Ex-Wolverine Update: Post-2017 Recap

Ex-Wolverine Update: Post-2017 Recap


January 16, 2018

Shane Morris

TRANSFERS

Devin Asiasi, TE (UCLA): Asiasi sat out the season due to NCAA transfer rules. He will presumably stick around to play for Chip Kelly as a redshirt sophomore in 2018.

Kyle Bosch, OG (West Virginia): Bosch started 12 games for West Virginia, who suffered a 30-14 loss to Utah in their bowl game. The Mountaineers went 7-5 in the regular season (7-6 overall). Bosch is out of eligibility, and NFL Draft Scout ranks him as the #15 offensive guard in the 2018 draft class.

Ross Douglas, LB (Rutgers): Rutgers went 4-8 and didn’t play in a bowl game, so Douglas finished his final college season with 37 tackles, 4 pass breakups, and 1 quarterback hurry.

Ja’Raymond Hall, OG (Central Michigan): Hall announced that he would transfer to Central Michigan.

Shane Morris, QB (Central Michigan): Morris went 8-5 as a starter at Central Michigan, ending the year with a 37-14 loss to Wyoming in their bowl game; Morris was 23/39 (59%) for 329 yards, 1 TD, and 4 INT, and he ran 7 times for -34 yards in the game. You can watch highlights of the Idaho Potato Bowl here (LINK). Overall, he completed 249/446 passes (55.8%) for 3,237 yards, 27 TD, and 17 INT as a senior. He ran 88 times for 93 yards (1.1 YPC) and 3 TD. He even tossed in 1 punt for 43 yards against Western Michigan earlier in the year. Out of college eligibility, he is ranked as the #42 quarterback by NFL Draft Scout.

Dan Samuelson, OG (Eastern Michigan): Samuelson was a part-time starter for EMU this season. He won the Team Player Award and was on the MAC’s All-Academic Team.  The Eagles went 5-7 and did not make it to a bowl game. Samuelson’s college eligibility is completed.

Wyatt Shallman, DE (Ohio): Shallman had 2 quarterback hurries in his final collegiate game, a 41-6 win over UAB in the bowl game. Ohio finished the year at 9-4. Shallman has only played in the bowl game and during a five-game stretch in the middle of the season, totaling 13 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 quarterback hurries, and 1 pass breakup.

Keith Washington, CB (Copiah-Lincoln Community College): Washington, who played this past season at Co-Lin, is transferring to West Virginia.

Hit the jump for news on former commitments and coaches.

FORMER COMMITMENTS

George Campbell, WR (Florida State): Campbell is out for the season after suffering complications from the abdominal injury that also ended his 2016 season. He made 6 catches for 122 yards in four games before the re-injury. Florida State went 7-6, including a 42-13 bowl win over Southern Miss.

Chris Clark, TE (Pittsburgh): Pitt finished the year at 5-7. Clark had 16 catches for 122 yards and 1 touchdown this season.

Shaun Crawford, CB (Notre Dame): Crawford did not play in the bowl game, a 21-17 win over LSU, which bumped the Fighting Irish to 10-3 on the year. Crawford finished the year with 32 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, 5 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble.

Messiah DeWeaver, QB (Michigan State): DeWeaver ran 4 times for -1 yard this season, and he did not play in Michigan State’s 42-17 win over Washington State in the bowl game. The Spartans went 10-3. DeWeaver has since announced his intention to transfer to East Mississippi Community College, the school that was the subject of Last Chance U on Netflix the past couple years. Alas, Last Chance U is changing scenery and headed to Kansas to cover the 2017 season, so it doesn’t look like they’ll be around Mississippi to document DeWeaver’s experiences.

A.J. Dillon, RB (Boston College): Dillon ran 32 times for 157 yards and 1 touchdown in a 27-20 loss to Iowa in the bowl game. Dillon finished the season with 300 carries for 1,589 yards (5.3 YPC) and 14 touchdowns, and he somehow managed to avoid catching a pass the entire season. He was named ACC Freshman of the Year.

Matt Falcon, RB (Western Michigan): Falcon played in just one game this season, but he ran 10 times for 37 yards. WMU went 6-6.

Devery Hamilton, OT (Stanford): Hamilton was a part-time starter and played in twelve games for Stanford as the Cardinal went 9-5.

Dele’ Harding, LB (Illinois): Harding finished the 2-10 season with 32 tackles.

Damien Harris, RB (Alabama): Harris finished the year with exactly 1,000 yards on 135 carries (7.4 YPC) and 11 touchdowns; he also caught 12 passes for 91 yards (7.6 yards/catch). He was Alabama’s leading rusher on the way to the national championship, he had 25 carries for 94 yards combined against Clemson and Georgia.

