Kyle Kalis (#67) with Willie Henry (image via MLive)
Name: Kyle Kalis
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 305 lbs.
High school: Lakewood (OH) St. Edward’s
Position: Offensive guard
Class: Fifth year senior
Jersey number: #67
Last year: I ranked Kalis #9 and said he would be the starting right guard and Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (LINK). He started all thirteen games.
Kalis was largely unchallenged for the right guard job going into 2015. I thought offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Tim Drevno would make a positive impact on him and the rest of the line, and that was true. It still wasn’t quite as big of a step forward as I had hoped. Kalis missed blocks at times, and I thought he was the weakest member of the starting unit. It’s more mental than physical with him, because he has the bulk, strength, and athleticism to get the job done. He just doesn’t seem to process the blocking schemes and defenses as well as I would expect for the son of an NFL lineman and a veteran player.
Now it’s year five for the touted recruit that was once committed to Ohio State. It seems like a long time ago that he was receiving hate mail from Buckeye fans for flipping to the Wolverines, and now we’re on the precipice of his final year at Michigan. He’s a multi-year starter and the most experienced player on the line with 29 career starts, but so far he hasn’t performed like the 5-star player he was coming out of Ohio. After some strange rumors from Rivals this off-season saying the coaches were looking to push Kalis out the door, he’s back to reprise his role as the starting right guard. Redshirt junior David Dawson has stepped in to play some right guard in August, and rumors have gone around that Kalis is dealing with back issues (which also hampered him early in his college career). They shouldn’t hold him out long-term, but that will be something to watch. Dawson has a fair amount of experience for a backup, and redshirt freshman Jon Runyan, Jr. looked pretty decent this spring. There are options if Kalis has to miss a chunk of time, but it would be a step backward for an offensive line that isn’t expected to be stellar in the first place.
Prediction: Starting right guard; Second Team All-Big Ten