Roman Wilson, Wolverine

Posts by: Thunder


3Jul 2019
Blog, homepage 14 comments

Roman Wilson, Wolverine

Roman Wilson (image via Hawaii Prep World)

Honolulu (HI) St. Louis wide receiver Roman Wilson committed to Michigan on Tuesday. He chose the Wolverines over offers from Oregon, UCLA, Washington, and Wisconsin, among others.

Wilson is listed at 6’0″ and 180 lbs. He recently ran a 4.37 forty and a 3.96 shuttle with a 39″ vertical. He had 32 receptions for 803 yards and 7 touchdowns as a junior in 2018.

RATINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 80 grade, #55 WR
Rivals: 3-star, 5.7 grade, #76 WR
247 Sports: 4-star, 91 grade, #43 WR, #218 overall

Hit the jump for more.

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2Jul 2019
Blog, homepage 5 comments

2019 Season Countdown: #60 Nate Schoenle

Nate Schoenle (image via MLive)

Name: Nate Schoenle
Height:
6’2″
Weight:
202 lbs.
High school:
Ann Arbor (MI) Gabriel Richard
Position:
Wide receiver
Class:
Redshirt junior
Jersey number:
#81
Last year:
I ranked Schoenle #53 and said he would be a backup slot receiver (LINK). He played in seven games and made 3 tackles on special teams.
TTB Rating:
N/A

Schoenle was the walk-on receiver with all the hype in 2017.

That hype fizzled.

Then in 2018 it was Jake McCurry.

Now going into 2019, all the hype is about new offensive coordinator Josh Gattis and #speedinspace. I’m interested to see how that plays out on the field. Michigan has the choice to play experienced guys with limited upside (Schoenle, McCurry) or inexperienced players with that aforementioned speed component (Giles Jackson, George Johnson III, etc.). Even though Jim Harbaugh has a history of playing those trusty types, he has admitted handing over the reins of the offense to Gattis.

Gattis’s former employer, Alabama, went 14-1 in 2018, and only five (5!) wide receivers caught passes, all of them scholarship guys and only one of them who wouldn’t be labeled as speedy (Derek Kief). By comparison, Michigan spread the ball out to seven wideouts, and I don’t know that the likes of McCurry, Grant Perry, and Oliver Martin would be characterized as being speedy. Granted, Alabama had more overall talent to work with, but Gattis’s history suggests that he’s going to get his playmakers the ball rather than try to involve everyone. And I think that’s the way to go.

This post got off track a wee bit, but the point is that offensive contributions from the likes of McCurry and Schoenle will probably be minimized this season. On the plus side, both players have shown the ability to contribute on special teams, so they still have value to the team.

Prediction: Backup wide receiver, special teamer

1Jul 2019
Blog, homepage 2 comments

2019 Season Countdown: #61 Giles Jackson

Giles Jackson (image via Twitter)

Name: Giles Jackson
Height:
5’9″
Weight:
179 lbs.
High school:
Oakley (CA) Freedom
Position:
Wide receiver
Class:
Freshman
Jersey number:
N/A
Last year:
Jackson was a senior in high school (LINK). He caught 63 passes for 1,254 yards and 13 touchdowns, along with 38 carries for 207 yards and three TDs, and adding a 65-yard punt return for a score.
TTB Rating:
76

Jackson committed to Michigan in September of 2018. There was some talk about him being a running back at the time, perhaps spurred by his high school career:

• Caught 63 passes for 1,254 yards and 13 touchdowns senior year; had 38 carries for 207 yards and three TDs, and added a 65-yard punt return for a score
• Rushed 221 times for 1,586 yards and 22 touchdowns as a junior, while adding 21 catches for 324 yards and five touchdowns
• Carried the ball only five times for 24 yards as a sophomore, but added 47 receptions for 842 yards and 13 touchdowns

From his sophomore year onward, his carries went from 5 to 221 to 38. His receptions went from 47 to 21 to 63. Perhaps his junior season position move to running back was a team personnel necessity, or maybe the coaching staff thought he could play running back before deciding that he needed to get ready to play receiver in college.

Either way, Jackson goes into the 2019 season with a chance to play wide receiver at Michigan. The departure of Oliver Martin might open some doors in that area, but the complexity and speed of the college game might hinder his immediate development as a summer enrollee. Ultimately, I think Jackson will end up redshirting, but he has the playmaking potential to work his way onto the field this fall.

Prediction: Redshirt