Tag: 2023 season countdown

2023 Season Countdown: #88 Karmello English

Name: Karmello English
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 185 lbs.
High school: Phenix City (AL) Central
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: English was a senior in high school (LINK). He caught 75 passes for 850 yards and 11 touchdowns, adding 2 rushing touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 82

English was a nice cherry on top for a 2023 class that was generally lacking pizzazz. It was a decent class, if underperforming based on Michigan’s on-field success the past two years. But the lack of playmakers outside of local 4-star running back Cole Cabana was a bit concerning. In stepped English, who was ranked as a 4-star, the #26 wide receiver, and #181 overall. (Fun fact: English’s high school coach was Patrick Nix, the former Auburn quarterback and the father of Auburn/Oregon quarterback Bo Nix.)

English is the highest ranked receiver in Michigan’s class, and he might end up being the best one. But both Semaj Morgan and Fredrick Moore enrolled back in January and had spring practice to start to build a rapport with Michigan’s quarterbacks. English is a summer enrollee who will be playing a little from behind. I think the team will have to use one or two freshman receivers on the field this season because of a little bit of a lack of depth, and English might be the odd man out for now.

Prediction: Redshirt

2023 Season Countdown: #89 Christian Boivin

Name: Christian Boivin
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 217 lbs.
High school: Traverse City (MI) West
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #40
Last year: I ranked Boivin #113 and said he would be a backup running back (LINK). He transitioned to linebacker and played in eleven games on special teams, making 1 tackle.
TTB Rating: N/A

Here’s what I had to say about Boivin in last year’s preview:

“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.”

Well, he played running back in year one, but last year he moved to linebacker despite being listed at 6’0″ and 204 lbs., which is very light for a linebacker. He was named Scout Team Defensive Player of the Week for the week leading up to UConn, and he was a regular special teams contributor all year long.

This year Boivin is listed at 217 lbs., which is a bit more reasonable for a linebacker. His chances of actually playing linebacker are still quite slim, but it’s fair to expect him to maintain a sizable role on special teams.

Prediction: Backup linebacker and special teamer

2023 Season Countdown: #90 Deakon Tonielli

Name: Deakon Tonielli
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 230 lbs.
High school: Oswego (IL) Oswego
Position: Tight end
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Tonielli was a senior in high school (LINK). He caught 42 passes for 550 yards and 5 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 76

One of the more forgotten members of the 2023 class, Tonielli ended up as a 247 Composite 4-star, the #20 tight end, and #413 overall. With a decent offer list that included Illinois, Purdue, Minnesota, Tennessee, and West Virginia, he took official visits to Champaign and West Lafayette before visiting Ann Arbor and committing shortly thereafter. Tonielli played some in-line tight end in high school, but he also spent a lot of time split out wide, where he was a mismatch for high school corners. Quicker than most 6’5″, 230-pounders and towering over most of the guys covering him, he seemed to be able to get open pretty consistently for a team that ran the ball a lot.

Strength and blocking will be a couple of the hurdles for Tonielli to overcome in year one. He needs to put on a good chunk of weight before he can get on the field much, and his blocking will need to improve. Usually, that points to a redshirt year as a tight end, and that’s a strong possibility for Tonielli. However, Michigan lost several tight ends to the NFL (Luke Schoonmaker, Joel Honigford), graduation (Carter Selzer) and transfer (Erick All, Louis Hansen) last season and only brought in Indiana’s A.J. Barner from the transfer portal. Zack Marshall enrolled early as a freshman and may have a better shot to play than Tonielli. But Michigan uses a lot of tight ends, so Tonielli may be able to slip on the field a few times while still preserving his redshirt, like Marlin Klein did in 2022 when he played in two games.

Prediction: Redshirt

2023 Season Countdown: #91 Amir Herring

Name: Amir Herring
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 305 lbs.
High school: West Bloomfield (MI) West Bloomfield
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #56
Last year: Herring was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 85 pancake blocks.
TTB Rating: 73

Herring was a long-time Michigan lean who at one point seemed unlikely to end up in Michigan’s class. How is that possible? Well, it seemed at times like Michigan was not pursuing Herring heavily, even though he was offered on July 1, 2020 (today’s the three-year anniversary!). Pegged as a tackle early in his recruitment, his lack of height eventually led to him being ranked as an interior lineman. Word on the street was that Michigan wasn’t really sold on taking him unless he was open to playing center, but once that was ironed out, he became a take.

Herring enrolled early back in January and participated in the spring game, where he started for one squad at right guard. He performed well, and he has a college-ready build at 6’3″ and 305 lbs. Whether he can hold up at guard or will eventually have to slide over to center once a spot opens remains to be seen: Drake Nugent, Greg Crippen, and Raheem Anderson are all older with the ability to play center. For now Herring might be the most college ready offensive lineman in the class, but with the depth on the line, he may still be buried. My guess is that he plays in a few early-season games, but not enough to burn his redshirt.

Prediction: Redshirt

2023 Season Countdown: #92 Cristian Dixon

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Name: Cristian Dixon
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 195 lbs.
High school: Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #85
Last year: I ranked Dixon #68 and said he would be a backup wide receiver (LINK). He played in one game.
TTB Rating: 75

Dixon has been ranked in the sixties for the past couple years, and he has turned his opportunities into three games played and 1 catch for 7 yards. Despite opportunities opening up for wide receivers with an injury to Ronnie Bell in 2021 and Mike Sainristil moving to defense in 2022, Dixon has been biding his time on the bench. Last season he only played against Colorado State. There are plenty of walk-ons who got more playing time.

So now I’m dropping Dixon to #92. Every time a younger receivers hits campus, it seems like they earn more hype than Dixon: Darrius Clemons, Tyler Morris, Fredrick Moore, Semaj Morgan, etc. Walk-ons Peyton O’Leary and Jake Thaw have shown more than Dixon. This season there will be some snaps open where Ronnie Bell used to play, but I don’t think Dixon will benefit much.

Prediction: Backup wide receiver