Devin Funchess, #1 (and #87 and #19)

Tag: senior profile


24Feb 2015
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Devin Funchess, #1 (and #87 and #19)

Devin Funchess (image via MLive)

HIGH SCHOOL
Funchess was a Rivals 3-star and the #14 tight end in the 2012 class. Here’s my commitment post for him from April 2011 (LINK). I gave him a TTB Rating of 75. In addition to pulling in Funchess, Michigan reeled in high school teammate Mario Ojemudia, while wide receiver target Aaron Burbridge ended up going to Michigan State.

COLLEGE
When Funchess arrived at Michigan in 2012, he earned immediate playing time despite being an undersized tight end. In his second career game, he caught 4 passes for 106 yards and 1 touchdown against Air Force. He would finish the year with 15 catches for 234 yards and 5 touchdowns, and he was named to some Freshman All-America teams and even made Honorable Mention All-Big Ten. He became a part-time starter in 2013, serving as Michigan’s pass receiving tight end until the season’s second half, when he played wide receiver almost exclusively. He caught 7 passes for a career-high 151 yards against Minnesota, and he was named the Big Ten’s Tight End of the Year after finishing with 49 catches for 748 yards and 6 touchdowns. After playing second fiddle to Jeremy Gallon that year, he was given the #1 jersey. (He had worn #19 as a freshman and then was awarded the #87 Legends jersey as a sophomore.) The 2014 season started off with a bang when Funchess shredded Appalachian State for 7 catches, 95 yards, and 3 touchdowns. Unfortunately, he suffered an ankle injury the next week against Notre Dame, and never looked the same after that. Despite being quarterback Devin Gardner’s favorite target, Funchess ended his junior season with 62 catches for 733 yards and 4 touchdowns; his 11.8 yards/catch were the lowest of his career. The coaches in the conference voted him Second Team All-Big Ten, which was very generous of them.

CAREER STATISTICS
126 catches for 1,715 yards (13.6 yards/catch) and 15 touchdowns
8 carries for 23 yards (2.9 yards/carry)
2 tackles

AWARDS
2012: Freshman All-America, Big Ten All-Freshman Team
2013: First Team All-Big Ten, Kwalick-Clark Big Ten Tight End of the Year, #87 Legends jersey
2014: Second Team All-Big Ten, #1 jersey

SUMMARY
Funchess was a very promising tight end, and he was a huge matchup nightmare in the passing game. Michigan had some questionable quarterback play throughout his career, and Denard Robinson – who was only Funchess’s quarterback for the first half of 2012 – seemed to have the best chemistry with him. Funchess looked the most impressive when he had Gallon taking pressure off of him in 2013, because Gardner and Gallon had unbelievable chemistry and defenses needed to account for Gallon on every play. When you have a 6’5″, 230 lb. receiver who can run, jump, catch, and gain yards after the catch going up against an individual corner or safety, that’s problematic for the defense. Unfortunately, the reason Michigan had to employ such a huge wide receiver was because Funchess basically refused to be an effective in-line blocker. What became clear throughout his career was that Funchess was okay bullying smaller players, but he shied away from trying to physically overmatch defensive ends and linebackers. Michigan suffered from poor tight end blocking for the past three years under Brady Hoke, but Funchess was quite possibly the worst of the bunch. After the ankle injury he suffered against Notre Dame, Funchess missed a game and then came back gimpy for a while. At some point the limping turned into a lack of effort, and Funchess appeared to be saving himself for an early departure to the NFL. Once the season was over, he announced that he would indeed forego his senior season for a chance to play professional football.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . . 
. . . being one of the most frustrating players within memory. I would love to remember Funchess for his acrobatic catches, leaping high in the air to avoid Hoosiers and Buckeyes, outmuscling a Penn State safety for a poorly thrown deep ball, etc. However, I can’t erase from my memory the idea of him refusing to improve as a blocker and seeming to mail it in after a high ankle sprain. Nor can I forget him saying “wins are just a statistic.” He is perhaps Michigan’s most impressive “tight end” athlete in history, but some of that potential seems to have been wasted. I don’t regret that I compared him to Carson Butler when he committed to Michigan.

