2014 Season Countdown: #5 Frank Clark

Tag: 2014 season countdown

25Aug 2014
Uncategorized 7 comments

2014 Season Countdown: #5 Frank Clark

Frank Clark

Name: Frank Clark
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 277 lbs.
High school: Cleveland (OH) Glenville
Position: Defensive end
Class: Senior
Jersey number: #57
Last year: I ranked Clark #7 and said he would be the starting weakside end with 50 tackles and 8 sacks. He made 43 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries (1 returned for a touchdown), and 1 pass breakup.

Clark got a ton of hype going into 2013. He promptly disappointed a lot of fans in the first three games. But from week four onward, he stepped up his game. If you pretend he was injured against Central Michigan, Notre Dame, and Akron, he made 39 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks in nine games! That’s pretty impressive. His season highlight was probably the fumble returned for a touchdown against Penn State, but it might also have been his 9 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss against Michigan State. There were several solid outings – enough to be named Second Team All-Big Ten – but it’s hard to cleanse the bitter taste from your mouth after that ineffectual start.

But hey, it’s a new year. We’re all a year older and a year smarter and a year closer to paying off our mortgages. Oh, happy day! Clark has put on just a couple pounds since last year, and despite being 20 lbs. heavier than Brennen Beyer, he’s staying on the weak side. Michigan faces a couple patsies within the first few weeks, so in a year when he should be trying to show off for the impending NFL Draft, he had better get off to a faster start. Furthermore, the opposing offensive tackles he’ll face this year should be a little less talented, so I expect a significant – but not outlandish – jump in production. Even though he might not be Michigan’s most talented defensive player, he’s ranked this high because the backups at weakside are few and unproven. With Beyer and sophomore Taco Charlton over on the strong side, the only experienced backup is junior Mario Ojemudia. After him it’s freshman Lawrence Marshall, who would ideally redshirt but will probably play a few snaps here and there like Ojemudia did in 2012. It’s important that Clark stay healthy because Beyer is not a good pass rusher, and the interior defensive linemen only have that thing called “potential.” I’ll stick with with my slightly updated prediction for last year.

Prediction: 50 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 8 sacks

24Aug 2014
Uncategorized 12 comments

2014 Season Countdown: #6 Jake Ryan

Jake Ryan

Name: Jake Ryan
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 236 lbs.
High school: Cleveland (OH) St. Ignatius
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt senior
Jersey number: #47
Last year: I ranked Ryan #24 and said he would be the starting SAM when he returned from injury with 35 tackles and 3 sacks. He started five games and made 30 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 1 pass breakup.

I went into 2013 calling Ryan Michigan’s best defensive player. He was Second Team all-conference in 2012, but a springtime torn ACL delayed his debut last season. He returned to play a part-time role in the Penn State game in mid-October, but like Whoopi Goldberg standing in for Patrick Swayze, it just wasn’t the same. Ryan played in eight games, but was only deemed capable of starting five. Cameron Gordon did an okay job in his stead, but the front seven lacked a playmaker except for an occasional burst from Frank Clark. Ryan still managed to be named Michigan’s top linebacker, but those statistics aren’t super impressive. We knew it was going to be a disappointing season for him because of the injury, and . . . well . . . we weren’t disappointed. In our disappointment.

To start this season, Ryan will be 1.5 years removed from his ACL tear and should have few lingering effects. He has bumped over to middle linebacker in Michigan’s 4-3 Over, previously having been a SAM in the Under defense. Defensive coordinator Greg Mattison has taken over coaching the linebackers, and the staff wants Ryan to be able to play sideline to sideline. Word out of practice is that he has taken to the switch, and I thought Ryan was more of a prototypical middle linebacker when he came out of high school. I’m excited to see what he can do in the middle. At times in the past, he has done an excellent job of blitzing on the interior, and those opportunities should become more frequent this season. The flip side of my excitement is that Michigan has done an excellent job of recruiting linebackers over the past few seasons, and there are capable replacements on the roster. Senior Desmond Morgan has been a three-year starter – though he seems to be getting benched in favor of junior Joe Bolden – and sophomore Ben Gedeon showed flashes of brilliance late last year. Ryan should have a good year himself, but the defense would not be totally destroyed if he were lost for a stretch.

Prediction: Starting middle linebacker; 75 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 3 sacks

23Aug 2014
Uncategorized 3 comments

2014 Season Countdown: #7 Jarrod Wilson

Jarrod Wilson (#22)

Name: Jarrod Wilson
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 205 lbs.
High school: Akron (OH) Buchtel
Position: Safety
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #22
Last year: I ranked Wilson #20 and said he would start at free safety with 40 tackles and 2 interceptions. He made 50 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 2 interceptions, and 2 pass breakups.

