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2019 Season Countdown: #38 Chris Hinton, Jr.

Name: Chris Hinton, Jr.
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 285 lbs.
High school: Norcross (GA) Greater Atlanta Christian
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #74
Last year: Hinton was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 49 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks.
TTB Rating: 90

Welcome to the part of the countdown that gets into the guys Michigan really needs to be successful in 2019. From the start of the countdown until yesterday, I think the players I listed were important but not critical to Michigan’s team performance.

Hinton is the countdown’s highest ranked freshman defender. The Wolverines lost three defensive tackles from last year, and despite a flirtation with Rice grad transfer Zach Abercrumbia (who has ended up at SMU, by the way), no reinforcements were imported from other programs. Of the two true tackles in the 2019 class (Hinton and Mazi Smith), one almost has to be in the two-deep, and I project that to be Hinton. I believe Michigan has three solid players with Carlo Kemp, Donovan Jeter, and Michael Dwumfour, but Jeter missed 2018 due to injury and Dwumfour is constantly nursing nagging issues.

Smith enrolled early and has lost 25-30 pounds. Hinton arrived on campus in June, and his body composition is as yet unknown. He lit it up at the All-American Bowl playing defensive tackle – not strongside end, like some thought early on – and needs to be ready to play this fall. Listed at 285 pounds, my hope is that he has reshaped his body some, added some muscle, and maybe even put on some weight overall. There were times during his senior year where he was loafing (SENIOR HIGHLIGHTS); whether that was because he was worn out from playing too many snaps, I don’t know. Whatever the reason, the Wolverines need him to eat up some of the snaps on the interior defensive line in 2019.

Prediction: Backup defensive tackle

R.J. Moten, Wolverine

Delran (NJ) Delran safety R.J. Moten committed to Michigan on Saturday morning. I saved myself some time – and gave you some extra info – in my scouting report on him, which I posted this morning (LINK).

Moten has long been considered a Michigan lean, and he scheduled his commitment for when he was going to be in town for the BBQ at the Big House (LINK).

Hit the jump for more.

Scouting Report: R.J. Moten

I started this scouting report on a beach vacation and (surprise!) didn’t finish it. But with Moten committing later today, it’s now or never.

Name: R.J. Moten
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 200 lbs.
High school: Delran (NJ) Delran
Position: Running back/safety
Class: 2020

Notes: Offers from Boston College, Buffalo, Duke, Kent State, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pitt, Purdue, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple, Tulane, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Wisconsin…Plans to announce commitment on July 27, 2019…Claims a 4.61 forty, 4.31 shuttle, 40.9″ vertical…Son of Ron Moten, who played linebacker for Florida and the Philadelphia Eagles…ESPN 4-star, 81 grade, #16 S, #247 overall…Rivals 3-star ATH, 5.5 grade…247 Sports 4-star, 94 grade, #6 S, #93 overall

Stats: As a junior in 2018, Moten rushed 149 times for 1,305 yards (8.8 yards/carry) and 16 touchdowns. He caught 16 passes for 298 yards (18.6 yards/catch) and 4 touchdowns. And he even completed 6/13 passes for 157 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Defensively, he made 44 tackles and 5 interceptions.

Hit the jump for the rest of the scouting report.

2019 Season Countdown: #39 Luiji Vilain

Name: Luiji Vilain
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 255 lbs.
High school: Alexandria (VA) Episcopal
Position: Defensive end
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #18
Last year: I ranked Vilain #56 and said he would be a backup weakside end (LINK). He did not play.
TTB Rating: 90

In some ways Vilain has been one of the most frustrating signees in the 2017 class – right up there with Tarik Black. Why? Because neither one can stay on the field. Or in Vilain’s case, he can’t get on the field, period. In 2017 he had a couple nagging injuries that kept the Wolverines from burning his redshirt. No big deal. In 2018 he had an injury that kept him off the field. With Chase Winovich, Rashan Gary, Kwity Paye, Josh Uche, no big deal.

If Michigan can’t get something out of Vilain in 2019, it’s potentially a big deal. Uche is a proven pass rusher and Paye has shown flashes, but nobody has shown the ability to put consistent pressure on the quarterback like Winovich did. I don’t expect Vilain to replicate Winovich’s production right off the bat in 2019, but Michigan needs to develop that next elite pass rusher, whether it’s Vilain or someone else. The arrival of Mike Danna from Central Michigan might alleviate some of the pressure on Vilain, but Danna is a one-year rental, while Vilain needs to get experience for 2020 and beyond. Vilain should be a sub-package guy like Paye has been the past two seasons.

Prediction: Backup weakside end

Morning Roundup: July 26, 2019

Trey Burke signed a one-year contract to play for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Middle Tennessee State is still looking for its starting quarterback (LINK).

Andrew Kahn gives a mini-preview of Army (LINK).

A few updates on pre-season watch lists and such:

• Will Hart is on the Ray Guy watch list for the country’s best punter
• Donovan Peoples-Jones is on the Paul Hornung Award watch list for being the nation’s most versatile player
• Michigan transfer Ryan Tice (CMU) is on the Lou Groza watch list for the nation’s best kicker

Hit the jump for more.