Tag: 2021 season countdown

2021 Season Countdown: #21 Christopher Hinton, Jr.

Name: Christopher Hinton, Jr.
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 310 lbs.
High school: Johns Creek (GA) Greater Atlanta Christian
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #15
Last year: I ranked Hinton #11 and said he would be a part-time starting nose tackle (LINK). He started four games and made 13 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 2 pass breakups.
TTB Rating: 90

Hinton started off his college career at 285 lbs. in 2019, was up to 305 for 2020, and is now listed at 310 lbs. All the while his projection has morphed. At one time as a recruit, he was listed as a strongside end. Then he was a defensive tackle. Then he was getting a look at nose tackle. The whole defense was pretty abysmal in 2020, and some of that can be attributed to the production – or lack thereof – from Hinton and his defensive linemates. Michigan quite simply did not hold at the point of attack, especially on the interior, and then the unit was hurt even more when Kwity Paye and Aidan Hutchinson got injured.

I think the move to a three-man front in 2021 will be beneficial for Hinton, who seems to me to make more sense as a 3-4 tackle (or end) rather than a 3-tech or strongside end. The position is probably never going to rack up counting stats, but playing on the inside shoulder of the tackle, he should free up the inside and outside linebackers to make plays. Teams frequently have to double those 4i tackles and use combo blocks to get to the second level, and those can be tricky. Hinton will likely be a starter at one defensive tackle spot, and I expect him to have a solid season and start to live up to that 5-star potential.

Prediction: Starting defensive tackle; 25 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks

2021 Season Countdown: #22 Taylor Upshaw

Name: Taylor Upshaw
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 262 lbs.
High school: Bradenton (FL) Braden River
Position: Outside linebacker
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #91
Last year: I ranked Upshaw #47 and said he would be a backup defensive end (LINK). He started two games and made 17 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble.
TTB Rating: 73

I’m internally embarrassed right now. And it’s about to become external.

I normally do a good job of keeping track of players as they matriculate through (and out of) Michigan’s program, but as I was plugging in Upshaw’s class year above, I did a double-take when I realized that he’s a redshirt junior. This will be his fourth year in the program, not his third. Maybe the shortened 2020 season had something do with it, but it just didn’t register to me.

Upshaw was a part-time starter last season once injuries happened to Kwity Paye and Aidan Hutchinson. He acquitted himself fairly well and looked the part of an eventual contributor, even though he lacked flash plays. (But really, nobody flashed much on Michigan’s defense.) He registered his first career sack against a bad Penn State team. So there’s work to be done.

Right now Upshaw appears to be penciled in as one of the starting outside linebackers, along with Aidan Hutchinson. That’s a formidable duo coming off the edge, but Michigan also has a few other talented players or veterans who can spell Upshaw, including David Ojabo, Gabe Newburg, and others. I hope this is a breakout season for Upshaw and I think he will respond well to his new role, but considering Jim Harbaugh’s positive comments about Ojabo in particular, I have Upshaw on the low end of the starting group.

Prediction: Starting outside linebacker; 35 tackles, 5 sacks

2021 Season Countdown: #23 A.J. Henning

Name: A.J. Henning
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 185 lbs.
High school: Frankfort (IL) Lincoln-Way East
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #3
Last year: I ranked Henning #41 and said he would be a backup wide receiver with 7 catches for 90 yards and 1 touchdown (LINK). He caught 6 passes for 59 yards and ran 3 times for 15 yards.
TTB Rating: 86

Henning was a freshman speedster last season who would have really benefited from playing a full season. A jack-of-all-trades type of high school player, he never got a chance to spend much time honing his craft of playing wide receiver. The highlight of his freshman season was a leaping catch on a jump ball for 28 yards against Penn State, but otherwise, he had a pretty uneventful freshman year. That made sense because of the presence of then sophomore Giles Jackson, a similar slot-type player with a year of experience under his belt.

Jackson has since transferred to Washington, opening the door for Henning to be the resident gimmick player, a guy who can run the ball, catch the ball, and return kicks. If his high school film is to be believed, he has very good speed, some power, and some wiggle. It will be a matter of translating those athletic skills to the college game, and hopefully a full off-season has helped with that. Michigan will probably use him in a variety of ways, but I don’t expect him to start. While the Wolverines don’t have any true superstars at receiver, they do have some more experienced and proven players in the forms of Ronnie Bell, Cornelius Johnson, and Daylen Baldwin, among others.

Prediction: Backup wide receiver and starting kick returner; 14 catches for 170 yards and 2 touchdowns

2021 Season Countdown: #24a Karsen Barnhart

Name: Karsen Barnhart
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 307 lbs.
High school: Paw Paw (MI) Paw Paw
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #52
Last year: I ranked Barnhart #36 and said he would be a backup offensive guard (LINK). He started four games at left tackle.
TTB Rating: 86

Barnhart was a high school tight end and basketball player who figured to need a few years to develop his body and technique before he was ready to play a major role in college. After redshirting in 2019, he was slated to be a backup in 2020. That idea went out the window when injuries felled three-fifths of the starting line, giving Barnhart a chance to start four games at left tackle. Despite not being ready, he held his own at times but struggled to get much of a push because of a lack of bulk and strength.

It remains to be seen how the line will be staffed in 2021. Some projections have Barnhart replacing Jalen Mayfield at right tackle, while others have Barnhart on the outside looking in. Michigan’s early starting line in fall practice has been (from left to right) Ryan Hayes, Trevor Keegan, Andrew Vastardis, Zak Zinter, and Andrew Stueber. I can’t really see Vastardis spending an entire season as the starting center – at least not if Michigan wants to be good – so I’m expecting someone else to slip into the starting five, and that person is Barnhart.

Prediction: Starting right tackle

2021 Season Countdown: #24b Jordan Whittley

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Name: Jordan Whittley
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 348 lbs.
High school: Richmond (CA) Castlemont
Position: Nose tackle
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #93
Last year: Whittley opted out of playing the 2020 season at Oregon State.
TTB Rating: N/A

Whittley was a huge addition to Michigan’s team this off-season. Listed at 358 pounds for Oregon State (now at 348), he was an immovable object at nose tackle the last time he played in 2019. The high school running back-turned-defensive tackle has bounced around to a few places, and apparently, whatever was going on in Beaverton did not fit his tastes. He entered the transfer portal and ended up with the Wolverines. California to Oregon to Michigan is a path rarely traveled, but it appears to be working okay this time.

What will Whittley bring to the table for the Wolverines in 2021? So far practice buzz has been non-existent about Whittley, while there have been some rumblings about fellow nose tackle Mazi Smith. Michigan needs at least one of those guys to step up this season for a new 3-4 defense that needs to be more stout in the interior. I have a hard time believing in any kind of consistency for either one, but I do believe that part of the reason for the Mazi Smith buzz is that the coaching staff brought in competition in the form of Whittley. So regardless if which one wins the most snaps, the presence of the other might light a fire under someone’s butt.

My guess is that Smith will get the first shot to play nose tackle, but it’s nice to have Whittley on board as a rotation piece and potential starter.

Prediction: Backup nose tackle