Everybody had a good time. [Patrick Barron]

27 Tickets to Team 143: Post-Spring Edition Comment Count

Seth April 4th, 2022 at 2:45 PM

Folks who cover the USMNT drop lists like this projecting the 23 guys who end up on the next World Cup team. Brian appropriated it, dropped it for a few years, and then I stole it from him.

Regarding the number of tickets: typically its’ 22 starters on offense and defense + 2 kickers + a Flex TE/Slot + nickel + extra DL. I’m adding a 2nd RB, a 2nd QB, and a couple of receivers for a total of 30.

The last 27 tickets was put out in February and had a summary of each player. This update will track what we saw from each this spring.

PACK YOUR BAGS

You will see them on the field a lot, whether or not they’re technically getting the start.

1. WR Ronnie Bell (Jr/5th) [Last time: 1]image

Sat out while recovering from last year's injury. Still on target to participate in fall, and offense is still clearly geared to his strengths. Abruptly abandoned Devin Gardner interview because Darrius Clemons made a diving TD catch.

image2. RB Blake Corum (So/Jr) [Last time: 2]

We did not fault the linebackers who lost Corum on a bounce in the spring game, because the only guys that didn't happen to last year were Wisconsin's and Georgia's super-elites. All-Big Ten, perhaps All-American season could be in the cards.

image3. TE Erick All (Jr/Sr) [Last time: 4]

Barely played in the spring game, except for throwing a pass to Colson Loveland. Didn't need to, either. Engine of the offense is expected to have an All-Big Ten-caliber season.

image4. DL Michael Morris (So/Sr) [Last time: 28]

Star of the spring, mentioned by every coach, player, and former player as the dude standing out. Put some proof to that in the spring game by dominating backup tackles. Wormley-style DE now looks Wormley-level dangerous.

image5. CB DJ Turner II (So/Sr) [Last time: 9]

Noticeably different than the other cornerbacks when defending the one-per-drive fly routes, stuck with Cornelius Johnson stride for stride and blanketed Darrius Clemons so tightly it felt wrong to even be trying that matchup. Also spoken of differently than the other cornerbacks. Probably not fair to compare him yet to the Jourdan Lewis clones, but Turner is closer to them than he is to losing the #1 CB spot this year.

image6. RG Zak Zinter (So/Jr) [Last time: 6]

Played center in the spring game, a sign they still hope to have their favorite mauler available to slide over if there's an injury to the starter. Michigan also thinks he's going to be a All Big Ten this year; he's clearly their favorite lineman, even if the newcomer next to him got more talk.

image7. NT Mazi Smith (So/Sr) [Last time: 8]

Other star of the spring chatter, though that came with being the lone returning starter. Got moved off the line of scrimmage by Zinter and Oluwatimi, and we thought that was a promising thing for the interior maulers, not a knock on Smith. Should be one of the better DTs in the Big Ten.

image8. QB Cade McNamara (So/Sr) [Last time: 12(tie)]

Injury to McCarthy cleared the path for the reigning Big Ten Champion to exit spring where he exited the 2021 season. Not great spring game left the door open like it was at the end of the 2021 season, but before that the chatter was McNamara came back improved, and ended spring the more likely to win the QB 1-A job out of fall camp.

image9. RB Donovan Edwards (So/So) [Last time: 14]

Assumes last year's Corum role of the star they plan to get on the field as much as the guy technically starting. Fly route to beat Nikhai Hill-Green wasn't even a knock on NHG because we know Edwards is going to do that to mortal LBs. Rocked up, will be a major part of the offense; how much will depend on matchups and bangups.

image10. K Jake Moody (Sr/5th) [Last time: 3]

Didn't play in the spring game, which is the only excuse I need to push the reigning Groza winner down here out of disrespect for special teams. No news out of spring is the other excuse. These are absolutely excuses; Moody remains the best at his position in college football.

image11. P Brad Robbins (Sr/6th) [Last time: 5]

Also didn't play in the spring game because he didn't have to. Also returns among the best at his position. Also drops down the list because I need an excuse to do so after getting hollered at in the comments for putting special teamers so high.

image12. QB JJ McCarthy (So/So) [Last time: 12(tie)]

Spent the spring game limited for his throwing shoulder. Also raked in the NIL and announced he intends to play at Michigan, and nowhere else, until his eligibility expires. Spring game offense had even more run read-type plays in it than last year's offense, which might be a clue to the already obvious inference that Michigan would like McCarthy's maturity as a quarterback to catch up to his maturity as a person as soon as possible.

