Jordan Kovacs, #11 . . . and #32

Tag: senior profile

29Jan 2013
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Jordan Kovacs, #11 . . . and #32

This will be one of the lasting images of Jordan Kovacs (who used to wear #32)

HIGH SCHOOL
Despite being the son of a former Wolverine, Jordan Kovacs was not recruited out of high school. His father, Lou, was a 5’10”, 195 lb. safety for Bo Schembechler in 1982.  Jordan played at Curtice (OH) Clay and was an all-district defensive back as a junior, then an all-district wide receiver as a senior; he was an All-Toledo defensive back both seasons.  He enrolled at Michigan as a student in 2008.

COLLEGE
Kovacs tried out for the team as a true freshman, but a knee injury from high school forced Michigan’s coaches and doctors to tell him to come back in a year after he got his knee fixed.  He came back to tryouts in 2009 and earned his way onto the team.  Injuries at the safety position helped him get on the field against Notre Dame, and he earned his first start two games later against Notre Dame.  He finished the season with 75 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1 interception, and 2 forced fumbles.  His starting job was solidified by 2010, when he earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention on a horrible defense – he finished that year with 116 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 pass breakup.  He earned the same honor again in 2011 with 75 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 1 interception, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 pass breakup.  As a team captain in 2012, he had 68 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 2 pass breakups.

CAREER STATISTICS
334 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 5 interceptions, 6 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, and 4 pass breakups

AWARDS
Sporting News Freshman All-Big Ten in 2009; All-Big Ten Honorable Mention in 2010; All-Big Ten Honorable Mention in 2011; Captain, Bo Schembechler MVP, Robert P. Ufer Bequest Award, All-Big Ten Second Team in 2012

SUMMARY
I remember watching the Notre Dame game in 2009 and seeing #32 on the field, thinking, “Uh-oh. This team is in dire straits at the safety position.”  And while that was technically true – of not only safety, but most defensive positions during the Rich Rodriguez era – Kovacs slowly started to earn my trust.  His 116 tackles in 2010 was not only a ridiculous accomplishment, but it was indicative of poor defensive play in front of him.  However, lots of safeties wouldn’t have been the sure tackler that Kovacs was, and he prevented that monumentally porous defense from being even worse.  He was almost always in the right place.  Despite a lack of elite athleticism, defensive coordinator Greg Mattison’s arrival in 2011 helped to use Kovacs in an optimal way – blitzing him off the edge and using him almost like a fourth linebacker.  His 334 tackles place him fifth on Michigan’s all-time list, but perhaps the more impressive ranking is his place at #13 in tackles for loss at Michigan.  That places him above such players as Mike Martin, Sam Sword, Rob Renes, and Carl Diggs.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . .
. . . his sure tackling.  While his coaches and game film might tell a different story, I wouldn’t even need a full hand to count the number of missed tackles I saw Kovacs make in his four years as a starter.  There were plays he could have chased down if he were a bit faster, but if you were one-on-one with Kovacs in open space, you were going to lose 98.39% of the time.

PROJECTION
I don’t foresee Kovacs getting drafted because of a lack of measurables (he’s not very big, and he’s not extremely fast), but I think he’ll get quite a bit of interest as an undrafted free agent.  I’ve seen former Wisconsin safety Jim Leonhard whittle out an 8-year NFL career without much size or speed, so as long as Kovacs get a chance with the right team(s), I see no reason why he can’t go play some special teams and be a backup safety somewhere.

22Jan 2013
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J.T. Floyd, #8

J.T. Floyd

HIGH SCHOOL
Floyd attended Greenville (SC) J.L. Mann.  Throughout his career, he made 139 tackles and 13 interceptions, along with 127 catches for 2,208 yards and 16 interceptions.  He committed to Rich Rodriguez on January 31, 2008, over offers from Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, North Carolina State, South Carolina, and Tennessee.  He was a Rivals 3-star athlete and a Scout 3-star/#75 safety.

COLLEGE
Floyd redshirted as a freshman in 2008.  As a redshirt freshman in 2009, he started two games and made 17 tackles and 1 pass breakup.  In part because of attrition at the cornerback position, Floyd started nine games in 2010, making 66 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 4 pass breakups; he broke his ankle in practice prior to the Illinois game and missed the final four games of the year.  As a redshirt junior in 2011, he returned from injury to start twelve games at boundary corner, making 48 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, and 8 passes defensed.  As a senior in 2012, he started the twelve regular season games and tallied 48 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 5 pass breakups; he was suspended for the Outback Bowl against South Carolina.

