Tag: 2021 season countdown

2021 Season Countdown: #81 Greg Crippen

Name: Greg Crippen
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 285 lbs.
High school: Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy
Position: Center
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Crippen was a senior in high school (LINK).
TTB Rating: 65

Crippen is a native of the northeast, which seemed to give Michigan the edge early in his recruitment, considering the Don Brown respect in that part of the country. But he spent some time committed to Notre Dame. When he decommitted, there were rumors that the Fighting Irish were okay with losing him. But either way, Michigan was there to pick up the pieces.

There was a little bit of buzz in the spring that Crippen had moved into the two-deep, but from what I can gather, that was more due to injuries and absences than outplaying other guys on the roster. It’s tough to play interior line as a freshman, and Michigan has recruited well along the offensive line over the past few cycles. I expect Crippen to redshirt this fall.

Prediction: Redshirt

2021 Season Countdown: #82 Jeffrey Persi

Name: Jeffrey Persi
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 302 lbs.
High school: Mission Viejo (CA) Junipero Serra
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #79
Last year: I ranked Persi #96 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He redshirted.
TTB Rating: 82

I labeled Persi last year as a giant boom-or-bust prospect, and the jury is still out on him. There was very little buzz about him last season and during the off-season, even when Michigan suffered a bunch of offensive line injuries last fall. Persi was a tight end early in his high school career, so it makes sense that he was not ready to play in the Big Ten as a true freshman.

Persi presumably remains unready going into 2021. Michigan returns starter Ryan Hayes at left tackle. The right tackle position is a little uncertain, but Persi does not appear to be in the mix to replace Jalen Mayfield. It could be Andrew Stueber, Trente Jones, or Karsen Barnhart, but no one seems to think it will be Persi out there at right tackle on September 4 against Western Michigan.

Prediction: Backup offensive tackle

2021 Season Countdown: #83 George Johnson III

Name: George Johnson III
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 193 lbs.
High school: Stuart (FL) Martin
Position: Cornerback
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #24
Last year: I ranked Johnson #83 and said he would be a backup cornerback (LINK). He did not play.
TTB Rating: 58

Johnson has spent two years on Michigan’s campus now, and he has yet to play a down. After coming in as a receiver, he switched to cornerback prior to the 2020 season. Despite some terrible cornerback play – albeit in a shortened season – Johnson didn’t play, even on special teams. In today’s college football world, year three is pretty much a now-or-never situation. If he finds himself buried on the bench this fall, this might be his final year in Ann Arbor.

Prediction: Backup cornerback

2021 Season Countdown: #84 George Rooks

Name: George Rooks
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 270 lbs.
High school: Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Rooks was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 41 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and 8 sacks.
TTB Rating: 80

Rooks was one of the big fish the Wolverines were trying to reel in at the end of the 2021 class, since they needed defensive tackles – especially athletic ones. Rooks comes from an athletic family: his dad played defensive line for Syracuse and got drafted by the Giants, and his sister played college basketball, including one season at Michigan. More of the athletic type than a space-eater, Rooks played quite a bit of defensive end in high school.

At the next level, Rooks will probably move into the interior, probably to more of a 4i or 5-tech position. I could also see him being used at the nose tackle position in certain pass rush situations. But all of that will probably come sometime down the road, since he is still a little bit light and probably needs to adjust his technique to handle combo blocks a little better. He is athletic enough to possibly get on the field toward the end of games in non-critical situations, but a redshirt is also a strong possibility.

Prediction: Redshirt

2021 Season Countdown: #85 Ikechukwu Iwunnah

Name: Ikechukwu Iwunnah
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 281 lbs.
High school: Garland (TX) Lakeview Centennial
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Iwunnah was a senior in high school (LINK).
TTB Rating: 75

Iwunnah was a late addition to the 2021 class, and a much needed one at the time. It’s not easy to pull kids out of Texas to come to Michigan, but the Wolverines needed an influx of size on the defensive line. They ended up signing four defensive tackles (Iwunnah, George Rooks, Dominick Giudice, and Rayshaun Benny), and two of those commitments came on National Signing Day: Iwunnah and Benny.

At 281 pounds Iwunnah is a little bit light to handle the interior defensive line as a freshman, and he also has some technical things to clean up before he plays in the Big Ten. He has some decent quickness and good strength, but he needs to get better at defeating blocks and finding the ball. His future could be a bright one, but he needs this season to develop.

Prediction: Redshirt