 yards in a 31-18 win over UMass. Hansen caught 2 passes for 33 yards while playing in ten games for UConn (3-9) this year.
QB Ren Hefley (Middle Tennessee): Hefley did not play in a 23-20 loss to Sam Houston State and did not get on the field for MTSU this season. MTSU went 4-8 and head coach Rick Stockstill was fired after the season.
WR A.J. Henning (Northwestern): Henning made 4 catches for 20 yards and 1 touchdown, 2 carries for 3 yards, and 5 kickoff returns for 98 yards in a 45-43 win over Illinois.
Big. Time. @AJHenning3. pic.twitter.com/gIBQJvBvxZ
— Northwestern Football (@NUFBFamily) November 25, 2023
LB Nikhai Hill-Green (Charlotte): Hill-Green did not play in a 48-14 loss to South Florida. Charlotte went 3-9 while Hill-Green made 73 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 3 pass breakups.
K Cole Hussung (Louisville): Hussung kicked off 4 times for 249 yards so far this year in one game against Murray State; 3 of those kicks were touchbacks, and 1 went out of bounds.
WR Giles Jackson (Washington): Jackson did not play in a 24-21 win over Washington State.
CB George Johnson III (UMass): UMass finished its season at 3-9 after a 31-18 loss to UConn. Johnson caught 3 passes for 30 yards in the loss and finished with 35 catches for 421 yards and 3 touchdowns on the year.
DE Aaron Lewis (Rutgers): Lewis made 5 tackles and 2 quarterback hurries in a 42-24 loss to Maryland.
QB Cade McNamara (Iowa): McNamara is out for the season with an injury. He completed 46/90 passes (51.1%) for 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in five games.
QB Joe Milton (Tennessee): Milton completed 22/33 passes for 383 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 48-24 win over Vanderbilt. He also ran 5 times for 11 yards and 2 touchdowns.
S Jordan Morant (Mississippi State): Morant did not record any stats in a 17-7 loss to Ole Miss. Mississippi State finished the season at 5-7. Morant made 7 tackles and 1 tackle for loss throughout the year.
S R.J. Moten (Florida): Moten did not play in a 24-15 loss to Florida State. He played in just six games this year for 5-7 Florida, making 8 tackles and 2 tackles for loss.
DE Eyabi Okie-Anoma (Charlotte): Okie-Anoma did not play in a 48-14 loss to South Florida. Charlotte finished 3-9 while Okie-Anoma made 56 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, 10 quarterback hurries, 1 forced fumble, and 1 pass breakup.
DT George Rooks (Boston College): Rooks made 3 tackles in a 45-20 loss to Miami.
CB Andre Seldon (New Mexico State): Seldon recorded 1 pass breakup in a 20-17 win over Jacksonville State.
CB Myles Sims (Georgia Tech): Sims did not record any stats in a 31-23 loss to Georgia.
LB Deuce Spurlock (Florida): Spurlock did not play in a 24-20 loss to Florida State.
RB Christian Turner (Indiana): Turner did not record any stats in a 35-31 loss to Purdue. Indiana (3-9) fired head coach Tom Allen following the game. Turner finishes the season as the fifth-leading rusher for the Hoosiers, carrying 52 times for 227 yards (4.37 yards/carry) and 2 touchdowns, but he did not touch the ball since week seven against Rutgers. He also had 4 catches for 0 yards and 1 kickoff return for 3 yards.
DE Taylor Upshaw (Arizona): Upshaw made 3 tackles and 1 tackle for loss in a 59-23 win over Arizona State.
TE Dan Villari (Syracuse): Villari ran 13 times for 51 yards, completed 2/2 passes for 51 yards and 1 touchdown, and caught 1 pass for a 13-yard touchdown in a 35-31 win over Wake Forest.
Dan Villari to Damien Alford! 👀
— Syracuse Football (@CuseFootball) November 25, 2023
'Cuse goes up 21-10 with the 47-yard TD pass.
📺 CW pic.twitter.com/BD65x64KmI
He catches TD passes too! Dan Villari with the 13-yd TD reception from Garrett Shrader to make it 28-17 Orange!
