Posts under: Blog

2023 Season Countdown: #106 Hunter Neff

Name: Hunter Neff
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 231 lbs.
High school: Chelsea (MI) Chelsea
Position: Tight end
Class: Redshirt senior
Jersey number: #80
Last year: I ranked Neff #117 and said he would be a backup tight end (LINK). He played in two games and caught 1 pass for 8 yards.
TTB Rating: N/A

Neff deserves some sort of award for stick-to-it-iveness. He joined the program as a walk-on in 2019, stuck through 2020, and stayed through 2021 without seeing the field. After three years of sitting and watching, he finally got on the field in a couple blowout games in 2022, even catching an 8-yard pass against Colorado State.

There probably won’t be a big leap in 2023, but Michigan did lose several tight ends in the off-season – four, to be exact. Neff doesn’t have the size to factor into the rotation much, but he could possibly move up slightly on the depth chart. A.J. Barner, Matt Hibner, and Colston Loveland seem to make up the top three, and then after that, things seem to be a little murky.

Prediction: Backup tight end

2024 Recruiting Update: May 29, 2023

CURRENT 2024 TEAM RECRUITING RANKING: #2

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2023 TRANSFER PORTAL

Michigan offered UMass grad transfer Josh Wallace, who’s a 6’1″, 190-pounder. Wallace was a 3-star and the #142 cornerback overall back in the class of 2019 when he came out of Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha. He made 41 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovery, and 8 pass breakups in 2022. Wallace is a two-time team captain and has started 34 games for the Minutemen.

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2024

Princeton (NJ) Hun School defensive tackle Owen Wafle (4-star, #41 DL, #405 overall) was offered by Michigan and decommitted from Notre Dame. Notre Dame has a policy like Brady Hoke used to have, where visiting other schools means you’re no longer considered a commitment. Wafle plans to visit Ann Arbor and therefore sacrificed his spot in Notre Dame’s class, so some crystal balls came in for Wafle to commit to the Wolverines.

OFF THE BOARD

Peculiar (MO) Raymore-Peculiar tight end Jaden Reddell (4-star, #3 TE, #55 overall) committed to Georgia.

2023 Season Countdown: #107 Danny Hughes

Name: Danny Hughes
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 205 lbs.
High school: Naperville (IL) Central
Position: Running back
Class: Redshirt senior
Jersey number: #24
Last year: I ranked Hughes #80 and said he would be a backup running back and special teamer (LINK). He played in seven games and had 6 carries for 35 yards.
TTB Rating: N/A

For the past two seasons, Hughes has been a big special teams contributor, playing in 20 games over that time span. Last season with a shallow running back depth chart, he managed to snag 6 carries for 35 yards across two blowout games (Hawaii and UConn).

This season I’m dropping Hughes down a hefty 27 spots for a couple reasons. First of all, Michigan returns a ton of players this season and did not lose much off the College Football Playoff team from a year ago. Second, Michigan returns everyone from the running back room and adds two freshmen, Cole Cabana and Benjamin Hall. There might be some garbage time carries to be handed out to walk-ons, but Michigan also needs to find out what it has in some of the younger backs like Hall, Cabana, and C.J. Stokes to see if they can take over the load in 2024 after both Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards could possibly be gone.

Prediction: Backup running back and special teamer

2023 Season Countdown: #108 Breeon Ishmail

Name: Breeon Ishmail
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 225 lbs.
High school: Hamilton (OH) Princeton
Position: Edge
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Ishmail was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 64 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, and 2 interceptions (1 returned for a TD).
TTB Rating: 71

Ishmail was one of the later commitments in the class of 2023, announcing his intention to play for Michigan in late November. A whirling dervish of a player, Ishmail did a little bit of everything for Princeton’s defense, playing middle linebacker, overhang defender, and edge rusher. They didn’t rush him as much as they could have, or else his sack totals should have been higher.

Ishmail has the length and closing speed to be a productive pass rusher, but he’s a little bit light right now and doesn’t have a whole lot of technique in his arsenal. Rated as a 3-star, the #91 linebacker, and #1107 overall in the 247 Composite, Michigan lists him as an EDGE, which I think is his best fit. He will need a couple seasons to pack on enough weight to hold up against kickout blocks, and then he’ll have a chance to see the field.

Prediction: Redshirt

2023 Season Countdown: #109 Nathan Efobi

Name: Nathan Efobi
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 295 lbs.
High school: Cumming (GA) South Forsyth
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Efobi was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 1 forced fumble on defense.
TTB Rating: 68

Efobi was a pretty big get for Michigan in the 2023 class, signing with the Wolverines over offers from Georgia, Miami, and Penn State, among others. He ended up as a 247 Composite 4-star, the #19 interior offensive lineman, and #345 overall. He committed in November and signed in December, and he will join the Wolverines this summer.

From an on-the-field perspective, I’m not sure how much Efobi will have an impact. I gave him a TTB Rating of 68 because I think he has a lot of work to do. Even if considering the overall ranking, only 259 players were drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft, so if he ends up as the 345th best player in three to five years, that puts him as an undrafted free agent. Of course, NFL Draft results don’t always mirror recruiting rankings, but it’s important to keep some perspective. Efobi will probably need at least a year of development to be field-ready, and Michigan has a ton of legitimate linemen, so I think a redshirt is a safe bet.

Prediction: Redshirt