Name: Joey Klunder
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 276 lbs.
High school: Grosse Pointe (MI) South
Position: Defensive end
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #93
Last year: I ranked Klunder #119 and said he would be a backup defensive end (LINK). He played in one game.
TTB Rating: N/A
Klunder was a preferred walk-on from South a couple seasons ago and has yet to make a big impact in the football program. This is projecting a pretty big jump for Klunder, all the way from #119 last year to #76 this season. Michigan has some questionable depth on the defensive line; there are bodies but not a ton of experience, and Michigan tried to find a defensive tackle or two in the portal, unsuccessfully.
A starting job is out of reach for Klunder at this point, but he's put on a considerable amount of weight during his time in college - up 23 pounds since last year - and may be able to absorb some snaps that might otherwise go to freshmen trying to retain their redshirts, such as Ted Hammond. It's possible that Klunder might be ahead of some second-year players, too, such as Brooks Bahr. Either way, I wouldn't be surprised to see Klunder get on the field for a few games this season.
Prediction: Backup defensive lineman
Yeah I like this one because the opportunity is there for depth DT, as Thunder points out with the Portal search. Dunno if Klunder has passed Iwunnah but we've seen walk-on types contribute here before.
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