Kai-Leon Herbert, OT (Miami): Herbert played in one game for the Hurricanes, so he will be a redshirt freshman in 2018.

Jeremiah Holloman, WR (Georgia): Holloman made 1 catch for 7 yards while playing in five games for the Bulldogs.

Jalil Irvin, OG (Auburn): Irvin signed with Auburn in the 2018 class.

Antwuan Johnson, LB (Bowling Green): Johnson signed with Bowling Green in the 2018 class.

Darrin Kirkland Jr., LB (Tennessee): Kirkland missed the entire season due to injury. He will presumably return in 2018 as a redshirt junior.

Chase Lasater, TE (Florida Atlantic): Lasater redshirted this season at FAU. He’s listed as a 6’2″, 235 lb. tight end after being recruited as a fullback/linebacker by Michigan.

David Reese II, LB (Florida): Reese finished Florida’s 4-8 season with 102 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 1 interception (for 4 yards), and 1 quarterback hurry.

Antwaine Richardson, CB (Maryland): Richardson finished Maryland’s 4-8 season with 24 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 pass breakup.

Darian Roseboro, DE (North Carolina State): Roseboro made 33 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 1 fumble forced, 2 pass breakups, and 4 quarterback hurries for 9-4 North Carolina State.

Erik Swenson, OT (Oklahoma): Swenson played in three games during the 2017 season for Oklahoma.

Garrett Taylor, S (Penn State): Taylor made 2 tackles in a 35-28 win over Washington in the bowl game. He ended the year for 11-2 Penn State with 12 tackles and 1 pass breakup.

Leonard Taylor, TE/DT: Taylor remains uncommitted in the 2018 class.

Vic Viramontes, QB (Riverside City College): Overall this season, Viramontes was 92/151 (60.9%) passing for 1,243 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. He also ran 146 times for 1,210 yards (8.3 yards/carry) and 16 touchdowns. In perhaps more significant news, he committed to Minnesota and will be playing in the Big Ten next year.

Rashad Weaver, DE (Pittsburgh): Weaver made 28 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 3 pass breakups, and 6 quarterback hurries. Pitt went 5-7.

Mike Weber, RB (Ohio State): Weber ran 5 times for 18 yards (3.6 YPC) and caught 1 pass for 16 yards in the 24-7 Cotton Bowl win over USC. He finished the season as OSU’s third-leading rusher with 101 carries for 626 yards (6.2 YPC) and 10 touchdowns, plus 10 catches for 94 yards (9.4 yards/catch).

FORMER COACHES (AND PLAYERS WHO BECAME COACHES)

Adam Braithwaite, Defensive Coordinator (Richmond): Braithwaite and the Richmond Spiders went 6-5 this season, his first year as Richmond’s D.C.

Tony Dews, Running Backs Coach (West Virginia): Dews returned to WVU this year after coaching at Arizona. His top two Mountaineers running backs, Justin Crawford and Kennedy McKoy, combined for 1,625 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground.

D.J. Durkin, Head Coach (Maryland): Durkin and the Terrapins fell to 4-8 at the end of the year after a 66-3 blowout loss to Penn State. He’s now 10-15 over two seasons with the Terrapins.

Ron English, Safeties Coach (Mississippi State): English’s head coaching career at Eastern Michigan came to an ignominious end in 2013, and he spent two years out of football. He spent 2016 as San Jose State’s defensive coordinator, and this year he was the safeties coach for the Bulldogs. Last week he was hired to be the safeties coach at Florida, where he will continue to work with the newly hired Dan Mullen.

Dan Ferrigno, Wide Receivers/Special Teams Coach (Cal-Poly): Ferrigno coached wide receivers and special teams as the Cal-Poly Mustangs went 1-10.

Jedd Fisch, Offensive Coordinator Head Coach (UCLA): Fisch was elevated to interim head coach at UCLA after the Bruins suffered a 28-23 loss to USC, resulting in the firing of Jim Mora. The Bruins then eked out a 30-27 win over Cal in the final week of the season, putting them at 6-6 for the year. Fisch, however, will not be UCLA’s long-term head coach, as that job was awarded to Chip Kelly. Fisch is still a “free agent.”

Darrell Funk, Offensive Line Coach (Indiana State): After spending 2016 as Purdue’s offensive line coach, he wound up at Indiana State for the 2017 season.

Tony Gibson, Defensive Coordinator (West Virginia): In his fifth year as defensive coordinator at WVU, Gibson’s Mountaineers ranked #107 in total defense (445.5 yards allowed/game) and #90 in scoring defense (31.5 points allowed/game).

