Tag: Taylor Lewan

2012 Season Countdown: #3 Taylor Lewan

Taylor Lewan (#77)

Name: Taylor Lewan
Height: 6’8″
Weight: 309 lbs.
High school: Scottsdale (AZ) Chaparral
Position: Offensive tackle
Class: Redshirt junior
Jersey number: #77
Last year: I ranked Lewan #4 and said he would be All-Big Ten Second Team.  He started all thirteen games and was named All-Big Ten Second Team by the coaches.

Lewan had an excellent season in 2011.  He started every game at left tackle as a sophomore after starting nine games there as a freshman.  He has continued to improve in almost every facet of the game, including leadership and cutting down on the mental errors.  Last year he was one of two stellar offensive linemen on the team, along with David Molk (pictured above), and those two paved the way for two 1,000-yard rushers in Denard Robinson and Fitzgerald Toussaint.  Lewan also has the quick feet and long arms that programs covet for their left tackles.

Along with running back Toussaint, Lewan will be one to watch as a potential early entrant to the NFL Draft.  Now approaching 310 lbs. and with his resume and steady improvement, there’s good reason to believe that this could be his last season in Ann Arbor.  Size has been a little bit of a question mark because he was very thin coming out of high school, but he has consistently put on weight from season to season and now has the bulk to approach the elite level of college tackles.  I try to remain objective when it comes to Michigan players, but he looks like a future first round draft pick and a potential franchise left tackle.  I can’t picture NFL teams passing up on a guy like him; or perhaps I should say, you don’t see guys like this get drafted in the second or third round.  Some people might want Lewan higher on this list, but he has a capable backup . . . in the form of starting right tackle Michael Schofield.  If Lewan were to get injured, Schofield would slide over to replace him; a right tackle is easier to replace than a left.  But as long as Michigan State’s William Gholston doesn’t go all Ronda Rousey on Lewan, then hopefully he can stay on the field and protect Robinson’s blind side.

Prediction: Starting left tackle; All-Big Ten First Team

Video: Taylor Lewan at Big Ten Media Days

Butkus, Lombardi, Biletnikoff Award Watch Lists

Some award watch lists were released on Monday and Tuesday.  Michigan’s very own Kenny Demens and Taylor Lewan appear on the Rotary Lombard Award watch list, and Roy Roundtree was mentioned for the Biletnikoff Award.  Here’s a look at the rest of the players of note for Michigan fans:

Butkus Award (Top college linebacker)
Johnny Adams – CB – Michigan State
Chris Borland – LB – Wisconsin
Jonathan Brown – LB – Illinois
Max Bullough – LB – Michigan State
Gerald Hodges – LB – Penn State
Nico Johnson – LB – Alabama
Michael Mauti – LB – Penn State
C.J. Mosley – LB – Alabama
Etienne Sabino – LB – Ohio State
Bruce Taylor – LB – Virginia Tech
Manti Te’o – LB – Notre Dame

Rotary Lombardi Award (Outstanding lineman who best exemplifies discipline of Vince Lombardi)
Denicos Allen – LB – Michigan State
Chris Borland – LB – Wisconsin
Jonathan Brown – LB – Illinois
Michael Buchanan – DE – Illinois
Max Bullough – LB – Michigan State
Braxston Cave – C – Notre Dame
Kenny Demens – LB – Michigan
Tyler Eifert – TE – Notre Dame
D.J. Fluker – OT – Alabama
Travis Frederick – C – Wisconsin
Jaymes Gayle – DE – Virginia Tech
William Gholston – DE – Michigan State
Johnathan Hankins – DT – Ohio State
Jordan Hill – DT – Penn State
Gerald Hodges – LB – Penn State
Nico Johnson – LB – Alabama
Barrett Jones – C – Alabama
Taylor Lewan – OT – Michigan
Spencer Long – OG – Nebraska
Zack Martin – OT – Notre Dame
Chris McDonald – OG – Michigan State
James Morris – LB – Iowa
C.J. Mosley – LB – Alabama
Marcus Rush – DE – Michigan State
Kawann Short – DT – Purdue
John Simon – DE – Ohio State
Akeem Spence – DT – Illinois
Baker Steinkuhler – DT – Nebraska
Jake Stoneburner – TE – Ohio State
Bruce Taylor – LB – Virginia Tech
Mike Taylor – LB – Wisconsin
Manti Te’o – LB – Notre Dame
Ricky Wagner – OT – Wisconsin
Chance Warmack – OG – Alabama
Jesse Williams – DT – Alabama

