Tag: 2024 season countdown

2024 Season Countdown: #28 Raheem Anderson II

Name: Raheem Anderson II
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 318 lbs.
High school: Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
Position: Center/offensive guard
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #62
Last year: I ranked Anderson #48 and said he would be a backup center/guard (LINK). He played in one game.
TTB Rating: 83

According to Pro Football Focus, Michigan had 54 players take offensive snaps in 2023. Raheem Anderson II was one of those 54.

He also only took one snap.

So being ranked #28 in the countdown is a pretty lofty ranking. He could have a very significant role in 2024. Some reports have him challenging Greg Crippen for the starting center role. I’m skeptical of that take even though I thought Anderson was a superior player to Crippen coming out of high school. Crippen, after all, played 98 snaps in 2023 and the coaches said he could be the best center in the country if not for the presence of Drake Nugent.

I always thought Anderson would be limited to center because of his size, but he is up to a pretty significant weight at 318 pounds and could be the primary backup at center or guard. He might even end up as the starting center. There are a lot of directions he could go. But whether it’s a role at center or as a backup interior lineman, he will probably be called upon a few times in crunch situations this year to step in for an injured player. And it’s good to have a veteran backup who can be counted on rather than an inexperienced backup on the interior.

Prediction: Backup center/offensive guard

2024 Season Countdown: #29 Davis Warren

Name: Davis Warren
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 195 lbs.
High school: Suffield (CT) Suffield Academy
Position: Quarterback
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #16
Last year: I ranked Warren #70 and said he would be a backup quarterback (LINK). He completed 0/5 passes for 1 interception.
TTB Rating: N/A

Warren was a walk-on quarterback in the 2021 class – the same class as J.J. McCarthy – and he might be closer to the starting quarterback position than any other walk-on since Nick Sheridan in 2008. After overcoming a serious illness in high school, he was probably written off by many people. But his talent has always been there, and he looked decent in 2022. Unfortunately, an undisclosed injury seemed to sap him a little bit in 2023, and he did not perform well. Going 0-for-5 with 1 interception for the season is . . . well . . . there’s really no way to gloss over it: it’s about as bad as it gets.

But that 2023 performance was probably the pendulum swinging a little too far in the negative direction. Warren was back to looking pretty good in the 2024 spring game, throwing two touchdown passes – one a deep ball to Kendrick Bell and one a scrambling dart to Frederick Moore that Moore turned into a touchdown. Spring games aren’t the same as fall Saturdays in the Big House – or the Horseshoe – but there’s no getting past the fact that Warren has the physical talent to perform.

Word coming out of practices is that Warren is the best passer on the team. What he lacks is experience and playmaking ability with his feet. He’s a decent athlete and more mobile than Cade McNamara, but he’s not a runner. Michigan’s offense will look much different with Warren behind center rather than Orji. All signs seem to be pointing toward Orji to be the starter in 2024, but if he falters or gets injured, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Warren getting a shot. Seventh year senior Jack Tuttle is also in the mix, but Tuttle has supposedly been dealing with an injury during camp – and he’s often been injured in his career – so it seems like Warren has taken control of the #2 spot.

Prediction: Backup quarterback

2024 Season Countdown: #30 Marlin Klein

Name: Marlin Klein
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 247 lbs.
High school: Rabun Gap (GA) Nacoochee
Position: Tight end
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #17
Last year: I ranked Klein #77 and said he would be a backup tight end (LINK). He played in ten games and caught 1 pass for 8 yards.
TTB Rating: 81

Klein has been buried on the depth chart for the past couple seasons behind a pretty good group of tight ends. Last year it was Colston Loveland, A.J. Barner, and Matt Hibner, among others, ahead of him on the depth chart. Barner went to the NFL, and Hibner attempted to find greener pastures at SMU (Hibner caught 1 pass for 19 yards in a win over Nevada last night). Klein, meanwhile, despite positive reports on his athleticism, had yet to reach a point where he could be put on the field.

