Tag: Devin Funchess

2013 Season Countdown: #10 Devin Funchess

Devin Funchess

Name: Devin Funchess
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 235 lbs.
High school: Farmington Hills (MI) Harrison
Position: Tight end
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #19
Last year: I ranked Funchess #53 and said he would be the backup U-back. He caught 15 passes for 234 yards (15.6 yards/catch) and 5 touchdowns.

Funchess came into his freshman season at approximately 225 lbs., and as one might expect from a tight end that size, he was bound to struggle a little bit physically. At one point this summer, he admitted to having been a “pretty boy” who didn’t like to be physical. That combination of size and pretty boy-ishness kept him from some early playing time and the ability to play as an in-line blocker, but Denard Robinson liked using him as a passing target early in the year. In week two against Air Force, Funchess had 106 receiving yards and his first career touchdown. Things were going well early in the season, but Robinson’s elbow injury and Devin Gardner’s subsequent insertion at quarterback curtailed Funchess’s production; Robinson was adept at hitting tight ends and inside receivers, whereas Gardner liked to look outside a little more. Still, his season was good enough to warrant Honorable Mention All-Big Ten and several Freshman All-American nods.

I expect Gardner to look in Funchess’s direction more often this season. You can’t ignore a 6’5″, swift guy like Funchess for too long. He’s a matchup problem for linebackers because of his speed and defensive backs because of his size. If the quarterback can put the ball in the right place, Funchess will basically be open on every single pass play. Michigan doesn’t have another significant receiving threat at the position, so losing Funchess for any length of time would possibly alter the offense in a big way. Freshman Khalid Hill is a 6’2″, 258 lb. option at the position, and fellow freshman Jake Butt is a big target but perhaps not quite as athletic. Senior wide receiver Jeremy Gallon will almost certainly lead the team in receiving, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Funchess in second place by the end of the year.

Prediction: Starting U-back; 35 receptions, 500 yards, 6 touchdowns

2013 Mackey Award watch list

Devin Funchess

The 2013 Mackey Award watch list was released on Monday. The Mackey Award is given each year to the nation’s most outstanding tight end. No Michigan player has won the award since it was established in 2000. Here are some notable players for Michigan fans:

Rory Anderson – South Carolina
Ted Bolser – Indiana
Kyle Carter – Penn State
C.J. Fiedorowicz – Iowa
Devin Funchess – Michigan
Jeff Heuerman – Ohio State
Gabe Holmes – Purdue
Ben Koyack – Notre Dame
Troy Niklas – Notre Dame
Jacob Pedersen – Wisconsin

Review of 2012 Season Predictions

This guy led the team in sacks.

Nobody else probably cares, but this is one of the things I enjoy most about the post-season: looking back and seeing how many things I got right or wrong.

Leading Rusher
Prediction: Denard Robinson, 1200 yards
Actual: Denard Robinson, 1266 yards

Leading Receiver
Prediction: Roy Roundtree, 750 yards
Actual: Jeremy Gallon, 829 yards (Roundtree had 580)

Leading Tackler
Prediction: Kenny Demens, 90 tackles
Actual: Jake Ryan, 88 tackles (Demens had 82)

Leading Sacker
Prediction: Jake Ryan, 5.5 sacks
Actual: Jake Ryan, 4.5 sacks

Leading Interceptor
Prediction: J.T. Floyd and Jordan Kovacs, 2 interceptions (tie)
Actual: Thomas Gordon and Raymon Taylor, 2 interceptions (tie); (Kovacs had 1, Floyd had 0)

All-Big Ten First Team
Prediction: Taylor Lewan, Denard Robinson
Actual: Taylor Lewan, Patrick Omameh, Will Hagerup (Denard Robinson was Honorable Mention)

Leading Scorer (non-QB, non-kicker)
Prediction: Fitzgerald Toussaint
Actual: Fitzgerald Toussaint

Breakout Offensive Player
Prediction: Thomas Rawls
Actual: Devin Funchess. Funchess didn’t light the world on fire, but he showed flashes of what he can do if Michigan can get him the ball in the coming years.  Rawls didn’t show much elusiveness or much power.

Breakout Defensive Player
Prediction: Thomas Gordon
Actual: Quinton Washington.  Washington went from a bit of an afterthought to a viable Big Ten nose tackle.  While he didn’t put up great numbers (32 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack), he took up blockers in the middle of the line and didn’t get blown off the ball.

Most Disappointing Offensive Player
Prediction: Jerald Robinson
Actual: Fitzgerald Toussaint.  Robinson was disappointing and then left the team, so he was clearly a disappointment.  But the starting running back, who averaged 5.6 yards/carry in 2011, dropped all the way to 4.0 yards/carry this season.

