Drevno's 2014 USC Line v 2015's Projected UM Line
A quick look here at USC's OL for 2014 to compare how young it was versus what UM will offer Drevno in 2015. For the first time in 3 seasons I believe we won't have to bang our heads against the wall with the OL - partly due to superior coaching and partly just due to experience. Same guys, year older, stronger, smarter, and have worked together - one area we did not really suffer much in injury (save Magnuson) in 2014 was OL. And in 2016 the OL could be a team strength.
For 2015, I am projecting the same starting lineup as we ended 2014 although I think Magnuson gives Braden a run for his money. Or Magnuson could push for a guard spot and push Glasgow out to RT, an area they explored with Glasgow last spring. Obviously new staff and new eyes but it's basically a 6 man line right now and hopefully guys like Kugler and Dawson begin to push. But that's another conversation.
Here are how the 2 lines stack up i.e. what Drevno had to work with vs what he will have to work with. You will see USC was very young this year.
| Position | Name | Class | Starz | Size |
| OT | C. Wheeler | RS SO | 3 | 6'7, 280 |
| OT | Z. Banner* | RS SO | 5 | 6'9, 350! |
| OG | T. Lobendahn* | FR | 4 | 6'3, 280 |
| OG | V. Talamaivao* | FR | 4 | 6'3, 330! |
| C | M. Tuerk | JR | 4 | 6'6, 285 |
| 2015 UM | ||||
| Position | Name | Class | Starz | Size |
| OT | M. Cole | SO | 4 | 6'5, 292 |
| OT | B. Braden | RS JR | 3 | 6'6, 322 |
| OG | K. Kalis | RS JR | 5 | 6'5, 298 |
| OG | G. Glasgow | RS SR | N/A | 6'6, 311 |
| C | J. Miller | RS SR | 3 | 6'4, 299 |
* = denotes first time starter
So Drevno walked into a group with 3 new starters, 2 true freshmen. Both guards. As we have learned about "A" gap blitzes, that can suck. UM had 2 new starters last year, 1 true freshman and one a RS sophomore. Drevno will have no freshmen or new starters to worry about in 2015 unless its a new starter based on merit (rather than graduation).
USC had 2 giants out there in Banner and Talamaivao and a bit higher guys rated out of HS but still, aside from Tuerk was a very young line.
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TL;DR stuff below
Football Outsiders has a new measure they have introduced for NCAA in 2014, which measures OL so that is sort of neat. It ranked UM's OL 50th in the nation and USC 53rd. So with a younger line Drevno basically matched UM's performance. The magician up at OSU (with a line as young as UM's in 2014) had them ranked at #2. Wisconsin was #13, MSU #26 so these pass the smell test.
In terms of total offense, using FO's S&P+ measure, USC had the 24th ranked offense but it was more due to passing (Run #65, Pass #20). Michigan by comparison was 75th (Run #58, Pass #72). So the run games of the 2 teams were not dissimilar in 2014. Keep in mind UM's runners were punished in 2014 as teams had no reason to respect UM's passing offense by game 3-4, so they could focus stuffing the run. Not the case at USC where Cody Kessler had a spectacular year (39 TD, 5 INT!) and gave the run game breathing room.
I used S&P+ since FEI doesnt break offense out into run v pass.
If #TeamKevinHogan works out, I think the UM 2015 offense could be pretty darn good i.e. top 30ish nationally based on the OL, QB, TE, and stable of RBs. WR would be the one issue.
The S&P+ Ratings are a college football ratings system derived from the play-by-play data of all 800+ of a season's FBS college football games (and 140,000+ plays).
January 10th, 2015 at 6:50 AM ^
January 10th, 2015 at 7:01 AM ^
Seeing Hogan's name in quite a few spots - Texas is talking him up (their QB play was abysmal this year) and Maryland because he is from D.C. and they lose their QB to graduation. If he leaves Stanford going to be a lot of competition but I'd think it would come down to Harbaugh v going home to Maryland. And if he is thinking NFL it would "appear" to be a no brainer. Assuming he leaves.
These are late May/June conversations. But I am sure Hogan will get crushed by questions about him transferring during Stanford's spring practices. How he answers will probably give us good insight on if he will be on the move.