PROJECTION
Funchess recently went to the NFL Combine, where he ran a 4.7 forty, did 17 reps on the 225 lb. bench press, showed off a 38.5″ vertical, and broad jumped 10’2″. I have seen him projected anywhere from the middle of the first round to the early part of the second round. I’m not sure that he can play a traditional tight end role in the NFL because he lacks strength and effort in that department, but he can certainly be a pass receiving threat, even though his 4.7 time was a little disappointing. I think some questions about his effort and mentality will drop him to the early second round.

29Apr 2014
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Jibreel Black, #55

Jibreel Black (image via Columbus Dispatch)

HIGH SCHOOL
Black attended Cincinnati (OH) Wyoming and originally committed to Indiana, where his older brother Larry was a defensive tackle. But Jibreel earned lots of offers after committing to the Hoosiers and finally settled on Michigan in January of 2010, selecting the Wolverines over offers from Cincinnati, Michigan State, Purdue, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, among others. He was a 3-star and the #26 strongside defensive end in the 2010 class.

COLLEGE
Black entered school during Rich Rodriguez and Greg Robinson’s final year in Ann Arbor, earning some playing time at defensive end immediately. He played in all thirteen games and made 7 tackles. He was a backup weakside end in 2011, making 18 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. As a junior in 2012, Black became an undersized defensive tackle and made 20 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble as a part-time starter. As the full-time starter at 3-tech defensive tackle in 2013, he finished his career by making 27 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and 1 forced fumble.

CAREER STATISTICS
72 tackles
14 tackles for loss
7 sacks
4 pass breakups
3 forced fumbles

AWARDS
None

SUMMARY
Black came in with a middling amount of hype and no clear position. He didn’t seem quick enough for weakside end, he was a little short to be an ideal strongside end, and he was undersized to play defensive tackle. In some packages as a senior in 2013, he played nose tackle, which meant that he played all four defensive line positions during his career as a Wolverine. When his body settled in, he was an undersized defensive tackle hovering around 280 lbs. His quickness was difficult to handle for opposing interior linemen, but his lack of bulk was a weakness for the front seven at times. Black had a solid career for a complementary player, but the lack of a star on the interior exposed Michigan to some run deficiencies during his last couple seasons.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . .
. . . his stop near the end of the 2011 game against Ohio State. Black hemmed in fleet-footed OSU quarterback Braxton Miller and recorded half a sack to help seal the 40-34 victory against the Buckeyes.

PROJECTION
Black was not invited to the NFL Combine. He did 29 reps of 225 lbs. on the bench press during Michigan’s pro day in March, but that probably won’t be enough to get him drafted. He was a solid but unspectacular starter in college. I could see him forging a career in the Arena Football League, but that’s probably as far as he could go.

24Apr 2014
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Jareth Glanda, #54

Jareth Glanda

HIGH SCHOOL
Glanda attended Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice and was All-Catholic League in football as a senior, but perhaps more impressively for an eventual 6’3″, 256-pounder, he was an all-state hockey goalie as a senior at Brother Rice.

COLLEGE
Glanda walked on to the program under Rich Rodriguez but redshirted that first year. (If you’re wondering whether he bulked up significantly after being a swimmer and hockey player in high school, he was listed at 265 lbs. his freshman year.) As a redshirt freshman in 2010, Glanda saw action in one game while he sat behind starting snapper Tom Pomarico. When Brady Hoke arrived in 2011, he made Glanda the short snapper (for field goals and extra points) while Pomarico held onto the long snapper job (punts). Glanda’s moment in the sun came in the Sugar Bowl at the end of the 2011 season when a fake field goal pass by Drew Dileo was deflected and fell into the hands of Glanda, who was tackled after an 11-yard gain. Coming back to Earth, Glanda spent 2012 and 2013 as the team’s long and short snapper, handling all the snapping duties with Pomarico having graduated.

