Tag: 2022 season countdown

2022 Season Countdown: #94 Amorion Walker

Name: Amorion Walker
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 180 lbs.
High school: Ponchatoula (LA) Ponchatoula
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #4
Last year: Walker was a senior in high school (LINK). He caught 8 touchdown passes.
TTB Rating: 81

Walker was committed to Notre Dame for a long time, but one of the worst kept secrets in recruiting last year was his impending flip to Michigan. Insiders were hinting or flat-out saying he was going to flip, but that it was just a matter of time. And it’s totally understandable why he would ditch the Fighting Irish for the Wolverines, because Notre Dame people are nincompoops.

As for Walker’s accomplishments on the field, he earned offers from Alabama and LSU and was selected for the Under Armour All-America Game. He was a 247 Composite 3-star, the #72 wide receiver, and #526 overall, which all seem to be low rankings for a guy with offers from several powerhouse programs.

The only reasonable explanation for the low rankings is the fact that Walker is only 180 pounds, which is tiny for someone who is 6’4″. Walker enrolled early at Michigan, and Jim Harbaugh raved about him as a football player. I think Harbaugh loves this kid. His high school film makes him look like a greyhound being covered by a bunch of Dachshunds. But with as skinny as he is, I think 2022 will be a year for him to redshirt and get in the weight room. Michigan has plenty of depth at receiver right now to keep him safely on the sideline.

Prediction: Redshirt

2022 Season Countdown: #95 Micah Pollard

Name: Micah Pollard
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 200 lbs.
High school: Jacksonville (FL) Bartram Trail
Position: Linebacker
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Pollard was a senior in high school (LINK).
TTB Rating: 74

Pollard committed to Michigan in July of last year. Unrelated to cornerback signee Myles Pollard, Micah is, however, related to a much more famous Pollard: former Indianapolis Colts tight end Marcus Pollard. Marcus is Micah’s father and played with Jim Harbaugh for the Colts back in ye olden days. Micah fielded offers from Auburn, Ole Miss, Penn State, and South Carolina, among others, before committed to the Wolverines. He ended up ranked as a 3-star, the #71 linebacker, and #719 overall.

I think Pollard is a high-floor, low-ceiling prospect. He has the pedigree, technique, and athleticism to be a decent player, but he lacks that quick-twitch ability to be a high-level performer, in my opinion. The biggest thing lacking as a freshman will be a shortage of bulk and strength. He’s listed at 200 pounds and he does not have the ability to overpower linemen as a senior in high school. That will need to come in the weight room and at the dinner table. For now I think Pollard is likely to redshirt with an outside chance at playing on some special teams.

Prediction: Redshirt

2022 Season Countdown: #96 Isaiah Gash

Name: Isaiah Gash
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 178 lbs.
High school: Green Bay (WI) Bay Port
Position: Running back
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #41
Last year: I ranked Gash #99 and said he would be a backup running back (LINK). He played in two games and had 6 carries for 17 yards.
TTB Rating: N/A

Gash, whom I feel compelled to point out again is the son of former NFL fullback Sam Gash, continues to be a little light for running back at the Big Ten level. I keep expecting to open up an updated roster with him suddenly around 195 or 200 pounds, but that doesn’t seem to be likely at this point. It’s rare to see a Big Ten running back hovering in the 170-180 pound range, but that’s where Gash has been. Perhaps it has something to do with his fledgling amateur boxing career.

Regardless, Gash is going to chill here in the 90s. Considering his pedigree, I thought he would move up this list at some point in his career, but that seems unlikely right now. If he can’t or won’t put on weight, then he will probably never factor into the running back depth chart much other than getting a chance to carry the ball late in blowouts, like he did against Northern Illinois and Maryland last year.

Prediction: Backup running back

2022 Season Countdown: #97 Jayden Denegal

Name: Jayden Denegal
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 215 lbs.
High school: Apple Valley (CA) Apple Valley
Position: Quarterback
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #16
Last year: Denegal was a senior in high school. He completed 121/175 passes (69.1%) for 1,545 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions; he also ran 47 times for 281 yards and 8 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 61

Michigan seemed to have a tough time gaining footing with quarterbacks in the class of 2022. Perhaps it was because it was on the heels of landing J.J. McCarthy, a star of the 2021 class. Perhaps it was due to Michigan’s poor play on the field in 2020. Regardless, Michigan threw out some offers to guys they really seemed to like and didn’t get much mutual interest. Then at the beginning of summer, they extended an offer to Denegal, which he accepted immediately.

Denegal ended up as a 3-star, the #29 quarterback, and #455 overall in the 247 Composite. Considered by many to be the superior quarterback of the two Michigan landed in 2022, accounts from the spring had Alex Orji as the better thrower – which is saying something, because some people think Orji will end up playing a different position by the time his college career is over. Denegal did not see any action in the spring game, while Orji showed some nice running skills and threw the ball poorly. With that knowledge, I’m expecting Denegal to take a redshirt in 2022 behind Cade McNamara, McCarthy, Davis Warren, and Alan Bowman, if not Orji and others.

Prediction: Redshirt

2022 Season Countdown: #98 Nolan Knight

Name: Nolan Knight
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 215 lbs.
High school: Northville (MI) Northville
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #32
Last year: I ranked Knight #104 and said he would be a backup linebacker (LINK). He played in one game.
TTB Rating: N/A

As we inch closer to exhausting the list of walk-ons in the countdown, Knight is someone who appears fairly high on the list. Having watched him a little bit from when he was in high school, I think Knight could be one of those players who steps into some playing time late in his career, at least on special teams. He has good length and decent athleticism, and he’s going into his fourth year on the roster. Defensive playing time is going to be hard to come by because of what’s needed from the inside linebacker position and the depth, but Knight is a guy who could find a role on some special teams, such as the kickoff or kickoff return unit.

Prediction: Backup linebacker, special teamer