Posts by: Thunder

Visitors: March 24-26, 2017

Ramsey (NJ) Don Bosco Prep DT Tyler Friday (image via Scout)

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2018

Verdis Brown – OG – Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy: Brown is a 6’3″, 294 lb. prospect with offers from Florida State, LSU, Michigan, and Oklahoma, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #7 offensive guard, and #147 overall.

Sammy Faustin – S – Naples (FL) Naples: Faustin is a 6’2″, 170 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Maryland, and Michigan, among others. He’s currently unranked by the 247 Composite rankings. Right now all three Crystal Ball predictions are in favor of Michigan.

Tyler Friday – DT – Ramsey (NJ) Don Bosco Prep: Friday is a 6’3″, 260 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #2 defensive tackle, and #39 overall. Michigan has landed the top player in the state of New Jersey three out of the last four years (Drew Singleton in 2017, Rashan Gary in 2016, and Jabrill Peppers in 2014), and they’re hoping to do so again. Right now Michigan has 80% of the Crystal Ball picks.

Ryan Hayes – OT – Traverse City (MI) West: Hayes is a 6’7″, 252 lb. prospect with offers from Michigan, Michigan State, and Notre Dame, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #12 OT, and #153 overall. Right now Notre Dame has the Crystal Ball lead with 75%.

Hit the jump for a couple more visitors.

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Site News: New face(s)

New face #1: In the next couple days, you’ll see a new contributor here named Tim. I’ll let Tim tell you about himself when the time comes, but he’s a guy who’s immersed in the sports world and will be involved in the social media sphere. Give him a Twitter follow @TTB_Michigan if you’re interested. You can also follow me on Twitter @TouchTheBanner.

New face #∞: I’ve encouraged users over the last year or two to get a Gravatar, but not many people have followed through. So I’m adding another option: you can upload an avatar directly to TTB by going to your profile page. I understand why people weren’t a fan of Gravatar. It requires you to create a separate account, even though a Gravatar then can travel with you to various WordPress sites. If you’re still wanting a Gravatar, here are some directions (LINK) and they can still be used. Otherwise, adding a pic to your profile can help readers identify you and make it easier to follow discussions.

As always, thanks for reading and participating! I look forward to the continued growth of the site and the community.

Video: Draft Diaries – Jabrill Peppers, Episodes 1 & 2

Hit the jump for episode #2.

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Michigan 2017 Pro Day Results

Dymonte Thomas (image via MLive)

Several Wolverines participated in the NFL Combine a couple weeks ago (LINK), and I broke down the winners and losers from the Combine (LINK). Michigan held its pro day on Friday, and there were numerous big NFL names at Al Glick Fieldhouse to check it out:

• Bears defensive backs coach Ed Donatell
• Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis
• Dolphins executive vice president Mike Tannenbaum
• Jets head coach Todd Bowles
• Lions head coach Jim Caldwell and general manager Bob Quinn
• Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia
• Ravens head coach John Harbaugh
• Saints head coach Sean Payton
• Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin
• Texans defensive line coach Anthony Weaver
• Titans head coach Mike Mularkey and head coach Jon Robinson

In total, there were reportedly going to be representatives from all 32 teams at the pro day.

Here are some notable performances from Michigan’s players:

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Kingston Davis, Ex-Wolverine

Rising sophomore running back Kingston Davis is transferring, according to Sam Webb.

Davis committed to Michigan in April of 2015 (LINK). I initially gave him a TTB Rating of 80 before dropping that down to 70 once the recruiting cycle ended (LINK). I came to view him more and more as a fullback, despite his and his father’s insistence that he wanted to play tailback and tailback only. That’s fine if that’s your goal, but it’s tough to be a dynamic tailback at 6’1″ and 245 lbs. Davis dealt with some injury issues after enrolling early at Michigan in January of 2016 and played just a bit, carrying 2 times for 17 yards against Hawaii in the season opener.

Davis was looking up at Chris Evans, Karan Higdon, Kareem Walker, and Ty Isaac, not to mention potential sixth year senior Drake Johnson. Therefore, I don’t think this affects Michigan very much on the field. He was bound to be a backup tailback, and I suggested once again this morning (LINK) – before the news broke – that Michigan should consider moving him to fullback to back up the two co-starting seniors at the position.

Michigan is now down to 86 scholarships allotted for the 2017 season, so they have to shed at least one player before fall camp. I expect some more news of departures soon, which will get Michigan under the 85 cap.