Tag: Ex-Wolverines

Tru Wilson, Ex-Wolverine

Rising fifth year senior Tru Wilson announced on Twitter that he plans to become a graduate transfer at another school in 2020. Wilson is listed at 5’11” and 200 lbs. He was tied for the third-most carries on Michigan’s team in 2019 (44 carries, 221 yards, 1 TD).

Wilson came to Michigan as a preferred walk-on in the 2016 class after being named a Semper Fi All-American. It’s rare that an All-American of that sort has to be a walk-on, but he spurned offers from the service academies to pay his own way to Ann Arbor. He found his way onto the field by being a solid pass blocker and a dependable runner (107 attempts, 586 yards, 2 TD), even though his speed was lacking. One of the best things he did was spell Michigan’s top backs during blowouts or against lesser teams, so the top guys could get a breather and stay healthy.

Heading into his fifth year, Wilson’s talents were somewhat redundant. Michigan has the pass blocker in Zach Charbonnet, who will be just a sophomore. Michigan has the reliable between-the-tackles guy in Hassan Haskins, who will be a redshirt sophomore. Add in potentially dynamic freshman Blake Corum, a Chris Evans returning from academic issues, and scatback Christian Turner, and the Wolverines have decent depth at the position.

Still, it was an odd career arc from Wilson:

• High school All-American
• Walk-on
• 1 carry for 1 yard in 2016
• Redshirt in 2017
• Key backup role in 2018
• Declared starter going into 2019
• Broken hand in 2019 pre-season
• T-3rd most carries on team
• Transfer

Here are some highlights of Wilson’s 2018 season for those of you yearning for some football video:

Jaylen Kelly-Powell, Ex-Wolverine

Rising redshirt junior Jaylen Kelly-Powell has chosen to exit the Wolverines’ program by entering his name in the transfer portal. Kelly-Powell is listed as a 6’0″, 180 lb. defensive back. He has played in twenty career games with 7 tackles to show for it.

Here’s what I said about Kelly-Powell when he committed to the Wolverines (LINK):

Overall, I like Kelly-Powell as a safety but don’t see him being a star. He’s not athletic enough to be a standout, but he can play nickel corner or strong safety. He’s not a guy you want playing in a ton of space, but he can blitz, stop the run, and cover. I think he’s somewhat similar to current Michigan sophomore Tyree Kinnel.

I gave him a final TTB Rating of 77 (LINK).

Kelly-Powell disappeared for long stretches of his career at Michigan, and there was virtually no buzz about him coming out of practice. He bounced between corner, safety, and nickel, and it’s rare that a player who bounces around becomes a viable option at any of those spots. When I watched Kelly-Powell on the field at Michigan, he just didn’t have any juice. He was a step slow, and he’s still listed at 180 lbs. after his third year of college.

This does not really affect the defensive back depth chart because Kelly-Powell was not much of a factor. Michigan is now down to 86 players slated to be on scholarship in 2020 (LINK). That number may drop down below 85 before Michigan accepts some transfer options as they continue to look to shore up some of their weakness on the offensive and defensive lines, in particular.

Ex-Wolverine Updates: Post-Bowl Season Recap

I would appreciate any support you can offer through Amazon purchases (LINK):

TRANSFERS

Devin Asiasi, TE (UCLA): Overall, Asiasi caught 44 passes for 641 yards (14.6 yards/catch) and 4 touchdowns as UCLA went 4-8. Asiasi declared for the NFL Draft despite having one year of eligibility remaining.

Brian Cole, S (Mississippi State): Cole sat out the Music City Bowl to prepare for a potential NFL career. He made 67 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 interception, 2 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble in his final college season.

Kekoa Crawford, WR (Cal): Crawford caught 2 passes for 29 yards in a 35-20 win over Illinois. Crawford made a total of 16 catches for 272 yards and 2 touchdowns this season. He was leading Cal in receiving early in the year, but an injury caused him to miss seven games.

Ja’Raymond Hall, OT (CMU): Hall did not play in a single game in 2019.

Hit the jump for more.

Stephen Spanellis, Ex-Wolverine

Interior offensive lineman Stephen Spanellis announced after the Citrus Bowl that he would be transferring. He just finished his fourth year at Michigan, so he will have just one year remaining.

Hit the jump for more.

Ex-Wolverines: Class of 2013

Shane Morris

If you’ve read this blog for long, you know I love to look back at past recruiting classes and – in some cases – what could have been. The 2013 class was extremely volatile, with elite recruits busting, players getting kicked off the team, and transfers galore.

TRANSFERS

Kyle Bosch – Offensive guard – Wheaton (IL) St. Francis
Bosch came from Wheaton (IL) St. Francis and committed in February of 2012. As a true freshman in 2013, he was forced into action due to injuries and underperformance by his elders. He started three games late in the year but was eventually replaced. In 2014 he played the final offensive snap of the season opener, and then it was reported that he was taking “an indefinite leave of absence” from the team that was related to a personal issue. He tweeted that he would return the following semester, but he ended up transferring to West Virginia. At WVU he started all 26 games at offensive guard in 2015 and 2016, along with another eleven in 2017, and he was First Team All-Big 12 in 2016. He was not drafted in the 2018 NFL Draft, and after spending some time with the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys, he is no longer on an NFL roster.
Current status: Out of football

David Dawson – Offensive guard – Detroit (MI) Cass Tech
Dawson took a roundabout path to Michigan by committing to the Wolverines, testing then Michigan coach Brady Hoke’s policy of not allowing visits to other schools, decommitting by visiting Florida, and then recommitting to Michigan. He redshirted in 2013 and then played as a backup offensive guard in twelve games throughout his career with the Wolverines. Following his redshirt junior year in 2016, he announced he would take a graduate transfer spot at Iowa State, but he left the Cyclones within a couple weeks of arriving. The 2017 season was spent helping out the Belleville (MI) Belleville football team, and he transferred to Grand Valley State University for the 2018 season. He started all twelve games for the Lakers in 2018.
Current status:

Out of football

Hit the jump for more.

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