Tag: 2021 season countdown

2021 Season Countdown: #75 Eamonn Dennis

Name: Eamonn Dennis
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 180 lbs.
High school: Worcester (MA) St. John’s
Position: Cornerback
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: Redshirt freshman
Last year: I ranked Dennis #71 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He redshirted.
TTB Rating: 79

When Dennis committed to Michigan, he was the classic “athlete” whose positional destination constantly seemed to be up in the air. He played some running back in high school, but it was clear he would be playing wide receiver in college . . . or cornerback . . . or wideout. Or corner. Eventually, former defensive coordinator Don Brown won out, and Dennis ended up on that side of the ball. As a good athlete with no real home, it seemed like an obvious conclusion that he would redshirt unless there were a bunch of injuries.

Dennis once again appears to be headed for a bench role in 2021. With Gemon Green, Vincent Gray, and D.J. Turner appearing to be jockeying for starting roles at corner, all the other corners – including Dennis, Andre Seldon, and Darion Green-Warren – will probably be fighting for scraps of playing time. I still like Dennis’s potential, but he’s a player who probably has to be in college for three or four years until he fully blossoms.

Prediction: Backup cornerback

2021 Season Countdown: #76 Dan Villari

Name: Dan Villari
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 227 lbs.
High school: Massapequa (NY) Plainedge
Position: Quarterback
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #4
Last year: I ranked Villari #98 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He redshirted.
TTB Rating: 69

Villari was a late addition to the 2020 class after Michigan lost its 4-star quarterback commitment to a health issue. He was a project then, and I have no reason to believe he’s much less of a project now. As expected he spent the 2020 season redshirting, and word is that if Michigan had been forced to play its final couple games of the season (which were mercifully canceled due to COVID), the Wolverines would have split time with Hassan Haskins in the Wildcat and Villari in the . . . Wildkitten. It would have been ugly, especially against Ohio State.

Jim Harbaugh raised some eyebrows this off-season when he suggested Villari could be used in a Taysom Hill type of role. Despite that somewhat lofty praise, I’m not sure if Villari is ready for that type of role. Furthermore, who would be coming off the field to put Villari on it? It’s one thing to put him on the field if you’re lacking playmakers, but with three game-ready running backs and a good group of speedy receivers, I don’t know how much it helps to throw out a 6’4″, 227 lb. redshirt freshman quarterback in various spots. Plus Michigan has been prone to offering up a fair amount of off-season hype that never materializes during games. So Villari could prove to deserve a higher spot in the ranking, but I’ll believe it when I see it.

Prediction: Backup quarterback

2021 Season Countdown: #78 Kris Jenkins, Jr.

Name: Kris Jenkins, Jr.
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 265 lbs.
High school: Olney (MD) Our Lady of Good Counsel
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #94
Last year: I ranked Jenkins #101 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He played in one game.
TTB Rating: 77

Jenkins is the son of former Central Michigan and NFL defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, so the bloodline is there. Brought in to be bulked up into an interior defensive lineman, he was not ready last season. That didn’t stop him from getting thrown in there against Wisconsin when the Badgers were running all over the starters, the backups, the ushers, and the concession stand workers. But that was Jenkins’s only appearance of the season.

This year I don’t expect Jenkins to play much more than last year. For one thing, he’s still too light at 265 lbs. to play inside. For another thing, the coaching staff’s switch to more of a 3-4 look should prioritize size with the linemen, which might require Jenkins to spend a prolonged period eating and lifting before he sees the field. And those things don’t take into the equation that the Wolverines brought in 358-pound transfer nose tackle in Jordan Whittley to take at least some of the snaps inside. This should be another developmental year for Jenkins.

Prediction: Backup defensive tackle

2021 Season Countdown: #79 Jack Stewart

Name: Jack Stewart
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 318 lbs.
High school: New Canaan (CT) New Canaan
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #70
Last year: I ranked Stewart #82 and said he would be a backup offensive lineman (LINK). He did not play.
TTB Rating: 74

Stewart enters his third year on campus having yet to see the field. When he entered school in 2019, he was considered to be an offensive tackle or offensive guard. After two years of not seeing the field – and being passed by classmates – this spring he moved to the defensive line. It’s rare that a guy switches sides of the ball and finds success, much less immediately. Michigan does need bulk on the defensive line, which Stewart has at 318 pounds; but I don’t think he has the athleticism to be very effective on defense. He’s likely looking at another year spent mostly on the bench, though perhaps he can play on the extra points/field goal unit.

Prediction: Backup defensive tackle

2021 Season Countdown: #80 Greg Tarr

Name: Greg Tarr
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 200 lbs.
High school: Washington (MI) Romeo
Position: Long snapper
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #36
Last year: I did not rank Tarr. He redshirted.
TTB Rating: N/A

Michigan has just two long snappers on the roster, Tarr and last year’s starter, William Wagner. It’s not often that the backup guy matters, but it’s also not often that the #80 player in the countdown matters, either. (Last year it was the great Carl Myers!) So we’re still in the mostly irrelevant portion of the countdown, and at 6’2″ and 200 lbs., Tarr is pretty light to get on the field. They’re not supposed to be hit, but they still get bumped sometimes and they have to be able to tackle, too. So Tarr is probably a little ways away from playing unless Wagner gets hurt.

Prediction: Backup long snapper