Tag: Kyle Kalis

Ask a Question: Kyle Kalis

Kyle Kalis is a five-star offensive lineman who can claim offers from Alabama, Florida, Ohio State, LSU, and Notre Dame.  Most likely NFL bound, Kyle “just wants to tear your head off,” according to Michigan offensive line coach Darrell Funk, while he expects “blood on the field” when playing against Ohio State.

And as you can see, he also has excellent taste in men’s ties.

If you have a question for Kyle, leave it in the comments section, and I’ll bring it up when I interview him.

A Note on TTB Ratings

Kyle Kalis is my top-rated recruited from 2012, but not every recruit receives such high praise.

Recently I have taken a lot of flak for the TTB Ratings (and player reviews) I’ve been giving.  I’m a big boy and can handle the criticism; I expected criticism when I created the ratings.  However, I have to admit that some of the comments are unfounded and unrealistic.  Many of the complaints have centered around the fact that the coaches like the kids, so why can’t I just shut up and enjoy the ride?  Well . . . because coaches are wrong.  And yes, that means I can be wrong, too.  But these are my opinions, not anyone else’s.  And if my predictions are wrong, you can always point to a commitment post or a TTB Rating and say “Told ya so!”

Looking from a historical perspective, though, I think some people need to realize that a large number of these kids are bound to fail at football.  It’s just the nature of the business.  Some high-profile recruits bomb.  Some low-profile recruits turn into stars.  And vice versa.

Looking at the bottom rung of my TTB Ratings, it says “0-39: Below average backup or special teams contributor.”  Keep in mind that the TTB Ratings are trying to predict success at
Michigan, not necessarily overall talent.  For example, a guy who I
predict might get buried on the bench at Michigan could go to Kent State
and play very well.  From 2002-2008, here’s a list of all or most of the players who would fit that 0-39 category (essentially, these are complete non-contributors for various reasons): Tom Berishaj, Mike Kolodziej, Quinton McCoy, Kevin Murphy, Will Paul, Jim Presley, Clayton Richard, Pat Sharrow, Jeff Zuttah, Roger Allison, Keston Cheathem, Jeremy Ciulla, Grant DeBenedictis, Brett Gallimore, Marques Walton, Jason Forcier, Brandon Logan, Chris McLaurin, Chris Richards, Justin Schifano, Cory Zirbel, David Cone, Jason Kates, Cobrani Mixon, Quintin Patilla, Quintin Woods, Zion Babb, Artis Chambers, Vince Helmuth, Isaiah Bell, Taylor Hill, Dann O’Neill, Kurt Wermers, and Marcus Witherspoon. 

In a span of seven years, that’s 34 guys who were complete busts . . . an average of 4.9 per recruiting cycle.  I realize some of those guys’ careers ended early due to injury (Kolodziej, Sharrow, etc.), some transferred, and some got in trouble with the law . . . but some of them just couldn’t cut it.  Jason Forcier was buried on the bench here and got buried at Stanford.  Brandon Logan could never see the field despite playing on a depleted football team.  Cone was behind younger players and walk-ons for his entire career.  No matter how you slice it, there are bound to be flops.

Am I a soothsayer?  No.  I can’t predict the future.  All I can do is offer an educated opinion based on depth charts and what I see on film.  But I am 99% certain that some of these 4-stars will play like 5-stars, some 5-stars will play like 3-stars, and some 3-stars will become studs.  Nobody knows for sure which players they will be, but we’re all bound to be wrong sometimes, and we’re all bound to be right sometimes.

The difference between this site and others – whether you like it or not – is that I will share who I think those booms and busts will be.  There are numerous recruiting sites out there that essentially say “I love this kid and think he will be great!” . . . and they say that about every recruit.  That’s fine if they want to do that, but I’m not going to put stock in the opinion of any “evaluator” who thinks 99% of these kids are going to be studs.  Imagine if you went to a doctor for your back pain and he said, “Surgery is great, acupuncture is great, chiropractors are great, exercise is great, and meditation is great!  They’re all great!”  Or imagine if you went to a financial analyst who wanted you to put your money into every stock out there.  Well, surgery might mess up your back for life, and putting all your money into Groupon might sink your life savings.  Just like you would want a doctor or financial planner to steer you in the right direction, I hope I can steer Michigan fans in the right direction.

