Bredeson and Ruiz on PFF best-of list
PFF’s Cam Mellor has an article on ESPN listing the best player in the nation in various categories (e.g., passer by distance, receiver by route type, etc). Bredeson and Ruiz were listed as the best pass-blocking OG and best pass-blocking C, respectively. Blurbs below:
Best pass-blocking OG: Ben Bredeson, Michigan
The nation's best pass-protecting guard put forth some dominant outings and kept a clean sheet against some top-notch defensive lines. Bredeson spent 451 snaps in pass protection and allowed just seven hurries with no QB hit or sack allowed. He didn't allow a single pressure against Iowa, Notre Dame or Michigan State and allowed just two pressures against Ohio State.
Best pass-blocking C: Cesar Ruiz, Michigan
If you ever wondered why the Michigan offense got rolling late, look no further than the interior of that offensive line, which sports two guys on our list for best pass protectors at their respective position. Ruiz spent 447 snaps in pass protection and allowed just seven total pressures, including eight games without a pressure allowed. He hasn't allowed a single pressure since Week 7 against Illinois.
December 14th, 2019 at 8:00 AM ^
Both these guys had outstanding seasons, the oline has come a long way in 2 years.
December 14th, 2019 at 10:04 AM ^
Was really hoping Caesar would stay one more year. Not sure that's reasonable to hope for now. But yea, they did a great job keeping Shea clean.
December 14th, 2019 at 10:19 AM ^
Ruiz, in my opinion, would be picked within the top 50 selections. His size and strength are plus and pro teams salivate at having that kind of mobility at center, allowing them to pull outside is huge. Reminds me of when Damien Woody came out. Bredeson I can see 2-4 depending on how things progress in the offseason.
December 14th, 2019 at 1:52 PM ^
I'm skeptical. I hope OP or someone will share with us who the other top centers are. If the top run blocking C and the top overall C are seniors, Ruiz might not even be the first center taken. He made a lot of errors over the course of the year. Teams might want him to get more experience.
EDIT: According to PFF he isn't even in the top 4 best centers in the Big Ten:
Center
First Team: Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin
Make that three straight All-Big Ten teams for Biadasz. He not only made the All-Big Ten team this year, though, slotting in on our All-America Team, too. He was a top-five graded center in every season of his career at Wisconsin.
Second Team: Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa
Third Team: John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota
Honorable Mention: Doug Kramer, Illinois
(Note: Linderbaum is a R-S Fr., Schmitz is a R-S Sophomore and Kramer is a R-S Junior.)
https://www.pff.com/news/college-football-2019-pff-all-big-ten-team
December 14th, 2019 at 10:45 AM ^
I don't know, maybe I'm the outlier, but I didn't think Ruiz had that great of a year. It got better as the year progressed, but I think a good run blocking center is better than a good pass blocking center. Jmo, but I wasn't impressed. He has all the intangibles, but I never saw him getting much push when needed.
December 14th, 2019 at 9:26 AM ^
This may be a preposterous question, but was this the best overall offense UM has ever put on the field? Not statistically, but....Star-wise...247, Rivals, etc? I believe every starter on this year's offense will play on Sundays, at least pre-season.
December 14th, 2019 at 9:30 AM ^
On its face it seems preposterous but I agree that likely even the worst starters will be NFL camp guys. I mean, who were the worst (upperclassman) starters, Shea and McKeon? I expect Mayfield and Charbonnet to keep improving.
December 14th, 2019 at 10:17 AM ^
Except Shea - I believe the CFL plays Thursdays to Saturdays.
December 14th, 2019 at 11:39 AM ^
With a good QB....and a more explosive RB...maybe....but Shea was terrible the first half of the season.
With a better QB, Michigan would have beaten PSU and Wisk.
December 14th, 2019 at 5:55 PM ^
If my aunt had balls she’d be my uncle.
Our OL sucked against Wisconsin. Harbaugh sat our hot hand at RB and neither QB had time to find our receivers who weren’t open. Our D sucked against Wisconsin. They did whatever they wanted against us.
A great QB wouldn’t have helped us, we weren’t blocking their DL/LB well enough to win that game.
If our defense played 4 quarters against PSU instead of two, yeah we beat them. Patterson had a solid second half in that game and damn near brought us back
December 17th, 2019 at 10:01 AM ^
In California and New York your aunt is your uncle regardless.
December 14th, 2019 at 9:55 AM ^
i LiKe A gIrL wHo’S a SpArTy
December 14th, 2019 at 10:20 AM ^
I know the popular thought is that Ruiz comes back, but I'm not in that camp. Honestly, I never understood that. I will be shocked (pleasantly) if he comes back.
December 14th, 2019 at 10:35 AM ^
I agree. It’s kind of an end of that group’s time together. With a new QB and 3 new OL to play next to, Ruiz might be inclined to leave.
December 14th, 2019 at 11:02 AM ^
I agree with a poster above that he may be projected top 50. He’s a near perfect center in the modern NFL. If he’s projected high, he should absolutely go. The shelf life is too low on interior O-line to leave a year on the table.