[After THE JUMP: Everybody gets a spring update]

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image13. LT Ryan Hayes (Jr/5th) [Last time: 7]

Unfortunately on the same team (blue) as Morris in the spring game so we didn't get to see how Hayes fares now against the best pass rush Michigan has. Did give Braiden McGregor a bad day, which we've been taking as a negative for the young WDE but could also signal the coaches' high praise for their starting LT isn't misplaced.

image14. C Victor Oluwatimi (Sr/6th) [Last time: 25]

Might not be done climbing after the Rimington finalist had a spring that defied the old adage about transfer OL having a hard time adjusting. Played next to Zinter and moved people violently in a way that Vastardis never could. Clearly won the position he was brought in to play, seems more likely to be All Big Ten than a bust.

image15. WR Cornelius Johnson (Jr/Sr) [Last time: 16]

Quiet spring game in which he routinely got a step then watched balls go just over his head. CJ has quietly led an absolutely stacked receiver corps in Ronnie Bell's absence, and clearly nothing about that changed in the meantime. Had a fade in  the end zone that German Green broke up.

16. LG Trevor Keegan (So/Sr) [Last time: 10]

Quiet spring for a returning starter, had a few hiccups in the spring game that we credited to Rayshaun Benny's emergence. Biggest thing to happen this spring was putting on eye-black, forcing us to update his 27 tickets photo.

image17. WR Roman Wilson (So/Jr) [Last time: 17]

Another returning starter with a quiet spring as reporting focused on the incoming freshmen. Unlike Cornelius Johnson, Wilson wasn't seen much in the spring game, possibly because it would have been cruel and unfair to make Michigan fans watch their cornerbacks burned crispy by a speedster who does that to everyone.  

image18. WR Andrel Anthony (So/So) [Last time: 18]

Like Wilson, Anthony didn't get enough mentions in spring outside of people listing the embarrassment of riches at receiver that Josh Gattis left behind, and wasn't targeted much in the spring game before leaving with the starters so walk-ons could pick up targets. Would have liked to hear more about Anthony's progression but no news here is a sign that everything we thought we saw is what they're still seeing, as well as a sign that #1 is probably another year away from ascending to Biletnikoff talk.

image19. CB/Nk Mike Sainristil (Jr/Sr) [Last time: 19 as a Slot]

Certainly the player with the most interesting spring, capped by a nice PBU at cornerback to prove all the talk that his transition to defense is going to stick. Also changed numbers (he led the team out of the locker room wearing #0, which is the same as WR Darrius Clemons). Sainristil was the starting CB for his team and moved in to nickel versus spread personnel, a sign that's how he'll be used this season. I suspect much of the reason for the constant talk is the novelty; I also wonder why this move wasn't made last year when they went into the season without any good cornerback options.

image20. S RJ Moten (So/Jr) [Last time: 24]

This is a move up the list as Moten had an excellently boring spring filled with talk of his leadership. Communication at free safety confirmed he's inherited Brad Hawkins's role as QB of the D. Also looked more comfortable in the Hawkins free safety role than the sometimes nickel SS job Moten took last year. Should be a solid starter for a long time with fewer (redshirt) freshman jitters.

image21. S Rod Moore (So/So) [Last time: 11]

Falls back because he missed spring with an injury, which means we didn't get to see him try to compete for the Dax Hill role (remember Dax played true safety in 4-3 or 3-4 situations, and nickel otherwise). True freshman starter remains a lock to start at safety, will probably stay there since you always need two safeties and Sainristil at nickel seems a better option than dipping into the backup safeties.

image22. DT Kris Jenkins (So/Jr) [Last time: 26]

Spring game showed off the increased size and more of that burst that puts him on track to follow dad to the NFL in a couple of years. Projected to be a ready to roll after flashes in a backup role, and spring seemed to pay that off with talk of Jenkins earning a starting job next to Mazi Smith, with the 3rd tackle position up in the air. Should be a solid Big Ten starter, could be a really good one.

image23. ILB Nikhai Hill-Green (So/Jr) [Last time: 23]

Seems to have solidified a starting ILB role, getting beat by Donovan Edwards when forced to flare out as a cornerback is okay because D.E. plays for us. Was more involved in getting guys set up, wasn't at fault when RBs bounced, got talked up over the spring for his speed.

image24. RT Trente Jones (So/Sr) [Last time: 30]

Won the starting RT job in spring with minimal drama when it was supposed to be one of the bigger battles of the offseason. Moved guys in a couple of short yardage opportunities in the spring game. Pencil him in as the starter for the next three years, and thank the recruiting gods that Michigan's OL is finally back to having 4th year players ready to replace NFL departures.

image25. ILB Junior Colson (So/So) [Last time: 22]

Talented, super freshmany returning starter just had to look competent in the spring game and did so. Not earning a lot of talk is a red flag, because he absolutely would be if he'd really turned a corner from last year's struggles. Locked in as a starter, insider takes suggest getting him to turn that corner is the defense's No. 1 priority. Experiments with Barrett at an ILB position and keeping Mullings in the LB rotation despite the RB performance both suggest coaches also would like a backup plan here.

