Jack Tuttle receives an extra year of eligibility

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20Feb 2024
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Jack Tuttle receives an extra year of eligibility

Jack Tuttle

Quarterback Jack Tuttle has received a seventh year of eligibility. Tuttle originally signed with Utah before ultimately playing the first five years of his career at Indiana. He then transferred to Michigan in 2023, along with tight end teammate A.J. Barner.

Tuttle began the 2023 season as a third-stringer, but as he learned the playbook, he moved up the depth chart and became the primary backup to starter J.J. McCarthy. Down the stretch Michigan used Alex Orji as a running threat in the College Football Playoff, but Orji did not attempt a pass all season.

Tuttle completed 15/17 passes for 130 yards and 1 touchdown last year. For his college career, he has completed 119/199 passes (59.8%) for 1,031 yards, 6 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. He has also run 54 times for 114 yards.

Injuries have been an issue for Tuttle over his career – thus the granting of a seventh year – and he has only played in 22 games over six seasons. While it might make sense to pencil him in as Michigan’s starter in 2024, considering he was the top backup, there are perhaps better physical specimens on the roster. Orji has a stronger arm but much less experience. Jayden Denegal also has much less experience, but at 6’4″ and 235 pounds, he also brings a size element that the 6’4″, 210 lb. Tuttle doesn’t possess.

It’s also still possible that Michigan will explore the transfer portal when the portal opens in mid-April.

Depth chart by experience:

  • Jack Tuttle (Seventh Year Senior)
  • Davis Warren (RS Jr.)
  • Jayden Denegal (RS So.)
  • Alex Orji (RS So.)
  • Jadyn Davis (Fr.)
20Feb 2024
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Keon Sabb, Ex-Wolverine

Keon Sabb

Rising redshirt sophomore safety Keon Sabb entered the transfer portal last week and, as of this weekend, has found a destination at Alabama.

Sabb was a member of the class of 2022, and I gave him a TTB Rating of 84 at the time of his commitment (LINK). He was a 4-star, the #9 safety, and #84 overall in his class. He was listed at 6’1″ and 208 lbs. this past season and played a key role on Michigan’s defense, starting five games and making 28 tackles, 0.5 sacks, 2 interceptions (returned 56 yards, including for 1 touchdown), and breaking up 7 passes. That came after a freshman season where he played in just four total games.

Sabb was going to be a key part of Michigan’s secondary once again in 2024, but both Rod Moore and Makari Paige are returning to Michigan. Moore and Paige were somewhat expected to announce for the NFL after this past season, and Sabb surely would have slipped in there at one of the safety positions. But with both returning, there’s a good chance that Sabb would have been squeezed for playing time once again. He would have played, but how much?

Now Michigan has to hope that another young defensive back can step up. For whatever reason, the defensive backfield has been hurt by transfers this off-season, including cornerbacks Amorion Walker (Ole Miss) and Cam Calhoun (Utah). The next guys in line to play more would likely be third-year guy Zeke Berry or second-year player Brandyn Hillman.

As for Sabb’s future, he will likely play a starting role, especially since Alabama lost Caleb Downs to Ohio State in free agency. It’s just a little odd that Sabb will be playing for a team (Alabama) Michigan beat in the Rose Bowl and for a coach (former Washington head man Kalen DeBoer) whom Michigan beat in the national championship game.

Michigan has previously offered Sabb’s two younger brothers in 2026 safety Amari Sabb and 2027 athlete Xavier Sabb.

Keon Sabb is the sixth member of the 2022 class to transfer, joining Walker, WR Darrius Clemons (Oregon State), S Damani Dent (Charlotte), LB Deuce Spurlock (Florida), and RB C.J. Stokes (Charlotte).

15Feb 2024
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Brian Jean-Mary, Wolverine…again

Brian Jean-Mary

Brian Jean-Mary has been hired as Michigan’s linebackers coach. He was previously at Michigan in 2020.

Jean-Mary joined the Jacksonville Jaguars staff in 2021 to coach under Urban Meyer and then spent 2022-2023 as Tennessee’s linebackers coach. He had previously been at Louisville (2010-2013), Texas (2014-2016), USF (2017-2019), and a few other schools.

Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore was on the same staff as Jean-Mary at Louisville; Moore was a graduate assistant and tight ends coach from 2009-2013, and Jean-Mary was the linebackers coach from 2010-2013. They were also on staff together at Michigan in 2020, when Jean-Mary coached linebackers and when Moore was the tight ends coach.

Jean-Mary will turn 49 later this year but has a ton of experience. He’s known as an ace recruiter, and he has also been an assistant head coach (Louisville) and defensive coordinator (USF). While he may not be defensive coordinator material for Michigan down the road, he obviously has the capability of understanding how his linebackers fit into a defensive system.

Michigan now has just one staff place to complete hiring: defensive backs coach Stephen Adegoke may or may not be coming over from the Houston Texans.

15Feb 2024
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Greg Scruggs, Wolverine

Greg Scruggs (image via Bucky’s 5th Quarter)

Michigan has reportedly hired Wisconsin Badgers defensive line coach Greg Scruggs to replace Mike Elston as the defensive line coach.

Scruggs is a former Louisville football player (2008-2011) who spent five seasons in the NFL with the Seahawks, Bears, and Patriots after being selected in the 7th round of the 2012 draft. He then went on to be the Director of Player Development at Cincinnati in 2018-2019 and then coach their defensive line in 2020-2021. He got a job with the New York Jets as an assistant defensive line coach in 2022 and then returned to college football for 2023, working once again with head coach Luke Fickell, whom he had previously served at Cincinnati.

Scruggs is known as a very good recruiter; he landed two 4-star defensive linemen in the 2024 class, including Michigan target Ernest Willor, Jr. And when he was at Cincinnati, he landed former Michigan commit Mario Eugenio. I think his player development is still a question mark, as zero Badgers defensive linemen earned All-Big Ten honors in 2023. He has been a part of some solid defenses at both Cincinnati and Wisconsin, but it’s not clear to me how much that has to do with his development of talent and how much has to do with other aspects of those programs.

Regardless, Michigan seems to have done a pretty good job with this hire. Scruggs’s recruiting abilities might offset the expected recruiting shortcomings of defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, and Scruggs has plenty on his resume – including two Super Bowl rings, one with the Seahawks and one with the Patriots – to command some respect when he walks into the room.

Coaching staff as of now:

  • HC: Sherrone Moore
  • OC/QB: Kirk Campbell
  • RB: Mike Hart
  • WR: Ronald Bellamy
  • TE: Steve Casula
  • OL: Grant Newsome
  • DC: Wink Martindale
  • DL: Greg Scruggs
  • LB: Brian Jean-Mary (expected)
  • DB: Stephen Adegoke (expected)
  • STC: J.B. Brown
13Feb 2024
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Steve Casula, Wolverine

Steve Casula

Michigan has hired Steve Casula to coach the tight ends, replacing Grant Newsome, who moved from tight ends to coaching the offensive line.

Casula spent the past two seasons as the offensive coordinator at UMass under former Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown, who is the head coach for the Minutemen.

UMass was #118 in yards per play before he arrived in 2021; they then dropped to #130 in 2022 but jumped to #59 in 2023. Surely some of that jump had to do with the transfer portal, where the Minutemen benefited from former Clemson/Georgia Tech QB Taisun Phommachanh, former Rutgers RB Kay’Ron Adams, former Arizona WR Anthony Simpson, and former Michigan WR George Johnson III, among others. But that’s still an impressive leap in the span of one season.

Casula is being brought in to coach the tight ends, which he’s overqualified to do. He’s spent a good amount of time as an offensive coordinator (Davenport from 2014-2016; Ferris State from 2017-2018; UMass from 2022-2023) and even served as interim head coach at Davenport. One of his proteges as a coordinator/quarterback coach was former Detroit (MI) Cass Tech quarterback Jayru Campbell, who won the Harlon Hill Trophy for being the most outstanding player in Division II back in 2018.

Casula was an analyst at Michigan from 2019-2021, so he’s familiar with the area and the program. He should be able to hit the ground running, and there’s no reason to think that Michigan’s tight ends won’t continue to be successful.

Michigan’s coaching staff as of today:

  • HC: Sherrone Moore
  • OC/QB: Kirk Campbell
  • RB: Mike Hart
  • WR: Ronald Bellamy
  • TE: Steve Casula
  • OL: Grant Newsome
  • DC: Wink Martindale
  • DL: ???
  • LB: ???
  • DB: ???
  • STC: J.B. Brown