Tag: 2022 season countdown

2022 Season Countdown: #42 Andrel Anthony

Name: Andrel Anthony
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 185 lbs.
High school: East Lansing (MI) East Lansing
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #1
Last year: I ranked Anthony #61 and said he would be a backup wide receiver (LINK). He caught 12 passes for 248 yards and 3 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 73

I don’t know what Andrel Anthony ate for breakfast on October 30, 2021, but he should eat it more often. Anthony played in three games and had three DNPs before he woke up on Halloween Eve, and then all hell broke loose. In his hometown of East Lansing, he caught 6 passes for 155 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a 93-yard score on his first career catch. He had just 6 catches for 93 yards and 1 score over his final six games.

While Anthony showed more ability as a freshman than I expected, he’s part of a very deep receiver squad. With Cornelius Johnson, Ronnie Bell, Roman Wilson, and others, it’s hard to tell how things will shake out. I’m guessing Anthony will continue to take a back seat to a couple of those other guys until they’re gone, but receiver is in good hands at least for 2022 if Anthony is maybe just the fourth or fifth best guy.

Prediction: Backup wide receiver

2022 Season Countdown: #43 Jeffrey Persi

Name: Jeffrey Persi
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 305 lbs.
High school: Mission Viejo (CA) Junipero Serra
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #79
Last year: I ranked Persi #82 and said he would be a backup offensive tackle (LINK). He played in two games.
TTB Rating: 82

When Matt Dudek was Michigan’s recruiting coordinator up through 2020, Persi was the poster boy for staff evaluation. Maybe the recruiting sites didn’t love Persi – he was a low 4-star at #322 overall – but the staff did. But if it’s not plainly obvious that a guy is going to be good right this minute, that guy is probably not going to make an impact as a true freshman. But Persi also didn’t make much of an impact in 2021, playing in just a couple blowouts.

This post predicts quite a leap in 2022, as Persi goes from #82 to #43. Michigan likes to use a sixth lineman as a tight end, like they did in 2021 with Trente Jones. It’s not a coincidence that Jones is penciled as the starting right tackle now that Andrew Stueber is gone. So if Jones is Stueber in 2022, who is Jones in 2022? It probably comes down to Persi or Karsen Barnhart. Barnhart seems to be the #1 backup at a few positions – he started four games at left tackle in 2020 and two games at left guard in 2021 – and the staff will either make him the sixth lineman as the “tight end” or keep him ready at tackle/guard. Either way, I expect Persi to start to see an increased role as the seventh or eighth lineman, whether he enters in certain packages or is just in the two-deep as a backup.

Prediction: Backup offensive tackle

2022 Season Countdown: #44 Tommy Doman

Name: Tommy Doman
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 190 lbs.
High school: Orchard Lake (MI) St. Mary’s
Position: Kicker/Punter
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #19
Last year: I ranked Doman #71 and said he would be a backup kicker/punter (LINK). He redshirted.
TTB Rating: N/A

Doman was a backup kicker/punter combo guy in 2021, and he went the entire way through the season without being needed. Kicker Jake Moody stayed healthy and focused, and so did punter Brad Robbins. It seemed like an oddity to be able to get through the season using only those two guys, because before that, Quinn Nordin had been in the mix and both Moody/Nordin played kicker quite a bit the previous couple years. Not only that, but Robbins suffered from back issues earlier in his career.

The Michigan program is probably better for this, but Doman had to be a little disappointed this off-season when both Moody and Robbins chose to exercise their COVID exemption and return for an extra year of eligibility.

I hope the health and consistency remain in place, but Doman should be the primary backup at both spots and going two years in a row without needing a backup to play would be a bit surprising. So here Doman is at #44 because I think he’ll be needed at some point this year.

Prediction: Backup kicker/punter

2022 Season Countdown: #45 Jalen Perry

Name: Jalen Perry
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 187 lbs.
High school: Dacula (GA) Dacula
Position: Safety
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #16
Last year: I ranked Perry #53 and said he would be a backup safety and special teamer (LINK). He played in eight games and made 3 tackles.
TTB Rating: 88

Perry was the #200 overall player in the 2019 class. He has bounced back and forth between cornerback and safety for the past couple seasons, and he’s currently listed at one pound lighter than he was as a recruit. He appears to lack the speed to be a major contributor at cornerback, and he’s not quite physical enough to be a factor at safety.

I expect Perry to once again be a backup. Whether he’s a cornerback or safety might depend on which way the wind is blowing or which position group stays the healthiest, but I’m not expecting a breakout season. However, he should see consistent snaps on special teams and could be an adequate veteran fill-in for the defensive backfield if someone gets injured.

Prediction: Backup defensive back, special teamer

2022 Season Countdown: #46 Jaydon Hood

Name: Jaydon Hood
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 212 lbs.
High school: Fort Lauderdale (FL) Saint Thomas Aquinas
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #34
Last year: I ranked Hood #68 and said he would be a backup linebacker and special teamer (LINK). He played in one game.
TTB Rating: 72

Hood came to Michigan last year looking a little too undersized to be a linebacker. His height has always been a bit of a question mark, but a lack of height needs to be supplemented by bulk (he was only listed at 215) and/or excellent quickness (which is yet to be determined). Hood obviously didn’t display enough of those traits to get on the field much, which was acceptable in 2021 when considering his youth and the presence of Josh Ross, Nikhai Hill-Green, Junior Colson, Kalel Mullings, and others.

However, 2022 is a different story. Ross is gone and Mullings is dabbling at running back, meaning that #3 linebacker spot is open for the taking. It could be Mullings or Mike Barrett or Joey Velazquez or a freshman, but there’s a chance for everyone. I’ve heard mildly positive things about Hood to make me think he might still be another year away. Unfortunately, his listed weight dropped from 215 last year to 212 this year, but 2022 should see him take on an increased role on special teams and perhaps a few snaps at inside linebacker.

Prediction: Backup linebacker, special teamer