2019 All-Big Ten Defense

Tag: Josh Metellus

30Nov 2019
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Ohio State 56, Michigan 27

The seniors played like crap. I said this on Twitter, and someone responded saying they’re looking forward to the seniors moving on. I wouldn’t go that far, but I was very disappointed in their lack of poise. I was reminded of Shawn Crable hitting Troy Smith late out of bounds…and that reminder came numerous times. Why did senior captain Carlo Kemp untie Dobbins’s shoe? 15 yards. Why did senior captain Khaleke Hudson jump offsides on a 4th-and-4 Ohio State punt? 5 yards and a first down. Why did Hudson not keep outside contain when OSU got under center and ran the ball at him? Huge gains, one of which was a touchdown. Why did senior quarterback Shea Patterson keep trying to run outside instead of cutting up to follow his blockers? -3 yards each time. Why did senior Josh Metellus decide not to play his deep half in cover 2? Touchdown. These were major gaffes. It annoys me that Cam McGrone hit Justin Fields out of bounds when Fields was already losing yards, but at least McGrone is just a young guy who’s only been starting for less than a full season. The seniors have no excuse.

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20Oct 2019
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Penn State 28, Michigan 21

This was Shea Patterson’s best game. Patterson has taken a lot of criticism this season, and some people were still clamoring for backup Dylan McCaffrey – or even Joe Milton – to start. I thought this was Patterson’s best game this season by far, and one of his top few performances as a Wolverine overall. His numbers weren’t great (24/41 for 276 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT; 12 carries, 34 yards, 1 TD), but part of that was due to drops and general refereeing inefficiency. Donovan Peoples-Jones dropped two passes and Ronnie Bell dropped one, and there were a couple pass interference calls that should have been called against Penn State but weren’t, resulting in incompletions. Patterson had one truly bad throw, and that was the interception.

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19Aug 2019
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2019 Season Countdown: #12 Josh Metellus

Josh Metellus (image via MLive)

Name: Josh Metellus
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 218 lbs.
High school: Pembroke Pines (FL) Flanagan
Position: Safety
Class: Senior
Jersey number: #13
Last year: I ranked Metellus #25 and said he would be the starting strong safety with 45 tackles and 1 sack (LINK). He made 48 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions (1 for a TD), and 6 pass breakups.
TTB Rating: 71

Metellus has been a very pleasant surprise in Ann Arbor over the past couple years. He was All-Big Ten Honorable Mention in 2017 as a sophomore, and it was nice to have a returning starter. He stepped up his game in 2018, making Second Team All-Big Ten to the coaches and media, along with First Team to the Associated Press. His huge 73-yard interception return for a touchdown on the final play of the first half against SMU gave Michigan some much-needed relief during a bit of a nail-biter that was 14-7 prior to the pick. His performances against Maryland and Wisconsin earned him the team’s defensive player of the week award, and he was named to Pro Football Focus’s Big Ten Team of the Week after Nebraska.

This year Metellus should be a huge piece of Michigan’s defense. I could make an argument to move him higher on the list, but I like the pieces Michigan is compiling at safety – including J’Marick Woods, Brad Hawkins, Daxton Hill, Quinten Johnson, and others. Metellus is the best of that bunch right now, but there’s both experience and talent behind him. Metellus can cover and support the run. I was skeptical when he came out of high school, but I’m a believer now. Metellus is among the top few true safeties Michigan has developed over the last twenty years, right up there with Ernest Shazor, Jarrod Wilson, and Jamar Adams.

Prediction: Starting safety; 55 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1 interception