Tag: Football Roster

Michigan releases spring 2015 roster

Brady Pallante is a fullback now. Brady Pallante is not #23.

Michigan released its spring roster on Monday as the Wolverines begin spring practice on Tuesday (LINK). Here are some notable updates to the roster.

Ian Bunting: Bunting is up to 6’7″ and 243 lbs. Michigan needs help at tight end this fall, so 243 lbs. is a good sign of him developing physically. He should be up over 250 lbs. by the fall.

Brian Cole: Cole, a true freshman early enrollee, is wearing #81. He’s listed at 6’2″, 200 lbs.

Ross Douglas: Douglas was recruited as a cornerback, moved to slot receiver, moved to running back, and now is back at corner. Still wearing #29, he is now listed as Ross Taylor-Douglas.

Derrick Green: Green is listed at 5’11” and 234 lbs.

Ty Isaac: Isaac is listed at 6’3″ and 240 lbs.

Alex Malzone: Malzone, a true freshman early enrollee, is wearing #12. He’s listed at 6’2″, 218 lbs.

Brady Pallante: Pallante came to Michigan as a nose tackle prospect and is now listed as a redshirt freshman, 6’0″, 276 lb. fullback wearing #45.

Terry Richardson: Richardson is listed as a redshirt junior cornerback and is finally nearing close-to-acceptable weight at 174 lbs. at 5’9″.

Matt Thompson: Thompson is a new addition as a walk-on quarterback from Cincinnati (OH) Indian Hills. He’s listed at 6’5″, 214 lbs. as a redshirt freshman. Here are Thompson’s Hudl highlights from his senior year (LINK). His delivery is a little bit wonky, but he doesn’t look too bad for a walk-on. He’s not a bad guy to have available for running a scout team and such. It also looks like he’s hit a growth spurt since high school.

Ryan Tice: Tice is a 6’1″, 177 lb. walk-on who enrolled early out of Saline (MI) Saline. I mainly note this because Michigan graduated both their punter and kicker, so Tice might be competing for one of those jobs, along with walk-on Kenny Allen (punter) and 2015 signee Andrew David (kicker).

Mailbag: Is Michigan’s roster finally balanced?

Last year I wrote and asked you what you thought of Michigan’s recruiting in terms of needs and balance at each position group against what a prototypical team should expect without regard to the quality of the recruits.

So after another year, my question is the same; how is Michigan doing in terms of bolstering and balancing the team with numbers of players in each position group against a team model with the most desired number of players at each position? Are we getting there? Has Michigan restored the imbalance that existed in some areas (offensive line for example)? 

 Thanks, Mike.

For the first time in several years, Michigan should be at or near the 85-scholarship limit going into the 2013 season.  There will probably be a departure or two between now and then, but this will probably be as close to the number 85 you can get without going over it and joining the ranks of the SEC.  Here’s a look at how the roster compares to an ideal one:

Quarterbacks: 4-5 desired, 3 currently (Devin Gardner, Russell Bellomy, Shane Morris)

Running backs: 6-7 desired, 8 currently (Fitzgerald Toussaint, Thomas Rawls, Justice Hayes, Dennis Norfleet, Drake Johnson, Derrick Green, DeVeon Smith, Wyatt Shallman)

Fullbacks: 1-2 desired, 1 currently (Sione Houma)

Wide receivers: 7-8 desired, 8 currently (Jeremy Gallon, Drew Dileo, Jeremy Jackson, Amara Darboh, Jehu Chesson, Jaron Dukes, Da’Mario Jones, Csont’e York)

Tight ends: 5-6 desired, 5 currently (Jordan Paskorz, Devin Funchess, A.J. Williams, Jake Butt, Khalid Hill)

Offensive linemen: 14-16 desired, 14 currently (Taylor Lewan, Michael Schofield, Chris Bryant, Jack Miller, Blake Bars, Ben Braden, Kyle Kalis, Erik Magnuson, Kyle Bosch, David Dawson, Chris Fox, Patrick Kugler, Dan Samuelson, Logan Tuley-Tillman)

Defensive ends: 7-8 desired, 8 currently (Brennen Beyer, Frank Clark, Keith Heitzman, Mario Ojemudia, Matt Godin, Tom Strobel, Chris Wormley, Taco Charlton)

Defensive tackles: 7-8 desired, 8 currently (Quinton Washington, Jibreel Black, Richard Ash, Ken Wilkins, Ondre Pipkins, Willie Henry, Maurice Hurst Jr., Henry Poggi)

Linebackers: 10-11 desired, 10 currently (Cameron Gordon, Mike Jones, Jake Ryan, Desmond Morgan, Royce Jenkins-Stone, Joe Bolden, James Ross III, Kaleb Ringer, Ben Gedeon, Mike McCray II)

Cornerbacks: 8-9 desired, 10 currently (Courtney Avery, Delonte Hollowell, Raymon Taylor, Blake Countess, Terry Richardson, Reon Dawson, Ross Douglas, Delano Hill, Jourdan Lewis, Channing Stribling)

