Adrian Killins (in blue, image via Ormond Beach Observer)
For Michigan fans, maybe the most disheartening play of the 51-14 win over Central Florida was freshman running back Adrian Killins breaking off an 87-yard touchdown run against a defense that’s deemed one of the best in the country. Here’s how it happened:
Jourdan Lewis
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LEADING RUSHER
This one doesn’t leave much to the imagination. Michigan’s leading rusher from last season returns, and nothing that happened this off-season suggests that he will lose his mantle as Michigan’s top back. Unless a serious injury befalls him, it will be . . .
Prediction: De’Veon Smith, 870 yards
LEADING RECEIVER
Last year I had Amara Darboh with 650 yards, and I was a little low with that yardage total. He also lost out late in the season to Jehu Chesson, who became a big-time deep threat down the stretch. There’s talk that Darboh is the #1 receiver and has stepped up this fall, but I don’t expect him to change much from his redshirt junior season to his redshirt senior year.
Prediction: Jehu Chesson, 900 yards
Hit the jump for the rest of the season predictions.
Dymonte Thomas (image via Today’s U)
Name: Dymonte Thomas
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 199 lbs.
High school: Alliance (OH) Marlington
Position: Safety
Class: Senior
Jersey number: #25
Last year: I ranked Thomas #51 and said he would be a backup safety and special teamer (LINK). He started four games and made 24 tackles and 7 pass breakups.
When the season started in 2015, it appeared to be a third consecutive ho-hum season for Thomas. Brady Hoke had burned Thomas’s redshirt as a true freshman, when he didn’t seem to account for the transition costs of moving a high school linebacker to defensive back. So 2013 was mostly a wasted year, and 2014 brought playing time, but not at an effective level. Not having scratched his potential at the beginning of 2015, all eyes were on Jarrod Wilson and Jabrill Peppers at safety, along with a few sideways glances at Thomas and Delano Hill. He didn’t do anything special for the first few weeks, but the light seemed to come on midway through the year. From the Minnesota game onward, he made 20 of his 24 tackles and 4 of his 7 pass breakups. That doesn’t account for some nice plays against MSU, including an interception that was nullified by a penalty.
Thomas should have some established confidence in his game from last year, but my one concern – for the position as a whole – is the departure of excellent safeties coach Greg Jackson, who is now the defensive backs coach for the Dallas Cowboys. Michigan hired Don Brown over Jackson for defensive coordinator, and they brought in Brian Smith to coach defensive backs. Smith and incumbent cornerbacks coach Mike Zordich will split responsibility for the defensive backs, and while both have NFL experience in some form, there’s always concern when a proven coach is replaced by someone not so proven. Thomas made a very nice interception in the spring game when he covered a lot of ground to intercept Shane Morris, but it should be noted that Shane Morris-to-Jack Wangler is no Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance.
I think Thomas got over the proverbial hump last season, and now I think he’s a more valuable asset than Hill, who seemed to be the more trusted safety last year. Michigan doesn’t have another safety with Thomas’s speed, and I think the Cover 2 defense employed by Don Brown will give him an opportunity to make a few more plays: the free safety at Boston College, Brown’s last stop, was Justin Simmons, who made 5 picks last season and became a 3rd round NFL Draft pick for the Denver Broncos. Furthermore, Michigan is very thin at the position group, with true freshmen and walk-ons filling out the two- and three-deep after primary backup Tyree Kinnel. Thomas should be a very valuable part of the defense this season.
Prediction: Starting free safety; 50 tackles, 3 interceptions
Ty Isaac beat Jabrill Peppers to the edge for a long gain (image via MLive)
QUARTERBACK
After watching Brandon Peters last week and now this week, I have very high hopes for him. He’s not ready yet, but he’s adjusting to the college game quickly and is a good athlete. I think he has the highest upside on the team. I still think it’s a neck-and-neck battle between Speight and O’Korn. I want O’Korn to win the job because I think he has better athletic skills and you can do more things with his legs, but it’s a tough choice. (Yes, I realize Speight scored a TD on a naked bootleg, but the guy he burned was walk-on linebacker Jack Dunaway. Also, I’ve seen Peyton Manning score on a similar play, and Manning is nobody’s idea of a mobile QB.)
RUNNING BACK
I’ve said it for a long time, but Isaac was the best runner on the field. He finished with 10 carries for 78 yards, including two long runs. He was also running behind an offensive line that included mostly backups, freshman left tackle Grant Newsome, and center Mason Cole. He’s not without flaws (for example, he doesn’t have the same angry fervor as De’Veon Smith when trying to break tackles), but Isaac looks improved from last year. Kareem Walker looked decent, though the competition he shined most against were walk-ons. Kingston Davis recovered enough from last week’s undisclosed injury to notch a couple carries, but he didn’t have a lot of room to run; he looks like a truck, but he probably needs to shed a few pounds. Of the fullbacks, I’m not in love with Henry Poggi because he’s just not a guy who’s a threat with the ball in his hands. I really like Khalid Hill there, and I think Bobby Henderson can be a Kerridge-like player (though I’m not sure about his hands yet).
Hit the jump for the rest of the position-by-position rundowns.
Dymonte Thomas
Projected starters: Senior Delano Hill started eight games this past season, making 46 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, and 2 pass breakups. He is a decent tackler when stepping up to support the run, but he has yet to make much of an impact in the passing game and does not flash great speed. He is the odds-on favorite to be Michigan’s strong safety. At free safety, fellow senior Dymonte Thomas has the inside track after starting four games, making 24 tackles, and breaking up 7 passes. He has better speed and makes more plays against the pass, but he is not quite so stout against the run.
Hit the jump for more on the safety position.