— Syracuse Football (@CuseFootball) November 25, 2023
📺 CW pic.twitter.com/s51Ta11x2Q
DE Julius Welschof (Charlotte): Welschof did not play in a 48-14 loss to South Florida. Welschof played in just four games due to injury and made 4 tackles and 2 quarterback hurries during a 3-9 season.
LB Cornell Wheeler (Kansas): Wheeler made 4 tackles in a 49-16 win over Cincinnati
FORMER COMMITS
DE Collins Acheampong (Miami): Acheampong did not play in a 45-20 win over Boston College.
LB Aaron Alexander (Michigan State): Alexander had a season-high 4 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss in a 42-0 loss to Penn State. Michigan State finishes the year at 4-8 and Alexander made 9 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss while playing in all twelve games.
RB Tim Baldwin, Jr. (UMass): Baldwin did not play this season for UMass (3-9).
DE Ethan Burke (Texas): Burke made 3 tackles in a 57-7 win over Texas Tech.
CB Te'Cory Couch (Miami): Couch made 2 tackles in a 45-20 win over Boston College.
S Taylor Groves (Ole Miss): Groves did not play in a 17-7 win over Mississippi State.
OLB Stephen Herron, Jr. (Louisville): Herron did not play in a 38-31 loss to Kentucky.
LB Branden Jennings (Hinds Community College): Jennings led the Hinds Bulldogs with 58 tackles this season, along with 6.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 fumble recovery. He is now looking to transfer again to Mississippi State after spending time at Maryland, UCF, Kansas State, and Hinds C.C.
LB Tyler Martin (UMass): Martin made 2 tackles in a 31-18 loss to UConn. Martin made 14 tackles and 1 tackle for loss this season for 3-9 UMass.
DT Davonte Miles (Bowling Green State): Miles made 1 tackle in a 34-10 win over Western Michigan.
TE Andrew Rappleyea (Penn State): Rappleyea did not play in a 42-0 win over Michigan State.
S Myles Rowser (New Mexico State): Rowser made 2 tackles and 1 interception (returned for 31 yards) in a 20-17 win over Jacksonville State.
@MylesRowser with the big time INT…..do the Ghost dance pic.twitter.com/U16WLyXcTn
— Andre Seldon Sr (@dresel85) November 26, 2023
DT Quintin Somerville (UCLA): Somerville did not play in a 33-7 loss to Cal.
DT Alex VanSumeren (Michigan State): VanSumeren did not play in a 42-0 loss to Penn State.
DT Denver Warren (New Mexico State): Warren did not play in a 20-17 win over Jacksonville State.
LB Raylen Wilson (Georgia): Wilson made 2 tackles in a 31-23 win over Georgia Tech.
WR Xavier Worthy (Texas): Worthy made 4 catches for 49 yards and 1 touchdown, 3 punt returns for 48 yards, and 1 incomplete pass in a 57-7 win over Texas Tech.
Xavier Worthy fights into the end zone to put Texas up 43-7 on Texas Tech! pic.twitter.com/86o5BE7Yjq
— Hook'em Headlines (@HookemHeadlines) November 25, 2023
FORMER COACHES
Don Brown (Head Coach, UMass): UMass finished the season at 3-9 after a 31-18 loss to UConn.
Dan Enos (Offensive Coordinator, Arkansas): Enos, who was on Michigan's staff for about two weeks at one point, was fired from Arkansas. He lasted just half a season at Arkansas after spending 2021-2022 at Maryland.
Jedd Fisch (Head Coach, Arizona): Arizona improved to 9-3 with a 59-23 win over Arizona State.
Brady Hoke (Head Coach, San Diego State): SDSU sent Brady Hoke out with a 33-18 win over Fresno State. The Aztecs finish 4-8 and will be looking for a new coach to replace the retiring Hoke. Assuming he's retired for good, he ends his career with a 105-92 career record, including:
- Ball State (2003-2008): 34-38
- San Diego State (2009-2010, 2020-2023): 40-32
- Michigan (2011-2014): 31-20
- Tennessee (2017): 0-2
Mo Linguist (Head Coach, Buffalo): Buffalo ends its season 3-9 after a 24-11 loss to Eastern Michigan.
