Posts by: Thunder

2020 Season Countdown: #51 Jalen Perry

Name: Jalen Perry
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 190 lbs.
High school: Dacula (GA) Dacula
Position: Cornerback
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #3
Last year: I ranked Perry #66 and said he would be a backup cornerback (LINK). He redshirted.
TTB Rating: 88

Perry came into the 2019 season with a decent shot at playing, or so I thought. He was the #201 player in the country at a position where Michigan needed a player or two to step up. Luckily, Michigan mostly avoided injury – after an early illness scare for Ambry Thomas – so Michigan’s backup corners weren’t tested much, outside of Vincent Gray.

Now Lavert Hill has graduated, and the #3 cornerback spot is wide open after Thomas and Gray. Perry has a chance, along with D.J. Turner II, Gemon Green, Darion Green-Warren, and others. Perry has the skills to compete, but the freshman practice hype was non-existent for him. It will be important for Michigan to not only get contributions from a third cornerback, but also to groom someone for 2021 after Ambry Thomas graduates. I expect Perry to be mired on the bench this season, but I do think his size and skill could present some healthy competition for other guys.

Prediction: Backup cornerback

2020 Season Countdown: #52 Quinten Johnson

Name: Quinten Johnson
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 198 lbs.
High school: Washington (DC) St. John’s
Position: Safety
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #23
Last year: I ranked Johnson #68 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He redshirted.
TTB Rating: 79

Johnson suffered an unfortunate knee injury in 2019, which cut off any arguments about whether he would see time in the defensive backfield.

The debate about his position can continue, though. His listed weight of 198 pounds is still light for Viper, but there were questions about whether he would stick at safety or end up playing the hybrid outside linebacker/safety position. I think he will play safety, and he’s listed as a defensive back. Senior Brad Hawkins and sophomore Daxton Hill are entrenched as the starting safeties, so Johnson has a chance to work in with the second unit so he could potentially take over Hawkins’s job in 2021. I think some of the older players will maintain their leg up, especially since Johnson didn’t have much of a chance to develop in 2019, but we should at least see him on some special teams this year.

Prediction: Backup safety, special teamer

Morning Roundup: July 24, 2020

Kwity Paye is #1 on Bruce Feldman’s yearly “Freaks List” over at The Athletic (LINK).

Only three power-five WRs moved the chains on every 3rd-down catch last season:

➤ Jauan Jennings, Tennessee
➤ Ronnie Bell, Michigan
➤ R.J. Sneed, Baylor pic.twitter.com/MoTSDpbI8F

— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 21, 2020

Hit the jump for more.

2020 Season Countdown: #53 Luke Schoonmaker

Name: Luke Schoonmaker
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 242 lbs.
High school: Hamden (CT) Hall
Position: Tight end
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #86
Last year: I ranked Schoonmaker #76 and said he would be a backup tight end (LINK). He caught 2 passes for 54 yards and 1 touchdown.
TTB Rating: 81

The big question that everyone’s wondering about with Luke Schoonmaker is this:

Is Luke Schoonmaker the tight end version of Michael Cox?

So far in his career, Schoonmaker is averaging 27 yards a catch with a touchdown on 50% of his receptions. That’s pretty impressive.

Then again, those catches came against Rutgers and Illinois.

Schoonmaker was the #4 tight end in 2019, but with Sean McKeon gone to the Dallas Cowboys, he now presumably moves up one spot in the pecking order. We saw that Schoonmaker runs pretty well, but he still looked pretty willowy 231 pounds and blocked like the part-time quarterback he was in high school.

The added weight this off-season should help him, along with an additional year in the system. While Nick Eubanks should be entrenched as the #1 guy, Schoonmaker will be battling sophomore Erick All for backup snaps. All is probably a superior blocker and reportedly has some of the best hands on the team, but I think Michigan has three pretty good options at tight end this year.

Prediction: Backup tight end

2020 Season Countdown: #54 Trevor Keegan

Name: Trevor Keegan
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 316 lbs.
High school: Crystal Lake (IL) South
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt reshman
Jersey number: #77
Last year: I ranked Keegan #92 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He redshirted.
TTB Rating: 81

Keegan went the typical route in 2019 of redshirting as a true freshman. Michigan had four seniors starting on the offensive line, and the two guys battling for the open tackle position were redshirt freshmen with some recruiting hype themselves. Keegan also came in with a body that needed to be reformed a little bit, so I think the redshirt was a good plan.

Now those four senior linemen are gone, and Keegan would seem to have a shot at the open tackle position. He seems unlikely to win that battle against redshirt sophomore Ryan Hayes and others. Of the tackles in that 2019 class, Keegan earned the most practice hype and will probably find himself on the second unit. The staff needs to find out who can play, because there has been some buzz about the potential for Jalen Mayfield to jump to the NFL following his redshirt sophomore season.

Prediction: Backup offensive tackle