Safeties: 6-7 desired, 7 currently (Thomas Gordon, Marvin Robinson, Josh Furman, Jarrod Wilson, Jeremy Clark, Allen Gant, Dymonte Thomas)

Kickers/punters: 2 desired, 3 currently (Brendan Gibbons, Will Hagerup, Matt Wile)

Long snappers: 1 desired, 1-2 currently (Scott Sypniewski)

SUMMARY
As you can see from the numbers above, Michigan is at or above the ideal numbers for most positions.  Quarterback, tight end, offensive line, defensive end, and linebacker are a little on the low side, but not dangerously so.  The Wolverines go more than three-deep at almost every position except quarterback, which makes me scratch my head, considering it’s the most important position on the team.  But Coach Hoke said that he wants to take one quarterback per year, and he got his one in 2013 and 2014.  However, they’re still dangerously thin after not taking one in 2012.

On the flip side, Michigan is a little on the high side for running back, cornerback, and kicker/punter.  Coach Hoke has expressed a desire to take numerous running backs in each class, because they can help at other positions (fullback, linebacker, cornerback, safety).  Cornerbacks can help out at wide receiver or slip over to safety.  Ideally, you want to err on the side of caution by having one or two more guys than can play, because then you have some guys playing on the practice squad, redshirting, and being groomed for the future.

Michigan is in pretty good shape going into the 2014 class.  Hoke has not suffered from the attrition and poor recruiting that plagued Rich Rodriguez, so the retention during the last couple seasons has allowed Michigan to get near the scholarship limit.

2010 Football Roster Tidbits

This guy is 320 lbs.

The 2010 football roster was released on Monday, and there are several interesting notes. Going down the list numerically . . .

Freshman safety Marvin Robinson is #3 and listed at 6’2″, 200 lbs. Not only was Troy Woolfolk impressed with his play at safety during summer 7-on-7s, but for all those people who thought he would bulk up to play linebacker . . . 200 lbs. hardly screams for a position change.

Freshman safety Josh Furman is #6 and listed at 6’2″, 207 lbs.

Senior linebacker Jonas Mouton is 240 lbs. now. Last year he was listed at 228. He’s not the only linebacker who bulked up, so that’s clearly a directive from the coaches and training staff.

Freshman cornerback Courtney Avery is #9 and listed at 5’11”, 167 lbs. He has apparently been working hard this summer, but that’s not much weight to be spread out across a 5’11” frame.

Freshman safety Carvin Johnson is #13 and listed at 6’0″, 195 lbs.

Junior running back Michael Shaw packed on 6 lbs. and is up to 187.

Freshman safety Ray Vinopal is #20 and listed at 5’10”, 193 lbs.

Freshman cornerback Terrence Talbott is #22 and listed at 5’11”, 171 lbs.

Freshman cornerback Cullen Christian is #24 and listed at 6’0″, 187 lbs. That seems like a perfect size to get some playing time this year.

Redshirt sophomore middle linebacker Kenny Demens is 250 lbs. now. And if you’ve seen any new pictures of him, he’s jacked.

Freshman slot receiver Drew Dileo is #26 and listed at 5’10”, 171 lbs.

Redshirt freshman middle linebacker Isaiah Bell is 245 lbs. now, up from 237 in the spring. He was a free safety and about 205-210 coming out of high school, so that’s some impressive weight gain. Hooray for chocolate milk.

Redshirt freshman kicker Brendan Gibbons is 227 lbs. There were reports that he had been up to about 245.

Freshman linebacker Jake Ryan is #37 and listed at 6’3″, 224 lbs.

Freshman linebacker Davion Rogers is #38 and listed at 6’6″, 200 lbs. Maybe he can play small forward for our basketball team, too.

Freshman Kenny Wilkins is #41 and listed at 6’3″, 262 lbs. Hopefully that’s good weight, and I’m assuming it is because he has a reputation for being a gym rat. He’s also listed as a defensive end, despite some people’s thoughts that he would play Craig Roh’s linebacker position.

Freshman punter Will Hagerup is #43 and listed at 6’4″, 210 lbs.

Senior Mark Moundros (a permanent captain for this season) is listed as a “FB/LB,” the only player on the team with two positions listed.

Senior middle linebacker Obi Ezeh is up to 250 lbs.

Redshirt junior center David Molk is listed at 285 lbs., up fifteen from the 2009 season.

Freshman defensive tackle Richard Ash is #54 and listed at 6’3″, 320 lbs. That’s a significant weight gain for someone who was 240 lbs. as a junior and listed at 263 lbs. on his recruiting profiles. That much weight gain can’t be good weight.

Freshman defensive end Jibreel Black is #55 and listed at 6’2″, 258 lbs. Expect to see him on the field this fall.

Redshirt junior defensive tackle Dominique Ware is still short (5’7″).

Sophomore defensive tackle William Campbell has gone through quite a transition. He came in at a reported 330 lbs., got all the way down to 318, and is now listed at 333 lbs. It sounds like the training staff had to melt off some of the flab and turn it into muscle . . . hopefully.

