Posts by: Thunder

2018 Season Countdown: #18 Ben Mason

Ben Mason (image via Detroit News)

Name: Ben Mason
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 254 lbs.
High school: Newtown (CT) Newtown
Position: Fullback
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #42
Last year: I ranked Mason #77 and said he would be a backup fullback (LINK). He had 3 carries for 4 yards and 2 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 74

I may or may not have underranked Mason last season. On the one hand, I ranked him #77 and he scored 2 touchdowns, which is pretty good for the 77th-most important player on the team. On the other hand, Michigan had two senior fullbacks on the roster who probably could have punched in those two 1-yard touchdowns. Khalid Hill and Henry Poggi were the co-starters at fullback in 2017, but it was always likely that Michigan would plan to groom Mason for 2018, which is exactly what they did.

This spring there was a bit of a stir when it came out that Mason was playing fullback and linebacker, and Mason did an interview where he discussed his preference – according to him, he has none. He was a fullback and linebacker in high school, and he was seemingly recruited for linebacker before moving to the offensive side of the ball. He does not appear to be a strong contender for any of the linebacker positions, which makes sense to me. It’s one thing for a defensive player to moonlight as an offensive guy, but it’s a whole different story when you try to make an offensive guy into a defensive player; the only case that seems to make sense is when you put in a tall receiver with ball skills when it’s time to defend a Hail Mary. Mason should be focusing on offense, even though Michigan may use the fullback less with Shea Patterson behind center. I expect this Michigan team to be a little more spread-oriented and a little less smashmouth-y.

Prediction: Starting fullback

2018 Season Countdown: #19 Jon Runyan, Jr.

Jon Runyan, Jr.

Name: Jon Runyan, Jr.
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 304 lbs.
High school: Philadelphia (PA) St. Joseh’s
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #75
Last year: I ranked Runyan #31 and said he would be a part-time starter at right tackle and a backup left guard (LINK). He started one game at right tackle and played in nine games.
TTB Rating: 73

Runyan almost made a liar out of me, but he sneaked in a start at right tackle in the bowl game to make me look like Nostradamus. An athletic but slightly undersized Big Ten lineman, Runyan has been looked at as a stopgap at a few different positions. He has practiced at every position on the line at one point or another. He’s one of those players that hasn’t flashed greatness, but has shown consistency.

That will likely continue to be the theme going into 2018. Runyan isn’t huge and powerful, and he doesn’t generate a lot of movement when run blocking. He doesn’t have a ton of upside, but he’s a decent player entering his fourth year. The word filtering out of spring was that he would likely start at right tackle while Juwann Bushell-Beatty and James Hudson III battle it out on the left side; the loser of that battle will likely be a backup. New offensive line coach Ed Warinner must like Runyan pretty well. The other wild card could be freshman Jalen Mayfield, but starting a true freshman who didn’t enroll early is always a tricky proposition. I’m not expecting greatness from Runyan, but I think he can do a decent job this year.

Prediction: Starting right tackle

Eddie McDoom, Ex-Wolverine

Eddie McDoom

Junior wide receiver Eddie McDoom has decided to transfer. His current destination is unknown.

McDoom has 24 rushes for 203 yards (8.5 yards/carry), along with 16 catches for 140 yards (8.8 yards/catch), during his two years on campus. He was mostly a jet sweep guy but hasn’t had a big impact in the passing game. I ranked him #38 in this year’s countdown (LINK).

Personally, I do not feel Michigan has done a great job of utilizing him over the past couple seasons. I think he would be a good returner, but Michigan hasn’t used him in the return game. He’s a jet sweep and bubble screen guy, but Michigan hasn’t used much of the bubble screen half of that equation. The unfortunate thing is that this offense with Shea Patterson probably fits McDoom better than Wilton Speight- and Brandon Peters-style offenses over the past two seasons, but we won’t get a chance to see it.

Michigan now has a relatively thin depth chart at wide receiver with just the following scholarship options:

• Grant Perry (Sr.)
• Tarik Black (So.)
• Nico Collins (So.)
• Donovan Peoples-Jones (So.)
• Oliver Martin (RS Fr.)
• Ronnie Bell (Fr.)

Nate Schoenle and Jake McCurry are two walk-on receivers who have earned a little bit of hype.

Michigan now has just 84 scholarship players on the roster for 2018 (LINK).

2018 Season Countdown: #20 Sean McKeon

Sean McKeon (image via Land of 10)

Name: Sean McKeon
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 251 lbs.
High school: Dudley (MA) Shepherd Hill
Position: Tight end
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #84
Last year: I ranked McKeon #52 and said he would be a backup tight end (LINK). He started ten games at tight end and made 31 catches for 301 yards and 3 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 77

I underranked McKeon last season by a good bit. I thought then redshirt junior Ian Bunting would be the starter after Bunting filled in capably for Jake Butt in 2016. I still think Bunting would have been a fine starting tight end, but the coaching staff obviously liked McKeon, who led the team in receptions (31) and touchdown catches (3) while barely finishing #3 in receiving yards (he had 301; team leader Grant Perry had 307). McKeon proved to be a largely reliable tight end. Unfortunately, the coaching staff – particularly Jim Harbaugh – goofed in the Outback Bowl and called for a handoff to McKeon, who promptly fumbled it away; Harbaugh didn’t realize he didn’t have an actual fullback in the game. It wasn’t really McKeon’s fault, but it did leave a slightly bad taste in some fans’ mouths.

Going into the 2018 season, McKeon seems pretty well entrenched as a starting tight end, or at least a heavy contributor. Redshirt junior Zach Gentry should also play quite a bit, and while McKeon has more starts, I think Gentry is the guy who can help create big plays and stretch the field. You don’t find 6’8″ guys who can run like Gentry, but 6’5″ guys who play like McKeon are a little more common. I think I would be a little bit disappointed if McKeon leads the team in receptions again, because that would likely mean that Donovan Peoples-Jones and/or Tarik Black underachieved or got hurt. McKeon might match his numbers from 2017, but he should end up a little farther down on the stat sheet this season.

Prediction: Starting tight end; 25 catches for 250 yards and 3 touchdowns

2018 Season Countdown: #21 Aubrey Solomon

Aubrey Solomon (#5, image via Freep)

Name: Aubrey Solomon
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 287 lbs.
High school: Leesburg (GA) Lee County
Position: Nose tackle
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #5
Last year: I ranked Solomon #26 and said he would be a backup nose tackle (LINK). He made 18 tackles and 2 tackles for loss.
TTB Rating: 89

Solomon had a long, winding path to Ann Arbor leading up to the 2017 season. A lot of times, it seems like odd recruitments lead to delayed – or destroyed – success. But for whatever reason, I thought Solomon would succeed pretty immediately at Michigan. If you look at Michigan’s nose tackles in recent years – Bryan Mone, Maurice Hurst, Ryan Glasgow, etc. – Solomon was more successful in his first year than any of them. In fact, you have to go back to Mike Martin in 2008 to find a nose tackle with a better freshman season (20 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 2 sacks). Martin had a very good college career before petering out in the NFL.

Solomon is expected to start here in 2018. He’s a bit of a wild card because he should see an uptick in grass time this season, even though he has just one season under his belt and we haven’t seen him make huge impacts on the game. I would like to rank the starting nose tackle higher, but Michigan has other options there – fifth year senior Bryan Mone, redshirt sophomore Michael Dwumfour, and redshirt freshman Donovan Jeter, to name a few. It would definitely be a blow to lose him, but I think Michigan could handle an injury or two on the defensive line.

Prediction: Starting nose tackle; 35 tackles, 2 sacks