Tag: Nico Andrighetto

2025 Season Countdown: #66-70

70. S Kainoa Winston (Fr.): Winston (4-star, #10 safety, #96 overall) has the disadvantage of not enrolling early, but he’s a speedy player who hits hard and was a top-100 recruit in the class of 2025. There has been a lot of talk about Arkansas transfer Tevis Metcalf, and perhaps for good reason, but I think Winston could emerge on special teams and perhaps at nickel toward the end of the season if the opportunity arises.

69. S Nico Andrighetto (RS Jr.): The 5’9″, 190 lb. walk-on played in four games last season and notched a half-sack against Northwestern. He will probably be a regular on special teams this season, though I don’t expect him to contribute much on defense unless it’s garbage time. Last year’s rank: #100.

68. LB Troy Bowles (RS So.): The son of NFL coach Todd Bowles, Troy spent the past two seasons at Georgia, where he played a total of seven games and made 5 total tackles. He played in just two contests last year, taking a redshirt before transferring to Ann Arbor for his third season. Michigan has some solid depth at inside linebacker, and I suppose that includes Bowles, whom Michigan recruited out of high school. With Jimmy Rolder, Cole Sullivan, and Jaydon Hood backing up Ernest Hausmann and Jaishawn Barham, I don’t think there will be many snaps left for the 6’0″, 220 lb. Bowles this season.

67b. K Stuart Blake (RS Fr.): Blake is a 6’1″, 179 lb. kicker from Jenkintown (PA) Jenkintown who was on the team but did not play in 2024. Michigan was somewhat active in the transfer portal this off-season after losing punter Tommy Doman to transfer, but they didn’t bring in much placekicking help other than a flyer on Beckham Sunderland (see below). Perhaps that shows some confidence in Blake’s abilities, but special teams are anyone’s guess.

67a. K Beckham Sunderland (RS So.): Sunderland is a former MLS – that’s soccer, folks – player who was a goalkeeper before embarking in a college kicking career at Texas State. Last season he was a backup kicker, but he sent 6 out of 8 kickoffs for touchbacks and also went 1/1 on extra points. His best chance to get on the field is probably as a kickoff specialist, but I have no idea how the competition for that job will shake out.

66. LS Dan Rosenberg (RS So): Rosenberg is a 6’0″, 245 lb. player who was a former starting long snapper at Holy Cross. He threw his name into the transfer portal this off-season, but as far as I know, he has yet to find a landing spot. He was on Michigan’s spring roster, and for now, I’ll assume that he stays in Ann Arbor. With Greg Tarr the almost certain starter this fall, the backup job comes down to Rosenberg – who has the most experience – and Evan Boutorwick and James Kavouklis.

2024 Season Countdown: #100 Nico Andrighetto

Name: Nico Andrighetto
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 190 lbs.
High school: Mountain View (CA) St. Francis
Position: Safety
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #31
Last year: I ranked Andrighetto #136 and said he would be a backup defensive back (LINK). He played in one game on special teams.
TTB Rating: N/A

Andrighetto entered his third season on campus having played in two career contests, one in each previous season. He has been named Scout Team Special Teams Player of the Week four times over his two seasons, including three weeks in 2023. That would seem to bode well for him getting a chance to play a little bit on special teams as his career progresses. At 5’9″ and 190 pounds, he’s unlikely to ever be a serious option on defense, but special teams could be a different story.

With the likes of Caden Kolesar and other walk-ons moving past their football careers, there may be room for Andrighetto to play a little more in 2024. Punt and kickoff coverage units can be good spots to get your scholarship guys a break and let some fresh bodies sprint downfield at full speed.

Prediction: Backup safety and special teamer

2023 Season Countdown: #136 Nico Andrighetto

Name: Nico Andrighetto
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 187 lbs.
High school: Mountain View (CA) St. Francis
Position: Safety
Class: Redshirt reshman
Jersey number: #31
Last year: I ranked Andrighetto #129 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He played in one game on special teams.
TTB Rating: N/A

Andrighetto is the younger brother of Lucas Andrighetto, who was a walk-on running back from 2018-2021. So there has been an Andrighetto on the team since 2018, whether you knew it or not. The younger Andrighetto is a safety who played in the 56-10 beatdown of Hawaii. With a lot of talent at safety, Nico is unlikely to play much of a role for the Wolverines in 2023.

Prediction: Backup defensive back

2022 Season Countdown: #129 Nico Andrighetto

Name: Nico Andrighetto
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 180 lbs.
High school: Mountain View (CA) St. Francis
Position: Safety
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Andrighetto was a senior in high school. He made 75 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 3 interceptions, and 1 touchdown.
TTB Rating: N/A

Andrighetto turned down offers from Colgate and Columbia to become a walk-on at Michigan, where his older brother Lucas spent several years as a walk-on running back. Nico was a 247 Sports 2-star and the #209 running back overall. He won “Defensive Back of the Year” in the West Catholic Athletic League in California and his biggest “weakness” is his height. If he were two or three inches taller, he would probably be a Power 5 scholarship player. Chances are slim that Andrighetto becomes much of a contributor at Michigan, except perhaps as a special teams player down the road. But this season should be a redshirt year for him.

Prediction: Redshirt

Michigan’s 2022 Preferred Walk-ons

At any top-tier football program, walk-ons can seem meaningless. When teams recruit 5-star and 4-star players, what are the chances that some walk-on is going to do anything significant on the field? Except in almost any year, a walk-on plays a significant role, even if it’s “only” on special teams. This past season, safety Caden Kolesar (9 tackles), defensive tackle Jess Speight (7 tackles), tight end Carter Selzer, and long snapper William Wagner all played significant snaps for the Wolverines. There’s a good chance that at least one or two of these players will end up playing a lot of minutes in a Michigan uniform.

Nico Andrighetto – S – Mountain View (CA) St. Francis
Andrighetto is the 5’9″, 180 lb. brother of walk-on running back Lucas Andrighetto. He turned down offers from FCS Colgate and Columbia to walk on at Michigan. Nico had 75 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 3 interceptions, and 1 touchdown as a senior in 2021. You can find his highlights HERE.

Chibi Anwunah – DE – Westland (MI) Lutheran
Anwuna is a 6’7″, 225 lb. Nigerian immigrant who played out of position – at least for college – as a linebacker in high school. He will almost certainly move down to the defensive line, probably defensive end, for Michigan. Anwunah has good size and decent athleticism, but he plays tentatively and needs to get a lot stronger. If he does he could be a diamond in the rough in a few years. You can find his highlights HERE.

Evan Boutorwick – LS – Sterling Heights (MI) Henry Ford II
Boutorwick has nice size at 6’4″ and 225 lbs. He was an Under Armour All-American and Korblue Kicking has him ranked as the #10 long snapper in the class of 2022.

Declan Byle – QB – Novi (MI) Catholic Central
Byle is a 6’2″, 175 lb. prospect who looks like a walk-on quarterback. He does not have a particularly good arm or noteworthy athleticism. I do not see him factoring into Michigan’s depth chart in the future. You can find some of his highlights HERE.

Hit the jump for more.