Speight Morris and Malzone will have all spring to show Harbaugh their wares.
January 10th, 2015 at 7:33 AM ^
January 10th, 2015 at 10:02 AM ^
If I'm him and I have one year to "invest" in college football in the hopes of prepping for the NFL, I'm going to Michigan to play for Harbaugh. There is just no comparison.
Harbaugh has the track record of developing QB's, he's got those NFL contacts, and he coached Stanford in a system Hogan is familiar with.
If he goes to Maryland so he couid "be closer to home" for homesickness reasons, then he must not be very serious about the NFL. The odds are pretty good that he won't wind up at the Ravens or Redskins.
January 10th, 2015 at 10:31 AM ^
Regarding your last point: He could want to go home for a year and play near family and friends since it may be his last chance to, since like you said he may not get drafted by the Ravens or Redskins (or he might not play at all again).
January 10th, 2015 at 11:30 AM ^
January 10th, 2015 at 11:40 AM ^
Okay. So he get's to play "Home" once, instead of lving there for a year, playing "home" 6-7 times, and seeing people he is close to daily.
Look, I would love seeing Hogan in Maize and Blue, but my main point was that it not entirely fair to say he's not serious about the NFL if he picks Maryland instead of Michigan.
January 10th, 2015 at 10:51 AM ^
January 10th, 2015 at 11:34 AM ^
you are becoming the 'Harbaugh' of OPs. Great diaries lately (and this OP is really diary-worthy) , especially since the entire CC process started last fall. I never regret clicking on anything you post as diaries or MGoBoard OP's.
Keep up the great work!
January 10th, 2015 at 7:15 AM ^
I cant vouch for Speight too much because it is purely based off of h.s. film/scouting reports and he is still a young guy who will have his issues, but he seems like a big kid with a strong pocket presence and a good arm.
Morris isnt as bad as some people will lead you to believe, but he has looked a little..undeveloped...if you will. Makes some poor decisions with the ball. Doesnt seem to know how to handle a pass rush. Not built particularly well (certainly not a fatal flaw since most NCAA QBs have the same issue). Most of these issues are typical among underclassmen QBs, so there is time for him to grow as a player...but going into 2015, that is exactly what it will take for him to be a successful QB, growth.
As I alluded to above, Speight may show many of the same problems. He is younger than Morris (or at least less experienced against NCAA competition..Im too lazy to look up their ages). My hope is that one of them prove to be an effective game manager. Someone who can call plays, read the defense, call the correct audibles, conduct the correct shifts, make the right decisions with the football and make some decent passes. That is all I am asking for. Someone who can make a few passes, be a little bit of a leader, and provide stability.
January 10th, 2015 at 7:29 AM ^
January 10th, 2015 at 8:12 AM ^
You should do a diary of your breakdown of Speight. I think that's something I'd like for someone to do for the frontpage, because these quarterbacks really are total unknowns for the most part.
January 10th, 2015 at 9:30 AM ^
January 10th, 2015 at 9:45 AM ^
Another issue for all of our QB's, although it would be worse for Morris is, depending how long they have been with the program, is the number of OC's they have had to work with. For Morris, this will be a third offense in three years, for Speight, his second and for Malzone, obviously, his first. Having to learn three offensive systems in as many years can't be easy.
For QB's with no experience, you never know how they are going to react to the transition from HS to college. While HS is an indicator of talent, some kids never do make the transition to the faster and more complex game. It should be an interesting spring. I'd like to think that with Harbaugh and friends, this offensive coaching carousel will end.
January 10th, 2015 at 8:51 AM ^
Speight is the same age as Morris. He graduated from HS one year later than Morris because was granted a medical redshirt in HS due to breaking a collar bone in the first game of his junior year (Sept 2011).
Speight also redshirted last year; Morris has not redshirted at U-M. Even though they are the same age, Speiight has two more years of eligibility than Morris.
January 10th, 2015 at 10:05 AM ^
+1 Informative.
I did not know that.
January 10th, 2015 at 1:28 PM ^
January 10th, 2015 at 10:32 AM ^
Keeping it simple is the key here for the QBs. Here is a Grantland article posted yesterday by Gameboy that I think explains how Harbaugh makes QBs and offenses better quickly.
