2018 Season Countdown: #73 Reuben Jones

Tag: Reuben Jones


6Jul 2018
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2018 Season Countdown: #73 Reuben Jones

Reuben Jones (image via Twitter)

Name: Reuben Jones
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 245 lbs.
High school: Lakeland (FL) Lake Gibson
Position: Defensive end
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #4
Last year: I ranked Jones #57 and said he would be a backup defensive end (LINK). He played in five games.

Jones earned the chance to play in five games last season, and he put up no statistics. That came a year after playing in five games and making two tackles. He has bounced back and forth a little bit between defensive end and inside linebacker, though he appears to be purely a defensive end at this point. So far he has been on campus for three years, and he has two tackles to show for it. A spike in playing time and effectiveness should not be expected at this juncture. He’s a good team guy, and I’ve heard talk that he might make a good coach some day, but I would be surprised to see him become a major player on the field this year.

Prediction: Backup defensive end

11Dec 2017
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Who might not return on defense in 2018?

Bryan Mone and Chase Winovich (image via iSportsWeb)

I addressed potential offensive attrition last week (LINK), and here’s the defensive edition. As I mentioned in that previous post, this is about the depth chart and opportunity for playing time; these posts are not about rumors or talent judgments.

DEFENSIVE LINE: First of all, it’s important to note that there are few places in the country where defensive linemen get better coaching than Michigan. If you want to be good and have the ability, Michigan gives you as good of a chance as anyone. It’s not like Alabama or Clemson, where elite recruits simply continue to be elite. It’s a place where walk-ons (Ryan Glasgow) and lowly 3-stars (Frank Clark, Maurice Hurst) can be turned into high draft picks. But if you’re not on their level, you won’t get on the field. In that regard, there are a few guys who are buried on the depth chart. One is defensive end Reuben Jones (RS Jr.), who has been passed by younger guys, and another is Ron Johnson (RS So.), who has bounced between defensive end and defensive tackle. Both are finding it difficult to find the field. Meanwhile, interior players Lawrence Marshall (RS Sr.) and Bryan Mone (RS Sr.) have both been passed by younger guys, most notably Aubrey Solomon, a 2017 signee. Michigan rotates defensive linemen quite a bit, so there’s playing time available for both, but becoming a starter would be a tall order. Most importantly of all, there’s a chance that Chase Winovich (RS Sr.) might enter the NFL Draft.

Hit the jump for a discussion of the linebackers and defensive backs.

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4Jul 2017
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2017 Season Countdown: #57 Reuben Jones

Reuben Jones (#4, image via MGoBlog)

Name: Reuben Jones
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 222 lbs.
High school: Lakeland (FL) Lake Gibson
Position: Defensive end
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #4
Last year: I ranked Jones #53 and said he would be a backup weakside end. He made 2 tackles.
TTB Rating: 67

It’s hard to pin down this Jones kid. He came in as a weakside end, but he played middle linebacker a little bit for his first two years on campus. Even in year two, he was listed at 6’4″ and 222 lbs., which means he’s thin even for a linebacker. Due to that alone, it’s not surprising that he hasn’t earned a ton of playing time. What he has done, however, is win Scout Team Player of the Week, and he finished as Michigan’s fifth-best Scout Team Player of the Year at the annual football bust (LINK). Is that good or not? I don’t know. On the one hand, hooray for a guy who busts his butt on the scout team. On the other hand, the other guys in that top five were all walk-ons.

Michigan needs someone to step up at weakside end to back up Chase Winovich. There’s an opportunity for Jones to take that #2 spot, but competition exists in a couple other forms. I think he’ll have a battle on his hands from some freshmen, especially Luiji Vilain. Jones won’t win the gig if he stays at 222 lbs., but the spirit that helped him earn STPOTW might get him some opportunities on the kickoff, kickoff return, punt, and punt return teams.

Prediction: Backup defensive end

24Mar 2017
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5 Position Switches for Michigan to Consider in 2017

Zach Gentry

Where does Zach Gentry fit best? (image via MLive)

Going into the 2017 season, Michigan has some holes on the roster and some players who seem to be buried on the bench. Those buried players – and some established ones – can sometimes benefit the team at other spots. After all, Michigan took Chase Winovich – who started his career at linebacker before moving to tight end/fullback for a season – and made him a very effective defensive end (35 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, 5 sacks) in 2016.

Which players on this 2017 squad might be best served by finding a new position?

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20Jul 2016
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2016 Season Countdown: #53 Reuben Jones

19 September 2015:  Michigan Wolverines FB Sione Houma (39) and Michigan Wolverines DE Reuben Jones (4) celebrate with the fans following the game between the UNLV Rebels and Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI.  Michigan defeated UNLV 28-7.

Reuben Jones (#4, image via Today’s U)

Name: Reuben Jones
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 222 lbs.
High school: Lakeland (FL) Lake Gibson
Position: Defensive end/linebacker
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #4
Last year: I ranked Jones #78 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He redshirted.

Jones came in last season as an undersized defensive end without amazing quickness, so he was all but guaranteed to redshirt. And he did. This spring Michigan tried him at linebacker, which may be a trend under Don Brown. Several defensive end-type players have been given a shot at either MIKE or SAM linebacker, including Jones and Carlo Kemp, respectively. I don’t see Jones as a linebacker in the long-term, but anything can happen. Michigan is thin at MIKE if they want to keep him there behind Ben Gedeon, because walk-on Michael Wroblewski played a lot in the spring game (and doesn’t seem like a legitimate option). Michigan is deep on the defensive line, but weakside end is the thinnest spot. There is a path to playing time at either position, but it’s questionable whether Jones is ready to take that next step yet.

Prediction: Backup defensive end/linebacker