Nico Andrighetto with former high school teammate Nikko Pohahau, who plays for UConn (image via Twitter)
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.
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.
Detroit (MI) Loyola safety Josh Nichols (image via Hudl)
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.
