Tag: Taylor Upshaw

Michigan vs. Minnesota Awards

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Zach Charbonnet. Charbonnet’s first carry of the game was a 70-yard touchdown up the gut on power. He ended up with 70 yards on 4 total carries, so his other three carries netted zero yards, but I would still like to see Charbonnet touch the ball more if/when the game is on the line. Michigan did a good job of spreading out carries to keep people happy and fresh, but we know Charbonnet is tough – and that touchdown run showed more speed than what he had last year. In the 2019 season opener, he broke away against Middle Tennessee and didn’t have the same explosion he showed against the Gophers.

Hit the jump for more.

2020 Season Countdown: #47 Taylor Upshaw

Name: Taylor Upshaw
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 240 lbs.
High school: Bradenton (FL) Braden River
Position: Defensive end
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number: #91
Last year: I ranked Upshaw #72 and said he would be a backup defensive end (LINK). He played in six games and made 2 tackles.
TTB Rating: 73

Last year Michigan needed some help at defensive end after a bunch of departures from the 2018 season. Upshaw took probably as much advantage as he could with future NFLer Mike Danna taking most of the backup defensive end snaps. When Upshaw got on the field, he looked a little thin after being listed at 246 pounds.

One year later he is now listed at 240 pounds, which is probably not a good thing. That’s not even a good weight for a shorter weakside end, let alone a guy who’s 6’4″ and probably headed for the strong side. At the same time, Upshaw actually saw playing time, unlike some of the other options (Gabe Newburg, Mike Morris). I’ve heard a little buzz about Newburg, but Upshaw might be in the race to make the two-deep with Luiji Vilain, Braiden McGregor, Newburg, and others.

Prediction: Backup defensive end

2019 Season Countdown: #72 Taylor Upshaw

Name: Taylor Upshaw
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 246 lbs.
High school: Bradenton (FL) Braden River
Position: Defensive end
Class: Redshirt freshman
Jersey number: #91
Last year: I ranked Upshaw #91 and said he would redshirt (LINK). He did not see game action.
TTB Rating: 73

This will be an interesting year for Upshaw. As a bit of a project coming out of high school (he didn’t play football until his junior year), I didn’t expect him to play as a true freshman. As the son of a former NFL player, the potential would seem to be there.

However, there has not been any buzz on him, and he’s still listed at 246 lbs., which is pretty light for a guy who’s headed for strongside end, or perhaps even 3-tech, by the time his career is done. I have him higher in the ranking than I probably should, but Michigan’s loss of so many defensive linemen from last year (Rashan Gary, Chase Winovich, Bryan Mone, Lawrence Marshall, Aubrey Solomon, Ron Johnson Jr.) might give someone like Upshaw more opportunities.

Prediction: Backup defensive end

Final TTB Ratings for 2018

Aidan Hutchinson (image via Hudl)

Thanks to Bryan and Keith for the recent, generous donations through Paypal!

It’s been a long time coming because I’ve been so busy, but here are the final TTB Ratings for the class of 2018.

A note on the ratings: These are Michigan-specific ratings, so a guy who would be an instant starter at Eastern Michigan might not be quite so much of an individual standout playing against Michigan’s opponents . . . and he might even have a hard time getting on the field over some other Wolverines. It’s tricky trying to determine how the depth chart will shake out over the next three to five years, but I’m here for the heavy lifting. For more of an explanation, check out this page here (LINK).

Hit the jump for the final rankings.

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2018 Season Countdown: #91 Taylor Upshaw

Taylor Upshaw

Name: Taylor Upshaw
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 240 lbs.
High school: Bradenton (FL) Braden River
Position: Defensive end
Class: Freshman
Jersey number: #91
Last year: Upshaw was a senior in high school (LINK). He made 33 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and 1 interception for a touchdown.

Upshaw is the son of a former NFL defensive lineman in Regan Upshaw. The younger Upshaw was originally committed to Florida, but the uncertain coaching situation (which resulted in Florida head coach Jim McElwain getting fired and, ultimately, becoming a Michigan assistant) led to his decommitment. He flipped to the Wolverines and enrolled early in January.

In light of the early enrollment, it seems that buzz would have started already this spring if Upshaw showed signs of being an early contributor. I have heard zero buzz about Upshaw, which is frankly what I expected when I gave him a TTB Rating of 62. That’s not to say the 62 will be his ceiling throughout his career, but his high school film shows a guy who seems very raw. It would take a huge leap for him to see the field much this season, if at all. He plays like a strongside end or even a guy who might be a 3-tech defensive tackle, and being 240 lbs. isn’t a great sign, either. Next year might be a different story, but for now, he looks like a non-factor for 2018.

Prediction: Redshirt