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2016 Season Countdown: #55 Joshua Uche

Joshua Uche (image via Maize and Blue News)

Name: Joshua Uche
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 215 lbs.
High school: Miami (FL) Columbus
Position: Linebacker
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #10
Last year: Uche was a senior in high school (LINK). He had 50 tackles, 14 sacks, 3 pass breakups, and 2 forced fumbles.
Final TTB Rating: 82

Uche was committed to Miami at one point, and Don Brown was recruiting him to Boston College. By the time January rolled around, Uche was no longer committed to Miami and Don Brown was recruiting him to Michigan. Brown likes guys who can wreak havoc with their speed, and Uche is a guy who can do that, whether it’s from linebacker or defensive end.

Uche’s biggest asset is his ability to come off the edge and get to the quarterback, and he has that extra closing burst to make plays once he gets into the backfield. Michigan intends to start him off at SAM linebacker, where he would be backing up Jabrill Peppers. The two players are rather dissimilar, since Peppers is a converted corner/safety and Uche is viewed by some as a weakside end prospect. I think Uche will play a role this season because of his pass rushing abilities, but he might be limited by his size and some weaknesses in pass coverage. I imagine he might be used in some situations as a defensive end, somewhat like we saw Jake Ryan used at times during his Michigan career. I think Uche will have a good career, but defensive line and SAM linebacker are tough places to break through this season.

Prediction: Backup SAM linebacker

Recruiting from Tomorrow: July 18, 2016

Lindenhurst (NY) Lindenhurst TE Jeremy Ruckert (image via Newsday)

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2018

Lindenhurst (NY) Lindenhurst tight end Jeremy Ruckert was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’5″, 220 lb. prospect with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, and Ohio State, among others. He’s a 247 Composite 4-star, the #7 tight end, and #111 overall. As a sophomore in 2015, he caught 60 passes for 852 yards and 7 touchdowns. His film is rather impressive with an array of one-handed catches and big plays, though the talent he’s playing against is so-so. He’ll be at Michigan on July 23, which is Saturday.

OFF THE BOARD

Saraland (AL) Saraland quarterback Jack West committed to Stanford. He’s a 4-star and the #8 pro-style QB in the 2018 class. Some around here wanted wideout Velus Jones in the 2016 class, and West was the guy throwing him the ball.

MISCELLANEY

Here’s a list of the one visitor from this past weekend (LINK).

Here’s a list of expected visitors for the BBQ at the Big House (LINK).

Las Vegas (NV) Bishop Gorman quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson named Michigan to a top nine that includes Arizona State, Michigan, Michigan State, UCLA, and Utah, among others. He called UCLA his “favorite school” when they offered. If I had to guess, I’d say Michigan is running #2 behind the Bruins right now.

Michigan Today: Every Day is Game Day

Jibreel Black has been traveling across the country after his college career ended (LINK).

Hit the jump for some pictures of Jocelyn Chew.

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2016 Season Countdown: #56 Brandon Watson

Brandon Watson (image via Maize and Blue News)

Name: Brandon Watson
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 191 lbs.
High school: Elkton (MD) Eastern Christian Academy
Position: Cornerback
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #28
Last year: I ranked Watson #34 and said he would be a backup cornerback (LINK). He played in twelve games and made 8 tackles.

In one of my more egregious overrankings last year, I put Watson at #34, thinking he would beat out Channing Stribling for the #3 corner spot. Stribling split starting duties with Jeremy Clark. The #3 cornerback is pretty important, but the #4 guy . . . he’s usually not so important. After a solid spring game, he did okay in 2015 but was pretty invisible on the field.

This season should be more of the same since Michigan has three senior corners (Clark, Stribling, and Jourdan Lewis). Watson will also have to contend with a couple blue-chip freshmen (Lavert Hill, David Long) and a redshirt freshman Keith Washington. There have been vague rumors floating around that Watson may end up elsewhere, especially now that high school teammate Freddy Canteen is no longer with the team, but Watson has stuck with the program so far. I don’t expect Watson to play a ton of defense, but I do think he has some value as a special teams player and he could potentially contribute at a thin safety position if there are injuries.

Prediction: Backup defensive back, special teamer

2016 Season Countdown: #57 Ahmir Mitchell

Ahmir Mitchell (image via MLive)

Name: Ahmir Mitchell
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 205 lbs.
High school: Egg Harbor City (NJ) Cedar Creek
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #2
Last year: Mitchell was a senior in high school (LINK). He caught 30 passes for 359 yards and 2 touchdowns, and he ran for 3 touchdowns.
Final TTB Rating: 79

Mitchell was a big-time recruit out of New Jersey who was wanted by a lot of powerhouses like Florida State, Notre Dame, and Ohio State. Oh, and Rutgers. Brady Hoke started recruiting him a few years ago as a safety, but as time wore on, it became clearer that he looked more like a wide receiver . . . with one caveat: questionable hands. He has at various times been described as someone who fights the ball and is inconsistent catching it. Michigan earned his pledge in August, and he enrolled in January.

This spring Mitchell was at times running with the twos at wideout. I think that was partially due to some depth issues that may be fixed in the fall when some other guys return healthy. There have been rumors that off-the-field issues have arisen, so that could be another obstacle to overcome for the fall. I don’t know if Mitchell will find his way to the field this season or not, but he does provide a big, athletic body with some blocking ability. With Brad Hawkins, Jr. heading to prep school, Mitchell is the lone freshman receiver who is clearly headed for the split end or flanker position.

Prediction: Backup wide receiver, possible redshirt