PLATOONS

Established rotationers, for common sub packages, will probably start half the games.

image26. Slot-H/Returner AJ Henning (So/Jr) [Last time: 20]

Got a ton of targets in the spring game for an established starter, didn't actually get to do much with them. Late in spring practice there was talk of Henning playing RB as Michigan cast about for a 3rd option behind Corum/Edwards, but that talk shifted to more moose-back-like guys. Expect them to go to Henning if there's an injury to one of the top two.

image27. TE Luke Schoonmaker (Jr/5th) [Last time: 15]

Super quiet spring for a guy who chose to return to school. Drop here is only because I went to a different organizational structure--Schoonmaker is going to be a major part of the offense, as the spring game's 2TE formations amply demonstrated.

image28. SAM/WLB Michael Barrett (Jr/5th) [Last time: 21]

Disappointing spring game in that he showed he's still an excellent Viper when called upon in a 4-3, and probably one of their best pass-rushers, but also probably is never going to be able to make that transition to WLB they would like him to. Responsible for a couple of the big runs, responsible for the first sack, should remain a very nice weapon on special teams and in the SAM role.

IN A BATTLE

A few starting positions exited spring ball without a clear winner. Those in this category seemed to have the edge; if they don't seize a starting job they are likely to figure heavily in the rotation. Michigan may also look for help in the portal.

image29. CB Will Johnson (Fr/Fr) [Last time: 29]

We wanted player quotes saying "Whoa, this guy is ready to play, and everything they said he'd be" and we got that. Suspect they asked Davis Warren to throw that Johnson-on-Johnson fade in the spring game just to show off what happens when you throw at the super-tall super athlete. Seems on pace to be in the CB rotation early, start by mid-season.

30. EDGE Taylor Upshaw (Jr/5th) [Last Time: Contributing].

Ascends to the tickets section by spending all spring the unquestioned starter at weakside end, which isn't exactly what we wanted to hear. Had some push-style pass rush against the backup OL that should translate to a passable Big Ten starter, already a more than passable run defender. Tapped to speak to the media, which is a sign the program at least believes he can be a starter...remember he was one last year until Ojabo was ready for full-time, so the nag here is us bloggers' demand for more pizazz.

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NOT STARTERS BUT CONTRIBUTING

Either they’re trapped in a rotation by a solid depth chart, they have a hard ceiling in some facet of their game, or they’re some kind of specialist or situational hybrid. You will see them on the field, but probably not in the starting lineup.

EDGE Jaylen Harrell (So/Jr). Ruined a split zone by crushing the crosser in the spring game, something we saw plenty of last year. Didn't show any more pass rush, which was also something we saw last year. Will be an important part of their 3-4 sub package, probably coming in for Upshaw.

DT Donovan Jeter (Sr/6th). Paid off my insistence on leaving him in the last 27 tickets by choosing to return after he was already out the door, but wasn't able to participate in the spring game as Michigan works to undo the departure.

DT Rayshaun Benny (Fr/So). Moved way up the list with an eye-opening spring game in which he played nose tackle, and looked like former MSU NT/current Philadelphia Eagle Raequan Williams, IE a trunk with long arms who's too athletic to run zone against. Did give up a big gain by getting out of his lane on a stretch, so there's some freshman in there, but also made a ton of plays in the backfield and seems to have played his way into the #2 nose tackle position, which is a heavy rotation player. Seeing some stardom in his future.

CB Gemon Green (Jr/5th). Seemed to be the odd man out from moving Sainristil to cornerback, with Will Johnson stepping in to siphon off some of Vincent Gray's time. Green still has a solid role as the first rotation CB, which is where he ended last season. Quiet spring game suggests there's little drama here, which is a good sign.

OL Karsen Barnhart (So/Sr). Went quickly from a dead heat with Jones to be the new RT to the "backup LT" in spring ball. Still a guy the program seems to adore, and if the two were at all equal it makes sense that Barnhart, the swingman, would get the 6th man role. Zinter practicing at center is further evidence that Barnhart is the first guy off the bench if any OL goes down.

RB/ILB Kalel Mullings (So/Jr) [Last time: Pushing from Behind]. We all saw it. After a few hints from spring practice that Mullings might try running back, the guy Wisconsin was recruiting for offense showed he's almost certainly Michigan's best option for a #3 bruiser to complement the scatty stars. Isn't just a bruiser either--that bounce outside was pressed, and Mullings then proceeded to outrun freshman CB Myles Pollard. Did not look at all ready to play at linebacker, and was often caught standing still as the play was bouncing outside of him. The fact that he hasn't made the move to offense permanently is probably a bad sign for the linebacker depth, and not a commentary on his "strategic" fumble to Cornelius Johnson.

TE Joel Honigford (Sr/6th). Looks heavier, which is a nice fit for the heavy TE role he returned to fulfill. Nice to have him back, but also might get pushed more by the up-and-coming freshmen.

RB Tavierre Dunlap (Fr/So). Stock is down from the unknown freshman after a spring spent battling Leon Franklin and the Mullings stuff. Looked more like a Jerome Jackson-esque "just a guy"--his TD was more the work of the TE he ran behind. Might have been enough to edge the walk-on who had the next spot on the depth chart after the top trio last year.