CAREER STATS
179 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions returned for 59 yards, 2 forced fumbles, and 18 passes defensed

AWARDS
All-Big Ten Honorable Mention (2011, 2012)

SUMMARY
It’s no secret that I was never a fan of Floyd’s abilities, and that started at the time he was recruited.  His lack of speed and change-of-direction ability always made me think he would be best suited for free safety, but there was never really an opportunity to bench Floyd.  Unfortunately, due to attrition and poor recruiting, he was always the best option to start.  Unlike when I was calling for Vincent Smith to give up carries to Michael Shaw, Michael Cox, and Fitzgerald Toussaint, the guys behind Floyd were tiny, inexperienced, and/or just not very good.  Floyd turned into a three-year starter at the position and got a couple of all-conference honorable mentions out of the deal, which was perhaps the best we could hope for from a guy with his limited physical capabilities.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . . 
. . . getting suspended for the Outback Bowl.  I find it inexcusable that he was silly enough to get suspended (allegedly for smoking marijuana) for his final college game, and it very well might have been the key reason that Michigan lost a close game to South Carolina.

PROJECTION
Floyd was already a borderline NFL prospect, likely to get a shot as an undrafted free agent simply because he started three years at a school like Michigan.  His on-field production and testing numbers likely won’t garner much attention, but he could latch on as a practice squad player.  The suspension thing can’t help, but that type of thing isn’t a death sentence for an NFL career.

20Jan 2013
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Brandin Hawthorne, #7

The 2011 game against Notre Dame was probably Hawthorne’s best career performance

HIGH SCHOOL
Hawthorne was a 3-star to both major sites, and was similarly rated by both Rivals and Scout – the #35 and #33 outside linebacker, respectively.  He committed to Rich Rodriguez on August 29, 2008.  Hawthorne attended Pahokee (FL) Pahokee, a teammate of fellow future Wolverines Vincent Smith and Richard Ash.  He made 200 tackles, 76 tackles for loss, 42 sacks, 6 forced fumbles, and 5 fumble recoveries throughout his high school career.

COLLEGE
Hawthorne enrolled early in January 2009 and proceeded to burn his redshirt for four games of special teams action, during which he accrued no statistics.  Hawthorne was a third string outside linebacker during his sophomore season in 2010, when he made 1 tackle against Bowling Green.  During his junior season in 2011, Hawthorne worked his way up the depth chart; there was a pretty good three-way battle between Hawthorne, senior Brandon Herron (who got hurt immediately), and freshman Desmond Morgan (who eventually won the job).  Hawthorne still managed to start five games before getting benched, making 43 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 interception throughout the year.  He had a pretty poor effort against Michigan State, though, which seemed to be the final nail in the coffin.  Despite a strong spring game effort in 2012, defensive coordinator Greg Mattison openly criticized his physicality; he was mostly limited to special teams as a senior and got himself buried on the bench at inside linebacker, playing just one game on defense.  His final campaign consisted of of just 19 tackles and concluded with a suspension for his final college game, the Outback Bowl against South Carolina.

CAREER STATISTICS
63 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 1 interception

AWARDS
None.

I WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . . 
. . . making a “highlight reel” one-handed interception in the 2012 spring game.  It flashed his athletic potential while hinting at what could have been.

SUMMARY
I wasn’t very high on Hawthorne when he was coming out of high school, and he was one of those guys whose homeland – he’s from Florida! – seemed to define his recruitment more than his football prowess.  Sure, he made lots of tackles in high school, but he didn’t explode off the screen in those highlights.  Furthermore, Rodriguez recruited him as a “box safety” for the 3-3-5 when he seemed too slow to play safety and too small to play linebacker.  He eventually grew to 220 lbs., which is small-ish for a linebacker.  Ian Gold was about that size, but he was a better athlete; Larry Foote was about that size, but he was more physical.  But Hawthorne flashed the potential to at least be a situational player, because he was quick enough to get around the occasional offensive lineman or speed to his pass drops.  Ultimately, he just wasn’t consistent enough, and the final straw for me was when he had a chance to wrap up Michigan State’s Keshawn Martin in the 2011 loss, and he just gave Martin a halfhearted shove, which allowed a touchdown. Players might loaf once in a while, but on a goal line play where he could save a touchdown?  There’s no excuse for that.  Still, Hawthorne had the right set of skills to be an effective special teamer, and he was that . . . until the Outback Bowl suspension.  I can only wonder how the outcome may have been different if it was Hawthorne trying to tackle Ace Sanders on that 63-yard punt return touchdown, instead of freshman fullback Sione Houma.  It seems to have been a career of missed opportunities for Hawthorne.

PROJECTION
Hawthorne’s failure to nail down a starting job, his off-the-field issues, his lack of size, and his so-so athletic skills indicate that he will not make it in the NFL.  I would be slightly surprised if he even signed somewhere as an undrafted free agent, but stranger things have probably happened.

