Latest posts

2023 Season Countdown: #16b Josh Wallace

Name: Josh Wallace
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 190 lbs.
High school: Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha
Position: Cornerback
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #12
Last year: Wallace played at UMass. He made 41 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 10 pass breakups, and 1 fumble recovery.
TTB Rating: N/A

Wallace is a three-time team captain at UMass. Last year he started every game and made 2 interceptions, along with 41 tackles and 10 total pass breakups. A lightly regarded prospect – as most UMass signees are – coming out of high school in 2019, Wallace developed into a starter early in his career. Even though he played all four previous seasons, he had a chance to use his COVID exemption to spend a fifth year either creating more college football memories or making a claim to get a shot in the NFL. Michigan needed cornerback help after losing D.J. Turner II and Gemon Green, so it was a good fit.

My guess is that Wallace will end up starting opposite Will Johnson at cornerback. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter called him a “pro” but I got the sense that he meant that more as a compliment to his work ethic and preparation than his physical skills, which are moderate. He has okay size at 6’0″ and 190 pounds, but he’s not very swift or quick, which I think is going to be his downfall when trying to succeed in the NFL. I think his toughness and attitude will make him a solid enough player in 2023 to hold off the likes of Amorion Walker and Ja’Den McBurrows for the most part, but they should all get a chance to play. Even if Walker and McBurrows have opportunities, I think it will be helpful to have Wallace as a steady veteran to play or fill in if some of the inexperience shows up.

Prediction: Starting cornerback; 30 tackles, 1 interception

2023 Season Countdown: #17 Braiden McGregor

Name: Braiden McGregor
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 267 lbs.
High school: Port Huron (MI) Northern
Position: Defensive end
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #17
Last year: I ranked McGregor #41 and said he would be a backup defensive end (LINK). He made 16 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and 2 pass breakups.
TTB Rating: 87

McGregor has had a rough go of it for the past few years. He tore up his knee as a senior in high school, sat out the 2020 season, and then just didn’t look like himself in 2021. He looked physically underdeveloped in the lower body and just didn’t have the speed or athleticism that he showed earlier in high school.

But in 2022 he seemed to get some of his mojo back. While he didn’t put up astounding numbers as a backup, he did make some nice plays and rack up 2.5 sacks. He also batted down 2 balls against Ohio State. It’s tough to call that kind of performance a true breakout, but it was a mini-breakout season for the Port Huron native.

The 2023 season should be another step forward for McGregor. He has a good chance to start at defensive end, the position Mike Morris and Aidan Hutchinson played before him. Both of those guys had standout seasons, and McGregor is somewhere between the two of them as an athlete – more athletic than Morris, less athletic than Hutchinson, and probably a little less powerful than both. He’s actually very close to Hutchinson’s size (McGregor is listed at the same height and just two pounds heavier than Hutchinson was as a senior), and my comparison when he came out of high school was Hutchinson.

I don’t think McGregor has the same motor as Hutchinson – nor the array of moves – so I would be extremely surprised if he becomes the same sensation. But I do expect a breakout year for him. I would not be surprised if he approaches double digit sacks and looks like a first team all-conference player.

Prediction: Starting defensive end; 40 tackles, 9 sacks

2023 Season Countdown: #18 Kenneth Grant

Name: Kenneth Grant
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 339 lbs.
High school: Merrillville (IN) Merrillville
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #78
Last year: I ranked Grant #87 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He made 8 tackles.
TTB Rating: 85

Instead of redshirting – as your author predicted – Grant played in all fourteen games last year. I thought he would take at least one year to get in shape, but the coaching staff decided to try to play him into shape, even though he was playing at nearly 360 pounds. Things went okay. Freshman defensive tackles rarely turn into immediate stars . . .

. . . unless his name is Mason Graham.

But I digress.

Anyway, Grant didn’t even have much of a chance to make a huge impact, because first round draft pick Mazi Smith was starting at nose tackle. That didn’t stop Jim Harbaugh from referring to Grant as “a gift from the football gods.”

