Jake Butt
Projected starter: Senior Jake Butt. Butt (51 catches, 654 yards, 3 TDs) has been Michigan’s leading tight end for the past two seasons, and last year he was in the running for the Mackey Award, which is given to the nation’s top tight end. He should once again be in the running for the Mackey Award and an All-America nod.
Departures: A.J. Williams (12 catches, 129 yards), who was mainly a blocking tight end, graduated. Meanwhile, redshirt junior backup Khalid Hill is moving to fullback this spring (LINK) and redshirt sophomore Chase Winovich is moving back to linebacker after spending one season at fullback/tight end.
Hit the jump for more on the tight end situation.
Backup battle: Williams improved noticeably last year after being a poor to mediocre blocker during his first three years on campus. Butt’s biggest issue is his blocking, so the Wolverines need someone to step up in that area of the game. Hill was also a decent blocker, so some fresh blood is necessary. One potential solution to the problem is redshirt freshman Tyrone Wheatley, Jr., who is listed at 6’6″, 260 lbs. on the official roster. He was reportedly close to 290 lbs. last summer before trimming some weight, but that will be something to watch. Some have speculated that he will end up as an offensive tackle. For now it seems to make sense that he should remain at tight end, work on his blocking, and perhaps become the “starting” blocking tight end. Another option is redshirt sophomore Ian Bunting (6’7″, 243 lbs.), who was a high school wide receiver and is more in the mold of Butt. One of the most intriguing players is redshirt freshman Zach Gentry (listed at 6’7″, 230 lbs. in the fall), who is making the switch from quarterback. He has a great deal of athleticism and good size, but he will be a work in progress when it comes to the finer points of blocking, route running, etc. True freshman Sean McKeon enrolled early, but he did not play against great competition in high school and has some physical maturing to do. He is probably headed for a redshirt.
#1 thing to watch: Who’s going to be the main competition for incoming freshman Devin Asiasi? Asiasi won’t arrive until this summer, but he already has the size, athleticism, and mentality to make an early impact. I expect him to play this fall, and if nobody besides Butt establishes himself this spring, then the rest of the crew could be watching Asiasi get the #2 tight end reps this fall. Michigan has a lot of competition at tight end, and it’s going to be a scramble for playing time.
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You probably meant to say of Wheatley., “For now it seems to make sense that he should remain at tight end, work on his blocking, and perhaps become the “starting” blocking tight end.
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I hope the coaches push very hard to make Wheatley into an OT. He’s already getting biggish for a viable TE, and we will need depth at tackle much more than TE going forward. Either way, he needs to be slotted by this fall and be taking all of his reps where he’s eventually going to be most useful. Would hate to see the coaches screw around with him and waste a whole year like they did with Winovich.
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At this point I hope they turn him into an OT, too. We need the depth there. It’s unfortunate, because I don’t think that’s where his future should be from a talent standpoint. It’s one of those things where he might need to “take one for the team” but that type of move isn’t really something you can come back from. Once you become a tackle, it’s almost unheard of to become a tight end, defensive end, outside linebacker, etc. He and the staff have to be really sure that it’s what they want to do.
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Yep. I meant “tight end” and not “tackle.”
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Didn’t Zach Gentry move to TE? No mention of him?
What do you think his future at TE looks like?
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Yeah. I typed this up before the move was officially announced. I corrected the Hill thing but didn’t add Gentry.
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