Tag: 2022 season countdown

2022 Season Countdown: #114 Noah Stewart

Name: Noah Stewart
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 274 lbs.
High school: Muskegon (MI) North
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #61
Last year: I ranked Stewart #121 and said he would be a backup offensive tackle (LINK). He played in one game.
TTB Rating: N/A

Stewart is a massive offensive lineman who’s very narrow and a little bit raw. When he came out of high school, he looked like an oversized tight end. Despite being in college for a couple years, he is still listed at only 274 pounds on Michigan’s spring roster (he was 240 coming out of high school). At his height 274 is still way too light to be a legitimate option on the offensive line, and he needs to get into at least the 290s before talk of getting on the field much is warranted.

Prediction: Backup offensive tackle

2022 Season Countdown: #116 Bryce Wilcox

Name: Bryce Wilcox
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 171 lbs.
High school: Sharpsburg (GA) Trinity Christian
Position: Safety
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Wilcox was a senior in high school.
TTB Rating: N/A

Wilcox is another high-level preferred walk-on who turned down an offer from Navy to pay his own way to Michigan. A pretty dynamic wide receiver and defensive back for his high school team, Wilcox could play safety or wide receiver at the next level. He’s as good as or better than the walk-on receivers who have played at Michigan in recent years. If you watch his highlights below, you’ll see some big hits, some nice blocks, and some tremendous balance and change of direction with the ball in his hands.

As a freshman preferred walk-on, he’s very unlikely to play in 2022, but he is a guy with the talent to get on the field in the coming years, particularly on special teams.

Prediction: Redshirt

2022 Season Countdown: #117 Hunter Neff

Name: Hunter Neff
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 237 lbs.
High school: Chelsea (MI) Chelsea
Position: Tight end
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #80
Last year: I ranked Neff #116 and said he would be a backup tight end (LINK). He did not play in any games.
TTB Rating: N/A

Neff is an undersized tight end at 6’2″ and 237 lbs. So chances for him to get on the field are pretty slim. Michigan has also stacked up a pretty talented tight end room with a couple starter-quality seniors and several 4-star backups. Perhaps Neff can help replicate a fullback on the scout team or play on special teams, but as for playing time on offense, I wouldn’t expect to see #80 out there much at all.

Prediction: Backup tight end

2022 Season Countdown: #118 Joshua Luther

Name: Joshua Luther
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 184 lbs.
High school: Clarkston (MI) Clarkston
Position: Cornerback
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #44
Last year: I ranked Luther #117 and said he would be a backup defensive back (LINK). He did not play in a game.
TTB Rating: N/A

Luther is an undersized walk-on corner who was an all-state player at Clarkston, but he didn’t join the football program at Michigan until his third year on campus. The last time you saw him – if you recognized him – was probably when freshman wide receiver Darrius Clemons beat him for a long touchdown pass in the spring game. At his size he’s probably a career scout team player.

Prediction: Backup defensive back

2022 Season Countdown: #119 Alexander Lidback

Name: Alexander Lidback
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 223 lbs.
High school: Alpharetta (GA) Alpharetta
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #46
Last year: I ranked Lidback #128 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He redshirted.
TTB Rating: N/A

Lidback is a player who, as I mentioned last year, could be a program guy who works his way up the depth chart throughout the years. He has good size overall (though he probably needs to add bulk since 223 lbs. is a tad light when you’re a 6’3″ linebacker) and some talent. Despite Michigan’s lack of proven depth at linebacker, Lidback is probably still on the outside looking in. If he sticks around for another two or three years, he might be able to get on special teams and perhaps play as a backup.

Prediction: Backup linebacker