Scot Loeffler (Head Coach, Bowling Green State): Loeffler and his Falcons improved to 7-5 with a 34-10 win over Western Michigan.
Curt Mallory (Head Coach, Indiana State): Indiana State finished 1-10. He has a head coaching record of 20-47 and has been the Sycamores' head coach since 2017.
Jim McElwain (Head Coach, Central Michigan): McElwain and his Chips are 5-7 after a 32-17 loss to Toledo.
Biff Poggi (Head Coach, Charlotte): Charlotte fell to 3-9 after a 48-14 loss to South Florida.
Rich Rodriguez (Head Coach, Jacksonville State): Jacksonville State finished the regular season at 8-4 after a 20-17 loss to New Mexico State.
Tyrone Wheatley (Head Coach, Wayne State): Wayne State finished at 3-8 this season, Wheatley's first at the helm for Wayne State. He has a career 8-26 record in stints at WSU and Morgan State.
Milton has one game left in his college career, depending on if he wants to play in a whatever bowl game. Either way, he finishes the regular season with totals of 3,112 yards and 27 TDs. Passing stats passer rating of 147, YPA of 7.9, and only 5 INTs on 354 pass attempts. His QBR is 70 (well above average, which is 50 by definition) while playing in the SEC.
ReplyDeleteFor Michigan QB context; Milton's current season (147) is well below JJ (Passer Rating of 177 this year and 155 last year) and slightly below Patterson in 2018 (150). But better than everybody else including McNamara (142 in 2021), Patterson in 2019 (140), Speight (140 in 2016), and Rudock (142 in 2015).
Comparing to other transfer QBs of his era, Milton's also by FAR the most successful export. His performance surpasses peak post-Michigan seasons by Peters (129 in 2019 for Illinois), McCaffrey (116 in 2022 for UNC), Speight (126 for UCLA), Bowman (120 currently for OK state), and McNamara (106 for Iowa). McNamara has a big mouth so he might have something to say about this when he returns to college at age 25 next year....I wouldn't bet on him topping Milton though, even with the extra year.
Mea Culpa for me though. I was wrong when I previously asserted that Harbaugh was recruiting consistently better QBs every year starting with Malzone to McCarthy, working his way up. In reality, Milton is the 2nd best QB recruited during the Harbaugh era behind McCarthy but ahead of Cade and everyone else. Also ahead of the transfer QB recruits who were undrafted or produced nothing in the NFL, or both.
For anyone arguing "yeah duh, he's at Tennessee" i.e., his stats are inflated by system. Perhaps to some degree, but Tenn is not swimming in NFL-caliber talent on offense like Michigan does year in and year out. Though they probably were in 2022 TBF. And for the argument that MIlton is just dumping a bunch of short passes off -- this is not true.
Milton ranks 30th nationally on average depth of target at 9.3 yards. JJ is 4 spots ahead with 9.5. Both are well above typical ~8.4.
His Air Yards per attempt are also above average and rank alongside guys like Ewers, Plummer, and Nix.
https://www.cfb-graphs.com/qb_table
Anecdotally he does throw a lot of short passes but also throws deep with frequency -- this is the offense at Tenn and went for Hooker as well.
Overall Milton was far from great, but above average, for a starting college QB. Which makes him better than the vast majority of duds Harbaugh has brought in or transferred.
The success of his college career will potentially also be reflected back in his professional aspirations as he is considered a fringe NFL draft candidate. Though the offseason hype in this regard has trailed off after some premature Heisman talk in the offseason, he'll probably still get a look as an NFL UDFA, at worst. IMHO it's tough to see that playing out with success for anyone. Milton is 24 and not ready to be an NFL backup so practice squad maybe his path unless he wants to dip to a lower level pro league.
Anyway, very little of what was said about Milton when he left MIchigan in 2020 turned out to be true. His upside and talent were not as high as people claimed. His inaccuracy and turnover proclivity turned out to be badly overstated. Milton obviously developed a good bit in the last few years but he was unanimously praised for his character, patience, and leadership while becoming a solid but mostly unexceptional college QB. Just another drop in the bucket of our impressions of QBs after 1 or 2 years being wrong more often than they are right. Except for JJ. He is him.
