Goodbye, Jon Runyan, Jr.

Tag: senior profile


14Jan 2020
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Goodbye, Jon Runyan, Jr.

Jon Runyan, Jr. (image via MLive)

Thanks to Keith, Ashley, Stephen, and Javier for the generous Paypal donations!

HIGH SCHOOL
Runyan, the son of former Michigan star tackle Jon Runyan, attended Philadelphia (NJ) St. Joseph’s. He only listed one offer on his recruiting pages, and that was from the Michigan Wolverines. His final ranking came in as a 3-star, the #124 offensive tackle, and #1138 overall. I gave him a final TTB Rating of 73 (LINK). From his commitment post:

Overall, I would have no problem playing Runyan at offensive tackle if he adds a little bit of length. He has the foot speed and coordination to be a blind side tackle if necessary. He may have to move inside to guard if he doesn’t hit that growth spurt. So much depends on size that it’s tough to project him far down the road, but based on his genes, athleticism, and technique, I think he could be a very good college player.

Hit the jump for more.

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2Jun 2019
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Goodbye, Jared Wangler

Jared Wangler (image via Wolverines Wire)

HIGH SCHOOL

Wangler was a high school teammate of one-time Michigan quarterback Shane Morris and is the son of former Michigan quarterback John Wangler. Originally committed to Penn State, he eventually flipped to Brady Hoke’s Wolverines. Despite being an Under Armour All-American, I gave him a TTB Rating of 59 (LINK).

Hit the jump for more on Wangler.

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1Feb 2019
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Goodbye, Grant Perry

Grant Perry (image via Wolverines Wire)

HIGH SCHOOL

Perry attended Bloomfield Hills (MI) Brother Rice as a part of the class of 2015, and he was a teammate of quarterback Alex Malzone (who went to Michigan before transferring to Miami-OH). Perry caught 105 passes for 1,727 yards and 20 touchdowns as a senior. He really wanted a Michigan offer, which didn’t like it would come, so he committed to Northwestern in December of 2014. When Jim Harbaugh was hired in late December, he started trying to put together an improved class. Two days before National Signing Day in February, Harbaugh called up Perry and offered him a scholarship, giving him the opportunity to drop the Wildcats in favor of the Wolverines. I gave him a TTB Rating of 71 (LINK).

Hit the jump for the rest of the post.

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7Mar 2018
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Goodbye, Khalid Hill

Khalid Hill (image via BTN)

HIGH SCHOOL

Hill attended Detroit (MI) Crockett as a part of the class of 2013. He only reported offers from Central Michigan and Michigan, and naturally he signed with the Wolverines after committing in February of 2012 (LINK). He was a 247 Composite 3-star, the #25 tight end, #13 in the state of Michigan, and #670 overall. I gave him a TTB Rating of 60 (LINK).

Hit the jump for a recap of Hill’s Michigan career.

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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.