I will never root for a Michigan player to fail.  These kids play for Michigan, my alma mater.  I would love for every kid who walks onto the field to be an All-American and get drafted in the first round.  But that’s not a realistic expectation, and realistic fans ought to be able to see that.  If my approach to recruiting upsets you, I encourage you to read another website.  That’s not because I don’t want traffic or that I don’t value others’ opinions.  I simply think you’ll be happier elsewhere . . . and I know I’m unlikely to change.  I welcome other fans’ opinions, but getting angry about my ratings is a waste of everyone’s time.

Poll Results: Who will be Michigan’s starting left guard?

Fifth year senior offensive lineman Elliott Mealer

This comes on the heels of Rocko Khoury’s departure, who was presumed to be in the running to play center.  Now that it seems Ricky Barnum is destined to be the starting center this fall, that leaves an opening at left guard.  So I posed the question (for a second time): Who will be Michigan’s starting left guard against Alabama?

Chris Bryant: 58%
Bryant is only a redshirt freshman but has earned praise from coaches and practice observers alike.  So far in spring practices, it has been reported that Bryant is playing behind Patrick Omameh at right guard.  This could be to give Omameh some competition, but Bryant has always seemed like more of a strongside guard to me.  When a kid is 6’4″, 341 lbs., the coaches probably want him to do more bulldozing and less pulling.

Kyle Kalis: 16%
I still have doubts that a true freshman will start the first game of the season.  Kalis is good, but he won’t get to campus until June.

Patrick Omameh: 12%
Omameh has been the starting right guard for parts or all of the last three seasons.  I’m not sure why he would flip to the left side at this point, although I wouldn’t say it’s impossible.  If the other guard isn’t adept at pulling, Omameh (who isn’t great at pulling, either) might be an upgrade in that department.

Elliott Mealer: 11%
At least in the early going of spring, Mealer seems to be the frontrunner for the left guard position.  The fifth year senior has been running with the first team, and his only serious competition would seem to be Bryant. 

Other: 1%
It was recently reported that redshirt freshman walk-on Graham Glasgow has been the #2 left guard in spring ball, but keep in mind that a couple walk-ons are bound to be on the second team due to a lack of depth.  Without Khoury, David Molk, and Mark Huyge (all of them graduated) and without the four freshman linemen on campus, numbers dictate walk-ons will get a chance to see some time.  The only “backup” scholarship players available are Bryant and redshirt freshman center Jack Miller.

Poll Results: Who will be Michigan’s starting left guard?

Redshirt freshman Chris Bryant might be the front-runner for the LG job

Last week I asked the question, “Who will be Michigan’s starting left guard against Alabama?”

This poll is a little obsolete now that it has been announced Rocko Khoury will not return.  Barnum, the leading vote receiver in this poll, is now the front-runner for the center position.  So guess what?  There’s a new poll about the position on the left sidebar.  But here’s how much things can change with the loss of one player:

Ricky Barnum: 29%
The fifth year senior is a 6’3″, 292 lb. guard/center has been about as injury prone as a football player can be throughout his career.  He has appeared in only nine career games and started three (at left guard) in 2011.  The coaches have praised his ability to get out and run, which seems to indicate that he should stay at guard, since centers don’t run very much.  However, insider indications suggest that the coaches want him to win the starting job at center and will give him the first shot to do so. [EDIT: The previous sentence is clearly obsolete now.]

Chris Bryant: 18% (tie)
Bryant is just a redshirt freshman going into 2012, but coaches are reportedly enamored with his abilities, especially as a run blocker.  He appears to be the reason the coaches want Barnum to win the center job, so they can plug Bryant in at left guard.  He was listed at 6’4″ and 341 lbs. as a true freshman, but I would expect him to be a little lighter entering the upcoming season.

Kyle Kalis: 18% (tie)
Going even younger, Kalis is an incoming freshman.  He stands 6’5″ and 305 lbs., which gives him adequate size (Barnum and right guard Patrick Omameh were both less than 300 lbs.).  Kalis is the highest rated offensive line recruit in the freshman class and the odds-on favorite as the most likely of the freshmen to play in the upcoming season.  Due to a lack of linemen in recent classes, at least one true freshman is almost guaranteed to be on the two-deep, unless a walk-on emerges.

Patrick Omameh: 18% (1 fewer vote than the two above players)
Omameh, a redshirt senior, has started for all or parts of the last three seasons at right guard.  It strikes me as surprising that people think he will move to the left guard position, but I guess anything is possible.  Omameh is a 6’4″, 299-pounder who struggled early last season, but seemed to improve late.

