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2010 Countdown: #13 Darryl Stonum

Name: Darryl Stonum
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 195 lbs.
High school: Dulles High School in Stafford, TX
Position: Wide receiver/kick returner
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #22
Last year: I ranked Stonum #21 and called him an inconsistent deep threat. He caught 13 passes for 199 yards and 1 touchdown. He also returned 39 kickoffs for 1,001 yards (both are school records) and 1 touchdown.

Stonum has been one of the more frustrating components of Michigan’s team over the past year or so. He committed to Lloyd Carr’s Wolverines and then enrolled early in January 2008 for spring practices run by Rich Rodriguez. At the time of his entry to the University of Michigan, it was assumed that he would be Michigan’s next great deep threat due to his excellent speed and acceleration. However, he suffered from a case of the Dropsies at times, and he doesn’t always run his routes with maximum effort. Furthermore, his quarterbacks for the past two seasons have been less than stellar, a phrase that could also be used to describe his decision-making – Stonum received a DUI as a Wolverine, too.

Now it’s 2010 and Stonum is an upperclassman. While he was an elite kick returner in 2009, his receiving stats weren’t anything to write home about. He averaged just over one catch per game, although in fairness, those passes were being thrown by true freshmen. The deep passing game has been somewhat de-emphasized, whether by scheme or necessity. Therefore, most of the passes we’re seeing are hitches, slants, or bubble screens, not deep posts, fly patterns, etc. Stonum has the talent to make plays on deep balls and run away from defenders, but the opportunities have been few and far between. But the 2010 season will see the use of quarterbacks who have actually taken college snaps before, whether that QB is Denard Robinson or Tate Forcier. This should improve Stonum’s stats, although the quarterbacks have grown to love targeting slot receiver/wideout Roy Roundtree. Roundtree might lead the team in receptions and receiving yards, but Stonum’s ability to get deep as well as return kickoffs makes him one of the most important members of the 2010 squad.

Prediction for 2010: Starting wide receiver and kick returner; 35 receptions, 525 yards, 3 touchdowns

The leading vote-getter for #13 on the list was Cameron Gordon with 25% of the votes. Stonum finished second with 18%.

I am Excited

2010 Countdown: #14 Obi Ezeh

Name: Obi Ezeh
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 250 lbs.
High school: Catholic Central High School in Grand Rapids, MI
Position: Middle linebacker
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #45
Last year: I ranked Ezeh #4. He had 69 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 2 pass breakups, and 1 fumble recovery.

After promising redshirt freshman and sophomore seasons, Ezeh’s play fell precipitously last year. He went from 12 starts and 98 tackles in 2008 to only 9 starts and 69 tackles in 2009. One mitigating factor is that Ezeh let a back injury go undisclosed for the 2009 season. The extent to which his back injury negatively affected his play is impossible to determine, but it’s something to consider when looking at how Ezeh failed to progress as a fourth-year player. Regardless, his play recognition seems to leave something lacking. Too often running lanes opened up in front of him, and he failed to plug the hole over and over again. Instead he waits for the ball carrier to get to him and doesn’t use his hands to shed seemingly weak blocks.

Perhaps I’m overestimating Ezeh’s importance to the team yet again in 2010, but I’m hoping that the departure of linebacker coach Jay Hopson will allow Ezeh (and Jonas Mouton) to improve. Hopson seemed to be a drag on the development of the linebackers, and defensive coordinator Greg Robinson has taken over the role of coaching the position. The defense will be relatively young with a projected 4 seniors, 2 juniors, 3 sophomores, and 2 freshmen (EDIT: The Woolfolk injury changes this to 3 seniors, 2 juniors, 3 sophomores, and 3 freshmen) starting this fall. If Ezeh gives way to Kenny Demens, a redshirt sophomore, the team will get younger and more inexperienced. Furthermore, despite his shortcomings on the field last year, Ezeh seems to be a leader in the clubhouse and is well spoken when addressing the media. He reportedly took his demotion with dignity last year when former walk-on Kevin Leach started in his place. Ezeh is fighting off a push from Demens and part-time fullback Mark Moundros for the starting MLB position, but on September 4th, I hope and believe that Ezeh will be on the field once again.