RB Leon Franklin (So/Sr). Looked about the same in spring as he did last year, which is Just a Guy. It should be noted that Just a Guy is levels above "a walk-on" in our parlance, and as a transfer walk-on Franklin is probably more like an adequate 3-star than a problem.

EDGE Braiden McGregor (So/Jr) [Last time: 27]. Stock way down after a spring with not enough talk about the best shot at an impact pass rusher on the current roster (there was some), and a spring game when McGregor was a non-factor on the pass rush and got pushed around by Hibner and Hansen on the ground. Hope for a fall turnaround--we're still miles away from giving up on him, but for now we're going to stop putting our money on McGregor as the young 'un making the biggest move (that's clearly Benny).

DT Julius Welschof (Jr/5th). Quietly effective, though very weird, DT last year generated some early talk of playing at DE this spring, then all went quiet until it was announced he would not suit up for the spring game. Don't know what any of it means, quite honestly.

WR Darrius Clemons (Fr/Fr). [Last time: Pushing] Big spring talk for a guy at a position where he's not needed is one of our best metrics for finding a future contributor, and the canonical example of that might be Clemons after a spring when people couldn't stop bringing up the physically ready freshman despite not much opportunity for targets behind Bell/CJ/Wilson/Anthony/Henning. Clemons was featured in the spring game, and offered multiple downfield targets before his lay-out TD catch. Hard to imagine a better spring debut for an early enrollee than this.

S Makari Paige (So/Jr) [Last time: Pushing] Moves up a category even though he didn't play very well in the spring game--the big Corum run was made so by Paige stepping up too far--because that came after weeks of Paige talk as he filled in for Rod Moore. Still clearly ahead of classmate Jordan Morant, and talked about like they trust him to rotate in behind Moten and Moore this year. The fact that Paige mentions outstripped the talk of 5-star early enrollee Keon Sabb tells me the 3rd year guy probably had a solid spring and remains solidly ahead of the kids, which is where Paige needed to be.

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The rest of these categories will switch to positional order.

PUSHING FROM BEHIND

Category for younger players expected to graduate from “Waiting their turn” or more established but lower-ceilinged players hoping to hold off the next wave a little bit longer. Not expected to start, but wouldn’t be that big of a shock to see them on the field. Most will graduate to regular contributor eventually, but probably not this season.

QB Davis Warren (Fr/So) [Last time: Not listed]. There's no question who on the roster made the biggest move this spring, as the walk-on we've never head of ascended to the hero of the spring game. That just means he's the #3 quarterback. He's also Not Just a Walk-On--Warren was the backup at his LA power high school, then battled Leukemia. He took a year off of school, fell off recruiting radars in the pandemic, and got in a senior season after transferring to a school called Peddie in New Jersey. In the spring game he showed enough arm and decision-making to be at least a good MAC or passable Big Ten starter. For a 3rd QB, that's a pretty good floor.

TE Louis Hansen (Fr/So). The biggest gap between the talk from the program/general coverage, and what I've been hearing from insiders and saw in the spring game is that concerning Big Lou Hansen. He supposedly made a ridiculous catch in practice last week. I saw him open several times, and noticed four big blocks, and I got mad when Michigan went to a 3-4 look against twins and Hansen was matched with a DE (the same look Georgia tortured us with in January) and whoever was at QB didn't bother to look to that side at all. I also heard he was out with mono last year, else he would have seen the field. But the public has heard nothing of him, and the one pass to him in the spring game was a quick out that was badly thrown. Anyways, here's where we can test whether I can spot something before anybody else in Michigan media: if Hansen turns out to be Erick All 2.0 down the road, you heard it here first.

TE Matthew Hibner (So/Jr). It sucks to see the two young TEs down here because Hibner had an excellent spring game--it was his block on McGregor that opened up the first TD run. Unfortunately he didn't get targeted in the passing game before it was "let's throw it to Max Bredeson" time, but I assert both he and Hansen would have been getting a lot more hype if the seniors didn't return.

TE Carter Selzer (Sr/6th). Don't remember seeing anything of him in the spring game, but he did come back.

G Reece Atteberry (So/Jr). Moved up one slot on the OL of the Future chart since last year's bits of playing time translated to spring talk of a guy they wouldn't be too worried about if they had to start.

C Greg Crippen (So/So). Stock is sorta down considering they hit the transfer portal to put off Crippen from starting, and are cross-training Zinter at center as well. I take that to mean they want to get a redshirt on Crippen this year since the plan remains for him to start. He played guard in the spring game, and looked good at it.

DT Mason Graham (Fr/Fr) [Previously: Waiting their turn]. Probably redshirts but strong spring game showed that Ryan Glasgow comp is tight. Going to see a lot of him down the road.

