2023 Season Countdown: #35 William Wagner

Tag: William Wagner


8Aug 2023
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2023 Season Countdown: #35 William Wagner

William Wagner (image via MGoBlue)

Name: William Wagner
Height: 
6’2″
Weight: 
255 lbs.
High school: 
Alpharetta (GA) Alpharetta
Position: 
Long snapper
Class: 
Redshirt senior
Jersey number: 
#49
Last year: 
I ranked Wagner #30 and said he would be the starting long snapper (LINK). He started five games.
TTB Rating:
 N/A

Wagner was the starting long snapper for Michigan in 2021 and carried the job into 2022. Unfortunately, he and backup safety Caden Kolesar tore their ACLs on the same play, ending their seasons on October 1 against Iowa. Fortunately for Michigan, they had a solid backup in Greg Tarr, who stepped in seamlessly.

And the presence of Tarr is why Wagner drops a few spots this year, from #30 to #35. If there’s a backup who’s basically just as capable as the starter, then the starter isn’t quite so irreplaceable. I’d like to assume that Wagner is back to full strength and perhaps with a solid 2023, he can follow in Camaron Cheeseman’s footsteps and get drafted in 2024.

Prediction: Starting long snapper

14Aug 2022
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2022 Season Countdown: #30 William Wagner

William Wagner (image via MGoBlue)

Name: William Wagner
Height: 
6’2″
Weight: 
258 lbs.
High school: 
Alpharetta (GA) Alpharetta
Position: 
Long snapper
Class: 
Redshirt junior
Jersey number: 
#49
Last year: 
I ranked Wagner #28 and said he would be the starting long snapper (LINK). He started every game.
TTB Rating:
 N/A

Wagner became the starting long snapper in 2020 when Camaron Cheeseman opted out of the season. As far as I can remember, the past two years have been two years where most Michigan fans couldn’t have named the long snapper. That usually means the snaps have been pretty automatic.

There’s no reason to expect that he will be anything different this season than he was the last two years. If he can do that and stay healthy, hooray! If not, there are unknown quantities in redshirt sophomore Greg Tarr and true freshman Evan Boutorwick. Both were solid walk-on pickups according to the sites that chart long snappers, but they haven’t snapped in a game yet.

Prediction: Starting long snapper

10Aug 2021
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2021 Season Countdown: #28 William Wagner

William Wagner (image via MGoBlue)

Name: William Wagner
Height:
6’1″
Weight:
247 lbs.
High school:
Alpharetta (GA) Alpharetta
Position:
Long snapper
Class:
Redshirt sophomore
Jersey number:
#49
Last year:
I did not rank Wagner. He started six games.
TTB Rating:
N/A

You probably forgot that Michigan’s starting long snapper opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID concerns. That long snapper, Camaron Cheeseman, became a 6th round pick of the Washington Football Team even without playing the season, which is pretty impressive.

So in stepped Wagner, whom I did not rank in the 2020 Season Countdown. Wagner started all six games and did well, with “did well” meaning you probably didn’t know who the long snapper was.

Wagner returns as one of two long snappers in the program, along with redshirt freshman Greg Tarr. I have no reason to expect Wagner to be replaced, so here he is, a quasi-starter, at #28.

Prediction: Starting long snapper