Tag: Kekoa Crawford

2017 Season Countdown: #13 Kekoa Crawford

Kekoa Crawford (image via 247 Sports)

Name: Kekoa Crawford
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 195 lbs.
High school: Rancho Santa Margarita (CA) Catholic
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Sophomore
Jersey number: #1
Last year: I ranked Crawford #44 and said he would be a backup wide receiver. He made 4 catches for 47 yards and 1 touchdown, and he ran 3 times for 15 yards.
TTB Rating: 81

Normally, I probably would have projected someone with Crawford’s skills as a guy destined for a redshirt, or possibly with just a wee bit of playing time with no discernible freshman upside. Last year I ranked him pretty highly. Why the swing? The kid likes to block. Crawford is the best blocking receiver I’ve seen come to Michigan in a while, even though a couple other guys (Jehu Chesson, Maurice Ways) have developed those skills in college. I think that trait got Crawford on the field early, and he had a decent freshman season for someone playing behind two established seniors in Chesson and Amara Darboh. Crawford also has good hands and made a nice touchdown catch against Maryland.

Now Crawford might be the #1 receiving target in 2017. With Chesson and Darboh gone – and Drake Harris moved to cornerback – the only upperclassman receivers are redshirt junior backup Ways and junior Grant Perry, neither of whom has been a heavily utilized receiver. Since the spring, the expectation has been that Crawford would start at one receiver spot this year, with a freshman (likely Tarik Black or Donovan Peoples-Jones) starting on the other side. Crawford doesn’t have the same athletic upside as those two freshmen, but he does have those soft hands and that blocking ability, and he runs like a running back.

Prediction: Starting wide receiver; 40 catches, 520 yards, 3 touchdowns

Orange Bowl Preview: Michigan Receivers vs. Florida State Secondary

Tarvarus McFadden (image via Warchant)

MICHIGAN

Starters: Fifth year senior Amara Darboh (52 catches, 826 yards, 7 TDs) has been more productive this year than any Michigan receiver since Jeremy Gallon in 2013. Darboh has had some key drops, but that’s because he’s the go-to guy for quarterback Wilton Speight and gets the ball thrown to him in crunch time. Otherwise, he has made some highlight-reel catches and turned in some big plays this year. Michigan likes to use him as both a possession guy and a downfield threat, although he’s not a huge weapon in the deep passing game. Classmate Jehu Chesson (31 catches, 469 yards, 2 TDs) has seen his production fall off dramatically from the second half of the 2015 season, and he just doesn’t look like the same player after a knee injury against Florida in last year’s bowl game. Senior tight end Jake Butt (43 catches, 518 yards, 4 TDs) stands 6’6″, 250 lbs. and won the Mackey Award for the country’s best tight end. He’s not a great blocker, but he’s a very good route runner with sure hands.

Key backups: Michigan will be without the legally challenged Grant Perry (13 catches, 183 yards, 1 TD) due to legal troubles, and he’s the only other wideout who has been regularly targeted this season. The next most productive guy is 6’0″, 180 lb. freshman Eddie McDoom (5 catches, 59 yards; 15 carries, 154 yards), a speedster who has clearly made more of a mark on end arounds and reverses than in the passing game. Fellow freshman Kekoa Crawford (4 catches, 47 yards, 1 TD) and redshirt sophomore Drake Harris (2 catches, 11 yards) may also see some additional time. The backup tight ends haven’t factored into the passing game much: five tight ends have caught either 1 or 2 passes. We should see a lot of 6’6″, 276 lb. redshirt freshman Tyrone Wheatley, Jr. and 6’3″, 287 lb. freshman Devin Asiasi in mostly blocking roles.

Hit the jump for the rundown of Florida State’s defensive backfield.

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Big Ten Network: 2016 All-Freshman Team

Chris Evans

The Big Ten Network announced its All-Freshman team for the 2016 season (LINK), and there are several Michigan players included. Here’s a rundown of those players, along with those Michigan recruited a season or two ago (since it includes redshirt freshmen).

FIRST TEAM
Chris Evans – RB – Michigan
Mike Weber – RB – Ohio State
K.J. Hill – WR – Ohio State
Ben Bredeson – OG – Michigan
Michael Jordan – OG – Ohio State
Rashan Gary – DE – Michigan
Dre’mont Jones – DT – Ohio State

HONORABLE MENTION
Miles Sanders – RB – Penn State
Kekoa Crawford – WR – Michigan
Eddie McDoom – WR – Michigan
Terrance Davis – OG – Maryland
Connor McGovern – OT – Penn State
Josh King – DE – Michigan State
Carter Coughlin – LB – Minnesota
Justin Layne – CB – Michigan State

2016 Season Countdown: #44 Kekoa Crawford

Dylan Crawford with a very excited mother

Name: Kekoa Crawford
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 183 lbs.
High school: Rancho Santa Margarita (CA) Catholic
Position: Wide receiver
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #1
Last year: Crawford was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 51 catches for 822 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Final TTB Rating: 81

Crawford, who has also gone by the name Dylan, was a steal for the Wolverines. He was high on Michigan all along, but he was higher on Oregon. The Ducks didn’t offer for the majority of the process, and by the time he reached the point of wanting to decide, the Ducks had filled up at wide receiver with Eddie McDoom. Of course, Michigan ended up with both players – McDoom, an Under Armour All-American, and Crawford, a U.S. Army All-American. Crawford caught his passes from K.J. Costello (Stanford) last year and was actually the #2 receiver on his team behind 2017 Oklahoma commit Grant Calcaterra.

I was encouraged by Crawford’s performance in the U.S. Army Bowl. He didn’t light the world on fire, but he showed that he has the size, strength, and running ability to compete against other elite players, many of whom are college-ready. He’s also a tenacious blocker. For those reasons I think he’s the most likely freshman receiver to make an impact this year. The Wolverines were pretty thin at wide receiver last year, especially in the slot. Grant Perry was the only guy who got serious run at slot receiver, and that may have been somewhat limiting to the offense, forcing them to spend a little more time with multiple tight ends than perhaps they wanted. Of course, Jim Harbaugh will always use a lot of tight ends, but there’s room for another slot to make an impact on third downs or competing with Perry for snaps.

Prediction: Backup wide receiver

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