Posts under: Blog

2023 Recruiting Grades: Offensive Line

Previously: QUARTERBACK, RUNNING BACK, TIGHT END

2023 DEPARTURES: 2 (Ryan Hayes, Olu Oluwatimi)

2023 NEEDS: 1

2023 COMMITMENTS: Cumming (GA) South Forsyth OT Nathan Efobi, Arizona State transfer OG LaDarius Henderson, West Bloomfield (MI) West Bloomfield C Amir Herring, Stanford transfer OT Myles Hinton, Washington (DC) Gonzaga OT Evan Link, Stanford transfer C Drake Nugent

NOTEWORTHY 2023 OFFERS

• Kade Eldridge – Lynden (WA) Christian: USC
• D.J. Chester – McDonogh (GA) Eagle’s Landing: LSU
• Cole Dellinger – Clarkston (MI) Clarkston: Michigan State
• Spencer Fano – Provo (UT) Timpview: Utah
• Cayden Green – Lee’s Summit (MO) North: Oklahoma
• Landen Hatchett – Ferndale (WA) Ferndale: Washington
• Logan Howland – Princeton (NJ) The Hun School: Oklahoma
• Caleb Lomu – Gilbert (AZ) Highland: Utah
• Luke Montgomery – Findlay (OH) Findlay: Ohio State
• Paul Mubenga – Buford (GA) Buford: LSU
• Dylan Senda – Dearborn (MI) Divine Child: Northwestern

GRADE: A

REASON FOR THE GRADE: Despite losing just two players to the NFL, the starting offensive line appeared to be in pretty good shape going into 2023. Of course, having a good offensive line is typically predicated on experience, so we have to look at what players are behind them and how ready they will be in 2024 and beyond. Michigan’s numbers were solid enough that they didn’t have to snag too many linemen in the class of 2023 to maintain a healthy overall number at the position (~15), but they hit it out of the park in the transfer portal, if not the high school ranks.

Starting with the transfer portal guys, Michigan landed Arizona State offensive guard/tackle LaDarius Henderson, Stanford center Drake Nugent, and Stanford right tackle Myles Hinton. All three are starters, and in particular, Henderson was a captain and Nugent was a Rimington Award finalist. While offensive guards Trevor Keegan and Zak Zinter return, Henderson could end up playing left or right tackle, depending on who steps up at those positions. Nugent should slot in as the starting center, and Hinton will probably be in a battle to start at one of the tackle spots, as injuries and inconsistency have hampered him a little bit so far. However, Hinton was a top-100 prospect and has great potential if he can put everything together.

Link improved as a senior to the point where I think he can be a solid player at the next level, especially in the run game; he has limited pass pro reps on his senior highlights, but there’s potential if he can stay consistent with his technique. Efobi still plays too high for my liking, and he doesn’t really win enough blocks even on his highlights. Meanwhile, interior lineman Herring could play guard or center – some think center is his best spot because of a lack of height – and is the type of kid who should be a good locker room presence while he waits for his opportunity for a few years, and he could step in as an upperclassman and start for a couple years.

Overall, Michigan did a good job of not only plugging a hole at center, but creating immediate competition at the tackle positions. Link, Herring, and Efobi are all guys with potential down the road, though I don’t think any of them are headed for stardom in college. If the Wolverines can maintain their solid offensive line play and use the transfer portal to their advantage on a yearly basis, this could be a recipe for great annual success even if the high school recruiting is so-so.

2026 Recruiting Update: February 9, 2023

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2026

Naeem Burroughs – WR – Jacksonville (FL) Bolles: Burroughs is a 6’0″, 155 lb. prospect with offers from Florida, Florida State, and Georgia, among others.

Simeon Caldwell – S – Jacksonville (FL) Bolles: A teammate of Burroughs, Caldwell is a 6’3″, 185 lb. safety with a 4.65 forty time as a freshman.

Messiah Mickens – RB – Camp Hill (PA) Trinity: Mickens is a 5’11”, 185-pounder with offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Penn State, and Texas A&M at an early juncture.

Brady Smigiel – QB – Newbury Park (CA) Newbury Park: Smigiel is a 6’5″, 190 lb. prospect with offers from Arizona, Colorado, Florida State, Georgia, and Penn State, among others. As a freshman in 2021, he had 3,467 passing yards with 46 passing touchdowns and 5 rushing scores.