CAREER STATISTICS
3 tackles
1 reception for 11 yards

AWARDS
Academic All-Big Ten in 2011 and 2012

SUMMARY
Glanda made a highlight reel catch in the Sugar Bowl against Virginia Tech, but the best thing I can say about Glanda is that I don’t remember a single errant snap during his four years on the field. Long snappers are guys you rarely notice unless they screw up, and they might get their names called a couple times a season when they make tackles on punt coverage. With Michigan losing Glanda and holder Drew Dileo in the same off-season, it will be strange and perhaps a bit unnerving to watch their replacements in 2014 and beyond.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . . 
. . . that one extra point snap against Illinois in 2012. Remember? Yeah, me either. It’s the catch against Virginia Tech, obviously.

PROJECTION
Long snappers can make a living in the NFL, but it’s somewhat of a crapshoot who makes it. I’m sure pro talent evaluators have some things they look for, but they’re very much under the radar. I can’t imagine anyone having a much better portfolio than Glanda has, but we’ll have to see. I don’t believe a long snapper has ever been drafted solely to snap (although occasionally snappers double as backup tight ends or linebackers), so if Glanda catches on at the next level, it will have to be as a free agent.

16Apr 2014
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Michael Schofield, #75

Michael Schofield celebrates with quarterback Devin Gardner in 2011

HIGH SCHOOL
Schofield attended Orland Park (IL) Sandburg and picked Michigan over Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, Notre Dame, and Purdue in June of 2008. As a member of the 2009 recruiting class, he was a Rivals 4-star, the #18 offensive tackle, and the #221 player overall.

COLLEGE
Schofield redshirted as a freshman in 2009 and then played mainly on field goal/extra point protection as a redshirt freshman in 2010. His big break came in 2011 when injuries put him in a position to start ten games at left guard. Despite being relatively tall for an offensive guard, he did a solid enough job for some to believe he should have remained on the interior. Regardless, the graduation of Mark Huyge paved the way for Schofield to bounce out to right tackle, where he would start for the final two seasons of his college career.

CAREER STATISTICS
52 games played
36 starts (26 at right tackle, 10 at left guard)

AWARDS
None

SUMMARY
Schofield came into college as a fairly well regarded prospect, and he leaves college in roughly the same position. A high school hurdler, he surprised some with his ability to pull when he got on the field as a redshirt sophomore. The coaches deemed him the sixth best lineman on the team, so when Ricky Barnum got hurt, they prepped him in short order to play guard, which he pulled off smoothly. Over the last two seasons, Schofield was quietly consistent. Other than listing the starting lineups, broadcasters rarely mentioned his name – very few penalties, few whiffed blocks, few sacks allowed. In much the same way that Huyge before him held down the job with consistency, Schofield stayed off the radar.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . .
. . . playing for Michigan? I can’t really say much else about him. Linemen who aren’t spectacularly good or spectacularly terrible tend to fade into the ether, and years down the road, he will be the answer to the trivia question “Who wore #75 for Michigan from 2009-2013?” Only the hardcore fans will be able to answer.

PROJECTION
Here’s an excerpt from my NFL Combine Results post:

Schofield measured in at 6’6″ and 301 lbs. with an arm length of 34″ and a hand width of 9 5/8″. He was 6th in his position group with a 5.01 time in the forty. He was #11 in the 20-yard shuttle with a 4.57 time, and he was #13 in the three-cone drill with a time of 7.62. He also had a 24″ vertical and a 93″ broad jump. NFL.com pegs Schofield as a 5.2, which suggests he’ll be a backup player.

Those are pretty impressive measurables for a guy who didn’t spend any time in the spotlight and never earned any accolades in college. Recently, I have seen projections that have Schofield being drafted in the 4th round. I would be surprised if he were not selected in next weekend’s draft, but the slot is in question. One would expect flashes of dominance from a player projected to go in the top few rounds of the draft, but Schofield rarely looked like a punishing blocker. That suggests to me that he might struggle at the next level with the bigger and faster defensive linemen.

