Posts by: touchbann_adminuser

2015 Season Countdown: #86 Wilton Speight

Name: Wilton Speight
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 235 lbs.
High school: Richmond (VA) Collegiate
Position: Quarterback
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #19
Last year: I ranked Speight #87 and said he would redshirt. He redshirted.

Michigan had an established starter going into last season, and the Wolverines had a highly touted sophomore backup. They also had redshirt junior Russell Bellomy, who existed in a helmetless state. Both backups had seen game action in the past, so there was no need to play Speight.

This spring Speight earned some early praise for his mental acuity and leadership, but as practices wore on, the coaches reportedly started to realize that Speight was not the same kind of athlete as a couple of the other options. He supposedly dropped toward the bottom of the depth chart, and a minor injury removed any chance we had of seeing him in the spring game. Meanwhile, incoming transfer Jake Rudock looks like he’ll be the starter this year, Shane Morris returns as the #2 guy, and there might be a battle for the #3 spot between Speight, freshman Alex Malzone, and freshman Zach Gentry. Malzone had already moved past Speight this spring, and Gentry has higher upside. Unless several injuries occur, Speight will probably sit on the bench or be a mop-up guy this season.

Prediction: Backup quarterback

Phil Steele’s 2015 Pre-season All-Big Ten team

Is Joe Bolden really Michigan’s best player?

Phil Steele released his pre-season All-Big Ten teams (LINK). Since these are almost all potential opponents this season, instead I’ll highlight guys whom Michigan recruited out of high school. Ohio State leads the way with 15 players on the four teams. Michigan State is second with 13. Rather than listing all of the teams ahead of Michigan, I’ll just say that Michigan’s six players on the list are only ahead of Illinois, Northwestern, and Purdue.

FIRST TEAM
Corey Clement – RB – Wisconsin
Leonte Carroo – WR – Rutgers
Taylor Decker – OT – Ohio State
Joey Bosa – DE – Ohio State
Anthony Zettel – DE – Penn State
Adolphus Washington – DT – Ohio State
Vince Biegel – LB – Wisconsin

SECOND TEAM
Nick Vannett – TE – Ohio State
Dan Voltz – C – Wisconsin
Darius Hamilton – DE – Rutgers
Ed Davis – LB – Michigan State
Joe Bolden – LB – Michigan
Mike Caputo – DB – Wisconsin

THIRD TEAM
Robert Kugler – C – Purdue*
Kyle Kalis – OL – Michigan
Chris Muller – OL – Rutgers
Vincent Valentine – DT – Rutgers
Desmond Morgan – LB – Michigan
Eli Apple – DB – Ohio State

FOURTH TEAM
Amara Darboh – WR – Michigan
Billy Price – C – Ohio State
Malik McDowell – DT – Michigan State
Lawrence Thomas – DT – Michigan State
Yannick Ngakoue – DE – Maryland
David Santos – LB – Nebraska
Jabrill Peppers – DB – Michigan
Blake O’Neill – P – Michigan

*Was not recruited by Michigan, but is the brother of Michigan center Patrick Kugler

Kiante Enis, Wolverine

Winchester (IN) Winchester running back Kiante Enis (image via Scout.com)

Winchester (IN) Winchester running back Kiante Enis committed to Michigan on Thursday. He chose the Wolverines over offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, and a handful of MAC programs.

Enis is a 6’1″, 200 lb. player who reported an electronically timed 10.53 in the 100 meters. As a junior in 2014, he carried the ball 299 times for 3,189 yards and 49 touchdowns. As a sophomore in 2013, he had 139 carries for 1,409 yards and 15 scores.

RATINGS
ESPN: Unranked
Rivals: 3-star, #54 ATH
Scout: 3-star, #26 ATH
247 Sports: 3-star, 87 grade, #36 RB, #552 overall

The nephew of former Penn State running back and Chicago Bears’ first round draft pick Curtis Enis, Kiante is relatively new on Michigan’s recruiting radar. He had not heard much from the Wolverines when he was offered in early May, but it was his biggest offer. He visited Ann Arbor in late May, attended Michigan’s satellite camp today, and committed to the staff.

Enis is a speedy runner who’s the fastest guy on the field in every game. He often looks for cutbacks, and he has the acceleration to make a cut upfield and leave a lot of people in the dust. Unlike some track guys, he has some change-of-direction skills. His speed puts a lot of pressure on defenders and can force them into some poor decisions when it comes to angles, tackling technique, etc. When he’s on defense himself, he takes good angles, wraps up, and shows a willingness to hit that belies his thin frame. When he gets the ball in his hands, he knows what to do with it.

As successful as he is (he led the nation in rushing yardage in 2014), Enis is not a polished runner. He can dance a little too much, he carries the ball a little too loosely, and he does not run behind his pads. When he gets into traffic, he tries to twist his body around and wriggle out of tackles, which is not a skill that suits his skills and frame. He needs to get stronger in the lower body and learn to fight through contact. Defensively, Enis is a bit lazy in his stance and does not show a lot of polish, either, but that can probably be explained by the fact that he ran the ball 299 times last year. When the offense consists of Kiante Left and Kiante Right, Kiante’s going to get tired.

Overall, much like the commitment of Michael Onwenu a couple days ago, Enis is a good pickup because of his versatility. The coaches are bringing him in as a running back, but he won’t necessarily stay there. If offense doesn’t work out after a year or two, he’s a guy who might be able to play receiver, cornerback, safety, or even outside linebacker, depending on how his body develops. Personally, I think he looks like a safety, although I’m reminded of former Michigan (and USC) running back Justin Fargas, who played a bit of both running back and safety in Ann Arbor before transferring and making it to the NFL as a runner.

