Every year since 2009, I have counted down from the least important player on that year’s roster to the most important player, including starters, scholarship players, preferred walk-ons, special teams players, student body walk-ons, and everyone in between.
In case you want a look back at last year’s list, here it is (LINK). Michigan was very lucky to keep its top players healthy, including #1 overall J.J. McCarthy, who is poised to be a top-10 draft pick here in a few weeks.
YEARLY DISCLAIMER: The countdown is by the player’s importance to the team, not his overall talent. A talented player at a deep position won’t necessarily be missed a lot if he gets injured, but an injury to a moderately talented player at a thin position could be devastating. For example, I had cornerback Ambry Thomas ranked at #2 in 2020 because he was the team's only proven cornerback. Naturally, he opted out of the season and the team as a whole was an unmitigated disaster. Meanwhile, first round pick Kwity Paye was #6 because more talent was returning on the defensive line.
Another thing to note is the transfer portal, which causes players to jump in and out with more frequency than in the past. So despite my having a list already put together, there are going to be guys who enter and leave the program in the interceding months between now and August.
If you appreciate the content here at TTB, please consider making a donation via Paypal. Thanks to Stephen, Ashley, James, and Paul for their recent donations!
Love the countdown! In late July/early August my anticipation and excitement for the season is already hitting. All the other sites/media are waiting to write their previews. Meanwhile TTB has already done half the roster and discussed rotational DBs, DL, and OL who will be playing against OSU.
ReplyDeleteThanks Thunder!
Injury luck is a big deal and key point of success the last 3 years. Even though we weathered some high profile injuries (Corum, All, and Zinter) the last couple years, those hit at positions of depth. But 2020 was a disaster in large part because of missing bodies (via injury or COVID opt out) at the top of the TTB countdown.
ReplyDeleteFor 2024 I would have put Rod Moore in the top 5. Depth at safety is a real concern now IMO. We have used 4 or 5 guys the last few years. Losing Sabb was a huge blow, that then got mostly mitigated by getting QJo back, that then got even worse than the Sabb situation with Moore going down for the year.
All of this is to ask you Thunder if you're going to treat Rod Moore as part of the countdown or exclude him with his (likely) season ending injury. In my eyes guys like Paige, QJo, and Berry shoot up the TTB countdown of importance if Moore is considered unavailable. If we pretend he IS available then those other safeties are less important. Berry for example goes from a optional development player (like Sabb was last year) to a guy you probably need to rely on.
I would treat the list as draft up through the beginning of June since the portal could swing things pretty dramatically. Yeah, things can still happen in July or August theoretically (and they have in the past) but those are far less likely to be needle-moving events and are likely to be fewer in number as well.
ReplyDeleteFortunately most of the guys named by mid June are not likely to be rotation players.
DeleteThe last 3o-4o are must reads. Looking forward to it!
ReplyDeleteWhat about the first 90?!?!?!! LOL.
DeleteThose are my favorite Thunder. So you got that going for ya.
DeleteProbably Will Johnson will be number one?
ReplyDeleteWink wants to blitz, Will is a top 5 draft pick, and allows you to do a lot of different things when you got an eraser on one side of the field, like bring presser and go man.
With Moore out and Sabb transferring, the safety position is now thin so keeping Paige healthy is important.
Offense, A lot of good bodies vying for playing time, with Colson probably the best player on offense but plays a position you can scheme around if he would not available. A lot of interchangeable parts right now
not sure where else to put this, but the ohio spring game is a snoozefest. What does that mean? Most times not much but for an offense that is normally fireworks, they're looking "normal"
ReplyDeleteI wasn't able to watch live, but I am looking forward to checking it out later. I've seen some comments that the defense looked good...but sometimes that's because the offense isn't very good.
DeleteOn 0, their run game was the focus, and it may (hopefully) have something to do with lack of QB talent. I still don't see it with Brown or Keinholz. Sayin can move, but I don't think he's ready as a passer. Nolan needs a couple years of weight training. Howard may still be trying to grasp the offense
DeleteThe D won the day, but some of the passing game can be blamed for that. Should have had 4 INTs, not just the two gifts