2018 Season Countdown: #76 Kurt Taylor

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5Jul 2018
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2018 Season Countdown: #76 Kurt Taylor

Kurt Taylor (image via Twitter)

Name: Kurt Taylor
Height: 5’8″
Weight: 194 lbs.
High school:Ā Covington (GA) Newton/Loganville (GA) Grayson
Position: Running back
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #5
Last year: I ranked Taylor #79 and said he would be a backup with 5 carries for 20 yards (LINK). He redshirted.

There wasn’t a lot of room for spare carries last season, because Karan Higdon, Chris Evans, and Ty Isaac were all expected to carry the load – and on top of them, there was heralded recruit Kareem Walker. Michigan brought in two running backs in the 2017 class, and while Taylor was bigger and stronger, the scant freshman carries went to O’Maury Samuels, not Taylor.

Now it’s 2018 and there are 108 tailback carries vacated by Isaac (graduated) and Walker (transferred). Where will those carries go? When asked about the tailback position group in the spring, Jim Harbaugh mentioned walk-on running back Tru Wilson at #3. Whether that sticks or not remains to be seen, but Taylor still seems to be an afterthought. Wilson, Samuels, and one of the freshmen will probably get carries, but I don’t see much of the load going in Taylor’s direction. If he can develop into the team’s best pass blocker, then I think he might have a chance to get on the field, but he’s perhaps the least athletic runner in the group.

Prediction: Backup running back

1Jul 2018
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2018 Season Countdown: #77 Grant Newsome

Grant Newsome (image via Freep)

Name: Grant Newsome
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 318 lbs.
High school: Lawrenceville (NJ) Lawrenceville School
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #77
Last year: I ranked Newsome #95 and said he would redshirt due to his knee injury (LINK). He redshirted.

At this point there’s not a whole lot to be said about Grant Newsome that hasn’t been delved into extensively already. He shredded his knee against Wisconsin in 2016, almost had to have his leg amputated, and missed all of last year. He hoped to be cleared to play this past spring, and he did participate in some drills. However, he was not cleared for contact.

And he may never be cleared for contact. If clearance wasn’t coming by the spring, then I doubt he’ll be able to contribute much on the field this fall, if anything. Would it be best to sit out a second straight season and hope to be cleared in 2019? If he’s not cleared this year, will he medically retire? If anyone deserves a sixth year of eligibility on the horizon, it’s Newsome, who’s on the verge of missing a second full season. Newsome has been a very good, publicly outspoken diplomat for the program, and he seems like a kid who might have a future in coaching. I think he will sit out this season once again, but if he walks on the field to play this fall, he’s deserving of a standing ovation all to his own.

Prediction: Redshirt season #2

1Jul 2018
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2018 Season Countdown: #78 Jordan Anthony

Jordan Anthony

Name: Jordan Anthony
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 236 lbs.
High school: Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #34
Last year: I ranked Anthony #58 and said he would be a backup linebacker (LINK). He redshirted.

I predicted last year that Anthony would be an early contributor because Michigan doesn’t mind small-ish linebackers, and he’s an athletic kid who could help on special teams. That was a swing and a miss. Michigan did play a freshman linebacker, but it was Josh Ross. Anthony stayed off the field and will be a redshirt freshman this fall.

It’s a total crap shoot with Anthony right now, along with a lot of players, because we weren’t able to see spring practice and there was no spring game. Michigan is trying to replace Mike McCray II, but Anthony doesn’t seem to be in the running to take that spot at WILL linebacker. Otherwise, there’s not much playing time opening up this season. Ross and Devin Gil seem like the most likely options for that spot, and Anthony’s best chance for contributions probably will come on special teams. There’s often room for 235 lb. guys who can run on specials, so that’s where I expect to see him in 2018.

Prediction: Backup linebacker, special teamer

27Jun 2018
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2018 Season Countdown: #79 Jalen Mayfield

Jalen Mayfield (left) with Cameron McGrone and Aidan Hutchinson (image via Twitter)

Name: Jalen Mayfield
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 275 lbs.
High school: Grand Rapids (MI) Catholic Central
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Mayfield was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 96 tackles, 31 tackles for loss, 17 sacks, and 3 fumble recoveries.