The redshirt freshmen offensve linemen have all put on significant weight. Taylor Lewan is 294, Michael Schofield is 293, and Quinton Washington is now 315. That should make them viable options to play this fall.

Senior tight end Martell Webb is up to 255 lbs.

Freshman wide receiver Ricardo Miller is now 6’4″, 215 lbs.

Freshman wide receiver D.J. Williamson is #84 and listed at 6’1″, 170 lbs.

Junior tight end Kevin Koger is up to 255 lbs.

Redshirt sophomore tight end Brandon Moore is up to 250 lbs.

Freshman Jordan Paskorz is #94 and listed at 6’3″, 242 lbs. He’s also listed as a defensive end, which is where someone with his hip stiffness belongs.

Freshman Terry Talbott is #96 and listed at 6’3″, 248 lbs. He’s destined for a redshirt, especially because he’s listed at defensive tackle, not defensive end.

Senior Adam Patterson is still listed as a defensive end, despite the fact that he got snaps at nose tackle in the spring.

Spring Roster Tidbits

Ryan Van Bergen: Breakout year coming?

MGoBlog and The Wolverine have done a good job of breaking down the spring roster, so I won’t waste your time or mine in parsing the roster much further.

There are a few noteworthy bits from today’s press conference and the roster that I would like to highlight, however.

– Regarding the quarterback position, Rodriguez admitted that Denard Robinson is going to start seeing reps at wide receiver. While he stressed that Robinson is still going to compete at the quarterback position, this seems to be the beginning of the transition from the quarterback position to receiver that many of us have been expecting. I expect Robinson to be a full-time receiver by 2011.

– The popular number of pounds to gain this offseason was 17. Linebacker Isaiah Bell (237), offensive tackle Mark Huyge (305), tight end Brandon Moore (260), and offensive guard Patrick Omameh (293) all gained this amount.

– It seems apparent that the rumor we heard about the offensive and defensive lines is true: Rodriguez wants them to be bigger than they have been for the past two seasons. There’s really no other way to explain the fact that there are now five (5!) offensive linemen over 300 lbs. when last year’s only 300 pounder was freshman Quinton Washington. With almost six months left until the season, a couple other guys might get there before September, too.

– Tight ends Kevin Koger (251), Martell Webb (257), and Brandon Moore (260) are all getting in the “hefty” range for tight ends. There were a lot of people who thought Rodriguez was moving toward using tight ends heavily. This is significant evidence to the contrary. These guys seem to be blocking tight ends in the making.

– Ryan Van Bergen and Steve Watson are both listed as defensive ends. Van Bergen was a DT last year, and Watson was the third-string Quick end behind Craig Roh and Brandon Herron. Watson is likely to ride the bench once again, but as I expected, Van Bergen seems to be Brandon Graham’s replacement at DE.

– Junior Hemingway is 227 lbs. That’s too heavy for a receiver who wasn’t that fast to begin with. If he continues to play at 220+ pounds, he won’t be any kind of deep threat. This bodes unwell for Michigan’s downfield passing game.

2009 Football Roster

The 2009 football roster was released on Mgoblue.com today, which is exciting for nerds like me. Some notes on changes and arrivals:

Freshman Justin Turner is #2 and listed as a cornerback.

Steve Brown is now listed as a linebacker, so apparently the coaching staff considers the Spinner position to be a LB rather than a safety. That was somewhat expected.

Brandon Smith is now #4 after having previously been #28. He’s also listed as a LB instead of a safety, which happened during spring practice.

Freshman Je’Ron Stokes shares the #4 jersey with Smith and Brandon Minor. Stokes’ jersey number could change if he warrants playing time, but I always figured he’d redshirt this season, so perhaps this is just another sign pointing in that direction. (Two players can’t be on the field at the same time while wearing the same number.)

Freshman Adrian Witty is #13 and listed as a cornerback.

Freshman Teric Jones is #14 and listed as a slot receiver.

Freshman Thomas Gordon is #15 and listed as a safety.

Freshman Denard Robinson is #16 and listed as a quarterback.

QB David Cone has switched numbers from #16 to #17.

Michael Shaw is now listed as a running back after previously having been listed as a wide receiver.

Redshirt sophomore Kelvin Grady (the former basketball player) is #19 and listed as a slot receiver.

Freshman Isaiah Bell is #26 and listed as a linebacker.

Freshman Fitzgerald Toussaint is #28 and listed as a running back.

Freshman Jeremy Gallon is #29 and listed as a slot receiver.

Troy Woolfolk is now a safety after previously playing cornerback.

Freshman Michael Schofield is #75.

Freshman Quinton Washington is #76.

Freshman Taylor Lewan is #77.

Freshman Craig Roh is #88 and listed as an outside linebacker (as are all of the candidates for the Quick position).

Greg Banks is now listed as a defensive tackle after previously having been a defensive end. He’s only 266 lbs., which shows how different this defense will be from years past.