Tag: Nikhai Hill-Green

Ex-Wolverine Player Updates: Pre-season 2023

FORMER PLAYERS

TE Erick All (Iowa): All is now a Hawkeye and might play second fiddle at tight end to Luke Lachey, but Iowa uses multiple tight ends on a regular basis, so he should get plenty of playing time. Last year’s second tight end was Lachey, who had 28 catches for 398 yards and 4 touchdowns behind Sam LaPorta, who is now with the Detroit Lions.

WR Andrel Anthony (Oklahoma): Anthony is slotted in as a starting receiver for the Sooners this fall. He’s listed as a 6’1″, 192 lb. junior.

QB Alan Bowman (Oklahoma State): Bowman is in a battle for the starting quarterback job at one of the “other” OSU schools.

OG Zach Carpenter (Indiana): Carpenter is a redshirt senior who is expected to start at center for the Hoosiers.

S Damani Dent (Charlotte): Dent is a 5’11”, 196 lb. redshirt freshman at Charlotte.

CB Darion Green-Warren (Nevada): Green-Warren is a redshirt sophomore who is expected to be a backup for the Wolfpack in 2023.

TE Louis Hansen (UConn): Hansen is expected to start for the Huskies at tight end this fall. He’s listed at 6’4″ and 238 pounds.

Hit the jump for more.

Nikhai Hill-Green, Ex-Wolverine

Former starting linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green will be playing his fourth season elsewhere after entering the transfer portal.

Hill-Green signed as part of the class of 2020 and is now the eleventh player from that class to have transferred, including the third today after A.J. Henning (LINK) and safety R.J. Moten (LINK). I gave him a TTB Rating of 74 when he committed (LINK). He was a 3-star, the #25 outside linebacker, and #393 overall in his class.

Hill-Green played in three games as a freshman in 2020 and then started six games in 2021, making 50 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 1 pass breakup in his second year. However, his 2022 season was a wash due to injury, and he was in a battle with several other players for playing time in 2023, including incumbent Michael Barrett, up-and-comer Jimmy Rolder, and Nebraska transfer Ernest Hausmann.

It would not be surprising to see Hill-Green follow his former high school head coach at Baltimore (MD) St. Frances to Charlotte, where Biff Poggi is the new head coach.

Michigan vs. Maryland Awards

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Donovan Edwards. Edwards caught 10 passes for 170 yards and 1 touchdown in the 2021 matchup against Maryland. This year he caught 0 passes for 0 yards. Because he didn’t play in the game. Michigan only has four scholarship running backs on the team, and it appears that the Wolverines coaching staff only trusts two of them – Blake Corum and Edwards. So when one goes out with an injury, the other is going to get the lion’s share of opportunities. Hopefully Edwards can return healthy from his leg injury to relieve Corum a little bit and they can be consistent as a 1-2 punch.

Hit the jump for more.

2022 Season Countdown: #22 Nikhai Hill-Green

Name: Nikhai Hill-Green
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 232 lbs.
High school: Baltimore (MD) St. Frances
Position: Linebacker
Class: Junior
Jersey number: #41
Last year: I ranked Hill-Green #44 and said he would be a backup linebacker (LINK). He started six games and made 50 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, and 1 pass breakup.
TTB Rating: 81

Hill-Green began the 2021 season as a starting inside linebacker next to senior captain Joshua Ross. He had improved from 2020, but there were still some bumps in the road. As the season went along, his spot was usurped by freshman Junior Colson. Hill-Green did fine against the lower level teams on Michigan’s schedule, but when competition got tougher, teams started to pick on him a little bit.

I expect him to be better in 2022. Not only have reviews been positive, but young linebackers always seem to struggle. Unless a player is elite, most guys aren’t going to be successful until their third or fourth year, once they get experience under their belts. In Hill-Green’s case, he got some experience during his freshman COVID year, but it was a shortened season with limited practice time. With Ross having graduated and moved on, I expect Hill-Green to play alongside Colson at inside linebacker, with Mike Barrett also pushing for playing time.

Prediction: Starting inside linebacker; 70 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception

2021 Season Countdown: #44 Nikhai Hill-Green

Name: Nikhai Hill-Green
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 225 lbs.
High school: Baltimore (MD) St. Frances
Position: Linebacker
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #41
Last year: I ranked Hill-Green #68 and said he would be a backup linebacker (LINK). He played in three games and made 1 tackle.
TTB Rating: 81

Hill-Green has seen a meteoric rise in his prospects over the past year or so. Michigan at one time seemed well stocked at linebacker, with a lot of moving parts between inside linebacker, Viper, and SAM. Here are a few things that happened at linebacker since Hill-Green signed:

• High school teammate Osman Savage transferred to Alabama A&M
• Charles Thomas entered the transfer portal
• Cam McGrone had an underwhelming 2020 but entered the draft, anyway
• Ben VanSumeren transferred to Michigan State
• William Mohan transferred to Tennessee
• Cornell Wheeler transferred to Kansas

Savage, Thomas, McGrone, and Wheeler were all inside linebackers like Hill-Green.

There are still obstacles in the way at inside linebacker, but practice reports have been good about Hill-Green. He seems to be in line for playing time, but last year’s staff was higher on Kalel Mullings, and Anthony Solomon has an advantage on both in on-field experience. That’s not to mention that Josh Ross and Michael Barrett are incumbent starters.

Prediction: Backup inside linebacker