Mayfield was originally committed to Minnesota before getting an offer from the Wolverines, which he accepted. He joins a team with a gaping hole (or two) at offensive tackle, but it’s tough to play on the offensive line as a freshman. Mason Cole, Ben Bredeson, and Cesar Ruiz have played significant minutes in recent years when they were true freshmen, but they’ve gone through struggles. Now the belief is that Michigan will play a couple veteran offensive tackles or a redshirt freshman (James Hudson), so I don’t think Mayfield will play a big role in 2018. He needs to add some bulk and strength, and even new offensive line coach Ed Warinner has hinted that Mayfield will need a year or two of seasoning. He played in a run-heavy high school offense (over 3,500 rushing yards and 50 rushing touchdowns in 2017), so pass protection is probably going to be the biggest adjustment.

Prediction: Redshirt

 

24Jun 2018
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2018 Season Countdown: #80 Joe Milton

Joe Milton (image via Orange Observer)

Name: Joe Milton
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 220 lbs.
High school: Pahokee (FL) Olympia
Position: Quarterback
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #5
Last year: Milton was a senior in high school (LINK). He was 90/188 for 1,317 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions; he also ran 59 times for 262 yards and 5 touchdowns.

The quarterback position is a unique one in many ways, and one reason in college football is this: a whole year of recruiting goes by, and most schools only take one QB. So when you’re The Guy in any given class, the eyes of the world (in this case, the Michigan sphere plus some others) are upon you. There are only a few people who care about NFL quarterbacks once they drop past the second round or so, but every school gets a guy who is The Future. The current guy can’t get it done, but watch out for this rocket-armed, scrambly, laser-guided-missile dude we got out of Nowhere, Kentucky.

For Michigan in 2018, Nowhere, Kentucky is actually Olympia High School in Florida. And the rocket-armed, scrambly guy is an M1-A1 Abrams melted down and poured into the mold of a 6’5″, 220 lb. cyborg. Central casting in Hollywood ain’t got nothin’ on Joe Milton.

The problem is that, unlike Hollywood, Michigan only gets so many takes before errant passes turn into losses and the director gets fired. Milton never completed more than 50% of his passes in any of his three seasons as the varsity starter at Olympia, and his 10-to-6 TD-to-INT ratio isn’t very impressive for a guy headed to major college football. Reasons for this poor completion percentage range from “He’s flat-out inaccurate” to “He throws the ball too hard for his guys to catch” to “He doesn’t have a good supporting cast.” What’s the real answer, and does it matter? He’s on campus now, and Michigan has to make the best of it.

Aside from the bazooka attached to his right clavicle, Milton can run a little bit (rumors are he ran a 4.6 forty, though others say his fastest time is a 4.8). He’s also reported to be a Leader with a capital “L.” That leadership thing is something that has never been uttered about Brandon Peters, the guy who could be around for the next three years and has more snaps in a Michigan uniform than anybody else on the roster (hint: the other guys have zero combined). Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson might be a leader, but he might also be a one-year rental.

Will Milton play this year, or will he redshirt? Odds are he’ll stay on the sideline. Patterson will start unless something bizarre happens, and the backup role appears to be pretty neck-and-neck between Peters and redshirt freshman Dylan McCaffrey. The coaching staff seems to be high on Milton, but he’s unlikely to make the leap necessary to surpass those other guys in year one. I’m putting him here on the countdown, because he might be a valuable scout team quarterback, and you never know what will happen if injuries or bad attitudes infect the guys ahead of him on the depth chart.

But if you’re driving down Main Street one Saturday afternoon this fall and see a brown, oblong projectile headed for your windshield, this isn’t your Donnie Darko moment. It’s just that 52.1% of the time, the ball ends up in some unexpected places.

Prediction: Redshirt