Biletnikoff Award (Most outstanding wide receiver)
Jared Abbrederis – Wisconsin
Corey Brown – Ohio State
Keenan Davis – Iowa
Marcus Davis – Virginia Tech
T.J. Jones – Notre Dame
Roy Roundtree – Michigan

Nagurski, Outland Trophy Watch Lists

The Nagurski and Outland Trophy watch lists were released this morning.  Jordan Kovacs is the lone Michigan representation on the Nagurski list; Taylor Lewan appears on the Outland list.  Charles Woodson won the Nagurski Award in 1997, but no Wolverine has ever won the Outland Trophy.  Other notable players for Michigan fans:

Nagurski Award (Best Defensive Player)
Johnny Adams – CB – Michigan State
Ricardo Allen – CB – Purdue
Chris Borland – LB – Wisconsin
Jonathan Brown – LB – Illinois
Michael Buchanan – DE – Illinois
Max Bullough – LB – Michigan State
Kyle Fuller – CB – Virginia Tech
William Gholston – DE – Michigan State
Johnathan Hankins – DT – Ohio State
Gerald Hodges – LB – Penn State
Micah Hyde – CB – Iowa
Nico Johnson – LB – Alabama
Jordan Kovacs – S – Michigan
Robert Lester – S – Alabama
Kapron Lewis-Moore – DE – Notre Dame
Dee Milliner – CB – Alabama
C.J. Mosley – LB – Alabama
Kawann Short – DT – Purdue
John Simon – DE – Ohio State
Bruce Taylor – LB – Virginia Tech
Mike Taylor – LB – Wisconsin
Manti Te’o – LB – Notre Dame
Jesse Williams – DT – Alabama

Outland Trophy (Best Interior Lineman)
Braxston Cave – C – Notre Dame
James Ferentz – C – Iowa
D.J. Fluker – OT – Alabama
Travis Frederick – C – Wisconsin
Johnathan Hankins – DT – Ohio State
Jordan Hill – DT – Penn State
Barrett Jones – C – Alabama
Taylor Lewan – OT – Michigan
Spencer Long – OG – Alabama
Zack Martin – OT – Notre Dame
Chris McDonald – OG – Michigan State
Andrew Miller – C – Virginia Tech
Graham Pocic – C – Illinois
Kawann Short – DT – Purdue
Akeem Spence – DT – Illinois
Baker Steinkuhler – DT – Nebraska
Ricky Wagner – OT – Wisconsin
Chance Warmack – OG – Alabama
Jesse Williams – DT – Alabama

Scout.com: 2012 CFN All-America Offense

Denard Robinson

All these combinations of companies are getting confusing and annoying, but Scout.com, which is owned by Fox Sports, in conjuction with MSN, released the College Football News Preseason All-America Offense for 2012.  Of note for Michigan fans:

FIRST TEAM
QB Denard Robinson, Michigan
RB Montee Ball, Wisconsin
WR Sammy Watkins, Clemson
TE Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame
OL Barrett Jones, Alabama
OL Ricky Wagner, Wisconsin
KR Raheem Mostert, Purdue

SECOND TEAM
OL D.J. Fluker, Alabama
OL Travis Frederick, Wisconsin
OL Taylor Lewan, Michigan

THIRD TEAM
OL Chance Warmack, Alabama