Devin Gardner, #98

Devin Gardner

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HIGH SCHOOL
A product of Detroit's Inkster High School - which is no longer open - Gardner was a Rivals 4-star, the #1 dual-threat quarterback, and #132 overall in the 2010 class. He chose the Wolverines over offers from Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Oregon, among others. I was not giving out TTB Ratings at the time, but I named him Michigan's best recruit in the class (LINK).

Hit the jump for lots more on Gardner's career.

Brennen Beyer, #97

Brennen Beyer (image via Bleacher Report)

HIGH SCHOOL
Coming out of Plymouth (MI) Plymouth in 2011, Beyer was a Rivals 4-star, the #16 strongside end, and #201 overall. He committed in April of 2010 (LINK) and I gave him a TTB Rating of 82.

COLLEGE
Despite being rather unready physically, Beyer played as a backup SAM linebacker during his freshman year. It was a position that was roughly similar to weakside end, so he was not asked to drop back in coverage often. He made 11 tackles during his inaugural season. He started nine games as a sophomore, making 19 tackles, .5 tackles for loss, and 1 forced fumble. As a junior in 2013, he bounced from starting at SAM linebacker (when Jake Ryan was recovering from a torn ACL) to starting at strongside end. He made 27 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and the biggest play of his career, a 7-yard interception return for a touchdown against Iowa (thrown by Jake Rudock, who will be playing for Michigan this coming fall). Beyer became the full-time starter at strongside end as a senior in 2014, finishing his final campaign with 35 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks.

CAREER STATS
92 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 pass breakup, 1 interception for 7 yards (TD)

AWARDS
Academic All-Big Ten, 2012-2014

SUMMARY
I suppose in the grand scheme of things, my comparison between Roh and Beyer was quite apt. Both played linebacker for a spell before turning into strongside ends. Both also had trouble carrying enough weight for the strongside end position and were somewhat limited athletically. As you can see from the commitment post linked above, I always thought Beyer was a year behind where he should have been. He should have been redshirting in 2011 but he was a backup SAM. He should have been working his way slowly onto the field in 2012, but he started nine games. So on and so forth. Ideally, he would be entering his fifth year senior season and penciled in as a starter at one of the end positions. Early on in his career, I lamented Beyer's playing time because he simply didn't produce - through two seasons of significant playing time, he had exactly 30 total tackles and .5 tackles for loss. He started to come into his own during his last two seasons, when he was probably talented enough to be a spot starter or heavily used backup, but instead got pressed into duty as a SAM linebacker and strongside end, neither of which truly fit his skill set. Lamenting aside, he had a solid career and will always have that touchdown, which is a special moment for a defensive lineman.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . . 
. . . returning that Jake Rudock interception for a touchdown. You can't help but love watching the big guys up front get an interception once in a while, let alone return it for a score.

PROJECTION
Beyer was not invited to the NFL Combine, but he had a decent performance at Michigan's pro day in mid-March. He ran a 4.9 forty, had a 4.12 shuttle, benched 225 lbs. 20 times, had a 33.5" vertical, and broad-jumped 9'2". He still probably won't get drafted simply because of the aforementioned lack of production. He lacks the size to be a strongside end in the NFL, and he lacks the speed to be an outside linebacker or weakside end at the next level. A team will probably bring him in for a tryout, but I doubt he will make an NFL roster.

Joey Burzynski, #56

Joe Burzynski (center, image via MGoBlog)

HIGH SCHOOL
Burzynski attended Carlsbad (CA) Carlsbad and was not recruited out of high school.

COLLEGE
Burzynski walked on to Michigan's football program for Rich Rodriguez's final year in 2010. Too small and light to play, he redshirted. Still very light as a redshirt freshman, he played backup left guard in four games. He finally hit a reasonable playing weight (295 lbs.) in 2012 and saw action as a backup in eight games. During the 2013 season that saw an array of players moving about on the offensive line, Burzynski played in four games and finally earned a start against Indiana . . . and promptly tore his ACL, missing the rest of the season. As a fifth year senior in 2014, he played in just two games, one of those a start when Graham Glasgow was suspended for the season opener.

CAREER STATISTICS
2 starts, 18 games played

AWARDS
Academic All-Big Ten (2011-2014)

SUMMARY
Burzynski seemed like one of those players who was around forever, and then he practically disappeared as a senior. In 2012 and 2013, it seemed like he was a play or two away from getting in the game. This past season he was an afterthought. It used to seem quite rare that walk-ons were elevated to starter status, but we have seen that become a trend in the past several years, including Nick Sheridan, Kevin Leach, Jordan Kovacs, Graham Glasgow, Ryan Glasgow, and Burzynski occasionally. Not much can be said for Burzynski as a player, whom Brady Hoke seemed to love but was just so-so as a contributor at the Michigan level. He generally seemed to know his assignments, but he was not strong enough or big enough to get much movement. Kudos to him for making a five-year college career out of football.

PROJECTION
Burzynski's football career is presumably finished.

Jake Ryan, #47

HIGH SCHOOL
One of the few 2010 recruits to stick with Michigan for an entire college career, Ryan was a Rivals 3-star and the #30 inside linebacker coming out of Cleveland (OH) St. Ignatius. He had a handful of MAC offers before committing to the Wolverines in January of 2010. Brady Hoke - who was at San Diego State - somewhat famously took a pass on recruiting Ryan, who would end up being perhaps Hoke's best defensive player at Michigan. Here's my commitment post on Ryan from January 2010 (LINK), and I named him the most underrated recruit in that class (LINK).

COLLEGE
When Ryan entered college, he was considered a bit of a project after missing a chunk of his junior year in high school due to injury. It was assumed he would redshirt, and redshirt he did while Rich Rodriguez and Greg Robinson played around with the 3-3 stack. When Hoke was hired and brought in Greg Mattison, Ryan became a SAM outside linebacker and changed from #37 to #90. He made an immediate wow play in the 2011 spring game when he jumped in front of a Devin Gardner pass and returned it for a touchdown while wearing the #37 jersey. That fall he switched to #90 and earned the starting SAM job, and he would finish the season with 37 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 2 fumble recoveries. That redshirt freshman season earned him some hype for a 2012 in which he did not disappoint. He made 88 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, and 3 pass breakups, earning Second Team All-Big Ten. With expectations shooting through the roof, he promptly tore his ACL in the spring of 2013. It was early enough that he was not ruled out for the entire season, so he returned mid-year and made 30 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 1 pass breakup in an understandably mediocre campaign. Fully healed by his fifth year, Ryan moved to middle linebacker in a revamped defense and finished the 2014 season with 112 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 3 pass breakups, and his first career interception. He was named First Team All-Big Ten as a senior.

CAREER STATISTICS
267 tackles, 45.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, 7 pass breakups, 1 interception (returned for 2 yards)

AWARDS
2011: ESPN and Big Ten Network Freshman All-Big Ten
2012: Second Team All-Big Ten, Roger Zatkoff Award (team's top linebacker), #47 Legends jersey
2013: Team Captain, #47 Legends jersey
2014: Team Captain, Roger Zatkoff Award, First Team All-Big Ten, #47 Legends jersey

SUMMARY
For his career, Ryan ranks #17 in solo tackles, #3 in tackles for loss, and tied for #4 in forced fumbles. While he never had a truly dominant year, he was a very consistent player for Michigan every year except in 2013, when he hurried back after tearing that ACL. But "consistent" is not really what I think of when I think of Ryan. While he was reliable, he was one of Michigan's best playmakers on defense - from blitzing to deflecting passes to keeping outside contain to forcing fumbles, he was the one guy that offenses generally had to worry about on a play-to-play basis. He has never wowed anybody with his measurables, but he simply found a way to make plays over and over again. Defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Greg Mattison said several times throughout Ryan's career that he had an unorthodox way of playing the linebacker position, but he got the job done. Ryan would sometimes get his lower body out of position but find a way to redirect and make the tackle, or he might leap over a blocker, or he might sidestep a blocker instead of taking him on directly. Michigan's defense has been lacking stars in recent years, which you realize when you think about walk-on safety Jordan Kovacs being the biggest fan favorite since Brandon Graham wore the winged helmet in 2009. Ryan is the closest thing to a bona fide stud for the Wolverines since Graham terrorized Big Ten opponents in Rich Rodriguez's second year.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . .
. . . his very first college game when he started at SAM linebacker, moved inside occasionally to blitz, and destroyed Western Michigan's quarterback while causing an interception that was returned 94 yards for a touchdown by Brandon Herron. That was the first sign - and it happened immediately - that we might have something special in Ryan.