Chaston Smith – CB – Knoxville (TN) Bearden: Smith is a 6’1″, 151-pounder with offers from Kentucky, Louisville, and Ole Miss, among others.

Chris Partridge, Wolverine (again)

Former Ole Miss co-defensive coordinator Chris Partridge has been officially re-hired by the first FBS program to give him a job, and that’s the Michigan Wolverines.

Partridge was the head coach at Paramus (NJ) Catholic for five years, a school that sent the likes of Jabrill Peppers, Rashan Gary, and Juwann Bushell-Beatty to Michigan. He was then hired in a recruiting role in 2015 before becoming an on-field coach from 2016-2019, working with the safeties, linebackers, and special teams. He was hired away by Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss to be the co-defensive coordinator in 2020 and 2021, but after being let go by the Rebels after the 2022 season, he was in search of a new job.

Partridge’s next role at Michigan is undetermined as of yet . . . or at least Michigan hasn’t released their plans for him. He was announced on Twitter as having joined Michigan’s staff, and while that could be at an analyst position, rumblings suggest that he will be replacing a current coach on the staff. Since he has only ever coached defense, most likely there will be movement on the defensive side of the ball.

Partridge’s most noteworthy asset is probably his recruiting prowess. While at Michigan, he was the primary recruiter for three 5-star players (Gary, Chris Hinton, and Aubrey Solomon) and seventeen 4-star guys (too many to list). Michigan’s recruiting efforts in New Jersey have tailed off some since he left, but I would imagine some of those connections will be renewed now that Partridge is back on the staff.

2023 Recruiting Grades: Tight End

Previously: QUARTERBACK, RUNNING BACK

On Saturday I covered the quarterback position, followed by the running backs on Tuesday. Now for a look at the tight ends.

2023 DEPARTURES: 4 (Erick All, Louis Hansen, Joel Honigford, Luke Schoonmaker)

2023 NEEDS: 2

2023 COMMITMENTS: Carlsbad (CA) Carlsbad TE Zack Marshall, Oswego (IL) Oswego TE Deakon Tonielli

2023 OFFERS

• Kade Eldridge – Lynden (WA) Christian: USC
• Cooper Flanagan – Concord (CA) De La Salle: Notre Dame
• Jaden Hamm – Eudora (KS) Eudora: Kansas
• Nyckoles Harbor – Washington (DC) Archbishop Carroll: South Carolina
• Luke Hasz – Bixby (OK) Bixby: Arkansas
• Chico Holt – Houston (TX) Strake Jesuit: Northwestern
• Jaxon Howard – Minneapolis (MN) Robbinsdale Cooper: LSU
• Matthew Klopfenstein – Scottsdale (AZ) Horizon: Baylor
• Ty Lockwood – Thompson’s Station (MO) Independence: Alabama
• Walker Lyons – Folsom (CA) Folsom: USC
• Mac Markway – St. Louis (MO) DeSmet: LSU
• Brett Norfleet – St. Charles (MO) Francis Howell: Missouri
• Andrew Rappleyea – Milton (MA) Milton: Penn State
• Jelani Thurman – Fairburn (GA) Langston Hughes: Ohio State
• Riley Williams – Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy: Miami
• Preston Zinter – Cambridge (MA) Buckingham Browne & Nichols: Notre Dame

GRADE: C+

REASON FOR THE GRADE: Michigan needed to restock the tight end position in the class of 2023 after suffering heavy losses from the group following the 2022 season. Not only did Erick All (Iowa) and Louis Hansen (UConn) transfer, but second string tight end Luke Schoonmaker departed for the NFL, blocking tight end Joel Honigford ran out of eligibility, and a decent walk-on in Carter Selzer also graduated. All, Schoonmaker, and Honigford all played a ton. Tight end is a position where players typically need at least one season of strength and conditioning development before being relevant, so it’s important to keep a steady string of players coming.

Unfortunately, the Wolverines whiffed on most of their top targets, which is surprising considering how often tight ends are used in Michigan’s offense. Tonielli (4-star, #20 TE, #411 overall) was the tenth highest ranked guy at the position that Michigan offered, and Marshall would be the thirteenth highest ranked offeree if he were listed as a tight end (he’s an “athlete” according to the 247 Composite). Tonielli is really a big receiver being converted to tight end, and Marshall does not look like much of a difference maker when it comes to his athleticism.

