Posts by: Thunder

2020 Season Countdown: #12 Ronnie Bell

Name: Ronnie Bell
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 184 lbs.
High school: Kansas City (MO) Park Hill
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #8
Last year: I ranked Bell #27 and said he would be a backup slot receiver (LINK). He started ten games and made 48 catches for 758 yards and 1 touchdown.
TTB Rating: 71

Bell was the breakout skill player in 2019. Even though Jim Harbaugh said coming out of the spring that Mike Sainristil had earned the starting job in the slot, Bell managed to come out swinging and led the team in catches (48) and yardage (758 yards). He saved his best career performance for the rivalry against Michigan, when he set career highs in catches (9) and yardage (150 yards), but that was the only time he topped 100 yards. But he was very consistent, with six other games in which he had between 78 and 98 yards.

Somehow, Bell was held out of the end zone except for a 39-10 win over Indiana, when his lone catch for 6 yards went for his only score of the year.

That lone touchdown thing was really frustrating for some Michigan fans, who saw Bell drop a touchdown pass in a 28-21 loss to Penn State. Some morons acted out harshly toward Bell – who was in tears after the drop – but he earned a standing ovation from Michigan fans without brain damage.

As Michigan’s leading returning receiver, Bell was a no-brainer to be ranked pretty highly. But just like Giles Jackson yesterday (LINK), Bell would be ranked even higher if the countdown had been created with the knowledge that Nico Collins would not be available for the season. Bell has pretty reliable hands and is an excellent runner after the catch, even though he lacks blazing speed. He is reportedly moving to the X receiver spot to take over for Collins there, opening up room for Jackson and Mike Sainristil in the slot. I do expect the volume to go down a little bit since he’s moving out of the slot, but if Joe Milton can get him the ball out there on an island, Bell should be able to make some fun things happen after the catch.

Prediction: Starting wide receiver

Recruit Tracker: RB Tavierre Dunlap

October 2, 2020: Dunlap and Del Valle (TX) Del Valle lost to Liberty Hill by a score of 44-27. Dunlap ran 20 times for 107 yards. He now has 45 carries for 329 yards and 2 touchdowns.

September 25, 2020: Dunlap and Del Valle (TX) Del Valle beat Austin (TX) McNeil by a score of 28-13. Dunlap ran the ball 25 times for 222 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a 99-yard score. Del Valle is 1-0.

Recruit Tracker: WR Andrel Anthony

October 2, 2020: Anthony and East Lansing (MI) East Lansing beat Lansing (MI) Waverly by a score of 17-0. Anthony caught 6 passes for 125 yards and 1 touchdown. East Lansing is 2-0. Anthony now has 9 catches for 209 yards and 2 touchdowns.

September 25, 2020: Anthony and East Lansing (MI) East Lansing beat River Rouge (MI) River Rouge by a score of 21-6. Anthony caught 3 passes for 84 yards and 1 touchdown.

2020 Season Countdown: #13 Giles Jackson

Name: Giles Jackson
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 179 lbs.
High school: Oakley (CA) Freedom
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #0
Last year: I ranked Jackson #61 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He made 9 catches for 142 yards and 1 touchdown, ran 10 times for 69 yards and 1 touchdown, and returned 24 kickoffs for 622 yards and 1 touchdown.
TTB Rating: 76

As you can tell, Jackson didn’t redshirt in 2019. I thought he had a chance to play his way onto the field, mostly as a returner of some sort, but he was more involved in the offense than I expected. In addition to being named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten as a returner after averaging 25.9 yards per kickoff return, Michigan started to use him as a mismatch guy. He’s a super speedy receiver who can do the jet sweep thing, run wheel routes, run slot fades, etc.

Jackson probably deserves to be higher on this list here in 2020 now that fellow receiver Nico Collins has opted out of playing his senior season. Jackson was #7 on the team in receptions last year, and four of the guys ahead of him have departed. Michigan doesn’t have the height mismatch they had with the 6’4″ Collins, but they now have an array of speedy wideouts that can exploit linebackers and safeties.

Jackson ought to be a heavy contributor this season. With fellow slot receiver Ronnie Bell reportedly moving outside in Collins’s absence, that opens the door for Jackson, Mike Sainristil, A.J. Henning, and others to run RPOs from the slot. Jackson is not as tall as Bell, and without the basketball background, I’m not sure how well he would be able to handle high throws over the middle. But Jackson can threaten deep better than Bell, so there’s a trade-off. This should be a breakout year for Jackson, and I expect to see him used much the same way we saw K.J. Hamler play at Penn State.

Prediction: Starting slot receiver

Hit the jump for some of Jackson’s 2019 highlights.

2020 Season Countdown: #14 Nick Eubanks

Name: Nick Eubanks
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 256 lbs.
High school: Plantation (FL) American Heritage
Position: Tight end
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #82
Last year: I ranked Eubanks #31 and said he would be a backup tight end with 15 catches for 210 yards and 2 touchdowns (LINK). He started ten games and made 25 catches for 234 yards and 4 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 44

I suppose it’s about time I offer up my apology to Eubanks for that TTB Rating of 44 back in the day. It assumed that the third most ready tight end in the class – behind Devin Asiasi and Sean McKeon – would not stick around to develop and become a player. Michigan, however, managed to hit on all three tight end signees that year. Asiasi became a 3rd round pick (after transferring to UCLA), McKeon played a bunch and signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent, and Eubanks is coming back for year five as a pretty well established starter.

Eubanks had a high of 43 receiving yards (vs. Rutgers) and 3 catches (3 separate times) in 2019, so he doesn’t appear to be in danger of winning the Mackey Award. But he’s a pretty consistent receiving threat, and he improved as a blocker last year after struggling in that area earlier in his career.

Michigan still has options at tight end, so Eubanks isn’t free and clear to be the one and only tight end in 2020. There’s a lot of buzz about Erick All and some growing enthusiasm about Luke Schoonmaker. But I do like Eubanks’s experience, size, and overall athleticism. He’s not going to outrun safeties on seam routes, but he should be a consistent short target for Joe Milton and a presence in the running game.

Prediction: Starting tight end