2013 Season Countdown: #50 Jeremy Clark

Tag: 2013 season countdown

10Jul 2013
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2013 Season Countdown: #50 Jeremy Clark

Jeremy Clark

Name: Jeremy Clark
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 201 lbs.
High school: Madisonville (KY) North Hopkins
Position: Safety
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #34
Last year: I ranked Clark #76 and said he would redshirt. He redshirted.

Clark entered last year as a long, lanky kid who was told he would get a chance to play cornerback initially. There weren’t many 6’4″ cornerbacks in the country last year, and there still aren’t because he’s a safety now. In the spring game, Clark was playing strong safety with the backups. He has filled out a little bit, but there’s more room to grow. He also has some developing to do with his coverage and play recognition.

It looks like fifth year senior Thomas Gordon will be the starting strong safety, but one of his backups has moved to SAM linebacker in the form of redshirt freshman Allen Gant. Aside from a couple freshmen, the only other competition for backup strong safety appears to be redshirt junior Josh Furman, who has been unimpressive at every turn. I actually think Clark might be a better option at strong safety despite being two years younger than Furman, but the elder player has been helpful on special teams, which is why Clark sits at #50 and Furman has yet to be profiled. Clark should get his first taste of regular season action, some special teams time, and perhaps be in the mix to start at safety in 2014.

Prediction: Backup strong safety, special teamer

9Jul 2013
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2013 Season Countdown: #51 Thomas Rawls

Thomas Rawls

Name: Thomas Rawls
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 217 lbs.
High school: Flint (MI) Northern
Position: Running back
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #38
Last year: I ranked Rawls #18 and said he would be a part-time starter. He started one game and had 57 carries for 242 yards and 4 touchdowns.

I made a mistake and ranked Rawls too high last year. I decided to believe Fred Jackson, and I will never, ever, ever do that again. In 2012 Rawls looked like the guy I thought he was coming out of high school. He doesn’t break tackles the way someone his size should, and he doesn’t have breakaway speed. However, he did have good games against Illinois (9 carries for 90 yards, including a 63-yard touchdown), Purdue, and UMass, for whatever those accomplishments are worth.

Rawls has now had two years to prove himself a capable runner, and he has yet to do so. Whenever starter Fitzgerald Toussaint returns to health, I think Rawls will find himself #3 on the depth chart behind Toussaint and freshman Derrick Green. Rawls might have some value as a backup fullback, but he does not appear to be starter material. Former 5-star Kevin Grady followed a similar career path from failed tailback to fullback, and while I’m not totally writing Rawls off from contention for backup duty at tailback, I just think there are better guys in the pipeline.

Prediction: Backup running back; 30 carries, 130 yards, 2 touchdowns

8Jul 2013
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2013 Season Countdown: #52 Sione Houma

Sione Houma

Name: Sione Houma
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 229 lbs.
High school: Salt Lake City (UT) Highland
Position: Fullback
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #39
Last year: I ranked Houma #86 and said he would redshirt. He had 1 kickoff return for 9 yards and 2 tackles on special teams.

Houma entered last season as the third fullback, but a mid-season departure from Stephen Hopkins opened the door a little bit more for playing time. Joe Kerridge was the starting fullback, but Houma played a couple games there and also saw quite a bit of time on special teams. He didn’t touch the ball offensively, but that’s just about par for the course in Michigan’s offense.

This year Hopkins is out of the way, so it looks like Houma will be the primary backup to incumbent starter Joe Kerridge. True freshman Wyatt Shallman, brought in as a running back, may eventually play some at fullback, too. Houma has been praised for his lead blocking, and he also has some value as a special teamer, so he should get a fair amount of playing time.

Prediction: Backup fullback, special teams

7Jul 2013
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2013 Season Countdown: #53 Joey Burzynski

Joe Burzynski (#56)

Name: Joey Burzynski
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 291 lbs.
High school: Carlsbad (CA) Carlsbad
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #56
Last year: I ranked Burzynski #31 and said he would be a backup left guard. He played in eight games as a backup offensive guard.

Burzynski started in the 2012 spring game and caused some people to get excited/upset because a walk-on was starting on the offensive line. But when the season began, Burzynski was back to watching from the sideline while Ricky Barnum and Patrick Omameh started. The walk-on was a primary backup offensive guard, but luckily, the offensive line remained mostly injury-free last year and Burzynski wasn’t needed in crunch time.

He will always be a little bit short, and he’s a little bit light at 291 lbs. He seems to have fallen behind some younger scholarship guys, and redshirt sophomore Graham Glasgow has been getting mentioned as a possible player at center, but not Burzynski. He has snapped the ball in the past and could be an emergency option there. He could still see some playing time as a backup or if there are injuries at the interior positions, but he’s not a viable option for a team that hopes to compete for the Big Ten championship.

Prediction: Backup offensive guard

6Jul 2013
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2013 Season Countdown: #54 Richard Ash

Richard Ash

Name: Richard Ash
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 316 lbs.
High school: Pahokee (FL) Pahokee
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #54
Last year: I ranked Ash #39 and said he would be the backup nose tackle. He played in four games and did not accrue any statistics.

Ash has been a bit of a forgotten man over the past few years. He came in without a great deal of hype for being a 4-star prospect, and his position was a little bit in the air. Rich Rodriguez recruited him for defensive tackle, but some thought he would be better as a strongside defensive end type. Last year he played around 301 lbs., which would have made him a light rotational defensive tackle . . . if he made the rotation. So far he has played in nine career games without making a single tackle. He simply hasn’t been very effective.

Fifth year senior Quinton Washington established himself as a starting nose tackle last year, and sophomore Ondre Pipkins earned most of the backup snaps. Ash doesn’t have the explosive abilities to be a consistent penetrator, so perhaps he can use his 316 lbs. to take up some space in the middle this coming year. However, the only defensive tackle who graduated last year was William Campbell, Michigan’s starting 3-tech. Until Washington graduates, Ash will probably find himself in the same spot or lower on the depth chart.

Prediction: Backup nose tackle