Tag: 2024 season countdown

Preview: Michigan vs. Texas

RUSH OFFENSE vs. TEXAS RUSH DEFENSE
After one week of the 2024 season, Michigan is tied for #79 in yards per game (148.0) and #72 in yards per carry (4.35). Kalel Mullings kinda sorta seemed to take the lead running back role with 15 carries for 92 yards against Fresno State, passing up #1 RB Donovan Edwards (11 carries, 27 yards) in both attempts and yards. Michigan finished #22 in run blocking according to Pro Football Focus, but there were definitely some struggles. New LG Josh Priebe scored the highest in run blocking among offensive linemen (69.9) while new starting center Dominick Giudice was the lowest graded run blocker on the entire team (57.4). On the Texas side, fifth year senior DT Vernon Broughton (6’4″, 305) graded out the highest among defenders against Colorado State with a grade of 89.8, but he was just a 56.8 against the run and made 2 tackles. Junior nickel Jaylon Guilbeau (6’0″, 190) led the team with 8 tackles, followed by sophomore LB Anthony Hill, Jr. (6’3″, 235) with 5 stops. Texas allowed 118 yards on the ground (#66 in the country) and ranked #70 in yards allowed per carry (3.69). I think Michigan will be able to run the ball, but the speed and size on defense is going to limit big plays.
Advantage: Michigan

Hit the jump for more.

2024 Season Countdown List

Now that the 2024 Season Countdown is in the rear view mirror, here’s the full list so you can see it all in one place.

1. Will Johnson
2. Colston Loveland
3. Mason Graham
4. Kenneth Grant
5. Donovan Edwards
6. Josaiah Stewart
7. Jaishawn Barham
8. Alex Orji
9. Ernest Hausmann
10. Dominic Zvada
11. Myles Hinton
12. Tommy Doman
13. Derrick Moore
14. Giovanni El-Hadi
15. Josh Priebe
16. Semaj Morgan
17. Max Bredeson
18. Tyler Morris
19. Makari Paige
20. Jyaire Hill
21. Kalel Mullings
22. Zeke Berry
23. Quinten Johnson
24. Greg Crippen
25. William Wagner
26. Fredrick Moore
27. a) T.J. Guy, b) Rayshaun Benny
28. Raheem Anderson II
29. Davis Warren
30. Marlin Klein
31. Aamir Hall
32. Jeffrey Persi
33. Jimmy Rolder
34. Evan Link
35. Andrew Gentry
36. Wesley Walker
37. Ja’den McBurrows
38. Amorion Walker
39. Trey Pierce
40. Cameron Brandt
41. Jaydon Hood
42. Jaden Mangham
43. Enow Etta
44. a) Hudson Hollenbeck, b) Adam Samaha
45. Deakon Tonielli
46. C.J. Charleston
47. a) Zack Marshall, b) Brady Prieskorn
48. Keshaun Harris
49. Brandyn Hillman
50. Dominick Giudice
51. Greg Tarr
52. a) Cole Cabana, b) Benjamin Hall
53. Jack Tuttle
54. Ricky Johnson
55. Kendrick Bell
56. Tristan Bounds
57. Micah Pollard
58. Kechaun Bennett
59. Christian Boivin
60. Peyton O’Leary
61. Joe Taylor
62. Deyvid Palepale
63. Evan Boutorwick
64. Aymeric Koumba
65. Tavierre Dunlap
66. Connor Jones
67. Tyler McLaurin
68. Breeon Ishmail
69. Kody Jones
70. Myles Pollard
71. Dominic Nichols
72. Jalen Hoffman
73. Jordan Marshall #23
74. Nathan Efobi
75. Jason Hewlett
76. Joseph Klunder
77. Jayden Denegal
78. Jo’Ziah Edmond
79. Andrew Sprague
80. Henry Donohue
81. Brooks Bahr
82. Channing Goodwin
83. Ike Iwunnah
84. Joel Metzger
85. Cole Sullivan
86. Dale Chesson
87. Jacob Oden
88. Alessandro Lorenzetti
89. Owen Wafle
90. I’Marion Stewart
91. Blake Frazier
92. Ben Roebuck
93. Lugard Edokpayi
94. Micah Ka’apana
95. Chibi Anwunah
96. Joshua Nichols
97. Jadyn Davis
98. Micah Davis
99. Max Reyes
100. Nico Andrighetto
101. Daniel Taraboi
102. Jake Guarnera
103. S Bryce Wilcox
104. TE Noah Howes
105. DT Ted Hammond
106. TE Brandon Mann
107. CB Jeremiah Lowe
108. DT Peter Simmons
109. DE Devon Baxter
110. TE Hogan Hansen
111. LB Alexander Lidback
112. LB Mason Curtis
113. K Stone Anderson
114. OG Luke Hamilton
115. EMPTY DUE TO HAYDEN MOORE TRANSFER
116. EMPTY DUE TO SEMAJ BRIDGEMAN TRANSFER
117. EMPTY DUE TO AMIR HERRING TRANSFER
118. EMPTY DUE TO JEREMIAH BEASLEY TRANSFER
119. EMPTY DUE TO D.J. WALLER TRANSFER
120. QB Anthony Arnou
121. EMPTY DUE TO CRISTIAN DIXON TRANSFER
122. LB Jack Mackinnon
123. S Shomari Stone
124. LS James Kavouklis
125. EMPTY DUE TO DANNY HUGHES TRANSFER
126. EMPTY DUE TO JOSH BEETHAM TRANSFER
127. RB Bryson Kuzdzal
128. DT Manuel Beigel
129. LB Zach Ludwig
130. LB Liam Groulx
131. LB Grayson Dee