Overall, Michigan supplemented its numbers decently at the position, but the talent level drops off. All and Schoonmaker are both NFL-caliber tight ends and Hansen was a well regarded 4-star recruit, though he hadn’t made an impact on the field during his first two seasons; Marshall is not on their level as an athlete, and Tonielli has good upside even if he doesn’t have the body and skills to play immediately. Michigan did take a strong swing at 5-star Nyckoles Harbor, but ultimately, NIL drove Harbor to South Carolina. Massachusetts product Andrew Rappleyea was committed to the Wolverines at one point, but he flipped to Penn State.

2023 Recruiting Grade: Running Back

Previously: QUARTERBACK

On Saturday I covered the quarterback position, so here’s a look at the running back spot.

2023 NEEDS: 2

2023 COMMITMENTS: Dexter (MI) Dexter RB Cole Cabana, Kennesaw (GA) North Cobb RB Benjamin Hall

2023 OFFERS

• Jaden Booker – Naples (FL) Palmetto Ridge: Undecided
• Dalton Brooks – Shiner (TX) Shiner: Texas A&M
• Jeremiah Cobb – Montgomery (AL) Catholic: Auburn
• Mark Fletcher – Fort Lauderdale (FL) American Heritage: Miami
• Justice Haynes – Buford (GA) Buford: Alabama
• Sedrick Irvin, Jr. – Miami (FL) Columbus: Stanford
• Kaleb Jackson – Baton Rouge (LA) Liberty: LSU
• Christopher Johnson – Fort Lauderdale (FL) Dillard: Miami
• Jaquez Keys – Ironton (OH) Ironton: Wake Forest
• Jayden Limar – Lake Stevens (WA) Lake Stevens: Oregon
• London Montgomery – Scranton (PA) Prep: Penn State
• Samuel Singleton, Jr. – Orange Park (FL) Fleming Island: Florida State
• Daylan Smothers – Charlotte (NC) West: Oklahoma
• Dijon Stanley – Granada Hills (CA) Granada Hills: Utah
• Darius Taylor – Walled Lake (MI) Western: Minnesota
• Treyaun Webb – Jacksonville (FL) Trinity: Florida
• Richard Young – Lehigh Acres (FL) Lehigh: Alabama

GRADE: B+

REASON FOR THE GRADE: Michigan needed at least one running back in the class of 2023 to bump up its scholarship backs from four to five. As we saw this past season, four scholarship running backs leaves Michigan precariously thin at the position. When Blake Corum hurt his knee and backup Donovan Edwards hurt his hand, Michigan was stuck with redshirt freshman Tavierre Dunlap, true freshman C.J. Stokes, position switchers, and walk-ons. That led to an array of plays in which more talented backs would have made Michigan’s season a little easier, such as walk-on Isaiah Gash’s dropped pass against Illinois and converted linebacker Kalel Mullings’s fumble against TCU. Michigan should have at least five scholarship backs on its roster at all times.

So Michigan needed at least one, and then a lot of people expected Blake Corum to leave for the NFL after a highly productive season, bumping up the need to two. Indeed, Michigan landed speedster Cole Cabana (4-star, #10 RB, #161 overall), who might be more of a scat back who can split out wide. And they also took a fairly early commitment from Benjamin Hall (3-star, #55 RB, #781 overall). Hall is the bigger question mark of the two, not only because of his lower ranking, but also because he didn’t start for most of his senior season. Hall is a bigger back (5’10”, 225 lbs.) and lacks great speed. One might expect to see him be a bruising downhill runner, but he bounces a lot of his runs outside and tries to reverse field, which he will not have the speed to do in college.

Michigan tried to get in late on in-state Minnesota commit Darius Taylor, but it was too late to get much movement there. So obviously the coaching staff wanted a third back – or perhaps to replace Hall in the class – but that didn’t happen. That not only solidifies my confidence that Michigan wanted at least two backs, but it makes me question how much confidence they have in the guys they brought in.

Right now the Wolverines are in a good position with Corum, Edwards, Dunlap, and Stokes all returning (for now), plus Cabana and Hall entering the program. Even if someone like Dunlap or Stokes transfers following the spring, Michigan would still have five scholarship guys on the roster.