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18Aug 2024

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2024 Season Countdown: #47a Zack Marshall

Name: Zack Marshall
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 235 lbs.
High school: Carlsbad (CA) Carlsbad
Position: Tight end
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #83
Last year: I ranked Marshall #83 and said he would be a backup tight end (LINK). He played in two games.
TTB Rating: 58

Marshall was a little light as a freshman in 2023, but the coaching staff seemed to like him in the spring, so it seemed like they would try to find a way to get him on the field a little bit. He ended up playing in two games, which got him a bit of experience (6 snaps) while allowing him to keep his redshirt. The tight end position was already stocked very well with Colston Loveland, A.J. Barner, Matt Hibner, and others, so it wasn’t a spot where a true freshman was needed to contribute.

I hoped for Marshall to be a little heftier in 2024, but it doesn’t look like he added sufficient weight to be a major factor. Most guys who break through are at least in the 240s. So this might be a little high for Marshall in the countdown. He’s an H-back type at this size who will need to move around instead of putting his hand down on the line, and Michigan has better blockers (Max Bredeson) and more athletic players (Colston Loveland, Marlin Klein) who can fill those roles. Perhaps another year of adding weight will be needed before he sees a big uptick in playing time.

Prediction: Backup tight end

17Aug 2024

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2024 Season Countdown: #47b Brady Prieskorn

Name: Brady Prieskorn
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 245 lbs.
High school: Rochester (MI) Adams
Position: Tight end
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #86
Last year: Prieskorn was a senior in high school (LINK). He caught 33 passes for 665 yards and 8 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 87

Prieskorn was one of the prize recruits for Michigan in the class of 2024. An in-state prospect with offers from all over the country, he ended up ranked as the #130 overall prospect, the fourth-highest rated player in the class for the Wolverines. A good blocker and receiver, he lit up opponents through the air for over 20 yards per reception despite playing for a run-oriented team.

Now Prieskorn has a chance to play as a freshman for a team that values tight ends. Colston Loveland is a potential All-American and probably one of the better tight end prospects for the 2025 NFL draft, and there’s a lot of buzz about Marlin Klein, who hasn’t played much over his first two years on campus. But without any proven receivers like Cornelius Johnson and Roman Wilson, Michigan has to replace a high number of snaps that were taken up by A.J. Barner (who led the unit with 620), Josh Beetham (61), and Matt Hibner (26), not to mention whatever adjustments the Wolverines make to losing jumbo tight end Trente Jones. The good thing for Prieskorn is that he comes in with good enough size to step on the field immediately; at 6’6″ and 245 pounds, he’s roughly the same size as Loveland (6’5″, 245) and Klein (6’6″, 247), who are the two other biggest tight ends on the roster.

Prediction: Backup tight end

17Aug 2024

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2024 Season Countdown: #48 Keshaun Harris

Name: Keshaun Harris
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 192 lbs.
High school: Lansing (MI) Waverly
Position: Cornerback
Class: Sixth year senior
Jersey number: #36
Last year: I ranked Harris #53 and said he would be a backup cornerback (LINK). He started three games and made 11 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.
TTB Rating: N/A

Harris was the beneficiary of some injuries in 2023, particularly with Will Johnson being hobbled to start the season. Throw in the fact that it took UMass transfer Josh Wallace some time to acclimate, and Michigan had a walk-on cornerback in Keshaun Harris starting the first three games of the year. He held up okay against some weak opponents (ECU, UNLV, and BGSU) before he was relegated to backup duty, posting PFF grades of 66.6, 62.1, and 63.6 in those games. (The one major blip was an abysmal tackling grade of 21.6 against UNLV, which was odd because he’s always been a solid tackler on special teams; however, UNLV had a couple quick guys who were tough to corral.)

This year Harris has occasionally been mentioned to be in competition for the starting spot vacated by Wallace, but he does not appear to be a major factor there. The starter opposite Johnson is likely going to be either Jyaire Hill or Albany transfer Aamir Hall. But at the very least, Harris is a veteran option with some starting experience under his belt. If he’s forced into action, he won’t be sweating bullets. Additionally, at times he has been talked about as one of the top few fastest players on the team, so he offers some upside as a special teams player with his speed and tackling.

Prediction: Backup cornerback and special teamer

16Aug 2024

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2024 Season Countdown: #49 Brandyn Hillman

Name: Brandyn Hillman
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 200 lbs.
High school: Portsmouth (VA) Churchland
Position: Safety
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #6
Last year: I ranked Hillman #93 and said he would be a backup safety and special teamer (LINK). He played in nine games and made 2 tackles.
TTB Rating: 83

Hillman was a standout runner and passer as a quarterback in high school, and he even played defense. I really like former quarterbacks who move over to play defense, so I thought he might have a leg up on some of the other freshman defensive backs trying to get into the rotation. And despite the depth at safety, Hillman was still able to slide onto the field as a true freshman, which is a pretty impressive feat. After all, he was behind Rod Moore, Makari Paige, Keon Sabb, and Quinten Johnson, but the coaches still wanted to give him playing time. He made just two tackles and didn’t play from the Ohio State game onward, but that’s not a bad freshman year.

This year the coaching staff has been bringing up Hillman’s name in press conferences, so the new defensive staff sees some of the same things the old one did. Hillman has good size and speed, he’s aggressive, and he brings the processing that’s necessary for high school quarterbacks. It seems like only a matter of time until he turns into a decent college player. This fall Michigan has him getting reps at the nickel spot. He’s unlikely to start – Zeke Berry seems to have that position locked down – but it seems to be Hillman and Ja’Den McBurrows fighting for the #2 spot there. Even if Hillman loses that slot to McBurrows, he can still play on special teams and offer depth at safety if necessary. And once Paige, Johnson, Moore, and Wesley Walker are gone after 2024, Hillman will have a chance to stake his claim for a safety or nickel spot.

Prediction: Backup nickel

16Aug 2024

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2024 Season Countdown: #50 Dominick Giudice

Name: Dominick Giudice
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 310 lbs.
High school: Freehold (NJ) Mater Dei
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #56
Last year: I ranked Giudice #83 and said he would be a backup offensive guard (LINK). He played in three games.
TTB Rating: 58

Two seasons ago, Giudice moved from defensive tackle to the offensive line and played in three games total. Last year he was 290 pounds and played a little bit as a backup; he played offensive line in one game (Indiana) and special teams in two contests (BGSU and ECU). Regardless of how ready he was to play, the 2023 line was tough to break in on because of the presence of so many good, veteran linemen.

This year the line has thinned out a little bit (six linemen from 2023 were drafted or signed by NFL teams), while Giudice has thickened up (290 pounds to 310). Reports out of practices have Giudice in the mix as a backup, but the guard spots are pretty much locked up by Giovanni El-Hadi and Josh Priebe. Raheem Anderson is another experienced interior guy who could factor in at guard (if he doesn’t win the center job), so I think Giudice is probably at least the fourth guard, if not lower. But injuries can take a toll on an offensive line throughout a game or a season, so with his added weight, perhaps Giudice will get a little more run in 2024.

Prediction: Backup offensive guard