26Mar 2014
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Thomas Gordon, #30

Thomas Gordon

HIGH SCHOOL
Gordon attended Detroit (MI) Cass Tech and was a 3-star athlete in the 2009 class, ranking as Rivals’ #24 player in the state of Michigan. He committed to the Wolverines on September 26, 2008, over offers from Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Michigan State, and Toledo. Here’s a link to my first post on him, the 2009 Countdown post that predicted a redshirt.

COLLEGE
Despite a horrible defense in Michigan’s 5-7 season in 2009, Gordon remained sidelined while learning the safety position. As what amounted to a 4-2-5 box safety in 2010, Gordon broke out a little bit with 23 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks; his sacks came against Notre Dame and Penn State, but he was underused throughout the year. His redshirt sophomore year saw a jersey number change (from #15 to #30) and the hiring of defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, who put Gordon at free safety, where he notched 67 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 2 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles, and 4 fumble recoveries in what would turn out to be his most productive season. He had another solid season as a redshirt junior in 2012 with 81 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 interceptions, 2 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble. Some expected him to be a senior captain in 2013, but he got himself suspended for the season opener and saw his overall production drop to 58 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, 2 pass breakups, and 1 forced fumble. His senior year included an odd game in which he had 0 tackles and 2 interceptions against Indiana.

CAREER STATS
38 starts, 229 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 6 interceptions, 6 pass breakups, 4 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries

AWARDS
None

SUMMARY
People had some doubts about Gordon when he first committed because he was small, pretty inexperienced at defensive back, and lacking in quality scholarship offers. A generic 3-star recruit, he turned out to be perhaps the best Michigan player out of Cass Tech in recent years, a group that includes 5-star William Campbell, 4-stars Royce Jenkins-Stone and Boubacar Cissoko, and several 3-star prospects. (There are a couple young guys on the roster who I’m not considering here due to their youth.) Gordon didn’t seem to develop appreciably over the years, but he played pretty consistently throughout his career. He was a solid tackler who was always around the ball, reeled in a good number of turnovers, and finished his career tied for 25th all-time with 6 interceptions (along with Blake Countess, Raymon Taylor, Clarence Thompson, Donovan Warren, Garland Rivers, Mike Mallory, Doug Mallory, and a few others). Michigan’s safeties over the last 20 years have been decent at times (Jamar Adams, Tommy Hendricks, Marcus Ray, Marlin Jackson for a bit, Earnest Shazor, etc.), but Gordon combined with Jordan Kovacs for some of the most solid safety play we’ve seen in Ann Arbor in a long time.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . . 
. . . his one-handed interception against Eastern Michigan in 2011. After almost another three full seasons, that’s still the lasting image I have of Gordon. Out of a quads formation, EMU threw a double pass as Gordon remained disciplined and looking for something tricky. The ball sailed over the head of the intended receiver while Gordon reached up with his right hand to snag it cleanly out of the air at the goal line. (You can watch the video here.)

PROJECTION
Gordon was not invited to the NFL Combine but had an impressive pro day on Michigan’s campus earlier this month. He ran a 4.49 forty, showed off a 40.5″ vertical, broad jumped 10’5.5″, and ran a 20-yard shuttle in 4.10 seconds. Those measurements would have made him one of the top safeties at the Combine. Unfortunately, aside from the interception described above, his play was rarely spectacular. The 5’11”, 210 lb. Gordon is limited to safety and doesn’t display the playing speed (despite his 40 time) NFL teams probably look for in a free safety, so his best chance is to be a strong safety type who can play in the box a little bit. I’ve always thought Gordon looks like a good fit in a Cover Two scheme like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers used to run, but the explosion of pass-heavy offenses means that the once-successful scheme has been abandoned as a base defense by coordinators who used to run, although it’s still used at times. Anyway, Gordon is unlikely to be drafted, but he should get signed as an undrafted free agent and will have a chance to make a go of it. I think he might find himself on a practice squad or maybe an active roster for a few years.