Tag: UMass

C.J. Hester, Wolverine

UMass transfer running back C.J. Hester committed to Michigan on Saturday. He had visited for the spring game.

Hester is listed at 5’11” and 195 lbs. As a freshman at Western Michigan in 2023, he ran 29 times for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns in seven games. He then transferred to UMass in 2024, ranking as the team’s second leading rusher with 119 carries for 529 yards and 4 scores across eleven games. Coming out of Cincinnati (OH) Wyoming in 2023, he was a 247 Composite 3-star, the #113 running back, and #1702 overall.

I think Hester’s size is exaggerated; he’s probably closer to 5’9″ than 5’11”. And I don’t think he’s 195 pounds, or at least he wasn’t during the 2024 season. But he does run tough. His numbers aren’t great, but he was playing for UMass, one of the worst FBS teams. There are several highlights of him running through tackles and fighting for extra yardage, and that’s a step up in a way from the type of tackle-breaking ability Donovan Edwards showed over the past few seasons. That’s not to say that Hester is a better overall running back, but at least Hester has the ability to fight through tackles. Hester also has a little bit of wiggle and a little bit of quickness, but he’s not going to be a breakaway threat like Edwards.

Overall, Hester is a notch below Jordan Marshall and Justice Haynes, and that’s probably the best Michigan can hope for from someone committing from the portal at this point in the cycle. Michigan has Marshall and Haynes and then a bunch of unproven players, including redshirt freshman Micah Ka’apana and a couple freshmen.

Hester would be the only player other than Jibreel Black, who finished his college career in 2013, to play for Michigan out of Cincinnati (OH) Wyoming.

Anthony Simpson, Wolverine

UMass transfer portal wide receiver Anthony Simpson committed to Michigan on Sunday. He has one season of eligibility remaining.

Simpson is a 5’11”, 184-pounder. Last season he caught 3 passes for 16 yards while playing in just two games for the Minutemen before an injury ended his season. However, his career-best season was in 2023 when he caught 57 passes for 792 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Simpson was a 3-star, the #2 athlete, and the #5 overall prep school player coming out in 2021 after playing traditional high school ball at Pawling (NY) Bloomfield. He spent his first two years of college at Arizona playing for former Michigan assistant Jedd Fisch, who was the Wildcats head coach from 2021-2023. Simpson made just 8 catches for 102 yards while playing in eighteen games those first two years before transferring to UMass and playing for head coach Don Brown, who had been the defensive coordinator and Simpson’s recruiter when Brown was Arizona’s defensive coordinator.

Along with his receiving ability, Simpson has 14 carries for 108 yards and 1 touchdown throughout his career. He seems to be a bit of a screen and gadget guy, a little bit like current Michigan receiver Semaj Morgan. (I still think Morgan is capable of more based on his high school film, but Michigan has so far been unable to use him effectively as a downfield or intermediate receiver.) I think it’s good to have multiple guys on the roster who have that skill set in order to keep defenses off balance, provide competition, and account for the possibility of injury. But it will be interesting to see how they dole out opportunities.

Michigan has now added two transfer portal receivers: one a quick slot guy in Simpson and the other a 6’5″ outside guy in Indiana’s Donaven McCulley. Meanwhile, they lost Tyler Morris to Indiana.

Michigan vs. UMass Awards

Mike Kwiatkowski

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Mike Kwiatkowski.  I like what I’ve seen out of him so far.  He caught a 16-yard pass and that’s all, but he looks pretty athletic and does a decent job of blocking.  Despite Brandon Moore getting the Ron Kramer “Legends” #87 jersey, I think Kwiatkowski is the superior player.

Let’s see less of this guy on offense . . . opponents running with the football.  Three games, four interceptions for Denard Robinson.  The one in this game was returned for six points.  A senior quarterback should not be making these mistakes.

Let’s see more of this guy on defense . . . Joe Bolden.  I’m not a huge fan of replacing seniors with freshmen, but Bolden has done a good job the past couple weeks.  Starting middle linebacker Kenny Demens played the vast majority of snaps last season, but Michigan can afford to rest him (or replace him?) with Bolden and not miss a whole lot.  He’s more athletic than Demens.

Let’s see less of this guy on defense . . . Raymon Taylor.  I really think Taylor is overmatched.  I’m not sure if Michigan has a better option (Courtney Avery? Terry Richardson?), but I’m worried about how Taylor will match up against Notre Dame and other future opponents.

Play of the game . . . Devin Gardner’s catch-and-run.  Gardner did a great job of catching the ball, getting upfield, and stretching for the pylon.  He’s deceptively strong for having a lanky frame and did a great job of staying inbounds when it looked like he would get knocked out at around the 2-yard line.

MVP of the game . . . Denard Robinson.  He ran 10 times for 106 yards and 1 touchdown.  He completed 16/24 passes for 291 yards and 3 touchdowns.  The turnovers and near turnovers are frustrating, but the bottom line is that he accounted for 397 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Video: Hoke, Denard, Smith, Campbell, Gordon, Omameh, Dileo postgame

Highlights: Michigan 63, UMass 13