Tag: Jake Ryan

Michigan vs. Iowa Awards

Brennen Beyer

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Dennis Norfleet. The kid is small but feisty and has big-play potential. Offensive coordinator Al Borges used him early in the year as a tip-off to the fact that Norfleet was about to get the ball. Once everyone figured that out, Borges just stopped using Norfleet altogether. So he’s exciting enough to put him on the field to get him the ball . . . but he’s not exciting enough to use as a decoy or even a situational player. But hey, Jeremy Jackson has averaged 11.4 yards/catch in four years and never scored a touchdown or had a play longer than 22 yards, so let’s keep him out there.

Let’s see less of this guy on offense . . . Jeremy Jackson. He has no purpose. Bizarro Fred Jackson says “He’s like LaTerryal Savoy but slower.”

Let’s see more of this guy on defense . . . Jake Ryan. This is more just a way to say that I’m glad he’s back. I still don’t think he’s 100%, but the guy is a playmaker and a heavy hitter. He had 5 tackles, 1 pass breakup, and a hit on quarterback Jake Rudock that turned into a 7-yard interception touchdown for defensive end Brennen Beyer.

Let’s see less of this guy on defense . . . Courtney Avery. It’s rare that players regress throughout their careers, but Avery would be one of those examples. He was overmatched as a freshman, played really well as a sophomore, took a step back as a junior, and now seems like a weak link in the secondary. The coaches moved him from nickel corner to safety in order to push guys like sophomore Jarrod Wilson, and while Wilson has been far from perfect, I think he’s a clear step up from Avery. I liked the kid better when he was a slot corner and not one of the last lines of defense.

Play of the game . . . Brennen Beyer’s interception return for a touchdown. On Iowa’s first offensive play, Jake Ryan came on a blitz and hit Rudock as he was releasing the ball, resulting in a pick six for Beyer. It was the most exciting play of the day for the Wolverines, who couldn’t create much of anything on offense. Honorable mention goes to Devin Gardner’s scrambling 2-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Williams, where Gardner looked like he was going to take a gain of zero yards before stepping back and casually tossing the ball to Williams, who had been let go by defenders coming up to stop the run. It was Williams’s first career catch and first career touchdown, and I wouldn’t argue with somebody who said that was the play of the day.

MVP of the game . . . Raymon Taylor. Taylor had 8 solo tackles (9 total), 1 diving interception, and what was technically a fumble recovery on Iowa’s first half-ending botched field goal snap. Taylor should have picked up the ball and run for what could have been a touchdown, but he still had nice coverage the entire game, tackled quickly, and was just a hair late to notch a couple pass breakups.

2013 Season Countdown: #24 Jake Ryan

Jake Ryan

Name: Jake Ryan
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 240 lbs.
High school: Cleveland (OH) St. Ignatius
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #47
Last year: I ranked Ryan #12 and said he would be the starting SAM with 45 tackles and 5 sacks. He had 88 tackles, 16 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, and 3 pass breakups.

Ryan went from a pretty good player in 2011 to a star in 2012. Opposing players recently stated at Big Ten Media Days that Ryan was the guy their offense always liked to identify before every snap. You can see why with statistics like that; while not out of this world, they’re certainly noteworthy, and he was named All-Big Ten Second Team because of his performance. Against Michigan’s two biggest conference foes (Michigan State and Ohio State, naturally), Ryan totaled 19 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL at the beginning of spring practices and missed the entire spring session.

If he were healthy, Ryan would be ranked quite a bit higher. I struggled with where to place him, because he’ll probably be out until sometime in October or perhaps November. How high or low do you rank your best defensive player . . . who’s bound to miss at least half the season? Michigan has a bunch of solid players on defense, but none of them are proven playmakers. Jordan Kovacs could make the big tackles, but he wasn’t a turnover machine. Blake Countess has yet to make an interception in college. Thomas Gordon made a bunch of turnovers two years ago, but he hasn’t been consistent. Someone will need to step up and make game-changing plays until Ryan returns from injury. Maybe it will be Countess or Gordon or Frank Clark or James Ross, but we know Ryan can be that guy when healthy. I expect to see a little bit of a drop-off in Ryan’s production when he returns, so he probably won’t be quite the same player this year; he was also a guy who could have been an early NFL Draft entrant after this season, but he’ll probably need to return in 2014 to showcase his talents. Still, if he comes back on schedule in October, I think he’ll be able to wreak a little bit of havoc here and there.