DT George Rooks (Fr/So) [Previously: Waiting]. Also moved up after a solid spring with a lot of buzz late paid off with a couple of pressures in the spring game. On track to be a rotational player next year, most liekly.

LB/EDGE TJ Guy (Fr/So). Not just a name, was a constant presence in the spring game, moving between DE and LB as Harrell would.

EDGE Derrick Moore (Fr/Fr). Hello there spring game in which he had everyone looking up who's #8, looked about even with older edge prospects.

ILB Joey Velazquez (So/Sr). The baseball guy generated nothing by way of spring chatter but appeared to be the most viable backup ILB in the spring game. A big fall and he could play his way into that rotation, allowing Michigan to use Barrett (at SAM/Viper) and Mullings (at RB) in roles they're evidently better suited for.

Nk/LB Keon Sabb (Fr/Fr). A distant third-most talked about early enrollee, which is fine, but not the kind of spring that presages an instant starter. Or maybe they're being quiet about him on purpose? I wanted to see at least one 5-star-caliber play from Sabb in the spring game.

S Caden Kolesar (So/Sr). Was the guy Mullings bounced around (before outrunning a CB). The talk of Paige probably means Kolesar isn't going to be the next Jordan Glasgow (who was a solid rotational safety before moving to LB). Come to think of it, I'd like to know what Kolesar at LB looks like.

CB/Nk Ja'Den McBurrows (Fr/So). Was still injured from last year, but we learned this spring that McBurrows was close to the field when that happened, and slated to be the starting nickel, so keep your eye out for him when he returns. 

WAITING THEIR TURN

Grow-a-bodies, raw recruits, etc. expected to contribute down the line.

QB/ATH Alex Orji (Fr/Fr). Evidently pronounced "orgy." Showed a very wild arm, but a lot of athleticism while closing out the spring game as a Villari-back.

QB Jayden Denegal (Fr/Fr). Sorry, for some reason I don't remember seeing him at all in the spring game, though he did get live reps. Warren was wearing the number Denegal was listed at on the roster and I had my kids with me so I could have missed him.

TE Colston Loveland (Fr/Fr). He's getting the focus because he ran a nice route and hauled in the pass from Erick All, but I also saw a guy from Idaho who still looks too small to play tight end. Future looks really nice.

WR Amorion Walker (Fr/Fr). Like Loveland, we got to see one great play that portends well, and a waist that portends a year or two of steaks before we see what portends.

WR Cristian Dixon (Fr/So). A RS freshman's first spring practice is too early to say late early, but given the rest of the WR depth chart and that the biggest thing to happen to Dixon in the spring game was getting mistaken for a true freshman quarterback...

WR Tyler Morris (Fr/Fr). Still injured from last year.

WR Eamonn Dennis (Fr/Jr). Moved from CB to slot receiver.

T Jeffrey Persi (Fr/Jr). Got manhandled by Morris, probably still another year of weight training away from the field.

G Giovanni El-Hadi (Fr/So). Had a couple of mistakes and a couple of really athletic pass pickups in the spring game. Think he's on track to be a starter when the current generation departs.

C/G Raheem Anderson (Fr/So). Was at guard, one good block, one pressure given up.

T Tristan Bounds (Fr/So). Looks huuuuuuge in pads.

G Connor Jones (Fr/Fr). Don't remember seeing him.

NT Ikechukwu Iwunnah (Fr/So). Super raw so not reading into the zero mentions of him this spring.

DE/DT Dominick Giudice (Fr/So). Ditto. I did notice he was at DT in warmups.

EDGE Kechaun Bennett (Fr/So). Didn't seem to generate any pressure, looked more SDE-sized than I imagined he would.

ILB Jaydon Hood (Fr/So) [Last time: Pushing]. Generated some talk in spring, looks really small, didn't do anything of note.

ILB Tyler McLaurin (Fr/So). Made a couple of nice tackles for yellow. 

CB Kody Jones (Fr/Fr) [Last time: Contributing] That's exactly what I thought he'd look like. Jones made one really nice PBU and an open field tackle, then gave up two 1st downs by dropping back too far underneath, then missed an open field tackle. Keep an eye out for this guy in a couple of years though.

CB Myles Pollard (Fr/Fr). Getting outrun by Mullings is the only spring note, and the last spring note I wanted to read about a guy whose question marks are all about his speed.

CB German Green (Jr/5th) [Last time: Getting late early]. Moves up a tier because they invited him back for a 5th year, and he made a great PBU and was able to stay on the guys he was covering at CB. Still wears a knee brace after all this time.

CB Keshaun Harris. The walk-on who was next on the depth chart last year was barely seen. He looks big, and he came from track because he's fast.

K/P Rhett Anderson [Last time: Not listed]. With the starters sitting out the D-III transfer had a handful of solid punts and kicks. Looks like Michigan will go to Anderson if either Robbins or Moody get hurt, rather than turning to the freshman.

K/P Tommy Doman (Fr/So). I don't remember seeing him.

