Name: Julius Welschof
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 253 lbs.
High school: Miesbach (Germany) FOS Altoetting
Position: Defensive end
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Welschof was a kind of a senior in high school over in Deutschland (LINK).
Welschof is a unique case for Michigan football. This isn’t basketball, where Europeans have been taking over the NBA at some level for the past twenty years. Football has been distinctly American, and occasionally you find a Canadian with the athleticism and understanding to play high-level football in the United States. Michigan has had a few Canadians over the years, such as Renaldo Sagesse, Benjamin St-Juste, etc., but a European? This is uncharted territory.
Physically, Welschof is quite a man-child. He’s listed at 6’6″ and 253 lbs., and he can run. He’s not afraid to be physical, either. What he needs to work on are his technique and understanding of the game. As soon as that clicks, I think he can do some really great things, and he’ll have some of the best coaching available in the form of Greg Mattison. I don’t think Welschof will be needed a ton this year because there are more experienced, NFL-bound guys, but he could be a monster before all is said and done.
Prediction: Backup defensive end
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Agree on his potential, but since we’re talking about 2018 only, I am surprised he’s ahead of our Army All-American OT (a position of dire need)
Is your ranking more about jules, or chuck?
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It’s not really about either of them as individuals. It’s about the makeup and usage of the team. If Filiaga’s not one of the top 6 or 7 guys, he’s probably not going to play (unless it’s garbage time). Welschof plays a position where there’s a lot of rotation. They’ll play about 8 defensive linemen regularly, and another couple guys when people get dinged up. I think Welschof is more likely to be in that top 8-10 than Filiaga has to be in the top 6-7.
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