2013 Season Countdown: #30 Joe Bolden

Tag: 2013 season countdown

30Jul 2013
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2013 Season Countdown: #30 Joe Bolden

Joe Bolden

Name: Joe Bolden
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 222 lbs.
High school: Cincinnati (OH) Colerain
Position: Linebacker
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #35
Last year: I ranked Bolden #46 and said he would be a backup middle linebacker. He had 31 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 fumble recovery.

Bolden was indeed the backup to the now departed Kenny Demens last season, and Bolden even appeared to steal some snaps from Demens against teams like option-oriented Air Force. Bolden did a good job, especially for a true freshman linebacker. That’s not normally a spot where a freshman can be successful, and he did have a few struggles, but mostly he showed that he has a pretty solid future.

While Bolden looks like a future high-quality starter at MIKE, he seems to be planted behind junior Desmond Morgan for the upcoming season. Morgan was the starter at WILL last season, but is a more natural fit in the middle now that Demens graduated. Bolden’s presence does allow for some flexibility; sophomore WILL linebacker James Ross will start there, but Morgan could bump back over to the weakside if there’s an injury and Bolden could step in to start at MIKE. I also think Bolden could fit at SAM linebacker if needed. He’s in a slightly unfortunate spot of being the classmate of a future star (Ross) and a class behind some established starters (Morgan, Jake Ryan). When he does get a chance to start full-time at some point, I think Michigan fans will be pleased.

Prediction: Backup middle linebacker

29Jul 2013
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2013 Season Countdown: #31 Ondre Pipkins

Ondre Pipkins

Name: Ondre Pipkins
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 308 lbs.
High school: Kansas City (MO) Park Hill
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #56
Last year: I ranked Pipkins #31 and said he would be the backup nose tackle. He had 7 tackles and .5 tackles for loss.

Pipkins entered last season as a highly valued player, partly because nobody was sure what kind of nose tackle Quinton Washington would make. Washington turned out to be pretty solid, albeit unspectacular, so Pipkins didn’t need to be splendid. That was a good thing, because he was very large and out of shape when he arrived on campus, and he never seemed to get his conditioning going during the year. This year he’s listed at 308 lbs. and looked slimmer in the spring game, so hopefully he will be a little more explosive.

Fifth year senior Washington is back, so Pipkins will likely be a backup once again. I think he will be a very good player once he gets in shape, so that could make a solid one-two punch at the nose for Michigan this season. In addition to those two, Michigan has solid redshirt freshman Willie Henry who could play nose tackle if needed, so there are several options. Pipkins was mostly a space eater last season, but this season he should be a little bit more of a penetrator now that he’s shed some pounds.

Prediction: Backup nose tackle

28Jul 2013
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2013 Season Countdown: #32 Mario Ojemudia

Mario Ojemudia (#53)

Name: Mario Ojemudia
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 244 lbs.
High school: Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison
Position: Defensive end
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number:#53
Last year: I ranked Ojemudia #61 and said he would be a backup weakside end. He had 11 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery.

Ojemudia played immediately against Alabama in last season’s opener, making 3 tackles and .5 tackles for loss. Not a bad start to a career. He showed some flashes of being a playmaker with a diving interception off a deflection against Nebraska and when he forced a fumble against South Carolina by spiking inside and surprising the Gamecocks running back. Despite making plays in limited time, he still found himself way behind starter Brennen Beyer, whose next big play will be his first, and a little behind Frank Clark.

This year Ojemudia has added about 20 lbs. and should be more physically ready to take on a bigger role. While neither Beyer or Clark graduated, the former has been bumped to SAM linebacker while Jake Ryan recovers form his torn ACL. That should move Ojemudia up to the backup role behind Clark, although freshman Taco Charlton will also press for playing time. Michigan is clearly stockpiling some talent at the weakside end spot, because they have three long and athletic guys to throw out there even though the starter switched to another position. Michigan should finally get some consistent, quality production and explosiveness from the WDE spot.

Prediction: Backup weakside end

27Jul 2013
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2013 Season Countdown: #33 Dymonte Thomas

Dymonte Thomas

Name: Dymonte Thomas
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 187 lbs.
High school: Alliance (OH) Marlington
Position: Defensive back
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #25
Last year: Thomas was a senior in high school. I gave him a TTB Rating of 89.

Thomas committed to Michigan in September 2011, during his junior season. That year he shared carries in the backfield with a Tennessee-bound running back, but it was Thomas’s show as a senior; he was the go-to runner and basically played middle linebacker on defense, where he was allowed to roam from sideline to sideline. Thomas was selected for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl for his athletic exploits. There were some early concerns during the bowl practices because they were using him as a safety, where he didn’t have much experience. But the coaching staff and observers were impressed with how quickly he picked up some nuances of the safety position. In the game itself, he showed good closing speed and hitting ability, but he wasn’t tested much in coverage. Thomas left the game and went straight to Michigan to enroll early, where he seems to have latched onto the starting nickel corner gig.

This spring Thomas took most of the snaps at slot corner, and previous starter Courtney Avery bumped outside to back up the starting corners. The freshman should eventually end up playing strong safety, perhaps when fifth year senior Thomas Gordon graduates, but in the meantime, the coaches want to get him on the field. While he should play a significant number of snaps if he holds onto the nickel job, his value drops a little bit because there’s a two-year starter in Avery who could easily slide back into the slot. Hopefully, Thomas can be physical, blitz a little off the edge, cover a little bit, and play almost like a coverage linebacker.

Prediction: “Starting” slot corner; 25 tackles, 1 sack, 1 interception

26Jul 2013
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2013 Season Countdown: #34 Courtney Avery

Courtney Avery

Name: Courtney Avery
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 174 lbs.
High school: Mansfield (OH) Lexington
Position: Cornerback
Class: Senior
Jersey number: #5
Last year: I ranked Avery #25 and said he would start at slot corner. He did start five games and had 19 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, .5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery.

Avery was the returning starter at slot corner last season, but he was forced into a tough spot immediately when starting field corner Blake Countess tore his ACL in the opener. Avery bumped outside and had some struggles. Afterward, the coaches inserted Raymon Taylor into the starting outside job and tried to keep Avery in the nickel package. It was a slightly down year for him after having been a pretty solid role player.

This spring Avery said he didn’t take any reps at the nickel spot, and freshman Dymonte Thomas seems destined to take that position. Meanwhile, Avery looks like the primary backup at field corner behind Countess once again, although the additional practice time and reps should make him a more prepared backup there this season. The nickel and field corner positions are very different from each other. Michigan has had a rough time keeping corners healthy and on the field over the past several seasons (Countess, J.T. Floyd, Troy Woolfolk, Boubacar Cissoko, etc.), and the young guys generally aren’t studs who should see the field right away. It will be good to have a veteran backup like Avery ready to step in if the need arises.

Prediction: Backup field corner