GETTING LATE EARLY

Category for players who haven’t seen the field much and are dealing with younger/same eligibility guys who have, or hyped recruits getting more talk of early playing time at their positions.

QB Alan Bowman (Jr/5th). Brian thought he looked fine; I thought he looked like a pass-only option who locked onto his first target which was also the wrong target, and didn't have much deep accuracy though he loved to throw that. I also assert that a walk-on leukemia survivor rising to look like a passable starting quarterback in his 2nd year in the program is a great story unless you're the guy behind him on the depth chart.

EDGE Gabe Newburg (So/Sr). I don't remember seeing him do anything in the spring game. True freshman Derrick Moore passing him might be curtains.

S Jordan Morant [Previously: Waiting]. He made a nice play in the spring game, but I made a pact with myself to see if Morant was in the nickel running by now, and he wasn't. There's still a something on his leg, which makes me fear his injury took something from him permanently.

FS Quinten Johnson (So/Sr). Was back at safety after they tried him at CB last year.

CB Jalen Perry (So/Sr). His big PBU was clearly uncalled pass interference. Sorry to dog on him, but that's kind of been his M.O. And there are now a lot of other guys vying for his position.

FRESHMEN ENROLLING IN FALL

Nothing to report yet.

  • RB CJ Stokes
  • TE Marlin Klein
  • T Andrew Gentry
  • G Alessandro Lorenzetti
  • NT Kenneth Grant
  • EDGE/LB Micah Pollard
  • ILB Jimmy Rolder
  • ILB Deuce Spurlock
  • S/Nk Zeke Berry
  • S Damani Dent\

Comments

stephenrjking

April 4th, 2022 at 3:03 PM ^

I’ll believe Sainristil seemlessly switching from Michigan’s most reliable slot man to B1G-level CB when I see it, but the chatter and glimpses sure are a lot more promising than what I would have expected. Relatedly, Henning’s targets make sense, since while he got a lot of playing time he was not nearly the factor downfield that Sainristil was; he was a lot more likely to be used as a runner.

DJ Turner becoming a Lewis/Long level shut-down corner would be absolutely huge for the defense. You can cobble together coverage on the other side against most teams if you’ve got a guy who can play heads-up with every offense’s #1.

Have a hard time believing Cade will be any better than 50-50 to win the job, and I think the best case scenario for the position will still see whomever loses transferring after the 22 season. The worst case, of course, would be a pre-season transfer. But we’ll see. 

stephenrjking

April 4th, 2022 at 4:05 PM ^

I hope so. The iffy-ness here comes from Johnson being young and the Sainristil move apparently being a need-fill.

But between dynamic physical talent and experience and whatever we have in Sainristil, things look a lot better if Turner is a lock-down #1. Particularly against that one team that has a ton of blue chips outside. 

stephenrjking

April 4th, 2022 at 5:10 PM ^

Good question, my response presumes knowledge of previous conversations about this that are not in evidence here.

You could call it best reasonable scenario, I guess. I appreciate JJ’s statement that he’s here for good. And in practice there’s a reasonable chance of that because there’s a really good chance that JJ wins the starting job and holds it until he goes to the draft.

But in modern college football, starting-caliber QBs aren’t likely to stay in a program where they look like a multi-year backup. Cade and JJ both have a lot of eligibility left. They love Michigan, but they also love it playing football. I think it is likely that whomever loses the QB competition transfers; the rosy scenario for me here is that the losing party sticks around all fall, practices hard, provides spot duty and perhaps fills in for an injury, then says thank you and heads to a place that can offer them a starting job. 

I consider the most probable version of that scenario to involve Cade. FWIW if he is QB1 going into the first game, I also think there’s a chance JJ wins the job midseason, with a similar end-of-year scenario.

If this happens, I would not begrudge the QB involved at all. Starting-quality QBs tend to transfer to places they can start. I would love for these guys to be an exception—and it’s clear that they love Michigan and appear to be great locker room guys—but that’s a pretty rare exception at this point. And Harbaugh builds his roster expecting this sort of thing to happen, and always has. 

TrueBlue2003

April 4th, 2022 at 5:54 PM ^

Yeah, I would guess the latter.  Doesn't seem reasonable to expect the loser of this year's competition to stick around for 2023.  Would be great if one of them is even willing to take a couple drives a game this year.  But, 2023?  Can't see that happening unless there's an injury to one of them, which is obviously not best case.