So here we are in 2023, and it’s time for Michigan fans to open our present. A second-year player who was #87 last year jumping all the way to #18 might seem a bit odd – especially when he might be a backup to Mason Graham – but I think the nose tackle position could be a huge factor. When Smith was still around, Michigan had a 360 lb. nose tackle as the third guy and a former starter at UCF as the fourth guy. Now it’s Graham, Grant, Cam Goode, and then freshmen. I’m not so sure that Goode can hold up in the Big Ten, so if Graham and/or Grant were to go down, I think Michigan might struggle against the good running teams on the schedule, such as Penn State and perhaps an unnamed SEC team that could be a College Football Playoff opponent if Michigan is lucky enough to get that far. Michigan needs to be healthy up front if they have championship aspirations, and Grant could be a big part of reaching that goal.

Prediction: Backup nose tackle

2023 Season Countdown: #19 Makari Paige

Name: Makari Paige
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 208 lbs.
High school: West Bloomfield (MI) West Bloomfield
Position: Safety
Class: Senior
Jersey number: #7
Last year: I ranked Paige #38 and said he would be a backup safety and special teamer (LINK). He started five games and made 41 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, 3 pass breakups, and 1 quarterback hurry.
TTB Rating: 79

Paige had an uphill climb to play safety last year. Not only was fellow safety Rod Moore a fixture in the starting lineup, but R.J. Moten also had played significant time and began the year as Michigan’s strong safety. Paige played quite a bit in 2020, but he disappeared a little bit in 2021.

But that uphill climb? Paige climbed it. He started five of the games down the stretch, including against Purdue in the Big Ten championship game. Perhaps his most noteworthy play was the tipped, juggling interception he notched against Ohio State in the waning moments of last season’s 45-23 win. Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud tried to float the ball in to a fairly well covered tight end in Cade Stover, and Stover’s leaping attempt tipped the ball in the air, leaving it to be corralled by Paige. It snuffed out any hopes Ohio State had of coming back against the Wolverines.

This year Moten saw the writing on the wall and transferred to Florida, even though it looks like he’ll be a backup this year for the Gators. That leaves Moore and Paige as the seemingly unquestioned leaders to start at safety, with guys like Quinten Johnson, Zeke Berry, and Keon Sabb backing them up. Johnson is experienced and both Berry and Sabb come with some excitement about their athleticism, so it’s a fairly solid situation for the Wolverines. Paige added about eight pounds in the off-season and should be ready to be a little more physical, even though physicality has never really been a problem. He should have a good season and could get drafted after the year if he chooses to leave.

Prediction: Starting strong safety; 60 tackles, 1 interception

2023 Season Countdown: #20a Tommy Doman

Name: Tommy Doman
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 215 lbs.
High school: Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s
Position: Kicker/Punter
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #19
Last year: I ranked Doman #44 and said he would be a backup kicker/punter (LINK). He was 2/2 on extra points and punted 1 time for 41 yards.
TTB Rating: N/A

Michigan has mostly been very good on special teams since Jim Harbaugh was hired in 2015.

Going into the 2023 season, there are more questions on special teams than in any other year.

Jake Moody and Brad Robbins were selected by the 49ers and the Bengals, respectively, and returner A.J. Henning transferred to Northwestern. That leaves the unproven Doman, freshman Adam Samaha, Louisville transfer James Turner, and redshirt freshman transfer Hudson Hollenbeck to duke it out for kicking duties.

Doman was a highly valued kicking prospect coming out of high school, but he hasn’t had much of a shot to show his stuff at the college level. He kicked a couple extra points during blowouts last year, and he punted once, too. The hope is that he can step up rather seamlessly, but Moody and Robbins were both pretty dang good, which is why they both got drafted. My feel is that Doman will end up serving as the punter, and perhaps Hollenbeck can push him a little bit. Doman averaged 44.8 yards per punt as a high school senior, but sometimes those averages are fortified by high school punt returners who are too afraid to touch the ball, so they just let it bounce and roll. If he can replicate that number as a redshirt sophomore in 2023, Michigan should be in decent shape.

Prediction: Starting punter