Prediction: Starting SAM when healthy; 35 tackles, 3 sacks

How to Cope with the Disaster of Jake Ryan’s ACL Tear

Another year, another debilitating injury to a key player.  Last year it was Blake Countess and, to a lesser extent, Denard Robinson.  In 2010 it was Troy Woolfolk and J.T. Floyd.  This year it’s redshirt junior Jake Ryan, who had 88 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks, along with 4 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, and 3 pass breakups from the outside linebacker position last year.  He tore his ACL at practice on Tuesday morning, and with the season less than six months away, chances are slim to none that he will be fully recovered for the beginning of the year, and perhaps not for the entire season.

The effects of Ryan’s loss will be significant.  He was the starting SAM linebacker the past two seasons and in 2012, he led the team in tackles, tackles for loss, sacks, and forced fumbles.  On passing downs he often put his hand down as a defensive end and rushed the passer.  He’s a whirling dervish with a nose for the football and one of Michigan’s lone pass rushing threats; on top of that, he was an emotional leader and one of the guys who could be counted on to make a play or two a game to spark the defense.  Yours truly picked him as the most underrated recruit in the 2010 class, and that was certainly proving to be true prior to the injury.

The question is: What does Michigan do now?

Option #1: Fifth year senior Cameron Gordon would presumably move into the starting role.  When healthy, he’s been the backup to Ryan for the past couple seasons.  The 6’3″, 233-pounder made 17 tackles and 3 tackles for loss in 2012; as a safety and linebacker in 2010, he was a Second Team Freshman All-American with 77 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, 4 pass breakups, and 2 fumble recoveries.  He’s a capable player but without the star quality of Ryan.

Option #2: Move junior Brennen Beyer from weakside end back to SAM.  Beyer played outside linebacker as a true freshman in 2011, making 11 tackles as a backup.  He has recorded just 1/2 a tackle for loss in two seasons and forced just 1 fumble, so he’s not much of a playmaker.  But if he could shed a few pounds from his bulked-up, 6’3″, 254 lb. frame, he could be serviceable at his old position.  Meanwhile, Michigan has junior Frank Clark and sophomore Mario Ojemudia at weakside end, both of whom played last year and have flashed big-play ability at times.

Option #3: Move sophomore Joe Bolden from middle linebacker to SAM.  Bolden is a 6’3″, 222 lb. kid with some playmaking ability who has the height and length to hold his own at SAM, but he would need to add some weight in order to hold the edge.  He had 31 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, and 1 sack as a freshman in 2012.  In the meantime, Michigan has a decent selection of players to man the inside linebacker spots, including my presumed starters there (Desmond Morgan and James Ross), fifth year senior Mike Jones, redshirt sophomore Antonio Poole, or redshirt freshman Kaleb Ringer; a couple freshmen will arrive in the summer (Ben Gedeon and Mike McCray).

Option #4: Install a freshman backup.  Gedeon projects as an inside linebacker, but McCray is a bit of a middle linebacker/outside linebacker tweener.  He’s listed at 6’3″, 225 lbs. on his recruiting profile, but he might be a little bit smaller than that.  Still, Beyer played the position as a freshman, and he too was about 6’3″, 225 lbs. at the time.

Option #5: Move sophomore Mario Ojemudia from weakside end to SAM.  Ojemudia is 6’3″, 244 lbs. and played a chunk of time in 2012, notching 11 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery.  This would likely be contingent on keeping Beyer at weakside end, since Michigan can’t really afford to move two of their three experienced weakside ends to linebacker.

Option #6: Do something wild.  Lightly regarded redshirt junior Jordan Paskorz was an outside linebacker before moving to tight end last spring, but he has played in just one game so far.  Sophomore Royce Jenkins-Stone is just 6’2″ and 215 lbs., and he balked at the idea of playing SAM in the hopes of being a middle linebacker, but the coaches could force his hand.  Incoming freshman Wyatt Shallman was recruited as a running back, but he played defensive end in high school and could see a chance for playing time at SAM once he arrives on campus.

