Tag: 2022 season countdown

2022 Season Countdown: #78 Keshaun Harris

Name: Keshaun Harris
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 186 lbs.
High school: Lansing (MI) Waverly
Position: Cornerback
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #18
Last year: I ranked Harris #107 and said he would be a backup defensive back (LINK). He played in thirteen games on special teams and four games at cornerback.
TTB Rating: N/A

I underestimated Harris going into 2021. After sitting the bench as a walk-on for his first two years on campus, he suddenly became a contributor on special teams and even defense during his third year on campus. Granted, his defensive contributions came at the end of blowouts, but it’s still significant for him that he was on the field during live game action.

Now we enter 2022, and I think competition to play corner is going to be a little stiffer. Yes, Michigan lost Vincent Gray to an attempt at the NFL (he went undrafted), but they brought in a couple freshmen, one of whom is a 5-star who is certainly going to see the field in Will Johnson. Add in some development time for the younger guys, and perhaps they’ll see the field before Harris. Regardless, Harris should be a special teamer once again and somebody who can take some snaps in blowouts if necessary.

Prediction: Backup cornerback and special teamer

2022 Season Countdown: #79 Zeke Berry

Name: Zeke Berry
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 195 lbs.
High school: Concord (CA) De La Salle
Position: Safety
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Berry was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 25 tackles, 3 sacks, and 1 interception.
TTB Rating: 82

Berry was a huge get for the Michigan program when he committed to the Wolverines in December. A solid 4-star prospect (he ended up at #171 in the 247 Composite), he was chosen for the All-American Bowl and the Polynesian Bowl. He also received offers from Oregon, UCLA, and USC, and frankly, I’m surprised he didn’t get more national offers from SEC, ACC, and Big 12 offers. It’s hard to say an All-American and top-200 player was flying under the radar, but his offer list doesn’t match his considerable talent.

I’ve seen some talk that Berry could be a nickel/outside linebacker prospect – perhaps a Viper in Don Brown’s defense – but I think that might be diminishing Berry’s skill set. To me he’s an every down player in the long run. He’s simply too fast, too aggressive, and too physical to make him a sub package player. I think he will be good down the road, but he didn’t enroll early and may take some time to adjust to college. Based on his film, he’s a guy who should be in consideration to start by year two.

Prediction: Backup defensive back

2022 Season Countdown: #80 Danny Hughes

Name: Danny Hughes
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 200 lbs.
High school: Naperville (IL) Central
Position: Running back
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #24
Last year: I ranked Hughes #106 and said he would be a backup running back and special teamer (LINK). He played in thirteen games on special teams and had 1 carry for 5 yards on offense.
TTB Rating: N/A

Hughes is one of the top walk-on special teamers on the squad. He played in thirteen games last season on special teams, and in the blowout win over Maryland, he even got rewarded with 1 carry for 5 yards. Despite his contributions on special teams, I couldn’t make it make sense to place him higher. There are some freshman and sophomore players who are superior athletes, and I think they could fill Hughes’s role on special teams. Walk-ons provide an opportunity for young guys to retain redshirts, but at a time when kids can hit the transfer portal easily if they’re not getting on the field, we may be entering an era when walk-on special teamers’ importance starts to diminish.

Prediction: Backup running back and special teamer

2022 Season Countdown: #81 Jimmy Rolder

Name: Jimmy Rolder
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 220 lbs.
High school: Orland Park (IL) Marist
Position: Linebacker
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Rolder was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 115 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles.
TTB Rating: 81

Rolder was a bit of a late bloomer. Originally planning to play baseball in college, his recruitment didn’t really take off until he realized that hitting running backs is a whole lot easier to do than hitting baseballs. His first Power 5 offer didn’t come until October of his senior season. He climbed in the rankings and eventually ended up as a 4-star, the #21 linebacker, and #222 overall in the 247 Composite, and Michigan bested Florida, Iowa, LSU, Ohio State, and Wisconsin for his services.

Rolder did not enroll at Michigan early and is just getting to campus this summer, so the chances of him playing much this fall are slim. Much like Deuce Spurlock (whom I profiled yesterday), if Rolder gets on the field, that means things have probably gone wrong with injuries and performance ahead of him. He also probably needs a year or two in the weight room. He could get some late game snaps to prepare him for 2023, when Michigan may need someone to take up snaps potentially vacated by Mike Barrett.

Prediction: Redshirt

2022 Season Countdown: #82 Deuce Spurlock

Name: Deuce Spurlock
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 220 lbs.
High school: Madison (AL) Madison Academy
Position: Linebacker
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Spurlock was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 186 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, 8 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 2 pass breakups.
TTB Rating: 78

Spurlock is a good sized linebacker prospect who can run and somehow ended up ranked as the #994 overall prospect in the class and the #91 linebacker. I can’t claim to have watched every linebacker ranked ahead of him, but I find it hard to believe that there are 90 linebackers in the country who are better. Then again, Auburn and South Carolina were Spurlock’s two other best offers, so maybe I’m wrong.

Despite my evaluation that he’s a pretty solid player, I rarely like placing freshman linebackers very high in the countdown. Linebacker is a difficult position to play from a mental standpoint, and naturally, making the transition from high school to college is a big task. However, the need at the position is pretty strong considering the lack of depth and experience. Nikhai Hill-Green and Junior Colson are pretty entrenched as two of the top three guys – with perhaps some Mike Barrett mixed in there – but after that, it’s a roll of the dice to figure out which guy’s next. I could see Spurlock redshirting, and I could also see him being a guy who runs downfield on kickoff and punt coverage in every single game.

Prediction: Backup linebacker