Wilson really struggled as a true freshman safety in 2012, which is one piece of evidence I see when I argue that freshman safeties really scare me. On the plus side, Wilson improved significantly in 2013 when he started eight games and made 50 tackles with 2 picks. He had some thunderous tackles and a few heads-up plays. Things had been moving too fast for him as a freshman, and last year he was moving fast enough.

This year I expect Wilson to take another step toward becoming the ball hawking safety that I expected him to be coming out of high school. He has several good cornerbacks battling for spots on the outside, which should make his job a little easier on the back end. Even with a first-time starter at strong safety – whether it’s Delano Hill or Jeremy Clark – the back end of Michigan’s defense should improve. Wilson will take over for the graduated Thomas Gordon as the point man in the secondary, and Wilson has better size and more range. Some people may put Wilson higher on this list, but I think the Wolverines have enough pieces to move around if an injury were to occur. I might be going out on a limb here, but I think Wilson might be in the discussion for some all-conference honors due to some increased pressure on the quarterback and some improved play at the corner spots.

Prediction: Starting free safety; 60 tackles, 3 interceptions

21Aug 2014
Uncategorized 7 comments

2014 Season Countdown: #8 Blake Countess

Blake Countess

Name: Blake Countess
Height: 5’10”
High school: 180 lbs.
Position: Cornerback
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #2
Last year: I ranked Countess #9 and said he would start at cornerback with 55 tackles and 2 interceptions. He made 46 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 6 interceptions (returned for 169 yards and 1 touchdown), and 4 pass breakups.

Countess mostly had a great year in 2013. He returned from his 2012 ACL tear and showed no ill effects, tying for #1 in the conference and #7 nationally with 6 interceptions. When Michigan would go from their standard 4-3 defense to a nickel, he would bump down into the slot. He – along with anybody else the coaching staff threw out there – got torched by Kansas State wideout Tyler Lockett, which somewhat dampened the excitement about Countess’s return coming into 2013. Regardless, he came up with some huge plays with 2 interceptions of Notre Dame, 1 pick against Ohio State, and another returned for a touchdown against Minnesota.

The 2014 season might be different altogether. One of the bewildering storylines is that Countess switched from the #18 to Charles Woodson’s #2 jersey, which directly preceded the revelation that Countess has been running with the second string defense behind Jourdan Lewis, sometimes Jabrill Peppers, and sometimes Raymon Taylor. It was also revealed that Countess has been nursing a groin injury, so that may have contributed to the coaches taking it easy on him. It seems clear that Lewis has forced his way into the lineup as a sophomore, so the battle is for that other corner spot. I have a very hard time believing that an All-Big Ten player who made 6 picks and earned the #2 jersey from a fairly stingy coaching staff will be benched in favor of Lewis/Peppers, who have combined for 17 tackles and 2 pass breakups in college. The most likely lineup to me has Lewis and Countess on the field at virtually all times with Peppers bouncing in at nickel, while Taylor can rotate in or perhaps even play safety. Anyone who claims to know how the rotation will pan out is lying. Last year Lewis, Channing Stribling, and Courtney Avery were in a constant battle for playing time, and I expect defensive snaps to fluctuate once again this year.

Prediction: Starting corner; 40 tackles, 4 interceptions

20Aug 2014
Uncategorized 18 comments

2014 Season Countdown: #9 Kyle Kalis

Kyle Kalis

Name: Kyle Kalis
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 298 lbs.
High school: Lakewood (OH) St. Edward
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #67
Last year: I ranked Kalis #29 and said he would start at right guard. He started eight games at right guard.

Kalis disappointed a lot of Michigan fans in 2013 with his unspectacular play. Despite being a redshirt freshman, a lot of the frustration for Michigan’s failure to run the ball came down on Kalis. He would probably admit that he had a subpar season, but that could apply to the whole offensive line; it was a systemic failure that started with the offensive coordinator and trickled on down. Not only were the hogs up front not getting any push, but there were communication failures that allowed defenders to slice through the line at will. After the season, Kalis revealed that he had been hampered by an ankle injury and a back injury, which saw him get benched for a short mid-season stretch. He still managed to be named to the ESPN Freshman All-Big Ten team.

Unfortunately, the back issue still appears to be lingering. Kalis has missed several practices recently, including last Saturday night’s open scrimmage. Head coach Brady Hoke stated strongly to the affirmative that Kalis would be starting if he were healthy. Considering the lineup sent out there on Saturday, my guess is that Graham Glasgow would slide back to center, Jack Miller would return to the bench, and Kalis would enter at right guard. Back injuries are notoriously tricky and can persist for long stretches of time, so it will be interesting to see how long this lasts for Kalis. I was frustrated by the line’s play in 2013, but that does not dampen my hopes that Kalis can be a good college player moving forward.

Prediction: Starting right guard when healthy