Option #7: Just say “F*** it” and run a nickel the whole time.  In Greg Robinson’s inaugural defense in 2009, he put converted safety Steve Brown at SAM, and Brown had a decent season despite being around 210 lbs.  Perhaps someone like Marvin Robinson could have success in a similar role.

Spring Practice Preview: Defense

Jake Ryan led the team in tackles as a redshirt sophomore

DEFENSIVE END
The strongside end is perhaps the biggest question mark on the team this spring, at least from a fan’s perspective.  Craig Roh graduated, and there are backups, potential position-switchers, and redshirt freshmen all vying for the vacated spot.  Will it be last year’s primary backup, redshirt freshman Keith Heitzman (7 tackles, 1 tackle for loss)?  Will it be senior Jibreel Black (20 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks), who played 3-tech defensive tackle last year?  Will it be a junior position-switcher from weakside end, Brennen Beyer (19 tackles) or Frank Clark (25 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 2 sacks)?  Will it be one of the redshirt freshmen, Chris Wormley or Tom Strobel?  Heitzman seems like a good fit if Ryan Van Bergen and Roh are the prototypes, but we have yet to see Wormley or Strobel on the field.  The weakside end spot seems a little easier to sort out.  Clark is too much of a playmaker – and not disciplined enough – to be a candidate for SDE, making him likely to stick at weakside end.  Sophomore Mario Ojemudia should be bigger by now, and he made a few nice plays last season.
Others to watch: Redshirt freshman Matt Godin hasn’t created much buzz, but he’s a big body who has the size to play the SDE spot.  Freshman early enrollee Taco Charlton is tall, long, and pretty lean, but he’s also very raw.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE
One starter is almost certain, and that’s fifth year senior Quinton Washington (32 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack).  Other prognostications are murky.  The second-best defensive tackle might be sophomore Ondre Pipkins (7 tackles), but he was overweight last year and seems best suited for Washington’s nose tackle spot.  Black and redshirt freshman Willie Henry would both be capable of playing the 3-tech position, and Wormley could end up there, too, if he’s not playing strongside end.
Others to watch: Redshirt juniors Richard Ash and Ken Wilkins have been mired on the bench mostly and totally, respectively.  It’s tough to see either one garnering a ton of playing time this year, since both were surpassed by an out-of-shape Pipkins.  Heitzman and Godin could also see some reps at 3-tech.


LINEBACKER
The strongside linebacker position is locked down by redshirt junior Jake Ryan (88 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks), and his backup is pretty solid in the form of fifth year senior Cam Gordon (17 tackles, 3 tackles for loss).  The inside linebacker spots will be filled by two of three guys.  My guess is that junior Desmond Morgan (81 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss) will move from weakside linebacker to the middle, while sophomore James Ross (36 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss) steps in at WILL.  Sophomore Joe Bolden (30 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1 sack) is the other viable candidate at MIKE, and he also has the skills to be a backup at SAM.
Others to watch: Fifth year senior Mike Jones has been a backup his entire career, and that probably won’t change. Redshirt sophomore Antonio Poole sat out last season with an upper body muscle injury.  Sophomore Royce Jenkins-Stone is behind a couple good ones at MIKE, and redshirt freshman Kaleb Ringer missed the season due to a knee injury.  When the spring roster is released, don’t be surprised if some defections from this group are made known.

CORNERBACK
The biggest question isn’t so much about the talent at the position, but about whether redshirt sophomore Blake Countess is healthy after tearing his ACL in the season opener against Alabama.  Countess was good as a freshman in 2011 – with an occasional lapse – and should reach that level again with modern medicinal practices, but it might be too early to go hard for spring practices.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see the coaches hold him out of contact drills.  The other outside spot appears to be junior Raymon Taylor’s (45 tackles, 2 interceptions) to lose, and the nickel corner position has belonged to senior Courtney Avery (19 tackles, 2 tackles for loss) for the past couple seasons.  All three are returning starters if you count Countess from prior to his injury.
Others to watch: Junior Delonte Hollowell and sophomore Terry Richardson both played sparingly in 2012; both are small-ish and seem destined for nickel corner, field corner, or maybe just special teams play. One of the freshman early enrollees, Ross Douglas, was recruited to play nickel corner, too, but all of these guys may bounce around and play multiple positions because of low numbers.

