2015 Season Countdown: #7 Willie Henry

Tag: Willie Henry


24Aug 2015
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2015 Season Countdown: #7 Willie Henry

Willie Henry scores a touchdown against Utah

Name: Willie Henry
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 311 lbs.
High school: Cleveland (OH) Glenville
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #69
Last year: I ranked Henry #15 and said he would be a part-time starter at defensive tackle. He started six games and made 20 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and 1 interception, which he returned for a touchdown.

Henry showed flashes of being pretty awesome in 2013, but he was an inconsistent backup. Rumors floated about last spring that he let some of his success go to his head, and he found himself as a third-stringer during the spring. Multiple coaches have said that the only limitations for Henry are the ones he places on himself, and reading between the lines, that meant he needed to step it up in the Department of Work Ethics. He played in just nine games last season and started six, but he was still highly productive with 5.5 tackles for loss  (tied for 5th on the team), 3 sacks (tied for 5th), and 1 interception (tied for 2nd). That amazing interception came against Utah when he leaped at the line of scrimmage, snagged the ball between his two paws, and trucked the overwhelmed quarterback on his way into the endzone. Not many defensive tackles can make that play, and the last time we saw a defensive lineman do something like that, he grew into a 3rd round pick despite legal troubles (that was Frank Clark in the 2011 Sugar Bowl, in case you’re wondering).

When putting together this list, I found that I started to get a little terrified once I got to Henry at #7 and above. The loss of players at #8 and below can be dealt with if necessary, but anyone from Henry and up would be a debilitating blow to the team. That was the case even before nose tackle Bryan Mone was lost for the season (unofficially) with a lower leg injury.

Henry has mentioned that he was playing defensive tackle and defensive end, and he was reportedly starting at strongside end in the students-only practice this past weekend. That does not exactly mesh with my expectation that Chris Wormley will start at defensive end, but Michigan is so solid at the strongside end and tackle positions that a little rejiggering here or there is not too concerning. The scary part is what happens if more guys lose time to injury. Henry is a big-time player who could be an early entrant into the NFL Draft. He’s 6’3″, 311 lbs., can run, can play low, can blow up offensive guards on the regular, etc. It may be interesting to see how he fares against taller and longer offensive tackles, but I think he has the athleticism to do well there, too. I said last year that Henry could be Michigan’s best defensive tackle since Mike Martin; the only thing missing is consistency of effort. Hopefully the new coaching staff, as well as holdover Greg Mattison, can bring that out of him.

Prediction: Starting defensive tackle; 50 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 4 sacks

5Mar 2015
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Spring Practice Bits and Pieces

Drake Harris

In the throes of spring practice, bits and pieces are leaking out. Here are some things to note that you may or may not have heard already.

The quarterbacks are a mixed bag. Various reports have suggested various things. Some people will tell you that Shane Morris looks the best. However, there’s more chatter about Wilton Speight and Alex Malzone. The buzz on Malzone is that he’s picking things up very quickly, which is impressive for a freshman early enrollee.

Jabrill Peppers is good and loud. Peppers is playing safety, and he has been raved about with regard to his athleticism and leadership. There will probably be growing pains, but Michigan hasn’t had a great athlete at safety in a while. Furthermore, senior linebacker Joe Bolden says that Peppers screams the defensive calls louder than necessary. The kid is high-energy and loves the game of football. Michigan has the potential for their best safety combination in a long time with senior Jarrod Wilson and Peppers back there.

Chase Winovich is working at fullback/tight end. The redshirt freshman, who is listed at 6’3″ and 230 lbs., has reportedly been playing some fullback and tight end this spring after being recruited as a linebacker. You may remember that he was a very effective running quarterback in high school, in addition to his defensive exploits. With the Wolverines failing to reel in Chris Clark (UCLA) in the 2015 class, the tight end position is a little thin. And with senior fullback Sione Houma missing spring practice due to injury, the team is limited there, too. Add in the fact that both of Michigan’s experienced fullbacks – Houma and Joe Kerridge – are seniors, and maybe Winovich’s move to offense will become permanent. He has supposedly been wearing #44, which is a change from his defensive number of #58. The catch here is that it thins the linebacking corps, which has four players with senior eligibility in 2015 (Desmond Morgan, James Ross III, Joe Bolden, Royce Jenkins-Stone) and needs bodies in the coming years. If Winovich sticks on offense, that might take away a key option for the 2016 season.

