Goodbye, Joe Bolden

Tag: Joe Bolden


12May 2016
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Goodbye, Joe Bolden

Joe Bolden 905x

Joe Bolden (#35, image via Michigan Daily)

HIGH SCHOOL
Bolden went to Cincinnati (OH) Colerain and committed to Michigan in April of 2011 (LINK). I initially gave him a TTB Rating of 77 before bumping him up to an 88 (LINK) after hype started to build following the Under Armour All-American Game.

COLLEGE
Bolden showed promise as a true freshman backup linebacker, when he made 31 tackles, 4 TFLs, 1 sack, and 1 FR, and he was named to a couple All-Big Ten Freshman teams. He started four games in 2013 and made 54 tackles, 4 TFLs, and 2 sacks. He became a full-time starter as a junior and made 102 tackles, 4 TFLs, 2 sacks, and 1 PBU. As a senior in 2015, his stat line was 83 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, and 1 fumble recovery.

STATS
270 tackles, 18.5 TFLs, 5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, 1 PBU

Hit the jump for more on Bolden’s college career.

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27Apr 2016
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2016 NFL Draft Preview: Michigan Wolverines

Jake Rudock 886x

Jake Rudock

The 2016 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. I’m not the world’s biggest draft junkie (you can only have so many obsessions in your life), but I am always enthralled by the first round of the NFL Draft. Other than the Super Bowl, it’s my favorite single NFL day of the year . . . depending on whether the Lions are in the playoffs or not, which is usually not. Tomorrow night I’ll be headed to a friend’s house where a half dozen of us will eat pizza, drink cold beverages, and make fun of each other’s favorite teams.

Several Michigan Wolverines will be on the board, but none will be taken on Thursday, barring a huge surprise. With their Combine and pro day numbers in mind (LINK), here’s a look at Michigan’s representatives in the Draft and some slightly educated guesses about where they’ll go:

Graham Glasgow, C
Glasgow is 6’6″, 307 lbs. and did 23 reps on the bench at the Combine. He ran a 5.13 forty and a 4.63 shuttle time. He also performed well playing both guard and center at the Senior Bowl. He will almost certainly get drafted, but probably not as the top center. It will be interesting to see whether his multiple off-the-field issues with alcohol will cause him to slide.
Best guess: Rd. 3, #87 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals

Willie Henry, DT
Henry stands 6’2″, 303 lbs. and did 28 reps on the bench at the Combine. He ran the forty in 5.0 seconds and a 4.53 shuttle. He also showed a 30.5″ vertical and a 9’2″ broad jump. Henry has good quickness off the ball and can be a playmaker, but he’s a little bit inconsistent. He struggled to hold up at times on the interior because of leverage issues, so he’s more of a 3-tech or an undersized end in a 3-4.
Best guess: Rd. 4, #106 overall to the Chicago Bears

Hit the jump for more on the expectations for Michigan’s outgoing seniors.

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1Mar 2016
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Spring Football Preview: Linebackers

Ben Gedeon Mike McCray 735x

Ben Gedeon (#42) and Mike McCray II (#9)

Projected LB starters: SAM Jabrill Peppers (RS So.), MIKE Ben Gedeon (Sr.), WILL Mike McCray II (RS Jr.). It’s sad to say that this might be the last time we have a chance to see Jabrill Peppers in a Michigan uniform. A defensive back prospect coming out of high school, Don Brown seems to want him to play outside linebacker like Steve Brown did back in 2009. Gedeon is the only true, experienced linebacker returning from last year; he started one game last season and has 70 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, and 2 sacks in his career. McCray is more of a question mark. Listed at 6’4″ and 242 lbs. last year, he missed the whole season with a shoulder injury. In three years on campus – including a freshman season when he was injured and took a redshirt – he has 2 tackles and 1 blocked punt to his name. However, when the team took the field on Monday morning, he was reportedly the first WILL linebacker on the field.

Hit the jump for more on the linebacker position.

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