Tag: spring football

Projected 2011 Depth Chart

Safety Josh Furman has been creating some buzz this spring.

There have been a lot of questions about where Michigan’s players fit in the new defensive system.  Offensive positions are a little easier to understand, since some position changes have been announced.  I’ll attempt to clarify how the team looks right now, but keep in mind that it’s early in spring practice and only one freshman is in town.  The order of the listed players is a guesstimate at the depth chart based on practice reports, video clips, and common sense.

QB: Denard Robinson (Jr.), Devin Gardner (So.), Russell Bellomy (Fr.)
RB: Michael Cox (RS Jr.), Stephen Hopkins (So.), Fitzgerald Toussaint (RS So.), Vincent Smith (Jr.), Michael Shaw (Sr.), Teric Jones (Jr. – injured), Thomas Rawls (Fr.), Justice Hayes (Fr.)
FB: John McColgan (RS Sr.), Stephen Hopkins (So.)
WR: Darryl Stonum (Sr.), Junior Hemingway (RS Sr.), Je’ron Stokes (Jr.), Jeremy Jackson (So.), Jerald Robinson (RS Fr.)
SR: Roy Roundtree (RS Jr.), Martavious Odoms (Sr.), Jeremy Gallon (RS So.), Kelvin Grady (RS Sr.), Terrence Robinson (RS Jr.), D.J. Williamson (RS Fr.), Drew Dileo (So.)
TE: Kevin Koger (Sr.), Brandon Moore (RS Jr.), Ricardo Miller (RS Fr.), Steve Watson (RS Sr.), Chris Barnett (Fr.)
LT: Taylor Lewan (RS So.)
LG: Ricky Barnum (RS Jr.), Elliott Mealer (RS Jr.), Tony Posada (Fr.)
C: David Molk (RS Sr.), Rocko Khoury (RS Jr.), Jack Miller (Fr.)
RG: Patrick Omameh (RS Jr.), Christian Pace (RS Fr.), Chris Bryant (Fr.)
RT: Mark Huyge (RS Sr.), Michael Schofield (RS So.)

5-tech DT: Ryan Van Bergen (RS Sr.), Ken Wilkins (RS Fr.), Keith Heitzman (Fr.), Chris Rock (Fr.)
1-tech DT: Mike Martin (Sr.), Quinton Washington (RS So.), Richard Ash (RS Fr.)
3-tech DT: William Campbell (Jr.), Richard Ash (RS Fr.), Will Heininger (RS Sr.)
WDE: Craig Roh (Jr.), Jibreel Black (So.), Brennen Beyer (Fr.)
SAM: Brandon Herron (RS Sr.), Cam Gordon (RS So.), J.B. Fitzgerald (Sr.), Jake Ryan (RS Fr.), Jordan Paskorz (RS Fr.), Frank Clark (Fr.)
MIKE: Kenny Demens (RS Jr.), Isaiah Bell (RS So.), Kellen Jones (Fr.), Desmond Morgan (Fr.)
WILL: Mike Jones (RS So.), Marell Evans (RS Sr.), Brandin Hawthorne (Jr.), Antonio Poole (Fr.)
CB: Troy Woolfolk (RS Sr.), Courtney Avery (So.), Terrence Talbott (RS Fr.), Blake Countess (Fr.), Raymon Taylor (Fr.)
CB: J.T. Floyd (RS Jr.), Cullen Christian (So.), Greg Brown (Fr.), Delonte Hollowell (Fr.)
FS: Carvin Johnson (So.), Thomas Gordon (RS So.), Tamani Carter (Fr.)
SS: Jordan Kovacs (RS Jr.), Josh Furman (RS Fr.), Marvin Robinson (So.)

NOTES:

• I have seen Hawthorne playing both safety and WILL.
• Greg Mattison stated that the safeties must know both positions (FS and SS) and the defensive tackles must know both positions (3-tech and 1-tech)
• Michael Shaw, Teric Jones, Troy Woolfolk, and J.T. Floyd have missed all or most of practice so far, so their statuses are a little up in the air.  Shaw might even be the starter at running back, but it’s impossible to tell where he’ll fit right now.

Full Contact Scrimmage Highlights

Here’s a look at some full contact football for the first time in a couple months.  Several guys make some nice plays in these highlights, including Michael Cox, Devin Gardner, Will Campbell, Marvin Robinson, and . . . Jihad Rasheed (#18, running back), a redshirt freshman walk-on from Southeastern High School in Detroit.

Spring Game Visitors

Spring football notes

Spring Football Roster

Mgoblue.com released the spring football roster today. Most of the players seem to be pretty svelte, but there are a few interesting weights and position tidbits.

J.T. Floyd is listed as a cornerback. This seems to be his position for the foreseeable future.

Anthony Lalota was listed at 6’6″, 260 lbs. on his Rivals recruiting page. The roster lists him at 6’4″, 235 lbs. This is a considerable difference. Considering Lalota’s raw skills, his size was one of the things working for him. Now it’s apparent that he’s smaller than some of our linebackers, and I think a redshirt is even more likely than I thought before.

Greg Banks is 275 pounds. That’s the heaviest he’s been in his career. Perhaps he’s bulking up to play strongside defensive end.

As reported earlier in the week, Steve Watson is listed as a defensive end. He’s now up to 251 lbs.

Former fullback Vince Helmuth has ballooned to 299 lbs. He’s now a DT on a team that only has four defensive tackles listed on the depth chart, so it’s very likely that he’ll see the field this coming fall.

Both Kenny Demens (6’1″) and Marell Evans (6’3″) are 237 lbs. It’s been reported that Demens might be able to play MIKE. If he becomes a viable option at MIKE, that allows a little more flexibility amongst the linebackers. It might allow Obi Ezeh to move from MIKE to SAM and let J.B. Fitzgerald find his best fit as well.

Last year’s starting offensive line averages 289 lbs.

Mike Cox (6’0″, 215) is virtually the same size as Brandon Minor (6’1″, 216), so there’s a big back on the roster to take over once Minor and Kevin Grady (5’9″, 226) leave.

Vincent Smith is 5’6″ and 158 lbs. He will almost certainly redshirt.

Brandon Smith is listed at 6’3″, 211 lbs. If he’s able to keep his weight/musculature in check, he should be able to remain at safety.

Mike Jones is listed at 6’2″, 202 lbs. as a safety. He’s been doing drills with the linebackers and probably will end up there eventually. Both Brandon Herron (222 lbs.) and Marell Evans (237) began their careers around that size, so it’s obviously possible for him to get to linebacker size. Brandin Hawthorne is 195 right now.

Junior Hemingway is 6’1″ and 226 lbs. That’s very large for a wide receiver.