Posts under: Blog

2019 Season Countdown: #77 Ryan Hayes

Name: Ryan Hayes
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 271 lbs.
High school: Traverse City (MI) West
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #76
Last year: I ranked Hayes #81 and said he would be a backup tight end (LINK). He redshirted.
TTB Rating: 84

When Hayes moved to campus last year, it was clear that the process for him would take some time. He was listed at 262 lbs. last season, which was naturally going to prevent him from playing offensive line. He spent some time at tight end, as promised, but that didn’t get him on the field.

Now Hayes is listed as an offensive lineman at 271 lbs. While I have heard he is a bit heavier than that, his lack of size and strength is still going to be an obstacle. Michigan has at least three tackles ahead of him (Jon Runyan, Andrew Stueber, and Jalen Mayfield), along with some incoming freshman who are already bigger. Size isn’t always the deciding factor, but you generally have to meet a certain threshold to have a chance. Hayes will likely start to see some playing time in blowouts this season.

Prediction: Backup offensive tackle

Matthew Hibner, Wolverine

Burke (VA) Lake Braddock tight end Matthew Hibner committed to Michigan on Sunday afternoon. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Air Force, North Carolina State, and Virginia Tech, among others.

Hibner is listed at 6’4″ and 228 lbs.

RATINGS
ESPN:
Rivals: 3-star, 5.5 grade
247 Sports: 3-star, 85 grade, #43 TE, #1016 overall

Hit the jump for more on Hibner’s commitment.

Nightly Roundup: June 9, 2019

Well, this sucks: Charles Matthews tore his ACL prior to the NBA Draft (LINK).

Tom Brady’s new Super Bowl ring is ginormous (LINK).

Ian Boyd talks about TCU’s next offensive adjustment (LINK).

2019 Season Countdown: #78 Anthony Solomon

Name: Anthony Solomon
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 200 lb.
High school: Fort Lauderdale (FL) St. Thomas Aquinas
Position: Linebacker
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Solomon was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 63 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 1 fumble recovery.
TTB Rating: 84

Solomon flirted with the idea of Michigan for a long time. A commitment to Miami happened. Then he flipped to Michigan in mid-December. It was an odd recruitment, but a fruitful one for the Wolverines. Solomon was long considered a high-quality recruit, and the only thing that seemed to keep his ranking from improving was that he stayed the same size for several years.

Will he bulk up in 2019 and beyond? I assume he will, because that’s what a college strength and conditioning program is supposed to do. He’s not the type of player who should be carrying 235 or 240 lbs., but it’s not impossible to imagine him in that 220-225 lb. range. Whether he plays Viper or weakside linebacker might depend on how he maintains his speed, but I think he will be a successful player if he buys into the program. That will probably include waiting a year to see the field while he works on his body.

Prediction: Redshirt

Visitors: June 7-9, 2019

2020

Kedrick Bingley-Jones – DT – Providence (NC) Country Day: Bingley-Jones is a 6’4″, 266-pounder with offers from Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio State, and South Carolina, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #15 defensive tackle, and #155 overall. His crystal ball picks are split evenly between Florida, UNC, and NC State.

Hit the jump for several more visitors.