Enis is the eighth commitment in the 2016 class and the third  running back, joining Matt Falcon and Kingston Davis. Both of those players are perhaps a little more limited to running back, but they are thicker and in Davis’s case, he’s strictly a between-the-tackles runner. There is virtually zero chance that all three players (and there might be more!) finish their careers playing running back at Michigan. Enis also joins another Indiana player (and there might be more!), quarterback Brandon Peters, in the current cycle.

TTB Rating: 78 (ratings explanation)

2015 Season Countdown: #87 Grant Newsome

Grant Newsome

Name: Grant Newsome
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 280 lbs.
High school: Trenton (NJ) Lawrenceville School
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Newsome committed to Michigan in June 2014 (LINK).
TTB Rating: 84

Newsome was perhaps the crown jewel of Michigan’s 2015 recruiting class, as the Wolverines beat out the likes of Alabama, LSU, Ohio State, and Wisconsin for his services. Initially from Virginia, he went to boarding school in New Jersey. When I wrote the scouting report on him, I was impressed with his length and athleticism. He looks like a prototypical left tackle prospect, and while he still requires some molding, he has a chance to be a multi-year starter at the position.

That stretch as a starter won’t begin just yet, however. At 6’7″ and 280 lbs., he has a long frame without the bulk to match. Michigan has a returning starter on the left side in the form of sophomore Mason Cole, and there are a couple more developed prospects who would probably slide in if an injury occurred. The coaching staff will probably work him on both the left and right sides, and perhaps Cole’s long-term future is on the inside; a slot for Newsome might open up after a couple of Michigan’s interior guys graduate, allowing Cole to slide inside. Regardless, Newsome will probably redshirt this year while he hones his technique and gains some necessary strength.

Prediction: Redshirt

Michael Onwenu, Wolverine

Detroit (MI) Cass Tech offensive guard Michael Onwenu

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Detroit (MI) Cass Tech offensive guard Michael Onwenu committed to Michigan on Tuesday. He chose the Wolverines over offers from Alabama, Illinois, Miami, North Carolina State, Ohio State, and Penn State.

Onwenu is 6’3″ and 365 lbs. He is committed to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

RATINGS
ESPN: 4-star, 80 grade, #17 OG
Rivals: 4-star, #191 overall
Scout: 4-star, #5 OG, #169 overall
247 Sports: 4-star, 94 grade, #5 OG, #140 overall

As a Cass Tech player, Onwenu had been on Michigan’s radar for a long time and started visiting campus with his school a few years ago. At the time he was around 6’0″ and well over 300 lbs., so it was unclear how he was going to develop. His first offer came from Ohio State in May of 2014, which is part of the reason why he had an affinity for the Buckeyes. Brady Hoke’s staff offered him last July before his junior year began. He was thought to be an Ohio State lean at one point, but the Buckeyes’ treatment of former teammate Michael Weber (his position coach recruited him up until the last minute and then took a job with the Chicago Bears immediately after Signing Day) left a sour taste in his mouth. Jim Harbaugh’s staff, meanwhile, had been recruiting Weber and Onwenu hard, and Michigan’s established pipeline with Cass Tech players seemed to bode well for their chances. After visits to campus this winter and spring, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Onwenu would end up committing to the Wolverines.

Onwenu was being looked at for defense by Hoke’s staff, but Harbaugh and offensive coordinator/line coach Tim Drevno have made it clear they want him for the interior offensive line. That’s not to say that he won’t play defense at some point, because Harbaugh lets guys work on both sides of the ball at times. His position may not be determined for a while.

As an offensive lineman, Onwenu has surprisingly good feet for his size, and he can move when he wants to move. He also packs quite a punch, and he’s not going to get overpowered by anyone.

In my opinion, though, there are more negatives than positives when talking about him on offense. There are a lot of technique issues to work out here. Onwenu is slow out of his stance, sometimes steps with the wrong foot, does not use good hand placement, and does not finish plays on a consistent basis. Even on his highlights, it’s rare to see more than a few steps with any kind of purpose. Once he reaches his assignment – a guy who’s unlikely to move around the mountain – Onwenu essentially stops to watch the play.

The place where Onwenu shows a sense of urgency is at nose tackle on defense. He looks like a totally different player. He’s quick off the ball, uses good technique, and finishes plays. He probably won’t be much of a pass rusher because it’s tough to contort 365 lbs. in enough ways to wiggle around offensive linemen, but he can be a run-stuffer in the middle, especially if Michigan is going to run any 3-4 looks.

Overall, Onwenu is a good pickup for the staff. I think he’s a guy that has some potential, and you have to look at a kid like that in your home state as a priority. Whether he has more upside on offense or defense is somewhat immaterial – the important thing is to get him on your team somewhere. Even on offense, he has the physical tools to mold into quite a player; it’s the mental aspect that seems to be lacking. If he stays on that side of the ball, hopefully Drevno can work the kind of magic that Darrell Funk never seemed to be able to harness.

Onwenu is the seventh overall commit and the second offensive lineman in the 2016 class, joining offensive tackle Erik Swenson. Michigan will only lose guard/center Graham Glasgow to graduation after this coming season, but there are four redshirt juniors who will need to be replaced before long. The 2016 class is scheduled to be at least 15 players strong (LINK), but that number will surely increase, and various recruits have been talking and tweeting about calling this class the “Fab 25.” I would expect the Wolverines to take 4-5 linemen in this class to prepare for those upcoming departures. The pipeline of Cass Tech will see Onwenu join a team that already includes cornerback Terry Richardson, cornerback Jourdan Lewis, offensive guard David Dawson, and safety Delano Hill.

TTB Rating: 74 (ratings explanation)