2019 Season Countdown: #30 Jalen Mayfield

Tag: Jalen Mayfield

2Aug 2019
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2019 Season Countdown: #30 Jalen Mayfield

Jalen Mayfield (image via Detroit Free Press)

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Name: Jalen Mayfield
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 296 lbs.
High school: Grand Rapids (MI) Catholic Central
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #73
Last year: I ranked Mayfield #78 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He played in three games.
TTB Rating: 87

Mayfield had an outside shot to win an offensive tackle position in 2018. Michigan made a somewhat surprising personnel decision when they moved offensive guard Jon Runyan, Jr. to left tackle, and that move stuck. Mayfield played in three games as a backup, but he was not needed in a major role and preserved his redshirt.

This off-season there has been additional hype about Mayfield. Jim Harbaugh himself has discussed how much he likes Mayfield’s athleticism. Will that translate to winning the tackle position vacated by Juwann Bushell-Beatty? That has yet to be seen. Andrew Stueber was the guy who stepped in for Bushell-Beatty at the end of 2018, so I give Stueber a slight edge. This might end up like the 2017 season when Nolan Ulizio started a few games before giving way to Bushell-Beatty, but on the plus side for Michigan’s future, I think both Stueber and Mayfield are better than both Ulizio (who is now at Pitt) and Bushell-Beatty (who is not in the NFL). I think Mayfield will be the guy who steps in at either tackle position if either Runyan or Stueber gets injured, but he could very well win the right tackle job.

Prediction: Backup offensive tackle

20Aug 2018
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Final TTB Ratings for 2018

Aidan Hutchinson (image via Hudl)

Thanks to Bryan and Keith for the recent, generous donations through Paypal!

It’s been a long time coming because I’ve been so busy, but here are the final TTB Ratings for the class of 2018.

A note on the ratings: These are Michigan-specific ratings, so a guy who would be an instant starter at Eastern Michigan might not be quite so much of an individual standout playing against Michigan’s opponents . . . and he might even have a hard time getting on the field over some other Wolverines. It’s tricky trying to determine how the depth chart will shake out over the next three to five years, but I’m here for the heavy lifting. For more of an explanation, check out this page here (LINK).

Hit the jump for the final rankings.

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27Jun 2018
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2018 Season Countdown: #79 Jalen Mayfield

Jalen Mayfield (left) with Cameron McGrone and Aidan Hutchinson (image via Twitter)

Name: Jalen Mayfield
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 275 lbs.
High school: Grand Rapids (MI) Catholic Central
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Mayfield was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 96 tackles, 31 tackles for loss, 17 sacks, and 3 fumble recoveries.

Mayfield was originally committed to Minnesota before getting an offer from the Wolverines, which he accepted. He joins a team with a gaping hole (or two) at offensive tackle, but it’s tough to play on the offensive line as a freshman. Mason Cole, Ben Bredeson, and Cesar Ruiz have played significant minutes in recent years when they were true freshmen, but they’ve gone through struggles. Now the belief is that Michigan will play a couple veteran offensive tackles or a redshirt freshman (James Hudson), so I don’t think Mayfield will play a big role in 2018. He needs to add some bulk and strength, and even new offensive line coach Ed Warinner has hinted that Mayfield will need a year or two of seasoning. He played in a run-heavy high school offense (over 3,500 rushing yards and 50 rushing touchdowns in 2017), so pass protection is probably going to be the biggest adjustment.

Prediction: Redshirt