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2017 Season Countdown: #60 Carl Myers

Carl Myers (image via 247 Sports

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Name:

Carl Myers
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 268 lbs.
High school: Grand Rapids (MI) West Catholic
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #54
Last year: I did not rank Myers. He played in one game.

This may seem like an odd place to spot a sophomore walk-on with only one game of playing experience, but here he stands anyway. Myers was a preferred walk-on coming into the 2016 season, so he seemed like a shoo-in for a redshirt. After all, how often do freshman interior lineman play, let alone walk-ons? He’s the first in my memory at Michigan.  When Greg Mattison talks up walk-on linemen, I’ve learned not to disregard them. Will Heininger, Ryan Glasgow, etc., they all seem to be better than initially thought. Even Nathan Brink – who never contributed as much as the aforementioned guys – earned a scholarship, and he was unable to finish out his career due to injury.

Michigan has a way of coaching up these guys, so I don’t see any reason to expect much less from Myers. He probably won’t be a mid-round draft pick like Glasgow, but I imagine he’ll be serviceable at some point. And Michigan could use “serviceable” at backup defensive tackle. I have Myers, Lawrence Marshall, Jr., and James Hudson III bunched up here in the 60s, and any one of them could factor into the rotation this fall. With Maurice Hurst, Jr. starting at 3-tech and Michael Dwumfour penciled in as his backup, there might not be a huge need for crunch-time snaps from the trio; however, Dwumfour has been held back by injury, and it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see one of these players have to step up. Myers saw action in game one last year, and the coaches seem to like him. All other things being equal, the coaching staff might want to reward Myers while also letting him serve as a motivational ploy for others.

Prediction: Backup defensive tackle

Scout 125 for 2019 released

Chris Hinton, Jr. (image via Twitter)

Scout released its top 125 prospects for 2019, a precursor for its top 300 (LINK). Since Michigan has already offered 120 prospects in the 2016 class, here’s a look at those offerees who made the list:

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2017 Season Countdown: #61 Lawrence Marshall

Lawrence Marshall

Name: Lawrence Marshall
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 268 lbs.
High school: Southfield (MI) Southfield
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #93
Last year: I ranked Marshall #48 and said he would be a backup Anchor.
TTB Rating: 72

Marshall, who was listed in 2016 at 268 lbs., was a backup strongside end. Rumors have existed for a while now that he hasn’t been 100% committed to improving as a football player, and that resulted in him playing in just three games last season. He made 6 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss in that playing time, and he struggled some when he got a chance to play. Originally a 240 lb. weakside end, he’s on one of those trajectories where he appears to be bulking up for a mediocre career inside.

Now Marshall is said to be around 280 lbs., and he’s playing 3-tech defensive tackle. Some players have bounced around due to need at different spots, but this appears to be at least a semi-permanent move for Marshall. Michigan needs help on the interior of the defensive line, and there’s not a whole lot of experience there. I profiled true freshman James Hudson III a couple days ago (LINK), so I view him as being almost on par with Marshall, and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Hudson passed him up. It’s now-or-never for Marshall, who could see his time expire at Michigan if he doesn’t amp up his game. The Wolverines won’t want him back for a fifth year if he doesn’t become more disciplined and productive. On the plus side, Marshall has to see that there’s playing time up for grabs with Maurice Hurst, Jr. the only proven guy at his position. He could be the #2 guy, or he could be clawing for snaps with the likes of Carl Myers, Hudson, and freshman Donovan Jeter, among others.

Prediction: Backup defensive tackle

2017 Season Countdown: #62 Oliver Martin

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Oliver Martin

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Name: Oliver Martin
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 189 lbs.
High school: Iowa City (IA) West
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Martin was a senior in high school. He caught 85 passes for 1,272 yards and 16 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 83

Martin was a fairly late addition to the 2017 class when he committed in late January. That might be partly because he showed up on their radar relatively late in the process. Michigan hadn’t been in much contact until he attended The Opening, and some of Michigan’s commitments alerted the coaching staff to how much they liked playing with him out at Nike’s headquarters. The staff offered, and he visited shortly afterward, but he still held off on committing for several months.

Going into Martin’s freshman season, it’s hard to see where he’ll fit. I wouldn’t be surprised if he redshirted . . . or if he played a backup role . . . or if he finished second on the team in receptions. He will probably play in the slot, but he has the size and skill to contribute at multiple receiver positions. He’s a decent route runner with good hands, and he can work across the middle. The drawback is that he did not enroll early like some of Michigan’s other freshman receivers. I think Martin will play this season, but his production will be limited by a glut of talented young wideouts.

Prediction: Backup slot receiver

2017 Season Countdown: #63 James Hudson III

James Hudson III (image via The Wolverine Daily)

Name:

James Hudson III
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 294 lbs.
High school: Toledo (OH) Central Catholic
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Hudson was a senior in high school. He made 80 tackles, 34 tackles for loss, and 8 sacks.
TTB Rating: 85

I’ve gone back and forth on whether Hudson should play offensive tackle or defensive tackle in college. Some people compare him to Willie Henry, but he’s a little bit taller and longer. Due to a need for numbers at defensive tackle – and, of course, the words of Hudson himself – I think he’ll at least start out at 3-tech on defense, but I wouldn’t rule out a move to offense at some point.

Regardless, I saw Hudson make some significant improvements mentally and physically from his junior to senior years, and I believe he’ll be a high-impact player at Michigan. The Wolverines have a starter (Maurice Hurst, Jr.) and a backup (Michael Dwumfour) at 3-tech, but both of those guys can be used at nose tackle, and there’s not much else behind them. Lawrence Marshall and walk-on Carl Myers can both play 3-tech, but neither has the athleticism or upside of Hudson. I think Hudson will get his feet wet this year so he can be primed to start or backup Dwumfour in 2018.

Prediction: Backup defensive tackle