2024 Season Countdown: #58 Kechaun Bennett

 

Kechaun Bennett (image via MGoBlue)

Name: Kechaun Bennett
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 257 lbs.
High school: Suffield (CT) Suffield Academy
Position: Defensive end
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #52
Last year: I ranked Bennett #71 and said he would be a backup defensive end (LINK). He made 3 tackles and 1 tackle for loss.
TTB Rating: 78

Bennett has been a somewhat forgotten name on Michigan's roster for the past few years. He seemed to have a decent spring prior to 2023, but that didn't result in a ton of playing time; he played in just five games on defense, while playing in six more on special teams. Michigan lost a couple players on the edge going into that season, and they've lost a couple more (Braiden McGregor, Jaylen Harrell) going into 2024.

But there's still not much buzz about Bennett, unfortunately. Derrick Moore and Josaiah Stewart are the starting edge players, and the next Guy people are talking about is T.J. It's not clear how the rest of the depth chart will play out, and Bennett will probably see an uptick in playing time. My guess is that Guy and Cameron Brandt will make up the second unit, with Bennett and a few others vying for the third team. Ultimately, it's good to have a veteran presence for depth purposes, but there doesn't seem to be a breakout coming for Bennett.

Prediction: Backup defensive end

2024 Season Countdown: #59 Christian Boivin

 

Christian Boivin (image via MGoBlue)

Name: Christian Boivin
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 225 lbs.
High school: Traverse City (MI) West
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #40
Last year: I ranked Boivin #89 and said he would be a backup linebacker and special teamer (LINK). He blocked a punt and made 9 tackles.
TTB Rating: N/A

I thought I gave a walk-on linebacker a pretty solid ranking last year when I put Boivin at #89. It turns out I ranked him too low. The special teams expert blocked a punt in a tight game against Maryland, which resulted in a safety, and he also made 9 total tackles, including one where he crushed a Nebraska returner:

Maryland has to punt.

Junior LB Christian Boivin comes up the middle and gets a picture perfect block resulting in a safety. Thats 16 points scored in under 2 minutes. pic.twitter.com/n8LR1oKoRS

— Due# (@JDue51) November 19, 2023

The Christian Boivin tackle, the call, the J.J. McCarthy sideline reaction, just all of it 😲

📺: FOX/@CFBonFOX pic.twitter.com/NtnPJSxvhR

— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 30, 2023

Back in the spring, new linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary said Boivin was getting more of a look at linebacker. He's up to 225 pounds, which is still on the lighter side, but it's closer to a playable weight.

I don't really expect Boivin to play much defense. The Wolverines have too many scholarship guys with experience and size advantages, but Boivin might be able to step in just in case there's an injury or two. At the very least, he should continue to be a special teams demon.

Prediction: Backup linebacker and special teams player

2024 Season Countdown: #60 Peyton O'Leary

 

Peyton O'Leary (image via MGoBlue)

Name: Peyton O’Leary
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 203 lbs.
High school: Byfield (MA) Governor’s Academy
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #81
Last year: I ranked O’Leary #49 and said he would be a backup wide receiver (LINK). He caught 2 passes for 13 yards and 1 touchdown.
TTB Rating: N/A

The off-season and practice buzz has been going for O'Leary for a couple seasons, but so far it has not turned into a ton of production. He played a total of 38 snaps in 2023 and notched 2 receptions for 13 yards and 1 score, the TD catch coming against Nebraska in a blowout. Michigan typically doesn't get a ton of production from its receivers, so it's understandable that there aren't many scraps left for someone like O'Leary.

But one of the big criticisms of Michigan's receiver room going into 2024 is a lack of size. Cornelius Johnson moved on to the NFL, and Darrius Clemons transferred to Oregon State. That left the Wolverines with a bunch of small-ish wideouts, though they were able to snag Amorion Walker back from Ole Miss through the transfer portal. Walker has height but not much in the way of bulk. In fact, O'Leary and Walker are the same height (6'3") but O'Leary outweighs Walker by 21 pounds.

This is not to say that O'Leary will be a big, bulky, leaping red zone target, but he may be looked upon to help in certain circumstances where he was not needed in 2023. I don't have a ton of faith that moderate practice buzz will suddenly turn into huge amounts of playing time, though, so I'm dropping him down in the countdown compared to last year.

Prediction: Backup wide receiver

2024 Season Countdown: #61 Joe Taylor

 

Joe Taylor (image via MGoBlue)

Name: Joe Taylor
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 190 lbs.
High school: Chelsea (MI) Chelsea
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #39
Last year: I ranked Taylor #87 and said he would be a backup wide receiver and kick returner (LINK). He made 4 tackles and returned 1 kickoff for 13 yards.
TTB Rating: N/A

Taylor surprisingly appeared on the scene in 2022 as the "other" returner, the guy who lines up deep but opposite of whoever Michigan wants to receive the ball. Most kickers are right-footed and pull the ball to their left to get maximum power, so return teams will often put a guy back on the return team's left - Michigan's left in this case - to field the ball just in case the opponent wants to throw a curveball. Maryland tried that in 2021, and it resulted in Michael Barrett - a high school quarterback - throwing it back to A.J. Henning for a touchdown.