"A key reason for this is that Harbaugh has made the passing game easier for Smith, particularly when it comes to beating the blitz. Of course, coaches often say they are “simplifying the playbook,” but Harbaugh has been able to do it coherently and in a way that actually aids his quarterback’s ability to succeed rather than simply removes options.
http://grantland.com/features/quarterbacking-made-simple/
BTW will someone expalin how to do the block quotes.
January 10th, 2015 at 10:50 AM ^
<blockquote> Stuff that you want blockquoted </blockquote>
Like This!
January 10th, 2015 at 10:58 AM ^
TSS thanks I was going to fix my post but my edit button is gone.
GOT IT
January 10th, 2015 at 11:59 AM ^
on the site for block quotes? If so, where would I find them?
January 10th, 2015 at 2:02 PM ^
1. switch to plain text editor
2. <blockquote>insert text here</blockquote>
3. save
January 10th, 2015 at 10:57 AM ^
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January 10th, 2015 at 8:35 AM ^
I have been on the Speight train and its mostly due to the progression of Shane..Shane seems like a great kid but has struggled in many different aspects of the game and i think Speight is better staying calm in the pocket..
Then i watched some of Malzone and yes he is a Freshman and that is just HS highlights but IMO he is the best natural QB and i think Harbaugh will love a kid like him..He is put together well for a kid and he is on campus so he should be ready physically..He moves very well and can make any throw from many different angles standing strong or on the run...He reminds me of Drew Brees early at Purdue..I would not be surprised if Malzone turns out to be a great QB at UM..Having 1 more would be nice and it was a mistake the year we passed on taking a QB but we do have a few talents they are just very young..Coach them up Jim
January 10th, 2015 at 8:56 AM ^
January 10th, 2015 at 9:48 AM ^
No one has given up on Morris, but he is not the surefire prospect he was as a junior in HS. His early 5-star rating was based almost entirely on arm strength, and he hasn't made a single accurate, downfield throw in his 1.5 games. I would be surprised if anyone but Morris was starting this fall (unless we get a grad transfer), but on the whole I don't think he's going to give you much more than Speight would.
January 10th, 2015 at 10:04 AM ^
Yes he has, they were just dropped by WR's. If I remember right he had a couple awesome throws downfield against App St., one of them a TD, that were both dropped.
January 10th, 2015 at 10:13 AM ^
Kaepernick was a raw 'project' type coming into the league...and then Harbaugh got his hands on him.
"Mel Kiper on Kaepernick quoted from an article in the Appleton (WI) Post-Crescent on April 28, 2011: Kaepernick has the size, speed and the strong arm, but not the sound fundamental mechanics you want coming into the league."
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January 10th, 2015 at 10:14 AM ^
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January 10th, 2015 at 12:10 PM ^
was a lot more like Kaepernick, too bad he has graduated before JH was the coach. I would not be surprised Malzone wins the starting job. If Malzone plays the best this spring, I could see Jim picking him. Rick Leach did the same, he looked the best to Bo in spring practice and went on to start over upper class-men!
January 10th, 2015 at 9:45 AM ^
Malzone is 'the guy' from 2016 onwards. Getting Hogan (or silmilar) will be fabulous for 2015.
If Speight or Shane develop to be better than Malzone then so be it... but Alex looks like the real deal.
January 10th, 2015 at 12:13 PM ^
January 10th, 2015 at 12:30 PM ^
January 10th, 2015 at 7:08 AM ^
January 10th, 2015 at 7:22 AM ^
January 10th, 2015 at 7:40 AM ^
He said that he hasn't watched much film and wants everyone to start out even.
If that's the case, we could see him (Kugler) in there. Maybe Dawson as well.
Tackle position is still scary thin.
January 10th, 2015 at 7:56 AM ^
Magnum is still head of the Jack Miller fan club - 2 years in a row!
I don't see the tackle thin at all. You have position flexibility with both Glasgow and Magnuson. That helps.
I dont know if Chris Fox is one of the medicals Hoke alluded too. If so we should hear something in the next 3 weeks to free up a scholarship. Or maybe what Hoke said was misrepresented but Fox has not been talked about much at all since arriving due the injuries. If he is not a medical this is the year he should begin appearing on depth charts. And LTT hopefully is now finally in shape to start competing as a backup - he looked extremely "doughy" when he showed up here. If he has not fixed his body by now, he will be in the next 8 months with this staff.
