2013 Season Countdown: #60 Antonio Poole

Tag: 2013 season countdown

30Jun 2013
Uncategorized 4 comments

2013 Season Countdown: #60 Antonio Poole

Antonio Poole (#40)

Name: Antonio Poole
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 218 lbs.
High school: Cincinnati (OH) Winton Woods
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #40
Last year: I ranked Poole #60 and said he would sit out the season due to injury. He did not see game action.

Poole has now remained on the sideline for his first two years on campus. For linebackers that’s typically not a good sign, because those guys can play a lot of roles on special teams. He earned a little bit of buzz early on at Michigan, but last year he suffered a pectoral injury that forced him to miss the entire 2012 season. And while he remains on the team, he still wasn’t full go this spring.

The end-of-spring depth chart included a two-deep of Desmond Morgan and Joe Bolden at MIKE, and then James Ross III and Royce Jenkins-Stone at WILL. There have been some suggestions by insiders that Poole’s career might be finished due to the injury, but either way, it seems that anything he contributes from this point forward is a plus. There are three starter-quality inside linebackers (Morgan, Bolden, Ross) and an unproven youngster (Jenkins-Stone) in that group. If Poole is recovered, I think he has the instincts and athleticism to push Jenkins-Stone for that #2 WILL spot and play on coverage units. If he’s not recovered by August, I think that’s a very bad sign for his career.

Prediction: Backup WILL linebacker, special teams coverage

29Jun 2013
Uncategorized 4 comments

2013 Season Countdown: #61 Terry Richardson

Terry Richardson

Name: Terry Richardson
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 162 lbs.
High school: Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
Position: Cornerback
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #13
Last year: I ranked Richardson #73 and said he would redshirt. He played a minimal amount of time as a backup cornerback and on special teams.

Going into the 2012 season, I really thought Richardson was likely to redshirt. After all, Michigan returned two starters, nickel corner Courtney Avery, and some lightly seasoned backups. I’m not sure how much good it does to throw a guy out there who’s 160 lbs. and not lightning with the ball in his hands, but the coaches did it four times anyway . . . and Richardson didn’t factor into the stat sheet at all. In the spring game, he still looked pretty frail and unready to mix it up with the big boys.

Michigan once again returns two starting cornerbacks: 2012 starter Raymon Taylor and 2011 starter Blake Countess, the latter of whom missed virtually all of last season with a torn ACL. And Courtney Avery looks to be competing on the outside rather than returning as the nickel corner, so there’s lots of competition for the cornerback spots. Fellow Cass Tech Technician Delonte Hollowell seemed to be higher on the depth chart than Richardson in the spring, so it will be an uphill battle for playing time. Despite lacking some size, Richardson has some talent as a returner and was pretty good in coverage coming out of high school. He won’t earn a starting job, and he probably won’t be a primary backup, but the coaches burned his redshirt for a reason; I’m assuming he’ll get a little bit of run at the field corner position in garbage time and some special teams coverage duties.

Prediction: Backup cornerback, special teamer

28Jun 2013
Uncategorized 12 comments

2013 Season Countdown: #62 Drake Johnson

Drake Johnson

Name: Drake Johnson
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 212 lbs.
High school: Ann Arbor (MI) Pioneer
Position: Running back
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #20 (changed from #29)
Last year: I ranked Johnson #84 and said he would redshirt. He redshirted.

Johnson entered college last year as a lightly regarded football player. He spent a good deal of time concentrating on track in high school, so some thought that he would improve as a football player once he concentrated on the gridiron. In the run-up to the bowl game against South Carolina, head coach Brady Hoke said that he wished kids could play in bowl games without ruining their redshirts. That sounded positive for Johnson, but keep in mind that Fitzgerald Toussaint had a broken leg and Thomas Rawls had an undisclosed injury. The crew of running backs was narrowed down to converted quarterback Denard Robinson, then-senior Vincent Smith, and then-redshirt freshman Justice Hayes. Johnson proceeded to look pretty average in the spring game, in my opinion.

Going into the 2013 season, Toussaint should return and elite running back recruit Derrick Green will be on campus. Rawls and Hayes both have some experience, and freshman DeVeon Smith will also be competing for backup duties. I don’t think Johnson will factor into the running back rotation much, but I do think he could help out on kick returns and coverage units. Rawls and Hayes don’t appear to be long-term answers at the running back position, so the coaches might give Johnson a chance to establish himself as a feature back going forward.

Prediction: Backup running back, special teamer

27Jun 2013
Uncategorized 9 comments

2013 Season Countdown: #63 Allen Gant

Allen Gant

Name: Allen Gant
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 203 lbs.
High school: Sylvania (OH) Southview
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #12
Last year: I ranked Gant #81 and said he would redshirt. He redshirted.

Gant came into school as a large strong safety, and as I mentioned during his recruitment, he was somewhat lacking in foot speed for a safety. Defensive coordinator Greg Mattison has mentioned that he wants his safeties to be interchangeable, and Gant was probably a little on the slow side to be trusted in deep coverage. He didn’t garner a ton of practice buzz, and he didn’t play much in the spring game, partially due to a nagging injury; he did, however, show a little of what he could do when he came up for support in the run game during the spring. That tackling ability – and the lack of foot speed – precipitated a move to SAM linebacker for the fall.

With junior Brennen Beyer and fifth year senior Cam Gordon locked into a battle for the starting SAM spot this fall while redshirt junior Jake Ryan recovers from a torn ACL, Gant probably won’t be counted on much this year. He will also be competing with walk-on redshirt freshman Mark Lawson and true freshman Mike McCray II, but Gant looks to be third until Ryan returns. Hopefully Michigan won’t need him much on defense this year, but Gant is the type of big safety/linebacker who could be very useful on special teams.

Prediction: Backup SAM linebacker

26Jun 2013
Uncategorized 3 comments

2013 Season Countdown: #64 Tom Strobel

Tom Strobel (image via Hokeamaniac)

Name: Tom Strobel
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 262 lbs.
High school: Mentor (OH) Mentor
Position: Defensive end
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #50
Last year: I ranked Strobel #82 and said he would redshirt. He redshirted.

It’s hard to say much new about a redshirt freshman that hasn’t played meaningful football in two years, but here we are. Strobel has stayed pretty steady with his weight, but he will probably add a few more pounds before the fall. The coaching staff wanted Craig Roh up around 280 lbs. to play the 5-tech position, so Strobel still seems like he’ll be a little light for their liking. However, he did earn some practice buzz this past season and in the spring. The coaches seem to like his potential.

As for this coming fall, Strobel could find himself in the rotation, but he probably won’t be a heavily used player. Redshirt sophomore Keith Heitzman appears to be the leader for the strongside end position, and redshirt freshman Matt Godin got a lot of run in the spring game. Furthermore, Strobel’s classmate Chris Wormley was talked about as a guy who would have played last year if not for his torn ACL, although Wormley might end up as a defensive tackle. I don’t think Strobel will be any higher than third on the depth chart, but the he does have potential down the road.

Prediction: Backup 5-tech defensive end