Mike Hart, Running Backs Coach (Indiana): Indiana went 5-7 this season, ending the year with a 31-24 loss to Purdue. Hart’s top running back, Morgan Ellison, ran 143 times for 704 yards (4.92 yards/carry) and 6 touchdowns.

Jeff Hecklinski, Offensive Coordinator (Indiana State): Hecklinski, who worked with the tight ends and special teams at Illinois in 2016, spent the 2017 season as the offensive coordinator for the Indiana State Sycamores.

Brady Hoke, Defensive Line Coach Head Coach (Tennessee): Hoke went 0-2 as interim head coach after the Volunteers fired Butch Jones, and then Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt was named head coach at Tennessee. Hoke is not being retained as a position coach, and as of right now, remains unemployed in the coaching ranks.

Jay Hopson, Head Coach (Southern Mississippi): In his second year as head coach, Southern Miss went 9-4 and became bowl eligible for the second year in a row. Southern Miss beat Louisville by a score of 31-27 in the bowl game. He’s 16-10 in two seasons there after going 32-17 in four years at Alcorn State.

Calvin Magee, Offensive Coordinator (Arizona): Magee just completed his sixth year as Arizona’s offensive coordinator with Rich Rodriguez, but Rodriguez was fired. Magee is still listed as associate head coach/offensive coordinator/running backs coach for the Wildcats

Curt Mallory, Head Coach (Indiana State): Mallory just completed his first season as Indiana State’s head coach, where he hired former Michigan colleagues Darrell Funk and Jeff Hecklinski. The Sycamores went 0-11.

Roy Manning, Outside Linebackers Coach Special Teams Coordinator (Washington State UCLA): Manning and the Cougars went 9-4 this season following a 42-17 loss to Michigan State in the bowl game. Manning was hired as the special teams coach at UCLA after the season, where he will be working with new head coach Chip Kelly.

Jerry Montgomery, Defensive Front Assistant Defensive Line Coach/Assistant Head Coach (Green Bay Packers Texas A&M): Montgomery finished his third season as an assistant for the Packers and was then hired by Texas A&M to be their defensive line coach and assistant head coach.

Rich Rodriguez, Head Coach (Arizona): Rodriguez was fired from Arizona after a 7-6 season that included three straight losses to close the year. He went 43-35 there over six seasons, including a 24-30 record within the Pac-12 conference. Oh, and he also was hit with allegations of sexual misconduct (LINK). After he was fired and everything became public, he gave a speech to the American Football Coaches Association, since he’s the outgoing president of the AFCA. Awkward…

Roy Roundtree, Wide Receivers Coach (Indiana State): Roundtree followed some of his former coaches to Indiana State, where he is the wide receivers coach.

Scott Shafer, Defensive Coordinator (Middle Tennessee State): Shafer and Co. closed out the season with a 35-30 win over Arkansas State, moving MTSU’s season record to 7-6. MTSU was #35 in total defense (357 yards allowed/game) and #46 in scoring defense (24.7 points allowed/game).

Nick Sheridan, Quarterbacks Coach (Indiana): Quarterbacks Richard Lagow and Peyton Ramsey split time this season. Altogether, Sheridan’s quarterbacks completed 306/501 passes (61%) for 3,188 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.

Mark Smith, Defensive Coordinator (Indiana State): The former Michigan linebackers coach is now the defensive coordinator at Indiana State under Curt Mallory.

Rod Smith, Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach (Arizona): Smith finished his sixth year as Arizona’s quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator. His quarterback, Khalil Tate, is doing a pretty excellent Denard Robinson impersonation.

Steve Stripling, Director of Football Program Development (Tennessee): Stripling was the Director of Football Program Development at Tennessee this past season. He had spent the previous four years as Tennessee’s defensive line coach.

Bruce Tall, Defensive Line Coach (West Virginia): Tall was hired to coach WVU’s defensive line prior to the 2017 season. His charges made 11.5 sacks this season and the team was #70 in sacks for the year.

2 comments

  1. Comments: 1863
    Joined: 1/19/2016
    je93
    Jan 16, 2018 at 9:42 AM

    Thunder, do you think Shane Morris will make a roster?

    • Comments: 3844
      Joined: 7/13/2015
      Jan 16, 2018 at 10:03 AM

      No, I don’t think so. From what I saw of him at CMU, he still had too many issues with decision-making and accuracy. I think the drop-off in competition level helped him out significantly, and it also helped that CMU’s offense catered to him a little more (more spread-oriented rather than pro-style).

You must belogged in to post a comment.