Tag: Ex-Wolverines

Andrew David, Ex-Wolverine

Andrew David

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Redshirt freshman kicker Andrew David is reportedly transferring to TCU, which is an interesting location, considering that senior running back Derrick Green is also headed there.

David committed to Michigan in June of 2013 as part of the 2015 recruiting class (LINK). He was a 3-star and the #9 kicker in that class. He redshirted last year. I’m admittedly not an expert on kicking, so I mostly left it up to the recruiting sites to determine whether he was any good or not, and they generally thought he was. However, I did not hear great things coming out of practice about him, and when I saw him kicking at Ford Field this spring, I was very underwhelmed. After redshirting in 2015, he was expected to ride the bench this year with fifth year senior Kenny Allen and perhaps true freshman Quinn Nordin handling kickoffs, punts, and placekicking.

David is the second player from the 14-man class of 2015 to depart, joining wide receiver/safety Brian Cole (East Mississippi Community College).

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Brady Pallante, Ex-Wolverine

Brady Pallante

Redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Brady Pallante is not listed on the just-released fall roster. The 6’1″, 280-pounder was recruited by Brady Hoke in the 2014 class and was expected to be an undersized nose tackle. Jim Harbaugh moved him to fullback in spring 2015, but he played defensive tackle when injuries took their toll on Michigan’s defensive line. I thought he might develop as an upperclassman, but the position switch probably didn’t help him gain the necessary size and strength to be a Big Ten nose tackle. Michigan has also done a great job of recruiting and developing nose tackles, so he would have been no higher than fourth on the depth chart going into this season. I ranked him at #67 in the 2016 Season Countdown (LINK).

Michigan is down to 84 allotted scholarships for 2016 (LINK), and that includes walk-ons Kenny Allen and Ryan Glasgow. So one more lucky, hardworking walk-on will be rewarded with a scholarship this year.

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Brad Hawkins, Ex-Wolverine

Brad Hawkins, Jr. (image via Scout)

Camden (NJ) Camden wide receiver Brad Hawkins, Jr. signed with Michigan in February of 2016, but he won’t be playing at Michigan this season. Rumors had been going around for months, but they became official today. Instead of playing at Michigan this year, he will enroll at Suffield Academy in Connecticut for a year of prep school. In case you’re wondering how prep school works, it’s basically an extra year of high school. That means Hawkins will have five years to play four starting in 2017, assuming he fulfills all the necessary requirements for NCAA eligibility.

Hawkins committed to Michigan in June of 2015 over offers from Auburn, Florida, Miami, Notre Dame, and Ohio State, among others. He was a 247 Composite 4-star, the #55 wide receiver, and #294 overall. He and teammate/fellow signee Ron Johnson, Jr. were chosen to participate in the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl. At 6’1″ and 202 lbs. with a slow-ish forty time around a 4.7, many compared him to former Michigan receiver Jason Avant, while others thought he would play safety. I gave him a TTB Rating of 65 by the time the cycle was over (LINK).

Michigan recruited a lot of receivers in 2016, so this departure should not affect the team much on offense. However, the Wolverines are fairly thin at safety, and his presence could have provided depth on that side of the ball.

Michigan is down to 85 scholarships for the 2016 season (LINK), and that includes former walk-ons Kenny Allen and Ryan Glasgow. If no other departures occur, those two guys can get scholarships. Or there would be potential for Michigan to accept a transfer, though I have not heard of any possibilities on that front.

Going forward, it sounds like Hawkins wants to be a Wolverine, and Michigan recruited him pretty hard. It seems like there would still be interest remaining. But in the past, Michigan commits who have taken prep years have generally not ended up playing or contributing much at Michigan. Based on that, I do not expect Hawkins to enroll at Michigan in the future, but obviously that’s just guesswork at this point since nobody really knows.

Jaron Dukes, Ex-Wolverine

Jaron Dukes (#83)

Along with cornerback Reon Dawson (LINK), redshirt junior wide receiver Jaron Dukes has left the football program and looks to receive a medical scholarship.

Dukes committed to Michigan in February of 2012, almost a year before National Signing Day (LINK). I ended up giving him a TTB Rating of 59. Some people pointed to his solid performance against Ohio State-bound cornerback Cam Burrows in high school, but Dukes was a limited athlete. He played in just one game in his college career, which was in 2015. Otherwise, he was mired on the bench. His one shining moment throughout his career was the 2015 spring game, in which he caught a touchdown pass from Shane Morris over 5’7″ cornerback Dennis Norfleet.

Dukes is the tenth member of the 2013 class to leave before exhausting his eligibility, and his departure cinches up the fact that Michigan’s class of receivers was a dud. Fellow receivers Csont’e York (legal troubles) and Da’Mario Jones (a few catches before transferring to BGSU) did not pan out, either. The Wolverines are very thin at receiver and had to use walk-ons frequently this spring, but Dukes’s departure should not affect the team much. He was not expected to play much, and the program signed five receivers in the 2016 class.

Michigan is down to 87 scholarship players allotted for the 2016 season (LINK) and either needs to shed two more players or withhold scholarships from walk-ons. There’s also the possibility that freshman linebacker Dytarious Johnson will not qualify, which would get Michigan down to 86.

Reon Dawson, Ex-Wolverine

Reon Dawson

With all the hoopla surrounding spring practice, the spring game, and a bunch of new commitments, one thing I forgot to mention was the departure of a couple players. One of them is redshirt junior Reon Dawson. After Michigan’s open practice at Ford Field, Jim Harbaugh mentioned that Dawson was no longer on the roster and would be seeking a medical scholarship.

Dawson committed to Michigan in January of 2013, just a few weeks before National Signing Day. I gave him a TTB Rating of 62 (LINK). He had some minor injuries over the years, but his talent level was not on par with the other cornerbacks on the roster, and he never played a down at Michigan. He was passed up by younger players, and some of the incoming freshmen were probably bound to pass him up, too. Dawson was participating in spring practices down in Florida, so something happened since that time for him to end his playing career. Of course, there is the possibility that he will transfer elsewhere if he does not get a medical scholarship.