Review of 2013 TTB Ratings

Tag: Patrick Kugler


29Jul 2020
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Review of 2013 TTB Ratings

Ben Gedeon (image via MGoBlue)

I’ll just cut right to the chase and say that I did not do a good job with rating the class of 2013. A bunch of good recruits bombed, and in their absence, a bunch of so-so recruits starred. In some ways, it’s not that I whiffed on everyone. It’s that it was a huge boom-or-bust class.

Keep in mind that the ratings (fully explained here) are intended to project how players will fare at Michigan and, to a certain extent, in the NFL Draft. I do not take into account how players will do once they get to the NFL or how they will pan out if they transfer to other programs. I will give myself a grade of 1-5 like a 5-point grading scale (5 is best, 1 is worst) for each player; I reserve the right to give myself an incomplete if the guy never even got a chance to get on the field. I’ll work down the list from highest to lowest with a brief career recap for each player:

100

None

90-99

95: Derrick Green – RB – Richmond (VA) Hermitage
Green ran for just 898 yards and 7 touchdowns on 4.2 yards per carry during three years at Michigan. It didn’t help that his first two years were spent behind a Darrell Funk-coached offensive line, but he fell behind De’Veon Smith, transferred to TCU, and didn’t do anything there, either.
Prediction accuracy: 1. Big oops.

Hit the jump for more ugliness.

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2Feb 2020
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Morning Roundup: February 2, 2020

Steve Hutchinson

Former Michigan lineman Steve Hutchinson made the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Two of my Cool Story, Bro moments:

  1. Steve Hutchinson came to one of my high school games (not to see me, but still).
  2. I randomly saw Steve Hutchinson on Key West one time.

Hit the jump for more.

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22Jul 2019
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Ex-Wolverine Updates: Coaches, Summer 2019

Brady Hoke (image via College Football Talk)

If you want to help out TTB, please use the Amazon links here to do your shopping (LINK):

I do Ex-Wolverine Updates throughout the season, but I generally don’t include former coaches. In this case I have listed every Michigan coach over the past twenty years that is still in the game (for example, I think Steve Szabo, Stan Parrish, Bobby Morrison, Greg Robinson, etc. are retired permanently). There’s no way to keep track of every former Michigan player toiling away as a high school assistant coach or D-III strength and conditioning guy, but if you have any additions to the list, please let me know. I’m sure I’ve missed a few guys who are coaching or graduate assistant-ing.

For more Ex-Wolverine news, check out these posts on transfers (LINK) and former commits (LINK).

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25Apr 2018
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2018 NFL Draft Preview: Michigan

Maurice Hurst, Jr.

The first round of the 2018 NFL Draft will be taking place on Thursday evening, April 26. I don’t know about you, but this is one of the top few biggest sporting events of the year for me.

There aren’t many players leaving from a young Michigan team, so this is a much shorter list than it was in 2017. I posted their Pro Day results back in March (LINK). Here’s a look at the prospective NFLers from the Maize and Blue:

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1Mar 2018
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Goodbye, Patrick Kugler

Patrick Kugler (image via MGoBlog)

HIGH SCHOOL

Kugler attended Wexford (PA) North Allegheny when his dad, Sean, was the offensive line coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Patrick was a 247 Composite 4-star, the #1 center, and #68 overall in the 2013 class. Florida, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, Penn State, Pitt, Stanford, and others all offered, including Purdue, where his brother played offensive line, as well. Kugler committed to Michigan in late February of 2012 (LINK), almost a year before National Signing Day. While film was lacking early in his career, I ended up giving a TTB Rating of 86 at the end of the cycle (LINK).

COLLEGE

Kugler redshirted in 2013 and only played in one game in 2014, the opener against Appalachian State. As a redshirt sophomore in 2015, he played in three games as a backup. Kugler made one start at left guard in 2016 when Ben Braden was injured, and he played in four more games as a backup throughout the season. As a fifth year senior in 2017, Kugler started all thirteen games at center, earning Honorable Mention All-Big Ten from the media.

CAREER STATS

14 starts in 23 games played

AWARDS

Honorable Mention All-Big Ten (2017)

SUMMARY

Even though Kugler was a tackle in high school, Michigan fans – and national evaluators – had high expectations for him. He was the projected #1 player at the center position, and he was a top-100 guy overall. With his father being an NFL offensive line coach, it was assumed he would be a relatively early contributor, particularly because the underwhelming Jack Miller was ahead of him when he arrived. A shoulder injury hampered Kugler for his first couple seasons on campus, and he even admitted in an interview last year that he did not take football seriously enough early in his career. Whether that was a reference to rehab, film study, the weight room, practice habits, or some combination of those things is unclear, but it’s not an understatement to say that his first four years on campus were disappointing. It shouldn’t take a guy with his size and pedigree five years to become a reliable contributor, but it did. Guys who played ahead of him included Jack Miller, Graham Glasgow, and Mason Cole, who converted from left tackle to keep Kugler on the bench in 2016. Kugler actually did a solid job of blocking in 2017, but there were communication issues on the offensive line, particularly with the right side. Whether that was an issue with Kugler’s calls or just with the guys on the right side, we’ll never know for sure. Considering the coaching staff is bringing him back as a graduate assistant in 2018, I have to believe the staff was confident in his understanding of the game.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . . 

. . . being the son of an NFL offensive line coach. When he was being recruited, and when he was sitting on the bench, I couldn’t help thinking, “His dad is an NFL coach! He’s got to be good, right?!?!?!”

PROJECTION

As I mentioned above, Michigan is planning for Kugler to return in 2018 as a graduate assistant. He appears to be following in his dad’s footsteps as a coach, and he won’t be pursuing a career as an NFL player. This is probably a prudent move, since he would not be drafted and I don’t believe he would stick with an NFL team.