A couple players announced plans to transfer: DB Jaylen Kelly-Powell (LINK) and RB Tru Wilson (LINK). I don’t think either departure will really affect Michigan on the field.
Despite expectations to the contrary, 2020 cornerback signee Darion Green-Warren is not enrolled this semester. He did sign his National Letter of Intent to Michigan, but supposedly his high school/graduation paperwork was not processed on time. Now he’s expected to arrive in April. I was just pumping up E.J. Holland of The Wolverine the other day, and E.J. says Green-Warren should be able to participate in spring ball when he arrives . . . which I don’t understand at all. Back in my days at Michigan, the winter semester didn’t wrap until mid-April, and Michigan’s spring game is usually done by then. (LINK$)
Rising fifth year senior Tru Wilson announced on Twitter that he plans to become a graduate transfer at another school in 2020. Wilson is listed at 5’11” and 200 lbs. He was tied for the third-most carries on Michigan’s team in 2019 (44 carries, 221 yards, 1 TD).
Wilson came to Michigan as a preferred walk-on in the 2016 class after being named a Semper Fi All-American. It’s rare that an All-American of that sort has to be a walk-on, but he spurned offers from the service academies to pay his own way to Ann Arbor. He found his way onto the field by being a solid pass blocker and a dependable runner (107 attempts, 586 yards, 2 TD), even though his speed was lacking. One of the best things he did was spell Michigan’s top backs during blowouts or against lesser teams, so the top guys could get a breather and stay healthy.
Heading into his fifth year, Wilson’s talents were somewhat redundant. Michigan has the pass blocker in Zach Charbonnet, who will be just a sophomore. Michigan has the reliable between-the-tackles guy in Hassan Haskins, who will be a redshirt sophomore. Add in potentially dynamic freshman Blake Corum, a Chris Evans returning from academic issues, and scatback Christian Turner, and the Wolverines have decent depth at the position.
Still, it was an odd career arc from Wilson:
High school All-American
Walk-on
1 carry for 1 yard in 2016
Redshirt in 2017
Key backup role in 2018
Declared starter going into 2019
Broken hand in 2019 pre-season
T-3rd most carries on team
Transfer
Here are some highlights of Wilson’s 2018 season for those of you yearning for some football video:
Rising redshirt junior Jaylen Kelly-Powell has chosen to exit the Wolverines’ program by entering his name in the transfer portal. Kelly-Powell is listed as a 6’0″, 180 lb. defensive back. He has played in twenty career games with 7 tackles to show for it.
Here’s what I said about Kelly-Powell when he committed to the Wolverines (LINK):
Overall, I like Kelly-Powell as a safety but don’t see him being a star. He’s not athletic enough to be a standout, but he can play nickel corner or strong safety. He’s not a guy you want playing in a ton of space, but he can blitz, stop the run, and cover. I think he’s somewhat similar to current Michigan sophomore Tyree Kinnel.
Kelly-Powell disappeared for long stretches of his career at Michigan, and there was virtually no buzz about him coming out of practice. He bounced between corner, safety, and nickel, and it’s rare that a player who bounces around becomes a viable option at any of those spots. When I watched Kelly-Powell on the field at Michigan, he just didn’t have any juice. He was a step slow, and he’s still listed at 180 lbs. after his third year of college.
This does not really affect the defensive back depth chart because Kelly-Powell was not much of a factor. Michigan is now down to 86 players slated to be on scholarship in 2020 (LINK). That number may drop down below 85 before Michigan accepts some transfer options as they continue to look to shore up some of their weakness on the offensive and defensive lines, in particular.
I would appreciate any support you can offer through Amazon purchases (LINK):
TRANSFERS
Devin Asiasi, TE (UCLA): Overall, Asiasi caught 44 passes for 641 yards (14.6 yards/catch) and 4 touchdowns as UCLA went 4-8. Asiasi declared for the NFL Draft despite having one year of eligibility remaining.
Brian Cole, S (Mississippi State): Cole sat out the Music City Bowl to prepare for a potential NFL career. He made 67 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 interception, 2 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble in his final college season.
Kekoa Crawford, WR (Cal): Crawford caught 2 passes for 29 yards in a 35-20 win over Illinois. Crawford made a total of 16 catches for 272 yards and 2 touchdowns this season. He was leading Cal in receiving early in the year, but an injury caused him to miss seven games.
Ja’Raymond Hall, OT (CMU): Hall did not play in a single game in 2019.
