2018 way too early depth chart
because Yost isn't around
disclaimer - no clue on some of the LB spots so feel free to make fun of me, take shots, correct me, etc. - been married 27+ years so used to it
heights are with the OL because I had it that way in a file and find it interesting
* = walk ons
guessed at which incoming freshman will RS
2018 Depth Chart
Offense
QB
Peters RS So
McCaffrey RS Fr
Doyle Fr
Milton Fr (RS)
RB
Higdon Sr
Evans Jr
Walker RS So
Samuels So
K Taylor RS Fr
Turner Fr
Haskins Fr (RS)
FB
Mason So
WR
DPJ So
T. Black RS Fr
Crawford Jr
Schoenle* Jr
Collins So
Slot WR
Perry Sr
McDoom Jr
O. Martin RS Fr
TE - the first 3 will all play a lot
McKeon Jr
Gentry RS Jr
Wheatley RS Jr (starting blocking TE)
Eubanks RS So (medical red shirt 2017?)
Muhammed Fr
Schoonmaker Fr (RS)
LT
Stueber – 6’6” – RS Fr (or start at RT)
Newsome – 6’6” – RS Jr
Hudson – 6’5” – RS Fr
Honigford – 6’6” – RS Fr
Hayes – 6’7” – Fr (RS)
LG
Bredeson – 6’5” – Jr
Hall – 6’5” – RS Fr
C
Ruiz - 6’3” – So
Spanellis – 6’5” – RS So
Vastardis* - Jr
RG
Onwenu – 6’3” – Jr
Filiaga – 6’6” – RS Fr
RT
JBB – 6’7” – RS Sr
Ulizio – 6’6” – RS Jr
Runyan – 6’4” – RS Jr
Mayfield – 6’5” – Fr (RS)
Defense
NT
Mone – RS Sr
Dwumfour – RS So
Paea – RS Fr
DT
Solomon - So
D. Jeter – RS Fr
DIB – RS Fr
SDE
Gary - Jr
Kemp – Jr
Hutchinson – Fr
Upshaw – Fr (RS)
WDE
Winovich – RS Sr
Vilain – RS Fr
Paye – So
R. Johnson – RS So
Will
Singleton RS Fr
Gil - Jr
Mbem-Bosse – RS So
Mike
Bush Jr
Ross - So
Sam
Furbush - RS S
Anthony – RS Fr
McGrone – Fr (RS)
Viper
Hudson - Jr
Uche – Jr - also in the mix at LB
Hawkins - So
Reese - Fr
CB
Long – RS So
L. Hill - Jr
Watson – RS Sr
A. Thomas - So
B St. Juste – So
Sims – Fr
Gem Green – Fr (RS)
S
Kinnel - Sr
Metellus - Jr
J. Glasgow – RS Jr (also viper LB)
Woods - So
JKP - So
Faustin Fr
Ger Green – Fr (RS)
Special Teams
K Nordin – RS So
P Robbins - So
LS C. Cheeseman* - RS So
November 27th, 2017 at 12:08 PM ^
cuz it sucks
November 27th, 2017 at 1:08 PM ^
That RT spot still makes me queasy
November 27th, 2017 at 1:17 PM ^
Not me. Say all other line positions take a step forward in pass protection it will be fine to give JBB some TE or RB help. He is a great run blocker.
If all the other positions cant make the leap then its not just on JBB.
November 27th, 2017 at 5:58 PM ^
It's not reasonable to expect next year's LT to be an improvement over Cole.
November 27th, 2017 at 9:15 PM ^
true but then the statement shouldnt be RT scares me. It should be the tackles scare me.
Dont pick out one guy to shit on when there is more than one weak spot.
November 27th, 2017 at 1:27 PM ^
starts at RT.
