Michigan named its captains: Ben Bredeson, Carlo Kemp, and Khaleke Hudson (LINK).
What changes are in store for the @UMichFootball offense this season?
— Michigan On BTN (@MichiganOnBTN) August 14, 2019
New OC Josh Gattis sits down to discuss his offensive philosophy. pic.twitter.com/Uc5UMcy23d
Name: Khaleke Hudson
Height: 6’0″
Weight: 220 lbs.
High school: McKeesport (PA) McKeesport
Position: Linebacker
Class: Senior
Jersey number: #7
Last year: I ranked Hudson #2 and said he would be the starting Viper with 75 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, and 2 interceptions (LINK). He made 44 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, and 2 blocked punts.
TTB Rating: 80
I ranked Hudson at #2 overall last year, behind only Shea Patterson. We got a chance to see what the team looked like without Hudson when he was ejected from two games for targeting, a rule that Don Brown said affected his play for the remainder of the year. For better or worse in regard to Hudson, the defense as a whole didn’t miss a beat. The Wolverines plowed ahead with an elite defense until the whole thing went to s*** against Ohio State and then Florida.
The primary replacement at Viper last season was Jordan Glasgow, who still exists this year in the form of Viper/WILL Jordan Glasgow. There are some reports indicating that Glasgow is playing both positions, while others say Glasgow has made the full-time switch to WILL. Maybe the coaching staff is confident in redshirt freshman Michael Barrett to back up Hudson at Viper, or perhaps one of the other options, who are mostly true freshmen.
I expect a bit of a bounce back from Hudson. The Viper position has been much more productive, both in 2016 and 2017, and Hudson shouldn’t have to make any adjustments to his game. Maybe it was a one-year blip. Maybe it was just the fact that the Wolverines didn’t play Minnesota in 2018. Whatever the reason, Hudson should have a solid year in 2019. But if he goes down, the incredibly creative Don Brown could go with Barrett, Glasgow, more of SAM Josh Uche, a veteran safety (J’Marick Woods, Brad Hawkins), or a talented freshman (Daxton Hill, Quinten Johnson, Joey Velazquez). As perhaps the most recognizable position in Michigan’s defense, it will be very interesting to see who gets the snaps in 2019 when Hudson needs a breather.
Prediction: Starting Viper; 60 tackles, 5 sacks, 1 interception
With spring practice beginning in Ann Arbor, there will be lots of positive talk and fluff around the program. Every position will be better than last year, and every newcomer will be compared to a past standout at his position.
And there are often position changes from season to season, so here are some switches that the players and coaches might consider.
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I was going through drafts of old posts, and I happened to come across this post from 2016. It answers (answered?) the question of which 2016 recruit would have the best career at running back for Michigan.
Here are the results:
Kareem Walker (530 votes): Walker redshirted in 2016 and then got 20 carries for 68 yards (3.4 YPC) and 1 touchdown in 2017. By 2018 he was playing at a junior college, and now he’s headed to Mississippi State.
Kingston Davis (305 votes): Davis did not redshirt, and carried the ball 2 times for 17 yards (8.5 YPC) against Hawaii in 2016. Unfortunately, he never ran the ball again, transferred to Independence Community College, and then played a few games at UAB before he was dismissed for allegedly doing illegal things.
Khaleke Hudson (175 votes): Hudson has totaled 135 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, and 11 pass breakups playing the Viper position, a hybrid safety/linebacker. He has not taken a snap on the offensive side of the ball even though he was a very productive running back in high school.
Chris Evans (95 votes): The fourth place finisher in the poll finishes as the obviously correct choice to the question. Evans has 304 carries for 1,722 yards (5.7 YPC) and 14 touchdowns in three seasons, along with having 40 catches for 392 yards (9.8 yards/catch) and 2 touchdowns.
Aaron McMann says Khaleke Hudson and Devin Gil give Michigan stability at the linebacker position (LINK).
Ian Boyd talks about the twilight of Brent Venables’s career with the Oklahoma Sooners (LINK).
4.47 from @dljxxii in the 40!
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) March 4, 2019
?: @nflnetwork #GoBlue x #NFLCombine pic.twitter.com/gniJYeLgqG
Looking REALLY GOOD out there, @dljxxii!
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) March 4, 2019
?: @nflnetwork #GoBlue x #NFLCombine pic.twitter.com/UySPbTV2lo
Hit the jump for some AAF highlights of Atlanta vs. Arizona.
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