Tag: Daniel Taraboi

2026 Season Countdown: #86-90

#86. Max Alford – LB – Park City (UT) Park City: Alford is a 6’1″, 230 lb. fifth year senior and the nephew of running backs coach Tony Alford. After spending three seasons at Utah State, he then transferred to BYU in 2025, making 21 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 1 sack for the Cougars. He does have five career starts, making him a more experienced player than most in the linebacker room, but watching some film of him makes me think he will be a step or two too slow to play for the Wolverines. I think his biggest role will be as a mentor to younger players as they learn defensive coordinator Jay Hill’s defense, since Hill was BYU’s defensive coordinator.

#87. Jacob Washington – WR – Marrero (LA) Archbishop Shaw: Washington is a 6’3″, 197 lb. redshirt freshman after playing in just two games in 2025. High school teammate Jasper Parker spent one season in Ann Arbor before going back down south to play for Arkansas this fall, and Washington looks to be pretty solidly mired as a backup for the 2026 season behind several players. From the buzz coming out of practice, it appears that freshman Travis Johnson has passed up Washington on the depth chart, too. There will probably not be a ton of playing time available for Washington this fall unless there are some injury problems.

#88. Luke Hamilton – OG – Avon (OH) Avon: Hamilton is a 6’5″, 319 lb. redshirt sophomore now. After two years on campus, his only game appearance has been in the 63-3 blowout of Central Michigan in 2025. Word coming out of practices has been that Michigan has about eight different guys who could start this fall, but Hamilton hasn’t really been mentioned much by insiders and appears to be on the outside looking in when it comes to getting meaningful playing time this fall. If he spends a third year at Michigan barely getting on the field, things will be looking pretty bleak for his future in Ann Arbor.

#89. Daniel Taraboi – OT – Cedarburg (WI) Cedarburg: Taraboi is a 6’7″, 328 lb. fifth year senior who is a former walk-on. He has played in one game in each of his seasons on the roster. His best chance to play may be on the extra point/field goal protection unit, but Michigan has enough depth that Taraboi probably won’t get on the field much as the coaching staff tries to develop younger players for action in 2027.

#90. Brooks Bahr – OG – Lake Forest (IL) Loyola: Wow, Bahr’s career has gone by quickly. As I began typing up this post, I was still thinking of Bahr as a redshirt sophomore, but he’s actually going into his fourth year on campus. After starting his career as a defensive end, he moved to the offensive side of the ball a year ago and is now listed as a 6’5″, 312 lb. offensive lineman. He does not appear to be much of a factor in the discussion for playing time this fall, and somewhat like Taraboi, he may be most likely to play on a special teams protection unit.

2025 Season Countdown: #91-95

95. DT Manuel Beigel (RS Fr.): Beigel is a 6’5″, 300 lb. German native who spent one season playing football in America as a senior in the fall of 2023 and then took a redshirt in 2024 after playing in just one game. We haven’t heard much about him since he arrived at Michigan, but scouts raved about his athleticism when he was a recruit. If we’re judging from other international prospects like Luiji Vilain (Canada), Julius Welschof (Germany), and Aymeric Koumba (France), it will take some time before Beigel is ready to contribute. With the depth on Michigan’s defensive line, I don’t expect Beigel to play much of a role in 2025. Last year’s rank: #128.

94. RB Donovan Johnson (Fr.): Johnson (3-star, #39 RB, #477 overall) has had some injury issues in the past, which deflated his recruitment. He ran just 48 times for 257 yards and 3 touchdowns in seven games as a senior after missing his junior season due to injury. Now up to a listed 6’0″, 213 lbs. on MGoBlue.com, he’s going to be swimming upstream against a pretty deep backfield. Aside from surefire contributors Jordan Marshall and Justice Haynes, the Wolverines brought in C.J. Hester from UMass and John Volker from Princeton. It always seems like a freshman sneaks in for a pretty sizable backup role, but that will be a tall task in 2025.

93. OT Daniel Taraboi (RS Jr.): The 6’7″, 328 lb. mammoth former walk-on played in one game last year, making an appearance on special teams against Northwestern. That’s probably his best opportunity for playing time, where being a big body can help on a field goal protection unit without being super mobile. Last year’s rank: #101.

92. DE Devon Baxter (RS Fr.): Baxter is listed at 6’6″ and 240 pounds on the roster, which is still rather lean for an edge rusher. He has probably added some weight to that frame this off-season, but he has not been mentioned much in the discussion for playing time. The top four edges are expected to be Derrick Moore, T.J. Guy, Cam Brandt, and Dominic Nichols. I really like his athletic potential, but he’s probably at least a year away from significant playing time. Last year’s rank: #109.

91. S Elijah Dotson (Fr.): Dotson (4-star, #11 S, #131 overall) was a late flip from Pitt to Michigan, having committed to the Wolverines toward the end of November. He was followed shortly by #1 overall player Bryce Underwood, also from Belleville High. Dotson could potentially play wide receiver, where he also starred in high school, but he’s starting out at safety in college. He seems to have flown under the radar a little bit, especially for a player who ranked #131 overall in the 247 Composite. That being said, Michigan has a pretty deep defensive backfield, so Dotson will probably have to bide his time on the sideline this fall.

2024 Season Countdown: #101 Daniel Taraboi

Name: Daniel Taraboi
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 326 lbs.
High school: Cedarburg (WI) Cedarburg
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #66
Last year: I ranked Taraboi #138 and said he would be a backup offensive tackle (LINK). He did not play.
TTB Rating: N/A

Taraboi is a ginormous human being who has played in one game through two seasons on campus. That one game was the blowout of UConn in 2022 when Jack Harbaugh and Tom Brady’s youngest son both got a few snaps. Michigan’s veteran offensive line leadership got thinned out by the 2024 NFL Draft, but Taraboi still isn’t in danger of playing much. He may slip into a few games late after outcomes are decided, and he could perhaps even work his way onto the extra point/field goal protection unit if he can maintain his leverage. At 6’7″ it might be easy for opponents to get under him, but it still might be hard to push past a 326-pounder.

Prediction: Backup offensive tackle

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

2022 Season Countdown: #127 Daniel Taraboi

Name: Daniel Taraboi
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 295 lbs.
High school: Cedarburg (WI) Cedarburg
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Taraboi was a senior in high school.
TTB Rating: N/A

Taraboi is coming to Michigan as a preferred walk-on after spurning offers from San Diego and Valparaiso. He’s a massive high schooler (listed at 6’7″ and 310 lbs. on Hudl) who is a little bit stiff and plays upright. Because of the lack of flexibility, he is probably looking at a career of being a scout team and backup player, but those guys are valuable to have on your roster.

Prediction: Redshirt