PROJECTION
Ryan projects to linebacker in the NFL, although it's unclear exactly where he will play. He could be a 3-4 outside linebacker, a SAM linebacker in a 4-3, a middle linebacker in a 4-3, or an inside linebacker in a 3-4. At the NFL Combine, he ran a 4.65 forty, did 20 reps on the bench at 225 lbs., broad jumped 10', showed off a 34.5" vertical, and had a 4.2 shuttle time. I think he's best as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 look because he can rush the passer and has a knack for hemming guys in on the edge, and I think he fits as a SAM in a 4-3 look. I do not think he has the athleticism to be a star in the NFL, but I do think he can carve out a long career if he stays healthy.

Matt Wile, #45

Matt Wile (#45, image via BCSN)

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HIGH SCHOOL
Coming out of San Diego (CA) Francis Parker, Wile was a Rivals 2-star kicker. The hometown Aztecs went hard after him under Brady Hoke, and Wile was also pursued by Air Force, Nebraska, and Washington, among others. When Hoke was hired at Michigan, he extended an offer for Wile to play for the Wolverines. After playing in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, he committed to Michigan in late January.

COLLEGE
Immediately upon arriving in Ann Arbor, Wile was counted on to be the kickoff specialist. He averaged 64.0 yards/kickoff and also averaged 41.6 yards/punt on 17 attempts. ESPN and the Big Ten Network named him to their freshman all-conference teams. As a sophomore in 2012, he averaged 60.5 yards/kickoff, averaged 35.9 yards/punt, and went 2/3 on field goals with a long of 52 while handling the long field goal attempts. During his junior year in 2013, he averaged 59.8 yards/kickoff and went 3/5 on long field goals; he also became the full-time punter while Will Hagerup served a year-long suspension, and Wile averaged 40.6 yards, landing 16 inside the 20-yard line and booming 10 of them 50+ yards. Then as a senior, he became the full-time kicker and went 15/21 on field goals, made 28/28 extra points, and averaged 63.0 yards/kickoff; with Hagerup's return, Wile punted just once.

CAREER STATISTICS
- 284 kickoff, 17531 yards, 61.7 yard average, 108 touchbacks
- 20/29 field goals (69.0%), long of 52 yards, 33/33 extra points (100%)
- 91 punts, 3658 yards, 40.2 yard average, 4 touchbacks, 22 fair catches, 29 inside the 20, 15 of 50+ yards, long of 69, 0 attempts blocked

AWARDS
All-Freshman Big Ten (2011), Academic All-Big Ten (2013-2014)

SUMMARY
This past season it was hard to believe that Wile was a senior. When he was recruited in 2011, he was the beginning of the trend that Brady Hoke was looking for solid, upstanding citizens who you would want to marry your daughter. As a U.S. Army All-American coming out of high school, there was a feeling that he would have a breakout season or become a weapon at some point in his career. Instead, he was mostly a steady, all-around kicker who always kept himself available. He played in every single game Michigan played for four years, 51 straight. He did not have any extremely memorable moments like his predecessor Brendan Gibbons (who had all-time great kicks against Virginia Tech and Northwestern), but his career didn't have many memorable low points, either.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . .
. . . being there when the other renegade kickers on the team were unavailable. Gibbons allegedly raped a girl and was eventually booted out of the university, leaving Wile to pick up his duties. Meanwhile, Hagerup was suspended for at least one game from 2010-2013, including the entire 2013 season. The guy who stepped in every time to pick up the slack was Wile.

PROJECTION
The best part of Wile's game was his kickoff. He was very consistent in either getting touchbacks or pinning the ball near the left pylon, leaving returners with limited space to work. Unfortunately, NFL teams want kickers to be able to do more than kick off. Wile's punting and placekicking are not up to snuff for the next level, so his professional career has probably come to a close.

Will Hagerup, #40

Maybe Will Hagerup's crowning achievement was getting this picture taken with Erin Andrews

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HIGH SCHOOL

Coming out of Whitefish Bay (WI) Whitefish Bay, Hagerup was a Rivals 3-star, the #3 kicker, and the #10 player in the Badger State. He had offers from Arkansas, Florida, Ohio State, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and others before committing to the Wolverines in September of 2009. He then played in the 2010 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

COLLEGE
Hagerup was a hit right off the bat when he started as the punter during his freshman year in 2010. In Rich Rodriguez's final year, punting was not an issue. Hagerup averaged 43.6 yards/punt, landed a third of those attempts inside the 20-yard line, launched a career-long 72-yarder against Purdue, and averaged 61.4 yards/kickoff on 19 attempts. That punting average was the third-best average in school history, behind only Monte Robbins (1987) and Zoltan Mesko (2009). Hagerup took a step backward as a sophomore, averaging just 36.0 yards/punt. Then he took a leap forward as a junior in 2012, ending the season with a 45.0 yards/punt average, booming 13 of them 50+ yards, and earning the Big Ten Punter of the Year award. Unfortunately, he was suspended for the entirety of the 2013 season (more on that later). He decided to return for a fifth year in 2014, when he averaged 42.9 yards/punt, landing 16 of them inside the 20-yard line.

CAREER STATISTICS
- 148 punts for 6,243 yards (42.2 yards/punt), 16 touchdowns, 24 fair catches, 35 inside the 20-yard line, 33 punts of 50+ yards, 1 blocked punt, and a long of 72 yards

- 19 kickoffs for 1,166 yards (61.4 yards/kick) and 1 touchback

AWARDS
2012: Eddleman-Fields Big Ten Punter of the Year, First Team All-Big Ten

SUMMARY
After several years of watching Zoltan Mesko boom punts, Michigan was looking for their next stud at the position when Hagerup was recruited. It was a big deal when he chose Michigan over several other big-time programs, including his home-state Badgers. For various reasons, Hagerup never became the fan favorite and weapon that Mesko had been. One big reason was his inexplicably (or perhaps explicably) subpar 2011 season. Another reason is that Hagerup fell just short of Sebastian Janikowski for his off-the-field exploits, getting in trouble numerous times with both coaching staffs for whom he played. He was suspended for a game in 2010 under Rodriguez, four games under Hoke in 2011, another game in 2012, and the entire 2013 season. The only season in which he could control his behavior was his fifth-year campaign after taking the Darryl Stonum Memorial Mutually Agreed Upon Get Your Life in Order Redshirt. Another reason is that, despite the solid-to-great punting averages, he was never really a "coffin corner" punter nor a guy who could consistently deaden the football at the 2-yard line. Too many of his punts either bounced into the endzone or were returned capably.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . .

In a game against OSU, no less.

