Posts under: Blog

2019 Season Countdown: #27 Ronnie Bell

Thanks to Clay and Stephan for the generous Paypal donations over the weekend!

Name: Ronnie Bell
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 184 lbs.
High school: Kansas City (MO) Park Hill
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #8
Last year: I ranked Bell #95 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He had 8 catches for 145 yards and 2 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 71

For those of you longing for the return of Steve Breaston, I think you may have found a reasonable facsimile in Ronnie Bell. Bell is a slightly built, slippery slot receiver who has the ability to break away without ever really looking like a blazing runner. Bell played early and often as a true freshman, and he figured into the team’s plans in many ways. He caught the ball (8 catches for 145 yards and 2 TD), ran the ball (5 carries for -2 yards), returned punts (2 returns for 7 yards), and returned kickoffs (2 returns for 53 yards). Not bad for a wide receiver who was a recruiting afterthought.

But not great, either. Bell got some jet sweeps despite not having great speed to really threaten the defense to the edge, and I think Michigan’s staff just wasn’t sure how to use him. They wanted some Eddie McDoom or Jehu Chesson jet sweep magic, but Bell just doesn’t quite have that explosion. I think Josh Gattis will have a better idea of how to use Bell, and it also helps that Bell will have spent another year in the weight program. With a guy like him who has a natural ability and willingness to shake off tacklers, a little bit of extra strength should benefit him.

It’s a mighty large jump to go from #95 to #27 in one year. Part of that is because of the promise Bell showed, but it also represents Michigan’s slightly shaky wide receiver situation. I had Bell ranked here even before Oliver Martin’s transfer, and a big reason is that Tarik Black just hasn’t shown that he can stay healthy. Even with the arrival of Mike Sainristil and other touted freshman receivers, having a guy who spent the spring in the system (unlike Cornelius Johnson, George Johnson III, and Giles Jackson) should help him plug in various places if necessary. For now I expect Bell to be a backup in the slot, but he can help in so many ways that a top-30 ranking seems right.

Prediction: Backup slot receiver/punt returner/kickoff returner

Nightly Roundup: August 4, 2019

How is Washington so loud when the PAC-12 doesn’t care about football?

Loudest erupted stadiums: By Decibel

1. Washington- 133.6
2. Clemson- 132.8
3. LSU- 130
4. Oregon- 127
5. Virginia Tech- 126.2
6. Penn State- 122
7. Texas A&M- 117
8. Florida- 115.5
9. Tennessee- 114
10. Michigan- 110

— CFB Hype (@CFB_Hype) August 3, 2019

Frank Clark (@TheRealFrankC_) gives up 50 lbs to Bulaga & still walks him back for the sack using the hesi/bull with a long arm finish! #PassRush pic.twitter.com/dmk9cn00lg

— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) August 4, 2019

Hit the jump for more.

2019 Season Countdown: #28 Mike Danna

Name: Mike Danna
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 257 lbs.
High school: Warren (MI) De La Salle
Position: Defensive end
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: I did not rank Danna, who was at Central Michigan. He made 66 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, 1 pass breakup, and 7 quarterback hurries.
TTB Rating: N/A

Danna had an outstanding 2018 season by many metrics. He was a Pro Football Focus All-American and all-conference player in the MAC, along with making 66 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and 9.5 sacks, which are Chase Winovich-like numbers.

The problem is that he was in the MAC.

Against three Power Five programs (Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State) in 2018, Danna made 12 tackles and 1 quarterback hurry. Against one FCS program (Maine), he made 7 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, and 2 quarterback hurries; against 4-8 Akron, he made 5 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks.

In three games against Power Five teams, he made 0% of his TFLs and 0% of his sacks.

In two games against bad teams, he made 60% of his TFLs and 63% of his sacks.

I believe Michigan fans should temper their expectations for Danna. While he will get superior coaching and a better supporting cast, he will also be facing better offensive tackles on a weekly basis, with no FCS opponents to pad his stats. Some have talked about his becoming the starter at weakside end, but I believe that job will go to junior Kwity Paye. I expect to see Danna come off the bench or enter the game on third downs, when Paye can move inside on obvious passing downs.

Prediction: Backup weakside end

2019 Season Countdown: #29 Andrew Stueber

Thanks to Michael for the generous Paypal donation this morning!

Name: Andrew Stueber
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 334 lbs.
High school: Darien (CT) Darien
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #71
Last year: I ranked Stueber #52 and said he would be a backup offensive tackle (LINK). He played in all thirteen games and started two at right tackle.
TTB Rating: 82

Stueber had a solid redshirt freshman season for a guy who didn’t get a ton of recruiting attention coming out of high school. He was mostly a special teams guy and backup. It’s easy to play special teams on the field goal unit when you weight 330 pounds or so. But he ascended to the starting right tackle job late in the year after Juwann Bushell-Beatty’s injury, and Michigan didn’t really seem to miss a beat. (Bushell-Beatty skipped the bowl game to prepare for the NFL, which didn’t help him much, but that’s a complaint for another time.)

Michigan is in a pretty good situation, in my opinion, if Stueber is the backup offensive tackle. Or even if he’s the starter. I liked what I saw out of him last year in the run game, and while his pass protection is a little shaky from a technique standpoint, he has the size and strength that will prevent him from getting bull rushed back into the quarterback. He might get beat by speed rushers, but those guys are usually on the offense’s left side. Right now I think Stueber will be the Wolverines’ starting right tackle, but overall, this is Michigan’s deepest and most talented offensive line since at least the early 2000s.

Prediction: Starting right tackle

Morning Roundup: August 3, 2019

Stewart Mandel badmouths Michigan some more (LINK).

Dan Brugler named Sean McKeon his #19 senior tight end and Nick Eubanks his #9 underclassman tight end, FWIW (LINK).

Denard Robinson is now an offensive analyst and special teams assistant at Jacksonville University (LINK).

Nicole Auerbach takes a look at declining NCAA football game attendance (LINK).

It shouldn't be a surprise that these teams are at the top of national polls and recruiting rankings… ? pic.twitter.com/LoBNtAOJpH

— 247Sports (@247Sports) August 2, 2019