Posts by: Thunder

2015 Season Countdown: #17 Ben Braden

Ben Braden

Name: Ben Braden
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 331 lbs.
High school: Rockford (MI) Rockford
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #71
Last year: I ranked Braden #27 and said he would be the starting right tackle. He started all twelve games at right tackle.

The tackle positions were giant question marks heading into last season. Michigan had lost Taylor Lewan and Michael Schofield to graduation and the NFL, and the backups at those positions were completely unproven. Braden, who had played in just two games in 2013, was one of them. Meanwhile, Erik Magnuson was the higher rated recruit and had played more in 2013. It seemed likely that Magnuson would start at one of the two tackle spots. Instead, Braden locked down the job on the right side while true freshman Mason Cole started all twelve games on the left. Michigan’s offensive line improved from terrible two seasons ago to mediocre last year.

The line as a whole needs to take another step forward, but so does Braden as an individual. A weakness in pass protection makes him a bit of a liability. However, he seems likely to start somewhere. Going into the season, he looks like a front-runner to start at one of the guard positions. Michigan had Magnuson starting at right tackle in the spring, and Braden had bumped over to left guard. Some early reports out of August practice have Braden playing some right guard. Either way, he and Kyle Kalis are manning those two spots. Braden has added 9 lbs. to his already massive frame, and he was reportedly torching the other linemen in sprints and conditioning in the spring. If he can hone his technique, he could be a very powerful interior presence for the next couple seasons.

Prediction: Starting right guard

Video: Greg Mattison talks defensive line adjustments

2015 Season Countdown: #18 Jehu Chesson

Jehu Chesson

Name: Jehu Chesson
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 207 lbs.
High school: St. Louis (MO) Ladue Horton Watkins
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #86
Last year: I ranked Chesson #39 and said he would be a backup receiver with 18 catches, 220 yards, and 2 touchdowns. He started four games and had 14 catches for 154 yards.

I have found Chesson to be intriguing since he started demolishing people in 2013, whether it was as a gunner on punts or as a blocker in the running game. Unfortunately, that prowess has not carried over to the receiving department, where has been just so-so. With a largely ineffective passing game last year, Chesson was the fourth-leading receiver. He started four games, but he never seemed to develop a chemistry with Devin Gardner and struggled in the catching department. His best performance from last season was 2 catches for 34 yards against Rutgers, and he has just one touchdown in his career (a  58-yarder against Michigan State in 2013).

Chesson was one of Michigan’s representatives at Big Ten Media Days, so he is looked at as a leader and responsible member of the team. He has packed on 12 lbs. since last season, and he can be counted on as a blocker and hard worker. But I have doubts about whether he can be a standout receiver because he hasn’t really even shown glimpses of that during the past two years on the field. Jim Harbaugh is going to run the ball a lot, especially with question marks at quarterback, but someone needs to step up soon at receiver. The smart [Monopoly] money is on classmate Amara Darboh, but Chesson will probably start on the other side and be given plenty of opportunities. There are some young guys with more natural receiving talent, but that won’t necessarily translate to on-field team success.

Prediction: Starting wide receiver; 25 catches, 320 yards, 2 touchdowns

2015 Season Countdown: #19 Joe Kerridge

Joe Kerridge

Name: Joe Kerridge
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 249 lbs.
High school: Traverse City (MI) St. Francis
Position: Fullback
Class: Redshirt senior
Jersey number: #36
Last year: I ranked Kerridge #47 and said he would be the backup fullback. He started at fullback and had 3 carries for 56 yards, plus 6 catches for 53 yards.

Kerridge had an exciting season in 2014. He had just one carry going into last year, but he busted a 52-yarder against Maryland. Granted, it was a fake punt that saw him burst through the line unmolested, but that’s a rare opportunity for a fullback. As the season wore on, he seemed to get more involved in the offense and average 8.8 yards/catch, which isn’t bad for a lead blocker. Going into the year, I had him pegged as a backup to Sione Houma, but that was not to be.

This year I have no such illusions about Houma beating out Kerridge. I do think Houma is a quicker and more elusive runner, but Kerridge is a bruiser who can lead up through the hole, catch the ball well, and run pretty decently (for a fullback, anyway). Houma’s case isn’t made any stronger by the fact that he had surgery in the spring that would keep him out until fall camp. There is certainly a role for a fullback in Michigan’s offense with Jim Harbaugh at the helm. It’s worth noting that Stanford fullback Owen Marecic had 31 carries for 61 yards and 9 touchdowns on the ground in 2009-2010. Michigan has a few good-sized tailbacks to slam the ball up inside near the goal line and on short yardage, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kerridge get a couple of those short touchdown runs.

Prediction: Starting fullback; 7 carries, 15 yards, 3 touchdowns

2015 Season Countdown: #20 James Ross III

James Ross (#15)

Name: James Ross III
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 232 lbs.
High school: Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s
Position: Linebacker
Class: Senior
Jersey number: #15
Last year: I ranked Ross #13 and said he would be the starting SAM with 90 tackles. He started seven games and made 32 tackles with 3 tackles for loss.

The deployment of Ross last year was one that left me scratching my head a little bit. Basically a full- or part-time starter since his freshman year in 2012, he still made seven starts last year but didn’t play much. Playing SAM linebacker in a 4-3 Over, he was pulled off the field pretty frequently in nickel situations. Because of that, he had the fewest tackles of his career and did not have even half a sack for the first time.

This year Ross has been practicing at two positions: SAM and WILL linebacker. The two inside linebacker positions seem to be pretty solidified with Joe Bolden and Desmond Morgan, but SAM is a position that has just one proven contributor in the form of Ross. On the one hand, that versatility should give him different chances to get on the field. On the other hand, the SAM linebacker will probably be pulled off the field when Michigan goes with three safeties for their nickel look. That will happen quite a bit again this season. I would like to rank Ross higher because of few options at SAM, but ultimately, there seem to be contingency plans that could include playing a safety down in the box.

Prediction: Starting SAM linebacker; 50 tackles, 2 sacks