It’s time for another look at an all-time leaders list.
Keep in mind that TFL numbers weren’t recorded prior to the mid-1990s; otherwise, you would probably see guys like Chris Hutchinson, Mike Hammerstein, and more on this list.
Hit the jump for the list.
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Name: D.J. Turner II
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 182 lbs.
High school: Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy
Position: Cornerback
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #5
Last year: I ranked Turner #70 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He played in four games, preserving his redshirt.
TTB Rating: 82
Turner came into his freshman year after spending a somewhat uninspiring senior year at IMG Academy. However, he had the physicality that can help Michigan defenders be successful. Michigan stayed pretty healthy at defensive back in 2019, which allowed someone like Turner to play in a few select games. After playing in three during the regular season, he was able to play on special teams in the bowl game and still keep his redshirt.
Off-season hype has ticked up for Turner, placing him above all the other outside corners in the countdown. The expectation is for Vincent Gray to start opposite Ambry Thomas, and the #3 corner gets a fair amount of playing time. Turner is reportedly in the mix as the fastest guy on the team. Sam Webb discussed this spring that Turner had been dealing with a lower body injury for a couple years, and Michigan’s training staff seems to have finally worked it out. So now Turner should be operating at a higher level than where he’s been, and he could very well be starting opposite Gray in the fall of 2021.
Prediction: Backup cornerback
Name: Camaron Cheeseman
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 230 lbs.
High school: New Albany (OH) Gahanna-Lincoln
Position: Long snapper
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #33
Last year: I ranked Cheeseman #48 and said he would be the starting long snapper (LINK). He played in all thirteen games as the long snapper.
TTB Rating: N/A
Cheeseman enters his fourth season of being the starting long-snapper. He must have been pretty good, because he forced former starter Scott Sypniewski to transfer to Vanderbilt and then took over the gig for the rest of his career. Now he’s on the watch list to be the top long snapper in the country. I don’t know exactly who tracks long snappers in order to hand out that award, but . . . hey, it’s something.
Cheeseman is one of three long snappers on the roster, including redshirt freshman William Wagner and true freshman Greg Tarr. Tarr was #6 in the country, according to Rubio, and he was a Polynesian Bowl participant. This is Cheeseman’s job, but we should see Wagner or Tarr in 2021.
Prediction: Starting long snapper
Michigan walk-on defensive back Hunter Reynolds and former Michigan (current Minnesota) defensive back Benjamin St-Juste got some TV time:
@CNN Thank you for allowing us to use our voices for a great cause‼️ #BigTenUnited pic.twitter.com/axXuCwLZE2
— College Athlete Unity (@cau4justice) August 6, 2020
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Name: Quinn Nordin
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 196 lbs.
High school: Rockford (MI) Rockford
Position: Kicker
Class: Redshirt senior
Jersey number: #3
Last year: I ranked Nordin #51 and said he would be a backup placekicker (LINK). He was 10/13 on field goals and 28/29 on extra points.
TTB Rating: 89
Nordin has had an up-and-down career at Michigan. He was a highly touted recruit and somewhat unexpectedly redshirted as a freshman. He has a big leg, but he never handles kickoff or punting duties. During his redshirt freshman season in 2017, he missed three extra points. Michigan brought in a player (Jake Moody) in 2018 who was supposed to grayshirt, and that guy ended up taking a bunch of Nordin’s opportunities.
So I really can’t predict how Nordin will fit in during the 2020 (a.k.a. spring 2021) season. He might be the starting place kicker, and Moody might finally take over the job for good. The somewhat odd thing is that the coaching staff brought Nordin back for a fifth year, when a lot of people in a somewhat tenuous position would not be given a roster spot or would just decide to grad transfer. So the staff must have a plan for him, but I don’t know what it is.
Prediction: Backup place kicker