Michael Schofield: 13%
Schofield is listed as an offensive tackle, but he started nine games in 2011 as a replacement for the injured Barnum.  With few true threats to replace the departed Mark Huyge at right tackle, it seems unlikely that Schofield will stick at left guard unless there’s a major rejiggering along the offensive line like, say, Omameh to right tackle.  While Kalis and incoming freshman Ben Braden are both expected to begin their careers at right tackle, they seem like long shots to start from Day 1.  At 6’7″ and a listed 299 lbs. (although I have heard Schofield is a bit heavier now), he seems a little tall to remain at guard.

Other: 0% (2 votes)
I would be interested to know which player(s) were being considered with these two votes.

2012 Recruiting Awards

Kyle Kalis is my pick to be the best recruit from the 2012 class

This is a fun yearly exercise for me.  You can take a look back at the 2009, 2010, and 2011 recruiting awards for a historical perspective on my choices.  Overall, I haven’t done a bad job, with some hits and misses over the years.  My best defensive recruit from 2010 was Marvin Robinson, who has yet to make much of an impact.  But I’ve picked a couple good ones as guys who are most underrated – Desmond Morgan and Jake Ryan.  It’s the usual – sometimes you’re right, and sometimes you’re wrong.

Best Overall Recruit: OG/OT Kyle Kalis
This was a pretty tough choice between Kalis and James Ross, but I’m going to go with Kalis, in part because of his NFL potential and his size.  Whereas Ross needs to add a little bit of bulk and even then might not be big enough for many NFL teams, Kalis has the size, technique, athleticism, and pedigree to play at the next level. 


Best Offensive Recruit: OG/OT Kyle Kalis
The 2012 class isn’t deep with offensive stars, so this wasn’t a very difficult choice.  But I think Kyle Kalis is about as college-ready as high school linemen come.  He has excellent technique and very good size (6’5″, 305 lbs.).  He could be on the two-deep this fall, and I’m guessing he’ll be at least a three-year starter for the Wolverines.

Best Defensive Recruit: LB James Ross
The best NFL prospect of the bunch might be defensive tackle Ondre Pipkins, but for their three-to-five years in college, I’ll take Ross as the best defensive player.  He could challenge Desmond Morgan for playing time as a true freshman, and by year two, he might have the starting WILL job locked down.

Recruit Most Likely to Make an Early Impact: DT Ondre Pipkins
I don’t think it’s a good thing when freshmen enter school knowing that the coaches almost have to play them, but that’s the situation Pipkins will find himself in this fall.  With Michigan’s top two defensive tackles having left and only unproven guys remaining, he’s a virtual lock to see significant time this fall.

Fastest Recruit: RB/PR/KR Dennis Norfleet
Running back Drake Johnson and wide receiver Jehu Chesson are high school track stars, but I’m giving Norfleet the nod due to his short-area quickness, too.  It takes Johnson and Chesson a little bit longer to accelerate than it does Norfleet.

Strongest Recruit: DT Ondre Pipkins
Pipkins will have no excuse for failing to be the strongest player on Michigan’s team in a few years.  He’s 6’3″ and 330 lbs. already.

Best Under-the-Radar Recruit: DT Willie Henry
The more I think about the defensive line coaches at Michigan getting their hands on Henry, the more excited I get.  Henry is a very athletic kid for his size and should be a penetrating-type defensive tackle for Michigan in the years to come.  Outside of classmate Ondre Pipkins, he might very well be the best DT recruit since Mike Martin in 2008.

Most Overrated Recruit: OT Blake Bars
Bars has the unfortunate luck of coming to Michigan in the midst of two great offensive line recruiting hauls.  He could very well get lost in the shuffle with guys like Kalis, Erik Magnuson, Logan Tuley-Tillman, Kyle Bosch, etc. 

Most Likely to Redshirt: OT Blake Bars
As an offensive lineman, you’re likely to redshirt, anyway.  But Bars has some weight and strength to add before he sees the field, and he’s the least likely to play early, in my opinion.  Kalis already has the size and technique, Ben Braden is reportedly 325 lbs., and I think Erik Magnuson is a little more advanced (although I expect him to redshirt, too).

Personal Favorite Recruit: LB James Ross
For the second year in a row, I’m picking a weakside linebacker.  Last year it was Antonio Poole.  This year it’s Ross.  I love these fast, downhill players who can make plays in the backfield, in pass coverage, and at the line of scrimmage.  Ross is one of the most technically sound football players I’ve seen since I started following recruiting, and that makes him incredibly fun for me to watch.