Sefo Liufau was Colorado’s standout quarterback last year, but now his former backup is garnering some hype (LINK).
There are some good looking brunettes after the jump.
Lavert Hill (#24) with Delano Hill (#44, image via MLive)
Name: Lavert Hill
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 168 lbs.
High school: Detroit (MI) King
Position: Cornerback
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #24
Last year: I ranked Hill #74 and said he would be a backup cornerback. He made 2 tackles, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 pass breakup.
TTB Rating: 84
Hill was a very slight cornerback coming out of high school, so it was questionable whether he would play in 2016 or not. With three very good corners on the roster, how many redshirts would be worth burning? The answer: All of them. Of course, all three of those top corners were seniors, so the staff naturally wanted to develop guys to replace them. Hill was one of those guys. Early in the season, he was reportedly running behind David Long, Jr. to play, but an injury to Long pushed Hill to the forefront of that 2016 corner class. He ended up being the fourth (or fifth) cornerback behind Jourdan Lewis, Channing Stribling, Brandon Watson, and Jabrill Peppers (depending on your view of Peppers’s position).
This spring Michigan’s coaching staff suggested that Hill might be the most talented cornerback on the roster. Those are strong words, considering the presence of David Long and Ambry Thomas, among others. However, a constant theme with Hill has been “toughness” or perhaps a lack of it. The coaches publicly and gently suggested that Hill (and Long) needed to learn how tough the college game is and how to play through bumps and bruises, but I think we can be assured that such a sentiment was shared more strongly behind closed doors. Hill has the quickness to be a solid field corner and has some similarities to Jourdan Lewis, but there’s not a whole lot of experienced depth at cornerback. Normally, a fourth or fifth (or sixth if you go back to pre-Clark) corner won’t jump to #17 on the countdown, but the huge loss of talent at the position pushes Hill and a couple of these other guys into the top 20.
Prediction: Starting cornerback; 25 tackles, 2 interceptions
Tyrone Wheatley, Jr. (image via 247 Sports)
Name: Tyrone Wheatley, Jr.
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 276 lbs.
High school: Buffalo (NY) Canisius
Position: Tight end
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #17
Last year: I ranked Wheatley #30 and said he would be a part-time starter at tight end. He made 3 catches for 35 yards and 1 touchdown.
TTB Rating: 82
Wheatley was a huge tight end and defensive end when he came out of high school, big enough to where many people thought he would grow into an offensive tackle. He was up around 290 lbs. prior to his freshman year, and was listed at 276 lbs. by the beginning of 2016. With Jake Butt at tight end, he was bound to be primarily a backup tight end battling with Devin Asiasi, Ian Bunting, and others for playing time. He got wide open for a 21-yard TD against Illinois, but he was mostly used as a blocker.
Despite his size, the biggest knock on Wheatley has been his blocking skills. He has reportedly dropped some more weight going into this season and should be in the 260 lb. range when the new fall roster is released. I expect him to be a second tight end this year, and while maybe he hasn’t reached his potential as a blocker, I think that’s where he holds the most value for this team. Ian Bunting is probably going to win the starting tight end position, but he struggles as a blocker, too, so the coaching staff needs to find a blocker out of Wheatley and Sean McKeon. I think Wheatley’s targets will increase this season, but he probably won’t be a breakout receiving star.
Prediction: Backup tight end
Oklahoma, sans Bob Stoops, is moving back to a 4-3 base defense (LINK).
Hit the jump for some beautiful ladies.
Carlo Kemp (image via 247 Sports)
Name: Carlo Kemp
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 255 lbs.
High school: Boulder (CO) Fairview
Position: Defensive end
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #2
Last year: I ranked Kemp #64 and said he would be a backup weakside end. He played in two games.
TTB Rating: 84
Kemp was a recruit who flew a little bit under the radar. A fairly highly rated recruit, he didn’t play in any all-star games and didn’t get a lot of hype, even though he’s related to the Pagano clan. Michigan played around with him at SAM and MIKE linebacker before letting him settle in at defensive end last season, but he’s the definition of a burned redshirt. He played in just two games (Colorado, Rutgers), and he didn’t play much in those contests.
To an extent, Kemp is an unknown. He didn’t play enough last season to get a great idea of who he is as a player, but with all the players Michigan lost in the front seven, Kemp should become an integral part of the 2017 defense. He has the skills to play strongside or weakside end, and there aren’t many non-freshman options at those spots. Rashan Gary has the starting strongside end position locked down, but the hype for Kemp as his backup really started to build this spring. I liked what I saw from him, he stays low, and he plays with power. As a guy with a year of experience under his belt and a physically ready build, I have Kemp jumping up from #64 all the way to here at #19 because of how much backup defensive linemen rotate into the game. Gary has the ability to kick down to defensive tackle in certain packages, and we may see Kemp become this season’s Chase Winovich.
Prediction: Backup strongside end