PROJECTION
Hagerup had the 29th-best punting average in FBS this past season, and CBS Sports currently has him ranked as the #16 punter in the NFL Draft. Over the past three seasons, there have been 2, 2, and 1 punters selected. I do not believe he will get drafted, and I don't think that his talent warrants a potential character risk for a guy who was suspended for a total of 19 games throughout his college career. Since there are so few punting jobs available (and punters can play for such a long time), there's not a huge need for practice-squad guys or replacements. If one punter or kicker gets injured/released, teams usually just find a retread lingering around. So this is probably the end of the road for his football career.

Delonte Hollowell, #24

Delonte Hollowell (foreground, #24)

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HIGH SCHOOL
Coming out of Detroit (MI) Cass Tech, Hollowell followed the likes of Boubacar Cissoko and Teric Jones, both of whom were diminutive Technician cornerbacks who would eventually play at Michigan, albeit with shortened careers. Hollowell was a Rivals 3-star and the #25 cornerback in his class, choosing Michigan over Central Michigan in January 2010, approximately a year before National Signing Day.

COLLEGE
Hollowell mostly played as a special teamer in 2011, making 6 tackles and 1 fumble recovery, the latter of which came in the Sugar Bowl against Virginia Tech. He played a little more in both phases of the game as a sophomore in 2012, totaling 4 tackles and 1 more fumble recovery against Purdue. Then as a junior in 2013, he made 2 tackles and 1 fumble recovery. I hypothesized that he would have a 2014 season that included 0 tackles and 1 fumble recovery, but he broke the trend by making 15 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 2 pass breakups. Those numbers came in significantly increased snaps on the defensive side of the ball, as injuries and ineffectiveness opened the door for him to play more.

CAREER STATISTICS
27 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 3 fumble recoveries, 2 pass breakups

AWARDS
None

SUMMARY
Hollowell was a small corner coming out of high school, and I questioned his abilities at the time. When he started his career at Michigan, I was surprised that he played as a true freshman. I thought he would be the type of kid who would certainly redshirt, but that turned out not to be the case. Brady Hoke burned his redshirt and got a fumble recovery out of him. Hollowell would eventually turn into a pretty solid gunner and special teams coverage guy, but he never panned out on defense. Aside from the three career fumble recoveries, his play on defense this past season was very frustrating. When Raymon Taylor and Jabrill Peppers were injured, and when Blake Countess was benched for stretches because of poor play, Hollowell got more time on the field than anyone probably wanted. The results were not positive, as several teams picked on him as soon as they saw him enter the game.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . . 
. . . being the first recruit to earn me some hate mail. If you look back at my commitment post from January 2010 (LINK), you'll see that I gave him a TTB Rating of 58 and questioned whether he would make an impact at Michigan. You'll also see if you scroll down to the comments that various family members, Cass Tech people, etc. were not happy with my characterization. I received a couple e-mails objecting to my statements, too. That was really the first time that a bunch of people came out of the woodwork to descend on my site with anger. Five years later, I still remember that as a landmark in my blogging "career," although not necessarily a positive one.

PROJECTION
Hollowell was the star of Michigan's pro day last week (LINK), running a hand-timed 4.34, showing off a 37" vertical, and doing other things that pro scouts generally like. Unfortunately, his play on the field probably won't warrant a look at the next level. He was never a starter (well, he started one game as a senior), mostly played special teams, and never made an interception. Michigan has had better corners who never did anything in the NFL (Donovan Warren, J.T. Floyd, Todd Howard, etc.), so I think Hollowell will probably follow in their footsteps.

Jack Miller, #60

Jack Miller

HIGH SCHOOL
Coming out of Toledo (OH) St. John's, Miller was a Rivals 3-star and an unranked weakside defensive end. Yep. That's how stupid the recruiting sites can be sometimes; they call future centers "weakside ends." Anyway, Miller chose the Wolverines over offers from Illinois, Michigan State, Pitt, Stanford, West Virginia, and several others. He was one of the last players to commit to Rich Rodriguez (on December 10, 2010) before the coach was fired. Here's my commitment post from ye olden days (LINK).

COLLEGE
Miller necessarily redshirted as a freshman in 2011 because he was very undersized at 263 lbs. He played sparingly as a backup in 2012. He got a chance to start in 2013, but he was quickly replaced after four games by then-redshirt sophomore guard Graham Glasgow, who had his own share of struggles. Not only was Miller getting pushed around, but he was also completely whiffing on assignments too often. By the beginning of the 2014 season, the redshirt junior had started to figure things out and earned the starting center nod for the Darrell Funk-coached offensive line, holding the job for the entire year. For his accomplishments, he was named the best offensive lineman on the team. The incumbent was expected to hold his position in 2015, but he decided after a few practices in spring ball to hang up his cleats.

CAREER STATISTICS
16 starts

AWARDS
2014: Hugh G. Rader Award (team's best lineman)

SUMMARY
As you can tell if you look back at that commitment post, I was never a huge fan of Miller's abilities. He played a little high, was undersized, and wasn't a great athlete. However, it should at least be considered that he was a guy recruited by Rich Rodriguez to play in mostly a zone system, and then he had to play in a more pro-style offense under Brady Hoke. When Miller actually played, he was somewhere between 288-296 lbs., which isn't tiny but isn't huge, either. He was downright bad in 2013, but he was serviceable in 2014. In a year when three other guys held their jobs for the whole year, Miller was named the top lineman and cut down on the mistakes he made as a redshirt sophomore. Some fans held an indelible grudge against Miller for what happened in 2013, but he probably would have been the starter again in 2015 for what should be a solid offensive line. Now it looks like the center job will go to fifth year senior Graham Glasgow, who played guard last year, or redshirt sophomore Patrick Kugler.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . .
 . . . his friendly jowls. At no point in his career did he seem like a manly beast of an offensive lineman, but instead looked like an oversized 14-year-old. Maybe like the real-life version of Russell from Up.

PROJECTION
Miller says that he's furthering his education and pursuing business interests, so it does not look like he'll be working toward playing professional football of any sort. In any case, he was probably not bound for the NFL and might have been more of an Arena League-caliber guy.

Raymon Taylor, #6

Raymon Taylor

HIGH SCHOOL
Taylor attended Highland Park High School in Detroit and was a Rivals 4-star, the #14 athlete in the 2011 class. Here's my commitment post for him from January 2011 (LINK), when the one-time Indiana commit flipped to Michigan after the Wolverines hired Brady Hoke. I gave him a TTB Rating of 67.

COLLEGE
When Taylor arrived in 2011, Michigan was in a tenuous situation at the cornerback positions. Injuries, attrition, and some downright poor play had thinned the ranks of viable cornerbacks. Four different players (J.T. Floyd, Troy Woolfolk, Blake Countess, and Courtney Avery) started games that season, and Taylor played as a backup in three of those games, making 2 total tackles. In the 2012 season opener, Countess tore his ACL, and Taylor stepped in to start for the remainder of the year. He tallied an interception in consecutive weeks against Notre Dame and then Purdue, returning the latter for a 63-yard touchdown; he also made 45 tackles, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 pass breakup that year. As a junior in 2013, Taylor remained a starter and had his best career performance, notching 86 tackles (1st on the team), 1.5 tackles for loss, .5 sacks, 4 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery, and 9 pass breakups. Based on his junior year, expectations were fairly high for him as a senior; his career ended with a disappointing 38 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 6 pass breakups as he suffered some nagging injuries and started just eight games.

