2023 Season Countdown: #52 Caden Kolesar

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28Jul 2023
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2023 Season Countdown: #52 Caden Kolesar

Caden Kolesar (image via MGoBlue)

Name: Caden Kolesar
Height: 
5’10”
Weight: 
195 lbs.
High school: 
Lakewood (OH) St. Edward
Position: 
Safety
Class: 
Redshirt senior
Jersey number: 
#35
Last year: 
I ranked Kolesar #55 and said he would be a backup safety and special teamer (LINK). He made 8 tackles and blocked 1 punt.
TTB Rating:
 N/A

Is Kolesar the most forgotten man on Michigan’s team?

Well, no.

But he’s close.

Kolesar was at one time on Michigan fans’ conscious thoughts, back when he blocked a punt against UConn. And when he was inserted as Michigan’s punt returner following Ronnie Bell’s knee injury in 2021. A Michigan legacy who walked on to the team in 2019, Kolesar quietly earned some practice praise and got some run on Saturdays.

But ever since his ACL injury last fall, nothing much has been heard about him. This ranking is purely a projection, but I would expect him to once again be an important special teams player in 2023. He’s good on coverage units, and he has stepped in as a backup safety. And if the coaching staff trusted him on punt returns at one time, they at least have some faith in him as a trustworthy athlete. (Note: I do not expect Kolesar to be in the running to start at punt returner.) He’s also someone who could return for a sixth year in 2024, so a solid comeback year could put him in the running for more playing time at safety next year.

Prediction: Backup safety and special teamer

28Jul 2023
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Visitors: 2023 BBQ at the Big House

Hollywood (FL) Chaminade-Madonna safety Zaquan Patterson (image via 247 Sports)

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Michigan’s annual BBQ at the Big House will be taking place on July 29-30. With a lot of connections already made for the current 2024 recruiting class, the BBQ is always largely about making inroads with underclassmen. Below is a list of players expected to make it to Ann Arbor for the BBQ:

TRANSFER

Nigel Glover – LB – Northwestern: Glover is a 6’3″, 210 lb. transfer from Northwestern who decided to leave the Wildcats after head coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired. He was a 4-star, the #30 linebacker, and #335 overall in the class of 2023 and was the program’s highest rated signee. Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Pitt, Purdue, Washington, and West Virginia were some of the other Power Five programs after him out of high school, so that’s a decent offer list but not a great one.

2024

Jeremiah Beasley – LB – Belleville (MI) Belleville: Beasley is committed to Michigan (LINK).

Jadyn Davis – QB – Charlotte (NC) Providence Day: Davis is committed to Michigan (LINK).

Blake Frazier – OT – Austin (TX) Vandegrift: Frazier is committed to Michigan (LINK).

Channing Goodwin – WR – Charlotte (NC) Providence Day: Goodwin is committed to Michigan (LINK).

Jake Guarnera – C – Ponte Vedra Beach (FL) Ponte Vedra: Guarnera is committed to Michigan (LINK).

Luke Hamilton – OG – Avon (OH) Avon: Hamilton is committed to Michigan (LINK).

Ted Hammond – DE – Cincinnati (OH) St. Xavier: Hammond is committed to Michigan (LINK).

Jordan Marshall – RB – Cincinnati (OH) Moeller: Marshall is committed to Michigan (LINK).

Jacob Oden – S – Harper Woods (MI) Harper Woods: Oden is committed to Michigan (LINK).

Zaquan Patterson – S – Hollywood (FL) Chaminade-Madonna: Patterson is a 6’0″, 185 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Michigan, and Ohio State, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #3 safety, and #76 overall. A teammate of 2025 Michigan commit Chris Ewald (see below), this is Patterson’s second unofficial visit to Ann Arbor.

Brady Prieskorn – TE – Rochester (MI) Adams: Prieskorn is committed to Michigan (LINK).

Ben Roebuck – OT – Lakewood (OH) St. Edward: Roebuck is committed to Michigan (LINK).

Jaden Smith – LB – Charlotte (NC) West: Smith is committed to Michigan (LINK).

I’Marion Stewart – WR – Chicago (IL) Kenwood: Stewart is committed to Michigan (LINK).

Hit the jump for the younger prospects.