SAFETY
One of the starting safeties will be fifth year senior Thomas Gordon (81 tackles, 2 interceptions); the question is, Which one?  The departure of Jordan Kovacs leaves a void at strong safety, and Gordon’s tackling, size, and speed make him a better fit at that spot than free safety.  Meanwhile, the other safety to earn significant playing time last season was rising sophomore Jarrod Wilson (8 tackles), who had his share of troubles, as young safeties often do.  Wilson is a 6’2″ ball hawk and fits better at free safety.  It would seem to make sense that Gordon moves to SS and Wilson gets inserted at the FS spot.  Also in the mix are senior Marvin Robinson and true freshman early enrollee Dymonte Thomas, and I could see a scenario in which Gordon/Wilson are the free safeties and Robinson/Thomas are the strong safeties.
Others to watch: Redshirt junior Josh Furman (8 tackles) hasn’t shown much in spring practices past or in limited playing time.  Redshirt freshman Jeremy Clark has the size and speed to be a good one at free safety, and classmate Allen Gant is more of an in-the-box strong safety; both seem to be a little ways down the pecking order right now.

Review of 2012 Season Predictions

This guy led the team in sacks.

Nobody else probably cares, but this is one of the things I enjoy most about the post-season: looking back and seeing how many things I got right or wrong.

Leading Rusher
Prediction: Denard Robinson, 1200 yards
Actual: Denard Robinson, 1266 yards

Leading Receiver
Prediction: Roy Roundtree, 750 yards
Actual: Jeremy Gallon, 829 yards (Roundtree had 580)

Leading Tackler
Prediction: Kenny Demens, 90 tackles
Actual: Jake Ryan, 88 tackles (Demens had 82)

Leading Sacker
Prediction: Jake Ryan, 5.5 sacks
Actual: Jake Ryan, 4.5 sacks

Leading Interceptor
Prediction: J.T. Floyd and Jordan Kovacs, 2 interceptions (tie)
Actual: Thomas Gordon and Raymon Taylor, 2 interceptions (tie); (Kovacs had 1, Floyd had 0)

All-Big Ten First Team
Prediction: Taylor Lewan, Denard Robinson
Actual: Taylor Lewan, Patrick Omameh, Will Hagerup (Denard Robinson was Honorable Mention)

Leading Scorer (non-QB, non-kicker)
Prediction: Fitzgerald Toussaint
Actual: Fitzgerald Toussaint

Breakout Offensive Player
Prediction: Thomas Rawls
Actual: Devin Funchess. Funchess didn’t light the world on fire, but he showed flashes of what he can do if Michigan can get him the ball in the coming years.  Rawls didn’t show much elusiveness or much power.

Breakout Defensive Player
Prediction: Thomas Gordon
Actual: Quinton Washington.  Washington went from a bit of an afterthought to a viable Big Ten nose tackle.  While he didn’t put up great numbers (32 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack), he took up blockers in the middle of the line and didn’t get blown off the ball.

Most Disappointing Offensive Player
Prediction: Jerald Robinson
Actual: Fitzgerald Toussaint.  Robinson was disappointing and then left the team, so he was clearly a disappointment.  But the starting running back, who averaged 5.6 yards/carry in 2011, dropped all the way to 4.0 yards/carry this season.

Most Disappointing Defensive Player
Prediction: Jibreel Black
Actual: J.T. Floyd.  Floyd didn’t make a single interception this season and got himself suspended for the Outback Bowl.

Alabama
Prediction: Loss
Actual: Loss

Air Force
Prediction: Win
Actual: Win

UMass
Prediction: Win
Actual: Win

Notre Dame
Prediction: Win
Actual: Loss

Purdue
Prediction: Win
Actual: Win

Illinois
Prediction: Win
Actual: Win

Michigan State
Prediction: Loss
Actual: Win

Nebraska
Prediction: Win
Actual: Loss

Minnesota
Prediction: Win
Actual: Win

Northwestern
Prediction: Win
Actual: Win

Iowa
Prediction: Win
Actual: Win

Ohio State
Prediction: Loss
Actual: Loss

CONCLUSION
Out of 23 predictions, I got 12.5 right.  I’m like Nostradamus or something.