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2016 Season Countdown: #71 Sean McKeon

Sean McKeon (image via 247 Sports)

Name: Sean McKeon
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 240 lbs.
High school: Dudley (MA) Shepherd
Position: Tight end
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #84
Last year: McKeon was a senior in high school (LINK). He caught 23 passes for 334 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Final TTB Rating: 77

McKeon was a pretty good tight end in Massachusetts, a place that isn’t known for football. He was in a run-heavy offense, so he didn’t get a lot of chances to shine. But at about 6’5″, 230 lbs., he could line up at tight end, wide receiver, defensive end, or outside linebacker and succeed. He enrolled early in January and looked pretty good, though not quite as smooth and athletic as some of the other options.

I dropped McKeon down from a TTB Rating of 83 to 77, mostly because of other tight ends who signed with Michigan in February. I think Devin Asiasi will probably play this fall, along with all the tight ends who return from last year. A.J. Williams graduated, but redshirt freshman Tyrone Wheatley, Jr. might fill that role as a blocking tight end. Toss in position changer Zach Gentry, and it’s a very crowded position. I don’t see much of a need for McKeon to play this fall, but he has a decent skill set, some spring experience, and a coaching staff dedicated to using a lot of tight ends.

Prediction: Backup tight end

2016 Season Countdown: #72 Karan Higdon

Karan Higdon

Name: Karan Higdon
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 189 lbs.
High school: Sarasota (FL) Riverview
Position: Running back
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #22
Last year: I ranked Higdon #85 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He played in three games, carrying the ball 11 times for 19 yards (1.7 yards/carry) and catching 1 pass for 3 yards.

I thought Higdon would redshirt last season because of a good number of talented, experienced players ahead of him. Despite the presence of those guys, he played a bit. He wasn’t very effective, averaging 1.7 yards/carry. His “biggest” game was against Northwestern, in which he ran 8 times for 16 yards. This spring he missed some time due to injury, so the pecking order wasn’t clear now that Derrick Green is gone.

I don’t see much of a reason for Higdon to move very far up the depth chart this season. Even with Green’s absence, the starter will probably be De’Veon Smith, with Ty Isaac and Drake Johnson as very experienced backups. The Wolverines also brought in three freshman running backs (Kingston Davis, Chris Evans, Kareem Walker), and it would be odd to let all three of those guys redshirt. Davis, Evans, and/or Walker is virtually guaranteed to play, and Higdon is probably third or fourth on the depth chart, at best. He obviously earned the coaching staff’s confidence last season, so he probably won’t waste away on the bench, but his value is questionable right now.

Prediction: Backup running back

2016 Season Countdown: #73 Ron Johnson, Jr.

Ron Johnson, Jr. (image via Scout)

Name: Ron Johnson, Jr.
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 245 lbs.
High school: Camden (NJ) Camden
Position: Defensive end
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Johnson was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 112 tackles and 3 sacks.
Final TTB Rating: 83

Johnson was one of a pair of Camden products who signed with Michigan in February, along with receiver Brad Hawkins, Jr. Johnson ended up as the #300 overall player and the #23 weakside end in the country. He didn’t have great production as a pass rusher during his senior year, but he was making plays all over the field and maintained his ranking, for the most part. He ended up playing in the Semper Fi All-American Bowl.

Michigan needs pass rushers, so maybe Johnson can help this season. He’s a true weakside end at this point, but Michigan has Taco Charlton to start there. Backing him up is Chase Winovich, and the Wolverines can also use Carlo Kemp or Joshua Uche as pass rushers. I think Johnson needs to get stronger to hold up against college offensive tackles, and he’s not quite as explosive as Uche to be a pure speed rusher, so that’s why I’m placing him below the other guys. If Michigan can stay healthy up front, I think Johnson should probably redshirt. But as we saw last year with Bryan Mone, Ryan Glasgow, and Mario Ojemudia, the injuries can really pile up on the defensive line.

Prediction: Redshirt if possible

2017 Recruiting Update: June 27, 2016

Richmond (VA) Collegiate OL Jess Speight

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COMMITMENT

Darien (CT) Darien offensive tackle Andrew Stueber committed to Michigan (LINK).

ADDED TO THE BOARD: 2017

Ellenwood (GA) Cedar Grove linebacker Dennis Bell was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’2″, 217 lb. prospect with offers from Georgia State, Maryland, Miami-OH, and Wake Forest. Information is limited on Bell, who’s a 2-star recruit on Rivals, but I believe he transferred from Decatur (GA) Decatur to Cedar Grove after his junior season. So that would mean he wasn’t technically a teammate of incoming Michigan freshman Elysee Mbem-Bosse. Regardless, Bell is now teammates with several Michigan targets in the 2017, 2018, and 2019 classes, and he camped at Michigan early last week, earning the offer in front of the coaching staff. He’s a big WR/DB who will probably outgrow the defensive back position and turn into a linebacker at the next level. He said that he thought about committing to Michigan immediately, but now he’s going to hold off on committing until later in the summer.

Charlotte (NC) Hough quarterback Jackson Gibbs was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’1″, 185 lb. prospect with no other offers at this time. Gibbs also camped at Michigan and earned the offer, although there has been much speculation and discussion about whether he has anything close to a committable offer. Recruiting guys have dug into it and say that he wasn’t technically offered, but as long as Rivals lists him with one, then I will, too. I’m not in the business of verifying offers. Anyway, Gibbs is a decent looking prospect, but probably not on Michigan’s level. He’s the grandson of former Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs.

Richmond (VA) Collegiate offensive guard Jess Speight was offered by Michigan. He’s a 6’4″, 275 lb. prospect with no other offers at this time. Speight is the brother of Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight. While I’m typically not a fan of under-the-radar offers quite this early in the process, I actually like Speight a little bit. His size is a question mark for me because I don’t know if he matches his listed measurements, but he shows some good athleticism and technique. I wonder if he might be more of a target for the center position.

Hit the jump for several guys who committed elsewhere, some top lists, and some random bits.

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2016 Season Countdown: #74 Lavert Hill

Lavert Hill

Name: Lavert Hill
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 175 lbs.
High school: Detroit (MI) King
Position: Cornerback
Class:

Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Hill was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 12 interceptions, 3 of which he returned for touchdowns.
Final TTB Rating: 84

Hill has had a long relationship with Michigan. The younger brother of senior safety Delano Hill, Lavert originally attended Detroit (MI) Cass Tech – a Michigan pipeline for several years – before transferring to King for his last couple years of high school. Then he surprised many people by committing to Penn State. He seemed solid for a while, started waffling a bit, and eventually decommitted before picking the Wolverines. In the meantime, he was not known for making a bunch of big plays early in high school, but he capped his prep career by making 12 picks and scoring 3 TDs on defense. He was rewarded by earning a trip to San Antonio for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

This year Michigan’s top three cornerbacks return. There wasn’t much of a need for fourth corners to play last season, outside of Jabrill Peppers occasionally moving to the outside from his slot corner position. With Jourdan Lewis, Channing Stribling, and Jeremy Clark set to return – all of whom are seniors – Michigan needs to groom some people for a starting gig in 2017. I’m guessing that Hill’s classmate, David Long, will earn more playing time this season. Hill is in that swing spot where he could probably redshirt and use that time to get stronger, but then he would be inexperienced going into a redshirt freshman season that might see him starting. Regardless, Hill is probably no higher than the fifth corner on the roster, so the value he brings is relatively minimal.

Prediction: Backup cornerback