CAREER STATISTICS
171 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, .5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 16 pass breakups
6 interceptions returned for 145 yards (24.2 yards/return) and 1 touchdown

AWARDS
None

SUMMARY
In the long term, Taylor will probably be a rather forgettable, solid cornerback. He was a three-year starter who did not get taken advantage of consistently, but he was not consistently good, either. Playing at about 5'10" and a little over 180 lbs., he did not show great speed but was physical enough and athletic enough to hang with the guys he was guarding. His two most memorable plays were probably those two picks as a sophomore when he jumped a pass against the Fighting Irish and then sort of lucked into that touchdown against the Boilermakers. Michigan fans thought they might have found a hidden gem at that point, and that feeling continued through his junior season. The somewhat inexplicable drop-off as a senior coincided with a drop-off by the whole team; otherwise, Taylor himself might have been under more scrutiny.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . . 
. . . that touchdown against Purdue. It was a little bit of luck that the ball dropped into his hands, but it's a beautiful thing when a defender scores a touchdown of any kind. Especially when it comes at the expense of Danny Hope and Caleb TerBush.


PROJECTION
Taylor was not invited to the NFL Combine. He will likely participate in Michigan's pro day, which typically happens in mid-March. I'm inclined to believe that some of Taylor's struggles as a senior can be attributed to his health, and his solid play from 2012-2013 might warrant a second look by some NFL teams. However, he will have an uphill battle to latch on with an NFL squad. He does not have good size, and his speed is pretty average for a corner. He probably will not get drafted, he might get signed as a rookie free agent, and then he might bounce around some practice squads before finding a short career in the CFL or AFL.

Devin Funchess, #1 (and #87 and #19)

Devin Funchess (image via MLive)

HIGH SCHOOL
Funchess was a Rivals 3-star and the #14 tight end in the 2012 class. Here's my commitment post for him from April 2011 (LINK). I gave him a TTB Rating of 75. In addition to pulling in Funchess, Michigan reeled in high school teammate Mario Ojemudia, while wide receiver target Aaron Burbridge ended up going to Michigan State.

COLLEGE
When Funchess arrived at Michigan in 2012, he earned immediate playing time despite being an undersized tight end. In his second career game, he caught 4 passes for 106 yards and 1 touchdown against Air Force. He would finish the year with 15 catches for 234 yards and 5 touchdowns, and he was named to some Freshman All-America teams and even made Honorable Mention All-Big Ten. He became a part-time starter in 2013, serving as Michigan's pass receiving tight end until the season's second half, when he played wide receiver almost exclusively. He caught 7 passes for a career-high 151 yards against Minnesota, and he was named the Big Ten's Tight End of the Year after finishing with 49 catches for 748 yards and 6 touchdowns. After playing second fiddle to Jeremy Gallon that year, he was given the #1 jersey. (He had worn #19 as a freshman and then was awarded the #87 Legends jersey as a sophomore.) The 2014 season started off with a bang when Funchess shredded Appalachian State for 7 catches, 95 yards, and 3 touchdowns. Unfortunately, he suffered an ankle injury the next week against Notre Dame, and never looked the same after that. Despite being quarterback Devin Gardner's favorite target, Funchess ended his junior season with 62 catches for 733 yards and 4 touchdowns; his 11.8 yards/catch were the lowest of his career. The coaches in the conference voted him Second Team All-Big Ten, which was very generous of them.

CAREER STATISTICS
126 catches for 1,715 yards (13.6 yards/catch) and 15 touchdowns
8 carries for 23 yards (2.9 yards/carry)
2 tackles

AWARDS
2012: Freshman All-America, Big Ten All-Freshman Team
2013: First Team All-Big Ten, Kwalick-Clark Big Ten Tight End of the Year, #87 Legends jersey
2014: Second Team All-Big Ten, #1 jersey

SUMMARY
Funchess was a very promising tight end, and he was a huge matchup nightmare in the passing game. Michigan had some questionable quarterback play throughout his career, and Denard Robinson - who was only Funchess's quarterback for the first half of 2012 - seemed to have the best chemistry with him. Funchess looked the most impressive when he had Gallon taking pressure off of him in 2013, because Gardner and Gallon had unbelievable chemistry and defenses needed to account for Gallon on every play. When you have a 6'5", 230 lb. receiver who can run, jump, catch, and gain yards after the catch going up against an individual corner or safety, that's problematic for the defense. Unfortunately, the reason Michigan had to employ such a huge wide receiver was because Funchess basically refused to be an effective in-line blocker. What became clear throughout his career was that Funchess was okay bullying smaller players, but he shied away from trying to physically overmatch defensive ends and linebackers. Michigan suffered from poor tight end blocking for the past three years under Brady Hoke, but Funchess was quite possibly the worst of the bunch. After the ankle injury he suffered against Notre Dame, Funchess missed a game and then came back gimpy for a while. At some point the limping turned into a lack of effort, and Funchess appeared to be saving himself for an early departure to the NFL. Once the season was over, he announced that he would indeed forego his senior season for a chance to play professional football.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . . 
. . . being one of the most frustrating players within memory. I would love to remember Funchess for his acrobatic catches, leaping high in the air to avoid Hoosiers and Buckeyes, outmuscling a Penn State safety for a poorly thrown deep ball, etc. However, I can't erase from my memory the idea of him refusing to improve as a blocker and seeming to mail it in after a high ankle sprain. Nor can I forget him saying "wins are just a statistic." He is perhaps Michigan's most impressive "tight end" athlete in history, but some of that potential seems to have been wasted. I don't regret that I compared him to Carson Butler when he committed to Michigan.

PROJECTION
Funchess recently went to the NFL Combine, where he ran a 4.7 forty, did 17 reps on the 225 lb. bench press, showed off a 38.5" vertical, and broad jumped 10'2". I have seen him projected anywhere from the middle of the first round to the early part of the second round. I'm not sure that he can play a traditional tight end role in the NFL because he lacks strength and effort in that department, but he can certainly be a pass receiving threat, even though his 4.7 time was a little disappointing. I think some questions about his effort and mentality will drop him to the early second round.

Jibreel Black, #55

Jibreel Black (image via Columbus Dispatch)

HIGH SCHOOL
Black attended Cincinnati (OH) Wyoming and originally committed to Indiana, where his older brother Larry was a defensive tackle. But Jibreel earned lots of offers after committing to the Hoosiers and finally settled on Michigan in January of 2010, selecting the Wolverines over offers from Cincinnati, Michigan State, Purdue, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, among others. He was a 3-star and the #26 strongside defensive end in the 2010 class.

COLLEGE
Black entered school during Rich Rodriguez and Greg Robinson's final year in Ann Arbor, earning some playing time at defensive end immediately. He played in all thirteen games and made 7 tackles. He was a backup weakside end in 2011, making 18 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. As a junior in 2012, Black became an undersized defensive tackle and made 20 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble as a part-time starter. As the full-time starter at 3-tech defensive tackle in 2013, he finished his career by making 27 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble.

CAREER STATISTICS
72 tackles
14 tackles for loss
7 sacks
4 pass breakups
3 forced fumbles

AWARDS
None

SUMMARY
Black came in with a middling amount of hype and no clear position. He didn't seem quick enough for weakside end, he was a little short to be an ideal strongside end, and he was undersized to play defensive tackle. In some packages as a senior in 2013, he played nose tackle, which meant that he played all four defensive line positions during his career as a Wolverine. When his body settled in, he was an undersized defensive tackle hovering around 280 lbs. His quickness was difficult to handle for opposing interior linemen, but his lack of bulk was a weakness for the front seven at times. Black had a solid career for a complementary player, but the lack of a star on the interior exposed Michigan to some run deficiencies during his last couple seasons.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . .
. . . his stop near the end of the 2011 game against Ohio State. Black hemmed in fleet-footed OSU quarterback Braxton Miller and recorded half a sack to help seal the 40-34 victory against the Buckeyes.

