2022 Season Countdown: #57 Louis Hansen

Tag: 2022 season countdown


20Jul 2022
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2022 Season Countdown: #57 Louis Hansen

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Carlos Osorio/AP/Shutterstock (12879266w) Michigan tight end Louis Hansen plays during an NCAA college football intra-squad spring game, in Ann Arbor, Mich Michigan Spring Football, Ann Arbor, United States – 02 Apr 2022

Name: Louis Hansen
Height:
6’6″
Weight:
252 lbs.
High school:
Needham (MA) St. Sebastian’s
Position:
Tight end
Class:
Redshirt freshman
Jersey number:
#81
Last year:
I ranked Hansen #46 and said he would be a backup tight end (LINK). He played in one game.
TTB Rating:
84

Hansen looked to me like a freshman tight end who might actually be physically ready to play in 2021, and he’s a cautionary tale for the class of 2022 tight ends like Colston Loveland and Marlin Klein. Despite being over 250 pounds as a freshman, Hansen spent all but one game watching from the sideline as Erick All, Luke Schoonmaker, Joel Honigford, Trente Jones, and Carter Selzer gobbled up almost every snap.

This year every single one of those players returns. The one quasi-exception is Trente Jones, who’s moving back to his more natural position of offensive tackle, where he appears to be the favorite to start now that Andrew Stueber is gone. Michigan will probably employ a backup lineman as a “tight end” like they did with Jones, so not even that spot is really up for grabs for Hansen. Snaps are going to be limited, but I do think it’s time to work in some younger backups, because All, Schoonmaker, Honigford, and Selzer are all seniors with expiring eligibility (technically, All, Schoonmaker, and Selzer could use the COVID exemption to return in 2023). If the status quo remains, Michigan could very well enter 2023 with practically zero playing experience from its returning tight ends in Hansen, Matt Hibner, Loveland, and Klein, so I think Hansen might elbow his way into some playing time.

Prediction: Backup tight end

20Jul 2022
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2022 Season Countdown: #58 Giovanni El-Hadi

Giovanni El-Hadi (image via MGoBlue)

Name: Giovanni El-Hadi
Height:
6’5″
Weight:
318 lbs.
High school:
Sterling Heights (MI) Stevenson
Position:
Offensive guard
Class:
Redshirt freshman
Jersey number:
#58
Last year:
I ranked El-Hadi #92 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He played in one game.
TTB Rating:
84

El-Hadi came into Michigan in 2021 with a need to improve some of his technique and get his body right. He had some bad weight even at last year’s listed weight of 305, and though he’s now listed at 318 pounds, I’m guessing he looks better now. Luckily, Michigan didn’t really need any true freshmen to contribute much on the line last season, so any experience they got – and El-Hadi did play against Northern Illinois – was a chance to get them live reps and experience.

Michigan returns its interior linemen in 2022, except for center Andrew Vastardis – who was replaced by transfer Olu Oluwatimi – and backup guard Nolan Rumler. So there’s not much room to move up the depth chart in 2022, but El-Hadi was a top-100 prospect whom I have high hopes for in the future. Coincidentally, his placement in the countdown coincides with his jersey number. At #58 he won’t be a key piece of this year’s offensive line, but he should see some reps in a few games and may be a guy that can work into the field goal/extra point unit, too.

Prediction: Backup offensive guard

18Jul 2022
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2022 Season Countdown: #59 Kechaun Bennett

Kechaun Bennett (image via SI)

Name: Kechaun Bennett
Height:
6’5″
Weight:
241 lbs.
High school:
Suffield (CT) Suffield Academy
Position:
Defensive end
Class:
Redshirt freshman
Jersey number:
#52
Last year:
I ranked Bennett #90 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He played in one game.
TTB Rating:
78

Bennett missed out on his senior season of football due to COVID, so last year was his first season of football since 2019. I expected him to be behind because of that, and whether his trajectory was changed much or not, he only played in one game last season.

Michigan needs some young guys to step up at the edge positions. We know that Jaylen Harrell, Mike Morris, and Taylor Upshaw are going to play, but those guys got time last year even with Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo on the roster. Now that Morris and Harrell are likely to step up in big ways, who will be the 2022 versions? I have Bennett below the likes of Julius Welschof, Braiden McGregor, and T.J. Guy, but he could start to get some more snaps this season.

Prediction: Backup defensive end

17Jul 2022
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2022 Season Countdown: #60 Tyler McLaurin

Tyler McLaurin (image via Twitter)

Name: Tyler McLaurin
Height:
6’3″
Weight:
237 lbs.
High school:
Bolingbrook (IL) Bolingbrook
Position:
Linebacker
Class:
Redshirt freshman
Jersey number:
#27
Last year:
I ranked McLaurin #74 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He played in one game.
TTB Rating:
75

McLaurin is a big linebacker at 6’3″ and 237 pounds. He might have been a prototypical inside linebacker in the 1990s or even the early 2000s, but most linebackers these days are smaller and quicker than they used to be. It seemed to be pretty obvious that he would redshirt – most freshman linebackers do unless they’re likely to start the following year – and he did. Michigan had plenty of depth at outside linebacker, and they had three solid guys on the inside.

As for the 2022 season, we can be fairly confident that the two starters will be Junior Colson and Nikhai Hill-Green. After that things are up in the air. Kalel Mullings might be playing running back, Joey Velazquez plays baseball all winter/spring, Jaydon Hood got some snaps last year, and there are two solidly built freshmen in Jimmy Rolder and Deuce Spurlock. And that’s not to mention Michael Barrett, who is likely to fit in somewhere, but we just don’t know where. Someone has to call “Next!” I don’t think it will be McLaurin because I think his upside is capped, but he should start to get some special teams action this year.

Prediction: Backup linebacker, special teamer

17Jul 2022
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2022 Season Countdown: #61 Raheem Anderson II

Raheem Anderson II (image via USA Today)

Name: Raheem Anderson II
Height:
6’3″
Weight:
302 lbs.
High school:
Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
Position:
Center/offensive guard
Class:
Redshirt freshman
Jersey number:
#62
Last year:
I ranked Anderson #62 and said he would be a backup center/guard (LINK). He played in one game.
TTB Rating:
83

I ranked Anderson #62 last year and said he would be a backup. I guess that was technically true, but he just played in one game and was able to maintain his redshirt. I think it’s always a good thing to keep redshirts on linemen if possible, because they’re usually not good as freshmen and they seem to be more likely to stick around for a fourth or fifth year than many other positions.

It appears that fellow class of 2021 signee Greg Crippen moved ahead of Anderson in the race for center, and Anderson has been repping quite a bit at guard. The expectation going into 2022 is that after starter Olu Oluwatimi, Crippen would be the next guy in. Anderson might be #3, or that could go to starting guard Zak Zinter or backup lineman Reece Atteberry. Either way, Anderson is probably a few injuries away from playing major time, but he will probably get more season in anticipation of another increased role in 2023.

Prediction: Backup center/offensive guard