8Jan 2013
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Vincent Smith, #2

Vincent Smith (#2) had his best career game as a true freshman against Delaware State

HIGH SCHOOL
Smith went to Pahokee (FL) Pahokee, a football talent factory that has also sent Richard Ash and Brandin Hawthorne to Michigan.  Smith committed to Michigan on August 29, 2008, over offers from Minnesota, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, among others.  He was a 3-star to both major sites, the #36 RB to Rivals, and the #102 RB to Scout.  For his high school career, he ran for 4,677 yards and 58 touchdowns, including 2,000+ yards and 29 touchdowns as a senior.

COLLEGE
Smith enrolled early in January 2009, along with several other freshmen.  He started earning some buzz in spring practices as a potential contributor.  As a true freshman, Smith had 48 carries for 276 yards and 1 touchdown, along with 10 receptions for 82 yards and 2 touchdowns; 166 of those rushing yards came in the dismantling of Delaware State, which would be his best statistical performance throughout his career.  He became a starter in his 2010 sophomore campaign, when he rushed 136 times for 601 yards and 5 touchdowns; he also caught 15 passes for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Smith tore his ACL against Ohio State at the end of the season, but he recovered in time for the following season and avoided a medical redshirt year.  Displaced as a junior by Fitzgerald Toussaint, Smith became a third-down back.  He ran 50 times for 298 yards and 2 touchdowns, also catching 11 passes for 149 yards and 2 touchdowns.  As a senior in 2012, Smith continued his role as a backup; he rushed 32 times for 88 yards and 2 touchdowns and caught 9 passes for 65 yards and 1 touchdown.

CAREER STATS
266 carries, 1263 yards, 4.7 yards/carry, 10 touchdowns; 45 receptions, 426 yards, 9.5 yards/catch, 7 touchdowns; 8 kickoff returns, 141 yards, 17.6 yards/return; 1/3 passing, 17 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception; 7 tackles

AWARDS
None.

SUMMARY
Smith was a four-year contributor at Michigan, who had an impact in many ways.  Perhaps the best part of his game was his pass protection from the running back position, despite being just 5’6″ and around 175 lbs.  He stoned many defenders, perhaps all of whom were bigger than him, and was a key reason that quarterback Denard Robinson put up such jaw-dropping statistics as a runner.  There was a short time in 2009 where I thought Smith might develop into Rich Rodriguez’s next impact running back, but that didn’t last long.  He never developed the ability to break tackles, and his vision and elusiveness were just okay.  He was quick enough to make people miss in one-on-one situations, but struggled when asked to run inside.

I’LL REMEMBER HIM FOR . . . 
. . . his 21-yard touchdown reception on a screen pass against Notre Dame in 2011, which helped Michigan come back for a 35-31 victory.

PROJECTION
Many people have compared Smith to Darren Sproles throughout his career, but Sproles was faster, stronger, and more elusive.  Due to a lack of production and a lack of size, I do not expect Smith to get drafted or latch on with an NFL team beyond perhaps a training camp invitation.

23May 2012
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Kelvin Grady, #19

Kelvin Grady

2011 Countdown: #45 Kelvin Grady

HIGH SCHOOL
Grady attended East Grand Rapids High School in Grand Rapids, MI.  He played basketball and football, but he was recruited mainly for his exploits on the hardcourt.

COLLEGE
Grady played basketball at Michigan for his first couple years on campus, but he struggled with his shot and eventually gave up basketball for a chance to walk on to the Michigan football team as a slot receiver for Rich Rodriguez.  As a redshirt sophomore, he caught 10 passes for 102 yards and 1 touchdown in 2009 as a backup to Martavious Odoms.  He enjoyed his most productive season as a redshirt junior in 2010, starting one game and catching 17 passes for 211 yards.  His contributions dipped with the return of a pro-style offense in 2011, catching just 5 passes for 75 yards.

CAREER STATS
32 receptions for 388 yards (12.1 yards per catch) and 1 touchdown; 5 carries for 28 yards (5.6 yards per carry); 3 kick returns for 57 yards (19.0 yards per return)

AWARDS
None.

SUMMARY
Grady was a valuable member of the football team, despite not making a huge impact statistically.  He struggled catching the football early on in his career, but became a reliable target as his football career continued.  He was always slight (5’10”, 177 lbs.) but had good speed that allowed him to be somewhat productive running the ball and catching short passes.

PROJECTION
Grady participated in Michigan’s pro day prior to the 2012 NFL Draft and reportedly ran a 4.35 forty, but considering his size and lack of production, his football career is likely over unless he wants to play in Canada or in the Arena Football League.