Seattle (WA) Rainier OT Joshua Conerly, Jr. (image via 247 Sports)
2022
Aaron Alexander - LB - Belleville (MI) Belleville: Alexander is committed to Michigan (LINK).
Lander Barton - LB - Salt Lake City (UT) Brighton: Barton is a 6'4", 215 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Texas, and Utah, among others. He's a 4-star, the #21 linebacker, and #187 overall. Numerous family members went to Utah, so he will be a tough pull from the Utes. This is an official visit.
Joshua Conerly - OT - Seattle (WA) Rainier: Conerly is a 6'5", 275-pounder with offers from Alabama, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Texas, among others. He's a 5-star, the #3 offensive tackle, and #20 overall. This is an official visit.
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Let's see more of this guy on offense . . . A.J. Henning. Assuming Ronnie Bell is out for a while (hopefully not!), I think Henning is probably the guy who needs to see more touches. Michigan needs a guy who can run through tackles and make something happen after the catch. As much as I like Cornelius Johnson, Roman Wilson, and other guys, I'm not sure that any receiver besides Henning can offer that ability after the catch. Henning had a 74-yard touchdown on an end around and caught 1 pass for 11 yards from J.J. McCarthy.
Cade McNamara > Joe Milton. Redshirt sophomore Cade McNamara had a game that Joe Milton could only dream of, and that included completing 9/11 passes for 136 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. It doesn't matter if you can throw a ball 80 yards if you don't know where the ball is going. McNamara has the ability to recognize matchups and read defenses, and those skills trump Howitzers for arms. His best two passes of the day were beautiful deep balls to . . .
Ronnie Bell. Bell made a great one-handed catch on the sideline (nullified by a very questionable offensive pass interference call) and a great 76-yard catch-and-run touchdown. That at the end of an exciting 31-yard punt return, he seemed to slump to the ground when getting tackled and was swarmed by medical personnel. When he left the field, he had to be carried and his right leg was just dangling. My fear is that he tore his ACL while making a cut at the end of the run. Bell is a captain, led the team in receiving the past two years, and was bound to lead the team in that category once again in 2021. After losing Aidan Hutchinson, Kwity Paye, and Jalen Mayfield to injury in 2020, it's frustrating that Michigan couldn't avoid a serious injury even one game into the season against a MAC opponent.
Here it is, the final countdown! I hope you guys enjoyed reading this year, which was a record for the number of posts. No other website profiles the top 131 players in Michigan's program, do they? Nope! And I'll tell you why:
Name: Aidan Hutchinson Height: 6'6" Weight: 265 lbs. High school: Dearborn (MI) Divine Child Position: Outside linebacker Class: Senior Jersey number: #97 Last year: I ranked Hutchinson #88 and said he would be the starting strongside end (LINK). He made 15 tackles. TTB Rating: 88
Hutchinson's solid 2019 season seemed to have him primed for a huge year in 2020, so when he made 15 tackles from his defensive end position in the first two games, it seemed like he was tracking well. Then he got hurt early in the third game against Indiana, and I felt a little bit of life drain out of me. Michigan was already in bad shape, having lost to Michigan State and, in that game, having lost Jalen Mayfield and Ryan Hayes, too. The Wolverines were cursed in 2020.
Hutchinson himself has a relentless motor. Along with those impressive 15 tackles for a defensive lineman across two games, he seemed one or two steps away from making several sacks. I don't know that I've seen another defensive lineman come this close to making as many hits on the quarterback, but still, Hutchinson's production has just been okay, not stellar.
Going into the 2021 season, Hutchinson is Michigan's most important player. The team did not perform well at all last season once he got injured, and they were lifeless on defense. Nobody else seemed capable of putting pressure on the quarterback, and teams didn't have to run away from anyone, either. It was open season on the entire Michigan defense. Hutchinson is an emotional leader on and off the field, which is supported by his naming as captain. Some prognosticators have him going in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and while I don't think he will have enough production to be an All-American, that's not out of the question.
