Tag: Cole Cabana

2023 Season Countdown: #59 Cole Cabana

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Name: Cole Cabana
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 180 lbs.
High school: Dexter (MI) Dexter
Position: Running back
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #24
Last year: Cabana was a senior in high school (LINK). He ran for 1,518 yards and 27 touchdowns, caught passes for 472 yards and 6 touchdowns, and had 444 return yards and 3 return touchdowns.
TTB Rating: 73

Cabana was Michigan’s highest rated recruit for much of the cycle. One of the fastest players in the recruiting cycle, he was explosive with the ball in his hands for the past few years. Whether it was running the ball, catching the ball, or returning kicks, he had a chance to take it to the house every time. He ended up ranked as a 4-star, the #10 running back, and #172 overall in the 247 Composite ranking.

Cabana’s best chance to play in 2023, in my opinion, is on kickoff returns. Michigan has the best backfield duo in the country in Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, and I think the coaching staff will focus on getting those guys the ball as often as necessary to win games comfortable and impressive the College Football Playoff selection committee. Fellow freshman Benjamin Hall made a case in the spring to be the third-string running back, but sophomore C.J. Stokes may also be a factor. The point is that Cabana isn’t really needed on offense; this backfield is the same as 2022 when Michigan ran roughshod over almost everyone.

What Michigan lost, however, is punt returner and part-time kickoff returner A.J. Henning. And as part-time kickoff returner Roman Wilson becomes more important on offense after the departure of Ronnie Bell, I’m not sure if the coaching staff will want Wilson returning kicks anymore. So if Cabana wants to see the field in 2023 and doesn’t mind burning his redshirt, I think Michigan should give him a shot to handle kickoffs.

Prediction: Backup running back and part-time kickoff returner

Class of 2023 Senior Highlights: RB Cole Cabana

Here are some senior highlights from running back signee Cole Cabana. He’s a 4-star, the #10 running back, and #171 overall in the 247 Composite rankings.

2023 Recruiting Grade: Running Back

Previously: QUARTERBACK

On Saturday I covered the quarterback position, so here’s a look at the running back spot.

2023 NEEDS: 2

2023 COMMITMENTS: Dexter (MI) Dexter RB Cole Cabana, Kennesaw (GA) North Cobb RB Benjamin Hall

2023 OFFERS

• Jaden Booker – Naples (FL) Palmetto Ridge: Undecided
• Dalton Brooks – Shiner (TX) Shiner: Texas A&M
• Jeremiah Cobb – Montgomery (AL) Catholic: Auburn
• Mark Fletcher – Fort Lauderdale (FL) American Heritage: Miami
• Justice Haynes – Buford (GA) Buford: Alabama
• Sedrick Irvin, Jr. – Miami (FL) Columbus: Stanford
• Kaleb Jackson – Baton Rouge (LA) Liberty: LSU
• Christopher Johnson – Fort Lauderdale (FL) Dillard: Miami
• Jaquez Keys – Ironton (OH) Ironton: Wake Forest
• Jayden Limar – Lake Stevens (WA) Lake Stevens: Oregon
• London Montgomery – Scranton (PA) Prep: Penn State
• Samuel Singleton, Jr. – Orange Park (FL) Fleming Island: Florida State
• Daylan Smothers – Charlotte (NC) West: Oklahoma
• Dijon Stanley – Granada Hills (CA) Granada Hills: Utah
• Darius Taylor – Walled Lake (MI) Western: Minnesota
• Treyaun Webb – Jacksonville (FL) Trinity: Florida
• Richard Young – Lehigh Acres (FL) Lehigh: Alabama

GRADE: B+

REASON FOR THE GRADE: Michigan needed at least one running back in the class of 2023 to bump up its scholarship backs from four to five. As we saw this past season, four scholarship running backs leaves Michigan precariously thin at the position. When Blake Corum hurt his knee and backup Donovan Edwards hurt his hand, Michigan was stuck with redshirt freshman Tavierre Dunlap, true freshman C.J. Stokes, position switchers, and walk-ons. That led to an array of plays in which more talented backs would have made Michigan’s season a little easier, such as walk-on Isaiah Gash’s dropped pass against Illinois and converted linebacker Kalel Mullings’s fumble against TCU. Michigan should have at least five scholarship backs on its roster at all times.

So Michigan needed at least one, and then a lot of people expected Blake Corum to leave for the NFL after a highly productive season, bumping up the need to two. Indeed, Michigan landed speedster Cole Cabana (4-star, #10 RB, #161 overall), who might be more of a scat back who can split out wide. And they also took a fairly early commitment from Benjamin Hall (3-star, #55 RB, #781 overall). Hall is the bigger question mark of the two, not only because of his lower ranking, but also because he didn’t start for most of his senior season. Hall is a bigger back (5’10”, 225 lbs.) and lacks great speed. One might expect to see him be a bruising downhill runner, but he bounces a lot of his runs outside and tries to reverse field, which he will not have the speed to do in college.

Michigan tried to get in late on in-state Minnesota commit Darius Taylor, but it was too late to get much movement there. So obviously the coaching staff wanted a third back – or perhaps to replace Hall in the class – but that didn’t happen. That not only solidifies my confidence that Michigan wanted at least two backs, but it makes me question how much confidence they have in the guys they brought in.

Right now the Wolverines are in a good position with Corum, Edwards, Dunlap, and Stokes all returning (for now), plus Cabana and Hall entering the program. Even if someone like Dunlap or Stokes transfers following the spring, Michigan would still have five scholarship guys on the roster.

Visitors: December 16-18, 2022

TRANSFERS

A.J. Barner – TE – Indiana: Barner is a 6’6″, 250 lb. starting tight end and captain from the Hoosiers. After spending three seasons in Bloomington, he has two seasons of eligibility left. This season he caught 28 passes for 199 yards and 3 touchdowns. Barner was a 3-star, the #51 tight end, and #1147 overall in the class of 2020. With Michigan losing Erick All (Iowa), Luke Schoonmaker (NFL), Louis Hansen (transfer), Carter Selzer (graduation), and Joel Honigford (graduation), they need some reinforcements at the tight end position.

Josaiah Stewart – OLB – Coastal Carolina: Stewart is a 6’2″, 230 lb. outside linebacker whom Michigan offered when he came out of high school in 2021. He went to Coastal Carolina and had an outstanding freshman season followed up by a pretty solid sophomore year. Now that he’s in the transfer portal, he has two years of eligibility remaining and appears to be choosing between Michigan and USC.

Hit the jump for more.

Visitors: Michigan vs. Colorado State

Unfortunately, due to time constraints, I am not going to be able to do write-ups on all these guys this week. But here’s a list of prospects who visited for the game against Colorado State.

2023 COMMITS

Cole Cabana – RB – Dexter (MI) Dexter
Amir Herring – OG – West Bloomfield (MI) West Bloomfield
Semaj Morgan – WR – West Bloomfield (MI) West Bloomfield
Adam Samaha – K – Ann Arbor (MI) Huron

2024

2025

2026

2027