Tag: Ex-Wolverines

Aubrey Solomon, Ex-Wolverine

Sophomore defensive tackle Aubrey Solomon is reportedly transferring. Solomon appeared in eighteen games over his first two seasons, making 24 tackles and 2 tackles for loss in a Michigan uniform. Despite being a former 5-star recruit, he was never able to break into the starting lineup. Solomon is the 13th highest rated recruit to sign with Michigan in the modern recruiting era, coming in at #25 overall in the 2017 class (LINK).

Solomon’s departure is a big blow to a team that was already losing and missing some big-time defensive linemen. Michigan loses Chase Winovich, Rashan Gary, Lawrence Marshall, and Bryan Mone were all starters, and Solomon was expected to step into a starting role in 2019. Now the Wolverines will have to switch some positions, bulk guys up, and attempt to fill the gaping hole at defensive tackle. Michael Dwumfour is a natural defensive tackle, but other potential tackles like Donovan Jeter, Carlo Kemp, Kwity Paye, and Aidan Hutchinson are inexperienced. Michigan will need to play true freshmen (such as Mazi Smith).

One unconventional fix I might explore is the idea of moving offensive guard Michael Onwenu to nose tackle. Onwenu is roughly 350 lbs. and a very powerful player, but there are some questions about whether he can be effective long-term at guard. Some insiders have even suggested that he might be replaced at right guard next season. If Michigan has a viable option at right guard and if Onwenu’s NFL prospects on the offensive line are dwindling, maybe he could spend a year at nose tackle. (Full disclosure: I’ve thought since Onwenu was recruited that he would make a better nose tackle than offensive guard, but now the team needs might make that a viable option.)

Michigan took 30 players in the 2017 class, and they are now down to 22 still remaining on the team. Solomon joins LB Drew Singleton (transfer to Rutgers), DT Deron Irving-Bey (transfer to Central Michigan), OT James Hudson (transfer to Cincinnati), DE Corey Malone-Hatcher (medical scholarship), RB O’Maury Samuels (dismissed from team), OG Ja’Raymond Hall (transfer to Central Michigan), and RB Kurt Taylor (transfer destination unknown).

O’Maury Samuels, Ex-Wolverine

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O’Maury Samuels (image via 247 Sports)

Sophomore running back O’Maury Samuels is a Wolverine no more. On Wednesday afternoon Michigan announced that he was being dismissed from the team.

Why? Well, information surfaced that he had been charged with domestic violence and malicious destruction of private property.

Oops.

Samuels, from Los Lunas (NM) Los Lunas, had 8 carries for 13 yards as a freshman in 2017 and 13 carries for 66 yards as a sophomore in 2018. He was a promising recruit (4-star, #20 RB, #269 overall; 82 TTB Rating), but Urban Meyer doesn’t coach at Michigan.

Samuels had a chance to get into the regular rotation in 2019 with the graduation of Karan Higdon. Senior Chris Evans and redshirt junior Tru Wilson will probably be two pieces of the usual three-man rotation, and the third spot was probably going to come down to Samuels, Christian Turner, or Zach Charbonnet. This is disappointing because, well, the basis for the dismissal is not good, first of all. But also, Samuels was considered to be a potential home-run hitter, and while his first couple years on the field did not show a great deal, this limits Michigan’s options.

Daxton Hill, Ex-Wolverine

Tulsa (OK) Booker T. Washington safety Daxton Hill

Tulsa (OK) Booker T. Washington safety Daxton Hill ripped Michigan fans’ hearts out on Saturday when he tweeted out that he was flipping to Alabama. Hill is the #1 safety in the country, according to the 247 Composite rankings, and is the #8 player in the country.

I gave Hill a TTB Rating of 100 (LINK), which means I think he’s the best safety in the country, too. This continues the trend of Alabama treating Michigan like Michigan used to treat Purdue, as the Crimson Tide have stolen Michigan’s top recruit – or close to it – in three of the last five years. In the 2018 class, offensive guard Emil Ekiyor (#113 overall, one spot behind Aidan Hutchinson) flipped to ‘Bama, and in 2015, it was running back Damien Harris (#31).

The Wolverines currently have zero safeties committed in the 2019 class. With 23 commits, this drops their overall 247 Composite ranking to #11 in the nation. Hill joins running back Eric Gray (uncommitted), defensive end Stephen Herron (Stanford), and defensive lineman Tyrece Woods (uncommitted) as decommitments from Michigan in 2019.

Ex-Wolverine Updates: Championship Game Week

Damien Harris (image via USA Today)

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DECOMMITMENTS

Damien Harris, RB (Alabama): Harris ran 9 times for 52 yards and caught 1 pass for -1 yard in a 35-28 win over Georgia, giving Alabama the SEC Championship.

Jeremiah Holloman, WR (Georgia): Holloman caught 2 passes for 37 yards in a 35-28 loss to Alabama.

Rashad Weaver, DE (Pitt): Weaver made 1 tackle, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 pass breakup in a 42-10 loss to Clemson in the ACC Championship.

Mike Weber, RB (Ohio State): Weber ran 17 times for 51 yards and caught 3 passes for 21 yards in a 45-24 win over Northwestern, giving the Buckeyes the Big Ten Championship.

FORMER COACHES

Brady Hoke, Defensive Line Coach (Carolina Panthers): Hoke was fired after the Panthers’ 24-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. The Panthers are 6-6.

Scott Shafer, Defensive Coordinator (Middle Tennessee):

A week after holding UAB to 3 points in a victory, Middle Tennessee’s defense gave up 27 points and lost the Conference-USA Championship game to UAB, 27-25.

Eric Gray, Ex-Wolverine

Memphis (TN) Lausanne RB Eric Gray

Memphis (TN) Lausanne running back Eric Gray decommitted from Michigan on Saturday. Gray committed to Michigan in early July, but his commitment has been viewed as being “soft” for a couple months. I had originally given him a TTB Rating of 82 (LINK

). He’s a 4-star, the #3 all-purpose back, and #209 overall.

Gray’s commitment over the summer meant that he never visited Michigan for the atmosphere in Ann Arbor on game days. He had set up a visit a couple weeks ago, but he chose to visit Tennessee instead. While he had not been expected to sign with Michigan prior to that, the lack of a game visit against Indiana seemed to cement Michigan as an also-ran.

Michigan now has just one running back in the 2019 class, Zach Charbonnet. Michigan recently landed a commitment from Amauri Pesek-Hickson, who’s a running back/linebacker, and they have offered Florida running back D.J. Williams, an Appalachian State commit. Pesek-Hickson is expected to play linebacker in college, and Williams is probably going to stay somewhere in the south. With only three weekends remaining (including this one) for official visits, the Wolverines might be scrambling to get someone on campus before the early signing window.