PROJECTION
Black was not invited to the NFL Combine. He did 29 reps of 225 lbs. on the bench press during Michigan's pro day in March, but that probably won't be enough to get him drafted. He was a solid but unspectacular starter in college. I could see him forging a career in the Arena Football League, but that's probably as far as he could go.

Jareth Glanda, #54

Jareth Glanda

HIGH SCHOOL
Glanda attended Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice and was All-Catholic League in football as a senior, but perhaps more impressively for an eventual 6'3", 256-pounder, he was an all-state hockey goalie as a senior at Brother Rice.

COLLEGE
Glanda walked on to the program under Rich Rodriguez but redshirted that first year. (If you're wondering whether he bulked up significantly after being a swimmer and hockey player in high school, he was listed at 265 lbs. his freshman year.) As a redshirt freshman in 2010, Glanda saw action in one game while he sat behind starting snapper Tom Pomarico. When Brady Hoke arrived in 2011, he made Glanda the short snapper (for field goals and extra points) while Pomarico held onto the long snapper job (punts). Glanda's moment in the sun came in the Sugar Bowl at the end of the 2011 season when a fake field goal pass by Drew Dileo was deflected and fell into the hands of Glanda, who was tackled after an 11-yard gain. Coming back to Earth, Glanda spent 2012 and 2013 as the team's long and short snapper, handling all the snapping duties with Pomarico having graduated.

CAREER STATISTICS
3 tackles
1 reception for 11 yards

AWARDS
Academic All-Big Ten in 2011 and 2012

SUMMARY
Glanda made a highlight reel catch in the Sugar Bowl against Virginia Tech, but the best thing I can say about Glanda is that I don't remember a single errant snap during his four years on the field. Long snappers are guys you rarely notice unless they screw up, and they might get their names called a couple times a season when they make tackles on punt coverage. With Michigan losing Glanda and holder Drew Dileo in the same off-season, it will be strange and perhaps a bit unnerving to watch their replacements in 2014 and beyond.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . . 
. . . that one extra point snap against Illinois in 2012. Remember? Yeah, me either. It's the catch against Virginia Tech, obviously.

PROJECTION
Long snappers can make a living in the NFL, but it's somewhat of a crapshoot who makes it. I'm sure pro talent evaluators have some things they look for, but they're very much under the radar. I can't imagine anyone having a much better portfolio than Glanda has, but we'll have to see. I don't believe a long snapper has ever been drafted solely to snap (although occasionally snappers double as backup tight ends or linebackers), so if Glanda catches on at the next level, it will have to be as a free agent.

Michael Schofield, #75

Michael Schofield celebrates with quarterback Devin Gardner in 2011

HIGH SCHOOL
Schofield attended Orland Park (IL) Sandburg and picked Michigan over Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Notre Dame, and Purdue in June of 2008. As a member of the 2009 recruiting class, he was a Rivals 4-star, the #18 offensive tackle, and the #221 player overall.

COLLEGE
Schofield redshirted as a freshman in 2009 and then played mainly on field goal/extra point protection as a redshirt freshman in 2010. His big break came in 2011 when injuries put him in a position to start ten games at left guard. Despite being relatively tall for an offensive guard, he did a solid enough job for some to believe he should have remained on the interior. Regardless, the graduation of Mark Huyge paved the way for Schofield to bounce out to right tackle, where he would start for the final two seasons of his college career.

CAREER STATISTICS
52 games played
36 starts (26 at right tackle, 10 at left guard)

AWARDS
None

SUMMARY
Schofield came into college as a fairly well regarded prospect, and he leaves college in roughly the same position. A high school hurdler, he surprised some with his ability to pull when he got on the field as a redshirt sophomore. The coaches deemed him the sixth best lineman on the team, so when Ricky Barnum got hurt, they prepped him in short order to play guard, which he pulled off smoothly. Over the last two seasons, Schofield was quietly consistent. Other than listing the starting lineups, broadcasters rarely mentioned his name - very few penalties, few whiffed blocks, few sacks allowed. In much the same way that Huyge before him held down the job with consistency, Schofield stayed off the radar.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . .
. . . playing for Michigan? I can't really say much else about him. Linemen who aren't spectacularly good or spectacularly terrible tend to fade into the ether, and years down the road, he will be the answer to the trivia question "Who wore #75 for Michigan from 2009-2013?" Only the hardcore fans will be able to answer.

PROJECTION
Here's an excerpt from my NFL Combine Results post:

Schofield measured in at 6'6" and 301 lbs. with an arm length of 34" and a hand width of 9 5/8". He was 6th in his position group with a 5.01 time in the forty. He was #11 in the 20-yard shuttle with a 4.57 time, and he was #13 in the three-cone drill with a time of 7.62. He also had a 24" vertical and a 93" broad jump. NFL.com pegs Schofield as a 5.2, which suggests he'll be a backup player.

Those are pretty impressive measurables for a guy who didn't spend any time in the spotlight and never earned any accolades in college. Recently, I have seen projections that have Schofield being drafted in the 4th round. I would be surprised if he were not selected in next weekend's draft, but the slot is in question. One would expect flashes of dominance from a player projected to go in the top few rounds of the draft, but Schofield rarely looked like a punishing blocker. That suggests to me that he might struggle at the next level with the bigger and faster defensive linemen.

Thomas Gordon, #30

Thomas Gordon

HIGH SCHOOL
Gordon attended Detroit (MI) Cass Tech and was a 3-star athlete in the 2009 class, ranking as Rivals' #24 player in the state of Michigan. He committed to the Wolverines on September 26, 2008, over offers from Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Michigan State, and Toledo. Here's a link to my first post on him, the 2009 Countdown post that predicted a redshirt.

COLLEGE
Despite a horrible defense in Michigan's 5-7 season in 2009, Gordon remained sidelined while learning the safety position. As what amounted to a 4-2-5 box safety in 2010, Gordon broke out a little bit with 23 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks; his sacks came against Notre Dame and Penn State, but he was underused throughout the year. His redshirt sophomore year saw a jersey number change (from #15 to #30) and the hiring of defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, who put Gordon at free safety, where he notched 67 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 2 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles, and 4 fumble recoveries in what would turn out to be his most productive season. He had another solid season as a redshirt junior in 2012 with 81 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 interceptions, 2 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble. Some expected him to be a senior captain in 2013, but he got himself suspended for the season opener and saw his overall production drop to 58 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, 2 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble. His senior year included an odd game in which he had 0 tackles and 2 interceptions against Indiana.

CAREER STATS
38 starts, 229 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 6 interceptions, 6 pass breakups, 4 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries

AWARDS
None

SUMMARY
People had some doubts about Gordon when he first committed because he was small, pretty inexperienced at defensive back, and lacking in quality scholarship offers. A generic 3-star recruit, he turned out to be perhaps the best Michigan player out of Cass Tech in recent years, a group that includes 5-star William Campbell, 4-stars Royce Jenkins-Stone and Boubacar Cissoko, and several 3-star prospects. (There are a couple young guys on the roster who I'm not considering here due to their youth.) Gordon didn't seem to develop appreciably over the years, but he played pretty consistently throughout his career. He was a solid tackler who was always around the ball, reeled in a good number of turnovers, and finished his career tied for 25th all-time with 6 interceptions (along with Blake Countess, Raymon Taylor, Clarence Thompson, Donovan Warren, Garland Rivers, Mike Mallory, Doug Mallory, and a few others). Michigan's safeties over the last 20 years have been decent at times (Jamar Adams, Tommy Hendricks, Marcus Ray, Marlin Jackson for a bit, Earnest Shazor, etc.), but Gordon combined with Jordan Kovacs for some of the most solid safety play we've seen in Ann Arbor in a long time.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . . 
. . . his one-handed interception against Eastern Michigan in 2011. After almost another three full seasons, that's still the lasting image I have of Gordon. Out of a quads formation, EMU threw a double pass as Gordon remained disciplined and looking for something tricky. The ball sailed over the head of the intended receiver while Gordon reached up with his right hand to snag it cleanly out of the air at the goal line. (You can watch the video here.)