And behind those guys you still have RS FR JBB and Grant Newsome coming in as a freshman. It's one of the few positions there is quite a bit of depth actually, and it is spaced out soundly.
January 10th, 2015 at 11:10 AM ^
that seniority took precedence over merit during the Hoke regime, how do you explain true freshman Mason Cole starting last year over so many with more seniority? How do you explain walk-ons starting over scholarship players?
What Hoke and his coaches did to prepare and develope the players is a separate issue, but I don't think one can honestly make the argument that they prefered seniority over merit.
January 10th, 2015 at 1:37 PM ^
January 10th, 2015 at 3:49 PM ^
Where we finished 6-6 and lost to BYU in the Holiday Bowl, for Bo , it was a disaster. He took some advice, I don't remember who gave it to him, but he put every position on the team open for grabs the next Spring, regaurdless of class, past history, or expectations. He let any player go out for any position on the team, and put his best twenty-two on the field, so to speak. That is what I believe this staff will do, and I also believe that there will be a few surprises, and a few "sacred cows" unseated, and a number of position changes, but ultimately, we will be a better team for it.
January 10th, 2015 at 9:42 AM ^
I have to agree with you Magnum. I beleive there will be 1-2 new additions to the starting line from day 1. My predictions LT Cole, LG Glasgow C Kugler, RG Kalis, RT Magnuson. I see a 2nd group of LTT, Dawson, Miller, JBB, Braden. Just a prediction. Jimmy will open up the competition
January 10th, 2015 at 10:00 AM ^
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January 10th, 2015 at 10:43 AM ^
January 10th, 2015 at 11:27 AM ^
I watched Kugler play in HS (I know two guys on his high school's coaching staff and his HS borders on the one in which I live...UM's interest in him and his eventual verbal made him much more interesting in my eyes!) and while there was a lot to love about his play, there were some deficiencies that a redshirt year would go a long way towards fixing.
One of them was simply his upper body strength (football strength too, not just weight room measurables).
Then he tore his labrum and had surgery on it, and anyone with a shoulder surgery can tell you the impact it has on your lifting abilities. So the redshirt year I and a lot of others thought he needed was hampered by another setback.
When I make comments to people or type them here about guys being amped about a new coaching staff and a new set of eyes evaluating them, Patrick Kugler is the first guy that comes to mind. He has the talent, the HS accolades, the pedigree (Dad the Steelers OL coach, older brother the starting C at Purdue), and now the experience of being in the big time college program.
I did a couple play by play summaries of the UM offense this past season, and Miller does some things well. He moved around better and sealed some of his blocks better than I remembered from watching the game live, but he was just awful in the power running game against bigger bodies in the middle. In a zone blocking scheme, he was able to get out in front, seal blocks, and make first contact before passing the defender off to a guard, but on ISO blocks, he struggled.
The hope is a stronger Kugler is able to do that, AND have the athleticism to do the things MIller does well.
January 10th, 2015 at 7:09 AM ^
No reason the line shouldn't be a major strength this year. David DeCastro and Jonathan Martin were two of Harbaugh/Drevno's earliest recruits at Stanford. Both three-stars with very few offers from big programs. Both were transformed into high draft picks. Can't wait to see what Harbuagh can do with 4/5-star talent.
January 10th, 2015 at 7:52 AM ^
I expect the OL to be a strong unit this year, then again in 2016. I think it would be with the former staff, am excited to see what Drevno and co. can do.
January 10th, 2015 at 8:10 AM ^
I think you may be assuming too much with the former staff. I know they improved a little this year, but the leap of improvement would not be there.
January 10th, 2015 at 11:15 AM ^
We have the luxury of having a former Michigan lineman as a member of this site, and it was his concerted opinion that not until the 3rd and 4th years of playing time did offensive linemen truly come into their own.
January 10th, 2015 at 7:26 AM ^
January 10th, 2015 at 7:54 AM ^
More interested in strength gains than any specific # for him. He came in at a pretty darn big # for a FR. Sometimes just changing your body competition from "teenage fat" to "muscle mass" can do the trick at a similar weight. But even with 10 more lbs he is low 300s which is fine for the position.