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28Jul 2023
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2023 Season Countdown: #53 Keshaun Harris

Keshaun Harris (image via MGoBlue)

Name: Keshaun Harris
Height: 
5’11”
Weight: 
190 lbs.
High school: 
Lansing (MI) Waverly
Position: 
Cornerback
Class: 
Redshirt senior
Jersey number: 
#18
Last year: 
I ranked Harris #78 and said he would be a backup cornerback (LINK). He played in eleven games and made 5 tackles and 1 pass breakup.
TTB Rating:
 N/A

Harris plays one of the toughest positions in college football to make hay as a walk-on, and that’s cornerback. Most guys who are athletic enough to play corner end up with a scholarship somewhere. And the corners at Big Ten and SEC programs are just such outstanding athletes that it’s tough to overcome them. So even though Harris is a walk-on, the fact that he has played cornerback in ten games over the past two seasons is a pretty impressive feat, even if the playing time came mostly in blowouts.

Harris had a couple nice plays in the 2023 spring game and seems closer to significant playing time than at any other point in his career. Will Johnson mans one corner spot, but the other spot is up in the air. Harris is unlikely to start, but he could be part of the rotation. Also, if Mike Sainristil ends up playing outside corner, Harris could potentially play in the slot a little bit. Harris is also a decent tackler and a physical player, so he brings the capability to play special teams. I expect to see him play a little bit more this fall, and hopefully he can make some memorable plays to finish out his career (unless he decides to come back for a sixth year in 2024).

Prediction: Backup cornerback and special teamer

27Jul 2023
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2023 Season Countdown: #54 German Green

German Green (image via MGoBlue)

Name: German Green
Height: 
6’2″
Weight: 
187 lbs.
High school: 
DeSoto (TX) DeSoto
Position: 
Cornerback
Class: 
Sixth year senior
Jersey number: 
#33
Last year: 
I ranked Green #48 and said he would be a backup cornerback and special teamer (LINK). He made 5 tackles and 1 pass breakup.
TTB Rating:
 59

The career of German Green so far at Michigan has been an interesting one, if not terribly exciting. I heard buzz during the recruitment of German and his twin brother Gemon that German was actually the player thought to have the higher ceiling, though he had some injury issues. They were recruited in the class of 2018, meaning that Gemon stayed five years, could have returned for a sixth in 2023, but chose to move on to the NFL. He was an experienced starter and surely would have started in 2023 opposite Will Johnson now that D.J. Turner II made the decision to go to the league.

German, on the other hand, has been a special teamer throughout his career. Somewhat fascinatingly, he decided to return for 2023, even after his twin brother left. Most guys would have called it a career after five years of not really playing much, but perhaps the draw of possibly winning a national championship is worth putting in an extra year of work. German is never mentioned as a possible starter in the defensive backfield even though his brother and Turner both left. Most of the talk surrounds unproven sophomore Amorion Walker and UMass transfer Josh Wallace.

What German does bring is experience and the ability to play on special teams. Altogether, he has played in 34 career games, including 27 over the past two years. This will likely be another year of playing on specials except in blowouts.

Prediction: Backup cornerback and special teamer

27Jul 2023
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2023 Season Countdown: #55 Jyaire Hill

Jyaire Hill (image via 247 Sports)

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Name: Jyaire Hill
Height: 
6’2″
Weight: 
171 lbs.
High school: 
Kankakee (IL) Kankakee
Position: 
Cornerback
Class: 
Freshman
Jersey number: 
#20
Last year: 
Hill was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 42 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 3 forced fumbles.
TTB Rating:
 88

Hill swooped in late during the 2023 recruiting class and quickly became one of the most exciting players in the group. Michigan needed help at cornerback and had struggled to land a big-time player at the position despite on-field success and a good chance of playing time if D.J. Turner II and Gemon Green decided to leave, which they did. (To be fair, Turner and Green did not announce their decisions until after the December signing day.) Hill had been one of Michigan’s top priorities at the position, but he was considering Illinois and Auburn, two programs whose success on the field in the past few years has paled in comparison to Michigan’s. So it seemed like an obvious choice, but Michigan had to sweat it out, anyway.

This season will be an interesting year for Hill and the cornerback position in general. Sophomore Will Johnson is a lock to start on one side, but the other side still seems up in the air. Amorion Walker was talked up in the spring, but he didn’t look good in the spring game. UMass transfer Josh Wallace is a multi-year starter who has the experience edge over everyone. And it’s also possible that nickel corner Mike Sainristil could play on the outside.

It would be a surprise if Hill leaps over those other guys for a starting role. I think he needs to wait until at least 2024 before he’s ready for that responsibility. But as a talented player at a position that’s going to need a new face next year – both Wallace and Sainristil will probably be gone – it would be good for Hill to get some experience in 2023.

Prediction: Backup cornerback