November 27th, 2017 at 1:31 PM ^
November 27th, 2017 at 3:54 PM ^
November 27th, 2017 at 12:09 PM ^
November 27th, 2017 at 12:16 PM ^
Flip Dwumfour and Solomon, flip Bush and Ross (and it might be Singleton not Ross) and this looks most likely correct.
Stueber might just surprise people next year. I feel decent nowadays about JBB staying at starting RT next year. The other combo on the line could be Bredeson kicking out and Spanellis coming into the interior. Might just see a 5-star OT slide into the two-deep as well.
November 27th, 2017 at 12:18 PM ^
MOne and Solomon would start, unless it is Solomon and Dwumfour that start - I think Solomon is starting one way or the other
November 27th, 2017 at 12:29 PM ^
Yeah I think Solomon is athletic enough to play both the NT and 3T, but that Dwumfour is definitely a 3T. It might be a thing of "which combo gives us the most utility?" and obviously a Mone/Solomon set would be better on running downs, Solomon/Dwumfour on passing downs. But the main point here is that Dwumfour is a 3T.
November 27th, 2017 at 12:21 PM ^
Ross going to get a ton of burn. By far the best of the 3 this year in all areas (weight room, classroom, tape, and understanding of DB defense) Albeit Singelton was coming off an injury and might have the highest ceiling.
November 27th, 2017 at 12:56 PM ^
Yeah I think Ross is going to be very good. I like Singleton because he can really run (I know Ross can too but Singleton is a little longer), and in two years I'd like to see Bush go pro and Ross move to Mike with Singleton at Will, but whoever wins that competition will be a good one and the rotation will be strong.
November 27th, 2017 at 12:28 PM ^
Filiaga at LT
Bredeson at LG
Ruiz at C
Onewu at RG
JBB at RT
That will be the starting OL in south bend.
November 27th, 2017 at 12:30 PM ^
Uh, no. Filiaga will not be our starting LT.
November 27th, 2017 at 1:07 PM ^
It is a way too early depth chart thread...
But who do you think it is going to be, and don't say Newsome. He won't play another down of football in his life, he is lucky to still have his leg.
November 27th, 2017 at 1:14 PM ^
with Stueber starting at LT or possibly even Horningford. The way Cole played out there this season, I think either one could be an upgrade.
November 27th, 2017 at 1:19 PM ^
Newsome will play again. I don't know if he will ever be a starter again, I don't know if he will play this season, but my money is on him getting back on the field one day. He's a strong kid and he's made good progress.
My money on the LT spot is Stueber or Bredeson, with a small chance of Nicholas Petit-Frere (pretty good chance that we land him, but the chance that we land him AND that he's the best for starting LT is slim). Stueber has a year in the weight room now and has the prototypical size and footwork of an LT. Bredeson I think could play the position as well as Cole and gives you game experience and would also be vacating a deep position. I would feel good about a Stueber-Bredeson-Ruiz-Onwenu-JBB line and a Bredeson-Spanellis-Ruiz-Onwenu-JBB line. Filiaga is a guard, maybe a RT if his pass pro improves a ton, but most likely a guard.
November 27th, 2017 at 1:08 PM ^
Flip Filiaga and Bredeson, unless Newsome is healthy.
November 27th, 2017 at 12:18 PM ^
November 27th, 2017 at 12:28 PM ^
I heard this before...?
November 27th, 2017 at 12:32 PM ^
Actually fan expectations of the defense have been more or less exceeded under Don Brown.
November 27th, 2017 at 12:40 PM ^
November 27th, 2017 at 12:19 PM ^
November 27th, 2017 at 12:59 PM ^
Because all the freshman LB's were true freshman that were learning the system this year and have loads more athleticism than furbush. Would be shocked, and frankly somewhat disappointed, if one of them couldn't make the leap past Furbush.
November 27th, 2017 at 12:21 PM ^
November 27th, 2017 at 12:31 PM ^
Right. Woods was off the bench first on Saturday. Glasgow went in when Woods was hurt.