PROJECTION
Gordon was not invited to the NFL Combine but had an impressive pro day on Michigan's campus earlier this month. He ran a 4.49 forty, showed off a 40.5" vertical, broad jumped 10'5.5", and ran a 20-yard shuttle in 4.10 seconds. Those measurements would have made him one of the top safeties at the Combine. Unfortunately, aside from the interception described above, his play was rarely spectacular. The 5'11", 210 lb. Gordon is limited to safety and doesn't display the playing speed (despite his 40 time) NFL teams probably look for in a free safety, so his best chance is to be a strong safety type who can play in the box a little bit. I've always thought Gordon looks like a good fit in a Cover Two scheme like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers used to run, but the explosion of pass-heavy offenses means that the once-successful scheme has been abandoned as a base defense by coordinators who used to run, although it's still used at times. Anyway, Gordon is unlikely to be drafted, but he should get signed as an undrafted free agent and will have a chance to make a go of it. I think he might find himself on a practice squad or maybe an active roster for a few years.

Fitzgerald Toussaint, #28

Fitzgerald Toussaint

HIGH SCHOOL
Toussaint became a part of the 2009 class on April 18, 2008, when he chose the Wolverines over offers from Illinois, Pitt, and West Virginia, among others. He finished the recruiting cycle as a Rivals 4-star, the #8 all-purpose back, and the #239 player overall. His senior year included 237 carries for 2,246 yards (9.5 yards/carry) and 24 touchdowns at Youngstown (OH) Liberty, and I called him the best offensive recruit in the 2009 class. He joined high school teammate Isaiah Bell, a safety who had committed a few weeks earlier (and who eventually transferred to Lake Erie College).

COLLEGE
Toussaint's talents weren't needed as a freshman in 2009 due to the presence of Brandon Minor, Carlos Brown, and Kevin Grady, so Toussaint redshirted. He battled some nagging injuries early in his career, which helped to prevent him from playing until the Bowling Green game in 2010, where he promptly gained 61 yards on his first career carry before getting tracked down. He followed that up with a 5-yard touchdown run but left the game with a shoulder injury and didn't see significant time for several weeks. He unseated starter Vincent Smith by 2011 and stepped up with 187 carries for 1,041 yards (5.6 yards/carry) and 9 touchdowns, which turned out to be his most productive year. He also had the best game of his career against Illinois when he gained 192 yards, including a career-long 65-yarder. Suspended for the season-opener against Alabama in 2012, Toussaint played in ten games before snapping his ankle against Iowa but never went over 100 yards in any of those contests; he finished the year with 130 carries for 514 yards (4.0 yards/carry) and 5 touchdowns. With a daughter to care for, he considered leaving school early to try to make it in the NFL, but he returned for a fifth year in 2013. He became a bigger part of the passing game (18 catches, 203 yards) but saw some of his carries go to freshmen Derrick Green and DeVeon Smith down the stretch as the coaches searched high and low for a running game. Toussaint finished his senior year with 185 carries for 648 yards (3.5 yards/carry) and 13 touchdowns, but he averaged just 6 carries/game over the final five games.

CAREER STATISTICS
510 carries, 2290 yards, 4.5 yards/carry, 28 touchdowns
31 receptions, 298 yards, 9.8 yards/catch, 2 touchdowns
1 kick return for 28 yards
1 tackle

AWARDS
Honorable Mention All-Big Ten in 2011

SUMMARY
As I mentioned above, I always had a high opinion of Toussaint. He was Michigan's most elusive running back since at least Mike Hart, and he was faster than Hart, too. Unfortunately, he didn't break nearly as many tackles, and he wasn't blessed with as good of an offensive line. Toussaint looked pretty good as a redshirt freshman, played great as a redshirt sophomore, and then the wheels came off when the offensive line started to take a dive in 2012, which culminated with him breaking his leg against Iowa. He never really got back to full speed, and Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald even noted that during their game week. Toussaint broke off some good runs here or there (against Indiana and UConn in 2013) to keep up Michigan fans' hopes, but ultimately, it was a disappointing finish to his career. On the bright side, he finished #18 all-time in rushing yards and tied with Gordie Bell for 10th in rushing touchdowns.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . . 
. . . his high school highlights. Aside from perhaps Sam McGuffie, Toussaint had some of the best highlights of any running back prospect Michigan has brought in over the last decade. Don't get me wrong - he had some great moments in college, too. But his combination of speed, power, and agility in high school was reminiscent of Barry Sanders. Check it out for yourself if you don't remember:


PROJECTION
Toussaint was not invited to the NFL Combine, which was understandable after he totaled just 1,162 yards in his last two years and averaged under 4.0 yards/carry during that stretch. However, he had a pretty impressive pro day last week when he turned a 4.49 forty, 24 reps on the bench press, a 6.59 three-cone drill, and a 4.10 shuttle. Out of the running backs invited to the NFL's event, his forty time would have tied him for #9 at the Combine, his bench would have tied for #3, his shuttle time would have been #4 - and he would have blown away the competition at his position in the three-cone drill (the top performer was Bishop Sankey with a 6.75) and finished #5 out of all the prospects invited, regardless of position. This is not to suggest that Toussaint will get drafted, because production matters more than testing times, bench presses, etc. But I do believe that NFL scouts and personnel guys will note Michigan's poor offensive line and Toussaint's recovery from his gruesome leg injury on their way to inviting him to sign as an undrafted free agent. I would not be surprised to see him playing in the NFL for a few seasons.

Jeremy Gallon, #21

Jeremy Gallon

HIGH SCHOOL
Gallon committed to Rich Rodriguez in June of 2008 and had some pretty good accolades, claiming Player of the Year in Florida during his senior year. He was a single-wing quarterback at Apopka (FL) Apoka, so moving to slot receiver (and eventually outside receiver) was a fairly significant position change. His junior year entailed 1,613 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground, along with 1,071 passing yards and 8 touchdowns. He was a Rivals 4-star, the #11 athlete, and the #151 player overall and participated in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, where he was limited by a groin pull but still grabbed a 34-yard pass from quarterback Tajh Boyd.

COLLEGE
I expected Gallon to play as a freshman, but I guess the position change was a little much for him initially. There were problems catching the ball and holding onto the ball, and Michigan had the likes of Martavious Odoms, Roy Roundtree, and Kelvin Grady that season. As a redshirt freshman in 2010, Gallon played a little as a slot (4 catches, 49 yards, 1 touchdown) but contributed more as a punt returner (10 punt returns for 43 yards; 27 kickoff returns for 589 yards). In the unforgettable 2011 version of Under the Lights against Notre Dame, he grabbed 2 passes for 78 yards, including a leaping touchdown and a 64-yard catch-and-run to set up the winning touchdown; he finished the season as the second-leading receiver, behind Junior Hemingway, totaling 31 catches for 453 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also had his best year as a punt returner with 19 returns for 192 yards. Gallon had a mediocre beginning of the 2012 season, but he really took off once Devin Gardner took over for the injured Denard Robinson at quarterback; Gallon made 49 catches for 829 yards and 4 touchdowns as a redshirt junior. Gallon, who wore #3 to begin his career and switched to #10 before the 2011 season, was awarded the Desmond Howard #21 Legends jersey prior to the 2013 season and responded with 89 receptions for 1,373 yards and 9 touchdowns. His 89 receptions rank #2 all-time at Michigan (behind Braylon Edwards's 97 in 2004) and his yardage total ranks #1 in school history. He had three magnificent games during his senior year. The best was a 14-catch, 369-yard, 2-touchdown, record-setting performance against Indiana; another was an 8-catch, 184-yard, 3-touchdown game against Notre Dame; the final one was a 9-catch, 175-yard, 1-touchdown outing against Ohio State, which included an 84-yard catch-and-run at the beginning of the game.

