2017 Season Countdown: #12 Joshua Metellus

2017 Season Countdown: #12 Joshua Metellus


August 20, 2017

Joshua Metellus (image via FanRagSports)

Name: Joshua Metellus
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 204 lbs.
High school: Pembroke Pines (FL) Flanagan
Position: Safety
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #13
Last year: I ranked Metellus #71 and said he would redshirt. He started one game and made 15 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, and 1 blocked extra point return for a 2-point conversion.
TTB Rating: 71

Metellus may have been the biggest surprise of the 2016 class. Lightly recruited and generally ignored by the recruiting services until he became a Michigan commit, many people saw Metellus as a throw-in offer with high school teammate Devin Bush, Jr. ESPN thought highly of him, but that was about it. He wasn’t much of a factor until the Rutgers game, when he led the team in tackles with 6. At the time it didn’t seem like a huge deal, since Michigan crushed the Scarlet Knights by a score of 78-0 and Metellus did all his work when the game was well in hand. He wasn’t a major factor again until Jabrill Peppers pulled his hamstring prior to the bowl game. Suddenly, Michigan didn’t have its superstar Heisman candidate at Viper, and Metellus stepped in. He made another 6 tackles and returned a blocked extra point for a 2-point conversion – something Peppers had done against MSU earlier in the year – but there were still some glitches in his game.

This spring the coaching staff moved Metellus back to safety, since Khaleke Hudson locked down the Viper position. It’s a good thing, too, because Michigan needs safeties. Both starters (Dymonte Thomas, Delano Hill) graduated, and Peppers is gone, too. In effect, Michigan lost its top three safeties and top three cornerbacks to the NFL. Now it’s up to Metellus and junior Tyree Kinnel to hold down the back end, with freshmen and redshirt sophomore walk-on Jordan Glasgow as backups. I have a thought to put Metellus higher because of the dearth of options, but to be honest, we still don’t know what we have with Metellus. He struggled a bit against FSU at Viper, and now he’ll be in even more space at strong safety. I think Don Brown and Brian Smith will have those guys ready to go, but I can’t convince myself to move up Metellus.

Prediction: Starting strong safety; 50 tackles, 1 interception

4 comments

  1. Comments: 10
    Mich1993
    Aug 20, 2017 at 10:22 AM

    This has to be a record rise in the Thunder rankings from one year to the next (71 to 12). This seems like the right spot. I wouldn’t move him any higher as I think Jordan Glasgow is ok as a back-up.

    All the coaches comments about Glasgow are that he makes plays, and he showed this in the spring game with the interception and at least one pass knocked down. I do think Glasgow is one of our more critical back-ups as he is our only good back-up option at both safety spots and viper.

    • Comments: 1356
      Joined: 8/13/2015
      Roanman
      Aug 20, 2017 at 12:51 PM

      Speaking of which, anybody know about Uche?

    • Comments: 528
      Joined: 9/13/2015
      michymich
      Aug 20, 2017 at 5:17 PM

      Actually I really liked Metellus coming out of high school. If you watch his tape he has very quick acceleration and good instincts. Doesn’t surprise me at all.

  2. Comments: 6285
    Joined: 8/11/2015
    Lanknows
    Aug 21, 2017 at 9:44 PM

    Good post. I think many years fans would be stressing about Metellus taking over a starting spot, but this year – with so much other turnover – many fans are treating Metellus as a sure thing. He’s seemingly won the position handily but there isn’t any real competition.

    I’m optimistic like most others but still feeling cautious and concerned. Hard to rank such a player higher than this even though he is very important.

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