Posts under: Blog

2018 Season Countdown: #14 Zach Gentry

Zach Gentry (image via 247 Sports)

Name: Zach Gentry
Height: 6’8″
Weight: 262 lbs.
High school: Albuquerque (NM) Eldorado
Position: Tight end
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #83
Last year: I ranked Gentry #50 and said he would be a backup tight end (LINK). He caught 17 passes for 303 yards (17.8 yards/catch) and 2 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 84

Based on the 2016 season, it looked like Ian Bunting would be the starting tight end after Jake Butt graduated. Somehow Bunting worked his way down the depth chart while Gentry and Sean McKeon moved up. Gentry had flashed in the spring game, and he picked up where he left off by averaging 17.8 yards per catch. Four of his 17 catches went for 30+ yards. He’s 6’8″ and can run very well for someone his size. He’s a complete mismatch for defenses, and in my opinion, he could be another Mackey Award winner in the making.

One thing standing in the way of his earning the Mackey Award is McKeon. McKeon had almost twice as many receptions, even though he was less productive with those catches. And although McKeon is thought to be the more well rounded of the two, Gentry is a playmaking threat that teams have to account for on every play. It’s not often you can find a tight end who can get you 18 yards per catch. Gentry can be a big-play guy and a red zone threat, and he also improved his blocking. I also believe he can be effective on RPOs if Michigan decides to go that direction with quarterback Shea Patterson. I think this could be a breakout year for Gentry, and maybe it will be good enough for him to leave early for the NFL.

Prediction: Part-time starting tight end; 25 catches for 375 yards and 4 touchdowns

Tyrece Woods, Wolverine

Belleville (MI) Belleville DE Tyrece Woods (image via Rivals)

Belleville (MI) Belleville defensive end Tyrece Woods committed to Michigan on Sunday night. He actually has yet to play a down at Belleville, but he transferred there from Detroit (MI) Martin Luther King, Jr. following his junior year. Woods picked the Wolverines over offers from Air Force, Cincinnati, Fresno State, and a bunch of MAC programs.

Woods is listed at 6’2″ and anywhere from 240 to 255 lbs. He claims a 4.78 forty, a 315 lb. bench press, a 365 lb. squat, and a 405 lb. deadlift.

RATINGS
ESPN: 3-star, 74 grade, #133 DE
Rivals: 3-star OLB
247 Sports:

Hit the jump for more on Woods’s commitment.

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2018 Season Countdown: #15 Chris Evans

Chris Evans (image via Michigan Daily)

Name: Chris Evans
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 216 lbs.
High school: Indianapolis (IN) Ben Davis
Position: Running back
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #12
Last year: I ranked Evans #11 and said he would be the starting running back with 110 carries for 600 yards and 6 touchdowns (LINK). He had 135 carries for 685 yards (5.1 YPC) and 6 touchdowns; he also caught 16 passes for 157 yards (9.8 yards/catch) and 1 touchdown.
TTB Rating: 68

Evans went into the 2017 season as the front-runner for the lead running back spot. In fact, confidence seemed to be so high that he was sitting out some reps in the spring because he was a known commodity. And he did indeed start the first game against Florida. He had 22 carries for 78 yards (3.5 YPC), but he was outshone by Ty Isaac; as a result, Evans never had more than 15 carries in any game for the rest of the season. Isaac and, more notably, Karan Higdon pushed past him with Higdon finishing the season with 994 yards. Isaac eventually fell by the wayside, but Evans would resurface with a 97-yard, 2-touchdown effort against Purdue and then a 191-yard, 2-touchdown game against Minnesota. Evans and Higdon would be Big Ten Co-Offensive Players of the Week against the Gophers. It was a decent year overall, but not quite what we expected when he was sitting out in the spring.

Now the shoe appears to be on the other foot for the Michigan football team. Higdon is the established guy, and Evans is the one fighting for respect. He has always had strong legs, but now Evans is 216 pounds. Reports leaking out of camp are that Evans is playing some in the slot to get him on the field with Higdon. He might not be the front-runner right now, but I rank him this highly because there are some serious question marks behind the top two running backs. Whereas Isaac and Kareem Walker were on the roster last year to provide a pretty imposing top four running backs, now it’s sophomore O’Maury Samuels, walk-on Tru Wilson, and freshmen.

Prediction: Backup running back; 120 carries for 650 yards and 5 touchdowns, plus 22 catches for 220 yards and 2 touchdowns

Recruiting Update: August 13, 2018

Harbor City (CA) Narbonne OT Jonah Tauanu’u (image via Daily Breeze)

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COMMITMENT

Belleville (MI) Belleville defensive end Tyrece Woods committed to Michigan.

OFF THE BOARD

Darrian Dalcourt – OG – Baltimore (MD) St. Frances: Dalcourt committed to Alabama. He’s a 4-star, the #14 offensive guard, and #327 overall. St. Frances is the home of former Michigan staffer Biff Poggi, but that relationship has yet to pay off with any commitments other than Henry Poggi when both Poggis were at Gilman.

Barrett Miller – OT – Aurora (CO) Eaglecrest: Miller committed to Stanford. He’s a 3-star, the #47 offensive tackle, and #516 overall.

Jonah Tauanu’u – OT – Harbor City (CA) Narbonne: Tauanu’u committed to Oregon. He’s a 4-star, the #11 offensive tackle, and #60 overall.

MISCELLANEY

Columbus (OH) St. Francis DeSales defensive tackle Rodas Johnson named Michigan to his top six. He’s a 4-star, the #19 defensive tackle, and #298 overall.

Soon is now, it’s truly a blessing!?????? pic.twitter.com/DDrm12r0HZ

— Rodas Johnson (@onlyrodas10) August 7, 2018

2018 Season Countdown: #16 Michael Dwumfour

Michael Dwumfour (image via Miller Sports Time)

Name: Michael Dwumfour
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 285 lbs.
High school: Wayne (NJ) DePaul
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #50
Last year: I ranked Dwumfour #23 and said he would be a backup defensive tackle (LINK). He made 4 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 0.5 sacks.
TTB Rating: 69

Dwumfour battled shoulder problems going into the 2017 season, and he did not earn a heavy rotation spot throughout the year. He played in nine games and made 4 tackles. Maurice Hurst, Jr. ate up a ton of snaps early in the season at nose tackle, and the Wolverines have good defensive linemen every year. I ranked Dwumfour #23 based on off-season hype and uncertain depth on the interior.

It’s the same story this year. For the second year in a row, we have heard Dwumfour described as another Hurst. Hurst himself didn’t really flash truly impressive play until his redshirt sophomore year, and that’s where Dwumfour is now. This ranking is based entirely on hype. If Dwumfour is a Hurst clone, he probably deserves to be ranked higher. But we haven’t seen anything in his limited time on the field to indicate he has truly achieved that level of elite play. The hope is that Dwumfour can be a star, because the other interior linemen – Aubrey Solomon, Bryan Mone, Donovan Jeter, Carlo Kemp, Lawrence Marshall, etc. – have not shown star power yet, either. It’s a talented group overall, but somewhat unproven.

Prediction: Starting defensive tackle