Poll Results: Who will be Michigan’s starting center in 2012?
Rocko Khoury (#63) has a chance to win the starting center job in his final season |
Last week I posed the question, “Who will be Michigan’s starting center against Alabama?” Here are the results of the poll:
Rocko Khoury: 44%
Fifth year senior Khoury has played sparingly in his four years on campus. He has, however, made two prominent forays into the lineup. He subbed in for David Molk against Iowa in 2010, when Molk suffered an injury on the first offensive snap of the game; then Khoury filled in for one series in the 2012 Sugar Bowl before the again-injured Molk returned in hobbled form. Khoury played admirably in the first and questionably in the second. Khoury has been second on the center depth chart for the last couple seasons, so it makes sense that he would be the heir apparent to Rimgton Award winner Molk.
Ricky Barnum: 28%
Also a fifth year senior, Barnum started a few games at left guard in 2011. Unfortunately, Barnum has suffered numerous injuries throughout his career. Whether in spring practice or the regular season, he’s suffered a significant injury ever since he was a redshirt freshman. Barnum played some center in high school and has taken snaps throughout his college career, although he has yet to snap the ball in a regular season college game. Early reports are that Barnum will get the first shot to win the starting center job this spring, but that doesn’t necessarily mean much. Michael Schofield, Barnum’s replacement at guard last season, played well and could slide in as the starter at left guard (or right tackle) if Barnum wins the starting snapper’s job.
Jack Miller: 26%
Miller will be a redshirt freshman in 2012. Reports from practice have been positive, but the general consensus is that he needs to add weight and strength before playing. Beating out a couple older and bigger players seems like an insurmountable task to me . . . unless an injury occurs. And with Barnum ahead of Miller on the depth chart, that seems like a strong possibility.
Other: 0% (1 vote)
I would be interested to know whom this voter had in mind. No other current player has snapped the ball in a game (in fact, Khoury is the only player with that distinction), and the only other current roster options seem to be redshirt freshman guard Chris Bryant and fifth year senior tackle/guard Elliott Mealer, who has also snapped the ball a bit in practice. Anyone else would be a true freshman.