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Name: Jon Runyan, Jr.
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 321 lbs.
High school: Philadelphia (PA) St. Joseph’s
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #75
Last year: I ranked Runyan #19 and said he would be the starting right tackle (LINK). He started thirteen games at left tackle.
TTB Rating: 73
Runyan had one of the more impressive debut seasons as a starter in recent memory. A career backup from 2015-2017 (except a start in the Outback Bowl), Runyan struggled in the 2018 season opener at left tackle and then cruised to being named the best offensive lineman on the team and a First Team All-Big Ten selection by the conference’s coaches. He was named the Offensive Line Player of the Week against both Wisconsin and Penn State, which were also the two games where Pro Football Focus named him to their All-Big Ten team for the week. Runyan has always been very athletic, but he finally seemed to gain the necessary weight and strength to hold up in 2018.
Runyan will get a chance to continue his ascent in 2019 under second-year offensive line coach Ed Warinner. Runyan isn’t a prototypical left tackle (listed at 6’5″, some have suggested he’s only 6’3″ or maybe 6’4″), but Warinner has done a good job throughout his career of taking some mismatched pieces and molding them into solid offensive lines. Runyan himself just has great feet, anchors well, and gets up to the second level; the guys who were going to give him trouble are the really long dudes who can get their hands on him first, and there aren’t a ton of those. Runyan should have another solid year.
Prediction: Starting left tackle
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It can’t be overstated how important it was for Runyan to come through last year. After the ND game, I had my doubts. But Warriner seems to improve kids at a fast pace. Had Runyan continued to struggle, UM would have had major problems last year. Warriner had to plug holes at OSU with odd pieces too and it always worked out for him. Hope he loves Ann Arbor.
Recruiting industry is pushing evals more toward NFL prototype numbers. They seem to forget that non prototype players regularly light it up in college football.
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