This is certainly not tooting my own horn because I missed on McCaffrey, Milton, etc., but ultimately, Milton was not what Michigan needed at the time. McNamara was a better performer at Michigan, and he also proved to be a better leader in Ann Arbor. Michigan needed some stability and leadership at the QB position that Milton was unable to provide.
DeleteThis goes back to my TTB Rating philosophy. While it does have its flaws, it tries to take into account how players will perform AT MICHIGAN. Milton didn't do well at Michigan. He turned out to be an okay QB for another coach in a different system in a different atmosphere, but he and Michigan weren't a good fit.
Milton sucked at MICHIGAN. Benched & transfered. He was benched at Tennessee too, waited for year6, and even then was protected by screens & a passingO with wide open passing lanes. Even then, dude was the second best performing QB in nearly every game, despite a very down year for the usually strong SEC
Delete@Thunder
DeleteThere is no disputing that Milton didn't do well at Michigan - that's why he transferred. We had a pretty dang great season in 2021, so no regrets on Michigan's side with how it all played out.
We'll never know what 2021 might have looked like if Milton stuck around or Cade left instead. What we do know is that Milton was better than Cade in 2023 and 2022. So what could 2021 have looked like with
Milton instead of Cade is unknowable.
It's tough to buy the leadership argument about Cade given what we know now. Suffice it to say the team got better after he left. But that same logic goes for Milton. In 2021 they won IN SPITE of Cade, not because of him. That narrative needs updating, IMO. He was an okay QB for Michigan. He was not why we won.
To say McNamara was better than Milton at Michigan is true at face - McNamara was better against Rutgers in 2020 and Milton never had the opportunity to QB the team in 2021 nor did he produce anything remotely equivalent. But that still ignores that Milton was injured in 2020. Milton was quiet about that at the time (though other voices popped out at times) but he has talked about it recently. And there is a CLEAR difference before and after the injury - though that can't all be attributed to him given how our personnel dropped like flies that season.
The issue with the 2021 team is that there was a ceiling on their abilities because of the QB play. They were exposed by Georgia. IMO there is no way we win Saturday's game with Cade at QB because no way is he making some of those plays that JJ made. Now, Milton is not JJ either, to be clear, but I think he is pretty clearly a better player in 2022 and 2023 than Cade was. 2021....IDK. Milton didn't look very good so I'd be comfortable saying Cade was better but Cade was surrounded by far more talent and stability. Could a healthy and matured Milton have done better than Cade with that run game around him? Many will say no but we'll never know for sure. IMO it's possible.
Milton was so bad at Michigan he won a starting job. He sent 4-star Dylan McCaffrey packing, and beat out 4-star Cade McNamara (same age, more pampering) to start the 2020 season. He had a very good game against Minnesota and produced good stats the next game and then he got hurt and the wheels came off on the team as a whole. When a comeback win in OT against Rutgers is your high point....
DeleteAt UT, Milton got benched for Hendon Hooker - no shame in that. And actually - he didn't. He got hurt and Hooker came in and never relinquished the job. Wally pip. The Hooker got hurt and Milton started in his place. Technically Milton never lost a job when healthy. The only thing that benched him was being injured - performance issue at Michigan and availability at Tenn.
But OK let's call that BENCHED because he didn't stay locked in as a starter for a full season in 2020 or 2021. Know who else got BENCHED as senior -- Tom Brady. What a terrible player he must be! <-- That's sarcasm. Brady stuck through it, didn't let it phase him, and went on to shine. Sound familiar?
MIlton was the #5 QB in the SEC this year. No lies told.
That last one is @JE
Delete@ Lank 8:31 p.m.
DeleteWe never KNOW how anything would have worked out without actually seeing it. Maybe if Tate Forcier had stayed at Michigan for all four years, he would have won the Heisman!
McNamara's comeback OT win against Rutgers was precisely because the Joe Milton-led Wolverines had dug themselves a hole. Milton was 5/12 and had run for -16 yards by the time he was replaced.
@ Lank 10:51 p.m..
