Posts under: Blog

2023 Season Countdown: #97 Jerome Nichols

Name: Jerome Nichols
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 216 lbs.
High school: Detroit (MI) Renaissance
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #50
Last year: I ranked Nichols #100 and said he would be a backup linebacker (LINK). He played in two games.
TTB Rating: N/A

Michigan has a lot of backups but not a lot of proven players at inside linebacker. Last year there was an opportunity for a backup linebacker to work his way into the rotation, but that turned out to be true freshman Jimmy Rolder. Nichols did start to work his way onto the field on special teams in a couple of blowout games against Hawaii and UConn, but after mid-September, he was back to watching from the sideline on Saturdays.

I expect more of the same in 2023. While Nikhai Hill-Green’s departure for Charlotte opens up some room on the depth chart, Hill-Green didn’t play at all last year due to injury. Meanwhile, Junior Colson and Michael Barrett both return, not to mention Rolder and Nebraska transfer Ernest Hausmann. I don’t see a path to defensive snaps for Nichols, but he could once again earn some special teams opportunities.

Prediction: Backup linebacker and special teamer

2023 Season Countdown: #98 Roderick Pierce

Name: Roderick Pierce
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 290 lbs.
High school: Oak Lawn (IL) Brother Rice
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Pierce was a senior in high school (LINK).
TTB Rating: 79

Pierce is a good prospect who happens to play a position that is very difficult to play as a true freshman. There are occasionally players like Mason Graham who fit in just fine as true freshmen, but more often, even upper tier prospects end up like Kenneth Grant. Grant was a 6’4″, 335 lb. monster coming out of high school and he played very little in 2022.

Pierce is starting off smaller – which should help with adjusting to the conditioning aspect of college football – but he will probably need to add weight and strength in order to get on the field. Michigan also has a solid group of returning players, including Graham, Grant, Kris Jenkins, and Rayshaun Benny, not to mention some unproven young guys Pierce will have to battle in order to even be third- or fourth-string.

Prediction: Redshirt

Visitors: June 23-25, 2023

2024

Gatlin Bair – WR – Burley (ID) Burley: Bair is a 6’2″, 180-pounder with offers from Michigan, Oregon, and TCU, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #10 wide receiver, and #44 overall. As a junior in 2022, he caught 73 passes for 1,073 yards and 18 touchdowns. Because he plans to go on a mission after high school, he will not plan to enroll until 2026, so this is a recruitment for the long-term. In other words, by the time he would enroll at Michigan, Jadyn Davis would be a junior. This is an official visit for Bair, whose coach was Colston Loveland’s high school coach.

Michai Boireau – DT – Hampton (GA) Creekside: Boireau is a 6’5″, 390 lb. prospect with offers from Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Tennessee, and Texas, among others. He’s a 3-star, the #97 defensive lineman, and #998 overall. This is an official visit. UPDATE: Boireau canceled his official visit plans and committed to Florida.

Blake Frazier – OT – Austin (TX) Vandegrift: Frazier is committed to Michigan (LINK).

Jameer Grimsley – WR – Tampa (FL) Catholic: Grimsley is a 6’3″, 185-pounder with offers from Alabama, Florida State, Michigan, North Carolina, Penn State, and others. He’s a 4-star, the #18 cornerback, and #231 overall. This is an official visit, and he has officials scheduled to all the aforementioned schools.

Hit the jump for more.

Devon Baxter, Wolverine

Brandywine (MD) Gwynn Park defensive end Devon Baxter committed to Michigan on Monday evening. He picked the Wolverines over offers from Maryland, Penn State, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech, among others.

Baxter is a 6’6″, 235 lb. prospect. As a junior in 2022, he made 48 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks. He also caught 12 passes for 181 yards and 4 touchdowns.

RANKINGS
ESPN: Unranked
On3: 4-star, 90 grade, #27 EDGE
Rivals: 3-star, 5.7 grade, #38 SDE
247 Sports: 3-star, 88 grade, #41 EDGE

Hit the jump for more.

2023 Season Countdown: #100 Hayden Moore

Name: Hayden Moore
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 205 lbs.
High school: Parker (CO) Regis Jesuit
Position: Linebacker
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Moore was a senior in high school. He made 197 tackles, 7 sacks, 1 interception, and 1 forced fumble.
TTB Rating: N/A

Moore was committed to Nebraska for several months in the 2023 cycle, pledging in June of 2022 and then staying committed until mid-December. However, an offer came from Michigan and an official visit in December sealed the deal, resulting in a pledge to the Wolverines and signing in December. It was a bit of a head-scratcher for Michigan, coming off of a Big Ten championship and “reaching” for the #1164 overall player in the country, according to the 247 Composite.

That being said, Moore is a good athlete who seems undervalued at that ranking. While I do not see him as a high-level athlete, I wouldn’t bat an eyelash if he was ranked in the 500s or 600s. He has good size, decent speed, and a reputation as a tackling machine – his 197 tackles led the state of Colorado in 2022. I’m not quite sure where he fits at Michigan. I don’t think he has the bend – he plays a little high – to be an edge rusher, and I don’t see the athleticism to run sideline-to-sideline as an inside linebacker. In other words, I don’t see him being a major factor on a team with the ability to recruit elite athletes, but he could be a guy who goes somewhere like Boston College or, ahem, Nebraska, and finds a good amount of success. He can play in the Big Ten. Can he play at Michigan? Time will tell.

As for the 2023 season, Moore is a little light and needs some development, coming from playing the SAM linebacker spot in a 3-3 stack defense. I think he’s likely to redshirt, but special teams play could be in consideration, and even some late-season developmental time might be in order.

Prediction: Redshirt