Tag: 2022 season countdown

2022 Season Countdown: #109 Peyton Smith

Name: Peyton Smith
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 192 lbs.
High school: Traverse City (MI) Central
Position: Quarterback
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #17
Last year: I ranked Smith #96 and said he would be a backup quarterback (LINK). He played in one game.
TTB Rating: N/A

Michigan seems to have built up a pretty solid quarterback room. In a way, I think some of the walk-ons are more impressive than some of the scholarship players. Smith has potential and value as a scout team player, but with so many scholarship quarterbacks on the roster – and Davis Warren seemingly moving up the ranks – I don’t think that Peyton Smith is going to get much of a shot, at least not in 2022.

Prediction: Backup quarterback

2022 Season Countdown: #110 Peyton O’Leary

Name: Peyton O’Leary
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 190 lbs.
High school: Byfield (MA) Governor’s Academy
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #38
Last year: I ranked O’Leary #124 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He played in one game.
TTB Rating: N/A

I was very impressed with O’Leary when he came out of high school. As a preferred walk-on, he is/was unlikely to every make a huge impact, but he’s one of the more impressive wide receiver athletes I’ve seen come to Michigan as a walk-on. Right now Michigan’s wide receiver room is stacked, but if some injuries or blowouts happen, I could see him making a little bit of a name for himself and carving out a role.

Prediction: Backup wide receiver

2022 Season Countdown: #111 Evan Boutorwick

Name: Evan Boutorwick
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 225 lbs.
High school: Sterling Heights (MI) Henry Ford II
Position: Long snapper
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Boutorwick was a senior in high school.
TTB Rating: N/A

Boutorwick is a preferred walk-on long snapper who was chosen for the Under Armour All-American Game, which I imagine is a pretty big deal. I mean, it’s certainly a big deal for him to be a UA All-American, but Boutorwick is a long snapper and I have no ability to judge long snappers. Kornblue Kicking has him as the #11 long snapper in the class of 2022, which is a 4-star to them . . . and sounds good . . . except a 4-star to Kornblue means they peg him as an FCS or Division II player. But Under Armour chose him as one of its two long snappers.

So I have no clue, but I hope he’s good. Regardless, William Wagner returns as Michigan’s starting long snapper, and he’s backed up by Greg Tarr, who might be good but who knows because he was a 5-star but hasn’t played in two seasons on the roster. My totally unfounded and pointless hope is that Michigan does not need its third-string long snapper at any point in 2022.

Insert a shrug gif here.

Prediction: Redshirt

2022 Season Countdown: #112 Nico Tiberia

Name: Nico Tiberia
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 201 lbs.
High school: Allen Park (MI) Allen Park
Position: Running back
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #36
Last year: I did not rank Tiberia. He did not play in any games.
TTB Rating: N/A

Tiberia was a highly productive running back at Allen Park in high school, but that was a few years ago. He walked onto the team and has not played in the past two seasons. Michigan needs running back help from a walk-on or two, considering they only have four scholarship backs. Last year four scholarship backs and four walk-on backs carried the ball. If last year shows anything, it will probably be Leon Franklin as the top walk-on, but Tiberia will have a chance to play.

Prediction: Backup running back

2022 Season Countdown: #113 Christian Boivin

Name: Christian Boivin
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 204 lbs.
High school: Traverse City (MI) West
Position: Running back
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #40
Last year: I ranked Boivin #125 and said he would be a backup running back (LINK). He had 1 carry for 2 yards.
TTB Rating: N/A

When Boivin came into college, I thought for sure he would be headed for the safety position. He runs a bit like a linebacker but doesn’t really have linebacker size. It makes some sense that he would stick at running back, though, because Michigan only had 4 scholarship running backs on the roster in 2021. Walk-ons Leon Franklin and Boivin appeared to be the next couple guys on the depth chart, and that resulted in Boivin getting 1 carry for 2 yards in the blowout win over Northern Illinois.

I expect Boivin to be in roughly the same spot in 2022 now that Hassan Haskins has graduated and C.J. Stokes is being brought in to maintain the number at 4 scholarship backs. Boivin is a little bit stiff to be a real contributor, but he can eat up a few carries at the end of blowouts to keep other guys fresh.

Prediction: Backup running back