Tag: 2022 season countdown

30Jul 2022

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2022 Season Countdown: #47 Reece Atteberry

Name: Reece Atteberry
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 307 lbs.
High school: Aurora (CO) Eaglecrest
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #74
Last year: I ranked Atteberry #51 and said he would be a backup center (LINK). He played in eight games.
TTB Rating: 74

Atteberry was recruited in 2020 as an interior lineman. Originally thought to be a center, it appears that experiment may have mostly ended in 2021 when freshman Greg Crippen passed him off the bat. Andrew Vastardis started, Crippen backed him up, and starting right guard Zak Zinter also practiced some at center. So when Atteberry got a chance to get on the field, it was either at right guard or on special teams.

The 2022 season probably won’t be a whole lot different for Atteberry. Instead of Vastardis starting at center, it will be transfer Olu Oluwatimi. Michigan brings back the rest of its starting offensive line except for right tackle Andrew Stueber, and Atteberry doesn’t have the ability to slide outside. So Atteberry should once again be looking at backing up Zinter at right guard and perhaps Trevor Keegan at left guard, but if someone were to go down for an extended period of time, I would expect Karsen Barnhart to be the primary backup at either tackle or guard spot.

Prediction: Backup offensive guard

28Jul 2022

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2022 Season Countdown: #48 German Green

Name: German Green
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 190 lbs.
High school: DeSoto (TX) DeSoto
Position: Cornerback
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #33
Last year: I ranked Green #50 and said he would be a backup cornerback (LINK). He made 3 tackles.
TTB Rating: 59

Green was a safety early in his career, but he made the transition to cornerback. He played in just two games last season as a corner, while playing in every game on special teams. But he was the backup to the backup and only made 3 total tackles.

It surprises me a little bit that Green is returning for a fifth year of being a backup. I’m sure it helps that his twin brother Gemon will likely start at corner, but most guys would have transferred by now. He’s likely looking up at D.J. Turner II, Gemon Green, and Will Johnson at the very least, plus other guys who have received more practice hype, such as Mike Sainristil and Ja’Den McBurrows. But German can still be a valuable special teams player. And with a COVID exemption from 2020, he could still return or transfer in 2023 with perhaps a better chance to earn a starting position.

Prediction: Backup cornerback, special teamer

25Jul 2022

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2022 Season Countdown: #49 Joey Velazquez

Name: Joey Velazquez
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 228 lbs.
High school: Columbus (OH) St. Frances DeSales
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #29
Last year: I ranked Velazquez #63 and said he would be a backup linebacker and special teamer (LINK). He played in eight games and made 2 tackles with 1 fumble recovery.
TTB Rating: 82

It’s been getting late early for Velazquez for a couple seasons now. It seems like forever ago now, but Velazquez was initially recruited to Michigan to play the “Viper” outside linebacker/safety hybrid position in Don Brown’s defense. Since that time Velazquez has played some baseball (he hit .277 with 5 homeruns and 21 RBI this past season), changed positions to inside linebacker, and played some special teams. But his impact on the field has been relatively minimal. So far he has played in nine games with 2 tackles and 1 fumble recovery during his three years on campus.

Now is the time for him to step up if he’s going to step up. Michigan has a solid two inside linebackers with Junior Colson and Nikhai Hill-Green, and then things get dicey. Part-time running back Kalel Mullings, position-fluid Mike Barrett, and redshirt freshman Jaydon Hood are all competing with Velazquez to be the next man in. So far I have not seen anything to make me think Velazquez will be that guy, but he’s a decent all-around athlete who should see an increased role on special teams, if nothing else. I think he’s getting to the point where he can be a solid veteran on specials, but I would be surprised if he’s more than a mop-up duty guy on defense.

Prediction: Backup linebacker and special teamer

25Jul 2022

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2022 Season Countdown: #50 T.J. Guy

Name: T.J. Guy
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 251 lbs.
High school: Mansfield (MA) Mansfield
Position: Defensive end
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #42
Last year: I ranked Guy #86 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He played in two games and made 2 tackles and 1 sack.
TTB Rating: 65

When Guy came in as a recruit, his future position was up in the air. Don Brown probably would have turned him into a defensive tackle, but Mike Macdonald made him a stand-up defensive end. He was a way down the depth chart, but he still got some playing time since Michigan blew out a few teams. He managed to make a sack against Maryland while playing in two games and keeping his redshirt.

I heard positive things about Guy in the spring. He’s not lighting the world on fire, but he’s continuing his progression, hopefully into a useful contributor in the next year or two. Defensive end should be manned by Mike Morris, Braiden McGregor, Taylor Upshaw, and/or Julius Welschof this fall. There’s not a star in that group, but there are lots of solid options, and the hope is that somebody steps up and stands out. It will be very, very interesting to see who steps up to replace all-time sacks leader Aidan Hutchinson and the speedy, athletic David Ojabo as pass rushers.

Prediction: Backup defensive end

24Jul 2022

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2022 Season Countdown: #51 Ja’Den McBurrows

Name: Ja’Den McBurrows
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 197 lbs.
High school: Fort Lauderdale (FL) Saint Thomas Aquinas
Position: Cornerback
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #1
Last year: I ranked McBurrows #72 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He played in four games and made 2 tackles with 1 pass breakup.
TTB Rating: 73

McBurrows got hyped up by some insiders going into the 2021 season as a guy who could make an immediate contribution. Fortunately for Michigan, he was not needed in a very large capacity because the Wolverines got good performances from Vincent Gray and D.J. Turner II. But it was probably a good sign that he played in four games, which is more than a lot of freshman corners – including more than Gray or Turner played in their freshman years. Unfortunately for McBurrows, he ended the season by having knee surgery and missed some time to develop.

The 2022 season might be a pivotal one for McBurrows. If he carves out notable playing time with the guys around him, that probably bodes well for his talent and his future. If he falls behind freshmen like Will Johnson, Myles Pollard, and/or Kody Jones, that could spell trouble for him going forward. I’ve heard enough buzz about McBurrows that I think he can play at this level, but it will be a good battle for playing time over the next couple years.

Prediction: Backup cornerback