Tag: 2022 season countdown

13Jul 2022

Blog, homepage no comments Thunder

2022 Season Countdown: #67 Alex Orji

Name: Alex Orji
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 226 lbs.
High school: Sachse (TX) Sachse
Position: Quarterback
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #10
Last year: Orji was a senior in high school (LINK). He completed 127/247 (51.4%) of his passes for 2,064 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions; he also ran for 1,187 yards and 24 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 55

Orji committed to Michigan in December 2021 after being committed to play quarterback at Virginia Tech. He was the second QB at VT, and he became the second QB at Michigan. Perhaps I’m reading too much into it, but that is probably not a good sign for him to continue his career at quarterback. If a school can’t settle on a player as its quarterback in the class, then the school is probably hedging its bets.

Orji enrolled early, and in the spring game, they used him a little bit. He made some throws that didn’t look good, and then he ran the ball where he looked okay. Personally, I have surmised that he will end up at linebacker or tight end/H-back. He has two older brothers who have played linebacker at the collegiate level, and while there’s probably no genetic predisposition to play linebacker, the body type and athletic skills seem to lend themselves to that position. However, Michigan has often allowed eventual position-switchers to spend one year competing at their preferred position before moving, so maybe we’ll see Orji be a running QB in a game or two this season before a change comes.

Prediction: Redshirt

12Jul 2022

Blog, homepage no comments Thunder

2022 Season Countdown: #68 Cristian Dixon

Name: Cristian Dixon
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 197 lbs.
High school: Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #10
Last year: I ranked Dixon #66 and said he would be a backup wide receiver (LINK). He played in one game and caught 1 pass for 7 yards.
TTB Rating: 75

Dixon did not make much of an impact in 2021, playing in one game against Northern Illinois and notching just 1 catch for 7 yards; technically, that preserves his redshirt and could extend his career at Michigan through 2025. Michigan turned out to have very good depth and talent at receiver, and Dixon’s services were just not needed much, even with the early injury to Ronnie Bell. As a bigger, possession-type receiver, Dixon does not have the big play speed that might make him a huge difference maker.

Dixon does have decent size and good playing strength, so he may develop into a useful player. But the only player Michigan lost from 2021 was backup Daylen Baldwin. With Bell now back from injury and an incoming freak athlete in Darrius Clemons, I don’t see a clear path for Dixon to work his way onto the field. He may have to bide his time and hope for an increased role in 2023 when Ronnie Bell and perhaps Cornelius Johnson and Mike Sainristil move on.

Prediction: Backup wide receiver

11Jul 2022

Blog, homepage no comments Thunder

2022 Season Countdown: #69 Ikechukwu Iwunnah

Name: Ikechukwu Iwunnah
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 306 lbs.
High school: Garland (TX) Lakeview Centennial
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #92
Last year: I ranked Iwunnah #85 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He redshirted.
TTB Rating: 75

Iwunnah’s season in 2021 went about as expected. A defensive tackle with some good size coming in, he was pretty raw and needed to redshirt. So when the season came and went without him getting any snaps, I don’t think anyone was surprised.

I don’t expect much from Iwunnah in 2022, either. Even though Michigan lost a couple defensive tackles, they brought in UCF transfer Cam Goode and are expecting big things from Rayshaun Benny and George Rooks. I think Iwunnah will start getting some snaps behind Mazi Smith and Goode, but Michigan has enough defensive linemen that Iwunnah shouldn’t be forced into a critical role unless there are major injury issues.

Prediction: Backup nose tackle

11Jul 2022

Blog, homepage no comments Thunder

2022 Season Countdown: #70 Leon Franklin

Name: Leon Franklin
Height: 5’8″
Weight: 206 lbs.
High school: Southfield (MI) A&T
Position: Running back
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #40
Last year: I ranked Franklin #108 and said he would be a backup running back (LINK). He ran 8 times for 33 yards while playing in nine games.
TTB Rating: N/A

Franklin came out of nowhere as a walk-on to be the #4 running back last season. A prep running back from Southfield, he didn’t play football at all as a freshman, redshirted as a second-year player, and then appeared on the field in 2021, getting more snaps than 3-star recruit Tavierre Dunlap. His season high in carries was 3 in the season opener against Western Michigan, and he only totaled 8 carries for 33 yards. But he was usually the first guy in behind Hassan Haskins, Blake Corum, and Donovan Edwards.

Now that Haskins is gone to the NFL, it might make sense to bump him up to #3, but I don’t think that will be the case. I think Dunlap is a superior talent and played less last season to preserve his redshirt. They may preserve freshman C.J. Stokes’s redshirt in the same manner as Dunlap’s last year, but also the staff has moved Kalel Mullings to running back part-time – if not full-time – to be a power back. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Franklin drop to at least #5 on the running back depth chart in 2022.

Prediction: Backup running back and special teamer

10Jul 2022

Blog, homepage no comments Thunder

2022 Season Countdown: #71 Keon Sabb

Name: Keon Sabb
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 200 lbs.
High school: Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy
Position: Safety
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #3
Last year: Sabb was a senior in high school (LINK).
TTB Rating: 84

Sabb was a long-time Clemson commit that Michigan poached from the Tigers after defensive coordinator Brent Venables departed for the Oklahoma head coaching job. Of course, Michigan had its own instability with the loss of defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald to the Baltimore Ravens, but if you play college football, you have to expect at least one coordinator change during your career. Sabb started his high school career in Glassboro, NJ, but his talent led him to IMG Academy to wrap up, and he was enough of a standout to be selected for the Under Armour All-American Game.

Sabb is probably a strong safety at the Big Ten level, but if he keeps bulking up, he could perhaps play an outside linebacker role. I could see some teams playing him as a nickel, though I think relying on him in a ton of man coverage is probably not a great idea. As for this year, Sabb is likely to take on a backup role. I think he’s too good to redshirt and could help on special teams, but Michigan has some experience at safety in Rod Moore, R.J. Moten, and Makari Paige.

Prediction: Backup safety and special teamer