Tag: 2012 season countdown

2012 Season Countdown: #25 Courtney Avery

Courtney Avery (#5)

Name: Courtney Avery
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 173 lbs.
High school: Mansfield (OH) Lexington
Position: Cornerback
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #5
Last year: I ranked Avery #22 and said he would start at cornerback with 40 tackles and 2 interceptions.  He started four games at slot corner and had 26 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1/2 a sack, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries (1 returned for a touchdown).

I thought Avery would be a full-time starting corner last season, but the coaches preferred to use him in the slot.  He started just four games, but he played very well in that role.  He filled up the stat sheet, as you can see above, and clinched the Ohio State win with a nice break on the ball for an interception.  As just a part-time starter, he was the co-leader in interceptions and tied a Michigan record with an 83-yard fumble return for a touchdown.  It was a very good all-around season.

Both starters at the outside cornerback positions return in 2012 (J.T. Floyd, Blake Countess), so it’s unlikely that Avery will move out of the slot unless there’s an injury or two.  However, I think Avery is a very capable athlete who could step in for one of those two guys and hold up pretty well.  The backups are young, inexperienced, and a little bit lacking in talent.  The one with the most potential is probably freshman Terry Richardson, who is only 154 lbs. and probably needs a redshirt.  If everyone stays healthy, Avery should continue to be an asset at the slot corner and make even more of an impact.  Once Floyd graduates after this season, we could see Avery slide outside.  Either way, Avery should have a very solid career under his belt after 2013 finishes.

Prediction: Starting slot corner; 30 tackles, 2 interceptions, 2 sacks

2012 Season Countdown: #26 Elliott Mealer

Elliott Mealer

Name: Elliott Mealer
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 310 lbs.
High school: Wauseon (OH) Wauseon
Position: Offensive line
Class: Redshirt senior
Jersey number: #57
Last year: I ranked Mealer #58 and said he would be a backup offensive guard.  He played in 13 games on special teams, 7 of them on the offensive line.

Much like tight end Brandon Moore (profiled yesterday), Mealer has one last chance to establish himself at Michigan.  He has been a key backup for the past couple seasons, but he’s been unable to crack the starting lineup thus far.  Back in the spring, Mealer was once again “passed over” by Joey Burzynski at left guard, just like he was last season by Ricky Barnum and Michael Schofield.  My theory (as mentioned previously) is that the coaches needed Mealer to play tackle in the spring, since there were essentially no backups at the tackle positions, whereas there are two or three capable backups at guard.

Going into the 2012 season, I expect to see Mealer starting at left guard, but I don’t think he has a stranglehold on the position.  Burzynski may not be a viable Big Ten starter in the long run, but I do think he provides competition.  Many people think Kyle Kalis will make a push and/or eventually start at left guard, but offensive line coach Darrell Funk stated in the spring that Kalis would start working at right tackle.  While Kalis is the freshman lineman most ready to play, I think people underestimate how difficult it is to start on the offensive and defensive lines as a true freshman, especially without enrolling early.  This is going to be a close race, which is why Michigan’s starting left guard is all the way down here at #26, but I think Mealer’s going to hold onto the job.  And if he doesn’t, he can back up almost every position on the line.

Prediction: Starting left guard

2012 Season Countdown: #27 Brandon Moore

Brandon Moore

Name: Brandon Moore
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 261 lbs.
High school: Trotwood (OH) Trotwood-Madison
Position: Tight end
Class: Redshirt senior
Jersey number: #89
Last year: I ranked Moore #44 and said he would be the backup tight end.  He played in twelve games and caught 1 pass for 9 yards.

2012 Season Countdown: #28 Cameron Gordon

Cameron Gordon

Name: Cameron Gordon
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 235 lbs.
High school: Inkster (MI) Inkster
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #4
Last year: I ranked Gordon #19, said he would start at SAM, and make 60 tackles.  He played in seven games as a backup/special teamer and made 4 total tackles.

After appearing to be the starting outside linebacker going into the 2011 season, it was several weeks into the season before we saw Gordon hit the field.  He was recovering from a back injury suffered during August camp, which opened the door for Jake Ryan to get a stranglehold on the starting SAM job that he wouldn’t relinquish for the entire season.  Meanwhile, true freshman Brennen Beyer stepped in to back up Ryan and mostly held on to that job.  It was a disappointing campaign for Gordon, who went from starting full-time in 2010 (at one position or another) to being a very minor player in 2011.

Now that Beyer has changed positions, it looks like Gordon will battle for (and ultimately lose) the SAM job once again.  Ryan returns as the starter, and he had a pretty good season a year ago.  Meanwhile, the coaches moved bench player Jordan Paskorz from SAM to tight end in the offseason, and none of the four incoming freshman linebackers was recruited for the position, although there’s some buzz that Royce Jenkins-Stone will end up there.  Regardless, Jenkins-Stone reported to Michigan at 206 lbs., so he’s almost assured to redshirt.  Beyer played quite a bit last season, so there’s no reason to expect that Gordon won’t see a significant amount of playing time spelling Ryan this season.  In fact, now that the backup is a decent space player rather than a converted defensive end, Gordon might get on the field more frequently than Beyer in passing situations.  Ryan gets to where he needs to go most of the time, but he’s just okay in pass coverage.  Gordon has bulked up from 222 lbs. to 235, and he should be a very solid backup option as well as a special teams player.

Prediction: 30 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 interception

2012 Season Countdown: #29 Ondre Pipkins

Ondre Pipkins

Name: Ondre Pipkins
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 337 lbs.
High school: Kansas City (MO) Park Hill
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #56
Last year: Pipkins was in high school.  He had 60 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, and 3 pass breakups.

TTB Rating: 90

Perhaps the most anticipated arrival in 2012 will be defensive tackle Ondre Pipkins.  The future Michigan nose tackle said that he played the U.S. Army All-American Bowl at approximately 360 lbs., so getting down to 337 by July has been quite a feat.  Still, 330-350 lbs. was too heavy for the 6’5″ William Campbell (who has slimmed down to about 308 lbs.), so Pipkins probably needs to continue to shed the weight.  Pipkins tracked down all-everything wide receiver Stefon Diggs in the aforementioned all-star game and made some plays pursuing to the sideline, so he moves pretty well for a big man, even with excess weight.

As far as his freshman season goes, he will almost surely be pressed into action.  Michigan’s depth on the interior of the defensive line is rather non-existent, with only a handful of defensive tackles returning.  The presumed starters are William Campbell at nose tackle and Jibreel Black at 3-tech, while backups Quinton Washington, Richard Ash, and Ken Wilkins return.  None of those backups has produced much thus far, so the door is wide open for Pipkins to step in.  He probably doesn’t have a chance to start this season, but he could be Campbell’s primary backup or a short yardage contributor.  I have a feeling that he might start off the season third on the depth chart, but will probably move his way up as the season goes along.  My expectations are high for his career overall, but offensive line and defensive line (especially defensive tackle) are notoriously difficult transitions for freshmen.

Prediction: Backup nose tackle