Tag: Jared Wangler

Class of 2014: By the Numbers

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I recently did a summary of the 2015 class that was an interesting look back at their five years on campus (LINK). The class of 2014 was Brady Hoke’s final complete class before he was fired, so here’s a look at how that group fared over five years. Michigan landed 17 players in the pack, which ranked 20th in the country according to the 247 Composite.

Hit the jump for the rundown.

Goodbye, Jared Wangler

HIGH SCHOOL

Wangler was a high school teammate of one-time Michigan quarterback Shane Morris and is the son of former Michigan quarterback John Wangler. Originally committed to Penn State, he eventually flipped to Brady Hoke’s Wolverines. Despite being an Under Armour All-American, I gave him a TTB Rating of 59 (LINK).

Hit the jump for more on Wangler.

2018 Season Countdown: #68 Jared Wangler

Jared Wangler (image via MWolverine)

Name: Jared Wangler
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 229 lbs.
High school: Warren (MI) De La Salle
Position: Fullback
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #38
Last year: I ranked Wangler #75A and said he would be a backup linebacker and special teamer (LINK). He made 3 tackles on special teams.
TTB Rating: 59

Wangler switched positions from linebacker to fullback, but he was going to be buried either way. At linebacker he was behind Mike McCray II, Devin Gil, and others. At fullback he was behind Khalid Hill, Henry Poggi, and Ben Mason. He did contribute on special teams in every game, but he did not see any time on offense or defense.

This year Wangler remains at fullback with Hill and Poggi having graduated. Mason returns and is the obvious starter, unless freshman Ben Van Sumeren arrives and blows everyone out of the water. I believe Van Sumeren will pass up Wangler sometime this season, if not immediately. I also believe we’ll see a little less of the fullback position this season now that Shea Patterson is the quarterback. I expect Michigan to go with a few more spread sets and shotgun/pistol looks. I don’t know that Wangler has the bulk or the attitude to be a Jim Harbaugh fullback, so I think Wangler will continue to be a backup and special teams guy.

Prediction: Backup fullback, special teamer

Who might not return on offense in 2018?

Ian Bunting (image via Land of 10)

As I looked at the scholarship count for 2018 (LINK), there were a number of names that stuck out of guys who don’t have a clear path to playing time. This post is intended to examine some of those players’ potential to contribute in the future. This is NOT based on any rumors, but simply logic.

QUARTERBACK: With just four players on scholarship for 2018 – including two true freshmen – it wouldn’t make much sense for anyone to leave. Brandon Peters (RS So.) should be the #1 guy, and Dylan McCaffrey (RS Fr.) would presumably be the primary backup. Both of them were recruited by Jim Harbaugh, and both of them are talented, 4-star guys. The one guy who could throw a wrench into those plans is Shea Patterson, a potential transfer from Ole Miss (LINK).

FULLBACK: Michigan loses its top two guys at fullback, but the next guy will be just a sophomore in 2018, and that’s Ben Mason. With Mason looking like the clear front-runner to start, it wouldn’t make a lot of sense for Jared Wangler (RS Sr.) to return in 2018. Not only was Wangler a linebacker for his first few years on campus, but he was at least fourth on the depth chart this season. There are walk-ons who could surpass him, and so far Michigan hasn’t deployed a fullback as light as him (229 lbs.) under Jim Harbaugh

RUNNING BACK: Departures happen all the time, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if someone leaves in the next year or two. However, the running backs are spaced out pretty well, from senior Karan Higdon to junior Chris Evans to redshirt sophomore Kareem Walker to the freshmen.

WIDE RECEIVER: Drake Harris and Maurice Ways, Jr. have already chosen to depart, so that thins the ranks a little bit, but Michigan brought in four wideouts in the 2017 class. With a lot of trust being put in Donovan Peoples-Jones and Tarik Black, there seemed to be less and less emphasis on Kekoa Crawford and Eddie McDoom this year than expected. Neither one redshirted and both could go elsewhere to have two years of eligibility left. Much like the Shea Patterson situation, the potential arrival of Ole Miss’s Van Jefferson could be disruptive to their careers, too.

TIGHT END: The departure that makes the most sense is Ian Bunting (RS Sr.). I thought Bunting was going to replace Jake Butt pretty well, but instead, Bunting was passed up by every other scholarship tight end on the roster, all of whom are younger. Zach Gentry (RS Jr.), Sean McKeon (Jr.), Tyrone Wheatley, Jr. (RS Jr.), and even Nick Eubanks (RS So.) were used earlier in the season and/or games than Bunting. Bunting had just 1 catch for 6 yards on the season. Along the same lines, Wheatley is getting older and seems to have two guys ahead of him (Gentry and McKeon).

OFFENSIVE LINE: With the uncertainty on the offensive line and two seniors graduating (Mason Cole, Patrick Kugler), there are two starting spots available, and Michigan likes to use six or seven linemen a game for random formations and short yardage stuff.

2017 Season Countdown: #75A Jared Wangler

Jared Wangler (image via MLive)

Name: Jared Wangler
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 229 lbs.
High school: Warren (MI) De La Salle
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #38
Last year: I ranked Wangler #77 and said he would be a backup linebacker and special teamer. He played in five games and made 3 tackles.
TTB Rating: 59

Wangler did not make much of an impact last season, but he did make three tackles against Rutgers in Michigan’s 78-0 win. That was a game where Michigan just threw everybody on the field at random positions like a pee-wee game. Michael Onwenu took some Wildcat quarterback snaps, and Jon Falk caught a screen pass for a TD from James Earl Jones.

So Wangler’s moving up in the world a little bit, but will it translate to serious playing time? That’s doubtful. He was playing weakside linebacker in the spring game, and the leader of the pack there is fifth-year senior Mike McCray II. Younger guys have and probably will continue to pass up Wangler, including an incoming freshman or two. The 2017 season may be his swan song at Michigan, since it looks like a fifth year is unlikely. Still, Wangler is a guy who can help out here or there on special teams or playing some late-game snaps.

Prediction: Backup linebacker, special teamer