Brady Pallante is also a fullback. This was addressed last week. He’s a 6’0″, 276 lb. fullback wearing #45.

Everybody is a fullback. Except Terry Richardson.

The guys are bigger. Pretty much across the board, players have added weight. In particular, defensive tackle Willie Henry is up to 311 lbs. and Bryan Mone is up to 325 lbs. Those are not typically the numbers you look for in a penetrating, 3-tech defensive tackle. I would look for those two guys to be playing some nose tackle. Furthermore, there are some other size improvements with offensive tackle Logan Tuley-Tillman up to 309 lbs. and guard Graham Glasgow reaching 303 lbs. Tuley-Tillman was over 330 lbs. in high school, trimmed down to 285 at one point, and is now back up over the 300 lb. threshold. Linebackers Mike McCray II (242 lbs.), Ben Gedeon (241 lbs.), and Royce Jenkins-Stone (240 lbs.) are all larger than the typical Michigan linebacker over the last few years.

Practice tempo has increased. The practice tactic that’s en vogue these days is to maximize reps. Reports have said that Michigan has two lineups going in practice, and a play is being run every 25-35 seconds. Rather than making corrections on the field, corrections are made in film. This has been made easier in recent years with film able to be disseminated over the internet through Hudl and the like. It’s especially big for spread teams who like to run hurry-up, anyway. It’s not surprising that Harbaugh is adopting spread strategies even though he won’t run a typical spread offense; he seems to be the type of coach who is always looking for an edge.

Running back is still a question mark. While I believe the running game will improve this season, a number of factors go into that – coaching, experience on the offensive line, experience at running back, and the addition of Ty Isaac. However, Isaac has reportedly been limited due to a cast on his hand, and none of the running backs are sticking out right now. Of course, early practices are always dominated by the defense, so this doesn’t necessarily mean much. Personally, I believe Isaac will come out on top at some point.

Wide receivers have promise. Most of the buzz has been about redshirt freshman Maurice Ways, Jr., whose body is ready for playing at this level. One question mark about Ways has always been his hands, so that will be something to watch. Regardless, he might have the best combination of receiving qualities at this point – size, leaping ability, speed, etc. As I’ve mentioned before, he has some of those same traits that we saw in some of the greats of yesteryear (Marquis Walker, David Terrell, Braylon Edwards). That’s not to say Ways will add his name to that list, but he at least has a chance, in my opinion. Fellow redshirt freshman Drake Harris has also been impressive at times. Harris has missed most of the past two seasons due to injuries, and he’s listed at just 174 lbs. People express concern about his size, but I am not worried about that facet of his game. If he’s as good as his high school hype when it comes to speed and leaping ability, playing under weight won’t hamper him from having an effect on the team. Wide receiver size is overrated. It might be the one spot on the field where you find successful guys ranging from 5’8″ to 6’5″, and you have skinny guys (Roy Roundtree, Tavon Austin, DeSean Jackson) doing well just like big guys (Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Devin Funchess). If Harris is 6’4″, 174 lbs., and can ball, the most important part of that is the third part.

24Nov 2014
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Michigan vs. Maryland Awards

Devin Gardner

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . a healthy Devin Gardner. Gardner had some very nice throws, and he had several that were just a little off target. Most of all, though, he looked healthier, which means that he can be dangerous on the ground. That adds an element to Michigan’s attack that has not existed for the last several weeks. A healthy Gardner gives Michigan a chance. He ran for over 80 yards in this game, including a 24-yarder and then a 15-yard touchdown. When Gardner is on, he looks like Colin Kaepernick. Hopefully he can stay healthy and break out a big game like he did last year against Ohio State.

