Chris Wormley
Name: Chris Wormley
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 300 lbs.
High school: Toledo (OH) Whitmer
Position: Defensive end
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #43
Last year: I ranked Wormley #17 and said he would be a starting defensive tackle with 35 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks. He started six games and made 21 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks.
Wormley has continued to take incremental steps forward each year. When he was in high school, there were questions about his motor. When he got to college, he was probably going to play as a freshman before he tore his ACL in the summer. When he was a redshirt freshman, he showed a couple flashes of having the athletic ability dominate. Last year he started to put it all together for longer stretches. He split time at the 3-tech defensive tackle position, and he was fairly productive (7th on the team in tackles for loss, tied for 5th in sacks). He has yet to have a breakout game of dominance, but he seems to make one or two plays per game.
The new coaching staff has worked wonders with Wormley, because most guys stop growing upward in college. Now listed at 6’5″ and 300 lbs. (previously 6’4″, 295), Wormley has been playing strongside end in the new regime. He has the chops to move inside to defensive tackle, but despite the injury to Bryan Mone, Michigan has more depth on the interior. At the strongside end spot, it’s basically up to Wormley, Taco Charlton, and then questions (mainly, are Henry Poggi and Tom Strobel tight ends or defensive ends?). Wormley and Charlton are both known for inconsistency, but now that Brennen Beyer has graduated, those two might push each other to new heights in their attempts to become full-time starters. For his own part, Wormley started earning lots of hype in the spring, and D.J. Durkin has said some really positive things about him recently. My guess is that he beats out Charlton, although there will be lots of rotation on the defensive line.
Prediction: 40 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 6 sacks
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Looking forward to Wormley really showing his talents this year and I fully expect him to be a big time player holding down the D Line.
He’s been in the program long enough to understand what is expected and now as an Upper Class man I believe he will really start to shine! Honorable Mention B1G selection!…bank on it!
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Agree that Wormley is poised for a breakout. The agility, size and strength are all there in spades. The game has just been slowing down for him a little each year. He reminds me a bit of Josh Williams from the ’90’s. I don’t see Taco being in Womley’s league, but we’ll see how things shake out this year. I expect Wormley to be a fixture out there.
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Good post. I wonder if Mone’s injury will lead to Wormley playing more 3-tech again nd prevent a full-time conversion to 5, but I hope not. Still hoping we have another Alan Branch-level guy in Wormley.
Wormley’s height gain is probably related to the Jumpman announcement — It’s gotta be the shoe!
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