Most Disappointing Defensive Player
Prediction: Jibreel Black
Actual: J.T. Floyd.  Floyd didn’t make a single interception this season and got himself suspended for the Outback Bowl.

Alabama
Prediction: Loss
Actual: Loss

Air Force
Prediction: Win
Actual: Win

UMass
Prediction: Win
Actual: Win

Notre Dame
Prediction: Win
Actual: Loss

Purdue
Prediction: Win
Actual: Win

Illinois
Prediction: Win
Actual: Win

Michigan State
Prediction: Loss
Actual: Win

Nebraska
Prediction: Win
Actual: Loss

Minnesota
Prediction: Win
Actual: Win

Northwestern
Prediction: Win
Actual: Win

Iowa
Prediction: Win
Actual: Win

Ohio State
Prediction: Loss
Actual: Loss

CONCLUSION
Out of 23 predictions, I got 12.5 right.  I’m like Nostradamus or something.

Funchess named 2012 FWAA Freshman All-American

Devin Funchess celebrates after scoring against UMass (image via Toledo Blade)

The Football Writers Assocation of America named its Freshman All-America team, and it includes Michigan freshman Devin Funchess (15 catches, 234 yards, 5 touchdowns), along with a few other players of note:

Amari Cooper – WR – Alabama
Jack Allen – OL – Michigan State
Austin Blythe – OL – Iowa
Parker Ehinger – OL – Cincinnati (from Rockford, MI)
Devin Funchess – TE – Michigan
Devonte Fields – DE – TCU*
Deion Barnes – DE – Penn State*
Ronald Darby – CB – Florida State*
Stefon Diggs – All Purpose – Maryland*

*Held offers from the Wolverines

Michigan vs. South Carolina Awards

Jeremy Gallon had 2 touchdown receptions, including this leaping grab (image via MLive)

Since the season is over, this is going to be a look toward next year.  Seniors are excluded from being named for the “Let’s see more/less” awards.

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Devin Funchess.  For whatever reason(s), Michigan seemed to target freshman tight end Devin Funchess less as the year went along.  Other than a middle screen early in the game, the plays and the quarterback didn’t seem to be targeting Funchess.  At 6’5″, likely to be 240-ish next year, and with some speed, the coaches need to concentrate on finding ways to get him the ball.  I believe this will happen naturally because wide receiver Roy Roundtree will have graduated and the offense won’t center around Denard Robinson.

Let’s see less of this guy on offense . . . Justice Hayes.  Hayes does not appear to have a future role as a feature back.  He might be able to catch screen passes and do some things in the passing game a la Vincent Smith, but he’s just average in all categories – size, strength, speed, elusiveness, etc.  I don’t really think he fits in with what Michigan wants to do.

Let’s see more of this guy on defense . . . James Ross.  It’s tough for freshman linebackers to play big-time college football, and Michigan has two pretty good ones in Ross and Joe Bolden.  Ross had a nice blitz late in the game and has generally played well, although his pass drops could use some work.  Ideally, he would have been redshirting this season to hone those drops, but he looks to have a bright future.  My guess is that he’ll take over the weakside linebacker position next season, allowing Desmond Morgan to play middle linebacker.

Let’s see less of this guy on defense . . . Courtney Avery.  I had high hopes for Avery after the 2011 season, and he has been solid as a slot corner.  The problem is that he’s a primary backup on the outside, too, and he really struggled against Alabama and South Carolina when he was asked to fill in for Blake Countess and J.T. Floyd, respectively.  I still want to see him on the field playing the slot, but Michigan has to get Countess healthy and develop a better option behind the starters on the outside.

Play of the game . . . Drew Dileo’s fake field goal scramble.  Michigan’s staff got creative by shifting from a field goal formation to an empty backfield with holder Dileo playing quarterback.  A high school baseball star, Dileo can throw the ball a little bit.  When he didn’t see anyone open, he decided to scramble, made a guy miss in the open field, and gained 7 yards to convert the first down.  The kid has reliable hands, can return kicks, and is a versatile threat as a holder.  He won’t ever be a star, but he’s a fun guy to have on the football team.

MVP of the game . . . Jeremy Gallon.  Gallon did drop a slightly inaccurate pass, but he ended the game with 9 catches, 145 yards, and 2 touchdowns, along with an 11-yard return on the final kickoff.  Brady Hoke noted that he was playing hurt, and I thought I saw him a little bit gimpy with what appeared to be a hamstring issue.  Overall, he had a very good performance and should be the centerpiece of the receiving corps in 2013.