Tag: 2019 season countdown

2019 Season Countdown: #44 Camaron Cheeseman

Name: Camaron Cheeseman
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 235 lbs.
High school: New Albany (OH) Gahanna-Lincoln
Position: Long snapper
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #33
Last year: I ranked Cheeseman #48 and said he would be the starting long snapper (LINK). He played in all thirteen games as the long snapper.
TTB Rating: N/A

How much can you say about long snappers when they don’t screw up? Michigan had a scholarship long snapper in Scott Sypniewski, and they let him go to Vanderbilt because of the presence of Cheeseman, who has started for the past two seasons. The snaps have been pretty good for the past two seasons, particularly on punts. Cheeseman is in his fourth year and could potentially return for a fourth consecutive year of starting in 2020.

Prediction: Starting long snapper

2019 Season Countdown: #45 Jake Moody

Name: Jake Moody
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 177 lbs.
High school: Northville (MI) Northville
Position: Kicker
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #2
Last year: I did not rank Moody. He was 10/11 on field goals with a long of 48 yards, and 43 of his 89 kickoffs went for touchbacks.
TTB Rating: N/A

I usually punt when it comes to ranking kickers, and Moody is a great example why. When he committed to Michigan, there was confusion about whether he would be a grayshirt or a preferred walk-on or a scholarship player.

By the time game one rolled around, he was on scholarship and handling kickoff duties.

By the eleventh game, against Indiana, he went in to placekick and was 6/6 on field goals. He went 4/5 over the next two games (and was 5/5 overall on extra points).

This year I have Moody ranked at #45 and Quinn Nordin at #51 (LINK). It could be the reverse. Nordin has a strong enough leg to handle kickoffs, too.

I believe Michigan will have a solid kicker this season, because there are two good options. I just don’t know which one it will be.

Prediction: Starting kicker

2019 Season Countdown: #46 Mazi Smith

You can pre-order John U. Bacon’s new book, Overtime, which is coming in September (LINK):

Name: Mazi Smith
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 303 lbs.
High school: Kentwood (MI) East Kentwood
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #58
Last year: Smith was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 81 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and 3 forced fumbles.
TTB Rating: 86

Michigan is in a weird transitional phase on the defensive line. For several years the Wolverines have had returning standouts on the line to take up many of the snaps, including Chase Winovich, Rashan Gary, Maurice Hurst Jr., Chris Wormley, Ryan Glasgow, and others. And now not only is Michigan replacing most of its defensive line, but there’s a new defensive line coach doing the development. Michigan lost Bryan Mone (graduation), Lawrence Marshall (graduation), and Aubrey Solomon (transfer to Tennessee) from the tackle position alone, not to mention several defensive ends.

In order to get enough bodies on the field, Michigan needs to play freshmen in 2019, and Smith seems like a certain bet to be one of them. The Wolverines are particularly lacking in big bodies to take up space in the middle, and Smith is hovering just over 300 lbs. after losing a chunk of weight. He enrolled early in January and while I don’t expect him to stand out – few freshman defensive tackles do – he should be able to eat up some snaps. The Wolverines are probably looking at him as someone to be on the two-deep, either at nose tackle or 3-tech. I look back at the likes of freshman seasons for Solomon and Ondre Pipkins with indifference for their effectiveness, so this will probably not be a great season.

Prediction: Backup defensive tackle

2019 Season Countdown: #47 Cameron McGrone

Name: Cam McGrone
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 228 lbs.
High school: Indianapolis (IN) Lawrence Central
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #44
Last year: I ranked McGrone #63 and said he would be a backup linebacker and special teamer (LINK). He played in one game.
TTB Rating: 80

McGrone came in with a lot of hype in 2018 as a U.S. Army All-American. He’s known for his speed and blitzing ability, which seems to fit in perfectly with what Michigan wants in an inside linebacker. But the Wolverines are notably stingy when it comes to linebacker playing time, and if you’re not one of the top three inside ‘backers, you won’t see the field. The #4 inside linebacker last year was Jordan Anthony, and he only played in four games on defense.

This season Devin Bush, Jr. is departed, leaving Joshua Ross and Devin Gil as the best bets to start at MIKE and WILL, respectively. That leaves Anthony as the most experienced backup, who will likely slide into that #3 role that Ross occupied in 2018, and that Gil held in 2017, and that Bush himself had as a freshman in 2016. McGrone was earning some buzz this spring, so there’s a chance for him to play more, but he looks like the fourth guy who might be ready for a more significant role in 2020 if a spot opens. Since no linebackers are scheduled to graduate after the 2019 season, there’s a bit of a logjam at the position. In the meantime, I think McGrone can be a good special teams guy with his speed and mentality.

Prediction: Backup linebacker, special teamer

2019 Season Countdown: #48 Ben VanSumeren

Name: Ben VanSumeren
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 236 lbs.
High school: Essexville (MI) Garber
Position: Running back
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #40
Last year: I ranked VanSumeren #39 and said he would be a backup fullback (LINK). He played in four games and redshirted.
TTB Rating: 78

There’s one thing I can say about myself that I can be proud of:

I’m no Skip Bayless.

The thing about these countdowns – and my review posts – is that I hold myself accountable and make it plain to see when I’m wrong. And I was very wrong about VanSumeren and, to an extent, Michigan’s offense last year. With Khalid Hill and Henry Poggi having graduated after the 2017 season, I thought Michigan would go right back to the fullback well with a heavy dose of Ben Mason and the next most fullback-y guy, VanSumeren.

That turned out not to be the case. Mason got some pretty good playing time, fifth year senior Jared Wangler played some, and VanSumeren redshirted while playing very little in four games.

Oops.

This spring VanSumeren saw some playing time at tailback, partly because there were a bunch of injuries and the suspension of Chris Evans. VanSumeren isn’t a classic running back, and it’s somewhat concerning that he was forced into such a prominent role, even if it was just practice. I think he will be relatively low on the depth chart, but I do think he will start to get some carries and perhaps some receptions in 2019.

Prediction: Backup running back