2013 Season Countdown: #15 Matt Wile

Tag: 2013 season countdown

14Aug 2013
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2013 Season Countdown: #15 Matt Wile

Matt Wile

Name: Matt Wile
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 216 lbs.
High school: San Diego (CA) Francis Parker
Position: Kicker/punter
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #45
Last year: I ranked Wile #52 and said he would be the kickoff specialist and a backup punter. He averaged 35.9 yards/punt on 12 punts, with 9 landing inside the 20-yard line. He also was 2/3 on field goals. And he averaged 60.5 yards/kickoff on 77 attempts with 28 touchbacks.

Starting punter Will Hagerup has a yearly tradition of getting himself suspended (including for the entire 2013 season), so Wile has become a jack of all trades. He punts, kicks off, and kicks long field goals. While his punting average looks bad, that’s because he was the pooch punter. And as the long-range field goal specialist, he hit a career-long 52-yarder against South Carolina in the Outback Bowl. Yes, it was a pretty good year for the backup punter. (How often does that previous sentence get uttered throughout history?)

Now Wile looks to be the starting punter with Hagerup out of the picture. And in a very weird situation, he might never be the  starting punter at Michigan, because Hagerup could return in 2014 when both guys would run out of eligibility. Fifth year senior Brendan Gibbons has locked down the short kicking job and did okay on some longer kicks, so perhaps Wile will kick some more field goals this year . . . and perhaps he won’t. I hesitated to place Wile this high on the list, but what if he got hurt? Gibbons would likely take on the longer field goal duties as well, Michigan would have to use essentially a third-string punter (perhaps redshirt freshman walk-on Kenny Allen), and they would need to find a new kickoff guy. That’s a lot of tinkering and potentially quite a few lost yards in the process. Wile isn’t spectacular, but he’s a very solid all-around kicker.

Prediction: Starting punter and kickoff specialist; backup placekicker

13Aug 2013
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2013 Season Countdown: #16 Derrick Green

Derrick Green (image via The Wolverine)

Name: Derrick Green
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 240 lbs.
High school: Richmond (VA) Hermitage
Position: Running back
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #27
Last year: Green was a senior in high school. He had 1,350 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns.

The battle for Derrick Green came down to Auburn, Tennessee, and Michigan after also strongly considering Ohio State, Oregon, and Virginia Tech, among others. He made his final decision late in the process, and there was much rejoicing! In January I did a study of Rivals’ top-ranked tailbacks since the inception of the site in 2002, and the results were generally pleasing. The average top-rated back gets 429 carries, gains 2,442 yards, and scores 22 touchdowns. Green arrived on campus this summer and was immediately listed at 240 lbs., and there was much hand wringing! He was listed at 220 lbs. as a high schooler, but that was probably a lowball figure. He’s barrel chested with some bulk in his lower body, so my guess is he was probably 230-235 lbs. as a senior and when he played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Redshirt senior Fitzgerald Toussaint is the favorite to win the starting job, which is expected since he has two years of starting under his belt. The battle for the backup job is the interesting one, because no returning player has established himself as a potential feature back. Junior Thomas Rawls has received the bulk of the backup carries, so it comes down to Rawls, Green, and possibly true freshman De’Veon Smith. My pick for the top backup is Green, and I think he’ll be the heir apparent. Most backups wouldn’t be ranked this high in the countdown, but Toussaint has been injured every year except his breakout 2011 season and was suspended for game one of 2012. Odds are that Green – or whoever is the #2 guy – gets at least a start or two. He also should get some looks in short yardage and on the goal line due to his size.

Prediction: Backup tailback; 100 carries, 500 yards, 6 touchdowns

12Aug 2013
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2013 Season Countdown: #17 Jack Miller

Jack Miller

Name: Jack Miller
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 290 lbs.
High school: Perrysburg (OH) St. John’s
Position: Center
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #60
Last year: I ranked Miller #42 and said he would be the backup center. He played in six games as the backup center.

Ricky Barnum was supposed to be Michigan’s center going into the 2012 season, but the coaches made a last-minute switch in August practice and put Elliott Mealer there; the reason was reported to have been Mealer’s snapping ability. That snapping ability was significant, because I don’t remember a single bad snap all season. Unfortunately, the blocking was subpar. Miller played tackle in high school, but he’s been almost exclusively playing center since he got to campus in 2011. As the starting center in the spring game, Miller had some trouble identifying who to block, but he did a solid job when indecision didn’t get in his way.

