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2014 Season Countdown: #26 Jourdan Lewis

Jourdan Lewis

Name: Jourdan Lewis
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 175 lbs.
High school: Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
Position: Cornerback
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #26
Last year: I ranked Lewis #71 and said he would play on special teams. He played in all thirteen games and had 17 tackles and 2 pass breakups.

Coming out of high school, Lewis looked slight and physically unready to play college football. When fall camp rolled around, he was 170 lbs. and looked the part of a guy who could see a little bit of time on the field. It became apparent in the middle of the season that Lewis has the coverage chops to make it at this level. He stuck to receivers well, and even on completed balls, he was rarely more than a step away. At times it took a perfect throw to beat him. By the time spring arrived, rumors were persisting that Lewis had supplanted Blake Countess as one of the starting cornerbacks. Then Lewis proceeded to make two interceptions of Devin Gardner in the spring game.

I do not believe that Lewis will start at corner this year, unless someone gets injured. Countess is an All-Big Ten player, and fellow corner Raymon Taylor has been starting for a couple years. What Lewis offers is the ability to come off the bench and play like a starter. He has good speed and awareness, and he can break on the ball as well as anyone on the team. He could also play in nickel situations. Michigan has a glut of cornerback options with Countess, Taylor, Lewis, Channing Stribling, and incoming freshman Jabrill Peppers, who has been reportedly been calling himself a safety while head coach Brady Hoke publicly insists he’ll play nickel corner. I’m only half-joking when I say that Michigan’s best lineup against the spread might be a dime look with four (or three) defensive linemen, Jake Ryan at linebacker, two safeties, and a quartet of Countess, Taylor, Lewis, and Peppers. At the very least, Lewis will establish himself as the heir to a starting spot in 2015.

Prediction: Backup cornerback; 20 tackles, 1 interception

Recruiting Update: July 31, 2014

Washington (DC) Gonzaga Prep cornerback Marcus Lewis

COMMITMENT

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2015

2014 Season Countdown: #27 Ben Braden

Ben Braden (image via MWolverine.com)

Name: Ben Braden
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 322 lbs.
High school: Rockford (MI) Rockford
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #71
Last year: I ranked Braden #23 and said he would start at left guard. He played in two games as a backup lineman.

Last year things were looking good for Braden coming out of the spring. He had every chance to play and spent the spring as the starting left guard. Then once the season started . . . nothing. I pegged him coming out of high school as too tall and stiff to be a guard, and maybe he was. That opened the door for Graham Glasgow (who eventually moved to center), Chris Bryant, Erik Magnuson, and Kyle Bosch to all start games at the left guard position. Even through that horrendous rotation, Braden remained on the sideline after the coaches appeared to realize that offensive guard just wasn’t the right fit.

Michigan lost two offensive tackles (Taylor Lewan, Michael Schofield) to graduation, and fellow redshirt sophomore Erik Magnuson looks poised to take Lewan’s spot at left tackle. That leaves a potential battle at right tackle, where Braden would seem to be the odds-on favorite. However, Glasgow spent some time at right tackle in the spring, and there’s a chance that he could supplant Braden at tackle if Jack Miller or Patrick Kugler can provide consistency at center. Recent comments from last year’s opponents and scuttlebutt from Schembechler Hall say that Glasgow is probably Michigan’s best lineman, so it will be a priority to get him on the field once he returns from a one-game suspension. If Miller or Kugler is the starter at center in week two, then Braden will probably find himself on the sideline yet again. Regardless, Braden should be a valuable player as the #2 or #3 tackle; not only could an injury at tackle put him into the lineup, but an injury on the interior could cause a reshuffling that sends Glasgow back to the middle and Braden onto the field.

Prediction: Starting right tackle

Brian Cole, Wolverine

Saginaw (MI) Heritage wide receiver Brian Cole

Saginaw (MI) Heritage wide receiver Brian Cole committed to Michigan on Saturday. He chose the Wolverines over offers from Michigan State, Nebraska, Ohio State, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and others.