CAREER STATISTICS
173 receptions, 2704 yards, 15.4 yards/catch, 17 touchdowns
17 carries, 97 yards, 5.7 yards/carry
0/1 passing
32 kickoff returns, 658 yards, 20.6 yards/return
47 punt returns, 333 yards, 7.1 yards/return
8 tackles

AWARDS
Second Team All-Big Ten, 2013
Honorable Mention All-Big Ten, 2012
#21 Legends jersey

SUMMARY
Gallon's career spanned two coaching staff with significantly different offenses and visions for him. Listed at 5'8" throughout his college career, he measured in at the NFL Combine a shade over 5'7". Viewed exclusively as a slot receiver and returner by Rich Rodriguez, he turned into an extremely productive, record-setting split end and flanker for Brady Hoke. I think one of the most surprising things about Gallon was the way he developed as a receiver and turned into a jump ball hero despite being smaller than virtually every cornerback he faced. I liked him as a recruit because of his strength and running ability, but once Rodriguez was fired, I wondered how Michigan was going to get him the ball without using bubble screens. They found a way, though. I found myself at times thinking, "Just get the ball to Gallon" because he was more productive than the running backs and less prone to turnovers than Devin Gardner. I ranked Gallon #3 in the 2013 Season Countdown and said he would end up with 75 catches, 1,200 yards, and 10 touchdowns. At the time some people thought I was overestimating his production, but I actually undervalued him in receptions and yards, and I arguably could have ranked him #2 (behind Taylor Lewan and ahead of Devin Gardner). He now has the school record for yardage in a season, set a Big Ten record with his 369 yards against Indiana, and is #2 in Division I history with that yardage performance, behind only Louisiana Tech's Troy Edwards and his 405 yards.

PROJECTION
Gallon has good acceleration but questionable long speed, evidenced by his 4.45 time in the forty at the NFL Combine. As we have seen numerous times throughout his career, he can get run down from behind. Furthermore, his size will limit him from catching on with some teams, although he plays bigger than his 5'7", 184 lb. frame would indicate. He also proved to have very large hands at the Combine. I think Gallon will get drafted somewhere around the 5th round in May's NFL Draft, but I have a hard time comparing him to anyone who has had a great deal of success recently in the NFL. Tavon Austin is small but faster than Gallon. I also think Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers has better long speed, but that might be the best comparison I can derive. I think Gallon will stick around in the league for several years, but he probably won't be more than a #3 guy and perhaps a contributor on returns.

Jeremy Jackson, #17

HIGH SCHOOL
In the 2010 Season Countdown, I identified Jackson as the least likely freshman receiver to play. It turns out that I was entirely wrong on my conclusion, but my reasoning was pretty sound. Anyway, Jackson was a Rivals 3-star wide receiver and the #22 player in the state of Michigan, but he was a way early commit (October 1, 2008) who selected the Wolverines over Florida, Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska, among others. He attended Ann Arbor (MI) Huron, across town from where his father, Fred, was the running backs coach for the Wolverines.

COLLEGE
Fellow class of 2010 wideouts Ricardo Miller and Jerald Robinson redshirted as freshmen (slot receiver Drew Dileo played a little), but Jackson played in ten games and caught 2 passes each against Wisconsin and Ohio State for a total of 55 yards. The hiring of Brady Hoke in 2011 didn't change Jackson's role much as he caught 3 passes for 36 yards as a sophomore. As a junior in 2012, he made 4 catches for 31 yards and a whopping 7.8 yards/catch. He achieved career highs in 2013 with 6 catches for 71 yards.

CAREER STATISTICS
17 catches, 193 yards, 11.4 yards/catch; 3 tackles

AWARDS
Academic All-Big Ten in 2012

SUMMARY
I am struggling to come up with the appropriate words to describe Jackson's career. He is a player whose recruitment and playing career confounded me to some extent. If I'm being bluntly honest, I do not believe he was a Michigan-caliber player, nor am I convinced that he should have played as much as he did. I began seriously following recruiting in 2006, but the 2010 class happened to come about around the time when I started blogging, which caused me to evaluate recruits on a deeper level. I had serious questions at the time about whether Jackson was deserving of an offer, and I think I made some enemies on various message boards by being so insistent. The timing of my blogging "hobby" has nothing to do with Jackson himself, but he represents some of the first strong feelings I had about the direction of Michigan's recruiting efforts. I'm not sure I've seen another Michigan receiver garner so much playing time without having a single skill to hang his hat on - speed, size, blocking ability, hands, leaping ability, running ability, something. In four years, 46 games, and four career starts, Jackson made just 17 catches. By comparison, Dileo played the same four years and saw a similar amount of playing time, but he was able to make 46 catches for 629 yards and 6 touchdowns. Jackson stayed out of trouble and did not detract from the face of the program during his college years (unlike a couple stupid kickers), and I wish I had more positive things to say about a kid who played for four years in a winged helmet.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . .
. . . being the first player whose Michigan offer I seriously questioned.

PROJECTION
Jackson is listed at 6'3" and 209 lbs. and I would assume he will participate in Michigan's pro day later this month, although I am not aware of all the players who are certain to work out that day. However, Jackson's lack of production and athleticism will likely prevent him from having any kind of professional football career.

Courtney Avery, #11

Courtney Avery (#5)

HIGH SCHOOLI can't sum it up much better than I did back in March 2010: "The first [cornerback] to commit was Courtney Avery from Lexington, OH. Avery played quarterback - and played it well - as a high schooler, and if he were any taller than 5'10", he might have been worthy of some scholarship offers as a signal caller. Avery had been committed to Jim Harbaugh's Stanford Cardinal prior to pledging for Michigan, but impressed enough at Michigan's summer camp to garner an offer. Shortly afterward, he became a Wolverine. Avery has some shortcomings as a defensive back. He is an aggressive tackler, but he's small-ish and might lack ideal speed for man coverage. I think he'd be better off as a corner in a largely zone scheme, but he's the type of kid who could be a solid backup and perhaps contribute as a gunner on the punt team."

COLLEGE
Despite being tiny and inexperienced, Avery earned quite a bit of playing time in that awful 2010 season when Michigan gave up nine million yards and ten million points. Due to some injuries and attrition, Avery ended up starting five games and making 36 tackles, .5 tackles for loss, 4 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble. The arrival of defensive coordinator Greg Mattison in 2011 moved Avery to slot corner, where he enjoyed the best season of his career. He had 26 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, .5 sacks, 2 interceptions, 4 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, and 2 fumble recoveries; 1 one of those fumble recoveries was returned for an 83-yard touchdown against Purdue, and 1 of those interceptions sealed the 40-34 victory over Ohio State to end the regular season. As a junior in 2012, he had 19 tackles, 2 tackles, .5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery in four starts. With a very inexperienced free safety position, Avery practiced and played at both corner and safety leading into the 2013 season, but he was largely ineffective at both positions; he wrapped up his career with a season that included 30 tackles and half a sack.