2024 Season Countdown: #1 Will Johnson

Name: Will Johnson
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 202 lbs.
High school: Grosse Pointe (MI) South
Position: Cornerback
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #2
Last year: I ranked Johnson #2 and said he would be a starting cornerback with 50 tackles and 4 interceptions (LINK). He made 27 tackles, 1 tackle, 4 interceptions (for 80 yards and 1 touchdown), and 8 pass breakups.
TTB Rating: 91

Johnson went ahead in year two and staked his claim for being one of the top cornerbacks in Michigan history. He was a First Team All-Big Ten corner and an All-American, helping to slow down some of the best receivers in the country. The 6’2″, 202-pounder limited Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison, Jr. to 5 catches for 98 yards when matched up over the past two seasons, and top-10 pick Rome Odunze for Washington had 5 total catches for 87 yards and 0 touchdowns in the national championship game.

Some of Johnson’s highlights include jumping a Harrison slant route for an interception and returning an interception for a touchdown against Minnesota. He’s been making highlight-worthy plays since the second half of his freshman year, including a mostly stellar game against Purdue in the Big Ten Championship Game in 2022. Every player is going to get beaten sometimes, but it seems like challenging Johnson is almost always a poor choice.

I had a tough time picking a #1 player this season. It came down to DT Mason Graham (who was #3), TE Colston Loveland (who was #2), and Johnson. I was recently listening to the Move the Sticks podcast with Daniel Jeremiah, who talked about a study that came out comparing defensive performance between pass rush or coverage. The results of the study showed that good coverage helps out the pass rush more than a good pass rush helps out coverage. On top of that, Michigan has decent backups on the defensive line (T.J. Guy at edge, Rayshaun Benny at DT), but even Michigan’s #2 corner Jyaire Hill is unproven. If Johnson were to go down, it would likely be up to Hill and FCS transfer Aamir Hall to hold down the corner spots. Ultimately, if Johnson were to get hurt, games against Texas’s Quinn Ewers, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, and the wide receiver talent of Ohio State look a whole lot more difficult.

Prediction: Starting cornerback; 35 tackles, 3 interceptions

2024 Season Countdown: #2 Colston Loveland

Name: Colston Loveland
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 245 lbs.
High school: Gooding (ID) Gooding
Position: Tight end
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #18
Last year: I ranked Loveland #16a and said he would be a starting tight end with 35 catches for 435 yards and 5 touchdowns (LINK). He caught 45 passes for 649 yards and 4 touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 85

Loveland took a big leap in 2023 despite the presence of Indiana transfer A.J. Barner, who then got drafted and made the Seahawks roster. Always a talented athlete, I thought he might just play second fiddle to other passing targets, but he was a prime target for quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Loveland finished #3 on the team in receptions, but it was by a thin margin: WR Roman Wilson had 48 and WR Cornelius Johnson had 47. They were a three-headed monster.

Though he has yet to have a 100-yard game, he did top the 70-yard mark four times last season, including a 4-catch, 79-yard, 2-touchdown performance against Michigan State. And he went for 5 receptions and 88 yards against Ohio State.

This year Loveland will be more of a focal point for opposing defenses because no proven receivers return. There’s no speedy downfield threat like Wilson who has made plays downfield (though Fredrick Moore and Semaj Morgan have potential), there’s no 6’3″ target on the outside like Johnson (though Amorion Walker has potential), and there’s no other proven tight end like Barner (though Marlin Klein has potential). So until those players show productivity on the field, it just makes sense that other teams would do their best to limit Loveland’s catches. He’s been talked about as the possible #1 tight end off the board for the 2025 NFL Draft, but with a weaker cast around him, it’s likely to be tougher sledding in 2024.

Prediction: Starting tight end; 40 catches for 520 yards and 4 touchdowns

2024 Season Countdown: #3 Mason Graham

Name: Mason Graham
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 320 lbs.
High school: Anaheim (CA) Servite
Position: Defensive tackle
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #55
Last year: I ranked Graham #9 and said he would be a starting nose tackle with 45 tackles and 4 sacks (LINK). He started thirteen games and made 36 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 1 pass breakup, and 3 quarterback hurries.
TTB Rating: 84

Graham was expected to be a huge impact player in 2023, and he did not disappoint. He was voted by conference coaches as a First Team All-Big Ten player (yeah!), by Big Ten media types as a Third Team All-Big Ten player (huh?), and by other media as Second Team All-American. And he deserved all that hype and more. After getting a PFF grade of 80.3 as a freshman in 2022, he topped it by scoring a 90.0 as a sophomore in 2023.

Graham had a cast on his arm for a chunk of the season, and he was beating Minnesota linemen to death despite being one-armed at the time. Graham is extremely quick off the ball, has powerful hands, plays with great leverage, and has the explosiveness to finish plays that other guys come close to making. Along with Kenneth Grant, Michigan’s top defensive tackles are the best duo I remember in a Michigan uniform. There is no better tackle combo in the NCAA in 2024, at least.

This year could be Graham’s final season in a Michigan uniform. He has been talked about as a potential first round draft pick, and I wouldn’t blame him for jumping to the pros if he has another good season. The bar has already been set for all-conference and All-American accolades, so it might be hard to top that season. But Michigan has at least one season left (barring injury) to watch Graham and Grant manhandle opposing linemen. Let’s enjoy it while we can.

Prediction: Starting defensive tackle; 45 tackles, 4.5 sacks