Let’s see less of this guy on offense . . . De’Veon Smith. Smith has no speed element to his game, and he doesn’t break enough tackles to warrant being the main guy. Michigan gave Smith 10 carries in this one, which earned them 28 yards. Meanwhile, Drake Johnson (14 carries, 94 yards) and Justice Hayes (6 carries, 36 yards) combined for 20 carries and 130 yards. Michigan’s offensive line isn’t great, but there are some holes occasionally. I am looking forward to next season, when Derrick Green will hopefully be healthy and Ty Isaac will be in the mix. There’s also a chance that Green could return for the Ohio State game after missing the last several weeks with a broken collarbone.

Let’s see more of this guy on defense . . . Willie Henry. I’m assuming Henry has been playing a limited number of snaps because of the hand injury he suffered several weeks ago, so I don’t know if anyone deserves blame here. But without Frank Clark on the roster, I think Henry is arguably the best defensive lineman on the roster. He played a little bit against Maryland, but he didn’t show up on the stat sheet and we’re seeing a lot of Matt Godin. Godin did okay and even notched his first career sack, but he’s not Willie Henry.

Let’s see less of this guy on defense . . . Matt Godin. I don’t know who else to pick, so I’ll choose the guy who would be replaced by Henry. You can’t argue with that pristine logic.

Play of the game . . . Joe Kerridge’s fake punt run. It showed some creativity in play calling that we haven’t often seen from this Michigan staff. Granted, it was perhaps the most boring kind of fake punt possible. Baby steps. Kerridge rumbled for 52 yards before being taken down inside the 10 yard line. I’ll just throw this out there, but if that were Ben Gedeon, I think Gedeon would have scored. But hey, that will probably go down as Kerridge’s biggest play of his career (he had only 1 career carry for 3 yards going into the game, and his longest catch was a 17-yarder against Indiana a few weeks ago), so hopefully he enjoys the memory.

MVP of the game . . . Devin Gardner. There aren’t many options here. Nobody really stood out on defense as they gave up two fourth-quarter touchdowns, and the offense stalled out regularly, as usual. Gardner looked more like the player from the second half of the 2013 season, someone who was dangerous on foot (14 carries, 82 yards, and 1 touchdown) and potentially through the air (13/24 for 106 yards and 1 interception), though his receivers dropped numerous balls.

4Nov 2014
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Michigan vs. Indiana Awards

Drake Johnson (image via MLive.com)

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Drake Johnson. Johnson had 16 carries for 122 yards and 2 touchdowns. His longest run was a 32-yard burst, and he had several runs that gained chunks of yards. A caveat applies due to the weak opponent, but he has more speed than De’Veon Smith, more power than Justice Hayes, and better vision than Smith or the currently injured Derrick Green. This likely will not be a flash-in-the-pan appearance for Johnson. While success will be harder to find, I would not be surprised if he’s the starter next week at Northwestern.

Let’s see less of this guy on offense . . . De’Veon Smith. Smith has had ample opportunities this season, playing in all nine games, getting the second-most carries on the team (77, compared to Derrick Green’s 82), and not doing a great deal with those chances. Sure, he leads the team with 5 touchdowns, but he’s a short-yardage and goal-line runner. Perhaps he should be leading the team in touchdowns even if everyone were healthy, because he’s able to plow through linebackers and defensive backs for some extra yards. But Smith’s vision isn’t Mike Hart-like, which many fans said early in the season, and he’s not quick enough through the holes that he sees. On a team that lacks big plays, your bell cow at running back shouldn’t be a guy so ponderous.

Let’s see more of this guy on defense . . . Willie Henry. Henry got hurt against Michigan State last week, and I am not sold on his replacement, Chris Wormley. Wormley seems to be good for one or two good plays a game, but he’s not consistent enough. Wormley’s motor has always been a question mark for me, and I have yet to see him play a full game of good football.

