Tag: Desmond Morgan

Goodbye, Desmond Morgan

HIGH SCHOOL
Morgan attended Holland (MI) West Ottawa, where he was a quarterback and inside linebacker. As a senior he threw for 519 yards and 5 touchdowns, while also running for 802 yards and 11 touchdowns. He committed to Michigan in December of 2010 as a part of the 2011 recruiting class, and I gave him a TTB Rating of 76 (LINK). A 3-star prospect across the board, Michigan only had to beat out the likes of Northwestern and some MAC programs for his commitment.

Hit the jump for more on Morgan’s career.

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Spring Football Preview: Linebackers

Ben Gedeon (#42) and Mike McCray II (#9)

Projected LB starters: SAM Jabrill Peppers (RS So.), MIKE Ben Gedeon (Sr.), WILL Mike McCray II (RS Jr.). It’s sad to say that this might be the last time we have a chance to see Jabrill Peppers in a Michigan uniform. A defensive back prospect coming out of high school, Don Brown seems to want him to play outside linebacker like Steve Brown did back in 2009. Gedeon is the only true, experienced linebacker returning from last year; he started one game last season and has 70 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, and 2 sacks in his career. McCray is more of a question mark. Listed at 6’4″ and 242 lbs. last year, he missed the whole season with a shoulder injury. In three years on campus – including a freshman season when he was injured and took a redshirt – he has 2 tackles and 1 blocked punt to his name. However, when the team took the field on Monday morning, he was reportedly the first WILL linebacker on the field.

Hit the jump for more on the linebacker position.

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Michigan vs. Maryland Awards

Michigan suffered a big loss with Mario Ojemudia’s injury.

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Drake Johnson. Johnson looked a little slow in the first half, and I do think he has lost a half-step or a step since last year. I guess that happens sometimes when you tear an ACL, especially for the second time. His best asset before the injury was his speed, and he also showed pretty good vision last year. But once he caught the screen pass for a 31-yard touchdown, he seemed to find his confidence a little bit. He finished the game with 13 carries for 68 yards and 1 touchdown, plus the touchdown catch. He should probably be the #2 guy going forward.

Hit the jump for the rest of the awards.

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2015 Season Countdown: #12 Desmond Morgan

Desmond Morgan

Name: Desmond Morgan
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 236 lbs.
High school: Holland (MI) West Ottawa
Position: Linebacker
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #3
Last year: I ranked Morgan #22 and said he would be a starting linebacker with 80 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks. He made 6 tackles in the first game before missing the rest of the season.

Last year Morgan had to deal with outside linebacker Jake Ryan encroaching on inside linebacker territory, and Morgan found himself as the odd man out behind Ryan and Joe Bolden. Unfortunately, Morgan got hurt in the first week and missed the rest of the season. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise for Morgan and the team, though, because he has a chance to make a bigger impact this year. The Wolverines did fairly well on defense with Ryan (112 tackles) and Bolden (102 tackles) leading the way, and it would have been a logjam with those three and then-sophomore Ben Gedeon all clawing for playing time.

This year Morgan should step in for Ryan. The former lacks the same athleticism and knack for making plays, but he averaged 80 tackles and 5 tackles for loss during his sophomore and junior campaigns. Instead of a quartet of quality players, the Wolverines have three guys inside who should be able to rotate without missing much of a beat. Morgan is perhaps the heaviest hitter of the bunch, and opponents are rarely able to break free once he gets his hands on them. He has improved his pass drops, has a good head on his shoulders, and is looked upon as a leader. The #48 Legends jersey he has worn for the past couple years, in honor of Gerald Ford, has been re-retired. Instead of returning to the #44 he sported early in his career, Morgan will don the #3 he wore as a quarterback/linebacker in high school. Morgan should be a strong, level-headed leader in the middle of Michigan’s defense this year, and he might even earn some all-conference votes from people who give extra juice to fifth year seniors who seem like they’ve been playing since the Clinton administration.

Prediction: Starting middle linebacker; 90 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 1 sack

Phil Steele’s 2015 Pre-season All-Big Ten team

Is Joe Bolden really Michigan’s best player?

Phil Steele released his pre-season All-Big Ten teams (LINK). Since these are almost all potential opponents this season, instead I’ll highlight guys whom Michigan recruited out of high school. Ohio State leads the way with 15 players on the four teams. Michigan State is second with 13. Rather than listing all of the teams ahead of Michigan, I’ll just say that Michigan’s six players on the list are only ahead of Illinois, Northwestern, and Purdue.

FIRST TEAM
Corey Clement – RB – Wisconsin
Leonte Carroo – WR – Rutgers
Taylor Decker – OT – Ohio State
Joey Bosa – DE – Ohio State
Anthony Zettel – DE – Penn State
Adolphus Washington – DT – Ohio State
Vince Biegel – LB – Wisconsin

SECOND TEAM
Nick Vannett – TE – Ohio State
Dan Voltz – C – Wisconsin
Darius Hamilton – DE – Rutgers
Ed Davis – LB – Michigan State
Joe Bolden – LB – Michigan
Mike Caputo – DB – Wisconsin

THIRD TEAM
Robert Kugler – C – Purdue*
Kyle Kalis – OL – Michigan
Chris Muller – OL – Rutgers
Vincent Valentine – DT – Rutgers
Desmond Morgan – LB – Michigan
Eli Apple – DB – Ohio State

FOURTH TEAM
Amara Darboh – WR – Michigan
Billy Price – C – Ohio State
Malik McDowell – DT – Michigan State
Lawrence Thomas – DT – Michigan State
Yannick Ngakoue – DE – Maryland
David Santos – LB – Nebraska
Jabrill Peppers – DB – Michigan
Blake O’Neill – P – Michigan

*Was not recruited by Michigan, but is the brother of Michigan center Patrick Kugler