Tag: 2023 season countdown

2023 Season Countdown: #138 Daniel Taraboi

Name: Daniel Taraboi
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 313 lbs.
High school: Cedarburg (WI) Cedarburg
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #66
Last year: I ranked Taraboi #127 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He played in one game and kept his redshirt.
TTB Rating: N/A

Like everyone else without an ACL tear on Michigan’s roster, Taraboi got to play in Michigan’s 59-0 trouncing of UConn. After being listed at 6’6″ and 295 lbs. coming in, he’s now up to 6’7″ and 313 lbs. on the official roster. That’s a huge man to just be standing on the sideline during home games. Michigan is so deep on the offensive line that there’s virtually no chance of Taraboi challenging for playing time other than late in blowout games.

Prediction: Backup offensive tackle

2023 Season Countdown: #139 James Kavouklis

Name: James Kavouklis
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 272 lbs.
High school: Tampa (FL) Berkeley
Position: Offensive lineman/Long snapper
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #64
Last year: I ranked Kavouklis #132 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He played in one game.
TTB Rating: N/A

Kavouklis is another player who is listed lighter (in this case, by three pounds) than he was as a true freshman in 2022. He played in the blowout win over UConn, but otherwise, he was able to maintain his redshirt. He is now listed as an offensive lineman with “long snapper” attached on the roster, so that might be a developing skill that lets him get on the field sometime down the road. It’s rare that a school like Michigan would have a 272 lb. punt snapper, because those guys have to get down the field and make tackles, but you do occasionally see larger short snappers (for field goals and extra points) since they usually don’t have to make tackles in space. Regardless, it looks like Kavouklis will once again be a deep bench backup in 2023.

Prediction: Backup lineman/long snapper

2023 Season Countdown: #140 Shomari Stone II

Name: Shomari Stone II
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 175 lbs.
High school: Washington (DC) St. John’s
Position: Defensive back
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #37
Last year: I did not rank Stone. He redshirted.
TTB Rating: N/A

Stone’s claim to fame, in a sense, is that he’s the son of Shomari Stone, a CNBC correspondent based in Washington, D.C. The elder Stone is a Michigan alum – though not a former football player – and a big proponent of the Wolverines. The younger Shomari was a solid player at St. John’s, though not a standout, and he came to Michigan in 2022 as a preferred walk-on.

As most preferred walk-ons experience, Stone watched his entire freshman season from the sideline. I do not expect much to change in 2023, as Michigan recruited a large and talented defensive back class in 2022. Players from that class – such as Keon Sabb and Zeke Berry – will probably be taking a step forward in 2023, leaving little room for walk-ons to play.

Prediction: Backup defensive back

2023 Season Countdown: #141 Declan Byle

Name: Declan Byle
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 169 lbs.
High school: Novi (MI) Catholic Central
Position: Quarterback
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #24 #20
Last year: I ranked Byle #128 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He redshirted.
TTB Rating: N/A

Byle is almost certainly headed for another “redshirt” season after not playing at all in 2022. He did get a run-out-the-clock snap or two in the spring game, so there’s that. But he’s actually lighter in 2023 (169 lbs.) than he was in 2022 (175 lbs.), so he needs to buy into that Ben Herbert plan and be on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List by 2025. Anything less will be a total disappointment.

And Ben Herbert better start earning his $1,000,000+ and get this kid up over 180 lbs. by next season.

Prediction: Backup quarterback

The 2023 Season Countdown is Coming!

Every year since 2009, I have counted down from the least important player on that year’s roster to the most important player, including starters, scholarship players, preferred walk-ons, special teams players, student body walk-ons, and everyone in between.

In case you want a look back at last year’s #1 player, here is Mazi Smith, who will probably be Michigan’s top NFL draft pick this off-season (LINK).

YEARLY DISCLAIMER: The countdown is by the player’s importance to the team, not his overall talent. A talented player at a deep position won’t necessarily be missed a lot if he gets injured, but an injury to a moderately talented player at a thin position could be devastating. For example, I had cornerback Ambry Thomas ranked at #2 in 2020 because he was the team’s only proven cornerback. Naturally, he opted out of the season and the team as a whole was an unmitigated disaster. Meanwhile, first round pick Kwity Paye was #6 because more talent was returning on the defensive line.

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Be ready for the countdown to begin next week after the spring game, which may let me re-calibrate some of my rankings.