2017 Season Countdown: #80 Will Hart

Tag: 2017 season countdown


26May 2017
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2017 Season Countdown: #80 Will Hart

Name: Will Hart
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 190 lbs.
High school: Hunting Valley (OH) University School
Position: Punter
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #17
Last year: I did not rank Hart. He redshirted.

Michigan is in a unique position going into 2017. It’s not often that your kickoff guy, your punter, and your placekicker are the same guy, but that was the situation in Ann Arbor last year. Now Kenny Allen is gone, and Michigan needs to start fresh everywhere.  Will Hart might be the answer at punter, but reports from this spring were not overly positive, and true freshman Brad Robbins is expected to win the job when he arrives this fall. But you never know what might happen. Last year people expected Quinn Nordin to come in and win one of the kicking jobs, and injury prevented him from playing at all. Michigan does have options – Robbins, Hart, Nordin, Ryan Tice – so Hart himself isn’t very high on this list.

Prediction: Backup punter

23May 2017
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2017 Season Countdown: #81 Ja’Raymond Hall

Name: Ja’Raymond Hall
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 272 lbs.
High school: Oak Park (MI) Oak Park
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #73
Last year: Hall was a senior in high school. Oak Park went 7-4.
TTB Rating: 77

Hall has been committed to Michigan since December of 2015, or right after his junior season of football. He looked like a left tackle prospect earlier in his career, but with the way his body developed, that may not be his long-term future. Hall enrolled early in January and got a head start on some of the other 2017 freshmen, but instead of sliding in at left tackle, he spent most of his time on the right side. Reports weren’t overwhelmingly good this spring, but he’s where a solid true freshman lineman should be. He probably needs a redshirt, but he might get some playing time if he’s the best freshman. With two senior starters, Michigan will need to groom some guys to take over in 2018.

Prediction: Redshirt

22May 2017
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2017 Season Countdown: #82 Kwity Paye

Kwity Paye (image via Twitter)

Name: Kwity Paye
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 235 lbs.
High school: Warwick (RI) Bishop Hendricken
Position: Weakside defensive end
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Paye was a senior in high school. He made 65 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks; he also ran the ball 44 times for 651 yards and 13 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 81

Paye was a standout running back for Bishop Hendricken, maybe more so than he was a defensive player. But he was still good enough to get invited to the Under Armour All-American Game, albeit after a fan vote. Paye didn’t play a ton in the all-star game, but he didn’t play particularly poorly when he got in, either. There’s a lot to like about him with plus athleticism and good size. He’s just pretty raw as a pass rusher, and if his speed rush doesn’t get him a win, he doesn’t have much else in his arsenal.

My rating of him at 81 is probably higher than most expected for a nondescript 3-star, but there’s no denying that Greg Mattison and Don Brown know how to develop defensive linemen and defensive players, in general. If you stick around at Michigan, you generally get to be pretty good. I’m counting on Mattison to take Paye’s running back talent and mold him into a solid player, but it probably won’t happen this year. He’s behind a couple guys, and that probably includes fellow freshman Luiji Vilain. Unless the coaching staff sees some undeniable value in using Paye on special teams, I expect him to redshirt.

Prediction: Redshirt

19May 2017
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2017 Season Countdown: #83 Corey Malone-Hatcher

Corey Malone-Hatcher (image via The Wolverine)

Name: Corey Malone-Hatcher
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 245 lbs.
High school: St. Joseph (MI) St. Joseph
Position: Defensive end
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #33
Last year: Malone-Hatcher was a senior in high school. He made 90 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, and 1 forced fumble.
Final TTB Rating:
 49

Malone-Hatcher injured his ankle (an injury that was rumored to be a torn Achilles) as a junior in high school and missed most of that season. He returned in 2016 to put up some pretty impressive numbers, including playing a high school game at Michigan Stadium at the beginning of the season. Along with playing defensive end, he doubled as a tight end at times.

I ended up giving Malone-Hatcher a TTB Rating of 49. He has reportedly struggled with some aspects of college during his first few months on campus, and I simply think he’s not quite as talented as some other guys Michigan has brought in. Either way, he’s a little undersized and lacked technique, so I think he’s going to redshirt as a true freshman. He may eventually grow into a strongside end, but right now he looks to be behind redshirt junior Chase Winovich and sophomore Carlo Kemp, and I believe Luiji Vilain has a great chance to play early when he arrives on campus this year.

Prediction: Redshirt

17May 2017
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2017 Season Countdown: #84 Tru Wilson

Tru Wilson

Name: Tru Wilson
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 190 lbs.
High school: Warren (MI) De La Salle
Position: Running back
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #27
Last year: I did not rank Wilson. He had 1 carry for 1 yard.

Wilson is one of the more heralded preferred walk-on players you might find after being chosen as a safety for the 2016 Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl. Wilson was a standout running back and safety at De La Salle, and that talent carried over into some playing time as a true freshman walk-on. One of three walk-ons to play as true freshmen – joining defensive lineman Carl Myers and wide receiver Nate Schoenle – Wilson also looked solid this spring, running the ball with authority despite average size. As long as the other running backs behave themselves and stay healthy, Wilson will probably be watching from the sideline on offense. But with a variety of skills and some decent athleticism, he may be effective and useful on special teams.

Prediction: Backup running back, special teamer