Cole is a 6’2″, 190 lb. prospect. Stats are nowhere to be found (EDIT: Cole had 1,200 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on offense, plus 47 tackles and 5 interceptions on defense), and measurables are hard to come by because he has eschewed the camp circuit. For a highly touted recruit, he has kept mostly to himself and remained quiet on the trail.

RATINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 82 grade, #9 athlete, #139 overall, #1 in-state
Rivals: 4-star, #7 athlete, #107 overall, #2 in-state
Scout: 4-star, #5 wide receiver, #40 overall
247 Sports: 4-star, 97 grade, #2 athlete, #43 overall, #1 in-state

Back in January 2013, the Wolverines were the first to offer Cole, followed quickly by the Spartans and then Ohio State. Cole did not provide many interviews, and he didn’t attend many camps where he might be in the spotlight, so it was hard for recruiting gurus to keep him in their sites. He made several unofficial visits to schools in the midwest, but it was thought that he would wait to sort through the process a little longer before making a selection. Word out of his “camp” suggested that he wanted to stay close to home, but neither the Wolverines or Spartans seemed to take a huge lead at any point. He finally pulled the trigger on his campus visit with 2015 quarterback commit Alex Malzone just prior to the BBQ at the Big House.

As far as strengths go, Cole has a lot of positive traits as an athlete (which is why he’s ranked as an “athlete” by three of the four services). Cole plays running back, receiver, and safety for his high school team. He’s a big kid who has some natural strength to glide through arm tackles. He has good speed and very good acceleration. His high school offense generally seems like a “Let’s pitch it to Cole and watch him run” system, and Cole has a tendency to bounce everything outside. The competition at his level is not great, so his combination of speed and size makes him look like a man among boys. He also has very good feet and change of direction abilities in space, which will make him extremely difficult to corral in one-on-one situations.

On the negative side, Cole does not look like he has the ability to play running back (as some have suggested) because he bounces everything outside and tends not to drive his feet through contact. He will need to get better at powering through solid tackle attempts. I also do not see him as a defender due to a lack of tackling instincts; he just looks more comfortable being the prey rather than the predator. Perhaps the biggest adjustment needed will be the move to receiver, because while he shows some natural catching skills, he will have to familiarize himself with new stances, route running, coverages, etc.

Overall, I project Cole as a receiver, which is also where Michigan sees him playing. If he does end up playing defense, free safety looks like the strongest possibility due to his size and closing speed. The coaching staff plans to play him at slot receiver, and I think he could be very effective running after the catch. I also think he has some value as a kickoff returner due to his straight-line speed and even as a punt returner due to his impressive agility. It may take some time for him to adjust to the receiver position, but he has a very high ceiling.

Cole is Michigan’s ninth commitment in the 2015 class and the first receiver. He follows a couple classes full of receivers, so he shouldn’t be required to contribute extremely early. Michigan has zero senior receivers (although junior Devin Funchess is a possibility to enter the draft early), which means a redshirt may be available for him to transition to wideout. The Wolverines could conceivably be finished at the receiver position, though one more player is a possibility.

TTB Rating: 84 (ratings explanation)

Defensive highlights can be found on Hudl (LINK).

ESPN 300 for 2015 updated

Saginaw (MI) Heritage wide receiver Brian Cole is the #139 player in the country.

