Tag: 2012 season countdown

2012 Season Countdown: #75 Jordan Paskorz

Jordan Paskorz

Name: Jordan Paskorz
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 246 lbs.
High school: Gibsonia (PA) Hampton
Position: Tight end
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #94
Last year: I ranked Paskorz #75 and said he would be a special teams contributor.  He did not see game action.

Paskorz has spent two seasons in Ann Arbor, and he has yet to see the field.  Originally recruited by Rich Rodriguez as a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker, Paskorz practiced as a SAM linebacker last season but couldn’t crack the depth chart, getting outplayed by a trio of inexperienced linebackers in Jake Ryan, Cam Gordon, and Brennen Beyer.

For the upcoming season, Paskorz moved to tight end during the spring.  The graduation of Kevin Koger and Steve Watson, along with the early departure of freshman Chris Barnett, left a gaping hole at the tight end position.  Senior Brandon Moore is expected to start at tight end, but a couple incoming freshmen will try to contribute, too.  In the limited snaps we saw of Paskorz during the spring, he looked somewhat uncoordinated and overmatched by other athletes on the team.  I would be surprised to see Paskorz make anything more than a minimal contribution.

Prediction: Bench

2012 Season Countdown: #76 Jeremy Clark

Jeremy Clark (#2)

Name: Jeremy Clark
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 205 lbs.
High school: Madisonville (KY) North Hopkins
Position: Safety
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #34
Last year: Clark was in high school.  He had 70 tackles, 15 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble, 3 interceptions (3 touchdown returns), and 1 fumble recovery (for a touchdown).

Final TTB Rating: 59

Clark was a high school superstar last season, a free safety who put up very good numbers and made his opponents look downright silly at times.  He hit a growth spurt between his junior and senior seasons, and Michigan’s coaches latched on before anyone else could.  Clark accepted a grayshirt opportunity at Michigan before a real scholarship opened up, and before too long, Clark was a full-fledged scholarship recipient.

The last time we saw Clark, he was a little bit gangly.  For a kid who’s 6’3″ or 6’4″, his ideal weight is probably around 215-220 lbs.  Clark is also a kid who looked a little raw in high school, which is somewhat understandable because most of his opponents were completely outmatched by his athleticism; he got by on being bigger and faster than everyone, not necessarily by being more fundamental.  Clark could probably use a season to add some bulk, and perhaps more time to refine his technique.  But if he shows enough aggression and the desire to hit people, he could find an opportunity to play on kickoff coverage.

Prediction: Redshirt

(UPDATE: Conveniently, Andrew will be interviewing Clark in a couple days, so leave a question that you might have for Andrew to ask.)

2012 Season Countdown: #77 Kaleb Ringer

Kaleb Ringer

Name: Kaleb Ringer
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 225 lbs.
High school: Clayton (OH) Northmont
Position: Linebacker
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #49
Last year: Ringer was in high school. He made 59 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 pass breakup while missing several games with a knee injury.

Final TTB Rating: 39

Ringer enrolled early in January, participating in spring practices and seeing some time as a backup in the spring game.  The inside linebacker positions are somewhat interchangeable, and Ringer saw snaps at both WILL and MIKE.  He looked particularly well built this spring and has a physically mature body.

Ringer was recruited as a WILL, and with fellow early enrollee Joe Bolden earning rave reviews at the MIKE position, it’s unlikely that both Bolden and Ringer will be needed at MIKE.  Meanwhile, the WILL position is very deep and probably won’t require contributions from Ringer unless there are a couple significant injuries or departures.  He could see some time on special teams, but the depth at linebacker places him fairly low on this list.

Prediction: Redshirt

2012 Season Countdown: #78 Tamani Carter

Tamani Carter

Name: Tamani Carter
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 175 lbs.
High school: Pickerington (OH) Central
Position: Free safety
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #20
Last year: I predicted that Carter would be a backup safety.  He redshirted.

Carter came out of high school without a great deal of fanfare as a late addition to the 2011 recruiting class.  He had a chance to earn playing time last season if the team needed him in a pinch, but luckily, there were very few injuries in the defensive backfield.  Carter plays free safety, which is currently occupied by Thomas Gordon, and departed senior Troy Woolfolk spent some time at free safety during the latter half of the year.  That afforded Carter the chance to redshirt.

This spring Carter was involved in the legal issues that kept fellow safety Josh Furman from participating in spring practices.  Although Carter was never charged, he sat out several practices while the coaches and the legal system sorted things out.  He probably hasn’t completely escaped the doghouse, and the depth at safety hasn’t changed much since last season.  Gordon is still the starter at FS and Jordan Kovacs will start at strong safety; Furman and Marvin Robinson return as backups; and a couple incoming freshman, Jarrod Wilson and Jeremy Clark, will also be competing for time at free safety.  It’s likely that Carter spends another year looking on from the sideline.

Prediction: Bench

2012 Season Countdown: #79 Floyd Simmons

Floyd Simmons (#23)

Name: Floyd Simmons
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 194 lbs.
High school: Detroit (MI) Crockett
Position: Strong safety
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #23
Last year: I did not rank Simmons.  He made 6 tackles, mostly on special teams, and forced 2 fumbles.

Simmons has become a special teams mainstay over the past few seasons, playing in 34 games over the last three seasons.  He even forced two fumbles last season in big games against Nebraska and Notre Dame – not bad for a walk-on.

At this point, it seems likely that Simmons will once again be used on coverage units.  His contributions might be made even more valuable if his presence can prevent a freshman defensive back like Allen Gant or Jeremy Clark from burning a redshirt.  Hopefully he can improve his numbers once again and force three fumbles, preferably against Michigan State this time.  Those bastards.

Prediction: Special teams coverage