November 27th, 2017 at 12:45 PM ^
Absolutely. Should have been starting this year. Better than both starting safetys. He will be putting Metellus on the bench.
November 27th, 2017 at 6:17 PM ^
Safety is rarely kind to true freshmen.
November 27th, 2017 at 12:46 PM ^
November 27th, 2017 at 1:01 PM ^
Mettellus needs to make a jump in coverage skills, otherwise I feel like he could get passed.
November 27th, 2017 at 2:49 PM ^
Is Mettellus' main issue the routes/coverage, speed, or both?
November 27th, 2017 at 2:21 PM ^
He needs to improve in a lot of areas. Coverage, angles, and tackling. Hopefully he gets better, but that job should be up for grabs entering next year. As of right now, he is not the answer.
November 27th, 2017 at 12:22 PM ^
the only one that wants to see someone unseat JBB from the starting position? How nice would it be to have a whole offensive line play one season, and then be the EXACT same the next season.....? Can we not have nice things?
November 27th, 2017 at 12:28 PM ^
November 27th, 2017 at 1:26 PM ^
totally disagree. My point was 1) if someone unseats him, it's because it would be an upgrade, you don't unseat someone who started 80% of the season if you aren't a legit upgrade. 2) I would just like to see us have a whole o-line return. 3) A guy has to be able to dream.....
November 27th, 2017 at 1:34 PM ^
that we would be looking for two new starters at OT next season. I don't know if that reflects any inside info or was just his opinion.
November 27th, 2017 at 12:22 PM ^
November 27th, 2017 at 12:23 PM ^
After that injury, I just don't see him ever seeing the field again. Would love it, but maybe he is a candidate for a coaching assistant position under Harbaugh?
Also, wouldn't mind seeing Woods beat out Metellus......Seems to attack, and Metellus really had a poor year, even though he is somewhat of a fan favorite.
November 27th, 2017 at 12:32 PM ^
It seems like the coaching staff and the doctors at UM are optimistic that Newsome can return. He was running in August.
November 27th, 2017 at 1:29 PM ^
Further, it seems like if there wasn't good indications at this point that he has a chance to play they would medically retire him and use the spot to recruit.
November 27th, 2017 at 4:26 PM ^
But Newsome's injury reminds of of Dennis Finley at MSU. He basically snapped his leg in half in 2015. He came back, but he never contributed, and it's not like State couldn't have used him, but he was so mentally shook by the idea that making a simple blocking assignment could cause another injury that he never left the bench except for spot duty. Grant may think he is good to go but there is a massive gap between that, and playing at a high enough level to protect the QB's blindside against B1G DE's.
November 27th, 2017 at 12:33 PM ^
Woods over Metellus. Yes, please.
November 27th, 2017 at 12:26 PM ^
Any chance McCray applies for a 6th year? I know he missed all of 2015 with injury, and MGoBlue says he didn't play as a freshman.
If he went to MSU I'm sure he'd be eligible... He seemed to have a pretty average year so I don't know if he'll be projected to go until late in the draft.
November 27th, 2017 at 12:27 PM ^
Why is Wheatley the top TE? Gentry and McKeon get more playing time this season.
Why do you have Filiaga as a Guard when he was recruited as a Tackle? Steuber isn't even in the discussion this year, so I think Filiaga will start at LT. Otherwise your starting OL looks good.
November 27th, 2017 at 12:44 PM ^
Filiaga has been getting most of his run at guard per Drevno and Sam Webb.
November 27th, 2017 at 1:12 PM ^
This is a redshirt year for him. Maybe his is running at guard so that our backup tackles can get reps at tackle this year.
November 27th, 2017 at 1:38 PM ^
Filiaga was not recruited to be a LT. Don't know where you're getting that idea. He doesn't play LT just because his recruiting ranking was the highest.
November 27th, 2017 at 2:44 PM ^
So why are we recruiting a tackle that is going to end up playing guard when we know that we are short on talent at tackle?