Tag: Jaylen Kelly-Powell

Ex-Wolverine Players: 2020 Pre-Season

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I always like to keep up with former Michigan players, commits, and coaches. As we go into this crazy 2020 season (or not), here’s a look at where things stand for every Michigan player who has transferred elsewhere. If you want a recap of how their 2019 seasons went, check out this post (LINK).

LB Jordan Anthony: Anthony entered the transfer portal and graduated from Michigan over the summer, but it does not appear that he has picked a landing spot yet.

WR Tarik Black (Texas): In his first season after leaving Ann Arbor, Black is projected to be a backup Z receiver for the Longhorns.

S Brian Cole II: Cole, who was drafted in the 7th round out of Mississippi State, was recently waived by the Vikings.

WR Kekoa Crawford (Cal): Crawford was expected to be a starting receiver for Cal this year, but the Pac-12 canceled/postponed its season.

Hit the jump for more.

The Fence the Mitten Project: Defensive Backs

I took a few days off from posting about this project, but it’s time to get back to it. So what would Michigan’s roster and recruiting look like if they signed the top 25 in-state prospects each year? Here’s the answer.

If you missed them earlier, there were posts about QB (LINK), RB (LINK), TE (LINK), OL (LINK), WR (LINK), DE (LINK), DT (LINK), and LB (LINK).

Hit the jump for the rundown of corners and safeties.

Jaylen Kelly-Powell, Ex-Wolverine

Rising redshirt junior Jaylen Kelly-Powell has chosen to exit the Wolverines’ program by entering his name in the transfer portal. Kelly-Powell is listed as a 6’0″, 180 lb. defensive back. He has played in twenty career games with 7 tackles to show for it.

Here’s what I said about Kelly-Powell when he committed to the Wolverines (LINK):

Overall, I like Kelly-Powell as a safety but don’t see him being a star. He’s not athletic enough to be a standout, but he can play nickel corner or strong safety. He’s not a guy you want playing in a ton of space, but he can blitz, stop the run, and cover. I think he’s somewhat similar to current Michigan sophomore Tyree Kinnel.

I gave him a final TTB Rating of 77 (LINK).

Kelly-Powell disappeared for long stretches of his career at Michigan, and there was virtually no buzz about him coming out of practice. He bounced between corner, safety, and nickel, and it’s rare that a player who bounces around becomes a viable option at any of those spots. When I watched Kelly-Powell on the field at Michigan, he just didn’t have any juice. He was a step slow, and he’s still listed at 180 lbs. after his third year of college.

This does not really affect the defensive back depth chart because Kelly-Powell was not much of a factor. Michigan is now down to 86 players slated to be on scholarship in 2020 (LINK). That number may drop down below 85 before Michigan accepts some transfer options as they continue to look to shore up some of their weakness on the offensive and defensive lines, in particular.

2019 Season Countdown: #52 Jaylen Kelly-Powell

Name: Jaylen Kelly-Powell
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 184 lbs.
High school: Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
Position: Defensive back
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #16
Last year: I ranked Kelly-Powell #47 and said he would be a backup nickel corner (LINK). He made 5 tackles.
TTB Rating: 77

So far in his career, Kelly-Powell is a man without a position. He has played cornerback, safety, and nickel during his first two years on campus, and reports haven’t been particularly glowing at any one spot. His 2018 season was disrupted by injury, and he was available for just seven games, during which he made 5 total tackles on special teams and as a backup safety.

This season Kelly-Powell is healthy once again, but the defensive back room is filling up with talent and time is running a little short for Kelly-Powell. Buzz this off-season has been about other guys, especially at safety. The one saving grace may be that Michigan’s depth at cornerback is not in a great place. Since Kelly-Powell has repped at corner in the past, he may be a “break glass in case of emergency” guy there, although he’s more likely to play the nickel corner position. This is a make-or-break year for Kelly-Powell, who might have just this one season to prove himself before the talented 2019 safety class gets acclimated to the college game.

Prediction: Backup defensive back

2018 Season Countdown: #47 Jaylen Kelly-Powell

Jaylen Kelly-Powell (#16, image via Zimbio)

Name: Jaylen Kelly-Powell
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 173 lbs.
High school: Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
Position: Safety
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #16
Last year: I ranked Kelly-Powell #66 and said he would be a backup safety and special teamer (LINK). He made 2 tackles.
TTB Rating: 77

Kelly-Powell was a freshman last season with an undefined position. Was he a safety, a cornerback, or a nickel? Michigan tried him everywhere in the defensive backfield to see where he fit best. Ultimately, they decided he probably had the best chance of contributing at the nickel corner position. He’s one of those tweeners who doesn’t have the speed/athleticism to be great at corner, and he’s not physical enough – at least not yet – to be a safety.

This year not much has changed in the defensive backfield, except Utah transfer Casey Hughes has entered the fold as a potential contributor at safety or nickel. Spring reports were positive about Kelly-Powell, though, and some observers said he looked excellent. I’m skeptical of spring practice reports without seeing evidence of it myself, but there were some who said Kelly-Powell will force his way onto the field somewhere. The problem is it’s a loaded defensive backfield, and there aren’t enough positions to get all the good players on the field. The four starters (David Long, Lavert Hill, Tyree Kinnel, Josh Metellus) all return, along with highly touted corner Ambry Thomas and experienced veteran Brandon Watson. Then you have Hughes, big-hitting J’Marick Woods, and a whole cadre of freshmen.

Prediction: Backup nickel corner