Tag: 2018 season countdown

2018 Season Countdown: #81 Ryan Hayes

Ryan Hayes

Name: Ryan Hayes
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 262 lbs.
High school: Traverse City (MI) West
Position: Tight end
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Hayes was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 24 catches for 515 yards and 5 touchdowns, along with 26 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.

Hayes comes from a very athletic family. His mom and dad played basketball and football at Central Michigan, respectively, and his older brother Connor played football at Pitt. I guess those are the genes that produce 6’7″, 262 lb. kids who are athletic enough to maybe play tight end in college, when those kids are normally pegged for offensive tackle early on. Hayes was recruited to Michigan by offensive tackles/tight ends coach Greg Frey, even though Frey moved on to Florida State as their offensive line coach.

The outlook for Hayes this season could swing wildly. He could redshirt, or he could play a ton, particularly as a blocking tight end. I think Hayes is an excellent blocker coming out of high school, and that’s a skill that many of the current tight ends at Michigan have struggled to master. I believe he will eventually be molded into an offensive tackle, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility for him to be Michigan’s best blocking tight end by season’s end. Even so, I don’t think his presence is necessary for Michigan to have a successful season, and there are a lot of options at tight end, so he’s relatively low in the countdown.

Prediction: Backup tight end

2018 Season Countdown: #82 Julius Welschof

Julius Welschof (image via USA Football Blogs)

Name: Julius Welschof
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 253 lbs.
High school: Miesbach (Germany) FOS Altoetting
Position: Defensive end
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Welschof was a kind of a senior in high school over in Deutschland (LINK).

Welschof is a unique case for Michigan football. This isn’t basketball, where Europeans have been taking over the NBA at some level for the past twenty years. Football has been distinctly American, and occasionally you find a Canadian with the athleticism and understanding to play high-level football in the United States. Michigan has had a few Canadians over the years, such as Renaldo Sagesse, Benjamin St-Juste, etc., but a European? This is uncharted territory.

Physically, Welschof is quite a man-child. He’s listed at 6’6″ and 253 lbs., and he can run. He’s not afraid to be physical, either. What he needs to work on are his technique and understanding of the game. As soon as that clicks, I think he can do some really great things, and he’ll have some of the best coaching available in the form of Greg Mattison. I don’t think Welschof will be needed a ton this year because there are more experienced, NFL-bound guys, but he could be a monster before all is said and done.

Prediction: Backup defensive end

2018 Season Countdown: #83 Chuck Filiaga

Chuck Filiaga (image via Rivals)

Name: Chuck Filiaga
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 345 lbs.
High school: Aledo (TX) Aledo
Position: Offensive tackle/offensive guard
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #66
Last year: I ranked Filiaga #70 and said he would be a backup offensive tackle (LINK). He redshirted.

This is a rare occurrence for a highly ranked offensive lineman to actually drop down the chart in year two, but there is a reason, whether you agree or not. Filiaga was highly ranked coming out of high school in 2017, but he was always a guy who needed to a) refine his technique and b) reshape his body. Filiaga was hidden on the bench last season even when the offensive line was really struggling, and there was not much buzz filtering out of Schembechler Hall about him this off-season. He still has potential, but I don’t expect him to be a major factor this season, and he might be limited to offensive guard due to a lack of mobility. Meanwhile, freshmen Jalen Mayfield and Ryan Hayes are more athletic, and Hayes has the flexibility to be a blocking tight end this season.

Prediction: Backup offensive guard

2018 Season Countdown: #84 Gemon Green

Gemon Green (image via Hudl)

Name: Gemon Green
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 175 lbs.
High school: DeSoto (TX) DeSoto
Position: Cornerback
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Green was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 24 tackles, 3 interceptions (1 TD), 1 fumble recovery, and 9 pass breakups.

Gemon is the twin brother of German Green, whom I profiled the other day (LINK). Gemon is the higher rated of the brothers, both by me and the recruiting sites: he’s a 3-star, the #35 cornerback, and #382 overall, which is six spots away from being a 4-star prospect in the 247 Composite rankings. On top of the rankings, he was also invited to USA Football’s International Bowl, where he made a diving interception (LINK).

I like Gemon’s senior film and think he will be successful at the next level, but Michigan isn’t really in need of defensive back help this season. The top four cornerbacks return (Lavert Hill, David Long, Ambry Thomas, Brandon Watson), and the top safeties do, too. Safety is the position that needs more of an upgrade, but the chances of a freshman cornerback taking over a significant role at safety are slim. He seems like a player who will probably play in the maximum of four games but end up redshirting to preserve his eligibility.

Prediction: Redshirt

2018 Season Countdown: #85 Joe Hewlett

Joe Hewlett

Name: Joe Hewlett
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 195 lbs.
High school: Northville (MI) Northville
Position: Quarterback
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #27
Last year: I ranked Hewlett #87 and said he would be a backup running back with 1 carry for 3 yards (LINK). He made 4 tackles on special teams.

Hewlett showed his value last season when he played scout team quarterback during the week leading up to the Air Force game. MGoBlue.com says he took over 500 snaps in the week leading up to playing against Air Force’s triple option offense, which makes sense because Michigan doesn’t have any dual-threat quarterbacks. Hewlett was a high school QB who has played safety and running back during his time in Ann Arbor. The coaching staff did find some ways to get him on the field on special teams, where he made 4 tackles.

This year maybe Hewlett can factor in during the week leading up to the Nebraska game, where new head coach Scott Frost values a lot of option principles. But there’s no true triple option offense on the schedule, and his services might not be needed too much in that capacity. He will probably find his way onto the field on special teams at some point, which would be a good reward for a guy who has given five years and has an appreciable amount of talent for a walk-on skill player.

Prediction: Backup running back, special teamer