Tag: 2010 Season Countdown

2010 Countdown: #29 William Campbell

2010 Countdown: #30 Michael Shaw

Name: Michael Shaw
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 181 lbs.
High school: Trotwood-Madison High School in Trotwood, OH
Position: Superback
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #20
Last year: I ranked Shaw #29 and said he’d be the starting running back in 2010. He had 42 carries for 185 yards and 2 touchdowns, as well as 2 catches for 5 yards.

Shaw seems to be almost the spitting image of the graduated Carlos Brown. Both are thinly built, fast, lack even adequate power, catch the ball well, and get injured when the wind blows. In the 2009 Eastern Michigan game, Carlos Brown was tackled by a fingertip on what looked to be a long TD run. Also in the 2009 EMU game, Michael Shaw was tackled by a safety who grabbed a fistful of jersey on what looked to be a long TD run. Rarely has the passing of the torch been so obvious, unless you’re passing an actual torch.

One thing Shaw has in spades is speed. He was a champion sprinter in high school, and he showed off that speed with a 48-yard run against Minnesota in 2008. Unfortunately, he pulled his groin and has had various nagging injuries since then. When completely healthy, he’s a big play waiting to happen. There’s definitely a role for him on this team. In fact, I’d like to see him get some reps at receiver. Oddly enough, he was listed as a wide receiver on the roster for his first two seasons on campus, but rarely (if ever) lined up anywhere but in the backfield. Now that he’s shown us his inability to break tackles . . . he’s listed as a running back. This kid could be excellent at running a bubble screen and getting out on the edge. Regardless, he’s a decent option at superback, but a good Big Ten team has to have a running back who can break few tackles. That’s why Shaw will be watching Michael Cox get the majority of the handoffs this season.

Prediction for 2010: Backup superback; 85 carries, 500 yards, 5 touchdowns

Addendum: There have been rumors floating over the past few days that Shaw may be ineligible for the 2010 season. He’s finishing up summer school in the next two weeks. As a potential starter, I can’t imagine he would do anything less than pass his class(es) with adequate grades to play. But there’s at least a chance that Shaw won’t be on the field this fall.

2010 Countdown: #31 Rocko Khoury

Name: Ryan Jordan (Rocko) Khoury
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 291 lbs.
High school: Traverse City West High School in Traverse City, MI
Position: Center/guard
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #63
Last year: I ranked Khoury #63 and said he’d struggle to be on the two-deep. He played in three games (2 at center, 1 at guard) but his place on the two-deep was nominal, as guard David Moosman slid over to center when starter David Molk was injured.

Khoury was a lightly regarded recruit coming out of high school. As a redshirt freshman in 2009, he reportedly struggled with snapping the ball in practice. Spring reports from pre-2009 hinted that Michigan would be in serious trouble if Molk were injured, and Murphy’s Law seized its opportunity. Molk went down with a broken bone and then a torn ACL, but Khoury was nowhere to be found. Offensive line coach Greg Frey deemed starting right guard David Moosman as a more capable replacement, which is scary considering the number of errant snaps sent hurtling towards the quarterbacks for the remainder of the season. This is not to speak badly of Moosman, who was a very solid guard prior to the change. Perhaps it’s more indicative of how difficult the center’s job is in Rodriguez’s offense.

Shotgun snaps aren’t anything to take lightly. If you’ve ever played quarterback in backyard football, you know how annoying a bad snap can be. Now take that center; put a bunch of pads on him; implant a drooling, stinky, 320 lb. ogre across from him; have him identify the blocking schemes; tell him to snap the ball in rhythm; and, oh yeah, make a quick sideways step while simultaneously snapping the ball in order to block that ogre. Now you almost feel sorry for the center, don’t you?

Anyway, Khoury has reportedly improved his snaps significantly over the past year. He’s an extremely important backup, but not simply because of the center’s involvement in the play. Remember that Molk tore his ACL on October 24, 2009, against Penn State. When September rolls around, Molk will be less than a year removed from surgery. He’s in the same boat that running back Vincent Smith inhabits, although Smith plays a position where knee mobility is of great import. Many Michigan fans think Smith should redshirt in 2010, but assume that Molk will be ready to start on Day 1. Molk will be able to wear a brace, but he might not be 100%. I would surmise that Khoury will get a heavy dose of playing time this season, especially if Michigan opens up a wide lead in the first five games of the season.

Prediction for 2010: Backup center/guard

2010 Countdown: #32 Cullen Christian

Name: Cullen Christian
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 180 lbs.
High school: Penn Hills High School in Pittsburgh, PA
Position: Cornerback
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A

Christian is one of the most important players in the incoming freshman class due to his a) position and b) skill. Michigan is dangerously thin at cornerback. Presumed starters Troy Woolfolk and J.T. Floyd have less than a full season of starts under their belts . . . combined. The other corners include cornerback-turned-wide-receiver-turned-cornerback James Rogers and redshirt freshman J.T. Turner. And I’ve never been a big fan of Floyd, so while I hope he does well, I’m also hoping that Christian can come in and challenge for playing time.

Christian is the most likely freshman corner to play this season, and his skills are plentiful (commitment post here). He has okay speed and good awareness. His tackling is suspect but will surely improve. One thing that has impressed me about the Rodriguez regime is the tackling in the secondary; Christian won’t see the field if he’s unwilling to hit. Regardless, J.T. Floyd reportedly took big strides in the spring, and I’m cautiously optimistic that Floyd will play well enough to stave off Christian, at least for a little while. Christian will be the better player in the long run, but he’s only been on campus for a little over a month, whereas Floyd is a redshirt sophomore. Don’t be surprised if Christian works his way into the lineup by late October, though.

2010 Countdown: #33 J.B. Fitzgerald

Name: J.B. Fitzgerald
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 239 lbs.
High school: West Windsor Plainsboro High School in Princeton Junction, NJ
Position: Linebacker
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #42
Last year: I ranked Fitzgerald #37 and said he’d be a backup inside linebacker. He made 16 tackles and 4 tackles for loss.

A silly failure to properly use a redshirt year makes J.B. Fitzgerald a junior this season, giving him just one year to replace presumed 2010 starters Obi Ezeh or Jonas Mouton. I know this isn’t PlayStation, but would you rather have Fitzgerald make 8 tackles (6 on special teams) as a freshman, or would you rather have him as a fifth year, two-year starter in 2012? Fitzgerald has played in a mediocre fashion the past two seasons, but inside linebacker is one of the most difficult positions on the field to adjust to from one level to the next. Not only is the middle linebacker a signal caller for the defense, but a split-second hesitation is the difference between making the tackle for no gain or getting gashed for a big gainer up the middle.

Fitzgerald wasn’t great in his limited playing time at inside ‘backer in 2009, but he wasn’t awful, either. The coaches seem to be gaining confidence in him, and in the spring, he was the #1 backup at all three linebacker positions – Roh’s, Ezeh’s, and Mouton’s. That’s partly due to injuries and a lack of depth, but there must be a reason that Fitzgerald has been entrusted with reps at all three positions, and not, say, Kenny Demens or Isaiah Bell. Fitzgerald has the size and speed to contribute at any linebacker spot, and he’ll get the opportunity if any injuries befall the starters. I expect Ezeh and Mouton to blossom this season, so Fitzgerald will be a special teams kamikaze and a key backup once again. But as I said last year, he’ll be a solid starter once those two seniors graduate.

Prediction for 2010: Special teams coverage, backup linebacker; 20 tackles