Tag: 2011 Season Countdown

2011 Countdown: #69 Christian Pace

Christian Pace

Name: Christian Pace
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 280 lbs.
High school: Avon Lake High School in Avon Lake, OH
Position: Center/guard
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #64
Last year: I ranked Pace #86 and said he would redshirt.  He redshirted.

Pace was only 259 lbs. last year, which is roughly what I weigh after Christmas dinner.  But I’m not trying to play offensive line in the Big Ten, so he needed some time to grow.  He has grown since then, adding 21 lbs., which still isn’t enough.  The last time I saw Pace, 330 lb. defensive tackle William Campbell was teaching (er, forcing) him to moonwalk back into the path of running backs.

Pace did make appearances at guard this spring, which means he could be a backup in multiple locations.  However, there are still several guys on the roster who can play center (David Molk, Ricko Khoury, Elliott Mealer, Ricky Barnum) that would probably be better options than the 280 lb. Pace.  We’ll probably see him on the field this year against, say, Eastern Michigan.  But that might be it.

Prediction: Backup center/guard

2011 Countdown: #70 Jared Van Slyke

Jared Van Slyke

Name: Jared Van Slyke
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 196 lbs.
High school: John Burroughs High School in St. Louis, MO
Position: Safety
Class: Redshirt senior
Jersey number: #31
Last year: I did not rank Van Slyke.  He missed the season due to a broken clavicle.

I overlooked Van Slyke in the 2010 Countdown mainly because he was a walk-on, but once August practice rolled around, he looked like he might earn some playing time at free safety.  Then he broke his clavicle and missed the entire year.  But way back in 2009, he played in nine games and made 2 tackles as a safety and special teamer.

Michigan has enough depth and experience at the safety positions that he’s probably out of the running to play much defense, but Van Slyke returns for his final year of eligibility with a shot to make an impact once again on special teams.  And if injury/attrition rates for defensive backs continue at the same rate they have in recent years, who knows?  Maybe he’ll get a shot to start.

(Yes, he’s the son of former St. Louis Cardinal and Pittsburgh Pirate Andy Van Slyke.)

Prediction: Special teams contributor

2011 Countdown: #71 Terrence Talbott

Terrence Talbott (#22)

Name: Terrence Talbott
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 171 lbs.
High school: Wayne High School in Huber Heights, OH
Position: Cornerback
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #22
Last year: I ranked Terrence Talbott #69 and said he would get scarce mop-up duty.  He had 16 tackles and 1 pass breakup.

Talbott was someone who played significant minutes in 2010 that probably shouldn’t have.  He was undersized and outmatched, but the dearth of experienced cornerbacks, the injuries to Troy Woolfolk and J.T. Floyd, and the departure of Justin Turner turned Talbott into a 13-game contributor on special teams and at cornerback.

There were lots of rumors this spring that Terrence left the team at one point, and that the coaches gave him a couple days to consider whether he wanted to stick with the new staff or not.  Ultimately, the smaller Talbott returned to the team but was largely invisible throughout the spring.  Barring further injuries in the defensive backfield, I expect him to be buried on the depth chart again in 2011, which is where he probably should have been last year.

Prediction: Contributor on punt and punt return; backup cornerback

2011 Countdown: #72 Isaiah Bell

Isaiah Bell

Name: Isaiah Bell
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 245 lbs.
High school: Liberty High School in Youngstown, OH
Position: Middle linebacker
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #26
Last year: I ranked him #65 and said he would contribute on special teams. Bell did not play at all.

I was an unabashed fan of Bell when he was coming out of high school, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t have my doubts about him at this point.  He didn’t even play special teams as a redshirt freshman, and there have been persistent rumors about his work ethic, conditioning, attitude, etc.  He was largely non-existent in the spring game, too.

This coming season ought to be a barometer of what path Bell will take for the remainder of his career.  If he still can’t get on the field on special teams, that’s bad news and probably speaks more to his attitude than physical talent.  Walk-ons litter special teams units (Floyd Simmons, Zac Johnson, Tom Pomarico, Mark Moundros, Tony Anderson, etc.), and Bell obviously possesses more athleticism than most walk-ons.  But if Bell starts to see the field a little bit on specials and gets sprinkled in there on defense, then he might be a late-blooming type who can help the team as an upperclassman.

Prediction: Special teams contributor . . . ?

2011 Countdown: #73 Antonio Poole

Antonio Poole

Name: Antonio Poole
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 215 lbs.
High school: Winton Woods High School in Cincinnati, OH
Position: Linebacker
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #40
Last year: Poole was a high school senior (commitment post here)

TTB Rating: 82

Poole is one of the most exciting prospects in the 2011 class for Michigan, because he offers a glimpse into the “old ways” of Michigan football.  He’s a weakside linebacker who’s a little on the small side, but he’s a good blitzer and can run a little bit.  Weakside linebackers in Greg Mattison’s defense are players who have little responsibility other than “see ball, get ball.”  As soon as Mattison was hired, he made it a point to visit Poole and push for a commitment, which showed that Mattison really wanted Poole.

I think Poole might be ready to get on the field immediately, even if it’s only on kick coverage.  He’s the type of downhill linebacker that Michigan fans ought to be excited about, and he could even work his way into some reps if some of the upperclassman WILLs don’t play well early in the season.

Prediction: Special teams contributor; backup linebacker