The competition for the center position appears to be pretty close between Miller and redshirt sophomore Graham Glasgow. Brady Hoke and Al Borges consistently mention the battle, and a Media Day picture of the starting offensive line included two offensive tackles, two offensive guards, and . . . the two centers. It’s unclear how the position will play itself out. Glasgow is 6’6″, 303 lbs. and somewhat immobile. Snapping ability aside (because what outside observer really knows?), it looks like a battle between mobility and size. Usually, a guy with Glasgow’s size is too big to be a legitimate option at center, but we’ll see. I have expected Miller to win the job, but either way, I have a feeling the center position is going to be a little bit of an adventure this season.

Prediction: Starting center

11Aug 2013
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2013 Season Countdown: #18 Jibreel Black

Jibreel Black

Name: Jibreel Black
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 278 lbs.
High school: Cincinnati (OH) Wyoming
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Senior
Jersey number: #55
Last year: I ranked Black #17 and said he would be the starting 3-tech, with 25 tackles and 3 sacks. He was the backup 3-tech and had 20 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble.

Black mostly played behind Will Campbell last year, but getting 5 TFL’s and 3 sacks for a backup defensive tackle is pretty good. That was his first year on the inside after having played weak- and strongside end in his first two years on campus. He was more effective on the interior in 2012 than playing off the edge as an underclassman, so it makes sense to keep him at the 3-tech spot instead of bumping him out to strongside end now that Craig Roh has departed. Black started the spring game at the 3-tech position.

I have seen some suggestions that Black has been resistant to adding weight, and that seems plausible considering he’s the exact same size as last season. Normally, the coaches would probably want their 3-tech tackle to be 290-310 lbs. or so, but Black weighs approximately the same as Roh did. This could pose a problem against some teams with huge offensive lines, but he should mostly be able to hold his own; furthermore, the position often puts him one-on-one against offensive guards in the pass rush, and the former defensive end usually has the advantage there. I think Black will have a pretty good season as the nominal starter, but I imagine a couple other guys will get some run there, too; he won’t dominate but he won’t be a liability, either.

Prediction: Starting 3-tech defensive tackle; 30 tackles, 4 sacks

10Aug 2013
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2013 Season Countdown: #19 Drew Dileo

Drew Dileo

Name: Drew Dileo
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 180 lbs.
High school: Greenwell Springs (LA) Parkview Baptist
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Senior
Jersey number: #9
Last year: I ranked Dileo #36 and said he would make 12 receptions for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns, along with being the holder, a backup receiver, and a part-time returner. He had 20 receptions for 331 yards (16.6 yards/catch) and 2 touchdowns, 1 carry for 7 yards, 2 punt returns for 22 yards, and 4 kickoff returns for 67 yards.

This Dileo kid is one of those guys that’s fun to have on the football team, not because he’s great but just because he’s a football player. Look at those statistics up above. Receiver, runner, holder, punt returner, kickoff returner . . . .  You get the sense that you’re in parks and recreation football, and Dileo’s just the best all-around athlete, so you give him the football all the time just because you know good things will happen. Except this isn’t parks and rec. Those statistics aren’t flashy, and yet 16.6 yards a catch ain’t half bad.

This year Dileo will likely reprise his role as the holder and jack of all trades, and it would be nice to see him play some defensive back so I can label him the Shane Halter of Michigan football. There’s a wide receiver spot left open by the graduated Roy Roundtree, but Dileo – Michigan’s second leading returning receiver – probably won’t take that vacated spot. He’ll work from the slot and be a backup, but he could improve on those receiving totals with Devin Gardner throwing the ball for the entire year; both of his touchdown receptions last year came from Gardner. There will also probably be a trick play or two for Dileo as the holder, and the coaches will throw him a bone once in a while with a punt or kickoff return. He even has a chance to win the punt return duties if the coaches relieve Jeremy Gallon of those duties and want a sure-handed replacement. I think the battle will be determined by how well Dennis Norfleet – a faster and more electric returner – can make decisions and catch the ball.

Prediction: Starting holder; backup receiver and returner; 25 receptions, 375 yards, 4 touchdowns