ESPN released their updated top 300 players for 2015. Here’s what it looked like back in June (LINK). Movement for Michigan commits:

– Chris Clark drops from #108 to #109
– Garrett Taylor drops from #110 to #111
– Brian Cole drops from #137 to #139
– Tyree Kinnel drops from #188 to #192
– Grant Newsome drops from #240 to #242
– Darrin Kirkland, Jr. drops from #263 to #266

5-stars:
1. Josh Sweat – DE – Virginia
4. Terry Beckner, Jr. – DE – Illinois
5. Kevin Toliver II – CB – Florida (LSU)
7. CeCe Jefferson – DE – Florida
8. Iman Marshall – CB – California
9. Kendall Sheffield – CB – Texas
10. George Campbell – ATH – Florida
11. Justin Hilliard – LB – Ohio (Ohio State)
15. Tim Settle – DT – Virginia
16. Blake Barnett – QB – California (Alabama)
17. Mitch Hyatt – OT – Georgia (Clemson)
18. Jashon Cornell – DE – Minnesota (Ohio State)

4-stars:
19. Josh Rosen – QB – California (UCLA)
22. Rasheem Greene – DT – California
27. Minkah Fitzpatrick – CB – New Jersey (Alabama)
28. Keisean Lucier-South – DE – California
30. Damien Harris – RB – Kentucky
31. Shy Tuttle – DT – North Carolina
32. Soso Jamabo – RB – Texas
33. Preston Williams – WR – Georgia (Tennessee)
36. Christian Kirk – WR – Arizona
38. Jarrett Stidham – QB – Texas (Texas Tech)
39. Malik Jefferson – LB – Texas
41. Jeffery Holland – LB – Florida
45. Keenan Walker – OT – Arizona (Arizona)
46. Jacques Patrick – RB – Florida
54. Arden Key – DE – Georgia
55. Deondre Francois – QB – Florida
58. Ronald Jones II – RB – Texas (Oklahoma State)
61. Matt Burrell, Jr. – OT – Virginia
63. Adonis Thomas – LB – Georgia
64. Drew Richmond – OT – Tennessee
69. Abdul Bello – OT – Florida (Florida State)
70. DaMarkus Lodge – WR – Texas (Texas A&M)
72. Jerome Baker – ATH – Ohio (Florida)
73. Hale Hentges – TE – Missouri (Alabama)
75. Devonaire Clarington – TE – Florida
79. Jaylon Lane – CB – Texas (Oklahoma State)
80. Rashad Roundtree – S – Georgia
82. Anthony Wheeler – LB – Texas
84. Dexter Williams – RB – Florida (Miami)
86. Johnny Frasier – RB – North Carolina
90. Jalen Dalton – DE – North Carolina
95. Jake Fruhmorgen – OT – Florida (Clemson)
98. Christian Pellage – OT – Florida
99. Hjalte Froholdt – DT – Florida
103. Sterling Jenkins – OT – Pennsylvania (Penn State)
105. Ryan Bates – OT – Pennsylvania (Penn State)
106. Clelin Ferrell – DE – Virginia (Clemson)
108. Tyler Jordan – OG – Florida (Florida)
109. Chris Clark – TE – Connecticut (Michigan)
111. Garrett Taylor – CB – Virginia (Michigan)
124. Osa Masina – LB – Utah
135. Ty’Son Williams – RB – South Carolina
136. Kirk Merritt – ATH – Louisiana
138. Jordan Whitehead – CB – Pennsylvania
139. Brian Cole – ATH – Michigan (Michigan)
141. Devante Peete – WR – Florida
150. Ray-Ray McCloud III – ATH – Florida (Clemson)
152. Marcus Lewis – CB – Washington, D.C.
161. Shaun Crawford – CB – Ohio (Notre Dame)
163. Joshua McMillon – LB – Tennessee
165. Darian Roseboro – DE – North Carolina
168. John Reid – CB – Pennsylvania
169. Michael Weber – RB – Michigan
191. Juwan Johnson – WR – New Jersey (Penn State)
192. Tyree Kinnel – S – Ohio (Michigan)
227. Rashard Causey, Jr. – CB – Florida (Florida Atlantic)
236. Isaiah Prince – OT – Maryland
238. Pat Allen – OT – Maryland
242. Grant Newsome – OT – New Jersey (Michigan)
256. Cameron Townsend – LB – Texas
259. Cameron Ordway – CB – Tennessee
266. Darrin Kirkland, Jr. – LB – Indiana (Michigan)