Tag: James Kavouklis

2024 Season Countdown: #123 James Kavouklis

Name: James Kavouklis
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 279 lbs.
High school: Tampa (FL) Berkley Prep
Position: Center/Long snapper
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #64
Last year: I ranked Kavouklis #139 and said he would be a backup center (LINK). He did not see game action.
TTB Rating: N/A

NOTE: I skipped a couple spots in the countdown since running back Danny Hughes and tight end Josh Beetham are both in the transfer portal and were originally in the countdown.

Kavouklis played in one game as a true freshman back in 2022, but he did not see any action in 2023. If you want some positive fluff about new strength and conditioning coach Justin Tress, Kavouklis was a scrawny 272 pounds last season but is now up to a whopping 279 this spring.

On the plus side, Kavouklis doubles as a long snapper, so he could play center or long snap, so that might open some opportunities if there’s an injury or two. He’s not going to elevate to starter in either spot, but sometimes when there’s a blowout, the coaches start emptying the bench. The path to long snapper is typically a little shorter, but Kavouklis is probably #4 there behind William Wagner, Greg Tarr, and Evan Boutorwick.

Prediction: Backup center and long snapper

2023 Season Countdown: #139 James Kavouklis

Name: James Kavouklis
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 272 lbs.
High school: Tampa (FL) Berkeley
Position: Offensive lineman/Long snapper
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #64
Last year: I ranked Kavouklis #132 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He played in one game.
TTB Rating: N/A

Kavouklis is another player who is listed lighter (in this case, by three pounds) than he was as a true freshman in 2022. He played in the blowout win over UConn, but otherwise, he was able to maintain his redshirt. He is now listed as an offensive lineman with “long snapper” attached on the roster, so that might be a developing skill that lets him get on the field sometime down the road. It’s rare that a school like Michigan would have a 272 lb. punt snapper, because those guys have to get down the field and make tackles, but you do occasionally see larger short snappers (for field goals and extra points) since they usually don’t have to make tackles in space. Regardless, it looks like Kavouklis will once again be a deep bench backup in 2023.

Prediction: Backup lineman/long snapper

2022 Season Countdown: #132 James Kavouklis

Name: James Kavouklis
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 275 lbs.
High school: Tampa (FL) Berkeley Prep
Position: Center
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Kavouklis was a senior in high school.
TTB Rating: N/A

Kavouklis is a true freshman preferred walk-on. Listed at 6’2″ and 275 lbs., he is very undersized to play at Michigan right now. Even if he adds mass, the height thing is likely to always be an issue. If you watch his high school film, you will see a nice motor and leg drive. He plays with a little too narrow of a base and will really need to figure out leverage in order to handle bigger defensive tackles at the college level. Overall, he has some decent skills and could be a program guy who earns some playing time several years down the road, but he’s probably a career backup.

Prediction: Redshirt

Michigan’s 2022 Preferred Walk-ons

At any top-tier football program, walk-ons can seem meaningless. When teams recruit 5-star and 4-star players, what are the chances that some walk-on is going to do anything significant on the field? Except in almost any year, a walk-on plays a significant role, even if it’s “only” on special teams. This past season, safety Caden Kolesar (9 tackles), defensive tackle Jess Speight (7 tackles), tight end Carter Selzer, and long snapper William Wagner all played significant snaps for the Wolverines. There’s a good chance that at least one or two of these players will end up playing a lot of minutes in a Michigan uniform.

Nico Andrighetto – S – Mountain View (CA) St. Francis
Andrighetto is the 5’9″, 180 lb. brother of walk-on running back Lucas Andrighetto. He turned down offers from FCS Colgate and Columbia to walk on at Michigan. Nico had 75 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 3 interceptions, and 1 touchdown as a senior in 2021. You can find his highlights HERE.

Chibi Anwunah – DE – Westland (MI) Lutheran
Anwuna is a 6’7″, 225 lb. Nigerian immigrant who played out of position – at least for college – as a linebacker in high school. He will almost certainly move down to the defensive line, probably defensive end, for Michigan. Anwunah has good size and decent athleticism, but he plays tentatively and needs to get a lot stronger. If he does he could be a diamond in the rough in a few years. You can find his highlights HERE.

Evan Boutorwick – LS – Sterling Heights (MI) Henry Ford II
Boutorwick has nice size at 6’4″ and 225 lbs. He was an Under Armour All-American and Korblue Kicking has him ranked as the #10 long snapper in the class of 2022.

Declan Byle – QB – Novi (MI) Catholic Central
Byle is a 6’2″, 175 lb. prospect who looks like a walk-on quarterback. He does not have a particularly good arm or noteworthy athleticism. I do not see him factoring into Michigan’s depth chart in the future. You can find some of his highlights HERE.

Hit the jump for more.