CAREER STATISTICS
19 starts, 111 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 2 interceptions for 1 yard, 8 pass breakups, 3 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries for 89 yards and 1 touchdown

AWARDS
Academic All-Big Ten in 2012
Team Captain in 2013

SUMMARY
I typically like high school quarterbacks even when they're changing positions, as was the case with Avery. However, I was always skeptical of Avery because he lacked great athleticism for the cornerback position, and he wasn't big or aggressive enough to be a good fit at safety. When he had to play early in his career due to some injuries and questionable personnel choices, Avery really struggled. He took a leap forward when the new coaching staff in 2011 put him in the slot, where his iffy physical skills could be covered up a little bit. On top of going 11-2 and winning the Sugar Bowl, Avery had probably the two biggest highlights of his career - a game-clinching interception to win the Ohio State game and an 83-yard fumble return for a touchdown against Purdue. For whatever reasons, his career tailed off from there. His 2012 was just so-so, and his senior year got off to a rocky start because of a knee injury suffered in August; he ended up playing some corner and some safety throughout the season, but it was his least impressive season since his freshman year. On the plus side, the people within the program respected him enough to name him a senior captain for 2013.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . . 
. . . his interception against Ohio State in 2011. It was the first Ohio State game I had attended in awhile, and it ended a prolonged losing streak to the Buckeyes. Avery jumped a route, which popped the ball up in the air before he dove to corral it before it hit the ground. It was fourth down, anyway, so an incompletion would have ended the game, but it made it extra sweet that the game ended on a pick.

PROJECTION
Listed at 5'11" and 175 lbs., Avery isn't the smallest guy out there, but he doesn't have the quickness, speed, or acceleration that teams are looking for in a cornerbac

Drew Dileo, #9

Drew Dileo

Here's my first ever post on Drew Dileo, a scouting report form March 2009.

HIGH SCHOOL
A product of Greenwell Springs (LA) Parkview Baptist, a small private school, Dileo was a Rivals 3-star and the #73 athlete in the 2010 class. Also an accomplished baseball player, he did a little bit of everything - running, receiving, returning, playing cornerback, and throwing the ball on occasion. As a junior in 2008, he had 760 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns, 315 receiving yard and 4 touchdowns, and averaged 42.2 yards per kickoff return. He committed to Michigan at the end of April 2009 over offers from Stanford and Tulane.

COLLEGE
If you're like me, you wondered a little bit why Drew Dileo set foot on the field as a true freshman in 2010. He was not big and he was not fast (his reported 4.5 forty time was clearly a fib), but redshirt years don't do much good for guys who aren't going to grow or get much faster. Dileo was a holder, played some slot receiver, and returned some punts and kicks; it was his most productive year as a kick returner, when he averaged 21.6 yards/return. As a sophomore in 2011, he became the full-time holder and converted three fake field goals (against Michigan State, Nebraska, and Virginia Tech), the most spectacular of which was a prayer of a completion to long snapper Jareth Glanda in the Sugar Bowl against the Hokies. His receiving ticked up (9 catches, 121 yards, 2 touchdowns) a little bit, too. In his junior season of 2012, Dileo had his most productive season in terms of yardage when he caught 20 passes for 331 yards and 2 touchdowns, turning in big catches against Minnesota and Michigan State. For whatever reason, he became more of an afterthought as a senior (16 catches, 174 yards, 2 touchdowns) and had an uncharacteristic drop to seal a loss to Nebraska, but still managed to have some key receptions, such as touchdowns against Notre Dame and Ohio State.

CAREER STATISTICS
46 catches, 629 receiving yards, 13.7 yards/catch, and 6 touchdowns
3 carries for 14 yards
1/1 passing for 11 yards
11 punt returns for 79 yards, 7.2 yards/return
17 kickoff returns for 336 yards, 19.8 yards/return

SUMMARY
Dileo is one of those guys whom you wish could be re-signed as a free agent. He's a utility man that just about any team could use in some capacity, but he's not capable of being a spotlight guy. Without him Michigan has to face an immediate future without a sure-handed slot guy, without a sure-handed returner, and likely without a fake field goal threat from the holder position.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . .
. . . the fake field goal pass to Jareth Glanda in the 2012 Sugar Bowl against Virginia Tech. That seems to sum up his career quite nicely, because it was Dileo finding a way to get the job done.

PROJECTION
Dileo won't be invited to the NFL Combine, and he won't be drafted. I have a hard time believing he'll even be signed as an undrafted free agent. His football career is likely over, and I imagine he'll move on to the professional world.

Cameron Gordon, #4

Cameron Gordon

HIGH SCHOOL
Gordon came from Inkster (MI) Inkster in the class of 2009, where he was a teammate of Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner, who was a year younger. Gordon's senior season saw him catch 49 passes for 863 yards, and he also had 126 tackles, 5 sacks, and 5 interceptions at linebacker. Rivals ranked him as a 4-star, the #36 wide receiver, and the #233 player overall in his class. He chose the Wolverines in December 2008 over offers from Cincinnati, Iowa, Minnesota, and some MAC schools. Here's my first TTB post on Gordon, where I claimed he was the most likely freshman to redshirt.

COLLEGE
Michigan's head coach at the time, Rich Rodriguez, promised Gordon a chance to play wide receiver, which is where he took reps as a true freshman. During the spring of 2010, he made the switch to free safety and started 7 games there before moving to linebacker, where he started the final 6 contests. Altogether, he made 77 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, 4 pass breakups, and 2 fumble recoveries (1 of which he returned for a 58-yard touchdown against Purdue). When Brady Hoke and his staff arrived in 2011, they moved Gordon to SAM linebacker. Bothered by a bad back and stuck behind Jake Ryan and Brennen Beyer, he made just 4 tackles on the year. With Beyer playing defensive end in 2012, Gordon saw his playing time increase and finished with 17 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 1 pass breakup. He was then named one of four team captains prior to the 2013 season and started 2 games while Ryan recovered from a torn ACL; Gordon turned in his best statistical year since his redshirt freshman season and topped off his career with 40 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, a team-leading 5 sacks, 2 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble.

CAREER STATISTICS
138 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, 3 interceptions for 35 yards, 7 pass breakups, 2 fumble recoveries for 58 yards and 1 touchdown, 1 forced fumble

AWARDS
Second Team Freshman All-American, 2010
Academic All-Big Ten, 2010-2012
Team Captain, 2013

SUMMARY
I was always leery of Gordon as a wide receiver (and then as a safety) because of his size and relative lack of speed. He played linebacker in high school, and I rarely like the idea of moving guys back in a defense (see also: Josh Furman). Even though he had 3 picks as a redshirt freshman safety, he got burned repeatedly, including by tight ends. Once he moved to linebacker, he gave the Wolverines a little more speed and athleticism. I wish he would have played more over Beyer, but Gordon found himself somewhat limited once Ryan emerged as such a big playmaker. It speaks to his leadership and lack of complaining that he was able to become a captain despite being a backup for the majority of his career.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . . 
. . . his interception deep in the red zone against Indiana in 2010. He made a very nice play on the ball, and he helped secure a 42-35 win by stopping the Hoosiers on a potential scoring drive. He had a couple other picks, that exciting score against Purdue, and some nice plays early in his senior season, but that pick against Indiana still stands out.

PROJECTION
Listed at 6'3" and 237 lbs., Gordon has plenty of size to play linebacker in the NFL. I will be curious to see how he performs at Michigan's Pro Day. I doubt he will amaze anyone with his strength, speed, or quickness, but he has a nice combination of all those things. If guys like Tim Jamison, Roy Manning, and Shantee Orr can eke out careers as backup or practice squad edge guys in the NFL, I don't see why Gordon can't do the same thing if he wants. He's more versatile than those guys since he can rush the passer and cover in space a little bit.