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2023 Season Countdown: #133 Alexander Lidback

Name: Alexander Lidback
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 217 lbs.
High school: Alpharetta (GA) Alpharetta
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #46
Last year: I ranked Lidback #119 and said he would be a backup linebacker (LINK). He did not see game action.
TTB Rating: N/A

Lidback is a player who I’ve been saying for the past couple years probably needs to stick around for three or four seasons before he would have a chance to get on the field. Without being a standout athlete or particularly big, he needs to know what he’s doing and be in as good of shape as possible. He’s even lighter (down from 223 pounds to 217) this season than last, so I don’t expect things to change much this year. He’s still probably on the outside looking in when it comes to playing time.

Prediction: Backup linebacker

2023 Season Countdown: #134 Kendrick Bell

Name: Kendrick Bell
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 180 lbs.
High school: Kansas City (MO) Park Hill
Position: Quarterback
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Bell was a senior in high school (LINK). He completed 224/339 passes (72%) for 35 touchdowns and ran for 670 yards and 10 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 74

Bell, who is the younger brother of outgoing receiver Ronnie Bell, has put up some gaudy numbers at Park Hill the past couple seasons. An athletic quarterback who can create on the move, he threw for a whopping 35 scores and ran for 10 more, accounting for 45 total touchdowns. For a team that played 11 games, that’s more than 4 touchdowns per game for which he was responsible. A lot of people were surprised when he was offered by Michigan, though, because he was an under-the-radar recruit – just like his brother, who is likely to get drafted.

I’m not sure where the younger Bell fits in Michigan’s roster. Listed and announced as a quarterback by Jim Harbaugh, that’s probably going to be the first place he gets a shot. Will he stick around there for his entire career? Michigan has J.J. McCarthy for 2023 and possibly 2024, and 5-star quarterback Jadyn Davis arrives in 2024. Eventually, I think Bell is going to have to play safety or receiver. In the meantime, he’s very thin at 180 pounds and has several guys ahead of him, including McCarthy, Jack Tuttle, Davis Warren, and a running option in Alex Orji. I’m expecting Bell to redshirt this season, and perhaps he will be a guy whose position gets re-evaluated on a yearly basis.

Prediction: Redshirt

Visitors: April 14-16, 2023

2024

Kyan McDonald – S – Seattle (WA) O’Dea: McDonald is a 6’0″, 175 lb. prospect with offers from Cal, Michigan, Oregon, Washington, and others. He’s a 4-star, the #34 safety, and #403 overall. He and the rest of the crew from Washington (see below) are visiting in the middle of the week.

Dominic Nichols – DE – Ijamsville (MD) Oakdale: Nichols is a 6’4″, 235-pounder with offers from Maryland, Michigan, Ole Miss, Penn State, and others. He’s a 3-star, the #34 edge, and #442 overall. He’s visiting on April 10.

Brayden Platt – LB – Yelm (WA) Yelm: Platt is a 6’2″, 240 lb. prospect with offers from Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #25 linebacker, and #283 overall.

Bryce Young – DT – Charlotte (NC) Christian: Young is a 6’5″, 240-pounder with offers from Duke, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Penn State, among others. He’s a 4-star, the #36 defensive lineman, and #350 overall. He’s the son of former Notre Dame and NFL defensive tackle Bryant Young.

Hit the jump for more.

2023 Season Countdown: #135 Charlie Lovell

Name: Charlie Lovell
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 235 lbs.
High school: Pinckney (MI) Pinckney
Position: EDGE
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #73
Last year: I did not rank Lovell. He redshirted.
TTB Rating: N/A

Lovell is the son of former Michigan kicker Erik Lovell, a backup who made 1/1 field goal attempts in his career, with the lone make coming in a 41-14 win over Washington State in 1993. The younger Lovell made 87 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 21 quarterback pressures, 4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 2 pass breakups as a senior in 2021. He then redshirted as a freshman last season.

Lovell is probably not going to play much, if at all, in 2022. He plays a position with a lot of depth, and at 6’3″ and 235 lbs., he’s undersized for the spot, too.

Prediction: Backup EDGE

2023 Season Countdown: #136 Nico Andrighetto

Name: Nico Andrighetto
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 187 lbs.
High school: Mountain View (CA) St. Francis
Position: Safety
Class: Redshirt reshman
Jersey number: #31
Last year: I ranked Andrighetto #129 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He played in one game on special teams.
TTB Rating: N/A

Andrighetto is the younger brother of Lucas Andrighetto, who was a walk-on running back from 2018-2021. So there has been an Andrighetto on the team since 2018, whether you knew it or not. The younger Andrighetto is a safety who played in the 56-10 beatdown of Hawaii. With a lot of talent at safety, Nico is unlikely to play much of a role for the Wolverines in 2023.

Prediction: Backup defensive back