Prediction for 2010: Starting middle linebacker; 85 tackles

Just 30% of voters chose Ezeh to be at #14. Cameron Gordon and J.T. Floyd tied for second with 12% of the vote each.

2010 Countdown: #15 Will Hagerup

Name: Will Hagerup
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 210 lbs.
High school: Whitefish Bay High School in Milwaukee, WI
Position: Punter
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #43
Prediction for 2010: Punter

Hagerup was the #3 kicker in the country according to Rivals and played in the Army All-American Game back in January. He steps into a good situation for a freshman punter. Michigan’s most beloved punter, Zoltan Mesko, graduated to the New England Patriots and there are zero other punters on the roster. It was an ideal situation for a freshman looking to play immediately, and Hagerup was the only specialist that Michigan offered in the entire class. Luckily for the Wolverines, their one offer at the position was accepted.

The importance of the punter position is underrated by many football fans, especially when it comes to consistency. Mesko improved throughout his five years at Michigan, averaging just over 41 yards per punt in his redshirt freshman and redshirt sophomore years before improving to 44.5 yards on average as a senior. More importantly, though, his kicks were often booted high in the sky, allowing coverage teams to converge on the returner. And perhaps even more importantly, Mesko rarely suffered through shanked punts.

Mesko was the first punter/kicker selected in the 2010 NFL Draft, so it’s unlikely to expect the same kind of success for Hagerup. And as mentioned above, Mesko had the freedom to redshirt as a freshman. That’s not the case with Hagerup, whose competition for the job is virtually nil. It’s his job to lose, and he has reportedly looked good thus far in fall camp. With a new placekicker and a new punter – both of whom will likely be freshmen – Michigan’s special teams will probably be shaky in 2010, but Hagerup should provide a small iota of stability in comparison.

2010 Countdown: #16 Martavious Odoms

Name: Martavious Odoms
Height: 5’8″
Weight: 175 lbs.
High school: Pahokee High School in Pahokee, FL
Position: Slot receiver/wide receiver
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #9
Last year: I ranked Odoms #13 and said he’s not a gamebreaker, but always a threat. He caught 22 passes for 272 yards and 1 touchdown; had 1 rush for 13 yards and 1 touchdown; and returned 6 punts for 54 yards.

When I think of the beginning of the Rich Rodriguez Era at Michigan, I think of Odoms. Even though Odoms wasn’t the only player Rodriguez added to the Class of 2008 when he took over, he was the most successful and at times the most frustrating. He had an up-and-down freshman season in ’08, where he led the team in receptions but also had fumbling problems and muffed several punts and kickoffs. Of course, normal teams would have had enough depth to put an upperclassman in his spot, but Rodriguez’s other option was the misplaced and disgruntled Toney Clemons. Last season Odoms was involved a little less in the offense due to the emergence of Kelvin Grady and Roy Roundtree, who combined for 43 catches. However, he had the game-winning touchdown reception against Indiana and did the following, which endeared him to many Michigan fans:

Broken play? Not a problem. Here, let me go run full-speed into the middle linebacker, get knocked down, then get up and chase down the play to try to block someone else!

Adding to the awesomeness, Odoms was fast enough to nearly catch Denard Robinson from behind after getting knocked down – he reportedly beat Robinson in the spring’s Fastest Man Competition. I guess that’s why the University of Miami (FL) tried to give him a track scholarship out of high school.

Anyway, Odoms is a great glue player. He’s not a superstar, but he’s versatile and gives a superb effort. He won’t juke many defenders out of their shoes, but he will try to accelerate through tacklers and split defenders who might misjudge his speed. I’ll take a kid like that any day of the week. However, fellow slot receiver Roy Roundtree emerged toward the end of the season to lead the team in receptions, racking up 30 in the last four games. I expect to see a lot of four-wide sets with Junior Hemingway, Darryl Stonum, Roundtree, and Odoms this fall. That gives the team a good possession receiver (Hemingway), a deep threat on the outside (Stonum), a guy who can get open over the middle of the field and get deep (Roundtree), and a good bubble screen guy (Odoms). There are also rumors that Roundtree and Odoms will see time at wide receiver, not just in the slot. If the quarterback play is consistent, Michigan’s receiving corps should be a bright spot in the 2010 season.

Prediction for 2010: Starting slot receiver; 35 receptions, 420 yards, 2 touchdowns