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Here’s my first dip into projecting the 2018 depth chart. I expect several of these guys to depart in the meantime, and there will be other additions. But based on the current roster, below is the depth chart Michigan could roll out next September.
Hit the jump for another early look at 2017.
QB: Brandon Peters (RS So.), Wilton Speight (5th), Dylan McCaffrey (So.), Alex Malzone (RS Jr.), Kevin Doyle (Fr.), Joe Milton (Fr.)
RB: Karan Higdon (Sr.), Chris Evans (Jr.), Kareem Walker (RS So.), O’Maury Samuels (So.), Tru Wilson (Jr.), Kurt Taylor (RS Fr.), Christian Turner (Fr.), Hassan Haskins (Fr.)
FB: Ben Mason (So.), Jared Wangler (5th), Peter Bush (RS So.)
WR1: Tarik Black (RS Fr.), Kekoa Crawford (Jr.), Nate Schoenle (Jr.), Drake Harris (5th)
WR2: Donovan Peoples-Jones (So.), Nico Collins (So.), Maurice Ways (5th)
WR3: Grant Perry (Sr.), Eddie McDoom (Jr.), Oliver Martin (RS Fr.)
TE: Sean McKeon (Jr.), Zach Gentry (RS Jr.), Nick Eubanks (RS So.), Ian Bunting (5th), Tyrone Wheatley (RS Jr.), Mustapha Muhammad (Fr.), Luke Schoonmaker (Fr.)
LT: Grant Newsome (RS Jr.), Nolan Ulizio (RS Jr.), Joel Honigford (RS Fr.), Jalen Mayfield (Fr.)
LG: Ben Bredeson (Jr.), Chuck Filiaga (RS Fr.), Ja’Raymond Hall (RS Fr.)
C: Cesar Ruiz (So.), Andrew Vastardis (RS So.), Jess Speight (RS Fr.)
RG: Michael Onwenu (Jr.), Jon Runyan, Jr. (RS Jr.), Stephen Spanellis (RS So.)
RT: Juwann Bushell-Beatty (5th), Andrew Stueber (RS Fr.), James Hudson (RS Fr.), Ryan Hayes (Fr.)
SDE: Rashan Gary (Jr.), Carlo Kemp (RS So.), Ron Johnson (RS So.), Deron Irving-Bey (RS Fr.), Aidan Hutchinson (Fr.)
DT: Michael Dwumfour (RS So.), Donovan Jeter (RS Fr.), Lawrence Marshall (5th), Carl Myers (Jr.), Phillip Paea (RS Fr.)
NT: Aubrey Solomon (So.), Bryan Mone (5th)
WDE: Chase Winovich (5th), Kwity Paye (So.), Luiji Vilain (RS Fr.), Reuben Jones (RS Jr.)
Viper/SAM: Khaleke Hudson (Jr.), Noah Furbush (5th), Joshua Uche (Jr.), Drew Singleton (RS Fr.), Otis Reese (Fr.)
MIKE: Devin Bush (Jr.), Josh Ross (So.), Elysee Mbem-Bosse (Jr.)
WILL: Devin Gil (Jr.), Jordan Anthony (Fr.)
CB: Lavert Hill (Jr.), Ambry Thomas (So.), Myles Sims (Fr.), Gemon Green (Fr.)
CB: David Long (Jr.), Brandon Watson (5th), Benjamin St-Juste (So.), Sammy Faustin (Fr.)
FS: Tyree Kinnel (Sr.), Jaylen Kelly-Powell (So.), German Green (Fr.)
SS: Joshua Metellus (Jr.), Jordan Glasgow (RS Jr.), J’Marick Woods (So.)
K: Quinn Nordin (RS So.), Ryan Tice (RS Jr.)
P: Brad Robbins (So.), Will Hart (RS So.)
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Isn’t McCray gone next year??
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He is.
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When Harbaugh was hired, I thought 2016 would be a year to make a splash, and 2019 we’ll be humming. This is all because of necessary upperclassmen in the right spots. 2015 turned out to be a pleasant surprise, maybe 2018 will turn out to be a pleasant surprise, too.
In 2018 I think we’ll be objectively better than this year, but the schedule will be more difficult. At Notre Dame, at Northwestern, Wisconsin, at MSU, PSU, at OSU, these are all ranked teams right now. Nebraska I feel could bounce back if they grab a new coach this year, and when Maryland gets their army of injured QBs back I feel they could make a splash too. This is not going to be an easy schedule. If Speight is starting, I hope he makes some huge progress as a QB. If Peters is starting, he’s going to go through some growing pains as being the starter for the entire season. If Harbaugh is a wizard, it’s possible we reach the playoffs, but I still think it’s a steep hill to climb.
2019’s most difficult away games are Wisconsin and PSU. With a veteran OL, veteran WRs, and a veteran Peters, I think our offense will be humming. I have no concerns about our defense. 2019 is the year for a serious playoff run. I hate saying the future is bright because I want the present to be dominant, but patience is key here.
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I don’t think malzone, Bunting, Ways/Harris come back, doubt Newsome plays, and could see a scenario where JBB, Mone, Furbush make room for scholarships
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Mone is 2nd at NT. Who knows if we’re still 3 or 4 man line next year? I don’t think he’ll be asked to leave.
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Yeah, but we need scholarship space, and it’s got to come from somewhere. BigSouthFork came up with more logical names below
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Agree with poster JC on Mone, but would also add JBB is our current starter and will also likely be asked back. Wouldn’t be shocked if Speight looks to transfer if Peters takes over. Also wonder what the chances are that Marshall and Jones get asked to look around. Look at all the JR’s on the field next year on defense! Love it except for the realization that likely means another huge turn over on that side of the ball in a couple years.