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Name: Cade McNamara Height: 6'1" Weight: 212 lbs. High school: Reno (NV) Damonte Ranch Position: Quarterback Class: Redshirt sophomore Jersey number: #12 Last year: I ranked McNamara #65 and said he would be a backup quarterback (LINK). He completed 43/71 passes for 425 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions; he also ran for 1 touchdown. TTB Rating: 65
My, what a ride it's been in just a couple seasons for Cade McNamara. Thought by many to be a down-the-road option at quarterback for a team that had Shea Patterson, Dylan McCaffrey, and Joe Milton when he committed, that road got a lot shorter in a hurry. Patterson graduated and moved on, McCaffrey transferred to Northern Colorado, and suddenly McNamara was the primary backup to newly anointed starter Joe Milton in 2020. That situation evolved quickly, as well, with Milton getting injured/playing poorly mid-season, thrusting McNamara into the limelight. McNamara played late against Wisconsin, took over early against Rutgers, started against Penn State, and . . . promptly got hurt.
Milton looked the part of a stud quarterback, but he didn't play like it with 4 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Meanwhile, McNamara looks like an average dude but didn't turn over the ball. He commanded the offense better than Milton did in more extended playing time, and McNamara's decision-making was quicker. One of the main things I look for when evaluating quarterbacks is how quickly they make decisions at the line of scrimmage and progress through their reads. That was an area where Milton struggled, but McNamara does well in that phase, despite his lack of elite physical talents.
This off-season McNamara has had to fend off 5-star freshman J.J. McCarthy, who reportedly struggled a little bit in the spring but has turned it on during fall camp. The coaching staff has been steadfast that McNamara is the guy, even though McCarthy will play. Michigan also has former Texas Tech starter Alan Bowman and redshirt freshman Dan Villari on the roster. It will be interesting to see whether McNamara entrenches himself as the starter or if McCarthy pops up if McNamara struggles. It would be great if Michigan can put the brakes on the revolving door at quarterback and keep players at the position for a few years. I'm expecting McNamara to have an efficient 2021 season. Michigan should be able to run the ball to keep pressure off of him, and he has some talented targets at wideout and tight end.
Name: Daxton Hill Height: 6'0" Weight: 192 lbs. High school: Tulsa (OK) Booker T. Washington Position: Safety Class: Junior Jersey number: #30 Last year: I ranked Hill #3 and said he would be the starting free safety (LINK). He made 46 tackles, 1 interception, and 5 pass breakups. TTB Rating: 100
Daxton Hill was Michigan's highest rated recruit in the class of 2019, and much like other skill position players at Michigan under Jim Harbaugh, he has not lived up to the expectations. He certainly was not the only one, but he appeared to be disinterested in playing football during the 2020 season. There were times where he did not appear to be going full speed, either in running or tackling. There were even times where he seemed disinterested in getting lined up and in a good stance. When walk-on safety Hunter Reynolds got a chance to play, he seemed to outperform Hill if only because Reynolds looked like he actually cared.
Going into his third year, it's time for Hill to finally reach his potential. A new coaching staff reportedly plans to use him in a variety of roles in the secondary, playing anywhere from corner to nickel to strong safety to deep safety. I am a little concerned that his new position coach is Ron Bellamy (a former receiver and a high school coach through last season), but it's also fair to note that Bellamy played in the NFL. Guys who play in the NFL tend to know stuff.
Hill has very good speed, he has decent size, and he has playmaking ability. He can also lay the lumber if he wants. The big question is whether Jim Harbaugh, Mike Macdonald, and Bellamy can bring the best out of him. Michigan needs him to play at a high level if they want to win, since there are questions at cornerback and in the front seven. I think the new staff might be a positive jolt of energy for Hill, so he should take a step forward in 2021, perhaps resulting in an early departure for the NFL.