MGlobules

April 4th, 2022 at 7:51 PM ^

But is there a reason why you-all aren't addressing head on the bit of news (at least for me) in the OP that JJ is saying he's sticking around no matter what? Because for me, definitely in the minority here, there always seemed a very good possibility that Cade won the job again this year, at least at the beginning of the season. I mean, if Cade is Brady and JJ is Henson. . . and Henson will stick around? ? ? An improved Cade is a pretty good option at QB. 

m1817

April 4th, 2022 at 8:26 PM ^

Best case scenario is for Cade to be QB1 in 2022, have a great season leading Michigan to the national championship, declare for the NFL draft, get drafted by Tampa Bay where he will be Tom Brady's understudy and takes over when the GOAT retires.  JJ will get a few more some snaps in 2022 than he did in 2021, and be QB1 in 2023 and 2024.

stephenrjking

April 4th, 2022 at 10:21 PM ^

As I said in my previous post, I appreciate that JJ says that. I also know that circumstances change and young people change their minds (JJ won't turn 20 until after the playoff is over!). Now, I think there's a really good chance that JJ is the starter by the end of 2022 in any circumstance. But if Cade turns a corner we don't know he can turn and just lights things up and looks like he's coming back for 2023, I don't think JJ sticks around. That's not a mark against him, his character, or his will to compete. That's Michigan's roster operating how it is intended to operate, and JJ making a decision that is in his best interest. 

MGlobules

April 5th, 2022 at 8:48 AM ^

Thanks. Yup. But two further possibilities I see are that Cade isn't a Heisman candidate but is just a rock solid winner and game manager, and that J.J. is becoming so wedded to Michigan, both in spirit and in NIL deals, that he stays just the same. And I assume he'll get lots of playing time, or that--over time--he and Cade are both so imbued in the system that they're trading down sequences and going in according to how opposing team defenses stack up. I mean, you're kind of taking the reasonable skeptic's role here, and I'm dreaming, but there are some hints that that dream could come true.  

TrueBlue2003

April 5th, 2022 at 3:54 PM ^

Yeah, as srjk says, it's nice that JJ is saying that now, but he's saying that because he fully expects to win the job by 2023 if not sooner.

But if he doesn't, there's just no reasonable way that he stays (unless it's injury related or that he simply doesn't improve to be better than Cade but neither of those scenarios are best case best case scenario which is the whole premise of the discussion).  I don't care what kind of NiL deals he's getting, he needs to be a starter by his third season if he wants to be an early entry NFL draftee which has implications in the tens of millions of dollars.  No NiL is going to cause him to just sit around waiting for that long.

While your dream isn't impossible, it's so unlikely that it's just not reasonable.

The more likely scenario is that Cade loses the job but since he's not likely an early draft candidate (maybe not a draft candidate at all), he's content being a backup at Michigan with the possibility of getting serious time if an injury occurs to JJ.  That is probably the best (reasonable) case scenario.

outsidethebox

April 5th, 2022 at 9:06 AM ^

I will give Cade a lot of latitude but any insinuations that he is Brady is delusional. Brady is the GOAT because he knows, instantaneously, where his second and third reads are-this is not Cade. Cade is very good when the pre-snap read remains available. But defenses are going to learn to give him a nice, early read then rotate to take it away at the snap-and he does not have the ability to find the open, downfield second read. His second option is checking all the way down to the safety-valve. Michigan has nice play-makers to check down to but it is better to make defenses pay big-time for such a strategy...and teams are going to learn how to defend the check-downs better too. This is a clear and simple reality. Cade's fundamental issue here is composure...and here you, very much, either have it or you don't.

Michigan can win every game on their schedule with Cade as their QB except for OSU-and they can beat OSU as well if they can dominate the LOS as they did last year. But as Georgia clearly demonstrated, if you make Cade win the game Michigan is in a world of hurt. Love Cade as a person and a leader but a play-maker he is not. The coaches are going to have to/get to make the decisions here. 

And now you have Warren sitting there-what he demonstrated is not luck or hype...the kid can play-that looked like Brady. 

 

MGlobules

April 5th, 2022 at 11:44 AM ^

Okay. Brady was not born knowing where his second and third reads were. He struggled at times in college. Now, I will happily admit that any assumption that Cade is Brady might be. . . a stretcher. And I tend to agree about composure, though Cade has shown a fair lot. Whether he can get to a second or third read may determine whether he's starting or continues to do so. If JJ's better--and can control some wildness--more power to him. I still think that we're working on a pretty small data set for him, though. 

DonAZ

April 4th, 2022 at 3:11 PM ^

A lot of the incoming freshman were studs in high school, and now they're finding out things are at a whole other level at a place like Michigan.  Such as it's always been for most, I'm sure.

But that said, I'd love to hear stories from the players about what that was like, whether they expected the difference of level they experienced, how they coped with it, and what it was that helped them most to find their own higher gear.  It's an element of the game that's always fascinated me.

M-jed

April 4th, 2022 at 7:50 PM ^

I watched the spring game from front row and am always surprised by how big and fast these guys are and how hard they hit when I get to see it up close. 
By the end I stopped watching the game and watched the players interacting on the blue sideline. Loved seeing the starters engaged and was particularly impressed with Moten’s presence. 

XM - Mt 1822

April 4th, 2022 at 9:41 PM ^

indeed, and for the 3 younger siblings that came with me.  he had one particular run fit from his safety spot about 9 yds off the LOS, where he made a tackle about 3 yds deep in the backfield on the other side of the field.  he has a real talent in how he diagnoses plays and sifts through traffic. 

