Tag: 2021 season countdown

2021 Season Countdown: #11 Ryan Hayes

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Name: Ryan Hayes
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 307 lbs.
High school: Traverse City (MI) West
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #76
Last year: I ranked Hayes #18 and said he would be the starting left tackle (LINK). He started two games.
TTB Rating: 84

Hayes played quite a bit as a redshirt freshman in 2019, making him one of the more experienced offensive linemen. Unfortunately, one of the many reasons for Michigan’s poor season in 2020 was injury, and Hayes was not spared. Along with right tackle Jalen Mayfield and center Andrew Vastardis, Hayes’s season ended early. In Hayes’s case, he did not play after Michigan’s loss to Michigan State, leaving the Wolverines to start redshirt freshman Karsen Barnhart in his place.

The left tackle position appears to be locked down by Hayes; every off-season projection has him back to starting on the blind side. He has always had tantalizing size and athleticism, but the technique and strength have been a little lacking. He still could probably add some more bulk as his career progresses, but he is up from 302 lbs. to 307 this year. Hopefully by 2022 he can be in the 315 range. Considering his experience and athleticism, Hayes should be one of the more consistent pieces on the line this season. If Michigan has a good season, I think Hayes will be named an all-conference player.

Prediction: Starting left tackle

2021 Season Countdown: #12 Zak Zinter

Name: Zak Zinter
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 320 lbs.
High school: North Andover (MA) Buckingham Browne & Nichols
Position: Center/guard
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #65
Last year: I ranked Zinter #79 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He started four games at right guard.
TTB Rating: 80

Zinter was supposed to redshirt in 2020 – according to me – but that didn’t work out. He played some special teams in the first couple games, but then Michigan suffered a spate of injuries on the offensive line. Once right tackle Jalen Mayfield got injured, Michigan bumped starting right guard Andrew Stueber out to right tackle and inserted Zinter. It’s noteworthy that Michigan played Zinter rather than a few redshirt freshmen like Trevor Keegan, Trente Jones, Jack Stewart, etc. Zinter played fairly well for a freshman and moved some people, but the line as a whole was a major issue.

This off-season there has been talk that Zinter is Michigan’s best offensive player. Even the coaching staff has suggested as much. That might seem like bluster and hype, but why would Michigan talk him up rather than an older guy who’s captain material or draft-eligible? We’ve been burned by the off-season hype machine before, so I’m not ready to say Zinter is the most important offensive player. I also think Michigan has a fair amount of depth on the offensive line. But if Zinter’s play can match the hype, I look forward to watching him push people around this fall.

Prediction: Starting right guard

2021 Season Countdown: #13 Brad Hawkins

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Name: Brad Hawkins
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 221 lbs.
High school: Suffield (CT) Suffield Academy
Position: Safety
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #2
Last year: I ranked Hawkins #7 and said he would be a starting safety (LINK). He started all six games and made 39 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 2 pass breakups.
TTB Rating: 78

There have been some jokes made this off-season about how old Brad Hawkins is. He originally committed in the 2016 class, ended up going to prep school, signed with Michigan again in 2017, and is now going into his fifth college season. For a little perspective, he first signed with Michigan in the same class as Kingston Davis and Rashan Gary. You probably don’t remember the first guy, and the second guy is going into his third NFL season.

As for Hawkins on the field, he has been serviceable. But for a guy who has played in 42 career games and started 17, his total of 4 pass breakups, 0 interceptions, 0 fumbles forced, and 0 fumble recoveries is a bit frustrating. I expect safeties to get their hands on the ball more than that. He’s the type of guy who allows a guy to make a catch and is immediately there to tackle, which is fine, but Michigan needs more than “fine.”

Normally I would put a third-year starter higher on this list, but Michigan seems to really like sophomore Makari Paige and redshirt freshman R.J. Moten. Moten in particular seems to be a dark horse candidate to make an impact this season, if practice rumblings are to be trusted. Paige played quite a bit last season but didn’t really make any flash plays. Hawkins should have a solid season and will probably be honorable mention all-conference.

Prediction: Starting safety; 60 tackles

2021 Season Countdown: #14 Cornelius Johnson

Name: Cornelius Johnson
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 211 lbs.
High school: Greenwich (CT) Brunswick
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #6
Last year: I ranked Johnson #27 and said he would be a starting wide receiver (LINK). He started three games and made 16 catches for 254 yards and 3 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 87

Johnson was in a unique situation at Michigan last year. A program somewhat known for pumping out NFL-prototype receivers suddenly found itself with a bunch of slotty receivers and one 6’3″ guy: Johnson. The 6’4″ Nico Collins opted out of the 2020 season, and that left Johnson to tower over the 6’0″ or shorter wide receiver room. Partly because of that, I expected Johnson to take over a starting role to give Michigan a bigger presence on the field.

Johnson didn’t do a ton the first couple weeks, exploded for 9 catches for 187 yards and 3 touchdowns against Indiana and Rutgers, and then didn’t do much again when the Wolverines didn’t have a healthy QB against Penn State. Apparently he’s only good against teams wearing red, which bodes well for the Ohio State game this season.

I think Johnson is headed for a breakout season in 2021. He has some confidence from 2020 and has now had an extra year to build his relationship with Cade McNamara. Johnson is a good route runner with solid speed and that NFL-prototype size. Michigan doesn’t produce superstar-level stats on offense, but Johnson should perform well enough for people around the league to recognize.

Prediction: Starting wide receiver; 35 catches, 540 yards, 5 touchdowns

2021 Season Countdown: #15 Brad Robbins

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Name: Brad Robbins
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 203 lbs.
High school: Westerville (OH) South
Position: Punter
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #91
Last year: I ranked Robbins #64 and said he would be a backup punter (LINK). He punted 23 times for 1,041 yards (45.3 yards/punt) and put 8 of them inside the 20-yard line.
TTB Rating: 70

If you talk about an up-and-down career at Michigan, Robbins should be in the conversation. He was Honorable Mention All-Big Ten in 2017 before an injury caused him to miss 2018, when walk-on Will Hart stepped in and looked outstanding. But then Hart’s play fell off, allowing Robbins to take back over the job. Hart went from looking like an All-American to looking very pedestrian (and has since transferred to San Jose State), while Robbins went from looking pedestrian to looking like an All-Big Ten player, leading the conference in punting average.

With Hart out of the picture in 2021, Robbins is even more important than he was, since the Wolverines have no proven or experienced backup. He’s the only full-time punter listed in the roster. Backups include fifth year senior transfer Rhett Andersen from Hampden-Sydney – who has been a placekicker his entire college career – and true freshman Tommy Doman, who averaged 44.8 yards on punts as a high school senior. Doman is the best bet to be the backup, but you never know how a freshman will respond to the pressure of playing in the Big Ten.

Prediction: Starting punter