Let’s see less of this guy on defense . . . Delano Hill. Hill was in on 3 tackles this past Saturday, but he was again missing tackles and getting out of position at free safety. He did have a nice blitz in the third quarter, but otherwise, I was not impressed. I don’t know the answer, but Hill isn’t it right now. He has been a liability the past two weeks, although the impact in this game was minimal because of the opponent.

Play of the game . . . Drake Johnson’s 16-yard touchdown run to end Michigan’s scoring. Johnson burst up the middle, juked a defender to the right, and then high-stepped through a tackle attempt before crossing the goal line. It was a fun ending and a welcome sight for a team that has lacked suddenness at the running back position. Honorable mention for this award goes to Amara Darboh for blowing through a solid tackle attempt on a quick screen. Not a ton of yardage, but fun to watch.

MVP of the game . . . Drake Johnson. He offered Michigan fans some excitement when there was very little else to get the heart pumping. De’Veon Smith wasn’t getting the job done, and Justice Hayes is mediocre. Jake Ryan also had a very good game (11 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 2 forced fumbles), but the linebacker position hasn’t been as concerning as the running backs.

13Oct 2014
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Michigan vs. Penn State Awards

Devin Gardner (image via CBS Detroit)

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Justice Hayes. Hayes adds a speed element that’s no longer present in the offense without Derrick Green. Any outside rush attempt by De’Veon Smith is doomed from the beginning, and Hayes has the quickness to hit some of the holes that Smith can’t. Michigan doesn’t have a complete back on the roster, so Hayes is the relative “home run” threat. That is to say that he can occasionally run for 6 or 7 yards before first contact brings him down.

Let’s see less of this guy on offense . . . Russell Bellomy. Bellomy is just as bad as when we saw him throwing 4 interceptions in 2012. His two passing attempts included a near pick six to middle linebacker Mike Hull and nearly a second interception for defensive tackle Anthony Zettel. As a redshirt junior, I hope Michigan thanks Bellomy for his hard work and lets him move on with his life or transfer after this year. His career numbers are like this: 4-for-23, 46 yards, 0 touchdowns, 4 interceptions. I cannot remember a second-string quarterback at Michigan that was so ineffective, and the team can surely trot out a walk-on who can do just as poorly.

Let’s see more of this guy on defense . . . Willie Henry. Henry obviously hurt his hand while sacking Rutgers quarterback Gary Nova last week, and he was reportedly in uniform but sidelined and wearing a cast against Penn State. The Wolverines struggled on the interior to start the game, and Henry is a difference-maker. Unfortunately, his strength of using his hands will probably be impaired by the injury. Michigan needs him if they want to beat the quality teams on their schedule, beginning with Michigan State in two weeks.

Let’s see less of this guy on defense . . . nobody. Michigan’s defense was mostly excellent on Saturday night.

Play of the game . . . Devin Funchess’s 43-yard touchdown catch. Quarterback Devin Gardner chucked a deep ball that had every intention of getting intercepted by Penn State safety Ryan Keiser. Like a middle schooler with ADHD, Keiser attempted to field the ball like a punt with his hands at waist level. And like a good athlete with a shred of good coaching, Funchess swooped in front of him with his arms extended to snag the ball. He pulled it right out of Keiser’s limp hands, bobbled it for a second, and then reeled it in as he crossed the goal line.

MVP of the game . . . Devin Gardner. I really want to give this to Matt Wile for hitting all three field goal attempts (from 45, 42, and 37 yards), including the go-ahead score to make it 16-13. However, we all saw how poorly the offense moved without Gardner on the field, and I’m confident in saying that Michigan would have lost that game if Gardner did not return. Bellomy was extremely close to turning it over on a couple occasions in just two drives. Luckily, cornerback Jourdan Lewis picked off a pass in Penn State territory, close enough for Wile to drive in a field goal despite Bellomy being behind center. Without Gardner, Michigan loses the game. Without Wile, perhaps a backup kicker or some lucky plays by the offense would have earned the Wolverines enough points to prevail.