MGlobules

April 5th, 2022 at 8:52 AM ^

There is really no greater feeling in the world than seeing one's child excel, partly because you know better than anyone what they have been through to get there, what a crap shoot it can all be. My daughter was named regional soccer player of the year here where we live, somewhat unexpectedly after being runner-up two years before, after going through crazy challenges with breathing, injury, an unsettled lineup at her high school, and I have been on cloud nine for weeks. A fair lot of humility laced through it, too, for both she and I, because she's very close to almost all of the runners up, who have had their breaks and struggles, too. 

XM - Mt 1822

April 5th, 2022 at 9:32 AM ^

i know, right?  not in some nutty way of course, but in that you are so happy for your children when their hard work, discipline, and perseverance brings about success for them.  we all want our kids to have enough of a taste of that to give them some encouragement in the sport, but more importantly, in the other aspects of their lives having nothing to do with sports. 

champ009kd

April 4th, 2022 at 3:19 PM ^

Consistently confused by Donovan Jeter, who apparently is still on this team. I searched his name and this interview about the draft was posted during the Spring game. 

No disrespect/disrespekt to Seth or anyone with paid site sources as I hope they're right and he's back this fall. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtPgXLLK7eo&t=522s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtPgXLLK7eo&t=522s

AZBlue

April 4th, 2022 at 4:12 PM ^

The info that I have seen here (and elsewhere) was that Jeter was planning to leave M/ college football after last year.  The coaches have apparently gotten him to reconsider but (per the note above) there are apparently some rule or paperwork issues that have kept him out of Spring ball until they are resolved.  
 

michengin87

April 4th, 2022 at 4:55 PM ^

This is what Seth wrote on March 22nd in his Spring forecast:

But clearly Michigan still wants help here after —Sam said as much on our podcast. When I ran down the 28 tickets I included Donovan Jeter, despite him making some moves to move on, because I had someone from the program confident he could be turned around. Via Rivals, it sounds like he's been turned around:

that appears to have changed on Monday as two sources independently verified that not only was Donovan Jeter at Schembechler Hall, he was also on the practice field, too. It turns out that Jeter was looking towards the portal route for his final year but ultimately decided to return to the program next season.

Looks like Seth correctly forecast this.

1974

April 4th, 2022 at 6:01 PM ^

His term of service might be unprecedented at Michigan. If my memory is correct he enrolled early, so he's been on the team since January, 2017. That means he's in the middle of his sixth calendar year at Michigan.

He was on the roster with some 5th-year players from the class of 2013 and he'll overlap with some 2022s, too. Ten classes ...

Yinka Double Dare

April 4th, 2022 at 3:55 PM ^

Rimington finalist + apparently came into spring practice already knowing the offense and line calls is a good way to beat the "transfer linemen struggle" thing. 

I think Sainristil has the "football brain" where he understands everything he's seeing very well and very quickly, hence immediately seeing the field as a true freshman, and already looking like he can step right in on defense (and I think that might be his better shot at the NFL). Guessing they didn't try to switch him last year because there was a lot of inexperience at WR too and they wanted a known quantity veteran option there besides Bell?

wavintheflag

April 4th, 2022 at 4:05 PM ^

Looks really good until I put together that the top LB's are at 23/25/28. Still don't like the Colson "Freshman" talk ... guy is a vet now and was going into the CFP. 13 games in at that point is no longer a freshman. Beyond those 3 it looks rough as well. 

TrueBlue2003

April 4th, 2022 at 6:01 PM ^

Yeah, I'm not sure how to feel about LB now seeming like the biggest problem spot instead of DL, despite McGregor also disappointing.

On the one hand, all the Mazi, Jenkins and Benny talk (along with Jeter coming back?) makes me feel surprisingly good about DT. Morris being the star of spring makes me feel better-ish about DE.

But man, was really hoping Colson would go from liability to strength.  Maybe too much to ask for from a guy that's still true sophomore at a position that the coaches ask a lot of.

outsidethebox

April 5th, 2022 at 9:34 AM ^

I do not concur with much of this. Ross was a good player but he had his limitations. Those returning will be better than they were last year-perhaps a lot better. Sure, there is uncertainty but there is every year-and here it seems to me to  be minor. There are many excellent players on this roster-for every position.

And I still expect MacGregor to be a player.

TrueBlue2003

April 5th, 2022 at 5:26 PM ^

This is a good point about Ross. That said, it seemed like a big loss in the second half of Rutgers when he went out. 

If Colson hasn't improved much, I don't know that the LBs will be any better overall, and the LBs were easily the biggest weakness on the team last year.  Much of that was covered up by the DL being so good, but this year, I was hoping the LBs would be a strength.

To your point, they might be better, but sounds like still not a strength.  So without a dominant line, that position could get exploited even more this year.