Tag: Ryan Hayes

Michigan 24, Army 21

Phew. I saw people mentioning the 2007 Appalachian State game on Twitter. However, I couldn’t stop thinking about the 2013 game against Akron. As the game went along, I felt like Michigan was going to pull it out with a goal line stand or just an outstanding play by the defense. Not because they’re great, but because they’re better than Army. In that 2013 Akron game, Jarrod Wilson ended the game with an interception. In the 2019 Army version, it was Kwity Paye with a sack and a fumble.

Hit the jump for more.

Michigan 40, Middle Tennessee 21

There’s a lot that we could get into with the new offense, so I think it might be best to just go position-by-position on that side of the ball.

The two-quarterback thing needs to be nixed. Jim Harbaugh and Josh Gattis are probably trying to make Dylan McCaffrey happy by putting him on the field with Shea Patterson, but it’s a bad move. The offense isn’t in sync when both are on the field. Whoever’s behind center is late getting the play off, and then they threw an inside screen to McCaffrey, who was immediately swarmed under by big guys. Why put your lanky backup QB in a situation where he catches a ball three yards away from 250+ pound defensive linemen and linebackers?

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2019 Season Countdown: #77 Ryan Hayes

Name: Ryan Hayes
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 271 lbs.
High school: Traverse City (MI) West
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #76
Last year: I ranked Hayes #81 and said he would be a backup tight end (LINK). He redshirted.
TTB Rating: 84

When Hayes moved to campus last year, it was clear that the process for him would take some time. He was listed at 262 lbs. last season, which was naturally going to prevent him from playing offensive line. He spent some time at tight end, as promised, but that didn’t get him on the field.

Now Hayes is listed as an offensive lineman at 271 lbs. While I have heard he is a bit heavier than that, his lack of size and strength is still going to be an obstacle. Michigan has at least three tackles ahead of him (Jon Runyan, Andrew Stueber, and Jalen Mayfield), along with some incoming freshman who are already bigger. Size isn’t always the deciding factor, but you generally have to meet a certain threshold to have a chance. Hayes will likely start to see some playing time in blowouts this season.

Prediction: Backup offensive tackle

Final TTB Ratings for 2018

Aidan Hutchinson (image via Hudl)

Thanks to Bryan and Keith for the recent, generous donations through Paypal!

It’s been a long time coming because I’ve been so busy, but here are the final TTB Ratings for the class of 2018.

A note on the ratings: These are Michigan-specific ratings, so a guy who would be an instant starter at Eastern Michigan might not be quite so much of an individual standout playing against Michigan’s opponents . . . and he might even have a hard time getting on the field over some other Wolverines. It’s tricky trying to determine how the depth chart will shake out over the next three to five years, but I’m here for the heavy lifting. For more of an explanation, check out this page here (LINK).

Hit the jump for the final rankings.

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2018 Season Countdown: #81 Ryan Hayes

Ryan Hayes

Name: Ryan Hayes
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 262 lbs.
High school: Traverse City (MI) West
Position: Tight end
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: N/A
Last year: Hayes was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 24 catches for 515 yards and 5 touchdowns, along with 26 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.

Hayes comes from a very athletic family. His mom and dad played basketball and football at Central Michigan, respectively, and his older brother Connor played football at Pitt. I guess those are the genes that produce 6’7″, 262 lb. kids who are athletic enough to maybe play tight end in college, when those kids are normally pegged for offensive tackle early on. Hayes was recruited to Michigan by offensive tackles/tight ends coach Greg Frey, even though Frey moved on to Florida State as their offensive line coach.

The outlook for Hayes this season could swing wildly. He could redshirt, or he could play a ton, particularly as a blocking tight end. I think Hayes is an excellent blocker coming out of high school, and that’s a skill that many of the current tight ends at Michigan have struggled to master. I believe he will eventually be molded into an offensive tackle, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility for him to be Michigan’s best blocking tight end by season’s end. Even so, I don’t think his presence is necessary for Michigan to have a successful season, and there are a lot of options at tight end, so he’s relatively low in the countdown.

Prediction: Backup tight end