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JBB, Mone and Furbush all are coming back
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If JBB leaves, it will be because he want to go elsewhere. Michigan’s not going to jettison a starting offensive tackle. The same logic applies to Mone and Furbush, though to a lesser extent because they’re not starters. Furbush has been a quasi-starter, and Mone is a key backup at a position that gets a lot of rotation (and could conceivably be a starter if the staff puts Solomon at 3-tech).
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That’s what i’d be doing.
For absolutely no good reason, I’m thinking Mone wakes up, smells the money and does that senior year thing. In fairness, it may not even be the money. Being a senior is a powerful thing in some kids minds.
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I’m pulling for him in a big way, but I’ll believe Grant newsmen takes the field when I see it.
I’m thinking young Wangler and Ian Bunting get the firm handshake.
My boy who gets into the building occasionally is back and thinks Spanellis has a decent shot at both Center and Tackle. Caveat alert … my buddy was a DB and a pretty good one, but doesn’t know squat about line play.
James Hudson still a Tackle. Interesting.
Go down that list and look at it; that’s still just a really young team.
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Agree on the hand shakes. Yeah, it’s kind of crazy to look at the 2018 depth chart and only see 5 seniors starting, and two of them are at positions where players rotate a lot (running back and slot wr).
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Another coaching failure… we will have 7 TE’s on the roster and yet not a decent O tackle we can count on.
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I don’t think that’s entirely accurate. One of the TEs is leaving, I believe, and another of the TEs (Ryan Hayes) is probably going to be a blocking TE for a year or two before becoming a tackle. It doesn’t really matter whether he’s a freshman TE or a freshman OT, because generally those guys aren’t ready to play tackle, anyway.
Regardless, Michigan runs a crap-ton of TE sets. Gentry, McKeon, Bunting, Wheatley, and Eubanks have all played significant minutes this year, sometimes with 3 of them in the game at a time. It’s almost like the WR position. You don’t just keep 3 on the team so you can run 3-TE sets. You have some extras to redshirt, cover up for injuries, etc.
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Just as importantly, this will be Harbaugh’s 4th year, and we will have nothing at QB but finger-crossing and “I trust the coaches”. Harbaugh has not been able to develop even a consistent starter, let alone a star, in four years.
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Wait a second: Harbaugh was hired 12/30/2014. How is that four years?
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Who is our quality starter at QB for next year (Harbaugh’s 4th)? 2015 2016 2017 2018.
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I think you bring up a fair point although Speight (favorite of Harbaugh) is really going to have to perform to keep the job.
But to your point, this is a major problem so far with this program. Developing a top flight qb in a Pro style system that demands at minimum a good qb.
The other problem is the OL (tackles). The running game is improving but until that qb and pass pro get straightened out then I am in your camp. Harbaugh needs to show us something. Peters is HIS guy. It will be 3rd year in program. He will also have some tackles albeit young but the excuses are gone as far as I am concerned. This is his team.
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So to summarize …
Jake Rudock either didn’t exist and is a figment of our collective imagination, or wasn’t any good for us and did not improve his play over the course of the season.
And, all our quarterbacks will most certainly suck next year anyway, so Harbaugh is clearly failure at bringing along quarterbacks.
Pathetic troll, trolling pathetically.
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Why don’t you wait until at least the middle of the 2018 season before talking about that year as if it’s past tense? Brandon Peters’s passer rating (if he played that way for an entire season) is good enough for #33 in the country and #4 in the Big Ten this year. Speight was better in 2016 than he has been this year. And the scuttlebutt is that Dylan McCaffrey is the best long-term QB of the bunch.
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I see a defense that’s going to be awesome again. Replacing Hurst will be very difficult, but Dwumfor/Solomon/Mone will be solid and I expect Gary to shift inside sometimes to get another outside pass rusher on the field.
It all comes down to offensive tackle. Where would you put the odds on these options? (my odds shown below)
Option 1 – Newsome is healthy (25%)
Option 2 – Bredeson shifts outside (35%)
Option 3 – They roll with a freshman (30%)
Option 4 – Spanellis (10%)
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Hudson &/or Stuebler: 32%
Bredesen: 33%
Oh sh!t, we’re screwed: 35%
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We’re going to go 8-4 with an “awesome” defense this year, and make another Outback Bowl appearance. Without a quality QB and Oline, we’re doing no better.
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I agree. You run a pro style offense you need quality O tackles and a good qb. Until that gets resolved then it’s more of the same.
Good news is that Peters looks like he can handle it. Speight will be a 5th year guy so Harbaugh doesn’t really have any excuses. He has talent that I assume has been somewhat developed.
Rest of the team looks fine. Harbaugh is dealing with the busts and neglect on the offensive side from the Hoke era AND his own mistake of not addressing tackles in his 1st class. He owns that.
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Great question.
I am skeptical on Newsome. I remember Brady coming back after his injury and I didn’t think he was the same player. Now with Newsome, he will have obviously more time to recover.
I see Filiaga at RT.
Ruiz at Center
Bredeson and Onwenu at guards.
Steuber at LT.
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Do you think M will pursue a grad transfer OT?
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I don’t know any names, but yes, I think they will. FWIW, the guy they went after last year (Sunny Odogwu) is a backup RT and has only played 5 games for UCLA this year.
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Odogwu would have made a bigger impression in Ann Arbor. I’m not sure what the situation at RT is at UCLA.
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If there’s a position where a grad transfer is almost certain not to help, it’s OL.
Look at it this way: When was the last time Michigan had a quality 6th OL? If U-M never has one, why would whatever mediocre team you’re getting the transfer from have one?
QB is one thing; it’s quite possible to pick up a useful one who doesn’t have a path to playing time at his present school. But at OL, even top-10 teams like Penn State can hardly put five quality guys on the field.
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