Tag: Caden Kolesar

2023 Season Countdown: #52 Caden Kolesar

Name: Caden Kolesar
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 195 lbs.
High school: Lakewood (OH) St. Edward
Position: Safety
Class: Redshirt senior
Jersey number: #35
Last year: I ranked Kolesar #55 and said he would be a backup safety and special teamer (LINK). He made 8 tackles and blocked 1 punt.
TTB Rating: N/A

Is Kolesar the most forgotten man on Michigan’s team?

Well, no.

But he’s close.

Kolesar was at one time on Michigan fans’ conscious thoughts, back when he blocked a punt against UConn. And when he was inserted as Michigan’s punt returner following Ronnie Bell’s knee injury in 2021. A Michigan legacy who walked on to the team in 2019, Kolesar quietly earned some practice praise and got some run on Saturdays.

But ever since his ACL injury last fall, nothing much has been heard about him. This ranking is purely a projection, but I would expect him to once again be an important special teams player in 2023. He’s good on coverage units, and he has stepped in as a backup safety. And if the coaching staff trusted him on punt returns at one time, they at least have some faith in him as a trustworthy athlete. (Note: I do not expect Kolesar to be in the running to start at punt returner.) He’s also someone who could return for a sixth year in 2024, so a solid comeback year could put him in the running for more playing time at safety next year.

Prediction: Backup safety and special teamer

2022 Season Countdown: #55 Caden Kolesar

Name: Caden Kolesar
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 196 lbs.
High school: Lakewood (OH) St. Edward
Position: Safety
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #35
Last year: I ranked Kolesar #67 and said he would be a backup safety and special teamer (LINK). He made 9 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 interception, 1 pass breakup, and 3 punt returns for 33 yards.
TTB Rating: N/A

When Kolesar first committed to Michigan, there was confusion about whether he was offered a scholarship or a preferred walk-on spot. (It was the latter.) So he has come pretty far for a walk-on and has done more than some scholarship safeties, including the guy one spot lower than him in the countdown (Quinten Johnson). A clean-up guy, he even made 1 interception in the Big Ten Championship Game against Iowa and was the primary backup to Ronnie Bell on punt returns after Bell tore his ACL in the season opener.

I may be proven wrong, but Kolesar seems to be one of those guys who’s good enough to make some people really root for the underdog, but he’s not quite talented enough to maintain a highly valued spot at a place like Michigan. He was the backup punt returner to start, but when the lights came on, he misjudged a couple balls and generally looked uncomfortable, which got him replaced. He’s pretty reliable as a coverage guy on special teams, but his size and speed are lacking for full-time duty. Overall, Kolesar is a good piece to have on the team, but he’s here in the range of special teams contributors rather than a little higher in the range of two-deep contributors.

Prediction: Backup safety, special teamer

2021 Season Countdown: #67 Caden Kolesar

Name: Caden Kolesar
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 196 lbs.
High school: Lakewood (OH) St. Edward
Position: Safety
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #35
Last year: I ranked Kolesar #90 and said he would be a backup safety and special teamer (LINK). He made 1 tackle.
TTB Rating: N/A

Kolesar, the son of former Michigan wide receiver John Kolesar, enters his third year of playing for the Wolverines. Playing, as in actually getting on the field. He played in three games on special teams in 2019 and then all six games in 2020, making 1 tackle against Minnesota in the season opener.

Michigan returns both its starting safeties, and there are some young scholarship guys who have been getting positive reviews in practice. While Kolesar appears to be pretty far down the depth chart at safety, he should see the field quite a bit once again on special teams.

Prediction: Backup safety, special teamer

2020 Season Countdown: #90 Caden Kolesar

Name: Caden Kolesar
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 196 lbs.
High school: Westlake (OH) St. Edward
Position: Safety
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #40
Last year: I ranked Kolesar #100 and said he would redshirt (LINK).He played in three games.
TTB Rating: 60*

Kolesar is that rare walk-on with a TTB Rating. Why? Well, when Kolesar committed to Michigan, it was unclear whether he was picking the Wolverines as a walk-on or a scholarship player. As you can see, I was not a fan of him as a scholarship player, but a 60 isn’t a bad score for a walk-on. Kolesar played in three games, preserving his redshirt status.

The fact that Michigan threw Kolesar out on the field as a true freshman walk-on suggests that they see him being a contributor going forward. Early walk-on play can be a little misleading (see: Carl Myers), but playing is better than not playing. It’s rare that a walk-on finds time late in his career after never seeing the field in the first two seasons. The path to being a Jordan Glasgow or Nate Schoenle usually begins on special teams.

Prediction: Backup linebacker, special teamer

2019 Season Countdown: #100 Caden Kolesar

Name: Caden Kolesar
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 195 lbs.
High school: Lakewood (OH) St. Edward’s
Position: Safety
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Kolesar was a senior in high school (LINK). He made
150 tackles, 5 sacks, 1 interception, 13 pass breakups, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 rushing touchdown, 1 punt return touchdown, 1 kickoff return touchdown, and 1 blocked kick
TTB Rating: 60

I wrote up a full commitment post for Kolesar, because at the time, it looked like he was committing to the Wolverines as a full-fledged scholarship member of the 2019 class. That turned out not to be true after I already gave him a TTB Rating and such. Oh well.

Anyway, Kolesar is the son of former Michigan wide receiver John Kolesar, who played with Jim Harbaugh back in the 1980s. Caden is the type of hyperproductive, undersized high school player that you root for to be successful, but there are a lot of them dotting the landscape of college football, and not all of them turn into stars. If he were going to, say, Wisconsin, he might be a future star. Since he’s coming to Michigan, where there are 5-stars and 4-stars . . . maybe not.

This year Michigan has some good safeties either already in place or joining the roster this year, including 5-star Daxton Hill and 4-star Quentin Johnson. Kolesar could be a special teams player this year, and if he sticks around for a few years, maybe he will end up like Jordan Glasgow or Jordan Kovacs with some decent playing time. For the moment, though, I don’t expect much from him.

Prediction: Redshirt