This off-season the hype train for Klein has picked up speed, largely based on his size and athleticism. He reportedly broke off a long touchdown catch and run in a scrimmage recently, and one insider report pegged him as one of the fastest players on the team. Even if he doesn’t truly rank quite at the top, that’s still an impressive comment about a player who’s 6’6″ and 247 pounds.

Replacing Barner’s 620 snaps from 2023 is going to be a group effort. Klein isn’t going to go from playing 37 snaps to 620. But he does appear to be TE2 on this roster, and that should be a few hundred snaps. Zack Marshall and Deakon Tonielli are a couple others who could see decent roles, not to mention 6’6″, 245 lb. freshman Brady Prieskorn. The group has one proven player (Loveland) and a bunch of question marks. I ranked Barner #22 last year, so I don’t have as much confidence in Klein, but we should still see the Germany native quite a bit this fall.

Prediction: Part-time starting tight end; 15 catches for 200 yards and 1 touchdown

2024 Season Countdown: #31 Aamir Hall

Name: Aamir Hall
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 201 lbs.
High school: Baltimore (MD) Mt. St. Joseph
Position: Cornerback
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #12
Last year: Hall played at Albany. He made 63 tackles, 5 interceptions, and 15 pass breakups.
TTB Rating: N/A

Michigan suffered a lot of attrition from the defensive backfield following the 2023 football season. Along with losing Mike Sainristil and Josh Wallace to the NFL, Cam Calhoun (Utah) and D.J. Waller (Kentucky) transferred. And that doesn’t even bring into account the safety position. Waller probably would have been the #3 guy in 2024 and possibly would have had a chance to beat out Jyaire Hill for the #2 spot. So the Wolverines coaching staff went into the portal to get Ricky Johnson from UNLV and Hall from Albany.

Hall was a standout at Albany last year and was named an FCS All-American. Albany has a history of sending decent transfers up to the FBS level, including Florida State defensive end Jared Verse, who was picked in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. Hall probably won’t be a first round pick in 2025, but he appears to be a worthwhile addition. Word out of camp is that Hill will be CB2 this fall, and Hall appears to be the next guy in. That means Hall will still play quite a bit this fall. Keshaun Harris got the third-most outside corner snaps for Michigan in 2023, and that amounted to 158 snaps.

Based on what I’ve seen of Hall from Albany, he’s an aggressive corner with good size. I don’t think he’s going to be intimidated by the move up to FCS, and physically he seems like he’s going to hold up well. His athleticism seems adequate, too. The biggest thing is going to be how he adjusts to Michigan’s defense, disguising coverages, etc., and that’s difficult to predict based on past film. Again, the word out of camp is that he’s hit the ground running and should be ready to roll as the third corner against Fresno State.

Prediction: Backup cornerback

2024 Season Countdown: #32 Jeffrey Persi

Name: Jeffrey Persi
Height: 6’8″
Weight: 310 lbs.
High school: Mission Viejo (CA) Junipero Serra
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #79
Last year: I ranked Persi #44 and said he would be a backup offensive tackle (LINK). He played in fifteen games.
TTB Rating: 82

Persi had an opportunity in 2023 to stake his claim for 2024. With Michigan trying out Karsen Barnhart, Myles Hinton, Trente Jones, and La’Darius Henderson over the first couple weeks at tackle, Persi and Andrew Gentry were afterthoughts and never really in the discussion. Both Persi and Gentry did play on the offensive line throughout the year, and Persi fared better, according to Pro Football Focus. His best moments were in pass protection, where he had a 78.5 overall grade for the year; however, he managed just a 60.6 run blocking grade.

Those things may factor into playing time decisions for 2024. This is likely to be more of a run-oriented offense if Alex Orji wins the starting quarterback job, as most people expect. Persi still fared better than Gentry when it comes to PFF’s grades, but it was just a small difference in the run game. My eyes tell me that Persi is the superior player, but both will have to fend off redshirt freshman Evan Link. If I had to pick a starter, I would pick Persi, but the right tackle job seems like one of those spots where the competition may go into the season.

Prediction: Starting right tackle