For the past two seasons, it's been Taylor lining up deep, and he has 3 kickoff returns to show for it. One of the speedier players on the team, he also has the willingness - and, let's be honest, the lack of offensive importance - to get ahead of the returner and throw a block or two. If that other returner is incapable of throwing a block, then he's just a waste of a body 95% of the time.

But Taylor has also played on coverage units and even recovered an onside kick against Maryland last year. One could probably make an argument to rank Taylor even higher in the countdown since he's a virtual lock to play a ton of special teams, but there are always bodies for special teams, so I couldn't really justify ranking him any higher. Still, you will probably see #39 streaking down the field quite a bit this fall.

Prediction: Backup wide receiver and special teamer

2024 Season Countdown: #62 Deyvid Palepale

 

Deyvid Palepale

Name: Deyvid Palepale
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 335 lbs.
High school: Manheim Township (PA) Hempfield
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #54
Last year: Palepale was a senior in high school (LINK). He played in two games.
TTB Rating: 75

Palepale had an adventurous high school career and recruitment. A one-time commitment to USC, the Alaska native was dismissed from his high school football team for being critical of the coaching staff on social media. He only played in two games as a senior. He finished the cycle ranked as a 247 Composite 3-star, the #89 defensive lineman, and #771 overall. That's a pretty low ranking for someone who reported other offers from Florida, Miami, and Ohio State, among others, but recruiting rankings don't matter at this point.

My biggest questions about Palepale are about his conditioning. After being listed at 300 pounds as a recruit, he's now weighing in at 335 pounds on the fall roster. Could that previous weight have been outdated? Did he put on good weight, or is he going to have to trim down and then rebuild his body? It's always tough to play on the lines as a freshman, but it's especially tough if you're not in shape. I think Michigan probably needs to get a few snaps a game from Palepale, but perhaps they can squeak by with Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, Roderick Pierce, and maybe Ike Iwunnah playing some nose tackle.

Prediction: Backup nose tackle

2024 Season Countdown: #63 Evan Boutorwick

 

Evan Boutorwick (image via MWolverine)

Name: Evan Boutorwick
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 230 lbs.
High school: Sterling Heights (MI) Henry Ford II
Position: Long snapper
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #46
Last year: I ranked Boutorwick #64 and said he would be a backup long snapper (LINK). He did not play.
TTB Rating: N/A

It's always interesting to me when I put together the countdown and then, when I'm writing the individual posts, discover that I put a player in the exact same spot - or close to it - for consecutive years. That's the case with Boutorwick, who was #64 last year and now comes in at #63.

Boutorwick did not play any snaps - pun intended! - in 2023 because of the presence of William Wagner and Greg Tarr. Wagner started all fifteen games last season, but he was injured in 2022 and replaced by a very capable Tarr. So Michigan already has two solid long snappers.

The third one appears to be Boutorwick. While the third-string long snapper does not appear to be very important on paper, Michigan has had injuries at the long snapper position in recent years to guys like Wagner and Scott Sypniewski. And long snapper can be one of those spots that can swing a team's fortunes wildly. So here sits Boutorwick, who in the best case scenario for Michigan . . . won't step on the field at all in 2024.

Unless maybe Michigan is beating MSU 48-0 again and needs an extra point.

P.S. Speaking of an extra point, both Wagner and Tarr will have exhausted their eligibility after 2024, so Boutorwick could possibly go from #3 on the depth chart to #1 by 2025.

Prediction: Backup long snapper

2024 Season Countdown: #64 Aymeric Koumba

 

Aymeric Koumba (image via MGoBlue)

Name: Aymeric Koumba
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 260 lbs.
High school: Bordeaux (France) Lycee Alfred Kastler
Position: Defensive end
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #90
Last year: I ranked Koumba #130 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He played in one game.
TTB Rating: 73

Koumba was very raw coming out of France last year, and it was reflected in the amount of playing time he got: he played in the first game of the year, against East Carolina. Most freshmen aren't going to play a ton, but especially guys in the trenches who come from Europe.

Not much practice buzz came out of Schembechler Hall about Koumba, but he supposedly got up to 265 pounds this off-season before being listed at 260 on the fall camp roster. He looked thin as a recruit, but now people like Sam Webb are saying Koumba looks like the type of guy you would want to be "first off the bus." At 6'5" and 260 pounds, he's roughly the same height and weight as Braiden McGregor and Aiden Hutchinson, two other guys who would have been "first off the bus" material.

Whether Koumba plays or not is a different story. Michigan's top three edge players are Josaiah Stewart, Derrick Moore, and probably T.J. Guy, but Koumba might be in the running to be that fourth or fifth guy, along with someone like Cameron Brandt. I wouldn't expect him to ascend to fourth just yet, but Brandt got 60 snaps in 2023 and Kechaun Bennett got 32. That's the type of role that Koumba has a chance to fill in 2024.

Prediction: Backup defensive end