DeleteMilton's SEC rankings per stat:
Attempts: #4
Passing TDs: #5 (tie)
Yards/game: #5
Completions: #6
Interceptions thown: #7 (tie)
Completion percentage: #8
Yards per attempt: #8
Passing efficiency: #8
I'm not sure how you conclude he was the #5 QB in the SEC based on those stats. His efficiency numbers aren't great. His counting stats are okay.
@Thunder 1104
DeleteI was going off an EPA stat, which I believes wraps in value as a rusher. That can't be ignored.
Maybe that's wonky and it's 7th instead -- doesn't really matter, either way you have a guy who is firmly in the middle (perhaps slightly above but not far above, regardless) in the top league in college football and started every game for a top 25 team.
@Thunder 1054
DeleteNobody disputes the 2020 Rutgers game. The following week McNamara laid an egg against PSU. The previous week Milton laid an egg against Wisconsin. Milton was hurt and McNamara was healthy.
Miltons QBR the first 3 games: 92, 64, 70
Milton's QBR the last 3 games: 7, 18, 5
Those last 3 are atrociously bad! Epicly bad! Godawful! And that's what most Michigan fans see as his legacy but it was 3 games, when he was hurt. You can see that in the stark contrast to the first 3 games. Not to mention Milton's 2 starts in 2021 (QBR of 46 and 77) before being Wally Pipped by Hooker. Milton was not as bad as he showed in that 3 game stretch either before (at Michigan) or after (at Tennesee) so it seems pretty clear that he was playing hurst as he says he was.
For 2021 comparison -- want to know McNamara's in his first 2 starts in 2021: 95 and 16. Michigan was terrified to have him pass to start that year. The never happened at Michigan -- though it probably should have.
It's not a Tate Forcier = Heisman level stretch to say that healthy Milton could have been at least as good as McNamara. Especially considering what we saw in the totality of 2020 to 2023. If you look at the big picture you might even say it was highly likely if Milton got managed delicately in the same way Cade did.
Point of my above comment (as Anon) is that Milton is average or above average starter in the highest league in college football by most stats. Not great (like McCarthy) but far from bad (like McNamara).
DeleteHis counting stats are actually less impressive than his efficiency stats. but if you ignore rushing - which you can't because it's football - then he increments a notch down.
Milton is 6th in the SEC in QBR and in EPA.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/qbr/_/group/8
This is where Milton ranked 5th.
Deletehttps://collegefootballdata.com/ppa/usage
It's more telling graphically than the rank number itself. If you filter to SEC QBs to guys who played 200 snaps you have a pretty clear hierarchy.
Elite: Daniels,
Excellent: Milroe, Beck
Above average: Milton, Dart, Cook
Mid: Mertz, Thorne, Johnson, Rattler, O'Leary
Below Average: Jefferson, Rogers, Swan
*Graphic includes Weigman by default if you leave it at 100 snaps which is why I said Milton was 5th instead of 4th. But Weigman shouldn't count, he performed well in Sept but got hurt and barely made the cut.
Milton could be anywhere from 4th to 7th, depending on your measure or preference. I've been saying he was an averagish SEC starter since a couple games into the season. If anything that was probably selling him short. If there was hypothetically some guy named EJ arguing Milton was above average, I would probably consider conceding that he had a better case than my "Average Joe" take. I doubt I would concede though -- we're still firmly in average territory, at least by SEC standards.
Joe is fine. Not great. Not bad. He had a nice career with some ups and downs but he ultimately showed leadership, patience, and resilience.
What was it we agreed on about stats?
DeleteWatching the games - if you know what you're looking at - reveals the stats are padded by behind the LoS plays, WR YAC, and that the guy who was outplayed by just about every QB he faced, including guys like Mertz
We also see that - in Year6 - the same exact issues with post snap reads & knowing when to tuck & run are the same problem they were at M, while guys like Milroe developed in a matter of weeks
YEAR 6 of you watching Milton and being wrong every time. Watching the games isn't enough. For some people...
DeleteWould love to see Hoke involved in the program in some way be it an analyst or some kind of program ambassador role. Not the greatest head coach but a guy everyone liked and a guy who clearly loves Michigan. Wishing him the best.
ReplyDelete